Home > Arguments for the Bible's corruption
According to Biblical scholars, even the authorship of the Old Testament books and the Gospels themselves is in doubt.
Torah: The first five books of the Bible (the Pentateuch) are traditionally attributed to Prophet Moses, however, there are many verses within these books which indicate that Prophet Moses could not possibly have written everything in them. For example, Deuteronomy 34.5-8 states: "5 So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord, 6 and he buried him in the valley of the land of Moab opposite Beth-peor; but no man knows the place of his burial to this day. 7 Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died; his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated. 8 And the people of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days; then the days of weeping and mourning for Moses ended." It is quite obvious that someone else wrote these verses about Prophet Moses' death. In the appendix of the Revised Standard Version entitled "Books of the Bible," the following is written concerning the authorship of over one third of the remaining books of the Old Testament, "Unknown".
Apocrypha: More than half of the world's Christians are Roman Catholics. Their version of the Bible was published in 1582 from Jerome's Latin Vulgate, and reproduced at Douay in 1609. The Old Testament of the RCV (Roman Catholic Version) contains seven more books than the King James Version recognized by the Protestant world. The extra books are referred to as the apocrypha (i.e., of doubtful authority) and were removed from the Bible in 1611 by Protestant Bible scholars.
The Gospels: Aramaic was the spoken language of the Jews of Palestine. Consequently, it is believed that Jesus and his disciples spoke and taught in Aramaic.30 "The earliest oral tradition of Jesus' deeds and sayings undoubtedly circulated in Aramaic. However, the four Gospels were written in an entirely different speech, common Greek, the spoken language of the civilized Mediterranean world, to serve the majority of the Church, which was becoming Hellenistic (Greek-speaking) instead of Palestinian. Traces of Aramaic survive in the Greek Gospels. For example, in Mark 5:41,"Taking her by the hand he said to her, ‘Tal'itha cu'mi'; which means 'Little girl, I say to you, arise.' " and Mark 15:34,"And at the ninth hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice, ‘E'lo-i, E'lo-i, la'ma sabachtha'ni?' which means, ‘My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?' "31 The New Testament Gospel of Mark, though considered by Church scholars to be the oldest of the Gospels, was not written by a disciple of Jesus. Biblical scholars concluded, based on the evidence contained in the Gospel, that Mark himself was not a disciple of Jesus. Furthermore, according to them, it is not even certain who Mark really was. The ancient Christian author, Eusebius (325 C.E.), reported that another ancient author, Papias (130 C.E.), was the first to attribute the Gospel to John Mark, a companion of Paul.32 Others suggested that he may have been the scribe of Peter and yet others hold that he was probably someone else. The same is the case with the other Gospels. Although Matthew, Luke and John are the names of disciples of Jesus, the authors of the Gospels bearing their names were not those famous disciples, but other individuals who used the disciples' names to give their accounts credibility. In fact, all the Gospels originally circulated anonymously. Authoritative names were later assigned to them by unknown figures in the early church.33 J.B. Phillips, a prebendary40 of the Chichester Cathedral, the Anglican Church of England, wrote the following preface for his translation of the Gospel according to St. Matthew: "Early tradition ascribed this Gospel to the apostle Matthew, but scholars nowadays almost all reject this view. The author, whom we can conveniently call Matthew, has plainly drawn on the mysterious "Q",41 which may have been a collection of oral traditions. He has used Mark's Gospel freely, though he has rearranged the order of events and has in several instances used different words for what is plainly the same story."42 The Fourth Gospel (John) was opposed as heretical in the early church, and it knows none of the stories associated with John, son of Zebedee.43 In the judgement of many scholars, it was produced by a "school" of disciples, probably in Syria in the last decade of the first century
"The Bible's books, especially the Gospels, come from anonymous authors—none signed by Jesus (peace be upon him) or his direct companions. Tradition names Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, but scholars agree these were added later; the texts themselves don't say who wrote them. The Qur'an warns of such tampering: ‘So woe to those who write the scripture with their own hands, then say, "This is from Allah"' (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:79). Jesus preached Allah's message, but unknown writers, years after him, shaped the Bible we have.
In Islam, the Qur'an is direct from Allah, revealed to Muhammad (peace be upon him) and recorded in his lifetime: ‘This is the Book about which there is no doubt' (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:2). Jesus was a messenger—‘He said, "Indeed, I am the servant of Allah"' (Surah Maryam, 19:30)—not God, and anonymous hands twisted his story. The Qur'an's clear origin stands firm, restoring what Jesus truly taught: worship Allah alone."
The claims made regarding Jesus Christ's identity and the Bible's authorship are utterly rejected by Christian theology and historical evidence.
1. Jesus Was Just a Prophet
The assertion that Jesus Christ was "just a prophet" denies His eternal nature and the very foundation of salvation.
Christ's acceptance of worship (John 20:28), a practice reserved for God alone, and His claim to be one with the Father (John 10:30) are irrefutable proofs of His Divine nature, not just a prophetic role. He is the Lord (Kurios).
The quotes showing Christ's submission ("Not my will, but Yours be done" - Luke 22:42) prove His perfect humanity and obedience to the Father's saving plan. It required the Son of God to become flesh (John 1:14) to provide the Atonement. Only a divine, sinless sacrifice could satisfy the demands of justice for human sin (Hebrews 9:22).
2. Jesus is a Muslim
The claim that Jesus is a "Muslim" is an historical anachronism and a profound misrepresentation of His unique identity.
Jesus was a 1st-century Jew, born under the Mosaic Law, who fulfilled the Old Covenant (Galatians 4:4). The religion of Islam was established centuries after His ministry. His religious life was governed by the Torah, not later precepts.
Jesus's obedience proves He is the Son who willingly submitted, not a created servant. He taught the Gospel and proclaimed Himself the exclusive way to God: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). He is the mediator (1 Timothy 2:5) and the Son of God, titles that preclude simple prophethood.
3. The Bible Only Has Anonymous Authors
The assertion that the Bible's books are from "anonymous authors" is refuted by historical documentation and the principle of Apostolic authority.
The names of the Gospel authors are confirmed by the unanimous, consistent testimony of early Church Fathers (e.g., Papias, Irenaeus) dating back to the Apostolic age. Authority rests on the authors' direct connection to Christ's Apostles. The texts themselves affirm this intentionality (Luke 1:1-4). The names were attached from the beginning as a guarantee of the source's authority.
The acknowledged fact that Moses did not write the account of his own death (Deuteronomy 34:5-8) is a feature of inspired editorial completion, not proof of fraud or anonymity. The vast majority of the text remains Mosaic in origin and authority. We accept the inspired nature of the final, canonical form of the Scriptures.