The answer hinges on the differences in their unique roles. This would make each Person less than fully God and thus not God at all. There are two other major monotheistic world religions namely Judaism and Islam. 2:2729). These are all qualities of personhood. the one who is not a Christian. Its okay to admit you dont know everything. 8:2327), Resuscitates the dead (Matt. While the three members of the Trinity are distinct, this does not mean that any is inferior to the other. For instance, the Father is the first person of the Trinity. His function is superior to that of the Son and the Holy Spirit. However,barais the singular conjugation of the verb. Need help teaching your kids about communion, either at Sunday School or home? Many of us say it every single Sunday morning. 2. Most of them are less-than-helpful. Best Age To Teach The Trinity To A Child. Ignore the urge to tie everything up with a nice little bow. The Trinity is like an egg or apple. 3:25; Dan. The Definition Of The Trinity. One illustration to beware of is the one which says, I am one person, but I am a student, son, and brother. While admitting the lack of conformity among believers, we must never consider it a minor issue of doctrine. Their prime usefulness it to show the mystery is not contradictory. Answer. So, rather than starting there, heres where were headed: To think we will everfullyunderstand the Trinity is to make the mistake of thinking God is fully understandable. The word "trinity" is a term used to denote the Christian doctrine that God exists as a unity of three distinct, simultaneous persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. To understand more fully what God is like is a way of honoring God. If we were to translate it . In other words, what are the objective attributes or properties that make up all rocks? Yet Jesus would not have referenced the Trinity unless it was important. Jesus, the Word, was present in Genesis 1. We need you. The answer is they are gray and hard. All will play a role in the events mentioned in Revelation. In this blog post, we will discuss how schools and parents can help girls to, Read More Navigating Girl Drama: 20 Ways Schools and Parents Can Help Calm the StormContinue, Ill never forget the moment I watched in amazement as my newly-turned 4 year old sounded out her first few CVC words. The Trinity has a very significant application to prayer. Matthew 12:28. Internship opportunities with Cru's ministries. After all, as I have said many times (to myself as much as others! Tertullian, Cyprian, Augustine, and Jerome mention it. The Trinity Is Unique Among Monotheistic Religions Christianity is a "monotheistic" religion. But dont get confused. Lets start with the geometric figure of the triangle itself. For instance he: Jesus has all the features that ensure he, too, is a person. The concept of the Trinity is that we have God in three forms - a union of three. If it were the other way around and we understood God completely, how would he be the sovereign God? It's so simple, it fits on one page. 5:21), making it possible for us to have a relationship with God. So even if the Bible did call the Trinity a mystery it would only be saying it was unknown to the one not illuminated, i.e. And we can delight in praying to the Father through the Son in the Holy Spirit (John 14:1314; Eph. The Trinity is the perfect loving community of three Persons. Striving to see Christ-followers on every team, in every sport and in every nation. If each Person of the Trinity is distinct and yet fully God, then should we conclude that there is more than one God? But he is not inferior in Gods divine essence. In fact, would Jesus have us baptize in the name of a mere creature? 2. However, you dont want to stop there with a student who can participate in a discussion. While there are some illustrations which are helpful, we should recognize that no illustration is perfect. And that knowledge can feel liberating. 25:3146; 2 Cor. 11:3336). Second, we have the son of God, Jesus. In other words, there is one God who exists as three distinct Persons. That isGod is three Persons in onethe Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. How to Support Gifted ReadersContinue, OurYotoplayer,Yoto Mini, and set of Yoto cards is the number one favorite toy in our household, and it has been for two years now. If Jesus is God, why do the Gospels record instances where He prayed to God? Showing God in action in and through His people. He was sustaining and manifesting Gods immediate presence in his creation. He wrote, What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.. Both the New Testament and Old Testament testify that there is only one God: Unfortunately, we cannot go through each of these passages in detail. 18:20; Matt. Check out my tips for teaching your kids about bedtime prayer. 32:39), Has personal traits, such as the ability to communicate (John 14:31), He has intellect (John 2:25), emotions (John 11:35), and a will (John 6:38), Has intellect (John 14:26; 1 Cor. 6:45; 32:39; 1 Kings 8:60; 2 Kings 5:15; Isa. Therefore each of the Persons into whose name we are to be baptized must be deity. If we can understand more precisely what is meant by essence and person, how these two terms differ, and how they relate, we will then have a more complete understanding of the Trinity. There will always be some level of mystery to this, but when you talk about the being/nature/essence as God and the persons/expressions as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit I think we get at least a little bit closer to beginning to comprehend something we can never fully comprehend. Faith is recognizing that we dont have all the answers and deciding that its okay to keep believing and growing. This is one possibility of explaining it. And this teaching gives us a glimpse into the incomprehensible greatness of God. How is God three? See, each member participated in the creation, the incarnation, and redemption. God told Moses in the Torah to tell God's people these words: M. "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one." ( Deuteronomy 6:4) C. Yes, that's right. We then turn to the most important strategies that have been developed by Christians to resolve this problem. The Holy Spirit is God, but He is not the Son or the Father. This leads us to investigate more closely a very helpful definition of the Trinity which I mentioned earlier: God is one in essence, but three in Person. 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. As Hebrews 9:14 declares. Here are the best childrens Bibles, sorted by age. He differs from the Father, but was and . . Gods attributes are not parts of his singular divine essence. To be even more precise, essence is what you are. But as a follower of Christ, your identity can and should be grounded in one thing: who He says you are. All three Persons of the Trinity are God. The Holy Spirit was moving or hovering over the face of the waters (Gen. 1:2). "Economic" has to do with the history of salvation, and discusses the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the sending and mission of salvation. There are two other major monotheistic world religions namely Judaism and Islam. God is like the skin because He protects us. After all, each of these illustrate the idea that God is made up of parts, and thats not really true. However, within the nature of this one God are three persons, or three centers of consciousness - the Father, the Son, and the . May 23, 2012 by: Justin Buzzard. Steam, water, and ice are all H20. The Holy Spirit is God. .. Famous pastor and authorA.W. John introduces us to the Trinity in John 1:1- "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and Word was God.". As long as a shape has those three angles that add up to 180 degrees, it doesnt matter what the angles degrees are. God the Holy Spirit is the warmth you feel from the sun. That may sound intimidating but dont worry Ill unpack that definition below. How we seek to journey together with everyone towards a relationship with Jesus. ), "If God was small enough for my brain to fully understand, He wouldnt be big enough to save me!, The authors of the Bible understood this. Three parts in one, yet all very much an egg. While this is in my mind the simplest, clearest explanation, I understand that even this breaks down when we go further and say I am a human and I am Keith Ferrin. See if they can think of anything better, and be ready to discuss where different ideas might not quite work. I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earthand in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spiritand born of the virgin Mary.He suffered under Pontius Pilate,was crucified, died, and was buried.He descended to the dead.On the third day he rose again.He ascended into heaven,and is seated at the right hand of the Father.He will come again to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit,the holy catholic* Church,the communion of the saints,the forgiveness of sins,the resurrection of the body,and the life everlasting. I recently had some of my kids friends ask meWhat is the Trinity? Must you become a better person so that God will accept you? What we believe about the gospel and our call to serve every nation. 3 in 1: A Picture of God This one is for anyone interested in using the apple object lesson. There are many illustrations which have been offered to help us understand the Trinity. "The Trinity is the foundational Christian belief that God is one Being who exists in three Persons.. How to EXPLAIN The Trinity to a New Believer - Introduction to the Godhead In this video I will introduce the godhead or the trinity in one of the easiest te. Many other verses concurrently list the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. 1:3), Demonstrated divine sovereignty over nature (Matt. He realized Scripture alone is the only way we know about the Trinity (1 Cor. 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.. Look at what the Bible clearly shows: that there is one God ( Deuteronomy 6:4) that the Father is called God ( Ephesians 4:6 ), that Jesus (the Son) is called God ( Titus 2:13) and existed with God before creation ( John 1:1; 17:4) and the Holy Spirit is attributed . But a common question arises: How do the members of the Trinity differ from one another?. The doctrine of the Trinity is the belief that there is one God who has revealed Himself in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. know that I recognise only one God. He was "begotten, not made," and he was of the same substance or essence ( homoousios) as the Father. 1:2), and empowers us for service (Acts 1:8; 1 Cor. What is Gods essence? . The Holy Spirit descended upon Him to equip Him for His ministry. This is something far removed from our human experience, where every different human "person" is a different being as well. For if we deny this, we have denied Gods unity and affirmed that there is more than one being of God (i.e., that there is more than one God). This is just an egg, or an apple, or H2O. I hate getting spam. But I hope you have learned that the Trinity is not contradictory. These personal distinctions are modes of existence within the divine being, but are not divisions of the divine being. But each member had a different function. To further our understanding of the distinction of persons within the one God it is best to move on to the next trinitarian principle. 7:28; Ps. Simply put: without three angles, theres no triangle! Thus, as Wayne Grudem writes, When we speak of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit together we are not speaking of any greater being than when we speak of the Father alone, the Son alone, or the Holy Spirit alone.[2]. It's easy to turn doctrinal discussions into strictly intellectual affairs, but as Dr. Fred Sanders teaches in The Triune God course, we need to do so "in a way that enlists the reader's strict and holy attention for what is essentially a spiritual exercise." Learn the basics of what Christians believe. Below is the easiest way that I have ever heard it explained: God the Father is the sun. You can describe the Trinity in different ways: The wordspersonsandessencerefer to entirely different features relating to God. And yet, we run into the same problem again, because God isnt made up of parts. Specifically, distinguishing between Gods one essence and his three Persons. You cant find an earthly match for this concept. What is the essence of a triangle? 1:12). The Holy Trinity is depicted in the Church of Debre Berhan Selassie in Gondar, Ethiopia. Then share them with another Christian or genuine seeker. 1:17; Dan. And the Trinity is an essential doctrine to our understanding of God. More simply stated, the essence of any entity is what it is. My Starting Point for Trying to Explain the Trinity, The Simplest but Still Clear Explanation for the Trinity, The 3 Most Common Trinity Analogies (and their limitations). How do they relate? While some say . From the 1950s to the 2000s, people wanted to see if they could make computers exhibit intelligence indistinguishable from humans. Essence and personhood are NOT the same thing. The only way humans can know about these mysteries is because the Bible teaches them. Elohimis the plural form of the word God. If belief in the Trinity is so essential to Christianity, it would have been explicitly stated in the Bible and wouldn't have taken over 300 years to officially define it. Explore answers to life's biggest questions. We define personhood by three key characteristics: Now that you understand the critical distinction, you know that essence is what. And you know personhood is who.. 55:8-9). Of course, if the triangle illustration were perfect, we would be able to comprehend God fully, but we cant. The Trinity does not divide God into three parts. Its NOT God. John says in the first verse of the book: "The Word was with God, and the Word was God.". He sanctifies us (1 Pet. If you go to YouTube and search on explain the Trinity youll findlotsof videos. He is one Being in three Persons (centers of consciousness), not merely three roles. Do you need to devote yourself to unselfish religious deeds? He exists as a Trinity. If youd like to get away from simple object lessons and move your child toward a deeper understanding of Gods nature, check out The Attributes of God for Kids. 104:30), sanctifies (Rom. And he should be referred to by personal pronouns and never as it. The Holy Spirits is a person because he: Scripture also proves that the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are God. AboutPressCopyrightContact. Now we will turn our attention to showing the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are persons.. Why not consider these truths and place your faith in Jesus (1 John 5:1)? They include: Now you have a basic understanding of the Trinity. Below are several of the most popular ones. 5:510; 1 Cor. Think about it: Finite Christians serve an eternal and infinite God. In the baptism of Jesus, we see the Father speaking from heaven and the Spirit descending from heaven in the form of a dove as Jesus comes out of the water (Mark 1:10-11). Perhaps for the first time, you have read that the Trinity is a mystery and not acontradiction. The Trinity is God the Father, God the Son (Jesus) and God the Holy Spirit. He is three in Person. 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. He sent Jesus to save us and then completed our salvation through the indwelling Holy Spirit (Eph. 8:3539; Eph. God addressed in the second person singular (you): 2 Sam. At his death on the cross, sinless Jesus chose to substitute himself in our place (Heb. The prologue of the Gospel of John has the strongest argument for the Trinity. ONLY the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are God. 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. It has been said, Try to explain the trinity and lose your mind, try to explain away the trinity and lose your soul. The Son and Holy Spirit are equal in deity to the Father. That is why any discussion of the Trinity is based on Scripture (Ps. Most Christians are puzzled by the Trinity, and therefore, cant explain it very well. To start, let me define what I mean when I say persons. Personhood is having intellect, emotions, and a will. He is one in essence. Read more. Go ahead and start with one of the object lessons above. Lets apply these concepts to the Trinity. The concept of the Trinity. What we have seen so far provides a good basic understanding of the Trinity. "But if I [Jesus] cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.". In other words, you have contradicted yourself if you affirm and deny the same statement. The three most common go-to analogies for explaining the Trinity are water, an egg, and the sun. In fact, it is precisely the continuing dialogue between the Father and the Son (Matthew 3:17; 17:5; John 5:19; 11:41-42; 17:1ff ) which furnishes the best evidence that they are distinct Persons with distinct centers of consciousness. But what exactly are essence or nature and personhood? God is not one person who plays three different roles, as this illustration suggests. There is a clue that the Son is distinct from the Father, yet there is fellowship between them. It is understandable that our finite minds cannot grasp an infinite God. 2:34; Heb. If you are teaching young children, these object lessons are both the perfect starting and stopping point. Trinity not mentioned in the Bible anywhere! Of course, anyone can be simple if he has no facts to bother about (p. 145). The Trinity isn't some complicated distraction from the simple gospelit's actually part of the gospel. A rumor is started, and it spreads like wildfire. In describing the Trinity, the New Testament clearly distinguishes three Persons who are all simultaneously active. Conclusion: Scripture teaches the Trinity. Ask the teenager this question: Where does this fall short? Leading from values so others will walk passionately with God to grow and bear fruit. 89:14; John 17:25; Rom. Theologians have pointed out that if it were not true, the Bible would be unreliable, Christ would not be divine, and His death on the cross would not atone for our sins, being merely the death of a martyr. 12:28; Rom. One of the reasons Jonathan Edwards's vision of God has proved so helpful in my worship and ministry is that he does, and he doesn't, "explain" the Trinity. Its probably the most classic Trinity object lesson, but its not my favorite. It is the revelation of who our Almighty Creator actually isnot just a god, but an infinite Being existing in eternity as three co-equal, infinite Persons, consubstantial yet distinct. 2:8-9), we can become Gods children. But Scripture provides ample evidence of the existence of the Trinity. We begin with a brief discussion of the doctrine in historical context, explaining more fully the nature of the problem it raises. 10:2831), In Johns writings (1 John 4:1314; Rev. While no church is perfect, the Trinity is still the model for the churchs unity (John 1:2123). 1. ETS members all confess the Father, the Son, and the Spirit to be "one in essence, equal in power and glory.". That means that, as Christians, we believe in only one God. When the global church comes together then powerful things can happen. 2:11), emotions (Eph. Each member of the Trinity is . The origin of the doctrine of the Trinity is the Bible . Use Objects As Visual Aids. I am also fully Keith Ferrin. The Trinity expresses the belief that God is one being made up of three distinct persons who exist in co-equal essence and co-eternal communion as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit . Sun The sun is a physical object, but also gives off light and heat. 317 subscribers in the BiblicalUnitarian community. First, we have God. Ive already done your research at my local library. Sometimes the Personhood of the Father and Son is appreciated, but the Personhood of the Holy Spirit is neglected. Yet he also proclaimed, there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live (1 Cor. Is referred to in the second person (you; Ps. 31:3; John 3:16; 1 John 4:8), Righteous (Ps. This verse accurately states the doctrine of the Trinity that God is One God in three Persons. That leaves us with the modern definition of the word mystery. For instance: Additionally, all three members of the Trinity participate together in several critical events. How can one explain the Trinity simply to a new believer? Actually, March 17 commemorates St. Patrick's death, actually. So all three members of the Trinity have unique personhood. The Trinity confuses even adults, so when youre tasked (or inspired) to teach the Trinity to a child, teenager, or new believer, it can be overwhelming. The seeds are like the Holy Spirit, because He helps us grow. The Holy Spirit isnt like an egg yolk, because the egg yolk is only part of an egg, whereas the Holy Spirit isnt part of God it IS God. What does it take to begin a relationship with God? 4:47), In Hebrews (Heb. Discipleship involves a lot, but one of the most important things you can do with a new believer is read the Bible with them-teaching them how to read, understand, respond to, and apply God's Word. Nothing is more astonishing, more challenging, and more potentially life-transforming than knowing God.". After all, theyre good questions. 45:5-6, New Testament: Mark 12:29; John 5:44; Eph. The doctrine is critical, even if not easily comprehended. You may be wondering how to wrap your mind around all this brand-new information! We cannot compete, in simplicity, with people who are inventing religions. 1:8). There we read that " God said, 'Let us make man in our image' . Gods One-ness is his One divine essence, 3. 10:57), The Holy Spirit indwells every Christian. Subjection and subordination do not mean inequality. 2:1011; Heb. LESSON 1: THE TRINITY AIM: To teach the children in simple terms the truth of the Godhead. Nonetheless, while recognizing the distinct roles that each Person has, we should never think of their roles as so separate that the other Persons are not involved. Just as ONE egg has THREE different parts - the shell, the white, the yoke - ONE God has THREE different . God is infinite. The Bible teaches the Trinity beginning with the days of creation. They are not merely modes or manifestations of the same person (as Oneness theology incorrectly asserts) who sometimes acts as Father, sometimes as Son, and sometimes as Spirit.