Three Gods

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Timothy Litteral quoted from my previous post:
>>Most careful Trinitarian writers, in my experience, will describe the
>>persons of the Godhead as "distinct," but not as "separate," since they
>>believe the distinctions are within God's one, indivisible substance.

And responded:
>When you make a "distinction" you have made a separation.

Not necessarily. "Distinct" definitely can mean "separate." But in this
context the distinctions refer to three distinguishing realities within one
being. Referring to the persons as "separate" would explicitly divide and
disconnect one from another, with tritheistic implications.

Oneness theology makes distinctions as well. For us the distinctions are
primarily external and revelatory, whereas in Trinitarianism the
distinctions are also internal and relational.

>My hand, my foot and my nose fit into this definition of the trinity: have
>distinctness but being of the same "essence" but how many "persons" do these
>terms represent?

Exactly the point! Augustine designated the Father, Son and Holy Ghost as
divine "persons" within the one, indivisible divine substance. But in
illustrating what he meant by "person," he did not compare the Godhead with
three separate, individual humans. He drew comparisons with the
distinctions within *one* person. In fact, his strongest analogies were not
to three parts of one person (e.g. hand, foot, nose), but to three distinct
operations of one human mind (memory, understanding, love).

I was by no means claiming his Trinitarian views and Oneness are the same.
But we can't force a tritheistic interpretation of "persons" as separate,
absolute entities or beings on his theology. I think there's a bit more
common ground here than we might like to admit.

>Did this guy use the term "they" in reference to the God head?
>I'd say he did!  I have debated several trinitarians and they simply can't
>debate very long without using the term "they" in regard to the God head!
>"They" is plural.

And, so is "we."

John 14:24: Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will
keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and
make our abode with him.

Cary Robison