Jesus, Peace Be upon Him, between the Gospel and the Qur’an: The Message of Divine Oneness and Christian Understanding Today

Introduction

The figure of Jesus, peace be upon him, is central to both Christianity and Islam, but there is a fundamental difference in how his identity is understood. Whereas Christianity regards him as the Son of God and Lord, Islam affirms that he is a messenger from God and a preacher of divine oneness. A literal study of Gospel texts alongside the Noble Qur’an reveals that his original message was to worship and obey God alone, and that certain beliefs concerning his divinity arose after him.

First: What the Gospel Literally Says

John 16: 12–15

I often wish to tell you many things, but you cannot bear them now. But when he, the Spirit of Truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth; for he will not speak on his own authority, but will tell you whatever he hears, and will tell you what is to come.

Jesus thus indicates that the disciples were unable to comprehend the truth fully at that time. He explains that the one to come will guide people to the whole truth, and that the criterion for understanding truth is what comes from God, not from human beings or from the prophet’s name alone.

Matthew 7: 22–23

Many will say to me on that day: Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? And in your name cast out demons? And in your name perform many mighty works? Then I will declare to them: I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of iniquity.

This verse speaks of people who profess religiosity in Jesus’s name and claim to have performed great deeds in his name. He rejects them because their deeds are not grounded in God’s will. The central message is that reliance on the prophet’s name or outward miracles is not sufficient; rather, the true criterion is obedience to God alone.

Second: What the Noble Qur’an Says

﴿وَإِذْ قَالَ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ إِنِّي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ إِلَيْكُم مُّصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيَّ مِنَ التَّوْرَاةِ وَمُبَشِّرًا بِرَسُولٍ يَأْتِي مِن بَعْدِي اسْمُهُ أَحْمَدُ﴾ (And when Jesus, son of Mary, said: O Children of Israel, I am God’s messenger to you, confirming the Torah that came before me and bringing glad tidings of a messenger who will come after me, whose name is Ahmad.) [al-Saff: 6]

The Qur’an thus connects Jesus to God’s continuing message and indicates the coming of Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace, after him to complete the message.

﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ أَن يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَلِكَ لِمَن يَشَاءُ﴾ (Indeed, God does not forgive the association of partners with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills.) [al-Nisa’: 48]

This means that elevating any human being, including Jesus, to the status of divinity constitutes the association of partners with God, and that forgiveness is restricted to those who worship God alone.

Third: The Agreement between the Gospel Read Literally and the Qur’an

In the Gospel texts, Jesus says: “I never knew you … you workers of iniquity.” This corresponds to the Qur’anic statement ﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ أَن يُشْرَكَ بِهِ﴾ (Indeed, God does not forgive the association of partners with Him.), indicating that merely invoking Jesus’s name or performing deeds in his name is not sufficient; rather, obedience to God alone is the true criterion of truth and salvation.

Jesus also indicates that the one to come “will guide you into all truth.” This corresponds to the Qur’anic statement ﴿مُبَشِّرًا بِرَسُولٍ يَأْتِي مِن بَعْدِي﴾ (Bringing glad tidings of a messenger who will come after me.), making clear that the divine message continues through successive messengers.

His statement, “I have many things I want to say to you, but you cannot bear them now,” makes clear that there are additional teachings whose time for dissemination had not yet come. In an Islamic reading, this is understood as a reference to the continuation of the message through another messenger after him, who would guide people to the whole truth. In other words, what Christians regard as spiritual guidance is—according to Islamic texts—a complete new body of revealed law and the completion of the message that Jesus began.

Fourth: The Difference from Christian Understanding Today

Christians believe in the Trinity and the divinity of Christ. Yet a literal reading of Gospel texts shows that Jesus emphasized obedience to God alone, rejected those who claimed deeds in his name without adhering to the truth, and indicated that the one to come would complete the true understanding of truth.

The difference in understanding his identity is therefore fundamental: the Gospel read literally and the Qur’an present him as a messenger and servant of God, while traditional Christianity presents him as the Son of God and Lord.

Fifth: Paul and the Transformation of the Message

After Jesus, peace be upon him, was raised up, Paul the Apostle (Saul of Tarsus) emerged as a pivotal figure in transforming Christianity from a circumscribed Jewish religion into a universal message. Paul first emphasized doctrine and faith in Christ as the means of salvation, rather than strict observance of rituals and the law, separating Christianity from the traditional framework of Judaism. He then elevated Jesus’s status to that of the Christ, the Son of God, and the Redeemer, helping the doctrine of the Trinity to emerge later and changing people’s understanding of Jesus from a messenger to a cosmic savior.

Paul also expanded his message to include the non-Jewish nations, recasting Jewish thought concerning commandments and rituals into a doctrinal formulation capable of spreading across different cultures, and making faith in Christ the criterion of salvation rather than the law alone.

Paul was the principal agent in transforming Jesus’s original message from affirming God’s oneness and obeying Him to a focus on the person of Christ and faith in him alone.

Historically, this phenomenon resembles what Muslims observed in the attempts of certain Jews in early Islam, such as Ka‘b al-Ahbar, to influence the new religious understanding. The difference, however, is that Paul’s influence became the foundation of Christian doctrine today, whereas in Islam correction came through the Qur’an, which affirmed pure divine oneness.

Why Do People Not Know Who Is behind the Distortion?

Early influence: Distortion occurred after the deaths of the prophets or in the early centuries, becoming part of the religious system. Lack of transparency: Religious institutions preserved the prevailing system without disclosing those responsible. Gradual modification: Distortion proceeded gradually through the reformulation of texts and human interpretations. Limited means of verification: People rely on inherited tradition without rigorous criticism. Collective thought: Distortion appears natural to people and becomes difficult to distinguish from the original message.

Conclusion

Paul’s entry onto the scene was a pivotal moment in transforming people’s understanding of Jesus, from a messenger and servant of God into a central figure in a doctrine encompassing divinity, redemption, and the Trinity. The fundamental difference is that Paul’s influence became the foundation of the doctrine itself, whereas the Qur’anic message came to correct these additions, affirming the pure oneness of God.

The refusal of certain Jews to follow Jesus, peace be upon him, and the Prophet Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace, did not arise in a vacuum. Rather, it resulted from their adherence to their earlier conceptions of the savior, their preservation of religious authority, and their anticipation of worldly interests. History makes clear that adherence to the original texts of the divine messages is the path to understanding truth, free of any human additions.