Over the past semester at ASU, I have met a large number of Muslim friends, both Sunni and Shi’ite, from the Middle East. By God’s Grace, I am able to share with them the gospel of Jesus Christ from a Biblical Perspective; most of these students have NEVER heard this perspective. ASU has over 300 Saudi Arabians and many more students from other countries from the Middle East who are Muslim; I am honored to call them friends. During our conversations, we discuss a variety of topics including the similarities and differences between Islam & Christianity. These conversations have been a learning experience for all of us. Arabic students have strikingly similar misconceptions about Christianity that I would like to briefly discuss in this blog.
1. Christians believe in 1 God not 3 Gods
Jesus has been accused by most Muslims of being elevated to an inappropriate level of being another god besides the one true living God. Christians and Muslims both agree that Jesus is the messiah who is a prophet born of a virgin, performed miracles, and will return during the end times; therefore, by our similarities, Jesus must be the most miraculous person to ever live. But what are the differences in how we view Jesus?
The considerable manuscript evidence archaeologists have for the authenticity of the injeel suggests that Jesus claims to have the powers and authority that only God could possess. Jesus' historical events, such as the death & resurrection of Isa, were recorded by eyewitnesses. Over 500 people saw the resurrected messiah; this important information was recorded in 1 Corinthians 15:3-6 which was written much before the Fall of Jerusalem in AD 70. Dates are important because this short period of time is not enough to corroborate a fairy-tale or any other misrepresentation. All 5,700 ancient manuscripts of the injeel agree to Jesus’ “Son of God” claims including the manuscripts that are traced back before the council of Nicea in 325, when some believe the injeel was corrupted by the church.
2. Christianity believes Jesus was the perfect representation of God not another god.
Was Jesus a god according to Christianity? No. Jesus was the perfect representation of God on Earth. This is why we call Jesus the Son of God. God didn’t have a biological son in the sense of procreation. Put differently, a Muslim traveling by foot for the Hajj is called the “son of the road” because they are a representation of a journeyman towards Mecca. Christians have not made Jesus out to be a God. We are simply accepting what Jesus has revealed about Himself in scripture. He declares that He (Isa) and The One God are ONE together.
3. Don’t assume everyone in America is Christian
Christianity does not endorse the sexual immorality, drug use, and decline of the family like we see happening in most western societies. Christianity is an individual and personal decision, not a decision enforced to people by the government. The United States believes in the freedom of ALL religion and embraces democracy, not theocracy. Becoming a Christian is more than believing certain things regarding Jesus and the Bible; becoming Christian is about trusting in the sacrificial death of Christ for our sins. Trusting in Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection creates in us a right standing before the holy God.
4. While there are some similarities between Islam and Christianity, there are notable differences.
I appreciate tolerance and discussing the similarities of these two religions. However, it is not fair to Islam or Christianity to say they teach the same thing. Islam claims to be the final religion. This is the claim of the Qur'an itself (Surah 61:9, "As-Saff" or "The Ranks"): "He it is who hath sent His messenger with the guidance and the religion of truth, that He may make it conqueror of all religion however much idolaters may be averse." Likewise, Jesus claims to be the only way to the Father, and His teachings the most authoritative statements of truth given by God to mankind (John 14:6): "Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me."
Such statements, though well intended, only confuse the issue of truth. In order for both Islam and Christianity to be true at the same time, then major parts of each would have to be viewed as wrong. For instance, Islam holds that sincere repentance is enough for God to grant a person forgiveness. Christianity holds that repentance united with trust in the atoning death of Christ is sufficient for forgiveness. They involve differing views of the nature of sin, Jesus, soteriology, and forgiveness. Neither side can yield its view without giving up essential foundational doctrines.
Conclusion:
All that the Christians believe about Jesus being the perfect representation of God comes from Jesus' own words and actions in the Injeel, and the testimony of Isa's closest disciples as preserved in the incorruptible injeel. Consequently, the Christian faith is rooted in the reliability of the New Testament and oral tradition.
