Let Us Make Man
This is one of the most common arguments that is used by Trinitarians to prove multiple persons in the godhead.
When God said let us make man they insist that it be a multiplicity of divine persons.
I shall endeavor to explain this text of scripture.
Gen 1:26-27
26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. KJV
I. THE CONTEXT
The context itself provides an excellent place to start.
Verse 27 is where God did what he determined to do in verse 26.
When God fulfilled the “Let Us” of verse 26, it was the “His Own” and the “He” of verse 27.
God created man in HIS own image and in the image of God created HE him.
Not THEIR own image, and not in the image of God created THEY him.
If God had intended to convey the idea of multiple persons, he sure muddied the water with the singular terms that he used in verse 27.
II. WHAT DOES US MEAN
III.
A. Grammatically
They usage of the Hebrew phrase “let us make man” cannot be shown beyond reasonable doubt to be a plurality of persons based on the way that it is used elsewhere in scripture.
Gen 1:26 And God430 said,559 Let us make6213 man120 in our image,6754 after our likeness:1823 and let them have dominion7287 over the fish1710 of the sea,3220 and over the fowl5775 of the air,8064 and over the cattle,929 and over all3605 the earth,776 and over every3605 creeping thing7431 that creepeth7430 upon5921 the earth.776
The phrase used for let us make man is from the Strong’s 6213.
I am going to keep this extremely simply, yet provide a point of reference for further study.
I simply want to point out how this phrase is uses elsewhere in scripture.
Follow the 6213 in all of the following verses that I will show you.
Also, I will limit my examples, for fear of redundancy, to the creation account.
Gen 1:31 And God430 saw7200 (853) every thing3605 that834 he had made,6213 …
Gen 2:2 And on the seventh7637 day3117 God430 ended3615 his work4399 which834 he had made;6213 and he rested7673 on the seventh7637 day3117 from all4480, 3605 his work4399 which834 he had made.6213
Gen 2:18 And the LORD3068 God430 said,559 It is not3808 good2896 that the man120 should be1961 alone;905 I will make6213 him a help5828 meet for him.5048
Gen 5:1 This2088 is the book5612 of the generations8435 of Adam.121 In the day3117 that God430 created1254 man,120 in the likeness1823 of God430 made6213 he him;
Gen 6:6 And it repented5162 the LORD3068 that3588 he had made6213 (853) man120 on the earth,776 and it grieved6087 him at413 his heart.3820
Gen 6:7 And the LORD3068 said,559 I will destroy4229 (853) man120 whom834 I have created1254 from4480, 5921 the face6440 of the earth;127 both man,4480, 120 and5704 beast,929 and5704 the creeping thing,7431 and5704 the fowls5775 of the air;8064 for3588 it repenteth5162 me that3588 I have made6213 them.
Gen 7:4 For3588 yet5750 seven7651 days,3117 and I595 will cause it to rain4305 upon5921 the earth776 forty705 days3117 and forty705 nights;3915 and (853) every3605 living substance3351 that834 I have made6213 will I destroy4229 from off4480, 5921 the face6440 of the earth.127
It makes you wonder where the plurality of persons have gone.
It sounds like the grammar is on our side.
Surely there was no intent of the part of God to display a plurality of persons in the godhead by the use of that phrase.
The Trinitarian position cannot prove beyond reasonable doubt by this phrase that multiple persons are what God was intending to convey with this verse.
The use of us in the English does not necessitate multiple persons.
Though much more could be cited, I will only list the following to point you in the right direction for more detailed research.
US- 2. royal us: used by a king or queen, or the editor of a newspaper, to mean “me” (formal)
Encarta ® World English Dictionary © & (P) 1998-2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
Here is a scriptural exapample…
Dan 2:24
24 Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch, whom the king had ordained to destroy the wise men of Babylon: he went and said thus unto him; Destroy not the wise men of Babylon: bring me in before the king, and I will shew unto the king the interpretation.
Only Daniel was to go before the king.
36 This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king. KJV
B. Counsel
The next thing that comes into play is the ideal of counsel.
Just who was God talking to when he said let us. Who does God counsel with?
Isa 40:13-14
13 Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counseller hath taught him?
14 With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding? KJV
Rom 11:34
34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counseller? KJV
Since the Bible ask the same question it must be a valid one.
In this case, as in all, Bible questions have Bible answers.
Eph 1:11
11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: KJV
Who does God counsel with?
The answer is, always his own will.
That is how he works all things.
Everything that God has ever done or ever will do his counsel has been his own will.
Wisdom was with God at creation and God counsels with his own wisdom.
Prov 8:12,14, 22-30
12 I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions.
14 Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength.
22 The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old.
23 I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.
24 When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water.
25 Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth:
26 While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world.
27 When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth:
28 When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep:
29 When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth:
30 Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him;
KJV
IV. THE INTENT OF THE PASSAGE
I feel personally that this is the real intent of the passage.
The intent of the passage looked well beyond the first Adam all the way through time to the last/second Adam.
Rom 4:17
17(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.
KJV
We know that God speaks in the present about things to be fulfilled in the future.
Isa 46:9-10
9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,
10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: (KJV)
Isa 45:21
21 Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. (KJV)
Acts 15:18
18 Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world. (KJV)
We have explicit evidence that this is what God was doing with Adam.
Rom 5:14
14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.
KJV
God said that Adam would be in his image and likeness. Let’s look at the Hebrew words for image and likeness.
IMAGE-
OT:6754
tselem (tseh’-lem); from an unused root meaning to shade; a phantom, i.e. (figuratively) illusion, resemblance; hence, a representative figure, especially an idol:
KJV - image, vain shew.
LIKENESS-
OT:1823
demuwth (dem-ooth’); from OT:1819; resemblance; concretely, model, shape; adverbially, like:
KJV - fashion, like (-ness, as), manner, similitude.
Now notice the similarity the figure in Romans 5:14.
FIGURE-
NT:5179
tupos (too’-pos); from NT:5180; a die (as struck), i.e. (by implication) a stamp or scar; by analogy, a shape, i.e. a statue, (figuratively) style or resemblance; specifically, a sampler ("type"), i.e. a model (for imitation) or instance (for warning):
KJV - en- ex-) ample, fashion, figure, form, manner, pattern, print.
The very same idea is shared between image, likeness (Genesis 1:26) and figure (Romans 5:14).
The image of God that Adam was created in was the image/figure that was to come, that is Christ. Adam was created in the image of God, but Adam was flesh and spirit. God was spirit only in creation, but was looking form to the day that he would take on the same image in Christ that he would create Adam with.
• FOR GOD WAS LOOKING AT THE COMPLETE CREATION OF MAN.
• FOR MAN TO BE COMPLETE GOD HAD TO MANIFEST HIMSELF AS…
• FATHER-CREATION; SON-REDEEMPTION; HOLYGHOST-REGENERATION
• GOD KNEW THAT HE HAD CREATED MAN INCOMPLETE WITHOUT HIM.
• Col 2:9-10
• 9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
• 10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: (KJV)
• THE CREATION ACCOUNT IN GEN. 1 SHOWS US THAT GOD CREATED MAN ON THE SIXTH DAY.
• HE WENT ON TO THE SEVENTH DAY INCLUDING IT IN THE CREATION WEEK.
• THE NUMBER SEVEN IS THE NUMBER OF COMPLETENESS OR PERFECTION IN THE BIBLE.
• SO GOD WAS TELLING US THAT MAN WITHOUT GOD IS INCOMPLETE.
• MAN IS TRIUNE HE IS IN THE IMAGE OF GOD… HE IS BODY; MIND; AND SPIRIT.
• Gen 2:7
• 7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. (KJV)
He was looking forward to the incarnation. It could be said that the US and OUR of Genesis 1:26 was the flesh/spirit, or dual nature of Christ in the incarnation. God was looking forward to when he would become a man.
