The prologue of the Gospel of John has the strongest argument for the Trinity. This analogy ignores the personal distinctions within God and mitigates them to mere roles. What is the Trinity? - Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry Some attributes include eternal, infinite, omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. Answers to questions on donations, financial policies, Crus annual report and more. We are dealing with fact. Jesus, the Word, was present in Genesis 1. But secondly, Christians need to clarify that God is incomprehensible. 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). 104:30), sanctifies (Rom. For instance, the Father is the first person of the Trinity. His function is superior to that of the Son and the Holy Spirit. You will and can grasp these principles. Teaching the Trinity to Students Youth Pastor Theologian The doctrine or concept of the Trinity is central to most Christian denominations and faith groups, although not all. 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.. We can never completely understand the Trinities one essence and three Persons. 2:5), The Father is not the Spirit (John 14:26; John 15:26), The Son is not the Spirit (Matt. Monotheism. Youngblood, R. F., et al. In this blog post, we are going to discuss the Holy Trinity in simple terms. How do I explain to a non-believer that belief in the Trinity is The relationship between essence and Person, then, is as follows. It is one of the two ordinances of the Christian Church. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit do not unite people by neglecting t May 23, 2012 by: Justin Buzzard. Matthew 3:16. The Father is not one-third of the being of God, He is all of the being of God. Its NOT God. "The Trinity is the foundational Christian belief that God is one Being who exists in three Persons." Unpacking the Definition The word Trinity means three-in-one. Two biblical teachings confirm the doctrine of the Trinity: How is that possible? God is infinitely greater than we are; therefore, we should not expect to be able to fully understand Him. 15:28). 19:714; Ps. 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). Tertullian coined the term Trinity during the second century. These three persons make up the one true God. 10:57), The Holy Spirit indwells every Christian. He is beyond us. And during his earthly ministry, Christ subjected himself to the Fathers will. And this teaching gives us a glimpse into the incomprehensible greatness of God. To be even more precise, essence is what you are. 9:5; Col. 2:9), The Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:34; 2 Cor. As I said earlier, it means the same thing as being. Disclaimer: I believe Trinity. Perfect for the Bible newbie or the long-time Bible reader. 5 Scriptural Points to Help You Understand the Trinity John says in the first verse of the book: "The Word was with God, and the Word was God.". 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]. passage also demonstrates Jesus' early declaration of the Trinity. Among the worlds religions, the Christian faith is unique. In eternity past, before the beginning, God was alone. Then study the pronouns used in Scripture point to the Trinity: This one-ness is Gods one divine essence (Heb 1:3). Third, notice that although the three divine Persons are distinct, we are baptized into their name (singular), not names (plural). This formulation can show us why there are not three Gods, and why the Trinity is not a contradiction. While it is good for us to seek understanding of the Trinity, we cannot fully comprehend God. The Trinity consists of one being revealed in three distinct persons. As Benjamin Needler preached: This doctrine should establish us in the truth of the gospel For my part, I would not worship that God that I could comprehend Bless God for the clear discovery of this truth under the gospel! The all powerful one who lives up in Heaven and either judges us mercilessly or loves us endlessly, depending on who you ask. Kids understand the three different forms clearly, as separate objects. How would you explain the Trinity? - The Gathering Community Church Mumbai How to Explain the Trinity to an Unbeliever The Village Church - Flower Mound 118K subscribers 36K views 5 years ago The Trinity is confusing even to most Christians, so we want to pull the. Hes the one who walked the Earth blamelessly, performing miracles, and extending mercy and love. But each member had a different function. Striving to see Christ-followers on every team, in every sport and in every nation. Among the three persons of the Trinity, there is a proper order: The Father is the First Person of the Most Holy Trinity. 1:17; Dan. The The truth is always new, fresh, and exciting to the believer in Christ. As you might expect, some people consider these mysteries as contradictions. But in response we can point out both agreement and clarification. Grace is the promise that you stand forgiven before God if you know Jesus. Would you like to give your time to work with Cru? Paul unequivocally taught Jesus is God (Col. 2:9). C.S. Lewis and Mere Christianity: The Trinity (The Three-Personal God 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. 1:18; Luke 1:2635). These are all qualities of personhood. But analogies cannot entirely explain the mystery of God. Second, we have the son of God, Jesus. Both the New Testament and Old Testament testify that there is only one God: Unfortunately, we cannot go through each of these passages in detail. This doctrine is absolutely essential to New Testament Christianity. Third, Christians believe that the entire New Testament is inspired. 3:17), Omnipresence (Ps. The Trinity Matters because the Gospel Matters. A triangle must have three sides three corners (angles), and the sum of the three angles must be 180 degrees. 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! The Nicene and Reformed Doctrine of the Trinity - CBE Lets move on to Scriptural evidence for the Trinity. But Christianitys God is unique. Your Identity in Christ: How God Sees You. 55 years on I've yet to hear or read an explanation of the Trinity that makes sense. The Trinity is God the Father, God the Son (Jesus) and God the Holy Spirit. 18:20; Matt. Third, we have the Holy Spirit, which is also God, living in our hearts and guiding us through life. And likewise with the Holy Spirit. 20:3; cf. For example, it says of Christ that in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form (Colossians 2:9). 2. Whether an object is a rock or a triangle, we can classify it based on its objective characteristics. He was "begotten, not made," and he was of the same substance or essence ( homoousios) as the Father. At this stage, your head may be swimming with all this new information about God! In all transparency, I feel like I did a pretty mediocre job of explaining the Trinity to them in a way they could grasp. And he should be referred to by personal pronouns and never as it. The Holy Spirits is a person because he: Scripture also proves that the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are God. Does Matthew 28:19 Prove the Trinity? - Life, Hope & Truth Each of the persons is distinct from the other in relation (Economic Trinity), yet each is identical in essence (Ontological Trinity). After all, the Trinity is difficult to understand. Nothing is more astonishing, more challenging, and more potentially life-transforming than knowing God.". After all, as I have said many times (to myself as much as others! I am fully human. Lets apply these concepts to the Trinity. It is the unity of the Father, Son, and Spirit as three persons in one Godhead. Several analogies help us apprehend the Trinity. 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. That is why any discussion of the Trinity is based on Scripture (Ps. See if you can let kids arrive at the notion that God isnt really made up of parts. These personal distinctions are modes of existence within the divine being, but are not divisions of the divine being. Help others in their faith journey through discipleship and mentoring. Its okay to admit you dont know everything. The Trinity is a mystery beyond our comprehension (Isa. A bright teen asked me to explain the Trinity. Here's what I said. We cannot entirelycomprehendan infinite God and these mysteries (Rom. 2:18). But it is not. 5:2122; John 13:34), End-time judgment (Matt. Why do so many people struggle with the doctrine of the Trinity? After all, so much happens in the week leading up to the resurrection of Christ. 2:8-9), we can become Gods children. 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. In other words, Christianity is unique among all other worldviews. It's easy to turn doctrinal discussions into strictly intellectual affairs, but as Dr. Fred Sanders teaches in The Triune God course, we need to do so "in a way that enlists the reader's strict and holy attention for what is essentially a spiritual exercise." How to explain the Trinity to a new believer - Quora Deity of Jesus: 10 Essentials You Need to Know! This verse accurately states the doctrine of the Trinity that God is One God in three Persons. 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. Then I'll share an activity using the Celtic Trinity Knot to explain the Trinity to children along with the love that exists between each of its Persons and us. While theconceptof the Trinity is evident in the New Testament (Matt. The Holy Spirit was moving or hovering over the face of the waters (Gen. 1:2). However, let me highlight some of the most significant passages that confirm monotheism: Are you interested in learning more about the Godhead? How to explain the trinity to a new believer pdf