When most people hear the word “Gospel,” they immediately think of the four canonical books of the New Testament—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Yet the gospel (good news) that Jesus himself preached was not a physical book but a message. The Qur’an confirms this original message and clarifies where both Israelites and later Christians diverged from it.
What Did Jesus Mean by the Gospel?
In Mark 1:15, Jesus says:
“The time has come. The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news (gospel).”
The good news that Jesus preached was not the written collection of the Gospels, Acts, Epistles, or Revelation. Instead, it was a call to repentance—returning to God and following the right path.
The Qur’an on the Gospel of Jesus
The Qur’an confirms Jesus’ original message:
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Surah 5:46 states that Jesus was given the Gospel / Good News.
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Surah 5:47 mentions the “People of the Gospel”, referring to those who claimed to follow Jesus’ message, traces of which can be found in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and possibly John.
Muslims believe the gospel has not been completely lost. However, parts of the New Testament introduce Hellenistic and Gnostic ideas that distort Jesus’ original monotheistic message.
Lessons from the Torah and Scripture Distortion
The Qur’an also addresses earlier revelations:
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Surah 2:85 rebukes Israelites who accepted parts of the Torah but ignored others.
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Muslims hold that the Torah still contains fragments of God’s original instructions to Moses, though some parts have been altered or remixed, similar to the modern scholarly Documentary Hypothesis (J, E, P, D sources).
Just as with the Torah, the Qur’an does not reject the original gospel of Jesus. It clarifies where distortions entered over time.
Jesus as the “Word” of God (Kalimat)
In Surah 3:45, Jesus is called the Word (Kalimat) of God.
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Kalimat literally means “word” or “speech,” but contextually it refers to a manifestation of God’s command.
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Surah 3:59 states: “The likeness of Jesus before God is like that of Adam. He created him from dust, then said to him, ‘Be,’ and he was.”
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Surah 4:171 adds: “His Word which He cast to Mary, and a spirit from Him.”
This demonstrates that Jesus’ miraculous conception was a direct manifestation of God’s command—not a claim of divinity.
The Connection to Jewish Thought: Memra
Islamic Kalimat aligns with the Judaic Memra, which also refers to a manifestation of God’s command.
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Genesis 1:3 says: “And God said, ‘Let there be…’ and there was” (Yehi vayehi).
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Both Memra and Kalimat illustrate creation and divine action through God’s speech or command, just like the Qur’anic “Kun fa-yakūn” (Be, and it is).
How Christianity Introduced Hellenistic Concepts
Early Gentile Christianity adopted the Logos concept from Hellenistic philosophy. Around 100 CE, the Gospel of John portrayed Jesus as the “creative Word,” elevating him to a semi-divine or divine status.
In reality, contextual understanding of Memra, Logos, and Kalimat shows that Jesus, at his conception, was a manifestation of God’s command, not God Himself.
The Qur’an’s Correction of Later Dogma
By Muhammad’s time, Christians had access to books containing parts of Jesus’ gospel. However, these texts also included Hellenistic ideas that transformed Jesus from a human messenger into a demi-god and eventually into the fully divine figure of later church doctrine.
The Qur’an restores Jesus’ original monotheistic message, correcting doctrines developed in the 5th century.
Modern Scholarship on Jesus’ Original Message
Scholars like Bart Ehrman and James Tabor note that Islam preserves elements of Jesus’ original Jewish-apocalyptic teachings more closely than later Christian theology. Islam emphasizes what Jesus originally taught: monotheism, repentance, and submission to God.
Conclusion
The gospel that Jesus preached was never a book but a living message of repentance and devotion to God alone. The Qur’an acknowledges this original message, distinguishes it from later distortions, and restores Jesus to his rightful role as a prophet and messenger, not as God.
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