Us

[Miles]

.

In Genesis 1:26 one reads

"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."

What I get from this is that making man wasn't a solo task, but a cooperative effort of god and, at a minimum, someone/thing else. So, who is this us, and our, and what's the reason for your choice?

Secondary question: being the almighty god he is said to be, why do you think he needed help in making man?

.

[Ross]

So God the Father and God the Word.
Sorry, but I didn't see any mention of "god the father" in either John 1:1 or John 1:3.

Sorry Miles, I was attempting to keep it short and as simple as possible. Please see:

John 1:2
"He was with God in the beginning."

John 1:14
14 "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us...who came from the Father"

[Miles]

.

In Genesis 1:26 one reads

"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."

What I get from this is that making man wasn't a solo task, but a cooperative effort of god and, at a minimum, someone/thing else. So, who is this us, and our, and what's the reason for your choice?

Secondary question: being the almighty god he is said to be, why do you think he needed help in making man?

.

The Word created everything ever created, so it was a solo task.

Chapter and verse please.

Man wasn't created in the original creation, but in a re-creation of an earth which had become formless, void, and dark.

Chapter and verse please.

The "us" present at the creation of man would be The Word, angels assigned to the earth which had not rebelled against God and abandoned their first estate, other animals and beings cteated prior to man, and the ruler over the earth -- Satan.

Thanks.

So far then, aside from god, the other member(s) of the "us" could be:

1. Jesus (1213)
2. the Trinity (bjs1)
3. ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶s̶p̶i̶r̶i̶t̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶g̶o̶d̶ ̶ Jesus (Ross)
4. compliant angels, animals and beings created before man, and Satan (myth-one.com)

.

[Ross]

Psalm 104:30
"You send forth Your Spirit, they are created; And You renew the face of the ground."

[Miles]

So God the Father and God the Word.
Sorry, but I didn't see any mention of "god the father" in either John 1:1 or John 1:3.

Sorry Miles, I was attempting to keep it short and as simple as possible. Please see:

John 1:2
"He was with God in the beginning."

John 1:14
14 "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us...who came from the Father"

Gotcha. I'll take the "he" as meaning "Jesus" and edit your answer.

.

[myth-one.com]

.

In Genesis 1:26 one reads

"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."

What I get from this is that making man wasn't a solo task, but a cooperative effort of god and, at a minimum, someone/thing else. So, who is this us, and our, and what's the reason for your choice?

Secondary question: being the almighty god he is said to be, why do you think he needed help in making man?

.

The Word created everything ever created, so it was a solo task.

Chapter and verse please.

John 1
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 The same was in the beginning with God.

3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Man wasn't created in the original creation, but in a re-creation of an earth which had become formless, void, and dark.

Chapter and verse please.

Genesis 1:
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth as "good" and the earth became formless, empty, and dark. Genesis 1:3 begins the re-creation of this decimated earth as God turns the lights back on:

Genesis 1:3:
3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

The "us" present at the creation of man would be The Word, angels assigned to the earth which had not rebelled against God and abandoned their first estate, other animals and beings cteated prior to man, and the ruler over the earth -- Satan.

Thanks.

So far then, aside from god, the other member(s) of the "us" could be:

1. Jesus (1213)
2. the Trinity (bjs1)
3. ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶s̶p̶i̶r̶i̶t̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶g̶o̶d̶ ̶ Jesus (Ross)
4. compliant angels, animals and beings created before man, and Satan (myth-one.com)

.

You should also strike Jesus from the list as Jesus was a man, and a man cannot see his own creation.

[tam]

Peace to you Miles,

.

In Genesis 1:26 one reads

"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."

What I get from this is that making man wasn't a solo task, but a cooperative effort of god and, at a minimum, someone/thing else. So, who is this us, and our, and what's the reason for your choice?

The 'us' is God (JAH) and His Son (Jaheshua).

God made everything through His Son.

Through Him (the Son) all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made. John 1:3

yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we exist. And there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we exist. 1Corinthians 8:6


(See also Proverbs 8, particularly 22-31)

Secondary question: being the almighty god he is said to be, why do you think he needed help in making man?

As 1213 said, I am not sure God needed help making man (unless the energy required to bring forth an entirely new creation was best with two, rather than one). Why could He not just have loved His Son and wanted His Son to have a part in everything? Especially since everything He was creating was being created for that Son to inherit and to reign over? Wouldn't you have more investment (including love) for something you helped create, something you worked for, even gave your life for?

If you can understand why a human father would want his son at his side while he worked, teaching that son everything he knows, then you should also be able to understand why God might also want His Son at His side during creation.





Peace again to you,
your servant and a slave of Christ,
tammy

[Miles]

.

In Genesis 1:26 one reads

"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."

What I get from this is that making man wasn't a solo task, but a cooperative effort of god and, at a minimum, someone/thing else. So, who is this us, and our, and what's the reason for your choice?

Secondary question: being the almighty god he is said to be, why do you think he needed help in making man?

.

The Word created everything ever created, so it was a solo task.

Chapter and verse please.

John 1
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 The same was in the beginning with God.

3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

In light of Genesis 1:26 where it says "And God said, Let us make man in our image,. . . ." It's almost a certainty god did NOT work alone in creating man, but had the assistance of "us."

Man wasn't created in the original creation, but in a re-creation of an earth which had become formless, void, and dark.

Chapter and verse please.

Genesis 1:
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth as "good" and the earth became formless, empty, and dark. Genesis 1:3 begins the re-creation of this decimated earth as God turns the lights back on:

Where does the Bible say it was "good" that God created the heavens and the earth? It doesn't.

Where in the Bible does it say "the earth 'became' formless, empty, and dark?" It doesn't.

Where in the Bible does it say the earth was "decimated"? It doesn't.

The "us" present at the creation of man would be The Word, angels assigned to the earth which had not rebelled against God and abandoned their first estate, other animals and beings cteated prior to man, and the ruler over the earth -- Satan.

Thanks.

So far then, aside from god, the other member(s) of the "us" could be:

1. Jesus (1213)
2. the Trinity (bjs1)
3. ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶s̶p̶i̶r̶i̶t̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶g̶o̶d̶ ̶ Jesus (Ross)
4. compliant angels, animals and beings created before man, and Satan (myth-one.com)

.

You should also strike Jesus from the list as Jesus was a man, and a man cannot see his own creation.

It's not up to me to decide what entities people regard as "us." If you don't like any of the answers take it up with the author.

.

[Miles]

Peace to you Miles,

.

In Genesis 1:26 one reads

"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."

What I get from this is that making man wasn't a solo task, but a cooperative effort of god and, at a minimum, someone/thing else. So, who is this us, and our, and what's the reason for your choice?

The 'us' is God (JAH) and His Son (Jaheshua).

Hey, thanks.

So far then, aside from god, the other member(s) of the "us" could be:

1. Jesus (1213)
2. the Trinity (bjs1)
3. Jesus (Ross)
4. compliant angels, animals and beings created before man, and Satan (myth-one.com)
5. His Son (Jaheshua) (tam)

Secondary question: being the almighty god he is said to be, why do you think he needed help in making man?

As 1213 said, I am not sure God needed help making man (unless the energy required to bring forth an entirely new creation was best with two, rather than one). Why could He not just have loved His Son and wanted His Son to have a part in everything? Especially since everything He was creating was being created for that Son to inherit and to reign over? Wouldn't you have more investment (including love) for something you helped create, something you worked for, even gave your life for?

Thanks for your speculation.

If you can understand why a human father would want his son at his side while he worked, teaching that son everything he knows, then you should also be able to understand why God might also want His Son at His side during creation.

I do. I also understand what the phrase " Let us make" means, and it doesn't mean "I'll make man while you watch," or "watch me make man while you stand around." It means god wants "us" to make man together. The "us" designating god and whomever.

"Let us make man" is no different than

"Let us go to Chicago"
"Let us hold our breath"
"Let us sing a song"
"Let's skip school"

They all indicate doing the same thing together


.

[JehovahsWitness]

SINCE IT SEEMED GOD COLLABORATED WITH JESUS IN THE CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE, DOES THAT MEAN YHWH NEEDS OTHERS?



No, this would be an illogical position to hold since YHWH (Jehovah) is both omnipotent (Almighty) and omniscient (all knowing). As such, Jehovah God would not need anyone to achieve his goals in the sence of being unable to do what he wants to do without someone elese input. But this is not to say he would not want anyone.

The GOD of the bible is a God of love. And it was this love that evidently moved him to first create a son (The Word/Jesus) and then choose to share the creative creative process with his only begotten son Jesus in his prehuman form (The Word). Just as God has gifted humans with the powers of procreation so they could enjoy the miracle of bringing new life into the world, so Jehovah chose to delegate as a "Masterworker" or underworker, the creation of the both the spiritual and the physical universe to his son. Not because God needed to... but because he wanted to.



JW



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To learn more please go to other posts related to...

JESUS , MICHAEL, and ....HIS ROLE IN CREATION

[theophile]

.

In Genesis 1:26 one reads

"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."

What I get from this is that making man wasn't a solo task, but a cooperative effort of god and, at a minimum, someone/thing else. So, who is this us, and our, and what's the reason for your choice?

Secondary question: being the almighty god he is said to be, why do you think he needed help in making man?

.

The answer is in Genesis 1:2, i.e., 'the deep' is God's co-creator here, and is what forms a plurality or an 'us' with the spirit of God. The deep in Hebrew is tehom, which corresponds to Tiamat, a primordial Babylonian sea goddess from the Enuma Elish... Once this connection is made, it becomes pretty obvious I think.

To take this a bit further, tehom in Genesis 1 would be the equivalent of Mary in the NT, who similarly provides a womb for God's seed in creation. In the OT, God and tehom give birth to the light (their firstborn). In the NT, it is Jesus Christ (the light and Christ being one and the same according to John 1, which others have referenced here albeit incorrectly).

To your secondary question, the answer is again pretty simple. God is nothing but spirit in Genesis 1 (again, see Genesis 1:2 where God is introduced as such). This means God has no real power in Godself to do anything. (Think of spirit as something completely non-physical, like an idea for example, which similarly has no real power in itself to do anything, even though physical beings may be moved by it...) As such, all the physical prowess in this story comes from the deep, moved by the spirit of God. i.e., it is the deep that brings forth the light at God's call. And who separates herself to form land. And who brings forth all the creatures of the sea. etc. etc.

This is a great question though, since it opens up biblical theology and the whole biblical narrative in far more interesting directions than commonly taken.