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      ___/   oo    ___|     |___|     ___|              ___/          o

      In   the   name  of   ALLAH,   the    Beneficent,   the    Merciful



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             I N F O R M A T I O N    &   N E W S    N E T W O R K

                        MUSLIMS @ ASUACAD.BITnet
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                             IINN ARCHIVE

 File Name: 08.jesus
 Lasted Updated: Sept 11, 1994
 Archive Location: ftp.cco.caltech.edu, login:anonymous, dir: /pub/calmsa
______________________________________________________________________________

Date: Sat, 6 Aug 1994 23:47:56 -0600
From: mahmed@xnet.com (M. Ahmed)
Subject: 8. Is Jesus Really God?

III&E Brochure Series; No. 5
(published by The Institute of Islamic Information and Education (III&E)
and reproduced with permission)
----------------------------

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IS JESUS REALLY GOD?
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Without a doubt, you have often heard the claim that Jesus is God, the
second person in the "Holy Trinity."  However, the very Bible which is used
as a basis for knowledge about Jesus and as the basis for doctrine within
Christianity clearly belies this claim.  We urge you to consult your own
Bible and verify that the following conclusions are not drawn out of
context:

1.  GOD IS ALL KNOWING.....BUT JESUS WAS NOT
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When speaking of the Day of Judgment, Jesus clearly gave evidence of a
limitation on his knowledge when he said, "But of that day and hour knoweth
no man, no, not the angels which are in Heaven, neither the son, but the
=46ather."  (Mark 13:32, and Matt. 24:36)  But God knows all.  His knowledge
is without any limitations.  That Jesus, of his own admission, did not know
when the day of judgment would be, is clear proof that Jesus is not
all-knowing, and that Jesus is therefore not God.

2.  GOD IS ALL-POWERFUL.....BUT JESUS WAS NOT
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While Jesus performed many miracles, he himself admitted that the power he
had was not his own but was derived from God when he said, "Verily, verily
I say unto you, the Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the
=46ather do..."  (John 5:19)  Again he said, "I can of mine own self do
nothing:  As I hear I judge, and my judgment is just because I seek not
mine own will but the will of the Father which has sent me."  (John 5:30)
But God is not only All-Powerful, He is also the source of all power and
authority.  That Jesus, of his own admission, could do nothing on his own
is clear proof that Jesus is not all-powerful, and that therefore Jesus is
not God.

3.  GOD DOES NOT HAVE A GOD.....BUT JESUS DID HAVE A GOD
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God is the ultimate judge and refuge for all, and He does not call upon nor
pray to any others.  But Jesus acknowledged that there was One whom he
worshipped and to Whom he prayed when he said, "I ascend unto my Father and
your Father, and to my God and your God."  (John 20:17)  He is also
reported to have cried out while on the cross, "My God, my God, why hast
thou forsaken me?"  (Matt. 27:46)  If Jesus were God, then couldn't this be
read, "Myself, myself, why hast thou forsaken me?"  Would that not be pure
nonsense?  When Jesus prayed the Lord's Prayer (Luke 11:2-4), was he
praying to himself?  When in the garden of Gethsemane he prayed, "O my
=46ather, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me:  Nevertheless, not a=
s
I will but as thou wilt."  (Matt. 26:36-39)  Was Jesus praying to himself?
That Jesus, of his own admission and by his own actions, acknowledged,
worshipped, and prayed to another being as God is clear proof that Jesus
himself is not God.

4.  ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE GOD IS AN INVISIBLE SPIRIT....
BUT JESUS WAS FLESH AND BLOOD
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While thousands saw Jesus and heard his voice, Jesus himself said that this
could not be done with God when he said: "No man hath seen God at any
time."  (John 1:18)  "Ye have neither heard His voice at any time nor seen
His shape."  (John 5:37)  He also said in John 4:24: "God is a spirit and
they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth."  That Jesus
would say that no one had seen or heard God at any time, while his
followers both saw and heard him, is clear proof that Jesus was not God.

5.  NO ONE IS GREATER THAN GOD AND NO ONE CAN DIRECT HIM....
BUT JESUS ACKNOWLEDGED SOMEONE GREATER THAN HIMSELF WHOSE
WILL WAS DISTINCT FROM HIS OWN
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Perhaps the clearest indication we have that Jesus and God are not equal,
and therefore not one and the same, come again from the mouth of Jesus
himself who said in John 14:28: "My Father is greater than I."  When
someone referred to him as good master in Luke 18:19, Jesus responded: "Why
callest thou me good?  There is none good but one, that is God..."
=46urthermore, Jesus drew clear distinctions between himself and God when he
said, "I proceeded forth and came from God, neither came I of myself but He
sent me."  (John 8:42)  Jesus gave clear evidence of his subordination to
God, rather than his equality with God, when he said in Luke 22:42, "not my
will but Thine be done" and in John 5:30, "I seek not mine own will but the
will of the Father which has sent me."  That Jesus would admit that he did
not come into the world on his own initiative but was directed to do so,
that he would acknowledge another being as greater than himself, and that
he would negate his own will in deference to affirming the will of another,
give clear proof that Jesus is not the Supreme One and therefore Jesus is
not God.

CONCLUSION
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The Church recognizes the Bible as the primary source of knowledge about
God and Jesus.  But since the Bible makes it clear that Jesus is not the
Supreme Being and the Supreme Being is not Jesus, upon what basis have you
come to believe otherwise?

My brother or sister, the belief that the Supreme Being is a Trinity is
false and completely inconsistent with the words of Jesus as presented in
the Bible.  God is one, not three.  He is a perfect unity.

If you are interested in the truth about God and your relationship to Him,
we invite you to investigate the religion of Islam.


WHAT IS THE WORD OF GOD ABOUT JESUS:
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A.  REGARDING THE SONSHIP OF JESUS:
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"That is Jesus, son of Mary, in word of truth, concerning which they are
doubting.  It is not for God to take a son unto Him.  Glory be to Him!
When He decrees a thing, He but says to it 'Be', and it is."  (Qur'an
19:34, 35)

"And they say, 'the All-Merciful has taken unto Himself a son.'  You have
indeed advanced something hideous.  The heavens are well nigh rent of it
and the earth split asunder, and the mountains well nigh fall down crashing
for that they have attributed to the All-Merciful a son; and it behooves
not the All-Merciful to take a son.  None is there in the heavens and earth
but he comes to the All-Merciful as a servant."  (Qur'an 19:88-93)

"Truly the likeness of Jesus, in God's sight, is as Adam's likeness; He
created him of dust, then said He unto him, 'Be', and he was."  (Qur'an
3:59)

"People of the Book, go not beyond the bounds in your religion, and say not
as to God but the Truth.  The Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, was only the
Messenger of God, and His Word that He committed to Mary, and a spirit from
Him.  So believe in God and His Messengers, and say not, 'Three.'  Refrain;
better is it for you.  God is only One God.  Glory be to Him - that He
should have a son!  To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and in the
earth; God suffices for a guardian."  (Qur'an 4:171)

B.  REGARDING JESUS BEING GOD:
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"And when God said, 'O Jesus, son of Mary, did you say unto men, "Take me
and my mother as gods, apart from God?"'  He said, 'To You be glory!  It is
not mine to say what I have no right to.  If I indeed said it, You knew it,
knowing what is within my soul, and I do not know what is within Your soul;
You know the things unseen.  I only said to them what You did command me:
"Serve God, my Lord and your Lord."  And I was a witness over them, while I
remained among them; but when You did take me to Yourself the Watcher over
them; You are the witness of everything.'"  (Qur'an 5:116, 117)

C.  REGARDING CRUCIFIXION OF JESUS
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"And for their unbelief, and their uttering against Mary a mighty calumny,
and for their saying, 'We slew the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, the
Messenger of God'...yet they did not slay him, neither crucified him, only
a likeness of that was shown to them.  Those who are at variance concerning
him surely are in doubt regarding him, they have no knowledge of him,
except the following of surmise; and they did not slay him of
certainty...no indeed; God raised him up to Him; God is Almighty, All-Wise.
There is not one of the People of the Book but will assuredly believe in
him before his death, and on the Resurrection Day, he will be a witness
against them."  (Qur'an 4:156-159)


=46or more information please contact:

The Institute of Islamic Information and Education
P.O. Box 41129
Chicago, IL 60641-0129

- Reprinted with the permission of World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY),
P.O. Box 10845, Riyadh 11443, Saudi Arabia