Islam and Pre-eminence
Roger Forster
A short discussion of Christianity and Islam's conflicting claims to truth
God has revealed himself in many different ways. Of course we would say that God has revealed himself through creation. He has revealed himself through the history of Israel — whom He choose for this purpose — and he has revealed himself through Christ and the New Testament. Consequently, although other religions might contain common revelation, as all religions do, they would not necessarily be seen to therefore be true in all their parts.
It is very difficult to be totally wrong but although truth can be found in all systems, when contradictions are seen between them, obviously both can't be completely true at the same time. Christianity claims to be the total revelation of God in Jesus Christ. Consequently in relationship to Islam we would be dealing with the basic integrity of the Bible as opposed to the Qur'an.
If contradictions are found between the contents of these basic sources of both religions then of course they both can't be true. Either one or both must be untrue. So one has to try and assess the teaching of both and see which is the superior, and of course to see the mutual claims of each. Christianity, for instance, in Revelation, is suggesting that we should be careful if we add anything to the Bible and in 2 Peter 2 and Matthew 24 there are warnings of false prophets arising:
I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book. (Revelation 22:18,19)
But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. (2 Pet 2:1)
For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. Behold, I have told you in advance. (Matthew 24:24-25)
One has to take that into account as we try to weigh up the relationship between Christianity and Islam. Just because Islam claims to be the last word in no way means that it is. Equally, the claim that Jesus Christ is the last word in Hebrews:
God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son. (Hebrews 1:1-2)
But if Jesus, as Paul says, is the fullness of the Godhead bodily then of course that precludes further revelation or one that would supercede it.
For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form. (Colossians 2:9)
But Christianity and Islam should not stand opposite each other shouting that they are the last word; what they should do is seek to demonstrate it.
I have no doubt that God will apply the work of Jesus to bring men into relationship with God (which incidentally Islam does not claim to do) and a relationship with God which will last for eternity to whoever in any age have been repentant towards God and have faith in Him. Christians, of course, say in the words of Jesus: 'No man comes to the Father except through the Son'. No man, therefore, has a relationship with God as Father save through Jesus Christ. This relationship He offers and will give to all men where there is repentance and faith, irrespective of their backgrounds, their conditionings or how they were reared.
However, that still does not mean that all religions are right. It still leaves the question: 'has God clearly revealed Himself?' and in comparing Christianity and Islam we must decide which is the higher one; not even which is the primordial, but which is the one which has come from God with the highest ethic? The Qur'an will say: 'don't do to others what you don't like being done to you.' Jesus says:
Treat others the same way you want them to treat you. (Luke 6:31)
These are the kinds of ways that we need to assess the relative ethics and lifestyles. Equally Jesus claims to speak about the afterlife and our eternal relationship with God. Only one man claimed to have beaten death. Perhaps Jesus didn't but at least he claimed to do it and therefore has first claim on our enquiry. Muhammad never claimed to do that and nor did any other world leader. These are the issues that need to be seriously faced, when we are thinking about the pre-eminence of any religion. The Qur'an's commitment to take over the world, even if it has to be by force, is very different to Jesus' approach. His command is for us to love our enemies, which, when properly interpreted, means that we would never use violence or force to overcome them. |
