Did Jesus claim to be "God"?
The Bible says, "No." But the "Holy Ghost"(?) says, 'Yes'?
Question: "As I was searching through the Gospels, the Holy Spirit inspired me to understand many quotations (by Jesus himself) in which he announces himself as God."
Before reading the answer - gain more knowledge on this topic at:
www.GodAllah.com and www.IslamCode.com
These two sites were designed to help our Christian brothers and sisters gain proper knowledge of what Islam and Christianity actually contain in their respective texts.
Question from a Christian:
WhiIe looking through the Gospels of my Bible I found many quotations (by Jesus himself) in which he announces himself as God.
(This is not the opinion held by early scholars and translators of the Bible, rather it is the opinion of the gentleman writing this email)
The first is in John 8:58 where Jesus is speaking about Abraham and that Abraham had seen His day. The Jewish men challenged Jesus saying:
"You are not yet 50 years old, and have you seen Abraham?" Jesus replied "Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was, I am."
(according to Islam - all of us were existing prior to being born - all of us were presented in front of Almighty God and asked the question, "Am I not your Lord?" And we all said, "Yes." And then Almighty God put us in the 'backbone' of Adam after removing the experience from our memory)
Here Jesus was claiming his existence before the time of Abraham. Jesus used the words "I am" in which God uses to designate himself as the eternal existing one to Moses in Exodus 3:14.
(This would be a contradiction if you take into the statements in what remains of the Bible regarding "Melchezidek" who lived before Abraham and was without father or mother and was a priest of high order)
Right when the Jews heard this claim they knew he was proclaiming himself as God and "they took up stones to throw at him."
(When the prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, proclaimed the message of Almighty God being One, without any partners and that all worship, praise and devotion were due only unto him, his own people (At-Taif) did the very same thing to him. They picked up stones and threw them at him. An angel appeared and told him that Almighty God would bring the mountains down on these people, if he would only give the command. Yet, he prayed for them to be guided and to worship Almighty God Alone, without any partners. The all later became Muslims.)
Throughout the Gospels Jesus claimed to know the hearts of men (Mark 2:8), an attribute unable to be held by mere prophets but only by God himself.
(One of the many things that prophets do is to tell people things that they cannot know except by the permission of the Almighty. Jesus testified to this himself, peace be upon him [see below])
Jesus also claimed to have the power to forgive sins (Mark 2:5-7), an authority held only by God himself.
(Prophets are given knowledge to know when people are sincere or fake and when they are forgiven or not, sometimes and this is also from Almighty God. Muhammad, peace be upon him, also mentioned that certain people would for sure be forgiven and that they would enter the Paradise. They are known historically in Islam as "The Ten.")
Although Jesus does not come right out and say "I AM GOD," it is clearly stated, by Jesus Christ himself, through out each and every Gospel that he is God Almighty.
(You are right. Jesus, peace be upon him, did not come right out and say "I am God" because in many verses [below] he did categorically deny such blasphemy. He prayed to God. He worshipped the Lord. He submitted to God's Will ["Even so, Thy Will be done"] and he did not have all hidden knowledge [remember when he went to a tree and found it barren and then cursed it?])
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Answer:
Thank you for your question. Before we begin, please consider these points:
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As Muslims we cannot lie about anything, especially about our religion.
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We have original recorded sources of our religion: The Quran & Teachings of Muhammad. This is a very unique part of Islam, not available in any other ancient religions.
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Sometimes "questions" contain misinformation. We must qualify what it is that someone is saying against what they are implying.
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If you find the answer to your question makes you say, "I didn't know that" or "This is good" are you ready to worship your God and your Lord without and partners?
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This what Islam is really all about. The most important subject is the worship of Almighty God, without any partners or associates or "gods" besides Almighty God.
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In light of the above, the approach to understanding in Islam must be based on as much factual knowledge as one can obtain. This in mind, we now consider your inquiries as to the position of Islam on the following subject of "Islam Code" and offer our website on this topic: www.IslamCode.com
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There is one more point; we don't rely on dreams, hunches and feelings to determine what the real religion of God is, nor do we accept someone to be a moderator or intercessor for us to communicate with God for us. This of course, would rule out the notion of having a "Holy Ghost" or spirit of any kind telling us what God wants from us.
Now, ask yourself - "Who Is Really Following Jesus?"
Test Your Knowledge of Jesus' Teachings & Consider the 13 Interesting Questions:
(And Introduction to the Message of the Prophets And The Last Testament)
1). Did Jesus teach eternal life was conditioned on obeying the commandments?
Yes ___ No __
And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tempted him, saying, "Master what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said unto him, What is written in the Law? How do you read?" And he answered saying, "Thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind, and thy neighbor as thyself. And he said unto him. You have answered right; do this, and you shall live."
Luke 10: 25-28
Read what the "Last Testament" says on this same subject. Does it agree?
Yes ___ No ___
God has only created us to worship Him (without partners).
Read Last Testament 51:56
2). Did Jesus teach his followers to worship no other, except Almighty God, without any partners?
Yes ___ No ___
And Jesus answered him, the first of all the commandments is, "Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord, and you shall worship Him with all your strength and all your might and all your soul and all your heart."
Mark 12:29
He also replied to the devil who was trying to tempt him:
"Get thee behind me, Satan; for it is written, Thou shall worship the Lord they God, and Him only shall you serve."
Matthew 4:10
Read from the Last Testament.
God tells us that He never forgives anyone making partners in worship with Him, but anything less than this, He forgives whom He pleases, and whoever sets up partners with Him in worship, he has indeed invented a tremendous sin.
Read Last Testament 4:48
3). Did Jesus order us to obey all the commandments?
Yes ___ No ___
According to the New Testament in Matthew, he did.
"Think not that I came to destroy the Law and the Prophets. I came not to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily, I say unto you that until Heaven and earth pass away not a jot or one tittle shall no wise pass from the Law, till all be fulfilled."
Matthew 5:17-18
"And behold one came and said to him, Good teacher, what good things shall I do that I may have eternal life? So he said, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but One, this God. But if you want to enter into eternal life, keep the commandments."
Matthew 19:16-17
Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.
Matthew 7:12
36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Matthew 22:36-40
While ordering us to obey the "Law" it becomes obvious that he ordered his followers to obey the commandments of Almighty God.
4.) Did Jesus forbid bowing down to statues
Yes ___ No ___
By insisting on following the "Law" (Old Testament), Jesus did in fact endorse the message that Moses had brought down to the children of Israel from Almighty God;
"Thou shall not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in the heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shall not bow down yourself to them, nor serve them."
5.) Did Jesus forbid anyone to worship him?
Yes ___ No ___
"But in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."
Matthew 15:19
And in prophesying the Last Days, he clearly taught the same message:
"But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: For the Father seeks such to worship Him. God is a Spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth."
John 4:23-24
6.) Did Jesus openly deny divinity (said he was not God)?
Yes___ No ___
"The Father is greater than I." - John 14:28
7.) Did Jesus deny that he had the power of God to do his miracles?
Yes ___ No ___
"I do nothing of myself" - John 8:28
"Men of Israel listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you know."
Acts 2:22
8.) Did Jesus deny any partners (Trinity) with Almighty God?
Yes ___ No ___
Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.
John 8:42
Jesus answered, If I honor myself, my honor is nothing: it is my Father that honors me; of whom ye say, that he is your God:
John 8:54
…and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.
John 20:17
9.) Did Jesus forbid the Christmas tree?
Yes ___ No ___
"Thus says the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain; for one cuts a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not."
Jeremiah 10:2-4
10.) Did Jesus teach that males should be circumcised?
Yes ___ No ___
Genesis 17:10-11 says he did. "This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your seed after you. Every man child among you shall be circumcised. Any you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant between me and you."
John the Baptist was circumcised (Luke 1:59) as was Jesus himself (Luke 2:21)
11.) Did Jesus forbid eating pork?
Yes ___ No ___
"And swine, though he divide the hoof, and be cloven-footed, yet he chews not the cud; he is unclean to you. Of their flesh shall you not eat, and their carcass shall you not touch, they are unclean to you."
Leviticus 11:7-8 And Exodus 20:4-5
12.) Was Jesus a prophet?
Yes ___ No ___
And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people.
Luke 24:19
The woman said unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.
John 4:19
They say unto the blind man again, What do you say of him, that he has opened your eyes? He said, He is a prophet.
John 9:17
13.) Did Jesus predict the coming of another prophet, like unto him?
Yes ___ No ___
OK. Now think about what you have just read. And then consider from the Bible, things that are most compatible with Islam, for instance the teaching of John 16:7-8
7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.
John 16:7-8
Come and share more information about Jesus, the "Lost Testament" and the "Last Testament" and learn more about the message of all prophets; "Submission, obedience and peace with Almighty God" (You can say all of this in one simple word - "Islam"), before it is too late. Visit our website to learn more and to find a center near you.
More on this topic can be found at: ProphetOfIslam.com
GodAllah.com and 911Bible.com
These two sites were designed to help our Christian brothers and sisters gain proper knowledge of what Islam and Christianity actually contain in their respective texts.
Other topics of interest can be researched at:
www.SearchForIslam.com and www.LinksToIslam.com
Any good is from Allah the mistakes were from myself.
May Allah guide all of us to His Truth, ameen.
Salam alaykum - Yusuf Estes
National Muslim Chaplain
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Answers from Sheik Yusuf Estes, National Muslim chaplain. American born former Christian, a student of many excellent scholars, he offers assistance to provide accurate authentic information in easy English to questions about Islam Muslims.
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