Michael Horton on Christ and Islam:

When Christians do “Christendom,” they are dangerously misinterpreting the whole character of Christ’s teaching concerning his kingdom. They must interpret the Old Testament allegorically, as if it were a pattern that any modern nation could invoke. They must confuse the old and new covenants—the geopolitical theocracy established at Mount Sinai with Christ’s reign from Mount Zion. They must ignore Christ’s explicit statements that his kingdom is distinct from Caesar’s, that instead of holy war believers are to suffer persecution for their witness and pray for their enemies, and that by no means are they to prosecute his peace treaty by physical coercion. They must ignore the explicit statements in the New Testament that the old covenant, having been fulfilled by Christ, is now “obsolete” (Heb. 8:13). In declaring any nation or land holy (thus justifying holy wars), interpreters must contradict the clear New Testament teaching that the true Israel is Christ together with all who, with Abraham, place their faith in him alone. Jesus is the temple, his worldwide body is the holy land, and the war we wage is not with temporal swords. continue reading