Dr. James White writes, “The Qur’an denies, that Jesus the Messiah was crucified. By denying this historical reality, the Qur’an forces its followers to not only reject one of the most certain events of history itself, but by so doing it separates them from the life-giving message of the cross of Jesus Christ.
In this video we compare the 40 Arabic words of Surah 4:157 with the 33 Greek words of Galatians 2:20. Here are the texts (as translated by the co-author of the lyrics, James White):
Surah 4:157: And in reference to the Jews who said, “We killed the Messiah, Jesus the Son of Mariam, the apostle of God,” they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him, but it was made to appear to them. And indeed those who differ in the matter are surely in doubt about it. They have no knowledge about it except following mere assumption. But of a certainty they did not kill him.
Galatians 2:20: I have been crucified together with the Messiah. So it is no longer I who live, but the Messiah living in me. And this fleshy life I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God, the one who loved me and gave himself in my place.
It is our sincere hope that Muslims will know we present this with true love in our hearts for them, and in the hope that they will see their need for Christ’s work, and will submit in repentance and faith to His lordship.”
The following is a short article by Dr. John Piper entitled, “Being Mocked: The Essence of Christ’s Work, Not Mohammed’s.”
What we saw in the Islamic demonstrations over the Danish cartoons of Muhammad was another vivid depiction of the difference between Muhammad and Christ, and what it means to follow each. Not all Muslims approve the violence. But a deep lesson remains: The work of Muhammad is based on being honored and the work of Christ is based on being insulted. This produces two very different reactions to mockery.
If Christ had not been insulted, there would be no salvation. This was his saving work: to be insulted and die to rescue sinners from the wrath of God. Already in the Psalms the path of mockery was promised: “All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads” (Psalm 22:7). “He was despised and rejected by men . . . as one from whom men hide their faces . . . and we esteemed him not” (Isaiah 53:3).
When it actually happened it was worse than expected. “They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head. . . . And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ And they spit on him” (Matthew 27:28-30). His response to all this was patient endurance. This was the work he came to do. “Like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth” (Isaiah 53:7).
This was not true of Muhammad. And Muslims do not believe it is true of Jesus. Most Muslims have been taught that Jesus was not crucified. One Sunni Muslim writes, “Muslims believe that Allah saved the Messiah from the ignominy of crucifixion.”1[1] Another adds, “We honor [Jesus] more than you [Christians] do… We refuse to believe that God would permit him to suffer death on the cross.”2[2] An essential Muslim impulse is to avoid the “ignominy” of the cross.
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This week I was singled out for attack by a former professing Christian apostate Paul Williams now Muslim Sam Shamoun kindly sent me a link to rebuttals he has provided to Mr Williams over time. Sam covers such subjects as:
Here are two outstanding presentations on the subject of Islam, made by my friend Dr. James White. As you watch them, I am sure you will note both the respect in which the topic is handled as well as the sincere desire to be accurate in what is said. This is important information for both the Christian and the Muslim in our day.