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The Defense of an Essential

a believer’s handbook for defending the trinity

[pic]

By: Nick Norelli

Excerpted from:

The Defense of an Essential: A Believer’s Handbook for Defending the Trinity

Copyright © 2006

Nick Norelli

All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.

Yahweh Alone

By: Nick Norelli

I don’t personally believe that the purpose of the Shema was to state God’s numeric oneness although it is true that numerically there is only ONE God. The Shema demonstrates that Yahweh is God ALONE. The New Living Translation of the Bible seems to have recognized this in their translation of Deuteronomy 6:4 by stating it this way, “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone.” This New International Version of the Bible offers a foot note stating the same thing.

Dr. Michael Brown agrees with this interpretation saying,

“…the translation of the New Jewish Version, recognized as the most accurate English translation produced by Jewish scholars, states: ‘Hear O Israel, the LORD is our God, the LORD alone.’ The point of the Shema is to demand absolute faith in the LORD alone, with no gods before Him. The Hebrew word “echad,” translated “alone” here, means “one” in the sense of ‘that one alone.’”[i]

The Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament states,

“Hence what is predicated here of Jehovah (Jehovah one) does not relate to the unity of God, but simply states that it is to Him alone that the name Jehovah rightfully belongs, that He is the one absolute God, to whom no other Elohim can be compared.”[ii]

The fact of the matter is that God made it very clear that there’s only one God in all of existence in passages such as,

“…the LORD he is God; there is none else beside him…” (Deut. 4:35)

“…I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God…” (Is. 44:6)

“…Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any…” (Is. 44:8)

The Shema was not to reflect on God’s absolute or composite unity, but it was to show and command obedience and faithfulness to the LORD God of Israel alone. If we observe the entire Sh’ma as recited by Jews, then we see that it does not end with verse 4. The core of the Sh’ma is Deuteronomy 6:4-9, which says,

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.”

This is not drawing attention to the fact that there is one God who is an absolute, indivisible unity, nor is it drawing attention to the fact that there is only one God in all of existence. When God wanted to say that, he said exactly that as was just seen. It’s showing that Israel’s God was ALONE their God. It just so happens that the Lord used a word that allows for plurality within one. It just so happens, that Yahweh’s personality is never once described with the word that does not allow for diversity in unity. God knew exactly how to describe himself.

Interestingly enough, there appears to be a precursor to Trinitarian thought concerning the first verse of the Sh’ma by Jewish commentators. Observe these quotes from the Zohar, an ancient Kabbalistic writing from the second century. While it is not my intention to in any way assert that Jews have traditionally held Trinitarian beliefs, but we must admit that the thought has crossed their minds, even if only in the writings of certain Jewish mystics.

"Hear, O Israel, Adonai Eloheinu Adonai is one. These three are one. How can the three Names be one? Only through the perception of faith; in the vision of the Holy Spirit, in the beholding of the hidden eye alone. So it is with the mystery of the threefold Divine manifestations designated by Adonai Eloheinu Adonai—three modes which yet form one unity."[iii]

"Come and see the mystery of the word YHVH: there are three steps, each existing by itself: nevertheless they are One, and so united that one cannot be separated from the other. The Ancient Holy One is revealed with three heads, which are united into one, and that head is three exalted. The Ancient One is described as being three: because the other lights emanating from him are included in the three. But how can three names be one? Are they really one because we call them one? How three can be one can only be known through the revelation of the Holy Spirit."[iv]

It is argued by some that the use of the phrase “three modes” above is teaching modalism. This is in question since we do not see the doctrine clearly taught, but simply the use of the word. Modalism of course teaches that God is one person who assumed three different roles or modes. The truth is that neither the Trinity nor modalism is clearly taught in the first passage, but the second quote certainly shows an aspect of Trinitarian thought, be it ever so slim. Of course it is not a perfect picture in every way, but one would not be surprised to see someone eased into Trinitarianism by reflecting on these comments.

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[i] Brown, Michael L., Course Materials for Answering Jewish Objections to Jesus, (n.p.:n.p., n.d.), [6].

[ii] Keil, C.F. and F. Delitzsch.  Commentary on the Old Testament, (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2006) 1:884.

[iii] The Zohar, 2nd Ed. Maurice Simon, trans., (New York: Soncino Press, 1984) II:43b.

[iv] Ibid., III:134

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