[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Apologies... I hate long OP's I've tried to condense it as much as possible...[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]The Shema
[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif](Deuteronomy 6:4-6) Listen, O Israel: Jehovah our God is one Jehovah. 5 And you must love Jehovah your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your vital force[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif](Mark 12:28-34) Now one of the scribes that had come up and heard them disputing, knowing that he had answered them in a fine way, asked him: Which commandment is first of all? 29 Jesus answered: The first is, Hear, O Israel, Jehovah our God is one Jehovah, 30 and you must love Jehovah your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul and with your whole mind and with your whole strength. 31 The second is this, You must love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these. 32 The scribe said to him: Teacher, you well said in line with truth, He is One, and there is no other than He; 33 and this loving him with ones whole heart and with ones whole understanding and with ones whole strength and this loving ones neighbor as oneself is worth far more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. 34 At this Jesus, discerning he had answered intelligently, said to him: You are not far from the kingdom of God. But nobody had the courage anymore to question him.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]It has been said that Unitarian beliefs are simply assumed rather than gleaned from an accurate understanding of the scriptures. This is obviously a highly provocative accusation as many know that the Trinity doctrine can only be 'explained' using terminology and demonstrations found nowhere in the bible whatsoever, they are infact all external from God's written word.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Jesus' own testimony and demonstration on the matter should be of the utmost importance to those that bear his name as Christians. Infact no one has more authority on the matter, whether you believe he is the Messiah; literally God; or both.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Jesus was born as a Jew under the law, with Jewish parents, in a Jewish community, circumcised according to the law and performed all the aspects of the law as directed in the OT.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Probably one of the first things Jesus learned about the faith of his Jewish parents was the famous Shema at Deut. 6:4-6, and Jesus would well have heard this famous expression day in day out.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Jesus simply did not sin, therefore his obedience to the Shema was perfect indeed, and is the starting point for a correct understanding of the identity of Jehovah God. Thus, a true identification of the 'Jehovah' at the Shema is demonstrated through whom Jesus spent his life and ministry in perfect, heartfelt obedience to.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]So how did Jesus understand the Shema?[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]He understood it as referring to only one in heaven who was worthy to receive our heartfelt worship and obedience. All others deitys, gods and humans where excluded. Jesus agreed with the Scribes' response He is One, and there is no other than He', and Jesus discerned that 'he had answered intelligently'. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]The use of the singular personal pronouns 'he' and 'him' shows Jesus agreed that this 'Jehovah' was a single entity, Trinitarians also believe this, and so the purpose of this post is to let Jesus identify 'who' the 'he' is in the Shema.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]How did he demonstrate perfect obedience to it? And who therefore did he demonstrate the Shema was referring to alone?[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif](Matthew 6:10) Let your kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also upon earth.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif](Luke 22:42) saying: Father, if you wish, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, let, not my will, but yours take place.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif](Mark 14:36) And he went on to say: Abba, Father, all things are possible to you; remove this cup from me. Yet not what I want, but what you want.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif](John 5:30) I cannot do a single thing of my own initiative; just as I hear, I judge; and the judgement that I render is righteous, because I seek, not my own will, but the will of him that sent me.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif](John 6:38) because I have come down from heaven to do, not my will, but the will of him that sent me.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]I only chose these verses for spaces sake, really I should have pasted Matthew to Revelation for an indepth understanding of Jesus [/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif]service and obedience to the Father.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]These verses are explicit in the message they convey, there is no confusion here. It is clear that Jesus came to do the will of another and not his own. That means that Jesus thought that the Shema was indeed referring to the Father alone. Jesus even prayed to the Father:[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif](Matthew 6:9) YOU must pray, then, this way: Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]If we are to believe the Trinitarian post-apostolic shambles of human engineered doctrine, then while conversing with the Scribe, Jesus missed a fantastic opportunity to explain to the scribe the meaning of the Shema. Right there should be an explanation of the Trinity! It's not! Why not?[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Or are we to believe that Jesus secretly hid his 'true' understanding of the Shema? That would have been extremely dishonest and made him a liar.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]So rather than assuming Unitarian belief, it is infact unarguably intrinsic to the scriptures. Why? Because Jesus Christ himself identifies who he truly believes the Shema is referring to, he knows it's the Father alone, and as true Christian men and women we should all take heed of our Lords clear demonstrations of truth. If you believe no one else, believe him!
Peace...
[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]The Shema
[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif](Deuteronomy 6:4-6) Listen, O Israel: Jehovah our God is one Jehovah. 5 And you must love Jehovah your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your vital force[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif](Mark 12:28-34) Now one of the scribes that had come up and heard them disputing, knowing that he had answered them in a fine way, asked him: Which commandment is first of all? 29 Jesus answered: The first is, Hear, O Israel, Jehovah our God is one Jehovah, 30 and you must love Jehovah your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul and with your whole mind and with your whole strength. 31 The second is this, You must love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these. 32 The scribe said to him: Teacher, you well said in line with truth, He is One, and there is no other than He; 33 and this loving him with ones whole heart and with ones whole understanding and with ones whole strength and this loving ones neighbor as oneself is worth far more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. 34 At this Jesus, discerning he had answered intelligently, said to him: You are not far from the kingdom of God. But nobody had the courage anymore to question him.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]It has been said that Unitarian beliefs are simply assumed rather than gleaned from an accurate understanding of the scriptures. This is obviously a highly provocative accusation as many know that the Trinity doctrine can only be 'explained' using terminology and demonstrations found nowhere in the bible whatsoever, they are infact all external from God's written word.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Jesus' own testimony and demonstration on the matter should be of the utmost importance to those that bear his name as Christians. Infact no one has more authority on the matter, whether you believe he is the Messiah; literally God; or both.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Jesus was born as a Jew under the law, with Jewish parents, in a Jewish community, circumcised according to the law and performed all the aspects of the law as directed in the OT.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Probably one of the first things Jesus learned about the faith of his Jewish parents was the famous Shema at Deut. 6:4-6, and Jesus would well have heard this famous expression day in day out.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Jesus simply did not sin, therefore his obedience to the Shema was perfect indeed, and is the starting point for a correct understanding of the identity of Jehovah God. Thus, a true identification of the 'Jehovah' at the Shema is demonstrated through whom Jesus spent his life and ministry in perfect, heartfelt obedience to.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]So how did Jesus understand the Shema?[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]He understood it as referring to only one in heaven who was worthy to receive our heartfelt worship and obedience. All others deitys, gods and humans where excluded. Jesus agreed with the Scribes' response He is One, and there is no other than He', and Jesus discerned that 'he had answered intelligently'. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]The use of the singular personal pronouns 'he' and 'him' shows Jesus agreed that this 'Jehovah' was a single entity, Trinitarians also believe this, and so the purpose of this post is to let Jesus identify 'who' the 'he' is in the Shema.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]How did he demonstrate perfect obedience to it? And who therefore did he demonstrate the Shema was referring to alone?[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif](Matthew 6:10) Let your kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also upon earth.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif](Luke 22:42) saying: Father, if you wish, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, let, not my will, but yours take place.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif](Mark 14:36) And he went on to say: Abba, Father, all things are possible to you; remove this cup from me. Yet not what I want, but what you want.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif](John 5:30) I cannot do a single thing of my own initiative; just as I hear, I judge; and the judgement that I render is righteous, because I seek, not my own will, but the will of him that sent me.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif](John 6:38) because I have come down from heaven to do, not my will, but the will of him that sent me.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]I only chose these verses for spaces sake, really I should have pasted Matthew to Revelation for an indepth understanding of Jesus [/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif]service and obedience to the Father.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]These verses are explicit in the message they convey, there is no confusion here. It is clear that Jesus came to do the will of another and not his own. That means that Jesus thought that the Shema was indeed referring to the Father alone. Jesus even prayed to the Father:[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif](Matthew 6:9) YOU must pray, then, this way: Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]If we are to believe the Trinitarian post-apostolic shambles of human engineered doctrine, then while conversing with the Scribe, Jesus missed a fantastic opportunity to explain to the scribe the meaning of the Shema. Right there should be an explanation of the Trinity! It's not! Why not?[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Or are we to believe that Jesus secretly hid his 'true' understanding of the Shema? That would have been extremely dishonest and made him a liar.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]So rather than assuming Unitarian belief, it is infact unarguably intrinsic to the scriptures. Why? Because Jesus Christ himself identifies who he truly believes the Shema is referring to, he knows it's the Father alone, and as true Christian men and women we should all take heed of our Lords clear demonstrations of truth. If you believe no one else, believe him!
Peace...
[/FONT]