Preservation of Divine Revelations

A rather common Muslim view of Divine revelation suggests that, somehow, the Devinely inspired revelations that preceded the Holy Quran have been corrupted, and, therefore, they cannot be relied upon. I choose not to criticize my Muslim friends who hold this view.  Instead I express my concern that they are treading on dangerous ground.

Muslims view the Holy Quran as a perfect revelation of God that cannot be corrupted.  Conservative Jews view the Old Testament in the Holy Bible the same way, and conservative Christians view the entire Holy Bible the same way.

My concern is that the view that the Holy Bible has, somehow, been corrupted is a blasphemous position because it dangerously suggests that God is not capable of preserving the purity and accuracy of His Divine revelation, as it appears in the Holy Bible. Moreover, this view is not consistent with God’s omnipotence–a doctrine both Muslims and Christians staunchly believe. Another problem with this view is that:  If God cannot preserve the purity and accuracy of the Holy Bible, then He cannot preserve the purity and accuracy of the Holy Quran either.

Additionally, the Holy Quran states in the following verses that God indeed preserves the purity and accuracy of all of His Divine revelations. I quote the following:

“Say ye: ‘We believe in Allah and the revelation given to us and to Abraham, Ishma’il, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes and that given to Moses and Jesus and that given to (all) prophets from their Lord we make no difference between one and another of them and we bow to Allah (in Islam)’” (Q2:136)

"Rejected were the messengers before thee: with patience and constancy they bore their rejection and their wrongs, until Our aid did reach them: there is none that can alter the words (and decrees) of Allah. Already hast thou received some account of those messengers," (Q6:34).

"The word of thy Lord doth find its fulfillment in truth and in justice: None can change His words: for He is the one who heareth and knoweth all," (Q6:115).

"For them are glad tidings, in the life of the present and in the Hereafter; no change can there be in the words of Allah. This is indeed the supreme felicity," (Q10:64).

Both Christian and Muslim views are that only the original Scriptural manuscripts, as they exist in their original languages, accurately preserve the purity and accuracy of God’s Divine revelations. Our human efforts to translate Divine Scriptures into other languages cannot be perfect due to limitations of the different languages.  

The Greek language, for example, is a very precise language. Most of the New Testament was written in Greek. So, exact translation from Greek into English or other languages is not possible.  Consequently, the main goal of various English translations of the Holy Bible is to address the nuances of the Greek language that cannot be accurately reflected in a single translation. Therefore, the goal is not to corrupt, rather it is to ensure accuracy and thoroughness.

The argument that original manuscripts have been lost, and therefore the existing copied manuscripts are not reliable, is also based on the blasphemous view that God is, somehow, not capable of preserving His Divine revelations. 

I suggest that Muslims who question the reliability of the Holy Bible do so because there are significant difficulties in reconciling some assertions that appear in the Holy Quran with apparent conflicting assertions that appear in the Holy Bible.  So, by claiming that the Holy Bible has become corrupted, they can more easily explain away such apparent conflicting assertions.  

A good example of this is the death by crucifixion of Jesus Christ, peace be upon him, which the Quran allegedly denies. (See Q4:157) So, by claiming the Holy Bible was corrupted by Christians who believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, this alleged contradiction can thus be explained away.

This reasoning is flawed. First, this is poor hermeneutics. (Hermeneutics is the theological science of Scriptural interpretation.) Given the truth that God preserves the purity and accuracy of His Divine revelations, good hermeneutics requires that any new Divine revelations must be consistent with prior Divine revelations, otherwise they must be discredited. Second, the Holy Quran’s alleged assertion that Jesus did not die on the cross presents a challenge for those who interpret the Holy Quran. Because both the Holy Bible and extra-biblical history provide clear and abundant evidence that Jesus did die by crucifixion on the cross.  (Click here for an article that provides a more plausible interpretation of Q4:157 in the Holy Quran, which reconciles effectively with the Holy Bible’s assertion that Jesus died on the cross.)

Given the position that the Holy Quran is Divinely inspired, then good hermeneutics must be capable of resolving alleged conflicting assertions.

I rejoice, and I invite you to rejoice, that God gives us evidence that there is life after death through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave.

Again, I reiterate my goal is not to criticize; my goal is to express concern for the dangerous ground upon which such views rest. I also reiterate the goal of this blog: A blog devoted to reducing divisions and promoting peaceful interaction among Christians and Muslims.

I close with a blessed promise that my Muslim friends might miss if you question the reliability of the Holy Bible.

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6 KJV)  

I invite you to compare these verses with the first Surah in the Holy Quran, where we ask God to show us the straight path. God grants us our petition and shows us the straight path when we trust in the Lord with all our heart and do not lean on our own understanding. What a joyful promise from God’s Word.

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