Chronological Bible Storying for Muslims: Dr. David Cashin Lecture 1
Dr. David Cashin delivered a series of lectures on chronological Bible Storying for Muslims during a CIU course. Here, Cashin presents the introductory means and methods for beginning this Bible study with Muslims.
Here starts the auto-generated transcription of Dr. David Cashin Lecture 1:
Hi. And welcome to lesson 1 in chronological Bible storying for Muslims. We’re at an age when Muslims are responding to the gospel of Jesus Christ as never before. We’ve made the statement that more Muslims have come to faith in Jesus Jesus in the previous 30 years than in the previous 1500 years combined. And so it’s an exciting moment in world history where the gospel is spreading, amongst a group of people who used to be known as the most resistant to the gospel.
God’s doing an amazing thing. And so this first lesson, really is how to initiate a Bible storying with a Muslim. The title of our discussion today is starting a Bible study in a mosque. And, certainly, you can do this. I’m gonna describe this from the perspective of someone going into a mosque, but it’s also quite possible for you to go and and talk to someone on the street or a Muslim that you’ve met in, various contexts.
And, we’re finding that when people are making a direct effort to invite Muslims to study the Bible, that a significant percentage of the time Muslims are saying yes to this invitation. So I’m gonna read through this, little article. It’s just 2 pages, and I’m gonna highlight a few things as we go along and give you an opportunity to think through, what’s involved here. And then, of course, at the end, you’ll be seeing my email address. And, I’m very happy to dialogue with you either by email or by phone, in giving you further information about how to get started.
Now the premise of this article may seem absurd at the start. Why in the world would Muslims in a mosque ever agree to study the Bible? What could possibly be gained by such an effort? Well, let me explain to you how I start Bible studies in mosques, and perhaps you’ll begin to see the point. I go to mosque to find my Muslim friends, some of whom are searching for God.
And this is really getting at the point of what is my goal. Not every mosque has agreed to study the Bible with me, but there have been people in almost every mosque that I’ve gone into who have individually said, yes. I would like to study the Bible with you. So part of my point here is to say, let’s go looking for the man or woman of peace. And I believe that in every mosque and in every, Islamic context, you’re going to find people like that.
Now when I go into a mosque, I show great respect. I take off my shoes and, I would ask to speak with the spiritual leadership of the mosque. When I’m in a mosque, I’m not looking for, individuals. I’m really looking to talk to all the leaders. But if you meet a Muslim on street, you can follow the same kind of pattern and you don’t have to be looking for the leaders necessarily.
After we’ve sat for a while in the mosque and exchanged some pleasantries, perhaps had a cup of tea, I take out my quote on and I ask in the group the in the group the following question. I have found a very interesting verse in the Quran. It is found in chapter 10 verse 94. And, this is something you should pay significant attention to. If you don’t have a Quran, buy yourself 1. Bible Storying
I would suggest getting the Yusuf Ali translation, and you’ll find if you look up under chapter 10, verse 94, this particular verse. And it says, if you are in doubt as to what we have revealed to you, then ask those who’ve been reading the book from before you. Now what this verse says is that Muslims should consult the other holy books which were revealed before the Quran. Would you like to study the holy books with me? Now that is the key invitation, and I’m gonna make that invitation several times during my time together with these Muslim friends.
Now, the fun thing about this first invitation is I know almost inevitably what the response is going to be. It’s very predictable. The Muslim will say something like this. No, I cannot study those other books because they’ve been changed, or they might say they’ve been corrupted, or they aren’t the original books. Now, so you have to prepare for that kind of a response, and here’s what I do.
I usually express some kind of astonishment, and I say, well, that seems to deny what the Quran itself says. Take a look in the same words of Allah. If God can’t protect his own holy word, then he’s impotent and unworthy of worship. God’s word can never be changed because God himself is the protector of his word. Is there anyone stronger than Allah who could change his word?
Now, please forget Josh McDowell at this point. Josh McDowell at this point. Muslims are much more impressed with arguments based on the nature of God than with human historiographical arguments about the reliability of scripture. You may get into these later, but at this point, please resist the temptation to get embroiled in disputes about old manuscripts and that kind of thing. Muslims have never asked that question about the Quran.
And, therefore, you raising those kinds of issues from their point of view indicates the weakness of your text. So my argument is based on the nature of God himself and what the Quran says. Some Muslims may say, well, you know, this is really only talking about the Quran. Well, that’s not true. And frankly, there are many other places in the Quran where it talks about the word of God and it lists all these other holy books.
So when the Quran says the word of God cannot be changed, it’s talking about all the words of God. And that includes the 3 major books that Muslims confess from the Judeo Judeo Christian heritage. That is the Torah, the Torah of Moses, the Zabur, the Psalms of David, and the Injeel or the gospel of Jesus. Let me just give you an example of how this might happen for you. I went into a radical Saudi funded mosque in Kazan, Russia and had this discussion with the Imams there.
And they, decided, to consider whether they would study the Bible storying with me and, they were positive to the idea, even though it was a radical mosque. But the most interesting thing happened as I was exiting the mosque for an older gentleman pulled me aside and whispered, did you know that there are verses that have been changed in the Quran? You’d heard this whole discussion about changing of the word of God. And, in fact, the only holy book according to the Quran that has had changes made in it is in the Quran itself. And I smiled and said to him briefly, yes.
I had found what I’d come to look for, a Muslim who was seeking the truth. And I invited this man to study the Bible storying with me privately and he agreed and later came to faith, not through me, but through the others who’ve continued to follow-up with him. You may eventually be thrown out of the mosque. In fact, you will be thrown out of the mosque eventually. But in the meantime, you may find many who are seeking the truth.
Once they’ve agreed to study the Bible, where do you begin? Well, you start by storing right through the Bible beginning with the story of Adam and Eve. And the remainder of this CD, is going to be explanations of how you lead Muslims chronologically through the Bible storying starting with, Adam and Eve. And Muslims know the story of Adam and Eve, but they don’t know the main point. What does it mean that Adam and Eve are created in the image of God?
Well, chapter 2 explains it. Adam walks with God in the garden. He names the animals. He is vice regent with God and friend of God. He is involved in an intimate personal relationship with God.
A Muslim cannot have a personal relationship with God. A Muslim cannot experience God. By the way, I’m quoting the great Muslim scholars when I say this. Ismail Farooqi said this very thing in 19 97 to a conference of Westerner Westerners who were converts to Islam. Now why did he say that to a group of Western converts to Islam? Bible Storying
Well, simply because they were still being influenced by their Judeo Christian heritage that teaches you that you can have an intimate relationship with God. And so Ismail Farooqi needed to set them straight. One of my friends who was at that conference realized at that moment, that’s why all my prayers are formulaic. So Muslims desperately need this message of relationship, forgiveness, and reconciliation with God. Do you feel that this is stepping in over your head?
Well, of course, it is. But you will not learn unless you take the first step. This is how Jesus trained his disciples. So I’m gonna invite you here, to begin the first step before you go on to the next step in this series. Because if you don’t put it into practice, that first step, you’re not likely going to take that second step.
Now, by way of conclusion, let me share some other verses in the Quran if you feel you need, more or can use them in your first discussion. Quran 4136 says, oh, ye who believe, believe in Allah and his messenger and the scripture which he has sent to his messenger and the scripture which he sent to those before him. Any who denies Allah, his angels, his books, his messengers, and the day of judgment has gone astray, far, far astray. This shows that Muslims must believe in the other holy books. Quran 2136 and 5, 5727 say, say ye, say ye, we believe in Allah and the revelation given to us, and Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the descendants, children of Jacob, and that given to Moses and Jesus, and that given to all the prophets from their Lord. Bible Storying
This passage shows also shows that Muslims must believe in the message of all the previous holy books. 5727¢ says, we sent after them Jesus, the son of Mary, and bestowed on him the gospel. This passage emphasizes that the gospel specifically must be believed in. 2 other passages, Quran 634 115, it’s verse 115 of chapter 6 says, there are there is none that can alter the words of Allah and none can change his word. Again, this shows that God’s word cannot be changed according to the Quran.
By the way, notice my purpose is not to get people to study, the Quran. I’m using the Quran only as a bridge to get them to study the Bible. By the way, you could use the same approach with a Muslim you meet in the supermarket. And by the way, you’ll find that Muslims, especially those wearing clear religious clothing, are easy to approach. Do not be afraid of them, but go out and Where there you can have the same question for them as you where there you can have the same question for them as you walk them through the next step.
I also promise to pray for you. Step out in faith and you will be surprised what doors God will open for you. This will be the greatest adventure of your life. And remember the goal, we wanna get them into studying the Bible storying and seeing what it says about the salvation God has prepared through Jesus Christ. Again, here at the bottom, you can see my email, dcashinciu.edu, and my phone number in the 803 area code 807-5326.
If you have any further questions about this, give me a buzz or send me an email and we’ll dialogue. Log. God bless you as you take this step of faith.