THE TRI-UNITY OF GOD

THE TRI-UNITY OF GOD



One God or Three?

Real Christianity is monotheistic; One God. Trinity is not a biblical word, but a modern rendition of the triune nature of our one God. A more accurate word is Tri-Unity, one God with refutable evidence of plurality within the unity of God. In the Torah (Old Testament) God refers to Himself in the plural form


Is there a plurality in the name of God?


Of the 2,750 times the words El and Elohim are used for God, the plural form Elohim, is used 2,500 times and El, the singular form, is used only 250 times! However, in our English Bible the translators capitalized “g” in God when transmitting the Hebrew words for God – El and Elohim. In the Hebrew language these words mean “the all-powerful, almighty One.” Both these nouns are actually the same word. One, however, El, is the singular form, while the other, Elohim is the plural.

There are also two words from which to choose when communicating the truth about the nature of God. It is clear that Jehovah selected the word which identifies Himself as a plurality. The compound-unity noun is always chosen over the absolute singular. The choice of echad, instead of yachid, leaves no doubt as to what God intended to transmit.

Look at the Shema, Deuteronomy 6; 4, 5. It actually establishes rather than refutes the plurality of God. "Shema Yisroel Adonai Elohenu Adonai Echad..." Echad translated into English means "one", but it is a plural noun or compound unity like one crowd consisting of many people, or one bunch of grapes consisting of many grapes.

In Genesis 1:5, Moses used the word when he describes the first day of creation: "And God called the light Day, and the darkness he call Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. "This "one" day or "first" day is the Hebrew word echad. The one day referred to consisted of both light and darkness-evening and morning.

In Genesis 2:24, God revealed what was necessary for a happy marriage. He instructs the husband and the wife to become "one flesh", indicating that those two persons should be joined in perfect harmony as a unity. Here again the word one is echad. Echad is used to indicate oneness in a compound sense.

In Numbers 13, Moses recorded the account of the twelve Hebrew spies sent to view the land of Canaan. As they returned from the mission, according to verse 23, they paused at Eshcol to "cut down...a branch with one cluster of grapes..." The word "single", often translated "one" is again our word echad. The single cluster of grapes consisted of more than one grape.

In Ezra 2:64, it says, "The whole congregation together was forty and two thousand, three hundred and threescore." The words translated "whole congregation" in English are derived from the single Hebrew word echad. One congregation consisting of 43,360 individuals.

Jeremiah 32: 38 and 39 uses the same word, echad, to refer to a compound unity: “And they (Israel) shall be my people, and I will be their God; And I will give them one heart, and one way…”

Now this is interesting! There is another Hebrew word which signifies an absolute oneness. That word is yachid. In Genesis 22:2, Abraham is told: “Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering…” The term “only” is yachid. It is used again in verses 12 and 16 of the same chapter. There is just one son whom God recognizes. Isaac is the son of promise-there is none other. In this sense, yachid sets forth absolute singularity-one and only one.

Similarly, in Proverbs 4:3, Solomon states: “For I was my father’s son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.” In Psalm 22:20 David wrote: “Deliver my soul from the sword; my only one from the power of the dog” Judges 11:34, “And Jephthah cane to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances, and she was his only child; beside her he had neight son nor daughter.” Jeremiah 6:26 states, “O daughter of my people, gird thyself with sackcloth, and wallow thyself in ashes; make thee mourning, as for an only son…”

In Zechariah 12:10, as GOD himself is speaking: “…and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son…” so here, God Himself is speaking about when He himself gets pierced and later we see it is Christ Who was pierced.

Look at this one: Exodus, chapter 20, provides an excellent example. In this passage Moses is relaying the Ten Commandments from God to Israel. Jehovah declares, “I am the LORD thy God…Thou shalt have no other gods before me” (verses 2, 3). In this statement “God” and “gods” are identical Hebrew words. Both are the word Elohim. The variance in translation comes to us because the translators, while giving gods it’s proper plural form, chose in the other case to render Elohim in the singular.

Grammatically, it would be equally acceptable to say, “I am the LORD thy Gods…Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” Thus, this matter of plurality in the name of God should be recognized as a major question which must be reckoned with.


Why would God consistently select the plural form, Elohim, to demonstrate His unity? Would not the use of a singular form clearly establish the singular-unity concept? It appears He intentionally chose to communicate through Moses, the idea of plurality within His unity.

Plurality in personal pronouns, when used in reference to our Lord, lends additional documentation to verify the tri-unity of God. Take a look at these 3 passages: Genesis 1:26,27 says, “And God (Elohim) said, Let US make man in OUR image after OUR likeness…So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them” stay with me here…

The Hebrew nouns “image” and “likeness” are in the singular person, thus indicating that the speaker and the person spoken to are one and the same. The conclusion is illuminating: Plurality (“us and “our”) is fused with singular terms (“image and “likeness”), thereby displaying what we might call a unity-in-oneness. Reinforcement is provided by verse 27 when God refers to Himself in the person singular pronouns “His” and “He”.

Remember, only God can create, this is in evidence throughout the Scriptures,. Since this is true, who then is referred to in the statement, “Let US make man in OUR image…after OUR likeness”? There is only one logical conclusion, it has to be God.


“…Behold, the man is become as one of us….Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the Garden of Eden…” (Genesis 3:22, 23).

Later, at the scattering of humanity from before the Tower of Babel, “Come, let us go down, and there confound their language…So the LORD scattered them abroad..”(Genesis 11:7, 8). Once more, the plural personal pronoun “us” is used, followed by a reference to God-it was “the LORD” who executed the decision, “…let US go down”




Tri-Unity or Polytheism?


Is believing in a God who consists in more than one person polytheism? Psalm 45, Israel’s king is set forth as God. Specifically, in verses 6 and 7 we read: “Thy throne, O God, if forever and ever; the scepter of thy kingdom is a right scepter. Thou lovest righteousness and hatest wickedness; therefore God, thy God hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.” Who then, is God’s God?

Again in Psalm 110, verse 1, King David says: “The LORD said unto my Lord, sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.” The question raised here is: Who is David referring to as his Lord? At the time of this writing, David was the king of Israel. There was none greater than David, except God. Who then would be considered David’s Lord? To whom was God speaking?

In Genesis 18 and 19, Moses records the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. It is evident throughout these chapters that the Lord himself appeared to Abraham as one of the three men who visited him. In verse 24 of chapter 19, we read: “Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven.” Unquestionably, this reference is identifying two individual persons. Here again the choice is evident: Polytheism or the tri-unity of God. I am certain the bible does NOT teach polytheism!

To accuse Christians of believing in three gods is a baseless assertion. Polytheism projects gods who are independent entities – gods who consistently act at cross-purposes with one another. Within the tri-unity there is always absolute unity in desire, design and execution. Every biblical reference shows the Father, Son and Holy Spirit operating in perfect union. This fact alone emphasized the great difference between the concepts.


Jesus is Recognized as God


“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, or order it, and to establish it with justice and with righteousness from hence forth even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this” (Isaiah 9:6, 7).

These verses tell us that the One upon whom the government will rest, and through whom justice, peace and righteousness will come to the earth, is at the same time both man and God. As a child He is born to the nation Israel.

This conveys emphatically Jesus’ humanity. At the same time, however, He is also recognized to be God, for He is a Son given by God. This child and Son is called “The Mighty God”. In addition, He is given several other titles which can only refer to God. He is called “Wonderful, Counselor…The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

Jeremiah joins Isaiah to insist that the Messiah is God in flesh. “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely; and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS” (Jeremiah 23:5, 6).

This statement refers to Jesus, who will be from the lineage of David. As King of Israel, He will bring justice, righteousness and peace to the earth. Who will accomplish all of this? According to this portion of God’s Word, He will be the righteous Branch of David (Messiah) – Jehovah-Tsidkenu. “THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”

Since God makes it absolutely clear that there are no gods besides Himself, how can we understand His calling His servant, Jesus the Messiah, God? It can only be understood when we see that this Son of God, this righteous Branch, is indeed God.



Jesus is Eternal


God reveals Himself as eternal, that He not only exists forever, but He has no beginning-He always was, as He revealed Himself to Moses as, “II AM THAT I AM” (Exodus 3:14) – a declaration designed to show His awe-smitten servant the past, present and future existence of His divine Person. There are many other passages in the Old and New Testaments which inform us that before anything was brought into existence, God was there.

There are also teachings on Jesus’ preexistence. Not only was He to be born as a human being at some historical point in time, but also according to Micah, the Messiah (Son of God) is from everlasting.


In Chapter 5, verse 2 of his message, this Jewish prophet writes: “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.”


The birthplace of the coming Prince was foretold centuries before He made His appearance. He would come to the human scene not simply as the product of a virgin’s womb, but emerging from the regions of eternity where He existed from everlasting.