Trinity

Believers in the doctrine of the Trinity is known as Trinitarianists. Belief in the TrinityDoctrine is regarded as a mark of Christian orthodoxy. It is most likely that the docrine was created so that the Christians could have two Gods (Jesus and the Father) and still claim to be monotheists. The few Christian churches hat do not accept this doctrine are called anti-trinitarians or non-trinitarians.The word Trinity is not found in the Bible. It is is found in Christianity only after the third century. Nor is it found in any other religion in the world. Tertullian (155 – 240 AD) was the first writer in Latin known to use the term. But his trinity was not a triune God, but rather a triad or group of three, with God as the primary source. A similar word had been used earlier in Greek, though Tertullian was the first to use the term as later incorporated into the original Nicene Creed at the First Council of Constantinople in 381 AD, or at the later Athanasian Creed. Other Latin formulations that first appear in his work are "three persons, one substance" as the Latin "tres personae, una substantia", ('consubstantial', in English), itself from the Koine Greek "treis hypostases, homoousioi"). Influenced by Stoic philosophy, Tertullian's "substance" , however, was a material substance that did not refer to a single God, but to the sharing of a portion of the substance of the Father (the only being who was fully God) with the Son and, through the Son, with the Holy Spirit.
This teaching was first made universally official by the Emperor Constantine who saw Greek as a beautiful and romantic language - much as modern Americans view French.. It is said that during council debate on the nature of God, presided by Constantine, - the Emperor heard the word homoousios spoken by one of the debaters and found the word so beautiful he immediately declared it to be a doctrine to be adopted by the church

The confusion over the doctrine no doubt has arisen from the interpretation of the word person. In the modern world, the word person means an individual being. But in ancient Greek, a persona was the mask worn by an actor. In other words, the doctrine is saying God wears three masks, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, but is just one being.

As it stands now the Trinity is a being who exists, simultaneously and eternally, as a mutual indwelling of three personalities the Father, the Son (incarnated as Jesus) and the Holy Spirit.

In the fourth century, Arianism taught that the Father existed prior to the Son who was not, by nature, God but rather a changeable creature who was granted the dignity of becoming "Son of God". About the Father and the Son, the creed used the term homoousios (Greek. of one substance) to define the relationship between the Father and the Son.

The Confession of the First Council of Nicaea, the Nicene Creed, said little about the Holy Spirit. but all attention was focused on the relationship between the Father and the Son, without making any similar statement about the Holy Spirit. In the words of the creed:

Trinity
Trinity(noun) Old French trinite, from Late Latin trinitatem ______________________________________________________________________

The Trinity is a doctrine accepted almost universally by a majjority of Christians to describe the nature of God. It affirms that God is one, existing in three "persons". This doctrine defines God as being God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ) and God the Holy Spirit — three distinct persons sharing one essence. In this context, the three persons define who God is, while the one essence defines what God is. Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are One God (not three Gods.) The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are equal in power and glory, and the same in essence. The Father functionally is superior to the Son and the Holy Spirit (both Son and the Spirit are obedient to the Father)		A TRINITY DIAGRAM Like the illustration, the Trinity doctrine is confusing and illogical
Believers in the doctrine of the Trinity is known as Trinitarianists. Belief in the TrinityDoctrine is regarded as a mark of Christian orthodoxy. It is most likely that the docrine was created so that the Christians could have two Gods (Jesus and the Father) and still claim to be monotheists. The few Christian churches hat do not accept this doctrine are called anti-trinitarians or non-trinitarians.The word Trinity is not found in the Bible. It is is found in Christianity only after the third century. Nor is it found in any other religion in the world. Tertullian (155 – 240 AD) was the first writer in Latin known to use the term. But his trinity was not a triune God, but rather a triad or group of three, with God as the primary source. A similar word had been used earlier in Greek, though Tertullian was the first to use the term as later incorporated into the original Nicene Creed at the First Council of Constantinople in 381 AD, or at the later Athanasian Creed. Other Latin formulations that first appear in his work are "three persons, one substance" as the Latin "tres personae, una substantia", ('consubstantial', in English), itself from the Koine Greek "treis hypostases, homoousioi"). Influenced by Stoic philosophy, Tertullian's "substance" , however, was a material substance that did not refer to a single God, but to the sharing of a portion of the substance of the Father (the only being who was fully God) with the Son and, through the Son, with the Holy Spirit. This teaching was first made universally official by the Emperor Constantine who saw Greek as a beautiful and romantic language - much as modern Americans view French.. It is said that during council debate on the nature of God, presided by Constantine, - the Emperor heard the word homoousios spoken by one of the debaters and found the word so beautiful he immediately declared it to be a doctrine to be adopted by the church The confusion over the doctrine no doubt has arisen from the interpretation of the word person. In the modern world, the word person means an individual being. But in ancient Greek, a persona was the mask worn by an actor. In other words, the doctrine is saying God wears three masks, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, but is just one being. As it stands now the Trinity is a being who exists, simultaneously and eternally, as a mutual indwelling of three personalities the Father, the Son (incarnated as Jesus) and the Holy Spirit. In the fourth century, Arianism taught that the Father existed prior to the Son who was not, by nature, God but rather a changeable creature who was granted the dignity of becoming "Son of God". About the Father and the Son, the creed used the term homoousios (Greek. of one substance) to define the relationship between the Father and the Son. The Confession of the First Council of Nicaea, the Nicene Creed, said little about the Holy Spirit. but all attention was focused on the relationship between the Father and the Son, without making any similar statement about the Holy Spirit. In the words of the creed: We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, begotten of the Father [the only-begotten; that is, of the essence of the Father, God of God,] Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father; ... And [we believe] in the Holy Ghost. ... Non Trinitarian Christians By far the three largest nontrinitarian Christian denominations are The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ("Mormons"), Jehovah's Witnesses, Christian Scientists, Unitarian Universalists, and the United Church of God. There are a number of smaller groups, including the Iglesia Ni Cristo, Christadelphians, Dawn Bible Students, Living Church of God, Oneness Pentecostals, the Church of God International and The Way International. Non-trinitarian views differ widely on the nature of Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Various nontrinitarian philosophies, such as Adoptionism, Monarchianism, and Subordination-ism existed prior to the establishment of the Trinity doctrine in AD 325, 381, and 431, at the Councils of Constantinople, and Ephesus. Non-trinitarianism was later renewed by the Cathars in the 11th through 13th centuries, in the Unitarian movement during the Protestant Reformation, in the Age of Enlightenment of the 18th century, and in some groups arising during the 19th century.