Is there a metaphor to explain the Trinity?

Question

I have a hard time grasping the concept (perhaps I'm not alone)...Is there anything in this world that it can be compared to?

Answer 1

Well its a hard concept to get our human minds around, but lemme try giving you two things. Ok ask yourself a question, any question. You do it? now wat that you asking yourself a question? so is that saying that you and yourself are two different beings? or are they one being at the same time?... or let me try this other one for you, think of an egg, it has the yoke, the white, and the shell, yet its all still one egg, but at the same time made up of 3 different parts, but all parts can be referred to as one egg.

Answer 2

I see that you have already gotten the two most commonly used metaphors, an egg (yolk, white, shell) and water (solid, liquid, gas). All metaphors are going to fall short in some way but here are a couple more that might be useful to you.

One is the governing structure of a corporation where you have the Chief Executive Officer, the President and the Chief Financial Officer. All three members work together at the top level of authority in the company and neither one of them is intrinsically better than the other but they have voluntarily taken different roles in running the company.

The Chief Executive Officer has the primary position of authority in the company and could be compared to God the Father. The President is the visible head of the company and could be compared to Jesus. The Chief Financial Officer is the person who decides where the resources of the company would best be invested like the Holy Spirit who distributes spiritual gifts.

A simpler analogy is a rope of three cords braided together. Each of the three cords is separate and identifiable from the other two but they are so closely intertwined that each part works with the other two parts to accomplish whatever function the rope is being used for. An individual cord in the rope might touch one part of an object that it is being tied to while the other two cords could also be touching the object at other places but they are all equal and all working together in perfect harmony and unity.

Answer 3

The Trinity as taught is an occult doctrine perpetuated by the Catholic church, where you have a daddy god and a mama god having a baby god, this is why they say god the father, god the son, and god the holy spirit. No where in the bible is Jesus called god the son, he is called the son of God. The trinity doctrine is actually patterned after the occult gods, Oden, Thor, & Frey, or Horus, Isis, and Osirus. God is not three people. Mary as worshipped by the Catholic church is actually the Queen of Heaven another occult diety. 1 John 5:7 Says there are 3 that bear record in heaven, The Father, The Word, and the Holy Ghost, these 3 are 1. Notice it doesnt day these 3 are 3. The son of God was the flesh of God. The only express visible image of God Almighty. Emmanual, or God with us. God, very God robed in human flesh. This defys human understanding which is linear. We are in time and cannot comprehend the Almighty who is outside of time and is so powerful he is able to manifest as 3 offices or postions simultaniously. However the scripture is clear. Deuteronimy 6:4 Deut 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:KJV
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Answer 4

It is weird, even though it's so true. Many Christian teachers over the years have tried to use analogies to explain such as St. Patrick; he used the 3 leafed clover. St. Nicholas tried to use the Christmas tree; it has 3 corners. I personally don't find either of those completely the same as the Trinity, but they help a little. I don't know, it's so 'out of this world,' that's it's hard to compare to something here. I know it sounds corny, but try to imagine water. You can boil water with ice in it and you will get water in its liquid, gas, and solid form. That's not totally acurate either, but I hope that helps.

And to all those who will answer this question by insulting Christianity, I hope that you will hold your tongues for once. You won't, but at least I tried. And also, trust God. Always. Trust. It's a virtue of love.

Answer 5

There's not a metaphor that I am aware of. However there are several events in Jesus life recorded in the Bible that signifys the Tri-unity (or) what some refer to as the Trinity. I use Tri-unity because the term Trinity to some is identifing three God's, when there is only One.

You remember the woman who touched the hem of Jesus garment and was made whole? Notice, he called her "Daughter?" Daughter here is spelled with a captial 'D" and is used only twice in the Bible in this format.

I believe, Jesus here, at this particual moment of time was showing us his Father-ship, and not His Son-ship. For she could only be a "Daughter" if he was, the Father. Jesus was here telling her she was now one of His children.

But then we have in the Old Testament, Moses and the burning Bush, where we read; When the LORD saw, God called (to Moses) Or the "word" of the LORD that came to Abraham saying... I am the Almighty God.

Answer 6

Hi ElevenEleven. I don't know of any metaphor to explain the Trinity (called the Godhead in the Bible Romans 1:20, Colossians 2:9) But the best way to explain The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit as One, is with God's Word, Scripture. In Isaiah 9:6 God forecasts the birth of Christ:

"For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

We must ask ourselves who is the Child to be born? Who is the Son to be given? Who is Mighty God? Everlasting Father? The Prince of Peace? The only One this can be is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

With our finite minds we cannot understand how this could be possible, but with Gods infinite Wisdom it is possible.

Answer 7

Take your father for exsample ,He has a father so that makes him a son and your his son so that makes him your father ,So your dad is a father and a Son at the same time ,Now is he a Uncle are a nephew to any body .Yes; So that makes him a Father a Son a Uncle and a Nephew ,Now what kind of Work does he do ? is he a Carpentor a Plummer a Pilot ,Lets say a Pilot ,So Now Your Dad is a Father a Son a Uncle a Nephew and a Pilot ,Thats a lot of things to be for a man ,So how much more Can God Be

Answer 8

Christ, our Heavenly Father, and the Holy Ghost are three separate and distinct beings, but one Godhead, being one in purpose.

Mt. 3:16-17 "And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

Here you can see the three distinct personages. Jesus is standing in the water, the Holy Ghost is descending upon Him, and He hears the voice of the Father.
Think of a family. The father, mother, and child are each different people but come together for a single purpose (most of the time, anyway). The three members of the Godhead are also one unit together, working together to "Bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man (Moses 1:39). When Jesus prayed for all the believers he said:

Jn 17:20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message,
Jn 17:21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

Each member of the Godhead also has His own unique tasks to accomplish. The role of the Holy Spirit is to comfort and to testify the truth.
Jn 14:16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—
Jn 14:17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
Jn 14:18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
Jn 14:19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.

The Son is between the Father and the Holy Spirit. In fact, each member of the Trinity follows the Father. The Son does what he sees the Father doing, and the Spirit does what he sees the Son doing.

Jn 5:16 So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews persecuted him.
Jn 5:17 Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.”
Jn 5:18 For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.
Jn 5:19 Jesus gave them this answer: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.
Jn 5:20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these.

The Son and the Holy Ghost do all these things as representatives of the Father. Christ, himself, said, "I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgement is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me." (John 5:30)

Answer 9

Well, I tend to see the Trinity like this:
Father Liquid water
Son (Jesus) Ice
Holy Spirit Water vapor

Liquid water is not Ice. Neither is Ice Water vapor, however
all three are forms of the element water(H20), however, each are distinct in their own ways.All three forms can co-exist with each other without mixing. That's the closest thing to Trinity I can come up with.

Answer 10

The only one I have found that makes sense to me, is imperfect but better than most. The cube in 3 demensional space.

Length, width and height occupy the same space so to speak...It'd be the same cube but looked at from a different direction. Separate yet in union with the cube.

We will never fully comprehend the trinity but we can apprehend it. hope it helps