DOCUMENTATION GUIDE

By James K. Walker and Ben Williamson

DOCUMENTATION GUIDE ISLAM VS CHRISTIANITY DEBATE: JESUS, THE CROSS AND THE RESURRECTION By James K. Walker and Ben Williamson Copyright 2010 Watchman Fellowship, Inc. Published by Watchman Fellowship, Inc. PO Box 310 Arlington, TX 76010 USA www.watchman.org This publication is a companion guide providing additional notes, source material, and documentation for the 2010 debate between the Christian apologist, James K. Walker, and Muslim apologist, Khalil Meek. The two-hour debate with bonus disc is available on DVD (ISBN-13: 978-0-9785228-2-7). Order here: http://bit.ly/IslamDebateDVD All rights reserved. No part of this publication may b e reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy, recording, or any other except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Published in the United States of America.

http://www.watchman.org/http://bit.ly/IslamDebateDVD

ISLAM VS CHRISTIANITY DEBATE

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I. Introduction

a. While Islam and Christianity share many similarities, the

differences that divide the two faiths are such that it puts

the religion of Islam at odds with the essential doctrines of

Christianity. This is especially true regarding the Person

and Work of Jesus Christ.

b. The Jesus of Islam

i. Like the Biblical Jesus, the Islamic Jesus:

1. was born of a virgin

2. is the Messiah

3. performed miracles

4. is a prophet

5. ascended into heaven

6. will return again one day

ii. Unlike the Biblical Jesus, the Islamic Jesus:

1. was in no way the eternal Son of God but

only human (to say God has a Son or that

Jesus is God is seen as blasphemous),

2. was just one in a long line of prophets

(Muhammad being the greatest and last),

1

3. did not die on the cross (or any kind of

death) but instead some replacement did.

4. did not make substitutionary atonement

(salvation is based on personal merit),

5. And while Jesus is coming back in Islam, he

is coming back to defend the religion of

Islam, will die and will be resurrected along

with all others.1

iii. The Muslim Denial of the Death/Crucifixion of

Jesus is based on only one passage (2 verses long)

in the Quran:

46

And in their footsteps We sent Jesus the

son of Mary, confirming the Law that had

come before him: We sent him the Gospel:

therein was guidance and light, and

confirmation of the Law that had come

before him: a guidance and an admonition to

those who fear God. 47

Let the people of the

Gospel judge by what God hath revealed

therein. If any do fail to judge by (the light

of) what God hath revealed, they are (no

better than) those who rebel.2

c. The following information is a Christian response to the

Islamic understanding of the Person and Work of Jesus

Christ.

II. Evidence from Multiple Sources

1 Muslims believe that one day Jesus will come back to earth, slay all who do not accept

Islam as the one true religion, reign for 40 years, and then die and be buried next to

Muhammad in Medina. Following this He will be resurrected with all other men and

women on the last day. Contrary to the teachings of the New Testament, there is nothing

unique about the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, for Jesus will simply be resurrected

like all other people, (Ron Rhodes, Reasoning from the Scriptures with Muslims, 2002,

139). 2

Quran quotations are taken from the Yusuf Ali translation. Electronically retrieved at: www.themuslimweb.com/quran/.

2

http://www.themuslimweb.com/quran/

a. From the Gospels3: Early witnesses demonstrate that Jesus

did die, was buried and rose again.

i. The Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) are

conservatively dated all before A.D. 70.

1. Matthew 20:18-19

18

"Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem;

and the Son of Man will be delivered to the

chief priests and scribes, and they will

condemn Him to death, 19

and will hand Him

over to the Gentiles to mock and scourge

and crucify Him, and on the third day He

will be raised up."

2. Mark 10:33-34

33

saying "Behold, we are going up to

Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be

delivered to the chief priests and the scribes;

and they will condemn Him to death and

will hand Him over to the Gentiles. 34

"They

will mock Him and spit on Him, and scourge

Him and kill Him, and three days later He

will rise again."

3. Luke 18:31-33

31

Then He took the twelve aside and said to

them, "Behold, we are going up to

Jerusalem, and all things which are written

through the prophets about the Son of Man

will be accomplished. 32

"For He will be

handed over to the Gentiles, and will be

mocked and mistreated and spit upon, 33

and

after they have scourged Him, they will kill

Him; and the third day He will rise again."

3 One must realize that while the Bible is one book, it is also a collection of many books.

Thus, in quoting from the Biblical gospels, we are not dealing with just one witness but

four separate witnesses.

3

ii. The Gospel of John is conservatively dated in A.D.

90s.

1. John 18:32

32

to fulfill the word of Jesus which He

spoke, signifying by what kind of death He

was about to die.

2. See also: 2:19-22; 12:32; 19:32-33

iii. The Quran states:

46And in their footsteps We sent Jesus the

son of Mary, confirming the Law that had

come before him: We sent him the Gospel:

therein was guidance and light, and

confirmation of the Law that had come

before him: a guidance and an admonition to

those who fear God. 47

Let the people of the

Gospel judge by what God hath revealed

therein. If any do fail to judge by (the light

of) what God hath revealed, they are (no

better than) those who rebel (Sura 5:46-47).

1. This verse from the Quran puts the Muslim

in a quandary position. Muslims argue that

the Bible (both Old and New Testaments)

have been corrupted.4

Yet, from these two

verses, we find that Allah, through the angel

Gabriel, is actually authenticating the Torah

(Law) and the Gospels.

2. Since the Torah (Law of Moses) used during

the time of Jesus is the same Torah we have

today, the Quran here would then actually

be authenticating the truth and accuracy of

4 Sura 3:71, 78 reads: Ye People of the Book! Why do ye clothe Truth with falsehood,

and conceal the Truth, while ye have knowledge?...There is among them a section who

distort the Book with their tongues: (As they read) you would think it is a part of the

Book, but it is no part of the Book; and they say, "That is from God," but it is not from

God: It is they who tell a lie against God, and (well) they know it!

4

the Torah, in which case the Torah could not

have been corrupted.

3. Furthermore, Sura 5:47 says, the people of

the Gospel which would be the Christians.

The Gospels passages quoted above are

from the same Gospels that the Christians

had during the time of Muhammad in

seventh century and the same we have

today. Again, the Quran here is actually

authenticating the Gospel accounts.

4. If the Law or the Gospels have been

corrupted, why is Allah commanding the

Muslim to test the truth of the Quran by

them?5

5. Sura 5:68 instructs the Jews and Christians

(the People of the Book) to stand fast by

the Law, the Gospel, and all the revelation

that has come to you from your Lord. Why

would Allah give such commands if these

writings were corrupt?

iv. The Qurans position on Jesus is:

That they said (in boast), "We killed Christ

Jesus the son of Mary, the Apostle of God";-

but they killed him not, nor crucified him,

but so it was made to appear to them, and

those who differ therein are full of doubts,

with no (certain) knowledge, but only

conjecture to follow, for of a surety they

killed him not:- (Sura 4:157-158).

1. The Muslim position as stated in this

passage is that Jesus never died (especially

on a cross) but was assumed (taken up

5 Concerning the supposed corruption of the Bible, the burden of proof actually lies with

the Muslim to show when and where such corruption took place. Questions arise when

one asserts that the Bible has been corrupted: Which parts are corrupted and what parts

are authentic? If we do not know, then how can the Muslim, when he does quote the

Bible to his own advantage, know that the portion he is quoting from is authentic since,

by their own reasoning, that verse may have been one of the corrupted ones?

5

without death) to heaven. The phrase, was

made to appear has been interpreted to

mean that someone who looked like Jesus

actually died on the cross, perhaps Simon of

Cyrene or Judas Iscariot. Another Muslim

interpretation suggests that Jesus went to the

cross but was taken down before reaching

deatha kind of swoon theory.

2. The problem with finding the truth between

what the Bible teaches on what happened to

Jesus and what the Quran teaches is one of

geographical, time and linguistical

differences.

a. GeographicalWhich is more likely

to be accurate: An account which

originated from Israelwhere the

events took placeor an account

from Arabia?

b. TimeWhich is more likely to be

accurate: An account from the

lifetime of the eyewitnesses in the

first century or an account from

someone in the seventh century?

c. LinguisticalWhich is more likely

to be accurate: An account written in

the lingua franca of the day (Greek)

or an account from seventh century

Arabic?

v. Conclusion: These three factors taken together show

that the burden of proof is on the Muslim to prove

how a seventh-century document in another country

in a different language has greater precedence over

Greek documents from eyewitnesses of the events

themselves.

b. From Non-Christian Sources: Early documents outside the

Bible attest to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.

6

i. Josephus6

(37-100 AD):

1. Antiquities of the Jews:

3.3

Now there was about this time Jesus,

a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a

man; for he was a doer of wonderful

works, a teacher of such men as receive

the truth with pleasure. He drew over to

him both many of the Jews and many of

the Gentiles. He was [the] Christ. And

when Pilate, at the suggestion of the

principal men amongst us, had

condemned him to the cross, those that

loved him at the first did not forsake

him; for he appeared to them alive again

the third day; as the divine prophets had

foretold these and ten thousand other

wonderful things concerning him

(Antiquities of the Jews,18:63-64).

2. NOTE: There is question as to the

authenticity of this particular text of

Josephus due to interpolations (additions to

the text) by early Christians. Most scholars

agree that Josephus at least mentions Jesus,

and even in more than one place.

Concerning the Josephus quote above,

Brown writes, the question is not

whether Josephus wrote about Jesus; the

question is how much he wrote. Regardless

of how that question is answered, the fact

remains that the most important Jewish

6 On the person of Josephus, Schreckenberg writes, Jewish historian and general in the

war of the Jews against the Romans in A.D. 66-70. Josephus was born the son of a

distinguished priestly family sometime between Sept. 13, A.D. 37, and March 16, 38, and

died probably ca. A.D. 100 in Rome. Heinz Schreckenberg, Josephus, Flavius, 1132-

133 in The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: Volume Two: E-J, Geoffrey W.

Bromiley, gen. ed. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1982, 1132.

7

historian of the first century of this era

didwrite about Jesus.7

3. In other words, while some of what is

attributed to Josephus about Jesus is

questionable, there is a general consensus

that Josephus does make mention of

someone in the first century named, Jesus.

4. Textual critics have suggested that the

original text of Josephus read something like

this:

Around this time lived Jesus, a wise

man. For he was a worker of

amazing deeds and was a teacher of

the people who gladly accept the

truth. He won over both many Jews

and many Greeks. Pilate, when he

heard him accused by the leading

men among us, condemned him to

the cross, [but] those who had first

loved him did not cease [doing so].

To this day the tribe of Christians

named after him has not

disappeared.8

5. Even if only this portion is authentic,

relevant to our discussion is that here is a

non-Christian, Jewish historian, giving

attestation to Jesus and the cross!

Antiquities of the Jews is said to have been

finished around 93/94.9

This means that

Josephus is relaying history for at least 60

years after the events of Jesus and no

mention is made of a substitute of Jesus

dying on the cross. Josephus history says it

was Jesus Himself that went to the cross.

7 Brown, Michael L. Answering Jewish Objections to Jesus: Volume Four: New

Testament Objections. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2007, 63. 8

Von Voorst, Robert, Jesus Outside the New Testament: An Introduction to the Ancient

Evidence. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2000, 20, quoted in ibid. 9

Bromiley ed., ISBE, 2:1132.

8

ii. Cornelius Tacitus (56-121?AD)10

1. The Annals, 15:44 (120? AD)

called Christians by the populace.

Christus, from whom the name had its

origin, suffered the extreme penalty during

the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of

our procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and a most

mischievous superstition, thus checked for

the moment, again broke out not only in

Judaea, the first source of the evil, but even

in RomeMockery of every sort was added

to their [early Christians] deaths. Covered

with the skins of beasts, they were torn by

dogs and perished, or were nailed to

crosses11

2. In this text, Cornelius Tacitus is describing

the fire that burned Rome in A.D. 64 which

Nero blamed on the Christians. He describes

the horrific action taken against the

Christians for their supposed cause of the

fire. Tacitus affirms that these Christians

were named after Christus who suffered

immensely under Pontius Pilate. Christus

is an obvious reference to Jesus Christ.12

iii. Phlegon (ca. 2nd

Century AD)13

1. Phlegon wrote at least two works:

Chronicles and Olympiads.

10

Cornelius Tacitus served as a Roman governor and historian. Exact dates for Tacitus

are not know but it is generally believed he was born in A.D. 56 and died anywhere from

A.D. 117-121. His Annals was his last work. 11

There is a minority that disputes the authenticity of Tacictus words here. For a brief

reply see, Gary R. Habermas and Michael R. Licona, The Case for the Resurrection of

Jesus, Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2004, 273-74n53. 12

His misspelling of ChristChristuswas a common error made by pagan writers,

Josh McDowell, The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict. Nashville: Thomas Nelson,

1999, 120. 13

Phlegon was a 2nd

century Greek historian and freedman.

9

2. His works are no longer extant. However,

Origen (A.D. 184-254) refers to him in the

following citation which comes from

Origens Against Celsus, II, LIX:2-3

we have in the preceding pages made our

defense, according to our ability, adducing

the testimony of Phlegon, who relates that

these events took place at the time when our

Saviour suffered. And he goes on to say, that

Jesus, while alive, was of no assistance to

himself, but that he arose after death, and

exhibited the marks of his punishment, and

showed how his hands had been pierced by

nails.14

3. Phlegons remarks, written around 100 years

after Christ, give evidence for the

crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

iv. Other Non-Christian Sources

1. Other ancient writers speak of the death

and/or crucifixion of Jesus, to say nothing of

those other sources that simply affirm the

historicity of Jesus.

2. Michael Licona: [T]his first fact is as solid

as anything in ancient history: Jesus was

crucified and died as a result. The scholarly

consensusagain, even among those who

are skeptical toward the resurrectionis

absolutely overwhelming. To deny it would

be to take a marginal position that would get

you laughed out of the academic world.15

v. ConclusionThe early Non-Christian evidence

would suggest nothing less than the death of Jesus

14 Accessed online at:

http://app.libraryofliberty.org/?option=com_staticxt&staticfile=show.php%3Ftitle=1976

&chapter=192215&layout=html&Itemid=27 15

Strobel, Lee. The Case for the Real Jesus: A Journalist Investigates Current Attacks on

the Identity of Christ. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2007, 114.

10

http://app.libraryofliberty.org/?option=com_staticxt&staticfile=show.php%3Ftitle%3D1976

by crucifixion. Again, the burden of proof is on the

Muslim to show that someone else died on the

cross. None of the 1st

or 2nd

century documents

entertain such an idea.

c. From the Kerygma16

i. 1 Corinthians 15:3-9

3

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I

also received, that Christ died for our sins according

to the Scriptures, 4

and that He was buried, and that

He was raised on the third day according to the

Scriptures, 5

and that He appeared to Cephas, then to

the twelve. 6

After that He appeared to more than

five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom

remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; 7

and

then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; 8

and last of all, as to one untimely born, He

appeared to me also. 9

For I am the least of the

apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because

I persecuted the church of God.

ii. This passage is just one of many Pauline writings

that refer to the death and resurrection of Jesus.

iii. Scholars have noted a creedal statement in this

passage.17

This would mean that this is something

16

Kerygma is defined this way: A Greek word meaning proclamation. It may refer to

the content of the gospel, to the message of the sermon, or to the preaching itselfIn

current NT scholarship the term is used to describe the content of the early Christian

message. It contains within its scope the life and work of Jesus, with particular emphasis

on his conflicts, suffering, death, and resurrection Duncan S. Ferguson, Kerygma in

Walter A. Elwell, ed. Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Grand Rapids: Baker, 1984,

602-03. 17

Some of the telltale marks indicating the presence of creedal formulae are seen in 1 Corinthians 15:3-5: (1) The four-times-repeated that (hoti) suggests Paul is consciously

citing material forming a set of propositions (e.g. that Christ died for our sins in

accordance with the Scriptures). (2) The vocabulary in these verses is full of rare terms

and expressions Paul never uses in other places. (3) The introducing verbs that say that

Paul received (parelabon) what follows as part of the instruction he had known in his

early days as a new believer, and now in turn handed on (paredoka) to the Corinthians,

are semitechnical terms for the transmission of holy words of the faith, both Jewish and

11

the early Christians would have confessed. In other

words, it was a common accepted fact that Jesus

died, was buried and rose again.

iv. 1 Corinthians is dated to the mid 50s. Paul tells us

he is writing from Ephesus (16:8, 9, cf. v. 19). Since

he ministered there for three years, 1 Corinthians

was most likely written in the latter half of that

extended ministry, or about A.D. 55 or 56. Some

scholars date it even earlier.18

The significance of

this is that, depending on how one dates the

Gospels, 1 Corinthians would have been penned

before all or most of the Gospels.

v. While the Bible is one book, it is also a collection of

many books. Therefore, 1 Corinthians stands as an

independent witness to the historicity of Jesus.

vi. ConclusionThe apostle Paul is just one more

early source on the death and resurrection of Jesus.

The creedal confession that Paul writes in 1

Corinthians 15:3ff is a confession of the early

church. If the Islamic interpretation is correct, why

is the only understanding of Christ we have is that

he died and rose again?

d. From Prophecy19

i. The Bible predicts the death (even crucifixion) and

resurrection of Jesus. Again, the Muslim claim is

that the Bible has been corrupted. However, what

parts are corrupted? What parts are authentic?

Where and when did such corruption take place?

Christian Ralph P. Martin, Creed in Gerald F. Hawthorne and Ralph P. Martin,

Dictionary of Paul and His Letters. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1993, 191. 18

MacDonald, William. Believers Bible Commentary. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995,

1745. 19

It is interesting to note that while the Bible gives many prophecies of Jesus, not one

single verse prophesies Muhammad. For supposed Bible passages prophesying

Muhammad, see Appendix 1.

12

ii. Mark 10:33-34

33

Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem,

and the Son of Man will be delivered to the

chief priests and the scribes; and they will

condemn Him to death and will hand Him

over to the Gentiles. 34

They will mock Him

and spit on Him, and scourge Him and kill

Him, and three days later He will rise

again.

1. Note II.a.i.2 above

2. This is a clear prophetic statement from

Jesus Himself that He would die and rise

again.

iii. John 18:31-33

the Jews, For us it is not permitted to kill

anyone, so that the word of Jesus might be

fulfilled, which he spoke signifying what

kind of death he was going to die. Entered

therefore again into the Praetorium Pilate

and summoned Jesus and he said to him,

Thou art king of the Jews?

1. While some have dated the Gospel of John

to pre-70 A.D., most conservative estimates

place the date in the mid 90s, which is still

in the lifetime of John himself.

2. The earliest manuscript we have of the New

Testament is a small fragment of Johns

Gospel containing 18:31-33, 37-38. Called

the John Rylands manuscript (P52), it is

dated anywhere from A.D. 100 to A.D.15020

20 Lee Strobel interview with Daniel B. Wallace in Strobel, Lee. The Case for the Real

Jesus: A Journalist Investigates Current Attacks on the Identity of Christ. Grand Rapids:

Zondervan, 2007, 84. Samples writes, The oldest copy of any portion of the New

Testament in existence today is the John Rylands manuscript (so named because it

resides in the John Rylands University Library in Manchester, England). This tiny

papyrus (primitive paper) fragment contains just a few verses from the Gospel of John

13

3. Here is a very early witness to death of

Christ. The Muslim claim that Johns

Gospel (along with the other Biblical books)

has been corrupted does not hold up. Again,

the burden of proof is on the Muslim to

show when and where such corruption took

place.

iv. Zechariah 12:10

10

I will pour out on the house of David and

on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of

grace and of supplication, so that they will

look on Me whom they have pierced; and

they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for

an only son,.

1. The New Testament places the fulfillment of

this passage with the crucifixion of Christ

(John 19:37; see also Rev. 1:7).

2. The text is clear: The one speaking (I

will) is the same one that is pierced

(they will look on Me). Thus, the piercing

of Christ was prophesied.

v. Psalms 22:14-18

14

I am poured out like water, And all my

bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax;

It is melted within me. 15

My strength is

dried up like a potsherd, And my tongue

cleaves to my jaws; And You lay me in the

dust of death. 16

For dogs have surrounded

(John 18:31-33, 37-38). Discovered in Egypt, this manuscript, also known as P52, has

been dated between AD 117-138, and the distinguished philologist Adolf Deissmann has

argued that it should be dated even earlier. Depending upon when Johns Gospel was

written (a rough range between AD 60 and AD 90), the time factor amounts to, at most,

only several decades. This remarkably short time span provides potent proof of the tests

purity. The discovery of this manuscript also refutes the theory of some higher critics

who presumed that Johns Gospel had been written after the middle of the second

century. Kenneth Richard Samples, Without a Doubt: Answering the 20 Toughest Faith

Questions. Grand Rapids, Baker, 2004, 93.

14

me; A band of evildoers has encompassed

me; They pierced my hands and my feet. 17

I

can count all my bones. They look, they

stare at me; 18

They divide my garments

among them, And for my clothing they cast

lots.

1. Christians have historically understood these

verses to be a prophecy of the coming

Messiah (i.e. Jesus).21

2. As such, it is clear that Jesus would

experience horrific suffering.

a. my tongue cleaves to my jaws

(v.15) is referenced by Jesus on the

cross when he said, I thirst (19:28).

b. They pierced my hands and my

feet22

(v.16) speaks of being nailed

to the cross.23

21

Many Jewish interpreters, in trying to keep Jesus out of this passage, have stated that

Psalm 22 is simply about David himself. Christians, for the most part, either see the

passage as referring exclusively about Jesus or that the passage is partly about David but

goes beyond him to someone else (i.e. Jesus). 22

There is a textual issue here that Jewish commentators have noted. Since many of the

arguments that Jewish scholars make carries over to arguments that Islamic scholars

make, it is necessary to briefly comment on this. The whole argument rests on the final

letter of one of the Hebrew words in this passage. Is the final letter or ? The observant reader will note that the difference between the two letters is on how far to

draw the line

of the letter down. One can easily see how such a reading could happen in transmission. The translational issue is that this one letter determines if the reading should be translated

like a lion or they pierced. Obviously, Jewish and Muslim scholars will favor the

former reading. Without getting into the specifics, the evidence supporting they

pierced is much stronger. Fruchtenbaum writes,

Some wish to translate the verse as, like a lion, my hands and my feet,

instead of, they pierced my hands and my feet. The former is based on the

pointing of the Masoretic text and the latter on the Septuagint, a Greek

translation of the Hebrew text that preceded the Masoretic text by over one

thousand years, and hence closer to the original writing. While it is true that the

writer uses several animal motifs in the context, the psalmist only uses

animalistic terms to describe his enemies and not himself. Hence both the

context and the antiquity of the Hebrew text behind the Septuagint favor the

rendering of pierce. Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, Messianic Christology. Tustin,

CA: Ariel Ministries, 1998, 86.

15

c. They divide my garments among

them, And for my clothing they cast

lots (v.18) takes place at Jesus

crucifixion (Matt. 27:35).

3. It should be noted that the Psalms (called by

the Arabic, Zabur) are considered Scripture

by the Muslim; albeit, like the Torah and the

Gospels (Arabic, Injil), Muslims maintain

that it has been corrupted. At any rate,

Psalms 22 is a clear prophecy of the

suffering of the Messiah (i.e. Jesus).

vi. Isaiah 53:2-12

3 He was despised and forsaken of men, A

man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;

And like one from whom men hide their

face He was despised, and we did not

esteem Him. 4

Surely our griefs He Himself

bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we

ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of

God, and afflicted. 5

But He was pierced

through for our transgressions, He was

crushed for our iniquities; The chastening

for our well-being fell upon Him, And by

His scourging we are healed. 6

All of us like

sheep have gone astray, Each of us has

turned to his own way; But the Lord has

caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him. 7

He was oppressed and He was afflicted,

Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb

that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that

is silent before its shearers, So He did not

open His mouth. 8

By oppression and

Other arguments favor the they pierced reading. See, Michael L. Brown, Answering

Jewish Objections to Jesus: Messianic Prophecy Objections. Vol. 3. 4 vols. Grand

Rapids: Baker, 2003, 122-127. 23

The Hebrew word for piercing used here is not the same as that used in Zechariah 12:10. The word used in Zechariah means to thrust through and would be consistent

with the Roman spear which pierced Jesus side. The word used here in Psalm 22 is the

word which would be used, for example, of ear piercing and would be consistent with the

nailing of Jesus hands and feet to the cross. Fruchtenbaum, Messianic Christology, 85.

16

judgment He was taken away; And as for

His generation, who considered That He was

cut off out of the land of the living For the

transgression of my people, to whom the

stroke was due? 9

His grave was assigned

with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich

man in His death, Because He had done no

violence, Nor was there any deceit in His

mouth. 10

But the Lord was pleased To crush

Him, putting Him to grief; If He would

render Himself as a guilt offering, He will

see His offspring, He will prolong His days,

And the good pleasure of the Lord will

prosper in His hand. 11

As a result of the

anguish of His soul, He will see it and be

satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous

One, My Servant, will justify the many, 12

Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the

great, And He will divide the booty with the

strong; Because He poured out Himself to

death, And was numbered with the

transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin

of many, And interceded for the

transgressors.

1. Isaiah 53:3-12 is actually part of a pericope,

beginning at 52:13 and ending at 53:12,

affectionately called, The Suffering

Servant.

2. Again, Muslim scholars would argue that

this passage has been corrupted whereas

Jewish scholars would argue that this

passage has nothing to do with the Messiah

but a description of the nation of Israel.24

3. The best attestation on the accuracy of the

Book of Isaiah comes from the Dead Sea

Scrolls (DSS).

24

Reading through the passage will show that there are several statements which could

not possibly be applied to the nation of Israel. This passage is not read in synagogues;

public readings of Isaiah will jump from Isaiah 52 to Isaiah 54. Fruchtenbaum,

Messianic Christology, 54.

17

a. The DSS were first discovered by a

young, Bedouin shepherd boy in the

1940s. Later explorations in this

and nearby caves produced

thousands of manuscript fragments

which had once constituted about

four hundred books thought to

belong to the library of the Essenes.

The Essenes were a Jewish sect

dating from the time of Christ. They

had broken away from the Temple-

centered worship at Jerusalem and

had established their own monastic

and messianic community in the

Judean desert near Qumran.25

b. While many portions of the Old

Testament and extra-biblical writings

were found, perhaps the greatest

discovery was a complete copy of

Isaiah found in Cave I.

c. The biblical material amongst the

DSS dates from the 3rd

century B.C.

to 1st

century A.D.26

As such, it is

among the earliest and best

manuscripts of the Old Testament.27

25 Geisler, Norman L. and William E. Nix, A General Introduction to the Bible. Chicago:

Moody, 1986, 361. 26

Paleographic analysis (dating by the style of a manuscripts script), carbon-14 testing

on the scrolls outer wrappings, and association with datable material finds in the caves

(such as coins and oil lamps) have supported a range of dates for the biblical manuscripts from 225 BC to AD 68. For this reason, most scholars believe they were composed during

the Hasmonean period (152-63 BC) and during the Early Roman period (63 BC-AD 68).

Although finds from other caveshave yielded dates much older (Wadi el-Daliyeh, 352

BC) and much later (Wadi Murrabbaat, AD 69-136, and Khirbet Mird, AD 722), the

general range for the biblical material has remained the same. Price, Randall. Searching

for the Original Bible. Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 2007, 64. 27

There can be no reasonable doubt that the Qumran manuscripts came from the century

before Christ and the first century A.D. Thus, they are one thousand years older than the

Masoretic manuscripts of the tenth century. Before 1947, the Hebrew text was based on

three partial and one complete manuscript dating from about A.D. 1000. Now, thousands

of fragments are available, as well as complete books, containing large sections of the

Old Testament from one millennium before the time of the Masoretic manuscripts. Geisler and Nix, A General Introduction, 366.

18

d. The accuracy in the transmission of

the Book of Isaiah through the

centuries is seen in comparing the

DSS with the Masoretic text as found

in the Aleppo Codex. This over a

thousand years difference.

e. Comparing the DSS Book of Isaiah

(dated at 125 B.C.) with that of the

Aleppo Codex/Masoretic text (dated

10th

century) revealed a remarkable

similarity despite the thousand years

span. [The DSS of Isaiah] proved to

be identical to the Masoretic Text of

Isaiah in more than 95 percent of the

text. The 5 percent variation

consisted primarily of obvious slips

of the pen and spelling alterations.28

f. Thus, the charge that Isaiah is

corrupted is without credit and we

are left with an early witness to the

prophecy of the death/crucifixion of

Jesus.

4. ConclusionThe evidence from prophecy

would suggest nothing less than an actual

death by crucifixion. The Islamic claim that

a substitute would be put on the cross is not

even prophesied!

e. Evidence of the Empty Tomb

i. Where Is the Body?If Christ was not raised from

the dead, what happened to His body (*This

question is not really germane to this particular

debate since most Muslims do have an explanation

on where Christs body isAllah is said to have

taken him to heaven, as interpreted from Sura

4:158)

ii. Where Is the Substitute?Some Muslims hold that

it was someone else that died in Jesus place on the

28

Price, Searching for the Original Bible, 65.

19

cross, perhaps Simon of Cyrene or Judas. If so,

where is the substitutes body?

iii. Tomb Not Empty?what the Gospels say is that

when Peter went into the tomb, the burial cloths

were still intact, neatly in placenot the sign of a

grave robbery (Luke 24:12; John 20:7).

f. Evidence of Transformed Lives

i. Saul of Tarsus / Apostle Paul

1. Paul hated the Christians and wanted them

arrested and killed.

2. After he meet the risen Christ, his life was

dramatically changed (Acts 9, Phil. 3:4-12).

3. Only something so miraculous and

supernatural could account for this change

of life.29

ii. Simon Barjona / Apostle Peter

22

Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus

the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God

with miracles and wonders and signs which

God performed through Him in your midst,

just as you yourselves know 23

this Man,

delivered over by the predetermined plan

and fore-knowledge of God, you nailed to a

cross by the hands of godless men and put

Him to death. 24

But God raised Him up

29 We must now ask the question: What caused this change in Paul? Why did one who

persecuted Christians suddenly become one? Both Paul himself and Luke report that it was

because he believed firmly that he had experienced an encounter with the risen Jesus.

Pauls conversion is so interesting because he was an enemy of the church when he

claimed to have seen the risen Jesus. Thus, Jesus resurrection is testified to by friends

and also by a foe. His belief that he had witnessed the risen Christ was so string the he,

like the original disciples, was willing to suffer continuously for the sake of the gospel,

even to the point of martyrdom. This point is well documented, reported by Paul himself,

as well as Luke, Clement of Rome, Polycarp, Tertullian, Dionysius of Corinth, and

Origen. Therefore, we have early, multiple, and firsthand testimony that Paul converted

from being a staunch opponent of Christianity to one of its greatest proponents

(Habermas and Licona, The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus, 65).

20

again, putting an end to the agony of death,

since it was impossible for Him to be held in

its power. 25

For David says of Him,

I SAW THE LORD ALWAYS IN MY

PRESENCE; FOR HE IS AT MY RIGHT

HAND, SO THAT I WILL NOT BE

SHAKEN. 26

THEREFORE MY HEART WAS GLAD

AND MY TONGUE EXULTED;

MOREOVER MY FLESH ALSO WILL

LIVE IN HOPE; 27

BECAUSE YOU WILL

NOT ABANDON MY SOUL TO HADES,

NOR ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO

UNDERGO DECAY. (Acts 2:22-27)

1. Peter here confesses that God did not allow

Christ body to decay in the grave.

2. Furthermore, Peter went from denying Jesus

three times in one night to boldly

proclaiming Jesus in front of his own Jewish

brethren. The risen Christ accounts for this

transformation.

iii. Doubting / Believing Thomas

24

But Thomas, one of the twelve, called

Didymus, was not with them when Jesus

came. 25

So the other disciples were saying

to him, We have seen the Lord! But he

said to them, Unless I see in His hands the

imprint of the nails, and put my finger into

the place of the nails, and put my hand into

His side, I will not believe. 26

After eight

days His disciples were again inside, and

Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors

having been shut, and stood in their midst

and said, Peace be with you. 27

Then He

said to Thomas, Reach here with your

finger, and see My hands; and reach here

your hand and put it into My side; and do

not be unbelieving, but believing. 28

21

Thomas answered and said to Him, My

Lord and my God! 29

Jesus said to him,

Because you have seen Me, have you

believed? Blessed are they who did not see,

and yet believed. (John 20:24-29)

III. Conclusion

a. The data put forth strongly shows that Jesus died by

crucifixion and that He rose again. The evidence shows that

both the Biblical and extra-biblical sources attest to this.

Even if the Muslim claim is true that the Biblical record has

been corrupted, the Muslim must ask himself: (1) Are the

extra-biblical sources corrupted as well? And, (2) Is there

any evidence, from prophecy or the first century, that

actually supports the Muslim claim that Christ escaped the

crucifixion and someone did in His place?

b. The Quran is a later document and so should be judged by

the earlier documents. In the end, the Quranic

interpretation fails and the Biblical record prevails.30

30 The bottom line is this: unless youre a Muslim who is already committed to the

Quran, no historian worth his salt would ever place the Quran as a more credible source

on Jesus over the New Testament, which has four biographies and other writings dated

shortly after Jesus and which contains eyewitness testimony. In historical Jesus studies, I

dont know of a single scholar who consults the Quran as a source on the historical

Jesus. Lee Strobel interview with Michael L. Licona in Strobel, Lee. The Case for the

Real Jesus, 132.

22

Appendix:

Does the Bible prophesy the coming of

Muhammad?

The Muslim will commonly argue that the Bible actually

prophecies the coming of Muhammad. Keep in mind that

according to Islamic teaching, the Bible has been corrupted.

Since the Muslim cannot tell us what the Bible is supposed to say

or where it has been corrupted, then any verse is open season

for supposed corruption. Thus, how can we know if the Bible

passages that supposedly speak of Mohammad are authentic and

not corrupted?

Nevertheless, while there has been a number of Bible

verses put forth, there are a few verses that the Muslim will point

to as supposedly prophesying the coming of Muhammad.

Khalil Meek mentioned in the debate that the Bible

mentions Muhammad by name. James Walker later asked Khalil

to clarify his statement. By way of email, Mr. Meek mentioned

five Bible passages that are said to prophesy Muhammad. Of the

five, not one of them mentions the name Muhammad, though one

is cited in an attempt to show that another name of Muhammad is

used. That verse is Haggai 2:7-9. We will look at that passage

momentary.

Two other Bible passages that are commonly cited by

Muslims that supposedly prophesy Muhammad are Deuteronomy

18:15-22 and John 14:16-17, which we will deal with also.

I. Haggai 2:7-9

7'I will shake all the nations; and they will come with the

wealth of all nations, and I will fill this house with glory,'

says the LORD of hosts.

23

8'The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,' declares the

LORD of hosts. 9'The latter glory of this house will be greater than the

former,' says the LORD of hosts, 'and in this place I will give

peace,' declares the LORD of hosts."

a. Context: The Book of Haggai is a post-exilic book

exhorting the Jewish returnees on rebuilding the temple.

They had grown weary, upset that the second temple was

not as glorious as the former. God explained through

Haggai that another temple is coming that will out do

what has come before. Thus, the context here is one of

hope and encouragement of what God is going to do.

b. Muslim Interpretation: The point of contention is the

word translated above as wealth, some translations reading desire. The Muslim interpretation is that the root letters of the Hebrew word here is . When

transliterated, it becomes HMD.31

Since Hebrew, like

other Semitic languages, lack vowels when written, the reader must insert vowels into the word. Muslims assert that the three root Hebrew letters here (hmd) are the same as the three root letters of an Arabic word which, when

added with vowels, becomes Ahmad (the three root letters

being italicized). Since Ahmad is another name for

Muhammad,32

the Muslim argument is that Haggai is

actually prophesying the coming of Muhammad.

c. Biblical Interpretation and Response: The Muslim

interpretation has several errors:

a. The first letter is actually a not a which produces a hard ch sound, not an h sound. Though

the letters look similar, they are different. While

most Hebrew words have, at their root, three

letters, the word in question here actually has four

root letters making the word: . This is a minor

point since [t]he Arabic amida means

31

Keep in mind that Hebrew reads from right to left. For simplicity sakes, the lettering

has been reversed to read from left to right in the text above. 32

Sura 61:6 says, And remember Jesus, the son of Mary, said, O Children of Israel! I

am the Messenger of Allah (sent) to you, confirming the Law (which came) before me,

and giving Glad Tidings of a Messenger to come after me, whose name shall be

Ahmad.

24

praise and the name Mohammed comes from the

root.33

(See discussion below under John 14:16-

17 on the name ahmad.)

b. The interpretive problem is that the word in

question is singular while the verb it follows

(which is standard Hebrew grammar) is plural.

Thus, you have noun + verb disagreement. This

can be solved by understanding the singular noun

as a collective singular thus necessitating the use

of the plural verb.34

c. If the strict singular use is maintained, then the

word could refer to a person, which is where the

Islamic interpretation takes it. It should be noted

here that some Jewish and Christians scholars

have maintained that this verse is a Messianic

prophecy. The problem with taking this word as

an individual is that the plural verb makes the

singular noun a collective singular. Thus, Haggai

2:7 would not be prophesying only one thing (be

it Jesus, Muhammad, etc.) but many things.

d. The question is, what things? The context speaks

of things of all the nations. What would be the

desired things of all the nations? Usage elsewhere

speaks of wealth.35

Isaiah 60:5d has many

33 #673 in Theological Workbook of the Old Testament. Chicago: Moody, 1980, 294. 34

While the Hebrew is a consonantal text, vowel pointing came much later and in some

cases involves serious interpretive bias. That being true, it is possible that the vowel

pointing that is used on in Haggai 2:7 should actually be pointed to represent a plural, not a singular. Again, this is dealing with a change in vowel pointing, not the

actual (and inspired) text. Chisholm writes, In the Hebrew text will come is plural,

suggesting that the singular form desired (amda) may have originally been desirable

things (mud ). The plural reading involves only a change of the vowel pointing, not

the consonants of the Hebrew text. Robert B. Chisholm, Jr. Interpreting the Minor

Prophets, Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1990, 223. Furthermore, the Septuagint (LXX)

which is earlier than the Masoretic Text we are quoting fromuses a plural noun and

not a singular. It reads: and all the chosen (pl.) of the nations will come ( , italics and translation mine). 35

Parallel passages provide strong evidence that the concept of valuable treasures is

included here. In the previously cited Isaiah 60:5, one finds, The wealth of the nations

will come to you. As in Haggai 2:7, wealth is singular and will come is plural,

presenting a grammatical difficulty. Like the word desire or preciousness, wealth in

Isaiah 60:5 (hayil) can also have a personal reference, for it can mean array, force. Yet the context shows that wealth is the primary meaning, and Zechariah 14:14 describes

25

similarities with Haggai 2:7. It reads, The wealth

of the nations will come to you. Though the

word order differs and there are some differences,

the Isaiah passage is similar to the Haggai passage

in that there is a singular noun (wealth) with a

plural verb (will come.). Both passages use the

same word for nations. Also, both passages are

in an eschatological context.

d. Conclusion: The Muslim interpretation is an error for the

following reasons:

a. Even if there is similarity between the Hebrew

and Arabic words, the fact is that there are many

people with the Arabic name ahmad. (For

instance, many people in first century Judaism

were named Jesus, but that obviously doesnt

make them the Messiah on that basis.)

Furthermore, even if one sees the word in Haggai

2:7 with a personal connotation, it would speak

more of a title, not a personal name.

b. Lastly, none of what Haggai 2 says would happen

did happen with Muhammad. If one wants to say

that Muhammad is referred to here, then one must

admit that he was a false prophet!36

II. Deuteronomy 18:15-22

15

"The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like

me from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen

to him. 16

"This is according to all that you asked of the

LORD your God in Horeb on the day of the assembly,

saying, 'Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my

the wealth of all the surrounding nations in terms of silver and gold and garments.

Herbert Wolf. Haggai and Malachi: Rededication and Renewal. Chicago: Moody, 1976,

37. Wolf does, however, see a double meaning here that incorporates both the personal

and material understanding. For his complete discussion, see ibid., 35-38. 36

If the Muslim turns this around to say that Jesus must be a false prophet since none of

this happened with Him, it should be remembered that probably most conservative Bible

scholars do not see a Messianic figure here. Also, the question we are dealing with here is

not if Jesus is spoken of in Haggai 2 but if Muhammad is. Lastly, most understand this

passage as yet future and so the prophecy is not false but just yet unfulfilled. The Muslim

does not believe Muhammad is coming back again so he cannot still fulfill this passage, thus making him a false prophet.

26

God, let me not see this great fire anymore, or I will die.' 17

"The LORD said to me, 'They have spoken well. 18

'I will

raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you,

and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to

them all that I command him. 19

'It shall come about that

whoever will not listen to My words which he shall speak in

My name, I Myself will require it of him. 20

'But the prophet

who speaks a word presumptuously in My name which I

have not commanded him to speak, or which he speaks in the

name of other gods, that prophet shall die.' 21

"You may say in

your heart, 'How will we know the word which the LORD

has not spoken?' 22

"When a prophet speaks in the name of the

LORD, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is

the thing which the LORD has not spoken The prophet has

spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.

a. Context: The Israelites learn that God will give them

another prophet like Moses. This new prophet will be

in contrast to false prophets in that he will speak what

only God has said and what he says will come to pass.

b. Muslim Interpretation: Muslims argue that the

prophet being predicted is Muhammad. Different

reasons are put forth.

i. Since this prophet will arise from among

you and from your countrymen (or

brothers) and since Moses was speaking to the

Israelites and the Israelites are relatives of the

Ishmaelites and Muhammad was an

Ishmaelite, then Muhammad fits the

description.

ii. Since the passage speaks of this coming

prophet as like Moses, Muslims argue that

Muhammad, more than any other prophet

including Jesus, best fits this description. One

might find in Islamic literature a list of

comparisons on how Muhammad is more like

Moses than Jesus. (For instance, both

Muhammad and Jesus had an earthly mother

and father but Jesus only had an earthly

27

mother. Thus, Muhammad is more like Moses

in this respect.)

c. Biblical Interpretation and Response: Christians

recognize that this passage is propheticonly that the

fulfillment is found in Jesus Christ, not Muhammad.

The following points show this:

i. The passage explicitly states that this prophet

will arise from your countrymen or brothers.

While the Muslim interpretation tries to widen

the meaning of this phrase, usages of from

your countrymen elsewhere in Scripture

always refer to the Israelites, never of the

Ishmaelites or Arab people.37

ii. Similar language shows that only Israelites are

in view. Rhodes writes, Elsewhere in

Deuteronomy the term brothers refers to

fellow Israelites, not to foreign enemies. For

example, God instructed the Israelites to

choose a king from among your own

brothers, not from among foreign enemies

(Deuteronomy 17:15) The reality is that

there has never been an instance in the history

of Israel in which a non-Jewish king was

chosen to rule over the nation. We are also

told in Deuteronomy 18:1-2 that the Levite

priests shall have no inheritance among their

brothers; the Lord is their

inheritanceClearly, the brothers in this

verse are Jewish brothers (among other Jewish

tribes, aside from the Levites). Similarly, the

prophet mentioned in Deuteronomy 18 who is

from among your own brothers must be

Jewish.38

iii. The New Testament is clear that Jesus is that

Prophet of which Moses spoke about.

37 The exact Hebrew phrase here in Deuteronomy 18:15 translated from your brothers

is found elsewhere only in Deuteronomy 24:14. The Hebrew phrase from your brother

(singular) is found in Deuteronomy 15:7. Neither exact phrase shows up outside of

Deuteronomy. 38

Rhodes, Ron. Reasoning from the Scriptures with Muslims. Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 2002, 58.

28

1. Peter confesses: Moses said, The

Lord God shall raise up for you a

prophet like me from your brethren; to

Him you shall give heed in everything

He says to you. And it shall be that

every soul that does not heed that

prophet shall be utterly destroyed from

among the people (Act 3:22-23).

2. The context of Acts 3 makes it clear

that Jesus is in view (3:18-20).

d. Conclusion:

i. Deuteronomy 18:15-22 cannot be a reference

to Muhammad for he was not of Jewish

ancestry which is what the passage calls for.

ii. Acts 3:22-23 says Jesus is the fulfillment of

Deuteronomy 18.

III. John 14:16-1739

16"I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper,

that He may be with you forever; 17

that is the Spirit of truth,

whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him

or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with

you and will be in you.

a. Context: Jesus is preparing His disciples for His

departure. So that they not worry, He informs them

that someone else is coming. In this passage, this

someone is called a Helper (paraklete).40

On

interpreting who this Helper is, He41

must meet

several qualifications:

i. He must be someone requested by Jesus and

sent by the Father.

ii. He will be around forever.

iii. He will not be seen or known by the world.

39 Other passages in John 15 and 16 that speak of the Helper are claimed by Muslims as

referring to Muhammad. We are just dealing primarily with John 14:16-17. 40

Only John uses paraklete (helper, counselor). The references are John14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7 and 1 John 2:1. 41

Since Helper (paraklete from the Greek, ) is masculine, we are justified in using He.

29

iv. He was already known by the disciples of

Jesus day.

v. He has the ability to dwell individuals.

b. Muslim Interpretation: Muslims believe that this is a

prophesy of Muhammad. They argue that the Greek

parakletefrom which is translated Helper

should actually read periclytos. Geisler and Rhodes

explain the Muslim reasoning:

Muslim scholars see in this reference of the

promised Helper (Greek, paraclete) a prediction

of Muhammad, because the Quran (Sura 61:6)

refers to Muhammad as Ahmad (periclytos),

which Muslims take to be the correct rendering of

paraclete.42

c. Biblical Interpretation and Response: The debate

revolves around who the Helper of verse 16 is. John

does not leave us ignorant as he tells us plainly in

14:26 that the identity of the Helper is the Holy Spirit.

i. It cannot be referring to Muhammad because,

using the criteria listed above:

1. Muslims deny God is a Father and

yet Jesus plainly states that the Helper

will be sent by the Father.

2. Muhammad has not been around

forever but the Holy Spirit has.

3. The Holy Spirit is invisible (Luke

24:39) but Muhammad was clearly

seen.

4. The Holy Spirit was already known by

the disciples but even the world would

not even know of Muhammad until

several hundred years later. By this

time, the disciples were long gone.

5. A key characteristic of the Holy Spirit

is His indwelling (cf. 1 Cor. 3:16). Yet,

Muhammad has never indwelt any

person.

6. Rhodes writes:

42 Geisler, Norman L. and Ron Rhodes. When Cultists Ask: A Popular Handbook on

Cultic Misinterpretations. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1997, 182,

30

Jesus identified the Counselor

or Comforter as the Holy Spirit

(John 14:26). This Comforter was

given to Christs apostles (John

14:16), and would testify about

Christnot Muhammad (John

15:26). He would abide with Christ

followers forever (Muhammad has

been dead 1300 years).Jesus

affirmed that the apostles know the

Comforter (the Holy SpiritJohn

14:17), but they did not know

Muhammad. The Comforter would

be sent in Jesus name (John 14:26),

but Muhammad did not come in

Jesus name. Jesus told His apostles

that the Comforter would be in you

(verse 17), but Muhammad was not

in Jesus apostles. The Comforter

would glorify Jesus (John 16:14),

but Muhammad claimed to supersede

Jesus. Further, the fulfillment of

Jesus words took place ten days

later on the day of Pentecost (Acts

1:4-5), not 600 years later in a city

hundreds of miles from Jerusalem.43

ii. The Muslim claim that the Greek should read periclytos instead of paraclete is without

basis. There is simply no evidence whatsoever

for this claim.

1. Geisler and Rhodes write, Of the

5,366 Greek manuscripts of the New

Testament, not a single manuscript

contains the word periclytos (praised

one), as the Muslims claim it should

read.44

d. It is one thing to claim that the Bible has been

corrupted (the Muslim position), but it is quite

43

Rhodes, Ron. Reasoning from the Scriptures with Muslims. Eugene, OR: Harvest

House, 2002, 63-64. 44

Geisler, Norman L. and Ron Rhodes. When Cultists Ask, 182.

31

another to make the claim that the Bible actually says

something when there is no manuscript evidence to

support it.

e. Conclusion:

i. The claim that the Helper is Muhammad is

very weak. The best evidence is to claim

that the text actually says something different

even though there is no manuscript evidence

whatsoever to back it up.

ii. If the Muslim insists that Muhammad is the

Helper, he must also insist that Muhammad

was a false prophet since he never did the

things the text says of him.

iii. Scripture is clear that the Holy Spirit is the

Helper (John 14:26). The qualifications that

must be met to be the Helper in John 14:16-

17 can only be fulfilled by God. This passage,

then, shows that the Holy Spirit is God. Even

the Muslim would never speak of Muhammad

as God.

32