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Third, Christians believe that the entire New Testament is inspired. The prologue of the Gospel of John has the strongest argument for the Trinity. The Bible is clear that all three Persons are each one hundred percent God. What is Gods essence? God the Father, Jesus His Son, with the Holy Spirit, they are three in one! Matt Perman is the director of career navigation at The Kings College NYC, a blogger, and an author. 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. AboutPressCopyrightContact. 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. The concept of the Trinity is that we have God in three forms - a union of three. Heres the problem (and why we shouldntstartwith these analogies):If these analogies are the only way someone thinks of the Trinity, it will lead to one of two errors. After all, children deal best with concrete ideas. Is referred to in the second person (you; Ps. How do they relate? The three most common go-to analogies for explaining the Trinity are water, an egg, and the sun. More simply stated, the essence of any entity is what it is. Essenceis the objective set of attributes necessary to the thing being described. Jesus, the Word, was present in Genesis 1. And the triangle can help us distinguish one essence from the three Persons. Helping students know Jesus, grow in their faith and go to the world to tell others. Why, if they are ALL God? As youll see explained more deeply in one of the videos below, you can think of it this way: I am a human being. A triangle must have three different corners in order to be one triangle. 3:3; Heb. Understanding who the Holy Spirit is, the place He holds within the Holy Trinity and the role He plays in individual lives is vital to anyone exploring what it means to become a Christian and anyone trying to follow Jesus. He is an extension of the sun and brings the sun directly to the world. What does essence mean? And yet, we run into the same problem again, because God isnt made up of parts. How could we? In order for something to be contradictory, it must violate the law of noncontradiction. The word "scripture " graphe 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. 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. Matthew 3:16. Unfortunately, there is a lot of confusion about the Trinity. Essence and person are not the same thing. The Trinity confuses many people. But how does it show us why there is only one God instead of three? The Trinity was present in the atonement at the cross. Reflecting Jesus together for the good of the city. There we read that " God said, 'Let us make man in our image' . You cant find an earthly match for this concept. 2:17). If youd like to get away from simple object lessons and move your child toward a deeper understanding of Gods nature, check out The Attributes of God for Kids. How do we know whats age-appropriate for them to understand? That is because it is the only religion that believes in the Trinity. 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. And God created humankind to share that love (John 17:2126; Acts 17:25). Secondly I'd like you to read this verse with me from the Bible. When Jesus answered the question, What is the greatest commandment? he prefaced the answer by quoting the. Further, we clearly should not think of God as consisting of anything other than divinity. These personal distinctions are modes of existence within the divine being, but are not divisions of the divine being. He brings all light and life to the world. December 19, 2018. 4:47), In Hebrews (Heb. Rather than let that frustrate you, let it encourage you. See if they can think of anything better, and be ready to discuss where different ideas might not quite work. But analogies cannot entirely explain the mystery of God. We all have a story. Kids understand the three different forms clearly, as separate objects. At Jesus baptism, when Christ came up out of the water, the Spirit descended in the appearance of a dove. 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]. Are you still not a Christian? also 1:18). 2. Is the Trinity a contradiction? In other words, what are the objective attributes or properties that make up all rocks? Striving to see Christ-followers on every team, in every sport and in every nation. And God seeks people to worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:24). *catholic, meaning universal here, and not a reference to the big C Catholic. Finally I would end with Deuteronomy 29:29 which helps us to realize that we cannot fully comprehend God. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all fully God. Fortunately, the most popular analogy of the Trinity is the triangle. This is very important: God is one and three at the same time, but not in the same way. "The Trinity is the foundational Christian belief that God is one Being who exists in three Persons.. Let's explore each of these members. Its okay to admit you dont know everything. 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 . Use Objects As Visual Aids. The idea that God is somehow three and one starts onPage 1and never changes. 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). However, Matthew 28:19 is frequently used in attempts to prove that the Trinity is a biblical teaching. 4. Why? How can one explain the Trinity simply to a new believer? 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. Answer: Jesus came to lead us into relationship with the Father and that required the sacrifice of his own life because of our rebellion. This can only be if they share one essence. Learn to develop your skills, desire and ability to join others on their spiritual journeys and take them closer to Jesus. 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. You can describe the Trinity in different ways: The wordspersonsandessencerefer to entirely different features relating to God. 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 . 5:21), making it possible for us to have a relationship with God. We then turn to the most important strategies that have been developed by Christians to resolve this problem. But it is not. The doctrine of the Trinity is foundational to the Christian faith. Check out my tips for teaching your kids about bedtime prayer. I think it is because they lack at least two pieces of information: The main confusion is that many people dont get this distinction. " Here God is a plural noun, said is in the . And this illustration helps us understand the Trinity: This illustration shows how the doctrine of the Trinity does not divide God into three parts. Instead, it reveals that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit possess the same divine essence. 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. That definition is a mouthful. 4; 14; Jon. You can't explain the Trinity to anyone who reasons because: 1) The Bible does not support it. Subjection and subordination do not mean inequality. In this case, "immanent" means "the action remaining within an agent.". 8:2327), Resuscitates the dead (Matt. You may be wondering how to wrap your mind around all this brand-new information! And during his earthly ministry, Christ subjected himself to the Fathers will. Lets move on to Scriptural evidence for the Trinity. Thats what faith is being content with our own confusion while still knowing that God is bigger than we can comprehend. Second, notice that each Person must be deity because they are all placed on the same level. We just covered Gods one divine essence. Several analogies help us apprehend the Trinity. I hate getting spam. We will never sell your information, for any reason. Live in another country building relationships and ministries with eternal impact. 12:11), When the Holy Spirit speaks, he refers to himself in first person (Acts 13:2). How is God three? These questions arealwaysasked by someone who is exploring faith in Jesus. Why not plan on studying verses in each section to prove to yourself that the Bible does claim that God is a Trinity? I'm an author, speaker, husband, father and ice cream lover. Fun fact: The 325 Nicene Creed does not state Trinity. Errr, not quite. And the voice of the Father declared, This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased (Matt. Explore resources to help you live out your life and relationships in a way that honors God. Here is an object with three parts: a hard shell, the egg white, and the yolk. In John 1:1 it is affirmed that Jesus is God and, at the same time, that He was with God- thereby indicating that Jesus is a distinct Person from God the Father (cf. He is three in a different way than He is one. 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. This triune God (or Trinity) began to allude to this aspect of His nature right in Genesis 1:26-27. Gods One-ness is his One divine essence, 3. 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. Do you need to devote yourself to unselfish religious deeds? There is a clue that the Son is distinct from the Father, yet there is fellowship between them. If you go to YouTube and search on explain the Trinity youll findlotsof videos. Conclusion: Scripture supports the Trinity. More posts you may like r/TrueChristian Therefore, it is often difficult to have a concrete definition of Person as we use it in regards to the Trinity. Only older children will grasp the in one concept of H20. 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. Do Trinity Crafts/Printables. Does it look like Grandpa? 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). 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 How do we come to terms with these different ideas of God? Leading from values so others will walk passionately with God to grow and bear fruit. These verses make it impossible to deny their individuality and deity. (Againwere trying to grasp something that isnt fully grasp-able.). However, these illustrations arent perfect, and really mature kids or teenagers (or adult new believers) could handle digging a bit deeper! The three-ness and one-ness are two different features. Third, we have the Holy Spirit, which is also God, living in our hearts and guiding us through life. 1:7; 2 Tim. Unsubscribe at any time. The trouble with this one is that its a bit less visual. The Trinity is Christianity's most unique, defining, incomprehensible, and awesome mystery. The three members of the unholy trinity are Satan, the Antichrist, and the false prophet. The technical term in case youre interested for this wrong way of thinking about God is calledmodalism. Steam, water, and ice are all H20. View our top Cru resources in more than 20 languages. The Bible reveals that God isone, in essence, eternally revealed inthree Persons. What we do not mean by Person is an independent individual in the sense that both I and another human are separate, independent individuals who can exist apart from one another. "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.". These three persons are of the same substance, equal in power and glory. However, the Bible teaches us enough about these mysteries that we can apprehend them. Among the three persons of the Trinity, there is a proper order: The Father is the First Person of the Most Holy Trinity. 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. The Trinity is a concept that is impossible for any human being to fully understand, let alone explain. Monotheism is foundational to Christianity. 3:6. 3:19; Eph. Their prime usefulness it to show the mystery is not contradictory. The Trinity isn't some complicated distraction from the simple gospelit's actually part of the gospel. (Ohand I'll send you my free guideThe Simplest Way to Study ANY Bible Passageas a "Thank you" for jumping on board!). For example: The Nicene Creed is recited during every service of Holy Communion . We exist to worship God. They include: Now you have a basic understanding of the Trinity. . To understand more fully what God is like is a way of honoring God. God is the Father, the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit. Here are the best childrens Bibles, sorted by age. No, the wordTrinitydoes not appear in the Bible. What is the essence of a triangle? The Son is the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity. It has been said, Try to explain the trinity and lose your mind, try to explain away the trinity and lose your soul. There are two other major monotheistic world religions namely Judaism and Islam. This is one of the books of the Torah. Because of Gods nature, several mysteries exist within our faith. Therefore, we must always endeavor to deepen our worship of God in truth as well as in our hearts. In other words, Christianity is unique among all other worldviews. This is absolutely true. Hmmm. We cannot compete, in simplicity, with people who are inventing religions. All three Persons of the Trinity are God. Baker Books, 1995, pp. And Scripture provides many descriptors, orattributes,of Gods singular essence or nature. 55:8-9). 4 Visual Ways To Explain The Trinity To A Child. One illustration to beware of is the one which says, I am one person, but I am a student, son, and brother. After understanding the difference between essence and personhood, most objections evaporate! 2:11), emotions (Eph. Sigh. At the risk of sounding too physical, essence can be understood as the stuff that you consist of.. Two biblical teachings confirm the doctrine of the Trinity: How is that possible? Because these features make up the singular essence or nature of a triangle. What is the Trinity? Are these just three different ways of looking at God, or simply ways of referring to three different roles that God plays? There was never a time when one of the Persons of the Godhead did not exist. Three parts in one, yet all very much an egg. I think the major problem involves not distinguishing two different features of God. It is crucial for properly understanding what God is like, how He relates to us, and how we should relate to Him. God is like the skin because He protects us. During this period, it was attempted solely by using algorithmswhich are basically rules or sets of rules you tell a computer to follow. In explaining the Trinity to your friend, begin, perhaps, with the work of salvation. 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. He said, Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one (Mark 12:29). Most Christians are puzzled by the Trinity, and therefore, cant explain it very well. They are higher than the heavenswhat can you do?, "For as heaven is higher than earth, so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.. Through accepting the undeserved gift of salvation (Eph. Here is an indication of the divinity of the Word. Confusing them leads to misunderstanding. And the Trinity is an essential doctrine to our understanding of God. 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. 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 . 2:511). 12:28; Rom. God the Holy Spirit. Ask them to draw it on the page. We can be adopted by the Father and united with Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit (John 1:1223; Rom. The answer is they are gray and hard. 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 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). The Trinity Is Unique Among Monotheistic Religions Christianity is a "monotheistic" religion. Here we will summarize some of the fruits of their labor. Therefore, the Holy Spirit must be distinct from the Father and the Son. 1:18; Luke 1:2635). If Jesus is God, why do the Gospels record instances where He prayed to God? Essence means the same thing as being. Thus, since God is only one essence, He is only one being, not three. How can three and one refer to the same God? We can discern and apprehend what it is. 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. Think about it: Finite Christians serve an eternal and infinite God. For example: God the Father is a person. Whats a Mama to say when the questions start flowing? understand the doctrine of the Trinity. Monotheism. Youngblood, R. F., et al. Showing God in action in and through His people. Among the worlds religions, the Christian faith is unique. Not the answer an enquiring young mind was looking for. The Trinity doctrine developed over hundreds of years and was influenced by the teachings of pagan Greek philosophers. 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.