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He exists as a Trinity. The Best Way to Explain the Trinity to Kids - The Purposeful Mom 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. What Is the Trinity in Christianity? - Learn Religions That is why any discussion of the Trinity is based on Scripture (Ps. For I am God, and there is no other (Isaiah 45:21-22; see also 44:6-8; Exodus 15:11; Deuteronomy 4:35; 6:4-5; 32:39; 1 Samuel 2:2; 1 Kings 8:60). OrThe person were explaining it to will think that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are only parts of God (egg and sun). The easiest way to explain the Trinity is with an object lesson, and thats true no matter how old someone might be. 2. 19:26). Because of Gods nature, several mysteries exist within our faith. Find freedom from your sins today. In brief, how we view God will profoundly impact our everyday lives. The origin of the doctrine of the Trinity is the Bible . Essence and person are not the same thing. God addressed in the second person singular (you): 2 Sam. 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. 4. While the three members of the Trinity are distinct, this does not mean that any is inferior to the other. Then share them with another Christian or genuine seeker. 45:5-6, New Testament: Mark 12:29; John 5:44; Eph. This is one possibility of explaining it. God is spirit (John 4:24). That may sound intimidating but dont worry Ill unpack that definition below. But each member had a different function. Example 1: What is the nature or essence of a rock? For instance he: Jesus has all the features that ensure he, too, is a person. using the shamrock or the three states of H 2 O to explain the . But its not a mystery that can or should! Its okay to admit you dont know everything. " Here God is a plural noun, said is in the . Ask them to draw it on the page. First, we have God. In other words, what are the objective attributes or properties that make up all rocks? God the Father, Jesus His Son, with the Holy Spirit, they are three in one! For example: God the Father is a person. 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 . 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. 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. Thats where the confusion comes from. ). Yet most Christians have difficulty explaining the Trinity clearly and Biblically. Are you still not a Christian? The Trinity confuses many people. Stated differently, God is one in essence and three in person. 19:714; Ps. At his death on the cross, sinless Jesus chose to substitute himself in our place (Heb. However, within the nature of this one God are three persons, or three centers of consciousness - the Father, the Son, and the . 8:1417). 5:7). In explaining the Trinity to your friend, begin, perhaps, with the work of salvation. 4:6; James 2:19; Jude 25. What we have seen so far provides a good basic understanding of the Trinity. Striving to see Christ-followers on every team, in every sport and in every nation. They are higher than the heavenswhat can you do?, "For as heaven is higher than earth, so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.. But Christianitys God is unique. Well, we can know because God has given us his special revelation: the Bible. The doctrine of the Trinity is considered to be one of the central Christian affirmations about God. There we read that " God said, 'Let us make man in our image' . The word "scripture " graphe The Trinity - God and authority in Christianity - BBC Bitesize Christ took Gods punishment, and wrath meant for us because of our sins (Heb. The Holy Spirit is God, but He is not the Son or the Father. Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! But I hope you have learned that the Trinity is not contradictory. How Do You Explain the Trinity? - A Thimble-full of Theology for Daily The word Trinity does not appear even once in the Bible. Satan existed with the angels at the beginning of creation as one of the cherubim. 3:19; Eph. But how can finite humans know anything about Gods infinite essence? 2:8-9), we can become Gods children. They had to wait another 50 year for the 381 update. How is God different? And this teaching gives us a glimpse into the incomprehensible greatness of God. We cannot compete, in simplicity, with people who are inventing religions. It is understandable that our finite minds cannot grasp an infinite God. How To Explain the Trinity to Muslims - crossexamined.org Second, we have the son of God, Jesus. Many of us say it every single Sunday morning. But Jesus did not become less than the Father during his incarnation. The Father is not one-third of the being of God, He is all of the being of God. How is God three? ONLY the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are God. Showing God in action in and through His people. There will always be some level of mystery to this, but when you talk about the being/nature/essence as God and the persons/expressions as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit I think we get at least a little bit closer to beginning to comprehend something we can never fully comprehend. 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. 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. Show them that there are three parts: seeds, flesh, and skin. In his bookMere Christianity, C. S. Lewis points out an important distinction. To contemplate the Trinity is to lift up your heart and to "set your mind on the things above" (Col. 3:2). Anytime you see a geometric figure with these features, it is a triangle. Learn to develop your skills, desire and ability to join others on their spiritual journeys and take them closer to Jesus. Lets move on to Scriptural evidence for the Trinity. PDF UNDERSTANDING THE TRINITY - Silica Bible Chapel 3:17), Omnipresence (Ps. You can cut into an apple in front of your group. He is an extension of the sun and brings the sun directly to the world. The personhood of each member of the Trinity means that each Person has a distinct center of consciousness. How to Explain the Trinity to an Unbeliever The Village Church - Flower Mound 118K subscribers 36K views 5 years ago The Trinity is confusing even to most Christians, so we want to pull the. Each person of the Trinity is equally and fully God, distinct from the others, and yet they remain just one God. 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." 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. At Jesus baptism, when Christ came up out of the water, the Spirit descended in the appearance of a dove. The Holy Trinity is depicted in the Church of Debre Berhan Selassie in Gondar, Ethiopia. In this blog post, we will discuss how schools and parents can help girls to, Read More Navigating Girl Drama: 20 Ways Schools and Parents Can Help Calm the StormContinue, Ill never forget the moment I watched in amazement as my newly-turned 4 year old sounded out her first few CVC words. In the baptism of Jesus, we see the Father speaking from heaven and the Spirit descending from heaven in the form of a dove as Jesus comes out of the water (Mark 1:10-11). However,barais the singular conjugation of the verb. The Trinity Matters because the Gospel Matters. "The Trinity is the foundational Christian belief that God is one Being who exists in three Persons.. The three Persons are distinct, yet only constitute one name. God Is Triune | Answers in Genesis Learn how you can know God personally. Have a great discussion about it! 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. Looking for a great childrens Bible? God the Son. But is there any easy way to apprehend these exciting discoveries? Because these features make up the singular essence or nature of a triangle. From the 1950s to the 2000s, people wanted to see if they could make computers exhibit intelligence indistinguishable from humans. How do I explain to a non-believer that belief in the Trinity is The Holy Trinity - Explained. What we believe about the gospel and our call to serve every nation. 28:20; Col. 3:11), Omnibenevolent (John 13:34; Rom. What is the origin of the doctrine of the Trinity? Hes the one who walked the Earth blamelessly, performing miracles, and extending mercy and love. The Holy Spirit isnt like an egg yolk, because the egg yolk is only part of an egg, whereas the Holy Spirit isnt part of God it IS God. Finally I would end with Deuteronomy 29:29 which helps us to realize that we cannot fully comprehend God. If someone already has an understanding based on the definition and explanation above, then these analogiesmighthelp them grasp aspects of the Trinity. Heres how the triangle analogy can help: Consider a triangle with me. In this blog post, we are going to discuss the Holy Trinity in simple terms. I might end with sharing a few analogies from nature. For instance, the Father is the first person of the Trinity. His function is superior to that of the Son and the Holy Spirit. 31:3; John 3:16; 1 John 4:8), Righteous (Ps. Confusing them leads to misunderstanding. Understanding the Trinity: How Can God Be Three Persons in One? - Cru.org 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. .. We baptize into the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 2:2729). 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. But how does it show us why there is only one God instead of three? Many other verses concurrently list the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. 3:6. The prologue of the Gospel of John has the strongest argument for the Trinity. The Trinity Is Unique Among Monotheistic Religions Christianity is a "monotheistic" religion. God is like the skin because He protects us. God is the Father, the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit. 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. The three members of the unholy trinity are Satan, the Antichrist, and the false prophet. How to explain the trinity to a new believer pdf What is the essence of a triangle? 2:6), The image of God (John 12:45; 2 Cor. Scriptural evidence supports every element proving the Trinity. This is something far removed from our human experience, where every different human "person" is a different being as well. Thats the one we think of as the Father. 4. What Is the Doctrine of the Trinity? - Blue Letter Bible The Holy Spirit is God. Your Identity in Christ: How God Sees You. 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. 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. 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. This is a limitation on God that doesnt acknowledge that God isalwaysthe Father,alwaysthe Son, andalwaysthe Holy Spirit. 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. Lets apply what weve learned to the Trinity based on the graphic. 5:21), making it possible for us to have a relationship with God. Several analogies help us apprehend the Trinity. In Hinduism, the trinity (Trimrti, or The Three Forms) is of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Elohimis the plural form of the word God. Simply stated, God is one in essence and three in person. And God created humankind to share that love (John 17:2126; Acts 17:25). Thus, we are not speaking with a forked tongue we are not saying that God is one and then denying that He is one by saying that He is three. 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. Trinity | Definition, Theology, & History | Britannica He is one in essence. 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. Assign each group with one of the Godheads: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), or the Holy Spirit. How can God be both one and three? Jehovah's Witnesses and the Trinity | Bible.org 55 years on I've yet to hear or read an explanation of the Trinity that makes sense. We begin with a brief discussion of the doctrine in historical context, explaining more fully the nature of the problem it raises. I recently had some of my kids friends ask meWhat is the Trinity? Partnering with urban churches to meet physical and spiritual needs. John 1 tells us that the Word is Yeshua - that he was with God and was God from the get go, right there at creation. 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. 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. Then I'll share an activity using the Celtic Trinity Knot to explain the Trinity to children along with the love that exists between each of its Persons and us. As Benjamin Needler preached: This doctrine should establish us in the truth of the gospel For my part, I would not worship that God that I could comprehend Bless God for the clear discovery of this truth under the gospel! The three most common go-to analogies for explaining the Trinity are water, an egg, and the sun. Baker Books, 1995, pp. (Heavy sigh.) 8:26), comprehends (1 Cor. 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]. Each Person of the Trinity is distinct, 8. And likewise with the Holy Spirit. At this stage, your head may be swimming with all this new information about God! How could we? Check out my tips for teaching your kids about bedtime prayer. Think about it: Finite Christians serve an eternal and infinite God. 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). But dont get confused. Three separate beings, all rolled into one entity. Secondly I'd like you to read this verse with me from the Bible. It is crucial for properly understanding what God is like, how He relates to us, and how we should relate to Him. What does essence mean? After Christ rose from the grave, he appeared to the disciples and gave them a job to do: preach the Word to everyone. Fill this out to make sure you don't miss a thing! Yet Jesus would not have referenced the Trinity unless it was important. This verse accurately states the doctrine of the Trinity that God is One God in three Persons. 89:14; John 17:25; Rom. It's a great reminder of the three parts of the Holy Trinity! Can We Explain the Trinity? | Desiring God But it is not. Read about individuals who have been transformed by faith. Unsubscribe at any time. To understand more fully what God is like is a way of honoring God. Need help teaching your kids about communion, either at Sunday School or home? If we were to translate it . Even then, he was not alone, because he had his Logos within him. 13: Trinity | Putting the Fun In, Faith and Finances: 5 Steps to Get Started. 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. While some say . A simpler way to talk about the Trinity is through "God grammar.". Below are several of the most popular ones. 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. Can You Explain the Trinity to Me? - Billy Graham Evangelistic Association And he should be referred to by personal pronouns and never as it. The Holy Spirits is a person because he: Scripture also proves that the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are God. For example, it says of Christ that "in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form" (Colossians 2:9). During this period, it was attempted solely by using algorithmswhich are basically rules or sets of rules you tell a computer to follow. The idea that God is somehow three and one starts onPage 1and never changes. In John 1:1 it is affirmed that Jesus is God and, at the same time, that He was with God- thereby indicating that Jesus is a distinct Person from God the Father (cf. Use Objects As Visual Aids. 42. God the Father spoke the creative words to bring the universe into being (Gen. 1:1). Rather, each person of the Trinity has all of the attributes of God, and no one Person has any attributes that are not possessed by the others. Being Gods child, we can worship the Father and Jesus through the Spirit (John 4:2324; Phil. What Should Christians Know about the Trinity? In the early 2000s, people began using a new approach called "deep . He was "begotten, not made," and he was of the same substance or essence ( homoousios) as the Father.