The Trinity is Christianity's most unique, defining, incomprehensible, and awesome mystery. But it also raises many difficult questions. However, let me highlight some of the most significant passages that confirm monotheism: Are you interested in learning more about the Godhead? To confess that the Father, Son, and Spirit are equal in power of course means that one does not rule over the other in any way. Confusing them leads to misunderstanding. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. While no church is perfect, the Trinity is still the model for the churchs unity (John 1:2123). OksoWhat about this idea of one being who exists in three persons?. That means that, as Christians, we believe in only one God. This is just an egg, or an apple, or H2O. Explore resources to help you live out your life and relationships in a way that honors God. 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. Christs resurrection is variously attributed to: Multiple verses distinguish each member of the Trinity. Best Age To Teach The Trinity To A Child. He exists as a Trinity. Believe it or not, the fact that God is too immense for our finite minds should be comforting, not discouraging! 8:1417). Therefore, it is often difficult to have a concrete definition of Person as we use it in regards to the Trinity. You cant find an earthly match for this concept. 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. That is because it is the only religion that believes in the Trinity. Others seem to come by it naturally, and its just not fair! See, each member participated in the creation, the incarnation, and redemption. 1. Help others in their faith journey through discipleship and mentoring. After all, children deal best with concrete ideas. A triangle must have three different corners in order to be one triangle. 3 in 1: A Picture of God This one is for anyone interested in using the apple object lesson. In explaining the Trinity to your friend, begin, perhaps, with the work of salvation. It starts with a whisper. But the Holy Spirit is not an it, but a He (see John 14:26; 16:7-15; Acts 8:16). 32:17, 27; Matt. How To Explain St. Patrick's Day To A Child, From Fun To Facts - MSN 2:11), speaks (Mark 13:11), testifies (Acts 20:23), reveals (1 Cor. Internship opportunities with Cru's ministries. How do we know whats age-appropriate for them to understand? Thats the one we think of as the Father. But Jesus did not become less than the Father during his incarnation. Instead, they are all identical in attributes. Trinity, in Christian doctrine, the unity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three persons in one Godhead. The New Testament lists all three Persons of the Trinity simultaneously, 6. ETS members all confess the Father, the Son, and the Spirit to be "one in essence, equal in power and glory.". The Apostle Paul also affirms the doctrine of the Trinity. If there is one passage which most clearly brings all of this together, it is Matthew 28:19: Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. First, notice that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinguished as distinct Persons. 3:1417). See if you can let kids arrive at the notion that God isnt really made up of parts. 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.". Fill this out to make sure you don't miss a thing! But Christianity's God is unique. Girls become divided, friendships are ruined, and reputations are tarnished. He exists as a Trinity. Or what are the objective characteristics that all triangles share? The Holy Spirit isnt like an egg yolk, because the egg yolk is only part of an egg, whereas the Holy Spirit isnt part of God it IS God. Subjection and subordination do not mean inequality. This verse accurately states the doctrine of the Trinity that God is One God in three Persons. They are personal forms of existence other than a difference in being. 1:7; 2 Tim. More simply stated, the essence of any entity is what it is. Striving to see Christ-followers on every team, in every sport and in every nation. 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. 89:14; John 17:25; Rom. Trying to fully understand God is like a 2-year-old trying to fully understand the complexities of relationships, marriage, and parenting! What does it take to begin a relationship with God? 1:18; Luke 1:2635). Get the answers to frequently asked questions on Christian beliefs and practices. Now, as Fred Sanders once quipped, this doesn't mean you should begin every witnessing encounter, "God loves you . Ask the teenager this question: Where does this fall short? EitherThe person were explaining it to will think that God simply changes from one to the other at different times and under different circumstances (water). 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. Jesus is God, but He is not the Father or the Holy Spirit. Understanding the Doctrine of the Trinity (+ Free Printable) 8:26), guides (John 16:13), creates (Ps. And the Trinity is an essential doctrine to our understanding of God. It is crucial for properly understanding what God is like, how He relates to us, and how we should relate to Him. 3. The oldest member of the unholy trinity. This formulation can show us why there are not three Gods, and why the Trinity is not a contradiction. The general pattern of prayer in the Bible is to pray to the Father through the Son and in the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 2:18). Develop your leadership skills and learn how to launch a ministry wherever you are. Scriptural evidence supports every element proving the Trinity. 2:8-9), we can become Gods children. While not a typical conversation starter, this question is one of the most important we can ask in life. Further, we should allow the fact that God is triune to deepen our worship. 139:711; Jer. How do I explain to a non-believer that belief in the Trinity is Faith is recognizing that we dont have all the answers and deciding that its okay to keep believing and growing. They only describe what makes up Gods singular essence. Divide your group into three teams and give each group a sheet of butcher paper or poster. The prologue of the Gospel of John has the strongest argument for the Trinity. The Trinity is the perfect loving community of three Persons. 3. Disclaimer: I believe Trinity. 2:17). Of course we are speaking by analogy here, for we cannot understand this in a physical way about God. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all fully God. I think it is because they lack at least two pieces of information: The main confusion is that many people dont get this distinction. Jesus, the Word, was present in Genesis 1. What is a functional order or subordination? It means that a Trinity member submits himself to one or both of the other members. In this case, "immanent" means "the action remaining within an agent.". He differs from the Father, but was and . Its obvious that the Trinity is important to Christianity because its the framework for one of our oldest texts that crosses multiple denominations: the Apostles Creed, written in the 5th century. Answer. Remember, the nature or essence of an entity is the property or attributes that make it what it is. This is absolutely true. 5:21), making it possible for us to have a relationship with God. 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. also 1:18). 12:711), The Father is not the Son (Matt. Monotheism. Youngblood, R. F., et al. There are two other major monotheistic world religions namely Judaism and Islam. But as a follower of Christ, your identity can and should be grounded in one thing: who He says you are. Dont despair. 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. What a challenge! In his bookMere Christianity, C. S. Lewis points out an important distinction. That's the one we think of as the Father. How to EXPLAIN The Trinity to a New Believer | Introduction to The 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. How To Explain the Trinity To Your Child - 4 Creative Ways Among the worlds religions, the Christian faith is unique. But how can finite humans know anything about Gods infinite essence? When Jesus answered the question, What is the greatest commandment? he prefaced the answer by quoting the. I wont go into all of the verses here (simply type bible verses about the Trinity into Google and youll find plenty). Whats a Mama to say when the questions start flowing? That way were providing a simple, common language and framework for everything else were going to say (or any analogies we use). Whether an object is a rock or a triangle, we can classify it based on its objective characteristics. This should make it clear why it is so important to understand that all three Persons are the same essence. Other statements may at first seem contradictory but are really not. Learn how you can know God personally. While theconceptof the Trinity is evident in the New Testament (Matt. You may be wondering how to wrap your mind around all this brand-new information! 42. The Son is the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity. The word Trinity is never explicitly mentioned in the Bible; however, countless scriptures mention all three forms of God. Well, we can know because God has given us his special revelation: the Bible. This is a limitation on God that doesnt acknowledge that God isalwaysthe Father,alwaysthe Son, andalwaysthe Holy Spirit. Check out my tips for teaching your kids about bedtime prayer. Explore answers to life's biggest questions. Question & Answer: The Orthodox Presbyterian Church 10:57), The Holy Spirit indwells every Christian. God the Holy Spirit. Within Gods one, undivided being is an unfolding into three personal distinctions. The Trinity. 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. In other words, what are the objective attributes or properties that make up all rocks? How Do You Explain the Trinity? - A Thimble-full of Theology for Daily Begin and end with your object lesson, and be comfortable with the imperfect teaching. Those centuries were t 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. After all, each of these illustrate the idea that God is made up of parts, and thats not really true. Live in another country building relationships and ministries with eternal impact. . We can discern and apprehend what it is. After Christ rose from the grave, he appeared to the disciples and gave them a job to do: preach the Word to everyone. 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). 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. As Christians, we derive our concept of person from the relations in the Trinity. The seeds are like the Holy Spirit, because He helps us grow. If youd like to get away from simple object lessons and move your child toward a deeper understanding of Gods nature, check out The Attributes of God for Kids. According to the American Heritage Dictionary the word He realized Scripture alone is the only way we know about the Trinity (1 Cor. And these three Persons are the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And confusing ones. Ive got you covered with all the basics, no matter your denomination. Jesus is the one whose life we try to copy. Lets move on to Scriptural evidence for the Trinity. Use your hobbies and interests to find the best place for you to serve. So many things clamor to define you. Object Lessons on the Trinity for a Child or New Believer, The Difference Between Teaching the Trinity to a Child vs. a Teenager, Books that Explain the Trinity to a Child, Navigating Girl Drama: 20 Ways Schools and Parents Can Help Calm the Storm, Is It Normal that My 4 Year Old Can Read? 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. The Trinity is important to Christians because it reminds us that God is all-powerful, walked this Earth as a perfect human who can relate to our pain, and also lives on today in our hearts. 8:26), comprehends (1 Cor. Then, ask them to write words on the poster that make up the character of God. How is God one? 3:19; Eph. God the Father spoke from heaven and spoke of His Son, Jesus. 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. Are you still not a Christian? How could we? know that I recognise only one God. The all powerful one who lives up in Heaven and either judges us mercilessly or loves us endlessly, depending on who you ask. God the Father sent God the Holy Spirit to conceive Jesus (God the Son) in the virgin Marys womb (Matt. Christianity is a monotheistic religion. 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. Grace is the promise that you stand forgiven before God if you know Jesus. Simply put: without three angles, theres no triangle! For example: God the Father is a person. Yes, the Spirit was sent, but this does not imply that the Holy Spirit is less than they are. How do we come to terms with these different ideas of God? Heres how the triangle analogy can help: Consider a triangle with me. The Best Way to Explain the Trinity to Kids - The Purposeful Mom They had to wait another 50 year for the 381 update. In fact, it is precisely the continuing dialogue between the Father and the Son (Matthew 3:17; 17:5; John 5:19; 11:41-42; 17:1ff ) which furnishes the best evidence that they are distinct Persons with distinct centers of consciousness. But Christianitys God is unique. 8:3539; Eph. The all powerful one who lives up in Heaven and either judges us mercilessly or loves us endlessly, depending on who you ask. I think the major problem involves not distinguishing two different features of God. However, within the nature of this one God are three persons, or three centers of consciousness - the Father, the Son, and the . If you go to YouTube and search on explain the Trinity youll findlotsof videos. The wordtrinitymeans tri-unity or three-in-oneness.. Why do so many people struggle with the doctrine 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. Do you need to devote yourself to unselfish religious deeds? Yet most Christians have difficulty explaining the Trinity clearly and Biblically. You can describe the Trinity in different ways: The wordspersonsandessencerefer to entirely different features relating to God. And all three members of the Trinity were involved. 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]. However, Matthew 28:19 is frequently used in attempts to prove that the Trinity is a biblical teaching. passage also demonstrates Jesus' early declaration of the Trinity. 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. A rumor is started, and it spreads like wildfire. We can be adopted by the Father and united with Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit (John 1:1223; Rom. Trinity: Loving relationship defines God's very being How can God be both one and three? Therefore, there is one God with one divine nature and three divine Persons. To further our understanding of the distinction of persons within the one God it is best to move on to the next trinitarian principle. (So I won't send you any.) The Holy Spirit is God. We are referring to two different features of God: (1) his singular essenceor natureand (2) three Persons. "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. For example, it says of Christ that in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form (Colossians 2:9). At this stage, your head may be swimming with all this new information about God! 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. Its okay to admit you dont know everything. How to explain the trinity to a new believer pdf - Canada Examples Step The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all fully God. But I hope you have learned that the Trinity is not contradictory. Principle #3: Order. Because these features make up the singular essence or nature of a triangle. If we were to translate it . And when he speaks, he refers to himself in first personas I (Deut. Lets change that! However, you dont want to stop there with a student who can participate in a discussion. The Trinity is God the Father, God the Son (Jesus) and God the Holy Spirit. 11 Things to Know about the Doctrine of the Trinity - Zondervan Academic Sproul cites as an example Dickens famous line, It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Obviously this is a contradiction if Dickens means that it was the best of times in the same way that it was the worst of times. Its okay for them to have a very limited understanding of God. 1:12). 1:318; 1 Pet. In all transparency, I feel like I did a pretty mediocre job of explaining the Trinity to them in a way they could grasp. In addition to these texts, the others we mentioned above make clear that the Personhood of the Holy Spirit is distinct from the Personhood of the Son and the Father. How to Explain the Trinity to an Unbeliever - YouTube Below is the easiest way that I have ever heard it explained: God the Father is the sun. 8:2327), Resuscitates the dead (Matt. But a common question arises: How do the members of the Trinity differ from one another?. It is one of the two ordinances of the Christian Church. Our fellowship with God should be enhanced by consciously knowing that we are relating to a tri-personal God! Of course, if the triangle illustration were perfect, we would be able to comprehend God fully, but we cant. Fun fact: The 325 Nicene Creed does not state Trinity. 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. God is infinite. For example the: Finite humankind cannot wholly comprehend these mysteries. In fact, kids who have been in church for many years will probably have already heard one of these illustrations. Each Person of the Trinity is distinct, 8. 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. Paul unequivocally taught Jesus is God (Col. 2:9). That means that, as Christians, we believe in only one God. We are dealing with fact. And Scripture provides many descriptors, orattributes,of Gods singular essence or nature. But each member had a different function. Reaching students and faculty in middle and high school. 2:1011; Heb. Why? The Bible is clear that all three Persons are each one hundred percent God. (Ohand I'll send you my free guideThe Simplest Way to Study ANY Bible Passageas a "Thank you" for jumping on board!). The Bible is clear that all three Persons are each one hundred percent God. If Jesus is God, why do the Gospels record instances where He prayed to God? How To Explain The Trinity To A Child Or Teenager - Mama Manages 20:23; Deut. We all have a story. Learn the basics of what Christians believe. . These personal distinctions are modes of existence within the divine being, but are not divisions of the divine being. 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. The Trinity doctrine developed over hundreds of years and was influenced by the teachings of pagan Greek philosophers. At his death on the cross, sinless Jesus chose to substitute himself in our place (Heb. He is also referred to in third-person singular pronouns (John 14:26), He engages in actions only a person can do: He searches (1 Cor. 3:17), Omnipresence (Ps. God is truth, so the unity that He is effecting between believers is a unity grounded in truth. Now lets go a little deeper and consider the triangles three corners (angles). He brings all light and life to the world. The Trinity isn't some complicated distraction from the simple gospelit's actually part of the gospel. How can three and one refer to the same God? This would make each Person less than fully God and thus not God at all. In eternity past, before the beginning, God was alone. 2. 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. 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. Unfortunately, it is also a doctrine that is surrounded by disagreement and controversy among believers. Go ahead and start with one of the object lessons above. The Father is not one-third of the being of God, He is all of the being of God. Fortunately, the most popular analogy of the Trinity is the triangle. Answer. For instance he: Jesus has all the features that ensure he, too, is a person. The Holy Trinity Prek Teaching Resources | TPT How is God different? 4:4). We should not think of God as like a pie cut into three pieces, each piece representing a Person. 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. Firstly, we agree that finite humankind is limited. Conclusion: Scripture teaches the Trinity. To this day, this scripture inspires the language we use to baptize people across Christian denominations. Elohimis the plural form of the word God. During this period, it was attempted solely by using algorithmswhich are basically rules or sets of rules you tell a computer to follow. 2:34; Heb. These three persons are of the same substance, equal in power and glory. It is fundamental to our worldview. Trinity not mentioned in the Bible anywhere! These three persons make up the one true God. Then share them with another Christian or genuine seeker. PDF Understanding the Biblical Doctrine of the Trinity (Godhead) - Bible Truth But it is possible to go deeper. 2:5), The Father is not the Spirit (John 14:26; John 15:26), The Son is not the Spirit (Matt. Just as ONE egg has THREE different parts - the shell, the white, the yoke - ONE God has THREE different . For example, if I say that the moon is made entirely of cheese but then also say that the moon is not made entirely of cheese, I have contradicted myself. Gods One-ness is his One divine essence, 3. The Trinity was present in the atonement at the cross. The personhood of each member of the Trinity means that each Person has a distinct center of consciousness. What Is the Unholy Trinity in the Bible? - Christianity.com That is why understanding what the Trinity is and is not asserting. After all, if the trinitarian nature of God is not in the Bible, why bother talking about it at all? ). Rather, everything that one Person is involved in, the other two are also involved in, one way or another. What is the Trinity? - Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry 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 . 28:20; Col. 3:11), Omnibenevolent (John 13:34; Rom. 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. 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. How to Explain the Trinity in 4 Steps - The Catechism Guy
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