One God-Elohim and One LORD -Yahweh (#1a)
Series on the Trinity and the Deity of Christ
Christians believe in One God (Elohim) in Three Persons, grounded directly in the witness of Scripture.
To understand this truth clearly, it helps to distinguish it from other worldviews:
Islamic Monotheism: Asserts strict “one-person monotheism”—that God is a single, solitary person.
Modalism: Claims that God is a single person who merely manifests Himself in three different forms or “modes” depending on the situation (sometimes appearing as Father, sometimes as Son, and sometimes as Holy Spirit).
In contrast, biblical orthodoxy teaches that there are three distinct, co-eternal Persons within the one Being of the Godhead. Each Person possesses His own personal agency, will, and distinction, while sharing the exact same divine attributes: Omnipresence (present everywhere), Omnipotence (all-powerful), and Omniscience (all-knowing). They act in perfect unity, operating as the one true God.
Scriptural Proofs of Plurality in the Godhead
Here are key Old Testament passages demonstrating distinct Persons interacting within the Godhead:
1. Psalm 45:6–7
“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions.”
Analysis: Here, two distinct individuals are both called God (Elohim). One Person called Elohim addresses another Person called Elohim. Hebrews 1:8–9 explicitly quotes this passage, confirming that it is God the Father addressing God the Son, Jesus Christ.
2. Genesis 18:1–2
“Then the LORD [Yahweh] appeared to him by the terebinth trees of Mamre, as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day. So he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing by him...”
Analysis: Yahweh appears to Abraham in a tangible manifestation, staying behind to converse at length with him before departing toward Sodom and Gomorrah.
3. Genesis 19:24
“Then the LORD [Yahweh] rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the LORD [Yahweh] out of the heavens.”
Analysis: Notice that in the NKJV text, two instances of the divine name Yahweh are written: Yahweh on earth executes judgment from Yahweh in the heavens. Just as Psalm 45 shows two distinct Persons called Elohim, Genesis 19 shows two distinct Persons acting under the divine name Yahweh.
A Theological Warning: The Linguistic Argument for Elohim
Warning: Be cautious when using the Hebrew suffix -im as a standalone proof for the Trinity.
Some Bible commentators argue that the “-im” ending in Elohim automatically proves a plurality of persons within God. While -im is indeed a masculine plural suffix in Hebrew, it does not automatically indicate two or more persons or items in every single context.
Think of English name grammar: a surname like Torres or Fuentes ends in an “s”, but it obviously refers to a single individual, not a group.
In the Old Testament, single pagan deities—represented by single carved statues of wood, stone, or gold—are frequently referred to using the word Elohim:
Judges 16:23–24: Dagon is called god (Elohim)
1 Samuel 5:7: Dagon is called god (Elohim)
2 Kings 1:2–3: Baal-Zebub, god of Ekron, is called god (Elohim)
2 Kings 19:37 / Isaiah 37:38: Nisroch is called god (Elohim)
In ancient Hebrew literature, a plural suffix like -im can carry one of three distinct usages:
Plurality of Persons or Items: Multiple distinct entities.
Plurality of Attributes/Results: Indicating richness, fullness, or extensive attributes.
Plural of Respect / Plural of Majesty: A honorific grammatical form used to designate greatness or supreme authority.
Therefore, relying solely on the grammatical ending of Elohim is not a safe argument for proving the Trinity. Instead, our foundation rests on passages where multiple divine Persons explicitly speak to, interact with, and act alongside one another.
Note: In our upcoming article, we will examine proper names in the Old Testament ending in -im that clearly refer to single individuals, further clarifying this key Hebrew idiom.