The prologue of the Gospel of John has the strongest argument for the Trinity. 19:26). 7:28; Ps. The Definition Of The Trinity. Trying to fully understand God is like a 2-year-old trying to fully understand the complexities of relationships, marriage, and parenting! A mystery that should cause us to marvel, and wonder, and worship! Now youre gonna tell me theyre all the same but also different? How can one explain the Trinity simply to a new believer? 6:45; 32:39; 1 Kings 8:60; 2 Kings 5:15; Isa. This is a limitation on God that doesnt acknowledge that God isalwaysthe Father,alwaysthe Son, andalwaysthe Holy Spirit. See if you can let kids arrive at the notion that God isnt really made up of parts. Show them that there are three parts: seeds, flesh, and skin. If you go to YouTube and search on explain the Trinity youll findlotsof videos. Does the Holy Spirit look like Casper? 1:17; Dan. The doctrine of the Trinity, simply stated, is as follows: The Bible teaches that there is one eternal God who is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. 119; Prov. 9:18; Matt. We cannot entirelycomprehendan infinite God and these mysteries (Rom. Orthodox Christian theology has always affirmed that the one true God is triune in nature. Unfortunately, there is a lot of confusion about the Trinity. . Monotheism is foundational to Christianity. 1:20-21), In salutations and benedictions (2 Cor. The prologue of the Gospel of John has the strongest argument for the Trinity. Other references to the Trinity in the New Testament include Matthew 28:19, 1 Corinthians 12:4-5, 2 Corinthians 13:14, 1 Peter 1:2, and more. In addition to these texts, the others we mentioned above make clear that the Personhood of the Holy Spirit is distinct from the Personhood of the Son and the Father. The trouble with this one is that its a bit less visual. For I am God, and there is no other (Isaiah 45:21-22; see also 44:6-8; Exodus 15:11; Deuteronomy 4:35; 6:4-5; 32:39; 1 Samuel 2:2; 1 Kings 8:60). This triune God (or Trinity) began to allude to this aspect of His nature right in Genesis 1:26-27. This is absolutely true. Here is an object with three parts: a hard shell, the egg white, and the yolk. Its okay to admit you dont know everything. God is infinite. Tertullian coined the term Trinity during the second century. Essence and person are not the same thing. Secondly I'd like you to read this verse with me from the Bible. Gods attributes are not parts of his singular divine essence. For example, since the Father sent the Son into the world (John 3:16), He cannot be the same person as the Son. He is one Being in three Persons (centers of consciousness), not merely three roles. Fortunately, the most popular analogy of the Trinity is the triangle. Why is the Trinity important to Christianity? And during his earthly ministry, Christ subjected himself to the Fathers will. All will play a role in the events mentioned in Revelation. He sent Jesus to save us and then completed our salvation through the indwelling Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:18; Luke 1:2635). A beautiful mystery. Amongst other books, I have read 'The Forgotten Trinity" by James White, but remain unconvinced that acceptance of or belief in the confusing doctrine of the trinity is essential for Salvation. And we can delight in praying to the Father through the Son in the Holy Spirit (John 14:1314; Eph. Some attributes include eternal, infinite, omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. Lets do a quick review of the topics we have covered. God is one in a certain way (essence) and three in a different way (person). Our mind distinguishes each of the three leaves (the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost), but at the same time recognizes they are one shamrock. Because these features make up the singular essence or nature of a triangle. God is like the skin because He protects us. He was "begotten, not made," and he was of the same substance or essence ( homoousios) as the Father. draws the believer into a new . Three separate beings, all rolled into one entity. But it is possible to go deeper. He wrote, What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.. When you cut an apple in half, you can see that each of these three parts are different (at this point, you can cut the apple open for your kids! This is one possibility of explaining it. 32:17, 27; Matt. What a challenge! Contrary to this, the passages we have seen imply that God always was and always will be three Persons. Faith is recognizing that we dont have all the answers and deciding that its okay to keep believing and growing. At this stage, your head may be swimming with all this new information about God! The seeds are like the Holy Spirit, because He helps us grow. 3. This should make it clear why it is so important to understand that all three Persons are the same essence. 13:14; 1 Pet.1:2), In the story of the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:1025), When Jesus promises the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 1:48), Peters sermon at Pentecost (Acts 2:33; Acts 3839), Peter and apostles answer the high priest (Acts 5:3032), During Stephens heavenly vision at his stoning (Acts 7:5556), In Peters sermon to the gentiles in Caesarea (Acts 10:3638; Acts 4448), When Peter reports to the Jerusalem church (Acts 11:1518), When Peter speaks at the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15:811), During Pauls interaction with Jewish leaders in Rome (Acts 28:2531), Pauls epistles (Rom. Egg A single egg is made up of the yolk, the whites, and the shell. The Holy Trinity - Explained. 3:6. 5:21), making it possible for us to have a relationship with God. Their prime usefulness it to show the mystery is not contradictory. But they are eternally subordinate in their roles to him (1 Cor. Girls become divided, friendships are ruined, and reputations are tarnished. He regenerates us with new spiritual life (John 3:58). There we read that " God said, 'Let us make man in our image' . And this illustration helps us understand the Trinity: This illustration shows how the doctrine of the Trinity does not divide God into three parts. Instead, it reveals that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit possess the same divine essence. The Trinity does not divide God into three parts. And then you will read eight critical truths about the nature of the Trinity. Gods One-ness is his One divine essence, 3. Genesis 1:1 reads: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." If we look more closely at the word we translate "God," Elohim, we see it is plural. The Trinity is first of all important because God is important. Now we will turn our attention to showing the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are persons.. But he avoids contradiction with this statement because he means that in one sense it was the best of times, but in another sense it was the worst of times. But what does it mean that God is gracious? 1. As long as a shape has those three angles that add up to 180 degrees, it doesnt matter what the angles degrees are. Unfortunately, it is also a doctrine that is surrounded by disagreement and controversy among believers. Therefore, there is one God with one divine nature and three divine Persons. But Christianity's God is unique. Christs resurrection is variously attributed to: Multiple verses distinguish each member of the Trinity. That is ok when it comes to rocks and triangles. In his bookMere Christianity, C. S. Lewis points out an important distinction. Each member of the Trinity is . In other words, what are the objective attributes or properties that make up all rocks? This is just an egg, or an apple, or H2O. Ive got you covered with all the basics, no matter your denomination. The Trinity is a mystery beyond our comprehension (Isa. The triangle illustration is easy to understand, but an imperfect analogy because: Nonetheless, a triangle illustrates how there can be a three-ness and one-ness same time. This verse accurately states the doctrine of the Trinity that God is One God in three Persons. The three members of the unholy trinity are Satan, the Antichrist, and the false prophet. "After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him.". I might end with sharing a few analogies from nature. How do we know whats age-appropriate for them to understand? Then I'll share an activity using the Celtic Trinity Knot to explain the Trinity to children along with the love that exists between each of its Persons and us. 4:4; Col. 1:15), Eternal (John 1:1-3; 17:5; Col. 1:16-17; Jude 25), Omnipresent (Matt. To further our understanding of the distinction of persons within the one God it is best to move on to the next trinitarian principle. But Christianitys God is unique. They are three real persons, not three roles God plays. That definition is a mouthful. One helpful Scripture explicitly refers to the essence and personhood of the Trinity. Thus, they relate to each other personally the Father regards Himself as I, while He regards the Son and Holy Spirit as You. Likewise the Son regards Himself as I, but the Father and the Holy Spirit as You.. Matthew 12:28. The apple one is kind of cool. Leading from values so others will walk passionately with God to grow and bear fruit. The Trinity is Christianity's most unique, defining, incomprehensible, and awesome mystery. Having seen that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are distinct Persons, that they are each fully God, and that there is nonetheless only one God, we must conclude that all three Persons are the same God. All three members of the Trinity have these characteristics. Learn to develop your skills, desire and ability to join others on their spiritual journeys and take them closer to Jesus. We then turn to the most important strategies that have been developed by Christians to resolve this problem. Its not unusual for teenagers to give Jesus a bunch of loving characteristics and then put words like justice and vengeance on God the Fathers poster. They only describe what makes up Gods singular essence. The best way to teach the Trinity to ANYONE who is confused is with an object lesson. It is one of the two ordinances of the Christian Church. So all three members of the Trinity have unique personhood. The Son is the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity. Each corner is distinct (i.e., different) from the others. The word "trinity" cannot be found in the Bible, but the truth is that the three of them have been there together all the way along. Each Person of the Trinity is distinct, 8. Every time the wordElohim(plural) is used throughout the Old Testament referring to the one, true God, it is used with a singular conjugation of the verb. Our fellowship with God should be enhanced by consciously knowing that we are relating to a tri-personal God! Geisler, N. L., and R. E MacKenzie, R. E. Roman Catholics and Evangelicals: agreements and differences. 5:2), Miracles (Ex. 4 Visual Ways To Explain The Trinity To A Child. However, these illustrations arent perfect, and really mature kids or teenagers (or adult new believers) could handle digging a bit deeper! LESSON 1: THE TRINITY AIM: To teach the children in simple terms the truth of the Godhead. You will and can grasp these principles. The Bible teaches the Trinity beginning with the days of creation. You cant find an earthly match for this concept. If youre wondering how to explain the Trinity to a child, keep it simple. While we cannot fully understand everything about the Trinity (or anything else), it is possible to answer questions like these and come to a solid grasp of what it means for God to be three in one. Firstly, because finite humans cant comprehend an infinite God completely, Secondly, because many people confuse Gods one, Three distinct persons are God: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Firstly, unfamiliarity between essence or nature and personhood, Secondly, practical analogies that help conceptualize the Trinity, On the one hand, there is Gods singular nature, essence, or substance, And on the other, there is Gods three Persons (Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit), The sum of the three angles must be 180 degrees, The three-ness refers to the three Persons: Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, The one-ness applies to Gods unity or his single divine essence, The Trinity is a plurality of Persons and a unity of essence, God is three whos (Persons) and one what (divine essence), The triangle corresponds to Gods essence, The three corners of the triangle correspond to the three Persons of the Trinity, A triangle is finite, and God is infinite, The corners of a triangle are not persons, Understanding of the difference between Gods one divine essence and three Persons, Old Testament: Ex. also 1:18). He differs from the Father, but was and . December 19, 2018. 8:26), comprehends (1 Cor. While not a typical conversation starter, this question is one of the most important we can ask in life. Jesus is God, but He is not the Father or the Holy Spirit. However,barais the singular conjugation of the verb. Deut. ). Of course we are speaking by analogy here, for we cannot understand this in a physical way about God. 1:2), Jesus as God (Titus 2:13), and the Holy Spirit as God (Acts 5:3-4). 5:10), Requested prayer in his name (John 14:1314) and to be honored as God (John 5:23), Begetting the human nature of Christ at the incarnation (Luke 1:35), Inspiring Scripture (2 Tim. Get the answers to frequently asked questions on Christian beliefs and practices. Does the Trinity mean that God is divided into three parts? 2:18). AboutPressCopyrightContact. "The Trinity is the foundational Christian belief that God is one Being who exists in three Persons.. The Trinity is like an egg. Now lets go a little deeper and consider the triangles three corners (angles). Go ahead and start with one of the object lessons above. After all, children deal best with concrete ideas. Scriptural evidence supports every element proving the Trinity. "But if I [Jesus] cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.". Think about it: Finite Christians serve an eternal and infinite God. 9:5; Col. 2:9), The Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:34; 2 Cor. Jesus is the one whose life we try to copy. Yet most Christians have difficulty explaining the Trinity clearly and Biblically. This would make each Person less than fully God and thus not God at all. And all three members of the Trinity were involved. Stated differently, God is one in essence and three in person. Errr, not quite. Matt Perman is the director of career navigation at The Kings College NYC, a blogger, and an author. 12:28; Rom. At Jesus baptism, when Christ came up out of the water, the Spirit descended in the appearance of a dove. Why do so many people struggle with the doctrine of the Trinity? The Trinity is important to Christians because it reminds us that God is all-powerful, walked this Earth as a perfect human who can relate to our pain, and also lives on today in our hearts.
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