"The Trouble with the Trinity, A Layman-to-Layman Study of the Biblical Evidence for the Triune Nature of God" is the title of a book I have been working on for 28 years. It is finally complete and it was accepted for publication by the second publisher I contacted, Covenant Books. You can view the promotional YouTube video and purchasing information on the Trouble website. What follows are entries made at earlier times.
The Trinity is an intricately simple concept that Christians tend to accept without spending the requisite time studying. That is its trouble. Many believers accept its simple aspect without taking the time to explore its intricacy. As a result, they miss 1) a wealth of information that can only be gleaned by studying every verse in God’s Word that links a name for a member of the Godhead with a nearby word or concept for God and 2) the amazing Symbol that perfectly conveys the fullness of the intricate nature of the Three-in-One God.
The Symbol that conveys the fullness of the Triune Godhead that became apparent during the preparation of this book is the Star of David, the Magen David! This hexagram, made of double intertwining lines, consists of two, inner, inverted triangles and two outer triangles enclosing the inner ones. Thus there are six inner sides or spans and two outer triangles. Each of the inner spans consists of 1) those themes identifying the Father as God, 2) those identifying the Son as God, 3) those identifying the Holy Spirit as God, 4) those identifying the Father and the Son as God, 5) those identifying the Father and the Holy Spirit as God and 6) those identifying the Son and the Holy Spirit as God. The first outer Triangle consists of those themes confirming the existence of One God and the second outer triangle corresponds to those identifying the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as God.
Thus God, by recording in His Word in nearly 1000 verses all the possible ways and combinations that help us understand that He is Three-in-One, has prepared us to see why this historically relevant, Jewish Symbol is the perfect symbol to convey deep insights into His Godhead.
Here is a crude table of contents:
Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
CHAPTER 1, THE BEGINNING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
CHAPTER 2, THE TROUBLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
CHAPTER 3, IS THE FATHER GOD? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
CHAPTER 4, IS JESUS GOD? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
CHAPTER 5, IS THE HOLY SPIRIT GOD? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
CHAPTER 6, ONE GOD, TWO GODS, THREE GODS, MORE? . . .58
CHAPTER 7, IS THE FATHER AND THE SON GOD? . . . . . . . . . . .85
CHAPTER 8, IS THE FATHER AND THE HOLY SPIRIT GOD? . . . .122
CHAPTER 9, IS THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT GOD? . . . . . . 136
CHAPTER 10, IS THE THREE TOGETHER GOD? . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
CHAPTER 11, WHY THIS SYMBOL? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
CHAPTER 12, UNDERSTANDING THE TRINITY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .205
Here is a crude (C) version of this Symbol:
The finished version is Figure 11-1 in the book. If you are intrigued that the Magen David, a well-known Jewish symbol, can also be a symbol of the Triune God, perhaps you will find what goes on in The Messianic Times of equal interest.
The day I submitted my proposal to my erstwhile rep, (Christian Manuscript Submissions), this coin came in the mail as an addition to my collection. Notice that on the obverse it has the Star of David, the Symbol that the Trouble with the Trinity weaves into the perfect representation for God's Triune nature. Then notice that on the reverse, is the Roman numeral for the number three. This is of course, the number of members in the Triune Godhead. Was this a message from God? I don't know. Time will tell....
Obverse Reverse
"The three cent coin has an unusual history. It was proposed in 1851 both as a result of the decrease in postage rates from five cents to three and to answer the need for a small-denomination, easy-to-handle coin. The three cent silver featured a shield on a six sided star on the obverse and the Roman numeral III on the reverse." (link to source of above quote)
17 10 06
I am using this page to temporarily house items that will eventually go on a separate blog for The Trouble with the Trinity.
Chapter 11 Appendixes
Appendix 11-A. Verses Used in Order by Chapter and Topic Appendix 11-A Verses in Chapter Order.docx
Appendix 11-B. Verses Used in Biblical Order Keyed to Span Appendix 11-B. Verses in Biblical Order Coded to Chapters 3-10.docx
Appendix 11-C. The Occurrences of Red (Adom) & Scarlet Items in the Tabernacle and Its Courtyard Appendix 11-C. The Occurrences of Red (Adom) & Scarlet Items in the Tabernacle and Its Courtyar.docx
Appendix 11-D. The Occurrences of Gold (Zahab) Items in the Tabernacle and Its Courtyard Appendix 11-D. The Occurrences of Gold (Zahab) Items in the Tabernacle and Its Courtyard.docx
Appendix 11-E. The Occurrences of Blue (Tekeleth) Items in the Tabernacle and Its Courtyard Appendix 11-E. The Occurrences of Blue (Tekeleth) Items in the Tabernacle and Its Courtyard.docx
Appendix 11-F. The Occurrences of Bronze (Nekhosheth) Items in the Tabernacle and Its Courtyard Appendix 11-F. The Occurrences of Bronze (Nekhosheth) Items in the Tabernacle and Its Courtyard.docx
Appendix 11-G. The Occurrences of Oil (Shemen) Items in the Tabernacle and Its Courtyard Appendix 11-G. The Occurrences of Oil (Shemen) Items in the Tabernacle and Its Courtyard.docx
Appendix 11-H. The Occurrences of Purple (Argawmawn) Items in the Tabernacle and Its Courtyard Appendix 11-H. The Occurrences of Purple (Argawmawn) Items in the Tabernacle and Its Courtyard.docx
Appendix 11-I. The Occurrences of Linen Items in the Tabernacle and Its Courtyard Appendix 11-I. The Occurrences of Linen Items in the Tabernacle and Its Courtyard.docx
Appendix 11-J. List of All 75 Items in the Tabernacle and Its Courtyard Used as Template for Appendixes 11-C through 11-I Appendix 11-J. List of All 75 Items in the Tabernacle and Its Courtyard Used as Template for Ap.docx
Chapter 12 Appendixes
Appendix 12-A. Key Attributes of the Trinity and Their Relationships Appendix 12-A. Key Attributes of the Trinity and Their Relationships.docx
Appendix 12-B. Template for Scoring Symbols of the Trinity Appendix 12-B. Template for Scoring Symbols of the Trinity.docx
Appendix 12-C. Scoring Sheets for Symbols of the Trinity Appendix 12-C. Scoring Sheets for Symbols of the Trinity.docx
Appendix 12-D-i Template for Scoring Icons-TYPE, BACKGROUND, DETAIL; RENDITION; GEOMETRY; SPACING OF THE THREE, and HALOS Appendix 12-D-i Template for Scoring Icons-Setting & Halos.docx
Appendix 12-D-ii Template for Scoring Icons-FATHER Appendix 12-D-ii Template for Scoring Icons-Father.docx
Appendix 12-D-iii Template for Scoring Icons-SON Appendix 12-D-iii Template for Scoring Icons-Son.docx
Appendix 12-D-iv Template for Scoring Icons-HOLY SPIRIT Appendix 12-D-iv Template for Scoring Icons-Holy Spirit.docx
Appendix 12-E-i-a. Tricephalous Icons Appendix 12-E-i-a. Tricephalous Icons.docx
Appendix 12-E-i-b. Table of Tricephalous Icons Appendix 12-E-i-b. Table of Tricephalous Icons.xlsx
Appendix 12-E-ii-a. Triandric Icons Appendix 12-E-ii-a. Triandric Icons.docx
Appendix 12-E-ii-b. Table of Triandric Icons Appendix 12-E-ii-b. Table of Triandric Icons.xlsx
Appendix 12-E-iii-a. Throne-of-Grace Icons Appendix 12-E-iii-a. Throne-of-Grace Icons.docx
Appendix 12-E-iii-b. Table of Throne-of-Grace Icons Appendix 12-E-iii-b. Table of Throne-of-Grace Icons.xlsx
Appendix 12-E-iv-a. Psalter Icons Appendix 12-E-iv-a. Psalter Icons.docx
Appendix 12-E-iv-b. Table of Psalter Icons Appendix 12-E-iv-b. Table of Psalter Icons.xlsx
Appendix 12-E-v-a. Paternity Icons Appendix 12-E-v-a. Paternity Icons.docx
Appendix 12-E-v-b. Table of Paternity Icons Appendix 12-E-v-b. Table of Paternity Icons.xlsx
These files need lots of work.
Appendix 12-F-i. Emblems of the Trinity Appendix 12-F-i. Emblems of the Trinity.docx
Appendix 12-F-ii. Table of Emblems of the Trinity Appendix 12-F-ii. Table of Emblems of the Trinity.xlsx
17 03 19
Today in church, I had a discussion with a sister in the Lord who thought that a sister who was a Jehovah Witness was wrong in promoting the Rapture. I explained to her that the rapture is a Christian doctrine as well. I pointed out that there was a better way to show her sister the error of the Jehovah Witness by pointing out the 1000 plus verses scattered throughout the Bible that support the Trinity.
Following is the actual message I sent her:
Wendy, Nice talking to you today. Here is the passage that the rapture is based upon:
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 New International Version (NIV)
Believers Who Have Died
13 Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. 14 For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
The Greek for caught up together, is ἁρπαγησόμεθα (harpagēstha). It is derived from the root word, ἁρπάζω, (to seize, catch up). The phonetic spelling is "har-pad'-zo" which you can see is somewhat aligned with raptor, or the Biblical word, rapture. But the real connection comes when the equivalent Latin word is substituted: "Rapturo."
if you want to see more, here is a link to the Greek. Here is a link to the connection between the Greek and the Latin. And here is a link to a discussion of the rapture.
Bottom line, arguing with your sister about the rapture is not the right strategy, since we want truth to be the basis for all our arguments. Rather you need to show your sister all the places where the Triune nature of God is clearly laid out in God's Word. As we discussed, it seems God dispersed these places throughout the Bible rather than collect them all in one place because it is harder to find and change them all.
These places are collated into eight chapters and a couple of introductory and concluding chapters in a book I am prayerfully going to finish and get published this year or next.
In the process of preparing chapter 12 (the last chapter) of this book, I am including a review of icons, symbols, and emblems of the Trinity. Here is an emblem that I found at a web site that is no longer active. I am adding it here so I can add it to my Pinterest folder, Trinity Icons, Emblems.
17 11 17 Today in my quiet time, I read Acts 21:23-24. Later in the day, as I was double-checking each reference in the book, I came to the last two references in Chapter 11. I knew when I had read the passage in Acts that I had to put it at this point in the book, what I didn't know is that I would be taken to this passage in today's effort. God's timing has been so fantastic. I had to avoid doing any work on the Trinity for three days as I had to spend each day with Kol, my youngest grandson and he refused to sleep so I could work on the book. Had none of that happened, I would have gone past the end of Chapter 12 and then had to find it again when I came across the reading in Acts. This sort of perfect timing has happened again and again. I am convinced this is God's work.
18 03 23
Here is the outline used in the book
TABLE OF CONTENTS
FOREWORD 4
Chapter 1, THE BEGINNING 14
Chapter 2, THE TROUBLE 18
Chapter 3, IS THE FATHER GOD? 21
GOD THE FATHER 21
GOD AND FATHER 22
GOD OUR FATHER 23
FATHER GOD (OF OUR SPIRITS) 23
LORD FATHER 27
HEAVENLY FATHER 28
SUMMARY 29
CHAPTER 4, IS JESUS GOD? 31
GOD THE SON 31
IMMANUEL 33
KINGDOM OF CHRIST AND OF GOD 34
THRONE OF GOD 35
GOD OUR SAVIOR 37
GOD AND SAVIOR 39
I AM 39
IN GOD 42
SON OF GOD 43
MY SON 45
SUMMARY 45
CHAPTER 5, IS THE HOLY SPIRIT GOD?
GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT 47
MY SPIRIT 50
SPIRIT OF GOD 53
SPIRIT WHO IS FROM GOD 54
SPIRIT OF THE LORD 54
YOUR SPIRIT 55
HIS SPIRIT 56
HIS HOLY SPIRIT 58
SUMMARY 58
CHAPTER 6, ONE GOD, TWO GODS, THREE GODS, MORE? 60
NO OTHER GOD(S) 60
TRUE GOD 62
ONE GOD 62
THE ONE 64
ALONE 66
NO OTHER 68
NO GOD BESIDES GOD 69
NONE LIKE GOD 70
NONE COMPARES WITH GOD 72
HOLY ONE 72
HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL 75
HOLY ONE IN CHARGE 75
BUT MORE THAN ONE GOD? 76
US, WE, AND OUR 77
ONE FATHER, ONE SON, ONE HOLY SPIRIT 78
THE SAME 82
SUMMARY 85
CHAPTER 7, IS THE FATHER AND THE SON GOD?
THE FATHER AND THE SON ARE ONE 87
THE SON “IS” THE FATHER 89
THE FATHER AND THE SON ARE EQUAL 90
WHATEVER IS THE FATHER’S IS THE SON’S 93
THE FATHER AND JESUS ARE IN EACH OTHER 97
ONLY JESUS AND THE FATHER KNOW EACH OTHER 99
SEEING JESUS EQUALS SEEING THE FATHER 101
THE FATHER IS IDENTICAL TO THE SON 103
JESUS IS THE FATHER’S SON 105
THE FATHER OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST 107
THE FATHER LOVES JESUS 108
GLORY BETWEEN THE SON AND THE FATHER 110
THE SON IS FROM THE FATHER 113
JESUS SENT BY THE FATHER 114
THE FATHER AND JESUS ARE THE SAVIOR 119
SUMMARY 122
CHAPTER 8, IS THE FATHER AND THE HOLY SPIRIT GOD? 124
SOUL OF THE FATHER 124
SPIRIT OF THE FATHER 125
HIS (THE FATHER’S) SPIRIT 125
THE FATHER IS SPIRIT 126
THE FATHER’S SPIRIT IN THE OLD TESTAMENT 127
SPIRIT OF THE SOVEREIGN LORD 128
SPIRIT OF GOD THE FATHER 129
THE FATHER’S SPIRIT IN THE NEW TESTAMENT 129
THE COMFORTER 132
MY OR THE PRESENCE 133
SUMMARY 135
CHAPTER 9, IS THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT GOD? 137
THE SPIRIT CONCEIVED JESUS 137
THE SPIRIT AT JESUS’ BAPTISM 138
THE SPIRIT DIRECTS CHRIST’S MINISTRY 138
THE SPIRIT IN JESUS’ DEATH 140
THE SPIRIT IN JESUS’ RESURRECTION 141
THE SPIRIT IN JESUS BEFORE THE ASCENSION 141
COUNSELOR 142
SOUL OF THE SON 146
SPIRIT OF CHRIST 146
JESUS “IS” THE SPIRIT 147
THE SEVEN-FOLD SPIRIT 151
SUMMARY 151
CHAPTER 10, IS THE THREE TOGETHER GOD? 153
OLD TESTAMENT PLEURALITY 153
OLD TESTAMENT THREE 157
HOLY, HOLY, HOLY 158
NEW TESTAMENT PLEURALITY 159
NEW TESTAMENT THREE 161
JESUS’ LIFE 161
THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT 164
THE BELIEVER AND THE THREE 164
SUMMARY 171
CHAPTER 11, WEAVING THE STRANDS TOGETHER 173
WEAVING THE SPANS TOGETHER, WHAT SHAPE EMERGES? 173
WHY THIS SHAPE? 177
WHAT IS THE GEOMETRY OF THE SHAPE? 178
WHAT ARE THE OTHER NAMES OF THE SHAPE? 179
HOW HAS IT BEEN USED? 185
WHEN AND WHERE WAS ITS EARLIEST APPEARANCE? 186
HOW WAS IT USED INSIDE OF JUDAISM? 193
WHAT OTHER RELIGIONS HAVE USED THE HEXAGRAM? 196
ADOPTION OF THE SHIELD OF DAVID AS THE OFFICIAL SIGN OF JUDAISM/ZIONISM 197
THE SHIELD OF THE SON OF DAVID (THE MESSIAH) 201
EXAMPLES OF ITS BEING MADE OF WORDS 201
EXAMPLES OF ITS LINKING THREE RELATED CONCEPTS 202
DOES THIS SHAPE SERVE AS A SYMBOL FOR THE TRINITY? 204
WHERE DO THE COLORS COME FROM? 205
WHAT ARE THE POSSIBLE RESPONSES TO THIS SHAPE WITHIN JUDAISM? 224
CHAPTER 12, UNDERSTANDING THE TRINITY 232
THEOLOGY OF THE TRINITY 232
SYMBOLS AND EMBLEMS OF THE TRINITY 238
ICONS OF THE TRINITY 266
SUMMARY OF SYMBOLS AND ICONS 289
ANALOGIES OF THE TRINITY 289
SUMMARY 294
FINAL THOUGHTS 297
Because of the Trinity, I am never alone. I am never just me. Through the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, Whom Jesus sends to believers, I am also indwelt by Jesus who tells the Advocate what to say, and to Whom the Father has given all, and thus by the Father. John 16:6-33. The same is true for you if you agree with the 12 Fundamental Principles of Christianity.
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