Now were going to look at how some people often misunderstand the Trinity. Many of these analogies have the best of intentions, but God cannot be described in a way we can fully comprehend or rationalize. Shively, This book is now available in a published format for easy sharing and classroom use. Some who deny the Trinity claim 1+1+1=3, and therefore claim we worship three Gods. These three Persons are all equally God and all equally Persons. It does not represent 3 persons existing simultaneously. The Father sends the Son, and both the Father and Son send the Holy Spirit. When discussing God, especially in regards to his nature, being and persons, a simple statement to articulate the Trinity is: God is 1 what and 3 whos*. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are each called Jehovah (or Spirit of Jehovah), given divine attributes, and are distinguished from one another. I know in the past Ive used analogies that werent the best (more on those later.) If youre interested into diving deeper into the topic of the Trinity, here are some valuable resources that could help. Depth isnt the same thing as height and height isnt the same thing as width, yet all three together are what comprise space. Basic mathematics tells us that 1x1x1 = 1.. The apple seed alone is not an apple. 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). The shortfall of this illustration, and others like it, is that God cannot be divided into "parts." What portion of the analogy holds true with Church Teaching? The Council's definitions concerning the Trinity are really as easy as one, two, three four. 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. The egg shell is the image of the yolk and the white. This may be my favorite verse of them all. So whats one good way to explain what the Trinity is? Haydn Lea is an Ordained Minister, and is currently serving as an Air Force Chaplain in Adelaide. Its impossible to be an Orthodox Christian without professing belief in the Triune nature of God. Water is water, but exists in three different forms: liquid, frozen, or steam. The Trinity is foundational and at the heart of our Christian faith. RELATED: Did Jesus Really Rise From The Dead? Eggs are one, yet comprise yolk, shell and albumen. Arianism clearly denies the deity of the three persons. In one egg you have the white, the yoke, and the shell composing one full egg. Do you know why I keep saying God is like an egg (or H2O) but God is not like an egg (or H2O)? Modalism is a heresy because it denies the distinction of God. Only the Son became incarnate, took on flesh. These are likewise erroneous or even heretical. In one egg you have the white, the yoke, and the shell composing one full egg. Sending of another: The Father sends the Son, and both the Father and Son send the Holy Spirit. Each character of the trinity has in one another (cf. Trinity is like a Shamrock (or an Apple or an Egg). Truly, it is a Mystery. He has the world and our individual lives within His supremely capable hands. God is like an egg in that He is 3-in-1 God the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ) and the Holy Spirit. Blessings! The three-leaf clover analogy is OK. 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 not real in my life because of superior knowledge or insight. He can even be all three at the same time. Space consists of three things: height, width, and depth. The above picture is a famous work of art by Andrei Rubilev, the great medieval Russian painter of Orthodox icons and frescos. Water can be ice and steam, yet they are the same element. 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. THE TRUTH IS: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are not three different parts or components of God, but the . It is the Central Mystery of our Christian faith. Studying the Trinity poses difficulty to us Catholics. Love was not given to Jesus. Some think of God as H 2 O, which is sometimes a solid (ice), sometimes a liquid (water), and sometimes a gas (steam). You can throw away one part of an egg (e.g., shell) and still have essentially an egg. The Bible reveals that each person of the Trinity has unique roles, relationships, and functions which are distinct from one another. But this idea is central to the Christian faith. These images fall short, because these components arent enough to be considered a whole on their own. There are many mysteries to our faith. THE DISTINCTION AND UNITY of the Trinity is not for us to fully understand because it is a supernatural mystery. 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). The Egg- One egg has three parts: shell, whites, and yolk . Arianism denies the deity of each person in the trinity. The Gospel is theperson, work, and message of Jesus Christ that provides salvation to all repentant believers. In one of his sermons, he wrestled with the passage in Scripture recounting Jesus' Baptism. But we can (and should) have a solid foundation to explain this core belief of our faith. In scripture we see explicit trinitarian references, especially at Jesus' baptism where the Father speaks, the Spirit descends, and the Son is in the water. The term Economic refers to the roles, functions, and relationships that exist within the Trinity. 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. Jesus is the Holy Spirit that saves us. 1A) Dave is a son of Graham and Lois Armstrong. 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). Dont become discouraged if you cant answer the question to your liking. As a result the water molecule must change forms. How do we make sense of the Trinity? Again, this analogy doesnt work because God doesnt morph, change, or become different aspects of Himself. 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. . Scripture however, doesnt depict God this way. They've always led to error and have been rejected by the church. httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQLfgaUoQCw. The yolk represents Gods Person, His Being, and His Holiness which generates Light that no man can approach (I Timothy 6:16). And whos the Holy Spirit? Unfortunately, no analogy is perfect. What makes it hard is that all of our analogies and metaphors fall short of capturing what the Trinity actually is. However, keep in mind that the one being who is God is a personal being. show me your glory. In Jesus dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9) Here are a couple "usefully flawed" analogies for the Trinity. 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). The Holy Trinity: Egg Analogy The Holy Trinity is GOD in three divine persons GOD the FATHER GOD the HOLY SPIRIT GOD the SON But together they makeup and are still ONE GOD Like how an egg is made up of three things but is still ONE EGG. This analogy is an invalid comparison to the Trinity and is a heresy called PARTIALISM. The trinity is like water. MULTIPLICATION ANALOGY. In other words, one stuffness. However, He exists in three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 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). A chicken egg consists of a shell, a yolk, and an egg white, yet it is altogether one egg. While it captures the idea that God is one, it doesnt do such a good job of showing how God is three and one at the same time. 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. As a doctrine (belief), the trinity is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three separate and distinct persons united in one being- God. 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. Now God can be in you by His Spirit! Another analogy that Tim remembers, being Irish Catholic, is the analogy of the shamrock with its three parts. When you encounter a person or group who denies the Trinity, it is merely a matter of walking through these 3 points, to see where they diverge from Biblical teaching. There is one GOD in three persons (Father, Son, Holy Spirit), 2. All three persons exist at the same moment in history. It leads to the heresy of MODALISM which teaches that God switches to different modes. Jesus is in the form of the Holy Spirit. Theyve transformed. In other words, God may manifest Himself as the Father, Son, or Holy Spirit. This analogy denies the unity of the God-head. Instead, each person is co-equal, co-powerful and co-eternal. Paul explains our finite understanding of beliefs like the Trinity as looking into a poor-quality mirror- a distorted image; dim and unclear. Space Analogy God is like space. This is a place to find encouragement and hope from God's Word as you move through your busy life. They are equally eternal, powerful, sovereign, and worthy of worship. Bach, and has released two previous CDs, one . Good and Bad Analogies of the Trinity - Answers . He has not yet revealed some mysteries (what did Jesus do in His childhood, when will He return, what does the word Selah mean in the Old Testament- and so many more.). They suggest that only one God exists but this God transforms or morphs into each of the different persons. 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. Water can exist in liquid at room temperature. In the same way is God being the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.. The three distinct notes come together to make one beautiful sound. Believing in the above 3 points leads all Christians to acceptance of the doctrine of the Trinity. 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.. Unfortunately, there is a problem with this view of the Trinity. To help you out, here is a comical and silly video that teaches about these bad analogies. 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. He taught that the son was at one point created by God the father. This analogy denies the distinction of the God-head. His ways are higher than ours, but isnt that a comfort?! The Trinity is not 1 + 1 + 1 but more like 1 x 1 x 1. Explaining the Holy Trinity. 6And there are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons., , The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all., There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. If the Sun existed from eternity past then so were the light rays from the Sun. . The early church labeled this view "tritheism". The concept is literally unthinkable. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on Him. Three persons is false. But the Trinity is our belief as Christians that God is one being who exists in three Persons- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.. 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. The military would end up destroying themselves. They are three in one egg. The egg has a shell, the whites and a yoke. Jesus is fully God. 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. 3:15; John 17:1-4, The Holy Spirit Acts 5:3-4; John 14:16-17, 26; John 16:7-13. That is why Moses said. 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. When we look at the egg as an example of the Trinity, we must view it in its entirety. Although the water changes forms it is still H2O. When we view the egg in its entirety we have the Biblical Trinity, One that is Three. show me your glory. A good follow up verse to help explain is the baptism of Jesus. The Egg and I - Part Two One popular and simple illustration of the Trinity is the egg. Lost will be ashes under the feet of the righteous. Since these bad analogies tend to lead to a heresy, we will examine the main three areas of heresy concerning the trinity. H2O can only ever be one form at a time. 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 egg analogy is very simple but it is OK to show something as simple as an egg can be one and yet three. They say that three separate beings exist 2. 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. 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. And we know that because the Persons of the Godhead have perfectly blessed and exalted each other for all eternity. The military would like to have that power. 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. You can throw away one part of an egg (e.g., shell) and still have essentially an egg. They say that three separate beings exist, 2. 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. In this analogy, God is compared to a man. Every kid in Sunday school thinks he knows all about God. in that He is not made up of three parts one part () the Father, another part () Jesus Christ and a third part () the Holy Spirit. 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. When we look at the egg as an example of the Trinity, we must view it in its entirety. 1B) This son of Graham and Lois Armstrong is Dave. He cares for his creation and his people. For example, we know that God didnt create humanity because He bored or lonely. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength (1 Corinthians 1:25). They have a common purpose in making harmonious music, but each note is its own separate entity. What we can understand and accept is that God exists eternally as one divine nature, substance, or essence, comprising three co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial personsthe Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. He got married there in 1965, and his four . I remember asking my Life Group last year, How have you heard the Trinity explained? I braced myself for the inevitable reply. Now, as youve probably guessed, this analogy also breaks down. Analogies often fall short. There have been many attempts to explain the Trinity the relationship between God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. In Jesus is the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9). If you looked at a single cloverleaf, you wouldnt call it a shamrock. You are an egg! How would you explain the Trinity if someone asked you right now? Tritheism denies that there is only one God. Jesus then becomes a created being and thus less than fully God. These hand embroidered emblems are made with metallic gold-plated thread with silver content, printed on canvas. Here are a few of the many verses giving evidence of the Trinity in the Bible: Genesis 1:1&2- In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth The Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. The Holy Spirit was an active participant in the creative process. Also, the egg is made up of three distinct and unalike parts. Each one is fully 100% God. That is a holding pen for final judgment. The problem with this analogy is that it would imply that there is only one Divine Person, who eventually multiplied Himself. Yet, these persons are not separate from one another. He is married to Shamsa Lea, is the father of Amira, and loves boxing and studying Theology. The Holy Spirit descended upon Him to equip Him for His ministry. Perhaps we must be content to admit that we cannot fully understand Gods nature in our finitude. 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.) The Unseen Father keeps the Father that is seen, alive. Surely this is a better understanding of the water analogy! So if all of these explanations are heretical, what is a good analogy? In Jesus dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9) As John 1:18 says, Jesus is "the only begotten God, in the bosom of [God] the Father.". 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. This is one of the reasons we say that "God is LOVE". TO AVOID HERESIES, LET US LIVE BY WHAT HAS BEEN REVEALED TO US: 1. I and My Father are One (John 10:30). ORDER from Barnes and NobleAmazon.com or wherever fine books are soldISBN-13: 978-1978167643Return to Cafe Logos Homepage | Bite-Sized Bible Bites, The Egg and i -A Simple Explanation of The Trinity. 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. 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. Each person is fully the one God, but is also distinct. 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 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. 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. 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. They are unified in one divine being. Father, Son, Holy Sprit : 3 persons, 1 great relationship, Copyright 2023 Fervr | Terms of Service. FOR CENTURIES, the Church had fought against heresies on the Trinity. The problem with this analogy is that an egg yoke is of a very different substance than a shell. Furthermore, this trinity is related to a shamrock, an apple, or an egg. A person distinguishes himself from others by saying me, mine, you, yours, etc. A being is the whole nature or essence of something. Yet, the trinity is mysterious. Below is a compilation of the verses that reference all 3 persons of the one God. He wondered how it was possible that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit could be inseparable, while, in . So cool that God imparted that song in your mind and heart before you even wrote this blog post! However, Christians through the ages believe in the Trinity because the truths it represents are taught in the Bible. Further, his dialectic is guided by the particular consideration of what true love is: a trinity of lover, beloved and the love that binds . 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). According to the first, just as water takes three forms (liquid, vapor, and ice), so too God takes the form of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. H2O can exist as a solid, a liquid and a gas but they are all still H2O. Proof texting is when we cite a bunch of bible verses to support a theological stance. If you're looking to dive deeper into God's word, here are 6 kinds of bible study tools and resources 9 Influential Female Leaders in the New Testament. The Father is fully God; Jesus is fully God and the Holy Spirit is fully God. Like modalism, the "three beings" view was rejected by the early church. This error denies something central to God that makes Him God. The angel answered (Mary), The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High (referring to the Father, italics mine) will overshadow you. Yet, as we view the pages of the Bible, we see that God is a personal and relational God. This analogy explains that the Father is like the sun. On a whim, I looked up the lyrics at a later time. Time Analogy God is like time. The analogy breaks down because I can simultaneously be a father, husband, and son to any one person. Thanks, Ann! This is a bad analogy because it fails at the truth that all three persons comprise the fullness of God. And in our efforts to grasp it, weve come up with a number of analogies. In Jesus is the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9). In the same way, water is all the same molecular structure, expressing itself in three different modes. While an egg has a yolk, a white and a shell to make up the whole, each part is only ever . In using analogies, we need to acknowledge the demerits and limitations of the said analogy. He is one God who expresses Himself in three modesFather, Son, and Spirit. Dr. Bruce Ware does an excellent job in his book Big Truths for Young Hearts. This view, also known as "modalism", was rejected by the early church. Here are a few common illustrations: The Egg- One egg has three parts: shell, whites, and yolk. Yet there is still only one God we serve. And then theres Jesus, Gods son. I go to prepare a place for you. Arius was condemned by the council of Nicea in 325 AD. 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). 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. He completed a doctorate in 1990, looking at the question of harmonic rhythm in the organ music of J.S. When we look at the egg as an example of the Trinity, we must view it in its entirety. The very definition of the heresy known as Modalism/Oneness is that there is one person existing in three different modes or manifestations. The Holy Spirit prays for us. The watermelon has a skin, pulp and seeds; the egg is shell, yolk and egg white. 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. 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. As a doctrine (belief), the trinity is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three separate and distinct persons united in one being- God. But its all the same person, operating in three roles or functions. 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. Each side is co-equal with the others, yet, each side is necessary. 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. I bet I havent sung or heard this song in years! This analogy is an invalid comparison to the Trinity and is a heresy called PARTIALISM. He differs from the Father, but was and still is God. Therefore, in this context, God is the what and the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are the who. So under modalism, God acts as the Father in the Old Testament, the son in the Gospels, and the Spirit in Acts and the Epistles.