Christian-Islamic Controversy

185 Pages·2011·1.13 MB·English

Christian-Islamic
Controversy

A Teachers’ Textbook

By
Gerhard Nehls
and

Walter Eric
2 Laying the Foundation

Resource Material
with Documentation of Original Sources

Christian-Islamic
Controversy

A Teachers’ Textbook

By
Gerhard Nehls and Walter Eric

This is a publication of
Life Challenge Africa © 2010 SIM
P.O. Box 50770, Nairobi - 00200, Kenya
New Fully Revised Edition 2005
SPECIAL CWBS Edition 2010
ISBN 9966 895 175
Introduction
Welcome! This Textbook is part of a set of five Teacher-Trainer
Manuals that are linked with a Student Handbook (REACH OUT). The
set includes:
Vol. 1 Islamics (green) Islam – Basic Aspects
Vol. 2 Apologetics (blue) Christian – Islamic Controversy
Vol. 3 Pragmatics (red) Tactical – Practical Approach
Vol. 4 Didatics Training of Trainers Materials
Vol. 5 Presentation File Display Materials for Teachers

Please keep in mind:
These notes depict primarily the view of original Islam as seen from its
sources. Much of this is not known to the Muslim “man in the street”. So
please use this information with wisdom and in a Christ-like spirit.
Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be babes,
but in your thinking be mature.
1Cor 14:20 (ASV)

THIS IS A TEACHER’S TEXTBOOK – NOT A DO-IT-YOURSELF
MANUAL!
A textbook is not to be read as another book. Its content has to be well
worked through to be fully understood.
It supplies the trainer with comprehensive, yet basic information. He has to
scrutinize this information and select his specific teaching materials. This
should be adjusted to the students, the situation in which they are likely to
work and the type of Muslims they are likely to meet. Anyone who like to
read about this in more detail should contact us for our various teaching
books, videos and CDs.
Some repetitions have been unavoidable. These are done for emphasis, or
because they relate to different subjects as well. But these notes are not
designed to stand on its own. You will learn a lot from Muslims as you
seek to share the Gospel in a meaningful way. It is so important to know
how Islam views Christians and Christianity. We need to understand the
Muslim’s world view, their perception of religion and some cultural
aspects, for these factors determine decisively our communication. There
are practical forms of how to present the Gospel, the good news, to this
specific group of people.
4 Laying the Foundation

These notes, however, do not supply quick answers, nor do they promise
instant results. Love and patience are always needed, and more so in
Muslim evangelism.

Which translations of Bible and Qur’an did we use?
All quotations from the Bible, unless otherwise specified, are from the
NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, 1984, by the International Bible
Society.
All quotations from the Qur’an, unless otherwise marked, are from the
translation by Abdullah Yussuf Ali, New Revised Edition, Amana
Corporation, Brentwood, Maryland, U.S.A., 1989. This is one of the most
acceptable translations to Muslims.
For practical reasons we have not included any Arabic texts in this edition.
Your instructors,
Gerhard Nehls and Walter Eric
Contents

1 LAYING THE FOUNDATION ........................................ 1
1.1 WHY DO WE NEED ‘APOLOGETICS’? ......................................... 1
1.1.1 Sharing also means defending ............................................. 1
1.1.2 Must we avoid Muslims who argue and dispute? ................. 2
1.1.3 When we dialogue, we must present a meaningful
argument! ............................................................................. 3
1.2 THE REASON FOR THE ISLAMIC - CHRISTIAN
CONTROVERSY ............................................................................. 4
1.3 WHAT PRESENT DAY MUSLIMS SAY ABOUT THE BIBLE AND
JESUS... ........................................................................................12
1.4 AND WHAT THE QUR’AN SAYS ABOUT THE BIBLE ...............14
1.5 A CHRISTIAN RESPONSE TO MUSLIM
ATTACKS ON THE BIBLE ...........................................................17
2 INSPIRATION AND REVELATION ............................. 20
2.1 THE ISLAMIC VIEW ......................................................................20
2.1.1 The Qur’an is eternally preserved on heavenly tablets ......20
2.1.2 The same message was given to former prophets ............20
2.1.3 The Qur’an was handed down by the angel Gabriel piece
by piece over 23 years .......................................................20
2.1.4 Subsequently the Qur’an is ‘nazil’ (= came down by
inspiration) ..........................................................................20
2.1.5 The Qur’an is considered to be revelation .........................21
2.1.6 But the inspiration was met with doubt ...............................21
2.1.7 Summary of Qur’anic revelation .........................................21
2.2 THE BIBLICAL CONCEPT ...........................................................22
2.2.1 Inspiration ...........................................................................22
2.2.2 Revelation ...........................................................................22
2.2.3 How Muslims view biblical revelation .................................23
2.2.4 How God reveals ................................................................26
2.2.5 God revealed Himself and His will......................................27
2.2.6 Prophets were not typewriters ............................................27
2.2.7 The proof of genuineness of revelation ..............................28
2.2.8 Conclusion ..........................................................................28
6 Laying the Foundation

3 ALLEGATIONS AGAINST THE BIBLE ...................... 30
3.1 HOW THE BIBLE WAS TRANSMITTED ......................................30
3.1.1 The critics and the Bible .....................................................31
3.1.2 Difficulties we find in the Bible ............................................32
3.2 THE NEW TESTAMENT DOCUMENTS .......................................34
3.2.1 The Canon of Scripture ......................................................35
3.2.2 The Old Testament Canon .................................................36
3.2.3 The New Testament Canon ...............................................36
3.3 INTERPOLATIONS AND OMISSIONS IN THE BIBLE ................39
3.3.1 Jesus commissions his disciples: Mark 16:9-20 ................40
3.3.1 The woman caught in adultery: John 7:53 - 8:11 ...............41
3.3.2 Prayer and fasting: Matthew 17:21.....................................42
3.3.3 Jesus taken up into heaven: Luke 24:51 ............................42
3.4 CONTRADICTIONS IN THE BIBLE..............................................43
3.4.1 Contradictions based on numbers .....................................43
3.4.2 Other contradictions ...........................................................45
3.4.3 The two differing genealogies of Jesus ..............................46
3.4.4 Can one see God? .............................................................47
3.5 SUPPORTING EVIDENCE ............................................................47
3.5.1 Fulfilled Biblical Prophecy ..................................................47
3.5.2 Eye witness reports ............................................................59
3.5.3 Archaeology ........................................................................61
3.5.4 History ................................................................................63
3.6 THE GOSPEL OF BARNABAS ....................................................65
3.6.1 Introduction .........................................................................65
3.6.2 The History of the Gospel of Barnabas ..............................65
3.6.3 The Islamic Challenge ........................................................66
3.6.4 A Christian Response to the Islamic Challenge .................68
3.6.5 External evidence ...............................................................68
3.6.6 Internal evidence ................................................................69
3.6.7 Problems in the Gospel of Barnabas .................................70
4 ALLEGATIONS AGAINST JESUS CHRIST ............... 76
4.1 OBJECTIONS TO THE DOCTRINE OF TRINITY ........................76
4.1.1 No man can understand the nature or character of God ...76
4.1.2 What the Qur’an says about Trinity ....................................77
4.1.3 Muslim objections to the Trinity of God ..............................78
4.1.4 The Concept of Trinity was progressively revealed in the
Old Testament (that is long before Christ) .........................79
4.1.5 The New Testament testifies to the triune nature of God...81
4.1.6 Analogies that illustrate the concept of the Trinity..............81
4.1.7 The glory of the triune God .................................................82
4.2 OBJECTIONS TO DIVINITY AND SONSHIP OF JESUS ............83
4.2.1 What the Qur’an says .........................................................83
4.2.2 Start at a point of agreement ..............................................83
4.2.3 What Muslims should know about Jesus in the Qur’an .....85
4.2.4 The Bible teaches the divinity of Jesus ..............................88
4.2.5 Problem texts that seemingly
contradict the above verses ..............................................92
4.2.6 Jesus – the Son of God ......................................................94
4.3 OBJECTIONS TO THE CRUCIFIXION .........................................98
4.3.1 What the Qur’an says .........................................................98
4.3.2 Islamic allegations ..............................................................98
4.3.3 The Substitution Theory .....................................................99
4.3.4 The Swooning Theory ......................................................100
4.3.5 The Sign of Jonah ............................................................100
4.3.6 Dead or Alive – How was Jonah in the belly of the fish? .101
4.3.7 The Time Factor – How long was Jesus in the grave? ....102
4.3.8 Did Jesus really die on the cross?....................................103
4.4 OBJECTIONS TO THE DOCTRINE OF ATONEMENT .............108
4.4.1 Introduction .......................................................................108
4.4.2 Muslim allegations ............................................................108
4.4.3 The conceptional problem of Muslims ..............................110
4.4.4 Does this doctrine provide a licence to sin? .....................111
4.4.5 How can a righteous and holy God be forgiving and
merciful? ...........................................................................113
8 Laying the Foundation

5 QUESTIONS THAT DEMAND AN ANSWER ........... 115
5.1 HAVE CHRISTIANS ELEVATED JESUS TO
THE STATUS OF UNIVERSALITY?...........................................115
5.1.1 Islam has assigned Muhammad the place of Jesus ........115
5.2 DO CHRISTIANS BELIEVE IN ‘INHERITED SIN’?....................119
5.3 WHY ARE THERE SO MANY DIFFERENT
VERSIONS OF THE BIBLE? ......................................................120
5.4 IS MUHAMMAD MENTIONED IN THE BIBLE? .........................121
5.4.1 The Old Testament prophecy of ‘The Prophet’ ................122
5.4.2 Is the name Ahmad found in the N.T.? ............................124
5.5 WHY DO CHRISTIANS FAIL TO FOLLOW
BIBLICAL FORMS OF WORSHIP?............................................126
5.6 WHY SO MANY DIFFERENT DENOMINATIONS? ...................129
5.7 IS CHRISTIANITY BASED ON ‘PAGAN’ ORIGINS? .................131
5.8 IS PAUL THE FOUNDER OF CHRISTIANITY? .........................132
5.8.1 Did Paul invent and propagate his own ideas about Jesus
Christ? ..............................................................................132
5.8.2 How does this argument compare with reality? ...............133
5.8.3 Facing the facts of history ................................................134
5.8.4 Synopsis of Biblical teaching ............................................135
5.9 DOES MODERN SCIENCE AFFIRM
THE DIVINE ORIGIN OF THE QUR’AN? ...................................135
5.9.1 The Muslim claim..............................................................136
5.9.2 The Christian response ....................................................136
5.9.3 Other fanciful assumptions considered ............................136
5.9.4 An argument from human embryology .............................138
5.9.5 Conclusion ........................................................................140
5.10 SOME MINOR ISSUES ...............................................................140
5.10.1 The mysterious number 19 ...............................................140
5.10.2 Who is Al-Masih, the Messiah? ........................................140
5.11 RIGHT METHODS AND APPROACHES ...................................142
5.11.1 Use objections as an opportunity for witness ...................143
5.11.2 So: Should a Christian argue about his faith? ..................144
Recommended Literature for Chapter 5: .....................................146
5.12 EPILOGUE ..................................................................................147
6 APPENDIX ................................................................ 150
6.1 WHY CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS? ..........................................150
6.1.1 God commands it .............................................................150
6.1.2 Bible people defended our faith ........................................151
6.1.3 Apologetics deepens and confirms the faith of Christians151
6.1.4 The world demands answers from Christians ..................152
6.1.5 Results confirm the need for apologetics .........................152
6.1.6 Reason demands apologetics ..........................................153
6.2 DETAILED PROPHECIES OF CHRIST’S DEATH .....................154
6.3 OLD TESTAMENT STORIES IN THE QUR’AN .........................158
6.4 BASIC QUR’AN INDEX ..............................................................166
6.5 BIBLIOGRAPHY .........................................................................170
6.6 INDEX ..........................................................................................173