A Brief Analysis and Reply to the James White versus Sami Zaatari Debate

Sam Shamoun

Say what you will and even call it a slip of the tongue or the carelessness of a Muslim apologist who simply uttered whatever came to his mind at the moment, the fact is that in his recent debate with Dr. James R. White titled, “Jesus: Divine Son of God or Great Prophet of Allah?”, Sami Zaatari lost his exchange when he indirectly confirmed Dr. White’s point that the Divine claims made by and about Jesus could never be made by any prophet or messenger since none of them believed they were God.

In his opening statements, as well as throughout the cross-examination and rebuttal periods, Zaatari simply showed no hesitance or shame in perverting what the Holy Bible actually teaches concerning the Deity of Christ. By the grace of the risen Lord Jesus, Dr. White soundly refuted Zaatari’s irrational arguments and distortion of Biblical truth. In fact, Zaatari’s deliberate manhandling of the Bible’s teachings have been exposed and documented countless number of times on our website and by others, which the readers can examine for themselves by going to the following links:

http://answering-islam.org/authors/shamoun/rebuttals/zaatari.html
http://answering-islam.org/Responses/Osama/index.htm#zaatari
http://www.answeringmuslims.com/2008/10/on-deception-of-sami-zaatari-part-one.html
http://www.answeringmuslims.com/2008/10/on-deception-of-sami-zaatari-part-two.html
http://keithtruth.blogspot.com/2008/12/jesus-mighty-god-isaiah-96-validated.html
http://keithtruth.blogspot.com/2008/12/counter-rebuttal-to-jihad-against_23.html
http://keithtruth.blogspot.com/2009/02/refutation-of-sami-zaataris-article.html
http://keithtruth.blogspot.com/2009/03/sami-zaatari-vs-keith-thompson-debate.html
http://keithtruth.blogspot.com/2009/03/my-debate-with-sami-zaatari-censorship.html
http://keithtruth.blogspot.com/2009/03/sami-zaatari-deceptive-hypocrite.html
http://keithtruth.blogspot.com/2009/03/contra-sami-zaatari.html

Zaatari even misinterpreted and misrepresented what his own religious sources teach, something that he often does in his debates as can be seen in the following articles:

http://www.answeringmuslims.com/2008/10/still-waiting-to-hear-from-sami-zaatari.html
http://www.answeringmuslims.com/2008/10/on-methodology-of-sami-zaatari-and.html
http://www.answeringmuslims.com/2008/07/david-wood-vs-sami-zaatari-was-muhammad.html

However, there are a few particular egregious errors that Zaatari made which we would like to focus on, one of which actually cost him the entire debate. Dr. White cited texts such as Colossians 1:15-17 concerning the Deity of the Lord Jesus and asked whether any prophet such as Moses would say such a thing. During the cross-fire examination, which began around the one hour thirty-six minute mark of the debate, Zaatari responded by stating that Jesus never said these things either, but rather that Paul did, and that this somehow refutes Dr. White’s point. In response, Dr. White clarified his position and asked if anyone who followed Moses claimed that the latter was the Creator of all things like Paul said of Jesus. Dr. White then asked Zaatari to address Jesus’ claim in John 5:21 that he gives life just as the Father does, something which no mere prophet or apostle would ever dare say. Zaatari responded in his second cross-examination by saying that,

“In my opening statement I said that Jesus does these things because God gave him the power. When he healed…when he raised Lazarus from the dead, right before he raised Lazarus he cried, he prayed. And then after Lazarus rose from the dead [sic] what did Jesus say? ‘I do this in front of them so that they may know that you are giving me this power [sic].’ He’s… he prayed in front of them so they know that ‘the One above is giving me this power’ and it’s not from himself. Secondly, Jesus doesn’t heal whom he wants by his own will because he says ‘I do what the Father wills’; so his will is actually the Father’s will. So that’s how he gives life.

“And then again, Paul describes this and that; again, Paul described it, show me where Jesus said it. No, no follower of Moses said that BECAUSE Je… Moses NEVER CLAIMED IT. Jesus never claimed it; you say Paul did, show me where Jesus claimed it, simple.” (Capital and underline emphasis ours)

And then in the third cross-fire Zaatari went on to misinterpret what the Quran teaches concerning Jesus’ ability to perform miracles, specifically the power he had to give life:

“In the Quran Jesus gave life to the clay birds, but how? By Allah’s permission, not by his own. And he says Jesus heals whoever he wishes; Jesus’ wish is the wish of the Father, it’s together. He doesn’t do anything outside the Father’s will; and he makes that clear himself. So you can’t ignore the context [sic].”

This is a great example of what we mean that Zaatari has absolutely no shame misrepresenting and misquoting the Holy Bible. Notice, for example, what Jesus actually said in the context of raising Lazarus:

“Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb; it was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. Jesus said, ‘Take away the stone.’ Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, ‘Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Did I not tell you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?’ So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, ‘Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this on account of the people standing by, that they may believe that you did send me.’ When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, ‘Laz'arus, come out.’ The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with bandages, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, and let him go.’” John 11:38-44

The Lord didn’t pray to receive power from the Father to carry out the miracle. Rather, his prayer and subsequent miracle served the purpose of providing supernatural evidence to the onlookers that the Father sent Christ as his Divine Agent, the Son who only speaks and acts in perfect accord with his Father’s will. The Lord himself often repeated this very point:

“Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever he does, that the Son does likewise.’” John 5:19

“For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me; and this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up at the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that every one who sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” John 6:38-40

“So Jesus said, ‘When you have lifted up the Son of man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority but speak thus as the Father taught me. And he who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what is pleasing to him.’” John 8:28-29

“For I have not spoken on my own authority; the Father who sent me has himself given me commandment what to say and what to speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has bidden me.” John 12:49-50

Zaatari also conveniently overlooked the other reason why Lazarus was miraculously resurrected, namely, to substantiate Jesus’ Divine claims, statements that Jesus made which no God-fearing creature would ever make:

“Now a certain man was ill, Laz'arus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Laz'arus was ill. So the sisters sent to him, saying, ‘Lord, he whom you love is ill.’ But when Jesus heard it he said, ‘This illness is not unto death; it is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by means of it.’ … Thus he spoke, and then he said to them, ‘Our friend Laz'arus has fallen asleep, but I go to awake him out of sleep.’ The disciples said to him, ‘Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.’ Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, ‘Laz'arus is dead; and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.’ … When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary sat in the house. Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. And even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ Martha said to him, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I am THE Resurrection and THE Life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?’ She said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, he who is coming into the world.’” John 11:1-4, 11-15, 20-27

According to Islamic theology no true prophet or messenger of God would ever say that s/he is the Resurrection and the Life since these are titles and characteristics which only belong to God:

That is because Allah, He is the Truth, and it is He Who gives life to the dead, and it is He Who is Able to do all things. S. 22:6 Hilali-Khan

Look, therefore, at the prints of Allah's mercy (in creation): how He quickeneth the earth after her death. Lo! He verily is the Quickener of the Dead, and He is Able to do all things. S. 30:50 Pickthall

So much for Zaatari’s rather desperate and weak objection and perversion of God’s inspired truth.

Now as far as the Quran is concerned it also agrees with God’s true Word, the Holy Bible, that Jesus never acted independently from God but always worked in perfect accord with the Divine will:

And (make him) an apostle to the children of Israel: That I have come to you with a sign from your Lord, that I determine for you out of dust like the form of a bird, then I breathe into it and it becomes a bird with Allah's permission and I heal the blind and the leprous, and bring the dead to life with Allah's permission and I inform you of what you should eat and what you should store in your houses; most surely there is a sign in this for you, if you are believers. S. 3:49

Notice what the verse DOES NOT say. The reference doesn't claim that Allah gave Jesus the power to perform the miracles, contrary to Zaatari’s distortion of this text, but plainly teaches that Allah permitted Christ to do what he did. There is a great difference in claiming that Allah gave Christ the power to do miracles, which can be taken as supporting Zaatari’s contention that Jesus didn’t have the inherent ability to perform them, with the assertion of the Quran that Allah gave him permission to carry out a ministry of signs and wonders. The latter actually supports the view that Jesus had the inherent Divine power to perform miracles but needed Allah’s permission to do them. In other words, the most that this particular Quranic passage proves is that Jesus could not exercise his Divine prerogatives independently of Allah but had to receive Allah’s permission to use his Divine power in accomplishing Allah’s will.

This completely agrees with and is similar to what the Gospels teach concerning Jesus never acting independently from the Father, but always worked (and continues to work) in unison with him. The New Testament expressly teaches that both the Father and the Son (as well as the Holy Spirit) are in perfect union with one another and can never act apart from each other.

Zaatari may want to turn to other texts which speak of Allah strengthening Jesus by the Holy Spirit to prove that Jesus didn’t have this power within himself:

We have made some of these apostles to excel the others; among them are they to whom Allah spoke, and some of them He exalted by (many degrees of) rank; and We gave clear miracles to Jesus son of Mary, and strengthened him with the Holy Spirit. And if Allah had pleased, those after them would not have fought one with another after clear arguments had come to them, but they disagreed; so there were some of them who believed and others who denied; and if Allah had pleased they would not have fought one with another, but Allah brings about what He intends. S. 2:253

When Allah will say: O Jesus son of Mary! Remember My favor on you and on your mother, when I strengthened you with the Holy Spirit, you spoke to the people in the cradle and I when of old age, and when I taught you the Book and the wisdom and the Torah and the Gospel; and when you determined out of clay a thing like the form of a bird by My permission, then you breathed into it and it became a bird by My permission, and you healed the blind and the leprous by My permission; and when you brought forth the dead by My permission; and when I withheld the children of Israel from you when you came to them with clear arguments, but those who disbelieved among them said: This is nothing but clear enchantment. S. 5:110

There are at least a few problems with appealing to these specific passages. First, if he does point to these references then this shows that his initial argument doesn’t hold any weight at all since if it did there would be no need to turn to any other verse. In other words, if Allah giving Jesus permission to do miracles proved Zaatari’s point that Jesus didn’t have any inherent Divine power then there would be no need to turn to these other texts which mention Jesus being strengthened by the Holy Spirit.

Second, the Quran affirms Jesus’ prehuman existence in that the Muslim scripture identifies him as the Word of Allah which was sent to Mary and a Spirit that came forth from Allah:

People of the Book, go not beyond the bounds in your religion, and say not as to God but the truth. The Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, was the Messenger of Allah, and His Word that He committed to Mary, and a Spirit proceeding from Him (wa roohun minhu). So believe in Allah and His Messengers, and say not, 'Three.' Refrain; better is it for you. Allah is only One Allah. Glory be to Him -- That He should have a son! To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and in the earth; Allah suffices for a guardian. S. 4:171

The phrase, “a Spirit from him,” is used in another passage which clearly points to the Spirit’s absolute Divinity:

Thou shalt not find any people who believe in Allah and the Last Day who are loving to anyone who opposes. Allah and His Messenger, not though they were their fathers, or their sons, or their brothers, or their clan. Those -- He has written faith upon their hearts, and He has strengthened them with a Spirit from Himself (bi-roohin minhu); and He shall admit them into gardens underneath which rivers flow, therein to dwell forever, Allah being well-pleased with them, and they well-pleased with Him. Those are Allah’s party; why, surely Allah’s party -- they are the prosperers. S. 58:22

For this particular Spirit to be able to strengthen all the believers wherever they are requires that the Spirit be both omnipresent and omnipotent, clear characteristics and attributes of Divinity. And yet Jesus is said to be the Spirit from Allah!

This further explains why Jesus can breathe life into lifeless objects thereby animating them, such as taking clay birds and turning them into living ones. Being the Divine Spirit from Allah he has the breath of life much like Allah does who also breathes life into his creation by his Spirit:

And when thy Lord said to the angels, 'See, I am creating a mortal of a clay of mud moulded. When I have shaped him, and breathed My Spirit in him, fall you down, bowing before him! S. 15:28-29

He is the knower of the Unseen and the Visible, the All-mighty, the All-compassionate, who has created all things well. And He originated the creation of man out of clay, then He fashioned his progeny of an extraction of mean water, then He shaped him, and breathed His Spirit in him. And He appointed for you hearing, and sight, and hearts; little thanks you show. S. 32:6-9

Thus, by describing Jesus as the Word of Allah and a Spirit proceeding from him the Quran is confirming that Christ is a preexistent Divine Being who has Divine power to carry out Allah’s will.

But the question remains that if Jesus already had Divine power what need was there for him to be strengthened by the Holy Spirit?

This leads us to our next point. It is apparent that the author(s) of the Quran has(have) adopted the language and theology of the NT without realizing the implications this has on the veracity of the Muslim scripture. The above passages conclusively demonstrate that the Quran is in complete agreement with the NT concerning Jesus being the preexistent Word of God who, although fully Divine, chose to operate in the full power of the Holy Spirit while on earth in order to carry out God’s will.

“But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” Matthew 12:28

“And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness… And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country.” Luke 4:1, 14

“how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.” Acts 10:38

According to the inspired Christian Greek Scriptures, this set an example for Christ’s disciples who later received the Holy Spirit. It showed them the importance of carrying out God’s will in the power of God’s Spirit, not on human effort or strength:

“In the first book, O The-oph'ilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commandment through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. To them he presented himself alive after his passion by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days, and speaking of the kingdom of God. And while staying with them he charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, ‘you heard from me, for John baptized with water, but before many days you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit… But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Sama'ria and to the end of the earth.’” Acts 1:1-5, 8

“For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has wrought through me to win obedience from the Gentiles, by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Holy Spirit, so that from Jerusalem and as far round as Illyr'icum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ,” Romans 15:18-19

“When I came to you, brethren, I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in much fear and trembling; and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 2:1-5

“For we know, brethren beloved by God, that he has chosen you; for our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.” 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5

Hence, the writer(s) and/or composer(s) of the Muslim scripture took these specific NT truths and adopted them into his/her/their writing without realizing the gross contradiction this would pose for the Islamic claim that Jesus was nothing more than a human messenger.

For more on this topic we recommend the following articles and rebuttals:

http://answering-islam.org/Shamoun/jesus_spirit.htm
http://answering-islam.org/Quran/Contra/jesus_creator.htm
http://answering-islam.org/Shamoun/sura3_7.htm
http://answering-islam.org/Responses/Osama/zawadi_spirit.htm
http://answering-islam.org/Quran/Incoherence/many_gods.htm#jesus_angel

With that said we now return to Zaatari’s final argument where he pretty much confirmed Dr. White’s thesis, and thereby lost the debate. (That is not to say that Zaatari wasn’t losing the debate already, or that this was the only point he made which helped Dr. White establish his thesis. Zaatari was clearly outclassed by Dr. White’s presentation and logic.)

Pay close attention to Sami’s reasoning concerning why Moses was never called God or the Creator of all things by his followers. Zaatari argued that since Moses never claimed to be God or divine this explains why none of his contemporaries ever called him God. Here is where Zaatari got himself in major trouble, showing why he shouldn’t be debating these issues with scholars such as Dr. White.

If Zaatari is going to be consistent he must accept that his argument basically establishes the fact that Jesus must have said he was God (albeit in a qualified sense lest his audience misunderstand and think that he was making himself out to be the Father) in order for his followers to have claimed this for him. Zaatari’s logic demands this since he reasoned that Moses’ followers never claimed he was God because Moses never said he was. And yet Jesus’ followers and the first generation of believers claimed that Christ is the eternal Word who was God in essence that became flesh, the Maker and Sustainer of all creating things, and the exalted Lord of the entire creation!

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God [the Father], and the Word was God [in nature]. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men… The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him not… And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father. (John bore witness to him, and cried, ‘This was he of whom I said, “He who comes after me ranks before me, for he was before me.”’) John 1:1-4, 9-10, 14-15

“You must have the same mindset among yourselves that was in Christ Jesus, Who, although existing in the nature of God and therefore having the same visible form and glory of God, did not consider the equality He had with God [the Father] in glory something to be held on to at all costs or to be exploited; He instead emptied Himself by veiling his Divine glory and setting aside his heavenly status so as to take on the very appearance and position of a slave by being made in human likeness. And having entered into human existence, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even the death one dies on a cross. Because of this act of humbleness, God [the Father] highly exalted Him to the highest place there is, and bestowed on Him the name [authority] which is above every name [authority] – that being the Divine name [authority] of Yahweh – so that at the name of Jesus everyone who is in heaven, on earth, and under the earth, bows the knee in worship, and every tongue confesses that Jesus Christ is Yahweh to the glory of God the Father!” Philippians 2:5-11

“He has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the Firstborn of all creation; for IN HIM all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities -- all things were created THROUGH HIM and FOR HIM. He is before all things, and IN HIM all things hold together.” Colossians 1:13-17

“For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity (Theotetos – that which makes God God) lives in bodily form,” Colossians 2:9

“waiting our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity and to purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds.” Titus 2:13-14

“In many and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets; but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact representation of God’s being, upholding the universe by his word of power. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high… And, ‘You, Lord [the Son], did found the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands; they will perish, but you remain; they will all grow old like a garment, like a mantle you wilt roll them up, and they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will never end.’” Hebrews 1:1-3, 10-12

“Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours in the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:” 2 Peter 1:1

This means that, per Zaatari’s reasoning, Jesus must have personally taught his disciples that he was God (yet not the Father or the Holy Spirit), otherwise his faithful followers wouldn’t have made such highly exalted claims about him.

In fact, there are indications all throughout the Gospels that this is precisely what Jesus did since he communicated in such a way that his audience realized he was claiming to be God and equal with the Father in essence and ability:

“And this was why the Jews persecuted Jesus, because he did this on the sabbath. But Jesus answered them, ‘My Father is working still, and I am working.’ This was why the Jews sought all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the sabbath but also called God his Father, making himself equal with God. Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever he does, that the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son, and shows him all that he himself is doing; and greater works than these will he show him, that you may marvel. For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes him who sent me, has eternal life; he does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. Truly, truly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself, and has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his [the Son’s] voice and come forth, those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment. I can do nothing on my own authority; as I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.’” John 5:16-30

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father, we are one.’ The Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, ‘I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of these do you stone me?’ The Jews answered him, ‘It is not for a good work that we stone you but for blasphemy; because you, being a man, make yourself God.’” John 10:27-33

Notice how Christ never corrects the perception or understanding of his opponents. He never comes out and says that they were incorrect to assume that he was making himself out to be God or equal with the Father. He instead goes ahead and confirms their suspicions since he makes assertions that only someone who thought that he was fully Divine would make, i.e. Christ has life within himself, raises the dead both spiritually and physically by his voice, grants eternal life, preserves his followers forever, receives the exact same honor that his Father does etc.

Nor did Christ rebuke Thomas when the latter worshiped him as his God:

“Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe.’ Eight days later, his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood among them, and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side; do not be faithless, but believing.’ Thomas answered and said to him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.’” John 20:24-29

Therefore, it only makes perfect sense that Jesus’ closest disciples and companions started proclaiming that their risen Lord is God in the flesh, being the Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer of creation. They learned this from Christ himself who spoke in such a way as to leave no doubt in the minds of his hearers’ that he truly believed and was claiming to be the Divine preexistent Son of God who came down from heaven to accomplish his Father’s will.

Thus, not only did Dr. White present a positive case for the Deity of Christ which Zaatari could not refute, and not only did he rebut all of Zaatari’s main objections, Zaatari himself gave the debate away to Dr. White by this careless slip on his part. To repeat, his assertion that the reason why Moses’ followers never proclaimed that he was God because Moses never made such a claim demonstrates that Jesus must have claimed to be God in order for his followers to have gone out throughout the entire then known world and proclaimed that Jesus is the Christ, the eternal Son of the living God, the risen and sovereign Lord of all creation who shall someday be worshiped by every creature that he has made.

What makes this truly sad is that no matter how badly Zaatari or the other apologists perform, no matter how solid a presentation and rebuttal the Christian side presents, many of the Muslims will still refuse to admit that their representative lost. They will claim victory irrespective of the outcome of the debate, just as the comments from the Muslims on youtube in relation to this particular exchange between White and Zaatari demonstrate. One is left wondering whether these Muslims were actually viewing the same debate.

Nor is this an isolated incident. Muslims claim that Zaatari also won his encounters against David Wood, even though Wood refuted Zaatari’s objections and established his position clearly. For those interested in examining these exchanges for themselves we recommend the following links:

http://www.answeringmuslims.com/2008/07/david-wood-vs-sami-zaatari-was-muhammad.html
http://www.answeringmuslims.com/2008/09/sami-zaatari-vs-david-wood-is-islam.html
http://www.answeringmuslims.com/2008/09/david-wood-vs-sami-zaatari-is.html
http://www.answering-islam.org/Responses/Osama/zaatari_wood_debate1.htm
http://www.answering-islam.org/Responses/Osama/zaatari_wood_debate2.htm

As the risen Lord permits us we will continue to document and expose Zaatari’s lies and distortions against God’s inspired truth, the Holy Bible, with the hopes that the eternal Son of God will be pleased to use it to glorify himself, strengthen true believers, and to also bring Muslims out of the lie of Islam and into a saving relationship with him who lives forever and ever:

“When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand upon me, saying, ‘Fear not, I am the First and the Last, and the Living One; I died, and behold I am alive for evermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.” Revelation 1:17-18

Amen! Come risen and immortal Lord Jesus, come! We confess and believe that you are the eternal Son of God, He who has been there for his people from the very first and shall be there with the very last of them since you are the Living One who chose to die for us and rose from the grave never to die again! Amen.

Related links

A Messianic Jewish apologist named Nakdimon has produced a devastating fifteen part video rebuttal to the arguments that Sami used in his debate against White which can be found here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuhFiOyxO-U&feature=channel
http://www.youtube.com/user/Nakdimon316

We highly recommend that our readers watch all of these videos.