1. The Bible is Approximately Three Times Bigger Than The Qur’an. This is a rough estimate.
2. There Are Two Major Divisions of The Bible. They are called “The Old Testament” and “The New Testament.” The word, “Testament” means a written covenant or agreement. God made a number of covenants with his people that are mentioned in the Bible, but the two main divisions of the Bible are named after what are considered to be the two main covenants. The first one is the covenant God made with his people Israel through the Prophet Moses. The second one is the covenant God made with believers from all nations through His Son Jesus the Messiah. All of the parts of the Bible given to the people of Israel before Jesus the Messiah came are included in the Old Testament. All the parts of the Bible which were given to believers in Jesus the Messiah after His coming are included in the New Testament. The Old Testament is more than three times as big as the New Testament.
3. There Are 66 “Books” in The Holy Bible. The Old Testament contains 39 books, and The New Testament containing 27 books. They are called “books,” but some of them are as short as one page while others are as long as 100 pages. Included among these 39 books of the Old Testament are the Torah (“Taurat”), the Psalms (“Zabur”) and many other books (“Sahifah”) of the prophets. The New Testament is the “Injil” (meaning “Good News” about Jesus).
4. God Gave us The Bible Through More Than 32 Prophets And Apostles in at Least Three Languages. He gave his prophets and apostles special guidance and inspiration, enabling them to write the books of the Bible in their own mother tongues. Some were written in the form of historical accounts, some are a listing of laws, some are poetry, some are laments, and some are prophetic proclamations. Most of the Old Testament was written in the Hebrew language, with some parts in ancient Aramaic. The New Testament (“Injil”) was written in the common Greek spoken at the time of Jesus’ life on this earth. The names of some of the prophets are known, through whom God gave us many of the books of the Bible. Some of the books give little or no information about the prophet through whom God spoke to us.
5. The Bible Was Written Over a Period of More Than 1500 Years. The oldest books of the Bible are the books of the Prophet Moses, who lived about 1500 BC. The book of Job (“Ayub” in Arabic) is also very old, and the exact date is not known. The last book of the Bible is the book of Revelation, which was written through the Apostle John about 90 AD.
6. Jesus the Messiah, Himself Did Not Write Any Part of The Bible. He is Himself the Word of God. By the guidance of God’s Holy Spirit, 8 or 9 of Jesus’ followers recorded the things He said and did in the 27 books of the Holy Injil (New Testament). They also explained the meaning of the Messiah’s teaching and actions in the light of the Old Testament prophecies about Him. That is the reason they are called the Apostles of Jesus the Messiah.
7. Prophets And Apostles in The Bible. The Bible mentions by name at least 134 different prophets and apostles, plus at least 96 others mentioned but not named. That makes a total of at least 230 prophets of various kinds mentioned in the Bible. The Bible mentions miracles performed by only 24 of these prophets, of whom Moses and Jesus performed the greatest number of miracles.
8. Genealogies in The Bible. By God’s inspiration, Jesus the Messiah’s complete genealogy of ancestors all the way back to Adam is found in the Bible. The relationships and stories of many of God’s servants are recorded, such as Moses, Adam, David, Jacob, Abraham, Noah, Job, Solomon, Jesus, Jonah, etc. Also God’s dealings with the people of Israel and God’s purposes for all nations are explained.
9. Book Titles, Chapters, Verses of the Bible. The names given to the books of the Bible, as well as the chapter and verse divisions were added later by scholars. They did this to make it easier to locate any particular statement or word in the Bible. It is important to realize, for example, that “The Gospel According to Matthew” is a title not given by God, but by human scholars, who believed that the Apostle Matthew was the human author of this part of the Holy Injil, and that it contains the Gospel (“good news”) of Jesus the Messiah. While it is fairly certain that the Apostle Matthew was the person God used to write this “book,” we should not assume from the titles of the first four books of the New Testament that there are four “Injils” or that the Holy Injil is only the first four parts of the New Testament instead of all of it.
(Source: “Questions about the Bible”, Rev. Richard P. Bailey. http://www.answering-islam.org/authors/bailey/questions_bible.html).
Answer Part 1: There Are Many Different Translations: Some people are confused by the different translations in English, which they assume are altered or changed Bibles because they use different English words. Yes, there are different words used in different translations, but the meaning is the same because these translations are all translated from the same original texts in Hebrew, Aramaic & Greek. As an example, here are seven different translations of the same phrase from Romans chapter 8 and verse 1:
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” – NIV
“There is therefore, now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” – ESV
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.” – KJV
“Thus there is no doom now for those who are in Christ Jesus.” – Moffatt
“There is no condemnation for those who are united with Christ Jesus.” – NEB
Likewise, there are many different English translations of the Qur’an commonly available, using different English words, but translated from the same Arabic original. For example here are four different English translations of Sura 3:72:
“There is among them a section who distort the Book with their tongues (as they read).” – Yusuf Ali
“And there is a sect of them twist their tongues with the Book …” – Arberry
“And verily, amongst them is a sect who twist their tongues concerning the Book …” – E.H. Palmer
“And surely, there is among them a section who change the book with their tongues (as they read)…” – Sayed Vickar Ahamed
“And some truly are there among them who torture the Scriptures with their tongues …” – Rodwell
“And lo! There is a party of them who distort the Scripture with their tongues …” – Pickthall
Answer Part 2: How is it Possible for God’s Word to be Changed?: God is eternal and so His Word is eternal and unchangeable! God says His Word cannot be changed! How can man change what God protects?:
“Your word, O Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens…Long ago I learned from your statutes that you established them to last forever.” (Psalm 119:89,152)
“I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him.” (Ecclesiastes 3:14)
“The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.”(Isaiah 40:8)
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass form the Law until all is accomplished.” (Matthew 5:17,18) (Source: “Questions about the Bible”, Rev. Richard P. Bailey. http://www.answering-islam.org/authors/bailey/questions_bible.html).
Even the Qur’an states,
“The Word of thy Lord doth find its fulfillment in truth and in justice: none can change His Words: for He is the one who heareth and knoweth all.” (Sura 6:115, A. Yusuf Ali translation).
“If thou wert in doubt as to what We have revealed unto thee then ask those who have been reading the Book from before thee: the Truth hath indeed come to thee from thy Lord: so be in nowise of those in doubt” (Sura 10:94, A. Yusuf Ali translation).
“And recite (and teach) what has been revealed to thee of the Book of thy Lord: none can change His Words and none wilt thou find as a refuge other than Him” (Sura 18:27, A. Yusuf Ali translation).
The Paraclete Passages of John 14, 15 and 16 Cannot be Prophecies of the Coming of Muhammad. Christians believe these passages are Jesus’ promise of the coming of the Holy Spirit to live in their hearts.
Muslims claim that Christians have changed the Greek word from periclytos, which means “illustrious one” (almost the exact meaning of “Ahmed,” another name for Muhammad), to paracletos, which means advocate or helper. Muslims interpret Jesus’ words as follows:
“He will abide with you forever … he lives with you and will be in you” (John 14:16,17) – They say Muhammad is the last prophet, so his message (Qur’an) and life (Hadith) abide with us and in us.
“The Spirit of Truth” (John 14:17; 15:26) – They say this refers to Muhammad, who was called Al Ameen (the honest one) from his childhood.
“He shall not speak of himself, but whatever he shall hear, that shall he speak”(John 16:13) – They say the angel Gabriel dictated every word of the Qur’an to Muhammad, and not one word was from himself.
“He shall glorify me” (John 16:14) – They say the Qur’an gives more respect to Jesus than Christians do! “Their changed Bible curses Him with crucifixion and says he addressed his mother disrespectfully as, ‘Woman’!”
I have three responses to Muslims’ arguments on this subject:
RESPONSE A: It is pure conjecture to say that Christians have changed the Greek word, periclytos to paracletos. There is no historical or any other proof of this. Where is there any ancient copy of John’s Gospel with the word periclytos?
RESPONSE B: By tracing the teaching of the Injil (New Testament) on this subject from the beginning, we will see how obvious it is that the Lord Jesus is speaking about God’s Holy Spirit:
1) John the Baptist’s (Yahyah’s) testimony about Jesus baptizing with the Holy Spirit:
“John answered them, ‘I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie’ … The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘… I myself did not know him, but, he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, “He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.”’” (John 1:26-34)
2) Jesus’ promise of the gift of the Holy Spirit:
“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.”(John 14:16-17);
“But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.” (John 15:26);
“But now I am going to him who sent me…I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment … When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.” (John 16:5-14)
3) Jesus connects his promise with John’s testimony:
“And while staying with them he [Jesus] ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, ‘you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now … But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.’” (Acts 1:4,5,8)
4) The actual coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of the feast of Pentecost and Peter’s teaching about it. (The Jewish feast of Pentecost took place 50 days after Jesus crucifixion and resurrection.)
“When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance … And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?’ But others mocking said, ‘They are filled with new wine.’ But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: ‘Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: “‘And in the last days it shall be,’ God declares, ‘that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.’” … And Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.’” (Acts 2:1-4,12-18,38,39)
RESPONSE C: Yusuf Ali argues that, “The future Comforter cannot be the Holy Spirit as understood by Christians, because the Holy Spirit already was present, helping and guiding Jesus.” The Messiah Jesus, however, clearly taught that at the time He said this to His disciples, the Holy Spirit was present in Himself (and therefore with His disciples) but not yet present in the lives of His disciples. Ten days after Jesus Ascended to heaven, on the Jewish Feast Day called Pentecost, they received the Holy Spirit, who came to live in them forever:
“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth … he lives with you [in Jesus] and will be in you.” (John 14:16,17)
“Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 1:4,5)
“Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” (2 Corinthians 1:21,22)
(Source: “Questions about the Bible”, Rev. Richard P. Bailey. http://www.answering-islam.org/authors/bailey/questions_bible.html).
This expression is used metaphorically and not in a physical sense. The Bible does not teach that God got married to Mary and had a baby! That is blasphemy! Almighty God is not a physical being, so such a thing is not only unthinkable, it is impossible! The term, “Son of God” is used as a metaphor to describe a spiritual relationship, which we will see below (see answer #5).
The following are a few examples of the common use of this kind of metaphor in the Bible:
“… and all the daughters of song are brought low …” (Ecclesiastes 12:4)
“Go up to Gilead, and take balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt!” (Jeremiah 46:11)
“Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the Lord … and has married the daughter of a foreign god.” (Malachi 2:11)
“The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one.” (Matthew 13:38)
“James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder) …” (Mark 3:17)
“Jesus said to them, ‘If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God … You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires.’” (John 8:42,44)
“… the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience …were by nature children of wrath …” (Ephesians 1:2,3)
Yes, Jesus was born physically of the virgin Mary about 2000 years ago, so He has been the son of Mary for some time, but he has always been the Son of God:
“… in these last days he (God) has spoken to us by his Son … through whom also he created the world.” (Hebrews 1:2).
Answer Part 2: “Son of God” is a title, not a description. Messiah Jesus was not sexually “begotten” by God. He was not born of God in the physical sense! This is evident from the following Bible verses:
- in Romans 1:4 he says that Jesus was “declared to be the Son of God,”
- in Hebrews 1:4,5 God says that Jesus “inherited” the name “Son,” and
- in Hebrews 5:4,5 he says that Jesus was “called” (chosen) to be the Son of God.
(Source: “Questions about the Deity of Jesus the Messiah”, Rev. Richard P. Bailey. http://www.answering-islam.org/authors/bailey/questions_jesus.html).
Jesus is God’s Eternal Word: No, the Bible does not teach that Jesus the Messiah is one of three gods. It teaches that he is the eternal Word of God, through whom all things were created:
“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son … through whom also he created the world.” (Hebrews 1:2)
“For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible … – all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:16,17)
“yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.” (1 Corinthians 8:6)
Answer Part 2: Jesus Himself Said That There is Only One God: The Bible does not teach that there are three gods. In fact, it states categorically at least 29 times that there is only one God! Jesus Himself taught:
“‘The most important one [commandment],’ answered Jesus, ‘is this: “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and will all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.”’” (Mark 12:29,30) )
(Source: “Questions about the Deity of Jesus the Messiah”, Rev. Richard P. Bailey. http://www.answering-islam.org/authors/bailey/questions_jesus.html).
Answer Part 1: Evil Men Could Not Have Killed the Messiah Without God’s Permission! Jesus Himself said that to the Roman governor:
“You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above.” (John 19:11)
Answer Part 2: Jesus the Messiah Said His Purpose in Coming Into the World Was to Die For Mankind. That is what He told His disciples (followers):
“… the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28)
In fact, the Messiah predicted His own death 22 times and his resurrection from the grave 6 times before it happened! In 6 of those predictions he specifically mentioned He would be crucified. I have listed below the Bible references for all 22 predictions (including the prediction quoted above) in the chronological order in which they occurred, and I have written out the 15 clearest ones:
- John 2:19-22 – Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” The Jews replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” But the temple he had spoken of was his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said.(see also Matthew 26:61)
- John 3:14 “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up.” (see John 8:28 and 12:32,33, listed below, where he repeated this same thing)
- Matthew 10:38 (He later repeats the same teaching on two other occasions listed below. One in Matthew 16:24, Mark 8:34 & Luke 9:23 and the other in Luke 14:27)
- John 6:43,51 – Jesus answered, … “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
- Matthew 16:21 – From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. (this is also recorded in Mark 8:31 and Luke 9:22)
- Matthew 16:24 – “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” (this is also recorded in Mark 8:34 & Luke 9:23)
- Matthew 17:11-13
- Matthew 17:22,23 – … he said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life.” (this is also recorded in Mark 9:31 and Luke 9:44)
- John 8:28
- John 10:11-15
- John 10:17,18 – … Jesus said, … “The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life – only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again.”
- Luke 14:27
- Matthew 20:18,19 – … Jesus … said to them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!”(The same thing is recorded in Mark 10:33,34 & Luke 18:31-33)
- Matthew 20:25,28 – Jesus … said … “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (The same thing is recorded in Mark 10:45)
- John 12:23,24
- John 12:30-33 – Jesus said, … “But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.” He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.
- Matthew 21:37-39 (also recorded in Mark 12:6-8 & Luke 20:1315)
- Matthew 26:1,2 – … he said to his disciples, “As you know, the Passover is two days away – and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”
- Matthew 26:10,12 – Jesus said to them … “When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial.” (The same thing is recorded in Mark 14:8)
- Luke 22:19 (also recorded in Matthew 26:26 & Mark 14:22)
- Matthew 26:31,32 – Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But after I have risen I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” (The same thing is recorded in Mark 14:27,28)
John 16:19-22 (see also Matthew 27:63 where the Jews remembered He had predicted his resurrection).
(Source: “Questions about the Crucifixion of Jesus the Messiah”, Rev. Richard P. Bailey. http://www.answering-islam.org/authors/bailey/questions_cross.html).
Almighty God Himself Established the Basic Principle of One Life For Another.
1) Almighty God Instituting Capital Punishment for Mankind – thus establishing the Principle of One Life Being Taken to Pay For Another.
After the great flood, the Lord instructed the Prophet Noah…
“And surely I will require your lifeblood; from every beast I will require it. And from every man, from every man’s brother I will require the life of man. Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed.” (Genesis 9:5.6)
2) God Also Instituting Animal Sacrifices in Order to Cover (Hide) the Sins of Human Beings – thus further establishing the principle of one life being taken to pay for the sins of another.
He instituted this covering of sin in His mercy, temporarily postponing His judgment upon sin until the real (permanent) Deliverer from sin would appear. Here are three examples of God Himself initiating animal sacrifices:
- (Genesis 3:1-20) When Adam and Eve sinned against God and hid themselves in the bushes because they realized they were naked, God Himself sacrificed the lives of innocent animals in order to use their skins in making clothing to cover (hide) Adam and Eve’s nakedness and guilt. Those innocent animals were sacrificed in place of Adam and Eve.
- (Genesis 22:1-18). When He told the prophet Abraham to sacrifice his son on the mountain, God Himself stopped Abraham at the last moment and provided an innocent ram to be sacrificed in the place of his son.
- (Leviticus 4 & 5) Also, in the Torah given to Israel through the prophet Moses, God Himself instructed his people in great detail how to bring innocent animals, that were “without blemish,” to be sacrificed and offered to God in their place whenever they sinned against God.
The Lord God Established This Principle in Order to Prepare us For His Provision of Eternal Salvation. Animal sacrifices were never intended to provide the real removal of our sins. Instead they were given by God to prepare us for the sacrifice that would really remove our sins. This is true because:
1) Animals Could Never be True Substitutes for Human Beings:
“For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities… For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” (Hebrews 10:1,4)
2) Animal Sacrifices Only Covered Sins Temporarily And Did Not really Remove Them:
“For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins… Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.” (Hebrews 10:1,2,11)
3) The Only Person Who Can Cleanse (Erase, Remove, Wash Away) Our Sin And Guilt, is The One Who is Qualified in The Following Three Ways to be Our Substitute. He must be:
a) … A Real Human Being like us (not an animal or another object like money, etc),
b) … One Who is Totally Sinless, without any flaw or weakness of his own, and therefore able to bear the sins of others,
c) Most important of all, he must be a person Who Has the Power to Conquer Death and to Bring Back to Life Those Who Are Being Put to Death by Sin.
4) Jesus the Messiah is the Only Person Able to Cleanse Our Sin, Because Only He is Qualified in Those Same Three Ways:
a) He Became Fully Human Just Like Us:
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us …” (John 1:14)
“Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things …” (Hebrews 2:14)
“Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:6-8, NIV 2011)
“Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, ‘Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me’ … we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” (Hebrews 10:5,10)
b) He is The Only Perfect, Sinless Human Being Who Ever Lived on This Earth. Everyone else has to die for his own sins and cannot die for another sinful person. Therefore he is the only person who can give his life in our place and take away the death, guilt, shame and weakness resulting from our sins against God.
“He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.” (Hebrews 2:22)
“… in him there is no sin.” (1 John 3:5)
“Can any of you prove me guilty of sin?” (John 8:46)
“… holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners … He has no need … to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people …”(Hebrews 7:26,27)
“… one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15).
(Source: “Questions about the Crucifixion of Jesus the Messiah”, Rev. Richard P. Bailey. http://www.answering-islam.org/authors/bailey/questions_cross.html).
I can say I know my sins are forgiven because God Himself has told me in His eternal Word that they are Forgiven! He has promised not only to forgive my sins, but to cleanse me from all my sins if I will fully trust in Messiah Jesus as my Savior and surrender my life to follow him as my Lord. Who am I that I should tell Almighty God He cannot promise me forgiveness for my sins through Jesus Messiah’s death and resurrection on my behalf?
“Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses.” (Acts 13:38,39)
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.” (Ephesians 1:7)
“I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” (1 John 5:13)
(Source: “Questions about the Crucifixion of Jesus the Messiah”, Rev. Richard P. Bailey. http://www.answering-islam.org/authors/bailey/questions_cross.html).
The Bible teaches us just the opposite. It says that God’s purpose in Jesus’ death for us was to enable us to stop sinning, not to give us freedom to sin:
“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.” (1 Peter 2:24)
“For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” (2 Corinthians 5:14,15)
“What shall we say then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” (Romans 6:1,2)
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:8-10)
“… God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life …” (2 Timothy 1:8,9)
“For the grace of God … It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope – the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” (Titus 2:11-14)
(Source: “Questions about the Crucifixion of Jesus the Messiah”, Rev. Richard P. Bailey. http://www.answering-islam.org/authors/bailey/questions_cross.html).
The Bible clearly teaches that we are sinful and nothing we do is good in comparison with the absolute and pure righteousness of Almighty God. We are saved by God’s undeserved grace revealed to us in the saving death and resurrection of Jesus the Messiah, not by our good deeds:
“For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment …” (Isaiah 64:6)
“He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior.” (Titus 3:5,6)
“By the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin. But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus… Where then is boasting? It is excluded By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.” (Romans 3:19-28)
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)
That does not mean we should not do good works, but our efforts to please God with good works are the product, not the cause, of our salvation. Those who have already put their trust in Jesus as their Savior certainly will follow Him and serve Him with good deeds out of a heart of love and gratitude:
“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:8-10)
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” (John 14:14-16)
(Source: “Questions about the Crucifixion of Jesus the Messiah”, Rev. Richard P. Bailey. http://www.answering-islam.org/authors/bailey/questions_cross.html).
Jesus never said clearly in so many words, “I am God!” But He did say it indirectly:
“At this the Jews began to grumble about him because he said, ‘I am the bread that came down from heaven.’ They said, ‘Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, “I came down from heaven”?’” (John 6:41,42)
“‘I tell you the truth,’ Jesus answered, ‘before Abraham was born, I am!’ At this, they picked up stones to stone him…” (John 8:58)
[Note: “I Am” is the name God used for Himself when He spoke to Moses. Stoning was the punishment for blasphemy prescribed in the Mosaic Law.]
(Jesus prayed) “I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.” (John 17:4,5)
[ For more about the deity of Christ see the article entitled,
“BIBLE INDICATIONS OF THE DEITY OF JESUS CHRIST” ]
(Source: “Why Did Jesus Not Openly Reveal His Full Identity?”, Rev. Richard P. Bailey. http://www.answering-islam.org/authors/bailey/openly.html).
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made… And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the father, full of grace and truth.”
This part of the Holy Injil (New Testament) tells us the eternal Word of God, which in the beginning of creation was “with God,” also “was God.” Everything God created, He created by saying, “Be!” which means He created everything by Himself, by His own Word. God’s Word is not another God; God’s Word is God’s communication of Himself. Can God exist without His Word? Obviously not. Was there ever a time when God’s Word did not exist? Of course not. This is like my speech or communication, which is a distinct entity of my being, but certainly is not a second being separate from me. So God is One, and part of that oneness is His Word, which comes out from Him and communicates Himself to us. In Arabic Jesus is called, “Kalamat Ullah,” the Word of God. He came out from God and came into the world as a human being. God in His sovereignty chose to reveal Himself to us through His Word – His Word, who became one of us and lived among us. In comparing Jesus Christ with the prophet Adam, the Bible tells us, “The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven.” (1 Corinthians 15:47) After 33 years on this earth, when the Lord Jesus the Messiah was about to return back to heaven, he himself indicated he had existed in Almighty God from before creation: “I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do, and now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.” (John 17:4,5)
(Source: “Questions about the Deity of Jesus the Messiah”, Rev. Richard P. Bailey. http://www.answering-islam.org/authors/bailey/questions_jesus.html).
A New Form: In God’s act of creation, His eternal Word came out of Him when He commanded “Be!” and yet He did not become two gods. In the same way, when he spoke His eternal Word into the virgin Mary, God’s Word remained God and at the same time became a man like us. Jesus never stopped being Almighty God’s Eternal Word. God says in the Holy Injil,
“… Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:6-8)
“In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God … All things were made through him … And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us …” (John 1:1,3,14)
“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life – the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us – that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you …” (1 John 1:1,2)
“For by him all things were created … all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together … For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.” (Colossians 1:16,17; 2:9)
He changed his form, not His person. He is not sometimes God and sometimes man, nor is He half God and half man. He is both fully God and fully human at the same time – even if we cannot understand it!
(Source: “Questions about the Deity of Jesus the Messiah”, Rev. Richard P. Bailey. http://www.answering-islam.org/authors/bailey/questions_jesus.html).
Answer: God can do whatever He wants, except He cannot violate His own character. Otherwise He would self-destruct! He would no longer be God! The character of God, especially his love and justice, compelled him to become a man.
God’s love: One of God’s greatest attributes is love. True love is self-giving (not taking) for the sake of another. God gave Himself to us in order to do for us what we could not do for ourselves – to wipe away our sin and save us from judgment and eternal death. He loved us so much that he Himself became our substitute by becoming one of us. Thus He can forgive and save from eternal judgment/death anyone who will accept His gift of salvation. God’s love compelled him to give for us what is dearest to Him:
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16);
“In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 4:9,10);
“… he too shared in their humanity (flesh and blood) so that by his death he might destroy…the devil and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.” (Heb. 2;14,15)
God’s justice: God’s justice requires Him to do this. The Bible teaches that although God has the power to do anything (“For nothing is impossible with God” – Luke 1:37), He cannot do things that would violate his own character such as lie (“… it is impossible for God to lie …” – Heb. 6:18) or be unfaithful to His promises (“If we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.” – 2 Tim. 2:13). One of the attributes of God’s character is justice. Nahum the prophet wrote, “… the Lord will by no means clear the guilty.” (Nahum 1:3) He was repeating what the Lord God Himself had said earlier to the prophet Moses in Exodus 34:7.
To illustrate this, suppose I were to steal a very valuable item from your home and sell it to buy drugs or to gamble, and by the time you found me I had already wasted all the money. If I were then to confess my sin and beg your forgiveness, you would be faced with a choice. You could either forgive me, which would mean absorbing the loss, or you could gain some satisfaction by having me arrested and prosecuted. If you chose to forgive me, the cost of your forgiveness would be the value of the item I stole from you plus the shame of being burglarized. You would have to be willing to accept all that loss by voluntarily choosing to give the value of the item to me. But suppose you chose to have me prosecuted, but the judge took pity on me and decided to “forgive” me. How would you feel? You would certainly feel that judge was unjust! Forgiveness is never just a matter of words because it is never free! That judge suffered no loss, so how could he forgive me? Forgiveness can only be given by the person who is willing to absorb the injury, loss or cost involved. God is certainly not an unjust judge who would simply declare us forgiven without suffering any loss Himself, just because He wanted to!
We seem to be faced with a dilemma. If God, because of His love, were to forgive our sins without giving us the full punishment according to His own law, He would be unjust and would be violating his own character. But if God in His justice were to condemn us, how could we ever endure the eternal punishment in hell that we deserve?
However, the eternal Word of God became a man (Jesus) so he could take our punishment upon himself (God cannot die, but a man can die). He did this so that he could be merciful in forgiving us but also be just in doing so:
“… God presented him (Jesus) as a sacrifice of atonement … He did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus …” (see Rom. 3:22-26). )
(Source: “Questions about the Deity of Jesus the Messiah”, Rev. Richard P. Bailey. http://www.answering-islam.org/authors/bailey/questions_jesus.html).
WHY DO MUSLIMS OBJECT TO THIS? See The Qur’an’s Teaching:
(Sura 4:171) “Christ Jesus the son of Mary was (no more than) an apostle of God, and His Word, which He bestowed on Mary, and a Spirit proceeding from Him. So believe in God and His apostles. Say not, ‘trinity.’ Desist! It will be better for you, for God is one God …”
[from Yusuf Ali’s notes 675 & 676: “… the Christian attitude is condemned, which … invents the doctrine of the trinity … Christ’s attributes are mentioned: (1) that he was the son of a woman, Mary, and therefore a man; (2) but an apostle, a man with a mission from God, and therefore entitled to honour; (3) a Word bestowed on Mary, for he was created by God’s Word ‘Be’ (kun) and he was (3:59); (4) a spirit proceeding from God, but not God … The doctrines of Trinity, equality with God, and sonship are repudiated as blasphemies …”]
“Shirk”– the unforgivable sin: (Sura 4:48,116) “God forgiveth not that partners should be set up with Him; but He forgiveth anything else, to whom He pleaseth. To set up partners with God is to devise a sin most heinous indeed … God forgiveth not (the sin of) joining other gods with Him, but He forgiveth whom He pleaseth other sins than this.”
(Sura 5:76,119) “They do blaspheme who say, ‘God is one of three in a trinity: for there is no god except One God… O Jesus, the son of Mary. Didst thou say unto men, ‘Worship me and my mother as gods in derogation of God’? He will say, ‘Glory to Thee! Never could I say what I had no right (to say).’”
(Sura 2:163) “And your God is one God: There is no god but He …” (see also Sura 16:22; 16:51; 37:4-5; 38:65)
ANSWER #1: Messiah Jesus Himself Said That There is Only One God:
“‘The most important one [commandment],’ answered Jesus, ‘is this: “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.”’” (Mark 12:29)
ANSWER #2: Christianity Does Not Teach That There Are Three Gods! The Bible Categorically States at Least 30 Times That There is Only One God!:
In the Torah (Taurat): “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” (Deuteronomy 6:4,5 – see also Deuteronomy 4:35 & 39; 2 Samuel 7:22; I Kings 8:60; 2 Kings 19:19)
In the Psalms (Zabur): “For you are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God.“ (Psalm. 86:10)
In the books of the prophets: “Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me. I, I am the Lord, and besides me there is no savior.” (Isaiah 43:10,11);“This is what the Lord says … I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God … You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one.” (Isaiah 44:6,8 – see also Isaiah 37:16,20; 44:24; 45:5,6,18,21; 46:9; 48:12; Hosea 13:4)
In the New Testament (Injil): “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men.” (1 Timothy 2:5,6a – see also Mark 12:29; John 5:44; Romans 3:30; I Corinthians 8:4; Ephesians 4:6; I Timothy 1:17; James 2:19; Jude 25)
ANSWER #3: The Trinity Is Clearly Seen in God’s Act of Creation. Although the word, “trinity” itself does not appear in the Bible, the triune (three in one) nature of God appears repeatedly. As an example, look at what is written about God’s method of creation:
First of all the Bible Says That God Created all Things Alone:
“I am the Lord, who has made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself.” (Isaiah 44:24).
And yet, in the Torah’s account of creation we see the triune nature of God’s creating work:
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, ‘Let there be light.’ And there was light …” (Genesis 1:1-3)
The three “members” of the “Trinity” involved in creation seen in these verses are:
– God the Father (“God”),
– God the Spirit (“the Spirit of God”) and
– God the Son, who, according to John 1:1-14, is the Word of God (“God said”)
Secondly, God Uses Several Human Metaphors to Describe the Means He Used to Create Everything. These metaphors are used not only to explain to us God’s meaning, but they also indicate the “members” of the “Trinity” involved in creation. God created everything alone by means of Four “Parts” of Himself …
1) by His Right Hand – His hand of Power: God also said,
“My own hand laid the foundations of the earth and my right hand spread out the heavens.” (Isaiah 48:13)
Does this mean that God’s right hand is the creator and not God, or that God’s right hand is a second God in addition to God Himself? Of course not! God alone created everything but He did it by His own right hand, which is a human metaphor for His Power. Thus we read that God,
“… made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding.” (Jeremiah 10:12)
When Mary was told by an angel that she would have a son, she asked how that could be possible.
“And the angel answered her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.’” (Luke 1:35)
It is clear from this verse that God the Holy Spirit is also called God’s Power. We also see from this verse that Jesus the Messiah (God’s eternal Word) was brought into this world by God’s Power. Remember that we have already seen that the Spirit of God was present and involved in creation:
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, ‘Let there be light.’ And there was light …” (Genesis 1:1-3)
And we read that Messiah Jesus also is God’s power:
“… Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:24).
2) by His Wisdom:
“I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence … The Lord brought me forth as the first of his works, before his deeds of old; I was appointed from eternity, from the beginning, before the world began. When there were no oceans, I was given birth …I was there when he set the heaven in place … Then I was the craftsman as his side …” (Proverbs 8:1-31)
Did God ever exist without His wisdom? Of course not! Did God create his own wisdom? No! Is God’s wisdom a second God in addition to God Himself? Absolutely not! God says that his wisdom is “from eternity, from the beginning.” God’s wisdom was “brought forth,” (brought into use) and “appointed” (selected for use) at the time of creation, and so God alone created everything but He did it by His own wisdom.
Then we read that Messiah Jesus is also God’s wisdom:
“… Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:24).
3) by The Word of God: God further said,
“By the word of the Lord were the heavens made … For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.” (Psalm 33:6,9)
“And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light …” (Genesis 1:3)
“In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” (John 1:1-3)
These verses clearly show that God alone created everything by His Word. The Word of God is the communication or manifestation of God. God’s Word is God Himself; not a second God. God created everything simply by commanding it to “Be!” Yes, God alone created everything, but He did it by His Word.
Messiah Jesus is the eternal Word of God, who “became” a human being by the power of God:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made… The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us …” (John 1:1-3,14)
4) by The Breath of His Mouth; The Breath of Life: Also God said,
“By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.” (Psalm 33:6)
“Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” (Genesis 2:7)
These verses clearly show that God alone created everything, but He did it by breathing into it the Breath of Life.
Many Verses Indicate that Jesus the Messiah is God’s Life:
“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies …’” (John 11:25)
“Jesus answered, ‘I am … the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” (John 14:6)
“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life – the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us.” (1 John 1:1,2)
ANSWER #4: Two Illustrations From Nature:
Human beings: When we humans talk about ourselves we refer to ourselves as “I.” When a man dies, his body goes into the grave, but his soul doesn’t. Which one is the real person – his body or his soul? A man might say, “I said I would do it.” or “I gave you my word.” In the first statement he identifies his word (“said”) as himself (“I”). In the second statement he distinguishes his word (“my word”) from himself (“I”). He is one person, yet he exists in several entities – word, body, spirit and soul, mind, etc. and he talks about his spirit, his mind, his word, etc, as if they are all separate entities, although he is only one being. Human beings are triune beings – body, soul/mind and spirit – three in one.
The sun: When I look toward the sun I might say, “I see the sun,” but I actually see only the light of the sun which makes things visible on the earth. In the same way, when I feel the warmth of the sunshine I might say, “I feel the sun,” but I actually feel only the heat of the sun which gives life to the plants and animals of the earth. Science tells me that in reality the sun is burning gases, which I can neither see nor feel. What I see is the light from the burning gases and what I feel is the heat from the burning gases. The one sun has three distinct entities – gas (source), light and heat – all existing simultaneously, and I refer to each of them as “the sun.” We could say that the sun is a triune being – gas (source), light and heat – three in one.
We could compare God “the Father” to the gas, which is the source of the light and the source of the heat. God the Father is the source, whom we cannot see nor feel:
“No one has ever seen God.” (John 1:18)
“And the Father…His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen.”(John 5:37)
“… who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see …”(1 Timothy 6:16)
We could compare God “the Son” to the light of the sun, which reveals the sun so that we can see it:
“No man has ever seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him.” (John 1:18 – ASV)
“He is the image of the invisible God.” (Colossians 1:15)
“He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature.”(Hebrews 1:3)
And we can compare God “the Holy Spirit” to the heat of the sun, which we feel and which has power to give life:
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you …” (Acts 1:8)
“And the angel answered her [Mary], ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.’” (Luke 1:35)
All three are one God, but they each have their functions. For example, the only way we can know about the sun’s source is through the sun’s light and heat, but without the source there could be no light or heat. Likewise the only way we can know God is by His revelation of Himself to us through His Word (Jesus) and through His Holy Spirit.
[Other illustrations from nature are:
– Space is a trinity with three dimensions (height, length, and depth). Without all three dimensions, there is no space.
– Time is a trinity with three aspects (future, present, past). Without all three aspects, there is no time.]
ANSWER #5: God’s Oneness (Tauhid) is Not as Much Singleness As it is Uniqueness and “United-ness”:
In the well-known “Shema” found in the Torah we read,
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” (Deuteronomy 6:4,5)
When the Bible says that “God is One” is doesn’t mean simply that He is the only God, which He certainly is. The Shema clearly shows that His oneness means: 1) He is totally distinct or unique from all other entities – one of a kind; and 2) He is completely united in Himself:
1) He is Totally Distinct and Unique: Notice that what the Lord is saying in this passage is not a command to believe that God is one. His oneness is stated as a fact, not to be disputed. Instead the command is to love God will all of our being! It is a logical deduction that if there is only one God – the Almighty Creator of all that exists, we must respond by loving Him withal of our being (heart, soul and strength)! To say we believe there is one God, and yet share our love for Him with several other entities (self interests, idols, personal beliefs, etc.), is not only idolatry, it is an open act of rebellion, putting ourselves in the same state as Satan and his demons:
“You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that – and shudder.” (James 2:19)
2) He is Completely United in Himself: In the original text, the Hebrew word for “one” ise’had, which is used to describe other things that are united. For example: God used the same word in the following verses:
“God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, one (e’had) day.” (Genesis 1:5, RSV)
“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one (e’had) flesh.” (Genesis 2:24).
(Source: “Answers to Questions About the Trinity and Other Questions About God.”, Rev. Richard P. Bailey. http://www.answering-islam.org/authors/bailey/questions_god.html).
God is so great (Allah-u-Akbar) and His love is so complete, that He was able to create us to have an intimate relationship with Himself. It seems clear from Scripture that God Himself wants that relationship with us. Just look at what God’s Word says:
1) God has always intended to live with and among His people:
(a) With Adam & Eve in the Garden of Eden:
“And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day …” (Genesis 3:8)
(b) Among the People of Israel:
“I will make my dwelling among you, and my soul shall not abhor you. And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people.” (Leviticus 26:11)
“The Lord said to Moses and Aaron; ‘The Israelites are to camp around the Tent of Meeting (where God put His special presence) some distance from it, each man under his standard with the banners of his family. On the east (three tribes) …On the south (three tribes) …On the west (three tribes) … On the north (three tribes) …” (Numbers 2:1,33);
“The Lord said to Moses, ‘Command the Israelites to send away from the camp anyone who has an infectious skin disease… send them outside the camp so they will not defile their camp, where I dwell among them’.” (Numbers 5:1-3)
(c) Among Humanity:
“In the beginning was the Word … And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…” (John 1:1, 14)
(d) With Those Who Repent and Submit to Him:
“This is what the high and lofty One says, He who lives forever, ‘I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit.’” (Isaiah 57:15)
2) Now God in His Holy Spirit has chosen to live in the life of believers – those who trust in Jesus their Messiah:
(Jesus said to His disciples) “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth … for he dwells with you and will be in you.” (John 14:16, 17);
“You… are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you.” (Romans 8:9)
“We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his son, Jesus Christ.” (I John 1:3)
“For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” (Rom. 8:15,16)
3) Moreover, this relationship with God has the potential of being more intimate than any human relationship! The most intimate human relationships (married spouses or mother and child) are limited to verbal and physical communication, but when God’s Spirit lives inside us and communicates spiritually with our spirit we are able to be closer and more intimate with Him than with any human being:
“For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the Spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.” (I Cor. 2:11,12)
(Source: “Answers to Questions about the Trinity and Other Questions about God.”, Rev. Richard P. Bailey. http://www.answering-islam.org/authors/bailey/questions_god.html).