Bridging the Gap between Islam and Christianity
Below is a matrix that shows the common beliefs muslims share with christians regarding Jesus(pbuh). However, the 'divinity' of Jesus is where the two differ. Gary Miller, an ex-missionary and convert to Islam, deals with the 'divinty' of Jesus. Below is an attempt, to reconcile the difference.
This page is partly taken from [The Islamic and Christian View of Jesus: A comparison]
"Say: O People of the Book! come to common terms as between us and you: That we worship none but Allah; that we associate no partners with him; that we erect not, from among ourselves, Lords and patrons other than Allah. If then they turn back, say ye: Bear witness that we (at least) are Muslims (bowing to Allah's Will). " - Qur'an 3:64
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Jesus |
Christian |
Islam |
|
Was he a prophet of God? |
YES |
|
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was he born of a Virgin Mother? |
YES |
YES |
|
Did he have a miraculous birth? |
YES |
YES |
|
Did he speak in the cradle? |
YES |
|
|
Did he perform miracles? |
YES |
YES |
|
Trinity? |
NO |
|
|
Jesus was the son of God? |
NO |
|
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Jesus was killed on the cross then resurrected? |
NO |
Was Jesus a Prophet of God?
In the Bible, Jesus refers to himself as a Prophet:
"Nevertheless I (Jesus) must walk to day, and to morrow, and the [day] following: for it cannot be that a Prophet perish out of Jerusalem." Luke 13:33
"And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A Prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house." Matthew 13:57 also in Mark 6:4, Luke 4:24, John 4:43
Jesus refers to himself as a Prophet, Others also called Jesus a Prophet but Never called his disciples "A group of Prophets"
Jesus was called a Prophet by others:
"And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet." Matthew 14:5
"And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee." Matthew 21:11
"But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet." Matthew 21:46
"And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people:" Luke 24:19
"The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet." John 4:19
"Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world."John 6:14
"Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet." John 7:40
Did Jesus speak in the cradle?
Some Christians do believe that Jesus spoke whilst he was a baby in the cradle. There is a second century Arabic apocryphal fable from Egypt called the Gospel of the Infancy of Jesus Christ which mentions that Jesus spoke when he was in the cradle.
Was Jesus part of a Trinity?
The word Trinity does not exist in the Bible. The only other reference in the Bible to a Trinity can be found in the Epistle of I John 5:7, Biblical scholars of today, however, have admitted that the phrase "...there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one" is definitely a "pious fraud", and it is not found in any of today's versions of the Bible.
It can, therefore, be seen that the concept of a Trinity of divine beings was not an idea put forth by Jesus or any other prophet of God. This doctrine, now subscribed to by Christians all over the world, is entirely pagan and man-made in origin.
Was Jesus the son of God?
The term "Son of God", in the language of the bible, meant "pious person", nothing else. Hence, there are dozens of people who are called sons of God:
- Jacob is God's son and firstborn: "Israel is my son, even my firstborn" Exodus 4:22.
- Solomon is God's son "He shall build an house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son": 2 Samuel 7:13-14.
- Ephraim is God's firstborn: "for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn." Jeremiah 31:9 (who is God's firstborn? Israel or Ephraim?).
- Adam is the son of God "Adam, which was the son of God." Luke 3:38.
- Common people (you and me) are the sons of God: "Ye are the children of the LORD your God" Deuteronomy 14:1. "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God" Romans 8:14. "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, [even] to them that believe on his name:" John 1:12. "That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;" Philippians 2:15. "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: ... now are we the sons of God" 1 John 3:1-2. "When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?" Job 38:7. "Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD," Job 2:1. "Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD," Job 1:6. "when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men," Genesis 6:4. "That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they [were] fair" Genesis 6:2
Even David is called the begotten son of God:
"I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee." - Psalms 2:7
There are many many proofs from the bible itself, that Jesus wasn't "divine". When the Jews tried to stone Jesus for blasphemy. The christian misses the point of the reply Jesus made to them as they picked up their rocks. He demonstrated to those Jews by quoting their own scripture that they had no grounds for their accusation. Jesus DENIED their FALSE claims, Jesus DENIED he was DIVINE.
And in the whole Bible, Jesus does NOT refer to himself as "Son of God", NOT in the gospel of Mark, NOT in the gospel of Matthew, NOT in the gospel of Luke, ONLY twice is it found in John. They are in John chapters 5 and 11. And the scholars of christianity themselves admit that those are probably NOt the words of Jesus, but later additions.
"Whether Jesus used it of himself is doubtful." - The dictionary of the Bible
Whereas, Jesus is referred to as the "son of Man" 81 times in the books of the Bible.
In the language of the Jew, "son of Man" meant Human being.
Was Jesus killed on the cross then resurrected?
This is a core Christian belief and it relates to the theory of atonement. According to this belief, Prophet Jesus died to save mankind form sin. But the whole concept of Atonement is alien to the justice of God. God is NOT unjust, and the killing of an innocent for the sins of another is NOT justice.
However, going to the bible, we find that the resurrection is not stated explicitly in the four gospels which form the primary source texts of Christianity.
It was Paul of Tarsus, considered the real father of Christianity, who came up with this idea.
However, again, if you look at the Bible, Jesus only made ONE prophecy.
". . . An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign (miracle), and there shall no sign (miracle) be given to it, but the sign (miracle) of the prophet, Jonah."
Matthew 12:39
What was the "sign" or the miracle that Jonah performed that Jesus now proposes to emulate?
That he was ALIVE in the belly of the whale.
"How was Jonah in the whale's belly for three days and three nights — Dead or Alive? The Muslims, the Christians and the Jews again give a unanimous verdict of A-L-1-V-E! How was Jesus in the tomb, for the same period of time - Dead or Alive? Over a thousand million Christians, of every church or Denomination give a unanimous verdict of D-E-A-D! Is that like Jonah or un-like Jonah in your language? And everyone whose mind is not confused, says that, that is very UN-LIKE Jonah. Jesus said that he would be "LIKE JONAH" and his infatuated followers say that he was "UN-LIKE JONAH!". Who is lying - Jesus or his followers? I leave the answer to you!" - Ahmad Deedat