how to explain the trinity to a new believer

Or what are the objective characteristics that all triangles share? 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. Best Age To Teach The Trinity To A Child. Showing God in action in and through His people. Even wonderful parents have kids who struggle with self esteem, despite excellent parenting and a supportive home environment. 118:28, God referred to in the third person singular (he, his, him): Gen. 1:5, 10; Ex. Amen. Binmin Podcast 8: God & Origins | What Questions Should I Ask About My Faith, Binmin Podcast Ep. The three most common go-to analogies for explaining the Trinity are water, an egg, and the sun. That is why understanding what the Trinity is and is not asserting. 2:11), speaks (Mark 13:11), testifies (Acts 20:23), reveals (1 Cor. Fill this out to make sure you don't miss a thing! He is the only God that exists. The Bible speaks of the Father as God (Phil. If youre wondering how to explain the Trinity to a child, keep it simple. Gods attributes are not parts of his singular divine essence. Equipping families with practical approaches to parenting and marriage. Each corner is distinct (i.e., different) from the others. 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. Then study the pronouns used in Scripture point to the Trinity: This one-ness is Gods one divine essence (Heb 1:3). He sent Jesus to save us and then completed our salvation through the indwelling Holy Spirit (Eph. (So I won't send you any.) Most of them are less-than-helpful. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all fully God. Secondly I'd like you to read this verse with me from the Bible. See if they can think of anything better, and be ready to discuss where different ideas might not quite work. Deut. 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). This can only be if they share one essence. 15:3). Would you like to give your time to work with Cru? How we seek to journey together with everyone towards a relationship with Jesus. What is a functional order or subordination? It means that a Trinity member submits himself to one or both of the other members. 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]. Lets move on to Scriptural evidence for the Trinity. As a former youth minister and childrens minister, Ive already done your research! 28:18-20; 2 Cor. This verse accurately states the doctrine of the Trinity that God is One God in three Persons. God is infinitely greater than we are; therefore, we should not expect to be able to fully understand Him. 9:5; Col. 2:9), The Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:34; 2 Cor. But Christianity's God is unique. The important difference between complexity and incomprehension: If Christianity was something we were making up, of course, we could make it easier. Did your kids give each form of God different personality traits? Here we will summarize some of the fruits of their labor. But what exactly are essence or nature and personhood? He exists as a Trinity. 4:30), and a will (1 Cor. Disclaimer: I believe Trinity. In regards to the Trinity, we use the term Person differently than we generally use it in everyday life. It is one of the two ordinances of the Christian Church. All three Persons of the Trinity are God. 28:20; Col. 3:11), Omnibenevolent (John 13:34; Rom. Being Gods child, we can worship the Father and Jesus through the Spirit (John 4:2324; Phil. Confusing them leads to misunderstanding. 2) It makes no sense 3) The doctrine is rooted in ancient pagan Babylon 4) Jesus himself said he is God's SON; not God himself as the Trinity teaches Each of the persons is distinct from the other in relation (Economic Trinity), yet each is identical in essence (Ontological Trinity). ). Tertullian coined the term Trinity during the second century. They are higher than the heavenswhat can you do?, "For as heaven is higher than earth, so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.. That isGod is three Persons in onethe Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. 2:18). Then, ask them to write words on the poster that make up the character of God. 3:16; 2 Pet. Kids understand the three different forms clearly, as separate objects. 5:2), Miracles (Ex. 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. 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. 1:18; Luke 1:2635). There is a clue that the Son is distinct from the Father, yet there is fellowship between them. Are these just three different ways of looking at God, or simply ways of referring to three different roles that God plays? I might end with sharing a few analogies from nature. Question: How do you explain the Trinity? 4. Its probably the most classic Trinity object lesson, but its not my favorite. There are two other major monotheistic world religions namely Judaism and Islam. The Trinity is like an egg. 7:28; Ps. All of this information is a lot to take in at once. From our understanding of the Trinity (a social being), we recognize that a person is a relational being, not just someone with a mind, a will, and . But how does it show us why there is only one God instead of three? He is an extension of the sun and brings the sun directly to the world. Just as ONE egg has THREE different parts - the shell, the white, the yoke - ONE God has THREE different . 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. "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. There would only be a contradiction if we said that God is three in the same way that He is one. 6:11; Gal. 1. 3. 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. 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. There is a clue that the Son is distinct from the Father, yet there is fellowship between them. The Trinity. At the risk of sounding too physical, essence can be understood as the stuff that you consist of.. 1:12). Theologian R.C. 15:19), God is called Father (John 17:1; John 3; 20:17; 1 Cor. You can't explain the Trinity to anyone who reasons because: 1) The Bible does not support it. Ibid, p. 255. God addressed in the second person singular (you): 2 Sam. 8:26), comprehends (1 Cor. It starts with a whisper. Trinity not mentioned in the Bible anywhere! 1. 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 . Ive already done your research at my local library. But as a follower of Christ, your identity can and should be grounded in one thing: who He says you are. Stated differently, God is one in essence and three in person. Third, we have the Holy Spirit, which is also God, living in our hearts and guiding us through life. 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. Among the three persons of the Trinity, there is a proper order: The Father is the First Person of the Most Holy Trinity. But its not a mystery that can or should! Each member of the Trinity is . The concept of the Trinity is that we have God in three forms - a union of three. He said, Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one (Mark 12:29). God is infinite. Genesis 1:1says this: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.. While the three members of the Trinity are distinct, this does not mean that any is inferior to the other. 2:11), and performs miracles (Matt. That means that, as Christians, we believe in only one God. Christs resurrection is variously attributed to: Multiple verses distinguish each member of the Trinity. There are two men in their 20s who came to faith in Christ in recent weeks through the ministry of our church. Sigh. Leading from values so others will walk passionately with God to grow and bear fruit. 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. He exists as a Trinity. They had to wait another 50 year for the 381 update. While there are some illustrations which are helpful, we should recognize that no illustration is perfect. To this day, this scripture inspires the language we use to baptize people across Christian denominations. And likewise with the Holy Spirit. Answer: Jesus came to lead us into relationship with the Father and that required the sacrifice of his own life because of our rebellion. understand the doctrine of the Trinity. It is understandable that our finite minds cannot grasp an infinite God. 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). Matt Perman is the director of career navigation at The Kings College NYC, a blogger, and an author. It may seem like a daunting question at first, but when we think about it the truth of God's triune nature is meant to be a joy, a comfort, and a wonder to us! 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. ), "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. Hes the one who walked the Earth blamelessly, performing miracles, and extending mercy and love. It is the same thing in three different forms. (Heavy sigh.) If we were to translate it . God the Father spoke the creative words to bring the universe into being (Gen. 1:1). When Jesus answered the question, What is the greatest commandment? he prefaced the answer by quoting the. Internship opportunities with Cru's ministries. However, these illustrations arent perfect, and really mature kids or teenagers (or adult new believers) could handle digging a bit deeper! 8:6a). Orthodox Christian theology has always affirmed that the one true God is triune in nature. 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. The Holy Spirit is God, but He is not the Son or the Father. But first, lets cover the basics. Use Objects As Visual Aids. As a result, Jesus death covered or atoned for our sins (2 Cor. 13:14), the term Trinity does not appear. So God is one what but three whos.. 10:2831), In Johns writings (1 John 4:1314; Rev. While Jesus and the Father are both God, they are different Persons. But Scripture provides ample evidence of the existence of the Trinity. Show them that there are three parts: seeds, flesh, and skin. 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. A mystery that should cause us to marvel, and wonder, and worship! 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." We will never sell your information, for any reason. You can help us reach children and their families to know Jesus. Have some fun taking various quizzes and assessments to learn about yourself and others. Wayne Grudem explains: But if each person is fully God and has all of Gods being, then we also should not think that the personal distinctions are any kind of additional attributes added on to the being of God . You arent alone! But what does it mean that God is gracious? This is a limitation on God that doesnt acknowledge that God isalwaysthe Father,alwaysthe Son, andalwaysthe Holy Spirit. Answer. The Trinity is first of all important because God is important. The origin of the doctrine of the Trinity is the Bible . And when he speaks, he refers to himself in first personas I (Deut. 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. the one who is not a Christian. 23:2324). Before anything was created he begat his Logos as a person distinct from himself. 19:714; Ps. The Son and Holy Spirit are equal in deity to the Father. What we do mean by Person is something that regards himself as I and others as You. So the Father, for example, is a different Person from the Son because He regards the Son as a You, even though He regards Himself as I. Thus, in regards to the Trinity, we can say that Person means a distinct subject which regards Himself as an I and the other two as a You. These distinct subjects are not a division within the being of God, but a form of personal existence other than a difference in being.[3]. They only describe what makes up Gods singular essence. The prologue of the Gospel of John has the strongest argument for the Trinity. The doctrine of the Trinity means that there is one God who eternally exists as three distinct Persons the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 2:1011; Heb. 4. Be cool with leaving the gathering with more questions than answers. Check out my tips for teaching your kids about bedtime prayer. How can one explain the Trinity simply to a new believer? 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. Firstly, we agree that finite humankind is limited. Go ahead and start with one of the object lessons above. This is one of the books of the Torah. Second, we have the son of God, Jesus. The easiest way to explain the Trinity is with an object lesson, and thats true no matter how old someone might be. The ancient church fathers at first simply acknowledged the Trinity without feeling the need to explain a theology of that understanding. It included Jesus miraculous conception in the virgin Mary (John 3:16)an act that we call the incarnation.. 4:15), dying for our sins (1 Cor. Rather than let that frustrate you, let it encourage you. The doctrine or concept of the Trinity is central to most Christian denominations and faith groups, although not all. Each person of God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) really IS God. The Apostle Paul also affirms the doctrine of the Trinity. 2:10), knows (1 Cor. 13:14; 1 Pet.1:2), In the story of the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:1025), When Jesus promises the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 1:48), Peters sermon at Pentecost (Acts 2:33; Acts 3839), Peter and apostles answer the high priest (Acts 5:3032), During Stephens heavenly vision at his stoning (Acts 7:5556), In Peters sermon to the gentiles in Caesarea (Acts 10:3638; Acts 4448), When Peter reports to the Jerusalem church (Acts 11:1518), When Peter speaks at the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15:811), During Pauls interaction with Jewish leaders in Rome (Acts 28:2531), Pauls epistles (Rom. Begin and end with your object lesson, and be comfortable with the imperfect teaching. 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. 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. In brief, how we view God will profoundly impact our everyday lives. Through accepting the undeserved gift of salvation (Eph. Then you will learn the distinction between personhood and essence or nature. After all, the Trinity is difficult to understand. Famous pastor and authorA.W. 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. Of course, anyone can be simple if he has no facts to bother about (p. 145). And that knowledge can feel liberating. Omnibenevolence (Jer. It's so simple, it fits on one page. While theconceptof the Trinity is evident in the New Testament (Matt. The The truth is always new, fresh, and exciting to the believer in Christ. View our top Cru resources in more than 20 languages. He is one in essence. Unfortunately, there is a lot of confusion about the Trinity. Because these features make up the singular essence or nature of a triangle. Find freedom from your sins today. This triune God (or Trinity) began to allude to this aspect of His nature right in Genesis 1:26-27. In this blog post, we are going to discuss the Holy Trinity in simple terms. Modern theologians have created a distinction between the "economic Trinity" and the "immanent Trinity.". The word "trinity" cannot be found in the Bible, but the truth is that the three of them have been there together all the way along. The Bible teaches that the Father is God, that Jesus is God, and that the Holy Spirit is God. This doctrine is absolutely essential to New Testament Christianity. After understanding the difference between essence and personhood, most objections evaporate! Not the answer an enquiring young mind was looking for. It is the unity of the Father, Son, and Spirit as three persons in one Godhead. God the Son. The Bible reveals that God isone, in essence, eternally revealed inthree Persons. 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. Whats a Mama to say when the questions start flowing? . 3:25; Dan. What is the Trinity? That is where I go back to the starting point I mentioned above. As Christians, we derive our concept of person from the relations in the Trinity. Help others in their faith journey through discipleship and mentoring. During this period, it was attempted solely by using algorithmswhich are basically rules or sets of rules you tell a computer to follow. Trinity comes from two word parts: tri, meaning three, and unity, meaning as one. The concept of the Trinity is that we have God in three forms a union of three.