After Christ rose from the grave, he appeared to the disciples and gave them a job to do: preach the Word to everyone. Bringing hope and resources to military families worldwide. Lets do a quick review of the topics we have covered. He brings all light and life to the world. But Jesus did not become less than the Father during his incarnation. 3:1417). Confusing them leads to misunderstanding. OrThe person were explaining it to will think that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are only parts of God (egg and sun). Are you still not a Christian? We Reflect God's Personhood and Relations. It was God who took the initiative to save humankind. Engage Children in learning The Holy Trinity through Reading, Writing, Playing, Creating, Singing!Included in this resource:Bible Lesson Book-Teacher Edition: Read Aloud!Full sized, colorful large print . He sent Jesus to save us and then completed our salvation through the indwelling Holy Spirit (Eph. This is one possibility of explaining it. Object Lessons on the Trinity for a Child or New Believer, The Difference Between Teaching the Trinity to a Child vs. a Teenager, Books that Explain the Trinity to a Child, Navigating Girl Drama: 20 Ways Schools and Parents Can Help Calm the Storm, Is It Normal that My 4 Year Old Can Read? He exists as a Trinity. Trinity may be a new term for you and can be confusing even for Christians to explain to others. Therefore, the Holy Spirit must be distinct from the Father and the Son. .. God created man in His image. But he is not inferior in Gods divine essence. Monotheism is foundational to Christianity. Its a clear and concise explanation that works great for kids. Most people, including many Christians, struggle trying to apprehend the Trinity. 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." "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.". But that doesn't mean the concept isn't clearly taught. Steam, water, and ice are all H20. 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. He is beyond us. These three persons make up the one true God. Second, notice that each Person must be deity because they are all placed on the same level. For example: God the Father is a person. After all, as I have said many times (to myself as much as others! Tertullian coined the term Trinity during the second century. 12:11), When the Holy Spirit speaks, he refers to himself in first person (Acts 13:2). 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. The Bible reveals that God isone, in essence, eternally revealed inthree Persons. 139:711; Jer. I am also fully Keith Ferrin. We can never completely understand the Trinities one essence and three Persons. More simply stated, the essence of any entity is what it is. The Trinity confuses even adults, so when youre tasked (or inspired) to teach the Trinity to a child, teenager, or new believer, it can be overwhelming. Three parts in one, yet all very much an egg. 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. The Holy Spirit descended upon Him to equip Him for His ministry. The idea that God is somehow three and one starts onPage 1and never changes. 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! For instance, each Person: Scripture often names all three members of the Trinity together. Those centuries were t 42. 5:21), making it possible for us to have a relationship with God. Three separate beings, all rolled into one entity. Geisler, N. L., and R. E MacKenzie, R. E. Roman Catholics and Evangelicals: agreements and differences. 5:2122; John 13:34), End-time judgment (Matt. There is a clue that the Son is distinct from the Father, yet there is fellowship between them. Now, as Fred Sanders once quipped, this doesn't mean you should begin every witnessing encounter, "God loves you . Instead, they are all identical in attributes. However, Matthew 28:19 is frequently used in attempts to prove that the Trinity is a biblical teaching. Stated differently, God is one in essence and three in person. The easiest way to explain the Trinity is with an object lesson, and thats true no matter how old someone might be. draws the believer into a new . However, the biblical doctrine of the Trinity does not rest on one verse of Scripture, but is found throughout the Old and New Testaments. Finally I would end with Deuteronomy 29:29 which helps us to realize that we cannot fully comprehend God. 13: Trinity | Putting the Fun In, Faith and Finances: 5 Steps to Get Started. The concept of the Trinity is that we have God in three forms - a union of three. 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. The Fathers plan for our redemption shows his great love for humankind. 2:10), convinces (John 6:44), teaches (Luke 12:12), convicts (John 16:18), commands (Acts 1:2), moves (John 11:33), helps (Rom. However, within the nature of this one God are three persons, or three centers of consciousness - the Father, the Son, and the . Unfortunately, there is a lot of confusion about the Trinity. For example, it says of Christ that in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form (Colossians 2:9). Through accepting the undeserved gift of salvation (Eph. We baptize into the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately, it is also a doctrine that is surrounded by disagreement and controversy among believers. A subreddit for the encouragement and discussion of the Biblical Unitarian position which holds 12:711), The Father is not the Son (Matt. Now we will turn our attention to showing the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are persons.. Thus, Jesus prayed to God the Father without praying to Himself. The Trinity is a concept that is impossible for any human being to fully understand, let alone explain. 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. Christianity is a monotheistic religion. Read Books About The Trinity. It's a great reminder of the three parts of the Holy Trinity! In brief, how we view God will profoundly impact our everyday lives. I recently had some of my kids friends ask meWhat is the Trinity? One helpful Scripture explicitly refers to the essence and personhood of the Trinity. Lets start with the geometric figure of the triangle itself. Is the Trinity a contradiction? When Jesus answered the question, What is the greatest commandment? he prefaced the answer by quoting the. But the Holy Spirit is not an it, but a He (see John 14:26; 16:7-15; Acts 8:16). . 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. In other words, there is one God who exists as three distinct Persons. Is referred to in the second person (you; Ps. The Son is the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity. 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. Jesus is like the flesh, because He became flesh so we could know Him better. Its okay for them to have a very limited understanding of God. Since God is one in a different way than He is three, the Trinity is not a contradiction. A simpler way to talk about the Trinity is through "God grammar.". 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. Neither should we think of the Persons as being defined by attributes added on to the being of God. The oldest member of the unholy trinity. He is three in a different way than He is one. 2:6), The image of God (John 12:45; 2 Cor. 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 Trinity is like an egg or apple. Find resources for personal or group Bible study. Here is an object with three parts: a hard shell, the egg white, and the yolk. 2:11), speaks (Mark 13:11), testifies (Acts 20:23), reveals (1 Cor. How can God be both one and three? We can be adopted by the Father and united with Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit (John 1:1223; Rom. Faith is recognizing that we dont have all the answers and deciding that its okay to keep believing and growing. 8:6), Jesus is called God (John 1:1-5; John 20:28; Rom. Our kids are currently 2, 4, and 7, and its equally loved by all of them, so the Yoto age range is really wide! 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! As Christians, we derive our concept of person from the relations in the Trinity. So, rather than starting there, heres where were headed: To think we will everfullyunderstand the Trinity is to make the mistake of thinking God is fully understandable. Answer: Jesus came to lead us into relationship with the Father and that required the sacrifice of his own life because of our rebellion. The answer hinges on the differences in their unique roles. 2:1011; Heb. Its not unusual for teenagers to give Jesus a bunch of loving characteristics and then put words like justice and vengeance on God the Fathers poster. We all have a story. Trying to fully understand God is like a 2-year-old trying to fully understand the complexities of relationships, marriage, and parenting! In his second letter to the Corinthians, he bids farewell to them: "May the grace of the Lord Jesus, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the This explains how God can be both one and three. The problem with this is that it reflects a heresy called modalism. God is like the skin because He protects us. Actually, March 17 commemorates St. Patrick's death, actually. Believe it or not, the fact that God is too immense for our finite minds should be comforting, not discouraging! One of the reasons Jonathan Edwards's vision of God has proved so helpful in my worship and ministry is that he does, and he doesn't, "explain" the Trinity. 92:8) and third person (he, his, him) singular pronouns (1 Kings 18:39). Then share them with another Christian or genuine seeker. The Bible is clear that all three Persons are each one hundred percent God. But each member had a different function. Essence and personhood are NOT the same thing. Divide your group into three teams and give each group a sheet of butcher paper or poster. Each of the persons is distinct from the other in relation (Economic Trinity), yet each is identical in essence (Ontological Trinity). Is God the same as Jesus? God the Father. While we cannot fully understand everything about the Trinity (or anything else), it is possible to answer questions like these and come to a solid grasp of what it means for God to be three in one. On the other hand, we must say that the Persons are real, that they are not just different ways of looking at the one being of GodThe only way it seems possible to do this is to say that the distinction between the persons is not a difference of "being" but a difference of "relationships." The Trinity is the perfect loving community of three Persons. 3. ). The first commandment says, You shall have no other gods before me (Ex. And then you will read eight critical truths about the nature of the Trinity. To further our understanding of the distinction of persons within the one God it is best to move on to the next trinitarian principle. You will and can grasp these principles. If we can understand more precisely what is meant by essence and person, how these two terms differ, and how they relate, we will then have a more complete understanding of the Trinity. Among the three persons of the Trinity, there is a proper order: The Father is the First Person of the Most Holy Trinity. And when he speaks, he refers to himself in first personas I (Deut. Many other verses concurrently list the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. . In eternity past, before the beginning, God was alone. It has been said, Try to explain the trinity and lose your mind, try to explain away the trinity and lose your soul. 9:14; Heb. 9:5; Col. 2:9), The Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:34; 2 Cor. . If Jesus is God, why do the Gospels record instances where He prayed to God? The Trinity was present in the atonement at the cross. 3:19; Eph. The Trinity does not divide God into three parts. The Trinity consists of one being revealed in three distinct persons. 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 . All three members of the Trinity have these characteristics. Several analogies help us apprehend the Trinity. I hate getting spam. At the risk of sounding too physical, essence can be understood as the stuff that you consist of.. 317 subscribers in the BiblicalUnitarian community. Its three things, but all are complete on their own. The Trinity has a very significant application to prayer. For example, since the Father sent the Son into the world (John 3:16), He cannot be the same person as the Son. To contemplate the Trinity is to lift up your heart and to "set your mind on the things above" (Col. 3:2). 19:26). 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. Famous pastor and authorA.W. If each Person of the Trinity is distinct and yet fully God, then should we conclude that there is more than one God? Sometimes the Personhood of the Father and Son is appreciated, but the Personhood of the Holy Spirit is neglected. 12:28; Rom. 3:1617). This analogy ignores the personal distinctions within God and mitigates them to mere roles. That's the one we think of as the Father. 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. Yet Jesus would not have referenced the Trinity unless it was important. He was sustaining and manifesting Gods immediate presence in his creation. One illustration to beware of is the one which says, I am one person, but I am a student, son, and brother. 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. The Son and Holy Spirit are equal in deity to the Father. What a challenge! 31:3; John 3:16; 1 John 4:8), Righteous (Ps. 4:15), dying for our sins (1 Cor. First of all I want to tell you that the Trinity is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They are equal in power, love, mercy, justice, holiness, knowledge, and all other qualities. The Trinity is more than just a vital doctrine. Likewise, after the Son returned to the Father (John 16:10), the Father and the Son sent the Holy Spirit into the world (John 14:26; Acts 2:33). We begin with a brief discussion of the doctrine in historical context, explaining more fully the nature of the problem it raises. Binmin Podcast 8: God & Origins | What Questions Should I Ask About My Faith, Binmin Podcast Ep. For if we deny this, we have denied Gods unity and affirmed that there is more than one being of God (i.e., that there is more than one God). How is God one? The Bible teaches that the Father is God, that Jesus is God, and that the Holy Spirit is God. For example: The Nicene Creed is recited during every service of Holy Communion . After all, children deal best with concrete ideas. He is one in essence. Heres how the triangle analogy can help: Consider a triangle with me. The Trinity is like an egg. This doctrine is absolutely essential to New Testament Christianity. The Apostle Paul also affirms the doctrine of the Trinity. The technical term in case youre interested for this wrong way of thinking about God is calledmodalism. In regards to the Trinity, we use the term Person differently than we generally use it in everyday life. 10:2831), In Johns writings (1 John 4:1314; Rev. Now youre gonna tell me theyre all the same but also different? From our understanding of the Trinity (a social being), we recognize that a person is a relational being, not just someone with a mind, a will, and . ), "If God was small enough for my brain to fully understand, He wouldnt be big enough to save me!, The authors of the Bible understood this. 7:28; Ps. Amen. The only way humans can know about these mysteries is because the Bible teaches them. 2. 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. For example the: Finite humankind cannot wholly comprehend these mysteries. Answers to questions on donations, financial policies, Crus annual report and more. The wordtrinitymeans tri-unity or three-in-oneness.. You can cut into an apple in front of your group. 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. It is understandable that our finite minds cannot grasp an infinite God. My passion is helping you not just read and study the Bible, but truly enjoy it! Ignore the urge to tie everything up with a nice little bow. Weve made a comparison between this object and the Trinity. 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. See if you can let kids arrive at the notion that God isnt really made up of parts. All three Persons of the Trinity are God. Grace is the promise that you stand forgiven before God if you know Jesus. Deut. Therefore each of the Persons into whose name we are to be baptized must be deity. So God is one what but three whos.. Christ through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God.. The concept of the Trinity is often referred to during worship, which helps Christians to understand it. How do we receive His grace? Ironically, not much is known about his death; even the year when he passed away is up for debate. Trinity not mentioned in the Bible anywhere! The prologue of the Gospel of John has the strongest argument for the Trinity. For instance, the Father is the first person of the Trinity. His function is superior to that of the Son and the Holy Spirit. Sproul cites as an example Dickens famous line, It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Obviously this is a contradiction if Dickens means that it was the best of times in the same way that it was the worst of times. Its a devotional book. Read more. At this stage, your head may be swimming with all this new information about God! 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 can only be if they share one essence. We will never sell your information, for any reason. 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. What's the Origin and History of the Trinity in the Church? 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]. Question: How do you explain the Trinity? The second point of clarification has to do with personhood. These verses make it impossible to deny their individuality and deity. 9:18; Matt. And all three members of the Trinity were involved. 5:510; 1 Cor. The Trinity is Christianity's most unique, defining, incomprehensible, and awesome mystery. Simply stated, God is one in essence and three in person. Even then, he was not alone, because he had his Logos within him. The Trinity. 3:25; Dan. God the Father sent God the Holy Spirit to conceive Jesus (God the Son) in the virgin Marys womb (Matt. If you are a Christian, why not memorize some of this blogs verses? Its okay to admit you dont know everything. There are two other major monotheistic world religions namely Judaism and Islam. He differs from the Father, but was and . We believe God is one in essence. We hate SPAM. While no church is perfect, the Trinity is still the model for the churchs unity (John 1:2123). It is fundamental to our worldview. . I might end with sharing a few analogies from nature. But Scripture provides ample evidence of the existence of the Trinity. That is why understanding what the Trinity is and is not asserting. Jesus (the Son) is God. 8:26), comprehends (1 Cor. Be cool with leaving the gathering with more questions than answers. Sometimes the Spirit is treated more like a force than a Person. 2:5), The Father is not the Spirit (John 14:26; John 15:26), The Son is not the Spirit (Matt. See, each member participated in the creation, the incarnation, and redemption. So many things clamor to define you. 28:20; Col. 3:11), Omnibenevolent (John 13:34; Rom. 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. 1:17; Dan. And confusing ones. Two biblical teachings confirm the doctrine of the Trinity: How is that possible? If someone already has an understanding based on the definition and explanation above, then these analogiesmighthelp them grasp aspects of the Trinity. Ive already done your research at my local library. 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. However, these illustrations arent perfect, and really mature kids or teenagers (or adult new believers) could handle digging a bit deeper! Partnering with urban churches to meet physical and spiritual needs. 15:19), God is called Father (John 17:1; John 3; 20:17; 1 Cor. And the Trinity is an essential doctrine to our understanding of God. This one is kinda fun for older kids who understand a bit of science. Its NOT God. 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. All of this information is a lot to take in at once. Christ took Gods punishment, and wrath meant for us because of our sins (Heb.