Two men, Jesus of Nazareth and Mohammad (570-632 AD) of Mecca, although 520 years apart, are said to be prophets and are founders of two worldwide religions. Both claim to be the final spokesman of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Mohammad claims his revelations came through the angel Gabriel while Christ claims to speak from God (John 8:28).
Muslims, although claiming Christ was a true prophet of God, and recognizing the virgin birth, deny His son-ship as "the only begotten" Son of God (John 3:16) as well as His death, which was the sacrifice for man's sins (Hebrews 9:24-26). These are two fundamentals of Christianity, which they, in claiming to be "a People of the Book," deny. Proponents of Islam, in their efforts to gain tolerance, also neglect to mention the fact that they hold that their prophet Mohammad replaced the Christian prophet Christ as the final word of God.
The teachings of Mohammad are found in the Koran (or Quran), while the Gospel of Christ is found in the New Testament. The earliest biography of Mohammad was written about a century after his death while the earliest biographies (the Gospels) were penned by Jesus' personal disciple (Matthew, Mark, and John) along with Luke, all in the first century. Although Muslim scholars contend the Bible has been completely corrupted and therefore unreliable, Jesus pointed out that, "the Scripture cannot be broken" (John 10:35) and Paul contended, "All Scripture was given by inspiration of God... That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works" (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
Mohammed marched on Mecca with 10,000 armed followers in the physical conquest of Mecca and Arabia. When persecution arose, they slaughtered the pagan idolaters throughout their march. All this is in harmony with the teaching of the Koran. In contrast, Christ's commission to His disciples was to go and "teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world" (Matthew 28:19-20). When persecution arose in Jerusalem, "they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word" (Acts 8:4).
It was not until Constantine the Great, some 300 years after Christ, that they chose to conquer, with the physical sword, in the name of Christ under the Christian symbol of the Cross. Radical Muslims like to cite Crusades and atrocities connected with the European effort to conquer the Holy Land. The jihadists omit the fact that the Crusades were instigated, in part, to protect pilgrims visiting the sites connected with the life of Christ. The Crusades took place over a thousand years after the death and resurrection of Christ.
The excesses of the Inquisition and atrocities of various protestant groups during the Reformation are sometimes cited by jihadists in their efforts to justify their current practice of terrorism against innocent men, women, and children. Contemporary Christendom has long sense repented of such carnal warfare among the followers of our Prince of Peace. Jesus stated when one of His disciples defending Him with his sword at His arrest, "for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword" (Matthew 26:52). The Christian's jihad is spiritual rather than physical or carnal and our sword is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17).
Dale I. Royal, Elk City, OK