13: Trinity | Putting the Fun In, Faith and Finances: 5 Steps to Get Started. We can be adopted by the Father and united with Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit (John 1:1223; Rom. He regenerates us with new spiritual life (John 3:58). The Bible teaches the Trinity beginning with the days of creation. passage also demonstrates Jesus' early declaration of the Trinity. 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. 4 Visual Ways To Explain The Trinity To A Child. Therefore, the Holy Spirit must be distinct from the Father and the Son. The The truth is always new, fresh, and exciting to the believer in Christ. I recently had some of my kids friends ask meWhat is the Trinity? That is why understanding what the Trinity is and is not asserting. This triune God (or Trinity) began to allude to this aspect of His nature right in Genesis 1:26-27. 2:1011; Heb. One illustration to beware of is the one which says, I am one person, but I am a student, son, and brother. The origin of the doctrine of the Trinity is the Bible . 15:16), inspires, intercedes (Rom. While the three members of the Trinity are distinct, this does not mean that any is inferior to the other. 15:28). 1. Does it look like Grandpa? Heres how the triangle analogy can help: Consider a triangle with me. The Father is God. So God is one what but three whos.. Here we will summarize some of the fruits of their labor. As a former youth minister and childrens minister, Ive already done your research! You may be wondering how to wrap your mind around all this brand-new information! The Trinity is the perfect loving community of three Persons. And yet, we run into the same problem again, because God isnt made up of parts. Modern theologians have created a distinction between the "economic Trinity" and the "immanent Trinity.". As Christians, we derive our concept of person from the relations in the Trinity. 317 subscribers in the BiblicalUnitarian community. Since God is one in a different way than He is three, the Trinity is not a contradiction. With teenagers, you want to take a different approach, and celebrate the mystery of it all. Christianity is a monotheistic religion. The Trinity has a very significant application to prayer. 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. Its a mystery the Bible teaches. In fact, would Jesus have us baptize in the name of a mere creature? The ancient church fathers at first simply acknowledged the Trinity without feeling the need to explain a theology of that understanding. God the Father, Jesus His Son, with the Holy Spirit, they are three in one! Likewise, after the Son returned to the Father (John 16:10), the Father and the Son sent the Holy Spirit into the world (John 14:26; Acts 2:33). 2:511). If each Person of the Trinity is distinct and yet fully God, then should we conclude that there is more than one God? 31:3; John 3:16; 1 John 4:8), Righteous (Ps. The Bible reveals that God isone, in essence, eternally revealed inthree Persons. Looking for a great childrens Bible? God created man in His image. Finally I would end with Deuteronomy 29:29 which helps us to realize that we cannot fully comprehend God. 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. The Trinity confuses even adults, so when youre tasked (or inspired) to teach the Trinity to a child, teenager, or new believer, it can be overwhelming. He wrote, What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.. 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. But I hope you have learned that the Trinity is not contradictory. The Bible is clear that all three Persons are each one hundred percent God. If youre wondering how to explain the Trinity to a child, keep it simple. 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). Two biblical teachings confirm the doctrine of the Trinity: How is that possible? Its three things, but all are complete on their own. We can discern and apprehend what it is. You can't explain the Trinity to anyone who reasons because: 1) The Bible does not support it. But how does it show us why there is only one God instead of three? 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. What a challenge! The Trinity Matters because the Gospel Matters. The Bible is clear that all three Persons are each one hundred percent God. Third, notice that although the three divine Persons are distinct, we are baptized into their name (singular), not names (plural). Trinity, in Christian doctrine, the unity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three persons in one Godhead. The Holy Spirit is God, but He is not the Son or the Father. 28:18-20; 2 Cor. The verb for created isbara. Unsubscribe at any time. The Father is not one-third of the being of God, He is all of the being of God. Binmin Podcast 8: God & Origins | What Questions Should I Ask About My Faith, Binmin Podcast Ep. Jesus is the one whose life we try to copy. ), "If God was small enough for my brain to fully understand, He wouldnt be big enough to save me!, The authors of the Bible understood this. You can help us reach children and their families to know Jesus. He exists as a Trinity. My passion is helping you not just read and study the Bible, but truly enjoy it! The all powerful one who lives up in Heaven and either judges us mercilessly or loves us endlessly, depending on who you ask. 4:4; Col. 1:15), Eternal (John 1:1-3; 17:5; Col. 1:16-17; Jude 25), Omnipresent (Matt. Or stated simply, the triangles what-ness.. 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. The prologue of the Gospel of John has the strongest argument for the Trinity. Or what are the objective characteristics that all triangles share? The important difference between complexity and incomprehension: If Christianity was something we were making up, of course, we could make it easier. The three members of the unholy trinity are Satan, the Antichrist, and the false prophet. 118:28, God referred to in the third person singular (he, his, him): Gen. 1:5, 10; Ex. 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. These three-in-one are called "the Hindu triad" or the "Great Trinity" In the Hindu Puranas there is this passage: 'O ye three Lords! Explore answers to life's biggest questions. Christs resurrection is variously attributed to: Multiple verses distinguish each member of the Trinity. Now lets dig into these imperfect yet better than nothing representations of the Trinity for kids. This can only be if they share one essence. Of course, anyone can be simple if he has no facts to bother about (p. 145). The Trinity does not divide God into three parts. I wont go into all of the verses here (simply type bible verses about the Trinity into Google and youll find plenty). Others seem to come by it naturally, and its just not fair! Whether an object is a rock or a triangle, we can classify it based on its objective characteristics. However, within the nature of this one God are three persons, or three centers of consciousness - the Father, the Son, and the . It was God who took the initiative to save humankind. In sum, the essence or nature of anything is what it is. 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. 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. 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. To understand more fully what God is like is a way of honoring God. 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. In eternity past, before the beginning, God was alone. 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. Just like anything else, some kids have to work hard for what comes easily to, Read More 15 Powerful Self Esteem Activities for Kids to Do at Home and in SchoolContinue. These questions arealwaysasked by someone who is exploring faith in Jesus. That isGod is three Persons in onethe Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. 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. Omnipotence (Jer. For example: The Nicene Creed is recited during every service of Holy Communion . 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. Now, as Fred Sanders once quipped, this doesn't mean you should begin every witnessing encounter, "God loves you . The Father sent Jesus into the world (John 3:16; Gal. 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.". While theconceptof the Trinity is evident in the New Testament (Matt. 11:3336). Each member of the Trinity is . This is something far removed from our human experience, where every different human "person" is a different being as well. Dont despair. 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. This is great fun to see how teenagers draw a picture of God. the one who is not a Christian. 19:714; Ps. 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 a mystery beyond our comprehension (Isa. From the 1950s to the 2000s, people wanted to see if they could make computers exhibit intelligence indistinguishable from humans. 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. Jesus, the Word, was present in Genesis 1. God told Moses in the Torah to tell God's people these words: M. "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one." ( Deuteronomy 6:4) C. Yes, that's right. The Trinity does not divide God into three parts. Read Books About The Trinity. 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." 2. Genesis 1:1says this: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.. Believe it or not, the fact that God is too immense for our finite minds should be comforting, not discouraging! 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. 1:18; Luke 1:2635). Third, we have the Holy Spirit, which is also God, living in our hearts and guiding us through life. Jesus himself spoke of the one-ness of the Godhead when he quoted the Shema of Deuteronomy 6:4. For example they: 5. 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. This command lists all three persons of the Trinity. All three Persons of the Trinity are God. What does it take to begin a relationship with God? 3:3; Heb. First, we have God. *catholic, meaning universal here, and not a reference to the big C Catholic. And God seeks people to worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:24). They are all eternal. Monotheism. Youngblood, R. F., et al. But the Holy Spirit is not an it, but a He (see John 14:26; 16:7-15; Acts 8:16). Lets move on to Scriptural evidence for the Trinity. The divine essence is thus not something that exists above or separate from the three Persons, but the divine essence is the being of the three Persons. The Trinity confuses many people. Everything in Christian theology and in the believer's life finally comes back to who God is: the divine nature, the persons of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. As Hebrews 9:14 declares. Best Age To Teach The Trinity To A Child. For instance: Additionally, all three members of the Trinity participate together in several critical events. Lets do a quick review of the topics we have covered. He is the only God that exists. The Trinity is God the Father, God the Son (Jesus) and God the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we must always endeavor to deepen our worship of God in truth as well as in our hearts. . And this teaching gives us a glimpse into the incomprehensible greatness of God. It has been said, Try to explain the trinity and lose your mind, try to explain away the trinity and lose your soul. 5:21), making it possible for us to have a relationship with God. More posts you may like r/TrueChristian Remember, the nature or essence of an entity is the property or attributes that make it what it is. The answer is simple. The Holy Spirit was moving or hovering over the face of the waters (Gen. 1:2). These are all qualities of personhood. God is one in a certain way (essence) and three in a different way (person). Would you like to give your time to work with Cru? And these three Persons are the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They are equal in power, love, mercy, justice, holiness, knowledge, and all other qualities. Further, we clearly should not think of God as consisting of anything other than divinity. The Bible teaches that the Father is God, that Jesus is God, and that the Holy Spirit is God. 23:2324). A triangle must have three different corners in order to be one triangle. 10:57), The Holy Spirit indwells every Christian. To help us do that, here are two reasons why the Trinity matters. Genesis 1:1 reads: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." If we look more closely at the word we translate "God," Elohim, we see it is plural. And confusing ones. When Jesus answered the question, What is the greatest commandment? he prefaced the answer by quoting the. 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. Do Trinity Crafts/Printables. How can one explain the Trinity simply to a new believer? The word Trinity does not appear even once in the Bible. We exist to worship God. Weve made a comparison between this object and the Trinity. 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. Satan existed with the angels at the beginning of creation as one of the cherubim. understand the doctrine of the Trinity. 1:3), Demonstrated divine sovereignty over nature (Matt. 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. Ive got you covered with all the basics, no matter your denomination. Assign each group with one of the Godheads: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), or the Holy Spirit. 13:14), the term Trinity does not appear. The Trinity Is Unique Among Monotheistic Religions Christianity is a "monotheistic" religion. One God? But that doesn't mean the concept isn't clearly taught. The three members of the Trinity are Persons. God the Father spoke from heaven and spoke of His Son, Jesus. using the shamrock or the three states of H 2 O to explain the . While some say . Yes, the Spirit was sent, but this does not imply that the Holy Spirit is less than they are. Only older children will grasp the in one concept of H20. The Trinity doctrine developed over hundreds of years and was influenced by the teachings of pagan Greek philosophers. A rumor is started, and it spreads like wildfire. The concept of the Trinity. The word "trinity" is a term used to denote the Christian doctrine that God exists as a unity of three distinct, simultaneous persons: Father, Son, and 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. He realized Scripture alone is the only way we know about the Trinity (1 Cor. Its probably the most classic Trinity object lesson, but its not my favorite. We will never sell your information, for any reason. He sent Jesus to save us and then completed our salvation through the indwelling Holy Spirit (Eph. How do they relate? 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. And that he is manifest as three Persons.. What is the Trinity? Answers to questions on donations, financial policies, Crus annual report and more. Thats where the confusion comes from. 20:23; Deut. 8:6a). Those centuries were t The Fathers plan for our redemption shows his great love for humankind. You cant find an earthly match for this concept. OrThe person were explaining it to will think that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are only parts of God (egg and sun). 5:7). Sometimes the Spirit is treated more like a force than a Person. In other words, you have contradicted yourself if you affirm and deny the same statement. 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. Among the worlds religions, the Christian faith is unique. The concept of the Trinity is often referred to during worship, which helps Christians to understand it. Jesus (the Son) is God. Paul unequivocally taught Jesus is God (Col. 2:9). But they are eternally subordinate in their roles to him (1 Cor. Then you will learn the distinction between personhood and essence or nature. I am also Keith Ferrin. If Jesus is God, why do the Gospels record instances where He prayed to God? That's the one we think of as the Father. This is absolutely true. 15:19), God is called Father (John 17:1; John 3; 20:17; 1 Cor. 8:2327), Resuscitates the dead (Matt. 3. Perhaps for the first time, you have read that the Trinity is a mystery and not acontradiction. Then share them with another Christian or genuine seeker. This explains how God can be both one and three. The problem with this is that it reflects a heresy called modalism. But a common question arises: How do the members of the Trinity differ from one another?. 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. How could we? Why not consider these truths and place your faith in Jesus (1 John 5:1)? We are referring to two different features of God: (1) his singular essenceor natureand (2) three Persons. Get the answers to frequently asked questions on Christian beliefs and practices. First, we have God. Answer. 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. 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. Example 1: What is the nature or essence of a rock? I think the major problem involves not distinguishing two different features of God. 1:318; 1 Pet. 10:2831), In Johns writings (1 John 4:1314; Rev. God is not one person who plays three different roles, as this illustration suggests. Is referred to in the second person (you; Ps. 4. 25:3146; 2 Cor. 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. Steam, water, and ice are all H20. May 23, 2012 by: Justin Buzzard. The Son and Holy Spirit are equal in deity to the Father. To be even more precise, essence is what you are. The Holy Spirit descended upon Him to equip Him for His ministry. But analogies cannot entirely explain the mystery of God. 1:7; 2 Tim. " Here God is a plural noun, said is in the . (Againwere trying to grasp something that isnt fully grasp-able.). . It is very simple: All three Persons are one God because, as we saw above, they are all the same essence. Being Gods child, we can worship the Father and Jesus through the Spirit (John 4:2324; Phil. The doctrine of the Trinity means that there is one God who eternally exists as three distinct Persons the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In this blog post, we are going to discuss the Holy Trinity in simple terms. 3. This is one possibility of explaining it. Geisler, N. L., and R. E MacKenzie, R. E. Roman Catholics and Evangelicals: agreements and differences. All will play a role in the events mentioned in Revelation. Go ahead and start with one of the object lessons above. After all, as I have said many times (to myself as much as others! Do you need to devote yourself to unselfish religious deeds? Leading from values so others will walk passionately with God to grow and bear fruit. We hate SPAM. All of this information is a lot to take in at once. The Holy Trinity is 'the Center of Everything.'. In his bookMere Christianity, C. S. Lewis points out an important distinction. A mystery that should cause us to marvel, and wonder, and worship! If someone already has an understanding based on the definition and explanation above, then these analogiesmighthelp them grasp aspects of the Trinity. Learn about Cru's global leadership team. Gods essence is His being. 4:6; James 2:19; Jude 25. So, the Trinity is incomprehensible. 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 . Second, we have the son of God, Jesus. 2:10), knows (1 Cor. A Christian would still be expected to understand it. There is a clue that the Son is distinct from the Father, yet there is fellowship between them. They are three real persons, not three roles God plays. Begin and end with your object lesson, and be comfortable with the imperfect teaching. This should make it clear why it is so important to understand that all three Persons are the same essence. Show them that there are three parts: seeds, flesh, and skin. 4:4). Below is the easiest way that I have ever heard it explained: God the Father is the sun. In this case, "immanent" means "the action remaining within an agent.". To start, let me define what I mean when I say persons. Personhood is having intellect, emotions, and a will. 2. 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. The all powerful one who lives up in Heaven and either judges us mercilessly or loves us endlessly, depending on who you ask. We are dealing with fact. Within a week,, Read More Is It Normal that My 4 Year Old Can Read? "But if I [Jesus] cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.". Essence and personhood are NOT the same thing. So all three members of the Trinity have unique personhood. That is because it is the only religion that believes in the Trinity. Each Person of the Trinity is distinct, 8. Some attributes include eternal, infinite, omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. After all, the Trinity is difficult to understand. Matt Perman is the director of career navigation at The Kings College NYC, a blogger, and an author. The Definition Of The Trinity. Each person of God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) really IS God. 12:711), The Father is not the Son (Matt. He said, Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one (Mark 12:29). 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. Now lets go a little deeper and consider the triangles three corners (angles). What is Gods essence? I am fully human. But it also raises many difficult questions. The relationship between essence and Person, then, is as follows. 15:3). They include: Now you have a basic understanding of the Trinity. . 3. 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. 8:3539; Eph. 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. The three Persons are distinct, yet only constitute one name. God the Father sent God the Holy Spirit to conceive Jesus (God the Son) in the virgin Marys womb (Matt. The Trinity is more than just a vital doctrine. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit do not unite people by neglecting t This verse accurately states the doctrine of the Trinity that God is One God in three Persons. Read about individuals who have been transformed by faith. Girls become divided, friendships are ruined, and reputations are tarnished. John says in the first verse of the book: "The Word was with God, and the Word was God.". . This leads us to investigate more closely a very helpful definition of the Trinity which I mentioned earlier: God is one in essence, but three in Person. And interesting they are listed under a single name. This refers to Gods single essence.
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