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Is it theologically correct to refer to the Trinity as "Others" when speaking about them in a particular sentence.


You cannnot change yourself without the help of the Others

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closed as off-topic by Affable Geek, Caleb Jun 4 '14 at 6:35


I'd say "no," because when we use a word like "others," it implies that those others are of the same species as you, i.e. "others" = "other humans." While Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, the other persons of the Trinity are fully God. Now, that's me thinking off the top of my head. Others :) are welcome to offer a rebuttal. I didn't make this an answer because I've never seen the question asked, and I cannot support my own answer with an actual source. –  H3br3wHamm3r81 Nov 19 '13 at 2:18
Do you mean Others (plural) as opposed to Him (singular)? –  Wikis Nov 19 '13 at 8:37
@Wikis plural as in the sense that God refers to themselves as Us in Genesis. –  Nikos Nov 19 '13 at 12:06
How about, you cannot change without God's help? Or you cannot change without their help? "Their" is fine, as we do indeed recognize three persons in the Trinity. –  H3br3wHamm3r81 Nov 19 '13 at 18:20
This is somewhere between "Is X a Sin" and general philosophical inquiry. Asking what "is correct" is along the lines of truth seeking, which we don't do... –  Affable Geek Jun 3 '14 at 17:56

1 Answer 1

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I believe the only time when God is referred to with a plural noun or pronoun is in Genesis 1, when God Himself refers to Himself. The Bible always mentions the Father, Son and Holy Ghost separately when referring to the separate persons of God together. Otherwise, it is "He" and "Him." God is always a singular pronoun. There is no need to refer to the Trinity as your question suggests, for God is one.

However, there are no strict directives in the Bible about new terms used to describe the Trinity. But it's important that Christians do not stray too far from the language that has been given to us in the Scriptures to avoid confusion or perversion of the text. Every word of Scripture is God-breathed, so there is a good reason why there are not many words to describe the Trinity. YHWH, I AM THAT I AM, The Godhead, and The Fullness of the Glory of God, come to mind, but even these examples must be taken into the context of their Hebrew/Greek origin and their texts.

That said, even Biblical terms can be twisted to mean something completely different from their traditional, Biblical understanding. The Trinity, even, means something very different to different people. It would be foolhardy to bring in another word that is not clearly defined or established in Biblical text or received Christian tradition.

[important note]:Addressing or referring to the Godhead should always be done with reverence. This is a basic truth embedded in the 10 commandments.

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Yes I agree whole heartedly! –  Nikos Dec 3 '13 at 7:39
