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Chapter 4
"One" Used of
Spiritual Unity with Jesus Christ

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Defining the Oneness of God

by Carl Franklin

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"One" Used of Spiritual Unity with Jesus
Christ

In addition to showing the spiritual unity of individual Christians
with one another, the Scriptures also use "one" to show the spiritual
unity of individual Christians with Jesus Christ. As Paul declared to the
Corinthian Christians, participating in the true New Testament Passover
makes individual Christians "one" with Christ, and therefore "one body."

"The cup of blessing [the Passover cup of wine] which we
bless, is it not the communion [fellowship]of the blood of [the] Christ?
The bread which we break, is it not the communion [fellowship] of the
body of [the] Christ? For we being many are one [Greek
heis, one and the same] bread, and one [Greek hen,
one in essence] body: for we are all partakers of that one
[Greek hen, one in essence] bread" (1Corinthians
10:16-17).

The "one bread" that each Christian partakes of during the New
Testament Passover ceremony represents the body of Christ. Verse 17
clearly shows that when individual Christians participate in the New
Testament Passover each year, they are partakers of Christ! They renew
their "oneness" with Christ and continue in spiritual unity with Christ
under the New Covenant of grace.

Just as participating in the true New Testament Passover unites each
Christian with Christ, Paul warned the Corinthians that participating in
the communion services of the pagan world around them would unite them
with demons. Paul declared,

"But I say, that the things which the Gentiles
sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils [demons behind the worship of
false gods and goddesses], and not to God [Greek Theos, the
true God]: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with
devils. Ye cannot drink the [Passover] cup of the Lord [Greek
Kurios], and the [communion] cup of devils: ye cannot be
partakers of the Lord's [Greek Kurios] table [the
Passover], and of the table of devils [communion of Mithras and
other false gods]" (1Corinthians 10:20-21).

Paul's inspired words make it clear that our fellowship makes us
"one" with whatever God that we worship, whether Jesus Christ--the
only true Lord--or a false god that actually represents an evil
spirit.

"One" Used of the Spiritual Unity of Christ with
the Father

"One" is also used in the New Testament to show the spiritual
unity that Jesus Christ shared with God the Father even while Jesus
was in the flesh. Jesus Himself said, "I and My Father are one"
(John 10:30).

Christians who follow the Modalist definition of oneness
interpret this Scripture as saying that Jesus and the Father are
"one" in number--only one divine Being. But does this interpretation
fit the true meaning of "one" in John 10:30? Let us examine this
verse in its context:

"Then came the Jews round about Him, and said unto
Him, 'How long dost Thou make us to doubt? If Thou be the Christ,
tell us plainly.' Jesus answered them, 'I told you, and ye
believed not: the works that I do in My Father's name, they bear
witness of Me. But ye believe not, because ye are not of My sheep,
as I said unto you. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and
they follow Me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall
never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand.
My Father, which gave them Me, is greater than all; and no man is
able to pluck them out of My Father's hand. I and My Father are
one [Greek hen, one in essence; i.e., the Father was
doing the work through Jesus].

" Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. Jesus
answered them, 'Many good works have I showed you from My
Father; for which of those works do ye stone Me?' The Jews
answered Him, saying, 'For a good work we stone Thee not; but for
blasphemy; and because that Thou, being a man, makest Thyself
God.' Jesus answered them, 'Is it not written in your law, I said,
Ye are gods? If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God
came, and the scripture cannot be broken; Say ye of Him, whom
the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou
blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God? If I do not
the works of My Father, believe Me not. But if I do, though ye
believe not Me, believe the works: that ye may know, and
believe, that the Father is in Me, and I in Him' " (John
10:24-38).

Notice that the Greek word translated "one" in John 10:30 is
hen, which means "one in essence," and denotes spiritual
unity and accord. If Jesus had intended to reveal that He and the
Father were one and the same Being, we would find the Greek word
heis in this verse. Heis is the Greek word that means
"one in number" or "one and the same" (1Corinthians 10:17, Ephesians
4:5-6).

In The Hebrew/Greek Key Study Bible we read, "Heis
means one numerically while hen means one in essence, as in
John 10:30; 'I and My Father are one (hen)' (i.e., one in
essence although two different personalities). Had it said
heis, it would have meant one person" (Zodhiates, p. 1711).

The Greek word hen, or "one in essence," is the same word
that is used in other New Testament passages to show the spiritual
unity of individual Christians with one another (Romans 12:5), as
well as the spiritual unity of Israelites and Gentiles through
Christ (Ephesians 2:14). It would be ridiculous to interpret these
Scriptures as evidence that individual Christians are "one person"
or "one in number." It is equally foolish to claim that the use of
hen in John 10:30 means that Jesus and the Father are the
same Being!

When Jesus said, "I and My Father are one," He was declaring to
the Jews that He was "one in essence" with the Father because the
Spirit of the Father was dwelling in Him. In the same sense,
individual Christians are "one in essence" because the Spirit of the
Father and of Christ dwells in them. It is the unity of the
Spirit that joins Christians in "one body" and makes every
Christian "one" with Jesus Christ and the Father.

It is important to understand that in John 10:30 the Greek word
hen, or "one in essence," is expressing unity of the
Spirit. It is not defining God as one divine Being, or as
one "divine Substance" with three "Persons" or "distinctions." The
fact that hen is found in numerous Scriptural references to
men and women, both Israelite and Gentile, who have received the
Spirit of God--but who are nevertheless fleshly human beings--shows
that "one in essence" is not limited to God alone. There
is no Scriptural basis for interpreting "one in essence" as one
divine Being, or one "divine Substance" with three "Persons" or
"distinctions," when the Scriptures use this same term in reference
to individual Christians. The Scriptures clearly reveal that
fleshly human beings who have received the gift of the Holy Spirit
are "one in essence" in the same way that Jesus and the
Father are "one in essence." Notice Jesus' own words as recorded by
the apostle John:

"As Thou [Theos, the Father] hast sent Me
[Theos, the Son] into the world, even so have I also sent
them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that
they also might be sanctified through the truth. Neither pray I
for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me
through their word; that they all may be one [Greek
hen, one in essence]; as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I
in Thee, that they also may be one [Greek hen, one in
essence] in Us: that the world may believe that Thou hast
sent Me. And the glory which Thou gavest Me I have given them;
that they may be one [Greek hen, one in essence] ,
even [exactly] as We are one [Greek hen, one in
essence]: I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be made
perfect in one [Greek hen, one in essence]; and that
the world may know that Thou hast sent Me..." (John 17:18-23).

These words of Jesus Christ make it abundantly clear that true
Christians become "one" exactly as Jesus and the Father are
"one." No one is deluded enough to claim that Christians merge
and become one "Being" or one indivisible "Substance" when they
become "one" with Christ. Then why do so many, who profess
themselves to be wise and knowledgeable in the Scriptures, persist
in imagining God as "one divine Being" or "one divine Substance with
three manifestations"? Why do they refuse to acknowledge that the
word "one" in these Scriptural references was used by Jesus to
express His spiritual unity with the Father?

Those who cling to the false concepts of philosophy are blinding
themselves to the true meaning of God's oneness. If we sincerely
seek to understand the oneness of God, we must look to the words of
God, and we must be willing to acknowledge what the Scriptures
reveal.

We have studied Scriptural examples of the use of the word "one"
to express the spiritual unity of God. Now let us examine the
usage of "one" in Scriptural references which describe other
attributes of God.

"One" Used to Show the Superiority of God

Two Scriptures, one in the Old Testament and one in the New, are
often used to support the Modalist and Trinitarian concepts of God's
oneness. The primary Old Testament verse is Deuteronomy 6:4:

"Hear, O Israel, the Lord your God is one
Lord."

And the primary New Testament verse is Galatians 3:20:

"Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God
is one."

In Modalist and Trinitarian theology, all other Scriptures are
made to conform to the meaning attributed to these two verses. As a
spokesman for one denomination recently claimed, Deuteronomy 6:4
carries the weight of "...the full divinity of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Spirit" and is the "biblical foundation for all
Trinitarian discussions."

There is no Scripture that generates more controversy concerning
the meaning of "one" than Deuteronomy 6:4. What meaning did God
convey when He inspired Moses to proclaim, "Hear, O Israel: The Lord
[Hebrew Jehovah] our God [Hebrew Elohim] is one
Lord [Hebrew Jehovah]" ?

Through these words, Jehovah is conveying a message of great
significance. He is communicating to Israel through Moses and
reminding Israel of an essential attribute of His nature. What
conception of Himself did Jehovah desire that Moses and all Israel
draw from these words? Did He intend to convey the message that He
was only one in number--or three in one--as many have assumed? Is
this view of Deuteronomy 6:4 the correct Scriptural interpretation?
How can we know the true meaning of these words that God Himself
inspired Moses to proclaim?

In order to understand the true meaning of Deuteronomy 6:4, we
must first examine it in the light of the Scriptural context in
which God has placed it. The true meaning of Deuteronomy 6:4 becomes
clear when we read the preceding chapters in the book of
Deuteronomy. Let's begin with Deuteronomy 4. The chapter opens with
an exhortation to Israel to keep the statutes and judgments
commanded by God and delivered to them by Moses. In the following
verses, Moses reminds Israel of the greatness of their God, and
admonishes them not to turn aside after false gods made in the image
of humans or animals, or to corrupt themselves by worshipping the
"host of heaven"--gods and goddesses of the sun, moon and stars.
Moses proclaims that if Israel fails to heed his warning, God will
scatter them among the nations. Then Moses shows God's mercy by
declaring,

"But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord [Hebrew
Jehovah] thy God [Hebrew Elohim], thou shalt find
Him, if thou seek Him with all thy heart and with all thy
soul" (verse 29).

Continuing in Deuteronomy 4, in verse 35 we read,

"Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that
the Lord [Hebrew Jehovah] He is God [Hebrew Elohim];
there is none else beside Him. "

And in verse 39 we read,

"Know therefore this day and consider it in thine
heart, that the Lord [Hebrew Jehovah] He is God
[Hebrew Elohim] in heaven above, and upon earth beneath:
there is none else."

The reason for this emphasis is revealed in verse 40: "Thou shalt
keep therefore His statutes, and His commandments...."

In Deuteronomy 4, Jehovah/Elohim is revealing His
exclusive superiority by inspiring Moses to proclaim "there is
none else." Jehovah is clearly revealing that He alone is
God. In the following chapter, Deuteronomy 5, Moses reminds
Israel of their covenant with God at Mt. Horeb (verse 2). Moses then
repeats the words of God when He spoke the Ten Commandments to
Israel. Moses recounts the fear that filled Israel at the awesome
manifestation of God's presence, and their request that Moses act as
mediator between them and God. They agreed to keep all the words of
God that Moses delivered to them. In verse 32, Moses binds Israel to
their promise by declaring, "Ye shall observe to do therefore as the
Lord your God has commanded you...."

This is the Scriptural context leading up to Deuteronomy 6.
Israel is being admonished not to turn aside but to obey the
commands of God because He alone is God. As we have seen,
Moses emphasizes in Deuteronomy 4 that the God of Israel is the only
God when he twice states, "...there is none else" (verses 29
and 35). When Moses later proclaims in Deuteronomy 6:4, "The Lord
our God is one Lord," he is repeating what has already been
stated in Deuteronomy 4: The Lord is the only God.

That this is the true meaning of Deuteronomy 6:4 is verified by
the New Testament. In the Gospel of Mark, we find irrefutable proof
that Deuteronomy 6:4 and Deuteronomy 4:35 are identical in meaning!
Here is that Scriptural evidence as recorded by Mark:

"And one of the scribes came, and having heard them
reasoning together, and perceiving that He had answered them well,
asked Him, 'Which is the first [the foremost] commandment
of all?' And Jesus answered him, 'The first of all the
commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one
Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart,
and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy
strength [Deuteronomy 6:4-5]: this is the first
commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love
thy neighbour [the one near] as thyself [Leviticus 19:18].
There is none other commandment greater than these.' And
the scribe said unto Him, 'Well, Master, Thou hast said the truth:
for there is one God [Deuteronomy 6:4]; and there is
none other but He [Deuteronomy 4:35]: and to love Him with all
the heart, all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love
his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings
and sacrifices' " (Mark 12:28-33).

The scribe was literally saying, as it is in all Greek texts,
"Well, Master, Thou hast said the truth: that He is
one and there is none besides Him"
(Mark 12:32).

The Greek word translated "one" is heis. This Greek word
has several different meanings. It can mean the numeral one (Mark
14:10, the only one (Mark 12:6), one and the same (1Corinthians
10:17), or someone (John 11:49). In Mark 12:32, as the context
shows, it means "the only one" (Arndt and Gingrich, A
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, p. 231).

When Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 6:4, the scribe understood Him to
mean that "there is [only] one God; and there is none other but He"
(Mark 12:32). Jesus placed His stamp of approval on the scribe's
interpretation of Deuteronomy 6:4 when He said, "Thou art not far
from the Kingdom of God" (Mark 12:34).

Jesus' own words confirm the true interpretation of Deuteronomy
6:4. When God inspired this famous utterance through Moses, He did
not intend to convey that He is "one" in number, but that He is
"the only one"--the only true God. The fact that God alone is
God does not rule out the possibility that God is more than one in
number. The phrase "the only one" is qualitative, not
quantitative. It shows the exclusive superiority of God, but it does
not limit God to one Being, nor does it indicate that God is
three in one.

Many passages in the Old Testament bear testimony to the fact
that our God is the only Lord, and there is none other. Here are
several prime examples found in the book of Isaiah:

"To whom then will ye liken GOD [Hebrew
El]? or what likeness will ye compare unto Him?"
(Isaiah 40:18.)

" 'To whom then will ye liken Me, or shall I be equal?'
saith the Holy One" (Isaiah 40:25).

" 'Ye are My witnesses,' saith the Lord [Hebrew
Jehovah], 'and My servant [Israel] Whom I have chosen: that
ye may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He: before
Me there was no God formed [nothing formed of God], neither
shall there be after Me. I, even I, am the Lord [Hebrew
Jehovah]; and beside Me there is no saviour' "
(Isaiah 43:10-11).

"I am the Lord [Hebrew Jehovah] and there is none else,
there is no God beside Me: I girded thee, though thou hast not
known Me: That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from
the west, that there is none beside Me. I am the Lord, and there
is none else " (Isaiah 45:5-6).

"...there is no God [Hebrew Elohim] else
beside Me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside Me.
Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth:
for I am God [Hebrew El] and there is none
else" (Isaiah 45:21-22).

"Remember the former things of old: for I am God [Hebrew
El], and there is none else; I am God [Hebrew
El], and there is none like Me" (Isaiah 46:9).

These Old Testament examples illustrate the true meaning of
Deuteronomy 6:4, and Jesus' own words in the New Testament confirm
that "one Lord" in Deuteronomy 6:4 is referring to the exclusive
superiority of the only true God.

Rejecting this Scriptural truth, religious philosophers engage in
a subtle juggling of words to distort the true meaning of
Deuteronomy 6:4. They take a word that functions as an adjective and
give it the meaning of a noun. They then empty the noun of its
meaning by viewing it as an adjective. Although the order of words
has not changed, the noun now functions in their argument as an
adjective, and the adjective now functions as a noun.

Their distortion of Deuteronomy 6:4 is a prime example of their
skill in word juggling. We have just shown that the Scriptures
interpret the word "one" in Deuteronomy 6:4 as an adjective meaning
"the only one." Ignoring this Scriptural interpretation, religious
philosophers perform their functional operation on Deuteronomy 6:4
by treating the noun "Lord" as an adjective, the noun "God" as an
adjective, and the adjective "one" as a noun! "Lord" and "God" are
presented in their ill-conceived webs of logic as modifying "One."
In this manner, "Lord" (Hebrew Jehovah) and "God" (Hebrew
Elohim) are turned into properties or characteristics of the
"One," and the adjective "one" is turned into a noun that names God!

The result of this clever reversal of meaning is a logical
construct so devious that no one is able to fully understand or
explain it! "One," or God, is defined as a "divine Substance" which
has three actions or actualizations -- Father function, Son function
or Holy Spirit function. In the Athanasian Creed of the Catholic
Church, all three are treated as consubstantial "attributes" of the
deified "One," with the function of Holy Spirit "in procession" from
either the Father or the Son. In the Arian Creed, none of these
so-called "attributes" are consubstantial but are, true to ancient
philosophical principles, of different hierarchical composition. In
this religio-philosophic ranking, the Son is inferior to the Father
and the Holy Spirit is "in procession" only from the Father. In both
the Athanasian and Arian creeds, the whole is rendered a mystery by
the subtle process of "depersonifying" God.

Religious philosophers proclaim to the world that God is not a
personal God but is an impersonal mystery defined at any given time
by an actualized function. The God of this theology is a vacuous,
empty God. The truth that the Lord is the only God and besides
Him there is no other is turned into the lie that God is three
functions or "actualizations" in the "One"--a nebulous "divine
Substance."

We can be thankful that God has revealed Himself to us through
His Word. We need not be confused or intimidated by the clever
arguments of theologians who philosophize on His divine nature. The
true meaning of Deuteronomy 6:4 is preserved in the Scriptures for
all who are willing to accept it. When we let the Scriptures
interpret the Scriptures, there is no question that "one" in
Deuteronomy 6:4 is referring to the exclusive superiority of God as
"the only one."

Chapters in
Defining the Oneness of God

Introduction

Chapter 1

Modalistic, Trinitarian
and
Tritheistic Oneness Defined

Chapter 4

"One" Used of Spiritual Unity with Jesus
Christ

Chapter 2

Ditheistic Oneness
(Binitarian or
Bi-personal)

Chapter 5

A Primary New Testament Example of
"One"

Chapter 3

The Scriptural Meaning of
"One."

Chapter 6

"One" Used to Show the Holiness of
God

Chapter 7

"As One of Us" in Genesis 3 Refers to
Godlike
Characteristics

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