how to explain the trinity to a new believer

Does the Trinity mean that God is divided into three parts? This is absolutely true. 55 years on I've yet to hear or read an explanation of the Trinity that makes sense. Heres how the triangle analogy can help: Consider a triangle with me. Read Books About The Trinity. 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. Question & Answer: The Orthodox Presbyterian Church But it is not. The seeds are like the Holy Spirit, because He helps us grow. PDF UNDERSTANDING THE TRINITY - Silica Bible Chapel Genesis tells us that God created the heavens and the earth by his word. Ibid, p. 255. For example, since the Father sent the Son into the world (John 3:16), He cannot be the same person as the Son. And God created humankind to share that love (John 17:2126; Acts 17:25). The verb for created isbara. But they are eternally subordinate in their roles to him (1 Cor. During this period, it was attempted solely by using algorithmswhich are basically rules or sets of rules you tell a computer to follow. Or what are the objective characteristics that all triangles share? He is one in essence. draws the believer into a new . The apple one is kind of cool. It is the same thing in three different forms. But its not a mystery that can or should! A Christian would still be expected to understand it. The triangle illustration is easy to understand, but an imperfect analogy because: Nonetheless, a triangle illustrates how there can be a three-ness and one-ness same time. We can be adopted by the Father and united with Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit (John 1:1223; Rom. Learn how you can know God personally. 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. The answer is they are gray and hard. This is just an egg, or an apple, or H2O. How Do You Explain the Trinity? - A Thimble-full of Theology for Daily 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 that doesnt mean the concept isnt clearly taught. 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. Weve made a comparison between this object and the Trinity. If someone already has an understanding based on the definition and explanation above, then these analogiesmighthelp them grasp aspects of the Trinity. 12:28; Rom. This is girl drama, and it can be extremely harmful to girls both mentally and emotionally. Some attributes include eternal, infinite, omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. The Holy Trinity is depicted in the Church of Debre Berhan Selassie in Gondar, Ethiopia. What does it take to begin a relationship with God? And that he is manifest as three Persons.. Most of them are less-than-helpful. He is an extension of the sun and brings the sun directly to the world. But all three must be present simultaneously for the geometric figure to be a triangle. The Nicene and Reformed Doctrine of the Trinity - CBE 4; 14; Jon. "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. This analogy ignores the personal distinctions within God and mitigates them to mere roles. AboutPressCopyrightContact. 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. 92:8) and third person (he, his, him) singular pronouns (1 Kings 18:39). 20:3; cf. But how does it show us why there is only one God instead of three? I am fully human. Remember, the nature or essence of an entity is the property or attributes that make it what it is. For instance he: Jesus has all the features that ensure he, too, is a person. The Trinity is the perfect loving community of three Persons. As long as a shape has those three angles that add up to 180 degrees, it doesnt matter what the angles degrees are. While the three members of the Trinity are distinct, this does not mean that any is inferior to the other. Volunteer abroad this year on a short term global missions trip offered by one of the best, most-reliable Christian missions organizations in the world. 3:19; Eph. 1:12). There are two other major monotheistic world religions namely Judaism and Islam. The all powerful one who lives up in Heaven and either judges us mercilessly or loves us endlessly, depending on who you ask. Ask them to draw it on the page. The Trinity. 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. In regards to the Trinity, we use the term Person differently than we generally use it in everyday life. PDF Understanding the Biblical Doctrine of the Trinity (Godhead) - Bible Truth But analogies cannot entirely explain the mystery of God. The Apostle Paul also affirms the doctrine of the Trinity. Ive already done your research at my local library. As I said earlier, it means the same thing as being. We cannot entirelycomprehendan infinite God and these mysteries (Rom. This triune God (or Trinity) began to allude to this aspect of His nature right in Genesis 1:26-27. Then, ask them to write words on the poster that make up the character of God. Discipleship 101: How to Disciple a New Believer - Crossway We should not think of God as like a pie cut into three pieces, each piece representing a Person. Clearly, he appreciated a plurality within the Godhead. 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. 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. The early church absolutely believed and taught the belief in a God who was three-in-one. 23:2324). However, let me highlight some of the most significant passages that confirm monotheism: Are you interested in learning more about the Godhead? Unfortunately, there is a lot of confusion about the Trinity. The Trinity consists of one being revealed in three distinct persons. Is the Trinity a contradiction? Essence and personhood are NOT the same thing. More simply stated, the essence of any entity is what it is. The Holy Spirit isnt like an egg yolk, because the egg yolk is only part of an egg, whereas the Holy Spirit isnt part of God it IS God. Ask the teenager this question: Where does this fall short? In eternity past, before the beginning, God was alone. Our fellowship with God should be enhanced by consciously knowing that we are relating to a tri-personal God! Check out my tips for teaching your kids about bedtime prayer. 28:18-20; 2 Cor. The word Trinity does not appear even once in the Bible. And yet, we run into the same problem again, because God isnt made up of parts. The Trinity | Answers in Genesis It is understandable that our finite minds cannot grasp an infinite God. 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. 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. Then share them with another Christian or genuine seeker. God the Father spoke from heaven and spoke of His Son, Jesus. Matt Perman is the director of career navigation at The Kings College NYC, a blogger, and an author. 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! Two biblical teachings confirm the doctrine of the Trinity: How is that possible? How to Know and Understand the Holy Spirit | Cru - Cru.org Each person of God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) really IS God. The substance of God is God, not a bunch of ingredients that taken together yield deity. Its a devotional book. He is the only God that exists. The doctrine of the Trinity is foundational to the Christian faith. I am also fully Keith Ferrin. A triangle must have three different corners in order to be one triangle. Jesus is God, but He is not the Father or the Holy Spirit. Essence means the same thing as being. Thus, since God is only one essence, He is only one being, not three. For example, it says of Christ that in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form (Colossians 2:9). There are two other major monotheistic world religions namely Judaism and Islam. Lets start with the geometric figure of the triangle itself. God Is Triune | Answers in Genesis 3. For example: One of the most common mistakes people make is to think of the Holy Spirit as some force ala Star Wars. But the Holy Spirit is most assuredly a person. As youll see explained more deeply in one of the videos below, you can think of it this way: I am a human being. 2:10), convinces (John 6:44), teaches (Luke 12:12), convicts (John 16:18), commands (Acts 1:2), moves (John 11:33), helps (Rom. How to EXPLAIN The Trinity to a New Believer - Introduction to the Godhead In this video I will introduce the godhead or the trinity in one of the easiest te. We are referring to two different features of God: (1) his singular essenceor natureand (2) three Persons. They include: Now you have a basic understanding of the Trinity. 317 subscribers in the BiblicalUnitarian community. The second point of clarification has to do with personhood. The origin of the doctrine of the Trinity is the Bible . After all, theyre good questions. 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). Equipping families with practical approaches to parenting and marriage. I hate getting spam. The idea that God is somehow three and one starts onPage 1and never changes. 2. 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. They have eternally (John 17:5, 24) sought to glorify each other (Phil. Whether an object is a rock or a triangle, we can classify it based on its objective characteristics. 2:6), The image of God (John 12:45; 2 Cor. At his death on the cross, sinless Jesus chose to substitute himself in our place (Heb. Each of the persons is distinct from the other in relation (Economic Trinity), yet each is identical in essence (Ontological Trinity). Ironically, not much is known about his death; even the year when he passed away is up for debate. The doctrine of the Trinity is the belief that there is one God who has revealed Himself in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Tertullian, Cyprian, Augustine, and Jerome mention it. How is God one? Founder & Teacher, desiringGod.org. He differs from the Father, but was and . 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.". He exists as a Trinity. Do you need to devote yourself to unselfish religious deeds? The relationship between essence and Person, then, is as follows. But Christianitys God is unique. Your Identity in Christ: How God Sees You. Of course we are speaking by analogy here, for we cannot understand this in a physical way about God. The Holy Spirit is God. You will and can grasp these principles. Therefore, it is often difficult to have a concrete definition of Person as we use it in regards to the Trinity. God addressed in the second person singular (you): 2 Sam. 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." The Father is God. Elohimis the plural form of the word God. Then study the pronouns used in Scripture point to the Trinity: This one-ness is Gods one divine essence (Heb 1:3). Yet Jesus would not have referenced the Trinity unless it was important. 8:1417). That means that, as Christians, we believe in only one God. 8:2327), Resuscitates the dead (Matt. In fact, it is precisely the continuing dialogue between the Father and the Son (Matthew 3:17; 17:5; John 5:19; 11:41-42; 17:1ff ) which furnishes the best evidence that they are distinct Persons with distinct centers of consciousness. What is the origin of the doctrine of the Trinity? The Trinity is like an egg. PDF UNDERSTANDING THE TRINITY - Andrew M. Bailey After all, as I have said many times (to myself as much as others! See, each member participated in the creation, the incarnation, and redemption. If it were the other way around and we understood God completely, how would he be the sovereign God? You cant find an earthly match for this concept. 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. He realized Scripture alone is the only way we know about the Trinity (1 Cor. Then I'll share an activity using the Celtic Trinity Knot to explain the Trinity to children along with the love that exists between each of its Persons and us. 3:25; Dan. 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). Perfect for the Bible newbie or the long-time Bible reader. You arent alone! Since God is one in a different way than He is three, the Trinity is not a contradiction. 2:11), emotions (Eph. But is there any easy way to apprehend these exciting discoveries? For instance, the Trinity does not mean that: Instead, we need to clearly distinguish two categories (Persons and essence). They had to wait another 50 year for the 381 update. The Holy Spirit was moving or hovering over the face of the waters (Gen. 1:2). God is spirit (John 4:24). The Trinity is Christianity's most unique, defining, incomprehensible, and awesome mystery. It starts with a whisper. be explained away. A bright teen asked me to explain the Trinity. Here's what I said. Christ through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God.. Many other verses concurrently list the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. 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. 118:28, God referred to in the third person singular (he, his, him): Gen. 1:5, 10; Ex. 4:30), and a will (1 Cor. The ancient church fathers at first simply acknowledged the Trinity without feeling the need to explain a theology of that understanding. The late theologian Herman Bavinck has stated something very helpful at this point: The persons are modes of existence within the being; accordingly, the Persons differ among themselves as the one mode of existence differs from the other, and using a common illustration as the open palm differs from a closed fist.[4], Because each of these forms of existence are relational (and thus are Persons), they are each a distinct center of consciousness, with each center of consciousness regarding Himself as I and the others as You. Nonetheless, these three Persons all consist of the same stuff (that is, the same what, or essence). We Reflect God's Personhood and Relations. The Easiest Way to Explain the Trinity | SsouthernLifestyle In order for something to be contradictory, it must violate the law of noncontradiction. 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! We just covered Gods one divine essence. 13: Trinity | Putting the Fun In, Faith and Finances: 5 Steps to Get Started. Third, we have the Holy Spirit, which is also God, living in our hearts and guiding us through life. Trinity: Loving relationship defines God's very being In sum, the essence or nature of anything is what it is. In brief, how we view God will profoundly impact our everyday lives. Why is the Trinity important to Christianity? Gods essence is His being. Its probably the most classic Trinity object lesson, but its not my favorite. These three persons are of the same substance, equal in power and glory. God created man in His image. 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. What's the Origin and History of the Trinity in the Church? 9:14; Heb. Why? Rather, each person of the Trinity has all of the attributes of God, and no one Person has any attributes that are not possessed by the others. After all, if the trinitarian nature of God is not in the Bible, why bother talking about it at all? Divide your group into three teams and give each group a sheet of butcher paper or poster. Trinity may be a new term for you and can be confusing even for Christians to explain to others. What is a functional order or subordination? It means that a Trinity member submits himself to one or both of the other members. Steam, water, and ice are all H20. 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. We need you. 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. And the triangle can help us distinguish one essence from the three Persons. In this blog post, we are going to discuss the Holy Trinity in simple terms. However, you dont want to stop there with a student who can participate in a discussion. Surely not. And God seeks people to worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:24). What Is the Trinity? (Free Downloads) - Ligonier.org God the Father sent God the Holy Spirit to conceive Jesus (God the Son) in the virgin Marys womb (Matt. Nothing is more astonishing, more challenging, and more potentially life-transforming than knowing God.". To help us do that, here are two reasons why the Trinity matters. He sent Jesus to save us and then completed our salvation through the indwelling Holy Spirit (Eph. 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). Looking for a great childrens Bible? This is one of the books of the Torah. How to Explain the Trinity in 4 Steps - The Catechism Guy 1:2), Jesus as God (Titus 2:13), and the Holy Spirit as God (Acts 5:3-4). Find resources for personal or group Bible study. Yes, the Spirit was sent, but this does not imply that the Holy Spirit is less than they are. A triangle must have three sides three corners (angles), and the sum of the three angles must be 180 degrees. What Is the Doctrine of the Trinity? - Blue Letter Bible Therefore, there is one God with one divine nature and three divine Persons. Take the next step in your faith journey with resources on prayer, devotionals and other tools for personal and spiritual growth. Further, we clearly should not think of God as consisting of anything other than divinity. The wordTrinitymeansthree-in-one. We define personhood by three key characteristics: Now that you understand the critical distinction, you know that essence is what. And you know personhood is who.. 2. Jesus, the Word, was present in Genesis 1. That's the one we think of as the Father. Why? Of course, if the triangle illustration were perfect, we would be able to comprehend God fully, but we cant. 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 . Two Reasons the Trinity Matters - The Gospel Coalition From the 1950s to the 2000s, people wanted to see if they could make computers exhibit intelligence indistinguishable from humans. And likewise with the Holy Spirit. 18:20; Matt. Ive got you covered with all the basics, no matter your denomination. As Hebrews 9:14 declares. If God is three Persons, does this mean that each Person is one-third of God? Go ahead and start with one of the object lessons above. Read about individuals who have been transformed by faith. He was "begotten, not made," and he was of the same substance or essence ( homoousios) as the Father. God the Son is the rays of sunshine. There are three Persons with one divine essence! 3. And this teaching gives us a glimpse into the incomprehensible greatness of God. If youre wondering how to explain the Trinity to a child, keep it simple. 119; Prov. The best way to teach the Trinity to ANYONE who is confused is with an object lesson. Essenceis the objective set of attributes necessary to the thing being described. One illustration to beware of is the one which says, I am one person, but I am a student, son, and brother. It is very simple: All three Persons are one God because, as we saw above, they are all the same essence. The Father is not one-third of the being of God, He is all of the being of God. The New Testament lists all three Persons of the Trinity simultaneously, 6. "Economic" has to do with the history of salvation, and discusses the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the sending and mission of salvation. 9:5; Col. 2:9), The Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:34; 2 Cor. How do they relate? Jesus carried out these creative decrees (John 1:3; Col. 1:16). If each Person of the Trinity is distinct and yet fully God, then should we conclude that there is more than one God? Simply stated, God is one in essence and three in person. How To Explain The Trinity To A Child Or Teenager - Mama Manages Find freedom from your sins today. A Simple Way to Explain the Trinity - Keith Ferrin Teaching the Trinity to Students Youth Pastor Theologian 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). Explore resources to help you live out your life and relationships in a way that honors God. . In other words, you have contradicted yourself if you affirm and deny the same statement. But Keith Ferrin is noteveryhuman being.. The oldest member of the unholy trinity. The personhood of each member of the Trinity means that each Person has a distinct center of consciousness. The three most common go-to analogies for explaining the Trinity are water, an egg, and the sun. 15:28). "But if I [Jesus] cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.". And these three Persons are the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 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). I recently had some of my kids friends ask meWhat is the Trinity? But how can finite humans know anything about Gods infinite essence? 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. Omnipotence (Jer. 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. However, these illustrations arent perfect, and really mature kids or teenagers (or adult new believers) could handle digging a bit deeper! 12:11), When the Holy Spirit speaks, he refers to himself in first person (Acts 13:2). Are these just three different ways of looking at God, or simply ways of referring to three different roles that God plays? In other words, what are the objective attributes or properties that make up all rocks? How we seek to journey together with everyone towards a relationship with Jesus. Nicene Creed: An Outline of the Trinity Doctrine God the Father, Jesus His Son, with the Holy Spirit, they are three in one! The trouble with this one is that its a bit less visual. Therefore, the Holy Spirit must be distinct from the Father and the Son. Of course, anyone can be simple if he has no facts to bother about (p. 145). Third, Christians believe that the entire New Testament is inspired. How do I explain to a non-believer that belief in the Trinity is the one who is not a Christian. The all powerful one who lives up in Heaven and either judges us mercilessly or loves us endlessly, depending on who you ask. In this blog post, we will discuss how schools and parents can help girls to, Read More Navigating Girl Drama: 20 Ways Schools and Parents Can Help Calm the StormContinue, Ill never forget the moment I watched in amazement as my newly-turned 4 year old sounded out her first few CVC words. Monotheism. Youngblood, R. F., et al. How to Talk Right(ly) About the Trinity - pursueGOD.org Think about it: Finite Christians serve an eternal and infinite God. 2:511). The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all fully God. Each person of the Trinity is equally and fully God, distinct from the others, and yet they remain just one God. But secondly, Christians need to clarify that God is incomprehensible. Have some fun taking various quizzes and assessments to learn about yourself and others. May 23, 2012 by: Justin Buzzard.

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