Describe the Trinity Using the Analogy of Love

He is the author of numerous books including In the Beginning Was the Word. When God loves us and we love him in return we only do so with the love with which he loves us we are drawn into this Trinity which is Love an interchange of love that has no beginning and no end.

What Is The Best Analogy Of The Holy Trinity Quora

Its the same Greek word in John 1416 26.

. That is not to say that a triangle and the trinity are identical but for the purpose of illustrating that three in one is not always a paradox the concept of a triangle is a useful tool. The Trinity is pretty weird. A triangle is one triangle and three sides.

God is kind of like a three-leaf clover or a triangle. Now before you scream loudly at the inherent problems with these analogies yes I see them as well note that my starting language mitigates each illustration. If someone already has an understanding based on the definition and explanation above then these analogies might help them grasp aspects of the Trinity.

In the second instance the truth of Gods Trinity reveals a further aspect of Gods love for His people. Thus we need three persons for love to be perfect. The Spirit is the bond which unites Father and Son.

So a triangle may not be an analogy to the trinity but an analogy to the coherence of three in one. Language A God-Centered Approach Chance and the. The love of self directs through the will the attention of understanding towards the image of self.

The three leaves of the clover together make up one clover. Augustine searches for an analogy to help his listeners comprehend the oneness of the Trinity but the distinct works of each Person though its important to remember that all Trinitarian analogies fall short. Againwere trying to grasp something that isnt fully grasp-able The Analogies.

If God has existed for all eternity in a perfectly loving Triune relationship then it shows He is completely self-sufficient and requires no further relationship in. DTh Stellenbosch is Distinguished Professor of New Testament and Biblical Interpretation at Westminster Theological Seminary where he has taught for 42 years. God is kind of like water which can be ice liquid and steam.

Instead God made humans out of unnecessary grace an overflowing of love from the love that exists between Father Son and Holy Spirit. The Father or Mother Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit are in some sense distinct from one another but are all unified in another sense. Why must we always respect the difference between the creature and the Creator.

In this Credo Mag video Vern Poythress discusses the Trinity Trinitarian analogies and how God speaks of his. But in these three when the mind knows. If youve ever spoken on the Trinity in an Apologetics round youve probably used some of them yourself.

God as a Trinity can be compared to a three-leaf clover. He talks about the minds ability to remember to understand and to will. God is all goodness all truth all beauty.

The three Persons of God together make up only one God Weve probably all heard one or more of these analogies before. How do God-given analogies like Word Son and Image describe the Trinity. He begins with the observation that love has a Trinitarian form of the lover that which is loved and love.

The Holy Spirits role also fits nicely with this description of the Trinity. God is kind of like a man who is a father a son and an uncle. The Trinity is the very being of love.

Using this analogy Augustine argues that Gods nature is both personal and relational based on relationship that is communicated in the divine love exhibited by and expressed between the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit. Since the love for self is unchanging this analogy is stable and immortal as the human soul containing it is immortal. One object but three different identifiable leaves or sides.

Augustine is overwhelmed with the greatness and majesty of the love of God. Lover and beloved both share their love with another for love to be perfect. Through participation in God the creatures have their existence.

The mutual love between Father and Son is shared with Holy Spirit. So in Richards model the Spirit is not the love joining the persons together. The Father is the one who loves.

The Son Jesus Christ is the one who is loved. II Analogies of the Trinity Having defended the distinctions of the persons in the Godhead Augustine proceeds to search out for analogies that will illuminate the relationships within the Godhead. Gods being is therefore the fullness and substance of love itself.

The above picture is a famous work of art by Andrei Rubilev the great medieval Russian painter of Orthodox icons and frescos. Love described in this way is a personal unified relationship that requires all three of these elements to co-exist distinctly and simultaneously. The Spirit is a person loved by Father and Son equally.

How do these biblical images help us understand eternal relations of origin. Augustine thinks that this is the best analogy for God Trinity human soul. In essence love is triune.

Despite the fact that each member of the Trinity. He is testing whether the elmentsare i the same substance ii equal to each of the others iii distinct but not different from one another iv mutually inter-related v mutually indwelling and vi united but. Lewis made a famous analogy of the Trinity as like a person in a two-dimensional universe being able to comprehend a square but not a cube.

Augustine is carefully testing analogies using very specific criteriaat the heart of the doctrine of the Trinity. The three most common go-to analogies for explaining the Trinity are water an egg and the sun. Here are some common analogies that Christians have used about the Trinity.

Since this third person of the trinity is an act of love which is the willing of the good it makes sense that the Holy Spirit is described as a helper translations say comforter advocate counselor. Vern Poythress PhD Harvard.

Analogies For The Blessed Trinity Christian Apologetics Alliance