God is probably more than three?

[Matthias]

My God is only one -> Yahweh, the God and Father of Jesus Messiah. That will come as no surprise to anyone who has read my posts on the subject.

I came across a Christian yesterday who stated that God is probably more than three. No explanation for the belief was presented.

This is a highly unusual encounter for me but not unprecedented. I‘ve met and spoken extensively with another Christian who believes and teaches that God could be hundreds or thousands.

This thread isn’t about my God, nor is it about the Trinity (which by current policy cannot be discussed - pro or con - on Christianity Board). This thread is solely concerned with the proposition that “God is probably more than three”.

Are there any denominations within Christianity, past or present, which hold as part of their doctrine / teaching that God is probably more than three?

Is there any biblical support for the idea that God is probably more than three?

Finally, is there any support for the softened position that God is possibly more than three?

 

[amadeus]

Joh 10:30

I and my Father are one.

Joh 17:11

And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.

Jas 5:16

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Was Jesus a righteous praying fervently? Might we become one with Jesus and with the Father making then the number greater than three... a Multiplicity rather than a Trinity?

1jo 3:2

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

 

[Matthias]

Joh 10:30

I and my Father are one.

Joh 17:11

And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.

Jas 5:16

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Was Jesus a righteous praying fervently? Might we become one with Jesus and with the Father making then the number greater than three... a Multiplicity rather than a Trinity?

1jo 3:2

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

Thanks.

The question suggests to me that if / when believers become one with Jesus and with the Father then believers themselves also become God, making God a multiplicity greater than three.

Have I stated it correctly?

If not, please correct whatever I’ve gotten wrong.

If so, what do you think about it?

The person I encountered hasn’t elaborated on why he holds that belief so I don’t know if that is what he is thinking or not. Maybe he’ll let us know in this thread.

From my theological perspective, mortal human persons who are believers will become immortal human persons when Jesus returns but will never become God.

 

[Matthias]

The only other person who I’ve met and spoken with at length who holds the belief that God could be more than three did so on the grounds that man is limited in his knowledge about God and therefore God hasn’t told man everything there is to know about how many he is; not on the proposition that some human beings have, or might one day, become God.

His was a personal belief. He attended a mainline Protestant Church that did not hold his private belief as their doctrine.

The only other persons I’ve encountered who have said that they believe God is more than three - and I haven’t met very many of them - have been very specific about how many and why they hold that belief -> Nine (Father, Son and seven Spirits).

Perhaps the man I encountered yesterday falls into one of these categories. Unless or until the person provides clarification / elaboration, I really couldn’t say one way or the other.

 

[amadeus]

Thanks.

The question suggests to me that if / when believers become one with Jesus and with the Father then believers themselves also become God, making God a multiplicity greater than three.

Have I stated it correctly?

If not, please correct whatever I’ve gotten wrong.

If so, what do you think about it?

The person I encountered hasn’t elaborated on why he holds that belief so I don’t know if that is what he is thinking or not. Maybe he’ll let us know in this thread.

From my theological perspective, mortal human persons who are believers will become immortal human persons when Jesus returns but will never become God.

Neither do I believe that God is a Multiplicity, but... I am not a Trinitarian. Due to this I used these verses against people who insisted that John 10:30 established a Trinity. But... I am on the verge of discussing that which is not allowed here. I will say no more on that.

I have never met a person on any forum in more than 20 years on forums who believed God was a Multiplicity.

 

[lforrest]

There is the hateful false prophet who keeps slipping on here who believes God is seven spirits. FYI that belief is not why he is banned.

Thinking independently about that belief:

Isaiah 11:2 points to seven spirits that rest upon the Messiah. The book of Revelation further points to them being Spirits of God.
"The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of might,
the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord."

It comes down to are these Spirits actual persons or aspects of the one Spirit of God?

I'm inclined to believe both are possible because of the fluid nature of spirits.

God can grant us wisdom if we ask him for it, so how is that achieved? By the imparting of the Spirit of wisdom? Do the other spirits come with it always? Demonstratively no, there are many who are ignorant yet wise. And there are also intelligent fools.

 

[BlessedPeace]

My God is only one -> Yahweh, the God and Father of Jesus Messiah. That will come as no surprise to anyone who has read my posts on the subject.

I came across a Christian yesterday who stated that God is probably more than three. No explanation for the belief was presented.

This is a highly unusual encounter for me but not unprecedented. I‘ve met and spoken extensively with another Christian who believes and teaches that God could be hundreds or thousands.

This thread isn’t about my God, nor is it about the Trinity (which by current policy cannot be discussed - pro or con - on Christianity Board). This thread is solely concerned with the proposition that “God is probably more than three”.

Are there any denominations within Christianity, past or present, which hold as part of their doctrine / teaching that God is probably more than three?

Is there any biblical support for the idea that God is probably more than three?

Finally, is there any support for the softened position that God is possibly more than three?

Our NT follows the Old.

Jews were formerly polytheists during their Babylonian captivity and after.

If we pay attention to what Jesus teaches from time to time we will note he changes what the people of the OT were taught by God.

Most notably is the former eye for an eye rule. Jesus said that was to be overcome with the rule of turn the other cheek.

If we accept Jesus was the word (God) made flesh, it would seem odd that he'd change his mind regarding recriminations.

There are other examples of change or altering edicts as well.

I happened on an interesting teaching by a man who is an expert in scripture translation. He says the OT is not a text relating of nor to one God but multiple God's.

Elohim,he states, is often misunderstood as a name for the one God.

Feel free to see what you think.

the gods of the bible at DuckDuckGo

DuckDuckGo. Privacy, Simplified.

duckduckgo.com

 

[Lambano]

Let's postulate that God created intelligent life on one of the billions of billions of inhabitable planets that statistically could/must exist in this universe.

Since fallen-ness seems to be a property of this universe, let's also postulate that they are fallen, as we are.

Let's then postulate that the Logos who became flesh and dwelt among us also became whatever the Rigellians or Alpha Centaurians are and dwelt among them. And each hypostasis of the Logos is a separate Person. Just speculating that God used the same pattern He used with us to save other intelligent but fallen beings.

Then God would indeed be a large (but finite) number of Persons with a single underlying essence.

(And technically, we're talking about a Quadrinity or higher, so we're not violating the rule against discussing the Trinity. Think Rita will buy that explanation? Nah. Me neither.)

 

[BlessedPeace]

Let's postulate that God created intelligent life on one of the billions of billions of inhabitable planets that statistically could/must exist in this universe.

Since fallen-ness seems to be a property of this universe, let's also postulate that they are fallen, as we are.

Let's then postulate that the Logos who became flesh and dwelt among us also became whatever the Rigellians or Alpha Centaurians are and dwelt among them. And each hypostasis of the Logos is a separate Person. Just speculating that God used the same pattern He used with us to save other intelligent but fallen beings.

Then God would indeed be a large (but finite) number of Persons with a single underlying essence.

(And technically, we're talking about a Quadrinity or higher, so we're not violating the rule against discussing the Trinity. Think Rita will buy that explanation? Nah. Me neither.)

Pessimist.

(Hides behind @Lambano and looks around for Rita. )

 

[Rita]

Think you will need to hide from others now xx

 

[Pancho Frijoles]

Is there any biblical support for the idea that God is probably more than three?

Finally, is there any support for the softened position that God is possibly more than three?

My God is also only one.
But I guess that, since God manifests Himself through different Agents, and those Agents are like God himself interacting with mankind, we could say from a practical perspective that God is more than three: thirty, thirty thousand, maybe infinite in manifestations.

From a biblical perspective, consider the "Angel of Jehovah" of the Old Testament, which is often referred to as if he were God himself.
Consider as well that, from a practical perspective, everything we do to a vulnerable brother or sister we do it to Christ, and everything we do to Christ we do it to God. So, there is God manifested in every individual.

 

[Matthias]

My God is also only one.
But I guess that, since God manifests Himself through different Agents, and those Agents are like God himself interacting with mankind, we could say from a practical perspective that God is more than three: thirty, thirty thousand, maybe infinite in manifestations.

From a biblical perspective, consider the "Angel of Jehovah" of the Old Testament, which is often referred to as if he were God himself.
Consider as well that, from a practical perspective, everything we do to a vulnerable brother or sister we do it to Christ, and everything we do to Christ we do it to God. So, there is God manifested in every individual.

Hola. Love the name you chose this time. I had Mexican for supper.