But it cant be that way with God. Water at room temperature is liquid. Yet we do not have three gods but ONE God. Another wrong illustration is using ourselves: I am one person, but also a wife, mother, and writer. Jesus then becomes a created being and thus less than fully God. Trinity Egg Analogy . It falls into the heresy of tri-theism. HO may act as water, steam, or ice, but it is still HO. One cannot remove the Holy Spirit and still have the God as taught in the Bible. The word Trinity comes from the Latin word trinitas which means tri-unity. copyright 2009 by H.D. We can always rebut these claims with another equation: 1 x 1 x 1=1. However, Christians through the ages believe in the Trinity because the truths it represents are taught in the Bible. If God has existed for all eternity in a perfectly loving Triune relationship, then it shows He is completely self-sufficient and requires no further relationship in order to complete or satisfy Himself. If you looked at a single cloverleaf, you wouldnt call it a shamrock. Thanks, Ann! 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. He completed a doctorate in 1990, looking at the question of harmonic rhythm in the organ music of J.S. The Holy Spirit is the shell, Jesus is the egg white, and the Father is the egg yolk. We can touch the cord, but not the power it is insulating. We can admit it is a mystery and accept that our incomplete knowledge cannot fully comprehend it. Each one is fully 100% God. 2. The Bible reveals that each person of the Trinity has unique roles, relationships, and functions which are distinct from one another. 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. 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. 3. 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.). 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. They say that three separate beings exist, 2. The Father hears their intercessory prayers. Examples of these different roles would be: The Incarnation: Only the Son became incarnate, took on flesh. All Scripture is taken from the NIV version unless otherwise specified, Author Ignace Franz, translated by Clarence A. Walworth. So, I shot down a lot of images that seems to be pretty helpful. This analogy denies the distinction of the God-head. Celebrating Easter Is About so Much More Than One Hour on Sunday. It is still H20, but just different forms. He is one God in three persons, all at the same time. In using analogies, we need to acknowledge the demerits and limitations of the said analogy. We believe that it is a revelation that comes from Christ Himself. (Which I just found out is in error). In other words, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have a unique and unbreakable unity, and their existence together is the being that is God. Yet, as we view the pages of the Bible, we see that God is a personal and relational God. And the Holy Spirit is not the Father or the Son. They suggest that only one God exists but this God transforms or morphs into each of the different persons. One day, however, the image will be clear. In other words, this view denies Gods oneness. Arianism is named after the heretic Arius. A person distinguishes himself from others by saying me, mine, you, yours, etc. A being is the whole nature or essence of something. This is a general rule when we study this Mystery using our human weakness since it is absolutely impossible for our human minds to comprehend the Divine. Here are eight bible characters that you might not know about, but should. 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. Infinite thy vast domain, everlasting is thy reign.. Unfortunately, there is a problem with this view of the Trinity. Jesus is the Holy Spirit that saves us. God created us for community, since God is communal and we were created in His image. Now God can be in you by His Spirit! RELATED: What Does The Bible Say About Ghosts? Analogies of the Trinity. The word Trinity comes from the Latin word trinitas which means tri-unity. What is the Trinity? He is married to Shamsa Lea, is the father of Amira, and loves boxing and studying Theology. These two analogies are the "water" analogy and the "egg" analogy. Now if any man has not the Spirit of Christ, he is not His" (Romans 8:9). My prayer is to infuse God's character into your everyday lives with short ( 4-5") devotions and Bible Studies every Monday morning. Armstrong. Water can be ice and steam, yet they are the same element. To put it simply, "The problem with using analogies to explain the Holy Trinity is that you always end up confessing some ancient heresy." . It may not appear to agree with common sense. But the Bible is CLEAR in its teaching. 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. in that while water can change into vapour or ice, Jesus cannot change into the Father or the Holy Spirit. In an attempt to explain the Trinity, there are some bad examples people use, and some better ones. 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. I and My Father are One (John 10:30). God is much bigger and much greater than we can understand, and to be honest, I'm ok with that. 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). When we separate them we can fall into the error of tritheism, which is the worship of three individual deities as one. 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. Before I even began writing this post, I had an unusual song stuck in my head Holy God, we praise thy name. God is not made up of 3 parts like the 3 parts of the egg. So whats one good way to explain what the Trinity is? The watermelon has a skin, pulp and seeds; the egg is shell, yolk and egg white. But while this idea is central to the Christian faith, it is also incredibly mysterious to us. Your email address will not be published. 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. Arianism clearly denies the deity of the three persons. When we view the egg in its entirety we have the Biblical Trinity, One that is Three. Basic mathematics tells us that 1x1x1 = 1.. God is not made up of 3 'parts' like the 3 parts of the egg. 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. Just like an egg, none of the parts are co-equal, nor are all of the parts necessary for the egg to exist. The Holy Spirit is Christs spirit in us guiding us into all truth. The problem with this analogy is that an egg yoke is of a very different substance than a shell. The egg has a shell, the whites and a yoke. Believing in the above 3 points leads all Christians to acceptance of the doctrine of the Trinity. They all exist as fully God, with none of them lacking in any attribute or aspect that defines God. Perhaps youve heard the analogy that the Trinity is like H2O (the molecular symbol for water). Im giving God the credit for stirring this memory, and am extremely grateful. We can touch the cord, but not the power it is insulating. It is a miraculous invention, the egg. He wondered how it was possible that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit could be inseparable, while, in . 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. 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. How would you explain the Trinity if someone asked you right now? His ways are not my ways! Many of these analogies have the best of intentions, but God cannot be described in a way we can fully comprehend or rationalize. A single molecule cannot simultaneously exist in three different states. This analogy actually falls prey to the same error of modalism. The concept is literally unthinkable. So if all of these explanations are heretical, what is a good analogy? When we look at the egg as an example of the Trinity, we must view it in its entirety. I and My Father are One (John 10:30). Therefore, in this context, God is the what and the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are the who. You can throw away one part of an egg (e.g., shell) and still have essentially an egg. All Rights Reserved. The Egg- One egg has three parts: shell, whites, and yolk . The problem with this analogy is that it denies the distinction of persons in the God-head. Although he is one he has different roles to different people. A, distinguishes himself from others by saying me, mine, you, yours, etc. A. is the whole nature or essence of something. 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*. What portion is erroneous? The mystery is in the "how" this is accomplished; something we will finally understand in heaven. I think the analogy of the Sun works well. The scientific analogy that will be provided in a few moments is truly inadequate to describe the Holy Trinity. A good example would be an electrical cord. This is just as bad as the Water analogy and leads to the same error. This little child cannot look at one without experiencing a profound sense of wonderment and awe. John 17). An egg has a shell, white, and yolk, but these three are part of an egg or Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao but the same Philippines. Dont grieve the Holy Spirit out of you. H2O can exist in three forms: liquid, gas and solid. Arianism denies the deity of each person in the trinity. Share your thoughts with us in the comments! Modalism teaches that the trinity is not three distinct persons, but just different modes that God reveals himself to human beings. Perhaps we must be content to admit that we cannot fully understand Gods nature in our finitude. The doctrine of the Trinity tells us that there's ONE GOD who is THREE distinct PERSONS existing as a community of self-giving and loving relationships with each other. Each person is fully God (Phil 2; Acts 5:3-4). Required fields are marked *. 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. The Unseen Father would have been put into Satans prison. The Father hears their intercessory prayers. Located in the heart of Quebec's historic district, it is a source of inspiration for visitors from around the world. There are three different cloves that represent the three different persons of the trinity. 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. Time exists as 3 things: past, present, and future. RELATED: The Biblical Principle Of Baptism By Fire. But thats not how they understood it. He taught that the son was at one point created by God the father. The Holy Spirit and Son do not send the Father. This analogy denies the unity of the God-head. 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. God is NOT like H2O in that He does not need the right pressure and temperature to exist as three persons. Devils see that Spirit as a tempestuious fire. In Jesus dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9) The God of the Bible is one God. Well, the egg analogy, when applied to God, suggests that only one being exists but this being exists in three different parts. THE TRUTH IS: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are not three different parts or components of God, but the three are all equally one God. They that dont have the Holy Spirit in them will talk like the Adversary. The early church labeled this view "tritheism". For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength (1 Corinthians 1:25). For example, triangles are not the kinds of things that are personal. God is like an egg in that He is 3-in-1 God the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ) and the Holy Spirit. is not). Thus, the Father Himself is not God, nor is the Son, nor is the Holy Spirit, but combining the three, there is one God. We believe in only one true God in all existence, in all places, at all times. Over the course of church history there have been several heresies that have cropped up that deny one of these three truths. 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 we cannot do that (assuming we can) with God. Or what? The divine persons are really DISTINCT from one another, and not merely different roles of God at different times. The word trinity is not in the Scriptures, but is a word used to describe the three in one God revealed in the Bible. Yet others have thought that H20 (water) shows us the Trinity since H20 can be three things: solid (ice), liquid (running water) and vapor (steam). Analogies for the Trinity exist to explain the unexplainable. It is a miraculous invention, the egg. show me your glory. We can think of it this way: the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. For example, I would say, "God is like an egg." Sadly, theres something "rotten" about this egg analogy. A certain YouTube page created a famous video titled "St. Patrick's Bad Analogies" (which can be found here), in which the historic St. Patrick meets charming villagers who deride him based on the analogies which he uses in the process of explaining the Holy Trinity. Unfortunately, most of them actually give us the wrong idea about what the Trinity is. All of the above Bad Analogies would perhaps do more harm than good if used in explaining the Trinity. Its hard to explain! 1 Corinthians 8:6: Yet for us there is but one God.. Each one is fully 100% God. I go to prepare a place for you. You are an egg! 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. Now if any man has not the Spirit of Christ, he is not His" (Romans 8:9). As we examine the scriptural witness we see three truths that make up the doctrine of the trinity. Jesus was standing in the Jordan River, His Father speaks from heaven above, and the Holy Spirit descends upon Him as a dove. H2O can exist as a solid, a liquid and a gas but they are all still H2O. A good follow up verse to help explain is the baptism of Jesus. And for a mere mortal to have dared invent it and be able t. 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. 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. Adorn your liturgical vestments with classic images from the Monastery Icons collection. I write to see memory and language wrestle with reality. According to modalism, God does not actually exist in three persons. and Holy Spirit are only parts of God (egg and sun). The Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God. Thought of Tim Its amazing to think that everything will be so clear when we het to Heaven! Therefore, there is one God, who is eternally present in three persons. The Father sends the Son, and both the Father and Son send the Holy Spirit. I remember asking my Life Group last year, How have you heard the Trinity explained? I braced myself for the inevitable reply. He has been relationally fulfilled within Himself since forever. Yet we do not have three gods but ONE God. This means there is a sense in which all 3 persons may act or speak as one. Unfortunately, an analogy from the limited realm of creation may not be sufficient in explaining Gods nature. In other words, one stuffness. However, He exists in three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Love your blogs! And a voice from heaven said, This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. God the Father spoke from heaven and spoke of His Son, Jesus. The Holy Spirit prays for us. In part one, we looked at what the Bible has to say about the Trinity. But this idea is central to the Christian faith. They are three in one egg. But they are one God. In the same way is God being the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.. Like modalism, the "three beings" view was rejected by the early church. 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. Son and Holy Ghost are each fully God. I have the good one. Stars were made on the forth day. Theyve transformed. He was with God in the beginning. This is the one I used long ago when trying to explain the Trinity to a group of 1st-5th graders. Each one is fully 100% God. 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! Jesus is the Holy Spirit that saves us. Your email address will not be published. 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. The white of an egg is the connection between the yolk and the shell. I know in the past Ive used analogies that werent the best (more on those later.) The Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, constructed between 1800 and 1804, is the first Anglican cathedral to have been built outside the British Isles. 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. The visual form of God seperated from Jesus on the cross. It is not existing as 3 different parts (persons) at the same time. Stars were made on the froth day. For those, like myself, who are not from a highly-liturgical denomination, it may come as a surprise that June 11 was Trinity Sunday. 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). And we know that because the Persons of the Godhead have perfectly blessed and exalted each other for all eternity. A good example would be an electrical cord. Indeed, how can an infinite God be contained in a finite human womb! Heat it up, and it turns to vapor. When they used the word person, they didnt mean it in the same way that we do today. However, keep in mind that the one being who is God is a personal being. Space Analogy God is like space. This view teaches that three separate beings exist. Cool it down, and itll eventually freeze into a solid. This analogy sounds pretty good, but it is fatally flawed in that is describes the Son and Spirit as creations of the Father. It is not important merely for the sake of tradition, or because the word itself is taught in the Bible (the word is not). Every kid in Sunday school thinks he knows all about God. But, when it's heated, it turns into a gas (steam) and, when it's frozen, it turns into a solid (ice). Analogies that we present would always be insufficient as none of them would equate to the incomprehensible beauty of God. 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. The trinity is a like a Three-Leaf Clover. Or have you ever tried to teach kids about the Trinity? 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. Rather, He created us in order to bless us. Again, this analogy doesnt work because God doesnt morph, change, or become different aspects of Himself. He has the world and our individual lives within His supremely capable hands. This book is now available in a published format for easy sharing and classroom use. Jesus is the Holy Spirit. Jesus loves us so much that he did not obliterate people who died, with power that set stars in the universe. When we think about influential New Testament leaders, most names are male. 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). Devils cannot grab ahold of them to cast them into Satans prison. The problem with this analogy is that it also leads to the heresy of MODALISM. The Son is not the Father or the Spirit. As a doctrine (belief), the trinity is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three separate and distinct persons united in one being- God. How do we make sense of the Trinity? If you need to use an analogy, then use a good one. The white of an egg is the connection between the yolk and the shell. ), The Son Phil. I believe that the best way to talk about the Trinity is to simply say that God is one God, who eternally exists in three Persons. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit also exist eternally and concurrently. He began to play the organ as a chorister in England, before continuing his studies in Qubec and France. Though I find the video to be hilarious and often . Shively The Holy Trinity, one of the five Dogmas of the Church, is an extraordinary and unfathomable mystery.
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