The Shema: The Foundation of Biblical Faith
Introduction: The Most Important Words in the Bible
Imagine you could ask Jesus one question: "What is the most important commandment in all of Scripture?"
Someone actually did ask Him that question. And His answer wasn't about loving your neighbor, being baptized, or even believing in Him.
His answer was the Shema.
"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'" (Mark 12:29-30)
Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 6:4-5, the passage known as the Shema (from the Hebrew word for "hear"). This wasn't just one commandment among many. Jesus called it the first and greatest of all commandments.
If Jesus Himself said this is the most important truth in all of Scripture, shouldn't we understand what it means? And shouldn't we make absolutely sure we're living it?
What Is the Shema?
The Shema is found in Deuteronomy 6:4-5:
"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength."
Let's break this down word by word, because every word matters.
"Hear, O Israel"
This is a command to listen carefully. In Hebrew, "shema" means more than just hearing sounds—it means to hear, understand, and obey. God is saying: "Pay attention! What I'm about to tell you is absolutely crucial."
"The LORD our God"
In Hebrew, this is "YHWH Elohenu" - "Yahweh our God." This identifies who we're talking about: the covenant God of Israel, the one true God who revealed Himself to Moses, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
"The LORD is one"
In Hebrew: "YHWH echad." The word "echad" means one, singular, alone, unique.
This is the heart of the declaration: God is ONE.
Not two. Not three. Not three-in-one. Just ONE.
This was revolutionary in the ancient world. Every nation around Israel worshiped many gods—pantheons of deities. But Israel's God declared: "I am ONE. There is no other."
Why the Shema Matters: The Foundation of Everything
The Shema isn't just another command in the Bible. It's the foundation upon which everything else is built.
1. It's the First Commandment
When God gave the Ten Commandments, what came first?
"You shall have no other gods before me." (Exodus 20:3)
The very first commandment is to worship the one God alone. The Shema explains why: because God is one. There aren't multiple gods to choose from. There is only ONE.
2. It Defines Idolatry
Idolatry isn't just bowing to a statue. The essence of idolatry is giving worship that belongs to God alone to anyone or anything else.
If God is ONE, then worshiping anyone or anything else—even something good, even an angel, even a human servant of God—is a violation of the first commandment.
This is serious. Throughout the Old Testament, God's most fierce anger is reserved for idolatry. Why? Because it violates the foundational truth: God is one, and He alone deserves worship.
3. It Separates Israel From All Other Nations
What made Israel different from every other nation wasn't their ethnicity, their land, or their rituals. It was their God.
Every other nation had multiple gods. Israel had one God.
"Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other." (Deuteronomy 4:39)
"See now that I myself am he! There is no god besides me." (Deuteronomy 32:39)
"I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God." (Isaiah 45:5)
This wasn't just theology. This was Israel's identity. They were the people who knew and worshiped the one true God.
Jesus and the Shema: Did Jesus Change This?
Here's where it gets crucial for Christians. Did Jesus come to change this foundational truth? Did He introduce the idea that God is actually three persons, not one?
Let's look at what Jesus actually said.
Jesus Affirmed the Shema
When asked about the greatest commandment, Jesus didn't hesitate. He didn't say, "Well, now that I'm here, we need to update that old teaching."
He quoted the Shema word for word:
"The most important one is this: 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.'" (Mark 12:29)
Jesus affirmed that God is one. He didn't modify it. He didn't add, "one God in three persons." He declared the same truth Moses had declared 1,400 years earlier: God is ONE.
Jesus Distinguished Himself From God
If Jesus believed He was God, His prayers don't make sense. But look at how Jesus prayed:
"Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you... Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." (John 17:1, 3)
Read that again carefully. Jesus prayed TO God, calling the Father "the only true God." And He distinguished Himself from that "only true God" by saying He was the one whom God sent.
If Jesus is the "only true God," why is He talking to God? Why is He calling someone else "the only true God"?
The answer is simple: Jesus isn't the "only true God." The Father is. Jesus is the one the Father sent—God's appointed Messiah and Son.
Jesus Said the Father Is Greater
"The Father is greater than I." (John 14:28)
How can God be greater than God? How can one person of a co-equal Trinity be "greater" than another?
But if Jesus is the human Messiah, the Son of God in the biblical sense (God's appointed representative), then this makes perfect sense. The one who sends is greater than the one who is sent. The Father is God; Jesus is the man God appointed and exalted.
Jesus Worshiped the Father
"Jesus said to her, 'Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, "I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God."'" (John 20:17)
Did you catch that? After His resurrection, Jesus said the Father is "my God."
God doesn't have a God. God doesn't worship anyone. But Jesus worships the Father. Jesus calls the Father "my God."
This is consistent throughout Jesus's entire life and ministry: He worshiped, prayed to, and obeyed the one God—His Father.
The Apostles and the Shema: Did They Change It?
Maybe Jesus affirmed the Shema, but did the apostles change it after Pentecost? Did they start teaching that God is three persons?
Paul's Christian Shema
The apostle Paul, writing to the Corinthians, gave what scholars call the "Christian Shema"—his adaptation of Deuteronomy 6:4 for believers in Jesus:
"Yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live." (1 Corinthians 8:6)
Notice the structure:
- One God = the Father
- One Lord = Jesus Christ
Paul doesn't say "one God consisting of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit." He says one God, the Father. And he distinguishes this one God from Jesus Christ, who is our one Lord.
This is exactly what the Old Testament teaches. God is one—the Father. And Jesus is the Lord (master, king) whom God appointed.
Paul: One God and One Mediator
"For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus." (1 Timothy 2:5)
Let's break this down:
- One God (not three)
- One mediator between God and humans (Jesus stands BETWEEN them)
- That mediator is "the man Christ Jesus" (explicitly human)
A mediator by definition stands between two parties. Jesus cannot be both God and the mediator between God and humanity. That's logically impossible.
But if Jesus is the human Messiah—fully human, yet exalted by God and appointed as our High Priest—then this makes perfect sense.
James: One God
"You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder." (James 2:19)
James, the brother of Jesus and leader of the Jerusalem church, affirmed belief in one God as fundamental. The demons know this truth and tremble. Should believers know any less?
The Apostolic Pattern: Prayer to the Father Through Jesus
Look at how the apostles actually prayed:
"May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all." (2 Corinthians 13:14)
Notice: "the love of God" is distinguished from "the Lord Jesus Christ." God and Jesus are not the same person.
"Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." (Romans 1:7, and repeated in nearly every epistle)
The consistent pattern: prayers are directed to God the Father, with grace and blessings coming through the Lord Jesus Christ.
The apostles never pray TO Jesus as God. They pray to God the Father, through Jesus as mediator.
What About the "Three-in-One" Idea?
You might be thinking: "But doesn't the Bible teach the Trinity? God as three persons in one being?"
Here's what you need to know:
The Word "Trinity" Isn't in the Bible
Search your Bible from Genesis to Revelation. The word "Trinity" doesn't appear. Neither does "three-in-one," "three persons," or "triune God."
These are later theological terms invented to explain a doctrine that developed over several centuries.
The Doctrine Developed Over Time
The Trinity wasn't officially formulated until:
- The Council of Nicaea in 325 AD (declared Jesus "of the same substance" as the Father)
- The Council of Constantinople in 381 AD (added the Holy Spirit to complete the Trinity)
That's 300+ years after Jesus!
If the Trinity is essential truth, why did it take three centuries to define it? Why didn't Jesus or the apostles clearly teach it?
The Early Jewish Christians Didn't Believe It
The earliest Jewish Christians—those closest to the apostles—believed Jesus was the human Messiah, not God incarnate. Groups like the Ebionites and Nazarenes were direct continuations of the original Jerusalem church, and they all affirmed:
- One God (the Father)
- Jesus as the human Messiah, the Son of God
They rejected Jesus's divinity as a violation of the Shema—idolatry.
Scholars Now Admit This
Even Trinitarian scholars now acknowledge this. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy states:
"No theologian in the first three Christian centuries was a trinitarian in the sense of believing that the one God is tripersonal, containing equally divine 'Persons', Father, Son, and Holy Spirit."
The Trinity developed gradually as Christianity moved into the Greek world and adopted Greek philosophical concepts foreign to the Bible's Jewish context.
Why This Matters for You Today
Understanding and believing the Shema isn't just about getting theology right. It's about your relationship with God and your faithfulness to Him.
1. You Worship the Right God
When you affirm that God is one—the Father alone—you're worshiping the same God that:
- Abraham worshiped
- Moses worshiped
- David worshiped
- The prophets worshiped
- Jesus worshiped
- The apostles worshiped
You're in a direct line of biblical faith, unchanged and uncompromised.
2. You Avoid Idolatry
If you worship Jesus as God when He is not God, you're giving worship that belongs to God alone to a created being—even if that being is God's appointed Messiah.
The first commandment is clear: "You shall have no other gods before me."
But when you understand Jesus as God's Son—His appointed human representative and Messiah—you can honor Jesus appropriately without violating the Shema.
3. Your Bible Makes Sense
When you start with the Shema—God is one—suddenly the whole Bible becomes clear and consistent:
- Why Jesus prayed to the Father (you don't pray to yourself)
- Why Jesus said the Father is greater (because the Father is God)
- Why Jesus called the Father "the only true God" (because He is)
- Why Jesus is called our "mediator" (he stands between us and God)
- Why Jesus didn't know everything (Mark 13:32 - God knows everything)
- Why Paul distinguished "one God" (the Father) from "one Lord" (Jesus)
Everything fits. No contradictions. No complicated explanations needed.
4. You Follow Jesus's Own Faith
Jesus believed the Shema. Jesus lived the Shema. Jesus worshiped the Father as the one true God.
When you do the same, you're following Jesus's example of faith—not later theological constructions, but Jesus's own relationship with His God and Father.
How to Live the Shema
The Shema isn't just something to believe—it's something to live.
Hear
"Hear, O Israel..."
Listen to God's Word. Study Scripture. Pay attention to what God has actually said, not just what you've been taught.
When you read your Bible, notice:
- How often Jesus distinguishes Himself from the Father
- How the apostles pray
- Who is called "God" and who is called "Lord"
- The consistent pattern from beginning to end
Believe
"The LORD our God, the LORD is one."
Settle this in your heart: God is one.
Not three. Not three-in-one. One person—the Father.
This is what Jesus believed. This is what the apostles believed. This is what the Bible teaches from Genesis to Revelation.
Love
"Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength."
The Shema isn't just about correct theology. It's a call to wholehearted devotion to the one true God.
When you know that God is one—not divided, not complicated, but ONE—you can love Him with undivided heart.
Worship the Father. Thank Him for sending Jesus. Approach Him through Jesus your mediator. Live by His Spirit.
But keep God as one, the sole object of your worship, just as Jesus taught.
Practical Steps
1. Pray to the Father
Follow Jesus's example and the apostles' pattern:
"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name... I come to You through Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. Thank You for sending Him to save me..."
2. Read the Shema Daily
Make Deuteronomy 6:4-5 part of your daily prayer and meditation. Let it shape how you think about God.
3. Study How Jesus Prayed
Read through the Gospels and notice every time Jesus prays. Who does He pray to? What does He say? How does He relate to the Father?
4. Examine Key Passages
Study these crucial texts that affirm the Shema in the New Testament:
- Mark 12:28-34 (Jesus affirms the Shema)
- John 17:3 (Jesus calls the Father "the only true God")
- 1 Corinthians 8:6 (Paul's Christian Shema)
- 1 Timothy 2:5 (one God, one mediator)
5. Be Prepared to Stand
You may face opposition. Many Christians have been taught the Trinity since childhood and believe it's essential.
Stand firm, but do so with:
- Love - don't be argumentative or superior
- Humility - acknowledge sincere believers disagree
- Scripture - always point back to God's Word
- Grace - God judges the heart, not theological systems
Conclusion: The Foundation That Holds
The Shema is where biblical faith begins and ends.
It's where Jesus started: "The most important commandment is this: The Lord our God, the Lord is one."
It's what the apostles taught: "For us there is one God, the Father."
It's what protects us from idolatry: Worshiping the one God alone, not created beings.
It's what makes the Bible coherent: One consistent message from Genesis to Revelation.
You don't need complicated theological explanations. You don't need church councils from the 4th century. You need what Jesus said is most important:
"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength."
That's the foundation. That's the truth. That's biblical faith in its purest form.
Everything else—understanding Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God, our Lord and Savior—flows from this foundation. But it starts here:
God is one.
Will you believe it? Will you live it?
Jesus said it's the most important commandment. Let's take Him at His word.
For Further Study
Passages to read:
- Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (The Shema and its application)
- Isaiah 43:10-11, 44:6-8, 45:5-6, 18, 21-22 (God alone is God)
- Mark 12:28-34 (Jesus affirms the Shema)
- John 17 (Jesus's prayer - notice how He talks about God)
- 1 Corinthians 8:4-6 (Paul's Christian Shema)
Questions to ponder:
- If God is three persons, why does Jesus call the Father alone "the only true God"?
- Why does Jesus pray if He is God?
- How can the Father be "greater" than Jesus if they're co-equal in a Trinity?
- Why did it take 300 years to define the Trinity if it's biblical truth?
Challenge: Read through the Gospel of John and count:
- How many times Jesus distinguishes Himself from the Father
- How many times Jesus prays to the Father
- How many times Jesus says He does the Father's will (not His own)
- How many times Jesus gives glory to the Father
Then ask: Does this sound like someone who is claiming to be God, or someone who is serving and representing God?