You offer such a practical way of understanding the Trinity in this article Justin. My favorite section has to be the "Incomprehensible" section. It's super helpful for folks wrecking their brains trying to fit the Trinity into a box, or at least imply that they have it "all figured out"!
I have a children's workbook series, and in the Life Science workbook, I have a section that "explains" the Trinity to young children. I use the illustration that God is made up of 3 persons, and operates by 3 functions. For kids, it seems to work to at least get them on the right path.
But as adults, we struggle with this concept as well; and this article certainly breaks things down in such a way that gets us as close as we possibly can to "comprehension":)
I love the way you describe it in the children’s workbook section. That is one thing I left out, but I think it is important to understand the functional roles of each person when studying the Trinity.
I like to say the Father wills, the Son accomplishes, and the Spirit actualizes.
Another solid article. One avenue I might push you on a bit is how you handle the Old Testament and what to make of it. I think we have to account for the distinctness of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit already present there, even if it is revealed more fully in the New Testament. There is also plurality language, like “The LORD says to my Lord” in Psalm 110, and Daniel 7 is an especially interesting example with the Son of Man receiving dominion, glory, and a kingdom. I think we sometimes forget that the Son exists pre-incarnation, and that the incarnation reveals what had been held in mystery.
Thank you so much Joseph! I love your point about distinct personhood and the eternal existence of the Son in the OT. Jesus is all over the OT, and it so cool when you see Him there.
Any good argument for trinitarian doctrine should absolutely reference these areas of scripture. I reference those verses you mentioned often. Psalm 110:1 is actually in my memory verse rotation, because it’s so clear.
I’m starting to see those who reject the deity of Jesus in my feed, so I do plan to tackle both His deity and humanity.
You offer such a practical way of understanding the Trinity in this article Justin. My favorite section has to be the "Incomprehensible" section. It's super helpful for folks wrecking their brains trying to fit the Trinity into a box, or at least imply that they have it "all figured out"!
I have a children's workbook series, and in the Life Science workbook, I have a section that "explains" the Trinity to young children. I use the illustration that God is made up of 3 persons, and operates by 3 functions. For kids, it seems to work to at least get them on the right path.
But as adults, we struggle with this concept as well; and this article certainly breaks things down in such a way that gets us as close as we possibly can to "comprehension":)
I love the way you describe it in the children’s workbook section. That is one thing I left out, but I think it is important to understand the functional roles of each person when studying the Trinity.
I like to say the Father wills, the Son accomplishes, and the Spirit actualizes.
Thanks. What I use for kids is this:
- God the Father (person) as our Creator (function)
- God the Son (person) as our Savior (function)
- God the Holy Spirit (person) as our Helper (function)
Another solid article. One avenue I might push you on a bit is how you handle the Old Testament and what to make of it. I think we have to account for the distinctness of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit already present there, even if it is revealed more fully in the New Testament. There is also plurality language, like “The LORD says to my Lord” in Psalm 110, and Daniel 7 is an especially interesting example with the Son of Man receiving dominion, glory, and a kingdom. I think we sometimes forget that the Son exists pre-incarnation, and that the incarnation reveals what had been held in mystery.
Thank you so much Joseph! I love your point about distinct personhood and the eternal existence of the Son in the OT. Jesus is all over the OT, and it so cool when you see Him there.
Any good argument for trinitarian doctrine should absolutely reference these areas of scripture. I reference those verses you mentioned often. Psalm 110:1 is actually in my memory verse rotation, because it’s so clear.
I’m starting to see those who reject the deity of Jesus in my feed, so I do plan to tackle both His deity and humanity.
I am looking forward to reading that one!