4004 B.C. (23rd October, the first day of our universe)
Genesis 1 – The Creator of the whole universe and everything in it.
1 ¶ In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
What? Tim are you saying that Christ created the universe?
Yes!
But surely God did all that, not Jesus?
Jesus is God!
Now let me say that again in case some of you didn’t get it.
JESUS IS GOD!
The very first verse of the Bible says:
‘In the beginning God (plural) created the heavens and the earth’
Moses, the author of Genesis under the direction of the Holy Spirit, chose to use the Hebrew plural term elohim for God, rather than the singular el or the singular poetic form eloah.
You think that’s good?
Well now look at verse 26 of Genesis chapter 1. This is the 6th day of the first week on earth (incidentally, a day means a day – not a massive period of time).
Listen to what the Word of God says;
Genesis 1:26 ¶ Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness;
What’s this about? Why is God saying “Let Us” instead of saying “Let Me”?
I’ll tell you why – because God is a Triune God!
God is a Trinity!
In the unity of the Godhead there are three eternal and co-equal Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the same in essence but distinct in role—three Persons (or three centres of consciousness) and one Being (see diagram).
This doctrine is difficult to understand, but this is what God has revealed in the Bible about His own Being, so we should believe it.
For example, at the baptism of Jesus, the Holy Spirit was seen descending and landing upon the Son, and the voice of the Father was heard from Heaven (Matthew 3:16–17).
And when Jesus gave the Great Commission, He ordered His followers to baptize in the name (singular) of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:18–20).
The different senses of oneness and threeness mean that the doctrine is not self-contradictory.
It’s like saying that the navy, army and airforce are three distinct fighting entities, but are also one armed service.
Now this is not to suggest that the three persons are ‘parts’ of God. Indeed, each Person has the fullness of the Godhead (see Colossians 2:9).
A better analogy is that space contains three dimensions (length, breadth, height), yet the dimensions are not ‘parts’—the concept of ‘space’ is meaningless without all three dimensions.
