Theology Proper:
The Doctrine of Elohim
What does the Bible teach about Elohim?
Elohim
as Triune
Elohim as Triune: Preliminaries
Elohim as Triune: Preliminaries
· The Bible nowhere uses the word
"Trinity."
· So there is no way that anyone
can cite a singular text of Scripture to prove the existence of the Trinity;
· Rather, to speak about the
doctrine of the Trinity is to speak summarily about three interrelating,
inextricable doctrines that may be set forth in the following propositions:
· Each of the propositions may be
demonstrated from Scripture.
· Taken together, these three
propositions have come to be known as the doctrine of the Trinity.
· The one Elohim exists in three fully divine persons.
1.
There is only one true and living Elohim.
2.
Elohim exists in three
persons.
3.
The three persons are each fully Elohim.
· One final note on the
relationship between the doctrine of the Trinity and the attributes of Elohim:
· Since the one Elohim exists in three, fully divine
persons, all of the attributes apply equally and fully to each member of the Elohimhead.
Proposition 1
There is only one true and living Elohim
There is only one true and living Elohim
·
Isaiah 45:5-7: I am YHWH, and
there is no other; besides Me there is no Elohim.
I will gird you, though you have not known Me; that men may know from the
rising to the setting of the sun that there is no one besides Me. I am Yahweh, and there is no other , the One
forming light and creating darkness, causing well-being and creating calamity;
I am YHWH who does all these.
·
Isaiah 45:21: Declare and set
forth your case; indeed, let them consult together. Who has announced this from
of old? Who has long since declared it? Is it not I, YHWH? And there is no
other Elohim besides Me, a righteous Elohim
and a savior; there is none except Me.
·
Deuteronomy 4:35: To you it
was shown that you might know that YHWH, He is Elohim; there is no other
besides Him.
·
Deuteronomy 6:4: Hear, O
Israel! YHWH is our Elohim, YHWH
is one!
·
I Kings 8:59-60: And may
these words of mine, with which I have made supplication before YHWH, be near
to YHWH our Elohim day and night,
that He may maintain the cause of His servant and the cause of His people
Israel, as each day requires, so that all the peoples of the earth may know
that YHWH is Elohim; there is no
one else.
·
Mark 12:29: Yahshua answered, "The foremost is,
·
HEAR, O ISRAEL! YHWH OUR Elohim
IS ONE Yahweh . . .'"
·
Romans 3:29-30: Or is Elohim the Elohim Y'hudim only? Is He not the Elohim of the Goyim also? Yes, of the Goyim also, since
indeed Elohim, who will justify
the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one.
·
I Corinthians 8:4: Therefore
concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that there is no
such thing as an idol in the world, and that there is no Elohim but one.
·
I Timothy 2:5: For there is
one Elohim, and one mediator also
between Elohim and men, the man Mashiyach Yahshua.
·
James 2:19: You believe that Elohim is one. You do well; the demons
also believe, and shudder.
·
There are two reasons to say that there is only one true and living Elohim in a discussion of His triune
essence:
1. First, the Bible teaches that Elohim
exists in three persons.
2. Second, the Bible teaches that the three persons are each fully Elohim.
3. From these two propositions alone,
we MAY (incorrectly) conclude that there are three Messianic Elohim; thus denying monotheism.
· So, is it really necessary, in a
discussion of the Triune nature and essence of Elohim
to say that there is only one true and living Elohim?
· ABSOLUTELY!
Proposition 2
Elohim exists in three persons
Elohim exists in three persons
· There are three persons
who make up Elohim:
-Father
-Son
-Holy Spirit
·
Matthew 28:19: Elohim therefore and make disciples of
all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son, and the
Holy Spirit.
·
II Corinthians 13:14: The
grace of Adonai Yahshua Mashiyach,
and the love of Elohim, and the
fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.
·
To understand this proposition more clearly, we can formulate it in
this way:
1. The Father, the Son, and Ruach
HaKodesh
(the Holy Spirit) are one Elohim:
yet
2. The Father is not the Son
3. and neither the Father nor the Son are Ruach HaKodesh.
·
To say that the Father is not the Son and that neither the Father nor
the Son is the Holy Spirit indicates that there are genuine distinctions within
the essence of Elohim.
·
To say that the one Elohim
exists in three persons does not
mean
1. That the one Elohim
is three human beings, or even should be conceived as human beings;
2. That the one Elohim
can be divided into three parts;
3. That the one Elohim
can exist separately or independently of any of himself;
·
Rather to say that the one Elohim
exists in three persons means that the one Elohim
is made up of three distinct, self-conscious egos which act in distinct yet
coordinate ways.
·
Is it really necessary to say that the Father is not the Son and that
neither the Father nor the Son is the Holy Spirit?
·
ABSOLUTELY!
·
There are two reasons to say that the Father is not the son and that
neither the Father nor the Son is the Holy Spirit.
1. First, as we have seen, the Bible teaches that Elohim is one (Prop 1).
2. Second, the Bible teaches that the Father is Elohim, the Son is Elohim, and the Spirit is Elohim (Prop 3).
·
From these two propositions alone we may conclude that the language of
Father, Son, and Spirit are simply different modes or expressions of behaviors
of the one Elohim; thus, denying
that Elohim exists in three
distinct, self-conscious, egos.
·
The Father is not the Son
-Hebrews 7:25: Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to Elohim through Him, since He always
lives to make intersession for them.
-I John 2:1: My little children, I am writing these
things to you so that you may not sin.
And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Yahshua Mashiyach the righteous.
-John 1:1, 2, 14: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with Elohim, and the Word was Elohim. He was in the
beginning with Elohim . . . . 14And the Word
became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the father, full of
grace and truth.
John 17:1, 24: 1Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His
eyes to Heaven, He said, "Father,
the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify you . . . . 24Father, I desire that they
also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I
am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world."
-Galatians 4:4-5: But when
the fullness of the time came, Elohim
sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born
under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
-See Ephesians 1:3-12
· Neither the Father nor the Son is
the Holy Spirit
-Mark 1:9-11: In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
Immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the
heavens opening, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him; and a voice came out of the heavens: "You are My
beloved Son, in You I am well pleased.
-II Thessalonians 2:13-14: But
we should always give thanks to Elohim
for you, brethren beloved by Adonai, because Elohim has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by
the Spirit and faith in the truth. It was for this
He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Adonai Yahshua Mashiyach..
-I Peter 1:2: . . . according
to the foreknowledge of Elohim the
Father, by the sanctifying
work of the Spirit, to obey Yahshua
Mashiyach and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace by yours in
the fullest measure.
-Acts 10:38: You know of Yahshua
of Natzaret, how Elohim anointed
Him with the Holy Spirit and with
power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for Elohim was with Him.
-Titus 3:4-6: But when the
kindness of our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we
have done in righteousness, but
according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy spirit, whom He
poured out upon us richly through Yahshua Mashiyach
our Savior.
-Romans 15:13: Now may the Elohim of hope
fill you with all joy and peace in believing,
so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
-Jude 20-21: But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most Holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep
yourselves in the love of Elohim,
waiting anxiously for the Mercy of
our Adonai Yahshua Mashiyach
to eternal life.
-Ephesians 4:4-6: There is one body and one spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Yahweh, one
faith, one baptism, one Elohim and
Father of all who is over all and
through all and in all.
-Galatians 4:6: Because you
are sons, Elohim has sent forth
the spirit of His son into our
hearts, crying, "Abba Father!"
Ephesians 1: 13-14: In Him, you also, after listening to the
message for truth, the gospel of
your salvation--having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy spirit of promise, who is given as
a pledge of our inheritance, with a view
to the redemption of Elohim's
inheritance, with a view to the redemption of Elohim's own possession, to the praise of His glory.
-Ephesians 2:18: . . . for
through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.
Distinctive Persons with Distinctive
Roles
The Economy of the Trinity
Proposition 2
Elohim in Three Persons
Proposition 2
Elohim in Three Persons
· The Son is subordinate to the
Father in role and relationship
-I
John 4:14: We have seen and testify that the Father has
sent the Son to be the Savior of the
world.
-John 3:16: For Elohim so loved the world, that He gave
His only begotten son, that whoever
believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
-John 6:38: For I have come
down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.
-Philippians 2:8: Being found
in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming
obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
-Hebrews 5:8: Although He was
a Son, He learned obedience from the things which
He suffered.
· The Holy Spirit is Subordinate to the Father and the Son in role and
relationship
-In creation
(Hebrews 1:2 w/Genesis 1:2
Hebrews 1: 1-2: Elohim, after he spoke long ago to the
fathers ion the prophets in
many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all
things, through whom also He made
the world.
Genesis 1:2: The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of Elohim was moving over the surface of the waters.
·
The Son is subordinate to the Father in
role and relationship
·
Like a human father and son
relationship, the Heavenly Father directs, guides, leads, and commands
while the Eternal Son submits, follows, and obeys.
·
The Holy Spirit is subordinate to the
Father and the Son in role and relationship
-in
redemption
· John 14:28: But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the
Father will send in My Name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your
remembrance all that I said to you.
· John 15:26: When the Helper comes, whom I will send to
you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father,
He will testify about Me.
· Implied in Ephesians
1:3-14
· The Holy Spirit is subordinate to the Father and the Son in role and
relationship.
· The Holy Spirit is the Father's and Son's agent in carrying out their
purposes in creation and redemption.
· The roles and relationships of the members of Elohim are depicted below.
-The Holy Spirit is subordinate in role and in
relationship to the Father and the Son.
-The Son is subordinate in role and in
relationship to the Father.
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·
Watershed texts depicting the
differences in role and relationship between the members of the Trinity:
-John
14:16-26
-John
16:5-14
Distinctive Persons with
Distinctive Roles
The Ontological Trinity
·
Summary
-The distinction
between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit indicates differences in role and
relationship.
-These
differences are most apparent to us in what has come to be known as the economy
of the Trinity, or the Economic Trinity, where economy refers to the activities
of the different members of Elohim
with respect to creation and redemption.
·
In other words, Elohim has always existed as three
persons, eternally before creation and redemption,.
·
This is what has come to be
known as the Ontological Trinity, or the ontology of the Trinity, where
ontology refers to the being of Elohim.
·
In addition, the
differences in role and relationship are not arbitrary or artificial or even a
product of the members' activities;
·
Rather, the differences in
role and relationship exemplified by the Economic Trinity flow from the
differences in role and relationship that inhere in Elohim as Elohim.
·
We can say that the tri-personality of Elohim
is an eternal, ontological reality for the following reasons.
-Elohim is immutable (he cannot change).
Therefore if He exists now as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, He has always
existed as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
-The Father and
Son acted together as father and Son before time began.
·
Ephesians 1:3: Blessed be the Elohim and Father of our Adonai
Yahshua Mashiyach, who
has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Mashiyach, just as He chose us in Him
before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before
Him.
·
John 1:18: No one has seen Elohim at any time; the only begotten Elohim who is in the bosom of the father,
He has explained Him.
·
John 3:17: For Elohim did not send the Son into the
world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.
·
Galatians 4:4: But when the
fullness of the time came, Elohim sent
forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law.
·
John 17:15: Now, Father,
glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before
the world was.
·
Hebrews 1:1-2: Elohim, after He spoke long ago to the
fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days
has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom
also He made the world.
Conclusion
·
Proposition 1: There is only one true
and living Elohim.
·
Proposition 2: Elohim exists in three persons.
-The
persons are self-conscious egos.
-The persons have different roles and relationships in
the very being of Elohim (The
ontological Trinity) that work themselves out in the activity of Elohim (the economic Trinity).