David Miller wrote:
> Blaine, I'm going to try real quickly to explain this. Unfortunately, I
> think you might reverse yourself when you hear the answer. :-)
>
> The word "Trinity" historically does have a special meaning. It is a word
> meant to designate a Godhead that, while being 3 persons, is also of the
> SAME substance.
DAVEH: Thanx for the great explanation, DavidM. Would you be so kind as to elaborate
just a little more on the meaning of "substance" as used here. Thanx.
> The entire argument between the Arians and the Trinitarians hinged on a
> single letter in one Greek word that described the relationship between
> Jesus and the heavenly Father. This is kind of ironic for a subject of such
> supposed magnitude, especially when you consider that the single letter in
> dispute is the letter iota. So the whole debate rests upon a single iota!
> LOL Arius taught that Jesus was a created being, so that he is our Creator
> and we worship him as such, but technically, he is not deity. The word
> favored by most Arians was "homoi-ousius" which means, "of like essence."
> The word favored by the Trinitarians as "homo-ousius" which means ("of the
> same essence"). The question was if Jesus was of like substance / essence
> as the Father, or if he was of the same substance / essence as the Father.
>
> There was a third view called Sabellianism, but this was rejected as
> heretical prior to this debate between the Arians and the Trinitarians. In
> fact, the Trinitarians were accused by the Arians as being Sabellians with
> their view of three persons being of the same substance. Sabellianism is
> basically the "Oneness" teaching that some Christians embrace today, which
> considers the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit as one person.
>
> The Mormon view technically is kind of like the Arian view. Arius
> worshipped Jesus just like Mormons do, and he considered Jesus as the
> creator of all the earth, and he viewed Jesus himself being a created
> person. The difference is that Arius thought that because Jesus was
> created, he technically was not deity. This was important to Arius in order
> to distinguish themselves as a monotheistic religion rather than a
> polytheistic religion. Mormons say that Jesus is deity, apparently
> considering themselves to embrace a henotheistic form of polytheism.
>
> It's kind of interesting that Arians and Trinitarians divide over a single
> iota, but Mormons seem to find a division even between this division. How
> thin can the pie be cut before it just crumbles?
>
> Peace be with you.
> David Miller.
--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dave Hansen
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.langlitz.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
----------
"Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you
ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6) http://www.InnGlory.org
If you do not want to receive posts from this list, send an email to
[EMAIL PROTECTED] and you will be unsubscribed. If you have a friend who
wants to join, tell him to send an e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and he will be
subscribed.
