As an ex-Muslim, are the Father and Son co-equal and co-eternal, as we find in the Trinity?
We do not believe that the Father and Son are co-eternal and co-equal as explained by the Trinity, but that the Father and Son are distinct or separate beings with only the Father having immortality or eternity, i.e., having always existed without beginning, and the Son being the firstborn of the Father.
“Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen,” 1Timothy 6:16. This passage refers to the Father and states that He only has immortality. Here the word immortality refers to the fact that only the Father has always existed.This again is not true of the Son.
“Who is the image of the invisible El, the firstborn of every creature,” Colossians 1:15. Paul refers here to Yahshua the Messiah. The Greek literally means the first-begotten of creation.
“And unto the angel of the assembly of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of Elohim,” Revelation 3:14. While the Greek word for “beginning” can also refer to rank, the context is clearly referring to time, verifying that the Son was the first begotten of the Father. If the Son was the first begotten of creation, there was a point in time He did not exist.
Regarding the concept of coequality, the Bible is quite clear that the Father is greater than the Son. This was true during Yahshua’s earthly ministry and after His ascension to the Father.
“My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand,” John 10:29.
“Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I,” John 14:28.
“But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Messiah; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Messiah is Yahweh,” 1Corinthians 11:3.
For additional information, please read our online booklet: Identifying Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
For additional Q&A’s, please see our main Q&A page.
