WHO IS THE "COMFORTER"?
remnant
by Silas
INTRODUCTION
EARLY ISLAMIC WRITINGS AND CLAIMS
REVIEW AND DISCUSSION OF THE NEW TESTAMENT TEXTS
THE EARLY CHURCH'S VIEW OF THE COMFORTER
GENERAL MUSLIM QUESTIONS AND RESPONSES
GENERAL QUESTIONS
EXAMPLE #1 - AKBARALLY MEHERALLY'S WORK
EXAMPLE #2 - MAURICE BUCAILLE'S WORK
EXAMPLE #3 - ZAKIR NAIK'S WORK
SUMMARY
CHALLENGE TO THE MUSLIM
PRAYER OF SALVATION
REFERENCES
INTRODUCTION
THE NEW TESTAMENT TEXTS CONCERNING THE COMFORTER
The Greek word for Comforter is "parakletos". The most familiar
translation of this Greek word is "Comforter," but a better translation is
Counselor or Advocate, as in a legal sense. However, I will use Comforter
since it is the most familiar translation.
Below are the New Testament texts concerning the Comforter.
JOHN 14:15-17: "If you love me you will obey what I command. And I will
ask the Father and He will give you another Comforter to be with you
forever - the Spirit of Truth. The world cannot accept him because it
neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him for he lives with you and
will be in you."
JOHN 14:25, 26: "All this I have spoken while still with you. But the
Comforter, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name, will teach
you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you."
JOHN 15:26: "When the Comforter comes, whom I will send to you from the
Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify
about me."
JOHN 16:7,8: "But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am
going away. Unless I go away, the Comforter will not come to you; but if I
go, I will send him to you. When he comes he will convict the world of
guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment...."
JOHN 16:13-15: "But when he, the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you
into all truth. He will not speak on his own, he will speak only what he
hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me
by taking from what is mine and making it know to you. All that belongs to
the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is
mine and make it known to you."
Jesus spoke to his disciples about the Comforter and said that the
Comforter was the Holy Spirit. However, some 600 years later, Muhammad
claimed that the Scriptures of the Jews and Christians predicted that
another prophet would arise and that he (Muhammad) was that prophet. To
support Muhammad's claim early Islamic writings state that Muhammad was the
"Comforter." Today, despite the evidence, many Muslims obstinately insist
that Muhammad was the Comforter and labor to find material in the Scriptures
to make Muhammad's words ring true - otherwise Muhammad would be revealed to
be both a liar and false prophet. This article reviews and discusses the
evidence that the Holy Spirit, not Muhammad, is the Comforter. It addresses
some good questions poised by Muslims regarding the Comforter, and it
critiques Muslim writings asserting that Muhammad is the Comforter".
Note: Unless stated, all Biblical quotes are taken from the New
International Version [1], and all Quranic quotes are taken from Dawood's
translation of the Koran. [2]
EARLY ISLAMIC WRITINGS AND CLAIMS
Muhammad's claim that the Bible foretold him is stated in the
Quran, sura (chapter) 7:157:
"... to those that shall follow the apostle - the unlettered prophet, whom
they shall find described in the Torah and the Gospel ..."
Thus, the Quran states that both the writings of the O.T. and N.T. foretell
Muhammad.
Additionally the Quran 61:6 states that Jesus foretold another
apostle to come:
"And of Jesus the son of Mary, who said to the Israelites: 'I am sent forth
to you from God to confirm the Torah already revealed, and to give news of
an apostle that will come after me whose name is Ahmad'. Yet when he
brought them clear signs, they said: 'This is plain sorcery.'"
In the Hadith collection of "Sahih Muslim," vol 4, #5810, Muhammad
is reported to have said that his name was also Ahmad. [3]
Jubair b. Mut'im reported on the authority of his father that he heard
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: I am Muhammad and I am
Ahmad, .
The translator (Abdul Hamid Siddiqi) of Sahih Muslim notes that this is in
reference to the 'Comforter' that Jesus spoke of.
In the Sirat Rasulallah, the earliest extant biography of Muhammad
written by Ibn Ishaq, a specific claim is made asserting that Muhammad is
the Comforter. On pages 103 and 104 of Guillaume's translation (The Life of
Muhammad), the alleged prediction is described. Ishaq's work mis-quotes the
New Testament and takes it out of context, and references several
non-biblical works in his support as proof. Below is part of the quote from
"The Life of Muhammad", pages 103, 104: [4]
Among the things which have reached me about what Jesus the Son of
Mary stated in the Gospel which he received from God for the followers of
the Gospel, in applying a term to describe the apostle of God, is the
following. It is extracted from what John the Apostle set down for them
when he wrote the Gospel for them from the Testament of Jesus Son of Mary:
..."But when the Comforter has come whom God will send to you from the Lord's
presence, and the spirit of truth which will have gone forth form the Lord's
presence he (shall bear) witness of me and ye also, because ye have been
with me from the beginning. I have spoken unto you about this that ye should
not be in doubt." The Munahhemana (God bless and preserve him!) in Syriac is
Muhammad: in Greek he is the paraclete.
Guillaume notes that,
"The passage quoted is John 15:23ff. It is interesting to note that the
citation comes from the Palestinian Syriac Lectionary and not from the
ordinary Bible of the Syriac-speaking Churches. .The most interesting word
is that rendered "Comforter" which we find in the Palestinian Lectionary,
but all other Syriac versions render "paraclete", following the Greek. This
word was well established in the Hebrew and Aramaic speaking world. The
menahhemana in Syriac means the lifegiver and especially one who raises from
the dead. Obviously such a meaning is out of place here and what is meant
is one who consoles and comforts people for the loss of one dear to them.
This is the meaning in the Talmud and Targum. It ought to be pointed out
that by the omission of the words "that is written" before "in the law"
quite another meaning is given to the prophecy. The natural rendering would
be "the word that concerns the Namus must be fulfilled".
Guillaume is stating that the Ibn Ishaq quote is corrupted, i.e.
inaccurate or tampered with. Ibn Ishaq recorded versions of history that he
heard from sources he assumed to have some degree of reliability. However,
they could have been mistaken or Ibn Ishaq could have altered the material
to fit his understanding. Additionally, Ibn Ishaq often records conflicting
versions of historical events. He would record historical information that
he himself disagreed with, or doubted, in order to record plausible historic
options.
These claims, and a few others, lead Muslims to believe that
Muhammad is the Comforter.
REVIEW AND DISCUSSION OF THE NEW TESTAMENT TEXTS
First, let the New Testament texts speak for themselves. They
clearly state that the Comforter is the Holy Spirit. There is no ambiguity
about this. Consequently Muhammad is not the Comforter based upon what the
Bible explicitly states.
Second let us take the context of the texts into account. If you
are going to understand any passage of Scripture you must understand its
context. When Jesus spoke these words in John it was His last ministerial
time with His disciples prior to His death, crucifixion, and resurrection.
Jesus is being very intimate with them. Understand then, when he speaks to
them He is including them - these very disciples, specifically. These are
the men He knew best and loved; they were His friends. These were His final
words to them, and He wanted them to know what was in store.
Therefore, knowing that these passages of John are being spoken
intimately between Jesus and His disciples there are several key points we
can discover concerning the Comforter and His relationship with Jesus'
disciples.
John 14:16 - And I will ask the Father and He will give you another
Comforter to be with you forever - the Spirit of Truth.
The Comforter will be with these disciples forever. Jesus promised the
Comforter would be with these disciples forever. Muhammad could not be the
Comforter because he wasn't born until over 500 years later - following the
deaths of these disciples. He was born around 570 and died around 632 AD.
John 14:17 - But you know him for he lives with you and will be in you.
The Comforter lives with the disciples already now and will later be 'in'
them. The Holy Spirit came to the disciples and indwelt them. Muhammad
could not be the Comforter because first he wasn't around at the time when
Jesus was speaking to his disciples nor second could he ever be in any of
the disciples. The Greek word is 'en', and it means 'right inside'. Jesus
is saying that the Comforter will be 'right inside' of the disciples.
John 14:26 - The Comforter is specifically described as the Holy Spirit.
The Comforter is not a man. Muhammad could not be the Comforter because he
was never the Holy Spirit.
John 14:26 - The Comforter will be sent in Jesus' name. The Holy Spirit
represented the Lord on earth. No Muslim believes that Muhammad was sent by
God in Jesus name. Muhammad did not come in Jesus' name, as the apostle of
Jesus, rather he came in his own name with his own questionable
"revelations".
John 14:26 - But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in
my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have
said to you."
The Comforter will teach these disciples and remind them of what Christ said
to them. As the early Christians grew the Holy Spirit taught them.
Muhammad is not the Comforter because he never knew the disciples and he
didn't teach these disciples, and Muhammad never reminded the disciples of
what Christ said.
John 15:26 - When the Comforter comes, whom I will send to you from the
Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify
about me.
The Comforter would be sent to these disciples. These disciples received
the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. Muhammad was never sent to these
disciples.
John 16:13 - But when he, the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you into
all truth.
The Comforter will guide these disciples into all truth. These disciples
(and others) grew in the knowledge of God through the revelations from the
Holy Spirit. Muhammad never guided these disciples into any truth.
John 16:13 - He will not speak on his own, he will speak only what he hears,
and he will tell you what is yet to come.
The Comforter will speak to these disciples. These disciples grew to know
the leading of the Holy Spirit, i.e. they knew His voice. Muhammad never
spoke to these disciples.
John 16:14 - He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and
making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is
why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.
The Comforter will take from Jesus and make it known to the disciples.
Muhammad never knew Jesus and never took from Jesus and made it known to
anyone.
The context of these passages shows clearly that Muhammad could not
be the Comforter. Jesus was not speaking of another person to come at a
later date. Jesus' precious final words to His disciples were meant for
them. Jesus was not merely preaching a sermon to be analyzed and
intellectually talked about through the centuries, rather, He was giving His
the disciples with Him there His final commands, love, and encouragement.
Here's a question for you to consider: In Islamic theology, Muhammad
rendered Jesus' message fulfilled or ended because Muhammad brought God's
latest message to the people. Muhammad expected that true believers in God
would accept Islam. Therefore, if Jesus was foretelling Muhammad, wouldn't
Jesus be prophesying that his ministry will be rendered void by the
Paraclete? Read the context of the passages and decide.
Further, to fulfill exactly what Jesus foretold concerning the
Comforter and His relationship with the disciples, the New Testament records
the fulfillment of the coming of the Holy Spirit and the disciples receiving
Him. The disciples received the Comforter - the Holy Spirit, on the day of
Pentecost in Acts 2:3, 4. The Comforter was now "in" the disciples and He
remained "in" them from then on and taught them - just as Jesus had said He
would.
THE EARLY CHURCH'S VIEW OF THE COMFORTER
The writings of the early Church Fathers also mention the
Comforter, or Paraclete. Below are some of their statements on His
identity. These early Church Fathers lived during the first 3 centuries of
Christianity.
Note: Quotes are taken from "The Ante-Nicene Fathers" edited by Rev.
Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson, AGES Software, Albany, Oregon� 1996,
1997 [5]
THE EPISTLE OF IGNATIUS TO THE PHILIPPIANS
Page 224
"What is His name, or what His Son's name, that we may know?" And there is
also one Paraclete. For "there is also," saith [the Scripture], "one
Spirit," since "we have been called in one hope of our calling." And again,
"We have drunk of one Spirit," with what follows. And it is manifest that
all these gifts [possessed by believers] "worketh one and the self-same
Spirit." There are not then either three Fathers, or three Sons, or three
Paracletes, but one Father, and one Son, and one Paraclete.
FRAGMENTS OF CLEMENS ALEXANDRINUS
Page 1155
The old things which were done by the prophets and escape the observation of
most, are now revealed to you by the evangelists. "For to you," he says,
"they are manifested by the Holy Ghost, who was sent;" that is the
Paraclete, of whom the Lord said, "If I go not away, He will not come."
TERTULLIAN AGAINST PRAXEAS;
Page 1083
He will come to judge the quick and the dead; who sent also from heaven from
the Father, according to His own promise, the Holy Ghost, the Paraclete, the
sanctifier of the faith of those who believe in the Father, and in the Son,
and in the Holy Ghost.
Page 1094
Happily the Lord Himself employs this expression of the person of the
Paraclete, so as to signify not a division or severance, but a disposition
(of mutual relations in the Godhead); for He says, "I will pray the Father,
and He shall send you another Comforter ... even the Spirit of truth,"
ORIGEN DE PRINCIPIIS, BOOK 2, CHAPTER 7
ON THE HOLY SPIRIT
It is time, then, that we say a few words to the best of our ability
regarding the Holy Spirit, whom our Lord and Savior in the Gospel according
to John has named the Paraclete.
We must therefore know that the Paraclete is the Holy Spirit, who teaches
truths ...
But the Paraclete, who is called the Holy Spirit, ...
In the case of the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete ...
Above are the statements of 4 of the Ante-Nicene Church Fathers.
They state that the Comforter is the Holy Spirit. From the time of Jesus
through the history of the early church the early Christians believed that
the Comforter was the Holy Spirit. There was no confusion or uncertainty on
their part regarding the identity of the Comforter.
QUESTIONS AND ASSERTIONS ABOUT THE COMFORTER
There exist some very good questions concerning the Comforter and
these need to be answered. Also, there are some Muslim assertions that bear
a closer examination. I will try to answer the questions, and assess the
assertions.
1) QUESTION ON WHO JESUS MEANT BY "YOU" WHEN ADDRESSING THE DISCIPLES
REGARDING THE COMFORTER
QUESTION:
Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad used to say 'you' to their followers but
really it was a general expression for those who follow their teachings.
For example, Jesus told his followers that they would see him coming back to
the earth and all of them have since died. Couldn't Jesus have meant the
disciples in general, specifically the future ones, when speaking about the
Comforter?
ANSWER:
Examine John chapters 13 through 17. This was the time when Christ
was alone with His disciples. His actions and dialog with them were very
personal. He washed their feet, predicted His betrayal, comforted them,
foretold the coming of the "Comforter", taught them about 'abiding' in Him,
foretold tribulation for them, and said a most intimate prayer (chapter 17)
for them and Himself. If you review all of this, you will see that Jesus
was not speaking in a general term of 'you', to the possible exclusion of
these men, but at the very least He was speaking to those with Him - His
disciples. And later on they experienced what Jesus foretold - they
"received" the Comforter.
I encourage all Muslims to read John chapters 13 through 17. Be
sincere in your reading, ask God to guide you. You will see that Jesus was
speaking very dearly to His disciples.
2) QUESTION ON THE GREEK WORD "PNEUMA".
QUESTION:
The Greek word for spirit is 'pneuma'. It is of neutral gender and
uses the pronoun "it". Whereas, in almost all the verses referring to
Paraclete the pronoun used is "he". Does this imply that the Comforter be a
human male?
ANSWER:
The Greek word 'pneuma' is of neuter gender, but, the Greek pronoun
for "it", "he" and "she" is the same word used for the 3rd person singular.
The pronoun's gender is determined by the context. In most texts the
pronoun used with the word "pneuma" is translated "HE" because the Holy
Spirit is a personage not an 'it'. Simply because the Greek language uses a
neuter noun for a word does not mean the word should translate into English
using neuter pronouns. For example, the Greek word for "heaven" is
masculine, but you would not translate a phrase into English "I am looking
forward to heaven, he will be beautiful."
3) QUESTION ON WHO IS THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH AND SPIRIT OF ERROR
QUESTION:
In 1 John 4:6, the terms "the spirit of truth" and "the spirit of
error" are used for human beings. Does this imply that the Comforter, the
Spirit of Truth, be a human?
ANSWER:
This verse is not referring to human beings. Humans are humans,
spirits are spirits. For example, refer to 1 Tim. 4:1 "The Spirit clearly
says that in the later times some will abandon the faith and follow
deceiving spirits and things taught by demons." There is a difference
between spirits and humans. Note also, in this verse, the Spirit is
speaking and teaching the disciples.
4) QUESTION ON THE NATURE OF THE COMFORTER
QUESTION:
Since Jesus was a Comforter, shouldn't the foretold "another"
Comforter also be a man? Wouldn't Muhammad be a better fit because he also
was a man, like Jesus?
ANSWER:
The Holy Spirit is like Jesus. Not as in a physical body, but as
in Nature. a) II Cor 3:17 states "Now the Lord is the Spirit... There is
a relationship between the Spirit and the Lord, and both are said to dwell
in the believer (see Romans 8:9-11). Galatians 2:20 says "...Christ lives
in me...". Galatians 4:6,7 states "God has sent the Spirit of His Son into
our hearts.." Acts 16:6,7 states the Holy Spirit and the Spirit of Jesus
are the same.
Finally Jesus and Muhammad didn't have much in common, outside of
physical characteristics. When it comes to character and actions, the two
men were worlds apart. Muhammad murdered people, massacred people, tortured
people, allowed female slaves to be raped, sent his men out to kill, steal,
and enslave. Muhammad changed his laws when the situation changed As a
result of Muhammad's lack of moral integrity, the Islamic world today bears
his fruit. Take a look at the world's Islamic nations today. Most of them
are near the bottom of the scale. They are plagued by poverty, oppression
of women, denial of basic civil rights and freedoms, rent by civil war,
killings in Islam's name, and war with their neighbors. Don't blame the
people or "culture", blame the religion that has shaped the culture. The
world would have probably been a much better place had not Muhammad come
along.
5) QUESTION ON THE CORRUPTION OF THE GREEK TEXTS
QUESTION:
Could the term "Holy" in John in today's text have come from a
later addition made quite deliberately.
ANSWER:
There are hundreds of Greek manuscripts that pre-date Islam, and
all of the earliest, most important Greek texts with this passage have
"Holy" in them.
6) QUESTION ON THE PRESENCE OF THE SPIRIT ON EARTH AND WITHIN PEOPLE WELL
BEFORE JESUS MENTIONED THE COMFORTER
QUESTION:
The Spirit was present on earth before Christ's birth and people
were filled with the Spirit (Elizabeth in Luke 1:41 and Zechariah in Luke
1:67), so, if the Holy Spirit were already present on Earth, even during
Jesus time, then how could the Comforter be the Holy Spirit? Remember,
Jesus said that He needed to depart before the Comforter could come.
ANSWER:
The receiving of the Comforter by the disciples eclipsed the
previous "filling" or "moving" others before them had experienced. The
ministry of the Holy Spirit, i.e. the Comforter within and without these
disciples would be taking on a deeper, more intimate function, and the
disciples would continue to know their Lord Jesus through the Holy Spirit.
The disciples were going to have the Holy Spirit bond with them: He was
going to "dwell" with them, be "in" them, "live" in them. This was more
than what previous people had experienced. Their experience would be a
greater revealing to man of the Holy Spirit's role, and they would continue
to know and experience Jesus.
The Expositor's Bible Commentary states: [6]
14:16-17
The Spirit's function is to represent God to the believer as Jesus
did in his incarnate state. "Another" (allon) means another of the same
kind, not of a different kind. The concept of the Holy Spirit was not new,
for the Spirit of God was the active agent in creation (Gen 1:2) and in
remonstrating with men who were sinning against God (Gen 6:3). He called and
empowered men to do unusual deeds Judges 3:10; 13:24-25; 14:6, 19; 15:14)
and to prophesy (Zech 7:12). John the Baptist had predicted that Jesus would
baptize with the Holy Spirit (Matt 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33). In
his discussion of the new birth, Jesus had already spoken to Nicodemus of
the work of the Holy Spirit (John 3:5). The ministry of the Spirit, however,
would be directed primarily to the disciples. He would direct their
decisions, counsel them continually, and remain with them forever. He would
be invisible to all and un-apprehended by the world at large since the world
would not recognize him. To use a modern metaphor, he would not operate on
the world's wavelength. His presence was already with the disciples insofar
as they were under his influence. Later, he would indwell them, when Jesus
himself had departed. This distinction marks the difference between the Old
Testament experience of the Holy Spirit and the post-Pentecostal experience
of the church. The individual indwelling of the Spirit is the specific
privilege of the Christian believer (see John 7:39).
16:7
Jesus told the disciples that his separation from them was in their
best interest. As long as he was with them in person, his work was
localized; and it would be impossible to communicate with them equally at
all times and in all places. The coming of the "Counselor" would equip them
for a wider and more potent ministry.
7) QUESTION ON WHY JESUS HAD TO LEAVE IN ORDER FOR THE COMFORTER TO
COME
QUESTION:
IF THE COMFORTER IS THE HOLY SPIRIT, THEN WHY DID JESUS HAVE TO LEAVE IN
ORDER FOR HIM TO COME? AFTER ALL, THE HOLY SPIRIT WAS ALREADY PRESENT IN
MEN'S LIVES DURING CHRIST'S TIME.
The New International Commentary on the New Testament [7] answers
this precisely:
He can come only when Jesus goes away (16:7). This appears to mean
that the work of the Spirit in the believer is a consequence of the saving
work of Christ and not something separate from it. The same truth may be
implied in the statement that the Spirit is sent in the name of Jesus
(14:26). It is only because Christ has died for us and put away our sin
that the Holy Spirit can be found at work within our hearts.
Because the receiving of the Comforter is really about the new
birth, i.e. being born of the Spirit, then it was necessary for Christ to
fulfill His mission, (His death and resurrection for the forgiveness of
sins) in order for men to be cleansed from their sinful nature and become a
new creation by receiving the Comforter.
EXAMPLES OF CURRENT ISLAMIC WRITINGS
Let us examine some Islamic writings from Muslim spokesmen found on
their webpages or books concerning the Comforter. Let us test the logic,
honesty, and soundness of their work.
1) AKBARALLY MEHERALLY AND THE ANCHOR BIBLE
Frequently various Muslims quote from Appendix 5 of the Anchor
Bible, [8] written by Dr. Ray Brown, because they find a quote or two that
seems to support their contention that the Comforter is a man. Because of
the detailed nature of Brown's work, most Muslims will not put forth the
effort to actually comprehend what they read. For example, take a look at
this webpage from Akbarally Meherally:
http://www.mostmerciful.com/paraclete.htm [9]
MEHERALLY'S PRESENTATION AND MY COMMENTS
Here are some quotes from the beginning of his article.
"This presentation should revolutionize the present day Christian
concept for the coming of "PARACLETE" that was foretold by JESUS
Presentation is based upon exhaustive studies carried out by the reputable
biblical scholars of our era and published in the famous ANCHOR BIBLE." (see
Meherally's INDEX page)
"Please read the following exhaustive study done by the biblical scholars of
international and interfaith scope to know the real truth about this
misunderstood personality of "The Paraclete" who was to come after Jesus.
Was this Paraclete once regarded as an independent salvific male figure like
Jesus and later confused with the Holy Spirit?" (near the beginning of the
article)
His lead-in sounds exciting for a Muslim claim doesn't it?
Meherally implies that he has found some Christian scholarship that is going
to "revolutionize" Christian thinking on the Holy Spirit, and point us
toward the Comforter being a man, namely Muhammad.
If you examine Meherally's presentation you find a number of the
Anchor Bible pages scanned and posted. It is a very busy post, filled with
underlining and shading. It certainly looks like Meherally was finding
juicy bits of information to support his claim that Muhammad was the real
Paraclete. Let us examine the Anchor Bible in detail and find out its true
position on the identity of the Comforter.
In the beginning of Appendix 5 in the Anchor Bible, Vol 29A, Brown
states exactly what he intends to do. Here is his opening paragraph.
"The word Parakletos is peculiar in the NT to the Johannine
literature (the writings of John in the New Testament). In 1 John ii 1
Jesus is a parakletos (not a title), serving as a heavenly intercessor with
the Father. In five passages in John (xiv 15-17, 26; xv 26-27; xvi 7 - 11,
12-14) the title parakletos is given to someone who is not Jesus, nor an
intercessor, nor in heaven. Christian tradition has identified this figure
as the Holy Spirit, but scholars like Spitta, Delafosse, Windisch, Bultmann,
and Betz have doubted whether this identification is true to the original
picture and have suggested that the Paraclete was once an independent
salvific figure, later confused with the Holy Spirit. To test this claim we
shall begin by isolating under four headings the information that John gives
in the Paraclete passages, keeping the resultant picture distinct from what
is said in the NT about the Holy Spirit."
Brown clear states that he is going to examine the Scriptures and
background material and determine whether the liberal scholar's claim of the
"Paraclete" being a male person is valid. He is going to analyze the
Comforter passages on their own merit and not fold in other Scriptures on
the Holy Spirit from the New Testament. It is a long examination by Dr.
Brown, and needs to be read slowly. If you try to read it too quickly, as we
all do from time to time, you will miss important details.
Here are some of the key points that are established by Dr. Brown:
1) On page 1136
"Thus the basic functions of the Paraclete are twofold: he comes
to the disciples and dwells within them, guiding and teaching them about
Jesus; but he is hostile to the world and puts the world on trial."
2) On page 1137
"The Paraclete is a witness in defense of Jesus and a spokesman for
him in the context of his trial by his enemies; the Paraclete is a consoler
of the disciples for he takes Jesus' place among them; the Paraclete is a
teacher and guide of the disciples and thus their helper.
3) On page 1139
"It is our contention that John presents the Paraclete as the Holy
Spirit in a special role, ...
Appendix 5 of the Anchor Bible discusses the characteristics of the
Comforter. It notes that several liberal 'scholars' thought that the
Comforter could have been a man, not the Holy Spirit. Note that these
scholars, like Bultmann, denied the miracles of Jesus. Even the Quran
acknowledges Christ's miracles.
The Anchor Bible details who the Comforter is (the Holy Spirit),
and what His ministry, or function is going to be (dwelling in the disciples
and teaching them). In spite of Meherally's efforts to show that the Anchor
Bible supports the contention that the Comforter is a man, it is clear by
reading the Anchor Bible that the Comforter is the Holy Spirit. Here are
some quotes below.
1) Page 644 of vol 29A - "The OT theme of "God with us" (the Immanuel
of Isa 7:14) is now to be realized in the Paraclete/Spirit who remains with
the disciples forever.
2) Page 1136 - "Thus the basic functions of the Paraclete are twofold:
he comes to the disciples and dwells within them, guiding and teaching them
about Jesus; but he is hostile to the world and puts the world on trial."
3) Page 1137 - [this is where the Anchor Bible discredits Bultmann's
theory that the Comforter is a man]
"Earlier in this century the attempt of the History of Religious
School, especially W. Bauer, Windisch, and Bultmann, to find the origins of
the Paraclete in proto-Mandean Gnosticism enjoyed a certain vogue. Bultmann's
thesis is that the Paraclete is an adaptation of the Mandean
Yawar.......Michaelis and Behm have subjected this theory to penetrating
criticism, and it has few followers today.
4) Page 1139 - "It is our contention that John presents the Paraclete
as the Holy Spirit in a special role, namely, as the personal presence of
Jesus in the Christian while Jesus is with the Father."
5) Page 1140 - "Nevertheless, we would stress that the identification
of the Paraclete as the Holy Spirit in 14:26 is not an editorial mistake,
for the similarities between the Paraclete and the Spirit are found in all
the Paraclete passages."
6) Page 1141 - "Thus, the one whom John calls "another Paraclete" is
another Jesus. Since the Paraclete can come only when Jesus departs, the
Paraclete is the presence of Jesus when Jesus is absent. Jesus' promises to
dwell within his disciples are fulfilled in the Paraclete."
CONCLUSION ON THE "COMFORTER" FROM THE ANCHOR BIBLE
The Anchor Bible concludes with an examination of the life of the
early church and the relation of the "Comforter" to the Christians. Brown
starts off by asking the question:
What brought the Johannine tradition to put emphasis in the Last
Discourse on the Spirit as the Paraclete, that is, as the continued
post-resurrectional presence of Jesus with his disciples, teaching them and
proving to them that Jesus was victorious and the world was wrong? We
suggest that the portrait of the Paraclete / Spirit answered two problems
prominent at the time of the of the final composition of the Fourth Gospel..
The first problem was the confusion caused by the death of the
apostolic eyewitnesses who were the living chain between the Church and
Jesus of Nazareth. .
The concept of the Paraclete / Spirit is an answer to this problem.
If the eyewitnesses had guided the Church and if the Beloved Disciple had
borne witness to Jesus in the Johannine community, it was not primarily
because of their own recollection of Jesus. .. Only the post-resurrectional
gift of the Spirit taught them the meaning of what they had seen (ii 22,
xii 16). Their witness was the witness of the Paraclete speaking through
them.The later Christian is no further removed from the ministry of Jesus
than was the earlier Christian, for the Paraclete dwells within him as he
dwelt with the eyewitnesses. And by recalling and giving new meaning to
what Jesus said, the Paraclete guides every generation in facing new
situation; he declares the things to come (xvi 13).
Finally, the Anchor Bible concludes here with:
"The Christian need not live with his eyes constantly straining
toward the heavens from which the Son of Man is to come; for, as the
Paraclete, Jesus is present within all believers." (page 1143).
REVIEW OF MEHERALLY'S ACTUAL WORK
Meherally is keen to prove that Muhammad is the Comforter. In fact
he is so eager that he failed to understand what he read.
So allow me to draw your attention back to three of Meherally's
bold statements presented as the purpose of his writings and website:
1) "CRITICAL IN-DEPTH STUDIES OF CHRISTIANITY, ISLAM, ISMAILISM, EVOLUTION
AND ATHEISM"!
Where was Meherally's "In-Depth" study? All he did was copy and
paste a handful of pages from the Anchor Bible Dictionary, add some
underlings, shading, and a few comments at the end. I certainly hope
Muslims do not consider that to be 'in-depth". Meherally did not bother to
comprehend what he was reading. The Anchor Bible's conclusions state that
the Comforter is the Holy Spirit, and the Anchor Bible actually contests and
undercuts those that argue otherwise. Had Meherally understood that he
would not have put used the Anchor Bible's material on his site. He
essentially used material that proves him wrong.
2) MUST READ This presentation should revolutionize the present day
Christian concept for the coming of "PARACLETE" that was foretold by JESUS
Presentation is based upon exhaustive studies carried out by the reputable
biblical scholars of our era and published in the famous ANCHOR BIBLE.
Where is Meherally's analysis? Where is his discussion of the
actual Scriptural verses and quotes from the Anchor Bible? Also, isn't it
misleading that Meherally would imply that he is putting something that
would "revolutionize the present day Christian concept."? After all, hasn't
the Anchor Bible been in publication for many years? Hasn't this knowledge
been available for the public? Why is Meherally implying that he is coming
up with some new, powerful, dynamic revelation that is going to impact
Christianity?
3) "Please read the following exhaustive study done by the biblical
scholars of international and interfaith scope to know the real truth about
this misunderstood personality of "The Paraclete" who was to come after
Jesus. Was this Paraclete once regarded as an independent salvific male
figure like Jesus and later confused with the Holy Spirit?"
Here Meherally makes two comments. The first implies that he has
uncovered some hidden or not well know truth. The second is a question
regarding various peoples beliefs - was the Paraclete once regarded as male
figure? My response is that people in the West enjoy freedom of thought,
freedom of religion, freedom of speech. Islam denies these rights.
Consequently, it should be no surprise to anyone that there are different
opinions about various topics. There are thousands of different religions
in the West, and their followers do not have to fear death as they would if
they lived in Muslim lands. In Muslim countries people who leave Islam are
punished or even put to death. So, because the Anchor Bible notes and
discusses various people's beliefs does not mean those beliefs are endorsed.
Meherally states near the end of his article:
2. If the followers of Jesus were to believe that Jesus - a Paraclete, "is
present within all believers " then the visualized Johannine picture of
Father sending "another paraclete" to guide the mankind into all truth, is
made redundant.
RESPONSE
Meherally failed to understand what he reads. Over and over again
the Anchor Bible states that the Comforter is the Holy Spirit. Jesus is
present within all believers via the Comforter, i.e. the Holy Spirit. There
is no redundancy.
In the following quotes we shall let the Anchor Bible speak for itself.
"It is our contention that John presents the Paraclete as the Holy
Spirit in a special role, namely, as the personal presence of Jesus in the
Christian while Jesus is with the Father.. "Nevertheless, we would stress
that the identification of the Paraclete as the Holy Spirit in 14:26 is not
an editorial mistake, for the similarities between the Paraclete and the
Spirit are found in all the Paraclete passages.."Thus, the one whom John
calls "another Paraclete" is another Jesus. Since the Paraclete can come
only when Jesus departs, the Paraclete is the presence of Jesus when Jesus
is absent. Jesus' promises to dwell within his disciples are fulfilled in
the Paraclete..
"The Christian need not live with his eyes constantly straining
toward the heavens from which the Son of Man is to come; for, as the
Paraclete, Jesus is present within all believers."
CONCLUSION ON MEHERALLY'S WORK
I will quote from the Anchor Bible's main body of work (page 644)
instead of appendix 5 to show the reader where it stood all along.
We shall see in App. V that the Spirit of Truth is a Paraclete
precisely because he carries on the earthly work of Jesus. The
Paraclete/Spirit will differ from Jesus the Paraclete in that the Spirit is
not corporeally visible and his presence will only be by indwelling in the
disciples. The OT theme of "God with us" (the Immanuel of Isa vii 14) is
now to be realized in the Paraclete/Spirit who remains with the disciples
forever.
The Anchor Bible & Brown leave us no doubt about where they stood.
Any yet Meherally, thinking he had stumbled across something of value,
foolishly rushed to cut, paste, and post.
Now then, continue to examine Meherally's work. What did Meherally
present that was his own work other than a few comments at the end of a long
cut and paste job? Was there anything of note? Did Meherally provide any
thought provoking insights or observations? I don't think so. A few glib
comments at the end of an article is not research, not a proof, not even a
good argument. Let me ask the Muslim reader: "Do you think Meherally's
work is comprehensive and reliable?
There is little for me to do to refute Meherally. He did not
comprehend what he read, and he did not provide any real work of his own.
Meherally's work is like cotton candy: it looks large on the outside but
once you tear into it, you find it is mostly fluff and has little substance!
EXAMPLE #2
"THE BIBLE, THE QURAN, AND SCIENCE", by MAURICE BUCAILLE
Maurice Bucaille states in his introduction of his book "The Bible,
The Quran, and Science", "It was in a totally objective spirit, and without
any preconceived ideas thta I first examined the Quranic Revelation. ... I
repeated the same test for the Old Testament and the Gospels, always
preserving the same objective outlook." (pages 16 and 17) [10]
Any reader has the right to examine what he reads and the claims an
author makes. Just how objective was this self proclaimed scholar Bucaille?
Let us examine four assertions Bucaille raises and judge his credibility.
ASSERTION #1
On page 111, he says
'It seems inconceivable that one could ascribe to the Holy Spirit the
ability to speak and declare whatever he hears. Logic demands that this
question be raised....'.
RESPONSE #1
Any quick reading of the N.T. shows that the Holy Spirit did indeed
speak (not audibly) and do many other things. Refer to these Scriptures as
support: 1 Cor. 2:13, Rev. 14:13, Acts 13:2 . The Holy Spirit communicated
to the disciples. Not all forms of "speaking" need to be done via vocal
chords.
On the other hand, if Bucaille demands that all speaking is done
via vocal chords then he should judge Muhammad false because Muhammad used
metaphors when referring to speech. At the time Muhammad ingested the
poison that ultimately killed him, he stated: (From the Kitab al-Tabaqat
al-Kabir, by Ibn Sa'd, page 249): [11]
Verily a Jewish woman presented poisoned (meat of) a she goat to
the apostle of Allah. He took a piece form it, put it into his mouth,
chewed it and threw it away. Then he said to the Companions: "Halt!
Verily, its leg tells me that it is poisoned."
And isn't there a Quranic verse that states that Solomon carried on
a conversation with an ant? Ants don't have vocal chords!
Therefore, if Muhammad is allowed to use a figure of speech to
describe non-standard communication, other people should be allowed to do so
also. Goat legs and ants don't talk!
ASSERTION #2
On page 112 Bucaille discusses the Greek words 'akouo' - to hear,
and 'laleo' - to speak. He sums up his investigation by saying
"The two Greek words therefore define concrete actions which can only be
applied to a being with hearing and speech organs. It is consequently
impossible to apply them to the Holy Spirit."
RESPONSE #2
The reasoning applied to response #1 also applies here. The word
and use of akouo can be found in several other verses for example: a) God
'hears' - I John 5:15; (God does not have physical ear organs). b) The law
'hears' - John 7:51 c) The dead shall 'hear' - John 5:25.
The word and use of laleo can also be found in the following
verses. a) The Holy Spirit will be 'speaking' through the disciples - Mark
13:11. b) Angels 'speak' - Luke 1:19, c) the image of the beast 'speaks' -
Rev. 13:15.
So Bucaille's assertion is incorrect. These words do not
exclusively define a being with hearing and speech organs.
A question for the Muslim readers: Did Bucaille do any legitimate
research on this topic to have missed such an easy point? It only took me 5
minutes to look these words up and find out how they are used. If Bucaille
missed or omitted something this simple, how credible is his work?
ASSERTION #3
Bucaille's next two paragraphs detail how he thinks the word 'Holy'
does not belong in John's text. This section's last paragraph suggests that
the word 'Holy' could have been added 'later'.
RESPONSE #3
The early Greek texts on this passage all include "holy" and many
of these were written long before the text in question. Even the Anchor
Bible commentary discusses this and concludes that "holy" does belong in the
text. Only a later text missed "holy".
ASSERTION #4
He then states that by omitting 'holy' the text really means that
a future man (i.e. Muhammad) would be the Comforter. He says
"According to the rules of logic therefore, one is brought to see in John's
Paraclete a human being like Jesus, possessing the faculties of hearing and
speech formally implied in John's Greek text."
RESPONSE #4
Since Bucaille's previous assertion is wrong, his next assertion
collapses. But Bucaille wants to believe that Muhammad is the Comforter, so
he purposely fails to address the other words Jesus spoke about the
Comforter, such as; "He shall be in you" (the apostles), "He shall teach
you" (the apostles), etc...
CONCLUSION ON BUCAILLE'S WORK
Bucaille was not objective, he was biased. His work with the Greek
language was shallow, and not well researched. He made simple assertions
that revealed a lack of interest of truth on his part. The fact that I was
able to find facts that prove Bucaille wrong, with only a little effort,
shows that Bucaille did not have truth, or the presentation of the entire
story, as part of his agenda.
EXAMPLE #3
ZAKIR NAIK AND THE ISLAMIC RESEARCH FOUNDATION
http://www.irf.net/irf/main.htm [12]
Zakir Naik is an Islamic spokesman. He is also supposed to be a
doctor. He calls the material on his site "research". But it is hardly
that. His comment on the Comforter is a very short section, composed almost
entirely of the NT Verses, with just a few of his comments mixed in. All in
all, it is very thin but I want to address one of his comments below.
"PROPHET MUHAMMAD IN THE NEW TESTAMENT"
In the Gospel of John 14:16, 15:26, and 16:7. The word 'Comforter' is used
in the English translation for the Greek word Paracletos which means
advocate or a kind friend rather than a comforter.
"Paracletos is the warped reading for Periclytos. Jesus actually prophesied
Ahmed by name. Even the Greek word Paraclete refers to the Prophet who is a
mercy for all creatures."
After reading Naik's assertion above, I have to ask, how much Greek
does Naik know? From where does Naik get his information from? How does he
know that Parakletos is the warped reading for Periclytos? Does he cite any
actual textual support? In fact, let me ask "where did Naik get this
nonsense"? Did he invent it on the spot, or, is he relying upon Ahmad
Deedat's Exhaustive & Comprehensive Manual / Lexicon / Theological
Encyclopedia Dictionary of the Greek New Testament?
On the other hand, take a look at Kittel's Theological Dictionary
of the New Testament. This is a 10 volume set that is recognized as one of
the top, if not the very top, of Greek New Testament References [13].
On page 800, of volume 5, the study on the Greek word for Comforter
is given. The meaning and definition of this word is analyzed from its use
in Greek literature, in the Septuagint, in Rabbinical literature, in Philo's
work, in early Christian literature, and in the NT itself. Below are some
quotes defining the meaning of parakletos.
Page 801: The use as a noun, attested in secular Greek. From the 4th
century B.C. in the sense of a "person called in to help, summoned to give
assistance," gives us the meaning of "help in court".
Page 802: In the Rabbis. In the Hebrew or Aramaic of the Rabbis, in their
religious vocabulary . it always denoted an advocate before God.
Page 802: In Philo. The word also means advocate consistently in Philo.
Page 803: Thus the history of the term in the whole sphere of know Greek
and Hellenistic usage outside the NT yields the clear picture of a legal
adviser or helper or advocate in the relevant court.
Page 813: More richly developed if more difficult to define is the idea,
expressly attested only in John of a Paraclete at work in the world both in
and for the disciples. Jesus Himself is regarded as such during His early
ministry. The only description however is that of the Paraclete who after
the departure of Jesus will continue His work and remain for ever with and
in the disciples (14:16f, 26, 16:7, 13f.) This is the Spirit. Sent by God
or Jesus to the disciples (14:16, 26, 15:26, 16:7) - not to the world, which
has no organ for Him (14:17) - He teaches with all embracing authority and
yet with strict adherence to Jesus and His message, maintaining, expanding
and completing the work of Jesus, leading the disciples into all truth
(14:26, 15:26, 16:13f). His witness to Jesus (15:26), however is also
accusation of the world before God's judgment seat: He convicts the world
in respect of sin, righteousness, and judgment. The is, He shows that sin
is on the side of the world, right and triumph on the of Jesus )16:8 - 11).
The puzzle of combination of kerygmatic and forensic features in the picture
of the Spirit-Paraclete is solved if we trace back the tradition
historically to the OT and Jewish idea of the advocate.
Here is another Greek reference that addresses Parakletos.
"Parakletos" is the Greek N. T. word for "Comforter", literally
"called to one's side, i.e., to one's aid". It denotes a legal assistant,
counsel for the defense, an advocate, one who pleads another's cause, an
intercessor. (From Vine's Exp. Dictionary. of N.T. Words, p200) [14].
Some Muslims assert that the original word in the N.T. was
'periklutos' - i.e. 'praised one', which is 'Ahmad' in Arabic. ['Ahmad',
or 'Praised One' is a name ascribed to Muhammad]. This is a baseless
assertion. There is no evidence at all supporting this claim. There are
thousands of N.T. manuscripts pre-dating Islam and not one of these contains
the word 'periklutos', anywhere. Muslims like to charge Christians with
changing their Bible - 'tahrif' (corruption) of their Scriptures, but it is
Muslims who are guilty of 'tahrif' when they claim that the original word
was 'periklutos'.
As Cragg says in "Jesus and the Muslim", p.266:
"There is however, no textual evidence in any way sustaining such variant
reading, and the manuscript texts of St. John go back to the second century.
Moreover, the two Greek words are themselves compounds and the prefixes and
root verbs are both different. Suspicions of textual corruption here would
be completely unfounded, on documentary, grammatical and exegetical
grounds." [15]
Remember, the Muslim claim is based on a desperate attempt to find
Biblical support for Muhammad's statement that the Bible foretold him. The
Bible never foretold Muhammad so Muslims have thrashed about, twisting the
Scriptures, trying to find some way to make Muhammad's words true -
otherwise they would have to accept that Muhammad was a liar and false
prophet.
Further, take for example a portion of verse 14:16, "He will give
you another Comforter." If periklutos is used, it read, "He will give you
another praised one." This statement is both out of place in its context
and devoid of support elsewhere in the Bible - Jesus is never called the
"periklutos" or "praised one".
However, 1 John 2:1 says:
"...we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense - Jesus
Christ the Righteous One." Here, the Greek word 'Parakletos' is used,
defined as 'one who speaks in our defense'.
John Gilchrist comments here:
Here, the context dictates an advocate (paraclete), not a 'praised one'.
Just as Christ is our advocate, so He promised to give us an advocate, or
Comforter to be in us. 'Periklutos' could not fit here. (From Gilchrist,
"Is Muhammad Foretold in the Bible?", p29) [16].
CONCLUSION ON NAIK'S WORK
Let me ask the reader, in view of the evidence, does Naik have any
credibility here? Naik knows he has no logical or textual support, so
instead of discussing something he cannot defend, he lies to his readers and
misleads them by making a bold statement - "Paracletos is the warped reading
for Periclytos". Sometimes if people cannot reason, or present a sound
argument, they shout or make obtuse statements. Here Naik is doing just
that: he has no case, so he relies on outrageous statements to fool his
Muslim readership.
Naik is supposed to be a medical doctor. Let me ask you, the
reader - would you want him making a diagnosis on you? "Oh, you have a pain
in your stomach, well, I will remove your foot - that will cure you!" And
that is exactly what Naik is doing here. He is willing and able to deceive
his Muslim readership, and he does not want them to search things out for
themselves.
SUMMARY
Several proofs have been given that establish that the Comforter is
the Holy Spirit:
1) The New Testament Scriptures state this clearly.
2) These Scripture's context allows only the Holy Spirit to fulfill the
role relegated to the Comforter.
3) Jesus' prediction of the Comforter coming to the disciples was fulfilled
during Pentecost (see Acts Chapter 1).
4) The early Church Fathers attest that the Comforter is the Holy Spirit.
5) Christian scholarship also demonstrates, through exhaustive study of the
Greek texts, (ref. the Anchor Bible Theological Dictionary and other works)
that the Comforter is the Holy Spirit.
CONCLUSION
The Comforter is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit came during
Pentecost, and the disciples received Him. As the disciples continued to
live, the words Jesus spoke about the Comforter's ministry were fulfilled.
Christians today experience the Comforter in their lives as Jesus said that
they would.
The suggestions of various Muslim writers that Muhammad could be
the Comforter have been shown to be inaccurate, implausible, or unworkable
due to ignorance of the Greek language, poorness of thought, or deliberate
deception of their readership.
CHALLENGE TO THE MUSLIM
The Islamic claims that Muhammad is the Comforter have been put to
the acid test and they dissolved. These claims were weak and failed for
several reasons:
1) the Muslim writers offered no textual proof to substantiate their
assertions
2) they were unable to provide in-depth references as support
3) they avoided providing the reader with analysis of the texts because any
analysis would show the weakness in their argument
In other words, the Muslims who wrote these articles knew deep down
that they had no case. But, in order to save face for Muhammad they had to
make an attempt to keep him from looking false.
Don't you, the Muslim reader, deserve better than the deceptive
ideas Muslim writers have fed you? I've addressed the assertions, claims,
and questions of these prominent Muslim apologists and polemicists. And I
have shown that their work is deficient. Instead of presenting a thorough
study of "The Comforter" they opted to present a weak, inaccurate, and
deceptive account, hoping that you, the Muslim reader, would not think for
yourself. They have been exposed! Shame on them!
Your eternal destiny is at stake: paradise, or hell. So, why
settle for such meager fare from these Muslim writers who have not presented
you the whole truth? They have not researched the subject, and they did not
present to you the facts that were easily accessible at their own hands.
Don't you deserve better? Your eternal destiny depends on whether or not
you follow Jesus. If Muhammad was a false prophet wouldn't you want to know
all the facts before you trust Islam to save your soul?
PRAYER FOR SALVATION
This prayer is written for anyone. This includes Muslims who are seeking
the truth and who want to know God in a personal way.
"Lord Jesus, I believe in You. I believe that You are the Son of God
and the Lord. I believe that You died for my sins and were raised from the
dead. I confess that I am a sinner and I ask You to come into my heart,
cleanse me from my sins, and forgive me for my sins. I turn to follow and
obey You - I put my faith in you. I now receive You as Messiah and Lord and
totally commit my life to You."
Amen.
REFERENCES
1) New International Version, pub. by Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan
2) Dawood, N. J., "The Koran", Penguin, London, England, 1995
3) Muslim, A., "Sahih Muslim", translated by A. Sidiqqi, International
Islamic Publishing House, Riyadh, KSA.
4) Ibn Ishaq, (d.782), "Sirat Rasulallah", compiled by A. Guillaume "The
Life of Muhammad", Oxford, London, 1955
5) The Ante-Nicene Fathers" edited by Rev. Alexander Roberts AGES
Software, Albany, Oregon� 1996, 1997
6) The Expositor's Bible Commentary, New Testament, Zondervan Publishing
House 1998 Grand Rapids Michigan
7) The New International Commentary on the New Testament, edited by
Gordon Fee, Eerdmans, 1998
8) "The Anchor Bible", Vol 29, Part A, "The Gospel According to John,"
Raymond Brown, Doubleday, 1966.
9) http://www.mostmerciful.com/paraclete.htm
10) Bucaille, Maurice, "The Bible, the Quran, and Science," Taj Company,
1993
11) Ibn Sa'd, (d. 852 A.D.), "Kitab al-Tabaqat al-Kabir", translated by S.
Moinul Haq, Pakistan Historical Society.
12) http://www.irf.net/irf/main.htm
13) "Theological Dictionary of the New Testament", edited by G. Kittel and
G. Friedrich, Eerdmans
14) Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, Bethany House, p200
15) Cragg, Kenneth, "Jesus and the Muslim", p266: Oneworld Publications
Ltd
16) Gilchrist, John, "Is Muhammad Foretold in the Bible?", p29, Jesus to
the Muslims, South Africa
comforter.htm
Rev A: 97-07-08, Rev B: 12-10-97, Rev C: 9/25/01, Rev D: 9 June, 2002