Qur’an 5:47—“Let the people of the Gospel judge by what Allah hath revealed therein. If any do fail to judge by (the light of) what Allah hath revealed, they are (no better than) those who rebel.”Thus, when Christians present their beliefs, it makes sense for Muslims to ask, “Could you show us where the Bible says that?” Christians should therefore be eager to present evidence from the Gospel, because Muslims cannot condemn us for doing what the Qur’an commands. Indeed, since the Qur’an affirms not only the Gospel, but also the Torah (Qur’an 5:43), Muslims cannot ignore what the Bible says without thereby rebelling against Islam.
Muslims around the world are being trained to ask Christians, “Where did Jesus say, ‘I am God, worship me,’ in those exact words?” However, if Muslims are suggesting that Jesus could only claim to be God by uttering a specific sentence, we may reply by asking, “Where did Jesus say, ‘I am only a prophet, don’t worship me,’ in those exact words?” The unreasonable demand for a particular statement, if applied consistently, would thus force Muslims to reject their own view!
Fortunately, we have a simple way to examine what Jesus said about himself. According to both the Bible and the Qur’an, there are certain claims that only God can truly make. For instance, God alone can correctly state that he created the universe. Of course, a mere human being can pronounce the words, “I created the universe,” but the statement would be false coming from anyone other than God.
Hence, if Jesus said things that can only truly be said by God, we must conclude that Jesus claimed to be God. Interestingly, Jews, Christians, and Muslims agree on many of the claims that cannot be properly made by (or about) mere human beings. Let us consider a few of these.
THE FIRST AND THE LAST
Surah 57:3 of the Qur’an refers to Allah as “the First and the Last, the Most High and the Most Near.” The Old Testament agrees that God is the “First and the Last,” as we read in the Book of the prophet Isaiah:
Isaiah 44:6—Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides Me.”When “LORD” is written in all capitals in the Old Testament, the term refers to Yahweh, the creator of the universe. Since both the Bible and the Qur’an give the title “the First and the Last” to God, it should be quite shocking for Muslims to open the New Testament and read Revelation 1:17-18, where Jesus says:
“Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.”Would a mere prophet claim to be the “First and the Last”?
WHO FORGIVES SINS?
While one human being may sin against another human being, there is a sense in which all sin is rebellion against God. Similarly, while you and I may forgive one another for the wrongs we commit, only God can offer ultimate forgiveness. Thus, the prophet David could say to God, “Against You, You only, I have sinned and done what is evil in Your sight” (Psalm 51:4), and the Prophet Daniel could declare, “To the Lord our God belong compassion and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against Him” (Daniel 9:9).
The Qur’an agrees that ultimate forgiveness belongs to God, for it asks, “Who can forgive sins except Allah?” (3:135).
It might surprise Muslims to learn that, in the New Testament, Jesus claims the ability to forgive sins. In Mark 2, a paralyzed man is brought to Jesus in order to be healed. Jesus’ response leads the religious leaders to accuse him of blasphemy:
Mark 2:5-7—And Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” But some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins but God alone?”The scribes correctly recognized that only God can forgive sins. Yet Jesus (who referred to himself as the “Son of Man”), knowing their thoughts, replied that “the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” (Mark 2:10). He then healed the paralytic, proving that his claims were true.
THE LIGHT
In Psalm 27:1, the prophet David proclaims: “The LORD is my light and my salvation.” Similarly, the Qur’an declares that “Allah is the light of the heavens and the earth” (24:35). Yet Jesus tells his listeners that he is “the Light”:
John 8:12—“I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”THE TRUTH
The prophet David refers to Yahweh as the “God of Truth” (Psalm 31:5). According to the Qur’an, “Allah is the Truth” (22:6). Jesus, however, applies this as a title for himself:
John 14:6—Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”How can a mere human being claim to be “The Truth”?
THE FINAL JUDGE
In Chapter 3 of the Book of the prophet Joel, Yahweh declares that the nations will be gathered and that he “will sit to judge all the surrounding nations” (v. 12). According to the prophet David, “the LORD abides forever; He has established His throne for judgment, and He will judge the world in righteousness” (Psalm 9:7-8).
The Qur’an maintains that Allah will judge the world, rewarding believers and punishing unbelievers:
Qur’an 22:56-57—The kingdom on that day shall be Allah’s; He will judge between them; so those who believe and do good will be in gardens of bliss. And (as for) those who disbelieve in and reject Our communications, these it is who shall have a disgraceful chastisement.So why, we may wonder, would Jesus tell his followers that he will be the final judge of all people?
Matthew 25:31-32—“But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.”Jesus goes on to say that he will admit certain people to heaven and cast others into hell. Isn’t this something only God can do?
THE RESURRECTION
The Bible and the Qur’an agree that God is the one who will raise the dead.
1 Samuel 2:6—The LORD kills and makes alive; He brings down to Sheol and raises up.Since God will raise the dead at the resurrection, why would a mere prophet tell his followers that he will resurrect the dead?
Qur’an 22:7—Allah will resurrect those who are in the graves.
John 5:25-29—“Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.”GOD’S GLORY
John 11:25—Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies.”
The Qur’an tells us that “Whatsoever is in the heavens and the earth glorifies Allah” (57:1).
In the Old Testament, we find that Yahweh will not share his glory with anyone.
Isaiah 42:8—“I am the LORD, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another.” (Cf. Isaiah 48:11—“My glory I will not give to another.”)Yet Jesus claimed, not only that he would be glorified with the Father, but that he had glory with the Father before the world was created!
John 17:5—“Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.”How can anyone see this as anything other than a claim to deity?
FURTHER EVIDENCE
In Mark 2:28, Jesus calls himself the “Lord of the Sabbath.” In Matthew 22:41-45, he proves that he is the Lord of the prophet David. In John 8:39-58, Jesus says that he has seen the prophet Abraham. In Matthew 12:6, Jesus claims to be greater than God’s Temple.
Jesus tells us that he has an absolutely unique relationship with the Father (Matthew 11:27), that he can answer prayers (John 14:13-14), that he is present wherever his followers are gathered (Matthew 18:20), that he has “all authority in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18), and that he is with his followers forever (Matthew 28:20). He even makes the startling declaration that “All things that the Father has are Mine” (John 16:15).
According to Jesus, all people must honor him just as we honor the Father:
John 5:21-23—“For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes. For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.”Since one of the ways we honor the Father is by worshiping him, it should come as no surprise that Jesus’ followers worshiped him on numerous occasions. Indeed, the Gospel tells us that Jesus was worshiped throughout his life: shortly after his birth (Matthew 2:11), during his ministry (Matthew 14:33, John 9:38), after his resurrection (Matthew 28:17), and after his ascension to heaven (Luke 24:52). Jesus’ disciple Thomas even addressed him as “my Lord and my God” (John 20:28).
ASSESSMENT
Where did Jesus say, “I am God, worship me”? As we have seen, Jesus claimed to be the First and the Last, the forgiver of sins, the Light, the Truth, the Final Judge, and the Resurrection. Jesus proclaimed that he had glory with the Father before the world was created, that he is the Lord of the Sabbath and of King David, that he had seen Abraham, and that he is greater than God’s Temple. Jesus has a unique relationship with the Father, he can answer prayers, he is with his followers no matter where they are, he has total authority on earth and in heaven, he is with his followers forever, and he owns everything. Jesus even demanded that he be honored just as the Father is honored. Clearly, these are not the claims of a mere human being. They are not even the claims of a mighty prophet. These are claims only God can truly make. This is why Christians believe that Jesus is God.
POSTSCRIPT: THE ISLAMIC DILEMMA
Since the Bible obviously supports the Christian view of Jesus, Muslims who want to deny the deity of Christ will have to argue that the Gospel has been corrupted. But if the Gospel has been corrupted, why does the Qur’an command Christians to judge by the Gospel? By commanding us to judge by what we find in the Gospel, the Qur’an has inadvertently ordered Christians to reject Islam!
But it gets worse for Muslims. The Qur’an affirms the inspiration and reliability of the Christian Scriptures (3:3-4, 5:47, 5:66, 7:157, 10:94), as well as man’s inability to corrupt God’s Word (6:114-115, 18:27). Muslims therefore cannot reject what the Gospel says, which leaves them with quite a dilemma. If the Gospel is reliable, Islam must be false, since the Gospel presents Jesus as God. Alternatively, if the Gospel is unreliable, Islam must be false, because the Qur’an tells us that the Gospel is the Word of God. Either way, Islam is false, and anyone who is searching for the truth will never find it in the Qur’an.
FOR FURTHER STUDY
"Did Jesus Claim to Be God When He Ascribed to Himself Divine Titles and Attributes?"
"Jesus’ Divine Claims and Islam: An Examination of Biblical Christology In Light of the Quranic View of Allah’s Attributes"
"Islamic Theology Confirms that both Jesus and His Followers Claimed that He Is God!"
"Meeting the Challenge of the Qur'an Concerning the Deity of Christ"
50 comments:
What a great article, I'm sending this to my friends. Thanks.
Fantastic! Now I can send this to muslims when the topic comes up.
This will be perfect to send to these people http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1394306/Provocative-bus-adverts-declare-Jesus-prophet-Islam-cause-anguish-Sydney.html
I'm pretty sure the social context would have prevented Jesus from making such a provocative and explicit statement like "I am God; worship me." Jesus was on a mission, and he couldn't have gotten himself killed too soon; he still had preaching to do.
Some extra meat for David Wood's plate:
1. "I say to you”/”I tell you” statements – Jesus often used these phrases to assert authority to change a concept of Jewish law or tradition by either contradicting it or correcting its present interpretation. For example, on divorce, Jesus assumes authority over Moses and contradicts Mosaic tradition (Matt. 19:8-9). And again, “For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:20). The impact of this was not lost on those who heard Him, for in so doing, Jesus was putting Himself in authority above them, above the Prophets, and above God’s Law as Judge and Revealer of God’s truth. William Lane Craig says in his book, Reasonable Faith, “Jesus’ sense of personal authority to correct the Torah and contradict Jewish tradition goes down hard for faithful Jews.” To His audience, Jesus put Himself in the very place of God, making the pronouncements that only God has a right to make. This is true even today. Jacob Neusner, the well-known Jewish scholar, wrote the book, A Rabbi Talks With Jesus, in which he objects to Jesus on the same grounds a Jews in the 1st cent. Neusner is offended at Jesus’ presumption to subject the Torah to His word and says of the book of Matt, “No one can encounter Matthew’s Jesus without concurring that before us in the evangelist’s mind is God incarnate.” In effect, Neusner is asking, “Who do you think you are, Jesus—God?”
2. Many times, Jesus orients Himself to God the Father differently than He orients His disciples to God the Father. In John 20:17, He says to Mary, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.' " He doesn’t say “our Father.” (The famous Lord’s Prayer is actually a misnomer, because Jesus never prayed that prayer; it is a prayer for His disciples to pray.) Jesus always establishes a unity and intimacy between Himself and God the Father that He doesn’t ascribe to anyone else.
3. Liberal theologians also deny any historical references to Jesus' divinity, yet there is one parable of Jesus that is universally seen as authentic to Him, the Parable of the Wicked Tenants (Matt. 21:33-46; Mark 12:1-12): in this parable, Jesus clearly puts Himself in the story as the son the tenants plot to kill for his inheritance. The Pharisees' reaction to this parable is telling, for they seek His immediate arrest--for what? Jesus put Himself in direct authority above THEM with special relation to God and spoke judgment against THEM (remember, the Pharisees were the religious elite who were closer to God than anyone else; anyone having more authority than they would HAVE to be God Himself).
4. One of the titles Jesus often used for Himself was "Son of Man" with direct reference to Daniel 7:13. My intent is not to get into a Bible verse-joust, so I will quote Darell Bock in his Breaking the Da Vinci Code. When you read how Jesus portays Himself to His immediate audience in the Gospels, you can't help but recognize that "Jesus is a divine figure worthy to sit in God's presence because He is capable of sharing God's unique glory." The Gospels needed to make distinct exactly what their position was on Jesus: that Jesus was either a blasphemous pretender or one worthy to share in God's glory. Their choice is the latter. Jesus is a fully human person who also bears the unique signs of God's deity and deserving of that status, a view held by Christians long before Nicea.
That anyone would ask for more explicit claims for Jesus' deity really betrays a modern blindness to the way things were (anachronistic imposition of post-Enlightenment thinking, if you will). They are committing the first mistake I talked about, which is to want Jesus to get up in the middle of the Beatitudes and shout, "Yes! I am God! Worship Me now!" Such a proclamation would have been unecessary and would have given the wrong idea to Jesus' listeners. To say that would have meant that Jesus was the Father, (or a contemporary mistake which is to say that Jesus is the Trinity) which would make no sense whatsoever to the Jewish mind.
The challenge to the deity of Jesus Christ is an old one, and an answered one at that. But history doesn't seem to make a difference in the minds of modern-day deniers, so here we go again and again.
Well done, I hope this is going to be a pamphlet handed out in Dearborn.
I would just add that Jesus claims the name of YHWH.
John 17:11-12
"...Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me..."
There is only one name of power and that is YHWY
http://towerofreason.blogspot.com/2011/05/jesus-is-god.html
Amazing article!
The problem is that Muslims would say that all the Gospels we have are corrupted and that will close the debate...Only the HS can do it.
Thank you for this article.
Thank you for putting this article together.
Quote:
Muslims around the world are being trained to ask Christians, “Where did Jesus say, ‘I am God, worship me,’ in those exact words?”
end
To answer the question, you must invoke the scriptural and doctrinal Trinity.
Jesus never said "I Am God" because the Trinity is the truth.
Who said we worship a man in the first place?
As Christians, we know that "Jesus" has two natures.
It never ceases to amaze me how feeble and weak the Muslim case against Christianity is.
The newest bit of misinformation being promoted by Muslims is that Jesus was a prophet of Islam. While he may be an acknowledged prophet within the Qur'an, Islam wasn't contrived until 570 AD with the birth of it's founder Mohammed. Since Islam wasn't in existence at the time of Jesus, the claim that he was a prophet of Islam is rubbish.
I like the question the Muslims are asking the Christians.
Here is the proposed standard Muslims are making. They demand a single verse of theology, where all the claims/theology they want is compacted into a single verse in a place in the Bible.
Now using the same standard my questions are directed at the Muslims:
Where in the Quran or Bible did Jesus say "I was born of a virgin, my mother was a virgin"?
Where in the Quran or Bible did Jesus say "I am the Messiah and Muslim Prophet"?
Where in the Quran or Bible did Jesus say: "Allah is going to save me from death, and i'm going to return"?
These are just a few questions I have, once these are answered, I will ask more.
If Muslims cannot answer these questions with a single verse with all the claims compacted inside the one verse, then it's time to start reconsidering your standards.
I have shown Muslims verses where Jesus accepted worship, and they inform me that that is no different worship than is given to important people.
Is it my American value system in regards to the equality of humanity?-- Because, I don't worship anyone.
Hakim said...
"The problem is that Muslims would say that all the Gospels we have are corrupted and that will close the debate...Only the HS can do it."
That is the typical fall back position. When a Muslim can not deal with what the text says they just claim corutption.
So when ever they do that, make sure you point out to them that they have just admited that the bible teaches the divinity of Christ.
And Jesus claimed to be omnipresent
Matthew 18:20
For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.
Only God is omnipresent.
Matthew 12:35 The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil.
According to Jesus, only God is good, so who is the good man? Remember, Jesus is condemning the evil of the Pharisees who had just committed Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.
i don't know how i stumbled across this article.. but i have to add a bit of information you guys may or may not know. in my religion, we believe that the God of the Old Testament and Jesus of the New Testament is actually the same being. we believe there is a Heavenly Father and a Heavenly Mother.. and that Jesus is the son.. and this earth is his creation(Jesus').. and He is the God.. the Savior of everyone born here. the word God.. meaning All Knowing and Creator. we also believe that one day.. a day far , far away from today.. that everyone that is worthy can also.. be a creator.. Gods and Goddesses of our own worlds.. and worlds that are and will be.. are like grains of sand on a beach.. too many to count. the possibilities are limitless! :)
@Muslims feel free to attack whatever religion Goodmorning is apart of, I will even join in. My guess Mormonism.
I am totally LDS. but it will be a waste of your time and effort to attack.. and i don't understand why you would want to. peace and love, people. peace and love. i enjoyed reading these posts and comments. thank you for them.
It is True that Muslims will argue that the Gospel is corrupt, what you have now is not a Original Gospel but what you Made out of it.
You turned a Gospel from the Book of Jesus" into a Book about Jesus and continue creating more and more after finding golden plates in forests of USA and Soon there may be an Avatar Church of Christ?
Whatever is TRUE in Gospel has ben repeated/ confirmed in Qur'an.
"The Qur’an affirms the inspiration and reliability of the Christian Scriptures (3:3-4, 5:47, 5:66, 7:157, 10:94), as well as man’s inability to corrupt God’s Word (6:114-115, 18:27)"
YES this confirms hat I said above- Christian scriptures and NOT the stories about THEM.
“Then woe to those who write the Book with their own hands and then say, “This is from Allaah,” to purchase with it a little price! Woe to them for what their hands have written and woe to them for that they earn thereby” [al-Baqarah 2:79]
And when God says: O Jesus, son of Mary! Did you say to mankind: Take me and my mother for two gods beside God? he says: Be glorified! It was not mine to utter that to which I had no right. If I used to say it, then You know it. You know what is in my mind, and I know not what is in Your mind. You, only You, are the Knower of Things Hidden. I spoke to them only what You commanded me, (saying): Worship God, my Lord and your Lord. I was a witness of them while I lived among them, and when You took me You were the Watcher over them. You are Witness over all things. If You punish them, they are Your slaves, and if You forgive them (they are Your slaves). You, only You are the Mighty, the Wise. (5:116-118)
And the Jews say: Ezra is the son of God, and the Christians say: The Messiah is the son of God. That is their saying with their mouths. They imitate the saying of those who disbelieved of old. God (Himself) fights against them. How perverse are they! They have taken as lords beside God their rabbis and their monks and the Messiah, son of Mary, when they were ordered to worship only One God. There is no god except Him. (9:30-31)
@Sub you wrote...
"It is True that Muslims will argue that the Gospel is corrupt, what you have now is not a Original Gospel" but what you Made out of it. You turned a Gospel from the Book of Jesus"
Ok prove it, show us the "ORIGINAL GOSPLE OF JESUS. Show us anyone who quoted from this Original Gosple of Jesus. Since Christians have never claimed and do not claim that the Gosple of Jesus is a BOOK.
You then wrote...
"finding golden plates in forests of USA and Soon there may be an Avatar Church of Christ?"
You are refering to Joseph smith a false prophet and false teecher. Momons are NOT CHRISTIAN they are PAGAN. IF the mormons are Christian then the Bahai's and ALwaits are MUSLIM.
You then go on...
"Whatever is TRUE in Gospel has ben repeated/ confirmed in Qur'an."
Since you said that there is a "true gosple of Jesus" and now you say "whatever is True in gosple." I assume you mean the four gosples. Other wise you are saying that there is un truth in the orgnial gosple.
So show us what of the gosples has been repeated in the Quran? Give me the verses from the Gosples that are true and repeated and confirmed.
You then go on to prove the Quran wrong by quoting it. THe Jews never said Ezra was the SON OF GOD, and Christians have never believed that Mary is a GOD and we do not believe that Jesus is a God beside GOD.
Well I await your answers.
You seem to know a lot of about Gospels,then why do not you read Qur'an for yourself and make hundreds more discoveries.
By the way I did not mean "four" as I know that those "inspired by God" + lobby of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. If the Gospels from the Holy Scripture were turned into stories about Jesus,why not all of them made it to Bible?
Read most of the answers to your questions below:
1. Do Muslims believe he was a Messenger of One God? YES
Belief in all of the Prophets and Messengers of God is a fundamental article of faith in Islam. Thus, believing in Prophets Adam, Jesus, Moses, and Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon them) is a requirement for anyone who calls him or herself a Muslim. A person claiming to be a Muslim who, for instance, denies the Messengership of Jesus, is not considered a Muslim.
The Quran says in reference to the status of Jesus as a Messenger:
"The Messiah (Jesus), son of Mary, was no more than a Messenger before whom many Messengers have passed away; and his mother adhered wholly to truthfulness, and they both ate food (as other mortals do). See how We make Our signs clear to them; and see where they are turning away!" (Quran 5:75).
2. Do Muslims believe he was born of a Virgin Mother? YES
Like Christians, Muslims believe Mary, Maria in Spanish, or Maryam as she is called in Arabic, was a chaste, virgin woman, who miraculously gave birth to Jesus.
"Relate in the Book the story of Mary, when she withdrew from her family, to a place in the East. She screened herself from them; then We sent to her Our spirit (angel Gabriel) and he appeared before her as a man in all respects. She said: I seek refuge from you in God Most Gracious (come not near) if you do fear God. He said: Nay, I am only a Messenger from your Lord, to announce to you the gift of a pure son. She said: How shall I have a son, when no man has ever touched me, and I am not unchaste? He said: So it will be, your Lord says: ‘That is easy for Me; and We wish to appoint him as a sign unto men and a Mercy from Us': It was a matter so decreed" (Quran 19:16-21).
3. Do Muslims believe Jesus had a miraculous birth? YES
The Quran says:
"She (Mary) said: ‘O my Lord! How shall I have a son when no man has touched me.' He (God) said: ‘So (it will be) for God creates what He wills. When He has decreed something, He says to it only: ‘Be!'- and it is" (3:47).
It should also be noted about his birth that:
"Verily, the likeness of Jesus in God's Sight is the likeness of Adam. He (God) created him from dust, then (He) said to him: ‘Be!'-and he was" (Quran 3:59).
4. Do Muslims believe Jesus spoke in the cradle? YES
"Then she (Mary) pointed to him. They said: ‘How can we talk to one who is a child in the cradle?' He (Jesus) said: ‘Verily! I am a slave of God, He has given me the Scripture and made me a Prophet; " (19:29-30).
5. Do Muslims believe he performed miracles? YES
Muslims, like Christians believe Jesus performed miracles. But these were performed by the will and permission of God, Who has power and control over all things.
"Then will God say: ‘O Jesus the son of Mary! recount My favor to you and to your mother. Behold! I strengthened you with the Holy Spirit (the angel Gabriel) so that you did speak to the people in childhood and in maturity. Behold! I taught you the Book and Wisdom, the Law and the Gospel. And behold: you make out of clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, by My leave, and you breathe into it, and it becomes a bird by My leave, and you heal those born blind, and the lepers by My leave. And behold! you bring forth the dead by My leave. And behold! I did restrain the children of Israel from (violence to you) when you did show them the Clear Signs, and the unbelievers among them said: ‘This is nothing but evident magic' (5:110).
6. Do Muslims believe in the Trinity? NO
Muslims believe in the Absolute Oneness of God, Who is a Supreme Being free of human limitations, needs and wants. He has no partners in His Divinity. He is the Creator of everything and is completely separate from His creation.
God says in the Quran regarding the Trinity:
"People of the Book (Jews and Christians)! Do not exceed the limits in your religion, and attribute to God nothing except the truth. The Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, was only a Messenger of God, and His command that He conveyed unto Mary, and a spirit from Him. So believe in God and in His Messengers, and do not say: ‘God is a Trinity.' Give up this assertion; it would be better for you. God is indeed just One God. Far be it from His glory that He should have a son. To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and in the earth. God is sufficient for a guardian" (Quran 4:171).
7. Do Muslims believe that Jesus was the son of God? NO
"Say: "God is Unique! God, the Source [of everything]. He has not fathered anyone nor was He fathered, and there is nothing comparable to Him!" (Quran 112:1-4).
The Quran also states:
"Such was Jesus, the son of Mary; it is a statement of truth, about which they vainly dispute. It is not befitting to the majesty of God, that He should beget a son. Glory be to Him! When He determines a matter, He only says to it, ‘Be' and it is" (Quran 19:34-35).
8. Do Muslims believe Jesus was killed on the cross then resurrected? NO
"“They did not kill him, nor did they crucify him, but they thought they did.” (Quran 4:156) “God lifted him up to His presence. God is Almighty, All-Wise” (Quran 4:157) .
1. Do Christians believe Jesus was a human being and Messenger of God? YES & NO
With the exception of Unitarian Christians, who like all the early followers of Jesus, still do not believe in the Trinity, most Christians now believe in the Divinity of Jesus, which is connected to the belief in Trinity. They say he is the second member of the Triune God, the Son of the first part of the Triune God, and at the same time "fully" God in every respect.
2. Do Christians believe he was born of a Virgin Mother? YES
A chaste and pious human woman who gave birth to Jesus Christ, the second member of the Trinity, the Son of God, and at the same time "fully" God Almighty in every respect.
Christians believe however, that while she was a virgin, she was married to a man named Joseph (Bible: Matthew:1:18). According to Matthew 1:25, Joseph "kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus".
3. Do Christians believe he had a miraculous birth? YES
"Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows. When His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit" (Bible: Matthew 1:18)
4. Do Christians believe he performed miracles? YES
"And now, Lord, look upon their threats, and grant to thy servants to speak thy word with all boldness, while thou stretches out thy hand to heal, and sign and wonders are performed through the name of thy holy servant Jesus (Bible: Acts 4:30).
Christians believe that Jesus performed these miracles because he was the Son of God as well as the incarnation of God.
5. Do Christians believe in the Trinity? YES
With the exception of the Unitarian Christians, who do not believe in the Divinity of Christ, the Trinity, according to the Catholic encyclopedia, is the term used for the central doctrine of the Christian religion. The belief is that in the unity of the Godhead there are Three Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three Persons or beings are distinct from each another, while being similar in character: uncreated and omnipotent.
The First Vatican Council has explained the meaning to be attributed to the term mystery in theology. It lays down that a mystery is a truth which we are not merely incapable of discovering apart from Divine Revelation, but which, even when revealed, remains "hidden by the veil of faith and enveloped, so to speak, by a kind of darkness" (Const., "De fide. cath.", iv). The First Vatican Council further defined that the Christian Faith contains mysteries strictly so called (can. 4). All theologians admit that the doctrine of the Trinity is of the number of these. The Catholic Encyclopedia notes that of all revealed truths, this is the most impenetrable to reason.
6. Do Christians believe that Jesus was the son of God? YES
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him (Bible: John 3:16).
However, it is interesting to note that the term "son of God" is used in other parts of the Bible to refer to Adam (Bible: Luke 3:38), Israel (Bible: Exodus 4:22) and David (Bible: Psalms 2:7) as well. The creatures of God are usually referred to in the Bible as children of God.
The role of Paul of Tarsus in shaping this belief and the belief in Trinity
The notion of Jesus as son of God is something that was established under the influence of Paul of Tarsus (originally named Saul), who had been an enemy of Jesus, but later changed course and joined the disciples after the departure of Jesus.
Later, however, he initiated a number of changes into early Christian teachings, in contradiction, for instance, to disciples like Barnabas, who believed in the Oneness of God and who had actually lived and met with Jesus.
Paul is considered by a number of Christian scholars to be the father of Christianity due to his additions of the following ideas:
o that Jesus is the son of God,
o the concept of Atonement,
o the renunciation of the Law of the Torah.
Paul did these things in hopes of winning over the Gentiles (non-Jewish people). His letters are another of the primary sources of information on Jesus according to the Christian tradition.
The original followers of Prophet Jesus opposed these blatant misrepresentations of the message of Jesus. They struggled to reject the notion of the Divinity of Jesus for close to 200 years.
One person who was an original follower of Jesus was Barnabas. He was a Jew born in Cyrus and a successful preacher of the teachings of Jesus. Because of his closeness to Jesus, he was an important member of the small group of disciples in Jerusalem who had had gathered together following the disappearance of Jesus.
The question of Jesus's nature, origin and relationship with God was not raised amongst Barnabas and the small group of disciples. Jesus was considered a man miraculously endowed by God. Nothing in the words of Jesus or the events in his life led them to modify this view.
The Gospel of Barnabas was accepted as a Canonical Gospel in the Churches of Alexandria till 325 CE Iranaeus (130-200) wrote in support of pure monotheism and opposed Paul for injecting into Christianity doctrines of the pagan Roman religion and Platonic philosophy. He quoted extensively from the Gospel of Barnabas in support of his views. This indicates that the Gospel of Barnabas was in circulation in the first and second centuries of Christianity.
In 325 (CE), a council of Christian leaders met at Nicaea and made Paul's beliefs officially part of Christian doctrine. It also ordered that all original Gospels in Hebrew script which contradicted Paul's beliefs should be destroyed. An edict was issued that anyone in possession of these Gospels would be put to death.
The Gospel of Barnabas has miraculously survived though.
7. Do Christians believe he was killed on the cross? YES
This is a core Christian belief and it relates to the concept of atonement. According to this belief, Jesus died to save mankind from sin. However, this is not stated explicitly in the four gospels which form the primary source texts of Christianity. It is found, however, in Romans 6:8,9.
Christians believe Jesus was spat on, cut, humiliated, kicked, striped and finally hung up on the cross to endure a slow and painful death.
According, to Christian belief, the original sin of Adam and Eve of eating from the forbidden tree was so great that God could not forgive it by simply willing it, rather it was necessary to erase it with the blood of a sinless, innocent Jesus.
Resurrection
The four Gospels and the Epistles of St. Paul are the main sources of Christianity which discuss the Resurrection of Jesus after his crucifixion. According to St. Matthew, Jesus appeared to the holy women, and again on a mountain in Galilee. Mark's Gospel tells a different story: Jesus was seen by Mary Magdalene, by the two disciples at Emmaus, and the Eleven before his Ascension into heaven.
Luke's Gospel says Jesus walked with the disciples to Emmaus, appeared to Peter and to the assembled disciples in Jerusalem. In John's Gospel, Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene, to the ten Apostles on Easter Sunday, to the Eleven a week later, and to seven disciples at the Sea of Tiberias.
Another account of the resurrection by St. Paul is found in Bible: Corinthians 15: 3-8.
According to Christian belief, Resurrection is a manifestation of God's justice, Who exalted Christ to a life of glory, as Christ had humbled himself unto death (Phil., 2: 8-9). This event also completes the mystery of Christian salvation and redemption. The death of Jesus frees believers from sin, and with his resurrection, he restores to them the most important privileges lost by sin (Bible: Romans 4:25).
More importantly, the belief in the resurrection of Jesus indicates Christian acknowledgment of Christ as the immortal God, the cause of believers' own resurrection (Bible: I Corinthians 4: 21; Phil., 3:20-21), as well as the model and the support of a new life of grace (Bible: Romans 4: 4-6; 9-11).
AND all of that mess because of PAUL?-AKA: Saul the former Pharisee (Jew). The bounty hunter/a persecutor of Christians before his Damascus road experience wherein he became Paul.
Saul who NEVER met Jesus - except for an instance wherein he was "alone" and Jesus appeared to him- another sick dream like those golden plates.
What do you know about Saul BEFORE he started promising followers of Jesus (later coined "christians") that they would be saved from being fed to the lions if they tithed to him and followed him?
Was he a con-man? Jews disclaim him. One Jew stated, "As far as Judaism is concerned, Paul didn't merit any mention at all. He may as well not have existed."
Another stated, "He is more of a Roman spy who found Christianity a better way to contain larger number of their conquered people"... yet another stated, "We don't care at all about Paul--he's not a person we give any thought to... he seems to have taken whatever Jesus was trying to say and perverted into something else."
IS IT WHERE YOU BASE ALL YOUR RELIGION because...If you reject Saul and his apostleship and conversion, then you reject the entire, infallible word of God??
Exodus 4:22
New International Version (©1984)
Then say to Pharaoh, 'This is what the LORD says: Israel is my firstborn son,
New Living Translation (©2007)
Then you will tell him, 'This is what the LORD says: Israel is my firstborn son.
English Standard Version (©2001)
Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the LORD, Israel is my firstborn son,
New American Standard Bible (©1995)
"Then you shall say to Pharaoh, 'Thus says the LORD, "Israel is My son, My firstborn.
GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
Then tell Pharaoh, 'This is what the LORD says: Israel is my firstborn son.
King James Bible
And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel [is] my son, [even] my firstborn:
The Jews said Moses wasn't able to bring the Turah Except in Book But Ezra brought it without book. So many Groups of them called Ezra " Son of God "
THIS IS to your claim of my Quoting Qur'an wrong.
Sub you asked...
"If the Gospels from the Holy Scripture were turned into stories about Jesus,why not all of them made it to Bible?"
Answer becasue not all stories about Jesus are True. For instance a lot of the stories found in your quran are from late 2nd to third century FORGORIES.
Now on to the rest of your lengthy response. Thank you for explaing what you believe however that was not my question.
I asked you to show me a group of pre mohamed Islamic followers of Jesus who beleived the things that you say they should believe. For instance.
1. Jesus was born of a virgin.
2. Jesus was not divine.
3. Jesus did not die on the cross.
Also what scripture did they follow?
To asnwer another one of your questions.
"1. Do Christians believe Jesus was a human being and Messenger of God? YES & NO"
The answer is YES we do, as a matter of fact if you do not believe that Jesus was a MAN of flesh and bone you are a anti christ.
Also your response to your own question is just wrong. You wrote
"With the exception of Unitarian Christians, who like all the early followers of Jesus, still do not believe in the Trinity, most Christians now believe in the Divinity of Jesus"
Thats JUST wrong go and read the early church fathers of the first century.
Ignatious died 110 AD writes "We have only one Physician the lord our God Jesus the Christ the only begotten Son and WOrd...."
He writes again... "For Our GOD Jesus Christ"
And again "God Himself appearing in the form of a MAN for the renewal of eternal life"
Justin Martry writes about Jesus
"we do rightfully worship the father and his Son who being the second person and the holy spirit the third"
There is more, much more but I challange you to read Ignatious, Polycarp, Justin Martyr, Ireneous and others.
Oh may be this is the reason Why Catholics and Protestants are still deciding who is divine, Jesus Mary or Paul or whoever, May be that is why they are taking one part of Bible in the accuracy of translation of which no one is sure and make hundreds of different churches every day.
Someone says oh I was a Hitler-christian by the way, killing/sterilizing Jews but Jesus came to me when I was "alone" so NO witnesses no proof.. Pay me one 10th of your income and I will stop selling you for bounty/lion food? Some other guy has a vision and digs out golden plates and creates another church. Tell me what is Christian - and what is Holy... calling Jesus F Christ, Oh my F God, throwing Bibles in the trash OR defending the Bible because some part of it is mentioned/confirmed in Qur'an. Giving due respect to Jesus and his Mom or calling every single woman a bitch because of Eve's sin?
"If the Gospels from the Holy Scripture were turned into stories about Jesus,why not all of them made it to Bible?" Answer becasue not all stories about Jesus are True.
HOW DO YOU KNOW, DID YOU HAVE JESUS COME IN YOUR DREAM WHEN YOU WERE ALONE TOO?
Allah says: I have PERFECTED the RELIGION( not Torah, Not Bible, Not Qur'an) and I will DEFEND it.
I do not need to refer to Justin Martry Ignatious, Polycarp, Justin Martyr and Ireneous, they are No More than story tellers like you Paul and Luke and Mathew and whoever and there will be hundreds more to come, keep worshiping people and not God.
there is only one God and there has always been only one religion that is islam
gospel of john chapter 5 verse 30
'I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me'
if he is god y does he say that?
can someone explain...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sREemKFBJX8
i think this shud be enough to remove any doubts
if u still deny may (son of)god help u
@Hasnain: If you are going to pick a cherry pick a verse out of John I am guessing you found it on an anti-Christianity site without actually reading it yourself. If you read the whole of John you would have seen these too:
John 3:16 - For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 14:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
1 John 2:22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
1 John 2:23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: [(but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also].
John 14:6 - Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 15:26 ¶ But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, [even] the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me.
Do you see how wrong those sites are? Read the Bible for yourself and see what it says before being deceived by the Christian haters.
@Hasnain - have you never noticed with Naik how he rattles off passages to justify what he is saying? Have you ever looked up those verses he states to see whether they have any relevance to the comment or do you just take it as gospel that he knows what he is talking about. There are countless sites proving the man is an idiot and knows nothing about Christianity (or even islam for that matter).
Read through these:
http://wikiislam.net/wiki/Rebuttals_to_Zakir_Naik
John 16:13
When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.
Acts 2:22
“Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know.
who do you think the holy spirit is?
do u believe in hazrat muhammad p.b.u.h as the last messenger of God and do u believe in the quran?
We have sent down the Reminder, and We will preserve it (Al-Hijr 15: 9)
God says this only for the quran which means the bible u have is written by man himself.
The Divine Scriptures that were revealed before Islam lost their original forms over time; they are either incomplete or not fully accurate. In the case of the Qur'an, however, Allah placed the revelations into our Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) memory. In addition, after he received each revelation, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) told his numerous Companions to write them down, thereby ensuring the Qur'an’s preservation in its original textual form.Basically God promised to protect the quran.
[Say: “If both humanity and jinn banded together to produce the like of this Qur'an, they could never produce anything like it, even if they backed each other up.” ] (Al-Israa’ 17: 88)
Lastly if u believe in the quran which u shud...
(112-1 to 4)
1. Say (O Muhammad ()): "He is Allah, (the) One.
2. "Allah-us-Samad (The Self-Sufficient Master, Whom all creatures need, He neither eats nor drinks).
3. "He begets not, nor was He begotten;
4. "And there is none co-equal or comparable unto Him."
she says it all
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQE0w5HQiZo&feature=related
Friends read the script from the original bible which is kept in a museum.
in a museum? i dont think so
@A.Q Oh! How sad!! Are we really have to go to the museum to read Bible...... See Friend you are throwing stone on yourself... Search the truth
The answer is very clear as day light in the Bible. Please open your heart, and read the following:
Mark 12:28-33
28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.
30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.
31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.”
32 “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him.
33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
So, it is clear.......
This matches 100% with the Quran (Chapter 112:1-4)
1 Say: He is Allah, the One and Only;
2 Allah, the Eternal, Absolute;
3 He begetteth not, nor is He begotten;
4 And there is none like unto Him.
If Allah (The Arabic translation of God) told us in the Quran that Jesus is my Son, and worship him.... I would be the first one who does that..... But he did not....
I love God, I Love Adam, I Love Noah, I Love Yunous, I love Abraham, I Love Jacob, I Love Isac, I Love Ismeial, I Love Yousef, I Love Sulaiman, I Love David, I Love John, I Love Moses, I Love Jesus, and I love Muhammad..... Peace and Blessings upon them all....
Gosh muslims are desperate to prove that Jesus is not God.
@Ash - you said
"31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.”
That is what Jesus said but islam does not teach that (I assume you have read your own books). We do not worship the same God so why are you so desperate to prove that we are wrong? Could it be that you know deep down that islam is wrong and that mohammed is a false prophet?
Here is a site for you all to read http://isaalmasih.net/
Below is a prayer that you may pray and ask Jesus to come into your heart and life. This is the true plan that God has for your life.
Lord God. I come to You a sinner and I humbly repent of my sins. I believe that Jesus is Lord and I believe You raised Him from the dead. I ask that Jesus will come into my life and be my Lord and Savior. I receive Jesus to change and take control of my life that I may live for Him from this day forth and from now on. Thank You Lord Jesus for saving me and cleansing me with Your precious blood. In Jesus name, Amen.
http://iamanambassador.blogspot.com/
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