THE PHILOSOPHICAL APPROACH
Read part 1 here.
Read part 2 here.
The word philosophy comes from the Greek word Philein, which means to love and Sophia which means knowledge or wisdom. So Philosophy is the systematic and critical study of fundamental questions that arise both in everyday life and through the practice of other disciplines. Philosophy is a matter of knowledge and how we know what we know (I will come to this later). Because knowledge can be discovered in many fields, the Greeks who invented Philosophy thought of any person who sought in any area as a philosopher. Thus, Philosophy once encompassed everything that counted as knowledge. Am not going to teach you philosophy am just going to look at the issue of trinity from a philosophical approach.
Trinity is a DOCTRINE and doctrines are systematically assembled understandings of a particular group about a specific issue or subject. A one Group’s understanding however does not qualify to be absolute in any sense beyond its consitituency. So Trinity is true to those who have assembled it and venerated it, and that has nothing to do with what is (reality). The trinity doctrine is an attempt on the mega question that says: WHO IS GOD?
Now this is where we begin: the question that says: WHO IS GOD? Is considered a question but in an English language, in philosophy however it is a combination of two things: 1. A QUESTION and 2. a CONCLUSION. This is how: WHO IS? = Question GOD = Conclusion. For one to ask who is God is not equal to one asking is there anything you call God? why am I saying this?
Because the creators of the doctrine of the Trinity had a God (they knew) upon who they made an understanding (TRINITY DOCTRINE) about. Therefore, philosophically the doctrine of the trinity DRESCRIBES what it has not DEFINED. How? The Trinitarians, assume a God and without defining that God ONTOLOGICALLY they are quick to DESCRIBE how he is TRIUNE, but the question is: WHO IN THE FIRST PLACE IS THIS GOD WHO IS TRIUNE? That question will never be answered (if at all it will ever be understood).
Now what is the difference between a DEFINITION and a DESCRIPTION? Let me just simplify it for weak thinkers like me. A banana, would be described as a yellow fruit that needs to be peeled before eating. The type of description depends on the reason why it is being given. So when you say: It is a yellow banana that is/should be peeled before it is eaten, you are not telling us what the banana IS (ONTOLOGY), you are telling us what it has become and can be used. In a sense then: GOD THE FATHER, GOD THE SON, GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT is not a definition of WHAT (DEFINITION) God is but one of WHO (DESCRIPTION) God is. HE IS THE FATHER, HE IS THE SON, HE IS THE HOLY SPIRIT. Keywords here: father, son, holy spirit…all these are mega theological themes in the Bible in the context of distinguishing Yahweh from other gods.
Simple thing that can be understood by everyone here it is: I, Isaiah White Tumwine, I am a father to Atwine Divine Sage, a pastor at iTiS Fellowship, and a husband to MVG. I am Isaiah the father, Isaiah the pastor, and Isaiah the husband. I do different things in each offices, am the same Isaiah does this make me three persons? No…I do not have multiple personalities, and I don’t multi-task, am just an officer at specific moments. If you want to define me you can only say: I AM (Exodus 6:1-3).
Now for you unpack this definition of I AM you need to understand that a DEFINITION has two stages from which all other modes of definitions in philosophy like: REAL AND NOMINAL DEFINITIONS, DICTIONARY DEFINITIONS, LEXICON DEFINITIONS, STIPULATIVE DEFINITIONS, DESCRIPTIVE DEFINITIONS, EXPLICATIVE DEFINITIONS, OSTENSIVE DEFINITIONS stem from. These stages are: 1- SUBSTANTIAL (WHAT IT IS), and 2- FUNCTIONAL (WHAT IT DOES).
We must understand that there is WHO GOD IS SUBSTANTIALLY and WHAT GOD DOES FUNCTIONALLY. We should not be entangled into a poor system of defining this God and identifying him in the same manner as we do with our society service providers…in Uganda we have Motorcycle riders and we call them BODA-BODA…Others sell G-nuts and we call them G-nuts etc. but these are family men, and parents. This we all know is not who they are but what they do. It is very unfortunate for one to come up with an argument that says: that the person who sells G-nuts is a distinct and independent individual from the very person who is the father and husband in the evening off the marketplace. Let me give you an example using the name ELOHIM.
Throughout scripture, Elohim is combined with other words to describe certain characteristics of God. Some examples: Elohay Kedem – God of the Beginning: (Deuteronomy 33:27). Elohay Mishpat – God Of Justice: (Isaiah 30:18). Elohay Selichot – God Of Forgiveness: (Nehemiah 9:17). Elohay Marom – God Of Heights: (Micah 6:6). Elohay Mikarov – God Who Is Near: (Jeremiah 23:23). Elohay Mauzi – God Of My Strength: (Psalm 43:2). Elohay Tehilati – God Of My Praise: (Psalm 109:1). Elohay Yishi – God Of My Salvation: (Psalm 18:46). Elohim Kedoshim – Holy God: (Leviticus 19:2, Joshua 24:19). Elohim Chaiyim – Living God: (Jeremiah 10:10). Elohay Elohim – God Of Gods: (Deuteronomy 10:17).
“EL” is another name used for God in the Bible, showing up about 200 times in the Old Testament. El is the simple form arising from Elohim, and is often combined with other words for descriptive emphasis. Some examples: El HaNe’eman – The Faithful God: (Deuteronomy 7:9). El HaGadol – The Great God: (Deuteronomy 10:17). El HaKadosh – The Holy God: (Isaiah 5:16). El Yisrael – The God Of Israel: (Psalm 68:35). El HaShamayim – The God Of The Heavens: (Psalm 136:26). El De’ot – The God Of Knowledge: (1 Samuel 2:3). El Emet – The God Of Truth: (Psalm 31:6). El Yeshuati – The God Of My Salvation: (Isaiah 12:2). El Elyon – The Most High God: (Genesis 14:18). Immanu El – God Is With Us: (Isaiah 7:14). El Olam – The God Of Eternity (Genesis 21:33). El Echad – The One God: (Malachi 2:10).
“ELAH” is another name for God, used about 70 times in the Old Testament. Again, when combined with other words, we see different attributes of God. Some examples: Elah Yerush’lem – God of Jerusalem: (Ezra 7:19). Elah Yisrael – God of Israel: (Ezra 5:1). Elah Sh’maya – God of Heaven: (Ezra 7:23). Elah Sh’maya V’Arah – God of Heaven and Earth: (Ezra 5:11).
Here are some examples of YHVH used in scripture: YHVH Elohim – LORD God: (Genesis 2:4). YHVH M’kadesh – The LORD Who Makes Holy: (Ezekiel 37:28). YHVH Yireh – The LORD Who Sees/provides: (Genesis 22:14). YHVH Nissi – The LORD My Banner: (Exodus 17:15). YHVH Shalom – The LORD Of Peace: (Judges 6:24). YHVH Tzidkaynu – The LORD Our Righteousness: (Jeremiah 33:16). YHVH O’saynu – The LORD our Maker: (Psalm 95:6).
IS THIS WHO GOD IS SUBSTANTIALLY OR WHAT GOD DOES AND CAN FUNCTIONALLY? Did you know that when the Jews wanted to emphasize monotheism they always said: EL ECHAD, (like it is in Mal. 2:10), and ECHAD means ONE in Hebrew.
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GOD THE FATHER: ANTHROPOMORPHIC
GOD THE SON : INCARNATION
GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT: RUACH
If you believe in the TRINITY then you cannot explain to whom God the FATHER is a father…you cannot fit in the THEOLOGY of the INCARNATION….God never became the flesh.
Then the breathe is an individual😳😳😳😳
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NOW THE QUESTION I WOULD LIKE TO LEAVE WITH YOU IS: WHO IS GOD? THE BIBLE HAS AN ANSWER.
iTiS Well of Worship Fellowship (John 4:24) 