Unitarianism affirms the oneness of the Godhead, but denies the truth of the Trinity-God, the Father; God, the Son; God, the Holy Spirit; Three in One; One in Three, One omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient God, the one Eternal Supreme Creator, "which is, and which was, and which is to come" (Rev. 1:44John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; (Revelation 1:4)).
At one time Unitarianism was confined to Unitarian chapels, where the Deity of our Lord was denied, and as a consequence the atoning character of His death refused. Christ was extolled as a wonderful man, but no more. Their teaching was to set forth Christ as an Example to be followed, whilst He was stoutly refused as a Savior. Alas! there is little need for separate Unitarian chapels to-day as Unitarian beliefs have largely spread among the formerly orthodox churches. A man or woman holding Unitarian beliefs
cannot be a Christian. Their teaching is blasphemy.
We shall see now how Gen. 1 strikes a fatal blow against this heresy. The Hebrew language is not a rich language, but it is rich in its grammar in one particular, it possesses three numbers-singular, dual (standing for exactly two), and plural (standing for at least three). What made Moses write down the sacred word, GOD, in the plural?
Nor is he the only Old Testament writer that has done so. The word, GOD (Elohim), is found over 2,500 times in the plural, and only a little over 300 times in the singular. In the light of the full teaching of Scripture we can plainly see that the thought of the Trinity is therein enshrined.
This is further emphasized by the fact that the verb that follows the word GOD (plural) in Gen. 1:11In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (Genesis 1:1) "GOD created"-is in the singular. This is very unusual to say the least. But if the plural form of the word, GOD sets forth a plural-unity, we can understand the plural word for GOD being followed by a singular verb.
There is one especial passage from the pen of the same writer, Moses, where we read, " Hear, O Israel: The Lord [Jehovah, singular] our God [Elohim, plural] is one Lord [Jehovah, singular]" (Deut. 6:44Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: (Deuteronomy 6:4)). Here in the very affirmation of the unity of the Godhead, there is emphasized the truth of the Trinity, Three in One and One in Three-one God. There is no room for Unitarianism in Gen. 1.
The truth of the Trinity, so patent in the fuller revelation that we get in the New Testament, is clearly latent in the Old Testament. How could Moses have dared to put the sacred name of GOD in the plural to be followed by a singular verb, were he not inspired? Here we have revelation, Even our modernist critics could scarcely have the audacity to affirm that this was a happy guess on the pan of Moses. It is a plain prod of inspiration.