How God is Both One and Three at the Same Time [Animated Explainer]

Summary

The script explores the complex concept of the Trinity in Christianity, using the analogy of a 3D object passing through a 2D plane to illustrate God's transcendence beyond human understanding. It delves into the Hebrew Scriptures, highlighting God's attributes as distinct yet part of the divine, and the 'Son of Man' as part of God's identity. The New Testament is examined, portraying Jesus as both human and divine, and the Holy Spirit as a conduit of God's love. The summary emphasizes the biblical narrative of an eternal community of love, urging a personal relationship with this complex divine reality.

Takeaways

• 📜 The script discusses the theological concept of the Trinity, explaining the Bible's depiction of God as both one and three-in-one.
• 🤔 It uses the analogy of a 3D object passing through a 2D plane to illustrate the complexity of understanding God's nature from a human perspective.
• 👨‍👧‍👦 The concept of God's attributes being distinct yet part of God is explored, showing how they can be personified in the Bible, such as wisdom, glory, and the word.
• 🌐 The script explains that God's Spirit is a distinct aspect of God, representing His personal presence and energy within creation.
• 👤 It highlights the 'Son of Man' from the Book of Daniel as a significant part of God's identity, showing a human figure elevated to divine status.
• 🕊 In the New Testament, Jesus is portrayed as both fully human and divine, embodying the complex identity of God made flesh.
• 👑 Jesus' actions and words in the Gospels are presented as evidence of His divine nature, such as forgiving sins and controlling nature.
• 🌟 The Apostles referred to Jesus using the language of God's attributes, like 'Glory of God' and 'Wisdom of God', reinforcing His divine identity.
• 🗣️ Jesus' relationship with God the Father is depicted as personal and intimate, with Jesus experiencing the Father's love and referring to Him as 'My Father'.
• 💭 The Holy Spirit is portrayed as the medium through which Jesus and humanity experience God's love and interact with the divine.
• 🔗 The Trinity is presented as an eternal community of love, holding the universe together, and inviting humanity to participate in this divine love.

Q & A

What is the central question raised in the script about the nature of God according to the Bible?

The central question is how God can be both one and also exist as three distinct persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, which is known as the concept of the Trinity.

What analogy is used in the script to help understand the complexity of God's nature?

The analogy of a three-dimensional object passing through a two-dimensional plane is used to illustrate how something can be perceived as multiple entities from a limited perspective, but is actually one unified reality.

How does the script describe God's attributes in the context of the Hebrew Scriptures?

God's attributes, such as wisdom and glory, are described as having a distinct person-like quality, sometimes appearing as separate characters, yet still being part of the one God.

What is the significance of the 'Son of Man' in the Book of Daniel and how does it relate to God's identity?

The 'Son of Man' in Daniel's vision is seen as a human figure elevated to God's space, symbolizing the hope of God and humanity becoming one to rule the world together, thus being both distinct from God and a part of God's identity.

How is Jesus of Nazareth portrayed in the New Testament in relation to God?

Jesus is portrayed as both fully human and as YHWH, the God of Israel, performing actions and bearing titles that signify his divine nature while also being distinct from God the Father.

What is the relationship between Jesus and God the Father as depicted in the script?

Jesus experiences God the Father as a personal being, a source of infinite love, and refers to him consistently as 'My Father,' indicating an intimate and personal relationship.

How does the Holy Spirit interact with both Jesus and humanity according to the script?

The Holy Spirit serves as the medium through which Jesus experiences the Father's love and through which the Father's love is shared with all humanity and creation.

What does the script suggest about the nature of the universe in relation to God?

The script suggests that the universe is held together by an eternal community of love, reflecting the triune nature of God as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

What is the purpose of understanding the concept of the Trinity as described in the script?

The purpose is not merely to understand God intellectually but to know and be known by God, participating in the divine love that is central to the Christian faith.

How does the script address the potential confusion about God being both one and three?

The script acknowledges the complexity and mystery, using analogies and biblical narratives to provide a framework for understanding the unity and distinction within the Godhead.

Outlines

00:00

😲 Understanding the Trinity: God's Complex Identity

This paragraph delves into the theological mystery of the Trinity, which posits that there is one God manifested in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The script uses the analogy of a three-dimensional object passing through a two-dimensional plane to illustrate how something can be simultaneously one and yet appear as multiple from a limited perspective. It explains that the Bible describes God's attributes—such as wisdom and glory—as if they were separate entities, yet still part of God. The Holy Spirit is highlighted as God's personal presence within creation, and the 'Son of Man' from the Book of Daniel is introduced as a human figure elevated to divine status, setting the stage for understanding the complex identity of God in the Hebrew Scriptures.

05:02

🌟 Jesus and the Trinity: The Human Face of God

The second paragraph continues the exploration of God's identity by focusing on the New Testament's portrayal of Jesus Christ. It discusses how Jesus, as the 'Son of Man,' embodies the complex nature of God becoming human. The script highlights that Jesus performed actions typically attributed to YHWH, such as forgiving sins and controlling nature, indicating his divine nature. The Apostles referred to Jesus using terms associated with God's attributes, such as 'Glory of God,' 'Wisdom of God,' and 'Word of God,' further blurring the lines between the divine and human. Jesus' relationship with God as his 'Father' is emphasized, illustrating a personal and intimate connection. The Holy Spirit's role in this dynamic is also discussed, showing how Jesus experienced and shared the Father's love through the Spirit, which he promised would extend to all of humanity. The paragraph concludes by connecting these concepts to the doctrine of the Trinity, suggesting that the universe is held together by an eternal community of divine love.

Keywords

💡Trinity

The Trinity is a theological concept that describes God as being three-in-one, encompassing the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is central to the Christian understanding of the nature of God. In the script, the Trinity is used to explain the complex identity of God, illustrating the unity and distinction within the divine being, as seen in the way Jesus, the Son, interacts with God the Father and the Holy Spirit.

💡Transcendent

Transcendent refers to the quality of being beyond or surpassing the range of ordinary human understanding or experience. In the context of the script, God is described as transcendent, meaning that while God is present in the universe, the divine nature is beyond human comprehension and categorization, as exemplified by the analogy of a 3D object passing through a 2D plane.

💡Attributes

Attributes in the script are characteristics or qualities used to describe God, such as wisdom or glory. The biblical authors often personify these attributes, treating them as distinct yet part of God's identity. For instance, God's wisdom is described both as an attribute and as a co-worker in the creation of the universe, highlighting the complex way in which the Bible portrays God's nature.

💡Son of Man

The 'Son of Man' is a term used in the Bible, particularly in the Book of Daniel, to refer to a human figure who is elevated to a divine status. In the script, the 'Son of Man' is associated with Jesus Christ, who is portrayed as both fully human and divine, thus embodying the complex identity of God becoming human to unite with humanity.

💡Divine Being

A divine being is an entity believed to possess qualities such as omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence, which are typically associated with deities. In the script, God is referred to as a divine being, emphasizing the belief that God is the ultimate source of all existence and the one through whom all life, movement, and being occur.

💡Gospel

The Gospel refers to the message of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, as well as the four New Testament books that recount his life. In the script, the Gospels are mentioned as sources that portray Jesus as both fully human and as YHWH, the God of Israel, thus contributing to the understanding of the Trinity.

💡Apostles

Apostles are individuals who are sent out with a message, often referring to the twelve main disciples of Jesus in Christianity. In the script, the Apostles are mentioned as the first followers of Jesus who used the language of God's attributes to describe Jesus' identity, reinforcing the concept of the Trinity.

💡Eternal Community of Love

The term 'eternal community of love' in the script refers to the relational aspect of the Trinity, suggesting that the universe is held together by the love that exists within the divine persons of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It emphasizes the interconnectedness and unity within the Godhead.

💡Personification

Personification is the attribution of human characteristics or qualities to non-human entities. In the script, personification is used to describe God's attributes, such as wisdom and glory, which are given human-like qualities to help convey the complexity of God's identity.

💡Biblical Authors

Biblical authors refer to the individuals who wrote the texts that make up the Bible. In the script, the biblical authors are highlighted for their unique way of portraying God's identity, using language that suggests distinct characters within the one God, which is foundational to the concept of the Trinity.

💡YHWH

YHWH, also known as Jehovah, is the tetragrammaton used in the Hebrew Bible to refer to God. In the script, Jesus is portrayed as YHWH, the God of Israel, reinforcing the idea that Jesus is one with God and part of the divine identity.

Highlights

The Bible presents a complex understanding of God as both one and three - Father, Son, and Spirit.

A 2D to 3D analogy is used to explain the difficulty in comprehending God's transcendent nature from a human perspective.

God's attributes in the Bible, such as wisdom and glory, are personified, suggesting a complex divine identity.

The Spirit of God is described as both distinct from and a part of God, interacting within creation.

The 'Son of Man' in Daniel's vision represents a human figure elevated to divine status, part of God's identity.

Jesus of Nazareth is portrayed as both fully human and divine, embodying the complex God of the Hebrew Scriptures.

Jesus performs actions reserved for YHWH, such as forgiving sins, indicating his divine nature.

Apostles describe Jesus using the language of God's attributes, like 'Glory of God' and 'Wisdom of God'.

Jesus' relationship with God as his 'Father' portrays a personal, loving divine being.

The Spirit of God is the medium through which Jesus and humanity experience God's love.

Jesus' promise of the Spirit sharing God's love with all creation is a central aspect of the Christian faith.

The concept of the Trinity as 'Tri-unity' reflects an eternal community of love holding the universe together.

Understanding God as a Tri-unity is not just a philosophical puzzle but a claim about the nature of reality and love.

The goal is not to merely understand God but to know and be known by God, participating in divine love.

The biblical portrayal of God's complex identity challenges and expands traditional conceptions of divinity.

Jesus' baptism narrative illustrates the relational dynamic between the Father, Son, and Spirit.

The biblical narrative consistently presents God's identity as both unified and multifaceted.

Transcripts

So, I've got a question that's always bothered me. The Bible says there is one God.

But, in other parts of the Bible, God is three: Father, Son and Spirit.

How can it be both?

Yeah, this is a question that has mystified people for thousands of years.

And, while we can't fully explain it,

I think we can better understand what it is that we can't fully understand.

What do you mean?

well, think of it this way:

Here is a two-dimensional plane.

And then, here is an object with three-dimensions, that is going to pass through the 2D plane.

Ok, right! From this perspective, the 3D object

is above and below the plane.

So, now it makes sense, but imagine you were a 2D person, stuck in the 2D plane.

What would you see?

I don't know... what would I see?

Well, it would look like this!

Oh! Yeah, ok.

From this perspective, it looks impossible- it's one object, then two objects and then three!

But in reality, they are all one, just not in the way you are capable of understanding.

Now, let's take this whole thing as a visual analogy for how we experience God.

The claim in the Bible, is that God is transcendent.

A divine being through whom we live, move and have our being,

or as Gods says "I AM".

Ok, but I live here in this universe

so, when God appears, it will make sense in some ways, but in other ways, it will break my categories.

Exactly! This happens all the time when people encounter the God of the Bible.

So, let's look first at how this happens in the Hebrew Scriptures.

Throughout the Hebrew Scriptures, God appears in complicated ways that don't quite fit our categories.

One common way this happens is with God's attributes.

So, an attribute is a way to describe what something is like.

For example, a soccer ball is round.

Right!

Or, God is wise.

Yeah, great! Let's take God's wisdom.

So, the Book of Proverbs says that God created the world by His wisdom.

But then, there are also poems in the Book of Proverbs that describe God's wisdom as a person,

A co-worker through whom God architected the universe.

So, God's attributes becomes a separate character?

Yeah! This also happens with God's glory,

which sometimes appears as a human figure on a throne that is engulfed in fire.

Or, take God's word, which He can speak to people,

but sometimes His word appears like a person.

Wait! So, God's attributes have become new little gods?

No, no! The biblical authors believe there is only one all-powerful God.

But they are comfortably talking about them as different characters.

Yeah! This is part of the way the biblical authors portray the one God's complex identity.

They are God's attributes and also distinct from God.

Distinct from God and also God?

Yes! Once we learn to spot that way of talking about God's identity, you begin to see it all over the Scriptures.

In fact, you find it in the first sentences of the Bible that mention the Spirit of God.

So, the opening line of the Bible is pretty familiar.

"In the beginning, God created..."

But then keep reading. Who is it that we see within creation hovering over the waters?

The Spirit of God!

Yeah! So, the spirit refers to God's personal presence and energy that we can interact with here within creation.

And so the Bible can refer to God's Spirit as distinct from God.

Distinct from God and also God.

It's God's Spirit.

And while this sounds strange from our point of view, this complexity is what the biblical authors are trying to get us to see.

So, we've looked at God's attributes and God's Spirit.

Now, let's make our last stop at exploring God's complex identity in the Hebrew Scriptures, with a character called the "Son of Man."

So, in the Bible, there is only one God that people are to worship.

Which makes this story in the Book of Daniel really surprising.

Daniel has a dream about a human figure,

called the Son of Man, which means a member of humanity.

And Daniel dreams about this human getting elevated on a cloud, up, and then higher up,

Up into God's space,

Yes, and then this human sits at the right hand of God's heavenly throne,

And all humanity worships this human alongside God.

A human, where I expect to see God?

Yeah! This human is a part of God's identity.

This vision is about the climactic hope of the whole biblical story.

God and humanity become one so they can rule the world together as one.

So, the Son of Man is distinct from God, and also God?

Exactly! So, think back over everything we've looked at.

In the Hebrew Scriptures, God's identity is complex.

An so, when Jesus' followers encounter God as the Father, the Son and the Spirit,

They already had categories for how these could all be the One God of the Bible.

Ok, let's talk about that.

Ok so, in the New Testament we're introduced to Jesus of Nazareth,

and He is human, but way more.

His favorite title to call himself was the "Son of Man."

The figure in Daniel's vision?

And, the claim is that He is this complex God becoming human,

to unite other humans with God.

Ok, so the Gospels portray Jesus as fully human.

And also as YHWH, the God of Israel.

Jesus went around saying and doing things that only YHWH can do, like:

forgiving people's sins, or calming the chaotic waters...

So, they are saying that Jesus is a human, distinct from God, and also God.

Yeah! And, that might sound crazy, unless you've been reading the Hebrew Scriptures, which prepared you for it.

And, then check this out:

Jesus' first followers, the Apostles, talked about His identity using the language of God's attributes.

They called Jesus the "Glory of God."

Or the apostle Paul called Jesus, "The Wisdom of God."

Or John opens his Gospel calling Jesus the "Word of God, through whom the world was created,"

and then he says: "The Word was with God and was God."

Ok, I get what they are doing and it hurts my brain.

Totally, and if you want to spin your brain even more consider this:

Jesus, who is portrayed as God become human, would talk to God as a distinct person.

And when he did, he called him "Father."

When Jesus talked about God, he wasn't referring to an abstract force or energy,

he was talking about a personal being that you can relate to.

There are a lot of personal images of God in the Bible - ruler, creator, judge...

But, Jesus consistently refer to God as "My Father."

Jesus experienced God as a source of infinite love.

He said: "the Father has loved me since before the creation of the world."

Apparently, Jesus knew the Father as an eternally others-centered, life-giving being.

Right! Like in the story about Jesus' baptism, when the Father says from heaven:

"This is My Son whom I love."

And then keep reading,

In that story, the person who brings that message of love from the Father to the Son, is the Spirit of God.

So, we've talk about God's spirit.

Here within creation, it is through the Spirit that we interact with the divine.

Yeah! And the same was true for Jesus.

Through the Spirit, He experienced the Father's love.

But it didn't stop there.

Jesus promised that through Him, the Spirit would go out and share the Father's love with all humanity and with all creation.

So, it can look like these are three distinct Gods, but in some way (that transcends my view of reality)

they're also one.

Right!

This is what, later, followers of Jesus called "The Trinity".

Father, the Son and the Spirit are the one God of the Bible.

I can see how they got there.

But, this isn't just a philosophy puzzle.

To describe God as a Tri-unity is to claim that the universe is held together by an eternal community of love.

Which is something that I can't really understand.

But, the God of the Bible isn't a being that you understand.

The point is to know, and be known, by this God,

So that we can participate in His love.