Big G, there is so much written on the site you gave me that I feel I must comment as such.
I went and looked at what you sent me. There is much to be dicussed and no doubt we probably won't be able to convince each other, but for the sake of friendly arguement I'd be willing to debate the issues you've presented to me. And since so much has been written in the post you have offered me to see, it is only fair that I be given the same courtesy. I'd like to address the first of the article about Trinity and how the Mormon faith rejects it, because that is in essence what the article says: Although I found the Trinity mentioned by your articles to be wordy the actual comments really didn't seem to address the real belief about the Trinity. Christians do believe in the Trinity, even though the word itself isn't in the Bible. Does that make it wrong? Mormon doctrine seems to say so. Christians also believe in the Rapture which also isn't a word in the Bible. Does that mean it's not going to happen. Mormon doctrine teaches differently, which is why your faith teaches stock-piling for end time events because your faith doesn't believe in biblical rapture even though its talked about in Scripture. But the Rapture is a different arguement for down the road, so let me get back to the Trinity. First off the articles that you are using for support are coming from 4th and 5th Centuries writings which are most part Catholic doctrine and anyone who didn't adhere was persecuted. This persecution was on Jews, gentiles, and Jesus Christ followers or early Christians. We need to step back even further in time. Theophilus, who was the sixth bishop of Antioch, Syria around 168 is supposed to have been the first person known to have used the word "Trinity" in his written works, more specifically in his work: Refutation of Autolycus. Please remember that since you gave me a very wordy article to read this will in part be wordy as well: What Christians believe about the Trinity in the simplest of terms, Christians believe There is only one God, and this one God exists as one essence in three Persons. The three Persons are God the Father, God the Son(Jesus Christ), God the Holy Spirit (also called the Holy Ghost). Early Christians used a wheel chart diagram to explain the Trinity wherein God is in the Center of the Wheel and the spokes (3 of them) extend out to the wheel edge and each spot is marked as one of the three,i.e. Father, Son, Holy Spirit. On the body of each spoke is written the words "is" and then between each name is a band going around the wheel and each band of which there is 3 of them is written the words " is not". The diagram is then shown as such going fron the center out: God is Father, God is Son, God is Holy Spirit. The outer wheel parts are shown as such: Father is not Son, Father is not Holy Spirit, Son is not Father, Son is not Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit is not Father and Holy Spirit is not Son. Each person of the Trinity is distinct from the other but all are of God who is essence. There is no where in Scripture that says Jesus Christ is consider essence only as your article claims. Jesus Christ is fully God and Fully Man. So the 3 Persons are distinct in that the Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit is not the Father. God is one absolutely perfect devine Being in three Persons. His being is what God is, in relation to the universe he created. The three are called Persons because they relate to one another in personal ways. When Christians talk about believing in one God in three Persons (the Trinity) they do not mean: 1 God in 3 Gods, or 3 Persons in 1 Person, or 3 Persons in 3 Gods or 1 Person in 3 Gods. Rather, they mean: 1 God in 3 Persons. Therefore, The Father is God-the first Person of the Trinity. The Son of God-the second Person of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit-the third Person of the Trinity. (the Holy Ghost is an older English expression for the "Holy Spirit." Each is an acceptable phrase in the Bible.)
Why Do Christians Believe in the Trinity?
The Bible clearly teaches that there is only one God, yet all three Persons are called God.
There is only one God: Hear O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord Deut. 6:4 and Before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. Isiah 44:6 & 8.
The Father is God:
Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corintians 8:6; Ephesians 4:4-6.
The Son is God:
The Word was God. John 1:1-5,14. Jesus is identified as "the Word". All this takes is an understanding that when John was writing his books he was addressing a primarily Greek audience and the highest form of any deity the Greeks had understanding of was the word "logos" which when interpreted means "word" and John was appealing to their limited sense of what that meant in referring to the Godhood of Christ Jesus. You can look up in any Greek/English translations and also studies on John's ministry is easily available as well.
I and the Father are one. John 10:30-33
Jesus' disciple Thomas addressed Jesus as "My Lord and my God." John 20:28-Jesus did not tell Thomas he was mistaken; instead Jesus accepted these titles. other people in Scripture, notably Paul and Barnabas (Acts 14), refused to accept worship as gods.
But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne O God, is forever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Hebrews 1:6-8.
Wherefore God also hath mightly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11.
Paul, the writer of Philippians, is saying about Jesus what Isiah 45:23 says about the Lord, and then Paul concludes that Jesus is the Lord, that is, the same Lord God of the Old Testament. See these pasages about Jesus' deity: Isiah 7:14; 9:6, John 1:1,18; 8:58,59; 10:30; Acts 20:28; Romans 9:5 & 10:9-13; Colossians 1:15,16; 2:9; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 1:3.8; 2 Peter 1:1 and 1st John 5:20
The Holy Spirit is God:
But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled than heart to lie to the Holy Ghost?...Thou hast not lied to men, but unto God. Acts 5:3-4, This verse equates the Holy Spirit with God.
Now the Lord is that Spirit. 2 Corintians 3:17.
"The Lord" here refers to "the Lord" in the Old Testament verse Exodus 34:34. Paul had just quoted in the previous verse 2 Corinthians 3:16.
Big G, I'm going to have to finish this later. work bekons. Cheers!