The doctrine of the trinity

[Arlene]

I have three questions. 1) What are the major differences between God the Father who is Spirit and God the Holy Spirit?
2) What will happen when the universe runs out of energy? 3) Does the energy in the universe balance the mass in the universe?

Thanks,
Arlene

[Michael]

Hi Arlene,

1) The major differences between God the Father and the Holy Spirit are their names and their roles. The Father has the role of authority among the three members of the Godhead. He has charge of the plans for all people and it is His will that we follow. The Holy Spirit has taken the role of the helper or teacher. When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit then immediately begins to indwell us. He convicts, corrects, guides and empowers us to do all the will of the Father. With that said. All members of the Trinity are equal in power. They are all omnipresent (everywhere present at once), omnipotent (all powerful), and omniscient (all knowing). So just because they have determined among themselves to take on specific roles they are all capable of what the others are capable of.

All members of the Godhead are incorporeal, meaning that they have no body, nor do they need one. They cannot be bound by time, space or matter. They are beyond our dimensions, but can fully interact within them at their choosing, including taking the form of a man. (The most obvious example is Jesus, when He came as a child by Mary.) You can also find examples of this in the Old Testament when you see the title of “The Angel of the Lord” with capital letters rather than lowercase. This is normally a reference to Jesus. It is also known as a Christophany. A Christophany is Christ showing Himself to men, in the form of a man, before his incarnation. In John 4:24 (NKJV) Jesus said, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

For more information on this topic you can listen to Pastor Scott Thom’s study on the Trinity and there are more studies in that area about the Holy Spirit as well.

http://www.crossfellowship.org/audio_messages/media-item/522/trinity

2) The Bible does not speak about the universe running out of energy. It does, however, talk about what God is going to do when He is done with this universe.

2 Peter 3:10-13 (NKJV), 10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

There were three types or three levels of heaven used in the Bible. The first level of heaven is what we call the sky or the atmosphere above the earth. The second level of heaven would be space and the rest of the universe. The third level of heaven is what we call Heaven today. That is, where God resides, outside of all physical dimensions. The first two levels are physical and finite, but the third is eternal and cannot be destroyed.

Revelation 21:1-2 (NKJV), Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. 2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

We do not reside with God in Heaven forever, we are eventually to return, which is what the text is speaking of if you continue in Revelation 21 and 22. So here He makes a new one and and it comes from Heaven or it comes from God.

Here is a link to another helpful audio file for you. Pastor Scott Thom’s Study on 2 Peter 10-18.

http://www.crossfellowship.org/filerequest/2356.mp3

3) I’m sorry, the third question I do not have an answer for. I do not know the context and I may just be ignorant of the knowledge for the answer. What audio file were you listening to that caused this question to arise?

Hope that mostly helps

• This reply was modified 8 years ago by Michael.

[Arlene]

Thanks for being thorough in your response. My third question comes from somewhere in the 1st module. It’s an extra credit “RightNow Media” video w/ Stephen C. Meyer. He talked about the expansion of the universe and something Stephen Hawking said about “zero point???”. I cant honestly remember the theory Hawking came up with. Its what happens if the expansion of the universe went back in time, like a balloon.

This is hard to explain nonverbally, and as I keep trying to write it out, I seem to be getting no where. So, it might be easier to take baby steps. Maybe you don’t no what I’m asking because I have a complete misunderstanding about mass, gravity, and energy.

If there is a “zero point” and no mass, is there a “set amount” of mass in the universe? Does this support that God had to speak the universe into existence?

[Arlene]

…like a balloon that is deflating.

[Scott]

Arlene,

zero point is a term in cosmology that references no usable energy. The universe being a closed system will eventually run out of energy. This is why we believe it must have a beginning because there is no eternal power source for the universe. It could not be powered for eternity therefore must have had a start.
There must have been a zero point to start from and there will be a zero point at it’s end if God does not intervene.
At the beginning there would have been no mass and no energy. At the end there can be mass but no energy to run it. Meaning the universe would go dark and cold and planets would stop moving.
yes there is a set amount of mass and energy in the universe. Any new starts or planets form from already existing elements and energy.
At the initial zero point we believe God created because things do not create themselves or appear without a cause. The only reasonable explanation is an intelligent, all powerful, all knowing, being started something a zero point.
I hope this helps
Pastor Scott

[Arlene]

IT HELPS. THANKS. I PLAN ON TALKING ABOUT THE ARGUMENT FROM CONTENGENCY AND THE BIG BANG THEORY THIS WEEKEND AS A GIFT TO MY FAMILY DURING MY CHRISTMAS PARTY THIS WEEKEND. I WAS THINKING THAT IF WE REWIND THE UNIVERSE TO A ZERO POINT AND HAD A SMALL AMOUNT OF MASS, HOW DID WE GET SO MUCH MASS IN OUR UNIVERSE. IT SOUNDED LIKE SOMETHING COULD COME FROM NOTHING AND NEEDED UNDERSTANDING.

I ASK THAT ALL THE CCF STUDENTS AND STAFF HAVE A JOYFUL TIME AND LAUGH A LOT AND HARD. I ALSO ASK THAT DURING THOSE GOOD LAUGHS YOU ALL WOULD THANK GOD IN THAT VERY MOMENT AND CATCH A GLIPMSE OF HEAVEN. AND DONT FORGET TO INVITE JESUS IN. HE LOVES TO DWELL W/ HIS PEOPLE. IN JESUS NAME, AMEN AND MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

[Michael]

Thank you Arlene,

Merry Christmas to you as well.

[Author]

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