Page 25 - November 2022 - Truth & Tidings

is to hear echoes of this foundational text argument gets to work. Verse 6 is in im-
in 1 Corinthians 8:6. We need to shema mediate contrast to verse 5: “Although
the Shema. there may be so-called gods in heaven or
Our text echoes the Septuagint’s Shema on earth – as indeed there are many ‘gods’
both in its three key words (“God,” “Lord” and many ‘lords’ – yet for us there is one
and “one”) and in its lack of verbs (in the God … and one Lord.” Taken together,
Greek). There can be no doubt that Paul these two verses explain the statements in
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is reworking the Shema in this statement, verse 4 that “an idol has no real existence”
and what he does with it is astonishing. and that “there is no God but one.”
He takes the word “God” and glosses it The implications are clear. Paul is work-
as the “Father.” “Lord” – the replacement ing with two categories: false gods and
word for the name of Yahweh – he glosses the true God. There’s no third, separate
as “Jesus Christ.” And retaining the word category for Christ. Now, in which cat-
“one,” he applies it to both. “To pick out egory does verse 6 place Jesus? It places
the God to whom Deut. 6:4 is referring Him, with the Father, in the category of
… requires one to mention both ‘God the true deity worthy of worship, opposite
Father’ and ‘Jesus Christ.’” 6 all wannabe gods. And yet this verse
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“Paul is not adding to the one God of remains one of the NT’s strongest affirma-
the Shema a ‘Lord’ the Shema does not men- tions of monotheism!
tion. He is identifying Jesus as the ‘Lord’ In With Prepositions
whom the Shema affirms to be one.” In Finally, Paul’s prepositions confirm a
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1 Corinthians 8:6, then, “Lord” does not trinitarian interpretation of this text. If
declare the Son’s inferiority to God but His there is only one God, then everything
identity as God, using language that at the else must come from God, and exist through
same time distinguishes Him from God. God and for God. These three prepositions
The triunity of God is not a forced infer- become another well-known monotheistic
ence from the text but an inevitable one. formula, reflected in Romans 11:36. But
Consider the Context just as he did with the Shema, Paul splits
Third, along comes the argument from up the formula: all things exist from God
context. Paul’s statement about one God the Father and for God the Father, through
and one Lord arises in a section of the Christ the Lord. “God and Jesus are bound
letter devoted to the matter of idolatry together not only by sharing the divine
(8:1-11:1). Is it permissible to eat food name … but by sharing the role as origi-
offered to idols (v4)? In an idol’s temple nator as well as concluder of all things.” 9
(v10)? Distinguishing true worship from Prepositions are precious words. They
idol worship, the real God from the false help us formulate the Bible’s teaching on
gods, is what these verses are all about. God’s triunity (there are three Persons in
Within this context, the logic of Paul’s one God). They also help us to contem-
⁵ David B. Capes, The Divine Christ: Paul, the plate the beauty of that triune God. Medi-
Lord Jesus, and the Scriptures of Israel (Grand tate on verse 11: Christ is the one through
Rapids, MI: Baker, 2018), 77. whom we exist; we are the brothers and
⁶ Wesley Hill, Paul and the Trinity: Persons, sisters “for whom Christ died.”
Relations, and the Pauline Letters (Grand Rapids,
MI: Eerdmans, 2015), 114. ⁸ Hill, 115.
⁷ Hill, 114, quoting Richard Bauckham. ⁹ Hill, 115.

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