Do Christians, Jews and Muslims worship the same God?

All three faiths say there is one God, the God of Abraham. Where they differ is Jesus. Christians worship him as God the Son. Jews see him as a Jewish teacher, but not the Messiah, the savior God promised. Muslims honor him as a prophet. So they point to the same God of Abraham, but they describe God in different ways.

1 · MindWhat people believe, and how they know

Each faith answers from its own revelation (what it believes God has shown) and tradition. Reason helps us compare them fairly, but no outside test settles it, which is exactly why respect matters.

What each tradition or community says

We're Christians, so we list what Christians believe first. Every other section is checked by someone from that faith or community.

Christianity

One God in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Jesus is fully God and fully human. The God of Abraham is the Father of Jesus (Matthew 22:32).

Judaism

God is one and indivisible: “Hear, Israel: Yahweh is our God. Yahweh is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4). God made a covenant, a binding promise, with Abraham and his descendants.

Islam

God (Allah, the Arabic word for God, also used by Arabic-speaking Christians) is one, with no partner or son (Qur’an 112). The Qur’an tells Muslims to say to Jews and Christians that “our God and your God is one” (Qur’an 29:46, summarized).

Where they differ most

The Trinity and the divinity of Jesus. Christians affirm both. Jews and Muslims reject both. This is a real difference, not a misunderstanding.

2 · HeartWhat it feels like

This question often comes loaded, as if the answer decides who’s in and who’s out. Try it as a family question instead. Three relatives describe the same grandfather. They agree on a lot, and they disagree on important things, and the disagreements matter because they love him.

You can hold two things at once: real differences, and a real shared starting point. Honest neighbors can say both out loud.

I’m a Lutheran, so I believe Jesus is God. My Muslim and Jewish friends don’t. We still bring each other soup. Both of those facts are true, and neither one cancels the other.Neighbor Radio

3 · HandsHow to be a good neighbor

When a Samaritan woman raised exactly this kind of argument about the right place and way to worship, Jesus didn’t pretend the differences were nothing. He also said a time was coming when true worshippers would worship “in spirit and truth” (John 4:19-24). He kept talking with her, which most people of his day would not have done.

This weekAsk a neighbor of another faith one question about what they believe. Then listen without correcting.

TimelineWhere this fits

See every faith on one timeline →

SourcesWhere it is in the scriptures

Hebrew Bible (the Christian Old Testament)

Deuteronomy 6:4 Read it in the World English Bible on Free Scripture

New Testament

Matthew 22:32 Read it in the World English Bible on Free Scripture
John 4:19-24 Read it in the World English Bible on Free Scripture

Qur’an

Qur'an 29:46

Bible passages are quoted from the World English Bible. Other sacred texts are summarized, with references so you can find them.

Plain wordsWhat do these words mean?

Messiah: “Anointed one.” In Jewish hope, a coming king from David’s family. Christians believe Jesus is the Messiah.
Prophet: Someone believed to speak a message from God.
Revelation: Something people believe God has shown or told them. Also the last book of the Bible.
Covenant: A sacred promise between God and people, like the promises the Bible describes with Abraham and Moses.
Allah: The Arabic word for God. Arabic-speaking Christians and Jews use it too.
Qur’an: The holy book of Islam. Muslims believe God revealed it to the Prophet Muhammad through the angel Gabriel.
Trinity: The Christian belief that there is one God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Not three gods.

All the words →

Four questions to take with you

From Jesus' story of the Good Samaritan, about the stranger who stopped to help. We call it the Samaritan Test.

Did they see? Or look right past?
Did they stop? Even when it was inconvenient?
Did it cost them? Time, money, comfort, reputation?
Did they treat the person like a person? Not like a label?

Try it on: the next time a neighbor of another faith prays out loud. Did you stop long enough to listen?

Quick questions

Is Allah a different God?

Allah is the Arabic word for God. Arabic-speaking Christians and Jews also use it. The faiths differ in how they describe God, not in the word.

Do Muslims believe in Jesus?

Yes, as a major prophet and the Messiah, born of the virgin Mary. Muslims do not believe he is divine or that he is the Son of God.

Sources and research

How this answer was made

Written in plain words by the Neighbor Radio team. Each faith's and community's section is checked by someone from that faith or community. Until then, this page says so. Spot something wrong? Tell us. We read every note and fix mistakes.