Analogies for the Trinity exist to explain the unexplainable. [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. 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. And in our efforts to grasp it, weve come up with a number of analogies. These things are referred to as the Economic Trinity. Jesus is the Holy Spirit that saves us. All these make up one egg just as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit make up one God. True, we humans are image bearers but nothing in creation serves as an analogy for the Trinity because the Trinity is a doctrine of special (biblical) revelation not nature or reason. It is not important merely for the sake of tradition, or because the word itself is taught in the Bible (the word is not). God controls that light. I believe that the best way to talk about the Trinity is to simply say that God is one God, who eternally exists in three Persons. How Helpful Are Analogies of the Trinity? - Kuyperian Commentary An essential factor lacking from those concepts is the relational quality of God. 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. Dont you know Jesus? 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. In this episode, Fred Sanders discusses what it really means to say that God is a Trinitythree persons in one God. 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. You are an egg! And whos the Holy Spirit? The three-leaf clover analogy is OK. We might call one side A, another side B, and the other C. So, there is a distinction between each of the sides, yet, all three are the same. This error denies something central to God that makes Him God. In scripture we see explicit trinitarian references, especially at Jesus' baptism where the Father speaks, the Spirit descends, and the Son is in the water. The past is not the present and the present is not the future, yet all three together is what we call time. 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 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). Just like an egg, none of the parts are co-equal, nor are all of the parts necessary for the egg to exist. Depth isnt the same thing as height and height isnt the same thing as width, yet all three together are what comprise space. 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. This analogy sounds pretty good, but it is fatally flawed in that is describes the Son and Spirit as creations of the Father. Understanding 1 Corinthians 14:34-35. The Trinity is not 1 + 1 + 1 but more like 1 x 1 x 1. Three persons is false. Scripture however, doesnt depict God this way. The early church labeled this view "tritheism". The meme above discourages the use of analogies in explaining the Trinity. A Simple Way to Explain the Trinity - Keith Ferrin Blessings! 1A) Dave is a son of Graham and Lois Armstrong. Water can be ice and steam, yet they are the same element. An egg has a shell, white, and yolk, but these three are part of an egg or Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao but the same Philippines. 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. Similarly, people have used the example of the apple in the same way- skin, flesh, and seeds. 3. God is like H2Olike water. Explaining the Holy Trinity. The best analogy for the Trinity (hold your stones) - The Project on Modalism is a heresy because it denies the distinction of God. 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). Sure enough, one member answered Well Ive heard that the Trinity is like water: water can be liquid, gas (steam), or solid (ice), but its still the same water. He has one essenceone substance. Modalism teaches that one God just changes forms or modes over the course of scripture. 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. Tritheism denies the unity of the God-head by saying there is just three different gods. The trinity is a mystery that cannot be fully comprehended. This analogy denies the distinction of the God-head. You can also catch up with me on Facebook, Pinterest, and TikTok Do you know why I keep saying God is like an egg (or H2O) but God is not like an egg (or H2O)? That helps explain the concept quite well- the oneness, unity of God with the distinct three persons of God- Father, Son, and Spirit. The above picture is a famous work of art by Andrei Rubilev, the great medieval Russian painter of Orthodox icons and frescos. 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. is not). To the other major monotheistic faiths (Islam and Judaism), it is rank heresyTrinitarianism is therefore definitional to Christianity. 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. Water is water, but exists in three different forms: liquid, frozen, or steam. The problem with this analogy is it denies the unity of the God-head. The Holy Trinity - A Scientific Analogy - The Fra Angelico Institute 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 Trinity are three distinct persons who exist apart from each other. It is the Central Mystery of our Christian faith. Few topics of discussion in the Christian faith are more confusing than the idea of the Trinity. Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. Devils cannot grab ahold of them to cast them into Satans prison. For instance, we know that God is perfectly loving. Some people think that H2O cannot exist in all three states simultaneously but that is not true. The Father is fully God; Jesus is fully God and the Holy Spirit is fully God. Below is a compilation of the verses that reference all 3 persons of the one God. What portion is erroneous? Jesus is the Holy Spirit that saves us. To return to my Life Group anecdote, after our discussion I asked why does it even matter?. Under Arianism Jesus is less than fully God. One is a musical chord with three notes. Only the Son became incarnate, took on flesh. 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. - well, sort of. So "son" = "Dave". It does not represent 3 persons existing simultaneously. If the sun exists, there is also day; if nothing of this be manifest, it is impossible that the sun should be there. 2. The Sun was created on the forth day. He completed a doctorate in 1990, looking at the question of harmonic rhythm in the organ music of J.S. How would you explain the Trinity if someone asked you right now? Its impossible to be an Orthodox Christian without professing belief in the Triune nature of God. A man might be a father to his children, a husband to his wife, and son to his parents. But the Trinity is our belief as Christians that God is one being who exists in three Persons- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.. 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). And we know that because the Persons of the Godhead have perfectly blessed and exalted each other for all eternity. Yet, as we view the pages of the Bible, we see that God is a personal and relational God. This is just as bad as the Water analogy and leads to the same error. They are three in one egg. You know, that bearded guy on the throne who looks something like Zeus, right? Who is God? It is still important that we have some understanding of the concept, however. The word God in this sense is defined as a single being, having all divine attributes. This means there is a sense in which all 3 persons may act or speak as one. . 2A) Dave is a father of four children: three boys and a . As a result the water molecule must change forms. Son and Holy Ghost are each fully God. 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. Podcast: Common Misconceptions about the Trinity (Fred Sanders) His being is somewhat of a mystery to us. 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. He wondered how it was possible that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit could be inseparable, while, in . The Trinity is a tri-unity, a unity of Three, - God the Father, Jesus, the Son of God and the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately, Arianism is still around and can found within the Jehovah's Witnesses teachings. But if they give us a warped idea of what they are trying to explain, they arent helpful illustrations. 1:8-12; 1 Pet. At the Cathedral, we recognize that there are responsibilities that come with . The Holy Spirit is like the heat that the sun produces, unseen yet powerful and effective in making the sun felt. Here are a few common illustrations: The Egg- One egg has three parts: shell, whites, and yolk. 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. What portion of the analogy holds true with Church Teaching? 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. But its all the same person, operating in three roles or functions. Why analogies of the Trinity fail Youthworks However, Christians through the ages believe in the Trinity because the truths it represents are taught in the Bible. For the Trinity, instead of using the formula 1+1+1, we use 1x1x1. Here's a look at six explanations for why so many people truly believe 3 Ways to Experience The Good Life in Jesus. 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 Holy Spirit prays for us. in that while water can change into vapour or ice, Jesus cannot change into the Father or the Holy Spirit. One sits on the throne looking like Sardine and Jasper stone. As a doctrine (belief), the trinity is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three separate and distinct persons united in one being- God. Does that make sense? Yet we do not have three gods but ONE God. They are three in one egg. Have you wondered what is God like? Part 2. This is a bad analogy because it fails at the truth that all three persons comprise the fullness of God. Dr. Bruce Ware does an excellent job in his book Big Truths for Young Hearts. Genisis 1:17, KJV. But the Father is not the Son or the Spirit. In other words, God may manifest Himself as the Father, Son, or Holy Spirit. Here are some of them: The problem with this is that it leads to the view that God is a Trinity simply because He relates differently to us at different times. Jesus is the Holy Spirit. It is so important that to deny the trinity is to deny Christianity. Truly, it is a Mystery. Our God is three in one. Each one is fully God. The Son intercedes as our High Priest before the Father. The Trinity is a tri-unity, a unity of Three, - God the Father, Jesus, the Son of God and the Holy Spirit. Well the issue is, the water analogy is akin to the heresy of Modalism. copyright 2009 by H.D. (Which I just found out is in error). 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? Each separate being is co-equal, co-powerful and co-eternal. One of the more traditional analogies is to the states of water. What is the Trinity? These are likewise erroneous or even heretical. The mystery is in the "how" this is accomplished; something we will finally understand in heaven. H2O can exist as a solid, a liquid and a gas but they are all still H2O. We all want to experience the good life. 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. This is why Jesus said, He who has seen Me, has seen the Father (John 14:9). 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. H2O can only ever be one form at a time. There have been many attempts to explain the Trinity the relationship between God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. The Son "proceeds" from the Father, and the Holy Spirit "proceeds from the Father and the Son.". In the second instance, the truth of Gods Trinity reveals a further aspect of Gods love for His people. Some people falsely claim the Trinity is a form of . Arianism denies the deity of each person in the trinity. All Scripture is taken from the NIV version unless otherwise specified, Author Ignace Franz, translated by Clarence A. Walworth. God does not play three roles.. If one of the persons were not there, then we would not have God. 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. The word Trinity comes from the Latin word trinitas which means tri-unity. Being the brightness of the eternal Light, He Himself also is absolutely eternal. The Bible teaches three truths: 1 - there is one God. What does that really mean? This is a bad analogy because it fails at the truth that all three persons comprise the fullness of God. Jesus would have remained in the tomb, or hell, had Jesus sinned. But the Bible is CLEAR in its teaching. But while this idea is central to the Christian faith, it is also incredibly mysterious to us. Light comes from God. In other words, this view denies Gods oneness. In the first place, if we truly claim to love God, then surely we should endeavour to know Him. Modernizations of this analogy include that of an apple (with the peel, the flesh, and the core) or an egg (with its shell, yoke, and white). Theyve transformed. 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. Shively, This book is now available in a published format for easy sharing and classroom use. When we look at the egg as an example of the Trinity, we must view it in its entirety. For instance at the baptism of Christ, the Father, Son and Spirit are all distinctly present and interacting (Matthew chapter 3 verses 16-17). Now, as youve probably guessed, this analogy also breaks down. Paul explains our finite understanding of beliefs like the Trinity as looking into a poor-quality mirror- a distorted image; dim and unclear. He began to play the organ as a chorister in England, before continuing his studies in Qubec and France. 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 God. God has revealed some mysteries from the Old Testament in the New Testament (the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the coming of the Messiah, salvation by grace through faith, etc.) The Egg Analogy God is like an egg. Trinity is like a Shamrock (or an Apple or an Egg). Although God is transcendent, sovereign, unapproachable light, He has condescended to reveal something of Himself to His creation. The Cathedral - The Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, Quebec, Canada Another wrong illustration is using ourselves: I am one person, but also a wife, mother, and writer. There would be three thrones. Unfortunately, an analogy from the limited realm of creation may not be sufficient in explaining Gods nature. 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. 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). And then theres Jesus, Gods son. When we look at the egg as an example of the Trinity, we must view it in its entirety. The word Trinity comes from the Latin word trinitas which means tri-unity. Ontological means the nature or essence of something. In Arianism, the Son is not eternally equal with the Father, but was the Fathers first and best creation. Another analogy that Tim remembers, being Irish Catholic, is the analogy of the shamrock with its three parts. . The Trinity is not real in my life because of superior knowledge or insight.