Christian Challenge International

"Ask the Pastor"

We frequently receive questions in email from people about doctrine, practice, etc. From time to time we will post the questions and the answers here on the web page. If you'd like to submit a question, simply email our pastor at Bro.Buddy@ChristianChallenge.org or use the form below.

February 7, 2004

Hi ***(name removed),

I am pleased to meet you. Sorry for my delay in responding. As a
pastor I am quite busy at times. In any event I will speak as well as
I can to what you had to say. However, I will only respond to those
portions that are pertinent to our dialogue. Much of what you share
is simply conjecture, so I won't deal with those portions. My
reasonings will come from the Scriptures themselves.

> After my extensive study of Bible and Quran for almost two years, I
> have come up to the conclusion that Mohammad is prophet of God that
> is mentioned in Bible and that Quran and Bible are both word of God.

Thank you for acknowledging that the Bible is the word of God.
This gives us a good place to start. As for Mohammad being the
prophet of God that is mentioned in the Bible, I must disagree.
However, Jesus may have had Mohammed in view, when He said,
"I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if
another comes in his own name, you will receive him." (John 5:43)

Many of the Jews and Arabic peoples turned from Jesus and
became followers of Mohammed. Mohammed himself included
Jesus as one of the great prophets. He never accorded to Jesus
what is truly said about Him in the Bible.

Unless we can accept that Jesus Christ is truly the Son of God then
we are unable to say that the Bible is truly God's Word. This is what
the Bible teaches. This is what Jesus Himself taught. The Bible
calls Jesus Immanuel, which means, God with us.

> I like to share with you why I think this way and if I am wrong,
> please correct me and explain to me why I am wrong.

I will listen carefully to what you have to share.

> The reason for sending this email is not to insult any of my friends
> who practice different faith than mine, but this is only a simple
> inter-faith conversation among children of God.

I accept your premise for sending the email. It is graciousness on
your part. I will most surely treat you with due respect.

> Please read all of this email and check the websites that I give you
> in this email before making any judgment.

Since I am quite familiar with Islam, there is little need for me to
attend the websites. I am familiar with the arguments. I've read
the Koran and have studied the Muslim faith. In fact I believe that
in some respects Islam is not far from truth. The issue centers on
the person of Jesus. Where Islam accounts Him as a great prophet,
we as Christians know Him as God.

> I start with some versus of Old testament: Blessing of an individual
> by God, in biblical language, means Prophet will be born from his
> descendants.

Why would the blessing of an individual by God mean that a
Prophet will be born to this person? God has blessed a great many
people without regard to their lineage including prophets.

> God blessed Abraham and his descendants and made Covenants before
> any child was born (Gen. 12:2, Gen. 15:18). This means that none of
> the children may be excluded.

God said that the covenant blessing would pass through Isaac, not
Ishmael. The covenant was to be finally realized in Jesus Christ.
Thus all peoples of the earth would be blessed in Him. The issue
isn't Isaac or Ishmael. It is about Jesus.

The New Testament opens with, "The record of Jesus the Messiah,
the son of David, the son of Abraham; Abraham was the father of
Isaac..." (No mention of Ishmael. Cf. Matt1:1,2) Since you already
believe that the Bible is the Word of God, then you must accept
this proof text given by God Himself.

The Bible refers back to Abraham, saying, "It was he to whom it
was said, 'In Isaac your descendants shall be called.'" (Heb11:18)

> God confirmed it to Hagar when she was by the spring of water on the
> way to Shur, when she was pregnant with Ishmael (Gen.16:7-12).

It wasn't the covenant of Abraham that was confirmed to Hagar.
The Lord merely described the descendants of Ishmael. He said,
"He will be a wild donkey of a man, his hand will be against
everyone, and everyone's hand will be against him; and he will live
to the east of his brothers."

> God reiterated His covenant after the birth of Ishmael and before
> the birth of Isaac (Gen.: 17:7).

Ishmael is not in this picture. You must read the entire chapter.
When Abraham said, "Oh that Ishmael might live before You!" the
Lord responded, "No, but Sarah your wife will bear a son, and you
shall call his name Isaac; and I will establish My covenant with him
for an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him."
(Vv18,19)

> The Holy Bible says that the Right of first born, , can not be
> affected by the social status of the mother.

God can set aside the right of the first born at any time, and He
often did. He chose Jacob over Esau, yet Esau was the firstborn.
He chose Joseph over Reuben because of Reuben's sin, yet
Reuben was the firstborn. God blessed Ephraim over Manasseh,
though Manasseh was firstborn.

> Now if we look at bible ( I am using NIV of bible), we see that God
> speaks to Moses and tell him that "I will raise up for them (Jews) a
> Prophet like you (Moses) ....... continue reading your self
> (Deuteronomy 18:18-22). The Christians claim that this verse refers
> to Jesus.

To make this speak of Mohammed does damage to the Scriptures.
There is no question that this portion refers to Jesus. When God
says that He will put His word in the Prophet's mouth, we need to
understand the underlying thought in this. God is speaking of a
covenant to come, and if the people do not heed this Prophet, they
will be cut off. Jesus Christ Himself is the Word of God. He came
with the Word from heaven. The Word pertains to the gospel.

Jesus said, "Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the
Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My
own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works." (John
14:10)

Moses said, "The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like
me from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to
him." There is no sense in which the term "your countrymen" can
refer to any people group other than Israel.

The Bible says that Jesus is the Prophet. Every word He spoke was
and is an infallible oracle of God. In the Acts of the Apostles we
read, "Moses said, 'The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet
like me from your brethren; to Him you shall give heed to
everything He says to you." (Acts 3:22) The apostle applies this to
Jesus. Since you said that you believe the Bible is the word of God,
here we have another given evidence that the Prophet is Jesus.

> . . . furthermore, if this prophet is Jesus, then why do Christians
> say he is God, Unique son of God and so on if God says he is a
> prophet just like Moses???

Jesus instituted a new covenant. Moses was the instrument by
which the former covenant of Law was instituted. The Bible itself
says that Jesus is the Son of God. It also says that He is God
revealed in the flesh.

> Mohammad always started his statements in God's name. See the Quran
> to witness this. But Jesus did not start his statements with the
> name of God (I have not seen this usually happen in bible).

This also confused the rabbis of Israel. They were use to quoting
one another. Jesus had no need to do that. He Himself is God.
Why would He need to quote Himself? It is written, "'I am the Alpha
and Omega,' says the Lord God, 'who is and who was and who is to
come, the Almighty.'" (This is spoken by Jesus. Cf. Rev1:8)

When the book of Revelation closes it gives this picture; "Then he
showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from
the throne of God and of the Lamb." Notice there is only one
throne, but it is called the throne of God and of the Lamb.
Somehow God and the Lamb are one and the same. This is part of
the divine mystery.

Then we have this prophecy concerning Jesus. The prophet
Zechariah spoke of the second coming of Jesus, and identified Him
as the God of Israel; "I will pour our 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, and they will weep
bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn." (Zech
12:10)

Notice that it is the Lord God speaking, yet He says that the One
the peoples will look upon, that is, the pierced one, will be Yahweh
Himself. Jesus Christ is both man and God.

***(Name removed), in bringing my comments to a close I want to say that what
you are struggling over is not really about Mohammed. It is about
Jesus. Either Jesus is who He said He was, or He is a deceiver. I
believe with all my heart that Jesus Christ is the Lord God. I believe
that He died for my sins and for the sins of the whole world. I have
received Him as my personal Savior. I have His Spirit indwelling
the deepest of my humanity. I love Him with a passion, and I know
Him personally.

As for Mohammed, I must leave that with you.

Thank you for writing,

Buddy

Bro. Buddy Martin - Ask the Pastor

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Lawrence "Buddy" Martin
email: Bro.Buddy@ChristianChallenge.org
Web: http://www.ChristianChallenge.org