Home | What they say about TRINITY

Encyclopaedia Britannica (15th edition, 1974, vol. 10, p. 126, Micropaedia)

"Neither the word Trinity nor the explicit doctrine appears in the New Testament, nor did Jesus and his followers intend to contradict the Shema of the Old Testament: Deut. 6:4: 'Hear, O Israel: Yahweh our [Elohim] is One. Or as translated in the Tanakh: Deut. 6:4: Hear, O Israel! The Lord [Yahweh] is our God, the Lord [Yahweh] alone.

The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia ,

"The term 'Trinity' is not a Biblical term, and we are not using Biblical language when we define what is expressed by it...In point of fact, the doctrine of the Trinity is purely a revealed doctrine. That is to say, it embodies a truth which has never been discovered, and is in-discoverable, by natural reason" (Trinity, vol. 5, p. 3012)

The Encyclopaedia Britannica,

"The doctrine developed gradually over several centuries and through many controversies...The Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D. stated the crucial formula for that doctrine in its confession that the 'Son is of the same substance...as the Father', even though it said very little about the Holy Spirit...By the end of the 4th century...the doctrine of the Trinity took substantially the form it has maintained ever since."

The New Catholic Encyclopedia, 1967, vol. 14, p. 299,

"The formulation 'one God in three Persons' was not solidly established, certainly not fully assimilated into Christian life and its profession of faith, prior to the end of the 4th century...Among the Apostolic Fathers, there had been nothing even remotely approaching such a mentality of perspective."

The Noveau Dictionary Universal - Edited by M. Lachatre, (1856-1870), VOL. 2, PAGE 1467:
"The Platonic trinity, itself merely a rearrangement of the older trinities dating back to earlier peoples, appears to be the rational philosophic trinity of attributes that gave birth to the three hypostases or divine persons taught by Christian churches… This Greek philosopher's (Plato) conception of the divine trinity… can be found in all the ancient (Pagan) religions."

Dictionary of the Bible - by John L. McKenzie S.J., (1965), PAGE 899:

"The Trinity of persons within the unity of nature is defined in terms of persons and nature which are GREEK PHILOSOPHICAL TERMS; ACTUALLY THE TERMS DO NOT APPEAR IN THE BIBLE. The Trinitarian definitions arose as the result of long controversies in which these terms and other such as essence and substance were erroneously applied to God by some theologians."

The Dictionary of the Bible - Edited by James Hastings (1963), PAGE 1015:
TRINITY, THE: The Christian doctrine of God (q.v.) as existing in three Persons and one Substance IS NOT DEMONSTRABLE BY LOGIC OF BY SCRIPTURAL PROOFS,… The term Trias was FIRST USED BY THEOPHILUS OF ANTIOCH (c. A.D. 180),… NOT FOUND IN SCRIPTURE… The chief Trinitarian text in the New Testament is the baptismal formula in Mt. 28:19. Note: (No on was baptized in this spirit, every one in the bible was rather baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Trinitarians do not know the name of the one spirit (God). Mt. 28:19 says baptize in the NAME OF.

The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia,
"The term 'Trinity' is NOT A BIBLICAL TERM, and we are not using Biblical language when we define what is expressed by it as the doctrine " (article "Trinity," p.3012).

The Encyclopedia Americana - 1956, VOL. XXVII, PAGE 294L:
"Christianity derived from Judaism and Judaism was (and still is) strictly Unitarian (Oneness - believing that God is only one). The road which led from Jerusalem to Nicea was scarcely a straight one. Forth century Trinitarianism did not reflect accurately early (Originally Apostolic) Christian teaching regarding the nature of God; it was on the contrary, and deviation from this teaching."

The New Catholic Encyclopedia - 1967, VOL. XIV, PAGE 299:
"The formulation "one God in three Persons" was not solidly established, certainly not fully assimilated into Christian life and its profession of faith, PRIOR TO THE END OF THE 4TH CENTURY. But it is precisely this formulation that first claimed to title "The Trinitarian Dogma. AMONG THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS, THERE HAD BEEN NOTHING EVEN REMOTELY APPROACHING SUCH A MENTALITY OR PERSPECTIVE."

The Noveau Dictionary Universal - Edited by M. Lachatre, (1856-1870), VOL. 2, PAGE 1467:
"The Platonic trinity, itself merely a rearrangement of the older trinities dating back to earlier peoples, appears to be the rational philosophic trinity of attributes that gave birth to the three hypostases or divine persons taught by Christian churches… This Greek philosopher's (Plato) conception of the divine trinity… can be found in all the ancient (Pagan) religions."

Dictionary of the Bible - by John L. McKenzie S.J., (1965), PAGE 899:
"The Trinity of persons within the unity of nature is defined in terms of persons and nature which are GREEK PHILOSOPHICAL TERMS; ACTUALLY THE TERMS DO NOT APPEAR IN THE BIBLE. The Trinitarian definitions arose as the result of long controversies in which these terms and other such as essence and substance were erroneously applied to God by some theologians."

The Dictionary of the Bible - Edited by James Hastings (1963), PAGE 1015:
"TRINITY, THE: The Christian doctrine of God (q.v.) as existing in three Persons and one Substance IS NOT DEMONSTRABLE BY LOGIC OF BY SCRIPTURAL PROOFS,… The term Trias was FIRST USED BY THEOPHILUS OF ANTIOCH (c. A.D. 180),… NOT FOUND IN SCRIPTURE… The chief Trinitarian text in the New Testament is the baptismal formula in Mt. 28:19. Note: (No on was baptized in this spirit, every one in the bible was rather baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Trinitarians do not know the name of the one spirit (God). Mt. 28:19 says baptize in the NAME OF."

The Trinity, Catholic theologian Karl Rahner
confesses that theologians in the past have been ". . . embarrassed by the simple fact that IN REALITY the Scriptures DO NOT EXPLICITLY PRESENT a doctrine of the 'imminent' TRINITY "

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