Basic
Worldview:
104
Why Christianity?
Another
Gospel and Explaining
the Success of Islam (Part 1)
Evidentiary
Religions - Islam Introduction
Koran
and Judeo-Christian Apostles
Koran
and Judeo-Christian Scriptures
Koran
Contradicts Judeo-Christianity (Part 1)
Koran
Contradicts Judeo-Christianity (Part 2)
Koran
Contradicts Judeo-Christianity (Part 3)
Koran
Contradicts Judeo-Christianity (Part 4)
Another
Gospel and Explaining the Success of Islam (P. 1)
Explaining
the Success of Islam (Part 2)
Explaining
the Success of Islam (Part 3)
Islam
Conclusions
Introduction | Section 1
| Section 2 | Section
3
The Koran as Another Gospel
In this segment of our study, we will be considering the implication
of specific words written by the Apostle Paul around five
hundred years before Mohammed was even born. But first, we
need to establish the fact that the Apostle Paul was known
by and approved of by the Apostle Peter and the rest of Jesus'
original disciples.
"Paul, Saint - The chronology of St. Paul's life is
difficult, but there is general agreement (within a few
years) on almost all details...He visited Jerusalem probably
twice (A.D. 37, 44) and dwelt at Tarsus and Antioch for
some time. (Acts 11.)" - The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth
Edition. 2001.
"Paul, the Apostle, Saint - After three years his work
in Damascus came to an abrupt end. Somehow he had fallen foul
of the ethnarch (governor) of the region of Nabataean Arabia.
The ethnarch set a watch on the gates of Damascus, but
Paul escaped over the wall in a basket and made his way to
Jerusalem. There he met Peter, the Apostle , and James , the
Lord's brother. This was an important meeting, for it established
Paul as a recognized Apostle alongside the founders of the
church at Jerusalem." - Britannica.com
Paul's association with the original disciples of Jesus and
their approval of him is also attested to in the New Testament.
In Acts 14, Paul and Barnabas are referred to as "apostles."
Acs 14:14 Which when the apostles, Barnabas and
Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in among
the people, crying out,
In Acts 15, Paul goes to Jerusalem, meets with the Apostles,
and they agree with him on the critical doctrinal decision
that the Gentile Christians did not need to be circumcised
and keep the Law of Moses. Then they send the letter of this
decision with Paul and Barnabas along with 2 representatives
from among themselves.
Acts 15:1 And certain men which came down from Judaea
taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after
the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. 2 When therefore
Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation
with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and
certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the
apostles and elders about this question. 3 And being brought
on their way by the church, they passed through Phenice and
Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they
caused great joy unto all the brethren. 4 And when they
were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church,
and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all
things that God had done with them. 22 Then pleased it
the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen
men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas;
namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among
the brethren: 23 And they wrote letters by them after
this manner; The apostles and elders and brethren send
greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in
Antioch and Syria and Cilicia: 24 Forasmuch as we have heard,
that certain which went out from us have troubled you with
words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised,
and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment: 25
It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to
send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
26 Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our
Lord Jesus Christ.
And again in Acts 21, the apostles at Jerusalem embrace Paul's
work.
Acts 21:18 And the day following Paul went in with
us unto James; and all the elders were present. 19 And
when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what
things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry.
20 And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord,
and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands
of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous
of the law:
Paul himself recounts his visits to Jerusalem and the other
apostles' acceptance of his ministry and preaching.
Galatians 1:18 Then after three years I went up
to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days.
19 But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the
Lord's brother.
Galatians 2:7 But contrariwise, when they saw that
the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as
the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter; 8 (For
he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of
the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:)
9 And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars,
perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me
and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should
go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.
And in his second epistle, Peter also speaks highly of Paul,
including Paul's epistles and even equating Paul's epistles
with "other scriptures."
2 Peter 3:15 And account that the longsuffering of
our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul
also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto
you; 16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in
them of these things; in which are some things hard to be
understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest,
as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own
destruction.
So, the fact that Paul was known and approved by the disciples
of Jesus Christ is well established in history, which brings
us to the point of this section. To a certain extent, we are
given a choice between Paul and his epistles or Mohammed and
the Koran. On the one hand, Paul lived during the first century
alongside the apostles of Jesus Christ. Paul knew the apostles
of Jesus Christ personally, worked with them, and was approved
of them. On the other hand, Mohammed lives over five hundred
years after the apostles and is neither knew them or was ever
approved of by them.
This gives us ample reason to consider Paul's words in comparison
to Islam, particularly since Paul's epistles were included
in the canon of the Word of God by Christians since the second
century (as we have shown above.) So, with the weight of the
apostles' approval of Paul in view, we consider the following
words from the Apostle Paul.
2 Corinthians 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means,
as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your
minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we
have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which
ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not
accepted, ye might well bear with him.
In 2 Corinthians 11, Paul's concern is clearly that the Corinthians
might be persuaded by someone who comes to them preaching
a different view of Jesus, a different view of the Holy Spirit,
and an altogether different Gospel to them. In Galatians,
Paul is even more explicit.
Galatians 1:6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed
from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another
gospel: 7 Which is not another; but there be some that
trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 8
But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel
unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him
be accursed. 9 As we said before, so say I now again,
If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye
have received, let him be accursed.
In Galatians, Paul specifically states twice that if any man
or angel preaches any different Gospel from the one that he
preached to them, that such a man or angel should be accursed.
Now, we have already seen in our two previous sections that
Paul preached the following. Paul preached the Trinity (Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit). Paul preached that Jesus Christ was
the Son of God. Paul preached that Jesus was crucified for
men's sins and rose from the dead on the third day afterward.
Likewise, we have shown in previous section that the Koran
repeatedly denies all of these things, which Paul taught.
However, as we have demonstrated thoroughly in earlier portions
of this article series, the Koran does affirm the Gospel of
Jesus Christ. But, by denying Jesus' sacrificial death by
crucifixion and his resurrection along with the doctrine of
the Trinity, the Koran dramatically alters the Gospel message
from what the Christians had believed from the earliest times
after Jesus' life, death, and resurrection, and for over five
hundred years before Mohammed. This means that the Koran's
version of the Gospel of Jesus is a different version than
the Gospel taught by Paul.
At this point, it is necessary for us to establish the mean
of the word "Gospel." As the definitions below indicate, even
the English word "Gospel" is a translation of a Greek Word
"evangel," which means "good news."
"Gospel - [M.E.,= good news; evangel from Gr.,=
good news]..." - The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition.
2001.
"Gospel - ETYMOLOGY: Middle English, from Old English
gdspel (ultimately translation of Greek euangelion):
gd, good; see good + spel, news." - The American Heritage
Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.
As the dictionary entry above states, the English word Gospel
is "ultimately" a translation from the Greek word "euangelion."
Consequently, this is the exact Greek word that occurs throughout
the New Testament. The Strong's Concordance definition of
this New Testament Greek word appears below.
2098 euaggelion {yoo-ang-ghel'-ee-on}
from the same as 2097; TDNT - 2:721,267; n n
1) a reward for good tidings
2) good tidings
As you can see from the definition above, euaggelion is derived
from the verb form euaggelizo, which is defined below.
2097 euaggelizo {yoo-ang-ghel-id'-zo}
from 2095 and 32; TDNT - 2:707,*; v
1) to bring good news, to announce glad tidings
From these definitions above, we can see that in both English
and New Testament Greek, the word "gospel" simply means "good
news."
And here is where we arrive at the point of this segment.
For, not only does the Koran teach a different version of
the Gospel than what is recorded in the New Testament, but
the Koran also claims itself to be a gospel from God for mankind.
Consider the following quotes from the Koran.
Proclaim good tidings to those who have faith and do good
works. They shall dwell in gardens watered by running streams:
whenever they are given fruit to eat they will say: 'This
is what we used to eat before,' for they shall be given the
like. Wedded to chaste spouses, they shall abide therein for
ever. (Koran, p. 12, 2:23, 2nd Para.)
People of the Book! Our apostle has come to you with
revelations after an interval which saw no apostles, lest
you say: 'No one has come to give us good news or to warn
us.' Now someone has come to give you good news and to
warn you. (Koran, p, 82, 5:19, 1st Para.)
A Book, whose verses are perfected and then made plain,
from Him who is wise and all knowing: Serve none but God.
I am sent to you from Him to warn you and to give good
tidings. (Koran, p. 156, 11:1, 1st Para. - 2nd Para.)
When We change one verse for another (God knows best what
He reveals), they say: 'You are an imposter.' Indeed most
of them have no knowledge. Say: 'The Holy Spirit brought
it down from your Lord in truth to reassure the faithful,
and to give guidance and good news to those that submit.'
(Koran, p. 194, 16:101 - p. 195, 16:102.)
We have revealed the Koran with Truth, and with the
Truth it has come down. We have sent you forth only to
proclaim good news and to give warning. We have divided
the Koran into sections so that you may recite it to the people
with deliberation. We have imparted it by gradual revelation.
(Koran, p. 205, 17:103, 2nd Para. - 4th Para.)
We send Our apostle only to proclaim good news and
to give warning. But with false arguments the unbelievers
seek to confute the truth, deriding My revelations and My
warning. (Koran, p. 210, 18:56.)
We have revealed to you the Koran in your own tongue
that you may thereby proclaim good tidings to the upright
and give warning to a contentious nation. (Koran, p. 219,
19:88, 3rd Para.)
We have sent you only to proclaim good news and to
give warning. Say: 'I demand of you no recompense for this.
Let him who will, take the right path to his Lord.' (Koran,
p. 256, 25:48, 7th Para.)
Prophet, We have sent you forth as a witness, a bearer
of good tiding, and a warner; one who shall call men to
God by His leave and guide them like a shining light. (Koran,
p. 297, 33:45.)
We have sent you forth to all mankind, so that you may
give them good news and forewarn them. But most men have
no knowledge. They ask: 'When will this promise be fulfilled,
if what you say be true?' (Koran, p. 302, 34:21, 2nd Para.
- 34:26, 3rd Para.)
We have sent you with the Truth to proclaim good news and
to give warning; for there is no community that has not
had a warner. If they disbelieve you, know that those who
have gone before them also disbelieved. Their apostles came
to them with veritable signs, with scriptures, and with the
light-giving Book. But in the end I smote the unbelievers:
and how terrible was the way I disowned them! (Koran, p. 306,
35:19, 1st Para. - 2nd Para.)
Revealed by the Compassionate, the Merciful: a Book of
revelations well expounded, an Arabic Koran for men of knowledge.
It proclaims good news and a warning: yet most men turn
their backs and pay no heed. (Koran, p. 334, 41:1 - p. 335:
41:8.)
Yet before it the Book of Moses was revealed: a guide and
a blessing. The Book confirms it. It is revealed in the
Arabic tongue, to forewarn the wrongdoers and to give good
tidings to the righteous. (Koran, p. 354, 46:10, 3rd Para.)
We have sent you forth as a witness and as a bearer of
good news and warnings, so that you may have faith in
God and His apostle and that you may assist Him, honour Him,
and praise Him morning and evening. (Koran, p. 360, 48:8.)
And it is also interesting to note that in addition to preaching
a different version of Jesus' Gospel and asserting itself
as a Gospel, the Koran is also believed to have been delivered
to Mohammed through the angel Gabriel.
"Muhammad- About 610, as he reflected on such matters,
Muhammad had a vision of a majestic being (later identified
with the angel Gabriel) and heard a voice saying to him,
"You are the Messenger of God." This marked the beginning
of his career as messenger (or apostle) of God (rasul Alla
H ), or Prophet (nabi )." - Britannica.com
"Islam- The Qur'an (literally, Reading, or Recitation)
is regarded as the Word, or Speech, of God delivered to
Muhammad by the angel Gabriel." - Britannica.com
And, the Koran itself makes this same declaration.
Say: 'Whoever is an enemy of Gabriel' (who has by God's
grace revealed to you the Koran as a guide and joyful tiding
for the faithful, confirming previous scriptures) 'whoever
is an enemy of God, His angels, or His apostles, or of Gabriel
or Michael, will surely find that God is the enemy of the
unbelievers.' (Koran, p. 19, 2:93, 6th Para. - 2:98.)
So, while the Koran preaches a different version of Jesus'
Gospel and itself claims to be a Gospel from God delivered
to mankind by the angel Gabriel, the Apostle Paul, who was
known and endorsed by the original disciples of Jesus Christ,
pronounces a curse upon any man or angel that preaches any
gospel that differs from the Gospel handed down by the apostles
in the New Testament. Far from being joyful tidings confirming
previous scriptures as claimed in the quote above, the Koran
is actually a gospel forbidden by the previous Judeo-Christian
scriptures and contradicting the words of Gabriel recorded
in those very same previous scriptures (see Luke 1:26-35 above.)
The culmination of these facts is that not only does the Koran
contradict the New Testament Judeo-Christian Gospel, but the
New Testament words of Paul accepted by Christians since the
earliest times and for five hundred years before Mohammed
actually rule out the very possibility that the Koran's Gospel
could ever be accepted in accordance with Christian teachings.
The result is that the creation of the most direct and explicit
contradiction between the Koran and Judeo-Christian scriptures.
The Koran denies the fundamental teaching of the Judeo-Christian
scriptures and the Judeo-Christian scriptures expressly discount
any possibility that the Koran is correct.
Conclusion of Comparisons
At the start of this compounded series of segments, we thoroughly
established the fact that in the Koran, Mohammed repeatedly
affirms the divine origin and trueness of Judeo-Christian
apostles and scriptures in order to confirm his own authenticity.
We have also now thoroughly demonstrated the very clear extent
to which the Koran itself contradicts the very apostles and
scriptures it affirms as the true work of God. Consequently,
since Mohammed's evidence for the Koran and Islam are based
entirely upon appeals to these other scriptures combined with
the assertion that the Koran is flawless, the entire supportive
evidence for the Koran and Islam has been wiped out as a result
of these contradictions with Judeo-Christian scripture. This
is particularly the case since, as we have seen, Mohammed
repeatedly and explicitly condemns any attempt to discriminate
against or accept only portions of the previously revealed
scriptures.
The conclusion to our comparative survey of the Koran and
Judeo-Christianity is simply this. Mohammed has asserted himself
as man sent from God to correct two religions that are established
with their own scriptures and predate him by over five hundred
and well over two thousand years respectively. Mohammed's
teaching contradicts the fundamental teaching of both of these
religions. And the result of Mohammed's revision of these
existing religions is to make Mohammed himself the pinnacle
and greatest figure of them both. The practical result is
that Mohammed himself receives both a means of income through
the spoils of war as well as unquestionable political authority
among his followers. Mohammed performs no miracles and offers
no evidence to substantiate his claim to have been sent with
God's message. And Mohammed spreads his religion through obligatory
military fighting and by providing financial benefits to both
converts and combatants who fight to spread his religion.
In summary, there is no reason for any objective theist to
believe that Mohammed's message is from God or that Mohammed
is anything more than a man preaching a self-serving message
that was spread by the normal, natural human efforts of war
and financial benefit.
Explaining the Success of Islam
At this point we will leave aside for a moment, the fact that
Mohammed and the Koran are self-contradictory and disproved
by the very apostles and scriptures, which they uphold and
appeal to as divine truth. Instead, we will move on to answer
another pressing question. According to the Columbia Encyclopedia
there are about 1 billion Muslims in the world today.
"Islam - There are more than 1 billion Muslims worldwide,
fewer than one fifth of whom are Arab. Islam is the principal
religion of much of Asia, including Indonesia (which has
the world's largest Muslim population), Malaysia, Pakistan,
Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan,
Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Jordan,
the Arabian Peninsula states, and Turkey." - The Columbia
Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001.
While certainly this number was not so large right away, Islam
did grow rapidly to become the leading religion in Arabia
during Mohammed's life and throughout the Middle East in the
first few centuries that followed.
This successful spreading of Islam is yet another evidence
that might be offered to substantiate the divine origin of
Islam. As such, the successful spread of Islam provides additional
grounds to categorize Islam within the group of Evidentiary
religions. But does the successful spreading of Islam throughout
the Arab world within such a short period of time provide
evidence of God-given success?
Here the answer is a resounding "no." To put it simply, the
rapid rise of Islam in the Arab world during the lifetime
of Mohammed and shortly afterward resulted directly from the
militant nature of Islam and the emphasis on acquiring territory,
loyalty, spoils, and inevitably converts through armed conquest
and forced conversion under threat of execution.
This section of our article will demonstrate both from common
reference sources as well as from the Koran itself that Islam
was inherently a militant religion from its very start. Therefore,
this section will also demonstrate that it was not convincing
evidence or divine backing that led to Islam's rapid spread
throughout the Arab world. Instead, it was military conquest,
which forced people into subjection under Muslim rule that
led to the rise of the Islamic religion.
Below we have included some excerpts from standard encyclopedias
to demonstrate the undisputable reality that Islam was advanced,
not through convincing proofs or divine power, but through
simple, human military conquest. And not only that, but these
excerpts will demonstrate that even though Mohammed was able
to greatly advance Islam in the relatively short span of his
own life, his military efforts were a mixture of successes
and failures.
Now, someone might very well point out that Judaism, too,
has its share of militant conquest REQUIRED BY the teaching
of Moses and carried out under Joshua as the Israelites took
over the Promised Land. And furthermore, the Israelites also
had quite a mixture of military successes as well as military
failures. While this is true, it is necessary to point out
that the authors of this website do not appeal to the Israelites
conquering of the Promise Land as evidence validating the
divine origin of Judaism. (Additionally, we believe that the
New Testament forbids Christians from waging war, and so we
do not appeal to military victory as proof of Christianity.)
Since we do not appeal to Jewish military conquest as proof
for the validity of Judaism, it is perfectly legitimate for
us to argue that Islam's military success doesn't prove the
validity of Islam.
At this point we will advance forward to establish the military
history of Islam and how it is militant conquest, not a divine
mandate, which is responsible from the very onset for the
spread of Islam. Once again, please excuse the number of quotes
below. We simply wanted to thoroughly establish this most
significant and undeniable fact. And rather asking you to
take our word for it, we'd rather spell out the facts of history
in detail from more established sources than ourselves. Our
format will be to establish the chronology of Islam's rise
through militant conquest by using standard encyclopedia information.
This will then be followed by quotes from the Koran itself
regarding the same topic.
The first thing that we need to know as we learn about the
militant conquest that brought Islam to prominence within
Mohammed's lifetime, is how the military fighting got started.
For us, the story begins with the number of people who followed
Mohammed prior to his flight from his hometown of Mecca to
Medina.
"Muhammad - By proclaiming this message publicly, Muhammad
gained followersÑ39, it is saidÑbefore he entered the house
of al-Arqam. The names of 70 followers are known prior
to the appearance of opposition to the new religion, and
there were probably more." - Britannica.com
"Muhammad - In the summer of 621, 12 men from Medina,
visiting Mecca for the annual pilgrimage to the Ka'bah
(still a pagan shrine), secretly professed themselves Muslims
to Muhammad and went back to make propaganda for him at Medina.
At the pilgrimage in June 622 a representative party
of 75 persons from Medina, including two women, not
merely professed Islam but also took an oath to defend
Muhammad as they would their own kin...Muhammad now encouraged
his faithful Meccan followers to make their way to Medina
in small groups, and about 70 emigrated thus...With
his chief lieutenant he slipped away unperceived, used
unfrequented paths, and reached Medina safely on September
24, 622. This is the celebrated hijrah (Latin Hegira),
which may be rendered "emigration," though the basic meaning
is the severing of kinship ties. It is the traditional
starting point of Islamic history." - Britannica.com
Before his historic and famous flight to Medina in 622 AD,
Mohammed had managed to gather unto himself perhaps a two
hundred or more followers from these 2 cities. The names of
70 Meccan Muslims were known prior to his flight to Medina.
And by the time of Mohammed's flight to Medina, there were
still only about 70 followers who immigrated to Medina with
him. Likewise, the 12 men from Medina who had visited Mecca
in 621 AD brought back a party of 75 Muslims from Medina on
the same annual pilgrimage the following year. Numerically,
this brings the total of documented Muslims to around 140-150
in the year 622 AD. If we assume that the 75 pilgrims from
Medina were only representative of a larger number of Muslims
in Medina, we might imagine that perhaps there were as many
as a few hundred or more Muslims at that time.
The key here is the Muslim emigrants who followed Mohammed
from Mecca to Medina, as we'll see in the next excerpt.
"Muhammad - The emigrants (muhajirun, the men from
Mecca) were at first guests of brother Muslims in Medina,
but Muhammad cannot have contemplated this situation continuing
indefinitely. A few emigrants carried on trade in the local
market run by a Jewish clan. Others, with the approval
of Muhammad, set out in normal Arab fashion on razzias (ghazawat,
"raids") in the hope of intercepting Meccan caravans passing
near Medina on their way to Syria." - Britannica.com
From the quote above we should note the word "razzias," which
means "raids." The Muslim emigrants started out as guests
with the Muslims of Medina. But in no time they began to engage
in raids against Meccan caravans traveling nearby to their
new home city of Medina. This is significant for several reasons.
First, these raids or "razzias" not only mark the start of
militant Islam, but they demonstrate that this military combat
was there from the very beginning when Mohammed and his small
group of followers first fled to Medina.
Second, these raid or "razzias" also demonstrate at the materialistic
motive these emigrants had for following Mohammed and Islam.
Consider the next quote, a portion of which we already included
above.
"Muhammad - The names of 70 followers are known
prior to the appearance of opposition to the new religion,
and there were probably more. Most were young men under
30 when they joined Muhammad. They included sons and
brothers of the richest men in Mecca, though they might
be described as persons excluded from the most lucrative
forms of commerce.- Britannica.com
These 70 Muslim emigrants who began the raids of Meccan caravans
consisted mostly of young men under 30 who were related to
wealthy businessmen in Mecca but were themselves personally
excluded from the "most lucrative forms of commerce." And
what do these "excluded" relatives of rich Meccan merchants
do when they flee to Medina? They begin raiding the commercial
caravans in order to provide for themselves.
(Continued in next section.)