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 only way humans can know about these mysteries is because the Bible teaches them. Here are three I found to be really helpful. The oldest member of the unholy trinity. 11:3336). Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! With teenagers, you want to take a different approach, and celebrate the mystery of it all. The idea that God is somehow three and one starts onPage 1and never changes. Divide your group into three teams and give each group a sheet of butcher paper or poster. This doctrine is absolutely essential to New Testament Christianity. Answer: Jesus came to lead us into relationship with the Father and that required the sacrifice of his own life because of our rebellion. Sun The sun is a physical object, but also gives off light and heat. Then share them with another Christian or genuine seeker. 19:26). The apple one is kind of cool. Thus, Jesus prayed to God the Father without praying to Himself. 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? Find freedom from your sins today. But analogies cannot entirely explain the mystery of God. 3:1617). After understanding the difference between essence and personhood, most objections evaporate! While Jesus and the Father are both God, they are different Persons. How we seek to journey together with everyone towards a relationship with Jesus. If we were to translate it . If youre wondering how to explain the Trinity to a child, keep it simple. They include: Now you have a basic understanding of the Trinity. And God created humankind to share that love (John 17:2126; Acts 17:25). See if they can think of anything better, and be ready to discuss where different ideas might not quite work. Now lets dig into these imperfect yet better than nothing representations of the Trinity for kids. 89:14; John 17:25; Rom. Take the next step in your faith journey with resources on prayer, devotionals and other tools for personal and spiritual growth. Trinity may be a new term for you and can be confusing even for Christians to explain to others. I think the major problem involves not distinguishing two different features of God. They are all eternal. Egg A single egg is made up of the yolk, the whites, and the shell. 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. They only describe what makes up Gods singular essence. The all powerful one who lives up in Heaven and either judges us mercilessly or loves us endlessly, depending on who you ask. 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. It is the revelation of who our Almighty Creator actually isnot just a god, but an infinite Being existing in eternity as three co-equal, infinite Persons, consubstantial yet distinct. understand the doctrine 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. How do they relate? As youll see explained more deeply in one of the videos below, you can think of it this way: I am a human being. 3. The Holy Trinity - Explained. But how does it show us why there is only one God instead of three? December 19, 2018. 15:16), inspires, intercedes (Rom. In explaining the Trinity to your friend, begin, perhaps, with the work of salvation. God the Father sent God the Holy Spirit to conceive Jesus (God the Son) in the virgin Marys womb (Matt. More posts you may like r/TrueChristian 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). He is one in essence. The Trinity confuses many people. The Holy Spirit is God, but He is not the Son or the Father. using the shamrock or the three states of H 2 O to explain the . May 23, 2012 by: Justin Buzzard. These three persons are of the same substance, equal in power and glory. Through accepting the undeserved gift of salvation (Eph. Their prime usefulness it to show the mystery is not contradictory. 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. . Many of us say it every single Sunday morning. This is great fun to see how teenagers draw a picture of God. The wordTrinitymeansthree-in-one. Essenceis the objective set of attributes necessary to the thing being described. Live in another country building relationships and ministries with eternal impact. Are these just three different ways of looking at God, or simply ways of referring to three different roles that God plays? Girls become divided, friendships are ruined, and reputations are tarnished. A rumor is started, and it spreads like wildfire. And Scripture provides many descriptors, orattributes,of Gods singular essence or nature. Monotheism is foundational to Christianity. Showing God in action in and through His people. God the Son. Trying to fully understand God is like a 2-year-old trying to fully understand the complexities of relationships, marriage, and parenting! For example they: 5. Question: How do you explain the Trinity? You can help us reach children and their families to know Jesus. Conclusion: Scripture teaches the Trinity. And certainly not if it were a contradiction. It is understandable that our finite minds cannot grasp an infinite God. Here we will summarize some of the fruits of their labor. 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. Admittedly, the idea of three distinct persons/expressions that are each fully God is part of the mystery. 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. Yes, the Spirit was sent, but this does not imply that the Holy Spirit is less than they are. 6:2122), Resuscitation of the dead (1 Kings 17:1724; 2 Kings 4:1837), The resurrection of Jesus (Acts 4:10; Acts 10:40), Sustains the universe (Col. 1:17; Heb. Striving to see Christ-followers on every team, in every sport and in every nation. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:17; Dan. 4:4; Col. 1:15), Eternal (John 1:1-3; 17:5; Col. 1:16-17; Jude 25), Omnipresent (Matt. 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. But first, lets cover the basics. Fun fact: The 325 Nicene Creed does not state Trinity. OrThe person were explaining it to will think that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are only parts of God (egg and sun). But the Holy Spirit is not an it, but a He (see John 14:26; 16:7-15; Acts 8:16). What is the essence of a triangle? Are you still not a Christian? The Father is not one-third of the being of God, He is all of the being of God. Allegedly, Saint Patrick used a shamrock as a metaphor to explain the Trinity: three leaves, one shamrock. Specifically, distinguishing between Gods one essence and his three Persons. We begin with a brief discussion of the doctrine in historical context, explaining more fully the nature of the problem it raises. 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. Contrary to this, the passages we have seen imply that God always was and always will be three Persons. This analogy ignores the personal distinctions within God and mitigates them to mere roles. In sum, the essence or nature of anything is what it is. The next time you (or I) are asked to explain the Trinity, you could start with a 1-sentence definition and then unpack that definition. Is God the same as Jesus? After all, children deal best with concrete ideas. But continue seeking to understand why the Trinitarian nature of God matters. 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. I am also fully Keith Ferrin. Lets apply what weve learned to the Trinity based on the graphic. God created man in His image. 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. What is the Trinity? 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]. 1:20-21), In salutations and benedictions (2 Cor. Yet Jesus would not have referenced the Trinity unless it was important. Its okay to admit you dont know everything. 2:10), convinces (John 6:44), teaches (Luke 12:12), convicts (John 16:18), commands (Acts 1:2), moves (John 11:33), helps (Rom. Learn why He did it and what it means for you. Why, if they are ALL God? Thats what faith is being content with our own confusion while still knowing that God is bigger than we can comprehend. 8:6), Jesus is called God (John 1:1-5; John 20:28; Rom. The personhood of each member of the Trinity means that each Person has a distinct center of consciousness. Why? That definition is a mouthful. draws the believer into a new . And this teaching gives us a glimpse into the incomprehensible greatness of God. The Apostle Paul also affirms the doctrine of the Trinity. Sometimes the Personhood of the Father and Son is appreciated, but the Personhood of the Holy Spirit is neglected. Second, we have the son of God, Jesus. The Father is God. The Trinity was present in the atonement at the cross. 8:6a). 139:711; Jer. After all, the Trinity is difficult to understand. Each corner is distinct (i.e., different) from the others. As theologian and apologist Norman Geisler has explained it, while essence is what you are, person is who you are. Faith is recognizing that we dont have all the answers and deciding that its okay to keep believing and growing. Fill this out to make sure you don't miss a thing! 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. First of all I want to tell you that the Trinity is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 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. Tozerputs it well in The Knowledge of the Holy. Perfect for the Bible newbie or the long-time Bible reader. 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. Learn how you can know God personally. 2. 19:714; Ps. Secondly I'd like you to read this verse with me from the Bible. So, in this article, we will look at where the term originated. AboutPressCopyrightContact. The substance of God is God, not a bunch of ingredients that taken together yield deity. Three separate beings, all rolled into one entity. This is just an egg, or an apple, or H2O. 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 . This is very important: God is one and three at the same time, but not in the same way. God the Father spoke from heaven and spoke of His Son, Jesus. Satan existed with the angels at the beginning of creation as one of the cherubim. Internship opportunities with Cru's ministries. Principle #3: Order. It is the unity of the Father, Son, and Spirit as three persons in one Godhead. 1:3), Demonstrated divine sovereignty over nature (Matt. But each member had a different function. 5:21), making it possible for us to have a relationship with God. 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 . 1. My Starting Point for Trying to Explain the Trinity, The Simplest but Still Clear Explanation for the Trinity, The 3 Most Common Trinity Analogies (and their limitations). Ask them to draw it on the page. Tertullian, Cyprian, Augustine, and Jerome mention it. While some say . Third, Christians believe that the entire New Testament is inspired. *catholic, meaning universal here, and not a reference to the big C Catholic. The Trinity expresses the belief that God is one being made up of three distinct persons who exist in co-equal essence and co-eternal communion as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit . You will and can grasp these principles. When the global church comes together then powerful things can happen. And confusing ones. All three Persons of the Trinity are God. Hmmm. 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. Explore resources to help you live out your life and relationships in a way that honors God. Each person of the Trinity is equally and fully God, distinct from the others, and yet they remain just one God. These personal distinctions are modes of existence within the divine being, but are not divisions of the divine being. We then turn to the most important strategies that have been developed by Christians to resolve this problem. Ask the teenager this question: Where does this fall short? Trinity, in Christian doctrine, the unity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three persons in one Godhead. Matthew 3:16. OksoWhat about this idea of one being who exists in three persons?. Deity of Jesus: 10 Essentials You Need to Know! Within Gods one, undivided being is an unfolding into three personal distinctions. Helping students know Jesus, grow in their faith and go to the world to tell others. For instance, the Father is the first person of the Trinity. His function is superior to that of the Son and the Holy Spirit. Trinity not mentioned in the Bible anywhere! The Trinity doctrine developed over hundreds of years and was influenced by the teachings of pagan Greek philosophers. 1:18; Luke 1:2635). Its a clear and concise explanation that works great for kids. 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. One helpful Scripture explicitly refers to the essence and personhood of the Trinity. 3:1417). Answer. Unfortunately, there is a lot of confusion about the Trinity. I think it is because they lack at least two pieces of information: The main confusion is that many people dont get this distinction. It was God who took the initiative to save humankind. God is infinite. Ive already done your research at my local library. 20:3; cf. For example: The Nicene Creed is recited during every service of Holy Communion . The first commandment says, You shall have no other gods before me (Ex. Go ahead and start with one of the object lessons above. Must you become a better person so that God will accept you? 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. We cannot entirelycomprehendan infinite God and these mysteries (Rom. We should not think of God as like a pie cut into three pieces, each piece representing a Person. . 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. 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. These three persons make up the one true God. 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! They are different Persons, not three different ways of looking at God. Since our personal relationship is with Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit lies within us, what role does God play as Father? During this period, it was attempted solely by using algorithmswhich are basically rules or sets of rules you tell a computer to follow. know that I recognise only one God. 5:2122; John 13:34), End-time judgment (Matt. But that doesnt mean the concept isnt clearly taught. 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. This should make it clear why it is so important to understand that all three Persons are the same essence. Well, we can know because God has given us his special revelation: the Bible. Explore answers to life's biggest questions. Christs resurrection is variously attributed to: Multiple verses distinguish each member of the Trinity. The prologue of the Gospel of John has the strongest argument for the Trinity. I might end with sharing a few analogies from nature. Do Trinity Crafts/Printables. 7:28; Ps. Thus, as Wayne Grudem writes, When we speak of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit together we are not speaking of any greater being than when we speak of the Father alone, the Son alone, or the Holy Spirit alone.[2]. At the risk of sounding too physical, essence can be understood as the stuff that you consist of.. In this blog post, we are going to discuss the Holy Trinity in simple terms. But it is not. 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. However, within the nature of this one God are three persons, or three centers of consciousness - the Father, the Son, and the . Nothing is more astonishing, more challenging, and more potentially life-transforming than knowing God.". Within a week,, Read More Is It Normal that My 4 Year Old Can Read? "Economic" has to do with the history of salvation, and discusses the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the sending and mission of salvation. 3:25; Dan. However, Matthew 28:19 is frequently used in attempts to prove that the Trinity is a biblical teaching. However,barais the singular conjugation of the verb. 4 Visual Ways To Explain The Trinity To A Child. 4. The Bible speaks of the Father as God (Phil. Jesus (the Son) is God. As I said earlier, it means the same thing as being. Every time the wordElohim(plural) is used throughout the Old Testament referring to the one, true God, it is used with a singular conjugation of the verb. No, the word Trinity does not appear in the Bible. Since God is one in a different way than He is three, the Trinity is not a contradiction. However, you dont want to stop there with a student who can participate in a discussion. At this stage, your head may be swimming with all this new information about God! How to Teach Kids the Trinity with an Apple Object Lesson Grab an apple and share these five truths with your kids: An apple has three parts: the seeds, the flesh, and the skin. It has been said, Try to explain the trinity and lose your mind, try to explain away the trinity and lose your soul. 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." Therefore, we must always endeavor to deepen our worship of God in truth as well as in our hearts. This post is full of Bible facts for kids that will spark the imagination, encourage lots of good questions, and even inspire some Bible reading. Of course, anyone can be simple if he has no facts to bother about (p. 145). It is very simple: All three Persons are one God because, as we saw above, they are all the same essence. Ignore the urge to tie everything up with a nice little bow. 10:2831), In Johns writings (1 John 4:1314; Rev. If someone already has an understanding based on the definition and explanation above, then these analogiesmighthelp them grasp aspects of the Trinity. That means that, as Christians, we believe in only one God. Christianity is a monotheistic religion. 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. But Scripture provides ample evidence of the existence of the Trinity. 3 in 1: A Picture of God This one is for anyone interested in using the apple object lesson. 11:3336). Each of the persons is distinct from the other in relation (Economic Trinity), yet each is identical in essence (Ontological Trinity). Some attributes include eternal, infinite, omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. Jesus, the Word, was present in Genesis 1. The word Trinity is never explicitly mentioned in the Bible; however, countless scriptures mention all three forms of God. While there are some illustrations which are helpful, we should recognize that no illustration is perfect. The second point of clarification has to do with personhood. Learn about Cru's global leadership team. After all, theyre good questions. The early church absolutely believed and taught the belief in a God who was three-in-one. The trouble with this one is that its a bit less visual. The Trinity does not divide God into three parts. 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. Christ took Gods punishment, and wrath meant for us because of our sins (Heb. However, the Bible teaches us enough about these mysteries that we can apprehend them. 15:28). What is a functional order or subordination? It means that a Trinity member submits himself to one or both of the other members. There was never a time when one of the Persons of the Godhead did not exist. Not the answer an enquiring young mind was looking for. God the Son is the rays of sunshine. If God is three Persons, does this mean that each Person is one-third of God? To confess that the Father, Son, and Spirit are equal in power of course means that one does not rule over the other in any way. Then study the pronouns used in Scripture point to the Trinity: This one-ness is Gods one divine essence (Heb 1:3). The Trinity consists of one being revealed in three distinct persons. He is one Being in three Persons (centers of consciousness), not merely three roles. Unfortunately, it is also a doctrine that is surrounded by disagreement and controversy among believers. Ask teenagers hard questions about the Trinity that will make them think, and dont bother trying to come equipped with the perfect answer to everything. 3:6. 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. Why is the Trinity important to Christianity? Third, we have the Holy Spirit, which is also God, living in our hearts and guiding us through life. Jesus is like the flesh, because He became flesh so we could know Him better. That way were providing a simple, common language and framework for everything else were going to say (or any analogies we use). 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. 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). We exist to worship God. 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. A simpler way to talk about the Trinity is through "God grammar.". We will never sell your information, for any reason. 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. 8:1417). After all, each of these illustrate the idea that God is made up of parts, and thats not really true. Sigh. The Trinity is God the Father, God the Son (Jesus) and God the Holy Spirit. 5:2), Miracles (Ex. 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). Read more. 317 subscribers in the BiblicalUnitarian community. Each person of God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) really IS God. Why not plan on studying verses in each section to prove to yourself that the Bible does claim that God is a Trinity? After all, if the trinitarian nature of God is not in the Bible, why bother talking about it at all? 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. 15:19), God is called Father (John 17:1; John 3; 20:17; 1 Cor. He exists as a Trinity. He sent Jesus to save us and then completed our salvation through the indwelling Holy Spirit (Eph. Another serious error people have made is to think that the Father became the Son, who then became the Holy Spirit. The prologue of the Gospel of John has the strongest argument for the Trinity. 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 . We believe God is one in essence. We are dealing with fact. In all transparency, I feel like I did a pretty mediocre job of explaining the Trinity to them in a way they could grasp. With input from her father, fart followed within a day or two, and I was horrified, but also excited that she mysteriously managed an r-controlled vowel without any explicit instruction. He is an extension of the sun and brings the sun directly to the world. To contemplate the Trinity is to lift up your heart and to "set your mind on the things above" (Col. 3:2). Develop your leadership skills and learn how to launch a ministry wherever you are. 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. Third, notice that although the three divine Persons are distinct, we are baptized into their name (singular), not names (plural). Did your kids give each form of God different personality traits? And then you will read eight critical truths about the nature of the Trinity. 4:15), dying for our sins (1 Cor. It is crucial for properly understanding what God is like, how He relates to us, and how we should relate to Him. 2:11), speaks (Mark 13:11), testifies (Acts 20:23), reveals (1 Cor. Awareness of the distinct role that each Person of the Trinity has in our salvation can especially serve to give us greater comfort and appreciation for God in our prayers, as well as helping us to be specific in directing our prayers. In the early 2000s, people began using a new approach called "deep .
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