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The legend says that St. Patrick used the shamrock to teach people in Ireland about the trinity. What exactly is the trinity, and how would a shamrock help?
“Theology for Kids.” What Does That Mean?
Theology is simply a big word meaning “the study of God.” You don’t have to wait until you are a teenager or an adult to start learning about God.
Pastors and others who have read a lot of books sometimes like to use fancy words when they talk about God-stuff. Once a month in our “Big Word Breakdown,” we’ll take one of those hard words and explain it to kids (and adults) in plain English. You may be surprised how many of these ideas you already know.
NOTE: This blog was originally published March 11, 2015. It was edited for clarity on October 20, 2022.
What Does “Trinity” Mean?
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The legend says that St. Patrick used the shamrock to teach people in Ireland about the trinity. What exactly is the trinity, and how would a shamrock help?
The word “trinity” is not found in the Bible, but it is the name given to an idea found throughout the Bible. The word trinity (TRIH-nih-dee) means “three in one.” It describes how the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are just one God. The fancy way to say it is “one God in three Persons.”
Analogies
There is a legend that may or may not be true that Patrick used a shamrock to try to explain this to the people in Ireland. There are three leaves on one plant, just like there is only one God, but He is described as three Persons.
Other people like to use an egg to picture how this works. The egg has three parts: the shell, the yoke, and the white or clear. Each piece of the egg has a specific job to do. The shell protects the egg. The yoke grows into a baby chick. The white or clear part feeds the chick while it grows. Although they each have their own jobs, the shell, yoke, and white all makeup only one egg. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit each have their own job, but they are still just one God.
False Views
None of these analogies are perfect. There are some false teachings about the Trinity that we must avoid.
The first is Modalism. Modalism teaches that the different members of the Trinity aren’t three distinct Persons. They’re all just God doing different things. An example of this false view says that the Trinity is like a man who is a son to his parents, a husband to his wife, and a father to his kids. That’s not what the Bible teaches about God. The triune God is one God in three distinct Persons.
The second false teaching is Arianism. Arianism teaches that the one God created the Son and the Holy Spirit to do certain things. An example of this wrong view is that the Trinity is like the sun, a star that creates heat and light. That’s not what the Bible teaches about God. The triune God is one God in three distinct Persons. That means that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are all the one eternal God, with no beginning and no end.
The third false teaching is Partialism. Partialism teaches that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are not distinct Persons but are different parts of God. An example of this false view is that the Trinity is like the shamrock, where each leaf is a part of the shamrock as a whole. That’s not what the Bible teaches about God. The triune God is one God in three distinct Persons.
Does that mean all analogies are bad? Not necessarily. They help us begin to understand God. Just be careful not to take the metaphors too literally.
The Basics
Are you confused? That’s OK. The Trinity is a complex concept for adults, so you may not fully understand it. Just do your best, keep asking questions, and ask God to help you understand (Isaiah 55:8-11; James 1:5).
For now, remember that Trinity means three in one. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are not three gods. There is only one God who exists in three Persons. Remember, too, that Jesus is God in a human body. Therefore, He is how humans can see and touch God (Philippians 2:5-11; John 20:24-29).
Praise God today for being God. Thank Him for the Bible and for sending Jesus so we can learn more about who God is.
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Divine Trinity and/or Holy Trinity Explained & Additional Scriptural Concerns:
Divine Trinity and/or Holy Trinity is: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one, as soul, body, and operation in man; also, Angelkind, is one. The Father (Yehovah; Creative Divine, Son (Jesus; Ultimate human form of creative Divine, and Holy Spirit (Divine Spirit emanating from the glorified human Christ Jesus our Lord.
To help draw this into focus more:
1. Yehovah God assumed the human in Time, glorified it in his ultimate human Divine form Christ Jesus our Lord. This this why if one says Yehovah or Lord it is same.
For example, Jesus say, no man cometh unto the Father (Yehovah) except by me. And again Jesus say, no man cometh unto me except the Father draw him. This then gives rise to the OT where it is made known, “Am I a God at hand, saith Yehovah, and not a God afar off (Jeremiah 23:23)?
These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: (John 17:1).
And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was (John 17:5).
2. Thing to bear in mind is this, the Father (Yehovah) operates in and into his ultimate Divine Human form Christ Jesus our Lord and God, and never through Him. This is true of all creation; operation is from the inside out. With the one exception, the Lord God is the Divine all in all. Selah
As the Apostle Paul say, In God we live, move, and have our being. Also, that all the fulness of the Godhead dwelleth in Jesus Christ bodily.
3. It is this Divine operation going forth from the Lord God which is that sending of the Holy Spirit to all who believe in Him, and live the Decalogue in their lives; Also known as Christ in us.
This is why the Apostle John said, the Holy Spirit was not yet given for Jesus was not yet glorified. That’s why Holy Spirit is not written in the OT. Now many Christian Bible translations by men of have removed Spirit of Holiness, and replace it with Holy Spirit.
For example: KJV has “erringly”, as have most Christian bibles today, have replaced Spirit of Holiness with Holy Spirit three times. Once in Psalms 51:11, and twice in Isaiah 63:10, ll. However, as not to throw out the baby with the bath wash, the KJV overall is a good English Bible translation. In the John Nelson Darby (JND) Bible, it is correctly written in Psalms 51:11 Spirit of Holiness.
Most Christian Bibles translations today, with a few exceptions like the JND Bible and American Standard Version (ASV) Bible, in the OT, have replaced Yehovah; Hebrew and/or Jehovah; English, with LORD to the tune of about 6,000 times? JND and ASV have Jehovah in the OT 5791 and 5831 times respectfully. And I have found the discrepancy in the totals between the JND and ASV to be more accurate with the JND. The reason for the difference would take some time to explain, and would take away from this topic, an already condense explanation, of the Divine Trinity and/or Holy Trinity.
My friends, who’ve affixed a trinity of God in divine persons, please put Yehovah together in the Divine Person of Jesus Christ our Lord and God. In the Heavens all Good Spirits and Angels say
LORD.
Thank you, for allowing me to share. May the LORD GOD bless us all everyone. Amen
This is enough.