Good morning! Let's just get right to it- I have a lot more to cover, and it's taken awhile. I wish I was dedicated enough to post one every other day or more, but I'm not. So, to try to catch up, I'm combining 4 & 5 today. I have no idea how many parts this series will take, but I'm going to guess around 20. With summer approaching, and school almost done, expect to see posts more often. Also, I have had very little feedback, but a lot of views. So if you like or dislike this series, please vote to your right. If this becomes somewhat popular, I might do another series in the future. But I need to hear from you! Now, grab your coffee and glasses. Here is Part 4 and Part 5 combined.
UNITY AND TRINITY
Christianity-
-God is triune (one God is three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). These three persons are bound together in a relationship of love, not as three distinct "gods." "The Lord our God, the Lord is one" (Deuteronomy 6:4)
-The Father is recognized as God. "The Son of Man [Jesus]... On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval" (John 6:27).
-The Son is recognized as God. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God... The Word became flesh" (John 1:1,14).
-Jesus Christ is the second person in the Godhead. "...his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life" (1 John 5:20).
- The Holy Spirit is God. "You have lied to the Holy Spirit.... You have not lied to men but to God" (Acts 5:3-4)
-God is Spirit. "God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth" (John 4:24).
Islam-
-Allah is unitary, without persons, "So believe in Allah and His messengers, and say not Three-Cease! [it is] better for you! Allah is one God. For is it removed from His transcendent majesty that He should have a son" (Sura 4:171)
-No devout Muslim would call the God of Muhammad "Father," for Muslims consider Allah to be utterly transcendent and unknowable.
-Muslims believe that Allah created Jesus in the likeness of Adam. "Lo! the likeness of Jesus with Allah is as the likeness of Adam. He created him of dust, then He said unto him: Be! And he is" (Sura 3:59).
-Many Muslims mistakenly believe that the Trinity is God, Mary, and Jesus. "And when Allah saith: O Jesus, son of Mary! Didst thou say unto mankind: Take me and my mother for two gods beside Allah? He saith: Be glorified! It was not mine to utter that to which I had no right" (Sura 5:116).
-A holy spirit is mentioned three times in the Quran. "Say: the holy spirit hath revealed it from thy Lord" (Sura 16:102). All Muslim commentators agree that the holy spirit means the angel Gabriel.
-Allah is neither a person nor spirit. There is nothing what ever like unto Him. "Naught is as His likeness; and He is the Hearer, the Seer" (Sura 42:11).
"The Islamic conception of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit destroys all the basic truths of the Christian faith, leaving no Christian faith at all. Thus Zwemer wrote, "Islam, instead of being a progressive and completed idea, goes to a lower level than the religion it claims to supplant. 'Mohammad teaches a God above us; Moses teaches a God above us and with us; Jesus Christ teaches God above us, God with us, and God in us.'"
In Cross and Crescent, Colin Chapman said, "Islam seems to be saying to the Christian world, 'You've got it all wrong about Jesus! Your Trinity of three persons in one God is impossible to understand, let alone explain. Islam is a simple creed without dogmas and this belief in one Creator God includes all that had previously been revealed in Judaism and Christianity.'"
JESUS CHRIST
The Identity and Ministry of Jesus Christ
Christianity-
-Conception. Mary's child, Jesus, was conceived by the Holy Spirit. "Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus... The Holy Spirit will come upon you" (Luke 1:30-32, 35).
-Divinity. Jesus affirms that He is the Son of God. "The high priest said to him, 'I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.' 'Yes, it is as you say,' Jesus replied" (Matthew 26:63-64)
-Miracles. Jesus healed the sick and raised the dead. "But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on Earth to forgive sins...' He said to the paralytic, "I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.' He got up" (Mark 2:10-12).
-Ministry. Jesus completed the work God had given Him. "Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you... I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do" (John 17:1,4)
Islam-
-Jesus Christ was born of the virgin Mary by a special miracle. "O Mary! Lo! Allah hath chosen thee... She said: My Lord! How can I have a child when no mortal has touched me?" (Sura 3:42, 47). The Muslim commentator Zamakhshari says the virgin conceived "When the angel Gabriel blew up her garment."
-Jesus speaks from the cradle, saying He is a prophet (slave of Allah), negating that He is the Son of God. "How can we talk to the one who is in the cradle, a young boy? He spake: Lo! I am the slave of Allah. He hath given me the Scriptures and hath appointed me a Prophet" (Sura 19:29-30)
-Jesus Christ healed the sick, raised the dead, and made a clay pigeon become alive. All were done with Allah's permission. (Insert me laughing here..) "When Allah saith: O Jesus... thou didst shape of clay as it were the likeness of a bird... heal him who was born blind and the leper.. raise the dead, by my permission" (Sura 5:110).
-Jesus' life and ministry were inferior to those of earlier prophets as well as those of Muhammad. Sura 13:38 states that Allah had designated wives and children for all His prophets. The exception was Jesus. His ministry lasted only three years.
Christianity-
-Death. Jesus Christ died on the cross as the perfect sacrifice for sin. As foretold in Isaiah 53:6, "The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all." "The Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead" (Acts 17:3)
-Resurrection. Jesus Christ rose from the dead after three days. "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the thrid day" (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)
-Return. Jesus will return from heaven to earth to rule forever. "Jesus Christ... the ruler of the kings of the earth. ...Look, he is coming with the clouds" (Revelation 1:5-7)
Islam-
-Jesus did not die; someone else died in His place. "They slew him not nor crucified, but it appeared so unto them" (Sura 4:157)
-God took Jesus to paradise as He had done with Enoch and Elijah. "But Allah took him unto Himself" (Sura 4:158)
-Many Muslim scholars believe Jesus will return from heaven and punish Jews and Christians for their failure to accept Muhammad as the Prophet. He will help establish Islam as the only religion of the world. "By Him in Whose Hands my soul is, son of Mary will shortly descend amongst you people as a just ruler and will break the Cross and kill the pig" (Hadith 3:425).
My personal opinion- From this section it seems that Jesus has more power than Muhammad. What miracles did Muhammad perform? Why is Jesus coming back and not Muhammad? Especially to judge the world. But of course, Jesus had to have permission. ;)
Thanks for reading! Feel free to share and follow. Don't forget to take part in the survey, you only have a few days left to give me your opinion. Comments are welcomed also. See you in Part 6!
(All quotes in Italic, and others, from the book: "Islam and the Bible- Why Two Faiths Collide" by David Goldmann)
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