OVERVIEW OF THE ONE GOD - THE SHAMA
By Dennis Schmidt 1/2007
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This paper discusses the One God key scripture in the Old Testament. Judaism
& Christianity both use the
INDUCTIVE COMMENTS:
THEME:
There is one God Who
is a plurality from eternity
which the scriptures teach so that the believer can understand the
Godhead.
PURPOSE: How does scripture answer that God appears as more than
one.
KEY VERSE: This verse is referred to as the Shama (Shema) or hear, which proclaims, obeys, and understands that God is one.
Literal Translation: Hear, O Israel: The LORD our Gods the LORD is one compound unity:
WHO: God mainly by Bible authors Moses, Isaiah, Matthew, Luke, John, and Paul
TO WHOM: Elected Jews and Christians
WHAT:
The words Trinity and Triunity are not found in the Bible. However, the
Triunity theological doctrine or teaching is found in the Bible to support one
God, one essence, one being, one nature, and one divine Spirit who is
indivisible which manifests Himself eternally as Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit three distinct equal substances. The three manifestations always act
in unity and agreement, and they have an order of Father to Son to Holy Spirit.
They are not divided since there is a qualitative
unique oneness acting in three separate personalities. What is most important
is God can not be divided into three persons (as humans) which is not found in the Bible. If you see Jesus, you see the
entire Godhead bodily (see
The Godhead should not be compared by earthly element. Nonetheless, to try to explain the Triunity to a Jewish person who thinks that Christians have multiple gods, I am going to try comparing the Triunity (Single one compound God) to water in its three states of gas (boiling), liquid, and solid (ice) at the same time and same place. The water could be equated with the Triunity Godhead. The three states of water could represent the Father (Liquid), Son (Ice), and Holy Spirit (gas) who are manifested together eternally. The water could be a liquid form in which heat is applied and its starts to boil emitting steam. These two states of water exist together. A cube of ice could be dropped into liquid which has the three states of water: liquid, gas, and solid in the same place at the same time. The Godhead always (eternally) exists as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit everywhere (Omnipresent) in the same time and same place.
WHY:
How does scripture answer that God appears as more than one.
WAY: What does the Bible Prophets teach about the Triunity?
WHEREAS:
WHERE:
Everywhere as He is omnipresent in the universe, hell, heaven and earth at the
same time.
WHEN: God is One eternally plurality
Godhead Who always existed and exist forever.
WHILE: Jesus
was equal within the Godhead from all eternity as is the Holy Spirit.
WANT:
God wants His elected saints to know Him.
PAPER
OUTLINE:
I) GODHEAD HEBREW MEANINGS:
II) JEWISH TEACHINGS:
III) GODHEAD IN OLD
TESTAMENT SCRIPTURES:
IV) GODHEAD IN CHRISTIAN
TEACHINGS:
V) GOD REVEALED HIMSELF BY
HIS CREATION:
VI) TRIUNITY:
A) ONE GODHEAD ONLY BUT
PLURALITY IN OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT SCRIPTURES:
B) GOD PRONOUN HIMSELF AS US
AND OUR ; I AND US:
C) ONE
GODHEAD
AS PLURALITY OF TWO OR MORE AT THE SAME TIME/PLACE:
B) TRIUNITY SCRIPTURES IN THE OLD TESTAMENT:
VII) FATHER, JESUS, AND HOLY
SPIRIT AS ONE GOD IN THE NEW TESTAMENT SCRIPTURES:
A) FATHER IS ONE GOD:
B) HOLY SPIRIT IS ONE GOD:
C) JESUS IS GOD:
VIII) OTHER NAMES FOR ONE
PLURALITY GODHEAD THAT SHOW HIS ATTRIBUTES:
IX) THE UNIQUE COMPOUND ONE
GODHEAD BECAME FLESH IN JESUS:
I) GODHEAD HEBREW MEANINGS:
This verse is referred to as the Shama (Shema) or hear, proclaim, obey, & understand God is one.
Literal Translation: Hear, O Israel: The LORD our Gods the LORD is one compound unity:
Hebrew words for
shama':H8085 . yisra'el:H3478 . yehovah:H3068 . 'elohiym:H430 . 'echad:H259 yehovah:H3068
H8085. shama', shaw-mah'; a prim. root; to hear intelligently (often with impl. of attention, obedience, etc.; caus. to tell, etc.):-- X attentively, call (gather) together, X carefully, X certainly, consent, consider, be content, declare, X diligently, discern, give ear, (cause to, let, make to) hear (-ken, tell), X indeed, listen, make (a) noise, (be) obedient, obey, perceive, (make a) proclaim (-ation), publish, regard, report, shew (forth), (make a) sound, X surely, tell, understand, whosoever [heareth], witness.
H3478. Yisra'el, yis-raw-ale';
from H8280 and H410; he will rule as God; Jisrael, a
symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity: --
H3068. Yehovah, yeh-ho-vaw'; from H1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jeho-vah, Jewish national name of God: --Jehovah, the Lord. Comp. H3050, H3069.
Jehovah/Yahweh/Yahway or YHVH/YHWH: LORD meaning: He will be, eternal, to be, to exist, & always is. He is unchangeable. This is His unique name alone. God say His name is: I AM THAT I AM. It also emphasizes God as a covenant keeper. El Shaddai shows God as covenant maker. The Old Testament uses this form 6528 times.
H430. 'elohiym, el-o-heem'; plur. of H433; gods in the ordinary sense; but spec. used (in the plur. thus, esp. with the art.) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative: --angels, X exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), X (very) great, judges, X mighty PLURAL FORM OF WORD
H259. 'echad, ekh-awd'; a numeral from H258; prop. united, i.e. one; or (as an ordinal) first: --a, alike, alone, altogether, and, any (-thing), apiece, a certain [dai-] ly, each (one), + eleven, every, few, first, + highway, a man, once, one, only, other, some, together. COMPOUND UNITY
H258. 'achad, aw-khad'; perh. a prim. root; to unify, i.e. (fig.) collect (one's thoughts): --go one way or other. SINGLE FORM FOR 'ECHAD
Elohim: Plurality form (i.e.
H433. 'elowahh, el-o'-ah; rarely (short.) 'eloahh, el-o'-ah; prob. prol. (emphat.) from G410; a deity or the Deity: --God, god. See H430. (Found 56 Times) SINGLE FORM FOR 'ELOHIM
There are many more verses with the these two Hebrew words together in them.
H136. 'Adonay, ad-o-noy'; an emphatic form of H113; the Lord (used as a prop. name of God only):--(my) Lord. Used for God 432 times USED of GOD ALWAYS IN PLURAL FORM.
H113. 'adown, aw-done', or (short.) 'adon, aw-done'; from an unused root (mean to rule); sovereign, i.e. controller (human or divine): --lord, master, owner. Comp. also names beginning with "Adoni-". Used for God some of the 331 times, but most times for a master of house or king.
II) JEWISH TEACHINGS: Only one God who is a unity & not a compound Godhead.
Maimonides (Ramba'm) wrote thirteen foundation principles on the Mishnah:
#2) I believe with perfect faith that G-d is One. There is no unity that is in way like His. He alone is our G-d He was, He is, and He will be.
III) GODHEAD IN OLD
TESTAMENT SCRIPTURES:
IV) GODHEAD IN CHRISTIAN TEACHINGS: God is one, but He is a plurality compound one Godhead.
The words Trinity and Triunity are not found in the Bible. However, the Triunity
theological doctrine or teaching is found in the Bible to support one God,
one essence, one being, one nature, and one divine Spirit who is indivisible
which manifests Himself eternally as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit three
distinct equal substances. The three manifestations always act in unity and
agreement, and they have an order of Father to Son to Holy Spirit. They are
not divided since there is a qualitative
unique oneness acting in three separate personalities. What is most
important is God can not be divided into three persons (as humans) which is not found in the Bible. If you see Jesus, you see the
entire Godhead bodily (see
The Godhead should not be compared by earthly element. Nonetheless, to try to explain the Triunity to a Jewish person who thinks that Christians have multiple gods, I am going to try comparing the Triunity (Single one compound God) to water in its three states of gas (boiling), liquid, and solid (ice) at the same time and same place. The water could be equated with the Triunity Godhead. The three states of water could represent the Father (Liquid), Son (Ice), and Holy Spirit (gas) who are manifested together eternally. The water could be a liquid form in which heat is applied and its starts to boil emitting steam. These two states of water exist together. A cube of ice could be dropped into liquid which has the three states of water: liquid, gas, and solid in the same place at the same time. The Godhead always (eternally) exists as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit everywhere (Omnipresent) in the same time and same place.
Much more details & scriptures are shown in this paper on unique one Godhead.
V) GOD REVEALED HIMSELF BY
HIS CREATION:
VI) TRIUNITY:
A) ONE GODHEAD ONLY BUT
PLURALITY IN OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT SCRIPTURES:
The Hebrew is within ( ): "our God" (Elohim)
is a plural word meaning our Gods; "one" (echad)
is a compound one shown also in one flesh in
B) GOD PRONOUN HIMSELF AS US
AND OUR ; I AND US:
C) ONE
GODHEAD
AS PLURALITY OF TWO OR MORE AT THE SAME TIME/PLACE:
D) TRIUNITY SCRIPTURES IN THE OLD TESTAMENT: What does the Bible Prophets teach about the Triunity?
VII) FATHER, JESUS, AND HOLY SPIRIT AS ONE GOD IN THE NEW TESTAMENT SCRIPTURES: What does Jesus & apostles teach about the Triunity?
A) FATHER IS ONE GOD:
B) HOLY SPIRIT IS ONE GOD:
C) JESUS IS GOD:
VIII) OTHER NAMES FOR ONE
PLURALITY GODHEAD THAT SHOW HIS ATTRIBUTES:
IX) THE UNIQUE COMPOUND ONE
GODHEAD BECAME FLESH IN JESUS:
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