The Problem with our English Word “God”
If you were to go to work or school today and ask some people what or who God is, more than likely you will get different answers. Some might say that God is the big guy upstairs who just sits and watches things happen in the world. Others might say that He is everything and is in everything, including us. Some would say that we are all gods, or could be a god someday depending on how we live. Your muslim friend would say that God is Allah. A Christian friend of yours would probably say that Jesus is God, or maybe that God is our heavenly Father. Still another could say that God is an imaginary being that ancient people made up to explain the universe. I remember being told once that God is actually the flying spaghetti monster! I laughed in my ignorance because I thought they were joking. After some research I realized later that they were not joking, and that my laugh was mostly likely offensive to them.
The point here is that the english word “God” is ambiguous. It can mean anything to anyone. The word “God” is often thought of as a name for the God of the Bible in Christian circles. The reality is though, “God” is not His name, it’s His category. Let’s take a look at the Bible. Genesis 1:1 says:
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”
בְּרֵאשִׁ֖ית בָּרָ֣א אֱלֹהִ֑ים אֵ֥ת הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וְאֵ֥ת הָאָֽרֶץ
Look at those scribbles! Don’t worry, you’re not going to need to learn how to read Hebrew. I just wanted to show you that the Old Testament was mostly written in the ancient Hebrew language. The highlighted word in Hebrew is “elohim,” which can be translated in English as “God.” But if you haven’t read this article, it might surprise you that “elohim” can be used for several different types of beings. This is why I say that “God”, or “elohim”, is a category. The category is that of a “spiritual being.” You and I, assuming you are living, are not yet a spiritual being. The Bible only uses the word “elohim” for physically disembodied spiritual beings. So even in the Bible there is confusion around the word “God” because, well… it depends on which spiritual being it is referencing!
So who is God?
Well, for me the answer is “Yahweh”. He’s THE God of the Bible – the Almight Creator. Yahweh is His name. Let’s look at Genesis 2:4:
“This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, when the LORD God made the earth and the heavens.”
Okay, bear with me! If you read Genesis chapter 1, you will notice that the author only uses the term “God” (elohim). But when you get into chapter 2 the author begins to use the phrase “LORD God” (Yahweh elohim). Chapter 1 states that a spiritual being created the heavens and the earth. Chapter 2 tells us who that spiritual being is. Yahweh is His name, and elohim (God) is His category.
So how do we know which spiritual being the Bible is talking about if the word “LORD” is not present? Well, context always defines meaning. But even more than that, sometimes the Hebrew authors put a language indicator in the text that translates as “THE God” – as in “no other God.” To my knowledge, English translations usually just use “God” and not “the” because the context is clear as to Whom it refers.
Why does this matter?
Because just as the Bible is specific as to exactly which god (elohim) it is talking about, I think we as followers of Christ need to be more specific about who we think “God” is. If you’re in a conversation about Jesus with someone who is not a believer, remember that the word “God” could mean almost anything to them. Rather than starting out with the claim that Jesus is God (which is true), try to gain some common ground by asking who God is to them. That way you can gain some clarity and can then move to explaining exactly who God, Yahweh, is. So do you have to explain all the technical language stuff to them and even use the name Yahweh? No – that probably wouldn’t be the best idea for most people. However, it is important for you to know who God is. Over time they will eventually learn (hopefully!) exactly who God is as they get to know Jesus through His Word and through you. He is THE God among other gods (elohim). There is no one like our God. He is supreme and above everyone and everything. In fact, He is the One who created everything and everyone, including other gods (elohim).
Say what?! Other “gods”?
Yep. Now before you close your browser and call the church to name me as a heretic, keep reading! Again, the English word “God” or “gods” causes us problems. It’s because when we think of “God”, we think of THE God of the Bible, Yahweh. But, as you’ve now seen, the English word “God” is not His name. It is a type, or as as I stated above, a category. So when the Bible says “gods” (elohim), it could be referring to a number of different types of spiritual beings. It could refer to angels (God’s messengers), demons, God’s heavenly host (His army), the Angel of the LORD, or even a deceased human being. So let me restate my point once more:
Yahweh God is THE elohim among other elohim. Yahweh God is the One who created everything and everyone, including other elohim. And Jesus is Yahweh God, and yet He’s not. He is God, and yet He is a distinct person of God. This gets into the reality that Yahweh God is a Triune God; or in other words, when I say “God”, I mean God the Father (Yahweh), God the Son (Jesus), and God the Holy Spirit. Maybe that’s a topic for another blog post 🙂
Here’s a chart that hopefully will help to clarify things even further:
Making Sense of our Terms
English
Hebrew
Type of Word
Meaning (always depends on context)
Examples
God/gods
elohim
It’s a category of being
“spiritual being”
Psalm 82:1
LORD / Jehovah
Yahweh
It’s a name
It’s a name of God
Genesis 2:4
Lord
adonai
It’s a title (like “president” is a title)
Refers to the majesty of God – He is Master
Genesis 18:31