This analogy does seem to show how the ingredients can be “in” each other, and thus the Father, Son, and Spirit can be “in” each other in the same way. However, you have stated that none of the ingredients by itself apart from the others is lemonade, and this seems to be where the analogy breaks down. For Trinitarians say that each of the members of the trinity is God! Thus “God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit”.Steve, you wrote:in him doth tabernacle all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." (Young's Literal Translation)
The traditional picture would have led me to expect, "in him doth tabernacle one third of the Godhead bodily."
Jesus, in the nearest thing to an explanation of this mystery that we are likely to get from Him, said: "I am in the Father, and the Father in Me" (John 14:10). What, exactly, does that mean?
Many analogies have been attempted to provide a frame of reference for us to grasp the trinity—there is that of H2O in its three forms (ice, water, and steam); or that of an egg (having a shell, an egg white, and a yolk); or the comparison of the tripartate nature of man; etc. None of these enjoy the sanction of scripture. I have another suggested analogy (which also lacks scriptural endorsement). Lemonade. Yes, I know it sounds corny, but it is helpful to me, so bear with me.
Since God is a Spirit, and the analogies in scripture for spirit are often of liquids (e.g., water, oil)—I feel justified in choosing a familiar liquid for an illustration. There are three ingredients in lemonade—water, lemon, and sugar. Leave one out, and you do not have the right components to have lemonade. Nor is any one of the ingredients, by itself, apart from the others, lemonade. Each component adds its own characteristic to make the sum what it is.
We have difficulty picturing "persons" as being "in" each other, as in Jesus' statement, above. But the ingredients in a liquid solution are truly intermixed and "in" each other.
I realize that your next example of dipping a sample of the lemonade is meant to explain how each member can be God --- just as each sample is lemonade. However, this latter illustration, as well as some of the other attempts at analogies of the Trinity, such as the three forms of H2O or the Sun, its rays, and it warmth, etc. seem better illustrations of modalism than Trinitarianism.
Your lemonade analogy is a bit similar to Justin Martyr’s illustration of lighting a small fire from a larger one, both fires being of the same essence, and yet separate. However, in doing so, Justin was not attempting to explain the Trinity (None of his writings mention a Trinity). Rather Justin was illustrating the begetting of the Son as the Father’s first act --- how the Son could be begotten and then be separate from the Father and yet be of the same divine essence.
As for the Father, Son, and Spirit being “in” each other being illustrated by the ingredients of the lemonade, how is that going to work when Christ’s prayer in John 17 is fulfilled, and His disciples will be one “in” the Father and the Son? Does this mean that we disciples will become an ingredient in the lemonade? Will we become part of the Deity? That is exactly what some people believe. It seems to be a tenet of some cultish types.
I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. John 17:20, 21
In my opinion, the JW analogy of the Trinity (which I’m sure Trinitarians will find offensive and blasphemous) is actually the most accurate illustration of which I am aware. They call the Trinity “a three-headed monster”. I don’t mean to be offensive by repeating this ridicule. It is totally inappropriate to use the word “monster”.
But think about it! A single divine Being, the Trinity, with three heads each of which would be a divine Person. I can’t think of a better illustration of a single Being which is yet Three Persons.
But no matter how we try to understand the Trinity, I see no way that Trinitarians can harmonize the concept with the prayer of Christ recorded in John 17:3
"This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”
Jesus was talking to His Father. He called Him “the only true God”. To possess eternal life, one must know “the only true God” AND “Jesus Christ” whom He sent. By use of that conjunction “AND” Jesus identifies Himself as something other than “the only true God”. This is inconsistent with Trinitarianism. Yet, “In the beginning was the Logos, and the Logos was with God, and the Logos was Deity”. The Logos is Deity because He was begotten by God who is Deity --- in a way that is analogous to each of us being “man” because we were begotten by our father who is or was “man”.
Everywhere the New Testament uses “theos” preceded by the article, the referent is God the Father, if “ho theos” is unqualified by any other adjective or phrase.
