A. God in Three Persons: A Doctrine We Barely Understand. The second area focuses on the practical obedience required of those wanting to share in God's Master Plan. If you feel baffled by the Trinity, join the crowd. Here is another link to download a set of worksheets to help students learn about the Holy Trinity. However, the Bible also contains clear statements regarding diversity within that unity. For instance, the Bible contains numerous clear statements regarding the unity of God: Deuteronomy 6:4 tells us that "the Lord is one." There are a lot of Holy Trinity craft ideas that would help your students practice meeting the objective of explaining the mystery of the Trinity with symbols. This article is part of our larger resource library of terms important to the Christian faith. But what about Jesus Christ? That's why the Bible tells us that the Father loves the Son (John 17:24). Theologians sometimes use that term when they want to refer to God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit as three divine Persons in one God. All Christians believe the doctrine of the Trinity. What is Blasphemy and Why is it So Deadly? Confirmation is the sacrament by which Catholics receive a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. But that truth leads us back to the Trinity. The Trinity helps us answer the question, "What was God doing before he created the universe?" The Holy Spirit For instance, in the very first verse of the Bible we are told that "In the beginning God." Jared's Upcoming Speaking Events →. We don't believe in the Trinity because of the word, but because of what the Bible teaches. The answer of course is yes. But some analogies have been used to try and communicate the concept. When we say these things we mean that the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God, but they are not three gods but only one God. It is a mystery and a paradox. That he made us at all is a statement of his great love and the wisdom of his plan. Dr. Ray Pritchard is the president of Keep Believing Ministries. If he is God, our prayers may be directed to him. Have them search online for the history and meaning of each symbol. An egg is made up of a shell, the eggwhite, and the yolk. There is no perfect illustration for the Trinity. Inscrutable puzzle or central truth? Sometimes the Jehovah's Witnesses (who pointedly deny the Trinity) ridicule it with this little equation: 1 + 1 + 1 = 3. God is one substance, but he is also distinctly three persons. The Fruit of the Spirit - What Are They? We were so lost that it took every member of the Godhead to save us. (function(d, s, id) { "I do not pretend fully to understand the arithmetic of heaven now," he replied. What is the Trinity? (Optional: you can also give students a copy of the Baptismal promises showing them how we profess our faith in the Trinitarian God when we renew our baptismal vows.). Take away any one of the holes and the pretzel isn't really a pretzel anymore. At the climax of Jesus' suffering, he cried out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" While in essence only one, undivided God we claim you. Third, we don't believe that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are "parts" or "pieces" or God. Jared Dees is the creator of The Religion Teacher and the author of 31 Days to Becoming a Better Religious Educator & Christ in the Classroom. The word "Trinity" is not in the Bible. I have no doubt that God is much more than "one in essence, three in Person," but since I can't even understand those simple phrases, I don't worry at all about what else might be true about God. B. Grade 7's ELA lesson- Feature article and pictures of our 7th Annual Holy Trinity Day celebration in The Intelligencer- Front-page coverage and photo feature of a real-world curriculum connection in the Bucks County Courier Times- Front-page feature of our Catholic Schools Week prayer partner God's Master Plan God's Master Plan is the central theme of the Bible. This much is certainly true. Add children and then you have the family as a miniature (and very imperfect) version of the Trinity. Furthermore, there is more than one way to play with equations. Matthew 3:16, 17; Matthew 28:19, 20; Mark 12:29; John 1:14; Acts 5:3, 4; II Corinthians 13:14. This is a question little children like to stump their parents with. B. Bring in a shamrock or show a picture to the students. If you try to explain the Trinity, you will lose your mind. It is taught by implication in the Old and by direct statement in the New. Which is it? Perhaps a more biblical approach is to consider that a husband and wife are two persons yet in God's eyes they are "one flesh." D. The Trinity exalts the Son and the Spirit. It is a mosaic of texts drawn from all the preceding doctrines of the Church. A. Psalm 19:1). Holy Trinity Lesson Plan 07/10/2017 By Jared Dees Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. Have the students discuss how they can use this symbol to explain how God is one substance, but three distinct persons. Do all Christians believe the doctrine of the Trinity? I am a father, a son and a husband at one and the same time. 4:30); you cannot grieve an impersonal force. However, that simply isn't true. C. How can we illustrate the Trinity? However, let's stick closer to home and simply reprint Article B—The True God from the Calvary Memorial Church Articles of Faith. 10 Things to Know About Speaking in Tongues. Confirmation: Its Definition and Its Effects. Why the shift? If he is God, should we not also worship him? What must we do when we receive this light from the Holy Spirit? In 1774 a man named Ignaz Franz wrote a hymn of praise to the Trinity: Holy God, We Praise Your Name. Divide the students up into groups of 3-4 students. Consider further this line of evidence. "Holy Father, Holy Son, Holy Spirit, Three we name you; While in essence only one, undivided God we claim you. "Let us … in our image … So God created man in his own image. Article Images Copyright © 2021 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. Verse three may serve as an apt conclusion to this message. Since all Three Persons of the Trinity are equally God, we may pray to any member of the Trinity. Where do we find the Trinity doctrine in the Bible? The Father gave the Son, the Son offered himself on the Cross, and the Holy Spirit brought us to Jesus. Only an infinite God could bear the sins of the world! Give them three highlighters, markers, colored pencils or crayons. If you do not believe this—that is, if you have come to a settled conclusion that the doctrine of the Trinity is not true—you are not a Christian at all. Shamrock (you can remind the students and use this as a model). That's the heresy called Modalism. From heaven and hell, to communion and baptism, we want to provide easy to read and understand articles that answer your questions about theological terms and their meaning. A preacher is not perfect, who either, from devotion to contemplation, neglects works that ought to be done, or, from urgency in business, puts aside the duties Let's start with the negative and work toward the positive. All Three Persons are called God in different places in the Bible. At this point I think we should acknowledge the chief objection to the doctrine of the Trinity, which is that it is absurd. First of all, Christians don't believe in three Gods. The Holy Spirit is not just a force. We have a hint of the answer in that every other time Jesus prayed, he used the term "Father." Tony Evans commented that the pretzel is a good illustration because it consists of one piece of dough with three holes. What do those strange, tortured words mean? E. The Trinity helps us understand what really happened at the Cross. They concluded that God is …. Filed Under: Lesson Plans Tagged With: holy spirit. I can think of at least three reasons for believing in the Trinity: Someone has said it this way: If you try to explain the Trinity, you will lose your mind. What is Sin? “The path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day. Finally, all three Persons are associated together on an equal basis in numerous passages: This list of passages might be extended. B. SWBAT explain that God is one substance, but three distinct persons. You will get three worksheets: Trinity Symbols Worksheet, Trinity Prayer Worksheet, and God So Loved the World Worksheet. Watch Oscar, Emmy, Peabody and duPont award-winning PBS documentaries on TV and online. We believe in one living and true God who is the Creator of heaven and earth; who is eternal, almighty, unchangeable, infinitely powerful, wise, just and holy. js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; Then, adoring, bend the knee, and confess the mystery.". 3. That's a good phrase—the arithmetic of heaven. Let's break it down into six smaller statements about the trinity that's easier to understand: As you might imagine, the early church struggled mightily over this doctrine. Is there another word we could use? God could have existed forever without us. We are not free to create God in our own image. Some will tell us that planet earth is heading for total and utter destruction. How Can Understanding the Trinity Help My Prayer Life? 10 Things to Know About Speaking in Tongues This Most Holy Trinity lesson plan challenges students to us historic symbols of the Trinity to explain how God is one substance yet three distinct persons. This doctrine unites all true Christians and separates us from those who are not Christian. There are others we could mention. The Eucharist (/ ˈ juː k ər ɪ s t /; also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper among other names) is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. You may believe and still not be a Christian, but if you deny this doctrine in your heart, you are not a Christian at all. Thus the whole universe witnesses to the character of the God who made it (cf. Experiencing bad things is all part of God’s plan and humans should respond positively. Heaven - What is it Like, Where is it? Let's take a look at the defintion of the Trinity and what the role of the Trinity is today. What is Agape Love? I am sure that many Christians think this doctrine has no practical value. They all are useful as long as you remember they are only illustrations. "Holy Father, Holy Son, Holy Spirit, Three we name you; All three are needed for an egg to be complete. We know that He is a personal being in that He can be grieved (Eph. It's a word that in other contexts is sometimes translated as "gods," referring to heathen deities. Offer a more detailed explanation of the Holy Trinity here. Posted on January 16, 2021 by Sabbath School Lesson January 13, 2021 In Isaiah 7:14-16, Immanuel is a sign linked to the specific dilemma of Ahaz: Before the child Immanuel would be old enough to decide between different kinds of food, “the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted” (Isa: 7:16, NRSV). He has authored 80 books and booklets, personally established over 50 congregations, and appeared as a guest on The History Channel. (According to some people, the pretzel was actually invented in Europe several hundred years ago by a monk who wanted to illustrate the Trinity to the children of his village so he took some dough, looped into the familiar three-hour shape, based it, and gave it to the children as an edible object lesson.). If anyone denies that the Holy Spirit has all power and knows all things, and is everywhere, just as the Father and the Son: he is a heretic. Baptism - What Does it Mean and Why is it Important? What a great mystery for our students to seek to understand and for us to teach! What is the Tithe? Communion - 10 Important Things to Remember, The Trinity - Father, Son, Holy Spirit Explained, Armor of God - What is it and How to Use it, California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Let me draw one important inference. Give each group a print out of a different symbol for the Trinity (download here). We were made to communicate. Baptism - What Does it Mean and Why is it Important? The answer is, both are true. To introduce the concept of the Trinity, tap into the students prior knowledge of St. Patrick and the shamrock. Christianity.com is a member of the Salem Web Network of sites including: Copyright © 2021, Christianity.com. Neither is the word "Inerrancy" but we don't discard it simply because it isn't found in the Bible. Matthew 12 - At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. There are many places we might go to find a suitable definition. Have you signed up to receive the free eBook, « Hundreds of Print-or-Play Resources for Religious Educators, The Rule of Three: Find Focus in Your Lesson », 31 Days to Becoming a Better Religious Educator, The Religion Teacher's Guide to Lesson Planning. The most extensive declaration of the Church's teaching on the Trinity was made at the Eleventh Synod of Toledo in Spain (675 AD). That, by the way, is the number one question I have been asked about the Holy Spirit since writing Names of the Holy Spirit. The shepherds went to adore the Child and, at … The first area deals with the fundamental concepts of this plan known as the good news or the gospel. But let us not quibble or imagine that the Father is slighted if we direct our prayers to the Son or to the Spirit, according to the need of the moment. Isaiah 48:16 seems to explicitly refer to all three Persons of the Trinity (with my additions in parentheses): "And now the Sovereign LORD (the Father) has sent me (the Son), with his Spirit (the Holy Spirit)." The word Trinity. But at that moment, when he bore the full weight of the sins of the world, when all that is evil and wretched was poured out upon him, in some way we cannot begin to fathom, God—who cannot look upon sin—turned his back on his own Son. He is the third person of the Trinity, God is every way. var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; In 1774 a man named Ignaz Franz wrote a hymn of praise to the Trinity: Holy God, We Praise Your Name. It's important to remember that all illustrations fail eventually. In this section of the message I want to examine some of the common questions about the Trinity. The issue is not the word, but the concept or the idea. This may seem like a foolish question - but many people in the world today feel that the earth and its people are heading nowhere. If it be asked, how could one man pay for the sins of the entire race, we find the answer in the doctrine of the Trinity. Take away any one of those three and the universe would cease to exist. Ray and Marlene, his wife of 35 years, have three sons-Josh, Mark and Nick. I would answer that the Trinity is taught in both the Old and the New Testaments. C. The Trinity teaches us that God is beyond all human comprehension. But God has other plans. Verse three may serve as an apt conclusion to this message. They don't "prove" the Trinity, they simply help us understand the concept. The eternal Son cries out to the Father at the moment when the penalty of sin has been laid upon him. But the Trinity teaches us that before the foundation of the world, God was having fellowship within his own being. The Religion Teacher | Catholic Religious Education. The way of the wicked is like darkness” (Proverbs 4:18, 19). Those words may sound harsh, but they represent the judgment of the Christian church across the centuries. Christians everywhere have always believed it. My personal favorite illustration comes from noted scientist Dr. Henry Morris. The greatest minds of history have stood in amazement before a God so great that he cannot be contained by our puny explanations. Armor of God - What is it and How to Use it Yet I am only one person. That design is part of the image of God within each of us. We believe that the one God eternally exists in three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and that these three are one God, co-equal and co-eternal, having precisely the same nature and attributes, and worthy of precisely the same worship, confidence, and obedience. You are in fact a heretic. Does anyone know which saint used this symbol to teach about God? Have you ever seen the word "Godhead?" While I am sure that this statement is biblically accurate, I also understand that it can seem very intimidating. But if you deny it, you will lose your soul. There is so much we would like to know about God, but our finite minds cannot comprehend it. What is the Sabbath and is it Still Important? “It is the Father who generates, the Son who is begotten, and the Holy Spirit who proceeds” (Fourth Lateran Council). How could the Son and the Spirit be called God unless they somehow share in God's essence? Having said that, I admit that no one fully understands it. Not an "influence" or some vague power, but the Third Person of the Trinity. I come now to the end of my sermon. In some sense we can never understand that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit have forever communicated and loved each other. For water can exist as solid, liquid, or steam. There is a special emphasis on the promise of God and the mission He would give to John. Let us rejoice that we have a Triune God who has provided for a Trinitarian salvation. If one does not believe in the Trinity—that is, if a person has come to a settled conclusion that the doctrine of the Trinity is not true—does it make him a heretic? If Genesis 1 does not explicitly teach diversity-in-unity within the Godhead, it certainly leaves room for it to be developed later in the Bible. God is a Holy Trinity, a communion of persons. TV's longest-running showcase of independent nonfiction film. You could also say it this way: 1 x 1 x 1 = 1! … he created him." Yet I believe it is true. However, there is a physical condition in which water can exist as solid, liquid and steam at the same time—which would be a much better illustration of the Trinity. We all know that God the Father is to be worshiped. If the doctrine of the Trinity is not true, it would seem to be blasphemy to speak so freely of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in one and the same breath. He didn't create us because he "needed" us. He notes that the entire universe is trinitarian by design. The Lord's Prayer). Many Christians simply do not feel comfortable praying to the Spirit even though we often sing songs that are essentially prayers to the Spirit, such as "Spirit of God, descend upon my heart" and "Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me." From us and our to he. 1 Corinthians 8:4 adds that "there is no God but one." Question: "Who is Joel Osteen, and are his teachings biblical?" Hell - 10 Things You Should Know Where in the Bible do you find the word Trinity? It is God speaking to God. God, through His Holy Spirit, brings light (John 1:9) and conviction (John 16:8) to every person. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. Francis Schaeffer emphasized this point in his books. There is a third word you should know. You may remember Augustine's answer: "He was preparing Hell for people who ask questions like that!". The Osteens teach a message of “hope, healing, and forgiveness” (from the official Lakewood Church website). The doctrine of the Trinity is not absurd if that's what the Bible teaches. If you are a premium member, you can login and find them here or if you haven’t joined yet, then you can enter your email address here to have them sent to you. Indeed it is a mystery, and with all the saints we bend the knee in worship before our great God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. All rights reserved. Later in the same chapter we have one of the most striking statements of diversity-in-unity: Then God said, ‘‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." Screening of “Urban Trinity: The Story of Catholic Philadelphia” During 2016 Charter Celebration ; Lions, Tigers, and Bears—Oh My! The Anointing of the Sick is one of the seven Catholic sacraments. SWBAT use the symbols for the Trinity to explain the mystery of the Trinity. And what did he explain about God using the shamrock? Ask the students: After you give the students a chance to explain what they know, use the shamrock to explain that God is one substance yet three distinct persons. A picture to the Trinity nor could there ever be, God is beyond human. 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Not one. booklets, personally established over 50 congregations, and time Images... Your soul if it 's a word that in other contexts is sometimes translated as `` Gods ''... One. message I want to examine some of the wicked is like darkness ” ( 4:18. That design is part of the Trinity wicked is like darkness ” ( Proverbs,! Congregations, and Holy Spirit is 1/3rd God. before a God who is greater than minds. Conclusion to this message great love and the Holy Trinity, which is actually a plural of.