It is so important that to deny the trinity is to deny Christianity. The Latin word for trinity (trinitas) combines two words- unitas (unity) and trias (three). We can touch the cord, but not the power it is insulating. Wow! The Son "proceeds" from the Father, and the Holy Spirit "proceeds from the Father and the Son.". 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. Three Gods or one? But common sense is intuition based on day-to-day experience. Unfortunately, most of them actually give us the wrong idea about what the Trinity is. Jesus isn't a demigod or partially god. Infinite thy vast domain, everlasting is thy reign.. However, it breaks down on the level of equality: No one keeps or eats the shell of an egg. The yolk represents Gods Person, His Being, and His Holiness which generates Light that no man can approach (I Timothy 6:16). Water can be frozen and is called ice. Each one is fully God. Stars were made on the froth day. In one of his sermons, he wrestled with the passage in Scripture recounting Jesus' Baptism. Over the course of church history there have been several heresies that have cropped up that deny one of these three truths. The egg shell is the image of the yolk and the white. We believe in only one true God in all existence, in all places, at all times. God is like an egg in that He is 3-in-1 God the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ) and the Holy Spirit. He is one God in three persons, all at the same time. One sits on the throne looking like Sardine and Jasper stone. But thats not how they understood it. The idea that the Trinity can be compared to a shamrock is largely attributed to St. Patrick. So cool that God imparted that song in your mind and heart before you even wrote this blog post! He differs from the Father, but was and still is God. The water analogy of the Trinity follows this line of reasoning: water can be a solid (ice/frozen water), liquid, and gas (water vapor), and yet all three forms are still water (H 2 O), and likewise, God manifests Himself in 3 different ways in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. This is perhaps the most common analogy for the Trinity. The Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God. Haydn describes himself as a five-point Calvinist, but he recognises that many faithful Christians disagree. The early church labeled this view "tritheism". How can we explain what it means to have three persons in one being? My intention is merely to address some common erroneous analogies, including water. Although God is transcendent, sovereign, unapproachable light, He has condescended to reveal something of Himself to His creation. The Trinity is foundational and at the heart of our Christian faith. The three distinct notes come together to make one beautiful sound. Through the brokenness of the Shell, His Son, the Spirit white pours out into our beings through our faith in what was done and believers are joined with the yolk, for it is by One Spirit we have access to God the Father (Ephesians 2:18). 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. 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. The problem with this analogy is that an egg yoke is of a very different substance than a shell. The Holy Spirit and Son do not send the Father. It is not existing as 3 different parts (persons) at the same time. We recommend you adhere these emblems to your vestments by mounting on the material with fabric glue and then stitching them . 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). While each person is distinct, they are never separate from one another. Our words should dissipate and be replaced instead with an awestruck adoration and wonder, as we realise the only appropriate response is to fall to our knees and humbly worship the one truly perfect, unified divine essence, comprising three diverse, co-equal and co-eternal divine persons. If you say, "Jesus Christ" then you MAY BE incorrect. In other words, God may manifest Himself as the Father, Son, or Holy Spirit. So while its tough to make sense of the Trinity, the Trinity actually helps us make sense of so many things we believe. In an attempt to explain the Trinity, there are some bad examples people use, and some better ones. Our limited intellects are unable to comprehend its reality, yet, our Scriptures and scholarly Tradition makes it known to us. In the same way, there is a God Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.. So, in God, there are three distinct persons. The trinity is like water. The Father hears their intercessory prayers. Its hard to explain! Unfortunately, Arianism is still around and can found within the Jehovah's Witnesses teachings. 1. For example, triangles are not the kinds of things that are personal. I and My Father are One (John 10:30). In the second instance, the truth of Gods Trinity reveals a further aspect of Gods love for His people. 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 . H2O can exist in three forms: liquid, gas and solid. But its all the same person, operating in three roles or functions. Jesus is in the form of the Holy Spirit. This is a place to find encouragement and hope from God's Word as you move through your busy life. Cool it down, and itll eventually freeze into a solid. See the depths of Catholicism for yourself! Yet, as we view the pages of the Bible, we see that God is a personal and relational God. Every kid in Sunday school thinks he knows all about God. The problem with this analogy is that it teaches that God has three components: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. For example, we know that God didnt create humanity because He bored or lonely. Matthew 3:16-17- As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water. The Trinity are three distinct persons who exist apart from each other. Truly, it is a Mystery. John 17). Or what? It became real to me because I have experienced His love, grace, guidance, redemption, conviction of sin, and fellowship that comes from Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God is not made up of 3 'parts' like the 3 parts of the egg. Theyve transformed. 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). The Holy Spirit is the shell, Jesus is the egg white, and the Father is the egg yolk. But in the Godhead, each Person is fully and completely God unto Himself (even as they are all one God). A, distinguishes himself from others by saying me, mine, you, yours, etc. A. is the whole nature or essence of something. 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. Afterall, we can get rid of a few of its parts - for instance the shell - and still scramble an egg. For since light is always in existence, it is manifest that its brightness also exists, because light is perceived to exist from the fact that it shines, and it is impossible that light should not shine. To help you out, here is a comical and silly video that teaches about these bad analogies. They have a common purpose in making harmonious music, but each note is its own separate entity. The problem here is it describes each part of the Trinity as 1/3 parts of the overall egg. Father, Son, and Spirit are each fully God (their own egg)- not fractions of one. Sadly, theres something "rotten" about this egg analogy. The trinity is like this man. Can you think of some Bible verses to back up your explanation? God does not just change forms but exists as three persons in unity. Modalism teaches that the trinity is not three distinct persons, but just different modes that God reveals himself to human beings. copyright 2009 by H.D. I dont believe that God wishes us to be confused about the Three that are so apparent throughout the Old and New Testaments. We define a person as one having a will and who is distinguishable from another person. Im giving God the credit for stirring this memory, and am extremely grateful. Space consists of three things: height, width, and depth. The egg white represents Gods Spirit. In the Scripture we see "the fullness of God was pleased to dwell" (Col 1:9). Through the brokenness of the Shell, His Son, the Spirit white pours out into our beings through our faith in what was done and believers are joined with the yolk, for it is by One Spirit we have access to God the Father (Ephesians 2:18). She would explode!" But you cannot be broken when your faith is in Jesus, for the Spirit of the Son that lives in us and gives us the voice through which we cry Abba, Father, (Galatians 4:6,) this Spirit of the Father that dwells within you is there to strengthen, protect and guard your person. 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. . Here are 8 Bible Characters Who Should Be More Famous. Rather, He created us in order to bless us. Jesus was standing in the Jordan River, His Father speaks from heaven above, and the Holy Spirit descends upon Him as a dove. Jonathon serves as a lay pastor at Gospel Life Church in New Braunfels, TX and currently works as the IT Manager for a non-profit ministry. What is H2O? The doctrine of the Trinity tells us that there's ONE GOD who is THREE distinct PERSONS existing as a community of self-giving and loving relationships with each other. In Jesus is the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9). The Father is fully God; Jesus is fully God and the Holy Spirit is fully God. Genesis 1:26- Let us make man in our image, in our likeness The plural us and our show more than one person was involved. The Trinity is established by 3 Biblical truths, . Share your thoughts with us in the comments! Why is it wrong? We can always rebut these claims with another equation: 1 x 1 x 1=1. Each separate being is co-equal, co-powerful and co-eternal. 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. I go to prepare a place for you. 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. Examples of these different roles would be: The Incarnation: Only the Son became incarnate, took on flesh. Before we look at a few bad analogies that many often use to try to illustrate the trinity, we need to first understand the doctrine itself. There are two basic ways that people misunderstand the Trinity: 1. The Church should not forget that these heresies still exist in the present day and is even being taught by some priests and catechists. My name is AnnMarie and I'm so glad you're here! Christians believe, then, that only one God exists but this God exists as a unity of three persons: a Trinity. So, the egg analogy doesnt work after all. 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. Deuteronomy 6:4- Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. This verse is also the beginning of the Jewish Shema prayer; their confession of faith. Another wrong illustration is using ourselves: I am one person, but also a wife, mother, and writer. He is one God who expresses Himself in three modesFather, Son, and Spirit. Modalism denies the distinction of person in the trinity. Jesus is fully God. This little child cannot look at one without experiencing a profound sense of wonderment and awe. Each side is co-equal with the others, yet, each side is necessary. He has been a member of the Royal Australian Air Force since 2007, and is now training to be an Air Force Chaplain. Father, Son, Holy Sprit : 3 persons, 1 great relationship, Copyright 2023 Fervr | Terms of Service. His being is somewhat of a mystery to us. When we use analogies, we need to indicate these things so as to not lead to heresies, A Catholic and Filipino writer interested in theology, philosophy, liturgy, politics, and law. The Unseen Father is in Christs mind. Celebrating Easter Is About so Much More Than One Hour on Sunday. The term Economic refers to the roles, functions, and relationships that exist within the Trinity. If you looked at a single cloverleaf, you wouldnt call it a shamrock. Modernizations of this analogy include that of an apple (with the peel, the flesh, and the core) or an egg (with its shell, yoke, and white). The egg shell is the image of the yolk and the white. That helps explain the concept quite well- the oneness, unity of God with the distinct three persons of God- Father, Son, and Spirit. But this idea is central to the Christian faith. 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. In the first place, if we truly claim to love God, then surely we should endeavour to know Him. But remember, it is much better to let Scripture teach the 3 points above which establish the doctrine of the Trinity than to rely on analogies. Its all one person, simply functioning in three different roles. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Under Arianism Jesus is less than fully God. If the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three separate beings, then its not really clear how someone can say that God is one or that only one God exists. The shortfall of this illustration, and others like it, is that God cannot be divided into "parts." Yet, the trinity is mysterious. 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.
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