IS THE GOD OF ISLAM, THE GOD OF THE BIBLE?

David C. Bennett, D. Min.

Luke 1: 35 "And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." 2: 1- 11 "And it came to pass in those days, that thre went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. 2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) 3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) 5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. 6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. 8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."

That child born on that first Christmas Day in Bethlehem, was He the very Son of God, or put this way, was He God the Son?

Mark 1: 1 "The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God."

Mark 15: 33 -39 "And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? 35 And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elias. 36 And one ran and filled a spunge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him down. 37 And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. 38 And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom. 39 And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God."

John 1:34 tells us that John Baptist said "And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God."

Does it really matter what one believes concerning this ONE born on that first Christmas Day, or do all religions lead man to the same place and do all pray to the same God? One’s eternal destiny may well rest upon what one believes or does not believe concerning the person and work of that one called Jesus Christ!

But if one believes all religions lead to the same place and that we all pray to the same God, they believe in what is known as UNIVERSALISM. EXACTLY, WHAT IS UNIVERSALISM and does the Bible allow for such a belief?

From Wikipedia we read this, "Universalism is a religion and theology that generally holds all persons and creatures are related to God or the divine and will be reconciled to God." A Universalist will "accept other religions in an inclusive manner, believing in a Universal reconciliation between humanity and the divine."

Sadly, President Bush holds to Universalism. He is shown on You Tube saying "Well, first of all, I believe in an Almighty God, and I believe that all the world, whether they be Muslim, Christian, or any other religion, prays to the same God. That’s what I believe."

That is UNIVERSALISM and President George W. Bush says he believes it, but is it true? Is the God of the Bible the same god that Islam worships and prays too?

The following is from http://www.islam.tc/prophecies/jesus.html and has been edited by this author for its bearing on the subject of what Islam believes and teaches concerning God and Jesus Christ.

"Jesus in Islam, and his Second Coming" by Mufti A.H. Elias 

I. Jesus In Islam "Muslims do believe that Jesus was sent down as a Prophet of Allah (God), but he (Jesus) is not God or Lord, nor the son of God. Muslims do not believe that…Jesus…is dead or was ever crucified. We believe that he was raised to heaven and is there…Like Jesus Muhammad is also a Prophet and Messenger. Muhammed is the last Prophet…and there is none after him.  Hence, Islam is the last religion, complete, with the Holy Qur'an as the unchanged and perfect word of God for over 1400 years, as God promised to preserve it till the last day for all of humankind, unlike sacred texts of other religions which have multiple versions and are "revised" periodically.  God, or Allah in Arabic, is Divine and Supreme Being and Creator (emphasis added)."

The following quotations are from http://www.islam.tc/quran/ which is a searchable English translation of the Quran. It will be found that each English translation of the Koran reads a little differently but for this paper the one sited at the web page given is the translation used.

What does the Koran say of God having a son (Some of the Koran passages have been edited due to their length)?

043.081 Say (O Muhammad): If the Beneficent One hath a son, then, I shall be first among the worshippers. (But there is no son).

004.171 O People of the Scripture! Do not exaggerate in your religion nor utter aught concerning Allah save the truth. The Messiah, jesus son of Mary, was only a messenger of Allah, and His word which He conveyed unto Mary, and a spirit from Him. So believe in Allah and His messengers, and say not "Three" - Cease! (it is) better for you! - Allah is only One God. Far is it removed from His Transcendent Majesty that He should have a son. His is all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. And Allah is sufficient as Defender.

005.075 The Messiah, son of Mary, was no other than a messenger, messengers (the like of whom) had passed away before him.

009.030 And the Jews say: Ezra is the son of Allah, and the Christians say: The messiah is the son of Allah. That is their saying with their mouths. They imitate the saying of those who disbelieved of old. Allah (Himself) fighteth against them. How perverse are they!

010.068 They say: Allah hath taken (unto Him) a son - Glorified be He! He hath no needs! His is all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. Ye have no warrant for this. Tell ye concerning Allah that which ye know not?

010.069 Say: Verily those who invent a lie concerning Allah will not succeed.

For a Bible believing Christian to say God has a son is inventing a lie according to the Koran, and that person will be punished. How can Universalism be accepted by professing Christians or any other thinking person if they are aware of this teaching in the Koran and the teaching of the Bible?

004.157 And because of their saying: We slew the messiah, Jesus son of Mary, Allah's messenger - they slew him not nor crucified him, but it appeared so unto them; and lo! those who disagree concerning it are in doubt thereof; they have no knowledge thereof save pursuit of a conjecture; they slew him not for certain.

The substitutionary death of the Lord Jesus Christ is a foundational teaching of the New Testament. This teaching of Islam flies in the face of a multitude of Bible passages. Peter states in his first Epistle chapter three and verse eighteen that "…Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh…" The Koran and Scripture are at odds! They cannot both be correct!

As to a Trinity the Koran says;

004.171 O People of the Scripture! Do not exaggerate in your religion nor utter aught concerning Allah save the truth. The Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, was only a messenger of Allah, and His word which He conveyed unto Mary, and a spirit from Him. So believe in Allah and His messengers, and say not "Three" - Cease! (it is) better for you! - Allah is only One God. Far is it removed from His Transcendent Majesty that He should have a son. His is all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. And Allah is sufficient as Defender.

005.073 They surely disbelieve who say: Lo! Allah is the third of three; when there is no God save the One God. If they desist not from so saying a painful doom will fall on those of them who disbelieve.

Again the Koran and Scripture are at odds. We will note what the Scriptures teach on this subject later in this paper.

Then let it be noted that the Koran mentions Israel 43 times in the English translation used for this paper. Here is one such place:

005.012 Allah made a covenant of old with the Children of israel and We raised among them twelve chieftains, and Allah said: Lo! I am with you. If ye establish worship and pay the poor-due, and believe in My messengers and support them, and lend unto Allah a kindly loan, surely I shall remit your sins, and surely I shall bring you into Gardens underneath which rivers flow. Whoso among you disbelieveth after this will go astray from a plain road.

The God of the Bible is declared 10 times in the Scriptures to be the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and it is Jacob whose name was changed to Israel by God. Two examples are;

Exodus 3: 15, 16 "And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you…16 Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me…"

Peter speaking, Acts 3: 13 "The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go."

Abraham, Isaac and Jacob’s God "glorified his Son Jesus" which is in total opposition to what Islam teaches. It is also noteworthy to look at Acts 3: 15 where one reads that rather than releasing Jesus Christ, He was crucified, as Peter states "And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses." The Koran and the Bible cannot both be true in this. Did Jesus Christ die or did He not? Is the Koran true in what it says in 004.157 or is it not?

002.133 Or were ye present when death came to Jacob, when he said unto his sons: What will ye worship after me? They said: We shall worship thy God, the God of thy fathers, Abraham and ishmael and Isaac, One God, and unto Him we have surrendered.

There are over 200 verses in the Old Testament and two in the New Testament that state God is the "God of Israel" referring to the nation which came forth from the loins of Jacob, Genesis 32:28 "And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel." However there is not one verse in Scripture that says the God of Ishmael. Two examples of God being the God of Israel are:

Jeremiah 45:2 "Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, unto thee, O Baruch";

Matthew 15:31 "Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel."

Now, let us consider from the Bible whether the God of the Bible, the God of Israel, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is the same god as that of Islam, and does it really matter as far as eternity is concerned?

We will consider the subject before us UNDER two points: (I) GOD AS THE CREATOR and point number (II) GOD AS THE SAVIOUR.

Both of these points also centre on the fact that God is either a Trinity as stated in the Bible or He is not a Trinity as stated in the Koran.

I. God as Creator.

1. The Creator God is a Trinity: Genesis 1: 1, 26 "In the beginning God <'elohiym> created the heaven and the earth." 26 "And God <'elohiym> said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth."

From http://www.letusreason.org/Trin3.htm we read "In the Bible the word for God in the Hebrew that is most often used is Elohim. It is a plural noun."

Also at www.hebrew4christians.com/Names_of_G-d/Elohim/elohim.html we read "Elohim occurs only in the Hebrew Scriptures and in no other Semitic language."

Henry Morris on page 39 of THE GENESIS RECORD writes "This first occurrence of the divine name is the Hebrew Elohim, the name of God which stresses His majesty and omnipotence. This is the name used throughout the first chapter of Genesis. The im ending is the Hebrew plural ending, so that Elohim can actually mean "gods," and is so translated in various passages referring to the gods of the heathen (e.g., Psalm 96:5).

However, it is clearly used here in the singular, as the mighty name of God the Creator, the first of over two thousand times where it is used in this way. Thus Elohim is a plural name with a singular meaning, a ‘uni-plural’ noun, thereby suggesting the uni-plurality of the God-head. God is one, yet more than one."

So in the very first and twenty sixth verses of the very first chapter of the Bible we are confronted with two verses of Scripture in opposition to Islamic teaching! One MUST decide which is true, the Bible or the Koran. Both cannot be correct! How one decides will determine their eternal destiny for one cannot accept both and truly be a follower of "that way" Acts 19:9.

1 John 5: 7 "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one."

In John 10: 30 when Jesus said "I and my Father are one" He used the same word translated "one" as that used in 1 John 5: 7. This word is neuter and signified that He, Jesus, was one with God the Father in essence or nature. This is definitely not in harmony with the belief of UNIVERSALISM!

The Jews took offense at Jesus’ claim to be one with the Father for in John 10: 31 they "…took up stones again to stone him."

Then in John 5: 18 we read "Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God."

The Creator God of the Bible is a Triune God and this is in opposition with Islamic teaching! One is correct while the other is to be found a liar! One cannot be a UNIVERSALIST and a Bible believing Christian at the same time!

John 1: 1-3 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made."

John 1: 10 "He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not."

Eph 3:9 "And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ"

Col. 1: 12-17 "Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: 15 Who is the image of the invisible God, : (Note: "invisible God" 1Timothy 1:17 "Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God.") the firstborn of every creature16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist."

Hebrews 1: 2 "Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds"

The Koran and Scripture are at opposed to one another on the teaching of God’s Son the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is much more than just a messenger He is God in the flesh, 1 Timothy 3:16.

3. The Creator Became a Man:

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."

John 1: 17-18 "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. 18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him."

John 8:58 "Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am."

This phrase "I am" speaks of His eternality and points us back to, Exodus 3:14 "And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you."

Albert Barnes’ New Testament Commentary states concerning John 8: 57, 58 that "The question here was about his pre-existence. The objection of the Jews was that he was not fifty years old, and could not, therefore, have seen Abraham. Jesus replied to that that he existed before Abraham. As in his human nature he was not yet fifty years old, and could not, as a man, have existed before Abraham, this declaration must be referred to another nature; and the passage proves that, while he was a man, he was also endowed with another nature existing before Abraham, and to which he applied the term (familiar to the Jews as expressive of the existence of God) I AM; and this declaration corresponds to the affirmation of John (Joh 1:1), that he was in the beginning with God, and was God. This affirmation of Jesus is one of the proofs on which John relies to prove that he was the Messiah (Joh 20:31), to establish which was the design of writing this book."

1 Timothy 3: 16 "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh…"

John 8: 56 "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad."

Was the Lord Jesus seen by Abraham? What was it that Jesus meant by "my day".

Albert Barnes wrote "Though Abraham was not permitted to live to see the times of the Messiah, yet he was permitted to have prophetic view of him…"

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary sas "It expresses something past—‘he saw My day, and was glad,’ that is, surely while he lived. He seems to refer to the familiar intercourse which Abraham had with God, who is once and again in the history called ‘the Angel of the Lord,’ and whom Christ here identifies with Himself."

Dr. J. Vernon McGee in commenting on verse 52 through 59 of John chapter eight says "Did Abraham ever see Christ? He certainly did. The appearances of God to people in the Old Testament was an appearance of Jesus Christ to these people. ‘No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.’ (John 1: 18). Then, too, although Abraham’s body was buried there, yet Abraham was really not dead but was in the presence of God. Jesus makes it very clear, as recorded in chapter 20 of Luke. ‘For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.’"

What Dr. McGee says next about the liberal "Christian" theologian goes for the teachers of Islam and all the other cults such as Mormons and JWs. Dr McGee wrote that "The liberal theologian today teaches that Jesus Christ was a great teacher, but He never really claimed to be God. My friend, listen to this. "Before Abraham was, I am.’ Not, I was – I AM. He is the Jehovah, the I AM, God. The Jews understood perfectly. Because they knew precisely what He was claiming, they took up stones to kill Him for blasphemy.

The issue is Jesus Christ. He put these Jews on the spot. They had to make a decision concerning Him. You must make a decision concerning Him. Either He is the Truth or He is a liar. Either He is God and Saviour, or He is not. You must decide. Either you accept Him or you reject Him. Remember that your decision does not in any way change who He is. He is the great I AM, Jehovah, eternal God. Your decision is to accept or deny this."

With John 8: 56 still under consideration we turn to C. H. Spurgeon. In his sermon SEEING CHRIST’S DAY we read "How did he see Christ’s day? I answer, first, by a far-seeing, clear-sighted faith. I do not know what revelation, which is not recorded, God may have made to Abraham; whether he did, in the night visions, as Daniel did, behold the King sitting upon his throne; but, whatever he did know, he turned to practical use by believing it. He believed that the Lord would come in the fullness of time; he believed that there would be a seed of the woman that should bruise the serpent’s head, according to the promise at the gates of Paradise; he believed, most assuredly, that a man would come who would give unto his flock, that man being his own seed, in connection with whom God had expressly said that he would bless Abraham, and make him a blessing."

"Next, Abraham saw Christ, with the eye of faith, in the types that came before him. There were at least two very remarkable ones, or I might call them three. The first was Melchizedek. I cannot help believing that, when Abraham met Melchizedek, the priest of the most high God, first king of righteousness, and then king of peace, and when he gave him tithes of all, and received his blessing, he recognised in Melchizedek one who was greater than himself; neither can I help believing that, after he had partaken of the bread and wine which Melchizedek brought to him, and had gone back to his own quiet oratory once more, he must — or at least he may have had some clear intimation, to his own mind, that this was one of the grandest types of that seed which was to bless all nations of the earth. And, beloved, have not we seen Jesus as our Melchizedek!"

"But especially did Abraham see Christ’s day in the type that was given him in Isaac." Spurgeon said Abraham saw the Lord Jesus Christ via "…type and figure on that memorable day when he took Isaac up to the top of Mount Moriah, and, at the command of God, unsheathed his knife to slay his son. Abraham must then have seen the everlasting Father about to act in the same fashion towards his only-begotten Son. He saw, in Isaac, the victim bound and laid upon the altar, and then, in the ram caught in the thicket, he saw the very symbol of the Lamb of God, who, in the fullness of time, should be offered upon

the altar of Calvary for our sakes, that he might die as our Substitute and Representative. There never could have been, I think, a more plain parallel than in this case, and in all these types Abraham saw Jesus Christ’s day, and was glad."

Then Spurgeon says "Once more, Abraham did actually see Christ’s day, not by faith only, but in the disembodied state, after he was dead and buried. There he slept, with Sarah, in the cave of Machpelah; but his spirit was neither dead nor buried, but it was in the place of souls separated from their bodies, and it is remarkable that, in the account of the death of Lazarus, our Lord says that he was taken to Abraham’s bosom, as if the patriarch had given a name to that very world in which the gracious dwell when they quit this house of clay. From that place of bliss, he looked down upon all the wondrous life

that began at Bethlehem, and closed at Calvary. He was seeing Christ’s day even while Jesus was speaking to these Jews, and from the celestial seats he must have gazed with wonder that God should thus assume the nature of man."

Abraham spoke with Jehovah God, the pre-incarnate Christ at various times in his life such as Genesis 18 and verses one and two "And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; 2 And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground." One of these three was the Eternal Jehovah God pre-Bethlehem. Therefore the man Christ Jesus was able to say to these Jews "Before Abraham was, I am" John 8:58.

To Islam Jesus is but a created being, a messenger of Allah, but to Scripture He is God, the Eternal "I AM"!

John 1: 30 John Baptist speaking "This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me." John Baptist was the elder of the two and yet he says of Jesus that "he was before me"!

Again John 8:58, 59 "Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by."

John 10: 28-31 "And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. 30 I and my Father are one. 31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him." They sought to kill Him for they knew He was saying He was equal with the Father.

In Mark 15: 39 we read "And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God."

THIS BRINGS US TO THE 2ND POINT:

II. God as Saviour- Islam does not believe God had a Son, that God is not a Triune God.

Deuteronomy 6:4 "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD."

Mark 12:29 "And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord."

Isaiah 43:11 "I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour."

Hosea 13:4 "Yet I am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for there is no saviour beside me."

1. He is God the Son!

Luke 1: 35 "And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God."

The angel said to the shepherds in Luke 2: 1- 10, 11 "Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."

That child born on that first Christmas Day was He, the very Son of God or put this way, God the Son?

Mark 1: 1 "The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God."

Mark 15: 33 -39 "And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? 35 And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elias. 36 And one ran and filled a spunge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him down. 37 And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. 38 And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom. 39 And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God."

THAT PHRASE "HE SO CRIED OUT" IS MISSING IN THE NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION! IT IS MISSING IN THE NASV! THE VOICE OF GOD’S SON IS LOST FOREVER HERE IN THESE TWO VERSIONS!!

However, our point here is that the Centurion after hearing the cry of the Lord Jesus Christ and then His giving up the ghost said "Truly this man was the Son of God"!

ISLAM SAYS JESUS DID NOT DIE 004.157 "And because of their saying: We slew the messiah, Jesus son of Mary, Allah's messenger - they slew him not nor crucified him". EITHER THE BIBLE IS TRUE OR THE KORAN BUT BOTH CANNOT BE!

John 1:34 tells us that John Baptist said "And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God." Is the Baptist speaking the truth or is the Koran correct? One must make a choice and that choice means where one will spend eternity!

Luke 3: 22 "And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased." This verse is declaring forth the Triune Godhead.

Matthew 17:5 "While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him."

John 3: 16, 17 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."

2Peter 1:17 "For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

THE KORAN SAYS IN 004.157 "And because of their saying: We slew the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, Allah's messenger - they slew him not nor crucified him, but it appeared so unto them; and lo! those who disagree concerning it are in doubt thereof; they have no knowledge thereof save pursuit of a conjecture; they slew him not for certain."

BUT:

2. Jesus Died a Real Death and He died for our sins. (Islam says Jesus was never crucified and therefore never died but the Bible says differently.)

(1) Jesus Himself said in John 12:24 "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. 33 This he said, signifying what death he should die."

(2) Jesus was going to be put to death for He claimed to be the Son of God! John 19: 7 "The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God."

(3) Jesus did die. John 19: 30-33 "When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. 31 ¶ The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. 32 Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him. 33 But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs."

Acts 13: 15 "And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses."

Romans 5: 6, 8 "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

Jesus Christ according to the New Testament literally died and He died as the payment for our sins. The Bible and the Koran cannot both be true. One is false and it is not the Bible!

(4) Jesus died for our sins. 1Corinthians 15:3 "For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures"

Galatians 1:4 "Who gave himself for our sins"

(5) Jesus died but rose from the dead. The angel speaking to the women in Matthew 28: 6, 7 "He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 7 And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you."

John 14:6 "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

Acts 4: 1- (12) "And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them, 2 Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3 And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide. 4 Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.

Acts 10: 43 "To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins."

In Acts 26: 13-18 Paul gives his testimony of coming to Christ and he says "At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me. 14 And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 15 And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. 16 But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; 17 Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, 18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me."

Romans 10: 9-11 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed."

1 Timothy 2: 3-5 "For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; 4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus."

2 Timothy 1: 10 "But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel."

Titus 2:13 "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ."

Philippians 3: 20 "For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ."

The conclusion of the matter is that the Koran and the Bible cannot both be true! One is false and the other is true! If the Koran is true the Lord Jesus Christ is but a messenger of God and nothing more.

But if the Bible is true then the Lord Jesus Christ is Deity, the Creator, and the Resurrected Saviour. The Lord Jesus Christ said in John 12:48 "He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day." The Lord Jesus also said in John 6:63 that "It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life"

The words of the Lord Jesus Christ are true or they are not true! The Lord Jesus Christ is both The Creator and The Saviour of mankind or He is a liar. The Bible is either just a book of half truths or the Bible is True in total! There is no halfway house when it comes to accepting the Word of God or believing in Jesus Christ. What have you done with Jesus?

The God of the Bible is Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, Matthew 28:19. The Son according to the Bible is the Creator, the Eternal Son of God and Redeemer of sinners. Those faiths which relegate the Lord Jesus Christ as one less than God create a works salvation. Do, do, do they teach.

Peter wrote in his First Epistle chapter 4 and verse 19 "Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator." Have you committed your eternal soul to Him?

The Scripture is very clear in that all those who "believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him" John 3: 36. Then in 1 John 5: 10 – 13 we read John’s words where he says that "He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. 11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. 13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God."

The road of UNIVERSALISM IS THE BROAD WAY AND IT "LEADETH TO DESTRUCTION, AND MANY THERE BE WHICH GO IN THEREAT" Matthew 7:13.

Islam and all other religions will only lead a soul to that place of destruction.

Christ only, is the only answer to man’s need for eternal salvation. The words of Jesus Christ continue to ring down through the corridors of time when He said "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." What will you do with Jesus Christ?