The Trinity Since Creation

The Trinity Since Creation

Too many Christians attempt to evolve Christian theology as science evolves.  For example, the theories of Pangaea and evolution tell a story of an Earth that is millions of years old.  Non-coincidentally, a cult within Christianity arises that accepts what scientific theory tells them and maintains their Christian views by adding onto scripture theories such as a pre-adamic society.  I don’t think that I need to remind you of what Galatians 1:8 says, but clearly adding to scripture is wrong and therefore, Christianity should not evolve no matter what science tells us.

With that said, the objective of this post is three-fold: First, to show how a pre-adamic society is not biblical.  Second, to show how a triune God – the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – existed before the Earth was created.  Third, to show why the Jews never accepted a triune God.

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.” – Gen 1:1-2

The opening verse of the bible shows the plurality of God.  Here, God is translated in Hebrew as Elohim, which is the plural of God.  We also see the first example of the Holy Spirit.

“Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.  God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” – Gen 1:26-27

In the above, we see God speaking to God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) and we also see the first example of God in man form – Jesus Christ.

Therefore, from this first chapter in Genesis, we can conclude that all members of the trinity are God – one God – and existed together before creation.  God was not speaking to his angels that saw the destruction of a pre-adamic society, which led to a dark, void, and formless Earth that needed to be recreated.  God was speaking in trinity form to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Something so infinite cannot be grasped by a finite mind.  In fact, Jonathan Edwards – an American theologian – said that within the Trinity, perfect love, perfect harmony, perfect unison, perfect fellowship existed that even within this perfect triune, God’s love was abundant and over-poured so that God can share this fellowship, love, harmony, etc. with man.  The trinity of God is not polytheistic; the trinity does not exist in modes where God can transform into any one member of the triune when He so desires.  The trinity existed for an eternity before creation.  It always was, always is, and always will be.

(As an aside, for those that need more proof that the Holy Spirit is a member of the triune and is God, please refer to Acts 5:3.)

So how did the Jewish Rabbis interpret the first chapter of Genesis?  In no way would they have supported a plural God, even though the Torah was delivered to Moses on Mt. Sinai, because that would give room for the “heretics” who call Jesus a God.  The trinity is something that when you try to comprehend or explain, you can’t.  This is when faith is required and exactly why the Jews never had an explanation for a triune God.  A little further below, there is a quote from the Jewish Zohar which states that faith is required since the trinity cannot be comprehended!  But first, below are some examples of what the Jews said to try to explain a three-in-one God away:

1) Scholars who worked on the Septuagint under King Ptolemy were embarrassed by the plural pronouns that they took the liberty of translating the plurality into singular.

2) 3rd century, Rabbi Joshua Levi – interpreter of the Jewish Talmud – said that the plurality implied that God was seeking advice and approval from other beings.

3) Rabbi Samuel ben Nahman said in Rabbi Jonathan’s name: “When Moses was engaged in writing the Torah, he had to write the work of each day. When he came to the verse, “and God said; Let Us make man…, he said: ‘Sovereign of the Universe! Why dost Thou furnish an excuse to heretics?’ (for maintaining a plurality of deity). ‘Write,’ replied He; ‘whoever wishes to err may err.’”

There is no consensus among Jews about the plurality in Elohim.  In fact, here is a quote from non-contemporary, Jewish mystical/esoteric text – The Zohar – that I mentioned above:

“Hear, O Israel, Adonai Eloheinu Adonai is one. These three are one. How can the three Names be one? Only through the perception of faith; in the vision of the Holy Spirit, in the beholding of the hidden eye alone.…So it is with the mystery of the threefold Divine manifestations designated by Adonai Eloheinu Adonai—three modes which yet form one unity.”

So why don’t Jews believe in a “three-in-one” God if it is one of their teachings?  What Judaism teaches is different from what Jews must affirm to – hence, why many Rabbis denounce the triune God, although it is in their texts.  A point of unity among Jews is their foundation, called the Sh’ma. The Shema does not teach a plural deity.  The opening to the Shema comes from Deuteronomy 6:4:

“Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!

Sad thing is that here, God in Hebrew is Elohim – plural!  Therefore, what this verse is really saying is that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is God and exists in perfect unison.  So due to lack of faith, the Jews are in a catch 22 as they continue to explain away the trinity even though their teachings teach a trinity.

Do Jews believe in the same God as Christians?  No! 1 John 2:23 states “Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also.”  Therefore, the centrality of Christianity is the trinity.

-Mark