Sharing the Gospel with Muslims is not easy, but it is essential.
Evangelizing Muslims is a notoriously difficult undertaking, particularly since Islam is also a missionary religion. Do not think that every Muslim you meet is out to convert you. But if the conversation runs to the topic of religion, be prepared to get some stiff debate. In its most basic form, Islam is a very rational religion, and it is not easy to counter some arguments on their own ground. Furthermore, most Muslims living in Western countries are trained to know why they do not believe in the Trinity or in Christ as God.
There are four basic points in Muslim apologetics. First, God is one. The Trinity constitutes thinly veiled polytheism, and it is blasphemous to think that God can have a Son. Second, Christ cannot be God. It is contradictory to think that any human being could be God. Third, the Bible is demonstrably full of errors whereas the Qur’an is a direct revelation from God, passed down in its original, pure form. Fourth, instead of holding on to such absurd beliefs, it makes sense to accept the very simple faith of Islam: submit to the one God and keep His commandments.
How should a Christian respond to such argumentation? First, let me emphasize as strongly as I can that Christians need to know the fundamentals of their own faith. The Muslim interpretation of the Trinity explains it as polytheism — Christians worshiping three gods. Christians should be able to respond, at a minimum, that they do not practice polytheism. Christianity is a monotheistic religion; Christians worship one God in three persons — never three gods. Ideally, Christians should be able to go on and explain roughly why this model was chosen to summarize the biblical picture of God, namely precisely in order to preserve belief in the essential unity of God. CP.
