'If thou wert in doubt as to what We have revealed unto thee, then ask those who have been reading the Book from before thee....' (Surah 10, Yunus, verse 94)
THE TRINITY EXPLAINED TO MUSLIMS
A. Abraham
******************************************************
1. INTRODUCTION
A. Clarifying
misunderstandings
2. EXPLORING TRUE
CONCEPT OF TRINITY
A. Biblical facts as
basis for Trinity
B. Doctrine of Trinity
explained
C. Illustrations
D. Trinity answers difficult
questions about God
E. Doctrine of Trinity
held by early Christians
3. WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES
TRINITY MAKE
A. Trinity teaches that
relationships are most important
B. Trinity makes
personal relationship with God possible
C. Trinity makes personal
relationship with people possible
D. Trinity teaches that
diversity is necessary
E. Trinity teaches that
mission originates naturally from it
F. Trinity teaches about
unity of life
G. Trinity teaches that
a passionate life is possible
4. CONCLUSION
******************************************************
1. INTRODUCTION
The main stream of
Christianity throughout all the world believes in one
God, the Holy Trinity. It is indeed a mystery, as God Himself is. Many
attributes of Him are accepted by both Muslims and Christians, yet are simply
not fully comprehensible to the human mind. We all accept that God has no
beginning, yet do we understand this? The common question asked by children,
'If God made everything, who made God?' is just as puzzling to adults. Muslims
and Christians believe that God is independent of space and time, yet how on
earth can we satisfactorily explain how this might be? How is it that God can
be nearer to us than our most secret thought, yet be this for the billions of
other people on earth just as much simultaneously? These confusing facts apply
also to all people in history and the times to come. 'Impossible!' the sceptic
cries out, yet true. Then why should it be such a problem if there is some
aspect of God's essential nature (his Trinitarian existence) which is difficult
for us to grasp? Someone said, 'if you can understand it then be sure it is not God.' Both, the Bible and the Quran speak
about God anthropomorphically (human terms are used to describe him). Orthodox
Muslims do not explain the 'how'. Similarly, it is a fact that God's word was
revealed in a book, but how the infinite can be expressed in the finite is not
clarified. Let us now set the basic framework for our study. The Bible
categorically pronounces that there is only one God!
Jesus: 'Hear, O
The Quran too testifies
that Jews and Christians, the people of the Book, believe in one God. Surah 29,
Ankabut, verse 46:
'And dispute ye not with
the People of the Book, except with means better (than mere disputation),
unless it be with those of them who inflict wrong (and injury); But say, 'We
believe in the Revelation which has come down to us and in that which came down
to you; Our God and your God is One; and it is to Him we bow (in
Islam).'
A. CLARIFYING
MISUNDERSTANDINGS
The blasphemous idea of
Christians worshipping three gods comes from a wrong understanding of the
Trinity. In the fifth century AD there was a Christian cult called Maryanya
which spread the false belief that Jesus and his mother Mary would be two
separate gods besides God. The Quran was right to speak out against such
impiety. Surah 5 Ma'idah, verse 116:
'And behold! Allah will
say: 'O Jesus, the son of Mary, didst thou say unto men, 'Worship me and my
mother as gods in derogation of Allah?' He will say: 'Glory to Thee! Never
could I say what I had no right (to say). Had I said such a thing, Thou wouldst
indeed have known it. Thou knowest what is in my heart, though I know not what
is in Thine. For Thou knowest in full all that is hidden.'
To say, as the minority
cult of the Maryanyas did, that Mary was the mother of God through whom He
produced a physical son, and both were to be taken as separate gods besides
God, is absurd! This ludicrous and heathen concept of the Trinity is completely
condemned by both Islam and Christianity! The Quran rejects it in clear terms
in Surah 4, Al Nisa, verse 171. The triads of gods
worshipped by pagans are always three separate gods, not one God. In addition
to this big difference to the Biblical concept of Trinity, non-Christian
Trinitarian beliefs are mostly three gods at the top of a list of many other
gods. The Trinity has also been misunderstood to mean that God is three persons
and only one person at the same time and in the same sense. Neither are there
three substances in one substance.
2. EXPLORING THE TRUE
CONCEPT OF TRINITY
A. Biblical facts as
basis for Trinity
While the word 'Trinity'
does not appear in the Bible the concept of it is quiet clearly taught
throughout its pages. Similarly, the Muslim Creed,
known as 'Kalimah' does not occur in the Quran. The whole sentence is put
together from two different Surahs. Muslims call Allah 'El Adl', meaning 'the
Just', 'El Wajid', meaning 'The Inventor or Maker', 'Edh Dhur', meaning 'The
Harmful', etc. based on the list of the 99 names of God. However these words
are nowhere found in the Quran but Muslims still accept these attributes as
belonging to God. (see 'The Muslim doctrine of God',
by S.M. Zwemer, American tract Society, 1905, pages 39-45) Let us now examine
the verses in the Bible upon which the teaching of the Trinity is built.
'Hear, O
Firstly we need to look at
the definition of the word 'one'. 'The idea is not, Jehovah (later translated
as 'LORD') our God is one (the only) God, but 'one Jehovah'...(it) simply
states that it is to Him alone that the name Jehovah rightfully belongs, that
He is the one absolute God, to whom no other Elohim can be compared. This
is also the meaning of the same expression in Zechariah 14: 9, 'Jehovah will be
king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Jehovah, and His name
one' where the words added 'and His name one,' can only signify that in the
future Jehovah would be acknowledged as the one absolute God, as King over all
the earth' (Keil-Delitsch Commentary)
'The word used for 'one' is
the ordinary Hebrew numeral. God is all on his own. He
has no 'relations'. As far as his Godhead is concerned he is alone, unique.... Some
passages use plural forms for God. One form of the name for God, Elohim, is
itself plural. This is remarkable in view of the Old Testament emphasis on the
unity of God. It cannot be explained as a plural of 'majesty'; this was
entirely unknown to the Hebrews. It has been seen as on a level with the words
for 'water' and 'heaven', which both also happen to be in the plural in Hebrew.
Water can be thought of in individual raindrops or in terms of the mass of
water in the ocean. The plural in this case points to 'diversity in unity'. Some
believe that the same is true of the plural 'Elohim'. But there are also
passages where God speaks of himself in the plural. We find them in particular
in the first chapters of Genesis.
'God said, 'Let us
make man in our image, after our likeness...'
and,
'The Lord God said, 'Now
the man has become like one of us...'
But we find it also in
Isaiah's vision:
'And I heard the voice
of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send, and who
will go for us?' (Lion Bible, article on 'The Trinity in the Bible' by Klaas Runia)
The following verses teach
also that Jehovah, God the Holy Trinity is His own community built upon a
loving relationship as the essence of reality. It brings forth a perfect and
beautiful unity:
'In the beginning God ('elohim', plural, the Father) created ('bara'
singular verb) the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and
empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God
was hovering over the waters. And God said, (God the Son who is
known as His word in Joh 1:1 through whom he created all things according to
'Let there be light,' and there was light.' (Gen 1:1-3)
'...hear this: from the beginning I have not spoken in secret,
from the time it came to be I have been there. And now the Lord GOD has sent
me and his Spirit.' (Isa 48:16)
Ultimately, these verses
find their fulfilment in Jesus (Joh
'I will tell of the kindness of the LORD, the deeds for which he is to
be praised, according to all the LORD has done for us - yes, the many
good things he has done for the house of Israel, according to his compassion
and many kindness. He said, 'Surely they are my people, sons who will not be
false to me'; and so he became their Saviour. In all their distress he
too was distressed, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and
mercy he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.
Yet they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit. So he turned and became
their enemy and he himself fought against them.' (Isa 63:7-10)
There are a number of
verses in the New Testament that call Jesus and the Holy Spirit God, besides
God the Father. (Joh 8:58, compare with Exo 3:14; Act 5:3-4 etc.) In the
light of this truth the following verses are understood to be speaking about
the Trinity:
'And when Jesus was baptized, he went up immediately from the water, and
behold, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending
like a dove, and alighting on him; and lo, a voice from heaven, saying,
'This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.' (Mat 3:16-17)
'Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the
name (singular!)
of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,...'
(Mat 28:19)
'May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the
fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.' (2
Cor
'Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the elect who are sojourners of
the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to
the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit,
unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you
and peace be multiplied.' (1 Pet 1:1-2)
In Acts
B. Doctrine of Trinity
explained
The word 'Trinity' is
derived from the Latin 'trinitas,' being a combination of the words 'tri' for
'three' and 'unitas' for 'unity.' The Christians definition of Trinity based on
verses like the above is expressed in the Athenasian Creed:
'We worship one God in
Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; Neither confounding
(mixing up) the Persons; nor dividing the Substance (Essence)'
The word 'Person' is here
used in the sense of 'self with a particular function.' ('The Illustrated Bible
Dictionary' by F.F. Bruce, IVP Leicester, 1962, see 'person') It has to be
stated emphatically that Christians do not worship three gods but one God because
'...each member of the Godhead in some sense indwells the other, without
diminishing the full person hood of each. The essential unity of the
Godhead, then, is found both in their intrinsic equality of divine
characteristics and also in the intensely personal unity that comes from mutual
indwelling.' ('The self-giving triune God, the imago dei and the nature of the
local church: an ontology of mission', paper by J. Scott Horrell, Th.D,
professor of Systematic Theology at Dallas Theological Seminary)
Thus when God the Son died
at the cross, God did not cease to exist but was separated from himself regarding the relationship within the Trinity not
regarding his essence. To think that God gave up a perfect relationship for a
time shows how great his love towards us is!
'It is held that although
the doctrine is beyond the grasp of human reason, it is, like many of the
formulations of physical science, not contrary to reason, and may be
apprehended though it may not be comprehended by the human mind.' (See,
'Encyclopedia Americana', 'Trinity', by F.C. Grant, Danbury, Con.: Americana
Corp., 1980) The Trinity of God, like many other facts about him does not have
to be understood fully, but to be believed in. Faith, the simple childlike
trust that God is and acts as he revealed himself in the Bible, is sufficient
for salvation. Similarly, one does not have to understand how a Television set
works in order to enjoy a program about nature. A simple touch of the right
button will bring about the blessing.
The danger one faces when
confronted with extreme or complicated ideas, is, 'to throw the baby out with
the bath-water,' this means to reject everything about a matter, even the true
and the good. Here is what C.S. Lewis, professor of Medieval and Renaissance literature
at
C. Illustrations
When it comes to finding
illustrations for the Trinity, to explain that which can be apprehended but not
comprehended, one can easily fall into modalism. This is a false teaching
holding that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were three successive 'modes' in
which the one God manifested himself to bring salvation to the world. It would
mean that God the Father was made flesh, died, and rose from the dead. The
Biblical teaching, however, is that Jesus, God the Son
took on a human nature died and rose again from the dead. Jesus is a
person, in the sense of self with a particular function, distinct from the
Father and the Holy Spirit. The oneness is still maintained by stressing the
fact that Father, Son and Holy Spirit are of the same substance or essence. As
mentioned before each member of the Godhead is indwellt with the other which
further confirms God's oneness. Keeping this important difference in mind, the
following examples have to be viewed as applicable only in a limited way.
The last
illustration finds support in the Quran where Jesus is called 'a Word
from God'. Surah 3, Ali 'Imran, verse 45:
Behold! the
angels said: 'O Mary! Allah giveth thee glad tidings of a Word from Him;
his name will be Christ Jesus, the son of Mary, held in honour in this world
and the Hereafter and of (the company of) those nearest to Allah;...'
The English translation
uses the relative pronoun 'his' to render a masculine personal pronoun in the
Arabic language. Since 'Kalima' (Arabic for 'word') is in the feminine gender
it becomes clear that 'a word' does not just mean 'a word of language' but a
person! We also find this clarified in the sayings of one of the Muslim
scholars. ('Fusus al Hukm', Part II, pages 13,36, by
Al Shaikh Muhyi al Din al 'Arabi)
The Bible speaks about
the Holy Spirit being God:
'Then Peter said, 'Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your
heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit...You have not lied to
men but to God.' (Act 5:3,4)
In a similar way the
Quran (Surah 4, Al Nisa, verse 171) mentions Jesus as being a
Spirit proceeding from God! In other parts people are described as having
been strengthened with a spirit from God (Surah 58, Al Mujadilah, verse
22). At the creation Allah has breathed into man of His spirit (Surah
15, Al-Hijr, verse 29), but Jesus only IS the Spirit from Allah! This is
why Islamic tradition calls Jesus 'Ruhullah', that means 'Spirit of Allah'.
Neither the Spirit of Allah (the Thoughts) nor the Word (the mind expressed) of
Him can have been created since whatever proceeds from God Himself is part of
Him and must therefore have existed eternally. If God was without Mind at any
time He would not be God; or if he was without Thoughts at any time He would
cease to be the Almighty One which is impossible! Muslim theology confirms this
belief by stating that the Quran is uncreated and has existed in eternity
with God. There again we find plurality within unity, something that is
other then God but it is at the same time one with God.
D. Trinity answers
difficult questions about God
The concept of God being a
unique community within Himself stands in opposite to the Muslim concept of
Allah being one in the strict numerical sense of the word. This Muslim
understanding raises three questions:
i) 'How could Allah have
been self sufficient and loving before the creation of angels and of the
earth?' Since true
love is always giving and Allah according to Islam is a lone God, according to
logic there must have been a time where he was incomplete, where he could not
have had the attribute of love? However, according to both the Quran and the
Bible, God has always been and always will be perfect.
ii) 'Is Allah selfish?' Since love is described as having
'...no envy;...no high opinion of itself,....no pride;...no thought for
itself...(1 Cor 13: 4-5) some people like sceptic John Stuart Mill, Mark Twain
or Pablo Picasso have come to the conclusion that God is utterly selfish. They
say that by asking us to worship nobody else but God, he himself commits the
sin of seeking glory for himself only for which he condemns man. While many
Muslims would say that Allah, the creator can be selfish if he wants, Bible
believing Christians find the answer to this apparent
contradiction in the Trinitarian nature of God. He shares his glory among
himself.
iii) 'Is God limited?' Of course that can not be, but he
who thinks of God as an absolute unity where there is no room for multiplicity
at all, is forced to believe in a god who does not know himself. Self-knowledge
demands a distinction, a multiplicity, between knower and known. Self-consciousness,
the recognition of a creature by itself as a 'self' can only exist in contrast
with an 'other', a something which is not the self. Only a Trinitarian concept
of God allows for such a vital distinction.
E. Doctrine of Trinity
held by early Christians
Tertullian, an early
church father, used the word 'Trinity' the first time at the end of the 2nd
century after the birth of Christ (AD) The Church adopted it as an official
doctrine at the council of Nizea in 325 and in its final form at the council of
Constantinople in 381 to defend Christianity against false teachings. (See
also, 'The Illustrated Bible Dictionary' by F.F. Bruce, IVP Leicester, 1962,
'Trinity')
However, the content of the
Trinitarian doctrine has been believed in and taught about by Christian writers
living before the council of Nizea already. They do not always reflect
the general theological beliefs of common Christians of their day but
nevertheless give some indication regarding doctrinal issues. Statements in
support of the Trinity were made by:
Justin, martyred 165 AD: 'The Father of the Universe has a
Son; who also, being the first-begotten Word of God, is even God.' (see, Justin Martyr, First Apology 63, in The Ante-Nicene
Fathers: Translations of the Writings of the Fathers down to AD 325, ed. Alexander
Roberts and James Donaldson, rev.ed. A. Cleveland Coxe (Grand Rapids: William
B. Eedmans Publishing Co., 1969 reprint, 1:184; hereafter cited as ANF.)
'Christians worship God the
Father, the Son (who came forth from Him...), and the prophetic Spirit.' (Justin
Martyr, First Apology 6 in ANF, 1:164)
Irenaeus, 130-200 AD: 'The Church has its faith in one
God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all
things that are in them; and in one Christ Jesus, the Son of God, who became
incarnate for our salvation; and in the Holy Spirit, who proclaimed through the
prophets the dispensations of God...Christ Jesus, is our Lord and God and
Saviour, and King.' (Irenaeus, Against Heresies 1.10.1, in ANF, 1:330)
Clement of
3. WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES
TRINITY MAKE ?
At one stage in the growing
up process of my daughter she developed a new phrase that soon became her
favourite saying, thankfully only for a short time. When she was told to come
in for dinner after play she would often fearlessly proclaim, 'so what?' That
was her way of saying, 'what you are saying is irrelevant to me. I want to
continue playing outside.' She thought wrongly what we were asking her to do
did not have any practical influence on her situation. Once convinced of the
truth behind the Trinity many people still ask 'so what, this doctrine
has no practical consequences for my life.' As we shall see, the Bible
disagrees with such a hasty conclusion.
'So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he
created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to
them, 'Be fruitful and increase in number;' (Gen
As an interesting detail
the thought that all men originated from one kind was not known in the ancient
world. Greeks called themselves 'Autochons,' 'made from the earth of
The passage above declares
that only men and women are created in God's image, in his likeness. Contrary
to New Age and radical environmentalist belief animals, plants and inanimate
things are less valuable. That is why materialistic possessions, sadly so
important to many, are really one of the lowest forms of wealth. This is not to
deny that God created all things good but they do gain in value as they serve
what is above them in the right way. Precious minerals become even more
precious when being used as food for plants and raw materials for a multitude
of man's products. Plants increase their value as food for animals and humans. They
can also provide us with medicines, beauty, clothing and shelter. Animals too raise in the level of usefulness when they give humans
companionship, power and transportation. It comes as no surprise that human
beings reach their true value only when they serve God by taking care of his
creation. (For more details see, 'Discipling Nations' by Darrow L. Miller, YWAM
Publishing, 1999, page 89)
The literal meaning of
'image', 'to shade' shows that man is not the same as God but similar in
certain aspects, such as in his ability to think, feel and will. Even though
badly damaged through sin, these are our God given tools to love and relate
with him and each other.
Calvin, the French
Theologian an Reformer said: 'Do you want to know God,
get to know yourself. Do you want to know yourself, get to know God (because we
are made in his image).'
The word translated 'image'
was used in ancient times by kings of the
The Bible confirms this
profound truth when it says what God is in big we are in small::
'When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and
the stars, which you have set in place, :what is man
that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You
made him a little lower than the heavenly beings (or, than God) and crowned
him with glory and honour. You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you
put everything under his feet.' (Psa 8:3-6)
'Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in
the image of God has God made man.' (Gen 9:6)
The command above is so
radical because if we touch men, the image of God, in a sense we touch God! War
in its various forms would cease if that principle was understood. What I do
to my fellow beings I do to God in some ways. We either cultivate beauty or
do harm. We must learn to look beyond the depravity and see the beauty of men. We
are more glorious than a beautiful sunset. No matter what we do we therefore
are still worth loving, even the worst criminal.
'The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of
the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' (Mat 25:40)
Islam teaches to do good to our fellow beings in order to influence the scale of
good and bad deeds positively so that perhaps one can go to heaven, if Allah
wills. However, the real reason for treating them with dignity and importance
is to bring glory and honour to God. If man is created in God's image, similar
to him, what practical lessons can we learn from the doctrine of the Trinity? How
does it affect our daily lives?
A. Trinity teaches that
relationships are most important
A loving relationship
between God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit is at the heart
of the Trinity. The Father loves the Son (Mat
B. Trinity makes
personal relationship with God possible
Because sin is so severe
and separates the Holy One from unholy men, God the Father sent God the Son to
die for our sins on the cross. Without belief in the Trinity such a divine
rescue operation would have been impossible. If God was One
in the Muslim sense of the word who would have ruled the Universe during the
time he died for us? Nobody and that can not be since God rules for ever. He
who believes that Jesus died for his sin on the cross must believe in the
Trinity. It is impossible to believe in the one without the other. Only through
the work of Jesus on the cross men is enabled to stand in the presence of the
Holy God.
Andrei Roubliev, a Russian
artist, has painted a most interesting picture. It depicts God's visitation to
Abraham and Sarah in the form of three angels. (Gen 18:1-8) One sees three men
who are eating on a table. There is an empty space reserved for YOU! You are
invited to enjoy the fellowship of God the Holy Trinity! We have a hard time to
grasp such an incredible thought because when we think about God we stand in
awe about the fact that he is One, Almighty, Powerful, having all things under
his sovereign control. This is all true but it is only one side of the picture.
God reveals himself not only as the sovereign One but also as having an
intensive, passionate relationship within the Trinity. Through faith in
Jesus and his works God invites us into a relationship as his children, who
have the potential to become his grown up sons and daughters, his friends!
'And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the
heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might
show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in
Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this
not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no-one can
boast.' (Eph 2:6-9)
'His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness
through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through
these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through
them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption
in the world caused by evil desires.' (2 Pet 1:3)
'The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim
to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We
proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have
fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son,
Jesus Christ. (1 Joh 1:2-3)
Jesus: 'I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know
his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for
everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.' (Joh 15:15)
Good friends treat each
other as equals even though they may come from different backgrounds, have
different jobs, and may not belong to the same social class. In spite of the
differences their friendship unites them. Friends respect and listen to each
other. Everyone is invited to share their opinions, feelings and ideas freely
without having to fear they will be rejected as persons. Constructive criticism
is allowed. Someone said, 'a friend is one who knows you as you are,
understands where you have been, accepts who you have become, and still gently
invites you to grow.' As incredible as it may sound but if we have become
friends with God! Through faith in Jesus he offers us such a friendship! We are
invited to participate in it! God rejoices over us and our uniqueness. In
taking part in God's unity our being different from everyone else will honour
and glorify him. It is true, we have not deserved to be treated in such a way,
it is not our right but God offers his friendship as a privilege.
Of course, as friends of
the perfect God we will make mistakes here on earth. However, God is so great
that he can even turn around the bad and make it work for our good.
'And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love
him, who have been called according to his purpose.' (Rom
God's will can be compared
with a river. Within the river bed it will always find a way. Our sins and
selfishness are like debris, stones and mud. They can not stop the river for
ever. It will find a possibility to get around the awkward hindrances. As long
as we stay in the friendship with God he will finish the work he has started in
us. (Phi 1:6) Is that not good news indeed?
C. Trinity makes
personal relationship with people possible
Relationships are
absolutely vital for a healthy upbringing, in fact for our very survival as
human beings. Babies, orphaned during the second world war
died for a lack of attention. A small child who got lost in a French forest for
years started to act like an animal. Similarly, sin, selfishness, is the single
most devastating problem that mars relationships and cuts people off from each
other. It turns their existence into a kind of hell on earth. Since God the
Holy Trinity dealt with our rebellion against him, forgiveness is available
through faith in Jesus. Only they who are forgiven by God can truly forgive
others. Then God's ultimate goal for us becomes possible. In the
Westminster Catechism it is described as, 'The chief end of man is to glorify
God and to enjoy him forever.' This happens when we who are made in God's
image, reflect him by living in loving relationships with him and each other in
marriage, family, the church and the wider society. Whatever we do has to be a
reflection of God's community, the Holy Trinity. God's goal is to reproduce His
community:
'Jesus said: 'My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who
will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one,
Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so
that the world may believe that you have sent me. I
have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are
one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let
the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.' (Joh 17:20-23)
Dr J. Robert Clinton,
professor of leadership at Fuller Theological Seninary,
'For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust
suffering because he is conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you
receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing
good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were
called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example,
that you should follow in his steps.' (1 Pet
We must adopt this theology
of suffering. Like the Russian Christian we should be surprised if we do not
suffer! God allows suffering in our lives because he trusts us.
'And we, who with unveiled faces (we must take off our masks) all reflect
(as a result of being real and honest not of doing) the Lord's
glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory,
which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. Therefore, since through God's
mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.' (2 Cor
We are called to enter the
pain caused by living in a fallen community not to run from it. We are to stay
in the 'tunnel of chaos until we bump into God.' As we do this we will learn to
ask different questions about the same realities and we will be freed up to
move more in our giftedness. Community with one another is sitting in the pain
knowing that we can not fix it. By being loved in that way people are being
freed up to be changed by God. An important issue is not to build up trust
in each other only (Joh
D. Trinity teaches that
diversity is necessary
The tree Persons of the
Trinity have different roles but the same goal, namely to enable us to enter
into fellowship with God and to grow in that profound relationship. God the
Father is the One who sends, God the Son is the One who saves and God the Holy
Spirit is the One who lives in the Christian and helps him to grow spiritually.
What a tremendous example of diversity within unity, one for us to follow. To
do so we desperately need the help of God the Holy Spirit. Without him we are
more drawn to people that are like us in terms of where they come from, what
they do and who they are. Therefore, we are in danger of judging those who are
different from us, even though they may still be within biblical boundaries. Quickly
we are tempted to say, 'the way we do it is better.' Perhaps we should say, 'we
are doing this differently, not necessarily better or worse.' Young Christians
should not say 'the way we worship God with modern songs is better than how our
fathers did it.' Our style of worship is just different, that is all. Especially when Christians come together for worship and service of
God they are told to do so in diversity according to the giftedness of each.
(See 1 Cor 12)
The same principle, that
diversity contributes to the richness, the quality of our relationships, is
also applicable in the areas of marriage, family, friends, relatives
and at work. Developments where things are done differently but still to the
glory of God should make us rejoice. We ought to support not try to hinder
them out of fear. Oneness with the people we relate is important as long as we
make room for others to be different if they choose to do so. In the beginning
of life a child would like to be one and the same with his parents. At a later
stage it also wants to be different to live out its own God given uniqueness. If
someone experiences too much one and the sameness they feel uneasy and
suffocated. He who does not feel enough unity will get lonely. These paradox
desires are a sign of God's life in us.
British economist Brian
Griffiths describes poignantly the practical implications of the Trinitarian
doctrine for political and economic life in his book, 'The Creation of Wealth'
(Downers Grove, III, IVP, 1984, page 55): 'When in religion the One is given
preference, as in Islam, the consequence has been a form of totalitarian state
which attempts to discern the will of Allah. When the many are given priority
the result is anarchy. But the tension is one which extends to economic
philosophy. Fascism and Marxism are both an attempt to emphasise the one to the
exclusion of the many and to find salvation in economic terms through the
state. Libertanianism is an attempt to emphasise the many at the expense of the
One and is a prescription not just for laissez faire but also for anarchy. The
relevance of the Trinity is to emphasise both the
individual and the state, as well as a large variety of mediating
institutions which form the basis of a pluralistic society. As far as economic
life is concerned these include corporations, partnerships, trade unions,
professional associations, committees concerned with setting standards, and so
on.'
The current move towards
multiculturalism and its over emphasis on diversity in
As we have seen above, God
made man in his image therefore those who follow him and his teaching become
like him to a certain extent. This principle is also applicable the other way
round. Psalm 115:3-4, 8 teaches that those who follow idols and what they command
will also become like them:
'But our God is in heaven: he has done whatever was pleasing to him. Their
images are silver and gold, the work of men's hands...Those who make them
are like them; and so is everyone who puts his faith in them'.
All man-made gods
represented in today's religions teach that human beings are basically good
with the capacity to do bad. When reality fails to
match this ideal a totalitarian political system is created to maintain order. As
a result leaders like Mao, Pol Pot, Hitler, Lenin, Stalin and Idi Amin
slaughtered millions of people in the name of progress. To the contrary the
Bible teaches that man is basically a sinner with the capacity to do good. Democracy, despite all its abuses and excesses is
built on the truth of man's depravity. It is designed to cope with a
society of sinners. Free markets keep them honest by providing an open,
competitive system. None of the alternatives, mercantilism, monopolism or
consumerism measure up to it. Free markets, the product of democracy, also
encourage enlightened self-interest a Biblical idea derived from passages where
man is commanded to love himself for God's sake but
also to love others for their sake, too. (Luke
E. Trinity teaches that
mission originates naturally from it
Have you ever wondered why
God created the world in the first place? Within the community of the Trinity
he has absolutely no unmet needs. So why would he want to bother with creation
and all the hassles we brought him through our rebellion against him? Could
it be that he created the world and gave life to us as an overflow of his love
existing within the Trinity? He who truly loves wants to give. That
profound truth has to be at the heart of every missionary activity. The
result of it is also a new creation. Those who believe in Jesus are born again.
(Joh 3) They who know God the Holy Trinity personally, they in whom God lives
through his Holy Spirit, can not but tell others about Jesus. He said: 'For out
of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.' (Mat
F. Trinity teaches about
unity of life
Life originates from God
the Holy Trinity who is life and from whom all forms of life begin. Therefore
God is everywhere. He can be found in nature and in all other of his works.
'(God) You hem me in - behind and
before; you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful
for me, too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can
I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if
I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of
the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand
will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I
say, 'Surely the darkness will hide me and the light
become night around me,' even the darkness will not be dark to you; the
night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.' (Psa 139:5-12)
'From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the
whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places
where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps
reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.
'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own
poets have said, 'We are his offspring.' Therefore since we are God's
offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or
stone - an image made by man's design and skill.' (Act
The teaching that God is
everywhere is Biblical as can be seen from the passages above. New Age
ideologies too believe that God is everywhere. Whereas according to those
teachings God is equal to nature and is confined to it, Jews and Christians
believe that God exists not just in his works but his presence far
transcends, exceeds his creation. Therefore Christians do not worship the
creation because God is much bigger than it. The consequences of this truth
have the potential to revolutionise our daily lives! Since God is present
everywhere we can fellowship and enjoy him during our love for mountain
climbing, country rambling, swimming, just as much as in a Church service. All
these forms of life are having God, the Holy Trinity as a source. His being can
not be boxed and put in different categories, such as general life and
spiritual life. Therefore we can worship him in and through everything good, be
it while reading the Bible, praying, working on the computer, cleaning dishes,
working in a factory, looking after children and so on. What a liberating
truth! In case you would rather like to go for a walk then to a Church service
you do not need to feel guilty. Out in the fresh air you can experience the all
present God just as much if only you keep your eyes and ears attentive to him. Of
course, everything has got its time. The ideal thing is doing one without
neglecting the other. God, who lives in all his works and far beyond wants us to
enjoy them and by doing that, him as well. God created such a rich variety of
things for us to delight in. That is why we read in 1 Timothy
6:17:
'Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor
to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God,
who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.'
E. Trinity teaches that
a passionate life is possible
Within the community of the
Holy Trinity God passionately feels, thinks, speaks and wills and works. These
signs of life are naturally found in his creation too, especially in man who is
created in God's image as male and female. It follows that our passions are
a sign of God's life in us. As a result of sin those intense desires have
sadly been subject to the likelihood of distortion and perversion. Our longing
to be unique, to do something special is God given. But if we live it out
wrongly we are in danger of becoming proud and selfish. God has put the desire
in us to love and to be loved. Lived out in an ungodly way it can turn into
lust, being overbearing, acting in a dictatorial manner, controlling. Nevertheless,
the root of our passion is still God given. C.S. Lewis, a professor of
Medieval and Renaissance literature at
The following teaching of
our Lord in Matthew
'Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'If anyone would come after me, he
must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to
save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.'
To deny ourselves does mean
to say 'no' to our wishes and desires if they go against the wishes and desires
of Jesus. Yes, God's unity demands that we are one with him in saying 'no' to
evil and selfishness. But God's holy Trinity equally asks us to say 'yes' to
our good passions, to that what makes us unique, what differentiates us from
others. If you love playing chess and you are good at it, then use that passion
for God's glory. How? By passing on the praise people give you to God in
telling them about him. Have you got a passion for dress making, sowing, knitting? Do not feel guilty if you spend hours on doing
that. Use your gift for God's glory by telling others about his goodness,
perhaps also by giving the finished product to someone as a gift. Do you love
football, cricket, tennis? Then use these passions to
praise God. How? By enjoying them and by building
relationships with others in order to share your passion for God with them.
If we say 'no' to our good passions we actually sin because then we say 'no' to
God who is the source of all passion.
When we submit ourselves to
the King of kings , the source of all our passions, he
will enable us to live with unfulfilled desires too. God who is at the root
of our passions is more important than their fulfilment. Therefore we can
rejoice about the good things we desire without always having to consume them. Those
of us who live in rich countries where everything is set towards instant
satisfaction will find this truth particularly helpful.
In view of the fact that
God is at the source of all passion we can even learn from our bad desires. Let
me give you an example: A Christian went to a retreat centre to spend a few
quiet days reading the Bible and praying. In the evenings participants were
invited to share what they had learnt during the day. One day the poor soul had
to fight a lot against sexual temptation and lustful thoughts. Once he pulled
himself together to share about all this he expected his counsellor to say
something like: 'If you really want to grow in spiritual maturity you have to
rid yourself of such thoughts.' Much to his surprise he got this response: 'The
sheer intensity of your temptation are a weak
indication of how much God passionately loves you.' That is an unusual way to
learn about God's intensive love for us from the source of passion that later
turned bad.
The message of the Gospel
enables us to have good passions.
At the centre of the gospel
message is the proclamation that God loves us. (Joh 3:16) Sin, our rebellion
against him, has spoiled the privilege of having a loving relationship with our
maker. In his love he prepared a way for us to be restored again into
fellowship with him by sending Jesus, God the Son, into this world to die for
our sins. The punishment for our rebellion is death, separation, as seen above.
Human beings are absolutely powerless to bear a sentence that is so radical
because of God's holiness. In his perfection he must not have a relationship
with imperfection otherwise he would cease to be God which is impossible. Whoever
believes that Jesus died for their sins on their behalf will be saved from
hell, the eternal separation from the Lord. They experience cleansing from evil
passions in a unique, almost unbelievable way:
'Jesus said: 'If you love me, (based on the context one could also say 'if
you believe in me') you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father,
and he will give you another Counsellor to be with you for ever - the Spirit
of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows
him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not
leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see
me any more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that
day you will realise that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in
you. Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who
loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to
him.' Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, 'But, Lord, why do you intend to
show yourself to us and not to the world?' Jesus replied, 'If anyone loves me,
he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him
and make our home with him.' (Joh 14:15-23)
Can you imagine, the
Almighty God, creator of heaven and earth, the Holy Trinity, promises to dwell
in all those who put their faith in what Jesus has done at the cross! God lives
in them, similarly as the three persons of the Trinity indwell each other without
diminishing the full person hood of each. To have such a friend in one's live
will naturally lead to a perfect peace but also to chaotic circumstances at
times. It is encouraging to know that these crises too are a sign of new
eternal life. Now, with the help of God who lives in the believer, he gets the
strength to say 'no' to bad passions. He can also say 'no' to good passions if
they hurt others or if it is too early to express them. That gospel is truly
good news!
4. CONCLUSION
Far from being unintelligent
and unimportant, the doctrine of the Holy Trinity provides the very center of a
unique Christianity. Without it there would be no cross, no resurrection and
consequently no grace, no meaningful life and no assurance of salvation. The
Trinitarian God is absolutely instrumental in the success of all our
relationships.
'Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared
in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was
preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in
glory.' (1 Tim 3:16)
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