Answer to Questions About the Person of Christ Part 1

Posted on November 9, 2017 by Jerry

The Nugget:

Isa 55:8　 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

The Muslim Challenge:

  • If he is fully man, he must be created. If he is fully God, he is uncreated. So if he is both fully man as well as fully God at the same time, then he is both created as well as uncreated at the same time.

My Response:

  • If he is fully man, he must be created. If he is fully God, he is uncreated. So if he is both fully man as well as fully God at the same time, then he is both created as well as uncreated at the same time.

 

We must come to the Bible, the source of what information we have about Jesus Christ, and understand what the text of the Bible actually declares about Jesus Christ. We must understand the text from the worldview of the text and the culture that produced the text.

 

Even the Bible itself cautions us about the folly of thinking we can by our own unaided reason either understand or refute or devise an improvement upon the revelation God has given in His written Word, the Bible.

 

Isaiah 55:8

8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

King James Version

 

Rom 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

Rom 11:34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? (KJV)

 

Rom 11:33 Who can measure the wealth and wisdom and knowledge of God? Who can understand his decisions or explain what he does?

Rom 11:34 “Has anyone known the thoughts of the Lord or given him advice? (CRV)

 

You no doubt are well aware that Jesus Christ was born as a human person to the Virgin Mary. So indeed He was fully human, or fully man.

 

Yet His birth was different from all other human beings in that He was conceived supernaturally, for as Mary asserted to the angel who brought her the news of the impending birth of Jesus, “How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?” (Luke 1:35).

 

But His existence as a man, His birth as a human being, was preceded by an eternal existence as a divine Person. This is affirmed by many direct and indirect statements in the Biblical record.

 

John the Baptist stated that Jesus “was before me” in John 1:30. Yet John the Baptist was older by at least six months than Jesus Christ on a human level.

 

Consider the following statements from the Bible in regard to the pre-existence of Jesus Christ before He was born in human form:

 

John 1:15

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.

King James Version

 

John 3:13

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.

King James Version

 

John 8:42

42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.

King James Version

 

John 8:58

58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

King James Version

 

Joh 17:5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

 

John 1:1-2

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 The same was in the beginning with God.

King James Version

 

Isaiah 9:6

6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

King James Version

 

Micah 5:2

2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

King James Version

 

 

Philippians 2:6-8

6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

King James Version

 

Colossians 1:15-17

15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

King James Version

 

1 Peter 1:20

20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,

King James Version

 

The Biblical evidence, therefore, is that Jesus as a man had a definite beginning in Bethlehem, but as a Person, He had an eternal existence prior to His human birth.

 

His becoming a man in time is in theology called the Incarnation of Christ. That He possessed two natures, a human nature, and a divine nature, is called in theology the Hypostatic Union. It is a Biblical doctrine derived from the statements in the Bible by necessary inference.

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Solving yet another alleged Bible Contradiction

Posted on November 9, 2017 by Jerry

The Nugget:

Psa 19:7　 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.

Psa 19:7 The Law of the LORD is perfect; it gives us new life. His teachings last forever, and they give wisdom to ordinary people. (CEV) 

Psa 19:7　 The teachings of the LORD are perfect. They renew the soul. The testimony of the LORD is dependable. It makes gullible people wise. (GW)

My Comment:

I have provided Psalm 19:7 in three English translations (KJV, King James Version; CEV, the Contemporary English Version, and the GW, or God’s Word version) so that its message will be perfectly clear.

I believe that the Bible in its original languages and in its original manuscripts is without error. Some copyist errors have crept in over time but most of these errors can be spotted and corrected by comparing other manuscripts and ancient versions. Sometimes a contradiction seems possible but it is not the fault of the Bible but of our own misreading of the Bible as in the interesting case below, a case which took me some effort to resolve.

The Muslim Challenge:

Again in second chronicle 36:5: ” Jehoiachin was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in jerusalem.” 
Second kings 24:8: ” Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign.” There is 7 years difference between the ages. Apparently, those who have written this holy book did not take into consideration this discrepancy right ?

My Answer:

Faruq Abba Umar Kirawa, thank you for posing such an interesting and difficult question!
 
But here there is no contradiction.
 
The error seems on your part, or more probably the on the part of the source where you found this alleged as a contradiction.
 
The mistake is in comparing and confusing statements about two different kings with similar names who did not reign at the same time but one succeeded the other.
 
Here are the properly compared parallel texts or accounts:
 
The Reign of Jehoiakim
 
2Ch 36:4  And the king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem, and turned his name to Jehoiakim. And Necho took Jehoahaz his brother, and carried him to Egypt. 
2Ch 36:5  Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God. 
 
with:
 
2Ki 23:34  And Pharaohnechoh made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the room of Josiah his father, and turned his name to Jehoiakim, and took Jehoahaz away: and he came to Egypt, and died there. 
 
2Ki 23:36  Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Zebudah, the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah. 
 
Note that both accounts state that Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, so there is no contradiction.
 
The Reign of Jehoiachin
 
2Ki 24:6  So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers: and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead. 
 
2Ki 24:8  Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. And his mother’s name was Nehushta, the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem. 
 
with:
 
2Ch 36:8  Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and his abominations which he did, and that which was found in him, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah: and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead. 
2Ch 36:9  Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD. 
 
In 2 Chronicles 36:9 there is a plain “contradiction” that can be explained as the result of a copyist’s error. Jehoiachin was not “eight” years of age but “eighteen” as given in the parallel text in 2 Kings 24:8.
 
The Syriac, Arabic, and the parallel place in 2 Kings 24:8 have “eighteen years,” which is the genuine reading.
 
So in 2 Chronicles 36:9 where Jehoiachin is said to be only eight years old, this must be a mistake, for we find that having reigned only three months, he was carried captive to Babylon, and there had wives (2 Kings 24:15); and had he been of such a tender age of only eight years old, it could scarcely have been said that, as a king, “he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord.”
 
This should resolve the apparent contradiction you thought you found, as well as another in the process!

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Daily Bible Nugget #464, 1 Peter 1:23

Posted on November 7, 2017 by Jerry

The Nugget:

1Pe 1:23　 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.　

My Comment:

Without any question, being born again is the most important issue in life. Being “born again” has nothing to do with baptism. It has nothing to do with church or joining a church. Being “born again” is an experience anyone may have who will read and believe the Bible for themselves.

November 7, 1953 marks the date when I was born again. That sounds like a long time ago, but I remember it just like it was yesterday. I had won a Bible quiz contest in the MYF (Methodist Youth Fellowship) youth group about two or so weeks before. Because I was the local youth group winner, I was to represent my youth group in the final contest of all the local winners about two or three weeks later. How that happened I do not know. I’ve said from then until now that the Lord must have had the smart young people stay home the day of the local church Bible quiz just so I could win. I was very new to reading the Bible for myself, even though I had attended Sunday school at Highland Park Baptist Church in Detroit since my parents carried me there as an infant. Because I was to prepare for winning the final contest I began reading the New Testament even more earnestly.

The final quiz was to be held on Saturday evening, November 7, 1953 at the Detroit Institute of Arts auditorium during the monthly Holiness Youth Crusade rally. The winner would receive a Bulova watch.

In August of 1953 during a visit to my grandparents’ home in North Dakota my younger brother found a nice small New Testament. He gave it to me at my request, and I began to read it avidly. I was repeatedly being embarrassed in Sunday school when it came to my turn to answer questions about the Bible. That August, I figured I could read the New Testament through a couple of times before school started to be better prepared for Sunday school class. That is how I got started reading the New Testament for myself.

On Saturday morning, November 7, 1953, while delivering papers for my Detroit Shopping News paper route, I began to think about what I had been reading in the New Testament. I realized that I had never made a commitment to Christ, or come to Him in prayer for salvation. I stopped right there on Lumpkin Street in Detroit as I folded the next newspaper for delivery, and prayed to receive Christ as my Savior. As I continued to the next houses on my route I whistled the tune of the Gospel song, “Now I belong to Jesus, Jesus belongs to me, not for the years of time alone, but for eternity.” I knew then, as I still do now, that I have eternal life (John 5:24).

I did not win the watch. But I experienced something far more important that day that counts for eternity.

I suppose everyone who has come to genuine faith in Jesus Christ will have a different and unique story to tell about the experience. It is likely that there are many who cannot recall the exact date or even the specific time in their life when they received Christ as their Savior, but they know that they have done so.

The most important issue is to be sure that you have experienced the transforming power of Jesus Christ in your life. If that has not yet happened to you, I trust my description of how it happened to me will encourage you to begin to read the New Testament afresh and that you will read it over and over again until this experience becomes yours.

Posted in Bible Promises, Daily Bible Nuggets, Doctrinal Discussions, How to Study the Bible, Practical Application Bible Studies, Principles of Christian Living | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The Deity of Jesus Christ proven from Scripture: Part 3

Posted on November 6, 2017 by Jerry

The Nugget:

Mic 5:2　 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.　

My Comment:

This is the second time today that I have written this post. Facebook very inconveniently erases my work before it is saved by asking me to sign in to Facebook, for when I click the link Facebook provides, my work disappears. I wish there were a way around this but so far I have not figured that out. Might be the Devil playing his tricks, who knows? In any case, here is my continuing discussion that I engaged in this morning on the “Christianity and Islam Friendly Debate” group as best as I can reconstruct it. I hope my renewed efforts to re-create this post serve to kick the Devil hard where it hurts. He needs to be resisted (James 4:7).

The Muslim Question:

“How do you combine the two natures:  the human and the divine, when these two natures are in complete contradiction to one another?”

My Reply:

Jesus Christ possessed two natures, a human nature and a divine nature, in one Person. This is in fulfillment of much Old Testament prophecy.

We know from the historical record in the New Testament that Jesus Christ was born as a man to the Virgin Mary (Matthew 1:22, 23) in Bethlehem in fulfillment of Bible prophecy in Isaiah 7:14 but also Genesis 3:15.

This is a Bible doctrine known as the Incarnation of Christ.

That the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem is predicted in Micah 5:2.

Mic 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

This prediction in Micah 5:2 asserts the deity of the Messiah because He is stated to exist “from of old, from everlasting,” or from “the days of eternity” (the marginal reading furnished by the KJV translators). Only God can be eternal. Since this attribute is ascribed to the Messiah, the Messiah must be God.

It was necessary that the Messiah be both man and God. He had to be a man or he could not die. The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus Christ died for our sins,

1 Corinthians 15:3
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
King James Version

But if Jesus Christ were merely a man, His death could not have the efficacy required in the Atonement, for if He were merely a man, His death could only atone for one person. Beyond this, since Jesus Christ was absolutely sinless, He did not need to atone for his own sins because he had none.

Hebrews 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

Hebrews 7:22 By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.
Heb 7:23 And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death:
Heb 7:24 But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.
Heb 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
Heb 7:26 For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;
Heb 7:27 Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.

That the Messiah must be a man is clearly specified in the provisions of the Davidic Covenant and also the Abrahamic Covenant. Notice that the very first sentence in the New Testament relates to this fact:

Mat 1:1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Psalm 80:17 specifies that the Messiah was to be a man:

Psa 80:17 Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the son of man whom thou madest strong for thyself.

The Davidic Covenant directly promises that the Messiah will be a man and will sit forever upon the Throne of David:

2 Samuel 7:19
19 And this was yet a small thing in thy sight, O Lord GOD; but thou hast spoken also of thy servant’s house for a great while to come. And is this the manner of man, O Lord GOD?
King James Version

Psalms 132:11
11 The LORD hath sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne.
King James Version

That the Messiah will be divine may be deduced from the following two passages of Bible prophecy:

Luke 1:32-33
32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
King James Version

Isaiah 24:23
23 Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.
King James Version

The reign of Messiah will be centered in Jerusalem but will extend to the entire earth:

Zechariah 14:9
9 And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.
King James Version

The Messiah in Isaiah 24:23 is spoken of as the Lord of Hosts. This is proof of the divinity or deity of the Messiah. This truth is reflected in many places in the Bible and can be seen if the Bible is carefully studied.

If anything I have presented needs further clarification, please feel free to ask more good questions.

Posted in Apologetics Issues--Other Faiths, Bible Prophecy, Doctrinal Discussions | Tagged | 1 Comment

The Deity of Christ Proven from Scripture: Part 2

Posted on November 6, 2017 by Jerry

The Nugget:

Luk 14:15　 And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.　

My Comment:

The Muslim poster I am answering apparently posted the same challenge on two different websites I have been made a member of. His challenge remains the same, but the answers I have given in response to different Muslims posting comments and replies are different, so there is much material here to learn. Read carefully and you will get a good start toward understanding some important Bible doctrines or teachings.

The Muslim Challenge:

“The only way for Jesus to be God is through polytheism.”

My Response:

Not according to the Bible. You need to carefully read and study the New Testament. Reading the Old Testament would help too.

There is one God, but God has eternally existed as a Godhead made up of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 28:19 speaks of being baptized “in the name” (singular) “of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”

Original Poster’s Response:

“Would you please explain John 17:3 and 20:17?”

My Reply:

Joh 20:17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.

Jesus in His humanity properly called God the Father His God. No problem with that when you understand that Jesus possesses two natures: a human nature which began when he was born of the Virgin Mary and a divine nature which he as the Son of God has possessed eternally.

Joh 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

Certainly, the God of the Bible is the only true God. But a careful reading of the Bible demonstrates that God eternally exists in three Persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. How do we know this? All three persons (and only these three, and no others) are called God in the Bible.

The Father is called God (John 6:27; Galatians 1:1; Ephesians 6:23; Philippians 2:11; 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2 Timothy 1:2; Titus 1:4; 1 Peter 1:2; 2 Peter 1:17; 2 John 1:3; Jude 1:1).

The Son is called God (John 20:28; John 1:1, 14).

The Holy Spirit is called God (Acts 5:3, 4).

A new Muslim poster’s comment:

No book, no prophet. From pure English Language and a monotheistic stand point, that statement sits right in there, perfectly.

If you are monotheistic, you would believe in only ONE God without a second, in a bit, a half or even three quarter. At the moment, one attaches anything or anyone to God, be it a dot or an ant, that is pure and total polytheism.

You don’t need a book to know the nature of God. You need to trust Him. The answer becomes so clear that that He even befriends you. It is only after having His trust that you would be able to move forward.

Alhamdulillah Alhamdulillah He was there for me at the moment I came to know He is the only one.

My Reply:

 If what you believe about God does not match what the Bible teaches about God, then according to the Bible, your belief is not correct.

The Muslim response:

Then according to logical thinking (regarding monotheism) the Bible is wrong.

My Reply:

More likely that there are many who do not fully understand the doctrine of God as it is taught in the Bible itself. The Bible teaches, by the rule of necessary inference, that there is One God Who exists eternally in three Persons, all of whom share the Divine Attributes.

Several divine attributes are incommunicable: they belong to God exclusively, and cannot be communicated, delegated, or given to a created being. These attributes include eternity, omniscience, omnipresence, sovereignty, immutability, and immensity.

Since only God can possess the incommunicable attributes, yet Scripture ascribes them to Jesus Christ and to the Holy Spirit, all three Persons must be God. There is no other explanation which properly agrees with all the statements of Scripture.

The Muslim reply:

Then that condemns the theory and the total nature of Monotheism. That doctrine is illogical. God will and never be three in one. He will be One and One only without another one in one bit. Just like the way Abraham knew Him. Abraham (pbuh) was a monotheist and so am I. We do no associate anything or anybody with God Almighty.

My extended careful response about Abraham:

I am afraid that you have not read the book of Genesis very carefully where we read of the life and faith of Abraham. If you will go back and read the account directly from the Bible itself you will learn some very interesting things.

Gen 18:1 And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; (KJV)

Gen 18:1 And Jehovah appeared unto him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; (ASV)

When Jehovah appeared to Abraham in this account from the Bible He appeared in the form of a man, for it is reported that Abraham saw three men:

Gen 18:2 and he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood over against him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the earth, (ASV)

But reading further in the account, see what is stated:

22 And the men turned from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before Jehovah. (ASV)

One of those three men, therefore, was most certainly Jehovah.

The narrative continues, and reports that

33 And Jehovah went his way, as soon as he had left off communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place. (ASV)

The narrative continues in the next chapter (Genesis 19:1) with the statement:

1 And the two angels came to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot saw them, and rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face to the earth; (ASV)

Two of the three men are here identified as angels, as you can plainly read.

Reading further in the account, notice the striking fact that in Genesis 19:24 there are clearly TWO Jehovahs on the scene at the same time: one in heaven and the other before Abraham on the earth:

Then Jehovah rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from Jehovah out of heaven; (ASV)

There is much more to be learned from carefully reading this account, for a careful reading will show that the third Person who is spoken of as Jehovah is also referred to as God in the narrative.

This demonstrates that there are two Jehovahs in the Godhead. Abraham knew this, and so should we.

The Muslim reply:

Not  in my context. The Quran teaches us that God is so powerful that if He had to appear before man, everything would turn to dust. The energy that emanates from Him is outstandingly powerful. Also, the Quran (purely and unequivocally monotheistic) teaches that the God of Abraham is one.

Further, the person who wrote Genesis, does not know the nature of God. God does not eat, He does not have to. The Quran too narrates that story but does not say that God came on earth and ate meat. Very logically, the Quran explains that three angels came, they did not eat, for the food was not of their nourishment, clearly. One just need to use their common sense to understand logic and monotheism.

Thus, what you quoted and understood, is against monotheism. Also, if the book itself does not promote monotheism, then it is not a book that has anything to do with God.

My Reply:

Anyone who will carefully think this through will understand that the Koran came many, many years after the book of Genesis was written. It came about six centuries after the writing of the New Testament. When the Koran contradicts the teaching of the Bible, the Bible which is provable divine revelation inspired by God takes precedence.

It may be possible that the God of the Koran is not the God of the Bible.

The Muslim response:

[I] can’t tell whether they are the same God or not. Well, that is not the topic.

Regardless of the time that the information was written, what make sense and monotheistic is what is from God. What is polytheistic is man made. 

God eating is proof enough that it is not from God. At least this information satisfies all monotheist that God does not eat; He is not dependent on anything whatsoever.

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The Deity of Christ Proven from Scripture: Part 1

Posted on November 6, 2017 by Jerry

The Nugget:

Joh 1:1　 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

The Muslim challenge:

“The only way for Jesus to be God is through polytheism.”

My Response:

Not according to the Bible. You need to carefully read and study the New Testament. Reading the Old Testament would help too.

There is one God, but God has eternally existed as a Godhead made up of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 28:19 speaks of being baptized “in the name” (singular) “of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”

A Muslim Reply:

Please don’t make a purely monotheistic religion a polytheistic one. A father is a separate entity; so is a son; and Holy Ghost as well. Consolidating the three as one creates problem on the basis of reason except by unexplainable faith. 

It is an opinion. Keep it on the belief in faith. That cannot be disputed. It remains to be between yourself and your God you believe in; rightly or wrongly.

My Reply:

Each of the members of the Trinity share many attributes which require that each of them are divine, namely, God. Some of those attributes are called incommunicable attributes: they cannot be given to another being or creature. This furnishes absolute proof of the deity of all three Persons. There are three Persons in the One Godhead. I can readily furnish you the Bible proof of these statements.

Muslim Response:

No need Sir, in my community even before the coming of Jesus and Muhammad SAW our God we believed in was ONE GOD. Those who have a Trinity God do so by adopting a strange faith.

My Reply:

It would probably be of help to you to read the Bible even more carefully. Do you believe in the deity of Jesus Christ?

Muslim Response:

Jesus is one among many Messengers of God. He ain’t God, n can’t be God bcos his creation is known and documented that his mother was Mary was born a human being. She got pregnant by the word of God. She carried him for a period of nine months and gave birth to Jesus as any other woman does. The child, Jesus is raised as a normal child. He ate food and slept. God doesn’t eat or sleep. Xtians even went further to state that Jesus was tortured, killed, buried and resurrected. All these are characteristics of a human being.

If it were to be a human God then it should have been Adam because he had no mother or father. Similarly, Eve should have been a God bcos she had neither a father or mother. Both of them were human beings. The position of Jesus was simpler compared to Adam and Eve but Xtians have not made the two their Gods. Why contradict yourself illogically?

My Response:

You ask, “Why contradict yourself illogically?” I answer that your belief contradicts what the Bible says. Jesus is not merely “one among many Messengers of God.” Jesus is the unique and only Son of God.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (KJV)

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave the only-one-of-His-kind Son, that everyone continuing to believe in Him may not perish, but may have eternal life. (Lavender NT)

Muslim Response:

Entertain yourself with those verses from The New Testament even though they didn’t originate from Jesus son of Mary.

My Reply:  Deity of Jesus Christ proven from Scripture

Col 1:16  For by him all things were made, in heaven and on earth, things seen and things unseen, authorities, lords, rulers, and powers; all things were made by him and for him;
 
If all things have been created by Christ, then he of necessity is uncreated, an absolute proof of His deity.
 
Mark 2:5  When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. 
 
Mar 2:6  But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, 
Mar 2:7  Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only? 
 
Acts 5:31
31  Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.
King James Version
 
That Jesus had the authority to forgive sins demonstrates His deity.
 
Divine attributes and prerogatives claimed and exercised by Christ and ascribed to Him affirm His deity:
 
(1) He possesses supreme authority,
 
Colossians 2:10
10  And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
King James Version
 
(2) He is eternal,
 
Micah 5:2
2  But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
King James Version
 
(3) He is immutable,
 
Hebrews 13:8
8  Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
King James Version
 
(4) He is omnipotent,
 
1 Corinthians 1:24
24  But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
King James Version
 
(5) He is omnipresent,
 
Matthew 18:20
20  For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
King James Version
 
(6) He is omniscient,
 
Matthew 9:4
4  And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?
King James Version
 
(7) He is sovereign,
 
Matthew 8:27
27  But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!
King James Version
 
(8) He possesses the attribute of immensity,
 
John 3:13
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.
King James Version
 
Several divine attributes are incommunicable:  they belong to God exclusively, and cannot be communicated, delegated, or given to a created being. These include eternity, omniscience, omnipresence, sovereignty, immutability, and immensity.
 
Since only God can possess the incommunicable attributes, yet Scripture ascribes them to Jesus (and also to the Holy Spirit), all three persons must be God. There is no other explanation which properly agrees with all the statements of Scripture.
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Answering a question about John 2:4

Posted on November 3, 2017 by Jerry

The Nugget:

John 2:4　 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.　

The Muslim Challenge:

That’s why we Muslims always use to say today’s is Bible corrupted!
John chapter 2 verses4: ” jesus said unto his mother, Woman, what have I to do with you? My hour has not yet come”.
My question now, Can anybody here call his mother ‘woman’?
A mother who took you for nine months ten days in her worm and you called her “woman”?
Does this sound good?.. This is an insult against isa (A. S) (jesus). The Bible insulted jesus.
Now let see what the Holy Qur’an says about jesus Chris. Qur’an 19:32: ” Wa barran bi walidatii Walam yajji’alni jabberan Shaqiya. Meaning “And He [the mighty] has made me dutiful toward my mother, and He [i.e the mighty] has not made me haughty and unblessed.”
………
From the above statements, Bible says ; jesus shouted at his mother and the Qur’an says jesus never shout at his mother. In fact, the Qur’an says; jesus said to his people “…. And God made me kind to my mother, and not over bearing or unblessed.
Now Christians you have to choose right revelation and leave the corrupted one please

My Responses:

Actually, if you consider the cultural context of the Bible, Jesus was in no way speaking in a disrespectful way to his mother. In English translation, the expression sounds unduly harsh, but this is because we read into the text a meaning that does not come from the culture that produced the text.

Muslim Response:

That’s why we say today’s Bible was not real and it contains a full of corruption and contradiction.

My reply:

You cannot furnish any documentary evidence to base your claim of the corruption of the Bible. The Bible preceded Islam. The oldest manuscripts of the Bible are from a time long before the rise of Islam.

What the Bible said originally and what it says today is the same.

The most ancient manuscripts we have agree very closely with the text of the Bible in its original languages that we use today.

Muslim Response:

Of course, the corruption of Bible was even mentioned in the Qur’an al-karim And Allahu ta’ala addresses those who corrupt and changed the Holy Bible :”There is a sickness in their hearts. Allah has increased their sickness. They will have a painful torment because they have been lying. “[Q2:10]

My Reply:

The Koran is of no authority when it comes to the subject of establishing or determining what is the correct text of the Bible.

Facts based upon the ancient manuscript evidence, some of which is hundreds of years older than the Koran, is what counts for evidence about the correct text of the Bible.

My Evidence:

As a form of address, γυνή was used in Koine Greek in speaking politely to a female person: ὦ γύναι, μεγάλη σου ἡ πίστις ‘Lady, your faith is great’ Mt 15:28. In Jn 2:4 Jesus uses γυνή to address his mother courteously. In a number of languages it would be totally impossible to have Jesus address his mother merely as ‘woman.’ To do so in some languages would imply that Jesus was denying that Mary was his mother. In other languages, such an expression would imply that Jesus was calling his mother a prostitute or evil person. Accordingly, in a number of languages there is simply no other way in which Jesus could address his mother than as ‘mother’ or ‘my mother.’
 
Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition., Vol. 1, pp. 107–108). New York: United Bible Societies.
 
I have cited above from one of the highest regarded authorities exactly what the case is regarding the use of “woman” in John 2:4.
 
Another way to demonstrate or actually prove that the expression “woman” was used as a very respectful way to address a lady in the language used at the time of Jesus is to share with you the cross references for this passage to equivalent uses of this term elsewhere in the New Testament:
 
John 4:21
21  Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
King James Version
 
John 19:26-27
26  When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!
27  Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.
King James Version
 
John 20:13
13  And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.
King James Version
 
Matthew 15:28
28  Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.
King James Version
 
A careful consideration of each of the above passages from the New Testament will conclusively show that “woman” was a form of highest respect at the time these words were spoken.

The question raised by the Muslim poster actually involves a very interesting issue illustrating the importance of my Rules of Interpretation posted on this site in the October, 2010 Archives featured and linked immediately to the right on this page. Here is the relevant rule:

(17). Interpret a passage in the light of its cultural and historical context and setting (2 S 5:23 n; Psa 84:6; Isa 42:3 n; Mar 11:13 n, Mar 11:20 n ).

Note that the parenthetical cross references given for Rule 17 are to illustrative notes in my newest published Bible study tool, The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury. Each note or passage is an education in itself.

If you enjoy reading and studying the Bible, you should procure for yourself my newest work of cross references. It is available exclusively for the free Bible study software called e-Sword, available at www.e-Sword.net, where it is featured as a premium module for that program. Once you have installed the e-Sword Bible software on your PC or other device, “clicking” on “downloads” at the top of your screen will open a drop-down list; select “commentaries,” and scroll to the bottom of that list, where you will find my work is the fifth title up from the bottom, “The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury.” Click on that title, and you will be taken to where my work can be purchased.

Posted in Apologetics Issues--Other Faiths, How to Study the Bible | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Divine Guidance

Posted on October 27, 2017 by Jerry

The Nugget:

Psa 23:3　 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

My Comment:

Psalm 23:3 is a key text in the Bible related to divine guidance. The Bible has much to say about how God guides us. Psalm 32:8 is another important verse about this subject.

Studying the cross references given in The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury or its predecessor, The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, will lead to many more helpful related verses in the Bible about this theme.

Some years ago I made a careful study of what the Bible teaches about guidance. One semester I had a very fine student who was most interested in pursuing this subject even more. I typed up this selection for her, and made a copy for her to keep.

Today, I thought it might help many to make this selection available to a wider audience by posting it here. This information is available in The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury and The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, but here I have presented it in a teaching outline.

Mr. J. H. Smith                                                           Selection Number: 1503

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F#JHS0082 of 11/18/95.                                                                     page one

 

TITLE: PSALM 23:3. CROSS REFERENCE STUDY: GUIDANCE.

 

 

  1. he leadeth. T#806. ver. Ps 23:2. *Ps 5:8. *Ps 25:4, 5, 9, 10. 27:11. *Ps 31:3. +*Ps 32:8. 33:18. 43:3. 48:14. 61:2. 73:24. 119:133. 139:9, 10, 23, 24. *Ps 143:8-10. Ge 12:1. Ex 13:21. 15:13. 33:13-15. Dt 32:10-12. Jg 4:14. 2 S 5:24. 22:29. +*1 K 13:9n. 2 Ch 32:22. **Pr 3:5, 6. *Pr 8:20. Is 30:21. 40:10, 11. *Is 42:16. 48:17. 49:9, 10. 55:4. 57:18. 58:11. 61:8. Je 3:4. 6:16. *Je 10:4.  Je 10:13. 16:13. Phil 1:10. Col 1:9, 10. 1 Th 3:10, 11. Re 7:17.

 

 

T#806.  Divine Guidance.

 

I.  1 Kings 13:9n. by the word. %+*1 K 13:18. Scripture by example and precept suggests several sources of true guidance:

 

  1. The written word of God found in the Bible, Ps 119:105.  +*Is 8:20n.
  2. God speaking to us through our thoughts, 1 K 8:18; +*Pr 4:23; **Pr 16:3, 9. Thoughts must be tested as to their source, 1 K 8:17, 18. *1 K 10:24. Je 23:16. %Ac 5:3. Thoughts may be correct and good, *1 K 8:18; 2 Ch 31:20, 21; Da 1:8; Ac 7:60; 26:29. But thoughts may be evil, Dt 15:9; Pr 23:7; 1 Tim 4:1, 2; James 1:14, 15. Even diet may affect our judgment, Is 7:15, 22.
  3. Circumstances, 1 S 14:15n; Pr 16:33.

 

1 S 14:15n. very great trembling. Heb. trembling of God. +*Ge 23:6. FS108C4. Idiom B834. “of God” is used as an adjective. Here, “trembling of God” means a very great trembling, meaning an earthquake. For another instance of this figure see Ps 36:6mg. God will in some way or other direct the steps of those who acknowledge him in all their ways, and seek unto him for direction with full purpose of heart. Sometimes we find most comfort in that which is least our own doing, and into which we have been led by the unexpected, but well observed, turns of Providence.

 

But care must be exercised in interpreting circumstances, 1 S 24:4n:

 

1 S 24:4n. the men. *1 S 26:8-11. Nu 31:16. 2 S 4:8. 1 K 12:10, 28. 2 Ch 10:10. 22:3. Jb 2:9. 31:31. I will deliver. ver. 1 S 24:10, 18. 1 S 23:7. 26:23.

 

Mr. J. H. Smith                                                           Selection Number: 1503

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F#JHS0082 of 11/18/95.                                                                     page two

 

TITLE: PSALM 23:3. CROSS REFERENCE STUDY: GUIDANCE.

 

 

David’s men urged very plausibly, that God had brought his enemy into his power, in order to fulfill his promises to him: yet they were greatly mistaken; as in reality the Lord intended to give David an opportunity of exercising faith, patience, and generous kindness; of showing the tendency and efficacy of his religious principles, the tenderness of his conscience, and the steadfastness of his loyalty; for the confutation of his accusers, a rebuke to Saul, and an example to all who read it. David had a promise of the kingdom, but no command to slay the reigning king, or promise that God would deliver Saul into his hand (Scott). See related note (1 K 13:18n) regarding circumstances not being a sure sign of God’s leading or providence. Saul’s robe. Heb. the robe which was Saul’s. ver. 1 S 24:5. 1 S 20:40. 1 K 1:33.

 

  1. Steadfast, committed obedience to the already revealed will of God, **Ro 12:1, 2; **2 Cor 6:14.
  2. Our enlightened understanding as we study God’s word, Ep 1:18, 19; 5:17; Col 1:9.
  3. Obedience to the direct commands of Scripture, +*1 S 15:22.
  4. Judgment as to needs, Ac 15:36.
  5. By checks in the way, Ge 24:27. Nu 22:22, 26. Pr 30:19. Ac 16:6. Ro 1:13. 15:22. %1 Th 2:18.
  6. By faith and by bridle, Ps 32:8, 9.
  7. Wise counsel, 1 S 9:27. +**1 K 12:7n. Pr 11:14. 15:22. *Pr 24:6. 27:17.
  8. The peace of God, wrought by the Holy Spirit, Jn 14:27. Ro 15:13. *Phil 4:6, 7. Col 3:15. But feelings are subjective, not objective, may be mistaken (whether by a misinformed conscience, a mistaken interpretation of Scripture, a misreading of apparently favorable circumstances, etc.) or counterfeited, affected by mood and temperament, and are based upon an “experience centered” rather than a Bible or Christ centered approach to the Christian life (Is 65:5n). Great caution must be exercised in evaluating any feeling of peace, lest one be misled by false peace, ver. 1 K 13:18n. +*Ezk 13:10.
  9. The voice of the church, Ac 13:1-3; +*1 Tim 4:16; He 13:7, 17.
  10. Through chastening, He 12:6.
  11. Pastors and elders, He 13:7, 17.
  12. Parents, Pr 12:15; 13:10; 1 Cor 7:37, 38; Col 3:20.

 

Mr. J. H. Smith                                                           Selection Number: 1503

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F#JHS0082 of 11/18/95.                                                                     page three

 

TITLE: PSALM 23:3. CROSS REFERENCE STUDY: GUIDANCE.

 

 

  1. Wife or husband, 1 S 19:11;   25:33; Mt 27:19; Ep 5:22, 23; 1 P 3:7, 8. See related note on sources of wise counsel (+**1 K 12:7n).

 

 

II.  1 K 12:7n. they spake. ver. %+*1 K 12:10n. Ex 18:19. 1 S 19:11. *2 S 20:16-22. *2 S 25:33. Da 4:27. Mt 27:19. Ac 5:35. Re 3:18. Scripture furnishes a  number of suggestions for sources of wise counsel:

 

  1. The Lord, Pr 16:9.
  2. God’s written word, Ps 119:105.
  3. Pastors and elders, He 13:7, 17.
  4. Mature men, +*1 K 12:7.
  5. Parents, Col 3:20.
  6. Wise women, +*2 S 20:16.
  7. Wife, 1 S 19:11. 25:33.
  8. Servants or employees, +*2 K 5:13.
  9. The lowliest servants of Christ, 1 Cor 6:4.
  10. Individuals who are faithful in even the smallest of matters, +*Lk 16:10. Pr 20:6.
  11. Individuals who are well-grounded in Bible doctrine, +*1 Tim 4:16.
  12. Those whom God has placed in authority over us, +*Ge 16:9.
  13. Those believers who manifest the Biblical pattern of relationships to others, Lk 3:12, 13, 14; +*Ro 12:3; 15:7;  *2 Cor 1:24. +*Phil 2:3; **1 P 5:5.
  14. Those individuals who by their successes demonstrate the qualities of character and special talent in the area of needed advice, Pr 13:20; Lk 16:8; +*Ac 6:3. See related notes on sources of true guidance (+**1 K 13:9n).

 

 

III.       1 K 12:10n. spake unto. ver. +*1 K 12:7, 28. Nu 31:16. 2 Ch 10:10. 22:3. Jb 2:9.        Scripture furnishes suggestions that warn us of sources of unwise counsel:

 

  1. Immature advisors, often young, lacking in judgment and experience, 1 K 12:10.
  2. Members of our own peer group, *2 Ch 13:7.

 

Mr. J. H. Smith                                                           Selection Number: 1503

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F#JHS0082 of 11/18/95.                                                                     page four

 

TITLE: PSALM 23:3. CROSS REFERENCE STUDY: GUIDANCE.

 

 

  1. Individuals who, though they claim to have spiritual insight, offer advice contrary to the already revealed will of God as found in his written word, *1 K 13:18n.
  2. Individuals prompted by false spiritual gifts, +*Je 23:28n.

 

+*Je 23:28n. that hath. Heb. with whom is. a dream. ver. Je 23:32. Ezk 13:7. The contrast is between the false prophets who have their dreams and the true prophet who has God’s word. The opposition between chaff and wheat which follows shows these alleged supernatural dreams for what they are–not divine revelation, but a dream of their own heart, mere chaff, unsuitable and valueless for spiritual sustenance. This is perhaps the clearest and strongest appeal to the perspicuity of Scripture to be found in the Bible, for an appeal is here made for the ordinary believer to discern the difference between the false and the true. A mark of false religion is placement of spiritual and doctrinal authority in any other source than the written word of God found in the Bible–whether the source be an organization and its literature, the writings of a particular teacher or prophet, or a claim to divine authority based upon apostolic succession, or even a line of succession through valid baptizers traced back to John the Baptist! +*Is 8:20n. speak my word. *Pr 14:5. +**Mt 24:45. +*Lk 12:42. *1 Cor 4:2. **2 Cor 2:17. 1 Tim 1:12. 1 P 2:2. A mark of the false is adding to the written word of God supposed new revelation from whatever source–whether supernatural dreams, or alleged supernatural gifts of the Spirit. +*Pr 30:6. Jn 16:8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14. +**2 Tim 3:15, 16, 17. *2 P 1:21. faithfully. +*Da 11:33n. +*1 Tim 4:16. +**2 Tim 2:15. *2 Tim 4:2. What. FS138C,

+Ge 22:14. That is, when the dreamers declare their dreams, and the true prophets faithfully declare their message, the difference between them will be as evident as that between “the chaff and the wheat.” *1 Cor 3:11, 12, 13.

 

  1. False teachers, Ezk 14:10n.

 

Ezk 14:10n. punishment of him that seeketh. Note the awesome principle stated here: those who follow false prophets will receive the same punishment as the false prophets who led them. How important it is to discern the false from the true, and to base this discernment on the only authority God has

 

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F#JHS0082 of 11/18/95.                                                                     page five

 

TITLE: PSALM 23:3. CROSS REFERENCE STUDY: GUIDANCE.

 

 

Authority God has provided–his written word. +*Pr 19:27. +**Is 8:20n. +Je 18:15. %*Mt 10:41. +*Mt 15:14. +*Mk 4:24. **Ro 14:12. 1 Cor 11:19. %*1 Tim 4:16. **2 P 3:17.

  1. Those who have an unstable character, Pr 22:24.
  2. Unfaithful individuals, Pr 25:19.
  3. The proud and boastful, Pr 20:6.
  4. Those who lack integrity, or compromise justice, +*Lk 16:10.
  5. Those who compromise the truth and receive falsehood, Pr 29:12.
  6. The generality of opinion expressed by the crowd, or majority opinion, when not in accordance with the principles of God’s word, *Ex 23:2.
  7. Feelings and emotions, Ge 49:4; Je 23:17; 2 Cor 5:7; James 1:6, 8; 2 P 2:14.
  8. Conscience, when not informed by the written word of God, Pr 14:12; %Ac 24:16.
  9. The occult, +*Is 8:19, 20.
  10. Misunderstood or misapplied Scripture, Jg 6:40n; 11:39n; Mt 4:6; 2 Tim 2:15n; **2 P 3:16. See related notes on sources of false guidance (+**1 K 13:18n).

 

IV.  1 K 13:18n. a prophet also. ver. +*1 K 13:9n. Scripture warns against the dangers of false guidance from various sources:

 

  1. Careless handling, and incorrect understanding and application of God’s written word, Jg 6:40n; Jg 11:35n; Mk 9:43; 2 Tim 2:15n; *2 P 1:20n; *2 P 3:17. Do not seek for guidance by opening the Bible at random and hoping for a verse to speak to you, Ge 24:44n; %+*Jn 5:39.
  2. Itching ear syndrome: seeking guidance until you find the advice you wanted to hear, 1 K 12:9n; 2 Tim 4:3.
  3. Wrong friends, +*2 Ch 13:7; %+**Ps 119:63;  1 Cor 15:33.
  4. Inexperienced and unqualified individuals, often young (1 Tim 3:6), who lack the necessary discernment, +**1 K 12:10; 2 Tim 3:14; He 5:14; 13:7.
  5. Requiring God to specially engineer circumstances or signs, Jg 6:40n. Be especially wary of looking to signs or circumstances to confirm guidance when what is sought is contrary to the written word of God, 2 Cor 6:14.

 

Mr. J. H. Smith                                                           Selection Number: 1503

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F#JHS0082 of 11/18/95.                                                                     page six

 

TITLE: PSALM 23:3. CROSS REFERENCE STUDY: GUIDANCE.

 

  1. Basing our thinking on artificial categories either imposed upon Scripture or Christian experience, such as the distinction of sacred and secular, or of “called” and “voluntary” Christian service, distinctions not taught in the word of God, 2 Tim 2:15n.
  2. Wrongly weighting factors in determining God’s guidance. Certain factors are readily subject to misinterpretation, such as circumstances, 1 S 24:4n; 2 S 4:8. Others, such as the feeling of peace (ver. 1 K 13:9n. %+*Ezk 13:10), are extremely subjective, and can be affected by our present physical state of health, Pr 17:22; Ro 15:13; 2 Cor 5:7. Guidance must be based upon wisdom and sound principles, properly weighted, and applied without haste, Pr 19:2; 28:22; Col 1:10; James 1:5.
  3. Occult practices, *Is 8:19.
  4. Dreams, +*Je 23:28n.
  5. Exclusive reliance upon our own resources in understanding God’s word without seeking the assistance of the godly, consecrated scholarship of other men available to us in books and Bible study tools, Ac 8:31n.
  6. Resolutely holding to a favorite set of prooftexts from Scripture, rather than adhering to the whole counsel of God, 2 K 22:8n; Ac 2:38n; 1 J 2:19n; 2 P 1:20n.
  7. In doctrinal matters, failing to genuinely accept the Bible as the sufficient, perspicuous, sole and final authority, +*Pr 8:9; 18:1n; +*Is 8:20n; +*Je 23:28n; Ga 1:8n; +*2 Tim 3:15, 16, 17.
  8. False teachers, false cults and religions, **Je 14:14n; *Ezk 14:10n.
  9. Any plan or scheme that lacks wisdom, prudence, and good judgment (sanctified common sense), +*Pr 22:3; Lk 14:28, 29, 30, 31, 32.
  10. Guidance from an individual who falsely claims possession of a spiritual gift, or possesses a false gift, 1 K 13:18.
  11. Guidance which conflicts with genuine guidance previously received, 1 K 13:18. It is wise to commit to writing a record of God’s leading in our lives, recording the specific reasons which originally committed us to a given course of action or life direction. Then, should mixed signals, conflicting advice, or doubts later arise, we can return to that record for confirmation of the original guidance. See related notes on sources of unwise counsel (**1 K 12:10n); compare the note on sources of wise counsel (**1 K 12:7n).
Posted in Education Issues, Practical Application Bible Studies, Practical Application Studies, Principles of Christian Living | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

My Answers to Muslim Questions, continued

Posted on October 19, 2017 by Jerry

A Muslim poster asked why I had not continued my discussion with him.

I answered that I have a very difficult time figuring out how to return to a thread where I have posted material on Facebook.

This evening I somehow encountered the thread again, and wrote an extended answer to the question we had been discussing. But when I was about to post my comment, Facebook interrupted me and asked me to “sign in” and/or “reload this page.” So I was not able to post what I had written minutes ago, and cannot find the thread where I had typed the post. This is not the first time this has happened.

[The Muslim response:

Jerome Smith, I am not sure if you forgot to reply to my questions regarding the death of Jesus in relation to the trinity and the one regarding the contradiction of concept between the Old and New Testament or if you ignored them or if you are planning to reply soon. Whatever the case, I haven’t got an answer yet.

Now all know that the original language in which the Old Testament is written is mainly Hebrew.

So, as for Isaiah 7:14, there should not be a debate at all since it is very apparent that the original Hebrew word used there is “almah” which all scholars know means “a maiden” or “a young woman (of marriageable age who has not yet given birth)”, who may or may not be a virgin.

But the Greek translation, the Septuagint, uses the Greek word “parthenos” which, as you have said, most certainly means a virgin.

The Hebrew word for virgin is “bethulah”, par excellence, and not “almah.”

So it’s not a matter of scholarship but a matter of language.

It is therefore clear that perhaps the author of Matthew, whoever he is, had not the knowledge of Isaiah 7:14 from the original correct rendering of the Hebrew and his knowledge must have come form the mistranslated Greek Septuagint only.

But if the meaning of the original is unequivocally known, naturally, the original supersedes the latter incorrect meaning.
Furthermore, the parallel would still not be an actual parallel here because the one with Jesus still implies the disunity among the trinity Godhead even with the translation you have given.

Like

ReplyOctober 10 at 7:04amEdited ]

Note:

I was able to find the thread again just now, so I have inserted the text I have been responding to. Even so, the same thing happened again–I was asked to “sign in” and when I did so I was not returned exactly to where I was.

 

Fortunately, I saved my comment/answer to my computer’s “memory,” so if that has not been lost, here it is:

My Response:

Adil Abdurahman, I have not forgotten this discussion thread. I am not well acquainted with the process of finding the thread again unless someone comments and I get a notification.
 
Your argument that the Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew, therefore the meaning of the Hebrew text should have precedence over the meaning of what is found in a mere translation into Greek done many years later sounds reasonable on the surface, but is not correct when all the evidence is taken into account.
 
I made mention of two additional passages as examples of the principle involved without quoting the passages or offering an explanation.
 
I mentioned Hebrews 1:6.
 
Heb 1:6  And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. 
 
Now, where is that stated in the Hebrew text of the Old Testament?
 
The text is not found in our present Hebrew text. It is found in the Greek Septuagint. Hebrews 1:6 quoted the Septuagint translation of Deuteronomy 32:43,
 
43 Rejoice, ye heavens, with him, and let all the angels of God worship him; rejoice ye Gentiles, with his people, and let all the sons of God strengthen themselves in him, for he will avenge the blood of his sons, and he will render vengeance, and recompense justice to his enemies, and will reward them that hate him; and the Lord shall purge the land of his people.
 
Brenton, L. C. L. (1870). The Septuagint Version of the Old Testament: English Translation (Dt 32:43). London: Samuel Bagster and Sons.
 
I mentioned Revelation 4:8.
 
Rev 4:8  And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. 
 
Revelation 4:8 is citing Amos 4:13 from the Septuagint Version of the Old Testament for the title “Lord God Almighty.”
 
13 For, behold, I am he that strengthens the thunder, and creates the wind, and proclaims to men his Christ, forming the morning and the darkness, and mounting on the high places of the earth, The Lord God Almighty is his name.
 
Brenton, L. C. L. (1870). The Septuagint Version of the Old Testament: English Translation (Am 4:13). London: Samuel Bagster and Sons.
 
Notice that Amos 4:13 speaks of Christ, and states “The Lord God Almighty is his name.” It is to this passage that John in the book of Revelation alludes when he uses this title at Revelation 4:8.
 
When Jesus came to Nazareth, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day and stood up for to read (see Luke 4:16). He found the place where it was written,
 
Luk 4:18  The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 
Luk 4:19  To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 
 
These words as read by Jesus are cited from the Septuagint from Isaiah 61:1-2.
 
Therefore, in the light of this evidence, it should be clear that the New Testament writers in their writings and Jesus Himself in his preaching and teaching at times made use of the Greek Septuagint translation of the Bible, as recorded in the New Testament.
 
David McCalman Turpie, in his The Old Testament in the New: A contribution to Biblical Criticism and Interpretation, gives a very complete analysis of how the Old Testament has been cited by the New Testament. The book contains a number of Tables, Table A, for example, contains the quotations in the New Testament which agree with the original Hebrew of the Old Testament. Table D contains “the quotations of the New Testament which differ from the original Hebrew text but agree with the Septuagint version.” This is the case for Luke 4:18, 19.
 
Table A lists Matthew 19:18 and Matthew 19:19 as well as Matthew 21:31 as instances where Matthew cites the Hebrew text of the Old Testament. This shows that your suggestion that “the writer of Matthew, whoever he is, was not acquainted with the Hebrew text,” is mistaken.
 
Knowing this background information helps to provide answers to some interesting questions.
 
The Jehovah Witnesses argue that Jesus is never called “Almighty God,” but only “mighty God.” Their assertion is clearly mistaken, because Revelation 4:8 speaks of Jesus Christ and cites Amos 4:13 which clearly calls the Messiah “the Lord God Almighty.”
 
The Jehovah Witnesses argue that Jesus was never worshipped. Their assertion is clearly mistaken because Hebrews 1:6 cites Old Testament Scripture which records the divine command, “Let the angels of God worship Him,” in direct reference to Deuteronomy 32:43.
 
This also proves from Scripture that Jesus Christ existed as a Person before His human birth to Mary in Bethlehem, for the angels of God were commanded by God to worship Him before Jesus became a man.
 
I have not yet delved into the question of the status of the Trinity when our Lord Jesus Christ died upon the cross of Calvary. But it should be quite clear that it was the divine-human Person, our Lord Jesus Christ, who in His human nature died on the cross as a priestly-sacrificial offering of Himself for our redemption through His atonement: His divine nature, of course, did not experience death.
 
If I am able to find this thread again, I can give more explanation regarding the incarnation and hypostatical union of the two natures in Christ and related matters pertaining to the Trinity as revealed in the Bible.
 
Thank you for your gracious patience manifest in your awaiting my replies.
 
 
 
 
 
 
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How to find God the Father and God the Son and Holy Spirit in the New Testament

Posted on October 13, 2017 by Jerry

The Nugget:

Joh 20:28　 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.　

My Comment:

To find the truth about what the New Testament says about a subject or theme you must not only read it carefully and repeatedly, but you must study it carefully. This is true of any work of great literature, but especially true of the Bible.

You will not always find the subject you wish to learn about by simply searching for that exact term in the Bible. Some terms we often use in speaking of topics taught in the Bible are not given or referred to by those exact terms in the Bible, yet the teaching is most certainly there. For example, you will not find the precise phrase “second coming” or the term “rapture” or the terms “eternal security,” “trinity,” “God the Son,” “God the Holy Spirit,” anywhere in the Bible. To learn about these topics you must study by looking up the cross references given for the Bible passages that come closest to speaking of the subject.

Just now, in a discussion begun on “Jesus or Mohammad, who’s the Right Way to Heaven” Facebook group, the following Muslim challenge to Christians was posted:

The Question:

Let’s make a search for God the father, God the son and God the holy spirit in the new testament. 
We will find many verses that talks about GOD THE FATHER, but there was no verse that talks about God the son or God the holy spirit.
That assures and proves that God the father is the only God according to the bible.

My Response:

Ibrahim Al Dahleh, you apparently have not made a careful, thorough study of the New Testament.
 
You are also falling into a logical trap, a trap that insists upon finding expressions worded exactly as you specify, rather than searching the Scripture carefully to learn how the Bible states its teachings.
 
One of my 24 rules of correct Bible interpretation is what I call the rule of necessary inference. Some things in the Bible are not directly stated in the words we might wish or choose to use to express the truth it reveals, but by necessary inference, we can legitimately derive such truths from what is said.
 
Careful study of Scripture demonstrates that all three (and only these three and no others)–Father, Son, and Holy Spirit–are persons of the Godhead, who are associated on an equality of being, and possess the attributes and prerogatives of Deity.
 
Consider these facts stated in the Bible:
 
The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (or Holy Ghost, KJV) are each
 
(1) called God.
 
The Father is called God:  John 6:27.  Galatians 1:1, 3.  Ephesians 6:23.  Philippians 2:11.  Colossians 2:2.  1 Thessalonians 1:1. 2 Timothy 1:2. Titus 1:4.  2 Peter 1:17.  Jude 1:1. [These are the very passages you have cited in your opening post above, thank you]
 
The Son is called God:  John 20:28.
 
John 20:28
28  And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
King James Version
 
John 1:1
1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
King James Version
 
John 1:14
14  And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
King James Version
 
Romans 9:5
5  Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.
King James Version
 
Titus 2:13
13  Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
King James Version
 
Hebrews 1:8
8  But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.
King James Version
 
2 Peter 1:1
1  Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:
King James Version
 
The Holy Spirit is called God:  Acts 5:3, 4
 
Acts 5:3
3  But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
King James Version
Acts 5:4
4  Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
King James Version
 
(2) The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are each called Lord:
 
The Father is called Lord:  Romans 10:12
 
Romans 10:12
12  For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
King James Version
 
The Son is called Lord:  Luke 2:11
 
Luke 2:11
11  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
King James Version
 
The Holy Spirit is called Lord:  2 Corinthians 3:17
 
  2 Corinthians 3:17
17  Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
King James Version
 
(3) The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are each called or said to be everlasting:
 
The Father is called everlasting:  Romans 16:26
 
Romans 16:26
26  But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:
King James Version
 
The Son is called everlasting:
 
Micah 5:2
2  But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
King James Version
 
John 8:58
58  Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
King James Version
 
John 17:5
5  And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
King James Version
 
Hebrews 13:8
8  Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
King James Version
 
Revelation 22:13
13  I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
King James Version
 
The Holy Spirit may be said to be eternal or everlasting:  Hebrews 9:14
 
Hebrews 9:14
14  How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
King James Version
 
God the Father, as well as Jesus Christ His Son, and the Holy Spirit are each:
 
(4) Omniscient
 
The Father is omniscient:  Hebrews 4:13
 
Hebrews 4:13
13  Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
King James Version
 
The Son is omniscient:  John 21:17, “thou knowest all things”
 
John 21:17
17  He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
King James Version
 
[This is asserted or demonstrated further in a number of passages of Scripture:  John 2:24, 25;  John 4:16;  John 5:6;  John 5:42;  John 6:61, 64;  John 11:14 (Jesus knew days before he arrived that Lazarus was dead);  Matthew 17:24-27, and many more passages.] 
 
The Holy Spirit is omniscient:  1 Corinthians 2:10, 11
 
1 Corinthians 2:10-11
10  But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
11  For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
King James Version
 
Only God can be omniscient. Since Jesus Christ is both declared and demonstrated to be omniscient, by the rule of necessary inference, Jesus Christ must be God, that is, He always has been divine, or deity, in His eternal position as God the Son.
 
 
 

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