AnswersWhile preparing for the debate, Jerry Thomas read Bro. Imran (Founder President, IREF) book “Calling to Islam”. Jerry Thomas decided to answer the questions Bro. Imran raised in the presentation itself. However, questions which were out of the scope of debate are dwelt here. Most of the answers can be found in other excellent Christian websites

1. Who wrote Matthew, Mark, Luke and John? 

 

Answer: Read the following link Gospel Dates, Gospel Authors, Gospels Freedoms http://www.tektonics.org/ntdocdef/gospdefhub.html 

 

Question to Bro. Imran: Who wrote the Surahs of Quran?  Each of the Suras start with “In the name of Allah…. except Sura 9.” If Allah was revealing it, then it should have been “In My name” or “I, Allah” etc. If only a third person is writing, he/she needs to start like this. Therefore it is obvious that Allah did not write or dictate it. Please do let us know the author of the Quran. We have some valuable suggestions to give. 

 

2. Bible “Contradictions” Cleared 

 

  1. Matthew 27:32, Mark 15:21, 22, Luke 23:26 contradict John 19:17, who carried cross?
  2. Did Jesus die before (Matthew 27:50-51; Mark 15:37-38), or after (Luke 23:45-46) the curtain of the temple was torn?
  3. Mark 15:2 contradicts John 19:14-16 (What was the crucifixion time?)
  4. Matthew 27:44, Mark 15:32 contradicts Luke 23: 39, 40 (How many robbers reviled Christ?
  5. Mathew 27: 46-52, Mark 15:34-38 contradicts Luke 23: 45-46 (When did Christ cry in rain- before or after curtains fell?

 Answers: For all of the above 5 questions, refer 101 Cleared Contradictions in http://debate.org.uk/topics/apolog/contrads.htm  Where is the Gospel of Jesus? This is an Islamic confusion based on Surah 19: 30. One-day old Jesus spoke in the Quran and he said he came with the book. “He said: Surely I am a servant of Allah; He has given me the Book and made me a prophet”. 

 

Challenge to Imran: What happened to the Book that Jesus came along with? Please show us that please…  

 

3. John 17: 12 contradict John 18:19

 

(How man disciples did Jesus lose?) Please give the correct reference first. 

 

4. Matthew 27: 55, 56, Mark 15:40, 41 Luke 23: 39, 40 contradicts John 19:25 (How far were the women from the cross? Was Mother Mary present at the cross? 

 

 The account is not about statues installed but woman standing. They can move from one place to another. In fact, they did exactly that.  

 

5. Matthew 27: 59, 60, Mark 15:45, 46, Luke 23:53 contradict John 19: 38-42 who really took the procession of Jesus’ body? 

 

 

Matthew 27: 59, 60 “Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away”

 

Mark 15: 45, 46 when he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph. So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. 

 

Luke 23: 50- 54 Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man, who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea and he was waiting for the kingdom of God. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus' body. Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid. It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin. 

 

John 19: 38-42 “Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews. With Pilate's permission, he came and took the body away. He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus br

ought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. Taking Jesus' body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there. 

 

6. Hate father, mother, otherwise cannot be Christ’s disciple? Luke 14:26 

 

Answer: Read in http://www.tektonics.org/gk/jesussayshate.html 

 

7. Jesus never addressed his Mother as Mother but Woman John 2:4 

 

Answer: Read in http://www.tektonics.org/gk/jesusrudemom.html 

 

8. First miracle of Jesus in Bible is that he converted water into wine (purity into impurity) John 2:8-10 

 

Answer: LORD GOD Jesus is not under your Quran. Within the Biblical principle there is nothing wrong in this. If your Quran gives any other principle then it is your problem and not ours.  Muhammad sahab used to drink. Was he impure? Sahih Muslim: Book 023, Number 4974: (The Book of Drinks).Ibn Abbas reported that Nabidh was prepared from raisins for Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) in the water skin and he would drink it on that day and on the next day and the day following and when It was the evening of the third day, and he would drink it and give it to (his Companions) and if something was left over, he threw that away. 

 

9. Jesus commands to slay enemies who do not allow to rein over them (Luke 19:27) 

 

Answer: This is about the final judgment day. Of course, on that everyone who has not accepted Jesus Christ will be throne into hell of fire. So repent and fall at the feet of Jesus. 

 

10. Jesus says that he has come to spread sword (Matthew 10:34, Luke 12:51-53)

 

 Answer: "The context of Micah 7:6 cited here, describes the awful evils in the land and the untrustworthiness of even the closest relatives and friends that would continue until the Lord would come to vindicate those who hoped in him. Given the belief held by many Jewish people that a time of sufferings would precede the end, the disciples would probably have understood this saying as suggesting that they were already experiencing the sufferings of that time…Jesus here expounds on the text just cited (Mic 7:6) to make a point virtually inconceivable to most of his hearers. Loving family members, especially parents, was one of the highest duties in Judaism;  The only one who could rightfully demand greater love was God himself (Deut 6:4–5; cf. Deut 13:6–11). Source: http://www.tektonics.org 

 

11. Christianity is used only for three times (Acts 11:26, 26:28, 1st Peter 4:16): Bible also used the word bastard only 3 times (Deuteronomy 23:2, Zechariah 9:6, Hebrews 12:8). 

 

Answer: The Hebrew word can be translated as foreigner or illegitimate child. Other translations render the word as "illegitimate child" or even "foreigner" in the case of Zechariah. Note that the word "bastard" originally meant "illegitimate child" or "child born outside of wedlock." So this is only a figment of your mind. And the state of your mind is clear from these misrepresentations. 

 

12. Trinity appears in Surah Nisa 4:171 but never in the Bible. 

 

Answer: Don’t bluff. The word trinity is not there in Quran. Read Shakir’s translation you will know that Yusuf Ali is intentionally bluffing. But why did you say this? As a Muslim, you should know Arabic by yourself.    

 

13. The closest verse appears in 1st John 5:7 but has been removed. 

 

Answer: This does not affect the doctrine anyway. The doctrine of Trinity has been already established in the prophetical books. For example, see Isaiah 48:12-16. 

 

14. Where is the word Trinity mentioned in the Bible? 

 

Answer: Where is the word Towheed mentioned in the Quran? 

 

15. Give Jesus Christ’s one unequivocal statement where Christ, Father is the First Person of Trinity. Give Jesus Christ’s one unequivocal statement where Christ, I am the second person of Trinity. Give Jesus Christ’s one unequivocal statement where Christ, Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity.

 

Answer: Give one unequivocal statement in the Quran where it refers to three classifications of Towheed.  

 

16. Where does the Bible claim, Bible is the Word of God? Answer:

 

Unlike Quran which is a mixture of Satan’s words (Surah 17, 22 and 53), all words are inspired from Holy Spirit. 

 

2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 

 

Biblia is the plural form of the Greek biblion, which is itself a diminutive of biblos. These terms are used in Scripture as designations for inspired writings:  "And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book (en to biblio touto)." John 20:30 NKJV  

 

"For it is written in the Book (biblo) of Psalms…" Acts 1:20 NKJV  "Then God turned and gave them up to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the Prophets (en biblo ton propheton)…" Acts 7:42 NKJV  

 

"For as many as are of the works of the law are under curse; for it is written, `Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law (en to biblio tou nomou), to do them" Gal. 3:10 NKJV 

 

"When you come, bring the cloak I left at Troas with Carpus, and the books (kai ta biblia), especially the parchments (malista tas membranas)." 2 Tim. 4:13

 

"I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, saying, "What you see, write in a book (graphon eis biblion) and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia…" Rev. 1:10-11  

 

"For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book (tes propheteias tou bibliou): If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book (en tou biblio); and if anyone takes away words of the book of this prophecy (tou bibliou tes propheteias), God shall take away his part from the Tree of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book (en to biblio touto)." Rev. 22:18-19. 

 

17. If one wants to become a Christian which Bible he/she should read? 

 

Answer: "And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me." Luke 24:44 KJV Thirty nine books are included in these three divisions. Any book that falls outside these division is not acceptable to a Christian.  However, which Quran should we read? Ubayy b. Kabb, called the Master of the Quranic reciters, had 116 chapters in his text of the Quran; while others such as Abdallah Ibn Masud included only 111 out of the present 114 chapters of the Islamic text. Can you show me a single reference in any Quran how many chapters it has? 

18. Scientific Comparison between The Holy Bible and Quran. 

 

Answer: Bro. Imran is merely copying Dr. Zakir Naik. All the points of Dr. Zakir has been answered by our dear Brother Sam Shamoun of Answering Islam. Please visit this site and see the answers and excellent resources for other topics related to Islam. http://www.answering-islam.org/Responses/Naik/biblecontras.htm 

 

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