Islamic Arguments #1

One of the problems many Christians have in dealing with Muslims is that they tend to use Argumentation that we do not find convincing at all against the chief elements of the Christian faith. For example in attacking the deity of Christ they frequently use very poor argumentation Argumentation not nearly as good as we are accustomed to dealing with from pseudo-christian cults for example.

Responding to Weak Muslim Arguments Against Christ's Deity

And so we are tempted to not develop a meaningful apologetic against those particular Arguments because we ourselves do not find them at all convincing. We need to remember that if they find them convincing then we need to be able to give a meaningful response.

As an example Dr. Zahir Naik speaks as a Leading Muslim apologist lecturing to Muslims about issues relating to Islam and to Christianity as well. Here is an excellent example of some of his commentary on the deity of Christ.

There is not a single unethical statement in the complete Bible where Jesus Christ peace be upon him. Himself says that I am. God already says worship me. In fact if you read the Bible It's mentioned the Gospel of John chapter number 14 verse number 28 Jesus peace be upon him said My father is greater than I.

In the Gospel of John Chapter number 10 verse number 29 my father is greater than all. In the Gospel of Matthew chapter number 12 verse number 28 I cast out devil with the spirit of God. Gospel of Luke chapter number 11 was number 20.

I with the finger of God cast out devils. Gospel of John chapter number 5 What's number 30. I can of my own self do nothing. As I heard I judge and my judgment is just. Because I seek not my will but the will of thy father who has sent me.

He never claimed divinity.

The Need to Read Texts in Context

That was dr. Zakir Naik. Now how can we respond to that kind of argumentation where no context was ever examined no Serious effort was made to actually handle those texts correctly. Well, the first thing to recognize is it is very common for Muslims to say that Jesus never said I am God as if those Three words in that order was the only way that anyone could ever know that Jesus Christ was deity or Worship me and those absolute words unequivocal words.

It's the only way allegedly that we can know about the deity of Christ, but is that really the case? I would point out that the very first appearance of Similar language is actually found in the Bible in Genesis chapter 17.

Where I am God Almighty is used for the very first time now. Did anyone question God's existence or his deity in all the period of time covered from Genesis 1 to Genesis chapter 17? Obvious doesn't make any sense.

And so this kind of argumentation doesn't make any sense either but it is very common for Muslims to say unless this specific language is used that means that Jesus is not claiming deity for himself. But the fact the matter is any fair reading of the Bible says just the opposite of what dr. Naik has said.

Jesus' Self-Identification as the I Am

For example, Jesus called himself the I am in John 8 24 8 58 18 5 through 6 Directly drawing from the Old Testament use of the Hebrew phrase on a who I myself am and Isaiah and the minor prophets going all The way back to Exodus and the idea of the identification of Yahweh as the great I am.

And he said in John 8 24 that unless you believe that I am you will die in your sins. There is clearly something about accepting this self-revelation of Jesus. That is directly relevant to the forgiveness of sins and salvation in Matthew chapter 11.

He claimed to have reciprocal knowledge with the father. That is he claimed to know the father and the father knows him. Something that is directly denied to him in surah 5 al-maida. I'll 116 He not only said and did things that no mere human being could do without being charged with blasphemy.

Anyways.

Jesus Accepted Worship and the Early Church Called on His Name

But he accepted the worship of others when Thomas identified him as his Lord and his God. In John chapter 20 verse 28. Jesus did not rebuke him instead he accepted that recognition of his deity and he identified the words of Thomas as a statement of Faith a godly faith after the resurrection many people worshipped him and again He accepted this worship so much.

So was this the faith of the early believers? The very believers the Quran says will be made superior to those who reject faith to the day of resurrection. Surah 3 ayah 55. That they were known as those who called upon the name of Jesus as recorded in 1st Corinthians 1 2 now the Greek term that Is used there epic Aleppo refers to calling upon someone in prayer.

The earliest evidence we have even outside of the New Testament shows the worship of Jesus was primitive. It was there from the beginning. Where is the evidence of these Muslim followers of Jesus who only said to worship Allah?

We have nothing more than the claims of Muhammad 600 years after that point in time. The citation of John 14 28. Anyone who's dealt with Jehovah's Witnesses and others has heard this passage taken out of its context in the exact same way.

John 14:28 and the Father's Greater Glory

Notice not even the entire verse was quoted. John 14 27 and 28 says peace. I leave with you my peace. I give to you not as the world gives. Do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled. Or let it be fearful.

You heard that I said to you. I go away and I will come to you if you loved me. You would have rejoiced because I go the father for the father is greater than I. This is actually a phrase at the end of a complex sentence and yet people quote it completely out of context missing the fact that what Jesus was saying is if you loved me.

You would have rejoiced that I'm going back into the presence of the father. They are focusing upon themselves. If they had loved him they would have rejoiced he's going back in the presence of the father.

Well, why would they rejoice because of that? Well as he says later on in John 17 he was in the presence of the father that he shared the very glory of the father before the world was and. So taking that text and isolating it from its context is simply dishonest.

Though it is extremely common and the vast majority of Muslims have never read the Gospel of John. And so they have no way of knowing that that kind of citation is taking place and it's out of context.

The Father's Greater Than All and the Unity of Father and Son

John 10 29 was cited and again, the father is greater than all that's in the context of Jesus and the father together. Saving perfectly. No creature could ever say the words of Jesus said in the very next verse.

I and the father are one one in what one in the redemption of God's people. None of them none of the prophets or anyone ever made that kind of a claim and the reason being that if they did They would be accused obviously and properly of blasphemy.

But Jesus can say these things because he and the father are one. We'll see that in just a moment in reference to John chapter 5 then Matthew 12 28 and Luke 11 20. We're cited because it says that Jesus used the Holy Spirit to cast out demons.

What's the objection to this? So this is a this is a recognition of the reality of the Trinity. Jesus is not the father neither is he the spirit and yet as the perfect man He uses the spirit in the service of the father.

This is there's nothing contradictory here unless dr Knight just simply doesn't understand what the doctrine Trinity is, which is quite a possibility. Unfortunately, and finally the citation from John chapter 5 verse 30 when Jesus says he does nothing of his own.

What would you expect you is to say that he's a rebel deity that he's doing things outside of the perfect will of the father. Why why ignore the context that came before John 5 30 for example in Just a few verses before that in John 5 22 to 24 read for not even the father judges anyone.

But he has given all judgment to the sons 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. Truly truly I say to you he who hears my word.

This is Jesus speaking and believes him who sent me has eternal life and does not come into judgment. But has passed out of death into life. The point of John chapter 5 is that there is a perfect unity between the father and the son.

There is no Disruption between them. There is a perfect unity. Jesus is not some rebel deity out doing his own thing. But the son and the father and the spirit are Accomplishing exactly what they chose to do in eternity past the triune God glorifying himself in the redemption of a particular people and the son is doing exactly what that will for him in the role that he took and the redemption of God's people is and.

Proclaiming the Real Jesus to Muslim Friends

So we need to keep these things in mind and we need to and we hear this kind of a very surface level Refutation as we heard from dr. Zakir Naik. We need to be very quick to be able to say could we could we look at some of those texts because we look at What was just said here and open the Word of God expose Muslims to the Word of God so they can hear The real Jesus because the real Jesus in the New Testament Is so tremendously attractive so beautiful so powerful.

The Jesus of the Quran is a Could not inspire anyone to believe in him or love him because all he is is an argument for the prophethood of Muhammad. But the Jesus of Scripture who walks its every page the Lord of all creation.

That's the Jesus we need to introduce to our Muslim friends.