Dont despair. A Simple Way to Explain the Trinity - Keith Ferrin 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. Reaching students and faculty in middle and high school. 1:8). Neither should we think of the Persons as being defined by attributes added on to the being of God. 28:20; Col. 3:11), Omnibenevolent (John 13:34; Rom. A triangle must have three different corners in order to be one triangle. Scriptural evidence supports every element proving the Trinity. The Trinity isn't some complicated distraction from the simple gospelit's actually part of the gospel. And during his earthly ministry, Christ subjected himself to the Fathers will. 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. I might end with sharing a few analogies from nature. Most people, including many Christians, struggle trying to apprehend the Trinity. 4:30), and a will (1 Cor. We believe God is one in essence. 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. But what does it mean that God is gracious? Is God the same as Jesus? Understanding who the Holy Spirit is, the place He holds within the Holy Trinity and the role He plays in individual lives is vital to anyone exploring what it means to become a Christian and anyone trying to follow Jesus. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit do not unite people by neglecting t More simply stated, the essence of any entity is what it is. We are referring to two different features of God: (1) his singular essenceor natureand (2) three Persons. The early church absolutely believed and taught the belief in a God who was three-in-one. 20:3; cf. For example they: 5. Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! Nothing is more astonishing, more challenging, and more potentially life-transforming than knowing God.". EXPLAIN THE TRINITY - How To Explain The Holy Trinity Simply A rumor is started, and it spreads like wildfire. draws the believer into a new . The best way to teach the Trinity to ANYONE who is confused is with an object lesson. They are all eternal. This triune God (or Trinity) began to allude to this aspect of His nature right in Genesis 1:26-27. It was God who took the initiative to save humankind. passage also demonstrates Jesus' early declaration of the Trinity. They are three real persons, not three roles God plays. What we have seen so far provides a good basic understanding of the Trinity. This can only be if they share one essence. Does Matthew 28:19 Prove the Trinity? - Life, Hope & Truth As a result, Jesus death covered or atoned for our sins (2 Cor. Lets apply what weve learned to the Trinity based on the graphic. 28:18-20; 2 Cor. The Son and Holy Spirit are equal in deity to the Father. I'm an author, speaker, husband, father and ice cream lover. 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. Even then, he was not alone, because he had his Logos within him. However, Matthew 28:19 is frequently used in attempts to prove that the Trinity is a biblical teaching. What is the Trinity? - Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry That means that, as Christians, we believe in only one God. You can't explain the Trinity to anyone who reasons because: 1) The Bible does not support it. To this day, this scripture inspires the language we use to baptize people across Christian denominations. I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earthand in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spiritand born of the virgin Mary.He suffered under Pontius Pilate,was crucified, died, and was buried.He descended to the dead.On the third day he rose again.He ascended into heaven,and is seated at the right hand of the Father.He will come again to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit,the holy catholic* Church,the communion of the saints,the forgiveness of sins,the resurrection of the body,and the life everlasting. 12:28; Rom. He sent Jesus to save us and then completed our salvation through the indwelling Holy Spirit (Eph. 1. In addition to these texts, the others we mentioned above make clear that the Personhood of the Holy Spirit is distinct from the Personhood of the Son and the Father. It's a great reminder of the three parts of the Holy Trinity! Lets apply these concepts to the Trinity. In the baptism of Jesus, we see the Father speaking from heaven and the Spirit descending from heaven in the form of a dove as Jesus comes out of the water (Mark 1:10-11). Stated differently, God is one in essence and three in person. Since God is one in a different way than He is three, the Trinity is not a contradiction. But what exactly are essence or nature and personhood? 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. Further, we should allow the fact that God is triune to deepen our worship. If it were the other way around and we understood God completely, how would he be the sovereign God? Trying to fully understand God is like a 2-year-old trying to fully understand the complexities of relationships, marriage, and parenting! "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.". Jesus is God, but He is not the Father or the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the Holy Spirit must be distinct from the Father and the Son. The apple one is kind of cool. 10:2831), In Johns writings (1 John 4:1314; Rev. Now lets dig into these imperfect yet better than nothing representations of the Trinity for kids. God is the Father, the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit. All of this information is a lot to take in at once. Why do so many people struggle with the doctrine of the Trinity? We hate SPAM. 3:25; Dan. I think the major problem involves not distinguishing two different features of God. So, the Trinity is incomprehensible. The doctrine of the Trinity is considered to be one of the central Christian affirmations about God. 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 make up the one true God. For instance he: Jesus has all the features that ensure he, too, is a person. Lets start with the geometric figure of the triangle itself. Learn how you can know God personally. OksoWhat about this idea of one being who exists in three persons?. The most popular is probably the one found in the Great Commission: Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit . To help us do that, here are two reasons why the Trinity matters. How To Explain the Trinity to Muslims - Bellator Christi After all, the Trinity is difficult to understand. PDF UNDERSTANDING THE TRINITY - Silica Bible Chapel 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. Use Objects As Visual Aids. But first, lets cover the basics. Secondly I'd like you to read this verse with me from the Bible. 9:14; Heb. As long as a shape has those three angles that add up to 180 degrees, it doesnt matter what the angles degrees are. Egg A single egg is made up of the yolk, the whites, and the shell. "Economic" has to do with the history of salvation, and discusses the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the sending and mission of salvation. 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. Lets move on to Scriptural evidence for the Trinity. One helpful Scripture explicitly refers to the essence and personhood of the Trinity. After all, as I have said many times (to myself as much as others! The Holy Trinity is 'the Center of Everything.'. Is referred to in the second person (you; Ps. Ignore the urge to tie everything up with a nice little bow. Its three things, but all are complete on their own. 139:711; Jer. What Is the Doctrine of the Trinity? - Blue Letter Bible 8:26), comprehends (1 Cor. The relationship between essence and Person, then, is as follows. Third, Christians believe that the entire New Testament is inspired. Matthew 12:28. While theconceptof the Trinity is evident in the New Testament (Matt. 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. The easiest way to explain the Trinity is with an object lesson, and thats true no matter how old someone might be. The Trinity is first of all important because God is important. He was sustaining and manifesting Gods immediate presence in his creation. For instance: Additionally, all three members of the Trinity participate together in several critical events. So all three members of the Trinity have unique personhood. If youd like to get away from simple object lessons and move your child toward a deeper understanding of Gods nature, check out The Attributes of God for Kids. The trouble with this one is that its a bit less visual. What Is The Best Way To Explain The Trinity To A New Believer You can help us reach children and their families to know Jesus. The Trinity confuses many people. The Trinity is Christianity's most unique, defining, incomprehensible, and awesome mystery. 4; 14; Jon. However, let me highlight some of the most significant passages that confirm monotheism: Are you interested in learning more about the Godhead? Trinity not mentioned in the Bible anywhere! This command lists all three persons of the Trinity. 40:18; Rom. 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. 2:34; Heb. God the Son is the rays of sunshine. Because these features make up the singular essence or nature of a triangle. 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! They are personal forms of existence other than a difference in being. The Trinity is the perfect loving community of three Persons. There is a clue that the Son is distinct from the Father, yet there is fellowship between them. How do they relate? He is the only God that exists. Its a mystery the Bible teaches. But they are eternally subordinate in their roles to him (1 Cor. When he has gone further in his "explanation" of the Trinity than many have gone, he admits, "I am far from asserting this as any . Then you will learn the distinction between personhood and essence or nature. We cannot compete, in simplicity, with people who are inventing religions. To be even more precise, essence is what you are. What does essence mean? Matt Perman is the director of career navigation at The Kings College NYC, a blogger, and an author. 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. We can discern and apprehend what it is. Famous pastor and authorA.W. As theologian and apologist Norman Geisler has explained it, while essence is what you are, person is who you are. 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. My passion is helping you not just read and study the Bible, but truly enjoy it! This would make each Person less than fully God and thus not God at all. God is spirit (John 4:24). The answer is simple. Ask the teenager this question: Where does this fall short? But Christianitys God is unique. Lets change that! 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). How can three and one refer to the same God? Because of Gods nature, several mysteries exist within our faith. Third, notice that although the three divine Persons are distinct, we are baptized into their name (singular), not names (plural). And when he speaks, he refers to himself in first personas I (Deut. Now we will turn our attention to showing the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are persons.. This is very important: God is one and three at the same time, but not in the same way. In other words, Christianity is unique among all other worldviews. In fact, would Jesus have us baptize in the name of a mere creature? 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! 1:12). Second, we have the son of God, Jesus. 2:5), The Father is not the Spirit (John 14:26; John 15:26), The Son is not the Spirit (Matt. 12:711), The Father is not the Son (Matt. God is one in a certain way (essence) and three in a different way (person). He wrote, What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.. 7:28; Ps. PDF UNDERSTANDING THE TRINITY - Andrew M. Bailey 8:2327), Resuscitates the dead (Matt. Many other verses concurrently list the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. 3:3; Heb. December 19, 2018. 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. 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]. 2:8-9), we can become Gods children. That's the one we think of as the Father. The Definition Of The Trinity. How to EXPLAIN The Trinity to a New Believer | Introduction to The The Best Way to Explain the Trinity to Kids - The Purposeful Mom But analogies cannot entirely explain the mystery of God. In John 1:1 it is affirmed that Jesus is God and, at the same time, that He was with God- thereby indicating that Jesus is a distinct Person from God the Father (cf. 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). Understanding the Trinity - Busy Blessed Women From the 1950s to the 2000s, people wanted to see if they could make computers exhibit intelligence indistinguishable from humans. Geisler, N. L., and R. E MacKenzie, R. E. Roman Catholics and Evangelicals: agreements and differences. Elohimis the plural form of the word God. You can cut into an apple in front of your group. 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. And Scripture provides many descriptors, orattributes,of Gods singular essence or nature. PDF Understanding the Biblical Doctrine of the Trinity (Godhead) - Bible Truth
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