holy trinity egg analogy
1 Corinthians 8:6: Yet for us there is but one God.. An explanation that is so common, and seemingly does elucidate how something can simultaneously be three and onecan it really be that bad? It is still H20, but just different forms. Here are a couple "usefully flawed" analogies for the Trinity. If youve been involved in ministries for children or young people, questions about the Trinity have most likely come up. These three persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - exist together in complete unity, with no separation, as one divine being. The problem with this analogy is that an egg yoke is of a very different substance than a shell. Water can be ice and steam, yet they are the same element. Moreover, the yoke and the whites are no longer as they used to be. This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. 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. They are three in one egg. We wont find the word Trinity in the Bible, but the concept is shown in many verses. When we look at the egg as an example of the Trinity, we must view it in its entirety. But if they give us a warped idea of what they are trying to explain, they arent helpful illustrations. Here are a few of the many verses giving evidence of the Trinity in the Bible: Genesis 1:1&2- In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth The Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. The Holy Spirit was an active participant in the creative process. It is still important that we have some understanding of the concept, however. copyright 2009 by H.D. The egg white represents Gods Spirit. How can we ever explain our Most High, exalted, powerful, uncontainable, and most glorious God? In Biblical Trinitarianism we can never have one without the other because they are one Spirit; each is the totality of the other which means we cannot have the Holy Spirit without the Father and the Son, We will come (into the believer through the Holy Spirit, John 14:23), and we cannot have the Son without The Father whose Holy Spirit is the Spirit of the Father (Matthew 10:20). There would be three thrones. RELATED: What Did Jesus Really Look Like? At the Cathedral, we recognize that there are responsibilities that come with . Under Arianism Jesus is less than fully God. We define a person as one having a will and who is distinguishable from another person. And we know that because Hes been experiencing perfect love within Himself forever. 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). They say that three separate beings exist, 2. However, Christians through the ages believe in the Trinity because the truths it represents are taught in the Bible. The analogy explains that in the same way that one shamrock can have three leaves on it, the Trinity has three Persons that constitute one God. Here's a look at six explanations for why so many people truly believe 3 Ways to Experience The Good Life in Jesus. Each PERSON is distinct from one another. RELATED: Did Jesus Really Rise From The Dead? 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. We might call one side A, another side B, and the other C. So, there is a distinction between each of the sides, yet, all three are the same. Modalism teaches that one God just changes forms or modes over the course of scripture. This is because the H20 is changing forms in representing each person. These images fall short, because these components arent enough to be considered a whole on their own. I'm always interested in ways to encourage you, so feel free to contact me and let me know what areas interest you! Jesus then becomes a created being and thus less than fully God. Like modalism, the "three beings" view was rejected by the early church. I write to see memory and language wrestle with reality. There would be three thrones. A person distinguishes himself from others by saying me, mine, you, yours, etc. A being is the whole nature or essence of something. They all exist as fully God, with none of them lacking in any attribute or aspect that defines God. H2O can exist in three forms: liquid, gas and solid. The Trinity is a tri-unity, a unity of Three, - God the Father, Jesus, the Son of God and the Holy Spirit. To put it simply, "The problem with using analogies to explain the Holy Trinity is that you always end up confessing some ancient heresy." . Intercession: The Son intercedes as our High Priest before the Father. Space consists of three things: height, width, and depth. In an attempt to explain the Trinity, there are some bad examples people use, and some better ones. The Trinity is established by 3 Biblical truths, . God is Great, I always try to figure out how to explain it to my Sunday school kids and they get confused which i get, how would you explain it to them? As a doctrine (belief), the trinity is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three separate and distinct persons united in one being- God. The three-leaf clover analogy is OK. Theyve transformed. Thus the Father is in Jesus " I and My Father are One" (John 10:30), "The Father is in Me" (John 14:10) God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself (II Corinthians 5:19). An egg is made up of shell, white and yolk. Perhaps youve heard the analogy that the Trinity is like H2O (the molecular symbol for water). It does not represent 3 persons existing simultaneously. One day, however, the image will be clear. Yet we do not have three gods but ONE God. Each of the divine persons is GOD WHOLE AND ENTIRE, and there is one God. So, part of understanding the Trinity is realizing that God is personal and relational. The doctrine of the Trinity tells us that there's ONE GOD who is THREE distinct PERSONS existing as a community of self-giving and loving relationships with each other. I and My Father are One (John 10:30). The Unseen Father is in Christs mind. But Jesus makes it clear in John 10:30- I and the Father are One. The Greek word for one means one thing, not one person. They are united in their essence (spirit, nature) but not identical persons. Just as water changes forms so too is the trinity. The doctrine of the Trinity is one of the primary tenants of the Christian faith. I bet I havent sung or heard this song in years! Jesus, visually seen, judges all, not the Unseen Father. The watermelon has a skin, pulp and seeds; the egg is shell, yolk and egg white. For the Trinity, instead of using the formula 1+1+1, we use 1x1x1. You know, that bearded guy on the throne who looks something like Zeus, right? What is H2O? The Trinity is not 1 + 1 + 1 but more like 1 x 1 x 1. In the same way, there is a God Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.. The Trinity is a tri-unity, a unity of Three, - God the Father, Jesus, the Son of God and the Holy Spirit. I and My Father are One (John 10:30). This is a bad analogy because it fails at the truth that all three persons comprise the fullness of God. The Unseen Father is in Christs mind. Some people falsely claim the Trinity is a form of . The Holy Trinity: Egg Analogy The Holy Trinity is GOD in three divine persons GOD the FATHER GOD the HOLY SPIRIT GOD the SON But together they makeup and are still ONE GOD Like how an egg is made up of three things but is still ONE EGG. Thought of Tim Its amazing to think that everything will be so clear when we het to Heaven! While each person is distinct, they are never separate from one another. Through the brokenness of the Shell, His Son, the Spirit white pours out into our beings through our faith in what was done and believers are joined with the yolk, for it is by One Spirit we have access to God the Father (Ephesians 2:18). And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there you may be also (John14:2, 3). All these make up one egg just as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit make up one God. . How so? See the depths of Catholicism for yourself! Can you think of some Bible verses to back up your explanation? What makes it hard is that all of our analogies and metaphors fall short of capturing what the Trinity actually is. 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. Some think of God as H 2 O, which is sometimes a solid (ice), sometimes a liquid (water), and sometimes a gas (steam). If water is inadequate, there are a wide array of alternative analogies we can turn to in modern theological parlance. But they are one God. It should bring us to realise that we truly are finite creatures standing before a sovereign, transcendent, divine mystery. He is one God who expresses Himself in three modesFather, Son, and Spirit. But thats not how they understood it. Try starting your explanation with a simple definition and then ask for further questions: No one can completely know or understand God. It is the Fathers desire to join His Spirit with all of us as well for He has said They shall be My sons and daughters (II Corinthians 6:18). Many of these analogies have the best of intentions, but God cannot be described in a way we can fully comprehend or rationalize. There have been many attempts to explain the Trinity the relationship between God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. The Trinity are three distinct persons who exist apart from each other. But we cannot do that (assuming we can) with God. The trinity is like water. The egg shell is the image of the yolk and the white. This is perhaps the most common analogy for the Trinity. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. (John 1:13). None of the 3 are less divine than the others. 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. Somewhere in the recesses of my mind lived the doctrinal truth about the Trinity. Through the brokenness of the Shell, His Son, the Spirit white pours out into our beings through our faith in what was done and believers are joined with the yolk, for it is by One Spirit we have access to God the Father (Ephesians 2:18). And the reason we know that is because the Persons of the Godhead have perfectly loved each other for all eternity. 2:5-6; Col. 1:15-17, 2:9; Heb. Devils cannot grab ahold of them to cast them into Satans prison. Well the issue is, the water analogy is akin to the heresy of Modalism. show me your glory. Haydn Lea is an Associate Pastor in Queensland, and is currently studying his Master of Arts (Theology). Yet there is still only one God we serve. One of the more traditional analogies is to the states of water. Modalism denies the distinction of person in the trinity. THE TRUTH IS: The Father, Son, and Spirit are three different persons who are all equally one God. Jesus Person is the image of Gods Person (Hebrews 1:3), and the Invisible Spirit of the Father that is in Him - God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself (II Corinthians 5:19). A man might be a father to his children, a husband to his wife, and son to his parents. The Father is fully God; Jesus is fully God and the Holy Spirit is fully God. Armstrong. God is like H2Olike water. THE DISTINCTION AND UNITY of the Trinity is not for us to fully understand because it is a supernatural mystery. We believe in only one true God in all existence, in all places, at all times. This analogy is an invalid comparison to the Trinity and is a heresy called PARTIALISM. 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. Three persons is false. Many of us would use analogies to explain the Trinity. On a whim, I looked up the lyrics at a later time. Unfortunately, no analogy is perfect. 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. He is married to Shamsa Lea, is the father of Amira, and loves boxing and studying Theology. But we cannot do that (assuming we can) with God. The Gospel is theperson, work, and message of Jesus Christ that provides salvation to all repentant believers. 3 - The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are distinct persons. and Holy Spirit are only parts of God (egg and sun). Yet there is only one God. Each one is fully God. The Holy Spirit is Christs spirit in us guiding us into all truth. The divine persons are really DISTINCT from one another, and not merely different roles of God at different times. Here are eight bible characters that you might not know about, but should. In Arianism, the Son is not eternally equal with the Father, but was the Fathers first and best creation. From time to time, Doctors of the Church used analogies, but with care. To return to my Life Group anecdote, after our discussion I asked why does it even matter?. The trinity is not a contradiction, but a paradox. This would make Jesus something less than fully God. 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. Jesus was standing in the Jordan River, His Father speaks from heaven above, and the Holy Spirit descends upon Him as a dove. When we separate them we can fall into the error of tritheism, which is the worship of three individual deities as one. Although he is one he has different roles to different people. Now that we know the doctrine of the trinity and its corresponding major heresies, now we are ready to look at some bad analogies for the trinity. You can throw away one part of an egg (e.g., shell) and still have essentially an egg. 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. . 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. This book is now available in a published format for easy sharing and classroom use. He has one essenceone substance. Each one is fully God. 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. That is why Moses said. Although God is transcendent, sovereign, unapproachable light, He has condescended to reveal something of Himself to His creation. Others compare God to an egg, which is part shell, part white, part yolk. This analogy denies the unity of the God-head. We can touch the cord, but not the power it is insulating. We find it in all four Gospels. The Trinity is like an egg. Its all one person, simply functioning in three different roles. Eggs are one, yet comprise yolk, shell and albumen. This is why Jesus said, He who has seen Me, has seen the Father (John 14:9). They have a common purpose in making harmonious music, but each note is its own separate entity. Depth isnt the same thing as height and height isnt the same thing as width, yet all three together are what comprise space. It is the Fathers desire to join His Spirit with all of us as well for He has said They shall be My sons and daughters (II Corinthians 6:18). In using analogies, we need to acknowledge the demerits and limitations of the said analogy. One is a musical chord with three notes. 6And there are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons., , The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all., There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. So when God created us and revealed Himself to us, what He did was to invite us into the perfect goodness He has always known within Himself. 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. Yet, as we view the pages of the Bible, we see that God is a personal and relational God. For example, an equilateral triangle (a triangle with three equal sides) has three sides. The doctrine of the Trinity is one of the primary tenants of the Christian faith. But common sense is intuition based on day-to-day experience. As a result, this analogy can easily lead to tritheism in which there are three different gods which might share some like substance. Youre right, theyre all good but not perfect because only God IS perfect. God is infinitely greater than we are; therefore, we should not expect to be able to fully understand Him. These attributes are: omnipotence (all-powerful), omniscience (all-knowing), and omnipresence (exists in all places). 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. He is one God in three persons, all at the same time. Now, as youve probably guessed, this analogy also breaks down. Shively We can admit it is a mystery and accept that our incomplete knowledge cannot fully comprehend it. Father, Son, Holy Sprit : 3 persons, 1 great relationship, Copyright 2023 Fervr | Terms of Service. Dont you know Jesus? Three Gods or one? 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. 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. Often these analogies explicitly teach heresy. God does not morph from one person to another, nor does God exist as three separate beings. In reality, I change my role depending on who I am interacting with. To the other major monotheistic faiths (Islam and Judaism), it is rank heresyTrinitarianism is therefore definitional to Christianity. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:35)One of my Sunday School students said, "How could Jesus (God) enter Mary's stomach (womb) and be born? The Trinity is a tri-unity, a unity of Three, - God the Father, Jesus, the Son of God and the Holy Spirit. Light comes from God. It does not imply Jesus was created if you emphasize that the Sun existed from eternity past. Admittedly, the idea of three distinct persons/expressions that are each fully God is part of the mystery. Further, his dialectic is guided by the particular consideration of what true love is: a trinity of lover, beloved and the love that binds . Each one is fully 100% God. Each character of the trinity has in one another (cf. These two analogies are the "water" analogy and the "egg" analogy. The egg has a shell, the whites and a yoke. Here are 8 Bible Characters Who Should Be More Famous. I never thought about it in that way some of these examples Ive never heard of. One popular and simple illustration of the Trinity is the egg. What portion of the analogy holds true with Church Teaching? 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. Truly, it is a Mystery. He got married there in 1965, and his four . 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. Each of the persons is that supreme reality, viz., the divine substance, essence or nature. (Lateran Council IV), 4. The apple seed alone is not an apple. This little child cannot look at one without experiencing a profound sense of wonderment and awe. Believing in the above 3 points leads all Christians to acceptance of the doctrine of the Trinity. 3. If all you had were an eggshell, you wouldnt have a very exciting breakfast. Jesus loves us so much that he did not obliterate people who died, with power that set stars in the universe. 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. We all want to experience the good life. When we view the egg in its entirety we have the Biblical Trinity, One that is Three. 1:8-12; 1 Pet. Cool it down, and itll eventually freeze into a solid. In part one, we looked at what the Bible has to say about the Trinity. At times God is Father, or Son, or Holy Spirit. This is a bad analogy because it fails at the truth that all three persons comprise the fullness of God. The God of the Bible is one God. (It is also why the Jews had an issue with Jesus calling Himself God.). The Latin word for trinity (trinitas) combines two words- unitas (unity) and trias (three). But if modalism is true, and the Trinity really is like water, then the story of Jesus (the Son) praying to the Father as recorded in the Bible seems like an awfully strange masquerade. But this idea is central to the Christian faith. Here are four. His being is somewhat of a mystery to us. Analogies that we present would always be insufficient as none of them would equate to the incomprehensible beauty of God. The idea that the Trinity can be compared to a shamrock is largely attributed to St. Patrick. There are two basic ways that people misunderstand the Trinity: 1. Infinite thy vast domain, everlasting is thy reign.. Each part of the egg make up only one portion of the wholethe yolk is not the fullness of the egg. This is why Jesus said, He who has seen Me, has seen the Father (John 14:9). FOR CENTURIES, the Church had fought against heresies on the Trinity. 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. In order to accomplish this union with God and man, He allowed His Shell to be broken with the weight of our sins to cleanse our souls so His holiness can approach, for God cannot look upon sin (Habakkuk 1:13).
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