how to explain the trinity to a new believer

The word Trinity is never explicitly mentioned in the Bible; however, countless scriptures mention all three forms of God. Since our personal relationship is with Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit lies within us, what role does God play as Father? 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. This is one possibility of explaining it. Therefore, it is often difficult to have a concrete definition of Person as we use it in regards to the Trinity. Explore answers to life's biggest questions. In sum, the essence or nature of anything is what it is. 7:28; Ps. The Trinity is like an egg. First of all I want to tell you that the Trinity is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each member of the Trinity is . The relationship between essence and Person, then, is as follows. 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. Matthew 3:16. To further our understanding of the distinction of persons within the one God it is best to move on to the next trinitarian principle. ). 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. 4:15), dying for our sins (1 Cor. The concept of the Trinity is often referred to during worship, which helps Christians to understand it. OksoWhat about this idea of one being who exists in three persons?. . Tertullian, Cyprian, Augustine, and Jerome mention it. If you are teaching young children, these object lessons are both the perfect starting and stopping point. Leading from values so others will walk passionately with God to grow and bear fruit. 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). Amen. 2. 12:28; Rom. 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. Best Age To Teach The Trinity To A Child. Even then, he was not alone, because he had his Logos within him. Just like anything else, some kids have to work hard for what comes easily to, Read More 15 Powerful Self Esteem Activities for Kids to Do at Home and in SchoolContinue. They are not merely modes or manifestations of the same person (as Oneness theology incorrectly asserts) who sometimes acts as Father, sometimes as Son, and sometimes as Spirit. Do Trinity Crafts/Printables. Bringing hope and resources to military families worldwide. 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 . May 23, 2012 by: Justin Buzzard. This command lists all three persons of the Trinity. Deut. They are different Persons, not three different ways of looking at God. As I said earlier, it means the same thing as being. 3:17), Omnipresence (Ps. Do you need to devote yourself to unselfish religious deeds? But its not a mystery that can or should! You can cut into an apple in front of your group. 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. 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. 2:6), The image of God (John 12:45; 2 Cor. 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. Ask the teenager this question: Where does this fall short? Conclusion: Scripture teaches the Trinity. Of course we are speaking by analogy here, for we cannot understand this in a physical way about God. 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. This is one of the books of the Torah. 1:8). 5:21), making it possible for us to have a relationship with God. And certainly not if it were a contradiction. 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. As Hebrews 9:14 declares. All will play a role in the events mentioned in Revelation. God is spirit (John 4:24). What is Gods essence? To help us do that, here are two reasons why the Trinity matters. "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. We are referring to two different features of God: (1) his singular essenceor natureand (2) three Persons. Rather than let that frustrate you, let it encourage you. Our fellowship with God should be enhanced by consciously knowing that we are relating to a tri-personal God! First, we have God. "The Trinity is the foundational Christian belief that God is one Being who exists in three Persons.. 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). In order for something to be contradictory, it must violate the law of noncontradiction. 1:17; Dan. While the three members of the Trinity are distinct, this does not mean that any is inferior to the other. Christs resurrection is variously attributed to: Multiple verses distinguish each member of the Trinity. 1:18; Luke 1:2635). The doctrine of the Trinity is foundational to the Christian faith. Because humankind is limited, God will always exceed our knowledge and understanding (Isa. Explore resources to help you live out your life and relationships in a way that honors God. Because these features make up the singular essence or nature of a triangle. The answer is they are gray and hard. In brief, how we view God will profoundly impact our everyday lives. 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. God the Holy Spirit. They only describe what makes up Gods singular essence. Check out my tips for teaching your kids about bedtime prayer. Find freedom from your sins today. 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. We then turn to the most important strategies that have been developed by Christians to resolve this problem. 3. The fact that the Holy Spirit is a Person, not an impersonal force (like gravity), is also shown by the fact that He speaks (Hebrews 3:7), reasons (Acts 15:28), thinks and understands (1 Corinthians 2:10-11), wills (1 Corinthians 12:11), feels (Ephesians 4:30), and gives personal fellowship (2 Corinthians 13:14). This verse accurately states the doctrine of the Trinity that God is One God in three Persons. 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). Lets apply these concepts to the Trinity. And that he is manifest as three Persons.. draws the believer into a new . God the Father. During this period, it was attempted solely by using algorithmswhich are basically rules or sets of rules you tell a computer to follow. 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.. Simply stated, God is one in essence and three in person. What is the essence of a triangle? God is truth, so the unity that He is effecting between believers is a unity grounded in truth. For instance, the Trinity does not mean that: Instead, we need to clearly distinguish two categories (Persons and essence). Find resources for personal or group Bible study. 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! 2:11), emotions (Eph. We Reflect God's Personhood and Relations. Below is the easiest way that I have ever heard it explained: God the Father is the sun. The doctrine of the Trinity is considered to be one of the central Christian affirmations about God. The important difference between complexity and incomprehension: If Christianity was something we were making up, of course, we could make it easier. As youll see explained more deeply in one of the videos below, you can think of it this way: I am a human being. As Benjamin Needler preached: This doctrine should establish us in the truth of the gospel For my part, I would not worship that God that I could comprehend Bless God for the clear discovery of this truth under the gospel! Did your kids give each form of God different personality traits? "But if I [Jesus] cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.". 19:26). I am also Keith Ferrin. And we can delight in praying to the Father through the Son in the Holy Spirit (John 14:1314; Eph. 12:711), The Father is not the Son (Matt. Some attributes include eternal, infinite, omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. Many non-Christians and new Christians often struggle with the idea of the Holy Trinity, where we break up God into the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And the triangle can help us distinguish one essence from the three Persons. And this teaching gives us a glimpse into the incomprehensible greatness of God. The idea that God is somehow three and one starts onPage 1and never changes. But it is not. 1. . Somehow Gods being is so much greater than ours that within his one undivided being there can be an unfolding into interpersonal relationships, so that there can be three distinct persons.[5]. Genesis 1:1 reads: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." If we look more closely at the word we translate "God," Elohim, we see it is plural. 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. We all have a story. (eds. The concept of the Trinity is that we have God in three forms - a union of three. Have a great discussion about it! Their prime usefulness it to show the mystery is not contradictory. So a closer look at the fact that God is one in essence but three in person has helped to show why the Trinity is not a contradiction. It is the Matthew 28:19 baptismal formula: Jesus said, Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in thenameof the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (emphasis mine). 4; 14; Jon. It is one of the two ordinances of the Christian Church. Many of us say it every single Sunday morning. But how can finite humans know anything about Gods infinite essence? But secondly, Christians need to clarify that God is incomprehensible. . Specifically, distinguishing between Gods one essence and his three Persons. Confusing them leads to misunderstanding. Now, as Fred Sanders once quipped, this doesn't mean you should begin every witnessing encounter, "God loves you . Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! Orthodox Christian theology has always affirmed that the one true God is triune in nature. 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. So, in this article, we will look at where the term originated. These three persons are of the same substance, equal in power and glory. More posts you may like r/TrueChristian Within a week,, Read More Is It Normal that My 4 Year Old Can Read? 20:23; Deut. We cannot entirelycomprehendan infinite God and these mysteries (Rom. 1:3), Demonstrated divine sovereignty over nature (Matt. Secondly I'd like you to read this verse with me from the Bible. What's the Origin and History of the Trinity in the Church? Our kids are currently 2, 4, and 7, and its equally loved by all of them, so the Yoto age range is really wide! There was never a time when one of the Persons of the Godhead did not exist. 15:3). 8:6), Jesus is called God (John 1:1-5; John 20:28; Rom. God created man in His image. 4:47), In Hebrews (Heb. This doctrine is absolutely essential to New Testament Christianity. And all three members of the Trinity were involved. 1:2), and empowers us for service (Acts 1:8; 1 Cor. The wordTrinitymeansthree-in-one. Or stated simply, the triangles what-ness.. Omnipotence (Jer. After all, so much happens in the week leading up to the resurrection of Christ. God the Father spoke the creative words to bring the universe into being (Gen. 1:1). He regenerates us with new spiritual life (John 3:58). But he is not inferior in Gods divine essence. Therefore, we must always endeavor to deepen our worship of God in truth as well as in our hearts. 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 . 55:8-9). Three separate beings, all rolled into one entity. (Againwere trying to grasp something that isnt fully grasp-able.). Yoto has lots of great stuff for, Read More 27 of the Best Yoto Cards for Kids (sorted by age group)Continue, If youre a Sunday School teacher or a mom hoping to instill a love of Bible learning in your children, Ive got some goodies for you! 3:6. Omnibenevolence (Jer. 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. The doctrine or concept of the Trinity is central to most Christian denominations and faith groups, although not all. So all three members of the Trinity have unique personhood. A beautiful mystery. There are many illustrations which have been offered to help us understand the Trinity. 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. Essence and personhood are NOT the same thing. Its NOT God. How do we know whats age-appropriate for them to understand? *catholic, meaning universal here, and not a reference to the big C Catholic. Hes the one who walked the Earth blamelessly, performing miracles, and extending mercy and love. The first commandment says, You shall have no other gods before me (Ex. The Father is not one-third of the being of God, He is all of the being of God. So, the Trinity is incomprehensible. 8:6a). You can't explain the Trinity to anyone who reasons because: 1) The Bible does not support it. 15:19), God is called Father (John 17:1; John 3; 20:17; 1 Cor. The Trinity is a concept that is impossible for any human being to fully understand, let alone explain. For example, since the Father sent the Son into the world (John 3:16), He cannot be the same person as the Son. In this blog post, we are going to discuss the Holy Trinity in simple terms. For example: The Nicene Creed is recited during every service of Holy Communion . 12:32; 28:19; Luke 3:22), There is one God and three Gods (a contradiction), God is one person and three persons (a contradiction), God has one nature and three natures (a contradiction), There is a functional order within the Trinity, Bowman, R Jr. The Biblical Basis of the Doctrine of the Trinity. Blue Letter Bible, https://www.blueletterbible.org/comm/bowman_robert/trinity/trinity.cfm#trin_1 Accessed: 1/20/2022. These questions arealwaysasked by someone who is exploring faith in Jesus. Our mind distinguishes each of the three leaves (the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost), but at the same time recognizes they are one shamrock. AboutPressCopyrightContact. Its a mystery the Bible teaches. Jesus (the Son) is God. He is beyond us. How can three and one refer to the same God? One illustration to beware of is the one which says, I am one person, but I am a student, son, and brother. Three parts in one, yet all very much an egg. That isGod is three Persons in onethe Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. We cannot compete, in simplicity, with people who are inventing religions. Striving to see Christ-followers on every team, in every sport and in every nation. In eternity past, before the beginning, God was alone. According to the American Heritage Dictionary the word Tertullian coined the term Trinity during the second century. No, the wordTrinitydoes not appear in the Bible. Several analogies help us apprehend the Trinity. 31:3; John 3:16; 1 John 4:8), Righteous (Ps. For instance, each Person: Scripture often names all three members of the Trinity together. 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. Other statements may at first seem contradictory but are really not. It's a great reminder of the three parts of the Holy Trinity! The Father sent Jesus into the world (John 3:16; Gal. The Trinity does not divide God into three parts. The three most common go-to analogies for explaining the Trinity are water, an egg, and the sun. 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. 6:45; 32:39; 1 Kings 8:60; 2 Kings 5:15; Isa. The verb for created isbara. Its probably the most classic Trinity object lesson, but its not my favorite. 2:11), speaks (Mark 13:11), testifies (Acts 20:23), reveals (1 Cor. 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. 2:1011; Heb. These three persons make up the one true God. Develop your leadership skills and learn how to launch a ministry wherever you are. 1:7; 2 Tim. The origin of the doctrine of the Trinity is the Bible . It starts with a whisper. Remember, the nature or essence of an entity is the property or attributes that make it what it is. 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. Finally I would end with Deuteronomy 29:29 which helps us to realize that we cannot fully comprehend God. After Christ rose from the grave, he appeared to the disciples and gave them a job to do: preach the Word to everyone. 89:14; John 17:25; Rom. The all powerful one who lives up in Heaven and either judges us mercilessly or loves us endlessly, depending on who you ask. Partnering with urban churches to meet physical and spiritual needs. 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. . But what exactly are essence or nature and personhood? Are you still not a Christian? "Economic" has to do with the history of salvation, and discusses the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the sending and mission of salvation.

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