Then God [Elohim] said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness” … So God [Elohim] created man in His own image; in the image of God [Elohim]
He created him; male and female He created them.
Genesis 1:26-27*
The deity of Christ, far from being an obscure doctrine, permeates the Bible, beginning in chapter one. Elohim, the Hebrew word most commonly translated as “God” in the Old Testament, clearly communicates the concept of the Holy Trinity.
The word denotes “Mighty One,” but its grammar also envelopes the idea of plurality within unity. Some English words have similar structure. If someone requested a pair of pants and some scissors, it would be clear that he wanted one of each, even though these words are grammatically plural.
The universe is not run by a committee or a board of directors. It is controlled by the one true God, Elohim (Deuteronomy 6:4).
The one Almighty God is expressed to us in three persons. God the Father fills every cubic inch of the universe (Psalm 139:1-16). God the Son is the Most High revealed in physical human form (1 John 5:20). God the Spirit is the special presence of the Holy One in the lives of believers (Romans 8:9).
Just as I can be a brother, father, and husband all at the same time, Elohim relates to His creation in distinct ways without being divided Himself. One person of God is not the same as the others, yet one manifestation certainly cannot deny the existence of the rest. There is more to Elohim than a narrow view of God.
*Elohim is used over 2,500 times in the Old Testament
June 1
