Muslims go to great lengths to disprove the deity of Jesus Christ. After all, since the Qur'an denies the deity of Jesus, so must every good Muslim, regardless what it takes including scriptural gymnastics. Muslims use the Bible to prove that Jesus was not God, nor did he ever claim to be God. Become aware of these tactics, and confront them vigorously when they are used.

Another Bible verse commonly cited as proof that Jesus was not God is John 5:30. John records the words of Jesus in this verse: "I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgement is just, because I seek not my  own will but the will of him who sent me."

"You see," a Muslim will say. "God and Jesus are not one and the same." Jesus says he cannot act alone, but only does the will of the one who sent him. God who sent Jesus is different from Jesus himself. Jesus cannot be God, because God is the one who sent him. Therefore, John chapter 5 again disproves the divinity of Jesus.

Remember this important rule of thumb when dealing with anyone who quotes a single verse: Don't build a position on a single verse taken out of context.

Greg Koukl of Stand to Reason wrote a little pamphlet called "Never Read a Bible Verse." It's a catchy little title. "Why on earth would Koukl not want people to read the Bible?" you might ask. His premise is one to remember, especially in cases like the one presented here. Never read a Bible verse in isolation; always read at least a few verses both before and after the one in question. Sometimes read the entire chapter. If Muslims would apply this principle, they would immediately see that John 5:30 does not suggest that Jesus cannot be God. Back up just a little bit within the same chapter.

In John 5 beginning at verse 1 we find the story of a man at the pools of Bethesda, seeking someone to help him get to the waters when they begin to stir, so he can be healed. Jesus heals him on the spot, even though it was the Sabbath. This annoyed the Pharisees and they challenged Jesus. Beginning with verse 16, we read:

"And this was why the Jews were presecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath. But Jesus answered them, 'My Father is working until now, and I am working. This is why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the sabbath, but he was calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God."

Did you catch that? Even the Pharisees understood who Jesus was claiming to be; he was claiming to be God! The Pharisees got it. If Muslims today don't get it, that's not a problem with the Bible; its a problem with the Muslims.

In the very chapter Muslims use attempting to prove Jesus was not God, just a few verses earlier he says just the opposite, and the religious leaders clearly understood what he meant.. John 5:30 does prove Jesus was not God, because John 5:17-18 says he was.

Never read a Bible verse.