Son of God, Trinity and Original Sin
​
Regarding Jesus being the begotten Son or just Son of God
Regarding John 3:16, “For God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life.”
If Jesus is the “only begotten Son of God,” why does Psalms 2:7 say this about David: “The LORD has said to me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten you.” Jesus the “only begotten son of God,” with David a “son,” “begotten” by God a scant forty generations earlier? Many modern translations of the Bible (RSV, NRSV, NIV, GNB, NIB, Jerusalem Bible etc.) have removed the word begotten.
In The Qur’an God says, “Say (O Muhammad): He is Allaah, (the) One. Allaah-us-Samad [Allaah — the Self-Sufficient Master, Whom all creatures need, (He neither eats nor drinks)]. He begets not, nor was He begotten. And there is none co-equal or comparable unto Him” [Qur’an 112:1-4 – interpretation of the meaning]
Regarding Jesus being the Son of God, the Bible describes many people, Israel and Adam included, as “sons of God.” Both 2 Samuel 7:13–14 and 1 Chronicles 22:10 read, “He (Solomon) shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his Father, and he shall be My son.”
As for the word son in John 3:16 starting with a capital S denoting a unique type of sonship, Koiné Greek, the language from which the New Testament is predominantly translated into our English versions, does not have capital letters (see New Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol 13, p. 431). Jesus described himself as “son of man” 88 times in the New-Testament. “Son of God” occurs 47 times but always on the lips of others. Harper's Bible Dictionary states, “It is noteworthy, however, that Jesus never claims for himself the title ‘Son of God.’ While he is represented as accepting it in Mark 14:61-62, both Matthew (27:64) and Luke (22:67) are at pains to tone down Jesus’ acceptance of the title as though what he says to the High Priest is, ‘It—like the title ‘messiah’—is your word, not mine.’” The famous biblical scholar, Graham Stanton said, “The gospels, unlike most Graeco-Roman writings, are anonymous. The familiar headings which give the name of an author (‘The Gospel according to . . .’) were not part of the original manuscripts, for they were added only early in the second century.”
Regarding the Trinity
The Encyclopaedia Britannica, "The doctrine developed gradually over several centuries and through many controversies...The Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D. stated the crucial formula for that doctrine in its confession that the 'Son is of the same substance...as the Father', even though it said very little about the Holy Spirit...By the end of the 4th century...the doctrine of the Trinity took substantially the form it has maintained ever since."
The New Catholic Encyclopedia, 1967, vol. 14, p. 299, "The formulation 'one God in three Persons' was not solidly established, certainly not fully assimilated into Christian life and its profession of faith, prior to the end of the 4th century...Among the Apostolic Fathers, there had been nothing even remotely approaching such a mentality of perspective."
God says in the Qur’an, “O People of the Scripture, do not commit excess in your religion or say about Allah except the truth. The Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, was but a messenger of Allah and His word which He directed to Mary and a soul [created at a command] from Him. So believe in Allah and His messengers. And do not say, "Three"; desist - it is better for you. Indeed, Allah is but one God. Exalted is He above having a son. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. And sufficient is Allah as Disposer of affairs."
(Qur'an 4:171)
Regarding Original Sin
“The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.” (Ezekiel 18:20)
In light of the above verse, why do newborn babies bear the sin of Adam and Eve (peace be upon them)? Why is their (and our) salvation dependent on the crucifixion of Jesus Christ when he also didn't take part in the sin? Why does Almighty God NEED to go through the whole fiasco of getting a virgin pregnant with His son so that he can be cruelly crucified just so that children can be forgiven for sins they didn't commit and adults can be forgiven for sins they did commit (but His poor son didn't)? He is Almighty God. Couldn't we just SINCERELY say 'sorry' and He forgives us?
Jesus taught people to pray to God (that they were directly accountable to Him) and didn't set himself up as an intercessor. He said, "This, then, is how you should pray: 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.' For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." (Matthew 6:9-15)
Similarly, God tells us in the Qur'an, “Say: O ‘Ibaadi (My slaves) who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of Allaah, verily, Allaah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful.”
[Qur'an 39:53 – interpretation of the meaning]
And "Indeed, the example of Jesus to Allah is like that of Adam. He created Him from dust; then He said to him, 'Be' and he was." [Qur’an 3:59]
​
Abraham (peace be upon him) is widely regarded as the Patriarch of monotheism and the common father of the Jews, Christians and Muslims. Through his second son, Isaac, came all Israelite prophets including such towering figures as Jacob, Joseph, Moses, David, Solomon and Jesus. May peace and blessing be upon them all. The advent of these great prophets was in partial fulfilment of God’s promises to bless the nations of Earth through the descendents of Abraham (Genesis 12:2-3). In Genesis, ch.21. Isaac is specifically blessed but Ishmael was also specifically blessed and promised by God to become “ a great nation” especially in Genesis 21:13,18.
Following the rejection of the last Israelite prophet, Jesus, it was about time that God’s promise to make Ishmael a great nation be fulfilled, "And of the son of the maid I will make a nation also, because he is your descendant." (Genesis 21:13). That nation of Ishmael’s descendants (the rejected stone in Matthew 21 :42) which was victorious against all super-powers of its time as prophesied by Jesus, “ And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken, but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder” (Matthew 21:44). Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures, 'THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone; THIS CAME ABOUT FROM THE LORD, AND IT IS MARVELOUS IN OUR EYES '? 43"Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it. 44"And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust.”
Less than 600 years after Jesus, came the last messenger of God, Muhammad (Peace be upon Him) , from the progeny of Abraham through Ishmael. God’s blessing of both of the main branches of Abraham’s family tree was now fulfilled. "I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13"But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.” (John 16:12-13)
​