Jesus is a well known figure in the history of Christianity and Islam. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, which tell the life of Jesus, were written decades after the death of Jesus. The perspectives of these men who didn’t know Jesus personally, but whose writings and teachings are important in the Christian faith, makes one wonder what of Jesus' life and teachings in the Gospels are really accurate. But, red letter edition Bibles, which have the actual words spoken by Jesus printed in red ink, do exist. Furthermore, as a Muslim, one must believe in Jesus as a prophet and messenger of God, not the son of or part of God. To Muslims, the Quran in Arabic is the last revealed word of God sent to prophet Muhammad through Gabriel to all of humankind and hasn’t been changed! The Quran is the primary source in Islam and covers numerous subjects, including the stories of Mary and Jesus. Using an edition of the red letter Bible and the Quran, one can get an idea of Jesus' actual life and teachings and those which have been added.
First and foremost, it has been recorded that Jesus blessed those who got abused because of their belief and practice in God. He related this to the mistreatment prophets received due to the same reason. This can be motivation for those who were, and still are, the "strangers" amongst many people who live the opposite lifestyle. In the New Testament, Jesus said, "Be glad and exult over it, for you will be richly rewarded in heaven, for that is the way they persecuted the prophets who went before you" (36). In King James Version of the Bible, Matthew 5:12 "Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you", is written in red letters, thus indicating that these are really words spoken by Jesus. The Quran goes one step further, mentioning the punishment of those who killed the prophets: "Those who disbelieve in the signs of Allah and kill the prophets without right and kill those who order justice from among the people – give them tidings of a painful punishment" (The Holy Quran 3:21). This is just one of the many authentic words of Jesus.
Moreover, Jesus' true teachings included the upholding and preaching of the commandments sent to Moses. Jesus said, "Do not suppose that I have come to do away with the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to do away with them but to enforce them" (The New Testament 37). In Matthew 5:17, similar words are written in red: "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill" (King James). Finally, the Quran has a similar account: "And [I, Jesus, have come] confirming what was before me of the Torah... And I have come to you with a sign from your Lord, so fear Allah and obey me. Indeed, Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. That is the straight path" (The Holy Quran 3:50-51). These teachings included not murdering, not committing adultery, etc.
There are many words of Jesus' in the Gospels that he really did say, but there are also some that Jesus didn’t say but others "put words in Jesus' mouth". One of the most important belief to some Christians that differentiates itself from Islam, for example, is that of Jesus being thought of as the son of and part of God. It was asked of Jesus "Are you the son of God then? And "he said" to them, "I am as you say" (The New Testament 52). When checking this same verse, Luke 22:70, in the red letter Bible, "Ye say that I am" (King James) is only in red and replaces "I am as you say". Jesus' real answer of "You say that I am" shows that Jesus himself didn’t call himself the "son of God" but rather other people came up with this concept. This attribution that others made, making Jesus part of and the offspring of God, is false according to other reliable sources.
In another verse Jesus himself said, "But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men" (King James, Matthew 15:9). This last verse is in red and is supported by a verse in the Quran: "And [beware the Day] when Allah will say, "O Jesus, Son of Mary, did you say to the people, 'Take me and my mother as deities besides Allah?'" He will say, "Exalted are You! It was not for me to say that to which I have no right. If I had said it, You would have known it…" (The Holy Quran 5:116). Jesus never preached the worship of or divinity of himself and God will not hold him accountable for what others falsely attributed to Jesus.
Finally, the concept of Jesus being crucified and killed is debatable. When Jesus supposedly came back to life on the third day and mingled with people, he blessed them and parted from them (The New Testament 55). Again, the only words appearing in red in this verse, Luke 23:46, is "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit" (King James). In the Quran, 4:157-158, it is written, And [for] their saying, "Indeed, we have killed the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, the messenger of Allah." And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but [another] was made to resemble him to them. And indeed, those who differ over it are in doubt about it… And they did not kill him, for certain. Rather, Allah raised him to Himself.
These verses "testify" that Jesus wasn't really crucified and killed, rather his spirit and body were saved by God. Many people and religions differ on the life and teachings of Jesus. While some believe Jesus to be the son and one third of God, was crucified and killed, and pick and choose what to live by of Jesus' teachings, others have sound evidence based on scriptures from God that disprove these notions.
Works Cited
"King James Version of the Bible - Online Search." King James Version of the Bible. Web. 23 Mar. 2013. http://kjvbible.net/.
"The Holy Quran." The Holy Quran. Web. 23 March 2013. http://www.allahsquran.com/read/verses.php?ch=1.
"The New Testament." The Bedford Anthology of World Literature. Ed. Paul Davis. Vol. 2. Boston: Bedford/ St. Martin, 2004. 36-55. Print.
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