Daily Bible Nugget #467, Job 23:12

Posted on December 5, 2017 by Jerry

The Nugget:

Job 23:12　 Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.

My Comment:

Job valued the Word of God and desired it more than his necessary food. In our day many are in need of developing a strong desire for spiritual food found in the Bible. The best way is to plunge in and do the reading.

Many students over the years told me they “hated reading.” That showed me that they had not really done much reading yet. I sometimes gave my students the option to choose what ever book they liked to read for a book report. In any case, I made every attempt to help students find books that would interest them. I also found a way to create individualized reading lists in the form of a short, three-book “reading ladder.” I would suggest an easy book to start with on a given subject that interested my student. Then I had them read a harder book. Lastly, I had them read a book meant for adults on that subject. I found that what the student learned from the easy book prepared them for the book at the middle level of difficulty. That prepared them with enough background knowledge on the non-fiction subject that interested them to read the adult level book with ease. I also prepared a fiction book list arranged on the same principle. For at least some of my students, that changed their mind about reading. They now wanted to read.

When it comes to Bible reading, the same thing is true. Begin reading the four Gospels in the New Testament. It helps to go back and read each book more than once. Each reading will increase your understanding. Once you get into Bible reading in earnest, you too will experience what Job did:  reading God’s Word will become as necessary to your life as eating meals regularly already is.

If I were to arrange the Gospels in the form of a reading ladder, I would select Mark’s Gospel as the first rung of that ladder. I would follow that by John’s Gospel. The third rung would be Matthew’s Gospel, and the final rung would be Luke’s Gospel. From there I would encourage the reading of the book of Acts, which is Luke’s continuation of the events that followed the life of Christ.

“Read, and take your nourishment in at your eyes, shut up your mouth, and chew the cud of understanding.”  Congreve

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Some alleged Bible contradictions answered

Posted on December 4, 2017 by Jerry

 

My Comment:

The following list of contradictions was posted in chart form on Facebook today by a Muslim poster. I attempted to answer the supposed contradictions, but I do not think my comment successfully posted on Facebook (maybe it was too long), so I present it here, minus the chart.

The Muslim Challenge (listing 5 contradictions):

(1A) Men have seen God:

The intended reference is not Genesis 32:20 as given, but Genesis 32:30,

Genesis 32:30

30  And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.

King James Version

(1B) No man has seen God:

John 1:18  No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

That is, hath seen God as He is in Himself, or apart from some form assumed to render Himself visible: and thus this passage and the following references are not contradictory to Gen 32:30, or Exo 24:9-10, or Exo 33:11, or Mat 5:8. Moreover there is reason to believe that, on the occasions recorded in the Old Testament, it was The Word or Christ who appeared in the form of that nature in which he was afterwards to be revealed. Compare Isa 6:1 with John 12:41, and 1Co 10:4; 1Co 10:9.

(2A) God doesn’t keep anger forever (Jeremiah 3:12)

Jer 3:12  Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the LORD, and I will not keep anger for ever.

Notice that there is a condition or requirement that God set before them, which, if met, would result in God not keeping His anger forever, the condition of returning, or repenting.

(2B) God keeps anger forever, Jeremiah 17:4,

Jer 17:4  And thou, even thyself, shalt discontinue from thine heritage that I gave thee; and I will cause thee to serve thine enemies in the land which thou knowest not: for ye have kindled a fire in mine anger, which shall burn for ever.

God clearly states that since they did not repent, but continued in their idolatry, that His anger would burn forever. Sin, unrepented of, has some rather unpleasant eternal consequences. There is no contradiction here for those who read the context carefully (see Jeremiah 17:2, 3).

(3A) God creates man then animals, Genesis 2:7, 19,

Gen 2:7  And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. (KJV)

Gen 2:19 Now out of the ground the LORD God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. (ESV)

(3B) God creates animals then man, Genesis 1:24-27,

Gen 1:24  And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.

Gen 1:25  And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

Gen 1:26  And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

Gen 1:27  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

No contradiction to be seen here once more than one English translation is checked. Furthermore, the account of creation is stated in terms of its order in Genesis chapter one; Genesis chapter two expands upon what was told in chapter one and most assuredly does not contradict it.

(4A) Man can be righteous, Genesis 7:1; Job 2:3; James 5:16,

Gen 7:1  And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.

Job 2:3  And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.

Jas 5:16  Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Noah and Job are seen righteous before God because of their faith and obedience to the revealed word of God. They each believed God and followed His word.

The righteous man of James 5:16 is the person who believes on the Lord Jesus Christ, and in this context, was a functioning member of the local church, the community of saved individuals who trusted Christ for salvation, and in this case was an elder of the church who could be called upon for prayer support.

(4B) Man cannot be righteous, Romans 3:10,

Rom 3:10  As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

Notice that Romans 3:10 is a quotation from Psalm 14:3,

Psalms 14:1-3

1  To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.

2  The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.

3  They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

King James Version

 

In context, therefore, the reference is to the fool who has said in his heart, “There is no God.” No such person, of course, would be considered righteous by God.

 

(5) Two blind men healed on the road (Matthew 20:29) may seem to contradict the account in Mark 10:46-47 of one blind man healed on the road. It is common for one author to focus on the more prominent individual and name just him, while another author will mention the presence of two that were healed. This is not a contradiction. Furthermore, sometimes similar accounts appear to be contradictory when in actuality they make reference to two different incidents which differ in detail. There is no contradiction here.

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The Witness of John to Christ

Posted on December 4, 2017 by Jerry

The Nugget:

Joh 5:34　 But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved.　

My Comment:

A Muslim poster asked the question, “Why do Christians worship Jesus?”

He then posted a list of nine reasons from the New Testament which he believes demonstrate that Jesus is not God and that Jesus should not be worshipped:

(1) Jesus explicitly announced who God is:  John 17:3;  Mark 12:29.

(2) God explicitly said that he was God in the Old Testament:  Isaiah 45:22;  Isaiah 46:9;  Psalm 46:10.

(3) God said he is not a man:  Numbers 23:19.

(4) Jesus claimed to be a man:  John 8:40;  Acts 2:22.

(5) Jesus admits that he is NOT a divine by saying that there is ANOTHER that bears witness of him:  John 5:32

(6) God knows everything but Jesus doesn’t know:  Mark 13:32;  Mark 11:13

(7) There is no unequivocal statement or unambiguous statement that Jesus himself said “I’m God” or where he said worship me. In fact, Jesus said in John 14:28 my father is greater than I, and in John 10:29 he said “My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my father’s hand.”  Matthew 12:28;  Luke 11:20;  John 5:30.

(8) It is clearly mentioned that Jesus was a messenger:  John 14:24;  John 17:3.

(9) Jesus clearly said that salvation is not to believe that he came to be crucified and not to believe that Jesus is God or son of God:  Matthew 19:16, 17, 18.

My Response:

I did not answer all nine points. That would make my comment or post too long. I chose to focus upon Point 5. I have answered Point 7 just recently here; I have also answered Point 3 on this site already.

My Answer:

Your claim as I have copied below goes far beyond the supporting evidence you cite, so your claim is NOT sustained:

Jesus admits that he is NOT a divine by saying that there is ANOTHER that beear witness of him.
[Jn.5.32][There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true.]

John 5:32 says nothing about the divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ. The person Jesus is speaking of, the “another that beareth witness of me,” is identified in the immediately following context as John the Baptist, who all knew bore witness to Jesus Christ:

Joh 5:32 There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true. 
Joh 5:33 Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth.

Joh 5:35 He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light. 
Joh 5:36 But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. 

The witness which John bore to Jesus Christ is recorded in the Gospel of John as follows:

John 1:6-8
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
King James Version

John 1:15-18
15 John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.
16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
King James Version

John 1:29-34
29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
30 This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.
31 And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.
32 And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.
33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.
34 And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.
King James Version

John 3:26-36
26 And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him.
27 John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.
28 Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him.
29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.
30 He must increase, but I must decrease.
31 He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all.
32 And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony.
33 He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true.
34 For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.
35 The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.
36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
King James Version

The very words of John’s witness to Jesus Christ prove the divinity or deity of our Lord Jesus Christ. Read them carefully. Make sure you believe on the Son to have everlasting life, for he that believeth not shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth or remains upon him.

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How Jesus Proved His Deity

Posted on November 29, 2017 by Jerry

The Nugget:

Mar 2:9　 Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk?　(KJV)

Mar 2:9 Which is easier, to say to the paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say to him, ‘Get up, pick up your pallet and start walking!” (William’s NT)

My Comment:

The discussion begun the day before yesterday regarding the fact that “Jesus never said ‘I am God’ or ‘Worship Me’ ” continued today.

If you read my response to a Muslim commenter it should give you increased insight about the account given in Mark 2 which I called attention to as a case where by necessary inference we must conclude that Jesus asserted His deity, and so Jesus did claim to be God.

The Muslim answer and my response:

Farhan Ahmed, you stated, “First, All messengers can say that if you obey God and his messenger your sins will be forgiven.”
 
I believe that if you read the account in the Gospel of Mark, chapter 2, that you will see that the man who was paralyzed that Jesus healed was not accused of committing sin. Nor is there anything in the record that suggests that he had asked for the forgiveness of sin.
 
It is true that in the religious culture of that time that the Jews believed that all disease was the result of personal sin. This fact is reflected in the question the disciples of Jesus asked as recorded in John 9:2, “Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?”
 
Jesus answered in a way that teaches us that sin was not the cause of blindness in this case:
 
Joh 9:3  Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.
 
Therefore, Jesus taught that the cultural belief held by the Jews that sin brought sickness as its punishment was not correct.
 
It is also true that in the culture of that time that the Jews believed that only God could forgive sin. The fact that the scribes who were present and heard Jesus announce the paralytic’s forgiveness of sins immediately thought within themselves that by saying this, Jesus had committed blasphemy, saying only God can forgive sin, shows that they understood that Jesus was claiming the power and authority on earth to forgive sin.
 
I do not recall any other person anywhere in the Bible who claimed for themselves the power and authority to forgive someone’s sins; only Jesus claimed that authority for Himself.
 
To prove to them that He had the authority to forgive sin, Jesus healed the man right before their eyes. The man who had been paralyzed got up and carried his mat or bed at the command of Jesus and walked out of the room and went home. Notice very carefully the order of the events in this account: 
(1) Jesus forgave the man’s sins; 
(2) the scribes discerned that this was blasphemy on the part of Jesus because only God can forgive sins; 
(3) Jesus asked them, which is easier, to forgive sins or to physically heal the paralytic? 
(4) Jesus then healed the paralytic; 
(5) Since the Jews believed only God could perform such a healing, the healing proved the implied claim to deity which Jesus had made.
First Jesus forgave, then he healed. The forgiveness was invisible to man, but the healing was visible to all and could not be denied.
 
This miracle that Jesus did confirmed His deity because in the culture of that time the Jews believed that only God could heal disease or infirmity in the manner they saw take place in their presence.
 
So, though you may believe that all messengers of God can announce to a person that the sins of that person are forgiven because they have obeyed God and His messenger, no other messenger but Jesus gave proof of the claim that forgiveness was granted on his own authority.
 
Following the text of Scripture carefully, as I have just done for you, it should be clear that Jesus claimed His deity when He announced the forgiveness of the paralytic’s sins. If that is not the case, then there would be no point to the scribes’ objection to what Jesus had said about forgiving the man’s sins. For this surely would not be blasphemy unless, as the scribes correctly discerned, the claim to grant forgiveness belongs exclusively to God Himself.
 
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Islam and its claims

Posted on November 28, 2017 by Jerry

Part One: Islam and its Claims.

[Note: this is the first of several articles by Vijay Chandra which he has graciously granted me permission to share with readers here on my Real Bible Study site]

INTRODUCTION

Islam is a very young religion. It came long after Christianity with much bloodshed. Islam, dated from 500-600 AD, originated in Mecca. The founder of this religion is Muhammad. He used force to suppress Christianity, forcefully proselytizing the people as he went around conquering different parts of Middle East, Turkey, etc. Islam used sword, slavery, and oppression to force people to accept Islam.

 

  1. Muhammad’s background:

At a very young age, Muhammad began to experience so-called religious visitations. But many of his family members never accepted his claim to be a ‘prophet’ and never embraced Islam. Tradition has it that he experienced Marilou’s vision; he claimed that a heavenly being had split his stomach, stirred his inside around, and then sewed him back up. It is referred to in Quran [Surah 94:1], ‘ Did we not open the breast for thee ?’ We are not told why this happened (if it is explained, show me in the Quran, for the Quran is not very clear about this event).

His mother Amnah was involved with the occult. Today in many Muslim countries Muslims indulge in witchcraft, sorcery, and fortune telling which is forbidden in the Quran itself [Surah 2v102], though some Hadiths indicate that certain types of spells or incantations [ruqyah] are permitted. It is interesting to note that the Quraysh tribe from which Muhammad came was particularly addicted to the cult of the moon god. As he grew up near Kahab, the 160 idols and the sacred magical black stone was considered ‘the good luck charm’ for his tribe. Therefore it is no surprise then to find out that this element of his religious upbringing was transferred into the religion of Islam and did not come from new revelation from Allah as Islam claims. Muhammad claimed that Allah had called him to be a prophet and an Apostle (a sent one). Refuting this claim in the Quran, we are told that Allah called Muhammad to be a prophet and apostle, but unfortunately, there are several alternative versions of these accounts.

 

Either one is right, or they are all wrong :

 

  1. [ Surah 53v 2-8 and 81v 19-24] says that Allah personally appeared to Muhammad in the form of a man and he saw Allah and heard him.
  2. This claim was later abandoned because one reads in [Surah 16v20, Surah 26v192-194] that his calling was issued by the ‘holy spirit,’ but Islamic Scholars deny the personality of the Holy Spirit, and they do not believe in the Triune God. We are not told who, or what this ‘holy spirit’ may be—where did Muhammad get this name ‘Holy Spirit’? The Quran does not define the work of the Holy Spirit.  Only the Bible does. So it seems that Muhammad borrowed this from the Bible.
  3. A different account of his original call is given (in [Surah 15v8]) where we  are told that the angels came down  to the ‘prophet’ and announced that Allah has called him to be a prophet, but yet again this statement is contradicted in the Quran [Surah 2v97], where the  angel is named Gabriel who issued the call to Muhammad and handed down the Quran to him. The last point is ONLY used because it was Gabriel who played a role in the birth of Jesus Christ (Luke 1:26-38). Muhammad most surely got this name from the Bible.
  4. The Origin of Quran: To appease his pagan families and his tribe he decided that the best thing he could do was to admit that it was perfectly proper to pray and worship the  3  daughters of Allah—namely A-Lat, Al-Uzza, and Manet. Islam denies that the God of Bible has a son, so how come Allah has three daughters? This led to the famous ‘satanic verses’ in which he in a moment of weakness supposedly under the inspiration of Satan (according to early Muslim authorities) yielded to the temptation to appease the pagan mobs of Mecca [Surah 53:19]. This fact is supported in every general and Islamic reference work, Muslim or Western. This account cannot be denied that he sinned and when his disciples heard of his temptation he was rebuked and counseled. Then he reverted to worshipping Allah and he stated that Allah had canceled his past revelation (according to him the old revelation from Allah is null and void). The Quran forbids more than 4 wives but he had at least 16 wives in his harem.
  5. The Quran was supposedly handed from Allah to Muhammad; there were no human writers involved. The Scriptures were written by the inspired men of God (2 Tim 3:16, 1 Peter 1:10, 11, 12, 2 Peter 1:20, 21). Muhammad’s preaching and teaching stirred up unrest against him, even among his own families. At one point the hostility against him was such that the people of Mecca laid siege to the section of the city where he lived. He faced a very difficult situation.
  6. Islam claims that Muhammad and Jesus were both Muslim (how can this be when the Quran says that Mary was virgin and Christ was supernaturally born of the Holy Spirit?). The Muslims claim that both were sent by Allah, therefore, the message they both bring must be the same one otherwise Allah would be contradicting. The Quran uses the Biblical Gospels for information about Jesus. Thus, the Bible cannot be corrupted as Muslim scholars claim, otherwise the Quran would be corrupted.
  7. II: The Comparison between Jesus Christ and Muhammad and the Bible and the Quran:
  1. Prophecy:

The birth, life, death and the resurrection of Jesus was prophesied in OT and NT (Gen 3:15, Isa 7:14, 15, 16, 11:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 52:13—53:1-12, Mic 5:2). There are 33 prophecies that were fulfilled by Jesus Christ. By way of contrast, the birth or life of Muhammad was not even prophesied by pagan soothsayers, let alone OT Prophets or NT Apostles.

  1. The birth of Christ was miraculous in that he was conceived by the Holy Spirit. The Quran and other Islamic scholars fully accept the virgin birth of Christ but there is nothing miraculous about the birth of Muhammad. He was the natural product of the sexual union of father and mother.
  2. Sinlessness.

According to the NT, Christ lived a perfect and sinless life (2 Cor 5:21, 1 John 3:5, Heb 4:15, 9:14, 1 Peter 1:19). But one finds that Muhammad was a normal human being engaged in the same sins which affected us all (Rom 3:23). He lied, cheated, twisted the Quran to suit his own lustful desires, killed thousands together with his supporters, and he failed to keep his own Quran. He was not sinless according to the Quran and was a sinner in need of the grace of the God of the Bible.

Jesus Christ performed miracles of raising the dead, healing every sickness, opening the eyes of the blind, multiplying bread to feed many—yet Muhammad, according to the Quran and traditions, never performed any miracles.

 

 

 

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Jesus never said I AM GOD or WORSHIP ME

Posted on November 27, 2017 by Jerry

The Nugget:

Joh 5:23　 That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.　

My Comment:

We must know the Bible accurately ourselves so that we can answer correctly the questions others sincerely ask of us (1 Peter 3:15). Because very few Christians know their Bible accurately many in the world are not being reached with the true gospel message as it is revealed and taught in the Bible. Some simply have never read the Bible seriously for themselves. Others have swallowed, “hook, line, and sinker,” what others have taught them by way of a theological or doctrinal system, supposing that that system represents Bible truth accurately. Trust me, no popular system (like Calvinism, Arminianism, or any other “ism”) accurately represents the truth of the Bible. On this site I attempt to show you how to do Real Bible Study. I have shared with you in the October, 2010 Archives linked immediately to the right on this page the 24 Rules of Bible Interpretation that MUST be followed in order to understand and interpret the Bible correctly. Disregard these rules at your eternal peril!

Immediately below I share an example of how to use the rule of necessary inference to answer a sincere question posed to me this evening by a Muslim on the “Christianity and Islam Friendly Debate” Facebook site.

The Muslim Challenge:

Jerome smith 
Jesus never himself said that 
I AM GOD or WORSHIP ME.
I dont understand what is wrong with you people.
Jesus never claimed to be God but you people do.
He said I myself can do nothing as i hear i say.
You say he can do every thing .
You Christians believe him to be God as he was born miraculously without any father so adam (who is also called son of God in bible)did neither had father nor mother.
Jesus said 
There is only one God when speaking to israel
HEAR O ISRAEL YOUR LORD OUR GOD IS ONE.
So with due respect i want to ask you people do you understand english you english man.
The messenger is telling you that God is one but you are believing in trinity.

My Response:

 Farhan Ahmed, I appreciate the sincerity of your claim. But your claim involves a very interesting fallacy. The fallacy is that you are specifying the exact wording you would accept as proving the case I support when you and I both know that the wording you propose is not to be found in the Bible.

That is a diversion from the truth, not a refutation of the truth.

But let us consider whether the facts you deny would be supportable using your claim about what Jesus himself never said. I think it can be shown BY NECESSARY INFERENCE that Jesus Christ DID make such a claim and was so understood to have done so by both his friends and his enemies.

You have claimed that Jesus DID NOT claim what I claim he did claim. You said, “Jesus never himself said that I AM GOD or WORSHIP ME.”

(1) Did Jesus claim to be God?

In Mark 2:5, Jesus boldly stated to the sick man, “Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.”

It was well understood at the time of Jesus that only God can forgive sin. This understanding is reflected in the thoughts of the scribes who were sitting there and saw this happen. They reasoned in their hearts, “Why does this man thus speak blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God only?” (Mark 2:7)

Jesus, therefore, when he said “thy sins be forgiven thee,” proclaimed His deity. This means that Jesus claimed to be God.

(2) Did Jesus claim that worship was due him?

In John 5:23 Jesus said, “That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.”

The Father, of course, is God.

Jesus commanded that all men should honor the Son in the same way that they honor God the Father.

No one would disagree that we ought to worship God the Father.

To pay the same honor to Jesus Christ, we must worship Him in the same manner that we worship God the Father.

Jesus warned, “He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.”

Our eternal life strictly depends, Jesus said, upon both hearing and obeying His Word, and believing on Him (GOD) who sent Him (Jesus),

Joh 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

I trust my explanation clarifies this matter for you. I have not given my own opinion. I have given as my supporting evidence the very words of Jesus Christ Himself and the words as given in the Bible itself.

If you need further clarification or have any further questions, please let me know.

Thank you for raising such a good question for discussion.

What comes next?

I make no claims of expertise about Islam or the Koran. My missionary friend of many years, Mr. Vijay Chandra, served in the Fiji Islands working among Muslims and Hindus. English is his second language, but he speaks and writes very well. He has shared with me several of his articles about Islam, the Koran, and the Bible. I have been blessed to be able to help him clarify and correct his written English. In turn, he has given me his permission for me to post his articles here. He also has an article published in the Apologetics Journal less than a decade ago. I have that journal in my Logos Bible Software collection of scholarly journals (involving thousands of volumes!). So, Lord willing, I will see if I can post that article too in the very near future. I am looking forward to the privilege all of us who read here will now have to experience the blessing of learning  from this dear brother in Christ. Mr. Chandra mentioned to me that he was probably the only Christian serving in the Fiji Islands who owned a copy of my book, The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

Posted in Apologetics Issues--Other Faiths, Bible Study Tools, Daily Bible Nuggets, Doctrinal Discussions, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 37 Comments

Daily Bible Nugget #466, Joshua 1:8

Posted on November 26, 2017 by Jerry

The Nugget:

Jos 1:8　 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.　

My Comment:

The only effective way I know to “meditate therein day and night” is to first have done the required reading of the Bible.

Many people have Bibles of their own but are not reading them. For that, people have many excuses, I imagine. A chief reason is that they are too busy and have no time for reading. I question that. How much time do you spend on the Internet or on Facebook? How much time do you spend watching TV? How we use our time reflects what our priorities are. I believe that in the light of eternity we all need to check our priorities and learn to make time for what is important in the long run.

“Resolve to edge in a little reading every day, if it is but a single sentence.  If you gain fifteen minutes a day, it will make itself felt at the end of the year.”  Horace Mann

Horace Mann is correct. I suggest his idea can be applied to Bible reading. If you spend time with the Bible, starting by reading even a small portion of the New Testament each day, you will find yourself getting much better acquainted with its contents. Many years ago I did just that and my reading had a great impact upon my life. That is why I repeatedly recommend this to you. I had a small pocket-sized New Testament which I kept with me. When I had a spare moment, like when I rode the bus to school or waited for the tardy bell to ring, I read from my pocket New Testament. Now, it is even easier to take the Bible with you if you have a cell phone with a screen on it large enough to display the text. So none of us has any excuse. We can all find time to regularly read then meditate on the Bible. We just need to want to.

To dig deeper into what the Bible itself has to say about the themes in Joshua 1:8 read the following cross references that I have placed in The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury:

book of the law. Jos 8:31, *Deut 6:6, 7, 8, 9; *Deut 11:18; Deut 11:19; *Deut 17:18; Deut 17:19; Deut 30:14; Deut 31:11, +*2Ch 17:9; +*2Ch 34:14 note, *2Ch 34:18, +*Psa 19:7; +*Psa 37:30; Psa 37:31; Psa 40:10; *Psa 119:11; Psa 119:42; Psa 119:43, *Isa 34:16; Isa 59:21, Mat 12:35, +*Joh 5:39, *Eph 4:29.

not depart. Deut 6:7, %Joh 5:38.

out of thy mouth. Exo 13:9.

thou shalt meditate. T48, T891. Gen 24:63, Deut 11:18, 19, 20, 21, *+Psa 1:2; Psa 1:3; *Psa 19:14; +Psa 36:9 (T279). Psa 37:31; Psa 63:5-6; Psa 103:17-18; +*Psa 119:11; Psa 119:15; Psa 119:97; Psa 119:99; Psa 119:148, *Pro 2:1, 2, 3, 4, 5; Pro 3:1; Pro 3:4; Pro 3:21; Pro 4:13; Pro 4:20, 21, 22; Pro 4:26; Pro 14:22, Isa 64:5, *+Mat 22:6 (T493), Mat 22:29, +Mat 28:19 (T458). +*Joh 5:39, Act 8:28; +*Act 17:11, +*Rom 15:4, *Col 3:16, 1Th 5:27, *1Ti 4:13, 14, 15, 16, Heb 2:1, **1Pe 2:2, Rev 1:3.

day and night. +*Psa 119:148.

observe. See on *Deut 5:29; Deut 5:32; Deut 5:33; Deut 6:1, 2, 3, Zec 8:9, **Mat 7:21; **Mat 7:24; *Mat 28:20, +*Luk 11:28, *Joh 13:17; *Joh 14:21, *Jas 1:22, 23, 24, 25, *Rev 22:14.

to do. Jos 22:5, Deut 30:6, Psa 111:10.

thy way. +*Psa 119:24, Pro 2:6-7.

prosperous. Gen 24:56; Gen 39:3; Gen 39:23, +Deut 29:9, *1Ki 2:3, *1Ch 22:13, *2Ch 31:21; 2Ch 32:30, *+Psa 1:3, Isa 44:4; Isa 48:15, Col 1:6.

have good success. or, do wisely. Jos 1:7 mg. Jos 2:24; Jos 23:9, Isa 52:13.

 

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Daily Bible Nugget #465, 1 Timothy 4:13

Posted on November 24, 2017 by Jerry

The Nugget:

1Ti 4:13　 Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.　

My Comment:

The ability to read and then taking actual time to read is most important to our mental, intellectual, and spiritual growth. There is much material available to read. We need to learn to be very selective in what we read to make the most of the time we manage to squeeze out of our busy lives that can be devoted to reading.

“Read the best books first, or you may not have a chance to read them all.”  Henry David Thoreau

Paul encouraged Timothy to “give attendance to reading.” While the original Greek word is usually used in reference to the oral reading  of Scripture to the congregation, in this context it surely includes the private and personal reading of the Bible. We ought to read the Bible for ourselves regularly, even daily, as surely it is not only one of the best books, but the very best of books to be read first for our spiritual profit, blessing, and growth.

The Bible is filled with many encouraging verses that commend the reading of the Bible itself. Some of those verses I have collected as cross references to accompany the key words “to reading”:

to reading. Gr. anagnōsis (S# G320, 2Co 3:14). *Deut 17:19, +*Jos 1:8; =Jos 15:15 (Kirjath-sepher: city of books), Jos 15:49 (Kirjath-sannah: city of study). +*Psa 1:2; +*Psa 1:3; **Psa 119:97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, *Pro 2:4; *Pro 2:5; +*Pro 4:7, Dan 9:2, +Mat 12:3; +*Mat 13:51; +*Mat 13:52, **Mar 12:24, 25, 26, 27, Luk 4:16, +**Joh 5:39, *Act 6:4; +Act 13:15; +**Act 17:11, 2Co 3:14, Col 4:16, *1Th 5:27, *2Ti 2:15, 16, 17; 2Ti 4:13, *Rev 1:3.

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Answering Questions About the Person of Christ Part 3

Posted on November 9, 2017 by Jerry

The Nugget:

Isa 55:6　 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:　

Isa 55:7　 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.　

The Muslim Challenge:

Logically we can’t say he is fully God and fully man. He is either a full God or a full man. Unless he is 50% of each and that means he couldn’t be a God .

My Response:

Once again, you are engaging in a rationalization that may seem true by unaided human knowledge, wisdom, or logic. But your contention does not agree with the statements in the Bible as I have carefully presented them to you.

Since the Bible is provably divine revelation, not merely the product of human reasoning or wisdom, I believe it is safer to go by what the Bible teaches, not what I or anyone else may attempt to come up with by human reason alone.

To be solidly grounded in truth, we must account for what the Bible teaches if we are to come to a proper understanding of the issues we are discussing.

A Muslim Question:

Why would God give us a doctrine that is hard to understand it comprehend and we must believe and then links it to out salvation?

My Answer:

If you become genuinely familiar with the text of the New Testament and the Bible as a whole to the point where you understand the message Jesus came to bring of how to be rightly related to God as well as to Him, then these things will not seem so difficult.

You may remember that Jesus invited “all who are heavy-laden” to come to Him. If you have read the narrative of the life of Christ in the Gospel accounts you will surely have noticed that even children were eager to come to Him. Jesus was criticized by some of the religious leaders for receiving many of the poor and downtrodden, even great sinners, of His day. They criticized Jesus, saying “He associates with sinners and even eats with them!” So Jesus is very willing to receive all who will come to Him.

But in His famous “Sermon on the Mount” recorded in the early chapters of Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus warned that the narrow way, that represented the way to the truth, would be very difficult, and only a few would find it (see Matthew 7:13, 14).

The way it works is that when we receive the truth God permits us to learn and understand either from or about His written word in the Bible, He then provides us more light to increase our understanding of spiritual things and to enable us to grow in our faith in Him.

It may be that God communicates His truth the way He does to test our sincerity and desire for truth. At one point Jesus said that there are some who love darkness rather than light. But it does not have to be that way. We can choose to search out the truth as God has made it known in the Bible and come to the true light.

 

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Answering Questions About the Person of Christ Part 2

Posted on November 9, 2017 by Jerry

The Nugget:

Joh 3:13　 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

The Muslim Challenge:

  • If he is fully man, he is bound by time and space. If he is fully God, he cannot be bound by time and space. So if he is both fully man as well as fully God at the same time, then he is both bound as well as unbound by time and space, at the same time.

My Response:

As a man born to the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem, Jesus in His human nature was certainly “bound by time and space” until after His bodily resurrection, at which time He possessed what is called a glorified body that was no longer bound by time and space the way we are.

 

He ascended visibly to heaven after 40 days had passed since His bodily resurrection from the dead on “the third day” (Acts 1:9-11),

 

Act 1:9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.

Act 1:10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;

Act 1:11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

 

In His resurrection body, Jesus was able to do things we cannot, like enter a locked room without using the door to enter (John 20:26),

 

Joh 20:26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.

 

There is an interesting clue in John 3:13 that Jesus as a man was surely bound by time and space to this earth, yet He said He was in heaven at the same time, no doubt said of His divine nature.

 

Joh 3:13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

 

I have placed the following explanatory note in my book, The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, and have retained it in my newest Bible study tool, The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury:

 

Some authorities omit this phrase, but its retention may be argued for on the ground that these words may have been dropped out of the text at an early date as superfluous or objectionable (Thomas Whitlaw, commentary on John, p. 69).

 

That this text is weighty and difficult, is on this very account the more certainly genuine (Scrivener, Introduction, vol. 2, p. 360). While missing from some MSS., it is attested to by the early versions. The text figured early in controversy, including the Apolinarian, and in some instances even the orthodox were reluctant to cite it. The modern counterparts of the ancient Socinian and Arian heresies seem to have a particular attraction to this text. Burgon has shown that it was cited many times by the church fathers. The manuscripts which omit this clause are convicted “of the deliberate suppression of one of the most mysterious, yet one of the most glorious, glimpses afforded to us in Scripture of the nature of the Savior, on the side of His Proper Divinity” (Scrivener, p. 361). Burgon, discussing this passage, notes it teaches that “Christ ’came down from heaven’ when he became incarnate: and having become incarnate, is said to have ’ascended up to Heaven,’ and ’to be in Heaven,’ because ’the Son of Man,’ who was not in heaven before, by virtue of the hypostatical union was thenceforward evermore ’in heaven’” (Causes of Corruption in the Traditional Text, p. 223).

 

“Hypostatical union” is a term representing Christ as possessing two natures in one Person, human and divine. George Hutcheson explains, “The Son of God hath assumed the human nature into so strict a personal union, that what is proper to either nature is ascribed unto the person under whatsoever name; for, saith he, ’the Son of man which is in heaven,’ which is not to be understood, as if either his human nature came from heaven (for he is speaking of what still is there) or that his human nature were in every place, but that the same person who is the Son of man according to our nature is in heaven according to his divine nature, and yet but one person still” (Commentary, p. 46). God the Son possesses the incommunicable divine attribute of immensity.

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