It is also essential when trying to explain the Trinity to a nonbeliever that you have built a good relationship with them.
Explaining the Trinity to nonbelievers is not an easy task. As someone who has tried to share the Trinity on many occasions with a nonbeliever, I can attest that it's quite difficult. Since there are so many false views surrounding the Trinity, it can be hard to explain the Trinity to nonbelievers. Rather than them understanding the Trinity, it’s almost as though it is an unbelievable concept to them. If you are interested in sharing and explaining the Trinity to nonbelievers, it can be challenging, but it can be done.
In my time at seminary, I gained a deeper understanding of the Trinity and would like to share some tips and tricks of sharing this often confusing concept with nonbelievers:
The Trinity
Before you can explain the Trinity to nonbelievers, you have to know about the distinct parts of the Trinity. The Trinity consists of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, which is God. God is one, but three distinct persons. When we say God, we could mean the Father, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, or all three. It is important to note that this is monotheism, not polytheism. Monotheism is when you believe in one God; whereas, polytheism believes in multiple gods. Examples of polytheism include Hinduism and Buddhism.
Christianity is monotheistic because we only believe in one God. The Trinity is not three gods, but rather, one God. The Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are all three distinct persons of the Godhead. Each is equal, and neither of them is superior to another. With this in mind, we have to understand that this teaching can be quite hard for an unbeliever to comprehend, especially for the first time. It is best to slowly introduce these concepts in order not to throw too much information at them all at once. Take it slow and be patient when you are explaining the Trinity to nonbelievers.
A Lesson from St. Patrick
It can also be helpful to take a lesson from St. Patrick. He helped nonbelievers understand the Trinity through the example of a three-leaf clover, also known as a shamrock. Three-leaf clovers have three leaves, yet they are still one plant. In the same way, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are all three distinct “leaves,” yet one “plant.” When we explain it from this perspective, it can help nonbelievers better understand the Trinity.
It is also important to note that Satan has blinded the minds of unbelievers to the truth of the Bible (2 Corinthians 4:4). This can make it difficult for nonbelievers to understand the Trinity. We must keep this in mind while explaining the Trinity to unbelievers. Don’t let this cause you to lose hope because God is more powerful than any of Satan’s schemes. Before you try to explain the Trinity to nonbelievers, pray for God to open the mind of the individual and help him or her understand the Trinity. Never underestimate the power of prayer.
The Power of Prayer
Through praying for the unbeliever beforehand, you will have God’s help in explaining the Trinity. God will always help you as you explain deep truths of the Bible even if you don’t see any physical evidence right away. We often worry about messing up or stuttering out our words, but what ultimately matters is our obedience to God. If we are obeying and we are informing others about the correct view of the Trinity, then we are doing right. God will help our conversations as we explain the Trinity to nonbelievers.
It is unrealistic to think that anyone would understand the Trinity right away, even if we do our absolute best. For me, it took a long time throughout undergrad to fully understand the Trinity. The Trinity is a complex doctrine that can be extremely hard to explain as well as to understand. I had known Jesus was God, and I had placed faith in Him, but for the life of me, I couldn’t understand the Trinity fully. It took many years of training in college for me to actually understand the Trinity. Thus, if you can’t help a nonbeliever understand the Trinity right away, don’t think there is anything wrong with what you are doing.
Give it some time and go to God in prayer. Ask Him to help you explain the Trinity in an understandable way that will best aid the believer. Maybe even using the three-leaf clover can help as you explain the Trinity. Oftentimes, it might take many attempts at explaining the Trinity to nonbelievers for them to start having a little understanding of the Trinity. Try to meet up with them regularly to talk about the Trinity and be open to any questions. They might try to pose some more difficult questions; therefore, make sure you are studied up, prayed up, and willing to engage in difficult conversations with grace and truth.
Relationship Is Key
It is also essential when trying to explain the Trinity to a nonbeliever that you have built a good relationship with them. It is best to have a solid friendship with the individual before talking about deep doctrines of the Bible. Since friendships are built on trust, it is best to have a solid friendship before you begin discussing the Trinity. By having a solid friendship, they are going to be more prone to listen to you and try to understand what you are telling them. However, if you don’t know the person too well and try to explain the Trinity to them, they might not give you the time of day. Instead, your attempts at helping could come off as pushy, judgmental, or invasive.
Therefore, do your best to build a strong friendship with the person you are trying to explain the Trinity to and continue to be their friend even if they don’t understand the Trinity right away. It might take many times for you to explain the Trinity for the person to understand. You also need to remember God’s role in this as He can guide the nonbeliever and open their heart to understanding the Trinity. Even though it is not required for salvation to understand the Trinity before placing faith in Christ, understanding the Trinity can be a catalyst in helping the nonbeliever come to know Jesus.
The Trinity helps us know that the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are all God. Many times, people are under the false belief that only the Father is God, but this isn’t true. The Father is God; however, so are Jesus and the Holy Spirit. The Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are all God. One distinct God, yet three distinct persons. As you start thinking about explaining the Trinity to nonbelievers, keep in mind that this can be an extremely tricky task, and it is important that you hold true to the doctrine of the Trinity. It can also help to share your own moment when you came to finally understand the Trinity.
Sharing the deep truths of the Bible can be hard, but we are never alone. God helps us in all of our difficulties, including the difficult times of explaining the Trinity to nonbelievers. As mentioned, pray ahead of time, ask God for direction, do your best to stay with the doctrine of the Trinity, and make sure you try to build a trusting friendship before you start talking about the Trinity. Again, I highly recommend using the three-leaf clover as an example of explaining the Trinity. Be patient and wait on God’s power to be shown through your life in helping someone understand the Trinity.
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