Why Is the Trinity Necessary?

T.D. asks,

When I talk with my Islam[ic] friends, I can explain the concept of the Trinity, but they usually get stuck on another issue. The issue of “Why is the Trinity necessary?” which I can’t answer. Basically, before God created anything, why was the Trinity necessary for God to be God?

Lita Sanders answers,

Thank you for your question about the Trinity. The one true God exists eternally as three persons, coequal in power, glory, and majesty. Each person has unique roles in creation and salvation, and each person is revealed in Scripture to relate to the others in different ways.

In a certain sense, it doesn’t make sense to ask why God is the way he is, because he has always been. If something was brought into being, it makes sense to ask why it is a certain way instead of a different possible way. But because God has always been, we can’t really ask that question about him.

One way the Trinity is important for understanding God is that the Trinity makes it possible for love to be an innate quality of God. If God was only God the Father, and Jesus came later, for instance, God’s love would be dependent on the existence of creatures for him to love. But because God is a Trinity of three persons, each person loves the other two (i.e., the Father loves the Son and the Spirit, the Son loves the Father and the Spirit, and the Spirit loves the Father and the Son), and each pair jointly loves the third (i.e., the Father and the Son love the Spirit, the Father and the Spirit love the Son, and the Son and the Spirit love the Father).

Also, it may be useful to know that in several places in the Quran, it seems to say that a trinity-of-sorts is Allah, Jesus, and Mary, with Allah being greater. For instance, Surah 5 Al Ma’idah verse 116 says, “And on Judgement Day Allah will say, ‘O Jesus, son of Mary! Did you ever ask the people to worship you and your mother as gods besides Allah?’ He will answer, ‘Glory be to You! How could I ever say what I had no right to say? If I had said such a thing, you would have certainly known it. You know what is hidden within me, but I do not know what is within You. Indeed, you alone are the Knower of all unseen’” (translation from Quran.com).

Also, in speaking with your Muslim friends, it may be useful to note that within the Quran itself, Isa (Jesus) is more exalted than Muhammad, then encourage them to find out about Jesus from the Gospels, which are a true account of his life, saving death, resurrection, and exaltation to heaven, and tell how to have a saving relationship with him. I recommend our short book Engaging Islam, which is available at: AnswersInGenesis.org/store/product/engaging-islam/. Also, this article from Answering Islam may be helpful: Answering-Islam.org/Green/qb_jesus.htm.