John C. Rankin (September 3, 2010)

 

   When first writing this brief article, I was still awaiting delivery of a copy of Terry Jones’ book, Islam is of the Devil. The order form from his website did not work, and Amazon.com had not shiped the order for a week, so the time is too tight now in advance of September 11, when Pastor Jones plans to publicly burn a copy of the Qur'an.

   In the meantime, let me make some straightforward observations about its title.

   First, the Bible is remarkable in that it has no formal demonology – no formal description of the devil. Why is this? Because the Bible is not structured doctrinally. Rather, it is the unique and fully true storyline of the actions of the one true Creator, our response to him, and our actions in human community in his sight. Out of the storyline does doctrine flow. This biblical storyline yields the understanding of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

   Satan (Hebrew: ha’satan, the accuser and slanderer), the devil, only shows up reactively in the Bible, for he has no proactive essence in him. He is a coward and works usually through human or demonic proxies. He comes as a serpent in the Garden (animal proxy); he shows up personally, in his snarl before Yahweh in the book of Job, then melts into the background once his plan fails; he shows up in proxy through the king of Babylon in Isaiah, through the ruler of Tyre in Ezekiel, and through the princes of Persia and Greece in Daniel; and he appears directly before Yahweh to accuse the high priest Joshua in Zechariah. Then when Jesus shows up, the devil fails in his attempted direct temptation of him, the devil is identified in his character as a liar and murderer from the beginning, exposed and demons are driven out everywhere. The devil tempts Peter, and indwells Judas. In the book of Revelation, the devil is again identified and comes to his end.

   But nowhere in this storyline do we find a formal doctrine describing his origins. Why? C.S. Lewis is perceptive in his book, Screwtape Letters. He pointed out that if we believe in the existence of the devil (as he wrote for a post-war skeptical Britain), then the devil’s purpose would be for us to have an unhealthy interest in his machinations.

   Thus, as the prince of darkness, Satan flees the light by definition, and our purpose is not to curse the darkness, but to lift up the Light of the World, Jesus, and live in the Light ourselves. Thus, a title focusing on the devil is backward.

   Second, nowhere in the Bible do any of the Hebrew prophets, Jesus himself, or the apostles, attack a non-biblical religion (see my treatment in http://teinet.net/10reasons.html). They are proactive, not reactive, in proclaiming the Gospel.

   Third, there is a salient biblical concern here. Muhammad had his first “angelic” visit in a cave when he was about 40 years old. He thought it was demonic at first, but was persuaded otherwise by his wife Khadijah, and a heterodox Christian cousin, both of whom said it was the true God speaking to him. Now, the apostle Paul warned the Galatians: “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!” (Galatians 1:8). But Paul was writing for believers who knew the true Gospel. Muhammad did not. Thus, we are called to lift up the true Gospel, and not be condemnatory (see John 3:17).

   And fourth, another biblical concern is raised about 1 Timothy 4:1-5: "The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer. "

   "Deceiving spirits and things (or doctrines) taught by demons." What about Muhammad's experience in the cave? This is a good question. Nonetheless, the context of Paul's instructions to Timothy, as an overseer of churches, was about those who "abandon the faith," and then with specific issues listed. In Terry Jones' book title, he is not addressing those who have abandoned the Christian faith. Instead, he is cursing those who have yet to see the true Jesus of the New Testament lifted up. His title is backward and foreign to the Gospel.

   I was once asked a brilliant question by a teenager at a public forum on Islam (even though an ex post facto hypothetical, it was consistent with Jesus in his rabbinic style in Matthew 11:20-24): “If you were able to ask Muhammad one question when he was alive, what would it have been?”

   I thought for a brief moment, then said, “I would have asked him if I could read to him the whole Hebrew Bible and Christian New Testament.” After all, historically speaking, Muhammad only knew of some partial biblical stories, orally delivered, and mixed in with much error.

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