Will you give information about the distortion process of the Bible (New Testament)? Is there any evidence that the Bible (New Testament) was distorted? Will you give examples?
Dear Brother / Sister,
There are numerous proofs that the Bible (New Testament) has been distorted. Denying this distorted Bible does not make a person an unbeliever. However, it is necessary to accept that there are some unchanged truth it in though very few.
THE DISTORTION PROCESS OF THE BIBLE (NEW TESTAMENT)
The Bible is essentially a divine book revealed to Hazrat Eesa (Jesus) by Allah. The Quran states many times that the Bible is a divine book revealed to Jesus. According to what native and foreign sources inform us unanimously, Jesus did not write the Bible himself; he could not find time to have it written, either. The proclamation (conveying the message) period of Jesus lasted very short (three years); and the ordeal and pursuit was too much at that period.
However, the number of the apostles that believed in Christ was twelve before he was raised to the sky but most of them were illiterate. Therefore, there was not an appropriate opportunity to write the Bible. Besides, since the first Christians thought Jesus was going to return, they did not feel the need to write the Bible.
It is necessary to mention one more thing regarding the issue: the New Testament was not sent down as a written book. The Torah (Old Testament) was sent down to Hazrat Musa (Moses) in the form of tablets; the Old Testament, like the Quran, was not sent down in the form of written texts; it was revealed to Jesus orally.
After Jesus was raised to the sky, Christians constantly waited for him to come back; when his return was delayed, they tried to write down the verses of the New Testament as they remembered. However, the number of those that saw Jesus and heard his message had decreased.
Consequently, the Bibles started to be written 30-40 years after Jesus was raised to the sky. During this period, the number of people that believed in Jesus had partly increased and Christianity had started to spread to the other nations though not very much. Those that had listened to Jesus directly wanted to convey the message of Jesus in order to meet their own needs and to convey the message of Jesus to those who had not received his message. Therefore, they started to write the Bible as much as they remembered.
In the first periods, the number of the Bibles that were also called “Reminiscences” was too many. The limitation of the Bibles that were deemed as reliable by Christians (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and the Letters) and labeling the others as apocryphal took place as late as the fourth century (325 – Council of Nicaea). The first three of those Bibles were written in 60-80’s and the Bible of John was written in 90-100’s. As it is seen, none of them was written when Jesus was alive.
A more interesting fact is that the Bibles that were written in Greek did not reach today. It is known that the oldest Greek manuscripts that exist today date back to the 4th century. Another important point to be expressed regarding the issue is that when the writing of the Bibles delayed at least for 30 years after Jesus, the Christian creed had almost formed; they had started to discuss about the divinity of Jesus; the Torah had been accepted as a holy text and it had been claimed that salvation had depended on Jesus.
Another interesting pointregarding the issue is that although Jesus spoke Aramaic, the four Bibles were written in Greek. Although the first Bible, Matthew, is said to have been written it in Aramaic, it has not reached today. What is more interesting is the claim and discussion in the Christian history that the writers of Matthew and John Bibles were not Matthew and John but some other people.
Unlike Muslims, the Christian world does not accept that a book called the Bible was revealed to Jesus. According to them, Jesus, who is a god with flesh and bones, that is, in the form of man, is revelation himself. In other words, whatever Jesus said and did is revelation. Therefore, the following is deduced from their belief: Today’s Bibles are the words and actions of Jesus rather than verses revealed by Allah. However, even that idea has too many deficiencies and additions. There are differences in expression and in meaning and even contradictions among those Bibles. What is more, there are contradictory expressions even in the same Bible.
The books that are called the Bibles today are not books of revelation in the sense that Muslims understand. They are the words of the first period apostles and their students. They wrote them as they wanted to believe. Christians believe that the writers of the Bibles wrote them under the protection of God and Holy Spirit. If there had been such a protection, there would not be any contradictions and inconsistencies in the Bibles.
In the West, studies and criticism about the Bible were started in order to eliminate the contradictions in the Bible especially in the New Testament. According to that new scientific method, what belonged to God and what did not was going to be determined in the Bible and the book was going to be cleaned of all of the inconsistencies. For instance, according to a research, 518 words that had been claimed to belong to Jesus were determined; as a result of the study, 1544 different forms of those words were seen and it was stated that only 18 of those words could belong to Jesus.
In addition to what was stated above, we can list some signs of distortion and contradictions in the four Bibles as follows:
1. According to the Bibles of Matthew, Mark and Luke, the prophethood of Jesus lasted one year and according to the Bible of John it lasted more than two years.
2. The number of the generations from Hazrat Dawud (David) (pbuh) to Jesus is 26 according to Matthew and 40 according to Luke.
3. Although Jesus is attributed divinity, in some places in the Bible, he is called as a human being.
4. According to Christianity, while Jesus was about to be crucified, He begged Allah as follows: “O, Allah! O Allah! Why did you abandon me?” If that word belonged to Christ, the God, it shows that he could not protect himself though he was God. If that word belonged to Jesus, it is understood that he did not know God truly because a prophet would never say, “O Allah! Why did you abandon me?” According to our belief, Jesus was not crucified; nor did he beg Allah like that.
5. While Matthew says that there are forty ancestors of Jesus up to Hazrat Ibrahim (Abraham), Luke says there are 55 ancestors.
6. In the Bibles, the phrases “son of God”, “son of Joseph”, “son of David” and “son of Adam” are often used for Jesus. There is an obvious contradiction among them.
7. In the Bible of Mark, the Bible is attributed to God but in the book Letters to the Romans to Jesus.
8. In the Bible of Luke, while God is mentioned as the Savior in one place, Jesus is mentioned as the Savior in another place.
9. There is contradictory information in the Bible whether God can be seen or not.
10. Those Bibles cannot be attributed to Allah or to Jesus. We understand that the Bibles cannot be attributed to Allah from the facts that the origin of the Bible could not be saved, that it was not written down, that there is not a common text that can be agreed on, etc. We understand that the Bibles cannot be attributed to Jesus from the facts that he did not make anybody write it, the inconsistencies, mistakes and contradictions among the Bibles that were written by those that listened to him and those that listened to them. Another reason why those Bibles cannot be attributed to Jesus is that the crucifixion is mentioned in the Bible texts. The mentioning of the crucifixion shows that those Bibles were written later.
Since the inconsistencies and contradictions like that cannot exist in a book that is attributed to Allah and since a prophet cannot deify himself and cannot make God a human, it becomes clear that the holy book of Christianity was written by human beings later and it was distorted.
Consequently;
The different Bible texts that Christians have today are not the original revelation that was sent by God because Jesus neither wrote them nor made someone else write them. After he was raised to the sky, some of his students started to write what they heard from their teacher using their own methods. Thus, without exaggeration, hundreds of texts of Bible appeared. Four of those Bibles were accepted as sound (true) and the others were regarded as apocryphal by the council that was formed in order to solve the problem (325 – Council of Nicaea). However, the disputes did not end. For instance, the Bible of Barnabas and the Ebionites were regarded as apocryphal. As a matter of fact, it was stated in those Bibles that Jesus was not God, that it was not Jesus that was crucified, that he was only a slave of Allah and His prophet, that another prophet would come after him and that Allah was one.
The Bibles that are present today are far from guiding the members of Christianity. It is remarkable that most of those that converted to Islam both today and in the past are Christians. Christians have difficulty in embracing the doctrine of trinity (that God consists of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit). They cannot explain it logically because the creed of the oneness of Allah had never been even subject to discussion by any prophets since Hazrat Adam but the emergence of the concept of the trinity of god with a horrible deviation have not been able to convince people.
The only source that will satisfy all of the requirements of the people in the world regarding the religion and creed and their worldly, otherworldly and spiritual needs is the Quran because Allah, the Exalted, sent the religion of Islam to make it superior to all religions and to spread its light to the whole world. The road map of the religion of Islam is determined by the Quran.
Some examples from the verses of the Quran stating that the Bible embraced by Christians today has some aspects that do not comply with the revelation sent by Allah:
Allah, the Mighty and Glorious, states the following in the Quran:
“Say: He is Allah the One and Only.” (al-Ikhlas: 112/1)
As for Christians, they accept three gods by saying, “the father, the son, the holy spirit”. It is a great deviation. Allah, the Exalted, definitely says the following in the chapter al-Ikhlas:
“He begetteth not, nor is He begotten.” (al-Ikhlas: 112/3)
As for Christians, they say, “Jesus Messiah is the son of God”. As a matter of fact, Jesus said the following as it is stated in the Quran:
“I am indeed a servant of Allah: He hath given me revelation and made me a prophet.” (Maryam: 19/30)
Christians deified Jesus Christ.
Allah, the Exalted, definitely says the following in verse 4 and 5 of the chapter al-Kahf:
“Further that He may warn those (also) who say "Allah hath begotten a son": No knowledge have they of such a thing, nor had their fathers. It is a grievous thing that issues from their mouths as a saying. What they say is nothing but falsehood!.”
Christians attribute a son to Allah, the Exalted.
Allah, the Exalted states the following in a verse:
“Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but (he is) the Messenger of Allah, and the Seal of the Prophets.” (al-Ahzab: 33/40)
As for Christians, they say, “We do not accept anything after Jesus.”
To believe in prophets and Jesus Christ is one of the fundamentals of belief in Islam.We believe in all of the prophets and books sent down by Allah.
“Each one (of them) believeth in Allah, His angels, His books, and His Messengers” "We make no distinction (they say) between one and another of His Messengers."...”” (al-Baqara: 2/285)
Muslims believe in Jesus and the undistorted book that was sent down to him and all of the other prophets sent by Allah. According to the Islamic belief, Jesus is one of the greatest prophets of Allah. Virgin Mary gave birth to him without a father. The prophet Adam was born without a father; similarly, Jesus was created without a father, too. As a matter of fact, the level that the science of medicine has reached today makes it easier to understand it. Allah is free from humanly attributes and having a child.
The Jews who did not want to understand or accept those truths said, “he is an illegitimate child” by using the fact that he was born without a father as an excuse; they slandered him; some of the Christians said he was “God”, some said he was “the son of God” and the third group said, “he was one of the three”. Actually, the reality is as it is expressed in the Quran:
“This similitude of Jesus before Allah is as that of Adam: He created him from dust, then said to him: "Be" and he was.” (Aal-e-Imran: 3/59)
The divine statement of Allah regarding Mary is as follows:
“And Mary the daughter of `Imran, who guarded her chastity; and We breathed into her (body) of Our spirit; and she testified to the truth of the words of her Lord and of His Revelations, and was one of the devout (Servants).” (at-Tahrim: 66/12)
Christians deviated into the belief of “three gods” by saying, “God is three; the father, the son and the holy spirit.”
“Desist: it will be better for you: for Allah is One Allah: glory be to him: (for Exalted is He) above having a son. To Him belongs all things in the heavens and on earth. And enough is Allah as a Disposer of affairs.” (an-Nisa: 4/171)
Allah informs people that Islam is the true religion, that the Quran is the last book sent down by Allah and that Muhammad (pbuh) is the true and last prophet sent by Allah, commanding people to accept it and not to conceal it:
“Ye People of the Book! Why do ye clothe truth with falsehood, and conceal the Truth while ye have knowledge?” (Aal-e-Imran: 3/71)
“So believe in Allah and His Messengers. Say not "Trinity"!” (an-Nisa: 4/171)
“‘They say: "(Allah) Most Gracious has begotten a son!"Indeed ye have put forth a thing most monstrous! At it, the skies are ready to burst, the earth to split asunder, and the mountains to fall down in utter ruin. That they should invoke a son for (Allah) Most Gracious.” (Maryam: 19/88-92)
"For Allah; He is my Lord and your Lord: so worship ye Him: this is a Straight Way." (az-Zukhruf: 64)
“They do blaspheme who say: "Allah is Christ the son of Mary." But said Christ: "O children of Israel! worship Allah, my Lord, and your Lord." Whoever joins other gods with Allah―Allah will forbid him the Garden and the Fire will be his abode. There will for the wrong-doers be no one to help.” (al-Maida: 72)
“He said: "I am indeed a servant of Allah: He hath given me revelation and made me a prophet.” (Maryam: 19/30)
“They disbelieve who say: ‘Allah is one of three in a Trinity’. For there is no god except One God. If they desist not from their word (of blasphemy), verily a grievous penalty will befall the blasphemers among them.” (al-Maida: 5/ 73)
“Christ the son of Mary was no more than an Messenger. Many were the Messengers that passed away before him. His mother was a woman of truth. They had both to eat their (daily) food.”(al-Maida: 5/75)
“O people of the Book! commit no excesses in your religion: nor say of Allah aught but truth. Christ Jesus the son of Mary was (no more than) an Messenger of Allah and His Word, which He bestowed on Mary, and a Spirit proceeding from Him…” (an-Nisa: 4/171)
Jesus is a spirit that emerged as a result of the creation of Allah. He was named “kalimatullah” (the word of Allah) to honor him because he was created as a miracle based on His command “be”. The reason why that spirit was attributed to Allah is to elevate his honor. Allah revived many dead hearts through him.
Then;
“… So believe in Allah and His Messengers. Say not "Trinity": desist: it will be better for you: for Allah is One Allah: glory be to him: (for Exalted is He) above having a son. To Him belongs all things in the heavens and on earth. And enough is Allah as a Disposer of affairs.” (an-Nisa: 4/171)
Jesus (pbuh) needed to remind those who wanted to attribute him some other properties besides being a human being that he was a slave and said:
“I am indeed a servant of Allah.” (Maryam: 19/30) He did not say, “deify me” to the people he talked to; on the contrary, he gave them the following advice: “Verily Allah is my Lord and your Lord: Him therefore serve ye: this is a Way that is straight.” (Maryam: 19/36)
Allah says the following to the Messenger of Allah in a verse by addressing him:
“Say: "If (Allah) Most Gracious had a son, I would be the first to worship." Glory to the Lord of the heavens and the earth, the Lord of the Throne (of Authority)! (He is free) from the things they attribute (to Him)! So leave them to babble and play (with vanities) until they meet that Day of theirs, which they have been promised.” (az-Zukhruf: 43/81-83)
Allah says the following about the people who attribute one of His servants to His holy being:
“Yet they attribute to some of His servants a share with Him (in His godhead)! truly is man a blasphemous ingrate avowed.” (az-Zukhruf: 43/15)
The statements about the fact that Allah is free from having child are frequently made in the Quran:
“They say: "Allah hath begotten a son"; Glory be to Him. ―Nay, to Him belongs all that is in the heavens and on earth; everything renders worship to Him.” (al-Baqara: 2/116)
To say that Allah has a child means to liken Him to human beings. Then, it is impossible for the Lord of Majesty, to whom nobody is similar, to have a child. He is the unique Creator, who has no beginning or end.
“They say "Allah hath begotten a son!―" Glory be to Him! He is self-sufficient! His are all things in the heavens and on earth! No warrant have ye for this! Say ye about Allah what ye know not?Say: "Those who invent a lie against Allah will never prosper."” (Yunus: 10/68-69)
“Behold! How they invent a lie against Allah! But that by itself is a manifest sin!” (an-Nisa: 4/50)
“No son has He begotten, nor has He a partner in His dominion: it is He Who created all things and ordered them in due proportions.” (al-Furqan: 25/2)
“The Jews call Uzayr a son of Allah and the Christians call Christ the son of Allah. That is a saying from their mouths; (in this) they but imitate what the Unbelievers of old used to say. Allah's curse be on them: how they are deluded away from the Truth” (at-Tawbah: 9/30)
The belief of trinity is not a belief that originates from the source of Christianity. It is a wrong belief originating from distortion.
The first Bible to be written after Jesus (pbuh) is the Bible of Mark. In the Bible of Mark, Jesus is addressed as, “You are the Messiah.” (8/29); in the Bible of Luke, the phrase is, “You are the Messiah sent from God.” (9/20); in the Bible of Matthew, the following phrase is written: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” (16/16). As a matter of fact, Matthew and Luke quoted many things from Mark. The belief of trinity is present in the letters of John and Paul. It is Paul who introduced today’s belief of trinity into Christianity and the idea of attributing divinity to Jesus.
About half of the Bible that Christians accept as the divine book today consists of the letters of Paul, who was a converted Jew.
“Paul, a converted Jew, was a Roman rabbi and he oppressed many Christians before he embraced Christianity. The letters he wrote to the Church after he embraced Christianity formed about half of the 27 books of the Bible. “The son of God” and “cross” formed the basis of Paul’s teachings.” (US News and World Report, 20 April 1992, p. 70)
As a former pastor who converted from Christianity said, “Paul’s shrewd letters teaches slander, gossiping, jealousy, spying and espionage.” Those letters are especially full of many contradictions and hypocrisy.
“Saint Paul, who introduced trinity into Christianity is a Jew of Tarsus, whose real name is Saul. Saint Paul taught Kabbalah in Jerusalem before he emerged saying, ‘Jesus came down to me and taught me trinity’.” (The Concise Atlas of the Bible, p. 124)
“When the Church spread to Anatolia, Jesus Messiah started to be mentioned as “the Son of God”, which was the main theme of Paul’s letters.” (ibid p 70)
