Note: This is NOT polytheism, though it may seem as such in the beginning.
All through the Hebrew Bible there runs a strand. One visible and another invisible Yahweh (for want of a better term). Sometimes, they are in the same scene together.
The pre-incarnate Christ appeared to Moses in the burning bush (ref Exodus 3:2) but then later on identifies Himself as “God” (ref Exodus 3:6).
The tetragrammaton itself refers to God’s self-existence—He is not dependent upon anything else for His existence. One of the foundational Christian doctrines is that Jesus is God. However the Bible also proclaims that God is one
Some of the oldest MSS. and other authorities read, “Only begotten God, which is in the bosom of the Father.” — in what we today refer to as John 1:18.
So the concept of the Godhead was not new to the jew. What was new, was the fact that the carpenter's son from Nazareth was a part of this Godhead.
As an example, consider this verse from the Old Testament 👇
- Underlined in red → The speaker is first person and the speaker is God.
- Highlighted in green → However, God is referring to God in the third person here!!
Jacob in the verse below, was convinced that he had seen God —
and yet we are informed that it was a “man” that wrestled with him (ref Genesis 32:24). This account of a “Greater Man” as well as a single God, is borne out in the NT accounts too 👇
The concept of the divine plularity is evident from Genesis itself, but it is in Exodus that God provided an explanation.
A) The part highlighted in red colour, hints at the angel’s divine essence and intimate connection with God.
B) A created being, is unable to “pardon”. This further means that in Him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. It is also an echo of what the Lord Jesus Christ would later say (ref Matthew 28:18).
C) Unlike the grandfather figure, who is only love as some would have us believe, the Lord Jesus Christ is the author of salvation to Only those who are obedient to Him. 👇
The Greek word used for "obey" in Hebrews 5:9 translates to listen or attend to. Thus, it can be thought of as complying with the will of God (ref Matthew 7:21) and makes a lot more sense if salvation was defined as “union with Christ”. Those who do not honor the Son of God stand condemned by God (ref John 3:18). It is He alone, who is the way to God (ref John 14:6).
The same kind of wordings and phrases are used for the Holy Spirit too. This idea of “One Yet Two” is repurposed to link the Holy Spirit to both the Lord Jesus Christ and God the Father.
i) The set of verses begin with the Lord and then moves on to mention the ”Angel of His presence”, effectively conflating the two.
ii) Again as a result of the people's rebellion it was “His Holy Spirit” that became sorrowful.
iii) As a result of this “He” — its not clear if it's the Lord or the Angel or both — “fought against them”.
iv) God had sent his Angel along with the people (ref Exodus 23:20). In the last sentence, Isaiah however, mentions that it is the Holy Spirit.
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