Debunking The Trinity Doctrine-Part Two

6) Rejection Of The Trinity Doctrine By Modern Christians

Several Christian Apologists refuse to toe the line of the established dogma of the Churches. The latest and most prominent of them is the new Bishop of Durham, Bishop David Jenkins, Professor of Theology and Religious Studies, who stated openly that some of the events in Jesus's mission were not strictly true but were added to the story of Jesus by the early Christians to express their faith in him as a Messiah. Jesus Christ was not literally with God in the beginning; neither does he have all the assets of God.

Professor John Hick says "What the orthodoxy developed as the two natures of Jesus, divine and human coinhering in the one historical Jesus Christ remains a form of words without assignable meaning. For to say, without explanation, that the historical Jesus of Nazareth was also God is as devoid of meaning as to say that this circle drawn with a pencil on paper is also a square."

In his book 'Jesus Christ is not God', Paul Wierwille says "I am saying that Jesus Christ is not God, but the Son of God. They are not co-eternal, without beginning or end, and co-equal".

7) Teachings of the Prophets of God

Strangely, none of the prophets before or after Jesus (PBUH) taught the doctrine of The Trinity. Instead, they proclaimed the Oneness of God. God alone is Transcendent. He is the Almighty Creator of everything seen and unseen, and has no sharer, partner, associate, family, offspring, or helper in the Godhead. He alone is the Cherisher and the Sustainer of the entire creation. The following constitute the teachings of the Prophets of God:

· Prophet Moses (PBUH) says: “Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods because he delivered the people from under the hands of the Egyptians” (Exodus 18:11, The Bible)

· “Take heed to yourselves, lest you forget the covenant of the Lord, your God, which he made with you, and make a graven image in the form of anything which the Lord your God has forbidden you. For the Lord, your God is a devouring fire, a jealous God.” (Deuteronomy 4:23; The Bible)

· “The Lord, our God, is one Lord” (Mark 12:29; The Bible)

· “There is none holy like the Lord, there is none beside thee; there is no rock like our God.” (1 Samuel 2:2, The Bible)

· Prophet David (PBUH) says: “Let them know that thou alone, whose name is the LORD, art the Most High over all the earth.” (Psalms 83:18; The Bible)

· Prophet Solomon (PBUH) says: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” (Proverbs 9:10; The Bible)

· Prophet Solomon (PBUH) said: “Fear God and keep His Commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13, The Bible)

· Prophet Isaiah (PBUH) says: “The Lord is the Everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth” (Isaiah 40:28, The Bible)

· Prophet Jesus (PBUH) says: “And this is eternal life, that they know Thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom Thou has sent”. (John 17:3, The Bible). Interestingly, Jesus (PBUH) draws a line between God and himself. To achieve eternal life is to acknowledge the true God and the fact that Jesus (PBUH) was sent only as a messenger of God.

· St. Paul was not aware of the existence of the Trinity. He says: “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.” (Acts 2:22, The Bible)

· “He who dies knowing that there is no god but Allah, enters Paradise.” (Al-Bukhari-Sayings of Prophet Muhammad [PBUH])

· “Say ye: We believe in Allah, and the revelation was given to us, and to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and that given to Moses and Jesus, and that given to (all) Prophets from their Lord: we make no difference between one and another of them: and we submit to Allah.” (Al-Baqarah 2:136, The Quran)

8) Testimony of the Bible about God

It is clear now that God alone is the Supreme, the Ruler, the Infallible, and the Transcendent. Jesus (PBUH) is a finite being, suffers from wants, and is subject to God's Will. The following passages from the Bible project the true nature of God and Jesus (PBUH)

· “Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17, The Bible)

· “I am the Lord, your God.” (Exodus 20:2, The Bible)

· “Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves molten gods. I am the Lord, your God.” (Leviticus 19:3-4, The Bible)

· “God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man that he should repent.” (Numbers 23:19, The Bible)

· “To you it was shown that you might know that the Lord is God; there is no other besides him”. (Deuteronomy 4:35, The Bible)

· “For thou art great and does wonderous things, thou alone art God.” (Psalms 86:10, The Bible)

· “I am the first and I am the last; besides me, there is no god.” (Isaiah 44:6, The Bible)

· “I am He; I am the first, and I am the last. My hand laid the foundation of the Earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens.” (Isaiah 48:12, The Bible)

· “Thus says the Lord: Heaven is my throne and the Earth is my footstool,” (Isaiah 66:1, The Bible)

All these statements clearly indicate Jesus's subordination to God. The teachings of the Old and the New Testaments are essentially monotheistic and the latter is not a swing from One to Triune God. God's statements are simple, clear, and free from contradiction and confusion. No image can be more adequate of God than Himself. He, being transcendent, cannot be portrayed by man except by what He revealed of Himself as his Divine Attributes conveyed through prophets.

9) Testimony of the Bible about Jesus (PBUH)

The birth of Jesus (PBUH) was foretold: "In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David and the virgin's name was Mary." (Luke 1:26-27, The Bible). Here, God did not step down to become flesh as claimed by the churches, instead, he sent his angel Gabriel to inform Mary about God's Plan. Jesus (PBUH) was immaculately conceived in the womb of Mary by God's power. Hence, it negates the doctrine of God incarnate and thus renders the claim baseless.

Angel Gabriel informed Mary: "And behold you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus." (Luke 1:31, The Bible). So who were the members of the Trinity before the birth of Jesus (PBUH)? There has only been One True God in the beginning, who lives forever. Secondly, when Jesus (PBUH) was a fetus, was the Almighty God also infused? Did all three of them grow up as one fetus in Mary's womb? If so, why did she deliver Jesus alone? How childish and how nauseous to think of Jesus (PBUH) united in body with God? God, who has no beginning and no end created the heavens and the earth, and everything in between them millions of years ago, much before the advent of human civilization. Many generations have passed away before the birth of Jesus (PBUH)

"And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus." (Luke 2:21,

The Bible) What blasphemy against God! If Jesus (PBUH) is the true God, do you believe that he needs to be circumcised? It is mentioned that Jesus (PBUH) fasted: "And he fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterward he was hungry." (Matthew 4:2, The Bible). Fasting is one way of atoning for one's sin and showing obedience and subservience to a superior. God is devoid of wants, is neither subservient to anyone nor needs to fast to atone for his sins.

"And the child grew up and became strong, filled with wisdom and the favor of God was upon him." (Luke 2:40, The Bible). At first, this 'god' Jesus was not knowledgeable when young but acquired wisdom when he reached adolescence. True God's wisdom neither increases nor decreases nor is He subject to time and space because He is perfect and absolute. Furthermore, Jesus prayed "The Lord's Prayer" (Luke 11:2-4, the Bible). Does one pray to one's own soul? Certainly not! Hence, this distinguishes the true God from Prophet Jesus (PBUH). In addition, Jesus' will is separate from that of God's Will, which indicates that they are not one and co-equal.

"And going a little further, he fell on his face and prayed, 'Father if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt." (Matthew 26:29 and Mark 14:35-36, The Bible). To whom did Jesus (PBUH) address this prayer? Was it to himself being a part of the Godhead? Definitely not! In fact, Jesus (PBUH) always prayed to God for help even when he raised Lazarus to life. (John 11:41-43, The Bible). Jesus (PBUH) had always been thankful to God which indicates his total helplessness and subservience to God.

"In the morning, as he was returning to the city, he was hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the wayside he went to it, and found nothing on it but leaves only." (Matthew 21:18-19, The Bible) It is not possible for a god to feel hungry while being simultaneously ignorant of the seasons of tree-bearing fruit.

St. Paul says: "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." (Acts 2:2, The Bible) Here, it is clear what Paul meant by the words "attested to by God"-is "anointed by God" or "chosen by God"-as "Prophet".

10) What Jesus (PBUH) Says About God and Himself

"The Lord, our God, The Lord is one" (Mark 12:29, The Bible). Here, Jesus (PBUH) affirms the oneness of God. He also says: "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone." (Mark 10:18, The Bible) Jesus (PBUH) asserts that no one is good except God, thus distinguishing God from him.

"But he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 7:21, The Bible). It is clear that God was in heaven and Jesus (PBUH) was on earth. Therefore, how could they be united in one body? How is it possible for all members of the Trinity to be full God when each of them constitutes only 1/3 of the Godhead?

"But of that day and that hour knoweth to me, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father." (Matthew 24:36 and Mark 13:32, The Bible). Jesus (PBUH) admits that his knowledge is restricted unlike God, who is All-knowing. Also, judgment belongs to God alone who keeps all secrets for himself.

"My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46, The Bible). Such words "My God" only come from someone who is in distress. And if Jesus (PBUH) was God, then by whom he was deserted? Was it by himself? It's ridiculous. God doesn't need to commit himself to another God.

"I can do nothing on my own authority: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not my own will, but the will of him who sent me." (John 5:30, The Bible). Here, Jesus (PBUH) acknowledges his dependence on God. He makes it abundantly clear that he lacks divine power and was merely a Messenger fulfilling the mission entrusted to him by the Most Merciful, which is further observed in John 8: 40 of the Bible "But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God."

Furthermore, Jesus (PBUH) says: "I am ascending to my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God." (John 23:17, The Bible). This verse puts an end to the Trinity and incarnation doctrines! It shows Jesus's relationship with God is like any other human being praying and seeking help from him. All of the above verses point out Jesus' (PBUH) inferiority, weakness, and dependence on God's favor.

11) What The Holy Quran Says about God

The Quran is the last and final Revelation of Almighty Allah (God). His words and the words of his Prophets symbolize the Truth. Allah is the originator of the heavens and the earth, whose power and knowledge are limitless. He is the Exalted and the Provider for all creations. Therefore, men should not get deceived by false illusions that there can be other Gods than the Supreme Ruler. Let us reflect on the following Quranic verses:

· “O ye people! Worship your Guardian Lord, who created you and those who came before you that ye may become righteous. Who has made the earth your couch and the heavens your canopy; and sent down the rain from the heavens; and brought forth therewith fruits for your sustenance; then set not up rivals unto Allah when ye know the truth.” (Al-Baqarah 2:21-22, The Quran)

· “The Originator of the heavens and the Earth: when He decreeth a matter, He saith to it: “Be,” and it is. (Al Baqarah 2:117, The Quran)

· “It is Allah that gives life and death, and Allah sees well all that ye do.” (Al-Imran 3:156, The Quran)

· “Do they indeed ascribe to Allah as partners things that can create nothing, but are themselves created? No aid can they give them, nor can they aid themselves!” (Al-Araf 7:191-192, The Quran)

· “To Allah belong all things in heaven and earth: verily Allah is He that is free of all wants, worthy of all praise.” (Luqman 31:26, The Quran)

· “Of him seeks (its need) every creature in the heavens and on earth: every day in (new) Splendor doth he shine!” (Ar-Rahman 55:29, The Quran)

In conclusion, philosophy tells us that no being from whom another bing can come out and exist as a separate individual and become equal and a partner can be regarded as perfect. To attribute a son to God is to deny the perfection of God. Elevating Jesus to God's stature amounts to grievous blasphemy against the one true God while separating Jesus from Godhead does not discredit Jesus but only places him in his noblest position as a great prophet and messenger of God.

Stay tuned for the next blog that features additional arguments refuting the Trinity doctrine while featuring the Quranic account of Jesus (PBUH) and Mary Magdalene. Till then, keep rocking and stay blessed. Assalamalaikum!