three_in_one_the

An Anaogy Of The Concept Of Trinity

Adapted from a "Keys For Kids" Daily Devotional

Children's Bible Hour, Grand Rapids, MI 49501

A Goodsoil Discipleship Lesson - Bro. A. Madonio

Lesson Introduction

What this lesson teaches:

* This is a very brief lesson describing the concept of the Trinity - via a simple analogy.

* A whole lot of sharing (rapping, talking, blabbing) about how this works and how it may have been reflected in the lives of teacher and student should be encouraged. Read thru the scriptures and discuss them as well.

* This lesson is extremely simple. Encourage everyone to share it with children as well as adults (It helped me, and I'm a childish adult!). This is an excellent way to describe a fairly difficult concept to grasp.

Scripture references used:

* Exodus 33:18-23, Isaiah 6:5, John 1:1-5; 1:18, 1 Timothy 6:16, 2 Corinthians 3:18; 4:4,6, Ephesians 4:23-24; 5:8; 13-14, 1 Thessalonians 5:5, Romans 12:2, Titus 3:5, 1 Corinthians 15:51.

Discussion questions for study:

1. Did you read this lesson in preparation for this week's discussion?

2. Doesn't this little analogy seem to work so well? Don't let it's simplicity fool you however. This little piece follows tightly along the shoreline of scripture without straying from course anywhere along the way. Did it clarify anything for you? Do you think you will be better prepared to answer questions relating to the Trinity having gone thru this lesson?

3. We don't know exactly why God cannot be seen by mere man (other than He says we'll die), but we believe Him because He says it in His Word. Doesn't it help then, knowing that we can see Him via His Son Jesus? After all, a flashlight isn't any good if you stare at the bulb (the source). It is made to be most useful when you use it to illuminate things.

4. Can you see the "light" of Jesus shining in places where others do not understand it? Can you also see how His spiritual "light" makes things spiritually visible? Further, can you see why people don't always like what His light illuminates?

5. The Holy Spirit is shown as being analogous to the inner chemical reactions of photosynthesis of a plant. Isn't that wonderfully similar to the inner transformation that we, as believers go thru when the Holy Spirit takes up residence in us - God's temple?

When I was in college, I took a class in writing and speech. While studying the writings of many different authors, a quote from one of them has always stuck with me. It is a wonderful truth that applies to many different areas and walks of life. Unfortunately, I can't give proper and deserving credit to the individual, as my memory seemed to grasp only the quote and not the author's name. I am sorry, and I will correct this error if and when it is again made known to me.

The author had written a masterpiece and was making the rounds to talk about it when he was asked a very important question: How did he feel about his most renowned work? He replied simply that if he had had more time, he would have made it shorter. It is a mark of greatness and genius to make something clear and functional , even perfect, and achieve this in the smallest possible space. To make things wonderfully simple is to relieve the burden of all involved. This, of course, does not apply to the One creating. For Him, the work is harder; the difficulty lies in making it simple for the simple. This analogy of the concept of Trinity fits that description for me.

1) The Father - The Sun

Consider this fact: No one can really see the sun itself (it's far too bright of course). We see the light that comes down from it, but we know the sun is the source. The surface of the sun could be brown or blue or paisley, or made of recycled woks, but we have never seen the surface. Why, no man could ever step up to the surface of the sun to see it and live!

Exodus 33:18-23 Then Moses said, "Now show me your glory." And the LORD said, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. But," he said, "you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live." Then the LORD said, "There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen."

Isaiah 6:5 "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."

John 1:18 No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known.

1 Tim 6:16 . . . who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.

2) The Son - Jesus - The Light

The Word and the Light. We can't see the sun, but we see it's light when it comes down to earth. We don't even have to look at the sun to be able to see by it's light. The light of the sun comes all the way down to us and dispells the darkness, it warms us from the cold, it enters into living things and causes them to change and grow -- just as God planned all along.

John 1:1-5 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

2 Corinthians 4:4, 6 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God . . . For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

Ephesians 5:8, 13-14 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light . . . But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."

1 Thessalonians 5:5 You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.

3) The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit of God lives and works in us to transform us into Christ's image, just as the sun's energy chemically changes a plant when it reaches it across the expanse of space. The source of the warming, empowering, invigorating light is the sun. The bit that comes to us all the way down on our tiny planet is the light itself. Once the light comes upon us, it begins to make the changes occur inside us, just as it does in a simple green plant.

Romans 12:2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Ephesians 4:23-24 . . . to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

2 Corinthians 3:18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Titus 3:5 He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 15:51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed.

Sometimes, for me at least, the simpler the better. Amen!




	Three In One An Anaogy Of The Concept Of Trinity Adapted from a "Keys For Kids" Daily Devotional Children's Bible Hour, Grand Rapids, MI 49501 A Goodsoil Discipleship Lesson - Bro. A. Madonio




Lesson Introduction What this lesson teaches: * This is a very brief lesson describing the concept of the Trinity - via a simple analogy. * A whole lot of sharing (rapping, talking, blabbing) about how this works and how it may have been reflected in the lives of teacher and student should be encouraged. Read thru the scriptures and discuss them as well. * This lesson is extremely simple. Encourage everyone to share it with children as well as adults (It helped me, and I'm a childish adult!). This is an excellent way to describe a fairly difficult concept to grasp. Scripture references used: * Exodus 33:18-23, Isaiah 6:5, John 1:1-5; 1:18, 1 Timothy 6:16, 2 Corinthians 3:18; 4:4,6, Ephesians 4:23-24; 5:8; 13-14, 1 Thessalonians 5:5, Romans 12:2, Titus 3:5, 1 Corinthians 15:51. Discussion questions for study: 1. Did you read this lesson in preparation for this week's discussion? 2. Doesn't this little analogy seem to work so well? Don't let it's simplicity fool you however. This little piece follows tightly along the shoreline of scripture without straying from course anywhere along the way. Did it clarify anything for you? Do you think you will be better prepared to answer questions relating to the Trinity having gone thru this lesson? 3. We don't know exactly why God cannot be seen by mere man (other than He says we'll die), but we believe Him because He says it in His Word. Doesn't it help then, knowing that we can see Him via His Son Jesus? After all, a flashlight isn't any good if you stare at the bulb (the source). It is made to be most useful when you use it to illuminate things. 4. Can you see the "light" of Jesus shining in places where others do not understand it? Can you also see how His spiritual "light" makes things spiritually visible? Further, can you see why people don't always like what His light illuminates? 5. The Holy Spirit is shown as being analogous to the inner chemical reactions of photosynthesis of a plant. Isn't that wonderfully similar to the inner transformation that we, as believers go thru when the Holy Spirit takes up residence in us - God's temple?



When I was in college, I took a class in writing and speech. While studying the writings of many different authors, a quote from one of them has always stuck with me. It is a wonderful truth that applies to many different areas and walks of life. Unfortunately, I can't give proper and deserving credit to the individual, as my memory seemed to grasp only the quote and not the author's name. I am sorry, and I will correct this error if and when it is again made known to me. The author had written a masterpiece and was making the rounds to talk about it when he was asked a very important question: How did he feel about his most renowned work? He replied simply that if he had had more time, he would have made it shorter. It is a mark of greatness and genius to make something clear and functional , even perfect, and achieve this in the smallest possible space. To make things wonderfully simple is to relieve the burden of all involved. This, of course, does not apply to the One creating. For Him, the work is harder; the difficulty lies in making it simple for the simple. This analogy of the concept of Trinity fits that description for me. 1) The Father - The Sun Consider this fact: No one can really see the sun itself (it's far too bright of course). We see the light that comes down from it, but we know the sun is the source. The surface of the sun could be brown or blue or paisley, or made of recycled woks, but we have never seen the surface. Why, no man could ever step up to the surface of the sun to see it and live! Exodus 33:18-23 Then Moses said, "Now show me your glory." And the LORD said, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. But," he said, "you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live." Then the LORD said, "There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen." Isaiah 6:5 "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty." John 1:18 No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known. 1 Tim 6:16 . . . who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen. 2) The Son - Jesus - The Light The Word and the Light. We can't see the sun, but we see it's light when it comes down to earth. We don't even have to look at the sun to be able to see by it's light. The light of the sun comes all the way down to us and dispells the darkness, it warms us from the cold, it enters into living things and causes them to change and grow -- just as God planned all along. John 1:1-5 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. 2 Corinthians 4:4, 6 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God . . . For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. Ephesians 5:8, 13-14 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light . . . But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." 1 Thessalonians 5:5 You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. 3) The Holy Spirit The Holy Spirit of God lives and works in us to transform us into Christ's image, just as the sun's energy chemically changes a plant when it reaches it across the expanse of space. The source of the warming, empowering, invigorating light is the sun. The bit that comes to us all the way down on our tiny planet is the light itself. Once the light comes upon us, it begins to make the changes occur inside us, just as it does in a simple green plant. Romans 12:2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Ephesians 4:23-24 . . . to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. 2 Corinthians 3:18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. Titus 3:5 He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 15:51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed. Sometimes, for me at least, the simpler the better. Amen!

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