[531 words]
Last month marked thirteen years since radical adherents to the religion of Islam organized an attack against our country. It is hard to believe that it was that long ago. However, militants such as these continue to dominate the headlines. Groups like the Islamic State and Boko Haram seek to strike fear in the hearts of all “non-believers” with their violent and wicked tactics.
In light of this, it might serve us well to look once again at the root of our differences: the Bible vs. the Quran.
Both Islam and Christianity claim to be “revealed religions.” That is, they both claim to be the recipients of infallible, divine revelation that marks the respective religion as exclusively true. For example, the Quran claims divine status for itself by stating, “The revelation of the Scripture whereof there is no doubt is from the Lord of the Worlds” (Sura 32:2). In stark contrast to this, the Bible makes similar bold claims for itself. Paul told Timothy that, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17; cf. 1 Thess. 2:13).
Certainly it is theoretically possible that there exists more than one Holy Book. An omnipotent being could have produced as many books as he saw fit. However, it cannot be the case that both the Quran and the Bible are divinely inspired as they contradict one another. Such leaves us with the following three possibilities: Islam is true while Christianity is false; Christianity is true while Islam is false; both religions are false. It is our contention here that it can be shown that Christianity is true and that Islam is false. When one objectively considers the positive cases for such things as the inspiration of the Bible, the deity of Jesus, or the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, the truth of Christianity shines clearly and brightly!
Here is something for the follower of the Quran to consider:
The Quran says that the words of God cannot be changed or corrupted (Sura 6:115; cf. 6:34; 10:64). The Quran says that the Bible is the Word of God (Sura 2:136).
Therefore, on the authority of the Quran itself, the Bible could not have been changed or corrupted!
Reasoning in this fashion has helped numerous former followers of Muhammad to see the weakness of Islam. This “holy book” was affirming the reliability of the Gospels as late as the seventh century. If the Bible was pure then, it can certainly be trusted today as manuscript evidence demonstrates that virtually nothing has changed in the last thirteen centuries.
If Jesus is who the Bible represents Him to be, then Islam and the Quran are fictitious.
Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).
He is the one who was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by His resurrection from the dead (Rom. 1:4).
He is Lord (Rom. 10:9-10).
Bart Warren
S. Green St. Church of Christ
Glasgow, KY