Answering Islam - A Christian-Muslim dialog

Illustrating how the Anti-Trinitarian logic
Ends up proving that the Father can’t be God!

Sam Shamoun

Some anti-Trinitarian heretics of the unitarian flavor argue that Jesus cannot be Jehovah God in the flesh since the Holy Bible proclaims that it was the Father who gave Christ all authority in heaven and on earth, and the name that is above all names (cf. Matthew 28:18; Philippians 2:9-11). Even the life that the Son possesses within himself, and the power and glory which he receives, have all been granted to him by his Father according to the God-breathed Scriptures (cf. John 5:22-25, 26-27; Hebrews 1:6). These heretics reason that Jesus could be given all this because he is God’s duly appointed Agent who is invested with the Father’s absolute authority.

In light of these objections, I am now going to turn the tables on these anti-Trinitarians by showing them that, per their skewed understanding of what God can and cannot be and/or do, the Father can’t be God either.

According to the God-breathed Scriptures Jehovah receives an inheritance:

“When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, when He separated the sons of man, He set the boundaries of the peoples according to the number of the children of Israel. For the Lord’s PORTION is His people; Jacob is THE ALLOTMENT OF HIS INHERITANCE.” Deuteronomy 32:8-9

“Arise, O God, judge the earth, FOR YOU SHALL INHERIT THE NATIONS.” Psalm 82:8

The Holy Bible further says that creatures actually give to Jehovah power, glory, and honor:

“GIVE TO THE Lord, you heavenly beings, GIVE TO THE Lord glory and strength. GIVE TO THE Lord the glory of His name; worship the Lord in holy splendor.” Psalm 29:1-2

“When the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and worship Him, who lives forever and ever. Then they cast their crowns before the throne, saying, ‘You are worthy, O Lord, TO RECEIVE glory and honor and power; for You have created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.’” Revelation 4:10-11

To make matters worse for the anti-Trinitarian, the Holy Bible says that God the Father receives power and kingship in the same contexts that Christ does!

“The seventh angel sounded, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying: ‘The kingdoms of the world HAVE BECOME the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever.’” Revelation 11:15

“Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying: ‘Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ HAVE COME, for the accuser of our brothers, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.’” Revelation 12:10

In fact, we are even told that it is the Son who shall personally give the kingdom to the Father!

“Then comes the end when He will deliver up the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power.” 1 Corinthians 15:24

Therefore, if Jesus can’t be God because he receives things from the Father, then the Father can’t be God either because he receives things from his creation, including an inheritance.

Obviously, no one, not even these heretics, would accept such fallacious reasoning.

However, the worst is still to come for these anti-Trinitarians. Both the apostles and the righteous angels are God’s agents invested with God’s authority, and yet neither the apostles nor these righteous angels ever allowed anyone to worship them:

“As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshipped him. But Peter lifted him up, saying, ‘Stand up. I MYSELF AM A MAN.’” Acts 10:25-26

“Then he said to me, ‘Write: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, ‘These are the true sayings of God.’ I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, ‘See that you not do that. I AM YOUR FELLOW SERVANT, AND OF YOUR BROTHERS who hold the testimony of Jesus. WORSHIP GOD! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.’” Revelation 19:9-10

“I, John, am he who saw and heard these things. When I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed me these things. But he said to me, ‘See that you not do that. FOR I AM YOUR FELLOW SERVANT, AND OF YOUR BROTHERS THE PROPHETS, and of those who keep the words of this book. WORSHIP GOD!’” Revelation 22:8-9

And yet Jesus receives the exact same worship that the Father receives from every created thing in existence!

“And EVERY CREATED THING WHICH IS IN HEAVEN AND ON THE EARTH AND UNDER THE EARTH AND ON THE SEA, AND ALL THINGS IN THEM, I heard saying, ‘To Him who sits on the throne, AND TO THE LAMB, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion FOREVER AND EVER.’ And the four living creatures kept saying, ‘Amen.’ And the elders fell down AND WORSHIPED.” Revelation 5:13-14 New American Standard Version (NASB)

This passage is a huge embarrassment and raises a majpr problem for anti-Trinitarian heretics since it proves that Jesus is not a part of creation, but is separate and distinct from every created being in all of creation. Christ is placed on the same side that God the Father is placed on in the Creator/creature divide. As such, Jesus must be Jehovah God Almighty (even though he is neither the Father nor the Holy Spirit) since only Jehovah is uncreated. This explains why the Father would tolerate (in fact demand) every creature in existence giving his Son the exact same worship that he himself receives.

So here is my challenge to these anti-Trinitarians. Show me a single example where any of Jehovah’s anointed earthly kings received the same exact worship from every created thing in existence like Jesus does and will continue to receive forever and ever.

Finally, the Scriptures teach that there is none like Jehovah who alone is exalted on high:

“Who is like the Lord our God, who dwells on high,” Psalm 113:5

“Let them praise the name of the Lord, FOR HIS NAME ALONE IS EXALTED; His glory is above earth and heaven.” Psalm 148:13 NASB

“The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, AND THE Lord ALONE SHALL BE EXALTED IN THAT DAY. For the day of the Lord of Hosts shall be upon everything that is proud and lofty, and upon everything that is lifted up, and it shall be brought low; and it will be upon all the cedars of Lebanon that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan, and upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up, and upon all the high towers, and upon every fenced wall, and upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant sloops. The loftiness of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be brought low; THE Lord ALONE WILL BE EXALTED IN THAT DAY;” Isaiah 2:11-17

“For thus says THE HIGH AND LOFTY ONE who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell IN THE HIGH and holy PLACE and also with him who is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” Isaiah 57:15

Once again, Jesus must be Jehovah God in order for the Father to exalt him to share in his unique name and status over the entire creation!

“and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power, which He performed in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, FAR ABOVE ALL PRINCIPALITIES, AND POWER, AND MIGHT, AND DOMINION, AND EVERY NAME THAT IS NAMED, NOT ONLY IN THIS AGE BUT ALSO IN THE AGE TO COME. And He put all things in subjection under His feet and made Him the head over all things for the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all things in all ways.” Ephesians 1:19-23

“He is the brightness of His glory, the express image of Himself, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had by Himself purged our sins, HE SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE MAJESTY ON HIGH.” Hebrews 1:3

So much for this rather desperate unitarian objection.

Unless noted otherwise, all Scriptural citations taken from the Modern English Version (MEV) of the Holy Bible.