From the outset let’s first agree that the phrase trinity is not a biblical phrase but a theological phrase. The Muslim objection most commonly is noted that the word trinity is not found in the Bible and therefore is a fabrication by the Apostle Paul should be put to rest.
The word “Trinity” is a theological phrase that is implied in understanding the complete Biblical narrative. Secondly it is beyond human comprehension to understand the doctrine of the trinity in mere analogy and human attempts of explanation because we cannot fully comprehend the personality of God. If we were to know all there is to know and understand about God, god would then be smaller than our minds. Both Muslims and Christian agree that God is far larger than our understanding and thus the only reference we have is what has been revealed to us by God. (Isaiah 55:8-9, Job 3:26)
Part of the acceptance of God’s truth and revelation lies in our own submission to God. Ultimately we accept it to be true, not because we can make sense of God, but because God says it is so and has revealed to be. (Mathew 16:13-19) In that respect, if we have found him to be trustworthy in every degree, we have no reason to doubt him.
From a Muslim point of view the Quran is clear that our god (Allah) and your God (Yahweh) are one. However in truth Muslims do not accept this passage as the word of Allah as the Quran out right contradicts the teachings of Yahweh found in the Bible. Thus without critical analysis and the desire to retain their identity Islam assumes by default the Quran is correct and therefore the Bible is false. But fail to recognise by not accepting this they are if fact shred the Quran (15:91) in unbelief of their own Holy Text.
The typical default argument by Muslims that the Bible is corrupted and fabricated by the early Christian Church are unfounded and no proof is ever offered from our Muslim friends. (This is clearly seen by the failure of the member Muslim on this site avoidance to answer 10 questioned posed in a thread on this site - Islam - Ten facts Muslims cannot deny and Ten question Muslims cannot Answer!) The reason been simply they cannot.
Thus there only defense is to knit pick at the Bible, in an attempt to prove it wrong and thus in doing so prove the Quran to be trustworthy. This logic is what I call the half breed logic as you have only proved half the case, what if under the same set of rules one examines the other side of the equation and find it too is false.
A typical verse used and often claimed by Muslims to be the only biblical reference to the trinity is, 1 John 5:7-8, for there are three that testify: the Spirit, the water, and the blood and these three are in agreement.
The Christian community has identified this passage as an interpolation and older translation read, for there are three that testify [in heaven, the Father, the Word and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one, and there are three that testify on earth] the Spirit, the water, and the blood and these three are in agreement.
For those of you who like the detail and a fuller understanding of this please visit The Textual Problem in 1 John 5:7-8 .
But the Muslim hope that this passage is the only reference to the Trinity is unfounded. Having agreed that as humans we can never fully understand God. Firstly the Bible is clear there is and can ever only be one God. We see this in Deuteronomy 6:4 “The Lord our God, the Lord is one, and Ephesians 4:5 one Lord, one Faith and one testament. So how do Christian arrive at the three in one God known in theological terms the trinity? let us explore what has be revealed to us from God in the theological picture of the trinity.
In understanding the full Biblical narrative we find the concept of the trinity was progressively reveal in the Old Testament. In the creation story Genesis 1:2 we find the Holt Spirt hovering over the water, later in verse 26 we read let US make man. Genesis 3:22 the man has now become like one of US. Genesis 11:7 let US go down and confuse there language.
Going a step deeper and looking at the respective titles use in the Hebrew for God in these passages we find the use of Elohim and Yahweh. Strong’s concordance references both these are the plural with a combined occurrence of 8,818 time in the Bible. The singular for of God in Hebrew is El, Elah, or Eloah used in total only 358 times. The question arising in the mind of any alert Bible reader is why is god speaking of Himself in an overwhelming majority of the cases in the plural form? Yes our Muslim friends are quick out of the gates with it is the royal We, but is futile as this is forging to the Hebrew language.
So back to the Jewish confession of faith in Deuteronomy 6:4 “The Lord our God, the Lord in one” In Hebrew would read “Yahweh Eluhenu Yahweh echad” directly translated would read - “The Lord our Gods, the Lord in one” in essence meaning a unity. Echad is always used by Hebrew writers meant to refer to a unity or oneness. An example of this is found in Genesis 2:24 for this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one (echad) flesh.… Ezra 2:64 is another example when referring to the congregation of Israelite assembled.
A final example of the trinity in the Old Testament is Isaiah 63:7-10
I shall make mention of the loving kindnesses of the LORD, the praises of the LORD, According to all that the LORD has granted us, And the great goodness toward the house of Israel, Which He has granted them according to His compassion And according to the abundance of His loving kindnesses. For He said, “Surely, they are My people, Sons who will not deal falsely." So He became their Saviour. In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the angel of His presence saved them; In His love and in His mercy He redeemed them, And He lifted them and carried them all the days of old. But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit;
Passages like this are often over looked by the superficial reader and when one takes a close look what to we find? The Son in Jesus as the Savior and the Holy Spirit. The Lord became Jesus to help the Jews in their distress and He saved and redeemed them. But they rebelled and grieved the Holy Spirit.
In the beginning of Jesus Christ ministry we find the Trinity in the Holy Spirit descending like a dove and lighting on Him and God the Father saying “This is my Son, who I love: with Him I am well pleased. Mathew 3:16-17. If ever one was looking for a confirmation of the Trinity in my option this must be it, as God breaks into the universe to dwell with His creation as the Son, Jesus Christ the long awaited Messiah, the Father verbally confirms Jesus with the Helper and Comforter the Holy Spirit.
Please note in this passage the phrase “WHO I LOVE”. With reference to “God is Love” (1 John 4:8) true love manifest as an outward expression of giving. Simply put you do not but tour self a bunch of flowers because you love your wife! - you buy them follower as the outward expression of your love.
Love reaches out to another person rather than centring wholly in oneself. So if God is perfectly loving by His very nature, He must be giving Himself in love to another. But who is that other? It cannot be any created person, since creation is a result of God’s free will, not a result of His nature.
In addition created persons have not always existed. But God is eternally loving. So again created persons alone are insufficient to account for God's being perfectly loving. It therefore follows that for God to be perfectly loving it this perfect love must be internal to God Himself. In other words, God is not a single, isolated person, as Islam holds; rather God is a plurality of persons, as the Christian doctrine and theology of the Trinity holds.
At the close of Jesus Christ ministry we have confirmation of the foundation of the new covenant in the progressive revelation of the Trinity in the command of go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit. (Mathew 28:19). Please note Jesus command is not it the NAMES (Plural), but in the NAME of = singular. Clearly indication ONE GOD who has revealed Himself as the Father, The Son and the Holy Spirit. Thus been the three person of the unity one finds in the One True God of Love found in the Bible.
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. (2 Corinthians 13:14)
For my Muslim friends I would like to add – this post is not intended to strip you of your faith. But comes from a heart of assisting you to understanding our faith belief – on a topic that few people do not fully grasp. Thus I ask you, as a seeker of truth to bow your head and ask the One True God of the Universe for guidance and understanding, to open your heart to the truth, to give you a revelation, a dream of confirmation and a vision of truth. Re read my post and reply.
Remember the warning in 2 Thessalonians 2:9-11
The coming of the lawless one will be accompanied by the working of Satan, with every kind of power, sign, and false wonder, and with every wicked deception directed against those who are perishing, because they refused the love of the truth that would have saved them. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie.
The word “Trinity” is a theological phrase that is implied in understanding the complete Biblical narrative. Secondly it is beyond human comprehension to understand the doctrine of the trinity in mere analogy and human attempts of explanation because we cannot fully comprehend the personality of God. If we were to know all there is to know and understand about God, god would then be smaller than our minds. Both Muslims and Christian agree that God is far larger than our understanding and thus the only reference we have is what has been revealed to us by God. (Isaiah 55:8-9, Job 3:26)
Part of the acceptance of God’s truth and revelation lies in our own submission to God. Ultimately we accept it to be true, not because we can make sense of God, but because God says it is so and has revealed to be. (Mathew 16:13-19) In that respect, if we have found him to be trustworthy in every degree, we have no reason to doubt him.
From a Muslim point of view the Quran is clear that our god (Allah) and your God (Yahweh) are one. However in truth Muslims do not accept this passage as the word of Allah as the Quran out right contradicts the teachings of Yahweh found in the Bible. Thus without critical analysis and the desire to retain their identity Islam assumes by default the Quran is correct and therefore the Bible is false. But fail to recognise by not accepting this they are if fact shred the Quran (15:91) in unbelief of their own Holy Text.
The typical default argument by Muslims that the Bible is corrupted and fabricated by the early Christian Church are unfounded and no proof is ever offered from our Muslim friends. (This is clearly seen by the failure of the member Muslim on this site avoidance to answer 10 questioned posed in a thread on this site - Islam - Ten facts Muslims cannot deny and Ten question Muslims cannot Answer!) The reason been simply they cannot.
Thus there only defense is to knit pick at the Bible, in an attempt to prove it wrong and thus in doing so prove the Quran to be trustworthy. This logic is what I call the half breed logic as you have only proved half the case, what if under the same set of rules one examines the other side of the equation and find it too is false.
A typical verse used and often claimed by Muslims to be the only biblical reference to the trinity is, 1 John 5:7-8, for there are three that testify: the Spirit, the water, and the blood and these three are in agreement.
The Christian community has identified this passage as an interpolation and older translation read, for there are three that testify [in heaven, the Father, the Word and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one, and there are three that testify on earth] the Spirit, the water, and the blood and these three are in agreement.
For those of you who like the detail and a fuller understanding of this please visit The Textual Problem in 1 John 5:7-8 .
But the Muslim hope that this passage is the only reference to the Trinity is unfounded. Having agreed that as humans we can never fully understand God. Firstly the Bible is clear there is and can ever only be one God. We see this in Deuteronomy 6:4 “The Lord our God, the Lord is one, and Ephesians 4:5 one Lord, one Faith and one testament. So how do Christian arrive at the three in one God known in theological terms the trinity? let us explore what has be revealed to us from God in the theological picture of the trinity.
In understanding the full Biblical narrative we find the concept of the trinity was progressively reveal in the Old Testament. In the creation story Genesis 1:2 we find the Holt Spirt hovering over the water, later in verse 26 we read let US make man. Genesis 3:22 the man has now become like one of US. Genesis 11:7 let US go down and confuse there language.
Going a step deeper and looking at the respective titles use in the Hebrew for God in these passages we find the use of Elohim and Yahweh. Strong’s concordance references both these are the plural with a combined occurrence of 8,818 time in the Bible. The singular for of God in Hebrew is El, Elah, or Eloah used in total only 358 times. The question arising in the mind of any alert Bible reader is why is god speaking of Himself in an overwhelming majority of the cases in the plural form? Yes our Muslim friends are quick out of the gates with it is the royal We, but is futile as this is forging to the Hebrew language.
So back to the Jewish confession of faith in Deuteronomy 6:4 “The Lord our God, the Lord in one” In Hebrew would read “Yahweh Eluhenu Yahweh echad” directly translated would read - “The Lord our Gods, the Lord in one” in essence meaning a unity. Echad is always used by Hebrew writers meant to refer to a unity or oneness. An example of this is found in Genesis 2:24 for this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one (echad) flesh.… Ezra 2:64 is another example when referring to the congregation of Israelite assembled.
A final example of the trinity in the Old Testament is Isaiah 63:7-10
I shall make mention of the loving kindnesses of the LORD, the praises of the LORD, According to all that the LORD has granted us, And the great goodness toward the house of Israel, Which He has granted them according to His compassion And according to the abundance of His loving kindnesses. For He said, “Surely, they are My people, Sons who will not deal falsely." So He became their Saviour. In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the angel of His presence saved them; In His love and in His mercy He redeemed them, And He lifted them and carried them all the days of old. But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit;
Passages like this are often over looked by the superficial reader and when one takes a close look what to we find? The Son in Jesus as the Savior and the Holy Spirit. The Lord became Jesus to help the Jews in their distress and He saved and redeemed them. But they rebelled and grieved the Holy Spirit.
In the beginning of Jesus Christ ministry we find the Trinity in the Holy Spirit descending like a dove and lighting on Him and God the Father saying “This is my Son, who I love: with Him I am well pleased. Mathew 3:16-17. If ever one was looking for a confirmation of the Trinity in my option this must be it, as God breaks into the universe to dwell with His creation as the Son, Jesus Christ the long awaited Messiah, the Father verbally confirms Jesus with the Helper and Comforter the Holy Spirit.
Please note in this passage the phrase “WHO I LOVE”. With reference to “God is Love” (1 John 4:8) true love manifest as an outward expression of giving. Simply put you do not but tour self a bunch of flowers because you love your wife! - you buy them follower as the outward expression of your love.
Love reaches out to another person rather than centring wholly in oneself. So if God is perfectly loving by His very nature, He must be giving Himself in love to another. But who is that other? It cannot be any created person, since creation is a result of God’s free will, not a result of His nature.
In addition created persons have not always existed. But God is eternally loving. So again created persons alone are insufficient to account for God's being perfectly loving. It therefore follows that for God to be perfectly loving it this perfect love must be internal to God Himself. In other words, God is not a single, isolated person, as Islam holds; rather God is a plurality of persons, as the Christian doctrine and theology of the Trinity holds.
At the close of Jesus Christ ministry we have confirmation of the foundation of the new covenant in the progressive revelation of the Trinity in the command of go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit. (Mathew 28:19). Please note Jesus command is not it the NAMES (Plural), but in the NAME of = singular. Clearly indication ONE GOD who has revealed Himself as the Father, The Son and the Holy Spirit. Thus been the three person of the unity one finds in the One True God of Love found in the Bible.
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. (2 Corinthians 13:14)
For my Muslim friends I would like to add – this post is not intended to strip you of your faith. But comes from a heart of assisting you to understanding our faith belief – on a topic that few people do not fully grasp. Thus I ask you, as a seeker of truth to bow your head and ask the One True God of the Universe for guidance and understanding, to open your heart to the truth, to give you a revelation, a dream of confirmation and a vision of truth. Re read my post and reply.
Remember the warning in 2 Thessalonians 2:9-11
The coming of the lawless one will be accompanied by the working of Satan, with every kind of power, sign, and false wonder, and with every wicked deception directed against those who are perishing, because they refused the love of the truth that would have saved them. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie.