Local Church Discussions - View Single Post - Became or Not Became

Cal · 07-28-2014, 09:10 AM

Let me just put in my 2 cents.

The Trinity is a deep mystery. No one is going to be able to define it perfectly in human language. Words fail here, so much so that over-relying on them leads to error. This is actually just the problem OBW brings out looked at from a different angle. The Trinity is a stark example of the gap between experience and mental definition. If you think you can define the Trinity perfectly, then that definition gets in the way of your experience. As soon as you think you've defined the Trinity, you've produced an error. Defining it perfectly is like trying to stuff a quart of Jello into a pint jar. It just doesn't work. That doesn't mean we can't talk about it, just that it constantly reminds us that something exists which we can experience but never quite define. And the reason is because God doesn't want us going around defining everything. He wants us experiencing things. Adam named the animals, he didn't define them.

Here's the best I can do:
The one God is three persons. On the one hand you must say the persons are distinct. On the other you must accept that on some level they are the same thing. The Son is not the Spirit, yet on some level he is.

So the Son didn't need to become the Spirit, and 1 Cor 15:45 doesn't say that anyway. What it says is the humanity of Christ became life-giving Spirit. In other words, the humanity of Christ is now included with the Trinity.

That's what it means to me. If I try to look any deeper than that I start to think I know things that I don't.

07-28-2014, 09:10 AM	#300
Cal Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: USA Posts: 4,333	Re: "Become" or "Not Become" Interpreting 1Cor 15:45 Let me just put in my 2 cents. The Trinity is a deep mystery. No one is going to be able to define it perfectly in human language. Words fail here, so much so that over-relying on them leads to error. This is actually just the problem OBW brings out looked at from a different angle. The Trinity is a stark example of the gap between experience and mental definition. If you think you can define the Trinity perfectly, then that definition gets in the way of your experience. As soon as you think you've defined the Trinity, you've produced an error. Defining it perfectly is like trying to stuff a quart of Jello into a pint jar. It just doesn't work. That doesn't mean we can't talk about it, just that it constantly reminds us that something exists which we can experience but never quite define. And the reason is because God doesn't want us going around defining everything. He wants us experiencing things. Adam named the animals, he didn't define them. Here's the best I can do: The one God is three persons. On the one hand you must say the persons are distinct. On the other you must accept that on some level they are the same thing. The Son is not the Spirit, yet on some level he is. So the Son didn't need to become the Spirit, and 1 Cor 15:45 doesn't say that anyway. What it says is the humanity of Christ became life-giving Spirit. In other words, the humanity of Christ is now included with the Trinity. That's what it means to me. If I try to look any deeper than that I start to think I know things that I don't.