An Examination of the Bible of Jesus Christ and Its Distortion

In previous articles, we discussed the personality of Jesus Christ (Peace be upon him) and mentioned that Jesus, the son of Mary, is the fourth Ulul Azm prophet (Arch Prophets) possessing a divine book and sharia (doctrines). His religion is called Christianity, and his book is the Bible. He was sent to guide the Children of Israel (Israelites) along with two important missions: acknowledging the Torah and announcing the coming of the final prophet.

The apostles of Jesus began compiling and writing the Bible of Jesus after his ascension. However, the writing of the Bible was not solely done by the apostles; other individuals also undertook the task of compiling the teachings of Jesus. Christians believe that the Bible of Jesus Christ was written based on his oral teachings, while the Quran and Islamic sources believe that much of the content of these books is in complete contradiction to the true monotheistic sharia of Jesus.

Many original teachings of Jesus have been distorted in these books, and this is due to the influence of Paul’s thoughts on the Bible of Jesus Christ. In the previous article, we introduced the character of Paul and mentioned that he is considered the second most important figure in Christianity after Jesus. He introduced many of his desires and deviant thoughts into Christianity, to the extent that Christianity can be divided into two periods: before Paul, and after Paul. Even the Bible of Jesus Christ was written under the influence of his thoughts.

The collection of the sacred books of Jews and the prophets before Moses is called the “Old Testament” and the collection of books written and approved by the leaders of Christianity is called the “New Testament.” The New Testament includes the Gospel of Matthew, the Gospel of Mark, the Gospel of Luke, the Gospel of John, the Acts of the Apostles, the Epistles of the Apostles, and the Revelation of John.

In this article, we will introduce the apostles of Jesus, the Bible of Jesus Christ, the views of Muslims and Christians on the Bible, the Bible, and the process of compiling and writing the four Gospels.

The Bible of Jesus Christ

We mentioned that the book of Jesus Christ is called the Bible. The Quran [1] and Islamic narrations [2] also believe that the Bible was revealed by God to Jesus Christ. However, many Shia scholars believe that the original version of the Bible of Jesus Christ has been lost, and only parts of it have been transmitted by Jesus’ disciples in their Gospels, mixed with superstitions [3]. Contrary to the common belief among Muslims, many researchers of Quranic sciences believe that the Bible was not a book revealed in a compiled form to Jesus [4]. They believe that Jesus had received teachings and prophecies from God and transmitted them to people during his mission. Apostles of Jesus also transmitted them to the people of subsequent generations, until these concepts, teachings, and prophecies were eventually compiled into various Gospels [5]. While scholars, based on the Quran, believe that the Bible of Jesus Christ consists of doctrines that are revealed to Jesus Christ [6].

Muslims’ Views on the Bible of Jesus Christ

There are different theories about the Bible of Jesus Christ. For example, Islamic scholars believe that there are two possibilities regarding the current Bibles. The first possibility is that a large part of the original Bibles has been removed by later writers of the Bibles, and many superstitions have been added to them. The second possibility is that the original Bible of Jesus Christ has been completely forgotten, set aside, and other books have been written in its place [7]. Some Shia scholars believe that what is mentioned in Shia narratives about the Bible of Jesus Christ has similarities with the text of the “Four Gospels.” That is to say, the current Gospels have similarities with the Gospel that Prophet Muhammad, the fourteen Infallible Imams (Peace be upon them), and their companions spoke about [8], such as the condemnation of hypocrisy, avoidance of lying, respecting people’s rights, avoidance of fault-finding, reckoning on the Judgment Day, and seeking compromise [9].

The word “Gospel” is a Greek word meaning “good news” or “good telling” [10]. This word has been chosen as it heralds a new covenant or the arrival of the kingdom of God [11]. At the time of Christ’s advent, this word was used as the good news of forgiveness and the emergence of God’s kingdom. However, during the writing of the Bible by the apostles, it was adopted to mean the advent of the Son of God [12].

Ambiguities in the Four Gospels

We mentioned that the Bible consists of two parts called the Old Testament and the New Testament. The collection of sacred books of Jews and the prophets before Moses (peace be upon him) is called the Old Testament. Christians believe in and adhere to the New Testament and consider both of them sacred. The New Testament is a collection of writings, including the four Gospels examining of which reveals numerous contradictions and inconsistencies that Christian scholars have struggled to explain satisfactorily.  The authors of these Gospels have not identified themselves as apostles within their texts. In contrast, every single one of the Pauline epistles begins with Paul’s name prominently displayed [13]. Furthermore, the writers of the Gospels were not eyewitnesses of the events happened during the time of Jesus or speeches he gave [14]. If they were not present in those events, basically, they must have written the four gospels from another source [15].

An Unknown Figure in the Gospels

There seems to be an unknown figure in the Gospels as “the beloved apostle,” and although Christian scholars try to attribute this term to John, the evidence proves the contrary.

1. a) In Luke 24:18, two of the apostles are talking about the crucifixion, one of whom is named Cleopas. In the Persian Bible Dictionary, James Hawkes defines this word as ‘very popular,’ and subsequent translations also use this same term, rather than referring to the figure by his actual name.
2. b) In the Last Supper in the Gospel of John, Jesus confesses that one of his apostles would betray him which makes the beloved apostle cry and ask Jesus to reveal his name. This apostle is the only apostle present in the crucifixion event and the one who takes care of Saint Mary, mother of Jesus, after his ascension.
3. c) In Matthew 20:25, Jesus prophesies the fate of his apostles James and John: “the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.” This became true as mentioned in Acts 12:1: “It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. He had James, the brother of John…”. In his studies, Amir Ahvaraki explains that they replaced “and” with “brother” to establish John, the brother of James, as the writer of the Gospel of John. Therefore, Jesus’s foretelling seems to be true.
4. d) In John 21, Jesus prophesies the fate of Peter and the beloved apostle. Jesus said Peter would be martyred and when Peter asked about the fate of the “beloved Apostle,” Jesus replied, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?” Consequently, Peter was martyred by the Roman Emperor Nero. It is said that Nero’s Jewish wife incited him to kill Christians including the apostles. In the following, the identity and fate of the beloved apostle will be cleared.

In John 21:24, the writer adds his own confirmation to Jesus’s words saying, “This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true.” [16].

Christian scholars claim that the beloved apostle refers to John. If this was true, the writer would have used the first-person singular pronoun instead of the absent third-person pronoun. In addition, it does not seem rational to confirm his own words because the witness should be someone else. The writer also states that this book is based on the writings of that disciple. Probably the same apostle who wrote the true Gospel, meaning the exact words of Jesus, was with him everywhere and was an eyewitness of the incident. He is a figure whose honesty is acknowledged by the writer in other verses too and was probably supposed not to be recognized by people [17].

Barnabas

Joseph, a Levite from Jerusalem, was one of the twelve apostles known for his religious knowledge. He is famously called Barnabas, meaning “One who preaches well.” It seems that Jesus bestowed this name upon him in a manner similar to how he named Simon Peter [18]. Christian scholars suggest that Barnabas never saw Jesus; however, he owned a piece of land in Jerusalem and could have easily met him there [19]. While Christians regard Barnabas as a significant figure and even commemorate June 11th in his honor, they consider him a friend of the apostles and label his Gospel as “non-canonical” [20].

As it was stated, Jesus predicted the fate of his apostles. Regarding Barnabas, whom the writer of the Gospel of John identifies as the beloved disciple in John 21:22-23, Jesus said ‘“If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.” Because of this, the rumor spread among the believers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?”’ This implies that disciple will return with Jesus in the future, to serve as proof against Jewish distortion of history regarding Barnabas’ Gospel, which is considered the original gospel. Seemingly, Barnabas was commissioned by Jesus to write the Gospel. He is the individual whose name appears in sacred texts as a friend of the apostles and in many cases as the beloved disciple of Jesus [21].

Compiling the Four Gospels

Since the texts of Paul did not fully meet the needs of the people, the Gospel of Barnabas was used as a foundation for writing three other books, which came to be known as the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. However, when these texts failed to deter people from referring to the Gospel of Barnabas, a fourth book, the Gospel of John, was created. This Gospel included a more detailed account of the crucifixion of Jesus, presenting a narrative that was closer to the original source, albeit with a few key contradictions that could have significantly altered the fate of Christians as observed today. This is why the first three Gospels share a similar style and context, while the Gospel of John is categorized differently. A comparison of the Gospels of Barnabas and John reveals that fourteen chapters of John were largely copied from Barnabas [22]. Despite these efforts to overshadow it, evidence suggests that people continued to reference the Gospel of Barnabas well into the fourth century, indicating its enduring presence until it eventually disappeared [23].

 Barnabas, One of the Twelve Apostles

In Acts 14:6-18, it is written that Barnabas and Paul traveled to preach in various locations that Paul healed the sick. People called Barnabas the Zeus and Paul the Hermes. The interesting point is that Zeus in Greek refers to Jupiter, which is the largest planet. Therefore, unlike the Acts of the Apostles that states Paul healed the sick, people called Barnabas with a greater name. Barnabas earned the title of the best preacher—a title none of the other disciples held. Furthermore, it seems unreasonable to think that he was not appointed by Jesus as one of his disciples but instead joined them later on. For it was impossible for someone to simply enter their group and become the thirteenth disciple. Barnabas’ authority was so significant that it is stated Paul was able to influence the other disciples through his friendship with him. However, their paths diverged when Barnabas and the other disciples began to recognize Paul’s malicious nature and sinister intentions. Both Clement of Alexandria and Eusebius of Caesarea acknowledged Barnabas’ status as a disciple. Interestingly, in the New Testament, specifically in the first chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, two disciples are mentioned—one being Barsabbas. The Acts of the Apostles exists in two legal versions in Greek; in the Western version of chapter one, that disciple’s name appears as Barnabas instead of Barsabbas [24].

–Gospel of Matthew

Gospel of Matthew includes the genealogy of Jesus, his birth, his temptation by Satan, his moral instructions to people and his disciples, his miracles, the selection of apostles, the advent of Jesus, the conspiracy to kill him, and his resurrection from the grave [25].

–Gospel of Mark

The Gospel of Mark is the oldest and shortest Gospel and is part of the works promoted as the Bible of Jesus Christ [26]. The author of Mark was not an apostle but a disciple of Peter the apostle [27]. This book is divided into two parts: The first part introduces Jesus and recounts his sufferings, and the second part deals with his death [28]. The first sentence of Mark reads: “This is the beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God [29].”

–Gospel of Luke

Luke is the longest Gospel [30] addressing the people of Rome. Jesus is referred to as “Lord” in this Gospel [31], and he is introduced as the Perfect Man [32]. Luke is the only non-Jewish author of the New Testament and the Bible of Jesus Christ [33]. He was a non-Jewish disciple of Paul and was not an apostle. The birth of Jesus, his miracles, the granting of special power to the apostles, the selection of seventy others besides the apostles for preaching, the crucifixion of Jesus, and his resurrection from the grave are among the topics of the Gospel of Luke [34].

–Gospel of John

John was one of the apostles of Jesus Christ [35], and the book named after him is considered one part of the Bible of Jesus Christ. His Gospel emphasizes Jesus Christ being a superhuman [36]. In this Gospel, more attention is given to the words of Jesus rather than his life story. The words of Jesus are presented in long sermons and include complex and mysterious thoughts [37]. In this Gospel, Jesus is introduced as the Son of God [38], referred to as the Word [39], and described as someone who has existed from the beginning of the world [40].

Gospel of Barnabas

Many people may have wondered why there are so many religious texts referred to as the Bible or the New Testament. Specifically, there are four Gospels, whereas the Quran exists as a single book. This prompts the question of why the apostles, whom Christian scholars credit with writing the four Gospels, did not compile all of Jesus’s teachings into a single, unified text. Additionally, the Gospel of Barnabas, said to have been written by a friend of the apostles, mysteriously vanished after the fourth century. Throughout history, numerous attempts have been made to conceal its existence [41] and the copies printed by Lonsdale Ragg and Laura Maria Roberts in 1866-1945 were suspiciously lost [42]. This raises concerns about why this Gospel is not easily accessible to everyone and why Christians are deprived of reading it. Furthermore, it is noteworthy that texts attributed to Barnabas have been referred to as the “Epistle of Barnabas” in early Christian writings [43]. Of course, the Gospel of Barnabas that exists now is altered at least three times [44], as it has significant inconsistencies with the Quran [45]. Unlike Christian scholars who say the Gospel of Barnabas was written by a Muslim because it includes the End-Time Prophet [46], the true and untouched text of the Torah and Gospel seems to have been buried somewhere [47]. According to narrations, when the Promised Savior (Peace be upon him) comes, he or Jesus (PBUH) [48] will unveil them in Tiberias [49].

References

[1]. Quran, 3:3-4; 5:46-47; 19:30; 57:27

[2]. Al-Kulayni, Shaykh Muhammad b. Yaʿqub. Al-Kafi. Translated by Shaykh Muhammad Sarwar; Sheikh al-Saduq, Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Babawayh. Man la Yahduruhu al-Faqih. United Kingdom: Bab ul Qaim Publications, 2024.

[3]. Makarem Shirazi, Naser. Tafsir Nemooneh. Tehran: Darul Kitab al-Islamia.

(1992): vol. 2, p. 425; Sheikh Saduq. Uyun Akhbar al-Ridha (PBUH). vol. 1.

[4]. Ma’rifat, Muhammad Hadi. Siyanat al–Quran min al–Tahrif. Qom: al-Tamhid. (2007): 129.

[5]. Ibid.

[6]. Legenhausen, Muhammad. “Jesus (Peace be with him) as Kalimat Allah, The Word of God.”

[7]. Razavi, Rasool. “Injil.” Kalam-e Islami. Research Institute for Humanities and Cultural Studies, 49 (2004).

[8]. Haydari, Hossein, and Khosravi, Rezvan. “The Theme of the Gospel in Shia Narrations.” Hadith Research Quarterly. 17 (2017): 122.

[9]. Ibid., 108-116.

[10]. Michele, Thomas. Christian Discourse. Translated by Hossein Tofighi. Qom: Center for Studies and Research of Religions and Sects. (2002): 43; Long, Keith. “What Does the Word Gospel Mean? It’s Complicated.” Bart Ehrman, 12 Aug., 2022; Huntington, Ray L. “The Meaning of the Word Gospel.” The Book of Mormon and the Message of the Four Gospels, edited by Ray L. Huntington and Terry B. Ball, Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University (2001): 45–56.

[11]. Marion, James. “What Jesus taught about the kingdom of heaven.” Laudato Si’ Movement; Spitzer, Dean. “The Kingdom of God and the New Covenant.” Evangelical Christian College, 23 Nov., 2020.

[12]. Lajevardi, Fatemeh. “Injil.” Center for the Great Islamic Encyclopedia. 10 (2001): 318.

[13]. [38]. Galatians 1:1

[14]. [39]. King, S. “The Gospels Are NOT Eyewitness Accounts.” Steemit. https://steemit.com/bible/@sean-king/the-gos; John 20:30-31, 21:25.

[15]. Ahuraki, A. (2015). “A collection of articles: Barnabas, the lost apostle of Jesus.” Jewish Studies Center. https://jscenter.ir/jewish-methods/falsification-of-history/385.

[16]. Ibid.

[17]. Ibid.

[18]. Ibid.

[19]. Olander, Mark. “Instruments in the Hands of a Loving God: Lessons from Barnabas.” Missio Nexus, 1 Apr. 2013, https://missionexus.org/instruments-in-the-hands-of-a-loving-god-lessons-from-barnabas/.

[20]. “Gospel of Barnabas.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 18 Jan. 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gospel_of_Barnabas. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.

[21]. Ahuraki, “A collection of Articles Barnabas, the lost apostle of Jesus.”

[22]. Ibid.

[23]. Hilmi Işık, Hüseyin. Islam and Christianity. HAKiKAT KiTABEVi PUBLICATIONS, 2014: 17.

[24]. Ahuraki, “A collection of Articles Barnabas, the lost apostle of Jesus.”

[25]. Kranz, Jeffrey. “The Gospel of Matthew: Summary and Outline.” 7 Sep., 2018; Zibaeinezhad, Mohammad Reza. Comparative Christology. Tehran: Soroush. 3rd ed., (2010): 139.

[26]. Michele, Christian Discourse, 46.

[27]. Marina, Marko. “Who Wrote the Gospel of Mark? Traditional vs. Scholarly Claims.” Bart Ehrman, edited by Laura Robinson, 14 July, 2023.

[28]. Michele, Christian Discourse, 46.

[29]. S. Berge, Paul. “Commentary on Mark 1:1-8.” 7 Dec., 2008.

[30]. Docusen, David. “The Gospel of Luke.” 15 Sep., 2010; Zibaeinezhad, Comparative Christology,140.

[31]. Luke, 11:1

[32]. Stamps, Luke. “The Humanity of Christ.” The Gospel Coalition; Zibaeinezhad, Comparative Christology, 141.

[33]. Michele, Christian Discourse, 46.

[34]. Zibaeinezhad, Comparative Christology, 140.

[35]. Tofighi, Introduction to Major Religions, 171; Nelson, Ryan. “Who Was John the Apostle? The Beginner’s Guide.” Bible characters, 6 Feb., 2019.

[36]. Simmons, Brian. “Miracles! The Supernatural Miracle Signs in the Gospel of John.” The passion Translation, BroadStreet Publishing Group, 7 Oct., 2019; Nikzad, Abbas. Critique and Review of the Holy Book. Qom: Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, Center for Islamic Researches. (2001): 45.

[37]. Michele, Christian Discourse, 49.

[38]. John, 1:49; 5:19-27

[39]. Ibid., 1:1-3

[40]. Piper, John. “Before Time Began, Jesus Was.” Desiring God, 11 Oct., 2017; Zibaeinezhad, Comparative Christology, 141.

[41]. “The Gospel of Barnabas.” Shia Studies’ World Assembly, 13 Nov. 2021, http://shiastudies.com/en/4441/the-gospel-of-barnabas/. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.

[42]. Hilmi Işık, Hüseyin, ibid, p. 18.

[43]. Ahuraki, “Barnabas, the Lost Apostle of Jesus; The History of the Present Edition of the Gospel of Barnabas.” https://jscenter.ir/jewish-methods/falsification-of-history/427/

[44]. Pope Gelasius I (d. 496)

[45]. Campbell, J. “Contradictions to the Qur’an in the Gospel of Barnabas.” Answering Islam, https://www.answering-islam.org/authors/campbell/barnabas/chapter1.html. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.

[46]. Wikipedia, Gospel of Barnabas.

[47]. Khamenei, Ali. “Armenians Served a Lot.” Khamenei.ir, 6 Nov. 2016, https://farsi.khamenei.ir/news-content?id=35223.

[48]. Al-Bahrani, Sayyid Hashim. Hilyat al-abrar fi ahwal Muhammad wa alih al-athar. (Arabic). Vol. 5. p. 307.

[49]. “Hazrat Mahdi (as) Will Bring Out the Real Torah and a Jewish Community Will Become Muslim Through Him.” The Prophet Jesus (as) and Hazrat Mahdi Will Come, 19 May 2012, https://theprophetjesusandhazratmahdiwillcomethiscentur.wordpress.com/2012/05/19/hazrat-mahdi-as-will-bring-out-the-real-torah-and-a-jewish-community-will-become-muslim-through-him/. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.