Over the course of church history there have been several heresies that have cropped up that deny one of these three truths. RELATED: What Does The Bible Say About Ghosts? The trinity is like water. Sadly, theres something "rotten" about this egg analogy. The Holy Spirit is the shell, Jesus is the egg white, and the Father is the egg yolk. We also know that God didnt create humanity out of loneliness or boredom. As John 1:18 says, Jesus is "the only begotten God, in the bosom of [God] the Father.". The idea of God as three-in-one is indeed a mysterious concept, one that is difficult to understand. 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. My name is AnnMarie and I'm so glad you're here! Unfortunately, no analogy is perfect. 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. These things are referred to as the Economic Trinity. Few topics of discussion in the Christian faith are more confusing than the idea of the Trinity. This is why Jesus said, He who has seen Me, has seen the Father (John 14:9). Does that make sense? This is perhaps the most common analogy for the Trinity. Only the Son became incarnate, took on flesh. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength (1 Corinthians 1:25). The word Trinity comes from the Latin word trinitas which means tri-unity. There are, however, some that work better than others. So God performs 3 different roles/relationships but 1 God. If you only had an apple core, you wouldnt pack it in your lunch. Arianism clearly denies the deity of the three persons. He began to play the organ as a chorister in England, before continuing his studies in Qubec and France. RELATED: Did Jesus Really Rise From The Dead? Each separate being is co-equal, co-powerful and co-eternal. The Trinity is Like an Egg How the analogy goes: The Trinity is like an egg. These attributes are: omnipotence (all-powerful), omniscience (all-knowing), and omnipresence (exists in all places). They suggest that only one God exists but this God transforms or morphs into each of the different persons. In other words, God may manifest Himself as the Father, Son, or Holy Spirit. It is not existing as 3 different parts (persons) at the same time. in which all 3 persons may act or speak as one. Modalism teaches that the trinity is not three distinct persons, but just different modes that God reveals himself to human beings. The Egg Analogy God is like an egg. They say that three separate beings exist 2. 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. We can always rebut these claims with another equation: 1 x 1 x 1=1. Yet the orthodox view is that each person of the Trinity is fully divine. In some ways, it resembles the tritheism view (Misunderstanding 2). What we can understand and accept is that God exists eternally as one divine nature, substance, or essence, comprising three co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial personsthe Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. That helps explain the concept quite well- the oneness, unity of God with the distinct three persons of God- Father, Son, and Spirit. One sits on the throne looking like Sardine and Jasper stone. Believing in the above 3 points leads all Christians to acceptance of the doctrine of the Trinity. Just like an egg, none of the parts are co-equal, nor are all of the parts necessary for the egg to exist. The Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God. Wow! If we separate them we still may have God the Egg yolk, God the Holy Spirit Egg white and God the Son, the Egg shell/image, three individual parts of an Egg, but they cannot be a Trinity, or tri-unity unless they are unified and are seen as one Egg, so to speak. Although God is transcendent, sovereign, unapproachable light, He has condescended to reveal something of Himself to His creation. He is one God who expresses Himself in three modesFather, Son, and Spirit. God is infinitely greater than we are; therefore, we should not expect to be able to fully understand Him. But the Father is not the Son or the Spirit. So, in God, there are three distinct persons. No analogy is perfect, but we want to be careful of using wrong ones that may confuse people. Because God is utterly unique, all comparisons will fail at some point. The unity or oneness of God is also found in the Bible. Instead, each person is co-equal, co-powerful and co-eternal. Jesus is the Holy Spirit. The egg example, while not perfect or complete by any means, will still give us a basic understanding of the primary principle of Biblical Trinitarianism. The unseen Father is in Christs mind. 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. The Son intercedes as our High Priest before the Father. These are likewise erroneous or even heretical. 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. The problem with this analogy is that it would imply that there is only one Divine Person, who eventually multiplied Himself. But we can (and should) have a solid foundation to explain this core belief of our faith. This is because the H20 is changing forms in representing each person. Analogies of the Trinity. So, part of understanding the Trinity is realizing that God is personal and relational. HO may act as water, steam, or ice, but it is still HO. Christians believe, then, that only one God exists but this God exists as a unity of three persons: a Trinity. This little child cannot look at one without experiencing a profound sense of wonderment and awe. Do you know why I keep saying God is like an egg (or H2O) but God is not like an egg (or H2O)? 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. 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. 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. That is heaven in a person. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all (2 Corinthians 13:14). To the other major monotheistic faiths (Islam and Judaism), it is rank heresyTrinitarianism is therefore definitional to Christianity. The early church labeled this view "tritheism". He is married to Shamsa Lea, is the father of Amira, and loves running, boxing and studying history and theology. 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. Light comes from God. Modalism teaches that one God just changes forms or modes over the course of scripture. So whats one good way to explain what the Trinity is? In the same way, water is all the same molecular structure, expressing itself in three different modes. The Unseen Father keeps the Father that is seen, alive. A man might be a father to his children, a husband to his wife, and son to his parents. 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. I never thought about it in that way some of these examples Ive never heard of. 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. Augustine's typical dialectic is to move from the exterior realities of creation to the interior reality of the human soul where he hoped to encounter God in the image of God, damaged as it is by the fall. It should bring us to realise that we truly are finite creatures standing before a sovereign, transcendent, divine mystery. Analogies often fall short. MULTIPLICATION ANALOGY. This view teaches that three separate beings exist. In other words, this view denies Gods oneness. Understanding 1 Corinthians 14:34-35. The word Trinity comes from the Latin word trinitas which means tri-unity. Did I leave out any analogies? In the second instance, the truth of Gods Trinity reveals a further aspect of Gods love for His people. A, distinguishes himself from others by saying me, mine, you, yours, etc. A. is the whole nature or essence of something. 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. 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. Let's use an egg to explain the Holy Trinity! 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. God is like an egg in that He is 3-in-1 God the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ) and the Holy Spirit. The watermelon has a skin, pulp and seeds; the egg is shell, yolk and egg white. Each character of the trinity has in one another (cf. St. Augustine, one of the most important Fathers of the Church, wrote a great deal on the doctrine of the Trinity. All these make up one egg just as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit make up one God. Misunderstanding 1: The transforming trinity But while this idea is central to the Christian faith, it is also incredibly mysterious to us. We all want to experience the good life. The yolk represents Gods Person, His Being, and His Holiness which generates Light that no man can approach (I Timothy 6:16). Yet there is only one God. One of the more traditional analogies is to the states of water. I did read about the shamrock analogy! Space consists of three things: height, width, and depth. They are unified in one divine being. The trinity is Like a man who is a father, husband, and son. But understanding the Trinity is important. I dont believe that God wishes us to be confused about the Three that are so apparent throughout the Old and New Testaments. All three persons exist at the same moment in history. However, keep in mind that the one being. For instance, we know that God is perfectly loving. Trinity is like a Shamrock (or an Apple or an Egg). Jesus loves us so much that he did not obliterate people who died, with power that set stars in the universe. H2O can exist as a solid, a liquid and a gas but they are all still H2O. The Holy Trinity, one of the five Dogmas of the Church, is an extraordinary and unfathomable mystery. Vestment Emblems. But in the Godhead, each Person is fully and completely God unto Himself (even as they are all one God). This analogy seems to make a lot of sense, but it actually reinforces a fatal misconception about the Trinity called modalism. Now were going to look at how some people often misunderstand the Trinity. He wondered how it was possible that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit could be inseparable, while, in . Who is God? It can also be a liquid and called water. That is why Moses said. Admittedly, the idea of three distinct persons/expressions that are each fully God is part of the mystery. Yet we do not have three gods but ONE God. The doctrine of the Trinity is one of the primary tenants of the Christian faith. If we separate them we still may have God the Egg yolk, God the Holy Spirit Egg white and God the Son, the Egg shell/image, three individual parts of an Egg, but they cannot be a Trinity, or tri-unity unless they are unified and are seen as one Egg, so to speak. . H2O can only ever be one form at a time. Each side is co-equal with the others, yet, each side is necessary. 7But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christs gift., , according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, that you may obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in fullest measure., , But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith; praying in the Holy Spirit; 21keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.. But if they give us a warped idea of what they are trying to explain, they arent helpful illustrations. Yet it appears to be almost entirely misunderstood within contemporary evangelical circles. The Trinity is not real in my life because of superior knowledge or insight. My interview: https://www.readlotswritelot.com/wp/podcast/episode-21-john-k-adams/, More from Catholicism for the Modern World, https://www.readlotswritelot.com/wp/podcast/episode-21-john-k-adams/. The beautiful depth of Gods eternal Triune nature is a sublime reality which should bring an end to our attempts to cognitively master Him. This little child cannot look at one without experiencing a profound sense of wonderment and awe. Analogies that we present would always be insufficient as none of them would equate to the incomprehensible beauty of God. Though I find the video to be hilarious and often . The Trinity is distinct in their roles and individuality, but united in their attributes of love, mercy, holiness, knowledge, etc. You are an egg! 2. The more I reflect on Easter, the more Ive realized how much its become a consumeristic holidayeven Did Jesus really rise from the dead? Despite its potential obscurity, Trinity Sunday is a great occasion for me to revisit an old article on the Trinity. Each one is fully 100% God. 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). If the sun exists, there is also day; if nothing of this be manifest, it is impossible that the sun should be there. The Egg Analogy - This claims to be a good representation of the Trinity because Eggs have three distinct parts: the shell, the yolk, and the whites. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. (John 1:13). Required fields are marked *. The Sun was created on the forth day. 5And there are varieties of ministries and the same Lord. This view, also known as "modalism", was rejected by the early church. It falls into the heresy of tri-theism. Answer (1 of 25): Cynics assert that the idea of the Holy Trinity is a logical impossibility. This is a worse analogy than the egg because it is more analogous to the heretical doctrine of Modalism/Oneness than for the Trinity.