Evangelist Academy Pentecostal Apologetics & Soul-Winning
0 XP Seed Sower ES 📱
✡️ Jewish Friend
They say

“The Shema says, "Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one." Your Trinity is three gods, and worshipping a man is idolatry.”

The 30-second answer

Christians say the Shema too—Jesus called it the first commandment. The Trinity is not three gods but one God in three Persons, and the Tanakh itself hints at plurality within the one God and at a divine Messiah. We worship the God of Abraham, who came near in the Messiah.

💡 Ask them back“If God could appear to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre and let the elders of Israel see Him on Sinai, is it impossible for Him to make Himself known in a human life? And who is the One in Daniel 7 who comes with the clouds, whom all peoples serve?”
⚠️ What not to sayDon't claim the word "echad" proves the Trinity, and don't lean on Genesis 1:26 alone—Jewish readers know the other explanations. Don't call their faith false worship or say they don't know God. Don't use analogies that make God three gods or one Person wearing three masks.

📖 The full defense

Christians Confess the Shema:
When asked for the greatest commandment, Jesus answered with the Shema (Mark 12:29). Christianity is monotheistic: there is one God, and no other. The Trinity is not three gods but one God eternally existing as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Christians reject tritheism as firmly as Judaism does.

"Echad" Allows a Unity:
The Shema uses echad, the ordinary Hebrew word for "one". It can describe a unity made of more than one part: a man and his wife "become one flesh" (Genesis 2:24). This doesn't prove the Trinity—be careful not to overclaim—but it means the Shema doesn't rule it out. The Shema forbids other gods, not a richness within the one God.

Hints of Plurality in the Tanakh:

  • The Angel of the LORD speaks as God and is called God (Genesis 16:13; Exodus 3:2-6).
  • "The LORD rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the LORD out of the heavens" (Genesis 19:24).
  • The elders "saw the God of Israel" (Exodus 24:10), though no one can see God and live (Exodus 33:20).
  • A Child is born whose name will be called "Mighty God" (Isaiah 9:6)—the same title used of the LORD in Isaiah 10:21.
  • One like the Son of Man receives a kingdom that all peoples will serve (Daniel 7:13-14).

None of these alone is a proof; together they show the Hebrew Scriptures already speak of God in ways that one simple formula can't contain.

Is It Idolatry?:
Idolatry is worshipping something created in place of the Creator. Christians do not believe a man became God; they believe the eternal God took on human nature. Jewish authorities themselves have disagreed about Christian worship: Maimonides counted it as idolatry, while some later medieval authorities (the Tosafists, and more fully Rabbi Menachem Meiri) judged Gentile Christians more leniently. That debate is worth knowing—it shows the question is not as simple as it sounds.

Bring It Back to the Person:
The real question is who Yeshua is. Isaiah 53 and Daniel 9:26 show a Messiah who suffers and is cut off; Isaiah 9 and Daniel 7 show a Messiah who is more than a man. Invite your friend to read the Tanakh passages first, then one Gospel.

✝️ Scripture anchors (NKJV)

Deuteronomy 6:4
“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!”
Mark 12:29
“Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is: 'Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one.'"”
Isaiah 9:6
“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Daniel 7:13-14
“I was watching in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him.”

🔁 If they push back…

The comeback you are most likely to hear next — and a reply that keeps the conversation moving toward Jesus.

They say“Isaiah 9:6 is a name, not a description—like many Hebrew names that contain God's name. It is about King Hezekiah.”
You can sayIt's true that Hebrew names often include God's name, so the argument needs more than the name. But read the next verse: "Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David... forever" (Isaiah 9:7). Hezekiah's reign ended, and so did his peace. And "Mighty God" is used of the LORD Himself in the very next chapter (Isaiah 10:21).
They say“The Torah says, "God is not a man" (Numbers 23:19). A man can't be God.”
You can sayThat verse says, "God is not a man, that He should lie"—it's about God never breaking His word, unlike people. It doesn't say God cannot take on human nature. The God who appeared to Abraham in the form of a man (Genesis 18) and let the elders see Him on Sinai is free to come near. The question is whether He did in Yeshua.
They say“God said, "Let Us make man" because He was speaking to the angels, or it's a royal plural.”
You can sayThose are fair readings, and I won't hang the Trinity on that one verse. But notice that verse 27 says "God created man in His own image"—angels didn't create us or share God's image. I'd rather look at the whole picture: the Angel of the LORD, Isaiah 9 and Daniel 7. Would you read Daniel 7 with me?
🕊️ Pentecostal key — the Spirit on the streetThe Trinity is not only defended but experienced: we come to the Father through the Messiah by the Spirit. Share how God became personal to you. Suggest a humble, honest prayer they can pray privately: "God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, if Yeshua is Your Messiah, show me." Ask permission before praying with them, and make no promises about how or when God will answer.