They Say: God Is A Family of Divine Beings 2015 Wayne L. Atchison Written: March 11, 2015

Transcription

1 Contrary to the ridicule of nearly all of accepted Christianity, the belief that YHWH is the only Being that is God is fully supported by the Hebrew and Greek Text of the Bible. Even so, the Trinitarians and One God Family supporters condemn as demonic-heretics anyone believing that there is only one God, who is YHWH. Such accusers often quote passages from the King James Bible, always with an authoritative tone to quiet the unbeliever. But rarely do these defenders of the faith quote Acts 3:13-26, that tells us it was The God of the Fathers of us, The God who sent His prophets (this has to be YHWH), who raised His servant Ieesoun (Greek, English Jesus, Aramaic 'Yahoshua') from the dead. Also Isaiah 53:10, 1-Timothy 2:5, Acts 22:14, Galatians 1:1-3, 2-John 3, 1-Thessalonians 1:9-10. These and other Texts tell us that the Divine Being YHWH of the Hebrew Text, cannot be "The Jesus" (English, Greek 'Ieesous', Aramaic 'Yahoshua'), who was killed, and was dead, and was resurrected back to life again. One of the arguments proposed to demonstrate that The Jesus is also God is this: They say that God is actually a Family of Divine Beings. They say that the God of Israel, YHWH, came down from the heavenly realm, down to earth to become a man for awhile, Jesus. They say one of the things which Jesus did was to reveal a previously unknown God, called God the Father. That is, the Hebrew Text Elohim YHWH became a man, the Jesus, and that essentially Jesus changed the previous religion that worshipped only YHWH, into a new religion that now worships the previously unknown God the Father. This argument views God as a Family of Beings, wherein each Family Member has the same last name of God. That is, God the Father is one Member, and YHWH (who they say became Jesus) is another Member, and the number of Members is growing, and all Members are called by the same name, God. One can understand that this concept is very similar to the Trinity, wherein there are three distinct Divine Persons, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, yet the three are of the same nature. In the context of The Trinity, a "nature" is defined as what one is. That is, they are all God. And a "Person" is defined as who one is. That is, they are each separate Beings, having separate Personalities. Thus, the concept of God as being a Family of Beings is almost the same as The Trinity, except that the original Members are slightly different, and the number of Members can grow past three. The point of this God Family concept is that people can say that there is only one God. In this they mean that there is only one Family of Divine Beings who are all called by a last name of God. Again, this is the same as The Trinity, wherein there is only one nature, God, who has multiple separate Members, who are Divine Being Personalities called God. Page 1 of 7

2 Thus people can say the Shema, Deuteronomy 6:4-5, and understand they are to worship only One God, but in their mind s eye they quickly reword the Text to mean they worship One God as a Family of multiple Divine Beings. A consequence of the One God Family concept is that it completely obscures the traditional definitions of what it means to be polytheistic versus monotheistic. These two words are rendered meaningless, as the worship of multiple Gods is changed into the worship of One God, but consisting of multiple Divine Being Members. The worship of multiple Divine Beings as God is supposed to be the very definition of polytheistic worship. Consider: this concept of God can also be extended to allow nearly all of the other religions of the world to be included as well. Is there any significant difference for the Hindus that believe that there are many Divine Beings, who represent the trees, rocks, streams, and animals? Hindus then also worship One God, which can be viewed as one nature, God, having multiple separate Members, with Brahma as the superior God. All These Definitions of God Gets Very Confusing Another added confusion is the concept of Modalism, which is very common in the Pentecostal churches. This concept allows YHWH to be one Divine Being, one Personality, but He has presented Himself in history using different modes. One mode is when He is YHWH. Another mode is when He is the Jesus. And another mode is when He is The Holy Ghost. Thus, they say that there is one God, and three Divine Persons, expressed as modes of manifestations. But can people define the word God to be anything they want? Well, Yes. The word God is just a generalized title. It is not really a specific name of anybody or anything. It is a title, like Lord Smith. The title God can be used for anyone from a movie star to an ancient idol. Thus, by using only the title-word God, people can read the scriptures with whatever definition of God they want. Likewise, people will debate the meaning of the Hebrew word Elohim, which is often translated into English as the word God. In these debates people suggest that the word 'Elohim' is a uni-plural, or is a Trinity, or implies more than one Member. The problem is that people can intellectually imagine that 'God/Elohim' may be like 'this', or that 'God/Elohim' may be like 'that'. Understand why: 'Elohim' is also a title. Anyone of high status is called an 'Elohim' in the Hebrew Text. Angels, Magistrates, Judges, Moses himself, "the false gods"; these are all called 'Elohim'. The fact is that 'God/Elohim' is used to refer to human rulers (Ex. 21:6, Ps. 82:6, Jn. 10:34-36); pagan gods (Ex. 18:11; Ps. 88:8; 1 Sam. 5:7; 2 Kg. 18:34); angels (Ps. 8:5; 97:7); a man [Moses] as a god (Ex. 7:1); and to YHWH Himself. The word 'Elohim' is used just like a title of nobility, designating the person's or the god's very high social class and Page 2 of 7

3 elevated status. Titles are given to people today too. Mr. Smith becomes Sir Smith or Lord Smith. Thus, debating the Hebrew word 'Elohim' is pointless. However, another approach is to let the Bible count the number of Divine Beings for us. That is, YHWH is identified as one Divine Being, can we find any more that are said to be another Divine Being? Where is the Text that calls anyone else but YHWH a Divine Being that we are to worship? I suggest that the original Hebrew and Greek Text unambiguously identify only one Divine Being as the only 'God/Elohim' of Israel we are to worship. A. The Shema, Deuteronomy 6:4-5: YHWH our Elohim YHWH is 1 In Mark 12:29 the Messiah quotes the Shema. In His quotation the Greek word heis is used, and means the digit 1. The word used by the Messiah is the cardinal digit 1! The Messiah translated the Shema as: " YHWH IS 1 ". From "The Complete Word Study New Testament with Parallel Greek" 1992 Spiros Zodhiates and AMG International, Inc. AMG Publishers, page 901. Strongs 1520: "one". 'Heis' masculine; 'mia' feminine; 'hen' neuter. In the masculine 'heis' must be distinguished from the neuter 'hen'. 'Heis' means "one numerically" while 'hen' means "one in essence", as in John 10:30; "I and my Father are one ('hen')", (i.e. one in essence although two different personalities). Had it said 'heis', it would have meant "one person". Throughout the Hebrew text YHWH is identified as the only Elohim of Israel. The word YHWH is used over 6,820 times in the Hebrew Text, and always with the SINGULAR PRONOUN (He, I, His, My, etc.). The Hebrew Text is always referring to YHWH as a single Being, speaking for Himself, and acting alone, as one Personality. YHWH is identified as the creator of heaven, earth, and all life. YHWH is the only Elohim of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Throughout the Text YHWH is presented as a single Divine Being. Consider carefully. What is the first and firmest tenet of the Jewish religion? The one-ness of God. One Being and one Personality. How inconsistent it is to worship the only Elohim of Israel, but reject the first and firmest tenet of the Hebrew Text. Conclusion: YHWH is a single Divine Being, one Personality B. Luke 22:42: Father if you will take away the cup this from me but not the will of me but the of you let be. Page 3 of 7

4 Here there are two entities talking to each other, the Father and Yahoshua. Each have their own separate thoughts, plans, desires, and will. To write this Text The Father and Yahoshua must be two separately thinking Beings, as one is asking the other for a change in His plans. Conclusion: YHWH and Yahoshua are two separate Beings, two Personalities C. Acts 3:13-26: The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of the fathers of us, glorified His child Jesus whom God raised from the dead that God before announced through the mouth of all the prophets of Him [this Being has to be YHWH] to suffer the Christ God [YHWH] having raised up the child of Him Jesus. Here the entity God is directly tied to be the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. That is, His identity can be no other than YHWH, by definition (Ex. 3:15). It is the singular entity YHWH that performed the action of resurrecting the man Yahoshua. One Being was alive, the other Being was dead. Therefore the Being entity Yahoshua cannot be the Being entity YHWH. Conclusion: YHWH is not Yahoshua, they are two separate Beings D. The next point can be made from hundreds of New Testament texts, but this scripture is picked for demonstration. Romans 1:1-7: Paul a slave of Jesus Christ separated into gospel of God which He promised through the prophets of Him in scriptures Holy concerning the son of Him grace to you and peace from God Father of us and Lord Jesus Christ. Here the entity God is directly tied to the Being who promised the Messiah by the writings of His prophets. In the Hebrew Text the prophets are identified as being the prophets of the entity YHWH. This then ties the Greek Text entity God, to the Hebrew Text entity YHWH. In verse seven YHWH is identified as God the Father. Thus, the Being entity God the Father is also the Being entity YHWH. Here are some Hebrew Texts saying this too: Isaiah 63:16 "... for you are our Father...you YHWH are our Father..." Isaiah 64:8 "... but now YHWH you are our Father..." Jeremiah 3:19 "... and you shall call me 'My Father'..." Jeremiah 31:9 "... for I am a Father to Israel..." Conclusion: YHWH is the Being who is called The Father Page 4 of 7

5 E. John 20: 16-17: do not cling to me for I have not yet ascended to my Father I am ascending to my the Father and Father of you and my God and your God. In the Greek grammar the words my the Father and Father of you and my God and your God are all nouns, there is only one verb. The Being entity The Father is directly tied to being Yahoshua s Father and Yahoshua s God. The Being entity The Father is directly tied to being Mary s Father and Mary s God. The Text can only be written when the Being entity The Father is also the Being entity God, and is also not the same Being entities as Yahoshua nor Mary. Conclusion: The Father is Yahoshua s God, and God is not Yahoshua F. Okay, but what about scriptures like: Hebrews 1:8: but as to the Son your throne O God is forever and ever Such scriptures call Jesus God, so he must be God too. No, not correct. Remember that such scriptures are either speaking or reciting from the Hebrew/Aramaic language, and is only translated into Greek. In Greek the word used is Theos, but in Hebrew the word used is Elohim. Psalms 45:6: your throne Elohim is forever and ever Remember, men are called Elohim too, Psalms 82:6, John 10: In Exodus 7:1 the Hebrew Text says that Moses is an Elohim to Pharaoh and to Aaron. This means that Aaron could say to Moses: my lord and my Elohim. If he had, no one would suspect Aaron of saying Moses was YHWH. In the Greek translation made in circa 200 BC, in the Septuagint, the ancient scholars translated the Hebrew word Elohim as Theon ( Theos ). Exodus 7:1 is saying that Moses is an Elohim, but is not saying that Moses is the same Being as YHWH. Nor that Moses is somehow a new Member of the Godhead. When Cesar was called a God (a Theos ) by the Romans, does anyone really think that they were saying that Cesar was the same Being as YHWH of the Hebrew Text? When the Roman Senate voted to elevate a mortal man to the status of being a God (they did this), does anyone think that they were saying that this man was the same Deity as YHWH? For the Roman Senate to make such proclamations they had to understand God ( Theos ) using the same concept as the Hindus, the Trinity, and the One God Family. They were declaring that a man was now another Divine Member having the God nature. No one reading a Greek translation of what people said in the Hebrew/Aramaic language, should ever think that the Greek word Theos must be talking about YHWH. It is just simply a fact that Theos is used to talk about magistrates, angles, and pagan gods too. Thus, scriptures like Hebrews 1:8 do not say that Yahoshua is also God. Page 5 of 7

6 But they do say that Yahoshua is an Elohim, a highly exalted King, Rabbi, High Priest, and is the Messiah. Likewise, what Thomas said in John 20:28: my lord and my god does not mean that he was declaring the resurrected Messiah to be YHWH either. Thomas, speaking in Aramaic (or Hebrew), was saying my lord and my Elohim, just like Aaron could have said to Moses. Only the translation from Hebrew into Greek makes one see the English word God, causing confusion. Conclusion The only God/Elohim of Israel is the Hebrew Text Being entity YHWH. It is YHWH that is The Father, in both the Hebrew and Greek Text. YHWH is the Creator and Sovereign Being, and is always referring to Himself, and by others, using singular pronouns. He Himself says: and there is no other There is no Text which identifies any other Being, Personality, or entity as being Divine. There is no Text which identifies any other Being, Personality, or entity as being co-equal. There is no Text which identifies any other Being, Personality, or entity as someone we are to worship as we do YHWH. Deuteronomy 13 makes it very emphatic: if anyone comes along, and even if they perform miracles, and tell you to worship anyone else except YHWH, you are to cast them out! There is only one God/Elohim of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob, and His name is YHWH, and He alone is the only Personality we are to worship, approaching Him through His resurrected Son Yahoshua, The Messiah. Yahoshua Is Much More Than Just a Mere Man Do not think that all of this reduces Yahoshua into being Just a mere man. Yahoshua was of the DNA of Abraham, a DNA descendent of David, was given the Holy Breath of YHWH from birth, had angels proclaim His birth and His goal, and lived a righteous sinless life. Yahoshua has the right credentials, and all other men do not. Yahoshua could have called out for 12 legions of angels to stop the crucifixion. But He showed His superiority by resisting, all the way through pain and death. He did not do what He wanted to do, but He fully obeyed the will of His Father YHWH instead. Yahoshua is no ordinary man, He is the most extraordinary. Yahoshua is alive, and is the promised Messiah. He now sits at the right hand of YHWH, and will take His rightful reign very soon. Yahoshua is also our elder brother, and so we too will rule in the Kingdom of YHWH, with our Lord Yahoshua, forever. All Grammatical Analysis of the Greek Text is taken from: Page 6 of 7

7 1. "The Complete Word Study New Testament with Parallel Greek" 1992 Spiros Zodhiates and AMG International, Inc. AMG Publishers. 2. "Analytical Greek New Testament" 1981 Baker Book House Company. 3. "Net Bible, New Testament Clarified and Explained in 15,950 Footnotes" 1998 Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. 4. "Thayer Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament" (Lexicon) 1977 Baker Book House Company, Twelfth printing March Internet: Herbert Weir Smyth, A Greek Grammar for Colleges In Service To The Brethren, Wayne L. Atchison, an Elder in the Body of the Messiah Two Tassels Ministry Living By Both Covenants Empowering His Communities Standing Up for the Gospel of the Christ as it is Proclaimed in the Greek Text! Page 7 of 7