Al-Kadhi states:

Some members of the Church will then tell us that Jesus was the "heir" of God and was "glorified by God" upon his death with the eternal glory and majesty of God.

Mr Al-Kadhi begins this section by drawing a conclusiom - his own conclusion. The real point which Mr Al-Kadhi attempts to make is that any denial of his claim in the form in which he presents it must either mean that Jesus isn't God or open the way for him to try and present Biblical quotes which he, no doubt, would claim proved that Christians should believe that Jesus wasn't God.

Mr Al-Kadhi's method is to suggest that "Some members of the Church will then tell us that...".

What should it matter what "Some (unspecified) member of an (unspecified) church should say? If I should claim that I met a Muslim in a village called Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh, India who said to me "in Islam we claim....." What weight would that carry with Mr Al-Kadhi? Mr Al-Kadhi does his claims injustice by projecting his conceptions upon a section of people (it could be imaginary people) who no one is given the opportunity to investigate or question. Do they indeed use these scriptures to draw the conclusion he claims?

What all Believers claim is that Jesus is the Messiah of the Hebrew Bible. Let us bear this in mind as we examine Mr Al-Kadhi's statements.

He writes:

To try and prove this point they then quote such verses as:
Hath in these last days spoken unto us by [his] Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Hebrews 1:2
or
And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. John 17:5

They will tell us "surely you must see that this makes Jesus God, and thus, they must be joined in a trinity. You would have to be blind to not see this clear fact"

Both these verses confirm that (1) Jesus Messiah was the means by which the world was created and (2) that he co-existed with God before the world was. The question of a triune personality of God is a separate subject. Here we are considering the Messiah Jesus and the Father God being one and yet in two personalities.

In the book of Proverbs 8:22-23 we read:

"The Lord brought me forth as the first of his works, before his deeds of old. I was appointed from eternity from the beginning before the world began."

We further read in verse 27

"I was there when he set the heavens in place when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep"

and verses 29-30

"....and when he marked out the foundations of the earth, then I was the mastercraftsman at his side...."

Men of God throughout the ages claim that this refers to a personality and, in addition to this understanding, many Jewish Rabbis such as Rashi have also connected this passage with the Creation in Genesis.

They also claim that these verses refer to the one who carries the title of "The angel of the Lord" the personality of God who appeared to Moses in flames of fire within a bush (Exodus 3:2) and from the midst of which God spoke. Also with the Angel of the Lord who appeared to the Israelites in a pillar of Cloud (Exodus 14:19) and the same pillar of cloud which is referred to as "the Lord" in chapter 13:21.

This personality of God has appeared throughout the history of time to convey God's message to mankind. This is also true for today and will hold true for the future. This is Messiah. The Anointed one.

The writer of the book of Hebrews (a Jew) recognised this truth and connected Messiah with the personality of God whom Moses knew and whom he spoke to (Hebrews 11:26). This personality was not the angel Gabriel but he was one with God. The Messiah is one with the eternal God as we read in Isaiah 9:6

"For unto us a child is born unto us a son is given and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

Jeremiah writing about the future earthly reign of Messiah in Chapter 23:5-6 says:

"The days are coming", declares the Lord "when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is right and just in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The Lord our Righteousness."

So from the Hebrew Scriptures we see that Messiah existed before the creation of the world, that he was the Mastercraftsman at the time of creation and that he is indeed co-equal with God.

The question now is: Will Messiah, once having suffered for the justification of many, be glorified and reign in Glory? The answer from the Hebrew scriptures is yes.

Again from Isaiah 9 we read in verse 7:

"Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his Kingdom establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. I the Lord Almighty will accomplish this."

Al-Kadhi writes: "What these clergymen do not bother to tell us is that the Bible also says..."

What Mr Al-Kadhi previously referred to as "Some members of the Church" becomes "these clergymen"! which clergymen? every clergyman? Again Mr Al-Kadhi doesn't give us sufficient information to allow us to investigate them. The suggestion that, in this day and age, one might only have access to the Bible text through the office of a clergyman is rather quaint.

Mr Al-Kadhi quotes: "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with [him], that we may be also glorified together." Romans 8:16-17

Indeed the Believers who comprise the body of Christ will be glorified and reign with Christ in the age to come. Through identifying with, and placing trust in, the atonement made for them through the suffering and resurrection of Christ they will be glorified with Him. This is the promise refered to by the Prophet Isaiah in chapter 53:11-12 when Messiah will share his greatness and glory with the strong:

"...by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the Great and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he has poured out his life unto death........".

Mr Al-Kadhi quotes two further verses:

"By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." Romans 5:2

Indeed we do rejoice that through Messiah we have access into the grace wherein we stand and rejoice in the hope and glory of God. Without being sanctified and made holy we cannot enter the presence of the Holy One. What a wonderful gift to have access to the presence of Almighty God. How we hope and pray that many more might gain access to his presence.

"For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified [are] all of one: for which cause he (Jesus) is not ashamed to call them (the believers) brethren," Hebrews 2:11

Nothing is more wonderful than to have this promise in view that one day we, who are sanctified by the sacrifice of Messiah, will share his glory and know in a far greater way what it is to be in the family of God. God is no longer ashamed of us. He puts his loving arms around us because our sins are washed away and we can now experience his unconditional love as a reality in our daily lives through Jesus Christ. Something we could never do before.

Messiah is indeed God and the heir of God's glory and those who are brought into the new covenant relationship with him through his blood will share in that Glory in the coming age.

The Rebuttal to "What Did Jesus Really Say?"
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