About an editorial error

We received the following inquiry about one of our pages on Answering Islam:

From: vze1tymo
To: Answering Islam
Sent: Friday, April 09, 2004 8:24 AM
Subject: honest questions about the "What did Jesus really say" book

I have read your rebuttals about the book, and you mention:

I think we should scrap this: The weight of conversion stories of those who have dedicated their lives to Christ, the miracles, the healings, the deliverances from every bondage and sin prove undoubtedly that Jesus is God, that He both died and rose again, and that He is the only way to God. Even history confirms the Word, as do science, archaeology, and nature.

Anecdotally, one of Mohammad's followers asked him if he could carry his sin for him. Mohammad admitted that he could not for the reason that he had his own sin to carry. At the same time, Mohammad confessed that Jesus alone of those born on earth was exclusively born without being touched by the devil. Who then, can bear your sin, if not the sinless sin-bearer who came to die for you, that you need never die?

I am mostly interested in the underlined excerpt; my question is about the reference that you could direct me to that this is found in Islam, is it found in the Quran for example.

Thank you

It would be helpful if people who submit a question about a certain page would not only quote some of the text, but also give us the specific address of the page they are inquiring about, so that we do not have to waste time by searching for it (we have some 10,000 pages on our website). Anyway, I found it and sent the following reply:

From: Jochen Katz
To: vze1tymo
Sent: Saturday, April 10, 2004 10:27 PM
Subject: Re: honest questions about the "What did Jesus really say" book

Dear vze1tymo,

it is certainly NOT found in the Qur'an, and most likely not even in the hadith.

I think that this underlined statement is a wrong recollection of the person who wrote that article some 6 or 7 years ago. However, it seems that something went wrong when this file went through the editing and proofreading process. As you can see, these two paragraphs are in small print and start with "I think we should scrap this:"

What probably happened is this: When I proofread this article, I did not like this part (for several reasons, not only because it lacked a reference), and sent the page back to the author. Afterwards, for whatever reason, I overlooked that the page was not finished yet, and uploaded it as it was, INCLUDING my editorial remark regarding two paragraphs that should better be removed before publishing. ... And it has been online this way ever since. You are the first one ever to comment on it or request a reference for that remark.

These two hadith from Sahih al-Bukhari may be behind the hazy recollection of the author.

http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/bukhari/060.sbt.html#006.060.236
http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/bukhari/054.sbt.html#004.054.506

The Islamic traditions are clear about the sinlessness of Jesus, but the author may have confused "bearing sin of others" with "interceding for others". You may find relevant material to the issue of intercession and sin bearing in the following articles:

www.answering-islam.org/Quran/Contra/intercession.html
www.answering-islam.org/Quran/Contra/suffer_for_sin.html
www.answering-islam.org/Campbell/s6c5.html
www.answering-islam.org/Silas/mo-sinner.htm

I will make a remark to remove these two paragraphs that have accidentally not been removed from the article before it was uploaded.

Thank you so much for reading diligently.

Jochen Katz
Answering-Islam.org

As stated clearly at the bottom of our entry page, and in more detail on our page Principles and Policies of "Answering Islam", we always welcome critical feedback from our readers, and will do our utmost to correct all errors and present only quality research on Answering Islam. As the responsible editor for this section of our site, I have immediately removed these two paragraphs from the page in question, and I apologize for this editorial oversight. For documentation purposes and to avoid the charge of "seeking to cover up our errors", the page as it was at the time when we received the above inquiry is displayed unaltered below the double horizontal line.

Update (26 April 2004):

The Muslim inquirer sent his above email not only to us, but at the same time also to a Muslim website, answering-christianity.com, in order to get an answer to his question from two perspectives. In keeping with his usual approach, Osama Abdallah, the owner of this site, immediately turned this inquiry into an occasion for a personal attack on Answering Islam which he published on 10 April 2004, according to his What's new" page. By his attack that was so full of errors, he provided us with an opportunity to clarify the Islamic teaching regarding the Sinlessness of Jesus in our response.

"Come now, and let us reason together," said the LORD,
"Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow..."
-- Isaiah 1:18

Al-Kadhi says:

Christians believe that Jesus (pbuh) came to teach all of mankind the religion of God and to show them the path to salvation... Muslims believe in both Moses and Jesus (pbut) as true prophets of God. We believe that both Moses and Jesus as well as Noah, Abraham, Jacob, and all the rest of the prophets of God were all truthful messengers as well as faithful and faultless servants of (God) Almighty... Muslims believe that each time a messenger of God would pass away, mankind would begin to slowly fall back upon their evil deeds until they had managed to corrupt His original message. When this would happen, God Almighty would send a new prophet to renew His original message to these people and return them to the straight path."

In the Gospels, when Jesus confronted the unbelief of His hearers, He chided them by saying,

The people of Ninevah repented at the preaching of Jonah, and look, one greater than Jonah is here... the queen of the south came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and one greater than Solomon is here" Jesus is greater than the Old Testament prophets, as are all Christians. Of John the Baptist, Jesus said, "Of all the men born of women, none is greater than John the Baptist, but the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."

No doubt, the message will not be heeded by all, but only by those whose hearts are prepared to keep the Word and to perform it with diligence. The straight path has always been the same, Jesus Himself:

I am the way, and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." -- John 14:6

Are there further revelations differing from the message of redemption through Jesus' suffering, death and resurrection, notably the Islamic message, which denies these necessary aspects of God's revelation in Christ? In Galatians 1, Paul warns us of "further" revelations:

But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you another gospel which we have not preached to you, let him be accursed.

So then, how are we to view the Islamic message, or the Baha'i message, or the Mormon message? There ARE NO FURTHER REVELATIONS which differ from the message of Christ's life, death and His resurrection.

Al-Kadhi goes on to claim:

Muslims believe that (God) Almighty did not send down many messages to mankind but only one: The religion of submission to His will, the uniqueness of Himself, and the knowledge that He is the only one worthy of worship. The details of the religion were molded to suite each individual people.

In speaking of one message, the author attempts to integrate his own views into the views of true worship. Islam cannot satisfy the requirements for God's justice and His love at the same time. But in Christ, the only ritual man is required to do is accept God's provision of atonement for his sin, which satisfies the need of both justice and mercy. Justice because the sin was paid for, mercy, because the sinner is free of guilt. Whether God is One is clear from Jesus' admonition that the greatest command was:

Hear O Israel! The Lord your God is One, and you shall love the Lord with all your heart, with all your strength and with all your mind.

Al-Kadhi asserts:

Muslims are told in the Qur'an that the unscrupulous few had managed to pervert the words of God Almighty sent down to Jesus (pbuh) and the previous prophets.

But Jesus Himself says,

Heaven and earth may pass away but My words will never pass away.

The Word, then, is incorruptible. Thousands have worn out their hammers on the anvil of the Bible, and Mr. Al-Kadhi will too.

After offhandedly discrediting the Bible, Al-Kadhi says,

The liberties mankind has taken with God's previous scriptures is one of the reasons why God sent down the Qur'an as His last message to mankind and took it upon Himself this time to personally preserve it for all time from corruption or modification.

But we know that God is not a man that He should lie, nor a son of man that He should change His mind. Would God preserve the Koran at the second, but not the Bible at the first? God is not double-minded. He has given us His true Word and has preserved it, as external sources witness. In particular for the crucifixion we have several non-Christian sources backing up this fact. And all the translations of the Bible are in agreement. If Jesus were not crucified, then why did His followers, so fearful at His capture, lay down their lives for Him in preaching His death and resurrection? They saw Him die, and they saw Him rise! God is no deceiver that He would send Jesus to die, then replace him with Judas. We know that the place where Judas was hung was Akeldama ("Field of blood"), while Jesus Himself admitted many times that "For this reason I have come, to give my life as a ransom for many." To these facts testify the entire weight of the scriptures, from Moses to John the revelator. This is so that God will receive all the glory, and not man, for his salvation. And so should it be, as He is a glorious God, able to save all that look to the Son. Al-Kadhi proceeds to quote many "Christian" sources, who malign the Word of God. But Jesus Himself warned, "Many from among yourselves will rise up speaking heresy, to deceive, if possible, the very elect." And, "Not everyone who calls me 'Lord' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven."

Al-Kadhi asks some questions, which are dealt with more thouroughly elsewhere. We do agree that these are important questions and they will be answered. Here a few comments on his four central issues.

1) IS THERE A TRINITY? If so then please present us with as many Biblical references as you possibly can and briefly explain it's fundamental concept. What I mean by this question is: Is God one, period? Or is God three, period? Or is He some combination of one and three?

Since Mr. Al-Kadhi writes to great length on this issue in section 1.2.2, including his rebuttal of all Biblical evidences for the Trinity by Christians, it is not done with quoting a few verses but there needs to be done a careful investigation of this topic and a passage by passage discussion with his arguments. A general exposition on the Trinity is found on this site, and a specific response to Mr. Al-Kadhi's claims will follow.

2) Is the great and faithful messenger of Allah, Jesus the son of Mary (peace be upon them both), the PHYSICAL SON OF ALLAH OR NOT?"

Here surfaces the first misunderstanding of the Qur'an which the author seemingly has not been able to overcome even though he claims to have read many Christian books. I wonder if any of these books ever claimed that Jesus is physically the Son of God? This is a strawman. Yes, Jesus was a man, and as such he had a physical body. And yes, the Bible attests him to be the Son of God. But his sonship is not a physical one, since God is not a material but a spiritual being.

Adam was spirit with God's breath in him, and so are we. But Jesus being the son of Mary qualifies Him as the Son of Man, while His birth through conception via the Holy Spirit makes Him the Son of God. God is a Spirit, so Jesus is His Spiritual Son. But which is of greater importance? Obviously since all the physical world in in decay, but the spiritual realm is eternal, His spiritual nature is of primary importance. "And you are all sons of God through Jesus Christ."

The Bible teaches that the Son of God existed from the beginning of time (John 1:1-3), but he took on human flesh in the form of Jesus (John 1:14, Philippians 2:5-11). This is totally different from the repulsive and unbiblical notion that somehow God mated with Mary to sire a son.

3) Did Jesus (pbuh) HIMSELF ever say in the Bible "I am a god!," or "Worship me!"?

To the Jews who accused Him of blasphemy, Jesus replied, "Before Abraham was born, I AM." (John 8;58) This to the Jews was the very name which God revealed to Moses. John 1:1 says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God." Paul says, "Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord." To the leader who demanded to know if He was the divine Son of God, Jesus said, "I AM. And you shall see the Son of man sitting on the clouds of heaven coming with His angels in great power and glory."

4) If it can be proven, through the Bible, that Jesus (pbuh) is not God, nor the physical/begotten/sired son of God, neither is there any Trinity, then will this prove that the unscrupulous few have corrupted the word of God or not?

This is a rather rethorical question, since it isn't proven, nor would the second part about being the "physical/begotten/sired son of God" lead to the desired conclusion since this was never at any time the statement of the Bible or the content of the Christian faith.

I think we should scrap this: The weight of conversion stories of those who have dedicated their lives to Christ, the miracles, the healings, the deliverances from every bondage and sin prove undoubtedly that Jesus is God, that He both died and rose again, and that He is the only way to God. Even history confirms the Word, as do science, archaeology, and nature.

Anecdotally, one of Mohammad's followers asked him if he could carry his sin for him. Mohammad admitted that he could not for the reason that he had his own sin to carry. At the same time, Mohammad confessed that Jesus alone of those born on earth was exclusively born without being touched by the devil. Who then, can bear your sin, if not the sinless sin-bearer who came to die for you, that you need never die?

Al-Kadhi goes on to challenge faith. He says,

Once the proof has been established, only then can faith come into play.

To Thomas who doubted the resurrection but believed with proof, Jesus said, "Because you have seen you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen but yet have believed." Faith in the message without proof shows great trust in the love of God, and gives great glory to God. That God Himself should bear our punishment in Messiah is right, and clearly gives Him the glory He deserves. He is love. Praise Him! But to the hypocrites who demanded a sign even after they have seen many miracles already, Jesus said, "No sign will be given to you except the sign of Jonah. For as Jonah was in the belly of a whale for three days and three nights, so will the Son of man be in the belly of the earth for three days and three nights."

But to those of weak faith in God's goodness, Jesus gave this grace:

John 10:38,

"But if I do what My Father does, you should believe because of that, even if you don't have faith in Me. Then you will know for certain that the Father is One with Me and I am One with the Father." (CEV)

and John 5:34,

"I don't depend on what people say about Me, but I tell you these things so that you might be saved."

Al-Kadhi admits,

I wish to know what Jesus said so that I might follow his command, and his alone.

I hope that this response to your book will give you and many more Muslims - who honestly inquire about the things of God - enough evidence that you can be confident in the words of Jesus as written in God's holy word. We pray that your wish was sincere and it will come true one day and you will indeed be among those who follow him.

The Rebuttal to "What Did Jesus Really Say?"
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