Part 3 – The Doctrinal Clash: Bible vs. Quran

Why the Core Teachings of the Bible and Quran Cannot Be Reconciled

---

Introduction – Two Books, Two Worlds

Islam claims that the Torah (given to Moses) and the Gospel (given to Jesus) are divine revelations from the same God who revealed the Quran to Muhammad. This is not a casual claim — it is repeated multiple times in the Quran and is foundational to Islam’s self-identity as the “final” and “perfected” version of God’s message.

However, when we place the actual content of the Bible and the Quran side-by-side, we find irreconcilable contradictions on the most fundamental doctrines. We’re not talking about minor differences in historical detail or interpretation — we’re talking about opposite truth claims that cannot both be correct under the laws of logic.

This section will break down these core doctrinal clashes in detail, focusing on four primary theological pillars:

1. The Deity of Jesus Christ

2. The Crucifixion and Resurrection

3. The Nature of Salvation

4. The Role of Atonement and Grace

At the end, we will see that these differences are not reconcilable without denying either the Quran or the Bible. That means Islam’s claim to affirm both texts collapses under its own weight.

---

1. The Deity of Jesus Christ – God or Just a Prophet?

What the Bible Teaches

From the opening of John’s Gospel, the Bible is crystal clear about the identity of Jesus:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” – John 1:1

Throughout the New Testament, Jesus claims divine prerogatives (forgiving sins, accepting worship, claiming unity with the Father) that no mere human or prophet could rightfully claim without blasphemy.

Key passages include:

• John 8:58 – “Before Abraham was, I AM.” (a direct reference to the divine name in Exodus 3:14)

• Colossians 2:9 – “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.”

• Hebrews 1:8 – The Father addresses the Son: “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever.”

The divinity of Christ is not a side doctrine — it is central to the Christian Gospel. Remove it, and the entire framework of salvation through Christ’s death and resurrection falls apart.

What the Quran Teaches

The Quran flatly denies the deity of Christ:

“They have certainly disbelieved who say, ‘Allah is the Messiah, the son of Mary.’” – Surah 5:72

It also rejects the Trinity outright:

“Do not say, ‘Three’; desist – it is better for you. Indeed, Allah is but one God. Exalted is He above having a son.” – Surah 4:171

In fact, the Quran even portrays Jesus as correcting Christians for exalting Him beyond prophethood (Surah 5:116).

The Clash

This is a direct contradiction.

• If Jesus is God, as the Bible states, the Quran is wrong for denying it.

• If Jesus is not God, as the Quran states, the Bible is wrong for affirming it.

Both cannot be true, and any claim that the Quran “confirms” the Bible is logically false on this point alone.

---

2. The Crucifixion and Resurrection – Event or Illusion?

What the Bible Teaches

The crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus are the central historical and theological events in Christianity:

“Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures… he was buried, he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” – 1 Corinthians 15:3–4

The Gospels provide multiple eyewitness accounts of Jesus’ death and post-resurrection appearances. The apostles preach the crucifixion as the heart of the Gospel from the earliest days of the church.

What the Quran Teaches

The Quran categorically denies that Jesus was crucified:

“They did not kill him, nor did they crucify him, but it appeared so to them.” – Surah 4:157

The text is vague on what “appeared so” means, leading to later Islamic interpretations such as the “substitution theory” (someone else was crucified in Jesus’ place). But the bottom line is: the Quran denies the crucifixion happened.

The Clash

Again, this is not a minor historical disagreement — it’s a theological earthquake.

• If Jesus died and rose again, the Quran is wrong.

• If Jesus did not die, the Bible is wrong.

Both cannot be right. And if the Quran affirms the authority of the Gospel (as it claims), it must logically affirm the crucifixion — yet it denies it.

---

3. The Nature of Salvation – Grace vs. Works

What the Bible Teaches

Christianity teaches salvation by grace through faith in Christ, apart from works:

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith… not by works, so that no one can boast.” – Ephesians 2:8–9

The entire New Testament affirms that human effort or moral performance cannot earn salvation. It is God’s gift, secured by Christ’s finished work on the cross.

What the Quran Teaches

The Quran teaches a works-based path to salvation:

“Those whose scales are heavy [with good deeds] – it is they who will be successful.” – Surah 23:102

While Allah’s mercy is mentioned, salvation in Islam depends heavily on obedience to Islamic law, performing rituals, and accumulating good deeds to outweigh the bad.

The Clash

These two systems cannot both be correct:

• The Bible says salvation is received, not achieved.

• The Quran says salvation is achieved, not received.

One framework cancels the other.

---

4. The Role of Atonement – Substitution or Self-Effort?

What the Bible Teaches

In Christianity, atonement is substitutionary — Jesus takes the penalty for sin so believers can be forgiven:

“The Son of Man came… to give his life as a ransom for many.” – Mark 10:45

This is rooted in the Old Testament sacrificial system, fulfilled once for all in Christ.

What the Quran Teaches

Islam rejects substitutionary atonement:

“No bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another.” – Surah 6:164

Forgiveness in Islam is transactional — repentance, prayer, charity, and other deeds can expiate sins, but no one can die in your place.

The Clash

The atonement is the beating heart of the Gospel. Remove it, and the Christian message ceases to exist. Islam’s rejection of it is therefore a rejection of the Gospel itself — which makes its claim to “confirm” it nonsensical.

---

Logical Analysis – Mutually Exclusive Systems

If the Bible’s teachings on Christ, the cross, salvation, and atonement are true, the Quran is false.
If the Quran’s teachings on these same issues are true, the Bible is false.

There is no logical middle ground — unless we are willing to claim that contradictions can be true, which violates the law of non-contradiction.

---

Why This Destroys the Quran’s Claim to Confirmation

The Quran repeatedly claims to affirm the previous scriptures (Surah 3:3, 5:47, 6:115). Yet, on the most important doctrines, it affirms the opposite.

You cannot “confirm” something while simultaneously rejecting its central message.
It would be like claiming to confirm the U.S. Constitution while denying the Bill of Rights — logically incoherent.

---

Conclusion – The Fatal Doctrinal Rift

The Bible and the Quran do not merely differ in emphasis; they proclaim mutually exclusive truth claims on the identity of Christ, the crucifixion, the nature of salvation, and the atonement.

For Islam’s claim to confirm the Bible to be true, one of the following must be the case:

1. The Bible has been perfectly preserved, and the Quran is wrong.

2. The Bible has been corrupted, and the Quran is wrong for affirming it.

Either way, the claim collapses. The doctrinal clash is not just deep — it is fatal to the coherence of Islam’s foundational assertions.