The Unseen Father would have been put into Satans prison. 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. God does not morph from one person to another, nor does God exist as three separate beings. For example, triangles are not the kinds of things that are personal. 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. Unfortunately, no analogy is perfect. Analogies for the Trinity exist to explain the unexplainable. Some people have suggested using an egg to explain how God can be both one and three. When we think about influential New Testament leaders, most names are male. Augustine of Hippo/On The Trinity - Wikiversity How do we make sense of the Trinity? This description that all persons are fully God is called the Ontological Trinity. I know in the past Ive used analogies that werent the best (more on those later.) The Father hears their intercessory prayers. 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. . If you only had an apple core, you wouldnt pack it in your lunch. In the second instance, the truth of Gods Trinity reveals a further aspect of Gods love for His people. 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. 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. When discussing God, especially in regards to his nature, being and persons, a simple statement to articulate the Trinity is: God is 1, *. we worship one God in trinity and the trinity in unity,neither blending their personsnor dividing their essence. These three Persons are all equally God and all equally 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. Similarly, people have used the example of the apple in the same way- skin, flesh, and seeds. The yolk represents Gods Person, His Being, and His Holiness which generates Light that no man can approach (I Timothy 6:16). God does not just change forms but exists as three persons in unity. Before we look at a few bad analogies that many often use to try to illustrate the trinity, we need to first understand the doctrine itself. What portion of the analogy holds true with Church Teaching? Jesus, visually seen, judges all, not the Unseen Father. It is a miraculous invention, the egg. In one egg you have the white, the yoke, and the shell composing one full egg. To become the people we were always created to be. The Cathedral - The Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, Quebec, Canada is not). But if they give us a warped idea of what they are trying to explain, they arent helpful illustrations. 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). A good example would be an electrical cord. In an attempt to explain the Trinity, there are some bad examples people use, and some better ones. You know, that bearded guy on the throne who looks something like Zeus, right? 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). H2O can exist as a solid, a liquid and a gas but they are all still H2O. Both are one. Water Analogy - God is like water, or H2O, which can exist in 3 forms. There are some analogies that come close. The beautiful depth of Gods eternal Triune nature is a sublime reality which should bring an end to our attempts to cognitively master Him. But thats not how they understood it. God created us for community, since God is communal and we were created in His image. So if all of these explanations are heretical, what is a good analogy? 1. If water is inadequate, there are a wide array of alternative analogies we can turn to in modern theological parlance. Celebrating Easter Is About so Much More Than One Hour on Sunday. We define a person as one having a will and who is distinguishable from another person. . 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. Have you wondered what is God like? Lord of all, we bow before thee. Paul explains our finite understanding of beliefs like the Trinity as looking into a poor-quality mirror- a distorted image; dim and unclear. But understanding the Trinity is important. So, part of understanding the Trinity is realizing that God is personal and relational. The white of an egg is the connection between the yolk and the shell. The Holy Spirit and Son do not send the Father. Or, we can quote Daniel Webster; a strong Christian- I do not pretend fully to understand the arithmetic of heaven now. . This is why Jesus said, He who has seen Me, has seen the Father (John 14:9). Why analogies of the Trinity fail Youthworks These two analogies are the "water" analogy and the "egg" analogy. The Holy Trinity Easy as One, Two, Three | by John K Adams 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). 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. In contrast to the Ontological Trinity, there is the Economic Trinity. All Rights Reserved. As we examine the scriptural witness we see three truths that make up the doctrine of the trinity. Why is it wrong? This may be my favorite verse of them all. That fire keeps devils away from the saved. 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. What are some popular illustrations of the Holy Trinity? I do not have the time or space to exhaustively demonstrate in scripture these truths, but the Biblical witness teaches these three truths consistently about God. 1A) Dave is a son of Graham and Lois Armstrong. What Is A Good Analogy For The Trinity? - Therefore, God Exists The mystery is in the "how" this is accomplished; something we will finally understand in heaven. Church Adornments & Worship: Vestment Emblems - Monastery Icons 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. - well, sort of. In one egg you have the white, the yoke, and the shell composing one full egg. Heat it up, and it turns to vapor. What is the Trinity? Living Theologically There are three different cloves that represent the three different persons of the trinity. The Holy Trinity: Egg Analogy by Sharmaine Pagtakhan - Prezi 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). This is a bad analogy because it fails at the truth that all three persons comprise the fullness of God. None of the 3 are less divine than the others. How Helpful Are Analogies of the Trinity? - Kuyperian Commentary This analogy is an invalid comparison to the Trinity and is a heresy called PARTIALISM. The Holy Trinity - A Scientific Analogy - The Fra Angelico Institute An explanation that is so common, and seemingly does elucidate how something can simultaneously be three and onecan it really be that bad? 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. The egg analogy is very simple but it is OK to show something as simple as an egg can be one and yet three. The shortfall of this illustration, and others like it, is that God cannot be divided into "parts." It is so important that to deny the trinity is to deny Christianity. That is why Moses said. (Describing God as LOVE is my favorite way of understanding the Trinity. The doctrine of the Trinity is one of the primary tenants of the Christian faith. The Holy Spirit and Son do not send the Father. RELATED: The Biblical Principle Of Baptism By Fire. The three distinct notes come together to make one beautiful sound. He differs from the Father, but was and still is God. It is a miraculous invention, the egg. It's impossible to be an Orthodox Christian without professing belief in the Triune nature of God. 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. Water can be frozen and is called ice. Haydn Lea is an Associate Pastor in Queensland, and is currently studying his Master of Arts (Theology). I can only shake my head when He does these things! When we look at the egg as an example of the Trinity, we must view it in its entirety. This is the Christmas paradox. In using analogies, we need to acknowledge the demerits and limitations of the said analogy. 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 egg example, while not perfect or complete by any means, will still give us a basic understanding of the primary principle of Biblical Trinitarianism. 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. Each side is co-equal with the others, yet, each side is necessary. The trinity is not a contradiction, but a paradox. At the Cathedral, we recognize that there are responsibilities that come with . It is not important merely for the sake of tradition, or because the word itself is taught in the Bible (the word is not). How can we explain what it means to have three persons in one being? What is wrong with what I said? 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. The Egg and I - Part Two 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. Yet, these persons are not separate from one another. Yeah its definitely a hard thing to understand, let alone explain to little ones ! 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. . 3 - The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are distinct persons. However, Christians through the ages believe in the Trinity because the truths it represents are taught in the Bible. A chicken egg consists of a shell, a yolk, and an egg white, yet it is altogether one egg. It can also be a liquid and called water. Water has three states: solid, liquid, and gas. It is still H20, but just different forms. Its impossible to be an Orthodox Christian without professing belief in the Triune nature of God. To put it simply, "The problem with using analogies to explain the Holy Trinity is that you always end up confessing some ancient heresy." . My name is AnnMarie and I'm so glad you're here! Each one is fully 100% God. 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. What happens when an egg hatches? Basic mathematics tells us that 1x1x1 = 1.. All these make up one egg just as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit make up one God. They have a common purpose in making harmonious music, but each note is its own separate entity. So whats one good way to explain what the Trinity is? It falls into the heresy of tri-theism. Few if any have every tried to teach the heresy of Tritheism, but it needs to be mentioned anyway. Though I find the video to be hilarious and often . The Holy Trinity, one of the five Dogmas of the Church, is an extraordinary and unfathomable mystery. In some ways, it resembles the tritheism view (Misunderstanding 2). The problem with this analogy is that it would imply that there is only one Divine Person, who eventually multiplied Himself. 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). They say that three separate beings exist, 2. A single molecule cannot simultaneously exist in three different states. THE TRUTH IS: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are not simply names designating modalities of the divine being, for they are really DISTINCT from one another: He is not the Father who is the Son, nor is the Son he who is the Father, nor is the Holy Spirit he who is the Father or the Son. (CCC 254), 3.