The Trinity and the Nature of God (1RA0)

The Trinity

Christianity teaches that there is one God, who exists as three persons. This is the Trinity, set out in the Nicene Creed. All three are fully God, and there is still only one God:

Mark the claims

Five statements about the Trinity. Tap the TWO that a Christian would say are WRONG.

• Christians believe in one God who exists as three persons.
• The Trinity means Christians believe in three separate gods.
• The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are each fully God.
• The Trinity means one God who changes into a different form depending on the situation.
• All three persons of the Trinity appear at Jesus' baptism in Matthew's Gospel.

Match each person of the Trinity to its role

Creation, and two ways to read it

Christians believe God created the universe and humanity, as described in Genesis 1-3. John 1:1-18 adds that the Word and the Spirit were involved in creation. Christians differ, though, over how Genesis should be read, and both groups believe God is the creator:

Two Christians, one text

A Christian who reads Genesis _____ believes the six days describe six actual days, and will trust that account where it seems to conflict with science. A Christian who reads it _____ treats the chapter as poetry about God as creator, so she can accept the _____ and evolution and still say God made everything. Both are reading the same text and both believe God created the world; what differs is whether they take Genesis as _____.

The Incarnation

The Incarnation is the belief that God became human in Jesus, the incarnate Son of God. John 1:14 puts it as "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us", and 1 Timothy 3:16 speaks of God being "manifested in the flesh". Two halves of the claim, and dropping either one gets it wrong. Jesus is fully God, so saying he was only a great human teacher is not the Christian belief. And Jesus is fully human, not God wearing a disguise. Note which person became human: it is God the Son, not God the Father.

Find the mistake

A student writes: "The Incarnation means God the Father came down to earth and lived as Jesus." What is wrong with this sentence?

• It names the wrong person of the Trinity: it was God the Son who became human, not the Father
• Nothing is wrong: the three persons are the same, so it does not matter which is named
• Christians do not believe God became human at all
• Jesus was a human teacher rather than any part of God

The last days of Jesus

The Gospels (Luke 22-24) describe the final events of Jesus' life, central to Christian belief: - The Last Supper with his disciples. - His betrayal and arrest. - His trial and crucifixion (death on the cross). - His resurrection (rising from the dead) and ascension (returning to heaven).

The final events

Put the last days of Jesus into the order the Gospels describe.

• The Last Supper with his disciples
• Betrayal and arrest
• Trial before the authorities
• Crucifixion and death
• Resurrection on the third day
• Ascension to heaven

Why it matters

Why is the resurrection so important to Christians?

• It shows Jesus defeated death and offers believers the hope of eternal life
• It proves the earth is exactly 6000 years old
• It is only a symbol with no real importance
• It means Jesus never actually died

Plan the evaluation

The exam gives you this statement to evaluate: "Christians must believe that God created the world in six days." Work out what a full-mark answer needs.

• What does an "evaluate" question require you to include?
• Which Christian viewpoint would you use to SUPPORT the statement?
• What makes a conclusion "justified"?

Write the evaluation

Evaluate the statement: "Christians must believe that God created the world in six days." Refer to Christian teaching, give reasoned arguments on both sides, and reach a justified conclusion.

• Give at least one argument Christians would use to SUPPORT the statement, with a reason
• Give at least one argument Christians would use to DISAGREE with it, with a reason
• Refer to Christian teaching or a Bible reference somewhere in your answer
• Conclude by saying which arguments are stronger and WHY, rather than restating both sides

Beliefs summary

Christians believe in one God as a _____: Father, Son and Holy _____. In the _____, God became human in Jesus. Christians believe Jesus was crucified and then rose from the dead in the _____.