And you say we are Cults!!]]

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Here's my view of the concept of the Trinity...

The very idea was instigated about the second century A.D. by Tertullian, at
least a full century after the Apostles had passed off the scene (it's
commonly accepted the Apostle John died while in exile on the Isle of Patmos
in AD 96).  At the time the Holy Catholic Church, as it was beginning to be
known as, wanted to "educate the heathens", i.e. pagans, about Christ.  The
idea of a "co-equal triune" has its roots in other cultures; the Egyptians
worshipped a "trinity" of gods at one time.

If you study the Latin, "Catholic" is from "catholicus", meaning
"universal", i.e. it was accepted that the church should be the norm for
religion, and eventually accepting of all other peoples.  If I recall
correctly, this was the very basis of how the doctrine began to change from
a staunch belief in one God (God manifest in the flesh, whom we know as
Jesus Christ) to a belief in three co-equal, co-eternal persons in one
deity.  It also could very well be a misinterpretation of Matthew 28:19.
*shrugs*

Trinitarianism as a whole does believe in one God, yes.  That's something I
won't deny.  Thing is, mainstream Christianity is based largely upon what
the Catholic church started, i.e. baptism using the titles Father, Son, and
Holy Ghost.  Modern Trinitarianism believes that the Father is supreme,
while the Son is somehow lesser than the Father, yet still co-eternal, and
the Holy Ghost eminates from the Father.  (Something like that.)  Orthodox
Trinitarianism states all three persons are co-equal and co-eternal.  (The
Anasthanius Creed is a classic example of how Orthodox Trinitarianism is
defined.) Historically, the Apostles never believed in such a setup, as it
never existed in their day.  The first church was largely consisting of Jews
and Jewish proselytes. (Acts 15 covers the first eucenimcal council of the
church at Jerusalem, where the ministers were deciding if the Old Testament
Law still applied to the church.) Gentiles didn't come on the scene until
Acts 10, when Peter was sent to the house of Cornelius.

It was during the time of the Reformation was when the Protestant movement
was started by Martin Luther, roughly 1517 or so.  Martin Luther protested
the idea of what the Catholic church was teaching, i.e. indulgences, infant
baptism, etc.  (I think he also didn't like the idea of effusion (pouring of
water on the head to signify baptism), but I'm not sure.  I'll have to study
it more in-depth)  Thing is, when he was ex-communicated from the Catholic
church, he should have _totally and completely rejected_ the teachings of
the Catholic church and _reviewed how the first church was started_, i.e.
Acts chapter 2.

Enough ramblings from me.

In Christ,
Bro Kerry-Michael Hazelton
"Strange1"
Head Moderator, Apostolic Youth Chat
www.upci.com/youth