Islam says Jesus was not God, Part Two.

The scriptures are clear: Jesus was the embodiment of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He is the image of the invisible God. Jesus is the one true God. However, many people deny this truth. Some say He was a myth, others say He was just one of many prophets. Some acknowledge Him as the Son of God, but consider Him only a man. Some (who realize He possesses Deity) have labeled Him, "God the Son", and He is considered by them to be a distinct and separate person from God the Father. Others believe He was Michael the archangel. They also refer to Jesus as a "mighty god", but not THE ALMIGHTY God. Others teach that He is an "elder brother". Some go as far as to acknowledge Jesus to be the promised Messiah, but refuse to acknowledge His supreme Deity. I believe and contend that the Bible speaks truth when it says He was God manifest in the flesh. The following are just a few objections that I have received, and some short answers.

This eNewsletter is part 2 of the ammunition you need to counter these claims if you ever find yourself witnessing to a Muslim.

OBJECTION # 1: A man cannot become a god, so how and when did Jesus become God?

Answer: This is true, but God can become a man. Jesus didn’t become God; God (The Father) became Jesus.

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

John 1:14 And the Word was made 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.

1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

OBJECTION # 2: Numbers 23:19 says that "God is not a man that he should lie..." So there you have it: Jesus could not have been God, since he was a man.

ANSWER: It is true that God is not a man: God is a Spirit, but that Spirit manifested Himself in flesh. Jesus was the manifestation, or the personification, of the invisible Spirit of God. This is why He was called Immanuel, which being interpreted was "God with us".

Matthew 1:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

John 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

2 Corinthians 4:4 ... Christ, who is the image of God

Hebrews 1:3 (Jesus is) ... the express image of his (God's) person

Colossians 1:15 (Jesus) Who is the image of the invisible God

1 Timothy 3:16 ... God was manifest in the flesh ...

OBJECTION # 3: 1 Timothy 2:5 calls Jesus a man – merely a "mediator" between God and men.

ANSWER: This falls right in line with Monotheism – the belief in One God. There is ONE GOD, Period. Not two or three equal "persons", not "God the Son" nor "God the Holy Spirit". Just plain and simply One God and one mediator between God and men. The "man" Christ Jesus was the human body that was given as a ransom for our sins. The "man" Christ Jesus was unlike any other man born on the face of the earth: He had no biological father. His Father literally was the Holy Spirit of God. (Luke 1:35) That is why this "man" could silence the winds with His voice, heal the sick with His command, and open blind eyes with His touch. He was no ordinary man. He was God in human flesh.

Luke 1:35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

OBJECTION # 4: The bible says there is one God, and one Lord. This separates God from Jesus.

ANSWER: Again, this is still perfectly in line with Oneness teaching. Since "Hear O Isreal, The LORD our God is one LORD" (Deut: 6:4), and Jesus is given the title of "Lord Jesus Christ" dozens of times in the New Testament, then this is further proof that Jesus is the personification of the One God of the bible. "God" and "Lord" are not indicative of separate persons, but synonymous of the same:

Deut 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:

Romans 16:24 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Luke 2:11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

Act 9:5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

Act 2:36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

John 20:28 Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!"

Genesis 2:4 These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens,

This was the first time the bible conjoins both the names of God. In the original text, it read YHWH Elohim. The God of creation (Elohim) is the same personal God (YHWH) who cares for His creation.

Jesus is the visible image of our Creator, Savior, LORD and God. He is the God of justice, and mercy. YHWH was revealed in the flesh. We know Him as Lord Jesus Christ.

OBJECTION # 5: God cannot die: yet Jesus died. So Jesus cannot be God.

ANSWER: You are correct in that God never died, for God is a Spirit. (John 4:24) The fleshly body of Jesus (the Son) is what died on the cross. Yet the bible still called the blood that was shed "God's own blood". (Acts 20:28) and furthermore tells us that God laid down His life for us. (1 John 3:16) How could this be, unless God was manifest in the flesh? (1 Tim. 3:16)

John 4:24 God is a Spirit ...

Act 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

1 John 3:16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

1 Timothy 3:16 ... God was manifest in the flesh ...

OBJECTION # 6: Jesus claimed that God was His father. This makes him the Son and nothing else.

ANSWER: You do not understand what that proclamation meant to the Jewish nation:

John 5:18 Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

Phillippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

OBJECTION # 7: Jesus never came out and proclaimed, "I am God", or "I am God manifest in flesh".

Example # 1:
- John 14:7–11 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. 8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us. 9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? HE THAT HATH SEEN ME HATH SEEN THE FATHER; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father? 10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.
  This sums up what we have been saying all along: The Father (Spirit) was manifest in the flesh (Son), therefore the only way to "see" the Father was to behold the Son. The Spirit dwelled in the body; the Father dwelt in the Son. God was in Christ: His purpose was to reconcile the world to Himself. (2 Corinthians 5:19)
Example # 2:
- Jesus said "I and my Father are one". Even the Pharisees knew what He meant, for they took up stones and wanted to kill Him - for "making himself God". (John 10:30–33)
Example # 3:
- John 8:58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
  In John 8, Jesus proclaimed Himself to be the "I AM." Again, the Pharisees wanted to stone Him for blasphemy, for they knew exactly what He was claiming. Only God could ever be called the "I AM". (Exodus 3:14; John 8:58, 59) You know why the Pharisees could understand His claim to be God? Because they knew the scriptures, and they knew of the prophecies concerning the Messiah – they just refused to believe that this "lowly" servant born in a manger could be their King. (See John 8:24-27)
Example # 4:
- John 12:45 "And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me." – Jesus.
Example # 5:
- The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob proclaimed Himself to be the "first and the last". (Isaiah 44:6). Jesus makes this same claim in Revelation 1:11, 1:18 and 22:13.
Example # 6:
- Only God can forgive sins (Isaiah 43:25), yet Jesus forgave sins. (Mark 2:5–7)
Example # 7:
- Only God can be worshipped (Luke 4:8), yet Jesus was worshipped while He was here on earth. (See Matthew 2:2, 11; Matt. 14:33; Matthew 28:9; John 9:35–38; Hebrews 1:6)
Finally, the ENTIRE BIBLE is the inspired word of God (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21). Therefore, if the bible declares Jesus to be God, then it is equivalent as God Himself saying it. I do not have to only look for "quotes" from Jesus, I just have to see it proclaimed in the scriptures.

Col 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

For a more complete understanding, and much lengthier explanations, I recommend the following articles:

Who Is Jesus?

How many Gods are there?

Muslim belief about Jesus - Part 1

I will be sending more eNewsletters concerning the teachings of Islam so we can all be prepared and educated about that which is about to take over the world.