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Can someone really explain to me the Father, Son and Holy Ghost? I've thought many things. Sometimes I think of Father being #1, Son #2 and Holy Ghost being #3. No real basis to this, just how I conceptualize. I've studied it before in the bible and in commentaries, but I've always been confused. Sometimes I think the Father is like the parent, Jesus is my brother who knows what I'm going through since he lived every temptation, and the Holy Spirit is my friend who's always with me, helping me to choose the right thing. I think Jesus and the Holy Spirit plead my case, in like a court to the Judge the Father. I think they all come together to discuss how to affect my life and how to help me to see them and live with them in the future.

This is just me thinking, so can someone provide a concise, sound teaching on this?


Disclaimer: There will obviously be different answers to this question, so please don't get mad if someone says,"no, that's not how it is" and 'proves it' scriptually. If it becomes heated, just agree to disagree.

All is one!

See I can see that all are God, but since one is the Father and one is the Son, that immediately tells me that the Father is more powerful, but do you think that's true?

The Bible plainly states that there is only one Father (Malachi 2:10; Ephesians 4:6). It also clearly teaches that Jesus is the one Father incarnate (Isaiah 9:6; John 10:30). The Spirit that dwelt in the Son of God was none other than the Father.

Here's something I found. It's a bit long, but it answers a lot of my questions.
God
What two basic characteristics are part of God's nature?
Psalm 145:17, NIV. "The Lord is righteous in all His ways and loving toward all He has made."
How is God described?
Deuteronomy 32:4, NIV. "He is the Rock, His works are perfect, and all His ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is He."

What about God's strength?
Job 36:5, RSV. "Behold, God is mighty, and does not despise any; He is mighty in strength of understanding."
Can God be trusted to keep His promises?
Deuteronomy 7:9, NIV. "Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; He is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commands."

Describe God in one word.
I John 4:8, NIV. "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love."

God is compassionate.
Psalm 86:15, NIV. "But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness."

God is impartial.
Acts 10:34-35, NIV. "Then Peter began to speak: ‘I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear Him and do what is right."

How far was God willing to go to guarantee a future for me? John 3:16, TLB. "For God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son so that anyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."

God has given the ultimate demonstration of what real love is.
I John 4:9-10, TLB. "God showed how much He loved us by sending His only Son into this wicked world to bring to us eternal life through His death. In this act we see what real love is: it is not our love for God, but His love for us when He sent His Son to satisfy God's anger against our sins."

It pleases God to show us mercy when we don't deserve it. Micah 7:18, NIV. "Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy."

God's blessings are not given just to good people.
Matthew 5:45-46, TLB. "For He gives His sunlight to both the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust too. If you love only those who love you, what good is that? Even scoundrels do that much."

God stops at nothing! He wants us to have it all!
Romans 8:32, NIV. "He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all—how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?"

God loves us like a doting father.
I John 3:1, NIV. "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!"

God's love is like a safe hiding place.
Psalm 36:7, NIV. "How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings."

We are to follow God's example.
I John 4:11, NIV. "Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another."

Love sometimes means discipline.
Hebrews 12:6, NIV. "Because the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes everyone He accepts as a son."

God never gives up on us.
Jeremiah 31:3, NIV. "The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness."

Can anything separate God's child from His love?
Romans 8:38-39, NIV. "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Jesus Christ
Jesus [the Word] is divine from the beginning and became a man.
John 1:1,14, NIV. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… . The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."

Why was it necessary for Jesus to take on human nature?Hebrews 2:17, NIV. "For this reason He had to be made like His brothers in every way, in order that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that He might make atonement for the sins of the people."

Jesus demonstrated his humanity and divinity in resisting temptation.
Hebrews 4:14-15, NIV. "Therefore, since we have a great High Priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.

Jesus demonstrated his divinity by his resurrection.
Mark 16:6, TLB. "But the angel said, 'Don’t be so surprised. Aren't you looking for Jesus, the Nazarene who was crucified? He isn't here! He has come back to life! Look, that's where His body was lying."

Paul testifies to the divinity of Christ.
Colossians 2:9, NIV. "For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form."

What is Jesus relation to the Father?
John 10:30, NIV. "I and the Father are one."

Jesus is the Great Physician.
Luke 8:47-48, TLB. "When the woman realized that Jesus knew, she began to tremble and fell to her knees before Him, and told why she had touched Him and that now she was well. 'Daughter,’ He said to her, 'your faith has healed you. Go in peace.'"

Sooner or later every man, woman and child will acknowledge that Jesus is Lord.
Philippians 2:9-11, NIV. "Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Jesus calls people to repentance.
Matthew 4:17, NIV. "From that time on Jesus began to preach, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.'"

Jesus did not come to do away with the Law, but show us how it works.
Matthew 5:17, NIV. "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them."

Jesus is the only way to God.
John 14:6, NIV. "Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.'"

Jesus has the power over death.
John 11:25, NIV. "Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies.'"

Jesus' work touched people's lives.
Matthew 4:23, TLB. "Jesus traveled all through Galilee teaching in the Jewish synagogues, everywhere preaching the Good News about the Kingdom of Heaven. And He healed every kind of sickness and disease."

What does it take to follow Jesus?
Luke 9:23, NIV. "Then He said to them all: 'If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me."

Jesus' life becomes ours.
Galatians 2:20, NIV. "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

We should try to be like Jesus.
Philippians 2:5, NIV. "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus."

You can know Jesus as your Savior.
John 1:12 and I Peter 3:18, TLB. "But to all who received [Jesus], He gave the right to become children of God. All they needed to do was to trust Him to save them." "He died once for the sins of all us guilty sinners although He himself was innocent of any sin at any time, that He might bring us safely home to God."

Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the source of truth.
John 14:16-17, TLB. "He is the Holy Spirit, the Spirit who leads into all truth. The world at large cannot receive Him, for it isn't looking for Him and doesn't recognize Him. But you do, for He lives with you now and some day shall be in you."

Receiving the Holy Spirit is referred to as the new birth.
John 3:5-7, TLB. "Jesus replied, 'What I am telling you so earnestly is this: Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God. Men can only reproduce human life, but the Holy Spirit gives new life from heaven; so don't be surprised at My statement that you must be born again!"

To receive the Holy Spirit, just ask then obey the Holy Spirit's leading.
Luke 11:13, TLB. "And if even sinful persons like yourselves give children what they need, don't you realize that your heavenly Father will do at least as much, and give the Holy Spirit to those who ask for Him?" Acts 5:32,NIV says, "We are witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him."

The Holy Spirit is part of the Godhead.
Acts 5:3,4, NIV. "They Peter said, 'Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn't it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God.'"

The Holy Spirit is God living in and among those who believe.
Matthew 18:19-20, TLB. "I also tell you this—if two of you agree down here on earth concerning anything you ask for, My Father in heaven will do it for you. For where two or three gather together because they are Mine, I will be right there among them."

The Holy Spirit is present in times of hardship.
Matthew 10:19-20, TLB. "When you are arrested, don't worry about what to say at your trial, for you will be given the right words at the right time. For it won't be you doing the talking—it will be the Spirit of your heavenly Father speaking through you!"

The Holy Spirit helps us worship God.
John 4:23-24, NIV. "Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and His worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."

The Holy Spirit gives the ability to talk about spiritual things with power.
Acts 1:8, TLB. "But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power to testify about Me with great effect, to the people in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the end of the earth, about my death and resurrection."

Do you know the Nicene Creed? I've always thought that it breaks it down well. It illustrates that they are all one, all parts of the Father. The way they teach it in CCD is that God uses various ways to get our attention and communicate with us.
1. Scriptures
2.Prophets
3. By sending his son which as you see in the Nicene Creed is actually him
4. By sending the Holy Spirit to guide us.

When you worship the Father you worship the Son & Holy Ghost because they're all part of him but again according to the Nicene Creed, we should worship & glorify all three together.

What I have noticed is that in Catholicism we almost always mention the 3 together or we just mention the Father.

When I became exposed to other Christians esp. Born Agains is when I saw much more focus on Jesus alone. I have no idea what that means, just an observation.

__________________
"A generation of people who refuse to be themselves.
The philosophy of 50 cent has them hook, line and sinker.
The young black men become like a sacrifice.
They love it; they living in a fool's paradise."
-Brother Valentino

That's only because your'e thinking in Human terms...the way I look at it, and I could give a fart what the Catholic church says..is that all three branches of the Trinity are part of the same tree...three in one. Christ was a part of that Trinity until he was dispatched to Earth to bring a message of peace, hope and salvation. Once accomplished he became reunited with the essence of his father's being. This is to say that there wasn't 'two-in-one' before Christ came to us on earth...and there wasn't two in one while he was here...there was always one whole.

Ah go try and keep it simple. Three seperate distinct beings, all equal, with different roles, but one in purpose or having the same purpose. The 3 always existed and will always exist.

These are my thoughts on the triune God, as far as I've been able to study and understand to myself. I'll share this by permission and not with any desire to be dogmatic. It's a mystery only because we cannot conceive that three can be of one mind, one thought, one purpose, in total unity. There is only one God. He is all powerfull and this is where I'll invite you to imagine an earthly impossibility, but nevertheless, a heavenly reality. The character of God is of such power and righteousness, that each has it's own manifestation. As such, none supercedes the other.

The Father is not superior to His Will (Spirit) or His Word. God is the Creator, our Father, who by His Will and by His Word, all things that exist came into being. They were all there in the beginning. The Son, His Word is the expression of the desire of the Father. By His Word were all things made that are made. The Father demonstrates His love through the sacrifice of His Word. His Word came to earth and was flesh. He dwelt among us to demonstrate the way to the Father, keeping in lock step with His Will. It is by His Word that we are to be judged. His will resides among us, constantly pleading for us to come to the Father, through the Son.

It's a really bizarre concept to less abstract thinkers, but this is how it makes sense to me; triangular, so that no point exceeds the other, but rather each touches each other to create unity; one Living God.

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Which is why I never got this whole three discrete beings united in purpose etc...

i dont think many christians even know or agree themselves