Friday, May 1, 2009

The Trinity

Christians believe in Trinity, Muslims reject this doctrine completely because they think that it is polytheism (shirk). However, polytheism is faith in more than one God while Christians are monotheists (believe that there is only one God). Actually, the doctrine of the Trinity does not contradict biblical monotheism.

Even though the doctrine of Trinity is biblical, there is no Bible verse that clearly teaches about Trinity. This doctrine is based on several verses and the logical conclusions from them.

In several Bible verses, it is said that God is one, for example:
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. (Deuteronomy 6:4, New International Version)

The Bible also says that there are the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit:
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:19)

The Father, the Son, and the Spirit exist at the same time:
16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him.
17 And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." (Matthew 3:16-17)

Then, the Bible say that the Father is God:
Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval. (John 6:27)

1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God's elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia,
2 who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance. (1 Peter 1:1-2)

The Bible says that the Son (Christ) is God:
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was with God in the beginning.
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1-2, 14)

Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! (Romans 9:5)

The Bible also says that the Holy Spirit is God:
3 Then Peter said, "Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land?
4 Didn't it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God." (Acts 5:3-4)

So, the Bible says that there is one God and also that the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. It also says that the Father, the Son, and the Spirit exist at the same time. The doctrine of Trinity is the logical conclusion made from all these statements.

The Athanasian Creed contains a very detailed description of the Trinity:
Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic faith [the term "catholic" in its usage is not a reference to the Roman Catholic Church, but is a reference to the universal (catholic) faith since that is how the term was originally used]. Which faith except everyone do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly. And the catholic faith is this: That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity, neither confounding the persons, nor dividing the substance.

For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Spirit. But the godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, is all one, the glory equal, the majesty co-eternal.

Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Spirit. The Father uncreated, the Son uncreated, and the Holy Spirit uncreated. The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible, and the Holy Spirit incomprehensible.

The Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Spirit eternal. And yet they are not three eternals, but one Eternal.

As also there are not three incomprehensibles, nor three uncreated, but one Uncreated, and one Incomprehensible. So likewise the Father is Almighty, the Son Almighty, and the Holy Spirit Almighty. And yet they are not three almighties, but one Almighty.

So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. And yet they are not three gods, but one God.

So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Spirit Lord. And yet not three lords, but one Lord.

For as we are compelled by the Christian verity to acknowledge each Person by Himself to be both God and Lord, so we are also forbidden by the catholic religion to say that there are three gods or three lords.

The Father is made of none, neither created, nor begotten. The Son is of the Father alone, not made, nor created, but begotten. The Holy Spirit is of the Father, neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding.

So there is one Father, not three fathers; one Son, not three sons; one Holy Spirit, not three holy spirits.

And in the Trinity none is before or after another; none is greater or less than another, but all three Persons are co-eternal together and co-equal. So that in all things, as is aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped.

He therefore that will be saved must think thus of the Trinity.

Qur'an completely denies Trinity. However, Qur'anic concept of Trinity is different from the Christian concept:
73 They do blaspheme who say: Allah is one of three in a Trinity: for there is no god except One Allah. If they desist not from their word (of blasphemy), verily a grievous penalty will befall the blasphemers among them.
116 And behold! Allah will say: "O Jesus the son of Mary! Didst thou say unto men, worship me and my mother as gods in derogation of Allah'?" He will say: "Glory to Thee! never could I say what I had no right (to say). Had I said such a thing, thou wouldst indeed have known it. Thou knowest what is in my heart, Thou I know not what is in Thine. For Thou knowest in full all that is hidden. (5:73, 116, Yusufali's translation)

According to Qur'an, Trinity is Jesus, Mary, and Allah. It is true that the Roman Catholic Church and oriental Orthodox churches have some tendency to deify Mary. However, they do not consider her as goddess and do not include her into the Trinity. In principle, it is possible that some Christians who lived in Arabia at the time of Muhammad did that. However, this is not was the orthodox Christian doctrine of the Trinity is. According to the orthodox Christian teaching, the Trinity is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and this is one God. Actually, Qur'anic version of the Trinity as three gods - Jesus, Mary, and Allah - is polytheism (shirk). According to the Bible, Mary is not a goddess. She is a human being.

Also, Qur'anic version of the Trinity does not include the Holy Spirit. It is because in Qur'an the holy spirit is one of the names of angel Jibril (Jabrail) - biblical Gabriel.

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