Trinitarianism, or the belief in the Trinity, can be considered one of the most important and fundamental beliefs of Christians, which you will learn more about below. Stay with Saednews.
What is the Trinity or belief in the triune God?
Trinity is the central belief in Christianity, according to which the one God is worshipped in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Christians believe that although the doctrine of the Trinity cannot be explicitly formulated or defined in the sacred texts, its roots can be clearly found in the New Testament and among the early Christians. What developed over the centuries, especially in the ecumenical councils, was the formalization of this belief as a theological doctrine and its explanation in a philosophical-theological framework. Scholars and interpreters of the New Testament acknowledge that not only is the term "Trinity" not found in the New Testament, but the intellectual framework and structure of thought during the era of the Church Fathers and the Church councils are entirely foreign to the mindset and culture of the New Testament authors. Therefore, the doctrine of the Trinity must be seen as the result of Christian thinkers' reflections on the nature of God's relationship with Christ and the Holy Spirit (or on the unity of God despite His threefold nature), and their theological debates with opponents and heretics in the early centuries of Christianity, within the context of Greek philosophical thought. Nevertheless, these scholars assert that this important theological principle is briefly and implicitly mentioned in the New Testament and was acknowledged by early Christians, thus forming what is called the "fundamental or primary Trinity" from the very beginning of Christianity.
Trinity - Evolution of the Doctrine
In a general view of the development of the doctrine of the Trinity in the first five centuries of Christianity, it can be summarized in five stages:
The formal acceptance of the pre-existing Christ (associated with Pauline and Johannine theology) as the Logos or Word in Greek philosophy.
The belief in the pre-existence of the Logos or Word (which was previously conceived as the cosmic principle of creation).
The belief in the consubstantiality of the Father and the Son, which was affirmed in the Nicene Council against the Arian heresy.
The belief in the divinity of the Holy Spirit and the consubstantiality of the Holy Spirit with the Father and the Son.
The belief in the eternal distinction in divinity, based on the phrase "one essence, three persons". In this way, within the unity of God's essence or nature, there exist three persons or distinct realities that are equal because in each, the divine essence is undivided and one, and each is a participant in the divine attributes. A person or hypostasis in the Trinity is more than just an aspect of existence and is, in fact, the real subject of experience and action, as each divine person has its own hypostatic characteristic, which can be examined in two ways: the "internal" aspect, meaning the internal structure of divinity, and the "external" aspect, meaning divinity in relation to the world or its manifestations. From the internal perspective, what differentiates the three persons is the "relational feature" or the relationship between them, namely begetting, being begotten, and proceeding; and from the external perspective, what separates them is the specific action of each: creation for the Father, redemption for the Son, and sanctification for the Holy Spirit. However, within the unity of the divine, there is no division or separation, as all three share one knowledge, one will, and one action.
Trinity in the Old Testament
Christian theologians traditionally refer to verses in the Old Testament to support the idea of multiplicity in God. For example, in Genesis 1:26, it says, "Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness," or references to the Spirit of God in Genesis 1:2 were mentioned to support the doctrine of the Trinity. Some Christian theologians identify the God of the Israelites with the Trinity, others with the Father, and still others with Jesus. The first and second views have more supporters than the third.
Trinity in the Modern Era
Christians, based on certain verses of the Bible, believe that God introduced Himself in the New Testament (and also in the Old Testament) as one God in three persons, a teaching that later became known as the "Trinity" in the second century AD. The belief in the Trinity is not directly stated in the New Testament but is discussed in a non-systematic way. As Tertullian, the famous Church Father of the 2nd-3rd centuries, wrote: "The Scriptures best express the doctrine of the Trinity."
The Qur'anic View of the Trinity
Many verses in the Qur'an emphasize the oneness of God, such as in verses that deny divinity to Jesus (peace be upon him) and Mary (peace be upon her). However, regarding the Trinity, two verses explicitly forbid the utterance of it and consider it akin to disbelief, which are mentioned below:
Surah An-Nisa (4:171):
"O People of the Book, do not commit excess in your religion or say about Allah except the truth. The Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, was but the messenger of Allah and His word which He directed to Mary and a soul [created at a command] from Him. So believe in Allah and His messengers, and do not say, 'Three.' Desist—it is better for you. Indeed, Allah is but one God. Exalted is He above having a son."
Surah Al-Ma'idah (5:73–75):
"Those who said, 'Indeed, Allah is the third of three' have certainly disbelieved. And there is no deity except one God. If they do not desist from what they are saying, there will surely afflict the disbelievers among them a painful punishment. Do they not repent to Allah and ask forgiveness of Him? And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful. The Messiah, son of Mary, was not but a messenger; [other] messengers had passed on before him. And his mother was a woman of truth."
Some Christian writers argue that these verses do not reject the doctrine of the Trinity but rather the belief in three gods, which, according to them, was a mistaken belief some people held. Thomas Michel writes:
"The Qur'an rejects the idea of three gods, not the Trinity, which was a belief some Arabs of the time of Muhammad may have held, having adopted and distorted part of Christianity."
Montgomery Watt also states:
"The Qur'an critiques the belief in three gods, not the three persons of the Trinity. Over time, some Christians may have misunderstood the Trinity as a belief in three gods."
However, the verses provide evidence that the Qur'an is rejecting the Christian doctrine of the Trinity. In Surah An-Nisa (4:171), God forbids the People of the Book from exaggeration and asserts that "Jesus is only a messenger of God," and after saying, "Do not say three," it adds, "God is above having a son." This is precisely the second person of the Trinity, the "Son." Thus, Islam and the Qur'an reject the official Christian doctrine of the Trinity.
We hope you find the above information useful. Please share your thoughts on the Trinity with us. We eagerly await your insightful and valuable comments.
