Re: Hindu Bahai

Can someone give definitions for these please?

2. 'Divinity' of Jesus Christ

Shoghi Effendi's statement that in the Bahá'í Faith the
"Divinity of Jesus Christ' is "fearlessly asserted" should not be
taken to mean that the Bahá'í concept of Christ's divinity is the
same as the Christian concept of Christ's divinity which crystallized
into the doctrine of the Holy Trinity several Centuries after Christ.

In its simplest breakdown the Bahá'í Teachings state that
Christ is one in "attributes" with God, whereas the Christian
doctrine of the Holy Trinity asserts that Christ is one in
"substance" with God.

As you may know, the word "trinity" is not actually in the Bible.
The first known Christian use the word, trias, in describing the nature
of the Godhead, is found in the writings of Theophilus of Antioch about
A.D. 180. Even so, Theophilus spoke of the Trinity in a somewhat
different context than what is espoused by Christianity today. He
spoke of the Trinity as "God (the Father), His Word and His
Wisdom."

The Christian apologist Tertullian (c. 155-222) is the individual
usually credited for formulating the doctrine of the Trinity. You will
find in his writings the phrase "tres Personae, una Substantia"
(three persons, one substance) but even he was still speaking of the
three "persons" of the Trinity in somewhat abstract terms such as
God's "Word", God's "Reason" and God's "Power".

The current, generally accepted doctrine of the Trinity-that is, the
belief that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are three distinct
beings yet one in substance-didn't crystallize into "official"
Catholic dogma until about the forth Century A.D. with the writing of
the Nicene Creed. "We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of
heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one
Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God . . . Begotten not
made, consubstantial to the Father, by whom all things were made."
)The Catholic Encyclopedia, Nicene Creed)
"Consubstantial" - "Of the same substance, nature, or essence."

BAHÁ'Í INTERPRETATIONS OF THE TRINITY
The Sun, it's Rays and a Mirror:

" . . . there are, in the Gospels, clear expressions indicative
of Trinity; among them : 'The Father is in the Son and the Son is in
the Father.' As Christians did not understand the meaning of this
expression, their thoughts were scattered.
"The reality of this question is as follows: Divine Oneness is
proven and He revealeth Himself in the Holy Essences. The sun is one
sun but manifesteth itself in different mirrors. If thou lookest into
the mirror and seest the manifestation of the sun, thou wilt say, the
sun is in the mirror and this sun manifest in the mirror is the same
sun of the heavens; although two suns, yet in reality they are one. The
sun hath not descended from its high and lofty station, it hath not
taken up its abode in this mirror, but hath manifested itself therein.
"The Christ reality was like unto a pure mirror and the Sun of
Reality shone upon it from the Holy Horizon. Therefore, it became
evident that the sun is one with regard to reality but manifesting
itself in all mirrors." (Tablets of 'Abdu'l-Bahá v3, p. 513-514)


"The epitome of the discourse is that the Reality of Christ was
a clear mirror, and the Sun of Reality-that is to say, the Essence of
Oneness, with its infinite perfections and attributes-became visible
in the mirror. The meaning is not that the Sun, which is the Essence of
the Divinity, became divided and multiplied-for the Sun is one-but
it appeared in the mirror. This is why Christ said, "The Father is in
the Son," meaning that the Sun is visible and manifest in this
mirror.
"The Holy Spirit is the Bounty of God which becomes visible and
evident in the Reality of Christ. The Sonship station is the heart of
Christ, and the Holy Spirit is the station of the spirit of Christ.
Hence it has become certain and proved that the Essence of Divinity is
absolutely unique and has no equal, no likeness, no equivalent. This
is the signification of the Three Persons of the Trinity." (Some
Answered Questions, p. 114-115)

There is a more detailed exploration into the "Divinity" of Christ
at:
http://myweb.cableone.net/carlallen/TheGospelTruth/Holy_Trinity.html

Carl Brehmer


.

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