Thank you for sharing your story. The Gospel Coalition supports the church by providing resources that are trusted and timely, winsome and wise, and centered on the gospel of Jesus Christ. to Christianity. Most were written in response to errors that were reported in some way to him, to make sure that these churches retained correct doctrine. More than 100 times, the Old Testament mentions the Spirit of God. He is one in essence. But the first glimpses of plurality within God are recorded in the Old Testament, not the New. Obviously we cannot, for Scripture is clear that there is only one God: There is no other God besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides me. I think maybe because its just too unsettling a thought for some people that they should have to start prayers now with Heavenly Father rather than Dear Jesus. Thus, we are not speaking with a forked tongue we are not saying that God is one and then denying that He is one by saying that He is three. One illustration to beware of is the one which says, I am one person, but I am a student, son, and brother. We will never fully comprehend our triune God. And likewise with the Holy Spirit. Sproul cites as an example Dickens famous line, It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Obviously this is a contradiction if Dickens means that it was the best of times in the same way that it was the worst of times. And, thank you for sharing your views. What we do mean by Person is something that regards himself as I and others as You. So the Father, for example, is a different Person from the Son because He regards the Son as a You, even though He regards Himself as I. Thus, in regards to the Trinity, we can say that Person means a distinct subject which regards Himself as an I and the other two as a You. These distinct subjects are not a division within the being of God, but a form of personal existence other than a difference in being.[3]. This is an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees. Sure do appreciate you and your encouraging words today! Now, as Fred Sanders once quipped, this doesn't mean you should begin every witnessing encounter, "God loves you and has a wonderful Trinity for you to understand." And, Im so glad you ordered the book. But what does it mean that God is gracious? What a great reminder this morning! As theologian and apologist Norman Geisler has explained it, while essence is what you are, person is who you are. 2:14; 6:1124; Zech. Or is he the biblical three-in-one? Having seen that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are distinct Persons, that they are each fully God, and that there is nonetheless only one God, we must conclude that all three Persons are the same God. The fact that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct Persons means, in other words, that the Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is not the Father. 8:9; Gal. Trinity Church is a historic parish in the Episcopal Diocese of New York, whose church is located at 89 Broadway opposite Wall Street, in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City.Known for its centuries of history, prominent location, distinguished architecture and bountiful endowment, Trinity's congregation is said to be "high church," its activities based on the traditions . A mono-personal god could not be eternally loving and gracious. What we need to recover is an understanding and a felt sense of why it matters so much. the Spirit (Eph. Both Knowing and Experiencing In his exposition on Psalm 130, John Owen says that "the nature of all gospel truths" is that they are "experienced by a believing soul." And what gospel truth is "so high, glorious, and mysterious as the doctrine of the ever-blessed Trinity"? We believe that faithful proclamation of the gospel is what our hostile and disoriented world needs. Judging by the church's historic creeds, Christians used to think the Trinity is really important. Partnering with urban churches to meet physical and spiritual needs. Its almost impossible to debate Trinitarianism because when they cant explain something or overcome a contradiction, hey always resort to the notion that,. Do you believe that too? Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. John 3:16 tells us that this is how we receive eternal lifeby the Father giving his Son. The doctrine or concept of the Trinity is central to most Christian denominations and faith groups, although not all. 6:8). Because the Father, Son, and Spirit were perfectly unified before the creation of the worldloving, serving, and glorifying one anotherwe can be confident God didnt create us out of a needy desire to fill an inner relational void. Nonetheless, while recognizing the distinct roles that each Person has, we should never think of their roles as so separate that the other Persons are not involved. Youve blessed me today with your encouragement! There is no inspiration, encouragement, or hope for me in Christianity. Thank you, Dawn! (7) The Holy Spirit is not the Father. It is crucial for properly understanding what God is like, how He relates to us, and how we should relate to Him. I pray that this teaching will encourage others as it sure encouraged me! Jesus dying on the Cross is one of the most important parts of His story. Hi, Ive been studying this topic for a while, and this article is well-written, and summarizes the Trinitarian belief of most Christians. 5 Ways To Keep Your Home Mosquito-Free This Summer, 3 Ways A University Degree Can Help With Career Prospects. Well, Jesus was NOT 200%. Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! Whenever these contradictions come up, people brush it off by saying Its a mystery we cant fathom. Read that verse 9 again, all the fullness of God in bodily form. Its good to hear from you. Breaks my heart. Thanks for sharing it with me. 13:14). The world is a confusing place right now. What are some major doctrinal errors regarding the Trinity? 5 Ways To Be More Confident Behind The Wheel, 5 Verses to Encourage You When You Feel Insecure & Out of Control, How to Turn Jeremiah 33:3 into a Personal Prayer, The Basics of Monetization for Your Social Media Sites, Tips for Parenting Adult Children with Grace, What is Your Life Purpose? Is your God the unitarian God of Arianism (think Mormons and Jehovahs Witnesses), modalism, or Islam? 3:15), the bride of the Son (2 Cor. But judging by a growing number of voices . This might seem to be a wasted exercise in futility for each, but then we must realize that this discussion, or more properly debate, is being observed by hundreds, if not thousands, of others, who may be heavily influenced by the thoughts expressed. Because of this, it then becomes very important, especially since this is supposed to be a Christian list, that those representing the Christian doctrines of the Bible against those who would attempt to change or confuse the understanding of the folks that are just lurking here. I am the first to acknowledge that this doctrine is unfathomable in reality, and describable only in concept. In this way, we carry on the missio Deithe mission of our triune God. Becauseto bring our two points togetherthe kind of God we have determines the kind of relationship we will have with him. Or did your God create you and save you because he was lonely and needed you? We believe God never has or will change. He would best be defined in his solitude by self-serving egotism. Matt Perman is the director of career navigation at The Kings College NYC, a blogger, and an author. Trinitarianism is polytheism. The Trinity is the doctrine that states there is one God but three PersonsGod the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. He would still have a Son, but he wouldnt have many sons. Reaching students and faculty in middle and high school. Then, who was He? Is Sound of Freedom the Next Uncle Toms Cabin? Jesus prayed alone in the Garden why in the world would he go pray to himself? Tim Mentzer departs from Trinity Lutheran Church after 15 years of These are all qualities of personhood. Why Is the Trinity Important? However, I believe its perfectly fine to be a Christian who believes Jesus was the Son of God, not God himself. As world religions continue to multiply, and against a rising tide of universalism, this distinctive will only become more essential to how we communicate our faith. Trinity Church | Ten Buildings That Changed America | WTTW Chicago If God is three Persons, does this mean that each Person is one-third of God? How much does the Trinity matter to you personally? Even very theologically liberal churches, like the Episcopal church, require that you've had a TRINITARIAN baptism in order to participate in the Eucharist. Or would that seem like splitting hairs? He is the SON of God. Appreciate your affirmations today! The relationship between essence and Person, then, is as follows. For example. We address doctrines and practices of Christian churches and organizations, as well as those of cults of Christianity. Why? As I said earlier, it means the same thing as being. While there are some illustrations which are helpful, we should recognize that no illustration is perfect. Have some fun taking various quizzes and assessments to learn about yourself and others. Yet he lovingly chose to create us, inviting us in to enjoy (and be fulfilled by) the overflow of all God is within himself. And in John 16:13-15 we see that although there is a close unity between them all, the Holy Spirit is also distinct from the Father and the Son. Reflecting Jesus together for the good of the city. 7:9) are one in him. Here are five (more) reasons why it matters greatly that we believe this doctrine. Is the Trinity Biblical? Thanks so much for explaining it so simply. Wayne Grudem explains: But if each person is fully God and has all of Gods being, then we also should not think that the personal distinctions are any kind of additional attributes added on to the being of God . Used by permission. 2:35 Seniors demand money back from Toronto church in failed housing project. Its being conformed to the image of the Son by the Spirit (Rom. The development of church doctrines, at least in the early church, was necessary to provide clear statements of exactly what the Bible had to say about various issues, and particularly about the nature of God. This isnt just adoctrine; this is our life. Would you like to give your time to work with Cru? But while these gospels had been written, again there were deceivers who were spreading a different gospel, a gospel presented on Jesus as a created being, but not God. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all fully God. Im so glad that my posts are easy to follow and that they make your think all at the same time! But just think about all the Trinity-related truths stated or implied in this one simple verse. Does the Trinity mean that God is divided into three parts? That He was born of a virgin and that He lived a sinless life; that He was crucified, died as a penalty for our sins, and was raised from the dead bodily on the third day. Thank you for diving into the depths of our faith! It is also clearly presented that Jesus was in every way a man, born of a human woman. Thus, as Wayne Grudem writes, When we speak of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit together we are not speaking of any greater being than when we speak of the Father alone, the Son alone, or the Holy Spirit alone.[2]. How is God three? If we remember Pauls role in the early history of the church, he was the primary missionary who took the message of the gospel to Gentile lands. The NT frequently refers to the church as Christ's body. It also teaches of a coming defeater of the enemy (Gen. 3:15), a Son of Man appearing with the Ancient of Days (Dan. Blessings! If you claim Jesus was God, then you have to claim that Jesus is the son of Jesus, or God is the son of God, and neither of those statements make any sense. Showing God in action in and through His people. However, on this site, we strongly affirm that the Bible teaches that Jesus is God (John 1). Chapter 26 - How and Why the Trinity is False and Unbiblical There would only be a contradiction if we said that God is three in the same way that He is one. He is three in a different way than He is one. The Son of God becomes a Son of Man, so that the sons of men might become sons of God. So why should we care about the Trinity, aside from the fact that its true? Why Is The Trinity Important? - THE NERDY THEOLOGIAN We can be saved without a clear concept of the trinity. The Meaning of the Trinity Explained We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We are literally the presence of Christ on earth. Therefore, it is often difficult to have a concrete definition of Person as we use it in regards to the Trinity. What makes you think God hasnt made Himself real to me? Father! (Gal. It is the mystery of how God comes and dwells among us. I appreciate you stopping by today. So a closer look at the fact that God is one in essence but three in person has helped to show why the Trinity is not a contradiction. While the oneness of God is strongly emphasized, the word used to describe God as one in Hebrew scripture. . Trinity Sunday is to explain, to the best of our ability, the clues written in Scripture to guide us to a fuller understanding of our triune God. I love this postand this series. BBC - Religions - Christianity: The Trinity The risen Christ interpreted things concerning himself throughout all Scripture (Luke 24:27) and even used Psalm 110:1 to prove the Jews innate assumption of a second person in the Godhead. In the baptism of Jesus, we see the Father speaking from heaven and the Spirit descending from heaven in the form of a dove as Jesus comes out of the water (Mark 1:10-11). Television, the internet, and social media, etc. This set orthodox Christianity apart from heretical movements like Docetism, which challenged the church as . The Father is God from the beginning (John 1:1 . We all have a story. The doctrine is divisive and has a disturbing history. Whenever I debated Trinity with others like on forums or blogs, I was either banned from forums for being non-Trinitarian, and and after 2-3 replies on blogs, when bloggers couldnt overcome they immediately began passing judgment saying I need to repent and accept Christ, or Im in a heretical cult, (Im not JW) and delete most of my replies and then say goodbye. This is difficult to explain. The early church coined the term Trinity in the late second century to articulate the mystery revealed by Christ (Eph. Gods essence is His being. The Gospel Coalition supports the church by providing resources that are trusted and timely, winsome and wise, and centered on the gospel of Jesus Christ. Let me ask youwhat kind of salvation does your gospel give you? Why is belief in the Trinity so important? The key, though, for this discussion is the errors that he was writing to correct. The fact that the Father gave his Son tells us theyre distinct persons. Thanks, Leah! Stated differently, God is one in essence and three in person. And the Holy Spirit is the dynamic presence of God rather than a separate person? We baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Spirit (Matt. Blessings to you, Justin Dillehay (MDiv, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is a pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Hartsville, Tennessee, where he resides with his wife and their three children. This would make each Person less than fully God and thus not God at all. Each of the synoptics had presented a particular aspect of the work of Jesus in His earthly ministry. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. Let me ask youwhat kind of salvation does your gospel give you? The term 'Trinity' was first used in the 2nd century by Theophilus of Antioch, a convert. We believe that faithful proclamation of the gospel is what our hostile and disoriented world needs. In other words, there is one God who exists as three distinct Persons. Even the pagans care about those things. Thank you, Martha! 2:22). There is no other Christ of the Bible than the Christ who is the only Begotten Son of His Father God. 2:22). This can be seen in a number of ways. These are great points Dawn. The Father has an only, eternally begotten Son, and in his love for sinners he sends that Son for us. Another serious error people have made is to think that the Father became the Son, who then became the Holy Spirit. Often it is objected that If Jesus is God, then he must have prayed to himself while he was on earth. But the answer to this objection lies in simply applying what we have already seen. In this way, we carry on the. The Trinity does not divide God into three parts. This leads us to investigate more closely a very helpful definition of the Trinity which I mentioned earlier: God is one in essence, but three in Person. She is a graduate of the University of Georgia and Dallas Theological Seminary and lives in Atlanta. What Problems Can Be Caused If You Have Difficulty Swallowing? But he avoids contradiction with this statement because he means that in one sense it was the best of times, but in another sense it was the worst of times. Most of us have retained a formal belief in the Trinity. But judging by a growing number of voices, theres a renewed sense weve lost something precious that needs to be recovered. It assumes that Christ is the eternal second member of the Trinity, who became uniquely God incarnate, was set forth as our substitutionary atonement, was raised from the dead having conquered all evil, and is now reigning sovereignly over all reality (Eph. Trinity Church of New York was an important site during the American Revolution and the founding era of the United States of America. So appreciate you and your sharing the post on social media. And whoever rejects this faith will perish everlastingly? They are personal forms of existence other than a difference in being. It is my attempt here to appeal to those of you who may be reluctant to post, or who just like to read, for the clear understanding of the Bible that supports the doctrine that **Jesus is God**. If we dont take this as our starting point, everything we say about the practical relevance of the Trinity could lead to one colossal misunderstanding: thinking of God the Trinity as a means to some other end, as if God were the Trinity in order to make himself useful. Martin Luther, who initiated the Protestant Reformation, admitted that "the name 'Trinity' is nowhere to be found in the Holy Scriptures, but has been conceived and invented by man.". The Bible speaks of the Father as God (Phil. Dawn and I both are blessed by your comments! This website uses cookies to improve your experience. He is three in Person. What to tell one of Jehovahs Witnesses concerning the Trinity. It grieves me to the depths of my soul to see Jesus nature denied in such fine sounding arguments. Both of these facts are necessary for our redemption. That leads to a worldview prioritizing power, as opposed to our Christian worldview that considers love the most important commandment and enduring virtue (Matt. 13:13). See John 3:16. also 1:18). In short, its the kind of salvation that only the trinitarian God can offer. Salvation is trinitarian. Sometimes the Personhood of the Father and Son is appreciated, but the Personhood of the Holy Spirit is neglected. Nevertheless, I would maintain that the Holy Trinity is right below the surface in even the simplest gospel presentation (and it may poke its head up now and then). Much has already been written and said about why the doctrine of the Trinity is so central. Were told its difficult to describe, impossible to understand, and not even found in the Bible. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Is the Trinity a contradiction? Trinity College, created in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth's royal charter, and an important tourist attraction in Dublin, is by no means the only university or museum grappling with legacy issues. Understanding What the Trinity is: Father, Son, Holy Spirit - Christianity Of real importance is that the concept represented by the word "Trinity" does exist in Scripture. Im so grateful for you and for your friendship! Will you post my previous reply? Understanding the Trinity: How Can God Be Three Persons in One? Thank you, Alison! The Importance of Worshiping the Holy Trinity Simply stated, if Jesus were not a man, then He could not have represented us on the cross. In regards to the Trinity, we use the term Person differently than we generally use it in everyday life. Are we so puffed up as to question what God has revealed to us? If He were a created being, His death would have had no more power to salvation that the death of any other created being. In What Ways Is the Doctrine of the Trinity Important for Christian We believe that Jesus Christ in the flesh was both God and man. Judging by the honest answers likely given to the questions above, many modern Christians have lost the sense of why its so important, even if theyve retained it in their doctrinal statements. 6:4). On the other hand, we must say that the Persons are real, that they are not just different ways of looking at the one being of GodThe only way it seems possible to do this is to say that the distinction between the persons is not a difference of "being" but a difference of "relationships." To know God savingly is to know him as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Here are five (more) reasons why it matters greatly that we believe this doctrine. What we do not mean by Person is an independent individual in the sense that both I and another human are separate, independent individuals who can exist apart from one another. Jesus is God, but He is not the Father or the Holy Spirit. Somehow Gods being is so much greater than ours that within his one undivided being there can be an unfolding into interpersonal relationships, so that there can be three distinct persons.[5]. ApologeticsIndex.org is published by Anton Hein together with his wife, Janet, and the Apologetics Index team. But each of these characteristics of God/Jesus is clearly revealed both in scripture and tradition.