Is Jesus God? - An Introductory Response to a Frequent Muslim Question

M.

According to Christians is Jesus God?

C.

Let me begin to answer your question with a question. I have heard Muslims say the Qur'an is the Word of God, the eternal Word of God. Is the Qur'an God?

M.

Of course not!

C.

If the Qur'an is not God, then the Qur'an must be finite, temporal, created.

M.

No, it's not quite so simple.

C.

Then, if I'm hearing you correctly, are you saying that the Qur'an is not God and is not a creation? If the Qur'an is neither divine nor temporal, then ... well ... tell me what you mean.

M.

According to orthodox Islam the Qur'an, as the Word of God, is not God and is not other than God.

C.

The Qur'an is not God, nor is it other than God? Just a moment. If the Qur'an is not God and the Qur'an is not other than God, is there a contradiction here? If the Qur'an is not God, nor is the Qur'an other than God, is this to say that the Qur'an is not God and the Qur'an is God? Or even that the Qur'an is not God, yet of God (whatever that means), and, therefore, possibly even more than God in the sense that it is also a book or has become a book?

M.

According to orthodox Islam the Qur'an is the eternal Word of God, a representation of the eternal Word of the God on the Preserved Tablet, as the Qur'an says, which God has revealed through Jibril (Gabriel) to Muhammad on earth.

C.

If the Qur'an is the eternal Word of God revealed by God to people, is it a real book?

M.

Yes, Orthodox Islam understands the Qur'an to be both uncreated and created. The eternal Word of God became a real book. It is a little difficult to explain ... The relation between the created and the uncreated is a little complex ...

C.

I wonder how many Muslims are aware of your comments. I appreciate your explanation. May I suggest that it provides us with a format to help Muslims to begin to understand Jesus' relation with God in response to your question. As orthodox Muslims understand the Qur'an, the Word of God, to be both uncreated and created, eternal and temporal, infinite and finite, so the Bible speaks of Jesus, the Word of God, to be uncreated and created, eternal and temporal, infinite and finite. According to the Bible the eternal Word of God became not a book but a human being - Jesus the Messiah.

Let me simply add here that Christians do not turn Jesus, a man and a prophet, into a God alongside God or in the place of God. On the contrary, the Bible clearly reveals that God Himself through His eternal Word became a human being and a prophet, whose name is Jesus. If the eternal Word of God can become a book, why not a human being, if God so wills! That God has willed so is central to the Biblical understanding of Jesus' relation to God.... So far "Part I" of our discussion. Much more, of course can be said on this topic. Can we continue it another time?

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