Something To Offend Everyone

The purpose of this website is to examine what Islam teaches about the person of Jesus in contrast to what the Christian Bible teaches about Jesus. While this site may offend many Muslims, the site will also offend many Christians and Jews. It is not my intent or purpose to offend anyone but the Bible observes that:

NOTE: Islam was not a religion at the time that this passage from the Bible was written. When the Bible says "both Jews and Greeks" the term "Greeks" is a reference to those who are NOT Jews. Therefore, the phrase "both Jews and Greeks" is a reference to ALL groups of men and women, it is not referring to Greeks who happen to also be Jews.

I am not disillusioned about the degree of offense that many Muslims take to those who disagree with their faith. Let's be frank, the very domain name "jesusisallah.com" is going to be a great offense to many Muslims before they even read a word of this article.

What The Qur'an Says About the Bible

For any Muslim who is initially offended, but may still be reading, I would encourage you to remember that the primary reference book of Muslims is the Qur'an (Koran). By contrast, the primary reference book of Christianity is the Bible. Should a Muslim read the Christian Bible or consider what it says? Here's what the Koran says about the Bible:

NOTE:    The Koran is referencing both the "Torah" [Old Testament Bible] and the "Gospel" [New Testament Bible].

The Koran claims that the Bible was revealed [sent down; inspired] by Allah. Why would a Muslim not read the Bible when they have been told by the Koran that it was Allah who "revealed" it?

The problem is that Muslims are taught that the original Old Testament Bible (Torah) was corrupted by Jews and the original New Testament (Gospels) has been corrupted by Christians. Muslims are taught that the original Bible scriptures are gone, and that what we now have is not what the Bible originally said. I believe that argument is simply false.

Let's forget that the New Testament repeatedly shows Jesus teaching from the Torah during his ministry. Let instead consider that the Koran talks about Jesus teaching from the Torah.

and

The only "scriptures" Jesus possessed were the Torah. The New Testament (referred to as the Gospel) was not written until after the death of Jesus. The Koran makes no statement or claim that Jesus was teaching from a corrupted Torah. So, if the Torah that Jesus relied upon was corrupted, it would have had to have been corrupted AFTER the death of Jesus. The question is, has the Torah changed since Jesus used it? There is no evidence that it has. It's the very same Torah that we have today, unchanged from when Jesus taught from it.

For a more detailed discussion of what the Koran says about the Bible, and reference to the Bible (Torah and Gospels) in the Koran, I would encourage you to visit this page:

THE BIBLE
AS SEEN BY THE QUR'AN
AND THE MUSLIM TRADITIONS

which concludes, "The only possible conclusion from our study of the Qur'an is that copies of THE TRUE TORAH AND THE TRUE GOSPEL were present in Mecca and Medina at the time of Muhammad." and " I am firmly convinced that the books which were available in Mecca during the lifetime of Muhammad were identical to THE TORAH AND THE GOSPEL WHICH WE READ TODAY."

I believe the author has made his case quite systematically.

What Motivated This Article?

It is important for Muslims to realize that it is the Qur'an (Koran) that specifically makes statements about Jesus and the Christian faith. By sharp contrast, the Bible does not make specific statements about Muhammed and Islam. In a very real sense this article about Islam and Jesus has been initiated by what the Koran says about Jesus.

IMPORTANT:   Christians believe that Jesus is the founder and finisher of their faith. He is as important to Christianity as Muhammed is to Islam.

To put it in other terms, Christianity is rooted in who Jesus is and what Jesus did. With that in mind, the Koran has some very specific things to say about Jesus, who he is and what he did and didn't do.

Throughout this article I will examine what is presented by the Qur'an (Koran) in contrast to the Bible, and to look at what both those books teach about Jesus. Because Judaism is the root and foundation of the Christian faith, I will bring in passages from the Old Testament of the Christian Bible (aka the Torah / Jewish Septuagint) to compare and contrast with the teachings of the Christian New Testament and the Koran.

I share my views here without concern for how you respond to what I have written. If you agree, great. If you don't, fine. I am simply sharing what I believe to be the truth of what the Bible teaches, and what I see Muslims being told by the Koran. If you have questions or comments, feel free to email me.

barneyrl@compulife.com

Why Publish This Article?

I suspect that most Christians have no real idea what Islam specifically teaches about Jesus. Ignorance is never a good thing and I hope that this helps expand Christian understanding. If you are a Christian and disagree with what you find here, I hope that you are provoked to do your own investigation.

Many Muslims only know and believe what the Koran teaches about Jesus. Those willing to look further will benefit knowing what the Bible says by comparison and contrast.

In the end you will make up your own mind about what is true and what is not. No one can do that for you. I believe that divine truth is given as a personal revelation from God. Without a personal revelation from the spirit of God, I believe that we are blind to divine truth. Therefore, I cannot have a revelation for you, you cannot have a revelation for me.

How do we seek the guidance and revelation of God? The Bible says:

My hope is that you will seek God's guidance and direction by carefully considering what the Bible and Koran say. I also hope that God is merciful to you and grants you revelation into the truth. In other words, you will have to come to your own conclusion.

The Muslim Name of God

From my study of what Muslims teach, there appears to be some disagreement as to what is the meaning of the word "Allah". Some teach that the word Allah means "the God". Muslims emphasize "the God" to underline that there is only one true God. Those who believe Allah means "the God" would understand it in much the same as the term "God" used by Christians, or G-d used by Jews. Once again, Muslims of this viewpoint consider it a general reference to the supreme being or deity.

Other Muslims teach that "Allah" is the proper name of God. This would be similar to the Jewish use of YHWH (Yahweh) as the proper name for God.

NOTE:   Many Jews consider saying the name of G-d is sinful.

Many Christians, when asked what the name of God is, would say that His name is Jehovah.

To be clear, when I selected the name for this site, I relied upon the explanation for "Allah" as a general reference to the deity. Therefore, when I say that "Jesus is Allah", I am saying that Jesus is "the God". I will be reviewing the portions of the Bible that lead me to believe that.

I will be discussing the "name" of "the God" further as I believe that to be a subject specifically addressed by the Christian bible.

Before we consider the differences between what Christians and Muslims believe, lets see if we can find any common ground.

There Is Only One God

From the Qur'an (Koran):

From the Jewish Bible (aka Torah/Septuagint):

From the Bible (Christian New Testament):

Now I don't know about you but all that sounds the same to me. There is ONE God and only ONE God. He is "the God". That's what Jesus believed and said when he quoted the Jewish Old Testament. Christians believe Jesus is the leader of the faith and Jesus said quite emphatically that there is "one God".

And Jesus said further:

The Koran is well aware of what Jesus said, when it says:

NOTE:   The Bible makes no reference or use of the proper name "Allah". If the word Allah is taken to mean "the God", and not used as a proper name for God, then the quotation from Jesus is accurate. Otherwise, there is no reference to "Allah" as the proper name for God in the Bible.

As you consider what the Bible teaches about God, versus what the Koran teaches about God, there are other similarities. Consider the story of the creation of the world.

From the Qur'an (Koran):

From the Bible:

It is quite clear that the Bible and the Koran are relying on similar stories to explain creation. The logical question is which story came first?

The Koran, according to Wikipedia:

I found nothing to dispute that chronology. The Koran dates to about 600 years AFTER Jesus and the writing of the Christian New Testament.

By contrast, there is quite a bit of dispute as to when Genesis was actually written. This example says:

On the other hand:

Regardless of which account you believe, it means that the first 5 books of the Old Testament, which includes Genesis and Deuteronomy, had been around 1,000 to 2,000 years before the Koran was written.

I personally believe that the first 5 books of the Old Testament were written by Moses. I disagree with the more liberal scholars who think that someone else was the author, or that it was written hundreds of years after Moses.

The Christian New Testament, written in the first century by those who were alive at the time of Jesus, makes many references to the Old Testament. That is only logical. The Jewish Old Testament preceded the New Testament. Jesus, himself a Jew, frequently quoted and taught from the Old Testament. The apostle Paul, a Jew, proclaimed himself a scholar of the Jewish scriptures and talked at length about them in his letters to churches. In fact each person who wrote a portion of the Christian New Testament was a Jew and each quotes the Old Testament.

The Christian New Testament had been around about 500 to 600 years before the Koran.

Needless to say, there is no possible way that the authors of the Old Testament relied upon anything that was found in the Koran. Further, there is no possible way that the authors of the New Testament relied upon anything that was found in the Koran. It should surprise no one that there is nothing in the Bible that refers to the Koran.

By contrast, the author of the Koran was well aware of the teachings of the Bible. Remember again what the Koran says:

Once again, the Torah is the "Old Testament" Bible and the Gospel is the "New Testament" Bible.

While it is unlikely that the author(s) of the Koran had access to an actual Christian Bible such as we have today (the time frame preceded the mass publication of books) it is quite clear that the author(s) of the Koran were well aware of the teachings of Judaism and Christianity at the time (about 600 AD).

Why do I say that?

The Koran and the Trinity

The Christian doctrine of the trinity had been well formed and was commonly being taught by the Christian church at the time of the writing of the Koran. With that in mind, consider these texts of the Koran:

and

It is quite clear that the writer of the Koran was focusing attention on the trinitarian teachings of the Christian church. The teachings of the trinity are then used to contrast Islamic belief with Christian belief.

It is on this subject where I expect to make a significant number of Christians unhappy.

Is the "trinity" a Biblical teaching?

Before explaining my view, I believe as did Martin Luther that the Bible alone should be the sole foundation for Christian teaching.

It is quite clear that the early church, following the time period of the Disciples and Paul (the writers of the New Testament books), added to the teachings found in the New Testament Bible. Many, in particular the Roman Catholic church, consider those post-Bible teachings to be as divinely inspired as the Bible itself. I do not share that view. I believe that where such church teachings contradict the teachings of the Bible that the Bible should be taken as the correct and final authority.

Back to the teachings about the trinity. The term "trinity" is believed to have been first used in the last two decades of the second century, over a century and a half after the death of Jesus.

From this page:

The more modern meaning of the word "trinity" began to "firm up" by the time of the First Council of Nicaea, in 325. That resulted in the production of the Nicene Creed, which says:

Another council followed in 381, which further modified the creed with this addition, in place of the last sentence about the Holy Spirit:

While the word "trinity" was not used in the actual creed, you can see the evolution of the teaching of the trinity.

My first response to whether this is Biblical is quite simple. The following words and terms are NOT found in the Christian New Testament:

I believe that these terms were added to the teachings of the New Testament. While portions of the New Testament are referenced to support the teaching of the Trinity, I think the use of those scriptures is simply wrong, and that there is a better and more simple explanation for what those verses mean.

Why did the Christian church come up the teaching of the Trinity?

The answer is simple. The church had great difficulty comprehending what the Bible itself refers to as a "mystery".

Jesus is "The God"

The fact that Jesus Christ was a human being is no mystery. He was born of his mother Mary, He ate, He slept and He died. No one questions or doubts the humanity of Jesus Christ. Those who are not religious may doubt that he ever existed, and many argue that the story of his existence is fictional. But both Christians and Muslims accept that Jesus is a real historical person and is a significant religious figure.

The idea that Jesus is/was God is where things get tricky. Let's keep in mind what the Jewish Bible clearly teaches:

and it was repeated here:

OK, so that seems very simple and categorical. God is NOT a man. So if Jesus is a man, how can he possibly be God?

Let's stick with the Old Testament Bible (Torah) for a moment. Read what the prophet Isaiah said:

Things were looking so simple until the Bible said that. A child, a son, will be "born" and he will be called the Mighty God.

How can the idea of Jesus being a man, and also being God (who is not a man) be reconciled? So we do not forget, the Bible plainly refers to it as a "mystery".

Why is it called a "mystery"? Because it is hard to figure out. It is perplexing. In fact I don't believe that these apparent contradictions can be reconciled without divine revelation, but let me try to help by looking at other portions of the Bible. The Christian Bible teaches that the mother of Jesus was Mary, no problem there. The Koran also teaches that Mary was the mother of Jesus. Just another example of something the Koran and the Bible agree on.

But who was the father of Jesus? In other words, who got Mary pregnant?

The Bible says:

So let me summarize the story. Mary was engaged to be married to Joseph. The two had not yet had sex. Joseph discovered that Mary was pregnant. Joseph assumed that Mary had sex with another man and decided to cancel the engagement. An angel appears in a dream to Joseph and says, relax, Mary did not have sex with another man, God got her pregnant.

To summarize, the father of Jesus was God, NOT a man.

Was this a radical new concept introduced by Christians? Not at all. The last line of the story says:

Was that some new idea invented by followers of Jesus? No, Isaiah the prophet foretold it:

To review, what does the name "Immanuel" mean? It means "God with us".

Now you will recall that this was from the same Isaiah who said:

So the mother of Jesus was human, and according to the Bible, the father of Jesus was God.

If you mate a dog with a dog, you do not get a cat. If you mate a cat with a cat, you do not get a dog. They are incompatible species. Some species, while different can be mated to produce a result. The example I commonly use is the mating of a horse with a donkey, the result of which is a mule. The mule is NOT a horse and the mule is not a donkey. Part of the mule came from the horse and part of the mule came from the donkey. The part of the mule that came from the horse did not come from the donkey, and the part of the mule that came from the donkey did not come from the horse.

Jesus is the God-man. He is God, which he inherited from his Father (God), and he is man, which he inherited from his mother Mary (human/man).

The Bible says:

Let's consider the same thing from a different translation:

But none of that changes the fact that it is still a "mystery". I believe that while the early church correctly believed the New Testament teaching that Jesus was both man and God, it had a great difficulty trying to explain it. Why was it hard to explain? Because it was a mystery and it is still a mystery. Christians still have great trouble understanding it. Why? Because there are some things that appear to be great contradictions.

Does God sleep? No, God doesn't sleep. OK, so why did Jesus sleep?

Does God get hungry? No, God doesn't eat. OK, so why did Jesus eat?

Can God die? No, God is eternal, He cannot die. OK, so what happened when Jesus died?

And this beauty, "When Jesus prayed, was He talking to Himself?"

These distinctions between God and man go on and on. How can they be explained, if in fact Jesus is God?

The answer is quite simple, but no less a mystery.

Jesus is man, Jesus is God. When the Bible talks about Jesus sleeping, eating or dying, it is talking about the "man" that is Jesus Christ. The God that is in Jesus did not sleep, did not eat, and did not die.

It is even more difficult for the modern Christian to accept the simple truth, given that the teachings of the Trinity are rattling around in their head and have distorted the simplicity of what the Bible really teaches. Let me give you an example. Early in my studies of this I recall reading a book that posed the simple question, "Is Jesus in the Godhead, or is the Godhead in Jesus?" Christians raised with the trinitarian explanation for God will have to admit that the term "Godhead" is often used interchangeably with the term "Trinity". Further, if they are honest, they will admit that they believe that Jesus is part of the Godhead. But consider again what the King James Bible said about the "Godhead" and Jesus.

One again, Jesus is NOT in the Godhead, the Godhead is in Jesus. Clearly the word "Godhead" is not a reference to trinity as I don't know of anyone one believes that the "trinity" is in Jesus.

Getting your head around the fact that Jesus is God is still tough. When Jesus prayed in the Garden, was God talking to himself? No, or course not, the man Jesus Christ was speaking to God.

The challenge (mystery) to understanding what was going on is what the teaching of the trinity attempted to resolve. When Jesus prayed to his Father, who was talking to who? While the trinitarian explanation meant well, it did not clear up the mystery. The trinitarian explanation is often itself referred to as a mystery. Why is it a mystery? It's is a mystery because how can God be one and be three at the same time? Unfortunately the early church, in trying to explain how Jesus is God, moved the mystery to the wrong place. The mystery is not, "How is God three in one?", the mystery is "How is Jesus two in one"?

Remember, the term "three in one" is not used in the Bible the way you think it is. Go ahead, look it up.

Consider again what the Bible says about this mystery:

It does not say the second person of the trinity was manifest in the flesh, it says God was manifest in the flesh.

To summarize, Jesus received all of his humanity from his mother, who was not God, and all of his deity from his Father, who was not human. Jesus was the only begotten Son of God. Here is what the Christian New Testament clearly teaches.

Consider the same verse from another translation:

Rather than clear up the "mystery", the concept of the trinity made things much more confusing.

Consider the problem with the previous question, "Who got Mary pregnant?" The passages I quoted earlier said that she was impregnated by the "Holy Spirit". In trinitarian belief that would be the third person of the trinty. But the trinitarian believes that the Father of Jesus is the first person of the Trinity. So who is the real father of Jesus?

These are the mental gymnastics created by a non-Biblical explanation for God and the person of Jesus. The father of Jesus Christ is "the God", period. The God that is in Jesus Christ is the same and only God, one God, "the God". What distinguishes the person of Jesus from His Father God is not the deity, it is the humanity. The Deity in Jesus is the same deity and there is only one deity. The humanity of Jesus makes Jesus unique from God.

I know, it's hard to understand. That's why the Bible calls it a mystery.

The Koran Exploited The Weakness

I believe the teaching of the trinity created a weakness in the teachings of Christian church. It set up a stumbling block for Christians when they try to explain the person of Jesus to those who are not Christians. Muhammed and the Koran pounced upon that weakness and Muhammed went directly after it.

Why am I convinced that "the trinity" is a weakness?

There are two sects commonly linked to Christianity which deny the deity of Jesus. The one sect is the Jehovah Witnesses and the other sect is the Mormons. Both reject the notion of the trinity and both reject the deity of Jesus. Another thing that they have in common is that they like for the members of their faith to go door to door sharing their particular messages with others. I am always ready to talk with them when they arrive at my door. Before the conversation gets too far I like to tell them that I believe that Jesus is "the Mighty God" and I ask them what they believe.

At that point the discussion rapidly becomes a discussion of the subject of the trinity. Strangely, it is not me who raises the subject of the trinity. The Jehovah Witness or Mormon explains to me why they think the teaching about the trinity is wrong. I quickly agree and I explain that I don't believe that there is a trinity.

I then explain what Isaiah said, that a son would be given and called the "Mighty God" and "Everlasting Father". I ask them, "When Isaiah refers to the the "Mighty God" and "Everlasting Father" what is Isaiah referring to?" When they hesitate, and they always hesitate, I ask them aren't those two terms "Mighty God" and "Everlasting Father" both references to God? They admit that they are. I then ask, "Who is the son that is given, who will be called the Mighty God?" Remember, I didn't say it, Isaiah said it.

Inevitably the Mormon or Jehovah Witness returns to the subject of the trinity and tries to convince me that I must believe in the trinity. It's strange to watch them try to convince me that I believe in the trinity when they themselves don't believe it. But in order to explain their belief that Jesus isn't God, they have been taught to target the teaching of the trinity. They know what to do with a trinitarian explanation for the Deity of Jesus, they just don't have a clue what to do with a person who believes in the deity of Jesus but who does not believe in the trinity.

My experience and study convince me that the teaching of the trinity does more harm than good. It is a man made explanation for something that the Bible doesn't say. Trying to explain the trinity weakens the Christian message that Jesus is God.

And it is the teaching about the trinity that the Koran exploits. In teaching that the trinity is wrong it begins by emphasizing what Jesus himself said:

In this regard I believe that the Koran says is accurate and quotes Jesus accurately. God is not three, God is one God. There is no need for a clever explanation for how God can be three and also be one.

But here is the sad realty. Muhammand used the flaw of trinitarian belief as a stepping stone to tear at the truth about who Jesus is and what he did. Consider this verse of the Koran again:

So while the average Muslim sees this as a moment of exposing the Christian belief in the Trinity as false, the Koran is actually planting a much more destructive idea about Jesus. What do I mean?

If the Koran had said, "the Messiah, Isa son of Marium is a messenger of Allah", then the statement would have been accurate. But the Koran says: "the Messiah, Isa son of Marium is only a messenger of Allah". What does the word "only" refer to? It is clear what Muhammad is going after when he adds: far be It from His glory that He should have a son

So while many might see the reference to the trinity as being the primary target, it is the denial that Jesus is the Son of Allah (God) that is the most damaging assault.

Who do Christians believe Jesus to be? They believe that Jesus is the "Son of God". What are Muslims taught? God has no son and the idea that God has a son is false and wrong.

On the flip side of this ask the average Christian what Muslims believe about Jesus. They will say Muslims believe Jesus is a prophet (messenger) of God. What Christians don't appreciate is that the Koran teaches plainly that Jesus is NOT the Son of God. Sadly, some Christians don't see that as a big problem. Why? Because they themselves have not really considered the importance of what being the Son of God really means.

Am I wrong in this assessment? Consider this second reference from the Koran:

In this passage there is the clear focus against trinitarian teaching. Note that the passage says:

The reference to "associates others with Allah" is a reference to those who say that Jesus is the second person of the trinity, and/or, that Jesus is God.

It goes on to clarify that point by saying:

Translation: If you believe in the trinity you won't be going to heaven. Instead, those who believe in the trinity are on the road to Hell Fire.

And the Koran adds:

So beyond the fact that these trinitarians won't be getting to heaven, if they keep "saying" (ie. spreading their story) then they will be afflicted with a painful punishment. I do not believe that this is merely reiterating the punishment of a firey hell which is clearly a painful punishment. I think the added comment about punishment, for those who do not desist from what they are saying, must be a reference to punishment in this life and this world. It is likely a basis for the hostility that we see inflicted on Christians by some Muslims.

While I happen to share the view that the trinitarian belief is wrong, I also believe that each person should be free to believe as they choose. As an American I believe people should not be "forced" to change their beliefs and I don't believe that they should be kept from expressing or sharing their beliefs, even if they are wrong. Jesus never taught the idea of "forcing" the Christian belief on others. He emphasized that people must choose, he did not emphasize action to be taken against those who did not agree with him. Clearly, as per this passage from the Koran, that is not a Muslim thought process. And the rights to "freedom of speech" and "freedom of religion" do not exist in most Muslim nations. Say something that is perceived to be contrary so the teachings of Islam, and you are charged with blasphemy and punished.

Back to the Koran. The following is the most troubling portion of the above passage:

And that, quite simply, is the dagger to the heart of what the Bible teaches Christians to believe.

If a Christian says, "Jesus is the Messiah" they are being referred to as "certainly a disbeliever", a nice way of saying a person who is wrong and outside the true religion (Islam).

I should note that I did find that rather difficult to reconcile with the next line which said:

This passage is rather odd. It seems to be acknowledging Jesus as "the Messiah". It does correctly attributes the quote from Jesus. Here is what the Bible records Jesus saying:

I am going to concede that the Koran referring to Jesus as the Messiah is a bit of a slip by the author of the Koran. On the one hand the Koran says you go to hell for calling Jesus the Messiah, and then the Koran itself refers to Jesus as the Messiah. I think the writer got lost on the fact that he was trying to stress that Jesus himself didn't believe in the trinity.

Did Jesus Believe That He Was "the God"?

I would invite you to consider this passage from the Bible:

Now consider the reaction of the Jews, to the claims that Jesus made:

The significance of the fact that Jesus called God His Father is often lost on Christians, who will recall what Jesus said here:

But Jesus wasn't simply calling God his Heavenly Father, as he encourages Christians to do when they pray. Jesus many time refers to God as "literally" His Father. The Jewish religious leaders understood the significance of that claim and it made the Jewish teachers want to kill him for blasphemy. Consider this:

Once again, the reference to "no one seized him" is referring to the fact that they wanted to kill him. Why did they want to kill him, because he was "making Himself equal with God".

And further on in the same story, Jesus is confronted by the Jewish teachers:

Why did the Jewish teachers want to stone and kill Him? It is the same reason again. Jesus made the claim that he equal with God.

NOTE: The reference to "I am" was from this passage of the Bible which said:

And why did Jesus say that he was "I am"? Because Jesus believed that He was God. He believed that God was His Father.

Even Jesus as a young boy understood and believed that God was His Father. Consider this from the Bible:

Mary and Joseph returned to Jerusalem to find Jesus. When they did, they confronted Him. Pay attention to what he said:

Even as a 12 year old Jesus believed that he was the Son of God, making Himself equal with God.

The Mystery is in the Incarnation?

Discarding the trinitarian explanation for the Deity of Jesus is like lifting a veil to more clearly see and understand the plain teaching of the Christian Bible, that Jesus is God. These verses all take on much more clear and rich meaning:

And consider these often referenced passages in light of what you have read so far:

And these passages are much more clearly understood:


The Cross Of Christ

It is on the subject of the cross and the crucifixion of Jesus Christ that the Koran makes its most direct and outrageous assault on the Christian religion. The Koran clearly contradicts the plain teachings of the Christian New Testament. The Koran says:

In the light of this conspiracy theory about the death of Jesus on a cross, please remember this verse from the Koran:

It is my suspicion that Muhammed was aware of the teaching of Christianity, but did not study a copy of the Christian New Testament. That's not particularly hard to believe as it had not been gathered together and printed as a single book by his period. If he had a copy of the Christian Bible, he would have had to deal with this passage:

How important is the teaching of the cross to Chrisitianity? It is of the utmost and highest importance. No cross, no Christianity. It is referred to over and over again in the New Testament Bible.

Remember the Koran's emphatic denial that Jesus died on a cross, as you read these portions from the Bible.

First, the historical account of the event from the Disciple Matthew:

Second, the historical account of the event from the Disciple Mark:

Third, the historical account of the event from the Disciple Luke:

Fourth, the historical account of the event from the Disciple John:

What we have just read are the lengthy historical accounts of the death of Jesus on a cross. Each account was from four of Jesus's twelve disciples who were actually there when it happened. Contrast those accounts with the claim of Muhammed in the Koran, who was not present:

Muhammed's analysis of the event is that someone else took Jesus place, and it was the person who took Jesus place who was crucified. It's an interesting conspiracy theory, about which there is NO REFERENCE in the Bible. It is quite clear to me that Muhammed never read the stories that I have quoted above, and even more clear that Muhammed never read these comments about the importance of the cross to Christianity:

I am convinced that Muhammed did not read those passages either, or he would not have been so quick to dismiss the story of the death of Jesus on a cross or come up with such an outrageous conspiracy theory.

Here is the most remarkable part of this, and an enormous contradiction with the Koran. Remember that the Koran says:

With that in mind, consider this "prophesy" of Jesus:

If the death of Jesus was a conspiracy theory, then Jesus was the chief conspirator. Is that what prophets do, foretell events they fulfill by a deceitful act?

Let me summarize this up, because it is important:

Here we have the "prophet" Jesus, giving a prophesy about his own death on a cross. How do we reconcile that with the claim in the Koran that Jesus did not die on a cross? It can't be reconciled. In the face of the four disciples and Jesus himself, Muhammed is calling them all liars. Despite this, the Koran calls Jesus a prophet and says the gospels were inspired by God.

Of course the hardened Muslim will simply dismiss it by saying the Bible is corrupted, and all these bible references to the cross were not in the original Gospels. Does that pass the smell test?

The Significance of the Cross

In truth there is no significance in the cross itself. It would not have mattered if Jesus had been executed by being stabbed with a sword or having had his head chopped off.

What is significant is that Jesus was put to death by men for a crime he did not commit. Jesus was made to die under false accusations and pretenses. His death involved the shedding of his innocent blood. Why was that so important? The Christian New Testament has much to say about it.

While the cross was the instrument of the death of Jesus, the significance of the cross is that Jesus shed his blood upon it. No cross, no death, no shedding of blood, NO salvation.

And what does the Koran say about the blood of Jesus? Nothing, absolutely nothing. Why? Because Muhammed never understood or appreciated the importance.

Jesus Is The God and Savior

Who is our Savior?

The Old Testament says:

The New Testament says:

The Bible is quite clear. There is ONLY one savior of men, and that is God. The Bible is equally clear, our great God and Savior is Jesus.

Jesus is much more than a prophet.

Why Does Man Need a Savior?

What is it that man needs to be saved from? The Bible is quite clear:

You've made your point. All men are sinners. Why do men need to be saved from sin?

Jesus, The Lamb of God, Savior

All men are sinners. There is no one who is righteous, NOT ONE. How can the problem of our sin be resolved? How can men be forgiven.


Jesus is the Name of "The God"

Up to this point I was writing to address Muslims who beleive that "Allah" means "the God", a generic reference to God. For Muslims who believe that "Allah" is the proper name of "the God". And to review, Jews believe that the proper name of God is YHWH, and most Christians would say the proper name of God is Jehovah.

So what is the "name of God"?

I believe that the answer to that question is quite simple: Jesus is the name of God.

Consider the following prayer of Jesus:

Which is completely consistent with this:

The first point is quite simple, Jesus (the son of God) was named after his Father (God). Jesus inherited His Name from His father. This means that Jesus is the name of the Father; Jesus is the name of God.

Most Christians will then respond that God has many names. I don't disagree, but consider this passage:

"Jesus", the name of God, is the name which is above every name.

On an important side note, Jesus is not what Mary (the mother of Jesus) said when she called her son to dinner. Mary did not say "Jesus, supper's ready", she said "Yeshua,it's time to eat". Yeshua means "Yahweh (Jehovah) Savior" or "Yahweh Salvation". Jesus is the name above every name of God because that name describes how God most wants us to know him. God is our Savior.

OK, you've made your point. Jesus is the name of God; why is that so important? Knowing the name of God is VERY important. Here is what the Bible says:

That is a very simple statement and it is made several times:

And that is actually not a new promise, but an old one that was first made to the Jews. Consider this:

Oh come on now, it can't be that easy. Are you telling me that if anyone just calls upon the name of the Lord they are saved? That's what it says. But you have to call upon God by the correct name. Calling upon God, while denying that Jesus is God, is a complete contradiction. If you want to be saved, you must call upon God by His name: Jesus (Yeshua).

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to email me at:

barneyrl@compulife.com