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Yet we do not have three gods but ONE God. The Holy Spirit is the shell, Jesus is the egg white, and the Father is the egg yolk. So if all of these explanations are heretical, what is a good analogy? Lost will be burned up. Now if any man has not the Spirit of Christ, he is not His" (Romans 8:9). All of the above Bad Analogies would perhaps do more harm than good if used in explaining the Trinity. The analogy breaks down because the three cloves are overly distinct and cannot represent the unity of God. Space consists of three things: height, width, and depth. 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. 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. Because God is utterly unique, all comparisons will fail at some point. This analogy actually teaches the heresy of modalism. So, part of understanding the Trinity is realizing that God is personal and relational. Also, the egg is made up of three distinct and unalike parts. He was with God in the beginning. We wont find the word Trinity in the Bible, but the concept is shown in many verses. In Jesus is the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9). Youre right, theyre all good but not perfect because only God IS perfect. Basic mathematics tells us that 1x1x1 = 1.. Thought of Tim Its amazing to think that everything will be so clear when we het to Heaven! CafeLogos.orgThe Egg and i -A Simple Explanation of The Trinity The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are each called Jehovah (or Spirit of Jehovah), given divine attributes, and are distinguished from one another. Have you wondered what is God like? 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). If you say, "water" then you are incorrect. His ways are not my ways! And the reason we know that is because the Persons of the Godhead have perfectly loved each other for all eternity. A good follow up verse to help explain is the baptism of Jesus. The past is not the present and the present is not the future, yet all three together is what we call time. in which all 3 persons may act or speak as one. 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. The egg has a shell, the whites and a yoke. It is not existing as 3 different parts (persons) at the same time. The sun comprises the sun itself, its light and its heat. Eggs are one, yet comprise yolk, shell and albumen. 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. When they used the word person, they didnt mean it in the same way that we do today. They are unified in one divine being. Studying the Trinity poses difficulty to us Catholics. When we look at the egg as an example of the Trinity, we must view it in its entirety. Truly, it is a Mystery. This is the one I used long ago when trying to explain the Trinity to a group of 1st-5th graders. In the same way, at one moment God is the Father, but at different times God morphs or transforms into the Son or Holy Spirit. The egg (or apple) fails in that the shell, white, and yolk are parts of the egg, not the egg in themselves, just as the skin, flesh, and seeds of the apple are parts of it, not the apple itself. And for a mere mortal to have dared invent it and be able t. At the Cathedral, we recognize that there are responsibilities that come with . Learn how your comment data is processed. Thankfully he isnt a cage-stage Calvinist about it all. None of the 3 are less divine than the others. ORDER from Barnes and NobleAmazon.com or wherever fine books are soldISBN-13: 978-1978167643Return to Cafe Logos Homepage | Bite-Sized Bible Bites. 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.). This analogy seems to make a lot of sense, but it actually reinforces a fatal misconception about the Trinity called modalism. Dont grieve the Holy Spirit out of you. In using analogies, we need to acknowledge the demerits and limitations of the said analogy. The three distinct notes come together to make one beautiful sound. So whats one good way to explain what the Trinity is? Each person is fully the one God, but is also distinct. God is not made up of 3 parts like the 3 parts of the egg. Arianism denies the deity of each person in the trinity. This analogy is still not perfect because each of the aspect cannot stand as egg like each of the persons in the trinity can stand as God. Or water can be evaporated and called steam. The Son is not the Father or the Spirit. But its all water. 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. We define a person as one having a will and who is distinguishable from another person. For the Trinity, instead of using the formula 1+1+1, we use 1x1x1. As a doctrine (belief), the trinity is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three separate and distinct persons united in one being- God. In other words, one stuffness. However, He exists in three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. If water is inadequate, there are a wide array of alternative analogies we can turn to in modern theological parlance. That is why Moses said. So, the egg analogy doesnt work after all. How can we ever explain our Most High, exalted, powerful, uncontainable, and most glorious God? The Holy Spirit is Christs spirit in us guiding us into all truth. I remember asking my Life Group last year, How have you heard the Trinity explained? I braced myself for the inevitable reply. Over the course of church history there have been several heresies that have cropped up that deny one of these three truths. Analogies often fall short. In part one, we looked at what the Bible has to say about the Trinity. 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. The trinity is a like a Three-Leaf Clover. If all you had were an eggshell, you wouldnt have a very exciting breakfast. While an egg has a yolk, a white and a shell to make up the whole, each part is only ever . While each person is distinct, they are never separate from one another. They are three in one egg. Trinity is like a Shamrock (or an Apple or an Egg). 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). 3:15; John 17:1-4, The Holy Spirit Acts 5:3-4; John 14:16-17, 26; John 16:7-13. You can throw away one part of an egg (e.g., shell) and still have essentially an egg. Infinite thy vast domain, everlasting is thy reign.. Son and Holy Ghost are each fully God. The Latin word for trinity (trinitas) combines two words- unitas (unity) and trias (three). The Church should not forget that these heresies still exist in the present day and is even being taught by some priests and catechists. So while its tough to make sense of the Trinity, the Trinity actually helps us make sense of so many things we believe. 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. But its all the same person, operating in three roles or functions. Unfortunately, Arianism is still around and can found within the Jehovah's Witnesses teachings. Let's use an egg to explain the Holy Trinity! 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. From time to time, Doctors of the Church used analogies, but with care. The apple seed alone is not an apple. He taught that the son was at one point created by God the father. But the Trinity is our belief as Christians that God is one being who exists in three Persons- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.. But in the Godhead, each Person is fully and completely God unto Himself (even as they are all one 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. You know, that bearded guy on the throne who looks something like Zeus, right? Just like an egg, none of the parts are co-equal, nor are all of the parts necessary for the egg to exist. But the Bible is CLEAR in its teaching. Although he is one he has different roles to different people. 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. Unfortunately, most of them actually give us the wrong idea about what the Trinity is. 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 Trinity is one of the most foundational doctrines of Christianity. 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. 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 . RELATED: The Biblical Principle Of Baptism By Fire. , 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. Some people falsely claim the Trinity is a form of . Jesus is the Holy Spirit that saves us. Yet, as we view the pages of the Bible, we see that God is a personal and relational God. There have been many attempts to explain the Trinity the relationship between God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. The Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, constructed between 1800 and 1804, is the first Anglican cathedral to have been built outside the British Isles. To become the people we were always created to be. This description that all persons are fully God is called the Ontological Trinity. A single molecule cannot simultaneously exist in three different states. For those, like myself, who are not from a highly-liturgical denomination, it may come as a surprise that June 11 was Trinity Sunday. He has been a member of the Royal Australian Air Force since 2007, and is now training to be an Air Force Chaplain. Father, Son, Holy Sprit : 3 persons, 1 great relationship, Copyright 2023 Fervr | Terms of Service. 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. The Trinity is Like an Egg How the analogy goes: The Trinity is like an egg. There is only one egg with three different parts. God is infinitely greater than we are; therefore, we should not expect to be able to fully understand Him. I dont believe that God wishes us to be confused about the Three that are so apparent throughout the Old and New Testaments. This analogy denies the unity of the God-head. RELATED: Did Jesus Really Rise From The Dead? Why is it wrong? Jesus is in the form of the Holy Spirit. Sadly, theres something "rotten" about this egg analogy. They suggest that only one God exists but this God transforms or morphs into each of the different persons. I dont believe that God wishes us to be confused about the Three that are so apparent throughout the Old and New Testaments. Jesus isn't a demigod or partially god. The Son "proceeds" from the Father, and the Holy Spirit "proceeds from the Father and the Son.". Should Women Really Keep Silent in Church? . Good and Bad Analogies of the Trinity - Answers . This is not an exhaustive list: For further reading on the Trinity, I would recommend James Whites The Forgotten Trinity, Wayne Grudems Systematic Theology and online articles by CARM.org. When we separate them we can fall into the error of tritheism, which is the worship of three individual deities as one. No analogy is perfect, but we want to be careful of using wrong ones that may confuse people. According to modalism, God does not actually exist in three persons. Only the Son became incarnate, took on flesh. The Son was begotten by the Father IN ETERNITY, and the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. Believing in the above 3 points leads all Christians to acceptance of the doctrine of the Trinity. 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. THE DISTINCTION AND UNITY of the Trinity is not for us to fully understand because it is a supernatural mystery. The idea that the Trinity can be compared to a shamrock is largely attributed to St. Patrick. As a result the water molecule must change forms. If you looked at a single cloverleaf, you wouldnt call it a shamrock. In contrast to the Ontological Trinity, there is the Economic Trinity. These attributes are: omnipotence (all-powerful), omniscience (all-knowing), and omnipresence (exists in all places). On a whim, I looked up the lyrics at a later time. 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. Similarly, people have used the example of the apple in the same way- skin, flesh, and seeds. If you need to use an analogy, then use a good one. My name is AnnMarie and I'm so glad you're here! That is a holding pen for final judgment. The Biblical Principle Of Baptism By Fire, The Deep Things of God: How the Trinity Changes Everything, 3 Reasons Why Jesus Humanity Really Matters Her & Hymn, 3 Reasons Why Jesus' Humanity Really Matters, How Jesus Teaches Us To Be Human Her & Hymn. He has the world and our individual lives within His supremely capable hands. Here are four. Jesus, visually seen, judges all, not the Unseen Father. So, I shot down a lot of images that seems to be pretty helpful. It may not appear to agree with common sense. He has one essenceone substance. An analogy illustrates that in a similar way, one shamrock can have three leaves on it, and the trinity has three persons that comprise one God. The very definition of the heresy known as Modalism/Oneness is that there is one person existing in three different modes or manifestations. Therefore, in this context, God is the what and the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are the who. 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). But understanding the Trinity is important. Bach, and has released two previous CDs, one . There is one GOD in three persons (Father, Son, Holy Spirit), 2. The angel answered (Mary), The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High (referring to the Father, italics mine) will overshadow you. 1 Corinthians 8:6: Yet for us there is but one God.. They say that three separate beings exist, 2. That fire keeps devils away from the saved. Modalism teaches that the trinity is not three distinct persons, but just different modes that God reveals himself to human beings. 3. The Father hears their intercessory prayers. He cares for his creation and his people. Now were going to look at how some people often misunderstand the Trinity. An essential factor lacking from those concepts is the relational quality of God. Jesus then becomes a created being and thus less than fully God. In this episode, Fred Sanders discusses what it really means to say that God is a Trinitythree persons in one God. He differs from the Father, but was and still is God. It is still important that we have some understanding of the concept, however. 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. Born in England in 1961, Benjamin Waterhouse Benjamin Waterhouse has been the organist of the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity since 2000. 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. In the same way is God being the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.. These two analogies are the "water" analogy and the "egg" analogy. God created us for community, since God is communal and we were created in His image. Space Analogy God is like space. It is a miraculous invention, the egg. Furthermore, this trinity is related to a shamrock, an apple, or an egg. The Father is fully God; Jesus is fully God and the Holy Spirit is fully God. This view teaches that three separate beings exist. But thats not how they understood it. I did read about the shamrock analogy! The trinity is an essential doctrine to the Christian faith. Love was not given to Jesus. Light comes from God. Now, as youve probably guessed, this analogy also breaks down. A person distinguishes himself from others by saying me, mine, you, yours, etc. A being is the whole nature or essence of something. As we examine the scriptural witness we see three truths that make up the doctrine of the trinity. In the first place, if we truly claim to love God, then surely we should endeavour to know Him. 1A) Dave is a son of Graham and Lois Armstrong. When we look at the egg as an example of the Trinity, we must view it in its entirety. Here are a couple "usefully flawed" analogies for the Trinity. So under modalism, God acts as the Father in the Old Testament, the son in the Gospels, and the Spirit in Acts and the Epistles. Each of the divine persons is GOD WHOLE AND ENTIRE, and there is one 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). In Jesus is the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9). Haydn describes himself as a five-point Calvinist, but he recognises that many faithful Christians disagree. This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. And in our efforts to grasp it, weve come up with a number of analogies. Share your thoughts with us in the comments! Although God is transcendent, sovereign, unapproachable light, He has condescended to reveal something of Himself to His creation. They say that three separate beings exist 2. Here's a look at six explanations for why so many people truly believe 3 Ways to Experience The Good Life in Jesus. He can even be all three at the same time. 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). In other words, God may manifest Himself as the Father, Son, or Holy Spirit. The Trinity is not 1 + 1 + 1 but more like 1 x 1 x 1. The Holy Spirit descended upon Him to equip Him for His ministry. Jesus is the visual form of God. Now God can be in you by His Spirit! 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. Ontological means the nature or essence of something. Despite its potential obscurity, Trinity Sunday is a great occasion for me to revisit an old article on the Trinity. 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. The Trinity are three distinct persons who exist apart from each other. It does not imply Jesus was created if you emphasize that the Sun existed from eternity past. How can we explain what it means to have three persons in one being? Below is a compilation of the verses that reference all 3 persons of the one God. Few topics of discussion in the Christian faith are more confusing than the idea of the Trinity. He is married to Shamsa Lea, is the father of Amira, and loves running, boxing and studying history and theology. If you only had an apple core, you wouldnt pack it in your lunch. Or, we can quote Daniel Webster; a strong Christian- I do not pretend fully to understand the arithmetic of heaven now. . 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. You are an egg! Water at room temperature is liquid. Jesus Person is the image of Gods Person (Hebrews 1:3), and the Invisible Spirit of the Father that is in Him - God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself (II Corinthians 5:19). This means there is a sense in which all 3 persons may act or speak as one. The idea of God as three-in-one is indeed a mysterious concept, one that is difficult to understand. Just as water changes forms so too is the trinity. As a doctrine (belief), the trinity is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three separate and distinct persons united in one being- God. 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. 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. The mystery is in the how this is accomplished; something we will finally understand in heaven. And whos the Holy Spirit? There are three different cloves that represent the three different persons of the trinity. 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). 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. Sending of another: The Father sends the Son, and both the Father and Son send the Holy Spirit. TO AVOID HERESIES, LET US LIVE BY WHAT HAS BEEN REVEALED TO US: 1. show me your glory. However, Christians through the ages believe in the Trinity because the truths it represents are taught in the Bible. For instance at the baptism of Christ, the Father, Son and Spirit are all distinctly present and interacting (Matthew chapter 3 verses 16-17). God controls that light. These images fall short, because these components arent enough to be considered a whole on their own. The word Trinity comes from the Latin word trinitas which means tri-unity. So, in God, there are three distinct persons. FOR CENTURIES, the Church had fought against heresies on the Trinity. Analogies for the Trinity exist to explain the unexplainable. What is wrong with what I said? Answer (1 of 25): Cynics assert that the idea of the Holy Trinity is a logical impossibility. It is still H20, but just different forms. Your email address will not be published. Yet God lovingly chose to create and eventually redeem us anyway (both thoroughly Trinitarian acts), at great cost to Himself. Discover the richness of the old yet living 2,000-year-old religion which built the West. A, distinguishes himself from others by saying me, mine, you, yours, etc. A. is the whole nature or essence of something. This little child cannot look at one without experiencing a profound sense of wonderment and awe. Again, this analogy doesnt work because God doesnt morph, change, or become different aspects of Himself. The 3 Most Common "Trinity Analogies" (and their limitations) The three most common go-to analogies for explaining the Trinity are water, an egg, and the sun. In some ways, it resembles the tritheism view (Misunderstanding 2). In trying to describe what they saw in the pages of the Bible, the early church decided to use the word person to describe the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Well the issue is, the water analogy is akin to the heresy of Modalism. When we view the egg in its entirety we have the Biblical Trinity, One that is Three. The white of an egg is the connection between the yolk and the shell. In Jesus dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9) The Unseen Father and Father that is seen existed at the same time. The military would end up destroying themselves. That is heaven in a person. Perhaps we must be content to admit that we cannot fully understand Gods nature in our finitude. Each part of the egg make up only one portion of the wholethe yolk is not the fullness of the egg. Jesus is the Holy Spirit that saves us. Jesus was standing in the Jordan River, His Father speaks from heaven above, and the Holy Spirit descends upon Him as a dove. If the Sun existed from eternity past then so were the light rays from the Sun. His ways are higher than ours, but isnt that a comfort?! But having lots 6 Bible Study Tools To Help You Dive Deeper. We came up with several practical implications of this doctrine. Shively, This book is now available in a published format for easy sharing and classroom use. God is NOT like H2O in that He does not need the right pressure and temperature to exist as three persons. A chicken egg consists of a shell, a yolk, and an egg white, yet it is altogether one egg. We believe that it is a revelation that comes from Christ Himself. All these make up one egg just as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit make up one God. The Holy Spirit is the shell, Jesus is the egg white, and the Father is the egg yolk. This is why Jesus said, He who has seen Me, has seen the Father (John 14:9). Proof texting is when we cite a bunch of bible verses to support a theological stance. The Unseen Father keeps the Father that is seen, alive. This is because the H20 is changing forms in representing each person. God is like H2O in that the Bible may refer to a specific person of the Trinity but that person is still God. But this idea is central to the Christian faith. in that while water can change into vapour or ice, Jesus cannot change into the Father or the Holy Spirit. Both are one. So cool that God imparted that song in your mind and heart before you even wrote this blog post! All Scripture is taken from the NIV version unless otherwise specified, Author Ignace Franz, translated by Clarence A. Walworth. 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. So much of what we know about what God does is wrapped up in who He is. There are, however, some that work better than others. 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.) But God is the eternal Light, which has neither had a beginning, nor shall ever fail. This is perhaps the most common analogy for the Trinity. But we can (and should) have a solid foundation to explain this core belief of our faith. The Holy Spirit prays for us. We Christians believe it on faith. The word Trinity comes from the Latin word trinitas which means tri-unity. What happens when an egg hatches? Our God is three in one. If one of the sides were removed, then there would be no equilateral triangle. One sits on the throne looking like Sardine and Jasper stone. Armstrong. 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. John 17). For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength (1 Corinthians 1:25). An egg has a shell, white, and yolk, but these three are part of an egg or Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao but the same Philippines. Jesus would have remained in the tomb, or hell, had Jesus sinned. copyright 2009 by H.D. For example, an equilateral triangle (a triangle with three equal sides) has three sides.