God is One,but not solitary

The Church's relationship with the Muslims:''The plan of Salvation also include those who acknowledge the Creator,in the first place amongst these are the Muslims;these profess to hold the faith of Abraham,and together with us adore the one,merciful God ,mankind's judge on the last day.'' Catholic Catechism.

Tatian the Syrian"We are not playing the fool, you Greeks, nor do we talk nonsense, when we report that God was born in the form of a man" (Address to the Greeks 21 [A.D. 170]).

In this post I will discuss the differences between Christianity and Islam.I am not interested in a
'debate' but I will instead: ''Be ready at all times to answer anyone who asks you to explain the hope you have in you,but do it with gentleness and respect'' 1 pet.3:15.A Muslim friend of mine once asked ''if God is One why do you worship three?.....and if God is the Father who was his wife?'' Such odd questions for a Christian to answer I suppose but here I will attempt to answer these and other issues and questions. Let,s however agree on one thing Mary was a virgin when she gave birth to Jesus (God who saves) Luk.1:34. He had no human Father. God would be His Father ''He said to me you are my Son today I have begotten you'' ps.2:7 .Nothing perverted here Mary was indeed a 'virgin' when she gave birth ,but the Holy Spirit 'overshadowed' her which means to eclipse or to take over ; so that's what God did,He took over her womb and became Incarnate.In the Koran it says ' We breathed in to her of our spirit' 21:19 and 'We breathed into her body of our spirit' 66:12 in the book of Mary.It also says that he would be a 'holy son'19:16-21,who can be holy but God alone? How can he be no more than a messenger? And why does God speak in the third person? see Gen.1:26. O foolish and unwise people...Is he not your Father who created you? Deut.32:6O...people of the book(christians) do not exaggerate in your Religion nor utter aught concerning Allah save the truth. The Messiah Jesus,son of Mary was only a messenger of Allah,and His word which he conveyed to Mary and a spirit from him.So believe Allah and his messengers and say not ''three''cease! It is better for! Allah is only One God.Far is it removed from his transcendent majesty that he should have a son.He is all that is in the heavens and that is in the earth.And Allah is sufficient as it,s defender.'' ch.4:Surah 171.But it says here that Jesus was the 'Word' of God and the 'spirit' of God. Look at what it says in Gen.1:1-2,3 In the beginning....and the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters.And God said ''Let there be light'' and there was light. Which is the same as in John 1:1,5....In the beginning was the Word....The light shines in the darkness,and darkness was not able to over come it.....and the Word was made flesh (a human being)...In :18 it says No one has ever seen God;the only Son who is in the bosom of the Father he has made him known.And in :32,34 it says And John bore witness,''I saw the spirit descend as a dove from heaven and it remained on him...and I have seen and bore witness that this is the Son of God.'' Now Muslims believe that the scriptures were corrupted but how? Who can write like this ? And for what purpose? Nothing offended the Jews more that this;'Hear, O Israel ,the Lord our God the Lord is One.' Deut.6;4 and in Mat. 26:63 ,64 it says: ''I charge you under oath by the living God:Tell us if you are the Messiah the Son of the God." Jesus replied ''Yes it is as you say''... they said ''Blasphemy'' and ''He is worthy of death'' Who can make up such a thing? And look at the scene in John 8:52-58....you say that if anyone keeps your word, he will never taste death....Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died and so did the prophets.Who do you think you are?......''I tell you the truth,'' Jesus answered ,'' before Abraham was, I AM!'' At this they picked up stones to stone him but Jesus hid himself,slipping away from the temple grounds.Let,s look at another passage from the Koran; And when Allah said ''O Jesus,son of Mary did you say unto mankind:Take me and my mother as two gods besides Allah ? He said be glorified it was not mine to utter that to which I had no right. (surah5:116) Here it is suggesting that Christians misunderstood Jesus ...''it was not mine to utter such things"...But look at what Jesus really says in Luk.24,42
...He explained to them what was said in all the scriptures concerning himself....and he opened their minds so they could understand..and what about John the baptist and his testimony? Are we to discard it as corrupt in which twice it said ''John bore witness" ? Is there any reason not to trust him? Look at another testimony in Mat.16:13-17....''who do people say the Son of Man is?'' and they said.....''one of the prophets''...''But what about you? who do you say that I am?'' Peter answered ''you are the Christ,Son of the living God.'' Jesus replied ''Blessed are you..for this was not revealed to you by man but by my Father in heaven.'' And in 2 Pet.1:16-18, it says ''We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were EYEWITNESSES of his majesty.For we received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory,saying 'This is my Son,whom I am well pleased'.We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with Him on the sacred mountain.'' see also Transfiguration mat.17:1-
Adam and Jesus:
When God created man,he made him in his own likeness and image....When Adam lived 130 years,he had a son in his own likeness,in his own image...Gen.5:1-3 Here we learn that to be in the 'likeness' and 'image' of someone, signifies sonship or next of kin. "He is the image of the invisible God..for by him all things were created...he is before all things." Col.1;15-17....Adam was a figure of the one to come.But the two are not the same because God's gift is not like Adam's sin. Rom.5:14,15. .In 1 Cor.15:22 says "For as in Adam all die so in Christ all will be made alive." 1 Cor.15:47 says "The first man was of the dust of the earth,the second man from heaven." In Heb.2:14 it says "Since the children have flesh and blood,he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death. In Rev.1:17,18 Jesus says ''Do not be afraid.I am the First and the Last.I am the living one;I was dead and behold I am alive forever and ever!
Isaac and Jesus:
Some time later God tested Abraham.He said to him ''Abraham!'' Here I am he replied.Then God said ''Take your son,your only son whom you love and go the region of Moriah.Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.'' When they reached the place where God had told them about...he bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar,on top of the wood.Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son....but God said...''Do not lay your hand on the boy.'' he said ''Do not do anything to him.Now I know that you fear God,because you have not withheld your son from me,your Only son. Gen.22 :1-19. Now Muslims will argue 'this is proof that God would never allow such a sacrifice' But why not ? It was a burnt offering not a 'murder' and besides God was only testing Abraham ''Now I know that you fear God....'' .12.But God accepted it as a sacrifice....you have not withheld your son from me,your Only son.'' .16.Notice a parallel in Rom.8:32 "He who did not spare his own son but gave him up for us all....and in John 3:16 "For God so loved the world he gave up his one and only son.... Christians see this as a prophecy of Jesus' sacrifice ''God himself will provide the Lamb...'' Gen.22:8. "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." John 1:29 .The relationship between Abraham and Isaac is seen in the likeness of God the Father and his son ''the only Son who is in the bosom of the Father...'' John 1:18.What about Ishmael you may ask? And Abraham said to God ''If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!'' Then God said ''Yes,but your wife will bear you a son and you will call him Isaac I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant....as for Ishmael I will surely bless him...but my covenant will be with Isaac." Ishmael was not the son God wanted for Abraham whom he bore with Hagar (a substitute wife when Sarah couldn't conceive) see Gen.15:4 ,17:16.His son by the slave woman was born in the ordinary way;but his son Isaac was a result of a promise....Now you brothers (Christians),like Isaac,are children of promise.Gal.4:23,28 .
Abraham could never have two wives at the same time, it went against God's Covenant with Adam and Eve..."Haven't you read......that at the beginning the Creator made them male and female..they are no longer two but one''.....Mat.19:4-6.Let's look at one more passage in regards to Jesus's sacrifice.First of all Jesus comes to us in the likeness of Moses ''The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your own brothers;you must listen to him." Deut.18:15 But Jesus was greater than moses ''A man who builds a house receives greater honour than the house it,s self.In the same way Jesus is worthy of a much greater honour than Moses.'' Heb.3:3 Indeed in accordance to the Law sins are forgiven only if blood is poured out.Heb. 9:22. Why is this so difficult for Muslims to except? Sin is indeed ugly,"For the life of the flesh is in the blood and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar;it is the blood the makes atonement for one's life.Lev.17:10.But it was necessary...You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways you inherited from your fathers,not with perishable things such as silver or gold,but with the precious blood of Christ,like a lamb without blemish or spot. 1 Pet.1;18,19."These words are faithful and true" Rev.22:6, "I Jesus,have sent my angel to testify to you...Rev.22:16.The Christian faith is more than a 'religious belief',rather it is a relationship with the living God based on a binding promise called a Covenant with the one mediator of the Covenant Jesus Christ who sealed this in his own blood.Through this Covenant (a sacred bond) God has made us his family (Ummah) "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us,that we should be called children of God! 1 jh 3:1.
Now this is the Catholic faith: We worship one God in the Trinity and the Trinity in the unity;In the Incarnation, God's Son reveals that God is the eternal Father and the Son is consubstantial with the Father,which means that,in the Father and with the Father the Son is one and the same.Catholic Catechism