It's so easy to win an argument and yet lose the soul... During the last Alpha course, I learnt a lesson that it's about 80% friendship/trust/listening and about 20% reason/explanation/ defense of faith.
It's wonderful to know that table talks at "Coffee Bean" and "SanFrancisco" still could revolve around faith without being 'un-cool'! A fren was asked the Trinity during one such talk...
Having said that, there are many 'frequently used answers' (FUA) which I believe are really 'cop-out' answers like "1 X 1 X 1 = 1"or "It's like one guy acting as father, husband and son" or "It's a mystery, you gotta take it by faith".
If I have only 3 minutes to talk abt the Trinity, I began with explaining what it means.
God is one in essence/being and God isthree in Persons. He is not one and three in the same way at thesame time. (no contradiction)
Although all contradictions are mysterious, not all mysteries are contradictory. The Trinity is oneof these mysteries, which are beyond reason. (not against reason)
Then I talk about the most meaningful human relationship in my life(my parents!), inviting my friend to acknowledge that love is a beautiful/true human experience. Then joyfully exult in how our Trinitarian God is love and relational in His deepest Being. Even before He created any angel to worship Him, God is not feeling lonely and depressed without anyone to talk to. Far from it! God is ever exuberantly fulfilled and profoundly complete in the richfellowship enjoyed within His Triune self.
The divine love shared between the Father, Son and Spirit is the 'real thing', which our deepest human relationship is but a foreshadow and image. We are meaningfully relational because God Himself is 'relating' in His Triune Being. A unitarian God is not capable of love until some finite creatures were created to meet that need or hunger.
With you in hungering Trinitarian fellowship,
Dave
For meatier bibligraphy:
http://www.desiringgod.org/library/theological_qa
http://www.probe.org/docs/trinitydiff.html
http://www.probe.org/docs/bel-trin.html
http://www.str.org/free/commentaries/theology/trinsolv.htm
It's wonderful to know that table talks at "Coffee Bean" and "SanFrancisco" still could revolve around faith without being 'un-cool'! A fren was asked the Trinity during one such talk...
Having said that, there are many 'frequently used answers' (FUA) which I believe are really 'cop-out' answers like "1 X 1 X 1 = 1"or "It's like one guy acting as father, husband and son" or "It's a mystery, you gotta take it by faith".
If I have only 3 minutes to talk abt the Trinity, I began with explaining what it means.
God is one in essence/being and God isthree in Persons. He is not one and three in the same way at thesame time. (no contradiction)
Although all contradictions are mysterious, not all mysteries are contradictory. The Trinity is oneof these mysteries, which are beyond reason. (not against reason)
Then I talk about the most meaningful human relationship in my life(my parents!), inviting my friend to acknowledge that love is a beautiful/true human experience. Then joyfully exult in how our Trinitarian God is love and relational in His deepest Being. Even before He created any angel to worship Him, God is not feeling lonely and depressed without anyone to talk to. Far from it! God is ever exuberantly fulfilled and profoundly complete in the richfellowship enjoyed within His Triune self.
The divine love shared between the Father, Son and Spirit is the 'real thing', which our deepest human relationship is but a foreshadow and image. We are meaningfully relational because God Himself is 'relating' in His Triune Being. A unitarian God is not capable of love until some finite creatures were created to meet that need or hunger.
With you in hungering Trinitarian fellowship,
Dave
For meatier bibligraphy:
http://www.desiringgod.org/library/theological_qa
http://www.probe.org/docs/trinitydiff.html
http://www.probe.org/docs/bel-trin.html
http://www.str.org/free/commentaries/theology/trinsolv.htm
Comments