Tag Archives: Ancient History

COVID-19 and Closing Churches

With the spread of the flu-like Covid-19 virus, government orders to close, and the community in fear of getting sick; at what point should a church close its doors and temporarily end meeting? To get clear guidance, we must seek God’s Word, and not our feelings or thoughts from our fragile emotional state. What did Jesus and The Apostles do? What did the early church do? What does Holy Scripture say?

What Did Jesus Do Around Sickness?

John 4:46-53 is interesting, not only is it a sickness healing, but Jesus brings up a interesting point.

⁴⁶Then He went again to Cana of Galilee, where He had turned the water into wine. There was a certain royal official whose son was ill at Capernaum. ⁴⁷When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and pleaded with Him to come down and heal his son, for he was about to die.
⁴⁸Jesus told him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe.”
⁴⁹“Sir,” the official said to Him, “come down before my boy dies!”
⁵⁰“Go,” Jesus told him, “your son will live.” The man believed what Jesus said to him and departed.
⁵¹While he was still going down, his slaves met him saying that his boy was alive. ⁵²He asked them at what time he got better. “Yesterday at seven in the morning the fever left him,” they answered. ⁵³The father realized this was the very hour at which Jesus had told him, “Your son will live.” Then he himself believed, along with his whole household.

Now, it doesn’t say WHAT the boy was sick with except the fact he was sick and was going to die. There is something interesting to note. Jesus didn’t travel to the sick boy’s house. Instead, healed the boy from the a distance. Right here, some people may use this as an example was to why self-isolation is acceptable for the church because God heals from a distance. BUT, that is a failure to see the REAL reason for this sort of RARE “distance” healing. Verse 51 would be completely irrelevant. That’s the point. The time and distance PROVES Jesus has divine healing powers. THAT’s the point. Not the distance. So, this is actually a poor example for self-isolation and God’s healing of the COVID-19.

Now, there was a very important point to be made, by Jesus. Jesus REBUKES the people, including the royal official. He literally says “you people,” referring to the crowds that follow him to see what he does and don’t really ponder what he says. He generally rebukes them for not believing in HIM as the living WORD and trusting the WORDS that he says as coming from God himself. Instead, these doubters need to see miracles for themselves in order to give some sort of self satisfying credence to his words.

There is a natural thing inside humans that if it tickles our senses, it feels more satisfyingly credible. This is also true for fellowship. If you meet people in person, or see people in person, and hear a pastor speak in person, and sing your favorite worship song in person; how much greater of the a feeling do you have than if you just watched it online. There is a natural and massive difference. Keep that in mind (1).

LUKE 4:38-40, a high fever

³⁸After He left the synagogue, He entered Simon’s house. Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Him about her. ³⁹So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up immediately and began to serve them.⁴⁰When the sun was setting, all those who had anyone sick with various diseases brought them to Him. As He laid His hands on each one of them, He would heal them.

Peter’s wife’s mother had “a high fever.” In this day, a fever of 101 would almost just feel like a hard days work. So for them to note, at this time, she had a “high” fever, means she was in bad shape. But look at Jesus, he “stood over her.” Jesus didn’t maintain any sort of “social distancing.” But it gets better, “all those who had anyone sick with various diseases brought them to Him. As He laid His hands on each one of them...” They were physically bringing their sick, possible with viruses, to Jesus. And Jesus would literally, physically touch them. No gloves, no masks, no protective gear; just faith.

These people would have NEVER had an encounter with CHRIST JESUS, if “social distancing” was enforced legally and or culturally. Keep that in mind (2).

LUKE 5:12-14, Leprosy

¹²While He was in one of the towns, a man was there who had a serious skin disease [leprosy] all over him. He saw Jesus, fell facedown, and begged Him: “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” ¹³Reaching out His hand, He touched him, saying, “I am willing; be made clean,” and immediately the disease left him. ¹⁴Then He ordered him to tell no one: “But go and show yourself to the priest, and offer what Moses prescribed for your cleansing as a testimony to them.”

Though this translation does not specifically say “leprosy,” other early writings and translations do. It is a contagious bacterial infection that gets ugly quick. Jesus, in his human body, that gets tired, needs food and hydration, reached out his hand and literally, physically, touched him. There is a symbolic concept here too. This would, according to Pharisaic additional laws and jewish ceremonial laws, would make Jesus unclean. But, we know that Jesus is far from unclean, in fact, he is the exact, perfect opposite, he is perfectly sinlessly holy. BUT he TOUCHED an unclean, infectious person. He did not avoid them. He did not maintain social distancing.

There are countless more examples in Holy Scripture but the point is, Jesus and the Apostles didn’t shy away from infectious people: Matthew 14:34-36; Luke 17:11-19.

Here, people will make the argument “But Jesus was God, we are not.” Seems like a valid point. So, let’s look at the healing that the Apostles did AFTER Jesus had ascended to heaven.

The Apostles and Sickness

Acts 5:16

“Also the people from the cities in the vicinity of Jerusalem were coming together, bringing people who were sick or afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all being healed.”

Their faith and desire for God’s healing superseded their feeling to stay away from sick people. In fact, all the sick people and their friends and family were coming together. Remember, Jesus had already left at this point. This is just the first and early churches, after Pentecost. A mass sickness party was being held by the Apostles, and by faith, they were all being healed.

This would have never happened if the early church avoided meeting and maintained social distancing from all those who were sick.

Act 19:11-12

“And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.”

Acts 28:8-9

“And it happened that the father of Publius was lying in bed afflicted with recurrent fever and dysentery; and Paul went in to see him and after he had prayed, he laid his hands on him and healed him. After this had happened, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases were coming to him and getting cured.”

Again, no social distancing and avoiding meeting here.

So, we see that even the Apostles were not afraid of coming down with any of these diseases. They didn’t tell these people to say home and NOT bring their sick friends and family to them. They did NOT close their doors wherever they were at to avoid contamination. They WERE without Jesus, physically, and were on their own continuing his works.

Israel and The Church’s Historical Reaction to Epidemics and Pandemics

The 412 BC Epidemic

In 412 BC, there was an epidemic of an unknown disease, but it is often identified as influenza due to the described symptoms. It was reported in Northern Greece by Hippocrates and in Rome by Livy. It caused a food shortage in the Roman, and a famine was only prevented with food relief from Sicily and Etruria, and via trade missions to the “peoples round about who dwelt on the Tuscan sea or by the Tiber.” In other words, it spread.

In 520 BC Cyrus the Great allowed Jews to return to Judea and rebuild the Temple in 515 BC, but did not allow the restoration of the kingdom. During the time of the epidemic, Persia was in control of Israel; and Persia traded with the Roman Republic until they were conquered by Alexander the Great in 332 BC.

Israel did not stop conducting their ceremonies, worship services, and religious festivals even though there was a epidemic spreading from Rome.

The Antonine Plague of 165 to 180 AD

This was an pandemic brought to the Roman Empire by troops returning from campaigns in the Near East. Scholars have suspected it to have been either smallpox or measles; deadly and highly contagious. The disease broke out again nine years later, according to the Roman historian Dio Cassius (155–235), causing up to 2,000 deaths a day in Rome, one quarter of those who were affected, giving the disease a mortality rate of about 25%. The total deaths have been estimated at 5 million, and the disease killed as much as one-third of the population in some areas and devastated the Roman army. The plague may have also broken out in Eastern Han China before 166 AD, given notices of plagues in Chinese records.

The church was in the dead center of this pandemic. It was a monster of a plague. COVID-19 looks like a small cold compared to this one. So, what did the early church do during this extremely dangerous plague?

Irenaeus, who was about 30 years old at the time and was a pastor at the Church of Lyon during the plague. He was indirectly a disciple of Polycarp, who was an actual disciple of John. He never paused his mission work. He didn’t stop meeting and fellowship. He even discussed his conversations and debates with Gnostics; which lead him to write Against Heresies. Any sort of social distancing was not mentioned by him whatsoever. The thought of closing his church doors and stopping his ministry work during the plague was not an idea he had. In fact, as the plague spread, religious construction of sacred sites was increased [1]. There was an increased desire to a divine solution and Christianity was there to provide answers. Studies have shown, that Christianity greatly increased, due to consistent ministry work, during three pandemics in the Roman era, the Antonine plague, the Cyprian plague, and the Justinian plague.

The Cyprian Plague of the 3rd Century

Carthage’s bishop, Cyprian, encouraged Christians to care for the sick and dying. They buried the dead and risked getting sick by taking in the sick. This was repeated other times in the early centuries of the church during epidemics. Christians introduced a new concern and standard of care for sick people [4].

Candida Moss, a professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at Notre Dame, notes that an “epidemic that seemed like the end of the world actually promoted the spread of Christianity.” By their actions in the face of possible death, Christians showed their neighbors that “Christianity is worth dying for.” The author of the Christian Post article even states “Nearly eighteen centuries after the Plague of Cyprian, Christianity still prompts people to run towards the plague when virtually everyone else is running away.”[5]

On Easter Sunday in 260 AD, Bishop Dionysius of Corinth praised the efforts of the Christians, many of whom had died while caring for others. He said:

“Most of our brother Christians showed unbounded love and loyalty, never sparing themselves, and thinking only of one another. Heedless of danger, they took charge of the sick, attending to their every need and ministering to them in Christ, and with them departed this life serenely happy; for they were infected by others with the disease, drawing on themselves the sickness of their neighbors and cheerfully accepting their pains.“

Lymon Stone, a research fellow at the Institute for Family Studies and an advisor at the consulting firm Demographic Intelligence, in Foreign Policy, notes. “But it did something else, too: It triggered the explosive growth of Christianity,” he writes. “Cyprian’s sermons told Christians not to grieve for plague victims (who live in heaven), but to redouble efforts to care for the living. His fellow bishop Dionysius described how Christians, ‘Heedless of danger … took charge of the sick, attending to their every need.’”[6]

The Bubonic Plague, 1485–1551

Just about all of Martin Luther’s life ran congruent to the Sweating Sickness that spread throughout Europe. As a pastor and professor, he did not close his church doors and theological school. During the spreading sickness, he revolutionized organized and formal worship services that changed history. But it gets better. The Elector of Saxony, John the Steadfast, ordered Martin Luther, to leave. He refused. Along with his pregnant wife Katharina, Luther stayed in Wittenberg, opening his house as a ward for the sick [2,6]. Someone literally asked him if it is wrong for a Christian to flee the cities that are infected, you can read Martin Luther’s letter here. It is important to note that Martin Luther did NOT say it was wrong to flee or in our modern conduct, close churches and self-quarantine; of itself. BUT that it WAS wrong to neglected the needy because you close churches and self-quarantine. He basically said that if you have no family and not you don’t know of anyone in need, than fleeing is a good option. Here in lies the problem, what church or elder doesn’t know someone in need? What Christian doesn’t know someone who doesn’t know Christ? Is that not the ultimate eternally worth need? Martin Luther chose to stay to minister to the sick. He said:

“[N]o one should dare leave his neighbor unless there are others who will take care of the sick in their stead and nurse them…. we are bound to each other in such a way that no one may forsake the other in his distress but is obliged to assist and help him as he himself would like to be helped.“

Would Martin Luther close his church and self-quarantine during a pandemic? No, he didn’t even close and hide during one of the most deadliest pandemics in human history. He willingly, faithfully, and boldly, ministered to the sick.

The 1563 London plague

Church leaders gathered to address some issues and iron out what the orthodox biblical faith teaches in 1563 AD and 1567AD, and drafted what is known as the Heidelberg Catechism and Belgic Confession. All the while the 1563 London plague was raging. Social distancing and closing churches did not happen.

The 1663-1668 Plagues of Netherlands, England, and France

While the “Great Plague of London” was spreading, from the Netherlands, and to France, the church gathered in London and drafted the The Westminster Confession of Faith in 1664AD. An extremely important document that helped shape modern Church orthodoxy and maintain biblical reliance and understanding. Asymptomatic persons were, in fact, quarantined for 40 days, but just about all who were quarantined died; but the Church didn’t close. They took part in helping the sick.

The court of Charles II, together with lawyers, merchants and doctors, fled the city, but the poor could not. St Bride’s vicar, the Revd Richard Peirson, remained to witness the devastation to his parish community. The parish distributed relief to stricken families [7]. While the communities wealthiest persons, including doctors, fled instead of helping, the church remained [8].

The Broad Street Cholera Outbreak of 1854

Charles Spurgeon admired the Puritan ministers who stayed behind to care for the sick and dying during the Great Plague of London in 1665 [9]. Charles Spurgeon stated:

“During that epidemic of cholera, though I had many engagements in the country, I gave them up that I might remain in London to visit the sick and the dying. I felt that it was my duty to be on the spot in such a time of disease and death and sorrow.“

“During the outbreak, Spurgeon recognized his responsibility to be present with those who were sick and dying. This was not a time to be an itinerant preacher. This was a time to focus on caring for his church and the community in which he lived. He would not outsource this task to his deacons or other church leaders but remained in London in order to fulfill his duty. We know that the congregation continued meeting during those days because the church’s minute books contain records of congregational meetings carried on throughout the fall of 1854.

Amid all the pastoral challenges of the outbreak, Spurgeon and his deacons continued to receive new members, pursue inactive members, observe the Lord’s Supper, and practice all the other normal activities of a church. Not only that, but in retrospect, it was particularly during this time, when news of death raged all around the city, that Spurgeon found Londoners most receptive to the gospel.

As the pastor, Spurgeon not only continued to gather his church, but he also made himself available throughout the week, working tirelessly to visit the sick and grief-stricken.” [10].

Charles Spurgeon didn’t self-quarantine and didn’t adhere to social distancing. He went to the sick and ministered to them. The never stopped meeting and proclaiming the gospel.

The Spanish Flu, 1920s

The Christian Reformed Church convened at the Synod of Kalamazoo and drafted the understanding of God’s common grace in 1924. The Spanish Flu was raging, world wide. They did not close down their churches or cancel their synod. The churches in America, as a whole, did not close down or stop meeting.

Influenza A virus subtype H3N2, 1970s

The outbreak and discovery of the H3N2 virus, predominate pastors from around America met in Chicago and drafted The Chicago Statement of Biblical Inerrancy. Also, during this time, in the 70s, the churches did not close during the spread of H3N2.

We see, that historically, and during much worse pandemics and plagues, the church did not close their doors and stop meeting. They, in fact, become part of the help and aid to all those who were sick; just like the Apostles before them. But what does other parts of the the Bible say about how to better address this issue?

The Ebola Outbreaks of The 1990s

Now as then, this power confounds and confuses Christianity’s critics. A recent article in Slate acknowledged that many of the people fighting the Ebola epidemic in West Africa were missionaries [11]. The writer, Brian Palmer, admitted that he “[didn’t] feel good about missionary medicine, even though [he couldn’t] fully articulate why.” He knew that he shouldn’t feel this way but he did.

Ross Douthat of the New York Times suspects that Palmer’s misgivings have something to do with the fact that the selflessness of the missionaries “unsettles” his “secular and scientistic worldview.” In that worldview, “helping people is what governments and secular groups are supposed to do.”[5]

“John Fankhauser, a missionary doctor, said: “I have a very keen awareness of the risks and the need to be extremely careful, but I also feel very called to what I’m doing,” says Fankhauser, 52, from Ventura, Calif. “I feel very confident that this is where God wants me right now.” With the exception of Doctors Without Borders, international aid groups moved at a glacial pace. The World Health Organization deferred to weak local governments to tackle the terrifying disease. Even the U.S. military response was predicated on the idea that American troops would not be directly providing care to people affected by the virus” [12]. It was up to the church. And if these Christians chose to follow “self-isolation” and “social distancing,” who would help these people?

God’s Word

Aside from Jesus’ example, and the Apostles’ example in Holy Scripture, we can find assistance in coming to a biblical response in other truths made in scripture.

Psalm 41:1

“Happy is one who cares for the poor; the LORD will save him in a day of adversity.”

There are two ways to look at this; is avoiding contact with the poor, caring for the poor? Is this being merciful and loving in that you care for their health enough to avoid them in the hopes of preventing getting them sick?

Here’s a problem. If you know you are not sick, then avoiding them is actually SELFISHNESS and UNLOVING to the poor. Because you are actually more worried about your self and your own health than to serve the Lord, willing to risk yourself for his Glory and their greater good. Making this argument, knowing your are not sick, exposes your selfishness, weak faith, and doubt in God’s protection.

So, if you are not sick, but yet you avoid taking care of the poor when given the opportunity, you are actually IN SIN. You don’t trust the Lord’s protection. You don’t believe in his divine healing. And you care more about your own life than the person you claim to love.

James 4:17

“So it is a sin for the person who knows to do what is good and doesn’t do it. “

Helping someone in need, is what is good. Physically caring for someone in need, is what is good. Caring for someone in physical or emotional need, is what is good. Avoiding all these, to keep yourself from getting sick, is not doing what is good; it’s selfish, non-sacrificial, lacking in faith, thus sin.

Mark 16:17-20

¹⁷And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new languages; ¹⁸they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” ¹⁹After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. ²⁰Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.

Now, this is huge. Jesus said these things “WILL accompany those who believe.” They can touch deadly things, even receive into their bodies deadly things, and yet, “WILL NOT hurt them at all.” and then right after that he said “they WILL place their hands ON SICK PEOPLE.” Again, all these “will accompany those who believe.”

Think about the gravity of this. WHY are you scared to touch sick people? The REAL question is, why do you NOT believe Jesus’ word here? To simplify it; Why do you not fully trust God? Do you not trust God will/can heal them? Do you not trust God will/can protect you?

Peter could walk on water! but, because of his weak faith, he almost drowned (Matthew 14:30). If Peter walked on water, why can’t you minister to sick people? If it is fear, Jesus directly addresses you:

Matthew 10:28

²⁸Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

The “who” could be a “what” or another noun; person, place, or thing. That “thing” can also be COVID-19. COVID-19 has killed people, but it only kills this temporary body. Jesus flat out commands us to “NOT BE AFRAID” of COVID-19… Is your lack of faith leading you to disobedience?

John 10:11

“A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep but the hireling sees the wolf coming and flees”

This is a brutal revelation about pastors, elders, and church leaders. The wolf, is anything worldly that scares the weak and scatters the flock. This is exactly what COVID-19 is doing; has scared the flock and scattered it. Sadly, it appears that most pastors are just hirelings and not good shepherds, because they too have gone into hiding. Martin Luther said “For when people are dying, they most need a spiritual ministry which strengthens and comforts their consciences by word and sacrament and in faith overcomes death.”

1 Timothy 5:8

“⁸But if anyone does not provide for his own, that is his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.“

Now this is a very important COMMAND. YOU have a duty, a divine responsibility to take care of your household and family. Maintaining social distancing and avoiding contact with family and members of your household is in direct violation to this command. The things that are to be provided are care, love, fellowship, not just physical resources. Obligated to provide physical and emotional support and care. Even Bond-servant Masters are to care for their bond-servants as members of their household (Eph 6:5-9). So, this isn’t just limited to immediate blood-family.

Matthew 25:41-46

⁴¹“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴²For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, ⁴³I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ ⁴⁴Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ ⁴⁵Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ ⁴⁶And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Now THIS is condemning. Social Isolation and avoiding fellowship risks THIS! Social Isolation and avoiding fellowship does not feed the hungry, hydrate the thirsty, not welcome the lonely and strangers, does not clothe the poor, and cold, OR VISIT THE SICK! Jesus literally says “sick and in prison and you did not visit me.” Closing the church, stopping fellowship and corporate worship directly conflicts with what Jesus is getting at here.

The church, by closing and avoiding worship and fellowship, is neglecting those in need. And dumping the duties to try to care for the local church community violates what The Holy Spirit prescribes in 1 Cor. 12:21-26.

1 John 3:16-17

¹⁶By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. ¹⁷But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?

What does that look like now? You see people in need, or know of a friend, family, or community in need; you have the resources to address that need and have been part of that community assisting in helping that need before; then suddenly, stopping, no longer helping because of fear of getting sick. You are not willing to lay down your life for the brothers and sisters in your community.

All of these raise the question:

Is risking infection unloving to your household?

It can’t be. The Apostles risked getting sick by healing people every day, Peter was married. Was he risking getting infected and then infecting his wife? No, it wasn’t a risk because God is soverign. In the eyes of the weak in spirit, yes, it seemed like he was risking getting infected and bringing the bug back home to his wife. But the element of a sovereign God is unfaithfully absent with that idea.

Is it then unloving for missionaries to take their families to dangerous parts of the world for mission work? Of course not. Is it a risk of danger, maybe. But is the fear of risk the problem? Yes.

The fear is being poor in faith. The fear is immaturity in faith. Peter feared drowning once he saw he was walking on water. What, is it selfish and unloving of him to risk widowing his wife to walk on water with Jesus? Is it selfish of Peter to lay hands on the sick, and risk being infected and taking the sickness back home to his wife? No. Peter was not in the wrong or acting in sin.

What Does The Bible Say About Quarantine?

So what happens when we become sick? Well, we should be quarantined; but not neglected.

Leviticus 13:4-8

the priest is to isolate the affected person for seven days. ⁵On the seventh day the priest is to examine them, and if he sees that the sore is unchanged and has not spread in the skin, he is to isolate them for another seven days. ⁶On the seventh day the priest is to examine them again, and if the sore has faded and has not spread in the skin, the priest shall pronounce them clean; it is only a rash. They must wash their clothes, and they will be clean. ⁷But if the rash does spread in their skin after they have shown themselves to the priest to be pronounced clean, they must appear before the priest again. ⁸The priest is to examine that person, and if the rash has spread in the skin, he shall pronounce them unclean; it is a defiling skin disease.

Here we see “The Lord said to Moses and Aaron” and laid out this process of a sort of quarantine. This skin disease spoken about is a bacterial infection of Leprosy, which is contagious.

This is about those who HAVE symptoms or ARE sick. This is NOT about people who DO NOT have symptoms of any contagious sickness. The context can not be used to justify quarantining healthy people. Because, then how could the priest examine the person and determine their cleanliness or uncleanliness?

If, your sick, stay at home. If you are NOT sick, YOU HAVE A DUTY TO SERVE THE LORD STILL. But, what if the government orders the churches to close?

Government Orders to Close Churches

Romans 13:1-7

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. ²Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. ³For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, ⁴for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. ⁵Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. ⁶For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. ⁷Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

This comes up a lot too, by pastors who close their churches at the orders of the state. They justify this action with the use of this verse. A major problem, though. This verse applies to governing authorities of good conduct. And “good” is defined by God. That means, if the governing authorities do NOT do what is good but, in fact, impose authority that which only God is owed, they they are not to be respected and honored; because they are NOT the one whom the respected and honor is owed. Give Caesar what is Caesar’s and give God what is God’s (Mark 12:17). Worship and praise is God’s, he owns it, and expects it, commands it; it is our duty before God himself. ANY governing authority that interferes with it, is due no respect or honor in regards to it.

Watching your church service from a live video feed is not corporate fellowship and worship. You have no interaction with the pastor or fellow believers. It is no different from you watching any other video instead. You may as well YouTube other churches and pastors that you’ve never met. It’s all the same.

Corporate Worship and Fellowship

Acts 2:42, 46

“devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer…every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts”

Closing church doors and doing live video feeds of worship services is NOT being “devoted to… fellowship, to breaking of bread…” It is just not possible. You can not break bread from a live Facebook feed. Fellowship is neglected, period. The early church was so on fire for Christ, they met every day! DESPITE Roman authorities AND Jewish authorities persecuting them.

The early church defied the Roman authority. The early church defied the Jewish authorities. The early church RISKED death, arrest, breaking the law, jail, prison, and diseases; yet, still were devoted to fellowship and meeting in their homes.

Hebrews 10:25

²⁵not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

As mentioned above, the early church was dealing with governing authorities, such as Rome and the Jewish authorities, ordering them not to meet. They risked legal issues, fines, jail time, prison, and violence. Yet, the author of Hebrews, inspired by the Holy Spirit, directly and absolutely states “NOT GIVING UP MEETING TOGETHER”.

Conclusion

We see that Jesus went to the sick and physically touched them and heal them.
We see that the Apostles went to the sick and physically touched them to heal them.
We see that the early church, and the church all throughout history did NOT close their doors (willingly) for government authorities and plagues.
Irenaeus of Lyons didn’t pause his ministry during the Antonine Plague.
Cyprian of Carthage didn’t pause his ministry during the Cyprian Plague.
Dionysius of Corinth didn’t pause his ministry during the Cyprian Plague.
Martin Luther didn’t pause his ministry during the Second Bubonic Plague.
The St Bride’s Christian community didn’t pause ministry work during the Great Plague of London.
Charles Spurgeon didn’t stop public ministry work during the Broad Street Cholera Outbreak of 1854.
The Church is commanded to be devoted to each other and to meeting, and not giving up in meeting. And no exceptions to this command were given.
The Church is to obey, show respect and honor, to worldly authorities, as so long as the authorities are doing what is good and just – as defined by God. But, by commanding the Church it disobey God, the worldly authorities are no longer due respect and honor. The Church is commanded to always give God what is always and forever God’s, which is obedience and worship; even if it requires disobeying worldly authorities.

We see throughout scripture the duty and responsibility for believers to care for the sick, physically. We see God commanding the church to NOT give up meeting, but to remain devoted to meeting together; no matter what the governing authorities impose or what worldly sickness is around. That closing churches and not meeting together, in fact, reveals a lack of faith and fear of worldly pressures over the duty of what God is owed; obedience and worship.

sources:

The Original Biblical Writings

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It is true that we may not currently have the original writings of the Prophets and Apostles BUT when researching the accounts from the early church teachers we can say that there exists a real possibility that we actual may have, if not the originals, first or second generation copies of the originals. That’s a big deal. But how can we know that this possibility exists?

Clement of Rome, writing between 70 AD to 90AD:

let us come to the most recent spiritual heroes. Let us take the noble examples furnished in our own generation…Let us set before our eyes the illustrious apostles. Peter…Paul also.(Chapter V)

“The apostles have preached the Gospel to us fromthe Lord Jesus Christ; Jesus Christ [has done so] from God. Christ therefore was sent forth by God, and the apostles by Christ. Both these appointments, then, were made in an orderly way, according to the will of God. Having therefore received their orders, and being fully assured by the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, and established in the word of God, with full assurance of the Holy Ghost”

“Take up the epistle of the blessed Apostle Paul. What did he write to you at the time when the Gospel first began to be preached? Truly, under the inspiration of the Spirit, he wrote to you concerning himself, and Cephas, and Apollos” (Chapter XLVII)

According to Clement of Rome, the church of Corinth still had Paul’s letters. Here we can establish that up to 90AD Paul’s original letters still existed. Clement, in his letter, also quotes from the synoptic gospels and a majority of Paul’s letters. There is no reason not to conclude that the originals did not exist at this point.

Ignatius lived from 35AD to around 108AD. In his writing, he gives a factual gospel presentation which agrees with the known writings of the Apostles (IGNATIUS, the gospel, Chapter IX.)

Irenaeus lived from 130AD to around 202AD. In his well preserved writings he records some key information about the writings of the Apostles.

“who may wish to see the truth, to contemplate clearly the tradition of the apostles manifested throughout the whole world; and we are in a position to reckon up those who were by the apostles instituted bishops in the Churches, and [to demonstrate] the succession of these men to our own times…by indicating that tradition derived from the apostles, of the very great, the very ancient, and universally known Church founded and organized at Rome by the two most glorious apostles, Peter and Paul; as also [by pointing out] the faith preached to men, which comes down to our time by means of the successions of the bishops…that is, the faithful everywhere, inasmuch as the apostolical tradition has been preserved continuously by those [faithful men] who exist everywhere…The blessed apostles, then, having founded and built up the Church, committed into the hands of Linus the office of the episcopate. Of this Linus, Paul makes mention in the Epistles to Timothy. To him succeeded Anacletus; and after him, in the third place from the apostles, Clement was allotted the bishopric. This man, as he had seen the blessed apostles, and had been conversant with them, might be said to have the preaching of the apostles still echoing [in his ears], and their traditions before his eyes. Nor was he alone [in this], for there were many still remaining who had received instructions from the apostles…From this document, whosoever chooses to do so, may learn that He, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, was preached by the Churches, and may also understand the apostolical tradition of the Church, since this Epistle is of older date than these men who are now propagating falsehood…the ecclesiastical tradition from the apostles, and the preaching of the truth, have come down to us. And this is most abundant proof that there is one and the same vivifying faith, which has been preserved in the Church from the apostles until now, and handed down in truth… Polycarp also was not only instructed by apostles, and conversed with many who had seen Christ, but was also, by apostles in Asia, appointed bishop of the Church in Smyrna, whom I also saw in my early youth, for he tarried [on earth] a very long time, and, when a very old man, gloriously and most nobly suffering martyrdom…There are also those who heard from him that John, the disciple of the Lord…Then, again, the Church in Ephesus, founded by Paul, and having John remaining among them permanently until the times of Trajan, is a true witness of the tradition of the apostles. (Chapter III)

“Since, therefore, the tradition from the apostles does thus exist in the Church, and is permanent among us, let us revert to the Scriptural proof furnished by those apostles who did also write the Gospel, in which they recorded the doctrine regarding God, pointing out that our Lord Jesus Christ is the truth” (IRENÆUS, Against Heresies: Book III, Chapter V.)

The Trinity and The Gospel: “…has received from the apostles and their disciples this faith: [She believes] in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are in them; and in one Christ Jesus, the Son of God, who became incarnate for our salvation; and in the Holy Spirit, who proclaimed through the prophets the dispensationsof God” (Chapter X)

“the prophets and the apostles confessing the Father and the Son; but naming no other as God, and confessing no other as Lord: and the Lord Himself handing down to His disciples, that He, the Father, is the only God and Lord, who alone is God and ruler of all; —it is incumbent on us to follow, if we are their disciples indeed, their testimonies to this effect. For Matthew the apostle…Matthew again says, and Luke likewise…John, the disciple of the Lord, preaches this faith, and seeks, by the proclamation of the Gospel…Luke also, the follower and disciple of the apostles, referring…Wherefore also Mark, the interpreter and follower of Peter, does thus commence his Gospel narrative…Also, towards the conclusion of his Gospel, Mark says…(Chapter X, Chapter XI)

“…he says, in the Epistle to the Colossians: “Luke, the beloved physician, greets you.” But surely if Luke, who always preached in company with Paul, and is called by him “the beloved,” and with him performed the work of an evangelist, and was entrusted to hand down to us a Gospel, learned nothing different from him (Paul), as has been pointed out from his words”(Chapter XIV)

“For the apostles, since they are of more ancient date than all these [heretics], agree with this aforesaid translation; and the translation harmonizes with the tradition of the apostles. For Peter, and John, and Matthew, and Paul, and the rest successively, as well as their followers, did set forth all prophetical [announcements], just as the interpretation of the elders contains them.” (The Apostles quoting from the XXL) (Chapter XXI)

“About Marcion: he mutilates the Gospel which is according to Luke, removing all that is written respecting the generation of the Lord, and setting aside a great deal of the teaching of the Lord, in which the Lord is recorded as most dearly confessing that the Maker of this universe is His Father. He likewise persuaded his disciples that he himself was more worthy of credit than are those apostles who have handed down the Gospel to us, furnishing them not with the Gospel, but merely a fragment of it” (Chapter XXVII)

Present miracles and witnesses: “He is the only Son of God. Wherefore, also, those who are in truth His disciples, receiving grace from Him, do in His name perform [miracles], so as to promote the welfare of other men, according to the gift which each one has received from Him. For some do certainly and truly drive out devils, so that those who have thus been cleansed from evil spirits frequently both believe [in Christ], and join themselves to the Church. Others have foreknowledge of things to come: they see visions, and utter prophetic expressions. Others still, heal the sick by laying their hands upon them, and they are made whole. Yea, moreover, as I have said, the dead even have been raised up, and remained among us for many years.” (Chapter XXXII)

Now, that the preaching of the apostles, the authoritative teaching of the Lord, the announcements of the prophets, the dictated utterances of the apostles (Chapter XXXV)

There is a number of important statements by Irenaeus here. Not only does he establish a continuance of the Apostles teachings down to him but also a continuance of witnesses. He points out that writings from the Apostles did exist which Marcion copies and mutilates. And that the Apostles writings have been passed down and entrusted to them. Again, no indication that their original writings were lost at this point in history.

Tertullian, 160AD to 220AD

“Come now, you who would indulge a better curiosity, if you would apply it to the business of your salvation, run over [to] the apostolic churches, in which the very thrones of the apostles are still pre-eminent in their places, in which their own authentic writings are read, uttering the voice and representing the face of each of them severally” (De Praescriptione Haereticorum, Chapter 36; Schaff’s translation.)

Tertullian goes on to discuss each of these ‘authentic writings’ as being found in the very churches to which they were written. He mentions Corinth, Philippi, Thessalonica, Ephesus, and Rome. Around the same time as Irenaeus, he specifically states that their actual original writings still existed.

The Muratorian fragment is a copy of perhaps the oldest known list of most of the books of the New Testament. It was written around 170AD or a little later. Peter 1 and 2 and James are not mentioned in the fragment.

Origen, 184AD to 253AD

Eusebius (324AD) quotes Qrigen in his record of known Apostolic writings which closely resembles the collection of writings we have today.

Peter, Bishop of Alexandria, d 311 AD. In fragment 1, he speaks of the original of the Gospel of John as still existing in his day:

“the copy itself that was written by the hand of the evangelist, which, by the divine grace, has been preserved in the most holy church of Ephesus, and is there adored by the faithful.”

Here we are, about 300AD and in the 4th century with the original writings from the Apostles still in existence. At the time of the First Council of Nicaea in 325AD it is probable they had degraded originals or even first generation copies of the actual originals. Finally in 367AD Athanasius is the first person to identify the same 27 books of the New Testament that are in use today.

All this does not take into consideration the actual manuscripts and fragments we have currently.

The earliest manuscripts of John range from 90AD to 250AD. Now think about that. Above we have shown the probability of an original, hand written by John himself, possibly existing up to 311AD. That means there is a chance that any one of the earliest manuscripts we have of John now, could very well be an original. If not an original, it could be the actual first generation copy.

Craig Evans of Acadia University researched how long manuscripts would have lasted in the ancient world, and whether that might provide some guidance of how long the original might have lasted–and therefore how long they would have been copied. Evans brings together evidence to suggest that literary manuscripts in the ancient world would last hundreds of years, on average. Appealing to the recent study of G.W. Houston, he argues that manuscripts could last anywhere from 75 to 500 years, with the average being about 150 years.

This also supports the probability of having in our possession an actual original or first generation copy. Of course there is no way to know for sure but one thing is sure; we can NOT say for sure that we don’t have an original or the earliest copy. The possibility exists that we do. This also makes it very hard to say that we have a corrupted version of the original now. Since the originals and quotes from the originals lasted so long in the early church history we can with certainty through textual criticism know what the originals actual taught. Given the vast amount of early manuscripts and early quotes from church fathers, we CAN reliably say that we DO know what the Apostles actually taught from Jesus.

Now lets be clear, no scholar believes we have the actual originals. That would be impossible to validate. Nor is this article making the case that we DO, because, again, we would have to foolproof verifiable way of knowing for sure. What this article IS pointing out is the POSSIBILITY and how ever slight probability of 2 things: (1) The original hand written documents of the Apostles themselves COULD have survived up to the 4th century and (2) The current fragments and manuscripts we have discovered COULD be them or 1st or 2nd generation copies of the originals. This also shows that a statement that the originals were lost early on in its history and the copies were corrupted early is equally unverifiable given the evidences above. Yes there are variants between the earliest manuscripts but that does not disprove that one of the earliest manuscripts is not an original, 1st or 2nd generation copy still. Why make this point?

Bias secular scholars are quick to point out that they believe we don’t know exactly what the originals stated, yet, their claim is equally unverifiable. They avoid the possibility, how ever slight, that we do know and can know what the originals actual stated.

If the Disciples of the Apostles and their Disciples after them did retain original copies, read, and quoted from them, then we can know what the originals stated from their quotes alone; such as the case with Clement of Rome who wrote and quoted from documents he read only 30 years after the Apostles lived and within the same time that John wrote is gospel. Being so close to the Apostles themselves, why would he not have Paul and Peter’s writings? Even Ignatius or Papias for that matter. Irenaeus read documents and wrote around the same time, if not a little after, John wrote his gospel too. Tertullian, only 70 or so years after John penned his gospel even states he knew that the originals still existed. How would he know this? The probability exists that he himself read them. In fact, just from the early church fathers quotes alone, we can construct the entire New Testament except for just 11 verses.

J. Warner Wallace is a Cold-Case Detective, a Christian Case Maker, and the author of Cold-Case Christianity and God’s Crime Scene. He states the following: “Sir David Dalrymple (1726 – 1792AD) a Scottish judge and historian who wrote three volumes on early Christian Church history called, “Remains of Christian Antiquity”. Dalrymple was an expert in the writings of the early Church. It’s alleged that after careful examination of the writings of the Fathers he wrote, “…as I possessed all the existing works of the Fathers of the second and third centuries, I commenced to search, and up to this time I have found the entire New Testament, except eleven verses.”…Early Church Fathers sat at the feet of the apostles and learned from the apostolic eyewitness accounts. These secondary leaders then wrote letters and documents of their own, repeating the claims of their teachers. I focused on the work of Ignatius, Polycarp and Clement and isolated the content of their non-canonical writings to the early Church…It turns out that the Early Church Fathers did, in fact, quote the scripture as it was handed down to them. But even if we can’t reconstruct the entire New Testament (save 11 verses) as Dalrymple is often quoted to have said, the Early Church Fathers did confirm enough of the New Testament claims to validate and authenticate the writings of the apostles. From the non-canonical works of Ignatius and Polycarp (students of John) and the non-canonical work of Clement (a student of Paul) we can determine the following:

Jesus was Predicted by the Old Testament as Described in the New Testament

Jesus is Divine as Described in the New Testament

Jesus Taught His Disciples as Described in the New Testament

Jesus Worked Miracles as Described in the New Testament

Jesus was Born of a Virgin as Described in the New Testament

Jesus Lived, Ministered, Was Crucified and Died as Described in the New Testament

Jesus Rose from the Dead and Demonstrated His Deity as Described in the New Testament

Even if we can’t reconstruct the entire New Testament (save 11 verses) as claimed in the citation of Dalrymple’s work, we really don’t need to. The early disciples of the apostles confirm the content of the apostolic teaching. If skeptics are looking for an early version of Jesus that is less divine, less miraculous and less supernatural, they aren’t going to find it in the writings of the first generation that followed the apostles. Instead, they’re going to find the very same Jesus that you and I know from the writings of the New Testament.” (http://coldcasechristianity.com/2016/can-we-construct-the-entire-new-testament-from-the-writings-of-the-church-fathers/). This is from the early church fathers alone. Not including the earliest manuscripts we have today. The possibility that they quoted from the original documents exists and is actually plausible.

UPDATE* To be clear, the quote from Sir David Dalrymple was a verbal statement to a Dr. Walter Buchanan, which was then told to Rev. John Campbell years down the road which was later published in his memoir by Robert Philip. The specific 11 verses said to have not been found by Sir David Dalrymple were not identified either.

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Evidence for the Crucifixion of Jesus

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How do we know Jesus died on the cross? We must look at the historical evidences recorded for us in ancient history. What evidence is there? We have the ancient accounts from Jewish historians, Syrian philosopher, ancient Roman historians and writers, and archeological evidence support; all within the 1st and 2nd century. With all this evidences, what can we reliably conclude?

Outside of the Biblical witnesses (the synoptic gospels) we first look to the closest culture associated with Jesus and his death; Judaism.

JEWISH HISTORY

Two researchers, Edwin Yamauchi and John P. Meier, have constructed a copy of the “Testimonium” of Flavius Josephus (37-101AD; wrote ~45 years after Jesus) with the probable later Christian insertions removed. In parentheses are what is found in the Arabic manuscript. The following paragraph is Yamauchi’s:

“About this time there lived Jesus, a wise man (And his conduct was good and he was known to be virtiucous) For he was one who wrought surprising feats and was a teacher of such people as accept the truth gladly. He won over many Jews and many of the Greeks. When Pilate, upon hearing him accused by men of the highest standing amongst us, had condemned him to be crucified, those who had in the first place come to love him did not give up their affection for him. (They reported that he had appeared to them after his crucifixion and that he was alive). And the tribe of the Christians, so called after him, has still to this day not disappeared.”

Here Josephus the Jewish historian records that Jesus was condemned by crucifixion. Josephus does not have to be believe in Jesus in a religious sense to admit and record a historical event regarding what happened to Jesus. Being a anti-christian source, he records this event as an actual historic occurrence. Given his time of writing and area of association, he would have known witnesses of this event.

Later in Jewish records we see in The Babylonian Talmud, a commentary on Jewish laws composed between A.D. 500-600 (Neusner/Green, 69), contains a text about Jesus’ death. The Tractate Sanhedrin (43a) states:

Jesus was hanged on Passover Eve. Forty days previously the herald had cried, “He is being led out for stoning, because he has practiced sorcery and led Israel astray and enticed them into apostasy. Whosoever has anything to say in his defense, let him come and declare it.” As nothing was brought forward in his defense, he was hanged on Passover Eve.

SYRIAN HISTORY

Secondly we can look at Mara Bar-Serapion who wrote around 70AD (~35 years after Jesus); He was a Syrian philosopher and a non-christian. When giving historical examples of innocent people being killed, he gives this example:

“…Or the Jews by murdering their wise king?…After that their kingdom was abolished. God rightly avenged these men…The wise king…Lived on in the teachings he enacted.”

The Jews never murdered their kings of the past. Jesus however was mockingly called “king of the Jews” on the cross. It was an argument that even Jewish leadership used to get Rome to approve his crucifixion. 35 years after Jesus was murdered, Rome destroyed Jerusalem. But “the wise King lived on in the teachings he enacted”. Thus Serapion was indirectly stating that Jesus was a real person of history that was killed.

ROMAN HISTORY

Third, we see as recorded by Cornelius Tacitus (56-120AD); a very trusted Roman historian, senator, proconsul of Asia, and defiantly a non-christian who wrote around 116AD (~80 years after Jesus) an interesting statement:

“Consequently, to get rid of the report, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their centre and become popular.”

Tacitus records that Jesus “suffered THE extreme penalty” by Rome, which was crucifixion.

Then Lucian of Samosata (120-180AD; ~115 years after Jesus) was a satirist and Roman comedian who very negative and sarcastically critical of Christians. He wrote several books and in a negative since, unintentionally affirms Jesus’ death:

“The Christians. . . worship a man to this day – the distinguished personage who introduced this new cult, and was crucified on that account. . . . You see, these misguided creatures start with the general conviction that they are immortal for all time, which explains their contempt for death and self devotion . . . their lawgiver [taught] they are all brothers, from the moment that they are converted, and deny the gods of Greece, and worship the crucified sage, and live after his laws. All this they take on faith”

Lucian also affirms the historic event of Jesus’ crucifixion.

The image above is roughly 1st to the late 3rd century dating which depicts a person crucified with a donkey head being worshiped by a person to the left. The words engraved at the bottom translate “Alexamenos worships [his] God,” This was mocking a person named “Alexamenos” for worshiping “[his] God” who was on the cross. Origen reports in his treatise Contra Celsum that the pagan philosopher Celsus made the same claim against Christians and Jews:

“For the sake of such a monstrous delusion, and in support of those wonderful advisers, and those wonderful words which you address to the lion, to the amphibious creature, to the creature in the form of an ass, and to others, for the sake of those divine doorkeepers..”

Tertullian, writing in the late 2nd or early 3rd century, reports that Christians, along with Jews, were accused of worshiping such a deity. He also mentions an apostate Jew who carried around Carthage a caricature of a Christian with ass’s ears and hooves, labeled Deus Christianorum Onocoetes (“the God of the Christians begotten of an ass”).

Thus, through this insulting graffiti in ancient Roman culture, we see that Christians were worshiping someone who was crucified. The donkey head is the derogatory depiction of Jesus, as it was taught that Jesus, the king, entered Jerusalem on a donkey also the donkey itself depicted how Roman society felt about Jesus himself. None the less showed the culture making fun of someone who was crucified.

HISTORY OF ROMAN CRUCIFIXION

What we know about Roman crucifixion is that it was extremely successful. A heal bone found of a young male with a nail hammered through it was discovered in Jerusalem around 1968. The skeletal remains are dated to 1st century AD. This shows that the Romans would use nails on people to hold them to the crucifixion blank. His arm bones revealed scratches where the nails had passed between. Both legs were badly fractured, most likely from a crushing blow meant to end his suffering and bring about a faster death. The young male was a Jew. The bones were found in an ossuary, or bone box, inscribed several times with Yehohanan’s name (“Yehohanan son of Hagakol”). The tombs were part of a large Jewish cemetery of the Second Temple period (second century B.C. to 70 A.D.). Archeologist Vassilios Tzaferis describes:

“During this period, it was customary to collect the bones of the deceased after the body had been buried for almost a year and the flesh had decomposed. The bones were then reinterred in an ossuary. The practice of collecting bones in ossuaries had a religious significance that was probably connected with a belief in the resurrection of the dead. But this custom was also a practical measure; it allowed a tomb to be used for a prolonged period. As new burials became necessary, the bones of earlier burials were removed and placed in an ossuary. Reburial in an ossuary was, however, a privilege for the few; not every Jewish family could afford them. Most families reburied the bones of their dead in pits. The use of stone ossuaries probably began during the Herodian dynasty (which began in 37 B.C.) and ended in the second half of the second century A.D… We also found a considerable quantity of pottery in the tomb. Because all the pottery was easily identifiable, we were able to date the tomb quite accurately… According to Josephus, Alexander Jannaeus crucified 800 Jews on a single day during the revolt against the census of 7 A.D… Accounts of the suppression of the revolt of Spartacus in 71 B.C. tell how the Roman army lined the road from Capua to Rome with 6,000 crucified rebels on 6,000 crosses. After the Romans quelled the relatively minor rebellion in Judea in 7 A.D. triggered by the death of King Herod, Quintilius Varus, the Roman Legate of Syria, crucified 2,000 Jews in Jerusalem. During Titus’s siege of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., Roman troops crucified as many as 500 Jews a day for several months… In peacetime, crucifixions were carried out according to certain rules, by special persons authorized by the Roman courts. Crucifixions took place at specific locations, for example, in particular fields in Rome and on the Golgotha in Jerusalem. Outside of Italy, the Roman procurators alone possessed authority to impose the death penalty. Thus, when a local provincial court prescribed the death penalty, the consent of the Roman procurator had to be obtained in order to carry out the sentence.” (“Crucifixion—The Archaeological Evidence” by Vassilios Tzaferis originally appeared in Biblical Archaeology Review, Jan/Feb 1985, 44-53.)

Even if Jesus was to had survived after being brought down from the cross, just unconscious, the burial ritual of the Jewish culture would have suffocated him regardless. Given what we know now medically, the wounds he would have suffered, the lack of nutrition, dehydration, wound infection, and burial suffocation; he could still not have survived.

ISLAMIC RECORD

About 630 years after Jesus, Ibn Ishaq (d. 761 CE/130 AH) reports of a brief accounting of events leading up to the crucifixion. But about 200 years after Ibn Ishaq, the idea of Jesus’ crucifixion changed to the idea that he only appeared to be crucified or that he did die for only a few hours before being raised to heaven. Al-Tabari (d. 923 CE/310 AH) records an interpretation attributed to Ibn ‘Abbas, who used the literal “I will cause you to die” (mumayyitu-ka) in place of the metaphorical mutawaffi-ka “Jesus died”, while Wahb ibn Munabbih, an early Jewish convert, is reported to have said “God caused Jesus, son of Mary, to die for three hours during the day, then took him up to himself.” Tabari further transmits from Ibn Ishaq: “God caused Jesus to die for seven hours”, while at another place reported that a person called Sergius was crucified in place of Jesus. Ibn-al-Athir forwarded the report that it was Judas, the betrayer, while also mentioning the possibility it was a man named Natlianus. Al-Masudi (d. 956 CE/343 AH) reported the death of Christ under Tiberius. But then, Ibn Kathir (d. 1373 CE/760 AH) suggested that a crucifixion did occur, but not with Jesus and that ‘The servant and messenger of God, Jesus, remained with us as long as God willed until God raised him to Himself.’ It seems that the Islamic idea of Jesus’ pseudo-death follows the early traditions of Gnostic teachings in that Jesus himself did not die but was replaced at the cross by someone one else who appeared to look like Jesus on the cross. Yet other Islamic teachers such as Ja’far ibn Mansur al-Yaman (d. 347 AH/958 CE), Abu Hatim Ahmad ibn Hamdan al-Razi (d. 322 AH/935 CE), Abu Yaqub al-Sijistani (d. 358 AH/971 CE), Mu’ayyad fi’l-Din al-Shirazi (d. 470 AH/1078 CE ) and the group Ikhwan al-Safa affirm that Jesus did die by Crucifixion, and not substituted by another man. It is important to note two things: (1) The Islamic reports of Jesus not dying by crucifixion are at least 900 years after Jesus! (2) They affirm Gnostic teachings which have been proven to be unreliable historically and philosophically. The inconsistent accounts within Islam make it impossible to validate Islamic sources as historically reliable.

CHRISTIAN RECORD

It is easy to write off The Bible as a bias source of the historical event of Jesus’ crucifixion but the same can be said for all the non-christian sources that deny it. The fact that there exists non-christian sources that affirm Jesus’ crucifixion is compelling in and of itself. But is the biblical record of Jesus’ death unreliable? According to non-christian secular scholars and historians such as E. P. Sanders and Maurice Casey, who are bold enough to admit, that, The Bible is reliable enough to know that he did in fact die. The biblical manuscripts describing the crucifixion of Jesus were not only writing during the time crucifixion was still practiced but other ancient records of crucifixion and archeological finds all affirm what The Bible details.

The Rylands Library Papyrus P52 is a biblical manuscript dated 90AD to 150 AD records a small portion of the story of Jesus’ crucifixion. Which the fragment can be possibly dated to only 60 or so years after Jesus. Clement of Rome who wrote around 90AD and affirms the death of Jesus in Chapter 16 of 1 Clement. Ignatius (born around 35 AD and died around 108AD) affirms Jesus’ crucifixion in his letter to the Smyrnaeans. Polycarp of Smyrna (born around 69AD and died around 155AD) affirms Jesus’ crucifixion in his letter to the church in Phillipi.

THE PREPONDERANCE OF EVIDENCE

Ancient Jewish history records Jesus’ death on the cross. Syrian philosopher affirms his death as an historic event. Ancient Roman historians and writers affirm Jesus’ death as an historic event. Early church teachers affirm Jesus’ death. Later some Islamic writers even affirm Jesus’ death. Currently, well respected secular scholars affirm that the Bible’s record of Jesus’ death is reliable. We can in fact conclude given the preponderance of evidence that Jesus did in fact die by crucifixion.

Muhammad, a Prophet of God?

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When a person is chosen by God to be God’s Prophet to the people they have unique characteristics that support their claims. There are 4 key elements that reveal a true Prophet of God which can be used to test and see if this individual is from God. Was Muhammad a true Prophet of God?

The individual chosen for this task makes it the absolute priority in their purpose (Jeremiah 1:5-10; Amos 7:14, 15; Isaiah 6:1-10).
God does not lie or contradict himself. Thus a Prophet of God would not bring false or contradictory messages from God (Isaiah 8:19, 20).
God is supreme and sovereign in the message given and the individual knows for sure it is from God and they know God. God makes himself known (Numbers 12:6).
Messages about the future and of what God will do, will happen how it was revealed it would (Deuteronomy 18:20-22).

It is true that Muhammad made his prophetship a priority. For 23 years he revealed messages that he claimed was from God. But this element alone does not prove that he was. We must also consider all the key elements of a Prophet together. Because anyone can devote their whole life and even sacrifice their lives for something the believe to be true- even if it is actually untrue.

Element 2 reveals a major problem for Muhammad.

“Now the apostle was anxious for the welfare of his people, wishing to attract them as far as he could. . . . When the apostle saw that his people turned their backs on him and he was pained by their estrangement from what he brought them from God he longed that there should come to him from God a message that would reconcile his people to him. Because of his love for his people and his anxiety over them it would delight him if the obstacle that made his task so difficult could be removed. . . . Then God sent down “By the star when it sets your comrade errs not and is not deceived, he speaks not from his own desire,” and when he reached His words “Have you thought of al-Lat and al-Uzza and Manat the third, the other”, Satan, when he was meditating upon it, and desiring to bring it to his people, put upon his tongue “these are the exalted Gharaniq [Numidian cranes] whose intercession is approved.” When the Quraysh heard that, they were delighted and greatly pleased at the way in which he spoke of their gods and they listened to him; while the believers were holding that what their prophet brought them from their Lord was true, not suspecting a mistake or a vain desire or a slip, and when he reached the prostration and the end of the Sura in which he prostrated himself the Muslims prostrated themselves when their prophet prostrated confirming what he brought and obeying his command, and the polytheists of Quraysh and others who were in the mosque prostrated when they heard the mention of their gods, so that everyone in the mosque believer and unbeliever prostrated . . . Then the people dispersed and the Quraysh went out, delighted at what had been said about their gods, saying, “Muhammad has spoken of our gods in splendid fashion. He alleged in what he read that they are the exalted Gharaniq whose intercession is approved…”

Muhammad approved of other gods speaking on God’s behalf.

“The news reached the prophet’s companions who were in Abyssinia, it being reported that Quraysh had accepted Islam, so some men started to return while others remained behind. Then Gabriel came to the apostle and said, “What have you done, Muhammad? You have read to these people something I did not bring you from God and you have said what He did not say to you.” The apostle was bitterly grieved and was greatly in fear of God. So God sent down (a revelation), for He was merciful to him, comforting him and making light of the affair and telling him that every prophet and apostle before him desired as he desired and wanted what he wanted and Satan interjected something into his desires as he had on his tongue. So God annulled what Satan had suggested and God established His verses, i.e. you are just like the prophets and apostles. Then God sent down: “We have not sent a prophet or apostle before you but when he longed Satan cast suggestions in his longing. But God will annul what Satan has suggested. Then God will establish his verses, God being knowing and wise.” (Ibn Ishaq, pp. 165-166)

But wait, that wasn’t from God. Muhammad spoke from his own desires and listened to Satan. Now of course to explain away this huge error, Muhammad then claims God just simply made “light of the affair” and “annulled” the false prophecy.

This still does not negate the fact that Muhammad failed two major elements of being a true prophet. Firstly, why couldn’t he recognize the difference between God and Satan? Does He not know God’s will? Did God not make himself clear enough for Muhammad to know it was God speaking? Obviously God is not at fault so it is not an issue of God’s clarity. The first major issue is Muhammad did not know the difference. Secondly, it is impossible to escape the fact that Muhammad falsely prophesied. This is the major and clearest test of a true prophet of God. This was not a failed future prophesy of something that did not come to pass, this was a flat out lie (even if Muhammad did not purposefully lie). This also impacts the 3rd element of a true Prophet.

Aside from God not making himself known to Muhammad in that example above, his wife even testifies to an incident(s) where Muhammad was influenced by Satan again.

Aisha narrated: “Once the Prophet was bewitched so that he began to imagine that he had done a thing which in fact, he had not done.” (Sahih Al-Bukhari 3175)

Aisha narrated: Magic was worked on Allah’s Apostle so that he used to think that he had had sexual relations with his wives while he actually had not. Then one day he said, “O Aisha, do you know that Allah has instructed me concerning the matter I asked Him about? Two men came to me and one of them sat near my head and the other sat near my feet. The one near my head asked the other: ‘What is wrong with this man?’ The latter replied, ‘He is under the effect of magic.’ The first one asked, ‘Who has worked magic on him?’ The other replied, ‘Labid bin Al-Asam, a man from Bani Zuraiq who was an ally of the Jews and was a hypocrite.’ The first one asked, ‘What material did he use?’ The other replied, ‘A comb and the hair stuck to it.'” (Sahih Al-Bukhari 5765)

But according the Quran, magic is from Satan (Qur’an 2:102) and Satan has no authority over those who know God (Qur’an 16:98-100). How can Muhammad have been under the power of magic if he was THE Prophet of God? We must discredit his wife’s testimony as unreliable but then that leads to other issues about understanding Muhammad because she is a source in Islam for how Muhammad lived. Despite the major issues above, we will continue on for the sake of argument to the 4th element of a test of a true Prophet of God.

When God delivers messages about the future, they contain key details that make them undeniable when they come to pass. Any one can make a vague prophetic statement: Here’s mine: A powerful nation will fall with in a few generations time. Boom. Am I now a prophet? My prophetic statement is vague in its details that when related events take place, it can easily be applied. Therefore, when we see God make himself known, he gives key details that make his statement of future events clear when they happen. Lets look at a prophesy from Muhammad.

“The Roman Empire has been defeated – in a land close by: But they, (even) after (this) defeat of theirs, will soon be victorious – within a few years.”(Q 30:2-4).

We already see the vague-ness of this prophetic statement. “in a land close by”, which land? How far is “close by”? Then we see the usage of “defeat” and “victorious”. By who’s expectation is the event a defeat and or victory? Some times, those who lose feel as though they were still victorious. Other times those who are actually defeated feel as though in some way they were victorious. With that said, the only true reliable detail is the time frame stated, “within a few years”. According to Yusuf Ali the Arabic word for “a few years,” Bidh’un, can mean a period of three to nine years. So what was the the event that took place within the 3 to 9 year period? nothing.

The details matter. That is clearly God’s command to discern a false prophet from a true Prophet; examine the details.

The Persians defeated the Byzantines and took Jerusalem at about 614 or 615 AD. The Byzantine counter-offensive did not begin until 622 AD and the victory was not complete until 628 AD, making it a period between thirteen to fourteen years. Renowned historian and Muslim commentator, al-Tabari, places the Roman victory in 628 A.D. (6 A.H.), right after the signing of Hudaiybiya. And that’s a problem. That is 13 to 14 years later, not 3 to 9 years. The one key detail in Muhammad’s prophecy fails.

Some can argue “but it happened as Muhammad said it was going to” but referring back to my prophet statement, at some point, at any point, in history, yes, any vague prophecy can occur and that only proves that God makes himself known through the details of actual occurrences verses non divine prophetic statements. Any human can make any kind of vague prophetic statement. And when the vagueness can be matched up with some event in history; that does not prove anything still. The details prove if it is of God or not. The single key detail provided by Muhammad fails still.

Other Major Issues

If Muhammad was receiving truth from God than the statements he claims must be true. Aside from the blunders listed above, there are other areas where Muhammad failed in stating what was true.

Muhammad misunderstood what Christianity taught in regards to the Trinity. He did not understand this concept AND assumed that the sources for his information about Christianity is what was actually believed by the early church.

And [beware the Day] when Allah will say, “O Jesus, Son of Mary, did you say to the people, ‘Take me and my mother as deities besides Allah ?‘” He will say, “Exalted are You! It was not for me to say that to which I have no right. If I had said it, You would have known it. (Quran 5:116)

O People of the Book! Commit no excesses in your religion: Nor say of Allah aught but the truth. Christ Jesus the son of Mary was (no more than) a messenger of Allah, and His Word, which He bestowed on Mary, and a spirit proceeding from Him: so believe in Allah and His messengers. Say not “Trinity”: desist: it will be better for you: for Allah is one Allah: Glory be to Him: (far exalted is He) above having a son. To Him belong all things in the heavens and on earth. And enough is Allah as a Disposer of affairs. (4:171, Yusif Ali)

Why would Muhammad argue for monotheism in reference to Christian beliefs? Christianity has always believed in ONE God. His understanding of Christianity is that they believed there were three gods and one of them was taught to be Mary. This is a false assumption. Did God not understand what Christianity taught? Of course not. Did Muhammad not understand what Christianity taught, clearly. BUT Muhammad gets his truth from God? This can not be so given the misunderstanding of what Christians believe.

Jesus and Islam

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Jesus is one of the greatest figures in the world. For Christians, he is the absolute greatest of all, but in Islam, he I just a highly respected prophet to the Jews. Given the sharp differences in the two understandings of Jesus, both can not be true. What does Islam and Muslim scholars say about Jesus?

The Quran teaches that Jesus was born of a virgin

He said: “Nay, I am only a messenger from thy Lord, (to announce) to thee the gift of a holy son. 20 She said: “How shall I have a son, seeing that no man has touched me, and I am not unchaste?” 21 He said: “So (it will be): Thy Lord saith, ‘that is easy for Me: and (We wish) to appoint him as a Sign unto men and a Mercy from Us’: It is a matter (so) decreed.” (19:19-21, Yusif Ali)

The Quran admits something even deeper:

Hardly a single descendant of Adam is born without Satan touching him at the moment of his birth. A baby who is touched like that gives a cry. The only exceptions are Mary and her son“ [cf. Q 3: 36].

Oddly we see some Catholic/Eastern Orthodox influence in this understanding were as Mary is seen as also sinless but the point is that Jesus is stated as being sinless.

BUT this is the first major difference, Islam believes that Jesus was just another created person, except he was perfect.

The similitude of Jesus before Allah is as that of Adam; He created him from dust, then said to him: “Be”. And he was. (3:59, Yusif Ali)

According to Islam, Jesus was nothing more than a perfect servant and THE example for Israel.

When (Jesus) the son of Mary is held up as an example, behold, thy people raise a clamour thereat (in ridicule)! 58 And they say, “Are our gods best, or he?” This they set forth to thee, only by way of disputation: yea, they are a contentious people. 59 He was no more than a servant: We granted Our favour to him, and We made him an example to the Children of Israel. (43:57-59, Yusif Ali)

Yet, not only being a created perfect person and servant; he also performed miracles:

We have made some of these messengers to excel the others among them are they to whom Allah spoke, and some of them He exalted by (many degrees of) rank; and We gave clear miracles to Isa (Jesus) son of Marium, and strengthened him with the holy spirit. And if Allah had pleased, those after them would not have fought one with another after clear arguments had come to them, but they disagreed; so there were some of them who believed and others who denied; and if Allah had pleased they would not have fought one with another, but Allah brings about what He intends. (2:253, Shakir)

Along with performing miracles, he was given direct revelations from God:

He said: “I am indeed a servant of Allah: He hath given me revelation and made me a prophet. (19:30, Yusif Ali)

Thus, because he was a perfect servant and example performing miracles and having divine revelations; he then is to be obeyed

When Jesus came with Clear Signs, he said: “Now have I come to you with Wisdom, and in order to make clear to you some of the (points) on which ye dispute: therefore fear Allah and obey me. (43:63, Yusif Ali)

BUT again, this is where sharp differences take form in exactly who Jesus is. Despite being a perfect servant and example performing miracles and having divine revelations requiring obedience; he is not to be worshiped.

And behold! Allah will say: “O Jesus the son of Mary! Didst thou say unto men, worship me and my mother as gods in derogation of Allah’?” He will say: “Glory to Thee! never could I say what I had no right (to say). Had I said such a thing, thou wouldst indeed have known it. Thou knowest what is in my heart, Thou I know not what is in Thine. For Thou knowest in full all that is hidden. (5:116, Yusif Ali)

Two issues stand out. First, why is the Quran mentioning the worship of Mary too? We see again where the author of the Quran thinks that is what is being taught. Well, according to the Catholic Church this is true, but this was not true for all of Christendom. The idea for the worship of Mary began to develop around the 4th and 5th century with the development of the apocryphal The Book of Mary’s Repose. The Armenian church accepted this idea and then John of Damascus became a proponent of its teachings which had been established in the East by Emperor Maurice around AD 600. Lets be clear, this is a much LATER created teaching that was not found in the earliest Church fathers. Here we see the author of the Quran picking up on this new-ish Catholic-Eastern Orthodox doctrine and assuming that is what the Apostles taught; which is untrue.

Secondly, if Jesus was appointed as THE sinless prophet and example and spoke the revelations of God; why would God need to question him about what he taught? How could there be doubt about the truthfulness and faithfulness of Jesus?

But it does not end there. To combat the historic teachings of Jesus, the author(s) of the Quran must then denounce other teachings that they disagree with. They denounce Jesus being taught that he is the Son of God.

The Jews call ‘Uzair a son of Allah, and the Christians call Christ the son of Allah. That is a saying from their mouth; (in this) they but imitate what the unbelievers of old used to say. Allah’s curse be on them: how they are deluded away from the Truth! (9:30, Yusif Ali).

Such (was) Jesus the son of Mary: (it is) a statement of truth, about which they (vainly) dispute. 35 It is not befitting to (the majesty of) Allah that He should beget a son. Glory be to Him! when He determines a matter, He only says to it, “Be”, and it is. (19:34-35, Yusif Ali)

But that was not the only teaching the author(s) of the Quran (misunderstood) disagreed with. Not only did Christendom teach throughout history that Jesus claimed to be the Son of God but also He was the Triune God.

O People of the Book! Commit no excesses in your religion: Nor say of Allah aught but the truth. Christ Jesus the son of Mary was (no more than) a messenger of Allah, and His Word, which He bestowed on Mary, and a spirit proceeding from Him: so believe in Allah and His messengers. Say not “Trinity”: desist: it will be better for you: for Allah is one Allah: Glory be to Him: (far exalted is He) above having a son. To Him belong all things in the heavens and on earth. And enough is Allah as a Disposer of affairs. (4:171, Yusif Ali)

Clearly the author(s) of the Quran did not understand the teaching of the Triune God. The author declares monotheism when he says “Allah is one Allah”. Yes. This is true. There is only one God. The Trinity also teaches that there is only one God. BUT the doctrine of the Trinity declares that Jesus is a person of the one Triune God and all glory belongs to the One Triune God.

As confusion and misunderstanding continues by Muslims about what Christianity declares, the author(s) seem to draw their understanding of Christian teachings from writings denounced by Christianity. Despite the historical proofs of non Christian authors in regards to Jesus’ crucifixion, the author(s) of the Quran seem to buy into a later gnostic teaching about Jesus’ death.

That they said (in boast), “We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah”;- but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not. (4:157,Yusif Ali)

Modern Islamic scholars try to spin this as though this is only a metaphoric teaching in a spiritual sense but when we consider the earliest Islamic teachings we see what is actually meant by this statement in the Quran.

Ibn Abbas said, “Just before Allah raised Jesus to the Heavens, Jesus went to his disciples, who were twelve inside the house. When he arrived, his hair was dripping with water (as if he had just had a bath) and he said, ‘There are those among you who will disbelieve in me twelve times after you had believed in me.’ He then asked, ‘Who among you will volunteer for his appearance to be transformed into mine, and be killed in my place. Whoever volunteers for that, he will be with me (in Paradise).’ One of the youngest ones among them volunteered, but Jesus asked him to sit down. Jesus asked again for a volunteer, and the same young man volunteered and Jesus asked him to sit down again. Then the young man volunteered a third time and Jesus said, ‘You will be that man,’ and the resemblance of Jesus was cast over that man while Jesus ascended to Heaven from a hole in the roof of the house. When the Jews came looking for Jesus, they found that young man and crucified him. Some of Jesus’ followers disbelieved in him twelve times after they had believed in him. — (Al-Nasa’i, Al-Kubra, 6:489)

Ibn Ishaq’s (d. 761) report of a brief accounting of events leading up to the crucifixion, firstly stating that Jesus was replaced by someone named Sergius, while secondly reporting an account of Jesus’ tomb being located at Medina and thirdly citing the places in the Qur’an (3:55; 4:158) that God took Jesus up to himself.

Yet even within Islam, there are disagreement about whether Jesus himself was crucified. Ja’far ibn Mansur al-Yaman (d. 958), Abu Hatim Ahmad ibn Hamdan al-Razi (d. 935), Abu Yaqub al-Sijistani (d. 971), Mu’ayyad fi’l-Din al-Shirazi (d. 1078) and the group Ikhwan al-Safa agree with the historicity of the Crucifixion, reporting Jesus was crucified and not substituted by another man.

Where did this substitution idea come from? We can find this idea expressed in the Gnostic Nag Hammadi documents Apocalypse of Peter (2nd to 3rd century) and The Second Treatise of the Great Seth (3rd Century). The First Council of Nicaea in 325AD rejected these writings as authentic and declared their teachings as heretical. So we see the author(s) of the Quran picking up these unauthentic teachings and adding their own spin to it.

What About The Gospels?

Muslims are told to respect Jesus as a legitimate prophet of God who spoke the words of God.

And in their footsteps We sent Jesus the son of Mary, confirming the Law that had come before him: We sent him the Gospel: therein was guidance and light, and confirmation of the Law that had come before him: a guidance and an admonition to those who fear Allah. (5:46, Yusif Ali)Then, in their wake, We followed them up with (others of) Our messengers: We sent after them Jesus the son of Mary, and bestowed on him the Gospel; and We ordained in the hearts of those who followed him Compassion and Mercy. But the Monasticism which they invented for themselves, We did not prescribe for them: (We commanded) only the seeking for the Good Pleasure of Allah; but that they did not foster as they should have done. Yet We bestowed, on those among them who believed, their (due) reward, but many of them are rebellious transgressors. (57:27, Yusif Ali)

Here we see the author(s) of the Quran agreeing that the Gospel from Jesus is divine. We are even in agreement that “the monasticism which they invented” is not from God. The gradual development of the Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox traditions and all its invented teachings are not from God and not found in the teachings of Jesus. Thus, Christians and Muslims agree that the teachings of Jesus are from God.

The Quran teaches that they can not deny the Gospels.

”Whatever the people of the Book [Jews and Christians] tell you, you should not attest to, nor deny, but say: ‘We believe in Allah and what has been revealed to us.”[Bukhari: 4485] [The Quran: Al-Baqarah 2:136]

In fact, the Quran teaches the The Bible is of God.

“Say (O Muslims): We believe in Allah and that which has been sent down to us and that which has been sent down to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and to Al-Asbaat [the Twelve Tribes of Israel], and that which has been given to Moses and Jesus, and that which has been given to the Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and to Him we have submitted (in Islam)” [The Quran: Al-Baqarah 2:136]

Narrated ‘Ikrima: Ibn ‘Abbaas said, “How can you ask the people of the Scriptures about their Books while you have Allah’s Book (the Qur’an) which is the most recent of the Books revealed by Allah, and you read it in its pure undistorted form?” (Sahih Bukhari; Volume 9, Book 93, Number 613)

So what happen? When did the charge of corrupting the words of Jesus happen? Clearly it did not come from the time of Muhammad or from his followers after him. Islam was still trying to formulate an official Quran after the death of Muhammad and some of his close reciters. But once the differences of teachings within Islam were ironed out and the officially recognized version of the Quran was created; then the massive differences between the Bible and Quran became obvious.

Dr. John Wijngaards pointed out: “In the Qur’an Muslims are told to respect the Gospel revealed to Jesus Christ and read by Christians. The Qur’an presupposes that the Gospel possessed by Christians is in fact identical with the original one proclaimed by Jesus. In the first four centuries after Muhammad (600 – 1000 AD) no Muslim theologian seriously contended that the Gospel texts were not authentic. They might accuse Christians of giving a wrong interpretation to the words; they would not dispute the words themselves. As studies of Muslim apologetics have shown it was only with Ibn-Khazem who died at Cordoba in 1064, that the charge of falsification was born.”

The Gospel of John was written only 60 or so years after Jesus lived. His gospel poses a problem for the core teachings of Jesus in Islam. The core theme throughout The Gospel of John is the deity of Jesus and Sonship- Son of God. Not to mention the specific record of the crucifixion of Jesus. Are these the corruptions?

Clement of Rome, a disciple of the Apostles, quoted from the gospels as though they were the absolute authority of God spoken by Jesus himself. He was alive when eye witnesses of Jesus were still alive. He had no doubt of their authenticity. Quadratus of Athens even knew some who experienced Jesus’ miracles first hand. Irenaeus of Lyons records who exactly wrote the gospels and he was alive during the time of the disciples of the Apostles. He does not question the authenticity of the gospels. Flavius Josephus, a Jewish non-christian historian, begins writing in the 1st century and he unintentionally validates what is recorded in the gospels as fact and authentic.

Because Islam supports the early gospels as being from God and there is ZERO early historical proofs of its corruptions, let us now consider what Jesus is recorded saying in John 17:14-19

¹⁴I have given them Your word.
The world hated them
because they are not of the world,
as I am not of the world.
¹⁵I am not praying
that You take them out of the world
but that You protect them from the evil one.
¹⁶They are not of the world,
as I am not of the world.
¹⁷Sanctify them by the truth;
Your word is truth.
¹⁸As You sent Me into the world,
I also have sent them into the world.
¹⁹I sanctify Myself for them,
so they also may be sanctified by the truth.

If the gospels are of God and Jesus protected the Apostles from Satan; than the teachings of Jesus from the Apostles are not corrupted. Word variants may exist, but the teachings remain. Since Islam agrees that the Gospels are of God; what do the Gospels teach about Jesus?

Jesus pre-existed before Abraham (John 8:48-59, 17:5)
Jesus knew what only God could know (John 6:64, 16:30)
Jesus said he would raise himself up from the dead (John 2:19)
Jesus says he is the Son of God (John 1:34, 49, 3:18, 5:19, 6:45-47, 8:55, 10:36, 14:13, 15:15, 16:15, 19:7, 20:31)
Jesus is Divine (John 1:1,1:4, 8:57-58, 10:30-33)
The Apostles knew what Jesus taught about himself (John 9:38, 20:28)
Jesus himself was on the cross (John 19:26-30)

And these are only quotes from Jesus out of The Gospel of John. Many more can be found in the other gospels.

The teachings of Jesus in the Quran are, on the surface, very similar to what is recorded in the gospels. But where did the disconnect come from? Two thing:

The author(s) of the Quran failed to actually understand the teachings of Jesus and what was recorded in the gospels. They could not deny the divine nature of the gospels but had to explain why there was misunderstanding. They could not understand the sonship and divinity of Jesus; thus instead of agreeing a misunderstanding exists, they believed that it was the gospels that were at fault.
The author(s) of the Quran ignorantly listened to early heretical teachings that distorted what the gospels actually taught; believing that these false teachings (corrupted Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions and Gnostic writings) were from the gospels, they then concluded that the gospels were corrupted when in fact it was their sources.

Because the author(s) of the Quran concluded that they did not misunderstand the gospels about Jesus and that it was the gospels that were wrong; they then had to conclude that the gospels were corrupted in order to maintain the divine source of the original gospels.

John Damascene (c. 675 or 676 – 4 December 749)

“… a false prophet named Mohammed has appeared in their midst. This man, after having chanced upon the Old and New Testaments and likewise, it seems, having conversed with an Arian monk, devised his own heresy. Then, having insinuated himself into the good graces of the people by a show of seeming piety, he gave out that a certain book had been sent down to him from heaven. He had set down some ridiculous compositions in this book of his and he gave it to them as an object of veneration.”

Arianism (rejected at the First Council of Constantinople in 381AD) teaches that the Son of God was created, denies the Trinity, and teaches that the Holy Spirit is just a power or force. Docetism (rejected at the First Council of Nicaea in 325AD) teaches that Jesus only appeared to be physically present on the cross but was not actually. The same ideas found in the Quran. The author(s) of the Quran got their understandings from heretical sources and not from the gospels.

The Quran agrees with the gospels on minor details about Jesus but rejects the most important details of his identity.

Also read Who Wrote The Quran and Islam: Muhammad’s Fatal Mistake

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The Quran: Who Wrote It?

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Is the Quran today the same as the original teachings from Muhammad himself? Of course Sunni Muslims would say yes. In fact, all Muslims must agree that they are, but, in the Shiite sect of Islam, not all are in full agreement of the source of the final product of the original teachings. To remove Christian bias, we will look at the historical quotes from Muslims themselves and see how accurate the Quran is.

Did Muhammad Write The Quran?

There are no eyewitnesses anywhere in the Qur’an who said they saw Muhammad talk to an angel, nor did anyone say he met or talked with Allah. The teachings of Muhammad, came from Muhammad himself, only, verbally. Muhammad did not know how to read or write.

“Before this, you did not read any book, nor did you write anything with your hands”. (29:48). Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered prophet (7:157)

So if Muhammad could not read or write, who wrote it? The Qur’an was revealed gradually over a period of 23 years to his followers, who then memorized what he said and in some cases write it down on various formats. It was written on leaves and bone and such. The majority of the teachings of Muhammad were memorized by his followers.

Muhammad himself did not perfectly memorize all that was revealed to him.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Mas’ud: … (Muhammad said) I am only a human being and I forget just as you do; so when I forget, remind me … (Sunan Abu Dawud: bk. 3, no. 1015; also Sahih al-Bukhari: vol. 1, bk. 8, no. 394)

So, when the divine revelation was forgotten, they simply replaced the divine revelation with something they felt was better or similar.

We do not abrogate a verse or cause it to be forgotten except that We bring forth [one] better than it or similar to it … (Qur’an 2:106, Saheed International)

So the importance of his followers to memorize what he taught was very important.

Did Muhammad’s Reciters Perfectly Transmit His Teachings?

The battle of Yamama in 632AD, after Muhammad’s death, made his followers realize the need to write his teachings down. Over 700 Muslims were killed, over 400 were followers who had his teachings memorized were killed. What if everyone who only had it memorized were all killed?

Muhammad’s close friend, Salim, who had memorized a great deal of what Muhammad taught, was one of the over 400 reciters killed in the battle of Yamama.

“Abdullah bin ‘Amr mentioned ‘Abdullah bin Masud and said, “I shall ever love that man, for I heard the Prophet saying, ‘Take (learn) the Qur’an from four: ‘Abdullah bin Masud, Salim, Mu’adh and Ubai bin Ka’b.’”(Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 6, Book 61, Number 521)

Zuhri reports, ‘We have heard that many Qur’an passages were revealed but that those who had memorised them fell in the Yemama fighting. Those passages had not been written down, and following the deaths of those who knew them, were no longer known; nor had Abu Bakr, nor `Umar nor `Uthman as yet collected the texts of the Qur’an. (John Burton, The Collection of the Qur’an, pp. 126-127, Abu Bakr `Abdullah b. abi Da’ud, Kitab al-Masahif’, ed. A. Jeffery, Cairo, 1936/1355, p. 23:)

Different Versions of The Quran?

Here we already see, as recorded by Muslim sources, that portions of the teachings of Muhammad were lost. However, during the reign of Abu Bakr, Hafsah (a wife of Muhammad) kept for herself a written copy of Muhammad’s teachings and kept it until 667AD. In fact, there were others who also had memorized the teachings of Muhammad in different dialects and versions.

“Masruq reported: We used to go to Abdullah Bin Amr and talk to him. Ibn Numair said: One day we made a mention of Abdullah Bin Masud, whereupon he said: you have made mention of a person whom I love more than anything else. I heard Allah’s Messenger as saying: Learn Qur’an from four persons: Ibn Umm Abd (i.e., Abdullah Bin Masud – he started from him – then Muadh bin Jabal and Ubayy bin Kab, then Salim the ally of Ali Hudhaifa. (Sahih Muslim, Book 031, Number 6024)

“Anas is reported to have said: Four persons collected the Qur’an during the lifetime of Allah’s Messenger and all of them were Ansar: Muadh Bin Jabal, Ubayy Bin Kab, Zaid Bin Thabit, Abu Zaid. Qatada said: Anas, who was Abu Zaid? He said: He was one of my uncles. (Sahih Muslim, Book 031, Number 6029)

“Narrated Ibn Mas’ud: I heard a person reciting a (Quranic) verse in a certain way, and I had heard the Prophet reciting the same verse in a different way. So I took him to the Prophet and informed him of that but I noticed the sign of disapproval on his face, and then he said, “Both of you are correct, so don’t differ, for the nations before you differed, so they were destroyed.” (Sahih al-Bukhari: vol. 4, bk. 56, no. 682)

“Concerning the arrangement of the Qur’an in the manuscript of Abd Allah ibn Mas’ud, Al-Fadl ibn Shadhan said, “I found in a manuscript of `Abd Allah ibn Mas’ud the surahs of the Qur’an in accordance with the following (different) sequence … These are one hundred and ten surahs.” (Al-Nadim, p. 53)… One of our reliable friends has informed us, saying that the composition of the surahs according to the reading of Ubayy ibn Ka’b is in a village called Qariyat al-Ansar, two parasangs from al-Basrah, where in his home Muhammad ibn Abd al-Malik al-Ansari showed us a Qur’anic manuscript, saying, “This is the copy of Ubayy which we have, handed down from our fathers.” I looked into it and ascertained the headings of the surahs, the endings of the revelations, and the numbers of verses. … one hundred and sixteen surahs. (Al-Nadim, pp. 58-61)

The witness accounts to differing renderings between Masud’s version and Ubayy’s version. Both of them were reciters of Muhammad. A discovery of the early San’a 1 (Standford 07) manuscript proves there were different versions of the Quran outside of Ziad’s version.

Due to the loss of a great deal of followers who only had Muhammad’s teachings memorized, Abu Bakr appointed Zaid ibn Thabit to compile all remaining Muhammad teachings. Aside from potentially losing the teachings of Muhammad, there was a growing issue of differences between the different reciters of the teachings; this was also causing confusion and conflict.

“Hudaifa b. al Yeman came to `Uthman direct from the Aderbaijan and Armenian frontier where, uniting the forces from Iraq and those from Syria, he had had an opportunity to observe regional differences over the Qur’an. “Commander of the faithful,” he advised, “take this umma in hand before they differ about the Book like Christians and Jews.” `Uthman sent asking Hafsa to lend him the sheets [inherited by her father, `Umar, from Abu Bakr, and now in her possession] “so that we can copy them into other volumes and then return them.” She sent her suhuf to `Uthman who summon Zaid, Sa`id b. al `As, `Abdul Rahman b. al Harith b. Hisham and `Abdullah b. al Zubair and commanded them to copy the sheets into several volumes. Addressing the group from Quraish, he added, “Wherever you differ from Zaid, write the word in the dialect of Quraish for it was revealed in that tongue.“… When they had copied the sheets, `Uthman sent a copy to each of the main centers of the empire with the command that all other Qur’an materials, whether in single sheet form, or in whole volumes, WERE TO BE BURNED…‘ (Burton, pp. 141-142- citing Ahmad b. `Ali b. Muhammad al `Asqalani, ibn Hajar, “Fath al Bari“, 13 vols, Cairo, 1939/1348, vol. 9, p. 18)

“Ibn Abbas reported Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: “If there were for the son of Adam a valley full of riches, he would long to possess another one like it, and the son of Adam does not feel satisfied but with dust.” And “Allah returns to him who returns (to him).” Ibn Abbas said: I do not know whether it is from the Qur’an or not; and in the narration transmitted by Zuhair it was said: I do not know whether it is from the Qur’an, and he made no mention of Ibn Abbas. (Sahih Muslim: bk. 5, no. 2285)

The Official Version, Not Authorized by Muhammad?

The solution? Create a single source text in one specific approved rendering and dialect (Quraish, the Ziad version) and burn the rest. But some of those who were closest to Muhammad disagreed with conforming to Ziad’s version. By this time, Umar took power after Abu Bakr and then Uthman after him. Hafsah, a wife of Muhammad, refused to give hers so that it would not be burned. Even Abdullah Bin Masud, a direct follower of Muhammad, disagreed with Ziad’s version.

“Abdullah bin Masud reported that (he said to his companions to conceal their copies of the Qur’an) and further said: He who conceals anything shall have to bring that which he had concealed on the Day of Judgment, and they said: After whose mode of recitation do you command me to recite? I in fact recited before Allah’s Messenger more than seventy chapters of the Qur’an and the companions of Allah’s Messenger know that I have better understanding of the Book of Allah (than they do), and if I were to know that someone had better understanding than I, I would have gone to him. Shaqiq said: I sat in the company of the companions of Muhammad but I did not hear anyone having rejected that (that is, his recitation) or finding fault with it. (Sahih Muslim, Book 031, Number 6022).

This consolidation effort continued because of the continued discrepancies between the different teachings. Abdullah’s variant readings were attacked by those who were in power.

Narrated Ibrahim: The companions of ‘Abdullah (bin Mas’ud) came to Abu Darda’, (and before they arrived at his home), he looked for them and found them. Then he asked them: “Who among you can recite (Qur’an) as ‘Abdullah recites it?” They replied, “All of us.” He asked, “Who among you knows it by heart?” They pointed at ‘Alqama. Then he asked Alqama. “How did you hear ‘Abdullah bin Mas’ud reciting Surat Al-Lail (The Night)?“ Alqama recited:
“By the male and the female.” (Qur’an 92:3)
Abu Darda said, “I testify that I heard the Prophet reciting it likewise, but these people want me to recite it:
“And by Him Who created male and female.” (Qur’an 92:3)
But by Allah, I will not follow them.” (Sahih al-Bukhari: vol. 6, bk. 60, no. 468; also Sahih Muslim: bk. 4, no. 1799-1802)

‘Yazid b. Ma`awiya was in the mosque in the time of al Walid b. `Uqba, sitting in a group among them was Hudaifa. An official called out, ‘Those who follow the reading of Abu Musa, go to the corner nearest the Kinda door. Those who follow `Abdullah’s reading, go the corner nearest `Abdullah’s house.’ Their reading of Q 2.196 did not agree. One group read, ‘Perform the pilgrimage TO GOD’ The others read it ‘Perform the pilgrimage TO THE KA’BAH.’ Hudaifa became very angry, his eyes reddened and he rose, parting his qamis at the waits, although in the mosque. This was during the reign of `Uthman. Hudaifa exclaimed, ‘Will someone go the Command of the Faithful, or shall I go myself? This is what happened in the previous dispensations.’ He came over and sat down, saying, ‘God sent Muhammad who, with those who went forward, fought those who went back until God gave victory to His religion. God took Muhammad and Islam made strides. To succeed him, God chose Abu Bakr who reigned as long as God chose. God then took him and Islam made rapid strides. God appointed `Umar who sat in the midst of Islam. God then took him also. Islam spread rapidly. God next chose `Uthman. (Burton, p. 143, Abu Bakr `Abdullah b. abi Da’ud, “K. al Masahif”, ed. A. Jeffery, Cairo, 1936/1355, p. 11;)

We were sitting in the mosque and `Abdullah was reciting the Qur’an when Hudaifa came in and said, ‘The reading of ibn Umm `Abd! [ie. `Abdullah] The reading of Abu Musa! By God! if I am spared to reach the Commander of the Faithful, I will recommend THAT HE IMPOSE A SINGLE QUR’AN READING!’ ‘Abdullah became very angry and spoke sharply to Hudaifa who fell silent. (Burton, p. 142, Abu Bakr `Abdullah b. abi Da’ud, “K. al Masahif”, ed. A. Jeffery, Cairo, 1936/1355, p. 13)

Hudaifa said, ‘The Kufans say, “the text of `Abdullah“; the Basrans say, “the text of Abu Musa“. By God! if I reach the Commander of the faithful, I WILL RECOMMEND THAT HE DROWN THESE READINGS.” (var. Masahif) `Abdullah said, ‘Do and God will drown you, but not in water!’ (Burton, pp. 146-147- citing Abu Bakr `Abdullah b. abi Da’ud, “K. al Masahif”, ed. A. Jeffery, Cairo, 1936/1355, p. 13).

“The Syrians,” we are told, “contended with the `Iraqis, the former following the reading of Ubayy ibn Ka`b, the latter that of `Abd Allah ibn Mas’ud, each accusing the other of unbelief.” (Labib as-Said, The Recited Koran: A History of the First Recorded Version, tr. B. Weis, et al., Princeton, New Jersey: The Darwin Press, 1975, p. 23)

As the political preasure against Abdullah mounted, eventually, Ziad’s version (Utmanic textual tradition) became the source for the current rendering of the Quran. But, still remains some issues.

The Incomplete Teachings of Muhammad

When Umar heard people declaring that they knew the entire Qur’an, he said to them: “Let none of you say, ‘I have learned the whole of the Koran,’ for how does he know what the whole of it is, when much of it has disappeared? Let him rather say, ‘I have learned what is extant thereof’” (Abu Ubaid, Kitab Fada’il-al-Qur’an).

Ziad’s versions was also dependent on Abu Musa’s reciting of Muhammad’s teachings but with that came a problem. He forgot some of what Muhammad taught.

Abu Musa al-Ash’ari sent for the reciters of Basra. They came to him and they were three hundred in number. They recited the Qur’an and he said: You are the best among the inhabitants of Basra, for you are the reciters among them. So continue to recite it. (But bear in mind) that your reciting for a long time may not harden your hearts as were hardened the hearts of those before you. We used to recite a surah which resembled in length and severity to (Surah) Bara’at. I have, however, forgotten it with the exception of this which I remember out of it: “If there were two valleys full of riches, for the son of Adam, he would long for a third valley, and nothing would fill the stomach of the son of Adam but dust.” And we used to recite a surah which resembled one of the surahs of Musabbihat, and I have forgotten it (Sahih Muslim 2286).

Not just there, but other places where teachings of Muhammad had been forgotten.

We used to recite a surah similar to one of the Musabbihat, and I no longer remember it, but this much I have indeed preserved: ‘O you who truly believe, why do you preach that which you do not practise?’ (and) ‘that is inscribed on your necks as a witness and you will be examined about it on the Day of Resurrection’. (As-Suyuti, Al-Itqan fii Ulum al-Qur’an, Page 526).

Another one of Muhammad’s wives (Aishah) also noticed that some verses were being left out. Even teachings relating to stoning and breastfeeding were not included in Ziad’s version because, well, one of her written records was eaten by a goat.

A’isha . . . said, “Surat al-Ahzab (33) used to be recited in the time of the Prophet with two hundred verses, but when Uthman wrote out the codices he was unable to procure more of it than there is in it today [i.e. 73 verses].” (Abu Ubaid, Kitab Fada’il-al-Qur’an)

“It was narrated that Aishah said: “The Verse of stoning and of breastfeeding an adult ten times was revealed, and the paper was with me under my pillow. When the Messenger of Allah died, we were preoccupied with his death, and a tame sheep came in and ate it.” (Sunan ibn Majah 1944).

When considering all this, we see that the current version of the Quran is lacking a lot of Muhammad’s teachings. Of what was consolidated we can only truly conclude that it is the version of Ziad and what he chose to include. Even in his version, it still lacks all the teachings that were lost when followers of Muhammad were killed or simply forgot what he said. Those who disagreed with his version were attacked and their versions were eventually burned. But we don’t need their copies to know that the current version of the Quran is incomplete. The testimony from those who were close to Muhammad himself prove this. This leads to more questions regarding the reliability of the Quran.

Perfect Preservation?

How do we know Abdullah’s version is not the actual or more acurate words of Muhammad? It is historically recorded that his version was different. If both Abdullah and Ziad were both followers of Muhammad, who decided that Ziad’s version was the true version? Ziad? Because he had political backing? Does politics and power determine truth? That is actually a minor problem.

The real problem is the claim that the Quran has been perfectly preserved. This is logically not possible given the historical evidences from Muslim sources. By their own witness, passages have been lost, forgotten, and cherry picked to create the Quran we have today. The only thing that can be stated is that Ziad’s version has been preserved, but not all the teachings of Muhammad. In fact, it is not clear that Ziad’s versions is the perfect preservation of Muhammad’s teachings because it differed from Abdullah’s versions of what Muhammad taught. Not to mention there were other versions that may have also differed that were lost and burned.

The one thing that we can conclude is that Ziad ibn Thabit is the primary source for the modern Quran.

Surah 15:9 boldly declares “Indeed, it is We who sent down the Qur’an and indeed, We will be its guardian.” But what happens if this declaration fails? Given the Muslim sources recording the loss of verses and forgotten verses it is proven to not have been completely guarded. This means the angels and chosen followers of Allah were unable safe guard the preservation of the revelations of Muhammad perfectly. How then can it be divine and not just the teachings of Ziad ibn Thabit?

A claim that can be made is that Ziad ibn Thabit’s version of the remaining teachings of Muhammad have been perfectly preserved. This is only true if we leave out the facts of the loss of teachings prior to Ziad’s final product. But then, who are Muslims really following? The teachings of Ziad ibn Thabit? They can’t say the teachings of Muhammad because, as shown above, some of his teachings have been lost AND others differed from Ziad’s version. So they can not say for sure they are following the teachings of Muhammad. The claim of a supernatural mathematical system that proves the perfect preservation only validates Ziad ibn Thabit’s version because it is not possible to include the calculations of teachings that were lost, forgotten, and burned.

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Commonalities of Cults

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There are many subgroups of the Christian faith. These subgroups tailor their teachings and focuses in different ways. That is exactly how the Body of Christ functions BUT there are some groups that claim to be ‘Christian’ when in fact, they are not. Some deny being ‘Christian’ but claim to have similar beliefs and ‘more correct’ views than that of orthodox Christianity; but how can you identify a cult?

The Teachings

Cults proclaim a NEW teaching or a more correct teaching revealed by a NEW prophet or writing. Regardless of the source for their teaching, it is new a part from Christian orthodox. They may even teaching an old teaching that was NEW in prior history but which is still outside of orthodox Christianity. New writings are generated by the new prophet or group and followers are obligated to rely on the new writing along with or instead of The Bible. Essentially, Cults teach that The Bible is not enough, cherry picked sections are only ones correct, or over all incomplete.

Doubt or discredit the primary source (The Bible) as sole authority
Generate secondary source(s) of authority to make new/morphed teachings authoritative
Only approved teachings come from secondary sources.

The Rituals

Cults push followers to focus on their works by adhering to certain rituals or even abstaining from certain Christian orthodox acts such as communion and baptism. Some even morph these acts and teachings of the acts to fit their new or more correct revelations. Some rituals include financial indebtedness and status gains. Essentially, they become controlling, isolating, and works based.

Self centered rituals- “do this yourself to be good in yourself”
Materialistic or worldly focus rituals- “give something tangible to get something tangible in return”
Pseudo love- A false sense of loving others that which actually gratifies and justifies the self.
End goal is deity of the self- “work hard and become a greater self or best self”

Verifiable

Their revelations and teachings tend to be non-verifiable and use circular reasoning to justify them. A prophet is a prophet because it was revealed to him that he was. Or the writings are divine because they were written by someone who said his writings are divine. Some claim that they were given revelations in visions or by angels, and that’s that. Essentially, the founder and their writings are unverifiable and have to be believed simply based on claim alone.

Unable to verify or not supported with known history or testable natural phenomena
Circular justification – “It is true because it is said to be true”

Morality

Cults typically strive to be ‘good’ and do good. They attempt to satisfy psychological, emotional, and intellectual issues of their followers. They make their followers feel accepted and feel as though they have a purpose. Some even provide financial security and promises of material and spiritual rewards. But, this begins to fall apart once someone starts to question the groups teachings and wants to leave the group for what ever reason. Those who question and desire to leave are guilt tripped, become more isolated, and more controlled by the group and its leadership. The threat of destruction from God or their version of holy judgement is often deployed. Those who do leave are shunned, and persecuted. Those who remain in the group are caused to be depend greatly on the group.

Emotional or materialistic moral justifications – “I feel or have therefore it is or should be”
Right and Wrong is defined through the secondary source of authority; which teaches how adherents should think and feel.
Selective encouragement/ social conditioning- “You did good because you did what the organization/religion approves of; you did bad because you did what the organization/religion does not approve of”
Decent or questioning the organized religion is a moral absolute evil.

Limit Learning

Cults often limit the source of their followers studies. The groups that use the bible as part of their system discourage studying the bible alone and require the use of their writings. This indoctrination allows for the cult to interpret how they want the bible to be interpreted to match their new teachings while at the same time allow the follower to feel as though they are learning what the bible says; even when they are not. This is another form of manipulation and control.

Instructed how to think only through secondary sources of authority as primary means to understand.
Studying sources outside of the secondary authoritative source is discouraged by the organization or religious leaders and approved teachers. Some may even actively restrict access to outside sources.
Self teaching and self study is discouraged without the use of approved teachers or materials.
Isolation is imposed to limit reaching outside sources of information.

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The Solar Eclipse

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The big question for religious and superstitious folks is; “Is the solar eclipse a sign from God?”. When considering what the Lord has allowed us to know in the realm of science and history we can come to an easy answer.

Natural

The Solar Eclipse of 2017 is a natural occurrence. Much like rain fall, ocean tides, and the aurora borealis; except, this natural occurrence is of outer space. These events are not supernatural in the sense that God through his power effected nature in that space and time at that moment. But, God having perfect knowledge of all that he created and put into motion, may have very well allowed these naturally timed events to trigger human reactions in history for his divine will to be done.

The Shu Ching, an ancient Chinese book, records the belief that the sun was actually eaten by a large dragon. Royal astronomers were responsible for predicting this but when they didn’t, they were executed.

Greek historian Herodotus records that a solar eclipse actual caused peace between two warring people groups. The Battle of the Eclipse of 585 BC is what it has been called. During the 5 year war and during a battle, a total solar eclipse took place. The armies saw it as a sign from the gods to stop the war. A truce was then established.

God’s Timing

Though God can, and does, time his unfolding will with the timing of the natural things he also set in motion. The star over Jesus’ manger could have been very well just that; God’s perfect ordained timing of natural occurrence to mark the arrival of his Son. But what about celestial events like eclipses?

Special Supernatural Occurrences

Joshua records the sun stopping in the middle of the sky and did not go down the whole day. A total solar eclipse was recorded at Jesus’ death as recorded by Thallus, quoted by Julius Africanus. Origen attempted to justify it as a natural occurrence but later determined it had to have been a supernatural event after researching prior history of solar eclipses just as Thallus thought. An earthquake was even recorded by Thallus; just as recorded in the synoptic gospels. Tertullian, with his vast amount of ancient resources, also agreed it was a global event.

The 2017 Solar Eclipse

What does this eclipse mean? Well, nothing, besides the fact it is a natural occurrence and will occur again in 2023. The eclipse will cause people to think certain ways and act on what they feel. All of which God already knows.

What About The End Times Signs?

Matthew 24:29 and Luke 21:25 both detail astronomical events as signs. But, as history records, there have been many natural astronomical events throughout history. What makes these end times signs so unique is the magnitude of their event. It will not just be a natural solar eclipse. They will be more than that. They will be supernatural and powerful. Matthew ALSO states that stars will fall from the sky and the heavens will be shaken. This is MORE than just a solar eclipse. “There will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world and never to be equaled again”. This is clearly a supernatural powerful event and not just a solar eclipse. We must take into account all that is revealed and not cherry pick. 2 Peter 3:11-12 as states “That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat”. Jesus also said that no one knows the day or hour, yet, we can calculate solar eclipses. There will be a solar eclipse in 2023. Given the totality of what is revealed in scripture; this is not a sign of the end times but a natural occurrence of God’s ordained handy work in creation.

What Can We Learn From This?

We can get a taste of God’s great power in what he has created, set in motion, and sustains. Massive extra terrestrial bodies moving in perfect harmony. So massive and majestic. This eclipse forces us to look up at the sky and acknowledge great power and glory. BUT, where people give the credit for this power and glory comes from the heart of the individual. Some see the God’s Glory in his creation, others refuse to accept God’s Glory and justly by other means.

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The Watchtower’s New World Translation of the Bible

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There are many bible translations but none that contradict each other except for the New World Translation. This translation translates words and ideas differently causing conflict with the other translations. Both can not be true so is the New World Translation a true biblical translation? This article will look a a few areas of the translation where words are changed or added and explore the true meaning found in the Alexandrian, Byzantine, and Old Testament ancient texts.

Cross or Stake?

The New World Translation renders the Greek term word staurós (“cross”) as “torture stake” because Jehovah’s Witnesses do not believe that Jesus was crucified on a cross. The English word for “cross” comes from the latin word “crux”. Whether “stake” or “cross” is used; this still does not negate the detailed history of the use of the thing. Roman historian Tacitus describes such events. Criminals, with their crossbeams are then mounted on the fixed pole for the purpose of slow painful deaths. Jewish historian Josephus (born only a few years after Jesus was killed) records people caught by Romans, being nailed to them. Roman politician Cicero, who wrote around 30BC, recorded the gruesome nature of this kind of execution. Seneca the Younger, a Roman philosopher who lived during Jesus’ time, described the method as means to humiliate. Jehovah’s Witnesses argue that Jesus was crucified on a crux simplex, and that the crux immissa was an invention of Emperor Constantine round the 4th century in defense of Christianity; but a graffito found in a taberna in Puteoli, dating to the time of Trajan or Hadrian (late 1st century to early 2nd century CE) shows a T shaped crucifixion. The New Testament writings about the crucifixion of Jesus do not specifically describe the shape of the cross, but the early writings that do speak of its shape, from about the year 100 CE on, describe it as shaped like the letter T (the Greek letter tau) or as composed of an upright and a transverse beam, sometimes with a small projection in the upright. When considering actual Roman history we can conclude that simply calling it a ‘stake’ is an insufficient word choice.

An example of poor choice words in translations that can negatively impact the understanding is this: The concept of our desperate need for Jesus. If I was to say in greek, “I moved to Jesus”. That is a good thing. But if I was to have actually said in greek “I sprinted to Jesus”; notice the big difference. Yes, sprinting is moving, but sprinting illuminates the desperation. The New World translation would have used the word ‘move’ instead of ‘sprint’ because of their own theological agendas and would argue that ‘moving’ is what the greek word means- this is called deceptive truth. Even though sprinting is moving and can mean moving, the author meant a more specific word to illuminate the truth.

Thus, with true historic evidences we can conclude that the ‘cross’ is best. Therefore, we can conclude that Jesus was in fact crucified on a “cross”. With this we can already see poor word choices in the New World Translation. The reasoning for that poor word choice is due to an attempt to morph unbiblical teachings forced by changing the wording in scripture. Not only does the word choice not fully express the message but it conflicts with actual historical facts.

The Place of The Dead- Hell?

The New World Translation does not translate the words sheol, hades, and gehenna as “hell” because Jehovah’s Witnesses do not believe in hell. Aside from the theological misunderstandings of God’s Justice and Love with Hell; and looking at the actual meanings expressed in the ancient biblical texts in the cultures it was written in we can see the same poor word choice issue. In Jewish tradition, gehenna, is the place of fire and torment for the wicked (Kiddushin 4.14, Avot 1.5; 5.19, 20, Tosefta t. Bereshith 6.15, and Babylonian Talmud b.Rosh Hashanah 16b:7a; b. Bereshith 28b). This place is know for this because historically and traditionally this is where children were burned to a pagan god. The same place Jesus states in Matthew 5:22, 29-30, 10:28, 18:9, 23:15, 33; Mark 9:43, 45, 47; Luke 12:5; James 3:6). Sheol and Hades are cultural words that are synonyms for the same place describing a general sense of the world of the dead. The context points to the specificity of the truth about this place. In general, scripture tells us of a literal place where wicked and fallen angels will go for eternal torment. But if God is Just and Loving, how then can he send anyone there? Simple. People choose to go there and because God is ultimately loving, he gives them what they ultimately desire; separation from himself. It is God’s justice that requires payment for sin; thus this place apart from him is their rightful and just payment for their sins. God remains perfectly Just and Loving by giving people what they ultimately desire with the perfect judged consequences of it. This place is called Hell in English and the descriptive words are synonyms of that place. The importance of understanding the culture and synonyms is key. Misunderstanding this leads to unbiblical ideas which influences incorrect translations. That is exactly what happened with the New World Translation. The teachers of the Jehovah’s Witness religion failed to properly understand Hell. They invented an idea about this subject and injected that false idea into how they translate the bible.

Already Came or Still Coming?

The NWT gives the translation “presence” instead of “coming” for the Greek word parousia because Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that Christ has already returned in the early 1900s. This translation is soley based on the concept that Jesus already came. When the authors wrote the word, in context, was in future tense. Jesus’ physical presence was coming. The translation of this word in the NWT is completely dependent on the idea that Jesus already came. Did he? Acts 1:9-11 specifically tells us that he physically ascended into heaven AND will return the same way. Therefore we know that he will physically descend from heaven in the future. Jesus discussed this with the Apostles in Matthew 24:3-32. There are some huge points that need to be made here. First, Jesus warns the Apostles (and us) about false Christs and false prophets. “And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you… For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many… Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many… Then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe him… For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.” Jehovah’s Witnesses aren’t the only ones who claim that Jesus already came.

Ann Lee (1736–1784), the founder and leader of the Shakers believed she was the female incarnation of Christ on Earth. William W. Davies (1833–1906), leader of a Latter Day Saint group. He taught his followers that he was the archangel Michael, and also declared that the infant was the reincarnated Jesus Christ. Sun Myung Moon (1920–2012), believed by members of the Unification Church to be the Messiah and the Second Coming of Christ. Yahweh ben Yahweh (1935–2007), born as Hulon Mitchell, Jr., a black nationalist and separatist who created the Nation of Yahweh in 1979 in Liberty City, Florida. His self-proclaimed name means “God, Son of God”. He could have only been deeming himself to be “son of God”, not God, but many of his followers clearly deem him to be God Incarnate. Inri Cristo (1948–), a Brazilian who claims to be the second Jesus reincarnated in 1969. Apollo Quiboloy (1950–) is the founder and leader of a Philippines-based Restorationist church, the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, The Name Above Every Name, Inc. He has made claims that he is the “Appointed Son of God”. Alan John Miller (1962–), more commonly known as A.J. Miller, a former Jehovah’s Witness elder and current leader of the Australia-based Divine Truth movement. Miller claims to be Jesus Christ reincarnated. This just to name a few throughout history. The Jehovah Witness claim is nothing new. How do we know they aren’t?

We continue reading in Matthew 24: “So if they say to you, ‘Behold, He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or, ‘Behold, He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe them… For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be… And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory… For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah… and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be.” And just like that; the entire earth will know. The entire earth will see him. “For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will.” (Matthew 24:21) The power and great glory of his coming will be so great and so grand; more grand than the beginning of the World! Well, the whole world did not see anything. The power and glory was not that great if the Jehovah’s Witnesses are right…

Their claim of him already coming conflicts with what Jesus revealed; therefore he has not come yet. With that said, the NWT rendering of the word “presence” instead of “coming” is very incorrect because the more accurate word is in fact ‘coming’. There was nothing like the flood, nothing more powerful than creation, no great and grand power or glory, and “ALL” the tribes of the earth did not see anything.

All Other Things?

In Colossians 1:16, the NWT inserts the word “other” despite its being completely absent from the original Greek text. It does this to give the view that “all other things” were created by Christ, instead of what the text says, “all things were created by Christ.” This is to go along with their belief that Christ is a created being, which they believe because they deny the Trinity. The NWT also adds the word other four times to Colossians 1:15-17. This implies that Jesus was first created AND THEN He created other things. There is no word in the Greek text for other. The NWT translators added it in order to put their false doctrine into the text. The Alexandrian Text Types read “ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ ἐκτίσθη τὰ πάντα” which literally states “For by Him all things were created”. They continue to read “καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν πρὸ πάντων” which literally states “He is before all things”. The dishonest insertion of the word “other” attempts to impute something that is NOT stated in scripture.

The Word was a god?

This is a typical verse JW use in defense of their beliefs; John 1:1. But this defense is solely based on an idea injected into the bible and not originally from the bible. The original Greek text reads, “and God was The Word.” The NWT renders it as “the word was a god.” This is not just a matter of correct translation, but of reading one’s preconceived theology into the text, rather than allowing the text to speak for itself. The most revealing evidence of the Watchtower’s bias is their inconsistent translation technique. Throughout the Gospel of John, the Greek word theon occurs without a definite article. The New World Translation renders none of these as “a god.” Just three verses after John 1:1, the New World Translation translates another case of theos without the indefinite article as “God.” Even more inconsistent, in John 1:18, the NWT translates the same term as both “God” and “god” in the very same sentence.

When considering the historical and cultural context of “God” in Israel we see that they were monotheistic. The earliest church teachers also taught monotheism. Given the time of the writing of scripture, singular “God” is the absolute most correct translation. The NWT cherry picks how to translate the word based on its own ideas outside of the bible to fit its invented teachings.

It is also important to note that if the author wanted to express a plurality of gods, the greek language could. In other greek writings, when talking about the pantheon of gods, they do. Therefore, the author could have chosen to express that here; but he didn’t. The odd inconsistent justification is ‘Jesus is just a lesser god’ But this then comes into conflict with strict monotheistic verses in the bible. This is also self defeating because he is still a god. But if there is only one Almighty God, than there can not be other gods, even if to a lesser extent; because by definition of God, there could not be more than one. Another attempt to justify the existence of ‘lesser gods’ they will misunderstand Exodus 4:16 and Exodus 7:1. But this is easy to spot the fallacy in the fact that Moses was only stated to be made “AS God” and not “A God”. Moses was “as God” in the sense that he was given the authority and power to display powerful miracles that decimated much of Egypt. This does not make him “a god” because his authority and power came from THE monotheistic GOD in the first place.

YHWH

Second, Jehovah is not a Biblical word. It was created by combining the original Hebrew name for God YHWH and adonai (word used by Jews who didn’t want to say God’s name). The resulting combined word, “Jehovah” has been used for the name God by many groups but it is not found in the Bible. Nowhere do you find the word Jehovah in the original languages, Hebrew or Greek. Instead the New Testament uses the words “Lord” [Greek: Kurios] and “God” [Greek: theos] when talking about God. The writers never used Jehovah, even when quoting the Old Testament. The Greek New Testament source for the New World Translation, Westcott and Hort, never used Jehovah. They used kurios for Lord and theos for God. The Kingdom Interlinear confirms Jehovah was never in the original text. This interlinear published by the Watchtower Organization shows how kurios (Lord) and theos (God) were changed to Jehovah in the English translation.

When it comes to this translation we find it almost universally rejected by noted scholars in the field of Biblical translations according to Dr. Ron Rhodes. British scholar H.H. Rowley asserted, ‘from the beginning to end this volume is a shining example of how the Bible should not be translated.’ Indeed, Rowley said, this translation is ‘an insult to the Word of God.’” Dr. Julius Manti, author of A Manual Grammar of the Greek New Testament, calls the New World translation “a shocking mistranslation.” Dr. Bruce M. Metzger, professor of New Testament at Princeton University, calls the New World translation “a frightful mistranslation,” “erroneous,” “pernicious,” and “reprehensible.” Dr. William Barclay concluded that “the deliberate distortion of truth by this sect is seen in their New Testament translation. It is abundantly clear that a sect which can translate the New Testament like that is intellectually dishonest.” Former Jehovah witness David Reed notes, “an unbiased observer will quickly note that such anonymity also shields the translators from any blame for errors or distortions in their renderings. And it prevents scholars from checking their credentials.”

The Watchtower Society must have been utterly embarrassed when the names of the translators of the New World translation were made known to the public. The reason for concern was the translation committee was completely unqualified for the task. Four of the five men in the committee had no Hebrew or Greek training whatsoever (they had only a high school education). The Fifth, Fred W. Franz, claimed to know Hebrew and Greek, but upon examination under oath in a court of law in Edinburg Scotland he failed a basic Hebrew test. Raymond Victor Franz, Fredrick’s nephew, was a member of the divine Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses. He later left the JW after studying the Bible and comparing it to JW teachings. He later wrote Crisis of Conscience (1983) and In Search of Christian Freedom (1991) that detailed his experiences with the Jehovah’s Witnesses and their inner workings and teachings. Just these two examples prove the fallibility of the Governing Body and exposed it as less than divinely inspired by Almighty God. Which, also, exposes the fallacies of the NWT.

Internal Theological Contradictions

There exist theological inconsistencies between the NWT and Watchtower theology. Isaiah 40-48. By simply reading these eight chapters, or at least select passages from within them, and comparing them to other biblical teachings, major cracks in the foundation of the Watchtower’s primary biblical translation emerge. Matt. 3:3 uses Isaiah for Jesus. John 10:14 Jesus as the shepherd as in Isa 40:11. When reading from the NWT; Matthew 3:3 even validates that Isaiah was speaking about Jesus and John The Baptist and records Jesus claiming to the shepherd as stated in Isaiah 40:11. And announced in just two verses prior is the statement from Isaiah “Here is your God.” and “like a shepherd HE will care for HIS flock”. Remember, this verses is talking about Almighty God. Then in John 10:14, Jesus literally states “I know my sheep and my sheep know me”. These issues come from comparing the NWT with itself. These are just a few examples, but it is recommended to study Isaiah 40-48 and compare it to what is stated in the synoptic gospels.

CONCLUSION

If ANY of these issues are true, than it proves the NWT has errors in its translation method. Aside from translation errors, it is important to see that the translation method itself directly influenced by ideas invented outside of The Bible. Then, the ideas, injected into the translation. The source for the Biblical ideas comes from ignorant assumptions and misunderstandings, cherry picked from what the Bible actually declares. To truly understand scripture one must keep in mind the cultural and historical implications associated with it; and interpret scripture with the totality of scripture and not from one or two selected verses and then jump to conclusions without the whole of scripture being reconciled.

Miss translations such as stake, Misunderstandings such as sheol, hades, and gehenna. Extra-biblical injected theology such as presence instead of coming. Added words such as “a” and “other”. Extra-biblical created words such as Jehovah. Self existent contradictions such as in Isaiah compared to Matthew and John. These examples prove the New World Translation is not a translation of God’s Word but rather a translation morphed into The Watchtower’s teachings. The source for the ideas that change the translation methods is from those who attempt to translate without proper education and preconceived extra-biblical beliefs. The JW argument comes down to this: The New World Translation is the most correct translation because the Watchtower re-translated the bible based off of Watchtower beliefs found in the New World Translation. That is the same as saying: A circle is a square because a square is a circle. This logical fallacy is called Circular Reasoning; and thus, is illogical.

Defending the New World Translation is the argument that the NWT is true because it is from the Watchtower, because the Watchtower is in the NWT of which it translated. As compared to the argument for the NASB for example; which is based from the Alexandrian Text types and Masoritic Texts simply translated into English using the common understanding of the language, culture, and history of the authors.

Also read The Jehovah’s Witnesses

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Manuscripts of The Bible and Textual Criticism

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The Bible is a collection of ancient manuscripts of the original texts passed down through history. Scholars gather, compile, translate, research and compare all discovered manuscripts and support texts to determine the original biblical texts. This article will discuss an overview of biblical manuscripts and textual criticism; we will explain a brief overview of what Textual Criticism is, creation of source documents to recreate a document that closest resembles the original, what actual biblical manuscripts we currently have to study, and what source documents current bible translations depend on.

MANUSCRIPT AVAILABILITY = INCREASED RELIABILITY

First, we need to understand the vastness of Biblical Manuscripts compared of other non biblical ancient documents. The Greek Philosopher Plato, for example, lived around 427 BC and lived to be about 80 years old. THE oldest surviving manuscript is dated to around 895 AD. That is over a 1,200 year gap from author to current manuscript. It is volume one of two, the second of which has not been discovered. Let us also consider the manuscripts of Julius Caesar. The oldest account of what Caesar said and did comes from Roman Historians in the 2nd century, 100 years after Caesar, BUT the oldest copy of their manuscripts are 900 years or later from the authors, AND only 12 total manuscripts exist. In school, did you ever question the historical reliability of Plato and Julius Caesar?

Now, lets consider Biblical Manuscripts and their dating. John Rylands Fragment, which contains
John 18:31-33, 37-38, is originally dated to 96 AD. This is only 60 years after Jesus walked the earth. The probability that this could be a copy of The Apostle John’s original is plausible. The fragment itself is dated to around 120AD. Only 30 years after John and 90 years after Jesus is the actual copy we have today. The Bodmer Papyrus is originally dated around the 70s AD, 40 years after Jesus and while some of the Apostles were still alive. The papyrus itself is dated to the end of the 2nd century, putting that exact manuscript that we have in our hands within only 130 years from Jesus and the Apostles.

Now, comparing these examples from secular manuscripts with biblical manuscripts we see something very important:

Plato: 1,200 years after the author
Caesar: 900 years after the author
The Gospel of John: 60-90 years after Jesus, and 0-30 years after John.

Let us also look at the number of manuscripts we have discovered.

Plato (all of his known writings): 250 manuscripts, some in question.
Caesar (all of his known writings): 12 manuscripts, some extremely late and questionable.
The Bible: 5,800 manuscripts before the printing press. Some are late and questionable.

Understandably, Caesar did not write volumes like Plato or biblical authors. But, when comparing volume verses volume of Plato and The Bible we see a HUGE difference. There are 5,550 MORE manuscripts of the Bible than there are of Plato and his discovered manuscripts. The importance of this we will get to later.

Thus, we can see that Biblical Textual Criticism can be more reliable than that of secular ancient texts. Because of the closeness to authorship and the vast amount of manuscripts; we have a more accurate deduction of the original texts can be made.

BRIEF UNDERSTANDING OF GENERAL TEXTUAL CRITICISM

SYSTEMATIC TEXTUAL CRITICISM

When investigating the New Testament manuscripts it is important that each manuscript is organized in its relation to date of creation and its relation to other manuscripts. a systematic approach introduced in 1981 by Kurt and Barbara Aland organized biblical manuscripts by ‘text type’. A Text-type is organizing manuscripts based on their similarities and putting them into a family of text. Word usage, key words and phrases, location, and outside witnesses can identify what family the text belongs to. When evaluating a family or Text-type, textual critics and then better determine the source of that family.

CONSIDERING THE EVIDENCE

External evidence of each physical witness, its date, source, and relationship to other known witnesses help in determining its family type. Critics will often prefer the readings supported by the oldest witnesses. Since errors tend to accumulate, older manuscripts should have fewer errors. Readings supported by a majority of witnesses are also usually preferred, since these are less likely to reflect accidents or individual biases. Internal evidence that comes from the text itself, independent of the physical characteristics of the document. Shorter readings are general observations that the scribes/copyists tended to add words, for clarification or out of habit, more often than they removed them. Harder readings recognizes the tendency for harmonization or resolving apparent inconsistencies in the text. Applying this leads to taking the more unharmonized reading as being more likely to be the original. The critic may also examine the other writings of the author to decide what words and grammatical constructions match his style. The evaluation of internal evidence also provides the critic with information that helps him evaluate the reliability of individual manuscripts.

Sentence structure, punctuation, word spelling, word usage, and specific details help date when the original or manuscript was written. Older greek manuscripts were written in upper case letters. Later greek manuscripts were written in lower case letters. Also handwriting practices changed; in Greek texts after the year 900 AD, scribes began to increase the use of ligatures in which they began to connect two or more characters much like cursive. Some will detail historic events in present or past tenses which points to a specific time period of authorship. Others will leave out extremely important historic events that would relate to the authors subject; which points to the authorship before the event occurred. Considering all these factors in the manuscript, scholars can be confident in a date range of the writing and its original source.

Finding errors can also help in determining the original of a family of texts. The principle that “community of error implies community of origin.” If two witnesses have a number of errors in common, it may be presumed that they were derived from a common intermediate source, called a hyparchetype.

COMPILING A SOURCE DOCUMENT

Variations in the texts exist and what one omits, the others may retain; what one adds, the others are unlikely to add. Eclecticism allows inferences to be drawn regarding the original text, based on the evidence of contrasts between witnesses. The result of this Eclecticism process is a text with readings drawn from many witnesses. It is not a copy of any particular manuscript, and may even deviate from the majority of existing manuscripts. In a purely eclectic approach, no single witness is theoretically favored. Instead, the critic forms opinions about individual witnesses, relying on both external and internal evidence.

The critic can then proceed to the selection step, where the text of the archetype is determined by examining variants from the closest hyparchetypes to the archetype and selecting the best ones. If one reading occurs more often than another at the same level of the tree, then the dominant reading is selected. After evaluating all related family text types and their variants and supporting evidences, the critic then can compile the hyparchetype into a source document, or a archtype that matches the original.

(image from CARM.org)

BIBLICAL MANUSCRIPTS

THE OLD TESTAMENT

Dead Sea Scrolls: These ancient scripts of the OT were written around 150 BC to 70 AD. It contains an impressive complete Isaiah scroll and a large number of Psalms manuscripts. In all, they contained manuscripts of 29 OT books of the current bible.

The Septuagint is a Greek version of an early OT bible. This specific translation quoted a number of times in the New Testament, particularly in Pauline epistles, and also by the Apostolic Fathers and later Greek Church Fathers. We know this from the wording of the quotes. The title in greek μετάφρασις τῶν Ἑβδομήκοντα, means “The Translation of the Seventy” and its symbol is LXX which refers to the seventy Jewish scholars who solely translated the Five Books of Moses into Koine Greek as early as the 3rd century BC. Translations of the Torah into Koine Greek by early Jewish Rabbis have survived as rare fragments only. Pre-Christian Jews such as Philo and Josephus considered the Septuagint on equal standing with the Hebrew text. Manuscripts of the Septuagint have been found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, and were thought to have been in use among Jews at the time. The New Testament writers, when citing the Jewish scriptures, or when quoting Jesus doing so, freely used the Greek translation, implying that Jesus’ Apostles and their followers considered it reliable.

Later in its history, the Septuagint was widely used by the new Christian sect and thus, the Jewish authority began to denounce its use. They then re-translated the OT in a Hebrew, of which, most new Jewish-Christian converts were not able to read. Irenaeus stated that, concerning Isaiah 7:14, the Septuagint clearly writes of a virgin (Greek παρθένος, bethulah in Hebrew) that shall conceive, while the word almah in the Hebrew text was, according to Irenaeus, at that time interpreted by Theodotion and Aquila (both devout in the Jewish faith) as a young woman that shall conceive. According to Irenaeus, the Ebionites used this to claim that Joseph was the (biological) father of Jesus. From Irenaeus’ point of view that was pure heresy, facilitated by (late) anti-Christian alterations of the scripture in Hebrew, as evident by the older, pre-Christian, Septuagint. This shows the later change of the Hebrew writings contradicting the older, pre-Christian, OT Greek translation.

The LXX is comprised of: 2nd century BC fragments of Leviticus and Deuteronomy. 1st century BC fragments of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, and the Minor Prophets. Relatively complete manuscripts of the LXX postdate the Hexaplar rescension and include the Codex Vaticanus from the 4th century AD and the Codex Alexandrinus of the 5th century.

The oldest extant complete Hebrew texts date some 600 years later, from the first half of the 10th century. The 4th century Codex Sinaiticus also partially survives, still containing many texts of the LXX Old Testament.

The Peshitta was translated into Syriac from Hebrew, probably in the 2nd century AD, and that the New Testament of the Peshitta was translated from the Greek. Earliest manuscript, designated as “5b1”, which is dated to the second half of 5th century. The manuscript includes only Genesis, Exodus, Numbers and Deuteronomy, and the text is more similar to the Masoretic Text. The Codex Ambrosianus designated as “7a1”, dates from the 6th or the 7th century, and includes all the books of the Hebrew Bible. Syr. 341 designated as “8a1”, dating from the 8th century or prior with many corrections, it includes all the books of the Hebrew Bible.

The Vulgate is a late 4th-century Latin translation of the Bible. The translation was largely the work of St Jerome, who, in 382, had been commissioned by Pope Damasus I to revise the Vetus Latina (“Old Latin”) Gospels then in use by the Roman Church. Jerome, on his own initiative, extended this work of revision and translation to include most of the Books of the Bible. Dating from the 8th century, the Codex Amiatinus is the earliest surviving manuscript of the complete Vulgate Bible. The Codex Fuldensis, dating from around 545, contains most of the New Testament in the Vulgate version. The Codex Cavensis is a 9th-century Latin Bible.

The Masoretic Text designated as MT, 𝕸, or $\mathfrak{M}$ is the authoritative Hebrew and Aramaic text of the Tanakh for Rabbinic Judaism. But many OT manuscripts older than the Masoretic text and often contradict it. The oldest extant manuscripts of the Masoretic Text date from approximately the 9th century AD. The Aleppo Codex dates from the 10th century. The Nash Papyrus (2nd century BC) may contain a portion of a pre-Masoretic Text. It runs into discrepancies when compared to the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Septuagint, both of which predate The Masoretic text.

Not nearly as many manuscripts exist as of the New Testament but quite a lot is know of what the original text meaning is. Though there are variants in the different manuscripts, almost all of the textual variants are fairly insignificant and hardly affect any doctrine. Professor Douglas Stuart states: “It is fair to say that the verses, chapters, and books of the Bible would read largely the same, and would leave the same impression with the reader, even if one adopted virtually every possible alternative reading to those now serving as the basis for current English translations.”

NEW TESTAMENT

The New Testament manuscripts are categorized in 5 ‘families’. Category I – Alexandrian, Category II – Egyptian, Category III – Eclectic, Category IV – Western, and Category V – Byzantine.

Alexandrian Text-type: The Alexandrian text-type is the form of the Greek New Testament that represents the earliest surviving manuscripts. The oldest, near complete manuscript is The Codex Vaticanus and is dated around 300 AD. the Codex Vaticanus originally contained a virtually complete copy of the Septuagint. The Codex Sinaiticus is also of the Alexandrian family and is dated around 330 to 360AD. It originally contained a virtually complete copy of the Septuagint Which are different from the far later Textus Receptus generated by Erasmus. The Codex Alexandrinus dated around 400AD.

A number of substantial papyrus manuscripts of portions of the New Testament survive. The earliest translation of the New Testament into an Egyptian Coptic version — the Sahidic of the late 2nd century — uses the Alexandrian text as a Greek base. The Chester Beatty II and Bodmer II are dated to the 2nd Century. Bodmer VII, VIII, XIV and XV are dated to the 3th century.

Considering these earliest manuscripts and the Codex Vaticanus, Codex Sinaiticus, and Codex Alexandrinus, not to mention late 1st through 5th century quotes from early church teachers; the new testament message can be compiled from manuscripts no later than the 5th century.

The Western text-type is the predominant form of the New Testament text witnessed in the Old Latin and Peshitta translations from the Greek, and also in quotations from certain 2nd and 3rd-century Christian writers, including Cyprian, Tertullian and Irenaeus. This text type often presents longer variants of text, but in a few places. Papyrus 37, 48, Papyrus Michigan, Oxyrhynchus XXIV are dated to the 3rd century. 0171, Codex Bezae, and some portion of Codex Sinaiticus are Western type dated to the 4th century. Codex Washingtonianus is dated to the 5th century and Codex Claromontanus is dated to the 6th century.

Compared to the Byzantine text-type distinctive Western readings in the Gospels are more likely to be abrupt in their Greek expression. Compared to the Alexandrian text-type distinctive Western readings in the Gospels are more likely display glosses, additional details, and instances where the original passages appear to be replaced with longer paraphrases. Although the Western text-type survives in relatively few witnesses, some of these are as early as the earliest witnesses to the Alexandrian text type. Nevertheless, the majority of text critics consider the Western text in the Gospels to be characterized by periphrasis and expansion; and accordingly tend to prefer the Alexandrian readings.

The Byzantine text-type is the form found in the largest number of surviving manuscripts, though not in the oldest. While considerably varying, it is the basis for the Textus Receptus Greek text. The earliest Church Father to witness to a Byzantine text-type in substantial New Testament quotations is John Chrysostom (c. 349 — 407). The second earliest translation to witness to a Greek base conforming generally to the Byzantine text in the Gospels is the Syriac Peshitta. Although in respect of several much contested readings, such as Mark 1:2 and John 1:18, the Peshitta rather supports the Alexandrian witnesses. The Ethiopic version of the Gospels; best represented by the surviving fifth and sixth century manuscripts of the Garima Gospels and classified by Rochus Zuurmond as “early Byzantine”. Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus is majority Byzantine, Codex Guelferbytanus B, and Uncial 061 are dated around the 5th century. Codex Basilensis is dated in the 8th century. Codex Boreelianus, Codex Seidelianus I and II, Codex Angelicus, Codex Mosquensis II, Codex Macedoniensis, Codex Koridethi, Minuscule 1424, and Codex Vaticanus 354 are dated to the 9th century. Minuscule 1241 is dated o the 12th century.

The Byzantine readings tend to show a greater tendency toward smooth and well-formed Greek, they display fewer instances of textual variation between parallel Synoptic Gospel passages, and they are less likely to present “difficult” issues of exegesis. For example, Mark 1:2 reads “As it is written in the prophets…” in the Byzantine text; whereas the same verse reads, “As it is written in Isaiah the prophet…” in all other early textual witnesses. In that instance, what is being quoted is from Isaiah but also from Malachi. Thus; the Byzantine witness tends to change the wording for a fuller understanding.

The explanation of the wide spread later use of the Byzantine text-type can be explained when Constantine I paid for the wide distribution of manuscripts which came from the group of church teachers who came together to generate a source document of older manuscripts. There are several references by Eusebius of Caesarea to Constantine paying for manuscript production.

An example of the actual texts and translations of John 18:32:

John Rylands Papyrus 457, P52 – 125AD

“so that the word of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spoke signifying what kind of death he was going to die.”

ΙΝΑ Ο ΛΟΓΟΣ ΤΟΥ ΙΗΣΟΥ ΠΛΗΡΩΘΗ ΟΝ ΕΙΠΕΝ ΣΗΜΑΙΝΩΝ ΠΟΙΩ ΘΑΝΑΤΩ ΗΜΕΛΛΕΝ ΑΠΟΘΝΗΣΚΕΙΝ

(The words underlined and in bold are what are stated in this fragment)

Codex Sinaiticus – 330 to 360AD

“that the word of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spoke signifying by what kind of death he was about to die.”

να ι ουδενα ϊνα ο λογοϲ του ιυ πληρωθη ┬ ϲημαινω ποιω θανατω ημελλεν αποθνη

(http://codexsinaiticus.org/en/manuscript.aspx?book=36&chapter=18&lid=en&side=r&verse=32&zoomSlider=0)

Textus Receptus – 1500AD – 1600AD

“That the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spake, signifying what death he should die.”

ἵνα ὁ λόγος τοῦ Ἰησοῦ πληρωθῇ ὃν εἶπεν σημαίνων ποίῳ θανάτῳ ἤμελλεν ἀποθνῄσκειν

(http://www.scripture4all.org/OnlineInterlinear/NTpdf/joh18.pdf) (https://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/jhn/18/32/t_conc_1015032)

Spanning over 1,475 years, and yet, they literally say the same thing. The Byzantine Text-type (Textus Receptus) also continues the same message, 1,475 years later. This is not even considering the thousands of other manuscripts and comparing all of them. The Diagram below simplistically illiterates this:

(The image above is a basic and simplified example of how to determine an archetype of the original document based on witness sources)

COMBINED SOURCE DOCUMENTS

Combining the Greek family of manuscripts into a single document is what came next. In 1516 the Novum Instrumentum omne was published. Compiled by Erasmus and using Byzantine Text-type as its primary source it was a foundational document for early church translations which later generated the King James bible.

The Institute for New Testament Textual Research reconstructed its Greek initial text on the basis of the entire manuscript tradition, the early translations and patristic citations; furthermore the preparation of an Editio Critica Maior based on the entire tradition of the New Testament in Greek manuscripts, early versions and New Testament quotations in ancient Christian literature. This source document from the INTF is called the Novum Testamentum Graece and refers to the Nestle-Aland editions of the translated source document and is currently in its 28th edition, abbreviated NA28 of which the United Bible Societies (UBS) also uses. The critical text is an eclectic text compiled by a committee that examines a large number of manuscripts in order to determine which reading is most likely to be closest to the original.

A new massive Textual Criticism project is underway by the INTF. Editio Critica Maior (ECM) is a critical edition of the Greek New Testament being produced. They acquired over 90% of the known biblical material on microfilm or photo. The project Editio Critica Maior is supported by the Union of German Academies of Sciences and Humanities. It is to be completed by the year 2030. The International Greek New Testament Project (IGNTP) began in 1926 as a cooperative enterprise between British and German scholars to establish a new critical edition of the New Testament. The project was resurrected in 1949 as a cooperative endeavour between British and North American scholars. British and North American cooperation resulted in the publication of a critical apparatus for the Gospel of Luke in the 1980s. Current research focuses on the Gospel of John, and the surviving majuscule manuscripts have been published in print and electronic form. The present committee comprises scholars from Europe and North America.

The Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, abbreviated as BHS, is an edition of the Masoretic Text of the Hebrew Bible as preserved in the Leningrad Codex, and supplemented by masoretic and text-critical notes.

The Eastern Orthodox Bible (EOB) (in progress) is an extensive revision and correction of Brenton’s translation which was primarily based on Codex Vaticanus. Its language and syntax have been modernized and simplified. It also includes extensive introductory material and footnotes featuring significant inter-LXX and LXX/MT variants.

(The images above do not show each and every biblical witness but gives a simple and basic overview of how the documents were transmitted)

TEXTUAL BASIS FOR BIBLE VERSIONS

Dead Sea Scrolls – OT, 200BC – 70AD
The Septuagint – OT & NT, 200BC – 400AD
The Peshitta – OT, 100AD – 600AD
The Vulgate – OT & NT, 400AD – 800AD
The Masoretic Text – OT, 800AD – 1000AD
Alexandrian Text-Type – NT, 100AD – 400AD
Western Text-Type – NT, 100AD – 400AD
Byzantine Text-Type – NT, 400AD – 1100AD
Textus Receptus – NT, 1500AD – 1600AD

These 9 canonical manuscripts and fragment manuscript families of more than 25,000 total manuscripts are then compiled and translated into a single source document reflecting the archtype of the originals.

Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia – OT – Masoretic Text of the Leningrad Codex. Biblia Hebraica Quinta is the 5th edition projected completion in 2020.
Novum Instrumentum omne (Textus Receptus) – NT – Byzantine Text-type primary, Latin Vulgate, Codex Montfortianus gap.
Novum Testamentum Graece (Nestle-Aland editions) – NT – Alexandrian Text-Type primary, Western Text-Type gaps.
United Bible Societies (UBS) edition – NT – Alexandrian Text-Type primary.
Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople 1904 Text – NT – Textus Receptus primary, Byzantine Text-type gaps.

From these combined archtype source documents, Bible versions are then translated and printed in common languages. There are different types of publication methods. Word for Word translations (formal), thought for thought (dynamic), paraphrased, or a methodical blend.

New American Standard Bible (NASB) – Word for Word – NT: Nestle-Aland edition. OT: Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia with Septuagint influence.
King James Versions (KJV) – Word for Word – NT: Textus Receptus. OT: Masoretic Text with Septuagint influence.
English Standard Version – (ESV) – Word for Word- OT: Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia with Septuagint influence Deutero./Apoc.: Göttingen Septuagint, Rahlf’s Septuagint and Stuttgart Vulgate. NT: Nestle-Aland edition, supplemented by Textus Receptus.
New International Version (NIV) – Blend of word for word and thought for thought – NT: Nestle-Aland edition. OT: Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, Masoretic Hebrew Text, Dead Sea Scrolls, Samaritan Pentateuch, Latin Vulgate, Peshitta, Aramaic Targums, for Psalms Juxta Hebraica of Jerome.
New Living Translation – (NLT) – Blend of word for word and thought for thought – NT: UBS 4th revised edition and Nestle-Aland edition. OT: Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, with some Septuagint influence.

(KJV) (NASB) (NIV)

There are about 5,800 Greek manuscripts, 10,000 Latin manuscripts and 9,300 manuscripts in various other ancient languages including Syriac, Slavic, Ethiopic and Armenian of the New Testament. Professor D. A. Carson states: “nothing we believe to be doctrinally true, and nothing we are commanded to do, is in any way jeopardized by the variants. This is true for any textual tradition. The interpretation of individual passages may well be called in question; but never is a doctrine affected.“

EP Sanders, Arts and Sciences Professor of Religion at Duke University, who himself is nonchristian and open secular historian honestly stated: “Historical reconstruction is never absolutely certain, and in the case of Jesus it is sometimes highly uncertain. Despite this, we have a good idea of the main lines of his ministry and his message. We know who he was, what he did, what he taught, and why he died. ….. the dominant view [among scholars] today seems to be that we can know pretty well what Jesus was out to accomplish, that we can know a lot about what he said, and that those two things make sense within the world of first-century Judaism.” All this, he concludes, comes from the vast amount of manuscripts and evidence of the bible.

Some of the actual photo copy of manuscripts can be viewed and studied at:

Conclusion

To claim that we can not know what the original text said is to then discredit every ancient historical writing ever written about anyone from Alexander The Great to Plato to Julius Caesar himself. The fact is there is vast amounts of hard proof and outside evidences that lead even secular historians to admit that we can know details about ancient persons, including Jesus and ancient Israel. Christians who doubt and nonchristians who discredit do so because of willful ignorance of current evidences. We CAN know and we do know, because God has allowed us to know, through preserving what he has preserved; found in the 25,000 hard copy manuscripts we have today and the vast amount of outside biblical support and evidences as well.

Also read Did the Apostles distort what Jesus taught? | Modern Secular Historians and The Bible | Early Accounts of Christianity from Non-Christians | Why The Disciples of The Apostles Matter Today | Apologetics main page

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Is The King James The Best Translation?

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There is a belief in fundamentalist Christian groups that the King James Bible is the most reliable biblical text and some even claim it is the only true Bible translation. They are firm in the loyalty to the KJV and trust it is the closest version to the original texts of scripture and some claim it is the exact same as the originals in translation. But is this true? To figure this out we will look at the KJV sources, translation, author, and consider God’s prevision of his Word through textual criticism.

Source Manuscripts

Most of the Byzantine texts (group of biblical manuscripts) used in translating the KJV source text (Novum Instrumentum omne) are from the 6th and 12th century. Since the time of compiling the KJV, we have discovered other older texts closer to the date and of the Apostles (Alexandrian texts). After comparing all the manuscripts we can see additions in later texts that were not in the earlier texts.

The last 6 verses of Revelation, the translator, Erasmus, had no early Greek manuscripts except for later Latin manuscripts. He attempted to translate those back into Greek. By comparing his Greek translations of Latin manuscripts, to actual older Greek manuscripts discovered later in history, we see some key issues. In this attempt to re-translate, he created 17 variants not found in any other, older, Greek manuscript. In Rev 17:4 he created a new Greek word: ἀκαθαρτητος (instead τὰ ἀκάθαρτα). There is no such word in Greek language as ακαθαρτητος. In Rev 17:8 he used καιπερ εστιν (and yet is) instead of και παρεσται (and shall come). Thus, we can conclude that his translated source text for the KJV is the source for those discrepancies. This causes concern for his translations.

1 John 5:7 has an insertion that is not in older manuscripts. Erasmus was pressured by the Catholic Church of that day to include a statement supporting the Trinity (whether it’s true or not) that is not found in older manuscripts. Erasmus based his translation on the codex 61 which is a manuscript dated to the 16th century. Thus showing that his insertion of this verse is not based on any older more reliable manuscript, but instead based on a generated texted around his time. Originally he did not include the addition into his translation, but under pressure from the Catholic Church with the newly generated manuscript, he did.

The issue is not the truth of the inserted statement. The issue is the fact that the statement was most likely not in the original texts from the Apostles. I could insert the statement “Jesus is Lord” where I see fit in the Bible, and, even though it may be true that Jesus is Lord (due to evidence of the older manuscripts), it is not my place or authority to add to scripture where it was not added to begin with. We will discuss Erasmus’ ‘authority’ later in the article.

KJV Matthew 23:24 says “strain at a gnat…” but the more reliable older Greek manuscripts say “strain out a gnat”. “At” and “out” are different word meanings for the Jewish figure of speech. This is an error of translation in the KJV. The older manuscripts use “διϋλίζω” which in Greek means “strain through or out”. It is an outward through concept not a positional concept. Like looking through someone verses looking at someone.

The debate about which type of biblical manuscript are more reliable is clearly still debated, but in simple terms, the older and closer to the event in location and time the manuscript is, the greater reduction in the issue of copy errors and added incertions. Some of our modernly discovered older manuscripts could have even be the actual copies used in some of the churches most important counsels like in The Council of Nicaea for example. Early quotes from original Scripture, from the disciples of the Apostles and earliest Christian teachers, resembles the older Greek Alexandria manuscripts as well. Manuscripts which Erasmus did not have access to later in the 16th and 17th century until their rediscovery in the 19th and 20th century. This however did not effect or change the truths of the Christian faith; just revealed the problem in the idea that the KJV alone is divine in translation.

King James Bible Revisions

Even after Erasmus’ 3rd King James revision of its source texts, it has been revised numerous times over the centuries. The KJV now is not the same as the KJV originally. To argue that revisions of modern bible translations is reason to doubt those; is self defeating and contradictory.

As time goes on, literature evolves with the changing of cultures. Novels written in the 19th century are having culturally and politically correct revisions; such as Huckleberry Finn. Even religious groups, such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses, have revised their publications through time as their beliefs (heresies) have changed. With just these modern examples we see how older copies, closer to the date they were written, are more likely to reflect the original. This can be true for scripture as well. Newer manuscripts have additions or slight changes when compared to much older manuscripts. That’s partly why. This is also true when considering the first publication of KJV source texts and the four revisions of the KJV.

Cultural Word Usage

There are hundreds of words used in the KJV that English speaking cultures no long use or have commonly changed the definition. An example is the word “gay”. If I was to state “I’m gay”, that has a different meaning on face value than it did 100 years ago. If you post on Facebook “I’m gay”, think about the common understanding people will have. But that word meant something completely different when it was used a century ago.

Even context does not always point to which meaning at that time in history when the word’s definition culturally has changed. 2 Timothy 2:15 is an example of this. KJV states “Study to shew thyself…” but this does not mean what is means now. In the NASB, a word for word translation into current English language, states “Be diligent to present yourself…” which helps readers more accurately understand what Paul is saying. To “study” then does not mean the same as now. Now, I can “study” but not in the way this word was actually means. I can study the paint on the wall without effort or diligence. The Greek word in the older manuscripts is “σπουδάζω” which, when it was used in Roman and Greek literature, means “to use speed, i.e. to make effort, be prompt or earnest:—do (give) diligence, be diligent (forward), endeavour, labour, [intensely] study.” In which “diligent” is a better fitting word for the current generations of English speakers from a more reliable older manuscript. That’s like saying “I moved forward” when actually “I ran forward”. Both technically say the same thing because running is moving, but one uses a better descriptive word; especially if the original act was about me running.

Also read Correctly Interpret and Understand The Bible

Erasmus’ Authority

Proponents of “KJV Only” then appeal to Erasmus as having some sort of divine authority or under divine inspiration when translating. But, due to simple errors this clearly can not be true. First let us understand that he was a self proclaimed and proud humanist thinker. His primary focus is on the importance of man rather than the importance on the supernatural. This self identity played a factor in his rational for his translations. At the end of the day, the will of man when it comes to decision making in regards to translating scripture, took presidents. This is proven by him giving into pressure by the Catholic Church to add statements in his translations that which was not in any of his manuscripts or any older manuscript ever discovered . He knew it too, even hesitated and argued against including it, but eventually he did. He was a great author and scholar, no doubt, but so are some atheists. Most importantly, he never claimed to be directly inspired or influenced by God except in duty and obligation to the Catholic Church.

PRESERVATION OF GODS WORD, BY GOD.

This must be true or Christian truth is unknowable for certain. But considering this logically; God is God. God, creator of the universe, can preserve his written word if he so chooses to. Given the mass amount of total preserved biblical manuscripts, all the outside supporting manuscripts (early church and nonchristian quotes) with historical and archeological evidences; He has. And we can know this for certain. God has allowed us to retain and rediscover older manuscripts and other older quotes to this day. We can compare all known manuscripts and evidences and reliably conclude what the original message is. We can also compare newer manuscripts with older manuscripts and help filter out what was not in the originals more accurately. Though word definitions may change over time and cultures, we can still reliably translate and discern the original message. God has preserved his message contained in the sum of all reliable manuscripts and in the 2nd through 4th century quotations and historical accounts; all of which we have access to today. Strict dependence on Erasmus’ problematic translations and his KJV source text is not completely necessary.

TEXTUAL CRITICISM

This issue is directly related to what is known as ‘textual criticism’. Where all manuscripts are studied, compared, and organized to determine more accurate readings of the original writing. The exact same process is done with all ancient manuscripts. To simplify it, in relation to Erasmus and the KJV, there are two predominate ‘text types’: Alexandrian text type (oldest and fewer) and Byzantine text type (later and majority). Alexandria is favored more commonly by a majority of biblical textual scholars.

Alexandrian text type tends to be shorter while Byzantine is longer in wording. In Luke 11:12, the Alexandrian just states “Father” but in the later Byzantine it states “Our Father in Heaven”. Even though the message is the same and both true; we can see that the Byzantine added extra. In Matthew 24:36, the Alexandrian has “nor the son” but the later Byzantine omits that. Byzantine scribes may have left that out due to ignorance or fear of negatively effecting Jesus’ divinity. Which actually has no effect when properly understanding Jesus’ willing and voluntary role on earth. In Acts 20:28 the Alexandrian reading is του Θεου (of God) but the majority Byzantine texts say του κυριου και του Θεου (of the Lord and God). The point is we can clearly see where the Byzantine text type is at more risk for humanistic additions or subtractions (without changing the original meaning).

In some cases there are areas of text that are missing in the Alexandrian texts. The gospel of Mark abruptly ends at 16:8. That doesn’t mean that it didn’t exist, but for whatever reason, through the manuscripts history, it became missing. How do we know? Because of early church father quotes and 2nd and 3rd century textual support. Other times, some verses are omitted in the Alexandria text types. Why? Damage, corrosion, and being scratched clean to write over (like using an eraser) because the scribe needed the paper. But we can know if it was at one point in the text because of quotes and teachings from the early church teachers who used that type of manuscripts.

The earliest Egyptian Coptic manuscripts of the 1st century are based off the Alexandrian text type. Also used by Clement of Rome (a disciple of Paul and appointed by Peter), Athanasius, and Cyril of Alexandria in their quotes and references. There is even Alexandrian witness in some Byzantine texts used by Origen. Through church history, early teachers and scholar used the Alexandrian texts when available and early Byzantine texts when the Alexandrian texts where incomplete or not accessible. But if you notice, Alexandrian text type was primary source for even the disciple of an Apostle and the earliest church teachers.

Back to the point from that brief simplistic textual overview; Erasmus based his translation on the Greek Byzantine text type but when he didn’t have a Byzantine Greek text type, he used a much later Latin Byzantine text type. Thus increasing the likelihood of perpetuating and transmitting textual additions that were not in the original bible manuscript; of which we noted above.

Also read Modern Secular Historians and The Bible | Early Accounts of Christianity from Non-Christians | Why The Disciples of The Apostles Matter Today

CONCLUSION

Erasmus compiled source texts for the KJV using text types that he chose and that which were only available to him at that time. It was a monumental task and effort. He is a respected translator and scholar as well. Despite all this, there exists scores of evidence to show that his source text for the KJV was more flawed than current bible translated source texts. There have been more discoveries of biblical manuscripts and more earlier church father quotes and their notes about more ancient texts to guide us, now, in more accurate textual criticism to determine better biblical translations. This is why most modern scholars favor the Alexandrian text types and the source documents that use the Alexandrian text type as their primary sources. To claim that the King James Bible is a divine translation in the English language and all other translations are ‘of the devil’ is to ignorantly or selfishly avoid the evidence against this. Given the historical record and considering all evidences; we can conclude that the King James translation is not the best in and of itself.

Also read What Makes Christianity The True Faith? | What is ‘Doctrine’ and does it matter? | Why Are There So Many Translations? | Has The Bible Changed?

The Worldly Construction of ‘Race’

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In changing times and as cultural identities evolve, a constant issue has been and seems always will be the struggle of favoritism and discrimination of people who look and act different. Even God’s people struggle with this issue to this day. How we address the issue is not found in worldly political strategies and policies but in the truths in Holy Scripture and the Characteristics of God himself.

One Race

First we need to wipe our minds of what the world has taught us how to view racial favoritism and discrimination. There is only one Race, the human race. To state there is a ‘black’ race or a ‘white’ race is thinking the way the world wants you to think so that people are generalized, categorized, and marginalized. These concepts of ‘black’ people and ‘white’ people are human constructs and do not actually exist. Proven by the fact that light skin individuals can be considered ‘black’ and dark skinned individuals can be considered ‘white’. This construct of ‘race’ can not be based on where the person’s family linage is from; because we are all from the same place and same people. This then brings us to the defining factor and WHO decides what defines a ‘race’.

Humanistic Construct of ‘Race’

Someone decided to be ‘black’ you have to be descended from (a) Africa and subscribe to certain sub-cultural (b) behaviors and (c) ideals [including languages]. These three culturally normative rules define what it is to be ‘black’ (or any ‘race’). Who decided this? This construct has been around in various forms throughout human history. In ancient history, where you were from, defined you. Because where you were from incorporated the ideals and behaviors of that region. Our first big questions is; Is this social construct part of God’s original design for Humanity?

Even evolutionary biologist agree that all the different human ‘races’ came from one common ancestor and that all humans have the same melanin in our skins cells that give us the various shades of skin pigment (Gen 3:20). Biologist also know that it only takes a few generations to get very distinct people groups with various shades of melanin. From Adam to Noah, people seemed to have lived together. They shared the same language and locations. Then God dispersed them and confused their language. In this dispersion some people would have went to different climate regions and created different daily habits causing the different melanin shades, behaviors, and ideals over the generations.

9 Generations of long living people from Adam to Noah all with the same language and general regions (Gen 4,5,11,12). The children from Noah’s children became more and more diverse in culture and physical appearance by specific isolation in that gene pool in each splintered people group (Gen 10-11). This example image helps understand the genetics and the gene pool isolation possible outcomes:

The same is true for physical features such as hair and eye thickness and color. Eye shape, noise size, lip, chin, head, and muscle density; all in DNA in each isolated people group developing the common genetics over the generations. The Holy Spirit declares there is only one race but many ‘pre-appointed’ unique people groups in their regions (Acts 17:26).

So back to our question: Yes and No. Human DNA shows that even if the world did not sin, God commanded them to be fruitful and multiply. In filling the earth and multiplying, there would be these genetic variations- unrelated to sin. These genetic variations were ‘pre-appointed’ by a the Holy Almighty Creator. BUT the cultural variations in the behavior and ideals were NOT. God confused the languages and dispersed the people for a negative reason- because of the sin in the human heart.

Genetic Variations in different people groups is of God. It should be celebrated and respected. Cultural Variations in different people groups is a judgement of God. It was due to the sin in the human heart. This is NOT to say, cultural norms should not be respected and celebrated; most are not wrong inherently, some even can glorify God. BUT there are cultural norms that are sinful.

The current humanistic construct of ‘race’ is NOT of God: It dis-unifies the human race and allows for sinful cultural norms to define and influence an entire people group; which leads to conflict between people groups. The racial definitions are not transcended nor objective but evolve with the heart of whom ever is currently in control of the society that definitions it and is subjective in each generation. The current humanistic construct of ‘race’ actually perpetuates favoritism and discrimination in the human heart. How so?

Identity Confusion

You may have dark skin, adhere to all the social norms of a particular ‘race’ but may not have any linage to that race’s defined source. Then it would be said that you were not really that race. More commonly in our time is the same rejection of someone due to differing ideals. Someone who identifies as ‘black’ may be rejected and dismissed by the ‘black community’ because of having different ideals. Supporting a political candidate may cause the rejection and dismissal by the current leaders of the ‘black community’. Not supporting a subjective cause which has been declared by leaders of the ‘black community’ as a defining factor would also lead to rejection and dismissing. Labeling and insulting words such as ‘uncle tom’ are used to shun and shame that individual for not conforming to the subjective humanistic social norms of what it means to be ‘black’. It discriminates against individuality and forces favoritism of a particular subjective worldly definition. It is racist and hateful against someone of the same identity. It is hypocritical and slanderous. It is the human heart; perpetuated by a humanistic construct of ‘race’ imposed by prideful and self glorified leaders of the ‘black community’. It is oppressive and enslaving.

The truth that sets free from Identity confusion is resting your identity of what defines you and your individuality in Christ and seek the kingdom of God and his Characteristics. What defines you is not of this world. It is not based on cultural leaders formulating subjective rules that define a racial community; but is only found in Christ and defined by God alone.

Unequal Favoritism

When an ideal, behavior, or other people group interferes or threatens the defined construction of the particular ‘race’- an unequal unbalanced form of discrimination is imposed on that which is threatening, greatly favoring that which feels threatened. It sacrifices the sovereignty of one people group for the unequal favoritism of the other. This will continue to happen because it is an ever changing construct of evolving definitions of ‘races’. The humanistic construct itself has built within itself the propensity for discrimination and unequal favoritism caused by the continual conflict of people groups and their collective wants and needs. This too is oppressive and enslaving because the construct itself does not allow for an escape from conflict and peace except through forced favoritism through forced ‘justified’ discrimination. To say one people group matter while remaining silent as another people group is slandered and discriminated against is unequal favoritism as well. Long term forced focus on one people group alienates other people groups. Continues to perpetuate inequality through favoritism and the disunity of humanity.

Unholy Norms

Within each constructed ‘race’ there are norms that systematically ensures the humanistic construct continues. In each ‘race’, acceptable generalizations are made and taught. Even generalizations about the ‘race’ its self ensures that the subjective humanistic identity continues within the constructed race. The hypocrisy is when a generalization from a different people group is imposed, then generalizing is seen as discrimination; when within that group, generalizing was acceptable. For example: “Black people are criminals” is deemed racist and wrong BUT “White people are wealthy” is seen as acceptable. Both are generalizations based on a socially constructed idea about an entire people group based on the subjective definitions of their ‘race’. Realistically and logically, both statements are discriminating and hypocritical judgemental ideals.

Another form of unholy social norms taught within particular people groups are subjective ideas of justified reasons to hate and cause violence. Because the reasons to hate are ‘justified’ within the ‘race’, it is not viewed as hate. Because the justification for violence is seen as ‘just’ it is not seen as violent. Committing heinous and unnecessary crimes to ‘survive’, creating and supporting violent resistance to simple government laws, and imposing ‘justified’ generalizations of other people groups while going on witch hunts and ‘race-bait’ for undesirable generalizations are taught social norms within a people group that do harm to the people itself. These generationally taught norms perpetuate the enslaving effect of the humanistic systematic construct of ‘race’ and maintain the blindness of the morally corrupt which is justifying hate and violence.

Ultimately when a people group is taught that they themselves are not responsible for their own decisions in the society but instead is due to historic injustices or a prejudice system and then impose unjust sanctions on another hypocritically generalized people group because of unrelated historic events; that people group are prevented from individual development through accountability and correction. Essentially, lack of responsibility and accountability perpetuate their enslaving to the humanistic system of constructed races in combination with all the other effects of the constructed racial systematic divide.

Hypocritical judgementalism, blind hatred, accepted discrimination, allowed inequality, forced favoritism, condoning and committing violence, silence in the face of hypocrisy, support and action of breaking just laws, slander and generalize other people groups, lack of accountability and responsibility; all are unholy social norms built in a humanistic constructed subjective definition of races that which perpetuates the enslavement of the mind and soul of a society that believes in and embraces the humanistic constructed subjective definition of their ‘race’.

WHO Tells You What To Think

Where you taught to believe you belong to a particular racial group because you meet the qualities you were told? Are you ‘black’ or ‘white’ because you have dark skin, act, speak, and think a certain way? Are you afraid of betraying your race if you change your ideals? Who told you what it means to betray a racial definition that you did not define? Are you an individual defined by God or a humanistic subjective construct of what someone else says you are? Are you free to be an individual?

Your Source

Those who have been granted faith in Jesus Christ have put to death their flesh and raised to a new life in Christ. Their minds have been renewed and have been given a new heart. Their eyes have been opened to see God and they have been BORN AGAIN. They are not their old self. They are no longer bound to their flesh and the limitations of it. They are a NEW creation. They are given a new life and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Their identity is IN Christ, not in the flesh. They may be defined as ‘black’ by the world, but are define as a Child of God which transcends how pigmented their skins is. God is the greatest and most important defining factor in their life for all eternity. They are not a black-Christian, or white-Christian, all are equally are eternally Christian. There is NOTHING that makes being Christian better and there is nothing lacking when in Christ.

God’s Construction of ‘Race’

God made man in his image. All shades and physical features is the unique Human Race created by God and set a part from all other creation. Each person, given their own unique qualities for the purpose of serving God in the community they were called out of while simultaneously remaining unified with the rest of the body of Christ made up of all nations.

Romans 10:12 – “For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him;”
Gal 3:28 – “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Colossians 3:11 – “a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.”

There are worldly humanistic labels and dividing distinctions that define people; and break up unity of humanity but only two ways for God; those who worship God and those who do not. The world divides up, subjectively defines and labels, then marginalizes for the purposes of unequal favoritism and unjust discrimination. God divides up for the purpose of graceful eternal salvation and the need for eternal salvation from his perfect righteous justice.

Missions

All Christians are called out of a culture in the world, reborn, renewed, and equipped to re-enter the world as a missionary to find the rest of the lost sheep; to make known the grace of God. For those who come out of the ‘Black community’ or ‘Latin community’ are specifically equipped to go back as a missionary for those communities. But again, they are no longer defined by the community they came out of. Their citizenship is of heaven now. This is the mistake Peter made and the mistakes many Christians make now. They return to their familiar community and alienate everyone else. They show favoritism for the specific community they came out of and neglect the rest of their Christian family from all other communities. Favoritism and neglect are harmful to missions and the body of Christ as a whole. This goes against the grain of the worldly constructed expectations for people. The church needs to show that Black Lives Matter for example, without neglecting, belittling, and alienating the rest of the body of Christ form all the other people groups. To show the world the unity of God that can only be seen through The Body of Christ who is made up of all people.

The World Changes, The Worldly Hearts Do Not

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When reading through the Bible and take note of social norms in the early cultures all the way through the early church writings about social norms of those times; a pattern becomes apparent. A social norms pattern that conflict with God’s moral standard. Then, when looking at our modern times and its escalating social norms, we see the pattern continuing. The pattern of child sacrifice and freedom for sexual immorality. But what is at the source of it and what is wrong with it?

Child Sacrifice.

As early as 1500 BC we see The Phoenician culture practice sexual immorality and child sacrifice as a form of worship to a god Moloch. This worship of Moloch even spread to North Africa and morphed into Kronos after the idea migrated to Carthage in Greece. God set himself above the man invented god Moloch when he offered a greater alternative to human sacrifice (Gen 22:2-23) and commanded Israel not to follow those humanistic social norms (Leviticus 18:21). But, as the fallen human heart is, even Israel eventually accepted the unholy social norms (1 Kings 11:1–8; 12:31; 2 Kings 23:10). Even King Solomon could not escape his natural corrupted heart despite all his wisdom and knowledge of God (1 Kings 11:4-11). More kings began to sacrifice their children (2 Kings 21:6; 2 Chronicles 28:1-4) then the people of Judah did the same (Jeremiah 32:35). God made it absolutely clear, child sacrifice is unacceptable and incompatible to him (Leviticus 20:2-5). The single common purpose for child sacrifice is to bring good fortune and future wealth whether from a god or from yourself as god.

But it did not end there. Cultures continued to practice it. Athenagoras of Athens around 175AD wrote a letter to the Roman Emperor explaining how Christians are against all forms of cruelty. In Chapter 35 he uses specifically speaks of women who are pregnant purposefully terminate their pregnancy as absolutely wrong and goes against what Christianity stands for (read it here). His statement “to regard the very foetus in the womb as a created being, and therefore an object of God’s care, and when it has passed into life [conception], to kill it; and not to expose an infant, because those who expose them are chargeable with child-murder” is clear. He is not talking about killing a baby after birth but before it is born or “exposed”.

Without question, child sacrifice to a god or god of the self is incompatible to Christianity. And here we are, 2000 years later still discussing the issue like it was never settled or ever made clear. The problem has never been the clarity of teachings but has always been the human heart to justify all types of evil. Notice all the different cultures at different times; Phoenician, Roman, American. All whom practice the same thing for the same purposeful intended results; better fortune and more wealth.
Also read Follow Your Heart? | Abortion and God’s Gift | Me, Myself, And I and “Doing Me”

Sexual Immorality

Sexuality is not immoral when it is practice in the way that God meant it to be. Sexual acts within the pure original design in beautiful and fulfilling. Sexual desires and acts outside of the pure original design is enslaving, addicting, unfulfilling, and idolatry. Sodom was demolished because of how sexually immoral that people had become. The cultural norm had become ‘sex with anyone on demand’ (Gen 19:5). Rape was viewed as part of the norm. Adultery, fornication, same-sex (Gen 19:5-8), incest, bestiality, prostitution; all had no negative connotations in the culture. They had become acceptable. Lot even attempted to tell them that it is wrong, but they replied with the age old “don’t judge me” (Gen 19:9). Later, God makes it absolutely clear about specific sexual acts are universally immoral (Lev 18:8-22) and the Holy Spirit reiterates this through the Apostles (Romans 1:26-28, 1 Cor 6:9-10).
Also read Why did God destroy Sodom and Gomorrah | Freedom for The Law and Sexuality

Aristitdes of Athens around 125AD, Justin Martyr around 150AD, and Athenagoras of Athens around 175AD reiterate what is stated in Holy Scripture about what God has defined as sexual immorality.
Aristitdes even has to argue for the sake of Christians in Rome; It is specifically the sexually immoral community in Rome that is persecuting Christians the most, because they refused to accept the acts as moral; as recorded in Chapter 17 (read it here).
Also read Normalized Adultery

Without question, sexual immorality is ANYTHING that is outside of a one husband and one wife marriage. Here we are 2000 years later still wrestling with this issue. Again, the issue has never been the clarity of the teaching but of the sinful desire in the human heart that can be seen in all human history. From the Sodom culture, Roman culture, and the evolving American culture we see the same attitudes and practices. Christians refused the accept it as moral and get persecuted in culture for it.
Also read How “Love is Love” is Unloving. | Born This Way | The “Jesus didn’t say it” Reasoning | Don’t Judge Me | The Beauty of Accountability | The Original Pure and Holy Marriage | A Godly Couple

Conclusion

The one thing that ties these two patterns of a sinful heart together is self-righteousness and self-idolatry; the worship of self, instead of God. Abortion is justified for the supposed betterment of the self. Sexual Immorality is justified because of self seeking desires. Its justified because “it is what I want”.
Also read God’s Truths are Not a Matter of Opinions | Your Feelings Do Not Determine Truth | The Self and The Center of Everything

Through human history, with Holy Scripture as the standard for morality, we see the pattern of immorality through time and culture. The world may change from dominate culture to culture but the hearts of humanity have not. They will continue desire child sacrifice in various shape or form and sexual immoral freedoms until Christ returns to judge the world. We are not bringing world peace, Jesus is.
Also read The Joy of TRUTH | The Other Side of The Real Jesus | Test, Discern, and Righteous Judgement

The church needs to remain kind, loving, and gracious BUT never sacrifice God’s holy truth out of fear of cultural offense. Always remember, Jesus was murdered because he was offensive (Matthew 10:34). He told his disciples that they WILL be hated and they WILL be persecuted (Matthew 10:16-25). History, past and present, validate this. But the proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all the world is not contingent on culture norms; it is our responsibility regardless of culture norms.
Also read Christians that are ‘too christian’ | All Christians Are Missionaries | Radicalized Christians? | The Absolute Greatest Message To Tell Everyone | True Revival

If you have any questions or comments about this article please contact us or join our discussion forms

What did Aristides of Athens teach?

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Aristitdes was a greek philosopher and then converted to Christianity. He is known for a letter he wrote to the Roman Emperor Hadrian that is estimated to have been delivered around 125AD. He died around 134AD, only about 44 years after John The Apostle died after writing Revelations. It is suggested that he also wrote Epistle to Diognetus. Eusebius and Jerome both having knowledge of his letter to Hadrian and Jerome supporting the soundness of his doctrine. The comprehensiveness and subject matter is still very relevant to modern society.

In the letter to Hadrian, known as The Apology of Aristides, he goes through and breaks down the errors in the local predominate religious systems of the Greeks, Egyptians, various barbarian groups, Jews and then explains how Christianity is true. A common error highlighted throughout the letter are sexual immoralities practiced by cultures and their gods. At the end he explains who hates Christians the most in the Roman society and it is those who practice sexual immortality. It almost sounds like history is beginning to repeat itself. In the letter, you can see essential characteristics of God, the Gospel, and how the early church lived in a immoral society. An important thing to notice is the comprehensive key points of Christian doctrine in this one letter that was written around 125AD; only 35 years after John wrote the last book of the Bible.

Key Teachings:

Morality is universal and transcendent
Monotheism
God is eternal
God is spirit
God is perfect
God is omnipotent (All-powerful)
God is sovereign over all creation
God is immutable (Unchanging)
God is holy
Jesus is the Mesiah
Jesus is the Son of God
Jesus is God
Jesus was born from a virgin birth
Jesus was killed, and buried
Jesus rose from the dead 3 days later
Jesus ascended to heaven
Sexual Immorality includes incest and same-sex sexual acts.
Same-sex redemption and regeneration
Equality

Read the letter here

Sections from the Letter:

Transcendent Morality
CH13. the Greeks made laws they did not perceive that by their laws they condemn their gods. For if their laws are righteous, their gods are unrighteous, since they transgressed the law in killing one another, and practising sorcery, and committing adultery, and in robbing and stealing, and in lying with males, and by their other practises as well. For if their gods were right in doing all these things as they are described, then the laws of the Greeks are unrighteous in not being made according to the will of their gods. And in that case the whole world is gone astray.

Monotheism
CH13. God is one in His nature. A single essence is proper to Him, since He is uniform in His nature and His essence;
Ch2. God is not born, not made, an ever-abiding nature without beginning and without end, immortal, perfect, and incomprehensible.

Perfection of God
Ch2. he is “perfect,” this means that there is not in him any defect, and he is not in need of anything but all things are in need of him.

Eternity of God
he is “without beginning,” this means that everything which has beginning has also an end, and that which has an end may be brought to an end. He has no name, for everything which has a name is kindred to things created. Form he has none, nor yet any union of members; for whatsoever possesses these is kindred to things fashioned. He is neither male nor female. The heavens do not limit him, but the heavens and all things, visible and invisible, receive their bounds from him.

Immutability of God
CH4. God is imperishable and unvarying, and invisible, while yet He sees, and overrules, and transforms all things.

Sovereignty of God
Ch2. Adversary he has none, for there exists not any stronger than he. Wrath and indignation he possesses not, for there is nothing which is able to stand against him. Ignorance and forgetfulness are not in his nature, for he is altogether wisdom and understanding; and in Him stands fast all that exists. He requires not sacrifice and libation, nor even one of things visible; He requires not aught from any, but all living creatures stand in need of him.
CH5. For they were created by God for the sake of men, in order to supply the necessity of trees and fruits and seeds; and to bring over the sea ships which convey for men necessaries and goods from places where they are found to places where they are not found; and to govern the quarters of the world.
CH14. God is one, the Creator of all, and omnipotent

Jesus as the Son of God
CH2. The Christians, then, trace the beginning of their religion from Jesus the Messiah; and he is named the Son of God Most High.

Jesus as the Messiah
CH2. The Christians, then, trace the beginning of their religion from Jesus the Messiah; and he is named the Son of God Most High.

Divinity of Jesus
Ch2. that God came down from heaven, and from a Hebrew virgin assumed and clothed himself with flesh; and the Son of God lived in a daughter of man.

Virgin Birth
Ch2. that God came down from heaven, and from a Hebrew virgin assumed and clothed himself with flesh; and the Son of God lived in a daughter of man.

The Gospel
Ch2. This is taught in the gospel, as it is called, which a short time was preached among them; and you also if you will read therein, may perceive the power which belongs to it. This Jesus, then, was born of the race of the Hebrews; and he had twelve disciples in order that the purpose of his incarnation might in time be accomplished. But he himself was pierced by the Jews, and he died and was buried; and they say that after three days he rose and ascended to heaven. Thereupon these twelve disciples went forth throughout the known parts of the world, and kept showing his greatness with all modesty and uprightness

Sexual Immorality
CH9. much evil has arisen among men, who to this day are imitators of their gods, and practise adultery and defile themselves with their mothers and their sisters, and by lying with males, …For it is impossible that a god should practise adultery or fornication or come near to lie with males, or kill his parents; and if it be otherwise, he is much worse than a destructive demon.
Ch17. the Greeks, O King, as they follow base practises in intercourse with males, and a mother and a sister and a daughter, impute their monstrous impurity in turn to the Christians. But the Christians are just and good, and the truth is set before their eyes, and their spirit is long-suffering; and, therefore, though they know the error of these (the Greeks), and are persecuted by them.

Unwanted Same-sex attraction repentance
Ch17. the Greeks, O King, as they follow base practises in intercourse with males, and a mother and a sister and a daughter, impute their monstrous impurity in turn to the Christians. But the Christians are just and good, and the truth is set before their eyes, and their spirit is long-suffering; and, therefore, though they know the error of these (the Greeks), and are persecuted by them, they bear and endure it; and for the most part they have compassion on them, as men who are destitute of knowledge. And on their side, they offer prayer that these may repent of their error; and when it happens that one of them has repented, he is ashamed before the Christians of the works which were done by him; and he makes confession to God, saying, I did these things in ignorance. And he purifies his heart, and his sins are forgiven him, because he committed them in ignorance in the former time, when he used to blaspheme and speak evil of the true knowledge of the Christians. And assuredly the race of the Christians is more blessed than all the men who are upon the face of the earth.

Legalism
Ch13. they say that He receives sacrifice and requires burnt-offering and libation and immolations of men, and temples. But God is not in need, and none of these things is necessary to Him;
Ch14. as when they celebrate sabbaths and the beginning of the months, and feasts of unleavened bread, and a great fast; and fasting and circumcision and the purification of meats, which things, however, they do not observe perfectly.

Righteous Judgement
CH15. whenever they are judges, they judge uprightly.

Public Sexuality
Ch15. their women, O King, are pure as virgins, and their daughters are modest; and their men keep themselves from every unlawful union and from all uncleanness, in the hope of a recompense to come in the other world.

Equality
CH15. if one or other of them have bondmen and bondwomen or children, through love towards them they persuade them to become Christians, and when they have done so, they call them brethren without distinction.

Persecution
CH15. And if they hear that one of their number is imprisoned or afflicted on account of the name of their Messiah, all of them anxiously minister to his necessity, and if it is possible to redeem him they set him free.
Ch17. the Greeks, O King, as they follow base practises in intercourse with males, and a mother and a sister and a daughter, impute their monstrous impurity in turn to the Christians. But the Christians are just and good, and the truth is set before their eyes, and their spirit is long-suffering; and, therefore, though they know the error of these (the Greeks), and are persecuted by them

The Poor and Needy
Ch15. they love one another, and from widows they do not turn away their esteem; and they deliver the orphan from him who treats him harshly…. And if there is among them any that is poor and needy, and if they have no spare food, they fast two or three days in order to supply to the needy their lack of food.

Humility
Ch16. And they do not proclaim in the ears of the multitude the kind deeds they do, but are careful that no one should notice them; and they conceal their giving just as he who finds a treasure and conceals it.

Age of Accountability
Ch15. And when a child has been born to one of them, they give thanks to God; and if moreover it happen to die in childhood, they give thanks to God the more, as for one who has passed through the world without sins.

If you have any questions or comments about this article please contact us or join our discussion forms

Hebrews In Egypt

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The Bible records Jacob settling in Egypt, in the land called Rameses. They became slaves to Egypt and were used to construct the Rameses city. After 430 years of intense labor and poverty, they left. (Genesis 47:11,27; Exodus 1:11, 12:37-40). Is this the only explicit record of Israelites being enslaved in Egypt? There are a couple logical questions we must ask then we can ponder any sort of evidence or support for the bible’s claim.

Is there Egyptian record of every people group used as slave laborers? No. They did not record every people group. In fact, they lumped people groups together.
Is Egyptian records the only source of Egyptian history? No. There are other sources used to fully understand Egyptian history.
Can we expect to have a complete record of Egypt over 3,000 years later? No. In fact in more recent history, a lot of African American families do not have a complete, or any, family record just from 170 years ago.
Is ‘no evidence’ proof of nonexistence? No. The Hittites had no other reference to their existence out side of the bible for the most of common history. Scholars claimed that people group did not actually exist. Then, later, archeological findings validated the bibles reference. The equal possibility is that the evidence just has not been discovered yet.
Is Egyptian recorded history fully accurate? No. Egyptians are known as revisionist; this was proven by their inaccurate account of their war with the Hittites.

With these 5 points in mind; lets us look at what evidences or support there is for The Bible (which predominate secular historians have concluded that the bible is generally historically reliable) in relation to Egypt and Israelite history.

Jacob, father of Joseph, lived in the land of Canaan. Joseph was betrayed by his brothers and sold to Midianite merchants who then brought him to Egypt and sold him again there. Joseph later becomes a predominate figure in that region of Egypt. A drought hits his father’s region of Canaan and they move to Egypt as well around late 1800BC. In Egypt where they lived was called The Land of Rameses (which was called Rowaty prior to Rameses). For roughly 16 to 20 generations they lived and worked in Egypt and for Egypt. As their populations grew the Pharaoh of the time wanted to reduce their numbers in fear of them teaming up with recently crushed Hyksos groups to fight against Egypt. Moses was born at this time and was hidden on away where the Pharaohs daughter discovered him and raised him (Where he gets his name “Moses” from the family of Tuthmose I). He grew up and killed a Egyptian slave-master and he fled Egypt. He then had an encounter with God and returned to demand the freedom of all Israelites from Egypt. The Pharaoh refused and then God sent the plagues. The Israelite people then leave their 430 years of captivity in Egypt which may have taken place around mid 1450BC.

Israeli Life in Egypt

The city of Rameses has been discovered and has been under excavations since 1966. There is evidences that shows it was settled around the 19th century BC by Asiatics (people groups from the east). It was unfortified. In the city were rectangular huts made with sand bricks (Bietak 1986: 237; 1991b: 32). Though not all residents of the city lived in huts, there was one small villa for some sort of city official (Joseph was appointed an Egyptian official). The floor plans are identical to the Israelite houses of the later Iron Age (Holladay 1992a). 1/5 of all the pottery found at the site was of Palestinian Middle Bronze Age type (Bietak 1996: 10).

The tombs in the city were made of mud bricks in Egyptian fashion, but the contents were strictly Asiatic. Although most had been plundered, half of the male burials still had weapons of Palestinian type in them. Not too far from the villa compound, was a unique monumental tomb labeled ‘Tomb 1’. Excavators found fragments of a large statue depicting an Asiatic official. The likeness was of a seated official. It was made of limestone and exhibited excellent workmanship. The skin was yellow, the traditional color of Asiatics in Egyptian art. It had a mushroom-shaped hairstyle, painted red, typical of that shown in Egyptian artwork for Asiatics. A throwstick, the Egyptian hieroglyph for a foreigner, was held against the right shoulder. (Bietak 1996: 20-21). In Genesis 50:26 it states that Joseph was buried in Egypt (The Land of Rameses [Rowaty]). In other areas of the cemetery, intact skeletons can be found but in this special tomb, only a few bones were found (Bietak 1991a: 61). Joseph asked that his bones be moved once they leave Egypt and Moses is recorded as doing so (Exodus 13:19; cf. Genesis 50:25). It was common for tombs to be broken into to steal the valuables, but the bodies were rarely disturbed (Rohl 1995: 363).

Then later in its history, a palace complex was built on top of the huts and villa. Also, the statue of the Egyptian official was defaced. Around this point in history the Hyksos (Egyptian term for “foreign rulers” and general reference to Asiatics) begin taking control of a portion of Egypt and actually ruled for 108 years. Once they were expelled, the new Pharaoh did not know Joseph or his people like the Hyksos did. This is also recorded in Exodus 1:8. Which also ushered in the oppression and loss of wealth (Exodus 1:9-12). The Pharaoh Tuthmosis III’s regular war campaigns suddenly stopped in Egyptian history after the Exodus event.

The Exodus Event

The Ipuwer Papyrus is a highly controversial and contested find. It details calamities and ordeals that Egypt experienced during the reign of a unnamed Pharaoh. When considering points 2 and 5 the only issue is the dating of this find. It commonly has a broad range of dating from 2200BC to 1700BC; 500 years is a broad range. But the name, Ipuwer, was still used around 1500BC. The name aside, given the vast date range, the one thing that can be said is the date is far from known; thus, with the name, could have been a witness to the Exodus event. The calamities described and the severity of them do not happen often which would make it odd, given the details, that they occurred multiple times, as described, in Egypt.

The claim of ‘contradictions’ would assume that The Ipuwer Papyrus is true to disprove the Exodus account. But what is proven is Egyptian revisionist track record. Also the document is written from the Egyptian perspective so logically you can not assume it should not contradict it for it to be true. Even in modern witness testimony in court, some degree of discrepancies are expected but do not negate the truthfulness of what does correlate. A Pharaoh that gets embarrassed by slaves and foreigners would not get accurately recorded on purpose unless it was by his rival Egyptians. In this case, the whole nation clearly suffered and was brought to shame. That would also explain a lack of record during this time. It is also interesting to note that Hatshepsut was being erased by Tuthmosis III which was his own step mother, why?

Some claim it was just a poem but this does not account for the ironic similarities between it and the account recorded in Exodus. Secondly, if for the sake of argument, it was just a poem; how then is it not a poetic recording a historic event? It was not an ‘end time’ apocalyptic writing either as it became optimistic of the future of the nation after this event.

The descriptions in the writing are every interesting:

IP1 ““The plunderer is everywhere, and the servant takes what he finds.” IP2: “[hearts] are violent, pestilence is throughout the land, blood is everywhere, death is not lacking… the river is blood, yet men drink of it. Men shrink from human beings and thirst after water… Indeed, gates, columns and walls are burnt up,…Egypt has become an empty waste…men are few” IP3 “Gold and lapis lazuli, silver and malachite, carnelian and bronze… are fastened on the neck of female slaves.” IP4 “Trees are destroyed and the branches are stripped off” IP5 “If I knew where God is, then I would serve Him… all animals, their hearts weep; cattle moan because of the state of the land. Indeed, the children of princes are dashed against walls, and the children of the neck are laid out on the high ground…that has perished which was yesterday seen. The land is left over to its weariness like the cutting of flax…“Slaves (who have now been freed) are throughout the land.” IP6 “No fruit nor herbs are found Oh, that the earth would cease from noise, and tumult (uproar) be no more.” IP7 “Behold, the fire has mounted up on high. Its burning goes forth against the enemies of the land.” IP9 “The land is without light.”

After reading that; take time to read the details in Exodus 7:14-13:16

The ten plagues are possibly witnessed; fire, child death, drinking bloody water due to the Nile turning to blood, slaves being freed, pillaging, loud noises and plants stripped (locus horde?), and darkness… When the majority of a nations laborers are suddenly taking all the food and wealth to hit the road, following multiple national catastrophes; of course it would be perceived as evil, they would be vilified and thought of as enemies; Egypt in the 15th Century BC would feel victimized. Hatshepsut, Moses step mother and wife of Tuthmosis II, is also erased from history by Tuthmosis III probably due in part to this historic national embarrassment.

Archeological finds in the slave town of Kahun revealed two interesting details. An oddly large amount of infants and young people were buried under houses and the town itself, described by the archeologist, seems to have been suddenly abandoned. This can support what is described in Exodus 1:16 and Exodus 12:30-34. Pharaoh killing the babies would have been due to a concern not to repeat the history with the Hyksos growing in numbers and power and retaking parts of Egypt like they did in previous history; this may have occurred only a generation after expelling them out of Egypt; after their 108 year reign was brought to an end.

Low Chronological Timeline:

1890BC – Joseph is sold into slavery and brought into Egypt
1880BC – Joseph is made an official in Egypt
1870BC – Jacob brings family to Egypt due to a famine in Canaan.
1650BC – The Hyksos invade and begin their rule in a portion of Egypt (K. A. Kitchen, Ebers Papyrus).
1550BC – Ahmoses, the 18th Dynasty, begins to push the Hyksos out of Egypt
1530BC – Ahmoses completely expels Hyksos out of Egypt and enslaves early Hebrew people.
1525BC – Amuntotep kills babies to prevent a future uprising. Moses is discovered by Hatshepsut (Ex 2:5) who is the wife of Tuthmoses II and daughter of Tuthmoses I.
1510BC – Ahmoses reign ends and Tuthmoses I takes power.
1490BC – Tuthmoses II takes control and reigns until 1485BC.
1485BC – Tuthmoses III coreigns with Hatshepsut and Moses leaves Egypt after killing a Egyptian slavemaster (Ex 2:15).
1460BC – Hatshepsut dies leaving Tuthmoses III in full control of Egypt.
1465BC – Tuthmoses III begins annual campaigns into Canaan
1450BC – Moses returns to Egypt and the Exodus Event takes place. Then the Israelites move into the wilderness for 40 years and make it to Mt. Sinai and the Jordan. The nation of Israel becomes culturally defined during this time and separate from the other people groups of the region.
1430BC – Amenhotep II, “a second son” (first son died due to Egyptian plague) of Tuthmoses III enters Canaan and captures 100,000 slaves some called ‘Habiru’ or ‘Apiru’ (recorded numbers are embellished). ‘Habiru’ could be the first time the Hebrews are labeled as its own people group by outside nations.
1422BC – Amenhotep II signs a peace treaty with Mitanni due to the weakened state of Egypt.
1406BC – Joshua crosses the Jordan and begins Canaan conquest (Deut 31).

Why are there not more records of the Israelites before the 14th century BC?

The nation themselves did not have a defined cultural identity.
They were just less important laborers and slaves in Egyptian society.
Not even every Egyptian official is named or recorded; much less names of slaves.
They were immersed in Egyptian culture, but Egypt grouped them generally with ‘Hyksos’, ‘Asiatic’ and ‘Habiru’ understood as just “ruler(s) of the foreign countries (Hyksos)” with “a group of people living as nomadic invaders (Habiru)” and “used to mean people beyond the borders of Egypt (Asiatic)”; thus they blended in with all the other people groups that fit into these labels.
Keep in mind point number 4. ‘no evidence’ is not proof of nonexistence.

The Compelling Correlations and Explanations

Egypt traded with nomadic people from the east just as recorded in Genesis and Exodus.
Homes in The Ramses region of Egypt are identical to later Hebrew homes in east.
The people from the east, later called Hyksos migrated to Egypt and eventually conquered a portion of Egypt. This explains the reaction by Egypt of killing and enslaving the non-egyptians living in Egypt as recorded in Exodus. High amount of infant and children buried remains in the houses of slaves supports this.
Moses was adopted by the Tuthmose family; thus where he got the name Moses; Tuth-mose.
The only evidence of non-egyptian slaves making mud bricks is in the tomb Rekhmire who lived at the same time as Thutmoses III and the same time the Israelites were recorded as enslaved and making mud bricks.
The Ipuwer Papyrus descriptions are extremely similar to the Exodus account.
Tuthmoses III did not die from the 10th plague (death of all first born) due to he was technically the second son because Moses would have been adopted before his birth.
The abrupt abandonment of slave homes support a quick Exodus from Egypt.
Tuthmoses III’s regular war campaigns into Canaan suddenly stop may be due to losing his whole army at the Red Sea as recorded in Exodus.
Defacing the record of Hatshepsut by Tuthmoses III could be due to her positive relationship with Moses as being his step-mother through adoption and the embarrassment of returning to Egypt without an army after the Exodus.
Defacing the record of a ‘Senmut’ who may have been the nurse for Hatshepsut; whom would have helped raise Moses.
Tuthmoses III’s second son takes over because his first son would have died in the 10th plague.
After becoming a defined ethnic group in the wilderness after the Exodus, Amenhotep II, “a second son” attempts to capture slaves in the east where some were called ‘Habiru’, strikingly similar to in word and sound to “Hebrew”.
Amenhotep II goes on a campaign not long after Exodus event happened to capture slaves maybe due to the lack of slaves left in Egypt due to the Exodus. Then signs a treaty to avoid conflict probably due to a weak military due the result from the Exodus event.

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Why The Bible is Divine: Miracles

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A proof, or a sign of someone who has supernatural and immaterial powers is through conducting miracles. A miracle is defined as ‘a surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divine agency; a highly improbable or extraordinary event, development, or accomplishment that brings very welcome consequences.‘ What evidence is there that Jesus of Nazareth performed such inexplicable, highly improbable, extraordinary supernatural acts? Besides the eye witness accounts of the synoptic gospels, we can look at other outside biblical sources, some even hostile to Jesus, yet, unintentionally validate him.

The Synoptic Gospels:

The Gospels record miracles performed that fall in two categories; healing and controlling nature. All his miracles were performed freely and did not profit off his actions (unlike faith ‘healers’ today). Jesus’ healings are undeniable. People who have been disfigured, born with obvious birth defects, and have clear diseases such as lepers where completely healed to the point that the healing itself was clear, obvious, and without visual question (unlike supposed claims of healing today). The questioning was more along the lines of disbelief that it actually happened in real life stuned by the sudden and drastic physical change. The gospel records details that only eye witnesses would have known about. Is there any record of witnesses outside of the bible? Yes.
Also read Did the Apostles distort what Jesus taught? | Modern Secular Historians and The Bible

Extra Biblical Accounts

Papias of Hierapolis is recorded by Eusebius as speaking with Phillips daughters, John the Evangelist, and elders of the church who were disciples of the Apostles such as Polycarp. He is recorded as knowing first hand people who have been healed and raised from the dead.

The Egerton Gospel fragment is another amazing find. It is known as Papyrus Egerton 2 and the author is unknown but the date of the fragment is first century. It details a miracle that is not recorded in the bible in the second fragment. In John’s gospel, he admits this could be true (John 21:25). It also describes a miracle of curing someone of leprosy in the first fragment. Thus an unknown author recording specific details of miracles outside of what was recorded in the bible.

To ask if there were non-believers who witnessed these miracles is almost an oxymoron. A non-believer would not see them as miracles initially. If the event did not compel them to believe, then they would not see the event as a miracle at all. They would attempt to explain them as something else; which Josephus and The Talmud did.
Also read Why The Disciples of The Apostles Matter Today

Unintentional Support

The Talmud records Jesus as practicing sorcery. Why would they think of ‘sorcery’ if he was just teacher? He clearly conducted some inexplicable, highly improbable, extraordinary supernatural acts that they refused to accept as a miracle. Matthew 12:22-23 even records their attempted justification. Later mentions of Jesus in the Jewish writings (Babylonian Sanhedrin107b, tHul2:22-23, Sanhedrin 43a; cf. t. Shabbat 11.15; b. Shabbat 104b) continue this as their only way to explain how he did what he did. They inadvertently support his inexplicable, highly improbable, extraordinary supernatural acts in history.

Even Josephus can’t bring himself to call Jesus a miracle worker but came as close as he can in an attempt at being honest and accurate in his writings of history when he states: “for he was one who wrought surprising feats“. What was so surprising about his feats if he was just a teacher? He clearly did more than just stand on hill sides and give sermons. He conducted “surprising feats” and Josephus lived around a time when people knew others who witnessed these ‘feats’.

Celsus, a greek philosopher who wrote in the second century and is quoted by Origen who wrote around 220-230AD. The work Origen is quoting was written around 170AD. Celsus was very anti-Christian and helped fuel some of the anti-Christian sediment and persecution. Much like the Talmud, he also makes an interesting unintentional statement about Jesus. Celsus records Jesus as working miracles but from a dark sorcery means. When Celsus writes, he would have access to the children (who would have been elderly at his time) and grandchildren of the eyewitnesses to healing and other miracles. He clearly disagreed with the source of the power, but none the less validated inexplicable, highly improbable, extraordinary supernatural acts as historical.
Also read Early Accounts of Christianity from Non-Christians

The Ancient Historical Evidence

Lets put aside for a second the widely accepted historical reliability of the synoptic gospels. Papias and the Egerton fragment record miracles performed by Jesus as historical events. Even stated he knew someone first hand who was raised from the dead. Some close minded people may argue that those are bias sources. For the sake of argument, lets give them that. But Josephus, the Talmud, and Celsus are all very anti-Christian and anti-Jesus. They come from different times and Celsus from a different culture; yet all agree Jesus did inexplicable, highly improbable, extraordinary supernatural acts. They could have just as easily said, ‘nope, its all a lie, he didn’t do anything crazy‘. But… they didn’t. They would have loved to completely discredit Jesus as having anything to do with actually performing inexplicable, highly improbable, extraordinary supernatural actions; but they didn’t. Anti-Christian authors, who had access to first hand witnesses and those who personally knew the witnesses, validate that Jesus did in fact conduct inexplicable, highly improbable, extraordinary supernatural actions (and to quote Josephus, “surprising feats”) despite their disagreement where the power came from to do them.

Preponderance of Evidence

We must admit, just as Josephus, Talmud authors, and Celsus did; that Jesus did in fact perform miracles as the synoptic gospels have recorded. We can attempt to vilify these acts as evil sorcery but the question we must ask is this: Is giving life, healing deformities and diseases, and contorting nature to validate spiritual claims that point to a merciful, forgiving, and loving God; evil sorcery? Obviously to those who will refuse to accept the existence of a merciful, forgiving, and loving God will always reject every form of sound evidence but for those who are truly seeking; this is the question they must ask. Were Jesus’ miracles evil sorcery to validate a lunatic or holy acts of God to validate his Son?

Also read Why The Bible Is Divine: Christology | Why The Bible is Divine: Prophecy | Apologetics page

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Why The Bible is Divine: Prophecy

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One of the evidences for us to know the bible contains a supernatural element and is from a divine source can be seen in the remarkable prophecies validated by history and supported unintentionally by outside unfriendly sources. We will look at historical prophecies of other nations and Messianic prophecies.

Count Down to The Messiah

The first one we will look at is one of the most amazing. Daniel 9:24-27. Now lets keep in mind that we have a manuscript/fragment from the book of Daniel dated to around 200BC (4QDanc). Compare that to later copies and we know for sure that the later copies are just as reliable as the older ones due to the proven reliability of the transmission. What does Daniel 9:24-27 say? Daniel foretells when the Messiah will come (Daniel 9:25). The calculated time of the Messiah’s coming according to Daniel is around 25AD… when Jesus begins his public ministry. There are more interesting prophetic details but this one is huge in and of itself.

Seventy weeks represents 490 years [ 70 x 7 years=490]

“490-Year period begins with command to restore Jerusalem, including (Street and wall vs. 25 in troublous times). This best fits the order of King Artaxerxes who gave NeFrom the command to “Build Jerusalem” until “ Messiah the Prince” (Mashiyach Nagiyd) there is 483 years ( 7 + 62 =69) because 69 “Sevens” is equal to 483. Since the command to rebuild Jerusalem, including the walls, was given in 444 B.C. the date “Messiah” was “Cut off” (Vs. 26) is A.D. 33 (444 B.C. – 483 years= 39 A.D. using a solar –calendar, the Jewish-calendar was Lunar, so one year was equal to 360 days not 365 days) hemiah “Letters” allowing him to rebuild the gates in 444 B.C. (Nehemiah 2:1-8). ” [1]

Jewish Rabbi Rashi agrees this is Messianic in nature but claims it points to Agrippa II. But this fails because he was not cut off before the city or the Temple were destroyed. In fact, he helped the Romans and their general Titus conquer Jerusalem. Agrippa rewarded for his efforts in helping Rome, lived another 23 years after the fall of Jerusalem. Jesus is the only significant person that existed in that time frame that fits the details given by Daniel because he was cut off from the land of the living before the fall of Jerusalem.
Also read DANIEL 9: Timeline To The Messiah

The Birth Place of The Messiah

A second remarkable prophecy is in Micah 5:2 where he explicitly names the birthplace of Israel’s Messiah, a village named Bethlehem. A manuscript of Micah was also found with the Dead Sea scrolls. The book was written after King David but speaks of a coming ruler over Israel. The birth place of Jesus as recorded by the gospels.

The Cost of Betrayal

A third remarkable prophecy in Zechariah 11:12-13 details how much the shepherd of God will be betrayed for; 30 pieces of silver. This amount comes from a slaves wage in Ex.21:32. A predominate Jewish commentator David Kimchi also understands this passage to be Messianic in nature and the gospels recorded the exact amount Judas was awarded from the Jewish leadership for the location of Jesus so he could be arrested.

The Prophecy of Tyre

Ezekiel 26 records the future of The Tyre empire and its great city. The book itself is dated to 550BC, even the most critical scholars hold a minority view that date it to 400BC. Regardless of this date; the prophecy itself is still amazingly held true. Verse 21 states that the city and empire would be brought to an end and never exist again. The city was in fact torn down and as other empires conquered the land, they used the reminisce to rebuild their own buildings. To this day the Phoenician empire and buildings do not exist. Verse 14 makes it clear it would never be built again. Once Alexander the Great destroyed the city in 332AD; the Phoenician Tyre empire never was restored or resurrected. This prophecy has been true for 2,340 plus years even to this day. In modern times there is a new city called Tyre, but it is not the same empire of the same city nor is it in the same location.

The Prophecy of Nineveh

Nahum 1:8-9 describes the fall of The Assyrian capital Nineveh and that it’s destruction would be permanent. History has also proven this true. Once the Assyrian empire and Nineveh was conquered by Babylon, it never recovered and its fall was historically permanent. The Babylonian chronicles and Egyptian Pharaoh Neco II historical records support what is stated in Nahum and the end of the conflict and fall of Nineveh is dated around 609BC. Historical scholars agree that Nahum was written around 615BC which makes this prophecy true for over 2,630 years. Nahum 3:15 states that a fire would ravage the city during the siege. Archaeologists unearthed the site during the 1800s and found a layer of ash covering the ruins.

The Prophecy of Babylon

Isaiah 14:23 describers how Babylon will be brought to an end and also reduced to a swampland. 150 years after this was recorded, Babylon was conquered by Cyrus and Archaeologists attempted excavating Babylon during the 1800s AD. Some parts of the city could not be dug up because they were under a water table that had risen over the years.

The Prophecy of The Church

In Matthew 16:17-18 Jesus tells of how the Church will not be stopped and will in fact thrive. After his death and as Jewish-Christians grew, it survived Jewish persecution, then several and severe Roman persecutions, then became the first religion to spread world wide. It survived the USSR’s violent persecution in that region and is thriving in China while under harsh persecution to this day. Luke 21:33 records Jesus stating that his words will never be forgotten. After his execution, his disciples executions, and their disciples executions, his words have remained. Even modern secular historians agree that the bible, namely the gospels, are in fact historically reliable.
Also read Modern Secular Historians and The Bible

The Prophecy of Jesus’ Miracles

In Isaiah 35:4-6, written around 8th century BC, and currently have a scroll dated 200 BC that states that God will come (in the whole context is the Messianic prophecies) to heal the blind and deaf. Jesus came and did just that as recorded by the gospels. Even the Jewish Talmud Sanhedrin 107b, Sanhedrin 43a, and Sotah 47a describes Jesus as practicing sorcery that lead people of Israel astray and that healing was done in the name of Jesus (Hul 2:22f; AZ 2:22/12; y Shab 124:4/13; QohR 1:8; b AZ 27b). They affirm healing was conducted but the power source is where they disagree. The bible records this accused source of healing power by the Jews in Luke 11:15 which continued on into the Talmud. Thus validating that healings were performed by and through Jesus.

The Prophecy of Jesus’ Miraculous Birth

Isaiah 7:14 states that the Messiah will be born from a virgin. Again, it was written around 8th century BC, and currently have a scroll dated 200 BC. The gospels state it was in fact a virgin birth from Mary. The Jewish Talmud Shabbat 104b, and Sanhedrin 67a admits that the birth was not from his father Joseph but attempt to explain it through the idea that Mary was just unfaithful. They associated Jesus to being the son of a ‘Pandera’ in an attempt to explain a earthly fatherly figure [2]. Thus validating a unique situational birth but through a close minded explanation.

The Prophecy of The Crucifixion

Psalm 22, Isaiah 53, and Zechariah 12 parallels the gospels record of the Crucifixion in amazing detail and similarities. Psalm 22:16 talks about pieced hands and feet and being included with criminals. Psalm 22:7, 17 talks about the on looking crowd. The Book of Psalms is attributed to King David and there is a manuscript from the Dead Sea Scrolls dated 200BC. The gospels record his execution in such detail that it must have come from eye witnesses. The Jewish Talmud Sanhedrin 43a-b records that he was in fact executed. Ancient Roman and other secular writers also record that he was executed. Historically because Israel was under Roman rule, they were not allowed to carry out their own executions therefore Rome had to have been involved as recorded by the gospels.
Also read Early Accounts of Christianity from Non-Christians

The Prophecy of The Resurrection

In one of the most fundamental prophecies of the Christian faith we see in the Old Testament writings is the understanding of a bodily resurrection (Psalm 16:10, Isaiah 26:19, Daniel 12:2, Job 19:25-26). Even early and later Jewish Rabbis supported this belief in a bodily resurrection (Ketubot111b, Sanhedrin 72a, Niddah 70b, Crescas, Albo, Orthodox Judaism). Jesus himself is recorded as declaring his own bodily resurrection 3 days after his death (Matthew 12:40) which not only was symbolized through the story of Jonah but is echoed in Hosea 6:2. Then, just as Jesus stated days earlier, and as the Jewish leadership warned Rome about, his body was not found in the tomb where it was laid to rest. Matthew 28:11-15 records the Jewish leadership coming up with an explanation for why his body was no longer there. Even the Jewish Anti-Christian medieval writing the Toledoth Yeshu records the explanation; thus validating the bible’s record and the missing body. Where there any eye witness accounts? Yes. The bible records it and names people who would have still been alive at the time of the writing. That culture made it clear how important witnesses are (Deuteronomy 17:6; 19:15; 1 Timothy 5:19). Just as we do today. Names are given of people in 1 Corinthians 15:5-8 who could have been interviewed. Paul wrote before 70 AD and died around 64AD. Jesus died only 36 years before Paul died. In fact, most scholars date the writing of 1 Corinthians around 53 to 57 AD. Making it written only 20 years after Jesus died; making eye witnesses named key proof of Paul’s claims. Papias (70-165AD) is even quoted by Eusebius (263-339AD) as speaking with witnesses first hand and talking with the daughters of Philip.
Also read Evidence for the Resurrection

Also read Early Accounts of Christianity from Non-Christians | Modern Secular Historians and The Bible | What Makes Christianity The True Faith? | Archeology page | Apologetics page

Why The Bible Is Divine: Christology | Why The Bible is Divine: Miracles

1. http://www.truthnet.org/TheMessiah/10_Messiah_Objections_Daniels70weeks/
2. Peter Schäfer, pp 52–62, 133–141

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God’s Judgement on Nations through its Leaders

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God is in absolute control in propping up and/or allowing Leaders of nations to rise and fall. These leaders either lead to the nations dependence on God or lead the nation to not depend on God. This article will look at God’s judgement on a nation through its leaders.

Recognizing The Direction

First thing God makes clear in scripture when it comes to allowing certain kinds of leaders to rise is when God hands people over to their sinful desires (Romans 1:24; 11:7-8). His judgement over a nation can fall on any and all nations as his will determines (Ezekiel 5:15; Isaiah 34:5). This is not referring to the final judgement, but a kind of reproach that leads those who are called to turn to the Lord in the face of their nation’s judgement (John 5:24). For Christians who have fallen into being like the world, their judgement is disciplinary but for people in the nation, it is to their destruction (1 Corinthians 11:30, 32; Acts 12:23).

Wicked Direction and its Breaking Point

God is the ruler over all nations (Psalms 22:28); when a nation seeks for its self its own gods that reflect their own desires; God grants them their wish. God tolerates sin in his grace and kindness up to an absolute point (Genesis 15:16) that when He alone deems necessary to judge (Genesis 15:14). It is this ‘breaking point’ that absolutely justifies God’s perfect justice and righteous judgement (Deuteronomy 9:4). Arrogant hearts (Isaiah 2:11; 3:15; 13:11), idolatry (of self, possessions, status, or ideals) (Jeremiah 16:18; Ezekiel 23:20), bribery (Isaiah 1:23), extortion (Ezekiel 22:12), and the oppression of the poor (Isaiah 10:2; Malachi 3:4).

The Four Combined Cultural Sins that Justify God’s Judgement

Scary similarities in the reasoning for God judging nations in Leviticus 18:20–25. Keep in mind verse 24, “the nations, which I am driving out before you, have become unclean, and the land became unclean, so that I punished its iniquity, and the land vomited out its inhabitants” Now look at what made them become unclean: Adultery (v20), Child sacrifice/abortion (v21), Homosexual intercourse (v22), and beastiality (v23). Now when considering the modern world, we see that 3 of 4 are acceptable, legal, and practiced. The fourth one, beastiality, is sure to follow as the other 3 are made acceptable cultural norms.

The Fourth: Zoosexualism

The same societal reaction to beastiality currently, is the same reaction society had about homosexuality 60 years ago. As culture continually developed we see a society that is making their domesticated pets more humanistic. The ideology of “love is love” attempts to justify a persons romantic interest to whom ever they choose. Under that justification, who is to say if someone wants to marry an animal and both creatures ‘seem’ in love; it would be hypocritically judgemental to say they can’t and deny them of that right. After all, love is love right? In 2004, the term ‘zoosexual’ was penned. Zoosexuality, where someone feels that they identify as a sexual orientation. The Kinsey reports rated the percentage of people who had sexual interaction with animals at some point in their lives as 8% for men and 3.6% for women. There are many psychiatric researches that show a small prevalence of zoosexual acts. In the DSM-5, zoophilia rises to the level of a diagnosable disorder only when accompanied by distress or interference with normal functioning. Keeping in mind, homosexuality was also a diagnosable disorder at one point in time as well. Beetz (2002) stated “The phenomenon of sexual contact with animals is starting to lose its taboo“[1] In 2005 a farm in Washington was nicknamed an “animal brothel” where people came to pay to have sexual acts with animals. Currently, in other parts of the civilized world zoophilic materials have become a substantial industry. Peter Singer, a Utilitarian philosopher and animal liberation author, argues that bestiality is not unethical so long as it involves no harm or cruelty to the animal. Is this just the tip of the ice berg for Zoosexuality Rights in the next 60 years?

It is important to note that all these indicators for the fall of the nations God describes to Moses were all sexual in nature. Of the sins stated in scriptures that lead people to eternity apart from God, sexual sins are always listed.

Proud Direction or Shameful Direction

It is one thing to be ashamed of sin and to understand it as a unwanted desire and struggle; it is another to be proud of it and flaunt it. Nations were judged as they were flaunting their sins. It took 400 years before God to bring his judgement down on the nations for their sins. They did not start that way but gradually over the generations continued in the development of their sin until it had reached its full measure. Now, looking forward to modern society with the four Godly justifications for judgement in mind; no-fault divorce was first passed in 1969 allowing married couples to just divorce and remarry whom ever. Also in 1969 a raid on a gay night club which turned into a open protest sparked the gay rights movement, then in 1973 abortion was legalized officially. All within the same generation. Why did God’s judgement not come down on America? Zoophilia has not reached is full measure. A lot of people will laugh and say zoosexualism will never become a norm or acceptable but that ignorant comment was stated about many other now current cultural norms generations ago.

What does all this have to do with a nations leaders?

“I [God] gave you [the nation of Israel] a king in My anger” – Hosea 13:11

God will give a nation a leader for his will to be done. If his will is judgement; a leader who has risen may very well reflect that. When considering the reasons for God’s judgement on the nation in Leviticus 18:20–25 it should not come as a surprise when a leader who reinforces and grows the sins of the nation is put into power as he hands people over to their sins.

“And I will make mere lads their princes, And capricious children will rule over them” – Isaiah 3:4

God raises and allows to rise the type of leader that he sees fit according to his will. These ‘lads’ and ‘capricious children’ are influenced by the nations morality. They grow up in the nations sins and can be put in power to continue to expand the nations sins. Then children after them, the same, until the sins of the nation reaches its full measure when God in is supreme justice brings complete judgement on the nation.

“Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger, And the staff in whose hands is My indignation” Isaiah 10:5

God will also use outside nations, who are even wicked in themselves, as tools for his judgement on other nations.

Democracies may vote, but God is in full control of who will lead a nation into his judgement or even his redemption. But when nations are historically moving in a less Godly direction and following the sins of previous nations in history that have been judged with leaders who rise up and carry on those same immoral cultural desires, it is only matter of time.

2 Chronicles 7:14

“and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.“

Here God was speaking to Israel but the Church is his people too. Nations always need redemption from their sin! Culture needs relief from the slavery of their sin. Marriages need to be strengthened and not encouraged and empowered to fail. Abortion needs to end and not be acceptable and supported. Human sexuality needs to be sanctified and encouraged to be pure and holy in the way God calls for it to be; not the way man wants or desires it to be. These four elements of a nation influence the generations and build up its leaders. Then, and only then, will nations have leaders that will not lead to a nations destruction but a revival for God’s Glory.

Note: This article was published before the election and does not support any one candidate. No matter who is elected leader, God is sovereign and perfectly just in his will and judgments.

1. Anthony L. Podberscek; Andrea M. Beetz (September 1, 2005). Bestiality and Zoophilia: Sexual Relations with Animals. Berg. p. 94. ISBN 978-0-85785-222-9. Retrieved 13 May 2012.

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What Makes Christianity The True Faith?

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What Makes Christianity The True Faith? Can it be trusted and what makes it different from all other faiths? We will briefly provide unintentional historic support, modern secular historians opinions, archeology and philosophical supports; as well as discuss the support from the death and resurrection and biblical prophecy for what makes Christianity true. Again, these are brief to allow for self reflection and research.

A) Historical Evidences

Unintentional Support

Ancient historians may not have believed the ‘fables’ but they still recorded what was taught, that validates what is recorded in the bible. This also supports people, place, a time and date which also supports the bible. Non-chrisitans such as Thallus (via Julius Africanus), Mara Bar-Serapion, Flavius Josephus, Cornelius Tactus, Pliny the Younger, Suetonius, Lucian of Samosata, and the Jewish Talmud.
Also read Early Accounts of Christianity from Non-Christians

Modern Secular Validation

In more modern times, it is look at from a more historical perspective with leaving out the spiritual aspects. A predominate Arts and Sciences Professor of Religion at Duke University, who is admittedly not christian, E.P. Sanders; stated this “Historical reconstruction is never absolutely certain, and in the case of Jesus it is sometimes highly uncertain. Despite this, we have a good idea of the main lines of his ministry and his message. We know who he was, what he did, what he taught, and why he died.” When talking about the bible. Athiest and Emeritus Professor of New Testament, University of Nottingham, Maurice Casey, completely agrees with EP Sanders and believes there are more details that are historically reliable as well. Michael Grant, historian of the Roman Empire and worked at Ankara University, chairman of Humanity (Latin) at Edinburgh University, vice-chancellor of the University of Khartoum, vice-chancellor of Queen’s University of Belfast, and an expert of ancient Greek, Roman and Israelite history agrees with Maurice Casey and stated “‘no serious scholar has ventured to postulate the non historicity of Jesus’ or at any rate very few, and they have not succeeded in disposing of the much stronger, indeed very abundant, evidence to the contrary.”
Also read Modern Secular Historians and The Bible

Archeology

100% of all valid archeological finds related to an event or individual described in the bible have never contradicted the bible. From the The Tel Dan Inscription, The Merneptah Stele, The Berlin Column base fragmen, Marine fossils found on mountains, The Amulet Scroll, and thousands of more major supportive findings of what is described in the bible.
Also read Archeology page

Ancient Record

Related to all the ancient inscriptions found, the vastness of ancient record of jewish and christian writings is to such extent they are all comparable and testable to the bible. The Dead Sea Scrolls, The Septuagint, all the thousands of new testament fragments, and all the ancient christian writers quoting from the ancient documents.
Also read Apologetics page

Historical Evidences Conclusion

Given the unintentional support by non-christian ancient writers, modern non-christian historians who have access to review all the archeology and ancient records; it would be irrational to to make the claim the Christian faith is not a historical fact.

B) Philosophical Evidences

The Ontological Argument

Described by St. Anselm and Rene Descarte, then elaborated by G.W.F Hegel buts forth an argument for how we can come to know the existence of God through logical reasoning.

The Cosmological Argument

Described by St. Thomas Aquinas and expressed in various ways by Gottfried Leibniz,Richard Swinburn, and Dr. Tom Morris provides an argument for knowing God through nature occurrences in reality.
Also read Why is there Something rather than Nothing?

The Teleological Argument

This argument, described by St. Thomas Aquinas argues for evidence of God through how nature is orderly in its vast complexity. This lead to the development and continued development of study of the design of nature and its designer.

The Universal Morality Argument

This argument explains the existence of evil and how it can be known, the source of absolute moral truth, and absolute good. We all believe there is a ‘evil’ that exists in this world, or we would never lock our doors at night, or be upset when someone steals our wallets. This answers what the standard is that leads us to see evil; which shows us the standard of good that we all inherently hope for.
Also read Did God Cause The Orlando Florida Shooting?

The Argument for a Soul

In its own subcategory, the existence of something within us that is immaterial also leads us to understand the supernatural and not just the natural.
Also read Existence of The Soul

Philosophical Evidences Conclusion

Each one of these arguments leads us to understand a transcendent being and its characteristics and nature. Characteristics and natures all described in the bible which is supported by historical evidences.

C) The Death and Resurrection

The absolute fundamental truth of The Christian faith that sets it apart from all other religions and belief systems is the bodily death and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. One of the toughest pills to swallow for all who are searching for the deepest meaning and purpose in life.
Also read The Evidence for The Resurrection

D) The Bible and Prophecy

The bible itself is support for the validity of The Christian Faith. Aside from being historically accurate and extremely well preserved compared to all ancient writings, it is unified. The unification is amazing in that it was written by different authors who did not know each other over generations from beginning of civilization to the last surviving Apostle. The most compelling and next most difficult for people to accept is the accuracy of Prophecies. The bible declared events to take place, recorded them, before they happened, and generations later, they happen how they are described. These are not ‘self fulling’ prophecies because a lot of them deal with outside non-christian agents that fulfill them. Nations were predicted to fall, they did. New nations were predicted to rise, they did. Cities were predicted to be destroyed, they were. The prophecies of Jesus are astounding. The Daniel 9 prophecy giving a time line to the coming son of man, ends at Jesus. This was written 400 years before Jesus. The Isaiah prophecy describing what will happen the one who came to pay for the sins of many, was fulfilled by Jesus in every astonishing detail.
Also read Prophecy | Christology | Miracles

E) SUMMERY

Historical Evidences

Without taking into consideration the spiritual and supernatural elements of the Christian Faith; when only considering the historical evidences it is unintentionally supported by ancient writers closest to the time. It is intentionally supported by modern non-christian and well respected researchers and historians. It is continually and ever growing in the archeological support. It is very rational and logical to trust the reliably of what is stated in the bible.

Philosophical Evidences

Without considering the Historical Evidences supporting the Christian Faith; when only considering a more philosophical approach we can see numerous angles of argumentation that support what is described in the bible. These arguments also show the rational and logical validity of the Christian Faith and the reliability of the bible.

The Death and Resurrection

When focusing on the death and resurrection of Jesus without taking into account all other parts of the bible, we can see that he existed, died, and his resurrection is more probable and rational explanation when analyzing all other possibilities for the historic fact that the tomb he was buried in was empty. This compels and forces people who hear this message in one of two directions; to deny the preponderance of evidence or admit the validity of the bible and the consequences and results from it.

The Bible and Prophecy

The Christian Faith is not merely a historically based religion but a faith that came from God himself and proven through all sorts of means. A support for a supernatural cause for Christianity is unity in which different authors from different cultures and times all describe the same Being with the same Characteristics. Also are the detailed prophecies that came true in every detail.

Conclusion

History validates Christianity; philosophy rationally supports what is described by Christianity; the death and resurrection of Jesus leads to the uniqueness and absolute importance of the faith; and the bible itself points to its divine origin. All this combined is what makes The Christian Faith alone, true.

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The Great Flood

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This is a hotly debated issue; was there an actual historic Great Flood or is Noah’s story just a myth taken from other cultures? To address this question we will look at the ancient flood stories of different ancient cultures, and discuss evidences in geology and fossil records. This topic requires and open mind but also requires a spiritually open mindedness.

The Great Flood is dated before 3,000BC. Noah is a historical and actual person of history who lived through an actual historical event according to the author of 1 Chronicles 1:4, prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 54:9), prophet Ezekiel (Ezekiel 14:14, 20), apostle Peter (1 Peter 3:20; 2 Peter 2:5), the author of Hebrews (Heb 11:7), Luke (Luke 3:36), and Jesus himself (Matt 24:37-38; Luke 17:26-27).

To say that Noah and the Flood is a myth is to call all these people either liars or the authorship of the words a lie. Without using the bible (even though secular scholars agree the historical reliability of the bible) what other evidences can we find that validate the historical person of Noah and the Flood event?

Stories of The Flood

If one family survived the flood, then all other families after them would have been taught about it. If all the different ancient cultures of the world came from the one family that survived the flood, they would have passed down the story (Gen 9:1). Noah lived 350 years after the flood and was the last person of the pre-flood generation to live that long. For the next 350 years Noah was able to teach all his decedents the stories of the Flood. So where did the confusion of the details of the event come from?

Noah in his ignorance discovers that wine can get you drunk. His sons see this and its effects; it causes a whole ordeal, and thus, sin continues in the hearts of humanity after the flood (Gen 9:18-27). From there, the genealogies of Noah’s decedents begin to reveal the diversity in culture as time went on (Gen 10:1-21).

Sumeria was the first most visible centralized culture and people group in history which, according to the bible, come from Noah’s son Shem (Gen 10:21-22). Noah’s son Ham was the father of Cush who was the father of Nimrod (Gen 10:6-11); whom founded Babylon, traveled through Assyria and founded Ninivah. It is clear that the oral story of a world wide flood could have been passed down, but given the continued sin of mankind, the distortion and confusion of the story is clear.

The Sumerian King List is huge. Earliest sources of this list dates to around 1,000BC. There are a couple critical details about the list. (1) It states that the authority of the kingship came from heaven. (2) The life spans of the early kings were very long. (3) A flood wiped out the kingship and it had to be re-established after the flood. (4) after the flood, the kings life spans were greatly reduced. The earliest historically verified king on the list is around 2,600BC and the king after is in the Epic of Gilgamesh. But the list goes even farther back to more than 4,000BC.

It is important to state that this list was meant as a historical list and not a fictional story. It was the Sumerians attempt at recording their history.

Where did Sumerian’s get the flood idea from?

Knowing that the bible is historically reliable, we then see the Sumerian people descending from the sons of Noah. Thus, the flood story would have been passed down from Noah and his sons and their sons. That is how they could have knowledge of people who per-existed before the flood, and after the flood; also have knowledge about the longer life spans prior to the flood just, as the bible describes.

Why couldn’t have the bible got the idea from the Sumerians?

The Bible describes pre-flood and post-flood in ways that only those whom had experienced it could have described or from one whom and received the details first hand. Given the better reliability of The Bible compared to the Epic of Gilgamesh and other more ancient documents, we can see that the bible is a better source. The Bible also helps explain, if there was a flood that took out the world, how future people were even aware of pre-flood and past individuals. If the Sumerian story preceded the bible, how was the bible better, more reliably informed, and able to explain more accurate details?

The Eridu Genesis (Sumerian Creation story) came about later. One single fragment of the story was discovered that dated to about 1,600BC. It describes a distorted and corrupted view of The Great Flood. There are continued key similarities to The Great Flood account of the oral traditional story from Noah. (1) a priest learns of an impending flood sent from heaven (2) and is instructed to build a large boat (3) animals were loaded in the boat (4) and the priest performs scarifies to a deity. (5) they exit the boat and the deity gives the priest eternal life and preserves the animals and mankind.

By the time of this record of the flood, it had been over 2,000 plus years since sons of Noah; allowing for a loss of traditional Noah heritage and a change in details of the oral story.

The Epic of Gilgamesh. The discovery of Table XI of the story was carved around 700BC. On the Tablet it states very similar details about the flood theme. (1) Deity reveals plan to flood mankind, (2) instructed to build a boat in preparation for the flood (3) A great and violent flood (4) After the storm, a sacrifice to a deity was performed (5) eternal life was given.

Until recently, the Epic of Gilgamesh was only seen as a fictional story but discoveries related to mentioned kings in the story has lead to some historical features of the story. Artifacts related to Aga and Enmebaragesi of Kish have shown them to be actual people of history.

In ancient greek history, there are stories of a flood that also contains similarities to The Great Flood. Plato even states that an world wide flood was an actual historical event in Plato’s Critias. The Greek flood stories are however more mythological than the ones that proceeded them.

China

Even in ancient China, we see all the regions ancient dynasties end or change together probably due to reconstruction and recolonization after the flood, around mid 3rd millennia BC. Something forced China’s ancient people groups from Neolithic age and transition into the Xia dynasties. The Yellow Emperor, legend or a true historical person, even includes a story about a massive flood all throughout China. His supposed reign was around the late 2nd millennia BC. Given that these people groups were separate and isolated from other cultures closer to the Noah’s semi continued secularized traditions; their stories would be more different. This is reflected in the Yellow Emperor’s tale of a great flood as it was vastly different.

Other Cultures

In just about every major civilization since the Sumerian story has had some sort later version of the flood story. The African culture of The Maasai have a similar great flood story with the same themes. In India, in the Shatapatha Brahmana which was recorded not too long after the Babylonian story also contains the same key themes of The Great Flood. The people group of Malaysia, known as the Temuan, have a very similar flood story despite their isolation from middle eastern cultures. Even Mesoamerica and Hopi stories of their ancestors maintain a story of a great flood caused due to mankind angering a deity.

Why the different accounts if it was the same event?

After the flood, Noah, his sons, and their families began to spread out around the world. The different family groups moving to different geographical locations over time would develop their own unique traditions and stories; eventually into their own distinct culture group and nation.

How accurate is Google Translate? To some, it is helpful, to others it does not use the correct words and does not get across the most accurate translation of what is being stated. Imagine all people generally speaking the same language, then a few generations later, speaking a completely different language. How easy would it then be to communicate past stories accurately? The story of The Tower of Babel explains just that. The different people groups, descendants from the sons of Noah, were lead to create their own unique languages. This would have also contributed to the confusion and distortion of the account of The Great Flood between the different cultures. As the people groups lost their connection to the traditions of Noah, they continued to pass down their own versions of the event and embellish them to fit their own situations and culture.

Did Moses get the flood story from Sumerian and Babylonian myths?

The answer to this question greatly depends on your faith. Is God able to reveal historic truths to those whom he ordained to record them? Is God then able to influence the writers to accurately record what he reveals to them? If the answer is “no” or “maybe” to those questions, than for you, finding God will be very difficult; and finding the biblical account of The Great Flood just as difficult. More specifically, the question is: Is God able to reveal prehistoric truths to Moses, and influence him to accurately record them? This is a critical and deep spiritual question that everyone will be confronted with when pondering the flood story. If someone is atheist or agnostic, their obvious answer would be “no” because of their anti-spiritual bias. For God to be God, he must be able to this; or he is not really God and the whole bible is irrelevant. This is where it depends on your faith or lack of.

The answer is, God can and did reveal prehistoric truths to Moses; God can and did influence the one who He chose (Moses) to accurately record what He revealed. Because Jesus is God, and Jesus validated Noah and the flood as an actual historic person and event, it must be true- or Jesus is not God. THEREFORE Moses recorded exactly what God revealed to him about the historic event; and all the other stories of the same historic event came from corrupted descriptions stemming from Noah’s son’s families and their generations of decedents. In fact, the correct true explanation of the event may have been already orally passed down within the people group that kept the traditions of Noah and finally recorded by Moses.

To assume and jump to the concision that Moses stole or borrowed from the Sumerian or Babylonian myths, or parts of the Egyptian great flood myths, only reveal anti-spiritual bias in the assumed conclusion without considering the faith aspect. Because IF God IS able, why could he not have?

What Evidence is there for a world wide flood?

Marine fossils found on mountains: How did marine fossils end up in the middle of continents miles above sea level? For example, there are marine fossils found in layers of the Grand Canyon, 1 mile above sea level [5]. Shellfish fossils found in the Himalayan mountains of Napel [6]. How did ancient sea life climb a mountain?

Mass plant and animal death and fossil groupings: Chambered nautiloids’ are found in the Grand Canyon along with millions of other sea creatures burred in the same layer spanning 10,500 square miles. Hundreds of thousands of marine creatures were buried with amphibians, spiders, scorpions, millipedes, insects, and reptiles in a fossil graveyard at Montceau-les-Mines, France [1]. More than 100,000 fossil specimens, representing more than 400 species, have been recovered from a shale layer associated with coal beds in the Mazon Creek area near Chicago [2]. This spectacular fossil graveyard includes ferns, insects, scorpions, and tetrapods buried with jellyfish, mollusks, crustaceans, and fish, often with soft parts exquisitely preserved. There are locations around the world were not only are there mass death and burial of creatures, but these creatures are both land and sea creatures, buried together. Also in Florissant, Colorado [3] and Green River Formation of Wyoming [4].

Sediment layers are spread over vast areas world wide: The famous Cretaceous chalk beds of southern England that form the white straight cliffs is the same Cretaceous chalk with the same fossils and the same distinctive strata above and below them are also found in the Midwest USA, from Nebraska in the north to Texas in the south. They also appear in the Perth Basin of Western Australia. The Cretaceous Chalk sediment layer was spread all over the world at the same time to achieve the same layer and fossils. Wind and gradual erosion could not produce this, in this vastness all around the globe in the same time frame.

Where are Pre-Flood Human fossils?

This takes an unbiased approach to address this question, and is ignorantly used as a ‘gotcha’ question. Do humans commonly get buried with Elephants or Tigers in modern times? No. The percentage of dinosaur fossils found, out of all fossils found, is 0.01%; what are the odds we will find a human fossil when there was a smaller amount around the same time? That would be more exceedingly rare than finding dinosaur fossils, and finding dinosaur fossils is rare already [7]. Also, dinosaurs were more spread out, and according to Gen 4:17 we see people already lived close together instead of spread out.

Secondly, God made it absolutely clear he was going to “blot out” mankind from the face of the earth in Gen 6:7 and Gen 7:23. That is an absolute destruction. Do you think it will be easy or possible to find something that God has “blot out” from the earth? If anything, the fact we have not found a single human fossil from that time period only validates what the Bible said God would do.

The 2004 tsunami in Southeast Asia was a known localized event that happened only 12 years ago and still 43,000 victims were never found [8]. Now think of how difficult it would be to find 150,000 to 250,000 prehistoric people who were swept away by a world wide flood covering the face of the earth over 5,000 years ago. Biased people expect to find pre-flood human fossils from over 5,000 years ago searching for unknown locations world wide, to be convinced; yet, in our modern times we can’t find 1/3 amount of people in a known localized event that happened only 12 years ago.

Before dinosaur fossils were discovered, did that mean they did not exist? Has humanity discovered everything there is to discover? Does that mean, what we have not discovered, does not exist? Apply the same logical conclusion to the issue above.

Conclusion

The Great Flood is an actual prehistoric event. From the bible, the event of the Great Flood is supported by its divinely inspired authors and Jesus himself. Outside of the bible, it is a historical event according to The Sumerian Kings List and the recently semi-historical validated Epic of Gilgamesh. Different cultures from around the world, separated and isolated, still have some sort of story that contains similar key elements. The fossil record and sediment layers are also explained by a great world wide flood. Given the evidences, it is true that there was a world wide flood.

Noah was instructed to build a large vessel by God. He did and a world wide flood came. He and his family survived with vegetation seeds and animals. They then repopulated the earth. Their decedents spread throughout the world and their decedents continued the Great Flood story but lost the source (true oral traditions from Noah). They injected their own messages and details to fit their own culture. The oral traditions from Noah was then recorded by Moses, guided by God as it was revealed by God to Moses.

We can be confident today that we have the true recorded oral traditions of the events of creation and the flood in the Bible; and that it was revealed by God, and securely recorded with God through Moses. With the spiritual truth aspect of the flood; Noah’s Flood in the Bible explains what is observed in history, archeology, and geology. Without the truth in the spiritual context of faith in God’s security and divine revelations to Moses; all the stories and fossils are just unexplained, oddly convenient, confused, and oddly consistent myths.

sources:

Daniel Heyler and Cecile M. Poplin, “The Fossils of Montceau-les-Mines,” Scientific American, September 1988, pp. 70–76.
Charles Shabika and Andrew Hay, eds. Richardson’s Guide to the Fossil Fauna of Mazon Creek (Chicago: Northeastern Illinois University, 1997).
Theodore Cockerell, “The Fossil Flora and Fauna of the Florissant Shales,” University of Colorado Studies 3 (1906): 157–176; Theodore Cockerell, “The Fossil Flora of Florissant, Colorado,” Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, 24 (1908): 71–110.
Lance Grande, “Paleontology of the Green River Formation with a Review of the Fish Fauna,” The Geological Survey of Wyoming Bulletin 63 (1984).
S. S. Beus, “Redwall Limestone and Surprise Canyon Formation,” in Grand Canyon Geology, 2nd ed., eds. S. S. Beus and M. Morales (New York: Oxford University Press, 2003), pp. 115–135.
J. P. Davidson, W. E. Reed, and P. M. Davis, “The Rise and Fall of Mountain Ranges,” in Exploring Earth: An Introduction to Physical Geology (Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1997), pp. 242–247.
A. Snelling, Where are all the human fossils? Creation 14(1):28–33, December, 1991; J. Morris, The Young Earth, Master Books, Green Forest, Arkansas, 2002, 71.
The Human Toll, www.tsunamispecialenvoy.org/country/humantoll.asp.

What Did Jesus Do Around Sickness?

The Apostles and Sickness

Israel and The Church’s Historical Reaction to Epidemics and Pandemics

God’s Word

Is risking infection unloving to your household?

What Does The Bible Say About Quarantine?

Government Orders to Close Churches

Corporate Worship and Fellowship

Conclusion

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BRIEF UNDERSTANDING OF GENERAL TEXTUAL CRITICISM

BIBLICAL MANUSCRIPTS

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A) Historical Evidences

Unintentional Support

Modern Secular Validation

Archeology

Ancient Record

Historical Evidences Conclusion

B) Philosophical Evidences

The Cosmological Argument

The Teleological Argument

The Argument for a Soul

Philosophical Evidences Conclusion

C) The Death and Resurrection

D) The Bible and Prophecy

E) SUMMERY

Historical Evidences

Philosophical Evidences

The Death and Resurrection

The Bible and Prophecy

Conclusion

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