The BIBLE Does not support the "TRINITY THEORY"

Hello Timeworn: I'm sorry you decided not to take the time to really discuss this topic that you suggested. I'm hoping that you didn't just raise this topic so that you could discuss your beliefs, and those of the religious group with whom you associate. And, I also hope that my responses have perhaps opened up your understanding that the Bible does support the doctrine of the trinity, even though the word "trinity" itself is not used. Obviously, we hardly began to touch upon the many passages of scripture that support the concept that somehow, in ways that we don't fully understand, God has revealed himself to man in three persons, usually referred to as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. I'd like to say, however, that the doctrine of the trinity, while it is important in the sense that it centres on the person of Christ (who He is), and there are reasons why this is important, there are other very important things to understand about the Bible as well. And it doesn't matter what translation you use, so debate over this point is irrelevant when it comes to the major details of its message, because the differences between translations are really very minor in the grand scheme of things. So, in my final entry, I want to depart from the topic that you proposed, since you failed to respond to almost all of the entries and arguments that I made anyway, and give you my own understanding of the Bible's key message from my personal study of the Bible for many decades. This key message doesn't focus on the topic that you proposed for this debate, but rather on basic or core truths that God wants all of us to consider. Here is what I've discovered about what the Bible teaches no matter what translation you choose to use: 1 From beginning to end, the Bible is the story of man's separation from God due to sin, and God's plan to redeem fallen man through the sacrifice of His Messiah. Everywhere in the Bible, you read stories that provide the evidence of man's sinful nature. And throughout the Bible, there are many hundreds of stories, texts, imagery, parables, etc., that support this theme. In the same way, from the very first book of the Bible (Genesis) we receive stories, texts, images, parables, etc., that reveal and point forward to God's plan of salvation through the sacrifice of Jesus at Calvary. A powerful example of this message is in the words of Abraham to Isaac ("God will provide himself a lamb for an offering".) Abraham, of course, understood this in a very local context (his interaction that day between himself and his own son). But as part of the recorded message of Genesis, the author, (likely Moses), was inspired to record a history that had implications for future events that he, (Moses), may not even have understood himself at the time. 2 The Bible makes it clear not only that we are all sinners, but that nobody can earn salvation. Our sinful condition condemns us, no matter what we do to try to live properly. The Bible says that "all our righteousness is as filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6) and that not one single person on our planet is righteous (Romans 3:23). 3 Therefore, since salvation cannot be earned, it is a gift from God (Romans 6: 23). Nobody can earn a gift. We can earn condemnation (Romans 6: 23), but not salvation. And so, since we cannot earn our salvation through good works, for example (Ephesians 2: 8,9), we can be saved only by accepting God's free gift in the sacrifice of Jesus for our sins. That means that we must first recognize that what God says in the Bible about our fallen condition is true. Without recognizing this fact, what reason would we have to take the next step of repenting or desiring to turn away from our sins. But once we recognize that we are sinners, and that Jesus died as a sacrifice for our sins, so that we can have our relationship with God restored, we must thank Jesus for providing himself as a sacrifice for our sins, and accept this as God's gift of salvation for us (John 3:16). Jesus himself told his disciples "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man comes to the Father but by me".(John 14:6). These are the most basic and important points about the message of the Bible. And there are many hundreds of other verses that support the statements that I've made above. I encourage you to study these on your own. A Bible Concordance is a very useful tool, however, these days, with computers and online search engines, it's relatively easy to discover a great many references to a particular phrase almost instantly. Now each person can decide for themselves whether or not they choose to believe what the Bible says, but it is pointless to try to suggest that the Bible doesn't teach the above three things, or that debate over the accuracy of any particular phrase can overrule the overall vast multitude of evidence. I trust, Timeworn, that if you are sincere about wanting to know God's truth as is clearly expressed in any translation of the Bible, and not just manipulating this topic to promote the doctrine of your particular religious affiliation, then you will want to examine what I've written about in this forum as well as the rest of what the Bible says. Do your own research in order to reach well-educated conclusions. The Apostle Paul's letter to the Romans is a particularly well-written and comprehensive discourse on this subject. It would be a very good place for you to begin your own personal study. I wish you all the best with your studies. Ask God to give you the wisdom to recognize his truth as you study your Bible. And, rely on your study of your Bible itself (2 Timothy 2:15), rather than study of support materials such as magazines, newsletters, devotionals, or other books written by man about the Bible or that attempt to explain what the Bible has to say, but that are not "God-breathed" (inspired). Remember that it is the Bible itself that God has said is profitable for study (2 Timothy 3:16, 17) and that will lead you to a real understanding of the truths that God has revealed in scripture. Regards, Maestrostar