Dr Paul Allen

One of the most essential doctrines of the Bible is also one of the hardest to understand and articulate—the Trinity. At the same time, this is the single most offensive element of the Christian faith to Muslims. So it is utterly important that we properly understand the Trinity, especially as we share the gospel with our Muslim friends. In this post, we will try to briefly describe and give evidence of the Trinity. Helpful and unhelpful ways of understanding the Trinity Muslims typically do not have a proper understanding of what we mean when we say God is a Trinity. Typically, a Muslim assumes Christians believe God had a relationship with Mary that produced Jesus, the Son of God. As Christians who desire to be faithful in proclaiming the gospel, we must correct a Muslim’s erroneous understanding by both speaking and demonstrating the truth of what God’s word says. However, in our attempts to share the gospel, there are many unhelpful and wrong examples for explaining the Trinity,

English: Jesus Christ - detail from Deesis mosaic, Hagia Sophia, Istanbul (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Heaven is only heaven because it is the place where God dwells. To “go to heaven” is to be ushered into the presence of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:8). In the same way that eternal life is more about a quality of fellowship than a quantity of lifespan (John 17:3), so heaven centers around a Person more than a place. Jonathan Edwards aptly summarized that truth in these words: The enjoyment of God is the only happiness with which our souls can be satisfied. To go to heaven, fully to enjoy God, is infinitely better than the most pleasant accommodations here. Fathers and mothers, husbands, wives, or children, or the company of earthly friends, are but shadows, but God is the substance. These are but scattered beams, but God is the sun. These are but streams. But God is the ocean. Above all else, it is God’s personal presence that makes heaven what it is. It is not heaven because it is

"I am the Good Shepherd" (from the Gospel of John, chapter 10, verse 11). (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) 1 Corinthians 12:1–11   The doctrine of the Trinity is an important cornerstone of Christian belief . In 1 Corinthians 12:4–6 , Paul refers to the deep relationship among the three persons of the Trinity: the Spirit, the Lord (Christ) and God (the Father). He illustrates how unity in the church — in terms of spiritual gifts, kinds of service and kinds of working — should reflect the unity of the Trinity. But how does the relationship among the persons of the Trinity provide evidence of Jesus ’ divine nature? Although the term Trinity is never used in the Bible, the early church fathers discerned the concept from verses like Matthew 28:19 2 Corinthians 13:14. In fact, the relationship of the Trinity can be traced throughout Scripture. For instance, consider how all were present at Creation: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth … the Spirit of God wa