Prophet Jesus (PBUH) Never Claimed Divinity

[SuperNova66]

I
Position of Jesus (peace be on him) in Islam:

(i)
Islam is the only non-Christian faith, which makes it an article of faith to believe in Jesus (pbuh). No Muslim is a Muslim if he does not believe in Jesus (pbuh).

(ii)
We believe that he was one of the mightiest Messengers of Allah (swt).

(iii)
We believe that he was born miraculously, without any male intervention, which many modern day Christians do not believe.

(iv)

We believe he was the Messiah translated Christ (pbuh).

(v)
We believe that he gave life to the dead with God’s permission.

(iv)
We believe that he healed those born blind, and the lepers with God’s permission.

II
CONCEPT OF GOD IN CHRISTIANITY:

1.
Jesus Christ (pbuh) never claimed Divinity


One may ask, if both Muslims and Christians love and respect Jesus (pbuh), where exactly is the parting of ways? The major difference between Islam and Christianity is the Christians’ insistence on the supposed divinity of Christ (pbuh). A study of the Christian scriptures reveals that Jesus (pbuh) never claimed divinity. In fact there is not a single unequivocal statement in the entire Bible where Jesus (pbuh) himself says, "I am God" or where he says, "worship me". In fact the Bible contains statements attributed to Jesus (pbuh) in which he preached quite the contrary. The following statements in the Bible are attributed to Jesus Christ (pbuh):

(i) "My Father is greater than I."
[The Bible, John 14:28]

(ii) "My Father is greater than all."
[The Bible, John 10:29]

(iii) "…I cast out devils by the Spirit of God…."
[The Bible, Mathew 12:28]

(iv) "…I with the finger of God cast out devils…."
[The Bible, Luke 11:20]

(v) "I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgement is just; because I seek not my own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me."
[The Bible, John 5:30]

2.
The Mission of Jesus Christ (pbuh) – to Fulfill the Law


Jesus (pbuh) never claimed divinity for himself. He clearly announced the nature of his mission. Jesus (pbuh) was sent by God to confirm the previous Judaic law. This is clearly evident in the following statements attributed to Jesus (pbuh) in the Gospel of Mathew:

"Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the Prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

"Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven; but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."

"For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven."
[The Bible, Mathew 5:17-20]

3.
God Sent Jesus' (pbuh)

The Bible mentions the prophetic nature of Jesus (pbuh) mission in the following verses:

(i)

"… and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me."
[The Bible, John 14:24]

(ii)

"And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou has sent."
[The Bible, John 17:3]

4.
Jesus Refuted even the Remotest Suggestion of his Divinity


Consider the following incident mentioned in the Bible:

"And behold, one came and said unto him, ‘Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?’

And he said unto him, ‘Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.’ "
[The Bible, Mathew 19:16-17]

Jesus (pbuh) did not say that to have the eternal life of paradise, man should believe in him as Almighty God or worship him as God, or believe that Jesus (pbuh) would die for his sins. On the contrary he said that the path to salvation was through keeping the commandments. It is indeed striking to note the difference between the words of Jesus Christ (pbuh) and the Christian dogma of salvation through the sacrifice of Jesus (pbuh).

5.
Jesus (pbuh) of Nazareth – a Man Approved of God


The following statement from the Bible supports the Islamic belief that Jesus (pbuh) was a prophet of God.

"Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know."
[The Bible, Acts 2:22]

6.
The First Commandment is that God is One


The Bible does not support the Christian belief in trinity at all. One of the scribes once asked Jesus (pbuh) as to which was the first commandment of all, to which Jesus (pbuh) merely repeated what Moses (pbuh) had said earlier:

"Shama Israelu Adonai Ila Hayno Adonai Ikhad."

This is a Hebrew quotation, which means:

"Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord."
[The Bible, Mark 12:29]

It is striking that the basic teachings of the Church such as Trinity and vicarious atonement find no mention in the Bible. In fact, various verses of the Bible point to Jesus’ (pbuh) actual mission, which was to fulfill the law revealed to Prophet Moses (pbuh). Indeed Jesus (pbuh) rejected any suggestions that attributed divinity to him, and explained his miracles as the power of the One True God.

Jesus (pbuh) thus reiterated the message of monotheism that was given by all earlier prophets of Almighty God.

NOTE: All quotations of the Bible are taken from the King James Version.




III
CONCEPT OF GOD IN OLD TESTAMENT:

1.
God is One


The following verse from the book of Deuteronomy contains an exhortation from Moses (pbuh):

"Shama Israelu Adonai Ila Hayno Adna Ikhad".
It is a Hebrew quotation which means:
"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord"
[The Bible, Deuteronomy 6:4]

2.
Unity of God in the Book of Isaiah

The following verses are from the Book of Isaiah:

(i)

"I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no saviour."
[The Bible, Isaiah 43:11]

(ii)

"I am Lord, and there is none else, there is no God besides me."
[The Bible, Isaiah 45:5]

(iii)

"I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me."
[The Bible, Isaiah 46:9]

3.

Old Testament condemns idol worship

(i)

Old Testament condemns idol worship in the following verses:

"Thou shalt have no other gods before me."

"Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:"

"Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God."
[The Bible, Exodus 20:3-5]

(ii)

A similar message is repeated in the book of Deuteronomy:

"Thou shalt have none other gods before me."

"Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that in the earth beneath, or that is in the water beneath the earth."

"Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them; for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God."
[The Bible, Deuteronomy 5:7-9]

 

[Green Kepi]

What’s your point…? Are you trying to say you believe in the “same” Jesus Christ as Christians? No way!
There is no comparison between Jesus and Muhammad. Muhammad falls so far short that he cannot be held on any level remotely close to Jesus. It is not necessary that Jesus say a certain phrase in order for the truth of who he is to be made clear.

· John 1:1, 14 - "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...14And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth."
· John 20:28-29 - "Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!" 29 Jesus said to him, "Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed."
· Heb 1:8 - "But of the Son He says, 'Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever, and the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom.'"

Jesus said that He was the only way to God…He claimed to be the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). You deny this.

When Jesus heard from God he went to the desert to be tempted and began his ministry with boldness, (Mark 1:14-15)… When Muhammad heard from God (supposedly through an angel) he cowered, was uncertain, and wanted to commit suicide (Quran 74:1-5).

 

[Islam432]

What’s your point…? Are you trying to say you believe in the “same” Jesus Christ as Christians? No way!
There is no comparison between Jesus and Muhammad. Muhammad falls so far short that he cannot be held on any level remotely close to Jesus. It is not necessary that Jesus say a certain phrase in order for the truth of who he is to be made clear.

· John 1:1, 14 - "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...14And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth."
· John 20:28-29 - "Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!" 29 Jesus said to him, "Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed."
· Heb 1:8 - "But of the Son He says, 'Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever, and the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom.'"

Jesus said that He was the only way to God…He claimed to be the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). You deny this.

When Jesus heard from God he went to the desert to be tempted and began his ministry with boldness, (Mark 1:14-15)… When Muhammad heard from God (supposedly through an angel) he cowered, was uncertain, and wanted to commit suicide (Quran 74:1-5).

There is nowhere in bible where Jesus(pbuh) himself says Iam God or worship me....If you can prove that i will convert to Christianity...it was peter , john etc who presumed him to be god

As Allah says in Quran
Jesus was taken and raised to heaven. He was not crucified. It was certainly the plan of the enemies of Jesus to put him to death on the cross, but God saved him and someone else was crucified:

"And for their unbelief, and their uttering against Mary a grave false charge, and for their saying, 'We killed the messiah, Jesus son of Mary, the Messiah of God"…yet they did not slay him, neither crucified him, only a likeness of that was shown to them. Those who are at variance concerning him are surely in doubt the following of conjecture; and they did not kill him of certainty…no indeed; God raised him up to Him; God is Almighty, Allwise. There is not one of the people of the book but will assuredly believe him before his death, and on the Resurrection Day he will be a witness against them." (An-Nissa 4:156-159)

now coming to your question , the verse you quoted from bible (John 14:6)
it is quoted out of context the context is

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In MY Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.’ Thomas said to him, ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I am THE Way, and THE Truth (al-haqq), and THE Life (al-hayat). No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known MY Father also.’” John 14:1-6


I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no man cometh unto my Father but by me,’ and I agree with that statement! Jesus Christ, peace be upon him (pbuh), was the way, the life, and the truth, no man came unto God Almighty but by Jesus (pbuh), during his time! Every messenger during his time was the way and the truth to Almighty God. At the time of Moses, Moses (pbuh) was the way, the truth and the life. No man came unto God Almighty but through Moses (pbuh). At the time of Jesus (pbuh), he was the way, the truth, and the life. At the time of prophet Muhammad (pbuh), he was the way, the truth, and the life. So every prophet at his time he was the way, the truth; and I agree with that statement! It meant that if you follow me you are following Almighty God. He was the way!

 

[Green Kepi]

There is nowhere in bible where Jesus(pbuh) himself says Iam God or worship me....If you can prove that i will convert to Christianity...it was peter , john etc who presumed him to be god

As Allah says in Quran
Jesus was taken and raised to heaven. He was not crucified. It was certainly the plan of the enemies of Jesus to put him to death on the cross, but God saved him and someone else was crucified:

How could I prove anything to you from the Bible...since you do not honor its words?
The Scriptures tell that He was crucified and many historians write of the fact.

However, that angel, Gabriel...must be one very dumb angel...for he didn't know that Muhammad couldn’t even read… “an angel came to him and asked him to read”. The Prophet, who was unable to read or write, replied 'I do not know how to read'. The angel then held him forcibly and pressed his chest so hard that he could not bear the pressure. The angel then released Muhammad and asked him once more to read. Again he replied “but I do not know how to read”. The angel held him forcibly three times and Muhammad responded each time that he did not know how to read (or asked what shall I read). The angel then related to him the first words of Quran.

So...all I know is that my Scriptures tell me that even if an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! That's how you claim you got your message....

 

[Islam432]

There is nowhere in bible where Jesus(pbuh) himself says Iam God or worship me....If you can prove that i will convert to Christianity...it was peter , john etc who presumed him to be god

As Allah says in Quran
Jesus was taken and raised to heaven. He was not crucified. It was certainly the plan of the enemies of Jesus to put him to death on the cross, but God saved him and someone else was crucified:

How could I prove anything to you from the Bible...since you do not honor its words?
The Scriptures tell that He was crucified and many historians write of the fact.

However, that angel, Gabriel...must be one very dumb angel...for he didn't know that Muhammad couldn’t even read… “an angel came to him and asked him to read”. The Prophet, who was unable to read or write, replied 'I do not know how to read'. The angel then held him forcibly and pressed his chest so hard that he could not bear the pressure. The angel then released Muhammad and asked him once more to read. Again he replied “but I do not know how to read”. The angel held him forcibly three times and Muhammad responded each time that he did not know how to read (or asked what shall I read). The angel then related to him the first words of Quran.

So...all I know is that my Scriptures tell me that even if an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! That's how you claim you got your message....

Actually all muslims believe that Jesus(Pbuh) is the messenger of God not god...and God gave Jesus(Pbuh) revelation 'TORAH'...which is not the Bible you see now it has been corrupted with time, some part of it might contain the word of God but other than that it contains the word of peter,John,Historians etc

And to prove it you will see that Bible has many scientific errors...can you attribute that to God??
Error's in the Bible
youtube.com/watch?v=TvNIgHA7nzQ&feature=related

And the many people assumed that he was crucified...for complete answer see the debate b/w a Christian missionary and Islamic Scholar

religiousforums.com/forum/scriptural-debates/102918-jesus-really-crucified.html

 

[Islam432]

However, that angel, Gabriel...must be one very dumb angel...for he didn't know that Muhammad couldn’t even read… “an angel came to him and asked him to read”. The Prophet, who was unable to read or write, replied 'I do not know how to read'. The angel then held him forcibly and pressed his chest so hard that he could not bear the pressure. The angel then released Muhammad and asked him once more to read. Again he replied “but I do not know how to read”. The angel held him forcibly three times and Muhammad responded each time that he did not know how to read (or asked what shall I read). The angel then related to him the first words of Quran.

So...all I know is that my Scriptures tell me that even if an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! That's how you claim you got your message....

Our Prophet Muhammad(Pbuh) was uneducated , he did not know to to read and write , And when you read Quran you'll surely know that no human being can write it

here you can read Quran from here
quranexplorer.com/Quran/Default.aspx

 

[Reptillian]

Early Christians took the message of Jesus and adapted it for its target audience...people who believed in and revered demigods. Muhammad took the message of Jesus and likewise adapted it for his target audience. Arguing about the divinity of Jesus is like arguing about what color his robe was or what brand of toothpaste he would prefer. (Arm & Hammer, maybe Colgate) What believers should be discussing is his moral philosophy and how to best implement it.

 

[Green Kepi]

Our Prophet Muhammad(Pbuh) was uneducated , he did not know to to read and write , And when you read Quran you'll surely know that no human being can write it

here you can read Quran from here
quranexplorer.com/Quran/Default.aspx

Please...your Quran is not without translation errors either. Just one example out of many...Mohammad knew that the Christians believed in a son of god, so he assumed the Jews did too:


YUSUFALI: The Jews call 'Uzair a son of Allah, and the Christians call Christ the son of Allah. That is a saying from their mouth; (in this) they but imitate what the unbelievers of old used to say. Allah's curse be on them: how they are deluded away from the Truth!
PICKTHAL: 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!
SHAKIR: And the Jews say: Uzair is the son of Allah; and the Christians say: The Messiah is the son of Allah; these are the words of their mouths; they imitate the saying of those who disbelieved before; may Allah destroy them; how they are turned away!

This is a mistake. Find me a Jew that talks about Ezra. You can't. Especially one that talks about Ezra being the son of god. You see, the Jews find the whole son of god thing to be blasphemous. They would not say it.

 

[K.Venugopal]

Didn't Jesus say in John 10:30, "I and my Father are One"?

 

[YmirGF]

Didn't Jesus say in John 10:30, "I and my Father are One"?

Details, details, details....

 

[YmirGF]

Actually all muslims believe that Jesus(Pbuh) is the messenger of God not god...and God gave Jesus(Pbuh) revelation 'TORAH'...

Sorry Islam432, according to Islam, Jesus brought the Injeel. Moses was the one who brought the Torah. You should try to get your facts straight, that is, if you want to be taken seriously.

which is not the Bible you see now it has been corrupted with time

This is an assertion that goes right back to Muhammad, however, to my knowledge, Muslims, including Muhammad, never offered a shred of evidence to backup the claim.

some part of it might contain the word of God but other than that it contains the word of peter,John,Historians etc

No doubt the good parts are the ones that the Qur'an agrees with. How novel is that?

And to prove it you will see that Bible has many scientific errors...can you attribute that to God?

I hate to break it to you but the vast majority of Christians CLEARLY recognize that the Bible has been rewritten and that it was not originally written by God. It is NOT the world of god. Christians who believe it IS the inerrant word of god are in the distinct minority. For the most part, Christians will only claim that it was written by men INSPIRED by god. It is a rather important difference. To my knowledge, the Bible is not looked at by many as being a book that is scientifically accurate.

And the many people assumed that he was crucified...for complete answer see the debate b/w a Christian missionary and Islamic Scholar

I doubt very much that the Muslim perspective will have much impact on Christians. You have to remember that Muslim "scholars" have very little credibility outside of Islamic circles.

 

[Islam432]

Didn't Jesus say in John 10:30, "I and my Father are One"?

"I and my father are one."

This verse, however is quoted out of context. The complete passage, starting with John 10:23, reads as follows:

"And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch. Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me. But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And 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 my Father are one."

John 10:23-30

In divinity? In a holy "Trinity"? No! They are one in PURPOSE. Just as no one shall pluck them out of Jesus' hand, so too shall no one pluck them out of God's hand.

Need more proof? Then read:

"Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one."

John 17:20-22

Is all of mankind also part of the "Trinity"?

Such terminology can be found in many other places, read for example:

"Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit,"

1 Corinthians 6:15-17

And also

"One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all."

Ephesians 4:6

And

"For as the (human) body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many."

1 Corinthians 12:12-14

Once we read the above verses and understand what the message was that Paul was trying to get across, then we can begin to understand his words in such places as

"There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all."

Ephesians 4:4

"St. Paul" was speaking about Christian unity, not about a plurality of gods merged into one body. As we shall soon see, he was completely ignorant of where his teachings would later lead, and how decades later, they would be the foundations which would spawn the "Trinity" doctrine.

 

[Islam432]

Sorry Islam432, according to Islam, Jesus brought the Injeel. Moses was the one who brought the Torah. You should try to get your facts straight, that is, if you want to be taken seriously..

Yes my bad...sorry

 

[Green Kepi]

There is nowhere in bible where Jesus(pbuh) himself says Iam God or worship me....If you can prove that i will convert to Christianity...

Correct me if I am wrong...but [FONT=&quot]according to your Shariah a Muslim who leaves Islam must be killed immediately. Am I mistaken? [/FONT]

 

[Islam432]

There is nowhere in bible where Jesus(pbuh) himself says Iam God or worship me....If you can prove that i will convert to Christianity...

Correct me if I am wrong...but [FONT=&quot]according to your Shariah a Muslim who leaves Islam must be killed immediately. Am I mistaken? [/FONT]

no...thats a complete lie

nowhere in Sahih hadis or Quran this has been mentioned

many Christian missionary quote Quran out of context if you see the context it will be completely different

 

[K.Venugopal]

"I and my father are one."

This verse, however is quoted out of context. The complete passage, starting with John 10:23, reads as follows:

"And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch. Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me. But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And 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 my Father are one." John 10:23-30

Can you tell me which verse in all the verses you have quoted contradicts Jesus’ statement "My Father and I are One"? If elsewhere Jesus says, "I do all works in my Father's name", how does this constitute a contradiction? Which dutiful son would not be proud to do everything in his Father's name? And praising one’s Father as the greatest would but give a loving son the greatest of joys.

 

[K.Venugopal]

Correct me if I am wrong...but [FONT=&quot]according to your Shariah a Muslim who leaves Islam must be killed immediately. Am I mistaken? [/FONT]

There is no doubt about Allah's clarity when He said no religion except Islam will be accepted and those who do not accept Islam would be the losers in the hereafter. That is, they will roast eternally.

 

[A-ManESL]

There is no doubt about Allah's clarity when He said no religion except Islam will be accepted and those who do not accept Islam would be the losers in the hereafter. That is, they will roast eternally.

The verse you are quoting, needs to be interpreted in context of what the words deen and Islam mean in the Quran. Islam doesnt stand for the religion Islam, there it means surrendering (the ego). Similarly deen doesnt translate as religion but way of life or system. In today's parlance the verse might be read as "And whoever follows other than surrender as a system, it will not be accepted from him, and in the Hereafter he is of the losers." (Quran)

The concept of varying religions as it is understood today is validated in the Quran itself. I could quote numerous such verses, such as 2:62, 14:4 etc.

You should try to read more about Islam from good books, not off the internet. Allah, Brahman, God, nirvana etc are all symbolisms for the same Reality which different people have focussed on differently.

Regards

 

[Wannabe Yogi]

I

Islam is the only non-Christian faith, which makes it an article of faith to believe in Jesus (pbuh).

Well it's kinda true, because Hindus don't have an article of faith. I have been to more then a few Hindu temples that have pictures of Jesus in it. Some Hindus even believe he was an incarnation of God. (just not the only One) I have also heard Buddhist monks talk of Jesus as a great sage.

 

[Wannabe Yogi]

Sorry Islam432, according to Islam, Jesus brought the Injeel.

Whats Injeel ?