Religion Assignment – The Holy Trinity and Monotheism’s Relation to John and The Needed Understanding of The Hebrew Scriptures. The Gospel of John shows a theological reflection within the New Testament. Among the several themes explored within the Gospel, the relationship between Monotheism and the Trinity shows a great deal of importance. Having a deep understanding of the Hebrew Scriptures is vital in understanding Monotheism and the Trinity in the Gospel of John. The Hebrew Scriptures affirm the belief in one God, which is a foundation for both the Christian and Jewish faith. John writes his Gospel assuming his audience would have already had some sense and understanding of the Hebrew Scriptures. Having known the Scriptures state a belief …show more content…
The Hebrew Scriptures conveys the message of belief in one God. Furthermore, the traditional Jewish prayer that originates from Deuteronomy, The Shema, states “Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.” (Deuteronomy 6:4). This statement has a frequent number of re-occurrences throughout the Hebrew Scriptures, which serves as a foundation of the Jewish faith. John writes to an audience with knowledge of the Hebrew Scriptures as they would have an understanding of Monotheism as the Gospel states and identifies Jesus to be God. This declaration requires the audience of John to have an in-depth understanding of Monotheism. As it states in John’s Gospel, many people refer to Jesus as God as he is said to be divine. A person who refers to Jesus as God is Thomas as he goes on to say, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28), directly to Jesus. Another way in which the Gospel of John reflects the theme of monotheism is through the Exodus narrative. The Exodus narrative is a significant part of the Hebrew Scriptures, which portrays God as a liberator of Israel. In the Gospel of John, Jesus is seen as the liberator of Israel as he says, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36). Which sets Jesus as the liberator of Israel. This declaration made by John through the reference of the Exodus …show more content…
For instance, in John 10:38, Jesus says “The Father is in me, and I am in the Father.” (John 10:38). This shows the connection between God and Jesus that cannot easily be understood without a deeper understanding and a sense of the Hebrew Scriptures. Furthermore, in John 15:26 it talks about the Holy Spirit “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me.” (John 15:26). This passage talks about and shows the difference between God and the Holy Spirit, once again highlighting it as a different entity from God but also a part of God. These verses show a key importance in being familiar with the Hebrew Scriptures to clear any confusion on the