Divine Vs Human (Part II): Refutations to some misused passages.

Having had friendly dialogues with Christians from different backgrounds and denominations, I noticed that they used the same textual references all the time to prove their beliefs. This monotony in the use of alleged textual proofs from the bible is noticeable especially when it comes to the topic of the divinity of Jesus. Probably because there is no unequivocal and clear-cut passage showing that Jesus had any divine nature or claimed divinity and worship for himself.

 Various Muslim scholars and specialists in comparative religion have refuted each and every one of these allegations, misinterpretations and contextual manipulations in many publications. The famous Muslim medieval scholar, Ibn al-Qayyim, in his book "Hidayat al-hayara mina nasara" (Guidence for the confused Christians) and also in a beautiful chapter of his other book "Ighathat Allahfan min masaidi Shaytan" (Rescue of the helpless from the traps of Satan) were probably one of the pioneers in treating these issues in detail, with an incredible scholarly display of deep knowledge on the matter.

Due to the constraints a blog dictates, I will try to keep it brief and concise.

The passages enumerated below are followed by a brief rebutal, mainly composed of other passages from the Bible. This means, they are followed rather by a contextualization of what Jesus (PBUH) really meant. So, it is not my own explanation or interpretation of what Jesus (PBUH) said (since my own words are rarely involved, and when they are, it is in the form of a conclusion at the end). It is the very Bible explaining itself and putting the passages in question in their proper context. 

Passage #1: "…I and the Father are one."

John 10:30: "…I and the Father are one." (In the passage previous to this one Jesus says "The Father is greater than everything.")

Refutation:

John 17:11

I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name—the name you gave me—so that they may be one as we are one.

John 17:21-23 

²¹that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. ²²I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: ²³I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

John 15:9-10 (Here Jesus (pbuh) explains the kind of Unity he means, a unity in love and obedience to God).

⁹"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. ¹⁰If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love.

John 15:23 (Here, again, he gives a clear antithesis of this Blessed Unity. On the other hand, the enemies of God, form a unity of Hate.) 

He who hates me hates my Father as well.

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As we see, in these passages from the Gospel of John, Jesus is showing his disciples the shortcut to God's love and grace: following His commandments. So, the unity he is talking about is never to be taken as a literal, corporal, unity between him, the disciples and God. Otherwise, instead of a Trinity, Christians should have a concept of "Fifteenthity", given that the so called "Godhead" would be composed of fifteen persons: The Father, the Son, The Holy spirit, and the twelve Disciples.

He clearly says in John 17:11: “so that they may be one as we are one."

If by any chance, for argument's sake, there is still some Christian that argues that Jesus is asking the disciples to unite just like he is united with the Father, forming two different units, the first being him and the Father and the second being formed by his disciples. That is to say that Jesus is ONE with the father in their divine nature, and the disciples are ONE amongst themselves in their human nature. We reply by saying that our respected Christian friends should only be honest to themselves and read on to find Jesus saying clearly in John 17:21.

That all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

I think this last passage makes it so clear that Jesus is NOT referring to a literal unity with God, rather than a unity in purpose, will and love.

This fellowship and unity in love being contrary to the other unity in hate Jesus is describing in John 15:23.

He who hates me hates my Father as well.

 Passage #2:

"Before Abraham was born I am" (John 8:58)

The birth, the life, the prophethood, the glorification (not crucifixion but that is a different issue) and the second coming of Jesus (PBUH) is not a matter of coincidence or chance. It is part of the divine plan Allah has in his infinite wisdom. Therefore, before Abraham was, even before Adam was, and a matter of fact before the heavens and the earth were, Jesus was already, since Allah knew him along with every single detail of his life, no matter how small and minute it is.

Jesus (PBUH) here is only using Abraham because of the respect this other prophet has amongst the Jews, being considered as their ultimate patriarch. 

So, before Abraham was born, Moses was also, and so were every single prophet, and not only that, but every single human being. And any Christian denying this, would be denying the infinite knowledge of God that transcends time and space.

A very similar passage is to be found in Jeremiah 1:5:

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,

before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."

God is telling Jeremiah here, that before he was born, he was a prophet already. Now, you do not need to be a real genius to put into context and see what Jesus really meant when he said: Before Abraham was, I am.

Another fact Christians misuse as a proof of their faith in Jesus as God (or at least part of the Trinity) is that he carried out many miracles. Therefore, he is superhuman, i.e.: divine. We, Muslims, also believe in the miracles of Jesus. As a matter of fact there are miracles mentioned in the Quran, that Jesus carried out, that are nowhere to be found in the Bible (speaking in the cradle, making a feast descend from heaven… etc) However, our questions to our Christian friends' minds is: Did not Moses split the see in two, allowing the Israelites to find a dry safe path in the middle of it? Did not Elijah according to your Bible come back to life after death? And the list of miracles of other Prophets seems endless…

Now, were all these individuals Gods besides Allah just like you claim Jesus is?

The miracles were performed by God Almighty THROUGH these individuals. So do not give them the merits of what God did. Because they are nothing but mere tools He used to manifest His endless power.