What do you think of these statements?

"We need to realize that the Holy Spirit, who is as much a person as God is a person, is walking through these grounds." Manuscript 66, 1899; Ev.616.

"The Holy Spirit is a person, for He beareth witness with our spirits that we are the children of God." Ibid, 616.

"The Holy Spirit has a personality... He must also be a divine person, else He could not search out the secrets which lie hidden in the mind of God." Ibid, 617.

"There are three living persons of the heavenly trio; in the name of these three great powers--the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit--those who receive Christ by living faith are baptized and these powers will co-operate with the obedient subjects of heaven in their efforts to live the new life in Christ." Ibid, 615.

"The nature of the Holy Spirit is a mystery. Men cannot explain it, because the Lord has not revealed it to them. Men having fanciful views may bring together passages of Scripture and put a human construction on them, but the acceptance of these views will not strengthen the church. Regading such mysteries, which are too deep for human understanding, silence is golden." A.A.52.

AB, if you look at the material I've posted above, I say very little about the Holy Spirit, and instead, I point on the one hand to the individuality of the members of the deity, and on the other hand to their unfathomable fellowship as illustrated in John 17. The reason for my silence on the Holy Spirit is that He is a mystery to us. But I agree too that He is a person, and He has a distince role in our salvation.

Over the years I've encountered those who have concluded that the Holy Spirit is not a separate person with the result that they have become their own interpreter of the scriptures. They are ruderless and their view of the deity has lead them to conclude that the vicarious death of Christ for us is in fact a relic of paganism. It may be stretching it a bit to make such a direct connection, but in some of these cases the evidence points to a direct connection between their view of the deity and their view of the atonement.

But back to the topic. A few minutes ago I did a search on the White Estate search engine on the word 'Trinity' and although there were two hits, even these two were supplied by the editors. Sister White, in all of her published and unpublished works never used the word herself.

Now, trinity is a very ancient and well known word, so although we can't build a full case on the fact that Sister White intentionally avoided the word, it should give us some insight to her position on the trinity doctrine.

There are in the lessons of Christ subjects in abundance that you can speak upon, and mysteries which neither you nor your hearers can understand or explain might better be left alone. Give the Lord Jesus Christ Himself room to teach; let Him by the influence of His Spirit open to the understanding the wonderful plan of salvation.--MS 111, 1894

Paul and AB, are you saying the same thing - ie, that I should not discuss this further? Haven't I shown you both that I am careful to leave the things that God has not revealed to us untouched? But the things He has revealed are the very topics that He wants us to consider.

Here is a commentary from Sister White on John 17: "That they may be one even as we are one."

"Wonderful statement! The unity that exists between Christ and His disciples does not destroy the personality of either. They are one in purpose, in mind, in character, BUT NOT IN PERSON. It is THUS that God and Christ are one." Testimonies, vol.8, p.269. (emphasis mine)

So it is THUS that God and Christ and the Holy Ghost are one! One in purpose, in mind, in character, but not in person!

Mark: you say Sister White never used the word trinity! Trio or trinity is the same to me! "There are three living persons of the heavenly trio." Ev.615.

[ March 16, 2002: Message edited by: adventbeliever ]

I think they are simply saying that there isn't any sense in posting about the part of this and other aspects that God has chosen not to reveal to us.

God has revealed to us in His Word about the three individually distinct persons and roles of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. There is nothing mysterious about that anymore than the mystery of the make-up of a family of three; husband, wife, and child, three individually distinct persons and roles or functions.

So, unless the topic dies a natural death, let the topic continue.

Do we sometimes get the feeling that the Father is superior to the Son and the Spirit? I suspect that at least subconsciously most of us view the Father as being above or somehow out ranking the Son and the Spirit. As I see it, Their roles do not mean that One is above the Other. They are co-equal. Isa 9:6 makes it clear that the Father and the Son both share the title and role of Father. So, in reality Their roles are interchangeable and not isolated between Them. They are One in purpose in every sense of the word.

The Authority structure in the GodHead. Three equals pledging to do whatever is needed to save whosoever will .

Phillipians 2:
5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Jesus puts Himself in a subordinate position, this facilitates His work on Earth. Jesus Christ does not represent Himself as being authorized to do things of Himself on Earth. He rests, operates, acts upon & within the authority of His Father.)

John 8:28 "I do nothing of Myself" also John 5:19 "The Son can do nothing of himself" John 5:30 "I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me."

John 14:28 Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.

The Father is in an authority structure that voluntarily outranks Christ by mutual consent. The same spirit of cooperation expressed that husband & wife ought follow. The God Head members teach what They live by. They are modeling the human family after principles they themselves follow. Here are the Bible passages that begin to reveal this voluntary giving, surrendering of authority to someone who is an intrinsic equal, especially for the sake of something they are both trying to achieve .

1 Corinthians 7:
4 The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.

Ephesians 5:
22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

*********************

1 Corinthians 11:3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God. (At Paul’s point in time - The Father is shown as the One voice Christ would turn to as the One He would subordinate to. )

Ephesians 1:
17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

Christ physically resurrected Himself by His personal Divine power, but only did so at the call given by the covering Cherub (Gabriel), sent as the official representative of His (our) Father.

In Gethsemene there was only one will Jesus sought to obey. Speaking of the father & to the Father in His thrice spoken prayer. “Thy will be done” not My will be done.

But indeed with the heart of a father being more proud and pleased with his child than even himself, God the Father exalts the name of Jesus Christ, even above His Own. Ephesians 1: 21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:

But when sin and sinners are no more and the Great Controversy is history in Heaven’s archives, Jesus subordinates even that placement to His Father.

1st Corinthians 15:
23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.
24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.
28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

[ March 21, 2002: Message edited by: Edward F Sutton ]

I agree Ed. I've been thinking about that last text you quoted, and again, it provides an insight into the marvelous fellowship and society of the Deity - a privilage that God invites us to experience with Him and with each other.

I do not believe that there is something inherently or innately superior about the Father that made Him more qualified than Jesus or the Spirit to serve in the capacity of Father. I suspect that long, long ago before They created the first free moral agent - perhaps Lucifer - that They sat down and drew straws to see Who would serve as Father, and Who would serve as Son, and Who would serve as Spirit.