Untitled

HISTORY OF THE DOCTRINE CONCERNING THE NATURE OF GOD
IN THE EARLY CENTURIES OF CHRISTIANITY

Part 12

TRINITARIANISM, AN OUTGROWTH OF IDOLATRY

<THE BASIS OF THE PRESENT CHRISTIAN CONCEPT>

IN 451, THE CELEBRATED COUNCIL OF CHALCEDONY DISCIPLINING EUTHYCHAS,
FORMULATED THE ORTHODOX DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY WHICH HAS EVER SINCE BEEN
REGARDED AS THE LIMIT OF HUMAN WISDOM OF THIS SUBJECT. [2]

THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY DID NOT FORM PART OF THE APOSTLES PREACHING.
IN ITS FINAL FORM IT IS A PRODUCT OF MANY FACTORS. SOME OF THESE ARE BIBLICAL—ON THE OTHER HAND, there ARE CONSIDERATIONS AT LEAST PARTLY PHILOSOPHICAL.
THE REFORMERS RETAINED THE VIEW THAT THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY DESCRIBES THE
ESSENCE OF THE GODHEAD, BUT LATER PROTESTANT THEOLOGIANS HAVE ARGUED THIS
POINT. [13]

THE THEORY RECEIVED ITS CLASSIC FORM FROM ST. THOMAS AQUINAS [14] (a
Roman Catholic philosopher; 13th century A.D.). AFTER IT RECEIVED FURTHER
ELUCIDATION AT THE HANDS OF JOHN CALVIN (a noted 16th century theologian), IT
PASSED INTO THE BODY OF THE REFORMED FAITH. [17]

TRIADS OF DIVINITIES OCCUR IN NEARLY ALL POLYTHEISTIC RELIGIONS -- THE
EGYPTIAN TRIAD OF SIRIS, ISIS, AND HORUS: THE HINDU TRIAD OF BRAHMA, VISHNU,
OR SHIVA, ETC. IT WAS NO MORE THAN WAS TO BE ANTICIPATED THAT ONE OR MORE OF
THESE TRIADS SHOULD NOW AND AGAIN BE POINTED TO AS THE ORIGINAL OF THE
CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY. (The so-called "Christian" doctrine of the
Trinity bears a close resemblance to the older Hindu verse): "IN THOSE <THREE
PERSONS> THE <ONE GOD> WAS SHOWN -- EACH FIRST IN PLACE, EACH LAST -- NOT
ALONE: OF SIVA, VISHNU, BRAHMA, EACH MAY BE <FIRST, SECOND, THIRD> AMONG THE
BLESSED THREE." [10]

(Christians unanimously agree that Hinduism is Polytheism and yet they
regard the Trinity doctrine in Christianity as being Monotheistic, in spite of
the fact that both doctrines acclaim three persons in one God.)

A TRINITY OF DEITIES IS COMMON TO ALL NATIONS. THE EMPEROR OF CHINA
OFFERS ONCE EACH YEAR A SACRIFICE TO THE SPIRIT OF TRINITY AND UNITY. LAO-TSE
(600 B.C.) SAYS: "TAO IS BY NATURE ONE; THE FIRST BEGAT THE SECOND; BOTH
TOGETHER BROUGHT FORTH THE THIRD; THESE THREE MADE ALL THINGS." WE ARE MORE
FAMILIAR WITH THE INDIAN TRIMURTI: BRAHMA, VISHNU, AND SIVA, WHO ARE
REPRESENTED AND WORSHIPPED AS THREE PERSONS, ALTHOUGH THE ORIGINAL DIVINE
PRINCIPLE BRAHM IS BUT ONE. IN A COMMENTARY ON THE RIG VEDA IT IS SAID:
"THERE ARE THREE DEITIES, BUT THERE IS ONLY ONE GODHEAD, THE GREAT SOUL." THE
SO-CALLED CHALDEAN ORACLE SAYS: "THE UNITY BROUGHT FORTH THE DUALITY WHICH
DWELLS WITH IT AND SHINES IN INTELLECTUAL LIGHT: FROM THESE PROCEEDED THE
TRINITY WHICH SHINES IN ALL THE WORLD." THE NAMES OF THE CHALDEAN TRINITY
ARE: ANOS, ILLINOS, AOS; THE PHOENICIANS: ULOMUS, ULOSURUS, ELIUN; THE
EGYPTIANS: KREPH (OR AMMUN), PITHAH, OSIRIS; THE IRISH: KRISSAN, BIOSENA,
JIVA; THE SCANDINAVIANS: THOR, WODEN, FRICCO. THE ANCIENT PRUSSIANS,
POMERANIANS, WENDS, THE OLD AMERICANS, AND THE BABYLONIANS, ALL had their
trinities. THE DIVINITIES OF GREECE WERE GROUPED BY MYTHOLOGERS BOTH IN A
SUCCESSIVE: URONAS, CHRONDOS, ZEUS; AND A SIMULTANEOUS TRINITY: ZEUS,
POSEIDON, ALDONEUS. [18]

== CONCLUSIONS ==

(Butler concludes): DO NOT ALL THESE COINCIDENCES SERVE AS INDIRECT PROOF
TO COMPEL US TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT SCHELLING WAS RIGHT WHEN HE SAID "THE
PHILOSOPHY OF MYTHOLOGY PROVES THAT A TRINITY OF DIVINE POTENTIALITIES IS THE
ROOT FROM WHICH HAVE GROWN THE RELIGIOUS IDEAS OF ALL NATIONS OF ANY
IMPORTANCE... THIS IDEA DOES NOT EXIST BECAUSE THERE IS SUCH A THING AS
CHRISTIANITY; ON THE CONTRARY, CHRISTIANITY EXISTS BECAUSE THIS IDEA IS THE
MOST ORIGINAL OF ALL." [18]

(It must be admitted that the heathens knew of a Trinity, long before
Christ, and therefore, Christians. If God is a Trinity, it is incongruous
that the heathens knew of it long before the Christian era, when the prophets
of Israel did not!)

(Phillip Schaff defends the heathen concept in these words): "THE DEEPER
MINDS OF THE HEATHEN AMBIGUITY SHOWED A PRESENTIMENT OF A THREE FOLD
DISTINCTION IN THE DIVINE ESSENCE, WHICH LIKE ALL THE DEEPER INSTINCTS OF THE
HEATHEN MIND, SERVE TO STRENGTHEN THE CHRISTIAN TRUTH." [18] (As though the
instincts of darkness can help illuminate the light of God's revelation!)

(I.S.B.E. justifies the Trinity with its definitions that are closer to
heathen idolatry than the Bible, thusly: "THE DEFINITION OF A BIBLICAL
DOCTRINE IN SUCH UNBIBLICAL LANGUAGE CAN BE JUSTIFIED ONLY ON THE PRINCIPLE
THAT IT IS BETTER TO PRESERVE THE TRUTH OF THE SCRIPTURE THAN THE WORDS OF
SCRIPTURE." [4] (As though the truth of the Bible can not be taught by using
biblical terms!)

Many modern scholars, however, are admitting that the doctrine of the
Trinity is indefensible. There is even a change of attitude toward a more
biblical definition of the Trinity:

IT MIGHT BE WELL IF THE TERM "TRINITY" WERE EMPLOYED TO DESIGNATE THE
THREEFOLD SELF-MANIFESTATION OF GOD. THE FIRST CHRISTIANS HAD WITH ST.
PAUL A SAVING EXPERIENCE OF THE GRACE OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AND OF THE
LOVE OF GOD AND OF THE COMMUNION OF THE HOLY GHOST, AND THE THEOLOGIANS
WERE LED, INEVITABLY, TO EFFECT AN ALLIANCE BETWEEN THE GOSPEL OF THEIR
SALVATION AND THE SPECULATIVE PHILOSOPHY, AND MORE ESPECIALLY THE
PLATONISM, IN WHICH THEY HAD BEEN TRAINED, WHILE, IN MAKING ROOM FOR THE
CHRISTIAN GOSPEL WITHIN THE WORLD -- NOT ALTOGETHER HOSPITABLE -- OF THE
GREEK PHILOSOPHY, THEY FOUND THEMSELVES TRANSLATING THEIR EMPIRICAL
KNOWLEDGE OF GOD -- THE GOD OF THE FATHER OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST -- INTO
A DOCTRINE OF DIVERSITY AND MULTIPLICITY, AS DISTINGUISHED FROM MERELY
ABSTRACT UNIT, WITHIN THE DIVINE NATURE ITSELF. IN OTHER WORDS, IN
THINKING OUT THE TRINITY THEY ARRIVED AT THE TRINITY. THE GREATEST AND
MOST INFLUENTIAL OF THE CHRISTIAN FATHERS, ORIGEN, ATHANASIUS, BASIL, THE
GREGORIES, AUGUSTINE, ALL ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE DIVINE NATURE REMAINED FOR
THEM A MYSTERY.

IN THE SYSTEM OF CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY, THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY DOES
NOT USUALLY FIT WELL INTO THE GENERAL DOCTRINE OF GOD, AND OFTEN BEARS THE
CHARACTER OF A DOCTRINE APART.

IN SHORT, GOD HIMSELF IS THE FATHER REVEALED; GOD HIMSELF IS THE
CHRIST REVEALING; GOD HIMSELF IS THE HOLY SPIRIT ABIDING. IT SHOULD BE
REMEMBERED THAT THERE WAS NO WORD "PERSON" IN THE VOCABULARY OF THE GREEK-
SPEAKING THEOLOGIANS WHO SHAPED THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY TO THE
AUTHORITATIVE FORM IT ASSUMED IN THE NICEAN-CONSTANTINOPOLITAN CREED.
THROUGH ORIGEN'S INFLUENCE IT CAME TO BE EMPLOYED IN THE THEOLOGICAL
TERMINOLOGY AS THE DESIGNATION OF A MEMBER OF THE TRINITY. [16].