A rumor is started, and it spreads like wildfire. 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. Reaching students and faculty in middle and high school. And these three Persons are the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 28:18-20; 2 Cor. And likewise with the Holy Spirit. 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. EitherThe person were explaining it to will think that God simply changes from one to the other at different times and under different circumstances (water). Three parts in one, yet all very much an egg. 9:5; Col. 2:9), The Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:34; 2 Cor. "But if I [Jesus] cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.". The trouble with this one is that its a bit less visual. Why do so many people struggle with the doctrine of the Trinity? Matt Perman is the director of career navigation at The Kings College NYC, a blogger, and an author. 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. The idea that God is somehow three and one starts onPage 1and never changes. For example, if I say that the moon is made entirely of cheese but then also say that the moon is not made entirely of cheese, I have contradicted myself. The three Persons are distinct, yet only constitute one name. Then study the pronouns used in Scripture point to the Trinity: This one-ness is Gods one divine essence (Heb 1:3). How to Support Gifted Readers, 27 of the Best Yoto Cards for Kids (sorted by age group), 40 Surprising and Fun Bible Facts for Kids (with a FREE true/false printable game), Holy Week for Kids: How to Teach Beyond Easter Sunday, 15 Powerful Self Esteem Activities for Kids to Do at Home and in School. The doctrine of the Trinity states that God exists as one God in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit. He differs from the Father, but was and . If you're looking for the best Christian jobs and careers, check out Cru's ministry job openings for full- and part-time missionaries and professionals. If Jesus is God, why do the Gospels record instances where He prayed to God? 10:2831), In Johns writings (1 John 4:1314; Rev. Its okay to admit you dont know everything. But what exactly are essence or nature and personhood? Are you still not a Christian? 32:17, 27; Matt. But a common question arises: How do the members of the Trinity differ from one another?. Now lets go a little deeper and consider the triangles three corners (angles). Simply stated, God is one in essence and three in person. He is an extension of the sun and brings the sun directly to the world. 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. That is where I go back to the starting point I mentioned above. Disclaimer: I believe Trinity. 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. Jesus, the Word, was present in Genesis 1. 6:11; Gal. 2:11), and performs miracles (Matt. Ive got you covered with all the basics, no matter your denomination. They are personal forms of existence other than a difference in being. All three Persons of the Trinity are God. The word "trinity" is a term used to denote the Christian doctrine that God exists as a unity of three distinct, simultaneous persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 3. I might end with sharing a few analogies from nature. 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 . Simply put: without three angles, theres no triangle! Allegedly, Saint Patrick used a shamrock as a metaphor to explain the Trinity: three leaves, one shamrock. What is a functional order or subordination? It means that a Trinity member submits himself to one or both of the other members. 1. Why is the Trinity important to Christianity? . Learn why He did it and what it means for you. Looking for a great childrens Bible? Find resources for personal or group Bible study. Christianity is a monotheistic religion. One God? How is God one? Here we will summarize some of the fruits of their labor. Rather than let that frustrate you, let it encourage you. The Holy Spirit descended upon Him to equip Him for His ministry. But Christianitys God is unique. We just covered Gods one divine essence. Our kids are currently 2, 4, and 7, and its equally loved by all of them, so the Yoto age range is really wide! 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. But how can finite humans know anything about Gods infinite essence? After all, children deal best with concrete ideas. The doctrine of the Trinity is foundational to the Christian faith. All three members of the Trinity have these characteristics. " Here God is a plural noun, said is in the . OksoWhat about this idea of one being who exists in three persons?. AboutPressCopyrightContact. The Trinity is more than just a vital doctrine. This can only be if they share one essence. The Trinity isn't some complicated distraction from the simple gospelit's actually part of the gospel. 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. John says in the first verse of the book: "The Word was with God, and the Word was God.". 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. Because humankind is limited, God will always exceed our knowledge and understanding (Isa. 3:6. How is God different? Monotheism. Youngblood, R. F., et al. The technical term in case youre interested for this wrong way of thinking about God is calledmodalism. Because of Gods nature, several mysteries exist within our faith. Then, ask them to write words on the poster that make up the character of God. The three most common go-to analogies for explaining the Trinity are water, an egg, and the sun. Even then, he was not alone, because he had his Logos within him. 3:16; 2 Pet. We will never sell your information, for any reason. They had to wait another 50 year for the 381 update. Now we will turn our attention to showing the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are persons.. I wont go into all of the verses here (simply type bible verses about the Trinity into Google and youll find plenty). The prologue of the Gospel of John has the strongest argument for the Trinity. Here is an indication of the divinity of the Word. First of all I want to tell you that the Trinity is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. using the shamrock or the three states of H 2 O to explain the . They are three real persons, not three roles God plays. If each Person of the Trinity is distinct and yet fully God, then should we conclude that there is more than one God? 3:17), Omnipresence (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. Think about it: Finite Christians serve an eternal and infinite God. 1:20-21), In salutations and benedictions (2 Cor. But it is possible to go deeper. Does the Holy Spirit look like Casper? The concept of the Trinity. What is the Trinity? . There are two other major monotheistic world religions namely Judaism and Islam. 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. He said, Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one (Mark 12:29). 11:3336). Its probably the most classic Trinity object lesson, but its not my favorite. Fortunately, the most popular analogy of the Trinity is the triangle. While not a typical conversation starter, this question is one of the most important we can ask in life. For I am God, and there is no other (Isaiah 45:21-22; see also 44:6-8; Exodus 15:11; Deuteronomy 4:35; 6:4-5; 32:39; 1 Samuel 2:2; 1 Kings 8:60). Use your hobbies and interests to find the best place for you to serve. 4; 14; Jon. Satan. This is very important: God is one and three at the same time, but not in the same way. While theconceptof the Trinity is evident in the New Testament (Matt. Is the Trinity a contradiction? Have some fun taking various quizzes and assessments to learn about yourself and others. God is not one person who plays three different roles, as this illustration suggests. It is crucial for properly understanding what God is like, how He relates to us, and how we should relate to Him. Essence and person are not the same thing. 20:3; cf. As a result, Jesus death covered or atoned for our sins (2 Cor. The origin of the doctrine of the Trinity is the Bible . The Father is God. These are all qualities of personhood. Jesus is God, but He is not the Father or the Holy Spirit. To help us do that, here are two reasons why the Trinity matters. Essenceis the objective set of attributes necessary to the thing being described. Explore answers to life's biggest questions. 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. Partnering with urban churches to meet physical and spiritual needs. Believe it or not, the fact that God is too immense for our finite minds should be comforting, not discouraging! The seeds are like the Holy Spirit, because He helps us grow. And yet, we run into the same problem again, because God isnt made up of parts. However, these illustrations arent perfect, and really mature kids or teenagers (or adult new believers) could handle digging a bit deeper! 4:15), dying for our sins (1 Cor. 40:18; Rom. Therefore, it is often difficult to have a concrete definition of Person as we use it in regards to the Trinity. Therefore each of the Persons into whose name we are to be baptized must be deity. Subjection and subordination do not mean inequality. 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. That's the one we think of as the Father. As long as a shape has those three angles that add up to 180 degrees, it doesnt matter what the angles degrees are. The Definition Of The Trinity. 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]. Lets start with the geometric figure of the triangle itself. There are many illustrations which have been offered to help us understand the Trinity. God the Father spoke the creative words to bring the universe into being (Gen. 1:1). Its a devotional book. After all, each of these illustrate the idea that God is made up of parts, and thats not really true. But its not a mystery that can or should! How can God be both one and three? This is something far removed from our human experience, where every different human "person" is a different being as well. 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. So all three members of the Trinity have unique personhood. Second, we have the son of God, Jesus. In this blog post, we are going to discuss the Holy Trinity in simple terms. This command lists all three persons of the Trinity. He was "begotten, not made," and he was of the same substance or essence ( homoousios) as the Father. Tertullian, Cyprian, Augustine, and Jerome mention it. How we seek to journey together with everyone towards a relationship with Jesus. But that doesn't mean the concept isn't clearly taught. understand the doctrine of the Trinity. 8:26), comprehends (1 Cor. First, we have God. 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. Third, notice that although the three divine Persons are distinct, we are baptized into their name (singular), not names (plural). If God is three Persons, does this mean that each Person is one-third of God? 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. . Lets go back to the Trinity triangle graphic, and you will see: By now you understand that the three Persons of the Trinity equally share Gods essence. 10:57), The Holy Spirit indwells every Christian. Reflecting Jesus together for the good of the city. 55:8-9). The answer must be no, because the Bible also indicates that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct Persons. 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.. How is God three? The three members of the unholy trinity are Satan, the Antichrist, and the false prophet. They only describe what makes up Gods singular essence. This formulation can show us why there are not three Gods, and why the Trinity is not a contradiction. The Trinity is like an egg or apple. The Trinity confuses many people. The doctrine or concept of the Trinity is central to most Christian denominations and faith groups, although not all. Read more. This triune God (or Trinity) began to allude to this aspect of His nature right in Genesis 1:26-27. Wayne Grudem explains: But if each person is fully God and has all of Gods being, then we also should not think that the personal distinctions are any kind of additional attributes added on to the being of God . After all, if the trinitarian nature of God is not in the Bible, why bother talking about it at all? But dont get confused. The answer is they are gray and hard. We can discern and apprehend what it is. 2:34; Heb. However,barais the singular conjugation of the verb. This verse accurately states the doctrine of the Trinity that God is One God in three Persons. 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. Other references to the Trinity in the New Testament include Matthew 28:19, 1 Corinthians 12:4-5, 2 Corinthians 13:14, 1 Peter 1:2, and more. And in John 16:13-15 we see that although there is a close unity between them all, the Holy Spirit is also distinct from the Father and the Son. The important difference between complexity and incomprehension: If Christianity was something we were making up, of course, we could make it easier. For example: God the Father is a person. Our fellowship with God should be enhanced by consciously knowing that we are relating to a tri-personal God! Internship opportunities with Cru's ministries. It's easy to turn doctrinal discussions into strictly intellectual affairs, but as Dr. Fred Sanders teaches in The Triune God course, we need to do so "in a way that enlists the reader's strict and holy attention for what is essentially a spiritual exercise." We are referring to two different features of God: (1) his singular essenceor natureand (2) three Persons. 3:1417). passage also demonstrates Jesus' early declaration of the Trinity. 13: Trinity | Putting the Fun In, Faith and Finances: 5 Steps to Get Started. For instance, each Person: Scripture often names all three members of the Trinity together. Answers to questions on donations, financial policies, Crus annual report and more. 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. It included Jesus miraculous conception in the virgin Mary (John 3:16)an act that we call the incarnation.. 92:8) and third person (he, his, him) singular pronouns (1 Kings 18:39). A subreddit for the encouragement and discussion of the Biblical Unitarian position which holds Christs resurrection is variously attributed to: Multiple verses distinguish each member of the Trinity. 3:17; 17:5; Luke 10:22; John 3:35; 10:15; 12:28; 17:1-26; 1 Tim. For instance he: Jesus has all the features that ensure he, too, is a person. As I said earlier, it means the same thing as being. (So I won't send you any.) If we were to translate it . Three separate beings, all rolled into one entity. 2:10), convinces (John 6:44), teaches (Luke 12:12), convicts (John 16:18), commands (Acts 1:2), moves (John 11:33), helps (Rom. . 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. Girls become divided, friendships are ruined, and reputations are tarnished. To contemplate the Trinity is to lift up your heart and to "set your mind on the things above" (Col. 3:2). 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. Below is the easiest way that I have ever heard it explained: God the Father is the sun. For example the: Finite humankind cannot wholly comprehend these mysteries. The personhood of each member of the Trinity means that each Person has a distinct center of consciousness. God the Son. There are three Persons with one divine essence! 2:11), emotions (Eph. There we read that " God said, 'Let us make man in our image' . There would only be a contradiction if we said that God is three in the same way that He is one. Develop your leadership skills and learn how to launch a ministry wherever you are. Do you need to devote yourself to unselfish religious deeds? Ask teenagers hard questions about the Trinity that will make them think, and dont bother trying to come equipped with the perfect answer to everything. Carrying this concept over to the Trinity, it is not a contradiction for God to be both three and one because He is not three and one in the same way. This is just an egg, or an apple, or H2O. God the Father spoke from heaven and spoke of His Son, Jesus. Being Gods child, we can worship the Father and Jesus through the Spirit (John 4:2324; Phil.