—the infallible one, peace and blessings be upon him—then he could only have meant something that accords with the rest of his words. Indeed, in the scriptures they possess the Lord is frequently called “Father,” and His servants are called “sons.” They recount that He said in the Torah to Jacob:

“Israel, you are My first-born son,”

and that He said to David in the Psalms:

“You are My son, My beloved.”

Likewise, in several places of the Gospel the Messiah says, “My Father and your Father,” as in his statement, “I am going to My Father and your Father, My God and your God.” Thus he designates Him “Father” for them just as he designates them “sons” for Him. If these reports are sound, the intended sense is that He is the nurturing, compassionate Lord, for God is more merciful to His servants than a mother to her child. The “son,” then, is the one who is reared and shown mercy, for God’s nurturing of His servant is more perfect than a mother’s nurturing of her offspring. Accordingly, “Father” here means “Lord,” and by “son” he means the Messiah whom the Lord has reared.

As for the Holy Spirit, this term occurs repeatedly in the books they hold, and by unanimous agreement it does not refer to God’s own life. Rather, the Holy Spirit, in their view, dwells in Abraham, Moses, David, and other righteous prophets.