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.

One Bible verse commonly cited as proof that Jesus was not God is John 17:3. John records the words of Jesus in this verse: "And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent."

"You see," a Muslim will say. "God and Jesus are not one and the same." Jesus calls God 'the only true God' and if God is God than Jesus cannot also be God. Is that what the verse says, that Jesus cannot be God because he calls someone else 'the only true God?'

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. If Muslims would apply this principle, they would immediately see that John 17:3 does not suggest that Jesus cannot be God. Read the following two verses.

"I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed."

Did you catch that? Jesus says he was with God before the world was created. If he has been with God in eternity past before creation, what does that say about Jesus? He was not merely a man spoken into existence by God as the Qur'an suggests. If God is eternal, and Jesus is also eternal, then Jesus is God.

In the very chapter Muslims use attempting to prove Jesus was not God, two verses later he says just the opposite, that he has always existed as God in eternity past. John 17:3 does prove Jesus was God, because John 17:5 says he was.

Never read a Bible verse.