His Holiness Pope Shenouda III explains that the word “God” in the Holy Bible is used in different ways, and we must attend to the context to understand whether the intended meaning is the Holy Trinity or one person of the divine persons (the Father or the Son) according to the passage.

1. Old Testament Terms for the Word God

In the Old Testament words like Elohim (plural) and Adonai and Yahweh were used, and these names express the divine mystery and eternal being: the One who was and who will be, the Lord of hosts.

2. “God” Meaning the Holy Trinity

There are places where the word God denotes the triune God: for example “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” is understood that the three persons participated in creation (the Father as Creator, the Son by whom all things were, and the Spirit who hovered). Also “that God may be all in all” points to the Trinity being intended.

3. “God” Meaning the Father Alone

In other passages the term means the Father especially when it is accompanied by mention of “His only Son” or “He sent His Son”: examples include John 3:16 and passages in Galatians and other contexts where the flow clarifies that the Father is the referent who calls and sends.

4. “God” Meaning the Son/Christ (Ancient Theophanies)

The appearances in the Old Testament were sometimes appearances of the eternal Son (the Logos) prior to the Incarnation — Scripture says “no one has seen God,” yet God appeared in human form or as an angel to the fathers; this is understood as manifestations of the Son or divine epiphanies.

5. Textual Clues for Contextual Determination

His Holiness points out scriptural examples (John, Corinthians, Isaiah, Hebrews) that show how to distinguish whether “God” refers to the Trinity, the Father, or the Son according to context and the referent mentioned.

Spiritual Dimension from the Coptic Orthodox Faith Perspective

Correct understanding of the word “God” deepens our confession of the Holy Trinity and the mystery of the Incarnation: there is no contradiction between the holiness of the Father and the Word active in the world, and understanding Old Testament theophanies as of the Son confirms the doctrine of Incarnation and the Son’s redemptive mediation. Contextual knowledge preserves truth in worship and guards against Arian interpretations that distort the meaning of “oneness” away from the Trinity.

Brief Conclusion

In summary, distinguishing the textual and semantic uses of the word “God” in Scripture is necessary to correct faith and worship: sometimes it refers to the Trinity, sometimes to the Father, and sometimes to the Son (especially in theophanies and Incarnation), and one must always read the text in its theological context.

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