Deuteronomy 6:4 says God is one; so how can Jesus be God?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

From the Old Testament to the New, it is clear that there is only one uncreated God (Deuteronomy 6:4). However, equally true, though much clearer in the New Testament, it is also true that there are three Persons in the Godhead. Jesus, as the second Person of the Trinity is fully God (John 1:1, 8:58). Yet, in His role as Savior, He also added on humanity (Philippians 2:6–8). As fully God, He was incapable of sinning (2 Corinthians 5:21). As fully human, He lived life like the rest of us, except without sin (Hebrews 4:15). On the cross, the first Person of the Trinity, the Father, poured out His wrath of sin against the Son (1 John 4:10). In His humanity, Jesus died. However, being fully God, He rose again three days later (1 Corinthians 15:3–4). Now, as equal with God, He sits at the Father’s right hand, with a glorified body, He intercedes for believers Romans 8:34). We can praise God that He sent Jesus to save us from our sins and be made right with the Father.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• In Deuteronomy, Moses says, “To you [God’s glory] ] was shown that you might know that the LORD, He is God; there is no other besides Him” (Deuteronomy 4:35). And again, he said, “Know therefore today, and take it to your heart, that the LORD, He is God in heaven above and on the earth below; there is no other” (Deuteronomy 4:39). In these and other cases, it is affirmed that there is only one God. See the New Testament section for verses there that also specifically refer to God’s nature.
• Deuteronomy 6:4 says, “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!” The actual translation of this verse is somewhat debated as, grammatically, it is possible to be translated as “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD, alone” (NRSV). In that second translation, the focus is not on the nature of God but that Israelites were not to have any other gods. Regardless of which translation is correct, the point is that there are no other gods besides God. Therefore, whether directly (“one”) or indirectly (“alone”), this verse says that God is one.
• Besides verses that explicitly refer to God as “one,” it is clear from the very beginning of the Bible that only one God created the heavens and the earth, and everything in it (Genesis 1:1–2:3). Nothing in creation can be God, as it would not have the attributes of God (such as eternality, omnipresence, and so forth). Therefore, there is only one God, the Creator.
• The Old Testament hints at the plurality within the Godhead, with the Spirit of God and the Angel of the LORD displaying attributes of both divinity and personhood, suggesting a proto-Trinitarian understanding (Genesis 1:2; Psalm 104:30). For example, the Spirit is portrayed as active and speaking (2 Samuel 23:2; Ezekiel 2:2), while the Angel of the LORD is seen as a distinct yet divine being, often equated with God, as in the story of Abraham and Isaac (Genesis 22:12). While the full doctrine of the Trinity becomes clearer in the New Testament, these Old Testament glimpses point toward the complexity of God's nature as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
• There are even some hints of all three Persons being together in a single Old Testament passage! For example, in Isaiah 48:16 it says, “Come near to Me, listen to this: From the first I have not spoken in secret, from the time it took place, I was there. And now the Lord Yahweh has sent Me, and His Spirit.” The Person speaking is Yahweh (Isaiah 45:18). Yet Yahweh, the speaker, says that He was sent by “Lord Yahweh,” a reference to another Person also called Yahweh. Additionally, the first Yahweh is sent with the second Yahweh’s Spirit. Thus, all three Persons of the Trinity appear to be together in this passage. Because all of these (and many more) examples are subtle, not all scholars agree. However, the point for this article is that the plurality of the Godhead is not an invention of the New Testament, but one hinted at from the beginning of the Old Testament.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• We see all three Persons together (or mentioned together) in various passages. A key example is at Jesus’ baptism: “After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased’” (Matthew 3:16–17).
• We also have a Trinitarian statement from Jesus in Matthew 28:19 when He said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” Jesus says to baptize new disciples in the “name” (singular) followed by three names, the three Persons of the Godhead. There we see a clear example of the Trinity doctrine of one God in three Persons.
• Jesus is also explicitly called God. For example, John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” “The Word” is then identified as Jesus (John 1:18). Jesus is eternal (“in the beginning He was with God”) and Divine (“the Word was God”).
• Everything Jesus did was in perfect union with the Father. He did nothing of His own will. Instead, “I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me” (John 6:38). The One who sent Jesus was the Father.
• Jesus, Himself, said He was God. In John 8:58, He said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.” The key is in the “I am” statement. Yahweh, in the Old Testament, said He was “I AM” (Exodus 3:14). The Jews understood that Jesus was calling Himself God and immediately set out to stone Him for blasphemy (John 8:59).
• Being God’s Son, Jesus is equal with God. He said, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). Yet Jesus, as a Person, did the unique work of dying for sin. Our sins are all against an eternal God, yet Jesus paid the price for believers’ sins in full (John 19:30). In order for Jesus’ sacrifice to be an adequate payment for our offenses against God, He had to be God. Only an eternal God can pay an eternal penalty.
• Jesus perfectly obeyed the Father’s will, even to the point of dying on the cross (Philippians 2:8) so that “everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life” (John 6:40). Jesus brought salvation, something only God could do.
• The Holy Spirit is also God. When Ananias and Sapphira lied about how much they had sold a property for, Peter asked, “why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit …?” (Acts 6:3). To be able to lie to the Spirit must mean He is at least a Person (you can’t lie to an impersonal force). However, Peter then said, “You have not lied to men but to God” (Acts 6:4). To lie to the Spirit is to lie to God, because the Spirit is God!

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Christians affirm that there is only one divine essence, meaning that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are each fully God and share the same divine essence. Therefore, God is not composed of three parts; He is one indivisible being, often referred to as the Triune God or the Godhead. Although there is only one God, Scripture reveals that there are three distinct Persons in the Godhead (Matthew 28:19, 2 Corinthians 13:14). Each Person is fully God, and together they work in perfect unity within the Godhead. While they act in distinct ways in the world, their divine purpose and essence remain unified and harmonious (John 10:30, John 14:9-11). Thus, the Trinity is a mystery of one essence in three Persons, working inseparably for the redemption of creation (Ephesians 1:3-14).

Although the Trinity is a doctrine that we will never fully understand, God has given enough that we do see and understand. We may not understand how the Trinity can possibly be, but it’s a glorious truth. There is an infinite difference between us and God. And yet, out of love, the Father sent the Son so that we can be joined with Him through salvation. Because He is God, we have confidence that all who trust in Him for the forgiveness of sins will be saved. Praise God for His great kindness in revealing Himself to us so we can know the Father, through His Son, and by His Spirit.

UNDERSTAND

• The Bible affirms there is only one God, with hints of plurality in the Godhead.
• Jesus, as the second Person of the Trinity, is fully God and also took on humanity to fulfill the role of Savior.
• The Bible reveals the distinct roles of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit but also reveals that they share one divine essence.

REFLECT

• How does the understanding that God is one, yet reveals Himself in three Persons, shape your view of your relationship with God?
• How does the mystery of the Trinity challenge or deepen your faith in who God is and how He interacts with humanity?
• What impact does it have on your faith that Jesus is fully God while also fully human?

ENGAGE

• How does the revelation of the Trinity affect our understanding of God’s work in the world throughout history?
• Why is it important for us to recognize both the divinity and humanity of Jesus when considering His role as Savior?
• How can we live out the implications of the unity yet Triune nature of God?