A friend sent me this video that shows some good pointers in terms of an evangelist’s interaction with a Muslim. I appreciated how the evangelist emphasized Gospel terminology such as holiness, justice, the Trinity, resurrection – instead of a sole focus on the apologetic spectrum. In regards to the Gospel, it is critical to proclaim it because the objective is to reveal to the unbeliever the beauty of Gospel; hoping that they will be saved.
In terms of his apologetics, I appreciated his presuppositional approach. The Bible is God’s only transcendent and authoritative document for mankind, as opposed to the Qur’an. There are many problems that one could address in one’s dialogue with a Muslim, but narrowing it down to a few, as seen in the video, is critical to the Christian/Muslim dialogue. Some of the major problems are the Qur’an’s misrepresentation of the Trinity, Jesus, and the Bible. These differences are what separates Muslims and Christians. Christians and Muslims do not worship the same God.
When it comes to the Bible, the Qur’an says in Surah 5:44, “It was We who revealed the law (to Moses): therein was guidance and light. By its standard have been judged the Jews, by the prophets who bowed (as in Islam) to Allah’s will, by the rabbis and the doctors of law: for to them was entrusted the protection of Allah’s book, and they were witnesses thereto: therefore fear not men, but fear me, and sell not my signs for a miserable price. If any do fail to judge by (the light of) what Allah hath revealed, they are (no better than) Unbelievers” (Yusuf Ali). Surah 5:46 says, “And in their footsteps We sent Jesus the son of Mary, confirming the Law that had come before him: We sent him the Gospel: therein was guidance and light, and confirmation of the Law that had come before him: a guidance and an admonition to those who fear Allah” (Yusuf Ali).
According to those two verses, the Qur’an views the Torah and Injil (Gospel) as the “guidance and light.” Upon that basis, no where in those two verses does it state that the Bible is corrupted as some Muslims would indicate. Since those two verses upholds that the Torah and Injil (Gospel) are God’s Word; anyone who rejects them are disbelievers. The issue is not with the content of the Torah or the Injil, but the issue is with the interpreters. Another point to remember is Surah 5:47 which states, “Let the people of the Gospel judge by what Allah hath revealed therein. If any do fail to judge by (the light of) what Allah hath revealed, they are (no better than) those who rebel” (Yusuf Ali). Hence, Surah 5:47 indicates that one is to judge what has been revealed by Allah in the Torah and the Gospel. And when you look at the Torah and the Gospel, what truths do you see concerning the Trinity, Jesus, etc.?
Well in terms of the Gospels, Jesus claims directly that He claimed deity (John 5:25; 10:36; 11:4; 14:6; 17:1; Mark 14:61-62). As for the Trinity, the Torah and the Gospel points to the three-in-one (one God, three persons). For example, see Gen. 1:1-3, 26; Psalm 2:7; John 6:27; 8:58; Mark 2:7; John 24:52. As for the Qur’an, there have been misrepresentations of the God-head. For example, the Qur’an views the Trinity to mean the Father, Mother, and Son (Surah 4:166-172). Clearly what we see is that the Qur’an does not represent the the views of Christianity correctly. It goes in contradiction to the Torah and the Injil, which the Qur’an views as being sent from God.
This is where the real issue of the conversation boils down to between the Christian and Muslim – either accept the Qur’an’s teachings that is not sent by God Almighty and a book that also contradicts and misrepresents the Bible’s teachings on Jesus and the Trinity, or accept the Holy Bible that reveals the truth about God. Much more can be said about this topic. But for now, I would encourage you to watch the video below and to pray for the Muslim people that we love dearly.
To access the video, please see this link:
The Domain for Truth 