ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

Tu‘apulelulu ‘Akosi 17, 2017

“Distinct in persons, yet one in essence”

Fehuʻi #3

‘Oku toko fiha ‘a e pēsona ‘o e ‘Otuá ?

(How many persons are there in God?)

‘Oku toko tolu ‘a e pēsona ‘o e ‘Otua mo‘oni mo mo‘uí : ko e Tamai, mo e ‘Alo pea mo e Laumālie Mā‘oni‘oni. Tatau ‘i he uho pea tu‘unga tatau ‘i he ivi mo e langilangi.

(There are three persons in the one true and living God: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. They are the same in substance, equal in power and glory.)

Komeniteli ‘a Kēvini TeiʻIongi

Commentary – Kevin DeYoung

Ko e kau kalisitiané ‘oku tui faka-monofiesi (monotheist). ‘Oku ‘ikai ke tau tui ki ha ngaahi ‘otua tokolahi ka ki he ‘Otua pe ‘e taha, pea ko e ‘Otua ko ení ‘oku Ne fakahaa‘i mai ia ‘i ha ngaahi pēsona ‘e toko tolu. Ko e fakalea mahu‘inga eni. Na‘e faingata‘a ‘aupito ‘a e feinga ‘a e mu‘aki siasí ke ma‘u ha fakalea totonu ke ngaue‘aki ki he tokāteline ko ení, pea na‘e ‘omi ‘a e fo‘i lea “pēsoná” ke ngaue‘aki ke fakamatala‘i ‘a e ‘ulungaanga ‘o e Tolu-Taha‘i-‘Otuá mo ‘enau fekau‘akí; ko e Tamai, ‘Alo, mo e Laumālie Ma‘oni‘oni ‘oku nau mo‘ui ko e taha, ka ‘oku ‘i ai pe honau faikehekehe.

Ko e taha ko eé, ‘oku ‘ikai ko e ‘uhinga pe ia ki he tokotaha tatau, ka ‘oku nau tatau ‘i he tu‘unga, tatau ‘i he ivi, tatau ‘i he langilangi, tatau ‘i he ngeia. Hangē pe ko hono fekau‘i ‘e Sisu ‘a e kau akó ke nau fai papitaiso ‘i he huafa ‘o e Tamaí, mo e ‘Aló pea mo e Laumalie Ma‘oni‘oní, ‘oku malava pe ke tau mamata ki hono lalanga ‘a e tokāteline ko ení ‘i he Tohitapú kātoa.

Christians are monotheists. We don’t believe in many gods or pantheon of gods but just one God, and this God expresses himself and exists as three persons. That language of persons is very important. The early church wrestled with the appropriate language, and persons aptly speaks to the personality of the three members of the Trinity and also their relationship with each other; the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit coinhere as one essence, and yet there are distinctions.

One is not the other, but they’re equal in rank, equal in power, equal in glory, equal in majesty. Just as Jesus sends out the disciples to go baptize in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, we see this doctrine of the Holy Trinity woven throughout the Scriptures.