The origin of the doctrine of the Trinity is the Bible . I am fully human. Simply stated, God is one in essence and three in person. Binmin Podcast 8: God & Origins | What Questions Should I Ask About My Faith, Binmin Podcast Ep. 119; Prov. He is three in Person. Wayne Grudem explains: But if each person is fully God and has all of Gods being, then we also should not think that the personal distinctions are any kind of additional attributes added on to the being of God . . My passion is helping you not just read and study the Bible, but truly enjoy it! Others seem to come by it naturally, and its just not fair! First, we have God. 18:20; Matt. Contrary to this, the passages we have seen imply that God always was and always will be three Persons. . Because these features make up the singular essence or nature of a triangle. Most people, including many Christians, struggle trying to apprehend the Trinity. Answer. For example, since the Father sent the Son into the world (John 3:16), He cannot be the same person as the Son. A triangle must have three sides three corners (angles), and the sum of the three angles must be 180 degrees. 1:20-21), In salutations and benedictions (2 Cor. Trinity: Loving relationship defines God's very being I think it is because they lack at least two pieces of information: The main confusion is that many people dont get this distinction. Must you become a better person so that God will accept you? This formulation can show us why there are not three Gods, and why the Trinity is not a contradiction. A Simple Way to Explain the Trinity - Keith Ferrin In all transparency, I feel like I did a pretty mediocre job of explaining the Trinity to them in a way they could grasp. What we have seen so far provides a good basic understanding of the Trinity. We can never completely understand the Trinities one essence and three Persons. Ironically, not much is known about his death; even the year when he passed away is up for debate. All three Persons of the Trinity are God. At Jesus baptism, when Christ came up out of the water, the Spirit descended in the appearance of a dove. 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. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit do not unite people by neglecting t Both the New Testament and Old Testament testify that there is only one God: Unfortunately, we cannot go through each of these passages in detail. Admittedly, the idea of three distinct persons/expressions that are each fully God is part of the mystery. the one who is not a Christian. Surely not. How to Support Gifted Readers, 27 of the Best Yoto Cards for Kids (sorted by age group), 40 Surprising and Fun Bible Facts for Kids (with a FREE true/false printable game), Holy Week for Kids: How to Teach Beyond Easter Sunday, 15 Powerful Self Esteem Activities for Kids to Do at Home and in School. The concept of the Trinity is often referred to during worship, which helps Christians to understand it. But each member had a different function. Example 1: What is the nature or essence of a rock? 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 . 2:17). Gods One-ness is his One divine essence, 3. Do Trinity Crafts/Printables. Need help teaching your kids about communion, either at Sunday School or home? Therefore, the Holy Spirit must be distinct from the Father and the Son. 9:14; Heb. also 1:18). A Christian would still be expected to understand it. Matthew 12:28. One God? Faith is recognizing that we dont have all the answers and deciding that its okay to keep believing and growing. 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? 4; 14; Jon. 2. 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 . 4:47), In Hebrews (Heb. They have eternally (John 17:5, 24) sought to glorify each other (Phil. Essence and personhood are NOT the same thing. ETS members all confess the Father, the Son, and the Spirit to be "one in essence, equal in power and glory.". Then you will learn the distinction between personhood and essence or nature. What Is the Unholy Trinity in the Bible? - Christianity.com Orthodox Christian theology has always affirmed that the one true God is triune in nature. Omnibenevolence (Jer. In other words, Christianity is unique among all other worldviews. Secondly I'd like you to read this verse with me from the Bible. There are two other major monotheistic world religions namely Judaism and Islam. The doctrine of the Trinity means that there is one God who eternally exists as three distinct Persons the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. All will play a role in the events mentioned in Revelation. We are referring to two different features of God: (1) his singular essenceor natureand (2) three Persons. Famous pastor and authorA.W. But dont get confused. The Easiest Way to Explain the Trinity | SsouthernLifestyle The Best Way to Explain the Trinity to Kids - The Purposeful Mom Fun fact: The 325 Nicene Creed does not state Trinity. Object Lessons on the Trinity for a Child or New Believer, The Difference Between Teaching the Trinity to a Child vs. a Teenager, Books that Explain the Trinity to a Child, Navigating Girl Drama: 20 Ways Schools and Parents Can Help Calm the Storm, Is It Normal that My 4 Year Old Can Read? The Fathers plan for our redemption shows his great love for humankind. There are two other major monotheistic world religions namely Judaism and Islam. 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. And God seeks people to worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:24). 2:11), speaks (Mark 13:11), testifies (Acts 20:23), reveals (1 Cor. While Jesus and the Father are both God, they are different Persons. In fact, kids who have been in church for many years will probably have already heard one of these illustrations. We begin with a brief discussion of the doctrine in historical context, explaining more fully the nature of the problem it raises. 1:8). December 19, 2018. In this case, "immanent" means "the action remaining within an agent.". The Hebrew word for God isElohim. The idea that God is somehow three and one starts onPage 1and never changes. How To Explain St. Patrick's Day To A Child, From Fun To Facts - MSN Remember, the nature or essence of an entity is the property or attributes that make it what it is. To be even more precise, essence is what you are. For instance he: Jesus has all the features that ensure he, too, is a person. 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. God the Father spoke from heaven and spoke of His Son, Jesus. However, you dont want to stop there with a student who can participate in a discussion. After all, so much happens in the week leading up to the resurrection of Christ. After all, each of these illustrate the idea that God is made up of parts, and thats not really true. 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. However, the Bible teaches us enough about these mysteries that we can apprehend them. . Firstly, we agree that finite humankind is limited. We need you. But it also raises many difficult questions. 1. Being Gods child, we can worship the Father and Jesus through the Spirit (John 4:2324; Phil. Two biblical teachings confirm the doctrine of the Trinity: How is that possible? 4 Visual Ways To Explain The Trinity To A Child. 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. 19:26). Just like anything else, some kids have to work hard for what comes easily to, Read More 15 Powerful Self Esteem Activities for Kids to Do at Home and in SchoolContinue. We can be adopted by the Father and united with Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit (John 1:1223; Rom. In describing the Trinity, the New Testament clearly distinguishes three Persons who are all simultaneously active. Why not consider these truths and place your faith in Jesus (1 John 5:1)? 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. More simply stated, the essence of any entity is what it is. As a result, Jesus death covered or atoned for our sins (2 Cor. 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). Tozerputs it well in The Knowledge of the Holy. 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." 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. Jesus dying on the Cross is one of the most important parts of His story. How To Explain The Trinity To A Child Or Teenager - Mama Manages PDF Understanding the Biblical Doctrine of the Trinity (Godhead) - Bible Truth We all have a story. Tertullian coined the term Trinity during the second century. 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. Among the three persons of the Trinity, there is a proper order: The Father is the First Person of the Most Holy Trinity. If you go to YouTube and search on explain the Trinity youll findlotsof videos. If youre wondering how to explain the Trinity to a child, keep it simple. " Here God is a plural noun, said is in the . The relationship between essence and Person, then, is as follows. Gods attributes are not parts of his singular divine essence. That isGod is three Persons in onethe Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Bringing hope and resources to military families worldwide. You may be wondering how to wrap your mind around all this brand-new information! He realized Scripture alone is the only way we know about the Trinity (1 Cor. To contemplate the Trinity is to lift up your heart and to "set your mind on the things above" (Col. 3:2). Each of the persons is distinct from the other in relation (Economic Trinity), yet each is identical in essence (Ontological Trinity). 42. 8:26), comprehends (1 Cor. How is God three? And certainly not if it were a contradiction. 12:28; Rom. 3 in 1: A Picture of God This one is for anyone interested in using the apple object lesson. Two Reasons the Trinity Matters - The Gospel Coalition