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understand the doctrine of the Trinity. This is one possibility of explaining it. Deity of Jesus: 10 Essentials You Need to Know! After all, if the trinitarian nature of God is not in the Bible, why bother talking about it at all? View our top Cru resources in more than 20 languages. For instance he: Jesus has all the features that ensure he, too, is a person. Instead, they are all identical in attributes. 18:20; Matt. In the early 2000s, people began using a new approach called "deep . 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. We are dealing with fact. 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 explains how God can be both one and three. The problem with this is that it reflects a heresy called modalism. Best Age To Teach The Trinity To A Child. 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. Several analogies help us apprehend the Trinity. Thus, Jesus prayed to God the Father without praying to Himself. Develop your leadership skills and learn how to launch a ministry wherever you are. Their prime usefulness it to show the mystery is not contradictory. Thats the one we think of as the Father. Third, Christians believe that the entire New Testament is inspired. But Scripture provides ample evidence of the existence of 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. Have some fun taking various quizzes and assessments to learn about yourself and others. Each member of the Trinity is . 1. Confusing them leads to misunderstanding. That is ok when it comes to rocks and triangles. A subreddit for the encouragement and discussion of the Biblical Unitarian position which holds OrThe person were explaining it to will think that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are only parts of God (egg and sun). Christ through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God.. 1:17; Dan. 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. . This doctrine is absolutely essential to New Testament Christianity. For instance, the Father is the first person of the Trinity. His function is superior to that of the Son and the Holy Spirit. When Jesus answered the question, What is the greatest commandment? he prefaced the answer by quoting the. There are two other major monotheistic world religions namely Judaism and Islam. This is girl drama, and it can be extremely harmful to girls both mentally and emotionally. Heres the problem (and why we shouldntstartwith these analogies):If these analogies are the only way someone thinks of the Trinity, it will lead to one of two errors. But how does it show us why there is only one God instead of three? Omnipotence (Jer. Matt Perman is the director of career navigation at The Kings College NYC, a blogger, and an author. John says in the first verse of the book: "The Word was with God, and the Word was God." Here is an indication of the divinity of the Word. I am fully human. 2:5), The Father is not the Spirit (John 14:26; John 15:26), The Son is not the Spirit (Matt. Our mind distinguishes each of the three leaves (the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost), but at the same time recognizes they are one shamrock. .. 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. 10:57), The Holy Spirit indwells every Christian. Use your hobbies and interests to find the best place for you to serve. 15:19), God is called Father (John 17:1; John 3; 20:17; 1 Cor. Divide your group into three teams and give each group a sheet of butcher paper or poster. God is infinite. At Jesus baptism, when Christ came up out of the water, the Spirit descended in the appearance of a dove. There is a clue that the Son is distinct from the Father, yet there is fellowship between them. Within a week,, Read More Is It Normal that My 4 Year Old Can Read? And in John 16:13-15 we see that although there is a close unity between them all, the Holy Spirit is also distinct from the Father and the Son. 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. Now we will turn our attention to showing the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are persons.. The doctrine of the Trinity is the belief that there is one God who has revealed Himself in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is the Matthew 28:19 baptismal formula: Jesus said, Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in thenameof the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (emphasis mine). First, we have God. For example: God the Father is a person. You can describe the Trinity in different ways: The wordspersonsandessencerefer to entirely different features relating to God. 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. 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. That is where I go back to the starting point I mentioned above. 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. Learn the basics of what Christians believe. Is the Trinity a contradiction? Even then, he was not alone, because he had his Logos within him. He said, Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one (Mark 12:29). This is absolutely true. Read more. How do we know whats age-appropriate for them to understand? 1. The three Persons are distinct, yet only constitute one name. Think about it: Finite Christians serve an eternal and infinite God. There is a clue that the Son is distinct from the Father, yet there is fellowship between them. . John says in the first verse of the book: "The Word was with God, and the Word was God.". But it is possible to go deeper. The answer must be no, because the Bible also indicates that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct Persons. 4. The Trinity is a concept that is impossible for any human being to fully understand, let alone explain. Here are three I found to be really helpful. Since God is one in a different way than He is three, the Trinity is not a contradiction. 4:30), and a will (1 Cor. 4 Visual Ways To Explain The Trinity To A Child. This command lists all three persons of the Trinity. ). In his second letter to the Corinthians, he bids farewell to them: "May the grace of the Lord Jesus, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the The Trinity is first of all important because God is important. 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). There would only be a contradiction if we said that God is three in the same way that He is one. ETS members all confess the Father, the Son, and the Spirit to be "one in essence, equal in power and glory.". The seeds are like the Holy Spirit, because He helps us grow. How can three and one refer to the same God? 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. 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." Does it look like Grandpa? After all, children deal best with concrete ideas. The three members of the Trinity are Persons. Then study the pronouns used in Scripture point to the Trinity: This one-ness is Gods one divine essence (Heb 1:3). The Trinity is like an egg or apple. Find freedom from your sins today. You arent alone! And yet, we run into the same problem again, because God isnt made up of parts. 15:3). Because these features make up the singular essence or nature of a triangle. Rather than let that frustrate you, let it encourage you. Or stated simply, the triangles what-ness.. Did your kids give each form of God different personality traits? 2. 12:11), When the Holy Spirit speaks, he refers to himself in first person (Acts 13:2). We hate SPAM. Unsubscribe at any time. What does essence mean? Here is an indication of the divinity of the Word. Ive got you covered with all the basics, no matter your denomination. Rather, everything that one Person is involved in, the other two are also involved in, one way or another. If you're looking for the best Christian jobs and careers, check out Cru's ministry job openings for full- and part-time missionaries and professionals. Famous pastor and authorA.W. These three persons are of the same substance, equal in power and glory. Scriptural evidence supports every element proving the Trinity. 8:6), Jesus is called God (John 1:1-5; John 20:28; Rom. 3:1417). 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. After Christ rose from the grave, he appeared to the disciples and gave them a job to do: preach the Word to everyone. The Trinity confuses many people. And we can delight in praying to the Father through the Son in the Holy Spirit (John 14:1314; Eph. 2:10), knows (1 Cor. The Holy Spirit was moving or hovering over the face of the waters (Gen. 1:2). God the Holy Spirit is the warmth you feel from the sun. Three parts in one, yet all very much an egg. And that he is manifest as three Persons.. Then share them with another Christian or genuine seeker. Whether an object is a rock or a triangle, we can classify it based on its objective characteristics. After all, the Trinity is difficult to understand. Fill this out to make sure you don't miss a thing! Does the Trinity mean that God is divided into three parts? This formulation can show us why there are not three Gods, and why the Trinity is not a contradiction. 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. Matthew 3:16. 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. 2. 8:26), guides (John 16:13), creates (Ps. Jesus (the Son) is God. For example: The Nicene Creed is recited during every service of Holy Communion . . How do we come to terms with these different ideas of God? Does the Holy Spirit look like Casper? "After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him.". Therefore, the Holy Spirit must be distinct from the Father and the Son. Thats what faith is being content with our own confusion while still knowing that God is bigger than we can comprehend. 1:20-21), In salutations and benedictions (2 Cor. Perhaps for the first time, you have read that the Trinity is a mystery and not acontradiction. 104:30), sanctifies (Rom. 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). Sometimes the Spirit is treated more like a force than a Person. Many other verses concurrently list the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. And interesting they are listed under a single name. This refers to Gods single essence. 4; 14; Jon. 1:318; 1 Pet. Some attributes include eternal, infinite, omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. And all three members of the Trinity were involved. Take the next step in your faith journey with resources on prayer, devotionals and other tools for personal and spiritual growth. But Christianitys God is unique. For example, it says of Christ that in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form (Colossians 2:9). And Scripture provides many descriptors, orattributes,of Gods singular essence or nature. The Holy Spirit is God, but He is not the Son or the Father. How can one explain the Trinity simply to a new believer? The trouble with this one is that its a bit less visual. 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. "It has been said that there have been four centuries when the church's understanding of the person of Christ has been most under attack. Question: How do you explain the Trinity? When you cut an apple in half, you can see that each of these three parts are different (at this point, you can cut the apple open for your kids! Faith is recognizing that we dont have all the answers and deciding that its okay to keep believing and growing. The Father is God. 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. 9:5; Col. 2:9), The Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:34; 2 Cor. One illustration to beware of is the one which says, I am one person, but I am a student, son, and brother. 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. 5:7). 2:17). While there are some illustrations which are helpful, we should recognize that no illustration is perfect. It is one of the two ordinances of the Christian Church. (eds. But secondly, Christians need to clarify that God is incomprehensible. As Hebrews 9:14 declares. If you are a Christian, why not memorize some of this blogs verses? That definition is a mouthful. Before anything was created he begat his Logos as a person distinct from himself. Second, we have the son of God, Jesus. Through accepting the undeserved gift of salvation (Eph. What's the Origin and History of the Trinity in the Church? The doctrine of the Trinity, simply stated, is as follows: The Bible teaches that there is one eternal God who is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. How is God different? Explore resources to help you live out your life and relationships in a way that honors God. As long as a shape has those three angles that add up to 180 degrees, it doesnt matter what the angles degrees are. LESSON 1: THE TRINITY AIM: To teach the children in simple terms the truth of the Godhead. You can't explain the Trinity to anyone who reasons because: 1) The Bible does not support it. 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). 8:2327), Resuscitates the dead (Matt. This one is kinda fun for older kids who understand a bit of science. But analogies cannot entirely explain the mystery of God. Simply stated, God is one in essence and three in person. He exists as a Trinity. 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. 2:10), convinces (John 6:44), teaches (Luke 12:12), convicts (John 16:18), commands (Acts 1:2), moves (John 11:33), helps (Rom. In this case, "immanent" means "the action remaining within an agent.". He brings all light and life to the world. I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earthand in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spiritand born of the virgin Mary.He suffered under Pontius Pilate,was crucified, died, and was buried.He descended to the dead.On the third day he rose again.He ascended into heaven,and is seated at the right hand of the Father.He will come again to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit,the holy catholic* Church,the communion of the saints,the forgiveness of sins,the resurrection of the body,and the life everlasting. More posts you may like r/TrueChristian The New Testament lists all three Persons of the Trinity simultaneously, 6. Ask them to draw it on the page. Learn about Cru's global leadership team. 3:17), Omnipresence (Ps. 3:17; 17:5; Luke 10:22; John 3:35; 10:15; 12:28; 17:1-26; 1 Tim. Answers to questions on donations, financial policies, Crus annual report and more. Then you will learn the distinction between personhood and essence or nature. Now lets dig into these imperfect yet better than nothing representations of the Trinity for kids. We define personhood by three key characteristics: Now that you understand the critical distinction, you know that essence is what. And you know personhood is who.. While Jesus and the Father are both God, they are different Persons. The three most common go-to analogies for explaining the Trinity are water, an egg, and the sun. After all, each of these illustrate the idea that God is made up of parts, and thats not really true. Another serious error people have made is to think that the Father became the Son, who then became the Holy Spirit. The all powerful one who lives up in Heaven and either judges us mercilessly or loves us endlessly, depending on who you ask. While the three members of the Trinity are distinct, this does not mean that any is inferior to the other. All of this information is a lot to take in at once. The Trinity doctrine developed over hundreds of years and was influenced by the teachings of pagan Greek philosophers. In Hinduism, the trinity (Trimrti, or The Three Forms) is of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Striving to see Christ-followers on every team, in every sport and in every nation. Amongst other books, I have read 'The Forgotten Trinity" by James White, but remain unconvinced that acceptance of or belief in the confusing doctrine of the trinity is essential for Salvation. 2:18). However, these illustrations arent perfect, and really mature kids or teenagers (or adult new believers) could handle digging a bit deeper! (Againwere trying to grasp something that isnt fully grasp-able.). Grace is the promise that you stand forgiven before God if you know Jesus. In order for something to be contradictory, it must violate the law of noncontradiction. 5:21), making it possible for us to have a relationship with God. Essence and personhood are NOT the same thing. And that knowledge can feel liberating. For instance, the Trinity does not mean that: Instead, we need to clearly distinguish two categories (Persons and essence). Clearly, he appreciated a plurality within the Godhead. At the risk of sounding too physical, essence can be understood as the stuff that you consist of.. The doctrine of the Trinity is considered to be one of the central Christian affirmations about God. He realized Scripture alone is the only way we know about the Trinity (1 Cor. God the Son. Why do so many people struggle with the doctrine of the Trinity? And God created humankind to share that love (John 17:2126; Acts 17:25). Its a mystery the Bible teaches. 55 years on I've yet to hear or read an explanation of the Trinity that makes sense. In his bookMere Christianity, C. S. Lewis points out an important distinction. 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). However,barais the singular conjugation of the verb. Yet most Christians have difficulty explaining the Trinity clearly and Biblically. OksoWhat about this idea of one being who exists in three persons?. Further, we clearly should not think of God as consisting of anything other than divinity. Not the answer an enquiring young mind was looking for. God the Son is the rays of sunshine. Let's explore each of these members. Look at what the Bible clearly shows: that there is one God ( Deuteronomy 6:4) that the Father is called God ( Ephesians 4:6 ), that Jesus (the Son) is called God ( Titus 2:13) and existed with God before creation ( John 1:1; 17:4) and the Holy Spirit is attributed . Are these just three different ways of looking at God, or simply ways of referring to three different roles that God plays? Finally I would end with Deuteronomy 29:29 which helps us to realize that we cannot fully comprehend God. 19:714; Ps. The early church absolutely believed and taught the belief in a God who was three-in-one. How could we? One helpful Scripture explicitly refers to the essence and personhood of the Trinity. 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. Must you become a better person so that God will accept you? Neither should we think of the Persons as being defined by attributes added on to the being of God. (So I won't send you any.) 55:8-9). As a result, Jesus death covered or atoned for our sins (2 Cor. The personhood of each member of the Trinity means that each Person has a distinct center of consciousness. And when he speaks, he refers to himself in first personas I (Deut. Why not consider these truths and place your faith in Jesus (1 John 5:1)? 2. The Trinity Is Unique Among Monotheistic Religions Christianity is a "monotheistic" religion. But all three must be present simultaneously for the geometric figure to be a triangle. Explaining the Holy Trinity of God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), and God the Holy Spirit will be needed at some point when presenting the God of the Bible to children, Muslims, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons and other non-Christians. However, Matthew 28:19 is frequently used in attempts to prove that the Trinity is a biblical teaching. As I said earlier, it means the same thing as being. 28:18-20; 2 Cor. Essence and person are not the same thing. There we read that " God said, 'Let us make man in our image' . This law states that A cannot be both A (what it is) and non-A (what it is not) at the same time and in the same relationship. 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. 3. Explore answers to life's biggest questions. Disclaimer: I believe Trinity. Nothing is more astonishing, more challenging, and more potentially life-transforming than knowing God.". 92:8) and third person (he, his, him) singular pronouns (1 Kings 18:39). The Bible speaks of the Father as God (Phil. Secondly I'd like you to read this verse with me from the Bible. He is three in Person. Helping students know Jesus, grow in their faith and go to the world to tell others. A rumor is started, and it spreads like wildfire. Second, notice that each Person must be deity because they are all placed on the same level. Read Books About The Trinity. These verses make it impossible to deny their individuality and deity. Reflecting Jesus together for the good of the city. They have eternally (John 17:5, 24) sought to glorify each other (Phil. He was "begotten, not made," and he was of the same substance or essence ( homoousios) as the Father. be explained away. What is the essence of a triangle? 19:26). Why, if they are ALL God? The Trinity was present in the atonement at the cross. We cannot entirelycomprehendan infinite God and these mysteries (Rom. Two biblical teachings confirm the doctrine of the Trinity: How is that possible? Lets move on to Scriptural evidence for the Trinity. There are many illustrations which have been offered to help us understand the Trinity. All three members of the Trinity have these characteristics. Go ahead and start with one of the object lessons above. Of course, anyone can be simple if he has no facts to bother about (p. 145). Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! A triangle must have three sides three corners (angles), and the sum of the three angles must be 180 degrees. Do you need to devote yourself to unselfish religious deeds? December 19, 2018. 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. We will never sell your information, for any reason. 45:5-6, New Testament: Mark 12:29; John 5:44; Eph. With teenagers, you want to take a different approach, and celebrate the mystery of it all. Other references to the Trinity in the New Testament include Matthew 28:19, 1 Corinthians 12:4-5, 2 Corinthians 13:14, 1 Peter 1:2, and more. But he is not inferior in Gods divine essence. God the Holy Spirit. That is why understanding what the Trinity is and is not asserting. If you are teaching young children, these object lessons are both the perfect starting and stopping point.