Mar 13, 2012

Arguments Against Modalism II

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John Gill wrote:

"The Hebrew word paniym which answers to the Greek word prosopa, is used of the divine persons, "My persons shall go with thee", (Ex.. 33:14) and if "thy persons go not with me, (Ex.. 33:15) and "he brought thee out by his persons", (Deut. 4:37). The word is used three times in (Ps. 27:8, 9) and in each clause the Septuagint has the word prosopon, and which, as Suidas observes, is expressive of the sacred Trinity."  (A Body of Doctrinal Divinity, Book 1—Chapter 27, "Of A Plurality In The Godhead; Or, A Trinity Of Persons In The Unity Of The Divine Essence")

According to Strong "paniym" means faces, presences, persons.  If God were not three persons then it would be wrong for the Old Testament writers to speak of his faces and persons in plural form. 

Prosopon is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew paniym and persona is the Latin equivalent of prosopon.  Further, the English word "person" is the equivalent of the Latin persona.  Thus, it is clearly shown how God is one God in three persons.

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