The following "Question" was asked by a member of the congregation at Grace Community Church in Panorama City, California, and "Answered" by their pastor, John MacArthur Jr. It was transcribed from the tape, GC 70-12, titled "Questions and Answers--Part 40."  A copy of the tape can be obtained by writing, Word of Grace, P.O. Box 4000, Panorama City, CA 91412 or by dialing toll free 1-800-55-GRACE. Copyright 2001 by John MacArthur Jr., All Rights Reserved.

Question

In a recent conversation with a coworker who’s an orthodox Jewess, she and I were discussing theology and we were fine on the Old Testament to a point, and then she turned around and said, “Christians are polytheistic.” I had never thought of this as being polytheistic and I didn’t know how to answer her.

Answer

Well, the reason they say we’re polytheistic is because we teach the Trinity. See, that’s simply saying if you believe God is God and Jesus is God, then you’ve got two gods. That’s what they’re saying.

Question (continued)

But how do you answer her and prove to her from the Old Testament that Christians are not polytheistic because she won’t acknowledge the New Testament?

Answer (continued)

Yeah, well, all you want to do is prove the Trinity from the Old Testament. Go to the bookstore; there’s a marvelous little book that--I hope it’s still in there--a little paperback book on the Trinity in the Bible. It’ll give you all the verses, all the verses. You can go through the Old Testament and show the Trinity there. The first place to start would be in Genesis. “And God said”--what?--“Let us”--who’s that? And then you start and you show the Trinity through the whole Old Testament.

Question (continued)

Is this a widespread notion?

Answer (continued)

Among Jewish people, sure. That’s one of the accusations against Christianity, is that we’re polytheistic because we have God and we say Christ is God and [therefore] we have two gods. You see, the one most fundamental, foundational truth about Judaism is the belief in one God. See, that’s what set them apart. That’s the “shama.” That’s Deuteronomy 6, “The Lord our God is one.” And that’s what they wrapped on the phylacteries on their arm, that’s what they wrapped on the phylacteries on their head, that’s what they put on the mezuzah of the wall of their house--Deuteronomy 6 was everything. Why? Because they were a monotheistic people in a polytheistic world. And God called them out of the other nations with their many gods and He said to them, “The Lord our God is one… Teach this to your children. Talk about it when you stand up, sit down, lie down, and walk in the way,” and that is the monogram of traditional Judaism.

So, they look at Christianity and one of the major points of rejection is to say, “See, they have more than one God,” and they try to make a case for that. But that case doesn’t hold water. Even in the Old Testament. Ask them how to explain the Psalms where it says, “The Lord said unto my Lord”--that’s a Trinitarian conversation. There are a number of texts that will help you with that.

Added to Bible Bulletin Board's "MacArthur’s Questions and Answers" by:

Tony Capoccia
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