Muhammed and Apocrypha

Encyclopedia Britannica claimed Muhammed learned the Gospel through apocryphal sources. I believe he or later writers copied the Book of Wisdom from the apocrypha. It is also called Wisdom of Solomon. Some believe It was a rabbinical writing on the righteous one, the messiah. It incorporated two perspectives from two different Jewish parties. Party one spoken of in ch 2 and the other in ch 4. They are similar.

I don't believe Wisdom of Solomon is scripture but error filled commentary, as it portrays the world and its creatures as, "made to be eternal" see ch 2:23 "made him in the image of his own eternity", which man isn't. We were created short of God's eternal nature. Plus Jesus and the Apostles taught this world would end, through an act of God. Other gnostic texts also said the world was created to be eternal. 

The book's primary commentary is that the righteous one doesn't suffer or die. Peter in Acts 3 shows this to be a false commentary since it disagrees with the prophets.

Acts 3:18

But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled. 

The book of Wisdom does disagree with Peter's concept of suffering, it gives us two Jewish perspectives on messiah  that it seems Muhammed borrowed.

1. Chapter two says the righteous would be saved, thus Muhammed saying Jesus didn't die. He was saved from going to the cross as an imposter was placed in his stead, according to Islam.

2. Chapter four says the righteous would be "caught away" or transported before being corrupted. This is close to Jesus being caught away to God without dying, according to Islam. It is also similar to rapture theory where christians are supposedly caught away before suffering.

Jews equate safety with obedience, whhich is not a universal principal in this life. God can allow man to suffer and die, even if sinless.

Both thoughts were grabbed by Muhammed and incorporated into his teaching. If you consider the apocrypha came from gnostic works of coptic ethiopia it makes sense in timing and geography. The apocrypha helped bring Islam into existence. by providing a rabbinical theological theory to base it upon. Of course it contradicts Peter and the prophets.

The rabbinical idea the righteous one would be saved and not suffer is easily disproven in scripture. Beginning in Genesis 2 where Satan would bruise the heel , Psalms 22 where the messiah is captured and his hands and feet pierced, Isaiah 50:6 where messiah accepts beating and pulling the beard, Zechariah 12:10 and being pierced as witnesses watched. This is important since a secret catching away before suffering and death contradicts the presence of witnesses including Christ's mother and friends. Those close to Jesus wouldn't be easily fooled. see Psalms 38:11 Daniel 9:26 where messiah is cut off for others. Zechariah 13:7 where the sword is awakened against the shepherd of God. The sword a symbol of governmental power as those arresting Jesus had swords and staves.

This shows God doesn't save all of his righteous leaders from death and punishment as the rabbis taught and as Muhammed agreed. This contradicts Isaiah 52:14 where Messiah's body would be disfigured.

To be Islamist you simply have to deny the prophets while accepting parts of the Jewish apocrypha..

The apocrypha may have also brought in the original sin theory, that the world was made to be eternal but Adam's sin changed that in theory, bringing in eventual destruction. The reality is the world was never made to be eternal as the book of Wisdom described. Original sin as a doctrine is simply made up. Adam and Eve were created to allow for sin. 

Original sin is a theory God didn't need to destroy man, he could allow death because mankind falls short of God's glory, on that basis man has no inherent right to live forever. God could allow man to die even without personal sin without being unjust. The death of a sinless baby isn't unjust since the child surely falls short of God's glory. All life is a grace as God does provide a just way to deal with all of his creation in Christ.

Man wasn't created to be eternal since that is a gift through the Gospel. Without Christ eternal life wasn't achievable. Grace is unto eternal life, not that we were created with it.

Romans 5:21

That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.