Letter 9: Trinity Was Invented After Jesus Left, He Never Taught It

Trinity Was Invented After Jesus Left, He Never Taught It  

For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father,

the Word and the Holy Ghost: And these three are one.

—1 John 5:7

Reverend Franklin Graham:

             Christians believe the doctrine of the Trinity to be an integral part of their faith related to the attainment of their most desired salvation. But Muslims believe it is an invented doctrine of men and also a clear blaspheme against One True God and it became a part of Christian Faith after Jesus left. I found it to be absolutely true when I did not come across any single statement in the Gospel where Jesus asked his people to worship him as God in any form or manner. After I learnt that, I felt more curious to know how the Christians worship three Gods as one or how the Trinity became a part of the Christian faith, if Jesus never taught it and the Gospel had also no record for it? So naturally, I saved my questions for my missionary friends who used to visit me then off and on.

             Several weeks later, a middle-aged white missionary lady, I would call her Mrs. Robinson, agreed to talk when I asked her straight what the Gospel has really said about the Trinity. In reply to my question, she opened her Bible in the King James Version, and said, “You will find it in 1 John 5:7.” And then she read it to me after I opened my own copy:

For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: And these three are one.

          After she finished reading, I said, “Please excuse me for my shortcomings, but I really don’t see where in this verse, you are asked to believe in the Father, the Word and the Holy Ghost as three Gods but to worship them as one?”

          “It is understood.”

“Will you please explain a bit?”

  From her slow and laconic explanation, I came to know that Father is God as the Godhead; the Word is God as His only begotten Son, Jesus; and then there is the Holy Ghost or the Holy Spirit. These three are merged into one. Thus, Christians worship one God in the union of three. But I remained in the dark as before.

So I said to her apologetically, “Please don’t mind, it still sounds to me very confusing, because I think to be like God, Jesus, and the Holy Ghost should also be like God. I mean, both of them should have the same essence and attributes to become like God or His equal, Right?”

“Right and so they are. We believe the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost are made of the same substance, and because of that, they have the same equal majesty and the glory of a fully independent God.”

“But, how do you worship three independent Gods as the one or the same God?”

“There lies the mystery. In spite of their being independent, we neither worship them separately, nor worship them together. We worship them as one God in the union of three.”

“But how is it possible? I mean, how could they maintain their independence after being merged into one?” I asked her again, trying to hide my frustration.

“It is possible, because, they are merged into one without losing their own independence and glory.”

The way she described, it seemed to me the God of the Trinity matched more with a very mysterious, magical, or a supernatural being found in some digital movie, but it could no way match with the God of the Judeo-Christian faith or the God of Islam, as described in our holy scriptures-the Bible and the Quran both.

          Besides that, a series of unwanted but unavoidable questions flashed in my mind. I wanted to know how the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost function as a fully independent God, while being merged into one?

          Or, what is the use of their being independent or having the same substance, glory, and majesty, if they can’t do anything separately? And, if they do, then what will happen to their unity?

          Or, how could their unity remain intact, when Jesus, one of the inseparable parts of the Trinity died on the Cross and remained buried for three days?

What happened then to the Godhead and the Holy Ghost after Jesus died? Did they die too, with Jesus, and then resurrect after three days along with him? In that case, what happened to the heavens and earth if they remained dead for three days?

Then to distract myself from the flow of those unwanted but unavoidable questions, I said to her, again politely, “But I still have no clue how these three Gods get merged into one without losing their own independence or majesty?”

         

Trinity to be understood in three different states of water

           “I know it is very difficult to understand,” Mrs. Robinson said, “especially for the people of other faiths. But I will try to explain it with an example. Just think of water in its three different states:  liquid, solid, and steam. Water is liquid, ice is solid, and air is steam. Now, what is the substance we find common in three of them?”

           “Water, obviously.”

          “Similarly, the substance of three Gods is one and the same, just like the water is found common in its three different states. I hope, now you know what it means.”

“Sorry,” I said, “I feel myself more confused. Let me tell you why? We believe God is Eternal, Almighty and All knowing. So, whatever His substance is, it must remain the same or unchanged under all circumstances. Don’t you think so, too?”

“Yes, that is what I meant when I gave the example of water. It also remains unchanged in all its three states.”

“But I don’t think any essence or attributes of God, if we name it His substance, can be compared with water, because water does not remain the same in its three different states. I mean, when water is changed into ice or steam, it loses its liquidity. Besides that, water does not freeze into ice or change into steam on its own. It must go through certain states or conditions to become ice or steam, Right?”

Mrs. Robinson did not answer. In her silence, I continued, “But it does not happen so with any of the essence, attributes, or the substance of God. I mean, nothing could affect, change, or destroy it any way. In other words, the substance of God remains the same or as it is, when He adds anything new to His creation, eliminates anything from it, or changes anything to something else, Right?”

I felt tensed while waiting for her response, but she remained silent as before. Then,  I asked her again casually, “By the by Madam, do you know any other statement of the Gospel where Jesus mentions anything of the Trinity? I mean, to worship God, him, and the Holy Ghost together as One God?”

          Mrs. Robinson seemed to relax. She leafed through her Bible and then said, “It is here, last three verses in the last chapter of Matthew.”

I opened my Bible and when I looked at those verses, I thanked God in silence. Just a few days ago, while re-reading the last scene of Jesus’ Crucifixion in the Gospel of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, I read them too. So, I remembered very well that Jesus gave those instructions  to his disciples after he rose up from his grave and I did not find there any such element that she could use in support of the Trinity.  At that moment, I heard her reading the last three verses from the last chapter of Matthew very slowly, softly and uttering each word distinctly clear.

             And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: And, lo, I am with you , alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. (Matthew 28:18-20)

           

         After she finished reading, she tried to convince me slowly and softly, “I think, if you look into the meaning of those verses, you will see Jesus wanted us worship the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost together as one God.”

“Sorry! I read those verses several times, but I didn’t find any such indication. Will you please,” I asked her politely, “tell me what makes you think so?”

“Sure. We need to remember here that Jesus gave those commands to his disciples after three days of his burial. It tells us like his Father in heaven, His Son was also eternal or immortal, because he overcame death through his resurrection.”

         “But I don’t see how. You just told me that Jesus resurrected from his grave after three days of his burial. In that case, how could you claim he was immortal or eternal like God? Because,” I tried to explain to her, “we believe God is eternal and All-Knowing and therefore nothing could stop or interrupt Him from grasping anything from His knowledge or seeing anything from His vision, even for a moment. So how could Jesus, who died and remained buried for three days, as you claim, be eternal like God or equal to Him?”

        From her look, I understood she did not expect this question from me. But a few moments later, she asked me seriously, “Then what do you think of Jesus’ promise that he made to his disciples about his staying with them ’til the end of the world?”

I also did not expect this question from her. But keeping my surprises to myself, I said to her, “I think, you took the apparent meaning of what Jesus said and overlooked its inherent message.” I stopped for a moment and then continued, “Jesus did not mean to stay with them physically. He wanted to stay with them through his teaching, morals or spirit. Just think for a moment, how Jesus has been living with you for the last two thousand years? In fact, it is not only Jesus but the Prophets like Abraham, Moses, Muhammad, and other legendary figures of the world are still alive in the hearts of men and will remain so until the end of the world. So what do you think of them? Are they eternal too, as God is?”

Jesus had power over heavens and earth

“But they are not like Jesus,” Mrs. Robinson tried to explain, “They did not have power like God, but Jesus had power over entire heavens and earth. If you don’t mind, you may read the verse 18 once again.”

To make her happy, I read the verse aloud to her and then said,

        “I think we must not overlook one vital clue that Jesus has left in his claim. He said clearly that the power over heavens and earth was given to him. In other words, Jesus had that power after he received it from God. In that case, how could we claim that the status of the Giver and the given as one or the same?”

“Sorry. I think we are too small to explain the status or the relation of the Father and the Son.”

What do you need to explain when the answer is more than obvious? But keeping my question to myself, I said to her, “Okay, if for the sake of argument, we believe Jesus is as powerful as God is, but still it does not make him God, because it does not tell us whether Jesus is also as wise as God is, or he can comprehend everything in his knowledge or in his vision as God does.”

“How do you know he can’t?” Mrs. Robinson sounded a bit frustrated.

“Please don’t misunderstand me. I know it from Jesus’ own words in the Gospel. Once, talking to his disciples,” I tried to convince her with evidence from the Gospel, “Jesus admitted to them honestly that he was unaware of the Last Hour and no one had any knowledge of that except God. (Math 24:36) Besides that, if you read the story of the fig tree in Mark 11, you will also notice that Jesus did not know even the season of the fig and he walked to the tree to appease his hunger, without knowing it had no fruit but the leaves. Don’t you think, if Jesus were God or His equal, nothing could remain hidden from his knowledge or vision?”

Jesus asked his disciples to baptize all nations in the name of the “Three”

           In reply to my question, Mrs. Robinson asked, “Why, then, Jesus asked his disciples to baptize all nations in the name of the “Three”-the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost?”

         “Do you think, by this command, Jesus meant all nations to worship the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost as one God?”

“Isn’t it most obvious?” she asked me back. “Otherwise, why we have been worshipping them as one God for the last two thousand years?”

Do you think  a wrong thing turns to be right if it is believed to be right for hundreds of years? I was about to ask her, but did not. I said to her instead, “Yes, you have a point there. But if Jesus really meant so as you said, he must have taught about the Trinity before the Jews made him arrested by the Roman soldiers, right?”

“May I please know what difference does it make?” Mrs. Robinson asked me in apprehension.

“A lot, because there is no such statement in the Gospel where Jesus is found teaching anything about the Trinity, before he was detained by them. You can, of course, correct me, if I am wrong.”

Mrs. Robinson did not try to correct me.

So, I asked her, "In that case, how could Jesus command his disciples to teach something among the nations that he never taught?

Mrs. Robinson maintained her silence as before. So I continued, “We also have no reason to guess that Jesus might have taught it to his disciples in secret or when no one was around them. I think so, because while talking to the high priest about certain charges against him, Jesus made it absolutely clear that he did not teach them anything in secret or in private; he always spoke to them openly. In that case, it would be a wild guess, if we believe Jesus taught his disciples about the Trinity before his arrest, but the writers of all four Gospels somehow forgot to mention it, right?”

“Then why Jesus asked his disciples to baptize all nations in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, if he did not mean them as one or the same?” Mrs. Robinson asked me nicely for the clarification.

“If you don’t mind to listen, I could try to explain it as I understood myself.”

“Sure. I’ll be happy to know.”

“Thanks. As far as I know, baptism is a kind of celebration that you generally observe marking your child’s admission in the Church or giving him a name, Right?”

“Right.”

“I also have heard that the Baptist of the Churches conducts this ceremony by dipping the child in water or by sprinkling him with water, Right?’

“Yes, a child needs to go through this kind of stuff.”

“But I think you also know that baptism is not a mere ceremony. It also has some inner or deeper meaning than admitting the child in the Church or giving his name. It also means to bring some changes in the heart of the child with the light or the spirit of his faith so that he could love and obey God unconditionally as did Jesus and his true followers. For this reason,” I stopped here for a moment and then continued, “it is believed that baptism works better upon the older children when they understand the true meaning of the ceremony. Do you agree with me?”

“Yes.” Mrs. Robinson admitted frankly.

         “Thanks. Now on the basis of that explanation, we can rightly guess that Jesus did not want his disciples to baptize all nations in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, to give them names or admit them in the church through some ceremony, Right?”

            Mrs. Robinson remained silent.

            So, I answered for her, “Certainly not. Jesus wanted his disciples to teach all nations about the status of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost clearly so that they never got confused or misled, when the false prophets would come after him with their false doctrines to deviate them from the eternal truth of the first commandment that he preached and practiced himself when he was with them. So, to save the nations from this deviation, Jesus left for his disciples two brief but significant instructions before he was raised to heaven.”

           “By the first instruction, Jesus wanted his disciples to baptize all nations in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. By this first instruction, he actually meant to tinge their souls with the renewal of their faith in One True God and to worship none but Him.  Jesus’ disciples knew perfectly well that the status of God was the highest of all in the entire heavens and earth and no one could be His equal or worthy of worship besides Him. They also knew that Jesus was but a messenger of God and he was sent to his people to guide them absolutely by the command of God. They were also aware of the fact that Jesus called God his Father and him as His son out of his excessive love and longing for Him and by this call he never meant him the same or equal to God. ”

           “Similarly, Jesus’ disciples also knew that the Holy Ghost or the Holy Spirit was the angel Gabriel –the chief of all angels who used to convey the words of God to His messengers on earth and also to help them to fulfill their mission. According to the description of the Gospel, Jesus’ disciples were more familiar with the role of the Holy Ghost than others. They found the Holy Ghost to interfere with Jesus’ birth, his baptism, miracles he performed and also with his ascent to heaven. Do you think, with this clear knowledge and understanding about the status of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, Jesus would ever ask his disciples to teach the nations to believe and worship them as one God?”

              In her silence I added, “I think, no explanation is required for Jesus’ second instruction. He simply wanted his disciples to teach all nations to obey and observe everything that he taught them himself   following the commands of God. In that case, it is understood that Jesus would never ask his disciples to teach the nations about the Trinity that he never taught, right?”

           But before she could respond, her cell phone rang. Then, after a brief exchange of words in a very low voice, she said to me apologetically, Sorry, I have to leave now to take my father to his dentist.”

“Sure. Family should come first.”

Upon the validity of the statement in 1John 5:7

Reverend, when Mrs. Johnson read the verse in 1John 5:7, in support of the Trinity, I did not know then that it was discarded long before from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, edited by a group of thirty two eminent Christian scholars as an unauthorized addition to the Greek text of the New Testament. When I first came to know about it, I verified the truth in the Holman Christian Standard Bible and also in the Zondervan New International Version Bible. I found the verse 5:7 from 1John, has been expunged from both the texts and put below as a footnote.

In this connection, sir, I also like to remind you that the writers of all four Gospels, even Paul, the self-announced disciple of Jesus and the writer of the last seventeen books of the New Testament, did not mention anything about the Trinity in any of their books. In that case, the most obvious question is how the Trinity became an integral part of the Christian faith, if it was not taught by Jesus or by any of his true disciples or even by Paul? You will find the answer below.

The Trinity was the product of the council of Nicaea

            

            Reverend, while looking for the answer, I came across with some authentic and well-researched books where I found the doctrine of the Trinity was a manmade product of the council of Nicaea and it became an indispensable part of Christian faith about 325 years after Jesus left. It was first presented by Athanasius, an Egyptian deacon from Alexandria, and was accepted by the Council of Nicaea in 325 CE. It was called the Creed of Nicaea. I have quoted below  a few lines from the report accepted or approved by the council.

Whoever wishes to be saved must, above all, keep the Catholic faith. This is what the Catholic faith teaches: We worship one God in the Trinity and the Trinity in unity. We distinguish among the persons, but we do not divide the substance. For the Father is a distinct person; the Son is a distinct person; and the Holy Spirit is a distinct person. Still the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit have One divinity, equal glory, and coeternal majesty. What the Father is, the Son is, and the Holy Spirit is.  … The Father is eternal, the Son is eternal, and the Holy Spirit is eternal. Nevertheless, there are not three eternal beings, but one eternal being.  … Likewise, the Father is omnipotent, the Son is omnipotent, and the Holy Spirit is omnipotent. Yet there are not three omnipotent beings, but one omnipotent being. Thus the Father is God, the Son is God and the Holy Spirit is God. But there are not three gods but one God.  … For according to the Christian truth, we must profess that each of the persons individually is God ; and according to Christian religion we are forbidden to say that there are three gods or lords. But the entire three persons are co-eternal and co-equal with one another.

Reverend, it is interesting to note here that according to the manifesto of the Council of Nicaea, the Christian truth is different from the Christian religion. The Christian truth wants its adherents to profess each of the three persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit as being a separate and independent God. But the Christian religion forbids its adherents to call them three gods and to regard the ‘three’ being one, coeternal and coequal to one another. This was how the eternal truth in the first commandment of God, which was pure and pristine monotheism, got contaminated with the pagan practice of polytheism long after Jesus left.

The Trinity was rejected by the Unitarian Christians

But, we have no reason to believe that Jesus’ true followers, the Unitarian Christians or the worshippers of one God, accepted the doctrine of the Trinity, as they were asked to do. According to the authentic report of the historians and religious scholars, we came to know they rejected it at once to be wrong, inappropriate, and above all, as a grave sin of blasphemy. But when the authority of the Council failed to justify their doctrine on the basis of logic, evidence, or acceptable explanation, they tried to force the people to accept it blindly. Not only that, they also began to arrest, torture, burn and kill them who dared to oppose or criticize their doctrine in public.

            But, it is also a fact that by the end of the fourth century, the doctrine of the Trinity became assimilated as an indispensable part of the Christian faith, and since then, the devoted followers of Jesus Christ have been worshipping God in the union of three by ignoring the crystal-clear message of His first commandment that Jesus taught them himself following the footsteps of all his predecessors and which they still find unchanged in their Holy Gospel. (Mark 12:29–30)

What the Quran says about the Trinity?

          The Quran, which God revealed to Jesus’ Testifier Muhammad about six hundred years after his ascent to heaven, has renounced the doctrine of the Trinity as a clear blaspheme against One True God. There are a number of verses in the Quran that confirm Jesus never asked his people worship him as God or as one of the Gods in the Trinity. Rather, he worshipped himself the same One God of all his predecessors and so did his true followers. I’ve quoted below a few of them from different parts of the Holy Quran.

O people of the Book! [ meaning the Christians] Do not transgress on the limits of your religion. Speak nothing but the truth about Allah. The Messiah Jesus, the son of Mary was no more than a Messenger of Allah and His word ‘Be’ which He bestowed upon Mary and a Spirit from Him. So, believe in Allah and His Messenger and do not say Trinity. Stop saying that. Allah is only One Deity. (4:171)

Certainly they have disbelieved who say: “Allah is Christ-the son of Mary while Christ himself said, “O children of Israel! Worship Allah; my Lord and your Lord.’ whoever commits shirk [to worship God in association with others], Allah will deny him the paradise, and the hellfire will be his home” (5:72).

They disbelieve who say: “God is one of the ‘three’ in a Trinity.” For, there is no god except One God. If they desist not from what they say, verily a grievous chastisement will befall the disbelievers among them. (5:73)

They [Jews and Christians] have taken their rabbis and their priests to be their Lords beside Allah and so they did with Messiah, the son of Mary, though they were commanded [in the Torah and the Gospel] to worship none but One God, besides Whom there is none worthy of worship. Exalted is He from having partners they associate with Him. (9:31)

        O people of the Book! Why do you confound the truth with falsehood and conceal the truth while you know?(3:71)

It is not possible for a man whom Allah has given the Book, the Wisdom and the Prophet hood, that he would say to the people: Worship me instead of Allah. On the contrary he would say: Be worshippers of your Lord in accordance with the Holy Book you have been teaching and reading. Nor would he command you to take the angels and the prophets as your Lords. Would He order you to disbelieve after you have surrendered to God? (3:79–80)

            

            Reverend,  I think if the members of the Council of Nicaea had any idea that God would send His last prophet Muhammad about three hundred years later testifying Jesus’ true status and mission, clearing his name from all lies and falsehood that they imposed upon him and also protecting his honor in  His everlasting guidebook the Quran, they would have thought twice, before they dared venturing into the laws of God or demeaning the sanctity of any of His chosen messengers.