Apologetics and the Divinity of Jesus

Jul 2, 2024

Lecture Notes: Apologetics and the Divinity of Jesus

Topic: Addressing the Question - Did Jesus Claim to be God?

Key Argument

  • Common Challenge: Muslims often ask, "Where did Jesus say, 'I am God, worship me'?"
  • Assumption: The expectation that Jesus needs to explicitly state this for it to be true.

Response Strategy

  1. The Assumption Turned Against Them: If Jesus must explicitly say, “I am God” for it to be true, then:

    • Similarly, in the Quran, Jesus must explicitly state He is the Messiah, Son of Mary, word of Allah, and a spirit from Allah. He doesn’t, thus applying their logic, Jesus wouldn’t be these as well.

  2. Islamic Contradictions: Verses and points where Jesus's statements in the Bible contradict the Quran:

    • John 10:36: “I am the Son of God” contradicts Quran 9:30.
    • Matthew 11:27: Jesus’s unique relationship with the Father.
    • Quran 5:116: Contradicts Biblical Jesus, who states knowledge equal to the Father.

Jesus’s Divinity in the Bible

  • John 10:27-33: Jesus’s sheep hear His voice, He gives them eternal life, they won’t perish. Jesus and the Father are one in their power to preserve.
    • Jews understood this as a claim to be God but not the Father.

Jesus’s Own Words Showing Divinity

  • John 5:21, 25, 28-29: Jesus raises the dead and gives life like the Father.
    • “An hour is coming when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God...”
  • John 14:6: “I am the way, the truth, and the life...”
  • John 6:39-40: Jesus will raise believers on the last day.

Explanation of Historical Context

  • First-century Jewish Context: Claiming to be “God” without qualification would miscommunicate as Father in Heaven.
  • Jesus’s unique expression: Claimed divinity in a way that distinguished Him as the Son of God, not the Father, but equal in essence.

Conclusion

  • Key Point: Even if Jesus explicitly stated “I am God”, Muslims may reject it citing Bible corruption.
  • Effective Communication: Jesus communicated His divinity perfectly, addressing His first-century Jewish audience’s understanding.
    • Jews understood He claimed to be God while not the Father, aligning with Trinitarian beliefs.
    • Jesus’s statements and actions matched divine attributes reserved for God alone in the Quran, reinforcing His claims of divinity.

Final Notes

  • Debate Nuances: Muslims often use Bible corruption arguments when faced with contradictions.
  • Consistency in Argumentation: Using their logic against Quranic assertions helps expose inconsistencies.