Understanding Trinity

[AfterThought]

How do you explain the concept of Trinity
To a child even someone that has a hard time understanding it?

 

[RaymondG]

The mysteries of the kingdom of heaven cannot be understood. They are known when, and to whom, the Son chooses to reveal it.

 

[tampasteve]

Honestly, it is incredibly difficult, and all of the "simple" analogies that people come up with end up as a type of heresy. Some of them:
God is like:
an egg: This is Tritheism
a three leaf clover: this is Modalism
H2o: this is Modalism
Fruit (skin, seeds, flesh): Tritheism again

Here is a pretty good article: Link
From the article: " The concept of a Triune God is more than difficult to comprehend—it’s impossible to comprehend, for the simple reason that we have nothing in our world that has a corresponding existence. Humans, the most complex creatures we know of, exist as single persons, not as unified multiples."

Here is an amusing 3 minute video on the difficulty of explaining the Trinity:

In the end, the best way to explain the Trinity is with the Creeds, the Athanasian Creed is long, but sums it up as best we can, I believe:

Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic faith. Which faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled; without doubt he shall perish everlastingly. And the catholic faith is this: That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; Neither confounding the Persons; nor dividing the Essence. For there is one Person of the Father; another of the Son; and another of the Holy Ghost. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, is all one; the Glory equal, the Majesty coeternal. Such as the Father is; such is the Son; and such is the Holy Ghost. The Father uncreated; the Son uncreated; and the Holy Ghost uncreated. The Father unlimited; the Son unlimited; and the Holy Ghost unlimited. The Father eternal; the Son eternal; and the Holy Ghost eternal. And yet they are not three eternals; but one eternal. As also there are not three uncreated; nor three infinites, but one uncreated; and one infinite. So likewise the Father is Almighty; the Son Almighty; and the Holy Ghost Almighty. And yet they are not three Almighties; but one Almighty. So the Father is God; the Son is God; and the Holy Ghost is God. And yet they are not three Gods; but one God. So likewise the Father is Lord; the Son Lord; and the Holy Ghost Lord. And yet not three Lords; but one Lord. For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity; to acknowledge every Person by himself to be God and Lord; So are we forbidden by the catholic religion; to say, There are three Gods, or three Lords. The Father is made of none; neither created, nor begotten. The Son is of the Father alone; not made, nor created; but begotten. The Holy Ghost is of the Father and of the Son; neither made, nor created, nor begotten; but proceeding. So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts. And in this Trinity none is before, or after another; none is greater, or less than another. But the whole three Persons are coeternal, and coequal. So that in all things, as aforesaid; the Unity in Trinity, and the Trinity in Unity, is to be worshipped. He therefore that will be saved, let him thus think of the Trinity.

Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting salvation; that he also believe faithfully the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the right Faith is, that we believe and confess; that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man; God, of the Substance [Essence] of the Father; begotten before the worlds; and Man, of the Substance [Essence] of his Mother, born in the world. Perfect God; and perfect Man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting. Equal to the Father, as touching his Godhead; and inferior to the Father as touching his Manhood. Who although he is God and Man; yet he is not two, but one Christ. One; not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh; but by assumption of the Manhood into God. One altogether; not by confusion of Substance [Essence]; but by unity of Person. For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man; so God and Man is one Christ; Who suffered for our salvation; descended into hell; rose again the third day from the dead. He ascended into heaven, he sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from whence he will come to judge the living and the dead. At whose coming all men will rise again with their bodies; And shall give account for their own works. And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting; and they that have done evil, into everlasting fire. This is the catholic faith; which except a man believe truly and firmly, he cannot be saved.​

 

[Doug Melven]

How do you explain the concept of Trinity
To a child even someone that has a hard time understanding it?

Trying to explain the Trinity with words is not an easy task. And none of the explanations made with words and drawings can explain the Trinity.
Here goes anyways.
Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one.
Three in manifestation, one in essence.
You can distinguish between the three, but you can not separate them.
Think of a triangle, with each side representing a member of the Trinity. But, you still only have one triangle.
Or think a globe, with 1/3 of it being the Father, 1/3 of it being the Son and 1/3 being the Spirit, but there is only one globe.

 

[St_Worm2]

How do you explain the concept of Trinity
To a child even someone that has a hard time understanding it?

Hi AT, the church formulated the doctrine of the Trinity to safeguard/circumscribe the "mystery" that the Bible teaches us about the Godhead, not explain it (so that we can understand it), because that is simply beyond us. We accept it as Biblical truth and therefore must accept it as the mystery that it is.

If you try to explain "one God existing as three persons" by using an example of some kind, like water existing as liquid, ice, and vapor, or three candles, one light, etc., you just cause problems in the end because you always end up teaching heresy to one degree or another.

*(if you do end up using one or more of these type of examples to help a child begin to wrap his/her mind around the concept .. and you probably will .. be sure to carefully explain to them that they all fall miserably short of capturing the truth about the Trinity, and 'why' they do as well).

We are told, for instance, to baptize in the singular "name" of God .. Matthew 28:19, and His singular name is, "the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit". How do you explain that in terms that our finite minds can understand

We also believe that God is omnipresent, which means that He is everywhere (and at "every time") at the same time. We also believe that ALL of Him is present everywhere/at every time at the same time, just like we believe that all of God is present in each member of the Trinity at the same time. There are things about God that we are not going to be able to explain/understand, at least not on this side of Glory anyway (but, PTL, He has certainly made sure that we know all that we 'need' to know and/or understand )

Again, the Trinity a mystery which we believe and teach is true because the Bible tells us that it is.

Yours and His,
David

Deuteronomy 29
29 The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law.​

 

[discipler7]

How do you explain the concept of Trinity
To a child even someone that has a hard time understanding it?

.
The Holy God in heaven cannot stand the presence of unholy or sinful/evil Man, who had consorted with Satan at the Garden of Eden.(EXODUS.33:20) God had banished Satan and his demons to earth,(REV.12:9) to be together with the fallen humans.

In order to save Man from hell and bring them to heaven, God came down to earth in lesser forms, ie visibly in-the-flesh as the Lord(eg GENESIS.12:7), Angel of the Lord or Jesus Christ; and/or invisibly in-the-Spirit as the Lord, Spirit of God or Holy Spirit.
....... Similar to the sun in outer space, and her visible light and/or her invisible warmth/heat on earth.

 

[tampasteve]

.

....... Similar to the sun in outer space, and her visible light and/or her invisible warmth/heat on earth.

Not bad, if one adds the caveat that it is a way to describe it, with flaws. But the description technically is modalism.

 

[com7fy8]

For a little child . . . God is our Father and Jesus His Son and the Holy Spirit. A child can understand this to mean like a family of love. God is love, the same love as the Father and as the Son and as the Holy Spirit.

And man was made in God's image, with three basic family persons who can be of love > father, child, mother. The image is not absolutely perfect, but the LORD is said to be our Rock, which is not a perfect analogy. And He is our Shepherd.

The family image can help to bring out how God is love and three Persons of love . . . family caring and sharing love.

 

[nanlm3]

Not claiming this is correct, but this is how the Trinity was explained to me as a teenager. For whatever reason, it made sense...in simple terms....
*The Sun is God the Father.
*The Sun Light is Jesus(Light of the world.)
*The Sun’s energy is the Holy Spirit.


Found this at Creation.com-
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. … But about the Son he [God] says, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom.” (Hebrews 1:3,8).So some early church leaders gave the analogy:

1. God the Father ~ the sun (but the sun’s very nature is to emit light—God made the sun precisely as a light-giver to earth (Genesis 1:14–19), so they are co-eternal)
2. God the Son (wisdom/logos/memra) ~ the radiance continuously emanating from the sun. Jesus is the light of the world (John 1:9–10, 8:12, 9:5).
3. God the Holy Spirit ~ the heat from the sun.

 

[tampasteve]

Not claiming this is correct, but this is how the Trinity was explained to me as a teenager. For whatever reason, it made sense...in simple terms....
*The Sun is God the Father.
*The Sun Light is Jesus(Light of the world.)
*The Sun’s energy is the Holy Spirit.


Found this at Creation.com-
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. … But about the Son he [God] says, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom.” (Hebrews 1:3,8).So some early church leaders gave the analogy:

1. God the Father ~ the sun (but the sun’s very nature is to emit light—God made the sun precisely as a light-giver to earth (Genesis 1:14–19), so they are co-eternal)
2. God the Son (wisdom/logos/memra) ~ the radiance continuously emanating from the sun. Jesus is the light of the world (John 1:9–10, 8:12, 9:5).
3. God the Holy Spirit ~ the heat from the sun.

Unfortunately light, radiance, and heat are creations of the sun, they emanate from it, so that would be Arianism.

 

[nanlm3]

Unfortunately light, radiance, and heat are creations of the sun, they emanate from it, so that would be Arianism.

Ahhhh....I didn’t know that, thanks. I did read The Sun was a “bad analogy.” It sure made sense as a kid...lol.

 

[dreadnought]

How do you explain the concept of Trinity
To a child even someone that has a hard time understanding it?

First of all, there is a great difference of opinion regarding what the Trinity is. I likely will get yelled at for expressing my opinion, but I believe the Trinity is like a man who is simultaneously a dad, a husband, a son, a banker, or whatever.

 

[tampasteve]

First of all, there is a great difference of opinion regarding what the Trinity is. I likely will get yelled at for expressing my opinion, but I believe the Trinity is like a man who is simultaneously a dad, a husband, a son, a banker, or whatever.

Not yelling, just pointing out that is Modalism. The man changes his identity based on what mode or version of himself is required at the given time.

As I have said in other threads, I think there is room in Christianity for other understandings of the Godhead, but Modalism isn't classic Trinitarian thought.

 

[dreadnought]

Not yelling, just pointing out that is Modalism. The man changes his identity based on what mode or version of himself is required at the given time.

As I have said in other threads, I think there is room in Christianity for other understandings of the Godhead, but Modalism isn't classic Trinitarian thought.

People like to stick labels on other people, but I believe my analysis is correct, and I suspect the majority of Christians who have given this much thought agree with me. I don't believe there are three Gods.

 

[tampasteve]

People like to stick labels on other people, but I believe my analysis is correct, and I suspect the majority of Christians who have given this much thought agree with me. I don't believe there are three Gods.

I think you are right, many or even most Christians think of these analogies and don't realize they are heresy according to Trinitarian thought. It's not a bad label to say the analogy is Modalism, it's just a fact. I'm not judging you if you want to believe in Modalism or Arianism, I think there are reasonable reasons to see God in those ways, but it's not Trinitarian.

Also, I am not labeling you, I am labeling the analogy, there is a difference.

Modalism isn't three gods, that would be tritheism. But I don't think you believe in that, and it did not seem like it.

 

[dreadnought]

I think you are right, many or even most Christians think of these analogies and don't realize they are heresy according to Trinitarian thought. It's not a bad label to say the analogy is Modalism, it's just a fact. I'm not judging you if you want to believe in Modalism or Arianism, I think there are reasonable reasons to see God in those ways, but it's not Trinitarian.

Modalism isn't three gods, that would be tritheism. But I don't think you believe in that, and it did not seem like it.

You aren't going to get me to believe there are three Gods.

 

[tampasteve]

You aren't going to get me to believe there are three Gods.

ok... Not sure where you are seeing that I am. I certainly do not believe in tritheism or a godhead similar to the LDS Church.

 

[dreadnought]

ok... Not sure where you are seeing that I am. I certainly do not believe in tritheism or a godhead similar to the LDS Church.

I doubt we'll convince each other of anything, so let me explore your statement about the LDS Church. Do you believe all Mormons believe the exact same things? My own church has a Book of Discipline, but I doubt one percent of us have read it.

 

[tampasteve]

I doubt we'll convince each other of anything, so let me explore your statement about the LDS Church. Do you believe all Mormons believe the exact same things? My own church has a Book of Discipline, but I doubt one percent of us have read it.

I'm really not trying to convince you of anything, I'm simply pointing out the flaw in the analogy used to describe the Trinity since it really describes Modalism. I'm not casting judgment in any way.

As for LDS, I really don't know, I haven't had conversations with more than a few, but they held very similar beliefs to each other. I would suspect they hold various beliefs on different matters, but the nature of the Godhead is pretty well defined for them, and easier to understand than the Trinity.

 

[dreadnought]

I'm really not trying to convince you of anything, I'm simply pointing out the flaw in the analogy used to describe the Trinity since it really describes Modalism. I'm not casting judgment in any way.

As for LDS, I really don't know, I haven't had conversations with more than a few, but they held very similar beliefs to each other. I would suspect they hold various beliefs on different matters, but the nature of the Godhead is pretty well defined for them, and easier to understand than the Trinity.

I am comfortable with my belief about the Trinity. There is one God. He came to earth as Jesus Christ, God in flesh, the Son. He communicates with us with his spirit - the Holy Spirit. This is his triune nature. I'm not going to believe there are Gods who rule in union with each other.