There are many mysteries to our faith. 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 not 1 + 1 + 1 but more like 1 x 1 x 1. Devils see that Spirit as a tempestuious fire. 4 Bad Ways to Explain the Trinity (and 1 Good One) This is a quick way to describe the doctrine of the Trinity namely, God is 1 being (the what is Gods nature, essence, being) and 3 whos (the whos being Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). Each of the divine persons is GOD WHOLE AND ENTIRE, and there is one God. 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 trinity is an essential doctrine to the Christian faith. Discover the richness of the old yet living 2,000-year-old religion which built the West. An essential factor lacking from those concepts is the relational quality of God. Haydn Lea is an Associate Pastor in Queensland, and is currently studying his Master of Arts (Theology). Scripture however, doesnt depict God this way. Which ones have you heard? While an egg has a yolk, a white and a shell to make up the whole, each part is only ever . Love your blogs! He is one God in three persons, all at the same time. There is what is called the 'triple point' the combination of pressure and temperature at which H2O can exist simultaneously in all three states: solid, liquid and gas. I'm always interested in ways to encourage you, so feel free to contact me and let me know what areas interest you! And we know that because the Persons of the Godhead have perfectly blessed and exalted each other for all eternity. 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. Each one is fully 100% God. Son and Holy Ghost are each fully God. Surely this is a better understanding of the water analogy! 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. The Church should not forget that these heresies still exist in the present day and is even being taught by some priests and catechists. Moreover, the yoke and the whites are no longer as they used to be. It may not appear to agree with common sense. In Jesus is the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9). (Which I just found out is in error). There are some analogies that come close. 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. Now were going to look at how some people often misunderstand the Trinity. When they used the word person, they didnt mean it in the same way that we do today. Genisis 1:17, KJV. 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.). 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. Over the course of church history there have been several heresies that have cropped up that deny one of these three truths. If all you had were an eggshell, you wouldnt have a very exciting breakfast. But we can (and should) have a solid foundation to explain this core belief of our faith. Located in the heart of Quebec's historic district, it is a source of inspiration for visitors from around the world. So, in God, there are three distinct persons. But thats not how they understood it. To return to my Life Group anecdote, after our discussion I asked why does it even matter?. Among the most popular analogies for the Trinity, two in particular stand out; and most of the others resemble one of them. This analogy sounds pretty good, but it is fatally flawed in that is describes the Son and Spirit as creations of the Father. Yet it appears to be almost entirely misunderstood within contemporary evangelical circles. The Unseen Father and Father that is seen existed at the same time. I and My Father are One (John 10:30). As a result, this analogy actually teaches modalism. [Solved] Erickson discusses "God's Three-in-Oneness." What are the Arius was condemned by the council of Nicea in 325 AD. What portion of the analogy holds true with Church Teaching? The Unseen Father is in Christs mind. RELATED: What Does The Bible Say About Ghosts? That is why Moses said. Unfortunately, Arianism is still around and can found within the Jehovah's Witnesses teachings. Each separate being is co-equal, co-powerful and co-eternal. They say that three separate beings exist, 2. Ontological means the nature or essence of something. 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). One is a musical chord with three notes. 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). 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. show me your glory. Water can be ice and steam, yet they are the same element. 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. Unfortunately, no analogy is perfect. You are an egg! The Trinity is a tri-unity, a unity of Three, - God the Father, Jesus, the Son of God and the Holy Spirit. This analogy actually teaches the heresy of modalism. In other words, this view denies Gods oneness. This analogy explains that the Father is like the sun. Eggs are one, yet comprise yolk, shell and albumen. Yet we do not have three gods but ONE God. Stars were made on the froth day. 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. Analogies of the Trinity. The Son was begotten by the Father IN ETERNITY, and the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. That fire keeps devils away from the saved. 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. CafeLogos.orgThe Egg and i -A Simple Explanation of The Trinity He got married there in 1965, and his four . Its impossible to be an Orthodox Christian without professing belief in the Triune nature of 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). The divine persons are really DISTINCT from one another, and not merely different roles of God at different times. Our limited intellects are unable to comprehend its reality, yet, our Scriptures and scholarly Tradition makes it known to us. Unfortunately, most of them actually give us the wrong idea about what the Trinity is. If you only had an apple core, you wouldnt pack it in your lunch. 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. MULTIPLICATION ANALOGY. But, when it's heated, it turns into a gas (steam) and, when it's frozen, it turns into a solid (ice). The Holy Spirit is the shell, Jesus is the egg white, and the Father is the egg yolk. Each one is fully 100% God. The Trinity is like an egg. 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. 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. The Father sends the Son, and both the Father and Son send the Holy Spirit. In other words, God may manifest Himself as the Father, Son, or Holy Spirit. The Trinity Guarding The Gospel What are some popular illustrations of the Holy Trinity? It became real to me because I have experienced His love, grace, guidance, redemption, conviction of sin, and fellowship that comes from Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God is not made up of 3 'parts' like the 3 parts of the egg. 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. Space Analogy God is like space. Here are a couple "usefully flawed" analogies for the Trinity. 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. My name is AnnMarie and I'm so glad you're here! You are an egg! Genesis 1:26- Let us make man in our image, in our likeness The plural us and our show more than one person was involved. Often these analogies explicitly teach heresy. The trinity is like water. Sadly, theres something "rotten" about this egg analogy. 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 one. What is H2O? So much of what we know about what God does is wrapped up in who He is. St. Augustine's Analogy for Understanding the Trinity We all want to experience the good life. Not just for explaining it to others, but to bolster our own faith and see how each One works in our lives. We can always rebut these claims with another equation: 1 x 1 x 1=1. Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. They are equally eternal, powerful, sovereign, and worthy of worship. We believe in only one true God in all existence, in all places, at all times. Just as water changes forms so too is the trinity. This analogy denies the unity of the God-head. Copyright 2023 Christian Today. Explaining the Holy 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 three-leaf clover analogy is OK. 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. This is a worse analogy than the egg because it is more analogous to the heretical doctrine of Modalism/Oneness than for the Trinity. One day, however, the image will be clear. If one of the persons were not there, then we would not have God. We can touch the cord, but not the power it is insulating. It is not existing as 3 different parts (persons) at the same time. The early church labeled this view "tritheism". We recommend you adhere these emblems to your vestments by mounting on the material with fabric glue and then stitching them . Analogies for the Trinity exist to explain the unexplainable. Trinity Analogies that End Up as Heresies - Medium 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. From time to time, Doctors of the Church used analogies, but with care. But its all water. The word God in this sense is defined as a single being, having all divine attributes. The egg has a shell, the whites and a yoke. 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. The visual form of God seperated from Jesus on the cross. God is like H2Olike water. You know, that bearded guy on the throne who looks something like Zeus, right? Yet, the trinity is mysterious. 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. This analogy actually falls prey to the same error of modalism. We have the creeds for just that reason. I never thought about it in that way some of these examples Ive never heard of. But God is the eternal Light, which has neither had a beginning, nor shall ever fail. And whos the Holy Spirit? I go to prepare a place for you. Common, yes. In the second instance, the truth of Gods Trinity reveals a further aspect of Gods love for His people. Yet there is still only one God we serve. . The word Trinity comes from the Latin word trinitas which means tri-unity. God Is Like An Egg - vtaide.com 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. The word trinity is not in the Scriptures, but is a word used to describe the three in one God revealed in the Bible. Jesus, visually seen, judges all, not the Unseen Father. In the Scripture we see "the fullness of God was pleased to dwell" (Col 1:9). Also, the egg is made up of three distinct and unalike parts. For those, like myself, who are not from a highly-liturgical denomination, it may come as a surprise that June 11 was Trinity Sunday. If youre interested into diving deeper into the topic of the Trinity, here are some valuable resources that could help. 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. The trinity is a like a Three-Leaf Clover. There is one GOD in three persons (Father, Son, Holy Spirit), 2. Have you wondered what is God like? But the Father is not the Son or the Spirit. Although the water changes forms it is still H2O. ANALOGY OF CHARACTERS. - well, sort of. Because God is utterly unique, all comparisons will fail at some point. In using analogies, we need to acknowledge the demerits and limitations of the said analogy. Sending of another: The Father sends the Son, and both the Father and Son send the Holy Spirit. 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. 1:8-12; 1 Pet. 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. What does that really mean? Perhaps youve heard the analogy that the Trinity is like H2O (the molecular symbol for water). He cares for his creation and his people. 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). The Holy Spirit prays for us. Is the Trinity like H2O, an egg, or a triangle? - Fervr copyright 2009 by H.D. I dont believe that God wishes us to be confused about the Three that are so apparent throughout the Old and New Testaments. Augustine of Hippo/On The Trinity - Wikiversity 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. Unfortunately, an analogy from the limited realm of creation may not be sufficient in explaining Gods nature. In Jesus dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9) What Is A Good Analogy For The Trinity? - Therefore, God Exists Music - The Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, Quebec, Canada As a result the water molecule must change forms. There have been many attempts to explain the Trinity the relationship between God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. No analogy is perfect, but we want to be careful of using wrong ones that may confuse people. Lord of all, we bow before thee. Jesus loves us so much that he did not obliterate people who died, with power that set stars in the universe. These hand embroidered emblems are made with metallic gold-plated thread with silver content, printed on canvas. The Trinity is one of the most foundational doctrines of Christianity. But common sense is intuition based on day-to-day experience. . Perhaps we must be content to admit that we cannot fully understand Gods nature in our finitude.