Dave

Mark, when does your exam finish? Up for a coffee at 1pm?

Mark, you said,

“in my opinion is reflective of his person as the second member”

This might seem petty, but I think this reflects pure tradition that simply serves to undermine your view of the Trinity. The members ar enot numbers in the Bible! This is not ‘Get Smart’ with agent # one and agent # two! By numbering the members of the Godhead you continue to view it as hierarchy that is not there!

You also said,

“Combine this with the fact that the Father is not begotten, but the Son is (Jn 1:18, 3:16, 1 Jn 3:9) and the Spirit proceeds from the Father and Son (Jn 14:26, 16:7) aswell as the great eschatological passage of 1 Cor 15:20-28, and we begin to see the unity of the one God, expressed in the distinct subsistence of being.”

Now, it is so easy to see when someone goes silly with the concordance when they put a verse like 1 John 3:9 as a reference to the Son being begotton…because this is not what the verse is about at all!

Your reference to 1 Cor 15:20-28 is interesting as it actually show the seperateness of the members (God the Father verse 24 has the kingdom delivered to Him from CHrist) AND the unity (For God – the Trinity, has put all things under His feet v.27).

Mark it seems to me that your view of the Trinity only allows you to see the members seperate in certain situations and then as one in certain other situations. The truth is that they are one in all situations and three in all situations. You said yourself God is unchanging. If so you then need to apply this to His unity and His threeness!

I am glad you can keep my view on Calvin secret! I am off to church!