Islam teaches that Jesus (ʿĪsā) is a **human prophet** — one of the greatest messengers of Allah, born of the virgin Mary, performing miracles by Allah's permission. He is the Messiah (al-Masīḥ), but only in the sense of a divinely appointed human messenger.
"The Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, was but a messenger of Allah and His word which He directed to Mary and a soul [created at a command] from Him."
— Quran 4:171 (Sūrat al-Nisāʾ)
"That [is] Jesus, the son of Mary — the word of truth about which they are in doubt. So do not worship [anyone] besides Allah. I will surely do for you, as I have done for you, destruction."
— Quran 43:59–60 (Sūrat az-Zukhruf)
"And [make me] a protector of the Children of Israel, [saying], 'Indeed I have come to you with a sign from your Lord...'"
— Quran 3:49 (Sūrat Āl ʿImrān) — Jesus speaking
Jesus is listed among the five greatest prophets in Islam (Ulu al-Azm): Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad. But he is strictly human — not divine, not part of a Trinity, not the Son of God.
Christianity teaches that Jesus is **fully God and fully man** — the eternal Son, the second person of the Trinity, who became incarnate through the virgin birth. He is not merely a prophet; he is the Word made flesh.
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God." — "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father."
— John 1:1, 14 (ESV) — Gospel of John (c. 90–120 CE)
"For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily."
— Colossians 2:9 (ESV) — Letter of Paul to the Colossians
"I and the Father are one."
— John 10:30 (ESV)
"Thomas said to him, 'My Lord and my God!' Jesus said to him, 'Have you believed because you have seen me?'"
— John 20:28–29 (ESV)
"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
— Isaiah 9:6 (ESV) — Hebrew Bible/Old Testament (c. 8th century BCE)
The early Church councils (Nicaea 325 CE, Chalcedon 451 CE) formalized this as orthodox doctrine: Jesus is one person with two natures — fully divine and fully human — without confusion, change, division, or separation.
But this was not a late invention. Long before Nicaea, early Christians were already worshiping Jesus as God:
"Jesus Christ our God."
— Ignatius of Antioch, Letter to the Ephesians 18:2 (c. 108 CE) — a disciple of John the Apostle
"Let us acknowledge our God, Jesus Christ, through whom glory is given to the Father, now and forever and forever. Amen."
— Ignatius of Antioch, Letter to the Romans prologue (c. 108–110 CE)
"Jesus Christ, who is our eternal joy, who is your bishop. … where even Peter glorified you, when he counted you worthy to reach Rome."
— Ignatius of Antioch, Letter to the Ephesians 20:2 (c. 108 CE)
"May grace be with you all who are in Jesus Christ, who is the Lord of the churches, the father and mother of us all."
— Ignatius of Antioch, Letter to the Ephesians 1:2 (c. 108 CE) — addressing Jesus with language reserved for God alone
"Pray one for another, brethren. Your prayer is not without power or profit. I know that you are fully established in the truth of our God, and that the Lord Jesus Christ, who is your Father's contemplation, is your unshakable faith."
— Ignatius of Antioch, Letter to the Ephesians 9:1 (c. 108 CE)
Clement of Rome (c. 96 CE), a contemporary of the apostles, wrote to the Corinthians calling Jesus "Lord and God". The Didache (late 1st century) instructed Christians to baptize "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" — placing Jesus on equal footing with God the Father. Polycarp (c. 110–155 CE), also a disciple of John, was martyred calling on "the Lord Jesus Christ" as the object of his worship.
None of these figures waited for Nicaea. They lived within one generation of the apostles. The worship of Jesus as God was not a doctrinal development — it was the practice from the beginning.