(August 3, 2005)

Polytheism existed in Egypt and Canaan.  IF more than one god existed, they would constantly try to limit each other and therefore destroy the omnipotence and sovereignty of one another.

I.                    God is a Unity

1.  The Hebrews believed in only one God

2. Dueteronomy 6:4  “Hear, O Israel:  The Lord our God is one Lord”

3. Isaiah 43:10,11  “Before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.  I, even I, am the Lord and beside me there is no other”

4. 1 Corinthians 8:4  “We know…that there is none other God but one.”

5. 1 Timothy 2:5  “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus”

II.                 God is a trinity

A.     One is essence but makes Himself known to man in three persons:  Father, Son, Holy Spirit

1.      Elohim (Genesis 1:2) means powerful ones

2.      Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.  (Genesis 1:26)

3.      Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language.  (Genesis 11:7)

4.      “Also, I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send and who will go for us?”  Isaiah 6:8

B.     The trinity in the New Testament

1.      At Christ’s baptism, Matthew 3:16,17:  Father speaks, Son is baptized, Holy Spirit descends in form of dove

2.      In the Great Commission, Matthew 28:19:  Baptize them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

3.      “But unto the Son he saith, thy throne, O God is forever and ever.”  Hebrews 1:8

III.               God is a Spirit, John 4:24

A.     He does not have a body; He is invisible (Col.1:15, 1 Tim. 1:17)

B.     Anthromorphism- ascribe to God human qualities (His hand, back, arm, face) to help man understand His workings in our lives.

C.     God is a person

1.      Self-consciousness= I AM  Exodus 3:14

2.      Self-determination=  I WILL Exodus 6:6-8

3.      He has intellect:  Exodus 3:7, Isaiah 1:18

4.      He has emotion:  1 Kinds 11:9 anger; Proverbs 6:16 hatred

5.      He has will:  Genesis 3:15

IV.              Names of God

A.     Yahweh= self-existent one (I AM of Exodus 3:14)

1.      Never spoken by ancient Hebrews

2.      Written in English as Jehovah or LORD

B.     Adonai= my Lord, my Master.  Matthew 23:10; Luke 6:46; John 13:13

C.     Elohim= powerful ones  Genesis 1:1

D.     El Shaddai= all sufficient one Genesis 17:1  He promised Abraham a son in his old age.

E.      Theos (Greek) John 20:28= Elohim (Hebrew)

F.      Kurios (Greek) Lord = Adonai (Hebrew)

G.     Pater (Greek) Father (Luke 11:2; John 1:12) has no Old Testament equivalent

H.     Immanuel = God with us  Isaiah 7:14; 8:8-10; Matthew 1:23

For Discussion:

1. Can man ever fully understand and explain the trinity of God?  Why or why not?

2. Since God is an invisible spirit, ho can He make Himself visible to man?

3. How can God really understand what we feel think, etc.?