holy trinity egg analogy holy trinity egg analogy

According to the first, just as water takes three forms (liquid, vapor, and ice), so too God takes the form of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God is NOT like H2O in that He does not need the right pressure and temperature to exist as three persons. 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. Here are four. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on Him. 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). Despite its potential obscurity, Trinity Sunday is a great occasion for me to revisit an old article on the Trinity. This is because the H20 is changing forms in representing each person. So, in God, there are three distinct persons. MULTIPLICATION ANALOGY. Each one is fully 100% God. Here are eight bible characters that you might not know about, but should. God does not play three roles.. Located in the heart of Quebec's historic district, it is a source of inspiration for visitors from around the world. This analogy actually falls prey to the same error of modalism. If water is inadequate, there are a wide array of alternative analogies we can turn to in modern theological parlance. The problem with this analogy is that an egg yoke is of a very different substance than a shell. The egg (or apple) fails in that the shell, white, and yolk are parts of the egg, not the egg in themselves, just as the skin, flesh, and seeds of the apple are parts of it, not the apple itself. The Trinity is a tri-unity, a unity of Three, - God the Father, Jesus, the Son of God and the Holy Spirit. Stars were made on the froth day. Each PERSON is distinct from one another. The Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, constructed between 1800 and 1804, is the first Anglican cathedral to have been built outside the British Isles. This analogy denies the unity of the God-head. Every kid in Sunday school thinks he knows all about God. 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. It can also be a liquid and called water. Water has three states: solid, liquid, and gas. How would you explain the Trinity if someone asked you right now? Each Person in the Trinity (or the Godhead) is fully God and fully a Person. In using analogies, we need to acknowledge the demerits and limitations of the said analogy. It is not important merely for the sake of tradition, or because the word itself is taught in the Bible (the word is not). Likewise we cannot have the Father or His Spirit without the Son I am the Way the Truth and the Life, no one comes to the Father except by Me- John 14:6. They suggest that only one God exists but this God transforms or morphs into each of the different persons Let's begin with the second view. THE TRUTH IS: From the very beginning, the Blessed Trinity Father, Son, and Spirit was there. When you encounter a person or group who denies the Trinity, it is merely a matter of walking through these 3 points, to see where they diverge from Biblical teaching. When we look at the egg as an example of the Trinity, we must view it in its entirety. Explaining the Holy Trinity. When we separate them and view them as individual deities, that is the error of tritheism, which is the worship of three individual gods as one. 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. Genesis 1:26- Let us make man in our image, in our likeness The plural us and our show more than one person was involved. Now if any man has not the Spirit of Christ, he is not His" (Romans 8:9). document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. But having lots 6 Bible Study Tools To Help You Dive Deeper. We believe in only one true God in all existence, in all places, at all times. God does not just change forms but exists as three persons in unity. I never thought about it in that way some of these examples Ive never heard of. Check out verse four: Holy Author, Holy Word, Holy Spirit, three we name thee; Still, one holy voice is heard; undivided God, we claim thee, and adoring bend the knee, while we own the mystery. . HO may act as water, steam, or ice, but it is still HO. Each character of the trinity has in one another (cf. In scripture we see explicit trinitarian references, especially at Jesus' baptism where the Father speaks, the Spirit descends, and the Son is in the water. How can we ever explain our Most High, exalted, powerful, uncontainable, and most glorious God? The Father is fully God; Jesus is fully God and the Holy Spirit is fully God. Only the Son became incarnate, took on flesh. The Holy Spirit prays for us. When we speak of someone as being a "person", we often mean an individual who is separate from other people, or we simply mean a human being. But Hes God too, right? It is a miraculous invention, the egg. John 17). In other words, one stuffness. However, He exists in three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In trying to describe what they saw in the pages of the Bible, the early church decided to use the word person to describe the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I dont know how our majestic God feels about being compared to watermelons and eggs, but He is also a loving Father, and like any father, I believe God would seek to provide simple explanations so His little children can understand. I think the analogy of the Sun works well. So much of what we know about what God does is wrapped up in who He is. The three-leaf clover analogy is OK. Many of these analogies have the best of intentions, but God cannot be described in a way we can fully comprehend or rationalize. It leads to the heresy of MODALISM which teaches that God switches to different modes. There would be three thrones. Dont grieve the Holy Spirit out of you. We can touch the cord, but not the power it is insulating. There have been many attempts to explain the Trinity the relationship between God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. 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. Among the most popular analogies for the Trinity, two in particular stand out; and most of the others resemble one of them. I dont believe that God wishes us to be confused about the Three that are so apparent throughout the Old and New Testaments. The military would like to have that power. We Christians believe it on faith. The Unseen Father is in Christs mind. The problem with this analogy is that no one molecule of H2O can actually exist as solid, liquid, and gas at the same time. 3 - The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are distinct persons. My name is AnnMarie and I'm so glad you're here! Unfortunately, Arianism is still around and can found within the Jehovah's Witnesses teachings. In this analogy, God is compared to a man. The above picture is a famous work of art by Andrei Rubilev, the great medieval Russian painter of Orthodox icons and frescos. It is so important that to deny the trinity is to deny Christianity. This is why Jesus said, He who has seen Me, has seen the Father (John 14:9). 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. But God is the eternal Light, which has neither had a beginning, nor shall ever fail. He is one God who expresses Himself in three modesFather, Son, and Spirit. Yet we do not have three gods but ONE God. Part 2. Water can be ice and steam, yet they are the same element. Blessings! 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. 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. 1B) This son of Graham and Lois Armstrong is Dave. Each person is fully the one God, but is also distinct. To return to my Life Group anecdote, after our discussion I asked why does it even matter?. In the same way is God being the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.. The Trinity is not real in my life because of superior knowledge or insight. They all exist as fully God, with none of them lacking in any attribute or aspect that defines God. While each person is distinct, they are never separate from one another. The doctrine of the Trinity is one of the primary tenants of the Christian faith. Therefore the eternal brightness shines forth before Him, and co-exists with Him, in that, existing without a beginning, and always begotten, He always shines before Him; and He is that Wisdom which says, I was that wherein He delighted, and I was daily His delight before His face at all times.. Dont you know Jesus? 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. The problem with this analogy is that it teaches that God has three components: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Or, we can quote Daniel Webster; a strong Christian- I do not pretend fully to understand the arithmetic of heaven now. . Can you think of some Bible verses to back up your explanation? In Jesus is the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9). However, Christians through the ages believe in the Trinity because the truths it represents are taught in the Bible. The Trinity is one of the most foundational doctrines of Christianity. The term Economic refers to the roles, functions, and relationships that exist within the Trinity. The Council's definitions concerning the Trinity are really as easy as one, two, three four. Son and Holy Ghost are each fully God. Copyright 2023 Christian Today. If the Sun existed from eternity past then so were the light rays from the Sun. Learn how your comment data is processed. Cool it down, and itll eventually freeze into a solid. We believe that it is a revelation that comes from Christ Himself. Lost will be burned up. I go to prepare a place for you. The idea of God as three-in-one is indeed a mysterious concept, one that is difficult to understand. 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. This is the one I used long ago when trying to explain the Trinity to a group of 1st-5th graders. Here are a few common illustrations: The Egg- One egg has three parts: shell, whites, and yolk. Each part of the egg make up only one portion of the wholethe yolk is not the fullness of the egg. No analogy is perfect, but we want to be careful of using wrong ones that may confuse people. Although God is transcendent, sovereign, unapproachable light, He has condescended to reveal something of Himself to His creation. However, keep in mind that the one being. Unfortunately, an analogy from the limited realm of creation may not be sufficient in explaining Gods nature. However, in some instances, the use of carefully chosen analogies may be of help for some of our brethren in learning the teachings of the Church. This book is now available in a published format for easy sharing and classroom use. This little child cannot look at one without experiencing a profound sense of wonderment and awe. Admittedly, the idea of three distinct persons/expressions that are each fully God is part of the mystery. ORDER from Barnes and NobleAmazon.com or wherever fine books are soldISBN-13: 978-1978167643Return to Cafe Logos Homepage | Bite-Sized Bible Bites. He is married to Shamsa Lea, is the father of Amira, and loves running, boxing and studying history and theology. Discover the richness of the old yet living 2,000-year-old religion which built the West. In the first place, if we truly claim to love God, then surely we should endeavour to know Him. That is a holding pen for final judgment. The Holy Trinity, one of the five Dogmas of the Church, is an extraordinary and unfathomable mystery. Further, we can label each of the sides. The Trinity is distinct in their roles and individuality, but united in their attributes of love, mercy, holiness, knowledge, etc. It only has 1 person acting in three different roles. For instance at the baptism of Christ, the Father, Son and Spirit are all distinctly present and interacting (Matthew chapter 3 verses 16-17). It may not appear to agree with common sense. httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQLfgaUoQCw. It is the Central Mystery of our Christian faith. This analogy is an invalid comparison to the Trinity and is a heresy called PARTIALISM. RELATED: Did Jesus Really Rise From The Dead? This is a worse analogy than the egg because it is more analogous to the heretical doctrine of Modalism/Oneness than for the Trinity. 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). Yet we do not have three gods but ONE God. Try starting your explanation with a simple definition and then ask for further questions: No one can completely know or understand God. A good example would be an electrical cord. Who is God? The past is not the present and the present is not the future, yet all three together is what we call time. The teaching of the trinity is clearly taught in Scripture and must be preserved as such. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are each called Jehovah (or Spirit of Jehovah), given divine attributes, and are distinguished from one another. 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. When discussing God, especially in regards to his nature, being and persons, a simple statement to articulate the Trinity is: God is 1, *. Jesus is the Holy Spirit. So, I shot down a lot of images that seems to be pretty helpful. If one of the sides were removed, then there would be no equilateral triangle. Jesus is fully God. 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. 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. One popular and simple illustration of the Trinity is the egg. Instead, each person is co-equal, co-powerful and co-eternal. Therefore, we would rightly say, within the Ontological Trinity, there is no variation or distinction made. The Father Matthew 27:45-46 (usually there is no argument that the Father is not God, since every place Jesus speaks to God, he is addressing the Father. The word Trinity comes from the Latin word trinitas which means tri-unity. 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. It is still H20, but just different forms. Though I find the video to be hilarious and often . That is why Moses said. They that dont have the Holy Spirit in them will talk like the Adversary. 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. Tritheism denies that there is only one God. How so? Each one is fully 100% God. Or what? A person distinguishes himself from others by saying me, mine, you, yours, etc. A being is the whole nature or essence of something. We can touch the cord, but not the power it is insulating. Our words should dissipate and be replaced instead with an awestruck adoration and wonder, as we realise the only appropriate response is to fall to our knees and humbly worship the one truly perfect, unified divine essence, comprising three diverse, co-equal and co-eternal divine persons. God is not made up of 3 'parts' like the 3 parts of the egg. None of the 3 are less divine than the others. There is one GOD in three persons (Father, Son, Holy Spirit), 2. Stars were made on the forth day. But if they give us a warped idea of what they are trying to explain, they arent helpful illustrations. 1A) Dave is a son of Graham and Lois Armstrong. 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.). The white of an egg is the connection between the yolk and the shell. But they are one God. Jesus isn't a demigod or partially god. If the sun exists, there is also day; if nothing of this be manifest, it is impossible that the sun should be there. 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. But, when it's heated, it turns into a gas (steam) and, when it's frozen, it turns into a solid (ice). But the Trinity is our belief as Christians that God is one being who exists in three Persons- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.. 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). He also knows how to perfectly love us. This is perhaps the most common analogy for the Trinity. All these make up one egg just as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit make up one God. My prayer is to infuse God's character into your everyday lives with short ( 4-5") devotions and Bible Studies every Monday morning. The idea that the Trinity can be compared to a shamrock is largely attributed to St. Patrick. Why is it wrong? Similarly, in our aquatic analogy, water can appear in three different modes, depending on the environment, but the three are not co-existing. God controls that light. Therefore, there is one God, who is eternally present in three persons. That helps explain the concept quite well- the oneness, unity of God with the distinct three persons of God- Father, Son, and Spirit. The Father sends the Son, and both the Father and Son send the Holy Spirit. If one of the persons were not there, then we would not have God. Common, yes. Thus, the Father Himself is not God, nor is the Son, nor is the Holy Spirit, but combining the three, there is one God. Wow! For the Trinity, instead of using the formula 1+1+1, we use 1x1x1. 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. An egg is made up of shell, white and yolk. It does not represent 3 persons existing simultaneously. I did read about the shamrock analogy! This is why Jesus said, He who has seen Me, has seen the Father (John 14:9). Yet we do not have three gods but ONE God. 1. Light comes from God. 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 Trinity is Like an Egg How the analogy goes: The Trinity is like an egg. 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). In reality, I change my role depending on who I am interacting with. Each one is fully 100% God. The Bible teaches that the Father is God, that Jesus is God, and that the Holy Spirit is God. Many of us would use analogies to explain the Trinity. - well, sort of. Your email address will not be published. I dont know how our majestic God feels about being compared to watermelons and eggs, but He is also a loving Father, and like any father, I believe God would seek to provide simple explanations so His little children can understand. The Holy Spirit and Son do not send the Father. He is married to Shamsa Lea, is the father of Amira, and loves boxing and studying Theology. I bet I havent sung or heard this song in years! Yet there is only one God. How do we make sense of the Trinity? I do not have the time or space to exhaustively demonstrate in scripture these truths, but the Biblical witness teaches these three truths consistently about God.