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. Part 2. Each one is fully 100% God. One thing that Ive found helpful is using the Trinity to illustrate truths we know about God. 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* Located in the heart of Quebec's historic district, it is a source of inspiration for visitors from around the world. There have been many attempts to explain the Trinity the relationship between God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. We find it in all four Gospels. Good and Bad Analogies of the Trinity - Answers . Despite its potential obscurity, Trinity Sunday is a great occasion for me to revisit an old article on the Trinity. Unfortunately, most of them actually give us the wrong idea about what the Trinity is. Jesus then becomes a created being and thus less than fully God. The idea that the Trinity can be compared to a shamrock is largely attributed to St. Patrick. Truly, it is a Mystery. I do not have the time or space to exhaustively demonstrate in scripture these truths, but the Biblical witness teaches these three truths consistently about God. 1A) Dave is a son of Graham and Lois Armstrong. The problem with this analogy is that an egg yoke is of a very different substance than a shell. When we separate them we can fall into the error of tritheism, which is the worship of three individual deities as one. The Son is not the Father or the Spirit. What happens when an egg hatches? Some people falsely claim the Trinity is a form of . It is still important that we have some understanding of the concept, however. The past is not the present and the present is not the future, yet all three together is what we call time. Both are one. Each one is fully 100% God. So comparing God to water isnt really as helpful as it seems on the surface. Perhaps youve heard the analogy that the Trinity is like H2O (the molecular symbol for water). Indeed, how can an infinite God be contained in a finite human womb! One popular and simple illustration of the Trinity is the egg. The Trinity is a concept that is impossible for any human being to fully understand, let alone explain. An essential factor lacking from those concepts is the relational quality of God. There are some analogies that come close. So much of what we know about what God does is wrapped up in who He is. God Himself explains why some things are still a mystery: For as heaven is higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:9) Our human minds can never understand all of who God is and how He thinks and acts. ), The Son Phil. The Unseen Father keeps the Father that is seen, alive. 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). Before I even began writing this post, I had an unusual song stuck in my head Holy God, we praise thy name. Examples of these different roles would be: The Incarnation: Only the Son became incarnate, took on flesh. This error denies something central to God that makes Him God. But we cannot do that (assuming we can) with God. The Holy Spirit is Christs spirit in us guiding us into all truth. 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. For instance, we know that God is perfectly loving. In this episode, Fred Sanders discusses what it really means to say that God is a Trinitythree persons in one God. The yolk represents Gods Person, His Being, and His Holiness which generates Light that no man can approach (I Timothy 6:16). The watermelon has a skin, pulp and seeds; the egg is shell, yolk and egg white. If one of the sides were removed, then there would be no equilateral triangle. If you say, "Jesus Christ" then you MAY BE incorrect. But, when it's heated, it turns into a gas (steam) and, when it's frozen, it turns into a solid (ice). The Trinity is foundational and at the heart of our Christian faith. They have a common purpose in making harmonious music, but each note is its own separate entity. Many of these analogies have the best of intentions, but God cannot be described in a way we can fully comprehend or rationalize. 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. 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). Dont you know Jesus? Believing in the above 3 points leads all Christians to acceptance of the doctrine of the Trinity. The Trinity is not 1 + 1 + 1 but more like 1 x 1 x 1. How do we make sense of the Trinity? In reality, I change my role depending on who I am interacting with. This is a bad analogy because it fails at the truth that all three persons comprise the fullness of God. RELATED: The Biblical Principle Of Baptism By Fire. The egg (or apple) fails in that the shell, white, and yolk are parts of the egg, not the egg in themselves, just as the skin, flesh, and seeds of the apple are parts of it, not the apple itself. 3 - The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are distinct persons. Love was not given to Jesus. The Trinity is one of the most foundational doctrines of Christianity. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there you may be also (John14:2, 3). Notice the distinction between persons and being. So cool that God imparted that song in your mind and heart before you even wrote this blog post! Let's use an egg to explain the Holy Trinity! And when the time comes when death is allowed to crack your shell in its final hour and your believing soul is released; the Spirit of God that holds you will carry you in His arms to your heavenly home because In My Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. 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). RELATED: Did Jesus Really Rise From The Dead? God controls that light. 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). There's a simple reason they don't work: The Trinity, as such, isn't like anything in creation. Now if any man has not the Spirit of Christ, he is not His" (Romans 8:9). Dont become discouraged if you cant answer the question to your liking. 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). I dont know how our majestic God feels about being compared to watermelons and eggs, but He is also a loving Father, and like any father, I believe God would seek to provide simple explanations so His little children can understand. We wont find the word Trinity in the Bible, but the concept is shown in many verses. 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. It's impossible to be an Orthodox Christian without professing belief in the Triune nature of God. Which ones have you heard? 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. The Son was begotten by the Father IN ETERNITY, and the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. Here are a few common illustrations: The Egg- One egg has three parts: shell, whites, and yolk. HO may act as water, steam, or ice, but it is still HO. But theres one problem: the water analogy is not the biblical picture of God. He began to play the organ as a chorister in England, before continuing his studies in Qubec and France. I go to prepare a place for you. Yet, the trinity is mysterious. Modalism teaches that one God just changes forms or modes over the course of scripture. Just as water changes forms so too is the trinity. Further, we can label each of the sides. A chicken egg consists of a shell, a yolk, and an egg white, yet it is altogether one egg. 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. Jesus, the Word, was present in Genesis 1. The Father hears their intercessory prayers. Light comes from God. But in the Godhead, each Person is fully and completely God unto Himself (even as they are all one God). Each part of the egg make up only one portion of the wholethe yolk is not the fullness of the egg. RELATED: What Did Jesus Really Look Like? Augustine's typical dialectic is to move from the exterior realities of creation to the interior reality of the human soul where he hoped to encounter God in the image of God, damaged as it is by the fall. To become the people we were always created to be. Now God can be in you by His Spirit! That is a holding pen for final judgment. In one egg you have the white, the yoke, and the shell composing one full egg. The sun comprises the sun itself, its light and its heat. But this view, too, wont do. But this idea is central to the Christian faith. Each PERSON is distinct from one another. Blessings! There are three different cloves that represent the three different persons of the trinity. The apple seed alone is not an apple. To put it simply, "The problem with using analogies to explain the Holy Trinity is that you always end up confessing some ancient heresy." . Your email address will not be published. He got married there in 1965, and his four . In this analogy, God is compared to a man. 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. However, Christians through the ages believe in the Trinity because the truths it represents are taught in the Bible. Among the most popular analogies for the Trinity, two in particular stand out; and most of the others resemble one of them. Yet it appears to be almost entirely misunderstood within contemporary evangelical circles. Shively, This book is now available in a published format for easy sharing and classroom use. If you looked at a single cloverleaf, you wouldnt call it a shamrock. 3:15; John 17:1-4, The Holy Spirit Acts 5:3-4; John 14:16-17, 26; John 16:7-13. It leads to the heresy of MODALISM which teaches that God switches to different modes. Each one is fully 100% God. 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). To return to my Life Group anecdote, after our discussion I asked why does it even matter?. Another analogy that Tim remembers, being Irish Catholic, is the analogy of the shamrock with its three parts. And the Holy Spirit is not the Father or the Son. Now if any man has not the Spirit of Christ, he is not His" (Romans 8:9). Here are 8 Bible Characters Who Should Be More Famous. You can throw away one part of an egg (e.g., shell) and still have essentially an egg. How so? All Rights Reserved. Martyn Iles Removed as Managing Director of Australian Christian Lobby by Board, Seven Types of Rest to Restore Your Body, Mind and Spirit, 8 witnesses testified against Hillsong founder Brian Houston in court case, wife Bobbie reveals, Why you feel guilty for not going to church, Samaritan's Purse sends 52-bed field hospital to Turkey. These hand embroidered emblems are made with metallic gold-plated thread with silver content, printed on canvas. For example, we know that God didnt create humanity because He bored or lonely. This analogy is an invalid comparison to the Trinity and is a heresy called PARTIALISM. We define a person as one having a will and who is distinguishable from another person. Relationship Analogy (Husband/Son/Father) God is like a person with different relationships just as a man can be a Dad, but also someones Son, and also someones Husband. The Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God. They are three in one egg. THE TRUTH IS: The Father, Son, and Spirit are three different persons who are all equally one God. Discover the richness of the old yet living 2,000-year-old religion which built the West. True, we humans are image bearers but nothing in creation serves as an analogy for the Trinity because the Trinity is a doctrine of special (biblical) revelation not nature or reason. For those, like myself, who are not from a highly-liturgical denomination, it may come as a surprise that June 11 was Trinity Sunday. Tritheism denies that there is only one God. His ways are higher than ours, but isnt that a comfort?! To the other major monotheistic faiths (Islam and Judaism), it is rank heresyTrinitarianism is therefore definitional to Christianity. At the Cathedral, we recognize that there are responsibilities that come with . Armstrong. I dont believe that God wishes us to be confused about the Three that are so apparent throughout the Old and New Testaments. It is not important merely for the sake of tradition, or because the word itself is taught in the Bible (the word is not). Therefore, in this context, God is the what and the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are the who. 2A) Dave is a father of four children: three boys and a . But they are one God. Depth isnt the same thing as height and height isnt the same thing as width, yet all three together are what comprise space. 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. 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. If one of the persons were not there, then we would not have God. Some have taken on the task of explaining how Father, Son, and Holy Spirit exist as one. Although he is one he has different roles to different people. This analogy explains that the Father is like the sun. So, I shot down a lot of images that seems to be pretty helpful. This little child cannot look at one without experiencing a profound sense of wonderment and awe. In Jesus is the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9). They've always led to error and have been rejected by the church. Although the water changes forms it is still H2O. 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. Jesus was standing in the Jordan River, His Father speaks from heaven above, and the Holy Spirit descends upon Him as a dove. And for a mere mortal to have dared invent it and be able t. For the Trinity, instead of using the formula 1+1+1, we use 1x1x1. One cannot remove the Holy Spirit and still have the God as taught in the Bible. 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. All these make up one egg just as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit make up one God. La da dee dee dum dum (I couldnt remember the in-between parts). Instead, each person is co-equal, co-powerful and co-eternal. 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. Infinite thy vast domain, everlasting is thy reign.. H2O can only ever be one form at a time. Yet the orthodox view is that each person of the Trinity is fully divine. We all want to experience the good life. Copyright 2023 Christian Today. 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. Jesus, visually seen, judges all, not the Unseen Father. Trinity Egg Analogy . RELATED: What Does The Bible Say About Ghosts? Vestment Emblems. Yeah its definitely a hard thing to understand, let alone explain to little ones ! Lastly, below is a helpful graphical chart explaining the doctrine of the Trinity I found from the Christian blog by Tim Challies found at Challies.com. Common, yes. My name is AnnMarie and I'm so glad you're here! The trinity is like this man. Each separate being is co-equal, co-powerful and co-eternal. 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. The Trinity is distinct in their roles and individuality, but united in their attributes of love, mercy, holiness, knowledge, etc. This is the one I used long ago when trying to explain the Trinity to a group of 1st-5th graders. This view, also known as "modalism", was rejected by the early church. We also know that God didnt create humanity out of loneliness or boredom. It is a miraculous invention, the egg. The Gospel is theperson, work, and message of Jesus Christ that provides salvation to all repentant believers. It only has 1 person acting in three different roles. In contrast to the Ontological Trinity, there is the Economic Trinity. This book is now available in a published format for easy sharing and classroom use. THE TRUTH IS: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are not simply names designating modalities of the divine being, for they are really DISTINCT from one another: He is not the Father who is the Son, nor is the Son he who is the Father, nor is the Holy Spirit he who is the Father or the Son. (CCC 254), 3. In the first place, if we truly claim to love God, then surely we should endeavour to know Him. 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. 2 - The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are each God. The Son intercedes as our High Priest before the Father. The Holy Spirit prays for us. Below is a compilation of the verses that reference all 3 persons of the one God. I go to prepare a place for you. Light comes from God. Here many of the creeds help us in clearly articulating the trinity. The word trinity is not in the Scriptures, but is a word used to describe the three in one God revealed in the Bible. (Describing God as LOVE is my favorite way of understanding the Trinity. Time Analogy God is like time. The Father is fully God; Jesus is fully God and the Holy Spirit is fully God. Few if any have every tried to teach the heresy of Tritheism, but it needs to be mentioned anyway. Misunderstanding 1: The transforming trinity He can even be all three at the same time. We Christians believe it on faith. 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. Devils cannot grab ahold of them to cast them into Satans prison. Yet others have thought that H20 (water) shows us the Trinity since H20 can be three things: solid (ice), liquid (running water) and vapor (steam). 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. Stars were made on the forth day. This is the Christmas paradox. As we examine the scriptural witness we see three truths that make up the doctrine of the trinity. Wow! Although God is transcendent, sovereign, unapproachable light, He has condescended to reveal something of Himself to His creation. 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. Modalism denies the distinction of person in the trinity. THE DISTINCTION AND UNITY of the Trinity is not for us to fully understand because it is a supernatural mystery. Try starting your explanation with a simple definition and then ask for further questions: No one can completely know or understand God. The Holy Spirit prays for us. When we view the egg in its entirety we have the Biblical Trinity, One that is Three. But Hes God too, right? This is a general rule when we study this Mystery using our human weakness since it is absolutely impossible for our human minds to comprehend the Divine. Analogies of the Trinity. Therefore, there is one God, who is eternally present in three persons. Eggs are one, yet comprise yolk, shell and albumen. To the other major monotheistic faiths (Islam and Judaism), it is rank heresyTrinitarianism is therefore definitional to Christianity. Moreover, the yoke and the whites are no longer as they used to be. The Father hears their intercessory prayers. The early church labeled this view "tritheism". Over the course of church history there have been several heresies that have cropped up that deny one of these three truths. Haydn Lea is an Associate Pastor in Queensland, and is currently studying his Master of Arts (Theology). The military would like to have that power. The Latin word for trinity (trinitas) combines two words- unitas (unity) and trias (three). So, in God, there are three distinct persons. 2:5-6; Col. 1:15-17, 2:9; Heb. There are two basic ways that people misunderstand the Trinity: 1. I think the illustration that represents the Trinity most accurately is the egg example. When we look at the egg as an example of the Trinity, we must view it in its entirety. Finally, I would suggest that the mere fact that we cannot understand the full depth of the Trinity (even with our myriad of analogies) has implications. The visual form of God seperated from Jesus on the cross. God is not made up of 3 'parts' like the 3 parts of the egg. 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. So whats one good way to explain what the Trinity is? Here are eight bible characters that you might not know about, but should. What portion of the analogy holds true with Church Teaching? He has been relationally fulfilled within Himself since forever. What is wrong with what I said? He has been a member of the Royal Australian Air Force since 2007, and is now training to be an Air Force Chaplain. Unfortunately, no analogy is perfect. The word Trinity comes from the Latin word trinitas which means tri-unity. is not). St. Augustine, one of the most important Fathers of the Church, wrote a great deal on the doctrine of the Trinity. The word Trinity comes from the Latin word trinitas which means tri-unity. we worship one God in trinity and the trinity in unity,neither blending their personsnor dividing their essence. Jesus is the Holy Spirit that saves us. The problem with this analogy is that no one molecule of H2O can actually exist as solid, liquid, and gas at the same time. Jesus loves us so much that he did not obliterate people who died, with power that set stars in the universe. 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. This analogy is an invalid comparison to the Trinity and is a heresy called PARTIALISM. The problem with this analogy is that it denies the distinction of persons in the God-head. FOR CENTURIES, the Church had fought against heresies on the Trinity. For example, triangles are not the kinds of things that are personal. The God of the Bible is one God. Water can be frozen and is called ice. Memory, Understanding, and Will. The problem with this analogy is that it teaches that God has three components: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Intercession: The Son intercedes as our High Priest before the Father. I'm always interested in ways to encourage you, so feel free to contact me and let me know what areas interest you! 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.

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