Genesis 18:1-2 Trinity

[Wootah]

18 The Lord appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. 2 Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.

Translation: Abraham looked up and saw God as three men and he bowed down.

Surely Christians can use this as evidence for the trinity?

[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to post 1 by Wootah]

Did you miss the verses that said all three were equal in power, authority and position, and they all identified themselves as YHWH The Almighty? Just quote the verses that say that and I think you'll have a basis for a discussion.

Over to you,


JW

[ttruscott]

The flim flam of exegesis is that for anyone to get the meaning of a verse from the verse without any input from their mindset and unfiltered by existing ideas is on the order of Paul's conversion as a bright light and hearing GOD's voice. Every interpretation of a verse is eisegesis, the fitting of the verse into previously accepted definitions.

[marco]

18 The Lord appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. 2 Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.

Translation: Abraham looked up and saw God as three men and he bowed down.

Surely Christians can use this as evidence for the trinity?

The story is a simple illustration of a favoured man's perceived encounter with the supernatural. Perhaps we're not meant to take the ingredients of the story literally; perhaps they indicate Abraham's confused state. Supplying food to gods and even bargaining with them is a common theme in mythologies, so it's maybe best we regard everything as figurative.


But if one has a literal mind then God appearing as three persons does presage the Trinity. Or perhaps the Trinity was made to explain Abraham's triple vision.

[tigger2]

[Replying to post 4 by marco]

Gen. 18:22 'Jehovah' stayed with Abraham while the other two (both angels - see 19:1) went to Sodom.

[Wootah]

[Replying to post 1 by Wootah]

Did you miss the verses that said all three were equal in power, authority and position, and they all identified themselves as YHWH The Almighty? Just quote the verses that say that and I think you'll have a basis for a discussion.

Over to you,


JW

Since you are interested in this thread, why not tell me what you read in Genesis 18 1-2?

3He said, “If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord,[a] do not pass your servant by. 4 Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree. 5 Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way—now that you have come to your servant.�

“Very well,� they answered, “do as you say.�

I'm quite open to going to the hebrew to see if the translation is correct but even verse 3 and 4 support the notion that all 3 men are YHWH.

Set aside our ideology what does the text say about God here?

[polonius]

[Replying to post 1 by Wootah]

RESPONSE: Three men not three Gods

[Eloi]

[Replying to Wootah]

That is not true. Only one of the three beings who present themselves is taken as Jehovah, because, obviously, he is the one who is speaking in the name of God because he is His direct representative.

If the three people presented on that occasion were three gods or parts of God, or all three should be considered as Jehovah, it would not be said of the two of them who went to Sodom in the first place, that both were angels.

Gen. 19:1 The two angels arrived at Sodʹom by evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodʹom. When Lot saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the earth.

Even if an angel can represent Jehovah, there is not way that Jehovah can be called an angel.

[Wootah]

[Replying to post 4 by marco]

Gen. 18:22 'Jehovah' stayed with Abraham while the other two (both angels - see 19:1) went to Sodom.

Esv: So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord.

I've tried to read this text again in esv and hcsb and it doesnt say 'the other two went to Sodom'. It says the men.

Hcsb 16 The men got up from there and looked out over Sodom, and Abraham was walking with them to see them off

Hcsb 22 The men turned from there and went toward Sodom while Abraham remained standing before the Lord.

Genesis 19 says two angels. I think that is a new chapter with new characters.

[Eloi]

In the Bible it is clearly said that there was an ANGEL that had the name of God "within him." However, although that angel was a direct representative of Jehovah, that angel IS NOT Jehovah.

Ex. 23:20 “Here I am sending an angel ahead of you to keep you on the road and to bring you into the place that I have prepared. 21 Watch yourself because of him and obey his voice. Do not behave rebelliously against him, for he will not pardon YOUR transgression; because my name is within him. 22 However, if you strictly obey his voice and really do all that I shall speak, then I shall certainly be hostile to your enemies and harass those who harass you. 23 For my angel will go ahead of you and will indeed bring you to the Amʹor·ites and the Hitʹtites and the Perʹiz·zites and the Caʹnaan·ites, the Hiʹvites and the Jebʹu·sites, and I shall certainly efface them.