Enkele maanden geleden gingen twee ernstige denkers over de Bijbel met elkaar in debat over een zeer moeilijk onderwerp in het Christendom, dat al honderden jaren de Kerk in beroering heeft gehouden en waar reeds veel bloed, letterlijk en figuurlijk, is over gevloeid.
The Great Trinity Debate
Rob Bowman vs Dave Burke
Now this is eternal life — that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you sent. (John 17:3)It is a matter of eternal life to know the true God and his son, the Lord Jesus Christ. It is our responsibility to understand the one true God. But do we really know him? Or do we just believe in a God that we've learned about from others?
The identity of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit is a fundamental belief in Christianity and increasingly Christians don't know why they believe in what they do, unable to defend the doctrine of the Trinity when challenged.
There seems to be a kind of complacency that comes from being a mainstream Christian, thinking that being in the majority is enough to make the doctrine true without needing proof.
The Bereans searched their scriptures daily to make sure what they heard was true and that's no different with the doctrine of the Trinity, we have to search our scriptures to decide if it's true or not, not take it for granted or rely on someone else to tell us that it is or isn't true.
The debate about the Trinity has been raging on since the early church and it still rages on today. Rob Bowman, a Trinitarian issued a challenge last year for a non-Trinitarian to debate him on the subject of the Trinity. This year, Dave Burke a non-Trinitarian, took up that challenge and presented his case for the unity of God. A fascinating debate resulted and was captured on the Parchment and Pen blog.
I recommend you read both sides of the argument thoroughly, it's not all as black and white as you might think as both sides have strong arguments.
The Great Trinity Debate
The Challenge | Introduction | Resources List
| Part 1: God & Scripture | Burke vs | Bowman |
| Part 2: Jesus Christ | Burke vs | Bowman |
| Part 3: Jesus Christ (continued) | Burke vs | Bowman |
| Part 4: Holy Spirit | Burke vs | Bowman |
| Part 5: Father, Son & Holy Spirit / The Trinity | Burke vs | Bowman |
| Part 6: Closing Statement | Burke vs | Bowman |
A Trinitarian blogger (Dale) provides useful commentary on the debate... Final Summary | Full Commentary List ... concluding that Burke won the debate.
P.S. If you are a Trinitarian and still think 1 John 5:7-8 is a valid proof for the doctrine of the Trinity, you most definitely need to read this debate to learn some better proofs! Also read "The Trinity is Like 3-in-1 Shampoo". . . And Other Stupid Statements