Jehovah is One Jehovah

A while back I was curious how the Jewish scholars interpreted the word “us” in Genesis 1:26. Interestingly, after reading a few websites, they believe it is the angels. (2nd reference) However, Christendom, which supports the Trinity doctrine, believes God was talking to the other two members of the Trinity. (I guess it is kind of cruel, but since, according to Trinity beliefs, there are not three gods, but only one, then the logical conclusion was that God was talking to himself.)

The worship of the sons of Israel (Judaism) has always been monotheistic. To them, as Deut.6:4 states, “Jehovah our God is one Jehovah.” The “Matthew Henry Commentary” at the bottom of this page starts out correctly stating: “Jehovah our God is the only living and true God; he only is God, and he is but One God.” But then, in the very next sentence, it quickly derails by bringing in the trinity with some very questionable reasoning (unsubstantiated reasoning) that “The three-fold mention of the Divine names, and the plural number of the word translated God, seem plainly to intimate a Trinity of persons, even in this express declaration of the unity of the Godhead.” There is absolutely no such implied reference in this scripture. Consider for just a moment: The passage in Deuteronomy is so simple in structure, it cannot possibly be misunderstood. It doesn’t ambiguously state “God our God is one God.” The surviving Hebrew manuscripts actually contain the Tetragrammaton (four-letters) which are the name of God, the Anglicized form of which is Jehovah (but if you insist on Yahweh, I’m good with that.). The passage reads “Jehovah our God, is one Jehovah.” Since Jehovah is mentioned by name as the exclusive God and that he is singularly the only God, the only intelligent conclusion is to take the scripture at its word. There is only one Jehovah, not some split personality disorder of three in one. Throughout all Jewish records there is no indication they ever thought of God as a trinity. (Both Judaism and Jehovah’s Witnesses agree there is no trinity.)

So how did we come to such a situation where the Jews believe, even to this day, in a single entity as God but most “Christian” writers want to read something else into every scripture that may even remotely ambiguously mention a different idea? The foundation of the first century Christians was based on Jewish believers at first (before opening the invitation to Samaritans and Gentiles). These believed Jesus was the son of God, not God the Son. In fact, it seems enough of a shocking idea that Jesus called himself God’s son. Imagine how repulsive it would have been if he said he was actually God! He never did. (In the surrounding verses, Jesus reasons with the hateful Jews about the term “god.” Note that while there is only one ultimate sovereign, Jehovah, as Jesus himself highlighted, even Jehovah called “gods” those who were judges in Israel. This was not a new teaching, nor was it suggestive of there being multiple gods.) (See top paragraph in this Auxiliary information.)

So did the early Christian’s beliefs change sometime after the congregations began to be formed? No. The early Christian writers, such as Paul, even stated that there was only one God, the Father, and one Lord, Jesus. To finalize the belief even into our own distant future, Paul acknowledged that after everything has been brought under subjection, then Jesus would turn the kingdom back to his father so “that God may be all things to everyone.” If Jesus were already God, this would be impossible in any way, shape, or form. (For all the dancing around John 1:1 and John 20:28 that those advancing the Trinity make, there is no denying that John’s conclusion is irrefutable: “These have been written down that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God. (John 20:31)

(It is interesting that the “2nd reference” mentioned in the first paragraph acknowledges the same beliefs about the Bible’s teachings of the substance and future of mankind in Judaism as do Jehovah’s Witnesses. Even the belief of future resurrection is shared by both religions. The resurrection performed by God through the prophet Elijah is part of the Hebrew Canon -- see verses 17 through 24. Although the modern Jewish leaders do not seem to teach it and even advance the idea of reincarnation.)

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