Posts Tagged "Doctrine of God"

Let Us Make Man

Posted by on Nov 18, 2009 in Godhead

In thousands of verses in scripture, singular pronouns are used in reference to God. In four verses, a plural pronoun is used. Why? Is this a contradiction? Why would God speak in the singular so often and then suddenly speak in the plural? Let’s look at Genesis 1:26-27 and see who God is referring to when He said ‘Let Us’.

Genesis 1:26-27  26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.  27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

Notice that after God said the phrases ‘Let us’, ‘our image’, and ‘our likeness’, the next verse says ‘his own image’, ‘he him’, and ‘he them’. The very next verse uses singular pronouns.

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Elohim

Posted by on Nov 16, 2009 in Godhead

We see the word Elohim in the very first verse of scripture:

Genesis 1:1  In the beginning God (Elohim) created the heaven and the earth

The Hebrew word for God, Elohim is the plural form of Eloah and it is used in the Old Testament more than any other word for God. The plural ending –im has caused many to conclude that God is a plurality of persons, or even multiple deities (polytheism – belief in more than one God). In this study we will look at the word Elohim and see how it is used in scripture and see why it is plural.

How does the Hebrew language use plural words?

In the Hebrew language, there are many words that are plural but have a singular connotation. Here are a few examples (Graves, p. 28).

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The Doctrine of God

Posted by on Oct 29, 2009 in Godhead

There are many verses in the Bible that say there is one God. The scriptures use terms like Holy One of Israel, no god beside me, none else, alone, by myself, etc. Many religions claim to believe this fundamental truth, but what is meant by ‘one God’? How is God one? Are there three Gods that are one in unity? Is there one God that exists in three personas? Is there one God that simultaneously exists as three individual persons? Is there one God in three forms? Is there one God in number, with many attributes and manifestations? What do the scriptures say?

The scriptures declare that God is one in number:

Deuteronomy 6:4  Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD

Exodus 20:3  Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

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