New Church Life January/February 2016 | Page 69

 ,        There appears to be a problem here. The first thing that needs to be understood is that the Heavenly Doctrines are aware of the fact that the Quran outright rejects a tri-personal God: “All who dwell outside the Christian church, both Mohammedans and Jews, and besides these the Gentiles of every cult, are averse to Christianity solely on account of its belief in three Gods.” (True Christian Religion 183; see also 831) The Heavenly Doctrines completely reject this idea themselves: “He who confirms his belief in a plurality of gods from a plurality of persons, gradually becomes like a statue made with moveable joints, within which Satan stands, and speaks through its artificially constructed mouth.” (Ibid. 23) So what are the Writings talking about when they say “the Son of God.” The Doctrine of the Lord 19 provides three different definitions for the Son of God. The Old Church definition: “In the church, the Son of God is supposed to be the second person of the Godhead.” The Jewish Church definition: “In the Jewish Church there was understood by the Son of God the Messiah whom they had expected.” The New Church definition: “The Lord’s Human, conceived of Jehovah the Father, and born of the virgin Mary, is the Son of God.” The Quran obviously does not accept the Old Church definition; does it accept the Jewish definition? “Oh Mary! Allah gives you glad tidings of a Word sent from Him: his name will be al Masih (the Messiah), Jesus.” (3:45) The Quran states that Jesus was the Messiah. Does it teach that Jesus was “conceived of Jehovah the Father, and born of the virgin Mary,” the New Church definition? “And when the angels said, ‘Oh Mary, Indeed Allah has chosen you and purified you - chosen you above all the women of the world...’ Behold the angels said, ‘Oh Mary, surely Allah gives you good news 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 nearest to Allah..’ She said, ‘My Lord, how will I have a child when no man has touched me?’ He said, ‘So (it will be); Allah creates what He wills. When He decrees a matter, He only says, Be, and it is.’” (3:42,45,47) The Quran rejects the Old Church definition of the Son of God, but completely accepts the Jewish and New Church definitions, although not the wording themselves. The Heavenly Doctrines are correct: the Quran does acknowledge that Jesus was the Messiah and that He was conceived of Jehovah 65