Israel today–terrorist state or Bible prophecy fulfilled?

Posted on May 17, 2018 by Jerry

One of my valued Facebook friends wrote that he is a Christian, and that by being a Christian, he states “I am part of Israel (the true Israel) because of my faith in and by the grace of Jesus!!”

He further states, “Now, this terrorist state calling itself Israel does not represent me or the God I serve, let’s get that straight!! They are a murderous evil entity disguising itself as an angel of light (to many, anyway). All who support these murderers are supporting the evil they claim to reject. One of my Lord’s greatest commandments to us is to ‘Love good and hate evil.'”

My Response:

Since I have studied the Bible very carefully for many years (since 1953), I have good and solid reasons to believe that you are mistaken about what our stance toward present-day Israel should be.
 
Bible prophecy tells us that Israel would return to its promised land in unbelief. That is exactly what we see now. They do not believe in our Lord Jesus Christ. They are, as Paul writes, “enemies of the Gospel” (Romans 11:28),
 
Romans 11:28
28  As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes.
King James Version
 
Zep 2:1  Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired; 
 
From my book, The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury (2016) on Zephaniah 2:1,
 
 
desired. or, desirous. or, longing. FS24C, +2Ki 18:21, i.e. not desirable. or better, incapable of shame. A reference to Israel’s initial restoration to Palestine without a Messianic longing before the Great Tribulation mentioned in Zep 2:2, This seems to confirm that Israel returns to its land initially in unbelief. Gen 31:30, Deut 9:24, Job 14:15, **Psa 83:1, 2, 3, 4, 5.  Psa 84:3, Isa 26:8, 9, Ezek 36:7, *Zec 7:7, +**Acts 3:19, 20, 21.
 
The return of Christ is declared to be dependent in some degree upon the timing of Israel’s national repentance (Acts 3:18-21),
 
Act 3:18  But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled. 
Act 3:19  Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; 
Act 3:20  And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: 
Act 3:21  Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.
 
God’s promises to national Israel have not been abrogated (Romans 11:29),
 
Rom 11:29  For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. (KJV)
Rom 11:29  For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. (ESV)
 
Malachi 3:6  For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
 
Leviticus 26:42
42  Then will I remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land.
King James Version
 
Therefore, in the light of what the Bible teaches, we need to pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6),
 
Psalm 122:6  Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.
 
Remember that God’s promise still stands:
 
Gen 12:3  And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
 
Be very careful not to place yourself on the wrong side of this promise!

Posted in Bible Promises, Bible Prophecy, Bible Study Tools, Doctrinal Discussions, Politics and the Bible | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Daily Bible Nugget #483, Hebrews 12:14 Part 6

Posted on May 10, 2018 by Jerry

The Nugget:

Heb 12:14　 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

This is a most important verse, and the subject of holiness is a most important subject. I have been using the words of the hymn “Take Time to Be Holy” as a springboard to help explain Hebrews 12:14 and the subject of holiness. Now I will begin with the second stanza of the hymn:

“Take time to be holy,
The world rushes on;
Spend much time in secret
With Jesus alone.”

Take time to be holy, The world rushes on

It is still true, even today, long after this hymn was first written, that “The world rushes on.”

The world has no real interest in the things of God or in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible has much to say about this. Let me share just a few verses:

Joh_15:18　 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.

1Jn_3:13　 Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.

1Jn 2:15　 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.　

1Jn 2:16　 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.　

1Jn 2:17　 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.　

Spiritual things in the life of every true Christian must take priority over worldly things. Spiritual things include Bible reading and Bible study, prayer, sharing our faith with others, winning others to true faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. There are things John writes about in his first letter that may not seem spiritual on the surface, but they are utterly important:

1Jn 3:17　 But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?　

1Jn 3:18　 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.　

1Jn 3:19　 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.　(KJV)

In a more modern English translation this reads:

1Jn 3:17 If we have all we need and see one of our own people in need, we must have pity on that person, or else we cannot say we love God.

1Jn 3:18 Children, you show love for others by truly helping them, and not merely by talking about it.

1Jn 3:19 When we love others, we know that we belong to the truth, and we feel at ease in the presence of God. (CEV) 

Jesus spoke of the negative effect the world can have on each of us:

Luk 8:11　 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.　

Luk 8:12　 Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.　

Luk 8:13　 They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.　

Luk 8:14　 And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.　

Luk 8:15　 But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.　

Spend much time in secret With Jesus alone.

Spending time in prayer is one of the main ways to spend time in secret with Jesus alone. The other way is to let Jesus speak to you by spending much time reading the New Testament, the only source we have that gives His words, what He has spoken, directly. Of course, the whole Bible is important, and He can speak to us through the rest of God’s Word as well. Recall that Jesus asked the question, “Have ye not read?” in a manner that we know He expects us, too, to have read the Bible, including the Old Testament.

Mat_12:3　 But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him;

Mat_12:5　 Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?

Mat_19:4　 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,

Mat_22:31　 But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying,

Mar_12:10　 And have ye not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner:

Mar_12:26　 And as touching the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?

Luk_6:3　 And Jesus answering them said, Have ye not read so much as this, what David did, when himself was an hungred, and they which were with him;

7 verses found, 7 matches

 

 

Posted in Daily Bible Nuggets, Practical Application Bible Studies, Principles of Christian Living | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

National Day of Prayer

Posted on May 3, 2018 by Jerry

All of us, especially those who have an interest in the Bible, need to be thankful that we have a National Day of Prayer.

The National Day of Prayer has considerable history behind it. I won’t discuss that in depth here. But I will say that it is good to pray every day.

Following what the Bible teaches (1 Timothy 2:1, 2, 3, 4), we surely must keep our President and the many others that “are in authority” regularly in our prayers.

I remember when I was attending Cass Technical High School in the 1950s that we students who were active in the VCY Club (Voice of Christian Youth) had prayer twice a week after school in the principal’s office as we sat around the conference table to pray. That was an encouragement to my spiritual life as a teenager to have such close fellowship with other Christian students at school.

During my teaching career I recall that students were encouraged “to meet me at the pole,” an expression that referred to students meeting outside of school before the school day to gather around the flag pole for a time of prayer. I was never privileged myself to participate in this activity, but I am thankful for the students who met for prayer.

Now that I am retired from teaching, I am very thankful to be in touch with some of my former students. I still keep them all by name in prayer nearly every day. I think we should uphold the teachers and administrators as well as the students in prayer regularly. God really does enjoy hearing from us (Proverbs 15:8). Has He heard from you lately?

Posted in Christian Living, Education Issues, Politics and the Bible | Tagged | Leave a comment

Three Days in the Grave by Roy M. Allen

Posted on April 29, 2018 by Jerry

I just found my mislaid dust jacket for the rare book I have been writing about this month concerning the correct day of the week that Jesus was crucified. Here is the information from the dust jacket:

FRONT PANEL

What day was Christ crucified–Wednesday? Thursday? Friday?

THREE DAYS in the Grave

by Roy M. Allen

FRONT INSIDE FLAP:

THREE DAYS IN THE GRAVE

Roy M. Allen, Sc. D.

Was the Lord Jesus Christ crucified on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday?

Though the Bible does not tell us the day, Christians for centuries have observed Good Friday as the day of the crucifixion. However, if the Lord was buried on Friday evening and raised on Sunday morning, it is difficult to reconcile these verses:  “For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly, so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:40); and “And beside all this, today is the third day since these things were done” (Luke 24:21).

As Dr. Allen points out, the celebration of Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Easter are not observances initiated by the apostles and continued to the present day; but rather are the creations of a later period. There is no indication in the New Testament that special days, other than the first day of the week, were ever observed.

That the wrong day is now remembered for the Lord’s crucifixion is possible because of the different methods of computing time used by the Jews and the Romans, and because the Jews observed special Sabbath days besides the seventh-day Sabbath.

In Three Days in the Grave, Dr. Allen examines Wednesday, Thursday and Friday as days when the crucifixion could have occurred and shows from the Scriptures how Thursday only fulfills the Old Testament prophecies and reveals the perfect harmony of the four Gospel  records. He discusses the events of each day from six days before the Passover until the resurrection; and shows in chart form the relationship between Jewish days, modern days, and the days of the month Nisan.

As you read this book you will gain greater understanding of Old Testament types of the cross and a new appreciation of its meaning.

BACK INSIDE FLAP:

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Roy Allen is a scientist by profession–not a theologian–but he is also a believer in the faith once delivered to the saints, and in the divine inspiration and inerrancy of the Scriptures.

During an intensive study of the Biblical records of the crucifixion more than forty years ago, Dr. Allen was impressed with the difficulties and seeming contradictions that the traditional theory of a Friday crucifixion caused.

He began to study the evidence for himself and found that only a Thursday crucifixion fitted in with the Bible accounts. For several years he discussed this view in Bible classes that he taught; and after further study, in 1942, wrote Three Days in the Grave.

Dr. Allen has also written several other books–all on scientific subjects–and is the author of all the articles on the microscope and microscopy in the latest edition of the Encyclopedia Americana. He is a member of numerous scientific societies, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the American Microscopical Society; past president and life fellow of the New York Microscopical Society, and a fellow of the American Scientific Affiliation and is well known as a lecturer.

For over fifteen years Dr. Allen worked in the research laboratories of the Bell Telephone System, and for the past 30 years has been a scientific consultant for many of the country’s large corporations, often in demand for technical testimony in litigation cases.

BACK PANEL:

“Students who have had their pet theories as to the day on which our Lord was crucified should invest in a new book, THREE DAYS IN THE GRAVE by Roy M. Allen.

“The author is a scientist as well as a theologian and those who read this book will  realize that they are dealing with one capable of thinking to the bottom of things. Mr. Allen is one man who has fairly set forth the strongest arguments for the three theories–Friday, Wednesday and Thursday, presenting the arguments used against each and carefully analyzing all in the light of Scripture. While…(some attempt to)…make Friday fit in with Jewish ceremonies, Mr. Allen demolishes this completely. Wednesday crucifixion which the editor once attempted to defend in a tract, we admit is left tottering and we have been amazed that we so thoughtlessly used some passages for its support. The alternative, Thursday, seems to meet all Scripture statements in the most satisfactory way, meeting the words of Matthew 12:40 and every other  passage, as well as fitting the Passover details”  Keith Brooks, Prophecy Monthly

Posted in Bible Historicity and Validity, Doctrinal Discussions | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Why did Jesus ask himself why he was being forsaken

Posted on April 27, 2018 by Jerry

The Challenge:

“If God and Jesus are the same, having the same mind, knowledge and power, then why would Jesus beg himself in the garden of Gethsemane, to spare himself from having to be crucified? Furthermore, why would Jesus ask himself why he has forsaken himself by allowing himself to be crucified?
BIBLE Proofs please …”

My Answer:

And if I present Biblical proof, and explain it, Yousuph Olayeenka may likely reject what I would post because he does not agree with my explanation, claiming just give verses, not my explanation, please. Limiting me in that way denies me the freedom to present the truth.
 
The Opening Post says:
 
“If God and Jesus are the same, having the same mind, knowledge and power, then why would Jesus beg himself in the garden of Gethsemane, to spare himself from having to be crucified? Furthermore, why would Jesus ask himself why he has forsaken himself by allowing himself to be crucified?
BIBLE Proofs please …”
 
(1) God and Jesus are the same.
 
The same in what way? Jesus said, “I and my Father are one.”
 
They are NOT the same Person. They are the same in the divine nature.
 
(2) Then why did Jesus beg to be spared in the garden of Gethsemane?
 
Mat 26:39  And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
 
Joh 10:17  Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. 
Joh 10:18  No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father. 
 
Heb 12:2  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 
 
To understand the Bible you must consult all the evidence in the Bible that pertains to the verse, passage, or subject. Thus, Matthew 26:39 MUST be taken with Hebrews 12:2 and other relevant passages.
 
(3) Why did Jesus ask himself why He was being forsaken?
 
Psalms 22:1
1  To the chief Musician upon Aijeleth Shahar, A Psalm of David. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?
King James Version
 
Matthew 27:46
46  And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
King James Version
 
Mark 15:34
34  And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
King James Version
 
Matthew 27:46 is more accurately translated to read “My God! My God! Why did you leave me in this circumstance?” Lavender New Testament
 
God the Father did not forsake His Son on the cross.
 
2 Corinthians 5:19
19  To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
King James Version
 
I have presented, perhaps on this very site, a more complete explanation of this subject.
 
I have also posted the discussion on my own website:
 

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

Passion Week Chronology in Detail

Posted on April 26, 2018 by Jerry

I will try to convert the Chronological Chart as given in Roy M. Allen’s book, Three Days in the Grave, to semi-outline form. I am very limited in what I can do from my keyboard on this site with regard to format. A chart, which is two-dimensional, is difficult to represent here, so bear with me. It is the information that counts. Obviously, a week has only seven days, but when considering the events of the Passion Week, we must start a few days before the week itself to establish the starting point of the chronology.

THE TEN DAYS OF THE PASSION WEEK

Day One

Nisan 8th day.  Jewish  Day: 6th day.  Modern Day: Friday

Events:  Daytime.

Arrival at Bethany. John 12:1

“Six days before the Passover” (John 12:1)

The supper and anointing. John 12:2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Time: our Friday night.

Day Two

Nisan 9th day.  Jewish Day:  7th day Sabbath. Modern Day: Saturday

Events:  Daytime

The Curious Crowd.  John 12:9

Day Three

Nisan 10th day.  Jewish Day: 1st day.  Modern Day: Sunday

Events:  Daytime

The lamb set aside

The Triumphal Entry:  John 12:12, 13, 14, 15

Events:  Night time

Return to Bethany:  Mark 11:11

Day Four

Nisan 11th day.  Jewish Day:  2nd day.  Modern Day:  Monday

Events: Daytime

Return to Jerusalem

The Fig Tree Cursed:  Mark 11:12, 13, 14

The Temple Cleansed:  Mark 11:15

Events:  Night time

Return to Bethany:  Mark 11:19

Day Five

Nisan 12th day.  Jewish Day:  3rd day.  Modern Day:  Tuesday

Events:  Daytime

Return to Jerusalem

The Fig Tree is Found Dead:  Mark 11:20

Olivet Discourse on the way to Bethany:  Matthew chapter 24, 25

Two Days before the Passover:  Matthew 26:2

Day Six

Nisan 13th day. Jewish Day:  4th day.  Modern Day: Wednesday

Daytime Events

Disciples sent to make preparation:  Luke 22:7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13

Night time events:

Jesus and disciples go to Jerusalem

The “Last Supper” eaten

[My Note:  In answer to the question, “Did Jesus eat the Passover?,” the answer is clearly NO, as this chronology proves]

Day Seven

Nisan 14th day. Passover. Jewish Day: 5th day.  Modern Day: Thursday.  Preparation Day for the Feast of the Passover.

Night time events:

Jesus Arrested [at night, our time just past midnight so on Thursday morning]

Jesus condemned

Daytime events:

THE DAY:  The Crucifixion

Jesus dies:  descends to the Heart of the Earth. Matthew 12:40.  The lamb slain. [my note: our 3:00 pm].

“The First Day”

Night time events:

“The First Night” [This begins in fulfillment of the type prophecy of Hosea 6:2, The “Two Days”]

Day Eight

Nisan 15th day. Jewish Day:  6th day. The Passover Sabbath. Preparation of the Sabbath.  Feast of the Passover:  The lamb eaten. Modern Day: Friday

The Second Day

“The First Day Since”

The Second Night

Day Nine

Nisan 16th day.  Jewish Day: 7th day Sabbath. Modern Day: Saturday

Night time events:

“In the third day” (Hosea 6:2)

The Third Day

“The Second Day Since”

The Third Night

Day Ten

Nisan 17th day. Jewish Day: 1st day. Modern Day: Sunday

Night time events:

“Raised again the third day”:  John 20:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

“The third day since” (Luke 24:21)

Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene (John 20:14, 15, 16)

Jesus appears to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus

Jesus appears to Peter (1 Corinthians 15:5)

Night time events:

Jesus appears in the Upper Room (John 20:19)

Posted in Bible Historicity and Validity, Doctrinal Discussions, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

The importance of getting Bible interpretation right

Posted on April 19, 2018 by Jerry

The Nugget:

2Ti 2:15　 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

My Comment:

It is most important that when we read and study the Bible that we leave our denominational and school of theology blinders off and read the text for what it actually says.

The Issue:

Most of us initially “get it wrong” on some very important Bible teachings. In my studies of the Bible I have learned that most readers and most Bible scholars have a totally mistaken understanding of what the Bible teaches regarding the Atonement of Christ. This is a crucially important issue.

Another issue about which very few are aware is the matter of just what day of the week was Jesus crucified. I ran across that issue today when reading a challenge on this topic posted in a Facebook site titled “Christian and Muslim Theological Discourse.” Here is the response I just wrote:

My Response:

Unfortunately, the Muslims do not understand the Bible correctly. Many Christians do not understand the Bible correctly either.
 
But Muslims more than 500 years after the fact mistakenly believe they can legitimately rewrite history to their liking. Obviously, they are logically, historically, and factually wrong.
 
Most certainly from the primary historical documents found in the New Testament, the record shows Jesus died on the cross of Calvary.
 
As for the question about three days and three nights, this is a complex question which would take a full book to explain. It turns out that I discovered I have a book in my personal print library that fully explains this issue. I believe I bought the book more than 50 years ago. Apparently, this book is now very rare. It was published in 1942 in an edition of 2000 copies. The author is Roy M. Allen. The book is titled Three Days in the Grave. This hardbound book is 159 pages long. It contains a fold-out chart which graphically presents the full chronology of the events of the Passion Week. The author was a scientist who wrote an article on optics for the Encyclopedia Britannica.
 
Some students of the Bible believe Jesus died on Wednesday. Most students of the Bible believe Jesus died on Friday. The biblical evidence when considered fully and accurately shows the Bible records that Jesus died on the cross on Thursday.
 
The author was motivated to conduct his exhaustive study of this issue when he carefully considered two verses:  Matthew 12:40 and Luke 24:21.
 
Mat 12:40  For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 
 
Luk 24:21  But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done.
 
If Sunday (the First Day of the week) is the third day SINCE these things were done, then:
 
Saturday, the Seventh Day of the week is the second day since these things were done;
 
Friday, the sixth day of the week is the first day SINCE these things were done.
 
Therefore, “these things” were done on Thursday. “These things,” of course, were the events of the crucifixion, death, and burial of Jesus Christ.
 
It is NOT stated in Scripture that the body of Jesus Christ was interred for three days and three nights. Rather it is His soul or spirit (these are accounted as being the same in Scripture) was to be “in the heart of the earth” for this time period. The body of Jesus was not buried in the heart of the earth but in the rock-hewn new tomb of Joseph of Arimathea where it was embalmed and laid to rest above ground.
 
Jesus promised the repentant thief on the cross next to Him that “today thou shalt be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). Before the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ “paradise” was in Hades (Greek) or Sheol (Hebrew), spoken of as in the heart of the earth, and revealed and explained by Jesus Himself as having two divisions, between which there was a “great gulf fixed” (Luke 16:26), one division or side was for the unrighteous dead, the other division was the abode of the righteous UNTIL the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead on the third day (see Ephesians 4:8 and related passages in the Bible).
 
Therefore, the time that the body of Jesus was dead involved a longer period of time than the time the body was interred in the grave until His resurrection, and this difference helps to account for the literal three days and three nights of Matthew 12:40.
 

So, Adeleke Issa, it is not the body of Jesus that is involved in this question, for it was not in the tomb for the full three days and three nights, as you correctly state. Rather, the time specified pertains to how long Jesus was dead until His bodily resurrection. And that time span does correspond to the specified “three days and three nights.”

So Why Does It Matter?

Jesus commanded us to share His Gospel to every person (Mark 16:15).

We make it far more difficult for others to believe the Gospel if we do not have the details of the Gospel correct ourselves!

That is why every Christian must study the Bible carefully to learn how to “rightly divide the word of truth” in a manner that is correct and understandable to others. That is what Real Bible Study is all about!

Posted in Apologetics Issues--Other Faiths, Doctrinal Discussions | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The Bible was too poorly written to be inspired by God

Posted on April 14, 2018 by Jerry
My Comment:

I saw the following Muslim claim about the Bible. I decided to post my responses here.

The Muslim claims and my responses:

(1) “The Bible was too poorly written to have been inspired by God.”
 
This is a statement of opinion not based on fact.
 
(2) “It doesn’t take a lot of linguistic knowledge to assess the Bible’s literary quality as being deficient when compared to many books and novels of a secular nature.”
 
Again, a statement of opinion, mistaken at that, not fact.
 
In graduate school, I took all the linguistic courses available at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. I might know a tiny bit about linguistics. In my belief and understanding about linguistics, I consider your assertion to be unfounded.
 
It is not a legitimate criticism to compare the Bible to “many books and novels of a secular nature.” The Bible must be understood in the light of its purpose as well as in the light of the background culture of the authors who wrote it.
 
(3) “This is a problem for Christianity because it claims that the Bible was inspired if not fully dictated by a supreme being who by default must have writing skills superior to what any human could ever attain.”
 
Says who?
 
I have no problem believing in the divine verbal inspiration of the Bible. I have been studying this subject since 1954. I have a personal print library of many scholarly books written about this subject. I have studied those books for well over half a century. The evidence presented in these books is overwhelming and irrefutable. Besides what men may say about the Bible, we have the record of what God says about the Bible. I will take His word over yours.
 
2Ti 3:16  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 
2Ti 3:17  That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. 
 
Psalms 119:160
160  Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.
King James Version
 
Though the Bible is the inspired Word of God, God employed the varied writing styles of the individual authors to convey His truth to us. This does not imply nor does it require dictation.
 
2Pe 1:21  For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. 
 
But you or your unidentified source is correct that what is written in the Bible is beyond what any unassisted human writer could ever attain.
 
Only the Bible records detailed predictions of future events which have been proven to come true exactly as predicted. Accurate predictive prophecy is something human beings have not succeeded in providing, but it is found in the Bible.
 
(4) “Millions of evangelicals and other Christian fundamentalists believe that the Bible was dictated by God to men who acted essentially as human transcriptionists. If that were the case, one would have to conclude that God is a terrible writer. Many passages in the Bible would get kicked back by any competent editor or writing professor, kicked back with a lot of red ink—often more red than black.”
 
Says who?
 
Such claims against the Bible are mere nonsense. As for competent editors and writing professors, some have appointed me to these very positions. In my judgment, any editors or writing professors who would take such a stance against the Bible would merely be displaying their ignorance of the Bible.
 
(5) “Mixed messages, repetition, bad fact-checking, awkward constructions, inconsistent voice, weak character development, boring tangents, contradictions, passages where nobody can tell what the heck the writer meant to convey. This doesn’t sound like a book that was dictated by a deity.”
 
Anyone making such claims against the Bible is simply displaying their ignorance of the Bible.
 
I have frequently told my students that their criticisms of great literature, whether Shakespeare or the Bible, reveal more about themselves than the work of literature they think they are criticizing.
 
(6) “A well-written book should be clear and concise, with all factual statements accurate and characters neither two-dimensional nor plagued with multiple personality disorder—unless they actually are. A book written by a god should be some of the best writing ever produced.”
 
All factual statements in the Bible have been proven accurate. Only the Bible, among all written records and documents from ancient times that have survived to our time, gets the precise details of the ancient history it records exactly right, down to the very spelling of the names of ancient kings and kingdoms. See the writings of Dr. Robert Dick Wilson on this subject, as one excellent scholar who presents a vast amount of evidence to buttress his claims.
 
The Bible surely is the best writing ever produced as judged by those competent to make such a judgment.
 
(7) “Why does the Bible so fail to meet this mark? One obvious answer, of course, is that neither the Bible nor any other books . We humans may yearn for advice that is “god-breathed,” but in reality, our sacred texts were written by fallible human beings, who try as they might, fell short of perfection in the ways we all do.”
 
It looks like your copy-and-paste of your unacknowledged source is defective in this section.
 
But the general claim can be discerned. I disagree with the claim for it is unconvincing in terms of my knowledge and experience.
 
(8) “The textual quality of the Bible is there for anyone to judge, and the most objective reviews indicate that it is inferior to that produced by thousands of merely human authors. This is conclusive evidence that the Bible was not inspired, much less dictated, by a supernatural being.”
 
This paragraph was certainly written by someone not truly acquainted with the Bible or the many evidences that prove it to be divinely inspired. I knew this much when I was a teenager and wrote my senior English research paper on this very subject. I have posted my research paper on my own website earlier this year.
 
Posted in Apologetics Issues--Other Faiths, Apologetics--Christian, Bible Historicity and Validity | Tagged , | Leave a comment

The story of the temptation of Jesus is full of problems

Posted on April 13, 2018 by Jerry
The story of the temptation of Jesus is full of problems, as follows:
1. It is only mentioned in Mark, Matthew, and Luke, but not in John.
 
John wrote at a later date and did not encumber his Gospel with what was already fully documented in the Gospels written before his. John wrote with a specific purpose and organized his content accordingly:
 
Joh 20:30  And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: 
Joh 20:31  But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name. 
 
Therefore, this objection is invalid and a mere rationalization which ignores the evidence in the New Testament.
 
2. It supposedly happened after Jesus went into the desert and fasted for 40 days- a very unlikely occurrence and likely not survivable.
 
Jesus by trade was a carpenter, a young man of about thirty years of age, and without question in excellent physical health. There is no reason to doubt the account as given. This objection also is a mere rationalization advanced to assert a viewpoint contrary to the historical record given in the New Testament.
 
3. It involves the physical appearance of Satan and a highly unlikely conversation between the two.
 
Such an objection reflects the mere unbelief of those who deny the existence of the supernatural. It is, once again, a rationalization not based upon the facts presented in the historical record of the New Testament and the Bible as a whole.
 
4. It speaks of being on a tall mountain such that Jesus could see all of the kingdoms of the world, something that might make sense on a flat earth.
 
Such an objection assumes the objector knows more about what happened and where it took place than is revealed in the account itself. According to John 3:13 Jesus spoke of himself as being on earth and in heaven at the same time. If Jesus (John 1:48, 49) could see Nathaniel before they met for the first time and tell Nathaniel where he was in a manner that brought Nathaniel immediately to full faith in Jesus because of this fact, there is no reason to doubt Satan could show Jesus the kingdoms of the world of that day from whatever mountaintop he chose to do so.
 
5. It clearly lacked any witnesses other than Jesus and Satan.
 
To accept the implied problem requires that we must accuse Jesus and the Gospel writers of being untruthful, something even the enemies of Jesus were challenged on the spot to do, a challenge they could not meet.
 
Joh 8:45  And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. 
Joh 8:46  Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? 
Joh 8:47  He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God. 
 
6. Jesus is tempted to worship Satan, but since Jesus was divine, such would not be a valid temptation, because Jesus could have attained everything Satan offered (turning stones into bread, jumping off the mountain safely, and taking over the kingdoms of the world) without needing to worship him.
 
From the record of the temptation itself and from the record in the rest of the Bible regarding the character and purpose of Satan himself, there is no reason to believe that Satan did not intend to cause our Lord Jesus Christ to fail at the very outset of His ministry. Satan chose what he knew would be the most opportune time to tempt Jesus–when Jesus would be weakened from His forty days of fasting. Yet Jesus “passed the test,” and so showed that He was fully qualified to do the work God appointed for Him to do.
 
If you acknowledge that Jesus was divine, then aware of this fact taught in the New Testament, you can hardly with any consistency put forth the kind of objections to the New Testament account of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ as you have posted here.
 
“It is unfortunate for Christianity that this mythical episode was documented in the gospels. It strains credulity, and it is not necessary to the overall message of the gospels. It does nothing to enhance the image of Jesus. Furthermore, it telegraphs the fact that other stories in the gospels are likely mythical- even those that otherwise sound plausible.”
 
There is no basis in fact to suppose that the record of the temptation of Christ is merely a “mythical episode.” It hardly “telegraphs the fact that the other stories in the gospels are likely mythical.” Luke begins his Gospel account with a statement that flatly contradicts such a notion:
 
Luk 1:1  Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, 
Luk 1:2  Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word; 
Luk 1:3  It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, 
Luk 1:4  That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed. 
 
Luke continues his accounting in the book of Acts with this statement:
 
Act 1:1  The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, 
Act 1:2  Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: 
Act 1:3  To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: 
 
Jesus Christ showed Himself alive after his physical death and bodily resurrection from the dead on the third day “by many infallible proofs.”
 
That rather firmly settles the question.

Posted in Apologetics Issues--Other Faiths, Apologetics--Christian, Bible Historicity and Validity | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Daily Bible Nugget #482, Hebrews 12:14 Part 5

Posted on April 9, 2018 by Jerry

The Nugget:

Heb 12:14　 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:　

My Comment:

I have been using the hymn “Take Time to Be Holy” to illustrate just what it means to follow or pursue diligently “holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.”

I suspect that for most readers, the subject of “holiness” is strange to your ears. It may not be talked about in most churches and it may not be a popular theme even on Christian radio. But you must focus carefully on this issue if you ever hope to see the Lord.

I have discussed in prior posts here the following clauses of the hymn “Take Time to Be Holy”:

Take time to be holy.
Speak oft with thy Lord;
Abide in Him always,
And feed on His Word.
Make friends with God’s children;
Help those who are weak,

The next and final clause of the first stanza reads: “Forgetting in nothing His blessing to seek.”

I am thinking of a Bible verse which fits right in with this theme:

Colossians 3:17　 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

If all we say or do can be done in the name of the Lord Jesus with thanks to God and the Father by Him we surely are meeting the standard the Bible has set for us to follow.

When I was a high school student at Cass Technical High School in Detroit, I wrote the following note or outline in my loose-leaf Bible:

Should you, or should you not?

  1. Be fully persuaded in your own mind (Romans 14:5)
  2. If there’s a doubt, it’s wrong–your conscience (Romans 14:23)
  3. Their conscience (1 Corinthians 10:29)
  4. If it offends none (1 Corinthians 10:32)
  5. If it pleases all (1 Corinthians 10:33)
  6. If it is to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31)
  7. If it is not a compromise (1 Corinthians 10:21)

1Jn 2:6　 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.　

Col 2:6　 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:　

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