Differences Among Old Testament, New Testament, and Quran

There are a lot of debates across different major religions claiming that their books were the true God’s word and many scholars throughout human history studied these books and proven their authenticity. The three main religions in the world today are Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Judaism and Christianity are closely related as they share the same book which is the Old Testament for Christians and TaNaKh for Jews, an acronym referring to T orah (Teaching), N evi’im (Prophets), and K etuvim (Writings). Quran is the sacred book of Islam. It is the reason why Muslims believe in Islam CITATION htt1 \l 1033 (https://overviewbible.com/tanakh/, n.d.)
In this essay, I will try to differentiate these three religions in terms of their claims that their books are the real God’s Word and how these books differ from each in the literary genre. I will try to uncover some of the facts that you may not be aware of. I hope this will help you to understand their difference and learn some of the truths they hold.
Judaism: The TaNaKh
Let us first start by understanding the history of TaNaKh. Mikra or TaNaKh, the Jewish division of the Bible which is commonly referred to as the Old Testament by Christians, is the collective book written by different Jewish authors across several centuries. It contains 39 books which are;
5 books of the Torah
21 books of the Prophets
13 books of Writings
These books are not written by a single author in his life but rather a product of different oral traditions throughout ancient Jewish history. The Torah is the first 5 books of the Mikra. It contains precepts that are specifically instructed how Jews should conduct themselves as the chosen people of Yahweh. It is the basis for moral standards and way of life among the Jews. The well-known 10 commandments come from these books CITATION htt1 \l 1033 (https://overviewbible.com/tanakh/, n.d.).
The sections of TaNaKh are somewhat arranged according to its purpose. Torah was the first as it reflects Yahweh's precepts for the Jews against pagan nations who conquer them. Prophets are a collection of books written for the continuing guidance of Yahweh and how He tried to lead them to their promise land. The book of Writings is a collection of books written by different Jewish authors to reflect on Yahweh’s faithfulness despite Israel’s infidelity towards other pagan gods CITATION htt5 \l 1033 (https://slife.org/tanakh/, n.d.).
It is known that Jews believe in the coming of the Messiah, someone who will free them from foreign conquerors and will build their nation. Throughout Jewish history, they are often conquered by foreign empires like Babylonians who exiled them from their homeland. After Babylonians, there come the Romans who make them a vassal estate until the fall of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.
Christianity; New Testament
Jesus was born when Israel was under the Roman Empire in a small town of Bethlehem. Every Christians know the nativity story as stated in the Gospels. The New Statement is a collection of books composed of 27 books written by people who believe that Jesus is the Messiah that was foretold by their ancestors who will free them from slavery and restore their kingdom to its former glory like in David’s time. Unfortunately Jesus on the Cross just like any common criminal in 30 A.D CITATION htt2 \l 1033 (/Jesus_Christ/, n.d.).
Some of its followers believed that Jesus was resurrected from the dead and He will come again at the end of times. This is the core Christian belief, Jesus won against death and sins and all of those who believe in Him will have eternal life. At first, Christians were the minority among the pagan empire. Their beliefs of freedom and equality are quite appealing among slaves and people who want to be free from Roman oppression CITATION htt2 \l 1033 (/Jesus_Christ/, n.d.).
Their firm beliefs in one True God against different gods of Romans was always the source of conflicts among Roman authorities. For the first 300 years, Christianity was illegal and often oppressed by authorities. When the first followers of Jesus start to become martyrs under Roman persecutions, many of its followers ask the remaining Apostles to leave a written memoir if Jesus and his teachings to be read in a community gathering every Sunday to commemorate Jesus Resurrection CITATION htt3 \l 1033 (, n.d.).
Christianity became legal under Roman Emperor Constantine when he won the Battle of Milvian Bridge in October 312. He has a vision of the cross and according to the vision when he used it, he will win. As a result of this, he issued the Edict of Milan in February 313. Afterward, Roman Catholicism became the state religion of the Roman Empire CITATION htt12 \l 1033 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edict_of_Milan, n.d.). Several councils were made to compile the books that bear Christian beliefs and verify its authenticity. The first copy of the bible is called Codex Vaticanus which is currently situated at Vatican Library CITATION htt13 \l 1033 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Codex_Vaticanus, n.d.).
Islam; Quran
Quran is the sacred book of Islam. According to Islamic scholars, Mohammed received the first revelation of the Quran from the angel Gabriel in the cave of Hira near Mecca in 610 A.D. The revelations continued until he died in 632 A.D. Zayd ibn Thabit was the first one who compiled these revelations into a book format with other scribes under the Caliph Abu Bakr Siddiq, the first caliph according to Muslim scholars. It was recompiled for uniformity in recitation under the supervision of the third caliph Uthman ibn Affan as the Islamic empire continue to grow and a lot of people begun to differ in reciting verses and the present day Quaran derived from this CITATION htt4 \l 1033 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Quran, n.d.).
What is the Major Difference between the Three?
God’s Medium
According to Muslims, Quran is the direct communication of God to man through Mohammad, unlike the bible which was written by different authors who claimed to be inspired by God that reflect certain truths on the specific period. This is the major difference between the three. Bible is written for over 12 centuries that covers a lot of historical facts, cultures, and beliefs of different people throughout Jewish and Christian history CITATION htt6 \l 1033 (https://billionbibles.org/sharia/bible-vs-quran.html, n.d.).
Muslim scholars claimed that God is the one directly communicating to Mohammed through Angel Gabriel. It is more like a dictation in nature where every word was written was directly instructed by God Himself. This makes the Quran living moral evidence for Muslim believers CITATION htt7 \l 1033 (https://zondervanacademic.com/blog/do-you-know-these-7-differences, n.d.). Therefore for Muslims whenever they read the Quran, it is Allah Himself who is the one talking to them CITATION htt6 \l 1033 (https://billionbibles.org/sharia/bible-vs-quran.html, n.d.).
Unlike the Quran, the Bible is quite different. Old Testament or TaNaKh for Jews were written not in chronological order but a result of a different period in Jewish History. It is believed that the first book is written in the Old Testament is the Exodus. It is the center of the Jewish faith. It narrates how Yahweh save them from slavery and idolatry of Egypt and gave them the 10 commandments. It also includes precepts of Jewish morali...