Home > Arguments for the Bible's corruption
"The Gnostic writings, like the later Gospels, build on earlier texts but stray far from what Jesus (peace be upon him) actually taught. Scholars say even the earliest Gospel, Mark, came decades after Jesus, and later ones—Matthew, Luke, John—plus Gnostic texts, pile on more layers, borrowing and twisting. The Qur'an warns, ‘So woe to those who write the scripture with their own hands, then say, "This is from Allah"' (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:79). All these—canonical or Gnostic—came too late and too altered to reflect his true message.
In Islam, the Qur'an is direct from Allah: ‘This is the Book about which there is no doubt' (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:2), revealed and preserved in the Prophet's (peace be upon him) time. Jesus was a messenger—‘And [mention] when Jesus, the son of Mary, said, "O Children of Israel, indeed I am the messenger of Allah to you"' (Surah As-Saff, 61:6)—not God. The later Gospels and Gnostic writings are equally unreliable; the Qur'an alone brings back what he really preached: worship Allah alone."
The claim that later canonical Gospels are "just as unreliable as Gnostic texts" is a classic example of false equivalence. Let's break it down.
Yes, the Gospels were written decades after Jesus' ministry — but they are eyewitness-based accounts, unlike the Gnostic texts, which are speculative, mystical, and often contradictory. Multiple independent sources (Mark, Matthew, Luke, John, and Paul) converge on the same core facts: His miracles, death, resurrection, and divine claims.
Gnostic texts often appear centuries later, long after the original eyewitnesses were gone, with entirely different theological agendas. To equate the canonical Gospels with these writings is like saying eyewitness court testimony is "just as unreliable" as someone's fan fiction written decades later.
Jesus' teachings were memorised and circulated by His disciples, who cross-checked each other. In Jewish culture, oral transmission was highly accurate, and any errors would have been immediately challenged by those who had walked with Him. The Gnostic texts had no such safeguards.
Early fragments, such as the Rylands Papyrus (P52), date to within decades of Jesus' ministry. We have multiple independent manuscripts from the 2nd and 3rd centuries corroborating the canonical Gospels, unlike Gnostic writings, which remain isolated and inconsistent.
Later Gospels aren't "just as unreliable as Gnostic texts." They are rooted in eyewitness testimony, verified within living memory, and preserved across multiple independent manuscripts.
Gnostic texts are speculative, theological experiments. The canonical Gospels, by contrast, faithfully record Jesus' words, deeds, and divine identity — which no Qur'anic reinterpretation can erase.