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. Begin and end with your object lesson, and be comfortable with the imperfect teaching. Trinity not mentioned in the Bible anywhere! At this stage, your head may be swimming with all this new information about God! The Trinity is like an egg or apple. In fact, kids who have been in church for many years will probably have already heard one of these illustrations. Even wonderful parents have kids who struggle with self esteem, despite excellent parenting and a supportive home environment. There was never a time when one of the Persons of the Godhead did not exist. Is God the same as Jesus? What is Gods essence? 3. 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. 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. And in John 16:13-15 we see that although there is a close unity between them all, the Holy Spirit is also distinct from the Father and the Son. The Trinity is a concept that is impossible for any human being to fully understand, let alone explain. It is the unity of the Father, Son, and Spirit as three persons in one Godhead. Thus, Jesus prayed to God the Father without praying to Himself. And God created humankind to share that love (John 17:2126; Acts 17:25). (Heavy sigh.) Its okay to admit you dont know everything. And we can delight in praying to the Father through the Son in the Holy Spirit (John 14:1314; Eph. This is absolutely true. He exists as a Trinity. Leading from values so others will walk passionately with God to grow and bear fruit. Why? The Son is the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity. Do Trinity Crafts/Printables. Assign each group with one of the Godheads: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), or the Holy Spirit. 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). However, Matthew 28:19 is frequently used in attempts to prove that the Trinity is a biblical teaching. Did your kids give each form of God different personality traits? What does it take to begin a relationship with God? Each corner is distinct (i.e., different) from the others. It starts with a whisper. For instance, the Father is the first person of the Trinity. His function is superior to that of the Son and the Holy Spirit. He realized Scripture alone is the only way we know about the Trinity (1 Cor. 3:16; 2 Pet. This doctrine is absolutely essential to New Testament Christianity. Best Age To Teach The Trinity To A Child. Genesis 1:1says this: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.. 4. But a common question arises: How do the members of the Trinity differ from one another?. Their prime usefulness it to show the mystery is not contradictory. 2:6), The image of God (John 12:45; 2 Cor. 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. From the 1950s to the 2000s, people wanted to see if they could make computers exhibit intelligence indistinguishable from humans. 1:12). In this case, "immanent" means "the action remaining within an agent.". The trouble with this one is that its a bit less visual. 5:2), Miracles (Ex. 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. But secondly, Christians need to clarify that God is incomprehensible. Hes the one who walked the Earth blamelessly, performing miracles, and extending mercy and love. This would make each Person less than fully God and thus not God at all. Sometimes the Spirit is treated more like a force than a Person. Reflecting Jesus together for the good of the city. What a challenge! Neither should we think of the Persons as being defined by attributes added on to the being of God. After all, each of these illustrate the idea that God is made up of parts, and thats not really true. And likewise with the Holy Spirit. The early church absolutely believed and taught the belief in a God who was three-in-one. I'm an author, speaker, husband, father and ice cream lover. Amen. 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. But first, lets cover the basics. If belief in the Trinity is so essential to Christianity, it would have been explicitly stated in the Bible and wouldn't have taken over 300 years to officially define it. 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. There are two men in their 20s who came to faith in Christ in recent weeks through the ministry of our church. Find resources for personal or group Bible study. 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]. The Trinity is first of all important because God is important. Theologian R.C. Rather than let that frustrate you, let it encourage you. The most popular is probably the one found in the Great Commission: Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit . The Bible is clear that all three Persons are each one hundred percent God. While admitting the lack of conformity among believers, we must never consider it a minor issue of doctrine. Ive been thinking about it a lot, doing some research to see how people smarter than I have explained the Trinity, and come to a better understanding of the Trinity andhow to explain the Trinity in simpler terms. 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." We should not think of God as like a pie cut into three pieces, each piece representing a Person. 1:8). How can three and one refer to the same God? 8:6a). Bringing hope and resources to military families worldwide. LESSON 1: THE TRINITY AIM: To teach the children in simple terms the truth of the Godhead. 15:3). But it is possible to go deeper. 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! But what exactly are essence or nature and personhood? Monotheism is foundational to Christianity. Through accepting the undeserved gift of salvation (Eph. The Bible teaches that the Father is God, that Jesus is God, and that the Holy Spirit is God. That is why understanding what the Trinity is and is not asserting. 3:1417). Anytime you see a geometric figure with these features, it is a triangle. How to Support Gifted Readers, 27 of the Best Yoto Cards for Kids (sorted by age group), 40 Surprising and Fun Bible Facts for Kids (with a FREE true/false printable game), Holy Week for Kids: How to Teach Beyond Easter Sunday, 15 Powerful Self Esteem Activities for Kids to Do at Home and in School. One God? The prologue of the Gospel of John has the strongest argument for the Trinity. Binmin Podcast 8: God & Origins | What Questions Should I Ask About My Faith, Binmin Podcast Ep. Firstly, because finite humans cant comprehend an infinite God completely, Secondly, because many people confuse Gods one, Three distinct persons are God: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Firstly, unfamiliarity between essence or nature and personhood, Secondly, practical analogies that help conceptualize the Trinity, On the one hand, there is Gods singular nature, essence, or substance, And on the other, there is Gods three Persons (Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit), The sum of the three angles must be 180 degrees, The three-ness refers to the three Persons: Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, The one-ness applies to Gods unity or his single divine essence, The Trinity is a plurality of Persons and a unity of essence, God is three whos (Persons) and one what (divine essence), The triangle corresponds to Gods essence, The three corners of the triangle correspond to the three Persons of the Trinity, A triangle is finite, and God is infinite, The corners of a triangle are not persons, Understanding of the difference between Gods one divine essence and three Persons, Old Testament: Ex. The doctrine is critical, even if not easily comprehended. That is where I go back to the starting point I mentioned above. I recently had some of my kids friends ask meWhat is the Trinity? The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all fully God. 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. The Bible speaks of the Father as God (Phil. 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. Secondly I'd like you to read this verse with me from the Bible. 2:11), emotions (Eph. May 23, 2012 by: Justin Buzzard. First, we have God. As long as a shape has those three angles that add up to 180 degrees, it doesnt matter what the angles degrees are. Therefore, we must always endeavor to deepen our worship of God in truth as well as in our hearts. So even if the Bible did call the Trinity a mystery it would only be saying it was unknown to the one not illuminated, i.e. 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. Use the links below to jump to a specific section: The doctrine of the Trinity means that there is one God who eternally exists as three distinct Persons the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. That leaves us with the modern definition of the word mystery. While I believe that this is a helpful definition, it should be recognized that Grudem himself is offering this as more of an explanation than definition of Person. Lets move on to Scriptural evidence for the Trinity. 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! We begin with a brief discussion of the doctrine in historical context, explaining more fully the nature of the problem it raises. Help others in their faith journey through discipleship and mentoring. God is not one person who plays three different roles, as this illustration suggests. To contemplate the Trinity is to lift up your heart and to "set your mind on the things above" (Col. 3:2). But the Holy Spirit is not an it, but a He (see John 14:26; 16:7-15; Acts 8:16). The technical term in case youre interested for this wrong way of thinking about God is calledmodalism. Many other verses concurrently list the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. However, let me highlight some of the most significant passages that confirm monotheism: Are you interested in learning more about the Godhead? These personal distinctions are modes of existence within the divine being, but are not divisions of the divine being. After all, theyre good questions. Now we will turn our attention to showing the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are persons.. Jesus is like the flesh, because He became flesh so we could know Him better. know that I recognise only one God. These three persons are of the same substance, equal in power and glory. 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 . Then study the pronouns used in Scripture point to the Trinity: This one-ness is Gods one divine essence (Heb 1:3). 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. Instead, they are all identical in attributes. A mystery that should cause us to marvel, and wonder, and worship! The personhood of each member of the Trinity means that each Person has a distinct center of consciousness. My passion is helping you not just read and study the Bible, but truly enjoy it! And these three Persons are the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Its probably the most classic Trinity object lesson, but its not my favorite. And the voice of the Father declared, This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased (Matt. 32:17, 27; Matt. 119; Prov. The wordtrinitymeans tri-unity or three-in-oneness.. 4:4). Simply stated, God is one in essence and three in person. 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 . Its a devotional book. 118:28, God referred to in the third person singular (he, his, him): Gen. 1:5, 10; Ex. 1:3), Demonstrated divine sovereignty over nature (Matt. . But it is not. This is very important: God is one and three at the same time, but not in the same way. 10:2831), In Johns writings (1 John 4:1314; Rev. Why? Thats where the confusion comes from. . God the Holy Spirit is the warmth you feel from the sun. Each person of the Trinity is equally and fully God, distinct from the others, and yet they remain just one God. 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. That means that, as Christians, we believe in only one God. We believe God is one in essence. There is a clue that the Son is distinct from the Father, yet there is fellowship between them. 3:6. You arent alone! One illustration to beware of is the one which says, I am one person, but I am a student, son, and brother. Read about individuals who have been transformed by faith. Tertullian coined the term Trinity during the second century. In sum, the essence or nature of anything is what it is. 1. Now lets go a little deeper and consider the triangles three corners (angles). But that doesn't mean the concept isn't clearly taught. The answer must be no, because the Bible also indicates that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct Persons. To help us do that, here are two reasons why the Trinity matters. 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. For example: The Nicene Creed is recited during every service of Holy Communion . Third, Christians believe that the entire New Testament is inspired. Jesus, the Word, was present in Genesis 1. A Christian would still be expected to understand it. ). Thats why they wrote words like we find inJob 11:7-8, "Can you fathom the depths of God or discover the limits of the Almighty? 31:3; John 3:16; 1 John 4:8), Righteous (Ps. 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. Principle #3: Order. . Many of us say it every single Sunday morning. 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. 28:18-20; 2 Cor. Founder & Teacher, desiringGod.org. Or stated simply, the triangles what-ness.. How do we receive His grace? Deut. 5:510; 1 Cor. Modern theologians have created a distinction between the "economic Trinity" and the "immanent Trinity.". But Jesus did not become less than the Father during his incarnation. Three separate beings, all rolled into one entity. A beautiful mystery. But what does it mean that God is gracious? 2:5), The Father is not the Spirit (John 14:26; John 15:26), The Son is not the Spirit (Matt. Ask the teenager this question: Where does this fall short? 2:10), convinces (John 6:44), teaches (Luke 12:12), convicts (John 16:18), commands (Acts 1:2), moves (John 11:33), helps (Rom. The Father is not one-third of the being of God, He is all of the being of God. 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 . Thats the one we think of as the Father. 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). 2:1011; Heb. ETS members all confess the Father, the Son, and the Spirit to be "one in essence, equal in power and glory.". How can God be both one and three? After all, children deal best with concrete ideas. Fortunately, the most popular analogy of the Trinity is the triangle. AboutPressCopyrightContact. Two biblical teachings confirm the doctrine of the Trinity: How is that possible? Conclusion: Scripture supports the Trinity. God created man in His image. Its a clear and concise explanation that works great for kids. They are equal in power, love, mercy, justice, holiness, knowledge, and all other qualities. The all powerful one who lives up in Heaven and either judges us mercilessly or loves us endlessly, depending on who you ask. The Trinity is the perfect loving community of three Persons. He is three in Person. 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. Rather, the being of each Person is equal to the whole being of God.[1] The divine essence is not something that is divided between the three persons, but is fully in all three persons without being divided into parts., Thus, the Son is not one-third of the being of God, He is all of the being of God. Elohimis the plural form of the word God. 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]. This formulation can show us why there are not three Gods, and why the Trinity is not a contradiction. Answer. The word "scripture " graphe As you might expect, some people consider these mysteries as contradictions. But in response we can point out both agreement and clarification. Tertullian, Cyprian, Augustine, and Jerome mention it. But Christianity's God is unique. Grace is the promise that you stand forgiven before God if you know Jesus. 1:20-21), In salutations and benedictions (2 Cor. Often it is objected that If Jesus is God, then he must have prayed to himself while he was on earth. But the answer to this objection lies in simply applying what we have already seen. Develop your leadership skills and learn how to launch a ministry wherever you are. But how does it show us why there is only one God instead of three? 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. As Hebrews 9:14 declares. 1:18; Luke 1:2635). It is crucial for properly understanding what God is like, how He relates to us, and how we should relate to Him. Why is the Trinity important to Christianity? Question: How do you explain the Trinity? .. 1:2;). Therefore, it is often difficult to have a concrete definition of Person as we use it in regards to the Trinity. 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 Is the Trinity a contradiction? Trinity, in Christian doctrine, the unity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three persons in one Godhead. Steam, water, and ice are all H20. All three members of the Trinity have these characteristics. But Christianitys God is unique. Third, notice that although the three divine Persons are distinct, we are baptized into their name (singular), not names (plural). The apple one is kind of cool. The answer is they are gray and hard. 3. Within a week,, Read More Is It Normal that My 4 Year Old Can Read? A simpler way to talk about the Trinity is through "God grammar.". Another serious error people have made is to think that the Father became the Son, who then became the Holy Spirit. Before anything was created he begat his Logos as a person distinct from himself. The ancient church fathers at first simply acknowledged the Trinity without feeling the need to explain a theology of that understanding. More simply stated, the essence of any entity is what it is. Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! 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." 13: Trinity | Putting the Fun In, Faith and Finances: 5 Steps to Get Started. In other words, what are the objective attributes or properties that make up all rocks? Each member of the Trinity is . A rumor is started, and it spreads like wildfire. Third, we have the Holy Spirit, which is also God, living in our hearts and guiding us through life. "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. How is God one? There are three Persons with one divine essence! Ironically, not much is known about his death; even the year when he passed away is up for debate. Because ethnicity is part of the good of creation, we seek to honor and celebrate the ethnic identity of those with whom we serve as well as those we seek to reach. While some say . 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. So, rather than starting there, heres where were headed: To think we will everfullyunderstand the Trinity is to make the mistake of thinking God is fully understandable. 3:17; 17:5; Luke 10:22; John 3:35; 10:15; 12:28; 17:1-26; 1 Tim. More posts you may like r/TrueChristian "But if I [Jesus] cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.". If each Person of the Trinity is distinct and yet fully God, then should we conclude that there is more than one God? Egg A single egg is made up of the yolk, the whites, and the shell. He said, Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one (Mark 12:29). For instance, each Person: Scripture often names all three members of the Trinity together. The Apostle Paul also affirms the doctrine of the Trinity. They had to wait another 50 year for the 381 update. This is just an egg, or an apple, or H2O. 2. The three members of the Trinity are Persons. In order for something to be contradictory, it must violate the law of noncontradiction. I think the major problem involves not distinguishing two different features of God. For instance: Additionally, all three members of the Trinity participate together in several critical events. However,barais the singular conjugation of the verb. 11:3336). 2:10), knows (1 Cor. Matt Perman is the director of career navigation at The Kings College NYC, a blogger, and an author. What we do not mean by Person is an independent individual in the sense that both I and another human are separate, independent individuals who can exist apart from one another. See if they can think of anything better, and be ready to discuss where different ideas might not quite work. Jesus is God, but He is not the Father or the Holy Spirit. 3:25; Dan. 23:2324). He is three in a different way than He is one. I think it is because they lack at least two pieces of information: The main confusion is that many people dont get this distinction. Rather, each person of the Trinity has all of the attributes of God, and no one Person has any attributes that are not possessed by the others. Therefore each of the Persons into whose name we are to be baptized must be deity. The answer is simple. The second point of clarification has to do with personhood. Why not plan on studying verses in each section to prove to yourself that the Bible does claim that God is a Trinity? 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! That means that, as Christians, we believe in only one God. Jesus (the Son) is God. Then you will learn the distinction between personhood and essence or nature. 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. The Trinity is like an egg. We exist to worship God. But Keith Ferrin is noteveryhuman being.. The Bible reveals that God isone, in essence, eternally revealed inthree Persons. We will never sell your information, for any reason. Other statements may at first seem contradictory but are really not. They are personal forms of existence other than a difference in being. Christ took Gods punishment, and wrath meant for us because of our sins (Heb. The fact that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct Persons means, in other words, that the Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is not the Father. 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. Unfortunately, there are many illustrations which are not simply imperfect, but in error. (eds. 9:5; Col. 2:9), The Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:34; 2 Cor. 19:714; Ps. To be even more precise, essence is what you are. The Trinity. Among the worlds religions, the Christian faith is unique. Does the Trinity mean that God is divided into three parts? Here is an indication of the divinity of the Word. The word Trinity does not appear even once in the Bible. Awareness of the distinct role that each Person of the Trinity has in our salvation can especially serve to give us greater comfort and appreciation for God in our prayers, as well as helping us to be specific in directing our prayers. We can be adopted by the Father and united with Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit (John 1:1223; Rom. Trinity may be a new term for you and can be confusing even for Christians to explain to others. While not a typical conversation starter, this question is one of the most important we can ask in life. 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). Jesus dying on the Cross is one of the most important parts of His story. In Hinduism, the trinity (Trimrti, or The Three Forms) is of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. But continue seeking to understand why the Trinitarian nature of God matters. Unsubscribe at any time. Each of the persons is distinct from the other in relation (Economic Trinity), yet each is identical in essence (Ontological Trinity). We cannot entirelycomprehendan infinite God and these mysteries (Rom. (Againwere trying to grasp something that isnt fully grasp-able.). The Trinity has a very significant application to prayer. 55 years on I've yet to hear or read an explanation of the Trinity that makes sense.