Reader Question
“How can you say Jesus claimed to be God when the Bible has clearly been changed over time? Every Muslim knows it’s been rewritten, edited, and corrupted. You’re quoting a book that’s no longer reliable, so any claim about Jesus being divine is already false.”
Answer
This is one of the most common objections raised in interfaith conversations. The belief that the Bible has been altered isn’t actually rooted in the Qur’an itself but in later Islamic scholarship.
The Qur’an, written in the 7th century, never claims the Christian Gospels were rewritten or falsified. In fact, several passages imply the opposite, encouraging Muhammad and his followers to consult “the people of the Book” if they were in doubt (Surah 10:94).
فَإِن كُنتَ فِى شَكٍّۢ مِّمَّآ أَنزَلْنَآ إِلَيْكَ فَسْـَٔلِ ٱلَّذِينَ يَقْرَءُونَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ مِن قَبْلِكَ ۚ لَقَدْ جَآءَكَ ٱلْحَقُّ مِنرَّبِّكَ فَلَا تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلْمُمْتَرِينَ
If you ˹O Prophet˺ are in doubt about ˹these stories˺ that We have revealed to you, then ask those who read the Scripture before you. The truth has certainly come to you from your Lord, so do not be one of those who doubt.
Surah 10:94 — Quran.com
The argument for corruption emerged centuries later as Muslim scholars wrestled with clear conflicts between two texts:
- The New Testament, which openly affirms Jesus’ divinity and crucifixion.
- The Qur’an, which denies both.
To explain these contradictions, scholars such as Ibn Hazm (11th century) proposed that Jews and Christians must have altered their scriptures—either by changing the text itself (tahrif al-lafz) or by misrepresenting its meaning (tahrif al-ma’na).
Initially, most Islamic thinkers leaned toward the second view, accusing Christians of misinterpreting their own scriptures rather than rewriting them. Over time, however, the stronger claim—that the biblical text had been deliberately corrupted—became the dominant defence, even though the Qur’an never makes that assertion.
The Evidence
In 1952, archaeologists uncovered a remarkable discovery at Jabal Abu Mana, near Dishna, Egypt: the Bodmer Papyri. Among the collection was Papyrus 66 (P66), one of the earliest and most complete manuscripts of the Gospel of John ever found.
P66 is dated to around AD 200—almost four centuries before Muhammad.
And when scholars examined its opening lines, they found something extraordinary:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.
John 1:1–3 — Papyrus 66 (P66)
This is the same passage Christians read today—word for word, letter for letter. No missing verses. No rewritten theology. No secret edits.
It means that long before Islam, the Christian claim that Jesus is God wasn’t invented—it was already on the lips of believers across the ancient world.
Why It Matters
The existence of P66, alongside thousands of other early manuscripts, demonstrates that the New Testament we hold today is the same text circulating hundreds of years before Islam. These findings don’t come from church leaders defending doctrine; they come from secular historians and archaeologists specialising in ancient manuscripts.
The conclusion is unavoidable:
- The Bible hasn’t been rewritten.
- The Gospel message hasn’t been altered.
- Jesus’ divinity wasn’t added later—it was there from the very beginning.
Every Major Manuscript Discovery—and What They Reveal
Here is a full list of the most significant archaeological manuscript discoveries and what they contain, showing exactly what early Christians were reading and how these texts align with today’s Bible:
| Discovery | Contains / Significance |
|---|---|
| Papyrus P66 (Bodmer II) (Found 1952 — Origin ~200 AD) | One of the oldest and most complete copies of John. Includes John 1:1 (“The Word was God”), confirming that the claim of Jesus’ divinity existed from the earliest records — not a later invention. |
| Papyrus P52 (Rylands Fragment) (Found 1935 — Origin ~125 AD) | The earliest known New Testament fragment. Contains John 18:31–33, 37–38, showing that John’s Gospel — the most explicit about Jesus’ divinity — was circulating within a single generation of the crucifixion. |
| Papyrus P75 (Bodmer XIV–XV) (Found 1950s — Origin ~200 AD) | Contains large portions of Luke and John. Almost an exact textual match with Codex Vaticanus from 350 AD, proving that these Gospels were copied with extreme accuracy for over 150 years. |
| Codex Sinaiticus (א) (Found 1844 — Origin ~350 AD) | The oldest complete New Testament. Confirms nearly every passage used to build Christian theology today, including Jesus’ crucifixion, resurrection, and claims of divinity. |
| Codex Vaticanus (B) (Catalogued 15th c. — Origin ~350 AD) | Among the most reliable Greek Bibles ever found. Its agreement with P75 proves the New Testament text remained unchanged between ~200 AD and ~350 AD — despite being copied in different regions. |
| Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS) (Found 1947–1956 — Origin 250 BC–70 AD) | Over 900 manuscripts, including fragments from every Old Testament book except Esther. The Great Isaiah Scroll (125 BC) matches modern Isaiah almost word-for-word, proving incredible preservation. |
| Ketef Hinnom Silver Amulets (Found 1979 — Origin ~600 BC) | Two silver scrolls with the Priestly Blessing (Numbers 6:24–26). The oldest known biblical text, predating the Dead Sea Scrolls by 400 years. |
| Papyrus P45 / P46 / P47 (Chester Beatty Papyri) (Found 1931 — Origin ~200–250 AD) | P45: Fragments of all four Gospels + Acts. P46: Nearly all of Paul’s letters, including Romans, Corinthians, and Galatians, confirming early Christian theology. P47: Large portions of Revelation. |
| Papyrus P72 (Bodmer VII–VIII) (Found 1950s — Origin ~300 AD) | Contains the earliest complete copies of 1 & 2 Peter and Jude, confirming teachings on salvation and judgment consistent with today’s Bible. |
| Papyrus P90 & P104 (Oxyrhynchus) (Published 1995/1997 — Origin ~150 AD) | P90 contains fragments of John 18; P104 of Matthew 21. Both confirm early circulation of these Gospels and textual stability. |
| Magdalen Papyrus (P64/P67) (Acquired 1901 — Origin ~150 AD) | Fragments of Matthew 26 describing Jesus’ arrest and trial, dated extremely close to the events themselves. |
| Codex Alexandrinus (A) (Brought to England 1627 — Origin ~400 AD) | Contains almost the entire Bible, including all 27 New Testament books intact. |
| Codex Bezae (D) (At Cambridge since 16th c. — Origin ~400 AD) | A unique bilingual Greek-Latin manuscript containing the Gospels and Acts, showing a different textual tradition but confirming all major events. |
| Codex Washingtonianus (W) (Acquired 1906 — Origin ~400 AD) | Contains the four Gospels and preserves an extra saying of Jesus (known as the Freer Logion) after Mark 16:14. |
| Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus (C) (Deciphered 1840s — Origin ~450 AD) | Originally a complete Bible later overwritten, but nearly the entire New Testament text has been recovered and matches today’s Bible. |
| Nash Papyrus (Found 1902 — Origin ~150 BC) | Contains the Ten Commandments and the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4–5), confirming consistency with today’s Torah. |
| Aleppo Codex (Origin ~930 AD) | A central manuscript of the Hebrew Old Testament; despite later damage, it agrees almost entirely with modern translations. |
| Leningrad Codex (Origin 1008 AD) | The oldest complete Hebrew Bible still in existence and the foundation for nearly all modern Old Testament translations. |
Closing Thought
From the deserts of Egypt to the caves of Qumran, from papyrus fragments to complete codices, the weight of the evidence points in a single direction: the Scriptures have been preserved with extraordinary precision.
These manuscripts don’t just confirm what Christians believe today—they confirm what Christians believed then. And when John’s Gospel calls Jesus “the Word, and the Word was God” in documents dating back nearly 2,000 years, it leaves little room for doubt: this message was not invented; it was recorded from the beginning.
And even the Qur’an itself affirms this reality. It declares that the Torah and the Gospels are Allah’s revealed word (Surah 5:46–47) and insists that “none can change the words of Allah” (Surah 6:115).
وَقَفَّيْنَا عَلَىٰٓ ءَاثَـٰرِهِم بِعِيسَى ٱبْنِ مَرْيَمَ مُصَدِّقًۭا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ مِنَ ٱلتَّوْرَىٰةِ ۖ وَءَاتَيْنَـٰهُ ٱلْإِنجِيلَ فِيهِ هُدًۭى وَنُورٌۭ وَمُصَدِّقًۭا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ مِنَ ٱلتَّوْرَىٰةِ وَهُدًۭى وَمَوْعِظَةًۭ لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ
Then in the footsteps of the prophets, We sent Jesus, son of Mary, confirming the Torah revealed before him. And We gave him the Gospel containing guidance and light and confirming what was revealed in the Torah—a guide and a lesson to the God-fearing. So let the people of the Gospel judge by what Allah has revealed in it. And those who do not judge by what Allah has revealed are ˹truly˺ the rebellious.
Surah 5:46-47 – Quran.com
وَتَمَّتْ كَلِمَتُ رَبِّكَ صِدْقًۭا وَعَدْلًۭا ۚ لَّا مُبَدِّلَ لِكَلِمَـٰتِهِۦ ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْعَلِيمُ
The Word of your Lord has been perfected in truth and justice. None can change His Words. And He is the All-Hearing, All- Knowing.
Surah 6:115 – Quran.com
If these scriptures have been preserved—as both archaeology and the Qur’an confirm—then the Gospels and Torah remain correct. And if they are correct, the Qur’an, which contradicts them, cannot be.
