I have heard this characterization of Paul, as a reason why we should not trust Paul's writings:
9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle..
(1 Cor 15:9)
As mentioned elsewhere Paul did not show up in Corinth with a big stick and force everyone by threat of death to convert to Christianity. Nor did he go around saying "I am a prophet of God so do what I say".
Instead, he presents humility and [sometimes tedious] reasoning in his writing.
This begs the question how he ever made any converts at all.
The verse below is also used to show Paul is a liar, but not a very clever one:
7 But if by my lie God’s truth is amplified to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner?
(Romans 3:7)
Monday, October 28, 2013
Evidence that the Bible is True
I should have been endorsed by you, since I am not in any way inferior to the “super-apostles,” even though I am nothing. 12 The signs of an apostle were performed with great endurance among you—not only signs but also wonders and miracles.
(2 Cor 12:11)
In context Paul is writing a letter to the church at Corinth and he is trying to persuade them on various topics. So if he wants to retain credibility, how can he claim that there signs and wonders and miracles occurring among these people? If this were not true then his entire letter would have been dismissed as a lie. Can you think of a way this letter could have become accepted and get into circulation if it contained a lie that the readers could have easily refuted?
(2 Cor 12:11)
In context Paul is writing a letter to the church at Corinth and he is trying to persuade them on various topics. So if he wants to retain credibility, how can he claim that there signs and wonders and miracles occurring among these people? If this were not true then his entire letter would have been dismissed as a lie. Can you think of a way this letter could have become accepted and get into circulation if it contained a lie that the readers could have easily refuted?
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Are Women allowed To Speak in Church?
It is well established that Mohammed married Aisha when she was 6 and it was consummated when she was 9. He was 54 at the time.
In response you will tend to hear verses about how women are mistreated in the Bible like this one:
As in all the churches of the saints, 34 the women should be silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak, but should be submissive, as the law also says. 35 And if they want to learn something, they should ask their own husbands at home, for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church meeting. 36 Did the word of God originate from you, or did it come to you only?
(1 Cor 14 33b-36)
However if you look at verse 33a (and before that) you will see the context is about order in the church:
33 since God is not a God of disorder but of peace.
(1 Cor 14:33a)
It is believed that in the Corinthian church, the women and men would sit separately and the women would sometimes talk to their husbands rather than waiting until they were home (v.35). The Corinthian church had many problems, this probably being the least of them.
This church was in such a state that in his second epistle Paul is still concerned with order:
20 For I fear that perhaps when I come I will not find you to be what I want, and I may not be found by you to be what you want; there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorder.
(2 Cor 12:20)
I should also point out that there are many female ministers in Christianity, and that the Foursquare denomination was started by a woman (Aimee Semple Mcpherson).
Fundamentally Paul does not see women as spiritually as better or worse than men:
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
--Galatians 3:28
Possibly the highest compliment that was ever paid to anyone by Jesus was paid to a woman:
Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her.
--Matthew 26:13
The first people to tell about the resurrection of Jesus were women:
Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre;
And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive.
--Luke 24:22-23
In response you will tend to hear verses about how women are mistreated in the Bible like this one:
As in all the churches of the saints, 34 the women should be silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak, but should be submissive, as the law also says. 35 And if they want to learn something, they should ask their own husbands at home, for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church meeting. 36 Did the word of God originate from you, or did it come to you only?
(1 Cor 14 33b-36)
However if you look at verse 33a (and before that) you will see the context is about order in the church:
33 since God is not a God of disorder but of peace.
(1 Cor 14:33a)
It is believed that in the Corinthian church, the women and men would sit separately and the women would sometimes talk to their husbands rather than waiting until they were home (v.35). The Corinthian church had many problems, this probably being the least of them.
This church was in such a state that in his second epistle Paul is still concerned with order:
20 For I fear that perhaps when I come I will not find you to be what I want, and I may not be found by you to be what you want; there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorder.
(2 Cor 12:20)
I should also point out that there are many female ministers in Christianity, and that the Foursquare denomination was started by a woman (Aimee Semple Mcpherson).
Fundamentally Paul does not see women as spiritually as better or worse than men:
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
--Galatians 3:28
Possibly the highest compliment that was ever paid to anyone by Jesus was paid to a woman:
Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her.
--Matthew 26:13
The first people to tell about the resurrection of Jesus were women:
Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre;
And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive.
--Luke 24:22-23
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Why Don't Christians Memorize the Bible?
Muslims often point out how so many of them have memorized the Quran.
They will point to some story a six-year-old somewhere who can recite the entire Quran, or how many Muslims Hafizs they have met (a Hafiz is a person who has memorized the Quran).
However there are also stories of people who have memorized the Quran and have no particular insight what it actually means. There even a video of a parrot reciting the shihada.
The Bible has no mandate to memorize it. Instead we should try to grasp its meaning and apply it in our life. It is most important to understand the truth, but not necessarily at a verbal level.
A person may be able to fix a car but this does not mean that he can recite the specifications about it.
Here are some verses that instruct us to "meditate" on the Bible over memorizing it:
8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
(Joshua 1:8)
14 I rejoice in the way revealed by Your decrees
as much as in all riches.
15 I will meditate on Your precepts
and think about Your ways.
16 I will delight in Your statutes;
I will not forget Your word.
(Psalm 119:14-16)
I believe that the Hebrew word for "meditate" is means "to mutter", or "chew the cud", as the cow does.
Here is a direct admonition from the New Testament that does not mention memorization of the Bible to Timothy, a minister of the Gospel:
15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who doesn’t need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth.
(2 Tim 2:15)
They will point to some story a six-year-old somewhere who can recite the entire Quran, or how many Muslims Hafizs they have met (a Hafiz is a person who has memorized the Quran).
However there are also stories of people who have memorized the Quran and have no particular insight what it actually means. There even a video of a parrot reciting the shihada.
The Bible has no mandate to memorize it. Instead we should try to grasp its meaning and apply it in our life. It is most important to understand the truth, but not necessarily at a verbal level.
A person may be able to fix a car but this does not mean that he can recite the specifications about it.
Here are some verses that instruct us to "meditate" on the Bible over memorizing it:
8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
(Joshua 1:8)
14 I rejoice in the way revealed by Your decrees
as much as in all riches.
15 I will meditate on Your precepts
and think about Your ways.
16 I will delight in Your statutes;
I will not forget Your word.
(Psalm 119:14-16)
I believe that the Hebrew word for "meditate" is means "to mutter", or "chew the cud", as the cow does.
Here is a direct admonition from the New Testament that does not mention memorization of the Bible to Timothy, a minister of the Gospel:
15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who doesn’t need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth.
(2 Tim 2:15)
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Trinity: Jesus Is Able to Forgive Sin
In Mark, Chapter 2 we read:
5 Seeing their faith, Jesus told the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
6 But some of the scribes were sitting there, thinking to themselves: 7 “Why does He speak like this? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
(Mark 2:5,6)
The scribes ask a good question: Can anyone but God forgive sin?
Jesus proves to the contrary with a miracle:
10 “But so you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,” He told the paralytic, 11 “I tell you: get up, pick up your mat, and go home.”
12 Immediately he got up, picked up the mat, and went out in front of everyone.
(Mark 2:10-12)
Another similar incident is recorded in Luke concerning a woman who was especially sinful:
44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”
48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49 The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
50 Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
(Luke 7:44-50)
It appears that even a little faith in Jesus goes a long way towards having your sins forgiven.
Jesus also was able to forgive the sin of a thief who asked him for mercy:
42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
(Luke 23:42, 43)
It is not clear that Mohammed thought his own sins were forgiven.
5 Seeing their faith, Jesus told the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
6 But some of the scribes were sitting there, thinking to themselves: 7 “Why does He speak like this? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
(Mark 2:5,6)
The scribes ask a good question: Can anyone but God forgive sin?
Jesus proves to the contrary with a miracle:
10 “But so you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,” He told the paralytic, 11 “I tell you: get up, pick up your mat, and go home.”
12 Immediately he got up, picked up the mat, and went out in front of everyone.
(Mark 2:10-12)
Another similar incident is recorded in Luke concerning a woman who was especially sinful:
44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”
48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49 The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
50 Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
(Luke 7:44-50)
It appears that even a little faith in Jesus goes a long way towards having your sins forgiven.
Jesus also was able to forgive the sin of a thief who asked him for mercy:
42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
(Luke 23:42, 43)
It is not clear that Mohammed thought his own sins were forgiven.
Monday, October 21, 2013
Why did Jesus not Preach the Gospel?
As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
--Mark 10:17
Someone may ask: "Why did Jesus not say to believe in my death and resurrection as a propitiation for your sin"?
There are many responses.
[1]
12 “I have yet many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now.
13 However when he, the Spirit of truth, has come, he will guide you into all truth, for he will not speak from himself; but whatever he hears, he will speak.”
--John 16:12
This can be interpreted to mean that the full gospel message would be revealed when the holy spirit would be sent. (Note some Muslims take this as foretelling Mohammed and the Quran).
[2]
Here is one answer to this is articulated by Paul.
None of the rulers of this age knew this wisdom, for if they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
--1 Cor 2:8
Here the "rulers of this age" refers to the demonic rulers, not any human beings.
[3]
But while everyone was marveling at all that He was doing, He said to His disciples, 44“Let these words sink into your ears; for the Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men.” 45But they did not understand this statement, and it was concealed from them so that they would not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this statement.
--Luke 9:43
First Jesus tells them something, but then it is concealed from them. Why, then say it in the first place? Because they would understand it after his resurrection.
[4]
Here is another response: Jesus actually did preach the gospel! In this passage Paul says he received what Jesus taught directly from Jesus.
23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread;
24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”
25 In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood;”
Also:
11 For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man.
12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.
--Gal 1:11-12
Here again Paul says he received his gospel directly from Jesus.
Also:
Peter was shown that the that the Gentiles are to be part of the Church in a vision in Acts 10:10-17
Also:
The entire book of Revelation was revealed to John after the death and resurrection of Jesus.
--Mark 10:17
Someone may ask: "Why did Jesus not say to believe in my death and resurrection as a propitiation for your sin"?
There are many responses.
[1]
12 “I have yet many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now.
13 However when he, the Spirit of truth, has come, he will guide you into all truth, for he will not speak from himself; but whatever he hears, he will speak.”
--John 16:12
This can be interpreted to mean that the full gospel message would be revealed when the holy spirit would be sent. (Note some Muslims take this as foretelling Mohammed and the Quran).
[2]
Here is one answer to this is articulated by Paul.
None of the rulers of this age knew this wisdom, for if they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
--1 Cor 2:8
Here the "rulers of this age" refers to the demonic rulers, not any human beings.
[3]
But while everyone was marveling at all that He was doing, He said to His disciples, 44“Let these words sink into your ears; for the Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men.” 45But they did not understand this statement, and it was concealed from them so that they would not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this statement.
--Luke 9:43
First Jesus tells them something, but then it is concealed from them. Why, then say it in the first place? Because they would understand it after his resurrection.
[4]
Here is another response: Jesus actually did preach the gospel! In this passage Paul says he received what Jesus taught directly from Jesus.
23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread;
24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”
25 In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood;”
Also:
11 For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man.
12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.
--Gal 1:11-12
Here again Paul says he received his gospel directly from Jesus.
Also:
Peter was shown that the that the Gentiles are to be part of the Church in a vision in Acts 10:10-17
Also:
The entire book of Revelation was revealed to John after the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Trinity: The stone that the builders rejected
This is from Luke 20:9-19:
9 Then He began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, leased it to tenant farmers, and went away for a long time. 10 At harvest time he sent a slave to the farmers so that they might give him some fruit from the vineyard. But the farmers beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 11 He sent yet another slave, but they beat that one too, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. 12 And he sent yet a third, but they wounded this one too and threw him out.
13 “Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What should I do? I will send my beloved son. Perhaps[ they will respect him.’
14 “But when the tenant farmers saw him, they discussed it among themselves and said, ‘This is the heir. Let’s kill him, so the inheritance will be ours!’ 15 So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
“Therefore, what will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16 He will come and destroy those farmers and give the vineyard to others.”
But when they heard this they said, “No—never!”
17 But He looked at them and said, “Then what is the meaning of this Scripture:
(Luke 20:9-19)
Here we see that Jesus is comparing the Jewish leaders to murderers and himself to one of many prophets that are rejected by them--but not a normal prophet, but a special son of God. With this final rejection there will be a severe judgment.
9 Then He began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, leased it to tenant farmers, and went away for a long time. 10 At harvest time he sent a slave to the farmers so that they might give him some fruit from the vineyard. But the farmers beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 11 He sent yet another slave, but they beat that one too, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. 12 And he sent yet a third, but they wounded this one too and threw him out.
13 “Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What should I do? I will send my beloved son. Perhaps[ they will respect him.’
14 “But when the tenant farmers saw him, they discussed it among themselves and said, ‘This is the heir. Let’s kill him, so the inheritance will be ours!’ 15 So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
“Therefore, what will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16 He will come and destroy those farmers and give the vineyard to others.”
But when they heard this they said, “No—never!”
17 But He looked at them and said, “Then what is the meaning of this Scripture:
The stone that the builders rejected—
this has become the cornerstone?
this has become the cornerstone?
18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and if it falls on anyone, it will grind him to powder!”
19 Then the scribes and the chief priests looked for a way to get their hands on Him that very hour, because they knew He had told this parable against them, but they feared the people.(Luke 20:9-19)
Here we see that Jesus is comparing the Jewish leaders to murderers and himself to one of many prophets that are rejected by them--but not a normal prophet, but a special son of God. With this final rejection there will be a severe judgment.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
There were no Eye Witneeses to the Crucifxion
Muslims will claim that it was not Jesus who died on the cross, but Allah just made it appear that way.
They will often say that all the disciples fled out of fear and so all the crucifixion accounts are hearsay.
Muslims have no consistent explanation as to who or what was on the cross.
However according to the Bible John was an eye witness:
31 Since it was the preparation day, the Jews did not want the bodies to remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a special day). They requested that Pilate have the men’s legs broken and that their bodies be taken away. 32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man and of the other one who had been crucified with Him. 33 When they came to Jesus, they did not break His legs since they saw that He was already dead. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and at once blood and water came out. 35 He who saw this has testified so that you also may believe.
(John 19:31-35)
Earlier in the same chapter we read that his mother Mary was there also:
25 Standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw His mother and the disciple He loved standing there, He said to His mother, “Woman, here is your son.” 27 Then He said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.
(John 19:25-27)
Therefore Jesus directly identified himself to his mother and to John his disciple
They will often say that all the disciples fled out of fear and so all the crucifixion accounts are hearsay.
Muslims have no consistent explanation as to who or what was on the cross.
However according to the Bible John was an eye witness:
31 Since it was the preparation day, the Jews did not want the bodies to remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a special day). They requested that Pilate have the men’s legs broken and that their bodies be taken away. 32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man and of the other one who had been crucified with Him. 33 When they came to Jesus, they did not break His legs since they saw that He was already dead. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and at once blood and water came out. 35 He who saw this has testified so that you also may believe.
(John 19:31-35)
Earlier in the same chapter we read that his mother Mary was there also:
25 Standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw His mother and the disciple He loved standing there, He said to His mother, “Woman, here is your son.” 27 Then He said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.
(John 19:25-27)
Therefore Jesus directly identified himself to his mother and to John his disciple
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Jesus Is Just one of a Series of Prophets, and Muhammed was the Last Messenger *
Here is a very common argument:
Muslims often claim that Jesus is only one of many prophets.
Every prophet was sent to their own people group. For example, Noah was sent to the people of his time, Lot to his people, Moses was sent to the Jews, as were David and Jesus.
There is a (weak) Hadith that says there was a total of 124,000 prophets sent, but some Muslims still believe this. However, in contrast to all the other prophets who were sent to their respective clans, Mohammed was sent to the entire world.
This forms an additional reason for putting Jesus aside and following Mohammed.
One question that comes to mind is this.. What is it about Mohammed's life and message that makes it final? Mohammed died as a result of being poisoned by a Jewish woman.
Why did Allah not warn his prophet that he was eating something bad?
Jesus died on the cross during the Passover festival. Christians believe that Jesus, by paying the price for sin, and made the way for humanity to be reconciled to God.
17 Don’t assume that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.
(Matt 5:17)
Doesn't the word "fulfill" denote finality?
30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” Then bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.
(John 19:30)
Muslims will object that Mohammed was the final prophet because he came with a book, and that book has been perfectly preserved until now. Both assertions are questionable. If Mohammed's purpose was to produce a book, then why is the Quran not in in chronological order according to when it was revealed? The answer is that it was actually compiled after his death, and the compilation was in a somewhat haphazard way. Also other texts were ordered to be burned. Muslims are the original Quran burners.
Many revelations in the Bible include the historical context. Here are three examples:
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne..
(Isaiah 6:1)
9 I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation, kingdom, and endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of God’s word and the testimony about Jesus. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard a loud voice behind me like a trumpet 11 saying, “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches:
(Rev 1:9)
Psalm 3 starts with the context when it came to him:
A psalm of David when he fled from his son Absalom.
(Psalm 3:1)
So in contrast to the Quran, we see the Bible is in good historical order with many detail provided so we can know the dates that events occurred.
Muslims often claim that Jesus is only one of many prophets.
Every prophet was sent to their own people group. For example, Noah was sent to the people of his time, Lot to his people, Moses was sent to the Jews, as were David and Jesus.
There is a (weak) Hadith that says there was a total of 124,000 prophets sent, but some Muslims still believe this. However, in contrast to all the other prophets who were sent to their respective clans, Mohammed was sent to the entire world.
This forms an additional reason for putting Jesus aside and following Mohammed.
One question that comes to mind is this.. What is it about Mohammed's life and message that makes it final? Mohammed died as a result of being poisoned by a Jewish woman.
Why did Allah not warn his prophet that he was eating something bad?
Jesus died on the cross during the Passover festival. Christians believe that Jesus, by paying the price for sin, and made the way for humanity to be reconciled to God.
17 Don’t assume that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.
(Matt 5:17)
Doesn't the word "fulfill" denote finality?
30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” Then bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.
(John 19:30)
Muslims will object that Mohammed was the final prophet because he came with a book, and that book has been perfectly preserved until now. Both assertions are questionable. If Mohammed's purpose was to produce a book, then why is the Quran not in in chronological order according to when it was revealed? The answer is that it was actually compiled after his death, and the compilation was in a somewhat haphazard way. Also other texts were ordered to be burned. Muslims are the original Quran burners.
Many revelations in the Bible include the historical context. Here are three examples:
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne..
(Isaiah 6:1)
9 I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation, kingdom, and endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of God’s word and the testimony about Jesus. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard a loud voice behind me like a trumpet 11 saying, “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches:
(Rev 1:9)
Psalm 3 starts with the context when it came to him:
A psalm of David when he fled from his son Absalom.
(Psalm 3:1)
So in contrast to the Quran, we see the Bible is in good historical order with many detail provided so we can know the dates that events occurred.
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Why Does God Not Just Show Himself?
All religion is bad. It reveals a persistent ignorance about God that mankind is unable to overcome.
Is there any other area where there is such widespread ignorance and disagreement in this information age?
"Ask Allah!"
When the good reasons run out, then the appeal comes to ask Allah.
Unfortunately this will never work because the reasons are fundamentally bad and there is nothing Allah can do to fix that. Not even Allah can overcome bad justification without causing cognitive dissonance. He had his chance to articulate good reasons to believe in him in the Quran, but did not do so. Faith should not involve living with one, or (both eyes) closed.
This is similar to the appeal of Mormons to pray to God and respond to the "burning in the bosom".
Here is a question: why do we have religion at all?
Is God playing a perverse game of hide-and seek, where those who do not find burn in hellfire?
Maybe God does not care about what people do--he just started up the world and moved on to better things. People around the world agree on most every fact, but for the most important question of life, there is no agreement about this.
One thing I find amazing is how people can come to such different conclusions about religion. I used to be able to attribute this to ignorance, but I have talked to some highly informed people who make religious choices that I do not understand how they find them persuasive.
So I started to wonder about the question, "Why does't God just reveal himself?"
If God want us to follow him, then why this game of hide-and seek?
How many scenarios can you construct where God cares about people and yet is so elusive? There are very few scenarios that you can imagine that will lead to a situation like ours.
I thought about this question for a long time.
Maybe God just wants us to have faith? But presumably the meaning of life is too important for it to be so uncertain.
Muslims will often say that life is a test, but this would seem to imply that God made humans defective. Nobody is tested just on something they don't know for sure what it is.
Eventually it occurred to me that the answer is in the Bible, right at the start of it!
Adam and Eve were in perfect fellowship with God until they joined in Satan's rebellion, and God and man became separated at that point. From that point on, instead of being in perfect fellowship with God, the situation turned into a rescue mission, where God worked to extricate humanity from the penalty that is falling on Satan imminently.
There must be something about our fallen situation that separates us from God. I find the way the Bible addresses the root of the problem at the very start of the book very convincing.
Is there any other area where there is such widespread ignorance and disagreement in this information age?
"Ask Allah!"
When the good reasons run out, then the appeal comes to ask Allah.
Unfortunately this will never work because the reasons are fundamentally bad and there is nothing Allah can do to fix that. Not even Allah can overcome bad justification without causing cognitive dissonance. He had his chance to articulate good reasons to believe in him in the Quran, but did not do so. Faith should not involve living with one, or (both eyes) closed.
This is similar to the appeal of Mormons to pray to God and respond to the "burning in the bosom".
Here is a question: why do we have religion at all?
Is God playing a perverse game of hide-and seek, where those who do not find burn in hellfire?
Maybe God does not care about what people do--he just started up the world and moved on to better things. People around the world agree on most every fact, but for the most important question of life, there is no agreement about this.
One thing I find amazing is how people can come to such different conclusions about religion. I used to be able to attribute this to ignorance, but I have talked to some highly informed people who make religious choices that I do not understand how they find them persuasive.
So I started to wonder about the question, "Why does't God just reveal himself?"
If God want us to follow him, then why this game of hide-and seek?
How many scenarios can you construct where God cares about people and yet is so elusive? There are very few scenarios that you can imagine that will lead to a situation like ours.
I thought about this question for a long time.
Maybe God just wants us to have faith? But presumably the meaning of life is too important for it to be so uncertain.
Muslims will often say that life is a test, but this would seem to imply that God made humans defective. Nobody is tested just on something they don't know for sure what it is.
Eventually it occurred to me that the answer is in the Bible, right at the start of it!
Adam and Eve were in perfect fellowship with God until they joined in Satan's rebellion, and God and man became separated at that point. From that point on, instead of being in perfect fellowship with God, the situation turned into a rescue mission, where God worked to extricate humanity from the penalty that is falling on Satan imminently.
There must be something about our fallen situation that separates us from God. I find the way the Bible addresses the root of the problem at the very start of the book very convincing.
Reasons Why Muslims Deny the Resurrection +
Here is the resurrection account according to John:
Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”
Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen, and have believed.”
--John 20:27-28
Paul claims there were many eye-witnesses to the resurrection alive at the time:
Then he appeared to over five hundred brothers at once, most of whom remain until now, but some have also fallen asleep.
--1 Cor 15:6
And here is how the Quran dismisses the resurrection, along with all of Christianity:
That they said (in boast), “We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah”—but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not—nay, Allah raised him up unto Himself; and Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise.”
--Qur’an, 4:157-158 (Yusuf Ali)
I would expect that for the Quran to dismiss the much earlier testimony of the New Testament (with credibility), it would supply a coherent alternative hypothesis.
Let me assure you that the Quran does nothing to help Muslims refute the resurrection of Jesus.
In this debate with Ahmed Deedat, Josh McDowell documents many of the "official" theories proposed by Muslims:
His debate with Ahmed Deedat, I count Josh McDowell as listing eleven hypothesis that have been proposed by Muslims. The transcript of the debate is below, and I added the hypothesis count in square brackets.
http://youtu.be/cgUnalaJoTs?t=45m38s
Josh McDowell (August, 1981):
In preparation for this, I didn't realize that I would be dealing with so many different theories on the crucifixion from the Islamic viewpoint.
[1] I found out, first of all, that the majority of the Muslims throughout the world hold to the substitutionary theory, that in Surah number 4, in the Qur'an, a substitute, another person, was placed in Christ's position on the cross that Jesus was removed and taken to heaven.
In other words, it was someone else. But then, I found such a diverse opinion among Muslims.
[2] Some Muslim writers say that it was a disciple of Jesus who was placed on the cross in His stead. [3] Another Muslim writer, Tabari, quoting Ibn Ishaq, said it was a man by the name of Sargus, or Sergius, who was placed on the cross.
[4] Another Muslim writer by the name of Baidawi, said it was a Jew named Titanus who was placed on the cross.
[6] Another, Ath-Tha-'labi, says it was a Jew named Fal Tayanus, who was placed on the cross.
[7] And still another Muslim writer, Wahb ibn Munabbah, said it was a Rabbi of the Jews, Ashyu, who was placed on the cross.
[8] Then, others feeling that it might be a little unfair to put an innocent man there, say, well, it must be Judas Iscariot who was placed on the cross. Now, Mr. Deedat might be able to correct me, but I do not believe there is any evidence whatsoever in the Qur'an for that. There are in some of the sects. earlier than Islam, references to that. But I always wondered, why did God have to have a substitute? Why couldn't He have simply taken Jesus then?
[9] Others will say - and this is not what the majority of Muslims believe - that Jesus died a natural death some years after the crucifixion and the alleged resurrection. In other words, "Hazrat Isa," Jesus is dead!
[10] This is a more recent development in Islam. And I'm always wary of recent developments. It was started mainly by a man by the name of Venturini, who said Jesus really didn't die on the cross -- He just swooned or passed out, then was put into a tomb and resuscitated. This is also the theme of the Ahmadiyas, a radical sect of Islam. One of their main doctrines, established by their founder and allegedly their prophet, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, it is a part of the doctrine of Qadianism.
[11]Some will say to be crucified means to die. Therefore, Jesus wasn't crucified because He did not die on the cross. I'm not quite sure how they got that definition. What I need to do is this: present the facts to you, as I have been able to document them in my books, and then let you, as fair minded, intelligent people, make up your minds. The background for the points I'm going to make is that when I was in the University, I wanted to write a book against Christianity. I wanted to refute it intellectually. The last thing I wanted to do was become a Christian. But after two years of research and spending a lot of money and time, I discovered facts - not only facts that God has stated in His Holy Word, the Bible, but facts that are documented in sources in history. Men and women, these are some of the facts that I found as I tried to refute Christianity and I couldn't.
This shows that Muslims are full of conjecture on this topic and have no certain knowledge.
Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”
Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen, and have believed.”
--John 20:27-28
Paul claims there were many eye-witnesses to the resurrection alive at the time:
Then he appeared to over five hundred brothers at once, most of whom remain until now, but some have also fallen asleep.
--1 Cor 15:6
And here is how the Quran dismisses the resurrection, along with all of Christianity:
That they said (in boast), “We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah”—but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not—nay, Allah raised him up unto Himself; and Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise.”
--Qur’an, 4:157-158 (Yusuf Ali)
I would expect that for the Quran to dismiss the much earlier testimony of the New Testament (with credibility), it would supply a coherent alternative hypothesis.
Let me assure you that the Quran does nothing to help Muslims refute the resurrection of Jesus.
In this debate with Ahmed Deedat, Josh McDowell documents many of the "official" theories proposed by Muslims:
His debate with Ahmed Deedat, I count Josh McDowell as listing eleven hypothesis that have been proposed by Muslims. The transcript of the debate is below, and I added the hypothesis count in square brackets.
http://youtu.be/cgUnalaJoTs?t=45m38s
Josh McDowell (August, 1981):
In preparation for this, I didn't realize that I would be dealing with so many different theories on the crucifixion from the Islamic viewpoint.
[1] I found out, first of all, that the majority of the Muslims throughout the world hold to the substitutionary theory, that in Surah number 4, in the Qur'an, a substitute, another person, was placed in Christ's position on the cross that Jesus was removed and taken to heaven.
In other words, it was someone else. But then, I found such a diverse opinion among Muslims.
[2] Some Muslim writers say that it was a disciple of Jesus who was placed on the cross in His stead. [3] Another Muslim writer, Tabari, quoting Ibn Ishaq, said it was a man by the name of Sargus, or Sergius, who was placed on the cross.
[4] Another Muslim writer by the name of Baidawi, said it was a Jew named Titanus who was placed on the cross.
[6] Another, Ath-Tha-'labi, says it was a Jew named Fal Tayanus, who was placed on the cross.
[7] And still another Muslim writer, Wahb ibn Munabbah, said it was a Rabbi of the Jews, Ashyu, who was placed on the cross.
[8] Then, others feeling that it might be a little unfair to put an innocent man there, say, well, it must be Judas Iscariot who was placed on the cross. Now, Mr. Deedat might be able to correct me, but I do not believe there is any evidence whatsoever in the Qur'an for that. There are in some of the sects. earlier than Islam, references to that. But I always wondered, why did God have to have a substitute? Why couldn't He have simply taken Jesus then?
[9] Others will say - and this is not what the majority of Muslims believe - that Jesus died a natural death some years after the crucifixion and the alleged resurrection. In other words, "Hazrat Isa," Jesus is dead!
[10] This is a more recent development in Islam. And I'm always wary of recent developments. It was started mainly by a man by the name of Venturini, who said Jesus really didn't die on the cross -- He just swooned or passed out, then was put into a tomb and resuscitated. This is also the theme of the Ahmadiyas, a radical sect of Islam. One of their main doctrines, established by their founder and allegedly their prophet, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, it is a part of the doctrine of Qadianism.
[11]Some will say to be crucified means to die. Therefore, Jesus wasn't crucified because He did not die on the cross. I'm not quite sure how they got that definition. What I need to do is this: present the facts to you, as I have been able to document them in my books, and then let you, as fair minded, intelligent people, make up your minds. The background for the points I'm going to make is that when I was in the University, I wanted to write a book against Christianity. I wanted to refute it intellectually. The last thing I wanted to do was become a Christian. But after two years of research and spending a lot of money and time, I discovered facts - not only facts that God has stated in His Holy Word, the Bible, but facts that are documented in sources in history. Men and women, these are some of the facts that I found as I tried to refute Christianity and I couldn't.
This shows that Muslims are full of conjecture on this topic and have no certain knowledge.
Saturday, October 12, 2013
What about Deuterocanonical Books?
First of all, what are the deuterocanonical books?
They are seven books that appear in Catholic Bibles in the Old Testament but not in Protestant Bibles. Muslims like to point out that Catholics have 72 books and the Protestants 66.
They sometimes make an issue of this.
How do we respond?
First of all, it is not true that protestant Bibles do not contain the deuterocanonical books. They appear in these Bibles that are not Catholic:
World English Bible (which is often quoted in this blog),
NRSV
RV of 1894
KJV of 1611
What is the value of these books?
First, let me remind you that Paul states he received the Gospel directly from Jesus:
But I make known to you, brothers, concerning the Good News which was preached by me, that it is not according to man. For neither did I receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came to me through revelation of Jesus Christ.
--Gal 1:11-12
The New Testament, with Paul's letters contains everything we need for salvation, while the Old Testament contains the background for the New Testament. The deuterocanonical books have always had a secondary status compared to the the Old Testament. So the real discussion is about the claims of the New Testament.
Muslims claim to believe in "all the prophets". How do they know who the prophets are?
For example, one of the Deuterocanonical books is named after Sirach. Is he a prophet or not? Muslims do not really know.
So Muslims have the same problem as us. They exclude the Deuterocanonical books; that is their solution. But they can't actually offer justification for this.
They are seven books that appear in Catholic Bibles in the Old Testament but not in Protestant Bibles. Muslims like to point out that Catholics have 72 books and the Protestants 66.
They sometimes make an issue of this.
How do we respond?
First of all, it is not true that protestant Bibles do not contain the deuterocanonical books. They appear in these Bibles that are not Catholic:
World English Bible (which is often quoted in this blog),
NRSV
RV of 1894
KJV of 1611
What is the value of these books?
First, let me remind you that Paul states he received the Gospel directly from Jesus:
But I make known to you, brothers, concerning the Good News which was preached by me, that it is not according to man. For neither did I receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came to me through revelation of Jesus Christ.
--Gal 1:11-12
The New Testament, with Paul's letters contains everything we need for salvation, while the Old Testament contains the background for the New Testament. The deuterocanonical books have always had a secondary status compared to the the Old Testament. So the real discussion is about the claims of the New Testament.
Muslims claim to believe in "all the prophets". How do they know who the prophets are?
For example, one of the Deuterocanonical books is named after Sirach. Is he a prophet or not? Muslims do not really know.
So Muslims have the same problem as us. They exclude the Deuterocanonical books; that is their solution. But they can't actually offer justification for this.
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Trinity: What is a normal God?
"Christians believe God was in a Womb!"
This is one of the kinder things Muslims say about the incarnation of Jesus.
Muslims and people from that culture find it very difficult to accept God as a trinity, while people who have grown up in the west typically have no such problems.
My own view is this: you should really have no particular expectations as to what God is like. When it comes to things we see in everyday life we can make statements about what we can expect. We can say that tossing a coin 10 times in a row and getting 'heads' is not normal. A person with more than 5 fingers, that is not normal either. We see the result of coin tosses. We see hands all the time, so we know what to expect. But how many gods have you seen lately? How would you know what is normal? You really have no idea what God is like.
This is one of the kinder things Muslims say about the incarnation of Jesus.
Muslims and people from that culture find it very difficult to accept God as a trinity, while people who have grown up in the west typically have no such problems.
My own view is this: you should really have no particular expectations as to what God is like. When it comes to things we see in everyday life we can make statements about what we can expect. We can say that tossing a coin 10 times in a row and getting 'heads' is not normal. A person with more than 5 fingers, that is not normal either. We see the result of coin tosses. We see hands all the time, so we know what to expect. But how many gods have you seen lately? How would you know what is normal? You really have no idea what God is like.
How Many Prophets in Islam?
Muslims will claim they believe in a series of prophets, starting with Adam and through many Bible prophets. Mohammed was the last of the prophets. Not all of the Old Testament prophets made the list.
One time I challenged a Muslim to name me one prophet other than Mohammed. He did not reply, but if he had, I would have asked him to quote me anything that prophet said--without quoting the Quran.
The reality is that Muslims do not really accept any writings outside what generally came from Mohammed. If you see a Muslim quoting the Bible he is just doing so to disparage it or to justify their prophet.
Muslims really just have one prophet and he vacated all the previous prophets from God. They became puppets for the purpose of justifying Mohammed's prophethood, placing him in a heritage of prophets that he does not belong to.
One time I challenged a Muslim to name me one prophet other than Mohammed. He did not reply, but if he had, I would have asked him to quote me anything that prophet said--without quoting the Quran.
The reality is that Muslims do not really accept any writings outside what generally came from Mohammed. If you see a Muslim quoting the Bible he is just doing so to disparage it or to justify their prophet.
Muslims really just have one prophet and he vacated all the previous prophets from God. They became puppets for the purpose of justifying Mohammed's prophethood, placing him in a heritage of prophets that he does not belong to.
Holy Books Named after Women
I think I heard a Muslim claim, in passing, that there are no books in the Bible named after women, unlike the Quran, which has the book of Maryam. This was in the context of a discussion of Women's rights. Actually there are at least two books in the Bible named after women, namely Ruth and Esther.
Also, in the Old Testament, there is the deuterocanonical book of Judith. There is really not a problem with mentioning apocryphal or deuterocanonical books with Muslims, as they have exactly the same problem as anyone else as to their status. Just because they have a simple solution (reject them all), that does not mean they are right.
Furthermore, on a similar topic, I believe there are extremely few women mentioned in the Quran. The only woman mentioned by name is Mary.
See this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female_figures_in_the_Quran
The Old Testament also mentions the female prophet Deborah:
Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, she judged Israel at that time.
--Judges 4:4
As well as the female prophet Huldah:
So Hilkiah, and they whom the king [had commanded], went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tokhath, the son of Hasrah
--2 Chronicles 34:22
The New Testament mentions four more ladies who prophesied:
We entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. Now this man had four virgin daughters who prophesied.
--Acts 21:8
Women in The Bible:
http://youtu.be/uZ-vB2ePzmU
The video above points out that Jesus actually had female followers who provided for Jesus and the disciples. These women stayed with Jesus even when many of his male disciples fled:
Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, preaching and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means.
--Luke 8:1-3
Many women were there looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee while ministering to Him.
Among them was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee
--Matthew 27:55-56
Therefore the soldiers did these things. But standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
--John 19:25
Now the women who had come with Him out of Galilee followed, and saw the tomb and how His body was laid.
Then they returned and prepared spices and perfumes. And on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.
--Luke 23
This is only a small sample of women in ministry in the Bible.
There is a lot more if you read the book "The Woman Question" by Kenneth E. Hagin.
Also, in the Old Testament, there is the deuterocanonical book of Judith. There is really not a problem with mentioning apocryphal or deuterocanonical books with Muslims, as they have exactly the same problem as anyone else as to their status. Just because they have a simple solution (reject them all), that does not mean they are right.
Furthermore, on a similar topic, I believe there are extremely few women mentioned in the Quran. The only woman mentioned by name is Mary.
See this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female_figures_in_the_Quran
The Old Testament also mentions the female prophet Deborah:
Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, she judged Israel at that time.
--Judges 4:4
As well as the female prophet Huldah:
So Hilkiah, and they whom the king [had commanded], went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tokhath, the son of Hasrah
--2 Chronicles 34:22
The New Testament mentions four more ladies who prophesied:
We entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. Now this man had four virgin daughters who prophesied.
--Acts 21:8
Women in The Bible:
http://youtu.be/uZ-vB2ePzmU
The video above points out that Jesus actually had female followers who provided for Jesus and the disciples. These women stayed with Jesus even when many of his male disciples fled:
Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, preaching and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means.
--Luke 8:1-3
Many women were there looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee while ministering to Him.
Among them was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee
--Matthew 27:55-56
Therefore the soldiers did these things. But standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
--John 19:25
Now the women who had come with Him out of Galilee followed, and saw the tomb and how His body was laid.
Then they returned and prepared spices and perfumes. And on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.
--Luke 23
This is only a small sample of women in ministry in the Bible.
There is a lot more if you read the book "The Woman Question" by Kenneth E. Hagin.
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Is Music Haram? -
One time I was there happened to be some music playing, and I asked a Muslim, "Isn't this haram"?
Well this music is.", he replied, and mentioned all those musical instruments in the song.
I in turn pointed out that many psalms specify musical instruments that they should be played on.
Here is one example from Psalm 5.
For the Chief Musician, with the flutes. A Psalm by David.
This is not a header added by the translators but is part of the text.
The muslim opined that this was a corruption of the original text.
For me, if a verse has a footnote that says that it is not present in some manuscripts, then, my rule is that I cannot use it by itself to prove or disprove a doctrine.
For example, for 1 John 5:8 we read this note in the NIV:
Well this music is.", he replied, and mentioned all those musical instruments in the song.
I in turn pointed out that many psalms specify musical instruments that they should be played on.
Here is one example from Psalm 5.
For the Chief Musician, with the flutes. A Psalm by David.
This is not a header added by the translators but is part of the text.
The muslim opined that this was a corruption of the original text.
For me, if a verse has a footnote that says that it is not present in some manuscripts, then, my rule is that I cannot use it by itself to prove or disprove a doctrine.
For example, for 1 John 5:8 we read this note in the NIV:
Footnotes:
- 1 John 5:8 Late manuscripts of the Vulgate testify in heaven: the Father, the Word and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one. 8 And there are three that testify on earth: the (not found in any Greek manuscript before the fourteenth century)
Monday, October 7, 2013
Bible Corrupt: Some responses
When I first read the Quran, I immediately saw that it is very different from the Bible, both in form and in content.
Muslims often say this is because the Bible has been changed. With Muslims, the Bible gets no "benefit of the doubt", while the Quran is assumed to be true without question.
Some responses:
1) If you read the footnotes of most modern translations of the Bible, you will sometimes see mention that a verse has alternate readings in other manuscripts. However, the number of such verses in question make up just a small fraction of the Bible, and it is not enough to change the meaning.In particular not able to account for the large difference between the two books.
2) Since the footnotes in modern translations show what verses are under dispute, then everything that does not have a footnote is not disputed. So, it is easy to show that the text of most of the Bible is not disputed. For the rest of the Bible (when there is no footnote), the burden of proof to to show that the text is corrupt is on the Muslim.
3) The King James Version of the Bible is 400 years old, and was based on about a dozen manuscripts. Since that time there has been a huge amount of scholarship. The "Nestle Aland" critical Greek text is in its 28th revision as of 2015. Yet all the scholarship that has been devoted to the study of manuscripts has shown very few changes compared to the King James version of 400 years ago, and it is still very much in use today.
4) You can look up The Writings of The Early Church Fathers (38 Vols.) 22896 pages (twenty-two thousand pages). If we had no New Testament manuscripts at all, we could find all but eleven verses in this set of ancient works. The Early Church Fathers are were within two generations of the original 12 Disciples.
5) The manuscript of the "Codex Sinaiticus" is available online in digital form. It is typical for manuscripts to be accessible to scholars.
6) The Bible was translated into many languages such as Syriac, Latin, and Coptic. Jerome's Latin Vulgate is from around the year 400.
7) There was never a time when all the Bible manuscripts were in the hands of one person or group.
Question for Muslims:
If the New Testament was corrupted, then Who? How? When? where? Why? What insight does the Quran give on these four questions?
Muslims often say this is because the Bible has been changed. With Muslims, the Bible gets no "benefit of the doubt", while the Quran is assumed to be true without question.
Some responses:
1) If you read the footnotes of most modern translations of the Bible, you will sometimes see mention that a verse has alternate readings in other manuscripts. However, the number of such verses in question make up just a small fraction of the Bible, and it is not enough to change the meaning.In particular not able to account for the large difference between the two books.
2) Since the footnotes in modern translations show what verses are under dispute, then everything that does not have a footnote is not disputed. So, it is easy to show that the text of most of the Bible is not disputed. For the rest of the Bible (when there is no footnote), the burden of proof to to show that the text is corrupt is on the Muslim.
3) The King James Version of the Bible is 400 years old, and was based on about a dozen manuscripts. Since that time there has been a huge amount of scholarship. The "Nestle Aland" critical Greek text is in its 28th revision as of 2015. Yet all the scholarship that has been devoted to the study of manuscripts has shown very few changes compared to the King James version of 400 years ago, and it is still very much in use today.
4) You can look up The Writings of The Early Church Fathers (38 Vols.) 22896 pages (twenty-two thousand pages). If we had no New Testament manuscripts at all, we could find all but eleven verses in this set of ancient works. The Early Church Fathers are were within two generations of the original 12 Disciples.
5) The manuscript of the "Codex Sinaiticus" is available online in digital form. It is typical for manuscripts to be accessible to scholars.
6) The Bible was translated into many languages such as Syriac, Latin, and Coptic. Jerome's Latin Vulgate is from around the year 400.
7) There was never a time when all the Bible manuscripts were in the hands of one person or group.
Question for Muslims:
If the New Testament was corrupted, then Who? How? When? where? Why? What insight does the Quran give on these four questions?
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Jesus Killing Innocent Babies
One time I was challenged to offer an objection to Islam. I replied with the topic of Love in the Quran, or lack thereof.
This very knowledgeable sheikh replied by quoting a verse from the Old Testament that pertained to God and violence. I do not know much about the Old Testament, so I asked if he had anything from the New Testament.
He then proceeded to quote from the book of Revelations:
The Son of God, the One whose eyes are like a fiery flame and whose feet are like fine bronze, says: 19 I know your works—your love, faithfulness, service, and endurance. Your last works are greater than the first. 20 But I have this against you: You tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and teaches and deceives My slaves to commit sexual immorality and to eat meat sacrificed to idols. 21 I gave her time to repent, but she does not want to repent of her sexual immorality. 22 Look! I will throw her into a sickbed and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her practices. 23 I will kill her children with the plague.
(Revelations 2:18-23)
Fine, this may be a valid point.
But then he went on to say something like this: "Do you see now how Jesus is killing these innocent babies?"
He specifically used the phrase "innocent babies". The text does not speak of "babies", and the children mentioned are likely to refer to people seduced into sexual immorality.
This very knowledgeable sheikh replied by quoting a verse from the Old Testament that pertained to God and violence. I do not know much about the Old Testament, so I asked if he had anything from the New Testament.
He then proceeded to quote from the book of Revelations:
The Son of God, the One whose eyes are like a fiery flame and whose feet are like fine bronze, says: 19 I know your works—your love, faithfulness, service, and endurance. Your last works are greater than the first. 20 But I have this against you: You tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and teaches and deceives My slaves to commit sexual immorality and to eat meat sacrificed to idols. 21 I gave her time to repent, but she does not want to repent of her sexual immorality. 22 Look! I will throw her into a sickbed and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her practices. 23 I will kill her children with the plague.
(Revelations 2:18-23)
Fine, this may be a valid point.
But then he went on to say something like this: "Do you see now how Jesus is killing these innocent babies?"
He specifically used the phrase "innocent babies". The text does not speak of "babies", and the children mentioned are likely to refer to people seduced into sexual immorality.
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Christ has The High Moral Ground
Jesus was once asked what the most important commandment is.
29 “This is the most important,” Jesus answered:
29 “This is the most important,” Jesus answered:
Listen, Israel! The Lord our God, the Lord is One. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.
31 “The second is: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other command greater than these.”
(Mark 12:29-31)
Jesus is our most important prophet, and this is the most important commandment. How can anything in the entire Bible supersede these verses?
Many so-called Christians have done bad things throughout history. How could they justify their acts when confronted with this verse? The Christian standard is higher than what is proposed in the Quran. How this or that Christian actually behave is secondary. If they do not follow the teaching of Jesus then how are they Christian?
46 Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do the things I say?
(Luke 6:46)
Jesus even tells us to love our enemies and to forgive:
27 But I say to you who listen: Love your enemies, do what is good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If anyone hits you on the cheek, offer the other also. And if anyone takes away your coat, don’t hold back your shirt either. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and from one who takes your things, don’t ask for them back. 31 Just as you want others to do for you, do the same for them.
(Luke 6:27-31)
Paul places the value of love above all spiritual gifts in the entire chapter of 1 Corinthians:
13 Now these three remain:
faith, hope, and love.
But the greatest of these is love.
faith, hope, and love.
But the greatest of these is love.
(1 Corinthians 13) but this is just a summary of the entire chapter.
One time I heard a Muslim scholar being asked about Luke 6:27-31 above. He answered that in Islam they have things like that too. One time he was holding a Quran study and he read these verses to his students without telling them where they came from. His students guessed they must have come from the hadiths. The Scholar did not immediately volunteer specific verses in the Quran that have the same moral standard.
If Muhammad came to replace Christianity, did he also bring a higher moral standard?
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Trinity: Jesus Breathes on His Disciples
When Jesus appeared to his disciples after his resurrection he did something strange; he breathed on them:
22 After saying this, He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit."
(John 20:22)
Compare this to the creation account in Genesis 2:
7 Then the Lord God formed the man out of the dust from the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being.
(Gen 2:7)
To people familiar with the creation account, Jesus is putting himself in the position of God by breathing on his disciples.
22 After saying this, He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit."
(John 20:22)
Compare this to the creation account in Genesis 2:
7 Then the Lord God formed the man out of the dust from the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being.
(Gen 2:7)
To people familiar with the creation account, Jesus is putting himself in the position of God by breathing on his disciples.
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Was Jesus Only Sent To Israel?
Muslims often use the argument that Jesus was only sent to Israel, while Mohammed and the Quran was sent to the whole world. Therefore Mohammed supersedes Jesus.
Here are some verses they give as evidence:
5 Jesus sent out these twelve after giving them instructions:
“Don’t take the road leading to other nations, and don’t enter any Samaritan town.
6 Instead, go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
--Matthew 10:5
[Jesus] replied, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
--Matthew 15:24
This may be convincing in the Muslim mindset, where Jesus is one in a series of prophets, each to different people groups. but Christians regard Jesus as a prophet only incidentally.
However, we believe that Jesus made atonement for the sin of the whole world, and thereby fundamentally changed the relationship between God and Man (John 3:16). Consistent with most other Old Testament prophets, his message was primarily directed at the Jewish people. His disciples were given the job of proclaiming the gospel to the world.
Jesus directly says his work does is not just for the Jews of his time:
14 I am the good shepherd. I know My own sheep, and they know Me,
15 as the Father knows Me, and I know the Father. I lay down My life for the sheep.
16 But I have other sheep that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice. Then there will be one flock, one shepherd.
--John 10:14-16
Also, if the message of Jesus was only limited to Israel, that would make us ask what the meaning of the following verse is:
14 This good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed in all the world as a testimony to all nations. And then the end will come.
--Matthew 24:14
It was Peter's vision in Acts 10:19 that caused the early Jewish Christians to realize they had to proclaim this message to the world.
Here are some verses they give as evidence:
5 Jesus sent out these twelve after giving them instructions:
“Don’t take the road leading to other nations, and don’t enter any Samaritan town.
6 Instead, go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
--Matthew 10:5
[Jesus] replied, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
--Matthew 15:24
This may be convincing in the Muslim mindset, where Jesus is one in a series of prophets, each to different people groups. but Christians regard Jesus as a prophet only incidentally.
However, we believe that Jesus made atonement for the sin of the whole world, and thereby fundamentally changed the relationship between God and Man (John 3:16). Consistent with most other Old Testament prophets, his message was primarily directed at the Jewish people. His disciples were given the job of proclaiming the gospel to the world.
Jesus directly says his work does is not just for the Jews of his time:
14 I am the good shepherd. I know My own sheep, and they know Me,
15 as the Father knows Me, and I know the Father. I lay down My life for the sheep.
16 But I have other sheep that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice. Then there will be one flock, one shepherd.
--John 10:14-16
Also, if the message of Jesus was only limited to Israel, that would make us ask what the meaning of the following verse is:
14 This good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed in all the world as a testimony to all nations. And then the end will come.
--Matthew 24:14
It was Peter's vision in Acts 10:19 that caused the early Jewish Christians to realize they had to proclaim this message to the world.
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