God hello you have everlasting life not Jesus?

Answer 1

Jesus is also the source of everlasting life because he is the son of God and a God equal with the Father.

O the answerer: Where is it mentioned that Jesus is God's son? Where is it mentioned that Jesus is God? What is you evidence about Trinity? Read the followings and think once more about these.

Here is a debate between a Muslim and Christian:

M: refers to Muslim and C: refers too Christian

The Doctrine of the Trinity

M. Do you still believe in the Trinity?

C. It is said in the First Epistle of John 5:7-8: "For there are three that bear record in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth: the spirit, and the water, and the blood, and these three agree in one."

M. That is in The King James Version, authorized in 1611, and formed the strongest evidence for the doctrine of the Trinity. But now this part, "the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one," has been expunged in The Revised Standard Version of 1952 and 1971 and in many other Bibles, as it was a gloss that had encroached on the Greek text.

I John 5:7-8 in The New American Standard Bible says: "And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth. For there are three that bear witness, the Spirit and the water, and the blood, and the three are in agreement." Also, in The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures, used by the Jehovah's Witnesses, you will find: "For there are three witness bearers: the spirit, and the water, and the blood, and the three are in agreement." I can understand if you don't know that this important part has been removed, but I wonder why many ministers and preachers are not aware of this.

The Trinity is not biblical. The word "Trinity" is not even in the Bible or Bible dictionaries. It was never taught or mentioned by Jesus. There is no basis or proof in the Bible for its acceptance.

C. But in Matthew 28: 19 we still find: "... baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." This part has not been removed yet. Is this not a proof of the Trinity?

M. No. If three persons are sitting or eating together, does it mean that they form one person? No. The formulation of the Trinity by Athanasius, an Egyptian deacon from Alexandria, was accepted by the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD‹more than three centuries after Jesus had left. No doubt Roman paganism had an influence on this doctrine of a triune god. The Sabbath was shifted to Sunday and December 25, the birthday of their sun god Mithra, was introduced as Jesus' birthday, although the Bible clearly predicted and forbade the decoration of Christmas trees in Jeremiah 10:2-5: "Thus saith the Lord: 'Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold, they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good."

As Christianity deviated far from the original teachings of Jesus, Allah sent His last prophet, Muhammad, as a revivalist to undo changes made by man: the Roman Julian calendar was introduced as the Christian era; Pork was allowed; circumcision was abolished by Paul (Galatians 5:2: "Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing."

The Qur'an warns in Surah 5:73: Surely they are disbelievers, those who said: 'Allah is one of the three in a Trinity.' But there is none who has the right to be worshipped but one God (Allah). And if they cease not from what they say, verily a painful torment will befall the disbelievers among them. Do you still believe in the Trinity, which was never taught by Jesus?

C. But God and Jesus are one (John 14: 11): "Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me."

M. Read John 17:21.

C. "That they [the disciples] all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they may also be one in us ..."

M. It is clear here that God and Jesus are one, and that the disciples are one in Jesus and God. If Jesus is God because he is in God, why are the disciples then not God, as they are like Jesus, who is in God? If God, Jesus, and the Holy Ghost form one unit‹the Trinity‹with the disciples included they should form a fifteen unit God.

C. But Jesus is God according to John 14:9: "... he that hath seen me hath seen the Father."

M. Look at what comes before and after: (John 14:8): "Philip saith unto him: 'Lord, show us the Father, and it aufficeth us."' (John 14:9): "Jesus saith unto him: 'Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? He that hath seen me hast seen the Father; and how sayest thou then: Shew us the Father?"'

Jesus asked Philip how to show God to the disciples, which is impossible. You should believe in God by admiring His creation: the sun, the moon, all creation, and Jesus, who was created by God. He said in John 4:24: "God is a Spirit" and in John 5:37: "Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape." How can you see a spirit? What they saw was Jesus, not God. Paul said in I Timothy 6: 16: "... whom no man hath seen, nor can see." So what you see is not God. The Qur'an says in Surah 5:103: "Vision comprehends Him not, but He comprehends (all) vision. He is the Subtle, the Aware."

C. It is hard to deny what has been taught to us since childhood.

M. Maybe the following questions will give you a better understanding of the Trinity: What is the Holy Spirit?

C. The Holy Spirit is the Holy Ghost and is also God. We are taught that the Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Ghost is God. We are not allowed to say Three Gods, but One God.

M. Read Matthew 1:18.

C. "Now the birth of Jesus Christ was in this way: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost."

M. Compare this with Luke 1:26-27.

C. "And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary."

M. In Jesus' miraculous birth Matthew mentioned the Holy Ghost and Luke mentioned the angel Gabriel. What is the Holy Ghost?

C. That being the case, the Holy Ghost is the angel Gabriel.

M. Do you still believe in the Trinity now?

C. Then God is God and the Holy Ghost or the Holy Spirit is the angel Gabriel, and Jesus is ...

M. Let me help you: Jesus is a prophet, the son of Mary.

C. How can you solve what we call a divine mystery?

M. We use the Qur'an as the standard to correct man made changes in previously revealed scriptures. If you believe in One God, and Jesus as a prophet, why don't you go one step further and accept Muhammad as the last messenger? Recite after me the shahadah or witness (testimony), first in English and then in Arabic.

C. I bear witness that there is no deity except Allah, Who has no partner, and Muhammad is His servant and messenger. Ashhadu an la illaha illa Allahu wahdahu la sharikah lahu WA ashhadu Anna Muhammadan abdahu WA rasuluhu.

But what about my great grandparents? I would like to stay with them. They were all Christians.

M. Abraham left his parents and great grandparents when the truth‹ Islam‹was revealed to him. Everyone is responsible for himself. Maybe the truth hadn't come to your ancestors as clearly as it has to you. The Qur'an says in Surah 17:15: Whoever goes right, then, he goes right only for his own soul's benefit. And whoever goes astray, then he goes astray only to his own loss. No laden soul can bear another's load. And We never punish until We have sent an apostle (to give warnings). The Truth has come to you and it is up to you.

C. Can I accept both Islam and Christianity?

M. There is no force in religion. You can do what you want. But if YOU combine both faiths, it means you haven't surrendered to Allah. You are still a disbeliever, as He states in Surah 4:150-152: Verily those who disbelieve in Allah and His messengers and wish to make distinction between Allah and His messengers [by believing in Allah and disbelieving in His messengers] saying: 'We believe in some and reject others,' and wish to take a way in between [this and] that: They are disbelievers in truth. And We have prepared for disbelievers a humiliating torment. To those who believe in Allah and His messengers and make no distinction between any of them [messengers], We shall give them their rewards, and Allah is Forgiving, Most Merciful. You may agree with me if we discuss some other issues.

C. Should we recite a confession (shahadah) before we are fully committed?

M. As soon as you reach adulthood and you are mentally competent, you are then committed whether you recite the shahadah or not. Allah created this world for a purpose. He has supplied you with the organs to differentiate between right and wrong. He has sent many prophets as warners. We are created to worship Him and to compete with each other in good deeds in this world.

Surah 3:191: ... Our Lord! You have not created [all] this without purpose, Glory to You! ... "

Surah 90:8-10: Have We not made for him [mankind] a pair of eyes? And a tongue and a pair of lips? And shown him the two ways [good and evil]?

Surah 51:56: And I created not the jinns and mankind except they should worship Me [alone]. (Every deed for the pleasure of Allah is worship.)

Surah 18:7: Verily! We have made that which is on earth as an adornment for it [the earth] in order that We may test them [mankind] as to which of them is better in deeds.

The Doctrine of the Divinity of Jesus Christ

M. Is Jesus God?

C. Yes. In the Gospel according to John 1:1: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was Cod."

M. We have agreed that a holy scripture should not contain contradictions. If there are two conflicting verses, then only one can be true or both are wrong, for both cannot be correct.

According to John l:1 Jesus is God. Then how many Gods are there? Two at least. This contradicts many passages in the Bible: Deuteronomy 4:39: "... that the Lord He is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else"; Deuteronomy 6:4: "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord", (Isaiah 43:10-11): "... that ye may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He: before Me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after Me. I, even I, am the Lord; and beside Me there is no savior"; (Isaiah 44:6): "Thus saith the Lord ... I am the first, and I am the last, and beside Me there is no God"; (Isaiah 45:18): "For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God Himself that formed the earth and made it; He hath established it, He created it not in vain, He formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord; and there is none else."

From Isaiah 45:18 we can conclude that God alone was the Creator and that no one else, not even Jesus, participated in the creation.

You should also read Deuteronomy 4:35; Exodus 8:10; II Samuel 7:22; I Kings 8:23; I Chronicles 17:20; Psalms 86:8, 89:6 and 113:5; Hosea 13:4; and Zechariah 14:9.

C. But these are all in the Old Testament. Do you find these same statements in the New Testament?

M. Sure. Read Mark 12:29, where it is recorded that Jesus himself said: "And Jesus answered him: 'The first of all the commandments is: Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord."'

I Corinthians 8:4: "... we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one"; (I Timothy 2:5): "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." Look at the expression "the man Christ Jesus." Now you can either say that John 1:1 is right and all these other verses are wrong, or vice versa.

C. How can anybody make such a judgment?

M. Lets look at it from the Qur'anic point of view, which corresponds with what Jesus himself said in the Bible. Jesus is mentioned several times in the Qur'an as a "Word from Allah." In Surah 3:39: Then the angels called to him [Zechariah] while he was standing in prayer in the chamber (saying): "Allah gives you glad tidings of John [the Baptist] believing in a Word from Allah [Jesus, son of Mary], noble, keeping away from sexual relations with women, a prophet, and one of the righteous."

In Surah 3:45: [Remember] when the angels said: "O Mary! Verily Allah gives you the glad tidings of a Word from Him, his name will be Messiah Jesus, the son of Mary, held in honor in this world and the Hereafter, and of those who are near to Allah." In both verses, Jesus is called a "Word from Allah," by which is meant a Word coming from Allah or belonging to Allah, in correspondence with I Corinthians 3:23: "And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's." John 1:1 should also have been written: "... and the Word was God's." The mistake could have been in the translation from Aramaic to Greek, deliberately or not. In the Greek language, Theos is God, while Theou means God's (see any Greek dictionary or Bible, or Muhammad in the Bible by Prof. Abdul Ahad Dawud, former Bishop of Uramiah, page 16). This difference of only one letter has major consequences.

C. Why is Jesus called the "Word of God" in both scriptures?

M. The creation of Jesus in Mary's womb was without sperm, for it was the result of the decree of Allah: "Be" as mentioned in the Surah 3:47: She [Mary] said; "O, my Lord! How shall I have a son when no man has touched me?" He said: "So [it will be], for Allah creates what He will. When He has decreed something, He says to it only 'Be' and it is."

C. Jesus is God because he is filled with the Holy Spirit.

M. But there are other people who have been filled with the Holy Ghost? Are they also divine? Look at Acts 11:24: "For he [Barnabas] was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith; and many people were added unto the Lord" and Acts 5:32: "And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him." You should also read Acts 6:5; II Peter 1:21; II Timothy 1:14; I Corinthians 2:16; Luke 1:41.

C. But Jesus was filled with the Holy Ghost while he was still in his mother's womb.

M. The same was true with John the Baptist, for we read in Luke 1: 13, IS: "But the angel said unto him: 'Fear not, Zacharias, for thy prayer is heard, and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. "'

C. But Jesus could do miracles. He fed five thousand people with only five loaves and two fishes.

M. The same was done by Elisha and Elijah. Elisha fed a hundred people with twenty barley loaves and a few ears of corn, for II Kings 4:44 relates: "So he set it before them, and they did eat, and left thereof, according to the word of the Lord." Elisha secured the increase of a widow's oil and he said to her, in II Kings 4:7: "Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest." See also I Kings 17:16: "And the barrel of meal wasted not neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which he speak by Elijah." Also I Kings 17:6: "And the ravens brought him [Elijah] bread and flesh in the morning, bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook."

C. But Jesus could heal leprosy.

M. So could Elisha, who told Naaman the leper to wash in the Jordan river. As recounted in II Kings 5:14: "Then went he [Naaman] down and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God [Elisha]: and his flesh came again like unto a flesh of a little child, and he was clean."

C. But Jesus could cause a blind man to see again.

M. So could Elisha: II Kings 6:17: "And Elisha prayed, and said: 'Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see.' And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man: and he saw ...", II Kings 6:20: "And it came to pass, when they were come into Samaria, that Elisha said: 'Lord, open the eyes of these men, that they may see.' And the Lord opened their eyes, and they saw; and behold, they were in the midst of Samaria."

Elisha was also told to cause blindness: 11 Kings 6: 18: "And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the Lord, and said: 'Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness.' And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha."

C. Jesus could raise the dead.

M. Compare that with Elijah: I Kings 17:22: "And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah: and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived." Such a miracle was also attributed to Elisha: II Kings 4:34: "And he [Elisha] went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands, and he stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm."

Even touching the bones of Elisha could restore a dead body to life: II Kings 13:21: "And it came to Dass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet."

C. But Jesus walked upon the water.

M. Moses stretched out his arms over the sea: Exodus 14:22: "And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left."

C. But Jesus could cast out devils.

M. Jesus himself admitted that other people could do it: Matthew 12:27 and Luke 11:19: "And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore shall they be your judges. "

Also the disciples could cast out devils, as Jesus said: Matthew 7:22: "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name, and in thy name have cast out devils, and in thy name done many wonderful works?"

Even false prophets would do wonders, as prophesied by Jesus himself: Matthew 24:24: "For there shall arise false Christ, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect."

C. But Elijah and Elisha did wonders through praying to the Lord.

M. Jesus also did the miracles with the grace of God, as he himself said: John 5:30: "I can of mine own self do nothing ..." and Luke 11:2): "But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the Kingdom of God is come upon you."

All miracles performed by Jesus have been done by previous prophets, disciples, and even unbelievers. On the other hand, Jesus could do no mighty work where there was unbelief: Mark 6:5-6: "And he could there do no mighty work save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. and he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went around about the villages, teaching."

C. But Jesus was resurrected three days after he died.

M. We will talk about his crucifixion later, because there are so many controversies about it. For now, I'll only say that this was said by Paul, who never saw Jesus alive: II Timothy 2:8: "Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel."

The gospel of resurrection in Mark 16:9-20 has also been removed in many Bibles. If it has not been removed, it is printed in small print or between two brackets and with commentary. See The Revised Standard version, The New American Standard Bible, and The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures of the Jehovah's Witnesses. Let me ask you one thing: Did Jesus ever claim to be God or to say: "Here am I, your God, and worship me?"

C. No, but he is God and man.

M. But did he ever claim that?

C. No.

M. Indeed, he prophesied that people would worship him uselessly and would believe in doctrines made not by God but by man: Matthew 15:9: "But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

All doctrines of modern Christianity are made by men: the Trinity, the divine sonship of Jesus, the divinity of Jesus Christ, and the doctrines Original Sin and Atonement. From Jesus' own sayings, recorded in the New Testament, it is clear that he never claimed divinity or identity with God: "I do nothing of myself" (John 8:28); "My Father is greater than I" (John 14:28; "The Lord our God is one Lord" (Mark 12: 29); "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Mark 15:34); and "Father, into Thy hands I commend my spirit" (Luke 23:46); and "But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father" (Mark 13:32). Jesus was called a prophet, a teacher from God, His servant, the Messiah, and later was escalated to the Son of God, and then to God Himself.

Let us now use our reason: how can a mortal woman give birth to God?

Jesus slept while God never sleeps: Psalms 121:4: "Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep." God should be powerful‹but how could people spit on him and crucify him as the Bible alleges? How could Jesus be God if he worshipped God as any other mortal: Luke 5:16: "And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed."

Jesus was tempted by Satan for forty days(Luke 4:1-13), but in James 1:13 it is said: "... for God cannot be tempted with evil ..." How can Jesus be God, then? We can rationalize further and further.

C. Yes, I myself can't understand it, but we have to accept it blindly.

M. Doesn't that attitude contradict the Bible itself, which says that you have to prove it: I Thessalonians 5:21: "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good."

C. It's really confusing.

M. But I Corinthians 14:33 says: "For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints." Doctrines made by men create confusion.

The Doctrine of the Divine Sonship of Jesus

M. Is Jesus the Son of God?

C. Yes. Read in Matthew 3:17, when Jesus was baptized by John: "And lo a voice from heaven, saying" 'This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."'

M. You should not accept the word "son" literally, because the Bible also refers to many prophets and other people as sons and children of God. Read Exodus 4:22.

C. "And thou [Moses] shalt say unto Pharaoh: 'Thus saith the Lord, Israel is my son, even my firstborn."'

M. Here is Jacob (Israel) His firstborn son. Read II Samuel 7:13-14 or I Chronicles 22:10.

C. "He [Solomon] shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his father and he shall be My son."

M. It will be confusing if you read Jeremiah 31:9: "I am a father to Israel and Ephraim is my firstborn." In Exodus 4:22 just now, Israel was called also called the firstborn. Who is the real firstborn: Israel or Ephraim? Even common people can be children of God. Read Deuteronomy 14:1.

C. "Ye are the children of the Lord your God."

M. Common people can also be called firstborn. Read Romans 8:29.

C. "For whom he did fore know, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn of many brethren."

M. If all are firstborn, then what is Jesus?

C. He is the only begotten son of God.

M. Long before Jesus was born, God said to David (Psalms 2:7): "I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me [David]: 'Thou art my son; this day have I begotten thee."' So David is also God's begotten son. The meaning of "Son of God" is not literal but metaphorical. It can be anyone who is beloved by God. Jesus also said that God is not only his Father but also your Father (Matthew 5:45, 48).

C. "That ye may be the children of your Father" and "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

M. You can see in many biblical passages that the phrase "Son of God" signifies love and affection and neamess to God, and that it is not to be applied to Jesus alone. You will see sons and daughters of God: II Connthians 6:18: "And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." In view of these and other passages in the Bible, there is no reason why Jesus should be regarded as the son of God in a literal or unique sense.

C. But he has no father. That is why he is the son of God.

M. Then you must also consider Adam as a son of God, for he had no father or mother. In Luke 3:38, it is said "... Seth, who was the son of Adam, who was the son of God." Read Hebrews 7:3.

C. "Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the son of God; abideth a priest continually."

M. Who is he? The answer is in Hebrews 7:1: "Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham ..." He is more unique than Jesus or Adam. Why is he not considered a son of God or God Himself?

C. What do you call Jesus then?

M. Muslims call him Jesus, the son of Mary.

C. No one will deny this.

M. Yes, it is simple and nobody can deny it. Jesus called himself the son of man and refused to be called son of God. Read Luke 4:41.

C. "And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying: 'Thou art Christ, the Son of God. And he, rebuking them, suffered them not to speak, for they knew that he was Christ."

M. It is clear here that he refused to be called the son of God. He also refused such a designation in Luke 9:20-21, and told his disciples not to refer to him that way.

C. "He [Jesus] said unto them [the disciples]: 'But whom say ye that I am?' Peter, answering, said: 'The Christ of God.' And he straightly charged them and commanded them to tell no man that thing."

M. Jesus, who was the expected Messiah, a prophet, was escalated from teacher to son of God, Lord, and finally to God Himself. Read John 3:2: "The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him: 'Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God ..."; John 6:14: "Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said: 'This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world."' Jesus is also called a prophet in John 7:40; Matthew 21:11; Luke 7:16 and 24:19. In Acts 9:20, we read: "And straightway he [Paul] preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the son of God." (You can conclude from here also that early Christians were still using synagogues, but later when Christianity deviated from the original teaching of Jesus, churches were established. Paul, Barnabas, and the Gentiles were expelled from the synagogues, as they were accused of blasphemy and pollution. See Acts 13:50, 17:18, and 21:28.). In Luke 2:11, it is said that: "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord" and in John 1:1: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

Here is my response to the accusation from non-Christian groups

Hey! Muslim do not judge the Christian as wrong teaching. Before you will accuse them investigate first them by studying the Catechism of the Catholic church and the faith explained:

The Trinity is One. We do not confess three Gods, but one God in three persons, the "consubstantial Trinity".The divine persons do not share the one divinity among themselves buteach of them is God whole and entire: "The Father is that which the Sonis, the Son that which the Father is, the Father and the Son that whichthe Holy Spirit is, i.e. by nature one God." In the wordsof the Fourth Lateran Council (1215), "Each of the persons is thatsupreme reality, viz., the divine substance, essence or nature."

The divine persons are really distinct from one another. "God is one but not solitary.""Father", "Son", "Holy Spirit" are not simply names designatingmodalities of the divine being, for they are really distinct from oneanother: "He is not the Father who is the Son, nor is the Son he who is the Father, nor is the Holy Spirit he who is the Father or the Son."They are distinct from one another in their relations of origin: "It is the Father who generates, the Son who is begotten, and the Holy Spiritwho proceeds." The divine Unity is Triune.

The divine persons are relative to one another.Because it does not divide the divine unity, the real distinction ofthe persons from one another resides solely in the relationships whichrelate them to one another: "In the relational names of the persons theFather is related to the Son, the Son to the Father, and the HolySpirit to both. While they are called three persons in view of theirrelations, we believe in one nature or substance." Indeed "everything (in them) is one where there is no opposition of relationship.""Because of that unity the Father is wholly in the Son and wholly inthe Holy Spirit; the Son is wholly in the Father and wholly in the HolySpirit; the Holy Spirit is wholly in the Father and wholly in the Son."

St. Gregory of Nazianzus, also called "theTheologian", entrusts this summary of Trinitarian faith to thecatechumens of Constantinople:

Above all guard for me this greatdeposit of faith for which I live and fight, which I want to take withme as a companion, and which makes me bear all evils and despise allpleasures: I mean the profession of faith in the Father and the Son andthe Holy Spirit. I entrust it to you today. By it I am soon going toplunge you into water and raise you up from it. I give it to you as thecompanion and patron of your whole life. I give you but one divinityand power, existing one in three, and containing the three in adistinct way. Divinity without disparity of substance or nature,without superior degree that raises up or inferior degree that castsdown. . . the infinite co-naturality of three infinites. Each personconsidered in himself is entirely God. . . the three consideredtogether. . . I have not even begun to think of unity when the Trinitybathes me in its splendor. I have not even begun to think of theTrinity when unity grasps me. . .