CHAPTER I
GOD

1. Who is God?

“God is love” (1 John 4:16). So we read in the New Testament. We Christians believe that God created the whole world including you and me out of love, and He loves us always even if we reject Him.

God created us to be eternally happy with Him, to see Him as He is (1 John 3:2). We can reach this great goal only through God’s Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus says: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by Me” (John 14:6).

God is also Truth in His essence. All small truths eventually lead to Him, because God is the origin and source of all truth, and He is the ultimate and eternal never changing Truth. If we wanted to find God, we must follow the truth with honesty (John 4:24). God promises in the Old Testament that He is prepared to reveal Himself to us if we sought Him: “You will seek me and find me; when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13).

2. How can God have a Son?

When we say that God has a Son, we mean that from the beginning this Son was always with God as the eternal Word of God. “IN THE BEGINNING was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). Through this eternal Word of God everything was created. There was no time in which the Word did not exist. There was no time in which God was without His Son or took a Son for Himself. The Word has existed for all eternity.

The Father and the Son are entirely one. At a particular point in historical time the eternal Son became man from the Virgin Mary. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). He was born as a man so as to redeem fallen mankind out of love. He remained God, the eternal Word, but he took on our human nature. He is true God and true man. That is why Jesus could say: “He who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). That is why Jesus could forgive sins. That is why He could also heal the sick, free those who were possessed and even bring the dead back to life.

3. Do Christians worship three gods?

Absolutely not. We confess there is only One God. This is what we proclaim daily in our profession of faith (the Credo): “Credo in unum Deum” = “I believe in (only) one God”, in Arabic: ”نؤمن بإله واحد“. God is one in three Persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. In other words, it is in God’s nature to be a Trinity. Here is a concise comment:

Both the Disciples and the crowds following Jesus “were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.” (Matthew 7:28-29). Moreover, He performed amazing miracles: He walked on the water, healed the sick, restored sight to the blind, brought dead back to life and even forgave sins, which is an exclusive attribute of God. The Disciples suspected He must surely be more than a prophet. After He had calmed a raging tempest, His Disciples were terrified and asked each other, “Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey him?” (Mark 4:41). Following the most awesome miracle of all, His Resurrection from the dead after He had been tortured, crucified and buried, they were convinced He was Divine. When Thomas saw him alive, he exclaimed: “My Lord and my God!“ (John 20:28)

But the Disciples also noticed that Jesus talked to God as a Person different from Himself and He did it in a unique way calling Him Abba, an Aramaic term expressing intimate filial confidence. No one else had done it before. The logical conclusion was inevitable: He and God were One. Yet, not identical. How could that be possible?

We have already mentioned that “God is Love”. This means there must be a Person of his divine level with whom He exchanges love^[1]. That Person is precisely His Son, i.e. His Word. The Bond of perfect, infinite love that unites the Father and the Son is what we call the Holy Spirit. It’s the Person whom Jesus promised to send to His Disciples.

That’s the “Mystery of the Holy Trinity”, i.e. one God in three Persons. Please note that “mystery” here doesn’t mean something strange or unknown but a revealed divine truth that is beyond human understanding. Don’t be surprised, dear Friend, for it’s perfectly logical that there should be in God truths that our limited mind is unable to fully comprehend: You can‘t put the sea in a nutshell! There are so many things we don’t understand in the Universe, all the more reason its Creator! In a certain sense, there is a Trinitarian structure in each one of us: When we think, an inner dialogue goes on between two mysterious inner voices. At some point, a third voice acting as a referee intervenes to end the debate!

The Mystery of the Holy Trinity was not an invention of the Church, but a logical deduction from Jesus’ words and deeds:

1. When He was baptized in the Jordan River, the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in the form of a Dove. And the voice of the Father was heard saying: “This is my Beloved Son.” (Matthew 3:17) The Three Persons of the Holy Trinity are there.
2. After his Resurrection from the dead, Jesus gave His Disciples a Great Commission: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19) Please note, Jesus said “in the name” not “in the names”: The Three Persons of the Holy Trinity are One God, not three gods.
3. Fifty days after his Resurrection, on Pentecost, Jesus fulfilled His promise and sent the Holy Spirit to the Disciples. The Spirit rested on each of them under the form of a Tongue of Fire and enabled them to speak in foreign tongues (Acts 2:3-4). Through this powerful event and many other manifestations, the Christians have experienced that the Holy Spirit is not only a divine power, but a Person.

Thus, we can confidently address God in each Person of the Holy Trinity by saying You to the Father, You to the Son and You to the Holy Spirit. We actually start all our prayers by making the Sign of the Cross and professing the One God saying: In the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. It’s the shortest Christian profession of faith.

Lastly, Muslims believe that the Quran will be embodied on the day of judgement, and that it will speak. If it did, would Muslims worship it as another god? No Muslim would worship it as another god, but as the same god. Christians believe that the Word of God was already incarnate in the person of Jesus Christ, and our worship to Him is worship to the only true God through His Word, the Son of God.

4. Is the Christian God a weak God?

When in 1941 the Catholic priest Maximilian Kolbe voluntarily accepted death by starvation in the place of a fellow prisoner, he was a helpless, weak prisoner. His murderers, in contrast, were strong and despised him. But the great power of love was revealed in his heroic deed.

When martyrs forgive their murderers in the name of Jesus, then the power of love is manifest in them.

God demonstrated the greatest power when Jesus voluntarily died on the cross in order to take upon Himself the sin of mankind and to redeem us. This power of God’s love becomes clear in Christ’s resurrection. And when this world comes to an end, Christ will come to judge all mankind, and the light of truth will fill everything.

In Christ, love has already won the victory. If we are united with Him, we stand on the side of God’s power, even if we are weak and powerless in the eyes of the world.

The Apostle Paul experienced it in his life: “For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10). In his letter to the Christians of Rome he wrote: “Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us? Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, ‘For thy sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:34-39).

Did Jesus ever claim to be God? Where did he say I am God worship me? (TODO)

CHAPTER II
THE HOLY BIBLE

5. Why do Christians criticize the violence in the Qur’an, when the Bible too is full of violence?

The Bible has two major parts. We call them the Old and the New Testament. The Old Testament was written before the coming of Jesus. In it we read how God began to reveal Himself, so as to make a covenant with human beings and to save them. He gave the Commandments. He showed that there is only one living God and that He loves mankind and wants to save people. God revealed Himself gradually, little by little. God is the best instructor. Through the Old Testament He prepares people for the New. Only in the New Testament does God Himself come to us. In the Old Testament there is still such a thing as war in God’s name and prayer to God to curse one’s enemies. That is no longer the case in the New Testament. Christians read the Old Testament in light of the New. Jesus never used a weapon. Jesus never waged war. In the Gospel of Matthew He says: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:43-44). That’s exactly what Jesus did. While still on the cross, he pardoned his enemies saying: “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34) Like Jesus, many Christian martyrs died while praying for their torturers.

When He was arrested and beaten, He did not offer resistance. The Gospel relates: “And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest, and cut off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, ‘Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.’” (Matthew 26:51-52).

When Jesus was condemned, He said: “‘My kingship is not of this world; if my kingship were of this world, my servants would fight, that I might not be handed over to the Jews; but my kingship is not from the world.’ Pilate said to him, ‘So you are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Every one who is of the truth hears my voice.’” (John 18:36-37).

6. Why do Christians and Jews not believe in Mohammed, although the Bible foretold his coming?

In the Qur’an it says that Mohammed’s coming was announced in the Bible. [Cf. Surah Al-A‘rāf (Quran 7:157); Surah As-Saff (Quran 61:6)]. In the Bible, in the Old Testament, the coming of a great prophet is foretold. Moses said to the people: “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brethren —him you shall heed—” (Deuteronomy 18:15, 18). This people is the Jewish people. Mohammed, however, was not a Jew. The first Christians recognized that this prophecy was fulfilled by Jesus Himself, who was a Jew (cf. Acts 3:22-24; 7:37). Yet they knew also: Jesus is not only a prophet like Moses, but “the Author of life” Himself (Acts 3:15).

In Surah As-Saff (Quran 61:6) it says: “And when Jesus, the Son of Mary, said: ‘O children of Israel, certainly, I am Allah’s messenger for you, in order to confirm the Torah that was before me, and to announce a messenger who will come after me and whose name will be Ahmed.’” That is often referred to a saying of Jesus in the Gospel of John, where He says: “But the Counselor (παράκλητος), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” (John 14:26) The Greek word Paráklētos (παράκλητος) that is used in the Bible means: Counselor, Comforter, Advocate. It cannot be translated with the name Ahmed or Mohammed. Many interpreters of the Qur’an claim that Christians changed the original text of the Gospel and replaced περίκλυτος (Períklytos), which can also be rendered Ahmed, with the similar word παράκλητος (Paráklētos). However this word Paráklētos (παράκλητος) is found in many very ancient manuscripts of the Gospel of John, which were already written long before Mohammed. And if we also read other verses of the Gospel of John (14:16-17, 26; 15:26; 16:7), we see that Jesus is not speaking about a human being but about the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send and who is the Spirit of truth who will always remain with us.

In summary, Mohammed was announced neither in the Old nor in the New Testament.

7. Was the original text of the Bible changed?

Jews and Christians have great reverence for their Sacred Scriptures. They would be afraid to change them. In the Old Testament, for instance, it says: “You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it” (Deuteronomy 4:2). And a warning stands at the end of the last book of the New Testament: “I warn every one who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if any one adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if any one takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.” (Revelation 22:18-19)

If Jews and Christians really had falsified the Bible, then Jews and Christians must have had a common plan, which is impossible, since they had different opinions precisely about the important question of who Jesus is. Moreover even back then there were already many, many manuscripts and translations of the Old and New Testament. It would not have been possible to change all of them, especially because they were spread over many countries throughout the world.

On top of this, evidence from the Quran itself testifies that the Bible was preserved uncorrupted. For example, the Quran witnesses that the Bible comes from God^[2]. It testifies that the Bible was preserved at the time of Muhammad without any change^[3], and it declares the truthfulness and authenticity of the Bible^[4]. Other Quranic verses which might seem to state the opposite, actually affirm this conclusion if read in context^[5].

In short, Christians believe that by the power of God the Bible was preserved unchanged.

8. Why are there four Gospels and not only one account about Jesus?

The Apostle Paul says: “Any charge must be sustained by the evidence of two or three witnesses.” (2 Corinthians 13:1) In the Qur’an too the importance of several witnesses is emphasized [Surah Al-Baqarah (Quran 2:282); Surah An-Nūr (Quran 24:13)].

The Evangelists Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are four witnesses who record for us the life of Jesus, His words and deeds, but especially His passion, death and resurrection. Each one of the four has a different perspective and a different way of expression, but they all speak about the same life of the same Jesus.

In this way we can look at it from different perspectives and get  much more three-dimensional picture than if we had only one Gospel.

CHAPTER III
FAITH

9. Is Mary our Mother?

The Bible tells about several women with the name Mary (Maryam, Miriam). In the Qur’an Jesus (Isa) is called “Son of Mary” twenty-three times. Surah Āl-Imrān (Quran chapter 3) shows that the Mother of Jesus is from the family of Imrān (Amram). In Surah Maryam (Quran 19:28) Maryam is described as “the sister of Aaron”.

In the Old Testament, in (1 Chronicles 6:3), we read: “The children of Amram: Aaron, Moses, and Miriam.” (cf. Exodus 6:20; 15:20; Numbers 12). Amram (Imrām), though, lived hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus. So the Mother of Jesus cannot be Aaron’s sister. They are two different persons.

In Surah Al-Mā’idah (Quran 5:116) Jesus is asked by Allah whether He really told people, “Accept me and my mother as two gods besides Allah.” The Christian faith, though, has always regarded the Mother of Jesus as a creature of God and never as a divinity. Therefore, Mary is revered in a special way because of her unique dignity, but she is not adored like God!

The Christian faith has always taught that God created Mary and granted her a special blessing to be the Virgin Mother of His Son, i.e. His Eternal Word. This is echoed in the Qur’an itself in Surah Maryam and Surah Āl ‘Imrān (Quran 3:42): “When the angels said: O Maryam! Surely Allah has chosen you and purified you and chosen you above the women of the world.”

In the Gospel Luke relates: “In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, ‘Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!’ But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end.’ And Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I have no husband?’ And the angel said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, your kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible.’ And Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.’ And the angel departed from her.” (Luke 1:26-38). Thus the Virgin Mary became the Mother of Jesus.

Mary is His mother. She is not our biological mother. But we Christians have experienced that Mary is really a mother for us too. As Jesus was dying on the cross, He gave her to us. He gave us His life. And His Mother, too. Before He died, He said to disciple John: “Behold, your mother!” Then John took Mary into his care (John 19:26-27). Mary really became a mother for John. And the Christians felt that she became a Mother for them too, because they were all represented by John.

To come to believe is like being reborn. Jesus is born in our hearts. And we become God’s children. In this spiritual birth Mary is our Mother, because there is no human birth without a mother. A mother remains a mother even after birth. Our mother gives us food. Mary gives us spiritual food when she helps us to accept her Son, for Jesus is food for our soul. A mother teaches us to speak. From Mary we learn to speak to Jesus. She helps us when it is difficult for us to pray correctly. A mother protects and consoles her children. So many people find consolation in Mary when they are afraid and suffering. A mother intercedes for her children. So we trust that Mary too intercedes with God for us sinners.

10. Christians too have killed innocent people and waged unjust wars. Doesn’t that make the Christian faith unreliable?

Although not everything that Christians are accused of is true, it is clear that quite a few Christians in the past and even in the present have contradicted the Gospel with their deeds. Baptized Christians have murdered, stolen, lied, committed adultery and committed other sins. Christian rulers too have perpetrated injustice in the name of the faith. All of that contradicts the Gospel.

God allows all of that, because He gave us free will. He desires our free response to His love. For only love can respond to love. Love, however, must be free. Someone who sins misuses this God-given freedom.

If some Christians hate and do injustice, they do this not because they are following Jesus Christ, but because they are acting contrary to the Gospel.

11. If Islam is not from God, then why is it the largest religion in the world?

Worldwide there are more Christians than Muslims, but it is true that the number of Muslims is large and is growing in many countries. According to statistics from the year 2015, Christians make up 31.2% of the world population, Muslims 24.1%. In many regions that were once Christian there are hardly any Christians left now. In other places many people are converting to the Christian faith. In the Gospel Jesus calls the disciples a “little flock” (Luke 12:32). And once He even asks: “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Luke 18:8).

But the question about the truth is not a question decided by a majority. In history there are many examples of a majority being wrong. Often the voice of the truth seems small and weak, but in the end it always shows its strength.

12. What can I do if I want to become better acquainted with Jesus Christ?

Jesus says: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him” (John 6:44). It is therefore a matter of listening to the Father and letting Him lead us to Jesus through the Holy Ghost.

If I yearn to draw near to Christ, then that is already a sign that God is working in my heart. We live today in a noisy world. Everywhere we are surrounded by sounds and images. But we must seek silence in order to hear God’s call in our heart and to be able to see His light.

Jesus also says: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” (John 10:27-30)

Charles de Foucauld, who later became a saint, used to pray as a young man: “My God, if You exist, then let me know You!” We can pray this way too, if we are searching for God.

Another great help is reading Sacred Scripture. It is best to begin with the Gospels, which record the words and deeds of Jesus Himself^[6].

Importantly though, one does need not only God’s Word, but also the community of believers in which Sacred Scripture came to be. The truth that Jesus revealed to us is handed down and preserved in the Church. Through the Church I also receive Baptism and the other gifts that God gives us to lead us to Himself. The Church is the family of the children of God. Therefore it is necessary for me to seek the community of believing Christians and to consult loyal priests who will be able to lead me deeper into the faith. Information about the faith of the Catholic Church is available in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

The most important prayer of Christians is the Our Father. Jesus Himself taught it to His disciples:

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever.
Amen.

To Mary we say:

Hail, Mary, full of grace,
the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.

When we confess the faith of the Church, we say:

I believe in one God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.
I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the Only Begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before all ages.
God from God,
Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
consubstantial with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,
and became man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,
he suffered death and was buried,
and rose again on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead
and his kingdom will have no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father,
who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.
I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins
and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the world to come.
Amen.