1) How the Trinity Developed into a Christian Doctrine
"How can you say,' We are wise, and the law of the Lord is with us? But, behold, the false pen of the scribes has made it into a lie." (The Bible; Jeremiah 8:8)
It is an established fact that man was created a rational being, hence, he possesses the capacity for reasoning which must aid him in seeking the truth. Therefore, as an individual, he is expected to reason out things objectively in all his words and actions to reach his goal. Furthermore, he is complimented with the freedom of choice to enable him to adjust to a civilized society. Men of principle should not only uphold the TRUTH, even a bitter truth but also are ready to defend that truth under any circumstance up to the extent of sacrificing their own lives.
According to Bamber Gascoigne, in his book "The Christians", for the first fifty years of what we call the Christian Era, not one word survives in any document about Christ or his followers. In the Bible, we find the names of the twelve disciples appointed by Jesus (PBUH) in Luke 6:14-16 and Mark 3:17). While the names of Mathew and John are included, the names of Mark, Luke, and Paul are not mentioned.
One wonders at the number of versions of the Bible in circulation today. Despite profound variations, discrepancies, and inconsistencies among them, they all claim to be the original Word of God, boasting the reference to 2nd Timothy 3:1 in the Bible "All scripture is inspired by God". The contents of these Bibles are not scriptures, but only stories, accounts, events, and traditions. Plus, some versions of the Bible contain more books than others. Just to illustrate, the Orthodox Version contains 86 books, the Charismatic Version 76 books, the Roman Catholic Version 73 books, and the Protestant Version 66 books. The Awake Publication of Jehovah's Witnesses stated in September 1951: "The Bible has 50,000 errors!"
Nothing is more offensive to the Christians than to cast doubt about the doctrine of the Trinity, the fountainhead of their faith. Close to a billion people around the world continue to believe and practice it, The Trinity is so deep-rooted among the Christians that seldom could one consider the implications of the 'three-in-one God'. The Trinity doctrine declares: "The Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God, and together, not exclusively, they form one God. The Trinity is co-eternal, without beginning or end, and co-equal".
Jesus (PBUH) is considered by the Trinitarians as having two natures: human and divine. He is believed to be the Son of God and full God as being the second person of the Godhead of the Trinity doctrine. A report in the Daily News of the UK under the caption reported that more than half of England's Anglican Bishops agree that 'Christians are not obliged to believe that Jesus Christ was God. The poll conducted of 31 of England's 39 Bishops, deny Jesus' Divinity and Resurrection, thus rendering two of the most fundamental Christian doctrines completely void. This account was also backed by the Reverend Professor David Jenkins (the fourth highest-ranking Bishop in the Church of England).
The Trinity doctrine is not divinely inspired, but a man-made dogma coined by the Christians during the last quarter of the 4th century. Persecution of the Christians and the suppression of the early Church under the Roman Emperors which began in the first century ended with the coming into power of Constantine at the Milvie Bridge in 312 CE. Consequently, through conversion to Christianity, special favors were offered to the people in the form of political, military, and social gains.
In fact, it was the outcome of the Council of Constantinople in 381 C.E. which agreed to place the Holy Spirit in the same stature as God and Jesus Christ. This was seconded by the Roman Catholic Church, the Athanasian Creed, and the Orthodox Definition of the Christian Trinity. It was in 325 CE during the reign of Emperor Constantine when the Nicaea Council endorsed the Son as co-equal to God. 218 bishops signed this creed, though it was actually the work of a minority. For the sake of additional reference, the proceedings of the Council of Nicaea have been thoroughly documented in The Encyclopaedia Britannica.
2) Factors that Influenced the Trinity Doctrine
In the Bible, we find the names of the twelve disciples appointed by Jesus (PBUH) in Luke 6:14-16 and Mark 3:17). While the names of Mathew and John are included, the names of Mark, Luke, and Paul are not mentioned.
Throughout the ancient world, as far back as Babylonia, the worship of pagan gods grouped in triplets was common. Having elaborated on this argument extensively in the previous blog, this practice was also prevalent before, during, and after Christ in Egypt, Greece, and Rome. After the death of the apostles, such pagan beliefs began to invade Christianity. Historian Will Durant observed: "Christianity did not destroy paganism; it adopted it...From Egypt came the ideas of a divine trinity"
In Alexandria, Egypt's churchmen of the late third and fourth centuries, such as Athanasius, reflected this influence as they formulated ideas that led to the Trinity. Siegfried Morenz considers 'Alexandrian theology as the intermediary between the Egyptian religious heritage and Christianity'. The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopaedia of Religious Knowledge shows the influence of this Greek philosophy: "The doctrines of the Logos and the Trinity received their shape from Greek Fathers who were much influenced, directly or indirectly by the Platonic philosophy.......That errors and corruption crept into the church from this source cannot be denied."
Furthermore, The Church of the First Three Centuries says: "The doctrine of the Trinity was of gradual and comparatively late formation;, it had its origin in a source entirely foreign from that of the Jewish and Christian scriptures;....it grew up and was grafted in Christianity, through the hands of the Platonizing Fathers."
3) Justification of the Trinity by the Trinitarians
The following are some of the statements given by heads of the Churches, eminent Christian Theologians, and known writers who came boldly to defend it with temerity:
· Catholic Scholars Karl Rahner and Herbet Vorgimfer stated in their theological dictionary:” The Trinity is a mystery in the strict sense which could not be known without revelation, and even after revelation cannot become wholly intelligible.”
· The Catholic Encyclopedia asserts: “A dogma so mysterious presupposes a Divine revelation.”
· Monsignor Eugene Clark opined “God is one, and God is three. Since there is nothing like this in creation, we cannot understand it, but only accept it.”
· Cardinal John O’Connor said, “We know that it is a very profound mystery, which we don’t begin to understand.”
· “The inscrutable mystery of God the Trinity” (Pope John Paul the Second)
4) The Trinity Doctrine was not taught by the early Christians.
The apostolic fathers and those of the succeeding generations up to the last quarter of the 4th century C.E. never contemplated a triune God. They believed in one Omnificent, Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Transcendental Creator who alone is to be worshipped.
The doctrine of the Trinity was coined by Christians about three hundred years after Jesus. The four Canonical Gospels, written between 70 and 115 C.E. contain no reference to the Trinity. Even St. Paul, who imported many foreign ideas into Christianity, knew nothing of the Triune God. The New Catholic Encyclopaedia (bearing the Nhil Obstat and Imprimatur, indicating official approval) admits that the doctrine of the Trinity was unknown to the early Christians and that it was formulated in the last quarter of the 4th century.
The Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics states: "At first the Christian faith was not Trinitarian. It was not so in the apostolic and sub-apostolic ages, as reflected in the New Testament and other early Christian writings."
5) Does the Bible teach the Trinity Doctrine?
While the Bible is preached and believed as the Word of God, it does not contain the celebrated doctrine of the Trinity. No one of the messengers of God spoke any veiled statement to that effect nor is there any reference either in the Old or New Testaments of the Bible confirming such doctrine. In fact, Jesus (PBUH) says "The Lord, our God, the Lord is one" (Mark 12:29, The Bible)
According to St. Paul "Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs which God did through him in your midst as you yourselves know." (Acts 2:22). Based on these verses should one bother over a doctrine full of confusion when Christian scholars of the highest eminence are unable to interpret or explain it intelligibly? Therefore, the doctrine cannot be regarded as divinely breathed. The Bible says: "For God is not a God of confusion but of peace." (1 Corinthians 14:33)
The Encyclopedia of Religion admits: "Theologians today are in agreement that the Hebrew Bible does not contain a doctrine of the Trinity." It also states in regards to the Greek Scripture "Theologians agree that the New Testament also does not contain an explicit doctrine of the Trinity". The New Catholic Encyclopaedia adds "The doctrine of the Holy Trinity is not taught in the Old Testament."
Historian Arthur Weigall notes: "Jesus Christ never mentioned such a phenomenon, and nowhere in the New Testament does the word 'Trinity' appear. The idea was only adopted by the Church three hundred years after the death of our Lord."
Jesus (PBUH) has rightly prophesied this kind of problem: "These people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men." (Matthew 15:8-9, The Bible). This issue is also discussed in Titus 1:16 of the Bible "They profess to know God, but they deny him by their deeds; they are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good deed."
In the midst of this dilemma, great minds among the Christians exhausted all known logic to lend credibility to the doctrine of the Trinity but failed miserably and subsequently declared it to be a mystery. However, the worship of Almighty God cannot be compromised. He wants man to worship Him alone according to His Divine Guidance. Being Himself just, it follows that His Justice demands that His Message must be clear and simple in form, and its teachings as a whole, must be devoid of any flaw, superstition, and confusion. It must be an absolute truth that can withstand the challenge of any kind of knowledge, including human discoveries in the field of Science. This discussion on the Trinity Doctrine will be carried on in the upcoming blog. Till then, keep rocking and stay blessed. Assalamalaikum!
Well connected script.