Plural God In Judaism - Tumblr Posts
Is the Trinity a Biblical Teaching?
By Author Eli Kittim
“While the developed doctrine of the Trinity
is not explicit in the books that constitute
the New Testament, the New Testament
possesses a ‘triadic’ understanding of God
and contains a number of Trinitarian
formulas, including Matthew 28:19, 2
Corinthians 13:14, 1 Corinthians 12:4-5,
Ephesians 4:4-6, 1 Peter 1:2 and Revelation
1:4-5” (Trinity, Wiki).
The Deity of God the Father
To begin with, there are numerous New Testament verses which reveal God as “Father” (e.g., John 6:27, Titus 1:4). This fundamental concept of the Father as the creator and source of all living beings is of course famously attested in the Hebrew Scriptures with terms such as Yahweh and Elohim!
The Deity of Jesus Christ
We also have multiple texts which refer to the deity of Jesus Christ, depicting him as the so-called Son of God, such as in Jn 1:1 (“the word was God”), Col. 2:9 (“in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily”), Jn 8:58 (“before Abraham was, I am”), Heb. 1:3 (“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact imprint of his being”), Tit. 2:13 (“our great God and Savior Jesus Christ”), as well as the explicit worship Christ willingly received from his followers (Luke 24:52; John 20:28) and the accusations of blasphemy leveled against him for equating himself with God (Mark 2:7).
The Deity of the Holy Spirit
The personhood of the Holy Spirit is multiply-attested in the New Testament. There are many verses which hint at the deity of the Holy Spirit, calling Him, for example, a “person” (ἐκεῖνος, meaning “He” Jn. 16:13-14; ὁ Παράκλητος, which depicts “a person”; & ἐκεῖνος, meaning “he” Jn. 15:26). The Holy Spirit is also called the “eternal Spirit” (Heb. 9:14), a term that is often used interchangeably with the concept of God (1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19; Acts 5:3-4; Rom. 8:9; 2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:21). For example, the Holy Spirit is called “Lord” in 2 Corinthians 3:17:
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the
Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”
Moreover, the Holy Spirit is said to have insight into “the depths of God” (1 Corinthians 2:10-11). He also possesses knowledge (Romans 8:27). The Spirit is also said to have a personal will (1 Corinthians 12:11). He is capable of convicting the world of sin (John 16:8), and performs signs and miracles (Acts 8:39). He also guides (John 16:13) and intercedes between people (Romans 8:26). He utters commands and is also obeyed (Acts 10:19-20; 16:6). The Spirit talks (Revelation 2:7; 14:13; 22:17). He warns and prophesies of things to come (John 16:13; Acts 20:23). And the New Testament certainly depicts Him as a member of the Trinity (John 16:14; Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14).
The Plurality in the Godhead
What is more, the plurality in the Godhead is well attested not only in the New Testament but also in the Old Testament (Gen. 1:1-3, 26; Psalm 2:7; and Dan. 7:13-14)! Furthermore, there are many New Testament passages that either mention or allude to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as if they are distinct persons with different functions, yet equated in rank and status as a unit (Matt. 28:19; Gal. 4:6; 1 Cor.12:4-6; 1 Peter 1:1-2; 2 Cor. 13:14; Eph. 2:18; 3:14-17; 4:4-6; 5:18-20; 6:18). After all, Mt. 28:18-20 reads:
“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All
authority in heaven and on earth has been
given to me. Go therefore and make
disciples of all nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father and of the Son and
of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to
obey everything that I have commanded
you. And remember, I am with you always,
to the end of the age.’ “
In Greek, 1 John 5:7 reads as follows:
ὅτι τρεῖς εἰσιν οἱ μαρτυροῦντες ἐν τῷ
οὐρανῷ ὁ πατὴρ ὁ λόγος καὶ τὸ ἅγιον
πνεῦμα καὶ οὗτοι οἱ τρεῖς ἕν εἰσιν.
(Stephens 1550 “Textus Receptus” aka
Received Text).
KJV Translation:
“For there are three that bear record in
heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy
Ghost: and these three are one.”
There has been much debate over 1 John 5:7 as to its authenticity (aka the “Johannine Comma”). Modern Bible versions that were formulated by mostly secular scholars in the 19th century, who largely denied the deity of Christ, used variant manuscripts (e.g., “Alexandrian texts”) to argue that 1 John 5:7 is an interpolation. However, scholars who have a high view of Scripture argue that the “Majority text” was more widely used by the early church and that this verse is in fact authentic and original.
The Trinity in the Hebrew Bible
A multiplicity of divine persons exists in the Hebrew Bible, as we find in Prov. 30:3-4, Gen. 35:1-7, as well as in Gen. 31:10-13 where the Angel of God is identified as God, no less!
Note the multi-personal God also in Eccles. 12:1 (YLT):
“Remember also thy Creators in days of thy
youth.”
While critics of the Triune God use Deut. 6:4 (The Shema) as a declaration of monotheism, this verse may also refer to a plurality of divine persons within the singular Godhead. The verse essentially reads:
Yahweh Elohenu Yahweh is one.
It Mentions God 3 times and then declares that he [is] one (echad). Besides mentioning God 3 times, the verse also uses the plural form ĕ·lō·hê·nū to suggest numerically more than one person. It’s tantamount to saying, Israel, pay attention to my declaration about God: one plus one plus one equals one (or 3 in 1)! Or, Yahweh, Elohenu, Yahweh = One (monotheism)! Elohenu is a noun, masculine plural construct, first person common plural. But what exactly does Deut. 6:4 mean when it says that God is one (echad)? Answer:
“Echad is the Hebrew word for one, but more
precisely it means a single entity but made
up of more than one part. There is another
Hebrew word from the same root – Yachid
which means single. The meaning of Echad
(more than one part) is a confirmation of
the Hebrew word Elohim which is translated
as God. Elohim is a plural word – more than
one . . .”
https://news.kehila.org/the-meaning-of-the-word-echad-one/
Moreover, Yahweh is not called qadosh (singular for ‘holy’) but qə·ḏō·šîm (plural) in Joshua 24:19 as well as in Prov. 9:10:
“The commencement of wisdom is the fear
of Jehovah, And a knowledge of the Holy
Ones is understanding.”
As for the distinction of the third person of the Trinity, namely, the Holy Spirit, besides 2 Sam. 23:2-3, read Isaiah 63:10-11:
“But they rebelled and grieved his holy spirit;
therefore he became their enemy; he
himself fought against them. Then they
remembered the days of old, of Moses his
servant. Where is the one who brought
them up out of the sea with the shepherds
of his flock? Where is the one who put
within them his Holy Spirit?”
Thus, the above-mentioned verses in the Hebrew Scriptures clearly support the theological concept of a plurality of persons within the singular Godhead, otherwise known as the Trinity.
The Plurality of Persons Within the Godhead Was Part of Judaism During the Time of Jesus
See my article: https://eli-kittim.tumblr.com/post/611381184411336704/the-two-powers-of-the-godhead-were-part-of-judaism
