When Two Empaths Become Friends, Natasha Roland Alpo Wife, Waterfront Homes For Sale In Essex County Va, Articles H

We begin with a brief discussion of the doctrine in historical context, explaining more fully the nature of the problem it raises. For example: One of the most common mistakes people make is to think of the Holy Spirit as some force ala Star Wars. But the Holy Spirit is most assuredly a person. The word Trinity does not appear even once in the Bible. For instance, each Person: Scripture often names all three members of the Trinity together. 4:30), and a will (1 Cor. 5:510; 1 Cor. Before anything was created he begat his Logos as a person distinct from himself. The Holy Spirit descended upon Him to equip Him for His ministry. 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. Is God the same as Jesus? For example, if I say that the moon is made entirely of cheese but then also say that the moon is not made entirely of cheese, I have contradicted myself. Monotheism. Youngblood, R. F., et al. And Scripture provides many descriptors, orattributes,of Gods singular essence or nature. They are different Persons, not three different ways of looking at God. What is Gods essence? Founder & Teacher, desiringGod.org. Did your kids give each form of God different personality traits? 118:28, God referred to in the third person singular (he, his, him): Gen. 1:5, 10; Ex. 1:20-21), In salutations and benedictions (2 Cor. First of all I want to tell you that the Trinity is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 2:17). The word Trinity is never explicitly mentioned in the Bible; however, countless scriptures mention all three forms of God. Example 1: What is the nature or essence of a rock? Admittedly, the idea of three distinct persons/expressions that are each fully God is part of the mystery. If you go to YouTube and search on explain the Trinity youll findlotsof videos. 10:57), The Holy Spirit indwells every Christian. 2:511). 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 . Find freedom from your sins today. To confess that the Father, Son, and Spirit are equal in power of course means that one does not rule over the other in any way. And confusing ones. Its obvious that the Trinity is important to Christianity because its the framework for one of our oldest texts that crosses multiple denominations: the Apostles Creed, written in the 5th century. Divide your group into three teams and give each group a sheet of butcher paper or poster. This formulation can show us why there are not three Gods, and why the Trinity is not a contradiction. ETS members all confess the Father, the Son, and the Spirit to be "one in essence, equal in power and glory.". 4:15), dying for our sins (1 Cor. To start, let me define what I mean when I say persons. Personhood is having intellect, emotions, and a will. Of course, if the triangle illustration were perfect, we would be able to comprehend God fully, but we cant. I think the major problem involves not distinguishing two different features of God. The only way humans can know about these mysteries is because the Bible teaches them. In this blog post, we will discuss how schools and parents can help girls to, Read More Navigating Girl Drama: 20 Ways Schools and Parents Can Help Calm the StormContinue, Ill never forget the moment I watched in amazement as my newly-turned 4 year old sounded out her first few CVC words. Now lets go a little deeper and consider the triangles three corners (angles). 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. . Tertullian, Cyprian, Augustine, and Jerome mention it. God is the Father, the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit. How do we come to terms with these different ideas of God? 8:2327), Resuscitates the dead (Matt. 5:7). . Jesus himself spoke of the one-ness of the Godhead when he quoted the Shema of Deuteronomy 6:4. This verse accurately states the doctrine of the Trinity that God is One God in three Persons. Ask teenagers hard questions about the Trinity that will make them think, and dont bother trying to come equipped with the perfect answer to everything. Fun fact: The 325 Nicene Creed does not state Trinity. All three Persons of the Trinity are God. The prologue of the Gospel of John has the strongest argument for the Trinity. The Father sent Jesus into the world (John 3:16; Gal. Find resources for personal or group Bible study. If youd like to get away from simple object lessons and move your child toward a deeper understanding of Gods nature, check out The Attributes of God for Kids. It is understandable that our finite minds cannot grasp an infinite God. After all, as I have said many times (to myself as much as others! 2:11), speaks (Mark 13:11), testifies (Acts 20:23), reveals (1 Cor. We are dealing with fact. The Son and Holy Spirit are equal in deity to the Father. How can three and one refer to the same God? 2:34; Heb. For example: The Nicene Creed is recited during every service of Holy Communion . Help others in their faith journey through discipleship and mentoring. Need help teaching your kids about communion, either at Sunday School or home? Second, notice that each Person must be deity because they are all placed on the same level. 15:3). 11:3336). We can be adopted by the Father and united with Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit (John 1:1223; Rom. You can cut into an apple in front of your group. Firstly, we agree that finite humankind is limited. What does it take to begin a relationship with God? He was "begotten, not made," and he was of the same substance or essence ( homoousios) as the Father. A subreddit for the encouragement and discussion of the Biblical Unitarian position which holds We hate SPAM. Here is an object with three parts: a hard shell, the egg white, and the yolk. As Hebrews 9:14 declares. 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. They are three real persons, not three roles God plays. Develop your leadership skills and learn how to launch a ministry wherever you are. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all fully God. 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.. And during his earthly ministry, Christ subjected himself to the Fathers will. But I hope you have learned that the Trinity is not contradictory. Carrying this concept over to the Trinity, it is not a contradiction for God to be both three and one because He is not three and one in the same way. Jesus (the Son) is God. How to Support Gifted ReadersContinue, OurYotoplayer,Yoto Mini, and set of Yoto cards is the number one favorite toy in our household, and it has been for two years now. 4; 14; Jon. 8:26), guides (John 16:13), creates (Ps. Reaching students and faculty in middle and high school. Disclaimer: I believe Trinity. This should make it clear why it is so important to understand that all three Persons are the same essence. However,barais the singular conjugation of the verb. Conclusion: Scripture supports the Trinity. For instance, the Trinity does not mean that: Instead, we need to clearly distinguish two categories (Persons and essence). Since God is one in a different way than He is three, the Trinity is not a contradiction. And the voice of the Father declared, This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased (Matt. Begin and end with your object lesson, and be comfortable with the imperfect teaching. Below is the easiest way that I have ever heard it explained: God the Father is the sun. I think it is because they lack at least two pieces of information: The main confusion is that many people dont get this distinction. Everything in Christian theology and in the believer's life finally comes back to who God is: the divine nature, the persons of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The doctrine or concept of the Trinity is central to most Christian denominations and faith groups, although not all. While we cannot fully understand everything about the Trinity (or anything else), it is possible to answer questions like these and come to a solid grasp of what it means for God to be three in one. Ask them to draw it on the page. Each person of God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) really IS God. 104:30), sanctifies (Rom. I might end with sharing a few analogies from nature. What is the Trinity? Have a great discussion about it! 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. We cannot compete, in simplicity, with people who are inventing religions. Dont despair. That is where I go back to the starting point I mentioned above. Baker Books, 1995, pp. 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). Then share them with another Christian or genuine seeker. Trinity may be a new term for you and can be confusing even for Christians to explain to others. But as a follower of Christ, your identity can and should be grounded in one thing: who He says you are. This is absolutely true. 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. Since our personal relationship is with Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit lies within us, what role does God play as Father? The Trinity confuses many people. For instance, the Father is the first person of the Trinity. His function is superior to that of the Son and the Holy Spirit. Errr, not quite. Why, if they are ALL God? You cant find an earthly match for this concept. Only older children will grasp the in one concept of H20. 139:711; Jer. Its probably the most classic Trinity object lesson, but its not my favorite. Genesis 1:1says this: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.. The Trinity Is Unique Among Monotheistic Religions Christianity is a "monotheistic" religion. Before moving on tounderstandingthe idea of one Being existing in three Persons, I will point out that theBiblical idea of the Trinity goes all the way back to the first verse in the first chapter in the first book of the Bible. We should not think of God as like a pie cut into three pieces, each piece representing a Person. Read about individuals who have been transformed by faith. 4. Perfect for the Bible newbie or the long-time Bible reader. The oldest member of the unholy trinity. We need you. And God created humankind to share that love (John 17:2126; Acts 17:25). 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! *catholic, meaning universal here, and not a reference to the big C Catholic. Among the three persons of the Trinity, there is a proper order: The Father is the First Person of the Most Holy Trinity. Their prime usefulness it to show the mystery is not contradictory. The different roles refer to a functional order or functional subordination.. Does the Holy Spirit look like Casper? To this day, this scripture inspires the language we use to baptize people across Christian denominations. And likewise with the Holy Spirit. It is the same thing in three different forms. Volunteer abroad this year on a short term global missions trip offered by one of the best, most-reliable Christian missions organizations in the world. 4:4; Col. 1:15), Eternal (John 1:1-3; 17:5; Col. 1:16-17; Jude 25), Omnipresent (Matt. The apple one is kind of cool. Deity of Jesus: 10 Essentials You Need to Know! 13:14), the term Trinity does not appear. Paul unequivocally taught Jesus is God (Col. 2:9). Explore resources to help you live out your life and relationships in a way that honors God. 2:18). Answer: Jesus came to lead us into relationship with the Father and that required the sacrifice of his own life because of our rebellion. Its NOT God. The ancient church fathers at first simply acknowledged the Trinity without feeling the need to explain a theology of that understanding.