That is why any discussion of the Trinity is based on Scripture (Ps. Deut. . Disclaimer: I believe Trinity. 5:2), Miracles (Ex. One God? 1. Essenceis the objective set of attributes necessary to the thing being described. No, the wordTrinitydoes not appear in the Bible. 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. This is one possibility of explaining it. The doctrine of the Trinity is foundational to the Christian faith. The Bible reveals that God isone, in essence, eternally revealed inthree Persons. Since our personal relationship is with Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit lies within us, what role does God play as Father? We can never completely understand the Trinities one essence and three Persons. What we have seen so far provides a good basic understanding of the Trinity. Remember, the nature or essence of an entity is the property or attributes that make it what it is. 2. Scriptural evidence supports every element proving the Trinity. (So I won't send you any.) 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. These three persons are of the same substance, equal in power and glory. The Holy Trinity is depicted in the Church of Debre Berhan Selassie in Gondar, Ethiopia. OrThe person were explaining it to will think that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are only parts of God (egg and sun). 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). 9:14; Heb. Several analogies help us apprehend the Trinity. 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). The concept of the Trinity. Best Age To Teach The Trinity To A Child. Jesus (the Son) is God. 317 subscribers in the BiblicalUnitarian community. 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. 4. We need you. So, the Trinity is incomprehensible. We are referring to two different features of God: (1) his singular essenceor natureand (2) three Persons. 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. . Within a week,, Read More Is It Normal that My 4 Year Old Can Read? The three Persons are distinct, yet only constitute one name. Unfortunately, there is a lot of confusion about the Trinity. This one is kinda fun for older kids who understand a bit of science. Because humankind is limited, God will always exceed our knowledge and understanding (Isa. Jesus carried out these creative decrees (John 1:3; Col. 1:16). Actually, March 17 commemorates St. Patrick's death, actually. There are two other major monotheistic world religions namely Judaism and Islam. 1. 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. Principle #3: Order. There are two men in their 20s who came to faith in Christ in recent weeks through the ministry of our church. Now lets go a little deeper and consider the triangles three corners (angles). The Trinity is Christianity's most unique, defining, incomprehensible, and awesome mystery. For instance, the Trinity does not mean that: Instead, we need to clearly distinguish two categories (Persons and essence). Modern theologians have created a distinction between the "economic Trinity" and the "immanent Trinity.". But is there any easy way to apprehend these exciting discoveries? 1:8). How can one explain the Trinity simply to a new believer? The Trinity is a concept that is impossible for any human being to fully understand, let alone explain. We just covered Gods one divine essence. Live in another country building relationships and ministries with eternal impact. God is not one person who plays three different roles, as this illustration suggests. God is like the skin because He protects us. 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. If you go to YouTube and search on explain the Trinity youll findlotsof videos. 15:16), inspires, intercedes (Rom. While there are some illustrations which are helpful, we should recognize that no illustration is perfect. How do we know whats age-appropriate for them to understand? Most Christians are puzzled by the Trinity, and therefore, cant explain it very well. 89:14; John 17:25; Rom. 2:6), The image of God (John 12:45; 2 Cor. 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. . And we can delight in praying to the Father through the Son in the Holy Spirit (John 14:1314; Eph. Conclusion: Scripture supports the Trinity. 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. 23:2324). That leaves us with the modern definition of the word mystery. 1. This should make it clear why it is so important to understand that all three Persons are the same essence. In sum, the essence or nature of anything is what it is. After all, the Trinity is difficult to understand. 11:3336). This formulation can show us why there are not three Gods, and why the Trinity is not a contradiction. The Trinity is the perfect loving community of three Persons. The Father is not one-third of the being of God, He is all of the being of God. These verses make it impossible to deny their individuality and deity. In eternity past, before the beginning, God was alone. 1:2), and empowers us for service (Acts 1:8; 1 Cor. Gods One-ness is his One divine essence, 3. Nonetheless, while recognizing the distinct roles that each Person has, we should never think of their roles as so separate that the other Persons are not involved. That means that, as Christians, we believe in only one God. The early church absolutely believed and taught the belief in a God who was three-in-one. As Hebrews 9:14 declares. Does the Holy Spirit look like Casper? But it is not. Omnipotence (Jer. We will never sell your information, for any reason. Some attributes include eternal, infinite, omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. In his bookMere Christianity, C. S. Lewis points out an important distinction. However, you dont want to stop there with a student who can participate in a discussion. Because these features make up the singular essence or nature of a triangle. 1. He exists as a Trinity. Ive got you covered with all the basics, no matter your denomination. The Definition Of The Trinity. You can't explain the Trinity to anyone who reasons because: 1) The Bible does not support it. 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. God the Father spoke from heaven and spoke of His Son, Jesus. The first commandment says, You shall have no other gods before me (Ex. Does the Trinity mean that God is divided into three parts? Have some fun taking various quizzes and assessments to learn about yourself and others. 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. I am also fully Keith Ferrin. The easiest way to explain the Trinity is with an object lesson, and thats true no matter how old someone might be. 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. Ignore the urge to tie everything up with a nice little bow. Firstly, we agree that finite humankind is limited. In addition to these texts, the others we mentioned above make clear that the Personhood of the Holy Spirit is distinct from the Personhood of the Son and the Father. We baptize into the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. So many things clamor to define you. 5:7). 2:511). Three parts in one, yet all very much an egg. Its okay for them to have a very limited understanding of God. However,barais the singular conjugation of the verb. And Scripture provides many descriptors, orattributes,of Gods singular essence or nature. After all, children deal best with concrete ideas. 6:11; Gal. To help us do that, here are two reasons why the Trinity matters. .. The Trinity is a mystery beyond our comprehension (Isa. Instead, they are all identical in attributes. Amen. Of course, anyone can be simple if he has no facts to bother about (p. 145). 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. And yet, we run into the same problem again, because God isnt made up of parts. Surely not. We then turn to the most important strategies that have been developed by Christians to resolve this problem. But I hope you have learned that the Trinity is not contradictory. Its a mystery the Bible teaches. Monotheism. Youngblood, R. F., et al. Answer: Jesus came to lead us into relationship with the Father and that required the sacrifice of his own life because of our rebellion. A rumor is started, and it spreads like wildfire. But it is possible to go deeper. For example: God the Father is a person. There are two other major monotheistic world religions namely Judaism and Islam. It starts with a whisper. The all powerful one who lives up in Heaven and either judges us mercilessly or loves us endlessly, depending on who you ask. 12:11), When the Holy Spirit speaks, he refers to himself in first person (Acts 13:2). The Holy Trinity is 'the Center of Everything.'. We exist to worship God. Two biblical teachings confirm the doctrine of the Trinity: How is that possible? 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! But how does it show us why there is only one God instead of three? May 23, 2012 by: Justin Buzzard. 42. In explaining the Trinity to your friend, begin, perhaps, with the work of salvation. Trying to fully understand God is like a 2-year-old trying to fully understand the complexities of relationships, marriage, and parenting! The word Trinity is never explicitly mentioned in the Bible; however, countless scriptures mention all three forms of God. 2:2729). But the Holy Spirit is not an it, but a He (see John 14:26; 16:7-15; Acts 8:16). 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). God told Moses in the Torah to tell God's people these words: M. "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one." ( Deuteronomy 6:4) C. Yes, that's right. How is God three? This is something far removed from our human experience, where every different human "person" is a different being as well. Specifically, distinguishing between Gods one essence and his three Persons. As long as a shape has those three angles that add up to 180 degrees, it doesnt matter what the angles degrees are. Did your kids give each form of God different personality traits? In all transparency, I feel like I did a pretty mediocre job of explaining the Trinity to them in a way they could grasp. 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. All will play a role in the events mentioned in Revelation. This is absolutely true. Most of them are less-than-helpful. These questions arealwaysasked by someone who is exploring faith in Jesus. And the voice of the Father declared, This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased (Matt. One helpful Scripture explicitly refers to the essence and personhood of the Trinity. Matthew 3:16. 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. 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. 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. 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." How do they relate? Trinity not mentioned in the Bible anywhere! 8:1417). 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. 9:18; Matt. 2:34; Heb. But Christianitys God is unique. ). Omnibenevolence (Jer. To this day, this scripture inspires the language we use to baptize people across Christian denominations. 2. First, we have God. At Jesus baptism, when Christ came up out of the water, the Spirit descended in the appearance of a dove. Discipleship involves a lot, but one of the most important things you can do with a new believer is read the Bible with them-teaching them how to read, understand, respond to, and apply God's Word. Rather, the being of each Person is equal to the whole being of God.[1] The divine essence is not something that is divided between the three persons, but is fully in all three persons without being divided into parts., Thus, the Son is not one-third of the being of God, He is all of the being of God. God is infinite. I might end with sharing a few analogies from nature. He differs from the Father, but was and . These personal distinctions are modes of existence within the divine being, but are not divisions of the divine being. See if you can let kids arrive at the notion that God isnt really made up of parts. The Trinity is first of all important because God is important. 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. Grace is the promise that you stand forgiven before God if you know Jesus. 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! God the Father. Bringing hope and resources to military families worldwide. Our fellowship with God should be enhanced by consciously knowing that we are relating to a tri-personal God! Of course we are speaking by analogy here, for we cannot understand this in a physical way about God. I wont go into all of the verses here (simply type bible verses about the Trinity into Google and youll find plenty). 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:3), Demonstrated divine sovereignty over nature (Matt. Contrary to this, the passages we have seen imply that God always was and always will be three Persons. The Bible speaks of the Father as God (Phil. 3:6. 119; Prov. Equipping families with practical approaches to parenting and marriage. Even then, he was not alone, because he had his Logos within him. Its obvious that the Trinity is important to Christianity because its the framework for one of our oldest texts that crosses multiple denominations: the Apostles Creed, written in the 5th century. And interesting they are listed under a single name. This refers to Gods single essence. 31:3; John 3:16; 1 John 4:8), Righteous (Ps. (Againwere trying to grasp something that isnt fully grasp-able.). The Trinity was present in the atonement at the cross. But all three must be present simultaneously for the geometric figure to be a triangle. Likewise, after the Son returned to the Father (John 16:10), the Father and the Son sent the Holy Spirit into the world (John 14:26; Acts 2:33). The Trinity is more than just a vital doctrine. Thats where the confusion comes from. EitherThe person were explaining it to will think that God simply changes from one to the other at different times and under different circumstances (water). Lets start with the geometric figure of the triangle itself. 32:17, 27; Matt. 13:14), the term Trinity does not appear. The Father and the Son are God almighty, omnipotent God. The word "scripture " graphe understand the doctrine of the Trinity. Admittedly, the idea of three distinct persons/expressions that are each fully God is part of the mystery. 8:6), Jesus is called God (John 1:1-5; John 20:28; Rom. AboutPressCopyrightContact. No, the word Trinity does not appear in the Bible. Satan existed with the angels at the beginning of creation as one of the cherubim. After all, each of these illustrate the idea that God is made up of parts, and thats not really true. Rather, everything that one Person is involved in, the other two are also involved in, one way or another. And God seeks people to worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:24). The technical term in case youre interested for this wrong way of thinking about God is calledmodalism. What is the essence of a triangle? But Scripture provides ample evidence of the existence of the Trinity. Finally I would end with Deuteronomy 29:29 which helps us to realize that we cannot fully comprehend God. How we seek to journey together with everyone towards a relationship with Jesus. Therefore, we must always endeavor to deepen our worship of God in truth as well as in our hearts. Lets apply these concepts to the Trinity. Founder & Teacher, desiringGod.org. 1:318; 1 Pet. 2:11), emotions (Eph. But that doesn't mean the concept isn't clearly taught. You may be wondering how to wrap your mind around all this brand-new information! Are these just three different ways of looking at God, or simply ways of referring to three different roles that God plays? 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. In fact, kids who have been in church for many years will probably have already heard one of these illustrations. The wordTrinitymeansthree-in-one. 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. 2:8-9), we can become Gods children. Each corner is distinct (i.e., different) from the others. If youre wondering how to explain the Trinity to a child, keep it simple. When the global church comes together then powerful things can happen. Here is an object with three parts: a hard shell, the egg white, and the yolk. While it is good for us to seek understanding of the Trinity, we cannot fully comprehend God. 2:1011; Heb. God is spirit (John 4:24). Many non-Christians and new Christians often struggle with the idea of the Holy Trinity, where we break up God into the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As a former youth minister and childrens minister, Ive already done your research! 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. 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. 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. 2:5), The Father is not the Spirit (John 14:26; John 15:26), The Son is not the Spirit (Matt. What a challenge! If belief in the Trinity is so essential to Christianity, it would have been explicitly stated in the Bible and wouldn't have taken over 300 years to officially define it. Yet most Christians have difficulty explaining the Trinity clearly and Biblically. While I believe that this is a helpful definition, it should be recognized that Grudem himself is offering this as more of an explanation than definition of Person. And likewise with the Holy Spirit. That is ok when it comes to rocks and triangles. "Economic" has to do with the history of salvation, and discusses the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the sending and mission of salvation. 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). 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. The Trinity Matters because the Gospel Matters. And this teaching gives us a glimpse into the incomprehensible greatness of God. 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 . This triune God (or Trinity) began to allude to this aspect of His nature right in Genesis 1:26-27. If we were to translate it . Trinity comes from two word parts: tri, meaning three, and unity, meaning as one. The concept of the Trinity is that we have God in three forms a union of three. 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. How can we pack more meaning and deeper, Read More Holy Week for Kids: How to Teach Beyond Easter SundayContinue, Not every child is born with tons of self esteem. Theologians have pointed out that if it were not true, the Bible would be unreliable, Christ would not be divine, and His death on the cross would not atone for our sins, being merely the death of a martyr. 13:14; 1 Pet.1:2), In the story of the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:1025), When Jesus promises the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 1:48), Peters sermon at Pentecost (Acts 2:33; Acts 3839), Peter and apostles answer the high priest (Acts 5:3032), During Stephens heavenly vision at his stoning (Acts 7:5556), In Peters sermon to the gentiles in Caesarea (Acts 10:3638; Acts 4448), When Peter reports to the Jerusalem church (Acts 11:1518), When Peter speaks at the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15:811), During Pauls interaction with Jewish leaders in Rome (Acts 28:2531), Pauls epistles (Rom. Sometimes the Spirit is treated more like a force than a Person. Its okay to admit you dont know everything. Internship opportunities with Cru's ministries. Essence and personhood are NOT the same thing. God the Father sent God the Holy Spirit to conceive Jesus (God the Son) in the virgin Marys womb (Matt. In the early 2000s, people began using a new approach called "deep . Its a clear and concise explanation that works great for kids. 5:21), making it possible for us to have a relationship with God. Errr, not quite. 8:26), comprehends (1 Cor. 15:19), God is called Father (John 17:1; John 3; 20:17; 1 Cor. Read about individuals who have been transformed by faith. Reaching students and faculty in middle and high school. In other words, what are the objective attributes or properties that make up all rocks? In this blog post, we are going to discuss the Holy Trinity in simple terms. The Bible teaches that the Father is God, that Jesus is God, and that the Holy Spirit is God. God the Holy Spirit is the warmth you feel from the sun. Assign each group with one of the Godheads: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), or the Holy Spirit. The Trinity is God the Father, God the Son (Jesus) and God the Holy Spirit. Must you become a better person so that God will accept you? using the shamrock or the three states of H 2 O to explain the . 4:4). 12:711), The Father is not the Son (Matt. know that I recognise only one God. Be cool with leaving the gathering with more questions than answers. You cant find an earthly match for this concept. Hmmm. To contemplate the Trinity is to lift up your heart and to "set your mind on the things above" (Col. 3:2). 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. 9:5; Col. 2:9), The Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:34; 2 Cor. They are three real persons, not three roles God plays. Partnering with urban churches to meet physical and spiritual needs. The relationship between essence and Person, then, is as follows. 1:2), Jesus as God (Titus 2:13), and the Holy Spirit as God (Acts 5:3-4). The Father is God. 19:26). Somehow Gods being is so much greater than ours that within his one undivided being there can be an unfolding into interpersonal relationships, so that there can be three distinct persons.[5]. Learn to develop your skills, desire and ability to join others on their spiritual journeys and take them closer to Jesus. To be even more precise, essence is what you are. Carrying this concept over to the Trinity, it is not a contradiction for God to be both three and one because He is not three and one in the same way. Matt Perman is the director of career navigation at The Kings College NYC, a blogger, and an author. But each member had a different function. Why not consider these truths and place your faith in Jesus (1 John 5:1)? Jesus himself spoke of the one-ness of the Godhead when he quoted the Shema of Deuteronomy 6:4. Check out my tips for teaching your kids about bedtime prayer. But Keith Ferrin is noteveryhuman being.. It is crucial for properly understanding what God is like, how He relates to us, and how we should relate to Him. You will and can grasp these principles. This verse accurately states the doctrine of the Trinity that God is One God in three Persons. 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.. Here we will summarize some of the fruits of their labor. You can describe the Trinity in different ways: The wordspersonsandessencerefer to entirely different features relating to God. Then share them with another Christian or genuine seeker. The answer hinges on the differences in their unique roles. 5:510; 1 Cor. What does it take to begin a relationship with God? According to the American Heritage Dictionary the word Use Objects As Visual Aids. The three most common go-to analogies for explaining the Trinity are water, an egg, and the sun. Dont despair. Among the worlds religions, the Christian faith is unique. Read Books About The Trinity. 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. Perfect for the Bible newbie or the long-time Bible reader. 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.