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 . In this case, "immanent" means "the action remaining within an agent.". "Economic" has to do with the history of salvation, and discusses the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the sending and mission of salvation. Let's explore each of these members. 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. 1:20-21), In salutations and benedictions (2 Cor. These personal distinctions are modes of existence within the divine being, but are not divisions of the divine being. Gods attributes are not parts of his singular divine essence. Help others in their faith journey through discipleship and mentoring. 20:3; cf. Anytime you see a geometric figure with these features, it is a triangle. Gods essence is His being. 2) It makes no sense 3) The doctrine is rooted in ancient pagan Babylon 4) Jesus himself said he is God's SON; not God himself as the Trinity teaches However, let me highlight some of the most significant passages that confirm monotheism: Are you interested in learning more about the Godhead? 40:18; Rom. "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. In other words, there is one God who exists as three distinct Persons. Ask the teenager this question: Where does this fall short? Its a devotional book. Clearly, he appreciated a plurality within the Godhead. Essence means the same thing as being. Thus, since God is only one essence, He is only one being, not three. Second, we have the son of God, Jesus. They are different Persons, not three different ways of looking at 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. 2:17). It has been said, Try to explain the trinity and lose your mind, try to explain away the trinity and lose your soul. But that doesn't mean the concept isn't clearly taught. And we can delight in praying to the Father through the Son in the Holy Spirit (John 14:1314; Eph. You can help us reach children and their families to know Jesus. Third, we have the Holy Spirit, which is also God, living in our hearts and guiding us through life. He is three in a different way than He is one. 9:5; Col. 2:9), The Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:34; 2 Cor. He was "begotten, not made," and he was of the same substance or essence ( homoousios) as the Father. The Trinity is a mystery beyond our comprehension (Isa. Find resources for personal or group Bible study. The Father and the Son are God almighty, omnipotent God. 3:1617). You can describe the Trinity in different ways: The wordspersonsandessencerefer to entirely different features relating to God. This law states that A cannot be both A (what it is) and non-A (what it is not) at the same time and in the same relationship. OksoWhat about this idea of one being who exists in three persons?. 28:18-20; 2 Cor. This should make it clear why it is so important to understand that all three Persons are the same essence. It's so simple, it fits on one page. How is God three? But Christianity's God is unique. The New Testament lists all three Persons of the Trinity simultaneously, 6. That is why understanding what the Trinity is and is not asserting. Lets start with the geometric figure of the triangle itself. 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. 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. We hate SPAM. Now youre gonna tell me theyre all the same but also different? 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. Unfortunately, there are many illustrations which are not simply imperfect, but in error. Helping students know Jesus, grow in their faith and go to the world to tell others. 5:2122; John 13:34), End-time judgment (Matt. The Bible teaches the Trinity beginning with the days of creation. If youre wondering how to explain the Trinity to a child, keep it simple. He differs from the Father, but was and . The Holy Trinity - Explained. I wont go into all of the verses here (simply type bible verses about the Trinity into Google and youll find plenty). Partnering with urban churches to meet physical and spiritual needs. Show them that there are three parts: seeds, flesh, and skin. But Jesus did not become less than the Father during his incarnation. While no church is perfect, the Trinity is still the model for the churchs unity (John 1:2123). For example, it says of Christ that in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form (Colossians 2:9). That means that, as Christians, we believe in only one God. God the Holy Spirit. After all, children deal best with concrete ideas. Fun fact: The 325 Nicene Creed does not state Trinity. Then study the pronouns used in Scripture point to the Trinity: This one-ness is Gods one divine essence (Heb 1:3). 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. To understand more fully what God is like is a way of honoring God. 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. . Contrary to this, the passages we have seen imply that God always was and always will be three Persons. He is three in Person. That definition is a mouthful. How we seek to journey together with everyone towards a relationship with Jesus. The doctrine is critical, even if not easily comprehended. Their prime usefulness it to show the mystery is not contradictory. Below are several of the most popular ones. Admittedly, the idea of three distinct persons/expressions that are each fully God is part of the mystery. Jesus is God, but He is not the Father or the Holy Spirit. 7:28; Ps. 4 Visual Ways To Explain The Trinity To A Child. The Father sent Jesus into the world (John 3:16; Gal. The all powerful one who lives up in Heaven and either judges us mercilessly or loves us endlessly, depending on who you ask. And that knowledge can feel liberating. Genesis tells us that God created the heavens and the earth by his word. Monotheism. Youngblood, R. F., et al. Each person of God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) really IS God. Because humankind is limited, God will always exceed our knowledge and understanding (Isa. Grace is the promise that you stand forgiven before God if you know Jesus. 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. Monotheism is foundational to Christianity. The wordTrinitymeansthree-in-one. Further, we clearly should not think of God as consisting of anything other than divinity. These three persons make up the one true God. The doctrine of the Trinity is considered to be one of the central Christian affirmations about God. That means that, as Christians, we believe in only one God. In other words, you have contradicted yourself if you affirm and deny the same statement. More simply stated, the essence of any entity is what it is. But is there any easy way to apprehend these exciting discoveries? These questions arealwaysasked by someone who is exploring faith in Jesus. The word Trinity is never explicitly mentioned in the Bible; however, countless scriptures mention all three forms of God. This analogy ignores the personal distinctions within God and mitigates them to mere roles. The Father is not one-third of the being of God, He is all of the being of God. I am also Keith Ferrin. Tertullian, Cyprian, Augustine, and Jerome mention it. 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. He sanctifies us (1 Pet. 3:1417). It's a great reminder of the three parts of the Holy Trinity! We can be adopted by the Father and united with Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit (John 1:1223; Rom. The Trinity is God the Father, God the Son (Jesus) and God the Holy Spirit. 12:11), When the Holy Spirit speaks, he refers to himself in first person (Acts 13:2). Therefore, we must always endeavor to deepen our worship of God in truth as well as in our hearts. Baker Books, 1995, pp. It is the same thing in three different forms. 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. ONLY the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are God. And confusing ones. The answer must be no, because the Bible also indicates that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct Persons. " Here God is a plural noun, said is in the . For example they: 5. In brief, how we view God will profoundly impact our everyday lives. Within Gods one, undivided being is an unfolding into three personal distinctions. How can one explain the Trinity simply to a new believer? God is spirit (John 4:24). Father, Son, and Holy Spirit do not unite people by neglecting t We exist to worship God. Its a mystery the Bible teaches. December 19, 2018. God the Holy Spirit is the warmth you feel from the sun. There would only be a contradiction if we said that God is three in the same way that He is one. ETS members all confess the Father, the Son, and the Spirit to be "one in essence, equal in power and glory.". Further, we should allow the fact that God is triune to deepen our worship. 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. The first commandment says, You shall have no other gods before me (Ex. 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." 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 word Trinity does not appear even once in the Bible. Famous pastor and authorA.W. Whats a Mama to say when the questions start flowing? Fortunately, the most popular analogy of the Trinity is the triangle. 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. Is referred to in the second person (you; Ps. One of the problems is that most of us myself included are tempted to move too quickly to analogies that only help explainaspectsof the Trinity. 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. Among the worlds religions, the Christian faith is unique. Therefore each of the Persons into whose name we are to be baptized must be deity. 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. 28:20; Col. 3:11), Omnibenevolent (John 13:34; Rom. 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. Deut. Do Trinity Crafts/Printables. They are all eternal. While some say . God the Father. There are two men in their 20s who came to faith in Christ in recent weeks through the ministry of our church. We cannot compete, in simplicity, with people who are inventing religions. Why? It is one of the two ordinances of the Christian Church. Here are three I found to be really helpful. He is also referred to in third-person singular pronouns (John 14:26), He engages in actions only a person can do: He searches (1 Cor. 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. Neither should we think of the Persons as being defined by attributes added on to the being of God. God addressed in the second person singular (you): 2 Sam. These verses make it impossible to deny their individuality and deity. After all, the Trinity is difficult to understand. You can cut into an apple in front of your group. Have a great discussion about it! The Trinity has a very significant application to prayer. Specifically, distinguishing between Gods one essence and his three Persons. 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. 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 . It is the unity of the Father, Son, and Spirit as three persons in one Godhead. But that doesnt mean the concept isnt clearly taught. Geisler, N. L., and R. E MacKenzie, R. E. Roman Catholics and Evangelicals: agreements and differences. 2:1011; Heb. What we have seen so far provides a good basic understanding of the Trinity. 9:14; Heb. We then turn to the most important strategies that have been developed by Christians to resolve this problem. Most of them are less-than-helpful. 1. To start, let me define what I mean when I say persons. Personhood is having intellect, emotions, and a will.
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