Lesson video

Hi, my name is Ms. Minton, and welcome to this Christianity: Beliefs and Teachings lesson on the Holy Trinity.

Now, by the end of this lesson, you'll be able to explain Christian beliefs about the Trinity, including the importance and influence of these beliefs.

Now, lots of our learning today might be new to you, but please don't worry because I'm here to guide you through each step of our lesson, and I'm confident that by the end, you will achieve this outcome.

So let's get started by taking a look at our keywords for today.

We have Holy Spirit, Trinity, oneness of God, the Father, and the Son or Son of God.

Now, the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, and many Christians believe that the Holy Spirit has been present with believers since Pentecost and is active on earth.

The Trinity refers to the three persons of God, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

The oneness of God refers to the belief that God is one singular divine being who can be manifest in the three persons of the Trinity.

The Father refers to the first person of the Trinity, and it's the belief in God as a creator and sustainer of the universe.

And finally, the Son or Son of God refers to the second person of the Trinity.

Most Christians believe that this is Jesus, who is God incarnate.

Now, our lesson today will have two parts.

We'll start by looking at Christian belief in the Trinity, and we'll then move on to look at the importance and influence of these beliefs.

So let's get started and take a look at Christian belief in the Trinity.

Now, if we take a look at the word Trinity, we can see it begins with the prefix tri.

Now, I'd like you to pause the video and either talk to a partner or have a think to yourself about whether you know any other words that begin with the prefix tri.

Off you go.

Okay, so you may have considered words like tricycle or tripod, for example, and you may have began to notice that when words start with the prefix tri, it refers to three.

Now, the second part of the word Trinity refers to unity.

So together as a whole, the Trinity is the belief that there is one God in three persons.

Now, the Trinity can also be referred to as the Holy Trinity, because the Trinity is God.

Now, these three persons of the Trinity are the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and this belief in the Trinity is held by most Christians.

So let's check your understanding.

Who are the three persons of the Trinity? A, the Father, the Son and the Heavenly Spirit, B, the Creator, the Son and the Holy Soul, C, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, or D, the Father, the Daughter, and the Holy Spirit? Well done.

The correct answer is C.

The three persons of the Trinity are the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Christians who believe in the Trinity still agree that there is only one God, and that each person of the Trinity is fully God, but that also each person of the Trinity is distinct from the other persons.

So in other words, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are all fully God, but each of them are distinct from the other persons.

Now, this belief that God is one singular divine being is known as the oneness of God.

Now, you might be feeling at the moment like the concepts of the Trinity and the oneness of God are quite tricky to understand, and if you do feel like that, then that is perfectly okay, because actually, many Christians refer to the Trinity as a mystery, and that's because they believe that it's something they can never fully understand, because God is outside and beyond human understanding.

Now, some people have tried to understand the Trinity through using analogies, but actually even analogies are not sufficient in helping people understand the Trinity, and that's because God is beyond human terms and beyond human understanding.

So let's check your learning.

Many Christians believe that each person of the Trinity is blank God, but distinct from the other persons.

What's the missing word in this sentence? Is it, A, partly, B, fully, C, mostly, or D, slightly? Well done.

The missing word is B, fully.

So many Christians believe that each person of the Trinity is fully God, but distinct from the other persons.

Well done.

The word Trinity is not actually used in the Bible, but throughout the New Testament, there are many references to each person of the Trinity, and many Christians have used the New Testament to try and understand each person of the Trinity.

Now, God the Father is believed by many Christians to be the creator of earth, human beings and all living things, and this is described in the creation accounts in Genesis one and two.

Now, God, the Father can also be compared to a loving parent, and this is because he cares for and loves his creation, just like a parent cares for and loves their child.

Many Christians believe that God's nature as omnipotent, omnibenevolent and just can be seen through the person of God the Father.

God the Son refers to Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God and the second person of the Trinity.

Now, many Christians actually believe that Jesus as the Son of God and a person of the Trinity reflects that Jesus is God in human form, which is known as incarnation.

Now, the Gospel of John makes reference to Jesus being the Son of God and highlights Jesus as a person of the Trinity.

In John 14:6 it says this, "I am the way and the truth and the life.

No one comes to the Father except through me." Now what we can see in this passage is Jesus declaring himself as God and showing that He's a person of the Trinity.

We then see this again when Jesus goes on to say, "Don't you believe that I am the Father and the Father is me." Now, Jesus's unity with the Father is also shown again when Jesus says, "I and the Father are one." Now, these three passages from the Gospel of John show that Jesus is the Son of God and a person of the Trinity.

God the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, and the Holy Spirit is the spirit of God on earth, which inspires and guides people.

And many Christians believe that the Holy Spirit is the invisible presence and work of God that's been active in the world since Jesus ascended to heaven and the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles during Pentecost.

The Holy Spirit is also mentioned in the New Testament and is mentioned as being present during several important moments, including Jesus' baptism when the Holy Spirit appeared in the form of a dove.

Now, following the appearance of the Holy Spirit, the Gospel of Matthew says, "And a voice from heaven said, 'This is my son whom I love.

With him, I am well pleased.

'" Now, the voice from heaven shows the unity between God the Father and God the Holy Spirit, which again demonstrates the oneness of God and the Trinity.

So let's check your understanding.

True or false, the New Testament can be used to show that Christians believe in three gods? Well done, that statement is false, but why is that statement false? Well, it's because Christians believe in only one God, not three gods, and the New Testament can be used to understand the three persons of God, which are the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

But these three persons of the Trinity are all one God and not three Gods.

So well done for recognising that that statement is false and for recognising the reason why.

Now, as we've seen, the word Trinity is not used in the Bible, but the references to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit that can be found in the Bible have laid the foundation for the Trinity to become an official teaching within many Christian churches.

And many Christians today refer to a statement of belief that's known as the Nicene Creed to support the belief in the oneness of God and the Trinity.

The Nicene Creed sets out Christian beliefs about the Trinity and does so by making reference to each person of the Trinity individually.

Now, this statement was first adopted at the Council of Nicea in 325 CE, but it's still used by many Christians today.

The Nicene Creed says this about the Father, "We believe in one God, the Father, the almighty maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen." Now, I'd like you to pause the video and either talk to a partner, talk to me or have a think to yourself, how does this part of the Nicene Creed describe the Father? Off you go.

Okay, so this part of the Nicene Creed describes the Father as the almighty creator of all things.

Now, the Nicene Creed then goes on to describe the Son, and it says this, "For us men and for our salvation, he came down from heaven; by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and was made man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried." I'd like you to pause the video again, and this time I'd like you to discuss how does the Nicene Creed describe the Son? Off you go.

So the Nicene Creed here describes the Son as the saviour and as God in human form, which is known as incarnation.

The Nicene Creed then goes on to describe the Holy Spirit, and it says this, "We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son." Now, I'd like you to focus on the word proceed, and I'd like you to pause the video and either talk to a partner or have a think to yourself, what does it mean to proceed? Off you go.

Well done.

So to proceed means to begin something or to move forward with a course of action.

So now we know this, I'd like you to pause the video again, but this time I'd like you to discuss or have a think about how this part of the Nicene Creed describes the Holy Spirit.

Off you go.

So here the Nicene Creed describes the Holy Spirit as God through the phrase "the Lord," and it describes the Holy Spirit as the giver of life who comes from the Father and the Son to begin work on earth.

So let's now check your understanding.

Which statement best describes where Christian beliefs about the Trinity come from? A, the term Trinity originally comes from the Bible but beliefs have since been formalised into sources, such as the Nicene Creed, or B, the term Trinity is not mentioned in the Bible, but teachings from the Bible have been used to inform later sources such as the Nicene Creed.

Well done.

The correct answer is B.

So the term Trinity is not mentioned in the Bible, but teachings from the Bible have been used to inform later sources, like the Nicene Creed.

Well done.

It's now time for a task.

Jacob has written part of a response to the following task: describe Christian beliefs about the Trinity.

So far, Jacob has said that the Trinity refers to the Christian belief in three persons of God, which are the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Most Christians believe in one God who is in these three persons, and that each person of the Trinity is distinct from the others at the same time as being fully God.

Now, I would like you to complete the next part of the response with another belief about the Trinity, and I'd like you to include a source of wisdom and authority, and accurately apply this to your point about the Trinity.

So pause the video and have a go.

Well done for your work during that task.

So Jacob had written the first part of a response to this task: describe Christian beliefs about the Trinity.

And you were asked to complete the next part of the response and include a source of wisdom and authority, and accurately apply this to your point about the Trinity.

Your response might be similar to this.

Another Christian belief about the Trinity is that each person of the Trinity can help Christians understand God's nature.

For example, through the Old Testament in Genesis, Christians can learn that God the Father is the Creator, and through the New Testament, Christians can learn that God the Son is Jesus, the Son of God, and that the Holy Spirit is God's presence on earth guiding people.

These descriptions of the Trinity can help Christians gain a better understanding of what God is like.

Now, what you can see from my answer is that I've used both the Old Testament and the New Testament as my source of wisdom and authority.

Now, you may have used just one source of wisdom and authority and that is perfectly fine, as long as like me, you've been able to say what that source of wisdom and authority teaches, and accurately apply it to your point.

So well done again for your work on that task.

We're now moving on to the second part of our lesson, which is to look at the importance and influence of the Trinity.

For many Christians, their belief in the Trinity has the ability to shape their thoughts, beliefs, and actions.

And this is because for Christians who believe in the Trinity, this belief is of great importance.

I'd like you to pause the video now and either talk to a partner, talk to me, or have a think to yourself, why is the belief in the Trinity significant for Christians? So why is this belief important? Off you go.

So as part of your thoughts or your discussions, you may have considered that the belief in the Trinity is significant because it emphasises the oneness of God, and it helps Christians to understand God's nature, particularly his nature as being omnibenevolent and a creator.

It's also significant because it enables Christians to relate to God through Jesus, who is the second person of the Trinity.

And it's significant because it provides comfort for Christians because they know that the Holy Spirit is present on earth.

So let's check your understanding.

Fill in the blanks.

For many Christians, the belief in the Trinity is significant because it emphasises the blank of God.

Fantastic.

The missing word is oneness.

So for many Christians, the belief in the Trinity is significant because it emphasises the oneness of God.

Well done.

Now the belief in the Trinity can influence Christians in many different ways, and one example of how belief in the Trinity influences Christians is that it often plays a significant role within worship.

Danielle is Roman Catholic, and she explains how her belief in the Trinity influences the way in which she worships.

She says, "I believe that God is one in three persons; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

This belief is a key feature of worship when I go to church and when I pray at home.

Before I begin worship or prayer, I make the sign of the cross on my forehead, shoulders and chest and say 'In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

' This serves as a reminder in my belief in one God as three persons." Fiona and Tia are also Christian, and they discuss how their belief in the Trinity influences how they worship.

Fiona is Anglican and she says, "My belief in the Trinity influences me to recite the Nicene Creed as a prayer during worship.

I also sing hymns that make reference to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit." Tia is Methodist and she says, "I use the Lord's prayer to reflect my belief in the Trinity, because the Lord's prayer begins with 'Our Father.

'" So what we've seen here from three different examples is that the belief in the Trinity can influence Christian worship, but it can influence Christian worship in a variety of different ways.

Asher also explains how his belief in the Trinity influences how he worships.

Asher says, "The Holy Spirit plays an important role in my worship.

I believe that the Holy Spirit helps me express praise and devotion to God.

At my church, worship is often spontaneous and involves singing and dancing; this allows the Holy Spirit to move through believers.

Through worship, members of the congregation can be filled with the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit can speak through them, which is known as speaking in tongues." So what we can see here is another example of how the belief in the Trinity can influence Christian practises like worship but in a different way.

So let's check your understanding.

Which of the following is not an example of how belief in the Trinity can influence Christian worship? A, praying to three gods, B, using the Lord's prayer, C, making the sign of the cross, or D, reciting the Nicene Creed? Well done.

The correct answer is A.

Praying to three gods is not an example of how Christian belief in the Trinity can influence worship, and this is because Christians believe in only one God.

Now, as well as the belief in the Trinity influencing how Christians worship, it can also influence how Christians act and behave in their everyday life.

So we're going to look at how each person of the Trinity can influence a Christian's behaviour.

So the Father can influence Christians to care for creation, and this is because Christians believe that God the Father is responsible for creation.

The Son can influence Christians to treat others with kindness and compassion, and this is because many of Jesus's teachings focused on how to treat other people, so Christians can use Jesus, the Son of God, as an example of how to treat others.

And finally, the Holy Spirit can influence Christians to spread the word of God, and this is because that's what the Holy Spirit gave the Apostles the ability to do during Pentecost.

It's now time for you to have a go at a task.

This table contains points about the importance of the Trinity for Christians.

The points are: the Trinity confirms that God is responsible for creation through God the Father.

The Trinity allows Christians to relate to God through Jesus, the Son.

And the Trinity provides comfort through the belief that the Holy Spirit is present on earth.

Now, I'd like you to complete the table by explaining how each belief about the importance of the Trinity can influence Christians today.

So pause the video and have a go.

Well done for your work during that task.

So you were asked to complete the table by explaining how each belief about the importance of the Trinity can influence Christians today.

For the point that the Trinity confirms that God is responsible for creation through God the Father, you may have said that many Christians try to protect God's creation, and that Christians may do this by caring for the environment and taking steps to reduce damage to the environment, like recycling.

For the point that the Trinity allows Christians to relate to God through Jesus the Son, you may have said that many Christians try to follow the examples and teachings of Jesus as a way of following God's example and becoming closer to God.

And finally, for the point that the Trinity provides comfort through the belief that the Holy Spirit is present on earth, you may have said that Christians may reflect the presence of the Holy Spirit in their worship.

For example, for some Christians, worship can be spontaneous and includes singing and dancing, which allows the Holy Spirit to move through the congregation.

So well done for your work explaining how each belief about the importance of the Trinity can influence Christians today.

We've now reached the end of our lesson on the Holy Trinity.

But before we finish, let's take a look at some of the key things that we've learned today.

So we've learned that the Trinity is the belief held by most Christians that there is one God in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and that each person of the Trinity is fully God, but at the same time is distinct from the other persons.

We've also learned that there are many references to the three persons of the Trinity in the New Testament and the Nicene Creed, and that the Trinity is important for most Christians because it emphasises beliefs about God, including the oneness of God, and it can also influence Christian worship.

We've also seen that the Trinity can also influence Christian behaviour by encouraging them to care for creation and to care for others.

So well done for all of your work this lesson.

It's been wonderful learning with you.