This article will be posing questions and arguments to the Muslim readers who believe that the New Testament teaches that Jesus is not God but merely a prophet. It is stated in the Quran that Jesus was merely a prophet. For example in S. 5:75 we read: “The Messiah the son of Mary is only a prophet…” (Palmer 5:75). However, the first-century texts that were written by eye-witnesses and ear-witnesses of Jesus give us a different Jesus – namely the real Jesus. Hence, this article will demonstrate that the Jesus of the first-century was no mere prophet. It will be shown that although Jesus was a prophet, He was not a mere prophet. He is God. It is my hope that this material will clear up what the New Testament teaches about Jesus for those Muslims whom the Father is drawing to Christ.

#1 If Jesus is merely a prophet then why does John 5:23 state that, “… everyone will honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Anyone who does not honor the Son is certainly not honoring the Father who sent him” (John 5:23 ESV)? Wouldn’t honoring Jesus just as, or in the same way we honor the Father be blasphemy if Jesus is merely a prophet? Would it be acceptable for a Muslim to honor Muhammad in the same way and to the same extent that they honor Allah? The primary definition of Greek word for “just as” (kathōs) is “… according as, just as, even as, in proportion as, in the degree that.”1 Thus, there is no question that this verse is commanding believers to honor, revere, or venerate Jesus to the same degree as we honor, revere and venerate the Father. Since the Father is to be honored as God and to the greatest extent, so is Jesus. Therefore, Jesus is not a mere prophet.

#2 If Jesus is merely a prophet then why in Revelation 5:8-14 does it say that in heaven every creature including angels and elders will worship Jesus saying He is worthy of praise, glory, honour and power forever and ever? If Jesus is a mere prophet and not God, doesn’t this derogate from worship that God alone deserves? If it is worship only due to God doesn’t this prove that the first-century texts are affirming that Jesus is more than just a prophet? Revelation 5:8-14 says:

And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.” Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they were saying: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped. (Revelation 5:8-14 NIV).

#3 If Jesus is a mere prophet who’s life began at conception like the rest of mankind then why does the NT teach that Jesus pre-existed with the Father in unique Glory? Philippians 2:6-11 states:

Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:6-11 KJV)

Note that Jesus pre-existed in the form of God (glory of God) and lowered himself becoming a man. This also shows Jesus has divine power since personally lowering himself and becoming a man would be something impossible lest you have the power and abilities of God. Similarly, in John 8:58 Jesus explains His pre-existence as God. "Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I Am!” (John 8:58 NLT) Notice, Jesus does not only say He was alive before Abraham was born but that He existed as God before Abraham was born since Jesus applied the “I Am” title to Himself which belongs to God.2

#4 If Jesus is a mere prophet why did He claim to have the power to raise Himself from the dead once killed? Is this something a prophet has ever claimed to be able to do? Doesn’t being able to raise yourself while dead demonstrate that Jesus was still conscious and possessing the divine power necessary to raise Himself bodily? Isn’t this something we would only expect God to be able to do if He became man? John 2:19-21 and 10:17 state:

Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." The Jews then said, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?" But he was speaking about the temple of his body. When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken. (John 2:19-22 ESV).

For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again (John 10:17 ESV).

#5 If Jesus is a mere prophet only preaching his prophet-hood, why did His statements denote His equality with God and Him being God? In John 10:33 and 5:18 we read:

“For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God” (John 5:18 NIV).

"We are not stoning you for any of these," replied the Jews, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God" (John 10:33 NIV).

Clearly the people of Jesus’ day as well as Apostle John’s own commentary recognized that His language here was so explicit in affirming his Deity that they knew without question that he was claiming to be God. Is there any other case in the Bible or Quran where a prophet’s teaching caused the people listening to believe they were claiming to be God?

Conclusion

The reality is that the earliest accounts of Jesus coming out of the first-century A.D. show that the He was no mere prophet. Jesus did and said things no mere prophet could ever do or say. There are things reported about Him that could not be ascribed to any mere prophet and thus historically and theologically speaking – Jesus is more than just a prophet – Jesus is God. Lord willing this information will be useful to those Muslims being drawn to Christ who truly want to know what the first-century accounts say about Him.

Christ has risen, He is Lord.


http://www.answering-islam.org/authors/thompson/more_than_prophet1.html

he is also an angel (Michael) according to Jehovah's witnesses!!!

one minute he is "god",another minute he is the "begotten son of god",then he is an "angel", na wa O!!!!!!

confusion from exaggeration!!!!

Jesus (as) said:

John 5:30
"By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me".

^^^^^^^^ Salaamualaykum yaa akhi.
Enjoy your time creaming frosbel like a busted football.

Sweetnecta:

^^^^^^^^ Salaamualaykum yaa akhi.
Enjoy your time creaming frosbel like a busted football.

Wa alaykum assalam brother!!!


frosbel is confused and easy to press like a deflated ball.

empty head!!!!

LagosShia:

he is also an angel (Michael) according to Jehovah's witnesses!!! 

one minute he is "god",another minute he is the "begotten son of god",then he is an "angel", na wa O!!!!!! 

confusion from exaggeration!!!!

Jesus (as) said:

John 5:30
"By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me".

You always make mockery of everything.
You may wish to compare these similar verses.

John 5:19 Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.

They are just inseperable. The son is so attached to the Father thus he said, "I and my Father are one"
"I am in my father,and my Father is in me".
So,he does everything just as God does it and will never do seperately cos they are one, thus a very supreme dependence exists.

John 8:16 But if I do judge, my decisions are right, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me.

Of mine own self -
The Messiah, the Mediator, does nothing without the concurrence and the authority of God. Such is the nature of the union subsisting between them, that he does nothing independently of God. Whatever he does, he does according to the will of God.

So, that verse you presented throws more light on their union as One.

Thank you Jude2k for ur presentations. It gives a correction of this frequent use of this verse by Muslims fellows.
John 5:30 By myself I can do nothing; "I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me". LagosShia would ve been the happiest if the veres reads the contrary. " by myself i can do everything" @lagosShia, Jesus said he does everything with His Father. There is nothing he has done without God doing same. When God is doing it, Jesus is doing it at sametime. Both work together, Jesus does not bycut God neither does God bycut Jesus. "I and My Father" What is hard for u to here?

In the spirit of being naughty and offering up Frosbel as a sacrifice, I bump this thread in the name of the great god of all randomness..

Rebumped...

LagosShia: Can God Have A Son?
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-811919.0.html

pls fink more of divine and less human. the use of son here is does not result to a biological son. bt the very essence of God. and God Himself. The Jehovah's Witnesses understand this to mean to Jesus is a lesser, subordinate being, but the Jews were far more perceptive. They understood that, in claiming to be the Son of God, Jesus was claiming Deity: "Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him. see, Mighty God — This title can agree to no man but Christ, who was God as well as man, to whom the title of God or Jehovah is given, both in the Old and New Testament. peace.

appears from a number of recent posts, that one is expected to remain rigidly aligned to all traditional doctrine without any flexibility to reassess one's belief system and make informed decisions based on facts.

This is what the traditional church institution does to people, they are either too scared to challenge it's tenets and creeds or not bothered at all whether true or false.

Learning is a process, not a static one but quite fluid if you ask me.

But yes, Jesus was more than a prophet, he is the Son of the living GOD , the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings.

frosbel: appears from a number of recent posts, that one is expected to remain rigidly aligned to all traditional doctrine without any flexibility to reassess one's belief system and make informed decisions based on facts.

This is what the traditional church institution does to people, they are either too scared to challenge it's tenets and creeds or not bothered at all whether true or false.

Learning is a process, not a static one but quite fluid if you ask me.

But yes, Jesus was more than a prophet, he is the Son of the living GOD , the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings.

" But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase." - Daniel 12:4

LagosShia: Can God Have A Son?
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-811919.0.html

yes he can! Son in this context refers to Jesus proceeding directly from Jehovah God

Yes , i agree with frobel ! Jesus is not mere prophet. I want to write this to back frobel.

Can any one tell us if there was a prophet that came down from heaven to earth apart from Jesus ? Had any prophet says he knows God by face apart from Jesus ?Has God ever give any prophet authority over the Angels except Jesus? Has any prophet recongnise his existence or claim his existence somewhere else before he comes to the world except Jesus?All the prophets that had come to this world include Prophet Mohammed were not know about God somewhere else apart fom this world. Let me use one or two prophet to explain what i mean.

Moses was a great prophet. God knew him before he was born but Moses did not know God. How do i know?In the book of Genesis when God called Moses in the wilderness, at the burnning bush. God had to describe himself to Moses and shew him signs before he can accept go to Pharao.He even asked God whom he will say he sends him if he goes to Israelite.That shows that Moses knows little about God before.

When God calls on Samuel, he did not know the voice of God. He thought it was Eli that called him.When that voice persisted .Then, Eli told him what to say if the voice calls again.

Prophet Muhammed also, was scared when he first saw angel. He ran to hid himself and all the messages he delivered to his people was conveyed to him by Angel.

But Jesus own was different,right from childhood he had been doing wonderful things i think the Quran also testify of him given life to dove.He had been speaken the words of God from chidhood and people was suprised at his teaching at that age.Even the Jews testified that his teaching was like that of person that has authority.

No where in Bible where angel tells him what to say or what to do. He did not dream or see vision in the night like some other prophets.The voice that came to him from heaven confirmed him that his not just a prophet when it says " this is my belove son in whom am well pleased "
Another things that also suprised abou Jesus was his words such as

"Before Abraham iam"

"Nobody can go to father except through me"

" i know him (God), he was the one that send me"

" I and my father we are one"

"..that all men should honour the son,even as they honour the father .He that honoureth not the son honoureth not the father which has sent him "

Which one of the prophet have ever speak like this? Please tell me if there was.

By these words of Jesus, can we say he was so proud? or the disciples that gave records of these were lied ?If they lied,what would they benefit from doing so?
Above all ,Muhammed testified that Jesus was a prophet.If he did not believe him to be prophet is another case .And if any one will argue that bible has corrupted ,let him or she provide the original records of Jesus teaching and statements.
Jesus is not just a prophet.According to him, he had been in existence before he comes down to earth.

We should not be confused when Jesus says "i and my father we are one" that does not mean that Jesus is the same as God the father but what it mean is that God agreed with everything he (Jesus) says. Let me use this as instance.
If a president sends a delegate to an event, i think after they have metioned the name of delegate and his mission, all the speach will be in the name of president. The people at that event must give the delegate the due respect that president deserved, if people insulted him, it is not him they insulted but the president that send him.Even if he err the president must be the first person to notice this and the president deciedes his punishment but how would he err in such important mission? If he err president has err.Moreover, president would not delegate someone he does not trust.

Jesus was God's delegate on earth.His not just a prophet

At that moment of being president's delegate, he is different to the ministers or governors or comissioners that president had assigned with duties.If they err. It may not be easy for them.

All other prophets are like ministers and comissioners