Modalism denies the distinction of person in the trinity. This analogy denies the distinction of the God-head. God is one. Similarly, light and heat are simply creations of the sun, yet it is the heresy of Arianism to claim that the Son or Spirit are mere creations of the Father. Each Person in the Trinity (or the Godhead) is fully God and fully a Person. 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. Analogies that we present would always be insufficient as none of them would equate to the incomprehensible beauty of 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). This view teaches that three separate beings exist. Relationship Analogy (Husband/Son/Father) God is like a person with different relationships just as a man can be a Dad, but also someones Son, and also someones Husband. 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. They are three in one egg. We Christians believe it on faith. Does that make sense? The egg analogy is very simple but it is OK to show something as simple as an egg can be one and yet three. The egg white represents Gods Spirit. In reality, I change my role depending on who I am interacting with. None of the 3 are less divine than the others. The Holy Spirit descended upon Him to equip Him for His ministry. God created us for community, since God is communal and we were created in His image. Its impossible to be an Orthodox Christian without professing belief in the Triune nature of God. That is heaven in a person. Lost will be ashes under the feet of the righteous. For example, we know that God didnt create humanity because He bored or lonely. If youve been involved in ministries for children or young people, questions about the Trinity have most likely come up. They've always led to error and have been rejected by the church. Now God can be in you by His Spirit! [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. Each side is co-equal with the others, yet, each side is necessary. The past is not the present and the present is not the future, yet all three together is what we call time. 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. 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. He is married to Shamsa Lea, is the father of Amira, and loves boxing and studying Theology. In part one, we looked at what the Bible has to say about the Trinity. The problem with this analogy is that it teaches that God has three components: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. How can God be Three in One? THE TRUTH IS: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are not three different parts or components of God, but the . In other words, this view denies Gods oneness. We have the creeds for just that reason. Unfortunately, an analogy from the limited realm of creation may not be sufficient in explaining Gods nature. One sits on the throne looking like Sardine and Jasper stone. I can only shake my head when He does these things! Yet we do not have three gods but ONE God. His motto was that "There was a time when the son did not exist". For example, triangles are not the kinds of things that are personal. I know in the past Ive used analogies that werent the best (more on those later.) 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). Matthew 3:16-17- As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water. The early church labeled this view "tritheism". The analogy breaks down because the three cloves are overly distinct and cannot represent the unity of God. The problem with this analogy is that no one molecule of H2O can actually exist as solid, liquid, and gas at the same time. The Father sends the Son, and both the Father and Son send the Holy Spirit. Theyve transformed. God is not made up of 3 'parts' like the 3 parts of the egg. , 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. This is a bad analogy because it fails at the truth that all three persons comprise the fullness of God. This would make Jesus something less than fully God. Or water can be evaporated and called steam. The trinity is a mystery that cannot be fully comprehended. In the Scripture we see "the fullness of God was pleased to dwell" (Col 1:9). 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? Some have taken on the task of explaining how Father, Son, and Holy Spirit exist as one. Explaining the Holy Trinity. 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). All of the above Bad Analogies would perhaps do more harm than good if used in explaining the Trinity. 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. All these make up one egg just as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit make up one God. When discussing God, especially in regards to his nature, being and persons, a simple statement to articulate the Trinity is: God is 1, *. Now God can be in you by His Spirit! What portion of the analogy holds true with Church Teaching? 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. Well, the egg analogy, when applied to God, suggests that only one being exists but this being exists in three different parts. Thus, the Father Himself is not God, nor is the Son, nor is the Holy Spirit, but combining the three, there is one God. The Son was begotten by the Father IN ETERNITY, and the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. Yet it appears to be almost entirely misunderstood within contemporary evangelical circles. For those, like myself, who are not from a highly-liturgical denomination, it may come as a surprise that June 11 was Trinity Sunday. copyright 2009 by H.D. Here are a few common illustrations: The Egg- One egg has three parts: shell, whites, and yolk. Yet God lovingly chose to create and eventually redeem us anyway (both thoroughly Trinitarian acts), at great cost to Himself. His being is somewhat of a mystery to us. Now if any man has not the Spirit of Christ, he is not His" (Romans 8:9). Trinity is like a Shamrock (or an Apple or an Egg). God controls that light. There have been many attempts to explain the Trinity the relationship between God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. What portion is erroneous? This is why Jesus said, He who has seen Me, has seen the Father (John 14:9). FOR CENTURIES, the Church had fought against heresies on the Trinity. It can also be a liquid and called water. Blessings! Some people have suggested using an egg to explain how God can be both one and three. He has been relationally fulfilled within Himself since forever. Jesus would have remained in the tomb, or hell, had Jesus sinned. This analogy denies the unity of the God-head. The more I reflect on Easter, the more Ive realized how much its become a consumeristic holidayeven Did Jesus really rise from the dead? Often these analogies explicitly teach heresy. From time to time, Doctors of the Church used analogies, but with care. And when the time comes when death is allowed to crack your shell in its final hour and your believing soul is released; the Spirit of God that holds you will carry you in His arms to your heavenly home because In My Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. The Son is not the Father or the Spirit. We believe that it is a revelation that comes from Christ Himself. Stars were made on the forth day. But theres one problem: the water analogy is not the biblical picture of God. Lord of all, we bow before thee. There are two basic ways that people misunderstand the Trinity: 1. One thing that Ive found helpful is using the Trinity to illustrate truths we know about God. But this idea is central to the Christian faith. Yet we do not have three gods but ONE God. 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. This is the Christmas paradox. In other words, one stuffness. However, He exists in three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 2:5-6; Col. 1:15-17, 2:9; Heb. We worship one God who exists in three persons. But its all the same person, operating in three roles or functions. 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. The Son "proceeds" from the Father, and the Holy Spirit "proceeds from the Father and the Son.". These two analogies are the "water" analogy and the "egg" analogy. In using analogies, we need to acknowledge the demerits and limitations of the said analogy. An egg has a shell, white, and yolk, but these three are part of an egg or Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao but the same Philippines. Each person is fully God (Phil 2; Acts 5:3-4). It is the Central Mystery of our Christian faith. While each person is distinct, they are never separate from one another. I think the illustration that represents the Trinity most accurately is the egg example. We define a person as one having a will and who is distinguishable from another person. History, lifestyle, family, music, theology, scripture, literature, the saints, church history, parenting, politics, prayer, the pope, and more. How do we make sense of the Trinity? He has one essenceone substance. 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. I and My Father are One (John 10:30). When we look at the egg as an example of the Trinity, we must view it in its entirety. HO may act as water, steam, or ice, but it is still HO. I bet I havent sung or heard this song in years! This little child cannot look at one without experiencing a profound sense of wonderment and awe. 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. 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). we worship one God in trinity and the trinity in unity,neither blending their personsnor dividing their essence. The Trinity is a tri-unity, a unity of Three, - God the Father, Jesus, the Son of God and the Holy Spirit. Here's a look at six explanations for why so many people truly believe 3 Ways to Experience The Good Life in Jesus. He taught that the son was at one point created by God the father. He has been a member of the Royal Australian Air Force since 2007, and is now training to be an Air Force Chaplain. This is a bad analogy because it fails at the truth that all three persons comprise the fullness of God. The Holy Spirit is Christs spirit in us guiding us into all truth. Also, the egg is made up of three distinct and unalike parts. The water analogy of the Trinity follows this line of reasoning: water can be a solid (ice/frozen water), liquid, and gas (water vapor), and yet all three forms are still water (H 2 O), and likewise, God manifests Himself in 3 different ways in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. An essential factor lacking from those concepts is the relational quality of God. The shell, while important, is no longer needed. Tritheism denies that there is only one God. THE DISTINCTION AND UNITY of the Trinity is not for us to fully understand because it is a supernatural mystery. 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. Proof texting is when we cite a bunch of bible verses to support a theological stance. So, in God, there are three distinct persons. In one of his sermons, he wrestled with the passage in Scripture recounting Jesus' Baptism. There's a simple reason they don't work: The Trinity, as such, isn't like anything in creation. The white of an egg is the connection between the yolk and the shell. Arianism denies the deity of each person in the trinity. 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. Studying the Trinity poses difficulty to us Catholics. Yet, as we view the pages of the Bible, we see that God is a personal and relational God. We can touch the cord, but not the power it is insulating. 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. All three persons exist at the same moment in history. The Trinity is a tri-unity, a unity of Three, - God the Father, Jesus, the Son of God and the Holy Spirit. She would explode!" 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. However, Christians through the ages believe in the Trinity because the truths it represents are taught in the Bible. The Bible reveals that each person of the Trinity has unique roles, relationships, and functions which are distinct from one another. Somewhere in the recesses of my mind lived the doctrinal truth about the Trinity. The Holy Spirit is the shell, Jesus is the egg white, and the Father is the egg yolk. There are three different cloves that represent the three different persons of the trinity. Each PERSON is distinct from one another. So while its tough to make sense of the Trinity, the Trinity actually helps us make sense of so many things we believe. A man might be a father to his children, a husband to his wife, and son to his parents. What makes it hard is that all of our analogies and metaphors fall short of capturing what the Trinity actually is. This description that all persons are fully God is called the Ontological Trinity. The beautiful depth of Gods eternal Triune nature is a sublime reality which should bring an end to our attempts to cognitively master Him. In other words, God may manifest Himself as the Father, Son, or Holy Spirit. H2O can exist in three forms: liquid, gas and solid. 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. But, when it's heated, it turns into a gas (steam) and, when it's frozen, it turns into a solid (ice). Just like an egg, none of the parts are co-equal, nor are all of the parts necessary for the egg to exist. It is not important merely for the sake of tradition, or because the word itself is taught in the Bible (the word is not). For example, an equilateral triangle (a triangle with three equal sides) has three sides. But we cannot do that (assuming we can) with God. And we know that because Hes been experiencing perfect love within Himself forever. . St. Augustine, one of the most important Fathers of the Church, wrote a great deal on the doctrine of the Trinity. When they used the word person, they didnt mean it in the same way that we do today. There are some analogies that come close. It should bring us to realise that we truly are finite creatures standing before a sovereign, transcendent, divine mystery. Shively, This book is now available in a published format for easy sharing and classroom use. These three persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - exist together in complete unity, with no separation, as one divine being. He got married there in 1965, and his four . Lost will be burned up. and Holy Spirit are only parts of God (egg and sun). In this episode, Fred Sanders discusses what it really means to say that God is a Trinitythree persons in one God. The egg shell is the image of the yolk and the white. If you need to use an analogy, then use a good one. God is infinitely greater than we are; therefore, we should not expect to be able to fully understand Him. And the Holy Spirit is not the Father or the Son. This analogy sounds pretty good, but it is fatally flawed in that is describes the Son and Spirit as creations of the Father. 1:8-12; 1 Pet. These attributes are: omnipotence (all-powerful), omniscience (all-knowing), and omnipresence (exists in all places). If the sun exists, there is also day; if nothing of this be manifest, it is impossible that the sun should be there. 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. THE TRUTH IS: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are not simply names designating modalities of the divine being, for they are really DISTINCT from one another: He is not the Father who is the Son, nor is the Son he who is the Father, nor is the Holy Spirit he who is the Father or the Son. (CCC 254), 3. To the other major monotheistic faiths (Islam and Judaism), it is rank heresyTrinitarianism is therefore definitional to Christianity. Water has three states: solid, liquid, and gas. Here many of the creeds help us in clearly articulating the trinity. Furthermore, this trinity is related to a shamrock, an apple, or an egg. Depth isnt the same thing as height and height isnt the same thing as width, yet all three together are what comprise space. For sure, our everyday experience does not include using our finite minds to understand the infinite! I have the good one. The problem with this analogy is that it would imply that there is only one Divine Person, who eventually multiplied Himself. Jesus then becomes a created being and thus less than fully God. 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. As John 1:18 says, Jesus is "the only begotten God, in the bosom of [God] the Father.".