Recently, I received a text message from a friend containing a video in which a Muslim imam claimed that the Bible does not teach that Jesus is God. In the video, a woman asks the man whether he is Muslim. He responds that he is, adding that he was once a Christian for about sixty years, while his wife and children remain Christians. He then claims that when one reads the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, it becomes clear that Jesus has a God, refers people to that God, and explicitly denies being that God Himself.
To support this claim, the speaker appeals to several biblical passages. He cites John 17:3, where Jesus says, “that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent,” concluding that since the Father sent Jesus, Jesus must be a messenger. He quotes Jesus’ words in John where Jesus says He can do nothing by Himself. He then points to Acts 2:22, where Peter calls Jesus “a man of Nazareth, attested by God” through miracles God performed through Him. Based on these statements, the speaker argues that God is not like His creation and invites Christians to worship the God whom Jesus worshiped, insisting that this is all Muslims are asking.
At first glance, this argument may sound persuasive because it selectively quotes Scripture. However, it collapses once the full biblical witness is considered. The Bi ...
