Local Church Discussions - View Single Post - The 'Lonely Triune God' LSM's Oxymoron

SpeakersCorner · 04-21-2015, 09:57 PM

First of all, hello again to Ohio and Igzy. Also to the others who have welcomed me back. I don't know you as well as Igzy and Ohio. Sorry I didn't respond to your posts. I'm not planning on an extended stay here. As fun as it is to mix it up with you all, I find myself getting too mental when I participate too heavily in forums.

Nigel's article triggered my reaction and I did want to go on record about that. I do believe John 12:24 provides us a window into God's heart. Here he was, incarnated, amongst his creation but not recognized, not understood, not appreciated, and definitely not expanded into humanity other than the one body he inhabited. And he knew that, unless he go to the cross and die, he would remain unexpanded, a solitary God-man. Hence his reflections in this verse. In a way, it's a very sad verse to me.

In verse 27 he says, "Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour’?" Clearly this dying business is difficult for him, as is dying to self difficult for us. But if he doesn't do it, he remains alone.

It just seems so achingly clear to me.

Is he really a bachelor, courting the country girl? Is there really a wedding at the end of the age culminating in a honeymoon with all its delights? Of course this isn't literal, it must be figurative language. But marriage is the best figure God could come up with, the perfect metaphor. Likewise, the loneliness of God is the perfect extension of the metaphor. Anyone who has missed out on romantic love knows this loneliness ("Eleanor Rigby" comes to mind.)

I really don't understand the antipathy so many here feel towards this teaching. Think of it: the Bible begins with a singular couple and ends with a corporate one. In the middle, the very heart of the Bible, is a love poem describing a king wooing a country lass. Truly, marital love must be the perfect metaphor behind what God is doing.

Now like most of you, I'm married and I know that there is a certain amount of death that goes into maintaining that relationship. At Tom McNaughton's memorial service his wife Karen said, "Tom and I in getting married were like two semi trucks hitting each other head on." She added that two things kept them together. One, their pursuit of the Lord. The other: they had made a pact that the first one to leave had to take the kids (7 of them). It was very funny.

04-21-2015, 09:57 PM	#57
SpeakersCorner Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 273	Bride and body First of all, hello again to Ohio and Igzy. Also to the others who have welcomed me back. I don't know you as well as Igzy and Ohio. Sorry I didn't respond to your posts. I'm not planning on an extended stay here. As fun as it is to mix it up with you all, I find myself getting too mental when I participate too heavily in forums. Nigel's article triggered my reaction and I did want to go on record about that. I do believe John 12:24 provides us a window into God's heart. Here he was, incarnated, amongst his creation but not recognized, not understood, not appreciated, and definitely not expanded into humanity other than the one body he inhabited. And he knew that, unless he go to the cross and die, he would remain unexpanded, a solitary God-man. Hence his reflections in this verse. In a way, it's a very sad verse to me. In verse 27 he says, "Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour’?" Clearly this dying business is difficult for him, as is dying to self difficult for us. But if he doesn't do it, he remains alone. It just seems so achingly clear to me. Is he really a bachelor, courting the country girl? Is there really a wedding at the end of the age culminating in a honeymoon with all its delights? Of course this isn't literal, it must be figurative language. But marriage is the best figure God could come up with, the perfect metaphor. Likewise, the loneliness of God is the perfect extension of the metaphor. Anyone who has missed out on romantic love knows this loneliness ("Eleanor Rigby" comes to mind.) I really don't understand the antipathy so many here feel towards this teaching. Think of it: the Bible begins with a singular couple and ends with a corporate one. In the middle, the very heart of the Bible, is a love poem describing a king wooing a country lass. Truly, marital love must be the perfect metaphor behind what God is doing. Now like most of you, I'm married and I know that there is a certain amount of death that goes into maintaining that relationship. At Tom McNaughton's memorial service his wife Karen said, "Tom and I in getting married were like two semi trucks hitting each other head on." She added that two things kept them together. One, their pursuit of the Lord. The other: they had made a pact that the first one to leave had to take the kids (7 of them). It was very funny.