Throughout Church History people have argued about the very essence and nature of God. The scriptures speak to us of one God, but existing in three persons. The word “trinity” is not in the bible, yet the concept in 22 mezuzaunmistakable. Understanding it has always been our problem. It doesn’t teach that there are three Gods. John Philoponus taught this view. He asserted that there were three Gods but they were only loosely connected, like Peter, James and John were as Jesus’ disciples. This error denied the unity of the Trinity and has been rejected by orthodox believers. On the other hand Sebellius taught the opposite. There is only one person of the God head, but that single person manifests himself in three ways: father, son and spirit. Sebellianism or Modalism has also been rejected by orthodoxy.

The Shemah is a passage in Deuteronomy recited ritually and regularly by Jews worldwide. Many of us in Israel purchased a mezuzah. It’s a small box that’s attached to the frame of the door entering into a residence. Inside is the Shemah (along with other passages). It is usually engraved with the first letter of the word “hear” in Hebrew, Shemah. (See the picture at www.chucklarsen.com) The Shemah , Deuteronomy 6:4, says, “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one.” The Hebrew world for one is “echad.” It also means united, consistent, whole, or a unity of parts. This statement stresses not only the uniqueness of God but also the unity of God. James uses the Greek equivalent when he writes in James 2:19, “You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!”

The essential oneness of God does not deny the existence of three persons within the Godhead. It emphasizes unity. They worked completely together and said the exact same things at all times. Jesus said this to his distractors at least four times. Jesus said all his deeds were the same deeds as the Father. For example, in John 5:19, Jesus says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.” He acknowledged that He taught only what the Father taught. In John 12:49, Jesus says, “For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak” (see also John 8:28, 14:10). Please do not miss Jesus’ prayer for us. In John 17:21, he prayed for you and me. He said, “I pray that they may all be one. Father! May they be in us, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they be one, so that the world will believe that you sent me.” It’s only in this unity that people will see God.