That helps explain the concept quite well- the oneness, unity of God with the distinct three persons of God- Father, Son, and Spirit. God is one. Thus the Father is in Jesus " I and My Father are One" (John 10:30), "The Father is in Me" (John 14:10) God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself (II Corinthians 5:19). These are likewise erroneous or even heretical. For them, a person is someone who could relate to another. That fire keeps devils away from the saved. Further, his dialectic is guided by the particular consideration of what true love is: a trinity of lover, beloved and the love that binds . One is a musical chord with three notes. The Spirit white is connected to Jesus Person I will come to you (John 14:18) and the Fathers Person, We will come to him and make our abode with him (John 14:23). So, in God, there are three distinct persons. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength (1 Corinthians 1:25). I dont know how our majestic God feels about being compared to watermelons and eggs, but He is also a loving Father, and like any father, I believe God would seek to provide simple explanations so His little children can understand. What does that really mean? There was no relational deficiency that prompted God to create us. How so? The Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, constructed between 1800 and 1804, is the first Anglican cathedral to have been built outside the British Isles. If all you had were an eggshell, you wouldnt have a very exciting breakfast. Again, this analogy doesnt work because God doesnt morph, change, or become different aspects of Himself. They say that three separate beings exist 2. This is not an exhaustive list: For further reading on the Trinity, I would recommend James Whites The Forgotten Trinity, Wayne Grudems Systematic Theology and online articles by CARM.org. Your email address will not be published. Jesus is the Holy Spirit that saves us. While each person is distinct, they are never separate from one another. How can we ever explain our Most High, exalted, powerful, uncontainable, and most glorious God? We can touch the cord, but not the power it is insulating. None of the 3 are less divine than the others. An analogy illustrates that in a similar way, one shamrock can have three leaves on it, and the trinity has three persons that comprise one God. A person distinguishes himself from others by saying me, mine, you, yours, etc. A being is the whole nature or essence of something. Pingback: 3 Reasons Why Jesus Humanity Really Matters Her & Hymn, Pingback: 3 Reasons Why Jesus' Humanity Really Matters, Pingback: How Jesus Teaches Us To Be Human Her & Hymn. But we cannot do that (assuming we can) with God. He completed a doctorate in 1990, looking at the question of harmonic rhythm in the organ music of J.S. Therefore, in this context, God is the what and the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are the who. There is what is called the 'triple point' the combination of pressure and temperature at which H2O can exist simultaneously in all three states: solid, liquid and gas. The egg white represents Gods Spirit. copyright 2009 by H.D. Yet it appears to be almost entirely misunderstood within contemporary evangelical circles. 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. Good and Bad Analogies of the Trinity - Answers . 3:15; John 17:1-4, The Holy Spirit Acts 5:3-4; John 14:16-17, 26; John 16:7-13. From time to time, Doctors of the Church used analogies, but with care. Starting with the three biblical affirmations, ask your kids to show you how these examples support or deny what the bible teaches about the Trinity. These things are referred to as the Economic Trinity. In the Scripture we see "the fullness of God was pleased to dwell" (Col 1:9). The beautiful depth of Gods eternal Triune nature is a sublime reality which should bring an end to our attempts to cognitively master Him. How would you explain the Trinity if someone asked you right now? The Father hears their intercessory prayers. Blessings! In other words, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have a unique and unbreakable unity, and their existence together is the being that is God. I go to prepare a place for you. In one egg you have the white, the yoke, and the shell composing one full egg. The Gospel is theperson, work, and message of Jesus Christ that provides salvation to all repentant believers. We believe that it is a revelation that comes from Christ Himself. Examples of these different roles would be: The Incarnation: Only the Son became incarnate, took on flesh. Why is it wrong? 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. God is not made up of 3 'parts' like the 3 parts of the egg. H2O can exist as a solid, a liquid and a gas but they are all still H2O. I can only shake my head when He does these things! When we think about influential New Testament leaders, most names are male. Dont you know Jesus? 1 Corinthians 8:6: Yet for us there is but one God.. CafeLogos.orgThe Egg and i -A Simple Explanation of The Trinity Although he is one he has different roles to different people. He has been relationally fulfilled within Himself since forever. Learn how your comment data is processed. Afterall, we can get rid of a few of its parts - for instance the shell - and still scramble an egg. He is married to Shamsa Lea, is the father of Amira, and loves boxing and studying Theology. If you only had an apple core, you wouldnt pack it in your lunch. In other words, one stuffness. However, He exists in three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These attributes are: omnipotence (all-powerful), omniscience (all-knowing), and omnipresence (exists in all places). We can always rebut these claims with another equation: 1 x 1 x 1=1. I remember asking my Life Group last year, How have you heard the Trinity explained? I braced myself for the inevitable reply. The above picture is a famous work of art by Andrei Rubilev, the great medieval Russian painter of Orthodox icons and frescos. This little child cannot look at one without experiencing a profound sense of wonderment and awe. Below is a compilation of the verses that reference all 3 persons of the one God. The God of the Bible is one God. Each side is co-equal with the others, yet, each side is necessary. She would explode!" The Council's definitions concerning the Trinity are really as easy as one, two, three four. When discussing God, especially in regards to his nature, being and persons, a simple statement to articulate the Trinity is: God is 1 what and 3 whos*. Love was not given to Jesus. RELATED: Did Jesus Really Rise From The Dead? Martyn Iles Removed as Managing Director of Australian Christian Lobby by Board, Seven Types of Rest to Restore Your Body, Mind and Spirit, 8 witnesses testified against Hillsong founder Brian Houston in court case, wife Bobbie reveals, Why you feel guilty for not going to church, Samaritan's Purse sends 52-bed field hospital to Turkey. The Trinity is one of the most foundational doctrines of Christianity. However, keep in mind that the one being. Jesus is the visual form of God. The term Economic refers to the roles, functions, and relationships that exist within the Trinity. (It is also why the Jews had an issue with Jesus calling Himself God.). When we look at the egg as an example of the Trinity, we must view it in its entirety. The Trinity is a tri-unity, a unity of Three, - God the Father, Jesus, the Son of God and the Holy Spirit. But understanding the Trinity is important. God does not just change forms but exists as three persons in unity. Understanding 1 Corinthians 14:34-35. This was first used by Patrick of Ireland (yes there really was a Patrick of Ireland and he was a great guy), around 400 A.D. 2. The Holy Spirit is like the heat that the sun produces, unseen yet powerful and effective in making the sun felt. All three persons exist at the same moment in history. Some have taken on the task of explaining how Father, Son, and Holy Spirit exist as one. Jesus was standing in the Jordan River, His Father speaks from heaven above, and the Holy Spirit descends upon Him as a dove. I think the illustration that represents the Trinity most accurately is the egg example. What happens when an egg hatches? Jonathon serves as a lay pastor at Gospel Life Church in New Braunfels, TX and currently works as the IT Manager for a non-profit ministry. And when the time comes when death is allowed to crack your shell in its final hour and your believing soul is released; the Spirit of God that holds you will carry you in His arms to your heavenly home because In My Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. This is perhaps the most common analogy for the Trinity. Now God can be in you by His Spirit! THE TRUTH IS: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are not simply names designating modalities of the divine being, for they are really DISTINCT from one another: He is not the Father who is the Son, nor is the Son he who is the Father, nor is the Holy Spirit he who is the Father or the Son. (CCC 254), 3. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:35)One of my Sunday School students said, "How could Jesus (God) enter Mary's stomach (womb) and be born? I bet I havent sung or heard this song in years! He can even be all three at the same time. Being the brightness of the eternal Light, He Himself also is absolutely eternal. When we separate them and view them as individual deities, that is the error of tritheism, which is the worship of three individual gods as one. Christians believe, then, that only one God exists but this God exists as a unity of three persons: a Trinity. The problem with this analogy is that it teaches that God has three components: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Which I just found out is in error). Deuteronomy 6:4- Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. This verse is also the beginning of the Jewish Shema prayer; their confession of faith. John 17). We might call one side A, another side B, and the other C. So, there is a distinction between each of the sides, yet, all three are the same. It can also be a liquid and called water. The Trinity is not 1 + 1 + 1 butmore like 1 x 1 x 1.You can throw away one part of an egg (e.g., shell) and still have essentially an egg. Youre right, theyre all good but not perfect because only God IS perfect. I dont know how our majestic God feels about being compared to watermelons and eggs, but He is also a loving Father, and like any father, I believe God would seek to provide simple explanations so His little children can understand. This analogy explains that the Father is like the sun. If you looked at a single cloverleaf, you wouldnt call it a shamrock. The Unseen Father is in Christs mind. Here are some common analogies that Christians have used about the Trinity: God is kind of like water which can be ice, liquid and steam. Only the Son became incarnate, took on flesh. My interview: https://www.readlotswritelot.com/wp/podcast/episode-21-john-k-adams/, More from Catholicism for the Modern World, https://www.readlotswritelot.com/wp/podcast/episode-21-john-k-adams/. To help you out, here is a comical and silly video that teaches about these bad analogies. This analogy is still not perfect because each of the aspect cannot stand as egg like each of the persons in the trinity can stand as God. Tritheism denies the unity of the God-head by saying there is just three different gods. Each one is fully 100% God. Stars were made on the froth day. And we know that because the Persons of the Godhead have perfectly blessed and exalted each other for all eternity. The Son "proceeds" from the Father, and the Holy Spirit "proceeds from the Father and the Son.". Many of us would use analogies to explain the Trinity. The egg has a shell, the whites and a yoke. This is a worse analogy than the egg because it is more analogous to the heretical doctrine of Modalism/Oneness than for the Trinity. But having lots 6 Bible Study Tools To Help You Dive Deeper. For example, I would say, "God is like an egg." The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are each called Jehovah (or Spirit of Jehovah), given divine attributes, and are distinguished from one another. Scripture however, doesnt depict God this way. That is why Moses said. This is a bad analogy because it fails at the truth that all three persons comprise the fullness of God. Therefore it behoves us to know what He has revealed (including the Trinity), and to lovingly worship Him accordingly. Arianism clearly denies the deity of the three persons. Thus, the Father Himself is not God, nor is the Son, nor is the Holy Spirit, but combining the three, there is one God. Lord of all, we bow before thee. Proof texting is when we cite a bunch of bible verses to support a theological stance. As we examine the scriptural witness we see three truths that make up the doctrine of the trinity. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. In this episode, Fred Sanders discusses what it really means to say that God is a Trinitythree persons in one God. It is the Central Mystery of our Christian faith. Is He Jesus side-kick? Believing in the above 3 points leads all Christians to acceptance of the doctrine of the Trinity. He has been a member of the Royal Australian Air Force since 2007, and is now training to be an Air Force Chaplain. 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. Others compare God to an egg, which is part shell, part white, part yolk. Here's a look at six explanations for why so many people truly believe 3 Ways to Experience The Good Life in Jesus. However, Christians through the ages believe in the Trinity because the truths it represents are taught in the Bible. The Holy Spirit is the shell, Jesus is the egg white, and the Father is the egg yolk. The Sun was created on the forth day. There are three different cloves that represent the three different persons of the trinity. Thus the Father is in Jesus " I and My Father are One" (John 10:30), "The Father is in Me" (John 14:10) God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself (II Corinthians 5:19). But the Bible is CLEAR in its teaching. The problem with this analogy is that an egg yoke is of a very different substance than a shell. The Holy Spirit and Son do not send the Father. 2 - The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are each God. At times God is Father, or Son, or Holy Spirit. It does not represent 3 persons existing simultaneously. The trinity is not a contradiction, but a paradox. When we see them as three individual spirits, (God is one Spirit John 4:24), then that is the blasphemy of polytheism which is the worship of more than one God. TO AVOID HERESIES, LET US LIVE BY WHAT HAS BEEN REVEALED TO US: 1. Although the water changes forms it is still H2O. show me your glory. Yet God lovingly chose to create and eventually redeem us anyway (both thoroughly Trinitarian acts), at great cost to Himself. The Biblical Principle Of Baptism By Fire, The Deep Things of God: How the Trinity Changes Everything, 3 Reasons Why Jesus Humanity Really Matters Her & Hymn, 3 Reasons Why Jesus' Humanity Really Matters, How Jesus Teaches Us To Be Human Her & Hymn. For sure, our everyday experience does not include using our finite minds to understand the infinite! As a result, this analogy can easily lead to tritheism in which there are three different gods which might share some like substance. 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. These three persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - exist together in complete unity, with no separation, as one divine being. . The military would like to have that power. Every kid in Sunday school thinks he knows all about God. Jesus would have remained in the tomb, or hell, had Jesus sinned. The Son is like the light rays that visibly reveal the sun, as Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15). Here are four. Also, the egg is made up of three distinct and unalike parts. The egg analogy fails because it denies that each person of the Trinity is of the same eternal essence. The early church labeled this view "tritheism". Modalism teaches that the trinity is not three distinct persons, but just different modes that God reveals himself to human beings. God controls that light. Through the brokenness of the Shell, His Son, the Spirit white pours out into our beings through our faith in what was done and believers are joined with the yolk, for it is by One Spirit we have access to God the Father (Ephesians 2:18). I think the illustration that represents the Trinity most accurately is the egg example. If youre interested into diving deeper into the topic of the Trinity, here are some valuable resources that could help. The meme above discourages the use of analogies in explaining the Trinity. The concept is literally unthinkable. The Trinity is not 1 + 1 + 1 but more like 1 x 1 x 1. All Rights Reserved. God is like an egg in that He is 3-in-1 God the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ) and the Holy Spirit. The word Trinity comes from the Latin word trinitas which means tri-unity. As a result the water molecule must change forms. This analogy is an invalid comparison to the Trinity and is a heresy called PARTIALISM. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are each called Jehovah (or Spirit of Jehovah), given divine attributes, and, (usually there is no argument that the Father is not God, since every place Jesus speaks to God, he is addressing the Father.). Sending of another: The Father sends the Son, and both the Father and Son send the Holy Spirit. It may not appear to agree with common sense. 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. When they used the word person, they didnt mean it in the same way that we do today. A, distinguishes himself from others by saying me, mine, you, yours, etc. A. is the whole nature or essence of something. Each PERSON is distinct from one another. HO may act as water, steam, or ice, but it is still HO. Our God is three in one. The Son is not the Father or the Spirit. So while its tough to make sense of the Trinity, the Trinity actually helps us make sense of so many things we believe. The doctrine of the Trinity is one of the primary tenants of the Christian faith. However, many of our faithful, and even priests, attempted to simplify the Mystery of the Trinity and made it easier to understand by using MODELS AND ANALOGIES, giving birth to modern-day heresies/fallacies about the Trinity. My prayer is to infuse God's character into your everyday lives with short ( 4-5") devotions and Bible Studies every Monday morning. Or water can be evaporated and called steam. Depth isnt the same thing as height and height isnt the same thing as width, yet all three together are what comprise space. The Holy Spirit is the shell, Jesus is the egg white, and the Father is the egg yolk. The word trinity is not in the Scriptures, but is a word used to describe the three in one God revealed in the Bible. Well the issue is, the water analogy is akin to the heresy of Modalism. . God is Great, I always try to figure out how to explain it to my Sunday school kids and they get confused which i get, how would you explain it to them? Relationship Analogy (Husband/Son/Father) God is like a person with different relationships just as a man can be a Dad, but also someones Son, and also someones Husband. When we separate them and view them as individual deities, that is the error of tritheism, which is the worship of three individual gods as one. Or, we can quote Daniel Webster; a strong Christian- I do not pretend fully to understand the arithmetic of heaven now. . Its all one person, simply functioning in three different roles. Each one is fully 100% God. You can throw away one part of an egg (e.g., shell) and still have essentially an egg. When we view the egg in its entirety we have the Biblical Trinity, One that is Three. Dr. Bruce Ware does an excellent job in his book Big Truths for Young Hearts. 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. This means there is a sense in which all 3 persons may act or speak as one. All of the above Bad Analogies would perhaps do more harm than good if used in explaining the Trinity. How do we make sense of the Trinity? It does not imply Jesus was created if you emphasize that the Sun existed from eternity past. 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 scientific analogy that will be provided in a few moments is truly inadequate to describe the Holy Trinity. 6And there are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons., , The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all., There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. 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. The unseen Father is in Christs mind. 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! They all exist as fully God, with none of them lacking in any attribute or aspect that defines God. God is not made up of 3 parts like the 3 parts of the egg. Both are one. So, part of understanding the Trinity is realizing that God is personal and relational. We have the creeds for just that reason. They say that three separate beings exist, 2. Paul leaves the Corinthians with this blessing in 2 Corinthians 13:14- May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.. But you cannot be broken when your faith is in Jesus, for the Spirit of the Son that lives in us and gives us the voice through which we cry Abba, Father, (Galatians 4:6,) this Spirit of the Father that dwells within you is there to strengthen, protect and guard your person. Devils cannot grab ahold of them to cast them into Satans prison. But we cannot do that (assuming we can) with God. Few if any have every tried to teach the heresy of Tritheism, but it needs to be mentioned anyway. The Unseen Father keeps the Father that is seen, alive. He wondered how it was possible that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit could be inseparable, while, in . A chicken egg consists of a shell, a yolk, and an egg white, yet it is altogether one egg. Here are some of them: The problem with this is that it leads to the view that God is a Trinity simply because He relates differently to us at different times. Light comes from God. 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). But if modalism is true, and the Trinity really is like water, then the story of Jesus (the Son) praying to the Father as recorded in the Bible seems like an awfully strange masquerade. I'm always interested in ways to encourage you, so feel free to contact me and let me know what areas interest you! 3. In Arianism, the Son is not eternally equal with the Father, but was the Fathers first and best creation. Who is God? It only has 1 person acting in three different roles. - well, sort of. Does that make sense? Yet, as we view the pages of the Bible, we see that God is a personal and relational God. This analogy denies the distinction of the God-head. Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. Here are a few common illustrations: The Egg- One egg has three parts: shell, whites, and yolk. One of the more traditional analogies is to the states of water. I have the good one. What we can understand and accept is that God exists eternally as one divine nature, substance, or essence, comprising three co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial personsthe Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Instead, each person is co-equal, co-powerful and co-eternal. The analogy explains that in the same way that one shamrock can have three leaves on it, the Trinity has three Persons that constitute one God. Analogies that we present would always be insufficient as none of them would equate to the incomprehensible beauty of God. The very definition of the heresy known as Modalism/Oneness is that there is one person existing in three different modes or manifestations. The Trinity is a tri-unity, a unity of Three, - God the Father, Jesus, the Son of God and the Holy Spirit. In the second instance, the truth of Gods Trinity reveals a further aspect of Gods love for His people. As John 1:18 says, Jesus is "the only begotten God, in the bosom of [God] the Father.". in that He is not made up of three parts one part () the Father, another part () Jesus Christ and a third part () the Holy Spirit. An egg is made up of shell, white and yolk. Rather, He created us in order to bless us. A good follow up verse to help explain is the baptism of Jesus. Devils see that Spirit as a tempestuious fire. Further, we can label each of the sides. When we speak of someone as being a "person", we often mean an individual who is separate from other people, or we simply mean a human being. This is a quick way to describe the doctrine of the Trinity namely, God is 1 being (the, is Gods nature, essence, being) and 3 whos (the, being Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). 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* The Church should not forget that these heresies still exist in the present day and is even being taught by some priests and catechists. Jesus isn't a demigod or partially god. What makes it hard is that all of our analogies and metaphors fall short of capturing what the Trinity actually is. This is the one I used long ago when trying to explain the Trinity to a group of 1st-5th graders. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The Holy Spirit descended upon Him to equip Him for His ministry. But while this idea is central to the Christian faith, it is also incredibly mysterious to us. FOR CENTURIES, the Church had fought against heresies on the Trinity. The Father Matthew 27:45-46 (usually there is no argument that the Father is not God, since every place Jesus speaks to God, he is addressing the Father. He has one essenceone substance. In humans, our spirits are designed to operate with and be united to the soul which is the person of anyone and so it is with our Egg. Augustine's typical dialectic is to move from the exterior realities of creation to the interior reality of the human soul where he hoped to encounter God in the image of God, damaged as it is by the fall. Stars were made on the forth day. What is the Trinity? The yolk represents Gods Person, His Being, and His Holiness which generates Light that no man can approach (I Timothy 6:16). But God is the eternal Light, which has neither had a beginning, nor shall ever fail. If you need to use an analogy, then use a good one. The doctrine of the Trinity is one of the primary tenants of the Christian faith. If youve been involved in ministries for children or young people, questions about the Trinity have most likely come up. We find it in all four Gospels. Eggs are one, yet comprise yolk, shell and albumen. We all want to experience the good life. Among the most popular analogies for the Trinity, two in particular stand out; and most of the others resemble one of them. We can admit it is a mystery and accept that our incomplete knowledge cannot fully comprehend it. There have been many attempts to explain the Trinity the relationship between God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.