I'm a master's student in theology. AMA.

[Blue3]

What exactly is the Holy Spirit, and why does it seem to be so underrated when compared to the Father and the Son?

[Blue3]

The big one:

How would you explain the Trinity, both in a simple but accurate metaphor to someone new to Christianity, as well as in a deeper theological sense, that also fits together well with Jesus as the Incarnation of the Son?




(For example, in the theological sense, I've heard from a theology class before that the theory is the Son results from God's/Father's perfect self-knowledge, and that the Holy Spirit results from the perfect love between Father and Son... and the Father always had perfect self-knowledge and love, so the Trinity has always existed, co-equal and naturally self-sustaining.

And that the implications are, since both love and self-knowledge create perfect co-equal persons, that in a way self-knowledge when it is perfect automatically brings us to love and love when it is perfect automatically brings us to self-knowledge, and the path to God is through true love and true self-knowledge. As well as implications that, since the Son is from self-knowledge, and Jesus is the Incarnation of the Son, you could say that the Son and the Jesus Incarnation results from God/Father "seeing himself" and "knowing himself" in a particular human. And the implication that the Holy Spirit results from God/Father beginning to "see himself" and "know himself" in other people due to the Son and their love for each, and that love now extending to them too... and this incorporating of us into that divine union/love/self-knowledge-in-creation is "heaven" "kingdom of God" and Jesus' promise of "eternal life" [as well as the meaning of Jesus' talk in the Gospel of John about how he dwells in the Father, the Father in him, asking people to dwell in him, so he can dwell in them and therefore God in them and them in God, and in the epistles of how God is love])

[Blue3]

What do you see as the main differences between the 4 Gospels?

Also, are there any Apocrypha (old or new, but particularly new) that you either think should have been included, or are just really interesting and worth reading? Similarly, are there any books that, in your studies, feel like they don't really belong or aren't really necessary?

[Blue3]

Greatest I am... why are you ignoring the Gnosticism thread? Do you just have no idea how to defend Gnosticism from its critics without personal attacks and call others and their beliefs evil/delusional?