Teaching Tip of the Week

5/5/97
Check back Mondays for the latest!

Explaining the Trinity


The basic job of explaining the Trinity to children (or to adults) is to maintain the distinctions of the three persons while not compromising the unity of God. As I have heard Hank Hanegraaff of the Christian Research Institute explain, God is "One what and three whos."

Children usually think of God the Father first whenever God is mentioned. So when talking about Jesus, let them know that Jesus has always been God and He became a man without stopping to be God. He is 100% God and 100% man at the same time. Colossians 1:13-18 and Philippians 2:5-11 can help here.

Be careful of referring to the Holy Spirit as "it." Talking about Him as the "helper" that Jesus sent can help children understand that He is a person, not a thing. He is the One who lives in each believer from the time of salvation. John 16:7-14 and Titus 3:4-7 are good passages on the Holy Spirit.


Back to The Teaching Tip of the Week.