There are many places we might go to find a suitable definition. D. The Trinity exalts the Son and the Spirit. But each one of those is itself a trinity. For instance, in the very first verse of the Bible we are told that "In the beginning God." God’s being, His essence, His thoughts and His ways are infinitely higher than what we can ever imagine. God is three distinct individuals - God the Father, the Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit - in one true God. A. The reason many have insisted on equating the names "Jesus" and "God the Father" is because they are attempting to show that the deity of Jesus is no different than that of the Father, and that Jesus is not a different person in the Godhead, but is God Himself. Having said that, I admit that no one fully understands it. At the moment of creation, we have the Father, the Word (Joh.1:1) and the Spirit. However, the right question must be asked: In what context or in what sense is God one? A number of illustrations have been suggested. The single clearest declaration of the existence of God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit -- i.e, to use the traditional theological term, as a Trinity -- is found in I John 5, which states, in relevant part: … – Facebook God is more than the Trinity, but he is not less than that. So, then, the Son and the Father cannot be equal. God imparts the Holy Spirit to our minds to begin a new spiritual life in us. The Spirit does particular work that the Father and Son do not. However, concerning this verse, the question is: When Moses said God is “one,” what did he mean by it? He has ministered extensively overseas and is a frequent conference speaker and guest on Christian radio and television talk shows. The Trinity - Father, Son, Holy Spirit Explained There are a few things that we must keep in mind when contemplating and trying to understand God. 3. How much does Jesus love me? Hell - 10 Things You Should Know Analogies have been used in trying to explain the Trinity; but in my opinion, no analogy comes close to doing a … Many Christians simply do not feel comfortable praying to the Spirit even though we often sing songs that are essentially prayers to the Spirit, such as "Spirit of God, descend upon my heart" and "Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me." Sometimes the Jehovah's Witnesses (who pointedly deny the Trinity) ridicule it with this little equation: 1 + 1 + 1 = 3. The Trinity sets the limits for human speculation. Where do we find the Trinity doctrine in the Bible? I have no doubt that God is much more than "one in essence, three in Person," but since I can't even understand those simple phrases, I don't worry at all about what else might be true about God. Let's start with the negative and work toward the positive. That much should be clear from this message. In John.1:1-3 we read: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (Himself). Compared to the gods of Egypt, Yahweh is the true living God whom they must love, worship, and serve, not those false and dead-statue gods of the pagans. That's also another word that means the same thing as Trinity. What do those strange, tortured words mean? One of the more interesting illustrations note the different roles a person can play. An egg is made up of a shell, the eggwhite, and the yolk. The Trinity is a doctrine that all Christians believe but no one really understands. And the Holy Spirit, which is the Spirit of Christ, which He has received from His Father. However, there are ways that God … Take away any one of the holes and the pretzel isn't really a pretzel anymore. Genesis 2:24 says, “…a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” Now, is the oneness of Adam and Eve here a literal oneness as if they are physically combined to become one body? Sometimes we speak of the "Triune" God. Furthermore, there is more than one way to play with equations. Let me explain it this way: To properly understand the Trinitarian view of God, every critic and honest observer of the Scripture must know that the evangelical Trinitarian proponents do not deny the sheer fact that God is “one” based upon Deuteronomy 6:4. The doctrine of the Trinity has been called the most puzzling doctrine in the Christian faith and the central truth of the Christian faith. They originate from the same essence, yet emphatically and orderly bestowed upon us through the three distinct persons. The Trinity sets the limits on human speculation about the nature of God. He was grieved when God’s people rebelled against Him, turned an enemy unto them, and fought against them (Isa.63:10; Dt.28:15-68; Jer.21:5; 30:14; Lam.2:4-5 etc., etc.). We have only mumbled along after what God has deemed necessary for us to know about Him. Isaiah 11:2 And as the Son is the Angel of great counsel, so, too, is the Holy Spirit the Spirit of Counsel, that you may know that the Counsel of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit is This is a clear statement that the Holy Spirit is indeed a Person, and He is God. The Trinity helps us answer the question, "What was God doing before he created the universe?" The Fruit of the Spirit - What Are They? Even our best human efforts to compare God to our earthly existence, fall far short of the ultimate truth. JESUS is the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit! Throughout the following verses (John.1:4-18) He is described as a Person and is ultimately identified as Jesus the Christ, our Lord – truly God, Who took on human flesh and dwelled among us. What we don't mean C. The Trinity teaches us that God is beyond all human comprehension. Also, by emphatically using the conjunction “and” in relation with the phrase “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost”, it signifies the distinction of the three; but again, not in essence as God, but in person. So now we know that the Bible speaks of God’s creation words as “the Word”, as “He” and “Him”, as a Person. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are all essential to the ceremony of baptism. From heaven and hell, to communion and baptism, we want to provide easy to read and understand articles that answer your questions about theological terms and their meaning. When we were lost in sin, our God acted in every Person of his being to save us. Francis Schaeffer emphasized this point in his books. Heaven - What is it Like, Where is it? Communion - 10 Important Things to Remember These critics lack the proper understanding of the theological term “Holy Trinity” for or two reasons: 1. That would imply that Jesus is 1/3rd God, the Father is 1/3rd God, and the Holy Spirit is 1/3rd God. Much, much more could be said about the Holy Spirit and that He, along with the Father and the Son, is verily God. It’s always been ‘Father’ and ‘Son,’ and there’s always been a command and obedience relationship.” That line of reasoning extends also to the order found in the Matthew 28:19–20 record of the Great Commission: “…baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” The Father over the Son. A. You can read more about The Holy Trinity on desiringGod, GotQuestions.org and Catholic Answers, – Twitter That's a good word—even though it sounds odd to our ears—because it combines the two ideas of unity and diversity in one word. The position of the three persons must not be interpreted using human earthly conditions. There is no contradiction when you say that God is one and has three persons. Our God is THE Triune God, indeed!! Sin as it were (though not in ultimate reality) caused a rupture in the Trinity. The two verses that I’ve mentioned above are also clear biblical statements that He is three. The doctrine states that God is the Triune God, existing as three persons, or in the Greek hypostases,but one being.Each of the persons is understood as having the one identical essence or nature, not merely similar natures. Amen to that! His personality, work and emotions. Constituting the one true God of the Bible. But the Trinity teaches us that before the foundation of the world, God was having fellowship within his own being. First of all, Christians don't believe in three Gods. Let's break it down into six smaller statements about the trinity that's easier to understand: As you might imagine, the early church struggled mightily over this doctrine. What is Agape Love? When I think of the Father, I … At the moment of creation, “…the Spirit of God moved on the face of the waters.” (Gen.1:2). Conclusion While in essence only one, undivided God we claim you. The answer is quite simple. God is a triune God. “God is (a) Spirit” (Joh.4:24). However, this analogy also has its limits. Some streams of reasoning within Christianity argue that Jesus Christ cannot be God because He prayed to the Father. Email This BlogThis! And concerning the Spirit, Paul assigned the grace of “fellowship” for it is the Holy Spirit who is said to be indwelling the believer. However, let's stick closer to home and simply reprint Article B—The True God from the Calvary Memorial Church Articles of Faith. It is a mystery and a paradox. But emphasizes that there is only ONE God. Yes there is. The Holy Spirit B. What exactly do we mean when we speak of the Trinity? Each person participates in all of God’s works as they are fully divine, yet they do not participate in identical ways. God teaches us to relate to Him in lots of ways. This is a question little children like to stump their parents with. God the Spirit . Secondly, because they cannot comprehend the immensity and character of God with their human and limited understanding, they would rather believe in their earthly, three-dimensional understanding and logic. The answer of course is yes. “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”. Rather, the oneness implied here is a marital oneness expressed in a loving harmonious relationship of the two as husband and wife. 1. Even though the Trinity is a mystery, we can satisfy our understanding about its reality to an extent through biblical and logical explanations. Regarding the difference between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the theologian John Wesley said, “Bring me a worm that can comprehend a man, and then I will show you a man that can comprehend the triune God!”The study of God is the highest subject any human can ever even attempt to comprehend. However, that simply isn't true. He was in the beginning with God. So, then, the Son and the Father cannot be equal. Again: When Jesus gave the command to baptize new disciples, He expressly said to baptize them in the “NAME” (NOT NameS) of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 2. Let us rejoice that we have a Triune God who has provided for a Trinitarian salvation. What Does It Mean to Be a Daughter of Christ? The word "Trinity" is not in the Bible. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. Share to Twitter Share to Facebook Share to Pinterest. “Tri” means “three”, and “unity” means “one”. If Jesus were part of Almighty God, however, he would know the same facts as his Father. Asking the Father to receive the Holy Spirit is very INTIMATE. For the Spirit Himself is Power, as you read: The Spirit of Counsel and of Power (or might). All things came into being through Him, and without Him, not even one thing came into being that has come into being.”. After all, if we could explain God, he wouldn't be God. It binds Christians together and empowers them, granting them some of the divine nature of Almighty God. Is there another word we could use? Jesus says that the Father knows more than the Son does. Genesis 1:26-27. 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