NJAB - Islam and Christianity: A Contrast of Ways

Islam and Christianity:
A Contrast of Ways

To the Muslims I've met, befriended, or interacted with in North America and around the world, I've written this article to explain my faith in Jesus Christ as the only Way. Many in majority Muslim countries have assumed I'm Christian solely because my birth country (Canada), or home country (USA), is a Christian land. Neither country is majority Christian any longer. And, regardless, Christianity does not come by natural birth or country of citizenship - it never has. I'm a believer because God showed me the Way and enabled me to trust in Him.

Islam and Christianity have a common belief; both proclaim there's a need of salvation and a way to salvation. The west's fast growing trend is a people now known as "nones." These proclaim there's no way, claiming there's no God (or no knowable God) or no need for God. Islam and Christianity both exclaim, "There's a way, one path to God!" About one quarter of the world today claims to have found this way in Islam, another one third proclaim the way of Jesus.

It's important to understand that Islam and Christianity offer two different and opposing ways. If there's only one true way, this disparity is of utmost importance. To follow the true way is life; to follow a false way leads only to death.

Both the way of Islam and Christianity agree Jesus is the Messiah, blessed of God (Islam: mushia bi'l Baraka, "the Messiah-someone blessed by God"), and born of the Virgin Mary (Surah 19:20-21). Each holds that Jesus honored in this world and for eternity (Surah 3:45-47). Both understand Jesus was a prophet of God (Islam: rasul, "Prophet-Messenger") and believe Jesus is coming again to judge the living and the dead (Surah 43:61).

Muslims believe Jesus came to bring a special message from God to all people: the gospel (Islam: injil). They sometimes call him the Word from God (Islam: kalimah min Allah, "Word from or of God").

But, looking past these likenesses, these two ways are dramatically different.

The Qur'an mentions Jesus (Islam: Isa) 25 times; His Arabic name without meaning. The Greek New Testament speaks of Jesus by name 877 times. (English wording and sentence construction causes the name Jesus to appear up to 947 times in the ESV or 1225 in the NIV). Jesus comes from the Greek form of His Hebrew name, Yeshua, a name meaning "Yahweh is salvation" or "God saves." Beyond these hundreds of direct mentions, the rest of the New Testament directly or indirectly speaks of Jesus and His teaching. Further, Jesus made clear the entire Old Testament spoke about or pointed to Him (Luke 24:27, 44; John 5:39; Revelation 19:10). Jesus alone is the focus of all Scriptures. In Islam, while unique, Jesus remains a secondary figure. The true gospel (injil) of Jesus Christ is the entire message of Scriptures, not some secondary and now lost book. (Most Muslims believe Jesus once received a now lost gospel book from God, the injil; see Surah 5:46. Yet the Qur'an itself, in Surah 5:68; 5:47; 7:157; 6:114, recognizes the injil is the Christian book used in Muhammad's day in the 7th century AD. The true injil must be the Bible, the Old and New Testaments - texts accurately and verifiably relayed from the first century until now. We have about 200 Bible manuscripts from the 6th and 7th centuries alone, showing what Muhammad's Christian contemporaries were reading. John of Damascus Syria, a 7th century Christian who spoke Arabic, made clear that the Qur'an misrepresented the Scriptures of his day: see his Fount of Knowledge, part two, entitled Concerning Heresy, chapter 101).

Jesus himself is Christianity's Way! The eternal word of God (John 1:1), the Creator (John 1:3; Hebrews 1:2) took on Himself flesh (John 1:14) and came to earth that we may see the Father (John 14:9; 1:18). He came as savior of the world (John 4:42; 1 John 4:14). Jesus clearly expressed God's way to salvation:

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Jesus is both the Word of God and the Way. God's path to salvation is following the eternal and unchangeable Word of God (Hebrew 7:25, 13:8; Acts 4:12).

Islam's way is Sharia. In Arabic, Sharia means "path" or "the way" - their only way to salvation. Muslims believe Jesus cannot be the way because Sharia is the way. Unlike the unchangeable, eternal, Jesus revealed in the Bible, Sharia is changeable. Sharia is everything you must do or avoid doing if you're going to heaven. This includes some laws enforced by governments (including theft) but also many more rules. Details of what you eat to how you greet your neighbors are part of Sharia. It doesn't matter if there's an Islamic government enforcing these rules or the individual is personally alone in keeping them. Every Muslim is responsible to God as the eternal judge (Surah 6:164; 17:15; 35:18; 39:7; 53:8) for upholding these rules to have any hope of heaven (Surah 3:81-85).

Visiting many Islamic lands and people groups quickly show that Sharia varies widely within Islam. Each Muslim subgroup quickly says "they distort Islam" or "that's not what true Muslims believe," of the others. History reveals great disputes over essential Sharia. Recent events in the news show these disputes continue. In Islam's way, you have to hope you can do, or not do, enough deeds to please God and gain heaven. Because keeping Sharia depends on you, a fallible human being, and your current version of Sharia, there's no true assurance that you measure up. If your version of Sharia is correct, the implication is that multitudes of other Muslims are wrong and fall short of what's necessary to please God - and they would say the same of you.

With Jesus being the Way, the Christian has full assurance that they have gained favor with God. This comes by faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus simply, repeatedly, and clearly said "Follow Me! (Matthew 4:19, 8:22, 9:9, 10:38, 19:21; Mark 8:34, 10:21; Luke 9:23; John 8:12, 10:27, 12:26." Jesus' substitutionary sacrifice on the cross paid for sins, our Savior taking on Himself the just penalty for our failures and sin. Further, Jesus lived the perfect life we could never live and God credits this to our account. We have perfect acceptance by God because of Jesus. It's the Jesus revealed by all Scriptures, Old Testament and New, that we believe in and follow. Once for all, Jesus fully paid for all our sins (Hebrews 7:27). Now, out of love, we can live the life of service that God planned for us (Ephesians 2:8-10). We know that when we stumble we have an eternal advocate before the Father (1 John 2:1; Proverbs 24:16). Many Muslims see Christianity as divided, but this essential core remains true and accepted by all Christian believers through history: Jesus is the Way and all who will come to the Father must come through faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 16:31; Romans 10:9).

Muslims think it's impossible for someone to bear the penalty for another, as Jesus did (Surah 6:164, 17:15, 35:18, 53:38). But the Qur'an only says this is impossible for another sinner, someone already bearing a burden. Jesus, who didn't sin, was that perfect sacrifice and able to take our sins on Him. In the way of Sharia, the Qur'an teaches that Jesus didn't die on the cross; rather God had someone else die in His place, God taking Jesus into heaven (Surah 3:55, 169; 4:157-158; 5:117). Yet, the eternal gospel, the true injil of Jesus Christ, which Muhammad himself could read in the 7th century (or rather have read to him as he was professedly illiterate: Sura 7:157-158), says otherwise. We have Old Testament manuscripts from hundreds of years before Jesus and New Testament texts dating from immediately following the time of His apostles. They all testify - as does our Bible today - of Jesus' crucifixion, death, burial, and resurrection. All these ancient manuscripts uniformly carry the message to the world, across many languages, calling on people to believe in Jesus and to follow the Way. The Old Testament made clear the Savior needed to suffer and die and yet live again (for example: Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Psalms 22). The Apostles were eyewitnesses to the fulfillment - each seen the resurrected Christ (Luke 1:2; 2 Peter 1:16). They clearly taught that if not true our faith is useless and we'd still be in our sins (1 Corinthians 15:14).

Jesus' death on the cross was necessary; His death, His blood, paying the price of sin - once for all (Hebrews 9:22, 26). No further sacrifice is necessary, whether by Jewish High Priest or by Muslims during the Eid al-Adha as part of the Hajj. Only one perfect sacrifice can perfect the conscience of the worshiper, an offering covering and forgiving intentional and unintentional sins of believers. Only one perfect High Priest, Jesus, could offer such a sacrifice and simultaneously be that sacrifice, securing eternal salvation for all who believe. His works enable us to serve the Living God.

Hebrews 9:6-14 These preparations having thus been made, the priests go regularly into the first section, performing their ritual duties, 7 but into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people. 8 By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing 9 (which is symbolic for the present age).4 According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, 10 but deal only with food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation. 11   But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

Jesus, the Way, appointed his own Apostles. An apostle means "someone sent," with emphasis on the sender. Jesus picked, sent out, and gave power to these messengers to set up His church. They taught only what Jesus had taught or shown them, further clarifying for the church all that Jesus wanted His followers to know and understand until He returns. Jesus' appointed men repeatedly called themselves "an apostle of Jesus Christ," showing their authority rested in Him.

The way of Sharia recognizes that Jesus will return in judgment (Surah 43:61; 3:55; also Hadith Sahih al-Bukhari 43:656). They believe He will judge all who failed to uphold Sharia (Surah 4:157-159). Interestingly, Jesus is greater than Muhammad here. Jesus remains alive but Muhammad's dead in his grave and he too awaits the final judgment. Jesus' living return is, and should be, an event Muslims fear. In Sharia there's no assurance that God will view anyone's deeds as enough. And yes, Jesus is the righteous judge (2 Timothy 4:1, 8; 1 Peter 4:5).

For followers of the living Way, of Jesus Christ, we long for His return (Revelation 22:20). At His appearing we get to be with Him forever (John 17:24; Colossians 3:4; Revelation 22:3-4). Yes, He is the one who will judge the living and the dead (Acts 10:42; Romans 14:9). All who reject Him as Lord and God must fear this righteous judge (John 3:18). But "perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:17)" and all believers of Jesus Christ love Him and serve Him out of that love. We love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19) - yes, God loved us! Believers in Jesus have nothing to fear and everything to gain at His appearing (2 Timothy 4:8; 1 John 2:28).

The Qur'an mentions many prophets as sent by God with a message from Him. Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Job, Moses, Aaron, Jonah, Solomon and David are just a few. Other repeatedly mentioned biblical figures appearing in the Qur'an also come to mind: Adam (25 times), Isaac (17 times), Ishmael (12 times), Jacob (16 times) and, of course, Jesus ("Isa [25 times]," "Son of Mary [22 times]," "Messiah [8 times]," etc. [many dozens of times]).

Let's consider the biblical message of some of those early figures and authenticated prophets. We have accurately preserved Bible writings shown by original language manuscripts from before the time of Jesus, well before Muhammad. Indeed, Jesus and His apostles quoted those ancient texts. God planned for His people to follow the Way from the beginning. Physical descendants of Abraham or not, all who by faith follow God become Abraham's descendants. He's the father of all who believe (Romans 4:9-12). God called Abraham to follow God's Way (literally "Yahweh's Way") and to teach His children to walk in it (Genesis 18:19). God revealed much about the coming Messiah to the Old Testament prophet Isaiah, including that He would suffer and die. Isaiah too spoke of the Way of Holiness (Isaiah 35:8). He prophesied of John the Baptizers' coming calling people to prepare "the way of the Lord (Isaiah 40:3)." This anticipated the public revelation of Jesus. Isaiah proclaimed the God who "leads you in the way you should go (Isaiah 48:17)." He taught that God would bring peace to His people and "remove every obstruction from [His] people's way (Isaiah 57:14, read 13b-21)." Isaiah's message from God made clear the difference between following the correct path, or way, and that of the world:

Isaiah 59:7 Their feet run to evil, and they are swift to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; desolation and destruction are in their highways. 8 The way of peace they do not know, and there is no justice in their paths; they have made their roads crooked; no one who treads on them knows peace.

Prophet Jeremiah called for God's people to walk in His commanded Way (Jeremiah 7:23). The final written Old Testament prophet rebuked Jewish priests because they "turned aside from the Way. (Malachi 2:8, read from verse 1-9)." During that time God proclaimed through Malachi that He was sending a messenger to prepare the way. He foretold John the Baptist coming to prepare the way for the Lord to "suddenly come to his temple." The Lord Jesus came to the temple as God foretold through Malachi (Malachi 2:17-3:1). Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, writers of books commonly known as gospels are together writers of complementary portions of the eternal gospel (injil) of Jesus. Each pointed to the writings of early prophets as fulfilled in Jesus and His forerunner John the Baptist (for example: Matthew 3:3; Mark 1:3; Luke 3:4; John 1:23).

Returning to those early prophets, Moses clearly proclaimed:

Deuteronomy 18:15 "The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers-it is to him you shall listen- 16 just as you desired of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, 'Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die.' 17 And the LORD said to me, 'They are right in what they have spoken. 18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.

The New Testament shows Jesus' followers recognized Jesus as that prophesied Prophet. He's the only prophet who spoke God's words directly to the people in a way not heard since God spoke directly from heaven while the people were at Mt. Sinai (see John 1:45; Acts 3:22-23, 7:37). Any unwilling to listen to this prophet's words, Jesus' words, is cut off from God's people forever (Acts 3:23, read verses 19-26).

God's Way proclaimed by Jesus - literally embodied by Jesus - shows He fulfills the Law and the Prophets. He came to proclaim life that's found only in Him. Sure there are seemingly easier ways; the world has many, including Sharia. Yet they are imitators, easy roads trapping people and leading to sure destruction. There's no peace in them (Isaiah 48:22; 57:21; Romans 3:10-18).

Matthew 7:12-14 "So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. 13 "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

Jesus reminded His disciples they knew the way to where He was going because they knew Him. Their appeal for clarification brings us again to the most important words in history:

John 14:4 And you know the way to where I am going."3 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?" 6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Jesus' followers, disciples, and apostles became known as followers of the Way and people belonging to the Way (Acts 9:2, 19:9, 24:14, 22). They both followed Jesus and belonged to Him (given by the Father: John 17:24; Ephesians 1:4). They were willing to suffer and die for the privilege of proclaiming God's only Way. Believers in Jesus follow this Way because it's the revealed "way of truth (2 Peter 2:2)."

God's law (the Torah) shows Jews and Gentiles unable to please God by works (Romans 7:7). It does the same for Muslims walking in rule-based Sharia. Jesus' Way is "the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes (Romans 10:4)." We live by faith in the living Christ, the Messiah (Ephesians 2:8-10).

The Qur'anic based Tawhid of Sharia's way includes a well-known declaration that there's only one God (Surah 16:51; 47:19; 112:1). The Way of Jesus, built on the testimony of the Old Testament prophets, similarly and confidently confirms God's oneness. Christians declares with Israel the Shema, as given by the prophet Moses: "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one (Deuteronomy 6:4)." Muslims often accuse Christians of having a plurality of Gods (Surah 4:171; 5:73; 5:116) because they don't understand God's revelation, both Old Testament and New, including the words of ancient prophets, Jesus, and His apostles. Jesus is the eternal word of God come in the flesh (John 1:1, 14) and the Son of God (Matthew 16:16; Luke 1:35; John 3:18, 5:25 versus Surah 112:3). This is in great contrast to Islam's belief the Qur'an itself is God's eternal word. The Bible reveals God the Father and the Holy Spirit too as God (John 6:45, 8:54, 20:17 versus Surah 5:18), not three Gods but together each God and each fully God. I am a "human being," singular. I have trouble wrapping my mind around this eternal "God being," singular, who is forever three persons and yet one substance, or essence, or entity. Christians could never imagine such a Being apart from God's messengers and God Himself revealing this to us. (A full study showing God's revelation of the Trinity from Scriptures is beyond the scope of this article, yet readily available. The term Trinity, of course, doesn't appear in Scriptures but is a word commonly used to describe the idea found in Scriptures). Many have misunderstood the Trinity throughout history, claiming this is three separate Gods. Yet, the church echoes Paul, "For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5; see also 1 Corinthians 8:6)." The Qur'an rightly condemns a Trinity that includes Allah, Jesus, and Mary (Surah 5:116) - all Christians reject such an idea too. Scriptures record God blessed Mary, the Lord's servant, but she was - and remains - Jesus' human mother.

Many Muslims claim to respect Jesus (Isa), yet they respect only the caricature of Jesus they know. Followers of Sharia readily mock or disparage the Jesus of Scriptures, the One who died and rose again. They denounce Jesus who is God in the flesh, the eternal Son of God. In reality, they disrespect the Jesus of Scriptures - the one all Christians worship. Christians believe in Jesus Christ who is priest (in the line of Melchizedek; Psalms 110:4; Hebrews 5:6, 10; 6:20; 7:17). He is also king (eternally on the throne of David; Psalms 132:11; Isaiah 9:7; Luke 1:32). And He is prophet (Deuteronomy 18:15-19; Acts 3:19-26). But Jesus is more than this, He is Deity (John 8:58; 10:30-33; 20:28; Isaiah 9:6) and there's a chasm of difference between a mere prophet and Deity.

Within Islam, many hear the Christian church picked Bible books for inclusion and exclusion at the Council of Nicea (325 AD). Most claim the Christian church created the Trinity at this same meeting. These myths readily fall based on the historical record. This great council, the first widespread gathering of the church after many years of persecution, didn't add to Scriptures or redefine God. The gathered church leaders used the already recognized books of the Bible to refute a recent heresy. A teacher claimed Jesus was god but not eternal God, rather a first creation of the eternal God. The council, based on recognized Scriptures, both New Testament and Old, rejected this new claim. Their rejection saw this as a claimed plurality of Gods, a claim of multiple Gods. The council overwhelmingly reaffirmed the historic and unwavering belief of the Christian church - there's only one God, eternally existing as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

The eternal Way, Jesus, is forever our perfect standard. All Scriptures points to and speaks of Him; His incarnation, His life, was the culmination. He came and taught mercy and forgiveness and lived these in perfection. Jesus commanded His followers to not fight, to not take up the sword (Matthew 26:52), but rather to turn the other cheek (Matthew 5:38-42; Romans 12:19; 1 Peter 2:20-23; Luke 6:29-31). He similarly commanded believers to show mercy and to love and pray for their enemies (Matthew 5:43-48; Luke 6:32-36).

Throughout history many claimed the name Christian but failed to recognize and live the Way of Jesus. (History includes similarly declared Muslims failing to follow Sharia's way). The crusades (around 1095-1291 AD), that slaughtered Jews and Muslims and even Christians of the Eastern Church, are a prime example of declared Christians failing to follow the Way of Jesus. Don't judge Christianity for those claiming its name but failing to uphold its principles.

The early church modeled the way of Jesus well in the years before Christianity became the official religion of the Roman and Byzantine Empires. For over two hundred years early believers suffered loss of property, status, jobs, and even their lives for following the Way of Jesus. They didn't take up the sword or fight against their persecutors. Rather they shared Jesus' gospel and loved their enemies, even praying for them as their tormentors condemned them to death. These true martyrs for the Way were witnesses of Jesus' life-changing love even to death. They died by the sword, not wielding it.

God's word makes clear that obeying Jesus' command isn't optional for His people, rather obedience is proof of a life submitted to Him:

1 John 2:1-6   My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. 3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 Whoever says "I know him" but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

John 14:15-24   "If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. 18   "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him." 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, "Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?" 23 Jesus answered him, "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me.

A life submitted to God in the Way of Jesus Christ is far different that a life submitted to Allah in the way of Sharia (the word Islam means submission). First, Jesus is far more than a prophet - He is Deity! Within Islam, the greatest prophet is Muhammad. A quick contrasting look at the lives of Jesus and Muhammad, and their immediate followers, clearly contrasts the differences between these two ways:

Jesus taught His followers to love, to forgive, to not take up the sword. His apostles and immediate followers lived this to the point of giving their own lives in purpose of sharing the gospel to a world that hated them. Many Christian believers still walk in this Way. Unlike those whose Sharia calls Muslims to avenge insults of their prophet, though blasphemous insults of Jesus may grieve a Christian we don't seek to harm the blasphemer. We follow Jesus' earthly example; He didn't retaliate when mocked to His face (Matthew 27:29, 31, 41; Isaiah 53:7 & Acts 8:32-35). Because Christians serve a living Savior, there's no need for us to avenge Him, seek revenge on our enemies, or carry out personal judgment on others. He's promised to look after all necessary judging Himself in the end:

Romans 12:19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." (See also Hebrew 10:29-31)

Many Muslims claim those who kill in the name of Allah aren't following sharia, that their way isn't the way of Islam. Yet Muhammad lived by the sword, conquering and killing (including beheading) in the name of Allah (Hadith Abu Dawud 4390; al-Bukhari 56:369; 4:241; Ibn Ishaq 819, 995, 451). The Caliphs following the prophet of Muhammad did the same, forcibly converting peoples or slaughtering those who resisted. Many followers of the prophet still walk in his way and follow his example. They seek harm or death for any who would abandon or reject Islam's way, or at least their understanding of Sharia (Surah 4:89; 2:217; 5:54; 9:66; Hadith Sahih al-Bukhari: 52:260, 84:57-58, 64-65; 89:271; 11:626).

I'm a follower of the Way of Jesus Christ. By faith I choose the way of peace, the way of love, the way of submission to the commands of the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6), my Lord and Savior, Jesus the Messiah. Though you disagree or choose to follow another way, or even abandon Christianity, I won't wish for your harm or your death. I will follow Jesus' Way, who said: "But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you (Matthew 5:44)." It's my prayer that God will draw you to Him (John 6:44). It's my hope that you will submit yourself to the eternal God by the only means He fixed from eternity - through His son Jesus the Christ (Acts 4:12).

Article by Brent MacDonald, (c) 2018 Rev 2.
Lion Tracks Ministries (a division of Cottage Cove's Discipleship Training Institute)