While it is good for us to seek understanding of the Trinity, we cannot fully comprehend God. The only way humans can know about these mysteries is because the Bible teaches them. Tozerputs it well in The Knowledge of the Holy. And during his earthly ministry, Christ subjected himself to the Fathers will. But secondly, Christians need to clarify that God is incomprehensible. There was never a time when one of the Persons of the Godhead did not exist. Or what are the objective characteristics that all triangles share? The Bible is clear that all three Persons are each one hundred percent God. But that doesn't mean the concept isn't clearly taught. The word "trinity" cannot be found in the Bible, but the truth is that the three of them have been there together all the way along. Do Trinity Crafts/Printables. Our kids are currently 2, 4, and 7, and its equally loved by all of them, so the Yoto age range is really wide! It is understandable that our finite minds cannot grasp an infinite God. Because of Gods nature, several mysteries exist within our faith. You arent alone! Ignore the urge to tie everything up with a nice little bow. The Bible speaks of the Father as God (Phil. The oldest member of the unholy trinity. Trying to fully understand God is like a 2-year-old trying to fully understand the complexities of relationships, marriage, and parenting! He realized Scripture alone is the only way we know about the Trinity (1 Cor. Is referred to in the second person (you; Ps. So, the Trinity is incomprehensible. 1:18; Luke 1:2635). The Holy Spirit was moving or hovering over the face of the waters (Gen. 1:2). A beautiful mystery. 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. This explains how God can be both one and three. The problem with this is that it reflects a heresy called modalism. 3 in 1: A Picture of God This one is for anyone interested in using the apple object lesson. The Bible is clear that all three Persons are each one hundred percent God. Yes, the Spirit was sent, but this does not imply that the Holy Spirit is less than they are. (Againwere trying to grasp something that isnt fully grasp-able.). The New Testament lists all three Persons of the Trinity simultaneously, 6. 23:2324). God is spirit (John 4:24). 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? While no church is perfect, the Trinity is still the model for the churchs unity (John 1:2123). And the triangle can help us distinguish one essence from the three Persons. 2:10), knows (1 Cor. God the Holy Spirit. Remember, the nature or essence of an entity is the property or attributes that make it what it is. 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. 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. Gods attributes are not parts of his singular divine essence. It is the unity of the Father, Son, and Spirit as three persons in one Godhead. Must you become a better person so that God will accept you? 11:3336). 12:711), The Father is not the Son (Matt. To understand more fully what God is like is a way of honoring God. There is a clue that the Son is distinct from the Father, yet there is fellowship between them. He regenerates us with new spiritual life (John 3:58). Therefore, we must always endeavor to deepen our worship of God in truth as well as in our hearts. We can be adopted by the Father and united with Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit (John 1:1223; Rom. 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. Before anything was created he begat his Logos as a person distinct from himself. The Trinity does not divide God into three parts. 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]. In other words, what are the objective attributes or properties that make up all rocks? The doctrine of the Trinity is considered to be one of the central Christian affirmations about God. Read Books About The Trinity. Here we will summarize some of the fruits of their labor. God is the Father, the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit. 11:3336). This would make each Person less than fully God and thus not God at all. The concept of the Trinity. Below is the easiest way that I have ever heard it explained: God the Father is the sun. While there are some illustrations which are helpful, we should recognize that no illustration is perfect. We also see this evidenced in how the Son and Father sent the Spirit into the world (John 14:26; John 15:26; John 16:7). But what does it mean that God is gracious? And all three members of the Trinity were involved. We believe God is one in essence. To further our understanding of the distinction of persons within the one God it is best to move on to the next trinitarian principle. Clearly, he appreciated a plurality within the Godhead. The Trinity is first of all important because God is important. Then, ask them to write words on the poster that make up the character of God. The prologue of the Gospel of John has the strongest argument for the Trinity. What is a functional order or subordination? It means that a Trinity member submits himself to one or both of the other members. That is why any discussion of the Trinity is based on Scripture (Ps. And in John 16:13-15 we see that although there is a close unity between them all, the Holy Spirit is also distinct from the Father and the Son. Your Identity in Christ: How God Sees You. 1. The three members of the unholy trinity are Satan, the Antichrist, and the false prophet. Learn why He did it and what it means for you. We baptize into the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. And interesting they are listed under a single name. This refers to Gods single essence. God addressed in the second person singular (you): 2 Sam. Jesus, the Word, was present in Genesis 1. Thus, they relate to each other personally the Father regards Himself as I, while He regards the Son and Holy Spirit as You. Likewise the Son regards Himself as I, but the Father and the Holy Spirit as You.. Jesus is the one whose life we try to copy. For example, it says of Christ that "in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form" (Colossians 2:9). God the Father. Our fellowship with God should be enhanced by consciously knowing that we are relating to a tri-personal God! Christ through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God.. For example: God the Father is a person. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all fully God. The concept of the Trinity is often referred to during worship, which helps Christians to understand it. A rumor is started, and it spreads like wildfire. Then share them with another Christian or genuine seeker. 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. Yoto has lots of great stuff for, Read More 27 of the Best Yoto Cards for Kids (sorted by age group)Continue, If youre a Sunday School teacher or a mom hoping to instill a love of Bible learning in your children, Ive got some goodies for you! You can cut into an apple in front of your group. The doctrine of the Trinity states that God exists as one God in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit. Here are three I found to be really helpful. This verse accurately states the doctrine of the Trinity that God is One God in three Persons. ), "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. Did your kids give each form of God different personality traits? Conclusion: Scripture teaches the Trinity. 1:7; 2 Tim. Then you will learn the distinction between personhood and essence or nature. Unfortunately, it is also a doctrine that is surrounded by disagreement and controversy among believers. It starts with a whisper. Read about individuals who have been transformed by faith. Two biblical teachings confirm the doctrine of the Trinity: How is that possible? A triangle must have three sides three corners (angles), and the sum of the three angles must be 180 degrees. Help others in their faith journey through discipleship and mentoring. The Holy Spirit descended upon Him to equip Him for His ministry. These three persons make up the one true God. 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. Unsubscribe at any time. 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). Our mind distinguishes each of the three leaves (the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost), but at the same time recognizes they are one shamrock. He was sustaining and manifesting Gods immediate presence in his creation. In other words, Christianity is unique among all other worldviews. 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. Scriptural evidence supports every element proving the Trinity. According to the American Heritage Dictionary the word And this teaching gives us a glimpse into the incomprehensible greatness of God. Matthew 12:28. Gods essence is His being. The Trinity is Christianity's most unique, defining, incomprehensible, and awesome mystery. I wont go into all of the verses here (simply type bible verses about the Trinity into Google and youll find plenty). These three-in-one are called "the Hindu triad" or the "Great Trinity" In the Hindu Puranas there is this passage: 'O ye three Lords! We need you. Answer: Jesus came to lead us into relationship with the Father and that required the sacrifice of his own life because of our rebellion. 1:12). In other words, you have contradicted yourself if you affirm and deny the same statement. . ). During this period, it was attempted solely by using algorithmswhich are basically rules or sets of rules you tell a computer to follow. 2. 2:11), speaks (Mark 13:11), testifies (Acts 20:23), reveals (1 Cor. Just like anything else, some kids have to work hard for what comes easily to, Read More 15 Powerful Self Esteem Activities for Kids to Do at Home and in SchoolContinue. 3:17), Omnipresence (Ps. 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. Jesus is like the flesh, because He became flesh so we could know Him better. The Trinity does not divide God into three parts. As long as a shape has those three angles that add up to 180 degrees, it doesnt matter what the angles degrees are. This doctrine is absolutely essential to New Testament Christianity. What's the Origin and History of the Trinity in the Church? . 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. Whats a Mama to say when the questions start flowing? Why not plan on studying verses in each section to prove to yourself that the Bible does claim that God is a Trinity? Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! See if you can let kids arrive at the notion that God isnt really made up of parts. He is three in a different way than He is one. He is the only God that exists. God created man in His image. And certainly not if it were a contradiction. May 23, 2012 by: Justin Buzzard. Its a clear and concise explanation that works great for kids. Most people, including many Christians, struggle trying to apprehend the Trinity. I am also fully Keith Ferrin. 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. Trinity not mentioned in the Bible anywhere! 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. All three Persons of the Trinity are God. Tertullian coined the term Trinity during the second century. In eternity past, before the beginning, God was alone. The technical term in case youre interested for this wrong way of thinking about God is calledmodalism. 9:5; Col. 2:9), The Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:34; 2 Cor. Reaching students and faculty in middle and high school. 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. In order for something to be contradictory, it must violate the law of noncontradiction. 32:17, 27; Matt. The Trinity is like an egg or apple. Surely not. Check out my tips for teaching your kids about bedtime prayer. Within Gods one, undivided being is an unfolding into three personal distinctions. (eds. Christ took Gods punishment, and wrath meant for us because of our sins (Heb. 13: Trinity | Putting the Fun In, Faith and Finances: 5 Steps to Get Started. 25:3146; 2 Cor. The Trinity confuses many people. Stated differently, God is one in essence and three in person. There are three Persons with one divine essence! Omnibenevolence (Jer. Lets change that! The Apostle Paul also affirms the doctrine of the Trinity. Begin and end with your object lesson, and be comfortable with the imperfect teaching. But Christianitys God is unique. 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. We Reflect God's Personhood and Relations. 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." 2:511). But each member had a different function. We hate SPAM. In his bookMere Christianity, C. S. Lewis points out an important distinction. 3:3; Heb. 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. Does the Trinity mean that God is divided into three parts? Simply put: without three angles, theres no triangle! Egg A single egg is made up of the yolk, the whites, and the shell. From the 1950s to the 2000s, people wanted to see if they could make computers exhibit intelligence indistinguishable from humans. That's the one we think of as the Father. Most Christians are puzzled by the Trinity, and therefore, cant explain it very well. Contrary to this, the passages we have seen imply that God always was and always will be three Persons. Or stated simply, the triangles what-ness.. Think about it: Finite Christians serve an eternal and infinite God. God is infinite. 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. So even if the Bible did call the Trinity a mystery it would only be saying it was unknown to the one not illuminated, i.e. 15:3). The first commandment says, You shall have no other gods before me (Ex. Just as ONE egg has THREE different parts - the shell, the white, the yoke - ONE God has THREE different . 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. 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. 4:15), dying for our sins (1 Cor. Often it is objected that If Jesus is God, then he must have prayed to himself while he was on earth. But the answer to this objection lies in simply applying what we have already seen. In explaining the Trinity to your friend, begin, perhaps, with the work of salvation. In this blog post, we are going to discuss the Holy Trinity in simple terms. OrThe person were explaining it to will think that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are only parts of God (egg and sun). Each corner is distinct (i.e., different) from the others. This is a limitation on God that doesnt acknowledge that God isalwaysthe Father,alwaysthe Son, andalwaysthe Holy Spirit. First, we have God. I am fully human. 5:510; 1 Cor. It has been said, Try to explain the trinity and lose your mind, try to explain away the trinity and lose your soul. And then you will read eight critical truths about the nature of the Trinity. Reflecting Jesus together for the good of the city. Are you still not a Christian? Conclusion: Scripture supports the Trinity. Use your hobbies and interests to find the best place for you to serve. "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. However, these illustrations arent perfect, and really mature kids or teenagers (or adult new believers) could handle digging a bit deeper! The different roles refer to a functional order or functional subordination.. One illustration to beware of is the one which says, I am one person, but I am a student, son, and brother. The Definition Of The Trinity. Fortunately, the most popular analogy of the Trinity is the triangle. Why is the Trinity important to Christianity? The all powerful one who lives up in Heaven and either judges us mercilessly or loves us endlessly, depending on who you ask. Showing God in action in and through His people. But he is not inferior in Gods divine essence. If God is three Persons, does this mean that each Person is one-third of God? 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. This analogy ignores the personal distinctions within God and mitigates them to mere roles. Principle #3: Order. I think it is because they lack at least two pieces of information: The main confusion is that many people dont get this distinction. John introduces us to the Trinity in John 1:1- "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and Word was God.". Others seem to come by it naturally, and its just not fair! Explore resources to help you live out your life and relationships in a way that honors God. If youre wondering how to explain the Trinity to a child, keep it simple. 119; Prov. At this stage, your head may be swimming with all this new information about God! Thats where the confusion comes from. It is very simple: All three Persons are one God because, as we saw above, they are all the same essence. Find resources for personal or group Bible study. Three parts in one, yet all very much an egg. 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). There are two men in their 20s who came to faith in Christ in recent weeks through the ministry of our church. Matthew 3:16. Instead, they are all identical in attributes. Matt Perman is the director of career navigation at The Kings College NYC, a blogger, and an author. Many other verses concurrently list the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. For example: One of the most common mistakes people make is to think of the Holy Spirit as some force ala Star Wars. But the Holy Spirit is most assuredly a person. See if they can think of anything better, and be ready to discuss where different ideas might not quite work. Are these just three different ways of looking at God, or simply ways of referring to three different roles that God plays? It is the same thing in three different forms. God is like the skin because He protects us. 18:20; Matt. This is one of the books of the Torah. You may feel like you are drinking from a fire hydrant. 2:11), and performs miracles (Matt. Jesus dying on the Cross is one of the most important parts of His story. Why not consider these truths and place your faith in Jesus (1 John 5:1)? 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. If each Person of the Trinity is distinct and yet fully God, then should we conclude that there is more than one God? God the Father sent God the Holy Spirit to conceive Jesus (God the Son) in the virgin Marys womb (Matt. In brief, how we view God will profoundly impact our everyday lives. Hmmm. God the Father, Jesus His Son, with the Holy Spirit, they are three in one! Each person of the Trinity is equally and fully God, distinct from the others, and yet they remain just one God. 8:6a). John says in the first verse of the book: "The Word was with God, and the Word was God." Here is an indication of the divinity of the Word. God the Holy Spirit is the warmth you feel from the sun. (So I won't send you any.) All will play a role in the events mentioned in Revelation. The idea that God is somehow three and one starts onPage 1and never changes. Now lets dig into these imperfect yet better than nothing representations of the Trinity for kids. That is why understanding what the Trinity is and is not asserting. Each Person of the Trinity is distinct, 8. Just hang on a little longer. The important difference between complexity and incomprehension: If Christianity was something we were making up, of course, we could make it easier. 3:6. 4. Well, we can know because God has given us his special revelation: the Bible. 15:16), inspires, intercedes (Rom. What a challenge! Use Objects As Visual Aids. 15:19), God is called Father (John 17:1; John 3; 20:17; 1 Cor. But it is not. 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). Learn how you can know God personally. They had to wait another 50 year for the 381 update. 9:14; Heb. Below are several of the most popular ones. Of course, if the triangle illustration were perfect, we would be able to comprehend God fully, but we cant.
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