Judaism

 

Attacks on the Holy Trinity remind us of a quote from Anton LaVey (Levy), founder of the Church of Satan: “Unitarians are just Satanists in evening clothes.”

 

On the Arguments of the Jews Against the Blessed Trinity • St. Peter Damian (excerpts)

 

(5) Tell us therefore, Jew, as you deny the Trinity, and are consequently unaware of unity, if, as you assert, God is in one person, to whom did He say: “Let us make man to our own image and likeness”? [Genesis 1:26] For if there were one person in the Godhead, He would not have said “let us make,” but “let me make.” If there were three substances he would not have used the singular “our image,” but rather “our images.” Therefore, while “let us make” asserts Trinity and “our image” indicates unity, it is clearly obvious that the essentially one God consists of three persons. [Owen J. Blum, OFM, The Fathers of the Church Mediaeval Continuation, The Letters of Peter Damian 1-30, Catholic University of America, 1998, Letter 1, pp. 37-83.]

 

[Moses said in Genesis 11:5] “The Lord came down to see the city and the tower that the sons of Adam were building. And shortly after that he added: “Come, let us go down and there confuse their language.” [Genesis 11:7]

 

(6) You see, therefore, that “the Lord came down” expresses the one divine essence; but “Come let us go down” teaches that there are three persons. [Blum, p. 41.] Also ask Abraham why when seeing three men he adored one? Thus it was written: “The Lord appeared to him in the valley of Mamre, as he sat in the entrance of his tent, while the day was growing hot”; and then he added: “When he looked up, three men appeared to him standing nearby.” [Genesis 18:1-2] Notice that although he first said:“The Lord appeared to him”; when the event was described, it was not said: “a man appeared to him,” but “three men appeared to him.” It is here clearly demonstrated that He who appeared to him is one in divine substance and is threefold in person. Abraham’s words likewise give evidence of this when he says: “Sir,” he said “if I have found favor in your sight, do not go past your servant. But let me bring a little water and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree.” [Genesis 18:3-4]

 

(8) …The prophet Isaiah also clearly and thoroughly taught this Trinity of persons and unity of nature when he reported seeing Seraphim who cried out: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Hosts.” [Isaias 6:3] To show the Trinity of persons, “holy” is pronounced three times. But to indicate that the substance of the Trinity is one, he speaks of the Lord of Hosts, and not the Lords of Hosts. [Blum, p. 42.] …

 

(10) Take note, then, Jew, as we page through almost all the books of your law, that we quite clearly discover the unity of the divine essence and the Trinity of persons.

 

excerpted from: Saint Peter Damian’s Letter 1: On the Arguments of the Jews Against the Blessed Trinity by Randy Engel, Catholic Inquistor, Volume 2, No. 2, Winter 2020, pp. 19-21.

 

 

The Holy Trinity is revealed as early as the second verse of the Old Testament:

 

… and the spirit of God moved over the waters.

Genesis 1:2

 

The Holy Trinity is also revealed in the New Testament:

 

And Jesus being baptized, forthwith came out of the water: and lo, the heavens were opened to him: and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon him.  And behold a voice from heaven, saying: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Matthew 3:16-17

 

Going therefore, teach ye all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

Matthew 28:19

 

These explicit New Testament references to the Holy Trinity are foreshadowed in the Old Testament.

 

Some Old Testament verses allude to all Three Persons:

 

Behold my servant, I will uphold him: my elect, my soul delighteth in him: I have given my spirit upon him, he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.

Isaias 42:1

 

Come ye near unto me, and hear this: I have not spoken in secret from the beginning: from the time before it was done, I was there, and now the Lord God hath sent me, and his spirit.

Isaias 48:16

 

The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord hath anointed me: he hath sent me to preach to the meek, to heal the contrite of heart, and to preach a release to the captives, and deliverance to them that are shut up.

Isaias 61:1

 

Other Old Testament verses allude to the Son:

 

The Lord hath said to me: Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee.

Psalm 2:7 , also quoted in the New Testament in Hebrews 1:5, 5:5, and Acts 13:33

 

Who hath ascended up into heaven, and descended? who hath held the wind in his hands? who hath bound up the waters together as in a garment? who hath raised up all the borders of the earth? what is his name, and what is the name of his son, if thou knowest?

Proverbs 30:4

 

I beheld therefore in the vision of the night, and lo, one like the son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and he came even to the Ancient of days: and they presented him before him.

Daniel 7:13-14

 

76 references to the Holy Ghost in the Old Testament:

 

Genesis 1:2

Genesis 6:3

Exodus 31:3

Exodus 35:31

Numbers 11:17

Numbers 11:25

Numbers 11:26

Numbers 11:29

Numbers 24:2

Numbers 27:18

Judges 3:10

Judges 6:34

Judges 11:29

Judges 13:25

Judges 14:6

Judges 14:19

Judges 15:14

1 Kings (Samuel) 10:6

1 Kings (Samuel) 10:10

1 Kings (Samuel) 11:6

1 Kings (Samuel) 16:13

1 Kings (Samuel) 16:14

1 Kings (Samuel) 19:20

1 Kings (Samuel) 19:23

2 Kings (Samuel) 23:2

3 Kings (1 Kings) 18:12

3 Kings (1 Kings) 22:24

4 Kings (2 Kings) 2:16

1 Paralipomenom (Chronicles) 12:18

2 Paralipomenom (Chronicles) 15:1

2 Paralipomenom (Chronicles) 18:23

2 Paralipomenom (Chronicles) 20:14

2 Paralipomenom (Chronicles) 24:20

2 Esdras (Nehemiah) 9:20

2 Esdras (Nehemiah) 9:30

Job 33:4

Psalms 50:13 (51:11)

Psalms 103:30 (104:30)

 

 

 

​The Trinity, Flemish School, c. 1500

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The Holy Trinity, Lucas Carnach the Elder, c. 1515-1520

 

 

not so “orthodox”

 

 

Eastern “Orthodoxy” Exposed: Their Heretical Doctrine Of God

https://youtu.be/d07mgLoOW8g

 

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Catholicism vs. An Eastern “Orthodox” View On The Divine Essence

https://youtu.be/LT8NaQszsRo

 

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New Testament proofs of the Divinity of Jesus

 

Jesus’ own words: “I and the Father are one.” John 10:30

 

• referred to the Temple as His: “And he saith to them: It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but you have made it a den of thieves.” Matthew 21:13
• that the Sabbath was His: “For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath.” Matthew 12:8
• that He forgave sins: “And behold they brought to him one sick of the palsy lying in a bed. And Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the man sick of the palsy: Be of good heart, son, thy sins are forgiven thee.” Matthew 9:2
• Jesus told us that only God should be “adored” (worshipped): “Then Jesus saith to him: Begone, Satan: for it is written, The Lord thy God shalt thou adore, and him only shalt thou serve.” Matthew 4:10 and then He accepted that worship of men due only to God:
  “As he was speaking these things unto them, behold a certain ruler came up, and adored him, saying: Lord, my daughter is even now dead; but come, lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live.” Matthew 9:18 ;
  “And behold Jesus met them, saying: All hail. But they came up and took hold of his feet, and adored him.” Matthew 28:9 ; and
  “And seeing him they adored…” Matthew 28:17
• “Going therefore, teach ye all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” Matthew 28:19

 

Corroborated by the testimonies of the Apostles who  indeed recognized Him as God:

 

• “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. …And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we saw his glory, the glory as it were of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” John 1:1-14
• “Behold a virgin shall be with child, and bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” Matthew 1:23

 

The testimony of St. John the Baptist:

 

• “For this is he that was spoken of by Isaias the prophet, saying: A voice of one crying in the desert, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.” Matthew 3:3 is foreshadowed in: “The voice of one crying in the desert: Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the wilderness the paths of our God.” Isaias 40:3

 

 

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memes

 

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Psalms 105:33 (106:33)

Psalms 138:7 (139:7)

Psalms 142:10 (143:10)

Isaias 11:2

Isaias 30:1

Isaias 32:15

Isaias 34:16

Isaias 40:13

Isaias 42:1

Isaias 44:3

Isaias 48:16

Isaias 59:21

Isaias 61:1

Isaias 63:10

Isaias 63:11

Isaias 63:14

Ezekiel 2:2

Ezekiel 3:12

Ezekiel 3:14

Ezekiel 3:24

Ezekiel 8:3

Ezekiel 11:1

Ezekiel 11:5

Ezechiel 11:24

Ezechiel 36:27

Ezechiel 37:1

Ezechiel 37:14

Ezechiel 39:29

Ezechiel 43:5

Joel 2:28

Joel 2:29

Micheas 2:7

Micheas 3:8

Aggeus (Haggai) 2:5

Zacharias 4:6

Zacharias 7:12

Zacharias 12:10

Malachias 2:15