Triskaphobia

Gary Hullquist

 Facts: The T-word cannot be found in Scripture.

The T-word was never mentioned by Ellen White…except once.

“...beware of that which the old writers called the world’s trinity—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life.”  Letter 43, 1898 par 25.

So, here’s the challenge: Let’s see if we can also avoid saying the T-word.

I am an atheist in a restricted sense: I don’t believe in a cruel god of force. But I certainly don’t consider myself a non-Christian! Would I call anyone else that? I would not like to be labeled an Anti-Atheist or go to A-A meetings and talk about A-C’s. Why do we distinguish ourselves from other Christians by labeling them as Non-Baptists or Non-Methodists or Non-Adventists?

I would not prefer to be called a Non-Catholic, or a Non-Lutheran. Which makes being called an Anti-T even more disappointing than being labeled a Non-T. There’s really no need to even use the T-word. It just reinforces an Us-Them mindset. Let’s follow Paul’s admonition in Eph 4:15 Speak the truth in love. Simple. No labels. No names. No opinions, personal or otherwise. Just speak the truth—in love!

Quote Scripture.  Perhaps the safest and most effective policy is to simply speak the Word of God. That’s what Jesus did. He’d say, “It is written” or “How do you read?” And the Bible has much to say about… what to say.

Ecc 3:7 There is a time to keep silent, and a time to speak.

Ecc 5:2 God is in heaven, and you upon earth: therefore let your words be few.

Matt 6:7 Use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do. Say it once.

Isa 50:4 Speak a word in season to him that is weary. Just a word!

Matt 12:36 Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned.

Think before you speak.  Honor the LORD, not speaking your own words.   Isa 58:13

Speak His words. Jesus didn’t speak his own words, but the words of Him that dwelled in him  John 14:10 

For it is not you that speak, but the Spirit of your Father (the Holy Spirit Mark 13:11) which speaks in you.  Matt 10:20 

Isaiah 8:20 speak according to the law and to the testimony.

Quote Scripture. Acts 4:29 Speak God’s word with all boldness.

Acts 5:20 Speak all the words of this Life…teaching the people (verse 25)

Acts 4:20 Speak the things which we have seen and heard. Be a witness!

And my favorite: Col 3:16 “teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.”

1Cor 1:10 All speak the same thing without divisions among us.

How do we do that!? Affirm those things that can be affirmed:

Jesus is God.  John 1:1

Thomas declared: “My LORD and my God.” John 20:28  He is a divine being!

The Son is co-equal with the Father, of the same divine substance, having the same attributes of Deity: omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence,  being in the form of God.  Phil 2:6 

The Son is eternal, “From all eternity” one with the Father.

When some call themselves “Father-Son” or speak of the OTG, many think they don’t believe in the Holy Spirit. But they do! And without controversy the Spirit is “the third person of the Godhead” (not the third person IN the Godhead).  What’s the difference?

Godhead is a person. “God is the head of Christ” – 1Cor 11:3 2. Some say Godhead is a group.

I understand the difference, but why object to another’s use of the word? We don’t have to be triskaphobics—fear of the number 3!

I believe in the Heavenly Trio and the Three Greatest Powers of heaven. However, I prefer to accept the language of Ellen’s original handwritten manuscript: “three living personalities of the Heavenly Trio”.  Who are they?

1. The “God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” is a living personality Yet He has only one: the personality of divinity, being in the form of God, He is Spirit.

2. The divine Son of God is a living personality of divinity, being in the form of God, was with God in the beginning as the Word, made a quickening Spirit, the Messenger of the covenant, the Angel of the Lord.

3. Then the Word (the Son of God) was made flesh and dwelled among us to become the Son of man with a personality of humanity.

Three personalities, but only two persons with whom we fellowship 1John 1:3 The Son has two personalities: the personality of divinity, and the personality of humanity. In Christ the two personalities are “perfectly blended” The Son of God clothed His divinity with humanity and became the Son of man.

Where is the Holy Spirit?

Matt 28:19 quoted 364 times, AND she explained her understanding in RH1897Oct26.9

“…in the name of the Father [a personal God],

and of the Son [a personal Prince and Saviour],

and of the Holy Ghost [sent from heaven to represent Christ]”

The following year…. “There is a personal God, the Father; there is a personal Christ, the Son.” Ms86-1898.11; RH1904Mc17.9

So, there are two personals and a representative of a personal.

The Father is Holy and the Father is Spirit, the “Spirit of your Father which is in you” Matt 10:20.

God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts. Gal 4:6

The Spirit of Christ was in the prophets “searching what or what manner of time” when Christ would come. 1Peter 1:10,11.

If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His. Rom 8:9

And the Lord is that Spirit. 2Cor 3:17.

Rev 3:1 Jesus introduced himself as “He that has the seven spirits of God” Rev 5:6

Jesus appears as the Lamb of God with “seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God” “sent into all the earth” That’s why Jesus could say, “Lo, I am with you always…” Matt 28:20.

“Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I” Matt 18:20

“In that day you shall know that…I am in you” John 14:20

“Christ lives in me” Gal 2:20

“Christ in you the hope of glory!” Col 1:26

“That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith” Eph 3:16

“Know ye not your ownselves that Jesus Christ is in you?” 2Cor 13:5

Why? Because only Christ, “the only begotten Son of God” is also the Son of man, “born of a woman, under the law” Gal 4:4.

I just recently learned that some believe the “Son of God” and Son of man” mean the same thing, both referring to Christ’s humanity, because they believe Christ became the Son of God in Bethlehem. That He really became the Son of God in the fullness of time.

What does the Bible say?

"In the fullness of time God sent forth His Son, born of a woman." Gal 4:6.  

God sent His Son into the world 1John 4:9

He brought the firstbegotten into the world Heb 1:6

And Ellen White? He was “the First-born of heaven” Desire of Ages p. 51

First he was “the divine Son of God” (60 times) and then he became the human Son of man.

“The Son of God became the Son of man. He [the Son of God] was born of a woman… Though He was the Son of God, the maker of the worlds and all things, yet He took the part of a servant, so that we might believe that He loved us and gave Himself to us and for us.” Ms45-1892.2

“Jesus…He clothed his divinity with humanity, and thus became the Son of man, a Saviour and Redeemer.” RH1881Mc8.6

“He humbled Himself to become a member of the earthly family, and by partaking of our nature He became the Son of man, the Son of Adam, and a brother to every son and daughter of our fallen race. “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,” (John 3:16) Ms58- 1896.12

12 Times (from 1887 to 1904) Ellen describes the “two natures” of Christ. First in 1887 commenting on Philippians 2 and Hebrews 2 she says, “He presents before us His two natures, divine and human. Here is the description of the divine, who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God (Phil 2:6). He was the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person. (Heb 1:3) Now of the human: He was made in the likeness of man and found Himself in fashion as a man (Phil 2:7,8). He was in all things like unto us (Heb 2:17). …He clothed His divinity with humanity; He was all the while as God, but He did not appear as God. …He divested Himself of the form of God and in its stead took the form and fashion of a man.” Lt11-1887.15

8 years later she wrote: “Cumbered with humanity, Christ could not be in every place personally; therefore it was altogether for their advantage that He should leave them, go to His Father, and send the Holy Spirit to be His successor on earth. The Holy Spirit is Himself, divested of the personality of humanity, and independent thereof. He would represent Himself as present in all places by His Holy Spirit, as the Omnipresent.” Lt119-1895.18

First, He divested the form of God, His divine nature (the omni’s) and clothed his divine identity with human nature to become the Son of man, while still remaining actually the Son of God.

Then, He divested the personality of humanity, to send His Spirit, “that element which is all divine” AH350 to be with us “always, even to the end of the world” Matt 28:20

Finally, in 1904: “Was the human nature of the Son of Mary changed into the divine nature of the Son of God?—No; the two natures were mysteriously blended in one person—the Man Christ Jesus.” Lt280-1904.9 the Son of man.

So, there are definitely 3 personalities of the Heavenly Trio

1. The one God the Father (1Cor 8:6) who is Spirit (John 4:24)

2. The divine Son of God, the Spirit of Christ, that element which is all divine divested of the personality of humanity

3. The human Son of man, the one mediator between God and men (1Tim 2:5) divested of the form of God.

There is clearly no need to be opposed to 3.

It is a wonderful truth, it is the wisdom of God!

So, to T or not to T, that is the question.

How do we describe the Biblical Belief (using the words of Scripture) in “God the Father, the Son of God, and the Spirit of God/Spirit of Christ”?

Let us speak the truth in love.

"Whatsoever things are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report. If there be any virtue or praise.“ speak on these things!  Philippians 4:8