In other words, this view denies Gods oneness. It is still H20, but just different forms. Genisis 1:17, KJV. 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. But theres one problem: the water analogy is not the biblical picture of God. One cannot remove the Holy Spirit and still have the God as taught in the Bible. Now if any man has not the Spirit of Christ, he is not His" (Romans 8:9). The problem with this analogy is it denies the unity of the God-head. The Holy Spirit prays for us. . I think the analogy of the Sun works well. Analogies for the Trinity exist to explain the unexplainable. (Which I just found out is in error). 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 . The word Trinity comes from the Latin word trinitas which means tri-unity. Cool it down, and itll eventually freeze into a solid. In the same way, there is a God Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.. History, lifestyle, family, music, theology, scripture, literature, the saints, church history, parenting, politics, prayer, the pope, and more. The very definition of the heresy known as Modalism/Oneness is that there is one person existing in three different modes or manifestations. Though I find the video to be hilarious and often . 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. 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. While each person is distinct, they are never separate from one another. There is one GOD in three persons (Father, Son, Holy Spirit), 2. The Trinity is not 1 + 1 + 1 but more like 1 x 1 x 1. Unfortunately, Arianism is still around and can found within the Jehovah's Witnesses teachings. Its all one person, simply functioning in three different roles. The Trinity is Like an Egg How the analogy goes: The Trinity is like an egg. While an egg has a yolk, a white and a shell to make up the whole, each part is only ever . Who is God? On a whim, I looked up the lyrics at a later time. Or what? Devils cannot grab ahold of them to cast them into Satans prison. 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. 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. This error denies something central to God that makes Him God. Water can be ice and steam, yet they are the same element. These two analogies are the "water" analogy and the "egg" analogy. The egg has a shell, the whites and a yoke. In Arianism, the Son is not eternally equal with the Father, but was the Fathers first and best creation. He has been a member of the Royal Australian Air Force since 2007, and is now training to be an Air Force Chaplain. Lost will be burned up. 3:15; John 17:1-4, The Holy Spirit Acts 5:3-4; John 14:16-17, 26; John 16:7-13. Water is water, but exists in three different forms: liquid, frozen, or steam. The problem with this analogy is that an egg yoke is of a very different substance than a shell. Each one is fully 100% God. Devils see that Spirit as a tempestuious fire. You can also catch up with me on Facebook, Pinterest, and TikTok Few topics of discussion in the Christian faith are more confusing than the idea of the Trinity. They are unified in one divine being. He completed a doctorate in 1990, looking at the question of harmonic rhythm in the organ music of J.S. 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. Modalism denies the distinction of person in the trinity. A single molecule cannot simultaneously exist in three different states. Here are four. The Trinity is one of the most foundational doctrines of Christianity. Jesus is in the form of the Holy Spirit. There are, however, some that work better than others. Let's use an egg to explain the Holy Trinity! Here are a few common illustrations: The Egg- One egg has three parts: shell, whites, and yolk. Although God is transcendent, sovereign, unapproachable light, He has condescended to reveal something of Himself to His creation. THE TRUTH IS: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are not three different parts or components of God, but the . When we separate them we can fall into the error of tritheism, which is the worship of three individual deities as one. Time Analogy God is like time. One thing that Ive found helpful is using the Trinity to illustrate truths we know about God. The Trinity is like an egg. What makes it hard is that all of our analogies and metaphors fall short of capturing what the Trinity actually is. Yet we do not have three gods but ONE God. So, in God, there are three distinct persons. The more I reflect on Easter, the more Ive realized how much its become a consumeristic holidayeven Did Jesus really rise from the dead? They are three in one egg. 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. 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. 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. Or have you ever tried to teach kids about the Trinity? This analogy denies the distinction of the God-head. Each person is fully God (Phil 2; Acts 5:3-4). This is a general rule when we study this Mystery using our human weakness since it is absolutely impossible for our human minds to comprehend the Divine. This is the error of Arianism (not to be confused with Aryanism, which is also bad). The trinity is an essential doctrine to the Christian faith. Similarly, people have used the example of the apple in the same way- skin, flesh, and seeds. The shell, while important, is no longer needed. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit also exist eternally and concurrently. All three persons exist at the same moment in history. We can think of it this way: the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. He wondered how it was possible that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit could be inseparable, while, in . So God performs 3 different roles/relationships but 1 God. Paul explains our finite understanding of beliefs like the Trinity as looking into a poor-quality mirror- a distorted image; dim and unclear. Both are one. THE TRUTH IS: From the very beginning, the Blessed Trinity Father, Son, and Spirit was there. httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQLfgaUoQCw. One of the more traditional analogies is to the states of water. Born in England in 1961, Benjamin Waterhouse Benjamin Waterhouse has been the organist of the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity since 2000. He has been relationally fulfilled within Himself since forever. It only has 1 person acting in three different roles. Each separate being is co-equal, co-powerful and co-eternal. 1 Corinthians 8:6: Yet for us there is but one God.. When we view the egg in its entirety we have the Biblical Trinity, One that is Three. This book is now available in a published format for easy sharing and classroom use. As we examine the scriptural witness we see three truths that make up the doctrine of the trinity. At the Cathedral, we recognize that there are responsibilities that come with . Now that we know the doctrine of the trinity and its corresponding major heresies, now we are ready to look at some bad analogies for the trinity. In other words, one stuffness. However, He exists in three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Also, the egg is made up of three distinct and unalike parts. If one of the sides were removed, then there would be no equilateral triangle. Bach, and has released two previous CDs, one . In Biblical Trinitarianism we can never have one without the other because they are one Spirit; each is the totality of the other which means we cannot have the Holy Spirit without the Father and the Son, We will come (into the believer through the Holy Spirit, John 14:23), and we cannot have the Son without The Father whose Holy Spirit is the Spirit of the Father (Matthew 10:20). I bet I havent sung or heard this song in years! The Holy Spirit is the shell, Jesus is the egg white, and the Father is the egg yolk. But having lots 6 Bible Study Tools To Help You Dive Deeper. Now God can be in you by His 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). Water can be ice and steam, yet they are the same element. The yolk represents Gods Person, His Being, and His Holiness which generates Light that no man can approach (I Timothy 6:16). So, I shot down a lot of images that seems to be pretty helpful. If you need to use an analogy, then use a good one. 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. He is one God in three persons, all at the same time. 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 problem with this analogy is that it also leads to the heresy of MODALISM. The Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, constructed between 1800 and 1804, is the first Anglican cathedral to have been built outside the British Isles. Do you know why I keep saying God is like an egg (or H2O) but God is not like an egg (or H2O)? Is He Jesus side-kick? 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. This is a bad analogy because it fails at the truth that all three persons comprise the fullness of God. When discussing God, especially in regards to his nature, being and persons, a simple statement to articulate the Trinity is: God is 1, *. In contrast to the Ontological Trinity, there is the Economic Trinity. To the other major monotheistic faiths (Islam and Judaism), it is rank heresyTrinitarianism is therefore definitional to Christianity. 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. All Scripture is taken from the NIV version unless otherwise specified, Author Ignace Franz, translated by Clarence A. Walworth. The sun comprises the sun itself, its light and its heat. 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). 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. One day, however, the image will be clear. Not just for explaining it to others, but to bolster our own faith and see how each One works in our lives. It is a miraculous invention, the egg. How can we explain what it means to have three persons in one being? 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. They all exist as fully God, with none of them lacking in any attribute or aspect that defines God. Part 2. ORDER from Barnes and NobleAmazon.com or wherever fine books are soldISBN-13: 978-1978167643Return to Cafe Logos Homepage | Bite-Sized Bible Bites. 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. 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. We find it in all four Gospels. The trinity is a mystery that cannot be fully comprehended. This little child cannot look at one without experiencing a profound sense of wonderment and awe. Stars were made on the froth day. Before I even began writing this post, I had an unusual song stuck in my head Holy God, we praise thy name. [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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. And let us once more come to illustrations. The word Trinity comes from the Latin word trinitas which means tri-unity. It is the Fathers desire to join His Spirit with all of us as well for He has said They shall be My sons and daughters (II Corinthians 6:18). and Holy Spirit are only parts of God (egg and sun). Jesus is the Holy Spirit that saves us. THE DISTINCTION AND UNITY of the Trinity is not for us to fully understand because it is a supernatural mystery. Lord of all, we bow before thee. Every kid in Sunday school thinks he knows all about God. This description that all persons are fully God is called the Ontological Trinity. Yet we do not have three gods but ONE God. Instead, each person is co-equal, co-powerful and co-eternal. Perhaps youve heard the analogy that the Trinity is like H2O (the molecular symbol for water). The Church should not forget that these heresies still exist in the present day and is even being taught by some priests and catechists. Shively The problem with this analogy is that it teaches that God has three components: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Christians believe, then, that only one God exists but this God exists as a unity of three persons: a Trinity. 3. So, the egg analogy doesnt work after all. An essential factor lacking from those concepts is the relational quality of God. However, Christians through the ages believe in the Trinity because the truths it represents are taught in the Bible. Trinity is like a Shamrock (or an Apple or an Egg). But the Bible is CLEAR in its teaching. We can admit it is a mystery and accept that our incomplete knowledge cannot fully comprehend it. There are two basic ways that people misunderstand the Trinity: 1. 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. Each of the persons is that supreme reality, viz., the divine substance, essence or nature. (Lateran Council IV), 4. A chicken egg consists of a shell, a yolk, and an egg white, yet it is altogether one egg. All of the above Bad Analogies would perhaps do more harm than good if used in explaining the Trinity. The three-leaf clover analogy is OK. 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. Analogies often fall short. The past is not the present and the present is not the future, yet all three together is what we call time. Trinity Egg Analogy . Learn how your comment data is processed. The yolk represents Gods Person, His Being, and His Holiness which generates Light that no man can approach (I Timothy 6:16). The Bible reveals that each person of the Trinity has unique roles, relationships, and functions which are distinct from one another. 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. 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). Over the course of church history there have been several heresies that have cropped up that deny one of these three truths. This is a bad analogy because it fails at the truth that all three persons comprise the fullness of God. 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. Light comes from God.
