☝️ One God

The scriptures consistently and rigorously teach that there is only one true God. This strict monotheism is the unshakeable premise of both the Old and New Testaments. To maintain intellectual honesty, any examination of the nature of Jesus must begin with this established "known" fact: the indivisible unity of the Creator.

"4Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one."
β€” Deuteronomy 6:4
"29“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.’”"
β€” Mark 12:29

In the ancient manuscripts, specifically the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, the Hebrew word used in Deuteronomy for "one" is 'echad (א֢חָד). When translated into the Greek Septuagint, the word used is heis (Ξ΅αΌ·Ο‚). Both terms denote an absolute, singular unity of essence. God is one in Spirit, sharing His profound glory with no other entity.

"5I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me ..."
β€” Isaiah 45:5

The Incarnation: The Invisible Made Visible

If God is strictly singular, how do we understand the divine nature of Jesus without creating a mathematical contradiction of multiple deities? The answer lies not in illogical paradoxes, but in understanding the scriptural concept of the Incarnation — the One eternal Spirit manifesting in human flesh.

Early believers did not view Jesus as a separate, secondary deity. Rather, they understood Him as the visible image of the invisible God. The Apostle Paul clarifies this absolute fullness residing within Jesus:

"9For in Him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily."
β€” Colossians 2:9

When Jesus stated, "I and the Father are one" (John 10:30), he was not claiming to be a subordinate partner in a divine committee. He was establishing that the Spirit dwelling within Him was the very Spirit of the Father. There is no division of essence. Just as God declared in Isaiah 43:11, "apart from Me there is no saviour", the followers of the Way recognised that for Jesus to be the Saviour, He had to be the singular Lord of the Old Testament walking among humanity.

"4There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."
β€” Ephesians 4:4-6

Analysing the Mediator Distinction

A rigorous structural analysis must account for verses that seem to separate God and Jesus, such as the role of the mediator.

"5For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Jesus."
β€” 1 Timothy 2:5

To understand this logically, we must distinguish between the eternal Spirit (God) and the authentic human experience (the flesh).

A mediator requires a connection to both parties. The internal, divine Spirit of Jesus is fully God, while His physical, human existence serves as the perfect, sinless sacrifice mediating on behalf of mankind. The distinction is not between two different Gods in heaven, but between the invisible Spirit of God and the visible, authentic humanity He assumed to conquer death.

Vocabulary and the Early Believers

Centuries later, during debates such as those at the Council of Nicaea, later generations introduced philosophical vocabulary in an attempt to categorise the infinite. However, to adhere to sound doctrine, we must rely strictly on the scriptural framework possessed by the earliest believers.

They did not require external philosophies to grasp that God is completely indivisible. By applying critical thinking to the ancient texts, we realise there is no mathematical contradiction to solve. God is one. That singular, eternal Spirit clothed Himself in humanity to become our Saviour. His nature remains undivided, His truth is eternal, and there is none besides Him.

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