hishandmaiden
Member
- Jun 14, 2014
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From the very first verses of the Bible, a profound mystery unfolds: the plurality within God. The Hebrew word for God, Elohim, used in Genesis 1 and throughout much of the Old Testament, is strikingly plural. This plurality is not merely a grammatical curiosity—it carries deep theological significance.
In the opening lines of Genesis, God is distinguished from the Spirit of God (Ruach Elohim) in Genesis 1:1–2. Then, in Genesis 2:4, the text introduces another layer of distinction, identifying the Creator as the Lord God (Yahweh Elohim). As the story of humanity begins, this Yahweh Elohim emerges as the One who interacts—often in physical form—with His creation (e.g., Genesis 3:8; 12:1). This divine figure, who walks with Adam in the garden and calls Abram out of Ur, is sometimes referred to as “the angel of the Lord” (Genesis 16:7–11; 22:11–15; Exodus 3:2, 4) and even, on occasion, as “a man” (Genesis 32:24–30). These early biblical references hint at a profound truth: there are three distinct Persons who are one in essence and equality—God, the Spirit of God, and the Representative of God to humanity. While the term representative is not explicitly used in these texts, it fittingly describes the role of this particular Person within the Godhead. This triune nature of God is what we now understand as the Trinity.
Given the complexity of the idea that God is one yet three Persons, various alternative explanations have emerged. Some have proposed that the three-ness of God implies three entirely separate gods—a polytheistic interpretation of the Trinity. Others suggest that the three-ness refers merely to three different expressions or modes of the same Person—a modalistic view. While these interpretations aim to simplify what is often seen as a challenging concept, they do not align with the biblical witness. Scripture consistently presents God as three distinct Persons who are fully one in essence. This unity and plurality are so vital to the identity of God that He declares it to the Israelites: “Hear, O Israel, Yahweh is our Elohim. Yahweh is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4).
The triunity of God is directly asserted in Isaiah 48. The One who called Israel speaks in Isaiah 48:12, identifying Himself as the same God who renamed Jacob as Israel after their mysterious encounter in Genesis 32:28. There, Jacob wrestled with a “man” who blessed him, and Jacob recognized this man as God (Genesis 32:30). This same One, speaking in Isaiah 48, refers to Himself as “the first and the last”—a title He had previously claimed in Isaiah 44:6, where He identified Himself as Yahweh, the King of Israel, the first and the last, and the only God. He also claims to be the Creator (Isaiah 48:13). Importantly, He adds in Isaiah 48:16, “now the Sovereign Lord has sent me, endowed with his Spirit.” Thus, God is sent by the Lord God (Adon Yahweh) and by His Spirit.
The New Testament reveals that all these declarations in Isaiah 48 are fulfilled in Jesus. He is the Yahweh who interacted with Abraham (John 8:56–59). He was born to be the King of Israel (Matthew 2:2). He is the first and the last (Revelation 1:17; 2:3; 22:13). He is the Creator (John 1:3). He was sent by His Father and empowered by the Spirit (Matthew 3:16–17; John 1:32–34; 5:23). In Isaiah 48:12 and 16, the preincarnate Jesus identifies Himself as God, yet distinguishes Himself from the One He calls His Father and from the Spirit—just as He does again in John 14:15–16 and in Matthew 28:19.
The triunity of God—one God in three Persons, the Trinity—is not just a theological concept but a central truth of the Bible, woven throughout the Scriptures. It is a cornerstone of Jesus’ own teaching and a revelation of the divine mystery that invites us into a deeper understanding of who God is.
In the opening lines of Genesis, God is distinguished from the Spirit of God (Ruach Elohim) in Genesis 1:1–2. Then, in Genesis 2:4, the text introduces another layer of distinction, identifying the Creator as the Lord God (Yahweh Elohim). As the story of humanity begins, this Yahweh Elohim emerges as the One who interacts—often in physical form—with His creation (e.g., Genesis 3:8; 12:1). This divine figure, who walks with Adam in the garden and calls Abram out of Ur, is sometimes referred to as “the angel of the Lord” (Genesis 16:7–11; 22:11–15; Exodus 3:2, 4) and even, on occasion, as “a man” (Genesis 32:24–30). These early biblical references hint at a profound truth: there are three distinct Persons who are one in essence and equality—God, the Spirit of God, and the Representative of God to humanity. While the term representative is not explicitly used in these texts, it fittingly describes the role of this particular Person within the Godhead. This triune nature of God is what we now understand as the Trinity.
Given the complexity of the idea that God is one yet three Persons, various alternative explanations have emerged. Some have proposed that the three-ness of God implies three entirely separate gods—a polytheistic interpretation of the Trinity. Others suggest that the three-ness refers merely to three different expressions or modes of the same Person—a modalistic view. While these interpretations aim to simplify what is often seen as a challenging concept, they do not align with the biblical witness. Scripture consistently presents God as three distinct Persons who are fully one in essence. This unity and plurality are so vital to the identity of God that He declares it to the Israelites: “Hear, O Israel, Yahweh is our Elohim. Yahweh is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4).
The triunity of God is directly asserted in Isaiah 48. The One who called Israel speaks in Isaiah 48:12, identifying Himself as the same God who renamed Jacob as Israel after their mysterious encounter in Genesis 32:28. There, Jacob wrestled with a “man” who blessed him, and Jacob recognized this man as God (Genesis 32:30). This same One, speaking in Isaiah 48, refers to Himself as “the first and the last”—a title He had previously claimed in Isaiah 44:6, where He identified Himself as Yahweh, the King of Israel, the first and the last, and the only God. He also claims to be the Creator (Isaiah 48:13). Importantly, He adds in Isaiah 48:16, “now the Sovereign Lord has sent me, endowed with his Spirit.” Thus, God is sent by the Lord God (Adon Yahweh) and by His Spirit.
The New Testament reveals that all these declarations in Isaiah 48 are fulfilled in Jesus. He is the Yahweh who interacted with Abraham (John 8:56–59). He was born to be the King of Israel (Matthew 2:2). He is the first and the last (Revelation 1:17; 2:3; 22:13). He is the Creator (John 1:3). He was sent by His Father and empowered by the Spirit (Matthew 3:16–17; John 1:32–34; 5:23). In Isaiah 48:12 and 16, the preincarnate Jesus identifies Himself as God, yet distinguishes Himself from the One He calls His Father and from the Spirit—just as He does again in John 14:15–16 and in Matthew 28:19.
The triunity of God—one God in three Persons, the Trinity—is not just a theological concept but a central truth of the Bible, woven throughout the Scriptures. It is a cornerstone of Jesus’ own teaching and a revelation of the divine mystery that invites us into a deeper understanding of who God is.