Muslims today recognize that Christian teachings are diametrically opposed to Islamic doctrine.
Christianity teaches that God became a man and died on the cross for our sins—doctrines that Muslims consider inconceivable and blasphemous.
So, from the perspective of the Muslim community, Christian teachings had been corrupted. But when were they corrupted?
When we trace these beliefs back, we find that they were the beliefs of the earliest Christian church. Therefore, Muslims have to believe that somehow, during the time of the disciples themselves, the early church was infiltrated and its message corrupted. This had to be the work of someone powerful, someone other than the disciples.
There is only one obvious figure who fits that description: Paul.
It is for this reason that Paul’s motives, character, and authority are called into question. It was Paul who took the religion taught by Yeshua and turned it into the religion about Yeshua.
The most significant challenge Muslims often argue is that Paul never saw Yeshua, and that he rarely comments on the historical Yeshua in his letters. Therefore, Paul must not have been concerned about who Yeshua actually was, but rather was interested in turning Yeshua into the Son of God, even God himself.
This is another example of Muslims sticking their heads in the sand whenever trying to discuss Christianity. "No, you cannot use the book of John as evidence... no, you cannot use the writings of Paul as evidence...". Where does it end? Any evidence we submit that challenges their belief or the Quran will also be excluded. Why not just admit that they've no interest in the Truth?
Muslims completely distrust Paul and claim that Christianity is his man-made religion. They hold Paul completely accountable for the shape of today's Christianity.
Can we really trust Paul? If Paul never met Jesus before the crucifixion, how could he accurately relay the religion taught by Jesus? Might today’s Christianity be a Pauline product?
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