Posted by jig on May 05, 2008 at 15:44:43:
In Reply to: The oneness of God posted by Ifopo on May 05, 2008 at 14:49:27:
Ifopo,
Could such verse (s) be interpreted as follows?
“Thus saith the Lord” is a familiar phrase and qualifier in the OT. The LDS Church believes that the God of the OT is Jesus Christ- the Son. And many times, He was talking to his people (Israelites), reminding and warning them of idols and other gods - gods of heathen nations. Hence he was reminding them that He was the/their only god and savior - again compared to heathen nations’ gods.
Therefore the context was always of the mortal duration of Israel’s “marriage” with Jehovah, in which Israel became a harlot - taking up other husbands (gods).
Additionally, the principle of “divine investitureship of authority” is also at play here. Jehovah is speaking AS IF He was his Father. In other words, the Father is speaking through the Son. It’s often found in the phrase: “Thus saith the Lord” (above) but spoken by Jehovah himself. The practice should not be lost to the Samoans, as they too, have a similar practice in the “faaui o le ‘ula” (taking up the mantle). This happens when an old chief becomes an invalid and could not carry out his chiefly duties at which point he designates one of his heirs (sons) to take up his chiefly mantle. At this point the heir/son will speak and govern AS IF he is his father (old man). The official relinquishment of title and office will finally take place when the old man dies.
In informal discussions such as ours, one of the advantages of the doctrine of the Godhead as three separate personages, is that these seemingly confusing OT verses, especially, will and can be explained reasonably and intelligibly within a more complete and comprehensive context of the entire gospel. In other words, it dovetails perfectly even in the more ambiguous parts of the Bible. Conversely, the Trinity concept is quite limited in its incorporation, applicability and relevance.