Why would God say us if he Jesus and the Holy Ghost were all one person?

Question

This is kind of related to another question I just got done reading.

Honestly this whole trinity thing doesn't make any sense to me.

Then God said, "Let US make man in OUR image, in OUR likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." (Genesis 1:26)

If the trinity is all god why does he have to say us why doesn't he say me or I. I f someone could explain this to me that would be awsome.

Answer 1

The "trinity thing" was a debate at the Nicene Council 325 C.E. (A.D).

You will not find references to "trinity" in the collection of books called Bible.

As far as "Let Us" goes it is my understanding in languages like Hebrew or Arabic in order to illustrate in words the incomprhensible immensity of the Deity the plural first person pronoun is used.

The verse you have quoted Genesis 1:26 has polytheistic overtones and influences. Take the portion -" and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." Indicates that there is an individual god for all of the various creatures.

I believe that there are verses in ALL alleged holy books that definite in description and direction, some are metaphorical or figuretive, and all require scrutinization by the question "why?"

Remember there are certain constants where Humans are involved: Well meaning knowledgeable Humans that make mistakes, Well meaning not so knowledgeble Humans that make mistakes, and unscrupualous Humans who seek to manipulate. These types were present in the past as they are in the present.

Consider how "spin" is used in the news that you view everyday. Imagine what could be done with text that were prohibited from the eyes of common men due to the ruling class restrictions or common men being illiterate.

Imagine the "spin" that could be employed on text that were kept from the common public for a long period of years,centuries, or millenia.

For instance, how do you know that the collection of books are the "bible" or intended to be the "bible"? How is it that there are different versions with some books missing and some present? Why were common men discouraged from reading it? Who is King James? Can any King make a version? What makes his version better than anyones elses version? Why would a country adopt a holy book of its colonizing king?

Why was it necessary at the Nicene Council 325 C.E. to vote which books were included or not, in the collection of books called the "bible"? Why was it at these council was it necessary to debate the sonship of Jesus or existence of Holy Trinity?

What does image and likeness really mean?

Does me, myself and I consitute a trinity?

Why does not the bilbe call itself bible?

Answer 2

Jesus does not say that the Trinity is one person. To say that three persons can equal one person, would be a contradiction in logic. God is one, but is made up of three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. We truly do not fully understand how this is. Our small finite minds can not comprehend the fullness of the Godhead. But what is clear is that it's teaching is found throughout the scriptures.

I believe that God is using the word 'US" to suggest the trinune nature of the Godhead. Other scripture which suggest the Holy Spirit, is in Genesis 1:2 we read about the Spirit of God moving 'upon the face of the waters'. Also in Isaiah 6 we see God praised three times, "Holy, Holy, Holy". Why repeat the word three times?

One thing which is interesting about God's word is the way that He slowly reveals more and more of Himself as the Bible goes along. So what starts as a suggestion grows into a more complete doctrine of the Trinity.

Answer 3

When Moses asked God to reveal Himself God said what Moses needed to know was that He is "I AM" which means that He alone is God. There is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. That is a triune God because God, unlike people, has a six dimensional thing going on while we only have two. These three have been in existence all along but had different times to be revealed to man. God the Father came first. Then God the Son. Then God the Holy Ghost.
If you read the Bible from front to back it makes more sense. Read it for yourself and don't let other people influence your opinions of what you read. It really is a very interesting book.

Also, water can take on three forms - liquid, vapor, solid. Sort of the same idea.

Answer 4

Technically, the Trinity isn't supposed to make total sense. If God were a God that made total sense to our finite human minds, He wouldn't be much of a God, would He?

The Trinity is just a way in which an infinite God expresses Himself to finite human beings. All one needs to know is that the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God, but there aren't three "Gods" but One. At the same time, God the Father is not the same as God the Son or God the Holy Spirit, and ditto for both the Son and Spirit.

So technically God is capable of referring to Himself as "I" OR as "We." Both are grammatically acceptable. And if God constantly referred to Himself only as "I," you could just as legitimately question why He didn't use "We"!

Of course, if He always used only "I," then we would not have so many evidences of the Trinity, and it would be even harder to realize Who God Is! So He also could refer to Himself in plural for our future benefit.

Answer 5

Wow so many good answers.

I understand the trinity this way. I am 3 persons in one also. I am the father to my son. The husband to my wife. And the son to my parents.

Also in Genesis God's plan of salvation was not yet fulfilled but later when God became a man and was born as Jesus. God as a man became an example for all believers that we might learn to live before God even as Christ lived before God when he was on earth.

That's why when Jesus was baptized and John the Baptist saw the Holy Spirit descending on Jesus like a dove, and God's voice, the Father, spoke "This is my beloved son...".

In Colosians 2:9 In Jesus "For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily."

God is one. But God's eternal plan of salvation required three (3) manifestations of God. And they are the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

I hope this helps. God bless you.

Answer 6

In Christianity, the doctrine of the Trinity states that God is one being who exists, simultaneously and eternally, as a mutual indwelling of three persons: the Father, the Son (incarnate as Jesus of Nazareth), and the Holy Spirit. Since the 4th century, in both Eastern and Western Christianity, this doctrine has been stated as "three persons in one God," all three of whom, as distinct and co-eternal persons, are of one indivisible Divine essence, a simple being. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinity)
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God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are three separate and distinct persons.

Gen. 1: 26
26 ¶ And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness...

John 1:
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

The "Word" (note capitalization) is referring to Christ. Christ was with God during the beginning (the creation) and is the creator (the God) of this world (without him was not any thing made that was made). He created this world under God the Father's direction.

These are just a couple more scripture examples of God and Jesus being separate persons and not part of a trinity. You're right in you're statement that it doesn't make sense. If God said let us make man in our image, then could you and I be a trinity - barring multiple personality disorder (just a joke)? If a person really wants to understand the scriptures, they can't merely read them. They have to study them and cross reference and if they are honestly desiring to know the truth, they should pray about it.
Look in James 1:5-6
5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

Answer 7

The concept behind the Trinity is that God, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are three distinct personalities within a single Godhead. It is like the concept of light. Is there such a thing as white light? Yes. Does it exist as one light? Technically, no. It exists as a compound unity of equal illumination of red, green and blue spectrum. So white light does NOT exist? Of course it does. But in the form of three-in-one. Science can explain it, and we have just gotten used to it. In the eternal, such things are equally possible and exist. God is light, and in Him, there is no darkness at all. What color? Pure white via a three-fold unity.

Though we can explain light, why would it be so hard to consider that such things are possible in the eternal?

Answer 8

INteresting! I think we have to understand that the Father, Son and Holy Ghost are three different persons, they are not three different names for one person. But they are so closely related that we sometimes mix them up in our human perspective. Why not look at God as a heavenly family, father, mother and son. Maybe you are not aware of that many Christians, even the early Church fathers, has thought of the Holy Ghost as representing the female. When God said US and OUR it is a discussion between these three personalities about the creation of this world. And when they decided to make man in "OUR" image, he made them male and female. And the only person that remains for the female roll is the Holy Ghost. It's so simple, actually, even if we will never be able to fully understand the God the Almighty, the ruler of the universe.

Answer 9

The Trinity does make sense to Christians, and they are perfectly happy about it.

Some view it as three separate persons, sharing one common goal. Ironically that is the same as "polytheism", but most Christians do not accept that term, because it implies having more than one God.

In the end, it is all a matter of faith. This doesn't mean that any particular group of Christians is right or wrong, but that they base their beliefs according to their interpretation of the Holy Bible, and their respective doctrines.

Answer 10

the Trinity is a hard concept to understand in General. God always refers to the part of Him that executes the role. so I guess if they all take part, doing separate tasks at once, then He will say "we" not I, as He is referring to Himself doing multiple functions. such as in creation, where the Father created, the Spirit gave life to, and the Son set order.

it also may be a translation thing. Hebrew and Greek have more complex verbs and adjectives than English. Like the word that Christ used to describe the Holy Spirit, eklesia, is a word that means several things at once, such as "other", "of the same essense, "one in the same". it's easiest to understand with the Amplified Bible.