Christian and Islamic Views of the Death, Resurrection, and Deity

of Jesus

Class Notes Week 4

  1. Summary of Islamic Arguments to Date

    2.

    1. The Qur-an is the actual words of God - God speaking.

    2. Sura 4:156-157 states that Jesus was not crucified, nor did he die. Someone was crucified in Jesus' place (substitutioary theory).

    3. God knows, therefore it is true, despite any other evidence.

    4. Jesus was not a spirit after the crucifixion because he had flesh and bones. The "resurrected" are spirits because they are like angels.

    5. Mary knew Jesus was not dead when he was taken off the cross. She expected to find him alive at the tomb. The Swoon theory.

    6. Jesus was disguised as gardener because he was afraid the Jews would find out he was alive and then kill Him.

    7. If one man could put the stone in place at the tomb, one or two could remove it.

     

  2. The Sign of Jonah

    1. Jesus said that only one sign would be given to the Jews to prove that he was the promised Messiah. "As Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the belly of the earth."

    2. Jonah was alive for three days and three nights. Jesus was suppose to be dead for three days and three nights. Jesus was NOT like Jonah, therefore the Jews can not accept him as their Messiah.

    3. It was a miracle that Jonah did not die when he was expected to. It was a miracle that Jesus did NOT die as He was expected to.

    4. At most Jesus was in the grave two nights and one day.

    5. The sign of Jonah is a miracle, because he was expected to die and did NOT die.

    6. NOTE FROM CLASS: The sign of Jonah is really responding to a call to repent. Read the entire segment, maintain the context. (Matt. 12:38-45 and Luke 11:29-32)

     

  3. Opening Arguments for the Christian View

    4.

    1. Many Islamic views concerning the crucifixion. The substitutionalry theory - many different ideas as to who the substitute was. Others say Jesus died a natural death years later - mainly from Qadianiasm.

    2. Jesus not afraid to die. He was willing to die. "I can lay my life down and I can take it up again"

    3. Jews NOT guilty of Jesus' death. Gentiles were. We all are.

    4. Intelligent, intellectual faith, not a blind faith.

    5. Simon Greenleaf, considered to be "the" expert on legal evidence, set out to show the evidence for Christ's resurrection was not valid; ended up becomming a Christian because the evidence was so overwhelming. See his book "The Testimony of the Evangelists" - Publisher Kregel.