Expert: Ernie Laurence, Jr. - 8/16/2011

Question
If you had a chance to set down with a Muslim who told you he would convert to Christianity if you could prove our Bible is the most accurate, the real truth and that the Quran is a false religion. How would we prove to the Muslim our Bible is the one true Bible. I have hear of the Bible code about every 7th letter in the Hebrew Bible spelled Torah and that code. We know about all the historical accuracy and historical finds that prove the Bible. And we also know about all the prophecies Jesus fulfilled.

Answer
Hey Josh.  Thanks for the question.

Let me address the "code" statement first.  It is simple enough to debunk that as a myth.  Just get the Hebrew Bible out and take a look.  It isn't true.

With regard to the Muslim, the simplest way to address the question from the Muslim (granting that he is honest in his promise to convert), is to compare the Quran to the Bible.  The Quran makes a host of statements about "Christianity" that are clearly related to primitive Catholicism and are directly contradictory to the actual Bible.  Others are just blatantly obvious contradictions.  The biggest of these is the denial that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.  The entire book of John is dedicated to proving that point.  John wrote in his latter letters that anyone who denied Christ is God come in the flesh is an anti-Christ, and Mohammed fits that bill to a T.  Hebrews 1:8 references God the Father and that writer records this:

"But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom."

Islam denies that Jesus is God.

Another point I would bring up is that Jesus taught that the greatest command is Love God, and the second is Love your fellow man.  The Quran's presentation of love is far, far different than the teachings of Christ.

The problem you will most likely face is that proving the Bible is "most accurate" would require you to address every iota of Truth contained within scripture.  The Bible contains no errors, no contradictions, nothing to indicate it was the work of man.  It's power comes from the way that the Bible is a whole, refers to itself consistently, and is truly a living document.  The Quran does not present itself as anything more than a collection of separate, unconnected quotations, and is full of contradictions and man-centered commands, practices, and statements.

Start with Christ, though.  But you better know your stuff going in.  You can be sure the Muslim will.

In Truth and Love,

Ernie