This is a bad analogy because it fails at the truth that all three persons comprise the fullness of God. and Holy Spirit are only parts of God (egg and sun). None of the 3 are less divine than the others. I never thought about it in that way some of these examples Ive never heard of. It does not represent 3 persons existing simultaneously. The Father is fully God; Jesus is fully God and the Holy Spirit is fully God. Despite its potential obscurity, Trinity Sunday is a great occasion for me to revisit an old article on the Trinity. 1B) This son of Graham and Lois Armstrong is Dave. Jesus loves us so much that he did not obliterate people who died, with power that set stars in the universe. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,, , Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. The very definition of the heresy known as Modalism/Oneness is that there is one person existing in three different modes or manifestations. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength (1 Corinthians 1:25). The term Economic refers to the roles, functions, and relationships that exist within the Trinity. Does that make sense? But while this idea is central to the Christian faith, it is also incredibly mysterious to us. Some people have suggested using an egg to explain how God can be both one and three. Check out verse four: Holy Author, Holy Word, Holy Spirit, three we name thee; Still, one holy voice is heard; undivided God, we claim thee, and adoring bend the knee, while we own the mystery. . I think the illustration that represents the Trinity most accurately is the egg example. 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. Every kid in Sunday school thinks he knows all about God. Each person is fully the one God, but is also distinct. Light comes from God. No analogy is perfect, but we want to be careful of using wrong ones that may confuse people. God is like an egg in that He is 3-in-1 God the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ) and the Holy Spirit. THE TRUTH IS: The Father, Son, and Spirit are three different persons who are all equally one God. we worship one God in trinity and the trinity in unity,neither blending their personsnor dividing their essence. Im giving God the credit for stirring this memory, and am extremely grateful. We have the creeds for just that reason. Learn how your comment data is processed. But we cannot do that (assuming we can) with God. The Unseen Father keeps the Father that is seen, alive. It should bring us to realise that we truly are finite creatures standing before a sovereign, transcendent, divine mystery. Proof texting is when we cite a bunch of bible verses to support a theological stance. 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 Trinity is foundational and at the heart of our Christian faith. The Holy Spirit prays for us. 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. copyright 2009 by H.D. 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). Therefore, in this context, God is the what and the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are the who. To the other major monotheistic faiths (Islam and Judaism), it is rank heresyTrinitarianism is therefore definitional to Christianity. Similarly, in our aquatic analogy, water can appear in three different modes, depending on the environment, but the three are not co-existing. This little child cannot look at one without experiencing a profound sense of wonderment and awe. Since these bad analogies tend to lead to a heresy, we will examine the main three areas of heresy concerning the trinity. The Holy Trinity, one of the five Dogmas of the Church, is an extraordinary and unfathomable mystery. But the Father is not the Son or the Spirit. How can we ever explain our Most High, exalted, powerful, uncontainable, and most glorious God? A certain YouTube page created a famous video titled "St. Patrick's Bad Analogies" (which can be found here), in which the historic St. Patrick meets charming villagers who deride him based on the analogies which he uses in the process of explaining the Holy Trinity. (It is also why the Jews had an issue with Jesus calling Himself God.). Son and Holy Ghost are each fully God. It falls into the heresy of tri-theism. Water can be ice and steam, yet they are the same element. Somewhere in the recesses of my mind lived the doctrinal truth about the Trinity. The idea of God as three-in-one is indeed a mysterious concept, one that is difficult to understand. The Bible reveals that each person of the Trinity has unique roles, relationships, and functions which are distinct from one another. Its a very common explanation within the church to try to explain how God, who clearly exhorts His followers to preserve His supreme oneness (Deuteronomy chapter 6 verse 4), could also be identified with Jesus (Titus chapter 2 verse 13), and the Holy Spirit (Acts chapter 5 verses 3-4). This analogy seems to make a lot of sense, but it actually reinforces a fatal misconception about the Trinity called modalism. What portion is erroneous? The white of an egg is the connection between the yolk and the shell. Some people think that H2O cannot exist in all three states simultaneously but that is not true. Some people falsely claim the Trinity is a form of . 2A) Dave is a father of four children: three boys and a . 3 - The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are distinct persons. Part 2. Yet God lovingly chose to create and eventually redeem us anyway (both thoroughly Trinitarian acts), at great cost to Himself. If you say, "water" then you are incorrect. Jesus, visually seen, judges all, not the Unseen Father. THE TRUTH IS: From the very beginning, the Blessed Trinity Father, Son, and Spirit was there. The Trinity is one of the most foundational doctrines of Christianity. When we view the egg in its entirety we have the Biblical Trinity, One that is Three. 1. Surely this is a better understanding of the water analogy! One thing that Ive found helpful is using the Trinity to illustrate truths we know about God. He is married to Shamsa Lea, is the father of Amira, and loves running, boxing and studying history and theology. So much of what we know about what God does is wrapped up in who He is. It leads to the heresy of MODALISM which teaches that God switches to different modes. But common sense is intuition based on day-to-day experience. We believe that it is a revelation that comes from Christ Himself. In other words, this view denies Gods oneness. So when God created us and revealed Himself to us, what He did was to invite us into the perfect goodness He has always known within Himself. The egg analogy is very simple but it is OK to show something as simple as an egg can be one and yet three. This analogy actually teaches the heresy of modalism. It is still important that we have some understanding of the concept, however. The Trinity is distinct in their roles and individuality, but united in their attributes of love, mercy, holiness, knowledge, etc. If we separate them we still may have God the Egg yolk, God the Holy Spirit Egg white and God the Son, the Egg shell/image, three individual parts of an Egg, but they cannot be a Trinity, or tri-unity unless they are unified and are seen as one Egg, so to speak. The Egg and I - Part Two Thanks, Ann! The problem with this analogy is that it also leads to the heresy of MODALISM. Examples of these different roles would be: The Incarnation: Only the Son became incarnate, took on flesh. The problem with this analogy is that an egg yoke is of a very different substance than a shell. They say that three separate beings exist, 2. The teaching of the trinity is clearly taught in Scripture and must be preserved as such. Bach, and has released two previous CDs, one . He cares for his creation and his people. This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. I think the analogy of the Sun works well. In reality, I change my role depending on who I am interacting with. In trying to describe what they saw in the pages of the Bible, the early church decided to use the word person to describe the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 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 past is not the present and the present is not the future, yet all three together is what we call time. I go to prepare a place for you. But it cant be that way with God. What happens when an egg hatches? The egg analogy fails because it denies that each person of the Trinity is of the same eternal essence. What is wrong with what I said? They that dont have the Holy Spirit in them will talk like the Adversary. The scientific analogy that will be provided in a few moments is truly inadequate to describe the Holy Trinity. The Trinity are three distinct persons who exist apart from each other. But based on what you know that Jesus is born so that He can save people from their wrongdoings, will you trust Him to forgive you. Each separate being is co-equal, co-powerful and co-eternal. 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. Misunderstanding 1: The transforming trinity The problem with this analogy is that it denies the distinction of persons in the God-head. Intercession: The Son intercedes as our High Priest before the Father. The Trinity is established by 3 Biblical truths, . I believe that the best way to talk about the Trinity is to simply say that God is one God, who eternally exists in three Persons. 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. The shortfall of this illustration, and others like it, is that God cannot be divided into "parts." Jesus Person is joined to the Father by the Fathers Holy Spirit, because Gods Spirit is also Jesus Spirit - "But you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if the Spirit of God dwells in you. We came up with several practical implications of this doctrine. God does not play three roles.. Yeah its definitely a hard thing to understand, let alone explain to little ones ! In the same way, water is all the same molecular structure, expressing itself in three different modes. The problem with this analogy is that it would imply that there is only one Divine Person, who eventually multiplied Himself. The trinity is a mystery that cannot be fully comprehended. 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. This little child cannot look at one without experiencing a profound sense of wonderment and awe. If the sun exists, there is also day; if nothing of this be manifest, it is impossible that the sun should be there. Christians believe, then, that only one God exists but this God exists as a unity of three persons: a Trinity. What makes it hard is that all of our analogies and metaphors fall short of capturing what the Trinity actually is. Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. The unity or oneness of God is also found in the Bible. 7But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christs gift., , according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, that you may obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in fullest measure., , But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith; praying in the Holy Spirit; 21keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.. 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. The word Trinity comes from the Latin word trinitas which means tri-unity. But this idea is central to the Christian faith. show me your glory. It does not imply Jesus was created if you emphasize that the Sun existed from eternity past. ), The Son Phil. Lost will be burned up. There's a simple reason they don't work: The Trinity, as such, isn't like anything in creation. In the second instance, the truth of Gods Trinity reveals a further aspect of Gods love for His people. Modalism, or Sabellianism, denies the three distinct Persons of the Trinity and claims that God is one Person who appears in different modes at different timesin the Old Testament He appeared as the Father, in the Gospels He appeared as the Son, and from Pentecost onwards He appears as the Holy Spirit. This view, also known as "modalism", was rejected by the early church. God does not just change forms but exists as three persons in unity. However, in some instances, the use of carefully chosen analogies may be of help for some of our brethren in learning the teachings of the Church. And a voice from heaven said, This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. God the Father spoke from heaven and spoke of His Son, Jesus. So, part of understanding the Trinity is realizing that God is personal and relational. Among the most popular analogies for the Trinity, two in particular stand out; and most of the others resemble one of them. Yet there is still only one God we serve. 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). Ontological means the nature or essence of something. But its all water. The egg example, while not perfect or complete by any means, will still give us a basic understanding of the primary principle of Biblical Trinitarianism. The problem with this analogy is that no one molecule of H2O can actually exist as solid, liquid, and gas at the same time. Each one is fully 100% God. The Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, constructed between 1800 and 1804, is the first Anglican cathedral to have been built outside the British Isles. When discussing God, especially in regards to his nature, being and persons, a simple statement to articulate the Trinity is: God is 1, *. I go to prepare a place for you. Dont become discouraged if you cant answer the question to your liking. A good follow up verse to help explain is the baptism of Jesus. The Holy Spirit is Christs spirit in us guiding us into all truth. God is not made up of 3 parts like the 3 parts of the egg. I dont believe that God wishes us to be confused about the Three that are so apparent throughout the Old and New Testaments. There is one GOD in three persons (Father, Son, Holy Spirit), 2. The Trinity is not 1 + 1 + 1 but more like 1 x 1 x 1. He wondered how it was possible that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit could be inseparable, while, in . I can only shake my head when He does these things! Water Analogy - God is like water, or H2O, which can exist in 3 forms. What is the Trinity? 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* They suggest that only one God exists but this God transforms or morphs into each of the different persons Let's begin with the second view. We can say that the first is egg the shell, the second is egg the albumen and the third is egg the yoke. Why is it wrong? Here are 8 Bible Characters Who Should Be More Famous. He is one God in three persons, all at the same time. Also, the egg is made up of three distinct and unalike parts. We Christians believe it on faith. However, it breaks down on the level of equality: No one keeps or eats the shell of an egg. Father, Son, Holy Sprit : 3 persons, 1 great relationship, Copyright 2023 Fervr | Terms of Service. Yet, as we view the pages of the Bible, we see that God is a personal and relational God. Celebrating Easter Is About so Much More Than One Hour on Sunday. There is only one egg with three different parts. The Bible teaches three truths: 1 - there is one God. Because God is utterly unique, all comparisons will fail at some point. They've always led to error and have been rejected by the church. The trinity is Like a man who is a father, husband, and son. For instance at the baptism of Christ, the Father, Son and Spirit are all distinctly present and interacting (Matthew chapter 3 verses 16-17). The Holy Spirit and Son do not send the Father. When we view the egg in its entirety we have the Biblical Trinity, One that is Three. Similarly, light and heat are simply creations of the sun, yet it is the heresy of Arianism to claim that the Son or Spirit are mere creations of the Father. When we tend to make an analogy about the trinity we are forced to diminish one of the three trinitarian truths in order to make the analogy work. ORDER from Barnes and NobleAmazon.com or wherever fine books are soldISBN-13: 978-1978167643Return to Cafe Logos Homepage | Bite-Sized Bible Bites. 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. So comparing God to water isnt really as helpful as it seems on the surface. What is H2O? Therefore, we would rightly say, within the Ontological Trinity, there is no variation or distinction made. Many of us would use analogies to explain the Trinity. There are, however, some that work better than others. But this view, too, wont do. God controls that light. Although God is transcendent, sovereign, unapproachable light, He has condescended to reveal something of Himself to His creation. The idea that the Trinity can be compared to a shamrock is largely attributed to St. Patrick. 5And there are varieties of ministries and the same Lord. He was with God in the beginning. Revelation 4:3And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. That would not be had God be three persons. They are three in one egg. The shell, while important, is no longer needed. Modalism denies the distinction of person in the trinity. Well, the egg analogy, when applied to God, suggests that only one being exists but this being exists in three different parts. Its downright hard to understand. Time exists as 3 things: past, present, and future. There are two basic ways that people misunderstand the Trinity: 1. Likewise we cannot have the Father or His Spirit without the Son I am the Way the Truth and the Life, no one comes to the Father except by Me- John 14:6. Though I find the video to be hilarious and often . 2. Who is God? 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? The Father hears their intercessory prayers. He explains why the doctrine of the Trinity is essential to the gospel even if it seems abstract or confusing, highlights why all analogies and metaphors are of limited value when thinking about the Godhead, and responds to the . Each one is fully 100% God. Yet we do not have three gods but ONE God. My intention is merely to address some common erroneous analogies, including water. 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). 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. Its all one person, simply functioning in three different roles. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Now that we know the doctrine of the trinity and its corresponding major heresies, now we are ready to look at some bad analogies for the trinity. He differs from the Father, but was and still is God. Explaining the Holy Trinity. That helps explain the concept quite well- the oneness, unity of God with the distinct three persons of God- Father, Son, and Spirit. 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. At times God is Father, or Son, or Holy Spirit. Analogies that we present would always be insufficient as none of them would equate to the incomprehensible beauty of God. Jesus Person is the image of Gods Person (Hebrews 1:3), and the Invisible Spirit of the Father that is in Him - God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself (II Corinthians 5:19). What does that really mean? 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). Water has three states: solid, liquid, and gas. So cool that God imparted that song in your mind and heart before you even wrote this blog post! It is the Central Mystery of our Christian faith. When we look at the egg as an example of the Trinity, we must view it in its entirety. The Bible teaches that the Father is God, that Jesus is God, and that the Holy Spirit is God. A good example would be an electrical cord. An egg is made up of shell, white and yolk. The Trinity is like an egg. PART OF A WHOLE. 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. Thus, the Father Himself is not God, nor is the Son, nor is the Holy Spirit, but combining the three, there is one God. Below is a compilation of the verses that reference all 3 persons of the one God. The egg shell is the image of the yolk and the white. is not). The Father hears their intercessory prayers. Discover the richness of the old yet living 2,000-year-old religion which built the West. God has revealed some mysteries from the Old Testament in the New Testament (the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the coming of the Messiah, salvation by grace through faith, etc.) Each of the divine persons is GOD WHOLE AND ENTIRE, and there is one God. 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). Jesus is in the form of the Holy Spirit. So if all of these explanations are heretical, what is a good analogy? 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? The Trinity is a tri-unity, a unity of Three, - God the Father, Jesus, the Son of God and the Holy Spirit. Holy Trinity, the downtown Greek Orthodox church that was partially destroyed by fire 11 years ago, was a special place for 57-year-old Georgiou. Some have taken on the task of explaining how Father, Son, and Holy Spirit exist as one. However, Christians through the ages believe in the Trinity because the truths it represents are taught in the Bible. Devils cannot grab ahold of them to cast them into Satans prison. Only the Son became incarnate, took on flesh. The idea that the Trinity can be compared to a shamrock is largely attributed to St. Patrick. But Hes God too, right? You can throw away one part of an egg (e.g., shell) and still have essentially an egg. RELATED: What Did Jesus Really Look Like? H2O can only ever be one form at a time. The following verses attest to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). Truly, it is a Mystery. Although he is one man who is simultaneously a husband, a father, and a student, he would consider it Modalism to suggest that this is a good Trinitarian analogy. httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQLfgaUoQCw. Youre right, theyre all good but not perfect because only God IS perfect. Is He Jesus side-kick? Armstrong. Like modalism, the "three beings" view was rejected by the early church. The Son intercedes as our High Priest before the Father. Space Analogy God is like space. The word God in this sense is defined as a single being, having all divine attributes. He has been relationally fulfilled within Himself since forever. 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). 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. The Trinity is a tri-unity, a unity of Three, - God the Father, Jesus, the Son of God and the Holy Spirit. I dont believe that God wishes us to be confused about the Three that are so apparent throughout the Old and New Testaments. Understanding 1 Corinthians 14:34-35. This is a place to find encouragement and hope from God's Word as you move through your busy life. God is not made up of 3 'parts' like the 3 parts of the egg. If you only had an apple core, you wouldnt pack it in your lunch. The more I reflect on Easter, the more Ive realized how much its become a consumeristic holidayeven Did Jesus really rise from the dead? The Latin word for trinity (trinitas) combines two words- unitas (unity) and trias (three). Here many of the creeds help us in clearly articulating the trinity. This analogy denies the unity of the God-head. Each one is fully God. The military would end up destroying themselves. Vestment Emblems. This is just as bad as the Water analogy and leads to the same error. We also know that God didnt create humanity out of loneliness or boredom. Before I even began writing this post, I had an unusual song stuck in my head Holy God, we praise thy name. In the Scripture we see "the fullness of God was pleased to dwell" (Col 1:9). Now were going to look at how some people often misunderstand the Trinity. There have been many attempts to explain the Trinity the relationship between God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Modalism teaches that one God just changes forms or modes over the course of scripture. Haydn Lea is an Associate Pastor in Queensland, and is currently studying his Master of Arts (Theology). Before moving on I should note that providing a full theological explanation of Trinitarian doctrine is well beyond the scope of what I can do here. Your email address will not be published. The Holy Spirit prays for us. The yolk represents Gods Person, His Being, and His Holiness which generates Light that no man can approach (I Timothy 6:16). Jesus is the Holy Spirit that saves us. 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. The trinity is like this man. The Sun was created on the forth day. The doctrine of the Trinity is one of the primary tenants of the Christian faith. This is why Jesus said, He who has seen Me, has seen the Father (John 14:9). Haydn describes himself as a five-point Calvinist, but he recognises that many faithful Christians disagree. This may be my favorite verse of them all. Just as water changes forms so too is the trinity. Can you think of some Bible verses to back up your explanation? This analogy actually falls prey to the same error of modalism. And let us once more come to illustrations. We believe in only one true God in all existence, in all places, at all times. Each PERSON is distinct from one another. Take a moment and give it a try. This is perhaps the most common analogy for the Trinity. If then the sun were eternal, the day would never end; but now, for such is not really the state of the case, the day begins with the beginning of the sun, and ends with its ending. The Father is fully God; Jesus is fully God and the Holy Spirit is fully God. He completed a doctorate in 1990, looking at the question of harmonic rhythm in the organ music of J.S. Here's a look at six explanations for why so many people truly believe 3 Ways to Experience The Good Life in Jesus. Water can be ice and steam, yet they are the same element. Some have used examples such as water, watermelons and eggs; the principle behind those illustrations is that even though each thing is one, it is also three. We all want to experience the good life. show me your glory. Jesus is the Holy Spirit that saves us. God created us for community, since God is communal and we were created in His image. Your email address will not be published. Which ones have you heard? 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! The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are each called Jehovah (or Spirit of Jehovah), given divine attributes, and are distinguished from one another. Arius was condemned by the council of Nicea in 325 AD. The Holy Spirit and Son do not send the Father. On a whim, I looked up the lyrics at a later time.
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