Let’s take a look at the Qur’an:
Surah 61:14 O you who have believed, be supporters of Allah, as when Jesus, the son of Mary said to the disciples, “Who are my supporters for Allah?” The disciples said, “We are supporters of Allah.” And a faction of the children of Israel believed and a faction disbelieved.* So we supported those who believed against their enemy, and they became dominant.***
One should generally assume by such a passage that Islam, or some type of Muslim sect became dominant. One should also reasonably conclude based on Surah 61:14 that the Disciples were not only Muslims, but they were winning. Now, we just looked at a passage where Festus asked Paul if he was trying to convert him, and Paul certainly wanted Festus to become a, “Christian.” Let’s see where else we find this name:
Acts 11: 25 Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26 and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people.* The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.***
Or from Peter’s letter himself:
1 Peter 4:16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.
Josephus, the first century Jewish historian says himself: “And the tribe of Christians has not yet since disappeared” after speaking of Jesus being sentenced to crucifixion.
Tacitus states" Nero fastened the guilt . . . on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of . . . Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judaea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome"
So obviously a group called “Christians” believed in the death of a man named Jesus; something Muslims deny. In fact, the Qur’an says the group of Disciples simply called themselves “Muslims” or perhaps some Hebrew variation of “slave of Allah” and assuming Islam is true, they would have preached that Jesus was saved from such a cross. No history records this, but it must be true if the Qur’an is true. However, since no history records this we must throw out Surah 61:14 because it could not be reasonably true that Muslim Disciples became dominant.
Paul also testified quite frequently of his persecution at the hands of others, but he cared most for his God and His Church:
2 Corin 11: 24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food,* in cold and exposure. 28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?
30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. 31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying.**
and
*1 Corin 15:9 For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
and
1 Thess 2: 3 For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive, 4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts. 5 For we never came with words of flattery,** as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness. 6 Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ. 7 But we were gentle[c] among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. 8 So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.
9 For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. 10 You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. 11 For you know how, like a father with his children, 12 we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.****
, what is your question/concern?
