The Trinity and Islamic Objections [Sermon]

Outline

1.0 The Christian God – Trinity

2.0 The Muslim God – Tawhid

3.0 Muslim Objections

https://youtu.be/uP2rJY8um0c

1.0 The Christian God – Trinity

The Father is God (e.g., John 6:27)

Jesus is God (e.g., John 20:28; Rom. 9:5; 2 Peter 1:1)

The Holy Spirit is God (e.g., Acts 5:3–5)

These three are distinct persons (e.g., John 14:16–17)

Matthew 28:19 ESV

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Philippians 2:10 - so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ESV

Isaiah 45:23 ‘To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.’ ESV

2.0 The Muslim God – Tawhid

He Is Unapproachable

Quran 42.51: “It is not for any human being that Allah should speak to him except by revelation, or from behind a partition, or that He sends a messenger to reveal, by His permission, what He wills.

He Is Not Seeking a Relationship with Humans

99 Names of Allah

al-Wali

al-Wadud

Creature-Creator, Not Parent-Child

112.3.

He has never had offspring, nor was He born.

Al-Ma'idah 5:18

The Jews and the Christians each say, “We are the children of Allah and His most beloved!” Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “Why then does He punish you for your sins? No! You are only humans like others of His Own making.

Qaf 50.16.

Indeed, ˹it is˺ We ˹Who˺ created humankind and ˹fully˺ know what their souls whisper to them, and We are closer to them than ˹their˺ jugular vein.

Problems with the Tawhid

2.1 The Tawhid and the Attributes

Allah relating to Creation (Attributes of Allah)

2.2 The Tawhid and the Quran

i) The Quran was Created

a. How could an eternal text talk about historical details.

Example, events in Muhammad’s life - like the Battle of Badr (chapters 3, 8)

b. The Quran itself claims to be made.

Az-Zukhruf 43:3

Certainly, We have made it a Quran in Arabic so perhaps you will understand.

ii) Quran Is Eternal

iii) Unity Of Being

2.3 Trinitarian Concept in Quran?

Eternal Word

Quran is eternal according to Sunni

The Eternal Spirit

Marium 19:17–19

So she took a veil (to screen herself) from them; then We sent to her Our spirit, and there appeared to her a well-made man.

She said: Surely I fly for refuge from you to the Beneficent God, if you are one guarding (against evil).

He said: I am only a messenger of your Lord: That I will give you a pure boy.

3.0 Muslim Objections

OBJECTION 1: Polytheism

An-Nisa 4:171:

O People of the Book! Do not go to extremes regarding your faith; say nothing about Allah except the truth. The Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, was no more than a messenger of Allah and the fulfilment of His Word through Mary and a spirit ˹created by a command˺ from Him. So believe in Allah and His messengers and do not say, “Trinity.” Stop!—for your own good. Allah is only One God. Glory be to Him! He is far above having a son!

Denies the deity of Jesus and the trinity (so it seems)

Al-Ma'idah 5:73

Those who say, “Allah is one in a Trinity,” have certainly fallen into disbelief. There is only One God. If they do not stop saying this, those who disbelieve among them will be afflicted with a painful punishment.

Al-Ma'idah 5:116

And ˹on Judgment Day˺ Allah will say, “O Jesus, son of Mary! Did you ever ask the people to worship you and your mother as gods besides Allah?” …

Response

The Trinity is one God, not three gods; distinctions are of person, not essence.

One God = One person – Islam

Many Gods = Many persons – Polytheism (Hinduism)

One God = Three persons – Christianity

OBJECTION 2: Isn’t this a self-contradiction?

Response:

There is a difference between being and person.

A human being has only one person

God has three persons. He is one being, Yahweh in three persons: the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit.

OBJECTION 3: This Does Not Make Logical Sense

Response:

We will never fully understand the concept of God if he is infinite. A finite mind should not understand an infinite concept fully.

Therefore, we cannot reject something about infinity because it does not make logical sense.

OBJECTION 4: The Bible Does Not Have The Word Trinity In It

Response:

The Quran does not have the word Tawhid in it

OBJECTION 5: Is the Trinity in the OT?

Gen 1:1 – Elohim is plural

Gen 1:26 – us.

Gen 1:27 – God made us in his image, and he created “them”, likely showing plurality

Gen 19:24: Yahweh is both on earth and in the heavens

Amos 4:11 God in the third person

Is 48:12-16. All three persons mentioned.