Evidence · Case 04 · The Trinity
The Shema, Deuteronomy 6:4, repeated by Jesus in Mark 12:29
One exhibit from the free evidence repository at apologetics.pro.
Sources
Deuteronomy 6:4, NASB.
Mark 12:29, NASB.
Objections & responses
- Jesus quoting the Shema shows he was a Jewish monotheist, which undercuts the Trinity. A man who says “the Lord is one” is not claiming to be God.
The Shema is cited to establish exactly that Jesus was a monotheist, because the Trinity is only worth arguing about if monotheism is non-negotiable. The interesting move happens elsewhere. In 1 Corinthians 8:6, Paul takes the Shema’s two key words, God and Lord, assigns God to the Father and Lord to Jesus, and still calls it one confession. Jesus affirming the Shema and the earliest church placing Jesus inside it are both data, and the Trinity is the attempt to hold them together without dropping either.
- Trinitarians say the Hebrew word echad in the Shema means a compound unity. Isn’t that a stretch? It usually just means one.
Agreed, and that argument is not made here; it is weak and best avoided. The Shema is cited for the oneness of God, full stop. The case for distinction within that oneness comes from the New Testament data, not from a Hebrew numeral. If someone offers you the compound-unity argument, you lose nothing by setting it aside.