What prophet a man

Jews, Christians and Muslims affirm that God sent prophets to work among human beings and that God inspired those prophets to reveal divine truths to humankind. There are, of course, numerous differences between Christianity and Islam, but Christians and Muslims are on common ground in affirming that Jesus was a great prophet.

I believe the Gospels do not support the claim of Gregg Mueller, embedded in his criticisms of Islam, that “Jesus was not a great prophet … . it is impossible for Jesus to be a great prophet.”

In the Gospels, one finds numerous references to Jesus as a prophet. For example, Matthew reports that Jesus, in his home village, Nazareth, was referring to himself as a prophet, when he said, “A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.” Matthew also reports that, when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, “the multitude said, ‘This is Jesus, the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.’” Luke relates that the people of Naim, responding to Jesus, “glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us.” Luke also informs us that the disciples of Jesus, on their walk to Emmaus on the day of his resurrection, referred to Jesus of Nazareth as “a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people.”

Of course, Christians assign other titles to Jesus in addition to prophet. For example, John Calvin, in his Institutes of the Christian Religion, writes in detail about the threefold office of Jesus Christ as prophet, priest, and king. RICHARD FROTHINGHAM Little Rock