. Therefore, it is often difficult to have a concrete definition of Person as we use it in regards to the Trinity. Modern theologians have created a distinction between the "economic Trinity" and the "immanent Trinity.". How do we know whats age-appropriate for them to understand? God the Father, Jesus His Son, with the Holy Spirit, they are three in one! I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earthand in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spiritand born of the virgin Mary.He suffered under Pontius Pilate,was crucified, died, and was buried.He descended to the dead.On the third day he rose again.He ascended into heaven,and is seated at the right hand of the Father.He will come again to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit,the holy catholic* Church,the communion of the saints,the forgiveness of sins,the resurrection of the body,and the life everlasting. What is the essence of a triangle? According to the American Heritage Dictionary the word This is a limitation on God that doesnt acknowledge that God isalwaysthe Father,alwaysthe Son, andalwaysthe Holy Spirit. There was never a time when one of the Persons of the Godhead did not exist. If Jesus is God, why do the Gospels record instances where He prayed to God? 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. Thats the one we think of as the Father. Weve made a comparison between this object and the Trinity. Heres the problem (and why we shouldntstartwith these analogies):If these analogies are the only way someone thinks of the Trinity, it will lead to one of two errors. You cant find an earthly match for this concept. Partnering with urban churches to meet physical and spiritual needs. That is ok when it comes to rocks and triangles. Among the three persons of the Trinity, there is a proper order: The Father is the First Person of the Most Holy Trinity. Only older children will grasp the in one concept of H20. Gods essence is His being. One God? Further, we clearly should not think of God as consisting of anything other than divinity. Is the Trinity a contradiction? 3. We just covered Gods one divine essence. The three most common go-to analogies for explaining the Trinity are water, an egg, and the sun. 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. God is truth, so the unity that He is effecting between believers is a unity grounded in truth. Lets change that! How to Teach Kids the Trinity with an Apple Object Lesson Grab an apple and share these five truths with your kids: An apple has three parts: the seeds, the flesh, and the skin. 3. These personal distinctions are modes of existence within the divine being, but are not divisions of the divine being. Third, notice that although the three divine Persons are distinct, we are baptized into their name (singular), not names (plural). All three members of the Trinity have these characteristics. We exist to worship God. View our top Cru resources in more than 20 languages. Each Person of the Trinity is distinct, 8. 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. 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. 8:3539; Eph. Then study the pronouns used in Scripture point to the Trinity: This one-ness is Gods one divine essence (Heb 1:3). But each member had a different function. 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. 8:1417). So, in this article, we will look at where the term originated. 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. Christianity is a monotheistic religion. 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. Each member of the Trinity is . How can God be both one and three? Its okay for them to have a very limited understanding of God. In addition to these texts, the others we mentioned above make clear that the Personhood of the Holy Spirit is distinct from the Personhood of the Son and the Father. As long as a shape has those three angles that add up to 180 degrees, it doesnt matter what the angles degrees are. 5:510; 1 Cor. If God is three Persons, does this mean that each Person is one-third of God? So God is one what but three whos.. 15:19), God is called Father (John 17:1; John 3; 20:17; 1 Cor. Within a week,, Read More Is It Normal that My 4 Year Old Can Read? At his death on the cross, sinless Jesus chose to substitute himself in our place (Heb. The Apostle Paul also affirms the doctrine of the Trinity. Satan existed with the angels at the beginning of creation as one of the cherubim. There is a clue that the Son is distinct from the Father, yet there is fellowship between them. The Son and Holy Spirit are equal in deity to the Father. Nonetheless, while recognizing the distinct roles that each Person has, we should never think of their roles as so separate that the other Persons are not involved. While this is in my mind the simplest, clearest explanation, I understand that even this breaks down when we go further and say I am a human and I am Keith Ferrin. 8:26), comprehends (1 Cor. And all three members of the Trinity were involved. It's so simple, it fits on one page. But a common question arises: How do the members of the Trinity differ from one another?. Other statements may at first seem contradictory but are really not. Just hang on a little longer. 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. Our kids are currently 2, 4, and 7, and its equally loved by all of them, so the Yoto age range is really wide! It's a great reminder of the three parts of the Holy Trinity! 2:17). This is girl drama, and it can be extremely harmful to girls both mentally and emotionally. In his second letter to the Corinthians, he bids farewell to them: "May the grace of the Lord Jesus, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the 4; 14; Jon. We Reflect God's Personhood and Relations. Many other verses concurrently list the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. The Trinity is first of all important because God is important. 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. God is infinite. 2:11), speaks (Mark 13:11), testifies (Acts 20:23), reveals (1 Cor. It is fundamental to our worldview. Check out my tips for teaching your kids about bedtime prayer. Each corner is distinct (i.e., different) from the others. Then share them with another Christian or genuine seeker. The The truth is always new, fresh, and exciting to the believer in Christ. In his bookMere Christianity, C. S. Lewis points out an important distinction. 4. 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. After all, if the trinitarian nature of God is not in the Bible, why bother talking about it at all? Find resources for personal or group Bible study. Jesus is the one whose life we try to copy. It is one of the two ordinances of the Christian Church. 13:14; 1 Pet.1:2), In the story of the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:1025), When Jesus promises the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 1:48), Peters sermon at Pentecost (Acts 2:33; Acts 3839), Peter and apostles answer the high priest (Acts 5:3032), During Stephens heavenly vision at his stoning (Acts 7:5556), In Peters sermon to the gentiles in Caesarea (Acts 10:3638; Acts 4448), When Peter reports to the Jerusalem church (Acts 11:1518), When Peter speaks at the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15:811), During Pauls interaction with Jewish leaders in Rome (Acts 28:2531), Pauls epistles (Rom. 6:11; Gal. Conclusion: Scripture supports the Trinity. Now we will turn our attention to showing the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are persons.. There is a clue that the Son is distinct from the Father, yet there is fellowship between them. Does it look like Grandpa? Here are the best childrens Bibles, sorted by age. Theologians have pointed out that if it were not true, the Bible would be unreliable, Christ would not be divine, and His death on the cross would not atone for our sins, being merely the death of a martyr. The Trinity confuses even adults, so when youre tasked (or inspired) to teach the Trinity to a child, teenager, or new believer, it can be overwhelming. That is where I go back to the starting point I mentioned above. The Holy Spirit is God, but He is not the Son or the Father. 12:11), When the Holy Spirit speaks, he refers to himself in first person (Acts 13:2). So a closer look at the fact that God is one in essence but three in person has helped to show why the Trinity is not a contradiction. Yes, the Spirit was sent, but this does not imply that the Holy Spirit is less than they are. 2:6), The image of God (John 12:45; 2 Cor. Jesus is like the flesh, because He became flesh so we could know Him better. In other words, you have contradicted yourself if you affirm and deny the same statement. Fortunately, the most popular analogy of the Trinity is the triangle. The first commandment says, You shall have no other gods before me (Ex. He is three in Person. I'm an author, speaker, husband, father and ice cream lover. 2. The Bible is clear that all three Persons are each one hundred percent God. God the Fathers plan of redeeming humankind involved sending his Son into the world (John 3:16), The Son accomplished redemption for us on the cross (Heb. That's the one we think of as the Father. After all, plenty of, Read More 40 Surprising and Fun Bible Facts for Kids (with a FREE true/false printable game)Continue, Whereas most of us are pretty comfortable with our family traditions for celebrating Easter, Holy Week for kids is WAY more intimidating. Rather, everything that one Person is involved in, the other two are also involved in, one way or another. In this blog post, we are going to discuss the Holy Trinity in simple terms. So all three members of the Trinity have unique personhood. . 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 . 19:26). We cannot compete, in simplicity, with people who are inventing religions. I think it is because they lack at least two pieces of information: The main confusion is that many people dont get this distinction. The triangle illustration is easy to understand, but an imperfect analogy because: Nonetheless, a triangle illustrates how there can be a three-ness and one-ness same time. The idea that God is somehow three and one starts onPage 1and never changes. All of this information is a lot to take in at once. Think about it: Finite Christians serve an eternal and infinite God. ). 10:2831), In Johns writings (1 John 4:1314; Rev. We are dealing with fact. This would make each Person less than fully God and thus not God at all. (Heavy sigh.) 7:28; Ps. 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 only one God. And the triangle can help us distinguish one essence from the three Persons. Scriptural evidence supports every element proving the Trinity. Firstly, we agree that finite humankind is limited. This is one possibility of explaining it. 1:18; Luke 1:2635). The Trinity. Then you will learn the distinction between personhood and essence or nature. Others seem to come by it naturally, and its just not fair! 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. Even then, he was not alone, because he had his Logos within him. Omnibenevolence (Jer. 11:3336). 55 years on I've yet to hear or read an explanation of the Trinity that makes sense. One of the problems is that most of us myself included are tempted to move too quickly to analogies that only help explainaspectsof the Trinity. Let's explore each of these members. It included Jesus miraculous conception in the virgin Mary (John 3:16)an act that we call the incarnation.. Orthodox Christian theology has always affirmed that the one true God is triune in nature. the one who is not a Christian. How can three and one refer to the same God? 2:10), knows (1 Cor. You will and can grasp these principles. "It has been said that there have been four centuries when the church's understanding of the person of Christ has been most under attack. But he is not inferior in Gods divine essence. Reflecting Jesus together for the good of the city. The Bible is full of Scripture speaking of there being only one God (seeDeuteronomy 6:4for starters), as well as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all being God. The Trinity was present in the atonement at the cross. But it is possible to go deeper. Why not plan on studying verses in each section to prove to yourself that the Bible does claim that God is a Trinity? 12:32; 28:19; Luke 3:22), There is one God and three Gods (a contradiction), God is one person and three persons (a contradiction), God has one nature and three natures (a contradiction), There is a functional order within the Trinity, Bowman, R Jr. The Biblical Basis of the Doctrine of the Trinity. Blue Letter Bible, https://www.blueletterbible.org/comm/bowman_robert/trinity/trinity.cfm#trin_1 Accessed: 1/20/2022. Second, we have the son of God, Jesus. In other words, Christianity is unique among all other worldviews. We believe God is one in essence. . The fact that the Holy Spirit is a Person, not an impersonal force (like gravity), is also shown by the fact that He speaks (Hebrews 3:7), reasons (Acts 15:28), thinks and understands (1 Corinthians 2:10-11), wills (1 Corinthians 12:11), feels (Ephesians 4:30), and gives personal fellowship (2 Corinthians 13:14). In other words, there is one God who exists as three distinct Persons. Nothing is more astonishing, more challenging, and more potentially life-transforming than knowing God.". How is God three? Answer: Jesus came to lead us into relationship with the Father and that required the sacrifice of his own life because of our rebellion. Learn how you can know God personally. Geisler, N. L., and R. E MacKenzie, R. E. Roman Catholics and Evangelicals: agreements and differences. The three-ness and one-ness are two different features. Lets apply these concepts to the Trinity. That may sound intimidating but dont worry Ill unpack that definition below. 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 . And during his earthly ministry, Christ subjected himself to the Fathers will. The all powerful one who lives up in Heaven and either judges us mercilessly or loves us endlessly, depending on who you ask. Disclaimer: I believe Trinity. 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. 2:18). But Keith Ferrin is noteveryhuman being.. Thats what faith is being content with our own confusion while still knowing that God is bigger than we can comprehend. The concept of the Trinity. While not a typical conversation starter, this question is one of the most important we can ask in life. 2:10), convinces (John 6:44), teaches (Luke 12:12), convicts (John 16:18), commands (Acts 1:2), moves (John 11:33), helps (Rom. 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. Its three things, but all are complete on their own. God the Holy Spirit. We are referring to two different features of God: (1) his singular essenceor natureand (2) three Persons. Most Christians are puzzled by the Trinity, and therefore, cant explain it very well. Genesis 1:1 reads: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." If we look more closely at the word we translate "God," Elohim, we see it is plural. After all, children deal best with concrete ideas. Answer. The Trinity expresses the belief that God is one being made up of three distinct persons who exist in co-equal essence and co-eternal communion as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit . A rumor is started, and it spreads like wildfire. This triune God (or Trinity) began to allude to this aspect of His nature right in Genesis 1:26-27. Errr, not quite. The answer must be no, because the Bible also indicates that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct Persons. Example 1: What is the nature or essence of a rock? Jesus, the Word, was present in Genesis 1. 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. It is the unity of the Father, Son, and Spirit as three persons in one Godhead. Conclusion: Scripture teaches the Trinity. How we seek to journey together with everyone towards a relationship with Jesus. During this period, it was attempted solely by using algorithmswhich are basically rules or sets of rules you tell a computer to follow. All will play a role in the events mentioned in Revelation. It is the Matthew 28:19 baptismal formula: Jesus said, Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in thenameof the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (emphasis mine). Learn about Cru's global leadership team. Now lets dig into these imperfect yet better than nothing representations of the Trinity for kids. The three members of the unholy trinity are Satan, the Antichrist, and the false prophet. To start, let me define what I mean when I say persons. Personhood is having intellect, emotions, and a will. These are all qualities of personhood. "But if I [Jesus] cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.". We hate SPAM. 2:1011; Heb. It is crucial for properly understanding what God is like, how He relates to us, and how we should relate to Him. While admitting the lack of conformity among believers, we must never consider it a minor issue of doctrine. Most people, including many Christians, struggle trying to apprehend the Trinity. Its a clear and concise explanation that works great for kids. AboutPressCopyrightContact. The verb for created isbara. The word "scripture " graphe 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? 9:14; Heb. What a challenge! As Hebrews 9:14 declares. The Trinity is Christianity's most unique, defining, incomprehensible, and awesome mystery. While it is good for us to seek understanding of the Trinity, we cannot fully comprehend God. What we have seen so far provides a good basic understanding of the Trinity. In the early 2000s, people began using a new approach called "deep . Therefore each of the Persons into whose name we are to be baptized must be deity. And likewise with the Holy Spirit. The Trinity is like an egg or apple. From our understanding of the Trinity (a social being), we recognize that a person is a relational being, not just someone with a mind, a will, and . Hmmm. After all, theyre good questions. What does it take to begin a relationship with God? The prologue of the Gospel of John has the strongest argument for the Trinity. 2:8-9), we can become Gods children. One helpful Scripture explicitly refers to the essence and personhood of the Trinity. 4:4). The Trinity doctrine developed over hundreds of years and was influenced by the teachings of pagan Greek philosophers. 4:15), dying for our sins (1 Cor. Some attributes include eternal, infinite, omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. And God created humankind to share that love (John 17:2126; Acts 17:25). The Father sent Jesus into the world (John 3:16; Gal. We can be adopted by the Father and united with Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit (John 1:1223; Rom. That way were providing a simple, common language and framework for everything else were going to say (or any analogies we use). (Againwere trying to grasp something that isnt fully grasp-able.). Neither should we think of the Persons as being defined by attributes added on to the being of God. In all transparency, I feel like I did a pretty mediocre job of explaining the Trinity to them in a way they could grasp. Reaching students and faculty in middle and high school. This is absolutely true. In John 1:1 it is affirmed that Jesus is God and, at the same time, that He was with God- thereby indicating that Jesus is a distinct Person from God the Father (cf. And then you will read eight critical truths about the nature of the Trinity. Its probably the most classic Trinity object lesson, but its not my favorite. The doctrine of the Trinity means that there is one God who eternally exists as three distinct Persons the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 317 subscribers in the BiblicalUnitarian community. The seeds are like the Holy Spirit, because He helps us grow. However, let me highlight some of the most significant passages that confirm monotheism: Are you interested in learning more about the Godhead? The Son is the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity. Tozerputs it well in The Knowledge of the Holy. Thus, Jesus prayed to God the Father without praying to Himself. These three persons make up the one true God. God is like the skin because He protects us. 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. The answer hinges on the differences in their unique roles. The Fathers plan for our redemption shows his great love for humankind. They include: Now you have a basic understanding of the Trinity. The late theologian Herman Bavinck has stated something very helpful at this point: The persons are modes of existence within the being; accordingly, the Persons differ among themselves as the one mode of existence differs from the other, and using a common illustration as the open palm differs from a closed fist.[4], Because each of these forms of existence are relational (and thus are Persons), they are each a distinct center of consciousness, with each center of consciousness regarding Himself as I and the others as You. Nonetheless, these three Persons all consist of the same stuff (that is, the same what, or essence). Now, as Fred Sanders once quipped, this doesn't mean you should begin every witnessing encounter, "God loves you . EitherThe person were explaining it to will think that God simply changes from one to the other at different times and under different circumstances (water). If youre wondering how to explain the Trinity to a child, keep it simple. 3:25; Dan. Their prime usefulness it to show the mystery is not contradictory. 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. OksoWhat about this idea of one being who exists in three persons?. How do they relate? There are two other major monotheistic world religions namely Judaism and Islam. Jesus is God, but He is not the Father or the Holy Spirit. The Trinity is the perfect loving community of three Persons. Show them that there are three parts: seeds, flesh, and skin. And he should be referred to by personal pronouns and never as it. The Holy Spirits is a person because he: Scripture also proves that the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are God. 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). Ignore the urge to tie everything up with a nice little bow. A triangle must have three different corners in order to be one triangle. using the shamrock or the three states of H 2 O to explain the . 1:12). In fact, kids who have been in church for many years will probably have already heard one of these illustrations. Why is the Trinity important to Christianity? I hate getting spam. Stated differently, God is one in essence and three in person. The apple one is kind of cool. Anytime you see a geometric figure with these features, it is a triangle. I am fully human. 2. 12:711), The Father is not the Son (Matt. God is not one person who plays three different roles, as this illustration suggests. For instance, the Trinity does not mean that: Instead, we need to clearly distinguish two categories (Persons and essence). Within Gods one, undivided being is an unfolding into three personal distinctions. 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. 139:711; Jer. 55:8-9). God addressed in the second person singular (you): 2 Sam. For instance: Additionally, all three members of the Trinity participate together in several critical events. 3:17; 17:5; Luke 10:22; John 3:35; 10:15; 12:28; 17:1-26; 1 Tim. 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. Looking for a great childrens Bible? 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. The early church absolutely believed and taught the belief in a God who was three-in-one. He is one Being in three Persons (centers of consciousness), not merely three roles. Amongst other books, I have read 'The Forgotten Trinity" by James White, but remain unconvinced that acceptance of or belief in the confusing doctrine of the trinity is essential for Salvation. John introduces us to the Trinity in John 1:1- "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and Word was God.". The trouble with this one is that its a bit less visual. 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." The Bible is clear that all three Persons are each one hundred percent God. The Trinity is like an egg. We baptize into the name of the Father and the Son and 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). After all, as I have said many times (to myself as much as others! Best Age To Teach The Trinity To A Child. Baker Books, 1995, pp. Learn why He did it and what it means for you. The Father is not one-third of the being of God, He is all of the being of God. In explaining the Trinity to your friend, begin, perhaps, with the work of salvation. Need help teaching your kids about communion, either at Sunday School or home?