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FROM THE PASTOR'S STUDY

Topic: The Foundations of Truth

Judaism's Monotheism of Singular Personality

by Darrel Cline
(darrelcline biblical-thinking.org)

So far in our studies of the foundations of Truth we have subjected Islam and paganism to the twin helpers of the search: experience and logic. Islam came up short in the area of reason, (168) and paganism came up short in both experience and reason. (169) That leaves us with only two other major possibilities: Judaism and Christianity.

Today let us consider the claims of Judaism. Christianity got its start as a sect of Judaism. That means that if there is anything at the roots of either that contradicts reason or experience, then both probably have no valid basis for their claims of Truth. Therefore, where do Judaism and Christianity actually part company? According to the records of Christianity, Judaism parted company over the issue of the nature of the unity of God. Judaism teaches the unity of God as a quantitative personal unity: there is only One Person Who is God. Christianity teaches the unity of God as a qualitative unity with multiple persons: there are a multiplicity of personalities within the unity of the Godhead. When Jesus set forth this claim ("I and my Father are One"), the Jews took up stones to stone Him. Theologically, Judaism rejected qualitative personal plurality within quantitative essential unity.

Is Judaism correct in its monotheism of singular personality? Experience says no. King David, the recognized psalmist of Israel, says of the Messiah to come: "The Lord said unto my Lord, sit Thou at My right hand until I make Thine enemies the footstool of Thy feet." David knew full well that he could not worship anyone as "my Lord" except true God. He also apparently knew full well that there were Two Who qualified to be worshiped. So, when Judaism rejected Jesus' teaching of multiple persons within Deity, it was also rejecting its premier king: David.

Logic also says no. The teaching of Judaism is that the One God is perfect in all His attributes. This means that He could not possibly be flawed. One of the fundamental attributes of God is love. If there were no other personalities within the Godhead, in what sense is God love? Love assumes an object outside of itself. Love that assumes itself as the object is not love; it is self-preoccupation. That is how men love: themselves. But that is not how God loves. Man's self-love is like the theoretical black hole that pulls everything in upon itself. God's love is like the sun which radiates outwardly from the person doing the loving. So, God could not be love if there were no other persons eternally existent. Otherwise God became love when He created. This is a flawed concept of an imperfect God Who is in process; a becoming God, which is fundamentally self-contradictory.

Thus, both experience and logic put Judaism into question. In experience, Judaism rejects the experience of David her king. In logic, Judaism rejects the eternal perfection of her God. Thus, Judaism in its present Christ-rejecting form is unsupported by the twin helpers of our search for Truth.

That leaves only Christianity. But which form?


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This is article #170.
If you wish, you may contact Darrel as darrelcline at this site.