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

We define personhood by three key characteristics: Now that you understand the critical distinction, you know that essence is what. And you know personhood is who.. And that he is manifest as three Persons.. He exists as a Trinity. The origin of the doctrine of the Trinity is the Bible . Monotheism is foundational to Christianity. 12:28; Rom. The Father and the Son are God almighty, omnipotent God. Are these just three different ways of looking at God, or simply ways of referring to three different roles that God plays? That may sound intimidating but dont worry Ill unpack that definition below. For instance he: Jesus has all the features that ensure he, too, is a person. Rather, everything that one Person is involved in, the other two are also involved in, one way or another. Assign each group with one of the Godheads: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), or the Holy Spirit. However,barais the singular conjugation of the verb. These questions arealwaysasked by someone who is exploring faith in Jesus. 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. Surely not. The best way to teach the Trinity to ANYONE who is confused is with an object lesson. The Trinity was present in the atonement at the cross. That is why any discussion of the Trinity is based on Scripture (Ps. God addressed in the second person singular (you): 2 Sam. These three persons are of the same substance, equal in power and glory. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all fully God. Have some fun taking various quizzes and assessments to learn about yourself and others. These verses make it impossible to deny their individuality and deity. Within a week,, Read More Is It Normal that My 4 Year Old Can Read? 7:28; Ps. Since God is one in a different way than He is three, the Trinity is not a contradiction. 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). See if you can let kids arrive at the notion that God isnt really made up of parts. 1. Explore answers to life's biggest questions. 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. The answer must be no, because the Bible also indicates that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct Persons. After all, so much happens in the week leading up to the resurrection of Christ. (So I won't send you any.) The Trinity has a very significant application to prayer. You can help us reach children and their families to know Jesus. 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. However, Matthew 28:19 is frequently used in attempts to prove that the Trinity is a biblical teaching. In the early 2000s, people began using a new approach called "deep . 2:2729). And the voice of the Father declared, This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased (Matt. The Trinity is like an egg or apple. 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? It has been said, Try to explain the trinity and lose your mind, try to explain away the trinity and lose your soul. The ancient church fathers at first simply acknowledged the Trinity without feeling the need to explain a theology of that understanding. understand the doctrine of the Trinity. Many of us say it every single Sunday morning. Genesis tells us that God created the heavens and the earth by his word. God the Father spoke from heaven and spoke of His Son, Jesus. And these three Persons are the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Live in another country building relationships and ministries with eternal impact. It is understandable that our finite minds cannot grasp an infinite God. No, the wordTrinitydoes not appear in the Bible. We baptize into the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 8:3539; Eph. We cannot compete, in simplicity, with people who are inventing religions. This post is full of Bible facts for kids that will spark the imagination, encourage lots of good questions, and even inspire some Bible reading. Dont despair. 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. This one is kinda fun for older kids who understand a bit of science. In his bookMere Christianity, C. S. Lewis points out an important distinction. The Bible reveals that God isone, in essence, eternally revealed inthree Persons. They are not merely modes or manifestations of the same person (as Oneness theology incorrectly asserts) who sometimes acts as Father, sometimes as Son, and sometimes as Spirit. "But if I [Jesus] cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.". To help us do that, here are two reasons why the Trinity matters. 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 word "scripture " graphe The Father is not one-third of the being of God, He is all of the being of God. 5:510; 1 Cor. It was God who took the initiative to save humankind. For instance, the Father is the first person of the Trinity. His function is superior to that of the Son and the Holy Spirit. 2:10), convinces (John 6:44), teaches (Luke 12:12), convicts (John 16:18), commands (Acts 1:2), moves (John 11:33), helps (Rom. Then, ask them to write words on the poster that make up the character of God. As I said earlier, it means the same thing as being. A rumor is started, and it spreads like wildfire. One helpful Scripture explicitly refers to the essence and personhood of the Trinity. God the Holy Spirit. That means that, as Christians, we believe in only one God. "The Trinity is the foundational Christian belief that God is one Being who exists in three Persons.. There is a clue that the Son is distinct from the Father, yet there is fellowship between them. But the Holy Spirit is not an it, but a He (see John 14:26; 16:7-15; Acts 8:16). 5:7). Conclusion: Scripture teaches the Trinity. Learn the basics of what Christians believe. 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. But what exactly are essence or nature and personhood? 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 . But he is not inferior in Gods divine essence. That is ok when it comes to rocks and triangles. This doctrine is absolutely essential to New Testament Christianity. We should not think of God as like a pie cut into three pieces, each piece representing a Person. 13:14), the term Trinity does not appear. 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. It is very simple: All three Persons are one God because, as we saw above, they are all the same essence. That definition is a mouthful. Here are the best childrens Bibles, sorted by age. When Jesus answered the question, What is the greatest commandment? he prefaced the answer by quoting the. 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. 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. The Son is the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity. 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. In this blog post, we are going to discuss the Holy Trinity in simple terms. Instead, they are all identical in attributes. 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. A simpler way to talk about the Trinity is through "God grammar.". The New Testament lists all three Persons of the Trinity simultaneously, 6. Its a devotional book. After all, if the trinitarian nature of God is not in the Bible, why bother talking about it at all? Founder & Teacher, desiringGod.org. That isGod is three Persons in onethe Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. 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. Ive got you covered with all the basics, no matter your denomination. The all powerful one who lives up in Heaven and either judges us mercilessly or loves us endlessly, depending on who you ask. The doctrine of the Trinity states that God exists as one God in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit. If we were to translate it . This is very important: God is one and three at the same time, but not in the same way. Lets start with the geometric figure of the triangle itself. ). The easiest way to explain the Trinity is with an object lesson, and thats true no matter how old someone might be. It's a great reminder of the three parts of the Holy Trinity! We hate SPAM. Girls become divided, friendships are ruined, and reputations are tarnished. Therefore, we must always endeavor to deepen our worship of God in truth as well as in our hearts. (Heavy sigh.) He exists as a Trinity. But what does it mean that God is gracious? We can never completely understand the Trinities one essence and three Persons. 12:711), The Father is not the Son (Matt. The Holy Spirit is God, but He is not the Son or the Father. Whether an object is a rock or a triangle, we can classify it based on its objective characteristics. "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. 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. All three Persons of the Trinity are God. Begin and end with your object lesson, and be comfortable with the imperfect teaching. Hmmm. Nothing is more astonishing, more challenging, and more potentially life-transforming than knowing God.". Unfortunately, there is a lot of confusion about the Trinity. Here is an object with three parts: a hard shell, the egg white, and the yolk. 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. 1:20-21), In salutations and benedictions (2 Cor. This is just an egg, or an apple, or H2O. 1:318; 1 Pet. You may be wondering how to wrap your mind around all this brand-new information! 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. But Christianitys God is unique. But dont get confused. The Trinity is more than just a vital doctrine. The Trinity doctrine developed over hundreds of years and was influenced by the teachings of pagan Greek philosophers. 6:2122), Resuscitation of the dead (1 Kings 17:1724; 2 Kings 4:1837), The resurrection of Jesus (Acts 4:10; Acts 10:40), Sustains the universe (Col. 1:17; Heb. 1:8). 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. God the Father sent God the Holy Spirit to conceive Jesus (God the Son) in the virgin Marys womb (Matt. Within Gods one, undivided being is an unfolding into three personal distinctions. This leads us to investigate more closely a very helpful definition of the Trinity which I mentioned earlier: God is one in essence, but three in Person. The Holy Trinity is 'the Center of Everything.'. Jesus (the Son) is God. This formulation can show us why there are not three Gods, and why the Trinity is not a contradiction. The Trinity confuses many people. It starts with a whisper. Omnipotence (Jer. The Trinity Is Unique Among Monotheistic Religions Christianity is a "monotheistic" religion. But they are eternally subordinate in their roles to him (1 Cor. 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. What is the essence of a triangle? The Holy Trinity - Explained. 2:511). Matthew 12:28. But it is not. Here we will summarize some of the fruits of their labor. Then share them with another Christian or genuine seeker. 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). But Keith Ferrin is noteveryhuman being.. Did your kids give each form of God different personality traits? the one who is not a Christian. The Trinity. Do you need to devote yourself to unselfish religious deeds? John says in the first verse of the book: "The Word was with God, and the Word was God.". 31:3; John 3:16; 1 John 4:8), Righteous (Ps. God is infinite. Scriptural evidence supports every element proving the Trinity. All three members of the Trinity have these characteristics. He is also referred to in third-person singular pronouns (John 14:26), He engages in actions only a person can do: He searches (1 Cor. The apple one is kind of cool. 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 Definition Of The Trinity. Paul unequivocally taught Jesus is God (Col. 2:9). Because ethnicity is part of the good of creation, we seek to honor and celebrate the ethnic identity of those with whom we serve as well as those we seek to reach. Its probably the most classic Trinity object lesson, but its not my favorite. Its a clear and concise explanation that works great for kids. Why is the Trinity important to Christianity? 32:39), Has personal traits, such as the ability to communicate (John 14:31), He has intellect (John 2:25), emotions (John 11:35), and a will (John 6:38), Has intellect (John 14:26; 1 Cor. Third, Christians believe that the entire New Testament is inspired. Why not consider these truths and place your faith in Jesus (1 John 5:1)? 139:711; Jer. For instance: Additionally, all three members of the Trinity participate together in several critical events. Christs resurrection is variously attributed to: Multiple verses distinguish each member of the Trinity. 4:47), In Hebrews (Heb. And the triangle can help us distinguish one essence from the three Persons. Among the worlds religions, the Christian faith is unique. Unsubscribe at any time. But its not a mystery that can or should! 6:45; 32:39; 1 Kings 8:60; 2 Kings 5:15; Isa. Those centuries were t The first commandment says, You shall have no other gods before me (Ex. Or what are the objective characteristics that all triangles share? Each person of the Trinity is equally and fully God, distinct from the others, and yet they remain just one God. In this case, "immanent" means "the action remaining within an agent.". Ask them to draw it on the page. How do they relate? 89:14; John 17:25; Rom. 2:1011; Heb. However, let me highlight some of the most significant passages that confirm monotheism: Are you interested in learning more about the Godhead? God the Father. What is the Trinity? How is God one? Does it look like Grandpa? Our fellowship with God should be enhanced by consciously knowing that we are relating to a tri-personal God! Ive been thinking about it a lot, doing some research to see how people smarter than I have explained the Trinity, and come to a better understanding of the Trinity andhow to explain the Trinity in simpler terms. Most people, including many Christians, struggle trying to apprehend the Trinity. Then study the pronouns used in Scripture point to the Trinity: This one-ness is Gods one divine essence (Heb 1:3). You cant find an earthly match for this concept. 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 fact that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct Persons means, in other words, that the Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is not the Father. 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 fundamental to our worldview. ). 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. know that I recognise only one God. One illustration to beware of is the one which says, I am one person, but I am a student, son, and brother. 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. Because these features make up the singular essence or nature of a triangle. 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. See, each member participated in the creation, the incarnation, and redemption. 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. But that doesn't mean the concept isn't clearly taught. We are referring to two different features of God: (1) his singular essenceor natureand (2) three Persons. Jesus, the Word, was present in Genesis 1. Read about individuals who have been transformed by faith. To this day, this scripture inspires the language we use to baptize people across Christian denominations. Actually, March 17 commemorates St. Patrick's death, actually. The Bible is clear that all three Persons are each one hundred percent God. There are many illustrations which have been offered to help us understand the Trinity. Each person of God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) really IS God. Show them that there are three parts: seeds, flesh, and skin. Most of them are less-than-helpful. In order for something to be contradictory, it must violate the law of noncontradiction. And certainly not if it were a contradiction. 1:18; Luke 1:2635). The Apostle Paul also affirms the doctrine of the Trinity. Leading from values so others will walk passionately with God to grow and bear fruit. Clearly, he appreciated a plurality within the Godhead. But that doesnt mean the concept isnt clearly taught. After all, the Trinity is difficult to understand. 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 . The Holy Spirit is God. 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. 4:30), and a will (1 Cor. Confusing them leads to misunderstanding. 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). It included Jesus miraculous conception in the virgin Mary (John 3:16)an act that we call the incarnation.. Learn to develop your skills, desire and ability to join others on their spiritual journeys and take them closer to Jesus. This is something far removed from our human experience, where every different human "person" is a different being as well. Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! Below is the easiest way that I have ever heard it explained: God the Father is the sun. First, we have God. 3:25; Dan. It's so simple, it fits on one page. 9:18; Matt. Baker Books, 1995, pp. The prologue of the Gospel of John has the strongest argument for the Trinity. Trinity may be a new term for you and can be confusing even for Christians to explain to others. But how does it show us why there is only one God instead of three? 3:16; 2 Pet. For instance, each Person: Scripture often names all three members of the Trinity together. Even wonderful parents have kids who struggle with self esteem, despite excellent parenting and a supportive home environment. Two biblical teachings confirm the doctrine of the Trinity: How is that possible? 2:6), The image of God (John 12:45; 2 Cor. Only older children will grasp the in one concept of H20. 1:2), and empowers us for service (Acts 1:8; 1 Cor. Many non-Christians and new Christians often struggle with the idea of the Holy Trinity, where we break up God into the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. How we seek to journey together with everyone towards a relationship with Jesus. Would you like to give your time to work with Cru? Amen. Go ahead and start with one of the object lessons above. Even then, he was not alone, because he had his Logos within him. All of this information is a lot to take in at once. . OksoWhat about this idea of one being who exists in three persons?. Other references to the Trinity in the New Testament include Matthew 28:19, 1 Corinthians 12:4-5, 2 Corinthians 13:14, 1 Peter 1:2, and more. So God is one what but three whos.. What does it take to begin a relationship with God? What a challenge! The answer hinges on the differences in their unique roles. December 19, 2018. The concept of the Trinity is that we have God in three forms - a union of three. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit do not unite people by neglecting t