Zakir Naik: Who is the Paracletes?
Zakir Naik and his disciples are spreading a lie that the Paracletes, Holy Spirit, mentioned in the Gospel is the prophet of Islam. This is utterly false!
Transcript:
Our friend has asked: "Who then is the Paraclete?"
Dear friend, I appreciate that you have raised this question, as unfortunately, some individuals, who are neither familiar with the Word of God nor possess much knowledge, have spoken on this matter, and many have repeatedly imitated and echoed their statements and thoughts, trying again and again to prove to us and you that the Paraclete refers to the Prophet of Islam.
However, when we read the Word of God, it is clear that such interpretations by these individuals are completely wrong and mistaken. For example, Zakir Naik refers to a verse like John 16:13, which says: "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is to come." Zakir Naik claims that this verse is about the Prophet of Islam.
Is this statement accurate or true? Let's learn more about the Holy Spirit. We, the followers of Jesus Christ, believe that these verses refer to the Holy Spirit. Want to know why? Take a look at the verse 13 that Zakir Naik references, and then see what Jesus Christ says in verse 14: "He will glorify me." The Holy Spirit came to glorify Jesus Christ.
Did the Prophet of Islam come to glorify Jesus Christ? According to Muslim belief, this is not logical because they do not believe in the divinity of Christ. Therefore, when Zakir Naik cites a verse, he misuses it. He picks only a small part of a sentence from the teachings of Jesus Christ and tries erroneously to prove that it pertains to the Prophet of Islam. This claim is completely false because Jesus Christ stated that when the Holy Spirit or the Paraclete comes, He will glorify me. The Holy Spirit came to glorify Jesus Christ.
The second reason is that you, dear Muslims, believe that God sent the Prophet of Islam. Do you not hold this belief? But let's see what Jesus Christ says about the Paraclete in the same chapter, verse 7: "But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you." So, who sent the Holy Spirit or the Paraclete? It was Jesus Christ who sent the Paraclete or the Holy Spirit.
Therefore, if respected Muslims believe that the Paraclete is the Prophet of Islam, they must understand that this belief implies that according to them, the Prophet of Islam was sent by Jesus Christ. So, what is the role of Jesus Christ? Who is He? When you misinterpret a verse, you place yourself in a difficult position.
The third reason we want to address is what Jesus Christ says about the Holy Spirit or the Paraclete in John chapter 14. Jesus Christ says in chapter 14, verses 16 and 17: "And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you."
The Holy Spirit came to always be with us, but the Prophet of Islam was not like this. We know where his tomb is. The Word of God says the world cannot accept Him. Why can't the world accept Him? "Because it neither sees Him nor knows Him, but you know Him." How can we know Him? "Because He is always with you and will be in you."
But could the Prophet of Islam have been seen? Certainly, like any other human, he could have been seen. No, then the Prophet of Islam is not the Paraclete. The real Holy Spirit or Paraclete is the Spirit of truth, which the world cannot accept because it does not see Him. Therefore, He is a spirit, not a body. The Prophet of Islam had a body. And secondly, as followers of Jesus Christ, we know the Holy Spirit. How? Because the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, is in us, in our hearts, and in our thoughts. He is always with us and empowers us to lead a pure and godly life. Therefore, according to the verses we have read, the Prophet of Islam cannot be the Paraclete. So, when people like Zakir Naik and his students tell you that the Prophet of Islam was mentioned in the Gospel of John, they are completely wrong.
I hope this teaching has encouraged you that even if you cannot accept the full truth of this teaching, at least do not believe the lies about this teaching and the holy Word of God. Lies that some have spread among us and you, the Afghans. Be in the grace and blessing of the Lord. Read the
Word of God, see the truth in the Word of God. Do not mimic the repetitive words of people, as this path is not the path of good religiosity. Be in the grace of the Lord.
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