The doctrine of the Trinity has been called the most puzzling doctrine in the Christian faith and the central truth of the Christian faith. Tony Evans commented that the pretzel is a good illustration because it consists of one piece of dough with three holes. Although I am not a Hebrew scholar, I have sat in many classes and Bible studies with people who are. If you go to YouTube and search on “explain the Trinity” you’ll find lots of videos. I am a father, a son and a husband at one and the same time. Every time the word Elohim (plural) is used throughout the Old Testament referring to the one, true God, it is used with a singular conjugation of the verb. No, the word Trinity does not appear in the Bible. I'm an author, speaker, husband, father and ice cream lover. Francis Schaeffer emphasized this point in his books. God the Son is the rays of sunshine. Yet most Christians have difficulty explaining the Trinity clearly. Sometimes we speak of the "Triune" God. For instance, that I am my son’s father, but I am also his mother’s husband and to the government I am a citizen. That's a good phrase—the arithmetic of heaven. It’s a mystery the Bible teaches. Notice the shift in pronouns. Fill this out to make sure you don't miss a thing! The doctrine of the Trinity means that there is one God who eternally exists as three distinct Persons — the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. A clever way to explain the Holy Trinity to children. Unsubscribe at any time. I won’t go into all of the verses here (simply type “bible verses about the Trinity” into Google and you’ll find plenty). He brings all light and life to the world. This is absolutely true. These questions are always asked by someone who is exploring faith in Jesus. Nothing caused me more trepidation during nightly Bible reading with my kids than beginning to explain to them how the Father, Son, and Holy … Now, don’t get me wrong. Steam, liquid water, and ice all consist of 2 parts Hydrogen and one part Oxygen–essentially, the same. All three are needed for an egg to be complete. Stated differently, God is one in essence and three in person. It also teaches us that God is never "lonely." I’ve 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 – and how to explain the Trinity in simpler terms. The Father is not a part of God, but God … Not an "influence" or some vague power, but the Third Person of the Trinity. The early church absolutely believed – and taught – the belief in a God who was three-in-one. The Bible teaches that the Father is God, that Jesus is God, and that the Holy Spirit is God. (So I won't send you any.) After all, as I have said many times (to myself as much as others! There is so much we would like to know about God, but our finite minds cannot comprehend it. Explaining the Holy Trinity of God the Father, God the Son (Jesus) and God the Holy Spirit will be needed at some point when explaining the God of the Bible to children, Muslims, Jehovah's Witnesses and other non-believers. Or…The person we’re explaining it to will think that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are only parts of God (egg and sun). "The Trinity is the foundational Christian belief that God is one Being who exists in three Persons.”. The verb for created is bara. However, there is a physical condition in which water can exist as solid, liquid and steam at the same time—which would be a much better illustration of the Trinity. But that doesn’t mean the concept isn’t clearly taught. M. So explain to me what you understand. Most of them are less-than-helpful. Inscrutable puzzle or central truth? The answer of course is yes. The Trinity: God is one God who eternally exists in three distinct persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, all of whom are fully God, all of whom are equal. That's okay, but usually water only exists in one state at a time. However, there are ways that God has chosen to talk to us. I know that this is what most Muslims understand. When we say these things we mean that the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God, but they are not three gods but only one God. Perfect for the Bible newbie or the long-time Bible reader. Just as ONE egg has THREE different parts – the shell, the white, the yoke – ONE God has THREE different Persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I am sure that many Christians think this doctrine has no practical value. Armor of God - What is it and How to Use it My passion is helping you not just read and study the Bible, but truly enjoy it! Baptism - What Does it Mean and Why is it Important? ONE apple has three different parts – the skin, the flesh, and the seed. All Christians believe the doctrine of the Trinity. That he made us at all is a statement of his great love and the wisdom of his plan. This much is certainly true. 10 Things to Know About Speaking in Tongues From heaven and hell, to communion and baptism, we want to provide easy to read and understand articles that answer your questions about theological terms and their meaning. This can be a little difficult to explain in a way that satisfies the curiosity of my third-grade class. He is the author of 27 books, including Credo, The Healing Power of Forgiveness, An Anchor for the Soul and Why Did This Happen to Me? But skeptics like to ask it as well. But that doesn’t mean the concept isn’t clearly taught. If you do not believe this—that is, if you have come to a settled conclusion that the doctrine of the Trinity is not true—you are not a Christian at all. Without committing heresy. In so doing I end where I began. 1 Timothy 2:5 explicitly says "there is one God." At this point I think we should acknowledge the chief objection to the doctrine of the Trinity, which is that it is absurd. There is a third word you should know. At some point I simply had to tell the kids that it is OK if we do not fully understand the Trinity. The Fruit of the Spirit - What Are They? While I am sure that this statement is biblically accurate, I also understand that it can seem very intimidating. But the Trinity teaches us that before the foundation of the world, God was having fellowship within his own being. This is a question little children like to stump their parents with. 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. A mystery that should cause us to marvel, and wonder, and worship! The Trinity is a doctrine that all Christians believe but no one really understands. Then, adoring, bend the knee, and confess the mystery.". Let’s change that! The eternal Son cries out to the Father at the moment when the penalty of sin has been laid upon him. 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. Which is it? That’s why they wrote words like we find in Job 11:7-8…, "Can you fathom the depths of God or discover the limits of the Almighty? The technical term – in case you’re interested – for this wrong way of thinking about God is called modalism. Verse three may serve as an apt conclusion to this message. Third, we don't believe that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are "parts" or "pieces" or God. The Trinity is a concept that is impossible for any human being to fully understand, let alone explain. A beautiful mystery. That design is part of the image of God within each of us. Believe it or not, the fact that God is too immense for our finite minds should be comforting, not discouraging! Either…The person we’re explaining it to will think that God simply changes from one to the other at different times and under different circumstances (water). Does the Bible Actually Teach the Doctrine of the Trinity? 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 o… Many Christians simply do not feel comfortable praying to the Spirit even though we often sing songs that are essentially prayers to the Spirit, such as "Spirit of God, descend upon my heart" and "Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me." He notes that the entire universe is trinitarian by design. Those words may sound harsh, but they represent the judgment of the Christian church across the centuries. Christians in every land unite in proclaiming that our God eternally exists as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each side is a partof the triangle. Stated differently, God is one in essence and three in person. If it be asked, how could one man pay for the sins of the entire race, we find the answer in the doctrine of the Trinity. They eventually reduced their belief in the Trinity to two short statements. That’s where the confusion comes from. A. God the Son. Jesus is fully human and fully God, as … “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). God in Three Persons: A Doctrine We Barely Understand. The Trinity sets the limits for human speculation. But each one of those is itself a trinity. Ray and Marlene, his wife of 35 years, have three sons-Josh, Mark and Nick. All Christians heartily affirm this truth. Edifa-published on 06/07/20. Justin. The Bible is full of Scripture speaking of there being only one God (see Deuteronomy 6:4 for starters), as well as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all being God. Before moving on to understanding the idea of one Being existing in three Persons, I will point out that the Biblical idea of the Trinity goes all the way back to the first verse in the first chapter in the first book of the Bible. Here are three traditional ways to explain the Trinity to … Yet I am only one person. Baptism - What Does it Mean and Why is it Important? The Holy Spirit The Hebrew word for God is Elohim. Do all Christians believe the doctrine of the Trinity? We all know that God the Father is to be worshiped. What exactly do we mean when we speak of the Trinity? What is Sin? If you try to explain the Trinity, you will lose your mind. That’s what makes it a mystery: it can only be known through God’s Revelation. Psalm 19:1). Instead of "Father," Jesus cries out, "My God, my God!" Indeed it is a mystery, and with all the saints we bend the knee in worship before our great God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Let's take a look at the defintion of the Trinity and what the role of the Trinity is today. It's so simple, it fits on one page. The Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Spirit, the Spirit is not the Father, but each is God individually and yet they are together the one true God of the Bible. So even though in English the word is God, those who read Hebrew see it as a plural noun. Here are three I found to be really helpful. Second, we don't believe that the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit are three "forms" of God—like, steam, water and ice. Hell - 10 Things You Should Know 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 is, even if it's true, it doesn't and shouldn't matter to them. He didn't create us because he "needed" us. The term “trinity” is formed from “tri,” three, and “nity,” unity. Below is the easiest way that I have ever heard it explained: God the Father is the sun. But Keith Ferrin is not every human being.”. They all are useful as long as you remember they are only illustrations. Answer: Well, your difficulty in explaining the Trinity to your friend is quite natural since the concept has been historically hard to explain. That's a good word—even though it sounds odd to our ears—because it combines the two ideas of unity and diversity in one word. Having said that, I admit that no one fully understands it. Nobody has. A number of illustrations have been suggested. )…, "If God was small enough for my brain to fully understand, He wouldn’t be big enough to save me!”, The authors of the Bible understood this. When we were lost in sin, our God acted in every Person of his being to save us. Let's start with the negative and work toward the positive. How could the Son and the Spirit be called God unless they somehow share in God's essence? Icône, dite de la Trinité, Andreï Roublev, 1410 et 1427, galerie Tretiakov de Moscou. Trinity means three, so when we discuss the Holy Trinity we mean the Father (God), Son (Jesus), and Holy Spirit (sometimes referred to as the Holy Ghost). Analogies are never perfectly transparent models for the Trinity. … Each of the three persons in the godhead possesses the same eternal and infinite divine nature; thus, they are the one, true God in essence or nature, not “three Gods.” Yet, they are truly distinct in their relations to each other.
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