The analogy breaks down because I can simultaneously be a father, husband, and son to any one person. Indeed, how can an infinite God be contained in a finite human womb! Sending of another: The Father sends the Son, and both the Father and Son send the Holy Spirit. Its downright hard to understand. It can also be a liquid and called water. Therefore it behoves us to know what He has revealed (including the Trinity), and to lovingly worship Him accordingly. 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). 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. Jesus then becomes a created being and thus less than fully God. But common sense is intuition based on day-to-day experience. You are an egg! The problem with this analogy is that no one molecule of H2O can actually exist as solid, liquid, and gas at the same time. God does not play three roles.. How can we ever explain our Most High, exalted, powerful, uncontainable, and most glorious God? An essential factor lacking from those concepts is the relational quality of God. Love your blogs! I write to see memory and language wrestle with reality. It falls into the heresy of tri-theism. See the depths of Catholicism for yourself! These hand embroidered emblems are made with metallic gold-plated thread with silver content, printed on canvas. Dont grieve the Holy Spirit out of you. The Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, constructed between 1800 and 1804, is the first Anglican cathedral to have been built outside the British Isles. The very definition of the heresy known as Modalism/Oneness is that there is one person existing in three different modes or manifestations. Stars were made on the forth day. As John 1:18 says, Jesus is "the only begotten God, in the bosom of [God] the Father.". Water at room temperature is liquid. Arianism denies the deity of each person in the trinity. It taught there is one nature in God, and that there are two processions, three persons, and four relations that constitute the Blessed Trinity. Love was not given to Jesus. Unfortunately, no analogy is perfect. The Holy Spirit and Son do not send the Father. Here are some common analogies that Christians have used about the Trinity: God is kind of like water which can be ice, liquid and steam. Jesus is the Holy Spirit that saves us. The Son was begotten by the Father IN ETERNITY, and the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. And the Holy Spirit is not the Father or the Son. 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. A chicken egg consists of a shell, a yolk, and an egg white, yet it is altogether one egg. The Trinity is like waterand other bad analogies H2O can exist as a solid, a liquid and a gas but they are all still H2O. 2:5-6; Col. 1:15-17, 2:9; Heb. The Trinity is not 1 + 1 + 1 but more like 1 x 1 x 1. Jesus is the Holy Spirit that saves us. And we know that because the Persons of the Godhead have perfectly blessed and exalted each other for all eternity. They say that three separate beings exist 2. We can touch the cord, but not the power it is insulating. 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. Just like an egg, none of the parts are co-equal, nor are all of the parts necessary for the egg to exist. The Egg Analogy God is like an egg. This analogy actually teaches the heresy of tritheism. His being is somewhat of a mystery to us. Now God can be in you by His Spirit! However, Christians through the ages believe in the Trinity because the truths it represents are taught in the Bible. The Trinity is a tri-unity, a unity of Three, - God the Father, Jesus, the Son of God and the Holy Spirit. They are equally eternal, powerful, sovereign, and worthy of worship. If you say, "water" then you are incorrect. There have been many attempts to explain the Trinity the relationship between God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately, most of them actually give us the wrong idea about what the Trinity is. This is one of the reasons we say that "God is LOVE". Surely this is a better understanding of the water analogy! The Father is fully God; Jesus is fully God and the Holy Spirit is fully God. The Father is fully God; Jesus is fully God and the Holy Spirit is fully God. If youve been involved in ministries for children or young people, questions about the Trinity have most likely come up. Below is a compilation of the verses that reference all 3 persons of the one God. The God of the Bible is one God. 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. This analogy is an invalid comparison to the Trinity and is a heresy called PARTIALISM. But if they give us a warped idea of what they are trying to explain, they arent helpful illustrations. The meme above discourages the use of analogies in explaining the Trinity. And for a mere mortal to have dared invent it and be able t. It is a miraculous invention, the egg. The Latin word for trinity (trinitas) combines two words- unitas (unity) and trias (three). Now if any man has not the Spirit of Christ, he is not His" (Romans 8:9). Yet the orthodox view is that each person of the Trinity is fully divine. Good and Bad Analogies of the Trinity - Answers . The word Trinity comes from the Latin word trinitas which means tri-unity. The trinity is Like a man who is a father, husband, and son. 2. 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. The Trinity is foundational and at the heart of our Christian faith. Each one is fully God. Only the Son became incarnate, took on flesh. But Hes God too, right? 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. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are each called Jehovah (or Spirit of Jehovah), given divine attributes, and are distinguished from one another. Wow! 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. An explanation that is so common, and seemingly does elucidate how something can simultaneously be three and onecan it really be that bad? They are three in one egg. Is the Trinity like H2O, an egg, or a triangle? - Fervr THE TRUTH IS: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are not three different parts or components of God, but the . Yeah its definitely a hard thing to understand, let alone explain to little ones ! All Scripture is taken from the NIV version unless otherwise specified, Author Ignace Franz, translated by Clarence A. Walworth. You can throw away one part of an egg (e.g., shell) and still have essentially an egg. Explaining the Trinity | Catholic Answers The Father Matthew 27:45-46 (usually there is no argument that the Father is not God, since every place Jesus speaks to God, he is addressing the Father. Depth isnt the same thing as height and height isnt the same thing as width, yet all three together are what comprise space. So when God created us and revealed Himself to us, what He did was to invite us into the perfect goodness He has always known within Himself. He explains why the doctrine of the Trinity is essential to the gospel even if it seems abstract or confusing, highlights why all analogies and metaphors are of limited value when thinking about the Godhead, and responds to the . Others compare God to an egg, which is part shell, part white, part yolk. 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. HO may act as water, steam, or ice, but it is still HO. I bet I havent sung or heard this song in years! Your email address will not be published. Similarly, in our aquatic analogy, water can appear in three different modes, depending on the environment, but the three are not co-existing. The three parts create a unified whole. ANALOGY OF CHARACTERS. Many of these analogies have the best of intentions, but God cannot be described in a way we can fully comprehend or rationalize. Each one is fully 100% God. Basic mathematics tells us that 1x1x1 = 1.. This analogy denies the unity of the God-head. The Gospel is theperson, work, and message of Jesus Christ that provides salvation to all repentant believers. The Biblical Principle Of Baptism By Fire, The Deep Things of God: How the Trinity Changes Everything, 3 Reasons Why Jesus Humanity Really Matters Her & Hymn, 3 Reasons Why Jesus' Humanity Really Matters, How Jesus Teaches Us To Be Human Her & Hymn. Time Analogy God is like time. The Unseen Father keeps the Father that is seen, alive. What does that really mean? Explaining the Holy Trinity. 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. But theres one problem: the water analogy is not the biblical picture of God. Jesus would have remained in the tomb, or hell, had Jesus sinned. While an egg has a yolk, a white and a shell to make up the whole, each part is only ever . show me your glory. The three-leaf clover analogy is OK. Some who deny the Trinity claim 1+1+1=3, and therefore claim we worship three Gods. If the Sun existed from eternity past then so were the light rays from the Sun. For those, like myself, who are not from a highly-liturgical denomination, it may come as a surprise that June 11 was Trinity Sunday. In the same way, at one moment God is the Father, but at different times God morphs or transforms into the Son or Holy Spirit. The unseen Father is in Christs mind. 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. 4 Bad Ways to Explain the Trinity (and 1 Good One) 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! The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit also exist eternally and concurrently. You can throw away one part of an egg (e.g., shell) and still have essentially an egg. Memory, Understanding, and Will. His motto was that "There was a time when the son did not exist". THE TRUTH IS: The Father, Son, and Spirit are three different persons who are all equally one God. Therefore, in this context, God is the what and the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are the who. Ontological means the nature or essence of something. Humans as we are, we cannot fully understand how the three divine Persons, though really distinct from one another, are one and the same God. The Unseen Father is in Christs mind. Sadly, theres something "rotten" about this egg analogy. Somewhere in the recesses of my mind lived the doctrinal truth about the Trinity. we worship one God in trinity and the trinity in unity,neither blending their personsnor dividing their essence. 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. The egg analogy fails because it denies that each person of the Trinity is of the same eternal essence. It's impossible to be an Orthodox Christian without professing belief in the Triune nature of God. In this episode, Fred Sanders discusses what it really means to say that God is a Trinitythree persons in one God. Each side is co-equal with the others, yet, each side is necessary. So "son" = "Dave". Jesus is the visual form of God. Matthew 3:16-17- As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water. Studying the Trinity poses difficulty to us Catholics. This analogy actually falls prey to the same error of modalism. From time to time, Doctors of the Church used analogies, but with care. Believing in the above 3 points leads all Christians to acceptance of the doctrine of the Trinity. There are some analogies that come close. Born in England in 1961, Benjamin Waterhouse Benjamin Waterhouse has been the organist of the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity since 2000. We can always rebut these claims with another equation: 1 x 1 x 1=1. You are an egg! The shortfall of this illustration, and others like it, is that God cannot be divided into "parts." The divine persons are really DISTINCT from one another, and not merely different roles of God at different times. Thought of Tim Its amazing to think that everything will be so clear when we het to Heaven! 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.). Copyright 2023 Christian Today. And the reason we know that is because the Persons of the Godhead have perfectly loved each other for all eternity. At the Cathedral, we recognize that there are responsibilities that come with . When we think about influential New Testament leaders, most names are male. The problem with this analogy is that it denies the distinction of persons in the God-head. 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.. In Jesus dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9) My intention is merely to address some common erroneous analogies, including water. One is a musical chord with three notes. How can God be Three in One? 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). THE TRUTH IS: From the very beginning, the Blessed Trinity Father, Son, and Spirit was there. How so? God controls that light. 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. Water can be ice and steam, yet they are the same element. Dont become discouraged if you cant answer the question to your liking. The Trinity are three distinct persons who exist apart from each other. As a result, this analogy can easily lead to tritheism in which there are three different gods which might share some like substance. 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. So if all of these explanations are heretical, what is a good analogy? 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. Arianism clearly denies the deity of the three persons. So cool that God imparted that song in your mind and heart before you even wrote this blog post! Haydn Lea is an Ordained Minister, and is currently serving as an Air Force Chaplain in Adelaide. We define a person as one having a will and who is distinguishable from another person. Here are four. If you only had an apple core, you wouldnt pack it in your lunch. 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. For sure, our everyday experience does not include using our finite minds to understand the infinite! Here are 8 Bible Characters Who Should Be More Famous. The Son is not the Father or the Spirit. Well the issue is, the water analogy is akin to the heresy of Modalism. This book is now available in a published format for easy sharing and classroom use. 3:15; John 17:1-4, The Holy Spirit Acts 5:3-4; John 14:16-17, 26; John 16:7-13. While each person is distinct, they are never separate from one another. For example, we know that God didnt create humanity because He bored or lonely. Infinite thy vast domain, everlasting is thy reign.. 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). Some have taken on the task of explaining how Father, Son, and Holy Spirit exist as one. His ways are not my ways! Holy Trinity: Some Analogies to Help Us Comprehend Well, the egg analogy, when applied to God, suggests that only one being exists but this being exists in three different parts. But while this idea is central to the Christian faith, it is also incredibly mysterious to us. However, it breaks down on the level of equality: No one keeps or eats the shell of an egg. We recommend you adhere these emblems to your vestments by mounting on the material with fabric glue and then stitching them . . This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. . RELATED: What Does The Bible Say About Ghosts? Each Person in the Trinity (or the Godhead) is fully God and fully a Person. There are three different cloves that represent the three different persons of the trinity. Few if any have every tried to teach the heresy of Tritheism, but it needs to be mentioned anyway. All of the above Bad Analogies would perhaps do more harm than good if used in explaining the Trinity. If you looked at a single cloverleaf, you wouldnt call it a shamrock. Trinity Egg Analogy . Father, Son, Holy Sprit : 3 persons, 1 great relationship, Copyright 2023 Fervr | Terms of Service. A good example would be an electrical cord. The watermelon has a skin, pulp and seeds; the egg is shell, yolk and egg white. Water is water, but exists in three different forms: liquid, frozen, or steam. When we look at the egg as an example of the Trinity, we must view it in its entirety. However, Christians through the ages believe in the Trinity because the truths it represents are taught in the Bible. Pingback: 3 Reasons Why Jesus Humanity Really Matters Her & Hymn, Pingback: 3 Reasons Why Jesus' Humanity Really Matters, Pingback: How Jesus Teaches Us To Be Human Her & Hymn. Armstrong. Jesus isn't a demigod or partially god. God is much bigger and much greater than we can understand, and to be honest, I'm ok with that. I think the illustration that represents the Trinity most accurately is the egg example. 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 cares for his creation and his people. When we look at the egg as an example of the Trinity, we must view it in its entirety. Your email address will not be published. This is perhaps the most common analogy for the Trinity. Not just for explaining it to others, but to bolster our own faith and see how each One works in our lives. The Holy Spirit is like the heat that the sun produces, unseen yet powerful and effective in making the sun felt. They've always led to error and have been rejected by the church. Proof texting is when we cite a bunch of bible verses to support a theological stance. But they are one God. The Trinity is one of the most foundational doctrines of Christianity. This little child cannot look at one without experiencing a profound sense of wonderment and awe. God does not just change forms but exists as three persons in unity. Afterall, we can get rid of a few of its parts - for instance the shell - and still scramble an egg. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength (1 Corinthians 1:25). To return to my Life Group anecdote, after our discussion I asked why does it even matter?. The egg shell is the image of the yolk and the white. 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. It should bring us to realise that we truly are finite creatures standing before a sovereign, transcendent, divine mystery. God is like an egg in that He is 3-in-1 God the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ) and the Holy Spirit. But the Trinity is our belief as Christians that God is one being who exists in three Persons- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.. Its hard to explain! 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. As a doctrine (belief), the trinity is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three separate and distinct persons united in one being- God. Perhaps we must be content to admit that we cannot fully understand Gods nature in our finitude. Lord of all, we bow before thee. We also know that God didnt create humanity out of loneliness or boredom. 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. God is not made up of 3 'parts' like the 3 parts of the egg. Why analogies of the Trinity fail Youthworks The Trinity for Kids - Part 2 - Prepared to Answer He got married there in 1965, and his four . In the same way, water is all the same molecular structure, expressing itself in three different modes. Now if any man has not the Spirit of Christ, he is not His" (Romans 8:9). 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. When discussing God, especially in regards to his nature, being and persons, a simple statement to articulate the Trinity is: God is 1, *. Trinity is like a Shamrock (or an Apple or an Egg). Unfortunately, Arianism is still around and can found within the Jehovah's Witnesses teachings. God created us for community, since God is communal and we were created in His image. Haydn Lea is an Associate Pastor in Queensland, and is currently studying his Master of Arts (Theology). My interview: https://www.readlotswritelot.com/wp/podcast/episode-21-john-k-adams/, More from Catholicism for the Modern World, https://www.readlotswritelot.com/wp/podcast/episode-21-john-k-adams/. There are, however, some that work better than others. In part one, we looked at what the Bible has to say about the Trinity. For them, a person is someone who could relate to another. To the other major monotheistic faiths (Islam and Judaism), it is rank heresyTrinitarianism is therefore definitional to Christianity. The visual form of God seperated from Jesus on the cross. 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. Why is it wrong? In contrast to the Ontological Trinity, there is the Economic Trinity. This is a worse analogy than the egg because it is more analogous to the heretical doctrine of Modalism/Oneness than for the Trinity. The three distinct notes come together to make one beautiful sound. One day, however, the image will be clear. Lost will be ashes under the feet of the righteous. In the same way, there is a God Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.. Before moving on I should note that providing a full theological explanation of Trinitarian doctrine is well beyond the scope of what I can do here. How would you explain the Trinity if someone asked you right now? He has been a member of the Royal Australian Air Force since 2007, and is now training to be an Air Force Chaplain. These attributes are: omnipotence (all-powerful), omniscience (all-knowing), and omnipresence (exists in all places). What is the Trinity? Living Theologically Moreover, the yoke and the whites are no longer as they used to be. There are two basic ways that people misunderstand the Trinity: 1. There are two basic ways that people misunderstand the Trinity: 1. Why All Analogies of the Trinity Fall Short - Joshua's Pen The best analogy for the Trinity (hold your stones) - The Project on RELATED: The Biblical Principle Of Baptism By Fire. 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. St. Augustine, one of the most important Fathers of the Church, wrote a great deal on the doctrine of the Trinity. 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). 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. 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. The Unseen Father would have been put into Satans prison. I remember asking my Life Group last year, How have you heard the Trinity explained? I braced myself for the inevitable reply. Seven Simple Facts About the Trinity - biblequery.org We find it in all four Gospels. All three persons exist at the same moment in history. The Egg- One egg has three parts: shell, whites, and yolk . Unfortunately, there is a problem with this view of the Trinity. Jesus was standing in the Jordan River, His Father speaks from heaven above, and the Holy Spirit descends upon Him as a dove. Yet, the trinity is mysterious. Now were going to look at how some people often misunderstand the Trinity. Thanks, Ann! I know in the past Ive used analogies that werent the best (more on those later.) The problem with this analogy is that an egg yoke is of a very different substance than a shell. 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. God Is Like An Egg - vtaide.com Here's a look at six explanations for why so many people truly believe 3 Ways to Experience The Good Life in Jesus. So much of what we know about what God does is wrapped up in who He is. The Trinity is not 1 + 1 + 1 but more like 1 x 1 x 1. In other words, God may manifest Himself as the Father, Son, or Holy Spirit. All Rights Reserved. If then the sun were eternal, the day would never end; but now, for such is not really the state of the case, the day begins with the beginning of the sun, and ends with its ending. If one of the sides were removed, then there would be no equilateral triangle. These images fall short, because these components arent enough to be considered a whole on their own. A, distinguishes himself from others by saying me, mine, you, yours, etc. A. is the whole nature or essence of something. My prayer is to infuse God's character into your everyday lives with short ( 4-5") devotions and Bible Studies every Monday morning. Youre right, theyre all good but not perfect because only God IS perfect. But the Bible is CLEAR in its teaching. The trinity is not a contradiction, but a paradox. Dont you know Jesus? When we view the egg in its entirety we have the Biblical Trinity, One that is Three. 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). The Church should not forget that these heresies still exist in the present day and is even being taught by some priests and catechists. httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQLfgaUoQCw. To the other major monotheistic faiths (Islam and Judaism), it is rank heresyTrinitarianism is therefore definitional to Christianity. How can we explain what it means to have three persons in one being?
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