The errors, contradictions and interpolations
seen in the existing Gospels are uncountably numerous. Many of them are
explained in the book Izhâr-ul-haqq. Also, there is extensive and detailed
information in this respect in books that were written and are still being written
and published by a number of German orientalists such as Joizer, Davis, Miel,
Kepler, Maçe, Bred Schneider, Griesbach Huge, Lesinag, Herder, Straus, Haus,
Tobian, Thyl, Carl Butter, and many others. Here we shall only mention a few of
them.
There is a great difference between the
Gospels of Matthew and Luke concerning the ancestors of Îsâ ‘sall-allâhu alâ
Nebiyyinâ wa alaihi wa sallam’.
In the Gospel of Matthew, the following names
are written as the ancestors of Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’: “Ibrahim (Abraham), Ishaq
(Isaac), Ya’qűb (Jacob), Yahűdâ (Judas), Fâris (Pha’res), Hazron (Es’rom), Irâm
(A’ram), Aminadab (A-min’a-dab), Nahshon (Na-as’son), Salmon (Sal’mon), Buaz
(Bo’oz), Obid (O’bed), Yesse (Jesse), Dâwűd (David), Suleymân (Solomon),
Rehobeam (Ro-bo’am), Abiya (A-bi’a), Asâ (Asa), Yehashafat (Jos’a-phat), Yorâm
(Joram), Uzziyâ (O-zi’as), Yotam (Jo’a-tham), Ahaz (A’chaz), Hazkiyâ
(Ez-e-ki’as), Manassa (Manas’ses), Amon (A’mon), Yoshiâ (Jo-si’as), Yaqonyâ
(Jech-o-ni’as), Shaltoil (Sa-la’thi-el),[1] Zarubâbel
(Zo-rob’a-bel), Abihűd (A-bi’ud), Alyâkim (E-li’a-kim), Azor (Azor), Sâdok
(Sa’doc), Ahim (A’chim), Elliud (E-li’ud), Eliazar (E-le-a’zar), Mattan
(Mat’than), Ya’qűb (Jacob), Yűsuf (Joseph) (Maryam’s husband).” (Matt.: 1-1
thr. 16)
On the other hand, in the twenty-third and
later verses of the third chapter of the Gospel of Luke the following names are
written: “Târűh (Tha’ra), Ibrâhîm (Abraham), Ishaq (Isaac),
---------------------------------
[1] Here, again, like in the Gospel of Luke, sala’thi-el is represented as the father of Zo-rob’a-bel, which is wrong.
Ya’qűb (Jacob), Yahűdâ (Juda), Fâris (Pha’res), Hasron (Es’rom),
Arâm (A’ram), Aminadab (A-min’adab), Nahshon (Na-as’son), Salmon (Sal’mon),
Buaz (Bo’oz), Obid (O’bed), Yesse (Jesse), Dâwűd (David), Nâtân (Nathan),
Mattatha (Mat’ta-tha), Mînân (Me-nan), Milya (Me’le-a), Alyakîm (E-li’a-kim),
Yonan (Jo’nan), Yűsuf (Joseph), Yahűdâ (Juda), Sem’űn (Simeon), Lâvî (Levi),
Met-thâd (Mat’that), Yorîm (Jo’rim), Eliazâr (E-li-e’zer), Yushâ (Jo’se), Eyr
(Er), Almodam (El-mo’dam), Kosam (Co’sam), Addi (Ad’di), Melkî (Mel’chi), Neyrî
(Ne’ri), Shaltoil (Sa-la’thi-el), Zerubâbel (Zo-rob’a-bel), Risa (Rhe’sa),
Yuhannâ (Jo-an’na), Yahűdâ (Juda), Yűsuf (Joseph), Shemî (Sem’e-i), Mattathiya
(Mat-ta-thi’as), Mahat (Ma’ath), Nâdjay (Nag’ge), Heslî (Es’li), Nahum (Na’um),
Amos (Amos), Metasiya (Mat-ta-thi’as), Yűsuf (Joseph), Yannâ (Jan’na), Melkî
(Mel’chi), Lâvî (Levi), Met-that (Mat’that), Heli (He’li), Yűsuf (Joseph)
(Maryam’s husband).” (Luke: 3-23 thr. 34)
1 — According to Matthew, Yűsuf (who is said
to be the father of Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm) is the son of Ya’qűb. According to
Luke, he is the son of Helî. Matthew is a person close to Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’.
And Luke is a disciple of Peter’s. They are supposed to be the people to study
and observe a person close to them, and yet they seem to fall short of making
investigation wholesome enough to write correctly the name of a person who they
say was the grandfather of Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’; now, who on earth will trust or
believe their other narratives?
2 — According to Matthew, Suleymân
‘alaihis-salâm’ is the son of Dâwűd ‘alaihis-salâm’. And according to Luke the
son of Dâwűd ‘alaihis-salâm’ is Nâtân, not Suleymân ‘alaihis-salâm’.
3 — Matthew says that Shaltoil is the son of
Yaqunyâ. But Luke says he is the son of Neyrî. In Matthew, the name of
Zerubâbel’s son is Abihűd, whereas in Luke it is Risâ. What is equally startling
is that in the nineteenth verse of the third chapter of the Akhbâr-i-eyyâm
Safar-i-űlâ, that is, of the First Chronicles, the names of Ze-rub’ba-bel’s
sons are written as Me-shul’lam and Han-a-ni’ah.[1] There is no mention of A-bi’ud or Rhe’sa there.
4 — According to the seventeenth verse of the
first chapter of Matthew, the grandfathers attributed to Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’
from Ibrâhîm ‘alaihis-salâm’ to Yűsuf-u-Najjâr (Joseph the Carpenter), make up
forty-two generations. The names given above,
---------------------------------
[1] I Chr:
3-19
nevertheless, count only forty. According to Luke’s account, on
the other hand, the number reaches fifty-five.
From the time when the Gospels first appeared
to our time, Christian scholars have remained in utter perplexity as to this
question. Some of them made such untenable explanations as would not be
admitted by anyone with common sense. For this reason, scholars such as
Eckharn, Keiser, Haisee, Ghabuth, Wither, Fursen, etc. admitted the fact by
saying that “These Gospels contain lots of contradictions pertaining to
meaning.” This is the truth of the matter. For inconsistencies and errors are
not only in this matter but also in all the other matters.
Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ came to this world without
a father. Nevertheless, while Jews persistently calumniate him by calling him
an illegitimate child [May Allâhu ta’âlâ protect us from saying so!],
Christians attribute a paternal case history to him and accept Yűsuf as his
father, though he is not his father; this is a consternating ignorance and a
paradoxical state. In Qur’ân al-kerîm, the âyats concerning Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ use such terms as “Îsâ
ibn Maryam,” which means “Îsâ the son of Maryam.” It is declared clearly in the Qur’ân al-kerîm that Îsâ
‘alaihis-salâm’ did not have a father.
5 — It is written as follows in the
twenty-second and twenty-third verses of the first chapter of Matthew: “Now all
this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,” (Matt: 1-22) “Behold, a virgin
shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name
Em-man’u-el, which being interpreted is, God with us.” (ibid: 1-23) According
to Christian priests, by the word ‘Prophet’, Îshâyâ (Isaiah) ‘alaihi-salâm’ is meant. As an evidence for
this, they put forward the fourteenth verse of the seventh chapter of the Book
of Isaiah, which reads, “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign;
Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name
Im-man’u-el.” (Is: 7-14) Rahmatullah Efendi explains this matter in detail in
his book Izhâr-ul-haqq. He states that their inference is wrong for three reasons:
First; the word which the translators of the
Gospel and the translator of the Book of Isaiah translated as azrâ (=virgin) is ’ilmatun, which is the feminine gender of the word ’ilm (=knowledge).
According to Jewish scholars the meaning of this word is young woman. They say that this term is also used to mean married woman, whether virginal or not, in the thirtieth chapter of the
Sifr-ul-emthâl (Proverbs of Solomon). In the three
Greek versions of the Book of Isaiah translated by persons named
Ikola, Thedusien, and Semiks, this term is interpreted as (young woman). These
translations, according to Christian clergy, are quite old; it is narrated that
the first was translated in 129, the second in 175, and the third in 200. All
these translations, especially the Thedusien, were warmly accepted by the early
Christians. Therefore, according to Jewish scholars and the interpretations of
these three translators, the expression used by Matthew is apparently wrong.
Fery, in his discourse on the Hebrew lexicon in a book of his which is popular
and accepted among Protestant priests, says that this word, i.e. (Azrâ), means
(young woman). They (Protestants) say that according to this explanation the
two meanings are common in this word. Yet the native speakers of the language,
i.e. the Jews, in response to this interpretation of the priests, state that
firstly Matthew’s expression is wrong and secondly translating the word as Azrâ (=virginal
woman), which runs counter to the early translations of the Jewish
interpretations, requires sound proofs. The priest who wrote the book Mîzân-ul-haqq says in his book Hall-ul-eshkal that the meaning of the word is
certainly Azrâ; he is wrong. The two evidences we have mentioned above would
suffice to refute him.
Second; the twentieth verse of the first
chapter of Matthew reads as follows: “But while he thought on these things,
behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph,
thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is
conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.” (Matt: 1-20) And the twenty-fourth and
twenty-fifth verses say: “Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel
of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:” (Matt: 1-24) “And knew
her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name
JESUS.” (ibid: 1-25)
The first chapter of Luke, on the other hand,
states that the angel was seen by hadrat Maryam herself. According to the
thirty-first verse of the same chapter, the angel said to hadrat Maryam: “And,
behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call
his name JESUS.” (Luke: 1-31)
While Matthew states that the angel appeared
to Joseph in his dream, Luke says that hadrat Maryam saw the angel in person.
Furthermore, it is written as follows in the
twenty-third verse of the first chapter of the Gospel of Matthew: “Behold, a
virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and shall call his
name Em-man’u-el, ...” (Matt: 1-23) This is, at the same time, the
fourteenth verse of the seventh chapter of the Book of Isaiah. It is wrong,
because Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ never said that his name was Em-man’u-el.
Third; the following episode prevents the
naming of Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ as Em-man’u-el: When Râsîn (Rezin, or Rasun), the
Aramean ruler, and Fâqâh (Pekah), the Israelite ruler, brought their armies
together in Jerusalem in order to fight the Judah ruler, Âhâz bin Yűsân was
alarmed by their alliance. Jenâb-i Haqq inspired Isaiah ‘alaihis-salâm’ to calm
Âhâz. So he gave Âhâz the good news: “O thou Âhâz! Don’t be afraid! They cannot
beat you. Their sovereignties will soon be destroyed and perish.” He also
stated its harbinger as follows: “A young woman shall become pregnant and have
a son. Before this boy distinguishes between good and bad the empires of these
two monarchs shall become annihilated.” Fâqâh’s sovereignty was destroyed
exactly twenty-one years after this news. Then this boy must have been born
before the annihilation of Fâqâh’s sovereignty. On the other hand the birth of
Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ took place seven hundred and twenty-one years after the
annihilation of Fâqâh’s country. Therefore, people of the book fell into
disagreement as to the authenticity of the narrative. Some Christian clergy and
Bens [Dr. George Benson], a doctor of history, stated that by ‘young woman’
Isaiah ‘alaihis-salâm’ meant his own spouse and told the story accordingly.
This explanation seems to be the most acceptable and the most plausible.
6 — It is narrated in the second chapter of
the Gospel of Matthew that Yűsuf-u-Nejjâr (Joseph the Carpenter), for fear of
Hirodes (Herod), took Maryam and Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ and went to Egypt. And the
fifteenth verse of the second chapter reads as follows: “And was there until
the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by
the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my
son.” (Matt: 2-15) The Prophet meant here
is Yűshâ’ (Hosea). Thus the author of the Gospel of Matthew refers to the first
verse of the eleventh chapter of the Book of Yűshâ (Hosea) in the Old
Testament. This is wrong, because this verse has nothing to do with Îsâ
‘alaihis-salâm’. The correct form of the verse exists in the Arabic translation
printed in 1226 [A.D. 1811], and reads as follows: “I loved Israel since his
childhood and invited his children from Egypt.” This verse is a sign of the
favour Allâhu ta’âlâ conferred upon the Israelites in the time of Műsâ
‘alaihis-salâm’. The author of Matthew changed
this verse in the Old Testament by replacing the plural form
‘children’ with the singular ‘son’ (ibn) and using the first person singular
pronoun (my) instead of the third person (his). Following his example, the
author of the Arabic version published in 1260 [A.D. 1844] made [intentional]
changes, [thus changing the meaning altogether]. However, when the verses
following it are read, the reason for this change becomes clear. As a matter of
fact the next verse, the second verse of the eleventh chapter of the Book of
Hosea, purports: “As they called them, so they went from them: they sacrificed
unto Ba’al-im[1] , ...” (Hos: 11-2).
This cannot be the case with hadrat Îsâ, nor with the Jews contemporary with
Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ or even with the Jews that lived five hundred years before
the birth of Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’. For it is written clearly in history that
five hundred and thirty-six years before the birth of Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’, that
is, after their salvation from slavery in Babel, Jews desisted from worshipping
idols and turned away from idols in penitence. It is a recorded fact that after
that time they kept off idols.
7 — It is written in the nineteenth and
following verses of the second chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, “But when
Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in
Egypt,” “Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into
the land of Israel: ...” “And he arose, and took the young child and his
mother, and came into the land of Israel.” “... he turned aside into the parts
of Galilee:” “And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be
fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.” (Mat: 2-19 thr. 23) This is
wrong, too. None of the books of Prophets contains a word of this sort. Jews reject this word and say that
it is a lie, a slander. [In fact, Jews hold the belief that no Prophet lived in the region of Galilee, let alone
Nazareth. As it is narrated clearly in the fifty-second verse of the seventh
chapter of John, “They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee?
Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet.” (John: 7-52) This verse of John’s contradicts the verse of
Matthew we have mentioned above.] If the Christian priests have other
information in this respect, they ought to declare it.
8 — As is written at the beginning of the
fourth chapter of Matthew; the devil wanted to test Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’. He was
---------------------------------
[1] Idols worshipped by the peoople of the time of Ilyâ (Elijah) ‘alaihis-salâm’.
taken to the desert by the Spirit. Fasting for forty days and
nights, he became hungry. Then the devil took Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ to the
blessed city and made him mount the dome of the temple, and said, “If thou be
the Son of God, cast thyself down: ... He shall give his angels charge
concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, ...” (Matt: 4-6)
Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ answered the devil: “Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy
God.” (ibid: 4-7) Then he took him into the mountains and said: “All these
things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.” (ibid: 4-9)
Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ said to the devil: “Get thee hence, Satan: for it is
written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”
(ibid: 4-10)
It is written in the twelfth and later verses
of the first chapter of Mark: “And immediately the spirit driveth him into the
wilderness.” “And he was there in the wilderness for forty days, tempted of
Satan: he was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.” (Mark:
1-12, 13) No remark is made here as to the manner of the devil’s testing or the
forty days’ fasting by Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’.
9 — The sixth and seventh verses of the
twenty-sixth chapter of Matthew purports: “Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in
the house of Simon the leper,” “There came unto him a woman having an alabaster
box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat.”
(Matt: 26-6, 7)
The third verse of the fourteenth chapter of
Mark reads: “And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at
meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very
precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head.” (Mark: 14-3)
As it is purported in the thirty-sixth and
later verses of the seventh chapter of the Gospel of Luke, “And one of the
Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the
Pharisee’s house and sat down to meat.” “And, behold, a woman in the city,
which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee’s
house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,” “And stood at his feet behind him
weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the
hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.”
(Luke: 7-36, 37, 38) “And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.” (ibid:
7-48)
On the other hand, the same episode is
narrated as follows in the twelfth chapter of the Gospel of John: “Then Jesus
six days
before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had
been dead, whom he raised from the dead.” “There they made him a supper; and
Martha served: ...” “Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very
costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: ...”
(John: 12-1, 2, 3) [As it is seen, the same one episode is narrated differently
in the four Gospels.]
10 — It is written in the nineteenth,
twentieth and twenty-first verses of the first chapter of John: “... when the
Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?” “And he
confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.” “And they asked
him, What then? Art thou E-li’as? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.” (John: 1-19, 20, 21)
On the other hand, according to the fourteenth
verse of the eleventh chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’
stated about Yahyâ (E’li’as) in front of the people: “And if ye will receive
it, this is E-li’as, which was for to come.” (Matt: 11-14) And again Matthew
writes in the tenth, eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth verses of the seventeenth
chapter: “And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that
E-li’as must first come?” “And Jesus answered and said unto them, E-li’as truly
shall first come, and restore all things.” “But I say unto you, That E-li’as is
come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they
listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.” “Then the disciples
understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.” (Matt: 17-10, 11, 12,
13) As is understood from this final passage, Yahyâ (John the Baptist) is the
promised, expected E-li’as. According to the Gospels of John and Matthew, the
statements of Yahyâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ contradict those of Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’.
[For in the Gospel of John, Yahyâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ declares that he is not
E-li’as. One of the reasons why Jews did not accept Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ was
because they had been expecting the coming of E-li’as before him. The
contradiction here is as obvious as the sun.]
11 — In the first chapter of the Gospel of
Luke, the angel who gives the good news of hadrat Yahyâ to Zakariyya
(Zachariah), or Zach-a-ri’as) ‘alaihis-salâm’ recounts the qualities of Yahyâ,
and says in the seventeenth verse: “And he shall go before him in the spirit
and power of E-li’as, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and
the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; ...” (Luke: 1-17) This verse runs
counter to the verses of Matthew narrated
above, For it would be paradoxical for Yahyâ both to be E-li’as
himself and to have virtues and merits common with E-li’as.
12 — The twenty-fourth, twenty-fifth and
twenty-sixth verses of the fourth chapter of Luke state: “And he said, Verily I
say unto you, ...” “... many widows were in Israel in the days of E-li’as, when
the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when famine was throughout
all the land;” “But none of them was E-li’as sent, save unto Sa-rep’ta, a city
of Si’don, unto a woman that was a widow.” (Luke: 4-24, 25, 26) Since this
event did not take place in the time of Yahyâ ‘alaihis-salâm’, this narrative
is obviously contrary to the narrative of Matthew. [For it is stated in the
Gospel of Matthew that Yahyâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ lived in the time of Îsâ
‘alaihis-salâm’ and that he was E-li’as. On the other hand, contrary to the
narrative in the Gospel of Luke, the event of the sky remaining closed three
years and six months did not take place in the time of Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ or
Yahyâ (John the Baptist), who is represented as E-li’as.]
13 — The fifty-third and fifty-fourth verses
of the ninth chapter of Luke purport: “And they did not receive him, because
his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.” “And when his disciples James
and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down
from heaven, and consume them, even as E-li’as did?” (Luke: 9-53, 54) Hence,
even the apostles of Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ knew that E-li’as had lived before
them and that Yahyâ was not E-li’as. This narrative contradicts the narrative
of Matthew, too.
14 — It is written in the first, second and
third verses of the twenty-first chapter of the Gospel of Matthew that Îsâ
‘alaihis-salâm’ sent forth two apostles of his to a nearby village and ordered
them to bring back with them a donkey tied there and its foal. The other
Gospels do not mention the donkey and refer only to the foal.
15 — The sixth verse of the first chapter of
Mark writes that Yahyâ ate locusts and wild honey. The eighteenth verse of the
eleventh chapter of Matthew, on the other hand, says that Yahyâ did not eat or
drink anything. [Their statements are quite opposite to each other.]
16 — The thirteenth to seventeenth verses of
the third chapter of Matthew narrate that “Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to
Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.” “But John forbad him, saying, I have
need to be baptized of thee, and cometh thou to me?” “And Jesus answering said
unto him, Suffer it to be so now:
for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he
suffered him.” “And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the
water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God
descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:” “And lo a voice from heaven,
saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matt: 3-13, 14,
15, 16, 17) Again, the second and third verses of the eleventh chapter of
Matthew state that “Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ,
he sent two of his disciples,” “And said unto him, Art thou he that should
come, or do we look for another?” (Matt: 11-2, 3)
Yahyâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ remained imprisoned in
the dungeon until he was killed there. Baptism of Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ by Yahyâ
‘alaihis-salâm’ was before his imprisonment. According to Matthew, Yahyâ
‘alaihis-salâm’ knew of Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ before the baptism. [In the
thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth verses of the third chapter, as we have
quoted above, Yahyâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ asks Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ to baptize him and
says, “I need to be baptized by you.” and yet in the eleventh chapter it is
narrated that when Yahyâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ was in the dungeon he did not know Îsâ
‘alaihis-salâm’ was the Messiah and that “he sent his disciples to find out who
he was.” But the actual fact is that Yahyâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ remained in the
dungeon and was martyred there by Herod. This fact is stated also by Matthew in
the fourteenth chapter. Accordingly, the verses on this subject in the third
chapter and those in the eleventh chapter belie each other.]
17 — On the other hand this episode is
narrated in an altogether different way in the Gospel of John. The
thirty-second and thirty-third verses of the first chapter state that “And John
bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and
it abode upon him.” “And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with
water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending,
and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.”
(John: 1-32, 33) According to this narrative, Yahyâ did not know Îsâ
‘alaihis-salâm’ before. He learned of him when the Spirit descended on him.
This narrative is contrary to the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth verses
of the first chapter of Matthew, which we have cited above.
18 — In the thirty-first verse of the fifth
chapter of the Gospel of John, Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ says: “If I bear witness of
myself, my witness is not true.” (John: 5-31) Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’, again, says
in
the eleventh verse of the third chapter: “... We speak that we do
know, and testify that we have seen; ...” (John: 3-11) These two statements are
absolutely irreconcilable.
19 — In the twenty-seventh verse of the tenth
chapter of the Gospel of Matthew he says: “What I tell you in darkness, that
speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the
housetops.” (Matt: 10-27) And in the third verse of the twelfth chapter of Luke
he says: “Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the
light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed
upon the housetops.” (Luke: 12-3) As is seen, the statement was derived from
the same one source but was changed afterwards.
20 — It is stated in the twenty-first and
later verses of the twenty-sixth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew that “And as
they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.”
“And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto
him, Lord, is it I?” “And he answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with
me in the dish, the same shall betray me.” (Matt: 26-21, 22, 23) “Then Judas,
which betrayed him, answered and said, Master is it I? He said unto him, Thou
hast said.” (ibid: 26-25)
The twenty-first and later verses of the
thirteenth chapter of the Gospel of John say: “When Jesus had thus said, he was
troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you,
that one of you shall betray me.” “Then the disciples looked one on another,
doubting of whom he spake.” “Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of his
disciples, whom Jesus loved.” “Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, that he
should ask who it should be of whom he spake.” “He then lying on Jesus’ breast
saith unto him, Lord, who is it?” “Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall
give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it
to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.” (John: 13-21 thr. 26) The difference
between the two narratives is apparent.
21 — The twenty-sixth chapter of Matthew,
while narrating how the Jews caught and imprisoned hadrat Îsâ, writes as
follows beginning in the forty-eighth verse: “Now he that betrayed him gave him
a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast.” “And
forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him.” “And Jesus
said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands
on Jesus, and took him.” (Matt: 26-48, 49, 50)
The third and later verses of the eighteenth
chapter of John narrate that “Judas then, having received a band of men and
officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and
torches and weapons.” “Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come
upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye?” “They answered him,
Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which
betrayed him, stood with them.” “As soon then as he had said unto them, I am
he, they went backward, and fell to the ground.” “Then asked he them again,
Whom seek ye? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth.” “Jesus answered, I have told
you that I am he: if therefore ye seek me, let these go their way:” (John:
18-3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) Contradiction between the two narratives is manifest.
22 — There are many opposite narratives as to
Peter’s denial of knowing Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ in the Gospels. The sixty-ninth
and later verses of the twenty-sixth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew state
that “Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying,
Thou also was with Jesus of Galilee.” “But he denied before them all, saying, I
know not what thou sayest.” “And when he was gone out into the porch, another
maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with
Jesus of Nazareth.” “And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man.”
“And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely
thou art one of them; for thy speech betrayeth thee.” “Then began he to curse
and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew.” “And
Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow,
thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.” (Matt: 26-69
thr. 75)
On the other hand, it is narrated as follows
between the sixty-sixth and seventy-second verses of the fourteenth chapter of
the Gospel of Mark: “And as Peter was beneath in the palace, there cometh one
of the maids of the high priest:” “And when she saw Peter warming himself, she
looked upon him, and said, And thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth.” “But he
denied, saying, I know not, neither understand I what thou sayest. And he went
out into the porch; and the cock crew.” “And a maid saw him again, and began to
say to them that stood by, This is one of them.” “And he denied it again. And a
little after, they that stood by said again to Peter, Surely thou art one of
them: for thou art a Galilćan, and thy speech agreeth thereto.” “But he began
to curse and to swear, saying, I know not this man whom ye speak.” “And the
second
time the cock crew. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus
said unto him, Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. And when
he thought thereon, he wept.” (Mark: 14-66 thr. 72)
The fifty-fifth and later verses of the
twenty-second chapter of the Gospel of Luke narrate that “And when they had
kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were set down together, Peter sat
down among them.” “But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and
earnestly looked upon him, and said, This man was also with him.” “And he
denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not.” “And after a while another saw him,
and said, Thou art also of them, And Peter said, Man, I am not.” “And about the
space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this
fellow also was with him: for he is a Galilćan.” “And Peter said, Man, I know
not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew.” “And
the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the
Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me
thrice.” “And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.” (Luke: 22-55 thr. 62)
The twenty-fifth and later verses of the
eighteenth chapter of the Gospel of John write that “And Simon Peter stood and
warmed himself. They said therefore unto him, Art not thou also one of his
disciples? He denied it, and said, I am not.” “One of the servants of the high
priest, being his kinsman whose ear Peter cut off, saith, Did not I see thee in
the garden with him?” “Peter then denied again: and immediately the cock crew.”
(John: 18-25, 26, 27) These kinds of contradictions in these four narratives
are palpable to men of reason.
23 — In the thirty-sixth verse of the
twenty-second chapter of the Gospel of Luke, hadrat Îsâ, on the day he would be
caught, says to the Apostles: “... But now, he that hath a purse, let him take
it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment,
and buy one.” (Luke: 22-36) In the thirty-eighth verse the Apostles say to
hadrat Îsâ: “... Lord, behold, here are two swords. ...” (ibid: 22-38) And
hadrat Îsâ says to them: “... It is enough.” (ibid) In the forty-ninth,
fiftieth, fifty-first and fifty-second verses: “When they which were about him
saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the
sword?” “And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his
right ear.” “And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye that far. And touched his
ear, and healed him.” (ibid: 22-49, 50, 51)
Nevertheless, the other three Gospels do not contain the events of
buying swords and curing the excised ear.
24 — It is narrated as follows in the
fifty-first and later verses of the twenty-sixth chapter of the Gospel of
Matthew: “And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his
hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest’s, and smote
off his ear.” “Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place:
for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.” “Thinkest thou
that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than
twelve regions of angels?” “But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled,
that thus it must be?” (Matt: 26-51, 52, 53, 54) The other Gospels, on the
other hand, do not contain anything concerning these spiritual soldiers,
angels.
25 — In the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke,
as Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ was being taken away for crucifixion, they had a person
named Simon of Cy-re’ne carry the cross, [Matt: 27-32; Mark: 15-21; Luke:
23-26]. But John says, in the seventeenth verse of the nineteenth chapter, that
Jesus carried the cross himself.
26 — According to the writings of Matthew and
Mark, two of the malefactors who were to be hanged with Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’
kept railing on him. In the Gospel of Luke, though, “One of them railed, but
the other rebuked the former and asked Jesus to remember him in his kingdom.”
[Luke: 23-39, 40, 41, 42, 43.]
27 — The writings about the resurrection of
Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ are contradictory in the four Gospels. Lest the reader
should weary of a detailed account, we shall give a summary of the
contradictory verses in each of the Gospels for advisory purposes:
In the fifty-seventh and later verses of the
twenty-seventh chapter of the Gospel of Matthew: “When the even was come, there
was a rich man of Ar-i-ma-thća, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus’
disciple:” “He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate
commanded the body to be delivered.” “And when Joseph had taken the body, he
wrapped it in a clean linen cloth.” “And laid it in his own new tomb, which had
been hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the
sepulchre, and departed.” “And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary,
sitting over against the sepulchre.” “Now the next day,[1] that followed the day of the preparation, the chief
---------------------------------
[1] Saturday.
The day of preparation means the day before the sabbath.
priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate,” “Saying, Sir, we
remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I
will rise again.” “Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the
third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto
the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than
the first.” “Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as
sure as you can.” “So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the
stone, and setting a watch.” (Matt: 27-57 to 66) “In the end of the sabbath, as
it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the
other Mary to see the sepulchre.” “And, behold, there was a great earthquake:
for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone
from the door, and sat upon it.” “His countenance was like lightning, and his
raiment white as snow:” “And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became
as dead men.” “And the angel answered and said unto the women. Fear not ye: for
I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.” “He is not here: for he is
risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.” “And go quickly,
and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and behold, he goeth
before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.” “And
they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run
to bring his disciples word.” “And as they went to tell his disciples, behold,
Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and
worshipped him.” “Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren
that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.” “Now when they were
going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and shewed unto the chief
priests all the things that were done.” “And when they were assembled with the
elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers,”
“Saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we
slept.” “And if this come to the governor’s ears, we will persuade him, and
secure you.” “So they took the money, and did as they were taught: and this
saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.” “Then the eleven
disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed
them.” “And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.” “And
Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven
and in earth.” “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the
name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:” “Teaching
them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: ...”
(Matt: 28-1 to 20)
On the other hand, it is narrated as follows
in the forty-second and later verses of the fifteenth chapter and in the
sixteenth chapter of the Gospel of Mark: “And now when the even was come,
because it was the preparation,[1] that is, the day
before the sabbath,” “Joseph of Ar-i-ma-thća, an honourable councellor, which
also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly into Pilate, and
craved the body of Jesus.” (Mark: 15-42, 43) “... he[2] gave the body to Joseph.” “And he bought fine linen, and took him
down, and wrapped him in the linen, and laid him in a sepulchre which was hewn
out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulchre.” “And Mary
Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses beheld where he was laid.” (ibid: 15-45,
46, 47) “And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of
James, and Sa-lo’ me, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint
him.” “And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto
the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.” “And they said among themselves, Who
shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?” “And when they
looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.” “And
entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side,
clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.” “And he saith unto
them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is
risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.” “But go your way,
tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall
ye see him, as he said unto you.” “And they went out quickly, and fled from the
sepulchre; for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they any thing to
any man; for they were afraid.” “Now when Jesus was risen early the first day
of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven
devils.” “And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned
and wept.” “And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen
of her, believed not.” “After he appeared in another form unto two of them, as
they walked, and went into the country.” “And they went and told it unto the
residue: neither believed they them.” “Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as
they sat at meat, and
---------------------------------
[1] Friday,
the so-called day of crucifixion.
[2] Pilate
upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because
they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.” “And he said
unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”
“He who believes and is baptized shall be saved; ...” (ibid: 16-1 to 16) “So
then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and
sat on the right hand of God.” (ibid: 16-19)
In the fiftieth and later verses of the
twenty-third chapter and in the twenty-fourth chapter of the Gospel of Luke:
“And, behold, there was a man named Joseph, a counsellor; and he was a good
man, and a just:” “(The same had not consented to the counsel and deed of
them;) he was of Ar-i-ma-thća, a city of the Jews: who also himself waited for
the kingdom of God.” “This man went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus.”
“And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that
was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid.” “And that day was the
preparation, and the sabbath drew on.” “And the women also, which came with him
from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was
laid.” “And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the
sabbath day according to the commandment.” (Luke: 23-50 to 56) “Now upon the
first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre,
bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.”
“And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.” “And they entered
in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.” “And it came to pass, as they
were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining
garments:” “And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth,
they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?” “He is not here,
but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,”
(ibid: 24-1 to 6) “And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things
unto the eleven, and to all the rest.” “It was Mary Magdalene, and Jo-an’na,
and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told
these things unto the apostles.” “And their words seemed to them as idle tales,
and they believed them not.” “Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and
stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed,
wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.” “And, behold, two of them
went that same day to a village called Em-ma’us, which was from Jerusalem about
threescore furlongs.” “And they talked
together of all these things which had happened.” “And it came to
pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near,
and went with them.” “But their eyes were holden that they should not know
him.” “And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye
have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?” “And the one of them, whose name
was Cle’o-pas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem,
and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?” “And
he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of
Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in
deed and word before God and all the people:” “And how the chief priests and
our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him.”
“But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and
beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done.” “Yea,
and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at
the sepulchre;” “And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they
had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive.” “And certain
of us which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the
women had said: but him they saw not.” “Then he said unto them, O fools, and
slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and
to enter his glory?” “And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the
scriptures the things concerning himself.” “And they drew nigh unto the
village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further.”
“But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and
the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them.” “And it came to pass,
as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave
to them.” “And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out
of their sight.” “And they said to one another, Did not our heart burn within
us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the
scriptures?” “And they rose up the same hour and returned to Jerusalem, and
found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them,” “Saying, The
Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.” “And they told what things
were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.” “And
as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them,
Peace be unto you.” “But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed
that they had seen a spirit.” “And he said unto them, Why are ye
troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?” “Behold my hands and my
feet, that it is myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and
bones, as ye see me have.” “And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his
hands and his feet.” “And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he
said unto them, Have ye here any meat?” “And they gave him a piece of a broiled
fish, and of an honeycomb.” “And he took it and did eat before them.” (Luke:
24-9 to 43) [The intervening verses omitted here recount the admonitions and
advice which Jesus gives them.] “And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and
he lifted up his hands, and blessed them.” “And it came to pass, while he
blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.” (ibid:
24-50, 51)
On the other hand, in the thirty-first and
later verses of the nineteenth chapter and also in the later chapters of the
Gospel of John: “The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the
bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath
day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that
it might be taken away.” “Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the
first, and of the other which was crucified with him.” “But when they came to
Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs:” “But one of
the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood
and water.” (John: 19-31, 32, 33, 34) “And after this Joseph of Ar-i-ma-thć’a,
being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate
that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came
therefore, and took the body of Jesus.” “And there came also Nic-o-de’mus,
which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and
aloes, about an hundred pound weight.” “Then took they the body of Jesus, and
wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews to bury.”
“Now in the place where he was crucified, there was a garden; and in the garden
a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid.” “There laid they Jesus therefore
because of the Jews’ preparation day;[1] for the sepulchre
was nigh at hand.” (ibid: 19-38 to 42) “The first day of the week cometh Mary
Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone
taken away from the sepulchre.” “Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter,
and
---------------------------------
[1] Friday.
to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They
have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have
laid him.” “Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple did outrun
Peter, and came first to the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid
him.” “Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the
sepulchre.” “And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying:
yet went he not in.” “Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the
sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie,” “And the napkin, that was about
his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by
itself.” “Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the
sepulchre, and he saw, and believed.” “For as yet they knew not the scripture,
that he must rise again from the dead.” “Then the disciples went away again uto
their own home.” “But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she
wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre,” “And seeth two angels
in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the
body of Jesus had lain.” “And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She
saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where
they have laid him.” “And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and
saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.” “Jesus saith unto her,
Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the
gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou
hast laid him, and I will take him away.” “Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She
turned herself, and saith unto him, Rab-bo’ni, which is to say, Master.” “Jesus
saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father; but go to
my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and
to my God, and your God.” “Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she
had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.” “Then the
same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut
where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood
in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.” “... he showed unto them
his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.”
“Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me,
so send I you.” “And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto
them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:” “Whose soever sins ye remit, they are
remitted unto them; and whose soever sins
ye retain, they are retained.” “But Thomas, one of the twelve,
called Did’y-mus, was not with them when Jesus came.” “The other disciples
therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I
shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print
of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.” “And after
eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came
Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto
you.” “Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands;
and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless,
but believing.” (John: 20-1 to 29) (The first, second, and third verses of the
twenty-first chapter narrate how some of the disciples went out fishing on a
boat in the Taberiyeh (Ti-be’ri-as, or Tiberias, the sea of Galilee) and how
they did not catch any fish that night. Then the fourth verse goes on as
follows:) “But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the
disciples knew not that it was Jesus.” “Then Jesus saith unto them, Children,
have ye any meat? They answered him, No.” “And he saith unto them, Cast the net
on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now
they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.” “Therefore that
disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon
Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher’s coat unto him, (for he
was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea.” “And the other disciples came
in a little ship; ... dragging the net with fishes.” “As soon then as they were
come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and
bread.” “Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught.”
“Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, and
hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the
net broken.” (John: 21-4 to 11)
These are four different narratives. They
differ from one another very much. These four Gospels, which form the basis for
the Christian creed, are full of such contradictory narratives. A little
attention will suffice to see how one narrative is the opposite of another.
Furthermore, more often than not, a matter narrated by one of them does not
exist in the others. The contradictions and differences in the Gospels are not
only on the resurrection of Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ but also on all the other
matters alike. There are very few events narrated in all of them. For instance,
such events as the manner of the birth of Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’; Herod’s
having the children killed; the arrival of priests from the east;
Îsâ’s ‘alaihis-salâm’ going to Egypt in his childhood; the Nazarenes’ refusing
Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’; his curing a (military) captain’s ailing servant,
resuscitating a judge’s dead daughter, enjoining on his Apostles to buy swords;
his various admonitions and exemplifications; his invocation on the cross, “O
my God; o my God! Why hast thou forsaken me? (=Eli, eli, lama sabaktanî)”; his
carrying his own cross; guards’ waiting on his tomb; his resurrecting from
among the dead and showing himself to his Apostles in various guises; and many
others, exist only in one or two of them, while the others do not contain them.
The fourth Gospel, John’s Gospel, is altogether
different from the other three Gospels in manner and style. Îsâ’s
‘alaihis-salâm’ insulting his mother and turning the water into wine, narrated
in the second chapter; his talking with a woman by a well, in the fourth
chapter; his curing a patient who had been bedridden for thirty-eight years
near the pool of Bethlehem, in the fifth chapter; the dispute he had with the
Jews on the Messiah’s own flesh and blood, in the sixth chapter [the
fifty-second and later verses]; his trial of an adulteress and the
conversations he had with the Jews on the origin and genealogy of the Messiah,
in the eighth chapter; his curing a blind man’s eyes with the mud he made with
his spittle and put on his eyes and sending him for a bath in the pool of
Siloam and the Pharisees’ various attempts and their disputes with Îsâ
‘alaihis-salâm’, in the ninth chapter; the Jews’ beginning to stone Îsâ
‘alaihis-salâm’ and the conversations he had with them concerning his divinity,
in the tenth chapter; his resuscitating Luazer (Lazarus), in the eleventh
chapter; the anointing of Îsâ’s ‘alaihis-salâm’ feet, in the twelfth chapter;
his talking with Philip and Judah, in the fourteenth chapter; the curious
supplication of Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’, in the seventeenth chapter; the following
events narrated in the nineteenth chapter: the label put on his chest when he
was crucified was written in Hebrew, Latin and Greek and as Mary, his mother,
and Mary, his mother’s sister (his maternal aunt) and the wife of Aeklaviya
(Cle’o-phas), and Mary Magdalene stood by his cross, Jesus saw his mother with
his most beloved disciple and said to his mother: “... Woman, behold thy son.”
“Then saith he to the disciple, Behold they mother, ...” in the twenty-sixth
and twenty-seventh verses; a spear was thrust into his flank when he was on the
cross; the cross was erected in a yard; Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ resurrected from
his tomb and said to Mary Magdalene; “Do not touch me, I have not been to my
father
yet”; he showed himself to his Apostles at different places three
times; and many other similar narratives do not exist in the Gospels of
Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
Quite a number of the matters existing in the
Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke do not exist in the Gospel of John. An
example of this is ’Ishâ-i-Rabbânî, (the Eucharist), which is one of the
sacraments of Christian religion. It exists in the three Gospels, but not in
John. [’Ishâ-i-Rabbânî means evening dinner. It symbolizes a belief based on the
following event: As is narrated in the twenty-sixth verse of the twenty-sixth
chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, in the twenty-second and later verses of the
fourteenth chapter of Mark, in the nineteenth verse of the twenty-second
chapter of Luke, “And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it,
and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat, this is my
body.” “And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying,
Drink ye all of it;” “For this is my blood of the new testament, ...” (Matt:
26-26, 27, 28)[1] So it has been held
as a belief that when priests in churches breathe a certain prayer on a piece
of bread it will become Jesus’s flesh, when they break the loaf of bread to
pieces Jesus will have been sacrificed, when they breathe a prayer on some wine
in a container it will become Jesus’s blood, and those who eat the morsels of
bread after dipping them in the wine will be united with God. This matter will
be explained in the ninth chapter of our book.]
As for the Gospel of Matthew; such events as
Peter’s walking on water towards Jesus, a fish holding a coin in its mouth, the
dream of Pilate’s wife, the resurrection of all saints with the resurrection of
Jesus, the posting of guards before Jesus’s tomb exist only in the Gospel of
Matthew, and not in the others.
The four Gospels not only contradict one
another in number of matters, but also each Gospel contains various
inconsistent matters. This can be exemplified as follows:
1 — In the Gospel of Matthew, when Îsâ
‘alaihis-salâm’ sent forth the twelve Apostles on their first religious
mission, he prohibited them from going to the cities of pagans and Samaritans
and meeting them [Matthew: 10-5]. In his preaching on the mountain, he
prohibited his disciples from giving sacred things to the dogs and throwing
their Gospels to the swine [Matthew: 7-6]. The same Gospel of Matthew commands
something quite
---------------------------------
[1] There is an additional remark in Luke: “... this do in remembrance of me.” (Luke: 22-19)
contrary to this commandment: In the eighth and twenty-first
chapters, it is commanded that the pagans be called to Christianity instead of
the Jews and the Jews are complained about for their infidelity. In the
fourteenth and other verses of the twenty-fourth chapter, it is professed that
the end of the world shall not come before the Bible has been communicated and
taught to all tribes and peoples on earth. In the twenty-eighth and other
chapters, the Apostles are ordered to admit others to Christianity through a
single baptism and without any discrimination.
2 — There is contradiction between the verses
concerning the military captain who came to Jesus [the fifth and later verses
of the eighth chapter] and the twenty-second and later verses of the fifteenth
chapter, in which the story of a woman is narrated. For Jesus helps the pagan
captain’s ailing servant in the eighth chapter. On the other hand, though the
Canaanite woman dealt with in the fifteenth chapter is not a pagan, Jesus first
refuses her openly, then helps her as an exceptional gift upon the woman’s
earnest supplication.
3 — It is written at the beginning of the
seventh chapter of John that “After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for
he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him.” “Now the
Jews’ feast of Tabernacles was at hand.” “His brethren therefore said unto him,
Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that
thou doest.” “For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he
himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to
the world.” “For neither did his brethren believe in him.” “Then Jesus said
unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready.” “The world
cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works
thereof are evil.” “Go ye up yet unto this feast; for my time is not yet full
come.” “When he had said these words unto them, he abode still in Galilee.”
“But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not
openly, but as it were in secret.” (John: 7-1 to 10) If it should be said that
the Gospel of John was not altered, how can this imputation of mendacity which
it makes on Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ be explained? [For it says that Îsâ
‘alaihis-salâm’ first said he would not go to the place of the feast and then
went there secretly, which would be mendacious. Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ could never
have such a blemish.]
4 — The Gospel of Matthew narrates Judas’s
suicide as follows
in the third and later verses of its twenty-seventh chapter: “Then
Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented
himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and
elders,” “Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And
they said, What is that to us? see thou to that.” “And he cast down the pieces
of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.” “And the
chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put
them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood.” “And they took
counsel, and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in.”
“Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day.” (Matt:
27-3 to 8)
But Luke narrates from Peter in the eighteenth
verse of the first chapter of his Book of Acts (of the Apostles), and says:
“Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling
headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.” “And
it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; inasmuch as that field is
called in their proper tongue, A-cel’da-ma, that is to say, The field of
blood.” These two narratives are contradictory in two respects:
First; according to Matthew’s narrative, Judas
repented and returned the silvers he had taken, and the priests bought a field
with it. And according to Luke’s narrative, he (Judas) bought the field
himself.
Second; according to Matthew’s narrative,
Judas committed suicide by hanging himself. According to Luke’s narrative, he
fell headlong and his abdomen split.
5 — It is written in the second verse of the
second chapter of the first epistle of John, “And he is the propitiation for
our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1
John: 2-2) This comes to mean that only Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ is impeccable and
he is the redeemer of all the sinful people.
On the other hand, the eighteenth verse of the
twenty-first chapter of Proverbs purports: “The wicked shall be a ransom for
the righteous, and the transgressor for the upright.” (Prov: 21-18)
Accordingly, the sinner will be sacrificed for the innocent and the hypocrite
will be sacrificed for the righteous. [This passage contradicts John’s
writing.]
6 — It is written in the eighteenth and
nineteenth verses of the seventh chapter of the Hebrews: “For there is verily a
disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness
and unprofitableness thereof.” “For the law made nothing perfect,
...” (Heb: 7-18, 19) And in the seventh verse of the eighth chapter, “For if
that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought
for the second.” (Heb: 8-7) Nonetheless, Jesus says in the seventeenth verse of
the fifth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew: “Think not that I am come to
destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not
come to destroy, but to fulfill.” (Mat: 5-17)
7 — Jesus says unto Peter in the eighteenth
and nineteenth verses of the sixteenth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew: “And I
say unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church;
and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” “And I will give unto thee
the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth
shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be
loosed in heaven.” (Matt: 16-18, 19) However, it is written in the same
chapter, beginning in the twenty-first verse: “From that time forth began Jesus
to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many
things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be
raised again the third day.” “Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him,
saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.” “But he
turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence
unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of
men.” (ibid: 16-21, 22, 23) Again, in the thirty-fourth verse of the
twenty-sixth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, it is reported that Jesus
predicted about Peter that “... before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me
thrice.” (ibid: 26-34), and in the thirty-fifth verse that Peter swore that he
would not deny him. It is reported in the sixty-ninth through seventy-fifth
verses of the twenty-sixth chapter of Matthew that Peter forgot this promise of
his and denied three times, with swearings and curses, that he knew Jesus.
Accordingly, in the sixteenth chapter of Matthew, Jesus praises Peter, adding
that Allâhu ta’âlâ shall forgive whomever he forgives. In the twentieth
chapter, however, he dismisses him and calls him ‘Satan’; and in the
twenty-sixth chapter he predicts that he (Peter) will deny him. Christians
believe that Jesus is God [May Allâhu ta’âlâ protect us from believing so.] Can
the name God be reconciled with such an error? It is this very Peter that the
Popes living in Rome today claim to represent, thus assuming to be the
universal monarchs to whose disposal the earth has been bequeathed. And some
people,
believing in the Pope as such, have had the dream of entering
Paradise.
8 — Again, when the episodes of
’Ishâ-i-Rabbânî (the Eucharist) [the last evening dinner] narrated in the twenty-sixth
verse of the twenty-sixth chapter of Matthew, in the nineteenth and twentieth
verses of the twenty-second chapter of Luke and in the twenty-second and
twenty-third verses of the fourteenth chapter of Mark are compared, it will be
seen that one of them says that it was before night prayer, while another one
says it was after night prayer, and that all the three Gospels state that there
was wine on the table. It is stated in the sixth chapter of the Gospel of John
that the so-called event took place and that there was only bread, no mention
of wine being made.
Nevertheless, one of the dogmatic and
practical principles of Christianity is eating the dinner of ’Ishâ-i-Rabbânî
(the Eucharist) and believing that the bread is Jesus’s flesh and the wine is
his blood. John, who is more careful and more solicitous than the others on
such matters of creed, does not mention the wine; this shows clearly that this
dogma of theirs is another superstition.