In the Holy Qur’an, we read great descriptions of Jesus Christ, son of Mary, peace be upon him. Among these descriptions, we find two basic titles: “Word of God” and “Soul of him” .
God Almighty says in Surat An-Nisa (verse 171): “The Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, is only the Messenger of God, and His word which He conveyed to Mary, and a spirit from Him.” .
These two beautiful expressions are a wonderful meeting point between the Qur’an and the Bible. But what do they mean? How do Christians understand them when they read the Bible?
First: Christ is the “Word of God”
In the Qur’an, “His Word” indicates that the existence of Jesus was commanded by God (“Kun”), and that he came to carry God’s message to people.
In the Gospel of John, we find a profound opening that speaks of this same title, but in greater expansion. The first chapter says:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. …And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory of As of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:1, 14).
From a Christian perspective, when Christ is called the “Word of God,” the meaning is deeper than just the message or command. The Word here is an eternal person (existing with God from the beginning) who is God in essence, but who “became flesh,” that is, he assumed human nature when he was born of the Virgin Mary. It is God’s complete and clear revelation to mankind.
Second: Christ is “a spirit of Him”
In the Qur’an, “a spirit from him” means that the spirit of Jesus was created by God, or that God supported him with the Holy Spirit (Gabriel).
In the Gospel, we find that God’s presence and work in Christ’s life was complete and unique. We read that the Holy Spirit descended on Mary to bring about the conception (Luke 1:35), and that the Spirit descended on Jesus in a tangible way at his baptism (Matthew 3:16). But most importantly, Christ promised his disciples that after his ascension to heaven, he would send them the Holy Spirit to be with them and in them (John 14: 16-17).
Therefore, the Christian believes that the “spirit” that was entirely Christ’s is the same spirit that he gives to his believers to reside in them and sanctify them.
Simple conclusion:
Both of us, Muslim and Christian, believe that Jesus Christ, son of Mary, is the word and spirit of God. The nice difference is in the range:
- In the Qur’an: These two titles glorify Christ as a very blessed and special messenger, created by God by His command and supported by His Spirit.
- In the Bible: These two titles reveal the secret of Christ himself: that he is the eternal Word who became incarnate, and that he is the Christ who possesses and bestows the Spirit.
Perhaps this difference in understanding may be a reason for a calm and fruitful dialogue, in which each of us reads his book and asks: Who is this person who was called by these great names?