Contents:
An Opening Note: Is there room for dialogue?
The Issue of Trinity
(1) Is Jesus the same as God?
(2) Is Jesus the son of God?
(3) Does the Holy Spirit have a share in Godhood?
The Coming of a Prophet after Jesus
(1) Shouldn't the Bible mention Muhammad?
(2) A prophecy of the Awaited Prophet?
(3) Who is Paraclete?
An Opening Note: Is there room for dialogue?
In The Name of God, The Most Beneficent, The Most Merciful.
I would like to make clear that the intent of this paper is not to attack the belief of my Christian brethren. Naturally, when an individual feels they possess something which will be beneficial to others they yearn to
share it. It is in this spirit of sharing that I have written this essay. This work is meant to be concise and summarized and thus it should serve as a stepping-stone for those who are interested in further research on the subject. It is also meant to provide general knowledge for the Muslims in hopes that it will promote
interfaith dialogue. I pray that my Lord accepts this small effort and that He allows some good to come from it.
Is Jesus the same as God?
The majority of my Christian brethren understand Jesus (peace be upon him) to be God incarnate. The essential belief is that Jesus is God, in human form. In this first section, we will examine the validity of this claim in light of the Bible. Our study will attempt to understand Jesus through his own words. So, the underlying question is "Did Jesus claim Godhood?"
In the Gospel of John 10:30, Jesus says, "I and my Father are one". When we examine this statement exclusively, it is apparent that Jesus did claim that he was the same as God. However, in order to get a complete understanding of anything, one must analyze the quote in the context it was presented in. If we go
to another passage in the Bible, Jesus says, "...for my Father is greater than I" [John 14:28]. Here Jesus
makes a clear distinction between himself and his Father, in that that his Father is greater than him. If we
interpret the former verse to mean that Jesus and God are the same in essence, then the latter verse would pose a contradiction. This is because if Jesus and God are the same in essence, then how can one be greater than the other? Since we cannot admit that the Bible would contradict itself, we are forced to reject the interpretation that Jesus is the same is God. What then do we make of the original verse presented? The phrase "I and my Father are one" could also be taken to mean that they are one in a certain aspect or in other words they have something in common. Let's look at the verse in the context of the passage it appears in.
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one. [John 10:27-30]
In light of the above verses we can see the common denominator, that what Jesus was referring to was the fact that no-one can pluck his followers from his hand just as no-one can pluck his followers from his Father's hand. This is the only interpretation that can be accepted given the assumption that the Bible does not contradict itself.
So what else does Jesus say in regards to his position in relation to his Father? In the Gospel of Matthew it is stated,
And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt." [Matthew 26:39]
This verse shows Jesus praying to his Father. The question is who is Jesus praying to if he is God? If he has the ultimate authority, then why does he look to someone other than himself? Do Gods pray? Can a God be in need? Again it is made decisively clear that Jesus differentiates between himself and his Father, and humbly presents his request to his Master, his God.
In the Gospel of John, Jesus says:
"I can of mine own self do nothing; as I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me." [John 5:30]
Again, Jesus says that his power is not from him and in fact his self is powerless. What's more is that Jesus continuously mentions and emphasizes that it is the Father who has sent him. What is the purpose of mentioning such a thing over and over again? Is it for anything other than to show that the Father possesses the Ultimate Authority and were it not for Him, Jesus would not have been sent on this mission in the first place? A few verses earlier, in John 5:26, Jesus says, "For as the Father has life in himself; so hath
He given to the son to have life in himself". My dear readers, can it become any more clearer? These are not my words but the words of Jesus, who testifies that it is the Father who has GIVEN him life.
Doesn't this make Jesus a creature of God?
This understanding is so clear that I find myself unable to express it's clarity any further and so I conclude this section with the words of Jesus himself: "As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father..." [John 6:57].
Is Jesus the son of God?
Some Christians view Jesus in a different light in relation to God. Rather than claim godhood for Jesus or joint godhood, they claim son-ship for him, saying that Jesus is the Son of God. But when the Bible speaks of Jesus as being born of God, what exactly does it mean? In Psalms 2:7, we find that Prophet David (PBUH)
says, "...the Lord hath said unto me (David), thou art my son; this day have I begotten thee." Here David tells us that God has also called him His son and has begotten him; This is exactly what Christians claim for Christ! It is clear, then, that this son-ship is not exclusive to Jesus at all. In another place in the bible,
Chronicles 1:22:10, God says, "He shall build a house for my name; and he shall be my son, and I will be his Father". Again, we see this relationship appearing in reference to Prophet Solomon (PBUH) as God declares that he will be His son. Clearly, we can see that this son-ship referred to in the Bible cannot be a literal one, because if this was the case, then both the Jewish and Christian doctrine would be obliged to
take Solomon and David as being conceived of God.
So, then what is the meaning of this son-ship? Well, we know that it is common to all three people mentioned
above. The question is, what do these three personalities have in common, that they should share in this
status? The only rational answer is that the word "son" is used as an expression to refer to God's closest servants. Similar forms of expression have been used by Jesus himself, in the Bible. Let's examine Matthew 5:9 which reads, "Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God". Here, Jesus explains that the term "Children of God" is to be used for those who enjoy the high status of a peacemaker. It is ironic that even Jesus himself did not take such expressions in the literal sense. In Matthew 5:44-45, Jesus says, "But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may become the children of your Father...". In this passage, Jesus encourages his followers to strive to become "The children of your Father", which clearly reveals that it is a status realized after struggle in the path of righteousness. Another point to note is that Jesus uses the phrase "your Father" which shows that the fatherhood of the Father extends beyond Jesus. Thus, the implication is that Jesus understood his true followers, both male and female, to be the sons and daughters of the Father.
Sometimes, it is argued that what makes Jesus the son of God is his special characteristic of having no human father. If this is the condition of being the son of God, then Prophet Adam (peace be upon him) must have been the first son since he, too, didn't have a father. In fact, Adam should be considered greater than Jesus in this regard because he didn't even have a mother! Therefore, it cannot be argued that son-ship is linked to not having a human father because then we would be obliged to take Adam as the first son of God, and clearly this is not the case in the both the Jewish and Christian doctrine.
Does the Holy Spirit have a share in Godhood?
In light of our previous discussion, this question can be answered quite simply. Many of my Christian brethren assert that the proof of the Godhood of the Holy Spirit is evident from the following verse:
"For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one" [First Epistle of John 5:7]
If this verse was indeed evidence for the Godhood of the Holy Spirit, then we would be obliged to accept that the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are all God and identical in nature. However, we have already clarified that Jesus cannot be the same as God on the basis of his own testification where he says, "My Father is greater than I". Thus, this Trinitarian understanding of God falls apart as soon as one of the links don't hold. This is because all three of the personalities have to be the same in nature according to verse above, but since two of them are definitely not the same, the verse cannot be interpreted to mean a trinity. Thus, it is
apparent that the Holy Spirit can have no share in Godhood.
In Mark 13:32, Jesus says "But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the son, but (only) the Father." From this statement it is apparent that no-one has knowledge about the hour, except the Father. Therefore, the Father is the true Divine, whereas both Jesus and the Holy Ghost are just subordinates. The Greatest, All-Perfect, and All-Knowledgeable is only the Father, God Almighty.
A word of advice from Jesus
"If a blind man leads a blind man both will fall into a pit" [Matthew 15:14]
These words of wisdom by our beloved Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) are indeed very powerful. How beautifully he reminds us that we must be weary of the teachings we follow and adhere to? There is a dire need for us all to reflect on what we believe and affirm it with our intellects to ensure that we are on the path of guidance and light. I pray that we take heed to the words of this great personality and through it may we reach the ranks of the righteous.
Next article: The Coming of a Prophet After Jesus (Muhammed in the Bible)
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