Learn how to talk to Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses and Muslims about the Trinity
1) LDS (Mormons)
I have spent many hours dialoging with Mormon missionaries and many of them are under the misunderstanding that in general we all believe in the same God and gospel
One approach I take to show them that their god is not the same as the one true God of Scripture:
I take them to their own website and search for the "King Follett"
And I get them to read the last summary paragraph of the first result
Then click on the last link under "Church Resources"
Then show the seven pre-highlighted sections
(If they doubt this I can take them to volume 6 of Journal of Discourses and read Brigham Young's similar teaching there
Next we go to the Bible
Isaiah 43:10-11
Most haven't heard this verse before but if they have they may respond that the context in about false gods
A simple answer to this response would be, "so then this verse is saying that no false gods were ever formed before or after the one true God?"
Clearly that doesn't work
Next I would ask them if Joseph Smith and Brigham Young got their teachings from God or whether they invented it out of their own imagination
The response they will give is God
Then we go to the next chapter and have them read Isaiah 44:4,6
Here God says there aren't any gods besides Himself and that he doesn't know of any
How could God share with Joseph Smith things He didn't even know
And shouldn't God be all knowing? (D&C 38:2)
Next we go to the next chapter
Isaiah 45:5-6
Isaiah 45:22
Only the one true God saves
If they bring up some reference to false gods in the Bible
Psalm 96:5
LDS reference images
2) JW (Jehovah Witnesses)
It is important to use the terminology that Jesus is Jehovah God aka God Almighty
Also make clear that when we speak about Jehovah we are talking about God the Father or Father God
Also they are taught to have a total mistrust of any source other than their own publications
Also count the cost and realize with this group especially, but with all other cults as well, that you have to be willing to be hated by the very people you are lovingly sharing the Gospel with
Go to jw.org
Click on "Library" and then "Online Bible"
Select the New World Translation
Jesus
Psalm 102:1-2
Who is the psalmist talking to?
Jehovah
Psalm 102:25-27
Remember that this is all being said to Jehovah
These are unique things that can only apply to Jehovah
No one else created the earth and heavens
No one else can wrap them up
No one else never changes
This is about Jehovah and can only be about Jehovah
Next we go to Hebrews 1:8
Notice that this is about the Son
Who is the Son?
Jesus (according to Christians and JW's alike)
Hebrews 1:10-12
Notice that what the psalmist says about Jehovah, Jehovah is saying the same thing about the Son Jesus
Jeremiah 17:10
Notice that this is Jehovah speaking about Himself
Next we go to Revelation 2:18
Who said these things?
The Son, Jesus
Revelation 2:23
Notice that the Son, Jesus, is saying the same things that Jehovah said
They will probably try to argue that Jesus is also doing these things but the verse says "that I am THE one who searches the innermost thoughts", not another one
The Holy Spirit
Jeremiah 31:33-34
This is Jehovah declaring
Next go to Hebrews 10:15-17
Notice that the Holy Spirit is saying the same thing that Jehovah said and is applying it to Himself
Also the Holy Spirit is speaking which means it can't just be a force
Isaiah 6:8-10
Who is speaking?
Jehovah
Acts 28:25-27
These same words are attributed to the Holy Spirit
So who is speaking? Jehovah or the Holy Spirit?
John 1:1
Notice their translation says "a god"
Go to their interlinear and notice that in vs 6 the word Theos is translated as God with a capital 'G' even though it does not have the definite article
There is a rule in Greek called the Granville Sharp rule, which in part states, that when two singular common nouns are used to describe a person, and those two nouns are joined by an 'and' , and if the definite article precedes only the first word, then both nouns refer to the same person
English example:
We met with the owner and manager of the store, Mr. Smith
Firstborn
Colossians 1:15-17
Although vs 16 says "all other things" the interlinear does not because they are being held more accountable because the Greek is shown
The other thing they will point out is that Jesus was firstborn which they take to mean that He was the first created
Psalm 89:19-20
We see He is talking about David
Psalm 89:26-27
Notice that David is set as firstborn
But David was 7th in his family and was not Israel's first king either
Rather God was making David the highest, supreme king
So too, firstborn in Colossians needn't mean first created
JW reference images
3) Islam (Muslim)
Despite some modern English translations of the Qur'an, it does not use the word 'trinity' in the Arabic
However it does address the subject just as the Bible does without using the term
The question we will ask is whether the Qur'an's author understood the concept of the trinity
According to Islamic orthodoxy the Qur'an was a divine revelation and so to find fault with the Qur'an is to find a mistake in Allah, not just Mohamad
In other words "If the Qur’an is the very words of Allah without admixture of man’s insights or thoughts, then it would follow inevitably that its representations will be perfectly accurate and its arguments compelling" (James White, What Every Christian Needs to Know About the Qur'an)
Surah An-Nisa 4:166
We will find that the word 'three' occurs in the context of dealing with 'the people of the book' which specifically refers to Christians
Also it is important to note that if they argue that the word 'trinity' does not occur in the Bible let them know that 'tawhid' (which is their doctrine of monotheism) does not occur in the Qur'an either
So the task with the Muslim is to show that the Qur'an is in error when it comes to Christian beliefs about the trinity and therefore Allah is in error and must not be an all-knowing god
Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:47-48
The author of the Qur'an clearly thinks that it lines up with the Gospels and our Bible
Some might argue that the Bible used to be exactly in line with the Qur'an but has changed over time
However, the Qur'an was written in the 7th century and we have many copies of the Bible from that time and before so we know exactly what was in the Scriptures that are being referred to here
Surah An-Nisa 4:171
When the Qur'an says "say not three" it is clearly talking about Christians since it mentions the Messiah and Mary
It also seems to think that Christians are polytheists and believe in three gods which is not true
It seems that when it says "He is far above having a son" the author might be thinking that God procreated Jesus and that Jesus was not co-eternal and co-equal with the Father
Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:72-73
The phrase "God is the Christ, son of Mary" is not a phrase Christians do or have thought
The author of the Qur'an seems confused on what the Bible teaches
The Bible says to worship God alone but has no problem with worshiping the lamb in Revelation 22:3 whereas the Qur'an seems to think that the trinity means 3 distinct gods (polytheism rather than monotheism)
Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:75
Why does Mary keep getting brought up when talking about the trinity?
Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:116
Here Allah asks Jesus if He had commanded Christians to worship God, Jesus, and Mary
Not even Catholics think that Mary is part of the trinity
Surely, if Allah is the all-knowing, he would never have given such a weak argument against a misrepresentation of Christianity
