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Alot of this work began from a sermon by James W Knox. Being amazed by this claim I began studying on the topic and added alot more information inside and outside of the sermon itself http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=971022720
If your reading this one sentence , it means this work is still in progress. Its come to my knoweledge that this study could go on forever !
The links provided are of the utmost importance to understand the truth behind the claims you will read !
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Does the Koran regard Jesus Christ as divine ?
Christians regard Jesus Christ as the Son of God. We regard him as divine. He was crucified, died and was buried yet he rose from the dead on the 3rd day and he dwelled and lived with the people for 40 days after his resurrection ! He was seen by thousands and on one occassion more than 500 at one time. After his resurrection Jesus was seen on 17 separate occassions. Alot of these testimonys are in the writings of Mathew, Mark, Luke, John and Acts in the bible. Jesus claimed he was divine and so did his followers. On the other hand Islam proclaims Jesus is not God.
They say Jesus is not the son of God, that Jesus is not divine and that he was merely just a prophet, but Muhammad never claimed to be divine. He was born of an earthly mother and father. He was born a natural birth, lived a natural life and died a non supernatural death ( poisoned ). Muhammad's sole claim was that he was only a prophet and according the Koran in C 18 " a prophet that came in the fullest blaze of history with no learning he put to shame the wisdom of the learn'ed. At 40 years of age he recieved a call to stand forth and proclaim the bounty of God.
In Koran C 41 its says revelations where given to Muhammad. These messages came as an inspiration to Muhammad as the need arose from the angel Gabriel. ( A biblical perspective of Gabriel )- http://www.bible-koran.com/English/Articles/Mohammed/Part_IV/part_iv.html
And on different occassions and in many places he recites them and they were recorded by the pen. / In this way the Koran was written. Before I continue I must share that I found that Muhammad was considered illiterate. He "recited" what he had been earlier told by the assumed angel Gabriel. Because he couldnt write he spoke these revelations to his companions. Why would Allah choose an illiterate man to convey his message to the world when it obvious that the accuracy/authenticity would be jeopordized by relaying to someone else. I'm forced to ask " hoow does an illiterate person proof check his dictation "? Then its popular knowledge that his companions wrote down what they heard from Muhammad on animal skins, large stones and palm leaves, etc. Allah appears to have chosen some very feeble ways of making sure his important message to mankind was reached.
Scholars agree that there is no evidence of the Koran until 691 — 59 years after Muhammad's death — when the Dome of the Rock mosque in Jerusalem was built, carrying several Koranic inscriptions. And how does one go about convincing these messages were from God ? The bible clearly indicates that mighty miracles proceeded the prophets of the BIBLE who were seen by multitudes of believers and non believers over large areas of land AND over an expanse of time MUCH GREATER time ( 1600 years ) than Muhammads 23 years of revelations. Never did one bible prophet contradict another, yet Muhammad is known for making many mistakes recollecting bible history http://www.1000mistakes.com/1000mistakes/index.php and NEVER did he perform any miracles that could be substantiated.
Muhammad made passages that cancel out or update previous ones in the Koran. At one time he even claimed Allah said that he " Allah" had daughters but later said Satan caused him to say those things ! http://www.muslimhope.com/DaughtersOfAllah.htm http://inthenameofallah.org/Daughters%20of%20Allah.html so in essence even if one couldnt find contradictions in the Koran, after this blunder who could trust the Koran with anything it said ? When Muhammad was asked for proof that he was a profit his reply was... Al Ma'ida 5: 101 "O ye who believe! ask not questions about things which if made plain to you may cause you trouble. But if ye ask about things when the Qur'an is being revealed they will be made plain to you:
The Words of God of the bible were proven to be from God because of the mighty miracles seen by those that heard it..... such miracles as raising the dead, splitting the Red Sea and bringing fire from heaven was just a few that God of the bible did. Many copy cat prophets of the day were exposed due to these miracles they could not perform. That is what seperates those many bible prophets from the one prophet of the Koran. I ask you friends, what miracles did the prophet Muhammad do that can be substantiated ? Miracles in the bible - http://gospelway.com/god/evidences-miracles.php
The Quran consists of 114 chapters of varying lengths, each known as a sura which means a step. Each chapter consists of several verses, known as ayat, which originally means a 'sign' or 'evidence' sent by God. The central theme of the Quran is monotheism. God is depicted as living, eternal, omniscient and omnipotent . If you study both the bible and the Koran you will notice that the Koran copies many verses from the bible, not word for word but in essence the same thing and never the other way around. How could it for the bible was complete long before the Koran came into existence some 600 years after the bible. Give a long hard " think" on why God after revealing His Word in a book that is 1/3 proven prophecy from start to finish and includes a sincere unmistakable CURSE not to add to it ,would continue to reveal more revelation to a man who is hellbent on violence and self indulgence?
Islam agrees with the Torah or the first 5 books of the Old Testament. Why I dont know because Jesus can be eluded to specifically there. This is just one example of the preincarnate Jesus. Study Genesis 32:30, Numbers 12:8,Exodus 33:11, Deuteronomy 34:10 and Exodus 33:20-23 and John 1:18 in the New Testament..... then you will see what I mean. Here is a great explanation of the prophecy of the coming Messiah in the book of Genesis - http://www.aboutbibleprophecy.com/genesis_22_18.htm
Muhammad copied many scriptures from memory into his revelatations which because he was not a real prophet , made many historical innaccuracies which can be found when comparing them to bible stories.
Here are a few references to the bible that Muhammad used in the Koran. S 229 " It is HE God who has created for you all things that are on earth./ This line is an overview of what the bible says in Genesis chapter 1. The story of Adam and Eve is found in S 235-236 O Adam dwell thou and thine wife in the garden and eat of the bountiful things therein as where and when you will but approach not the tree or you will run into harm and transgression....etc. In the Koran you will read of the story of Moses, Abraham and other biblical characters. Muhammad has taking things he has learned from the bible then claim that he was told such things by God. After conveying them to a land where the original texts were not known it leaves nothing to the imagination that many would believe that He was a prophet of God ! This is all interesting but lets address the issue that we came here to learn about and that the Koran claims one fundamental dogma that sets it apart from Christianity . There is ONE vital basic difference between Islam and Christianity. The Koran does refer Jesus Christ as righteous prophet, an apostle to Israel BUT in the Koran Muhammad declared Jesus is not God, not the son of God and that he was only an apostle...... only a man. So in other words the religion of Islam said Jesus lived. This Jesus was good, this Jesus was truthful , this Jesus was righteous but this Jesus was not divine.
However Jesus Christ himself said that he was divine. In John 4:25-26 The woman saith unto him, I know that the Messiah cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he. / If Jesus Christ was not whom he claimed he was , then he would be a deciever and a liar yet the Koran itself rightly proclaims Jesus's rectitude and virtue. I ask you can a prophet of God be found to be a liar ? Now let us continue our examination of the Koran. What did Muhammad say about Jesus ? In s 5 -110 /113 The Koran states of Jesus Christ " by my leave thou healest those born blind and the lepers, by my leave and behold thou bringeth forth the dead. Islam proclaims Jesus a wonderful prophet, a healer, and one who brought the dead back to life. ." Now that is very interesting !
NO such acts or powers are described in the Koran having been attributed to Muhammad. So the Koran itself ascribes greater power to Jesus than to Muhammad. Now that IS a very interesting fact isnt it ? Yet in itself , does that not set forth proof that Jesus was more than a mortal man ? WHO ELSE CAN RAISE THE DEAD ? We know the apostles of Jesus were ascribed powers to do the same miracles Jesus did in Mathew 10:8 he told them " Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give." This lasted up until a short time after Jesus ascended into heaven. No where will you find that Muhammad or any followers of Muhammad had such powers, but they did show through much historical evidence to have the power to kill.
What factors should convince anyone that Jesus is divine ? Are those factors present in the Koran ? If these factors are present in the Koran I HOPE you would accept that Jesus was just more than a man, and after examining all the evidence that will soon be presented here, you SHOULD accept that He is divine taken from the muslims authority ! I would expect that if Jesus is the son of God and divine these 4 things will be true.
1. There should be an earlier prophecy or expectation of his birth which his coming fulfills.
2. His coming , conception or birth aught to be supernatural, extraordinary, an incredible miracle which could be only explained if he were truly the son of God.
3. His life should be highlighted with miracles and his teachings should stand the passage of time. Throughout his life this person should be truly sinless if he were truly God
4, Finally if Jesus Christ were truly God should conquer death .
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# 1. Reference to the coming of Jesus must procede his coming. The bible is repleat with references to the coming of Jesus Christ . The bible gives us the time of his birth, the place of his birth, the people who will attend his birth, the things that would be said concerning his birth, the social, political and religious events that would result from His birth. All of these things are prophecied in the Holy Bible in minute detail hundreds of years before his coming. But this work is not about the bible, this work is about learning if these things are also set forth in the Koran. So lets look in the Muslims Holy book at S 549. Muhammad is reflecting Gods dictation and he writes ( In their footsteps we sent Jesus the son of Mary confirming the law that would come before him, we sent him the gospel , there in him was guidence and light and confirmation of the law that would come before him and guidance and admonition to those who fear God. Now what does this passage mean ? It means what it says ! That Jesus came to confirm the law. The pronouncement laid down before he came. The law was laid down by the prophets of God. That was to say these prophecies would be later confirmed by the birth of Jesus. The law is Gods Word. Gods Word is the law. A beautiful passage from the bible John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God and in John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. How strange the Koran gives details that Jesus would be a confirmation of the law ! This passage if compared to the bible passages about Jesus and the law should completely stop Islam from existing. When the Koran claims that Jesus would be a confirmation of the law it should be the end of it !
Having read what the Koran says, lets look at what the counterpart ( which was written much earlier ) says in the bible. Jesus himself said in Mt:5:17: Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. And in Luke 24:44 He said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. In like manner the Koran is saying that Jesus came to fulfill the law, the prounouncement of the law before he came, that is to confirm the prophecies. So this first requirement is satsified. The Koran is saying that the coming of Jesus was foretold , that his coming was foretold of the law which was written prior to his arrival. Now this may be a good place to interject this very important fact how the bible seperates itself from the Koran and the other many religious books. The bible is the ONLY book that speaks prophecy. ONE THIRD of the bible is prophecy. For prophecy to be accepted , it must be made beforehand and come to pass before every minute particular. This very first detail of the 4 requirements that we will go over is a statement from heaven. It was written by a God who can transverse time and it so happens to have BEATEN MUHAMMAD by MANY years to the revelation of the coming of Jesus. The Koran is not a book of prophecy yet here we have the Koran eluding to the fulfillment of prophecy about the coming of Jesus ! This establishes the first of the 4 points we will go over to prove the diety of Jesus via the Koran.
# 2 The second factor we would expect for Jesus Christ to be divinity is that his coming should be supernatural. Yes it should be an incredible miracle if Jesus was the Son of God. This in my view should be the crucial test of divinity. And if the Koran satisfys this requirement then the Koran will be asserting that Jesus is the Messiah, that he is the God sent saviour . That this is God Himself manifested in a body of human flesh. For a child to be concieved the laws of nature must be observed.There must be a union of a man with a woman. Throughout the ages since the beginning of time there has only be one " person " on record that was born of a virgin. Once again let us not look at the bible which is the Christian authority on this subject but lets look at these quatations that are taken from the Koran. The Koran first speaks of the mother of Mary ; the bible makes no reference to the mother of Mary which was the mother of Jesus. It is the Koran which goes back to the grandmother of Jesus and the Koran says this of the grandmother.... " when the little baby Mary, the mother of Jesus was born , the grandmother of Jesus had this to say which is recorded in S 3-36- "Oh my Lord, behold, I am delivered of a female child and God knew best. I have named her Mary, and I commend her and her offspring to vied protection from the evil one, the rejected."
So we find in the Koran the infant Mary who later became Jesus mother is to be protected from the devil, the evil one, the rejected one. And in the Koran we find the description of Marys growth in purity and beauty. Furthermore God supplies her ( the mother of Jesus ) with sustenance. Lets read what the Koran says in S 3-37....."Write graciously that her Lord accept her (Mary), he made her grow in purity and beauty. To the care of Zacharia was she assigned. Every time that he entered her chamber to see her, he found her supplied with sustenance. He said, 'Oh Mary, whence comes this to you?' She said, 'From God. For God provides sustenance to whom he pleases without measure.'"
" Now here the Koran is giving information about Mary which is not found in the bible. Mary is literally fed and sustained by God. The Koran next identifies the young Mary in this manner. The next passages talks about Mary and how she conceived the baby Jesus. They come from S-3-42,43,45,47: "Behold, the angel said, 'Oh, Mary, God has chosen thee and purified thee: chosen thee above the women of all nations. Oh, Mary, worship the Lord devoutly, prostrate thyself and bow down in prayer with those who bow down.' Behold, the angel said, 'Oh, Mary, God giveth thee glad tidings of a " word " from Him. His name will be Christ Jesus, the son of Mary, held in honor in this world and the " hereafter ", and the company of those nearest to God. He shall speak to the people in childhood and in maturity. He shall be of the company of the righteous.' ( a strange acknowledgment from the Koran claiming that Jesus would be a WORD from God that would be honored in the is world and the HEARAFTER ! ) Remember John 1: 1 ?
Mary replied, 'Oh, my Lord, how shall I have a son when no man has touched me?' The angel replied, 'Even so, God createth what he willeth when he has decreed a plan. He but said to it Be, and so it is.' Then the angels came to Mary, telling her: “O Mary! Allah has chosen you and made you pure, and has preferred you above (all) the women of creation” (3:42). / Allah had chosen her to be the mother of the only unconceived child in the world ! And God told her there was A PLAN ! Allah said the reason Jesus was CREATED, was because there WAS A PLAN but the Koran really gives NO plan ! Naturally, Mary was dismayed and could not comprehend how she would be pregnant without having been with a man. Her words are quoted in the Koran: “ She said: How can I have a son when no human has touched me, neither have I been unchaste?”
An angel answered her, saying, “Allah creates what He will. If He decrees a thing, He says unto it only: Be! And it is” (3:47). According to the Koran, all Allah did was say, “Be!” And that was enough to create a baby boy inside Mary. However all Christians know the real reason why Jesus was born without a earthborn natural father. Rom:5:12: Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned / For Jesus to be a spotless and innocent sacrfice he had to be born without a natural father so that he would not subsequently inherit a sin. Jesus was sinless by nature and sinless by spirit. What good would a sacrifice for mankinds sin be if the sacrifice was a sinner ? The Koran admits to him being " created " by God without giving a reason why. Would'nt any curious Muslim want to know why God created Jesus from a virgin ??? The best Muhammad could come up with is "Allah creates what he wills..... etc ", " Allah says " BE and so it is ".
The angels also informed Mary of the child's name and his special role: “[T]he Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, illustrious in the world and the Hereafter, and one of those brought near (unto Allah)” (3:45). They told her that Jesus would speak in his cradle, be a messenger for the children of Israel, and be inspired with knowledge of the Gospel and Torah. / Wow Muhammad has really poured it on THICK ! So thick Im not sure if he knew he was working against his movement of Islam by giving so much information about the deity of Jesus. But my friends, we have only just begun !
Now followers of Islam can never explain away these clear unequiavable statements written by their prophet Muhammad who declared that Jesus was born without a human father . This alone proves the deity of Jesus Christ . This alone proves he is the son of God, not the son of a man. Now the name Christ means " the annointed one ". Muhammad was born with a mother and a father but Jesus was born without a father, yet the followers of Islam would have us believe that Muhammad who was just a man was greater than Jesus who come down to this world as redeemer for all mankind.
The Koran say that Jesus was " created " due to the will of Allah. Yet we hear in the story Jesus was born of the virgin Mary. So this use of the word " created " in itself means the same thing Christians believe. With this being understood , how can it be accepted that Jesus is NOT the Son of God ? This miraculous child was GOD " manifested/created " in the flesh. Lets put it another way in a question. Who would you say the Koran declares to be the father of Jesus ? It is no suprise there is no prophecy about the birth of Muhammad . It is a fact that the birth of Jesus was foretold in the bible by the prophet Isaiah 740 years BEFORE. The birth of Jesus was told , that is 1300 years before Muhammad was born ! Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel ( that is God with us ).
Muslims, and certain Islamic narrations, claim that Muhammad is the most exalted of all of Allah’s creatures. They believe that Allah has preferred Muhammad to the rest of the prophets and messengers. However, the Quran does not substantiate this assertion since there is someone else who is presented as being more exalted than Muhammad. In fact, this someone else is presented as superior to all other prophets according to the Quran. For instance, when the Quran mentions that Allah has preferred some apostles above certain others it specifically mentions Jesus and David: Those apostles We endowed with gifts, some above others: To one of them God spoke; others He raised to degrees (of honour); to Jesus the son of Mary We gave clear (Signs), and strengthened him with the holy spirit. If God had so willed, succeeding generations would not have fought among each other, after clear (Signs) had come to them, but they (chose) to wrangle, some believing and others rejecting. If God had so willed, they would not have fought each other; but God Fulfilleth His plan. S. 2:253 Y. Ali
And it is your Lord that knoweth best all beings that are in the heavens and on earth: We did bestow on some prophets more (and other) gifts than on others: and We gave to David (the gift of) the Psalms. S. 17:55 Y. Ali
Notice that Muhammad is not mentioned by name in either one of the citations. We shall see that it is not a coincidence that Jesus and David are mentioned instead.
This next text supposedly quotes David and Solomon as saying:
And We gave David and Solomon knowledge and they said, 'Praise belongs to God who has preferred us over many of His believing servants.' S. 27:15 Arberry
Thus, Allah has preferred David and Solomon above many of his servants. As anyone reading the New Testament already knows, Jesus is a descendant of David: "the gospel concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh" Romans 1:3 "Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descended from David, as preached in my gospel," 2 Timothy 2:8
If you want to read more about how the Koran exalts Jesus over Muhammad please visit http://www.answering-islam.org/Shamoun/jesus_most_exalted_q.htm
Before moving on to the 3rd part of how the Koran admits to the deity of Jesus, I want to share how the Koran denies the deity of Jesus with ((( ONLY ONE ))) very absurd claim. As you have read earlier in this work, there were many who saw Jesus after his crucifixtion and there were many that seen him do miracles A-F-T-E-R his ressurection. He showed Thomas the holes in his hands were he was crucified, he was able to walk through walls . Forty days after his resurrection , Jesus spent time instructing his disciples, he led them out as far as Bethany. He lifted up his hands and blessed them – Luke 24: 50. As he was speaking to them he was being taken up to Heaven before their eyes. The cloud received him out of their sight – Acts 1:9.
Remember Jesus was seen by over 500 people after he died. The exact number of people who saw Jesus after his resurrection is unknown, but the Bible records Jesus being seen by many people over a period of about 40 days. These include Mary Magdalene, the 12 Apostles and many other unnamed believers. 1 Corinthians 15:6 states that Jesus was seen by over 500 people at one time. To make this miraculous event go away, the only thing that Muhammad or this "so called angel Gabriel" could do is concoct this ludicrous story. Here it is ! .....
When rivalry began to sizzle against Jesus, a plot was devised to kill him. Those who disbelieved plotted to crucify him on the cross. The prelude to the crucifixion is not described in the Koran, and neither is the event itself, but Allah knew that the people were plotting to kill his prophet: “And they (the disbelievers) schemed, and Allah schemed (against them), and Allah is the best of schemers” (3:54). Now hows that for an attempt to hide the crucifixion at the same time insulting the truthfulness of your Allah by referring to him as a SCHEMER " ? !
Just before they went to get Jesus, Allah raised him up to the Heavens and replaced him with a look-alike !!! The look-alike was seized and crucified, while Jesus was safe in the Heavens with Allah. Amazingly unbelievable claim but Muslims will be believe it. You will read more on this from the Koran soon.
Of the millions of people that Allah could have replaced Jesus with to hide his crucifiction, " WHY DID ALLAH CHOOSE SOMEONE THAT LOOKED EXACTLY LIKE JESUS ?Why didnt this guy who was a look a like replacement say something like " HEY, Whats going on here, you;ve got the wrong guy ! How come I look excactly like Jesus ? I dont suppose muslims give much thought to that story because if ALLAH said it is true, then it has to be true and the Koran says " dont ask questions "! ref: ;o ye who believe! ask not questions about things which if made plain to you may cause you trouble.... some people before you did ask such question, and on that account lost their faith. quran 5:101-102/ End.
The bible says Jesus was sent from one ruler to another as a sheep is led to the slaughter. He did not fight against the will of those that persecuted him. God the Father had a plan before the foundation of the world and it was being carried out. Im sorry some can not accept this greatest gesture of love to all mankind for their sins.
And lets reflect for a brief moment about Jesus being taken to heaven before the crucifiction. The Koran says that Allah is one and has no partner. Quran says their god Allah has 'No PARTNER' and exalted is He and high above what they describe. Surah 112 and 6:100.
Surah 112 Say: He is Allah, the One and Only! Allah, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not nor is He begotten. And there is none like unto Him. """"" BUT """"" on the contrary Surah 4: 158 says “Allah raised him (Jesus) to HIMSELF"!
Note that, Allah dod not raised Jesus to heaven but to 'HIMSELF' (As a partner of what He is)! If Allah is God, the word 'HIMSELF' showing the 'whole status of Allah being one is out the window ! Allah raised Jesus not into Heaven but unto HIMSELF (As a partner of His Eternal Godly Status)". In simple words into the status of Allah Himself. / A non contestable fact straight from the Koran ! The Koran admits that God has a partner !
In the Koran again it says
"O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians): Come to a word that is just between us and you, that we worship none but Allâh, and that we associate no partners with Him, and that none of us shall take others as lords besides Allâh. Then, if they turn away, say: "Bear witness that we are Muslims." (Quran 3: 64) / How strange it is that Jesus who was created by Allah was brought back to Allah but Allah has no partners ? Does anyone Allah claims in the Quran but Muslims seem to ignore ?
The Koran says " It befits not (the Majesty of) Allâh that He should beget a son [this refers to the slander of Christians against Allâh, by saying that 'Iesa (Jesus) is the son of Allâh]. Glorified (and Exalted be He above all that they associate with Him). When He decrees a thing, He only says to it, "Be!" and it is. (Quran 19: 35)" / I ask you dear Muslim, If Jesus is not the son of Allah, then who is the father of Jesus ? Who is his creator ?
The Koran says "The Messiah ['Iesa (Jesus)], son of Maryam (Mary), was no more than a Messenger; many were the Messengers that passed away before him. His mother [Maryam (Mary)] was a Siddiqah [i.e. she believed in the words of Allâh and His Books (see Verse 66:12)]. They both used to eat food (as any other human being, while Allâh does not eat). Look how We make the Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) clear to them, yet look how they are deluded away (from the truth). (Quran 5: 75) / I ask you dear Muslim " how can Jesus who was created by God, who raised the dead, who lived a sinless life and was brougth back to Allah by Allah be ONLY a messenger ?
What was the qualification of Jesus Christ, or how did He (Jesus) be qualified to be raised (by Allah) unto Allah HIMSELF? After Allah raised Jesus Christ to HIMSELF (to His One and Only Eternal Godly Status) how can Allah be an "ONE AND ONLY"? After Surah 112:4 "Nor is there to Him any equivalent" I need to ask " Is He TWO or ONE? In the bible Psalms 2:7 says " I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee ".
The Koran narrates this story in the following verses: “And because of their saying: We slew the Messiah Jesus, son of Mary, Allah's messenger. They slew him not nor crucified, but it appeared so unto them” (4:157). http://quran.com/4/157Jesus was not crucified because he ascended, alive and healthy, to the Heavens: “(And remember) when Allah said: O Jesus! I am gathering you and causing you to ascend to Me, and am cleansing you of those who disbelieve and am setting those who follow you above those who disbelieve until the Day of Resurrection” (3:55)./ End
Here is an interesting Sura from the Koran that DOES say Jesus will be killed and resurrected ! This contradicts the whole Jesus was took up to be with Allah story Mohammad made up.... "Thereupon she pointed to him. They said, 'How can we talk to one who is a child in the cradle?' Jesus said, 'I am a servant of ALLAH. HE has given me the Book, and has made me a Prophet; 'And HE has made me blessed wheresoever I may be, and has enjoined upon me Prayer and almsgiving so long as I live; 'And HE has made me dutiful towards my mother, and has not made me arrogant and graceless; 'And peace was on me the day I was born, and peace will be on me the day I shall die, and the day I shall be raised up to life again.' That was Jesus, son of Mary. This is a statement of the truth concerning which they entertain doubt."—Qur'an, Surah 19:30-35 Muslims explain this strange verse by saying it doesnt have anything to do with Jesus being on the cross but everything about ressurection day. So I have to ask " Does the Koran say anything anywhere about Jesus dieing on earth ? Anything about a return of Jesus before he supposedly dies on earth ? Does Jesus do anything in the Koran AFTER he supposedly is taken up to be with Allah ? If the Koran ignores the death of Jesus ON the cross this must be a referral to Jesus OFF the cross so in other words if the latter is true than Allah did not hide the death of Jesus. Does the Koran explain how Jesus died if he didnt die on the cross ? NO it doesnt ! We all know mankind will be resurrected on resurrection day. Both Christians and Muslims believe that. So why the reference to Jesus ( who Muslims claim was only a messenger ) be referred to as dieing and bering raised up to life again. Very strange indeed !
Just before Jesus was apprehended at the Garden of Gethsamane he restored a soldiers ear that had been cut off by Simon Peter the apostle and rebuked the violence that took place. Jesus was to be a sheep led for the slaughter. Why didnt ALLAH stop Jesus from being led to the slaughter at this point ? Why did Allah allow his prophet to have his skin ripped off his flesh ? Why did Allah allow his great prophet to have his beard ripped off his face ?Why did Allah allow his prophet to have a crown of thorns forced into his head and spat on ? Why did Allah allow his innocent prophet to make it to the cross ? Jesus proclaimed LONG before he made it to the cross that he was God ! Instead of allowing Jesus to make it to the cross why didnt Muhammad simply say Jesus went insane the first time he confessed he was God ? Well that would be impossible. An insane man doesnt work miracles ! There are too many things Islam can not answer !
Where exactly does Muhammad claim Jesus was raptured into heaven and replaced with a look a like ? IF Jesus hadnt done such a thing as heal the soldier, be kissed by the Judas so to allow the soldiers to identify him ( by the way was ANOTHER prophecy manifested in the bible ) and wouldnt have been dragged from ruler to ruler and humiliated before being crucified MANY MORE would have probably believed in Islam according to Muhammad !! In short if Allah wouldnt have allowed those who followed Jesus to WITNESS him being crucified for their sins, than those believers wouldnt believe he was crucified . Allah has really messed up here ! This means that according to Islam , because Allah allowed Jesus to make it to the cross ( whether he really died on the cross or not and regardless of whether it was him or not ) Allah in fact allowed Christianity to be created ! Those that believed on Jesus as being their saviouir and knew of the prophecies of his crucifiction really believed that he was the Messiah now, even the thief that was on a cross next to him believed he was the Messiah !
Jesus death on the cross fulfilled countless bible prophecies yet the Koran says it didnt happen ? Who would you believe ? Why didnt Muhammad cover the part in the Koran about this counterfiet Jesus looking like Jesus when he came back from the DEAD for all to see ? Why didnt Allah have this counterfeit Jesus look like one of the other of millions on the earth ? He couldnt because everyone was with Jesus saw that he looked like himself before during and AFTER the cross ! Wouldnt it have prospered Allah so much more to fly Jesus up into the sky BEFORE HE DIED and leave it at that ? Then there would be no question whether Jesus died or not. There would be no questions whether Jesus was resurrected from the dead or not ? I mean if Muhammad can fly on an animal that NOONE has ever seen (Surah 17.1) from Mecca to Jerusalem, certainly Jesus could have taken straight up into heaven instead of enduring his agonizing journey carrying the cross to Golgatha. There are too many loopholes left in Muhammads story. And not to go off on too many tangents but here is info disproving Muhammds night journey - http://www.menorah.org/Muhammad%E2%80%99s%20Alleged%20Night%20Journey%20in%20Sura%2017.pdf
It took 6 hours from the time Jesus was captured at Gethsamane ( and we knew it was Jesus because of his miracle replacing the soldiers ear ) to the cross on which he hung. During that short time period Jesus was a prisoner and was under close observation. Roman law would put to death a guard who allowed a prisoner to escape. In this circumstance I would imagine it was impossible for Jesus to go a second without anyones eye being right on him ! He was a prisoner of prisoners held for blasphemy. I'm sorry that the Koran doesnt give descriptions to what took place with Jesus just before his crucifiction BUT the bible can ! And with these details we can compare them to other historical books ! BUT it just so happens no other books can substantiate the Korans claim of this switch ALLAH did. Isn't that a shame !
I ask my Muslim friends, where in this time period did ALLAH actually do the switch that Muhammad claimed took place and how did Allah change this free will of counterfeit Christ to to be crucified WILLINGLY and have him carry his own cross ? And the details of Jesus before and during crucifiction is substantiated in our TODAYs medical journals ~! This medical overview substantiates the details given about the death of Jesus before and during his time on the cross - http://www.gotquestions.org/blood-water-Jesus.html
More details on the crucifiction - http://ed5015.tripod.com/BCrucifixionDistances117.htm
And for the undeniable facts about the crucifixtion of Jesus please visit - http://carm.org/islam-crucifixion-of-jesus
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Now permit me to empasize to state again that special attention must be paid to the words used by the angels to Mary and recorded in the Koran his name shall be Christ Jesus . Now this name Christ means " the annointed one ". The translation of the Hebrew word Messiah . Now the Messiah in Jewish theology refers to the divinely appointed deliverer. The angels by transmitting this message from God to Mary were placing their seal of approval on the divinity of Jesus .
The messiahship was expressly proclaimed by the angels at his birth In Luke chapter 2:10-14 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. Mark 8:29 And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ. Mathew 16:16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. The second requirement for the divinity of Jesus being his supernatural coming " childbirth" is satisfied. All these prophets who SAW Jesus with their own eyes say the same thing ! Yes so many witnesses but Muhammad on the other hand witnessed NONE OF IT !
Prophecies and the fulfillment of those prophecies - https://bible.org/article/prophecies-birth-christ
# 3 The life of Jesus should be filled with miracles and his teachings should stand the test of time AND THAT HE SHOULD LIVE A LIFE WITHOUT SIN ! It has been about 2000 years since Jesus died. When he died his disciples were in dissaray. They had fled, Jesus was betrayed , denied and deserted yet his teachings are stronger today more than they have ever been. Yet 2000 years have gone by and millions and millions are willing to die for Him and his message. Christians are willing to die for God but Muslims are willing to kill for God. You figure it out !
Millions of bibles have been translated in all languages and again those who believe his words are willing to share Gods message where it may cause them death ! For 2000 years his teaching have been the light of the world and his words continue to endure forever. Although Jesus never had an army, today there are over 2000 million Christians marching under his banner of love. Truly like the Koran says, his teachings have stood the test of time. Love his words or hate his words, they are still effectual today. Lets look at the Koran s-348 and 49 and see what it says about his miracles. "He will teach him the scripture, wisdom, the Torah, and the Gospel." And [make him] a messenger to the Children of Israel, [who will say], 'Indeed I have come to you with a sign from your Lord in that I design for you from clay [that which is] like the form of a bird, then I breathe into it and it becomes a bird by permission of Allah . And I cure the blind and the leper, and I give life to the dead - by permission of Allah . And I inform you of what you eat and what you store in your houses. Indeed in that is a sign for you, if you are believers./ End
The above passage is an utmost bewildering passage and impossible to understand. If Jesus was created by Allah why does the Koran say that he is a messenger to the children of Israel ? Its my understanding that Muslims today believe Jesus was a Muslim. And the Koran says Jesus was taught the Torah. If one was to read the Torah ( the first 5 books of the Old Testament ), then Jesus would learn ( and the Muslims should believe ) that Jesus WOULD BE GOD MANIFESTED IN THE FLESH AT A LATTER TIME as the book of Deuteronomy claims. Deuteronomy does not prediect the coming of Muhammad ! - God had said to Moses: "I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and I will put My words in his mouth; and he shall speak to them all that I shall command him" Deuteronomy 18:18
This was fulfilled in John 1:45, "We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." Nope..not Muhammad! Muhammad was not the son of Joseph. It was Jesus of Nazareth. Again this was written long before Muhammad was born.
http://www.talkjesus.com/bible-study-hall/31121-does-deuteronomy-predict-coming-muhammad.html
The Koran gives a wide spectrum of Jesus the healer the power to revive the dead ( through Allah ) and again a power that the prophet Muhammad never displayed. WHY didnt Allah give Muhammad the power to do ANY miracles ? There are a number of places in the Koran where people had asked proof from Muhammad if he was really a prophet of God. Muhammad would never give any. Muhammad could NOT peform miracles. This is a MOST IMPORTANT link I ask Muslims to read !! - http://www.faithfreedom.org/Articles/sina/miracles_of_Mo.htm
Both the Old and New Testament prophets showed miracles to prove their messages were from God ! Exodus 4:1-9,Exodus 14:30,31,Joshua 3:7-17,1 Kings 18:36-39,Num. 16:28-35; chap. 17; 1 Kings 17:24; 2 Kings 1,Mark 16:20,Acts 14:3,2 Corinthians 12:11,12,Hebrews 2:3,4,-People needed a way to distinguish true prophets from false ones. This was the purpose of miracles.
Now lets talk about Jesus and Sin. Only God could be without sin. You would have to agree with that. Islam shares the belief that Jesus was sinless. It speaks of the sin of Adam, Abraham, Moses, Noah and EVEN Muhammad but nowhere does it speak of or attribute any sin to Jesus ! This conclusion is expressed in one of its traditions. Quote. Every child born of Adam is touched by Satan the day his mother is delivered of him with the exception of the mother Mary and HER SON !
One of Mohammad's followers asked him if he could carry his sin for him. Mohammad admitted that he could not for the reason that he had his own sin to carry. At the same time, Mohammad confessed that Jesus alone of those born on earth was exclusively born without being touched by the devil. (3.36) (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 55, Number 641; see also Volume 4, Book 54, Number 506),(Sahih Muslim, Book 030, Number 5837),(Sahih Muslim, Book 030, Number 5838; see also Book 033, Number 6429), see also Volume 4, Book 54, Number 506)
Here are titles of Jesus referred to in the Koran that were not given to Muhammad. The Messiah, The Word of God, The Spirit of God. All bespeak the deity of Jesus. http://www.answering-islam.org/Gilchrist/titles.html
The 3rd factor for the deity of Jesus has been established from the Koran. That is miracles did follow Jesus and he was without sin.
#4. Anyone even slightly considering that Jesus would have to be deity would expect such a man to be able to conquer death. The bible is full of passages about the appearance of Jesus after his crucifiction.... BUT what does the Koran say ? Now the contention being considered is this. Muslims claim that Jesus is not the son of God and was not divine. How does this conclusion compare with the irrefutable pronouncements we have studied so far in the Koran ? The announcement of the coming of Jesus and his coming would be fulfillment of the law, his miraculous conception ( when the Koran admits he had no earthly father ), his miracles, his teachings from a tiny area of the earth ( which lasted only 3 years ) which has now covered the world, and his ability to remain sinless in this life. TRULY NOONE was like him, ESPECIALLY MUHAMMAD !
What does the Koran say about Jesus's death and ressurrection ? Lets look at S4-157 / 158 the passages that are often referred to in support of the contention that Christ was not crucified, BUT is that what it really says ? Here are the passages ... That they said (in boast), "We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah";- but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not:- Nay God raised him up unto himself and God is exalted in power wise. Lets examine these passages sentence by sentence.... They ( the Jews ) said " we killed Jesus but they didnt kill him or crucify him, but it only appeared to them. The Jews ONLY THOUGHT they had killed Jesus AND ANYONE THAT DIFFERS FROM THIS PROCLAMATION FROM ALLAH THROUGH MUHAMMAD ARE FULL OF DOUBT !
Yes they killed him physically but that was not to be the END ALL for in the punchline straight from the Koran.... THE SUPPORT OF THE RESSURECTION ! --- NAY GOD RAISED HIM UP UNTO HIMSELF ! The Koran doesnt say " Into heaven" or any other non earthly realm but unto HIMSELF GOD ! It is contradictory for the Koran to say ALLAH raised the REAL Jesus unto HIMSELF when the Koran emphatically says that ALLAH has NO PARTNER and is ONE. ( That is except that once Muhammad claimed their were 3 female deities beside Allah... deities: al-Lat, al-Uzza and Manat ,but thats a whole different story indeed !!! ) http://www.answering-islam.org/Responses/Saifullah/sverses.htm
What does this mean ? That man could not destory Jesus ! God ressurrected Jesus. Is not this a straightforward interpretation ? The bible says in Lk:9:22: Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.Lk:24:46: And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: In Acts 2 :32-34: This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,/ ALL were witnesses ! Nowhere in the Koran is it indicated when or where that Allah pulled the real Jesus out of his body and forced the soul of another being into it. Their is no indication anywhere in the Koran that this SCHEME was done to any other prophet ...however the bible is full of accounts of Gods prophets being killed ( Romans 11:3)
What was the particular interest of the Muhammad to claim that Jesus ( whom he and all Muslims claim was just a man ) to not really have died on the cross ? Any Christian will tell you that it is to keep the souls chained and bound from having thier sins washed by the blood of the lamb ( Jesus ). If Gods son could be kept from this one event, then Muhammad would have full control of those whom he could fool into believing him through their conscience. Whatever he said would become law to the minds of those that feared Allah would cast them in hell if not obedient. Yes Christians are told to be obedient to God but we have an advocate in heaven ( Jesus ) who has paid for our shortcomings when we fall to being completely obediant. Galatians 5:1 - Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage
Lets continue with Koran S4-159 And there is none of the people of the book but must believe in him before his death and on the day of Judgement he will be a witness against them. Now surely this must apply in the context of the general scheme of the proceeding Surahs , the meaning that # 1 ... that Jesus was put to a physical death #2 God raised him up #3 on Judgement day he will be a witness against them. NOW BEING A WITNESS AGAINST THOSE WHO CRUCIFED HIM, ONE MUST BE ABLE TO HAVE S-E-E-N THOSE WHO CRUCIFIED HIM and be able to bear witness against them on judgement day . This is what the Koran is saying. The Koran is ascerting that Jesus had asended to heaven, but Muhammad who is revered by muslims has yet to be ressurrected and raised up to be with God in heaven ! He is still laying in a tomb with his 3rd wife. All these conclusions we have ascertained about the deity of Jesus has not come from the bible but the Koran ! Ending this segment allow me to say The Koran is correct in its greatest assertion that no man killed Jesus for Jesus himself said John 10:17-18 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father. / The Korans feeble and ridulous attempt to stop the most blessed moment in history has failed considerably and is exposed in its own writings that surround this very moment. The bible also says in Lk:23:46: And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost. The Jews did not kill Jesus, and Allah did not replace Jesus with someone else ! It was the Son of God who who gave himself WILLINGLY to the world for a ransom for the payment of sin. All the witnesses who saw Jesus crucified saw God the son WILLINGLY walk to the slaughter. Even a thief on the cross who was next to Jesus accepted that Jesus was the Christ ! What a beautiful message this is to the world that God shared his work on the cross with a common thief. According to Islam, had it been Muhammad on the cross he would have ordered to have this thief's hand cut off ! http://answering-islam.org/Authors/Arlandson/hands_off.htm
Jesus was a voluntary sacrifice by GOD, THE GOD who loves us enough to do such a precious thing for us. PRAISE BE TO THE NAME OF JESUS OUR GOD AND SAVIOR ! To my muslim friends, the path of Islam can never cleanse yourself from sin. Only trusting in the Lord Jesus can. I leave you with this question. Why would any Muslim, ANYONE want to try to discredit and corrupt such a powerful display of Love for a religion that endangers both those who aren't in it and those who may want to leave it ?
A mans salvation starts with a very small seed of faith and even that small seed is a gift from God and that gift comes from hearing the Word of God. My friends you have heard the Word of God. I invite you to question both the Quran and the Bible. Once you have done that, you will have started on a path of learning. Jesus will reveal truth to you, that's his promise !
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Jn:10:10: The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
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Here are some titles giving to Jesus from the Koran ! These titles are not ascribed to Muhammad. The Messiah, The word of God , the spirit of God.
1. THE MESSIAH (Al-Masih)
Jesus alone is called the Messiah in the Qur'an. Eleven times he is given this title and occasionally he is referred to solely by this title without being referred to by name. No explanation of the title is given in the Qur'an. What is of interest, however, is that Jesus is chiefly called the Messiah in passages that are alleged to have been revealed to Muhammad at Medina after the Hijra. The title Messiah is extremely relevant to both the Christian and Jewish religions. The Jews, in their holy scriptures, have an abundance of prophecies of one glorious Savior to come who is called the Messiah (Daniel 9:25), the anointed one, and they have long awaited his coming. At the time of Jesus this Messianic expectancy reached its peak but after the destruction of Jerusalem forty years after the ascension of Jesus this hope waned among the Jews. To the Christians, Jesus is the promised Messiah. He said he was in no uncertain terms. (John 4:25-26) The Jews in his time could not perceive that Jesus was the Messiah because they had expected a military leader who would drive out all foreign powers from the land of the Jews and set up a kingdom in Israel which would possess world-wide authority. But the Messiah came "not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:28). In Hebrew the word Messiah means "the Anointed One". It can, in a lesser sense, refer to any priest or anointed leader and occasionally the expression is used in this context in the Jewish Scriptures. But it became in time a title for the one who was to come, the final herald of God's salvation, the Redeemer of the world.
Significantly the title only appears in the Qur'an after Muhammad has made some contact with the Jews and Christians of Arabia. Clearly Qur'anic use of the title is linked to Jewish and Christian beliefs about the Messiah. Therefore, we must go into Jewish expectations and Christian beliefs about the Jewish and Christian beliefs about the Messiah to find out what the title means.
At this stage, however, we must ask whether this title Messiah has any meaning that makes the one who holds the title in any way superior to the other great prophets of God. In Surah 4:171 it is said that the Messiah is "only a messenger" but to both the Jews and the Christians the Messiah is a man who is the greatest among men, one possessed of regality, majesty, excellence and splendour for above that of all other men. He is unique in his glory and there is no one to compare with him.
By offering no explanation of this title, the Qur'an is at the same time making no contest against the accepted longstanding beliefs of the Jews and Christians about the Messiah. To both he is far more than just a messenger. The title in Jewish and Christian scriptural usage clearly implies greatness of such a degree that all the true messengers of God will ultimately bow to him in homage and obeisance. By admitting the Christian contention that Jesus is the Messiah, the Qur'an is in fact implying that he is the ultimate man of glory in human history and that the is the one who is the final expression of the revelation of God to men.
Nevertheless we cannot even stop here for we find in the Bible that, to both Jews and Christians, the title Messiah is in fact synonymous with the title Son of God. In these circumstances it is rather amazing to find that the Qur'an calls Jesus the Messiah and denies that he is the Son of God in the same breath. Let us examine some of the test in the Bible that show that the expressions Messiah and Son of God are synonymous. (The word "Christ" means "Messiah" and as we have been consistently referring to the "Messiah" and have been quoting from a Muslim translation of the Qur'an which uses the word Messiah rather than Christ which is used by other Muslim translators, we shall continue to do so).
a) Jewish believers in Jesus called him both the Messiah and the Son of God, Simon Peter was the first to do so:
"You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God". (Matthew 16:16)
Martha also used the two titles simultaneously in her expression of belief in Jesus.
"I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, he who is coming into the world". (John 11:27)
b) The High Priest of the Jews used the titles simultaneously with one another asking Jesus if he was the Messiah.
"I adjure you, by the living God, tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God". (Matthew 26:63)
c) The early Christians used the titles synonymously with one another as well in various contexts:
"The beginning of the gospel of Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God". (Mark 1:1)
"These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah the Son of God and that believing you may have life in his name". (John 20:31)
d) Even the demons did so as well when they spoke to Jesus:
"And demons also came out of many, crying, "You are the Son of God!! But he rebuked them, and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Messiah". (Luke 4:41)
From these many texts we can see that the Messiah is no less than Son of God himself. This is no ordinary title - it is a title of the highest eminence and only the Son of God could exclusively claim the title of Messiah for himself according to the expectations of the Jews and the teachings of the prophets who preceded him.
By admitting that Jesus is the Messiah and by confirming his own emphatic declaration to this effect (John 4:25-26), the Qur'an has given Jesus a title which implies nothing less than that he is indeed the Son of God.
2. THE WORD OF GOD (Kalimatullah)
Jesus is also called "His word" in Surah 4:171, meaning the Word of God. In Surah 3:45 we also read that the angels said to Mary "Allah giveth thee glad tidings of a word from Him, whose name is the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary". More than once in the Qur'an, therefore, Jesus is called God's Word. He is also called the Word of God in the Bible.
"He is clad in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God". (Revelation 19:13)
Once again, therefore, Jesus is given a title in the Qur'an which the Bible gives him as well. Like the title Messiah this is a very distinctive and exalted title. Whether we take it in its actual Biblical form, "The Word of God", or in its actual Qur'anic forms, "a Word from God" and "God's Word", two things are strikingly and abundantly clear. Jesus himself, in his actual person, is the Word; and the source, origin and the fountainhead of the Word is God.
As with the title Messiah, the Qur'an gives no explanation of the title. Nevertheless, in seeking to reconcile it with the Qur'anic assertion that Jesus was only a messenger, Muslim commentators generally have claimed that Jesus is called the Word of God solely in accordance with the teaching in the Qur'an that he was created in the womb of a virgin-woman by the Word of God:
"She said: My Lord!! How can I have a child when no mortal hath touched me? He said: So it will be. Allah createth what He will, if He decreeth a thing, He saith unto it only; Be! and it is." (Surah 3:47)
By the single word of God "Be", it is alleged that Jesus was created and from this verse Muslim commentators have concluded that this is why Jesus is called the Word of God. It is a convenient but inadequate conclusion. According to that verse, this is how anything is created by God. But Jesus alone receives the title Word of God and its unique character must compel us to reject this theory as over-simplistic. Secondly it is exposed further as being an insufficient answer to the question of its meaning by a simple consideration of a similar statement just twelve verses later in the same Surah:
"Lo! the likeness of Jesus with Allah is as the likeness of Adam, He created him from dust, then He said unto him, Be! and he is". (Surah 3:59)
Once again it is said of Jesus that he was created by God purely through the expression "Be" but this time it is said that "the likeness of Jesus with Allah is as the likeness of Adam", implying that both were made by the single word of God "Be" in the same way. If Jesus is called the Word of God purely as a result of the manner of his conception, then Adam too must be the Word of God for according to the Qur'an they were both created in the same manner. Now a real difficulty arises because Adam is not called the Word of God in the Qur'an. Nor are the angels, nor is any other creature so called in the Qur'an. Jesus alone is called the Word of God.
The very exceptional nature of the title, by which Jesus is distinguished from all other men and all creatures, demands that there is some other meaning and significance behind it. The very fact that the title is given to Jesus alone in both the Qur'an and the Bible clearly shows that there is something about the person of Jesus that makes him the Word of God in a way in which no other man or creature can compare. Jesus himself is called the Word of God and the title relates to his person and not to any feature or circumstance of his life.
As mentioned earlier, one of the distinctive features of this title is the emphasis of deity as the source of the person who bears it. The Word is from God. And the title Word implies that he is the communication and revelation, in his own person, of God to men. The Word of God is one who indeed is actively the real manifestation of God to men. To know him is to know God. He does not merely bring the religion and words of God to men, he himself is the word and revelation of God, Jesus himself made this clear when he said:
"He who has seen me has seen the Father". (John 14:9)
Let us now turn to the plain teaching of the Bible about Jesus as the Word of God. The prologue to the Gospel of John gives us a clear explanation of the title:
"In the beginning was the Word. And the Word was with God. And the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him and without him was not anything made that was made". (John 1:1-3)
To emphasize strongly that Jesus himself is the Word of God and not that God's word is somehow related to him as is suggested by the major Muslim commentators, let us briefly paraphrase those two verses:
In the beginning before God ever began to create, the Word already existed. Far from being part of the created order, the Word was in the realm of God and indeed the very nature of the Word was that of God. When God first began to fashion the created order, the Word already existed in the divine order. He himself was not created but all other things were created by God through him as agent, indeed as the very Word of God. Because he alone is the Word of God, and is therefore the sole means of communication between God and his creatures, nothing was created without being created by and through him. (John 1:1-2)
The clear teaching of the Bible is that Jesus existed as the Word of God before God ever created anything and that he is therefore deity. But then the Word of God became the man Jesus, the son of Mary.
"And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth". (John 1:14)
Jesus is the Word of God not because of any intervention by God at his conception nor by any other circumstances. He always was, from all eternity, the Word of God before he took on human flesh and became the man Jesus, the son of Mary.
Every prophet of God has been a messenger but only Jesus is the Word of God. The distinction comes out in this contrast; whereas every prophet only delivered the words of God when proclaiming God's message, Jesus at all times spoke the words of God. In private conversation with their friends, for example, the prophets spoke their own words and we accordingly distinguish between the prophet's own words in normal conversation and the words of God which the prophets spoke at various intervals whenever bidden to do so by God. But Jesus is the Word of God and every word he spoke - whether in teaching or in private conversation - was God's work. There was no distinction between the words of Jesus and the words of God. This is abundantly clear from the teaching of Jesus himself:
"I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has given me commandment what to say and what to speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has bidden me". (John 12:49-50)
"The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works." (John 14:10)
The words which Jesus spoke were not the words of a man but of God. Yet because Jesus himself is the Word of God, he could quite justifiably call them his own words. This is something no other prophet could do. No one else could say that his own words were the words of God. See how Jesus speaks of his words as his own and yet also as the words of God.
"He who does not love me does not keep my words, and the word which you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me". (John 14:24)
Again, whereas Jesus often proclaimed that nothing he said was on his own authority (as we have seen) but that every word he spoke was God's, yet because he is the Word of God he could quite rightly claim then as his own.
"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes him sent me, has eternal life; he does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life". (John 5:24)
"If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free". (John 8:31)
"If I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name". (Revelation 3:8)
Nevertheless not only does Jesus on every occasion speak of God's words as his own because he is the Word of God, but he himself, being himself the Word of God, is the final, ultimate and complete revelation of God to men.
"He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation for in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities - all things were created through him and for him. He is before all things and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, that in everything he might be pre-eminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell". (Colossians 1:15-19)
So we see that far from being only a messenger of God, that is, one who receives an independent message from God, Jesus himself is the message of God and there is accordingly no independence between God and his Word. This is why Jesus alone is the unique Word of God. He is not a created messenger, he is the eternal Word of God. Other men are made from the dust - this man is from God. Other men return to the dust - this man returned to God.
At this stage we are constrained to say that we Christians do not really see where we are exaggerating in our religion as the Qur'an suggests in the passage under review (Surah 4:171). Because we believe that Jesus is the Son of God, we are supposedly exaggerating in our belief in him and yet, in that very same passage, the Qur'an calls Jesus the Messiah which implies fundamentally that he is the Son of God. But now we come across the title Word of God which, to all intents and purposes, is really more emphatic and suggestive of deity than the title Son of God.
The latter title at least implies some limitation and submission on the part of its bearer - a son is subject to his father - but the title Word of God implies no such limitation. By itself it clearly implies that its bearer is the express image of the invisible God and only the latter, title Son of God implies some submission on his part to the Father. The Qur'an denounces Christians for believing that Jesus is the Son of God and yet, in the very same breath, gives him the title Word of God which is as indicative of deity on the title Son of God. There is really no meaningful difference between the titles. Quite where we are exaggerating in our religion is not at all clear to us! So we see that the first two titles in Surah 4:171 that we have considered, i.e. Messiah and Word of God far from supporting the suggestion that Jesus is "only a messenger", in fact heavily reinforce the Christian belief that Jesus is the Word and Son of God incarnate. But let us press on now to the third title in Surah 4:171.
3. A SPIRIT FROM GOD (Ruhullah).
This third title is very little different from the second one for once again the title belongs to Jesus alone and God again is the source of the Spirit as he was the source of the Word. (It is sometimes said of Adam that God breathed something of his spirit into him but this must be carefully distinguished from the title Spirit of God which is given to Jesus alone.) Jesus is his Word and his Spirit. This title is also not explained in the Qur'an but frankly supports the Christian belief that Jesus was not a creature made out of dust but an eternal spirit who took on human form.
In this case, however, we do find some evidence in the Qur'an that helps us to identify the meaning of this title. Elsewhere in the Qur'an we read of the "Holy Spirit" (Ruhul-Quds - cf. Surahs 2:87, 2:253, 16:102) and it is presumed that the Holy Spirit is the angel Gabriel. Whoever it is, it is generally agreed that the Holy Spirit is greater than man and comes from heaven and is purely a spirit.
Jesus, however, is now called "a Spirit from him" (ruhun-minhu) from which he has received the title in Islamic traditions "Spirit of God" (Ruhullah). The expression in Surah 4:171, ruhun-minhu ("a spirit from him") is used in exactly the same form in Surah 58:22 where it is said that God strengthens true believers with "a spirit from him". Very significantly Yusuf Ali, commenting on this latter verse in his translation of the Qur'an states that here the "phrase used is stronger" than that for the Holy Spirit (Ruhul Quds). He implies that the Spirit from God is greater than the Holy Spirit and says that it is "the divine spirit, which we can no more define adequately than we can define in human language the nature and attributes of God" (note 5365).
This is a remarkable comment which is clearly a veiled implication that the ruhun-minhu is the very Spirit of the living God, uncreated and eternal in essence. Yusuf Ali says it is "the divine spirit" and that it is as incomprehensible as God himself. This language is unambiguous - the Spirit from God is clearly believed by him to be from the realm of deity and not from the created order. He is, according to this interpretation, practically synonymous with the Holy Spirit in the Christian Bible.
Now this is the very title that the Qur'an gives to Jesus in Surah 4:171. The exact same words are used - he is the ruhun-minhu, "a Spirit from God". If we merely apply Yusuf Ali's interpretation of the expression in Surah 58:22 to the very same expression given as a title to Jesus in Surah 4:171, we can only conclude that Jesus is the "divine spirit, which we can no more define adequately than we can define in human language the nature and attributes of God". He is, therefore, God in essence and nature. Because of the simultaneous denial in 4:171 that Jesus is the Son of God, Yusuf Ali is constrained to deny that the title ruhun-minhu when applied to Jesus implies deity, but he is hardly consistent in his exposition of the Qur'an when he teaches in another place that ruhun-minhu is indeed a divine spirit possessing the nature and attributes of God and is as incomprehensible as God as well.
For our part we believe that, as with the titles Messiah and Word of God, this title Spirit of God also strongly supports the Christian belief that Jesus is indeed the Son of God and that, not in any metaphorical sense, but in an eternal one which is based on the fact that he is very deity himself. The only way Yusuf Ali could avoid this admission when commenting on Surah 4:171 was to frankly contradict what he said in his commentary on Surah 58:22.
Nevertheless all three of these titles not only support but plainly imply that the one they refer to is the Son of God. In the Bible this is clearly the case and in the Qur'an the lack of an explanation for each title, together with the fact that the titles are much the same as those in the Bible, and further together with the underlying implication of each title by itself, leaves us with no other alternative but to conclude that Jesus is indeed the exalted figure that the Bible reveals him to be.
"ALLAH is HE besides Whom there is none worthy of worship, the Living, the Self-Subsisting and All-Sustaining. HE has sent down to thee the Book containing the truth and fulfilling that which precedes it; and HE has sent down the Torah (Law of Moses) and the Gospel (of Jesus) before this, as a guidance to the people; and HE has sent down the Discrimination (judgement between right and wrong)."—Qur'an, Surah 3:3-4
Muslims say that nowhere in the bible does Jesus say he is God. Correct, Jesus never said word for word " I am God ". However he said these things (in the link below )in the bible. Why dont Muslims refer to these scriptures when when making such a claim ? Muslims should know that Jesus was killed for claiming to be God yet again, they say Jesus never said that he was God. Have they forgotten ? Here is great insight into Jesus claiming to be God ! - http://www.gotquestions.org/is-Jesus-God.html
If we can figure out why Muhammad claims that Allah created Jesus without giving us the words of peace, love and forgiveness that Jesus actually taught , then maybe you can understand why there is so much hatred, violence and bloodshed in the Koran. It could be that the words of the Koran were really the words of Muhammad !
footnote: If there are any blantant mistakes within this work, please send me a note and reference to those mistakes and I will correct them.
--------------------- Interesting Links below -------------------------------------
http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/Quran/023-violence.htm
Jesus and Islam - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_view_of_Jesus
Some Muslims believe Allah gave power to Jesus not to have died on the cross. Its what is called the swoon theory. Please read ! - http://christiananswers.net/q-eden/edn-t013.html
What Islam teaches about the crucifixion - http://christiananswers.net/q-aiia/islam-cross.html
A much needed video to watch for both Muslims and Christians. What Every Christian ( and Muslim ) needs to Know About Islam (Full)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKKNJ9tjo4Q
What Islam really teaches about Jesus and Allah - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ALL_43xgco
A Muslims admits that the word of God is eternal and that Jesus is the Word of God - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDkQUg_JrNk
Not only a great explanation to clear up a problem that Muslims cant understand, but a good explanation about how God can love us before we even know who he is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzBesvLK5bE
The sadness of a muslim not knowing whether he or she will get into heaven - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uue_9oqBoKw however killing yourself by killing the infidel will ensure paradise !
A comparison of Jesus and Muhammad - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vrz1pKo_sno
The Koran says Jesus is the most exalted of all ! - http://www.answering-islam.org/Shamoun/jesus_most_exalted_q.htm
If the Koran honors the Torah then how are we to accept that the coming of Jesus is foretold in the Torah ?
Doctrine of abrogation http://www.islamreview.com/articles/quransdoctrine.shtml
"It (the Qur'an) is an invincible book. Falsehood does not invade it neither from before it nor from behind it, a revelation from a Mighty, Praised One." 41:41-42 If this passage is true than why did Muhammad claim Satan tricked him to declaring Allah had daughters ?
How Muhammad makes up revelations from Allah as he feels the need to - http://www.answering-islam.org/Muhammad/hudaybiyya.html
