Click to ViewSeven Lesson Sunday Morning Sermon Series on Islam

Sermon #4

"The Books" Sermon Series

The superiority of the Bible, with a view to Islam.

Introduction

The discussion we are having tonight between Christians and Muslim's began the day the Qur'an claimed in Q4:157, that Jesus did not die across as the Bible says, but someone who merely looked like him died in his place. What I call, "the case of the mistaken identity." The entire new Testament is founded upon this one historic fact. Needless to say Christians and Muslim's have been talking ever since. The message of the new Testament is summarized in John 14:6 where Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." (John 14:6) This Gospel message has unchanged for 2000 years. The apostles proclaimed it, I proclaiming it, and the Christians who stood before Muhammad proclaimed it to him, just does Muhammad recorded in Koran 2:111, "And they say: "None shall enter Paradise unless he be a Jew or a Christian." Those are their (vain) desires. Say: "Produce your proof if you are truthful."" (Q2:111) so in obedience to Muhammad I produce the proof he requested.

I. The all sufficient book

My nickname for the Bible is "The all sufficient book".

  1. 2 Peter 1:3 says, "seeing that God's divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness"
  2. Jude 3, "contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints."
  3. John 16:13, "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth"
  4. The Bible contains 100% of the information needed for being a Christian.
  5. The sign on our church building say, "doing Bible things in Bible ways."

By using the Bible alone we can attain the following 10 things:

  1. Life in the name of Jesus (John 20:30-31)
  2. Commands of the Lord (1 Cor. 14:37)
  3. Knowledge of the mystery of Christ (Eph. 3:2-5).
  4. The proper conduct (1 Tim. 3:14-15);
  5. Every good work (2 Tim. 3:16-17);
  6. Protection against sin (1 John 2:1);
  7. An assurance of eternal life (1 John 5:13);
  8. Standard by which the doctrine of all religious leaders are tested (Acts 17:11; 1 Cor. 4:6);
  9. Joy that is complete (1 John 1:1-4);
  10. Standard of judgment (Rev. 20:12).

(The Koran on the other hand, is not all sufficient: )

Unlike the Bible, the Koran is not all sufficient by itself, but needs the Hadith. For example, only in the Hadith do we learn that Muslims are to pray 5 times a day. The Qur'an by itself, is like a red sports car with no motor. The seller strokes it, extols its virtues, but when you sit behind the wheel and turn the key it won't run! It is only after considerable confusion (which the Pakistani scholar Maududi acknowledged) that you realize that the Qur'an cannot drive the Koran without the Hadith. Thus Muslim scholars say the Qur'an and Hadith MUST both be preserved.

II. The indestructible book

The Muslim view of the Bible:

Muslims may be surprised to learn that, contrary to popular belief, the Koran never charges the Bible with textual corruption. (The Quran declares the Bible to be a true revelation of God and demands faith in the Bible. Sura 2:40-42,126,136,285; 3:3,71,93; 4:47,136; 5:47-51, 69,71-72; 6:91; 10:37,94; 21:7; 29:45,46; 35:31; 46:11)

It may also surprise Muslims that historically, the first Muslim to trash the Bible was Ibn-Khazem, in 1064 AD.

Although Muslims and Christians both teach that the new Testament was inspired by God, Muslim's today, claim that most of the text has been lost altered and corrupted, so much that the Bible and holding my hand is almost a complete forgery and corruption from what was originally written.

Yusuf Ali:

Commenting on Q3:49, footnote 390. "The original Gospel (see iii. 48) was not the various stories written afterwards by disciples [in the new Testament], but the real Message taught direct by Jesus."

In footnote 67, Ali says, "Moses prayed for his people, and God forgave them. This is the language of the Qur'an. The Old Testament version is rougher: "The Lord repented of the evil which He thought to do unto His people" : Exod. xxxii. 14. The Muslim position has always been that the Jewish (and Christian) scriptures as they stand cannot be traced direct to Moses and Jesus, but are later compilations. Modern scholarship and Higher Criticism has left no doubt on the subject. But the stories in these traditional books may be used in an appeal to those who use them : only they should be spiritualised, as they are here, especially in v. 54 below." (The holy Qur'an, text, translation and commentary by Abdullah Yusuf Ali. 1872-1952, First published in 1938, 1973 ed., p. 29, footnote 67, commenting on 2:52)

Muslims today are taught that the Bible is so badly corrupted, that when Jesus, the Muslim, cried out on the cross, he did not say, "ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI", but "Allah, Allah, LAMA SABACHTHANI".

Muslims often refer to their "Muslim evangelist", Ahmed Deedat in his book, "Allah in the Bible, What is His Name?" says that "Allelujah" in Rev 19:1 means refers to Allah not Jehovah. He bases this on the fact that Allelu sounds similar to Allah. Problem with this is that Allelu corresponds to praise and the Jah of Allelujah corresponds to the name of God as Jehovah. Deeded also says that when Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI? that is to say, My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me'? (Matthew 27:46), He was really crying out to Allah. Most puzzling is that Deedat doesn't even believe Jesus was ever on the cross or ever uttered any of these words."

In fact I challenge any Muslim to find one place in the Bible where "Allah" is ever used once.

(What the Bible says about itself:)

Wheat seed was found in the pyramids that was dated to around 2500 BC (It was there for the dead Pharaoh to eat if he got hungry.) Scientists realized it was an important find which would enable them to determine what variety of wheat was in use in the ancient world and could be invaluable for engineering new types of wheat. They took the wheat seed and planted it in fertile soil. Then an amazing thing happened to the 4500 year old seed...It grew! Scientists were stunned. Yet to county folk it was no big news. Farmers understand that seed needs three things for survival; constant darkness, cool temperature and dryness. The Pyramids are the perfect place to store seeds.

Modern skeptics are constantly attacking the Bible. They say parts of the Bible have been lost altered or corrupted over time. They say the Bible we have in our hands is vastly different from the original one 2000 years ago. Such charges are not based upon fact but are an irresponsible and deceptive slur against Gods Holy word. The Dead Sea scrolls, were written about 100 BC. They contained copies of and quotations from many Old Testament books. When they were discovered about 50 years ago, Bible students were anxious to see if the text of Isaiah, for example, had changed in 2000 years. To their delight, the Dead Sea Scrolls confirmed the accuracy of our modern Bibles and muzzled the skeptics.

The Holy Spirit compared the Bible to imperishable seed, "You have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and abiding word of God. For, 'All flesh is like grass, ... but the word of the Lord abides forever.' And this is the word which was preached to you" 1 Peter 1:23-25. Peter tells us that the Bible is an indestructible seed. God has promised that He would preserve the message of the Bible, "My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it" Isa 55:11. Jesus said in John 10:35, "the Scripture cannot be broken".

III. A book of solid textual transmission

Textual scholar, Geisler said, "There is more abundant and accurate manuscript evidence for the New Testament than for any other book from the ancient world. There are more manuscripts copied with greater accuracy and earlier dating than for any secular classic from antiquity. First, let us examine the number and nature of the New Testament manuscripts themselves.... The total count of Greek manuscripts of the New Testament is now around 5,000. The New Testament scholar Bruce Metzger counts 76 papyri, 250 uncials, 2,646 minuscules, and 1,997 lectionary manuscripts. This would total 4,969. No other book from antiquity possesses anything like this abundance in manuscripts. (Geisler, Christian Apologetics, 306-307)

Textual variants in the Bible:

If we took the sum of all the 5,000 manuscripts of the Bible we will find differences ranging from a missing single letter to entire verses.

I make these three important comments to my Muslim friends,

    1. All the differences affect less than 1 percent of Scripture.
    2. None of the textual variants change any doctrine or believe taught in the Bible. This is what Jesus meant when he said Scripture cannot be broken. The message of salvation and the kingdom of God is the same in every Bible in every country in every language in the world.
    3. And perhaps most importantly, only Muslim's claim the Koran contains no textual variants. Christians openly admit textual variants in the Bible, but the proof of textual variants in the Koran is devastating to Muslims for it contradicts their belief in the "unchangeable Mother book" in heaven.

Author

Date Written

Earliest Copy

Time Span

Copies (extent)

Secular Manuscripts:

Herodotus (History)

480 - 425 BC

900 AD

1,300 years

8

Thucydides (History)

460 - 400 BC

900 AD

1,300 years

?

Aristotle (Philosopher)

384 - 322 BC

1,100 AD

1,400 years

5

Caesar (History)

100 - 44 BC

900 AD

1,000 years

10

Pliny (History)

61 - 113 AD

850 AD

750 years

7

Suetonius (Roman History)

70 - 140 AD

950 AD

800 years

?

Tacitus (Greek History)

100 AD

1,100 AD

1,000 years

20

Biblical Manuscripts: (note: these are individual manuscripts)

Magdalene Ms (Matthew 26)

1st century

50-60 AD

co-existant (?)

 

John Rylands (John)

90 AD

130 AD

40 years

 

Bodmer Papyrus II (John)

90 AD

150-200 AD

60-110 years

 

Chester Beatty Papyri (N.T.)

1st century

200 AD

150 years

 

Diatessaron by Tatian (Gospels)

1st century

200 AD

150 years

 

Codex Vaticanus (Bible)

1st century

325-350 AD

275-300 years

 

Codex Sinaiticus (Bible)

1st century

350 AD

300 years

 

Codex Alexandrinus (Bible)

1st century

400 AD

350 years

 

Total New Testament manuscripts = 5,300 Greek MSS, 10,000 Latin Vulgates, 9,300 others = 24,000 copies. Total MSS compiled prior to 600 AD = 230

Koranic Manuscripts:

Samarqand MSS is in Tashkent, in "Kufic" script

 

 

200 Years

1

MSS in the Topkapi Museum in Istanbul, in "Kufic" script. (Muslim authorities will not release photographs)

 

 

200 Years

1

British Museum MSS, in the "Ma'il" script

 

 

190 Years

1

Koranic fragmentary MSS

 

 

100 Years

Many

Archeology: "Muhammad first called a prophet"

 

 

100 Years

Many

IV. The Muslim view of the Old Testament:

The Muslim Hadith, Vol. 4, Book 033, no. 6411, states that the Jewish Torah (Gen-Deut) came into existence 40 years before Adam was created. Yet it is a historical fact, that Jesus accepted the Torah of his day, known as the Septuagint version, which is actually a Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament 250 years before Jesus was born. The dead Sea Scrolls prove that the Torah Jesus used, is identical the Torah I preach from today. Jesus therefore accepted, what Muslims reject. This means that the Islamic concept that the Torah pre-existed Adam by 40 years is vacuous. It also proves the Old Testament has not been corrupted. After all, if the Torah is also inscribed on some "mother tablet" in heaven as Muslims believe, why was it not preserved?

"Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: There was an argument between Adam and Moses (peace be upon both of them) in the presence of their Lord. Adam came the better of Moses. Moses said: Are you that Adam whom Allah created with His Hand and breathed into him His spirit, and commanded angels to fall in prostration before him and He made you live in Paradise with comfort and ease. Then you caused the people to get down to the earth because of your lapse. Adam said: Are you that Moses whom Allah selected for His Messengership and for His conversation with him and conferred upon you the tablets, in which everything was clearly explained and granted you the audience in order to have confidential talk with you. What is your opinion, how long Torah would have been written before I was created? Moses said: Forty years before. Adam said: Did you not see these words: Adam committed an error and he was enticed to (do so). He (Moses) said: Yes. Whereupon, he (Adam) said: Do you then blame me for an act which Allah had ordained for me forty years before He created me? Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: This is how Adam came the better of Moses."

 

V. The Bible is the most historically verified book on earth

Today, so many Bible cities, names and events have been unearthed, through archaeology that the Bible is considered the single most important historical document in existence. Many lost cities have been located using the Bible as a road map. So startling and impressive are some of the finds that one archaeologist was compelled to say, "They are digging up Bible stories!" There are no known historical errors in the Bible, but there are several glaring historical errors in the Koran.

VI. The Bible contains a Unified message, cover to cover!

Have you ever discussed some controversial subject with a small group of your friends. Chances are, not everyone agreed with your personal point of view! Do the guests of a typical television talk show ever agree? Very rarely! In contrast, 40 different men wrote the 66 books of the Bible and discuss hundreds of controversial subjects, yet they all agree. What makes this even more remarkable is that the 40 Bible writers lived as much as 1600 years apart. Imagine their cultural differences! Despite this great potential for contradiction between Bible writers, there is harmony and unity in the Bible's message. That is because the Holy Spirit was directly guiding each of the 40 men to write the Bible.

One scholar has noted that the unity found in the Bible is vastly superior to the sacred writings of all other world religions, including Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Bahai, and Islam. Anyone who has ever studied these writings must admit they are jumbles of disjointed material, without order, continuity or unity of any kind. The 66 books of the Bible on the other hand, weave a unified message from Genesis to Revelation.

Consider the high degree of unity found within the Bible. There is nothing like this, not even approaching this, in any other collection of sacred books of any world religion. The direct inspiration of God is what sets the Bible apart from all other books. The unity of the Bible is a powerful argument for divine inspiration because even a small group of men can rarely come to any degree of unity on even one topic.

VII. The Bible is A Book Of Verified Divine Prophecy

Prophecy is foretelling an event in such detail before it happens, so as to necessarily require divine guidance. The Bible is a book containing hundreds of detailed prophecies. There are, for example, well over 60 distinct predictions in regard to our divine Saviour. Did you know that there are at least 29 distinct prophecies foretelling the crucifixion of Christ? Not only were the predictions made 1000 years before the cross, but they were made over 500 years before crucifixion was first used as a form of capital punishment! History verifies this.

The day Jesus was crucified

Prophesied

Fulfilled

  1. Betrayed by a friend

Ps 41:9

Jn 13:18-27

  • Sold for 30 pieces of silver
  • Zech 11:12

    Mt 26:14-15

  • 30 pieces thrown in Temple
  • Zech 11:13

    Mt 27:3-5

  • 30 pieces buys potters field
  • Zech 11:13

    Mt 27:6-10

  • Forsaken by His disciples
  • Zech 13:7

    Mk 14:27+50

  • Accused by false witnesses
  • Ps 35:11+20-21

    Mt 26:59-61

  • Silent before accusers
  • Isa 53:7

    Mt 27:12-14

  • Wounded and bruised
  • Isa 53:4-6

    1 Pet 2:21-25

  • Beaten and spit upon
  • Isa 50:6

    Mt 26:67-68

  • Mocked
  • Ps 22:6-8

    Mt 27:27-31

  • Fell under the cross
  • Ps 109:24-25

    Jn 19:17; Lk23:26

  • Hands and feet pierced
  • Ps 22:16

    Jn 20:24-28

  • Crucified with thieves
  • Isa 53:12

    Mt 27:38

  • Prayed for enemies
  • Isa 53:12

    Lk 23:34

  • Rejected by His own people
  • Isa 53:3

    Jn 19:14-15

  • Hated without cause
  • Ps 69:4

    Jn 15:25

  • Friends stood aloof
  • Ps 38:11

    Lk22:54;23:49

  • People wag their heads
  • Ps 22:7;109:25

    Mt 27:39

  • People stared at Him
  • Ps 22:17

    Lk 23:35

  • Cloths divided and gambled for
  • Ps 22:18

    Jn 19:23-24

  • Became very thirsty
  • Ps 22:15

    Jn 19:28

  • Gall and vinegar offered Him
  • Ps 69:21

    Mt 27:34

  • His forsaken cry
  • Ps 22:1

    Mt 27:46

  • Committed Himself to God
  • Ps 31:5

    Lk 23:46

  • Bones not broken
  • Ps 34:20

    Jn 19:32-36

  • Heart broken
  • Ps 69:20;22:14

    Jn 19:34

  • His side pierced
  • Zech 12:10

    Jn 19:34+37

  • Darkness over the land
  • Amos 8:9

    Lk 23:44-45

  • Buried in rich man's tomb
  • Isa 53:9

    Mt 27:57-60

    VIII. Scientific information in the Bible long before man discovered it for himself.

    1. Embryology: In 1500 BC, the Bible teaches that woman actually contain seed. Gen 3.
    2. Although Muslims made great advancements in astronomy and mathematics centuries after Muhammad, the Bible had already revealed that the Earth is round in 1000 BC, in Isa 40:22 and three other passages. (Prov 8:27; Amos 9:6 Job 26:10) And further revealed that the earth is free-floating in space: Job 26:7 "he hangs the earth on nothing."
    3. Muslims actually quote passages in the Qur'an (21:30; 24:45) as a scientific evidence that life originated from water, yet the Bible already revealed this 2 Peter 3:5. 600 years earlier.
    4. Muslims proudly quote several passages in the Koran 30:48; 24:43, that detail the hydrologic water cycle and then claim science had not discovered this until a few centuries ago. In fact the first to completely document the water cycle was a Roman engineer of named Marcus Vitruvius in 30 B.C. Yet, the Bible had already fully documented the hydrologic water cycle 1000 B.C. in Job 26:27-28, and 4 other passages. (Clouds hold water: Eccl 11:3; Job 26:8; Rivers recycle water: Eccl 1:6-7; Evapouration: Amos 9:6)
    5. There are no known scientific inaccuracies in the Bible.

     

    IX. I would like to conclude with 1 Thessalonians

    "We constantly thank God that when you received from us the word of God's message, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God" (1 Thessalonians 2:13).

     

    Thank you for your kind and polite attention.

      Written by Brother Andrew

     

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