Wheaton College has a PR problem. It’s the kind of problem that is basic. It’s a Shema problem! The ancient words of the Torah declared with authority: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.”1 The Shema, a central prayer in the Jewish tradition, has a special place in the Christian faith. It is not merely the declaration of a monotheistic God. For the Christian, it provides the basis for the doctrine of the Trinity.
While there is excellent scholarship suggesting that the Trinity reveals itself in the early pages of the Old Testament, the New Testament makes it abundantly clear. The Father is identified as God (John 6:27; Gal. 1:3; 2 Pet. 1:17; Jude 1) as is the Son (see John 1:1; 20:28; Rom. 9:5; Tit. 2:13; 2 Pet. 1:1) and the Holy Spirit (see Acts 5:3-4; 1 Cor. 2:10-11; John 3:5-7 with 1 John 3:9). While the Shema establishes the oneness of the Christian God that oneness needs to be understood in light of all the biblical data (see references above). The Christian understanding of God is unique because God is not only defined as One but also as Three. And in light of this Unity and Diversity, the Christian God ceases to bear any resemblance to the god of Judaism or Islam—both religions vehemently deny the Trinity.
The Nicene Creed, the ancient creed of the Christian Church, begins by acknowledging the Oneness of God:
However, what makes this Creed universally accepted as a definition of Christian orthodoxy is its definition of who God is. The One God is the Father Almighty, Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life. This elaboration excludes any religion that denies the plurality of the Godhead. (more…)
