Unity and Omnipotence of God

 

A Christian stated:-

The Quran and Hadith teach that Jesus was NOT God incarnate because God could not have fitted his infinite, almighty self into the standard sized human body of Jesus.

Comment:-

False.

According to the Quran Allah is self-existing, all-powerful, omni-present, and omniscient. Jesus is a man with human limitations, having been born and died, and being dependant on food and air and on Allah as the New Testament also confirms. Read : John 5:30, 6:38, 57, 7:16, 8:28, 10:37-38, 12:49

E.g.:-

"I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me." John 5:30

Therefore, if you wish to be a good follower of Jesus you have to "Surrender to God".

Christian:-

I've tried to understand how or why such limitations are placed on God. He is almighty, and thus entirely capable of doing what ever he deems necessary.

Comment:-

As He is everywhere, including in man, He has no need to confine Himself to a man.

Christian:-

Contemplate a very large corporate office computer that has ALL the corporate information stored in its files and has ALL the corporate planning and management procedure in the form of programs that run on this corporate computer.

Next, contemplate a small, personal computer that has a full time, high quality WiFi connection to the corporate office computer. This small personal computer has been equipped with all the necessary passwords, software, etc, required for complete, total access to any information and operation of any programs that exists on the office central computer.

Would it be prudent to say that the small personal computer was, in effect, one and the same, functionally, as the large corporate central computer? Would this be comparable to Jesus' statement, I and the Father are one?

Comment:-

Jesus' statement would be understood as meaning that he is in surrender to God - i.e. he is a Muslim.

The fact remains that the small computer is NOT the large computer and is wholly dependent for its power on the Greater computer. The destruction of the small computer makes no difference to the existence of the Central computer. But the reverse is not true.

From the Islamic point of view all human beings have the Spirit of God in them (Quran 32:9) and can have access to God and are agents of God to different degrees.

The difference between ordinary man and the Messengers (those who transmit the Word of God) including Jesus is that the Spirit is active in the latter but dormant to different degrees in others. (See Quran 8:24 and 95:4-6 and compare with the words of Jesus for instance in Matthew 7:21-23)

The purpose of sending the Messengers is to activate the Spirit in other human beings. That is: in New Testament terms, to make them symbolically "children of God" (John 1:12) like himself.

The Islamic objection is NOT to the teachings of Jesus but to the misunderstandings of the Christian Church that mistake symbolic language for literalism.

In so far as the Spirit of God is in human beings, they could, from a point of view, be said to be spiritual children of God. But taken literally that would also imply that the child is separate from the Father and that there is also a spiritual mother. This is denied. The spirit in man is not separate from the Spirit of God. That is why we speak about "Surrender". That is a state of Self-realisation, of Awakening (Quran 34:46).

This does not make man into God as some people have suggested. The Spirit is an emanation from God, something sent by God, not God. (See Quran 17:85 and John 14:16-17 and 26, 15:26) It is the medium for the transmission of the Word, which is Truth (Quran 6:74).

Islam rejects the idea that God has a partner or that He is divisible. This is Shirk, polytheism or a compromise, halfway to polytheism. It would be to limit God. He could not then be omni-potent.

Why do Christians require Jesus to be God and one that died?

Christian:-

Christians believe that there is only one God, but that He consists of three persons - Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Together they are one. God is internally divisible. The sacrifice of the Son is required to establish the love of God for man and justify forgiveness of sins. If God is infinitely Just as well as Compassionate then sins have to be punished as well as forgiven.

Comment:-

Islam admits that God has several aspects in that He can be seen from several angles - i.e. He has many attributes. But that is not the same thing as being divisible. It is also possible to admit that Religion, not God, is presented to us by a trinity of (1) God, (2) the Messenger who represents God on earth and (3) the Spirit that informs the Messenger and his followers. These three are one. The Three, Father, Son and Holy Ghost are mentioned only in Matthew 28:19 but not as One God.

But the idea that forgiveness requires the crucifixion of Jesus makes no sense whatever:-

(1) God is ultimately the one who forgives sins and He is perfectly able to forgive sins without conditions. To deny this is to deny His Omnipotence.

(2) A person that died is not compatible with the concept of God.

(3) If Jesus died on the cross and was then resurrected which annuls his death, then there is no sacrifice.

(4) If the sins of a person are paid for by another then there is no justice.

(5) The attributes of God such as Justice, Compassion, Power and so on are not regarded as separate things but aspects of the same thing. There is, therefore, no contradiction between Justice and Compassion. Forgiveness depends on repentance.

But we admit that the compassion and Mercy of God is demonstrated by the fact that He sent Messenger to guide people and who were willing to suffer and devote their lives in this service to God and man. To accept the Messenger and the message he brings is, therefore, to accept the guidance of God and to be spiritually resurrected or regenerated by following it. No twisted arguments are required.

Christianity as taught by the Churches rests on three main doctrines - (1) The divinity of Jesus, (3) the Trinity of God and (3) the Vicarious Atonement through the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. These deny the Unity and Omnipotence of God. But these are NOT the teachings of Jesus as they appear in the New Testament.

 

(1) Jesus did not claim to be God. He did not do or speak of himself but what God instructed. (John 5:30, 6:38, 57, 7:16, 8:28, 10:37-38, 12:49)

"I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me." John 5:30

"..I do nothing of myself; but as the Father hath taught me, I speak these things." John 8:28

"Jesus said unto him: Why callest thou me good? None is good save only one, that is , God." Luke 18:19

These statements deny Omnipotence but affirm Surrender. This is not something said of God or by someone who thinks he is God.

Why did Jesus complain: "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Matthew 27:46

Much is made of the verse "And Thomas answered and said unto him (Jesus): my Lord and my God". But either this is a contradiction of what Jesus taught, or else taking it literally as a statement of truth is to misinterpret it. It is an exclamation. Thomas thought that Jesus was dead and that he was seeing a ghost but Jesus asked him to touch him to see that he was flesh and bone as explained in Luke 24:39-43. But here the Thomas' reaction is not mentioned. Obviously it was not important enough.

Luke 1:31-32 says:-

"And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be CALLED the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:"

It does not say "He will be the Son of God" but "He shall be called the Son of the Highest". The phrase "Son of God" is defined as those who are led by the Word or Spirit of God (John 1:12, John 10:35, Romans 8:14.) Jesus was called Emanuel meaning "God with us" NOT God.

 

(2) The following verses show that there is no Trinity and the Father is the only God:- John 1:18, 4:23,28, 5:37, 6:29,46, 13:16, 15:1-2, 17:3, 20:17. Romans 15:6 1Corinthians 1:3, 3:22-23, 8:5-6, 11:3, 12:4-6 2Corinthians 1:2-3, 11:31, 13:14. Ephesians 1:2-3,17, 6:23, 4:4-6. Galatians 4:4-6. Philippians 1:2, 4:19-20. Colossians 1:2-3. 1Thessalonians 1:1. 2Thessalonians 1:1-2. 1John 4:12. 2John 1:3. 1Timothy 1:2, 17, 2:5, 6:15-16. Titus 1:4. Philemon 1:3. James 2:19. Jude 1:1. 1 Peter 1:2-3.

Even Paul did not believe in Trinity:-

"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" 1 Tim 2:5

"There is actually to us one God the Father,...and there is one Lord, Jesus Christ" 1 Cor 8:6

"One God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all" Eph 4:6

"And ye are Christ's, and Christ is God's" 1 Cor. 3:23

Thus John 1:1 should be "...Word was God's" [Theos = God, Theou = God's]

 

(3) Vicarious Atonement is denied in such verses as:-

"Not every one that saith unto me Lord, Lord shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that does the will of my Father which is in Heaven...." Matthew 7:21-23

"He that hears my word and believes on Him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come unto condemnation, but is passed from death into life." John 5:24

Note that it is not belief in Jesus but in the Father that leads to salvation.

"Be not deceived: God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man sows that shall he also reap. For he that sows to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that sows to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." Galatians 6:7-8

Also see John 9:31, James 2:20, Luke 24:47

Christian:-

We find that some Muslims convert to Christianity because Islam does not assure them forgiveness and salvation as Christianity does. The Quran leaves forgiveness to the whim of Allah in such verses as 2:284, 3:129 and 5:40 etc.

Comment:-

It is generally those who are Muslim in name only and have little knowledge or understanding of Islam that convert to Christianity.

The verses state that Allah is Omnipotent and can do anything He wants – He is not forced by anything to forgive. But the Quran also assures forgiveness for those who repent.

“Allah has promised to those who believe and work righteousness, that for them is forgiveness and a mighty reward.” 5:9 

See also 3:135-136, 4:18,116,  20:82, 22:50, 24:26, 33:35, 35:7, 39:53, 48:29, 57:21, 60:12, 63:6, etc.

Christian Churches teach salvation through faith rather than works implying that belief in the crucifixion of Jesus is sufficient. This is obviously a misunderstanding of what Paul taught. Faith without works is dead – it is not faith. In Islam it is works that transform man but the works are judged by the intentions and the intentions are judged by truth. That is, works are judged by faith and faith by the teachings that come from God. It is Allah who judges what is good or evil and people are judged by the balance between the good and evil they do. It is not for man to judge this. That is, the consequences of actions depend on objective factors not subjective opinions. People have limited knowledge and can deceive themselves. From this point of view there is no certainty as to how much punishment or reward a person will earn – i.e. what the final consequences will be. We are required to acquire correct knowledge and motivations and strive in the correct way. Conversions that depend on unjustified promise of forgiveness and wishful thinking cannot be regarded as valid.

It is necessary to understand that Islam is primarily concerned with a state of being – the state of Surrender to Allah, the ultimate and fundamental objectivity. It is concerned with spiritual growth and not just with salvation, escape from hell or destruction (Quran 91:7-10). The aim is realisation of Tawhid, Absolute Unity – between inner psychological integration, social unity and harmony with the rest of creation. This involves the recognition of the Omnipotence and Omnipresence and Omniscience of Allah and requires absolute Loyalty to Him above all else. This means adherence to Justice, Compassion, Truth and the other attributes of Allah.   It is not fundamentally a Way of Life, though it gives rise to one.  It is not a Culture, though it creates one or more. It is not an ideology, though it contains one or more. It is not a Community though all like minded people form one. It is certainly not to be identified with a territory. 

In general, though the three Abrahamic religions teach the same thing, the emphasis in Hebrewism is on Justice, and in Christianity it is on Love. There is a shift of emphasis from action and ritual to motive and conscience. But Islam is the Religion of Truth (Quran 9:33), that also confirms the other two. Here Knowledge and awareness become more important because people can self-deceive, rationalise and attribute good motives to themselves. These differences must be taken into account. We can acknowledge that the Christian teaching about love have been effective in transforming many individuals and societies. The three doctrines that underpin Christianity have destroyed or obscured the fundamental truth.   

We conclude that there is no contradiction between the teachings of Jesus and the Quran, but there is between the teachings both these and the teachings of the Christian Churches. Islam came to rectify their misunderstanding as predicted in John 16:12-14.

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