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. H2O can exist as a solid, a liquid and a gas but they are all still H2O. Yet, as we view the pages of the Bible, we see that God is a personal and relational God. The apple seed alone is not an apple. I dont believe that God wishes us to be confused about the Three that are so apparent throughout the Old and New Testaments. 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. The trinity is a mystery that cannot be fully comprehended. His being is somewhat of a mystery to us. Wow! John 17). And for a mere mortal to have dared invent it and be able t. Does that make sense? 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). Haydn describes himself as a five-point Calvinist, but he recognises that many faithful Christians disagree. God is not made up of 3 parts like the 3 parts of the egg. They that dont have the Holy Spirit in them will talk like the Adversary. Also, the egg is made up of three distinct and unalike parts. 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. Each side is co-equal with the others, yet, each side is necessary. It's impossible to be an Orthodox Christian without professing belief in the Triune nature of God. we worship one God in trinity and the trinity in unity,neither blending their personsnor dividing their essence. To return to my Life Group anecdote, after our discussion I asked why does it even matter?. 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. The Trinity is distinct in their roles and individuality, but united in their attributes of love, mercy, holiness, knowledge, etc. What happens when an egg hatches? Scripture however, doesnt depict God this way. The watermelon has a skin, pulp and seeds; the egg is shell, yolk and egg white. As John 1:18 says, Jesus is "the only begotten God, in the bosom of [God] the Father.". The three parts create a unified whole. Learn how your comment data is processed. The word Trinity comes from the Latin word trinitas which means tri-unity. Each one is fully 100% God. So whats one good way to explain what the Trinity is? We believe in only one true God in all existence, in all places, at all times. There are two basic ways that people misunderstand the Trinity: 1. On a whim, I looked up the lyrics at a later time. The problem with this analogy is that no one molecule of H2O can actually exist as solid, liquid, and gas at the same time. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength (1 Corinthians 1:25). They are unified in one divine being. The Holy Spirit prays for us. He got married there in 1965, and his four . , 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. 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. The meme above discourages the use of analogies in explaining the Trinity. 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. I write to see memory and language wrestle with reality. Jesus loves us so much that he did not obliterate people who died, with power that set stars in the universe. Further, his dialectic is guided by the particular consideration of what true love is: a trinity of lover, beloved and the love that binds . The trinity is not a contradiction, but a paradox. We can say that the first is egg the shell, the second is egg the albumen and the third is egg the yoke. 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. Just as water changes forms so too is the trinity. Yet we do not have three gods but ONE God. The shortfall of this illustration, and others like it, is that God cannot be divided into "parts." Being the brightness of the eternal Light, He Himself also is absolutely eternal. They are three in one egg. But it cant be that way with God. If you need to use an analogy, then use a good one. 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. RELATED: What Does The Bible Say About Ghosts? The Son "proceeds" from the Father, and the Holy Spirit "proceeds from the Father and the Son.". It taught there is one nature in God, and that there are two processions, three persons, and four relations that constitute the Blessed Trinity. Arianism denies the deity of each person in the trinity. So "son" = "Dave". CafeLogos.orgThe Egg and i -A Simple Explanation of The Trinity The problem with this analogy is that an egg yoke is of a very different substance than a shell. Modalism, or Sabellianism, denies the three distinct Persons of the Trinity and claims that God is one Person who appears in different modes at different timesin the Old Testament He appeared as the Father, in the Gospels He appeared as the Son, and from Pentecost onwards He appears as the Holy Spirit. Hello busy women! The Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, constructed between 1800 and 1804, is the first Anglican cathedral to have been built outside the British Isles. Explaining the Holy Trinity. 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 Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God. 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. Each one is fully 100% God. THE DISTINCTION AND UNITY of the Trinity is not for us to fully understand because it is a supernatural mystery. 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. This analogy actually falls prey to the same error of modalism. As a result, this analogy can easily lead to tritheism in which there are three different gods which might share some like substance. . A good example would be an electrical cord. 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. When they used the word person, they didnt mean it in the same way that we do today. The Bible teaches that the Father is God, that Jesus is God, and that the Holy Spirit is God. - well, sort of. Here's a look at six explanations for why so many people truly believe 3 Ways to Experience The Good Life in Jesus. You are an egg! Ontological means the nature or essence of something. When we look at the egg as an example of the Trinity, we must view it in its entirety. From time to time, Doctors of the Church used analogies, but with care. You can also catch up with me on Facebook, Pinterest, and TikTok If you say, "Jesus Christ" then you MAY BE incorrect. Although he is one he has different roles to different people. That helps explain the concept quite well- the oneness, unity of God with the distinct three persons of God- Father, Son, and Spirit. As a doctrine (belief), the trinity is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three separate and distinct persons united in one being- God. 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. 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). Trinity is like a Shamrock (or an Apple or an Egg). You can throw away one part of an egg (e.g., shell) and still have essentially an egg. 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. Dont become discouraged if you cant answer the question to your liking. Here are a couple "usefully flawed" analogies for the Trinity. Youre right, theyre all good but not perfect because only God IS perfect. Below is a compilation of the verses that reference all 3 persons of the one God. Here many of the creeds help us in clearly articulating the trinity. When discussing God, especially in regards to his nature, being and persons, a simple statement to articulate the Trinity is: God is 1 what and 3 whos*. Answer (1 of 25): Cynics assert that the idea of the Holy Trinity is a logical impossibility. He has one essenceone substance. That is why Moses said. 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! If you say, "water" then you are incorrect. Or what? 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. 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. Similarly, people have used the example of the apple in the same way- skin, flesh, and seeds. 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 TRUTH IS: From the very beginning, the Blessed Trinity Father, Son, and Spirit was there. Because God is utterly unique, all comparisons will fail at some point. RELATED: The Biblical Principle Of Baptism By Fire. Yet it appears to be almost entirely misunderstood within contemporary evangelical circles. I think the analogy of the Sun works well. Now if any man has not the Spirit of Christ, he is not His" (Romans 8:9). The problem with this analogy is that it teaches that God has three components: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. . 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. Jesus would have remained in the tomb, or hell, had Jesus sinned. The Unseen Father is in Christs mind. I bet I havent sung or heard this song in years! The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit also exist eternally and concurrently. What is wrong with what I said? This error denies something central to God that makes Him God. All Scripture is taken from the NIV version unless otherwise specified, Author Ignace Franz, translated by Clarence A. Walworth. For them, a person is someone who could relate to another. The Holy Trinity: Egg Analogy The Holy Trinity is GOD in three divine persons GOD the FATHER GOD the HOLY SPIRIT GOD the SON But together they makeup and are still ONE GOD Like how an egg is made up of three things but is still ONE EGG. The Unseen Father and Father that is seen existed at the same time. (It is also why the Jews had an issue with Jesus calling Himself God.). 7But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christs gift., , according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, that you may obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in fullest measure., , But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith; praying in the Holy Spirit; 21keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.. The unseen Father is in Christs mind. 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. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. (John 1:13). One is a musical chord with three notes. He wondered how it was possible that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit could be inseparable, while, in . The Bible teaches three truths: 1 - there is one God. There is one GOD in three persons (Father, Son, Holy Spirit), 2. Although God is transcendent, sovereign, unapproachable light, He has condescended to reveal something of Himself to His creation. This is a place to find encouragement and hope from God's Word as you move through your busy life. In the first place, if we truly claim to love God, then surely we should endeavour to know Him. Similarly, in our aquatic analogy, water can appear in three different modes, depending on the environment, but the three are not co-existing. So God performs 3 different roles/relationships but 1 God. To help you out, here is a comical and silly video that teaches about these bad analogies. When we look at the egg as an example of the Trinity, we must view it in its entirety. The idea that the Trinity can be compared to a shamrock is largely attributed to St. Patrick. In Jesus is the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9). So, the egg analogy doesnt work after all. Thus, the Father Himself is not God, nor is the Son, nor is the Holy Spirit, but combining the three, there is one God. To the other major monotheistic faiths (Islam and Judaism), it is rank heresyTrinitarianism is therefore definitional to Christianity. There was no relational deficiency that prompted God to create us. Analogies that we present would always be insufficient as none of them would equate to the incomprehensible beauty of God. 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. God does not morph from one person to another, nor does God exist as three separate beings. Vestment Emblems. My interview: https://www.readlotswritelot.com/wp/podcast/episode-21-john-k-adams/, More from Catholicism for the Modern World, https://www.readlotswritelot.com/wp/podcast/episode-21-john-k-adams/. Tritheism denies the unity of the God-head by saying there is just three different gods. Theyve transformed. The Son is like the light rays that visibly reveal the sun, as Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15). Arianism clearly denies the deity of the three persons. Or water can be evaporated and called steam. The trinity is a like a Three-Leaf Clover. My intention is merely to address some common erroneous analogies, including water. When we look at the egg as an example of the Trinity, we must view it in its entirety. Try starting your explanation with a simple definition and then ask for further questions: No one can completely know or understand God. Many of us would use analogies to explain the Trinity. 3:15; John 17:1-4, The Holy Spirit Acts 5:3-4; John 14:16-17, 26; John 16:7-13. For instance at the baptism of Christ, the Father, Son and Spirit are all distinctly present and interacting (Matthew chapter 3 verses 16-17). All of the above Bad Analogies would perhaps do more harm than good if used in explaining the Trinity. 3 - The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are distinct persons. But, when it's heated, it turns into a gas (steam) and, when it's frozen, it turns into a solid (ice). If you're looking to dive deeper into God's word, here are 6 kinds of bible study tools and resources 9 Influential Female Leaders in the New Testament. Yet the orthodox view is that each person of the Trinity is fully divine. At times God is Father, or Son, or Holy Spirit. So, part of understanding the Trinity is realizing that God is personal and relational. The trinity is Like a man who is a father, husband, and son. The past is not the present and the present is not the future, yet all three together is what we call time. In the same way, water is all the same molecular structure, expressing itself in three different modes. And the reason we know that is because the Persons of the Godhead have perfectly loved each other for all eternity. Both are one. Many of these analogies have the best of intentions, but God cannot be described in a way we can fully comprehend or rationalize. 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. Arianism is named after the heretic Arius. An egg has a shell, white, and yolk, but these three are part of an egg or Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao but the same Philippines. This little child cannot look at one without experiencing a profound sense of wonderment and awe. Believing in the above 3 points leads all Christians to acceptance of the doctrine of the Trinity. 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). According to the first, just as water takes three forms (liquid, vapor, and ice), so too God takes the form of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. But this view, too, wont do. 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. 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. Basic mathematics tells us that 1x1x1 = 1.. We define a person as one having a will and who is distinguishable from another person. Each character of the trinity has in one another (cf. 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. Perhaps youve heard the analogy that the Trinity is like H2O (the molecular symbol for water). Each one is fully God. And the Holy Spirit is not the Father or the Son. The Son was begotten by the Father IN ETERNITY, and the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. God is NOT like H2O in that He does not need the right pressure and temperature to exist as three persons. I can only shake my head when He does these things! They suggest that only one God exists but this God transforms or morphs into each of the different persons. They are three in one egg. The Son intercedes as our High Priest before the Father. We also know that God didnt create humanity out of loneliness or boredom. The idea that the Trinity can be compared to a shamrock is largely attributed to St. Patrick. But its all water. ), The Son Phil. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father., 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. There have been many attempts to explain the Trinity the relationship between God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. 1A) Dave is a son of Graham and Lois Armstrong. Just like an egg, none of the parts are co-equal, nor are all of the parts necessary for the egg to exist. The Gospel is theperson, work, and message of Jesus Christ that provides salvation to all repentant believers. 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. When you encounter a person or group who denies the Trinity, it is merely a matter of walking through these 3 points, to see where they diverge from Biblical teaching. But if they give us a warped idea of what they are trying to explain, they arent helpful illustrations. Here are four. Some people think that H2O cannot exist in all three states simultaneously but that is not true. in that while water can change into vapour or ice, Jesus cannot change into the Father or the Holy Spirit. La da dee dee dum dum (I couldnt remember the in-between parts). In contrast to the Ontological Trinity, there is the Economic Trinity. As a result, this analogy actually teaches modalism. Further, we can label each of the sides. The Holy Spirit descended upon Him to equip Him for His ministry. And we know that because Hes been experiencing perfect love within Himself forever. 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. For the Trinity, instead of using the formula 1+1+1, we use 1x1x1. When we separate them we can fall into the error of tritheism, which is the worship of three individual deities as one. He differs from the Father, but was and still is God. God is like an egg in that He is 3-in-1 God the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ) and the Holy Spirit. In other words, one stuffness. However, He exists in three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. I know in the past Ive used analogies that werent the best (more on those later.) 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. 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). This analogy denies the distinction of the God-head. But thats not how they understood it. Jesus is the Holy Spirit that saves us. HO may act as water, steam, or ice, but it is still HO. I go to prepare a place for you. 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 Holy Spirit is the shell, Jesus is the egg white, and the Father is the egg yolk. However, Christians through the ages believe in the Trinity because the truths it represents are taught in the Bible. What is H2O? Not just for explaining it to others, but to bolster our own faith and see how each One works in our lives. Depth isnt the same thing as height and height isnt the same thing as width, yet all three together are what comprise space. Water can be ice and steam, yet they are the same element. These attributes are: omnipotence (all-powerful), omniscience (all-knowing), and omnipresence (exists in all places). Jesus, visually seen, judges all, not the Unseen Father. 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. Modalism denies the distinction of person in the trinity. For example, we know that God didnt create humanity because He bored or lonely. One popular and simple illustration of the Trinity is the egg. 5And there are varieties of ministries and the same Lord. Analogies for the Trinity exist to explain the unexplainable. Humans as we are, we cannot fully understand how the three divine Persons, though really distinct from one another, are one and the same God. 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). So cool that God imparted that song in your mind and heart before you even wrote this blog post! A chicken egg consists of a shell, a yolk, and an egg white, yet it is altogether one egg. Lost will be burned up. It is the Central Mystery of our Christian faith. Cool it down, and itll eventually freeze into a solid. The Holy Spirit prays for us. But understanding the Trinity is important. - well, sort of. Time Analogy God is like time. We can touch the cord, but not the power it is insulating. 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 unity or oneness of God is also found in the Bible. A single molecule cannot simultaneously exist in three different states. Well the issue is, the water analogy is akin to the heresy of Modalism. Light comes from God. 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. 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. Studying the Trinity poses difficulty to us Catholics. Dr. Bruce Ware does an excellent job in his book Big Truths for Young Hearts. Its hard to explain! Water Analogy God is like water, or H2O, which can exist in 3 forms. The shell, while important, is no longer needed. . 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). 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. Space consists of three things: height, width, and depth. Eggs are one, yet comprise yolk, shell and albumen. The Holy Spirit and Son do not send the Father. It is still H20, but just different forms. Unfortunately, Arianism is still around and can found within the Jehovah's Witnesses teachings. The idea of God as three-in-one is indeed a mysterious concept, one that is difficult to understand. We can think of it this way: the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. ORDER from Barnes and NobleAmazon.com or wherever fine books are soldISBN-13: 978-1978167643Return to Cafe Logos Homepage | Bite-Sized Bible Bites. But we cannot do that (assuming we can) with God. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:35)One of my Sunday School students said, "How could Jesus (God) enter Mary's stomach (womb) and be born? The egg analogy fails because it denies that each person of the Trinity is of the same eternal essence. That fire keeps devils away from the saved. This is just as bad as the Water analogy and leads to the same error. The Trinity is Like an Egg How the analogy goes: The Trinity is like an egg.
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