Sub-section Six: The testimony of the Christian scholars to the weakness and differences of the chains of narrators of the Gospels:

1.     The Gospels are not harmonious: Frederick Grant says: The New Testament is a non-harmonious book, for it is made up of collected fragments. It does not reflect one (consistent) point of view from its beginning to its end; in reality it represents various points of view.”[1]

2.     The Gospels are defective: Horn, in Chapter 2, Part 2 of Vol. 4 of his Exegesis printed in 1812 AD, says: “The information that reached us concerning the date of writing the Gospels from the old historians of the Church is defective and not specific. It des not help us determine something definite.”[2]

3.     A whole Chapter is added to the Gospel of John: The well-known investigator (Crotes) says: “This Gospel consisted of 20 Chapters, and then the Church of Afses added the 21st Chapter after the death of John.”[3]

4.     The difference of the Gospel of John from the other three: “ During the last 150 years scholars have found out that the first three Gospels definitely differ from the Gospel of John in style and content.”[4] Encyclopedia Americana says: “A significant and difficult problem results from the contradiction that appears in many aspects between the fourth Gospel and the other similar three. The difference between them is so wide that if we should accept the similar Gospels as correct and authentic, the Gospel of John would inevitably be untrue.”[5]

5.     The changes were made on purpose: Encyclopedia Britannica says: “As to the Gospels, contrary to the epistles of Paul, the significant alterations were made intentionally, such as the insertion or addition of whole paragraphs.”[6]

6.     Differences in the texts of the manuscripts: George Kurd says: “The texts of the manuscripts of the “New Testament” differ considerably and we cannot be convinced that any of them is free from errors.”[7]

So, the claim that the Gospels are the Word of God is untrue and it is just an allegation. We believe that a Gospel was revealed to Jesus (peace be upon him) by Allah (SWT). But it is not any of the versions of the Gospel Christians have today. It is not a copy duplicated from the Injil (Gospel) of Jesus (peace be upon him). Otherwise, the four present Gospels would have been identical verbally and semantically. Christians also know that the authenticity of the four Gospels is not determined by Allah, but by a decree issued by the Church, which confirms the suspicions raised about them, for they were selected from among a large group of books all of which were suspicious, and then these four were rendered sanctified by the first Ecumenical Council.

A large number of priests understand this fact; therefore, those among them who are converted from Christianity to Islam exceed the number of the laymen who are converted to Islam.

Praise is due to Allah for preserving Islam through preserving His Holy Book, the Qur’an intact. Allah (SWT) says: “Surely We have revealed the Reminder and We will most surely be its guardian.” (XV: 9)    Thus Allah (SWT) has preserved it because He wants Islam to be the last Divine Religion. In contrast, the Gospel is not a book for a final religion intended for all humanity; therefore, it has not been preserved intact, as Allah (SWT) made them responsible for preserving it. Allah (SWT) says: “for to them was entrusted the protection of Allah’s Book.” (V: 44) They did not preserve it but inserted many changes in it throughout the generations.