(Umair is a 21 year old law student in Pakistan. Please do not dismiss what he writes because of his poor English. English is a second language to him. I do not write or speak a word of his native Urdu. - KS)

Question

Hello,
hope you are doing good! i am a muslim and i am reading bible now adays its quite interesting it matches alot with Quran i mean my holy books
well i have come across a book in bible its Ezikiel and chapter 23 when i read it i cant believe it how come such things can be in God's book like you are expert of it please guide me regarding and yeah how come the childrens of insest are in the geniology of Jesus and how come there are 66 grand father of a person who dont have geniology who was born miraculously
please guide me regarding it!'
and yeah in ur website correct it Muslims worship Allah not Muhammad so Allah is my saviour

Answer

My Dear Friend,
Please forgive me for being slow in replying to your message. I have been preaching in the South Pacific.

Your questions are legitimate, but I'm afraid they betray misunderstanding of the Bible. However, I want to commend you for reading in the Bible, and encourage you to continue doing so. I have read all the Qur'an.

Ezekiel chapter 23 portrays idolatrous Samaria (the ten northern tribes of Israel) and Judah (the two southern tribes) as prostitutes (Ezekiel 23:4). Apparently you feel it is inappropriate to use such graphic language. Biblical writers did not sweep sin under the rug. Such graphic descriptions show how disgusting idolatry is to the Lord. Surely you agree.

The writer Luke records 62 generations of forefathers to Jesus, all the way back to Adam (Luke 3:23-38). he traces the lineage through Joseph, the legal but not biological father of Jesus (Luke 3:23). Since there are some differences between the genealogy as recorded by Matthew (Matthew 1:1-17), it appears Matthew traces the genealogy of Jesus through Mary back through David and Judah to Abraham. To be the Christ, Jesus had to be descended from Abraham and David (Genesis 12:1-3; 22:15-18; 2 Samuel 7:12-16). Since the Prophet acknowledged that Jesus is the Messiah and that Mary was a virgin at the time (Surah 3:45,47), surely a Muslim cannot question these truths! Why should it be considered a difficulty that Jesus was born of a virgin by the power of God (Surah 3:47; Matthew 1:18-25)? Why should it be considered a difficulty that his legal lineage through Joseph and his biological lineage through Mary both qualify Him to be the Messiah, when the Prophet confessed Jesus to be the Messiah? Why should any Muslim deny Jesus is the Son of God, when Jesus Himself made this claim (Matthe 16:13-17), and the Prophet acknowledged that Jesus was a prophet of God (Surah 2:136)?

I have never accused Muslims of worshiping the Prophet Muhammad. If you will let me know where such a statement is made on our web site, I will see that it is removed.

I hope you will honestly consider these answers and study more with me.

Cordially,
Keith Sharp

Reply

hello thansk for the reply dear
No muslim is a muslim if he don't believe in jesus no muslim is a muslim if he don't believe in jesus to be a prophet. This is the regard of jesus in islam. It's the only religion besides christanity which gives so much respect to jesus. That is why if some christan make a statue of Muhammad in denmark we don't make statue of jesus coz jesus is as respectful to us as Muhammad. One can not be a muslim if he don't believe in jesus that's what Quran teach me but to say he is son of god and prophet of god it's a clear cut contradiction. These things are as opposite to each other as choc and cheese. Adn not only jesus but Mary the mother of jesus is also praised in Quran. Even in bible she is not gave that much respect as in Quran. it says that jesus the mother of mary, Allmighty has chosen her above to women of the world. This is how we muslim respect Marry and yes she was untouched we believe no muslim is a muslim if he don't believe on it. We believe she was virgin and Jesus was born with an order of God It dosnt not mean if she is virgin and yet she bear a child it does not mean that Jesus is son of god.
Yes it does means that he was born miraulously from a virgin but with god permission. God is so powerful if he want he can make thousands of jesus from a vrign just like that He can make even thousands of jesus without mother just like a that in a second. Whatever he wills he just say be and it is. So we accept jesus as prophet but this trinity which is no where to be found in bible is there in quran. God says to us in quran that he is his messenger.
Take another example of Adam as he was created without a mother and without a father it does not mean that he is also son of god or a bigger son of god. Coz he don't have mother of father. In quran it says that the example of jesus is same as that of adam.
Now I ask you question that you tell me why in islam jesus has given so much regard and why no muslim is a muslim if he don't believe in jesus there are 1.5 billion muslims MASALLAh
And do u know Muhammad is mentioned by name in BIBLE
Now you would be thinking where is it as u would have read bible thousand times but yet u didn't find it right?
Sure I will tell u. bible was revealed not in english but in greek or hebrew so u need to go to the original language
There in song of soluman chapter 5.16 Muhammad is mentioned by name in bible
But in ur bible its changed to all to gether lovely so that's why u cant see Muhammad in bible.
Even if u translate text u should not change names. So what do you say about this? Just need ur humble comments on this sir J
Do reply I wanna be your friend tell me also about ur qualification please
I am only 21 a law student am from Pakistan.
regards

Second Answer

Dear Umair,
Thank you for writing again. I hope you will continue to do so.

At the end of your message you say you want to be my friend. Thank you. I am honored. I will consider you my friend, and I hope you will accept me as your friend.

I appreciate your zeal for what you believe. I do not respect people who are half-hearted in their religion.

Please continue to think with me. I am confident you are quite intelligent, since you are a law student.

I have been a preacher of the gospel for 43 years. I did study the bible in college, but that proves nothing about my qualifications to speak to you. The rulers of the Jews were amazed by the boldness of the apostles of Christ, knowing that they were "uneducated and untrained men. And they realized that they had been with Jesus" (Acts 4:13). Please judge for yourself whether the words I write are truth. Because a man is educated does not prove he speaks the truth, nor does lack of an education mean he is wrong.

Please do not think what some person in America or an European country does is beign done by a Christian. Tragically, many Europeans and Americans are simply infidels. But if someone who calls himself a Christian is disrespectful to Muslims, I will not defend him. Christians are taught to show respect to all people (1 Peter 2:17).

It is because Jesus is the Son of God that God chose Him to be His final Prophet (spokesman) (Hebrews chapter one).

Yes, God has the power to cause any number of men to be born of virgins, but only Jesus was thus born. No, the fact of the virgin birth does not in itself prove Jesus is the Son of god in any different sense than Adam was the son of God (Luke 3:38). Of course, if Joseph or any mere man were his biological father, Jesus could not be the Son of God, even in the sense Adam was. But, since we both agree Jesus was a prophet of God, what He says must settle the matter. We agree that Jesus claimed to be the Son of God (Matthew 16:13-17). What did He mean by this? In John 8:24 He asserted, "Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do nto believe that I am He, you will die in your sins." He further explained in John 8:58, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM." How could Jesus have lived before Abraham, who lived 1900 years before Him? And why did He say, "I AM" rather than "I was"? The Jews knew exactly what He was claiming, for they tried to stone Him (verse 59). The Lord God who created the universe identified Himself to Moses in the burning bush as "I AM," the self-existent, eternal One (Exodus 3:13-15). Jesus, Whom we agree was a prophet of God, claimed to be the "I AM," the self-existent, eternal God who created the universe. It is not enough to say He was a prophet. We must believe He is God.

Yes, the teaching that three distinct Beings make up one God is very difficult to either comprehend or believe. Truly, "there is no other God but one" (Paul, 1 Corinthians 8:4). Yes, "The LORD our God, the LORD is one" (Moses, Deuteronomy 6:4). "Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: 'I am the First and I am the Last; besides Me there is no God'" (Isaiah 44:6). But, the Father is God (Paul, Ephesians 6:4), but He is not the Son (Jesus, John 5:22-23). Jesus is God (John 5:17-18), but He is not the Holy Spirit (Jesus, John 14:26; 16:7). The Holy Spirit is God (Peter, Acts 5:1-4), but He is not the Father (Jesus, John 14:26; 15:26). God is one in the same sense all Christians should be one, perfectly united (Jesus, John 17:20-21). Since much of this teaching about the nature of God is the testimony of Jesus, whom we both recognize as a prophet of God, surely you should seriously consider it.

The Catholic Church honors Mary more than Muslims or Christians, calling her "the Mother of God" and teaching people to pray to her. But the Catholic Church is wrong. Mary was indeed "blessed ... among women" (Luke 1:28), but those "who hear the word of God and keep it" are more blessed than Mary (Jesus, Luke 11:27-28).

My friend, perhaps you are simply repeating what you have been told about Song of Solomon 5:16. This book was indeed written in Hebrew. Do you read Hebrew? This is the Hebrew text of Song of Solomon 5:15:

Literally translated into English, it reads, "mouth sweet altogether delightful this love this associate daughters founded peaceful (Jerusalem)." Obviously a literal translation makes no sense in English, but, just as obviously, you have been misinformed. The name "Muhammad" is not in Song of Solomon 5:16. Nor would it prove that it was a reference to the eighth century Prophet of Arabia if the name "Muhammad" were in the text.

Thank you for seriously considering the claims of Jesus.

I look forward to hearing from you again.

Your friend,
Keith Sharp

(To be continued)