It’s that time of year, once again, when we hear people saying, “Peace on earth and good will between men.” This constant refrain in songs and conversations is uttered by many from all quarters at this time of year. However, what's interesting is that many people don't know that this quotation is actually a passage from the Bible. And even many Christians, sad to say, don't know what it really means.
We are living in a time where in the name of tolerance we try to find something good anywhere and everywhere and whatever the situation may be. Mindful people claiming to be from various faiths in the USA, have established themselves into what is known as Interfaith dialogue. On the surface, when you look at it, you find that in the forefront Judaism, Christianity and Islam as ‘Abrahamic faiths’ and not as Judeo-Christian faith is presented. They claim that ‘The Torah, the New Testament, and the Quran all contain exceptional teachings instructing us to love God, to love one another, and to care for all people.’
Does Jeremiah 8:8 imply that the Bible is corrupted?
Even though the Qur'an states there is “guidance and light” in the Torah (Sura 5:43), many Muslims often quote Jeramiah 8:8 as proof that the Torah has been “corrupted.” The text says: “How can you say, ‘We are wise, for we have the law of the LORD,’ when actually the lying pen of the scribes has handled it falsely?” (Jeremiah 8:8)
It is important to look at the context. The above verses are part of Jeremiah's "Temple Address" in Jeremiah 7:1-10:25. The first important clue is that God through the prophet Jeremiah states in verse 7: "My people do not KNOW the requirements of the LORD.” He does NOT say that they do not HAVE them. Then in verse 8, he takes up the false security of those scribes who claim that they have the law, although they do not obey it and distort it with their false interpretations. The next verse gives us the context of how legitimate these scribes were: "The wise will be put to shame; they will be dismayed and trapped. Since they have rejected the word of the LORD, what kind of wisdom do they have?” (Jeremiah 8:9)
Did Paul corrupt Jesus’ teaching? A response to Muslims’ objection
Many Muslims believe that the present teaching of Christianity is the work of the apostle Paul. They claim that it was Paul who created his own version of the Christian faith at the expense of those whom Jesus had chosen. They state that there was a struggle between Pauline and Judeo-Christianity and eventually Pauline Christianity triumphed. They speculate: perhaps it “won” because it was more “attractive” through incorporating some “pagan” ideas. According to this theory, the struggle started when Paul disagreed with Peter (Galatians 2:1-16) and then with Barnabas (Acts 21:17-20).
On one hand, the majority of Muslim scholars reject the integrity of the Judeo-Christian Scriptures and, yet on the other, they quote from it to support Muhammad’s message and him as being the prophet sent by the same God who sent Jesus.
An Ex-Christian convert to Islam, at a Muslim-Christian gathering, quoted the following Biblical passage to support Muhammad’s prophethood:
