I emailed a Judaism scholar, Dr Jeffrey H. Tigay (Emeritus A.M. Ellis Professor of Hebrew and Semitic Languages and Literatures from the University of Pennsylvania School of Arts & Sciences) to persuade him to worship Abraham's Gods, 3 Gods to be exact.
To try and persuade you to do the same, I will show you my email to Dr Tigay.
But first, why did I email Dr Tigay?
I emailed Dr Tigay after reading his Deuteronomy commentary: Deuteronomy, The JPS Torah Commentary (Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1996).
Deut6v4 reads: “Hear, O Israel: HE-IS (YHWH) our Gods ('ĕlōhîm), HE-IS is one (eḥāḏ).
I partially agreed with his comment on Deut6v4. Agreement in blue font. Disagreement in red font.
Jeffrey H. Tigay (Judaism):
This (Deut6v4) is not a declaration of monotheism, meaning that there is only one God. That point was made in (Deut) 4:35 and 39, which state that “YHVH alone is God.”
Quote from: Jeffrey H. Tigay, Deuteronomy, The JPS Torah Commentary (Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1996), page 76.
Given his comments, I thought it might be worth emailing him. Here is the email below.
from: Searching Scripture
to: jtigay@sas.upenn.edu
date: 27 Apr 2023, 16:36
subject: YHWH, his MESSENGER, his Holy Spirit: 3 Gods not 1 God
mailed-by: ----------@gmail.com
Greetings Dr Tigay,
I hope this finds you well. I read your Deuteronomy commentary and agreed that Deut6v4 is not a monotheistic declaration.
Instead, I would like to argue that Deut6v4 is a declaration that YHWH is number one, supreme over all, without denying the existence of other gods.
The similar point is made in Job23v13 and confirmed by the parallel with Psa135v5-6.
Job23v13: But he is (beth) one ('eḥāḏ) | and who can turn him back? What he desires ('āvâ) that he does. |
Psa135v5-6: For I know that YHWH is great, and that our Masters is above all gods('ĕlōhîm). | 6 Whatever YHWH pleases (ḥāp̄ēṣ), he does, in the heavens and on earth, in the seas and all deeps. |
(The text in blue font below was not included in my original email to Dr Tigay but I have now included it here for the benefit of the readers of this blog post)
So why can YHWH do whatever he desires ('āvâ) or pleases (ḥāp̄ēṣ)?
Because he is one ('eḥāḏ), because YHWH is great and is above all gods (Job23v13; Psa135v5).
he is one ('eḥāḏ) in Job23v13 does not mean that only one God exists.
he is one ('eḥāḏ) in Job23v13 means YHWH is great and is above all gods (Psa135v5).
he is one ('eḥāḏ) means that YHWH is number one, best above the rest, supreme over all.
"one ('eḥāḏ)" can assert supremacy as shown from Song of Songs 6v9.
Consider the literal translation of Song of Songs 6v8-9:
8 There are sixty queens and eighty concubines, and virgins without number.
9 My dove, my perfect, she is one ('eḥāḏ); to her mother she is one, pure to her who bore her.
The young women saw her and called her blessed; the queens and concubines also, and they praised her.
Garrett (Protestant):
The point of these two verses, that the man regards his beloved as better than all other women, is self-evident.. In the fashion of Wisdom literature, the man is proclaiming that however many other women of whatever status there may be, his beloved is still by far the best. Other women may be sixty, eighty, or countless in number, but his companion is אחת, “one.”
Quote from: Duane Garrett, Song of Songs, Lamentations, vol. 23B, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas, TX: Word, Incorporated, 2004), page 229.
(Underlines mine for emphasis)
Even after the man considers the most beautiful women of the land (60 queens and 80 concubines) and all the other women (virgins without number), the man declares that his bride, “she is one ('eḥāḏ)”, meaning that his bride is number one, best above the rest, supreme over all, thus the man loves her above all. Clearly “she is one ('eḥāḏ)” does not mean that she is the one and only woman who exists. So it is a mistake to assume that “God is one” MUST mean that he is the one and only God who exists.
While agreeing with you that Deut6v4 is not a monotheistic confession, I'm afraid it is not true that Moses taught monotheism from Deut4v35, 39 as you mentioned in your comments on Deut6v4.
Deut4v39 “there is no ('în) other (ʿôḏ)” is used again in Isa46v9, “I am God, and there is no ('în) other (ʿôḏ)”.
Isa46: 9 remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no ('în) other (ʿôḏ); I am Gods, and there is none ('ep̄es) like (kᵊmô) me
In the chapter right after Isa46, a phrase with the same meaning as “there is no ('în) other (ʿôḏ)” is used in Isa47v8 and 10, “there is no one ('ep̄es) besides (ʿôḏ) me”.
Isa47v8, 10:
8 Now therefore hear this, you lover of pleasures, who sit securely, who say in your heart,
“I am, and there is no one ('ep̄es) besides (ʿôḏ) me; I shall not sit as a widow or know the loss of children”..
10 You felt secure in your wickedness; you said, “No one ('în) sees me”; your wisdom and your knowledge led you astray, and you said in your heart, “I am, and there is no one ('ep̄es) besides (ʿôḏ) me.”
When Babylon (see Isa47v1) boasted “I am, and there is no one ('ep̄es) besides (ʿôḏ) me”, Babylon was speaking in a way that only YHWH can speak (compare with Isa46v9). Babylon was boasting that no others were as secure, wise and knowledgeable as her. Babylon was boasting that she was the number one, the most secure, the wisest and most knowledgeable. Obviously Babylon was not boasting that only she exists.
Likewise, in Isa46v9, when God declared, I am God, and there is no ('în) other (ʿôḏ); I am Gods, and there is none ('ep̄es) like (kᵊmô) me, God was declaring that he is number one, best above the rest, supreme over all. God was not saying that he is the only god that exists.
Likewise, in Deut4v39, when Moses declared YHWH, he is the Gods in the heavens above and on the earth beneath; there is no ('în) other (ʿôḏ), Moses was declaring that YHWH is number one, best above the rest, supreme over all. Moses was not saying that YHWH is the only god that exists.
So Nathan MacDonald, Deuteronomy and the Meaning of “Monotheism” 2nd edition, (Mohr Siebeck, 2012), page 81-85.
Below is the outline of my argument that the entire Scripture (the Law and the Prophets, and the writings of Jesus' apostles) teach that 3 Gods exist who are worthy of the worship of both Jews and the nations.
Deut4v35 and 39 are treated under Point#5a.
#1a: Introduction to the Trinity & monotheism
#1b: KJV’s corrupted 1Jn5v7-8
#1c: Introduction to Deut6v4 and 3 key terms (YHWH = HE-IS, 'ĕlōhîm = Gods, eḥāḏ = one)
Key Term: YHWH translated HE-IS
#2a: More than 1 God with the name HE-IS exists. They deserve worship, wholehearted love and obedience.
#2b: Gods who exist but do not have the name HE-IS must not be worshiped.
#2bi: Angels are gods that exist but they must not be worshiped.
#2bii: Idols represent non-existent gods. They must not be worshiped.
#2biii: Demons are gods that exist and they are involved in idolatry. They must not be worshiped.
Key Term: 'ĕlōhîm translated Gods (plural)
#3: Monotheists admit that 'ĕlōhîm is a plural noun but break grammar rules and translate inconsistently
#3a: HE-IS-'ĕlōhîm (plural noun) used with both singular verbs and plural verbs
#3b: Other 'ĕlōhîm (plural noun) also used with both singular verbs and plural verbs
Key Term: one
#4: “one” does not need to mean only one God exists
#4a: Where eḥāḏ / heis translated “one” means “number one, best above the rest, supreme over all”
#4b: Where eḥāḏ / heis / hen translated “one”, refers to God the Father OR Jesus the Son OR the Holy Spirit but never “One God who is Father, Son and Spirit”
#4c: Where hen translated “one”, means “united”
Other so-called “monotheistic” phrases
#5a: “There is no other / none besides / none like HE-IS”
#5b: baḏ & monos - “You alone are Gods / the only God” should be translated “You are Gods supreme / the supreme God”
#5c: “no god with me”
#6: Concluding with Mk12v29, 32 & the consequences
As you can probably guess from the outline, I am critiquing the doctrine of the Trinity but with a focus on the doctrine's attempt to confess monotheism.
I know you do not know me and I have no academic credentials coming within light years of yours. But if I may borrow the words of a young man who was right on one occasion, I seek to urge you to consider this information.
Job32: 6 And Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said: “I am young in years, and you are aged, therefore I was timid and afraid to declare my opinion to you. 7 I said, ‘Let days speak, and many years teach wisdom.’ 8 But it is the Spirit in man, the breath of the Almighty, that makes him understand. 9 It is not the many who are wise, nor the aged who understand what is right. 10 Therefore I say, ‘Listen to me, let me also declare my opinion.’ May the Elohim (Gods) of your ancestor Abraham grant mercy to deliver from deception, whether it be I am self-deceived and need enlightenment, or otherwise. Gen20: 13 And when Gods (plural noun) they-caused-me-to-wander (plural verb) from my father's house, I said to her, ‘This is the kindness you must do me: at every place to which we come, say of me, “He is my brother.”’” If you would consider my explanation, they can be found at this link: https://tinyurl.com/3GodsNot1God Shalom, Jeremy
He has not replied, which is not unexpected. I hope he will consider what I've written. I also hope you will consider what I have written. The email above introduces you to only a point or 2. The paper will make point after point and draw all of them together to reach the conclusion that God the Father, Jesus his Son and the Holy Spirit are 3 Gods not 1 God, and they deserve the wholehearted love, obedience and worship of both Jews and non-Jews.
In case anyone thinks Deut6v4 so obviously teaches monotheism, reconsider when you read this quote by Jeffrey H. Tigay (Judaism):
Although the Shema began as a declaration of allegiance rather than of monotheism, it became the preeminent expression of monotheism (yiḥud) in Judaism. This was undoubtedly fostered by its prominent location in Deuteronomy and its centrality in the liturgy, but it may have been due especially to the word ʾeḥad, which normally means “one.” This word made the Shema a suitable response to the many theological challenges that Jewish monotheism confronted throughout history: in the face of polytheism it meant that the Divine is one, not many; in the face of Zoroastrian and Gnostic dualism it meant one, not two; in the face of Christian trinitarianism it meant one, not three; and in the face of atheism, one and not none.
Quote from: Jeffrey H. Tigay, Deuteronomy, The JPS Torah Commentary (Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1996), page 440.
I also emailed a Jewish ministry that claims to worship Jesus.
from: Searching Scripture<----------@gmail.com>
to: ------ Ministries in Israel <staff@---------.org>
date: 6 Sept 2023, 17:37
Dear Ariel and Shayla, Jeremy here from Searching Scripture. I've been following your Youtube Channel for some time ever since watching your Isa53 video. It was touching to see Jews getting to know their own Messiah. I am not very familiar with the Messianic Jewish movement, which I'm guessing you all are a part of, or associated with at the very least. But I'm quite sure that Messianic Jewish theology has many similarities with conservative Protestant theology. I am a former Protestant, having worked at 2 Protestant ministries before but left because I've come to realise that Protestant theology has many errors.
1 of the errors, which may come as a shock to read, is the doctrine of the Trinity (Father, Son and Spirit, 3 persons but only 1 God exists, not 3 Gods). I'm curious to know what you all think of this paper explaining that the Scriptures (both Old Testament and New Testament) reveal the Father, Son and Spirit to be 3 Gods. I posted the paper which can be accessed by this post on my Facebook page (Searching Scripture):
I also emailed a Jewish professor, Dr Jeffrey H. Tigay (Emeritus A.M. Ellis Professor of Hebrew and Semitic Languages and Literatures from the University of Pennsylvania School of Arts & Sciences) to persuade him to worship Abraham's Gods, 3 Gods to be exact. I emailed Dr Tigay after reading his Deuteronomy commentary: Deuteronomy, The JPS Torah Commentary (Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1996). Here is the email I sent to him to introduce my paper written into a blog post: Israel: Worship Abraham's אֱלֹהִים, not 1 God, not Trinity (searchingscripture.wixsite.com)
I will keep you all in prayer regarding the social media situation and your work. Hope to hear from you soon. God bless you all with Shalom,
Jeremy
1 of their staff replied below. His reply will be in red font.
from:DANIEL Rattes <staff@--------.org>
to: -------@gmail.com
date: 11 Sept 2023, 22:05
Shalom Jeremy!
My name is Daniel. Ariel asked me to answer you. Thanks for your email.
I read parts of your article and what you believe, and I found out that many times you say things that the verses are actually not saying. It is like you were forcing the verse to say something that it is not saying to fit your theology. You were not accepting the text as it is, but adding things to it that are not possible to add exegetically speaking, and that you added just because of your theology, for if you didn't have such theology you would never read the text that way.
In the Hebrew of the Tanakh, every time it is speaking about God (Elohim), the verb in Hebrew that follows it is in the singular, and not in the plural. If there were 3 gods as you say, the verbs there were supposed to be in the plural.
Isaiah 44:24 also says that God stretched out the heavens alone and that no one was with Him at that moment. John 1:1-3 says that Yeshua was with God in the whole creation and nothing that was made was made without Him. If there were 2 gods, as you said, Isaiah 44:24 couldn't say that God was alone and that no one was with Him at that moment, for Yeshua was with Him. If you understand that The Father and Yeshua are the same God, that they are one, as Yeshua says many times, then there is no contradiction.
I could say more and more here, but I think the main point is that you are not reading the texts of Scriptures as they are, but trying to reinterpret all of them in a way that is not a natural reading of the text to fit your theology. I would also like to warn you that to believe in 3 gods is idolatry. The many passages that you quoted in the New Testament and that say that there is only God, who you said is speaking only about the Father, show that there are not 3 gods, even according to your understanding of the passage.
Nevertheless, if you understand that the Father is God, Yeshua is His Word, and the Holy Spirit is His Spirit, then it makes sense to say that there is only one God, who is also His Word and His Spirit, and as Yeshua said in some passages, the Father is in Him and Him in the Father, and this because they are from the same substance, they are the same God.
I pray that God may give you understanding of these things and lead you to the right understanding of the Scriptures, accepting them as they are, and not as you would like them to be and mean.
Have a blessed week! -- Daniel
My reply is below.
from: Searching Scripture <-----------@gmail.com>
to: DANIEL Rattes <staff@---------.org>
date: 13 Sept 2023, 12:23
Shalom Daniel and thank you for your reply. I have read through it and made some comments in black font. My comments come after your words in red so that it is easier to see what I am responding to.
Shalom Jeremy!
My name is Daniel. Ariel asked me to answer you. Thanks for your email.
I read parts of your article and what you believe, and I found out that many times you say things that the verses are actually not saying. It is like you were forcing the verse to say something that it is not saying to fit your theology. You were not accepting the text as it is, but adding things to it that are not possible to add exegetically speaking, and that you added just because of your theology, for if you didn't have such theology you would never read the text that way.
In the Hebrew of the Tanakh, every time it is speaking about God (Elohim), the verb in Hebrew that follows it is in the singular, and not in the plural. If there were 3 gods as you say, the verbs there were supposed to be in the plural.
I'm afraid you are mistaken. There are several verses where Elohim is followed by a plural verb in Hebrew. For instance,
Gen20: 13 And when Gods ('ĕlōhîm: plural noun) they-caused-me-to-wander (plural verb) from my father's house, I said to her, ‘This is the kindness you must do me: at every place to which we come, say of me, “He is my brother.”’”
Nahum Sarna's (Judaism) comments on Gen20v13 do not even note that the verb used with 'ĕlōhîm (plural noun) is a plural verb and not a singular verb. This is all he says on the verb:
13. made me wander: That is, gave me the command, “Go forth from your native land and from your father’s house” (12:1).
Quote from: Nahum M. Sarna, Genesis, The JPS Torah Commentary (Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1989), page 144.
Victor Hamilton (Protestant) notes the plural verb used with the plural noun ('ĕlōhîm) in this verse and in other verses:
Note the use of the plural verb hiṯʿû with ʾĕlōhîm. ʾĕlōhîm occurs with a plural verb here and in Gen 31:53; Gen 35:7; Exod. 22:8 (Eng. 9); 2 Sam. 7:23 (but singular in the parallel verse in 1 Chr. 17:21); with a plural participle in Ps. 58:12 (Eng. 11); in the expression “living God,” Deut. 5:26; 1 Sam. 17:26, 36; Jer. 10:10; 23:36.
Quote from: Victor P. Hamilton, The Book of Genesis, Chapters 18–50, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1995), page 65, note 7.
You rightly said, "If there were 3 gods as you say, the verbs there were supposed to be in the plural." I have just shown you Gen20v13 with 'ĕlōhîm (plural noun) followed by a plural verb. Your forefather Abraham worshipped Gods ('ĕlōhîm: plural noun) who made-him-wander (הִתְעוּ Hebrew Verb: Hiphil Perfect (qatal) 3rd Person Common Plural) from his father's house, not 1 God (singular). Note that Gen20v13 is not the only verse with plural verbs following 'ĕlōhîm. What do you think about Gen20v13's plural noun-plural verb combination?
Isaiah 44:24 also says that God stretched out the heavens alone and that no one was with Him at that moment. John 1:1-3 says that Yeshua was with God in the whole creation and nothing that was made was made without Him. If there were 2 gods, as you said, Isaiah 44:24 couldn't say that God was alone and that no one was with Him at that moment, for Yeshua was with Him. If you understand that The Father and Yeshua are the same God, that they are one, as Yeshua says many times, then there is no contradiction.
Isa44v24: Thus says HE-IS, your Redeemer, who formed you from the womb:
“I am HE-IS, who made all things, who alone (baḏ) stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself,
Your argument depends on the word, baḏ, translated "alone" in Isa44v24.
baḏ can be used to distinguish an individual from a group, without guaranteeing that the individual is totally alone. For instance,
Exo24: 1 Then he said to Moses, “Come up to HE-IS, you and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship from afar. 2 Moses alone (baḏ) shall come near to HE-IS, but the others shall not come near, and the people shall not come up with him.” But was Moses totally alone? Exo24: 9 Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up, 10 and they saw the Gods of Israel. There was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness. 11 And he did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; they beheld the Gods, and ate and drank. 12 HE-IS said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and wait there, that I may give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.” 13 So Moses rose with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of the Gods. 14 And he said to the elders, “Wait here for us until we return to you. And behold, Aaron and Hur are with you. Whoever has a dispute, let him go to them.” So in Exo24v2, baḏ distinguished Moses (an individual) from Aaron, Nadab, Abihu and 70 of the elders of Israel (a group) without guaranteeing that Moses (the individual) was totally alone. In fact, Moses was not totally alone. Joshua went up with Moses. Even after 40 days, Joshua was still with Moses on the mountain (Exo32v15-17). Likewise in Isa44v24, baḏ distinguished HE-IS (an individual) from the idols mentioned in Isa44 (a group) without guaranteeing that HE-IS (the individual) was totally alone in stretching out the heavens. In fact, John1v1-3 clearly shows that HE-IS (the Father) was not totally alone. Jesus (the Word, the Son) was with him as a distinct, separate God. John1: 1 In the beginning was the (ὁ) Word, and the (ὁ) Word was with the (ὁ) God, and the (ὁ) Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with the (ὁ) God. 3 All things were made through (dia) him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. There are 2 Gods mentioned in John1v1-3. God #1: the (ὁ) God - Referring to God the Father God #2: the (ὁ) Word, who also was God - Referring to Jesus the Son Notice that John does not say that the (ὁ) Word was the (ὁ) God. John left out the Greek article, ὁ, when he wrote in v1 that the (ὁ) Word was God. In other words, John was distinguishing between the 2 Gods. Furthermore, John says the (ὁ) Word was with (pros) the (ὁ) God. Did John really mean that 1 God was with himself? Or did John mean that 1 God (Jesus the Word, the Son) was with another God (God the Father)? You said this about me in the first paragraph, "It is like you were forcing the verse to say something that it is not saying to fit your theology. You were not accepting the text as it is, but adding things to it that are not possible to add exegetically speaking, and that you added just because of your theology, for if you didn't have such theology you would never read the text that way." If you really believe that when John wrote John1v1, he meant that 1 God was with himself, I'm afraid you are describing your own misunderstanding of John1v1. Next, John1v3: All things were made through (dia) him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. Everything, including the heavens, were made through (Greek: dia) Jesus. The Father created everything, including stretching out the heavens, through (dia) a separate agent: his Word, his Son, Jesus. The Father was not the only individual who was involved in creation. 1Cor8v6: 6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, from (ek) whom are all things and for (eis) whom we exist, and one Master, Jesus Anointed-One, through (dia) whom are all things and through (dia) whom we exist. Paul used different prepositions to explicitly differentiate God the Father and Jesus the Son by their roles in creation. God the Father is the ultimate origin of creation (from whom are all things) who created all things through Jesus (through whom are all things; Heb1v2). We exist for God the Father, through Jesus’ work. Father and Son have their own respective roles. Simple analogy for us. Ariel wanted to have my email answered. But he did not do it personally himself. He asked you to do it. You said, "My name is Daniel. Ariel asked me to answer you." If your administrator, Susan, asked Ariel one day, "Hello Ariel, did you answer the email from that strange person who believes in 3 Gods?" Ariel could say, "Yes, I asked Daniel to answer him." Likewise, God the Father created everything and the idols mentioned in Isa44 did not have anything whatsoever to do with creation, but to be very precise, God the Father created everything through (dia) the Word, Jesus his Son. I have no problem accepting that Ariel has answered my email, not personally himself, but through you, Daniel. Likewise, I have no problem accepting that God the Father has created everything, not personally himself, but through his Son, Jesus. I also have no doubt whatsoever that Ariel and Daniel are in fact, 2 distinct, separate humans. Likewise, I have absolutely no doubt whatsoever that God the Father and Jesus his Son are in fact, 2 distinct, separate Gods. Having mentioned how God the Father and Jesus his Son are distinct Gods, I hasten to add that they are distinct but united. But united does not mean unitary (a single individual). You said, "If you understand that The Father and Yeshua are the same God, that they are one, as Yeshua says many times, then there is no contradiction." The phrase "they are one" does not mean "they are one (God)". Nowhere in the entire Scripture will you ever find the phrase "they are one God". Jn17: 11 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one (hen), even as we are. “one” means united. Jesus prayed for the apostles to be “one”, united, just like the Father and the Son. Notice that Jesus connects the “oneness” or unity between the apostles with the “oneness” or unity between the Father and the Son. they may be one (hen), even as we are. Surely no one ever says: The apostle (singular) exist as 11 persons (plural), Peter, Andrew, James and John the sons of Zebedee, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot, and each person is fully apostle, and there is one apostle (singular). Likewise, no one should ever say: God eternally exists as three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and each person is fully God, and there is one God. Quote from: Grudem, W. (2020). Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Second Edition, page 269). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic. Jn17: 20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one (hen), just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. In v20, Jesus extended his prayer beyond his apostles and prayed for all Christians. Jesus prayed that all Christians may be “one”, united, just like the Father and the Son who were spiritually in each other in a spiritual union. When Christians are spiritually united, then we may be in spiritual union with the Father and Son. Jesus wants the Father, Son and all Christians to all be in each other, all spiritually united with each other. This does not mean Father, Son and all Christians is one God. We are “one” in unity. Not one God. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one (hen) even as we are one (hen), 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one (hen), so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. Again, “one” means united. Ok, I have responded to all the Scriptures you cited to support your theology. I could say more and more here, but I think the main point is that you are not reading the texts of Scriptures as they are, but trying to reinterpret all of them in a way that is not a natural reading of the text to fit your theology. (As mentioned earlier, I think you are actually describing your own misunderstanding of the Scriptures with this sentence. Please say more because I'm afraid Isa44v24 and Jn1v1-3 do not support what you believe.) I would also like to warn you that to believe in 3 gods is idolatry. (No, idolatry is worshiping other God/Gods instead of worshipping Abraham's Elohim who have the name YHWH and have revealed themselves to be God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit, the 3 Gods not 1 God.) The many passages that you quoted in the New Testament and that say that there is only God, who you said is speaking only about the Father, show that there are not 3 gods, even according to your understanding of the passage. (The many passages that use the phrase "one God" refer exclusively and only to God the Father, the "one Father - one God" introduced in Mal2v10. The phrase "one God" never refers to the Father AND the Son AND the Spirit. I can never understand people who claim that this phrase, "one God" means that the Father AND the Son AND the Spirit all somehow are "one God". You all are extending the definition of "one God" beyond what the Scripture writers meant.) Nevertheless, if you understand that the Father is God, Yeshua is His Word, and the Holy Spirit is His Spirit, then it makes sense to say that there is only one God, who is also His Word and His Spirit, and as Yeshua said in some passages, the Father is in Him and Him in the Father, and this because they are from the same substance, they are the same God. The "in" phrases are speaking of being “one” in spiritual unity. Not being one God. Again Jn17v22: 22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one (hen) even as we are one (hen), 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one (hen), so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. Jesus wants the Father, Son and all Christians to all be in each other, all spiritually united with each other. Surely you don't believe that John meant the Father, Son AND all Christians "is only one God" and "from the same substance", right? So why do you think that just because the Father and Jesus are in each other it means that the Father and Jesus "are the same God" and "is only one God" and "from the same substance"? I pray that God may give you understanding of these things and lead you to the right understanding of the Scriptures, accepting them as they are, and not as you would like them to be and mean. (Thank you for your prayer Daniel. I am not God the Father, Jesus the Son or the Holy Spirit so I can make mistakes. But I'm afraid you have not shown me evidence that I have made a mistake on these matters. I have responded to every single Scripture passage you quoted explicitly and even those passages which you only alluded to. Hopefully you will consider whether you have misunderstood what the Scripture teaches regarding these matters. The stakes are very high as you rightly pointed out. False worship is idolatry, and we all know how the Gods of Israel deal with idolatry.) Have a blessed week!
No reply thus far. Again, not unexpected. It is sad to see Jewish people (even those who claim to worship Jesus) refusing to follow their own Hebrew language grammar rules just because they want to defend their man-made tradition of monotheism no matter what the cost. Even if the cost is the truth itself. Even if the cost is ultimately their own souls.
I am glad there are people responding positively to what I have written. But of course, there are also people who criticize what I have written. You can read the Facebook comments and judge for yourself whether there is any Biblical evidence to support monotheism at all. Millard J. Erikson (Protestant): We have... - Searching Scripture | Facebook
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