I'm in agreement with you for the most part. I understand your reluctance to use the word Trinity, however, the original understanding of the Trinity is not what is stated today. The original is as I stated in the previous post which you seem to agree with. I agree that they are one in agreement, I'd also add that they are one is in the sense of nature which is what the earliest Christians taught. Jesus is of the same nature as the Father. Just as with humans, a son is no more or no lees human than his father, so Jesus is no more or less the substance of the Father. The earliest Christians used the example of fire. Suppose you have a campfire, then two day later you decide to start another fire. You take a branch and stick it into the first fire and it ignites. You then take that branch and place it on the wood pile for the second fire and it ignites. Now you have two fires, the second coming out of the first, yet the first fire is in no way diminished. The second fire though coming into existence two days later has it's beginning in the first fire and is as old as the first fire. This is how they said that Jesus was eternal, he existed in the Father before being begotten before time began.
If you'll look at that in context, Jesus made that statement to the Jews. It was not a statement made for Christians for all time. The reason they couldn't understand was because God was purposely blinding the Jews to bring about the Crucifixion. This blind was prophesied by Isaiah long before it happened.
Isaiah 6:9-10 (NKJV)
[sup]9 [/sup] And He said, "Go, and tell this people: 'Keep on hearing, but do not understand; Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.'
[sup]10 [/sup] "Make the heart of this people dull, And their ears heavy,
And shut their eyes; Lest they see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And return and be healed."
[sup]9[/sup] Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.
[sup]10[/sup] For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered. (Isa 29:9-10 KJV)
Paul also quotes it and applies it to Israel.
[sup]7[/sup] What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded
[sup]8[/sup] (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear
unto this day. (Rom 11:7-8 KJV)
All of these passages are speaking of Israel and Jesus said,
[sup]24[/sup] But he answered and said,
I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. (Mat 15:24 KJV)
What is God?