Trinity DebateTrinity debateAineo wrote:No one is denying there is only one God. However, what you non-Trinitarians seem to want to avoid is the fact Scripture ascribes personal characteristics to the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost that show they are individual "persons" with the ability to make decisions independent of the other "persons".
But there is no difference between your concept of one God and any logical concept of MORE than one God. Multiple Gods would be "individual persons with the ability to make decisions independent of the other persons" - in fact, that would be what MAKES "gods" more than one God. [/quote]
So far all you have done is “wrangle” over words used to communicate concepts.
Everytime you are caught in a falsehood you call it "wrangling over words".
The United States is one nation composed of 50 States; each state is sovereign and can make laws independent of the one nation. Each of the States has many counties composed of many communities all of which have the ability to pass ordinances independent of the State Government. A corporation is one entity that can have many independent companies each with the ability to have different policies.
Your analogy is not only inapplicable, but you have it wrong even from a Trinitarian standpoint - I've never heard a Trinitarian claim that the persons (of the Trinity) were INDEPENDENT of one another. But back to your analogy - if you believe God is only "one" to the same extent that many states can be one nation or many persons can form one company or corporation, then you are certainly a polytheist in reality. Take the hypothetical gods of the Greeks - what would make them gods (plural)? Well, they're different (divine) persons - whoops! It only takes one eternal, omnipotent person to constitute a God.
“ Echad” is translated other than “one”. It can also be translated “first”, “other”, and etc. In fact your Bible of choice translates “echad” as: a, alike, alone, altogether, and, any (-thing), apiece, a certain, [daily-], each (one), + eleven, every, few, first, + highway, a man, once, one, only, other, some, and together. In the NAS “echad” is translated: H259 151,450*(1), 41,500*(2), 61*(1), 61,000*(1), 621*(2), 721*(1), alike(1), all at once(1), alone(2), altogether(1), another(23), another into one(1), any(15), any one(2), any*(1), anyone*(1), apiece(1), certain(11), certain man(1), each(48), each one(4), each other(1), each*(4), eleven*(9), eleventh*(4), every(1), everyone(1), few(3), first(38), forty-first*(1), forty-one*(4), numbered(1), once(14), once*(4), one(586), one and on another(1), one and the other(2), one at the other(1), one can him who(1), one the other(1), one to another(1), one will to another(1), one another(4), one thing(2), one thing to another(1), one-tenth(1), one-tenth for each(1), only(2), other(27), other was one(1), outermost*(1), same(25), same one(1), single(15), some(2), thirty-first*(1), thirty-one*(3), together(3), twenty-first*(4), twenty-one*(4), uniformly*(2), unique(4), unison(1), unit(4), united(1), whom(1), 450* 1, 450* 1, 500* 2, 61* 1, 61* 1, 000* 1, 621* 2, 721* 1, alike 1, all at once 1, alone 2, altogether 1, another 23, another into one 1, any 15, any one 2, any* 1, anyone* 1, apiece 1, certain 11, certain man 1, each 48, each one 4, each other 1, each* 4, eleven* 9, eleventh* 4, every 1, everyone 1, few 3, first 38, forty-first* 1, forty-one* 4, numbered 1, once 14, once* 4, one 586, one and on another 1, one and the other 2, one at the other 1, one can him who 1, one the other 1, one to another 1, one will to another 1, one another 4, one thing 2, one thing to another 1, one-tenth 1, one-tenth for each 1, only 2, other 27, other was one 1, outermost* 1, same 25, same one 1, single 15, some 2, thirty-first* 1, thirty-one* 3, together 3, twenty-first* 4, twenty-one* 4, uniformly* 2, unique 4, unison 1, unit 4, united 1, whom 1
http://bible.crosswalk.com/Lexicons/Heb ... s&type=str
Your analysis of Hebrew words is superficial and proves nothing.
Your answer here avoids the point - which was not whether echad is always translated as "one", but whether echad, WHEN translated "one" indicates a "numerical one" or a "compound one". Webmaster's post claims it indicates a compound one, he/she did not say it ever indicates an absolute, or numerical one. The poster is therefore misinformed his/herself or deliberately misinforming others - which is it? He/she stated that if God were an absolute, or solitary "one", the scripture would use the word "yachid". Evangelion showed that yachid has a negative connotation which is why it is not used of the Deity, and I have shown examples where echad IS used to indicate a solitary, lone, absolutely numerical "one" (as opposed to a "compound one") and I can show you over 800 more examples if you will look up the word "one" in Strong's when echad is used.
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