BEGINNINGS

Beginnings

Has there ever been a better and more profound opening line for a book ever written, than ‘In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth’? In this majestic opening verse of the Bible we have the beginning of all beginnings! Here we have the beginning of space and time and matter. We might say it something like this: Before the beginning there was only the eternal Triune God who began time by creating and placing matter into the space He had created. How did the Triune God do it? The Father spoke His Word and by Their Spirit things that were not became things that are. What did He create? Space, time and matter. Where? There was no where before the beginning. Why? For His own glory. When? ‘In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.’

Some have been known to ask, that if God created all things, then who created God? When did God begin? God has no beginning and has no end. God always was, always is and always will be, which is to say that God is eternal. Others ask when did the Trinity begin? At the beginning the Trinity (i.e. the plurality of Persons, Hebrew Elohim), He created (singular verb bara) the two heavens and the one earth. Therefore, the word ‘Trinity’ is simply a word we use to describe the eternal God who was, is, and always will be the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

God is the great beginner of all things. Therefore all things ought to begin with God. Even God begins His written revelation with God, as in ‘In the beginning God…’ For example, when studying God and the things of His creation some Christians begin at Christ’s cross and resurrection. However, if one were to begin with God one would begin to see that all things in creation reflect their Creator. God is Triune (i.e. a plurality of Persons) yet He is One (i.e. a unity). The Godhead is the original One and Many, Unity in Diversity, the General and the Particular.

Peace among people begins with the Godhead. Nations stop studying war and start beating their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks when they begin studying the Triune God! For example: America can get so politically divided. Whereas Republicans want unity, Democrats want diversity. Division! But is the Godhead divided? Does the One lord it over the Many or the Many over the One? Does diversity trump unity or does unity trump diversity in the Godhead? No! There is peace and harmony in the Godhead because of the equal ultimacy of the One and the Many. Like love and marriage going together like a horse and carriage, ‘you can’t have one without the other.’

Is a family one or is it many? Is a nation one or is it many? Why argue about the obvious? They are both! One of the things written on the Great Seal of the United States is E PLURIBUS UNUM (i.e. out of many, one or one from many). The many individuals have all become one (America). The many nationalities have become one nationality (American). It’s not hard to see how this reflects the Godhead who is many but one, who is diversity in unity etc.

All disputes about all problems of the one and the many or unity and diversity et al are resolved in the Godhead. Begin with the great beginner of all things and you won’t go wrong ‘For the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever’ Psalm 111:10.