The Objection
Some Muslim apologists argue that Jesus taught pure monotheism consistent with Islam, but Paul introduced foreign elements—divine sonship, atonement theology, and the Trinity—that corrupted the original message. True Christianity, they claim, would be indistinguishable from Islam.
Key Claims
Jesus taught Islamic monotheism
Paul never met the historical Jesus
Paul introduced pagan concepts
Early Jewish Christians rejected Paul
Islamic apologetics
Christian Response
How apologists address this objection
Paul's teaching aligns with the earliest Christian traditions and the other apostles. He met with Peter, James, and John who confirmed his message.
Paul met the risen Christ and spent time with Peter and James (Galatians 1:18-19, 2:9)
Paul quotes early Christian creeds predating his letters (1 Cor 15:3-7, Phil 2:6-11)
The Jerusalem apostles affirmed Paul's gospel (Galatians 2:6-9, Acts 15)
High Christology appears in the earliest sources, not just Paul (Mark, Q, early hymns)
Paul's letters show continuity with Jesus' teaching on love, ethics, and the Kingdom
Larry Hurtado, Lord Jesus Christ: Devotion to Jesus in Earliest Christianity