61.6 – I am the messenger of God to you, confirming what was before me of the Torah
The idea that ‘Īsā “confirms” the Torah (also 3.50; 5.46) raises the interesting question of Jesus’ relationship to the Old Testament.
According to the Gospel accounts, Jesus said that he had come not to abrogate “the Law or the Prophets” but to fulfill them (Matthew 5:17). He then commanded his disciples to turn the other cheek and love their enemies (Matthew 5:39, 44). Jesus also explained to his disciples the passages in “the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms” that were written about him (Luke 24:44; also 24:27). He highlighted especially the fulfillment of prophecies in the Hebrew Bible that “the Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (Luke 24:46–47).
The apostle Paul also wrote about a new way that God heals and transforms people, “to which the Law and Prophets testify” (Romans 3:21). No one will be ultimately healed and united to God simply by observing the Mosaic law, Paul wrote. Rather, God’s righteousness and life come through faith in Jesus the Messiah. God presented Jesus as a sacrifice in fulfillment of many indications in the Old Testament, not to appease divine wrath, but to conquer death through death. By offering salvation freely by His grace through the redemption that came through Jesus, God demonstrated His deep love and justice (Romans 3:22–27).
In New Testament terms, Jesus did confirm the Torah in the sense of fulfilling its intentions and prophecies. Whether the portrait of ‘Īsā in the Quran matches the identity and teaching of the Messiah prophesied in the Torah is questionable.

61.6 – bringing good news of a messenger who will come after me, whose name will be Aḥmad
The Quran asserts that ‘Īsā speaks of “a messenger who will come after me.” The name of this messenger would be aḥmad , a word that literally means “more praised.” Muslims have interpreted aḥmad to be another name for Muhammad, and many have cited this verse to claim that the coming of Islam’s messenger was prophesied.
In the Gospel accounts, Jesus spoke not of a messenger but of a “Counselor” (Gk. paraklētos ) to come, whom Jesus clearly identified as the “Holy Spirit” and the “Spirit of truth” (John 14:17, 26; 15:26; 16:15). Jesus further specified that this Counselor would be sent by the Father in Jesus’ name (John 14:26), would testify about Jesus (John 15:26), would remind believers of everything that Jesus said (John 14:26), and would bring glory to Jesus by taking what belongs to Jesus and making it known (John 16:14).
Neither Quran nor hadith fulfill these prophecies about the “Counselor” found in the New Testament, and it is fair to question whether the tasks of the Holy Spirit as described by Jesus in John 14–16 are within the capabilities of any human.
The New Testament documents the fulfillment of Jesus’ words in the coming of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2.

61.6 – I am the messenger of God to you, confirming what was before me of the Torah
The idea that ‘Īsā “confirms” the Torah (also 3.50; 5.46) raises the interesting question of Jesus’ relationship to the Old Testament.
According to the Gospel accounts, Jesus said that he had come not to abrogate “the Law or the Prophets” but to fulfill them (Matthew 5:17). He then commanded his disciples to turn the other cheek and love their enemies (Matthew 5:39, 44). Jesus also explained to his disciples the passages in “the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms” that were written about him (Luke 24:44; also 24:27). He highlighted especially the fulfillment of prophecies in the Hebrew Bible that “the Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (Luke 24:46–47).
The apostle Paul also wrote about a new way that God heals and transforms people, “to which the Law and Prophets testify” (Romans 3:21). No one will be ultimately healed and united to God simply by observing the Mosaic law, Paul wrote. Rather, God’s righteousness and life come through faith in Jesus the Messiah. God presented Jesus as a sacrifice in fulfillment of many indications in the Old Testament, not to appease divine wrath, but to conquer death through death. By offering salvation freely by His grace through the redemption that came through Jesus, God demonstrated His deep love and justice (Romans 3:22–27).
In New Testament terms, Jesus did confirm the Torah in the sense of fulfilling its intentions and prophecies. Whether the portrait of ‘Īsā in the Quran matches the identity and teaching of the Messiah prophesied in the Torah is questionable.

61.6 – bringing good news of a messenger who will come after me, whose name will be Aḥmad
The Quran asserts that ‘Īsā speaks of “a messenger who will come after me.” The name of this messenger would be aḥmad, a word that literally means “more praised.” Muslims have interpreted aḥmad to be another name for Muhammad, and many have cited this verse to claim that the coming of Islam’s messenger was prophesied.
In the Gospel accounts, Jesus spoke not of a messenger but of a “Counselor” (Gk. paraklētos) to come, whom Jesus clearly identified as the “Holy Spirit” and the “Spirit of truth” (John 14:17, 26; 15:26; 16:15). Jesus further specified that this Counselor would be sent by the Father in Jesus’ name (John 14:26), would testify about Jesus (John 15:26), would remind believers of everything that Jesus said (John 14:26), and would bring glory to Jesus by taking what belongs to Jesus and making it known (John 16:14).
Neither Quran nor hadith fulfill these prophecies about the “Counselor” found in the New Testament, and it is fair to question whether the tasks of the Holy Spirit as described by Jesus in John 14–16 are within the capabilities of any human.
The New Testament documents the fulfillment of Jesus’ words in the coming of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2.