Answering Islam - A Christian-Muslim dialog

Examining More of Abdullah Kunde’s Inconsistencies Pt. 3a

Analyzing God’s Perfection
In Light of the Islamic Doctrine of Mediation and Intercession

Sam Shamoun

It is time to expose more of Muslim propagandist Abdullah Kunde’s inconsistencies. Kunde debated noted Christian apologist and author Dr. James R. White on October 17, 2011, in Australia concerning the Incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ. Like in his previous debates, Kunde made a lot of assertions which were not only fallacious but also problematic for his own views as a Muslim. Kunde raised specific objections which, if he were to apply to his own personal beliefs, would prove to be much more damaging.

In the following we are going to examine one such claim which Kunde made during his closing statements.  

“But I certainly do appreciate–and this is obviously the fundamental difference between the two of us. I do appreciate that the idea of God being so holy that we must have a mediator is beautiful; in fact, I think it’s humbling you know. And I’ll be quite frank, I find it hard to listen to, you know, that 15 minutes or 12 minutes of sermon and not, ohm you know, feel emotionally, ah you know, impressed. But we ultimately say, we ultimately say that this idea is imposing a created idea upon the uncreated. You know, to present a mediator–and this is the whole point ultimately of what we’re saying–for us to present a mediator implies a limitation on God. He can approach us without a mediator, is what he’s saying.” (James White vs. Abdullah Kunde, Can God Become a Man?)

Kunde’s point basically comes down to mediation placing a limitation on God who is able to approach us without a mediator.

Let us see how this claim ends up backfiring against Kunde. But first, we need to address his distortion of the Christian position concerning the doctrine of mediation and intercession.


The Biblical Presentation of Divine Mediation

To begin with, Kunde’s criticism shows that he either hasn’t understood what the Biblical doctrine of mediation is, or has chosen to misrepresent it in order to score cheap debate points.

The testimony of the Holy Scriptures is that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Creator and Sustainer of the entire creation who personally entered into the world itself in order to redeem mankind by his sacrificial death on the cross:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things came into existence; without him nothing came into existence that has come into existence. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it… The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world came into existence through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:1-5, 9-14

“The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For BY MEANS OF HIM all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created THROUGH HIM AND FOR HIM. He IS before all things, and IN HIM all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.” Colossians 1:15-17 

“In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven... He [the Father] also says, 'In the beginning, Lord [the Son], you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed. But you remain the same, and your years will never end.'” Hebrews 1:1-3, 10-12

“Now the main point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by a mere human being.” Hebrews 8:1-2

The inspired Scriptures are equally clear in affirming that God the Father was also involved in the work of his beloved and glorious Son since he is the One who commissioned the Lord Jesus to come to the earth in order to save man from God’s righteous wrath and judgment:

For God so loved the world that HE GAVE his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” John 3:16-18

“This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.” 1 John 4:9-14

“For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God DID by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” Romans 8:3-4

“So also, when we were underage, we were in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces of the world. But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba, Father.’ So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.” Galatians 4:3-7

For HE has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins… For GOD was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now HE has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—” Colossians 1:13-14, 19-23

For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” Colossians 2:9-15

In fact, God the Father was actively working in and through Christ while the latter was on earth accomplishing the salvation of his people: 

“Do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” John 10:36-38

“Jesus answered, ‘I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.’ Philip said, ‘Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.’ Jesus answered: ‘Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, “Show us the Father”? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves.’” John 14:6-11

“All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake God made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:18-21

The same Scriptures further testify that the Holy Spirit himself was present with Christ on earth to empower him to bring about the redemption of the world:    

“This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ (which means ‘God with us’).” Matthew 1:18-23

“‘How will this be,’ Mary asked the angel, ‘since I am a virgin?’ The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.’” Luke 1:34-35

“When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.’ … Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness… Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside.” Luke 3:21-22; 4:1, 14

“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, “A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.”  I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.’ Then John gave this testimony: ‘I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, “The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.” I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God.’” John 1:29-34

“But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” Matthew 12:28

“how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.” Acts 10:38

“How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.” Hebrews 9:14-15

The foregoing references show that the entire Godhead was involved in the salvation of mankind. Hence, Christians do not believe that a creature approached man in order to bring him closer to God. Rather, the Christian Gospel is that God Almighty himself came to personally reconcile his people to himself by saving them from their sins.

So much for Kunde’s gross misrepresentation of the Christian doctrine of mediation.

Now that we got Kunde’s distortion of Biblical teaching out of the way it is time to turn our attention to his own sources to see what they have to say about mediation.