In brief, how we view God will profoundly impact our everyday lives. Because humankind is limited, God will always exceed our knowledge and understanding (Isa. Volunteer abroad this year on a short term global missions trip offered by one of the best, most-reliable Christian missions organizations in the world. Nothing is more astonishing, more challenging, and more potentially life-transforming than knowing God.". He is an extension of the sun and brings the sun directly to the world. You will and can grasp these principles. Within Gods one, undivided being is an unfolding into three personal distinctions. 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. May 23, 2012 by: Justin Buzzard. For example, since the Father sent the Son into the world (John 3:16), He cannot be the same person as the Son. 4:4). 20:23; Deut. What Should Christians Know about the Trinity? Surely not. Do Trinity Crafts/Printables. How to Know and Understand the Holy Spirit | Cru - Cru.org also 1:18). The Definition Of The Trinity. 4; 14; Jon. As Benjamin Needler preached: This doctrine should establish us in the truth of the gospel For my part, I would not worship that God that I could comprehend Bless God for the clear discovery of this truth under the gospel! The Holy Trinity is depicted in the Church of Debre Berhan Selassie in Gondar, Ethiopia. Ask them to draw it on the page. The Trinity is more than just a vital doctrine. 28:20; Col. 3:11), Omnibenevolent (John 13:34; Rom. Actually, March 17 commemorates St. Patrick's death, actually. John 1 tells us that the Word is Yeshua - that he was with God and was God from the get go, right there at creation. 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. 2. 2:11), and performs miracles (Matt. This command lists all three persons of the Trinity. 3 in 1: A Picture of God This one is for anyone interested in using the apple object lesson. 15:19), God is called Father (John 17:1; John 3; 20:17; 1 Cor. Why? The Father is not one-third of the being of God, He is all of the being of God. Answer. How to Explain the Trinity to an Unbeliever The Village Church - Flower Mound 118K subscribers 36K views 5 years ago The Trinity is confusing even to most Christians, so we want to pull the. It was God who took the initiative to save humankind. What we do mean by Person is something that regards himself as I and others as You. So the Father, for example, is a different Person from the Son because He regards the Son as a You, even though He regards Himself as I. Thus, in regards to the Trinity, we can say that Person means a distinct subject which regards Himself as an I and the other two as a You. These distinct subjects are not a division within the being of God, but a form of personal existence other than a difference in being.[3]. A simpler way to talk about the Trinity is through "God grammar.". In explaining the Trinity to your friend, begin, perhaps, with the work of salvation. How can one explain the Trinity simply to a new believer? What we do not mean by Person is an independent individual in the sense that both I and another human are separate, independent individuals who can exist apart from one another. 1:12). The Trinity Matters because the Gospel Matters. The wordtrinitymeans tri-unity or three-in-oneness.. Clearly, he appreciated a plurality within the Godhead. Question & Answer: The Orthodox Presbyterian Church The Trinity confuses many people. The Trinity was present in the atonement at the cross. The Trinity Explained in 8 Steps - Binmin And yet, we run into the same problem again, because God isnt made up of parts. 1:17; Dan. "The Trinity is the foundational Christian belief that God is one Being who exists in three Persons." Unpacking the Definition The word Trinity means three-in-one. Now lets dig into these imperfect yet better than nothing representations of the Trinity for kids. Weve made a comparison between this object and the Trinity. Steam, water, and ice are all H20. Here is an object with three parts: a hard shell, the egg white, and the yolk. 4. Yet he also proclaimed, there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live (1 Cor. We begin with a brief discussion of the doctrine in historical context, explaining more fully the nature of the problem it raises. As I said earlier, it means the same thing as being. 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. Now, as Fred Sanders once quipped, this doesn't mean you should begin every witnessing encounter, "God loves you . Now we will turn our attention to showing the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are persons.. This doctrine is absolutely essential to New Testament Christianity. Thus, we are not speaking with a forked tongue we are not saying that God is one and then denying that He is one by saying that He is three. 40:18; Rom. Unfortunately, it is also a doctrine that is surrounded by disagreement and controversy among believers. We should not think of God as like a pie cut into three pieces, each piece representing a Person. According to the American Heritage Dictionary the word The Trinity and Christian Unity - Ligonier Ministries 12:28; Rom. 2. But as a follower of Christ, your identity can and should be grounded in one thing: who He says you are. The answer hinges on the differences in their unique roles. Each member of the Trinity is . When he has gone further in his "explanation" of the Trinity than many have gone, he admits, "I am far from asserting this as any . 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. On the other hand, we must say that the Persons are real, that they are not just different ways of looking at the one being of GodThe only way it seems possible to do this is to say that the distinction between the persons is not a difference of "being" but a difference of "relationships." Ignore the urge to tie everything up with a nice little bow. Sometimes the Spirit is treated more like a force than a Person. The word "scripture " graphe Dont despair. And Scripture provides many descriptors, orattributes,of Gods singular essence or nature. Baker Books, 1995, pp. Many non-Christians and new Christians often struggle with the idea of the Holy Trinity, where we break up God into the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Showing God in action in and through His people. Most people, including many Christians, struggle trying to apprehend the Trinity. Second, we have the son of God, Jesus. Striving to see Christ-followers on every team, in every sport and in every nation. Christ through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God.. How we seek to journey together with everyone towards a relationship with Jesus. That may sound intimidating but dont worry Ill unpack that definition below. 1:18; Luke 1:2635). 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. He is one in essence. 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. The Trinity Is Unique Among Monotheistic Religions Christianity is a "monotheistic" religion. I'm an author, speaker, husband, father and ice cream lover. How To Explain the Trinity to Muslims - crossexamined.org 42. They are equal in power, love, mercy, justice, holiness, knowledge, and all other qualities. But Christianity's God is unique. However,barais the singular conjugation of the verb. .. What Is the Trinity in Christianity? - Learn Religions We also see this evidenced in how the Son and Father sent the Spirit into the world (John 14:26; John 15:26; John 16:7). The first commandment says, You shall have no other gods before me (Ex. Your Identity in Christ: How God Sees You. He is one Being in three Persons (centers of consciousness), not merely three roles. Do you need to devote yourself to unselfish religious deeds? Learn why He did it and what it means for you. The New Testament lists all three Persons of the Trinity simultaneously, 6. God is infinitely greater than we are; therefore, we should not expect to be able to fully understand Him. In fact, kids who have been in church for many years will probably have already heard one of these illustrations. However, Matthew 28:19 is frequently used in attempts to prove that the Trinity is a biblical teaching. After all, if the trinitarian nature of God is not in the Bible, why bother talking about it at all? If you are a Christian, why not memorize some of this blogs verses? know that I recognise only one God. In his second letter to the Corinthians, he bids farewell to them: "May the grace of the Lord Jesus, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Jesus carried out these creative decrees (John 1:3; Col. 1:16). Lets change that! Binmin Podcast 8: God & Origins | What Questions Should I Ask About My Faith, Binmin Podcast Ep. The relationship between essence and Person, then, is as follows. 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. 8:6a). Its okay to admit you dont know everything. He differs from the Father, but was and . 20:3; cf. What Is The Best Way To Explain The Trinity To A New Believer However, the Bible teaches us enough about these mysteries that we can apprehend them. Use Objects As Visual Aids. ), "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. The easiest way to explain the Trinity is with an object lesson, and thats true no matter how old someone might be. The second point of clarification has to do with personhood. 3:3; Heb. Another serious error people have made is to think that the Father became the Son, who then became the Holy Spirit. 31:3; John 3:16; 1 John 4:8), Righteous (Ps. These three persons make up the one true God. Second, we have the son of God, Jesus. This law states that A cannot be both A (what it is) and non-A (what it is not) at the same time and in the same relationship. 2:10), convinces (John 6:44), teaches (Luke 12:12), convicts (John 16:18), commands (Acts 1:2), moves (John 11:33), helps (Rom. If you go to YouTube and search on explain the Trinity youll findlotsof videos. But all three must be present simultaneously for the geometric figure to be a triangle. Famous pastor and authorA.W. As theologian and apologist Norman Geisler has explained it, while essence is what you are, person is who you are. 2. Genesis tells us that God created the heavens and the earth by his word. Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! Awareness of the distinct role that each Person of the Trinity has in our salvation can especially serve to give us greater comfort and appreciation for God in our prayers, as well as helping us to be specific in directing our prayers. 6:11; Gal. 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. The seeds are like the Holy Spirit, because He helps us grow. You can cut into an apple in front of your group. 5:510; 1 Cor. Leading from values so others will walk passionately with God to grow and bear fruit. What we believe about the gospel and our call to serve every nation. The three most common go-to analogies for explaining the Trinity are water, an egg, and the sun. 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. The Holy Spirit is God. Only older children will grasp the in one concept of H20. Therefore, it is often difficult to have a concrete definition of Person as we use it in regards to the Trinity. That is where I go back to the starting point I mentioned above. And this teaching gives us a glimpse into the incomprehensible greatness of God. This analogy ignores the personal distinctions within God and mitigates them to mere roles. 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]. 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. How To Explain the Trinity to Muslims - Bellator Christi The Bible teaches the Trinity beginning with the days of creation. If you are teaching young children, these object lessons are both the perfect starting and stopping point. All three Persons of the Trinity are God. He is beyond us. How do they relate? Believe it or not, the fact that God is too immense for our finite minds should be comforting, not discouraging! In this case, "immanent" means "the action remaining within an agent.". The apple one is kind of cool. 2) It makes no sense 3) The doctrine is rooted in ancient pagan Babylon 4) Jesus himself said he is God's SON; not God himself as the Trinity teaches 1. Reaching students and faculty in middle and high school. 5:2), Miracles (Ex. The Son and Holy Spirit are equal in deity to the Father. There are two other major monotheistic world religions namely Judaism and Islam. Is referred to in the second person (you; Ps. Secondly I'd like you to read this verse with me from the Bible. Would you like to give your time to work with Cru? God the Holy Spirit. Some attributes include eternal, infinite, omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. The Father sent Jesus into the world (John 3:16; Gal. (So I won't send you any.) He is three in a different way than He is one. One of the problems is that most of us myself included are tempted to move too quickly to analogies that only help explainaspectsof the Trinity. Trinity | Definition, Theology, & History | Britannica 3. Why is the Trinity important to Christianity? The Hebrew word for God isElohim. Ask the teenager this question: Where does this fall short? They had to wait another 50 year for the 381 update. 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. It starts with a whisper. LESSON 1: THE TRINITY AIM: To teach the children in simple terms the truth of the Godhead. The Trinity has a very significant application to prayer. This is absolutely true. Understanding who the Holy Spirit is, the place He holds within the Holy Trinity and the role He plays in individual lives is vital to anyone exploring what it means to become a Christian and anyone trying to follow Jesus. Here are the best childrens Bibles, sorted by age. Since God is one in a different way than He is three, the Trinity is not a contradiction. What a challenge! For instance: Additionally, all three members of the Trinity participate together in several critical events. First, we have God. God addressed in the second person singular (you): 2 Sam. The Holy Spirit is God, but He is not the Son or the Father. 3:1617). 12:11), When the Holy Spirit speaks, he refers to himself in first person (Acts 13:2). EitherThe person were explaining it to will think that God simply changes from one to the other at different times and under different circumstances (water). 8:26), comprehends (1 Cor. Therefore, there is one God with one divine nature and three divine Persons. Then you will learn the distinction between personhood and essence or nature. We are referring to two different features of God: (1) his singular essenceor natureand (2) three Persons. Then study the pronouns used in Scripture point to the Trinity: This one-ness is Gods one divine essence (Heb 1:3). The Trinity is like an egg or apple. Carrying this concept over to the Trinity, it is not a contradiction for God to be both three and one because He is not three and one in the same way. You cant find an earthly match for this concept. Lets apply these concepts to the Trinity. 12:32; 28:19; Luke 3:22), There is one God and three Gods (a contradiction), God is one person and three persons (a contradiction), God has one nature and three natures (a contradiction), There is a functional order within the Trinity, Bowman, R Jr. The Biblical Basis of the Doctrine of the Trinity. Blue Letter Bible, https://www.blueletterbible.org/comm/bowman_robert/trinity/trinity.cfm#trin_1 Accessed: 1/20/2022. Discipleship 101: How to Disciple a New Believer - Crossway And the Trinity is an essential doctrine to our understanding of God. Unfortunately, there are many illustrations which are not simply imperfect, but in error. (Ohand I'll send you my free guideThe Simplest Way to Study ANY Bible Passageas a "Thank you" for jumping on board!). The only way humans can know about these mysteries is because the Bible teaches them. 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. What we have seen so far provides a good basic understanding of the Trinity. Admittedly, the idea of three distinct persons/expressions that are each fully God is part of the mystery. And the triangle can help us distinguish one essence from the three Persons. Yoto has lots of great stuff for, Read More 27 of the Best Yoto Cards for Kids (sorted by age group)Continue, If youre a Sunday School teacher or a mom hoping to instill a love of Bible learning in your children, Ive got some goodies for you! 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). Live in another country building relationships and ministries with eternal impact. This one is kinda fun for older kids who understand a bit of science. Tozerputs it well in The Knowledge of the Holy. The Trinity consists of one being revealed in three distinct persons. 13:14), the term Trinity does not appear. In order for something to be contradictory, it must violate the law of noncontradiction. (Heavy sigh.) 1:8). Tertullian, Cyprian, Augustine, and Jerome mention it. 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. Genesis 1:1says this: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.. As long as a shape has those three angles that add up to 180 degrees, it doesnt matter what the angles degrees are. Among the worlds religions, the Christian faith is unique. Why do so many people struggle with the doctrine of the Trinity? Then share them with another Christian or genuine seeker. How do we receive His grace? Well, we can know because God has given us his special revelation: the Bible. Amen. Of course, if the triangle illustration were perfect, we would be able to comprehend God fully, but we cant. One God? The origin of the doctrine of the Trinity is the Bible . Have a great discussion about it! Therefore each of the Persons into whose name we are to be baptized must be deity. Here are three I found to be really helpful. Jesus dying on the Cross is one of the most important parts of His story. Lets apply what weve learned to the Trinity based on the graphic. Learn about Cru's global leadership team. Looking for a great childrens Bible? Because ethnicity is part of the good of creation, we seek to honor and celebrate the ethnic identity of those with whom we serve as well as those we seek to reach. There we read that " God said, 'Let us make man in our image' . Most of them are less-than-helpful. 3. And interesting they are listed under a single name. This refers to Gods single essence. Matthew 12:28. 5:2122; John 13:34), End-time judgment (Matt. The word Trinity is never explicitly mentioned in the Bible; however, countless scriptures mention all three forms of God. Deut. What is the essence of a triangle? Be cool with leaving the gathering with more questions than answers. The Bible is clear that all three Persons are each one hundred percent God. 1. Partnering with urban churches to meet physical and spiritual needs.