Jesus and God - 1 Entity?

[TriZz]

I've heard a few theory's about the relationship between Jesus and God and thought that I'd drop it on here to get a corporate response. I hope that this doesn't turn into an argument...there's nothing worse than seeing people on the same team argue.

At any rate...this is what I've heard, but I have no belief about it.

This converstation started by me asking a friend in church (cuz I'm new to Christianity) why this verse is present:

Genesis 1:26 - "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness..." NIV

Let US make man in OUR image, in OUR likeness?

My friend said that Jesus was probably with God in the beginning. God is all knowing, and he knew that his people were going to have to be saved.

He also went on to say that The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit...are all God, just 3 aspects of him...

Now folks...I'll leave this one to you! Why did God say let US make man in OUR image. Is this the explanation you have? If not, explain...

Thank you for helping a new comer,

 

[Athanasius7]

I believe that there are three persons (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) in the one divine nature, and hence the use of "us" and "our" reflect the plurality of persons within the divine nature.

(BTW, a good book I would especially recommend reading for a good discussion of this topic is called Theology for Beginners by Frank Sheed. He devotes three or four (short) chapters on the issue of the Trinity.)

 

[PaladinValer]

For the orthodox Christian answer to the nature of the Trinity, see the Creed of St. Athanasius.

 

[Pope Gonzo]

Well, in the Creation stories, the we/us used is God speaking to the heavenly realm.

And yes, I believe that God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are all one, but they're seperate persons, as a lot of people say it. Think of it like a holographic plate in three pieces.

 

[Sketcher]

Or three states of matter. Water can be ice or vapor and still be by nature water.

Or sometimes I think that a three headed creature is not unlike God in a way. One head belonging to the Father, another to the Son, another to the Spirit. Three distinct persons, yet one unified being.

 

[Bartimaeus]

Or three states of matter. Water can be ice or vapor and still be by nature water.

Or sometimes I think that a three headed creature is not unlike God in a way. One head belonging to the Father, another to the Son, another to the Spirit. Three distinct persons, yet one unified being.

I like the water analogy...the water is, naturally, water, the ice is (by its nature) water, and the vapor is also (at its very nature) water

I'll even stretch it a bit...the water is God (the father) the ice is Jesus (the *SOLID* rock), and the vapor is the Holy Spirit. Just kind of drawing a word picture there.

.

 

[TriZz]

Ok...I get what you all are saying, three states of matter, three states of God...I get the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit thing...and yes, I like the water analogy too

Now, is this why there appears to be more than one entity in the beginning?

 

[Bartimaeus]

Ok...I get what you all are saying, three states of matter, three states of God...I get the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit thing...and yes, I like the water analogy too

Now, is this why there appears to be more than one entity in the beginning?

Yes, it can be assumed that God was talking to Jesus and/or the spirit in the passage in Genesis.

 

[Peter_in_Christ]

Hello,

The three persons in the Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) relate equally to one another.

The Father is God who we can't see face to face because He is Holy and we are not because of our Sin

The Son is Jesus, who is the Word and when people see God in person in the Bible, it is He. Jesus reflects the Father's image.

The Holy Spirit is the one who indwells us with the power and strength to serve God on earth when we believe in His son Jesus for our salvation through grace and not by works.

The trinity gives us an example of how we should all relate to one another as the three persons of God relate to each other, i.e. in marriage and etc.

John 14 gives a good explaination of how each of these three persons relate to each other as one God.

We could use analogies but it can never describe fully this awesomeness...

Take care and God bless
Love in Christ

Peter

 

[Athanasius7]

We could use analogies but it can never describe fully this awesomeness...

So true. That reminds me of the story of when St. Augustine one day was walking along a beach, deep in thought, trying to understand the mystery of the Trinity. While he was walking, he noticed a small boy using a seashell to carry water from the sea and pouring it into a hole he had made on the beach. When Augustine asked him what he was doing, the boy answered that he was going to empty the ocean into that hole. Augustine pointed out the futility of doing that, to which the boy responded that what Augustine was doing was much more futile- and then he disappeared (apparantly being an angel).

Being finite creatures, we can never fully comprehend an infinite God. All analogies are going to be imperfect in some way, though they are helpful to a degree.

 

[Bartimaeus]

Wow! W What an amazing story.