Thanks once again! Enjoyed that link, I did.
This, though:
“It means only that three divine Selfs exist in, and possess, the indivisible Godhead, without either separation or confusion. Such doctrine is not self-contradictory, for it does not, as is objected, declare three persons to be one person, or three beings to be one being.”
What then DOES it mean, if not those things? Three Selfs, not ‘confused’ (as in mixed together, overlapping, I take it) and not ‘separate’.
These 3 talk to one another, celebrate one another etc - but they are not separate. ?
“The divine persons, rather, perfectly co-exist in each other by virtue of their equal possession of the one divine nature. This is the doctrine of coinherence. Hence the term “person” may be considered as functionally equivalent to “subject,” “self,” or even “ego” but without any suggestion of separation” We may not be able to explain how there can be three selves where there are not three independent beings; but why do we think that we may impose our experience of finite human personality upon the infinite and transcendent Creator? “Apart from supernatural revelation,” Hall rightly states, “the possibilities of divine personality lie beyond our capacity to determine” (IV:193). Measuring and defining divine personality by what we observe in the created realm must be judged misguided and unsound, if not silly. “Because we never find more than one real self in one human being, it does not follow that only one self can exist in the one divine Being” (IV:166-167)."
About 5 non-sequiturs in a row, there. I leave the proof to the student.
I don’t think that understanding this is a matter of intelligence, or, of course, I would have gotten it immediately.
I just don’t think there is any ‘there’ there. I’m standing on scripture on this, not philosophy, but even philosophically I don’t think that coining a phrase and then saying we cannot understand it but it’s true and actually a requirement for Christian belief, begs the question in a big way.
What is CLEAR in scripture must take priority. IMHO the Trinity as spoken of in your essay is not a clear concept. Father, Son and Holy Spirit are clear, otoh.