This should make it clear why it is so important to understand that all three Persons are the same essence. Reaching students and faculty in middle and high school. Through accepting the undeserved gift of salvation (Eph. . And the voice of the Father declared, This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased (Matt. Here are the best childrens Bibles, sorted by age. No, the wordTrinitydoes not appear in the Bible. More posts you may like r/TrueChristian Many of us say it every single Sunday morning. Now, as Fred Sanders once quipped, this doesn't mean you should begin every witnessing encounter, "God loves you . Likewise, after the Son returned to the Father (John 16:10), the Father and the Son sent the Holy Spirit into the world (John 14:26; Acts 2:33). AboutPressCopyrightContact. 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.". Or what are the objective characteristics that all triangles share? Help others in their faith journey through discipleship and mentoring. Explore resources to help you live out your life and relationships in a way that honors God. It is one of the two ordinances of the Christian Church. The Bible reveals that God isone, in essence, eternally revealed inthree Persons. Fortunately, the most popular analogy of the Trinity is the triangle. The best way to teach the Trinity to ANYONE who is confused is with an object lesson. God is truth, so the unity that He is effecting between believers is a unity grounded in truth. It may seem like a daunting question at first, but when we think about it the truth of God's triune nature is meant to be a joy, a comfort, and a wonder to us! 4:30), and a will (1 Cor. The seeds are like the Holy Spirit, because He helps us grow. The Trinity does not divide God into three parts. Be cool with leaving the gathering with more questions than answers. This is something far removed from our human experience, where every different human "person" is a different being as well. Of course, if the triangle illustration were perfect, we would be able to comprehend God fully, but we cant. The doctrine or concept of the Trinity is central to most Christian denominations and faith groups, although not all. The relationship between essence and Person, then, is as follows. We need you. 3:6. The Trinity does not divide God into three parts. Elohimis the plural form of the word God. Is referred to in the second person (you; Ps. To be even more precise, essence is what you are. God the Son is the rays of sunshine. 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. Anytime you see a geometric figure with these features, it is a triangle. While not a typical conversation starter, this question is one of the most important we can ask in life. We can discern and apprehend what it is. 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. The first commandment says, You shall have no other gods before me (Ex. 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]. 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. However, the biblical doctrine of the Trinity does not rest on one verse of Scripture, but is found throughout the Old and New Testaments. How can three and one refer to the same God? 119; Prov. Two biblical teachings confirm the doctrine of the Trinity: How is that possible? 55 years on I've yet to hear or read an explanation of the Trinity that makes sense. In brief, how we view God will profoundly impact our everyday lives. One illustration to beware of is the one which says, I am one person, but I am a student, son, and brother. Of course, anyone can be simple if he has no facts to bother about (p. 145). And interesting they are listed under a single name. This refers to Gods single essence. In fact, kids who have been in church for many years will probably have already heard one of these illustrations. 3. Omnibenevolence (Jer. Most Christians are puzzled by the Trinity, and therefore, cant explain it very well. Paul unequivocally taught Jesus is God (Col. 2:9). More simply stated, the essence of any entity is what it is. All three members of the Trinity have these characteristics. God the Father spoke from heaven and spoke of His Son, Jesus. There are two men in their 20s who came to faith in Christ in recent weeks through the ministry of our church. Each of the persons is distinct from the other in relation (Economic Trinity), yet each is identical in essence (Ontological Trinity). When the global church comes together then powerful things can happen. 6:45; 32:39; 1 Kings 8:60; 2 Kings 5:15; Isa. Here are three I found to be really helpful. 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. Gods essence is His being. Thats why they wrote words like we find inJob 11:7-8, "Can you fathom the depths of God or discover the limits of the Almighty? Jesus is like the flesh, because He became flesh so we could know Him better. The technical term in case youre interested for this wrong way of thinking about God is calledmodalism. Use the links below to jump to a specific section: The doctrine of the Trinity means that there is one God who eternally exists as three distinct Persons the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Trinity Matters because the Gospel Matters. 23:2324). 5:7). The Holy Spirit is God. 3. Our kids are currently 2, 4, and 7, and its equally loved by all of them, so the Yoto age range is really wide! 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). 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. However, these illustrations arent perfect, and really mature kids or teenagers (or adult new believers) could handle digging a bit deeper! It is the Matthew 28:19 baptismal formula: Jesus said, Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in thenameof the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (emphasis mine). Does the Trinity mean that God is divided into three parts? The three members of the Trinity are Persons. 8:6a). 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. I am fully human. The prologue of the Gospel of John has the strongest argument for the Trinity. From our understanding of the Trinity (a social being), we recognize that a person is a relational being, not just someone with a mind, a will, and . My passion is helping you not just read and study the Bible, but truly enjoy it! God is spirit (John 4:24). Is the Trinity a contradiction? Genesis 1:1says this: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.. Therefore, it is often difficult to have a concrete definition of Person as we use it in regards to the Trinity. 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. Think about it: Finite Christians serve an eternal and infinite God. 2:10), knows (1 Cor. 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. Its three things, but all are complete on their own. Here we will summarize some of the fruits of their labor. There would only be a contradiction if we said that God is three in the same way that He is one. Third, we have the Holy Spirit, which is also God, living in our hearts and guiding us through life. After all, so much happens in the week leading up to the resurrection of Christ. Then, ask them to write words on the poster that make up the character of God. 1:17; Dan. The ancient church fathers at first simply acknowledged the Trinity without feeling the need to explain a theology of that understanding. using the shamrock or the three states of H 2 O to explain the . Ibid, p. 255. We exist to worship God. But first, lets cover the basics. 2:10), convinces (John 6:44), teaches (Luke 12:12), convicts (John 16:18), commands (Acts 1:2), moves (John 11:33), helps (Rom. 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. Engage Children in learning The Holy Trinity through Reading, Writing, Playing, Creating, Singing!Included in this resource:Bible Lesson Book-Teacher Edition: Read Aloud!Full sized, colorful large print . Do you need to devote yourself to unselfish religious deeds? The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all fully God. It is fundamental to our worldview. Reflecting Jesus together for the good of the city. Its a mystery the Bible teaches. And God created humankind to share that love (John 17:2126; Acts 17:25). This is absolutely true. That is ok when it comes to rocks and triangles. The fact that the Holy Spirit is a Person, not an impersonal force (like gravity), is also shown by the fact that He speaks (Hebrews 3:7), reasons (Acts 15:28), thinks and understands (1 Corinthians 2:10-11), wills (1 Corinthians 12:11), feels (Ephesians 4:30), and gives personal fellowship (2 Corinthians 13:14). "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.". 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. Egg A single egg is made up of the yolk, the whites, and the shell. *catholic, meaning universal here, and not a reference to the big C Catholic. As Hebrews 9:14 declares. And the Trinity is an essential doctrine to our understanding of God. Now youre gonna tell me theyre all the same but also different? The next time you (or I) are asked to explain the Trinity, you could start with a 1-sentence definition and then unpack that definition. 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. Our fellowship with God should be enhanced by consciously knowing that we are relating to a tri-personal God! All will play a role in the events mentioned in Revelation. Sigh. A Christian would still be expected to understand it. Geisler, N. L., and R. E MacKenzie, R. E. Roman Catholics and Evangelicals: agreements and differences. Conclusion: Scripture supports the Trinity. The Trinity is like an egg. These three-in-one are called "the Hindu triad" or the "Great Trinity" In the Hindu Puranas there is this passage: 'O ye three Lords! I think the major problem involves not distinguishing two different features of God. "The Trinity is the foundational Christian belief that God is one Being who exists in three Persons.. Let's explore each of these members. Yes, the Spirit was sent, but this does not imply that the Holy Spirit is less than they are. 6:11; Gal. Perfect for the Bible newbie or the long-time Bible reader. Most of them are less-than-helpful. Why? 4:4; Col. 1:15), Eternal (John 1:1-3; 17:5; Col. 1:16-17; Jude 25), Omnipresent (Matt. 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. What is the essence of a triangle? He was "begotten, not made," and he was of the same substance or essence ( homoousios) as the Father. This triune God (or Trinity) began to allude to this aspect of His nature right in Genesis 1:26-27. 13:14), the term Trinity does not appear. For instance: Additionally, all three members of the Trinity participate together in several critical events. Its okay to admit you dont know everything. Simply put: without three angles, theres no triangle! We can never completely understand the Trinities one essence and three Persons. While it is good for us to seek understanding of the Trinity, we cannot fully comprehend God. 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. Only older children will grasp the in one concept of H20. 4:4). The answer is simple. Essenceis the objective set of attributes necessary to the thing being described. Within Gods one, undivided being is an unfolding into three personal distinctions. Admittedly, the idea of three distinct persons/expressions that are each fully God is part of the mystery. They are all eternal. 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. Leading from values so others will walk passionately with God to grow and bear fruit. How could we? 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. 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. 118:28, God referred to in the third person singular (he, his, him): Gen. 1:5, 10; Ex. They include: Now you have a basic understanding of the Trinity. How can we pack more meaning and deeper, Read More Holy Week for Kids: How to Teach Beyond Easter SundayContinue, Not every child is born with tons of self esteem. 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. Answer. But it is possible to go deeper. The Trinity is a concept that is impossible for any human being to fully understand, let alone explain. Instead, they are all identical in attributes. Simply stated, God is one in essence and three in person. You will and can grasp these principles. 8:26), guides (John 16:13), creates (Ps. 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. After all, if the trinitarian nature of God is not in the Bible, why bother talking about it at all? These three persons make up the one true God. There is a clue that the Son is distinct from the Father, yet there is fellowship between them. And we can delight in praying to the Father through the Son in the Holy Spirit (John 14:1314; Eph. 9:5; Col. 2:9), The Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:34; 2 Cor. The Trinity confuses many people. To contemplate the Trinity is to lift up your heart and to "set your mind on the things above" (Col. 3:2). Helping students know Jesus, grow in their faith and go to the world to tell others. And confusing ones. God is not one person who plays three different roles, as this illustration suggests. As you might expect, some people consider these mysteries as contradictions. But in response we can point out both agreement and clarification. (Ohand I'll send you my free guideThe Simplest Way to Study ANY Bible Passageas a "Thank you" for jumping on board!). The Fathers plan for our redemption shows his great love for humankind. 1:2), and empowers us for service (Acts 1:8; 1 Cor. If each Person of the Trinity is distinct and yet fully God, then should we conclude that there is more than one God? 19:26). The word Trinity is never explicitly mentioned in the Bible; however, countless scriptures mention all three forms of God. While the three members of the Trinity are distinct, this does not mean that any is inferior to the other. You can help us reach children and their families to know Jesus. Ironically, not much is known about his death; even the year when he passed away is up for debate. I think it is because they lack at least two pieces of information: The main confusion is that many people dont get this distinction. 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. Essence and person are not the same thing. The prologue of the Gospel of John has the strongest argument for the Trinity. He is also referred to in third-person singular pronouns (John 14:26), He engages in actions only a person can do: He searches (1 Cor. 3:1417). Fun fact: The 325 Nicene Creed does not state Trinity. Second, we have the son of God, Jesus. For example: One of the most common mistakes people make is to think of the Holy Spirit as some force ala Star Wars. But the Holy Spirit is most assuredly a person. Learn how you can know God personally. 3:19; Eph. He exists as a Trinity. Therefore, the Holy Spirit must be distinct from the Father and the Son. Is God the same as Jesus? . 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. 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. In regards to the Trinity, we use the term Person differently than we generally use it in everyday life. The Trinity isn't some complicated distraction from the simple gospelit's actually part of the gospel. These verses make it impossible to deny their individuality and deity. 8:1417). Learn about Cru's global leadership team. Second, notice that each Person must be deity because they are all placed on the same level. 5:510; 1 Cor. Its probably the most classic Trinity object lesson, but its not my favorite. Trinity comes from two word parts: tri, meaning three, and unity, meaning as one. The concept of the Trinity is that we have God in three forms a union of three. The three most common go-to analogies for explaining the Trinity are water, an egg, and the sun. The concept of the Trinity is often referred to during worship, which helps Christians to understand it. 3:17), Omnipresence (Ps. Even then, he was not alone, because he had his Logos within him. Jesus is the one whose life we try to copy. Contrary to this, the passages we have seen imply that God always was and always will be three Persons. There are two other major monotheistic world religions namely Judaism and Islam. (Heavy sigh.) Each corner is distinct (i.e., different) from the others. 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. These are all qualities of personhood. For example, it says of Christ that in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form (Colossians 2:9). You can describe the Trinity in different ways: The wordspersonsandessencerefer to entirely different features relating to God. He is an extension of the sun and brings the sun directly to the world. How do we come to terms with these different ideas of God? Hmmm. Sproul cites as an example Dickens famous line, It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Obviously this is a contradiction if Dickens means that it was the best of times in the same way that it was the worst of times. know that I recognise only one God. While admitting the lack of conformity among believers, we must never consider it a minor issue of doctrine. Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! God the Fathers plan of redeeming humankind involved sending his Son into the world (John 3:16), The Son accomplished redemption for us on the cross (Heb. You may feel like you are drinking from a fire hydrant. ). That may sound intimidating but dont worry Ill unpack that definition below. Allegedly, Saint Patrick used a shamrock as a metaphor to explain the Trinity: three leaves, one shamrock. Not the answer an enquiring young mind was looking for. Some attributes include eternal, infinite, omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. The personhood of each member of the Trinity means that each Person has a distinct center of consciousness. And these three Persons are the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Scriptural evidence supports every element proving the Trinity. God the Father. But the Holy Spirit is not an it, but a He (see John 14:26; 16:7-15; Acts 8:16). Many other verses concurrently list the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. 2:6), The image of God (John 12:45; 2 Cor. This explains how God can be both one and three. The problem with this is that it reflects a heresy called modalism. That is where I go back to the starting point I mentioned above. Jesus carried out these creative decrees (John 1:3; Col. 1:16). 4:15), dying for our sins (1 Cor. The general pattern of prayer in the Bible is to pray to the Father through the Son and in the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 2:18). And God seeks people to worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:24). Subjection and subordination do not mean inequality. And then you will read eight critical truths about the nature of the Trinity. ONLY the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are God. Divide your group into three teams and give each group a sheet of butcher paper or poster. While I believe that this is a helpful definition, it should be recognized that Grudem himself is offering this as more of an explanation than definition of Person. So many things clamor to define you. The oldest member of the unholy trinity. The substance of God is God, not a bunch of ingredients that taken together yield deity. (So I won't send you any.) Are you still not a Christian? OksoWhat about this idea of one being who exists in three persons?. 1. However, the Bible teaches us enough about these mysteries that we can apprehend them. Ive already done your research at my local library. The easiest way to explain the Trinity is with an object lesson, and thats true no matter how old someone might be. And the triangle can help us distinguish one essence from the three Persons. . draws the believer into a new . If you are teaching young children, these object lessons are both the perfect starting and stopping point. Firstly, we agree that finite humankind is limited. There are two other major monotheistic world religions namely Judaism and Islam. 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. And when he speaks, he refers to himself in first personas I (Deut. Lets apply what weve learned to the Trinity based on the graphic. The fact that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct Persons means, in other words, that the Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is not the Father. 2:17). And Scripture provides many descriptors, orattributes,of Gods singular essence or nature. Those centuries were t The concept of the Trinity. How is God one? He was sustaining and manifesting Gods immediate presence in his creation. But as a follower of Christ, your identity can and should be grounded in one thing: who He says you are. Below is the easiest way that I have ever heard it explained: God the Father is the sun. With teenagers, you want to take a different approach, and celebrate the mystery of it all. 3:25; Dan. The answer is they are gray and hard. He wrote, What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.. The word Trinity does not appear even once in the Bible. The Father is God. 9:18; Matt. 2:5), The Father is not the Spirit (John 14:26; John 15:26), The Son is not the Spirit (Matt. Before moving on tounderstandingthe idea of one Being existing in three Persons, I will point out that theBiblical idea of the Trinity goes all the way back to the first verse in the first chapter in the first book of the Bible. 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. . 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. Example 1: What is the nature or essence of a rock? 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. Check out my tips for teaching your kids about bedtime prayer. .. 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. We can be adopted by the Father and united with Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit (John 1:1223; Rom. Begin and end with your object lesson, and be comfortable with the imperfect teaching.