← Which Gospel?
About this site
Which Gospel? examines the claims of other faiths against the Bible, and makes the case for the Bible itself where the reader does not already accept it. It exists for one reason: not to win arguments, but to help real people meet the real Jesus — and to help Christians do that with both honesty and gentleness (1 Peter 3:15).
The rules every page follows
- Give the other side its best shot first. Every claim here is shown with the strongest published defence from that faith's own scholars before any verdict is given — a habit usually called steelmanning, the opposite of knocking down a straw man. FAIR and the Gospel Topics essays for Mormonism. IslamQA and the classical tafsir — the traditional Muslim verse-by-verse commentaries on the Quran — for Islam. The Watchtower's own publications for Jehovah's Witnesses. The camps' own teaching for Hebrew Israelites. Outreach Judaism and Jews for Judaism for the Messiah section. Graham Oppy and Bart Ehrman for the Case for God.
- Cite their sources. Wherever possible, facts are documented from the faith's own canon and publications. A verdict of Admitted means their own sources concede the facts.
- Name weak arguments as weak. Criticisms that don't survive scrutiny are marked so, including popular Christian arguments. Around forty entries on this site exist for one purpose: to tell Christians to stop using a particular argument — the "moon god" myth, "all twelve apostles were martyred", Darwin's deathbed, the Talmud quote lists, and more. An examination that inflates weak claims forfeits the right to be believed on strong ones.
- The verdicts are our judgement, not God's. Each one describes where the public argument currently stands, as best we can tell, and shows the reasons behind it. They are calls we have made, and you can check our working.
The four grades, in plain words
Every case carries one of four grades. They are the most useful thing on the site, so
here is what each one actually means for you.
- Admitted. The other side's own books, essays or official statements concede the
facts. You can make the point entirely from their sources, and there is nothing to argue
about except what the facts mean. This is the strongest ground you can stand on.
- Unrefuted. The claim has been put for a long time and no good answer has been
published. Not "unanswerable" — just unanswered. Use it, and use it without gloating.
- Contested. Scholars argue this one both ways and both sides have a real case.
Say so before your friend does. Expect a conversation, not a win.
- Don't use. The other side answers this one well, or the Christian version of the
argument does not hold up. It is on the site so nothing is cherry-picked — and so you do
not walk into it. Leading with these costs you credibility on everything else.
One section reads slightly differently: in the Hebrew Israelites section, a case marked
Settled is one the biblical text answers clearly — the grievance behind it is still
real, and the page says so.
Written to be read
Every case opens in plain English first — short blocks, one idea per sentence, aimed at about a ninth-grade reading level. The sourced version, with the scholars named and the citations in full, sits underneath it on the same page. Nothing is hidden and nothing is dumbed down; the same facts are simply said twice, once quickly and once completely.
Corrections & rebuttals — genuinely invited
If you are a Latter-day Saint, a Muslim, a Jehovah's Witness, a Hebrew Israelite, a Jewish reader or an atheist, and you believe any claim here misstates the facts, misquotes a source, or leaves out your best response — we want to know. If a case can't survive its best counterargument, it doesn't belong here. Open an issue or write via the GitHub repository.
What this site is not
It is not a claim that anyone examined here is foolish or insincere. Most are neither, and many live lives of devotion that put Christians to shame. The dispute is about what is true, weighed from the documents. And it is not neutral: we believe the Bible stands, that Jesus is who the manuscripts say he claimed to be, and that "by grace are ye saved through faith… not of works" is the best news any person will ever hear.
Texts, translations & copyright
Bible quotations and the embedded Bible reader use the King James Version (public domain). Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price texts are drawn from public-domain early editions (the current LDS editions' headings and footnotes are not used). The Arabic Quran is public domain; the embedded English Quran reader uses the Pickthall translation (1930, public domain in the United States). Brief quotations from other translations (identified where quoted) and from church, apologetic, and scholarly publications appear as short attributed excerpts for purposes of criticism, commentary, and education under fair use (17 U.S.C. §107). Hadith excerpts are brief quotations with links to the full text on sunnah.com. All trademarks and names belong to their owners; this site is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or any Islamic organization.
Image credits
Historical images are served from Wikimedia Commons. Each is public domain or openly licensed; attribution follows (image — author · license):
- Abraham Facsimile 1.png — Abraham, Joseph Smith · Public domain
- Abraham Facsimile 2.png — Abraham, Joseph Smith, Reuben Hedlock · Public domain
- Abraham Facsimile 3.png — Abraham (attributed), Joseph Smith, Reuben Hedlock · Public domain
- Adam-ondi-Ahman-Tower.jpg — Own work by Americasroof (Transfered by Jeneme) · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Age-of-caliphs-en-text.png — Brian Szymanski · Public domain
- Alexander the Great mosaic.jpg — Unknown author · Public domain
- Angel Moroni - Salt Lake Temple.jpg — Farragutful · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Awwam Temple.jpg — Marib Governorate · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Birmingham Quran manuscript - closeup.jpg — Anonymous · Public domain
- Birmingham Quran manuscript.jpg — Anonymous · Public domain
- Book of Mormon 1830 edition reprint.jpg — No machine-readable author provided. Ricardo630 assumed (… · Public domain
- Brigham Young by Charles William Carter (3x4 cropped).jpg — Charles William Carter · Public domain
- Calligraphic representation of Muhammad's name.jpg — Bakkouz at Arabic Wikipedia · Public domain
- Christus statue temple square salt lake city.jpg — Unknown · Public domain
- Codex Sinaiticus Matthew 6,4-32.JPG — Unknown author · Public domain
- Codex Sinaiticus, GA 01.jpg — London, British Library · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Cristo crucificado.jpg — Diego Velázquez · Public domain
- De Kaaba, in vogelvlucht gezien, AK-MAK-1543.jpg — Rijksmuseum · CC0
- Deseret alphabet first print of 1854 according to Beesley.png — Unknown author · Public domain
- El Castillo Stitch 2008 Edit 1.jpg — Fcb981 · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Fanous Ramadan.jpg — Ibrahim.ID · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Flag of Utah.svg — The State of Utah · Public domain
- G. W. Fasel - Charles G. Crehen - Nagel & Weingaertner - Martyrdom of Joseph and Hiram Smith in Carthage jail, June 27th, 1844.jpg — Painter: G.W. Fasel Lithographer: Charles G. Crehen, (182… · Public domain
- Golden plates and other artifacts.jpg — David A. Baird · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Great Isaiah Scroll Ch53.jpg — Photography by Ardon Bar Hama (see [2], author of origina… · Public domain
- Haun's Mill by C.C.A. Christensen.png — C. C. A. Christensen · Public domain
- Headings for Chapter 1, al-Fatiha, and for Chapter 2, al-Baqara (CBL Is 1431, f.9b).jpg — Ibn al-Bawwab · Public domain
- Istanbul Suleymaniye Mosque Interior Mihrab 2015 1283.jpg — Dosseman · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Jabal al-Nour And cave Hira.jpg — Sadath i · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Jerusalem-2013(2)-Temple Mount-Dome of the Rock (SE exposure).jpg — Godot13 · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Joseph F. Smith bust portrait.jpg — Charles Roscoe Savage · Public domain
- Joseph Smith Papyrus I.jpg — Unknown authors · Public domain
- Joseph Smith Red Brick Store in Nauvoo.jpg — maithe38 · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Joseph Smith, Jr. portrait owned by Joseph Smith III.jpg — Likely William Warner Major · Public domain
- Kapadokya'dan Nazar Boncuğu.jpg — Alev Akın · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Kinderhook plates.png — Unknown · Public domain
- Kirtland Safety Society bank note 2.jpg — Kirtland Safety Society · Public domain
- KirtlandTemple Ohio USA.jpg — John Hamer · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Kiswah, Kaaba - 7 May 2016 (cropped-01).jpg — Abdullah Shakoor from Pixabay · CC0
- Madison Proposition 8 protest - (38).jpg — James Steakley · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Manuscript of Sahih Bukhari.jpg — Muhammad al-Bukhari · CC0
- Martinharrisat87.jpg — artist unknown · Public domain
- Mishwak.jpg — Nvilko · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Mormon Pioneer handcart statue.jpg — Torleif S. Knaphus · Public domain
- Mormon Tabernacle, Salt Lake.jpg — Int. Art & Nov. Co. · Public domain
- Mormon Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah, baptismal font LCCN2018646045.jpg — Smith, Joseph F. (Joseph Fielding), 1838-1918, copyright … · Public domain
- Mountain Meadows massacre (Stenhouse).png — T.B.H. Stenhouse · Public domain
- New moon setting 2.jpg — W.carter · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Open Torah scroll.jpg — Lawrie Cate · CC BY 2.0
- P52 recto.jpg — Papyrologist Bernard Grenfell (1920), as preserved at the… · Public domain
- Palmyra New York Temple.jpg — Ken Lund · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Salt Lake Temple UT2.jpg — Acroterion · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Samarkand Kufic Quran, 1905 (2022-07-05) 03.jpg — Vyacheslav Kirillin · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sana'a1 Stanford '07 recto.jpg — Unknown · Public domain
- Seagull Monument - Temple Square - 26 April 2025.jpg — Beneathtimp · CC0
- Spas vsederzhitel sinay.jpg — Unknown artist · Public domain
- Supplicating Pilgrim at Masjid Al Haram. Mecca, Saudi Arabia.jpg — Ali Mansuri · CC BY-SA 2.5
- Tasbih1924.jpg — No machine-readable author provided. Looi~commonswiki ass… · Public domain
- Temple Square, Salt Lake City, 1899 retouched.jpg — William Henry Jackson · Public domain
- The "Sacred Grove".jpg — Ashleywood3 · CC BY-SA 4.0
- The Blackstone.jpg — Amerrycan Muslim · CC BY-SA 3.0
- The Great Isaiah Scroll MS A (1QIsa) - Google Art Project.jpg — Unknown artist · Public domain
- The Hopewell mound group of Ohio BHL6715034.jpg — Laufer, Berthold; Moorehead, Warren King · Public domain
- Theodosius Arrives at Ephesus, from a Scene from the Legend of the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus MET DP102839.jpg — anonymous · CC0
- Theotokos of Vladimir.jpg — Wikivorker · CC0
- Tomb of Ezra.jpg — Jewish Encyclopedia · Public domain
- Unknown, Egypt - Ka'aba Door Curtain - Google Art Project.jpg — Unknown, Egypt, 1903-1904 (Egypt) · Public domain
- View of City Creek Center and the Salt Lake Temple.jpg — Shawnnielsen · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Wide shot of the Green Dome at The Prophet's Mosque (Al Masjid-e-Nabawi).jpg — TheHadiRahim · CC0
- Zamzam water.jpg — Graceyakubu · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Jehovah's witnesses Kingdom Hall Hong Kong.png — Toadell · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses in Karlsruhe-Mühlburg.jpg — Ikar.us · CC BY 3.0 DE
- Watchtower, July 1925 (Russian Edition).jpg — Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society · Public domain
- Nazi concentration camp prisoners' badges.jpg — author unknown · Public domain
- Brookes slave ship, British Library (cropped).jpg — printed by James Phillips, London, 1788 · Public domain
- Open Torah scroll.jpg — Lawrie Cate · CC BY 2.0
- Africans Hebrew Israelites in Dimona.JPG — Dr. Avishai Teicher / PikiWiki Israel · CC BY 2.5
- VilniusShasPage.jpg — Widow Romm and Brothers of Vilna, 1880–86 · Public domain
- Targum.jpg — unknown · Public domain
- Hubble ultra deep field high rez edit1.jpg — NASA / ESA · Public domain
- Pilate Inscription.JPG — Marion Doss · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Pool of Siloam.jpg — New York Times · Public domain
- Qumran, Dead Sea, Palestine 42.jpg — Hoshvilim · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Tel Dan Stele — Aramaic inscription, Dan, 9th c. BC — Gary Todd · CC0
- Jerusalem Modell BW 2.JPG (Second Temple model) — Berthold Werner · Public domain
- Western wall and its square, Jerusalem.jpg — Someone35 · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Isaiah scroll at the Shrine of the Book.jpg — Dennis G. Jarvis · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Codex Vaticanus B, 2 Thess. 3:11-18, Heb. 1:1-2:2.jpg — unknown · Public domain
- Torah ark in Beit El synagogue in Lod.jpg — DGtal · CC BY 3.0
- Praha Spanish Synagogue Interior 01.jpg — Uoaei1 · CC BY-SA 4.0
- 200227-M-YY851-1143.jpg (donated blood) — Armed Services Blood Program · Public domain
"Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear." — 1 Peter 3:15