The Nugget:
Luk 14:15 And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.
My Comment:
The Muslim poster I am answering apparently posted the same challenge on two different websites I have been made a member of. His challenge remains the same, but the answers I have given in response to different Muslims posting comments and replies are different, so there is much material here to learn. Read carefully and you will get a good start toward understanding some important Bible doctrines or teachings.
The Muslim Challenge:
“The only way for Jesus to be God is through polytheism.”
My Response:
Not according to the Bible. You need to carefully read and study the New Testament. Reading the Old Testament would help too.
There is one God, but God has eternally existed as a Godhead made up of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 28:19 speaks of being baptized “in the name” (singular) “of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”
Original Poster’s Response:
“Would you please explain John 17:3 and 20:17?”
My Reply:
Joh 20:17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.
Jesus in His humanity properly called God the Father His God. No problem with that when you understand that Jesus possesses two natures: a human nature which began when he was born of the Virgin Mary and a divine nature which he as the Son of God has possessed eternally.
Joh 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
Certainly, the God of the Bible is the only true God. But a careful reading of the Bible demonstrates that God eternally exists in three Persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. How do we know this? All three persons (and only these three, and no others) are called God in the Bible.
The Father is called God (John 6:27; Galatians 1:1; Ephesians 6:23; Philippians 2:11; 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2 Timothy 1:2; Titus 1:4; 1 Peter 1:2; 2 Peter 1:17; 2 John 1:3; Jude 1:1).
The Son is called God (John 20:28; John 1:1, 14).
The Holy Spirit is called God (Acts 5:3, 4).
A new Muslim poster’s comment:
No book, no prophet. From pure English Language and a monotheistic stand point, that statement sits right in there, perfectly.
If you are monotheistic, you would believe in only ONE God without a second, in a bit, a half or even three quarter. At the moment, one attaches anything or anyone to God, be it a dot or an ant, that is pure and total polytheism.
You don’t need a book to know the nature of God. You need to trust Him. The answer becomes so clear that that He even befriends you. It is only after having His trust that you would be able to move forward.
Alhamdulillah Alhamdulillah He was there for me at the moment I came to know He is the only one.
My Reply:
If what you believe about God does not match what the Bible teaches about God, then according to the Bible, your belief is not correct.
The Muslim response:
Then according to logical thinking (regarding monotheism) the Bible is wrong.
My Reply:
More likely that there are many who do not fully understand the doctrine of God as it is taught in the Bible itself. The Bible teaches, by the rule of necessary inference, that there is One God Who exists eternally in three Persons, all of whom share the Divine Attributes.
Several divine attributes are incommunicable: they belong to God exclusively, and cannot be communicated, delegated, or given to a created being. These attributes include eternity, omniscience, omnipresence, sovereignty, immutability, and immensity.
Since only God can possess the incommunicable attributes, yet Scripture ascribes them to Jesus Christ and to the Holy Spirit, all three Persons must be God. There is no other explanation which properly agrees with all the statements of Scripture.
The Muslim reply:
Then that condemns the theory and the total nature of Monotheism. That doctrine is illogical. God will and never be three in one. He will be One and One only without another one in one bit. Just like the way Abraham knew Him. Abraham (pbuh) was a monotheist and so am I. We do no associate anything or anybody with God Almighty.
My extended careful response about Abraham:
I am afraid that you have not read the book of Genesis very carefully where we read of the life and faith of Abraham. If you will go back and read the account directly from the Bible itself you will learn some very interesting things.
Gen 18:1 And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; (KJV)
Gen 18:1 And Jehovah appeared unto him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; (ASV)
When Jehovah appeared to Abraham in this account from the Bible He appeared in the form of a man, for it is reported that Abraham saw three men:
Gen 18:2 and he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood over against him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the earth, (ASV)
But reading further in the account, see what is stated:
22 And the men turned from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before Jehovah. (ASV)
One of those three men, therefore, was most certainly Jehovah.
The narrative continues, and reports that
33 And Jehovah went his way, as soon as he had left off communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place. (ASV)
The narrative continues in the next chapter (Genesis 19:1) with the statement:
1 And the two angels came to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot saw them, and rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face to the earth; (ASV)
Two of the three men are here identified as angels, as you can plainly read.
Reading further in the account, notice the striking fact that in Genesis 19:24 there are clearly TWO Jehovahs on the scene at the same time: one in heaven and the other before Abraham on the earth:
Then Jehovah rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from Jehovah out of heaven; (ASV)
There is much more to be learned from carefully reading this account, for a careful reading will show that the third Person who is spoken of as Jehovah is also referred to as God in the narrative.
This demonstrates that there are two Jehovahs in the Godhead. Abraham knew this, and so should we.
The Muslim reply:
Not in my context. The Quran teaches us that God is so powerful that if He had to appear before man, everything would turn to dust. The energy that emanates from Him is outstandingly powerful. Also, the Quran (purely and unequivocally monotheistic) teaches that the God of Abraham is one.
Further, the person who wrote Genesis, does not know the nature of God. God does not eat, He does not have to. The Quran too narrates that story but does not say that God came on earth and ate meat. Very logically, the Quran explains that three angels came, they did not eat, for the food was not of their nourishment, clearly. One just need to use their common sense to understand logic and monotheism.
Thus, what you quoted and understood, is against monotheism. Also, if the book itself does not promote monotheism, then it is not a book that has anything to do with God.
My Reply:
Anyone who will carefully think this through will understand that the Koran came many, many years after the book of Genesis was written. It came about six centuries after the writing of the New Testament. When the Koran contradicts the teaching of the Bible, the Bible which is provable divine revelation inspired by God takes precedence.
It may be possible that the God of the Koran is not the God of the Bible.
The Muslim response:
[I] can’t tell whether they are the same God or not. Well, that is not the topic.
Regardless of the time that the information was written, what make sense and monotheistic is what is from God. What is polytheistic is man made.
God eating is proof enough that it is not from God. At least this information satisfies all monotheist that God does not eat; He is not dependent on anything whatsoever.