DIFFERENT MEANINGS OF THE WORD GOD AND ITS SYNONYMS WHEN THEY ARE NOT USED IN LOWER MEANINGS BY ATHANASIAN AND TRINITARIAN SECTS OF CHRISTIANITY. ABSTRACT Different meanings of the Words like God ,Theos etc. are found in Athanasian and Trinitarian Systems. In this article it is tried ti study them and to provide prrofs of them. APOLOGY This article may disappoint two types of people. 1] Those who belong to Unitarian Sects of Christianity and want to see refutation of the Dogma Of Trinity.2] Similarly those who belong to Trinitarian Sect Of Christiandom and want to see support of the Dogma of Trinity. This is neither. It only discusses the number of meanings of the term God and its Synonyms which are the system of Trinitarians and Athanasians. INTRODUCTION In Jewish Bible and its translation The words Deity, God,Elohem,Theos and any other synonym of them in any language of the world are used in two types of meanings. 1] Real or Primary or Literal meaning. 2] Virtual or Secondary or Interpreted meaning. In the first type the word God [G-d] and Its synonyms in different languages is used for Uncreated Supreme Being. In the second type the word is used for lower created being. In this type it is clear that the words like God etc. are not used in itsreal meaning. That is why no one accuse Judaism and Its Holy Book Tanach with Henotheism. Judaism and Holy Tanach preach Monotheism. The use of the these words for lower beings cannot be used to shew Henotheism in Judaism or Henotheistic Tendencies in Judaism. The word God or its synonyms stated above when use in secondary type meaning have a veriety of meanings like "Powerful Being", "Superior Being" , Authorative Being and so on. But in Athanasian and Trinitarian sects the word God and its Synonyms are used in several meanings even if they are claimed to be in the first type. In this article it is tried to study the diffrerent meanings of the word God and Its Synonyms even if they are used in the first type.
The entire discussion is reduced as follow:= Other symmatic religions and Unitarian Chriastian sects believe in just one meaning in the real type and that is of "Supreme Being". But Trinitarian and Athanasian Christianities believe in more than one meanings even in the first types. In this article it is tried to prove the plurality of meanings in the former type in Trinitarian and Athanasian Sects. TRINITY Before attempting to prove this fact it is required to provide a concise and precise concept of Dogma Of Trinity. With out it the discussion cannot be understood. Once it was believed that the Dogma of Trinity is a Mystery but Catholic theologians did a great job to define and explain this dogma apart from Orthodox theologians and now it is no longer a Mystery.However it still requires some time to understand and one has to study the dogma due to the complex nature of it. EXPLANATION OF DOGMA OF TRINITY OF GOD According to the Dogma of Trinity there is Only One Supreme Being, and Only One Per Se Subsistent Essence / Ousia in the Supreme Being. But there are three mutually distinct and incommunicable PerSe Subsisntent Hyppostasis in the Essence /Ousian in the Supreme Being. The Per Se Subsistent Essence /Ousia in the Supreme Being is Communcable to each of the stated above Incommunicable Per Se Subsistent Rational Hypostasis. The Per Se Subsistent Essence / Ousia in the Supreme Being is identical to the Beingness [Existence] implies that It Is the very Beingness of the Supreme Being. One of the Per Se Subsistent Rational Hypostasis is Unissued is named as Father, or First Hypostasis. An other one is issued from the unissued one and is called as Word [Logos] or Son or the Second Hypostasis. This Hypostasis is issued by the Issuance or Procession Called Generation. The Last one is also Issued or proceeded from the unissued one. The last one is some what controversal in regard to its issuance. According to Greek Orthodox it is issued from the First Hypostasis but its issuance is secondary to the first Issued Hypostasis. This issuance is generally called Aspiration or Spiratio. As the both
issuence or processsions are of different types this is the reason that the Hypostasis issued by the Issuence of Generation is the second the the hypostasis issued by the issuence of Spiratio. That is it is not Begotten/Generated but Breathes the Hypostasis. This Per Se Subsistent Hypostais is neither begotten /generated not made but breathed. Greek Orthodox generally regard the Second Hypostasis as the Per Se Subsistent Power of the First Per Se Subsistent Hypostasis and the Third Hypostasis as the Per Se Subsistent Sanctity of the First Hypostasis. They did not considered Power and Sanctity as Attributes but as Hypostases. Any how both Roman Catholics and Greek Orthodox both believethat the last two Per Se Subsistent Hypostases they are issued from the first in one way or the other.
[According to Roman Catholics it is issued from both of the first two and according to Greek Orthodox it is only issued from the unissued Hypostasis. Attempts are made to attract both of the two believes close to each other but their are equal attempts to repel them. It is noted that a Hypostasis is neither an Essence nor an Attribute. It is not an Essence since it is necessary for a Hypostasis to exist apart and the Essence/Ousia does not exist apart its Hypostases.It is not an Atribute since it is necessary for an Arrtibute not to be Per Se subsistent, and a Hypostasis is Per Se Subsistent.].(1) These Per Se Subsistent Hypostases are constituted by four relations. 1)Paternitas,2) Spiratio, 3) Filiatio, and 4) Processio The Issuance of the Second Per Se Subsistent Hypostasis is called Generation and the Issuance Third Per Se Subsistent Hypostasis is called Aspiration. Now we are in a Position to state the different meanings of the words like God and its Synonyms in Athanasian and Trinitarian Sects. The words like God, Deity etc. are used in the following meanings. 1] Supreme Being. These words are used in the meaning of Supreme Being with out any Implication to Trinity or Not Trinity. It it just the Supreme Being with perfect silence whether there are more than one Per Se Subsistent Hypostases in the Per Se Subsistent Essence/ Ousia of the Supreme Being or there is none or there is only one. 2] Per Se Subsistent Essence/ Ousia. These words are some time used for the Per Se Subsistent Essence/Ousia of the Supreme Being. with out any implication whether there are Some Per Se Subsistent Hypostases in It or Not.
Ousia and Essence are used as Synonyms in Trinitarian and Athanasian Theology. This Per Se Subsistent Ousia/ Essence is also called Nature with respects to acts. In other words and sentences one may say as follow: Both the words Essence or Ousia and Nature refer to one and the same thing. The words Essence and Ousia are used from attributic or static (or both) point(s) of view and the word Nature is used from active or dynamic (or both) point(s) of view . The Per Se Subsistent Essence/Ousia Of Supreme Being is also known as Godhead and Divinity. Some time the word Divinity is also used in the meaning of Godhood [State of Being God] as well. 3] A Per Se Subsistent Rational Hypostasis in the Per Se Subsistent Ousia/Essence Of Supreme Being. These words [like God etc.] are used in the meaning of " A Per Se Subsistent Rational Hypostasis in Per Se Subsistent Essence /Ousia Of Supreme Being. A Rational Per Se Subsistent Hypostasis is also called a Person. The word person has some stress on Rational Nature of the Hypostasis then the Per Se Subsistence Nature of the Hypostasis.
4] Union Of All Mutually Distinct and Incommunicable Hypostases and the Divine Per Se Subsistent Essence/ Ousia . This directly follow from the term Tri-Unity and its abbreviation Trinity. The Dogma of Union of Hypostases and the Essence/Ousia of Supreme Being. The terms Triune God and God the Trinity are also used for this meaning. In other words and sentences one can write as follow:These Terms like Triune God etc. are used for the Union of Per Se Subsistent Essence/Ouisa and the Per Se Subsistent Hypostases ( that is neither for any Hypostasis in the said Essence/Ouisa nor for the said Ousia but for their union). 5] A Common Noun for all the stated above meaning. In this meaning it is certain that the words are used in one of the four stated above meaning but it is uncertain which one is intended. These are the five basic meanings in which these words are used by Athanasian and Trinitarian Sects of Christianity. The Proof of different meanings of these words stated above.
1] The most famous Sentence of John is: And the Word [Logos] was God [Theos]. The word God in this sentence can be used in any one of the five meanings. 1] THE PROOF OF THE THIRD MEANING. If the first of stated above five meanings is taken the meaning becomes as follow: And the Word was Supreme Being This meaning cannot be taken by Athanasians and Trinitarians. If the second of the stated above meaning is taken the meaning of the verse becomes as follow: And the Word was Godhead. This meaning can also be not taken by them. If the forth meaning of the word is taken then the meaning of the meaning of the sentence of Yohonnon becomes as follow: "And the Word was God (the Trinity)" or "The Word was Triune God". Once again this meaning cannot be taken. If the forth meaning is taken then there is an uncertainity in the meaning and once again one reverts to the position that a quantifier is needed to definitize the meaning. This leaves only the third meaning the only choice. This meaning is as follow:= And The Word Was "A Per Se Subsistent Hypostasis in the Essence/Ousia of Supreme Being. So it is proved that this is one of the meanings in which Trinitarians and Athanasians use these words eg God, Elohem, Theos etc. 2] THE PROOF OF THE FIRST MEANING. Almost all the Trinitarians and Athanasians agree that the God of Christianity is the same God that is the God of Judaism. But Judaism disbelieves in the Dogma of Trinity and there is no room for any Per Se Subsistent Hypostasis in the Essence / Ousia of Supreme Being in Judaism. So in what meaning of the word God the God of two rival religions is common.
The only answer is that God is common in two religions in the first meaning. This completes the proof for the use of these words in the first meaning. 3] The proof of fifth meaning. Trinitarians argue that on one occasion Christ of Christianity said "I and My Father are One. Jews who were present at the moment understood him correctly. The explained his words as follow: He claimed to be God. Which was a Blasphemy in Judaism. Jesus did not deny their meaning. This is a Trinitarian and a Athanasian argument. But in what meaning the Jews understood the word God which they used. They could not use it in the forth or third or forth meanings. Since none of them ever drempt of these meaning in their wildest dreams if the drempt wild dreams. If they took the first meaning then the argument shall prove that Iesous was the Supreme Being and this is the meaning which was not condemn by Iesous. If so then Iesous confirms that He is the Supreme Being. A similar argument argument can be used to refute the meaning of Godhead. Otherwise an Athanasian or a Trinitarian or both have to accept that Iesous is Godhead " The Per Se Subsistent Essence/ Ousia". But he/she cannot accept this meaning of the word God in the sentence of Jews as Reported by Yohannon. This implies that they tool the fifth meaning as a word which can be used for any one of the stated above meanings. 4] Greek Orthodox sect believes in the Amorphism := True God From True God. Roman Catholics also second it. The following meanings are unacceptable for each one of them. 1] True Supreme Being From True Supreme Being. 2] True Godhead from True Godhead. 3] True Trinity from True Trinity.
4] True Supreme Being from True Trinity. etc. Similarly 5] True Godhead (True Pe Se Subsistent Essence) From True Per Se Subsistent
Hypostasis in It.
6] True Hypostasis in Per Se Subsistent Essence From True Per Se Subsistent Essence. ( Since No Hypostasis is believed to be issued from Per Se Subsistent Ousia). The following meaning is the only Possible meaning. True Hypostasis in Per Se Subsistent Essence/Ousia From True Hypostasis in Per Se Subsistent Essence. This is the perfect match with the dogma of Trinity. The word "From" indicates the issuance of the former mentioned Hypostasis in the Godhead from the latter mensioned Hypostasis in the Godhead. This is a Proof that the words like God,Theos etc. are used in the meaning of Per Se Subsistent Essence/Ousia in Supreme Being. It can be verified when one see the use of the terms like God the Father. God the Son etc. since the word God in these terms is used in the meaning of " An Hypostasis in the Godhead of God". So God the Father only means the Father the Hypostasis in the Pre Se Subsistent Essence/Ousia of the Supreme Being.. If one study The Creed of Nicea (325 A.D.) "We believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of all things, visible and invisible; And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, begotten from the Father, only-begotten, that is, from the essence of the Father, God from God, light from light, true God from true God, begotten not made, of one essence with the Father, through Whom all things came into being, things in heaven and things on earth, ...." This can only mean as follow:= "We believe in one Unissued Hypostasis in The Ousia/Essence Of Supreme Being, namely the Father almighty, maker of all things, visible and invisible; And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, begotten from the Father, Eternally Issued, that is, from the essence of the Father, Hypostasis in the Ousia/Essence of Supreme Being from Hypostasis in the Ousia/Essence of Supreme Being light from light, true Hypostasis in the Ousia/Essence of Supreme Being
from true Hypostasis in the Ousia/Essence of Supreme Being , begotten [Eternally Issued ( Generation)] not made, of one Essence/Ousia with the Unissued Hypostasis in the Divine Essence/Ousia, through Whom all things came into being, things in heaven and things on earth, ...."
Proofs Of Some Meanings: 5] The most famous sentence of Athanasian Creed and Trinitarian Secs is as follow:= "Father is God , Son is God , Holy Ghost/Spirit is God ,Yet God is One...." Obviously it does not mean:= 1] Father is Supreme Being, Son is Supreme Being and Holy Ghost/Spirit is Supreme Being Yet Supreme Being is One. 2] Father is Godhead, Son is Godhead and Holy Ghost/Spirit is Godhead Yet Godhead is One. 3] Father is "a Hypostasis in the Essence/Ousia of Supreme Being" , Son is "a Hypostasis in the Essence/Ousia of Supreme Being" , Holy Ghost is "a Hypostasis in the Essence/Ousia of Supreme Being" but "a Hypostasis in the Essence/Ousia of Supreme Being" is One. ( 2) 4] Father is Trinity , Son is Trinity and Holy Ghost is Trinity, Yet Trinity is One. There are several possible meanings which are left behind since they are not acceptable by Athanasians and Trinitarians . Only one of them is given below , others are left as an excercise for those who want to see some other meanings. Father is Godhead, Son is an Hypostasis in Godhead and Holy Ghost is Triune God Yet Supreme Being is One. etc. The only meaning of the word God in this famaous Amorphism of Trinity is as follow. 1] Father is " a Per Se Subsistent Hypostasis in Godhead" , Son is a" a Per Se Subsistent Hypostasis in Godhead" , Holy Ghost/Spirit is " a Per Se Subsistent Hypostasis in Godhead" Yet Supreme Being is One. 2] An other one which conveys the same meaning is as follow: Father is a Per Se Subsistent Hypostasis in Per Se Sibsistent Essence Of Supreme Being" ,Son is a " a Per Se Subsistent Hypostasis in Per Se Sibsistent Essence Of Supreme Being" , Holy Ghost/Spirit is " a Per Se Subsistent Hypostasis in Per Se Sibsistent Essence Of Supreme Being" ;Yet Supreme
Being is One. This is a perfect match with the Dagma of Trinity. This is a Proof that the word like God ,Theos etc. are used in different meanings when they are used in the first type of meaning i,e Prime Meaning. 6] In Yohonnon 5:18 Iesous is once against declared by his audiances that: He is a Man who claimed to be God. Athanasians and Trinitarians arge drom the understanding sensibility of Jewish audiance . They argue that his audiance got the correct impact of the sentence spoken by Iesous that he claims to be God. But the question is in what meaning of the word. Did his audiance got the impact that Iesous claimed to be the Supreme Being? Since a common Jewish person only know the Word God [Theos] in the meaning of Supreme Being of Judaism. If this meaning is accepted then This means what his Jewish audiance understood : Iesous claimed to be Supreme Being. A Jewish Theologian if present in the audiances may also consider that Iesous claimed to be the Godhead Of God. If this Trinitarian argment is correct, which is based on the sensibility of the Jewish Audiances at the time of Iesous, then one is force to conclude that they used the word God with out any implication to the Hypostases or Godhead or the Supreme Being etc. This is the fifth meaning. Otherwise it is concluded that Iesous claimed to be Supreme Being and this meaning was understood by his Jewish audiances who were present at the time. This implies that Iesous is just a Noun for Supreme Being just as IHVH is a Noun For Supreme Being. This is very close to Sabellius Trinity: Sabellius (fl. c. 217–c. 220), taught that the Godhead is a God in the meaning of Supreme Being, and this Supreme Being with respect to different acts is called with different nouns or epithts. Father with respect to the act of creation; as Son or Word, in regard to the act of redemption; and as Holy Spirit, as according to the act of sanctification. But if this is not the case then this is the proof that Trintarians ascribes the fifth meaning to the Audiance and hence accept it.
That completes the proof. 7] There is an interesting question which can be asked to any Trinitarian or Athanasian Sect whether it be Greek Orthodox or Roman Catholics or even Protestants. Is Godhead God?. A question is neither an argument nor a proof but an answer may be either one of them . There are three logically possible answers to this question. The answer is either in affirmation or in negation or neither. If the answer is affirmative then the answer is as follow:= Godhead is God. If the answer is nagative then the answer is as follow:= Godhead is not God. If the answer is neither affirmative not negative then it is as follow:= Godhead is neither God nor Not God. But last two answers are not according to the Dogma of Trinity. A Per Se Subsistent Hypostasis in Per Se Subsistent Ousia/ Essence Of Supreme Being is predicated by the word God just because it is in the Per Se Subsistent Essence/ Ousia In the Supreme Being. So If this Per Se Subsistent Essence/ Ousia [ Godhead] cannot be termed as God or the word God cannot be Predicated to It then No Per Se Subsistent Hypostasis can be Termed or Predicated or both by the Terms God and Its synonyms. But if this Godhead of God is God then this means that the Term Godhead is itself a meaning of God. So one may take Godhead and Its synonyms as one of the several possible meanings of the Word God and Its Synonyms.. That is a proof that Godhead is God and one of the meaning of God is Godhead. 8] Once again consider the famous sentence reported in the Non Synoptic Gospel:= I and My Father are One. Now the question is Who is Father. If Father is the Triune God or Godhead or Supreme Being then it is strictly against Athanasian Trinity So the only Possible meaning is that Father is a Hypostase.
As Father is believed to be God then Father is God in the meaning of a Hypostasis in the Per Se Subsistent Essence/ Ousia of Supreme Being and not the Supreme Being. Similarly Father is not The Per Se Sibsistent Essence/Ousia. It must be noted that all these Hypostases are believed to be in One Essence/Ousia and One in Essence that is they share a common Essence/Ousia hence are Homoousia. 9] There are some sentences ascribed to Iesous in Yohonnon where the traditions of Non Synoptic Gospel report that Iesous said "I am " Several times. As the word "I am " Is a Synonym of God religious termonogy [ not as a literal synonym] it is used for one of the three mutually distinct Per Se Subsistent Hypostases in the Divine Essence /Ousia . So Iam is used in the meaning of the one of the Hypostases in the Ousia. But the tradition in Hebraic Bible God is reported to say " I Am That I Am". But this God in Hebraic Bible and LXX [eg see Ex:3:14] is the Supreme Being. So the compound term "I Am" is used in two diferent meqnings. 1] Hypostasis in the Essence/Ousia Of the Supreme Being. 2] Supreme Being. As they " I Am" is a compound term for God , plurality of meanings of "I Am" is equally true for the term God and its synonyms. Some Trinitarians [ Not All] claim that the Hebraic Biblical " I Am " was the Hypostasis of Yohonnon. But this is incorrect. The "I Am " Of Hebrew Bible is the Supreme Being since if if the subject of the cmpound term was the Hypostasis then this means Bible was misunderstood by each and every person until it was realised by these Trinitarians that "I Am" is not for the Supreme Being. Judaism has always have consider it as Supreme Being and no thing else. Iesous did not criticise their meaning. So it is an other proof that there are different meanings meanings of the words like God, Theos , I am etc. Some Trinitarians believe that every external operation/act of God is due to the whole Trinity, and cannot be ascribed to any one of the three mutually Distinct Per Se Subsistent Hypostases . This act of Speaking as it is an external act and not an immanent act it is the act of the Triune God or God the Trinity. Conclusion: it is not the act of any one of the Hypostases even according to some Trinitarians. 10] A number of Trinitarians(Not All) use the plural forms of some nouns and pronouns as proof of Dogma Of Trinity.
These are the places where Jewish Bible use plural forms of Nouns and Pronouns for the Supreme Being or Supreme Person. The Noun Elohem is a plural form of Eloah meaning Gods , Deities. This is used for the God of Judaism. Silimarly Jewish Bible reports that God of Judaism whose Proper Noun IHVH used plural forms of proper nouns for himself. According to Judaism these are in virtual meanings and the type of virtual meaning is called Plural Of Majesty. But if the arguments of Trinitarian from the plural forms stated above are true then the Subject of them is Tri-Unity. The Subject of these words cannot be:= 1] Supreme Being. As the Supreme Being is Only One and no plural form of the words stated above can be used for the Supreme Being in the real meaning even if there are some Per Se Subsistent Hypostases in the Per Se Subsistent Essence/ Ousia in the Supreme Being. Plural form in real meaning implies plurality of subjects. Supreme Being is one and more then one supreme Being is against Trinity. 2] Godhead Godhead means Per Se Subsistence Essence /Ouisa of the Supreme Being. These words cannot be used for the stated above Per Se Subsistent Essence/ Ousia unless and otherwise there are a number of them. 3] These words cannot be used for Per Se Subsistent Hypostases excluding the Godhead. This implies that the Subject of these Hebraic Nouns and Pronouns is the Union Of Godhead and the Hypostases. This is Tri-Unity which is the Subject.In other words and sentences a plural for of a noun or a pronoun can be used in real meaning in Divine Case if its subjects are some Per Se Subsistents in the Union or united, and not for any one of the united Per Se Subsistents .
============================================================================== ============================================================================== = (1) Filioque [and the Son] which was added to the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed by the Church of Rome in the 11 AC. This was one of the major differences caused Great Schism in Trinitarians ,dividing them into two seperate and ditinct Trinitarian sects. This inclusion in the Creedal article regarding the Holy Spirit thus states that the Spirit "proceeds from the Father and the Son." Church of Greace rejects it since its inclusion in the Creed is a violation of the canons of the Third Ecumenical Council in 431, which forbade and anathematized (One Of the Great
Punishment) any additions to the Creed. As mensioned in the text of this article may be kept in mind that Attempts are made to attract both of the two believes close to each other but their are equal attempts to repel them.
2]The word "In " is used to represent the meaning of Indistinct or Commucaplity. Whether it is said Ousia/Essence is in Hypostases or it is said Hypostases are in Essence/Ousia, the meaning is the same and that is Divine Per Se Subsistent Ouisa/Essence is Communicabe to each one of the Per Se Subsistent Hypostasis, and is Indistinct from them.
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