Christian Apologetics Society

Jesus replied, "You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God."
- Matthew 22:29

Isaiah 55:11
So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it
Gen 1:3
Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light
Matthew 26:26
And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body."
Malachi 1:11
My name will be great among the nations, from the rising to the setting of the sun. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to my name, because my name will be great among the nations," says the LORD Almighty.
John 20:23
If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.
James 5:16
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
James 2:14
What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
Luke 20:38
For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him.
Rev 21:27
Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.
1 Cor 3:15
If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
Psalm 51:5
Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.
John 3:5
Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Titus 3:5
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
1 Timothy 3:15
but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
Acts 22:16
And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

Apologetics - Islam and the Trinity

A few weeks ago, I discovered a post by an Islamic apologist against the Christian doctrine of the Trinity. Interestingly, this Islamic apologist took the same tactics that many Christians take against the Catholic doctrine on Purgatory: the word doesn't appear anywhere in the Bible and "conflict" between verses.

Yes, the word "Trinity" does not appear anywhere in the Bible. Neither, do the words "Bible", "incarnation", "purgatory", "sinner's prayer", nor many other common Christian terms. This is because, while some doctrines are explicit (only water may be used for baptism), others are implicit. The fact that a specific term does not appear does not negate the presence or truth of a particular doctrine.

Secondly, the arguement was made that the baptismal instructions of the Great Commission inMatthew 28:19 conflicted with the baptismal instructions in Acts 2:38. The fact that there was only one verse, in apparent conflict, showing an alleged Trinitarian baptism and the fact that several other verses on baptism did not mention the Trinity, seemed to the Islamic apologist to be strong proof against the doctrine of the Trinity. I pointed out that the doctrine of the Trinity is found throughout the Bible. Starting in Genesis 1:26, the Bible states God as saying; "Let US make man." Note the plural.

Finally, the Islamic apologist made his weakest arguement. It was an impossibility for God to be three persons. I responded with Jerome's famous explanation of the Trinity. One bottle of water may be poured into three glasses. Each glass is distinct and separate, yet the same water. The three glasses of water can then be poured back into the one bottle and the three distinct waters then become one. As this physical property is common among all liquids, gases, and powders on earth, why would this ability be impossible to God? The Islamic apologist agreed that this was indeed a strong arguement and that he had no immediate reply to Jerome's explanation. (BTW, Jerome used wine instead of water in his classic example. I use water as bottled water is now common worldwide.)

In summary, the Islamic apologist's arguement was a classic example of Matthew 22:29. The Islamic apologist did not understand the scriptures nor the power of God.

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