Source: Crispin Fletcher-Louis, Jesus Monotheism: Christological Origins: The Emerging Consensus and Beyond, vol. 1 (Eugene, OR: Whymanity Publishing, 2019), 3–30.
2. The_Secret_Math_of_Jesus_s_Divinity.m4a
This topic critically examines objections to the "emerging consensus" regarding earliest Christian beliefs, particularly the claim of "Christological monotheism," where Jesus Christ is included within the divine identity of the one God. The author primarily rebuts arguments from scholars like Adela Yarbro Collins and James McGrath, who propose alternative interpretations of key Pauline texts like 1 Corinthians 8:6 and Philippians 2. A significant portion of the argument provides fresh support for the consensus by analyzing the numerical theology of the 1 Corinthians 8:6 confession, suggesting its structure of 13 + 13 = 26 words subtly encodes the numerical values for "one" in Hebrew and the divine name YHWH, confirming Jesus' inclusion within the one God. Ultimately, the author maintains that this high Christology and genuine worship of Christ were foundational to the earliest Christian movement, likely originating in the bilingual community in Jerusalem.
Contrary to common assumptions, the earliest followers of Jesus held beliefs about him that were immediately radical and sophisticated. We often imagine the first days of Christianity as a simple movement that only developed complex theology over centuries of councils and debates. Yet some of the most familiar passages in ancient texts contain a sophisticated theological blueprint that challenges this view.
A single verse, tucked away in a letter written just a couple of decades after the crucifixion, acts as a key to this early, explosive theological claim. That verse is 1 Corinthians 8:6. This article will explore three profound takeaways from this passage, revealing a foundational redefinition of God’s identity and the intricate numerical architecture designed to express it.
For millennia, the absolute cornerstone of Jewish monotheism has been a single, non-negotiable prayer: the Shema. Taken from Deuteronomy 6:4, its daily declaration—"Hear O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one"—affirmed the indivisible unity of the one God. It was the bedrock of Jewish faith.
The Apostle Paul, a former Pharisee, did not simply add Jesus alongside this foundational confession. Instead, he did something far more theologically audacious: he re-engineered the Shema to place Jesus directly inside the divine identity.
For evidence, look no further than his letter to the church in Corinth. Here, he quotes what scholars believe was an already well-known early Christian confession: