The Nugget:
Deu 22:11 Thou shalt not wear a garment of divers sorts, as of woollen and linen together.
The Atheist Challenge:
A “meme” was posted of Jesus on a heavenly cloud overlooking the inhabitants of a fiery hell, saying “I told you not to wear mixed fabrics. Enjoy eternity! I love you lol”
A knowledgeable Christian responds:
More foolishness from those who do NOT really know the Bible.
Atheist Response:
Have you worn mixed fabrics? Are you scared you’ll burn for eternity? It is a sin in your book of truths isn’t it?
My Response:
Careful readers of the Bible would know that some regulations given to the Jewish nation are not meant to apply to non-Jewish peoples of that time or today.
Therefore, the question can legitimately be asked:
“Atheists do you REALLY know the Bible?”
While some do, it appears that some do not.
Atheist Response:
So these verses are irrelevant to Christians?
What if I told you that Jesus only died for Israel’s sins? (Galatians 4:4-5. Hebrews 9:15.)
My Response:
Those particular regulations you referenced about wearing mixed fabrics do not apply to Christians.
Atheist Response:
Jesus came to fullfill the old covenant, not go against it, so why would this verse only apply to Israel? What other scripture can Christians ignore? How about homosexuality, Jesus never mentions it, it’s only in the old covenant, guess it’s fine for christians to be gay, just not Israelies. What other old testament scripture can we just throw out…, you are creating more questions than answers, of the old and new testaments, which can be read literaly and which allagoricaly….
My Response:
Jesus died not only for “Israel’s sins” but for the sins of the whole world. The provision was made for all of mankind, but the benefit can only be received by those who truly believe in Christ, whether Jew or Gentile.
2 Corinthians 5:15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
1 John 2:2 and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only, but for those of the whole world besides. (Twentieth Century New Testament (TCNT) (1904))
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.
Atheist Reply:
but god set different rules for Israel from everyone else…why, were they not his chosen people… it says they were…
Also, Jesus never existed outside of the bible, and it’s impossible to suspend all natural laws and make a man live again after death…
Everlasting life is impossible… wish thinking for those afraid of death, the same wish thinking attributed to all early societies, pagan and momotheistic…
These myths and fables have already damaged mankind greatly, we need less of this devicive rhetoric and more humanism. I mean, how many different denominations are there, over 40,000, seems to me some of you Christians are running the risk of heracy, I hope you have the correct interperatation, as worshiping the wrong god is far worse than worshipping no god, making you believers closer to hellfire than even me.
My Reply:
If you carefully read what the Old Testament teaches, you will find that there are provisions that apply only to the Jews.
Deu 5:1 And Moses called all Israel, and said unto them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and keep, and do them.
Deu 5:2 The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb.
Deu 5:3 The LORD made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day.
Deu 5:4 The LORD talked with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire,
Deu 5:5 (I stood between the LORD and you at that time, to shew you the word of the LORD: for ye were afraid by reason of the fire, and went not up into the mount;) saying,
Deu 5:6 I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
In the New Testament,
Act 15:5 But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.
Act 15:6 And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter.
Act 15:7 And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.
Act 15:8 And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;
Act 15:9 And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
Act 15:10 Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
Act 15:11 But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.
Notice especially Acts 15:10.
The fact (as you have correctly stated) that Jesus fulfilled the Old Covenant, in accordance with what He said (Matthew 5:17) is the very reason why the Mosaic Covenant does not apply to us today who believe in Jesus Christ:
Mat 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
This is seen by what Paul has written in Galatians 3:24, 25,
Gal 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
Gal 3:25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
Atheist Response:
yes we onow Jesus negated certain things, as I said he must have had a change of mind while he was Jesus, but he alsocame to fullfill the old testament…,just one example of dualism and contradiction.
Anyway, I’m done here, you believe your fables of you want, I prefer my reality a little bit more real.
My Reply:
God indeed set different rules for Israel than for everyone else. He was to be their God, and they were to be His people. The nation of Israel basically failed to obey God, and failed to fulfill their intended destiny. But God is not finished with the Jewish nation.
To say that Jesus never existed outside of the Bible is not quite correct.
But if we properly consider that the New Testament is comprised of 27 primary source documents which accurately record the facts about Jesus Christ, it is actually nonsensical for anyone to be so dismissive of these historical documents which contain almost all of what we know about Jesus Christ and the beginnings of the Christian religion. See the volume by C. R. Haines, Heathen Contact with Christianity during its First Century and a Half: Being all references to Christianity recorded in Pagan writings during that Period (Cambridge: Deighton, Bell and Co., Ltd., 1923. 124 pp.).
The bodily resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ is actually one of the best established facts of history, especially ancient history.
Atheist Reply
hmmm, the gospels that were writen in greek decades after the fact…
The only writings from the 1st century to survive Jereusalem are Josephuses antiquity of the Jews and the dead sea scrolls. Josephus mentions around 20 differing Jesuses, the small insetion of the Nazrean has been proven faked, a later insertion, with a totaly different writing style. Pliney the younger only mentions Jesus as a retelling of early christian belief, he gathered this information from christians themseves while under persecution, so not eveidence. Tacitus only wrote of Jesus in reply to Plineys letters, they were both troubled as what to do with these christians.
And no, the gospels themseves differ when talking about the resurection, surely something so pivitol would be described verbatum.
And as I said before, it is impossible for a dead man to live again after 3 days…
It did not happen…
And christianity, in it’s direct opposition to paganism, was obviously written about by pagans, this proves nothing more than the rise of christianity, I mean, constantine was a pagan, he outwardly accepted christianity to placate his troops. His triumphal arch shows clearly pagan idols including mithras, and no christian symbolism at all…, strange as this battle was the one he supposedly had a vision of christ before hand.
Even the dead sea scrolls fail to mention Jesus, they mention the old covenant and many ommitted gospels though…go figure, bon of these so called evidences of Jesus stand up to historical scruitiny, no one wrote of the sky falling dark or the earth shaking at the crucifiction.
My Response:
Though the Gospels were written decades after the events they record, that hardly diminishes their historical accuracy. They were written during the lifetimes of those who either were a part of the events or were witnesses to the events, so had the Gospel writers attempted to foist them upon a supposed gullible public, they would have been contradicted by those alive at the time who knew better, and would not have been received at the time they were written.
The fact that there are differences between or among the Gospel accounts proves their authenticity, for they were not mere copies of a single possibly fabricated story.
Your assessment of the witness of Josephus is rather biased and one-sided.
As for the other pagan writers you name, they do witness to the fact that there were Christians in their day who held regular meetings and who worshipped the Lord Jesus Christ. That certainly is rather unbiased historical evidence to the fact that there were Christian believers at that time.
How do you account for the rise of Christianity without acknowledging the existence of Jesus Christ? How could a supposedly simple carpenter who had a very brief ministry of preaching and healing that lasted less than four years have made such an impact?
The Bible gives the best explanation about what events brought all this to pass.
Those who REALLY know their Bible know the truth.