In the same way, there is a God Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.. Born in England in 1961, Benjamin Waterhouse Benjamin Waterhouse has been the organist of the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity since 2000. Or water can be evaporated and called steam. The doctrine of the Trinity tells us that there's ONE GOD who is THREE distinct PERSONS existing as a community of self-giving and loving relationships with each other. Jesus is the visual form of God. The Holy Spirit prays for us. How to Explain the Holy Trinity to a Child: 3 Important Teaching Tips But remember, it is much better to let Scripture teach the 3 points above which establish the doctrine of the Trinity than to rely on analogies. Try starting your explanation with a simple definition and then ask for further questions: No one can completely know or understand God. The Holy Spirit descended upon Him to equip Him for His ministry. What makes it hard is that all of our analogies and metaphors fall short of capturing what the Trinity actually is. However, Christians through the ages believe in the Trinity because the truths it represents are taught in the Bible. And when the time comes when death is allowed to crack your shell in its final hour and your believing soul is released; the Spirit of God that holds you will carry you in His arms to your heavenly home because In My Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. It is the Fathers desire to join His Spirit with all of us as well for He has said They shall be My sons and daughters (II Corinthians 6:18). Here are a few common illustrations: The Egg- One egg has three parts: shell, whites, and yolk. God Is Like An Egg - vtaide.com What are some popular illustrations of the Holy Trinity? We can always rebut these claims with another equation: 1 x 1 x 1=1. History, lifestyle, family, music, theology, scripture, literature, the saints, church history, parenting, politics, prayer, the pope, and more. Modernizations of this analogy include that of an apple (with the peel, the flesh, and the core) or an egg (with its shell, yoke, and white). Revelation 4:3And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. That would not be had God be three persons. So cool that God imparted that song in your mind and heart before you even wrote this blog post! While each person is distinct, they are never separate from one another. In order to accomplish this union with God and man, He allowed His Shell to be broken with the weight of our sins to cleanse our souls so His holiness can approach, for God cannot look upon sin (Habakkuk 1:13). Jesus is fully God. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Indeed, how can an infinite God be contained in a finite human womb! Or what? A Note on Trinitarian Analogies | Place for Truth - Alliance of The Trinity is like an egg. They are unified in one divine being. Water Analogy God is like water, or H2O, which can exist in 3 forms. The Council's definitions concerning the Trinity are really as easy as one, two, three four. The Holy Spirit and Son do not send the Father. This is the one I used long ago when trying to explain the Trinity to a group of 1st-5th graders. And let us once more come to illustrations. In this analogy, God is compared to a man. The Egg and I - Part Two But theres one problem: the water analogy is not the biblical picture of God. For sure, our everyday experience does not include using our finite minds to understand the infinite! The egg white represents Gods Spirit. He can even be all three at the same time. Why analogies of the Trinity fail Youthworks Time Analogy God is like time. Thankfully he isnt a cage-stage Calvinist about it all. The Holy Spirit and Son do not send the Father. Unfortunately, an analogy from the limited realm of creation may not be sufficient in explaining Gods nature. We have the creeds for just that reason. If you need to use an analogy, then use a good one. How can we ever explain our Most High, exalted, powerful, uncontainable, and most glorious God? Tritheism denies that there is only one God. God is like an egg - VTAide There is only one egg with three different parts. Haydn Lea is an Associate Pastor in Queensland, and is currently studying his Master of Arts (Theology). And then theres Jesus, Gods son. So God performs 3 different roles/relationships but 1 God. The Trinity is a concept that is impossible for any human being to fully understand, let alone explain. God is kind of like a man who is a father, a son and an uncle God is kind of like a three-leaf clover, or a triangle; one object, but three different, identifiable leaves, or sides* So, I shot down a lot of images that seems to be pretty helpful. Rather, He created us in order to bless us. Likewise we cannot have the Father or His Spirit without the Son I am the Way the Truth and the Life, no one comes to the Father except by Me- John 14:6. PART OF A WHOLE. A, distinguishes himself from others by saying me, mine, you, yours, etc. A. is the whole nature or essence of something. RELATED: What Does The Bible Say About Ghosts? However, keep in mind that the one being. Before we look at a few bad analogies that many often use to try to illustrate the trinity, we need to first understand the doctrine itself. Bach, and has released two previous CDs, one . . It should bring us to realise that we truly are finite creatures standing before a sovereign, transcendent, divine mystery. This is a quick way to describe the doctrine of the Trinity namely, God is 1 being (the what is Gods nature, essence, being) and 3 whos (the whos being Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). Theyve transformed. Lost will be burned up. Each of the persons is that supreme reality, viz., the divine substance, essence or nature. (Lateran Council IV), 4. Yet there is still only one God we serve. Copyright 2023 Christian Today. How Helpful Are Analogies of the Trinity? - Kuyperian Commentary The more I reflect on Easter, the more Ive realized how much its become a consumeristic holidayeven Did Jesus really rise from the dead? The Holy Spirit is Christs spirit in us guiding us into all truth. In this episode, Fred Sanders discusses what it really means to say that God is a Trinitythree persons in one God. Part 2. Modalism is a heresy because it denies the distinction of God. Jesus, visually seen, judges all, not the Unseen Father. The meme above discourages the use of analogies in explaining the Trinity. The three-leaf clover analogy is OK. Its a very common explanation within the church to try to explain how God, who clearly exhorts His followers to preserve His supreme oneness (Deuteronomy chapter 6 verse 4), could also be identified with Jesus (Titus chapter 2 verse 13), and the Holy Spirit (Acts chapter 5 verses 3-4). Devils cannot grab ahold of them to cast them into Satans prison. Yet, the trinity is mysterious. H2O can exist as a solid, a liquid and a gas but they are all still H2O. I think the illustration that represents the Trinity most accurately is the egg example. If all you had were an eggshell, you wouldnt have a very exciting breakfast. Good and Bad Analogies of the Trinity - Answers . The sun comprises the sun itself, its light and its heat. - well, sort of. What portion of the analogy holds true with Church Teaching? The egg analogy is very simple but it is OK to show something as simple as an egg can be one and yet three. When we view the egg in its entirety we have the Biblical Trinity, One that is Three. This analogy sounds pretty good, but it is fatally flawed in that is describes the Son and Spirit as creations of the Father. The Holy Trinity - A Scientific Analogy - The Fra Angelico Institute They say that three separate beings exist 2. Well, the egg analogy, when applied to God, suggests that only one being exists but this being exists in three different parts. This analogy explains that the Father is like the sun. Although the water changes forms it is still H2O. The egg (or apple) fails in that the shell, white, and yolk are parts of the egg, not the egg in themselves, just as the skin, flesh, and seeds of the apple are parts of it, not the apple itself. Somewhere in the recesses of my mind lived the doctrinal truth about the Trinity. Explaining the Holy Trinity Using Analogies - Militant Thomist His being is somewhat of a mystery to us. It taught there is one nature in God, and that there are two processions, three persons, and four relations that constitute the Blessed Trinity. . But they are one God. He has one essenceone substance. The idea that the Trinity can be compared to a shamrock is largely attributed to St. Patrick. Montreal was home to two Trinity churches built in 1865 Shively I think the analogy of the Sun works well. And for a mere mortal to have dared invent it and be able t. But it cant be that way with God. Vestment Emblems. Yet there is only one God. An egg has a shell, white, and yolk, but these three are part of an egg or Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao but the same Philippines. John introduces us to the Trinity in John 1:1- In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and Word was God. Jesus, the Word, was present in Genesis 1. Some have used examples such as water, watermelons and eggs; the principle behind those illustrations is that even though each thing is one, it is also three. Under Arianism Jesus is less than fully God. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father., 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. Here are some of them: The problem with this is that it leads to the view that God is a Trinity simply because He relates differently to us at different times. The early church labeled this view "tritheism". So, the egg analogy doesnt work after all. This is a worse analogy than the egg because it is more analogous to the heretical doctrine of Modalism/Oneness than for the Trinity. The very definition of the heresy known as Modalism/Oneness is that there is one person existing in three different modes or manifestations. The word trinity is not in the Scriptures, but is a word used to describe the three in one God revealed in the Bible. The word Trinity comes from the Latin word trinitas which means tri-unity. Similarly, people have used the example of the apple in the same way- skin, flesh, and seeds. God is not made up of 3 parts like the 3 parts of the egg. Despite its potential obscurity, Trinity Sunday is a great occasion for me to revisit an old article on the Trinity. He also knows how to perfectly love us. In Jesus is the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9). Each PERSON is distinct from one another. We wont find the word Trinity in the Bible, but the concept is shown in many verses. This analogy actually teaches the heresy of modalism. (Describing God as LOVE is my favorite way of understanding the Trinity. But, when it's heated, it turns into a gas (steam) and, when it's frozen, it turns into a solid (ice). This analogy seems to make a lot of sense, but it actually reinforces a fatal misconception about the Trinity called modalism. And the reason we know that is because the Persons of the Godhead have perfectly loved each other for all eternity. Lost will be ashes under the feet of the righteous. I and My Father are One (John 10:30). The problem here is it describes each part of the Trinity as 1/3 parts of the overall egg. Father, Son, and Spirit are each fully God (their own egg)- not fractions of one. Further, his dialectic is guided by the particular consideration of what true love is: a trinity of lover, beloved and the love that binds . The doctrine of the Trinity is one of the primary tenants of the Christian faith. This is not an exhaustive list: For further reading on the Trinity, I would recommend James Whites The Forgotten Trinity, Wayne Grudems Systematic Theology and online articles by CARM.org. My interview: https://www.readlotswritelot.com/wp/podcast/episode-21-john-k-adams/, More from Catholicism for the Modern World, https://www.readlotswritelot.com/wp/podcast/episode-21-john-k-adams/. But the Bible is CLEAR in its teaching. The Trinity is a tri-unity, a unity of Three, - God the Father, Jesus, the Son of God and the Holy Spirit. A Simple Way to Explain the Trinity - Keith Ferrin The Trinity is not 1 + 1 + 1 butmore like 1 x 1 x 1.You can throw away one part of an egg (e.g., shell) and still have essentially an egg. So, in God, there are three distinct persons. For them, a person is someone who could relate to another. Celebrating Easter Is About so Much More Than One Hour on Sunday. Studying the Trinity poses difficulty to us Catholics. I can only shake my head when He does these things! When we look at the egg as an example of the Trinity, we must view it in its entirety. The shortfall of this illustration, and others like it, is that God cannot be divided into "parts." He began to play the organ as a chorister in England, before continuing his studies in Qubec and France. Cool it down, and itll eventually freeze into a solid. ORDER from Barnes and NobleAmazon.com or wherever fine books are soldISBN-13: 978-1978167643Return to Cafe Logos Homepage | Bite-Sized Bible Bites. He has not yet revealed some mysteries (what did Jesus do in His childhood, when will He return, what does the word Selah mean in the Old Testament- and so many more.). Eggs are one, yet comprise yolk, shell and albumen. When we use analogies, we need to indicate these things so as to not lead to heresies, A Catholic and Filipino writer interested in theology, philosophy, liturgy, politics, and law. The God of the Bible is one God. Genisis 1:17, KJV. If you only had an apple core, you wouldnt pack it in your lunch. If you're looking to dive deeper into God's word, here are 6 kinds of bible study tools and resources 9 Influential Female Leaders in the New Testament. The problem with this analogy is that an egg yoke is of a very different substance than a shell. Each one is fully 100% God. In humans, our spirits are designed to operate with and be united to the soul which is the person of anyone and so it is with our Egg. Deuteronomy 6:4- Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. This verse is also the beginning of the Jewish Shema prayer; their confession of faith. They all exist as fully God, with none of them lacking in any attribute or aspect that defines God. While an egg has a yolk, a white and a shell to make up the whole, each part is only ever . Your email address will not be published. in that He is not made up of three parts one part () the Father, another part () Jesus Christ and a third part () the Holy Spirit. On a whim, I looked up the lyrics at a later time. This view teaches that three separate beings exist. Matthew 3:16-17- As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water. As a result, this analogy actually teaches modalism. Paul leaves the Corinthians with this blessing in 2 Corinthians 13:14- May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.. ), The Son Phil. It is a miraculous invention, the egg. Unfortunately, there is a problem with this view of the Trinity. The white of an egg is the connection between the yolk and the shell. In the same way, at one moment God is the Father, but at different times God morphs or transforms into the Son or Holy Spirit. Now, as youve probably guessed, this analogy also breaks down. These three persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - exist together in complete unity, with no separation, as one divine being. Our limited intellects are unable to comprehend its reality, yet, our Scriptures and scholarly Tradition makes it known to us. Misunderstanding 1: The transforming trinity Through the brokenness of the Shell, His Son, the Spirit white pours out into our beings through our faith in what was done and believers are joined with the yolk, for it is by One Spirit we have access to God the Father (Ephesians 2:18). As a result, this analogy can easily lead to tritheism in which there are three different gods which might share some like substance. Believing in the above 3 points leads all Christians to acceptance of the doctrine of the Trinity. I remember asking my Life Group last year, How have you heard the Trinity explained? I braced myself for the inevitable reply. So when God created us and revealed Himself to us, what He did was to invite us into the perfect goodness He has always known within Himself. 3. ANALOGY OF CHARACTERS. All of the above Bad Analogies would perhaps do more harm than good if used in explaining the Trinity. How do we make sense of the Trinity? God is infinitely greater than we are; therefore, we should not expect to be able to fully understand Him. It is not existing as 3 different parts (persons) at the same time. True, we humans are image bearers but nothing in creation serves as an analogy for the Trinity because the Trinity is a doctrine of special (biblical) revelation not nature or reason. Jesus is in the form of the Holy Spirit. The problem with this analogy is that no one molecule of H2O can actually exist as solid, liquid, and gas at the same time. I believe that the best way to talk about the Trinity is to simply say that God is one God, who eternally exists in three Persons. These are likewise erroneous or even heretical. Starting with the three biblical affirmations, ask your kids to show you how these examples support or deny what the bible teaches about the Trinity. What Is A Good Analogy For The Trinity? - Therefore, God Exists Humans as we are, we cannot fully understand how the three divine Persons, though really distinct from one another, are one and the same God. The problem with this analogy is that it would imply that there is only one Divine Person, who eventually multiplied Himself. And whos the Holy Spirit? THE TRUTH IS: The Father, Son, and Spirit are three different persons who are all equally one God. If the Sun existed from eternity past then so were the light rays from the Sun. Similarly, in our aquatic analogy, water can appear in three different modes, depending on the environment, but the three are not co-existing. Modalism teaches that the trinity is not three distinct persons, but just different modes that God reveals himself to human beings. Lastly, below is a helpful graphical chart explaining the doctrine of the Trinity I found from the Christian blog by Tim Challies found at Challies.com. But if they give us a warped idea of what they are trying to explain, they arent helpful illustrations. There have been many attempts to explain the Trinity the relationship between God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. When we see them as three individual spirits, (God is one Spirit John 4:24), then that is the blasphemy of polytheism which is the worship of more than one God. Youre right, theyre all good but not perfect because only God IS perfect. Each Person in the Trinity (or the Godhead) is fully God and fully a Person. But while this idea is central to the Christian faith, it is also incredibly mysterious to us. The Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, constructed between 1800 and 1804, is the first Anglican cathedral to have been built outside the British Isles. Hello busy women! According to modalism, God does not actually exist in three persons. Dont grieve the Holy Spirit out of you. According to the first, just as water takes three forms (liquid, vapor, and ice), so too God takes the form of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Here are eight bible characters that you might not know about, but should. La da dee dee dum dum (I couldnt remember the in-between parts). In Arianism, the Son is not eternally equal with the Father, but was the Fathers first and best creation. When we separate them and view them as individual deities, that is the error of tritheism, which is the worship of three individual gods as one. It's impossible to be an Orthodox Christian without professing belief in the Triune nature of God. No analogy is perfect, but we want to be careful of using wrong ones that may confuse people. Others compare God to an egg, which is part shell, part white, part yolk. In the first place, if we truly claim to love God, then surely we should endeavour to know Him. They've always led to error and have been rejected by the church. So under modalism, God acts as the Father in the Old Testament, the son in the Gospels, and the Spirit in Acts and the Epistles. The shell, while important, is no longer needed. The Holy Trinity: Egg Analogy by Sharmaine Pagtakhan - Prezi Im giving God the credit for stirring this memory, and am extremely grateful. 1 Corinthians 8:6: Yet for us there is but one God.. The Church should not forget that these heresies still exist in the present day and is even being taught by some priests and catechists. The trinity is like water. Although he is one he has different roles to different people. Infinite thy vast domain, everlasting is thy reign.. Did I leave out any analogies? Arius was condemned by the council of Nicea in 325 AD. Trinity is like a Shamrock (or an Apple or an Egg). The Father sends the Son, and both the Father and Son send the Holy Spirit. The Spirit white is connected to Jesus Person I will come to you (John 14:18) and the Fathers Person, We will come to him and make our abode with him (John 14:23). Genesis 1:26- Let us make man in our image, in our likeness The plural us and our show more than one person was involved. To the other major monotheistic faiths (Islam and Judaism), it is rank heresyTrinitarianism is therefore definitional to Christianity. The Bible teaches three truths: 1 - there is one God. We can touch the cord, but not the power it is insulating. Seven Simple Facts About the Trinity - biblequery.org The concept is literally unthinkable. Jesus Person is joined to the Father by the Fathers Holy Spirit, because Gods Spirit is also Jesus Spirit - "But you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if the Spirit of God dwells in you. This is the Christmas paradox. See the depths of Catholicism for yourself! He is one God who expresses Himself in three modesFather, Son, and Spirit. 1. A good example would be an electrical cord. I go to prepare a place for you. In Jesus dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9) , 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you., For further reading on the Trinity, I would recommend James Whites, Lastly, below is a helpful graphical chart explaining the doctrine of the Trinity I found from the Christian blog by Tim Challies. Further, we can label each of the sides. The Gospel is theperson, work, and message of Jesus Christ that provides salvation to all repentant believers. He is married to Shamsa Lea, is the father of Amira, and loves running, boxing and studying history and theology. Each separate being is co-equal, co-powerful and co-eternal. H2O can only ever be one form at a time. He is one God in three persons, all at the same time. Jesus is the Holy Spirit that saves us. Thus, the Father Himself is not God, nor is the Son, nor is the Holy Spirit, but combining the three, there is one God. It can also be a liquid and called water. The unity or oneness of God is also found in the Bible. Thanks, Ann! I do not have the time or space to exhaustively demonstrate in scripture these truths, but the Biblical witness teaches these three truths consistently about God. The Son is not the Father or the Spirit. When we separate them and view them as individual deities, that is the error of tritheism, which is the worship of three individual gods as one. This is why Jesus said, He who has seen Me, has seen the Father (John 14:9). He has been relationally fulfilled within Himself since forever. This means there is a sense in which all 3 persons may act or speak as one.
