We have to be careful when crafting analogies because they aren’t always accurate.
Famously, there have been several attempts through the years to explain the nature of the Trinity.
And all of them fall short.
All.
Of.
Them.
There is no analogy that can fully explain the nature of the 3 in 1 that is the Godhead.
Let’s consider some of the most famous.
Think of it like this. (or rather, don’t)
We can start with a three-leaf clover. (I would say with apologies to St. Patrick, but he probably didn’t really use this analogy.)
Should we consider each Person of the Trinity as a leaf from the clover?
No.
We shouldn’t.
And we shouldn’t because no part of the clover is the entire leaf.
In the Godhead, each member is fully and completely God. Not 1/3 of God. But fully God.
I cannot explain how that all works.
I cannot explain three fully distinct persons all equally and truly the one God.
I cannot explain it, but I know it is the picture from the Bible.
What about an egg?
I have heard people try to explain it like the shell, the yolk, and the white stuff.
But we run into the same problem.
No part of the egg is the entire egg.
How about steam, water and ice?
Three different manifestations of the same substance.
This is even more dangerous and leads to a heresy called Modalism.
God wasn’t God the Father in the Old Testament, Jesus in the gospels and the Holy Spirit in the rest of the book of Acts.
He has eternally existed as all three at all times.
The analogy of a man who is a son, a husband and a father all at the same time runs into the same issue.
I know, I know…the Borg on Star Trek.
Individuals and yet one.
Maybe closer, but they aren’t truly one. And I’m really not going there.
There is no perfect analogy.
We have no earthly picture to explain the nature of God.
And that is okay.
I actually take comfort in that.
If I could understand everything about God, then He could be the invention of a human mind.
But if there are aspects of Him that are beyond comprehension, then that makes sense to me.
Not all analogies work.
They can be helpful when they convey an accurate point.
Unhelpful and even dangerous when they don’t.
So be careful with them.
And on this St. Patrick’s Day (3/17/20) when you see the shamrock, remember that God is infinitely more glorious, and more complicated, than any clover.
Think of it like a Shamrock?
They don’t always work.
Analogies, that is.
We have to be careful when crafting analogies because they aren’t always accurate.
Famously, there have been several attempts through the years to explain the nature of the Trinity.
And all of them fall short.
All.
Of.
Them.
There is no analogy that can fully explain the nature of the 3 in 1 that is the Godhead.
Let’s consider some of the most famous.
Think of it like this. (or rather, don’t)
We can start with a three-leaf clover. (I would say with apologies to St. Patrick, but he probably didn’t really use this analogy.)
Should we consider each Person of the Trinity as a leaf from the clover?
No.
We shouldn’t.
And we shouldn’t because no part of the clover is the entire leaf.
In the Godhead, each member is fully and completely God. Not 1/3 of God. But fully God.
I cannot explain how that all works.
I cannot explain three fully distinct persons all equally and truly the one God.
I cannot explain it, but I know it is the picture from the Bible.
What about an egg?
I have heard people try to explain it like the shell, the yolk, and the white stuff.
But we run into the same problem.
No part of the egg is the entire egg.
How about steam, water and ice?
Three different manifestations of the same substance.
This is even more dangerous and leads to a heresy called Modalism.
God wasn’t God the Father in the Old Testament, Jesus in the gospels and the Holy Spirit in the rest of the book of Acts.
He has eternally existed as all three at all times.
The analogy of a man who is a son, a husband and a father all at the same time runs into the same issue.
I know, I know…the Borg on Star Trek.
Individuals and yet one.
Maybe closer, but they aren’t truly one. And I’m really not going there.
There is no perfect analogy.
We have no earthly picture to explain the nature of God.
And that is okay.
I actually take comfort in that.
If I could understand everything about God, then He could be the invention of a human mind.
But if there are aspects of Him that are beyond comprehension, then that makes sense to me.
Not all analogies work.
They can be helpful when they convey an accurate point.
Unhelpful and even dangerous when they don’t.
So be careful with them.
And on this St. Patrick’s Day (3/17/20) when you see the shamrock, remember that God is infinitely more glorious, and more complicated, than any clover.