[Islander]

A lot of the dissenting opinions are part of the traditions inherited from the Nicaean council and not necessarily from the description on the NT.

For the uninitiated and without any help from the theologians, the NT offers multiple opportunities to believe that the Father and the Son are two distinct and different personages. The scriptures are sufficiently transparent to discern that Jesus proclaims himself the Son of God, the Messiah, the Lamb of God and working and preaching/teaching the kingdom on behalf of his Father. Further along, Paul and others describe the Lamb sitting at the right hand of God.

They felt FORCED to come up with a theological explanation for the trinity because of the monotheistic nature of the OT and the absolute mandate of YHW for Israel not to worship any other gods. Now, in the same OT, YHW proclaims that he is the Savior, the Redeemer, the Creator. The same attributes and claims that were made by Jesus later in the NT. So, they HAD to come up with a theological rather than natural explanation and the claim of a mystery. But that is not how the scriptures read. I suggest that the Spirit would lead most (without exposure to prejudicial theological theories) to believe that the trinity is made out of 3 distinct personages rather than 1 mysterious God that requires a PhD in divinity to explain itself.

I grew up in an island in the middle of nowhere without teachers of religion of any kind. Over my dinner table and without any help and reading an old tattered bible, my grandmother said "YHW is Jesus and, Jesus is the Son of God-the-Father-of-ALL spirits. And the Holy Ghost speaks the truth to our hearts when man won't."

I think the academic debate was put to rest with the testimony of Joseph. but friends, you are free to believe as you wish.