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. - well, sort of. Here's a look at six explanations for why so many people truly believe 3 Ways to Experience The Good Life in Jesus. Haydn Lea is an Associate Pastor in Queensland, and is currently studying his Master of Arts (Theology). In using analogies, we need to acknowledge the demerits and limitations of the said analogy. [Solved] Erickson discusses "God's Three-in-Oneness." What are the I and My Father are One (John 10:30). Why is it wrong? Christians believe, then, that only one God exists but this God exists as a unity of three persons: a Trinity. In Biblical Trinitarianism we can never have one without the other because they are one Spirit; each is the totality of the other which means we cannot have the Holy Spirit without the Father and the Son, We will come (into the believer through the Holy Spirit, John 14:23), and we cannot have the Son without The Father whose Holy Spirit is the Spirit of the Father (Matthew 10:20). I write to see memory and language wrestle with reality. Theyve transformed. The Egg Analogy God is like an egg. The Egg- One egg has three parts: shell, whites, and yolk . 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. This analogy actually teaches the heresy of modalism. How would you explain the Trinity if someone asked you right now? When we separate them and view them as individual deities, that is the error of tritheism, which is the worship of three individual gods as one. 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. These things are referred to as the Economic Trinity. Located in the heart of Quebec's historic district, it is a source of inspiration for visitors from around the world. Why All Analogies of the Trinity Fall Short - Joshua's Pen Yet the orthodox view is that each person of the Trinity is fully divine. In other words, God may manifest Himself as the Father, Son, or Holy Spirit. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all (2 Corinthians 13:14). 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). Or what? How to Explain the Holy Trinity to a Child: 3 Important Teaching Tips 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. She would explode!" Yet it appears to be almost entirely misunderstood within contemporary evangelical circles. This is a bad analogy because it fails at the truth that all three persons comprise the fullness of God. Its impossible to be an Orthodox Christian without professing belief in the Triune nature of God. Trinity Egg Analogy . It is the Fathers desire to join His Spirit with all of us as well for He has said They shall be My sons and daughters (II Corinthians 6:18). 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. We can touch the cord, but not the power it is insulating. The Father sends the Son, and both the Father and Son send the Holy Spirit. God is infinitely greater than we are; therefore, we should not expect to be able to fully understand Him. Others compare God to an egg, which is part shell, part white, part yolk. The white of an egg is the connection between the yolk and the shell. The three distinct notes come together to make one beautiful sound. Can you think of some Bible verses to back up your explanation? God does not morph from one person to another, nor does God exist as three separate beings. 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 TRUTH IS: The Father, Son, and Spirit are three different persons who are all equally one God. Among the most popular analogies for the Trinity, two in particular stand out; and most of the others resemble one of them. In one egg you have the white, the yoke, and the shell composing one full egg. So if all of these explanations are heretical, what is a good analogy? When discussing God, especially in regards to his nature, being and persons, a simple statement to articulate the Trinity is: God is 1, *. Here are a couple "usefully flawed" analogies for the Trinity. 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. Part 2. 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. The word God in this sense is defined as a single being, having all divine attributes. So whats one good way to explain what the Trinity is? On a whim, I looked up the lyrics at a later time. This is just as bad as the Water analogy and leads to the same error. The egg white represents Gods Spirit. Only the Son became incarnate, took on flesh. Water can be ice and steam, yet they are the same element. 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). This is a worse analogy than the egg because it is more analogous to the heretical doctrine of Modalism/Oneness than for the Trinity. It leads to the heresy of MODALISM which teaches that God switches to different modes. Three Gods or one? It's impossible to be an Orthodox Christian without professing belief in the Triune nature of God. Modalism teaches that one God just changes forms or modes over the course of scripture. The unseen Father is in Christs mind. For example, I would say, "God is like an egg." Or have you ever tried to teach kids about the Trinity? Space Analogy God is like space. When we separate them we can fall into the error of tritheism, which is the worship of three individual deities as one. 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). 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). Although he is one he has different roles to different people. Both are one. The Holy Trinity Easy as One, Two, Three | by John K Adams 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. Discover the richness of the old yet living 2,000-year-old religion which built the West. Or, we can quote Daniel Webster; a strong Christian- I do not pretend fully to understand the arithmetic of heaven now. . To return to my Life Group anecdote, after our discussion I asked why does it even matter?. In contrast to the Ontological Trinity, there is the Economic Trinity. So cool that God imparted that song in your mind and heart before you even wrote this blog post! 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. Further, we can label each of the sides. Although the water changes forms it is still H2O. Furthermore, this trinity is related to a shamrock, an apple, or an egg. The analogy breaks down because I can simultaneously be a father, husband, and son to any one person. The Trinity is pretty weird: the Father (or Mother), Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit are in some sense distinct from one another, but are all unified in another sense. God is NOT like H2O in that He does not need the right pressure and temperature to exist as three persons. Haydn Lea is an Ordained Minister, and is currently serving as an Air Force Chaplain in Adelaide. They suggest that only one God exists but this God transforms or morphs into each of the different persons. Paul leaves the Corinthians with this blessing in 2 Corinthians 13:14- May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.. My name is AnnMarie and I'm so glad you're here! The Son is like the light rays that visibly reveal the sun, as Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15). This is why Jesus said, He who has seen Me, has seen the Father (John 14:9). If God has existed for all eternity in a perfectly loving Triune relationship, then it shows He is completely self-sufficient and requires no further relationship in order to complete or satisfy Himself. The Unseen Father is in Christs mind. 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). Water can be frozen and is called ice. I bet I havent sung or heard this song in years! One is a musical chord with three notes. Lord of all, we bow before thee. Take a moment and give it a try. 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. Under Arianism Jesus is less than fully God. We wont find the word Trinity in the Bible, but the concept is shown in many verses. This means there is a sense in which all 3 persons may act or speak as one. At the Cathedral, we recognize that there are responsibilities that come with . 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. Trinity Analogies that End Up as Heresies - Medium Explaining the Trinity | Catholic Answers The watermelon has a skin, pulp and seeds; the egg is shell, yolk and egg white. So, the egg analogy doesnt work after all. The 3 Most Common "Trinity Analogies" (and their limitations) The three most common go-to analogies for explaining the Trinity are water, an egg, and the sun. 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.. RELATED: The Biblical Principle Of Baptism By Fire. But this view, too, wont do. It does not represent 3 persons existing simultaneously. For the Trinity, instead of using the formula 1+1+1, we use 1x1x1. Hello busy women! Each one is fully 100% God. God is much bigger than what we can understand yet He is close enough to us so that we can know some things about Him, though not completely and not everything. All Scripture is taken from the NIV version unless otherwise specified, Author Ignace Franz, translated by Clarence A. Walworth. Your email address will not be published. This analogy seems to make a lot of sense, but it actually reinforces a fatal misconception about the Trinity called modalism. 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). It is the Fathers desire to join His Spirit with all of us as well for He has said They shall be My sons and daughters (II Corinthians 6:18). Few topics of discussion in the Christian faith are more confusing than the idea of the Trinity. This is because the H20 is changing forms in representing each person. If water is inadequate, there are a wide array of alternative analogies we can turn to in modern theological parlance. and Holy Spirit are only parts of God (egg and sun). But the Father is not the Son or the Spirit. 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. . This is the Christmas paradox. This analogy denies the unity of the God-head. . Every kid in Sunday school thinks he knows all about God. A man might be a father to his children, a husband to his wife, and son to his parents. All of the above Bad Analogies would perhaps do more harm than good if used in explaining the Trinity. I and My Father are One (John 10:30). Now, as youve probably guessed, this analogy also breaks down. He got married there in 1965, and his four . We believe in only one true God in all existence, in all places, at all times. Yeah its definitely a hard thing to understand, let alone explain to little ones ! From time to time, Doctors of the Church used analogies, but with care. Here are 8 Bible Characters Who Should Be More Famous. Sure enough, one member answered Well Ive heard that the Trinity is like water: water can be liquid, gas (steam), or solid (ice), but its still the same water. For sure, our everyday experience does not include using our finite minds to understand the infinite! 2 - The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are each God. Some people think that H2O cannot exist in all three states simultaneously but that is not true. Some think of God as H 2 O, which is sometimes a solid (ice), sometimes a liquid (water), and sometimes a gas (steam). If one of the sides were removed, then there would be no equilateral triangle. The Holy Trinity, one of the five Dogmas of the Church, is an extraordinary and unfathomable mystery. It taught there is one nature in God, and that there are two processions, three persons, and four relations that constitute the Blessed Trinity. God does not play three roles.. 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 Father is fully God; Jesus is fully God and the Holy Spirit is fully God. Infinite thy vast domain, everlasting is thy reign.. To become the people we were always created to be. Admittedly, the idea of three distinct persons/expressions that are each fully God is part of the mystery. The Son intercedes as our High Priest before the Father. H2O is a combination of two particles (atoms) of hydrogen and one particle of oxygen and this compound can exist as water (liquid), ice (solid) and vapour (gas). Therefore, there is one God, who is eternally present in three persons. In part one, we looked at what the Bible has to say about the Trinity. The above picture is a famous work of art by Andrei Rubilev, the great medieval Russian painter of Orthodox icons and frescos. Church Adornments & Worship: Vestment Emblems - Monastery Icons Scripture however, doesnt depict God this way. But having lots 6 Bible Study Tools To Help You Dive Deeper. See the depths of Catholicism for yourself! in which all 3 persons may act or speak as one. That is heaven in a person. However, it breaks down on the level of equality: No one keeps or eats the shell of an egg. , 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you., For further reading on the Trinity, I would recommend James Whites, Lastly, below is a helpful graphical chart explaining the doctrine of the Trinity I found from the Christian blog by Tim Challies. Share your thoughts with us in the comments! Basic mathematics tells us that 1x1x1 = 1.. They say that three separate beings exist 2. In reality, I change my role depending on who I am interacting with. Sending of another: The Father sends the Son, and both the Father and Son send the Holy Spirit. Is He Jesus side-kick? In the second instance, the truth of Gods Trinity reveals a further aspect of Gods love for His people. The Egg Analogy - This claims to be a good representation of the Trinity because Eggs have three distinct parts: the shell, the yolk, and the whites. That fire keeps devils away from the saved. 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. What is H2O? This is the error of Arianism (not to be confused with Aryanism, which is also bad). 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. His being is somewhat of a mystery to us. 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.