The Bible Has Been Changed: How to Respond to Our Muslim Friends

My good friend Ali and I had been meeting regularly to share tea and discuss life. No topic was off-limits. In fact, the very subjects I’d been taught to avoid—politics and religion—were often the starting points of our conversations. Recently, our discussions had taken a deeper turn, exploring the nature of Christianity and Islam, and I was looking forward to continuing them.
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As I stepped into Starbucks, Ali greeted me with his usual warm smile. We ordered our drinks—his chai latte and my black coffee—and settled into a corner table.

Ali grinned as he sat down. “Shall we continue our discussion on Christianity and Islam?”

I was still trying to figure Ali out. He was curious about other religions, especially Christianity, yet he also seemed to simply enjoy discussing ideas. He—and his friends when they joined us—reminded me of the Athenians in Acts 17 who “spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.” I wasn’t sure if he was genuinely seeking truth or just relishing intellectual debate. But I pressed on, trusting that the Holy Spirit was at work.

Grinning back, I unzipped my backpack and said, “That sounds great. In fact, I brought my Bible with me and wanted to share a few verses that are central to my faith. I’d love to hear your thoughts.”

Ali took a sip of his tea. “That would be interesting. I guess I could tell you what I think.”

“Good. The first verse is from the book of John in the New Testament. It says—”

Ali cut in before I could continue. “Wait a minute. What is the book of John? Jesus’ book is the Injeel.”

I realized I needed to clarify. “Oh, yes. John is one of the four biographies of Jesus and is part of the Injeel. We Christians call the Injeel the New Testament.”

A look of concern crossed Ali’s face. He spoke carefully. “Hmmm. I don’t want to offend you, Aaron, but this only confirms what I’ve always been taught. We Muslims believe that Allah gave Isa—you call him Jesus—the Injeel. He gave it because the Tawrat given to Moses was corrupted by the Jews. Then, the Zebur—what you call the Psalms—was also changed. Finally, God gave the Injeel to Jesus, but, I’m sorry to say this, Aaron, Christians corrupted it as well. What you have there, your Bible, is not really God’s book but a distorted version of the Injeel. Thankfully, in His mercy, God sent the Holy Quran to the Prophet Mohammed—peace be upon him—and it is incorruptible.”


How would you answer Ali?
Most Muslims believe the Bible has been altered. This belief is deeply ingrained, passed down through generations, and reinforced by religious leaders. However, few Muslims can provide specific details on when, how, or why they believe these changes occurred. The assumption is that Jews and Christians altered the scriptures to distort their true meaning.

Like last week, I’ll offer some simple ways to respond, but I encourage you to dive deeper into the resources listed below. Developing a strong understanding of these issues will better equip you to engage with your Muslim friends in meaningful dialogue.

A Few Thoughts
This is a crucial conversation to have with Muslim friends. Almost all objections to Christianity eventually tie back to the reliability of the Bible. If the Bible has been preserved and remains unchanged, then key Christian doctrines—such as the divine nature of Christ, the Crucifixion, and atonement—stand firm. If, however, the Bible is unreliable, then these doctrines lose their foundation.

Here are three ways to respond to the claim that the Bible has been corrupted. These points are adapted from Fouad Masri’s “Is the Injeel Corrupted?” and are explored in greater detail in the resources below:

​1. Theological Response

• Who is stronger: God or man? If God is all-powerful, then He is strong enough to protect His books.
• A key question: If God cannot preserve His books, how can He be all-powerful? If He can but chooses not to, how can we call Him good?

2. Logical ResponseIf the Bible was changed, then certain critical questions must be answered:

• Who changed the Bible?
• Why was it changed?
• Where did these changes occur?
• What parts were altered?
• When did this happen?

Encourage your Muslim friends to seek answers to these questions. Invite them to read the Bible for themselves and examine whether any changes are evident.

3. Historical ResponseThere is overwhelming historical evidence affirming the integrity of the Bible. Nearly all historians—secular and religious—agree that the Bible we have today is the same as it was in the first century. Manuscript evidence, archaeological findings, and textual studies all support this claim.
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These three approaches can help your Muslim friends wrestle with the assumption that the Bible has been changed. The goal is not to win an argument but to plant seeds of doubt about the reliability of what they’ve been taught. The Holy Spirit can use these moments to lead them toward truth.

Prayer: The First and Last Step
As we engage in these discussions, we must remember that intellectual arguments alone rarely lead to faith. Jesus Himself said, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them” (John 6:44). Salvation is ultimately a work of the Holy Spirit.

Paul reminds us, “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:4). Our role is to pray that these blinders be removed.

Lastly, let’s approach every conversation with humility and love. As 1 Peter 3:15 exhorts us: “Honor Christ the Lord in your hearts as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.” And as Paul writes in Colossians 4:5-6: “Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.”

Each person.

Our Muslim friends are not arguments to be won but people to be loved. God is drawing them to Himself, and we have the privilege of walking alongside them on this journey.

Below, you’ll find articles, videos, and books that I’ve found helpful in preparing to discuss the trustworthiness of the Bible. I encourage you to explore them and deepen your understanding so that you can engage with both confidence and compassion.
 

If you found this post helpful, share it with your friends.

Helpful Articles:

• Is the Injeel Corrupted at Crescent Project

Helpful Books:

• Is the Injeel Corrupted by Fouad Masri 
• Grand Central Question by Abdu Murray
• Understanding Islam and Christianity by Josh McDowell and Jim Walker
• No God But One by Nabeel Qureshi

Helpful Videos and Interviews:​

• Josh McDowell List of Videos​

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Andy's excellent talk starts at the 8 minute mark.

Lots of information on the Quranic witness to the validity of the Bible.