On witnessing and dealing with Muslims

[time-keeper]

ok, thanks..hehe, so late.

[Shiloh62]

For all of us who have a heart for ministering to Muslims and sharing the gospel with them, it was suggested we started a new thread on the subject.

Muslims are particularly difficult people to approach with the Gospel because they completely deny the divinity of Christ, the crucifixion, death and resurrection, and the concept of the atoning sacrifice for our salvation.

At the same time, as Christians we tend to have highly emotional reactions to the violence about their religion and its history, the moral debasement of their prophet, and finally the aggressivity of contemporary Muslims when it comes to talking about faith.

So with this thread we can talk about our challenges, approaches and methods of reaching out to them. And also common arguments they like to throw at us about the Bible.

Great idea Charitow!!! Lets get started!!!

Just do your best, and then if thats not enough, brush off your sandals.

[nebula]

thank you, 2Christ, for starting this thread! after 9/11, it seems we American Christians lost our love for our fellow man of the islamic faith.

That's an interesting thing to say.

Before 9/11, how much thought did any of us even give to those of the Islamic faith?

[Isaiah 6:8]

thank you, 2Christ, for starting this thread! after 9/11, it seems we American Christians lost our love for our fellow man of the islamic faith.

That's an interesting thing to say.

Before 9/11, how much thought did any of us even give to those of the Islamic faith?

Not many!

I knew but I hung out with Missionarys!

[fromIslam2Christ]

So the first obstacle facing a Christian when we meet a Muslim is their belief system about Jesus, and Christians. For Muslims, Muhammad received a revelation from God in order to correct the theological deviations that occurred after Jesus. So they view themselves in the same way Christians view themselves in relation to Jews: as the next and latest recipients of a more complete revelation from God.

So i will just list the main belief obstacles so that we as Christians know what to expect and therefore know how to preach the gospel... I am quoting Quranic verses for the sake of information only. These are good to jot down as references. it always impresses Muslims when they see we know already what's in their book about us.

As Muslims, they are warned from a young age that Christians are nice people, but very much deluded!!

Because Christians are so deluded in their beliefs, discussion with them should be avoided because it could lead to turning away from islam:

003.098 Say: "O People of the Book! Why reject ye the Signs of God, when God is Himself witness to all ye do?"

003.099 Say: "O ye People of the Book! Why obstruct ye those who believe, from the path of God, Seeking to make it crooked, while ye were yourselves witnesses (to God's Covenant)? but God is not unmindful of all that ye do."

003.100 O ye who believe! If ye listen to a faction among the People of the Book, they would (indeed) render you apostates after ye have believed!

So already, you can understand why a Muslim would "close their ears" to Christians coming onto them about the Bible and the message of Christ.

In the view of Muslims, Christians mistakenly believe in 3 gods instead of one, as a result of twisting Jesus' teachings after his departure.

004.171 O People of the Book! Commit no excesses in your religion: Nor say of God aught but the truth. Christ Jesus the son of Mary was (no more than) a Messenger of God, and His Word, which He bestowed on Mary, and a Spirit proceeding from Him: so believe in God and His Messengers. Say not "Trinity" : desist: it will be better for you: for God is One God: Glory be to Him: (far exalted is He) above having a son. To Him belong all things in the heavens and on earth. And enough is God as a Disposer of affairs.

005.073 They do blaspheme who say: God 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.

Muslims also do not believe that Jesus was crucified. They believe God raised Him up to Himself and the people (believed to be the Jews) crucifying him were left with an image of Jesus.

004.157 That they said (in boast), "We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of God";- but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not:-

004.158 Nay, God raised him up unto Himself; and God is Exalted in Power, Wise;-

Finally they believe that Jesus was just a prophet and that He will testify against Christians on Judgment Day that He never asked them to worhip Him.

005.116 And behold! God will say: "O Jesus the son of Mary! Didst thou say unto men, worship me and my mother as gods in derogation of God'?" He will say: "Glory to Thee! never could I say what I had no right (to say). Had I said such a thing, thou wouldst indeed have known it. Thou knowest what is in my heart, Thou I know not what is in Thine. For Thou knowest in full all that is hidden.

005.117 "Never said I to them aught except what Thou didst command me to say, to wit, 'Worship God, my Lord and your Lord'; and I was a witness over them whilst I dwelt amongst them; when Thou didst take me up Thou wast the Watcher over them, and Thou art a witness to all things.

That's for a start....

God bless.