BrianT wrote:
FHII,

Isa 9:6 "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."

In this verse I see the deity of Christ strongly stated in a Trinitarian way. In Trinitarianism, Jesus's deity as the Son of God is not "33%" of the Godhead, rather it is 100%. Isa 9:6 tells us that the Messiah is not just part of God, but wholly God. The term Councellor refers to the Holy Spirit (Isa 11:1-2, Isa 40:3, John 14:26, etc.). The term "Prince", by definition, is a Son. He is also the "Father" in that his deity does not exclude the first person of the Trinity (John 8:58, John 14:9, Heb 1:1-3, etc.). He is also "Father" in the sense of us being not only his brothers (Matt 12:50, Rom 8:17) but also his children (Mark 10:24, John 12:36, John 13:33). Wrapped in the middle of all those terms is "God". He is God. The fullness of the Godhead (Col 2:9).

Although he is not "part" of God, there is still a distinction to be made between the three persons of the Trinity. Jesus is the Councellor in one sense, but not in all senses, for when he was to leave, the Holy Spirit was to be sent (John 14:26-28) instead. Although he is the Father in one sense (as described above), he is not the Father in all senses (Luke 22:42, John 14:28, John 17:11&21, 1 Cor 15:28, etc.).

Brian, you are slowly starting to see things my way!  My stance is NOT to deny the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.  I do believe in them all.  I simply don't believe you can call them separate or "distinct".  Let's move on to another example which I've given before.  You said the "consellor" refers to the Holy Spirit.  I agree.  You gave the verse John 14:26 to back it up.  I agree, even though it says "the comforter".  However, let's look at the verses carefully:

Joh 14:26

But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
Joh 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Joh 14:28 Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.
Verse 26 says the Father will send the HG, but in verse 28 Jesus says he will come again.  Next, look at these verses before that:

Joh 14:16

And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever;
Joh 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
Joh 14:18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
In verse 18 Jesus said not only he wouldn't leave us comfortless, but that he would come to us [of course he was speaking to the disciples].  So is it the HG or Jesus coming to us?  Of course Jesus isn't come in the flesh (he's not going to give us the same deal he did Thomas) but here is where the Bible is not making a distinction between Jesus and the HG.  WHO"S going to come/  The separate, distinct person or pesonage of Jesus or the Holy Ghost?  Because Jesus said he would come, but also that the Father was going to send the Holy Ghost. 

We can also look at the first manifestation of that, which I think we can agree happened in Acts 2.  Jesus said, "Baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost", yet Peter baptized in only Jesus' name. 

So again, I don't deny any of the three nor do I deny at times they are spoken of as if they were separate.  I just deny that they can actually be spoken or thought of as separate. 









  

Gal 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

Jas 2:24
Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.