What every Muslim should know about the Bible and Injeel

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A picture of an open Bible. The page in the Bible reads, "The Holy Bible."

What should every Muslim know about the Bible 

1. The Bible is the Word of God. The great proof for the Bible being the Word of God is Jesus. Jesus lived by the Bible and Jesus is alive. His tomb is empty (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).

2. The Bible was written by about 40 human authors by divine inspiration over about 1,600 years (1500 B.C. [Moses] to about 100 A.D. [Apostle John]).

3. The Bible is a text that is a testimony to God’s work in history,

The Christian faith is an historical faith. It is bound up with certain happenings in the past, and if these happenings could be shown never to have occurred then the Christian faith would be found to have been built on sand.1

Christians believe the New Testament is the inspired Word of God because Jesus rose again from the dead and has ascended to the right hand of God in heaven. Jesus is the “Christ” means He sent the Holy Spirit Who inspired the writers of the New Testament. 

4. Contrary to the Qur’an, the truth is that Jesus was never given a book from heaven,

Quran 5:46-47 (Muhsin Khan)
And in their footsteps, We sent ‘Iesa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary), confirming the Taurat (Torah) that had come before him, and We gave him the Injeel (Gospel),2 in which was guidance and light and confirmation of the Taurat (Torah) that had come before it, a guidance and an admonition for Al-Muttaqun (the pious – see V. 2:2).
Let the people of the Injeel (Gospel) judge by what Allah has revealed therein. And whosoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed (then) such (people) are the Fasiqun (the rebellious i.e. disobedient (of a lesser degree) to Allah.

The Qur’anic claim about the Injeel is itself an attempt to corrupt the New Testament because Jesus was never given a book from heaven (Injeel). Followers of Jesus have four gospels, but they never had what the Quran refers to as the Injeel.3 The Qur’anic Injeel (book from heaven) does not exist and has never existed. 

Jesus is the revelation sent from heaven (John 1:14). Jesus is the good news and this good news culminated with His teaching about God, His death on the cross for sin, resurrection from the dead, and His ascension to the right hand of God.

If you have never read one of the Christian gospels, I invite you to read the Gospel of John.

5. The biblical teaching about Jesus’ death on the cross is clear. The Quranic account is unclear. Islam’s denial of Jesus’ death on the cross is not historical. 

Events that happen in history are true for everyone. Since the Muslim account concerning Jesus’ death and resurrection contradicts what happened in history, Islam cannot be true. 

6. Every Muslim should know both the Bible and Quran contain copyist errors.4

7. The Gospels don’t contain the names of those who wrote down the events and teachings about Jesus’ life: Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John. But this does not undermine their authority just as the authority of the Quran is not undermined because it does not contain the names of those who compiled it.

Related Posts

Jesus died on the cross and rose again from the dead (Quran 4:157-158)

Do you remember the time before you were born when you, and all humanity, testified to Islam? (Quran 7:172)

Will Jesus be buried next to Muhammad in Medina?

An example of Muslim corruption of Scripture: The Gospel of Barnabas

What every Christian should know about the Quran

The Quranic corruption of God’s Law (Quran 33:37)

 

Footnotes

  1. Alan Richardson, Christian Apologetics (London: SCM, 1947), 91, cited in Ronald H. Nash, Christian Faith and Historical Understanding, [Dallas: Word Publishing/Probe Books, 1984], 12.
  2. Translating the Arabic Injeel as “Gospel” adds further confusion because the Greek word Christians translate as “gospel” (euangelion) means “good news” and Jesus is the good news. Injeel does not have the same meaning; in fact, the Qur’an denies the good news about Jesus’ Sonship, death on the cross for sin and resurrection.
  3. The biblical word gospel (Greek: euangelion) refers to good news and preaching (Greek: euangelizō) the good news about the kingdom of God, God’s Messiah (Christ), and what Jesus accomplished and is accomplishing in history,

    1 Corinthians 15:1–4
    Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel (Greek: euangelion) which I preached (Greek: euangelizō) to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached (Greek: euangelizō) to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures…

    Jesus’ followers preached (Greek: euangelizō) the good news (Greek: euangelion) about Jesus and years later they wrote down the good news they preached in books Christians call gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

    The four gospels of Christianity are divinely inspired accounts about the good news of Jesus’ fulfilling the Old Testament Scriptures, His death for sin, His victory over the devil and death, and eternal life to those who believe in Him (John 20:30-31). The Qur’an—at almost every key point—either denies or does not clearly proclaim (euangelizō) the good news (euangelion) about Jesus Christ’s person and work.

  4. The Christian gospels contain no copyist errors from the Qur’anic Injeel, because the Qur’anic Injeel never existed (see #4).