Crucifixion
A Christian wrote:-
Actually there is no good theories that confront the reality of the crucifixion! This is a Fatal flaw in the Quran and shows its obvious human authorship!To deny the Death of Christ on the Cross is to deny Caesar crossing the Rubicon, The Burning of Rome, The Sack of Jerusalem etc. etc.! In other words your denying facts of history and this puts you in a most awkward position!
Comment:-
According to the Quran the events surrounding the Crucifixion of Jesus were obscured. It denies that the Jews crucified Jesus. Indeed Jesus said that no one takes his life - it is he who sacrificed it (John 10:17-18)
An examination of the New Testament shows that he was very much alive in the flesh though they thought he had died. They thought they had seen a spirit and Thomas was asked to touch him to make sure. (Luke 24:36-39) According Matthew 27:15-26 there was a choice between crucifying Jesus Christ or someone called Jesus Barabbas (which means Jesus-son-of-Father) When Pilate was told that Jesus had died he too marveled that he had died so soon. (Mark15:14). He may have fainted. "Death and Resurrection", therefore, refers to Faith or Christianity as a religion which died when Jesus disappeared and then re-appeared.
According to some accounts there was some secret plot between Jesus, Judas Iscariot and Joseph Arimathaea.
Jesus, it must be remembered was teaching spiritual death and resurrection (John 3:5-7) and not physical resurrection. Mankind "dies" spiritually due to sin and is resurrected spiritually through the Word of God. You have to "die" to this world in order to be resurrected in heaven. Physical death and resurrection is irrelevant.
The physical death and resurrection of Jesus is also irrelevant to salvation though Paul appears to make it so. Jesus himself says:-
"Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that DOETH THE WILL OF MY FATHER which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that Day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name, and in thy name have cast out devils, and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then I will profess unto them: I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." Matthew 7:21-23
Even Paul tells us that God is not mocked, as a man sows so shall he reap.
It is, therefore, a corruption, a superstition to suppose that salvation depends on the belief that Jesus was crucified and then physically resurrected. Unless, of course, this idea does induce people to repent.
But it is true that Jesus, as other Prophets and Messengers, devoted his life and made many sacrifices, to bring the Word of God to mankind, and that one accepts the Message of God by accepting the Messengers. But it is the acceptance and application of the Message that brings salvation.
The Quran, rectifies the misunderstandings or demythologizes it.
Christian:-
Jesus NEVER claimed to be a prophet, He said He is the Son of God.
Comment:-
Not true. Jesus did not claim to be the literal "Son of God". What he said was:-
"If He called them gods unto whom the Word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken, say ye of him whom the Father has sanctified and sent unto the world: Thou blasphemest because I said: I am the Son of God. If I do not the works of my Father believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know and believe that the Father is in me and I in him" John 10:35-37
The phrase "son of God" is symbolic and refers to those who are led by the spirit or word of God. Even Paul knew this Romans:8:14. See also John 1:12 and John 3:5-7.
Christian:-
The crucifixion is central to Christianity. Without this act of sacrifice we would have no way we could approach God. We are all sinners, no matter how many good works we do, sin still corrupts us. How do "YOU" hope to achieve Heaven without a Savior. Even from the earliest days of the "Old Testament" We see that man needed a sacrifice, a blood sacrifice. Where is the sacrifice for the Islamic people blinded by Islam? How does Islam hope to have sin forgiven?
Comment:-
Muslims believe in God and pray to Him for forgiveness and the strength to overcome sin - He is perfectly able to forgive sins.
Don't you believe that God can forgive sins? If he cannot, then how can someone's sacrifice make him do so? If Jesus died and was then resurrected again, where is the sacrifice? As for Resurrection - it is promised all, whether righteous or sinners and there are many mansions in heaven.
Jesus did ask his followers to bear the cross. The cross was a symbol of self-sacrifice long before the time of Jesus. It refers to giving up the sinful or worldly life in order to obtain the spiritual life. This is also symbolized by baptism. It is indicated by Jesus when he said:
"For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it." Matthew 16:25
No twisted thinking is required, it is quite simple:-
God sends Prophets and Messengers to save mankind. They are willing to bear great hardships, and sacrifice their lives in the service of God. We are saved by accepting the Word or Message of God and behaving accordingly, and not because the Messenger made a sacrifice. But, of course, we would not have had the Word had they not made the sacrifice. But it might be that some people need this idea of his sacrifice to repent. If this is the effect then there can be no objection.
Try to understand the words of Jesus in Matthew 7:21-23 (quoted above)
Salvation does not come from believing that Jesus was crucified, died and was resurrected, but from obedience to God. Muslims accept Jesus and believe what he said.
Even Paul who appear to have invented the idea of salvation by belief in the death and resurrection of Jesus tells us:-
"Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap." Galatians 6:7
"But this I say, He which sows sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which sows bountifully shall reap also bountifully." 2 Cor. 9:6
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