Source: http://www.focusonthekingdom.org/1811.pdf
Reprinted with permission
The key issue in the discussion about who God and Jesus are is easily solved by the creed Jesus called the Great Commandment (Mark 12:29). The loss of this creed of Jesus, defining God, is a gaping hole in the current system. Jesus is not being heard and obeyed at the most fundamental level.
By strict monotheism I mean the unitary monotheism of Jesus and of Jews. Deuteronomy 6:4 (=Mk 12:29) is the unitary monotheism of Israel and of Jesus. Jesus agreed entirely with a Jew, whom Mark does not present as unfriendly, that Deuteronomy 6:4 is the Great Command. This, then, must be the teaching also of those who claim to follow Jesus. Amazingly many in church seem not to think of the teachings of Jesus as of vital importance! This ground fallacy must be corrected, if we are to make sense of Biblical Christianity. Christianity in the NT is to be based on the “obedience of faith” (Rom. 1:5; 16:26; Heb. 5:9), and the words and teachings of Jesus are for us all. Why not return to Jesus by starting with his Great Command in Mark 12:29? Muslims and Jews would find this intriguing too! “Strict monotheism” is also known correctly as Jewish monotheism, or unitary or unipersonal monotheism. God is one single Divine Person. That is the monotheism of Jesus. God is one Person, the Father.
Mark 12:29 will yet solve denominational chaos. Jesus followed Mark 12:29 with a brilliant anticipation of what might happen to his own status! Jesus, asking them the question, cites the massively important Psalm 110:1. He defines his status as the Messiah, Son of God, as David’s lord, adoni (kurios mou), “my lord,” which is a non-Deity title all 195 times in the OT. On no account can Psalm 110:1 yield two who are YHVH! God cannot speak to God. Jesus meant to block this frightful idea! Paul, following Jesus, repeats the Shema (“Hear, O Israel”) in 1 Corinthians 8:4-6, and then puts Jesus, as the Messiah lord, not Lord God, at the right hand of YHVH.
Luke 2:11 solves all problems. The one born in Bethlehem is the “Messiah lord,” not the Lord God! All the troubles and confusion arise from not knowing the vast difference between the Lord GOD and the Messiah (anointed lord) of Luke 2:11. Paul referred to Jesus as the lord Jesus Messiah some 100 times! None of this is in any way difficult. Jesus is the man Messiah Jesus (1 Tim. 2:5). To confess Jesus as lord is to confess him with Peter as the Messiah, not God (Matt. 16:16).
It is a simple falsehood to say that echad (Hebrew for “one”) somehow implies a plurality in GOD! The fact is that the adjective “one” in Hebrew and English can modify (describe) any noun in the universe! One family, one nose, one finger, one cluster of grapes, etc. “One” means exactly “one” in these examples. God is one single Person in the OT — one Father, one YHVH, thousands of times. Jews were and are always unitarians on the basis of Deuteronomy 6:4. Jesus was a unitarian, as he said in Mark 12:29. The word GOD in the NT means the Father about 1300 times and never means a triune God.
These are startlingly interesting facts. Let your friends know about them at every opportunity. Read about the Shema (“Hear, O Israel”) in any encyclopedia. One (echad) means one, and never more than one!◊
Reprinted with permission
The Creed of Jesus Is the Place to Start
The key issue in the discussion about who God and Jesus are is easily solved by the creed Jesus called the Great Commandment (Mark 12:29). The loss of this creed of Jesus, defining God, is a gaping hole in the current system. Jesus is not being heard and obeyed at the most fundamental level.By strict monotheism I mean the unitary monotheism of Jesus and of Jews. Deuteronomy 6:4 (=Mk 12:29) is the unitary monotheism of Israel and of Jesus. Jesus agreed entirely with a Jew, whom Mark does not present as unfriendly, that Deuteronomy 6:4 is the Great Command. This, then, must be the teaching also of those who claim to follow Jesus. Amazingly many in church seem not to think of the teachings of Jesus as of vital importance! This ground fallacy must be corrected, if we are to make sense of Biblical Christianity. Christianity in the NT is to be based on the “obedience of faith” (Rom. 1:5; 16:26; Heb. 5:9), and the words and teachings of Jesus are for us all. Why not return to Jesus by starting with his Great Command in Mark 12:29? Muslims and Jews would find this intriguing too! “Strict monotheism” is also known correctly as Jewish monotheism, or unitary or unipersonal monotheism. God is one single Divine Person. That is the monotheism of Jesus. God is one Person, the Father.
Mark 12:29 will yet solve denominational chaos. Jesus followed Mark 12:29 with a brilliant anticipation of what might happen to his own status! Jesus, asking them the question, cites the massively important Psalm 110:1. He defines his status as the Messiah, Son of God, as David’s lord, adoni (kurios mou), “my lord,” which is a non-Deity title all 195 times in the OT. On no account can Psalm 110:1 yield two who are YHVH! God cannot speak to God. Jesus meant to block this frightful idea! Paul, following Jesus, repeats the Shema (“Hear, O Israel”) in 1 Corinthians 8:4-6, and then puts Jesus, as the Messiah lord, not Lord God, at the right hand of YHVH.
Luke 2:11 solves all problems. The one born in Bethlehem is the “Messiah lord,” not the Lord God! All the troubles and confusion arise from not knowing the vast difference between the Lord GOD and the Messiah (anointed lord) of Luke 2:11. Paul referred to Jesus as the lord Jesus Messiah some 100 times! None of this is in any way difficult. Jesus is the man Messiah Jesus (1 Tim. 2:5). To confess Jesus as lord is to confess him with Peter as the Messiah, not God (Matt. 16:16).
It is a simple falsehood to say that echad (Hebrew for “one”) somehow implies a plurality in GOD! The fact is that the adjective “one” in Hebrew and English can modify (describe) any noun in the universe! One family, one nose, one finger, one cluster of grapes, etc. “One” means exactly “one” in these examples. God is one single Person in the OT — one Father, one YHVH, thousands of times. Jews were and are always unitarians on the basis of Deuteronomy 6:4. Jesus was a unitarian, as he said in Mark 12:29. The word GOD in the NT means the Father about 1300 times and never means a triune God.
These are startlingly interesting facts. Let your friends know about them at every opportunity. Read about the Shema (“Hear, O Israel”) in any encyclopedia. One (echad) means one, and never more than one!◊