how to explain the trinity to a new believer

The early church absolutely believed and taught the belief in a God who was three-in-one. 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. 15:16), inspires, intercedes (Rom. God is truth, so the unity that He is effecting between believers is a unity grounded in truth. This is something far removed from our human experience, where every different human "person" is a different being as well. Reaching students and faculty in middle and high school. However, within the nature of this one God are three persons, or three centers of consciousness - the Father, the Son, and the . There is a clue that the Son is distinct from the Father, yet there is fellowship between them. 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. In regards to the Trinity, we use the term Person differently than we generally use it in everyday life. 32:17, 27; Matt. After all, if the trinitarian nature of God is not in the Bible, why bother talking about it at all? The Trinity Is Unique Among Monotheistic Religions Christianity is a "monotheistic" religion. And all three members of the Trinity were involved. 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. And during his earthly ministry, Christ subjected himself to the Fathers will. Ive got you covered with all the basics, no matter your denomination. 4 Visual Ways To Explain The Trinity To A Child. Christianity is a monotheistic religion. In other words, Christianity is unique among all other worldviews. And then you will read eight critical truths about the nature of the Trinity. 118:28, God referred to in the third person singular (he, his, him): Gen. 1:5, 10; Ex. Elohimis the plural form of the word God. What we believe about the gospel and our call to serve every nation. If we were to translate it . "The Trinity is the foundational Christian belief that God is one Being who exists in three Persons.. Learn about Cru's global leadership team. 5:510; 1 Cor. The three-ness and one-ness are two different features. We cannot entirelycomprehendan infinite God and these mysteries (Rom. 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." At Jesus baptism, when Christ came up out of the water, the Spirit descended in the appearance of a dove. 119; Prov. To be even more precise, essence is what you are. The Bible speaks of the Father as God (Phil. But Christianity's God is unique. 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 Trinity is like an egg. As a former youth minister and childrens minister, Ive already done your research! Stated differently, God is one in essence and three in person. You cant find an earthly match for this concept. Therefore, it is often difficult to have a concrete definition of Person as we use it in regards to the Trinity. In his second letter to the Corinthians, he bids farewell to them: "May the grace of the Lord Jesus, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all fully God. 1. The Son is the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity. 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! 2:11), and performs miracles (Matt. Most Christians are puzzled by the Trinity, and therefore, cant explain it very well. The The truth is always new, fresh, and exciting to the believer in Christ. But as a follower of Christ, your identity can and should be grounded in one thing: who He says you are. 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. 2. The easiest way to explain the Trinity is with an object lesson, and thats true no matter how old someone might be. The three members of the Trinity are Persons. The Bible is clear that all three Persons are each one hundred percent God. In this case, "immanent" means "the action remaining within an agent.". Thats where the confusion comes from. 6:11; Gal. They include: Now you have a basic understanding of the Trinity. Matthew 3:16. 4:4; Col. 1:15), Eternal (John 1:1-3; 17:5; Col. 1:16-17; Jude 25), Omnipresent (Matt. We can discern and apprehend what it is. This is one possibility of explaining it. Do you need to devote yourself to unselfish religious deeds? 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. The Trinity consists of one being revealed in three distinct persons. In the baptism of Jesus, we see the Father speaking from heaven and the Spirit descending from heaven in the form of a dove as Jesus comes out of the water (Mark 1:10-11). Your Identity in Christ: How God Sees You. In other words, you have contradicted yourself if you affirm and deny the same statement. 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. What's the Origin and History of the Trinity in the Church? How do we come to terms with these different ideas of God? be explained away. But each member had a different function. Are you still not a Christian? God the Fathers plan of redeeming humankind involved sending his Son into the world (John 3:16), The Son accomplished redemption for us on the cross (Heb. There was never a time when one of the Persons of the Godhead did not exist. This is very important: God is one and three at the same time, but not in the same way. A triangle must have three different corners in order to be one triangle. As you might expect, some people consider these mysteries as contradictions. But in response we can point out both agreement and clarification. God is infinitely greater than we are; therefore, we should not expect to be able to fully understand Him. 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. Thus, they relate to each other personally the Father regards Himself as I, while He regards the Son and Holy Spirit as You. Likewise the Son regards Himself as I, but the Father and the Holy Spirit as You.. " Here God is a plural noun, said is in the . 1:3), Demonstrated divine sovereignty over nature (Matt. 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. So, in this article, we will look at where the term originated. They are different Persons, not three different ways of looking at God. 25:3146; 2 Cor. I hate getting spam. That is because it is the only religion that believes in the Trinity. Before anything was created he begat his Logos as a person distinct from himself. . 28:18-20; 2 Cor. 3:1617). 55:8-9). Ask them to draw it on the page. God is not one person who plays three different roles, as this illustration suggests. This is a limitation on God that doesnt acknowledge that God isalwaysthe Father,alwaysthe Son, andalwaysthe Holy Spirit. But its not a mystery that can or should! If God is three Persons, does this mean that each Person is one-third of God? Because humankind is limited, God will always exceed our knowledge and understanding (Isa. What is the essence of a triangle? Tertullian, Cyprian, Augustine, and Jerome mention it. Sometimes the Spirit is treated more like a force than a Person. The prologue of the Gospel of John has the strongest argument for the Trinity. When Jesus answered the question, What is the greatest commandment? he prefaced the answer by quoting the. Then share them with another Christian or genuine seeker. 28:20; Col. 3:11), Omnibenevolent (John 13:34; Rom. Satan existed with the angels at the beginning of creation as one of the cherubim. And that he is manifest as three Persons.. The answer hinges on the differences in their unique roles. Second, notice that each Person must be deity because they are all placed on the same level. Sigh. . But that doesnt mean the concept isnt clearly taught. Gods attributes are not parts of his singular divine essence. You can't explain the Trinity to anyone who reasons because: 1) The Bible does not support it. The doctrine is critical, even if not easily comprehended. 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. Among the three persons of the Trinity, there is a proper order: The Father is the First Person of the Most Holy Trinity. Jesus himself spoke of the one-ness of the Godhead when he quoted the Shema of Deuteronomy 6:4. Of course, if the triangle illustration were perfect, we would be able to comprehend God fully, but we cant. This triune God (or Trinity) began to allude to this aspect of His nature right in Genesis 1:26-27. How can God be both one and three? 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). And interesting they are listed under a single name. This refers to Gods single essence. If someone already has an understanding based on the definition and explanation above, then these analogiesmighthelp them grasp aspects of the Trinity. Remember, the nature or essence of an entity is the property or attributes that make it what it is. God the Father sent God the Holy Spirit to conceive Jesus (God the Son) in the virgin Marys womb (Matt. 5:2122; John 13:34), End-time judgment (Matt. God the Son is the rays of sunshine. Believe it or not, the fact that God is too immense for our finite minds should be comforting, not discouraging! He said, Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one (Mark 12:29). That means that, as Christians, we believe in only one God. Then, ask them to write words on the poster that make up the character of God. However, let me highlight some of the most significant passages that confirm monotheism: Are you interested in learning more about the Godhead? 3:1417). 3:17), Omnipresence (Ps. We cannot compete, in simplicity, with people who are inventing religions. 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. Live in another country building relationships and ministries with eternal impact. Whether an object is a rock or a triangle, we can classify it based on its objective characteristics. When he has gone further in his "explanation" of the Trinity than many have gone, he admits, "I am far from asserting this as any . If you are teaching young children, these object lessons are both the perfect starting and stopping point. 2:5), The Father is not the Spirit (John 14:26; John 15:26), The Son is not the Spirit (Matt. After Christ rose from the grave, he appeared to the disciples and gave them a job to do: preach the Word to everyone. 15:3). Of course we are speaking by analogy here, for we cannot understand this in a physical way about God. Binmin Podcast 8: God & Origins | What Questions Should I Ask About My Faith, Binmin Podcast Ep. Our kids are currently 2, 4, and 7, and its equally loved by all of them, so the Yoto age range is really wide! And yet, we run into the same problem again, because God isnt made up of parts. A mystery that should cause us to marvel, and wonder, and worship! Explaining the Holy Trinity of God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), and God the Holy Spirit will be needed at some point when presenting the God of the Bible to children, Muslims, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons and other non-Christians. The technical term in case youre interested for this wrong way of thinking about God is calledmodalism. Second, we have the son of God, Jesus. Being Gods child, we can worship the Father and Jesus through the Spirit (John 4:2324; Phil. The doctrine or concept of the Trinity is central to most Christian denominations and faith groups, although not all. Leading from values so others will walk passionately with God to grow and bear fruit. The Trinity is Christianity's most unique, defining, incomprehensible, and awesome mystery. How could we? I think it is because they lack at least two pieces of information: The main confusion is that many people dont get this distinction. 8:1417). Deity of Jesus: 10 Essentials You Need to Know! Did your kids give each form of God different personality traits? Essenceis the objective set of attributes necessary to the thing being described. 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.. 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 wordtrinitymeans tri-unity or three-in-oneness.. But that doesn't mean the concept isn't clearly taught. Answer. 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. 15:19), God is called Father (John 17:1; John 3; 20:17; 1 Cor. . Errr, not quite. The three Persons are distinct, yet only constitute one name. As long as a shape has those three angles that add up to 180 degrees, it doesnt matter what the angles degrees are. Theologian R.C. Contrary to this, the passages we have seen imply that God always was and always will be three Persons. However, Matthew 28:19 is frequently used in attempts to prove that the Trinity is a biblical teaching. The Holy Trinity - Explained. 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. 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). How can one explain the Trinity simply to a new believer? 1:18; Luke 1:2635). Yet Jesus would not have referenced the Trinity unless it was important. The Apostle Paul also affirms the doctrine of the Trinity. Just as ONE egg has THREE different parts - the shell, the white, the yoke - ONE God has THREE different . Lets apply these concepts to the Trinity. There are two men in their 20s who came to faith in Christ in recent weeks through the ministry of our church. The wordTrinitymeansthree-in-one. 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. 7:28; Ps. They are all eternal. Read about individuals who have been transformed by faith. It included Jesus miraculous conception in the virgin Mary (John 3:16)an act that we call the incarnation.. The ancient church fathers at first simply acknowledged the Trinity without feeling the need to explain a theology of that understanding. See if they can think of anything better, and be ready to discuss where different ideas might not quite work. He is an extension of the sun and brings the sun directly to the world. Showing God in action in and through His people. The first commandment says, You shall have no other gods before me (Ex. 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. But he is not inferior in Gods divine essence. But they are eternally subordinate in their roles to him (1 Cor. In explaining the Trinity to your friend, begin, perhaps, with the work of salvation. Each member of the Trinity is . 2:6), The image of God (John 12:45; 2 Cor. Matt Perman is the director of career navigation at The Kings College NYC, a blogger, and an author. Third, we have the Holy Spirit, which is also God, living in our hearts and guiding us through life. Or what are the objective characteristics that all triangles share? The Trinity does not divide God into three parts. Find freedom from your sins today. You can help us reach children and their families to know Jesus. First, we have God. 9:18; Matt. 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. The Trinity is the perfect loving community of three Persons. (So I won't send you any.) 5:10), Requested prayer in his name (John 14:1314) and to be honored as God (John 5:23), Begetting the human nature of Christ at the incarnation (Luke 1:35), Inspiring Scripture (2 Tim. We also see this evidenced in how the Son and Father sent the Spirit into the world (John 14:26; John 15:26; John 16:7). 11:3336). How do we know whats age-appropriate for them to understand? 23:2324). As a mom to three kids under 8, an instructional coach, and a former classroom teacher, I know a thing or two about how public schools REALLY work and the challenges we face in the United States. The important difference between complexity and incomprehension: If Christianity was something we were making up, of course, we could make it easier. But continue seeking to understand why the Trinitarian nature of God matters. There we read that " God said, 'Let us make man in our image' . And when he speaks, he refers to himself in first personas I (Deut. All three members of the Trinity have these characteristics. the one who is not a Christian. Simply stated, God is one in essence and three in person. He was "begotten, not made," and he was of the same substance or essence ( homoousios) as the Father. It is one of the two ordinances of the Christian Church. This verse accurately states the doctrine of the Trinity that God is One God in three Persons. Through accepting the undeserved gift of salvation (Eph. The word Trinity does not appear even once in the Bible.

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