how to explain the trinity to a new believer how to explain the trinity to a new believer

6:11; Gal. He exists as a Trinity. And that knowledge can feel liberating. And the voice of the Father declared, This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased (Matt. Obviously we cannot, for Scripture is clear that there is only one God: There is no other God besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides me. In other words, there is one God who exists as three distinct Persons. He is an extension of the sun and brings the sun directly to the world. Yoto has lots of great stuff for, Read More 27 of the Best Yoto Cards for Kids (sorted by age group)Continue, If youre a Sunday School teacher or a mom hoping to instill a love of Bible learning in your children, Ive got some goodies for you! Jesus (the Son) is God. What does essence mean? Now lets dig into these imperfect yet better than nothing representations of the Trinity for kids. The most popular is probably the one found in the Great Commission: Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit . We believe God is one in essence. 12:711), The Father is not the Son (Matt. 2. 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. 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. And this teaching gives us a glimpse into the incomprehensible greatness of God. Answers to questions on donations, financial policies, Crus annual report and more. The easiest way to explain the Trinity is with an object lesson, and thats true no matter how old someone might be. 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. 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. The doctrine of the Trinity means that there is one God who eternally exists as three distinct Persons the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Here we will summarize some of the fruits of their labor. But its not a mystery that can or should! All of this information is a lot to take in at once. And these three Persons are the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Lets apply these concepts to the Trinity. 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. Our mind distinguishes each of the three leaves (the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost), but at the same time recognizes they are one shamrock. The important difference between complexity and incomprehension: If Christianity was something we were making up, of course, we could make it easier. Anytime you see a geometric figure with these features, it is a triangle. 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. 1:7; 2 Tim. Thus, as Wayne Grudem writes, When we speak of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit together we are not speaking of any greater being than when we speak of the Father alone, the Son alone, or the Holy Spirit alone.[2]. Ask the teenager this question: Where does this fall short? ). They are equal in power, love, mercy, justice, holiness, knowledge, and all other qualities. Striving to see Christ-followers on every team, in every sport and in every nation. As a result, Jesus death covered or atoned for our sins (2 Cor. One helpful Scripture explicitly refers to the essence and personhood of the Trinity. 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. Rather, everything that one Person is involved in, the other two are also involved in, one way or another. This law states that A cannot be both A (what it is) and non-A (what it is not) at the same time and in the same relationship. God is the Father, the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit. Another serious error people have made is to think that the Father became the Son, who then became the Holy Spirit. Go ahead and start with one of the object lessons above. A simpler way to talk about the Trinity is through "God grammar.". A beautiful mystery. However, within the nature of this one God are three persons, or three centers of consciousness - the Father, the Son, and the . These three persons are of the same substance, equal in power and glory. 1:318; 1 Pet. Lets do a quick review of the topics we have covered. First, we have God. Gods essence is His being. I recently had some of my kids friends ask meWhat is the Trinity? 10:2831), In Johns writings (1 John 4:1314; Rev. There are three Persons with one divine essence! There are two other major monotheistic world religions namely Judaism and Islam. Simply stated, God is one in essence and three in person. After all, each of these illustrate the idea that God is made up of parts, and thats not really true. 3:17), Omnipresence (Ps. Here is an object with three parts: a hard shell, the egg white, and the yolk. . 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. Does the Trinity mean that God is divided into three parts? Ignore the urge to tie everything up with a nice little bow. Fun fact: The 325 Nicene Creed does not state Trinity. 4:4; Col. 1:15), Eternal (John 1:1-3; 17:5; Col. 1:16-17; Jude 25), Omnipresent (Matt. Three separate beings, all rolled into one entity. The substance of God is God, not a bunch of ingredients that taken together yield deity. 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). Your Identity in Christ: How God Sees You. Whats a Mama to say when the questions start flowing? That isGod is three Persons in onethe Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Why? Then, ask them to write words on the poster that make up the character of God. But what does it mean that God is gracious? And the triangle can help us distinguish one essence from the three Persons. The wordTrinitymeansthree-in-one. 2:10), knows (1 Cor. What is Gods essence? 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. Famous pastor and authorA.W. There is a clue that the Son is distinct from the Father, yet there is fellowship between them. The different roles refer to a functional order or functional subordination.. In all transparency, I feel like I did a pretty mediocre job of explaining the Trinity to them in a way they could grasp. 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. Trying to fully understand God is like a 2-year-old trying to fully understand the complexities of relationships, marriage, and parenting! (eds. Further, we clearly should not think of God as consisting of anything other than divinity. 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. He differs from the Father, but was and . After all, the Trinity is difficult to understand. The Son is the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity. "Economic" has to do with the history of salvation, and discusses the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the sending and mission of salvation. And yet, we run into the same problem again, because God isnt made up of parts. . God addressed in the second person singular (you): 2 Sam. Learn why He did it and what it means for you. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all fully God. 1:8). Most Christians are puzzled by the Trinity, and therefore, cant explain it very well. Explore resources to help you live out your life and relationships in a way that honors God. What we do not mean by Person is an independent individual in the sense that both I and another human are separate, independent individuals who can exist apart from one another. But Christianitys God is unique. At the risk of sounding too physical, essence can be understood as the stuff that you consist of.. Scriptural evidence supports every element proving the Trinity. Jesus, the Word, was present in Genesis 1. But Scripture provides ample evidence of the existence of the Trinity. This doctrine is absolutely essential to New Testament Christianity. He is the only God that exists. Its okay to admit you dont know everything. And when he speaks, he refers to himself in first personas I (Deut. 317 subscribers in the BiblicalUnitarian community. For I am God, and there is no other (Isaiah 45:21-22; see also 44:6-8; Exodus 15:11; Deuteronomy 4:35; 6:4-5; 32:39; 1 Samuel 2:2; 1 Kings 8:60). That means that, as Christians, we believe in only one God. 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). Thats where the confusion comes from. 2:2729). The Trinity is God the Father, God the Son (Jesus) and God the Holy Spirit. It was God who took the initiative to save humankind. Others seem to come by it naturally, and its just not fair! Of course we are speaking by analogy here, for we cannot understand this in a physical way about God. 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. The personhood of each member of the Trinity means that each Person has a distinct center of consciousness. For example they: 5. When Jesus answered the question, What is the greatest commandment? he prefaced the answer by quoting the. Allegedly, Saint Patrick used a shamrock as a metaphor to explain the Trinity: three leaves, one shamrock. How do we receive His grace? 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. Jesus carried out these creative decrees (John 1:3; Col. 1:16). That's the one we think of as the Father. The Trinity is first of all important because God is important. 1:2), Jesus as God (Titus 2:13), and the Holy Spirit as God (Acts 5:3-4). Or stated simply, the triangles what-ness.. He is one in essence. God is truth, so the unity that He is effecting between believers is a unity grounded in truth. It is the same thing in three different forms. This would make each Person less than fully God and thus not God at all. But they are eternally subordinate in their roles to him (1 Cor. Ive already done your research at my local library. He is beyond us. Tertullian coined the term Trinity during the second century. The New Testament lists all three Persons of the Trinity simultaneously, 6. The second point of clarification has to do with personhood. That is ok when it comes to rocks and triangles. How do we know whats age-appropriate for them to understand? 5:7). If someone already has an understanding based on the definition and explanation above, then these analogiesmighthelp them grasp aspects of the Trinity. Sometimes the Spirit is treated more like a force than a Person. Trinity not mentioned in the Bible anywhere! As theologian and apologist Norman Geisler has explained it, while essence is what you are, person is who you are. 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). God is one in a certain way (essence) and three in a different way (person). This is one of the books of the Torah. understand the doctrine of the Trinity. For instance, each Person: Scripture often names all three members of the Trinity together. Now we will turn our attention to showing the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are persons.. 1:18; Luke 1:2635). Nothing is more astonishing, more challenging, and more potentially life-transforming than knowing God.". And God seeks people to worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:24). He wrote, What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.. Therefore, it is often difficult to have a concrete definition of Person as we use it in regards to the Trinity. Amen. However, let me highlight some of the most significant passages that confirm monotheism: Are you interested in learning more about the Godhead? 1:12). 31:3; John 3:16; 1 John 4:8), Righteous (Ps. Then share them with another Christian or genuine seeker. No, the word Trinity does not appear in the Bible. 3:1417). During this period, it was attempted solely by using algorithmswhich are basically rules or sets of rules you tell a computer to follow. "But if I [Jesus] cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.". 1:2), and empowers us for service (Acts 1:8; 1 Cor. Egg A single egg is made up of the yolk, the whites, and the shell. Read about individuals who have been transformed by faith. This analogy ignores the personal distinctions within God and mitigates them to mere roles. Lets apply what weve learned to the Trinity based on the graphic. Its a devotional book. Actually, March 17 commemorates St. Patrick's death, actually. While not a typical conversation starter, this question is one of the most important we can ask in life. At his death on the cross, sinless Jesus chose to substitute himself in our place (Heb. 13: Trinity | Putting the Fun In, Faith and Finances: 5 Steps to Get Started. It is very simple: All three Persons are one God because, as we saw above, they are all the same essence. 40:18; Rom. See, each member participated in the creation, the incarnation, and redemption. Our kids are currently 2, 4, and 7, and its equally loved by all of them, so the Yoto age range is really wide! Grace is the promise that you stand forgiven before God if you know Jesus. So, the Trinity is incomprehensible. How to Explain the Trinity to an Unbeliever The Village Church - Flower Mound 118K subscribers 36K views 5 years ago The Trinity is confusing even to most Christians, so we want to pull the. Just as ONE egg has THREE different parts - the shell, the white, the yoke - ONE God has THREE different . The Father is not one-third of the being of God, He is all of the being of God. Therefore, there is one God with one divine nature and three divine Persons. But he is not inferior in Gods divine essence. Ive got you covered with all the basics, no matter your denomination. That leaves us with the modern definition of the word mystery. Below is the easiest way that I have ever heard it explained: God the Father is the sun. As you might expect, some people consider these mysteries as contradictions. But in response we can point out both agreement and clarification. The Trinity is a mystery beyond our comprehension (Isa. 19:26). Is the Trinity a contradiction? How is God one? 45:5-6, New Testament: Mark 12:29; John 5:44; Eph. But Christianity's God is unique. He regenerates us with new spiritual life (John 3:58). God the Father. Matt Perman is the director of career navigation at The Kings College NYC, a blogger, and an author. . The Trinity Matters because the Gospel Matters. For instance, the Trinity does not mean that: Instead, we need to clearly distinguish two categories (Persons and essence). 3:6. As a mom to three kids under 8, an instructional coach, and a former classroom teacher, I know a thing or two about how public schools REALLY work and the challenges we face in the United States. I work hard to produce evidence-based information about school for both teachers and parents, and to produce and share resources that can help at home and in the classroom. Hes the one who walked the Earth blamelessly, performing miracles, and extending mercy and love. ), "If God was small enough for my brain to fully understand, He wouldnt be big enough to save me!, The authors of the Bible understood this. Genesis 1:1says this: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.. What we believe about the gospel and our call to serve every nation. Sigh. 9:5; Col. 2:9), The Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:34; 2 Cor. 2. And then you will read eight critical truths about the nature of the Trinity. The Bible teaches the Trinity beginning with the days of creation. Stated differently, God is one in essence and three in person. God the Holy Spirit. For example: God the Father is a person. Within a week,, Read More Is It Normal that My 4 Year Old Can Read? Those centuries were t He exists as a Trinity. Why? In explaining the Trinity to your friend, begin, perhaps, with the work of salvation. In the baptism of Jesus, we see the Father speaking from heaven and the Spirit descending from heaven in the form of a dove as Jesus comes out of the water (Mark 1:10-11). Firstly, we agree that finite humankind is limited. The Trinity is the perfect loving community of three Persons. 2:11), and performs miracles (Matt. He is three in Person. Learn about Cru's global leadership team. 4. Often it is objected that If Jesus is God, then he must have prayed to himself while he was on earth. But the answer to this objection lies in simply applying what we have already seen. While the three members of the Trinity are distinct, this does not mean that any is inferior to the other. You arent alone! Must you become a better person so that God will accept you? Lets go back to the Trinity triangle graphic, and you will see: By now you understand that the three Persons of the Trinity equally share Gods essence. While Jesus and the Father are both God, they are different Persons. These three persons make up the one true God. 2:1011; Heb. 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). Whether an object is a rock or a triangle, we can classify it based on its objective characteristics. As Christians, we derive our concept of person from the relations in the Trinity. What we do mean by Person is something that regards himself as I and others as You. So the Father, for example, is a different Person from the Son because He regards the Son as a You, even though He regards Himself as I. Thus, in regards to the Trinity, we can say that Person means a distinct subject which regards Himself as an I and the other two as a You. These distinct subjects are not a division within the being of God, but a form of personal existence other than a difference in being.[3]. In regards to the Trinity, we use the term Person differently than we generally use it in everyday life. Below are several of the most popular ones. Answer. In fact, it is precisely the continuing dialogue between the Father and the Son (Matthew 3:17; 17:5; John 5:19; 11:41-42; 17:1ff ) which furnishes the best evidence that they are distinct Persons with distinct centers of consciousness. They are personal forms of existence other than a difference in being. Having seen that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are distinct Persons, that they are each fully God, and that there is nonetheless only one God, we must conclude that all three Persons are the same God. "The Trinity is the foundational Christian belief that God is one Being who exists in three Persons.. 23:2324). Here are the best childrens Bibles, sorted by age. The Trinity isn't some complicated distraction from the simple gospelit's actually part of the gospel. What a challenge! Matthew 3:16. The word "scripture " graphe 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. You can help us reach children and their families to know Jesus. 5:2), Miracles (Ex. It is understandable that our finite minds cannot grasp an infinite God. Check out my tips for teaching your kids about bedtime prayer. 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 one who is not a Christian. I am fully human. I think it is because they lack at least two pieces of information: The main confusion is that many people dont get this distinction. There was never a time when one of the Persons of the Godhead did not exist. God is like the skin because He protects us.