Islam emphatically denies that God is a Trinity [three
eternal persons, yet only one God]:
“Say not ‘Trinity’: desist:
. . . For Allah is one Allah: Glory be to Him: (far exalted is He)
above having a son.” [Quran 4:171-172]
“They say: ‘(Allah) Most Gracious
has begotten a son!’ Indeed ye have put forth a thing most monstrous!” [Quran 19:88-93]
But theologian Michael Reeves raises this question:
“How could Allah [using the Quarn’s
name] be loving in eternity? Before he created there was nothing else in
existence that he could love. . . . If Allah needs his creation to be
who he is in himself (“loving”), then Allah is dependent on his own creation,
and one of the cardinal beliefs of Islam is that Allah is dependent on
nothing. Therein lies the problem: how can a solitary God be eternally and
essentially loving when love involves loving another?”
The doctrine of the trinity is not just a doctrine to
memorize for a theology quiz; it assures us that our one God has forever
existed in perfect, loving relationship within the members of the Trinity. The
Trinity assures us that “God is love” (1 John 4:8) is true, has always been
true for eternity past, and will always be true for eternity future. And
because this is true we can be assured that God is happy, has always been happy,
and will always be happy. We serve an eternally happy God.
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