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The Qur’an or the Bible? (Two different Scriptures)
Introduction
In our last article we began to compare the sacred writings of Islam (the Qur’an) with the sacred writings of Christianity (the Bible). Both the Bible and the Qur’an claim to have been revealed at a certain place, and over a period of time. They speak of people, places, and events. If they are true, then we would expect to find evidence for their claims, and especially verification for what they say in the period in which they themselves claim they were revealed.
We learned that the standard Christian narrative says that the Bible, a collection of sixty-six books, was written by about forty people in three different languages – Hebrew (most of the Old Testament), Aramaic (Ezra 4:8-6:18; 7:12-26; Jer. 10:11; Dan. 2:4-7:28), [1] and Koine Greek (all the New Testament) – on three different continents (Asia, Africa, Europe) over a period of about two thousand years, from the time the book of Job was written during the patriarchal period (2100-1900 B.C.) [2]to the writing of the last book of the New Testament (Revelation) by the apostle John (95 A.D).[3]The first thirty-nine books are called the Old Testament and record the anticipation of the coming of Christ. The final twenty-seven books are called the New Testament and record Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, final victory, and rule on earth.
The standard Islamic narrative[4] teaches that the Qur’an, is uncreated and exists eternally on clay tablets in heaven (Qur’an 85:22). This uncreated Qur’an was sent down from Allah (the god of Islam) to one person only, the prophet Mohammed (Qur’an 39:41), through the angel Gabriel, in one language (Arabic), over a period of twenty-three years in two different locations – Mecca (610-622 A.D.) and Medina (622-632 A.D.) [5] – in central western Arabia (see above map). [6] Islam claims that Mohammed’s empire is represented by the brown area on the above map where Mecca and Medina are located. When Mohammed died in 632 A.D., that is how large Islam’s empire was.
After Mohammed died, then you have the next four successors to Mohammed called Caliphs who came to power: Abu Bakr (632-644 A.D.), Umar (634-644 A.D.), Uthman (644-656 A.D), and Ali (656-661 A.D.). These rulers expanded the Islamic Empire (lighter brown area) west to Tripoli, North Africa, north to Turkey, east to Afghanistan, and south down to Yemen and Oman. This time period is called the Rushidun Period (632-661 A.D.). And then during the Umayyad Dynasty (661-750 A.D.) established by Caliph Mu’awiya, and others after him, Islam expanded all the way west to Spain and northwestern Africa, further east to northwestern India and central Asia as represented by the purple area on the map.
Let’s look at the timeline for Islam’s emergence according to the standard Islamic narrative (see above timeline). Mohammed was born in 570 A.D and started to receive his revelations in a place called Mecca in 610 A.D. In 621 A.D., the Mi’raj took place whereby Mohammed is suddenly awakened in the middle of the night and told to get on the back of a winged horse called a Buraq, which transported him from Mecca to Jerusalem where he ascended through the seven heavens and visited all the previous prophets (Jesus was found in the second heaven, Moses in the sixth, and Abraham in the seventh). [7] Finally, Mohammed was taken into the presence of Allah where he bargained Allah down in his command to pray fifty times to five times a day. [8]
In 622 A.D., Mohammed fled from Mecca 200 miles north up to Medina when he heard that leaders of Meccan tribes and clans vowed to assassinate him. This migration is known as the Hijra. [9] As Mohammed grows in strength and numbers, he takes over Medina and then returns to Mecca in 630 A.D. and takes it over and is therefore in control of both Mecca and Medina. In 632 A.D., Mohammed dies after being poisoned by one of his wives.
After Mohammed’s death, the first Caliph (successor to Mohammed) Abu Bakr reigned for two years (632-634 A.D.) and died peacefully. The second Caliph, Umar, ruled 10 years (634-644 A.D.) and was killed. Then Uthman reigned 12 years (644-656 A.D.) as the third Caliph before he was killed. It is during his rule that the Qur’an was compiled and completed in 652 A.D. Then Ali, the first cousin and son-in-law of Mohammed, reigns as the 4th Caliph from 656-661 A.D. and was assassinated. [10]
Thus, Islam was fully formed by 661 A.D. (mid 7th century) according to the standard Islamic narrative. But how do we know these people, places, and times in Islam’s history? Where did they come from? This leads us to discuss the documentary evidence.
The Qur’an’s Documentary Evidence
Smith states, “When anyone asks Muslims how they can be sure that the story they have of Muhammad is true, they point to numerous books on their bookshelves and claim that they were written by those who knew Muhammad; that they saw what he did and heard what he said. But they never show us their original ‘extant’ codices or manuscripts, nor do they ever give us any forensically tested dates concerning when exactly those books were originally written. To be valid witnesses for Muhammad we must have these traditional writer’s original ‘extant’ manuscripts to look at, in order to know whether they really wrote what they are purported to have written.
“Remember, the compilers of the prophet’s life and sayings all worked under the authority of the Muslim Caliphs. So, they would have had access to durable writing material, such as Parchments and Vellum (i.e. using animal skins), unlike our earliest Christian writings, which were all written on Papyrus (non-durable leaves). So, the Muslim written texts should still be in existence even today, a mere 1400 years later. Consequently, there is no excuse not to have the original manuscripts.
“Let’s find out what we now know about the ‘extant’ manuscripts of the Sira [Mohammed’s biography], the Hadith[Mohammed’s sayings], the Sahaba’s codices [Mohammed’s companions] and the Tabi’un’s codices (the 2nd generation), as well as the Ta’rikh [Mohammed’s history] and the Tafsir [Mohammed’s commentaries].” [11][brackets and emphasis added]
1) Available Muslim documents: Look with me at the above chart entitled “Sources for the ‘Islamic Traditions’ according to Islam.”[12] Islam claims that what we know about Mohammed and the Qur’an comes from several sources. First, it comes from the Sahaba or the eyewitnesses/companions of Mohammed and the Tabi’un, the second generation who received what they knew from the Sahaba, shown in red print above. Islam claims that these sources were written in the late 7th century to early 8th century, by Muwatta ibn Malik, Sahifa Hamman B. Munabbih, Musnad ibn Hanbal, Musanaf Abdul Razzaq, Musnad al-Tayalisi, Abi Shaybah. [13]
The second primary Muslim source isthe Sira or biography of Mohammed shown in green print above. According to Islamic tradition, Ibn Ishaq (d. 767 A.D.) wrote Mohammed’s biography. [14] But notice that Ishaq died in 767A.D., over 130 years after Mohammed’s death. Did Ishaq know Mohammed or hear his teachings or observe his actions? No. So how could he have known Mohammed’s biography? We do not have any of Ishaq’s writings today. Hence, where did the biography of Mohammed come from?
Islamic tradition says Ibn Hisham wrote down what Ishaq said about the life of Mohammed, but Hisham died in 827 A.D, [15] almost 200 years after Mohammed’s death. And Hisham left out what he didn’t like about Ishaq’s portrayal of Mohammed. [16] Then another man, Al Waqidi (d. 835 A.D.) wrote down the military campaigns of Mohammed, but he also died 233 years after Mohammed’s death. [17] Thus, Ibn Hisham and Al-Waqidi actually give us the biography of Mohammed, not Ishaq. So, this is the first genre.
The third Muslim primary source is called theHadith or sayings of Mohammed pictured in blue print in the above chart. These Muslim writers include Sahih Bukhari (d. 870 A.D.) who is considered the most important of all the other hadith contributors. He “admitted that of the 300,000 hadith he collected, he considered only 100,00 might be true. He then narrowed this number down to 7,275, many of which are repetitions so that the total number is in fact near 3,000. That means that even he admitted there were errors in over 295,000 [98%] of the hadith.”[18] [brackets and emphasis added] Other hadith contributors include Sahih Muslim (d. 875 A.D.), At-Tirmidhi (d. 892 A.D.), Ibn Maja(d. 886 A.D.), Abu Dawud (d. 899 A.D.), and An-Nisa’i (d. 915 A.D.). Notice that there is a gap of over 238+ years between the times Mohammed allegedly spoke these words and the first copies that are currently known by writers of the hadith. [19] Did any of these men know Mohammed or hear what he said? No. But Islam claims they wrote down what Mohammed said.
The fourth Muslim source is the tafsir or commentaries on the Qur’an pictured in light brown print in the chart above. Smith notes that 25% of the Qur’an is not even understood by Muslim scholars. [20] As I read the Qur’an, I find it difficult to comprehend. Some stories don’t have beginnings or endings, or they seem to begin in the middle of the story. There are no transitional phrases between stories to help you follow the author’s train of thought.
The fifth Muslim source is the Tarikh or the histories of Mohammed also pictured in light brown print in the above chart. Both the tafsir and tarikh contributions were first written down by Al Tabari who died in 923 A.D., [21] almost 300 years after Mohammed. Did Al Tabari know Mohammed or witness his words and actions? No, of course not.
Thus, according to the standard Islamic narrative, everything we know about Mohammed from Muslim documents – who he was and what he said and did – comes 50-300 years after Mohammed died.
But more recent research shows that these Islamic documents are not nearly as old as Muslim scholars believe. Look at the timeline above for extant (existing) Manuscripts for everything we know about Islam’s origins. [22] From left to right, Islam claims that the Sahaba and the Tabi’un, the first and second generation of eyewitnesses to Mohammed and the Qur’an, were written in the late 7th to early 8th centuries, and yet there is no 7th – 8th century documents for these writings. They do not appear in writing until the 9th to 13th centuries: Muwatta ibn Malik:9th century (200 years later), Sahifa Hamman B. Munabbih: 12th century (500 years later), Musnad ibn Hanbal:13th century (600 years later), Musanaf Abdul Razzaq:13th century (600 years later), Musnad al-Tayalisi:13th century (600 years later), Abi Shaybah:13th century (600 years later) – this suggests they were all written by others over 200-600 years later and redacted or attributed back to the 7th – 8th centuries! Thus, they are most likely all fraudulent. [23]
Islam maintains that the Sira (biography of Mohammed), the Hadith (the sayings of Mohammed), the Tafsir(commentaries on the Qur’an) and the Tarikh (histories of Mohammed) all were written 200-300 years after Mohammed. However, Dr. Jay Smith has demonstrated that these supporting documents were written much later (11th-16th centuries), 400-900 years after Mohammed presumably lived, and then redacted or attributed back to the 7th-10th centuries. [24]Most of these documents were not canonized into written form until 1,200 – 1,270 years later than Mohammed.
For example, the Sira (biography of Mohammed), was comprised of 36 different biographies written down in the last few hundred years. But who wrote the standard work which Islam depends upon today? It was Heinrich Ferdinand Wustenfeld (1808 – 1899), who between 1858 – 1860 compiled the Sira taken from libraries and museums in six mostly European cities (Fez, London, Oxford, Dublin, Paris and London). [25] It was then translated into French and English, and “sanitized” by Alfred Guillaume [26] and others later on. Hence, the man whom Muslims are dependent on to know who their prophet is or what he did, is an elderly German linguist who wrote Mohammed’s story over 160 years ago. [27]
Furthermore, Islam claims that the Hadith (sayings of Mohammed) were created in the 9th-10th centuries, but this does not align with history. Their earliest extant manuscripts were actually created much later: [28] Abu Dawud: 11thcentury (400 years after Mohammed); An-Nasai: 12th century (500 years after Mohammed); Ibn Majah: 13th century (600 years after Mohammed); Jami’ At-Tirmidhi: 14th century (700 years after Mohammed); Sahih Muslim: 14thcentury (700 years Mohammed); Sahih Bukhari: 14th – 15th centuries (700-800 years after Mohammed). Not one of the Hadith was compiled in the 9th – 10th centuries. Their final extant manuscripts were not created until the 11th -15th centuries, which is 400 – 800 years later! Thus, not one of them ever heard a word Mohammed said!
What about Al Tabari’s Tafsir (commentaries on the Qur’an) and Ta’rikh (histories of Mohammed)? The edition of Al Tabari which everyone uses today was compiled by Michael Jan De Geoje, the professor of Arabic at Leiden University, Holland, between 1879 – 1901, and is known as the “Leiden Edition.” Yet, De Goeje used two 13th century Arabic manuscripts from Turkey as his model. So, even Al Tabari’s Ta’rikh and his Tafsir are not 10th century originals but are much later 13th century compilations which were merely redacted or attributed back to Al Tabari 300 years earlier. Yet, they are still 600 years later than Mohammed! What’s more, it took a Dutch scholar to compile them 1,200 years later! [29]
Another problem with the Muslim documentary evidence for the Qur’an has to do with distance and direction (see above map). [30] The Islamic Traditions say that everything happened in Mecca and Medina (circled in green on the map above), in west central Arabia. Mohammed was born in Mecca and lived there 52 years before he moved to Medina in 622 A.D. It was while he lived in Mecca and Medina that he received the Qur’an from 610 – 632 A.D. Yet everything we know about Mohammed did not come from those cities, it came from Baghdad, which is 1200 miles too far north.
Ibn Hisham, who wrote Mohammed’s biography (the Sira), is from Basra, but he grew up in Cairo and wrote in Baghdad. Cairo is 990 miles from Mecca. And Basra is 1200 miles from Mecca as is Baghdad. Sahih Bukhari who wrote down the sayings of Mohammed (the Hadith), is from Bukhara which is 2,6000 miles from Mecca. Al Tabariwho wrote down the commentaries of the Qur’an and the histories of Mohammed (The Tafsir & Tarikh) is from Tabaristan (northern Iran today) which is 1,7000 miles from Mecca. None of these traditional writers lived or worked in Mecca or Medina. They were too far to the north from Mecca and came from east and west of Baghdad.
Since these Muslim sources are much too late and too far away to provide confirmation of the reliability of the Qur’an, we must go back to the seventh century when Mohammed lived to determine what documents are available which can substantiate the reliability of the Qur’an.
2) The Doctrina Iacobi and 661 Chronicler: There are two seventh century documents outside the Islamic Traditions which are available for us to examine today which are helpful for our purposes here. Both of these documents deal with the relationship between the Arabs and the Jews. The first is the Doctrina Iacobi, the earliest witness of Mohammed and his “movement” available to us outside Islamic tradition. It is a Greek Christian polemical tract, from Carthage (Tunis), but written in Palestine, by a Christian apologist between 634 and 640 A.D. [31] The second is a chronicle supposedly written by the historian Bishop Sebeos in 660 A.D. [32]
The Qur’an implies that Mohammed’s relationship with the Jews was becoming unfavorable in 624 A.D. (or soon after the Hijra in 622 A.D.), and thus moved the direction of prayer, the Qibla at that time, from Jerusalem to Mecca, “144 Indeed, we have seen you turning your face toward the heaven. So we will have you turn to a direction which will please you. So turn your face toward the forbidden mosque [Masjid ul Haraam at Mecca]… 149 And from whatever place you come out, so turn your face toward the forbidden mosque and surely to the truth from your lord. And Allah is not unaware of what you do. 150 And from whatever place you come out, so turn your face toward the forbidden mosque, and wherever you were, to that part so turn your faces lest people have an excuse against you except those who are unjust among them. So do not fear them. And fear me that I may complete my grace on you, and perhaps you may be guided.” (Qur’an 2:144, 149-150). [33] In these verses Allah instructs Mohammed and his followers to turn toward the forbidden mosque in Mecca away from the mosque in Jerusalem, implying that relations between the Jews and Arabs were severed or at the least, strained.
In contrast to this, an early non-Muslim source describes a healthy relationship between the Muslims and Jews at the time of the first conquests (late 620s A.D.), and even later. Yet the Doctrina Iacobi warns of the Jews who mixed with the Saracens (Arabs), and the danger of falling into the hands of these Jews and Saracens(Arabs). [34] In fact, this relationship seems to continue on into the conquest of Palestine as an early Armenian source mentions that the governor of Jerusalem in the aftermath of the conquest was a Jew. [35] It is plausible that the Jews and Arabs (Saracens) seem to be allied together during the time of the conquest of Palestine and even for a short time after. [36] If these witnesses are correct, then one must ask how it is that the Jews and Saracens (Arabs) are allies as late as 640 A.D., when, according to the Qur’an, Mohammed dissolved his ties with the Jews as early as 624 A.D., more than 15 years earlier?
To answer that we need to refer to the earliest connected account of the career of Mohammed that is found in an Armenian chronicle from around 660 A.D., which is attributed by some to Bishop Sebeos. [37]The chronicler describes how Mohammed established a community which comprised both Ishmaelites (i.e. Arabs) and Jews, and that their unifying motivation was their common descent from Abraham: the Arabs through Ishmael, and the Jews through Isaac. [38] The chronicler believed Mohammed had bestowed both communities with a birthright to the Holy Land, while concurrently providing them with a monotheist genealogy. [39]
Hence, we find non-Muslim documentary sources contradicting the Qur’an, maintaining that there was a good relationship between the Arabs and Jews for at least an additional 15 years beyond that which the Qur’an alleges. Also, if Palestine was the focus for the Arabs, then the city of Mecca comes into question, and additional documentary evidence concerning Mecca may prove to be the most detrimental proof against the reliability of the Qur’an which we have to date.
Islam maintains that Mecca is the oldest and best-known city in history. The Qur’an makes inferences to Mecca on its pages. The word “Mecca” is not mentioned in the following Qur’anic verses, but Islam understands them to refer to the city.Meccais where Adam and Eve were thrown down from heaven after they ate from the tree (Qur’an 7:24). We cannot find a city older than Adam and Eve, so Mecca is believed by Islam to be the oldest city. The first sanctuary appointed for humankind was that at “Becca,” understood by Islam to refer to Mecca (Qur’an 3:96). Mecca is the “mother of the villages” (Qur’an 6:92; 42:7). According to the Qur’an it was Abraham and Ishmael who built the Meccan Ka’aba (Qur’an 2:125-127). Mecca is where Abraham lived in 1900 B.C. when he destroyed the idols within the Ka’aba (Qur’an 21:51-71). Much of Mohammed’s story revolves around Mecca. He was born there in 570 A.D. and spent his formative years there until 622 A.D. when he fled to Medina. He returned to Mecca in 630 A.D. and took control of it. Mecca became the center for the Qibla (direction of prayer) in 624 A.D. (Qur’an 2:149-150). And Mecca is the center of trade North, South, East and West. [41] These all suggest that people have lived in Mecca from the very beginning of humankind.
Yet, the only clear reference to the word “Mecca” in the Qur’an is in one verse: “And he is who holds back their hands from you and your hands from them in the belly [valley] of Mecca after he had given you triumph over them, and Allah was seer of what you do.” (Qur’an 48:24). [42] [emphasis added] If Mecca is such an important place, why is it only mentioned once in the Qur’an? Doesn’t this signify that Mecca either was not that important to the author(s) of the Qur’an or it did not come into existence until later on?
However, when we look at the 9th and 10th century Islamic Traditions (which are actually 11th – 15th century), we see many references to the city of Mecca because they are written much later. [43] Mecca was in a valley and a parallel valley (Ibn Hisham; Al Bukhari 2:645, 2:685, 3:891, 2:815, 2:820, 4:227) with a stream (Al Bukhari 2:685), fields, (Al Bukhari 9:337), trees (Sahih al-Tirmidhi 1535), grass (Al Bukhari 9:337), fruit (Al Bukhari 4:281), clay and loam (Al Tabari VI 1079 p. 6), grain, palm trees, dates, olives, pomegranates (Qur’an 6:99, 141; 16:11, 67), with mountains overlooking the Ka’aba (Ibn Hisham; Al Bukhari 2:645, 2:685, 3:891, 2:815, 2:820, 4:227), where the pagans raised livestock (Qur’an 4:119). Mecca is described as a very fertile place in the Islamic Traditions and in the Qur’an.
Yet, Townsend states that the physical and geographical features of Mecca do not line up with the Qur’an or the Hadith.[44] For example, “the mountains of Safa and Marwah, which mark the journey of Hagar in her quest for water, do not fit with the description in the Hadith. They are too small and close to each other. Also, the Hadith references to Mecca describe a place where the soil is suitable to grow fields of grain, trees, and grapevines. However, Mecca does not have olive trees, and it cannot even support the growth of food for camels and sheep. The Hadith also talks about two parallel valleys with a stream in between, but Mecca does not have these features. However, all of these features are found in the ancient city of Petra,” [45] much farther north from Mecca. Mecca is in a desert (see above pics), so it is too arid and dry to support the descriptions of fertility found in the Qur’an and Hadith, according to modern soil studies! [46] Mecca has never had the kind of fertility that these Islamic traditions claim.
From research carried out by both Crone and Cook, except for an inference to a city called “Makoraba” by the Greco-Egyptian geographer Ptolemy in the mid-2nd century A.D. (though it is not certain this allusion by Ptolemy referred to Mecca, as he only mentioned the name in passing), there is absolutely no other report of Mecca or its Ka’bain any authenticated ancient document; that is until the mid-eighth century, [47] when Mecca is mentioned in the Continuatio Byzantia Arabica, which is a source dating around 741 A.D. [48] In addition, Mecca is not even found on a map until around 900 A.D.[49]
Dr. Crone visited several surrounding civilizations such as the Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, Roman, Nabataeans, Qedarite, Himyarite, and Nubian civilizations, etc. (see red circle and rectangle areas on above map), and read their ancient documents and she could not find one reference to Mecca.[50] So, Crone visited the lesser-known towns closer to Mecca on the Arabian Western Plateau which were oases, and she found they were well-known and well documented all the way back to 300 B.C., yet she did not find one mention of Mecca (see above map). [51] Townsend agreed with Crone’s findings, stating that there is no primary source evidence of the existence of an ancient city in the present location of Mecca. [52] He observed that there are numerous mentions of Ta’if, just 70 miles away, as well as Najran, Sana’a, Medina, and Petra – but no mention of Mecca. There is even an absence of the name of Mecca in the ancient inscriptions found in the records of cities that occupied the Arabian Peninsula. [53] If Mecca was known as the “mother of the villages [cities]” as the Qur’an states (Qur’an 6:92; 42:7), then surely there would be documents from the 7th century, or earlier, that would mention the city as well as the people.
Even more problematic for Islam which claims that Mecca was the center of trading routes for Arabia in the 7th century and before, is that there is not any reference to trade with Mecca in the records of that time. [54] Patricia Crone did extensive research on the Meccan trade routes, and she learned that the ancient trading documents of that time referred to less significant towns close to Mecca, including Ta’if (which is south-east of Mecca), Yathrib (later Medina), as well as Khaybar, Petra, and Mamre in the north and Ma’rib, Sana’a, and Najran in the south (see above map), but no mention is made of Mecca from the 2nd to 8th centuries. [55]
When we note the trade route through these towns (which were oases), we find that they are all located on the Western Plateau of the Arabian Peninsula, while Mecca is over 3,000 feet down below it in a desert, proving it was not on any trade route (see map above). [56]
In addition, when Dr. Crone went to the Red Sea trade routes, she found that it was all along the East African coast, but not on the Arabian coast (see above map), proving none of the trade went through Mecca at all, confronting the notion that it was the center of trade.
Mecca, before 741 A.D. (which is considered the earliest documentary evidence for it anywhere), simply has no history, and even that reference is in Southern Turkey, which is too far north. When Ptolemy in the 2nd century wrote his book on Arabian geography,he never listed Mecca, so that none of the earliest 15th-16th century European maps of Arabia have Mecca listed on them either.
The reason for this is because Mecca was in the middle of a dessert and had no water. Trade needs people, and people need water, food and towns, all of which never existed in Mecca until the mid 8th century, over 100 years after Islam was supposedly created. Because of Mecca’s water problem, Queen Zubaydah’s Aqueduct was built in 801 A.D. (see upper left pic above), which then had to be refurbished 9 times in the subsequent 974 years due to the overbearing need for drinkable water; and then finally it was replaced with desalination plants after 1926 A.D. [57]
Islam claims that Allah miraculously provides “inexhaustible water” for 2 billion Muslims through the ZamZam well, which is currently only 3-9 feet across and 100 feet deep, and about 66 feet east of the Ka’aba in Mecca (see above middle pic). [58] But what they don’t tell you is that the ZamZam well gets all its water from desalination plants built by American and European companies. (see lower right pic above) [59]
Linguists have observed that theArabic word endings used in the Qur’an do not come from Mecca, but from Nabataean Aramaic, which is situated 600 miles farther north around the city of Petra (see above pic). [60]Geographically speaking, the Qur’an places fifty-four of its sixty-five referenced areas 600 – 1,000 miles farther north from Mecca (Ad = 23 times, Thamud = 24 times, and Midian = 7 times) suggesting the authors of the Qur’an came from much farther north in northern Arabia closer to the city of Petra (see above map). [61] Whoever wrote the Qur’an wrote from farther north where these places existed.
Islam contends that between 70 – 300 prophets were buried in Mecca in a kneeling position so they could keep praying, so we should be able to find them today. Yet, with all the skyscrapers being constructed there in recent years, requiring deep foundations, they have not yet dug up one prophet’s body. Smith concludes that it seems the Saudi Arabians, because of Mecca’s lack of history, are cementing up all the evidence, suggesting even they are either skeptical of its history or they don’t want the rest of the world to find out the truth about Islam’s origin (see above pic). [62]
Conclusion: Townsend, the author of The Mecca Mystery, concludes, “To put it as bluntly as possible: there is not a single shred of uncontested primary source evidence confirming the existence of an ancient city at the spot where the modern city of Mecca is located.” [63]
The documentary evidence not only contradicts the Qur’an’s dating on the split between the Arabs and the Jews, but it also contradicts both the Qur’an and the Hadith’s description of the city it identifies as the birthplace and cornerstone for Islam. The standard Islamic tradition refers to Mecca as a place with much vegetation, existing since Adam and Eve, and with up to 300 prophets buried there. Yet, it is not referred to until 741 A.D., and none of the early maps show Mecca at all. Not one prophet’s body has been discovered buried in Mecca. Scholars such as Patricia Crone examined the ancient historical and trading documents, and Mecca was not the great commercial center the later Muslim traditions would have us believe, as it was not known by the people who lived and wrote from that period of time. In fact, history shows that what the Qur’an and Hadith describe could not even qualify as a viable city during the time of Mohammed, and it certainly could not have been the center of the Muslim world at that time. In addition, research has debunked the Red Sea Trade via Arabia, proving it was all via Africa, because it had water and Mecca did not. None of the surrounding empires ever heard of Mecca, most likely because it lacked WATER.
How then can we believe that the Qur’an is reliable? Do these same types of problems exist with the Bible? Let’s turn our attention to…
The Bible’s Documentary Evidence
For the last several decades the documentary evidence for the reliability of the Bible has been an area of research which has increased rapidly. But this hasn’t always been so. The assumption by many former archaeologists was that the Old Testament was not written in the 10th – 14th centuries B.C. by the authors described within its text, but by later Jewish historians during the much later 2nd – 6th centuries B.C., and that the stories were then redacted or attributed back onto the great prophets such as Moses and David, etc. Yet, an enormous quantity of historical data has been uncovered and is continuing to be uncovered, as well as the new forensic research methods being employed to study them, so that many of these preconceived notions of authorship are simply no longer valid. For instance:
1)The oldest book of the Bible is considered to be Job which conservative scholars believe was written during the Patriarchal period of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (2100 -1900 B.C.). The following internal evidence confirms that Job was written during this period of time:[64]
a. Job’s wealth was reckoned in livestock (Job 1:3; 42:12), which was also true of Abraham (Gen. 12:16; 13:2) and Jacob (Gen. 30:43; 32:5).
b. The Sabeans and Chaldeans (Job 1:15, 17) were nomads in Abraham’s time, but in later years they were not nomadic.
c. The Hebrew word qeśîtâh, translated “piece of silver” (Job 42:11), is used elsewhere only twice (Gen. 33:19; Josh. 24:32), both times in reference to Jacob.
d. Job’s daughters were heirs of his estate along with their brothers (Job 42:15). This, however, was not possible later under the Mosaic Law if a daughter’s brothers were still living (Num. 27:8).
e. Literary works similar in some ways to the Book of Job were written in Egypt and Mesopotamia around the time of the patriarchs.
f. Several names of people and places in the book of Job were also associated with the patriarchal age. Examples include (Sheba, a grandson of Abraham (Gen. 25:3), and the Sabeans from Sheba (Job 1:15; 6:19); Tema, another grandson of Abraham (Gen. 25:15), and Tema, a location in Arabia (Job 6:19); Eliphaz, a son of Esau (Gen. 36:4), and Eliphaz, one of Job’s companions (Job 2:11); Uz, a nephew of Abraham (Gen. 22:21), and Uz, where Job lived (Job 1:1).
The documentary evidence for the Patriarchal period includes four sets of tablets which have been and are continuing to be uncovered from that area of the world. They demonstrate that the Biblical account is indeed historically reliable. Let’s briefly look at all five sets of tablets (see above pics): [65]
Armana Letters: (from Egypt) mention the Habiru or Apiru in Hebrew, which was first applied to Abraham in Genesis 14:13 and the name “Job” (Ayyabum).
Egyptian Execration Texts: These mention the names of people and places found in the book of Job: Sheba (Job 6:19), Tema and Eliphaz (Job 2:11; 4:1; 15:1; 22:1; 42:7, 9); Uz and Job (Job 1:1).
Ebla tablets: 1,800 tablets from Tel Mardikh (Northern Syria), dating from 2500-2250 B.C., [66] shows us that a thousand years before Moses, laws, customs and events were recorded in writing in that part of the world, and that the judicial proceedings and case laws were very similar to the Deuteronomy law code (i.e., Deuteronomy 22:22-30 codes on punishment for sex offenses). One tablet mentions and lists the five cities of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiimand Zoar in the exact sequence which we find in Genesis 14:8! Until these tablets were uncovered, the existence of Sodom and Gomorrah had always been in doubt by historians.
Mari Archives: (from the Euphrates) mentions king Arriyuk, or Arioch of Genesis 14, and lists the towns of Nahor and Haran (from Genesis 24:10), as well as the names Benjamin and Habiru. They also mention the names Sheba, Eliphaz, Uz, and Job in the book of Job.
Nuzi tablets: (from Iraq) speaks about a number of customs which we find in the Pentateuch (i.e., Genesis – Deuteronomy) such as:
1. a barren wife giving a handmaiden to her husband (i.e., Hagar)
2. a bride chosen for the son by the father (i.e., Rebekah)
3. a dowry paid to the father-in-law (i.e., Jacob)
4. work done to pay a dowry (i.e., Jacob)
5. the unchanging oral will of a father (i.e., Isaac)
6. a father giving his daughter a slave-girl (i.e., Leah, Rachel)
7. the sentence of death for stealing a cult god (i.e., Jacob).
2) The Pentateuch (i.e. Genesis – Deuteronomy): In years past, skeptics contended that the Pentateuch could not have been written by Moses during his lifetime (ca. 1525-1405 B.C.),[67] because there was no evidence of any writing that early. Then the Black Stele was found in Susa (modern Iran) in 1901 with the detailed laws of Babylonian King Hammurabi which were written approximately 300 years before Moses, and in the same region. [68]
3) The Masoretic Text: There was also a lot of doubt about the reliability of the Old Testament documents, since the oldest manuscript in our possession was the Masoretic Text, written in 916 A.D. Skeptics asked how we can depend on a collection of writings whose earliest manuscripts are so recent? Then in 1947 came the amazing discoveries of the Dead Sea Scrolls in the caves of Qumran and along the Dead Sea written around 125 B.C. These scrolls show us that outside of minute copying errors it is identical to the Masoretic Text and yet it predates it by over 1,000 years! [69] We have further substantiation in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew text, which was composed around 250-150 B.C. [70]
4) Available Christian documents: When we analyzed the Qur’an’s documentary evidence, we looked first at the Muslim documents. In the same manner, I want to look at the Christian documents now. In the above chart, [71] we list Christianity’s emergence according to our Traditions. When we look at the documentary evidence for Jesus, we start with the first Sira (biography of Jesus) and Hadith (sayings of Jesus) written by Luke from 60-62 A.D., [72] just 27-29 years after Jesus died. Then the book of Acts which is our Tahrikh or early histories of the church also written by Luke between 60-62 A.D., [73] likewise 27-29 years after the death of Christ. The apostle Paul’s letters to the churches are the Tafsir or commentaries on the life of Jesus between 49-64 A.D., [74] only 16-31 years after Jesus’ death. Next, we have the second Sira (biography of Jesus) and Hadith (sayings of Jesus) written by Mark (68-69 A.D.), [75] just 35-36 years after Christ’s death. Then we have Matthew’s Sira (biographies of Jesus) and Hadith (sayings of Jesus) written between 50-70 A.D, [76] only 17 – 37 years after the crucifixion of Jesus. And finally, we have the last Sira and Hadith written by John in 90 A.D., [77] just 57 years after the death of Jesus. Hence, within 16-57 years after Christ’s death, we have the entire New Testament. All of the New Testament writers lived in the same place Jesus lived, and they either knew Him personally, or they got their material from others who saw what He did and heard what He said.
5) Available non-Christian documents: As an example, let’s look at the crucifixion of Christ, the most important event in history (see chart above). [78] The Qur’an, which Islam claims was written in the mid-7th century, says, “And their saying, ‘Surely we killed the Christ ‘Isā, son of Mary, the messenger of Allah.’ And they did not kill him, and they did not salaba [crucify] him; but it was made to appear to them, and surely those who disagree about him are in doubt of him. They do not have any knowledge of him except following the conjecture, and they did not kill him for certain.”(Qur’an 4:157). [79] [emphasis added] The Qur’an denies that their Jesus (‘Isā) actually died on the cross. It says it was made to appear he died by having another man take Christ’s place on the cross. Is the Qur’an’s claim supported by the historical documentary evidence from the 1st and 2nd centuries A.D. outside of Christianity? No.
Thallus, a Greek Samaritan historian writing about 52 A.D. spoke of the “darkness which accompanied the crucifixion of Christ.”[80]Josephus, the first-century Jewish historian (37-100 A.D.), [81] wrote that “there was a wise man who was called Jesus…. Pilate condemned him to be crucified and to die.” [82]Lucian, a Greek Satirist from the 2nd century A.D., “without using Jesus’ name he writes of that one whom they still worship today, the man in Palestine who was crucified because he brought this new form of initiation into the world.” [83]There is also a Syriac manuscript in the British Museum by a Syrian and probably Stoic philosopher, Mara Bar Serapion(sometime after 70 A.D), that asks, “What advantage did the Jews gain from executing their king? It was just after that their kingdom was abolished.”[84] The Roman historian, Tacitus (56-120 A.D.), spoke in his Annals of “Christ who was executed under Pontius Pilate in the reign of Tiberias.” [85]Most of these Greek, Roman, and Jewish 1st and 2nd century historians were opposed to Christianity, yet they all agree that Jesus Christ was crucified on a cross.
Who are we going to believe? The Qur’an, which Islam claims was written in the mid-7th century, over 600 years after Jesus walked on the earth, or these 1st and 2nd century Greek, Roman, and Jewish writers who lived much closer to the time of Jesus? We can see from this one example that Christianity has a much better historical record than does Islam.
Conclusion:
When we compare the historical documentary evidence of the Qur’an and the Bible (see above chart), we discover when the earliest biographies and sayings for both faiths were written. For Christianity, they were written 16-57 years after Jesus’ death on the cross by those from the same area. But for Islam, they were written 400-900 years later, and by those who were hundreds of miles too far north. Which do you think has more authority and reliability?
A former Muslim who became a Christian, writes, “After thoroughly investigating the truth claims of slam and Christianity, even while a Muslim, there was no avoiding the obvious truth: The evidence in favor of Christianity was far, far stronger than the evidence for Islam….
“The traditional Islamic narrative is incompatible with both the history of Christianity and even with its own historical records. To believe in the Islamic account of Christian origins while taking the historical records seriously, we would have to conclude that Jesus was an utterly incompetent Messiah and Allah is a deceptive God. The historical record of Islamic origins makes many scholars wonder whether Muhammad existed, and it makes scholars think the Quran was originally far more fluid and indeed a very different kind of book than it is today.
“The Islamic narratives of Christian origins, and even of Islamic origins, are incompatible with history. In other words, to believe the truth of Islam is to ignore the historical evidence.
“As a Muslim, I wanted to base my beliefs not on blind faith, not on what appealed to me, and not even on my family’s heritage. I wanted to ground my faith in reality. If I wanted to take the records of history seriously, I had to abandon my Islamic faith and accept the gospel.” [86][emphasis added]
As Christians, we have the evidence to boldly and clearly proclaim Christ crucified to our Muslim friends. For centuries, the truth of Christianity has withstood criticism. In the first century, when one of Jesus’ disciples, Thomas, doubted the eyewitness testimony of Jesus’ resurrection (John 20:25) and demanded tangible evidence that Christ was alive before he would believe it. Jesus did not come to Thomas and tell him not to doubt or question such an important event. Instead, Christ says to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” (John 20:27). Knowing full well the struggles going on in Thomas’ heart, Jesus invites him to explore with his hands (“Reach your finger here”) and his eyes (“look at My hands”) the reality of His resurrection body.
When Jesus said, “reach your hand here, and put it into My side,” He was referring to a literal hole in His side that was left by the spear. It had healed over but it left an obvious impression. Jesus did not condemn Thomas for his unbelief. He didn’t say, “You should not ask questions like that Thomas!” Christ gave Thomas undeniable evidence that He rose from the dead to answer his objection and then invites him to believe.
In our Judeo-Christian America, we are taught to think critically and question truth claims. Truth does not pull away from scrutiny. It stands up to it.
But in an Islamic community, you are to respect the Qur’an and not question it. The Qur’an encourages Muslims not to question it, lest they become “infidels” (non-Muslims): “101 O you who have believed, do not ask about things which, if they were revealed to you, it would be harmful to you. And if you ask of it when the Qur’an is sent down, it will be revealed to you. Allah will pardon you for this. And Allah is forgiving, forbearing. 102 The people before you asked such questions, and by them they became infidels.” (Qur’an 5:101-102).[87]
Dakdok comments about these verses, “What a way to understand the Qur’an! Just don’t ask questions because, if you ask, perhaps you won’t find an answer. On the other hand, if you do find the answer and it contradicts the teaching of the Qur’an, then perhaps you will become an infidel (unbeliever).
“Christians, on the other hand, are encouraged to ask questions and seek further understanding, which is one of the primary reasons that we have Bible study classes. In them, we can investigate and search for answers to all kinds of questions, and these answers are in the Word of God. Perhaps the greatest problem that Muslims face is the necessity to believe in a book, which in many cases they have not read, but whether they have or not, they simply cannot understand. As it is even written in its own pages, no one can even interpret it, except Allah himself!” [88][emphasis added]
As Islam spreads throughout the U.S., it is essential that Christians speak the truth in love to Muslims about Islam and Christianity. When western scholars and followers of Christ ask questions about the Qur’an, Mohammed, and Mecca, Islamists will be confronted with the truth about their faith and its incompatibility with history. It is then, that we must share the good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection with them so they “may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing [they]… may have life in His name.” (John 20:31).
ENDNOTES:
[1] Tom Constable, Dr. Constable’s Notes on Daniel, 2025 Edition, pp. 6, 40.
[2] Conservative scholars believe Job was written during the Patriarchal period (2100 -1900 B.C.). See Roy B. Zuck, “Job,” The Bible Knowledge Commentary Wisdom, 2018 Kindle Edition, pp. 15-16.; Tom Constable, Notes on Job, 2025 Edition, pp. 1-2.
[3] Robert Vacendak, “Revelation,” The Grace New Testament Commentary: Revised Edition, 2019 Kindle Edition, pp. 1944-1945; John F. Walvoord, “Revelation,” The Bible Knowledge Commentary Epistles and Prophecy, 2018 Kindle locations 4701 to 4707; Archibald Thomas Robertson, A. T. Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament, 2014 Kindle Locations 211099 -211108.
[4] Much of this section is adapted from Dr. Jay Smith’s July 9, 2025, video presentation at Calvary Chapel Chino Hills, entitled, “Two New Findings That Mohammed Didn’t Exist,” at www.youtube.com, unless otherwise noted. View video at this LINK .
[5] Norman L. Geisler and Abdul Saleeb, Answering Islam: The Crescent in Light of the CrossSecond Ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1993, 2002), pg. 94; Daniel Janosik, THE GUIDE TO ANSWERING ISLAM: What Every Christian Needs to Know About Islam and the Rise of Radical Islam (Cambridge, OH: Christian Publishing House, 2019 Kindle Edition, pp. 33-34 cites Ali Dashti, Twenty-Three Years: A Study of the Prophetic Career of Mohammad (Mazda, 1994), pp. 47-58. Usama Dakdok, THE GENEROUS QUR’AN, 2009 Smashwords Edition, pp. 5-10. Dakdok notes that the surahs written in Mecca include surahs 1, 6- 7, 10-12, 14-21, 23, 25-32, 34-46, 50-54, 56, 67-75, 77-97, 100-109, 111-114. The surahs written in Medina include surahs 2-5, 8-9, 13, 22, 24, 33, 47-49, 55, 57-66, 76, 98-99, 110.
[6] Map is adapted from Smith, July 9, 2025, “Two New Findings That Mohammed Didn’t Exist,” at www.youtube.com.
[7] Geisler and Saleeb, Answering Islam, pg. 75 cites Andrew Rippin and Jan Knappert, eds. and trans., Textual Sources for the Study of Islam(Manchester: University Press, 1986)), pp. 68-72; Arthur Jeffery, Islam: Muhammad and His Religion (Indianapolis and New York: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, Inc., 1958), pp. 35-46; and John Alden Williams, Islam (New York: George Braziller, 1962), pp. 66-69.
[9] Walter Martin, The Kingdom of the Cults: The Definitive Work on the Subject 6th Edition (Bloomington, MN: Bethany House Publishers, 2019 Kindle Edition), pp. 523-524.
[10] Smith, July 9, 2025, “Two New Findings That Mohammed Didn’t Exist,” at www.youtube.com.
[14] Daniel Janosik, THE GUIDE TO ANSWERING ISLAM: What Every Christian Needs to Know About Islam and the Rise of Radical Islam (Cambridge, OH: Christian Publishing House, 2019 Kindle Edition), pg. 21.
[16] Ibid., pp. 21-22; cf. Nabeel Qureshi, No God but One: Allah or Jesus? A Former Muslim Investigates the Evidence For Islam And Christianity (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2016 Kindle Edition), pp. 261, 312 cites Ibn Hisham’s notes in The Life of Muhammad: A Translation of Ibn Ishaq’s Sirat Rasul Allah, trans. Alfred Guillaume (Oxford: Oxford Univ. Press, 2002), pg. 691.
[17] Smith, July 9, 2025, “Two New Findings That Mohammed Didn’t Exist,” at www.youtube.com.
[31] S. P. Brock, “Syriac Views of Emergent Islam,” Studies on the First Century of Islamic Society, edited by G.H.A. Juynboll (Carbondale, So. Ill. Univ. Press, 1982), pg. 9; Patricia Crone and Michael Cook, Hagarism (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1977), pg. 3.
[32] Crone and Cook, Hagarism (1977), pg. 6; Bishop Sebeos, Histoire d’Heraclius, tr. F. Macler (Paris, 1904), pp. 94-96.
[33] Verses taken from Usama K. Dakdok, THE GENEROUS QUR’AN: An Accurate, Modern English Translation of the Qur’an, Islam’s Holiest Book (Venice, FL: Usama Dakdok Publishing, LLC, 2009 Smashwords Edition), pp. 60-61. Used by permission of Usama Dakdok Publishing, LLC.
[34] N. Bonwetsch, (ed.), “Doctrina Iacobi nuper baptizati,” in Abhandlungen der Koniglichen Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften zu Gottingen,Philologisch-historische Klasse N.s., vol. xii (Berlin, 1910), pg. 88; Michael Cook, Muhammad (Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1983), pg. 75.
[35] K.R. Patkanean (ed.), Patmout’iun Sebeosi Episkoposi i Herakln (St. Petersburg, 1879), pg. 111; Bishop Sebeos, Histoire d’Heraclius, tr. F. Macler (Paris, 1904), pg. 103.
[40] Much of this section is adapted from Smith, July 9, 2025, “Two New Findings That Mohammed Didn’t Exist,” at www.youtube.com, unless otherwise noted.
[41] W. Montgomery Watt, Muhammad at Mecca (London: Oxford University Press, 1953), pp. 2-4.
[42] Verse taken from Usama K. Dakdok, THE GENEROUS QUR’AN: An Accurate, Modern English Translation of the Qur’an, Islam’s Holiest Book (Venice, FL: Usama Dakdok Publishing, LLC, 2009 Smashwords Edition), pg. 700. Used by permission of Usama Dakdok Publishing, LLC.
[43] Adapted from Smith, July 9, 2025, “Two New Findings That Mohammed Didn’t Exist,” at www.youtube.com.
[44] Janosik, THE GUIDE TO ANSWERING ISLAM, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 321 cites Peter Townsend, The Mecca Mystery: Probing the Black Hole at the Heart of Muslim History (Peter Townsend, 2018), pg. 50.
[45] Ibid., pp. 55-56 cites Townsend, The Mecca Mystery (2018),pp. 110-113.
[46] Dan Gibson, Qur’anic Geography:A Survey and Evaluation of the Geographical References in the Qur’an with Suggested Solutions for Various Problems and Issues (Canada: Independent Scholars Press, 2011), pg. 233.
[47] Cook, Muhammad (1983), pg. 74; Crone and Cook, Hagarism (1977), pg. 22.
[48] Ibid., pp. 54-55 cites Robert Hoyland, Seeing Islam as Others Saw It (Princeton, NJ: Darwin Press, 1997), pp. 43-44;
[55] Patricia Crone, Meccan Trade and the Rise of Islam (Princeton University Press, 1987), pp. 7, 11, 41-42; cf. Townsend, The Mecca Mystery (2018), pg. 49.
[56] Jay Smith, “The Bible and The Qur’an – An Historical Comparison,” at www.pfandercenter.org cites R.W. Bulliet, The Camel and the Wheel (Cambridge, Mass., 1975), pg. 105; N. Groom, Frankincense and Myrrh, a Study of the Arabian Incense Trade (London, 1981), pg. 193; W.W. Muller, “Weibrauch…,” off-print: Pauly-Wissowa, Realencyclopadie, Supplement and 15 (Munich, 1978), pg. 723. You can view Smith’s article at this Link.
[57] Smith, July 9, 2025, “Two New Findings That Mohammed Didn’t Exist,” at www.youtube.com.
[58] Retrieved on December 7, 2025, from a Wikipedia article entitled, “ZamZam Well,” at www.en.wikipedia.org.
[59] Smith, July 9, 2025, “Two New Findings That Mohammed Didn’t Exist,” at www.youtube.com.
[60] Janosik, THE GUIDE TO ANSWERING ISLAM, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 57 cites Robert Kerr, “The Language of the Koran,” Tingis Magazine, February 18, 2013 at https://www.tingismagazine.com/articles/the-language-of-the-koran/ and Mark Durie, The Qur’an and its Biblical reflexes: Investigations into the Genesis of a Religion (Rowman and Littlefield, 2018).
[61] Ibid., pg. 56 cites Townsend, The Mecca Mystery (2018), pg. 104 and Gibson, Qur’anic Geography (2011), pg. 137.
[62] Smith, July 9, 2025, “Two New Findings That Mohammed Didn’t Exist,” at www.youtube.com.
[63] Janosik, THE GUIDE TO ANSWERING ISLAM, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 321 cites Peter Townsend, The Mecca Mystery (2018), pg. 48.
[64] The following is retrieved from Roy Zuck, “Job,” The Bible Knowledge Commentary Wisdom, 2018 Kindle Edition, pp. 15-16; cf. Tom Constable, Dr. Constable’s Notes on Job, 2025 Edition, pp. 1-2.
[65] Adapted from Smith, “The Bible and The Qur’an – An Historical Comparison,” at www.pfandercenter.org, unless otherwise noted.
[66] Norman Geisler and William E. Nix, From God To Us Revised and Expanded: How We Got Our Bible (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 1974, 2012 Kindle Edition), pg. 177.
[67] Tom Constable, Dr. Constable’s Notes on Genesis, 2025 Edition, pg. 2.
[68] Retrieved on December 6, 2025, from the article entitled, “Code of Hammurabi,” at www.history.com.
[69] Josh McDowell and Sean McDowell, Evidence That Demands a Verdict: Life-Changing Truth for a Skeptical World (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2017 Kindle Edition), pp. 102-106; Geisler and Nix, From God To Us Revised and Expanded, 2012 Kindle Edition, pp. 201-203.
[70] Geisler and Nix, From God To Us Revised and Expanded, 2012 Kindle Edition, pp. 198-199.
[71] Adapted from Smith, July 9, 2025, “Two New Findings That Mohammed Didn’t Exist,” at www.youtube.com.
[72] Alberto Samuel Valdez, “Luke,” The Grace New Testament Commentary: Revised Edition, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 340.
[73] Alberto Samuel Valdez, “Acts,” The Grace New Testament Commentary: Revised Edition, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 747.
[74] Robert Wilkin, “Galatians,” The Grace New Testament Commentary: Revised Edition, 2019 Kindle Edition, pp. 1292-1293; Robert Wilkin, “2 Timothy,” The Grace New Testament Commentary: Revised Edition, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 1557.
[75] Barry K. Mershon, “Mark,” The Grace New Testament Commentary: Revised Edition, 2019 Kindle Edition, pp. 216-217.
[76] Hal Haller, Jr., “Matthew,” The Grace New Testament Commentary: Revised Edition, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 14.
[77] Tom Constable, Dr. Constable’s Notes on John, 2025 Edition, pp. 3-4.
[78] Adapted from Smith, July 9, 2025, “Two New Findings That Mohammed Didn’t Exist,” at www.youtube.com.
[79] Verse taken from Dakdok, THE GENEROUS QUR’AN: An Accurate, Modern English Translation of the Qur’an, Islam’s Holiest Book, 2009 Smashwords Edition, pg. 167. Used by permission of Usama Dakdok Publishing, LLC.
[80] Geisler and Saleeb, Answering Islam, pg. 288 cite F.F. Bruce, The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable? (Chicago: Intervarsity Press, 1968), pg. 30
[81] McDowell, Evidence That Demands a Verdict: Life-Changing Truth for a Skeptical World, 2017 Kindle Edition, pg. 84.
[82] Geisler and Saleeb, Answering Islam, pg. 288 cite Josephus, Antiquities, 18:63; See discussion in McDowell, Evidence That Demands a Verdict: Life-Changing Truth for a Skeptical World, 2017 Kindle Edition, pp. 155-157.
[83] McDowell, Evidence That Demands a Verdict: Life-Changing Truth for a Skeptical World, 2017 Kindle Edition, pg. 148 cites Robert E. Van Voorst, Jesus Outside the New Testament: An Introduction to the Ancient Evidence (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2000), pg. 59.
[84] Geisler and Saleeb, Answering Islam, pg. 288 cite Bruce, The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable (1968), pg. 31; for a more comprehensive treatment see, McDowell, Evidence That Demands a Verdict: Life-Changing Truth for a Skeptical World, 2017 Kindle Edition, pp. 149-150 cite Darrell L. Bock, Studying the Historical Jesus (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2002), pg. 53.
[85] Geisler and Saleeb, Answering Islam, pg. 288 cites Tacitus, Annals 15:44 cited by Bruce, The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable (1968), pg. 22; for a more comprehensive treatment see, McDowell, Evidence That Demands a Verdict: Life-Changing Truth for a Skeptical World, 2017 Kindle Edition, pp. 150-153.
[86] Qureshi, No God but One: Allah or Jesus? 2016 Kindle Edition, pp. 290-291.
[87] Verses taken from Dakdok, THE GENEROUS QUR’AN: An Accurate, Modern English Translation of the Qur’an, Islam’s Holiest Book, 2009 Smashwords Edition, pg. 196.
[88] Excerpt from Usama K. Dakdok, Exposing the Truth about the Qur’an: The Revelation of Error, Volume 1 (Venice, FL: Usama Dakdok Publishing, LLC, 2013 Smashwords Edition), pg. 15.
The Qur’an or the Bible? (Two different Scriptures)
Introduction
In our first article comparing Islam with Christianity, we observed the rise of Islam in America. [1] As Islam slowly infiltrates (not immigrates into) our country, it is imperative that Christians understand the differences between Islam and Christianity and be equipped to answer Islamists. God has brought Muslims into America so we can reach them with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
In the next few articles, we are going to compare the sacred writings of Islam (the Qur’an) with the sacred writings of Christianity (the Bible). Both Christianity and Islam get their beliefs from their holy scriptures, the Bible and the Qur’an, yet we find that they disagree on a number of areas. For example, when you compare how each scripture describes the Person of Jesus, His death, and resurrection, you will understand that there are opposing assertions held by both. Hence, it is important to discern which scripture can best make the claim to be the final and perfect Word of God.
When two documents which claim to be true are in contradiction, one must determine whether the contradictions can be explained adequately using criteria which a non-believer, or a third party, can accept; in other words, using measures which go beyond the believers’ personal faith commitment to their revelation. Essentially one must ask whether the Qur’an or the Bible can withstand an external critical analysis for their authenticity. Since both Islam and Christianity claim to receive their beliefs from the revealed truth which they find in their respective scriptures, it is essential to see if there is historical data or evidence to verify that what each scripture claims are true. [2]
I do want to note that this is an immensely complex and difficult subject which I did not anticipate when I first began this study. The more I researched this topic, the more I realized that there was no way I would be able to cover this subject in the space of one article.
For example, manuscript research for the Qur’an is in its infancy because Islamists do not consider it to be valid.[3]Unlike the Bible, textual criticism is unknown in classical, or even modern Islam. It is problematic to do the research because Muslims don’t consider old Quranic manuscripts important. Old manuscripts are discarded in mosques, or burned, so few have survived. Access to earliest manuscripts is difficult and requires introductions and time. It is also dangerous to do any research on manuscripts because Islam considers the Qur’an to be “above criticism.” What Western scholars usually find will close the doors to them. And what they find may cost them their lives. An example of this is John Wansbrough and Patricia Crone who both received death threats because of their findings which cast doubt on the reliability of the Qur’an. So, they had to relocate to safer locations.
Both the Bible and the Qur’an claim to have been revealed at a certain place, and over a period of time. They speak of people, places, and events. If they are true, then we would expect to find evidence for their claims, and especially verification for what they say in the period in which they themselves claim they were revealed.
Christianity teaches that the Bible, a collection of sixty-six books, was written by about forty people in three different languages – Hebrew (most of the Old Testament), Aramaic (Ezra 4:8-6:18; 7:12-26; Jer. 10:11. Dan. 2:4-7:28), [4] and Koine Greek (all the New Testament) – on three different continents (Asia, Africa, Europe) over a period of about two thousand years, from the time the book of Job was written during the patriarchal period (2100-1900 B.C.) [5]to the writing of the last book of the New Testament (Revelation) by the apostle John (95 A.D).[6] The first thirty-nine books are called the Old Testament and record the anticipation of the coming of Christ. The final twenty-seven books are called the New Testament and record Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, final victory, and rule on earth.
The standard Islamic narrative today teaches that the Qur’an, is uncreated and exists eternally on clay tablets in heaven (Qur’an 85:22). This uncreated Qur’an was sent down from Allah (non-Arabic word of Syriac or Hebrew origin meaning “the god”) [7] to one person only, the prophet Mohammed (Qur’an 39:41), through the angel Gabriel, in one language (Arabic), over a period of twenty-three years in two different locations – Mecca (610-622 A.D.) and Medina (622-632 A.D.) [8] – in west central Arabia (see above map). After each revelation from Allah through the angel Gabriel, since Mohammed could not read or write, he would recite the words of revelation to those present (thus the Arabic word “Qur’an,” which means reading or reciting). [9] Many of the devout Muslims would recite these verses in their prayers and commit them to memory. [10] Hence, unlike the Bible, which was a written text, the Qur’an began as an oral text.
About a year after Mohammed’s death (June 632 A.D.), many of those who could recite the Qur’an from memory (Hafiz/Qurra) were killed in the battle of Yamamah (633 A.D.). Umar (who would later become the second Caliph or successor to Mohammed) said, “I am afraid that more heavy casualties may take place among the Qurra’ on other battlefields, whereby a large part of the Qur’an may be lost.” [11] Qureshi wisely asks, if the Qur’an was already written down at this time, why would Umar be afraid of it being lost by the death of its reciters?[12]
Hence, it was deemed necessary by Islamic leaders to collect all of the prophet’s revelations into one book for use in the Islamic community lest a large part of the Qur’an be lost in future battles involving their Hafiz. [13] This demonstrates that memorization of the Qur’an was not good enough to preserve the Qur’an. It needed to be written down.
The compilation of the Qur’an (see above diagram) was initiated by Umar bin Al-Khattab who later became the second Caliph of Islam (successor to Mohammed), [14] when he ordered Zayd ibn Thabit, one of Mohammed’s most trusted secretaries, to collect all of the Qur’an in written and oral form. [15] At this point whatever Qur’anic verses were written down on scraps of bone, leaves, and cloth would be combined with those verses recorded from the ones who had memorized portions of the Qur’an. [16] After this first manuscript or canon of the Qur’an was completed (632-634 A.D.), it was given to Hafsah, the daughter of Umar, the second Caliph, who stored the Qur’an under her bed for twenty years. [17]
Later during the reign of Caliph Uthman over the entire Islamic Empire (644-655 A.D.), [18] it was reported to him that several Muslim communities were using different versions of the Qur’an, so he ordered that Zayd, along with Az-Zubair, Al-As, and bin Hisham, rewrite the first Qur’an copy given to Hafsah into an official revised version of the Qur’an in the “Quraishi” dialect (652 A.D.). [19]
Dr. Jay Smith, a Christian apologist (defends truth), polemicist (confronts opponents with truth), and missionary (sent to proclaim truth to unbelievers) experienced in evangelizing Muslims, points out that there would have been no Quraishi dialect in 652 A.D. because there were no dots (vowels) or diacritical marks (signs placed above or below letters to change their pronunciation) in the early Arabic to distinguish dialects until the 8th – 9th centuries. [20]Early Arabic only had 16 consonantal letters with no vowels or diacritical marks. This is referred to as the rasm of the Qur’an. [21] The earliest Qur’anic manuscripts prove this point (see above pic). [22] Today Arabic has 28 consonantal letters along with vowels and diacritical marks. Smith notes that Bukhari, an 8th century traditionalist in Islam, must not have viewed the earliest manuscripts which were consonantal with no dots (vowels) or diacritical marks in the 7thcentury when the Qur’an was supposedly composed and compiled. [23]
Why would God choose a language that could not accommodate the Qur’an? The earliest Arabic manuscripts of the Qur’an were consonantal with no vowels or diacritical marks. After the production of this revised version in 652 A.D., [24]all the other copies of the Qur’an that disagreed with this revised version were recalled and burned by the express order of the Uthman. [25] Then, under the guidance of Uthman, Zayd ibn Thabit was summoned again to take this revised Qur’an and, together with some other companions, make copies to deliver to every province, [26]including Basra, Baghdad, Damascus, Jerusalem, Cairo, Alexandria, Aden, Herat, and Nishapur. [27] This was to be the standardized Qur’anic text for all of Islam.
The Qur’an is slightly shorter than the New Testament, consisting of 114 surahs(the equivalent of a chapter), 86 of which were revealed to Mohammed in Mecca (610 – 622 A.D) and 28 revealed to him in Medina (622 – 632 A.D.). [28] Each chapter is divided into verses (ayat). Each surah contains a title that is usually derived from a word or phrase within the chapter (such as, “The Cow,” “The Spoils,” “Joseph,” “He Frowned,” etc.). But in most cases, these titles do not describe the theme of the entire chapter. [29]
Islam claims that the Uthmanic version of the Qur’an (like the 1924 Cairo Hafs’ text used today) has been unchanged in the last 1400 years,[30] claiming that Allah would perfectly preserve (Qur’an 15:9; [31] 85:21-22) his eternal book without corruption or “crookedness” (Qur’an 18:1; 4:82). Today Islam claims that the Qur’an is the greatest, the only perfectly preserved, and final revelation. It corrects all previous revelations, [32] including the Bible.
Here is a chart summarizing Islam’s and Christianity’s claims about their sacred books (see above chart). [33]The purpose of the next few articles is to look at the historical data which exists in these periods and determine whether it supports or denies the claims for the historicity of both the Bible and the Qur’an. I will attempt to do this by looking at three areas of evidence: manuscripts, documents, and archaeological facts from the periods mentioned above. If the manuscript, documentary and archaeological evidence supports the claims for the Bible or the Qur’an, then we can assume their reliability. However, if the evidence denies their historicity, then we have to doubt their authenticity. [34]I will give more space for Islam in these sections since the majority of Christians, like this author, are not very familiar with its history and distinctives.
Also, due to lack of space, I will also look at the documentary evidence and archaeological facts in my next two articles, Lord willing.
I. The Manuscript Evidence
When comparing the manuscript evidence of the Qur’an with the Bible, it is important to understand that during the time period for its composition (2000 B.C.– 95 A.D.), the Bible’s manuscripts were typically written on less durable material called papyrus (a paper-like material made from the papyrus reed stalk and leaves), [35] which would typically disintegrate within 100-200 years. Whereas by the 7th century A.D. when sources tell us Mohammed received revelations from Allah through the angel Gabriel (610-632 A.D.), the Qur’an manuscripts were written on parchment or vellum (i.e. animal skins) which can endure for thousands of years. [36]
When conducting an analysis of the Qur’an’s manuscripts, there are some unique problems one must address that are not encountered with the Bible. Smith writes, “While we can find multiple manuscripts for the Bible written 700-900 years earlier, at a time when durable paper was not even used, the manuscripts for the Qur’an within the century in which it was purported to have been compiled, the seventh century, simply do not exist. Prior to 750 A.D. (thus for 100 years after Muhammad’s death) we have no verifiable Muslim documents which can give us a window into this formative period of Islam.” [38]
The fact of the matter is the primary sources which we possess are from 150-300 years after the events which they describe, and therefore are quite distant from those events. [39] For that reason, they are, for all practical purposes, secondary sources, as they rely on other material, much of which no longer exists. We simply do not have any “account from the Islamic’ community during the [initial] 150 years or so, between the first Arab conquests [the early 7th century] and the appearance, with the sira-maghazi narratives, of the earliest Islamic literature” [the late 8th century]. [40]
One would expect to find in those intervening 150 years, at least remnants of evidence for the development of the old Arab religion towards Islam (i.e. Muslim traditions); yet nothing is found. [41] The available documentary evidence prior to 752 A.D. “consists almost entirely of rather dubious citations in later compilations.”[42] Hence, we have no reliable proof that the later Muslim traditions speak truly of the life of Mohammed, or even of the Qur’an. [43] In addition, there is no evidence for the original Qur’anic text within the first century of Islam.[44] Nor do we have any of the original alleged nine copies which were made of the Uthman revised Qur’an sent to Basra, Baghdad, Damascus, Jerusalem, Cairo, Alexandria, Aden, Herat, and Nishapur. [45]
Even if these copies had somehow disintegrated with age (as some Muslims now allege), there would surely be some fragments of the documents at our disposal. By the end of the seventh century, Islam had expanded from Spain in the west to India in the east. According to Muslim tradition, the Qur’an was the centerpiece of their faith. Surely within that enormous sphere of influence there would be some Qur’anic documents or manuscripts which still exist till this day. Yet, there is nothing anywhere from that period at all. [46]
With the immense number of manuscripts available for the Christian scriptures, all compiled long before the time Mohammed was born, it is incredible that Islam cannot provide a single substantiated manuscript of their most holy book from within 100 years of their founder’s birth (570 – 670 A.D.).
However, some Muslims claim they do have the original copies of the revised Qur’an from Uthman (652 A.D.) in their possession. They refer to six early Arabic manuscripts (see above chart). The two documents which do hold some credibility to which many Muslims mention are the Samarkand Manuscript in Tashkent library in Uzbekistan (southern part of the former Soviet Union), and the Topkapi Manuscript, which is in the Topkapi Museum, in Istanbul, Turkey.
What Muslims may not know is that these two manuscripts are written in the Kufic Script, a script which according to modern Qur’anic manuscript experts, did not appear until late into the eighth century, and was not in use at all in Mecca and Medina in the seventh century. [47] Since both the Topkapi and Samarkand Manuscripts are written in the Kufic script, neither one could have been written earlier than 150 years after the Uthmanic revision was supposedly compiled; at the earliest the late 700s or early 800s. [48]
Two leading Muslim scholars, Dr. Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu and Dr. Tayyar Altıkulaç, conducted five years of research (2002-2007) on the six early Arabic manuscripts and concluded that they are from the early to mid 8th century and are not Uthmanic nor sent by him. [49]
In addition, a more recent review examining the 2,270 variants and paleography of the Topkapi manuscript by a leading scholar of that manuscript, Dr. Rami Hussein Halaseh, shows that “up to the second century [AH – Anno Hegirae or in the year of the Hijrah in 622 A.D.] (816 AD) the qur’anic text was still being edited.” [50][brackets and emphasis added]He concludes that the Topkapi manuscript was written from 750-900 A.D. [51]
B. Corrections in Early Qur’an Manuscripts
While Islam claims that the Uthman revised Qur’an (652 A.D.) has been perfectly preserved and not been changed in the last nearly 1400 years, there are recent discoveries that confirm the textual corruption of the Qur’an. For his doctoral thesis, Dr. Daniel Brubaker examined the 6 earliest Qur’anic manuscripts, as well as other manuscripts which appeared soon after. He documented just how extensive these corrections or corruptions have been, thus undermining the traditional Islamic claim of an uncorrupted version of the Qur’an. [52]
For example, Brubaker states, “In a correction, something is added (insertion), removed (erasure), replaced (erasure overwritten, taping overwritten, or overwriting without erasure), or (perhaps) hidden… Because each correction is different in nature and significance, it would be a mistake to draw conclusions from raw numbers, but for general information, here is a rough breakdown of the relative number of instances so far:” [53] [800 physical corrections documented in his 2014 doctoral dissertation] [54]
Since his doctoral dissertation in 2014, Brubaker has found over 4,000 (and counting) additional physical corrections in the early manuscripts of the Qur’an. [56] He presents several possible explanations for these corrections, one of which was that some of these corrections were made following a campaign to standardize the text such as Uthman’s revised Qur’anic text in 652 A.D. [57]
He also notes that there are partial corrections which he says indicates “a movement toward a standard over time, a gradual process rather than a sudden complete standardization. By partial correction, I mean places where one aspect of the writing on a page was brought to conformity with the 1924 Cairo rasm [consonantal text with no vowels or diacritical marks] but another part of the writing remained uncorrected.”[58] [brackets added]
It is important to know how the 1924 Cairo Qur’an was chosen. In 1924, in the city of Cairo, Egypt, high schools were noticing that students were coming with different answers to test questions about the Qur’anic text because they were using 37 variant Qur’ans. So, it was impossible to come up with a standardized religious test for all the students. Because of this, it was decided to have one man choose one Qur’an from among the 37 Qur’ans to be the standardized one. That man was Muhammad b. ‘Ali al-Husayni al-Haddad from Al Azhar University and he chose the 796 A.D. ‘Hafs’ Qur’an for all high schools in Cairo.
Hafs was from Iraq and died in 796 A.D. He had never met Mohammed. He had never seen the original Qur’an. He lived 144 years after the prophet. So, al-Haddad only chose what he thought was Hafs’ Qur’an. The educational authorities of Cairo gathered all the other Qur’ans (36 of them) that disagreed with Hafs’ and put them in a boat, taking them out into the middle of the Nile River, and dumped them (see above pic). [59] But that did not remove all those variants. Dr. Smith’s team have collected 37 different Qira’at Arabic Qur’ans in various marketplaces around the Arabic speaking world in recent years (see pic below). [60]
In 1936, when the government of Egypt realized how successful the 1924 Cairo Hafs’ Qur’an was in all of its schools, they decided to make the Hafs’ Qur’an standard for all Qur’ans in Egyptian schools. But that was only in Egypt.
Finally, in 1985, when King Fahd of Saudi Arabia realized how impactful the 1924 Cairo Hafs’ Qur’an was in Egypt, he decided to make this the standard Qur’an for the entire world. It became known as the “Faruq Edition,” named after King Faruq, who came to power in 1982. The Qur’an that is being used today, has only been standardized for the entire world for 41 years! And it comes from one student who created his own Qur’an in 796 A.D., 144 years after Mohammed.
Smith argues that the reason Brubaker has found over 4000 corrections (and counting) to the earliest manuscripts of the Qur’an is because those texts did not align with the much later Cairo Hafs’ text. Every time they inserted a word, erased a word or phrase, or covered a word or phrase, what was left was the Hafs’ standardized text.
C. The 63 Earliest Extant Fragments of the Qur’an.
On the Islamic Awareness website (islamic-awareness.org) developed by Mansur Ahmed, they claim that within the first century of Islam (622 A.D. – 719 A.D.) they had 96% of the Qur’anic text (see above chart). [61] This figure is obtained from 63 different Qur’anic manuscripts, most of which are fragments or parts of manuscripts (see chart below).
Dr. Smith’s team investigated these different manuscripts and found that 20 of the 63 manuscripts are tentatively dated, with disagreements between scholars (green arrows). No one has come to any conclusions about these. Notice that 3 of the top 5 manuscripts fall into this category. Then we see that 9 manuscripts are dated after 719 A.D. (blue arrows) and should not even be on the list. This includes the very top manuscript which is the most important one. The remaining 34 manuscripts (red arrows) are not dated because no one has done any work on them. So, they are pure speculation by the Muslims. Thus, we can conclude that none of these manuscripts are valid because all of them are either later, or tentatively dated, or have no supporting evidence! [62]
D. Pre-Islamic Sources in the Qur’an
Another difficulty with manuscript evidence for the Qur’an is that of the accounts involving many characters from the Bible, but they bear little similarity to the Biblical accounts. The Qur’anic stories include many distortions, amendments, and some bizarre additions to the familiar stories we have known and learned in the Bible. So, we ask, where did these stories come from, if not from the previous scriptures?
Many of these accounts come from other pre-Islamic Jewish and Christian apocryphal writings (some of it from the Jewish Talmud and Midrash)which appeared from 100 A.D. to 500 A.D., [63] and were not recognized by the Jews or the church to be authoritative or part of the canon of the Bible. [64]
When we compare some of the familiar sounding stories in the Qur’an with Jewish and Christian apocryphal literature, we find incredible similarities between these fictional apocryphal stories and the stories that are described in the Qur’an. Examples include the murder of Abel by Cain (Qur’an 5:31-32) borrowed from the Targum of Jonathan ben Uzziah, a second century writing, and the Jewish Mishnah Sanhedrin 4:5, a 5th century writing; [65] or the story of Abraham, the idols and the fiery furnace (Qur’an 21:51-71) taken from the Midrash Rabbah, a second century Jewish fable;[66] or the amusing story of Solomon, his talking Hoopoe bird, and the queen of Sheba who lifts her skirt when mistaking a mirrored floor for water (Qur’an 27:17-44), taken from the 2nd Targum of Esther, a second century writing. [67]
There are other instances where we find both apocryphal Jewish and Christian writings within the Qur’anic text. The account of Mt. Sinai being lifted up and held over the heads of the Jews as a threat for rejecting the law (Qur’an 7:171) comes from the second century Jewish apocryphal book, The Abodah Sarah. [68] The odd accounts of the early childhood of Jesus in the Qur’an can be traced to a number of Christian apocryphal writings which were rejected by the early church: the Palm tree which provides for the anguish of Mary after Jesus’s birth (Qur’an 19:22-26) and the baby Jesus talking from the cradle (Qur’an 19:29-33) both come from the second century false book, The Story of the Baby of Mary and the Childhood of the Savior; [69]the account of the infant Jesus creating birds from clay (Qur’an 3:49) was influenced by Chapter 2 in the second century Greek book, The Gospel of Thomas and also by Chapter 36 of the Arabic book, The Gospel of a Childhood.[70]
The descriptions of Hell in the Qur’an look a lot like the descriptions of hell in the Homilies of Ephraim, a Nestorian preacher of the sixth century. [71] Smith suggests that the author of the Qur’an in suras 42:17 and 101:6-9 was influenced by a fictitious book, The Testament of Abraham, written around 200 B.C. in Egypt, and later translated into Arabic and Greek, to teach that a scale or balance will be used on the day of judgment to weigh good and bad deeds in order to determine whether one goes to heaven or to hell. [72]
Additional borrowed Jewish, Christian, and other sources include: the angels Harut and Marut (Qur’an 2:102), from the Midrash Yalzut, Chapter 44; the 7 Heavens and 7 Hells (Qur’an 15:43-44; 17:44), from the traditions of Jagigah and Zuhal; the Mi’raj and Buraq, the winged horse (Quran 17:1), from the Testament of Abraham (200 B.C.); the Cave of the 7 Sleepers from the Story of the Martyrs (Gregory of Tours, or Diogenes Laertius); the Sirat Bridge (Qur’an 19:71) from the Chinavad from the Zoroastrian book Dinkart; Paradise, Houris, eyes like pearls (Qur’an 55:56-58; 56:22-24, 35-37), taken from Zoroastrian writings about Paaris, et al. [73] Smith states that some scholars think 30-60% of the Qur’an is borrowed from other sources, most of which were written between the 2nd – 5th centuries, suggesting that the creators of the Qur’an borrowed from the wrong sources!
The reason they borrowed from these other sources is because the Old and New Testaments of the Bible were not written in Arabic in the 7th – mid 8th centuries when the Qur’an was allegedly being compiled and completed. [74] Smith explains that many Jews lived in Arabia in the 7th-8th centuries, having fled Jerusalem after its destruction in 70 A.D. Several of the Jewish traditions were passed down orally from generation to generation. They would be retold around campfires to Arab traders, using the local vernacular. A lot of these stories would then be embellished. Others would be used as “bedtime” tales for the Jewish children. But the authentic Old Testament was never translated into Arabic until the late 8th century A.D., and the New Testament until the late 9th century A.D., thus, much too late to make it into the Qur’an. [75]
These accounts derived from Jewish and Christian apocryphal writings and other questionable sources have always been considered heretical by Christian and Jewish orthodox believers alike. How then did these sources make their way into a book that claims to be the final revelation from God? Shouldn’t this cause us to seriously question the divine origin of the Qur’an? It seems to this author that the Qur’an is a man-made book rather than a divine revelation from God.
Let’s now turn our attention to the manuscript evidence for the Bible and determine whether the Bible which we read today is historically accurate?
E. The Bible’s Manuscript Evidence
The Old Testament has survived in few complete manuscripts, most of which date from the ninth century A.D. or later. There are, however, abundant reasons for believing that these copies are reliable. Geisler and Nix note, “Several lines of evidence support this contention including: (1) the few variants existing in the Masoretic manuscripts; (2) the almost literal agreement of most of the Septuagint [the Greek translation of the Hebrew canon] with the Hebrew of the Masoretic Text (MT); (3) the scrupulous rules of the scribes who copied the manuscripts; (4) the similarity of parallel Old Testament passages; (5) archaeological confirmation of historical details of the text; (6) the agreement, by and large, of the Samaritan Pentateuch (SamP); (7) the thousands of Cairo Genezah manuscripts; and (8) the phenomenal confirmation of the Hebrew text by the Dead Sea Scroll (DSS) and Documents in the Judean Desert (DJD) discoveries.” [76] [brackets added]
In contrast to the Qur’an, the sheer number of New Testament manuscripts (MSS) which are existent today are astounding! Yet, Muslims argue that since we do not have the original manuscripts of the Bible, the reliability of the copies we do have is therefore in doubt. But this argument could also be directed at the Qur’an as recent discoveries have brought into question whether or not the earliest manuscripts of the Qur’an are close to the original Qur’anic text which Muslims claim was written down within 20 years of Mohammed’s death (see discussion above).
Because the Bible is a book, it was initially made up of manuscripts (handwritten copies). Subsequently, a primary means for determining its historical reliability today is the number of copies from those original manuscripts which are currently in one’s possession and the time interval between the original and earliest copy. This is known as the bibliographical test. [77] More copies of the original were made to preserve the original manuscript and to distribute the original to more and more people. Hence, the more copies we have the better we can compare between them and thus know if the document we now read corresponds with the original manuscript. Smith explains it like this: “It is much like a witness to an event. If we have only one witness to the event, there is the possibility that the witness’s agenda or even an exaggeration of the event has crept in, and we would never know the full truth. But if we have many witnesses, the probability that they all got it wrong becomes minute [small].” [78] [brackets added]
Also, the shorter the time interval between the original manuscript and the earliest copy, the greater the historical reliability of the document. Why? Because history has shown that the closer the copies are to the original, it usually means the fewer times it has been copied and therefore, the less chance it has of human error creeping in.
When comparing the New Testament, which was originally written in Koine Greek, with other credible ancient writings, the New Testament has far more manuscript authority than any other credible ancient literature as shown in the chart below. [79]
A more recent chart based on additional discoveries and new technologies (see below) called, “The Number of Biblical Manuscripts,” [80] shows an increase in manuscripts for the New Testament and includes Old Testament scrolls and codices [i.e., book form]. McDowell writes, “In the chart… the second and third columns compare both ‘old’ and ‘new’ dates determined for the earliest manuscript in each language. The two columns at the far right compare the ‘old’ and ‘new’ number of manuscripts estimated to be catalogued for that language. For each language, the data labeled ‘old’ was tabulated in 2012. The columns labeled ‘new’ show the data for each language as of August 2014—with the exception of the new number of Greek manuscripts which reflects the official number as of January 2017.
“This comparison reveals the change, if any, in dating and numbers of manuscripts that have occurred in that two-year interval, through the discovery of earlier manuscripts in a particular language or by the addition of newly discovered or catalogued manuscripts. Current research continues to change these totals. And we must realize that every day, marvelous new discoveries are being made. That is why the numbers of scroll and manuscript discoveries are out-of-date as soon as you print them. We recognize how astonishingly rapid is the increase of information and even the development of new methods to recover that data from manuscripts that had been thought to be forever illegible.” [81][emphasis added]
In an updated chart showing an increase in manuscripts of major classical works and the New Testament based on additional discoveries and new technologies (see chart below), we still see that the New Testament is by far more reliable than any other ancient classical writing. [82]
To help us visualize how many Biblical manuscripts exist today (see diagram below), McDowell states, “How high do you think the stack of New Testament manuscripts would be? Think about this: of just the 5,800+ Greek New Testament manuscripts, there are more than 2.6 million pages. Combining both the Old and New Testament, there are more than 66,000 manuscripts and scrolls.
“A stack of extant manuscripts for the average classical writer would measure about four feet high; this just cannot compare to the more than one mile of New Testament manuscripts and two-and-a-half miles for the entire Bible.” [83][emphasis added]
While Muslims insist that the Qur’an has been perfectly preserved (which is highly suspect as shown previously), they miss the strength of this argument for the New Testament’s reliability, “since the Qur’an is only a medieval book (7th century A.D.). But most Muslims are totally unaware that for an ancient book (1st century A.D.), the New Testament is the most accurately copied book in the world.”[84] [emphasis added]
F. The Early Versions and Translations of the New Testament
Since Christianity has been a “going” faith from its beginning (cf. “Go… and make disciples of all the nations…” – Matt. 28:19; “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to everyone…” – Mark 16:15; “repentance and remission [forgiveness] of sins should be preached in His name to all nations” – Luke 24:46-48; “you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem… all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” – Acts. 1:8), the Scriptures were soon translated into the known languages of that period, some of which were written as early as 150 A.D., such as the Syriac Peshitta. [85] For that reason, other written translations or versions appeared over time such as Coptic translations (late 3rd century), Old Latin (4th century A.D.), Latin Vulgate (4th century A.D.), Syriac (late 4th century A.D.), Georgian (5th century A.D.), Gothic (5th or 6th century A.D.), Ethiopian (6th century A.D.), Armenian (mid 9th century A.D.), and Slavic (10th century A.D.), totally an additional 18,130+ existing manuscripts. [86] (see “The Number of Biblical Manuscripts” chart above). Smith writes, “The fact that we have so many translations of the New Testament points to its authenticity, as it would have been almost impossible, had the disciples or later followers wanted to corrupt or forge its contents, for them to have amassed all of the translations from the outlying areas and changed each one so that there would have been the uniformity which we find witnessed in these translations today.” [87]
G. Early Church Father’s Quotations of the New Testament
Another great attestation for the historical reliability of the New Testament manuscripts is the mass number of quotations taken from its pages by the early fathers (leaders) of the church (see chart above). [88] Geisler and Nix correctly conclude, “Not only did the early Fathers cite all twenty-seven books of the New Testament, they also quoted virtually all of the verses in all of these twenty-seven books. Five Fathers alone from Irenaeus to Eusebius possess almost 36,000 quotations from the New Testament… We know of no other book from the ancient world that exists largely in [total] by way of thousands of individual and selected quotations of it. It is an amazing fact that the New Testament could be reconstructed simply from quotations made within two hundred years of its composition.”[89] [brackets and emphasis added]
Islam claims that the Bible has been corrupted because the Qur’an contradicts the Bible on many (if not all) of the Bible’s important teachings, events, and people which were recorded much earlier than the Qur’an. Therefore, for the Qur’an to be true, a person must be led to believe that it is the Bible that is false and has been corrupted. But where in the Qur’an does it say that the Bible has been corrupted? The truth is, the Qur’an declares just the opposite.
What does the Qur’an teach about the Bible? When we read the Qur’an, Allah and his prophet Mohammed give credit to the Bible as being preserved and perfect without any corruption. “O you who have believed, believe in Allah and his messenger [Mohammed] and the book [Qur’an], which he has sent down on his messenger, and the book[the Bible], which he has sent down before. Whoever becomes an infidel in Allah and his angels and his books and his messengers and the last day, so indeed, he has strayed far away astray.” (Qur’an 4:136). [91] [emphasis added] The Qur’an commands Muslims to believe in the Bible and its prophets. This is proof that the Bible was correct at the time of Mohammed.
Allah claims that he is the “guardian” over the “books” when he says to Mohammed, “And to you [Mohammed] we have sent down the book [the Qur’an] with the truth, confirming what is between his hands of the book [Bible] and as guardian over it.” (Qur’an 5:48a). [92] The Qur’an confirms the previous books of the Bible are and will be true as long as the Qur’an exists. [93] Since Muslims believe Allah is all-powerful, wouldn’t he be powerful enough to preserve the “book” (Bible) he claims to have authored which was in existence hundreds of years before Mohammed and the Qur’an?
The Qur’an says there is “guidance” and “light” in the Bible and the gospel of ‘Isā (the name of Islam’s Jesus). “Surely we have sent down the Torah, in it is guidance and light.” (Qur’an 5:44a). [94]“46 And in their footsteps, we sent ‘Isā, son of Mary, confirming what is between his hands of the Torah, and we gave him the Gospel, in it is guidance and light, and confirming what was between his hands from the Torah, and a guidance and a sermon to the fearer. 47 And that the people of the Gospel judge by what Allah has sent down in it. And whoever does not judge by what Allah has sent down, so those are the transgressors.” (Qur’an 5:46-47). [95] The Qur’an confirms in these verses that the Gospel is from God and is correct in Mohammed’s time. [96]
Allah declares that all the writers of the Bible were inspired. This proves that the Bible is the Word of God. “And we did not send before you any except men that we inspired, so ask the people of the reminder [Jews and Christians], if you were not knowing.” (Qur’an 16:43). [97]
Allah also told Mohammed to ask Jews and Christians about the truth of the Bible: “So, if you were in doubt concerning what we have sent down to you, so ask those who are reading the book before you; indeed, the truth came to you from your lord, so do not be of the doubters.” (Qur’an 10:94). [98] We learn two important facts in this one verse: First, we know from this verse that Christians and Jews had the Bible in their hands during the lifetime of Mohammed, because how could they read a book they do not have? Second, the Bible is perfect, for how could Allah command Mohammed to check his Qur’an with a corrupt book when he was “in doubt” about his own revelations? This is further proof that the Bible existed and was true in Mohammed’s day.
When Muslims say the Bible has been corrupted, then they are contradicting their Allah and their Qur’an because we have just read several verses in the Qur’an (Allah’s words) that confirm the Bible and its perfection, truthfulness, and preservation. Allah declares, “…And no one can change the words of Allah. ” (Quran 6:34; cf. 10;64; 18:27). [99]
If a Muslim still believes the Bible is corrupted, they are contradicting their own Qur’an, proving that there are inconsistencies in it and that the Qur’an cannot be from Allah: “Do they not consider the Qur’an? If it was from other than Allah, they would have found in it many inconsistencies.” (Qur’an 4:82). [100]
In summary,the manuscript evidence at our disposal today for the New Testament gives us nearly 24,000 Greek and non-Greek manuscripts with which to substantiate the historical accuracy of our current New Testament. The earliest of these manuscripts have now been dated at 117-138 A.D., [101] only 50+ years since the original. No other credible book from the ancient world has as small a time gap between the original composition and the earliest manuscript copies as the New Testament. [102] In addition, we have over 18,136 early translations of the New Testament which underscore the historical accuracy of the early manuscripts. We have scriptural quotations in the letters of the early Church fathers with which we could almost reproduce the New Testament if we so wished. This indeed is substantial manuscript evidence for the New Testament. But if this is not enough evidence, the Qur’an itself confirms the Bible and its perfection, truthfulness, and preservation without corruption.
II. Conclusion
So what comparisons are there between the manuscript evidence for the Qur’an and the Bible? We know from the historical record that by the end of the seventh century that Arabs had expanded right across North Africa and up into Spain, and east as far as India. The Qur’an (according to later Islamic tradition) was supposedly the centerpiece of their faith and practice at that time. Certainly, within that enormous sphere of influence there should therefore be some Qur’anic manuscripts which still exist to this day. Yet, there is nothing from that period at all. The only manuscripts which Islam provides turn out to have been compiled in the ninth century, while the earliest substantiated manuscript is dated 790 A.D., written not 1400 years ago as Muslims claim but a mere 1,200 years ago.
Look at the chart above comparing the Qur’an early manuscripts with the New Testament Greek manuscripts. [103] Notice the enormous difference between the number of early manuscripts for both books. We have learned that the accuracy of the Qur’an’s manuscripts has also been brought into question by Daniel Brubaker’s research. The thousands of manuscript variants of the Qur’an’s early manuscripts reveal a much less reliable book than what we possess in the New Testament.
While Christianity can claim more than 5,850 known Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, over 18,130 early New Testament versions and translations, adding up to nearly 24,000 confirmed New Testament manuscripts still in existence, most of which were written between 25-400 years after the death of Christ, Islam cannot provide a single manuscript until well into the eighth century over 100 years after its supposed original compilation (see above chart comparing the two books). [104] If the Christians could retain so many thousands of ancient manuscripts, all of which were written long before the Qur’an, at a time when paper had not yet been introduced, forcing the dependency on papyrus which disintegrated with age, then one wonders why the Muslims are not able to forward a single manuscript from this much later period, during which the Qur’an was supposedly revealed? This indeed gives the Bible a much stronger claim for reliability than the Qur’an.
Furthermore, while the earliest New Testament manuscripts as well as the earliest letters from the church fathers correspond with the New Testament which we have in our hands, providing us with some certainty that they have not been unduly added to or tampered with, the Qur’anic material which we have in our possession abounds with stories whose origins we can now trace to second century Jewish and Christian apocryphal literature. We know in some cases who wrote them, when exactly they were written and at times even why they were written; and that none of them were from a divine source, as they were written by the most human of Rabbis and storytellers over the intervening centuries after the Bible had been canonized.
In addition, when the Bible’s total number of early manuscripts is compared to the Qur’an’s (see above chart), [105] the superiority of the Bible’s historical reliability is accentuated even more. Contrary to the standard Islamic narrative, the Qur’an is not complete nor unchanged as we have learned in this historical assessment. What our Muslim friends need is a better book which can give them guidance and light.
Usama Dakdok writes, “Many Muslim scholars who have had deep knowledge of Islam, some of whom even served as imams and professors in Al-Azhar University and other universities around the world, have become Christians. They have something in common which astonished me when I first discovered it. They reported that they had become Christians because they studied the Qur’an and discovered the falsehoods and the errors in it as they read the Bible. They saw the light and truth of the original account, not as it was copied and corrupted in the Qur’an.” [106] [emphasis added]
ENDNOTES:
[1] See the article posted by Pam Geller on July 1, 2009, entitled, “ISLAMIC INVASION OF AMERICA: THE 20 POINT PLAN,” at this LINK. Notice the references to the Qur’an in points 7 and 10. This 20-point plan originated from a refugee from the Muslim Middle East named Anis Shorrosh, author of ”Islam Revealed” and ”The True Furqan.” Anis is a Christian Arab American who emigrated from Arab-controlled Jerusalem in January 1967. Shorrosh says, “The following [20-point plan] is my analysis of Islamic invasion of America, the agenda of Islamists and visible methods to take over America by the year 2020.”
[2] Adapted from Jay Smith, “The Bible and The Qur’an – An Historical Comparison,” at www.pfandercenter.org. You can view this comparison at this Link.
[3] This paragraph is adapted from Dr. Jay Smith, March 9, 2026, class lecture entitled, “Manuscript Evidence for the Qur’an.”
[4] Tom Constable, Dr. Constable’s Notes on Daniel, 2025 Edition, pp. 6, 40.
[5] Conservative scholars believe Job was written during the Patriarchal period (2100 -1900 B.C.). See Roy B. Zuck, “Job,” The Bible Knowledge Commentary Wisdom, 2018 Kindle Edition, pp. 15-16.; Tom Constable, Notes on Job, 2025 Edition, pp. 1-2.
[6] Robert Vacendak, “Revelation,” The Grace New Testament Commentary: Revised Edition, 2019 Kindle Edition, pp. 1944-1945; John F. Walvoord, “Revelation,” The Bible Knowledge Commentary Epistles and Prophecy, 2018 Kindle locations 4701 to 4707; Archibald Thomas Robertson, A. T. Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament, 2014 Kindle Locations 211099 -211108.
[7] Usama K. Dakdok, THE GENEROUS QUR’AN: An Accurate, Modern English Translation of the Qur’an, Islam’s Holiest Book (Venice, FL: Usama Dakdok Publishing, LLC, 2009 Smashwords Edition), pg. 36-37; cf. Dr. Jay Smith’s July 6, 2025, presentation entitled “Dismantling Islam Historically,” at Calvary Chapel Chino Hills. See the video of his presentation at this LINK. See also Jay Smith’s November 24, 2019, video presentation entitled, “Jay Smith Historical Critique Quran Origins 1,” at www.youtube.com. You can view this second video at this LINK.
[8] Norman L. Geisler and Abdul Saleeb, Answering Islam: The Crescent in Light of the CrossSecond Ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1993, 2002), pg. 94; Daniel Janosik, THE GUIDE TO ANSWERING ISLAM: What Every Christian Needs to Know About Islam and the Rise of Radical Islam (Cambridge, OH: Christian Publishing House, 2019 Kindle Edition, pp. 33-34 cites Ali Dashti, Twenty-Three Years: A Study of the Prophetic Career of Mohammad (Mazda, 1994), pp. 47-58. Dakdok, THE GENEROUS QUR’AN, 2009 Smashwords Edition, pp. 5-10. Dakdok notes that the surahs written in Mecca include surahs 1, 6- 7, 10-12, 14-21, 23, 25-32, 34-46, 50-54, 56, 67-75, 77-97, 100-109, 111-114. The surahs written in Medina include surahs 2-5, 8-9, 13, 22, 24, 33, 47-49, 55, 57-66, 76, 98-99, 110.
[9] Geisler and Saleeb, Answering Islam, pg. 92 cites Michael Nazir-Ali, Frontiers in Muslim-Christian Encounter (Oxford: Regnum Books, 1987), pg. 124.
[10] Nabeel Qureshi, No God but One: Allah or Jesus? A Former Muslim Investigates the Evidence For Islam And Christianity (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2016 Kindle Edition), pg. 107.
[13] Geisler and Saleeb, Answering Islam, 2002, pp. 92-93 cites Al-Bukhari (d. 870 A.D.), The Translation of the Meanings of Sahih Al-Bukhari, translated by Muhammad Muhsin Khan, Al-Medina: Islamic University, Vol. 6, pp. 477-478; Qureshi, No God but One: Allah or Jesus, 2016 Kindle Edition, pg. 281.
[14] Qureshi, No God but One: Allah or Jesus, 2016 Kindle Edition, pg. 49.
[15] Geisler and Saleeb, Answering Islam, pp. 92-93 cites Al-Bukhari, The Translation of the Meanings of Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 6, pp. 477-478.
[16] Janosik, THE GUIDE TO ANSWERING ISLAM, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 34.
[17] Ibid., pg. 321; cf. Jay Smith, November 24, 2019, video entitled, “Jay Smith Historical Critique Quran Origins 1,” at www.youtube.com.
[18] Qureshi, No God but One: Allah or Jesus, 2016 Kindle Edition, pg. 119.
[19] Geisler and Saleeb, Answering Islam, 2002, pg. 93 cites Al-Bukhari, The Translation of the Meanings of Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 6, pp. 478-479.
[20] Smith’s July 6, 2025, video presentation entitled, “Dismantling Islam Historically,” at www.youtube.com.
[21] Daniel Brubaker, Corrections in Early Qur’an Manuscripts: Twenty Examples(FULL COLOR EDITION) (Quran Manuscript Change Studies Book 1) (Lovettsville: Think and Tell Press,2019 Kindle Edition), pp. 1, 8; Qureshi, No God but One: Allah or Jesus, 2016 Kindle Edition, pg. 314.
[22] Smith’s July 6, 2025, video presentation entitled, “Dismantling Islam Historically,” at www.youtube.com.
[23] Jay Smith, November 24, 2019, video entitled, “Jay Smith Historical Critique Quran Origins 1,” at www.youtube.com.
[31] Dakdok demonstrates that Qur’an 15:9 is referring to the Bible, not the Qur’an – see Usama K. Dakdok, Exposing the Truth about the Qur’an: The Revelation of Error, Volume 2 (Venice, FL: Usama Dakdok Publishing, LLC, 2013 Smashwords Edition), pp. 650-651.
[32] Smith’s July 6, 2025, presentation entitled “Dismantling Islam Historically,” at Calvary Chapel Chino Hills at www.youtube.com.
[33] Adapted from Smith, “Jay Smith Historical Critique Quran Origins 1,” at www.youtube.com.
[34] This approach is adapted from Smith, “The Bible and The Qur’an – An Historical Comparison,” at www.pfandercenter.org.
[35] Retrieved on November 1, 2025, from the September 25, 2022, article entitled “What is Papyrus?” at www.museumofthebible.org; Norman Geisler and William E. Nix, From God To Us Revised and Expanded: How We Got Our Bible (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 1974, 2012 Kindle Edition), pg. 13.
[36] Brubaker, Corrections in Early Qur’an Manuscripts, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 2.
[37] Much of this section is retrieved from Smith, “The Bible and The Qur’an – An Historical Comparison,” at www.pfandercenter.org, unless otherwise noted.
[38] Ibid., cites John Wansbrough, The Sectarian Milieu: Content and Composition of Islamic Salvation History (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1978), pp. 58-59.
[39] Ibid., cites Yahuda Nevo, “Towards a Prehistory of Islam,” Jerusalem Studies in Arabic and Islam, vol.17 (Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 1994), pg. 108; Wansbrough, The Sectarian Milieu, pg.119; Patricia Crone, The Meccan Trade and the Rise of Islam (Princeton University Press, 1987), pg. 204.
[40] Ibid., cites Wansbrough, The Sectarian Milieu, pg.119.
[41] Ibid., cites Nevo, “Towards a Prehistory of Islam,” Jerusalem Studies in Arabic and Islam, 1994, vol. 17, pg. 108; Patricia Crone, Slaves on Horses (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1980), pp. 5-8.
[42] Ibid., cites R.S. Humphreys, Islamic History, a framework for Enquiry (Princeton, 1991), pg. 80.
[43] Ibid., cites Joseph Schacht, “A Revaluation of Islamic Traditions,” Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain (Hertford: Stephen Austin, 1949), pp. 143-154.
[44] Ibid., cites Annemarie Schimmel, Calligraphy and Islamic Culture (New York: New York University Press, 1984), pg. 4.
[45] Ibid., cites John Gilchrist, Jam’ Al-Qur’an (Jesus to the Muslims, 1989), pp. 140-154; Martin Lings and Yasin Hamid Safadi, The Qur’an: Catalogue of an Exhibition of Quran Manuscripts at the British Library, 3 April – 15 August 1976 (British Library, World of Islam Pub. Co., 1976), pp. 11-17.
[47] Ibid., cites Lings and Safadi, The Qur’an, 1976, pp. 12-13, 17; Gilchrist, Jam’ Al-Qur’an, 1989, pp. 145-146; 152-153
[48] Ibid., cites Gilchrist, Jam’ Al-Qur’an, 1989, pp. 144-147.
[49] Smith, March 9, 2026, class lecture entitled, “Manuscript Evidence for the Qur’an,”cites Dr. Tayyar Altıkulaç, Al-Muṣḥaf Al-Sharif: Attributed To ʿUthmān Bin ʿAffān (IRICA, 2007), pp. 23, 36 – footnote 14a, 41f, 65, 71-72, 81; François Déroche, La transmission écrite du Coran dans les débuts de l’islam. Le codex Parisino-petropolitanus (Brill, 2009), pp. 172-177; cf. Jay Smith, “The Bible and The Qur’an – An Historical Comparison,” at www.pfandercenter.org where he cites Martin Lings and Yasin Hamid Safadi, The Qur’an: Catalogue of an Exhibition of Quran Manuscripts at the British Library, 3 April – 15 August, 1976 (British Library, World of Islam Pub. Co., 1976), pp. 11-20.
[50]Ibid., cites Rami Hussein Halaseh, The Topkapı Qurʾān Manuscript H.S. 32: History, Text, and Variants (De Gruyter, 2024), pg. 149.
[51]Ibid., cites Halaseh, The Topkapı Qurʾān Manuscript H.S. 32 (2024), pg. 83 and François Déroche, Qurʾans of the Umayyads: A First Overview (Brill, 2013),pg. 131.
[52] Brubaker, Corrections in Early Qur’an Manuscripts, 2019 Kindle Edition; see also David Wood’s August 12, 2022, video entitled, “The Corruption of the Quran (Jay Smith and David Wood),” at www.youtube.com . You can view the video at this Link. This video claims to prove conclusively that the Qur’an is corrupt.
[53] Brubaker, Corrections in Early Qur’an Manuscripts, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 10.
[56] Jay Smith, November 25, 2019, video presentation entitled, “Jay Smith Historical Critique Quran Origins 2,” at www.youtube.com. You can view the video at this LINK.
[57] Brubaker, Corrections in Early Qur’an Manuscripts, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 95.
[59] Smith, November 25, 2019, video presentation entitled, “Jay Smith Historical Critique Quran Origins 2 at www.youtube.com cites Gabriel Said Reynolds (Ed.), The Qur’an in its historical context (London & New York: Routlege, 2008), pp. 2-3; Angelika Neuwirth & Nicholas Sinai (Eds.), The Qur’an in Context: Historical and Literary Investigations into the Qur’anic Milieu (Leiden/Boston: Brill, 2010), pg. 1.
[60] Smith, November 25, 2019, video presentation entitled, “Jay Smith Historical Critique Quran Origins 2 at www.youtube.com .
[65] Jay Smith’s April 3, 2022, video presentation entitled, “Jay Smith- Historical Critique Quran Origins,” at www.youtube.com. You can view the video at this LINK.; See also Dakdok, THE GENEROUS QUR’AN, 2009 Smashwords Edition, pg. 182.
[66] Dakdok, THE GENEROUS QUR’AN, 2009 Smashwords Edition, pg. 57; Smith’s April 3, 2022, “Jay Smith- Historical Critique Quran Origins,” at www.youtube.com.
[67] Ibid., pg. 523; Smith’s April 3, 2022, “Jay Smith- Historical Critique Quran Origins,” at www.youtube.com.
[71] Smith, “The Bible and The Qur’an – An Historical Comparison,” at www.pfandercenter.org cites John Glubb, The Life and Times of Muhammad (New York, Stein and Day, 1971), pg. 36.
[76] Geisler and Nix, From God To Us Revised and Expanded, 2012 Kindle Edition, pg. 241; cf. see a more detailed discussion in pp. 193- 203.
[77] Josh McDowell and Sean McDowell, Evidence That Demands a Verdict: Life-Changing Truth for a Skeptical World (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2017 Kindle Edition), pg. 46 cites John Warwick Montgomery, History and Christianity (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1971), pg. 26.
[79] From Norman L. Geisler and William E. Nix, A General Introduction to the Bible, rev. ed. (Chicago: Moody, 1986), pg. 408.
[80] McDowell, Evidence That Demands a Verdict: Life-Changing Truth for a Skeptical World, 2017 Kindle Edition, pg. 53 states that chart is adapted from Peter S. Cowe, “The Armenian Version of the New Testament,” in The Text of the New Testament in Contemporary Research: Essays on the Status Quaestionis, 2nd Ed., edited by Bart D. Ehrman and Michael W. Holmes (Leiden: Brill, 2013), pg. 256.
[81] McDowell, Evidence That Demands a Verdict: Life-Changing Truth for a Skeptical World, 2017 Kindle Edition, pp. 52-53.
[83] Ibid., pg. 53 cites Daniel B. Wallace, Lecture at Discover the Evidence, Dallas, TX, December 3–4, 2013.
[84] Geisler and Saleeb, Answering Islam, 2002, pg. 238.
[85] McDowell, Evidence That Demands a Verdict: Life-Changing Truth for a Skeptical World, 2017 Kindle Edition, pg. 50 cites Geisler and Nix, A General Introduction to the Bible, revised and expanded edition, 1986, pg. 317.
[88] Adapted from Geisler and Nix, From God To Us Revised and Expanded, 2012 Kindle Edition, pp. 60-64, 138; McDowell, Evidence That Demands a Verdict: Life-Changing Truth for a Skeptical World, 2017 Kindle Edition, pp. 64-65; and Dr. Daniel Janosik, March 2, 2026, class lecture entitled, “Manuscript Evidence for the Bible.”
[89] Geisler and Nix, From God To Us Revised and Expanded, 2012 Kindle Edition, pp. 217-220.
[90] Much of this section is adapted from the gospel tract entitled, “The Straight Way to Eternal Life,” by the Straightway of Grace Ministries, unless otherwise noted.You can learn more about this ministry to Muslims at www.TheStraightWay.org.
[91] Verse taken from Dakdok, THE GENEROUS QUR’AN, 2009 Smashwords Edition, pg. 164. All Qur’anic quotes are used by permission of Usama Dakdok Publishing, LLC.
[93] Dakdok, THE GENEROUS QUR’AN, 2009 Smashwords Edition, pg. 186.
[94] Verse taken from Dakdok, THE GENEROUS QUR’AN, 2009 Smashwords Edition, pg. 185. All Qur’anic quotes are used by permission of Usama Dakdok Publishing, LLC.
[95] Verse taken from Ibid., pg. 186. All Qur’anic quotes are used by permission of Usama Dakdok Publishing, LLC.
[96] Dakdok, THE GENEROUS QUR’AN, 2009 Smashwords Edition, pg. 185.
[97] Verse taken from Ibid., pg. 383. All Qur’anic quotes are used by permission of Usama Dakdok Publishing, LLC.
[99] Verse taken from Dakdok, THE GENEROUS QUR’AN, 2009 Smashwords Edition, pg. 208. All Qur’anic quotes are used by permission of Usama Dakdok Publishing, LLC.
[100] Verse taken from Ibid., pg. 154. All Qur’anic quotes are used by permission of Usama Dakdok Publishing, LLC.
[101] Geisler and Nix, From God To Us Revised and Expanded, 2012 Kindle Edition., pg. 204 refers to John Ryland’s Papyrus P52 fragment, the oldest New Testament Greek text (117-138 A.D.).
[102] Geisler and Saleeb, Answering Islam, 2002, pg. 238. Note: We do not include the Qur’an in this comparison, because it is only a medieval book (7th century A.D.)., whereas the New Testament is classified as an ancient book (1st century A.D.) – see Geisler and Saleeb, Answering Islam, 2002, pg. 238.
[103] Adapted from Geisler and Nix, From God To Us Revised and Expanded, 2012 Kindle Edition, pp. 60-64, 138; McDowell, Evidence That Demands a Verdict: Life-Changing Truth for a Skeptical World, 2017 Kindle Edition, pp. 64-65; and Janosik, March 2, 2026, class lecture entitled, “Manuscript Evidence for the Bible.”
[104] Adapted from McDowell, Evidence That Demands a Verdict: Life-Changing Truth for a Skeptical World, 2017 Kindle Edition, pg. 53 states that chart is adapted from Peter S. Cowe, “The Armenian Version of the New Testament,” in The Text of the New Testament in Contemporary Research: Essays on the Status Quaestionis, 2nd Ed., edited by Bart D. Ehrman and Michael W. Holmes (Leiden: Brill, 2013), pg. 256 and Janosik, March 2, 2026, class lecture entitled, “Manuscript Evidence for the Bible.”
[105]Ibid.
[106] Dakdok, Exposing the Truth about the Qur’an: The Revelation of Error,Volume 1, 2013 Smashwords Edition, pp. 20-21.
A comparison of the two largest faith communities in the world today
Introduction
I will never forget watching on TV the dreadful terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, that left nearly 3,000 people dead in New York City, Washington D.C., and Shanksville, PA. That night at an outdoor gathering of believers for prayer, it was eerie to look up at the sky and not see any airplanes. I thought to myself, will there be more attacks tonight or this week?
The televised images of death and destructiontook an emotional toll on many Americans, including this writer. Shock, sadness, fear, and anger were common emotional responses in the initial days following the attacks.
Just days after 9/11, then-President George W. Bush was concerned about possible repercussions against Muslims in the U.S., so he gave a speech to the Islamic Center in Washington, D. C., in which he declared: “Islam is peace.”[1] Similar words are echoed by many American Muslim scholars today who insist that Islam is a loving and peaceful religion.
“On September 20, 2001, President… Bush announced that the United States had declared war on ‘a radical network of terrorists and every government that supports them.’ The U.S. government initiated a Global War on Terror, sending troops to Afghanistan in October 2001 and later to Iraq.
“The 9/11 attacks prompted calls for new strategies to keep the nation safe. The USA PATRIOT Act, passed in October 2001, expanded the government’s intelligence-gathering tools and its ability to detain and deport immigrants suspected of terrorism. Many people continue to debate whether the methods used after 9/11 effectively protect national security without compromising civil liberties.[2]
The 9/11 attacks also continue to impact individuals’ health.“Immediately after the collapse of the Twin Towers, layers of thick gray dust and ash coated the site and surrounding areas. Days after the attack, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency declared the air in lower Manhattan safe, but the dust—made of destroyed building materials, industrial chemicals, and electronics mingled with jet fuel residue—was later determined to be hazardous.
“More than 400,000 survivors, first responders, rescue and recovery workers, cleaning crews, lower Manhattan residents, and others are estimated to have been exposed to these toxins on 9/11 or during the nine-month rescue and recovery operations at Ground Zero. Tens of thousands nationwide are now suffering from chronic illnesses, including respiratory diseases, mental health issues, and more than 100 different types of cancer. More than 2,000 of those exposed have died.” [3][emphasis added]
In January 2002, just months after the attacks, 83% of Americans said “defending the country from future terrorist attacks” was a top priority for the President and Congress, the highest for any issue. [4] But in a 2010 analysis by Pew Research Center, it was found that the share of Americans who were very concerned about another terrorist attack ranged from about 15% to roughly 25% since 2002. [5]
After 9/11, our “federal government moved quickly to develop a security framework to protect our country from large-scale attacks directed from abroad, while enhancing federal, state, and local capabilities to prepare for, respond to, and recover from threats and disasters at home. A key element of this framework included the creation of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in March 2003, bringing together 22 separate agencies and offices into a single, Cabinet-level department.”[6]
Nearly 10 years after 9/11, plans were being made to have an Islamic cultural center (Park51 or Cordoba House), 2 ½ blocks from the location where the World Trade Center towers were destroyed by Islamist pilots. Plans leading up to the building of Park51 were confronted with resistance. On August 11, 2010, CNN released a poll showing 68% of Americans opposed the plan to build a mosque so close to where the World Trade Center used to stand, while 29% supported the plan. [7] Former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Newt Gingrich said, “The name ‘Cordoba House’ is a deliberately insulting term that refers to Cordoba, Spain – the capital of Muslim conquerors who symbolized their victory over the Christian Spaniards by transforming a church there into the world’s third-largest mosque complex.”[8] [emphasis added]
Then-President Barack Obama stated: “As a citizen, and as President, I believe that Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as everyone else in this country. That includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in lower Manhattan… This is America, and our commitment to religious freedom must be unshakable.” [9] A year later, Park51’s doors were opened on September 21, 2011. [10]
No matter how much our federal government tried to protect our country from terrorism since 9/11, it failed to address the truth about Islam. Unfortunately, Christian churches are not discovering and teaching the truth about Islam either. More about that later.
I believe 9/11 was meant to be a wakeup call for America. Yes, there was an increase in Americans turning to religion and faith soon after that horrendous attack, but that was short-lived. We have failed to increase our knowledge about Islam which has left us more vulnerable to the real threat that Islam has become, “not only to Christianity but to freedom of religion in general, and to our very way of life.”[11]
As the prophet Hosea said, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”(Hosea 4:6). My prayer is that God will restore and strengthen His people as they grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ (2 Pet. 3:18), which includes knowing the truth about Islam.
The Rise of Islam in America
Islam and Christianity are the two largest faith communities in the world. Reports indicate that there are over 2.4 billion people who identify themselves as Christians worldwide (29% of the 8.24 billion total world population), [12] which includes Catholics (50%), Protestants (37%), Orthodox (12%), and “other” (1%). [13]
It is estimated that there are over 2.05 billion people around the world who identify themselves as Muslims, which represents over 25% of the world’s total population of 8.2 billion people. [14]The two largest denominations within Islam are Sunni Muslims (87-90%) and Shia Muslims (10-13%). [15] These two denominations arose over the political dispute as to whom should be the first successor (Caliph) to Mohammed, the founding prophet of Islam. The Sunni Muslims argued that Mohammed’s successor should be elected, but the Shia Muslims insisted that he must come from Mohammed’s bloodline. [16]
Shia Muslims believe that God has given in addition to the prophet Mohammed, an infallible guide in religious matters called an Imam from the direct bloodline of Mohammed. They argue that “the twelfth of the line of Imams did not die, as his enemies assert, but like the Qur’anic Jesus, he was taken by God from human sight, and is in occultation [concealed]. He will return to earth as the Mahdi, the awaited messianic figure who … will bring the triumph of religion and herald the last judgment.”[17] [brackets and emphasis added]
Many sources say that Islam is now the fastest growing religion in the world. For example, from 2010 to 2020, the number of Muslims increased by 347 million to 2.0 billion people, whereas Christians grew by 122 million to 2.3 billion. [18] Amazingly, Muslims added more people during the decade (347 million) than all non-Muslim religions combined (248 million). [19] The rate of Muslim growth was the highest in North America, where Muslims numbered 5.9 million in 2020 (up 52%). [20]
When you compare the birth rates of Muslim families in America to non-Muslim American families, you will notice that Islamic families are growing at a faster rate, with the exception of Mormon families (2.8). Muslim women average 2.76 children whereas the average birth rate of Protestant (2.11) and Catholic (2.10) women in America is lower. [21] The reason I bring attention to this is because history shows that when Islam becomes the majority population in a country or region, it will seek to bring the rest of the population of that country under Sharia Law or Islamic Law either by force or political advancement.
For example, twenty-four years after the worst Islamic terrorist attack took place on U.S. soil, there are currently 275 mosques in New York City alone, including the one near Ground Zero. [22] These mosques are teaching from the book (the Qur’an) which spawned the beliefs and hatred that led to this heinous terrorist attack on the city in 2001. Estimates of the number of Muslims in New York City range from 750,000 to over 1 million. [23]
New York City has allowed “mosques (masjids) to broadcast the Muslim call to prayer [Adhan] on Fridays between 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. without obtaining a permit and despite sound restrictions in city neighborhoods… [This] also allows the call to prayer to be broadcast in the evenings during Ramadan, the month-long period of fasting and prayer for the Muslim community.”[24] [brackets added]
Minneapolis, MN, was the first major city in America to broadcast the Muslim call to prayer five times per day,[25] starting at 3:30 a.m. and as late as 11 p.m. [26] Other cities that include the public broadcast of the Muslim call to prayer five times per day include Dearborn, MI; Hamtramck, MI (the first majority Muslim city in the U.S. [27]); and Astoria, New York. [28]
Think about this. We have pastors and priests, and even students in America that cannot pray acknowledging the God of the Bible at public school graduations or before football games using the P.A. system, but now we have Muslims who can use the P.A. system for their call to prayer across cities. [29]
What does this Muslim call to prayer say? This call to prayer is known as the Adhan which is Arabic for “to listen.” The call to prayer is in Arabic. Here is the English translation of the Arabic call to prayer:
Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar! (Allah is bigger[30] [than your God]! Allah is bigger [than your God]!) Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar! (Allah is bigger [than your God]! Allah is bigger [than your God]!)
Ashhadu an la ilaha illa Allah. (I bear witness that there is no god [worthy of worship] except Allah.) Ashhadu an la ilaha illa Allah. (I bear witness that there is no god [worthy of worship] except Allah.)
Ashadu anna Muhammadan Rasool Allah. (I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.) Ashadu anna Muhammadan Rasool Allah. (I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.)
Hayya ‘ala-s-Salah. Hayya ‘ala-s-Salah. (Hurry to the prayer. Hurry to the prayer.) Hayya ‘ala-l-Falah. Hayya ‘ala-l-Falah. (Hurry to success. Hurry to success.)
Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar! (Allah is bigger [than your God]! Allah is bigger [than your God]!) La ilaha illa Allah. (There is no god [worthy of worship] except Allah.) [brackets added [31] ]
This Islamic call to prayer is intended to show “power and control over a country.” The Adhan declares the supremacy of the god of Islam known as Allah and is considered a “warlike declaration.”[32]
Usama Dakdok, an Egyptian born Christian who speaks fluent Arabic and has translated the Qur’an into English, states that the Arabic word ‘Akbar’ means ‘bigger’ not ‘great’.The phrase ‘Allahu Akbar’ cannot be taken from the life of the Muslim because it’s in every prayer. The shouting of this phrase was used by the founding prophet of Islam, Mohammed, and early Muslim jihadis to seize villages and cities. The use of ‘Allahu Akbar,’ meant that Allah is bigger than any other god or entity and it is used to strike terror in the hearts of individuals.[33]
Many terrorist attacks against non-Muslims include “Allahu akbar!” [“Allah is bigger or greater!”] being shouted by the attackers as a means of justifying or motivating their violent actions. Examples include a man on April 18, 2017, went on a shooting spree in Fresno, CA, murdering four men and during his arrest shouting, “Allahu akbar!”[34] A Canadian citizen stabbed a police officer in the back and neck while shouting “Allahu Adbar!” at an international airport in Flint, MI, in June 2017. [35] On October 31, 2017, a man rented a truck and drove it down a bike path in Lower Manhattan, New York, killing eight people and injuring a dozen others as he shouted, “Allahu Adbar!” [36] An orthodox Jewish man walking to his synagogue was shot in the back in Chicago, IL, by a man shouting “Allahu akbar!” on October 24, 2024. [37]
On August 27, 2025, a mass shooting took place at a Minneapolis Catholic School Mass, killing two schoolchildren and injuring at least 21 others. [38] The mass shooter left a series of videos online, including one video which consisted of several gun magazines (possibly used in the shooting) with written messages on them, including, “Donald Trump must die,” “6 million wasn’t enough” (a holocaust reference), “Israel must fall” (Naziism)and“Masha’allah,” an Arabic term meaning “what Allah has willed.” Anni Cyrus, born and raised in Iran, believes this mass shooter was a display of the Red-Green Axis[39] in action. She said that the mass shooter was not a convert or practicing Muslim but was a soldier of the Red-Green Axis. Why did this 23-year-old transgender man attack a Catholic School? Some think because he was a transgender and hated Donald Trump. But Cyrus believes he also attacked Catholics because Islam considers them to be infidels (i.e., non-Muslims). [40]
On June 24, 2025, the people of New York City chose in their primary elections an Islamic mayoral candidate to represent the Democratic party whose name is Zohran Kwame Mamdani.[41] [Editor’s Note: Mamdani won the mayoral election in November 2025 [42]] What you probably will not hear from mainstream media is that Mamdani is a Shia Muslim which is the same as the official state religion of Iran. He is a member of the most militant Muslim sect who believe their twelfth Imam, their Muslim Messiah, will come back during a time of great chaos here on earth to usher in judgment. The Shia Muslims’ mission is to hasten the return of this twelfth Imam, by creating maximum chaos through wars, revolutions, and terrorism. The Iranian regime is not politically motivated, but religiously motivated to cause trouble wherever they go. They seek to destroy Jews and Christians. [43]
Mamdani’s parents are anti-Israel activists. His mother, Mira Nair, is a filmmaker. His father, Mahmood Mamdani is a professor at Columbia University and participated in pro-Hamas rallies there recently. Mahmood works closely with people from the Liberation Road Socialists and the pro-Chinese Maoists, which started Black Lives Matter. Their son, Zohran, is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America. These affiliations are leaders of the defund police and George Floyd movements. [44] If Mamdani is elected mayor of New York City, how will his leadership impact the morale of the New York City police department and the well-fare of its non-Muslim residents?
Like his parents, Zohran Mamdani, is an anti-Israel activist. He said he would have Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrested if he ever comes to New York City. [45] This mayoral hopeful also said he won’t condemn the globalizing of the Intifada [46] – an Arabic word meaning “uprising” and is used in reference to intense Palestinian protests against Israel, mainly in the form of violent terrorism. [47] He also said that Israel has no right to exist as a state. [48] Such statements are consistent with the hatred Islam has toward Israel.
New York City is not the only place where Islam is infiltrating. It is spreading across America. As of 2024, over 2,700 mosques exist in the United States of America.[49] A mosque is the place of worship and instruction for Muslims.
Bill Warner states that Christian universities are playing an important part in the Islamification of America.[50] Instead of teaching the truth about Islam, Christian universities are focusing on being nice to Muslims and avoiding conversations that would be uncomfortable for them. For example, Vanderbilt University’s Muslim Student Association (MSA) invited an FBI counter-terrorism expert to speak to the university. The student president of the MSA introduced himself saying that Islam had in essence won the state of Tennessee (which some used to call the “buckle” of the Bible belt), because evangelical and fundamental churches have accepted that Islam is a valid and true religion. He went on to say that all Muslims in Tennessee need to do now is to immigrate and have children, that the situation and future there were affirmed.
A former FBI agent who was a friend of Warner’s and accompanied him to this meeting, asked the FBI counter-terrorist expert if she had ever read the Qur’an. She replied, “No, but I have had some verses of the Qur’an explained to me.” Warner’s friend then asked, “Are you familiar with the Hadith [a written record of Mohammed’s words and actions]?” “No,” she replied. “Have you read the Sirah [biography or life journey of Mohammed]?” he asked. “No,” she answered. She said she knew a little about Sharia Law. “Basically,” Warner says, “what we have here is our ‘expert’ was profoundly ignorant.” [brackets added]
Warner then said, “Three days after 9/11, church phones began to ring and the message said, ‘Hello, I am Ahmed, and we would like to come to your church and give a talk on Islam – the peaceful religion.’” Think about that. Just three days after what we would call a massive public relations disaster, churches were the target of a new push to Islamify America. And amazingly, churches took them up on the deal. And so began the Bridge Building / Interfaith gathering movement. Stop for a moment and process this with me. Following up just three days after the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil shows how brilliant Islam’s strategy is to reach a consensus. How many other religions did this? My guess is very few if any.
Warner and his wife attended the first interfaith gathering in Nashville, TN, which consisted of one Rabbi, one Christian minister, and one Muslim who was an Imam. After each one presented their own point of view, Warner’s wife asked the Christian minister, “Have you ever read the Qur’an?” “Well, no, but I intend to,” he replied. Then the Rabbi was asked, “Have you ever read the Qur’an?” “No, I have not,” he said. Then the Imam was asked, “Have you read the Old Testament, the Hebrew Bible?” The Imam replied, “Oh, yes. I’ve had several courses in it.” Then the Imam was asked, “Have you read the New Testament?” He said, “Yes, I have. I’ve had several courses in it as well.” How is this going to play out? Two representatives that were professionally ignorant, and one who knows everything.
Warner said that the Christian minister and the Rabbi were there to smile and be nice. They were not going to resist anything that the Imam told them. The first thing the Imam told them was that Jesus was in the Qur’an. The truth is there is a character named Isā in the Qur’an, but not Jesus. The Jesus of the Bible is not the same as Isā in the Qur’an. The Qur’an says that Isā was created from dust like Adam (Qur’an 3:59), he was not God or the Son of God (Qur’an 5:17, 72-73, 116; 9:30-31; 17:111; 19:34-35), nor did he die on the cross and rise from the dead (Qur’an 4:157-159). But the problem is the Christian minister did not know enough about Islam to push back on this.
The first Palm Sunday after 9/11, the pastor of a very large church in Nashville, TN, stood up and told the congregation that he had a new best friend, who was a local Imam. The concern is that on a Palm Sunday, he was thrilled to have this Imam as a new best friend, but during his sermon he never mentioned Jesus. Warner concludes that what he sees in Nashville, TN, is that the strongest supporters of Islam are the churches.
Why is this so important? Warner states that the American Muslim Advisory Council (AMAC) in Nashville, TN, was put in charge of training the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) and the highway patrol on the subject of terrorism. Warner listened to a recording of this entire event and said that the Muslim trainer basically preached the dawahwhich is the Islamic practice of inviting people to embrace the faith of Islam. It involves communicating the message of the Qur’an and the teachings of their Prophet Mohammed, promoting Islamic beliefs, and demonstrating exemplary behavior and good conduct.
Suppose you were a member of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and after that meeting, you go to your church and tell them you just learned that Muslims and Christians worship the same God. “Is that true?” you ask. And the church leaders reply, “Oh, yes, it is very true.” So, what is being done here is churches are believing the falseness that Islamists are presenting as truth. Why are churches doing this? Because they are ignorant about the truth of Islam. They have not read the Qur’an nor the Hadith. Their lack of knowledge is making them vulnerable to deception.
Another example is a Presbyterian pastor in Nashville, TN, who was invited to visit the country of Turkey by the equivalent of the Turkey Muslim Brotherhood who also paid for his trip. When he returned to the U.S., he wrote an article in the Nashville newspaper which expressed his elation about Islam. He basically said if this is what Islam is, then we must embrace it. Bring on all the Islam that you want. However, it took a Hindu (not a Christian) to write an opposing opinion to this minister’s article in the newspaper, which informed the readers that this pastor was walking in the graveyard of Christianity, and he did not know it. This Hindu writer informed this pastor that everything appears to be fine in Turkey, because Turkey’s history shows that all is fine now because the Christians had been eliminated by Islam.
Why did a Hindu have to push back on the Christian minister’s conclusion? Because Christian leaders and churches are not being taught the truth about Islam in Christian seminaries or universities. Instead, they are being taught a falseness that says Islam is a loving and peaceful religion.
Let’s go to Plano, Texas, where the East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC) has a “402-acre master plan near Josephine, Texas, known as EPIC City. Marketed as a peaceful, self-sustained Muslim community, its design is far more ambitious: a mosque, school system, senior housing, a college, commercial centers — even law offices that align with Islamic legal doctrine. Over a thousand homes, all structured under the banner of a singular religious identity. The project’s ideological architect, Yasir Qadhi — a name familiar to many of us who have long warned about his agenda — is openly calling it ‘EPIC 1.0’ and ‘2.0’ with the goal of making this model replicable across North America.” [51] [emphasis added]
“Yasir Qadhi, is no moderate. He’s not even quietly radical. He is openly hostile to democracy, pluralism, and Western civilization as we know it. Qadhi has stated, verbatim, that: ‘No Supreme Court, no system of government, no democracy where they vote… What gives you the right to prohibit something or allow something?’ (Yasir Qadhi, public lecture—archived and transcribed by MEMRI and various Islamic watchdogs)
“This is not a fringe interpretation. Qadhi is telling you plainly: democracy is illegitimate. In his own words: ‘To believe that it is permissible to follow a system of laws other than the Sharia negates one’s testimony of Islam.’ (Yasir Qadhi, [IlmSummit 2008], widely cited in scholarly critiques of political Islam)
“According to Qadhi’s ideology, any Muslim who believes in constitutional law, religious tolerance, or separation of church and state has rejected Islam and is to be considered an apostate. And what happens to apostates under Sharia? Qadhi doesn’t shy away: ‘Yes, under the Islamic law, apostasy is a crime punishable by death. That is the consensus of the scholars.’ (Yasir Qadhi, Islamic Awareness Conference, 2009)
“This is not religion. This is totalitarian theocracy. Qadhi’s record includes:
· Referring to Christians as “filthy polytheists” whose lives “hold no value” in jihad. (Islamic seminar, 2006)
· Justifying the killing of homosexuals and apostates under Islamic law. (Islamic Center of Tennessee, recorded lectures)
· Fundraising for Aafia Siddiqui, the al-Qaeda-linked terrorist convicted of attempting to kill U.S. soldiers. (2008 fundraising dinner, documented by IPT)
· Denying the Holocaust, only to later “clarify” under pressure. (2001 online post, now deleted, archived by critics)
· Praising the Taliban and calling for a jihad-aligned worldview to be nurtured among American Muslims.” [52]
“During a recent segment on Brannon Howse Live, we examined footage of Islamic schools in Texas that teach skewed geopolitical narratives, including maps that effectively erase Israel, labeling the entire region ‘Palestine.’ Boys and girls separated. Hijabs mandatory. And the teachings go far beyond religion — they push a worldview that prioritizes Islamic law, Sharia, over American principles.
“While they build, they also infiltrate — demanding curriculum changes in public schools, fighting for Islamic holidays in school calendars, and even leveraging county and city officials, including the mayor of Plano, to normalize this takeover as ‘interfaith collaboration.’ But this isn’t about faith. It’s about power.
“Let’s be brutally honest: Islamists are using our freedoms to gain control and silence resistance. Free speech? They weaponize it to promote intolerance under the banner of tolerance. Freedom of religion? They invoke it to demand special privileges — while marginalizing every other belief system that doesn’t align. And anyone who speaks up? Labeled ‘Islamophobic,’ smeared, threatened, even hunted.
“… Now the movement is turning bold. Bolder than ever. With over 260 Sharia-aligned Muslims already elected to office in this country — and projections showing that number will climb toward 300 by 2026 — we’re facing something far more dangerous than just ‘cultural differences.’ This is political Islam. Organized. Funded. Protected by lawfare. And it will not stop at Texas.” [53][emphasis added]
Conclusion
Since 9/11, Islam has slowly but surely infiltrated [not immigrated into] American society.This article is just scratching the surface of Islam’s influence in America. Like never before, Christians must be equipped to address the truth about Islam. Lord willing, in the coming months, we will compare Islamic beliefs and practices with Christian beliefs and practices: [54]
The Qur’an or the Bible? (Two different Scriptures)
Tawhid or the Trinity? (Two different Gods)
Mohammed or Jesus Christ? (Two different Founders)
Sharia or the Gospel? (Two different Solutions)
Jihad or the Crusades? (Two different holy wars)
Witnessing to Muslims
The burden of my heart is to equip Christians to better communicate the love of Jesus Christ for all people, especially Muslims, through the gospel or good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection (John 3:16; Rom. 5:8; I John 4:9-10). And also, I am deeply burdened to inform Muslims of the Christian perspective so they may come to the point of receiving Jesus’ life freely through faith alone in Him alone (John 3:14-16; 4:10-14; 10:10a; Rom. 6:23b), and then begin to experience His life abundantly through discipleship (John 8:30-32; 10:10b; 13:34-35; 15:1-8; et al.).
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Retrieved on September 5, 2025, from Hannah Hartig and Carroll Doherty’s September 2, 2021, article entitled, “Two Decades Later, the Enduring Legacy of 9/11,” at www.pewresearch.org.
[2] Retrieved on September 5, 2025, from “Repercussions of 9/11” at www.911memorial.org.
[4] Retrieved on September 5, 2025, from Hannah Hartig and Carroll Doherty’s September 2, 2021, article entitled, “Two Decades Later, the Enduring Legacy of 9/11,” at www.pewresearch.org.
[6] Retrieved on September 5, 2025, from “Implementing 9/11 Commission Recommendations,” at www.dhs.gov.
[7] Retrieved on September 6, 2025, from Britannica’s article entitled, “WTC Muslim Center,” which cites CNN Opinion Research Poll, Opinion Research Corporation, Aug. 11, 2010, at www.britannica.com.
[8] Ibid., cites Newt Gingrich, “Statement on Proposed Mosque/Islamic Community Center near Ground Zero,” www.newt.org, July 21, 2010.
[9] Ibid., cites Barack Obama, “Remarks by the President at Iftar Dinner,” www.whitehouse.gov, Aug. 13, 2010.
[10] Retrieved on August 31, 2025, from September 21, 2011, Associated Press article entitled, “Park51 Islamic Center Near Ground Zero Opens Its Doors,” atwww.nbcnewyork.com.
[11] Norman L. Geisler and Abdul Saleeb, Answering Islam: The Crescent in Light of the CrossSecond Ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1993, 2002), pg. 7.
[13] Retrieved on September 6, 2025, from Gina Zurlo’s article, “World Christianity: It’s annual statistical table time!” at www.omsc.ptsem.edu; Haruto Nakamura’s July 1, 2024, article, entitled, “Global Christian Population: How Many Christians Are in the World?” at www.hotbot.com; Pam Wasserman’s January 12, 2024, article entitled, “World Population by Religion: A Global Tapestry of Faith,” at www.populationeducation.org.
[14] Retrieved on September 6, 2025, from “Global Muslim Population,” at www.timesprayer.com.
[16] Geisler and Saleeb, Answering Islam: The Crescent in Light of the CrossSecond Ed., pg. 295.
[17] Ibid., pg. 296 cites John Alden Williams, Islam (New York: George Braziller, 1962), pp. 224-225. Geisler and Saleeb also state, “For two recent sympathetic works on Shi’ite Islam, written by Shi’ite scholars, see…” Moojan Momen, An Introduction to Shi’ite Islam: The History and Doctrines of Twelver Shi’ism (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1985) and Abdulaziz Sachedina, Islamic Messianism: The Idea of Mahdi in Twelver Shi’ism (Albany, NY.: NY.” State University of New York Press, 1981).
[18] Retrieved on August 30, 2025, from Conrad Hackett’s Jun 10, 2025, article entitled, “Islam was the world’s fastest-growing religion from 2010 to 2020,” from www.pewresearch.org.
[20] Retrieved on September 6, 2025, from the June 9, 2025, report by Conrad Hackett, Marcin Stonawski, Yunping Tong, Stephanie Dramer, Anne Shi, and Dalia Fahmy, entitled, “3. Muslim population change,” at www.pewresearch.org.
[21] Retrieved on August 31, 2025, from Ryan Burge’s October 4, 2021, article entitled, “The Future Of American Religion: Birth Rates Show Who’s Having More Kids,” at www.religionunplugged.com.
[22] Retrieved from Clement Lisi’s August 23, 2023, article entitled, “New York Mosques Can Broadcast Call To Prayer Without A Permit,” at www.religionunplugged.com.
[23] Retrieved on September 6, 2025, from Ira Stoll’s September 1, 2025, article, “New York City May Now Have More Muslims Than Jews,” at www.theeditors.com; Retrieved on September 6, 2025, from “Islam in New York City, “ at www.en.wikipedia.org.
[24] Retrieved on September 8, 2025, from Celina Tebor’s CNN August 29, 2023, article entitled, “New York City mosques can now broadcast Muslim call to prayer on Friday afternoons without permit,” at www.cnn.com.
[25] These five daily prayers are obligatory for all Muslims and are one of the Five Pillars of Islam.
[26] Retrieved on September 8, 2025, from Amy Mek’s April 13, 2023, update entitled, “Minneapolis Becomes First U.S. City to Blast Islamic Call to Prayer Five Times a Day, Starting at 3:30 am (Update),” at www.rairfoundation.com.
[27] Retrieved on September 8, 2025, from Zhaoyin Feng’s November 15, 2021, article entitled, “The US city run by Muslim Americans,” at www.bbc.com.
[28] Retrieved on September 8, 2025, from Kalpana Jain’s June 21, 2023, article entitled, “Islam’s call to prayer is ringing out in more US cities – affirming a long and growing presence of Muslims in America,” at www.theconversation.com.
[29] Retrieved on September 8, 2025, from Brannon Howse’s, June 1, 2023, program entitled, “Students Cannot Pray Over P.A. System Before Football Games But Muslims Can Use P.A. System For Islamic Call to Prayer,” at www.worldviewtube.com.
[31] Brackets added by Fair Foundation USA, see Mek’s April 13, 2023, update entitled, “Minneapolis Becomes First U.S. City to Blast Islamic Call to Prayer Five Times a Day, Starting at 3:30 am (Update),” at www.rairfoundation.com.
[34] Retrieved on September 8, 2025, from AP news article on April 18, 2017, entitled, “Deadly spree shooting in central California racially motivated, police say,” at www.cbc.ca. The police say it was not terrorism, but a racially motivated shooting even though the shooter shouted, “Allahu akbar!” during his arrest.
[35] Retrieved on September 8, 2025, from BBC news article entitled, “Michigan airport knife attacker shouted ‘Allahu akbar,’ says FBI,” at www.bbc.com.
[36] Retrieved on September 8, 2025, from Robert Spencer’s November 2, 2017, article entitled, “NY Deputy Police Commissioner: ‘This isn’t about Islam, this isn’t about the mosque he attends,’” at www.worldviewtube.comand from May 17, 2023, article entitled, “Judge Imposes Eight Consecutive Life Sentences Plus 260 Years in Prison for ISIS-Inspired 2017 Murder of Eight Victims and Attempted Murder of 18 Others in NYC Truck Attack,” at www.justice.gov.
[37] Retrieved on September 8, 2025, from NBC news article on November 1, 2024 entitled, “Hate crime and terrorism charges filed after Jewish man shot in ‘targeted’ attack,” at www.nbcnews.com.
[38] Retrieved on September 8, 2025, from an AP September 7, 2025, article entitled, “Hundreds mourn 8-year old, who was killed in a mass shooting at a Minneapolis Church,” atwww.abcnews.go.com.
[39] Red-Green Axis refers to an alliance between Communist, Marxists, Socialists, Liberals (Red) and Islam (Green). Their goal is to bring America down – see Aynaz Anni Cyrus’ February 19, 2019, program entitled, “Former Muslim on Red-Green Axis Behind Interfaith Dialogue,” at www.worldviewtube.com.
[40] Retrieved on September 8, 2025, from Brannon Howse’s August 29, 2025, program with Anni Cyrus entitled, “Unveiling the Red-Green Axis: From Minneapolis to Venezuela, Exposing Global Threats and Cultural Shifts,” at www.worldviewtube.com.
[41] Ryan King and Carl Campanile’s June 29, 2025, article entitled, “Zohran Mamdani doubles down on plan to target ‘whiter neighborhoods’ with higher taxes — and says billionaires shouldn’t exist,” at www.nypost.com; Joseph Ax’s June 29, 2025, article entitled, “New York mayoral candidate Mamdani defends campaign despite Democratic unease,” at www.reuters.com.
[42] See updated November 5, 2025 article by Rachel Treisman and Brian Mann entitled, “Mamdani wins New York City mayoral race, in a historic victory for progressives,” at www.npr.org or at this LINK.
[43] Retrieved on September 6, 2025, from the June 25, 2025, Brannon Howse Live interview with Islamic expert Trevor Loudon entitled, “Unmasking Zohran Mamdani: Marxist, Islamist, and the New York Mayoral Race,” at www.worldviewtube.com.
[47] Retrieved on September 6, 2025, from the June 25, 2025, article entitled, “What Does ‘Globalize the Intifada’ Mean and How Can it Lead to Targeting Jews with Violence?” at ajc.org.
[48] Jill Colvin’s June 29, 2025, article entitled, “How Democrats in America’s most Jewish city embraced a critic of Israel for New York mayor,” at www.apnews.com.
[49] Retrieved on August 30, 2025, from March 12, 2024, article entitled, “Mosques: A fixture of America’s cultural landscape,” at www.archive-share.america.gov.
[50] The following ten paragraphs are adapted from Brannon Howse’s August 6, 2019, interview with Bill Warner entitled, “Christian Universities Aiding in the Islamization of America,” at www.worldviewtube.com.
[51] Retrieved on September 10, 2025, from Aynaz Anni Cyrus’ May 1, 2025, article entitled, “Texas, We Have a Problem: Sharia is coming to town,” at www.thefrontpagemag.com.
[52] Retrieved on September 10, 2025, from Aynaz Anni Cyrus’ May 2, 2025, article entitled, “EPIC City – Caliphate Blueprint USA: Welcome to a community in Texas – where the Constitution is not welcome,” at www.thefrontpagemag.com.
[53] Retrieved on September 10, 2025, from Aynaz Anni Cyrus’ May 1, 2025, article entitled, “Texas, We Have a Problem: Sharia is coming to town,” at www.thefrontpagemag.com.
[54] These categories of comparison are adapted from Nabeel Qureshi, No God but One: Allah or Jesus?A Former Muslim Investigates the Evidence for Islam and Christianity (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2016 Kindle Edition).
The last few weeks have been filled with disturbing reports about the dismantling of the United States so that our country is no longer a superpower. These reports are not addressing an enemy that is outside of the U.S. They are speaking of an enemy that is here on U.S. soil. Reports indicate that thousands of Chinese military-aged males, Iranians, and Iranian-backed terrorists such as Hezbollah, have entered our country through its porous borders during the previous presidential administration. [1]
Following the bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities by the U.S. military on June 22, 2025, there is a growing concern that terrorist sleeper cells here in the U.S. will seek revenge against Americans.[2]Now with 4th of July celebrations coming up this week across the country, U.S. law enforcement is on high alert for Iranian retaliation. [3]
There are some analysts who believe that Islam is also seeking to cause America to collapse from within. We have over 2,700 mosques throughout the U.S.[4] What are these mosques teaching? Their sacred writing is called the Qur’an which they understand to be divine and unchanging. These mosques teach Jihad[5] and want there to be a movement towards Sharia Law[6] which is contrary to American Law.
It is naïve for Americans to believe that Islam is a peaceful religion. It is not. The ultimate goal of Islam is to convert the world to its religion (Qur’an 8:39). Allah (the god of Islam) [7] instructs his followers to kill the infidels – those who refuse to convert to Islam (Qur’an 5:72-76; 9:5; 47:4). However, Allah instructs his followers to treat infidels peacefully and not involve them in war only when the infidels have more might and larger numbers (Qur’an 47:35), much like their prophet Mohammed said as when he was weak in Mecca. Then when Mohammed became strong, he went to war with them and took over the city of Mecca by the edge of the sword. [8]
When Muslims are outnumbered by non-Muslims (infidels), instead of overtaking them with violence, they seek to overtake them through non-violent means. Some examples written by a Christian Arab American years ago, include: [9] [brackets added]
1. Terminate America’s freedom of speech by replacing it with statewide and nationwide hate-crime bills.
2. Wage a war of words using black leaders like Louis Farrakhan, Rev. Jesse Jackson and other visible religious personalities who promote Islam as the religion of African Americans while insisting Christianity is for whites only. What they fail to tell African Americans is that it was Arab Muslims who captured them and sold them as slaves. In fact, the Arabic word for black and slave is the same, “Abed.”
3. Engage the American public in dialogues, discussions, debates in colleges, universities, public libraries, radio, TV, churches and mosques on the virtues of Islam. Proclaim how it is historically another religion like Judaism and Christianity with the same monotheistic faith.
4. Nominate Muslim sympathizers to political office to bring about favorable legislation toward Islam and support potential sympathizers by block voting.
5. Take control of as much of Hollywood, the press, TV, radio and the Internet as possible by buying the related corporations or a controlling stock.
6. Yield to the fear of the imminent shut-off of the lifeblood of America – black gold. America’s economy depends on oil and 41 percent of it comes from the Middle East.
7. Yell “foul, out-of-context, personal interpretation, hate crime, Zionist, un- American, inaccurate interpretation of the Qur’an”anytime Islam is criticized, or the Qur’an is analyzed in the public arena.
8. Encourage Muslims to penetrate the White House, specifically with Islamists who can articulate a marvelous and peaceful picture of Islam [President Obama welcomed the Muslim Brotherhood to the White House during his administration. [10]]…
9. Accelerate Islamic demographic growth via:
• Massive immigration (100,000 annually since 1961).
• Use no birth control whatsoever – every baby of Muslim parents is automatically a Muslim and cannot choose another religion later.
• Muslim men must marry American women and Islamize them (10,000 annually). Then divorce them and remarry every five years – since one can’t legally marry four at one time. This is a legal solution in America.
• Convert angry, alienated black inmates and turn them into militants (so far 2,000 released inmates have joined al-Qaida worldwide). Only a few ”sleeper cells” have been captured in Afghanistan and on American soil.
10. Reading, writing, arithmetic and research through the American educational system, mosques and student centers (now 1,500) should be sprinkled with dislike of Jews, evangelical Christians and democracy…
When you read through this plan, every point has been unfolding since the time of its writing years ago. Its author wrote, “Will Americans continue to sleep through this invasion as they did when we were attacked on 9/11?“
Here in the U.S., our largest city has a Muslim democratic mayoral candidate who recently defeated the former Democratic governor of New York in the primary elections. [11] This mayoral candidate states that Israel has no right to exist as a Jewish state. [12] I wonder how this will play out if Mamdani is elected mayor of New York City, especially among its Jewish and Christian residents there?
What I am describing in this introduction is warfare that is up close, not “out there”somewhere in another country. We are facing a complex battle on our own soil.
The apostle Paul reminds us that our battle is not against “flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Eph. 6:12). Paul discusses four groupings of demonic spirits in this verse. You can read more details about these groupings in the third of these articles in this Spiritual Warfare series. But the main thing to understand is that our primary battle is not with people – not with Iranians, the Chinese, or Islamists. Our primary battle is with the Devil and his entire kingdom of darkness consisting of various demonic spirits under different levels of authority, all of which are under Satan, who is “the prince” (Eph. 2:2) of this kingdom, “the god of this age” (2 Cor. 4:4), and “the ruler of this world” (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; cf. Matt. 4:8-9).
The Whole Armor of God
God wants every Christian to wear “the whole armor of God” so we may stand against the “wiles” or trickery of the Devil (Eph. 6:11). The first three pieces of armor we have with us all of the time [13] (“having girded… put on… shod…” – Eph. 6:14-15). [14] This is the state we are always in. But the last three pieces of armor we are called to take and use as needed [15] (“taking … take…” Eph. 6:16-17), [16] especially “in the evil day” (Eph. 6:13b) when all hell breaks loose and seeks to steal, kill, and destroy us (John 10:10a).
Paul describes the armor that Roman infantrymen wore in the order they would put it on. The soldier first puts on his belt which represents the Christian’s belt of truth (Eph. 6:14a). Since Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44), this first piece of armor is essential to protecting us from Satan’s deceptions and lies. We learned that truth is God’s viewpoint on a subject. It is the absolute standard by which reality is measured in its original form. [17]Truth points us in the direction that God wants to lead us.
After putting on his belt, the soldier then puts on his breastplate which protects his vital organs in his chest region. “The breastplate” (Eph. 6:14b) we are to put on is “righteousness” (dikaiosunē) which refers to the quality of “being right.” [18]God’s truth is the informational base that tells us the right thing to do. The truth points our heart in the direction of God’s righteousness. The breastplate of righteousness is our response to God’s truth or viewpoint on a matter.
When God’s truth and righteousness are operative in our lives, it will lead to the next piece of armor which is feet shod with the gospel of peace (Eph. 6:15). We are often faced with a myriad of choices and decisions in life, but how do we know we have made the right choices or decisions? How do we know we are moving in the right direction? How do we know we have the right perspective on a matter? God’s peace will confirm it. The Lord will give us a deep-seated calm to move forward (“feet” suggest movement) with a decision even though hell may be breaking loose in our lives.
As we experience God’s peace as a result of His truth and righteousness being operative in our lives, we can then see our faith in God renewed and strengthened. This leads to the fourth piece of armor which is “the shield of faith” (Eph. 6:16) which can protect us from the flaming arrows of the evil one that he uses to cause us to doubt our Christian faith.
The next piece of armor we are to take up is the “helmet of salvation” (Eph. 6:17a). This powerful piece of spiritual armor protects and directs our thoughts, so our lives are filled with hope. Satan wants us to lose hope about our past salvation from the penalty of sin (Acts 16:31), our present salvation from the power of sin (Jas. 1:21-22), and our future salvation from the presence of sin (I Thess. 1:10; 4:13-5:11; I John 3:2-3).
Up to this point Paul has been focusing on our defensive armor. But the sixth piece of armor is “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Eph. 6:17b). This is the only offensive piece of spiritual armor God has given us. Why would God give us only one offensive piece of armor to use against the kingdom of darkness? Because this one piece of armor is sufficient to overcome our enemy. Notice that it is a “sword” that belongs to “the Spirit.” This is the tool the Spirit of God uses to address the spiritual attacks we are facing.
Two Types of Swords
The New Testament uses two different Greek words for “sword.” One of those words (rhomphaia) refers to “a large and broad sword”[19] that was used for defending oneself from somewhat of a distance (cf. Luke 2:35; 21:24; Rev. 2:12, 16; 6:8). This word is used figuratively to describe the powerful word that proceeds from the mouth of King Jesus to decimate His enemies when He returns to earth at the end of the seven-year Tribulation (Rev. 19:15, 21). But this is not the word Paul uses in Ephesians 6:17b.
The other Greek word used for “sword” (machaira) was used of a shorter and very sharp sword like a dagger. [20]It was approximately eighteen inches long. This is what Peter used to cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant in his attempt to protect Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane (cf. Matt. 26:51; Mark 14:47; Luke 22:49-50; John 18:10-11). This sword was used in hand-to-hand combat when the enemy was up close and in your face. This is the word Paul uses in Ephesians 6:17b
“The sword of the Spirit” is the tool that the Holy Spirit uses in the spiritual realm. [21] The Spirit uses this sword when the enemy confronts you up close in “the evil day.” When Satan or his demonic spirits are attacking you up close and there is no escape because they have encompassed you, you must get to the enemy quickly, definitively, and decisively. This is the sword the Holy Spirit (not us) uses to stab the enemy and give him a death blow to his attempts to defeat us.
This is the only offensive weapon the Spirit uses in the spiritual realm. He uses the sword of the Spirit to address the spiritual conflict in the invisible world which is being manifested up close in our visible world. This is the piece of armor that the Spirit uses to deal with what is causing us distress in the world in which we live. If we don’t believe the source of our battle stems from the spiritual world, we won’t use this piece of armor.
If we don’t use this spiritual weapon God has given us, we will be like Moses and Peter. When Moses tried to deliver Israel, he killed the Egyptian who was mistreating a Hebrew slave (Exod. 2:11-15). When Peter wanted to deliver Jesus in Gethsemane, he took out his sword and cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant (Matt. 26:51; John 18:10). Jesus, the God of the Old and New Testaments, told both of these men that He did not need their human methodologies or perspectives to fight a spiritual battle (Exod. 3:2-10; Matt. 26:52-54; John 18:11).
Many of us may be losing our spiritual battle because our default response to spiritual attack is to turn to human approaches or perspectives instead of God’s approach and perspective. We may be quick to seek human wisdom instead of God’s wisdom. When we choose to use a man-made method for a spiritual battle, we will have no assistance from God in our war against the kingdom of darkness.
For example, this is why God’s Word says, “For the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” (Jas. 1:20b). My human anger will not produce the righteousness of God. When I get cut off in traffic during rush hour, it is easy for me to be quick to anger toward that inconsiderate driver. My thoughts and words at that time do not express the righteousness of God. But God says, “Let Me handle this, Jeff.” (Rom. 12:17-19).
What is the Sword?
Paul informs us that “the sword of the Spirit” is “the word of God.” (Eph. 6:17b). There are three Greek words that are translated “word” in the New Testament. The first is graphē and it refers to the “writings or a piece of writing.”[22] Scripture is called the graphē (2 Tim. 3:16). The Bible you hold in your hand is the graphē. Those sixty-six books in written form are the graphē. But Paul is not talking about carrying your Bible around to defeat the devil on the evil day. Some people treat the Bible as a lucky charm and take it with them everywhere they go. That is not what Paul is talking about here.
The second Greek word is logos.The apostle John referred to Jesus as the Logos (John 1:1). Logos refers to a “message.”[23] Jesus was God’s messenger to the world. He presented God to humanity (John 1:18). Logos is also the content of the Bible (graphē). For example, when you hear a sermon at church, you are hearing the logos or message of the Bible which brings clarity to your understanding so you can apply it more effectively to your Christian life. Logos is very powerful. But this is not the word Paul uses for the sword of the Spirit.
The Greek word that Paul uses for “word” is the Greek word rhēma. This word means “utterance” or “words spoken and declared.” [24]Paul did not say, “the sword of the Spirit, which is the graphē of God.” Nor did he say, “the sword of the Spirit, which is the logos of God.” No, Paul says, “the sword of the Spirit, which is the rhēma of God.”
Evans explains it like this: “The rhēma is the declaration of the logos that you got from the graphē… The sword that the Spirit uses is the rhēma of God. The graphē, the book, gives you the logos, the message. But it is the rhēma that plunges in and draws blood. It is the rhēma that the Spirit uses. So many of us are not seeing the power of the Spirit because we have not graduated to the rhēma. We are either stuck at graphē… Others of us… come to understand the logos, the message. We want to understand the sermon… the truth… We may be inspired by it or educated by it… But when it comes to spiritual warfare… you need more than graphē and logos. You need rhēma – the logos from the graphē uttered.” [25]
Two swords clash together and the Word of God is victorious.
We want to utter or declare (rhēma) the logos (message) because of its intrinsic nature. Regarding the logos, the Bible says, “For the word (logos) of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Heb. 4:12). When we get the message (logos) it is “living and powerful.” It has supernatural energy behind it. It is “sharper than any two-edged sword.” It can cut either way you swing it because on both sides of its blade it is razor sharp.
How sharp is the logos of God? It is so sharp, it can pierce “to the division of soul and spirit.” The “word”(logos) that God uses is able to penetrate the invisible world (“soul and spirit”). The spiritual world consists of our “soul” (psyches) which is being saved from the power of sin (sanctification) as we hear and do what God says (Phil. 2:12; Jas. 1:21-22) and our “spirit” (pneumatos) which was saved forever from the penalty of sin (justification) when we believed in Jesus for His gift of salvation (cf. Ezek. 36:26; Acts 16:21; Eph. 4:23-24; Heb. 10:14).
The author of Hebrews is telling us that “the word” (logos) is so sharp it can slice into the spiritual realm and separate what is “spirit” and what is “soul” (Heb. 4:12). Why does God want to use the message or logos to separate our “soul and spirit”? Because our “soul” can get in the way of our “spirit.” Our “soul” has been distorted by sin and it can hinder us from expressing our “spirit” which is who we truly are in Christ. Our personality, how we were raised, educated, and the perspective we have can all get in the way of our “spirit” which is our true identity in Christ.
Our “spirit” and “soul” can be so intertwined that we need the logos to separate the two so He can remove our soul-driven life and enable the “spirit” to express God’s presence in our lives. Remember, our “spirit” was created “according to God, in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph. 4:23-24) and was “perfected forever” (Heb. 10:14) when we were born again through faith in Jesus. Our spirit “cannot sin because” it “has been born of God” (I John 3:9). When the soul is removed from our decision making, then our “spirit” can express the character of Jesus in our lives. But the only thing that can get our “soul” out of the way is the logos of God.
For example, when you hear a sermon online or in person, the message (logos) of the Bible (graphē) is used by God to reveal that what you thought (“soul”) about a matter and what God thought (“spirit”) about it are not the same. The logos is revealing that the perspective your parents or peers or a politician or a professor or a post on social media taught you is not the same as what God is teaching you. You are realizing that what God thinks about that particular matter is not the same as what you thought. When that happens, you are getting sliced and diced by the word (logos).
But the “word” (logos) not only exposes what we do, but it also reveals what we think. It “is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Heb. 4:12b). The logos not only discerns our thoughts but the intentions behind them. The goal of logos is to expose. The logos is God’s MRI or Xray machine.
When we come to church and read our Bibles, all we have done is open up graphē, the written word.But when the truth pierces our heart, we have encountered logos because the message is given. When we receive the message (logos) and accept it, we now have understanding and clarity about what God is saying. But in an up-close spiritual battle, the Spirit of God wants to use not just the graphē and the logos when you listen to Bible teaching on radio broadcasts or podcasts, He wants to use the rhēma of God, i.e., the spoken or declared word of God (Eph. 6:17b).
In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, “God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light.” (Gen. 1:3). God spoke, and it was so. The spoken word had the power within it to do what the spoken word declared would be done. God spoke it, and it happened exactly like He said it. Notice that there was no light until God spoke it into existence. God did not just think it into existence. He declared it and then there was light. There was power in the word spoken, not just in the word that is known. God used what He knew. The spoken word had the power within it to produce what the spoken word called for.
This is what the Spirit of God used to create light. How do we know this is what the Spirit used? The Bible tells us that when God was ready to create, “the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” (Gen. 1:2b). The Spirit of God was ready to move when He heard the spoken word of Jesus. But the word of God had to be spoken before the Spirit could use it.
The same is true for us when we are in a spiritual battle. God’s Spirit wants to use the spoken word of God to defeat our enemy. It is not enough to know the Word. We must declare it to the enemy. This is what Jesus did when He was tempted in the wilderness by the devil. More on that after this next section.
Satan’s strategy is to knock the Sword of the Spirit out of our hands. Imagine you are a Roman soldier in a battle and an enemy soldier is coming at you. He is fully armed. He has his big rectangular shield that protects his entire body. All you can see is that big shield coming at you along with the top of his helmet … and … a … sword. If you are going to overcome this soldier, what is the first thing you will have to do? That’s right. You will have to knock the sword out of his hand. That is the only offensive weapon he has. If you go for his shield or even his helmet, he may stab you through with his sword. You have to get the sword out of his hand.
The “wiles” of the devil seek to knock the sword of the Spirit out of our hands. The best way for Satan to overcome the Christian is to knock the sword out of his hand. And, according to Ephesians 6:17b, the sword is the spoken (rhēma) word of God. If the devil can knock the spoken word of God out of the hand of the Christian, he can easily defeat the unarmed soldier for Christ. So, let’s look more closely at the wiles or methods of deception that Satan uses.
When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, the devil cast doubt on the spoken word of God. He said, “Had God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” (Gen. 3:1b). The enemy got Eve to begin to doubt God’s spoken word. [29] Here the serpent turns Eve’s eye away from the freedom she has (“of every tree of the garden you may freely eat” – Gen. 2:16) and onto the single prohibition (“but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat” – Gen. 2:17). Eve said to the serpent, “2 We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’” (Gen. 3:2-3). This turns her into a legalist in that she forgot the word “every” (she limited her freedom) and added the words “nor shall you touch it” (she increased her limitation). She begins to doubt the love and goodness of God.
Next Satan denies God’s spoken word. “Then the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die.’” (Gen. 3:4). This is an outright claim that God’s Word is not true; it cannot be trusted.
Finally, Satan distorts God’s spoken word when he says to Eve, “For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Gen. 3:5). The serpent distorts the truth by claiming God limited Adam and Eve because He (God) did not want them to be like He was, knowing good from evil. Of course, when Eve and Adam ate of the fruit, they did learn the difference between good and evil, but not the way God knows the difference.
God’s knowledge was intuitive; Eve’s knowledge was experiential. Adam and Eve tasted sin for the first time and felt its effects, the effects of the fall. They experienced sin. Up until this point, God has known about sin intuitively. Not until the cross will He know it experientially. He knows about sin the way a heart doctor knows about heart attacks. The man with the heart attack knows about heart attacks in a way the surgeon does not. This new knowledge doesn’t get Eve to first base in the realm of knowledge when compared to an omniscient Being. She got duped. Nevertheless, the serpent has done his work: three blows to the mid-section of Eve. Now he hops out of the ring and tags his partner, the world.
The world leaps into the ring in round two in order to knock Eve out. “So, when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.” (Gen. 3:6). The world is made up of “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (I John 2:16). The fruit “was good for food” (lust of the flesh), “pleasant to the eyes” (lust of the eyes), “desirable to make one wise” (pride of life). The world scores an uppercut, a chop to the chin, and a haymaker to the temple. Down goes Eve, down goes Eve, down goes Eve. Her husband wasn’t far behind.
Satan has been using these same simple boxing moves ever since. But notice, in round one the serpent is knocking the sword out of Eve’s hand (Gen. 3:1-5). The entire round is an attack on the spoken Word of God. Once the Word of God is no longer in the hand of the believer, he or she has lost the only offensive weapon they have. In leading Adam and Eve to sin, the serpent enjoys a two-round knockout. He is present only in round one. He uses the three punches mentioned above to undermine Eve’s faith in God’s Word. He tried to do the same thing with Jesus.
Remember when the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil (Matt. 4:1-11)? Satan tried to use the same three punches on Jesus that he used on Eve in the Garden of Eden. First, the devil uses the lust of the flesh when he says to Jesus, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” (Matt. 4:3). The phrase, “If You are the Son of God” is a first-class condition in the Greek language which assumes the condition is true, [31] and would therefore be translated, “Since You are the Son of God…” Satan is so crafty. He had been watching Jesus go without food for ”forty days and forty nights,” and of course “afterward He was hungry” (Matt. 4:2). So, the devil attacks Jesus at the point of His vulnerability.
And you know what? Satan and his demons are watching us and taking notes. They keep a scouting report on each of us. They know when we are vulnerable to temptation, and they act accordingly. [32]
So, Satan shows up at a specific time to address a legitimate need that Jesus has. He is telling Jesus, “Look, You are the Son of God. You can do whatever You want to do. So, You might as well command these stones to become bread.”“In this situation, Satan questioned the provision of God: Jesus was hungry. God hadn’t fed him. Why shouldn’t Jesus just make what was needed?” [33]
How does Jesus respond? He says, “It is written…” (Matt. 4:4a). Then Jesus quotes a verse from a chapter in the Old Testament, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” (Deut. 8:3). If the living Word (Jesus) needed to use the written Word to deal with the enemy of the Word, how much more must you and I who have written no word, need to use that same Word against the enemy of the Word?! Christ did not respond to the devil based on what He thought, and He had perfect thinking.
Jesus says, “Let Me tell you what the graphē says.” Christ tells Satan what the graphē says based on the logos. Christ doesn’t quote just any verse. He goes back to the Old Testament to a passage that deals with what He is facing in the New Testament. Christ was hungry. So, what does He do? He goes to Deuteronomy 8 where Moses explained to Israel how they survived through the wilderness when they were hungry. They survived by God’s provision. They didn’t survive merely because of the manna, but because of the One Who provided it through supernatural means. Was Jesus hungry? Yes. But He was willing to trust His Father to provide for Him supernaturally instead of acting independently of Him.[34]
Jesus had a legitimate need (hunger), and Satan was offering to meet that need in an illegitimate way – by having Jesus act independently of God. But God was offering to meet Christ’s legitimate need His way. The issue is not whether your need is legitimate; the issue is who is giving you the advice to address it? God or Satan?
Christ runs to Deuteronomy 8 and says to the devil, “Let Me tell You what God said about this situation.” “It is written: ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” (Deut. 8:3). Man doesn’t live by bread alone, but by where it came from, “by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” When Satan heard what was written, he couldn’t handle that anymore, so he went to another subject.
Satan’s next temptation uses the pride of life. “ 5 Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to Him, ‘If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.’” (Matt. 4:5-6). Challenging Jesus to jump to His death doesn’t sound like much of a temptation. But notice that the devil supported his appeal by quoting God’s promise of angelic protection in Psalm 91:11-12. Jesus, then, had an opportunity to demonstrate that He was the promised Messiah for all of Jerusalem to see. The problem with Satan’s plan was it ignored God’s plan. If Jesus did what Satan advised Him to do, it would bypass the cross which was contrary to God’s will. [35]
Notice that Satan knows the Bible and he uses it. If the devil can’t convince you to act independently of God, he’ll work through your religion. But God doesn’t need Satan’s help to get you where He wants you to go.
Christ responds to Satan, by quoting Deuteronomy 6:16, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’” (Matt. 4:7). We are never to use disobedience to back God into a corner to force Him to fulfill His plan. [36]Satan was telling Jesus to test God. And Christ says to the devil, “God told Me in His Word not to test Him.” Notice that Satan does not argue with Jesus when He responds with the rhēma of God.
Instead, the devil uses the lust of the eyes to tempt Jesus. “8 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to Him, ‘All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.’” (Matt. 4:8-9). Did you catch that? “The devil took Him…” Sometimes God lets the devil take us to tempt us. Ultimately Satan wanted Christ to worship him. So, he offers Jesus the entire kingdoms of the world and their glory if Jesus would take a knee before him. Satan wants our worship too. He will make incredible offers to us to get us to bow down to him.
How does Jesus respond? “Then Jesus said to him, ‘Get behind Me, Satan!” (Matt. 4:10a). This command displays Jesus’ absolute authority over the devil. Then Christ quotes, Deuteronomy 6:13, “For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’” (Matt. 4:10b). Worship is reserved for the one true God and Him only. Too often we may come to worship God on Sunday and then serve lesser agendas and gods the rest of the week. But if Jesus is the ultimate authority in the universe, He deserves our exclusive worship and service. [37]
In responding to each of Satan’s temptations, Jesus did not just study the Bible and know what it said. He opened His mouth and uttered what it said. He said to the devil, “Let Me tell You what God just said about what you are telling Me.” And when Jesus told Satan what God said, “Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.” (Matt. 4:11). The devil failed to knock the sword of the Spirit out of Jesus’ hands. He could not handle hearing the rhēma of God three times, so he left Jesus alone. When the fallen angel left, the faithful angels came and ministered to Jesus.
We may ask, “Why doesn’t the devil leave me alone?” Could it be because he knows we will never say, “It is written…”? He knows we will never bring that up. Instead, he knows we will talk about our families, our jobs, our education, our reading, our favorite sports, TV programs, and politicians, etc. He knows that we will never say, “It is written…” and if we do study the Word, he knows we are never going to use it and speak it to him. Thus, the devil does not fear us because we are not wielding “the sword of the Spirit, the word (rhēma) of God.” (Eph. 6:17b).
A Personal Example of the Rhēma of God
During a short-term mission trip in the Philippines with an evangelistic association in the summer of 2013, I was scheduled to go with three other American men to a predominantly Muslim area in the southern Philippines to preach the gospel in public schools. Two nights before we were to go there, the Filipino director and other Filipino staff who lived in or near that province began to brief me about the mission there and the high risk of going. Two countries recently issued an alert not to go into this area due to militant Muslim activity. I was told we would have to keep a low profile and have military escorts at all times. We would stay in our hotel when we were not preaching in schools.
The Filipinos then asked me a series of questions. They asked me, “What will you do if you are kidnapped?” “I would preach Jesus to them.” They asked, “But they will move you from militant camp to militant camp to make it difficult to find you. Then what?” “Then more Muslims will hear the gospel,” I said. They asked, “What about Pat and the girls if you are killed?” “God is their Father and He will take much better care of them than I ever could.” The staff then asked me, “What about how it would affect our evangelistic association if you were kidnapped or killed?” To which I said, “Good question. I will consider the implications.” But I thought to myself, Christ will be magnified in life or death. I knew I was called to go.
The pastors and I prayed and then I went to talk to the American founder and director of the association. He said no one should go if they are afraid because Muslims sense fear and try to bully those who are afraid. He said they don’t know how to handle fearless Christians. They can’t bully them. I told him I believed the Lord wanted me to go. I then went to tell the three other Americans of this new information to see if they were still led to go to the area. We talked and prayed a lot and the short of it is only two of us went.
I talked and prayed with Pat and the girls as well. They had obvious concerns, but I could not deny that the Lord Jesus wanted me to go. I shared with them verses God was bringing to my attention. “And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.” (Deut. 31:8). I asked, “Is there anywhere we can go where God has not already gone before us?” “No.” “Is there anywhere we can go where God will not be with us?” “No.” “Is there any place we can go where God will abandon us?” “No.” “Then what is there to fear?” “Nothing.” “Why be discouraged or dismayed?” “No reason.” We claimed Psalm 31:14-15, “But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord; I say, ‘You are my God. My times are in Your hand.’” My family was very concerned, but they knew the Lord was calling me to go.
I also shared with Pat and the girls how God had been speaking to me all week long leading up to this trip. I was having my devotions in the Book of Acts, and I would fall asleep thinking about what I had read and then dream about it at night and how God delivered the apostles from opposition and plots to kill them. When Stephen was being stoned, he saw Jesus standing in heaven as if to applaud his sacrifice for the gospel.
Satan’s attacks during the two nights before the trip were very intense. I felt an intense evil presence and intense fear gripped me. I had intrusive thoughts of being kidnapped, tortured, and dying a slow death. God led me to pull out the sword of the Spirit to confront the enemy. Two verses that especially ministered to me said, “9 Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, ‘Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; 10 for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city.’” (Acts 18:9-10). It wasn’t enough to read these verses (graphē) or understand their significance (logos). I needed to declare their message to the powers of darkness, “It is written: ‘9 Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, ‘Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; 10 for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city.’” (Acts 18:9-10). The Holy Spirit calmed my heart and encouraged me, assuring me of His presence, His protection, and His people to watch out for us. By God’s grace, I was prepared to die but planning to return to my family.
When our team of Filipino pastors/translators and myself and another American arrived in the province we were to evangelize, we went to the Filipino military battalion to meet with them and share our intentions to preach the Gospel of peace in that area. Their commander was a very gracious and kind man who informed our Filipino staff that it was too dangerous for Americans to go alone, and they would provide 24/7 military escorts for us. Honestly, with Jesus with us I did not believe it was necessary to have military escorts, but God had a higher purpose than our own safety.
We learned additional information about the criticalness of the area a day or two later. A month before our arrival, the Filipino military had captured the Militant Muslims’ commander and now the Militants were threatening to kill our military escorts (3 of the 4 were already believers and the 4th became a believer during the week with us) and kidnap a teacher since we were preaching in elementary and high schools. We had a choice to make at this point: Do we pull out or press on and preach the Gospel to these needy souls?
We pressed on because God is much greater than the lies of Militant Muslims and their threats. The Lord went before us and we preached the gospel of grace in eighty-five schools, two-thirds of which were 90% Muslim. Our military escorts had agents in the jungle giving them updates on the position of the Militants. I learned from our Filipino team leader that the militants had 60-70 men who could have overpowered our military escorts at any time, but God protected us from them. We also would be an easy target for a sniper as we preached outdoors at school assemblies, but the Lord was our rock and refuge.
The most memorable experience for me was when we went to an elementary school composed of mostly Muslim students. When we arrived, we saw a crowd of adults meeting around a stage. Classes were cancelled due to a PTA meeting. The president of the PTA permitted us to interrupt their meeting so we could share the gospel with over 220 adults, most of whom were devoted Muslims as shown by the head garments they were wearing and their veils over the faces of the women.
I began by saying, “The God who made this universe, the God of Abraham loves you very much.” My translator boldly and clearly translated for me which emboldened me even more. I then proceeded to talk about sin, death, and deserving to die forever in hell where the fire never stops burning to which all the Muslims and a few Catholics nodded in agreement when they heard these truths. I then asked, “How many of you want to live forever in hell?”, raise your hands. None of them did.
Then God led me to say, “How many of you believe Jesus Christ was a prophet from God?” They all shook their heads “Yes.” Then I asked, “How many of you believe a prophet of God can lie?” They all shook their heads “No.” Then the Lord led me to say, “Jesus Christ said, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me. The only way to heaven, the only way to the God of Abraham is through Jesus Christ.”
As I said this, the devoted Muslims began to form a circle with each other in front of the stage, looking at me with eyes of anger and/or curiosity. I silently asked God to increase my love for them and my boldness. God enabled me to look each one in the eye through the remainder of the presentation as I shared about Jesus, Who was fully God and fully man. He loved them so much that He took their punishment for all of their sins and rose from the dead so that He is not alive to offer everlasting life as a free gift and peace with God to all who believe or trust in Him alone for His gift of everlasting life. After explaining the gospel, I invited them to take Jesus at His Word when He said, “Whoever believes in Him should not perish [in hell], but have everlasting life [in heaven]” (John 3:16b).
After leading them in a prayer to tell God they were now trusting in His Son, Jesus, for a home in heaven, I asked them, “How many of you just trusted in Jesus to give you a home in heaven? Raise your hands.” My heart leaped for joy as all of the people raised their hands, including the devoted Muslims whose faces turned from hate and confusion to hope and peace. We had to leave quickly for security reasons, but I praise the Lord Jesus for His faithfulness to seek and to save the lost.
God truly went before us on this trip as nearly twenty-seven thousand people heard the gospel in five days, and over twenty-four thousand said they trusted in Jesus for His gift of salvation. According to my figures, 96% of the people I shared with all publicly indicated they trusted in Jesus for a home in heaven. For the Muslims, this was more of an act of discipleship to publicly identify with Jesus Christ.
God also had believers in almost every school and/or village to fellowship with and feed us. In fact, every evening we met in the home of our team leader’s mother-in-law to feast and fellowship. Our last night in this province, we had a celebration dinner there. Afterward, we spent time in worship of our Savior Who is mighty to save.
Then each person shared a highlight from the trip, including the four soldiers who were with us 24/7. One of them said this, “Until the very last drop of our blood, we will protect you.”This was so humbling to hear. These soldiers were willing to take a bullet for us as were our translators. Their courage rubbed off on us. I experienced more peace in the militant area than I have experienced anywhere else. When I returned to the States, I learned that two Australian missionaries were shot and killed in the areas where we were either the week before we arrived or the week after.
As with all the pieces of armor, we take up the sword of the Spirit through prayer (Eph. 6:18-19).
Prayer:Gracious heavenly Father, thank You so much for the sword of the Spirit, the spoken word of God which has the power in Itself to do what it declares. It is with great joy that I lift the sword of Spirit and choose to abide in its truth and power. Holy Spirit, please open my eyes to see wonderful things in Your Word! Please enable me to use Your Word to defend myself from Satan, and also to wield the sword well on the battlefield when the Devil attacks me, so his lies and deceptions are exposed, and he is pushed back and defeated. I pray the power of the Holy Spirit is ignited in my life, so that Jesus may live His victorious life through me today and every day. In the mighty name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Colonel Rob Maness Live with David Pyne, President of the Task Force on National & Homeland Security on June 23, 2025, “The U.S. Enters War with Iran – More War Monday,” at www.worldviewtube.com; Brannon Howse Live with Shahram Hadian on June 20, 2025 – “Iran-Backed Terror Threats Inside the U.S. as FBI Increases Efforts to Monitor Them” at www.worldviewtube.com; Sophia Compton’s June 19, 2025, Fox News article entitled, “Border Patrol agents shut down massive drug smuggling tunnel between Tijuana and San Diego,” at www.foxnews.com.
[2] Madison Colombo’s June 25, 2025, article entitled, “Obama’s former DHS secretary sounds alarm on Iranian sleeper cells, calls it concern of ‘highest magnitude’” at www.foxnews.com. Brannon Howse, June 24, 2025, “Rising Threat of Terror Cells in US,” at www.worldviewtube.com; Adam Goldman and Devlin Barrett’s June 23, 2025, article entitled, “F.B.I. Warns of Possible Retaliation by Iran After Bombing of Nuclear Sites,” atwww.nytimes.com; Tara Suter’s June 22, 2025, article entitled, “Threat of sleeper cells in US has ‘never been higher’: CBP,” at www.thehill.com.
[3] Bill Hutchinson’s June 25, 2025, article entitled, “With July 4 just days away, US law enforcement on high alert for Iran retaliation,” at www.abcnews.go.com; Brooke Shafer’s article, entitled, “US cities ramp up security ahead of Fourth of July celebrations,” at www.newsnationnow.com.
[4] See March 12, 2024, article entitled, “Mosques: A fixture of America’s cultural landscape,”
[5] Jihad refers to a holy war. In the Bible, people were killed because of their sin in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, Jesus Christ was killed for the sin of the world. But in Islam, Mohammed was commanded by Allah to kill the Christians and the Jews for not accepting Islam (Qur’an 9:29). According to the Qur’an, anyone who believes in Jesus is an infidel (Qur’an 5:72-76). Mohammed was killing Christians not because of their sins but because they believed in Christ. See Usama Dakdok’s article entitled, “Jihad,” at www.thestraightway.org.
[6] Shariah Law is Islamic Law and encompasses the words of Allah in the Qur’an and the words of Mohammed in the Hadith. For example, the Qur’an commands that Jews and Christians be decapitated (Qur’an 47:4). It also commands Muslims to kill the idolater which is anyone who worships any god but Allah (Qur’an 9:5). Men can beat their wives if they merely suspect rebellion (Qur’an 4:34). The Hadith (Abu Dawud 38:4447) teaches that the punishment for homosexuality is execution. This is what is practiced in Islamic countries. Muslims who come to America do not want to acclimate to our Constitution and laws. They want to establish Shariah Law which cannot coexist with American Law. See Anita Kuta’s article entitled “Sharia (Islamic Law),” at www.thestraightway.org.
[7] The god of Islam (Allah), is Satan for he is said to be the lord of the world in Qur’an 1:1-2, which when compared to the Bible, Satan is the ruler of the world, John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; 2 Cor. 4:4. Allah is also known as the best deceiver as we read in Qur’an 3:54 and 8:30, when compared to the Bible, Satan is the deceiver, Gen. 3:1-6; 2 Cor. 11:3; Rev. 12:9. Allah also leads people astray as we read in Qur’an 35:8 which is a description of Satan in the Bible, Gen. 3:1-6; Rev. 12:9. He also desires to fill hell with people as we read in Qur’an 38:85, 11:119, and 32:13, but the Bible teaches that God desires all people to be saved (I Tim. 2:3-4) and that not one person should perish in hell (2 Pet. 3:9). Adapted from Asuma Dakdok’s article, “Are Allah and God the same?” at www.thestraightway.org.
[9] To see all 20 points go to the article posted by Pam Geller on July 1, 2009, entitled, “ISLAMIC INVASION OF AMERICA: THE 20 POINT PLAN,” at www.thestraightway.org. This 20-point plan originated from a refugee from the Muslim Middle East named Anis Shorrosh, author of ”Islam Revealed” and ”The True Furqan.” Anis is a Christian Arab American who emigrated from Arab-controlled Jerusalem in January 1967. Shorrosh says, “The following [20-point plan] is my analysis of Islamic invasion of America, the agenda of Islamists and visible methods to take over America by the year 2020.”
[10] See Frank Gaffney’s pamphlet, The Muslim Brotherhood in the Obama Administration (David Horowitz Freedom Center, 2012 Kindle Edition).
[11] Ryan King and Carl Campanile’s June 29, 2025, article entitled, “Zohran Mamdani doubles down on plan to target ‘whiter neighborhoods’ with higher taxes — and says billionaires shouldn’t exist,” at www.nypost.com; Joseph Ax’s June 29, 2025, article entitled, “New York mayoral candidate Mamdani defends campaign despite Democratic unease,” at www.reuters.com.
[12] Jill Colvin’s June 29, 2025, article entitled, “How Democrats in America’s most Jewish city embraced a critic of Israel for New York mayor,” at www.apnews.com.
[13] Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 2665.
[14] The first three verbs in Greek (perizōsamenoi… endysamenoi… hypodēsamenoi… ) are aorist middle participles which means they have already been put on by the soldier or Christian.
[15] Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 2665.
[16] The Greek verb translated “taking…” (analabontes) is an aorist active participle, meaning the Christian is taking the shield of faith as needed and the last Greek verb translated “take…” (dexasthe) is an aorist middle imperative which is used of the last two pieces of armor and means for oneself to take them up as needed.
[17] Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary, 2019 Kindle Edition, pp. 1820-1821.
[18] Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, 2000 Kindle Edition, pp. 247-248.
[21] These next five paragraphs are adapted from Tony Evan’s sermon video entitled, “The Sword of the Spirit” posted on July 17, 2021, at www.youtube.com.
[22] Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 2000 Kindle Edition, pg. 206.
[25] Evan’s sermon video entitled, “The Sword of the Spirit” posted on July 17, 2021, at www.youtube.com.
[26] Much of this section is adapted from Ibid unless otherwise noted.
[27] Much of this section is adapted from Ibid., unless otherwise noted.
[28] Much of this section is adapted from David R. Anderson, Position and Condition: An Exposition of the Book of Ephesians (Grace Theological Press, 2017 Kindle Edition), pp. 376-378, unless otherwise noted.
[29] Evan’s sermon video entitled, “The Sword of the Spirit” posted on July 17, 2021, at www.youtube.com.
[30] Much of this section is adapted from Evan’s sermon video entitled, “The Sword of the Spirit” posted on July 17, 2021, at www.youtube.com, unless otherwise noted.
[31] A. T. Robertson, A Grammar of the Greek New Testament in Light of Historical Research (Originally published in 1914), 2014 Kindle Edition locations 1413-1414.
[32] Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 1867.
A man walks with his Bible for a spiritual battle, represented by the verse Ephesians 6:12
Introduction
Last time we observed that the apostle Paul prepared his Christians readers at Ephesus (and us) for spiritual warfare by talking about the spiritual blessings or resources we have in Christ (Eph. 1:3-14). Next, he prayed for us to understand and experience God’s great power in raising Christ from the dead (Eph. 1:15-23) and then spoke of the authority we have in Jesus (Eph. 2:1-6). After praying for his readers to be rooted in the unlimited love of Christ (Eph. 3:17-19), Paul advises us not to grieve the Holy Spirit by giving “place” or ground to the devil through unresolved anger (Eph. 4:25-31). Instead, we are to be “filled” or controlled by the Holy Spirit (Eph. 5:18) in all our relationships, including relations with church members (Eph. 5:19-21), our spouses (Eph. 5:22-33), our children (Eph. 6:1-4), and our work relationships (Eph. 6:5-9).
After talking about all these relationships with different people, Paul wants us to understand that people are not our primary problem. Our primary struggle is in the spiritual realm. Hence, the apostle writes, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” (Eph. 6:11). The Ephesian believers are commanded to “put on the whole armor of God,” not just some of His armor. For what purpose? That they “may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” The battle that Christians face every day is “against the wiles of the devil.” The Greek word translated “wiles” (methodeias) refers to the methods or strategies of “the devil” that he employs to deceive or trick us. [1]
It is not just “the devil” we are fighting against (Eph. 6:11). We are fighting “against the wiles of the devil” which permeate the whole kingdom of darkness. The apostle writes, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Eph. 6:12). Last time we looked at the four groupings of demonic spirits in this verse. I won’t take the time to review them in this article. But the main thing to understand is that our battle is not just with the Devil, but with his entire kingdom of darkness consisting of various demonic spirits under different levels of authority, all of which are under Satan, who is “the prince” (Eph. 2:2) of this kingdom, “the god of this age” (2 Cor. 4:4), and “the ruler of this world” (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; cf. Matt. 4:8-9).
Before we look in depth at the first piece of armor, the belt of truth today, we will look briefly at the “whole armor of God” (Eph. 6:11) because each piece of armor will describe some of the various ways the Devil tries to deceive or trick us. He will tempt us to think in a way that is contrary to God. So, keep this in mind as we look at each part of the armor of God in the months to come, Lord willing.
God is the One Who gives us the armor we need to stand victoriously against the enemy. But we must choose to use it. It is like a doctor giving us medicine, but it will not benefit us until we take it. If we do not use the armor God has given us, we will have no authority from heaven (Eph. 1:19-21; 2:5-6) with which to exercise here on earth against the wiles (trickery) of the Devil (Eph. 6:13). [3]
The six pieces of armor that Paul presents are divided into two categories of three. He introduces each of these two categories with different verbs. The first three are introduced with the verb “to be.” The last three are introduced with the verb “to take.” Why does Paul switch verbs halfway through the armament? He wants us to understand two specific, distinct orientations to the six pieces of armor. The first three relate to a state we should always be in. The last three are what we use on an as needed basis. [4]
It is like a baseball player who has his uniform on during the entire game because that is the state he is in. But he only picks up the bat when it is time for him to go to the plate to play offense. And he only picks up his glove when it is time for him to go to the field to play defense. [5]
The first three pieces of armor we have with us all of the time [6] (“having girded… put on… shod…” – Eph. 6:14-15). [7] This is the state we are always to be in. But the last three pieces of armor we are called to take and use as needed [8] (“taking … take…” Eph. 6:16-17). [9]
The first piece of armor is the belt of truth (Eph. 6:14a). It teaches us that Satan wants to deceive us or make us be deceptive ourselves. [10] Either one is deadly. The New Age movement is part of his deception. Even evolution, which is so openly taught as science in our country’s educational system, has decreased peoples’ sensitivity to God and to what is right and wrong.
For example, years ago if people had mentioned casino gambling, horse track or dog track racing, or the lottery, the people of Iowa would have risen up in moral indignation. And yet subtly, the enemy of our souls has been able to persuade our state government to legislate such activities which say you really can gain something for nothing. You can get rich quickly so just gamble. Thousands of people are being deceived into gambling and are being robbed of their funds. Such behavior is addictive. But it doesn’t stop there, does it?
There are also things like methamphetamine, cocaine, alcohol, pornography, sexual perversion, and occult experimentation – all of which are part of the Devil’s deception. Jesus reminds us that the Devil “is a liar and the father of it.”(John 8:44b). And one of the ways Satan wants to bring us into bondage is through his lies. This is why we need the belt of truth.
Satan also wants to accuse us of wrongdoing and get us to compromise. He wants to point out our faults and weaknesses in addition to our sins so we will get so focused on our failures and problems, we won’t look to Jesus. He also wants us to lower our standards of righteousness by tempting us to open our lives to a little sinfulness or worldliness. It won’t hurt you to try that. Everyone else is doing it. Go ahead and do it. It’s fun. This is why we need the protection of the breastplate of righteousness (Eph. 6:14b).
The next piece of armor teaches us about that which will rob us of our peace – anxiety and worry. Hence, we need the sandals of the gospel of peace (Eph. 6:15) – peace with God, peace of God, the God of peace, and the Person of peace. This piece of armor teaches us that Satan wants us to live in fear and anxiety.
The fourth piece of armor addresses unbelief. Hence, we are to take up the shield of faith (Eph. 6:16) which extinguishes all the fiery darts or arrows of the enemy. What is that talking about? It involves Satan’s temptation to get you to question God or to act independently of God. That is the way he approached Eve in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:1-5). Satan got Eve to question God and what He had said and what would happen if she were to partake of the forbidden fruit.
The fifth piece of armor deals with mind or thought control. Satan tries to put thoughts in our minds to make us think that his thoughts are our thoughts. And so, we are to wear the helmet of salvation (Eph. 6:17a). This is the one of the ways he primarily attacks the thoughts of believers. When he begins to move violently in a believer’s life, one of the first things they begin to be tormented with is that maybe they are not saved. Sometimes all manner of hideous thoughts projected into the believer’s mind are Satan’s way of putting his thoughts into our thoughts, making it so confusing that we conclude that his thoughts are really ours. Then he taunts us with, “How could anyone who claims to be a Christian have such sinful thoughts as that?”
The sixth and final piece of armor addresses the Devil’s attempt to get us to neglect the Bible. The last piece of armor is “the sword of the Spirit, the word of God” (Eph. 6:17b). Have you ever wondered why it is so difficult for you to read the Bible? Why is it so challenging to set aside time to study God’s Word and meditate on it? Why do you never get around to memorizing the Scripture? The Devil is behind this. He wants to keep you from being in the Word of God because it will expose him as a liar and deceiver.
We have an enemy who is very versatile and subtle, and he has schemes that if we are not aware of them, he will soon bring us into his bondage. Thankfully God has given us spiritual pieces of armor that are strong and powerful. Let’s begin now with the first piece of armor.
The Importance of the Belt of Truth
When the apostle Paul wrote the book of Ephesians, he was a prisoner (Eph. 3:1; 4:1) under house arrest in guarded rental quarters (Acts 28:30), chained to a Roman soldier (Eph. 6:20). [11] As he looks at this Roman soldier, he begins to draw a comparison between the soldier’s armor and the spiritual armor of God. He will talk about each piece of armor in the order that a Roman soldier put it on.
The first piece of armor was extremely important to a soldier. The soldier first put on over his tunic (a loose, sleeveless shirt that reached to his knees), a belt that would hold both the breastplate and sheathe for his sword in place. [12]He would be able to tuck his long clothes into the belt so he could run and be ready to fight.[13] Without this belt on, a soldier would be less mobile and more vulnerable to attack on the battlefield.
Likewise, Paul emphasizes the importance of this piece of armor by mentioning it first. “Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth…” (Eph. 6:14a). This shows us how important the truth is in our battle against Satan and his demonic armies (Eph. 6:12). Since Satan “is a liar and the father of it” (John 8:44b), it is essential that Christians wear this piece of armor to overcome his deceptions.
The Greek word translated “waist” (osphus) in Ephesians 6:14a can refer to “the place where a belt… is worn, waist” or to “the place of the reproductive organs, the loins.”[15] Some translations say, “having girded your loins with truth.” (ASV; LSB; NASB1995; RSV). By mentioning the belt first and in this way, Paul emphasizes the ruthless nature of Satan’s attack. This belt buckled around the waist and covered the soldier’s vital organs from his belt line down to his mid thighs. [16] It protected him from the violent and ruthless actions of an enemy who tried to destroy him.
The Psalmist had an awareness of the ruthless nature of Satan. David writes, “3b Let those be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause… 19 Consider my enemies, for they are many; and they hate me with cruel hatred.” (Psa. 25:3b, 19). The Devil never fights fair and is extremely cruel. He has no problem hitting us below the belt. Satan will try to hit us when we are most vulnerable, doing whatever it takes to incapacitate and eventually destroy us.
For example, when we are weakened by an illness or experiencing tremendous grief due to the loss of a loved one, the Devil will attack us with the purpose of destroying us. He shows no mercy to a suffering person.
We also see the brutal, cruel, and violent ways of Satan in his appearances in Scripture. For example, the man in the country of the Gadarenes was so violently oppressed by the powers of darkness that “always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.” (Mark 5:5). Satan’s torment of this man was so severe that the man constantly endured self-inflicted agony.
On another occasion when the Lord Jesus came down from the Mount of Transfiguration with Peter, James, and John, He met a desperate father whose son had a ruthless demon. The father said to Jesus, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. So, I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him.” (Matt. 17:15-16). This wicked spirit would often come upon this man’s son when he was near “the fire” or “the water.” Why would this demon do that? Because he wanted to throw him into the fire so that violent burning would happen to this boy during his seizures. He wanted to throw him into the water so he could drown this boy. It was not enough for this little boy to have violent seizures. Satan wanted to add to his sufferings by throwing him into the fire or the water. This is how brutal and cruel the kingdom of darkness is toward suffering people.
What do these examples say about the kingdom of darkness? It says that Satan’s kingdom always has as its purpose to violently hurt, wound, and destroy (cf. John 10:10a). Most people who have had experiences with the kingdom of darkness have no doubt about the cruelty and ruthlessness of this kingdom.
This is why Christians must always be on guard against the lies of the enemy. Deception and lies always bring us into the realm of the kingdom of darkness. Satan always speaks his native language when he lies. Jesus said of the Devil, “He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.” (John 8:44). At first, Satan’s lies may seem very appealing and even pleasurable. And when we are tempted to lie, we are never more yielding to Satan’s deceptive ways than in that moment. But in that moment, we must remember that the Devil always intends to brutalize us, oppress us, torment us, destroy us, and take away our freedom in Christ.
The Subtle Nature of Satan’s Schemes
By mentioning the belt of truth first, Paul also calls attention to the subtle nature of Satan’s schemes. Not only in John 8:44 is Satan called “a liar and father of it,” but the very last picture of Satan in the Bible also points to his subtle nature. “7 Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. 9 They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. 10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” (Rev. 20:7-10). At the end of King Jesus’ “thousand years” reign, “Satan will be released from his prison” in the abyss and will “deceive the nations” which are over all the earth “to gather them together to battle” against King Jesus and His people [“the saints”] in Jerusalem (“the beloved city”](Rev. 20:7-9a). The unbelievers in this battle led by their earthly leader “Gog” from the land of “Magog” (Rev. 20:8; cf. Ezekiel 38:2-3) will be as numerous “as the sand of the sea” and will be the offspring or descendants of the infants or children who survived Armageddon because they were below the age of accountability (Rev. 20:9b). God will intervene with “fire … out of heaven” and destroy them (Rev. 20:9c). Then “the devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire … where the beast the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever” (Rev. 20:10). Satan concluded his career by doing what was most natural for him to do. He “deceived” the nations (Rev. 20:8a, 10a).
The Greek word translated “deceived” (planaō) means “to lead astray, mislead, to cause someone to wander from the right way.”[17] This is Satan’s main tactic – to get us to believe his lies so he can bring us under his control.
We see Satan’s lies working constantly in the world, especially in the political scene. For example, under communism, the lie is the truth. According to the dogma of communism, as long as it advances the cause of communism it is the truth. [18] We also see this kind of deception in our own government here in the USA. During this presidential election year, we see candidates making promises that are contrary to their past political decisions. They present lies as though they were the truth and sadly, much of the American public believes those lies.
Satan’s deceptions are also evident among the religions of the world. Having worked with those steeped in Islam, I have observed that if a lie supports the cause of Allah, then it must be true. A Muslim does not hesitate to lie if it advances the cause of Islam.
Janosik writes, “The Islamic practice of taqiyya [deception], which allows Muslims to mislead non-believers in regard to the nature of a Muslim’s own belief in order to avoid persecution. This practice allows Muslims, both Shia and Sunni, to lie to non-Muslims in a time of war, persecution, or even minority status if the lie will protect Muslims and further the goals of Islam. In his article on taqiyya, Raymond Ibrahim quotes a Muslim authority, Sami Mukaram, who says,” [emphasis and brackets added] [19]“Taqiyya is of fundamental importance in Islam. Practically every Islamic sect agrees to it and practices it … We can go so far as to say that the practice of taqiyya is mainstream in Islam, and that those few sects not practicing it diverge from the mainstream … Taqiyya is very prevalent in Islamic politics, especially in the modern era.”[20]
Mormonism initially claims to embrace Christianity. But what they don’t tell you is “Jesus Christ and Satan, like the rest of us, were spirit brothers and sons of God before the spirit of Jesus was given a body by Mary in Bethlehem. The Mormon ‘Book of Moses’ presents Satan and Jesus as contending for the privilege of taking a body of flesh in order to become the redeemer, with Jesus winning the contest. [See Joseph Smith, Pearl of Great Price, Book of Moses 4:1-4.]” [21] [emphasis added]
Mormonism also believes “all human beings and spirits, including Jesus and Satan, existed as spirit beings before being born. Physical birth gives bodies to these spirits, and an opportunity to choose right or wrong. Thus, the present life is a period of probation. The way a person lives in this life determines their status in the life after the resurrection. If the deeds of this life have been satisfactory and all temple obligations have been fulfilled, the individual becomes a god and is considered eligible to create ‘spirit children’ as God the Father did and populate a world of his own.”[22][emphasis added]
We also see Satan’s deceptions in the world’s educational scene in such things as evolution that is so ardently taught today. Anyone who knows the truth of God (Gen. 1-2; Exod. 20:8-11; Psa. 33:6-9; Rom. 1:18-23; 2 Pet. 3:1-7; et al.), knows that evolution is a lie. [23] But still it is taught as the truth.
We also see that schools are teaching Critical Race Theory (CRT) which says that negative stereotypes are being assigned to members of minority groups to benefit white people and increase racial oppression. [24]
Neil Shenvi defines critical race theory as “an ideology that divides the world into oppressed groups and their oppressors and aims to liberate the oppressed.”[25] Sometimes called “Cultural Marxism,” CRT borrows concepts from classical Marxism dividing the world into the “haves” and the “have nots” and attempts to right the wrongs of previous generations through a redistribution of wealth and power. Unfortunately, CRT is pitting ethnic groups against each other in hopes of correcting historic inequalities. [26]
Biblically speaking, racism is the sin of ethnic partiality or prejudice (Jas. 2:8-9; Lev. 19:15). Racism is wrong because there is only one race, and it is the human race which is in Adam (Acts 17:26). Racism has not only caused division, but it has caused great pain and suffering throughout history. Since racism is a real sin, we should repudiate it and address it from a biblical perspective.
Unfortunately, CRT advocates that truth is not determined objectively outside of oneself. Instead, CRT says that truth is determined experientially by historically oppressed groups of people; thus, different groups of people can have different “truths” according to this view.
But truth does not work that way. Truth is true outside of anyone’s perspective. For example, two plus two equals four no matter what your skin color or any of your past experiences. Bowling balls fall from airplanes regardless of what anyone believes about gravity.
Christians must remember where truth comes from: the Bible (John 17:17) and Jesus Christ (John 14:6; 1:14). Truth resides in God’s Word and the Person of Jesus Christ, not in oppressed groups of people. It does not matter if older white males in a so-called domineering culture believe it, or a young black lesbian doesn’t believe it. Believing or not believing the Bible or Jesus has no bearing on the truthfulness of either. The reason for this is because truth does not reside in a person’s perspective: truth resides outside any group’s shared experience. Ultimately, truth resides in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ.[27]
Jesus did not focus on the education, ethnicity, gender, income, social identity, or the sexual orientation of a person. His love excluded no one. Jesus Christ desires “all” people to be saved regardless of their education, ethnicity, gender, income, social identities, or sexual orientations. The apostle Paul exhorts us to pray for “all” people because Jesus desires “all” people to be saved and He died for “all” people (I Tim. 2:3-6). Jesus’ love is inclusive, not exclusive. But Satan wants to deceive us into thinking otherwise.
Satan has a subtle strategy of using deception and lies to bring us under his control. He seeks to mislead us into bondage. This is why it is so important to put on the belt of truth.
The belt Christians are to put on is “truth” (alētheia). But what is the truth? “Truth is the absolute standard by which reality is measured. It’s not something that changes based on feelings or perspective. A person can deny that gravity is true, but if he decides to jump off a building to prove it, he’s going to find that truth doesn’t care about his feelings or perspective. Truth exists whether you embrace it or not.”[29] [emphasis added]
Truth is simply God’s view on any subject on the front end. But often what happens is people start with man’s view and wind up with truth (God’s view) when man’s view has failed.
This is why the Bible speaks so much about first. “Seek FIRST the kingdom of God.” (Matt. 6:33).“He [Christ] is FIRST in everything.” (Col. 1:18 NLT). “You have left your FIRST love.” (Rev. 2:4). We always need to start first with God’s view on any subject.
Truth is more than feelings because feelings can fluctuate. Truth is also more than facts. You can have facts and not have the truth. For example, I can say, “I have a headache. My head is really hurting me.” So, I go to Walmart and purchase some extra strength Tylenol because the fact is my head is hurting. But the Tylenol is not working. I still have my headache. So, I go to my doctor, and he does a head scan and discovers I have a brain tumor. I was treating the fact without knowing the truth. The truth was my head was hurting because of a brain tumor. Which means I was trying to solve the fact with an insufficient medication.
Truth is God’s view on any subject. God has spoken, He has not stuttered. There are two answers to every question: God’s answer and everyone else’s. And everyone else’s answer is wrong all the time. People can be so preoccupied with facts that they never arrive at truth. And thus, they never get solutions.
It is not the truth that sets us free. It is the truth that we know that sets us free. Jesus said, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32). So, if it is truth, and you do not know it, you are still in bondage.
In January of 1863, President Lincoln signed and issued his famous Emancipation Proclamation, freeing all slaves throughout the Confederacy. But the slaves in Texas were not told until June 19, 1865. The information of the signing was true, but it was not passed on to everyone. African Americans in Texas did not discover this truth until a year and a half later. So, during those eighteen months, they lived in bondage with no authority to exercise their freedom because they did not know the truth.
The reason this is so critical in spiritual warfare is because our enemy is a liar. That is all that he does. Satan is a liar (John 8:44) and a deceiver (Rev. 12:9). And if he can use facts to trick us, he will. If we do not start with the truth, that is, God’s view on a subject, then we will automatically be in bondage. And the Devil will even use religion to keep us there. Nothing holds more people hostage than religion.
When Satan went to Eve in the garden of Eden, the first thing he said to her was, “Let’s talk about God.”“Has God indeed said…?” (Gen. 3:1). But do you know an important word that the Devil left out when he tempted Eve? In Genesis 2, we read over and over again, the phrase, “the Lord God (’Elōhîm Yahweh) …” (Gen. 2:4-5, 7-9, 15-16, 18-19, 21-22). When Satan spoke to Eve, he left out God’s relational name “Lord” (Yahweh). This indicates that he doesn’t mind religion as long as there is no relationship with the Lord God driving it. [30]
How do we defeat Satan with the truth? We daily reach out and put on the truth. The Bible gives us four expressions or citadels of truth. The first is THE PERSON OF TRUTH. The Lord Jesus Christ is “the truth” (John 14:6) and is “full of truth” (John 1:14). Hence, Jesus is the Person of truth.
When we clothe ourselves with truth, we are putting on the Lord Jesus. “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.” (Rom. 13:14). The Greek compound word translated “put on” is enduō = en (in) [32] + dunō (go down, set) [33] and thus means “to clothe in the sense of sinking into a garment.” We can “put on the Lord Jesus Christ” by focusing our minds and morality on Him. When we live by faith in Him (2 Cor. 5:7; Gal. 2:20), studying His Word (Josh. 1:8; John 8:31-32; 15:7a; 2 Tim. 2:15; 3:16-17), talking to Him in prayer (John 15:7b; Phil. 4:6-7), and seeking to reflect Him in our actions (Col. 3:23-24; I John 2:6), we are putting on the Lord Jesus.
At the moment of faith in Jesus for His gift of eternal life, we are given a new nature (cf. Eph. 4:24; I John 3:9) and identity (2 Cor. 5:17), much like being given a brand-new tuxedo. Paul exhorts us to conduct ourselves according to this new nature and identity.
When he says not to make any “provision for the flesh” (Rom. 13:14b), it helps to ask ourselves, “Would I climb through a garbage dumpster while wearing a brand-new tuxedo?” No, that filthy environment would contaminate our pristine suit. Yet that is what we are doing when we make plans to gratify the sinful desires of our “flesh.” Instead, we are to put on Christ’s purity and avoid climbing through the dumpsters of sin. [34]
However, if we have been making plans to gratify our sinful desires or we have actually been climbing through the dumpsters of sin, it is time to take our brand-new tuxedo to the cleaners and let the Lord Jesus completely cleanse it with His blood. Come back into the light by confessing our sins to God (I John 1:7, 9) and to safe brothers or sisters in Christ (Jas. 5:16), so God can heal us and restore us to fellowship with Him.
The second expression or citadel of truth in the Bible is God the Holy Spirit, Who is called THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH. Jesus said, “13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.” (John 16:13-14). What does it mean to put on the Holy Spirit? It means that we look to the Holy Spirit to lead us in accord with the truth (God’s view on a subject) of what Jesus taught (John 14:26) and what the Bible teaches us. The Spirit of God will never lead us in a way that contradicts what Jesus taught or what the Bible says. As we read the Word of God, we ask the Holy Spirit to enable us to understand the truth as God intended (I John 2:20-27). We measure everything by whether or not it aligns with what the Holy Spirit has already revealed in the Bible.
And we are to be very careful to honor the Spirit of God. When we have difficulty understanding a Bible passage, we ask the Holy Spirit to guide us into the truth (John 16:13) and to protect us from error (I John 2:20-27; 4:1-6). Instead of rushing into things, especially religious things that may seem overly ecstatic and exciting, we step back and take time to measure things to see if they are in accord with what God’s Spirit has already said in the Word because He is the Spirit of truth. He always guides us into truth (John 16:13) which is always in harmony with Who the Lord Jesus Christ is (John 15:26; 16:14; cf. I John 2:20-27; 4:1-6) and what He has done (I Cor. 12:3; 15:3-6) because Jesus is the truth (John 14:6). The Spirit of truth can show us the lies we believe that have kept us in bondage to sin and shame and replace them with the liberating truth of God’s Word (cf. Psa. 119:28-29).
The third expression or citadel of truth is THE WORD OF TRUTH, THE BIBLE. Jesus prayed to His heavenly Father, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” (John 17:17). When we put on the belt of truth, we are putting on the Scripture. That means we understand that the Bible is the “word of truth” as it is called so many times throughout the Bible (cf. Psa. 119:43, 160; Acts. 26:25; 2 Cor. 6:7; 2 Tim. 2:15; Jas. 1:18; et al.). This is why I believe that inerrancy[35] is an essential part of our Christian faith. We can trust what the Bible says in all things. It is the Word of truth, not the Word of error. We can build our lives upon the stable foundation of the Word of truth so we can endure the storms of life (Matt. 7:24-27).
The word “sanctify” (hagiazō) in John 17:17, literally means to “set apart”[36] from the world or “to make holy.”[37] This is not referring to sinless perfection. It is referring to spiritual growth or maturity – progressively becoming more like Christ. How?
We are to be “set apart” from the world’s influence and its values “by” the Father’s “truth” which is His “word,”the Bible. Throughout the Bible we see that God’s Word is true. It is not full of errors as many claim today. We cannot grow spiritually apart from God’s Word. So, the way we grow in holiness is by renewing our minds in accordance with the truth of God’s Word (cf. Rom. 12:1-2). Disciples of Jesus must abide in His word if they are to know the truth of His word and be set free from Satan’s lies that enslave their lives to sin (cf. John 8:31-36, 44). We must feed upon God’s word to experience the victory Jesus has already won for us (John 16:33).
At a meeting, a Native American Indian said a black wolf lived in his heart, but when Christ became his Savior, a white wolf came to live in his heart, and the two wolves were then fighting all the time. After the meeting, someone approached him and asked, “Which wolf wins, the white one or the black one?” The Indian replied, “The one I feed the most.” If we feed upon God’s Word and do it, we are going to experience more victory over the world and Satan in our Christian lives. But if we feed upon the lies of Satan, we will experience more defeat in our Christian lives and be conformed to the world. I like what D.L. Moody wrote on the flyleaf of his Bible. “This book will keep you from sin or sin will keep you from this book.” That is the truth. If I let this book become more and more a part of my life it will keep me away from sin (Psa. 119:9, 11, 28-29). Or sin can keep me away from reading His word.
The final expression or citadel of truth in the Bible is the Church,THE PILLAR AND FOUNDATION OF TRUTH. Paul writes, “I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.“ (I Tim. 3:15). Paul describes the church as “the pillar and ground of the truth.“
“Much as a pillar supports a roof, the local church is to hold up the truth. Without the church, there would be nothing on earth to hold up God’s truth.
“The ground is that on which things are built. Thus, the church is the foundation on which the truth is built. Without the church, the truth would not have a foundation on which to stand. The church protects the truth in the face of all who attack it.
“Biblically sound churches bless those in their location by being there. Such churches shine the truth into a dark and dying world.”[38] [emphasis added]
This is a great reason to stay close to a local church that embraces God’s truth. We need God’s perspective especially as it relates to spiritual warfare. And a local church that is biblically sound is a great source of encouragement and protection for every Christian.
Conclusion
How do we put on the belt of truth? The same way we are to put on all the pieces of God’s spiritual armor – by means of prayer. Paul concluded his teaching on the armor of God by inviting his readers to pray: “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.” (Eph. 6:18). How often are we to pray the armor of God? “Always.” Prayer is to be woven into all of our lives. Satan and his demonic armies never take a day off, so it would be best that we don’t take a day off from praying the armor of God.
“We need to stay in regular communication with God and pray in the Spirit in order to access heaven’s authority for intervention on earth (6:18). In other words, we must be on the same page as the Spirit, utilizing spiritual wisdom. The most powerful way to do that is to pray God’s Word back to Him and apply it to your situation.”[39]
Praying the belt of truth back to God can become a wonderful worship experience. We can express appreciation for the Lord Jesus, Who is the Person of Truth, and the Holy Spirit, Who is the Spirit of Truth, and the Bible, the Word of Truth, and the Local Church, the Pillar and Foundation of Truth.
Prayer: In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray the protection of the belt of truth described in Ephesians 6:14a. I pray its protection over my personal life, my home, my family, and the ministry You, Lord, have appointed for my life. I use the belt of truth directly against Satan and his kingdom of darkness. I thank You heavenly Father for the Person of the Truth, the Lord Jesus Christ. I cling to Him Who is the truth and is full of truth, as my strength and protection from all of Satan’s deceptions. Thank You Father God for the Holy Spirit Who is the Spirit of truth. I look to You, Holy Spirit, to lead me in accord with the truth of what Jesus taught and what the Bible teaches. I ask You, Spirit of truth, to warn me before I deceive anyone and to protect me always from believing Satan’s lies. Forgive me, Lord, for not speaking the truth. Show me any way in which I am being deceived. I desire that the Bible, the Word of truth, shall constantly gain a deeper place in my life. I pray that the truth of the Word of God may be my heart’s delight to study and memorize. Thank You, Lord God, for making my local church a pillar and foundation for Your truth in my life. Help me relate to my church and give protection to others as well as receive it myself. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for showing me that my ability to be strong and to do Your will requires the stabilizing power of the belt of truth. Thank You for providing this part of the armor of God. In Your mighty name, I pray, Lord Jesus. Amen. [40]
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, 2000 Kindle Edition, pg. 625.
[2] Much of this section is adapted from Mark Bubeck’s video message entitled, “4. The Wholeness of the Armor: Ephesians 6 Series,” on the BRMinistry app, unless otherwise noted.
[3] Tony Evan’s video message at Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS) entitled, “The Armor of God,” on YouTube.
[6] Tony Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 2665.
[7] The first three verbs in Greek (perizōsamenoi… endysamenoi… hypodēsamenoi… ) are aorist middle participles which means they have already been put on by the soldier or Christian.
[8] Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 2665.
[9] The Greek verb translated “taking…” (analabontes) is an aorist active participle, meaning the Christian is taking the shield of faith as needed and the last Greek verb translated “take…” (dexasthe) is an aorist middle imperative which is used of the last two pieces of armor and means for oneself to take them up as needed.
[10] The next several paragraphs are adopted from Mark Bubeck’s video message entitled, “4. The Wholeness of the Armor: Ephesians 6 Series,” on the BRMinistry app, unless otherwise noted.
[11] Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 2629.
[12] Tom Constable, Dr. Constable’s Notes on Ephesians, 2024 Edition, pg. 146.
[14] Much of this section is adapted from Mark Bubeck’s video message, “5. Belted Against Satan’s Belt: Ephesians 6 Series,” on BRMinistry app, unless otherwise noted.
[15] Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 2000 Kindle Edition, pg. 730.
[16] Bubeck, “5. Belted Against Satan’s Belt: Ephesians 6 Series,” on BRMinistry app.
[17] Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, 2000 Kindle Edition, pp. 821-822.
[18] Bubeck, “5. Belted Against Satan’s Belt: Ephesians 6 Series,” on BRMinistry app.
[19] Daniel Janosik, THE GUIDE TO ANSWERING ISLAM: What Every Christian Needs to Know About Islam and the Rise of Radical Islam (Cambridge, OH: Christian Publishing House, 2019 Kindle Edition), pg. 172.
[20] Ibid., pp. 172, 321 cites Sami Mukaram, At-Taqiyya fi ‘l-Islam (London: Mu’assisat at-Turath ad-Druzi, 2004), 7, quoted in Raymond Ibrahim, Beware Islam’s Doctrine of Deception, PJ Media, September 24, 2015: http://www.meforum.org/5522/ben-carson-taqiyya.
[21] Retrieved on October 27, 2024, from the article entitled, “Mormonism – Does it truly follow Jesus Christ?” at www.christiananswers.net
[23] See the following helpful articles or books exposing the deceptions of evolution – Simon Turpin, “How the Apostle Peter Relates to the Age of the Earth Debate: Analyzing 2 Peter 3:1-7,” at www.answersingenesis.org; Harold Dressler, “Evolution – Still an Option?” at www.answersingenesis.org; Ken Ham, The Lie: Unraveling the Myth: Evolution/Millions of Years, Updated Edition (Green Forest, AR: Master Books, 1987, 2024); Roger G. Gallop, Evolution: The Greatest Deception in Modern History (Scientific Evidence for Divine Creation), Second Edition (Ponte Vedra Beach, FL: Red Butte Press, Inc., 2011, 2014).
[24] Retrieved on June 2, 2024, from Wikipedia article entitled, “Critical Race Theory” at en.m.wikipedia.org.
[25] Retrieved on June 2, 2024, from Brandon Clay and Frost Smith’s September 29, 2020, article entitled “Critical Race Theory in the Church,” at www.answersingenesis.org.
[34] Adapted from Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary, 2019 Kindle Edition, pp. 2465-2466.
[35] Inerrancy states that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, without error in the original autographs, accurate in all areas it touches, and true in all it says (Psa. 119:86, 151, 160, 172; Prov. 30:5-6; Matt. 5:18; John 17:17; 2 Tim. 2:15; 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:20, 21). The Bible is God’s complete written revelation to humankind and is the final authority for guidance in living the Christian life (Deut. 4:2; 12:32; Prov. 30:5-6; I Cor. 13:8-13; Heb. 4:12; Rev. 22:18). As the Scriptures in their entirety point to Jesus Christ and His death for the sins of the world on the cross, they are a complete and trustworthy guide to reveal God’s plan of salvation for all humankind (Luke 24:27, 44-48; John 5:39; 2 Tim. 3:15).
[36] J. Carl Laney, Moody Gospel John Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1992), pg. 307.
[37] Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, 2000 Kindle Edition, pp. 9-10.
[38] Robert Wilkin, “I Timothy,” The Grace New Testament Commentary: Revised Edition, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 1531.
[39] Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 2667.
[40] Adapted from Mark I. Bubeck, a prayer entitled “Prayer to Know and Speak Truth,” from Spiritual Warfare Prayers pamphlet (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 1997).
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14
What is God like? Let’s see what some fifth graders said when their teacher at a Christian school asked her class to look at TV commercials and see if they could use them in some way to communicate ideas about God. God is like BAYER ASPIRIN. He works miracles. God is like a FORD. He’s got a better idea. God is like COKE. He’s the real thing. God is like HALLMARK CARDS. He cares enough to send His very best. God is like TIDE. He gets the stains out that others leave behind. God is like GENERAL ELECTRIC. He brings good things to life. God is like SEARS. He has everything. God is like ALKA-SELTZER. Try Him, you’ll like Him. God is like SCOTCH TAPE. You can’t see Him, but you know He’s there. God is like DELTA. He’s ready when you are. [1]
In John 1:14-18 we are going to see that God became a man to show us what He is like. In the first five verses of John, we saw that the Word, Jesus Christ, is our Creator God. Thus, when we look at Jesus, we are looking at our Creator God in human flesh. He made you and me to have a relationship with Him. So, what is God like?
GOD IS APPROACHABLE.1:14a: John returns to the use of the “Word”[2] that he introduced in verse 1 when he writes, “And the Word became flesh.” The most amazing fact of history is that the eternal Logos, God Himself (1:1), voluntarily “becameflesh” or a human being without ceasing to be God (1:14a). The word for “flesh”[3] here does not refer to humanity’s sinful flesh or desires (cf. Rom. 8:4-5; Gal. 5:16-17, 19-21), but to Jesus’ sinless human nature (cf. Rom. 1:3; 9:5; 2 Cor. 5:21; I Tim. 3:16; Heb. 2:14; 4:15; I Pet. 3:18). [4]
Unlike Adam and all his descendants before and after Christ who were born as sinners (Rom. 5:12; Ps. 51:5), Christ is the only Person to be born with a sinless human nature. The best explanation I have heard for this is that Jesus had a sinless Father in God the Holy Spirit (Matt. 1:20), whereas all other human beings had a sinful father. The sin nature seems to be passed on through the human father. “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned” (cf. Rom. 5:18).Although Eve sinned first in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:1-6), Adam is held accountable for sin’s entrance into the world.
The Bible also teaches that God visits “the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations” (Exod. 20:5; cf. Deut. 5:9). Generational sins are passed on through the fathers, not the mothers.This implies that the sin nature is transmitted through the fathers, not the mothers or both parents.
Hence, Christ possesses a sinless human nature because He was conceived by God the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary (Matt. 1:20).
When John says “the Word became flesh (1:14a), he is emphasizing that Christ did not merely “appear” like a man; He became an actual man (cf. Phil. 2:5-9).[5]
In John’s day there were false teachers who taught that God could not become a man because all human flesh is inherently evil, and God is inherently good or perfect. Therefore, Jesus only appeared to be a human being.
Swindoll explains: “In our day, the influence of naturalism has so permeated culture that we have trouble accepting the deity of Christ. In John’s day, most people had no problem accepting Christ’s deity. They were more troubled by His humanity. The influence of Plato permeated every aspect of religion and philosophy so that anything tangible came to be seen as inherently evil. The great hope of Greek philosophers was to escape the foul, obnoxious material realm in order to commune with the divine mind, which existed only in the realm of pure ideas. In life, they tried to deny the body as a means of connecting with what they conceived of as god. They saw death as the liberation of the soul (the good aspect of man) from the prison of the body (the evil aspect of man). So, naturally, they recoiled from the notion that God would become anything genuinely physical.
“To preserve the sinlessness of God, philosophers invented all kinds of myths to explain how Christ could appear human without actually having earthly material be a part of His nature. The most common, Docetism, suggested that He only seemed to be tangible, but was in fact a heavenly apparition. The so-called ‘Gnostic Gospels’ tell stories of how Jesus created the illusion of eating food while never actually digesting it or needing to relieve Himself.” [6]
When John states “the Word became flesh,” his choice of words were very offensive to the false teachers of his day. “Flesh” meant something inherently evil to them. In essence, John is saying that “The Word became meat.”[7]
When John says the eternal Word “dwelt among us” the word translated “dwelt”[8] means “to tabernacle, take up residence.” [9]Just as God’s presence dwelt among the Israelites in the tabernacle (cf. Exod. 25:8-9; 33:7, 11), so He lived among people in the Person of Jesus Christ. King Solomon thought it incredible that God would dwell on the earth (1 Kings 8:27), but that is precisely what He did in Jesus.
While the docetistic false teachers in John’s day were resistant to the truth of Christ’s tangible human nature, John skillfully refuted their heresies with great skill under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. In his epistle he spoke of the Word of Life, Jesus Christ, as being “heard… seen with our eyes… looked upon, and our hands have handled.” (I John 1:1). Christ did not merely “appear “to be human. He became a tangible human being Who was “heard… seen…” and touched. To deny that Christ became tangible human flesh was “antichrist” and to be refuted (cf. I John 4:2-3).
“Conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary (see Matt. 1:20), the divine Son of God became a man. He is thus the God-Man—not half man and half God, but one Person with a fully divine nature and a fully human nature. He is deity poured into humanity. He is fully human, so He cried as an infant, but He is fully divine and gave life to His mother! He is fully human so He had to sleep, but He is fully divine and can raise the dead back to life. Our God fully experienced what it is to be human—yet without sinning (see Heb. 4:15). He faced hunger, pain, temptation, grief, hardship, and rejection. You face no category of human experience that your Savior has not endured.” [10]
Religions seek to know how we as humans can get to God. Yet the Bible tells us that God came to us. The Word became flesh. Why did God become a man? So, we could approach Him and trust Him.
A construction company was once building a road through some mountainous country, using dynamite to build a roadbed. Steve, who worked for the company, was placing the dynamite charges. One day as he was getting ready to detonate a charge, he noticed that several little chipmunks had come out of the underbrush, playing around the hole where he had installed the explosives. Steve, being a tenderhearted guy, didn’t want to see those little chipmunks blown to bits, so he began trying to shew the chipmunks away. Each time however, they just came right back to the location. His supervisor, Charlie, came out to see what was holding up the blasting. Steve, exasperated, explained that those chipmunks would not get out of the danger area. Charlie chuckled, and then used the incident to talk about Jesus Christ.
He explained to Steve that the only way one of them could communicate with those chipmunks, was if one of them became a chipmunk, and yet at the same time, kept all the characteristics of a man. [11] Chipmunks are afraid of humans because we are twenty times their size. But if you become a chipmunk, they would be able to trust you and relate to you, because you would be able to communicate the great danger caused by the dynamite. This is exactly what God had to do too – He became a man to communicate with the human race what God is really like and to warn them of the incredible danger facing them if they rejected Christ. If God came to us in the fullness of His glory, we would be too frightened of Him to trust Him like a chipmunk would be too scared to trust us.
Jesus became a human being so that you and I could relate to Him and He to us. Therefore, we are to trust Him at all times because He understands us. “Since we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are yet without sin; Therefore, let us boldly come to the throne of grace.”(Heb. 4:15-16). He voluntarily became one of us so that you and I would believe that our Savior knows how we feel.
Perhaps you have viewed God as some distant impersonal force who does not care about you or your circumstances. You may say to yourself, “How could God let COVID-19 happen? I have lost my income, my health, and my friends! What kind of God is this?” Please understand that the God of the Bible is not some distant dictator who delights in punishing people.
Christian author Max Lucado writes, “From the funeral to the factory to the frustration of a demanding schedule, Jesus Christ understands. When you tell God that you’ve reached your limit, He knows what you mean. When you shake your head at impossible deadlines, He shakes His, too. When your plans are interrupted by people who have other plans, He nods in empathy.He has been there. He knows how you feel… Rejection? He felt it. Temptation? He knew it. Loneliness? He experienced it. Death? He tasted it. And stress? He could write a best-selling book about it. Why did He do it? One reason.So that when you hurt, you will go to Him… and let Him heal you.”[12]
GOD IS FULL OF GRACE AND TRUTH. 1:14b: Now we are getting to the heart of this passage. John and the other disciples “beheld” Jesus’ “glory.” They were eyewitnesses to this.
“They saw His glory at the Mount of Transfiguration, in the signs Jesus did, and in His sinless life.” [13]
Christ’s glory was filled with “grace and truth.” Jesus maintained a perfect balance between these two attributes. Of all the phrases that God could have used to describe Jesus Christ, He chose “grace and truth.” “Grace “[14] refers to “graciousness, favor, help, or goodwill.”[15] Theologians describe “grace” as God’s unmerited favor or getting what we do not deserve. We do not deserve eternal life, forgiveness, or salvation from hell, but Jesus Christ can freely offer this to us apart from any of our works because of His “grace” (John 4:10-14; Rom. 3:24; 4:4-5; 6:23b; 11:6; Ephes. 2:8-9). In the context, “grace” refers to the graciousness of Christ. [16]
The word for “truth”[17] means “truthfulness, dependability, uprightness in thought and deed, reality.”[18]“Truth” is the perfect standard of God’s holiness.Truth says there is a right way, a best way. Grace gives us the encouragement to get there.
In life, some things are true which makes other things false. We do reap what we sow. There are consequences to our actions. Truth is true. It is unbendable and unbreakable and unyielding. Jesus came full of truth. Every word that He spoke was truth. Christ never told a lie. Every action and every thought were true. When Satan came against Jesus tempting Him by perverting the Word of God just a little (Matt. 4:1-11), how did Jesus respond? “It is written in God’s Word. Here’s the truth.” He always countered falsehood with truth.
Near the end of His life before Pilate, Jesus said, “Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice” (John 18:37). Pilate said to Him, “What is truth” (John 18:37-38)? Then Pilate walked away. That was a big mistake, because the One Who is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6) was right in front of him. The One Who is and knows all truth is there. So, truth must be included in grace or grace is merely tolerance.
Truth without grace is just as destructive as grace without truth. Truth without grace is unbearable. Only the arrogant, proud hypocrite thinks all he needs is truth, because he thinks he has it all together. In the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7, Jesus outlines the perfect life. In the middle of that sermon Jesus says, “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matt. 5:48). Jesus means what He says here. When I read the expectations of God on my life and I hear His call to be perfect, I say, “Lord I can’t do it. Have mercy on me a sinner, because I fall way too short. The bar is too high.” That’s the demand of truth all by itself and it overwhelms us. God says, “I didn’t just come in truth, I came in grace.”
Why are grace and truth so important? As humans, we tend to err on one side or the other of grace and truth. Grace without truth is wishy washy. It is a farce. It is called tolerance. There are no absolutes… no right or wrong… no consequences for our actions. Anything goes, resulting in lives without direction. There is nothing we can know for sure which is tolerance. For grace to be real, it must be based on truth.
For example, grace without truth is like taking your car to the body shop to get rid of the rust. You get the car back and it looks great. But a year later the rust appears again. The mechanic didn’t remove the rust, he just covered it up to make it look good. Eventually, the rust keeps coming back. That’s how it is when you try to ignore truth. You can ignore truth for a while, but it keeps coming back. I can ignore the law of gravity and step off a cliff – and the law of gravity still applies to me. It doesn’t matter what you believe in that case. If you ignore it, it bites you.
Without grace the shepherd says,“That stupid sheep is the one who wandered away. He is on his own now.” But grace causes him to leave the ninety-nine to find that sheep and bring him home so there is rejoicing (Luke 15:1-7).
Without grace the prodigal son stays in the pig pen and never comes home because he knows there is no forgiveness. He’s gone too far without grace. But grace sets him on the road home (Luke 15:11-32).
Without grace the truth demands that Peter who denied Jesus three times be done being an apostle. But Jesus comes to him in grace and says, “Feed My sheep. I’m not done with you yet Peter” (John 21:15-19).
Without grace the wedding feast is over because the family should have planned better, so they did not run out of wine. But Jesus stepped in with grace and transformed the water into wine (John 2:1-11).
Without grace the Samaritan woman, who had been married five times and divorced and was now living with a man who was not her husband, wouldn’t have even received a look much less a word from Jesus (John 4:1-26). But He spoke to her because of His grace, and her life was transformed.
Without grace, Matthew, the tax collector who was ripping everyone off, never gets called to follow Jesus. But Jesus comes to Him and says, “Follow Me” (Matt. 9:9-13).
Without grace, the thief on the cross dies in his sin and goes to hell. But with grace, Jesus says, “Today you will be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:39-43).
Praise God that Jesus came not just full of truth, but full of grace. The truth is as a Christian, you are not supposed to worry. But I thank God for His grace because I am so prone to worry.
The truth is God hates divorce (Mal. 2:16), but God comes to us in our brokenness and heals us.
The truth is sexual impurity degrades our bodies (I Cor. 6:12-20), but grace comes in and washes us clean.
The truth is that God calls homosexual and lesbian activity an abomination (Lev. 18:22; 20:13; Rom. 1:26-27), but God comes in with His grace and changes people.
The truth is God detests gossip and slander (Prov. 6:14, 19; 10:18;). But God comes in with His grace and washes us clean.
The truth is our addictions and yielding to temptations reveal that we don’t have the faith that we should, but God with His grace gives us that strength.
The truth is our attachment to material things is idolatry. But God comes in with His grace and rescues us from the power of things.
The truth is we should never get depressed as Christians – we should choose the joy of the Lord. But many of us struggle with this. But God comes in with His grace and lifts us up. You can take truths and swing them like a sword and do damage. But with grace we see God bring healing.
Do you remember the woman in John 8? The religious leaders were ready to stone her because the law (the truth) said you should (cf. Lev. 20:10). She was caught in the act of adultery, and they came to Jesus saying, “The law says she should die. What do you say, Jesus?” For a few moments, Jesus wrote on the ground, while they pestered Him. Then Jesus stood up and looked them in the eye and said, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first” (John 8:7).One by one, starting with the oldest, they all walked away. Jesus kept writing on the ground.
After a while there was no one left except Jesus and the woman. Jesus looked up at her and said, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” (John 8:10). She said, “No one, Lord” (John 8:11a). Here’s the thing. On that day, there was somebody there Who could condemn her… Who could have thrown the first stone… there was someone Who was sinless – Jesus (cf. John 18:38b; 2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 4:15; I Peter 3:18). He could have done it. Instead, Christ said to her, “Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more” (John 8:11b). That is grace and truth.
Grace and truth. Don’t keep living like that. That is a path of destruction. Here is the grace. Here is a new start for you. And here is the truth – there is a better way. I love what Max Lucado says:“God loves you just the way you are [that’s grace], but He refuses to leave you there [that’s truth].“ [19]
Truth expresses God’s righteous character and demands punishment for all our sins (Rom. 3:9-23). Jesus Christ was a perfect display of God’s truth. He is “the truth” (John 14:6). He was perfect and sinless (cf. 2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 4:15; I Pet. 3:18). Even the political leaders could “find no fault in Him at all”(John 18:38; cf. Luke 23:4, 14-15, 22; John 19:4, 6). God’s judgment of sin fell on Jesus instead of us when He died on the cross in our place (Is. 53:5-6; Matt. 27:45-56; Rom. 5:8; I Cor. 15:3; 2 Cor. 5:21; I Peter 3:18). That is truth.
But grace is seen while Jesus was hanging on the cross. After His enemies physically and verbally abused Him, and nailed Him to a cross, Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34). Did they deserve Christ’s forgiveness. No, none of us do. But grace offers forgiveness freely. Jesus also said to the thief hanging next to Him, “Today you will be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43). Without grace, the thief on that cross dies in his sin and goes to hell.
Christ is full of grace and truth. He has the perfect ability to tell us the awful truth about ourselves, while holding us up by His grace. Because He is full of truth, He was the perfect sacrifice to pay the penalty for our sin (2 Cor. 5:21; I Pet. 3:18). Because He is full of grace, you can come to Him just as you are, without having to clean up your life first. And because He is full of truth, you can come in complete confidence knowing that He will keep His promise to forgive you and grant you eternal life the moment you believe in Him. Jesus promised, “He who believes in Me has everlasting life” (John 6:47).
That is grace and that’s truth. Jesus was full of both. Therefore, we are to seek to be gracious and truthful with one another (Ephes. 4:15). We are called to forgive others as Christ has forgiven us (Ephes. 4:32; Col. 3:13). Is there someone in your life that needs not just truth, but grace? Something has come between you and your relationship? They need to hear from you that the past is gone. It has been wiped out. That is the power of grace.
We also see that GOD IS ETERNAL.In addition to the apostle John’s and other disciples’ witness of Jesus,John now records the testimony of John the Baptist (1:15-18). [20]1:15: We are told that John the Baptist “bore witness” of Jesus. The Greek word translated “bore witness” martureō [21] is used in a courtroom setting (see comments on 1:7). And it means “to testify, give evidence, or speak the truth.”[22]
When John the Baptist testifies about Jesus, he is not speaking softly. The Bible says he “cried out.” The Greek word translated “cried out”[23] is imitative of a raven’s piercing cry or shriek. [24] It expresses an urgent scream or shout from someone who has deep emotions about their message. John was extremely passionate regarding what he was about to say. Why? Because he understood Who Jesus is and he also understood his purpose. John the Baptist was “sent from God… to bear witness of the Light,” Jesus Christ (John 1:6-7; 8:12). He understood his identity as “the voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Make straight the way of the Lord’” (John 1:23; cf. Is. 40:3). John’s purpose was to prepare the people of Israel “that all through him might believe” in their coming Messiah-God for His gift of everlasting life (John 1:7b; 3:36; cf. Acts 19:4). John’s voice was temporary, but his message was eternal.
The Baptist’s message centered around an eternal Person. He cried out, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me’” (1:15b). The word translated “preferred” [25]denotes having greater dignity or rank than another (cf. Gen. 48:20; John 1:30). [26]
In Bible times, chronological priority meant superiority (those who were born first were considered superior). John is saying that Jesus is superior to him because Christ came before him. John the Baptist recognized the preexistence of the Word, Jesus Christ, as God (John 1:1-2). Even though John the Baptist was born six months prior to Jesus (Luke 1:26, 36), John says “He was before me.”How could John the Baptist say this? He could say this because Jesus was always before John in His preexistent state as God.
In the Old Testament, the Lord God of the universe said, “This is what the Lord says— Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty: ‘I am the first and I am the last; apart from Me there is no God’” (Is. 44:6; cf. 41:4; 48:12). The God of the universe has no beginning and no end because He is eternal. This is what makes Him uniquely God.
In the last book of the Bible, the exalted Lord Jesus Christ said, “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “Who is, and Who was, and Who is to come, the Almighty” (Rev. 1:8). The apostle John shares Jesus’ testimony, “When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as though dead. Then He placed His right hand on me and said: ‘Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last’” (Rev. 1:17; cf. 1:13). At the end of the Book of Revelation the exalted Lord Jesus Christ said, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End” (Rev. 22:13). Make no mistake, the Lord God of the Old Testament is the same as the Lord Jesus Christ in the New Testament. This is John the Baptist’s message. He is acknowledging Jesus’ superiority as the eternal God with no beginning and no end when He says, “He was before me” (1:15b).
When the Coronavirus was in the news a lot, all of us are confronted with the frailty of humanity. None of us are promised life on earth tomorrow. God used COVID-19 to persuade people to think about what is eternal.
Since Jesus has no beginning and no end, we are to invest our lives in what lasts. What two things on this planet last for eternity? It is not your bank account… cell phone… video games… house… car… job… or your achievements. I have done a lot of funerals, and I have never seen anyone pull a U-Haul behind a hearse. What lasts forever on earth is people (Matt. 25:46) and the Word of God (I Pet. 1:23-24). We have an incredible opportunity to invest in both by preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to the unsaved (Mark 16:15) and then training those who believe in Christ through the discipleship process (Matt. 28:19-20).
With whom are you sharing the gospel and training in discipleship? If we are not evangelizing and then discipling those who believe the gospel, we are failing to invest our lives in what is lasting. But this need not continue. Today, you can decide to invest your life in what lasts forever. Ask God to show you whom He wants you to disciple or be discipled by. He enjoys answering that prayer.
1:16: If John the Baptist is still speaking here, then the “we”refers to all Israelites. The phrase “grace for grace”[27] means “grace after grace.”[28]Like the waves along a beach, one wave of grace after another has been repeatedly manifested in Israel’s history. Everything the nation of Israel had received was based on the grace of Jesus Christ. Israel’s existence today (and ours) is a testimony of God’s grace.
An example of God’s grace in Israel’s history is seen the next verse. 1:17a: When the law was given through Moses, Israel stood in great need of God’s grace. While Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving the Law from God, Israel was down below sinning against the Lord by making a golden calf to worship (Exod. 32:1-6). For such a sin, the Law required only condemnation and judgment. Hence, God’s anger burned against His people (Exod. 32:7-10). But Moses prayed to God and God spared the nation by His grace (Exod. 32:14). A purifying judgment ensued (Exod. 32:15-29).
Moses then sought reassurance that God would forgive and accept the nation as His own. So “the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, ‘The lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation’”(Exod. 34:6-7). We see a definite clash between God’s grace and truth here. How can God forgive “iniquity and transgression and sin” and yet “by no means clearing the guilty?” The solution is finally found in Jesus Christ.
1:17b: Through Christ and His sacrifice as the Lamb of God, the dilemma is resolved. Truth expresses God’s righteous character and demands punishment for our sins. Christ was a perfect display of God’s truth. He was perfect and sinless. God’s judgment fell on Jesus instead of us. Grace is seen because of Christ’s death. We can cross over to God by faith in Jesus. God is now free to be gracious to all who receive that grace by faith in Christ.
Out of the “fullness” of His grace, Jesus blesses us with one wave of grace after another (John 1:16). One wave of grace is constantly replaced by a new one each day. “Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits.” (Psalm 68:19). Although we may be feeling bombarded with a multitude of challenges these days, God still has an endless variety of ways to bless us.
He may bless us with a friendly smile from a worker at a drive through window or from someone standing in line at a bus stop. And the truth of the matter is if we would smile more, we will encounter more people who are smiling back at us. Jesus’ grace also enriches our lives with natural beauty all around us. It may be in the form of a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day or blossoms on a flowering tree. In the morning it may be a bird’s beautiful song or in the evening it may be the splendor of the moon and the stars. All of God’s creation is there for us to enjoy.
When I look back on my life, the one word that stands out to me is “grace.” By God’s grace He has brought me through disappointment and pain, some of which was caused by others and much of which I brought on myself. At the age of nineteen, by His grace the Lord Jesus saved me from the penalty of all my sins and gave me everlasting life the moment I believed in Him. By His grace I was enabled to serve Him for over three decades. And by His grace He will lead me forward one day at a time.
1:18: John begins by saying, “No one has seen God at any time” (1:18a). You may wonder, “How can this be true when the Bible speaks of people seeing God?” (e.g., Exod. 33:21-23; Isa. 6:1-5; Rev. 1:10-18). Those encounters with God did not reveal the fullness of His glory or His unveiled divine essence. If people saw God’s unveiled glory or divine essence, they would not live (cf. Exod. 33:20).
The only One Who can and has seen God in the fullness of His glory and divine essence without dying, is His Son, Jesus Christ (John 6:46). The reason Jesus could do this is because He also is God. He has the same divine nature as God the Father. For example, when people say of a man named Clarence Smith, “He is the son of John Smith,” they are acknowledging that he has the same human nature as his father. Likewise, when the Bible says that Jesus is “the Son of God” (John 20:31), it is affirming that Jesus has the same divine nature as His Father in heaven.
Therefore, we can discover what God is like by knowing His “only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father” (1:18b). The phrase “only begotten Son” does not mean Jesus had a beginning like a baby that is birthed by his parents, as many false religions teach today. The compound Greek word translated “only begotten” is monogenḗs, which literally means “one (monos) of a kind (genos).”[29] Jesus Christ is the only One of His kind. He is fully God (John 1:1-3) and fully Man (John 1:14). There has never been anyone like Him before or since. This is the message of the gospel of John.
The writer of this gospel, the apostle John, goes to great lengths to show Jesus’ deity (John 1:1, 34, 49; 5:16-47; 6:69; 8:57-59; 10:30-33; 11:27; 20:28; et. al). Jesus was unlike any other Person who has walked on this earth. In the Old Testament, the phrase “I Am” is how God identified Himself to Moses at the burning bush (Exod. 3:13-14). “I Am” is also how Jesus identified Himself to the people of Israel. He makes several “I AM” statements in the gospel of John: “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35), “I am the door” (John 10:9), “I am the Good Shepherd” (John 10:14), “I am the Resurrection and the Life” (John 11:25), “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life” (John 14:6), “I am the true Vine” (15:1). Each one of these staggering statements attested to the fact that Jesus was and is God.
Jesus also claimed to be equal with God and to be God Himself (John 5:17-18; John 10:10-33). This is why His enemies wanted to kill Jesus for blasphemy (Lev. 20:10; cf. John 5:18; 8:59; 10:31-33; 11:8). For example, when Jesus said, “He and the Father are one” (John 10:30), the Jews understood Him to claim to be God. They said, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God” (John 10:33).
Did Muhammed, the founder of Islam, Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, or Charles Taze Russell, the founder of Jehovah Witnesses, claim to be equal with God? Jesus Christ not only claimed to be God, He proved He was God through His works (John 1-12), the greatest of which was His resurrection from the dead (John 20:1-18; cf. Romans 1:3-4)! Hallelujah, brothers and sisters in Christ! What a precious Lord and Savior we have in Jesus!
John also goes to great lengths to show Jesus’ humanity (John 1:14; 4:6; 11:35; 12:27; 19:28; et. al). Jesus had brothers and sisters like you and me (John 2:12; 7:3, 5; cf: Mark 6:3). Christ ate food and got thirsty just like you and me (John 19:28; 21:12, 15; cf. Matt. 9:11; 11:19; Mark 2:16; Luke 7:34). He experienced physical fatigue and even slept (John 4:6; cf. Matt. 8:24; Mark 4:38; Luke 8:23). Why? He became a man without ceasing to be God so He could understand what it is like for you and me to have family, food, and fatigue. The God of the Bible is not some distant uncaring deity like the religions of the world. He understands our needs and He came to earth to meet our most fundamental needs to be seen, safe, soothed, and secure.
When John says that Jesus was “in the bosom of the Father” (1:18b), he is referring to Christ’s very close and intimate relationship with God the Father. The word “bosom”[30] refers to the upper part of the chest where a garment naturally folded to form a pocket. [31] The picture here is that of a son resting his head on the chest of his father, experiencing a very close and intimate relationship with him. Jesus had the closest and most intimate relationship with God the Father. He knows the heart of God the Father better than anyone because His head often rested upon His Father’s chest in eternity past.
Who better to tell others what a Person is like than the One who is closest to that Person and has known Him the longest in an intimate relationship!?! There is no one more qualified to tell us what God is like than the only begotten Son of God who has known God the Father forever in the closest of relationships with Him.
This is why John then says, “He has declared Him” (1:18c). The word “declared”[32] is where we get our English words, “exegete” and “exegesis” from. It means to “set forth in great detail, to expound”[33] or “to lead out, to draw out in narrative, to recount.”[34] In seminary, we learned to “exegete” or explain God’s Word, the Bible. We were taught to “read out” of the Bible God’s intended meaning through a grammatical, historical, and literal interpretation instead of “reading into” the Bible our own biases and assumptions.
God the Son, Jesus Christ, has “exegeted” or “set forth in great deal” what God the Father is like. Jesus is more qualified than anyone else to explain what God the Father is like because He, being God, knows God the Father longer and more intimately than anyone else.
For some of you reading this, it may be very difficult for you to perceive God as your Father because you have been deeply wounded by your own earthly father through his absence or even his abuse towards you. You may detest the thought of God being a Father because your own earthly father caused you a lot of pain. Hence, you want nothing to do with fathers.
Please understand that God the Father is nothing like your absent or abusive father on earth. God wants you to know Him for Who He truly is. And there is no one more qualified to reveal God the Father to you than Jesus Christ.
Therefore, Jesus said, “He who sees Me sees Him [the Father] who sent Me” (John 12:45). He also said, “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him” (John 14:7). Christ said, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9b) because Jesus is the perfect reflection of the Father.
If you want to know God the Father, get to know His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, because He is God in human flesh (John 1:1, 14; Tit. 2:13; I Tim. 3:16; Heb. 1:8; I John 5:20). You can begin a relationship with God the Son and God the Father through faith. Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life” (John 5:24).
To believe in the Father Who sent Jesus is the same as believing in Jesus because Christ is the perfect reflection of the Father, being God Himself. Therefore, Jesus could say, “He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me” (John 12:44).
Jesus said, “he who hears My word and believes…” (John 5:24a). Have you heard Jesus’ promise of everlasting life and believed it? If so, Jesus guarantees the person who has heard and believed that he now “has [present tense] everlasting life” (John 5:24b). You do not have to wait until you die to experience everlasting life. If you have heard Jesus’ promise of everlasting life (John 3:16) and believed it, you can now experience His forever life every day of your life on earth and beyond!!!
Christ also guarantees to the one who has heard and believed His promise of eternal life that he “shall not [future tense] comeinto judgment” for his sins in the future (John 5:24c). Why?
Because Jesus was judged on the cross for all our sins when He died, and God the Father was satisfied with Jesus’ full payment for our sins (John 19:30; I John 2:2). Therefore, we will never be eternally punished for our sins if we have heard and believed Jesus’ promise of everlasting life.
Lastly, Jesus promises that the one who has heard and believed His promise of everlasting life “has passed [past tense] from death into life” (John 5:24d). This means that eternal death is behind you, not ahead of you. It is past, not present or future. You are now in the sphere of “life” or relationship with God. When God looks at our life after we believe in Christ, what does He see? He sees only the blood of His Son and His goodness in our lives (Ephes. 1:7; Rev. 1:5; 12:11). In the sphere of “life,” God has no charge against the believer (Rom. 8:33). The believer is “justified” (“declared totally righteous”) of all things based on his or her faith in Christ (Rom. 4:5). All our sin has been covered by the goodness of Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 5:21). We are seen by God as completely holy and perfect because of His grace (Ephes. 1:4). That is why God can let us into His heaven when we die if we have believed in Christ as our Savior.
We can know what God is like by looking at Jesus. He came to make the Father known. Christ is full of grace and truth. He has the perfect ability to tell us the awful truth about ourselves, while holding us up by His grace. Because He is full of truth, He was the perfect sacrifice to pay the penalty for our sin. Because He is full of grace, you can come to Him just as you are, without having to clean up your life first. And because He is full of truth, you can come in complete confidence knowing that He will keep His promise to forgive you and grant you eternal life the moment you believe in Him. Jesus promised, “He who believes in Me has everlasting life” (John 6:47). Do you believe this?
If someone asks you, “What is God like?” Encourage them to get to know Jesus Christ because to know Him is to know God since Jesus is fully God.
Prayer: Precious Lord Jesus, thank You for coming to earth to explain what God the Father is like so we may have a close and intimate relationship with Him and You. Please help us to see the Father as full of grace and truth like You, Lord. Renew our minds so we may see You both as You truly are – abounding in goodness, grace, love, mercy, and truth. Use us to point the unsaved to You by reflecting Your grace by being gracious to them and Your truth by being truthful with them. May those without eternal life be convinced that Your grace and truth guarantees them everlasting life the moment they believe in You alone, Lord Jesus. Please bring healing to those who have been deeply wounded by their earthly fathers or father figures so they may approach our Father in heaven as a good good Father who infinitely and unconditionally loves them. In Your mighty name we pray, Lord Jesus. Amen.
[4] Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, pp. 914-16; cf. Constable, Dr. Constable’s Notes on John, pp. 36-37 cites Lewis S. Chafer, Systematic Theology, 1:382-96, 3:33-34, for discussions of Christ’s hypostatic union (the union of His divine and human natures in the Incarnation).
[9] Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, pg. 929.
[10] Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary, pg. 2198.
[11] Haddon Robinson, Larry Moyer, Michael Cocoris, Nancy Hardin, Eight Vital Relationships for the Growing Christian (Dallas: EvanTell, Inc., 1982), Chapter 2, pg. 6.
[12] Max Lucado, In the Eye of the Storm: A Day in the Life of Jesus, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1991), pp. 16-18.
[13] Wilkin, The Grace New Testament Commentary, Kindle Edition, pg. 180.
[28] Constable, Dr. Constable’s Notes on John, pg. 42 cites those who hold to this view: F. F. Bruce, The Gospel of John: Introduction, Exposition and Notes (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1983), pg. 42; Morris, The Gospel According to John, pg. 98; Hodges, “Grace after Grace” Bibliotheca Sacra, pp. 34-45; see also Robertson, A. T. Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament, Kindle Location 50210 to 50228.
[29] Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, pg. 658.
“And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.” I John 5:20.
This will be our last lesson on the book of I John. As we have stated several times before, this book is about fellowship with God (1:3-4). Being in fellowship with God depends on walking in the light as He is in the light (1:7), confessing our sins (1:9), keeping God’s commandments (2:3-5; 3:24), loving one another (2:9-11; 3:11-23; 4:7-5:3), hating the world (2:15-17), acknowledging Jesus is God’s Son (2:23; 4:2-3, 4:15), practicing righteousness (2:29-3:10), listening to and obeying apostolic teaching (4:6), and avoiding idolatry (5:21).
As the apostle John concludes his letter, he is seeking to encourage his Christian readers (2:12-14; 5:13) who may be moving deeper into darkness along the path of sin or they may know of other Christians who are, and therefore, may be in danger of a premature physical death (5:16-17; cf. Acts 5:5-10; I Cor. 3:16-17; 5:5; 11:30). John already presented two unchanging certainties in 5:18-19 beginning with the phrase “we know that…” (oidamen hoti). He wants his readers to know that no matter how far down into darkness a Christian brother or sister has traveled, they are still God’s child at the core of their being because His sinless seed remains in them (5:18; cf. 3:9) and he or she is on God’s side whether they consciously sense that or not, and will therefore feel like a foreigner in this Satanically controlled world (5:19; 2:16-17). 1
We are now ready to look at the third encouragement from the apostle in 5:20. This is one of the clearest verses in the Bible concerning the deity of Jesus Christ. “And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.” (I John 5:20). Again, we see the phrase, “we know that…” which reminds us that what John is about to say is absolute truth from God the Holy Spirit.
What is it we can know with certainty? “That the Son of God has come…” (5:20a). John and the other apostles were eyewitnesses to the coming of God’s Son in the first century (cf. 1:1-5; 2:7; 4:14). Jesus is not some mythical person. History attests to the fact that Jesus Christ was a real Person Who was born before King Herod’s death.
Luke 2:1 states that Jesus was born in the reign of Caesar Augustus (who reigned from March 15, 44 B.C. to August 19, A.D 14). Matthew 2:1 and Luke 1:5 inform us that Christ’s birth came before King Herod’s death. Herod’s death can be determined with certainty. According to the Jewish historian, Josephus (Antiquities 17.6.4), an eclipse of the moon occurred on March 12/13, 4 B.C. before Herod’s death. 2 Josephus also records (Antiquities 17.9.3; The Jewish War 2.1.30) that the Passover celebration that took place after King Herod’s death occurred on April 11, 4 B.C. 3 Hence, Herod must have died between March 12 and April 11, 4 B.C. Therefore, for these reasons Christ could not have been born later than March/April of 4 B.C.
Every time we write down today’s date, it goes back to Jesus. Today is May 11, 2023. Two thousand twenty-three years from what? From A.D. which stands for Anno Domini, which is Latin for “year of our Lord,” and it means the number of years since the birth of Jesus Christ.
“It might sound strange to suggest that Jesus Christ was born no later than 4 B.C. since B.C. means ‘before Christ.’ But our modern calendar which splits time between B.C. and A.D. was not invented until A.D. 525. At that time, Pope John the First asked a monk named Dionysius to prepare a standardized calendar for the western Church. Unfortunately, poor Dionysius missed the real B.C./A.D. division by at least four years!” 4
In addition to the historicity of Christ’s birth, there is also ample historical evidence for the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Josephus also wrote of Jesus’ death,“Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men among us, had condemned him to the cross.” 5 Roman historian,Cornelius Tacitus, wrote, “a wise man who was called Jesus…. Pilate condemned Him to be condemned and to die.” In addition, he said that Jesus’ disciples “reported that He had appeared to them three days after His crucifixion and that He was alive.” 6
A Roman writer,Phlegon, referred to Christ’s death and resurrection in his Chronicles, saying, “Jesus, while alive, was of no assistance to himself, but that he arose after death, and exhibited the marks of his punishment, and showed how his hands had been pierced by nails.” 7
In addition, Phlegon spoke of “the eclipse in the time of Tiberius Caesar, in whose reign Jesus appears to have been crucified, and the great earthquakes which then took place.”8
The historical evidence for Jesus’ death is so overwhelming that even a Muslim scholar, Reza Aslan, who wrote the book, Zealot, was persuaded to conclude Jesus “was most definitely crucified.” 9 Despite the fact that the Quran denies Christ’s death (Sura 4:157),the historical evidence persuaded Aslan to conclude that Christ truly did die on the cross. “He believes so strongly in Jesus’ death by crucifixion that he uses it as the foundation for his entire theory of Jesus’ life.” 10
Just as history proclaims that George Washington was the first President of the USA, so history proclaims that Jesus Christ was born in 4 B.C., and thirty-three years later died and rose from the dead. The resurrection of Christ is the most attested fact of ancient history. Thomas Arnold authored a three-volume history of Rome and was appointed to Oxford’s Chair of Modern History. Concerning the evidence behind the resurrection of Jesus Christ, he said, “I have been used for years to study the histories of other times, and to examine and weigh the evidence of those who have written about them, and I know of no one fact in the history of mankind which is proved by better and fuller evidence of every sort, to the understanding of a fair inquirer, than that Christ died and rose from the dead.” 11
Frank Morison, a British trial lawyer, vowed to write a book disproving Christianity and committed to base his book on a collection of facts. Using a critical method of evaluation and despite his initial beliefs, he concluded that Christianity is true. The resurrection convinced him, and he wrote a book entitled, Who Moved the Stone? which begins with the chapter, “The Book that Refused to Be Written.”
Former atheists Josh McDowell and Lee Strobel set out to disprove the resurrection of Christ only to be persuaded by the historical evidence that Jesus did indeed rise from the dead. You can read about the evidence that persuaded them to believe in Jesus in their books: McDowell ‘s The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict (1999) and The Resurrection Factor (1981); Strobel’s The Case for Christ Revised (2013) and The Case for Easter (2004).
John states that Christ came “and has given us an understanding” (5:20b). The Greek word for “understanding” (dianoian) refers to “comprehending,” or “insight, intelligence.” 12 This is the only time John uses this word in his epistle. Christ’s coming provided the giving of the Holy Spirit or “the anointing” (2:21-20, 27) to all who believe in Jesus (John 7:37-39; Acts 10:43-48; 11:15-17; 15:7-11; Rom. 5:5; 8:9; I Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:2-3; Ephes. 1:13-14; et al.).
In his gospel, John records that the night before His crucifixion, Jesus promised His disciples that the Holy Spirit would “dwell… in” them (John 14:16-17; cf. I Cor. 3:16; 6:19), “teach” them and bring to “remembrance all” that He taught (John 14:26), and “guide” them into “all truth” to “glorify” Jesus (John 16:13-14).
John informs us that this “understanding” the Holy Spirit gives believers (cf. I Cor. 2:9-16) enables them to “know Him who is true” (5:20c). The word “know” (ginōskōmen) refers to experiential knowledge (see comments on 2:3-4, 12-14). The coming of the Son of God has given believers the comprehension or intelligence necessary to “know Him” experientially “who is true.” This experiential knowledge is the result of obedience to God’s commands (2:3-4; c. John 14:21, 23). 13
“Christian love (obedience) is never absent where God is truly known (cf. comments on 4:7-8). There could be no true understanding of love or of God had not the Son of God come and died to reveal God’s love. Through His death the Son has given us an understanding (an intelligence) by means of which we may know God. The obedient Christian possesses the necessary spiritual capacity to know God.”14
When John states “and we are in Him who is true” (5:20d), we are reminded that he equated being “in Him” (God) to “abiding” in Him (cf. 2:5-6), just as Jesus taught the branch is to abide in the vine (cf. John 15:1-8).Christ said that “abiding” is necessary to be a “disciple” who “bears fruit,” experiences answered prayer and “joy,” and glorifies “the Father” (John 15:1-11). To be “in Him” is equated to having fellowship with God. 15 Hence, John is not talking about our position or salvation in I John 5:20 when he speaks of being “in Him,” he is talking about our condition or fellowship with God. Being “in Him” refers to “abiding” in Him. 16
John then identifies the One “who is true” when he writes, “in His Son Jesus Christ” (5:20e). John heard Christ say the night before His crucifixion, “I am… the truth” (John 14:6). There is nothing false or misleading about Jesus Christ. He is the truth.Some suggest that the first “Him” in 5:20 refers to God the Father (“that we know Him who is true”) and the second “Him” refers to Christ(“and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ”).
“But to be in Him, that is, to abide in Him, is not only to abide in Him who is true (as John has just described God), but it is also to be in His Son Jesus Christ. There is no and between the phrases in Him and in His Son. To abide in God and to abide in Christ are the same thing.” 17
John then makes one of the clearest proclamations of the deity of Christ in all the Bible in the last part of the verse. “This is the true God and eternal life.” (5:20f). Clearly the nearest antecedent in 5:20 for the pronoun “this” (houtos) is Jesus Christ (Iēsou Christō) which agrees in gender (masculine) and number (singular). Christ is the main focus of this verse. John clearly states that Jesus Christ is “the true God and eternal life.” There is no other possible antecedent in this verse.
Someone might ask, “Didn’t Jesus deny that He was the true God when He prayed to His Father in heaven and addressed Him as the only true God in John 17:3?” Christ prayed to His Father in heaven, “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” (John 17:3). Jesus was not denying He was the “true God,” but was praising His Father as such.
The very next words after this verse are: “I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.” (John 17:4-5). Jesus said He shared the glory of God the Father before the world was. But the Yahweh of the Old Testament says, “I am the Lord, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another.” (Isaiah 42:8). How can Jesus claim to have the glory of His Father before the world was if Yahweh says He will not give His glory to another?
Because Jesus is the Yahweh of the Old Testament. He has the same divine nature as His Father. Jesus identifies Himself with the Father. Jesus “is in” the Father, and the Father “is in” Jesus (John 10:38). Jesus is “one” with the Father (John 10:30). They are not divided in essence. So, in one sense Jesus is in the Father; and if the Father is the only true God, then Jesus is also the true God.
The Greek word translated “only” (monos) in John 17:3 does not always refer to absolute exclusivity. For example, monos is used in Jude 1:4 of “the only” Lordship of Jesus Christ, “For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only [monos] Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.” Jude is not excluding God the Father when he refers to “the only” Lordship of Jesus Christ. Other verses in the Bible confirm the Lordship of God the Father (Psalm 2:7; 110:1; Isaiah 63:16; Mark 13:20; Luke 10:21-22) and God the Son, Jesus Christ (Psalm 110:2; Luke 6:5; 19:31; John 13:13; 20:28; Acts 2:36; 10:36; 16:31; Romans 10:9; Philippians 2:11; Revelation 17:14).
To say that Jesus denies He is God in John 17:3 would contradict the entire message of the gospel of John which begins (John 1:1-18) and ends (John 20:28-31) with the fact that Jesus is God.
In John 17:3, Jesus was not creating a point of distinction between Himself and the Father in the expression, “only true God”, but between the Father and any other “so called god” such as idols. Christ had lived among the Romans with their many competing gods and Jesus was addressing the Father with these idols in mind.
This understanding is substantiated further by John in his epistle when he identifies Christ as “the true God” (5:20f). John clearly states that Jesus Christ is the true God. He then writes, “Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.” (I John 5:21). John affirms that Jesus “is the true God” and then immediately warns his readers to guard themselves “from idols” or false gods.
In I John 5:20 the apostle also declares that Jesus Christ is “eternal life,” which connects back to the prologue (1:1-4) where the subject matter of John’s epistle was identified as “that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us.” (1:2b). This supports the final statement in verse 20 as a reference to Jesus Christ. Taken together, 1:2 and 5:20 provide bookends for what John wrote. By saying Jesus is the “eternal life,” John has fulfilled his intention to “declare” to his readers this “eternal life” (1:2). 18
“He has shown them that by ‘abiding’ in Him who is true (which is also to abide in His Son Jesus Christ), they can experience eternal life. That life, expressed in love toward their Christian brothers and sisters, springs out of the sinless inner self (5:18). It marks their life and experience as being of God rather than of the world (5:19), and expresses the spiritual understanding that the Son of God came to give them (5:20a).”19
As we mentioned in our previous lesson, some of you may have a Christian spouse or child whohas pursued the lusts of this passing world (2:16-17). They have been so twisted by the godless values of this world system that they are doing things that are contrary to their Christian beliefs and values. Because of their prolonged plunge into the deep darkness of sin, you have lost hope that they will ever return to fellowship with God and His people.
John wants to encourage us in 5:20 with this “spiritual radar system or search light the Holy Spirit uses to direct us to the true God. There are many false gods in the world (as the next verse warns), which can lead us far from the path of God. This internal guidance system can help bring us home. It’s what Paul would call the ‘mind of Christ’ (1 Cor 2:15-16).” 20
In stark contrast to the Lord Jesus Christ who is “the true God and eternal life” (5:20), John concludes his epistle with a final admonition to avoid false gods: “Little children,keep yourselves from idols. Amen.” (I John 5:21). John begins this verse with “Little children” (teknia, “born-ones”; cf. 2:1, 12, 28; 3:7, 18; 4:4) 21 which expresses his fatherly love and concern for these believers.
This concluding verse may seem out of place to us at first, but in view of John’s previous discussion on prayer for a sinning believer (5:16-17) and his three encouragements (5:18-20), the last of which uses the word “true” three times to describe our “God” (5:20), this is a very pertinent conclusion to the apostle’s epistle on fellowship with God and other believers.
The opposite of true is false. Our God is true (5:20), but “idols” are false gods (5:21). “There is no need to take ‘idols’ in a figurative sense. In the Greco-Roman world of John’s day, any moral compromise with worldly perspectives was likely to lead to some involvement with idolatry, since idolatry permeated pagan life at every level.”22
Our spiritual radar system (intelligence given to us by the Holy Spirit – 5:20), can help us recognize the true God (Jesus Christ) in contrast to the false gods of this world. False gods can destroy our fellowship or closeness with God and other Christians. 23
Anderson observes that “we don’t have to study the Old Testament long to see that while kings ruled in Israel, idolatry reigned in the temple more years than Yahweh. God used the Assyrians and the Babylonians to purify His people from their idols. And since it was King Solomon who introduced idolatry into Israel through his intermarriage with foreign wives, we see how easily idolatry can creep into the life of a wise man who was even used by God to write inspired revelation.
“Idols are usually good things. The bronze serpent (Num. 21:4-9) was initially used by God to heal the Israelites from snake bites. But eight centuries later (2 Kgs. 18:4) Hezekiah had to destroy the bronze serpent, for it had become an idol called Nehushtan (piece of bronze) to which they burned incense. Our idols are usually not evil things, but rather good things: our possessions (cars, houses, even yards), our retirement accounts, our bodies, our success—you name it.” 24
How do we identify an idol? It has been said that “an idol is like an eclipse of the sun— the moon gets in the way. When something gets between us and God’s light, then darkness creeps in and whatever is blocking that light is an idol. Beware! Solomon was no dummy. He thought he was doing something good by expanding the land of Israel out to the borders promised by God to Abraham. But he had to compromise the guidelines laid down by God for a king (Deut. 17:17) in order to do it.”25
Ask yourself the following questions:
Is it taking the place of God in my life? Is it becoming more important to me than spending time with the Lord Jesus?
Is it more important to me than my family, my Christian friends, and my ministry?
What do I turn to other than God to medicate my feelings of anxiety, boredom, depression, exhaustion, loneliness, self-doubts, or stress?
What do I turn to other than God to celebrate or reward myself for an accomplishment or achievement?
If you answered these questions honestly, you probably have a good idea of some idols in your life. An idol could be alcohol, your cell phone, drugs, entertainment, fame, feelings, intellectualism, novels, pleasure, possessions, power, sex, social media, sports, success, work, etc.
I believe one of the most dangerous and destructive idols for believers of all ages in the church today is pornography.26 Yet most churches do not know how to address it in a way that offers hope and healing for those enslaved to it. 27 Churches often preach against the problem of pornography without providing a safe environment to address the real problem which is a deeper hurt in the hearts of those hooked on porn. Pornography is simply a surface coping mechanism for a deeper wound. Unresolved pain or trauma from our past is often what drives addictions of any kind.
The solution to overcoming pornography or any addiction for that matter, is to look to Jesus Christ, the true God and eternal life, to heal the pain that drives the addiction (I John 5:20). This is done through the discipleship process whereby a believer in Jesus learns to abide in Jesus’ word along with other believers so they can know the truth that sets them free from the lies that drive their bondage to sin and shame (John 8:31-36). As a believer identifies the lies that drive their addiction, they can learn to replace those lies in the power of the Holy Spirit with the truth of God’s Word that brings freedom from bondage to sin (cf. Psalm 119:28-29). This is to be done in the context of a loving community of like-minded believers who can encourage and empower each other on their journey to freedom (2 Tim. 2:22).
If you do not know for sure you have eternal life and a future home in Jesus’ heaven, you need to start with understanding that Jesus Christ is the only source of eternal life. The bookends of I John (1:1-3; 5:20) have informed us of this. To have eternal life in one’s life, you must have Jesus Christ, Who is eternal life (5:20), in your life (5:11-12). How do you get Christ in your life? John wrote, “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.” (I John 5:13). To “know” with absolute certainty, not guess, or hope that you “have eternal life,” you must “believe in the name of the Son of God.” There is no mention of having fruit, obedience, or a changed life to know you have eternal life. The only condition is to “believe in the name of the Son of God.” This is so simple that many adults miss it.
In this context, to “believe in” (pisteúō eis) the name of the Son of God means to be convinced or persuaded that Jesus Christ is the true God and eternal life (5:20) Who will give you eternal life as a free gift the moment you believe in His name. 28 Are you convinced or persuaded that this promise of God is true? If so, then you can “know” with absolutely certainty that you now have eternal life. And you can be just as certain of heaven as the people who are already there. Knowing we are going to heaven is not a guess; it is a guarantee from Jesus Christ Who is the true God and eternal life (I John 5:1, 13, 20; cf. John 14:1-6). Christ cannot lie (Titus 1:2; Heb. 6:18). His promise is as true as He is true.
If you or a fellow believer close to you find yourselves moving deeper into darkness on the pathway of sin and there seems to be no hope of returning to fellowship with God and His people, I pray that God’s encouraging promises in John’s final words in his letter (5:18-21) will give you the assurance and guidance you need. These promises include… 29
1. God’s sinless seed (divine nature) remains in youor your loved one so that you (or he/she) are still the same holy child of God who remains untouched or harmed by evil or the evil one no matter how badly or long you (or he/she) have sinned (5:18; 3:9). This unchanged seed remains a base from which the Holy Spirit can work within you (or him/her) to bring healing to you (or him/her) so you can return to fellowship with God and His people.
2.You (or he/she) are on God’s side and will never be completely comfortable living for this world (5:19). As a child of God, you (or he/she) are totally separate from the whole world that lies under the influence of Satan, and to some degree you will never feel completely comfortable in this sin sick world. God can turn your (or his/her) discomfort into disgust so you (or he/she) will turn towards home (God).
3. God’s search light (inner, spiritual intelligence) within you (or him/her) can be used by the Holy Spirit to guide you(or him/her) back to the true God and eternal life, Jesus Christ (5:20-21). God’s Spirit can whisper what is right in the ear of a wayward believer whose fellowship with God and other Christians has been cut off by their focus on the idols of this world, so he or she will return to the only true God Who alone can give them fullness of joy as they resume fellowship with Him and His people.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for the book of I John which was written to help believers experience the joy of close fellowship with You and Your eternal Son, Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, there are many false gods or idols in the world that seek to draw us away from You and Your Word. Some of us or those we love, have become enslaved to these idols and we are in desperate need of Your Spirit to turn our discomfort in this sin sick world into disgust so we may return to the true God and eternal life, Jesus Christ. Forgive us Father for turning to the things of this world to medicate our pain instead of looking to Jesus, Who can heal us and satisfy our deepest needs. Thank You for the encouraging promises You have given us at the end of John’s epistle which offer us assurance and guidance. Help us to express our new nature and separateness from this Satanically controlled world system by guarding ourselves from the false gods of this world. Rescue us, restore us, and renew us, we pray. In the mighty name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
ENDNOTES:
1. David R. Anderson, Maximum Joy: I John – Relationship or Fellowship? (Grace Theology Press, 2013 Kindle Edition), pg. 265.
2. Retrieved on May 11, 2023, from Daniel B. Wallace’s article entitled “The Birth of Jesus Christ,” at bible.org and from the Biblical Archaeology Society Staff’s December 15, 2022, article entitled “Herod’s Death, Jesus’ Birth, and a Lunar Eclipse at biblicalarchaeology.org.
3. Ibid.
4. Wallace, “The Birth of Jesus Christ,” at bible.org.
5. Norman L. Geisler and Abdul Saleeb, Answering Islam: The Crescent in Light of the Cross,Second Edition (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2002), pg. 236 cites Flavius Josephus, “Antiquities of the Jews,” 18:3; trans. William Whiston, Josephus: Complete Works (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1963), pg. 379.
6. Ibid. cites Cornelius Tacitus (A.D. 55? – after 117), Annals, 15.44.
7. Ibid., cites Phlegon, “Chronicles,” as cited by Origen, “Against Celsus” from The Ante-Nicene Fathers, trans. Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1976), vol. 4, pg. 455.
8. Ibid.
9. Nabeel Qureshi, No God but One: Allah or Jesus? (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2016 Kindle Edition), pg. 179 cites interview with Lauren Green.
10. Ibid.
11. Thomas Arnold, Christian Life, Its Hopes, Its Fears, and Its Close, 6th ed. (London: T. Fellowes, 1859), pp. 14-16.
12. Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature: Third Edition (BDAG) revised and edited by Frederick William Danker (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000 Kindle Edition), pg. 234.
13. Zane C. Hodges; Robert Wilkin; J. Bond; Gary Derickson; Brad Doskocil; Dwight Hunt; Shawn Leach; The Grace New Testament Commentary: Revised Edition (Grace Evangelical Society, Kindle Edition, 2019), pg. 604.
14. Ibid., pg. 606.
15. See Dillow’s thorough discussion of John 15 in Joseph Dillow, Final Destiny: The Future Reign of The Servant Kings:Fourth Revised Edition (Grace Theology Press, 2018 Kindle Edition), pp. 611-626.
16. Anderson, Maximum Joy, pg. 265.
17. Hodges, The Grace New Testament Commentary, pg. 606.
18. Ibid.
19. Ibid.
20. Anderson, Maximum Joy, pg. 265.
21. Zane C. Hodges, The Bible Knowledge Commentary Epistles and Prophecy, Editors John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck (David C. Cook, 2018 Kindle Edition), Kindle Location 4130.
22. Ibid., Kindle Location 4130 to 4135.
23. Anderson, Maximum Joy, pg. 266.
24. Ibid.
25. Ibid., pp. 266-267.
26. Statistics indicate that 60-70 percent of men, 50-58 percent of pastors, and 20-30 percent of women in evangelical churches are sexually addicted – see Jeremy & Tiana Wiles, Conquer Series: The Battle Plan For Purity Study Guide, Vol. 1 (Stuart FL: KingdomWorks Studio, 2017), pg. 21; young people are also struggling with watching pornography online as young as four years of age and older because it is so accessible, addictive, aggressive, anonymous, and appealing (see Christian apologist and author Josh McDowell’s very informative and staggering videos on October 7, 2018 at Denton Bible Church entitled, “Breaking Free from the Porn Epidemic w/ Josh McDowell” at https://vimeo.com/294241982 and on August 3, 2021 with Pure Desire Ministries entitled, “The Effects of Pornography with Josh McDowell” at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3sRmLFarZc .” Christians who are hooked on pornography have less spiritual interest in attending church, reading their Bibles, prayer, and hanging out with other Christians.
27. Less than 7% of pastors in America provide solutions to help their people break free from porn (see Ted Shimer, The Freedom Fight: The New Drug and the Truths that Set Us Free (Houston: High Bridge Books, 2020), pg. 89 cites Barna Survey at https://www.charismnews.com/us/73208-15-statistics-about-the-church-and-pornography-that-will-blow-your-mind. However, Shimer also provides practical suggestions in his book on how churches can overcome the obstacles that keep them from addressing pornography in helpful and healthy ways (pp. 91-99).
28. The phrase to “believe in” (pisteúō eis) basically means to be convinced or persuaded that something is true and therefore is worthy of your trust – see Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, pp. 816-817.
“But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.” I John 2:27
One of the primary reasons the apostle John is writing his first epistle is because he is concerned that the enemies of God may jeopardize his readers’ fellowship with the Lord. We have learned there are three enemies to our fellowship with God: personal sin (1:5—2:11), the world (2:15-17), and the Devil and his false teachers (2:18-23).
John wants his readers to know that false teachers or antichrists defected from the apostolic churches of Jerusalem and Judea and sought to spread deception among John’s Gentile readers (2:18-19). John reassures his readers that they are not defenseless against these antichrists because they had the anointing of the Holy Spirit which enables them to understand and apply the truth of God’s Word and detect deception (2:20-21).
The primary deception of these false teachers denied that Jesus was the Christ Who guarantees a future resurrection and never-ending life to all who believe in Him (2:22a; cf. John 11:25-27). Denying that Jesus is the Christ is also a denial of “the Father and the Son” (2:22b) because to deny One is to deny the other and to acknowledge One is to acknowledge the other since Jesus is God and perfectly reflects God the Father (2:23; cf. John 5:24; 10:30, 38; 12:44-45; 14:9-11; et al.).
John then explains how his readers could continue to enjoy fellowship with God and experience victory over these false teachers: “Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.” (I John 2:24). John once again utilizes his favorite word for fellowship or intimacy with God – “abide” (menō). This Greek word means to “to remain, stay, dwell, continue” 1 in fellowship. John uses this word twenty-four times in I John (2:6, 10, 14, 17, 19, 24 [3], 27 [2], 28; 3:6, 9, 14, 15, 17 24 [2]; 4:12, 13, 15, 16 [3].
If John’s readers were going to continue to enjoy fellowship or closeness with God “the Son” and God “the Father,” they must “abide” or remain in the truth they “heard from the beginning” of their Christian experience about God’s Son (2:24). False teaching leads believers away from fellowship with God and other Christians. This is why John tells them to abide in the truth about Jesus. Truth is what gives us new life in Christ. And truth is what enables us to enjoy this new life of fellowship with God. 2
What had John’s readers heard about God’s Son from the beginning of their Christian experience? “1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life— 2 the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us.” (I John 1:1-2). While John makes it clear that Jesus Christ is “the true God and eternal life” (5:20), he wants to emphasize the realities of eternal life itself 3 as it relates to “the beginning” of the gospel proclamation by Christ which John and the other disciples (“we”) witnessed (1:1-2; cf. 5:11-13; John 1:14). The phrase “Word of life” refers to the message about the life Jesus offers. This “life” is what John and the other apostles witnessed in Jesus. 4
When John writes, “If what you heard from the beginning abides in you…” (2:24b), the “if” in the Greek language means they might do what he asks of them, and they might not. 5 They might abide in the truth they heard about Jesus from the beginning of their Christian lives, and they might not. John says if they do abide in the truth about Jesus that gave them new life, namely, they believed in Jesus as the Christ to be born of God and possess eternal life (5:1, 13) – they will continue to enjoy fellowship with Him and the Father.
“John’s point here is that the Holy Spirit’s ministry always remains available to teach Christians, but the truth (‘what you have heard from the beginning’) must remain in us. Think of it like satellite TV. The satellite communicates, but your satellite dish must receive the signal. The power of the Holy Spirit is available to every believer, but many believers do not operate in a position of dependence on the Spirit because their satellite dishes only function on Sunday mornings.”6
John’s readers were being told by the antichrists that Jesus was not the Christ Who guarantees a future resurrection and never-ending life to all who believe in Him. But John refutes this by saying, “And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life.” (I John 2:25). Instead of listening to the falsehoods of the antichrists, John redirects his readers to the unchanging “promise” of God which guarantees “eternal life” to all who believe in Jesus (cf. 5:1, 13; John 3:15-16, 36; 5:24; 6:35-40, 47; 11:25-27; 20:31). This is the message they heard from the beginning of their Christian experience. This is how they began a personal relationship with God. Assurance of eternal life is found in God’s promises, not in the lies of false teachers which denied that eternal life is through simple faith in Jesus.
There is much confusion today about assurance of salvation. Some insist that assurance of going to heaven is based on our performance and whether we measure up to certain tests concerning the quality of our Christian experience. 7 But if we look to our performance or experience, we will never be certain we have eternal life because we always fall short of God’s glory (Rom. 3:23; I John 1:8, 10). Whenever we take our focus off Christ and His finished work on the cross (John 19:30), we are more likely to doubt our salvation. Even on our best day, we still fall short of God’s glory.
John wants his readers to look to the unchanging promises of God for the assurance of their salvation. “God’s promises don’t change. That’s why the promises of God are the foundation for our assurance of salvation. People who want to teach that 1 John is a book of tests to determine whether you are a Christian or not have gone completely against what John himself uses as his source of assurance: the promises of God.”8
Why does John remind his readers of their secure relationship with Jesus? “These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you.” (I John 2:26). John did not want his readers to be deceived by the false teachers who tried to undermine their assurance of salvation. Knowing they have eternal life simply be believing in Jesus for it would enable them to effectively resist these antichrists who taught John’s readers they were not genuinely saved because they lacked a secret knowledge which only the false teachers could give them to have eternal life. John understood if a Christian doubts his or her salvation they are more vulnerable to losing their fellowship with God and the apostles.
John reminds his readers they were not dependent upon the antichrists or any human teachers. “But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.” (I John 2:27). Since John’s readers had “the anointing” of the Holy Spirit to teach them to correctly understand and apply God’s truth as long as they “will abide in Him,” they did not need the teaching of the antichrists or any human teacher. The anointing of the Holy Spirit or “Spirit of truth” (John 16:13) teaches them what “is true and is not a lie.” The Spirit’s teaching is always consistent with what “it has taught” previously. God’s Word will not contradict itself.
This suggests that John’s readers were spiritually mature since only the immature need human teachers. The writer of Hebrews states, “12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” (Heb. 5:12-14). John’s readers not only had a knowledge of God’s Word, but they also had the skill to put it into practice. This enabled them “to discern both good” or truthfulteaching from “evil” or false teaching.
Am I suggesting it is possible for Christians not to have a need to be taught by other Christians? Yes and no. Keep in mind that we can always benefit from the teaching of others, but must we be dependent upon their teaching for our own spiritual maturity? First John 2:27 is just as true today as it was when John wrote it. All Christians at the beginning of their Christian life need human teachers to teach them the truths of God’s Word to help them become more like Christ. This is known as discipleship (Matt 10:24-25; 28:19-20; John 8:31-32). But as new believers learn to depend upon the Holy Spirit to teach them the Word and obey it, they can eventually learn to discern truth from deception without the assistance of human teachers.
God has given spiritual gifts to equip believers for the work of the ministry (Ephes. 4:11-12). Hence, someone with a gift of teaching will equip believers without this gift how to teach themselves. Spiritual gifts are meant to help others in areas where they are weak until they can to it independently of the gifted person.
According to I John 2:27, the ongoing teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit is always consistent with what the Holy Spirit has already taught. For example…
If the Spirit has taught that Jesus Christ is fully God and fully Man (and He has – Isaiah 9:6-7; 44:6; Matt. 8:24; 9:11; Mark 6:3; John 1:1, 14-18, 34, 49; 2:12; 4:6; 5:16-47; 6:69; 7:3, 5; 8:57-59; 10:30-33; 11:27, 35; 12:27; 14:7-9; 19:28; 20:28, 31; 21:12; Acts 16:31, 34; 20:28; Romans 1:3-4; 9:5; Phil. 2:6-8; I Tim. 2:5; 3:16; 4:10; Titus 2:13; Heb. 1:8; I John 5:20; Rev. 1:17; 22:13), then He would not say centuries later that Jesus was not God nor human.
If the Spirit has taught that believing in Christ for eternal life apart from any works is all that is necessary to go to heaven (and He has – John 3:15-16; 5:24; 6:40, 47; 11:25-26; 14:1-3; 20:31; Acts 16:31; Rom. 4:5; Gal. 2:16; Ephes. 1:13-14; 2:8-9; I Tim. 1:16; I John 5:1, 13), then He would not teach that one must do more than believe in Him such as turn from sins, be baptized with water, live a good life, keep the Ten Commandments, and confess Jesus is Lord.
If the Spirit has taught that the only way to God is through faith in Jesus Christ (and He has – John 3:15-16, 36; 6:40, 47; 14:1-6; Acts 4:10-12; 16:31; I Tim. 2:3-5), then He would not say centuries later that all religions lead to God.
If the Spirit has taught that the Bible is the inspired Word of God without any errors in its original manuscripts (and He has – 2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:20-21), then He would not teach centuries later that the Bible is full of errors.
The gospel promises of God never change. Jesus is the Christ, the promised Messiah-God, the Son of God, Who came from God the Father (John 1:18; 3:16). Jesus guarantees a future resurrection and never-ending life to all who believe in Him (John 11:25-27; I John 5:1, 13). The Antichrist and his false teachers deny that Jesus is God or the Son of God. They also deny that eternal life is through simple faith in Christ alone.
Islam denies that Jesus is the Son of God Who came from the Father. They also deny that eternal life is through simple belief in Jesus Christ. For the average Muslim, if he does more good than bad, he can hope for Allah’s merciful judgment to permit him to enter Paradise. For the outstanding Muslim, if he dies in battle against the infidels, he gains an instant entrance into Paradise. 9
The apostle Paul wrote, “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.” (Gal 1:8). Paul warned his readers that if he and the other apostles (“we”) or “an angel from heaven” preached a different gospel than what Paul preached to them, he is to be “accursed” or under God’s displeasure. Paul used the words “believe” and “faith” fifteen times when referring to justification before God (2:16; 3:2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 22, 24, 26) in the book of Galatians. He used no other words as a condition for justification. He warned the Galatians not to support or join those who do not preach a “believe / faith alone” gospel (1:6- 9; 4:12, 21-30; 5:1-12; 6:17). It does not matter how kind or helpful a person is who teaches a different gospel. They are “accursed” by God if they preach a different way to heaven other than faith alone in Christ alone. This is very strong language!
With this said, the New Testament advises Christians to “correct” or “avoid” those who teach doctrine contrary to Jesus and the apostles (Matt. 15:10-14; 16:5-12; Rom. 16:17; Gal. 1:8-9; I Tim. 6:3-5, 20-21; 2 Tim. 2:23-26; Titus 1:9; 3:9-11), but we are in no way commanded to resort to violence against those who embrace other faiths. Unfortunately, Christians have not always followed God’s instructions for dealing with false teachers.
Anderson writes, “During the days of the Reformation, all the parties in western Christianity were guilty of the destruction of people for false teaching. The Pope, Martin Luther, Melancthon, and Calvin—all of them sanctioned torture and killing of false teachers. The Anabaptists were killed by other Protestants because they did not believe in infant baptism. Zwingli was viewed by Luther as a heathen because he believed the elements in the Lord’s Supper were symbolic. Thousands and thousands were burned at the stake or beheaded. Though Luther and Calvin believed Christ fulfilled the Law and the New Covenant superseded the Old Covenant, they retreated to Old Covenant laws to rid themselves of anyone who did not believe as they did.” 10
Nowhere in the New Testament are we instructed to murder or kill false teachers inside or outside the church. We are to correct them or shun them if they do not repent and embrace the truths of the Bible.
According to the apostle John, false teaching about God the Father and God the Son is one of the greatest enemies to fellowship with God (2:18-27). Thankfully, the anointing of the Holy Spirit gives Christians the ability to correctly understand and apply biblical truth and detect deception. The primary lies of false teachers deny the equality of God the Father and God the Son, and the free gift of eternal life through belief in Christ alone. All Christians throughout church history need to abide in the anointing of the Holy Spirit to protect them from those who seek to distract and derail them from pursuing Jesus Christ.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You so much for the anointing of the Holy Spirit which enables every Christian to correctly understand Your truth and apply it to our lives. This same anointing also empowers us to detect deception, especially as it relates to God the Father and God the Son, and the free offer of eternal life to all who believe in Jesus. Help us continue to abide in the internal ministry of the Holy Spirit so we may remain faithful to Your Word which You have entrusted to us. In the mighty name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.
ENDNOTES:
1. Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature: Third Edition (BDAG) revised and edited by Frederick William Danker (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000 Kindle Edition), pp. 630-631.
2. David R. Anderson, Maximum Joy: I John – Relationship or Fellowship? (Grace Theology Press, 2013 Kindle Edition), pg. 126.
3. Zane C. Hodges, Robert Wilkin; J. Bond; Gary Derickson; Brad Doskocil; Dwight Hunt; Shawn Leach; The Grace New Testament Commentary: Revised Edition (Grace Evangelical Society, Kindle Edition, 2019), pg. 588.
4. Ibid. pg. 589.
5. The Greek phrase Ean en hymin meinē is a third-class condition and conveys probability, not certainty, about the future. See Anderson, pg. 126.
6. Tony Evans, CSB Bibles by Holman, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary (B & H Publishing Group, Kindle Edition, 2019), pg. 2941.
7. Anderson, pg. 15 cites cites John MacArthur, Jr., Saved without a Doubt (Colorado Springs: Cook Communications, 1992), pp. 67-91; Constable, pg. 46 cites James Montgomery Boice, The Epistles of John (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1979); Raymond Brown, The Epistles of John, Anchor Bible series(Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1982); F.F. Bruce, The Epistles of John (London: Pickering & Inglis Ltd., 1970; reprint ed., Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1986); John Calvin, The First Epistle of John, Calvin’s New Testament Commentaries series, Translated by T. H. L. Parker. Reprint ed. (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1959-61); John F. MacArthur Jr., The Gospel according to Jesus (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1988); John R. W. Stott, Basic Introduction to the New Testament, 1st American ed. (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1964); Brooke Foss Westcott, The Epistles of St. John (1883. Reprint ed. England: Marcham Manor Press, 1966); and Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, 2 vols. (Wheaton: Scripture Press Publications, Victor Books, 1989).
8. Anderson, pg. 128.
9. Ibid., pp. 126-127; cf. Nabeel Qureshi, No God but One: Allah or Jesus? (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2016 Kindle Edition), pp. 30-34; Daniel Janosik, THE GUIDE TO ANSWERING ISLAM: What Every Christian Needs to Know About Islam and the Rise of Radical Islam (Christian Publishing House, 2019 Kindle Edition), pp. 142, 148, 153-154, pp. 163-164. 10. Anderson, pg. 127.
“Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.” I John 2:18
A few years ago, when I was at a travel agency’s office in a mall near Metro Manila in the Philippines, I met a Muslim man who was also there to purchase plane tickets. As I conversed with him, he made a statement that shocked me. He told me that America’s government leaders orchestrated the 9/11 bombings of the World Trade Center in New York City to cause the rest of the world to turn against Islam and its leaders. When he said this, I thought at first that he was joking. But he wasn’t. He was serious. He told me that there was no evidence whatsoever that the bombings of the WTC were linked to Osama Bin Laden and Islam. At that time, I did not understand how extensively Islam brainwashes its followers from an early age to believe such things.
Anderson illustrates this from the life of former NBA star Chris Jackson, now known as Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf: “He had broken the single game scoring record of Pistol Pete Maravich at LSU and went on to lead the Denver Nuggets for several years. Then he converted to Islam, changed his name, and refused to stand during our national anthem. He walked over and sat on the bench in protest. After several trades he is out of the NBA. He has built his own mosque in Louisiana where he leads prayer to Allah five times a day. In an interview he claimed there is no evidence that Osama is responsible for the New York tragedy. He said, ‘As a matter of fact, there were thirteen Jews found standing on top of a building filming the event, and I think the Jews are responsible.’ The interviewer looked at Chris Jackson and said, ‘You know, you’re crazy.’ And this American citizen said, ‘Well, that’s what they said of our great prophet Mohammed, and I am glad to identify with him.’”1
With Islam growing in popularity around the world, we will see more people sharing Chris Jackson’s views. 2 Please understand I am not just talking about the refusal to stand for our national anthem or attributing the terrorism of 9/11 to America or the Jews. I am also speaking of Islamic teachings which reject three of the most important fundamentals of the Christian faith:
1. The Bible is the inerrant Word of God (Matt. 5:18; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:20-21). Islam teaches that the Judeo-Christian Bible is corrupt and untrustworthy except for the portions which support Islam. 3 The reason Muslims make this accusation is “because the Qur’an says it teaches the same thing as the Bible, confirming the Torah and the gospel, yet the teachings of the Bible are clearly different.”4
2. The deity of Jesus Christ. Islam’s sacred Scripture, the Qur’an, denies that Jesus is the Son of God or God Himself. According to the Qur’an: “No son did Allah beget, nor is there any god along with Him” (Sura 23:91; cf. 25:2); it is blasphemous to say that Allah (God) is the Christ (Sura 5:19, 75); Allah cannot have a son because he has no consort or partner (Sura 4:171; 5:101). “Say: He is Allah, the One and Only; Allah, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not, nor is He begotten; And there is none like unto Him.” (Sura 112:1-4). The Qur’an also teaches that anyone who says Allah has begotten a son will be driven to hell (Sura 19:86-88). According to Islam, since God cannot have a Son, He cannot be a Father. So, Islam also rejects the Trinity – one God in three Persons. 5
3. Christ’s death and resurrection. The Qur’an rejects that Jesus died on the cross and therefore rejects His resurrection. “That they said [in boast], ‘We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah’; but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no [certain] knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not:” (Sura 4:157). 6
Should these Islamic teachings surprise us? Not if we have read the apostle John’s first century letter known as I John. We have already learned in our study of this epistle that there are different barriers to our fellowship with God: personal sin (1:5-2:2), an example of which is hatred for our Christian brothers or sisters (2:3-11), and the world (2:15-17). Now we will begin to look at a third major barrier to our fellowship: the Devil and his false teachers (2:18-27).
It is not surprising that John’s warning against the enticements of the world (2:15-17) is followed by a warning against the antichrists (2:18-27). These antichrists or false teachers were promoting a worldly lifestyle which would entice his readers no matter how spiritual they may have been (2:12-14).
John writes, “Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that theAntichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.” (I John 2:18). Once again John addresses his readers as “little children” (paidia) which means “taught ones”7 and can refer to “one who is open to instruction.”8 His readers need to learn what he is about to reveal.
One of the signs that “the world is passing away” (2:17) is the appearance of false teaching or “antichrists” and “the Antichrist” (2:18). While the Greek word for “hour” (hōra)can refer to a part of a day (e.g., John 1:39; 4:6; 11:9), it also is used in reference to an undetermined length of time (e.g., John 2:4; 4:21, 23; 5:25, 28; 16:25; etc.). 9 The phrase “the last hour” refers to a climactic era in history between the First and Second Comings of Jesus Christ.
“Throughout the New Testament the writers regarded the present inter-advent age, after the Incarnation and before the Lord’s return for His own, as the last hour or the last days. This is the final period before the Lord Himself breaks into history again and raptures the church. Then the first stage of the new era will be judgment (the Tribulation), and the second stage, blessing. In the second stage, Jesus Christ will rule directly over human beings, first in the Millennium, and then in the new heavens and the new earth.” 10
John and the other authors of the New Testament believed Jesus Christ would return for His own in their lifetime (cf. Matt. 24:36-51; Luke 12:39-40; I Cor. 1:7; 15:51-52; Phil. 3:20; I Thess. 1:10; 4:13-5:11; Titus 2:13; Heb. 9:28; I Pet. 1:13; 2 Pet. 3:10; Jude 1:21), thus John refers to this period of time before Christ’s return as “the last hour.” Two thousand years later Christ still has not returned for His church. Does this mean the Bible has errors because the writers of the New Testament believed Jesus would return in their lifetimes, and they were obviously wrong?
Zane Hodges points out in his commentary on 1 John, that the Bible predicted that scoffers would come “in the last days” who would deride believers for their doctrine that Christ could come at any moment 11 like “a thief in the night” (2 Pet 3:3-4, 10). “3 Knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.’” (2 Pet. 3:3-4). Peter notes that the coming of “scoffers” is a sign of “the last days.” This is similar to what John is saying in I John 2:18-19. The appearance of “antichrists” or false teachers is indicative of “the last hour” leading up to the manifestation of the ultimate “Antichrist” who will claim to be God and rule the world during the last three and a half years of the Tribulation period (Dan. 9:27; Matt. 24:15-22; 2 Thess. 2:3-4; Rev. 13:1-10).
The skeptics Peter mentions erroneously assume that “all” the processes we observe in our present world are the way “things” have always been (2 Pet. 3:4). This is also known as uniformitarianism. Such false assumptions overlook the fact that God has supernaturally intervened in the past when He spoke the universe into existence (2 Pet. 3:5; cf. Gen 1-2) and judged humanity through a global flood (2 Pet. 3:6; Gen. 6-8). The “same word” that supernaturally intervened in the past will also intervene in the future when God destroys the present heavens and earth with fire (3 Pet. 3:7).
Peter responds to these skeptics who doubted Christ’s coming by saying God does not view time as we do. “But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” (2 Pet. 3:8). God is not limited to our linear view of time since He created time. Time for God may be a different dimension. 12 So, when Peter refers to “the last days” and John speaks of “the last hour,” they are not in conflict with God’s view of time. An hour or day to God may be two thousand years for us.
John and his readers knew that “the Antichrist” was destined to appear on the world stage more than three-and one-half years prior to Christ’s return to earth to set up His kingdom. His readers now needed to be aware of the “manyantichrists” who had already appeared. The Greek compound word translated “antichrist” (antichristos)means “against” (anti) + “Christ” (christos). These are people who oppose Jesus Christ and His teachings, or they claim to be the Christ or Messiah. 13
“An ‘antichrist’ opposes and replaces Christ with the goal of distracting and derailing Christiansfrom pursuing Christ.”14
Speaking of these antichrists, John writes, “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.” (I John 2:19). The word “us” (hēmōn) is used four times in this verse and most likely refers to the apostolic eyewitnesses (cf. 1:4-5; 4:6). It stands in contrast to the “you” in I John 2:20-21 which refers to John’s readers. Here we see for the first time the “we”–“you”–“us” contrast (cf. I John 4:4-6). 15 John wants his readers to know that these false teachers defected from the apostolic churches of Jerusalem and Judea (“They went out from us”) and sought to spread deception among John’s Gentile readers.
“It does not make sense that the false teachers had left the churches to which the readers belonged. If they had, how were they still a problem? On the other hand, if, like the legalists of Acts 15, they had seceded from the apostolic churches of Jerusalem and Judea, then they were a particular threat to the readers because they came to them claiming roots in the soil out of which Christianity arose. Thus, John was eager to deny any connection with them.”16
John wants his readers to know the antichrists were not in agreement with apostolic teaching (“they were not of us… none of them were of us”). If they had agreed (“if they had been of us”), they “would have continued with the” apostles (“us”) and their teaching. But since God’s truth could not be changed among the apostles, these false teachers departed. They were unwilling to submit to the final authority of God’s Word, so they went out to deceive John’s readers by claiming to be from the same fellowship as the apostles. John wants his readers to know this so they will not listen to them and be deceived.
Were these antichrists believers in Jesus? It is possible they were saved and then denied the truth they once believed (cf. I Tim. 1:18-20; 2 Tim. 2:17-18). A person can still be saved after falling away from the faith. We can lose our faith, but God never loses us. If He did, then Jesus would have failed to do the Father’s will (John 6:38-39).
John’s readers were not defenseless against these antichrists: “But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things.” (I John 2:20). The “anointing from the Holy One” is God the Holy Spirit since we are told that the anointing “teaches” (I John 2:27). This strongly suggests that the anointing is a Person. 17 Christ promised that the Person of the Holy Spirit would “teach” His disciples “all things” (John 14:26; cf. 16:13-14).
“’The anointing’ is not some special gift shared by only elite clergy. John is addressing spiritual ‘children’ (2:18). Every Christian has the anointing: the internal teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit who illuminates the believer’s mind to understand and apply God’s truth, as well as to detect deception. Paul refers to it as having the ‘mind of Christ’ (1 Cor 2:16).”18
When does one receive this anointing? The moment he or she believes in Jesus for His gift of eternal life (John 7:37-39; cf. Acts 10:43-45; 19:2; I Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:2, 26-27; Ephes. 1:13-14). God the Holy Spirit takes up residence in a person’s body when he or she comes to faith in Christ (I Cor. 6:19-20).
The result of this anointing is “you know all things.” The Holy Spirit enables believers to adequately know and understand Christian truth. The antichrists may have told John’s readers that they or their church leaders lacked a special knowledge which only they could give them.
John assures them they had adequate instruction in the truth of God. “I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth.” (I John 2:21). John does not write to his readers because they are ignorant of the truth as the antichrists may have told them. The apostle writes to them precisely because they do “know” the truth and they know “that no lie is of the truth.” This suggests that the false teachers may have told John’s readers or the church leaders that their understanding of the truth was inadequate, and they needed to be enlightened by them. But John says, “You already know all things. You know the truth. And you know that the truth is never to be confused with a lie. So, there is no need for any of you to listen to these false teachers. Your church leaders are competent to teach the whole body of Christian truth.” 19
It is important to recognize that the word John uses for “know” (oida) in I John 2:20-21 is different than the experiential knowledge (ginōskō) he spoke of earlier (2:3-4, 12-14). In the New Testament the word oida almost always refers to “direct insight into spiritual or divine truth” although it may not be truth that has been experienced yet. 20 “This truth is the result of the teaching and convicting ministry of the Holy Spirit.”21
The key to resisting false teaching is to “know the truth” of God’s Word and depend upon the Holy Spirit to do what the Word says. Jesus said, “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.” (John 16:13). God the Holy Spirit gives us direction from the Word of God. “The Spirit of truth” guides us “into all truth.” The Spirit communicates to us through the written Word which is the truth (John 17:17). Walking in the Spirit (Gal. 5:16) means to depend on the Spirit to do what the Word says. We are to depend upon the anointing of the Holy Spirit to help us understand the Word and obey it as we expose ourselves to it. So, as we become more familiar with the truth of the Bible, we can detect the deceptions of the antichrists by contrast.
There are some who try to cast doubt on the truth of the Bible to make the church more open to doctrinal deviations. For example, Islam does this by telling Christians that the New Testament was corrupted by the apostle Paul and therefore is no longer trustworthy. 22 The Jehovah Witnesses have retranslated John 1:1 in their New World Translation to say that the Word, Jesus Christ, is “a god” instead of “God.”23 John would have had zero tolerance with anyone who praises a false idea as “insightful” or “worthy of dialogue” no matter how far it is from the truth of God’s Word. 24 Christians today also need to have the same zero tolerance for anyone who rejects or distorts the truth of God’s Word.
What lies will these antichrists teach? “22 Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. 23 Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; hewho acknowledges the Son has the Father also.” (I John 2:22-23). The main lie that John has in mind is the denial “that Jesus is the Christ.” For the apostle John, belief “that Jesus is the Christ” is saving: “Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God.” (I John 5:1a; cf. John 20:30-31).
Believing “that Jesus is the Christ” in John’s thought means to believe that Jesus is the One Who guarantees a future resurrection and never-ending life to all who believe in Him (John 11:25-27). The person who denies this truth about Jesus “is a liar” who undermines the very basis on which anyone is saved. 25 Hence, these false teachers were denying that John’s readers had eternal life (cf. I John 2:25). If Jesus is not the Christ, as the antichrists taught, then John’s readers had no assurance that they possessed eternal life by believing in Christ. If their assurance disintegrated, so would their fellowship with God. 26
Denying that Jesus is the Christ is also a denial of “the Father and the Son” (2:22b) because “whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; hewho acknowledges the Son has the Father also.” (2:23). To deny One is to deny the other and to acknowledge One is to acknowledge the other because Jesus perfectly reflects God the Father. Both the Father and the Son are God.
If we apply this lie detector test to Islam, we can quickly see that Islam denies that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and it also denies that God is the Father (see previous comments). According to I John 2:18-23, what do we learn about any religious system that denies Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and denies God is the Father? First, we learn that it is a lie. And second, it is from the Antichrist. To put it bluntly, any religious system that denies Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and denies God is the Father is from the Devil. 27
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for providing tests to help us discern truth from error. We are living in a world that is filled with deception and false teachers who claim to be Christians but deny that Jesus is the Christ Who guarantees a future resurrection and never-ending life to all who believe in Him. Thank You for the anointing of the Holy Spirit which enables us to understand and apply the truth of Your Word, and to detect deception. Any religious system that denies Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and denies God is the Father is a lie and is from Satan. Grant us the courage and discernment to apply these truths from I John to our daily lives. In the mighty name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.
ENDNOTES:
1. David R. Anderson, Maximum Joy: I John – Relationship or Fellowship? (Grace Theology Press, 2013 Kindle Edition), pg. 119.
2. An April 2, 2015, Pew Research Report entitled, “The Future of World Religions: Population Growth Projections, 2010-2050” at https://www.pewresearch.org states that Islam is projected to grow faster than any other religion. “Between 2010 and 2050, the world’s total population is expected to rise to 9.3 billion, a 35% increase. Over that same period, Muslims – a comparatively youthful population with high fertility rates – are projected to increase by 73%. The number of Christians also is projected to rise, but more slowly, at about the same rate (35%) as the global population overall. As a result, according to the Pew Research projections, by 2050 there will be near parity between Muslims (2.8 billion, or 30% of the population) and Christians (2.9 billion, or 31%), possibly for the first time in history.”
3. See Nabeel Qureshi, No God but One: Allah or Jesus? (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2016 Kindle Edition), pp. 117-118 and Daniel Janosik, THE GUIDE TO ANSWERING ISLAM: What Every Christian Needs to Know About Islam and the Rise of Radical Islam (Christian Publishing House, 2019 Kindle Edition), pp. 7, 34. When witnessing to a Muslim, show them that the Bible claims to be the perfect Word of God (Matthew 5:18; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21), encouraging them to read it. If Muslims say they cannot read the Bible because it is corrupted, remind them that the Quran promises, “there is no change to the word of God” (Sura 10:64). If God can preserve the Qur’an, He can preserve the Bible which the Qur’an encourages Muslims to read (cf. Sura 3:3; 5:36-38, 66; 12:111; 20:37; 29:46; 35:31; and 10:94). Surely Allah would not command his people to read the Bible if it was corrupted. In Sura 10:94, the Qur’an tells Muslims that if they are in doubt about anything in the Scriptures, they should ask those who have received the book that was given before, such as the Tauret (the books of Moses), the Zabur (the psalms of David), and the Injil (the Gospels). – See Janosik, pg. 44.
4. Qureshi, pg. 117.
5. When witnessing to a Muslim about the deity of Christ, explain to them what the term “Son of God” means in its historic and biblical context. Never does it mean that God has a wife and produces offspring as Muslims believe. “Son of God” is an analogical term that indicates the relationship that the Second Person of the Trinity has with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Jesus is not inferior to the Father; for He claims that He and the Father are one (John 10:30), as well as if they have seen the Son then they have also seen the Father (John 14:9). Jesus also performed unique miracles that confirmed that He was the Son of God (John 20:31). Thus, the Son is not “another” god, but rather the second Person of the One God. In addition, Christians should realize that the reference to Jesus as the “Christ” is a title given to the heavenly, eternal Son Who is equal to God the Father (John 5:18-24). Christians should also explain the limitations that the Son took on Himself in order to become a Man. If He did not become fully Man (John 1:14; I Timothy 2:5), then He could not truly die in our place and bring us redemption from our sins (Phil. 2:5-8) (Janosik, pg. 271).
6. When witnessing to a Muslim about the death and resurrection of Christ, Christians need to understand that from an historical point of view, the claim by Muslims that Jesus Christ was not crucified was made 600 years after the event and has no historical support from the first century. (Janosik, pg. 284). Perhaps one of the best ways to help Muslims understand the historicity of the resurrection of Jesus Christ would be to use Dr. Gary Habermas’ “minimal facts” argument (Janosik, pg. 284 cites Gary Habermas and Mike Licona, The Case for the Resurrection [Kregel, 2004]). The five essential facts to relate are:
a. Jesus died by crucifixion. Most historians accept the fact that a man named Jesus Christ lived in the first century and died by crucifixion.
b. His disciples believed that He rose and appeared to them. Whether or not Jesus actually rose from the dead, His disciples were so persuaded of this fact that they spent the rest of their lives telling this story. None of them ever denied what they had witnessed firsthand.
c. The church persecutor Paul was suddenly changed. The apostle Paul first tried to destroy the early church, but after his encounter with the risen Jesus Christ he became the chief evangelist for the church.
d. The skeptic James, brother of Jesus, was suddenly changed. Something transforming happened to James that turned him completely around so that he became one of the great leaders of the early church. Experiencing his half-brother, Jesus, resurrected from the dead could do this.
e. The tomb was empty. There have been many attempts to discount this fact, but they all fall far short of the simple explanation that Jesus, who had been crucified and died, had risen from the dead and exited the tomb (Janosik, pg. 284).
7. Tom Constable, Notes on I John, 2022 Edition, pp. 45, 55.
8. Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature: Third Edition (BDAG) revised and edited by Frederick William Danker (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000 Kindle Edition), pg. 749.
9. Zane C. Hodges; Robert Wilkin; J. Bond; Gary Derickson; Brad Doskocil; Dwight Hunt; Shawn Leach; The Grace New Testament Commentary: Revised Edition (Grace Evangelical Society, Kindle Edition, 2019), pg. 592.
10. Constable, pp. 55-56.
11. Anderson, pg. 121 cites Zane C. Hodges, The Epistles of John: Walking in the Light of God’s Love (Irving, TX: Grace Evangelical Society, 1999), pp. 106-107.
12. Anderson, pp. 122-123 cites Hugh Ross, The Creator and the Comos (Colorado Springs: NavPress, 1993), pg. 76.
13. Constable, pg. 56.
14. Tony Evans, CSB Bibles by Holman, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary (B & H Publishing Group, Kindle Edition, 2019), pg. 2940.
15. Hodges, The Grace New Testament Commentary, pg. 593.
16. Zane C. Hodges, The Bible Knowledge Commentary Epistles and Prophecy, Editors John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck (David C. Cook, 2018 Kindle Edition), Kindle Location 3719 to 3723.
17. Ibid., Kindle Location 3728.
18. Evans, pg. 2940.
19. Hodges, The Grace New Testament Commentary, pg. 593.
20. Anderson, pg. 124.
21. Ibid.
22. Qureshi, pp. 196-198.
23. The translation of John 1:1c, “And the Word was God” (kai Theós ēn ho Lógos), is based on the Greek rule of grammar (Colwell’s rule) which states that the definite predicate nominative, “God” (Theós), in front of the verb “was” (ēn) will not have the article. See E. C. Colwell, “A Definite Rule for the Use of the Article in the Greek New Testament,” Journal of Biblical Literature 52 (1933), pp. 12-21. In Greek, word endings determine the subject. But since both “Word” (Logos) and “God” (Theos) have the same ending, John added the article (ho) to Logos to identify it as the subject of the sentence.
24. Hodges, The Grace New Testament Commentary, pg. 593.
