15:16), inspires, intercedes (Rom. The New Testament lists all three Persons of the Trinity simultaneously, 6. What is Gods essence? This is something far removed from our human experience, where every different human "person" is a different being as well. 2:6), The image of God (John 12:45; 2 Cor. The Son and Holy Spirit are equal in deity to the Father. First, we have God. 1. God is the Father, the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit. . Most Christians are puzzled by the Trinity, and therefore, cant explain it very well. Many of us say it every single Sunday morning. 31:3; John 3:16; 1 John 4:8), Righteous (Ps. 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. But what exactly are essence or nature and personhood? The Bible is full of Scripture speaking of there being only one God (seeDeuteronomy 6:4for starters), as well as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all being God. Find resources for personal or group Bible study. 2. 3. How do we come to terms with these different ideas of God? Matt Perman is the director of career navigation at The Kings College NYC, a blogger, and an author. Trinity not mentioned in the Bible anywhere! Three separate beings, all rolled into one entity. 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. We baptize into the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. The prologue of the Gospel of John has the strongest argument for the Trinity. For example, it says of Christ that in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form (Colossians 2:9). Third, notice that although the three divine Persons are distinct, we are baptized into their name (singular), not names (plural). We then turn to the most important strategies that have been developed by Christians to resolve this problem. However, the biblical doctrine of the Trinity does not rest on one verse of Scripture, but is found throughout the Old and New Testaments. The Holy Spirit descended upon Him to equip Him for His ministry. God the Father spoke from heaven and spoke of His Son, Jesus. In order for something to be contradictory, it must violate the law of noncontradiction. How is God different? Below is the easiest way that I have ever heard it explained: God the Father is the sun. After all, plenty of, Read More 40 Surprising and Fun Bible Facts for Kids (with a FREE true/false printable game)Continue, Whereas most of us are pretty comfortable with our family traditions for celebrating Easter, Holy Week for kids is WAY more intimidating. Ironically, not much is known about his death; even the year when he passed away is up for debate. The seeds are like the Holy Spirit, because He helps us grow. Gods attributes are not parts of his singular divine essence. Perhaps for the first time, you have read that the Trinity is a mystery and not acontradiction. Explore answers to life's biggest questions. Here is an object with three parts: a hard shell, the egg white, and the yolk. I might end with sharing a few analogies from nature. These three persons make up the one true God. 8:1417). Assign each group with one of the Godheads: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), or the Holy Spirit. 1:20-21), In salutations and benedictions (2 Cor. 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. Further, we clearly should not think of God as consisting of anything other than divinity. Contrary to this, the passages we have seen imply that God always was and always will be three Persons. 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]. In his bookMere Christianity, C. S. Lewis points out an important distinction. 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. To help us do that, here are two reasons why the Trinity matters. What is a functional order or subordination? It means that a Trinity member submits himself to one or both of the other members. 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.". The substance of God is God, not a bunch of ingredients that taken together yield deity. Of course, anyone can be simple if he has no facts to bother about (p. 145). And the triangle can help us distinguish one essence from the three Persons. This should make it clear why it is so important to understand that all three Persons are the same essence. They had to wait another 50 year for the 381 update. The concept of the Trinity is often referred to during worship, which helps Christians to understand it. 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. Begin and end with your object lesson, and be comfortable with the imperfect teaching. Hes the one who walked the Earth blamelessly, performing miracles, and extending mercy and love. He exists as a Trinity. 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. When the global church comes together then powerful things can happen. Have some fun taking various quizzes and assessments to learn about yourself and others. 2:18). Why is the Trinity important to Christianity? 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. Secondly I'd like you to read this verse with me from the Bible. Well, we can know because God has given us his special revelation: the Bible. In other words, Christianity is unique among all other worldviews. 3:17; 17:5; Luke 10:22; John 3:35; 10:15; 12:28; 17:1-26; 1 Tim. Famous pastor and authorA.W. Yet most Christians have difficulty explaining the Trinity clearly and Biblically. To start, let me define what I mean when I say persons. Personhood is having intellect, emotions, and a will. Neither should we think of the Persons as being defined by attributes added on to the being of God. . John says in the first verse of the book: "The Word was with God, and the Word was God.". The idea that God is somehow three and one starts onPage 1and never changes. You will and can grasp these principles. 2:2729). The Father is God. To this day, this scripture inspires the language we use to baptize people across Christian denominations. But it also raises many difficult questions. From the 1950s to the 2000s, people wanted to see if they could make computers exhibit intelligence indistinguishable from humans. God the Son. Remember, the nature or essence of an entity is the property or attributes that make it what it is. Sometimes the Spirit is treated more like a force than a Person. But Jesus did not become less than the Father during his incarnation. They are personal forms of existence other than a difference in being. Christs resurrection is variously attributed to: Multiple verses distinguish each member of the Trinity. Elohimis the plural form of the word God. First of all I want to tell you that the Trinity is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. You can't explain the Trinity to anyone who reasons because: 1) The Bible does not support it. 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. also 1:18). OrThe person were explaining it to will think that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are only parts of God (egg and sun). However, Matthew 28:19 is frequently used in attempts to prove that the Trinity is a biblical teaching. The word Trinity does not appear even once in the Bible. Baker Books, 1995, pp. Most people, including many Christians, struggle trying to apprehend the Trinity. And interesting they are listed under a single name. This refers to Gods single essence. The Apostle Paul also affirms the doctrine of the Trinity. Grace is the promise that you stand forgiven before God if you know Jesus. The Trinity is a mystery beyond our comprehension (Isa. 2:34; Heb. Trinity may be a new term for you and can be confusing even for Christians to explain to others. Omnibenevolence (Jer. The three members of the Trinity are Persons. What does essence mean? Your Identity in Christ: How God Sees You. The ancient church fathers at first simply acknowledged the Trinity without feeling the need to explain a theology of that understanding. 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. Each person of the Trinity is equally and fully God, distinct from the others, and yet they remain just one God. Because humankind is limited, God will always exceed our knowledge and understanding (Isa. God the Holy Spirit. Learn how you can know God personally. Reaching students and faculty in middle and high school. How do we know whats age-appropriate for them to understand? Therefore, we must always endeavor to deepen our worship of God in truth as well as in our hearts. He realized Scripture alone is the only way we know about the Trinity (1 Cor. If we can understand more precisely what is meant by essence and person, how these two terms differ, and how they relate, we will then have a more complete understanding of the Trinity. God the Father spoke the creative words to bring the universe into being (Gen. 1:1). Is God the same as Jesus? The doctrine is critical, even if not easily comprehended. 1:2), and empowers us for service (Acts 1:8; 1 Cor. 8:26), guides (John 16:13), creates (Ps. We hate SPAM. 2:8-9), we can become Gods children. 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. Go ahead and start with one of the object lessons above. Finally I would end with Deuteronomy 29:29 which helps us to realize that we cannot fully comprehend God. 5:2122; John 13:34), End-time judgment (Matt. While not a typical conversation starter, this question is one of the most important we can ask in life. Heres the problem (and why we shouldntstartwith these analogies):If these analogies are the only way someone thinks of the Trinity, it will lead to one of two errors. He sanctifies us (1 Pet. Lets start with the geometric figure of the triangle itself. Read about individuals who have been transformed by faith. These three persons are of the same substance, equal in power and glory. But as a follower of Christ, your identity can and should be grounded in one thing: who He says you are. To be even more precise, essence is what you are. 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. But how does it show us why there is only one God instead of three? For example: The Nicene Creed is recited during every service of Holy Communion . Third, Christians believe that the entire New Testament is inspired. I work hard to produce evidence-based information about school for both teachers and parents, and to produce and share resources that can help at home and in the classroom. Tozerputs it well in The Knowledge of the Holy. 3:6. What's the Origin and History of the Trinity in the Church? 1:18; Luke 1:2635). He sent Jesus to save us and then completed our salvation through the indwelling Holy Spirit (Eph. And he should be referred to by personal pronouns and never as it. The Holy Spirits is a person because he: Scripture also proves that the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are God. But dont get confused. passage also demonstrates Jesus' early declaration of the Trinity. When you cut an apple in half, you can see that each of these three parts are different (at this point, you can cut the apple open for your kids! If someone already has an understanding based on the definition and explanation above, then these analogiesmighthelp them grasp aspects of the Trinity. 1:7; 2 Tim. Each Person of the Trinity is distinct, 8. Theologian R.C. 3:17), Omnipresence (Ps. Unfortunately, there are many illustrations which are not simply imperfect, but in error. "Economic" has to do with the history of salvation, and discusses the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the sending and mission of salvation. In this case, "immanent" means "the action remaining within an agent.". Essence and person are not the same thing. 28:18-20; 2 Cor. 15:19), God is called Father (John 17:1; John 3; 20:17; 1 Cor. 20:3; cf. Genesis 1:1says this: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.. 13: Trinity | Putting the Fun In, Faith and Finances: 5 Steps to Get Started. Faith is recognizing that we dont have all the answers and deciding that its okay to keep believing and growing. We exist to worship God. 3:16; 2 Pet. 3. He is one in essence. This is just an egg, or an apple, or H2O. He exists as a Trinity. The The truth is always new, fresh, and exciting to the believer in Christ. He is one Being in three Persons (centers of consciousness), not merely three roles. Christianity is a monotheistic religion. For instance: Additionally, all three members of the Trinity participate together in several critical events. The Trinity was present in the atonement at the cross. But the Holy Spirit is not an it, but a He (see John 14:26; 16:7-15; Acts 8:16). The Definition Of The Trinity. But first, lets cover the basics. "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. One helpful Scripture explicitly refers to the essence and personhood of the Trinity. The all powerful one who lives up in Heaven and either judges us mercilessly or loves us endlessly, depending on who you ask. I wont go into all of the verses here (simply type bible verses about the Trinity into Google and youll find plenty). So many things clamor to define you. For instance, each Person: Scripture often names all three members of the Trinity together. The apple one is kind of cool. The Holy Spirit is God. The Trinity confuses many people. 1:2;). We can be adopted by the Father and united with Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit (John 1:1223; Rom. "But if I [Jesus] cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.". 4 Visual Ways To Explain The Trinity To A Child. And yet, we run into the same problem again, because God isnt made up of parts. 13:14), the term Trinity does not appear. It is crucial for properly understanding what God is like, how He relates to us, and how we should relate to Him. To understand more fully what God is like is a way of honoring God. For example, it says of Christ that "in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form" (Colossians 2:9). God the Son is the rays of sunshine. 23-26; Luke 7:11-17; Luke 11:1-45), Sends the Holy Spirit and his gifts (John 16:714), Put his words on a par with Gods (Matt. Develop your leadership skills and learn how to launch a ministry wherever you are. Divide your group into three teams and give each group a sheet of butcher paper or poster. Trinity, in Christian doctrine, the unity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three persons in one Godhead. The oldest member of the unholy trinity. More posts you may like r/TrueChristian 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). 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. The Trinity is like an egg or apple. That means that, as Christians, we believe in only one God. 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. Thus, Jesus prayed to God the Father without praying to Himself. Answer. Believe it or not, the fact that God is too immense for our finite minds should be comforting, not discouraging! 3:1417). 7:28; Ps. ). 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. While theconceptof the Trinity is evident in the New Testament (Matt. As a result, Jesus death covered or atoned for our sins (2 Cor. Second, we have the son of God, Jesus. 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. See, each member participated in the creation, the incarnation, and redemption. But Keith Ferrin is noteveryhuman being.. Then, ask them to write words on the poster that make up the character of God. We Reflect God's Personhood and Relations. In describing the Trinity, the New Testament clearly distinguishes three Persons who are all simultaneously active. For example: God the Father is a person. For example the: Finite humankind cannot wholly comprehend these mysteries. How is God one? While the three members of the Trinity are distinct, this does not mean that any is inferior to the other. 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. While no church is perfect, the Trinity is still the model for the churchs unity (John 1:2123). Lets apply what weve learned to the Trinity based on the graphic. At this stage, your head may be swimming with all this new information about God! They are different Persons, not three different ways of looking at God. But all three must be present simultaneously for the geometric figure to be a triangle. *catholic, meaning universal here, and not a reference to the big C Catholic. These are all qualities of personhood. And this teaching gives us a glimpse into the incomprehensible greatness of God. But how can finite humans know anything about Gods infinite essence? And Scripture provides many descriptors, orattributes,of Gods singular essence or nature. AboutPressCopyrightContact. 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. But analogies cannot entirely explain the mystery of God. Looking for a great childrens Bible? The Fathers plan for our redemption shows his great love for humankind. 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. Its okay for them to have a very limited understanding of God. Egg A single egg is made up of the yolk, the whites, and the shell. This leads us to investigate more closely a very helpful definition of the Trinity which I mentioned earlier: God is one in essence, but three in Person. ), "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. Further, we should allow the fact that God is triune to deepen our worship. However, you dont want to stop there with a student who can participate in a discussion. The Trinity isn't some complicated distraction from the simple gospelit's actually part of the gospel. That is ok when it comes to rocks and triangles. 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. While we cannot fully understand everything about the Trinity (or anything else), it is possible to answer questions like these and come to a solid grasp of what it means for God to be three in one. 2:11), speaks (Mark 13:11), testifies (Acts 20:23), reveals (1 Cor. But they are eternally subordinate in their roles to him (1 Cor. This would make each Person less than fully God and thus not God at all. They are all eternal. (Heavy sigh.) Modern theologians have created a distinction between the "economic Trinity" and the "immanent Trinity.". Thats where the confusion comes from. Geisler, N. L., and R. E MacKenzie, R. E. Roman Catholics and Evangelicals: agreements and differences. Weve made a comparison between this object and the Trinity. But its not a mystery that can or should! For example they: 5. Monotheism is foundational to Christianity. Tertullian coined the term Trinity during the second century. Conclusion: Scripture teaches the Trinity. If Jesus is God, why do the Gospels record instances where He prayed to God? Does the Holy Spirit look like Casper? 5:7). 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 . Not the answer an enquiring young mind was looking for. The second point of clarification has to do with personhood. 55 years on I've yet to hear or read an explanation of the Trinity that makes sense. 104:30), sanctifies (Rom. As long as a shape has those three angles that add up to 180 degrees, it doesnt matter what the angles degrees are. 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 . This can only be if they share one essence. 2:11), emotions (Eph. If God is three Persons, does this mean that each Person is one-third of God? The verb for created isbara. Answer. But he is not inferior in Gods divine essence. Within a week,, Read More Is It Normal that My 4 Year Old Can Read? The Bible reveals that God isone, in essence, eternally revealed inthree Persons. While some say . This triune God (or Trinity) began to allude to this aspect of His nature right in Genesis 1:26-27. Ask them to draw it on the page. 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! Gods essence is His being. 9:18; Matt. Instead, they are all identical in attributes. God the Father sent God the Holy Spirit to conceive Jesus (God the Son) in the virgin Marys womb (Matt. 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. Principle #3: Order. We just covered Gods one divine essence. 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.