TRINITY, THEOPHANY, AND CREATION

An “insight” came to me as I was lying in bed before dropping off to sleep. I put “insight” in quotes since I have no idea whether what I am going to say makes any sense. It is certainly speculative in nature, and I have no confirmation from any Bible scholar as to its veracity. I will just offer it for what it is worth.

Most Christians are familiar with the first theological word “Trinity,” but “theophany” may be a different story. It basically means an appearance of God to those on earth. There are several such theophanies in the Old and New Testament, and some of them even give hints of the Trinity at the same time.

Jesus' Baptism

At the very start of Jesus' ministry on earth, he submits to the baptism of John, recorded in all four Gospel accounts. Matthew's account in 3:13-17 is among the fullest. If you recall the picture, all three members of the Godhead are present. Jesus is just coming out of the baptismal waters; the Holy Spirit descends on Him from heaven as a dove; and although He is not seen by anyone, God the Father is present as a disembodied voice announcing to those below: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

The Transfiguration

This event is recorded in Mark 9:2, closely followed by Matthew 17:2. It takes place on a mountain when Jesus and three of his disciples are confronted with Elijah and Moses. Then Jesus' becomes transfigured as his clothes take on a dazzling white hue. The voice of the Father from on high says, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.”

The similarity with Jesus' baptism is obvious, especially concerning the identical pronouncement by God that Jesus is His beloved Son. But added to that is the command for those present with Jesus to listen to (i.e. obey) his words. As at the baptism, God is heard but not seen and Jesus is on earth at the time. And although there is no mention of the Holy Spirit on this occasion, He was indeed present. Remember that the Spirit had already rested on Jesus at the baptism.

The Creation

What does the above have to do with the Creation? Let us first look at the retelling of that event using the insights of the New Testament. We see this in the Prologue to John's Gospel where there are allusions to all three theophanies (counting Genesis 1:1-5 as one). The most obvious reference to the Creation is in John 1:1-3,10. But in addition, there is the immediately following mention of Jesus as the spiritual light of the world (John 1:4-5), just as the physical light of the world is the first of God's creations in Genesis.

The reference to Jesus' baptism comes in John 1:15, with its quotation of John the Baptist's words at that event. And lastly, a clear allusion to the Transfiguration is found in John 1:14 where the apostle John states that he and the other two apostles “have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son.” This is confirmed by the mention of Moses two verses later.

In addition, look at John's references to Jesus as the Father's only son in John 1:14 and 18. This designation is part of God's pronouncement at both the baptism and Transfiguration.

With all of the above in mind, let us revisit the first three verses of Genesis 1. We clearly see, or rather hear, the presence of God the Father on this occasion. This is, of course, the only way we experience the Father in the other theophanies. As to the Holy Spirit, translations may vary for the last phrase in Genesis 1:2, since the same Hebrew word means “wind” and “spirit.” But most renderings indicate that it was God's Spirit hovering over the top of the water, the same place that Jesus experienced the descending of the Spirit on him.

But where is the second member of the Trinity? John states categorically that He was not only present at the Creation of the world, but that “all things came into being through him.” (John 1:3) Here is where speculation replaces strict exegesis. We see that the Genesis account of the Creation is wholly consistent with the other two theophanies in that the Father is evidenced by a voice only, and the Holy Spirit hovering over the water is wholly consistent with the account of the baptism in which the Spirit descends in the sky to just over the water. But by analogy, that would mean that the pre-Incarnate Jesus must be on earth (or in the water) at the time.

Is there any evidence for such a contention? Going back to John's Prologue, look at verse 10. There it states that Jesus “was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him.” What is remarkable is the order of these three clauses. One would expect John to say that the world came into being through him, and then that he was in the world, and then that the world did not know him. I may be making too much out of such a simple thing, but the implication appears to be that first Jesus was in the (unformed) world, and then it was created (formed) through him, and then (much later) the world rejected him.

So if (and I will admit that it is a big IF), Jesus was in the nebulous, watery earth at the beginning of creation, then God's repeated words in Genesis “let there be” take on a slightly different meaning. Instead of being addressed to the earth itself as a direct series of commands, perhaps in analogy to God's words at the Transfiguration, they are addressed either (a) to Jesus as the only sentient being on earth at the time or (b) to the unformed earth telling it to obey the Son's commands. Just a possibility to consider.