Jesus was a Word of God. What is a messenger, if not a Word of God?
Jesus makes it clear he was a messenger of God:
“The word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me,” -John 14:24
However, the “Word of God” mentioned in John 1:1 is not Jesus. Jesus is a Word but not the first Word.
The first Word of God was reason and reason is Muhammad (pbuhahf). Can you prove that Jesus was beyond a shadow of a doubt “the Word” mentioned in John 1:1? In fact, there is no explicit declaration that he is.
Did God only speak one word? Or are the prophets and messengers not also Words of God?
To say God only spoke one word puts limits on his ability.
Imam Ahmad Al-Hassan (fhip) has clarified this matter in the Book of Monotheism:
“I have clarified in this book that Jesus (pbuh) is a servant/worshiper and that he is not an Absolute Divine, and [the chapter] of The Decisiveness/Discernment of the Speech will come and from a clear precise confirmed verse from the Gospel, and consequently, it is incorrect to interpret and understand this text and other than it [an understanding and interpretation that suggest that] Jesus (pbuh) is an Absolute Divine, as has been proven from what has been presented that Jesus (pbuh), or Christ (pbuh) can not possibly be Light which has no Darkness in it, rather he is Light and Darkness, and this has always been his case for he is a created being whom is in need for, and poor in regards to, the Absolute Divine (swt).
The Interpretation of this Text : (In the beginning was the Word): There is no beginning for the Absolute Divine (swt) in order to say “in the beginning” , rather, what is in the beginning is the created, and therefore, Christ (Jesus pbuh) is a created being, and this verse shows clearly that he is created. Yes it is possible to be said that what is meant here is the first created being or the first Mind, in that case this matter could be discussed, Is Christ (Jesus pbuh) the first word? Or is Christ (Jesus pbuh) a word from the words of Allah which came later after the first word?
(And the Word was with Allah): The Absolute Divine is not a compound reality ([meaning it is not a reality/truth which is composed from parts), and it is false to say that it is compound (composed of several parts) or to say anything that implies that it is composed [of parts], because believing that what is meant by the saying (and the Word was with Allah) is that the Word is the Absolute Divine, then this would mean that the Absolute Divine is compound/composed of parts. And believing [2] that the Word is Allah – meaning that He is She and She is He with no distinction between them – even though it is not compound, makes [this speech] foolish and free from any sort of wisdom. Because it is meaningless to say that the thing is with itself ([it is meaningless to say Allah was with Allah!])
(And the Word was Allah): Here is where the place of confusion is, and here is the allegorical/ambiguous [meaning] which Shenouda has fallen into as well as many before him have fallen into it. And truth is, after it has been clarified that the Word is a created being, and that he himself cannot be an Absolute Divine, then nothing remains except that “Allah” [mentioned]
here is not the Absolute Divine, rather, what is meant is “Allah in Creation”, meaning, the image of Allah, as has been mentioned in the Torah or the Old Testament (26 Then Allah said, ‘Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness) (So Allah created humankind in his image, in the image of Allah he created them) -Genesis, chapter 1″
– Imam Ahmad Al-Hassan (fhip), The Book of Monotheism
This matter has been answered by Imam Ahmad Al-Hassan (fhip) in the Book of Monotheism:
“Immanuel or Allah is with us:
(Now therefore, behold, the Lord is bringing up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria, and all his glory: and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks: And he shall pass through Judah; he shall overflow and go over, he shall reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel. Associate yourselves, O peoples, and you shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all you of distant countries: gird yourselves, and you shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and you shall be broken in pieces. Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand/succeed: for Allah is with us)
Yes, Allah is with the believing people whom follow the successor of Allah in every age. (All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:
“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God (Allah) is with us”)
The Successor of Allah in His Earth is the representative of Allah, and if he is the hand of Allah and the face of Allah then he is Allah in Creation, but he is not an Absolute Divine, rather, he is a a poor created being whom is need [for the Absolute Divine] and he is not Light with no Darkness in it, rather, he is Light and Darkness
And even if all what has been added to the New Testament from messages and works were accepted, the non-working scholars will never be able to prove that a human being is an Absolute Divine, they are only following that which its meaning has been”
– Imam Ahmad Al-Hassan (fhip), The Book of Monotheism
In the Gospel of Matthew 3:16-17:
“As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
– Holy Bible: Matthew 3:16-17
Something similar is said at the transfiguration scene (Holy Bible: Mark 9:7).
Jesus was, indeed the “Son of God” but what does that really mean? The common interpretation is that “Son of God” implies Jesus’ deity. However, the title, “Son of God” is not exclusive to Jesus in the Bible. Although Jesus is called the “Son of God” we also find this term applied to humans and angels. The term “son of God” is applied to the first man Adam, angels, Israel, those who make peace, and Christians.
Adam Was A Son Of God
Adam, the first man, was called the son of God.
The son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God
– Holy Bible: Luke 3:38
Israel Was God’s Son
The Old Testament says that the nation Israel is God’s son.
When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son
– Holy Bible: Hosea 11:1
Angels Are The Sons Of God
Angels are called “sons of God.”
Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the Lord
– Holy Bible: Job 2:1
Those Who Make Peace Are God’s Sons
Those who make peace are called the “sons of God.”
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God
– Holy Bible: Matthew 5:9
Christians Are Called God’s Sons
The designation “sons of God” is also used for Christians.
For they cannot even die anymore, because they are like angels, and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection
– Holy Bible: Luke 20:36
The terms “Son of God” and “Son of the LORD” are also found in several passages of the Old Testament.
Jesus did say, “I and my Father are one.” (Holy Bible: John 10:30)
In other words, Jesus is united in nature and purpose with God the Father.
It is evident from the other statements of Jesus recorded in the Bible that Jesus is a messenger sent from God:
Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me.
– Holy Bible: John 7:16
Then a certain ruler asked Him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call Me good?” Jesus replied. “No one is good except God alone.
– Holy Bible: Luke 18:18-19
You heard that I said to you, ‘I go away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced because I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.
– Holy Bible: John 14:28
Jesus clearly stated that he is both one with the God the Father and a separate entity.
It is important to ask: Was the door of prophethood open after Jesus (pbuh)?
Although most Christians today do not believe there were any prophets after Jesus (pbuh), Jesus never said that there would be no prophets after him. In fact, he warned that two kinds of prophets would inevitably follow after him: genuine prophets and false prophets. He said:
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.”
– Holy Bible: Matthew 7:15
Why would Jesus warn us against false prophets unless true prophets would also appear? Wouldn’t Jesus guide rather than confuse? In this metaphor, sheep’s clothing is the appearance of prophethood. How could someone dress as a sheep if it is known that there are no sheep?
Furthermore, Jesus named a specific messenger from God who would come after him, The Comforter or Parakletos:
“If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it. If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.”
– Holy Bible: John 14:14-18
“But the Comforter, even the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said unto you.”
– Holy Bible: John 14:26
This corresponds to the Quranic verse, in which Prophet Muhammad (pbuhahf) claimed the will which Jesus left much like Jesus claimed the will left by Isaiah (Holy Bible: Luke 4:17-21):
“And [mention] when Jesus, the son of Mary, said, “O children of Israel, indeed I am the messenger of Allah to you confirming what came before me of the Torah and bringing good tidings of a messenger to come after me, whose name is Ahmad.” But when he came to them with clear evidences, they said, “This is obvious magic.”
– Holy Quran, As-Saf verse 6
The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light (AROPL) is a 501c3 non-profit organization. This is the Call of Imam Al-Mahdi, the saviour of mankind, to all the people of the world.
Imam Al-Mahdi has appeared, with his successors Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan, and Abdullah Hashem Aba Al-Sadiq (From Them is Peace).
Imam Al-Mahdi is calling the people to the true Supremacy of God.
