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86 ♦ Bible Writers'Theology Chapter Four
The basic idea expressed in verses 4-6 is the oneness of God, not threeness. Whywasthisthoughtrestated in three different ways? Verse 4 connects the oneSpirit(God theFather),with the assertion that there is one body, remind ing us the one Spirit of God the Father baptises us into the one body (I
Corinthians 12:12-13). Verse 5 groups "one Lord" with "one faith" and "one baptism," indicating we must condition our faith and our baptism on the person, name and work of the Lord Jesus Christ in order to put on Christ. Verse 6 brings it all together, saying, "One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all." The one God is the one Lord
and the one Spirit, God the Father incarnate.
4.13 The Name of God
ThenameofGodisthedescriptionofHischaracter. Everytimearefer ence is made to God, whatever name is used reveals something of His char acter. This is even true when there is the occurrence of the phrase. The
^me of the Lord . Abrahamworshiped God, calling the Name of the Lord enesis 21.33). God commanded the Hebrew children to fear and honor the eo Ihe Lord (Exodus 20:7). Ministers must hallow the name of the Lord
(Leviticus 22:2,32; Deuteronomy 21:5). A Elohim
scholars tell us that word "Elohim," in the general sense of
thefakp*"Htimes: 2310 times for the true God, and the rest for God, indkatrs'that^r^'T^ reference to the Almighty shows the strpnnrfk reverenced, feared, and worshiped. It Exodus l-?n- t d e i t y of the one jealous God (Genesis 1-19;
of Israel ' ^'"oriomy 1-17). Elohim was not a plural name for the God God always revealed Himself as the only one: "Hear, OIsrael: The Lord
fv (^®"^eronomy 6:4). The views of polytheistic plurali- . plurality, and tritheism were not known to the Old Testament
writers,teachersandprophets. (SeeIsaiah43:10-11;44:6-8,24.)
Elohim can be described as:
of the Creator (Genesis 1:1; 27). The name
God of all the earth (Isaiah 54:5; Zechariah 14:9; Joshua 3:11;
Zechariah 6:5; Psalms 8:1).
• Godofheaven (Nehemiah2:4;Jeremiah23:24). • Godofallspiritsthathaveflesh(Jeremiah32:27;
Numbers 16:22;27:16).