The figure of Jesus Christ stands at the heart of Christianity, revered as the Son of God and the Savior of humanity. However, from an Islamic perspective, the true message of Jesus is seen as one of monotheism, purity of worship, and submission to the one true God—Allah. Islamic teachings about Jesus (known as Isa in Arabic) emphasize his role as a prophet, not a divine figure. According to the Quran and Hadith, Jesus’ message was consistent with that of other Abrahamic prophets, emphasizing worship of the one true God, a doctrine that aligns closely with Islamic monotheism.
Yet, the Christian doctrine that emerged, particularly through the teachings of Saint Paul, diverged significantly from the monotheistic message of Jesus. Saint Paul, a figure whose influence on the formation of Christian theology cannot be overstated, played a crucial role in shaping the Christian understanding of Jesus as the Son of God and part of the Holy Trinity. However, his teachings have been criticized by some, especially within the Islamic tradition, as a distortion and corruption of the true, monotheistic message that Jesus initially conveyed.
This article explores how the true Islamic monotheism of Jesus Christ was altered by Saint Paul, a man who had once persecuted the followers of Jesus, had never met him in person, and ultimately became the founder of Christianity, diverging from the original teachings of Jesus.
The Monotheism of Jesus in Islam
In Islam, Jesus (Isa) is considered one of the greatest prophets and messengers of God. The Quran clearly states that Jesus was a servant of God, and his mission was to guide the Children of Israel back to the worship of the one true God, Allah. Islam upholds the belief in strict monotheism (Tawhid), which teaches that God is one, indivisible, and beyond any partners or associates. Jesus, like all other prophets in Islam, is revered as a human being chosen by God to deliver His message. He performed miracles, but these were by the will and power of Allah, not due to any divine nature of his own.
The Quran confirms that Jesus called his followers to worship Allah alone, and he emphasized that he was a servant and messenger of God, not divine. The Quran says:
"Indeed, the example of Jesus with Allah is like that of Adam. He created him from dust; then He said to him, 'Be,' and he was." (Quran 3:59)
This emphasizes the Islamic belief that Jesus, like Adam, was a creation of God, not a part of God, and that God’s word, or command, is what brought him into existence.
Moreover, Islam rejects the idea of the Trinity, which is central to mainstream Christian theology. The Quran directly addresses this, saying:
"Say not, 'Three'; desist - it is better for you. Indeed, Allah is but one God. Exalted is He above having a son." (Quran 4:171)
The rejection of the divinity of Jesus is a cornerstone of Islamic belief. Muslims honor Jesus as one of the greatest of God's prophets, but they do not believe him to be God or the Son of God. Instead, they believe in his human nature and his role in conveying the message of monotheism and moral conduct.
The Transformation of Jesus' Message Through Saint Paul
The person most responsible for altering the message of Jesus from a monotheistic prophetic mission to a divinely-ordained religion is Saint Paul (originally Saul of Tarsus). Paul’s influence on the early Christian movement cannot be overstated. His letters form a substantial portion of the New Testament, and his theological innovations shaped the Christian understanding of Jesus, particularly regarding his divinity and role as the Son of God.
Paul’s teachings were revolutionary in that they sought to incorporate Gentiles (non-Jews) into the nascent Christian movement, advocating that faith in Jesus was the path to salvation. This inclusivity was appealing and contributed to the spread of Christianity throughout the Roman Empire. However, Paul's interpretations of Jesus' message also laid the foundation for many of the theological departures from the original teachings of Jesus as understood in Islam.
The Claim of Divinity
While Jesus never claimed to be divine during his life on Earth, Paul introduced the idea that Jesus was not only the Messiah but also the divine Son of God. This claim is foundational to the doctrine of the Trinity and is a significant departure from Jesus’ original monotheistic teachings. Paul’s epistles emphasize the divine nature of Christ, notably in passages like:
"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation." (Colossians 1:15)
For Paul, Jesus’ death and resurrection were not merely acts of martyrdom but acts of divine significance that offered salvation to humanity. Paul’s teaching of the crucifixion, in which he portrayed Jesus as the sacrifice for the sins of humanity, became a core tenet of Christian theology, leading to the concept of the Atonement.
In contrast, Jesus himself, in the Gospels, is portrayed as focusing on the worship of one God and the importance of submission to God’s will. He does not claim divinity, nor does he describe himself as a sacrifice for the sins of mankind in the manner that Paul later articulated.
The Role of the Law
Another critical issue lies in Paul’s relationship with Jewish law, or the Torah. Jesus, as depicted in the Gospels, upheld the Torah as sacred and emphasized its moral and spiritual teachings. However, Paul argued that Gentile converts to Christianity did not need to follow the Jewish law, particularly its ritual practices, such as circumcision and dietary laws. Paul’s doctrine of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus, rather than by adherence to the law, dramatically reshaped the movement.
In his letter to the Galatians, Paul writes:
"For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus... There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:26-28)
This theological shift created a new understanding of salvation that was no longer tied to the Mosaic Law, but to faith in Jesus as the Messiah. While this expansion of the Christian movement to Gentiles was pivotal in the spread of Christianity, it also moved the faith away from the original, law-abiding teachings of Jesus, who followed Jewish customs and practices throughout his life.
Paul’s Persecution of Christians and His Lack of Direct Contact with Jesus
One of the most striking aspects of Saint Paul’s role in the development of Christianity is that he never met Jesus during Jesus' lifetime. In fact, Paul was initially one of the fiercest persecutors of Christians. He was present at the stoning of Stephen, the first Christian martyr, and actively sought to arrest and imprison followers of Jesus (Acts 8:1-3). It was only after Paul’s dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus—an event that he later described as a vision of the risen Christ—that he became a Christian himself. His transformation into an apostle, after having once persecuted the early Christian community, is one of the most significant and paradoxical events in Christian history.
However, despite his pivotal role in spreading Christianity, Paul’s teachings about Jesus diverge from the teachings that Jesus himself had shared. Paul’s letters and theological contributions were the foundation of Christian belief, but they were shaped by his own interpretations rather than by direct teachings from Jesus.
Conclusion: Paul as the Founder of Christianity
While Jesus Christ remains the central figure of Christianity, it is Saint Paul who can be seen as the true founder of Christian theology as it is known today. His theological innovations—most notably the divinity of Jesus, the doctrine of the Atonement, and the rejection of the Mosaic Law—shaped the trajectory of Christianity in ways that Jesus never intended. From an Islamic perspective, Paul’s teachings represent a significant deviation from the true monotheism of Jesus Christ.
Islam holds that the message of Jesus was one of submission to the one true God, Allah, and that any deviation from this core monotheistic belief, such as the divinization of Jesus, is a corruption of the original message. While Paul’s influence on Christianity is undeniable, it is essential to recognize that the original teachings of Jesus, as understood in Islam, were rooted in strict monotheism, worshiping Allah alone, and following the guidance of the one true God.
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