The Trinity is the perfect loving community of three Persons. How can three and one refer to the same God? This command lists all three persons of the Trinity. Therefore each of the Persons into whose name we are to be baptized must be deity. 20:23; Deut. When the global church comes together then powerful things can happen. It is the same thing in three different forms. Often it is objected that If Jesus is God, then he must have prayed to himself while he was on earth. But the answer to this objection lies in simply applying what we have already seen. While the three members of the Trinity are distinct, this does not mean that any is inferior to the other. In other words, what are the objective attributes or properties that make up all rocks? These personal distinctions are modes of existence within the divine being, but are not divisions of the divine being. Ive been thinking about it a lot, doing some research to see how people smarter than I have explained the Trinity, and come to a better understanding of the Trinity andhow to explain the Trinity in simpler terms. What we have seen so far provides a good basic understanding of the Trinity. You can't explain the Trinity to anyone who reasons because: 1) The Bible does not support it. We cannot compete, in simplicity, with people who are inventing religions. Its a devotional book. Learn about Cru's global leadership team. How could we? Answer. 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.. The personhood of each member of the Trinity means that each Person has a distinct center of consciousness. 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. You may be wondering how to wrap your mind around all this brand-new information! 5:7). The Apostle Paul also affirms the doctrine of the Trinity. So God is one what but three whos.. They are different Persons, not three different ways of looking at God. And we can delight in praying to the Father through the Son in the Holy Spirit (John 14:1314; Eph. The Trinity does not divide God into three parts. Read about individuals who have been transformed by faith. Before anything was created he begat his Logos as a person distinct from himself. Surely not. The divine essence is thus not something that exists above or separate from the three Persons, but the divine essence is the being of the three Persons. The all powerful one who lives up in Heaven and either judges us mercilessly or loves us endlessly, depending on who you ask. The origin of the doctrine of the Trinity is the Bible . As youll see explained more deeply in one of the videos below, you can think of it this way: I am a human being. Jesus himself spoke of the one-ness of the Godhead when he quoted the Shema of Deuteronomy 6:4. 11:3336). 28:18-20; 2 Cor. Satan. Leading from values so others will walk passionately with God to grow and bear fruit. 2. Rather, each person of the Trinity has all of the attributes of God, and no one Person has any attributes that are not possessed by the others. 3. 2:2729). However, these illustrations arent perfect, and really mature kids or teenagers (or adult new believers) could handle digging a bit deeper! You can help us reach children and their families to know Jesus. 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 God seeks people to worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:24). To this day, this scripture inspires the language we use to baptize people across Christian denominations. Most of them are less-than-helpful. Reaching students and faculty in middle and high school. If you are teaching young children, these object lessons are both the perfect starting and stopping point. 2:1011; Heb. Its three things, but all are complete on their own. We can be adopted by the Father and united with Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit (John 1:1223; Rom. I might end with sharing a few analogies from nature. A rumor is started, and it spreads like wildfire. Because of Gods nature, several mysteries exist within our faith. They include: Now you have a basic understanding of the Trinity. We then turn to the most important strategies that have been developed by Christians to resolve this problem. 1:318; 1 Pet. Yes, the Spirit was sent, but this does not imply that the Holy Spirit is less than they are. Think about it: Finite Christians serve an eternal and infinite God. The Trinity consists of one being revealed in three distinct persons. Their prime usefulness it to show the mystery is not contradictory. Lets start with the geometric figure of the triangle itself. In the early 2000s, people began using a new approach called "deep . Elohimis the plural form of the word God. Each corner is distinct (i.e., different) from the others. Trinity may be a new term for you and can be confusing even for Christians to explain to others. 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). The Trinity doctrine developed over hundreds of years and was influenced by the teachings of pagan Greek philosophers. And this teaching gives us a glimpse into the incomprehensible greatness of God. 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. 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. 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. the one who is not a Christian. (So I won't send you any.) 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. We exist to worship God. Object Lessons on the Trinity for a Child or New Believer, The Difference Between Teaching the Trinity to a Child vs. a Teenager, Books that Explain the Trinity to a Child, Navigating Girl Drama: 20 Ways Schools and Parents Can Help Calm the Storm, Is It Normal that My 4 Year Old Can Read? Unsubscribe at any time. The New Testament lists all three Persons of the Trinity simultaneously, 6. Among the three persons of the Trinity, there is a proper order: The Father is the First Person of the Most Holy Trinity. In eternity past, before the beginning, God was alone. Help others in their faith journey through discipleship and mentoring. Answer. In explaining the Trinity to your friend, begin, perhaps, with the work of salvation. 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. be explained away. Yet most Christians have difficulty explaining the Trinity clearly and Biblically. Question: How do you explain the Trinity? 2:5), The Father is not the Spirit (John 14:26; John 15:26), The Son is not the Spirit (Matt. 2:6), The image of God (John 12:45; 2 Cor. It starts with a whisper. Some attributes include eternal, infinite, omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. Now lets dig into these imperfect yet better than nothing representations of the Trinity for kids. Third, Christians believe that the entire New Testament is inspired. 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. These three persons are of the same substance, equal in power and glory. 2:8-9), we can become Gods children. Even then, he was not alone, because he had his Logos within him. 2. Neither should we think of the Persons as being defined by attributes added on to the being of God. Essence and person are not the same thing. 12:11), When the Holy Spirit speaks, he refers to himself in first person (Acts 13:2). 3. 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. The early church absolutely believed and taught the belief in a God who was three-in-one. 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. 6:45; 32:39; 1 Kings 8:60; 2 Kings 5:15; Isa. Lets move on to Scriptural evidence for the Trinity. Get the answers to frequently asked questions on Christian beliefs and practices. 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. That is why any discussion of the Trinity is based on Scripture (Ps. Divide your group into three teams and give each group a sheet of butcher paper or poster. Learn to develop your skills, desire and ability to join others on their spiritual journeys and take them closer to Jesus. Whether an object is a rock or a triangle, we can classify it based on its objective characteristics. There would only be a contradiction if we said that God is three in the same way that He is one. 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. 12:711), The Father is not the Son (Matt. The doctrine of the Trinity is considered to be one of the central Christian affirmations about God. 8:6), Jesus is called God (John 1:1-5; John 20:28; Rom. . Your Identity in Christ: How God Sees You. Founder & Teacher, desiringGod.org. Essence means the same thing as being. Thus, since God is only one essence, He is only one being, not three. The word Trinity does not appear even once in the Bible. 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. There we read that " God said, 'Let us make man in our image' . 31:3; John 3:16; 1 John 4:8), Righteous (Ps. 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. How can one explain the Trinity simply to a new believer? But continue seeking to understand why the Trinitarian nature of God matters. I am also fully Keith Ferrin. Ive got you covered with all the basics, no matter your denomination. 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. They are personal forms of existence other than a difference in being. This is something far removed from our human experience, where every different human "person" is a different being as well. The Hebrew word for God isElohim. For example, since the Father sent the Son into the world (John 3:16), He cannot be the same person as the Son. Here is an object with three parts: a hard shell, the egg white, and the yolk. 1:2), Jesus as God (Titus 2:13), and the Holy Spirit as God (Acts 5:3-4). Being Gods child, we can worship the Father and Jesus through the Spirit (John 4:2324; Phil. The Bible reveals that God isone, in essence, eternally revealed inthree Persons. If youre wondering how to explain the Trinity to a child, keep it simple. 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. Rather, the being of each Person is equal to the whole being of God.[1] The divine essence is not something that is divided between the three persons, but is fully in all three persons without being divided into parts., Thus, the Son is not one-third of the being of God, He is all of the being of God. This one is kinda fun for older kids who understand a bit of science. This is a limitation on God that doesnt acknowledge that God isalwaysthe Father,alwaysthe Son, andalwaysthe Holy Spirit. Why, if they are ALL God? 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. The Bible is clear that all three Persons are each one hundred percent God. That definition is a mouthful. Then you will learn the distinction between personhood and essence or nature. Each member of the Trinity is . Modern theologians have created a distinction between the "economic Trinity" and the "immanent Trinity.". Its okay to admit you dont know everything. Reflecting Jesus together for the good of the city. 2. In all transparency, I feel like I did a pretty mediocre job of explaining the Trinity to them in a way they could grasp. Thats where the confusion comes from. 1. .. Three separate beings, all rolled into one entity. Here are three I found to be really helpful. 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 . Have some fun taking various quizzes and assessments to learn about yourself and others. The trouble with this one is that its a bit less visual. 8:6a). Now, as Fred Sanders once quipped, this doesn't mean you should begin every witnessing encounter, "God loves you . 15:3). God is the Father, the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit. ONLY the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are God. The late theologian Herman Bavinck has stated something very helpful at this point: The persons are modes of existence within the being; accordingly, the Persons differ among themselves as the one mode of existence differs from the other, and using a common illustration as the open palm differs from a closed fist.[4], Because each of these forms of existence are relational (and thus are Persons), they are each a distinct center of consciousness, with each center of consciousness regarding Himself as I and the others as You. Nonetheless, these three Persons all consist of the same stuff (that is, the same what, or essence). John says in the first verse of the book: "The Word was with God, and the Word was God.". 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). But how does it show us why there is only one God instead of three? The concept of the Trinity. It's a great reminder of the three parts of the Holy Trinity! A triangle must have three sides three corners (angles), and the sum of the three angles must be 180 degrees. Be cool with leaving the gathering with more questions than answers. In his bookMere Christianity, C. S. Lewis points out an important distinction. Below is the easiest way that I have ever heard it explained: God the Father is the sun. A subreddit for the encouragement and discussion of the Biblical Unitarian position which holds 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). That may sound intimidating but dont worry Ill unpack that definition below. This doctrine is absolutely essential to New Testament Christianity. Lets apply what weve learned to the Trinity based on the graphic. 1:20-21), In salutations and benedictions (2 Cor. 4:4). 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. Ignore the urge to tie everything up with a nice little bow. Third, we have the Holy Spirit, which is also God, living in our hearts and guiding us through life. 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. 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. 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. These three persons make up the one true God. 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. 42. More posts you may like r/TrueChristian He was "begotten, not made," and he was of the same substance or essence ( homoousios) as the Father. Trying to fully understand God is like a 2-year-old trying to fully understand the complexities of relationships, marriage, and parenting! Must you become a better person so that God will accept you? And yet, we run into the same problem again, because God isnt made up of parts. How do we receive His grace? There is a clue that the Son is distinct from the Father, yet there is fellowship between them. 1:12). In fact, kids who have been in church for many years will probably have already heard one of these illustrations. God the Father spoke from heaven and spoke of His Son, Jesus. No, the wordTrinitydoes not appear in the Bible. In brief, how we view God will profoundly impact our everyday lives. Secondly I'd like you to read this verse with me from the Bible. As you might expect, some people consider these mysteries as contradictions. But in response we can point out both agreement and clarification. That's the one we think of as the Father. Explore answers to life's biggest questions. Most Christians are puzzled by the Trinity, and therefore, cant explain it very well. LESSON 1: THE TRINITY AIM: To teach the children in simple terms the truth of the Godhead. Or stated simply, the triangles what-ness.. But a common question arises: How do the members of the Trinity differ from one another?. While theconceptof the Trinity is evident in the New Testament (Matt. 45:5-6, New Testament: Mark 12:29; John 5:44; Eph. But what does it mean that God is gracious? 15:16), inspires, intercedes (Rom. 25:3146; 2 Cor. 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. 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 Trinity was present in the atonement at the cross. We believe God is one in essence. Even wonderful parents have kids who struggle with self esteem, despite excellent parenting and a supportive home environment. Christianity is a monotheistic religion. Explore resources to help you live out your life and relationships in a way that honors God. Sometimes the Spirit is treated more like a force than a Person. In other words, there is one God who exists as three distinct Persons. 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. Why? 1:17; Dan. The Holy Spirit is God. What is the Trinity? Live in another country building relationships and ministries with eternal impact. What does it take to begin a relationship with God? 4:47), In Hebrews (Heb. Principle #3: Order. 55 years on I've yet to hear or read an explanation of the Trinity that makes sense. 13:14), the term Trinity does not appear. Have a great discussion about it! For instance, the Father is the first person of the Trinity. His function is superior to that of the Son and the Holy Spirit. Further, we clearly should not think of God as consisting of anything other than divinity. Ask them to draw it on the page. Gods attributes are not parts of his singular divine essence. The doctrine is critical, even if not easily comprehended. Theologian R.C. You can describe the Trinity in different ways: The wordspersonsandessencerefer to entirely different features relating to God. (Ohand I'll send you my free guideThe Simplest Way to Study ANY Bible Passageas a "Thank you" for jumping on board!). I think the major problem involves not distinguishing two different features of God. But Scripture provides ample evidence of the existence of the Trinity. The apple one is kind of cool. 4:15), dying for our sins (1 Cor. Firstly, we agree that finite humankind is limited. Learn how you can know God personally. We can never completely understand the Trinities one essence and three Persons. If each Person of the Trinity is distinct and yet fully God, then should we conclude that there is more than one God? Subjection and subordination do not mean inequality. 6:2122), Resuscitation of the dead (1 Kings 17:1724; 2 Kings 4:1837), The resurrection of Jesus (Acts 4:10; Acts 10:40), Sustains the universe (Col. 1:17; Heb. If God is three Persons, does this mean that each Person is one-third of God? Partnering with urban churches to meet physical and spiritual needs. Genesis 1:1says this: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.. 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. Ibid, p. 255. Instead, they are all identical in attributes. 2:34; Heb. But is there any easy way to apprehend these exciting discoveries? Did your kids give each form of God different personality traits? However, Matthew 28:19 is frequently used in attempts to prove that the Trinity is a biblical teaching. Striving to see Christ-followers on every team, in every sport and in every nation. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all fully God. How we seek to journey together with everyone towards a relationship with Jesus. The Trinity is first of all important because God is important. See if they can think of anything better, and be ready to discuss where different ideas might not quite work. But the Holy Spirit is not an it, but a He (see John 14:26; 16:7-15; Acts 8:16). 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. Now we will turn our attention to showing the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are persons.. Allegedly, Saint Patrick used a shamrock as a metaphor to explain the Trinity: three leaves, one shamrock. Grace is the promise that you stand forgiven before God if you know Jesus. 55:8-9). Bringing hope and resources to military families worldwide. It is one of the two ordinances of the Christian Church. 1:2), and empowers us for service (Acts 1:8; 1 Cor. He is one in essence. 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. The Trinity. For example, it says of Christ that "in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form" (Colossians 2:9). It has been said, Try to explain the trinity and lose your mind, try to explain away the trinity and lose your soul. 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. After all, the Trinity is difficult to understand. It is understandable that our finite minds cannot grasp an infinite God. 1. We cannot entirelycomprehendan infinite God and these mysteries (Rom. For example: God the Father is a person. Thats what faith is being content with our own confusion while still knowing that God is bigger than we can comprehend. 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. 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. We hate SPAM. 1:8). 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. Now youre gonna tell me theyre all the same but also different? All will play a role in the events mentioned in Revelation. They are higher than the heavenswhat can you do?, "For as heaven is higher than earth, so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.. 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. After all, if the trinitarian nature of God is not in the Bible, why bother talking about it at all? These definitions express three crucial truths: (1) The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct Persons, (2) each Person is fully God, (3) there is only one God. The Definition Of The Trinity. The Bible speaks of the Father as God (Phil. But he is not inferior in Gods divine essence. All three Persons of the Trinity are God. And then you will read eight critical truths about the nature of the Trinity. Binmin Podcast 8: God & Origins | What Questions Should I Ask About My Faith, Binmin Podcast Ep. Why not plan on studying verses in each section to prove to yourself that the Bible does claim that God is a Trinity? Then share them with another Christian or genuine seeker. The three members of the unholy trinity are Satan, the Antichrist, and the false prophet. This triune God (or Trinity) began to allude to this aspect of His nature right in Genesis 1:26-27. Geisler, N. L., and R. E MacKenzie, R. E. Roman Catholics and Evangelicals: agreements and differences.