The Trinity
According to Deuteronomy 6:4 and Mark 12:29, Jesus affirmed that God is one, which disproves the concept of the Trinity and Jesus' divinity.
Quick answer
The Christian response emphasizes that the oneness of God does not negate the possibility of multiple persons within the Godhead. The Bible presents God as one in essence but also reveals a plurality of persons, which is consistent with the doctrine of the Trinity.
Full argument
The argument begins by acknowledging that Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 6:4, affirming the oneness of God. However, this oneness does not specify the nature of that oneness. The Bible presents God as having multiple attributes and characteristics, indicating a complexity within His unity. Furthermore, both the Old and New Testaments reference multiple persons of God, suggesting that God's oneness is not merely a singularity in personhood but rather a unity in essence that encompasses a plurality. The Christian doctrine of the Trinity encapsulates this understanding, where God is one being in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Thus, Jesus' affirmation of God's oneness does not contradict His divinity or the concept of the Trinity, but rather supports a deeper understanding of God's nature as revealed in Scripture.
Key verses
Deuteronomy 6:4
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.
Mark 12:29
The most important is, 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.'
1 John 4:8
Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
Matthew 28:19
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
John 1:1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Related articles
More in The Trinity
- Christians believe that God is a Trinity. Yet, nowhere do we find the Trinity taught in the Bible. The clear biblical witness is that God is absolutely one.
- The Quran clearly states that Christians are wrong for believing in the Trinity and that God cannot be a father or have a son.
- The Bible does not support the concept of the Trinity, as seen in Genesis 19:24 where it mentions the Lord raining fire from the Lord in heaven, indicating a singular entity.
- Muslims might argue that the concept of God being a Trinity is not supported in the Old Testament, as it emphasizes the oneness of God.
- Muslims might argue that the concept of the Trinity is not present in the Old Testament and that God is singular.