A Different Take on the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
Years ago, while on staff at a mega-church, I was discussing the origins of the "Trinity" concept with the Spiritual Formation Pastor. He told me, "I've abandoned the Trinity idea as this was a much later development in the church."
Years ago, while on staff at a mega-church, I was discussing the origins of the "Trinity" concept with the Spiritual Formation Pastor. (For those not aware, this is the main person in charge of all teaching). He told me, "I've abandoned the Trinity idea as this was a much later development in the church."
Admittedly, I was a little shocked to hear him say it out loud, knowing many within the church would be very upset with this. Today I find this to be a growing sentiment within the Protestant church as the evidence supports this notion as an evolving innovation, likely formalized sometime around 300CE with Athanasius.
Though the debate still lives on, how might one make sense of the following passage without the undergirding of Trinitarian doctrine? As this represents one of the more complex ideas that stand between Christian and Jewish dialogue, is there an intra-Jewish framework that could help us see this in a new light?
In Matthew, we read;
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, - Matthew 28:19
When viewing the New Testament through the lens of 1st-century Jewish mysticism, we can find a framework that might be useful in unlocking this passage in a more useful way. Before we proceed, I recommend familiarizing yourself with the Sefirot, as this will be important to grasp and build upon.
