Those Christians Who Claim That the Trinity Originates from the Torah Are Mistaken
The term "Son of God" and the term "We," which God uses for His own person, appear in many places in the Torah. Some Christians regard these terms as the source of belief in the Trinity. However, they make a grave mistake.
1. One of the names of God in Hebrew is "Elohim." In Hebrew, the suffix -im is generally used to express the plural (such as with bayit; home, batim; homes). Due to this suffix in the noun Elohim, some Christians have thought that the name of God here is a plural form and they have claimed that, according to the Torah, the Israelites also believed in the Trinity. However, there are several words in Hebrew that end with the suffix -im but still express a singular form: these include Panim; face, Shamayim; sky or skies, Rahamim; mercy or compassion, Mayim; water and, Pnim; interior, and many others. The idea that the Torah therefore contains the concept of the Trinity is based on ignorance.
In any case, in Hebrew the verb changes according to whether the subject is singular or plural. It is therefore easy to tell if a sentence refers to a single person or more than one by looking at the verb. If the word Elohim were plural, as some Christians maintain, then the Hebrew should read "Vayomru Elohim" (the gods said). But on every occasion the Torah reads "Vayomer Elohim" (God said).
2. The same thing applies to another name of God in the Hebrew Gospel. Some Christians mispronounce the word "Adonai." What it really means is "My Lords." But this is not the correct pronunciation in Hebrew. The word is read "Adonoy" and very definitely is not a plural form.
3. Christians try to use these words that appear in the Book of Genesis as evidence for the idea of the three-in-one:
Then God said, "Let Us make mankind in Our image, in Our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them. (Genesis, 1: 26-27)
Christians seek to use this passage in which God refers to Himself in the plural saying, "Let Us make mankind in Our image, in Our likeness," and then in the next passage His referring to Himself in the singular as major evidence for the Trinity. This is an exceedingly forced interpretation, however. Anybody, even a child, who has not been indoctrinated with the idea of the Trinity will immediately realize that the plural forms here are specially used to emphasize the might and greatness of God. The word "We" which our Lord uses for His own person appears in many verses of the Koran, which condemns the idea of the Trinity or the three-in-one:
We have decreed death for you and We will not be forestalled. (Koran, 56:60)
4. Christians also interpret the following passage of the Torah according to their own mindset:
Come near me and listen to this: "From the first announcement I have not spoken in secret; at the time it happens, I am there." And now the Sovereign Lord has sent me, endowed with His Spirit. (Isaiah, 48:16)
Christians also misinterpret this passage from the Torah and try to use it as evidence for the Trinity with some compulsory explanations made in parenthesis. They say that the three elements of the Trinity appear in it. However, the term "son of God" does not appear in it at all, while the section interpreted as the Holy Spirit actually refers to the spirit of God that He breathed into man. God also reveals in the Koran that He breathed His Own Spirit into man:
He Who has created all things in the best possible way. He commenced the creation of man from clay; then produced his seed from an extract of base fluid; then formed him and breathed His Spirit into himand gave you hearing, sight and hearts. What little thanks you show! (Koran, 32:7-9)
God's breathing of His Own Spirit shows that every human being bears His Spirit and that nothing is separate from God. It is inconceivable how Christians interpret this to mean the Holy Spirit and manage to glean the idea of the son of God from this.
5. The following passage from the Zabur (the Book of Psalms in the Torah) is also misinterpreted by some Christians:
I will proclaim the Lord's decree: He said to me, "You are My son; today I have become your father. Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the Earth your possession." (Psalms 2:7-8)
As also appears in other passages from the Torah, the concept being described as "son" here refers to Israel. The reference here is to how God will protect the devout people of Israel. This passage describes how God will protect His beloved servants as a father protects his sons.
6. Efforts have also been made to equate the reference to "son of man" in the following passage from the Book of Daniel 7:13-14 to the misinterpretations of the Gospel and to claim that this refers to the divine nature ascribed to Jesus. This is a totally false interpretation, however:
"In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into His Presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed." (Daniel, 7:13-14)
The reference here is to a mortal human being, and Torah scholars are unanimously agreed that the "King" refers to the King Messiah, the Mahdi, who will come in the End Times. The King Messiah will reign over all nations, and all peoples and nations will be content with him.
It needs to be stated that the Jews never regarded the passages from the Torah in question in terms of the Trinity, neither in the time of the Prophet Moses (pbuh) nor afterward. These concepts were never understood in the sense of the Trinity when the Torah was first revealed. The Jews are perfectly well aware of the true and profound meanings of these terms in the Torah and seek shelter with God from interpreting them as involving the Trinity. They understand the sense of these terms and realize that they stress the love, protectiveness and closeness of God to His servant. Indeed, Jews also oppose the false impressions that some Christians seek to give through their literal interpretation of passages from the Torah.
The Christians who interpret these passages in terms of the Trinity also seek to produce evidence for their claims from the Koran. Yet the belief that appears in all these passages from the Torah and the Psalms is a monotheistic faith. The Gospel, which confirms the Torah, also praises this monotheistic faith. Our Christian brothers really must see this reality in the Gospel.
A synagogue in Berlin
Supporters of the Trinity maintain that the belief originates from the Torah. Because Christian belief needs to be compatible with the Torah they seek to produce evidence from it, in their own eyes, and interpret some passages from the Torah in an incorrect manner. However, Judaic clergy have always rejected this specious claim made by the supporters of the Trinity. The Torah also rejects belief in the Trinity, just like the Gospel.
Supporters of the Trinity maintain that the belief originates from the Torah. Because Christian belief needs to be compatible with the Torah they seek to produce evidence from it, in their own eyes, and interpret some passages from the Torah in an incorrect manner. However, Judaic clergy have always rejected this specious claim made by the supporters of the Trinity. The Torah also rejects belief in the Trinity, just like the Gospel.
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