Doctrine vs. Understanding

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>From a recent conversation. Perhaps some here have some reflections on
this important topic.

Also,  I recommend David Huston's book "The Light of Pentecost", and
Bro. Thomas Weiser's "After the Way Called Heresy". Great books for
one trying to understand *what* and *how* trinitarians understand.

>Maybe you can enlighten me some in an area that is a
>little bit confusing to me ... there seems to be quite a
>number of 'trinitarians' who will explain what they
>believe and will explain it to you in a manner that is
>consistent, it seems, with Oneness doctrine.  They will
>tell you that there is only one God and not three.  How do
>you reach these people when they are attending a
>trinitarian preaching church and think they know what it
>believes?

Depends on the approach they are taking. 

1. There is, what we could call New England Trinitarianism (which Bro.
Tom Weiser has written on), which presumes a pithy, and deep
recognition of One God, and speaks of the "persons" as communication
of God to man. This is an undisciplined Apostolic understanding of the
godhead. My parents are like this. Telling them all you can about the
nature of God, they will say "I *never* thought there was another God
besides Jesus Christ". These are very open to witnessing, because the
teaching which you can do is built upon the basic revelation which God
has already given to anyone who sincerely seeks him. These people are
"up for grabs", and the harlot church is clamoring to teach with more
vigilance and secure the hearts of the unlearned. (note that there are
"New England Trinitarians" everywhere. The name is taken from Bushnell
and Beecher, and a few others who typify the mentality.)

2. There is the traditional trinitarianism which serves are a
definitive framework for the understanding which religious adherants
adapt when seeking to "join" to Christianity. This approach causes the
conceptual doctrine on the trininity to "cauterize" the flow of
understanding, if there is any, in the life of the individual. These
people do not nessesarilly value the doctrine, except seek to be
securely conformable to the structure that they believe will "get them
to heaven, if there be any such thing". These are also up for grabs,
but do not, as a group, have in common any spiritual hunger as do the
"New England Trinitarians". 

3. The scholastic and adamant trinitarians are the "hard" type. They
seem to have a need to teach orthodoxy. You see this emerging today
across the media, and thus, on a local level. It seems that some of
group 2, have taken up the challenge to erase misunderstanding. Of
course, all that is not "orthodox" is their enemy. You can rarely make
a meaningful conversation with this person. IN their teaching they
will make a number of historical references and statements which
reflect clergy of bygome times, which are downright scary:

"If you do not belive in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy
Ghost, you believe in a man-made God and you are guilty of the first
commandment, you are guilty of the sin of idolatry, and you are lost"
- Dr Charles Stanley, Former head, SBC

"Very soon, however, the catechistic department developed into a more
formal Socratic method, and in due time there arose a great school,
where men came from all directionas and listened to those great
teachers whose names are famous in every part of Chistiandom. ... Both
Justin and Athanagoras speak of the teachers as wearing the
traditional mantle of the philosopher [sheep's clothing]. By this they
meant that the teachers in the school of Alexandria did not teach as
preachers but as Christian philosophers". - J.F. Hurst, The History of
the Christian Church

"He is the Son of the True God Himself, and holding him in the second
place and the prophetic Spirit in the third" - Justin Martyr

"Justin's Platonism seriously effects his theology of the relationship
between the Father and the Logos" - New Catholic Encyclopaedia

"His [Justin Martyr's] influence is marker above all in Iraneus,
Tertullian, Hippolytus, and Origen, who built on foundations laid by
him" - New Catholic Encycopeadia

"It was at this point that 'certain Platonic books' translated into
Latin ... were placed in his hands: in reading them Augustine went
through a spiritual, perhaps even a mystical, experiance that
completely changed his vision of the world. The experiance revelaed to
his the spiritual within himself and the transcendance of God above
and beyond his own internal spiritual existances, and led to the
notion of the divine Trinity." - New Catholic Encyclopaedia

"Do not mind whether the teachers of philosophy are good or bad, but
think only of the philosophy herself. Try her and examine her, and not
your sons onl; but if she be what I believe she is, then follow here
and serve her, you and your house." - Socrates

"[Socrates is] a Christian before Christ" - Justin Martyr

"Justin regarded the Bible and Plato as agreed" - New Catholic
Encylopaedia

Put briefly, some of the statements we have recently seen, suggest a
movement toward a restoration of inquisition. 

What say ye?

"Just give me a flucrum, or something to rest this big 'ole
lever on"