Apologetics: Genesis 1.26
Contents
Text
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And God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and . . ." (Genesis 1.26) |
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And Jehovah God said, "Behold, the man is become as one of us . . ." (Genesis 3.22]) |
Problem
God says "us," implying there are others like Him. Does this indicate that early Hebrews believed Jehovah was one of many gods?
Resolution
There are two possible explanations: God was speaking to other created beings such as his heavenly host or God was speaking other persons of the Trinity.
Speaking to Created Beings
The most common explanation is that God is speaking to other created beings who also bear his image, probably angels. Other possibilities are the devil or some non-earthly creation.
Speaking to the Trinity
Some Christians have proposed that God the father is speaking to the Son and the Holy Spirit. This makes sense because the Son was also involved in Creation ("let us make") as specified in John 1:3. Criticism of this interpretation is that the Israelites who wrote this had no understanding of the Trinity, though other such examples may exist in the First Testament.
External Links
- How Many "E"s in Elohim? Tekton Apologetics Ministries
- How many Gods are there, one or many? Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry
Return to Apologetics -> Scripture index -> Genesis
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