QUESTION:

The doctrine of the Trinity

I would like to ask Mr. Heaster just a simple question. I notice that time and again when speaking to us he took the line that if this is so how can that be so? If this is true, then surely that can’t be true? For example, if the Lord Jesus is said to be the Son of the Highest then obviously he can’t also be the Highest as well. If in one place he says my Father is greater than I, which many of us by the way would attribute to the elohim face he voluntarily took as man to speak and act in that kind of way, then how can he be equal with the Father and the Son. Setting one thing against another that way.

Now bearing in mind what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2:14 “but the natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned,” in the light of that verse and other verses of similar effect, would he accept that the mere fact that I may not be able to see how apparently diverse things can exist side by side, doesn’t necessarily mean that they can’t?

MR. HEASTER:

Well, in trying to find out the truth of the Bible, I can see no other way of going about it than to compare Scripture with Scripture. We are unfortunately in this Debate thinking about the ideas of men as well in the doctrine of the Trinity and if that says one thing, that none is greater or less in the Godhead and the Bible says “my Father is greater than I” I don’t see why you shouldn’t, or I shouldn’t draw the conclusion that therefore the doctrine of the Trinity contradicts the Bible.

Now concerning 1 Corinthians 2 “the natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him”; how I interpreted the gentlemen’s comment there was that God is a mystery. God is too great for us to understand. We can’t understand the things of the spirit of God neither can we know them. Is that what you were saying? Were you saying that I was applying sort of human logic and yet 1 Corinthians 2 tells us that human logic is no good?

REPLY:

I was simply quoting that verse to show as I believe it shows that scripture itself accepts that to the natural man the things of God are baffling and if the things of God are baffling to the natural man, I would humbly suggest that nothing could be more baffling than that He who is the one true and living almighty, eternal God could clothe Himself with flesh while still being in the absoluteness of the Godhead in heaven and at the same time be here as a man and take up all the attributes of man and the fact that I may not understand how that could be, how the two things could exist together…

MR. HEASTER:

Thank you. I was just clarifying your view on that verse. Thank you.

So our friend is really saying that the natural man can’t understand the things of the spirit of God, it is all a mystery, therefore why use human logic. Now I am afraid, I don’t want to be destructive to our friend but that must be taken in context. The natural man can’t receive the things of the spirit of God but verse 15 “he that is spiritual judgeth all things” and verse 10 “God hath revealed these things unto us by His spirit, for the spirit searcheth the deep things, yea the deep things of God, for we have received” verse 12 “not the spirit of the world (which you are saying you have received), but the spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given unto us of God which things we also speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth but which the Holy Spirit teacheth comparing spiritual things with spiritual”.

Now I submit to you, ladies and gentlemen, that the word of God is a revelation of the spirit of God, as Christ said “my words are spirit, my words are life”. We have been trying to compare scripture with scripture, spiritual things with spiritual things. The doctrine of the Trinity doesn't stand up to this analysis.