Quote:
Originally Posted by Unregistered
...you have contended that the 'singular' Holy Spirit is actually the 'plural' seven created angels. If the concept of the Triune God is nonsensical, then isn't this more so? For you have said, and I quote, "the Holy Spirit is the seven first created angels", so therefore, He is 'seven-in-one'!!! This, you claim, you are able to understand.
...looks to me like you've leapt out of the frying pan and landed right into the fire...
|
In my defense, in the first post on this thread I stated that this is very tentative. So claiming, "I am able to understand" might not be a true statement. More like, "I have major problems with the Trinity formulation (vague and incomprehensible, and incompatible with a lot of the NT narrative) and here is a proposed solution." But I didn't say this re-formulation would wrap up all the loose ends.
Yes it is a problem. I eventually got around it by abandoning that "Holy Spirit = seven angels", and saying that rather, in Revelation 1, the Holy Spirit is on Earth. Therefore the seven spirits are seven spirits, and the HS is not part of the greeting. Jesus had said, "It is necessary for Me to go, that the Holy Spirit would come to you, and abide with you" (see John 16:7-15) When Jesus is in Heaven, interceding at the right hand of the Father, the Holy Spirit is actually down here on Earth, acting and moving. Thus my "doppelganger" idea: the Holy Spirit is Jesus' angel. Just like Peter had an angel, so does Jesus: it's the Great Angel of Jehovah. So my theory has morphed over the last 50 posts.
Also I believe there's a dilemma in my hierarchical schema of "God the Father is greatest; Jesus the Son (LOGOS) is Number Two, and the Holy Spirit is Number Three (then follow the seven angels before the throne, the two witnesses, the Seraphim, the 24 elders, etc). My dilemma is in indicated in, e.g. Philippians 2:6 --
"Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage". No easy answer for that one.
But, still, the Centurion had said, "I am under authority as well", and he likewise commanded servants under him. So if Jesus is commanding the angels here in Luke 7, where is the Holy Spirit? Plus Jesus said that He came to do the Father's will, and that just as the Father sent Him, He would send the Holy Spirit. Again, there seems to be a chain of command there, and not "co-equal persons of the Godhead".
Not by might, nor by strength, but by My Spirit [singular], says Jehovah of hosts [plural]. In this tension between singularity and plurality lies the Spirit. One spirit, many manifestations. One Great Angel, the captain of the host (of angels).
Luke 9:26
"Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels." Where is the Holy Spirit here? Why do you see Son, the Father, and the holy angels? Is this possibly an alternative, and precursor, to the "trinitarian" formula? Again, I am speculating here.