Gods One-ness is his One divine essence, 3. Live in another country building relationships and ministries with eternal impact. The Trinity has a very significant application to prayer. Matthew 3:16. But I hope you have learned that the Trinity is not contradictory. Reaching students and faculty in middle and high school. 8:3539; Eph. Its a devotional book. God is truth, so the unity that He is effecting between believers is a unity grounded in truth. And we can delight in praying to the Father through the Son in the Holy Spirit (John 14:1314; Eph. The Definition Of The Trinity. Satan existed with the angels at the beginning of creation as one of the cherubim. The all powerful one who lives up in Heaven and either judges us mercilessly or loves us endlessly, depending on who you ask. This leads us to investigate more closely a very helpful definition of the Trinity which I mentioned earlier: God is one in essence, but three in Person. If you are a Christian, why not memorize some of this blogs verses? Genesis tells us that God created the heavens and the earth by his word. The Trinity isn't some complicated distraction from the simple gospelit's actually part of the gospel. The Trinity doctrine developed over hundreds of years and was influenced by the teachings of pagan Greek philosophers. Why, if they are ALL God? But they are eternally subordinate in their roles to him (1 Cor. For example: God the Father is a person. . But he avoids contradiction with this statement because he means that in one sense it was the best of times, but in another sense it was the worst of times. Reflecting Jesus together for the good of the city. You can't explain the Trinity to anyone who reasons because: 1) The Bible does not support it. God the Holy Spirit. 1:18; Luke 1:2635). 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. All three members of the Trinity have these characteristics. When he has gone further in his "explanation" of the Trinity than many have gone, he admits, "I am far from asserting this as any . Most of them are less-than-helpful. They have eternally (John 17:5, 24) sought to glorify each other (Phil. Learn about Cru's global leadership team. Lets apply what weve learned to the Trinity based on the graphic. Secondly I'd like you to read this verse with me from the Bible. Answer. For instance: Additionally, all three members of the Trinity participate together in several critical events. 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. In sum, the essence or nature of anything is what it is. The answer must be no, because the Bible also indicates that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct Persons. In his bookMere Christianity, C. S. Lewis points out an important distinction. But continue seeking to understand why the Trinitarian nature of God matters. (Heavy sigh.) Go ahead and start with one of the object lessons above. 12:11), When the Holy Spirit speaks, he refers to himself in first person (Acts 13:2). 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 . In other words, Christianity is unique among all other worldviews. 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 answer is they are gray and hard. A subreddit for the encouragement and discussion of the Biblical Unitarian position which holds Are you still not a Christian? Several analogies help us apprehend the Trinity. Monotheism. Youngblood, R. F., et al. Each member of the Trinity is . We exist to worship God. As a mom to three kids under 8, an instructional coach, and a former classroom teacher, I know a thing or two about how public schools REALLY work and the challenges we face in the United States. The idea that God is somehow three and one starts onPage 1and never changes. 45:5-6, New Testament: Mark 12:29; John 5:44; Eph. . He is three in Person. Striving to see Christ-followers on every team, in every sport and in every nation. Learn to develop your skills, desire and ability to join others on their spiritual journeys and take them closer to Jesus. 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). Is the Trinity a contradiction? The verb for created isbara. However, within the nature of this one God are three persons, or three centers of consciousness - the Father, the Son, and the . After all, plenty of, Read More 40 Surprising and Fun Bible Facts for Kids (with a FREE true/false printable game)Continue, Whereas most of us are pretty comfortable with our family traditions for celebrating Easter, Holy Week for kids is WAY more intimidating. 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 . We just covered Gods one divine essence. Surely not. Neither should we think of the Persons as being defined by attributes added on to the being of God. Unfortunately, there are many illustrations which are not simply imperfect, but in error. 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 . 2:1011; Heb. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all fully God. Answer. It is understandable that our finite minds cannot grasp an infinite God. 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. God the Father sent God the Holy Spirit to conceive Jesus (God the Son) in the virgin Marys womb (Matt. Scriptural evidence supports every element proving the Trinity. 3:3; Heb. Its okay to admit you dont know everything. 4:4). 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. After all, if the trinitarian nature of God is not in the Bible, why bother talking about it at all? The Holy Spirit is God. 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. 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. Jesus, the Word, was present in Genesis 1. OksoWhat about this idea of one being who exists in three persons?. What is a functional order or subordination? It means that a Trinity member submits himself to one or both of the other members. Take the next step in your faith journey with resources on prayer, devotionals and other tools for personal and spiritual growth. First of all I want to tell you that the Trinity is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. You arent alone! Theologian R.C. If you go to YouTube and search on explain the Trinity youll findlotsof videos. 32:17, 27; Matt. For example they: 5. He is one in essence. Its probably the most classic Trinity object lesson, but its not my favorite. Christ took Gods punishment, and wrath meant for us because of our sins (Heb. Have a great discussion about it! So God is one what but three whos.. 1. 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). In this blog post, we are going to discuss the Holy Trinity in simple terms. There are two other major monotheistic world religions namely Judaism and Islam. 1:2;). Rather than let that frustrate you, let it encourage you. The prologue of the Gospel of John has the strongest argument for the Trinity. But he is not inferior in Gods divine essence. The Trinity is more than just a vital doctrine. ). 1. At his death on the cross, sinless Jesus chose to substitute himself in our place (Heb. This command lists all three persons of the Trinity. As you might expect, some people consider these mysteries as contradictions. But in response we can point out both agreement and clarification. The important difference between complexity and incomprehension: If Christianity was something we were making up, of course, we could make it easier. You can cut into an apple in front of your group. ), "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. . Would you like to give your time to work with Cru? He sent Jesus to save us and then completed our salvation through the indwelling Holy Spirit (Eph. Errr, not quite. Three separate beings, all rolled into one entity. Having seen that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are distinct Persons, that they are each fully God, and that there is nonetheless only one God, we must conclude that all three Persons are the same God. But Scripture provides ample evidence of the existence of the Trinity. Well, we can know because God has given us his special revelation: the Bible. Christs resurrection is variously attributed to: Multiple verses distinguish each member of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit was moving or hovering over the face of the waters (Gen. 1:2). 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. I think it is because they lack at least two pieces of information: The main confusion is that many people dont get this distinction. That is because it is the only religion that believes in the Trinity. 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. Many other verses concurrently list the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. The Holy Trinity - Explained. The apple one is kind of cool. Specifically, distinguishing between Gods one essence and his three Persons. (Ohand I'll send you my free guideThe Simplest Way to Study ANY Bible Passageas a "Thank you" for jumping on board!). Jesus is the one whose life we try to copy. Ibid, p. 255. Do Trinity Crafts/Printables. He exists as a Trinity. However, the biblical doctrine of the Trinity does not rest on one verse of Scripture, but is found throughout the Old and New Testaments. As I said earlier, it means the same thing as being. If youre wondering how to explain the Trinity to a child, keep it simple. How to Explain the Trinity to an Unbeliever The Village Church - Flower Mound 118K subscribers 36K views 5 years ago The Trinity is confusing even to most Christians, so we want to pull the. So all three members of the Trinity have unique personhood. And when he speaks, he refers to himself in first personas I (Deut. We believe God is one in essence. Modern theologians have created a distinction between the "economic Trinity" and the "immanent Trinity.". 9:18; Matt. 11:3336). When the global church comes together then powerful things can happen. Now lets dig into these imperfect yet better than nothing representations of the Trinity for kids. A simpler way to talk about the Trinity is through "God grammar.". The Son is the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity. . 5:510; 1 Cor. 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]. He regenerates us with new spiritual life (John 3:58). God is the Father, the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit. What we believe about the gospel and our call to serve every nation. Whether an object is a rock or a triangle, we can classify it based on its objective characteristics. But it also raises many difficult questions. In regards to the Trinity, we use the term Person differently than we generally use it in everyday life. So, in this article, we will look at where the term originated. Lets start with the geometric figure of the triangle itself. How to Support Gifted ReadersContinue, OurYotoplayer,Yoto Mini, and set of Yoto cards is the number one favorite toy in our household, and it has been for two years now. be explained away. The wordTrinitymeansthree-in-one. Use Objects As Visual Aids. Ive already done your research at my local library. How is God different? There is a clue that the Son is distinct from the Father, yet there is fellowship between them. While no church is perfect, the Trinity is still the model for the churchs unity (John 1:2123). 9:5; Col. 2:9), The Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:34; 2 Cor. These definitions express three crucial truths: (1) The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct Persons, (2) each Person is fully God, (3) there is only one God. the one who is not a Christian. Best Age To Teach The Trinity To A Child. But it is possible to go deeper. Simply stated, God is one in essence and three in person. The ancient church fathers at first simply acknowledged the Trinity without feeling the need to explain a theology of that understanding. The New Testament lists all three Persons of the Trinity simultaneously, 6. The relationship between essence and Person, then, is as follows. The Father sent Jesus into the world (John 3:16; Gal. Do you need to devote yourself to unselfish religious deeds? The trouble with this one is that its a bit less visual. 2:11), speaks (Mark 13:11), testifies (Acts 20:23), reveals (1 Cor. 1. The Holy Trinity is 'the Center of Everything.'. How we seek to journey together with everyone towards a relationship with Jesus. After understanding the difference between essence and personhood, most objections evaporate! God is not one person who plays three different roles, as this illustration suggests. 2:5), The Father is not the Spirit (John 14:26; John 15:26), The Son is not the Spirit (Matt. 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). The answer is simple. A Christian would still be expected to understand it. 5:21), making it possible for us to have a relationship with God. The doctrine of the Trinity, simply stated, is as follows: The Bible teaches that there is one eternal God who is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. Showing God in action in and through His people. 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. Ironically, not much is known about his death; even the year when he passed away is up for debate. Steam, water, and ice are all H20. After all, the Trinity is difficult to understand. Sun The sun is a physical object, but also gives off light and heat. draws the believer into a new . 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. 15:16), inspires, intercedes (Rom. Elohimis the plural form of the word God. 119; Prov. 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. No, the wordTrinitydoes not appear in the Bible. We Reflect God's Personhood and Relations. 20:3; cf. 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. But that doesn't mean the concept isn't clearly taught. 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). These personal distinctions are modes of existence within the divine being, but are not divisions of the divine being. You may be wondering how to wrap your mind around all this brand-new information! 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. For example the: Finite humankind cannot wholly comprehend these mysteries. 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. Further, we should allow the fact that God is triune to deepen our worship. A rumor is started, and it spreads like wildfire. For instance, the Father is the first person of the Trinity. His function is superior to that of the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Father is not one-third of the being of God, He is all of the being of God. But first, lets cover the basics. 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. In all transparency, I feel like I did a pretty mediocre job of explaining the Trinity to them in a way they could grasp. Ask them to draw it on the page. Then study the pronouns used in Scripture point to the Trinity: This one-ness is Gods one divine essence (Heb 1:3). And interesting they are listed under a single name. This refers to Gods single essence. How is God three? Their prime usefulness it to show the mystery is not contradictory. "But if I [Jesus] cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.". The Bible is clear that all three Persons are each one hundred percent God. He was sustaining and manifesting Gods immediate presence in his creation. Firstly, we agree that finite humankind is limited. OrThe person were explaining it to will think that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are only parts of God (egg and sun).

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