Christian Understanding of Trinity3
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TRINITY : M. M. NINAN<br />
7<br />
NEW TESTAMENT DEFINES TRINITY<br />
Even though the word Trinity do not explicitly occur in the New<br />
Testament, there is direct and explicit statement <strong>of</strong> the Trinitarian<br />
concept in the New Testament. Until the resurrection even the<br />
disciples were aware <strong>of</strong> Jesus as the Christ, the anointed one.<br />
Thus we have Peter’s Confessions:<br />
Mt 16.16: "You are the Christ, the Son <strong>of</strong> the living God."<br />
John 6.68: "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words <strong>of</strong><br />
eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One <strong>of</strong><br />
God<br />
Nathaniel also understood as such:<br />
John 1.49: Then Nathanael declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son <strong>of</strong><br />
God; you are the King <strong>of</strong> Israel."<br />
But the resurrection gave the Apostles the understanding that<br />
Jesus was more than Christ. He was indeed God. The first<br />
direct confession <strong>of</strong> this faith is found in the confession <strong>of</strong><br />
Thomas, the Apostle to India.<br />
John 20.28: Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!"<br />
Here Jesus is called both 'Lord' and 'God'. Thomas was<br />
probably the first to realize and proclaim it unequivocally. The<br />
bodily resurrection <strong>of</strong> Jesus was indeed the final pro<strong>of</strong> <strong>of</strong> the<br />
divinity <strong>of</strong> Jesus<br />
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