Shema

CHAPTER 39

JEWISH ANTI-MISSIONARIES AND THE TRINITY

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The Trinity is THE major point of attack on Christianity by Jewish "anti-missionaries".

In this they are correct. This confusing doctrine is NOT found anywhere in either the OT or NT.

For a Jew, to accept the Trinitarian God would be direct disobedience to Deuteronomy 13:1-5. It would be failing to LOVE GOD, with all his heart and soul! (v3) It would be REBELLION against God! (v5) It would incur a curse! (Deut 29:21) And a death penalty!

God's view of those who try to lead Israel away from the ONE God of the Shema, (Deut 6:5) is that they are "CHILDREN OF BELIAL", (KJV) or "BASE FELLOWS", (RSV) OR "WICKED MEN". (NIV) The inhabitants of cities who offered them shelter were to be put to the sword! And their whole city was to be burned with fire! (Deut 13:12-17) THAT is "heavy stuff"! But it does explain why the Apostle John views it so seriously in 1 John 4:1-6; 2 John 7-11.

Viewed intelligently and logically, neither the OT nor the NT support this confused teaching! Jesus was clearly NOT a TRINITARIAN. Nor were his first century Disciples!

Read it for yourself! e.g.

a. John 17:3 -- where Jesus addresses his father as "The ONLY TRUE GOD -- Thereby at the same time telling us that he himself is NOT THAT GOD.
b. Mark 12:29-34 -- Where Jesus COMMANDS belief and obedience to the Shema of Moses as the FIRST of ALL commandments.
Jesus NEVER claimed to be that God! Instead he repeatedly claimed to be the Son of that God, thereby declaring himself to be someone else apart from God.
 
c. The Apostle Paulaffirms the same thing when He paraphrases the SHEMA in Christian terms:
"For us there is one God, THE FATHER, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ. (who we note is therefore NOT God!) through whom are all things and through whom we exist." (1 Corinthians 8:6)
and
1 Timothy 2:5"There is ONE God, and there is one mediator BETWEEN between God and men, the man Christ Jesus."
LISTENwhile Paul says that again. Jesus is NOT God! He is a MAN who stands between God and other men.
d. Psalm 110:1 -- This key verse is quoted 24 times in the NT! Jesus referred to it to claim that He is the (human) SECOND "lord" mentioned there -- a ruler descended from David, but superior in RANK to David. (Matt 22:41-45)
By thus identifying himself he also rejected any claim to be YAHWEH, who in the Hebrew text, is the FIRST "LORD" in the verse.
CONCLUSION
Is Jesus the God of the Shema of Moses? Most definitely he is NOT!
Anti-Missionary rejection of Trinitarian Christianity is completely in harmony with BOTH the OT and NT!
However, the REAL Jesus of the NT has NEVER claimed to be either God, or any part of a divine "uni-plural" trinity of gods. The REAL Jesus of the NT cannot be rejected on that ground!
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