Check out verse four: Holy Author, Holy Word, Holy Spirit, three we name thee; Still, one holy voice is heard; undivided God, we claim thee, and adoring bend the knee, while we own the mystery. . However, Christians through the ages believe in the Trinity because the truths it represents are taught in the Bible. In the same way, there is a God Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.. Some have used examples such as water, watermelons and eggs; the principle behind those illustrations is that even though each thing is one, it is also three. Each Person in the Trinity (or the Godhead) is fully God and fully a Person. In the same way is God being the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.. Perhaps we must be content to admit that we cannot fully understand Gods nature in our finitude. The Holy Trinity - A Scientific Analogy - The Fra Angelico Institute However, keep in mind that the one being who is God is a personal being. And the Holy Spirit is not the Father or the Son. Here are 8 Bible Characters Who Should Be More Famous. So if all of these explanations are heretical, what is a good analogy? If God has existed for all eternity in a perfectly loving Triune relationship, then it shows He is completely self-sufficient and requires no further relationship in order to complete or satisfy Himself. In this analogy, God is compared to a man. The idea that the Trinity can be compared to a shamrock is largely attributed to St. Patrick. As a result, this analogy actually teaches modalism. But we cannot do that (assuming we can) with God. Some have taken on the task of explaining how Father, Son, and Holy Spirit exist as one. Jesus Person is the image of Gods Person (Hebrews 1:3), and the Invisible Spirit of the Father that is in Him - God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself (II Corinthians 5:19). H2O is a combination of two particles (atoms) of hydrogen and one particle of oxygen and this compound can exist as water (liquid), ice (solid) and vapour (gas). He is one God who expresses Himself in three modesFather, Son, and Spirit. The egg (or apple) fails in that the shell, white, and yolk are parts of the egg, not the egg in themselves, just as the skin, flesh, and seeds of the apple are parts of it, not the apple itself. The three parts create a unified whole. This is a quick way to describe the doctrine of the Trinity namely, God is 1 being (the what is Gods nature, essence, being) and 3 whos (the whos being Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). I and My Father are One (John 10:30). Or have you ever tried to teach kids about the Trinity? But common sense is intuition based on day-to-day experience. Genesis 1:26- Let us make man in our image, in our likeness The plural us and our show more than one person was involved. And let us once more come to illustrations. The egg analogy is very simple but it is OK to show something as simple as an egg can be one and yet three. God is much bigger than what we can understand yet He is close enough to us so that we can know some things about Him, though not completely and not everything. In contrast to the Ontological Trinity, there is the Economic Trinity. If you only had an apple core, you wouldnt pack it in your lunch. The water analogy of the Trinity follows this line of reasoning: water can be a solid (ice/frozen water), liquid, and gas (water vapor), and yet all three forms are still water (H 2 O), and likewise, God manifests Himself in 3 different ways in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Trinity is one of the most foundational doctrines of Christianity. This is why Jesus said, He who has seen Me, has seen the Father (John 14:9). I think the illustration that represents the Trinity most accurately is the egg example. A good example would be an electrical cord. He taught that the son was at one point created by God the father. I'm always interested in ways to encourage you, so feel free to contact me and let me know what areas interest you! An essential factor lacking from those concepts is the relational quality of God. Afterall, we can get rid of a few of its parts - for instance the shell - and still scramble an egg. Discover the richness of the old yet living 2,000-year-old religion which built the West. History, lifestyle, family, music, theology, scripture, literature, the saints, church history, parenting, politics, prayer, the pope, and more. The problem with this analogy is that it teaches that God has three components: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In the second instance, the truth of Gods Trinity reveals a further aspect of Gods love for His people. Some have used examples such as water, watermelons and eggs; the principle behind those illustrations is that even though each thing is one, it is also three. If one of the persons were not there, then we would not have God. In Jesus is the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9). Not just for explaining it to others, but to bolster our own faith and see how each One works in our lives. Im giving God the credit for stirring this memory, and am extremely grateful. Unfortunately, no analogy is perfect. In this episode, Fred Sanders discusses what it really means to say that God is a Trinitythree persons in one God. A Simple Way to Explain the Trinity - Keith Ferrin But the Bible is CLEAR in its teaching. If the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three separate beings, then its not really clear how someone can say that God is one or that only one God exists. Basic mathematics tells us that 1x1x1 = 1.. This is because the H20 is changing forms in representing each person. The Trinity is a tri-unity, a unity of Three, - God the Father, Jesus, the Son of God and the Holy Spirit. 5And there are varieties of ministries and the same Lord. In an attempt to explain the Trinity, there are some bad examples people use, and some better ones. Son and Holy Ghost are each fully God. How to Explain the Trinity to Children | Free Printable They are three in one egg. The Trinity is not 1 + 1 + 1 but more like 1 x 1 x 1. They've always led to error and have been rejected by the church. Jesus is in the form of the Holy Spirit. It is the Central Mystery of our Christian faith. God is one. Surely this is a better understanding of the water analogy! The Trinity is a concept that is impossible for any human being to fully understand, let alone explain. The problem with this analogy is that it would imply that there is only one Divine Person, who eventually multiplied Himself. Below is a compilation of the verses that reference all 3 persons of the one God. Heat it up, and it turns to vapor. Here are four. In one egg you have the white, the yoke, and the shell composing one full egg. If water is inadequate, there are a wide array of alternative analogies we can turn to in modern theological parlance. . I dont believe that God wishes us to be confused about the Three that are so apparent throughout the Old and New Testaments. Now God can be in you by His Spirit! They are unified in one divine being. One sits on the throne looking like Sardine and Jasper stone. The wonders and ways of God may not be apparent or fully known at present, but we can still marvel at His supremacy and worship Him in wonder- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit! 3. Armstrong. It is a miraculous invention, the egg. He was with God in the beginning. When we use analogies, we need to indicate these things so as to not lead to heresies, A Catholic and Filipino writer interested in theology, philosophy, liturgy, politics, and law. Similarly, people have used the example of the apple in the same way- skin, flesh, and seeds. Its hard to explain! 2A) Dave is a father of four children: three boys and a . TO AVOID HERESIES, LET US LIVE BY WHAT HAS BEEN REVEALED TO US: 1. THE TRUTH IS: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are not three different parts or components of God, but the . Haydn Lea is an Associate Pastor in Queensland, and is currently studying his Master of Arts (Theology). Or what? The Trinity is a tri-unity, a unity of Three, - God the Father, Jesus, the Son of God and the Holy Spirit. Montreal was home to two Trinity churches built in 1865 Analogies that we present would always be insufficient as none of them would equate to the incomprehensible beauty of God. We recommend you adhere these emblems to your vestments by mounting on the material with fabric glue and then stitching them . As a result the water molecule must change forms. It taught there is one nature in God, and that there are two processions, three persons, and four relations that constitute the Blessed Trinity. Thought of Tim Its amazing to think that everything will be so clear when we het to Heaven! Should Women Really Keep Silent in Church? Can you think of some Bible verses to back up your explanation? Dont become discouraged if you cant answer the question to your liking. For instance, we know that God is perfectly loving. Each one is fully 100% God. God is NOT like H2O in that He does not need the right pressure and temperature to exist as three persons. They are equally eternal, powerful, sovereign, and worthy of worship. Among the most popular analogies for the Trinity, two in particular stand out; and most of the others resemble one of them. Because Gods Person is unapproachable, the Spirit White acts as insulation, for we know that it is through the Holy Spirit that God can communicate, speak through and interact with mankind. And the reason we know that is because the Persons of the Godhead have perfectly loved each other for all eternity. Yet it appears to be almost entirely misunderstood within contemporary evangelical circles. The above picture is a famous work of art by Andrei Rubilev, the great medieval Russian painter of Orthodox icons and frescos. Who is God? But they are one God. The Son intercedes as our High Priest before the Father. ANALOGY OF CHARACTERS. But if they give us a warped idea of what they are trying to explain, they arent helpful illustrations. The Holy Spirit and Son do not send the Father. This view, also known as "modalism", was rejected by the early church. Its all one person, simply functioning in three different roles. The shell, while important, is no longer needed. Why is it wrong? Love was not given to Jesus. The word Trinity comes from the Latin word trinitas which means tri-unity. The doctrine of the Trinity is one of the primary tenants of the Christian faith. Yet there is only one God. Arius was condemned by the council of Nicea in 325 AD. Under Arianism Jesus is less than fully God. The Trinity is not real in my life because of superior knowledge or insight. Space Analogy God is like space. This is a general rule when we study this Mystery using our human weakness since it is absolutely impossible for our human minds to comprehend the Divine. The Holy Trinity Easy as One, Two, Three | by John K Adams The angel answered (Mary), The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High (referring to the Father, italics mine) will overshadow you. So cool that God imparted that song in your mind and heart before you even wrote this blog post! The Father hears their intercessory prayers. We can touch the cord, but not the power it is insulating. But we can (and should) have a solid foundation to explain this core belief of our faith. Matthew 3:16-17- As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water. When we look at the egg as an example of the Trinity, we must view it in its entirety. If youre interested into diving deeper into the topic of the Trinity, here are some valuable resources that could help. H2O can only ever be one form at a time. His being is somewhat of a mystery to us. These attributes are: omnipotence (all-powerful), omniscience (all-knowing), and omnipresence (exists in all places). We worship one God who exists in three persons. Shively, This book is now available in a published format for easy sharing and classroom use. The Trinity are three distinct persons who exist apart from each other. Water Analogy God is like water, or H2O, which can exist in 3 forms. Seven Simple Facts About the Trinity - biblequery.org How can God be Three in One? They are three in one egg. The Cathedral - The Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, Quebec, Canada He began to play the organ as a chorister in England, before continuing his studies in Qubec and France. In the same way, water is all the same molecular structure, expressing itself in three different modes. My intention is merely to address some common erroneous analogies, including water. It is not important merely for the sake of tradition, or because the word itself is taught in the Bible (the word is not). Each part of the egg make up only one portion of the wholethe yolk is not the fullness of the egg. What Is A Good Analogy For The Trinity? - Therefore, God Exists God does not morph from one person to another, nor does God exist as three separate beings. I dont believe that God wishes us to be confused about the Three that are so apparent throughout the Old and New Testaments. In order to accomplish this union with God and man, He allowed His Shell to be broken with the weight of our sins to cleanse our souls so His holiness can approach, for God cannot look upon sin (Habakkuk 1:13). The Sun was created on the forth day. It is not existing as 3 different parts (persons) at the same time. He has been a member of the Royal Australian Air Force since 2007, and is now training to be an Air Force Chaplain. in which all 3 persons may act or speak as one. They that dont have the Holy Spirit in them will talk like the Adversary. What is wrong with what I said? This book is now available in a published format for easy sharing and classroom use. It only has 1 person acting in three different roles. Just like an egg, none of the parts are co-equal, nor are all of the parts necessary for the egg to exist. Answer (1 of 25): Cynics assert that the idea of the Holy Trinity is a logical impossibility. What portion of the analogy holds true with Church Teaching? Many of these analogies have the best of intentions, but God cannot be described in a way we can fully comprehend or rationalize. It can also be a liquid and called water. It is the Fathers desire to join His Spirit with all of us as well for He has said They shall be My sons and daughters (II Corinthians 6:18). And in our efforts to grasp it, weve come up with a number of analogies. Explaining the Holy Trinity Using Analogies - Militant Thomist Each one is fully 100% God. God is like H2Olike water. That helps explain the concept quite well- the oneness, unity of God with the distinct three persons of God- Father, Son, and Spirit. It is still H20, but just different forms. What is the Trinity? In part one, we looked at what the Bible has to say about the Trinity. If one of the sides were removed, then there would be no equilateral triangle. Here are a couple "usefully flawed" analogies for the Trinity. RELATED: Did Jesus Really Rise From The Dead? True, we humans are image bearers but nothing in creation serves as an analogy for the Trinity because the Trinity is a doctrine of special (biblical) revelation not nature or reason. St. Augustine's Analogy for Understanding the Trinity God Himself explains why some things are still a mystery: For as heaven is higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:9) Our human minds can never understand all of who God is and how He thinks and acts. This is a bad analogy because it fails at the truth that all three persons comprise the fullness of God. show me your glory. The 3 Most Common "Trinity Analogies" (and their limitations) The three most common go-to analogies for explaining the Trinity are water, an egg, and the sun. Each person is fully God (Phil 2; Acts 5:3-4). The yolk represents Gods Person, His Being, and His Holiness which generates Light that no man can approach (I Timothy 6:16). Try starting your explanation with a simple definition and then ask for further questions: No one can completely know or understand God. God is kind of like a man who is a father, a son and an uncle God is kind of like a three-leaf clover, or a triangle; one object, but three different, identifiable leaves, or sides* It falls into the heresy of tri-theism. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. I remember asking my Life Group last year, How have you heard the Trinity explained? I braced myself for the inevitable reply. Hi Im not a theologian and I dont disagree with what you say but when you state that we know the persons of the Trinity have perfectly loved for eternity etc how do we know? However, Christians through the ages believe in the Trinity because the truths it represents are taught in the Bible. Before we look at a few bad analogies that many often use to try to illustrate the trinity, we need to first understand the doctrine itself. It became real to me because I have experienced His love, grace, guidance, redemption, conviction of sin, and fellowship that comes from Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The problem with this analogy is that an egg yoke is of a very different substance than a shell. There are three different cloves that represent the three different persons of the trinity. 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