The Trinity is a concept that is impossible for any human being to fully understand, let alone explain. God the Son is the rays of sunshine. As long as a shape has those three angles that add up to 180 degrees, it doesnt matter what the angles degrees are. 9:18; Matt. Explore answers to life's biggest questions. 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! However, these illustrations arent perfect, and really mature kids or teenagers (or adult new believers) could handle digging a bit deeper! 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! 8:1417). Deut. Jesus carried out these creative decrees (John 1:3; Col. 1:16). Discipleship 101: How to Disciple a New Believer - Crossway The answer is they are gray and hard. 5:2122; John 13:34), End-time judgment (Matt. Whats a Mama to say when the questions start flowing? And during his earthly ministry, Christ subjected himself to the Fathers will. This formulation can show us why there are not three Gods, and why the Trinity is not a contradiction. The different roles refer to a functional order or functional subordination.. Internship opportunities with Cru's ministries. And Scripture provides many descriptors, orattributes,of Gods singular essence or nature. Ibid, p. 255. But a common question arises: How do the members of the Trinity differ from one another?. For example the: Finite humankind cannot wholly comprehend these mysteries. So God is one what but three whos.. I recently had some of my kids friends ask meWhat is the Trinity? Now we will turn our attention to showing the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are persons.. While Jesus and the Father are both God, they are different Persons. 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. All three members of the Trinity have these characteristics. Girls become divided, friendships are ruined, and reputations are tarnished. 2:17). After all, as I have said many times (to myself as much as others! Remember, the nature or essence of an entity is the property or attributes that make it what it is. How to EXPLAIN The Trinity to a New Believer | Introduction to The Each person of the Trinity is equally and fully God, distinct from the others, and yet they remain just one God. More posts you may like r/TrueChristian And the voice of the Father declared, This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased (Matt. Trinity: Loving relationship defines God's very being Have some fun taking various quizzes and assessments to learn about yourself and others. What Is the Doctrine of the Trinity? - Blue Letter Bible The prologue of the Gospel of John has the strongest argument for the Trinity. The concept of the Trinity. . At the risk of sounding too physical, essence can be understood as the stuff that you consist of.. The idea that God is somehow three and one starts onPage 1and never changes. Only older children will grasp the in one concept of H20. Christs resurrection is variously attributed to: Multiple verses distinguish each member of the Trinity. 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. Two Reasons the Trinity Matters - The Gospel Coalition A mystery that should cause us to marvel, and wonder, and worship! And God created humankind to share that love (John 17:2126; Acts 17:25). know that I recognise only one God. Rather than let that frustrate you, let it encourage you. Therefore, we must always endeavor to deepen our worship of God in truth as well as in our hearts. Ignore the urge to tie everything up with a nice little bow. How to explain the trinity to a new believer pdf We exist to worship God. 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. The doctrine is critical, even if not easily comprehended. How can God be both one and three? For example, since the Father sent the Son into the world (John 3:16), He cannot be the same person as the Son. There was never a time when one of the Persons of the Godhead did not exist. What Is The Best Way To Explain The Trinity To A New Believer The Trinity: Easy As 1, 2, 3? - ONE FOR ISRAEL Ministry Being Gods child, we can worship the Father and Jesus through the Spirit (John 4:2324; Phil. For example: God the Father is a person. The Bible teaches that the Father is God, that Jesus is God, and that the Holy Spirit is God. Matthew 3:16. These three persons make up the one true God. 2:8-9), we can become Gods children. Because humankind is limited, God will always exceed our knowledge and understanding (Isa. It's so simple, it fits on one page. The technical term in case youre interested for this wrong way of thinking about God is calledmodalism. Bringing hope and resources to military families worldwide. Christ through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God.. Whether an object is a rock or a triangle, we can classify it based on its objective characteristics. What does it take to begin a relationship with God? So many things clamor to define you. The answer hinges on the differences in their unique roles. Lets apply these concepts to the Trinity. Firstly, because finite humans cant comprehend an infinite God completely, Secondly, because many people confuse Gods one, Three distinct persons are God: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Firstly, unfamiliarity between essence or nature and personhood, Secondly, practical analogies that help conceptualize the Trinity, On the one hand, there is Gods singular nature, essence, or substance, And on the other, there is Gods three Persons (Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit), The sum of the three angles must be 180 degrees, The three-ness refers to the three Persons: Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, The one-ness applies to Gods unity or his single divine essence, The Trinity is a plurality of Persons and a unity of essence, God is three whos (Persons) and one what (divine essence), The triangle corresponds to Gods essence, The three corners of the triangle correspond to the three Persons of the Trinity, A triangle is finite, and God is infinite, The corners of a triangle are not persons, Understanding of the difference between Gods one divine essence and three Persons, Old Testament: Ex. While some say . Fortunately, the most popular analogy of the Trinity is the triangle. And God seeks people to worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:24). If each Person of the Trinity is distinct and yet fully God, then should we conclude that there is more than one 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 doctrine of the Trinity states that God exists as one God in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit. First of all I want to tell you that the Trinity is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 18:20; Matt. 1:2;). 1:318; 1 Pet. At this stage, your head may be swimming with all this new information about God! How to Support Gifted Readers, 27 of the Best Yoto Cards for Kids (sorted by age group), 40 Surprising and Fun Bible Facts for Kids (with a FREE true/false printable game), Holy Week for Kids: How to Teach Beyond Easter Sunday, 15 Powerful Self Esteem Activities for Kids to Do at Home and in School. Do Trinity Crafts/Printables. The Trinity was present in the atonement at the cross. God the Father. 1. God the Father spoke the creative words to bring the universe into being (Gen. 1:1). The fact that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct Persons means, in other words, that the Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is not the Father. 3:16; 2 Pet. The apple one is kind of cool. Subjection and subordination do not mean inequality. The early church absolutely believed and taught the belief in a God who was three-in-one. 2. The Trinity - God and authority in Christianity - BBC Bitesize 45:5-6, New Testament: Mark 12:29; John 5:44; Eph. 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." But as a follower of Christ, your identity can and should be grounded in one thing: who He says you are. He was sustaining and manifesting Gods immediate presence in his creation. 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. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all fully God. This verse accurately states the doctrine of the Trinity that God is One God in three Persons. Reaching students and faculty in middle and high school. Or what are the objective characteristics that all triangles share? The Son is the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity. What is Gods essence? When the global church comes together then powerful things can happen. Errr, not quite. Ask them to draw it on the page. 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. The Trinity | Answers in Genesis Simply stated, God is one in essence and three in person. In other words, there is one God who exists as three distinct Persons. 3. The relationship between essence and Person, then, is as follows. He is beyond us. God is truth, so the unity that He is effecting between believers is a unity grounded in truth. Second, we have the son of God, Jesus. But that doesn't mean the concept isn't clearly taught. God is spirit (John 4:24). 3:1617). 3:3; Heb. How to Explain the Trinity to an Unbeliever - YouTube Gods essence is His being. How Do You Explain the Trinity? - A Thimble-full of Theology for Daily But Keith Ferrin is noteveryhuman being.. How To Explain the Trinity to Muslims - Bellator Christi Just hang on a little longer. Trinity, in Christian doctrine, the unity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three persons in one Godhead. This is just an egg, or an apple, or H2O. 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. That way were providing a simple, common language and framework for everything else were going to say (or any analogies we use). 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. The New Testament lists all three Persons of the Trinity simultaneously, 6. 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. Principle #3: Order. Each person of God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) really IS God. The three-ness and one-ness are two different features. Allegedly, Saint Patrick used a shamrock as a metaphor to explain the Trinity: three leaves, one shamrock. Now youre gonna tell me theyre all the same but also different? How do we receive His grace? Genesis 1:1says this: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.. 4:4; Col. 1:15), Eternal (John 1:1-3; 17:5; Col. 1:16-17; Jude 25), Omnipresent (Matt. December 19, 2018. 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. (eds. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all fully God. Is God the same as Jesus? The Trinity has a very significant application to prayer. Each member of the Trinity is . Understanding the Trinity: How Can God Be Three Persons in One? - Cru.org The Trinity is Christianity's most unique, defining, incomprehensible, and awesome mystery. After understanding the difference between essence and personhood, most objections evaporate! Its a mystery the Bible teaches. He sanctifies us (1 Pet. 20:3; cf. Steam, water, and ice are all H20. This is something far removed from our human experience, where every different human "person" is a different being as well. In other words, Christianity is unique among all other worldviews. In all transparency, I feel like I did a pretty mediocre job of explaining the Trinity to them in a way they could grasp. PDF A Brief Explanation of the Trinity - TheologicalStudies.org.uk Use Objects As Visual Aids. This explains how God can be both one and three. The problem with this is that it reflects a heresy called modalism. If youre wondering how to explain the Trinity to a child, keep it simple. 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). The The truth is always new, fresh, and exciting to the believer in Christ. 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. 23:2324). 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).