There are a lot of interesting things in the
articles which will take awhile to go through, I read two. There was one
good example in it, not to be critical, but here it is, in this quote
…the
three days which were before the luminaries [i.e. the stars], are types
of the Trinity [Greek: triados, a form of trias], of God, and His Word,
and His wisdom. (“Theophilus to Autolycus,” Ante-Nicene Fathers vol.
II, p. 101)
triados was most likely not capitalized in the text
he quotes from his source material.The commas were not there. Thus it
reads....
the three days which were before the luminaries are types of the trinity of God and His Word and His wisdom.
Such a reading, perfectly reasonable and very likely accurate, would have nothing to do with the godhead.
Merely
capitalizing it infers (purposely or not) that what he says is the
first recorded occurrence of the word, was presented in a manner that
displays common use, acceptance and orthodoxy- the capitalization of the
term. He does this for the same reason the Greeks translated sheol to
Hades and the Romans translated Hades to Inferno and the English
translated Inferno to Hell..... a lack of willingness to reason within
the confines of the scriptures, and require no submission to any extra
scriptural terminology for establishing foundation doctrines. The
accepted concept informed the translation rather than the history,
etymology, morphology and context.
This is why I say I have no
problem with the issue in relationship to Tertullians trinity view- or
anyone else's really- as long as they do not make is a soteriological
issue.
But I do not have any regard for the word itself....
beyond what respect I may have for my brothers and sisters.... I think
it is a theological fabrication upon which the ambitions and conflicts
of carnal men nested and became enthroned. In itself it is a particular
view of the evidence that I have no problem with. As a requirement for
membership in the body of Christ, imo, it is a theological idol.
They
won. So now all submit, in fear of ex-communication, being anathmetized
or the label "heretic" or cult being laid upon them by the same people
who give us eternal torment, the clergy laity deception, the torture and
or execution of dissenting opinions and a bunch of other stuff. I mean,
I am just stating my opinion.... and I kno it is a minority opinion. I
submit it respectfully and as humbly as is possible for me-
.
And I will continue to read through Dane's articles. I can see there are some good resources there.