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Further, we can label each of the sides. We find it in all four Gospels. Rather, He created us in order to bless us. Not just for explaining it to others, but to bolster our own faith and see how each One works in our lives. Shively, This book is now available in a published format for easy sharing and classroom use. I know in the past Ive used analogies that werent the best (more on those later.) Or water can be evaporated and called steam. For example, an equilateral triangle (a triangle with three equal sides) has three sides. An egg is made up of shell, white and yolk. We can think of it this way: the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. He is married to Shamsa Lea, is the father of Amira, and loves boxing and studying Theology. Share your thoughts with us in the comments! This book is now available in a published format for easy sharing and classroom use. This is the Christmas paradox. The three parts create a unified whole. And a voice from heaven said, This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. God the Father spoke from heaven and spoke of His Son, Jesus. THE TRUTH IS: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are not simply names designating modalities of the divine being, for they are really DISTINCT from one another: He is not the Father who is the Son, nor is the Son he who is the Father, nor is the Holy Spirit he who is the Father or the Son. (CCC 254), 3. Stars were made on the froth day. Time exists as 3 things: past, present, and future. The Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God. 1 Corinthians 8:6: Yet for us there is but one God.. A Note on Trinitarian Analogies | Place for Truth - Alliance of If God has existed for all eternity in a perfectly loving Triune relationship, then it shows He is completely self-sufficient and requires no further relationship in order to complete or satisfy Himself. The Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, constructed between 1800 and 1804, is the first Anglican cathedral to have been built outside the British Isles. What is the Trinity? According to the first, just as water takes three forms (liquid, vapor, and ice), so too God takes the form of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. THE TRUTH IS: The Father, Son, and Spirit are three different persons who are all equally one God. 2:5-6; Col. 1:15-17, 2:9; Heb. When we separate them we can fall into the error of tritheism, which is the worship of three individual deities as one. Also, the egg is made up of three distinct and unalike parts. As a result the water molecule must change forms. Another analogy that Tim remembers, being Irish Catholic, is the analogy of the shamrock with its three parts. These hand embroidered emblems are made with metallic gold-plated thread with silver content, printed on canvas. The yolk represents Gods Person, His Being, and His Holiness which generates Light that no man can approach (I Timothy 6:16). If the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three separate beings, then its not really clear how someone can say that God is one or that only one God exists. There have been many attempts to explain the Trinity the relationship between God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Intercession: The Son intercedes as our High Priest before the Father. In one of his sermons, he wrestled with the passage in Scripture recounting Jesus' Baptism. It does not represent 3 persons existing simultaneously. This means there is a sense in which all 3 persons may act or speak as one. But its all water. Although God is transcendent, sovereign, unapproachable light, He has condescended to reveal something of Himself to His creation. If we separate them we still may have God the Egg yolk, God the Holy Spirit Egg white and God the Son, the Egg shell/image, three individual parts of an Egg, but they cannot be a Trinity, or tri-unity unless they are unified and are seen as one Egg, so to speak. THE TRUTH IS: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are not three different parts or components of God, but the . Your email address will not be published. And for a mere mortal to have dared invent it and be able t. There are, however, some that work better than others. Now if any man has not the Spirit of Christ, he is not His" (Romans 8:9). This is perhaps the most common analogy for the Trinity. Lord of all, we bow before thee. These three Persons are all equally God and all equally Persons. The Holy Spirit descended upon Him to equip Him for His ministry. Similarly, people have used the example of the apple in the same way- skin, flesh, and seeds. The trinity is like this man. It falls into the heresy of tri-theism. Ontological means the nature or essence of something. Learn how your comment data is processed. 2. This view, also known as "modalism", was rejected by the early church. He explains why the doctrine of the Trinity is essential to the gospel even if it seems abstract or confusing, highlights why all analogies and metaphors are of limited value when thinking about the Godhead, and responds to the . His being is somewhat of a mystery to us. show me your glory. Thus the Father is in Jesus " I and My Father are One" (John 10:30), "The Father is in Me" (John 14:10) God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself (II Corinthians 5:19). But common sense is intuition based on day-to-day experience. It leads to the heresy of MODALISM which teaches that God switches to different modes. The egg example, while not perfect or complete by any means, will still give us a basic understanding of the primary principle of Biblical Trinitarianism. Or have you ever tried to teach kids about the Trinity? If you looked at a single cloverleaf, you wouldnt call it a shamrock. Each part of the egg make up only one portion of the wholethe yolk is not the fullness of the egg. For example, triangles are not the kinds of things that are personal. If we separate them we still may have God the Egg yolk, God the Holy Spirit Egg white and God the Son, the Egg shell/image, three individual parts of an Egg, but they cannot be a Trinity, or tri-unity unless they are unified and are seen as one Egg, so to speak. The Egg- One egg has three parts: shell, whites, and yolk . 3 - The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are distinct persons. The Bible reveals that each person of the Trinity has unique roles, relationships, and functions which are distinct from one another. So under modalism, God acts as the Father in the Old Testament, the son in the Gospels, and the Spirit in Acts and the Epistles. God is kind of like a man who is a father, a son and an uncle God is kind of like a three-leaf clover, or a triangle; one object, but three different, identifiable leaves, or sides* The Father hears their intercessory prayers. 1. A single molecule cannot simultaneously exist in three different states. Its a very common explanation within the church to try to explain how God, who clearly exhorts His followers to preserve His supreme oneness (Deuteronomy chapter 6 verse 4), could also be identified with Jesus (Titus chapter 2 verse 13), and the Holy Spirit (Acts chapter 5 verses 3-4). In order to accomplish this union with God and man, He allowed His Shell to be broken with the weight of our sins to cleanse our souls so His holiness can approach, for God cannot look upon sin (Habakkuk 1:13). Every kid in Sunday school thinks he knows all about God. The Trinity is foundational and at the heart of our Christian faith. When we look at the egg as an example of the Trinity, we must view it in its entirety. The Latin word for trinity (trinitas) combines two words- unitas (unity) and trias (three). What does the Bible teach about the Trinity? | GotQuestions.org Here are some of them: The problem with this is that it leads to the view that God is a Trinity simply because He relates differently to us at different times. 5And there are varieties of ministries and the same Lord. Or what? When it comes to the Trinity, we tend to forget that an analogy is an "aptness of proportion" or a "resemblance of relations," not an identity of relations. When we view the egg in its entirety we have the Biblical Trinity, One that is Three. That helps explain the concept quite well- the oneness, unity of God with the distinct three persons of God- Father, Son, and Spirit. Space Analogy God is like space. And we know that because the Persons of the Godhead have perfectly blessed and exalted each other for all eternity. in which all 3 persons may act or speak as one. How to Explain the Trinity to Children | Free Printable Lost will be burned up. It can also be a liquid and called water. This analogy is an invalid comparison to the Trinity and is a heresy called PARTIALISM. And let us once more come to illustrations. But we cannot do that (assuming we can) with God. Now, as youve probably guessed, this analogy also breaks down. In one egg you have the white, the yoke, and the shell composing one full egg. However, it breaks down on the level of equality: No one keeps or eats the shell of an egg. They are three in one egg. This is a quick way to describe the doctrine of the Trinity namely, God is 1 being (the what is Gods nature, essence, being) and 3 whos (the whos being Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). Memory, Understanding, and Will. This analogy sounds pretty good, but it is fatally flawed in that is describes the Son and Spirit as creations of the Father. When we separate them and view them as individual deities, that is the error of tritheism, which is the worship of three individual gods as one. The analogy breaks down because the three cloves are overly distinct and cannot represent the unity of God. To the other major monotheistic faiths (Islam and Judaism), it is rank heresyTrinitarianism is therefore definitional to Christianity. My name is AnnMarie and I'm so glad you're here! While it captures the idea that God is one, it doesnt do such a good job of showing how God is three and one at the same time. Because Gods Person is unapproachable, the Spirit White acts as insulation, for we know that it is through the Holy Spirit that God can communicate, speak through and interact with mankind. He has the world and our individual lives within His supremely capable hands. Some people have suggested using an egg to explain how God can be both one and three. The Trinity is distinct in their roles and individuality, but united in their attributes of love, mercy, holiness, knowledge, etc. The water analogy of the Trinity follows this line of reasoning: water can be a solid (ice/frozen water), liquid, and gas (water vapor), and yet all three forms are still water (H 2 O), and likewise, God manifests Himself in 3 different ways in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. See the depths of Catholicism for yourself! Dont you know Jesus? The Father sends the Son, and both the Father and Son send the Holy Spirit. He differs from the Father, but was and still is God. The scientific analogy that will be provided in a few moments is truly inadequate to describe the Holy Trinity. The apple seed alone is not an apple. 1:8-12; 1 Pet. ORDER from Barnes and NobleAmazon.com or wherever fine books are soldISBN-13: 978-1978167643Return to Cafe Logos Homepage | Bite-Sized Bible Bites. Explaining the Holy Trinity. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are each called Jehovah (or Spirit of Jehovah), given divine attributes, and are distinguished from one another. Matthew 3:16-17- As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water. The early church labeled this view "tritheism". Analogies often fall short. Pingback: 3 Reasons Why Jesus Humanity Really Matters Her & Hymn, Pingback: 3 Reasons Why Jesus' Humanity Really Matters, Pingback: How Jesus Teaches Us To Be Human Her & Hymn. Its downright hard to understand. Haydn describes himself as a five-point Calvinist, but he recognises that many faithful Christians disagree. Each one is fully 100% God. The trinity is a mystery that cannot be fully comprehended. Relationship Analogy (Husband/Son/Father) God is like a person with different relationships just as a man can be a Dad, but also someones Son, and also someones Husband. To help you out, here is a comical and silly video that teaches about these bad analogies. I did read about the shamrock analogy! They say that three separate beings exist 2. It only has 1 person acting in three different roles. Seven Simple Facts About the Trinity - biblequery.org Each one is fully God. He was with God in the beginning. (Describing God as LOVE is my favorite way of understanding the Trinity. Modalism teaches that the trinity is not three distinct persons, but just different modes that God reveals himself to human beings. Therefore it behoves us to know what He has revealed (including the Trinity), and to lovingly worship Him accordingly. You are an egg! A chicken egg consists of a shell, a yolk, and an egg white, yet it is altogether one egg. How would you explain the Trinity if someone asked you right now? THE TRUTH IS: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are not three different parts or components of God, but the three are all equally one God. But theres one problem: the water analogy is not the biblical picture of God. Each one is fully 100% God. The problem with this analogy is it denies the unity of the God-head. Common, yes. 2A) Dave is a father of four children: three boys and a . RELATED: Did Jesus Really Rise From The Dead? Blessings! But they are one God. In Biblical Trinitarianism we can never have one without the other because they are one Spirit; each is the totality of the other which means we cannot have the Holy Spirit without the Father and the Son, We will come (into the believer through the Holy Spirit, John 14:23), and we cannot have the Son without The Father whose Holy Spirit is the Spirit of the Father (Matthew 10:20). The shell, while important, is no longer needed. How can God be Three in One? To the other major monotheistic faiths (Islam and Judaism), it is rank heresyTrinitarianism is therefore definitional to Christianity. This is the one I used long ago when trying to explain the Trinity to a group of 1st-5th graders. Jesus, visually seen, judges all, not the Unseen Father. God is infinitely greater than we are; therefore, we should not expect to be able to fully understand Him. Located in the heart of Quebec's historic district, it is a source of inspiration for visitors from around the world. There was no relational deficiency that prompted God to create us. This analogy is an invalid comparison to the Trinity and is a heresy called PARTIALISM. Many of these analogies have the best of intentions, but God cannot be described in a way we can fully comprehend or rationalize. There is only one egg with three different parts. I'm always interested in ways to encourage you, so feel free to contact me and let me know what areas interest you! But we cannot do that (assuming we can) with God. For those, like myself, who are not from a highly-liturgical denomination, it may come as a surprise that June 11 was Trinity Sunday. God is NOT like H2O in that He does not need the right pressure and temperature to exist as three persons. I go to prepare a place for you. Did I leave out any analogies? What does that really mean? A good example would be an electrical cord. The analogy explains that in the same way that one shamrock can have three leaves on it, the Trinity has three Persons that constitute one God. One is a musical chord with three notes. The Trinity is a concept that is impossible for any human being to fully understand, let alone explain. The angel answered (Mary), The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High (referring to the Father, italics mine) will overshadow you. History, lifestyle, family, music, theology, scripture, literature, the saints, church history, parenting, politics, prayer, the pope, and more. I think the illustration that represents the Trinity most accurately is the egg example. Likewise we cannot have the Father or His Spirit without the Son I am the Way the Truth and the Life, no one comes to the Father except by Me- John 14:6. A Simple Way to Explain the Trinity - Keith Ferrin But Hes God too, right? I go to prepare a place for you. Vestment Emblems. This analogy denies the unity of the God-head. The Council's definitions concerning the Trinity are really as easy as one, two, three four. The military would like to have that power. His ways are not my ways! It's impossible to be an Orthodox Christian without professing belief in the Triune nature of God. Here are a few common illustrations: The Egg- One egg has three parts: shell, whites, and yolk. Augustine of Hippo/On The Trinity - Wikiversity And whos the Holy Spirit? Here are four. How can we ever explain our Most High, exalted, powerful, uncontainable, and most glorious God? But the Bible is CLEAR in its teaching. I do not have the time or space to exhaustively demonstrate in scripture these truths, but the Biblical witness teaches these three truths consistently about God.