To confess that the Father, Son, and Spirit are equal in power of course means that one does not rule over the other in any way. 1:2), Jesus as God (Titus 2:13), and the Holy Spirit as God (Acts 5:3-4). No, the wordTrinitydoes not appear in the Bible. The Trinity Is Unique Among Monotheistic Religions Christianity is a "monotheistic" religion. All of this information is a lot to take in at once. know that I recognise only one God. Ask them to draw it on the page. You cant find an earthly match for this concept. The Trinity is like an egg or apple. We believe God is one in essence. 4:47), In Hebrews (Heb. How to explain the Trinity to a non-Christian - Quora This can only be if they share one essence. Within Gods one, undivided being is an unfolding into three personal distinctions. 15:28). 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. 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! Is God the same as Jesus? The Holy Trinity Prek Teaching Resources | TPT After all, each of these illustrate the idea that God is made up of parts, and thats not really true. He differs from the Father, but was and . Anytime you see a geometric figure with these features, it is a triangle. 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. The doctrine or concept of the Trinity is central to most Christian denominations and faith groups, although not all. How is God different? But Christianitys God is unique. 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. 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.". 5 Scriptural Points to Help You Understand the Trinity 11:3336). 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. Remember, the nature or essence of an entity is the property or attributes that make it what it is. If there is one passage which most clearly brings all of this together, it is Matthew 28:19: Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. First, notice that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinguished as distinct Persons. 19:26). The personhood of each member of the Trinity means that each Person has a distinct center of consciousness. While the three members of the Trinity are distinct, this does not mean that any is inferior to the other. Have a great discussion about it! Obviously we cannot, for Scripture is clear that there is only one God: There is no other God besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides me. Thats where the confusion comes from. When Jesus answered the question, What is the greatest commandment? he prefaced the answer by quoting the. This is just an egg, or an apple, or H2O. Actually, March 17 commemorates St. Patrick's death, actually. Modern theologians have created a distinction between the "economic Trinity" and the "immanent Trinity.". Just hang on a little longer. As a former youth minister and childrens minister, Ive already done your research! What Is the Doctrine of the Trinity? - Blue Letter Bible Explore answers to life's biggest questions. The only way humans can know about these mysteries is because the Bible teaches them. 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. ), "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. ). 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). 13:14), the term Trinity does not appear. 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. 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. The word Trinity is never explicitly mentioned in the Bible; however, countless scriptures mention all three forms of God. It is crucial for properly understanding what God is like, how He relates to us, and how we should relate to Him. 3:17; 17:5; Luke 10:22; John 3:35; 10:15; 12:28; 17:1-26; 1 Tim. Of course we are speaking by analogy here, for we cannot understand this in a physical way about God. 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. How would you explain the Trinity? - The Gathering Community Church Mumbai Therefore, we must always endeavor to deepen our worship of God in truth as well as in our hearts. The Trinity and Christian Unity - Ligonier Ministries They are three real persons, not three roles God plays. Clearly, he appreciated a plurality within the Godhead. How to explain the Trinity to a new believer - Quora Trying to fully understand God is like a 2-year-old trying to fully understand the complexities of relationships, marriage, and parenting! 9:18; Matt. And God seeks people to worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:24). Go ahead and start with one of the object lessons above. God Is Triune | Answers in Genesis 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. December 19, 2018. Explaining the Holy Trinity of God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), and God the Holy Spirit will be needed at some point when presenting the God of the Bible to children, Muslims, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons and other non-Christians. In this case, "immanent" means "the action remaining within an agent.". The Trinity. He realized Scripture alone is the only way we know about the Trinity (1 Cor. Lets change that! Each person of God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) really IS God. Paul unequivocally taught Jesus is God (Col. 2:9). With input from her father, fart followed within a day or two, and I was horrified, but also excited that she mysteriously managed an r-controlled vowel without any explicit instruction. These verses make it impossible to deny their individuality and deity. 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. 2:18). Sometimes the Personhood of the Father and Son is appreciated, but the Personhood of the Holy Spirit is neglected. 7:28; Ps. What Should Christians Know about the Trinity? Does the Trinity mean that God is divided into three parts? AboutPressCopyrightContact. But what exactly are essence or nature and personhood? They are personal forms of existence other than a difference in being. Trinity | Definition, Theology, & History | Britannica "But if I [Jesus] cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.". Unfortunately, there are many illustrations which are not simply imperfect, but in error. The Son is the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity. And in John 16:13-15 we see that although there is a close unity between them all, the Holy Spirit is also distinct from the Father and the Son. The three most common go-to analogies for explaining the Trinity are water, an egg, and the sun. 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. We can be adopted by the Father and united with Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit (John 1:1223; Rom. Everything in Christian theology and in the believer's life finally comes back to who God is: the divine nature, the persons of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. For instance he: Jesus has all the features that ensure he, too, is a person. PDF UNDERSTANDING THE TRINITY - Silica Bible Chapel Each Person of the Trinity is distinct, 8. He regenerates us with new spiritual life (John 3:58). Sigh. If you're looking for the best Christian jobs and careers, check out Cru's ministry job openings for full- and part-time missionaries and professionals. All three members of the Trinity have these characteristics. How Not to Be Scared of AI Its okay for them to have a very limited understanding of God. You can describe the Trinity in different ways: The wordspersonsandessencerefer to entirely different features relating to God. Ignore the urge to tie everything up with a nice little bow. 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. 139:711; Jer. Because these features make up the singular essence or nature of a triangle. It may seem that the Catholic Church and all the Protestant denominations dont have much in common, but they do have this creed to share. Its obvious that the Trinity is important to Christianity because its the framework for one of our oldest texts that crosses multiple denominations: the Apostles Creed, written in the 5th century. He exists as a Trinity. Second, notice that each Person must be deity because they are all placed on the same level. But continue seeking to understand why the Trinitarian nature of God matters. That's the one we think of as the Father. The Trinity is first of all important because God is important. May 23, 2012 by: Justin Buzzard. This verse accurately states the doctrine of the Trinity that God is One God in three Persons. Whats a Mama to say when the questions start flowing? . 55:8-9). The Trinity confuses many people. Its okay to admit you dont know everything. Divide your group into three teams and give each group a sheet of butcher paper or poster. How we seek to journey together with everyone towards a relationship with Jesus. John says in the first verse of the book: "The Word was with God, and the Word was God." Here is an indication of the divinity of the Word. 9:5; Col. 2:9), The Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:34; 2 Cor. There are two other major monotheistic world religions namely Judaism and Islam. Lets go back to the Trinity triangle graphic, and you will see: By now you understand that the three Persons of the Trinity equally share Gods essence. In other words, there is one God who exists as three distinct Persons. Scriptural evidence supports every element proving the Trinity. I'm an author, speaker, husband, father and ice cream lover. But its not a mystery that can or should! But that doesnt mean the concept isnt clearly taught. How to Explain the Trinity to Muslims - Biblical Missiology The prologue of the Gospel of John has the strongest argument for the Trinity. Because of Gods nature, several mysteries exist within our faith. The answer must be no, because the Bible also indicates that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct Persons. 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. Christ took Gods punishment, and wrath meant for us because of our sins (Heb. See if they can think of anything better, and be ready to discuss where different ideas might not quite work. God created man in His image. God is one in a certain way (essence) and three in a different way (person). Well, we can know because God has given us his special revelation: the Bible. Genesis tells us that God created the heavens and the earth by his word. 4; 14; Jon. This is absolutely true. We begin with a brief discussion of the doctrine in historical context, explaining more fully the nature of the problem it raises. Reflecting Jesus together for the good of the city. As you might expect, some people consider these mysteries as contradictions. But in response we can point out both agreement and clarification. He is one Being in three Persons (centers of consciousness), not merely three roles. The Best Way to Explain the Trinity to Kids - The Purposeful Mom OrThe person were explaining it to will think that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are only parts of God (egg and sun). Its a clear and concise explanation that works great for kids. Question: How do you explain the Trinity? For example the: Finite humankind cannot wholly comprehend these mysteries. The Father and the Son are God almighty, omnipotent God. Yes, the Spirit was sent, but this does not imply that the Holy Spirit is less than they are. But what does it mean that God is gracious? Most Christians are puzzled by the Trinity, and therefore, cant explain it very well. Take the next step in your faith journey with resources on prayer, devotionals and other tools for personal and spiritual growth. At his death on the cross, sinless Jesus chose to substitute himself in our place (Heb. What we believe about the gospel and our call to serve every nation. God the Father. Famous pastor and authorA.W. There are three Persons with one divine essence! As a mom to three kids under 8, an instructional coach, and a former classroom teacher, I know a thing or two about how public schools REALLY work and the challenges we face in the United States. Baker Books, 1995, pp. Lets do a quick review of the topics we have covered. Geisler, N. L., and R. E MacKenzie, R. E. Roman Catholics and Evangelicals: agreements and differences. But Keith Ferrin is noteveryhuman being.. I might end with sharing a few analogies from nature. For example, since the Father sent the Son into the world (John 3:16), He cannot be the same person as the Son. But a common question arises: How do the members of the Trinity differ from one another?. Thus, Jesus prayed to God the Father without praying to Himself. Other statements may at first seem contradictory but are really not. Second, we have the son of God, Jesus. It starts with a whisper. More posts you may like r/TrueChristian Essenceis the objective set of attributes necessary to the thing being described. And God created humankind to share that love (John 17:2126; Acts 17:25). What Is the Trinity in Christianity? - Learn Religions The The truth is always new, fresh, and exciting to the believer in Christ. 8:6a). 2:34; Heb. The three Persons are distinct, yet only constitute one name. The doctrine of the Trinity means that there is one God who eternally exists as three distinct Persons the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. But all three must be present simultaneously for the geometric figure to be a triangle. Each corner is distinct (i.e., different) from the others. 89:14; John 17:25; Rom. Those centuries were t 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.
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