Jesus, Prophet of Islam - The Islamic Bulletin

68 Jesus, Prophet ofIslam

Paul justified his new doctrine with the use of this analogy:

Know ye not, brethren, (for 1speak to them that know

the law) how that the law hath dominion over a man as

long as he liveth? For the woman which hath an hus­

band is bound by the law to her husband so long as he

liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from

the law of her husband. So then, if, while her husband

liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be caIled

an adulteress: but, if her husband be dead, she is free

from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she

be married to another man. Wherefore, my brethren, ye

also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ;

that ye should be married to another, even to him who

is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit

unto God. (Romans 7: 1-4).

The use of this analogy clearly indicates that Paul made a distinc­
tion between Jesus and 'Christ'. According to his reasoning, the
law whichhadboundJesus andhis followers was nolongerne ces­
sary, sinee Jesus had died. Now they were no longer 'married' to
Jesus, but to Christ, who had brought another law. It was, there­
fore, necessary to follow Christ and not Jesus. Thus, anyone who
still persisted in holding to Jesus's original teaching had gone astray.
It was with the use of spurious reasoning such as this that Paul
assembled his doctrine of redemption and atonement, a theory
which Jesus had certainly never taught. Itwas a great success, since,
in so many words, it preached that a man could do what he wanted
and not face the inevitable consequences of his actions, provided
that, at the end of the day, he said: '1 believe in Christ.'
The basic premise on which Paul's reasoning was based, how­
ever, is faIse, since Jesus was neithercrucified norresurrected.Thus
Paul's doctrines of redemption and atonement are clearly fallacious
and mis-leading,
Paul's reasoning had two major consequences. It not only re­
sulted in further changes being made to what Jesus had taught,
but also prepared the way for completely changing people's ideas
of who Jesus was. He was being transformed from a man to a con­
ception in people's minds.As has alreadybeen noted, divinityhad
been attributed to Jesus even when he was on earth by sorne of
those who marvelled at his words and miracles, and who, mistak­
enly, considered him to be more than a Prophet.

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