Is the Trinity one Being, or Two?

A quick question for my Trinitarian friends: is your god one being, or two beings? Trinitarian doctrine insists that God is one because the three persons who are God are “one being”.
One being? But wait, doesn’t Trinitarian doctrine also insist that one of the god-persons became a human being? That makes two beings. So which is it? Is the Trinitarian god one being, or two beings? And if they are only one being, does not that eliminate the human being, Jesus of Nazareth?
You might want to check out the lecture linked below called “The Trinity’s Disappearing Essence: The Claim that “God is three persons in one Essence” eliminates the humanity of Jesus”.
• The Trinity's Disappea...
Clip from RC Sproul: For the Doctrine of the Trinity, 49:50
• R.C. Sproul: For the D...

[@houseofsaudisthebeast]

"you deny the deity of Christ" a common accusation when you believe Jesus is a man who died for your sins

[@lizzard13666]

2000 years, and NOBODY has come up with a coherent explanation for how a "Person" can be "not a Being" in the first place. A Person IS a Being.

[@Eclectifying]

That’s a very good question! One more example of how trinitarian doctrine is self-contradictory (which they just call “a mystery”).

[@billschlegel1]

But it's not a biblical mystery. No one in the Bible puzzled over the number of persons who are the one God. It's a later, non-biblical, man-made mystery.

[@MusingMegan]

Appreciate all of your videos! Really helped my family see the truth of who God is and who His Son Jesus is.

[@jesusisthechristthesonofgod]

being human disqualifies you from being God

[@billschlegel1]

Quite!

[@eddieyoung2104]

Jesus said his father was the only true God, and that he (Jesus) was the one sent by him (John 17:3). I believe Trinitarians would agree that the only true God is one being. Which means that Jesus, the one sent by the one being, must be another being. Just as the one sent is a separate being to the sender. Paul said 'there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus'. And again, I believe Trinitarians would agree that the one God is one being. Which means that the mediator between that one being and men, must be another being. Just as a mediator is a separate being from the ones he mediates between.

[@billschlegel1]

Excellent. And Paul in that 1 Timothy reference says the one mediator is "the man Christ Jesus". "The man Christ Jesus" is a human being.

[@Icemario87]

I'm really excited to watch this and to learn your logic! Here's mine, The Trinity is FIVE (5) beings!!! Check it out: (1) The Fullness of the Godhead, as a 3 in 1 fractal entity (2) The Father, as such. (3) The Son, as a member of the Godhead. (4) The Son, as a member of humanity. (5) The Holy Spirit, as a separate person. The Trinity creates *FIVE* gods; you can worship God as the Full Trinity, you can worship God as the Father, you can worship God as the Divine Son, you can worship God as the temptable, killable Adamite Son of Man, and you can worship God as the windy and fiery, dovelike Holy Spirit. What a conundrum!

[@kentharney9420]

At your age, sir, you will find out sooner than I will ask him yourself. Jesus Christ is the one and only way to the father the rest I will ask him myself when I get back to my real and forever home 🎉

[@e.k.izzle32]

all i know is my only way to the father is through Jesus. i’ll be taking those chances. much love 🤘🏻

[@billschlegel1]

Amen. And Jesus told us that the Father is the only true God, and that Jesus himself is the Messiah, the son of God (John 17:3). Blessings.

[@JohnMcConninEsq]

Is Light a wave or a particle? Does it have dual nature? If you observe light to be a particle does that mean you eliminate its nature as a wave?

[@ElCineHefe]

The Trinity is a god the Romans made in the image of Caesar's Triumvirate.

[@fabfrenchies1974]

In Trinitarian doctrine, God exists as three persons but is one being, having a single divine nature.[105] The members of the Trinity are co-equal and co-eternal, one in essence, nature, power, action, and will. As stated in the Athanasian Creed, the Father is uncreated, the Son is uncreated, and the Holy Spirit is uncreated, and all three are eternal without beginning As humans who live inside linear time and space and were created by God, it shouldn't be surprising that our creator is and does things we can't fully comprehend! Much like the universe consists of things we do not understand. We know gravity exists but we can't contain it or create it.

[@schappellshow]

Romans 1:20 - “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from His workmanship, so that men are without excuse.” Paul tells us that God is not a mystery and that His eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen and understood. Saying that He is beyond human comprehension is, in my opinion, a cop-out for someone who doesn’t want to face the truth of what the scriptures clearly teach. The trinitarian doctrine that you stated does not appear in any scripture anywhere. It comes from men trained in Greek philosophical thought in the late 4th century. The Bible is clear: God is the Father alone, and Jesus is His human Son whom He sent and empowered with His own Spirit.

[@ken440]

was athanasious one of the apostles, that you would accept his writing above Peter and Paul.??

[@billschlegel1]

Hi, thanks for the response. Honestly, I do appreciate you thinking about it. It does seem like what you said eliminates, or at least "leaves out", the human being Jesus of Nazareth.

[@katiewarner883]

​@@schappellshowAmen! Was looking for the comment about mystery being revealed. One day I stumbled upon this; trinitarian "mystery" language I was raised to believe. As I continued reading, I was blown awayyyy how clear Paul explains that mystery.... revealed! There is NO MYSTERY, it says so :) God IN his son Never God AS his son.❤ It is scary how deep the indoctrination is, and I pray daily for trinitarians to be humbled, as God did in my heart.

[@allanhutton1123]

One being, 3 person. Is the father a being without the son and the spirt. God is no like us, his thoughts are not our thoughts. Who can conceive the mind of God.

[@johannerobert4660]

Amen. The trinitarian believe 3 persons in one. In my book, that means that there God has multiple personalities. So are we suppose to beleive that I have multiple personalities since I am created in the image of God. I guess with my one personality, that makes God the Father my one and only God. Which I m OK with. But what about those trinitarian, do they have multiple personalities? Scary...

[@billschlegel1]

Good point.

[@joykish7342]

Wooooooooooow

[@mulvey0731]

Trying to see strife and confusion is not going to make a good difference for you. One being, three persons. I personally have an appearance, a voice, and a presence. Those 3 things are distinct in me, what on earth do you imagine God is capable of? He is not bound by space, time or matter. Stop try to be “cute” with God’s Word.

[@billschlegel1]

Hi, your description is what has been called "modalism". That is, one self manifesting in three different modes. Trinitarianism considers modalism a damnable heresy (their words).

[@mulvey0731]

@@billschlegel1 I don’t believe in modalism. There are at least 2 illustrations that can think of where all the persons of the Godhead are present at once. I am a trinitarian, I may have given a bad illustration, but God being one, yet 3 is not a hard concept for me, as the rest of my statement says.

[@billschlegel1]

@@mulvey0731 Hi, and thanks for the response. It's good to think and clarify what you (each person) believe(s). In your understanding of the Trinity then, is God's "oneness" because He is three persons in one being? How would you answer the question I present in this video?

[@mulvey0731]

Bill I would say one being. We are made in the image and likeness of God. What gives us “being” is His image and likeness. We don’t have His Spirit until we are saved believers. So God (the Father) in heaven, gives us His Holy Spirit (when we’re saved) by His Grace, through faith in His Son (our savior, Jesus). 3 persons, one God that saves us, sanctifies us, and blesses us. I could use a little more sanctification I must admit. Please accept my apology. I’m sorry to have quipped.

[@billschlegel1]

@@mulvey0731 Thanks again for the kind reply, and no problem about "quipped" :). It's always a challenge not to be harsh on the internet. On the topic, it seems to me to understand Jesus to be a real human being, through whom God worked and is made known, e.g., Acts 2:22. If Jesus is a real human being, he would be a different "being" from God. Blessings.

[@jacobkennedy941]

I believe in the Trinity, but how I see it God really defined it for me..throughout the Old Testament God was looking for a king to rule over his people…. Kings kept failing, falling back into their old ways or sinning.. Jesus is our king of kings. Lord of Lords he talks about the father being the one true God. Jesus is the king that we all have been needing… He is not God! He is the son of God… we need God and we needed Jesus to bring us back to the father and to have God truly dwell in us we need the Holy Spirit! Instead of having holy temples to go to.. we are the temple now because of the Holy Spirit! Thats the Trinity!

[@billschlegel1]

Hi Jacob. What you describe is more a "triad" (sorry to quibble over words, but there is a big difference). Trinitarian doctrine is that all three are one being. A triad would be three different things, three different beings.

[@jacobkennedy941]

@@billschlegel1 oh, well, that’s not what the Bible preaches that’s not even what Jesus preaches…. The one true God is in Jesus, just as HE is in us!… as Jesus said I am in the father and the father in me.. then he says I and my father are one….. but if you go into 1 John 5:7-8 it tells you why they are one..not one being, but one in thinking as it says… there are three that be record in heaven, the father, the word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one… And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree as one…. The Bible tells us why they are one. They agree as one they are not one because they’re all the same… Jesus said I’m about my father‘s business. Meaning he wants to do the father’s will he’s come into an agreement,.. 1 Corinthians 6:7 he that is jointed until the Lord is one spirit… that’s not saying I’m God that’s not saying I’m Jesus!! I’m connected I’m rooted in Christ, then to the father..

[@jessjarvis4073]

I agree with what you say apart from the passage you used is common knowledge that it has been added (3 are 1) it’s called the johannine comma. It was added to the margins to try and push the trinity and later made its way into the actual text. Jesus told us we are gods. I think Jesus is a god as is Satan, angels, even demons are classed as gods. I wonder if Jesus was correct in saying we are gods?! We are told by man that we aren’t allowed to think like this because it’s demonic but I can’t find evidence of that 🤔

[@jacobkennedy941]

@@jessjarvis4073 my friend, you can’t say that this was added when it was in the Old Testament… it’s always been there, you had God! then the lamb for the forgiveness for sins Then you had the high priest or a king with the Holy Ghost who can only enter in the holy of temples, even David asked God not to take his Holy Spirit away from him when he sinned… it’s always been there it’s always been God…. to the whole God thing you are not God, you can’t do the things of God, do we resemble God? yes! you’re made in his image. We all resemble God… that’s the trick that got Eve… yes we all know that satan is the god of this earth, and yes it is demonic to think that way… look at satan that’s common sense he wanted to be God and started thinking that way, and look where that got him and his angels who thought that they were gods with him! So it’s very dangerous to think that way, because you start thinking that you know better than God when you don’t know anything!.. and when Jesus said that to the Pharisees, I think he was saying it to be funny and smart!

[@billschlegel1]

@@jessjarvis4073 Hi. Sometimes the word "god" in Hebrew can mean "an authority, a judge". The word does not always mean "diety". I think Jesus quoted Psalm 82 "you are gods" specifically about the leaders of Israel to whom God gave His word and authority to judge. Jesus's point was, "Israelites were called gods because God gave them authority. How much more is he called "the Son of God" because God has set him apart and granted him authority as Messiah. Blessings.

[@johnnyrose6052]

So why exactly are you attacking God????

[@SonOfGodByNewBirthInChrist]

Jesus told us the most important command is the same as it has been for 1000’s of years. Hear O Israel! The LORD our God, The LORD is One. Dt 6:4, Mk 12:29

[@schappellshow]

How exactly is he “attacking God?” If anything, he’s asking trinitarians to think about their position and explain it. Honestly, it would be wonderful if everyone thought about God more. How does thinking about Him constitute an attack?

[@billschlegel1]

Hi, consider that if God is the Father alone (John 17:3, 1 Cor. 8:6), then the Triune god is an idol. A triune god would be an attack on God. Both the Father, and the Triune god, cannot be the one God.

[@ONEFAITHofJESUS]

There is no manmade dogma more antichrist than the one that turns the rock upside down. Trinitarians invert the rock of the true identity of the Christ, Son of the Living God inserting an imaginary character called "god the son" in His place.

[@ONEFAITHofJESUS]

Matthew 16:16 is the confession of Peter which nailed the true identity of Jesus and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it 🪨 No Rock, No Church...

[@Orthosplode-nx8mz]

We’re not nestorians

[@neilnair6955]

How many beings are you... don't you consist of a soul, spirit and flesh yet you three in one essence...in the super natural my God can split himself...he's not subjected to the laws of this earth.

[@perezuamiraelefod5135]

THISS!! THANK YOU!!!!

[@billschlegel1]

Hi, Thanks for the comment. All humans are one person, one being. My spirit is not a different person than me. BTW, in Trinitarianism, it's "heresy" (their declaration) to split God up inot parts. Also,in the Bible, there is no mystery as to how many selves God is: He is one.

[@jessjarvis4073]

It’s all so confusing!! I’m sure God didn’t set out to confuse us on such an important issue. My take is that if God wanted us to believe Jesus was He, He would have just said it and wouldn’t have kept telling us that there is only one God and especially making it the first few commandments not to have idols and other Gods before Him. I love a Jesus with all my heart but even he told me that his God and my God us one God. Satan is the arbiter of confusion and the trinity is confusing!

[@perezuamiraelefod5135]

Let me ask you this, if God want tobe 100 being can he just do that? He is God, so why limit his power and drag it down to human rule, logic and perspective? Matter of fact HE is the one who create Rule, Logic and Perspective of a human being, HE is not bound to that limitations so why are you confuse? If a beeing can became 2 or 3 being at the same time... That's not just a normal being... They probably more powerful and more intelligent than a human being, He can see past present and future at one look while we dont even know what happen 5 minute from now... Even angel can do things that we cant do so why dont you ask about that too? Jesus 😒

[@billschlegel1]

Hi. Like you, I believe that God is "He", that is, He is a single self. My faith and understanding depends on Scripture, in which God makes clear who He (not They) is. In the Bible, there is no "mystery" about how many persons/beings God is. The answer is One. As Jesus said, the Father is the only true God. Jesus himself is God's human Son (a title for human beings in the Bible), the Christ.

[@perezuamiraelefod5135]

@@billschlegel1 again with the human terms and logic, he,him,they its just a word for description... A tool that human make to communicate, its human made... God is more complex than what our brains can comprehens, God even have to tone down His Word so human can understand, yet still people sometimes confused... Like how He gonna explain to us human that He can be at multiple locations at the same time in a different shape and being? In Exodus 13 : 21-22 niv By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people. So now God have a New form, He is A pilar.. So what is He now? Quadrinity? And if you said the pillar is not a being, He literally trun into fire and clouds acording to times so it have awarenes, and a being have awareness Now If God is down in earth in His Pillar form, is that means Heaven Throne is empty? Or if God in heaven who is the pillar? Or if the Pillar is God as like the scripture said, but God in heaven too, then how many God we have here? Now in the Bibles we know that God lives in every people's hearts who believe Him, but now let's say God is inside me right now, is that means the Throne in heaven empty? Because now He is in my heart, but what about other thousands beliver? If God inside their hearts to so how many God that we have? You see, it doesn't works like that, God is one.. But we cant not explain if he decide to split to thousand being but He still one, what do we call that? Do we even have a word that describing that? No So the Word Trinity is only an attempt to describe a phenomenon of God ability to be everything everywhere at once, but since its not logical for human because how can be 1 being turn into 2 being, turn into 3 beeing and so on, but some how its happening we still have to describe it with our limited knowledge, our limited brain.. To summarize my point, Stop trying to question the unnecessary things that will not bring any good for you and for others.. And stop limiting God power by our logic, our language, our ideology and so on.. We are human we have limit, God is Limitless.

[@billschlegel1]

@@perezuamiraelefod5135 Hi. Thanks again for thinking about the question and taking the time to answer. From what I understand and of what you describe, you hold to a singular person God who manifests himself in different ways. This would be more akin to modalism (even Hinduism), and not Trinitarianism.

[@perezuamiraelefod5135]

@@billschlegel1 that's just a word, use it how you like because my God is above everything, and i still believe in Father, Spirit and Son.

[@billschlegel1]

@@perezuamiraelefod5135 I believe in God the Father, in the Son of God (Jesus the Christ) and in the spirit of God. That is a triad, not a trinity. A trinity claims they are all three the "one being".

[@javonarmstrong8506]

Kuz Adam and and Eve were sister and brother

[@brianstewart23]

Think of the Trinity this way. You're playing Pacman. You, the player, are God. Pacman is Jesus. He's your avatar within the game. The Holy Spirit is the joystick. It links you to Pacman, and allows you to interact with him. Three distinct parts working in unison as one.

[@animatednostalgia5034]

No, that's Modalism

[@Eclectifying]

Mental gymnastics. I would be willing to accept that if it was taught in the Bible somewhere.

[@ken440]

Your point is far stronger for unitarian logic. One God, one representative, (a human pacman), and one spiritual connection. See? The player cant be the joystick or the pacman. The pacman is totaly subservient to the player. The joystick is just the connection between. no co-equalility among them. And as Paul said "the same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, resides in you (us) " so by your reconing we are all equal pacmans, and ergo your analogy has us all become god???? I know Im not God, but the bible tells me in Eph6 that I am become a son of God, and am filled with the same spirit as Jesus, so I must be one of those brothers of Jesus that he was first up from the dead for, the many brothers raised to glory as Jesus has been.

[@brianstewart23]

Well, we're not equal Pacmen. Only Jesus was perfect. Only He could redeem the world by his sacrifice. He was without sin, and He has existed from the beginning of creation. He is the living word (code?) of God.

[@ken440]

@@brianstewart23 Leaving pacmen out of it, perfect pacmen and sinful pacmen, i agree with you that Jesus is the living word of God. I do not agree he always existed, scripture doesnt say that, but the word has existed since God spoke it, the promise that His word of a promised great one, one of Israel, would be born and He God would speak through this messiah. Deut18:18. Thats a promise of a human offspring from Abraham, and the promised spoken word was recorded and eventually the cherished promise to the people was "fleshed out" (made flesh) at the appointed time. 2000yrs after Abraham, who was 2000yrs after Adam. Now since that fleshed out promise its been another 2000yrs, give or take a couple, and the second part of the promise is about to happen. The raising from dead all those dead in christ, and us still kicking, and then the return of the messiah, that the word tells us. Jesus is Gods champion, el gibbor, mighty one. Jesus is not God, but is like Joseph was to pharaoh, lord administrator.

[@Yh-kg8fr]

Bruh its not even hard to understand 😂😂 You have a mind a body and a spirit. Three distinct parts but one person. Are you three beings or one??

[@schappellshow]

This understanding of people being composed of a mind, a body, and a spirit is not biblical and comes from ancient Egyptian mysticism that then was adopted into Greek philosophical thought. The Bible very clearly teaches that we are all “living souls.” My body is not separate from my mind, and I don’t have an inherently immortal spirit inside of me. I am a living soul. In Genesis 1, YHWH breaths into Adam and Adam “became a living soul.” As a human being, I am 1 being. Also, your analogy falls apart, in that your mind, body, and spirit (assuming all 3 do indeed exist independently from one another) do not represent distinct persons. Your spirit does not act independently from your body and mind. The 3 would all act together in unison. The trinitarian god has 3 distinct “persons” who can and do act independently from one another. Each “person” has his own will, his own thoughts, and his own actions. As beings, we humans are 1. We are 1 person. 1 essence. 1 soul. Yet we are made in God’s image. If He were truly 3 in 1, then in order to be an “image” of Him, we would be 3 in 1 too..but again, the Bible teaches that we are all singular living souls…not one “being” composed of 3 distinct, separate, and independent parts.

[@Yh-kg8fr]

@@schappellshow they represent DISTINCT FUNCTIONS, with the important part being they are NOT 3 DISTINCT PERSONS. They make ONE PERSON through 3 DISTINCT FUNCTIONS. That's the entire point! Like ourselves, The trinity is not 3 distinct persons, but one God, shown through three distinct functions. Does it get the point across tho? Or are you splitting hairs so that you purposefully don't understand an analogy?

[@rogrog1616]

​@@Yh-kg8frWhy stop at three? The human being has multiple functions.

[@Yh-kg8fr]

@@rogrog1616 this is what I mean by splitting hairs for the purpose of misunderstanding. You know full well I am speaking of mind, body, and spirit in my analogy of the trinity being one thing composed of multiple distinct/separate yet interconnected aspects that ultimately compose the singular/one. For those who are confused by the doctrine of the holy Trinity. Not a list of possible functions of the human body. Which you already knew, but you'd rather create a strawman then understand 😂

[@billschlegel1]

Hi, thanks for the response. It's good to think about the question. Allow me: your analogy is better fitting as "modalism", not Trinitarianism. We are one self/person, not three selves/persons. And, again, your analogy tends to eliminate the human being, Jesus of Nazareth.