The Bible teaches that the Father is God, that Jesus is God, and that the Holy Spirit is God. Common, yes. Thus, the Father Himself is not God, nor is the Son, nor is the Holy Spirit, but combining the three, there is 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. 4 Bad Analogies for the Trinity Justin Deeter It's impossible to be an Orthodox Christian without professing belief in the Triune nature of God. Unfortunately, an analogy from the limited realm of creation may not be sufficient in explaining Gods nature. When the Bible talks about God, it may be referring to Jesus Christ in a specific instance, the Holy Spirit in another and God the Father in a third occasion. Water Analogy God is like water, or H2O, which can exist in 3 forms. In other words, God may manifest Himself as the Father, Son, or Holy Spirit. He is one God in three persons, all at the same time. As we examine the scriptural witness we see three truths that make up the doctrine of the trinity. 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. 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. Tritheism denies the unity of the God-head by saying there is just three different gods. Shively 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. If youve been involved in ministries for children or young people, questions about the Trinity have most likely come up. What are some popular illustrations of the Holy Trinity? The Holy Spirit and Son do not send the Father. 3 - The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are distinct persons. There would be three thrones. Every kid in Sunday school thinks he knows all about God. . This is because the H20 is changing forms in representing each person. Jesus then becomes a created being and thus less than fully God. However, it breaks down on the level of equality: No one keeps or eats the shell of an egg. The watermelon has a skin, pulp and seeds; the egg is shell, yolk and egg white. It is not important merely for the sake of tradition, or because the word itself is taught in the Bible (. Others compare God to an egg, which is part shell, part white, part yolk. We can always rebut these claims with another equation: 1 x 1 x 1=1. Sadly, theres something "rotten" about this egg analogy. There's a simple reason they don't work: The Trinity, as such, isn't like anything in creation. Why analogies of the Trinity fail Youthworks 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. The early church labeled this view "tritheism". The problem with this analogy is that it teaches that God has three components: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. To return to my Life Group anecdote, after our discussion I asked why does it even matter?. Light comes from God. There are three different cloves that represent the three different persons of the trinity. 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. 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. Here's a look at six explanations for why so many people truly believe 3 Ways to Experience The Good Life in Jesus. The Trinity is a tri-unity, a unity of Three, - God the Father, Jesus, the Son of God and the Holy Spirit. What is the Trinity? Living Theologically 1. This is a bad analogy because it fails at the truth that all three persons comprise the fullness of God. If you say, "water" then you are incorrect. All these make up one egg just as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit make up one God. One is a musical chord with three notes. 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). Some think of God as H 2 O, which is sometimes a solid (ice), sometimes a liquid (water), and sometimes a gas (steam). 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. How do we make sense of the Trinity? Born in England in 1961, Benjamin Waterhouse Benjamin Waterhouse has been the organist of the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity since 2000. 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. Although God is transcendent, sovereign, unapproachable light, He has condescended to reveal something of Himself to His creation. To the other major monotheistic faiths (Islam and Judaism), it is rank heresyTrinitarianism is therefore definitional to Christianity. 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. 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. You can throw away one part of an egg (e.g., shell) and still have essentially an egg. Church Adornments & Worship: Vestment Emblems - Monastery Icons 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. 2:5-6; Col. 1:15-17, 2:9; Heb. Therefore, in this context, God is the what and the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are the who. (Which I just found out is in error). We can say that the first is egg the shell, the second is egg the albumen and the third is egg the yoke. In the same way, there is a God Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.. 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. We define a person as one having a will and who is distinguishable from another person. Adorn your liturgical vestments with classic images from the Monastery Icons collection. In the same way, water is all the same molecular structure, expressing itself in three different modes. All Scripture is taken from the NIV version unless otherwise specified, Author Ignace Franz, translated by Clarence A. Walworth. The doctrine of the Trinity is one of the primary tenants of the Christian faith. 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. Furthermore, this trinity is related to a shamrock, an apple, or an egg. It is a miraculous invention, the egg. Devils cannot grab ahold of them to cast them into Satans prison. Thanks, Ann! Somewhere in the recesses of my mind lived the doctrinal truth about the Trinity. The Trinity is not real in my life because of superior knowledge or insight. The Holy Spirit and Son do not send the Father. Have you wondered what is God like? we worship one God in trinity and the trinity in unity,neither blending their personsnor dividing their essence. John 17). There are some analogies that come close. The three parts create a unified whole. Thus the Father is in Jesus " I and My Father are One" (John 10:30), "The Father is in Me" (John 14:10) God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself (II Corinthians 5:19). 1A) Dave is a son of Graham and Lois Armstrong. The Bible teaches three truths: 1 - there is one God. I remember asking my Life Group last year, How have you heard the Trinity explained? I braced myself for the inevitable reply. We recommend you adhere these emblems to your vestments by mounting on the material with fabric glue and then stitching them . I write to see memory and language wrestle with reality. Therefore it behoves us to know what He has revealed (including the Trinity), and to lovingly worship Him accordingly. 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. At times God is Father, or Son, or Holy Spirit. It is the Central Mystery of our Christian faith. Just like an egg, none of the parts are co-equal, nor are all of the parts necessary for the egg to exist. When we view the egg in its entirety we have the Biblical Trinity, One that is Three. Holy Trinity, the downtown Greek Orthodox church that was partially destroyed by fire 11 years ago, was a special place for 57-year-old Georgiou. Now, as youve probably guessed, this analogy also breaks down. Armstrong. Therefore, in this context, God is the what and the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are the who. See the depths of Catholicism for yourself! The idea that the Trinity can be compared to a shamrock is largely attributed to St. Patrick. Though I find the video to be hilarious and often . Here are 8 Bible Characters Who Should Be More Famous. 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. I dont believe that God wishes us to be confused about the Three that are so apparent throughout the Old and New Testaments. 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). Lost will be burned up. Required fields are marked *. I never thought about it in that way some of these examples Ive never heard of. This is a bad analogy because it fails at the truth that all three persons comprise the fullness of God. If the sun exists, there is also day; if nothing of this be manifest, it is impossible that the sun should be there. It is a miraculous invention, the egg. Unfortunately, no analogy is perfect. 5And there are varieties of ministries and the same Lord. THE DISTINCTION AND UNITY of the Trinity is not for us to fully understand because it is a supernatural mystery. Each separate being is co-equal, co-powerful and co-eternal. This may be my favorite verse of them all. How so? The Egg and I - Part Two 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). The Father hears their intercessory prayers. The Trinity are three distinct persons who exist apart from each other. It is not important merely for the sake of tradition, or because the word itself is taught in the Bible (the word is not). Tritheism denies that there is only one God. If you looked at a single cloverleaf, you wouldnt call it a shamrock. This description that all persons are fully God is called the Ontological Trinity. The Trinity is one of the most foundational doctrines of Christianity. It only has 1 person acting in three different roles. This would make Jesus something less than fully God. The term Economic refers to the roles, functions, and relationships that exist within the Trinity. 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. Again, this analogy doesnt work because God doesnt morph, change, or become different aspects of Himself. 1 Corinthians 8:6: Yet for us there is but one God.. History, lifestyle, family, music, theology, scripture, literature, the saints, church history, parenting, politics, prayer, the pope, and more. When we separate them we can fall into the error of tritheism, which is the worship of three individual deities as one. (It is also why the Jews had an issue with Jesus calling Himself God.). Augustine of Hippo/On The Trinity - Wikiversity And whos the Holy Spirit? The word trinity is not in the Scriptures, but is a word used to describe the three in one God revealed in the Bible. Your email address will not be published. There is one GOD in three persons (Father, Son, Holy Spirit), 2. He differs from the Father, but was and still is God. And we know that because the Persons of the Godhead have perfectly blessed and exalted each other for all eternity. St. Augustine's Analogy for Understanding the Trinity The apple seed alone is not an apple. For sure, our everyday experience does not include using our finite minds to understand the infinite! The Father sends the Son, and both the Father and Son send the Holy Spirit. 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 is like the heat that the sun produces, unseen yet powerful and effective in making the sun felt. The Trinity is a tri-unity, a unity of Three, - God the Father, Jesus, the Son of God and the Holy Spirit. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength (1 Corinthians 1:25). This analogy is an invalid comparison to the Trinity and is a heresy called PARTIALISM. They are three in one egg. But common sense is intuition based on day-to-day experience. But Hes God too, right? In reality, I change my role depending on who I am interacting with. Finally, I would suggest that the mere fact that we cannot understand the full depth of the Trinity (even with our myriad of analogies) has implications. Yet we do not have three gods but ONE God. [4] The goal of an analogy is to draw out similarities between it and its referent in illuminating ways, not to define the referent itself. Haydn describes himself as a five-point Calvinist, but he recognises that many faithful Christians disagree. That is why Moses said. Water is water, but exists in three different forms: liquid, frozen, or steam. . There is only one egg with three different parts. 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 analogy breaks down because I can simultaneously be a father, husband, and son to any one person. Basic mathematics tells us that 1x1x1 = 1.. This analogy is an invalid comparison to the Trinity and is a heresy called PARTIALISM. 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). The Son was begotten by the Father IN ETERNITY, and the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. 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. Some who deny the Trinity claim 1+1+1=3, and therefore claim we worship three Gods. ), The Son Phil. I go to prepare a place for you. 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. FOR CENTURIES, the Church had fought against heresies on the Trinity. Explaining the Holy Trinity. He is married to Shamsa Lea, is the father of Amira, and loves boxing and studying Theology. "The Egg and i - A Simple Explanation of The Trinity" - cafe Logos The Son intercedes as our High Priest before the Father. I did read about the shamrock analogy! But the Father is not the Son or the Spirit. 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. Good and Bad Analogies of the Trinity - Answers . Did I leave out any analogies? But, when it's heated, it turns into a gas (steam) and, when it's frozen, it turns into a solid (ice). Analogies for the Trinity exist to explain the unexplainable. THE TRUTH IS: The Father, Son, and Spirit are three different persons who are all equally one God. They all exist as fully God, with none of them lacking in any attribute or aspect that defines God. 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! 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. He was with God in the beginning. 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.. He cares for his creation and his people. They say that three separate beings exist, 2. 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). The meme above discourages the use of analogies in explaining the Trinity. But it cant be that way with God. In this episode, Fred Sanders discusses what it really means to say that God is a Trinitythree persons in one God. Stars were made on the forth day. Paul explains our finite understanding of beliefs like the Trinity as looking into a poor-quality mirror- a distorted image; dim and unclear. The trinity is a mystery that cannot be fully comprehended. In Arianism, the Son is not eternally equal with the Father, but was the Fathers first and best creation. I and My Father are One (John 10:30). And in our efforts to grasp it, weve come up with a number of analogies. Instead, each person is co-equal, co-powerful and co-eternal. A Simple Way to Explain the Trinity - Keith Ferrin show me your glory. 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 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. A chicken egg consists of a shell, a yolk, and an egg white, yet it is altogether one egg. That fire keeps devils away from the saved. Water has three states: solid, liquid, and gas. You are an egg! Bach, and has released two previous CDs, one . The unseen Father is in Christs mind. We believe in only one true God in all existence, in all places, at all times. The trinity is an essential doctrine to the Christian faith. The word Trinity comes from the Latin word trinitas which means tri-unity. They've always led to error and have been rejected by the church. Haydn Lea is an Associate Pastor in Queensland, and is currently studying his Master of Arts (Theology). Another wrong illustration is using ourselves: I am one person, but also a wife, mother, and writer. In using analogies, we need to acknowledge the demerits and limitations of the said analogy. For them, a person is someone who could relate to another. Each PERSON is distinct from one another. If you say, "Jesus Christ" then you MAY BE incorrect. Or water can be evaporated and called steam. We believe that it is a revelation that comes from Christ Himself. There are, however, some that work better than others. So, part of understanding the Trinity is realizing that God is personal and relational. There have been many attempts to explain the Trinity the relationship between God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. 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. A Note on Trinitarian Analogies | Place for Truth - Alliance of Part 2. Why Analogies And Illustrations Of The Trinity Fail Among the most popular analogies for the Trinity, two in particular stand out; and most of the others resemble one of them. God is kind of like a man who is a father, a son and an uncle God is kind of like a three-leaf clover, or a triangle; one object, but three different, identifiable leaves, or sides* Some people think that H2O cannot exist in all three states simultaneously but that is not true. 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. God does not play three roles.. PART OF A WHOLE. His ways are not my ways! Shively, This book is now available in a published format for easy sharing and classroom use. They that dont have the Holy Spirit in them will talk like the Adversary. And we know that because Hes been experiencing perfect love within Himself forever. httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQLfgaUoQCw. The Egg- One egg has three parts: shell, whites, and yolk . So if all of these explanations are heretical, what is a good analogy? 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 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. Starting with the three biblical affirmations, ask your kids to show you how these examples support or deny what the bible teaches about the Trinity. Now if any man has not the Spirit of Christ, he is not His" (Romans 8:9). 4 Bad Ways to Explain the Trinity (and 1 Good One) An egg is made up of shell, white and yolk. TO AVOID HERESIES, LET US LIVE BY WHAT HAS BEEN REVEALED TO US: 1. 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. One of the more traditional analogies is to the states of water. Unfortunately, most of them actually give us the wrong idea about what the Trinity is. Few topics of discussion in the Christian faith are more confusing than the idea of the Trinity. H2O can exist in three forms: liquid, gas and solid. In one of his sermons, he wrestled with the passage in Scripture recounting Jesus' Baptism. Trinity Egg Analogy . I have the good one. Dont you know Jesus? Love was not given to Jesus. Yet, the trinity is mysterious. The trinity is like water. 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.. The Trinity is not 1 + 1 + 1 but more like 1 x 1 x 1. All Rights Reserved. Here many of the creeds help us in clearly articulating the trinity. Your email address will not be published. CafeLogos.orgThe Egg and i -A Simple Explanation of The Trinity Some have taken on the task of explaining how Father, Son, and Holy Spirit exist as one. But we cannot do that (assuming we can) with God. 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. She would explode!" Each one is fully God. Which ones have you heard? This is just as bad as the Water analogy and leads to the same error. There would be three thrones. For example, we know that God didnt create humanity because He bored or lonely. Its downright hard to understand. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 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. Holy Trinity: Some Analogies to Help Us Comprehend 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. . As a result the water molecule must change forms. Depth isnt the same thing as height and height isnt the same thing as width, yet all three together are what comprise space. The Trinity is not 1 + 1 + 1 but more like 1 x 1 x 1. He completed a doctorate in 1990, looking at the question of harmonic rhythm in the organ music of J.S. 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. 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. These attributes are: omnipotence (all-powerful), omniscience (all-knowing), and omnipresence (exists in all places). , 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. 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. Since these bad analogies tend to lead to a heresy, we will examine the main three areas of heresy concerning the trinity. In this analogy, God is compared to a man. So cool that God imparted that song in your mind and heart before you even wrote this blog post! The egg white represents Gods Spirit. In Jesus dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9) One popular and simple illustration of the Trinity is the egg. How can we explain what it means to have three persons in one being? He has one essenceone substance. 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. Time Analogy God is like time. 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 Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God. There are two basic ways that people misunderstand the Trinity: 1. Devils see that Spirit as a tempestuious fire. I dont believe that God wishes us to be confused about the Three that are so apparent throughout the Old and New Testaments. So much of what we know about what God does is wrapped up in who He is. The Holy Spirit is the shell, Jesus is the egg white, and the Father is the egg yolk. This is a place to find encouragement and hope from God's Word as you move through your busy life. Each Person in the Trinity (or the Godhead) is fully God and fully a Person. The water analogy of the Trinity follows this line of reasoning: water can be a solid (ice/frozen water), liquid, and gas (water vapor), and yet all three forms are still water (H 2 O), and likewise, God manifests Himself in 3 different ways in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. 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.