God is not made up of 3 parts like the 3 parts of the egg. 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. 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. 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.) Its impossible to be an Orthodox Christian without professing belief in the Triune nature of God. It is not important merely for the sake of tradition, or because the word itself is taught in the Bible (the word is not). These things are referred to as the Economic Trinity. we worship one God in trinity and the trinity in unity,neither blending their personsnor dividing their essence. This analogy denies the unity of the God-head. 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. When we use analogies, we need to indicate these things so as to not lead to heresies, A Catholic and Filipino writer interested in theology, philosophy, liturgy, politics, and law. Is the Trinity like H2O, an egg, or a triangle? - Fervr How would you explain the Trinity if someone asked you right now? Dont you know Jesus? Love your blogs! Therefore it behoves us to know what He has revealed (including the Trinity), and to lovingly worship Him accordingly. When we separate them we can fall into the error of tritheism, which is the worship of three individual deities as one. There are, however, some that work better than others. show me your glory. RELATED: What Does The Bible Say About Ghosts? This analogy actually falls prey to the same error of modalism. The Egg- One egg has three parts: shell, whites, and yolk . To the other major monotheistic faiths (Islam and Judaism), it is rank heresyTrinitarianism is therefore definitional to Christianity. Well the issue is, the water analogy is akin to the heresy of Modalism. . One sits on the throne looking like Sardine and Jasper stone. If youve been involved in ministries for children or young people, questions about the Trinity have most likely come up. Father, Son, Holy Sprit : 3 persons, 1 great relationship, Copyright 2023 Fervr | Terms of Service. He can even be all three at the same time. The Holy Spirit is the shell, Jesus is the egg white, and the Father is the egg yolk. Some who deny the Trinity claim 1+1+1=3, and therefore claim we worship three Gods. But thats not how they understood it. In the same way is God being the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.. The doctrine of the Trinity is one of the primary tenants of the Christian faith. 2. They that dont have the Holy Spirit in them will talk like the Adversary. They say that three separate beings exist 2. He wondered how it was possible that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit could be inseparable, while, in . So "son" = "Dave". Unfortunately, no analogy is perfect. Now God can be in you by His 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. 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. The word Trinity comes from the Latin word trinitas which means tri-unity. The Trinity is foundational and at the heart of our Christian faith. Both are one. The analogy breaks down because I can simultaneously be a father, husband, and son to any one person. in which all 3 persons may act or speak as one. But in the Godhead, each Person is fully and completely God unto Himself (even as they are all one God). Answer (1 of 25): Cynics assert that the idea of the Holy Trinity is a logical impossibility. Unfortunately, an analogy from the limited realm of creation may not be sufficient in explaining Gods nature. A Note on Trinitarian Analogies | Place for Truth - Alliance of This book is now available in a published format for easy sharing and classroom use. The idea that the Trinity can be compared to a shamrock is largely attributed to St. Patrick. Misunderstanding 1: The transforming trinity It is the Central Mystery of our Christian faith. (It is also why the Jews had an issue with Jesus calling Himself God.). The Father is fully God; Jesus is fully God and the Holy Spirit is fully God. It is still H20, but just different forms. Modalism denies the distinction of person in the trinity. Jesus would have remained in the tomb, or hell, had Jesus sinned. These two analogies are the "water" analogy and the "egg" analogy. This is a bad analogy because it fails at the truth that all three persons comprise the fullness of God. If you say, "Jesus Christ" then you MAY BE incorrect. Yet, these persons are not separate from one another. A man might be a father to his children, a husband to his wife, and son to his parents. Therefore, in this context, God is the what and the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are the who. That is a holding pen for final judgment. For example, we know that God didnt create humanity because He bored or lonely. [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. Cool it down, and itll eventually freeze into a solid. Lastly, below is a helpful graphical chart explaining the doctrine of the Trinity I found from the Christian blog by Tim Challies found at Challies.com. The word trinity is not in the Scriptures, but is a word used to describe the three in one God revealed in the Bible. When we separate them and view them as individual deities, that is the error of tritheism, which is the worship of three individual gods as one. The early church labeled this view "tritheism". Unfortunately, there is a problem with this view of the Trinity. To put it simply, "The problem with using analogies to explain the Holy Trinity is that you always end up confessing some ancient heresy." . Infinite thy vast domain, everlasting is thy reign.. Seven Simple Facts About the Trinity - biblequery.org You can throw away one part of an egg (e.g., shell) and still have essentially an egg. These are likewise erroneous or even heretical. Who is God? Why is it wrong? Required fields are marked *. 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). We can admit it is a mystery and accept that our incomplete knowledge cannot fully comprehend it. Trinity is like a Shamrock (or an Apple or an Egg). 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. My name is AnnMarie and I'm so glad you're here! Arianism is named after the heretic Arius. Light comes from God. 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. Have you wondered what is God like? That is heaven in a person. Instead, each person is co-equal, co-powerful and co-eternal. His motto was that "There was a time when the son did not exist". All Scripture is taken from the NIV version unless otherwise specified, Author Ignace Franz, translated by Clarence A. Walworth. 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. So God performs 3 different roles/relationships but 1 God. 5And there are varieties of ministries and the same Lord. God does not play three roles.. A good example would be an electrical cord. This view teaches that three separate beings exist. Jesus loves us so much that he did not obliterate people who died, with power that set stars in the universe. He differs from the Father, but was and still is God. Arianism denies the deity of each person in the trinity. The Bible teaches that the Father is God, that Jesus is God, and that the Holy Spirit is God. The Father hears their intercessory prayers. Does that make sense? 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. Trinity Egg Analogy . He has one essenceone substance. 3. 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. Bach, and has released two previous CDs, one . You can also catch up with me on Facebook, Pinterest, and TikTok Over the course of church history there have been several heresies that have cropped up that deny one of these three truths. But remember, it is much better to let Scripture teach the 3 points above which establish the doctrine of the Trinity than to rely on analogies. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all (2 Corinthians 13:14). It can also be a liquid and called water. Why All Analogies of the Trinity Fall Short - Joshua's Pen The Holy Trinity: Egg Analogy by Sharmaine Pagtakhan - Prezi 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). Each one is fully God. Each Person in the Trinity (or the Godhead) is fully God and fully a Person. copyright 2009 by H.D. The Holy Trinity - A Scientific Analogy - The Fra Angelico Institute 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). The problem with this analogy is that it would imply that there is only one Divine Person, who eventually multiplied Himself. 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. Part 2. The yolk represents Gods Person, His Being, and His Holiness which generates Light that no man can approach (I Timothy 6:16). However, it breaks down on the level of equality: No one keeps or eats the shell of 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). Others compare God to an egg, which is part shell, part white, part yolk. The unity or oneness of God is also found in the Bible. Unfortunately, Arianism is still around and can found within the Jehovah's Witnesses teachings. In Arianism, the Son is not eternally equal with the Father, but was the Fathers first and best creation. Sending of another: The Father sends the Son, and both the Father and Son send the Holy Spirit. 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. The Sun was created on the forth day. And let us once more come to illustrations. However, keep in mind that the one being. Augustine of Hippo/On The Trinity - Wikiversity 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. This analogy denies the unity of the God-head. The Holy Spirit and Son do not send the Father. 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. Examples of these different roles would be: The Incarnation: Only the Son became incarnate, took on flesh. They all exist as fully God, with none of them lacking in any attribute or aspect that defines God. One thing that Ive found helpful is using the Trinity to illustrate truths we know about God. copyright 2009 by H.D. But we cannot do that (assuming we can) with God. Jesus is the Holy Spirit that saves us. What is the best analogy of the Holy Trinity? - Quora If the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three separate beings, then its not really clear how someone can say that God is one or that only one God exists. 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. He also knows how to perfectly love us. How can God be Three in One? Here's a look at six explanations for why so many people truly believe 3 Ways to Experience The Good Life in Jesus. 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/. In an attempt to explain the Trinity, there are some bad examples people use, and some better ones. Each part of the egg make up only one portion of the wholethe yolk is not the fullness of the egg. It taught there is one nature in God, and that there are two processions, three persons, and four relations that constitute the Blessed Trinity. I do not have the time or space to exhaustively demonstrate in scripture these truths, but the Biblical witness teaches these three truths consistently about God. Explaining the Trinity | Catholic Answers Being the brightness of the eternal Light, He Himself also is absolutely eternal.
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