Essence means the same thing as being. Thus, since God is only one essence, He is only one being, not three. Now lets dig into these imperfect yet better than nothing representations of the Trinity for kids. 4:4; Col. 1:15), Eternal (John 1:1-3; 17:5; Col. 1:16-17; Jude 25), Omnipresent (Matt. But what does it mean that God is gracious? I recently had some of my kids friends ask meWhat is the Trinity? 3:19; Eph. I am fully human. Often it is objected that If Jesus is God, then he must have prayed to himself while he was on earth. But the answer to this objection lies in simply applying what we have already seen. the one who is not a Christian. To this day, this scripture inspires the language we use to baptize people across Christian denominations. To be even more precise, essence is what you are. Partnering with urban churches to meet physical and spiritual needs. Most Christians are puzzled by the Trinity, and therefore, cant explain it very well. That way were providing a simple, common language and framework for everything else were going to say (or any analogies we use). I'm an author, speaker, husband, father and ice cream lover. 2:1011; Heb. Remember, the nature or essence of an entity is the property or attributes that make it what it is. So many things clamor to define you. In regards to the Trinity, we use the term Person differently than we generally use it in everyday life. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all fully God. Essenceis the objective set of attributes necessary to the thing being described. In other words, you have contradicted yourself if you affirm and deny the same statement. There are three Persons with one divine essence! The Bible teaches that the Father is God, that Jesus is God, and that the Holy Spirit is God. These verses make it impossible to deny their individuality and deity. This doctrine is absolutely essential to New Testament Christianity. It's so simple, it fits on one page. We can be adopted by the Father and united with Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit (John 1:1223; Rom. I work hard to produce evidence-based information about school for both teachers and parents, and to produce and share resources that can help at home and in the classroom. Christ took Gods punishment, and wrath meant for us because of our sins (Heb. That may sound intimidating but dont worry Ill unpack that definition below. In the early 2000s, people began using a new approach called "deep . What we have seen so far provides a good basic understanding of the Trinity. That isGod is three Persons in onethe Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Whether an object is a rock or a triangle, we can classify it based on its objective characteristics. However, the biblical doctrine of the Trinity does not rest on one verse of Scripture, but is found throughout the Old and New Testaments. Now youre gonna tell me theyre all the same but also different? What's the Origin and History of the Trinity in the Church? 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. Second, notice that each Person must be deity because they are all placed on the same level. For example: God the Father is a person. The concept of the Trinity is that we have God in three forms - a union of three. For instance, each Person: Scripture often names all three members of the Trinity together. The prologue of the Gospel of John has the strongest argument for the Trinity. Genesis 1:1says this: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.. Three parts in one, yet all very much an egg. After all, if the trinitarian nature of God is not in the Bible, why bother talking about it at all? The next time you (or I) are asked to explain the Trinity, you could start with a 1-sentence definition and then unpack that definition. 10:57), The Holy Spirit indwells every Christian. And this teaching gives us a glimpse into the incomprehensible greatness of God. However,barais the singular conjugation of the verb. ), "If God was small enough for my brain to fully understand, He wouldnt be big enough to save me!, The authors of the Bible understood this. God is one in a certain way (essence) and three in a different way (person). God the Holy Spirit is the warmth you feel from the sun. This would make each Person less than fully God and thus not God at all. 2. You can help us reach children and their families to know Jesus. 2:8-9), we can become Gods children. It included Jesus miraculous conception in the virgin Mary (John 3:16)an act that we call the incarnation.. This analogy ignores the personal distinctions within God and mitigates them to mere roles. The important difference between complexity and incomprehension: If Christianity was something we were making up, of course, we could make it easier. The The truth is always new, fresh, and exciting to the believer in Christ. The concept of the Trinity. 2:2729). 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. 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. He was sustaining and manifesting Gods immediate presence in his creation. God created man in His image. 2:511). Our fellowship with God should be enhanced by consciously knowing that we are relating to a tri-personal God! Third, we have the Holy Spirit, which is also God, living in our hearts and guiding us through life. Jesus dying on the Cross is one of the most important parts of His story. Matthew 3:16. Learn why He did it and what it means for you. He said, Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one (Mark 12:29). 12:28; Rom. As I said earlier, it means the same thing as being. Now, as Fred Sanders once quipped, this doesn't mean you should begin every witnessing encounter, "God loves you . How to EXPLAIN The Trinity to a New Believer - Introduction to the Godhead In this video I will introduce the godhead or the trinity in one of the easiest te. Through accepting the undeserved gift of salvation (Eph. How can God be both one and three? God the Son is the rays of sunshine. The Trinity was present in the atonement at the cross. Tertullian coined the term Trinity during the second century. Errr, not quite. Each of the persons is distinct from the other in relation (Economic Trinity), yet each is identical in essence (Ontological Trinity). 8:26), comprehends (1 Cor. The Bible is clear that all three Persons are each one hundred percent God. The substance of God is God, not a bunch of ingredients that taken together yield deity. The Holy Spirit isnt like an egg yolk, because the egg yolk is only part of an egg, whereas the Holy Spirit isnt part of God it IS God. There are two men in their 20s who came to faith in Christ in recent weeks through the ministry of our church. The Bible speaks of the Father as God (Phil. 2:17). That is where I go back to the starting point I mentioned above. God is infinitely greater than we are; therefore, we should not expect to be able to fully understand Him. You may feel like you are drinking from a fire hydrant. The Bible is clear that all three Persons are each one hundred percent God. Show them that there are three parts: seeds, flesh, and skin. Being Gods child, we can worship the Father and Jesus through the Spirit (John 4:2324; Phil. I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earthand in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spiritand born of the virgin Mary.He suffered under Pontius Pilate,was crucified, died, and was buried.He descended to the dead.On the third day he rose again.He ascended into heaven,and is seated at the right hand of the Father.He will come again to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit,the holy catholic* Church,the communion of the saints,the forgiveness of sins,the resurrection of the body,and the life everlasting. To help us do that, here are two reasons why the Trinity matters. Confusing them leads to misunderstanding. More posts you may like r/TrueChristian 1. 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. At this stage, your head may be swimming with all this new information about God! There is a clue that the Son is distinct from the Father, yet there is fellowship between them. What we do not mean by Person is an independent individual in the sense that both I and another human are separate, independent individuals who can exist apart from one another. Ask the teenager this question: Where does this fall short? Why not consider these truths and place your faith in Jesus (1 John 5:1)? In fact, kids who have been in church for many years will probably have already heard one of these illustrations. My Starting Point for Trying to Explain the Trinity, The Simplest but Still Clear Explanation for the Trinity, The 3 Most Common Trinity Analogies (and their limitations). This command lists all three persons of the Trinity. But how can finite humans know anything about Gods infinite essence? Some attributes include eternal, infinite, omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. We cannot entirelycomprehendan infinite God and these mysteries (Rom. 7:28; Ps. The Trinity consists of one being revealed in three distinct persons. Here is an object with three parts: a hard shell, the egg white, and the yolk. He is three in Person. 3. Baker Books, 1995, pp. That is because it is the only religion that believes in the Trinity. 31:3; John 3:16; 1 John 4:8), Righteous (Ps. Yet most Christians have difficulty explaining the Trinity clearly and Biblically. 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.. Carrying this concept over to the Trinity, it is not a contradiction for God to be both three and one because He is not three and one in the same way. The Son and Holy Spirit are equal in deity to the Father. Lets go back to the Trinity triangle graphic, and you will see: By now you understand that the three Persons of the Trinity equally share Gods essence. The best way to teach the Trinity to ANYONE who is confused is with an object lesson. 28:20; Col. 3:11), Omnibenevolent (John 13:34; Rom. That is ok when it comes to rocks and triangles. Even then, he was not alone, because he had his Logos within him. This explains how God can be both one and three. The problem with this is that it reflects a heresy called modalism. be explained away. However, let me highlight some of the most significant passages that confirm monotheism: Are you interested in learning more about the Godhead? Obviously we cannot, for Scripture is clear that there is only one God: There is no other God besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides me. Then study the pronouns used in Scripture point to the Trinity: This one-ness is Gods one divine essence (Heb 1:3). 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. 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. "The Trinity is the foundational Christian belief that God is one Being who exists in three Persons.. Answer: Jesus came to lead us into relationship with the Father and that required the sacrifice of his own life because of our rebellion. Admittedly, the idea of three distinct persons/expressions that are each fully God is part of the mystery.