His being is somewhat of a mystery to us. I go to prepare a place for you. How can we explain what it means to have three persons in one being? God controls that light. If you say, "Jesus Christ" then you MAY BE incorrect. Now if any man has not the Spirit of Christ, he is not His" (Romans 8:9). The Sun was created on the forth day. Blessings! The white of an egg is the connection between the yolk and the shell. Son and Holy Ghost are each fully God. Misunderstanding 1: The transforming trinity 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. He wondered how it was possible that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit could be inseparable, while, in . Since these bad analogies tend to lead to a heresy, we will examine the main three areas of heresy concerning the trinity. In part one, we looked at what the Bible has to say about the Trinity. I'm always interested in ways to encourage you, so feel free to contact me and let me know what areas interest you! Also, the egg is made up of three distinct and unalike parts. Does that make sense? When we look at the egg as an example of the Trinity, we must view it in its entirety. So God performs 3 different roles/relationships but 1 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. This means there is a sense in which all 3 persons may act or speak as one. 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. Vestment Emblems. Some think of God as H 2 O, which is sometimes a solid (ice), sometimes a liquid (water), and sometimes a gas (steam). Unfortunately, an analogy from the limited realm of creation may not be sufficient in explaining Gods nature. This is one of the reasons we say that "God is LOVE". Being the brightness of the eternal Light, He Himself also is absolutely eternal. 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. Hello busy women! In one of his sermons, he wrestled with the passage in Scripture recounting Jesus' Baptism. Somewhere in the recesses of my mind lived the doctrinal truth about the Trinity. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. His ways are not my ways! The Trinity is Like an Egg How the analogy goes: The Trinity is like an egg. Jesus was standing in the Jordan River, His Father speaks from heaven above, and the Holy Spirit descends upon Him as a dove. The Bible teaches that the Father is God, that Jesus is God, and that the Holy Spirit is God. This analogy actually teaches the heresy of tritheism. St. Augustine, one of the most important Fathers of the Church, wrote a great deal on the doctrine of the Trinity. The Unseen Father is in Christs mind. 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. We define a person as one having a will and who is distinguishable from another person. Have you wondered what is God like? This analogy explains that the Father is like the sun. The Trinity is distinct in their roles and individuality, but united in their attributes of love, mercy, holiness, knowledge, etc. Studying the Trinity poses difficulty to us Catholics. This is a worse analogy than the egg because it is more analogous to the heretical doctrine of Modalism/Oneness than for the Trinity. A good follow up verse to help explain is the baptism of Jesus. The white of an egg is the connection between the yolk and the shell. But we cannot do that (assuming we can) with God. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are each called Jehovah (or Spirit of Jehovah), given divine attributes, and, (usually there is no argument that the Father is not God, since every place Jesus speaks to God, he is addressing the Father.). One is a musical chord with three notes. How would you explain the Trinity if someone asked you right now? It's impossible to be an Orthodox Christian without professing belief in the Triune nature of God. 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. 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. We have the creeds for just that reason. Modalism is a heresy because it denies the distinction of God. When we separate them we can fall into the error of tritheism, which is the worship of three individual deities as one. According to modalism, God does not actually exist in three persons. But, when it's heated, it turns into a gas (steam) and, when it's frozen, it turns into a solid (ice). 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). God is like H2O in that the Bible may refer to a specific person of the Trinity but that person is still God. But Hes God too, right? They are three in one egg. It is not important merely for the sake of tradition, or because the word itself is taught in the Bible (. God does not just change forms but exists as three persons in unity. God is much bigger and much greater than we can understand, and to be honest, I'm ok with that. But we cannot do that (assuming we can) with God. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there you may be also (John14:2, 3). This is the error of Arianism (not to be confused with Aryanism, which is also bad). 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. . Therefore, in this context, God is the what and the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are the who. Shively, This book is now available in a published format for easy sharing and classroom use. This is a place to find encouragement and hope from God's Word as you move through your busy life. Youre right, theyre all good but not perfect because only God IS perfect. The problem with this analogy is that it teaches that God has three components: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Modalism teaches that the trinity is not three distinct persons, but just different modes that God reveals himself to human beings. 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. 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. It is not important merely for the sake of tradition, or because the word itself is taught in the Bible (the word is not). Your email address will not be published. That helps explain the concept quite well- the oneness, unity of God with the distinct three persons of God- Father, Son, and Spirit. If all you had were an eggshell, you wouldnt have a very exciting breakfast. When we think about influential New Testament leaders, most names are male. Haydn describes himself as a five-point Calvinist, but he recognises that many faithful Christians disagree. The concept is literally unthinkable. Here's a look at six explanations for why so many people truly believe 3 Ways to Experience The Good Life in Jesus. 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". He is one God who expresses Himself in three modesFather, Son, and Spirit. As John 1:18 says, Jesus is "the only begotten God, in the bosom of [God] the Father.". 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. As a doctrine (belief), the trinity is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three separate and distinct persons united in one being- God. 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). 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 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). The Holy Spirit prays for us. It falls into the heresy of tri-theism. The watermelon has a skin, pulp and seeds; the egg is shell, yolk and egg white. Some people think that H2O cannot exist in all three states simultaneously but that is not true. 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. in which all 3 persons may act or speak as one. However, in some instances, the use of carefully chosen analogies may be of help for some of our brethren in learning the teachings of the Church. The Son intercedes as our High Priest before the Father. The problem with this analogy is that it also leads to the heresy of MODALISM. (Describing God as LOVE is my favorite way of understanding the Trinity. 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. They suggest that only one God exists but this God transforms or morphs into each of the different persons Let's begin with the second view. The Trinity is established by 3 Biblical truths, . 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. He began to play the organ as a chorister in England, before continuing his studies in Qubec and France. 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. The teaching of the trinity is clearly taught in Scripture and must be preserved as such. Some people falsely claim the Trinity is a form of . We define a person as one having a will and who is distinguishable from another person. 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). Here are four. Well the issue is, the water analogy is akin to the heresy of Modalism. In this analogy, God is compared to a man. Indeed, how can an infinite God be contained in a finite human womb! Modalism denies the distinction of person in the trinity. At the Cathedral, we recognize that there are responsibilities that come with . Christians believe, then, that only one God exists but this God exists as a unity of three persons: a Trinity. The Latin word for trinity (trinitas) combines two words- unitas (unity) and trias (three). God is not made up of 3 parts like the 3 parts of the egg. An essential factor lacking from those concepts is the relational quality of God. From time to time, Doctors of the Church used analogies, but with care. However, Christians through the ages believe in the Trinity because the truths it represents are taught in the Bible. Each part of the egg make up only one portion of the wholethe yolk is not the fullness of the egg. Celebrating Easter Is About so Much More Than One Hour on Sunday. The egg shell is the image of the yolk and the white. Is He Jesus side-kick? Try starting your explanation with a simple definition and then ask for further questions: No one can completely know or understand God. 1:8-12; 1 Pet. God is like an egg in that He is 3-in-1 God the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ) and the Holy Spirit. The shortfall of this illustration, and others like it, is that God cannot be divided into "parts." It is still important that we have some understanding of the concept, however. Haydn Lea is an Associate Pastor in Queensland, and is currently studying his Master of Arts (Theology). Our limited intellects are unable to comprehend its reality, yet, our Scriptures and scholarly Tradition makes it known to us. But we can (and should) have a solid foundation to explain this core belief of our faith. The Holy Spirit and Son do not send the Father. Thus, the Father Himself is not God, nor is the Son, nor is the Holy Spirit, but combining the three, there is one God. Im giving God the credit for stirring this memory, and am extremely grateful. I never thought about it in that way some of these examples Ive never heard of. The problem with this analogy is that it would imply that there is only one Divine Person, who eventually multiplied Himself. 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. Trinity Egg Analogy . 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. 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). 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. 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. He taught that the son was at one point created by God the father.
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