The Holy Spirit descended upon Him to equip Him for His ministry. In eternity past, before the beginning, God was alone. Jesus carried out these creative decrees (John 1:3; Col. 1:16). Here is an object with three parts: a hard shell, the egg white, and the yolk. To understand more fully what God is like is a way of honoring God. 3 in 1: A Picture of God This one is for anyone interested in using the apple object lesson. If it were the other way around and we understood God completely, how would he be the sovereign God? Assign each group with one of the Godheads: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), or the Holy Spirit. 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. 1. There are three Persons with one divine essence! Ask the teenager this question: Where does this fall short? Secondly I'd like you to read this verse with me from the Bible. It may seem that the Catholic Church and all the Protestant denominations dont have much in common, but they do have this creed to share. For example the: Finite humankind cannot wholly comprehend these mysteries. Unfortunately, it is also a doctrine that is surrounded by disagreement and controversy among believers. We cannot compete, in simplicity, with people who are inventing religions. What is the Trinity? Bringing hope and resources to military families worldwide. The origin of the doctrine of the Trinity is the Bible . The doctrine of the Trinity is foundational to the Christian faith. The Father is God. Steam, water, and ice are all H20. We are dealing with fact. It is the same thing in three different forms. God the Father spoke the creative words to bring the universe into being (Gen. 1:1). Looking for a great childrens Bible? Admittedly, the idea of three distinct persons/expressions that are each fully God is part of the mystery. For example, it says of Christ that in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form (Colossians 2:9). Rather, everything that one Person is involved in, the other two are also involved in, one way or another. Now, as Fred Sanders once quipped, this doesn't mean you should begin every witnessing encounter, "God loves you . In his bookMere Christianity, C. S. Lewis points out an important distinction. Is God the same as Jesus? 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. He is an extension of the sun and brings the sun directly to the world. 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.. Engage Children in learning The Holy Trinity through Reading, Writing, Playing, Creating, Singing!Included in this resource:Bible Lesson Book-Teacher Edition: Read Aloud!Full sized, colorful large print . 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. If you are teaching young children, these object lessons are both the perfect starting and stopping point. These questions arealwaysasked by someone who is exploring faith in Jesus. Or what are the objective characteristics that all triangles share? He is three in a different way than He is one. 89:14; John 17:25; Rom. It's a great reminder of the three parts of the Holy Trinity! God the Holy Spirit is the warmth you feel from the sun. The Trinity is like an egg or apple. Hes the one who walked the Earth blamelessly, performing miracles, and extending mercy and love. The Bible teaches the Trinity beginning with the days of creation. Help others in their faith journey through discipleship and mentoring. Then you will learn the distinction between personhood and essence or nature. First of all I want to tell you that the Trinity is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We cannot entirelycomprehendan infinite God and these mysteries (Rom. This formulation can show us why there are not three Gods, and why the Trinity is not a contradiction. Of course we are speaking by analogy here, for we cannot understand this in a physical way about God. Geisler, N. L., and R. E MacKenzie, R. E. Roman Catholics and Evangelicals: agreements and differences. Answer. We are referring to two different features of God: (1) his singular essenceor natureand (2) three Persons. 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 Bible reveals that God isone, in essence, eternally revealed inthree Persons. 15:3). Some attributes include eternal, infinite, omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. A beautiful mystery. . The answer is they are gray and hard. While admitting the lack of conformity among believers, we must never consider it a minor issue of doctrine. Therefore each of the Persons into whose name we are to be baptized must be deity. But how does it show us why there is only one God instead of three? But Scripture provides ample evidence of the existence of the Trinity. "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.". This triune God (or Trinity) began to allude to this aspect of His nature right in Genesis 1:26-27. ). The Bible is clear that all three Persons are each one hundred percent God. That is why any discussion of the Trinity is based on Scripture (Ps. As you might expect, some people consider these mysteries as contradictions. But in response we can point out both agreement and clarification. And this illustration helps us understand the Trinity: This illustration shows how the doctrine of the Trinity does not divide God into three parts. Instead, it reveals that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit possess the same divine essence. 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]. God the Son. God the Father. We will never sell your information, for any reason. 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. So, the Trinity is incomprehensible. 6:2122), Resuscitation of the dead (1 Kings 17:1724; 2 Kings 4:1837), The resurrection of Jesus (Acts 4:10; Acts 10:40), Sustains the universe (Col. 1:17; Heb. A rumor is started, and it spreads like wildfire. 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. How is God one? Volunteer abroad this year on a short term global missions trip offered by one of the best, most-reliable Christian missions organizations in the world. He differs from the Father, but was and . The Fathers plan for our redemption shows his great love for humankind. Christs resurrection is variously attributed to: Multiple verses distinguish each member of the Trinity. 45:5-6, New Testament: Mark 12:29; John 5:44; Eph. 42. That way were providing a simple, common language and framework for everything else were going to say (or any analogies we use). Why do so many people struggle with the doctrine of the Trinity? God addressed in the second person singular (you): 2 Sam. That is ok when it comes to rocks and triangles. Yoto has lots of great stuff for, Read More 27 of the Best Yoto Cards for Kids (sorted by age group)Continue, If youre a Sunday School teacher or a mom hoping to instill a love of Bible learning in your children, Ive got some goodies for you! Ask them to draw it on the page. So, in this article, we will look at where the term originated. The trouble with this one is that its a bit less visual. 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). God is infinitely greater than we are; therefore, we should not expect to be able to fully understand Him. The word Trinity is never explicitly mentioned in the Bible; however, countless scriptures mention all three forms of God. We need you. 20:3; cf. Weve made a comparison between this object and the Trinity. We should not think of God as like a pie cut into three pieces, each piece representing a Person. Sometimes the Personhood of the Father and Son is appreciated, but the Personhood of the Holy Spirit is neglected. Further, we should allow the fact that God is triune to deepen our worship. Three separate beings, all rolled into one entity. 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). He sanctifies us (1 Pet. Omnipotence (Jer. We can be adopted by the Father and united with Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit (John 1:1223; Rom. While it is good for us to seek understanding of the Trinity, we cannot fully comprehend God. Egg A single egg is made up of the yolk, the whites, and the shell. Christianity is a monotheistic religion. 2:11), and performs miracles (Matt. Develop your leadership skills and learn how to launch a ministry wherever you are. Therefore, there is one God with one divine nature and three divine Persons. But it is possible to go deeper. 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.". After all, as I have said many times (to myself as much as others! Ignore the urge to tie everything up with a nice little bow. The important difference between complexity and incomprehension: If Christianity was something we were making up, of course, we could make it easier. Carrying this concept over to the Trinity, it is not a contradiction for God to be both three and one because He is not three and one in the same way. God is one in a certain way (essence) and three in a different way (person). Ironically, not much is known about his death; even the year when he passed away is up for debate. After all, the Trinity is difficult to understand. 5:2122; John 13:34), End-time judgment (Matt. But first, lets cover the basics. There are two men in their 20s who came to faith in Christ in recent weeks through the ministry of our church. be explained away. Discipleship involves a lot, but one of the most important things you can do with a new believer is read the Bible with them-teaching them how to read, understand, respond to, and apply God's Word. 23:2324). Or stated simply, the triangles what-ness.. Orthodox Christian theology has always affirmed that the one true God is triune in nature. Take the next step in your faith journey with resources on prayer, devotionals and other tools for personal and spiritual growth. The Trinity does not divide God into three parts. The answer hinges on the differences in their unique roles. Only older children will grasp the in one concept of H20. The Holy Trinity is 'the Center of Everything.'. My Starting Point for Trying to Explain the Trinity, The Simplest but Still Clear Explanation for the Trinity, The 3 Most Common Trinity Analogies (and their limitations). OrThe person were explaining it to will think that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are only parts of God (egg and sun). Within a week,, Read More Is It Normal that My 4 Year Old Can Read? From the 1950s to the 2000s, people wanted to see if they could make computers exhibit intelligence indistinguishable from humans. December 19, 2018. Kids understand the three different forms clearly, as separate objects. "But if I [Jesus] cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.". 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. If you are a Christian, why not memorize some of this blogs verses? Fun fact: The 325 Nicene Creed does not state Trinity. 12:11), When the Holy Spirit speaks, he refers to himself in first person (Acts 13:2). First, we have God. You may be wondering how to wrap your mind around all this brand-new information! 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. ONLY the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are God. 7:28; Ps. 5:21), making it possible for us to have a relationship with God. Just as ONE egg has THREE different parts - the shell, the white, the yoke - ONE God has THREE different . Lets do a quick review of the topics we have covered. 2:1011; Heb. Second, notice that each Person must be deity because they are all placed on the same level. Lets change that! Tertullian, Cyprian, Augustine, and Jerome mention it. The three Persons are distinct, yet only constitute one name. See, each member participated in the creation, the incarnation, and redemption. Third, notice that although the three divine Persons are distinct, we are baptized into their name (singular), not names (plural). However, you dont want to stop there with a student who can participate in a discussion. 119; Prov. Principle #3: Order. But Jesus did not become less than the Father during his incarnation. Others seem to come by it naturally, and its just not fair! God is infinite. 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. Most people, including many Christians, struggle trying to apprehend the Trinity. 6:45; 32:39; 1 Kings 8:60; 2 Kings 5:15; Isa. 2:17). Are these just three different ways of looking at God, or simply ways of referring to three different roles that God plays? 12:32; 28:19; Luke 3:22), There is one God and three Gods (a contradiction), God is one person and three persons (a contradiction), God has one nature and three natures (a contradiction), There is a functional order within the Trinity, Bowman, R Jr. The Biblical Basis of the Doctrine of the Trinity. Blue Letter Bible, https://www.blueletterbible.org/comm/bowman_robert/trinity/trinity.cfm#trin_1 Accessed: 1/20/2022. It is the revelation of who our Almighty Creator actually isnot just a god, but an infinite Being existing in eternity as three co-equal, infinite Persons, consubstantial yet distinct.
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