his brother when the latter agreed to carry the royal goblet in his saddle-bag so that it would look as though he were a thief. When the goblet was found in his pack, that brother did not panic, whereas Joseph’s other brothers—who knew nothing of the plan—were alarmed. Many brazen outlaws are captured and even crucified while remaining firm and patient, so why do they attribute to the Messiah the overwhelming terror they describe? Such a portrayal entails the greatest possible deficiency in one whom they nonetheless claim to be divine.

Sixth Point:
Their claim that he is God’s “Word” and “Spirit” is self-contradictory, for according to them he is only the hypostasis of the Word, not the hypostasis of life.

Seventh Point:
They further say: “He has also proved our view elsewhere by saying, ‘God cast His Word to Mary,’ and this, according to us Christians, means that the eternal, creative Word of God alighted in Mary and united with a complete human being.”

We say to them: The words of Allah in the Quran are true, but you have gone astray in interpreting them, just as you have gone astray in interpreting other words of the prophets and what they transmitted from Allah,