Islam and Kristianity tok sey dem bi riligions wey worship only one God. Both of dem biliv sey na one big God dey; but dia undastandin of di kin pesin wey God bi dey difrent. For Islam, dem strongly biliv sey God na only one and dem dey konfam am thru di bilif of tawhid (Surah 4:171). Allah na one, and e no get any partner, rival, or equal. But for Kristianity, dem biliv sey God get three nature. “God na one (Deut 6:4), but e include di Fada wey send im Son; di Son wey im send; and di Spirit wey dem send thru both of dem.” God na one evalastin komunity wey dey equal for each oda. While di Qur’an discribe di Trinity like one holy family—Holy God, Holy Moda, and Holy Son (Surah 6:101; 5:116), dem no get any history pruf wey show sey origina Kristianity discribe di Trinity like dis. Dis atiku dey tok about di biblical, historical, theological (study of God and riligious bilifs), and filosofical undastandins of di Trinity to hep Kristians explain and tok di bilif of di Trinity wit dia Muslim frends.
Wetin Di Baibul Tok
Di word “Trinity” no dey inside Baibul bikos dem kom up wit dis bilif for fourth century durin di ecumenical council of Nicene (di meeting wey happun for di year 325 AD for di city of Nicaea, wey dey for present-day Turkey). But e no min sey dis bilif na lie or e no dey for Baibul. Insted, di bilif sey God dey three for nature dey based on Baibul and e dey well-grounded for Baibul. For exampu, di bilif sey God bi Fada no bi strange tin to Jews. Dem don use am for Old Testament (Exodus 15:2 NIV), and Jesus tishins tok wella about di pasona side of God as Fada as e use di word “abba” to show im close relationship wit God. God di Fada and Jesus (God di Son) dey difrent for di New Testament. Dis difrence dey klear for Jesus’ prayas bifor dem put am for di cross. Jesus pray to di Fada and ask am to “make yu glorify yor Son so dat yor Son go fit glorify yu… dis na eternal life, sey dem sabi yu, di only true God, and Jesus Krist wey yu don send” (John 17:3). Jesus no dey pray to imsef, but to anoda pesin wey bi di Fada, to show sey e difrent from di Fada. Apostu Paul also make dis kin difrence bitwin di Fada and di Son, as e explain sey “na one God dey, and na one pesin dey as middleman bitwin God and men, di pesin na Krist Jesus” (Eph 4:6). God di Fada no bi di middleman, but Jesus na di middleman bitwin God and men. Apart from Jesus wey difrent from di Fada, di Holy Spirit dey kom into di pishure for di divine Godhead (bilif sey God dey exist as Fada, Son, and Holy Spirit) in one way wey show sey e difrent from di Fada and di Son. Dem dey often discribe di Spirit as one pesin, and e fit tok to pipol (1 Tim 4:1; Heb 3:7). Jesus tell im disciples about di παράκλητος (paráklētos), wey bi di third pesin of di Trinity, wey God go send to dey live wit bilivas afta Jesus go up. E tok sey, “But wen di Helper kom, wey I go send to una from di Fada, di Spirit of truth, wey kom out from di Fada, e go testify about me” (John 15:26). For dis vas, Jesus dey show sey di Fada, Imsef, and di Holy Spirit dey difrent. For Baibul, dem no jus discribe di Holy Spirit as one kind of state or pawa bikos e dey act as one difrent pesin. E fit dey sad (Ephesian 4:30), e fit tok (Mark 13:11-12), e fit tish (John 14:26), e fit lid (Rom 8:14), and e fit cry (Gal 4:6). Apart from dat, for di Johannine ritins, dem dey koll di Spirit as παράκλητος (paraklētos), wey min “pesin wey dey hep, sopot, or komfort pesin on behalf of anoda.” Pesin wey fit tok, lid, tish, and sopot no fit jus bi one kind of state or pawa. Insted, e bi di One wey give pawa; so, e bi pesin. For Baibul, dem reveal God as one divine bin, but dem show sey dem dey difrent (pesins). Dem no reveal God as jus one divine bin like pipol traditionally biliv. God na one bin for one minin, and three pesins for anoda minin. E bi one God wey kreate di univas for one minin, and three pesins wey share di same risin for anoda minin. Dem koll dese three pesins: di Fada, di Son, and di Holy Spirit, and dem disav to bi koll God, but still na only one God dey. Di baptism mata show one klear pishure of God as Trinity. Wen Jesus dey inside wota, “di Holy Spirit kom down on am wit body form like dove, and voice kom from heaven sey, ‘Yu bi my Son wey I luv; I dey happy wit yu'” (Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22; John 1:32). Dis mata show sey di Kristian God na one divine bin for three pesins. Di biginin of di Gospel of John get strong pruf wey sopot di Trinity. John tok for di first vas of di book sey: “Di Word dey wit God, and di Word na God.” Dis min sey di Word na divine. Wi get one hint sey di Son dey difrent from di Fada, but dem still get feloship bitwin dem. Like Wayne Grudem sojes, “di preposition pros (“wit”) no jus min sey dem dey fisicali close to each oda, but e also show sey dem dey enjoy klose feloship.” For Qur’an (Surah 4:171), dem discribe Jesus as di word and di spirit of God. Many Muslims biliv sey di word of God dey eternal, but dem no biliv sey Jesus dey eternal wit God.
If wi wan explain am by history.
Make wi biliv for di Trinity God no min sey make wi biliv for three separate gods but make wi biliv for one divine bin wey show imsef for three pesins. Since di bilif of tawḥid focus on nomba minin, e fit hard for Muslims to undastan di word Trinity for non-nomba sense—a metaphysical sense (view of reality wey dey pass di fisica or material world). Na dis risin make Kristian Arab apologists begin use di word اقنوم (pl. اقانيم) (Uqnoum, pl. Aqanim) to explain di Greek word ὑπόστασις (hypostasis). Di word Aqanim no dey eva used for Arabic language, except for di bilif of di Trinity to explain di idea of divine pesins and show similarities wit di koncept of human pesin. As Imad Shehadeh Tok, wey bi one of di top top (scholars) pipol wey sabi fo Trinity mata for Jordan, “di only advantage of using dis word [Uqnoum] for Arabic language na to make di word ‘pesin’ no dey klose to God and replace am wit one foreign and unknown word wey fit explain im minin.” To put am simpu, wen wi use special terms to discribe di divine Pesin, e show sey wi get special minin and e hep to avoid confusion wit di human/fisica minin of di word “pesin.” For my own idea, wi fit use dis word wen wi dey tok wit Muslims so wi no go konfuse dem wit di idea of tritheism (God wey bi three pesins) wey fit kom from di from human koncept of pesin as pasona consciousness. Di divine Aqanim (pesins) dey exist for three in one way wey no fit apply to human pesins, and wi no fit undastand am based on wetin wi face as human if no bi thru wetin dem show us.
A Filosofi Explanashon
Muslims biliv sey Allah na one eternal spiritual divine bin and di kreator of di world. E min sey no time dey bifor Allah, notin exist bifor am, and no time for history wen Allah no dey exist. But dis explanashon no min sey Allah na di biggest bin wey pesin fit tink about bikos e no show di way Allah relate wit tins bifor e kreate di univas. Allah sopose get way wey e relate wit tins bikos e dey lisin, tok, and accept worship. Na to tok sey Allah get relationship wit im kreation, e no jus kreate di world and waka komot. But if truly Allah na only one pesin and e get relationship wit im kreation, wetin kom happun to im relationship bifor e kreate evritin? Wu Allah dey hear, si, and watch bifor e kreate di world? Na to dey ask sey to wu Allah dey show kindness and luv? All dese divine/spiritual nashure or name sopose involve anoda bin inside Allah or anoda pesin/kreation outside am. Bifor kreation, e no fit dey co-communion, mutual recognition, or altruism for Allah bikos no external difrence dey inside am or internal difrence dey inside am. Dis komma dey make Allah dipend on im kreation. E nid am to fit bi di Hearer (as-Sami’), di Seer (al-Baṣir), di Kind (al-Laṭif), di Watcher (ar-Raqib), and di Luvin (al-Wadud). Dese attributes no dey active before kreation. Dem no dey happun until Allah kreate di world. For Kristianity, dis problem no dey exist bikos of di bilif of di Trinity. God dey live foreva for inside relationship (no dey alone) within imsef, and in relationship wit humanity afta kreation. Di three Aqanim dey united by dia komon divinity or di whole risins wey dem get. “Di Aqanim also dey united by dia komon purpose and work for redemption,” as Cornelius Plantinga tok, “Dia knowledge and luv dey direct to dia kreatures and also from di biginin to each oda. Di Fada luv di Son, and di Son luv di Fada… Di Trinity na one joyful komunity wey dey shine wit divine lite, luv, joy, mutual respet, and energy.” Di greatness of God’s nature dey kom from relationship, wit unity and komunion bitwin di three Aqanim. Wen wi tok of Fada and Son, na terms wey show sey dem get relationship. Pesin no fit bi papa or mama if e no get pikin and vice versa. As Kristians dey koll God “Fada,” dem dey si am sey God dey always in relationship wit imsef; dis relationship of fadahood dey eternal and na wit di Son. God no bi three separate pesins or bins like human pipol. Insted, E dey one unity wit difrences. Di bilif sey God na one divine bin and three Aqanim no dey konfusin bikos to biliv sey “God na only one or three” na rong tinkin. Dis bilif no dey make dem limit am to only two choices, but more choices dey available. If pesin tok sey God fit bi only one or three, e min sey e dey ignore di option wey Kristianity bring. Di Trinity na one divine komunity wey get three divine Aqanim: di Fada, di Son, and di Holy Spirit. Baibul scholars dey always kiaful about aw dem explain di Trinity bikos som explanashons wey dem don use bifor fit make pesin tink sey God dey shange form or sey na three difrent gods. Di exampu wey dem give no bi sey make yu take am word for word, but e dey try explain di kweshion wey tok sey, “aw God go fit bi one and three witout any konfusion?” Evri man and woman na one human bin and one pesin. For exampu, make wi luk Beethoven. E bi human bin bikos of sey im bi part of human race, and im bi special pesin bikos of im muzikal skills, talents, DNA, pasonality, and oda tins. Im pesinhood na wetin make am difrent from Mozart or oda muzicians. Im bi human bin for one side and special muzician/pesin for anoda side. E min sey e bi both of dem witout any confusion. For di same way, Kristians biliv sey di Trinity no bi argument wey get konfusion bikos while God bi divine bin, Im still dey as three Aqanim. Im bi divine bin for one side bikos Im bilng to divine world (no bi human race), and Im bi three Aqanim—di Fada, di Son, and di Holy Spirit—for anoda side bikos Im bilong to Im own world wey no get anybody wey bi like am. E go bi konfusion if God bi one divine bin and three pesins for di same sense.
About Di Rita
Sherene Khouri dey born fo one family wey get difrent riligious bilifs for Damascus, Syria. She kom bi biliva wen she dey 11 years old. Sherene and her hosband bi missionaries (pipol wey dey prish around di world) for Saudi Arabia. Dem house dey open for meetings, and dem dey work wit pipol wey dey for dat place until govment kom sabi about dia ministry and give dem three days notice to komot for di kontry. Fo 2006, dem kom go bak to Syria and start dey serve di Lord wit RZIM International ministry. Dem travel around di Midu Eastern rigion, like Turkey, Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, and United Arab Emirates. Sherene also dey involved for her local church among di youth, yung adults, and women’s ministry. Fo 2013, civil war start fo Syria. Sherene and her hosband car dey spoil 3 times and dem kom dey stay for United States of Amerika. Fo 2019, Sherene kom bikom Amerikan citizen. Sherene na assistant professor for Liberty University. She dey tish Arabic, Religion, and Research classes. She get Ph.D. for Theology and Apologetics, M.A. for Kristian Apologetics from Liberty University, and B.S. fo Biblical Studies from Moody Baibul Institute. She still dey work on Master of Theology for Global Studies fo Liberty University and M.A. for Arabic and Linguistics fo PennWest University.
