‍A. The Central Islamic Position

Islamic theology makes several definitive claims about Jesus:

• Jesus was a prophet only, not divine (Surah 5:75: "The Messiah, son of Mary, was no more than a messenger")
• Jesus did not die on the cross (Surah 4:157: "They did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but another was made to resemble him")
• Jesus predicted Muhammad's coming (Surah 61:6)
• The Christian scriptures have been corrupted (tahrif) to insert false doctrines of divinity, crucifixion, and resurrection
• An "original" Gospel was given to Jesus that aligned with Islamic teaching, but has been lost

B. The Islamic Apologetic Method

Muslim apologists employ a consistent methodology when confronting biblical evidence for Christ's divinity:

• Selective Scripture Acceptance: Accept biblical verses that seem to support Islamic claims; reject those that contradict
• Demand for Explicit Formula: Require Jesus to state explicitly "I am God, worship me" while dismissing implicit claims, titles, and actions
• Red Letter Restriction: Insist that only words directly from Jesus's mouth count as authoritative, excluding apostolic testimony and Old Testament prophecy
• Corruption Hypothesis: When confronted with contrary biblical evidence, claim those portions have been corrupted
• Appeal to Missing Documents: Posit the existence of an "original" Gospel that supports Islam but has conveniently disappeared

This methodology creates an unfalsifiable position: any evidence supporting Christ's divinity is dismissed as corruption, while the absence of a magical explicit formula is treated as proof of Islam's correctness.