The Trinity is foundational and at the heart of our Christian faith. Or what? 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. The trinity is an essential doctrine to the Christian faith. God does not morph from one person to another, nor does God exist as three separate beings. This was first used by Patrick of Ireland (yes there really was a Patrick of Ireland and he was a great guy), around 400 A.D. 2. It is a miraculous invention, the egg. And we know that because the Persons of the Godhead have perfectly blessed and exalted each other for all eternity. What portion of the analogy holds true with Church Teaching? He has one essenceone substance. Modalism, or Sabellianism, denies the three distinct Persons of the Trinity and claims that God is one Person who appears in different modes at different timesin the Old Testament He appeared as the Father, in the Gospels He appeared as the Son, and from Pentecost onwards He appears as the Holy Spirit. And the reason we know that is because the Persons of the Godhead have perfectly loved each other for all eternity. A single molecule cannot simultaneously exist in three different states. And whos the Holy Spirit? This analogy sounds pretty good, but it is fatally flawed in that is describes the Son and Spirit as creations of the Father. Perhaps youve heard the analogy that the Trinity is like H2O (the molecular symbol for water). But we cannot do that (assuming we can) with God. Analogies for the Trinity exist to explain the unexplainable. 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. When it comes to the Trinity, we tend to forget that an analogy is an "aptness of proportion" or a "resemblance of relations," not an identity of relations. So if all of these explanations are heretical, what is a good analogy? The term Economic refers to the roles, functions, and relationships that exist within the Trinity. To become the people we were always created to be. This analogy is an invalid comparison to the Trinity and is a heresy called PARTIALISM. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:35)One of my Sunday School students said, "How could Jesus (God) enter Mary's stomach (womb) and be born? A good example would be an electrical cord. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. For them, a person is someone who could relate to another. Indeed, how can an infinite God be contained in a finite human womb! There are, however, some that work better than others. He is one God who expresses Himself in three modesFather, Son, and Spirit. Moreover, the yoke and the whites are no longer as they used to be. 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. . It is not important merely for the sake of tradition, or because the word itself is taught in the Bible (. The Father hears their intercessory prayers. Adorn your liturgical vestments with classic images from the Monastery Icons collection. This analogy actually teaches the heresy of tritheism. 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). These two analogies are the "water" analogy and the "egg" analogy. Among the most popular analogies for the Trinity, two in particular stand out; and most of the others resemble one of them. Memory, Understanding, and Will. An essential factor lacking from those concepts is the relational quality of God. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father., 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. Although God is transcendent, sovereign, unapproachable light, He has condescended to reveal something of Himself to His creation. Tritheism denies that there is only one God. The Council's definitions concerning the Trinity are really as easy as one, two, three four. 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. But if modalism is true, and the Trinity really is like water, then the story of Jesus (the Son) praying to the Father as recorded in the Bible seems like an awfully strange masquerade. I did read about the shamrock analogy! Armstrong. THE DISTINCTION AND UNITY of the Trinity is not for us to fully understand because it is a supernatural mystery. Each one is fully 100% God. For those, like myself, who are not from a highly-liturgical denomination, it may come as a surprise that June 11 was Trinity Sunday. Time exists as 3 things: past, present, and future. God controls that light. But we cannot do that (assuming we can) with God. We define a person as one having a will and who is distinguishable from another person. Therefore the eternal brightness shines forth before Him, and co-exists with Him, in that, existing without a beginning, and always begotten, He always shines before Him; and He is that Wisdom which says, I was that wherein He delighted, and I was daily His delight before His face at all times.. Another wrong illustration is using ourselves: I am one person, but also a wife, mother, and writer. God is infinitely greater than we are; therefore, we should not expect to be able to fully understand Him. God is not made up of 3 parts like the 3 parts of the egg. Space Analogy God is like space. He has been a member of the Royal Australian Air Force since 2007, and is now training to be an Air Force Chaplain. Which ones have you heard? Your email address will not be published. Three persons is false. The Unseen Father and Father that is seen existed at the same time. - well, sort of. Arianism denies the deity of each person in the trinity. Lost will be burned up. To the other major monotheistic faiths (Islam and Judaism), it is rank heresyTrinitarianism is therefore definitional to Christianity. But thats not how they understood it. In other words, this view denies Gods oneness. Here are four. This is the error of Arianism (not to be confused with Aryanism, which is also bad). When discussing God, especially in regards to his nature, being and persons, a simple statement to articulate the Trinity is: God is 1, *. Depth isnt the same thing as height and height isnt the same thing as width, yet all three together are what comprise space. They that dont have the Holy Spirit in them will talk like the Adversary. God is not made up of 3 'parts' like the 3 parts of the egg. 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. One cannot remove the Holy Spirit and still have the God as taught in the Bible. Although he is one he has different roles to different people. 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. But we can (and should) have a solid foundation to explain this core belief of our faith. The Egg Analogy God is like an egg. The Son was begotten by the Father IN ETERNITY, and the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. According to modalism, God does not actually exist in three persons. The Egg- One egg has three parts: shell, whites, and yolk . Yet, these persons are not separate from one another. Sending of another: The Father sends the Son, and both the Father and Son send the Holy Spirit. 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. It is so important that to deny the trinity is to deny Christianity. Jesus is in the form of the Holy Spirit. A good example would be an electrical cord. This analogy is an invalid comparison to the Trinity and is a heresy called PARTIALISM. Here many of the creeds help us in clearly articulating the trinity. The Egg and I - Part Two So while its tough to make sense of the Trinity, the Trinity actually helps us make sense of so many things we believe. Believing in the above 3 points leads all Christians to acceptance of the doctrine of the Trinity. Time Analogy God is like time. But Jesus makes it clear in John 10:30- I and the Father are One. The Greek word for one means one thing, not one person. They are united in their essence (spirit, nature) but not identical persons. The egg has a shell, the whites and a yoke. But, when it's heated, it turns into a gas (steam) and, when it's frozen, it turns into a solid (ice). Is He Jesus side-kick? So, part of understanding the Trinity is realizing that God is personal and relational. We have the creeds for just that reason. He has the world and our individual lives within His supremely capable hands. 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. Arius was condemned by the council of Nicea in 325 AD. There is one GOD in three persons (Father, Son, Holy Spirit), 2. The egg white represents Gods Spirit. Surely this is a better understanding of the water analogy! The three distinct notes come together to make one beautiful sound. In other words, one stuffness. However, He exists in three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. He is one God in three persons, all at the same time. Well the issue is, the water analogy is akin to the heresy of Modalism. Son and Holy Ghost are each fully God. THE TRUTH IS: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are not three different parts or components of God, but the three are all equally one God. 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. You are an egg! Genisis 1:17, KJV. Each one is fully 100% God. Jesus is the visual form of God. When we think about influential New Testament leaders, most names are male. So "son" = "Dave". The teaching of the trinity is clearly taught in Scripture and must be preserved as such. The Son intercedes as our High Priest before the Father. 2:5-6; Col. 1:15-17, 2:9; Heb. In one of his sermons, he wrestled with the passage in Scripture recounting Jesus' Baptism. We worship one God who exists in three persons. God does not just change forms but exists as three persons in unity. An egg is made up of shell, white and yolk. If one of the persons were not there, then we would not have God. 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*. Vestment Emblems. There is only one egg with three different parts. No analogy is perfect, but we want to be careful of using wrong ones that may confuse people. The wonders and ways of God may not be apparent or fully known at present, but we can still marvel at His supremacy and worship Him in wonder- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit! How would you explain the Trinity if someone asked you right now? The problem with this analogy is that an egg yoke is of a very different substance than a shell. RELATED: Did Jesus Really Rise From The Dead? Dr. Bruce Ware does an excellent job in his book Big Truths for Young Hearts. 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. To the other major monotheistic faiths (Islam and Judaism), it is rank heresyTrinitarianism is therefore definitional to Christianity. In one egg you have the white, the yoke, and the shell composing one full egg. Similarly, people have used the example of the apple in the same way- skin, flesh, and seeds. But its all water. Each character of the trinity has in one another (cf. 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). We recommend you adhere these emblems to your vestments by mounting on the material with fabric glue and then stitching them . But this idea is central to the Christian faith. Yet we do not have three gods but ONE God. Jesus, visually seen, judges all, not the Unseen Father. It may not appear to agree with common sense. Revelation 4:3 And 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. All Rights Reserved. They say that three separate beings exist, 2. Yeah its definitely a hard thing to understand, let alone explain to little ones ! It is still H20, but just different forms. FOR CENTURIES, the Church had fought against heresies on the Trinity. Does that make sense? and Holy Spirit are only parts of God (egg and sun). When we look at the egg as an example of the Trinity, we must view it in its entirety. This analogy denies the distinction of the God-head. And the Holy Spirit is not the Father or the Son. Three Gods or one? If the Sun existed from eternity past then so were the light rays from the Sun. In other words, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have a unique and unbreakable unity, and their existence together is the being that is God. Like modalism, the "three beings" view was rejected by the early church. Although the water changes forms it is still H2O. The watermelon has a skin, pulp and seeds; the egg is shell, yolk and egg white. The Holy Spirit and Son do not send the Father. He also knows how to perfectly love us. Often these analogies explicitly teach heresy. We believe that it is a revelation that comes from Christ Himself. Yet it appears to be almost entirely misunderstood within contemporary evangelical circles. 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). 2. TO AVOID HERESIES, LET US LIVE BY WHAT HAS BEEN REVEALED TO US: 1. I'm always interested in ways to encourage you, so feel free to contact me and let me know what areas interest you! There are two basic ways that people misunderstand the Trinity: 1. The Trinity is a concept that is impossible for any human being to fully understand, let alone explain. If one of the sides were removed, then there would be no equilateral triangle. Light comes from God. Let's use an egg to explain the Holy Trinity! 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? Our God is three in one. This analogy actually teaches the heresy of modalism. I go to prepare a place for you. Jesus Person is joined to the Father by the Fathers Holy Spirit, because Gods Spirit is also Jesus Spirit - "But you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if the Spirit of God dwells in you. 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.. 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. So cool that God imparted that song in your mind and heart before you even wrote this blog post! In Jesus is the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9). 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. If water is inadequate, there are a wide array of alternative analogies we can turn to in modern theological parlance. The military would like to have that power. I can only shake my head when He does these things! All these make up one egg just as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit make up one God. 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 Unseen Father is in Christs mind. However, Christians through the ages believe in the Trinity because the truths it represents are taught in the Bible. Therefore, there is one God, who is eternally present in three persons. How can we explain what it means to have three persons in one being? Hi Im not a theologian and I dont disagree with what you say but when you state that we know the persons of the Trinity have perfectly loved for eternity etc how do we know? Its impossible to be an Orthodox Christian without professing belief in the Triune nature of God. An explanation that is so common, and seemingly does elucidate how something can simultaneously be three and onecan it really be that bad? That is a holding pen for final judgment. In this episode, Fred Sanders discusses what it really means to say that God is a Trinitythree persons in one God. Unfortunately, an analogy from the limited realm of creation may not be sufficient in explaining Gods nature. Further, his dialectic is guided by the particular consideration of what true love is: a trinity of lover, beloved and the love that binds . Its all one person, simply functioning in three different roles. Only the Son became incarnate, took on flesh. This is why Jesus said, He who has seen Me, has seen the Father (John 14:9). Therefore, in this context, God is the what and the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are the who. As a doctrine (belief), the trinity is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three separate and distinct persons united in one being- God. Yet, as we view the pages of the Bible, we see that God is a personal and relational God. It is still important that we have some understanding of the concept, however. The egg shell is the image of the yolk and the white. Try starting your explanation with a simple definition and then ask for further questions: No one can completely know or understand God. I dont believe that God wishes us to be confused about the Three that are so apparent throughout the Old and New Testaments. Jesus isn't a demigod or partially god. Answer (1 of 25): Cynics assert that the idea of the Holy Trinity is a logical impossibility. Haydn describes himself as a five-point Calvinist, but he recognises that many faithful Christians disagree. The Holy Spirit is the shell, Jesus is the egg white, and the Father is the egg yolk. In this analogy, God is compared to a man. The concept is literally unthinkable. Shively, This book is now available in a published format for easy sharing and classroom use. Why is it wrong? We believe in only one true God in all existence, in all places, at all times. But the Trinity is our belief as Christians that God is one being who exists in three Persons- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.. The word Trinity comes from the Latin word trinitas which means tri-unity. However, keep in mind that the one being. It is the Central Mystery of our Christian faith. . I remember asking my Life Group last year, How have you heard the Trinity explained? I braced myself for the inevitable reply. When we look at the egg as an example of the Trinity, we must view it in its entirety. 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. It's impossible to be an Orthodox Christian without professing belief in the Triune nature of God. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are each called Jehovah (or Spirit of Jehovah), given divine attributes, and, (usually there is no argument that the Father is not God, since every place Jesus speaks to God, he is addressing the Father.). H2O can exist as a solid, a liquid and a gas but they are all still H2O. God is like an egg in that He is 3-in-1 God the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ) and the Holy Spirit. I think the illustration that represents the Trinity most accurately is the egg example. How so? Water is water, but exists in three different forms: liquid, frozen, or steam. If the sun exists, there is also day; if nothing of this be manifest, it is impossible that the sun should be there. Water can be ice and steam, yet they are the same element. 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 view teaches that three separate beings exist. The Sun was created on the forth day. CafeLogos.orgThe Egg and i -A Simple Explanation of The Trinity God controls that light. He differs from the Father, but was and still is God. At the Cathedral, we recognize that there are responsibilities that come with . Notice the distinction between persons and being. The above picture is a famous work of art by Andrei Rubilev, the great medieval Russian painter of Orthodox icons and frescos. Understanding 1 Corinthians 14:34-35. They all exist as fully God, with none of them lacking in any attribute or aspect that defines 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. 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. Each person is fully God (Phil 2; Acts 5:3-4). If youve been involved in ministries for children or young people, questions about the Trinity have most likely come up. 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. 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). I know in the past Ive used analogies that werent the best (more on those later.) The problem with this analogy is that it teaches that God has three components: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Son "proceeds" from the Father, and the Holy Spirit "proceeds from the Father and the Son.". Analogies of the Trinity. 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). - well, sort of. 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. To put it simply, "The problem with using analogies to explain the Holy Trinity is that you always end up confessing some ancient heresy." . There was no relational deficiency that prompted God to create us. Or, we can quote Daniel Webster; a strong Christian- I do not pretend fully to understand the arithmetic of heaven now. . Perhaps we must be content to admit that we cannot fully understand Gods nature in our finitude. This analogy explains that the Father is like the sun. There have been many attempts to explain the Trinity the relationship between God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Who is God? Yet there is still only one God we serve. In part one, we looked at what the Bible has to say about the Trinity. Water can be frozen and is called ice. Heat it up, and it turns to vapor. Now God can be in you by His Spirit! You can throw away one part of an egg (e.g., shell) and still have essentially an egg. . But they are one God. This is a bad analogy because it fails at the truth that all three persons comprise the fullness of God. In reality, I change my role depending on who I am interacting with. John 17). We find it in all four Gospels. The Holy Spirit is the shell, Jesus is the egg white, and the Father is the egg yolk. 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.. Analogies that we present would always be insufficient as none of them would equate to the incomprehensible beauty of God. If you need to use an analogy, then use a good one. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are each called Jehovah (or Spirit of Jehovah), given divine attributes, and are distinguished from one another. I have the good one. You are an egg! Similarly, light and heat are simply creations of the sun, yet it is the heresy of Arianism to claim that the Son or Spirit are mere creations of the Father. Yet the orthodox view is that each person of the Trinity is fully divine. Instead, each person is co-equal, co-powerful and co-eternal. The Father is fully God; Jesus is fully God and the Holy Spirit is fully God. The egg analogy fails because it denies that each person of the Trinity is of the same eternal essence. Some think of God as H 2 O, which is sometimes a solid (ice), sometimes a liquid (water), and sometimes a gas (steam). Each one is fully God. Here are a couple "usefully flawed" analogies for the Trinity. I bet I havent sung or heard this song in years! 3:15; John 17:1-4, The Holy Spirit Acts 5:3-4; John 14:16-17, 26; John 16:7-13. If you say, "Jesus Christ" then you MAY BE incorrect. All Scripture is taken from the NIV version unless otherwise specified, Author Ignace Franz, translated by Clarence A. Walworth. To help you out, here is a comical and silly video that teaches about these bad analogies. Modalism is a heresy because it denies the distinction of God. They are equally eternal, powerful, sovereign, and worthy of worship. Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. The past is not the present and the present is not the future, yet all three together is what we call time. 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. We can admit it is a mystery and accept that our incomplete knowledge cannot fully comprehend it. All three persons exist at the same moment in history. So God performs 3 different roles/relationships but 1 God. The word Trinity comes from the Latin word trinitas which means tri-unity. 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. It is not existing as 3 different parts (persons) at the same time. For example, an equilateral triangle (a triangle with three equal sides) has three sides. 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, many of our faithful, and even priests, attempted to simplify the Mystery of the Trinity and made it easier to understand by using MODELS AND ANALOGIES, giving birth to modern-day heresies/fallacies about the Trinity. Basic mathematics tells us that 1x1x1 = 1.. 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. Few if any have every tried to teach the heresy of Tritheism, but it needs to be mentioned anyway. When they used the word person, they didnt mean it in the same way that we do today. 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 early church labeled this view "tritheism". 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. This is one of the reasons we say that "God is LOVE". The doctrine of the Trinity is one of the primary tenants of the Christian faith. Admittedly, the idea of three distinct persons/expressions that are each fully God is part of the mystery. In the Scripture we see "the fullness of God was pleased to dwell" (Col 1:9). 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. ), The Son Phil. But understanding the Trinity is important. Each one is fully God. In Jesus dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9) Therefore it behoves us to know what He has revealed (including the Trinity), and to lovingly worship Him accordingly. The Trinity is not real in my life because of superior knowledge or insight. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The word God in this sense is defined as a single being, having all divine attributes. They are three in one egg. RELATED: What Does The Bible Say About Ghosts? He is married to Shamsa Lea, is the father of Amira, and loves running, boxing and studying history and theology.