Thursday, January 27, 2005
Anti-missionary answers
The Hebrew Scriptures use both the singular "eloah" and plural "elohim" to refer
to God, but the plural form is used far more often. (Gen 1:1) "In the beginning
God [elohim] created the heavens and the earth." God said, (Gen 1:26) "Let us
make man."
The rabbis explain this as an elegant way of speaking of God, something like
"the royal we." But it is a very weak explanation. The Shema, the central
proclamation in all of Judaism, declares: "Shema Israel, Adonai, Elohainu,
Adonai echod." (Deut 6:4) "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one [echod]
Lord." Adonai, often translated "Lord," is plural; it actually means, "my
Lords." Elohainu, "our Gods," is also plural. A literal translation of the Shema
would be, ". my Lords our Gods my Lords one."
Three mentions of God, followed by the word "one." A perfect representation of
the Blessed Trinity. The second mention of God, moreover, is Elohainu, "our
Gods," not Elohai, "my Gods," suggesting the Second Person, who would open
Torah to the whole world.
If the rabbis had believed in the Blessed Trinity, they would have used this as
exegesis to explain their belief. It is a valid form of rabbinic exegesis.
And the exegesis goes farther. Rabbinic tradition connects the three mentions of
God in the Shema with God's self-description in the midot, (Ex 34:6) "The Lord,
the Lord, a God merciful and gracious." Notice three mentions of God, together
with the indefinite article indicating a singular, "a God." Rabbinic tradition
also connects the Shema with the "thrice- holy" Kadosh, kadosh, kadosh in
Isaiah's vision of the seraphim, (Is 6:3) "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of
hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory," In Hebrew, kadosh kadosh kadosh
YHWH tzabaot."
Jews traditionally ascribe the "kadosh kadosh kadosh" to the Hebrew use of
repetition for emphasis. But in this light we may fairly ask whether it has an
additional layer of meaning: holy Father, holy Son, holy Spirit.
And what of (Proverbs 8:23) "Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the
beginning of the earth. When there were no depths I was brought forth, when
there were no springs abounding with water. Before the mountains had been
shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth; before he had made the earth with
its fields, or the first of the dust of the world. When he established the
heavens, I was there, when he drew a circle on the face of the deep, when he
made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep, when
he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his
command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth, then I was beside him,
like a master workman; and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always,
rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the sons of men." This sounds
to me like a second divine Person. Certainly it doesn't describe a mortal man.
to God, but the plural form is used far more often. (Gen 1:1) "In the beginning
God [elohim] created the heavens and the earth." God said, (Gen 1:26) "Let us
make man."
The rabbis explain this as an elegant way of speaking of God, something like
"the royal we." But it is a very weak explanation. The Shema, the central
proclamation in all of Judaism, declares: "Shema Israel, Adonai, Elohainu,
Adonai echod." (Deut 6:4) "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one [echod]
Lord." Adonai, often translated "Lord," is plural; it actually means, "my
Lords." Elohainu, "our Gods," is also plural. A literal translation of the Shema
would be, ". my Lords our Gods my Lords one."
Three mentions of God, followed by the word "one." A perfect representation of
the Blessed Trinity. The second mention of God, moreover, is Elohainu, "our
Gods," not Elohai, "my Gods," suggesting the Second Person, who would open
Torah to the whole world.
If the rabbis had believed in the Blessed Trinity, they would have used this as
exegesis to explain their belief. It is a valid form of rabbinic exegesis.
And the exegesis goes farther. Rabbinic tradition connects the three mentions of
God in the Shema with God's self-description in the midot, (Ex 34:6) "The Lord,
the Lord, a God merciful and gracious." Notice three mentions of God, together
with the indefinite article indicating a singular, "a God." Rabbinic tradition
also connects the Shema with the "thrice- holy" Kadosh, kadosh, kadosh in
Isaiah's vision of the seraphim, (Is 6:3) "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of
hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory," In Hebrew, kadosh kadosh kadosh
YHWH tzabaot."
Jews traditionally ascribe the "kadosh kadosh kadosh" to the Hebrew use of
repetition for emphasis. But in this light we may fairly ask whether it has an
additional layer of meaning: holy Father, holy Son, holy Spirit.
And what of (Proverbs 8:23) "Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the
beginning of the earth. When there were no depths I was brought forth, when
there were no springs abounding with water. Before the mountains had been
shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth; before he had made the earth with
its fields, or the first of the dust of the world. When he established the
heavens, I was there, when he drew a circle on the face of the deep, when he
made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep, when
he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his
command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth, then I was beside him,
like a master workman; and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always,
rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the sons of men." This sounds
to me like a second divine Person. Certainly it doesn't describe a mortal man.
