Q&A Kindling Questions 8: How does the idea of Gen 1:1, Elohim being one God, match with John 1:1

Todays question Sydekie during one of his bible studies and he asked:

How does the idea of Elohim one God match with John 1:1

Bereshith bara Elohim eth hashmayim v'eth ha'aretz.

In the beginning "God" created the heavens and the earth

En arche en ho Logos, kai ho Logos en pros ton Theon, Kai Theos en ho Logos.

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

Elohim (God, gods, divine ones, rulers) is a plural of eloah, which translates as “God”. And in context with the Creator in Gen 1:1, it has been assumed the ancient Israelites used this plural title with a singular verb, because of God's majesty. So though they believe there is one God, He is not just The God, but He is God of the God's. So the plurality was to represent His majesty. We see in many cultures this practice still happening today.

So when we see this title of God, represented as a singular, even though grammatically its a plural, one must begin to question how to interpret John 1:1. For in John 1:1, we can distinctly see two separate beings, the Logos (a word (as embodying an idea), a statement, a speech), and the Theos (God, a god). What is fascinating is that theos is a title itself, not a name, which is the same for the term elohim. Elohim and Theos are titles for a specific being, or person, and in the context of these two verses, Gen 1:1 & John 1:1, it is the title of the one who is present in the beginning, at our first cause.

When we can distinguish the fact that these are titles, then one can see a little more in the text. Genesis 1:1 is a statement of what is our first cause, and by whom did it happen. And who is “the Creator” in Genesis 1:1, something that goes by the title of God (Elohim).

In John 1:1 we see there was another being, named "The Word (Logos)", present at the first cause, and this being was not only present at the first cause, but they were present with the one who has the title of God. And to add more depth to it, the Word is also known to be one with God, and is God Himself.

Therefore, what we can see is Genesis 1:1 was a sum of the entire creation, being attributed to the one that bears the title God. And by the time we get to John 1:1, John begins to deepen our understanding of what God is, which is something that consist of more than one being, yet they are all in unison.

Short little note: Genesis 2:4 is the first time we see God being called by a name, YHWH; and this was expressing the relationship between God the Creator and man. They were to be friends, and know each others names. But by the time of the New Testament era,we are told of another who has the saving power of YHWH, because we see in Acts 4:12, “there is no other name by which man can be saved”, referring to Yeshua, the Logos. And within the Scriptures we see Yeshua allude Himself to being the "I Am" of old (John 8:58), therefore making himself equal with YHWH, God the Father. But Philippians 2:5-11, let us know that Yeshua was equal with the Father, but laid aside His divinity to carry out His earthly ministry. And Rev 1:8 & 22:13, allows us to see that Yeshua is also the one "who was, is, and yet to be", which is another title that belongs to Elohim.

How does the idea of Elohim one God match with John 1:1

Fairly easy, when you recognize that John 1:1 is getting deeper into understanding what constitutes the term and personhood of God. But in this instance, John begins to focus more on one person of the God head, rather than another.

P.S. The Idea of God being a singular one, comes a little later in time, which we can examine another day. As well as, if it weren’t for Yeshua, we would have never learned about the ministry of the third person in the Godhead, which is the Ruach Ha Qodesh, the Holy Spirit, but that's another conversation