IF THE QUR’AN CONFIRMS THE BIBLE, THEN IT CANNOT CORRECT IT; FOR TO CORRECT THE BIBLE IS TO CORRECT JESUS, THE WORD OF GOD.

TOPIC: IF THE QUR’AN CONFIRMS THE BIBLE, THEN IT CANNOT CORRECT IT; FOR TO CORRECT THE BIBLE IS TO CORRECT JESUS, THE WORD OF GOD.

TEXTS FOR STUDY

John 1:1-14; 12:48; Matthew 24:35

Qur’an 3:45; 4:171; 5:46; 6:115

AIM:

1. To establish the divine relationship between the Bible and the Qur’an and clarify that confirmation cannot mean contradiction.

2. To show that both the Bible and the Qur’an identify Jesus as the Word and Spirit of God.

3. To demonstrate that any attempt to correct the Bible is, by extension, an attempt to correct Jesus Christ, the living Word of God.

4. To strengthen the believer’s confidence in the unchangeable nature of God’s Word and the final authority of Jesus Christ.

INTRODUCTION:

Among the greatest questions that unite and divide humanity’s faiths is this:

If the Qur’an confirms the Bible, can it also correct it?

This question cuts to the very root of revelation, truth, and divine authority.

Both the Bible and the Qur’an claim to be from God.

Both reference Jesus Christ as a unique and divine figure.

But while the Bible declares Jesus as the eternal Word of God, the Qur’an describes Him as a Word and a Spirit from God.

If the Bible came before the Qur’an, and the Qur’an says it was sent to confirm what came before, then logically and spiritually, it cannot correct what it confirms.

Otherwise, it denies its own claim of confirmation.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

1. The Bible:

Written over a period of about 1,500 years.

Completed about six centuries before the birth of Muhammad (around A.D. 90-100).

It records God’s revelation through prophets and finally through His Son, Jesus Christ.

2. The Qur’an:

Written around A.D. 610-632, through the prophet Muhammad in Arabia.

It often references the Law (Torah), the Psalms (Zabur), and the Gospel (Injil) as earlier revelations.

It calls these books “the Scriptures that came before” (Qur’an 3:3; 5:46).

Hence, the Qur’an acknowledges that the Bible existed long before it.

Therefore, it is impossible for it to both confirm and contradict the Bible at the same time.

THE HEART OF THE QUESTION

If the Bible proclaims Jesus Christ as the eternal Word of God, and the Qur’an also calls Jesus the Word and the Spirit of God, then any claim to “correct” the Bible is a claim to “correct” the Word of God Himself, that is, Jesus Christ.

This is the center of our lesson.

MAIN DISCUSSION

1. JESUS CHRIST IS THE LIVING WORD OF GOD

 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1)

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” (John 1:14)

The Word of God is not merely a set of letters or sentences.

It is a Person, Jesus Christ Himself.

When God spoke, His Word took flesh. That Word is divine, eternal, and perfect.

Therefore, you cannot correct the Word without trying to correct God Himself.

✓If Jesus is the Word, then whatever He spoke and whatever was written about Him in Scripture is a reflection of the same divine truth.

2. JESUS’ WORDS ARE FINAL AND WILL JUDGE THE WORLD

 “The word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.” (John 12:48)

“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away.” (Matthew 24:35)

Jesus’ words are not temporary advice, they are eternal judgment.

That means no other book or message can override what He has spoken.

If another revelation comes claiming to correct His Word, then that revelation indirectly claims Jesus was wrong, and therefore, God’s Word failed.

✓But if Jesus’ Word never fails, then any message that disagrees with His Word cannot be divine confirmation, it becomes human contradiction.

3. THE QUR’AN CALLS JESUS THE WORD AND SPIRIT OF GOD

“O Mary! Allah gives you glad tidings of a Word from Him, whose name will be the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary.” (Qur’an 3:45)

“Christ Jesus the son of Mary was (no more than) a Messenger of Allah, and His Word which He bestowed on Mary, and a spirit from Him.” (Qur’an 4:171)

The Qur’an gives Jesus two titles no other prophet bears:

Kalimatullah "The Word of God."

Ruhullah "The Spirit of God."

These are divine titles.

To call someone the Word of God is to recognize divine nature, because the Word comes from within God Himself.

✓Now, if the Qur’an calls Jesus the Word of God, and if it says no one can change the Word of God, then it indirectly testifies that Jesus’ message cannot be changed or corrected.

4. THE QUR’AN CONFIRMS THAT GOD’S WORD CANNOT BE CHANGED

“The word of your Lord has been fulfilled in truth and justice. None can change His words.” (Qur’an 6:115)

If no one can change the Word of God, then:

The message given through Jesus cannot be corrupted.

The Bible, which records that message, cannot lose its truth.

Any claim that the Bible has been changed contradicts the Qur’an itself.

✓Thus, if the Qur’an truly confirms what came before, it must confirm, not correct, the Bible.

5. TO CORRECT THE BIBLE IS TO CORRECT JESUS

If the Bible is the written Word and Jesus is the living Word, then they speak one voice, not two.

They are distinct in form but one in message and truth.

Therefore:

To say “the Bible has been corrupted” is to say “the Word of God failed.”

To claim “Jesus’ teachings were changed” is to say “the Word made flesh is corruptible.”

But both the Bible and Qur’an agree that God’s Word cannot fail.

✓Hence, logic and faith unite on this ground, to question the Bible’s purity is to question Christ’s divinity.

6. THE PURPOSE OF THE QUR’AN’S CONFIRMATION

In Qur’an 5:46, it is written:

“We sent Jesus, the son of Mary, confirming the Law that had come before him, and We gave him the Gospel... and We caused the Gospel to follow in their footsteps to confirm what was before it.”

Notice: each revelation confirms what came before.

The purpose is not to replace, but to bear witness to the same God’s truth.

If the Qur’an came to confirm, not contradict, then its confirmation must harmonize with the Bible’s message, that Jesus is the fulfillment of all God’s promises (see Matthew 5:17; Luke 24:44).

✓But if a supposed confirmation introduces contradictions, then it breaks its own testimony.

7. JESUS IS THE FULFILLMENT OF EVERYTHING WRITTEN

“These are the words which I spoke unto you… that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.” (Luke 24:44)

Jesus is not just part of God’s revelation; He is the fulfillment of it.

All previous revelations pointed to Him, the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms.

Therefore, the story of revelation finds its completion in Christ.

✓To come after Him claiming further correction is to rewrite what God already finished in perfection.

THEOLOGICAL AND LOGICAL SUMMARY

TRUTH BIBLICAL REVELATION QUR’ANIC TESTIMONY CONCLUSION

The Bible came first John 1:1; 2 Tim. 3:16 Qur’an 5:46 Qur’an cannot correct what existed before it.

Jesus is the Word of God John 1:14 Qur’an 3:45; 4:171 Both agree He is divine in nature.

God’s Word cannot change Isaiah 40:8 Qur’an 6:115 Therefore, Jesus’ Word and the Bible remain pure.

The Word will judge all John 12:48 Jesus’ message is final and unchangeable.

REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS

1. If the Qur’an says Jesus is the Word of God, can any revelation claim to correct the Word of God Himself?

2. Can God’s Word be corrupted if the Qur’an says none can change it?

3. How can one confirm the Bible and still contradict its core message about Jesus as Savior and Son of God?

4. Which is greater, the written Word or the living Word who gave it?

5. If the Bible records the complete revelation in Christ, what more can be added without denying His final authority?

DOCTRINAL SUMMARY

The Bible is the written Word; Jesus is the living Word.

The Qur’an, by calling Jesus the Word and Spirit of God, indirectly affirms His divine nature.

God’s Word cannot change; therefore, the Bible’s message stands forever.

To attempt to correct Scripture is to question the perfection of the Word Himself.

Final revelation is not a new book, it is a Person: Jesus Christ, the eternal Word of God.

CONCLUSION

Both the Bible and the Qur’an speak of the Word of God, but only one identifies Him as God made flesh; Jesus Christ.

If the Qur’an confirms the Bible, then it must also confirm the truth that Jesus is the fulfillment of every divine promise.

If it attempts to correct the Bible, then it unknowingly claims to correct the unchangeable Word and Breath of God Himself.

Therefore, the truth stands unshaken:

THE BIBLE CANNOT BE CORRECTED, BECAUSE THE WORD IT CONTAINS IS ALIVE, DIVINE, AND ETERNAL; JESUS CHRIST.

“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away.” (Matthew 24:35)

Bro. Isaac Joseph Ukpong. COC Agbede, Ikorodu Lagos, Nigeria. isaacjukpong@gmail.com, +2348110332119.