I was answering your question, beaglelady.
Look back at the posts and you will see.
My post was in response to your question in post 353.
We certainly disagree on that.
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John and Paul use distinct pairs of words to indicate divinity according to Person (Father) vs. according to substance essence nature being (Godhead / Godhood)
John <======> Paul
“the God” <==> “God” (1 Cor 8:6, “one God the Father”)
“God” <===> “Godhead” (2 Col 2:9, “in him the fullness of Godhood dwells”)
In John-speak, you can say “Jesus is God”. But in Paul-speak, only that “Jesus is Godhood”.
If everyone remember authorial context (John or Paul), we would never get confused. To avoid such confusion, the early Church fathers coined the terms “Person” and “substance essence nature being”, with which language both John & Paul could then be easily reconciled
Saint Peter warned us that Paul’s scriptures could cause confusion
I love the Trinity because:
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No one can understand it;
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No analogy applies.
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4 posts were split to a new topic: Unhinging the OT from the NT
It’s natural for posts to jump around on topic.
One thing I feel that helps in complex concepts is to drop man made names. Such as the trinity. The term trinity can mean different things to different people. It can exclude different things to different and include them.
It’s easier and more sensible to see if scripture links God to the father, to the son Jesus Christ, and to the Holy Spirit. Then see if any verses also separates the son from the father and from the Holy Spirit and so on. Did God have any other common forums. Such as the angel of the lord. We often see scripture showing that is God. Some believe it’s Jesus.
I definitely don’t think we should be unhinged from the Torah whatever thst means. The Old Testament is extremely beneficial. The Old Testament points towards Jesus and righteousness. As Christians though we understand it’s been fulfilled. But not done away with. Some things remained the same and some was changed.
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The reasons you love it are the same reasons it raises red flags for me. 
We should not be able to get our heads around God (certainly we can know of his attributes, just not all about them), so red flags do not necessarily denote irreconcilable problems, just maybe that their reconciliation is beyond our ken, at least temporally.
turns out that, in the original inspired 1st century Greek, all of the Gospel writers always designate the Person of the Father with the definite article “the”, even calling Jesus “the son of the God” (Matt 4:6)
modern Muslims say “Allah” = “al Ilah” = “the God” in Arabic.
I guess the Jewish Apostles would have said something like “ha Eloah” = “the God” in Hebrew
IOW, the apostles were as monotheistic as modern Muslims, always referring to the one special unique incomparable Divinity as the Deity the God the Father the one-and-only
on earth, there are many distinct human Persons, all of the same human nature (“same human species”)
in heaven, there are three distinct divine Persons, all of the same divine nature (“same divine species”)
on earth, Jesus the Messiah is the Lord
in heaven, the God the Father is the LORD
NOTE: I HAVE NOT READ ANY OF THE RESPONSES
This was one of my biggest hang ups as I wrestled with faith. Tradition says God is three-in-one, Trinity. But the early church was quite divided on that issue and it was politically motivated in a lot of regards. I came to see that Jesus was just a man, not God the Son. Since that put me outside of the bounds of the tradition and, in most people’s opinions, the church, it motivated me to walk away. This is an incredibly complex issue that most overlook. I don’t think Jesus was God (though im no longer a christian - but my denial of Jesus’ divinity and the Trinity played a role in that). I feel for you. It is super tough!!
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Thanks for sharing about this. While it is not in line with orthodox opinion, there are many Christians who would agree with you on your Christology. I am sorry to hear that this issue was part of your reasoning for walking away. You are right in thinking that it is a complex issue, and the opinions in this thread are evidence for that. I wanted to encourage you that despite having a minority opinion, there is dialog to be had. And having a minority opinion doesn’t have to mean you can’t be a Christian.
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If only the church thought like you 
but many don’t and therefore I’m not welcome
The people here generally don’t think like most of the believers I’ve met in the real world either. I only wish I could interest my YEC brother and my churchy cousins in visiting here. If you hang out here you will definitely learn things that will change your perspective on Christianity. It certainly has changed mine for the better and I’m not even a Christian. But individuals vary of course so gravitate toward those who find respectful and you might like it. It is definitely okay disagree here.
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Yeah, i have found that to be absolutely true in my experience on here. I’m sure many will reject the label but these progressive christians are some of the kindest, most loving people I have ever interacted with. I really appreciate them after the vile my wife and I went through from conservatives who show love in a very different way lol
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I think most of the early church leaders who questioned the doctrine of the Trinity still recognized that Jesus was God.
It was the extreme and unnecessary specificity of the doctrine of the Trinity that was rejected.
But believing on Jesus and following him does not require you to embrace fourth century doctrine.
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Friend, doctrines don’t save you.
Peter in his Pentecost speech - And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. [Acts 2:21]
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Well you may argue but all the eraly christians leaders at least recognised Jesus as God. If not then Christianity is not even a thing
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I give a longer list which gets the same reaction as you did from Jay
- It is not actually in the Bible. At least requires some use of reasoning.
- It is logically messy, reminiscent of quantum physics – not something we are likely to invent.
- It is not a God created in our own image, but more than we are rather than less.
So some people give these as reasons for disliking the doctrine of the Trinity. This implies…
- They want to push the lie that what they believe and teach is entirely in the Bible.
- They want something logically simple – a god which their own mind can encompass.
- They want a god more like themselves.
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