Investigating the Trinity – Part 2

Ashraf Schneider

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Channel: Ashraf Schneider

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The history and meaning of the trinity in modern Christian faith is discussed, with the concept of the Trinity being introduced to religious discussion in the second century. The use of the word trinity refers to God, His Word, and His wisdom, and how it is used to identify areas of political disagreement. The rise of political parties in modern times, along with the history of the church's political involvement, is also discussed. The Trretionian Empire's legacy is also discussed, including the rise of Polyethyleneism and the confusion surrounding its origins.

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Peace, blessings and mercy be upon y'all. Welcome back to our page. In part one of our series on the God of Abraham, we focused on the overwhelming similarities between the God of the Jews, the God of the early Unitarian Christians, and the God of the Muslims, the God of Abraham. In contrast, in today's video, we will be focusing on and exploring how modern Judaism and Islam monotheistic religions, by definition, compare and contrast with contemporary Trinitarian Christianity. It is worth noting at this juncture that not all contemporary Christians are Trinitarian and that Unitarian churches are still in existence. This comparison and contrast will be focusing

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specifically on Trinitarian Christian practices. In closing in part one of this video series, I promise that today's video will be focusing on the history and paradoxical nature of the concept of the Trinity in more detail, and we will, but if you haven't yet, I strongly advise you to watch part one of this video series before continuing this video, so that you can appreciate the shared history of the Abrahamic faiths that we've discussed there in and so that you can bear the Abrahamic faith similarities in mind when approaching exploration today. In part one of the series, we established that Judaism early and Unitarian Christianity and Islam have far more in common than mainstream

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media would lead you to believe. And while that's true, contemporary Trinitarian Christianity breaks with the decidedly monotheistic Abrahamic tradition in favor of what one might call another kind of polytheism. So, where in history that the streams of Abrahamic faiths diverge from uniformly Unitarian or monotheistic to the divide we see today. How did the Trinitarian concept come to be so widely accepted by contemporary questions? And how did it make its way into the Bible? Fasten your seat belts because we are about to take a deep dive into ancient history. The concept of a Trinity was first introduced to religious discussion in the second century, when the awfulness of Antioch

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use the Greek word three hours or three adults meaning Trinity, in his writing to a talk of this. This is to say that the concept of the Trinity only entered the theological realm and discussion long after Jesus Christ, peace and blessings be upon him ascended to the heavenly realm, and only after the biblical text had already been compiled. That is why the word trinity cannot be found in early copies of the compiled biblical texts. The concept hadn't even been invented yet when the original book was being disseminated. nevermind the fact that the awfulness wasn't even referring to a Triune God, or the popular God the Father, God, the Son, and God the Holy Spirit trio as

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referenced today. Rather, the awfulness use the word trinity to refer to God, His Word and His wisdom. He wasn't even alluding to the polytheistic interpretation of the nature of God, rather use it specifically to say that there were three things that existed prior to man, God, His Word, and his wisdom. Thus, three, but not three, and one, no three gods or versions of God, or expressions of God, but one God, who was in possession of eternal wisdom and power. It was another 100 years or so later at the first Council of Nicaea in 325 ad, that the concept of the Trinity would first be used to refer to a Triune God, or to propose that God's identity was polytheistic, thus marking the

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contemporary Christian departure from the strict monotheism of the Jewish faith which preceded it. Thus the formal doctrine of the Trinity and divine sonship both sprang from the Council of Nicaea and were incorporated into an industry and creed, a profession of faith agreed upon, although with some misgivings because of its non biblical terminology, by the bishops of Nicaea to defend the true faith against Arianism. Let's back up for a second. If you're wondering who areas from whence Arianism is, Well, I'll tell you, Arias was a fourth century Unitarian, who derived his doctrine directly from the Bible. As a result, he issued all references to polytheism and practice the strict

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monotheism. What the passage I just quoted uncovers is the fact that despite knowing that there was no biblical basis for the concept of a triune or polytheistic God and being vaguely uncomfortable with the fact then this Ian's willingly and with full malice of forethought, formalize the triune doctrine, pronounced there's as the true faith and branded areas as a heretic. Why? Well, let's look at the events leading up to

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Immediately following the first Council of Nicaea if you hadn't already guessed, just like in today's day and age, everything is political. Essentially, during the years immediately preceding the Council of Nicaea Emperor Constantine saw His Holy Roman Empire weakened by religious infighting. Instead of focusing on warring with a national enemies, the Roman Empire was at war within its own walls. Constantine thus sought to strengthen his empire by uniting his people under a single unified Christian faith. He therefore called for the Council of Nicaea, to take place and exerted and not insignificant amount of influence and power over its outcome. This is perhaps one of

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the first recorded incidences of the head of state, effectively declaring himself as the head of the church. This despite the fact that Constantine wasn't baptized until he was on his deathbed, and he had little to no theological education. Constantine was a politician through and through who sought to use religion or theology for his own political gain. As a result, all disagreement over doctrine became overtly political and public as opposed to private, and the state would often intervene in church disputes, to serve their own ends. So for a brief spell all was hunky dory, right? Legally, the whole of the Roman Empire had to be Trinitarian. Because Constantine effectively said it has to

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be so and that's that, right? Well, no. See, Constantine had two sons, Constantius, and constants. And like most brothers, the two that don't always see eye to eye, so while constants acknowledge and propagates it his father's in the sea and greed even after Constantine's death, his brother Constantius was the rebel who challenged the status quo he declared for Arianism, or monotheism. And while two brothers attempted to reconcile their views at the Council of South Africa, in 343 ad, they ultimately failed, as they were each ruling half of their deceased father's Empire at the time, you would think their powers would be evenly matched, but unfortunately, that was not the case

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constant, the Trinitarian brother was more powerful, and so he placed orthodox Trinitarian bishops in positions of power throughout the empire. Despite his brother's objections, his victory was short lived, however, as consensus I'd loved his brother and reverse constants as policies, declaring Arianism as the religion of the round at the tsunami of cerium and remaining in 359. Essentially, we've now witnessed the Roman Empire declare for polytheism alternative Arianism, only to revert back to monotheistic or Unitarian practices. Still with me so far. What follow constancies rule was that of the new emperor Julian who attempted to reestablish and once again bring the ancient pagan

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cult to power. He in turn was followed by another Christian emperor Jovian, who like Constantine had two sons, who ruled following his the Mayans, one son who declared for the Nicene Creed and the other who declared for Arianism syncing a pattern here. It was their successor, Theodosius the great who rule between 375 to 383, who finally put an end to the Roman Empire's back and forth between paganism, monotheism, and the new established polytheistic doctrine of the Trinity. He's the Emperor ultimately responsible for establishing Christianity as the state religion, denying all others the right to exist in the year 381. See, he called together the Council of Constantinople, at which the

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Nicene Creed was confirmed, and Trinitarian Christianity was established as Orthodox. It is also at the first council of Constantinople, where the relationship between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit as one substance, overseer, and three co equal persons hypostasis was formally ratified. Talk about a mouthful, right? It's a complex and convoluted history that only started after Jesus, peace and blessings be upon him and his disciples were no more the concept of modern Trinitarian polytheism would have flown in the face of these devout Jewish men. Right? So let's step back into the present. What our trip through history has then served to illustrate is that it was not Jesus

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peace and blessings be upon him, who introduced the concept of a Trinity to the theological discussion, right? It was later politicians and ultimately translators who impose their views and philosophies on the ancient texts, and essentially created the concept of eternity for political and personal gain. Isn't that precisely why as religious writer AW Tozer acknowledges in his book, The knowledge of the holy, the Trinity remains an incomprehensible mystery. It tends to understand the Trinity, he writes, must remain forever futile, but that it hasn't stopped churches from continuing to preach this doctrine, even without pretending to understand it. Verse despite the fact that a

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warning came from the same God of Abraham in the seventh century already, warning the people of the Book

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To commit no access in the religion, nor say of God, anything but the truth God warned his people and express in so many words that Christ Jesus, the son of Mary was no more than a messenger of God, and His Word, which he bestowed on Mary, and his spirit preceding from him. So believe in God and His messengers. Do not say Trinity, desist, it is better for you, for God is one God, Glory be to Him, fire exalted as he about having a son. To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and on the earth, and enough is God as the disposer of affairs, but they did not listen. Despite God's wanting not to exceed in your religion the bounds of what is proper trespassing beyond the truth and

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following the vain desires of people who went wrong in times gone by the Trinitarian church has continued to grow throughout the centuries, despite the fact that as we've already noted, the Trinity remains an incomprehensible mystery that the church propagates without even pretending to understand it. The fact as we know them then confirms that the original biblical scriptures present no finished Trinitarian statement. But the doctrine of the Trinity as such is not revealed in either the old or the New Testament, and that Jesus Christ, peace and blessings be upon him never claimed to be son of nevermind co equal to God. The Bible, in its original incarnation largely corresponds

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with the overwhelming Abrahamic understanding of God, as outlined in part one of this video series, the Torah, the Bible and the Karana. All, after all, talking about one God, the God of Abraham, and as far as I can see, it is only the interference of man in Revelation that has created the artificial divide between the monotheistic Abrahamic faiths, and the Trinitarian Christian doctrine. If you'd like to know more about what Unitarian Christianity, Judaism and Islam have in common, and you haven't yet, I'd highly recommend you to go have a look at part one of this video series, which explores the similarities in more detail. As always, if you have any questions about any of the

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content I've shared with you today, please feel free to contact me via our page, and I'd be more than happy to share some additional resources with you. Alternatively, I'm always happy to engage in constructive and mutually respectful conversation in the comment sections below. Until next time, all the best blessings upon you and your loved ones, Zack Allah here