170.（3）这圣三一并非存在于创世之前，而是在创世之后，就是当神道成肉身，然后在主神救世主和救主耶稣基督里面之时，它才被提供和作成。由于这一点是一切理性所不能理解的，故它被称为一个秘密，这个秘密只能通过这样的信仰而变得容易理解：即这三者共享一个神性本质；这个神性本质是指永恒、无限、全能，因而是同等的神性、荣耀和威严。但下文将证明，这是三个神的三位一体，因而不是神性三位一体（简称圣三一）。然而，从上述内容明显可知，父、子、圣灵的圣三一因是一位神里面的三位一体，故是神性三位一体，在神道成肉身，因而创世之后才被提供和作成。
圣三一就在主神救世主和救主耶稣基督里面，这是因为，构成一个本质的一位神的三要素在祂里面。如保罗所说，神本性一切的丰盛都居住在祂里面。这一点从主自己的话也能清楚看出来，即：凡父所有的，都是祂的；圣灵不是凭自己，而是从祂说话；还有，当从死里复活时，祂从坟墓中取了祂整个人体，包括肉与骨（马太福音28:1－8；马可福音16:5，6；路加福音24:1，2，3；约翰福音20:11－15），这是任何人所办不到的事。对此，祂在说以下这番话时，就是在给门徒们一个活生生的证据：
你们看我的手，我的脚，实在是我自己。摸我看看！灵无骨无肉，你们看，我是有的。（路加福音24:39）
每个人若愿意，都能由此确信，主的人性就是神性；所以在祂里面，神为人，人为神。
170. (3)聖三一並非存在於創世之先, 而在創世之後, 當上帝成為肉身之時; 存在於主上帝救贖者和拯救者耶穌基督之中。
當今基督徒教會聲稱聖三一存在於創世之先:在時間(或萬世)之先, 耶和華生一子, 聖靈從父與子發出。三者各自是上帝, 因為各自是一位,自行存在。
因為這些在理性的認知範圍之上, 被稱為奧秘。唯一可認知之處在於這三者共用同一神性本質——就是永恆,無限,全能, 於是三者有平等的神性,榮耀和威嚴。
接下來會證明這其實就是三位上帝的三一(即三位一體), 因而非聖三一。另一方面, 從之前所述的內容可得知:聖三一——就是父,子,聖靈, 是在上帝降世取了人身, 也就是在創世之後才產生的。因為三一於一位上帝, 這才是真正的聖三一。聖三一存在於主上帝救贖者和拯救者耶穌基督之中。因為一位上帝的三個要素,成了一個本體, 就是祂。如保羅所說, 一切神性的豐富在祂之中。也可從主自己所說:凡父所有的,都是祂的; 聖靈不憑自己說什麼,而是從祂。還有, 當祂從死裡復活, 祂從墓中取了祂全部的身體, 包括肉與骨(馬太福音28:1-8;馬可福音16:5-6;路加福音24:1-3;約翰福音20:11-15)。祂這樣所做的事情, 沒有一人能做。為此, 祂向門徒做了活的見證:看我的手,我的腳, 這實在是我。摸我看看, 靈無肉無骨, 你們看, 我有(路加福音24:39)。
由此, 任何人可以確信——若他願意相信, 主的人身是神性的, 因而在祂:上帝是人,人是上帝。
170. 3. This Trinity did not exist before the world was created. It developed after the world was created, when God became flesh. It came into existence in the Lord God the Redeemer and Savior Jesus Christ. Nowadays the Christian church asserts that the divine Trinity came into existence before the world was created: Before time, Jehovah God bore a Son. Then the Holy Spirit went out from them both. Each of the three is a God all by himself, in that each is a single self-sufficient person.
Because this concept does not square with any type of reasoning, it is called a mystery. The only way to grasp the concept is to think that the three share one divine essence - an essential eternity, immensity, and omnipotence and therefore equal divinity, glory, and majesty.
I will show in the sections to come, however, that such a concept becomes a trinity of gods and is therefore not a divine Trinity. On the other hand, from everything I have already said it is evident that a trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit that developed after God became flesh, and therefore after the world was created, is a real divine trinity because it is a trinity in one God. This divine trinity exists in the Lord God the Redeemer and Savior Jesus Christ because the three essential components of the one God that go together to form one essence exist within him.
Paul's point that all the fullness of divinity dwells in Christ is clearly paralleled in the Lord's own statements that all things belonging to the Father are his and that the Holy Spirit speaks from him, not on its own. Furthermore, when the Lord rose from the tomb, he took along his entire human body, including its flesh and bones (Matthew 28:18; Mark 16:5-6; Luke 24:1-3; John 20:11-15). He did this in a way that no other human being does. He himself gave experiential proof of this to the disciples when he said,
See my hands and my feet - that it is I myself. Touch me and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have. (Luke 24:39)
This statement has the power to convince any open-minded person that the Lord's human manifestation is divine, and therefore that in him God is human and a human is God.
170. (iii) THIS TRINITY DID NOT EXIST BEFORE THE CREATION OF THE WORLD, BUT IT WAS PROVIDED AND MADE AFTER THE CREATION OF THE WORLD, WHEN GOD BECAME INCARNATE, AND THEN WAS IN THE LORD GOD, THE REDEEMER AND SAVIOUR, JESUS CHRIST.
The Christian church to-day recognises a Divine Trinity existing before the creation of the world, stating that Jehovah God fathered a Son from eternity, and the Holy Spirit issued from both of them; and each of the three is by Himself or singly God, because each is one person, who exists of Himself. Since this lies beyond the grasp of reason, it is called a mystery, which is only accessible by the belief that the three share a single Divine essence; by this is meant eternity, immensity, omnipotence and so equal Divinity, glory and majesty. But it will be proved in what follows that this is a trinity of three Gods, and thus no Divine Trinity. Yet it is obvious from everything said before that the Trinity, also of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, which was provided and made after God's incarnation, so after the creation of the world, is the Divine Trinity, because it consists of one God.
[2] The reason why this Divine Trinity is in the Lord God, the Redeemer and Saviour, Jesus Christ, is that the three essentials of one God, which compose a single essence, are in Him. All the fulness of the Godhead is in Him, as Paul says, and this is clear from the words of the Lord Himself, that all things of the Father's are His, and the Holy Spirit does not speak of Himself but from Him; moreover, when He rose from the dead, He took from the tomb His whole human body, flesh as well as bones (Matthew 28:1-8; Mark 16:5-6; Luke 24:1-3; John 20:11-15), a thing no other person can do. He gave the disciples a living proof of this when He said:
Look at my hands and my feet, as proof that it is I myself; touch me and look, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see me have, Luke 24:39.
This can convince anyone, who is willing to believe, that the Lord's Human is Divine, and thus in Him God is man and man God.
170. (3) Before the world was created this Trinity was not; but after creation, when God became incarnate, it was provided and brought about, and then in the Lord God the Redeemer and Savior Jesus Christ. In the Christian church at the present day a Divine trinity existing before the creation of the world is acknowledged; that is, that Jehovah God begat a Son from eternity, and that the Holy Spirit then went forth from both, and that each of these three is by Himself or singly God, because each is one person subsisting of Himself. But as this is incomprehensible to all reason it is called a mystery, which can be penetrated only in this way-that these three have one Divine essence, by which is meant eternity, immensity, omnipotence, and thus an equal Divinity, glory, and majesty. But that this trinity is a trinity of three Gods, and therefore in no sense a Divine trinity, will be shown in what follows: while from all that precedes it is evident that the trinity (which is also a trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) which was provided and brought about when God became incarnate, thus after the world was created, is a Divine trinity, because it is a trinity in one God. This divine trinity is in the Lord God the Redeemer and Savior Jesus Christ, because the three essentials of the one God, which constitute one essence, are in Him. That in Him (as Paul says) dwelleth all the fullness of Divinity is evident also from the words of the Lord Himself, that all things of the Father are His, and that the Holy Spirit speaks from Him, and not of itself; and finally, that when He arose He took from the sepulchre His whole human body, both the flesh and the bones (Matthew 28:1-8; Mark 16:5, 6; Luke 24:1-3; John 20:11-15), unlike any other man; of which He bore living witness to His disciples, saying:
Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself handle Me and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see Me have (Luke 24:39).
From this every man may be convinced, if he will, that the Lord's humanity is Divine; consequently, that in Him God is Man and Man is God.
170. (3) BEFORE THE CREATION OF THE WORLD THIS TRINITY DID NOT EXIST; BUT AFTER THE CREATION OF THE WORLD, WHEN GOD BECAME INCARNATE, IT WAS PROVIDED FOR AND CAME INTO EXISTENCE, AND WAS THEN IN THE LORD GOD, THE REDEEMER, AND SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST.
In the Christian world at the present day a Divine Trinity is acknowledged as existing before the creation of the world. It is based on the belief that Jehovah God from eternity begot a Son, and that the Holy Spirit then came forth from both, and that each of these three is God by Himself or separately, since each is a Person subsisting from Himself. This, however, as it is not in accordance with reason, is termed a mystery, an approach to which can only be made by supposing that to these three there pertains one Divine Essence, by which is meant eternity, immensity, omnipotence and, consequently, equal Divinity, Glory and Majesty. But this trinity is one of three gods, and thus is not a Divine Trinity, as will be shown in what follows. Moreover, the Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, which was provided for and came into existence after God became incarnate, and so after the creation of the world, is a Divine Trinity, because it is of one God, as is evident from all that precedes. This Divine Trinity is in the Lord God, the Redeemer and Savior, Jesus Christ, because the three essentials of one God, which constitute one essence, are in Him. That all the fullness of the Godhead is in Him, as Paul declares, is evident also from the Lord's own words, that all that the Father hath is His, and that the Holy Spirit speaks not from itself but from Him; and further that when He rose, He took from the sepulchre His whole human body, both the flesh and the bones,
Matthew 28:1-8; Mark 16:5-6; Luke 24:1-3; John 20:11-15,
unlike all other men. This also He testified openly to the disciples, saying,
"Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have" Luke 24:39.
From this every man may be convinced, if he is willing, that the Human of the Lord is Divine, and consequently that in Him God is Man and Man is God.
170. III. QUOD ANTE MUNDUM CREATUM NON FUERIT HAEC TRINITAS, SED QUOD POST MUNDUM CREATUM, QUANDO DEUS INCARNATUS EST, PROVISA ET FACTA SIT, ET TUNC IN DOMINO DEO REDEMPTORE ET SALVATORE JESU CHRISTO. In Ecclesia Christiana hodie agnoscitur Divina Trinitas ante Mundum creatum, quae est, quod Jehovah Deus ab aeterno genuerit Filium, et quod ex utroque tunc exiverit Spiritus Sanctus, et quod quisque ex Tribus illis per se aut singulatim sit Deus, quia quisque est una Persona subsistens ex se; sed hoc, quia non cadit in ullam rationem, vocatur mysterium, in quod solum intrari potest per hoc, quod Tribus illis una Divina Essentia sit, per quam intelligitur Aeternitas, Immensitas, Omnipotentia, et inde aequalis Divinitas, Gloria et Majestas; sed quod haec Trinitas sit trium Deorum, et sic non aliqua Trinitas Divina, in sequentibus demonstrabitur; at vero quod Trinitas, quae etiam est Patris, Filii et Spiritus Sancti, quae postquam Deus incarnatus est, ita post Mundum creatum, provisa et facta est, sit Divina Trinitas, quia est unius Dei, ex cunctis quae praecedunt, evidens est.
[2] Quod Divina haec Trinitas sit in Domino Deo Redemptore et Salvatore Jesu Christo, est quia tria Essentialia unius Dei, quae unam Essentiam faciunt, in Ipso sunt: quod in Ipso omnis plenitudo Divinitatis sit, secundum Paulum, constat etiam ex Ipsius Domini verbis, quod omnia Patris sint Ipsius, et quod Spiritus Sanctus non loquatur ex se sed ex Ipso; ac insuper, quod ex sepulchro, cum resurrexit, desumserit totum Humanum suum Corpus tam quoad Carnem quam quoad Ossa, Matthaeus 28:1-8; Marcus 16:5-6; Luca 24:1-3; Johannes 20:11-15, secus ac omnis alius homo; quod etiam ad vivum testatus est Discipulis, dicens, "Videte manus meas et pedes meos, quod Ipse Ego sim; palpate Me et videte, nam Spiritus non carnem et ossa habet, sicut Me videtis habere," Luca 24:39: ex hoc omnis homo potest convinci, si vult, quod Humanum Domini sit Divinum, proinde quod in Ipso Deus sit Homo et Homo Deus.