One thing I seriously cannot grasp, is why, in light of all of the evidence, you guys continue to argue for this doctrine. I'm serious, what is it that drives you to continue to argue for it? The evidence against it is overwhelming.
This doctrine wasn't accepted by the church until the fifth century. It was around 450 Ad. That's 350 years after the last apostle. That means for the first 400 years of Christianity Christians didn't know this doctrine. And, according to the Athanasian Creed they couldn't be saved. So, according to the Athanasian creed the first 400 years of Christians we're saved. That would include the apostles.
We have the Nicene Creed of 325 and 386. Neither of which say anything about one God in three persons. They actually counter the doctrine saying that God came out of God and that the Son was begotten.
The doctrine isn't found in Scripture.
The doctrine is refuted all through Scripture. Paul said there is one God, the Father. Jesus said the Father is the only true God. John and Paul both said no one has seen God. Paul said no one can see God . Paul said God is invisible. People have seen Jesus.
Jesus said that the Comforter and Spirit of Truth is figurative language about the Father.
Luke tells us that the Holy Spirit is the power of the Highest.
Luke also records the angel that went to Mary and told her the Holy Spirit would come upon her and she would conceive. That means that the Holy Spirit fathered Jesus. So, either the Holy is the Father, or the Father is not the Father or Jesus. If the Holy Spirit is a third person then He is the father of Jesus.
Jesus said no knows the Son but the Father and no one knows the Father but the Son and whoever the Son reveals Him to. So, how is it that we have three persons that are equally God in a Godhead and the third person of the Godhead doesn't even know the other two? How is that possible?
One being called God consisting of 3 persons is a logical contradiction.
When Paul gives his greetings in his letters to the churches he says things akin to, grace and peace to you from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. He doesn't include the Holy Spirit. He's giving greetings to the Chruch from the Godhead and he doesn't mention the Holy Spirit. If we had three persons we would expect Paul to say something akin to, grace to you and peace from God the Father, our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. But it's not there.
Paul often speaks of the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God can't have a God. God can't be His own Son. God can't be His own Father.
Different accounts of the same event conflate the Father and the Holy Spirit.
As I pointed out today, the doctrine collapses in on itself into a catch 22. The doctrine says that there is one God in three persons, the Father, Son, and Spirit. Each is fully God. So, Jesus is fully God, Does God lie? No. Jesus said the Father is the only true God. So Jesus said someone else is God. So, the Trinitarian who holds that Jesus is God is faced with a conundrum. If they hold to the Trinity doctrine they have to disbelieve what Jesus said. They have to disbelieve God. If they are correct in their disbelief of what He said, they have to hold that He is wrong or lying. In either case he would not be God. On the other hand, if they believe Jesus, then they have to acknowledge that He is not God. Either way the Trintiy doctrine collapses.
Paul said that Jesus is the first born of creation.
Paul said in Hebrews that Jesus was tempted in all ways as we are. James said God cannot be tempted with sin. It can't be both.
Paul calls Jesus the Wisdom of God and proverbs 8 tells us that God begat Wisdom.
6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: 7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: 8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 1 Co 2:6–8.
Paul says we speak the Wisdom of God in a mystery. What was the mystery?
2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: 3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, 4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) 5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; Eph 3:1–5.
Here Paul speaks of the mystery of Christ that was hidden and only revealed in the latter days. Paul said he received it by Revelation. In 1 Cor. he said he was speaking of the hidden Wisdom that God ordained before the world. Then speaking of that Wisdom he says had they known it they wouldn't have crucified the Lord or Glory. That's Jesus. they didn't know God's Wisdom, Jesus. if they had they wouldn't have crucified Him. Proverbs 8 says that God begat Wisdom.
Proverbs 8 Septuagint
22 The Lord created me as the beginning of his ways,
for the sake of his works.
23 Before the present age he founded me,
in the beginning.
24 Before he made the earth and before he made the depths,
before he brought forth the springs of the waters,
25 before the mountains were established
and before all the hills, he begets me.
26 The Lord made countries and uninhabited spaces
and the habitable heights of that beneath the sky.
27 When he prepared the sky, I was present with him,
and when he marked out his own throne on the winds.
28 When he made strong the clouds above
and when he made secure the springs beneath the sky,
29 when he made strong the foundations of the earth,
30 I was beside him, fitting together;
it is I who was the one in whom he took delight.
And each day I was glad in his presence at every moment,
31 when he rejoiced after he had completed the world
and rejoiced among the sons of men.
Pr 8:22–31.
Notice it says before the present age He founded me. Then He says before the hills He begets Me. God begot His Son prior to the creation. Then He says I was beside Him and was glad in His presence. Wisdom says I was beside Him fitting together. The Father spoke and the Son created. Scripture says all things were made through the Son. In this passage He is beside God fitting things together. However, take notice to verse 30. He says, "it is I who was the one in whom He took delight." Who was the one that God delight in?
22 And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased. Lk 3:22.
The word translated "I am well pleased" also means to delight in, but it's in the wrong tense. It's not in the present tense as our English Bibles read. It's in the Greek past tense. It should read, Thou art my beloved Son in whom I was well pleased or in whom I delighted. God said He delight in His Son. In Proverbs 8:30 It's Wisdom speaking and He says He was the one that God delighted in. Wisdom is the Son of God. That's why Paul said if the rulers of this age had known the Wisdom of God they would not have killed the Lord. Proverbs 8 says that God begat Wisdom. Wisdom, the only begotten Son.
I could go on, but really, if this isn't enough evidence to make anyone considered the doctrine I don't know that any amount would suffice.