Genesis 18:1-2

[Catholic_Dude]

1 And the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. 2 He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men stood in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the earth 3 and said, "My lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant. What does it mean when it says “The Lord appeared to him” and yet there were 3 “men” there?
The rest of the chapter clears up that two of the “men” were actually angels, but who is the other “man”, it says “the Lord appeared” and seems to indicate Abraham was talking to Him directly?

 

[Della]

There is some support by the Church Fathers for the man being addressed as “Lord” as Michael the Archangel sent by God to represent Him. The other angels would have been companions sent along with him, probably to soften the visit for Abraham, considering the tremendous annunciation that was to be made to him and Sarah.

Other scholars have speculated that it was Jesus himself appearing outside of time, but there really isn’t any reason to believe that except for the fact that the text says that Abraham talked to the Lord, but a representative of the Lord, such as Michael would have been speaking in the Lord’s place as God had commanded him to do.

 

[Todd_Easton]

In Chapter 56 of his Dialogue with Trypho the Jew, Justin Martyr, writing about A.D. 155, talks about these verses at some lengh. Trypho the Jew understands that the three visitors are angels in the appearance of men and that the appearance of God to Abraham preceded the three visitors. Justin Martyr agrues that two of the visitors were indeed angels in the appearance of men but the other visitor was God (the Son) in the appearance of a man.

 

[Verbum]

Hi Dude,

The Eastern Church uses that scene as an icon of the Trinity.

Verbum

 

[Catholic_Dude]

Della:

There is some support by the Church Fathers for the man being addressed as “Lord” as Michael the Archangel sent by God to represent Him. The other angels would have been companions sent along with him, probably to soften the visit for Abraham, considering the tremendous annunciation that was to be made to him and Sarah.

Other scholars have speculated that it was Jesus himself appearing outside of time, but there really isn’t any reason to believe that except for the fact that the text says that Abraham talked to the Lord, but a representative of the Lord, such as Michael would have been speaking in the Lord’s place as God had commanded him to do.

I have heard/read from different places that it was a angel speaking for God which is possible. As for it being Jesus, well Im not sure because we know he didnt become man yet, but maybe He didnt need to?
The way the text reads here as well as through the rest of the following passages it sounds as if God is right there.

Todd:

In Chapter 56 of his Dialogue with Trypho the Jew, Justin Martyr, writing about A.D. 155, talks about these verses at some lengh. Trypho the Jew understands that the three visitors are angels in the appearance of men and that the appearance of God to Abraham preceded the three visitors. Justin Martyr agrues that two of the visitors were indeed angels in the appearance of men but the other visitor was God (the Son) in the appearance of a man.

This was very cool, though there were some hard parts to understand. I think he did a good job pointing out the follow up verses as well like when the “man” talks about Sarah and also the verse about the ‘Lord sending fire down from the Lord in Heaven’.

Verbum:

The Eastern Church uses that scene as an icon of the Trinity.

That is exactly what came to mind as I was reading that passage.