Posts Tagged "One God"

Logos

Posted by on Nov 21, 2009 in Godhead

The New Testament describes an aspect of God known as the Word, or in Greek the Logos. Some would say that the Logos is a person within the Godhead. Others would describe the Logos as the words of God- His speech. Others, such as those in Greek thought, would describe the Logos as a creative force. Who is the Logos? What do the scriptures say?

John 1:1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

In English, Logos is translated Word. Because of this, many Bible readers see this definition of Logos, Word, as the main aspect of Logos. Writers have described the Logos as the words of God, or His speech (Bernard, p. 60). The Logos is also described as the plan of God. The Logos is described as a play in the mind of a playwright (Bernard, p. 60). I’ve heard the description “My word’s with me”. This makes the Logos a philosophical idea. My words are not me. My plans are not me. My thoughts are not me. They come from me. I formulate them based on my own ideas and understandings, but no one can say they’ve met me just by reading my writings. I do believe these descriptions are partially describing the Logos, but as we’ll see from scripture, the Logos is much more than this.

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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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