Jesus and Mohammad

Full show notes at https://www.lifeaudio.com/truth-tribe-with-douglas-groothuis/episodes 

Religious Founders

1. The concern for truth and rationality
2. Truth: what corresponds to reality. See Douglas Groothuis, Truth Decay.
3. Rationality: testing truth-claims logically and by the evidence
4. Categories of analysis: Sources of information, life, worldview, existential meaning

Jesus (0-33 AD)

1. Source of knowledge: the New Testament: Gospels, Acts, Epistles, Revelation
2. Gospels: Written by eyewitnesses or those who consulted them
3. Synoptic gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke—approximately 70-80 AD; John: 90 AD

Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught—Luke 1:1-4.

1. Epistles of Paul: written in 50s AD; probably before the Gospels. See I Corinthians 15:1-8 on the gospel and resurrection of Jesus
2. Jesus’ life
3. Jewish itinerate teacher, preacher, prophet, healer, exorcist
4. Taught the Kingdom of God has come (Matthew 4:17)
5. Was crucified by the Romans
6. Was worshiped by followers as resurrected from the dead (Romans 1:3-4)

Jesus’ worldview

1. God: monotheism; Heavenly Father and Creator
2. Human problem: sin (Mark 7:21-23)
3. Solution to human problem: faith in Jesus’s work (John 3:16-18)
4. Jesus as God Incarnate (Mark 2; John 8:58); second person of the Trinity (Matthew 28:18-20)
5. Existential meaning
6. Forgiveness, fellowship, meaning through Jesus Christ (Matthew 6:33; 1 Corinthians 15:58)
7. Confidence in life and death (Romans 8)

Mohammad (570-632)

1. Source: Koran (and Hadith and Sunna)
2. Koran: One book received by one man from an angel; not written down by Mohammad, but others later
3. 114 chapters: about the size of The New Testament
4. Reinterprets Hebrew Bible and New Testament
5. Hadith: commentary on Koran; Sunna: life of Mohammad

Mohammad’s life

1. Received a revelation while meditating in a cave in 610 AD.
2. Considered the last and greatest of the prophets: “seal of the prophets.”
3. Life: Mecca and Medina
4. Was a military, political, and spiritual leader after returning to Mecca from Medina

Mohammad’s worldview

1. One God: Allah, monotheism

Say (O Muhammad): He is God, the One and Only; God, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not, nor is He begotten; And there is none like unto Him.—Qur’an, Sura 112. 

1. Human problem: weakness, ignorance
2. Human solution: confess Allah and obey his law

Existential meaning

1. Strive for paradise, avoid hell
2. Keep precepts: confession of faith, giving, pilgrimage to Mecca, observe Ramadan, pray five times daily
3. Extend the Islam throughout the world, so that all obey Allah’s law (sharia)

Rational Assessment of Jesus and Mohammad

1. The sources for Christ more varied and rooted in history than the sources for Mohammad.
2. Mohammad’s claim to being a prophet is questionable, given his denial of the identity of Jesus (not God) and his denial of the biblical gospel (Galatians 1:6-11)
3. Claims of Mohammad based on the beauty of Koran and the early success of Islam
4. Beauty is not the same as truth; some scholars claim it is not beautiful, but confusing. That is why Hadith is needed to interpret it.
5. The success of Islam does not argue in its favor, since might does not make right

Claims of Jesus are based on historical documents close to the events described (four Gospels)

1. Qur’an and New Testament agree that:
2. Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary (Qur'an, Surah 3:38-48)
3. Jesus was a messenger (Qur’an, Surah 5:75)
4. Jesus is sinless (Qur’an, Surah 19:9)
5. Jesus was “the Messiah” (Qur’an, Surah 4:171)
6. Jesus was “a word from God” (Qur’an, Surah 4:171)
7. Jesus worked miracles (Qur’an, Surah 3:49)
8. Jesus ascended to heaven (Qur’an, Surah 4:148)
9. Jesus will come again—Second Coming (Qur’an, Surah 43:61)

Koran and New Testament disagree on whether or not

1. Jesus claimed to be God (John 8:58; 10:30); Apostles claimed this as well (John 1:1-3; Colossians 2:9); contra: Qur’an 19:20, 24; 112:1-4
2. Jesus is the only Mediator between God and man (John 14:1-6; 1 Timothy 2:5; Matthew 11:27)
3. Jesus was crucified to atone for sin against God (Luke 18:31-32); contra: Qur’an, Surah 4:157-158.
4. Biblical and other historical evidence from the ancient world agrees that Jesus was crucified
5. The significance of Jesus’ suffering and death

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us—Romans 5:6-8.

Existential significance

1. Mohammad gives no basis for a relationship with God; this would be “shirk”—giving Allah a partner
2. Mohammad is not a mediator or a miracle worker, nor was he raised from the dead. He is dead.
3. Jesus establishes a relationship with God as Lord and Savior. Jesus:

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light—Matthew 11:28-30.

References:

1. Mark Gabriel, Jesus and Mohammad. Charisma House, 2004.
2. Douglas Groothuis, “Do Christians and Muslims Worship the Same God?” http://www.bethinking.org/islam/do-christians-and-muslims-worship-the-same-god.
3. Douglas Groothuis, Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Faith, 2nd InterVarsity Press, 2022. See especially, “The Challenge of Islam.”
4. Nabeel Qureshi, Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A Devout Muslim Encounters Christianity, Zondervan, 2014, revised ed., 2019.
5. Abduhl Saleeb, Norman Geisler, Answering Islam, 2nd Baker Books, 2002.
6. Robert Spencer, The Truth About Mohammad. Regnery, 2007.
7. Answering Islam web page: answering-islam.com.

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