The answer is simple. Its a clear and concise explanation that works great for kids. At his death on the cross, sinless Jesus chose to substitute himself in our place (Heb. And we can delight in praying to the Father through the Son in the Holy Spirit (John 14:1314; Eph. But as a follower of Christ, your identity can and should be grounded in one thing: who He says you are. God the Son is the rays of sunshine. 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). Each of the persons is distinct from the other in relation (Economic Trinity), yet each is identical in essence (Ontological Trinity). Through accepting the undeserved gift of salvation (Eph. Now we will turn our attention to showing the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are persons.. He is the only God that exists. 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]. 2:5), The Father is not the Spirit (John 14:26; John 15:26), The Son is not the Spirit (Matt. Others seem to come by it naturally, and its just not fair! Are you still not a Christian? This verse accurately states the doctrine of the Trinity that God is One God in three Persons. The Trinity is a concept that is impossible for any human being to fully understand, let alone explain. Be cool with leaving the gathering with more questions than answers. Among the worlds religions, the Christian faith is unique. Lets apply these concepts to the Trinity. Does it look like Grandpa? (Heavy sigh.) . 1. Conclusion: Scripture teaches the Trinity. But Scripture provides ample evidence of the existence of the Trinity. After all, if the trinitarian nature of God is not in the Bible, why bother talking about it at all? Because of Gods nature, several mysteries exist within our faith. After Christ rose from the grave, he appeared to the disciples and gave them a job to do: preach the Word to everyone. 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. 11:3336). That means that, as Christians, we believe in only one God. It is understandable that our finite minds cannot grasp an infinite God. Here are three I found to be really helpful. The Trinity is God the Father, God the Son (Jesus) and God the Holy Spirit. Read more. 20:23; Deut. (Ohand I'll send you my free guideThe Simplest Way to Study ANY Bible Passageas a "Thank you" for jumping on board!). Orthodox Christian theology has always affirmed that the one true God is triune in nature. 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." Elohimis the plural form of the word God. For instance: Additionally, all three members of the Trinity participate together in several critical events. 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. One God? The Holy Spirit is God, but He is not the Son or the Father. 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 . Only older children will grasp the in one concept of H20. Why? The Trinity does not divide God into three parts. Genesis 1:1says this: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.. 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. How do we receive His grace? 7:28; Ps. 23:2324). 1:18; Luke 1:2635). But analogies cannot entirely explain the mystery of God. The apple one is kind of cool. Jesus is God, but He is not the Father or the Holy Spirit. 2:1011; Heb. That is why understanding what the Trinity is and is not asserting. What we have seen so far provides a good basic understanding of the Trinity. There is a clue that the Son is distinct from the Father, yet there is fellowship between them. 10:57), The Holy Spirit indwells every Christian. We are dealing with fact. Most of them are less-than-helpful. Read Books About The Trinity. Some attributes include eternal, infinite, omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. Believe it or not, the fact that God is too immense for our finite minds should be comforting, not discouraging! The Trinity Is Unique Among Monotheistic Religions Christianity is a "monotheistic" religion. Jesus himself spoke of the one-ness of the Godhead when he quoted the Shema of Deuteronomy 6:4. What does it take to begin a relationship with God? After all, each of these illustrate the idea that God is made up of parts, and thats not really true. Its three things, but all are complete on their own. Therefore, there is one God with one divine nature and three divine Persons. But it also raises many difficult questions. . I recently had some of my kids friends ask meWhat is the Trinity? God is one in a certain way (essence) and three in a different way (person). As I said earlier, it means the same thing as being. Check out my tips for teaching your kids about bedtime prayer. 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. (Againwere trying to grasp something that isnt fully grasp-able.). 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. The trouble with this one is that its a bit less visual. "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. Surely not. I am also fully Keith Ferrin. Develop your leadership skills and learn how to launch a ministry wherever you are. Thats where the confusion comes from. Is the Trinity a contradiction? And this teaching gives us a glimpse into the incomprehensible greatness of God. The verb for created isbara. also 1:18). 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. The Hebrew word for God isElohim. The Trinity is like an egg. Ask teenagers hard questions about the Trinity that will make them think, and dont bother trying to come equipped with the perfect answer to everything. 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. Those centuries were t 317 subscribers in the BiblicalUnitarian community. The Trinity is first of all important because God is important. God the Holy Spirit. But what exactly are essence or nature and personhood? 2:10), knows (1 Cor. When he has gone further in his "explanation" of the Trinity than many have gone, he admits, "I am far from asserting this as any . 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. Ask them to draw it on the page. The three members of the unholy trinity are Satan, the Antichrist, and the false prophet. 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. Trinity not mentioned in the Bible anywhere! Neither should we think of the Persons as being defined by attributes added on to the being of God. The Son is the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity. 1:20-21), In salutations and benedictions (2 Cor. During this period, it was attempted solely by using algorithmswhich are basically rules or sets of rules you tell a computer to follow. 92:8) and third person (he, his, him) singular pronouns (1 Kings 18:39). Gods essence is His being. Well, we can know because God has given us his special revelation: the Bible. 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. That definition is a mouthful. Christs resurrection is variously attributed to: Multiple verses distinguish each member of the Trinity. Answer. So, the Trinity is incomprehensible. For example: God the Father is a person. These are all qualities of personhood. Theologian R.C. 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. Lets apply what weve learned to the Trinity based on the graphic. And God created humankind to share that love (John 17:2126; Acts 17:25). The technical term in case youre interested for this wrong way of thinking about God is calledmodalism. Now youre gonna tell me theyre all the same but also different? God the Father. 1:3), Demonstrated divine sovereignty over nature (Matt. 5:10), Requested prayer in his name (John 14:1314) and to be honored as God (John 5:23), Begetting the human nature of Christ at the incarnation (Luke 1:35), Inspiring Scripture (2 Tim. Yet Jesus would not have referenced the Trinity unless it was important. If each Person of the Trinity is distinct and yet fully God, then should we conclude that there is more than one God? The personhood of each member of the Trinity means that each Person has a distinct center of consciousness. Because humankind is limited, God will always exceed our knowledge and understanding (Isa. Have some fun taking various quizzes and assessments to learn about yourself and others. 2. 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. But that doesnt mean the concept isnt clearly taught. Second, notice that each Person must be deity because they are all placed on the same level. Confusing them leads to misunderstanding. The substance of God is God, not a bunch of ingredients that taken together yield deity. Even then, he was not alone, because he had his Logos within him. In Hinduism, the trinity (Trimrti, or The Three Forms) is of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. That leaves us with the modern definition of the word mystery. The Trinity has a very significant application to prayer. 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. The doctrine or concept of the Trinity is central to most Christian denominations and faith groups, although not all. In the early 2000s, people began using a new approach called "deep . Scriptural evidence supports every element proving the Trinity. 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. Learn how you can know God personally. But its not a mystery that can or should! Use Objects As Visual Aids. 12:32; 28:19; Luke 3:22), There is one God and three Gods (a contradiction), God is one person and three persons (a contradiction), God has one nature and three natures (a contradiction), There is a functional order within the Trinity, Bowman, R Jr. The Biblical Basis of the Doctrine of the Trinity. Blue Letter Bible, https://www.blueletterbible.org/comm/bowman_robert/trinity/trinity.cfm#trin_1 Accessed: 1/20/2022. And God seeks people to worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:24). The Trinity is Christianity's most unique, defining, incomprehensible, and awesome mystery. Two biblical teachings confirm the doctrine of the Trinity: How is that possible? More simply stated, the essence of any entity is what it is. So many things clamor to define you. For example, it says of Christ that in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form (Colossians 2:9). Further, we should allow the fact that God is triune to deepen our worship. Finally I would end with Deuteronomy 29:29 which helps us to realize that we cannot fully comprehend God. God the Father spoke the creative words to bring the universe into being (Gen. 1:1). 1:17; Dan. 6:11; Gal. 5:7). He sent Jesus to save us and then completed our salvation through the indwelling Holy Spirit (Eph. He is beyond us. Satan existed with the angels at the beginning of creation as one of the cherubim. It is one of the two ordinances of the Christian Church. While no church is perfect, the Trinity is still the model for the churchs unity (John 1:2123). 5:2122; John 13:34), End-time judgment (Matt. He said, Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one (Mark 12:29). Hes the one who walked the Earth blamelessly, performing miracles, and extending mercy and love. Have a great discussion about it! ). 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. Now lets dig into these imperfect yet better than nothing representations of the Trinity for kids. But Jesus did not become less than the Father during his incarnation. 119; Prov. In all transparency, I feel like I did a pretty mediocre job of explaining the Trinity to them in a way they could grasp. The Bible teaches that the Father is God, that Jesus is God, and that the Holy Spirit is God. For instance he: Jesus has all the features that ensure he, too, is a person. God is truth, so the unity that He is effecting between believers is a unity grounded in truth. The word Trinity does not appear even once in the Bible. The Son and Holy Spirit are equal in deity to the Father. No, the word Trinity does not appear in the Bible. The Bible reveals that God isone, in essence, eternally revealed inthree Persons. I work hard to produce evidence-based information about school for both teachers and parents, and to produce and share resources that can help at home and in the classroom. 45:5-6, New Testament: Mark 12:29; John 5:44; Eph. Its okay to admit you dont know everything. Now, as Fred Sanders once quipped, this doesn't mean you should begin every witnessing encounter, "God loves you . Therefore, we must always endeavor to deepen our worship of God in truth as well as in our hearts. 3:25; Dan. The Father is not one-third of the being of God, He is all of the being of God. Having seen that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are distinct Persons, that they are each fully God, and that there is nonetheless only one God, we must conclude that all three Persons are the same God. What we do mean by Person is something that regards himself as I and others as You. So the Father, for example, is a different Person from the Son because He regards the Son as a You, even though He regards Himself as I. Thus, in regards to the Trinity, we can say that Person means a distinct subject which regards Himself as an I and the other two as a You. These distinct subjects are not a division within the being of God, but a form of personal existence other than a difference in being.[3]. You can help us reach children and their families to know Jesus. While not a typical conversation starter, this question is one of the most important we can ask in life. Show them that there are three parts: seeds, flesh, and skin. But he is not inferior in Gods divine essence. A beautiful mystery. Faith is recognizing that we dont have all the answers and deciding that its okay to keep believing and growing. But how can finite humans know anything about Gods infinite essence? 1:8). OrThe person were explaining it to will think that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are only parts of God (egg and sun). 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. 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. This is great fun to see how teenagers draw a picture of God. . The New Testament lists all three Persons of the Trinity simultaneously, 6. For example they: 5. That is why any discussion of the Trinity is based on Scripture (Ps. But how does it show us why there is only one God instead of three? Your Identity in Christ: How God Sees You. Its a mystery the Bible teaches. 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 . 10:2831), In Johns writings (1 John 4:1314; Rev. When Jesus answered the question, What is the greatest commandment? he prefaced the answer by quoting the. 1:2;). 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. 118:28, God referred to in the third person singular (he, his, him): Gen. 1:5, 10; Ex. Then, ask them to write words on the poster that make up the character of God. What a challenge! Most Christians are puzzled by the Trinity, and therefore, cant explain it very well. 1:2), Jesus as God (Titus 2:13), and the Holy Spirit as God (Acts 5:3-4). My passion is helping you not just read and study the Bible, but truly enjoy it! For instance, the Father is the first person of the Trinity. His function is superior to that of the Son and the Holy Spirit. Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! Simply put: without three angles, theres no triangle! The Father and the Son are God almighty, omnipotent God. And Scripture provides many descriptors, orattributes,of Gods singular essence or nature. Amen. 9:14; Heb. 55 years on I've yet to hear or read an explanation of the Trinity that makes sense. 4:4). Second, we have the son of God, Jesus. The Trinity is more than just a vital doctrine. We can be adopted by the Father and united with Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit (John 1:1223; Rom. *catholic, meaning universal here, and not a reference to the big C Catholic. This can only be if they share one essence. The answer hinges on the differences in their unique roles. God the Holy Spirit is the warmth you feel from the sun. Here is an object with three parts: a hard shell, the egg white, and the yolk. Divide your group into three teams and give each group a sheet of butcher paper or poster. The Bible speaks of the Father as God (Phil. (So I won't send you any.) The Trinity doctrine developed over hundreds of years and was influenced by the teachings of pagan Greek philosophers. When the global church comes together then powerful things can happen. And that knowledge can feel liberating. Learn about Cru's global leadership team. It's so simple, it fits on one page. . Wayne Grudem explains: But if each person is fully God and has all of Gods being, then we also should not think that the personal distinctions are any kind of additional attributes added on to the being of God . 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. 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 Here is an indication of the divinity of the Word. Since God is one in a different way than He is three, the Trinity is not a contradiction. The Trinity consists of one being revealed in three distinct persons. Need help teaching your kids about communion, either at Sunday School or home? Jesus is the one whose life we try to copy. The early church absolutely believed and taught the belief in a God who was three-in-one. 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). Modern theologians have created a distinction between the "economic Trinity" and the "immanent Trinity.". First of all I want to tell you that the Trinity is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Kids understand the three different forms clearly, as separate objects. Question: How do you explain 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. The doctrine of the Trinity is foundational to the Christian faith. The Definition Of The Trinity. As you might expect, some people consider these mysteries as contradictions. But in response we can point out both agreement and clarification. After all, so much happens in the week leading up to the resurrection of Christ. 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. There are three Persons with one divine essence! Sometimes the Spirit is treated more like a force than a Person. Satan. 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. How can one explain the Trinity simply to a new believer? Reaching students and faculty in middle and high school. After understanding the difference between essence and personhood, most objections evaporate! How can God be both one and three? I think the major problem involves not distinguishing two different features of God. The relationship between essence and Person, then, is as follows. To start, let me define what I mean when I say persons. Personhood is having intellect, emotions, and a will. He is an extension of the sun and brings the sun directly to the world. 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). That isGod is three Persons in onethe Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. And interesting they are listed under a single name. This refers to Gods single essence. Jesus dying on the Cross is one of the most important parts of His story. God the Father spoke from heaven and spoke of His Son, Jesus. Instead, they are all identical in attributes. These personal distinctions are modes of existence within the divine being, but are not divisions of the divine being. Of course, if the triangle illustration were perfect, we would be able to comprehend God fully, but we cant. 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. (eds. You can't explain the Trinity to anyone who reasons because: 1) The Bible does not support it. The all powerful one who lives up in Heaven and either judges us mercilessly or loves us endlessly, depending on who you ask. However, the Bible teaches us enough about these mysteries that we can apprehend them. The Trinity was present in the atonement at the cross. As long as a shape has those three angles that add up to 180 degrees, it doesnt matter what the angles degrees are. But Christianity's God is unique. Ignore the urge to tie everything up with a nice little bow. The wordTrinitymeansthree-in-one. You will and can grasp these principles. 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. Three parts in one, yet all very much an egg. 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. Below are several of the most popular ones. Is God the same as Jesus? 2. There we read that " God said, 'Let us make man in our image' . 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. Rather, everything that one Person is involved in, the other two are also involved in, one way or another. 9:5; Col. 2:9), The Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:34; 2 Cor. Third, notice that although the three divine Persons are distinct, we are baptized into their name (singular), not names (plural). Must you become a better person so that God will accept you? In other words, there is one God who exists as three distinct Persons. 139:711; Jer. Lets move on to Scriptural evidence for the Trinity. Answer: Jesus came to lead us into relationship with the Father and that required the sacrifice of his own life because of our rebellion. Example 1: What is the nature or essence of a rock? Sometimes the Personhood of the Father and Son is appreciated, but the Personhood of the Holy Spirit is neglected. Tertullian, Cyprian, Augustine, and Jerome mention it. 8:26), comprehends (1 Cor. I think it is because they lack at least two pieces of information: The main confusion is that many people dont get this distinction. To contemplate the Trinity is to lift up your heart and to "set your mind on the things above" (Col. 3:2). The three members of the Trinity are Persons. 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. That is because it is the only religion that believes in the Trinity. He is one in essence. A subreddit for the encouragement and discussion of the Biblical Unitarian position which holds So God is one what but three whos.. The Holy Trinity is depicted in the Church of Debre Berhan Selassie in Gondar, Ethiopia. Lets change that! Within a week,, Read More Is It Normal that My 4 Year Old Can Read? And yet, we run into the same problem again, because God isnt made up of parts. Then study the pronouns used in Scripture point to the Trinity: This one-ness is Gods one divine essence (Heb 1:3). To help us do that, here are two reasons why the Trinity matters. At this stage, your head may be swimming with all this new information about God! What we believe about the gospel and our call to serve every nation. 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. How is God different? You can describe the Trinity in different ways: The wordspersonsandessencerefer to entirely different features relating to God. Yes, the Spirit was sent, but this does not imply that the Holy Spirit is less than they are. This is just an egg, or an apple, or H2O. To further our understanding of the distinction of persons within the one God it is best to move on to the next trinitarian principle. 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. 2:2729). 2:6), The image of God (John 12:45; 2 Cor. 3:16; 2 Pet. They had to wait another 50 year for the 381 update. How do they relate? It may seem like a daunting question at first, but when we think about it the truth of God's triune nature is meant to be a joy, a comfort, and a wonder to us! How can three and one refer to the same God? God is not one person who plays three different roles, as this illustration suggests. In other words, Christianity is unique among all other worldviews. How to EXPLAIN The Trinity to a New Believer - Introduction to the Godhead In this video I will introduce the godhead or the trinity in one of the easiest te. The Trinity is like an egg or apple. The Bible is full of Scripture speaking of there being only one God (seeDeuteronomy 6:4for starters), as well as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all being God. All three Persons of the Trinity are God. What is a functional order or subordination? It means that a Trinity member submits himself to one or both of the other members.
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how to explain the trinity to a new believer