A Theistic Perspective of the World
I. What is a worldview?
A. A framework
1. An interpreter of reality
2. Defines meaning of life
II. Some widely held worldviews
A. Deiem
1. Creation ex-nihilo
2. A universe governed only by natural law
3. Rejects supernatural acts within the world
B. Pantheism
1. All is God
2. Creation ex-Deo
3. No Creator/creation distinction
C. Atheism
1. Deny the existence of God
a. Reality of evil
b. The mind’s power to decieve
c. Chance origins of the universe
2. Creation ex-materia
D. Theism
1. God both beyond and in the world
2. Creation ex-nihilo
3. Creator/creation distinction
4. Supernatural acts both possible and actual
III. An evaluation of views
A. Deism
B. Pantheism
C. Atheism
D. Theism
IV. The three theistic religions
A. Philosophical grounds of miracles
1. Judaism
a. Manuscript credibility
2. Christianity
a. Manuscript credibility
3. Islam
a. Manuscript credibility
WHAT IS A WORLDVIEW?
A worldview is a lens by which a person views and interprets the facts of reality. It’s the framework one applies in order to understand concepts or ideas both within and beyond the universe. It will determine what you think about the idea of a range of subjects such as God, man, history, morality, and human destiny. In short, a worldview is how you view and interpret the world, and it is often influenced by one’s own psychological, sociological, theological, moral, and/or metaphysical presuppositions. Everyone has a worldview, but not everyone has the same worldview, which is reflected in human attitudes and conduct. And since not everyone knows their worldview or the presuppositions that influence them, one would do well to apply the Delphic oracle to “know thyself’ in order to know what they believe and why they believe it.
If your worldview includes an ultimate Creator, then you will view people as endowed with intrinsic sacred worth. If your worldview does not include the existence of an ultimate Creator, then you will not view people with sacred worth, for only a sacred Cause can create sacred effects. All aspects of life – how you treat people, how you spend your time, and how you live your life – are all determined by your worldview. Many issues of reality could be discussed, but since the primary emphasis of this article is the philosophical and theological search for truth, the following will first examine defective frameworks of reality that cannot be held with consistency. Afterward will be the examination of an undeniable worldview and its religion(s) that are consistent with what we know of science, history, and correct philosophy.
SOME WIDELY HELD WORLDVIEWS
DEISM – is the worldview that views the universe as created by a God sometime in the past, but who no longer intervenes within it. Creation was ex-nihilo (out of nothing), but after creation, the universe was left to operate purely by natural law, much like a clock whose Winder walks away after winding up the clock. Since the supernatural is not active within the world, miracles (a supernatural act of God) do not occur in the world. And since miracles do not occur, then the occurrence of someone who rises from the dead is no more significant than any other historical event. It may be interpreted as an unusual event that has no justification of being called a miracle, or it just may be mere ideas of religious men that never actually occurred.
Apart from this rejection, deists affirm the signature of the divine embedded within creation (called natural revelation). The law of analogy, which says that all effects share at least some similarity with their causes, is a firmly held law in all science and philosophy. And if God is the cause of the universe, then we can expect to find some sort of revelation of Him in creation.
PANTHEISM – (pan=all, theism=God) is the worldview that perceives God to be the world and the world to be God. There are different kinds of pantheism, but most share a basic belief in monism (all reality is identical). Pantheists view God as infinite, and the entire universe is in some form a manifestation of God; God is dependent on creation to attain perfection. In the pantheistic view of things, God did not create ex-nihilo, but ex Deo (out of God). Deism views God as beyond the world, not in the world. But pantheism views God and the world as one identical being. All events in the world are a result of God’s predetermined will. Both good and evil (as a non-real thing) flow from God as a necessary function of His will. But for a pantheist, evil is an illusion; there is no good/evil dichotomy (see Nature of Evil/Evil as an illusion). An act or event referred to as “evil” is found only in the manifestations of God. Union with Brahman (Ultimate Reality) is achieved by meditation and when the soul is liberated from its limitations it reaches nirvana (a state of bliss).
For the pantheist God is necessary (cannot come into being or cease being), but so is everything else. Like deist, pantheists believe God is infinite; however, the former makes a Creator/creature distinction; the latter does not.
ATHEISM – (a=no, theism=God) is the worldview that denies the existence of God. Its view of reality sees the existence of God neither beyond the world, as deists do, nor in the world, as theists do. There are different forms of atheism, ranging from the belief that God once existed in the past (but not today) to the belief that God never has nor ever will exist in the present or the future. Some of the major objections to the existence of God are the reality of evil, the mind’s imaginative power to project what it believes to be God, and the possibility of chance as the origins of the universe. In an atheistic worldview the world is created neither ex-nihilo, nor ex-Deo, but ex-materia (out of preexisting material). However, “creation” through the atheistic lens is more like an eternal shaping and forming of the world by means of natural causality, rather than an instant miraculous act of divine causality. There is no objective moral standard of human conduct; all rules of life are left for society or culture to decide based on what works for society.
THEISM – is the worldview that sees the existence of God both beyond the world and within the world. God is not detached from the world, nor is God identical to the world. For the theist, God created the universe ex-nihilo (out of nothing). The universe was not created literally from nothing, since “nothing” doesn’t actually exist, but out of nothing (i.e. no preexisting material used in the creation process). There is a real distinction between God and creation. God is infinite, eternal, and unchanging; creation is finite, temporal, and changing. And because there is a real distinction, miracles are defined as a supernatural act of God interfering with the normal – yet not inviolable – operations of natural law. Theism doesn’t deny the reality of evil. But since there is a real Creator/creature distinction, evil is not a part of who God is.
AN EVALUATION OF VIEWS
DEISM – Deism has many positive contributions to the investigation of theological endeavors. But as a system, it suffers from an unjustifiable rejection of miracles. If a miracle is described as an irregular event with unnatural origins that cannot be repeated, and with a low degree of probability, then there’s at least one miracle that the deists do believe in – the creation of the universe. For deists, the creation of the universe, with all its laws of nature, is ex-nihilo (out of nothing), not ex-materia. The origin of the universe is an event that was irregular, unnatural, unrepeatable, and with a low degree of probability. And if creation is at least one miracle, then there are no grounds for believing other miracles can’t occur.
PANTHEISM – Pantheism also suffers from its own inability to affirm its central teachings. If all being, including humans, is infinite, then how is it that the majority of humankind still thinks in terms of finitude? Non-pantheists seem to have lost their way and need to become aware of their infinite nature. However, the very nature of infinity implies never “coming to be” or ceasing to be. It’s impossible for an infinite being to “become aware” of anything; it forever knows everything already. But if a being can change in its understanding, then that being is finite since “change” implies finitude; if a being is infinite, it experiences no change. Neither can an infinite being attain perfection. If it must attain perfection, then there must be something superior outside of it to which it is dependent for its change. But if it’s dependent on something outside of it, then it is not God, for by definition God is not dependent on anyone or anything. The pantheist seems to be clearly aware of his infinite nature and would readily affirm that all who don’t believe that humankind is infinite is being deceived. But on what grounds can we justify this deception? There seems to be no justifiable reason – neither philosophical, logical, nor scientific – for assuming that all reality is One infinite Being.
ATHEISM – For atheists, if there were such an all-powerful and all-good God, then He would be able and willing to end evil. But evil has not ended, thus no such God exists. But the fact of evil is not necessarily proof that God doesn’t exist, nor does it prove that if there is a God He is neither all-powerful nor all good. If there is such a God, then we would expect Him to have such depth of wisdom beyond our finite minds. His power and goodness would be the very means that are used in the process of bringing ultimate defeat of evil in the future. The fact that evil has not ended yet does not prove that no God exists. Nor does the fact that some people need, or long for, a divine Protector (or “crutch”) proves that God is a mere projection of the human imagination. On the same grounds, one could equally assume that the idea that God is only a projection of the human imagination is itself a mere projection of the human imagination. The only way to prove that God does not exist beyond the human imagination is to pass beyond the boundaries of human imagination and examine every square inch of reality to find there is no God. But in order to do this, one would have to have infinite knowledge of all things. And if one has infinite knowledge, then he would be God and ends up proving the very thing the atheist attempts to deny. Even Richard Dawkins, the famous atheist, has said that he can only be 99.99% sure that God does not exist, realizing that 100% certainty is equated with omniscience. And finally, some have figured that the odds of the universe to have originated by mere chance, apart from a divine creative act, are 1:1014,999,999,905. In spite of such a low degree of probability, some still put their faith in it. However, David Hume, the 18th century agnostic, says that the wise man should always base his belief on the highest degree of probability (which is characteristic of natural law). Of course, Hume said this in order to build a case against miracles, which occur with a low degree of probability. But when it comes to the origins of the universe, the atheist would have us believe the lower degrees of probability, since it’s always possible no matter how low the odds are (if true, destroys Richard Dawkins’ argument). And when it comes to miraculous occurrences within the world, the atheists say we should deny them because miracles (as opposed to natural law) are based on low degrees of probability. However, there seems to be no justifiable reason why we should believe the lower over the higher in one case, but believe the higher over the lower in another case.
THEISM – Theism is the one worldview that explains the facts as we see them. We live in a time-bound universe; time is an undeniable part of our existence. And all things that are time-bound experience change; all things that experience change are composed of parts; all things that are composed of parts are limited; all things that are limited are caused to exist by another; all things that are caused to exist by another are finite; all things that are finite are dependent on its existence by something outside of it; all things that are dependent on its existence by something outside of it are created. Therefore, all things that are time-bound are created. The universe is time-bound. Thus, the universe is created. Being a created thing, it cannot go into the past infinitely, since limited things are not infinite; only things that are timeless are infinite. Therefore the universe is dependent on its existence on something or Someone that’s infinite since no finite thing can account for its own existence. Even the second law of thermodynamics supports the temporality of the universe. This law says that the amount of usable energy in the universe is tending towards disorder which would indicate a finite, temporal, and changing creation, which is in accord with the type of universe assumed in a theistic worldview. The universe is not eternal. It had a beginning point having optimal usable energy but then tended toward less optimal energy. This infinite something or Someone that began the whole creation process, in a theistic worldview, is called God. And if God is the Creator of the universe, then there is no reason to deny His present activity within the world; miraculous occurrences would be expected to occur no matter how low the degree of probability is for them. Also, if finite personhood, intellect, and consciousness are aspects of the effects, then infinite Personhood, Intellect, and Consciousness – based on the law of analogy – are aspects of the Cause. And if each share personhood, then it’s unreasonable to deny modern miracles as a means of Person-to-person communication. Not only is it more reasonable to believe that those who are deceived are those who believe that humans are infinite, as pantheists do. But it’s also more reasonable to believe, based on the principle of differentiation, that not all being is identical; there are different kinds of beings: infinite and finite. And if there are different kinds of being, then evil (as a real thing) can better be explained as something separate from God, neither originating nor flowing from Him, that will one day be ultimately destroyed by a supernatural act of God – something that could not be guaranteed by a finite God that changes, but by an infinite God that does not change.
The preceding is not an exhaustive list of all worldviews but gives a good idea of just some of the beliefs within each one. Each has something to contribute. But as a system, they are each mutually exclusive. If one is true, then the others are false (see Faith and Reason/Square of Opposition). If God exists as a Being separate from the universe, but no longer interferes in the world process (deism), then pantheism, atheism, and theism are untrue. If God exists and is identical to the world (pantheism), then deism, atheism, and theism are untrue. If God does not exist (atheism), then deism, pantheism, and theism are untrue. If God exists and is active both beyond and within the world (theism), then deism, pantheism, and atheism are untrue. However, as has been demonstrated on philosophical, theological, and scientific grounds, theism is the only reasonable alternative to view and interpret the facts of reality, since theism is most undeniably consistent with what we experience in the universe – all facts are theistic facts! What follows is an examination of the three major religions that are based on the theistic worldview – Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
THE THREE THEISTIC RELIGIONS
An examination of the philosophical possibility of miracles will be a precursor to studying the three major religions, since miracles play a major role in each of the religions; Christianity itself stands or falls on the validity of the miracle of the resurrection of Jesus (1 Cor. 15:13-14). Our presuppositions to the possibility (or impossibility) of miracles are determined by how we understand natural law. If natural law is described as a body of law, or natural event within the universe, repeatable, occurring regularly with a high degree of probability, and if a miracle is described as an event whose origin is beyond natures capability to produce, unrepeatable, occurring irregularly with a low degree of probability, it remains to determine whether it’s possible for a miracle to actually occur. All events in the universe can be logically structured as follows:
1.) All events in the universe are naturally caused.
2.) No event in the universe is naturally caused.
3.) Some events in the universe are naturally caused.
4.) Some events in the universe are not naturally caused.
But all events that occur in the universe cannot with certainty be said to be naturally caused. To affirm so is to hold to an unjustified naturalistic presupposition that predetermines what can or can’t happen independently of examining the evidence; life, intellect, moral values, and consciousness are examples of things that cannot be scientifically demonstrated to have natural origins. And that no event is naturally caused cannot be affirmed either, since it’s undeniable that some things do have natural causes. The is at least one premise that we can affirm with any logical authority and that is the third premise: some events in the universe are naturally caused. And if some of the events that occur in the world are naturally caused, then it is possible that other events are not naturally caused. And since a miracle is a non-naturally caused event, miracles are at least a possibility.
Now that the philosophical possibility of miracles has been established in general, it remains to be shown just where in theistic history miracles have been said to occur in particular.
JUDAISM – Judaism is the religion of the Jewish people based on the teachings of the 39 books of the Old Testament. The development of these teachings began with the prophet Moses 50 days after the exodus from Egypt (1446 B.C.) when he gave the Israelites God’s Law on Mt. Sinai. This Law was Israel’s “constitution” consisting of 603 sub-laws, which have their spiritual and moral representation in the 10 commandments. The central doctrine of Judaism is covenant relation between God and man, which includes the sacrificing of animals as a means to make atonement (covering) for sin; however, after A.D. 70, the mitzvoth (commandments) replaced animal sacrifice. The Jews categorize these books in order of importance: Law, Prophets, and Writings. The original Old Testament has not been found, but there are several ancient manuscripts for the Old Testament. These manuscripts are copies of the original that have been preserved throughout the centuries. The most well-known manuscript of the Old Testament we have today is the Leningrad Codex (dated A.D. 1008), also known as the Massoretic text (see The Bible/An Evaluation of the Bible/Lower Criticism). The Leningrad Codex is the manuscript on which the modern Old Testament is based. With the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947, containing a copy of the Old Testament written around 250 B.C., we can now say with greater certainty that our modern Old Testament accurately reflects what the original authors wrote. A side-by-side comparison between the Leningrad Codex and the Dead Sea Scrolls reveal a consistent match in doctrine, even though some slight textual variations exist in the manuscripts. Thus, the credibility of Judaism’s sacred book to accurately record 15th – 5th century B.C. events is firmly established.
But the miraculous nature of Judaism’s history is something that cannot be ignored. Even Moses is said to have performed miracles so the people may know that “I (God) have sent thee” (Ex. 3:12; 4:4-5). Many other prophets are said to have done or predicted something that was miraculous. Some of the most important expectations of the Jewish people are found in the Messianic prophecies in the Old Testament foretelling of a ruling, reigning, and miracle-working Messiah to deliver God’s people from oppression. To the orthodox Jews, there were several expectations of this Messiah, such as:
- be a personal, individual Messiah (Gen. 3:15)
- enter human history prior to the destruction of the Temple in A.D. 70 (Gen.49:10)
- be born of a virgin (Isa. 7:14)
- be born in Bethlehem (Mic. 5:2)
- perform miraculous acts (Isa. 35:5-10)
- experience suffering for the sins of the world (Isa. 52:13 – 53:12; Ps. 22:1-21). Note: only after the 12th century A.D., under the suffering of the Crusaders, did the Jews interpret the “suffering servant” as Israel as a whole
- have his hands and feet pierced (Ps. 22:16)
- would die in the year A.D. 33 (Dan. 9:25-26)
- be resurrected from the grave (Ps. 16:10)
- would be the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven (Dan. 7:13-14)
- will sit on King David’s throne forever (2 Sam. 7:14; 1 Chon. 17:13-14)
- would have an enduring political reign from Jerusalam (Isa. 9:6-7; Da. 2:44)
- would be worshiped by all nations (Dan. 7:14)
All of these prophecies were given between the years 1425 – 520 B.C. and foretold many years in advance specific details of the Messiah such as his nature, the time of his birth, the place of his birth, his miraculous life, his suffering for sins, his death, his resurrection, his eternal kingdom, and the universal worship he would receive.
When the events of the Old Testament come to a close in about the year 432 B.C. the Jewish people are found rebuilding their destroyed city, which had previously been besieged in 587 B.C. by the great Gentile world power Babylon as a result of Israel’s rebellion of the Law of Moses. In spite of their restoration, they still had not received their long-awaited Messiah.
CHRISTIANITY – Christianity is the religion that emerged as the outgrowth of Judaism. What began as a progressing revelation in the Old Testament finds its fulfillment in – progressed into – the New Testament in the person of Jesus Christ. From the seed of Judaism sprouts the life of Christianity. The long-awaited Messiah enters human history as miraculous foretold at a time when Rome had taken over as a world power. Israel has suffered much oppression at the hands of Rome. And many expected Jesus to conquer victoriously over Rome. But when the opposite seemed to occur at the crucifixion of the “Messiah”, the hope of a ruling, reigning Messiah began to diminish. However, several of his followers recorded the events and the teachings he left behind, which became the 27 books of the New Testament. The original writings of these authors have not been found, but we have abundant manuscripts and extra-biblical testimony dating near (and in) the time that the original events are said to have occurred (see The Bible/An Evaluation of the Bible/Lower Criticism). Both the Codex Vaticanus and the Codex Sinaiticus, housed at the Vatican Library of Rome and the British Museum, are manuscripts dated at about A.D. 325. They are written in the Greek language and contain both the entire Old and New Testament. There are also the Syriac and Latin versions of the New Testament dated at A.D. 150. Then there is the John Rylands Fragment, a fragment of the book of St. John dated at A.D. 125. Nonbiblical evidence of the events of Jesus is in the writings of Tacitus, the Roman historian of A.D. 112 who wrote, “Christus, the founder of the name, was put to death by Pontius Pilate.” And Josephus, the Jewish historian of the first century, wrote, “He was the Christ, and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men among us, had condemned him to the cross, those who loved him at the first did not forsake him; for he appeared to them alive again in the third day; as the divine prophets had foretold.” A side-by-side comparison of the manuscripts and the extra-biblical history with our modern New Testament reveal a consistent match in doctrine, except for slight textual variations in the manuscripts. Since the events of the New Testament are dated between A.D. 33 – A.D. 100, and the earliest Biblical manuscript is A.D. 125, then there are only 25 years between the two, not long enough to corrupt the text, since the eyewitnesses of the events were still alive to protest any deviation from the facts. And 25 years is insignificant when compared to the length of time – 1200 years – between Plato (347 B.C.) and the earliest manuscript for his writings (A.D. 900).
Now if the historical credibility of the New Testament is established, then the miracles pertaining to the person of Jesus deserve careful consideration. The New Testament records the miraculous prophecies concerning Christianity’s founder:
- Jesus is a personal, individual Messiah (Mk. 14:53-65; Lk. 2:25-35).
- Jesus entered human history prior to the destruction of the Temple in A.D. 70, when Cyrenius was Governor of Syria between 7 B.C. and A.D. 9 (Lk. 2:1-7).
- Jesus was born of a virgin (Lk. 1:26-37).
- Jesus was born in Bethlehem (Mt. 2:1-6).
- Jesus performed miraculous acts (Mt. 11:3-6).
- Jesus suffered death on the cross for the sins of the world (Mt. 8:14-17; Mk.15:24-28; Acts 2:22-23; 8:26-35; 1 Cor.15:1-4; 1 Pet. 2:21-25).
- Jesus’ hands and feet were pierced (Mt. 27:31, 35-36; Lk. 23:33; Jn. 20:24-29).
- Jesus died in the year A.D. 33, when Pontius Pilate was Governor of Rome between A.D. 26 and A.D. 36 (Jn. 19:15-16).
- Jesus resurrected from the grave (Acts 2:24-36; 13:32-41; 26:23).
- Jesus is the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven (Mk. 14:53-65).
- Jesus will one day sit on King David’s throne forever (Acts 2:29-30).
- Jesus will set up an enduring political reign from Jerusalem (Rev. 19- 22).
- Jesus will be worshiped by all nations (Phil. 2:6-11).
Few people deny the fact that some historical person of significant influence named Jesus actually lived in the first century. But what is often denied is who he is and what he has done. But if the New Testament is a reliable record of history (as shown above), then what it says about Jesus can be trusted. And if Jesus really is who the New Testament says he is, then the similarities between Judaism’s expectations of the Messiah and the things said about Jesus in the New Testament are undeniable.
ISLAM – Islam is primarily a Middle Eastern religion founded on the teachings of Muhammad (see The Cross and the Crescent). For twenty-two years, beginning in the year A.D. 610, Muhammad received the first in a series of visions. These visions became the 114 surahs (chapters) of the Koran. Muhammad gained a small following in the first 12 years of his ministry. But the Hijra (Flight) of A.D. 622 was a significant era in the development of Islam, wherein opposition from Muhammad’s home town of Mecca became so great against Muhammad that he and his followers migrated to Medina. After gaining new political powers in Medina, he returned to conquer Mecca and unified its Arabian tribes under a theocracy.
Islam emphasizes God’s oneness and believes Muhammad to be not only the fulfillment but also the greatest of all prophets. Islam acknowledges the problem of sin and evil in the world. But because sin is only in the acts of a person, and not the nature of a person (as Christians believe), being in a right relation with God consists of believing the 5 Articles of Faith and performing the 5 Pillars of Faith. Islam has high regard for the Bible and for Jesus Christ as a prophet of God. But today’s Bible is believed to have become corrupt by Jews and Christians. Doctrines such as the Trinity, the Incarnation, and the Crucifixion of Jesus are believed to be mere inventions of man. But in spite of this “corruption”, Muslims still believe that the Old and New Testaments contain prophecies of the coming of Muhammad. And with the advent of the Koran, Muslims believe we now have God’s greatest and final revelation with Muhammad as the “seal of the prophets” (surah 33:40).
One year after Muhammad’s death (A.D. 632), Zayd ibn Thabit, an early follower of Muhammad, was given the responsibility of compiling Muhammad’s sayings into one volume. Several years later in the A.D. 650’s, several different unauthorized versions of the Koran began to emerge. Of these, Zayd canonized the Medinan Codex, also known as the Uthmanic revision, as the official standard text. Today’s Koran is likely to be a fair representation of the Uthmanic revision, but probably not a perfect preservation of what was given to Muhammad since many other versions existed prior to the Uthmanic revision.
It is interesting to note that even though Muhammad has acknowledged that miracles are God’s way of confirming the true prophets (surah 7:106-108, 118), he himself is never attributed to performing any in the Koran (surah 17:90-92; 29:50). In fact, when asked to do them he refused (surah 3:181-184) and instead offered the eloquent style of the Koran as his only miracle (surah 17:88-93). However, eloquence fits neither the definition nor description of a miracle, nor is there any necessary connection between eloquent literary style and divine authorship.
SUMMARY: A worldview is an outlook on life. Its structure will determine what you believe and how you interpret everyday facts. Everyone has a worldview, but not everyone is aware of what their view is. Nor does everyone have the same worldview, since it’s possible for more than one person to interpret the same set of facts differently. For reasons discussed above, theism is the one worldview that can be held without contradiction or some sort of logical blunder. It affirms that the universe is time-bound. And if all things time-bound are created, then the universe is created, not eternal.
Upon theism rests three world religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, all of which are monotheistic. Judaism has made hundreds of prophecies of a ruling, reigning Messiah who would come to set free the oppressed. In Christianity is seen the fulfillment of these prophecies in the person of Jesus Christ, who claimed to have fulfilled the Scriptures of Judaism – the Law, Prophets, and Writings (Lk. 24:27, 44). If miracles are God’s way of confirming the message of the prophets (Ex. 3:12; 4:4-5; Mk. 16:20: Jn. 2:18-19; 3:2), then the miraculous predictions and fulfillments of Jesus – his birth, his life, his divine nature, and his resurrection from the dead – are all God’s confirmation of Jesus as the last and greatest of all prophets. Not only did the Old Testament predict the coming of Jesus many years in advance, but Jesus Himself made predictions about his death and resurrection when “He [Jesus] began to teach them [the disciples), that the Son of man must suffer many things and be rejected…and be killed, and after three days rise again” (see also Mt. 17:22-23; Jn. 2:18-22). Islam suffers several inconsistencies. First, if Muhammad is truly a fulfillment of Judaism and Christianity, then there should be predictive prophecies of Muhammad contained in both the Old and New Testament, which there is not! Second, if God’s message is confirmed by miracles, and if Muhammad’s teachings were not confirmed by miracles, then Muhammad’s teachings were not God’s message. Third, if the teachings of Muhammad were equal in authority to the Bible, then there would also be, based on the principle of consistency (Deut.13:1-5), teachings of God equally consistent throughout each of the three religions. However, Judaism and Christianity picture a God who is knowable, who offers grace and mercy to those who can do nothing to earn it, who has manifest Himself in the person of Jesus Christ and died on a cross to pay the penalty of mankind’s sin, who has defeated death by being raised from the dead, and who gives a brand new life to anyone who will trust in Him – all of which are incompatible with the picture of God given in the Koran. All three religions acknowledge the problem of sin. But only Christianity sees this sin problem as inherent within the heart of all men, corrupting all attempts to live a righteous life. Every other religion in the world teaches that man can do something – ceremonial, or works of religion – to earn God’s favor. But if sin has corrupted the nature of man, then by no amount of good works can man gain God’s favor. Only Christianity teaches that God has fulfilled the righteous requirements of man by becoming a man Himself (Jn. 1:14; 1 Tim. 3:16) and that God, foreseeing the sinful condition of man, was compelled by love to send His Son Jesus into the world in order to take upon Himself the judgment that mankind deserved. God “hath made Jesus to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Cor. 5:21). Jesus was “made… sin” at the moment he was crucified on the cross when all of mankind’s sin was placed on him. The Old Testament foretold it, Jesus predicted it, and the New Testament records it. And “if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Rom. 10:9).
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