Explaining the Trinity to Muslims: A Personal Reflection on the Biblical Teaching in Light of the Theological Criteria of Islam

By Carlos Madrigal

This book is a culturally relevant presentation of the truth of the Trinity to the Muslim mindset. Originally it was issued through a Turkish secular publishing house and had a countrywide repercussion, even in Islamic circles. It is a useful presentation for both Muslim and Christian readers, providing fundamental keys for understanding and explaining the Trinity

• Language: English
• Publisher: William Carey Library
• Release date: Sep 1, 2011
• ISBN: 9781645080701

Book preview

Explaining

the Trinity

to Muslims

A Personal Reflection on the Biblical Teaching in Light of the Theological Criteria of Islam

Carlos Madrigal

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Explaining the Trinity to Muslims: A Personal Reflection on the Biblical Teaching in Light of the Theological Criteria of Islam

Copyright © Carlos Madrigal, 1994, 1998, 2011

All rights reserved.

Original title in Turkish: Üçlübirlik ne demek? (What is the Christian Belief of the Trinity?)

Original title in Spanish: Explicando la Trinidad al Islam! (Explaining the Trinity to Muslims!)

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher, except brief quotations used in connection with reviews in magazines or newspapers.

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc™. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com

Published by William Carey Library

1605 E. Elizabeth Street

Pasadena, CA 91104 | www.missionbooks.org

Kelley K. Wolfe, editor

Brad Koenig, copyeditor

James and Joyce Phillips, translators

Rose Lee-Norman, indexer

Amanda Valloza, graphic designer

William Carey Library is a ministry of

Frontier Ventures

Pasadena, CA | www.frontierventures.org

Digital eBook release Primalogue 2015

ISBN: 978-0-87808-977-2

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Madrigal, Carlos.

Explaining the trinity to Muslims : a personal reflection on the biblical teaching in light of the theological criteria of Islam / by Carlos Madrigal ; English translation by James Joyce Phillips.

p. cm.

Revised edition of: Üçlübirlik ne demek. 1994

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-0-87808-525-5

1. Trinity. 2. Missions to Muslims. 3. Christianity and other religions--Islam. 4. Islam--Relations--Christianity. I. Madrigal, Carlos. Üçlübirlik ne demek. II. Title.

BT111.3.M29 2009

231’.044--dc22

2010048054

Contents

Preface to the Spanish and English Versions

Preface to the Turkish Version

Introduction

1   Is It Possible to Know God?

The Unity of God

The Character of God

2   Towards a Correct Understanding

The Conclusions of Islamic Scholars

Three Qualities of Divinity

Anthropomorphic Adjectives

3   Illustrations and Definitions

Unfolding into Three Persons

The Concept of Son of God (Ibnu’llah, con-img1 )

The Divine Being, Word, and Action

The Word Takes on Bodily Form

The Son: Using the Terminology of Islamic Theologians

The Definition of the Trinity

4   Trinitarian Declarations in the Bible

Unicity of God

Plurality within the Divinity

God the Father

God the Son

God the Holy Spirit

The Three Are One and the Same God

The Three Persons Are Clearly Distinct

5   The Theological Approach

What Does Divine Person Mean?

Theological Enunciation

God the Father

God the Son

God the Holy Spirit

Relationship between the Three Divine Persons

6   The Incarnation

The Logos Is Uncreated

The Logos Is Eternal

The Logos Is the Almighty

Jesus Said He Was God

The Apostles Said Jesus Is God

Jesus Talks with God

The Son Is Yahweh Himself

The God-Man

7   Clues to Understanding the Trinity

Eternal Love Makes the Trinity an Imperative

The Incommensurable God

Let’s Recapitulate

Fullness and Self-submission within God

The Triune Condition and Its Mystery

Appendix: Toward the Creeds of the Early Church

The Apostolic Church Fathers and the Trinity

Writings by Clement (AD 95–115)

Letters by Ignatius of Antioch (AD 105–115)

Writings by Barnabas (AD 96–98 or 130–140)

Epistle to Diognetus (AD 150)

The Trinity in the Apocryphal Writings

Ignatian Apocrypha

The Nicene Creed (AD 325)

The Apostles’ Creed (AD 340)

The Chalcedonian Creed (AD 451)

Conclusion

Glossary

Bibliography

Index of Terms

Index of Biblical References

Index of Qur’anic References

End Notes

Preface

to the Spanish and English Versions

Explaining the Trinity to Muslims was originally written and published in Turkish in 1994 under the title: What is the Christian Belief of the Trinity? The author, Carlos Madrigal, has been living and working in Turkey since 1985 as an evangelical worker. He has established several indigenous churches in Turkey, is the author of several widely read books in Turkish, and the director of studies and professor at the Ephesus Bible School. He is very knowledgeable about the controversial topics between the religions of the book (Christianity and Islam) and offers solid biblical and theological bases for explaining the Trinity both to the Muslim and Christian communities.

After witnessing the impact of this subject among discerning readers with a Muslim background (university departments of Islamic theology, etc.), and having seen the interest that the Lord is awakening throughout the English-speaking world towards people groups that are faithful to the Qur’an, the publication of this book, fırst in Spanısh (1998) and now in English, will prove to be a useful tool to those individuals wishing to explore the subject in depth. It will also provide them with fundamental keys for explaining the Trinity to our Muslim brethren who, by the way, are avid to know the truth.

For this reason, much of the religious Islamic terminology has been retained, highlighting it within parentheses alongside our terms. We must bear in mind that Turkish is not a Semitic language like Arabic, but rather Ural-Altaic, closely related to Far Eastern languages such as Korean or Japanese. Regarding religious terminology, however, Arabic continues to be the canonical language par excellence. In the translation to Spanish of this book, Arabic terms were used as they are expressed in Turkish, since the Latin alphabet has been used officially in the Republic of Turkey from prior to the cultural revolution of the 1930s and ’40s. However, for this translation into English, we have used one of the commonly accepted transliterations of the Arabic terms into the Latin alphabet. See the glossary at the end of the book.

Additional explanatory footnotes have also been added, when appropriate, to explain the reasoning behind specific examples or ways of approaching the subject.

From our perspective as Christians, to consider this doctrine—one of the pillars of our faith—through the eyes of a culture and religion unfamiliar with and thus antagonistic toward this teaching brings a new and fresh dimension to any believer who wants to reflect on the fundamental truths of the Trinity and our relationship with the triune God.

In addition, this book serves as discussion material to help explain the doctrine to pseudo-Christian sects in the West that deny and refute the Trinity.

It is therefore a recommended resource for anyone wishing to serve the Islamic people, to pray for them from the rear guard, or to simply explore the subject in greater depth from another point of view.

It is our prayer that the Lord will use this simple tool to communicate the love of Christ with even more strength to all who are deprived of his light.

The Publishers

Barcelona, April 1998;

Pasadena, September 2011

Preface

to the Turkish Version

The book What is the Christian Belief of the Trinity? has taken on the difficult task of explaining this highly relevant subject to the Turkish reader. The first edition (1994) sold out quickly. The reviews received from readers, both Christian and Muslim, were very positive and have encouraged us to publish this second edition.

The new edition has been revised and expanded; certain sections have been written with more clarity, and some suggestions made by readers have been incorporated.

Our intention is to explain the faithful teaching of biblical revelation on this subject. It is not an issue of defending Christianity or of criticizing Islam, but rather of bringing into the light a truth that is faithfully registered in the Holy Scriptures.

In general, and unfortunately, when it comes to researching God’s truth in cultures that confront the Christian and Islamic faiths, dialogue is taken to the realm of argument in order to defend controversial or sectarian religious interests. And in the battle to see who is right, the main purpose of all theological exposition becomes obscured—that of knowing and honoring God.

The reasons that have led the author to approach this subject are to correct disregard for and misunderstanding of the Trinity. But above all, the purpose of this book is to honor the one and only God and give testimony to the truth. All who are directly or indirectly in favor of truth (haqiqah: pg9-img1 ) are also in the service of the one who is true (haqq: pg9-img2 ). We know it to be true that every lover of truth will give careful study to these pages without prejudice and will, in return, receive new light on the subject. From here we wish to express our sincere gratitude to all of them.

The Publishers

Istanbul, August 1995

Introduction

"How can Christians believe that ‘God is three’?¹ Why do they say that Jesus is the Son of God and at the same time they make him equal to God? Every reader living within a Muslim culture has been asked questions like these more than once. Muslims say: Never! This is the sin of association!² Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and the Virgin Mary are nothing more than servants of Allah!"

The criticism against the Trinity (tathlith: pg11-img1 ) stems from a mistaken understanding of this doctrine. And it is a holy obligation of every believer (mumin: pg11-img2 ) and of every impartial inquirer, to make the effort to understand the subject correctly.

Those who reject the Trinity do so based on two main errors. The first error consists in thinking that the Holy Scriptures³ (Taurat: pg11-img3 ; Zabur: pg11-img4 ; Injil: pg11-img5 have been adulterated,⁴ and therefore the verses that support the Trinity are considered a forgery. However, such an assumption is completely unfounded. The second error is the claim that this doctrine does not proceed from divine revelation, but that it is the result of capricious and unfounded decisions taken in the councils of the early church—specifically in the Council of Nicaea, AD 325.

On the pretext of defending religious positions, instead of honoring the Word of God, doubt is cast upon its truthfulness without any basis. Such an intention can never be an instrument at the service of truth.⁵ Unfortunately, these accusations are nothing more than disrespect towards the one who, even according to the Qur’an, proclaims himself the direct protector of all Holy Scriptures.

There is also a third argument that is presented against the Trinity—the claim that it is incompatible with any human logic.

Our purpose is to disentangle the flaws in these arguments and, together, examine the reasoning of this doctrine. This study is based on the biblical teaching of the Trinity. Right from the start we must emphasize that this teaching has nothing at all to do with a belief in three gods or with associating God to any creature.

Neither can we move on without emphasizing again that the Bible (Taurat, Zabur, and Injil) has not undergone any change since it was written, a truth that is fully and amply documented.⁶

The truth about God is too solemn and sacred for anyone to deliberately venture to alter it. Moreover, to explain the Divinity is not a faculty of the mind—as privileged as that might be, but rather is the exclusive prerogative of revelation. One cannot believe that the early teachers of Christianity set out to distort the truth and invent a concept such as the Trinity. Just as they did, we also—who are called in Islam ahlu’l-Kitab ( pg12-img1 , the people of the Book)—base our research on the firm rock of the Word of God.

The Trinity is not so impossible to understand. Some circles, wanting to refute the doctrine, make it seem almost unintelligible. There are many things in life that we do not know or do not fully understand, and yet we recognize that they are real and necessary. For example, millions of people use computers while being completely ignorant of how they work internally. We can surmise that most people do not have the knowledge or technical training needed to understand how a computer works. But that does not mean they are going to throw their computers out in the trash. Similarly, as much as we try, we cannot fully comprehend the eternal existence of God prior to creation. But we do understand that it is an intrinsic and necessary truth of divinity. We say that Allah is ’azali ( pg12-img2 , preeternal; outdating time),⁷ that he existed prior to the entire universe. Even when we go back to the farthest point of time beyond what our mind can imagine, we are saying that God already existed before that moment. In reality, everything related to the essence of the divine Being is an enigma for the human mind. We cannot understand God, but the mind does assent, and logic does corroborate, that preexistence is implicit in the very being of the infinite God.

The same thing happens with the Trinity. It can be understood very simply and yet, upon examining it, we can take it to unfathomable depths. This book seeks to approach the subject from both perspectives—on the one hand, to show that the Trinity is a fact that flows naturally and can easily be understood; and on the other hand, to glimpse the profundity of its implications and truths.

In Turkey, as in any country of Islamic majority, nearly everyone understands Christian doctrines according to the terms in which the Qur’an interprets them. Such interpretations refute many of the affirmations made in the Injil or the Taurat, and are due to misunderstandings that occurred during the time of Muhammad. The expression Son of God (Ibnu’llah: con-img1 ) is a good example. The Qur’an categorically rejects that God could have a flesh-and-bone son. It rejects that God can procreate.⁸ And of course, we Christians also reject that! However, the biblical meaning of the Son of God has nothing to do with physical parenthood.

The Qur’an, in contrast, and in spite of using expressions that are very different and that even exclude biblical claims, at the same time emphasizes concepts very similar to those of the Bible. The title Kalamu’llah⁹ (Word of God, pg13-img2 ) or kalimatin minhu (a word from Him, pg13-img3 ; Al ‘Imran 3:44), which is assigned to Jesus Christ, is one such concept. In this study we use the concepts Son of God and Kalimat’ullahi ( pg13-img4 ) as having the same meaning. What the Bible expresses with the term the Son of God is that the Word—the Logos—proceeds from the very essence of God and is living (John 1:1,14,18). Because he proceeds from God and because he has life in himself, this Logos is Son of God.