Does Genesis 1:26 Refer to the Trinity? | Episode 1

When describing the creation of man, Genesis 1:26 quotes God as saying, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” In Genesis 11:7, God observes the building of the Tower of Babel and again refers to Himself in the plural, stating, “Let us go down, and there confound their language.”

Some Bible readers have taken these verses as proof that there is more than one person in the Godhead. UPCI General Superintendent Dr. David K. Bernard explains these passages and shows how the Bible consistently affirms the Oneness view of God.

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[Johnbobon]

I love Bro. Bernard's clear, simple, non-confrontational, matter-of-fact approach to explaining biblical principles.

[johnw]

That's good! I just got deeper in my knowledge of the Oneness of God, thanks Brother Bernard!

[mcandler_the_unscottish]

Isaiah 6:1-8 presents a similar scene. God is surrounded by angels when Isaiah comes into their presence. There was one person sitting with the edges of His robe filling the temple and then Isaiah hears the Lord’s voice saying, “Whom should I send, and who will go for us?”. Jesus did not exist yet in any form except as logos.. a word in God's mouth or a predestined idea the like of Jeremiah where God says  “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; before you were born, I sanctified you; and I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”. God already knew how seed was going to crush the head of the serpent before the Son was begotten and even before the foundation of the world. This was the same time John speaks of in John 1:1-14 where the word was with God and the word was God through whom everything was created when God simply spoke and said " Let there be light..". The word that was life and life that was light. Jesus is the light if the world and is the life as well as the way and truth.

[churchsapnr]

God bless you more Sir David
From all of us here in Upc Pnr Church Philippines

[brianguglielmin]

Its agreed God is Personal in Father, Son and Spirit and is One God.❤

[shlahla]

I also believe that God was addressing the angels in Gen 1:26. And the reason I believe that is because after man sins, God makes the following statement:

(Genesis 3:22 KJVS
And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:)

"Man is become as one of us, to know good and evil". And man only received the knowledge of good and evil after he ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

It becomes clear from this verse that those whom God is addressing had a knowledge of good and evil placed in them already without needing to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

And that could only be the angels. Because Lucifer tempted Eve but where did the iniquity come from in him? He was created with the knowledge of good and evil and the ability to choose.

So I firmly believe that God was addressing the angels but He did the act of creation by Himself.

[biblest]

I have never heard a good explanation for this but i am set on finding it. However i do not believe that it referring to the trinity. God is one, Jesus is the Father.

[eliseoangel]

I love these videos! & love Pastor Bernard’s answering questions that I have been asking myself and now I have found an answer.

[peniellalmalsawmaselatea]

Amen! it really helps me in understanding our doctrine...

[ralphowen]

How about God in 1:26 speaking with the light He had created on day one in Gen. 1:3. Thus, God was speaking within Himself, seeing that Light is what God is? Could it be that God was showing humanity that it is not so out of order for a man to speak within himself like the man does in Luke 12 and elsewhere? In Gen. 8:21 we see God speaking within Himself.

[andretresvant]

Powerful truth! Makes sense that man was the reflection having 3 distinct parts of One individual, not 3 persons” another thing that stood out to me was man was created male and female and the image of God was before the female was taken out of the man, male and female can be symbolic of that which impregnates and that which produces, as animals can also be male and female but not necessarily woman or man, it also could mean God has a more dominant side and also a more sensitive side, as we see the Holy Spirit manifestation of himself can be grieved and gentleness is a fruit of his spirit, God also has parts, there’s a such thing as parts of God, Moses saw the back parts of the One individual God, reflecting God’s image makes the most sense to me, God is spirit, man is spirit dwelling in a body, God has a soul, he said if anyone draws back from living by faith MY SOUL has no pleasure in him, man has a soul also, and God speaks Words, Man also speaks words” interesting Paul said if I pray in an unknown tongue my spirit prays and mind is unfruitful, so we have different parts of ourselves that can speak, Flesh or Spirit but same individual, God also has different functions of himself he can speak from, and if speak than also hear from, that can explain LET US” I know Pastor mentioned Isaiah 44 God created heaven by himself, but another even deeper is Isaiah 45:12 - he said he made earth and MAN ON it by himself” which is proof One individual God Created man” so the US is still within the same individual “ himself! Oneness always wins!

[Tmb]

Thank you, Bishop 🙏🏽. Spot on. Perfectly articulated. Sound doctrine 📖

[jerrylrawite]

God bless contemporary ministry in these hard times

[thestrongtowerchristianaca]

Thanks sir for enlightening us.Let us create man in our image,
God is refering to Jesus Christ as son in view, Jesus Christ in the coming. Let
us create man in our image, the Image of Jesus Christ because Jesus Christ is the image of the invisible God. Col 1:15
John 14:8-9 ...he that hath seen me hath seen the father..

[robertnieten]

People may ask how can the Father and Son be the same person ? John said that "God is a Spirit no man has seen Him or can see Him". Why ? Because the Father is an invisible Spirit that can only been seen in a body. Just like us except that the Spirit of the Father is joined with the Spirit of the Son. God is Spirit/spirit, soul, in the glorified body of Jesus Christ. What did Jesus say, " If you have seen me then you have seen the Father".
A " born of the Spirit" believer is now Spirit/spirit, soul, and body, just like our Father is.

[brianguglielmin]

The Eternal Existence and Distinction between Father, Son and Spirit is evident in scripture. God is One in Compound Unity and Personality of Father, Son and Spirit. This is why John 14-16 and John 8 we see Plurality in God and many other scriptures that God is Truly One God.❤

[michaelshannon]

I agree with you that God is speaking to his divine council, inviting them to participate in the creation by observation of what he was about to do, and I’m a Trinitarian.

[logosinternationalteam]

nice clear and new explanation . Blessings.

[HeWhoHasSeenMe]

Greetings, Brothers!


(CREATED IN THE IMAGE OF GOD: A PROPHESY FULFILLED IN THE INCARNATION)


We worship a God who calls things that are not as though they were (Ezekial 12:25; Romans 4:17).

It is written, "in the beginning, God created man in His own image" (Genesis 1:27).
Yet "God is a Spirit" (John 4:24), without visible form (John 1:18; Colossians 1:15).

Of Christ it is written, "He is the image of the invisible God" (Colossians 1:15).
By drawing attention to the fact that God is invisible, this text highlights Christ as being the visible image of God.

So, "let Us make man in Our image" (Genesis 1:26) was a prophesy pointing to the incarnation, when God Himself would take visible (human) form (Philippians 2:7).

Because man was created a visible being, it was not possible for him to resemble his invisible creator, so God created man in the image that in the fulness of time He would fashion Himself into, so that in being so fashioned, the man that He had created in the beginning would bear that same image, thereby fulfilling the prophesy.



Grace and Peace to you all



-james

[renyaangela]

I am From Indonesia, I am Oneness
Thank you Mr Bernads