why is the concept of holy trinity confusing

While Jesus and the Father are both God, they are different Persons. There would only be a contradiction if we said that God is three in the same way that He is one. In fact, it is precisely the continuing dialogue between the Father and the Son (Matthew 3:17; 17:5; John 5:19; 11:41-42; 17:1ff ) which furnishes the best evidence that they are distinct Persons with distinct centers of consciousness. Help others in their faith journey through discipleship and mentoring. Around 3334 AD/CE, during or soon after the life and/or death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the concept of the Holy Trinity began to take hold. Please click here to learn how. Get the answers to frequently asked questions on Christian beliefs and practices. What does essence mean? Are these just three different ways of looking at God, or simply ways of referring to three different roles that God plays? Therefore each of the Persons into whose name we are to be baptized must be deity. Just type in your email address below. Jesus declared, "I and my Father are one," in John 10:30. 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). Is the Trinity a contradiction? Then they reject Genesis 1:27 that says that God is male and female and we were created like Them. But Aset, and the Egyptian trinity more generally, didnt map cleanly onto the emerging Christian system. As Augustine said, "What you understand can't possibly be God".. But it is possible to go deeper. In addition to these texts, the others we mentioned above make clear that the Personhood of the Holy Spirit is distinct from the Personhood of the Son and the Father. God is God in this way: God's way of being God is to be Father, Son, and Holy Spirit simultaneously from all eternity, perfectly complete in a triune fellowship of love. It is very simple: All three Persons are one God because, as we saw above, they are all the same essence. COLUMN A 1. Christianity is a "monotheistic" religion. That is the purpose of the Trinity, and that is the most important thing we need to understand about it. Confusion when thinking about the very essence of God is an extremely appropriate response. How is God one? Why Do People Say Amen at the End of a Prayer. The Johannine literature in the Bible provides the first traces of the concept of Christ as the Logos, the word or principle that issues from eternity. Journal of Black Studies, Vol. To know more about the Holy Trinity, see these links below: This site is using cookies under cookie policy . To learn more about the Concept of the Holy Trinity follow the link. Registered in England and Wales 5090917, Christian Today, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN, Justin Welby: How to demonstrate the love of the Trinity, Myth-busting: What you need to know about St Patrick, Is the Bible funny? His life began in the New Testament and went to heaven after his Resurrection. What can their hairstyles tell us about their lives? God has revealed himself to us. Judaism and Christianity share many ideas and behaviors. God Is Immanent and Transcendent, Thus God Is Comprehensible and Confusing. It is crucial for properly understanding what God is like, how He relates to us, and how we should relate to Him. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Take the next step in your faith journey with resources on prayer, devotionals and other tools for personal and spiritual growth. What we have seen so far provides a good basic understanding of the Trinity. It is accepted in all of the historic confessions of Christianity, even though the impact of the Enlightenment decreased its importance in some traditions. 45, No. If we can understand more precisely what is meant by essence and person, how these two terms differ, and how they relate, we will then have a more complete understanding of the Trinity. Explanations are indicated in the bible but, it requires deep understanding as some are embedded in scriptures. Even many early Christian baptisms were centered on an embrace of the Trinity. Beliefs and Practices of UPCI United Pentecostal Church International, Compare Major Beliefs of 7 Christian Denominations, Biography of Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria. I remember my teacher desperately trying to explain the concept of one God but three persons using an alarming range of elaborate analogies that left an already largely apathetic class more bemused than ever. The essence only "exists" by subsisting in particular divine persons. This is not . She previously worked as an administrator for NXT, a high school Christian youth group. People who believe in the trinity have to infer that their Jesus is god, first. The story goes that St Patrick used a shamrock as an illustration for the pagan Irish who were finding it hard to grasp the idea: a shamrock has three leaves, but is one sprig. That means that, as Christians, we believe in only one God. One God, but his 3 personas are united. In the course of history, it also provided the strongest impetus for a speculative theology, which inspired Western metaphysics for many centuries. In Neoplatonic philosophy both the nous and the idea of the world are designated the hypostases of the transcendent God. 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. No problem and sorry for the late reply I was answering other questions and wasn't paying attention to my notification, Why is the concept of Holy Trinity confusing for some Christians and non Christians alike. "The Trinity is important, but the question of 'threeness-in-oneness' isn't, necessarilyThe current best way to explain the Trinity is to reach for the gospel narrative. The situation became further aggravated by the conceptions of the special personal character of the manifestation of God developed by way of the historical figure of Jesus Christ; the Holy Spirit was viewed not as a personal figure but rather as a power and appeared graphically only in the form of the dove and thus receded, to a large extent, in the Trinitarian speculation. "God is one but not solitary.". Step 2. Phew. The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is Godbut there is only one God. This site is using cookies under cookie policy . But the Roman Empire, in which the concept of the Christian Trinity developed between the first and fourth centuries CE, was both patriarchal and patrilineal, and had no concept equivalent to Maat. They are personal forms of existence other than a difference in being. But as a follower of Christ, your identity can and should be grounded in one thing: who He says you are. In transferring the Neoplatonic hypostases doctrine to the Christian interpretation of the Trinity there existed the danger that the different manifestations of Godas known by the Christian experience of faith: Father, Son, Holy Spiritwould be transformed into a hierarchy of gods graduated among themselves and thus into a polytheism. School Newsletter 28th April 2023. The doctrine of the Trinity is so important because it, perhaps, describes the very essence of God more than any other doctrine. But Christianity's God is unique. How do you have a Father, Son and NO MOTHER. These personal distinctions are modes of existence within the divine being, but are not divisions of the divine being. He is three in Person. https://www.learnreligions.com/how-can-god-be-three-things-712158 (accessed May 1, 2023). All joking aside, these statements should help us understand what the Bible plainly states, and therefore what true Christians must believe. The concept of Holy Trinity goes like this, when you are looking at a single object, but using three (3) different angles, you are seeing different views of a single thing. Genesis 1:26, Deuteronomy 6:4, Matthew 28:19. He has given us a written record of his truths and sent his Son to earth for this very purpose. 5 Things God Will Show You When Someone Is Being Deceitful, 3 Signs God Is Saying, Its Time to Let Go of Those Regrets, 7 Reasons Most Men Should Not Pursue Singleness, 4 Odd Signs Youve Truly Heard the Voice of God. 33 This theory has the Father and Son being "divine" not in the sense of being a god, but rather in the sense of being something like parts of the one God, which is the Trinity. SPO I z T A T M S A A VEDA IH K K S H S N U T U Y L V P M A H I N A M I SH O A T V Q N A M R N 20 OTA Q D H V T A NE ACTIVITY 2: FACT OR BLUFF GH V B E A RCD S U G P R H I H M M M A I S M A A H F Y L T J I P J U K H L H H S A A K N I N G NA T A KM J H K B L S A> V R V SS N M A A O W D K K Y Q Y Y T H X, how do the basic tenets of Buddhism help achieving nirvana?. A part of Maat was the complementary male and female principles, both in the universe and in human society. Explanations are indicated in the bible but, it requires deep understanding as some are embedded in scriptures. have empathy for the By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. If Jesus is God, why do the Gospels record instances where He prayed to God? He is God the Father which symbolizes power and justice. The Doctrine of the Trinity Is Confusing Because It's True It is right for every Christian to pursue knowledge of God, fully expecting to attain it. Among churches that reject the doctrine of the . For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9), Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! He is Immanuel, God with us. The doctrine of the Trinity is one of the most difficult ideas in Christianity, but it's fundamental to Christians because it: states what Christians believe God is like and who he is plays a. Also, confusions are experienced by people who don't read the bible or haven't understood the bible at all. The trinity is not provable by the Bible which confuses Christians and non-Christians. peoples' experiences? The fact that Jesus deity and humanity are difficult for our minds to comprehend is evidence that Jesus is God. Then there's the classic one about a man who is a father, husband and a son all at the same time. JSTOR is a digital library for scholars, researchers, and students. Another serious error people have made is to think that the Father became the Son, who then became the Holy Spirit. That left Mary without Asets divine powersand outside the Christian Trinity. This approach is known as Modalism the idea that God merely represents himself in three different forms, but isn't three distinct persons. There are many illustrations which have been offered to help us understand the Trinity. This approach is known as Partialism (which is also the term for something else which is NSFW.) Veda COLUMN B A.) All persons are beings, but not all beings are persons. So, think of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as the three pieces of God's personality. , d across, up, down, or diagonally. JSTOR is part of ITHAKA, a not-for-profit organization helping the academic community use digital technologies to preserve the scholarly record and to advance research and teaching in sustainable ways. How can God be both one and three? The Trinity is important as it helps Christians to understand the complex nature of God. It's like a three leaf clover: one entity, but with three parts. Trinity means three, so when we discuss the Holy Trinity we mean the Father (God), Son (Jesus), and Holy Spirit (sometimes referred to as the Holy Ghost). . Mahoney, Kelli. For the majority of Christian denominations, the Holy Spirit, or Holy Ghost, is believed to be the third person of the Trinity, [1] a Triune God manifested as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, each person itself being God. Abstract. Meanwhile, Jesus is the Son of God, but also God. He exists as a Trinity. But these statements dont really help answer the questions, Why is the Trinity so confusing?. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. She became known as the protector of the living and the most powerful healer among the gods. It is a difficult doctrine to understand because we are touching upon the question of how God exists as God. Why is it important to tell our stories? Those three parts impact our thoughts and decisions in different ways. The word "trinity" is a term used to denote the Christian doctrine that God exists as a unity of three distinct, simultaneous persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. "Understanding the Holy Trinity." Should we give up attempting to explain the Trinity and just accept that our language will never be able to fully embody all that God is? Therefore, it is often difficult to have a concrete definition of Person as we use it in regards to the Trinity. document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Aset does parallel the Virgin Mary in some respects. Wrong again. Help us keep publishing stories that provide scholarly context to the news. Samsara 3. Amen. It's not that complicated. Have some fun taking various quizzes and assessments to learn about yourself and others. Why does scarcity mean that people must choose. Privacy Policy Contact Us But the essence is not a fourth "thing" over and above the three persons of the Trinity. Christianity is a monotheistic religion, which means that its adherents only acknowledge one deity. Likewise, God is balanced out to us in a way we can understand by the all-seeing Father, the teacher Jesus, and the guiding Holy Spirit. A perfect illustration, no? One illustration to beware of is the one which says, I am one person, but I am a student, son, and brother. Partnering with urban churches to meet physical and spiritual needs. Jesus is God, but He is not the Father or the Holy Spirit. Why Jesus used parable story in answering the question of the Pharisees rather than to be in direct answer?, write a short journal expressing your beliefs about religion. So, while God is the one, true God. The easiest flaw to identify with cults who claim to be Christian even though they deny the doctrine of the Trinity (almost always in relation to the deity of Christ) is that what they believe about God is fully comprehensible to the human mind. Learn why He did it and what it means for you. Corrections? create tension? 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. Subscribe to AGW Ministries and you'll get short, practical, and Christ-centered content sent right to your inbox. This would make each Person less than fully God and thus not God at all. Mao Zedong: Reader, Librarian, Revolutionary? The Father, Son and the Holy Spirit aren't simply three functions of God, they are (say it with me now) three distinct persons. There was never a time when one of the Persons of the Godhead did not exist. The second came to terms with their unity, but at the cost of their distinctness as persons (modalism). Well it would be, except that if we take the three leaves as representative of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, then the analogy fails to recognise that the Godhead is not simply split up into thirds, but each are wholly and completely God in and of themselves and also when they are together. So many things clamor to define you. Why is the concept of Holy Trinity confusing for some Christians and non-Christians alike? Greetings, Kia ora, Kia orana, Talofa, Ml e lelei, Namaste, Ni Hao, Bula, Hola, Kumusta. 42 people found it helpful jerriemaesibugone Answer: Holy trinity is confusing for some christians and non-christians alike because they have different kind of beliefs depending on their religions and some elders are very strict when it comes to beliefs (God) Explanation: Advertisement Still have questions? He says that while no analogy will ever be complete ("I'm slightly resistant to your term 'bad illustrations' because it suggests that some are good"), to give them up completely would be a mistake. Must you become a better person so that God will accept you? It is that little voice in your head. It just doesn't compare to the complexities of the Trinity. Egyptians passed property and titles down matrilineally. It sounds like a really hard math problem. impossible challenge for the Therefore, if the doctrine of the Trinity describes God in the most detail, it would also seem fitting that the doctrine of the Trinity would be most confusing to humans. Learn how you can know God personally. 102-124. To him be glory forever. To enjoy our website, you'll need to enable JavaScript in your web browser. View our top Cru resources in more than 20 languages. The doctrine of the Trinity is foundational to the Christian faith. These definitions express three crucial truths: (1) The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct Persons, (2) each Person is fully God, (3) there is only one God. Since God is one in a different way than He is three, the Trinity is not a contradiction. Because different people have different kinds of beliefs based on their religions and some elders are very strict when it comes to beliefs, the holy trinity can be confusing for both Christians and non-Christians. Early Christians believed that Jesus used the phrase "in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit" in Matthew 28:19 to make the first reference to the Trinity. Cults deny the deity of Christ because they cant comprehend how Jesus could be a man and God at the same time. The Trinity is so confusing because it truly describes our Lord to limited human minds. He is one in essence. They are different Persons, not three different ways of looking at God. Trojans. This is very important: God is one and three at the same time, but not in the same way. Showing God in action in and through His people. When the global church comes together then powerful things can happen. Someone please:(. He can do anything, be anything, and be everything at every moment of every second of every day. We should not think of God as like a pie cut into three pieces, each piece representing a Person. Asar was a revered king who was murdered by a usurper but became king of the afterlife, or spiritual realm. The earliest Christians, however, had to cope with the implications of the coming of Jesus Christ and of the presumed presence and power of God among themi.e., the Holy Spirit, whose coming was connected with the celebration of Pentecost. Read about individuals who have been transformed by faith. If each Person of the Trinity is distinct and yet fully God, then should we conclude that there is more than one God? We baptize into the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. It may not be the cleanest or most satisfying answer to say that we cannot fully understand God, so we need to learn to accept it, but it is part of the answer. The Gospel According to Mark, however, did not proceed from a theology of incarnation but instead understood the baptism of Jesus Christ as the adoption of the man Jesus Christ into the Sonship of God, accomplished through the descent of the Holy Spirit. either it is implicitly taught there, or it is the best explanation of what is taught there) using three sorts of arguments. Develop your leadership skills and learn how to launch a ministry wherever you are. Write your answer in your answer sheet. Satan Tempts Jesus in the Wilderness Bible Study Guide. 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. It makes no sense to ask what the point of the Trinity is or what purpose the Trinity serves. So what's the point in these illustrations? These statements help us understand the facts about the Trinity. In ancient Egyptor Kemet, as it was known to its people at the timeone key concept was the relationship among three deities, Asar, Aset, and Heru. The central Christian affirmations about God are condensed and focused in the classic doctrine of the Trinity, which has its ultimate foundation in the special religious experience of the Christians in the first communities. The divine essence is thus not something that exists above or separate from the three Persons, but the divine essence is the being of the three Persons. Who betrayed Esugei and left Genghis Khans family behind? God has revealed himself to us. Even with these seven clear statements, the Trinity is certainly not clear to our human intellect. But we must also recognize that as human beings, if we were to actually fully comprehend God, it would go against what God has said, thus disproving the God described in the Bible is the true God. Larry Einhorn Obituary, Articles W