analyzing trinity PT. 3. Finale

Salam readers!
Let’s get into the finale of analyzing trinity, this time from a scriptural angle.
What is trinity?
The doctrine of the trinity states that there is 1 god that exists in 3 distinct persons, said persons being the father, son, and holy spirit. These persons are co-equal, co-eternal, co-substancial, and independent.
In this article we will set out to prove the following 2 things.
1. The doctrine of the trinity, as defined above, is neither explicitly nor can be rightly inferred from the Christian bible.
2. The christian bible explicitly teaches a message entirely contradictory to the doctrine of the trinity, as defined above.
With that out of the way, let’s get into it!
What to expect:
As christians and muslims believe in a God who is all just, quran 3:18, Dute. 32:4, it would not be illogical by any stretch to assume that God would reveal who he is, clearly and without ambiguity. This is what we should expect from the Christian scriptures, if they are truely god breathed, 2 timothy 3. 15-16. We do not expect for God to outright say, I am 1 god who exists in 3 persons, in those exact words. However, we can at least, expect for the doctrine of the trinity to be taught explicitly, or at least be logically, and rightly, inferred from other passages.
What does the old testament say?
Before we examine what the old testament says about the trinity, its important to ask ourselves, as we read the list of passages, who is actually speaking? Christians believe in the father, the son, and the holy spirit, but who is speaking in these passages? If all of them, as a collective, are speaking, why aren’t the plural pronouns used in this case? Why do they all collectively refer to themselves as, I, rather than we? Therefore, we must assume that 1 person is speaking within these passages. This, however, becomes incredibly problematic when we examine the following old testament passages.
Dute. 32:39, Now see that I, even I, am He, And there is no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; Nor is there any who can deliver from My hand.
Isaiah 42:8, “I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another, or my praise to idols.
Isaiah 43:11, I, I am the Lord, and besides me there is no savior.
Isaiah 44:6-8, “This is what the Lord says—
    Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty:
I am the first and I am the last;
    apart from me there is no God.
7 
Who then is like me? Let him proclaim it.
    Let him declare and lay out before me
what has happened since I established my ancient people,
    and what is yet to come—
    yes, let them foretell what will come.
8 
Do not tremble, do not be afraid.
    Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago?
You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me?
    No, there is no other Rock; I know not one.”
Isaiah 44:24, “This is what the Lord says— your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb. I am the Lord, the Maker of all things, who stretches out the heavens, who spreads out the earth by myself.
Isaiah 45:3-6, I will give you hidden treasures,
    riches stored in secret places,
so that you may know that I am the Lord,
    the God of Israel, who summons you by name.
4 
For the sake of Jacob my servant,
    of Israel my chosen,
I summon you by name
    and bestow on you a title of honor,
    though you do not acknowledge me.
5 
I am the Lord, and there is no other;
    apart from me there is no God.
I will strengthen you,
    though you have not acknowledged me, that people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the LORD, and there is no other.
Isaiah 45:21, Declare and present your case; let them take counsel together! Who told this long ago? Who declared it of old? Was it not I, the Lord? And there is no other god besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides me.
Isaiah 46:9, Remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me.
1 kings 8:60, that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God; there is no other. Let your heart therefore be wholly true to the LORD our God, walking in his statutes and keeping his commandments.
Upon reading this compendium of passages, we must ask ourselves. How many times does God have to say that there is none other than him, before christians accept it? What more does he have to say before they finally realize they follow an unbiblical doctrine?
Some christians may argue, what trinitarian ever denies that God is 1? All of us believe that God is 1, and yet 3 persons, so how is this an issue for us? This in turn goes back to the problem of divine speech. In order for this not to be an issue, it has to be that the entire collective of the trinity is speaking at the same time and relaying the same message, that they are 1. However, this is not the case. Why isn’t the plural pronoun ever used? Why does Isaiah 44:24 say that God was by himself, when he clearly wasn’t, since there would be other persons with him? This has to mean that 1 person was speaking. And if 1 person is speaking, this means that he is establishing that he alone is God, and therefore the other persons of the trinity either don’t exist, or aren’t equal to him in the way that it is defined according to the doctrine.
OT trinity?
Many christians point to certain unambiguous passages in an attempt to give some biblical credibility to the doctrine. We will respond to 2 common ones. However, before we begin, notice the clear differences between the clear, unambiguous, unequivocal passages that prove that there is only, and absolutely, 1 God, versus the unclear, vague, ambiguous passages quoted to prove the doctrine of the trinity.
Gen. 1:26 proves trinity?
Christians, in their ignorance, attempt to quote genesis 1:26 as proof for the trinity. It states.
Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
The argument revolves around the idea that God stated, let us, make man in our image. They use this passage to prove there must be some sort of plurality of God. However, there are several problems with this interpretation of genesis. The first being its unambiguity. if we grant christians that their interpretation is correct, all it proves is that God is speaking to others with regards to his creation. It does not prove that the people he is speaking to are in any way equal with him, in any way possess the same attributes as he does, or who these persons are.
Jewish commentator Rashi perfectly sums it up when he says:
WE WILL MAKE MAN — Although they did not assist Him in forming him (the man) and although this use of the plural may give the heretics an occasion to rebel (i. e. to argue in favour of their own views), yet the verse does not refrain from teaching proper conduct and the virtue of humbleness, namely, that the greater should consult, and take permission from the smaller; for had it been written, “I shall make man”, we could not, then, have learned that He spoke to His judicial council but to Himself. And as a refutation of the heretics it is written immediately after this verse “And he created the man”, and it is not written “and they created”.
Divine name. Ilohim?
In another futile attempt to establish the doctrine of the trinity from the old testament, Christians will point to the divine name of God, Ilohim, as proof of the trinity. They will state that the name Ilohim, is plural, because of the plural suffix, im. However, there is a glairing problem with their interpretation. The divine name, Ilohim, was also given to Moses in the following passage. Does this mean that Moses is a plurality, or part of the trinity?
Exitus 7:1, Then the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet.
There are other passages trinitarians often point to to establish the case for such a doctrine, but none stand up to scrutiny when questioned by both jews and muslims. There will be more articles on trinity in the old testament analyzing every passage brought up in the future, so be sure to follow the blog so you can stay updated!
What does the new testament say?
Switching our focus to the new testament, its important to understand what Christians believe Jesus was during his earthly ministry. They believe that Jesus had 2 natures, 1 fully divine, and 1 fully human. They believe he was 100 percent God, and 100 percent man, at the same time. Despite how illogical this is, let’s grant the Christians this idea for once. Let’s examine what Jesus said about himself, and about God, the true God, in heaven. Let’s first examine how Jesus taught his followers to pray.
Matthew 6:
9 “This, then, is how you should pray:
“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10 
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
11 
Give us today our daily bread.
12 
And forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Upon listening to this passage, trinitarians are quick to point out that this does not pose an issue for their doctrine. However, if Jesus wanted to convey a clear, concise message to his people, why didn’t he tell them, pray in the name of the father, son, and holy spirit? This would leave absolutely 0 up for interpretation. Father, son, and holy spirit are being prayed to here, but the Christians can establish that Jesus worshipped 1 God. Bingo! Trinity right there! So let’s ask ourselves, why didn’t Jesus do this? If he had, he would have left nothing, absolutely nothing, up for interpretation. He could have established the case for trinitarianism clearly and unambiguously, but instead, he chose to focus on 1 particular person, the father.
Let’s see what Jesus himself says about the father.
Mark 13:32, “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
John 7:16, So Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me.
John 12:49, For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak.
John 17:3, Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
John 20:16-17, Jesus said to her, “Mary.”
She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).
Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
Based on these clear passages, what can we deduce about the father?
1. The father alone knows the day and hour, the son does not.
2. The son does not speak on his own authority, but rather speaks the words of the father.
3. The father tells the son what to say, and he says it.
4. The father is the only true God.
5. The father is both the God of Jesus, and Marry. Is the God of Marry triune? if so, this means that the God of Jesus is also triune which would make absolutely 0 sense.
Christians, let’s ask ourselves, sincerely. Why would Jesus refer to the father as the only true God, if he is also God along with him? Why would Jesus say he knows not the hour, when he is supposed to be omniscient? And what authority, does it even befit God to even glance at? God is the supreme authority, how can God say he speaks not of his own authority? Who else has anywhere near the same amount of authority as God does?
Because of these passages, we can clearly see Jesus did not teach any form of trinitarianism, despite having many opportunities to do so.
NT trinity?
Christians often quote several passages to prove the trinity in the new testament. We will respond to 2 common ones.
Matthew 28. Trinitarian formula?
During Christian and muslim discourse, 1 question is always asked. Where is the trinity found in the bible? In response, Christians most commonly point to the following passage, Matthew 28:19.
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.
Christians will argue that Jesus himself taught the trinity by teaching his disciples a trinitarian formula, telling them to baptize in the name of the father, the son, and the holy spirit.
There is 1 glairing problem with this verse, and that problem will soon become apparent when we read how Christ’s disciples actually baptized others.
Acts 2:37-38, 37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.
Acts 8:12, But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
Acts 10:48, So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.
Acts 19:5, On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Do you see what the problem is? I’m sure you do. The very disciples of Jesus, who sat with him, talked with him, ate with him, are not following Jesus’s clear teaching to baptize in the name of the father, son, and holy spirit. This means that there are only 2 possible conclusions. The first is that the disciples were disobeying Jesus’s commands, therefore putting a jiant hole in their credibility as true disciples of Jesus, or that Jesus never said these words. We urge Christians to pick your poison!
Romans 10. Christ is lord?
Christians, in another attempt to prove their doctrine, quote the following passage from romans 10.
9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
However, the assertion that the title Lord, automatically implies diety, is simply ridiculous on its face.
The Greek word used, kurios, is a masculine term of respect and nobility, and is used plenty of times in the new testament apart from a divine title. Here are some examples.
The Greek word is used in Matthew 20:8, mark 13:35, Matthew 10:24, 1 Peter 3:6, Matthew 21:30, and Matthew 27:63, never is it used within these passages to prove divinity. Let’s look at another problem with this flawed interpretation.
Another problem is that it undermines an explicit fact taught within acts, that God has made Jesus lord. Acts 2:36 states, Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” If lord was used as a divine term, then it would be heretical to any trinitarian to believe that God was the one who elevated Jesus and gave him the title of lord.
What does the quran say:
We have come to the conclusion that the trinity is nowhere taught in the Christian bible, but rather, the idea of only 1 God. Now let’s look at some verses from the quran which clearly, unambiguously, unequivocally, teach our clear doctrine.
Quran 112, 1. Say, “He is Allah, the One.
2. Allah, the Absolute.
3. He begets not, nor was He begotten.
4. And there is none comparable to Him.”
Quran 2:255, Allah! There is no god except He, the Living, the Everlasting. Neither slumber overtakes Him, nor sleep. To Him belongs everything in the heavens and everything on earth. Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His permission? He knows what is before them, and what is behind them; and they cannot grasp any of His knowledge, except as He wills. His Throne extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation does not burden Him. He is the Most High, the Great.
Quran 43:82-85, 82 Glory be to the Lord
of the heavens and the earth,
Lord of the throne—far above
what they ascribe to Him.
83 So leave them to gossip
and frolic—until they encounter
their promised day.
84 He is God in heaven
and God on earth,
He is Wise, All Knowing.
85 Blessed is He who has dominion
over the heavens and the earth
and all that lies between them;
He alone has knowledge of the hour,
and to Him you shall be returned.
We can tell that the quran clearly, unambiguously states true monotheism, from which we muslims clearly extrapolate our doctrine.
Notice the difference. Trinitarian Christians believe in a doctrine which is not at all supported, taught, or even encouraged within their scriptures, where as we muslims believe in a doctrine that is supported and clearly taught in ours.
Series End:
Now that we’ve come to the end of the series analyzing trinity, we must ask, what have we learned? What have we deduced about the trinity? Firstly, we have deduced that the trinity in and of itself goes against our God-given logic and rationality. We have established that the trinity is illogical, nonsensical and it is impossible for any young child, or unlearned person, to accept this doctrine as truth. Islam’s concept of God is easy for all to understand. Children have an inate disposition to believe in a single, unipersonal figure who created nature, the sky, the mountains, the earth, and all that is in it. We have deduced that the trinity is philosophically problematic. No Christian can give a reason for why God must be a trinity. Why can’t he be 5? or 6? or 333333333? Why specifically 3 in 1? There is yet to be an answer to the question. However, on the other hand, the concept of God in islam creates 0 philosophical problems. Islam, alone, answers the question of why God must be the way he is. Quran 21:22, If there were other gods beyond the One God, in both [the heavens and the earth], both would be in ruin. Glory be to God, Lord of the Throne, far above all that they ascribe to Him.
And lastly, we learned that the trinity is nowhere explicitly taught, nor can it be inferred from the biblical text. However, as muslims, we have no doubt in our mind what the quran states. We don’t need to play build-a-god, infering from a passage here then putting the peaces with another passage over there. It is clear that the quran states Allah is the only God over the heavens, and the only God over the earth. That he is absolutely 1, and there is none, absolutely none, in any way comparable to the 1 God, Allah.