Unlike many of our contemporaries Muslims recognise Jesus as a great moral teacher, prophet, miracle-worker and reformer. But they are most offended when we suggest that he is the only way to God. Couldn't we save ourselves trouble by being less 'narrowminded and arrogant'?

First we mut admit that our faiths have much in common: a belief in the supernatural, a common history, a day of judgement. We should use these similarities to arouse interest and start conversations. But we must also recognise that our views of Christ are mutually exclusive. Muslims and Christians cannot both be right!

That Jesus is the only way to God is asserted by Peter, Paul and indeed Jesus himself (Acts 4:12; 1 Tim 2:5; Jn 14:6). Whoever does not believe in Christ stands condemned (Jn 3:18) and whoever denies him will be denied (Mt 10:33; Mk 8:38).

Furthermore these exclusive claims are based on the teaching that Jesus is himself God. This is directly stated in at least eight passages of the New Testament (Jn 1:1,2; Jn 1:18; Jn 20:28; Acts 20:28; Rom 9:5; Tit 2:13; Heb 1:8; 2 Pet 1:1) and strongly implied in others (Mt 1:23; Jn 17:3, 5; Col 2:2; 2 Thes 1:12; 1Tim 1:17).

While it is true that Jesus did not make many direct claims to divinity, but rather waited for people to deduce the fact (although see Jn 14:8-11), he left us in no doubt about where he syood on the matter. By claiming to be or do things which only God is or does he signalled his identity with the father.

He called himself 'I AM' (Jn 8:58), the bridegroom (Mk 2:19) the shepherd (Jn 10:11); and 'the first and the last' (Rev 22:130; terms which God uses in the Old Testament to describe himself (Ex 3:14; Je 2:2; Ps 23:1; Is 44:6).

He accepted the title Lord (Heb:YHWH=Gk:Kyrios) and accepted worship (Jn 9:38) while being intimately aware of the Old Testament laws about idolatry. He claimed to have the power to forgive sins (Is 43:11 cf Mk 2:5) and to be the judge at the last day (Jn 5:22) and affirmed that he existed even before the world was made (Jn 17:5).

We can tell from the reactions people had to Jesus, that they knew what he was claiming. They either worshipped him (Mt 14:33) or accused him of blasphemy (Jn 10:33). He was crucified because he claimed to be God.

Soft-pedalling the fact that Jesus is both God and 'the only way' may help us make firends in the Muslim community. But by doing it we are denying the Gospel.