Most of us think of slavery in terms of one man placing another man into bondage. Our minds are filled with images of men on ships against their will, being transported across vast oceans to distant lands where they will serve in chains for their entire life.
The horrors of this type of slavery is one of the greatest travesties of human life. No human being was made to be the servant of another against his will, nor to endure the brutality of servitude.
There are also many other types of bondage that we humans experience:
Slavery to fear, anxiety, and depression. There is slavery to sin that binds us to behavior that ruins our lives and the lives of others. There is slavery to materialism which takes our life from us as we seek to accumulate more and more, while feeling empty and unsatisfied.
There is one type of slavery that is good in every regard. It is the type of slavery that Jesus showed the world when He came to die for us. Though Jesus was God, He did not cling to His rights as God, but took the form of a slave and was born as a human being. Though He existed as God, forever, He humbled Himself for us and in obedience to righteousness—died for the whole world.[1]
Slavery To Righteousness
A great deal of the New Testament was written by Paul while in chains at a Roman prison. Though men tried to bind him to a cell of hopelessness and fear, Paul wrote letters that were distributed all over the world. Today, we know a great deal about Jesus and all that He did, because Paul was in prison—falsely accused of things he had not done. At one point Paul wrote that everything that had happened to him had helped to spread the good news about Jesus. While in prison under chains, even the whole palace guard understood that he was there because of Christ. It was because of his imprisonment that most of the believers in Jesus, gained confidence and began to boldly speak about Jesus without fear.[2]
While in prison, held against his will, Paul wrote words of instruction and encouragement to believers in Christ all over the world. Words that I read this morning in my Bible; words that gave me hope, encouragement, inspiration to live a life of righteousness. Paul often said that although we were once slaves to sin, now because of what Jesus has done for us, we should be slaves of righteousness.[3]
Jesus said that anyone who truly wants to be great in this world, should become the servant of all.[4] Paul wrote that although he was a free man, he made himself a slave to all so that he might win some to Christ.[5] Under these parameters, slavery can be a really good thing.
Human Slavery Is Condemned By God
Some people who have not really read the whole Bible, develop the idea that that God of the Bible approves of slavery. Nothing could be further from the truth. One of the texts that critics of God use in an attempt to impugn God and the Bible for its alleged support of slavery is found in the book of Leviticus.
These verses of scripture from Leviticus 25:44-46 were used during the Civil War to try and justify slavery, but they were not at all written for any other application except the Jews during their time, and only for the conquered enemies of the surrounding nations of Israel.
Leviticus 25:39-46, also describes the issue of a poor Jew who became the slave of another Jew due to their poverty (Leviticus 25:39-43). In these verses of scripture we see that God is not condoning slavery, but giving instructions for how poverty stricken Jewish self-imposed slaves should be treated. This type of slavery was an attempt to help the destitute and enable their survival. These individuals were not to be treated harshly, but as members of the family.
In Leviticus 23:44-46, people who were the enemies of the Jews who lived in the surrounding nations, who worshipped vile and perverse gods, who offered their children upon the fiery hot arms of Molech, ate raw meat and were known as the most debased people in that period of history—had murdered and pillaged the Jews from the time they entered that land. This instruction by God in Leviticus was directed at these enemies of Israel—specifically how they should be treated as enemy combatants.
When the Jews came into that land, instead of destroying their enemies they placed certain individuals into service. These persons deserved death because of their crimes and wickedness, but some were shown mercy—placed into service, and not killed. The Jews were to treat these persons with kindness—not to oppress them as the slaves had been treated in early America, or others who were placed into slavery around the world.
God’s Patience With Us
God does not condone the evil actions of people, but He also recognizes that because of the hardness of the human heart there are some who will not obey God. We see this in the case of divorce concerning the Jews who were under Moses’ authority. God did not permit divorce, but men would not obey God’s law. This resulted in Moses giving the Hebrew people a concession where they could write a certificate of divorce with provisions to care for their wife and children after the divorce.
Jesus referenced the hardness of men’s hearts during the time of Moses when the Pharisees asked Him why His teaching was in opposition to the laws of Moses. Jesus stated that “from the beginning, it was not so…”[6] God never condones or approves of divorce. He does not want a family broken or children without both parents. Jesus said that Moses gave the Jews the law concerning divorce only “because of the hardness of their hearts,” not because it was the will of God. Men were going to divorce their wives regardless of what God said. Moses felt it was better to write laws to protect the wife and children when men did divorce their wives rather than leave them poor and without protection or provision.
We see a similar situation with slavery. From the beginning, slavery was not approved by God. We see the will of God that men would be free in His deliverance of the Jews from their slavery in Egypt. Despite God’s desire for all men to be free, some men at that time were still enslaving other men. Moses gave the men of that time a concession in taking slaves from their enemies, because of the hardness of their hearts. Concerning the poor Jews who placed themselves into the service to other Jews in order to survive or pay debts, God ordered their fair and compassionate treatment. These individuals could only be placed into service for six years. On the seventh year Jewish slaves taken by a fellow Jew were to be set free and owe no further debt after six years.
If you buy a Hebrew servant, he shall serve six years; and in the seventh he shall go out free and pay nothing. ~Exodus 21:2 (NKJV)
The Jews were not going to obey God to not take slaves from the surrounding nations they conquered. For this reason, God instructed the Jews to treat these persons humanely, even though they were enemies. It is important when we read the Bible to keep in mind that God is dealing with difficult and often hard-hearted people who are rebellious and stubborn. We see that despite the terrible behavior and rebellion of men, God is very patient with us and shows us forbearance in our stubbornness and resistance to His will. It is the kindness of God that ultimately lead us to repentance.[7]
It is also important to remember that many of the laws that Moses gave the Jews during that time, were only for the Jews of that time and did not apply to any other generation. If you read the opening statement for Leviticus 25:1-2, it says: “And the Lord spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them:”
These instructions regarding slavery were given to the Jews who came into the land that was occupied by their enemies—people who were a vile, evil, and a debased people. These laws were not given to the world. God does not want any nation or people to take slaves or place people into bondage. This is the clear message of the entire Bible.
Once again, when we examine God’s instructions to the Jews, we see that no Jew could ever enslave another Jew. They could only place the poor into service for six years, then release them.[8] Even during this time, these indentured servants must be treated with love and kindness, like a member of their family. It was because of this kind treatment, that many slaves became a Doulos, in Greek, willing servants who wanted to remain in their masters house forever.[9]
Slavery To Save Life
There are four examples of slavery in the Bible that are for a good purpose. This is seen first in the example of Jesus as He was willing to give up His rights to become a servant for us and die for our sins. The second example we see in scripture is the type of indentured servitude that was common during the early history of the Jews, for the purpose of saving lives. Third, people who place their trust in Jesus as their Savior, are to become the servants of all other people on earth for the purpose of leading them to Christ. Fourth, the followers of Jesus are to make themselves slaves of righteousness in all their behavior and their words. In all cases, we see that God only permitted slavery for reasons of saving human life, not to bind men in chains and take their dignity and lives from them. Although human beings sometimes enslave other human beings, God never condones slavery that is against the will of the person, or makes them the property of another human being. The Lord condemns this kind of slavery it in the strongest terms.
During the time that Jesus entered human history and gave His life for the sins of the world, the Romans had nearly six million slaves. Many people who became Christians and owned slaves were instructed by Paul in his letters to treat these persons with kindness, as brothers and sisters in Christ. Paul instructed slaves who became followers of Jesus to act the same way in relationship to their Christian masters. To serve them as they would Christ and work hard to be a good examples. Paul wrote to Christian slaves who were treated harshly by non-believing masters, that by their good example they may be instruments in leading their unsaved masters to Christ. Paul is not condoning slavery, only dealing with the reality of its existence at that time. No place in the New Testament does Jesus or any other writer approve of slavery.
See: Ephesians 6:5-9, Colossians 3:22, 4:1, 1 Timothy 6:1-1. Titus 2:9-10
The slavery that God approves of is when those who love God, make themselves slaves of righteousness and servants to the world so that they can lay down their lives as Jesus has, and lead many to salvation.
Those who insist that the Bible is filled with examples where God approves of slavery, are not telling the truth. Sometimes this is due to their ignorance. Other times these statements are designed to impugn God or those who love Him. Do your own research and you will see that what I have shared with you here regarding God’s view of slavery, is the truth.
God wants people to be free. Jesus said that when a person trusts in Him, they are truly free, regardless of their circumstances or difficulties.
NOTES:
[1] Philippians 2:6-9
[2] Philippians 1:12-14
[3] Romans 6:18
[4] Mark 9:35
[5] Matthew 19:8
[6] 1 Corinthians 9:19
[7] Romans 2:4
[8] Exodus 21:2
[9] Exodus 21:5-6
Categories: A Servant, Alleged Contradictions, Be like Him, Contradictions in the Bible, Controversy, Following Jesus, Jesus is God, Principles of Biblical Interpretation, Robert Clifton Robinson, Salvation through Jesus, Slavery in the Bible, Speaking out against sin, Why Jesus had to die
Robert Clifton Robinson 
Because beliefs inform actions, actions have consequences, and consequences are objective. I want everyone to believe as many true things, and as few false things, as possible because everybody will be better off.
Appeal to consequences. Do you want to believe something because it’s true, or do you want to live you life in fear of some unknown afterlife?
And frankly, what if you’re wrong? What if Islam is correct and, if you don’t become a good Muslim, you also face a judgement beyond your ability to comprehend?
Really!? Can you provide even one paper, published in a credible (as in not some creationist, or pay-to-publish, journal), peer reviewed, journal that backs up your tall claim. If the evidence was as convincing as you claim we should already have a consensus on this among cosmologists.
LikeLike
I agree with you, Herald, completely. I just happen to believe that the Bible is true and that God has kept His promises and sent us a Savior. It is for this reason that I am doing what men have been doing for 2,000 years; telling anyone who will listen that Jesus is the way into eternal life.
There is no better teacher in the world than consequences. “Truth is understood by her children.”
I have published dozens of articles and two books on the scientific evidence for a universe that exists by intelligence. I would recommend that you read them but I have noticed that when I have suggested this in the past, you have ignored my encouragement. It seems that you are content to remain in your darkness…
LikeLike
Rob,
The fact that no public university world history textbook on the planet mentions the amazing accuracy of the predictions in the Christian Bible is the best proof against the veracity of the Christian claim of OT prophecy fulfillment. One doesn’t need to believe in the supernatural to recognize accurate predictions. The fact is that within non-Christian literature, there is more written about the predictive accuracy of Nostredamus than there is about the predictive accuracy of the Hebrew prophets. They just weren’t very good.
Your readers have a choice. They can accept the educated consensus opinion of thousands of experts or they can trust the sincere, well-read, but non-expert opinion of one man (Rob Robinson).
LikeLike
When Jesus taught the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, He describes the rich man in hell who realizes his error and asks Jesus if someone from hell can go to his family on earth and earn them not to make the same mistake he has made.
Jesus tells the rich man: “They have Moses and the Prophets, let them hear them.” This statement by Jesus becomes extremely important.
In other words, the world does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, they are foolishness to them. Much as you, Gary, also do not receive the things of God’s Spirit, and you think them foolish.
This world does not, and will not, receive any testimony about Jesus. They did not receive it during the time that Jesus was crucified and died, and they do not receive it today.
The New Testament teaches that satan is “the god of this world.” He is the ruler that works in the hearts of men who do not believe in Christ. Paul wrote that this unseen ruler “blinds the eyes of those who do not believe so that they cannot trust Christ and be saved.” This is what satan has done to you, Gary, and all those who are like you.
You are a slave of satan, and serve him in his kingdom of darkness. These are not my words to you, but the words of Jesus and the scriptures. You don’t know this and it is certain that you will deny this. Nevertheless, this is who your master is and he guides and directs all your steps.
Of course we do not find secular history acknowledging Jesus, His miracles, His crucifixion, or Resurrection. The god of this world has made it certain that little or no mention of Jesus is placed in the secular historical records. This is why Jesus said to look to Moses and the prophets. This is where God has left us a trusted record of Jesus.
It is for this reason that the world can only know the truth of Jesus and who He is, from the ancient scriptures. From the beginning of the Bible when Moses wrote 1,450 years before Jesus arrived that “a prophet like me will come, listen to Him,” the Prophecies of the Messiah were written and known to the world by the Hebrew writers.
The wise men who came from the east had read the prophecies of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and others, that a king would come who was from eternity, who would be born in Bethlehem and then die for the sins of the world.
The Ethiopian Eunuch on his way back to Africa was reading from the prophet Isaiah about the suffering of Jesus, His death and resurrection, when Phillip joined him in the chariot and explained how Jesus was the Messiah whom Isaiah was describing.
Of course the Jews today do not accept that Jesus is the Messiah or fulfilled the prophecies written for Messiah. The prophets predicted that the leaders of Israel would reject their Messiah and this blindness would continue until the final seven years of this present world.
In the middle of the last seven years, the Jews will realize what Zechariah wrote: “They will look on Him who was pierced and mourn for Him as a Father mourns for His only Son.” At that time their eyes will be opened by God and they will realize that they killed their Messiah. They will mourn for Him and receive Jesus as their Messiah.
Until that time, very few Jews, only a remnant, will believe the prophets and see that Jesus has fulfilled all the prophecies written or Him.
I will leave you with one more Messianic Prophecies that comes from three places. If Jesus had not fulfilled this one prophecy, or any other of the more than 400, He would have been disqualified from being Messiah. Jesus had to fulfill every single word the prophets wrote, and He did.
Consider the impossibility that Jesus could have fulfilled the following prophecy, while He was on the cross and dying.
Not One Bone Broken
Exodus 12:43,46
Numbers 9:12
Psalm 34:20
No bone of the Messiah shall be broken during His sacrifice as the Passover Lamb.
Exodus 12:43, 46 And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “This is the ordinance of the Passover…, nor shall you break one of its bones.”
New Testament Fulfillment:
John 19:31-35 Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe.
John 19:36 For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, “Not one of His bones shall be broken.”
Despite the normal procedure for a crucifixion in which the legs of a man would be broken to hasten his death, Jesus’ legs are not broken during His crucifixion. How could someone engineer his own death by crucifixion, yet none of his bones would be broken, as was common during crucifixions of that day?
Of course, it would be impossible to set up in advance the events that would happen during the final hours of a person’s life. No sane person would purposely engineer a grotesque and vicious death by crucifixion for himself. If Jesus wanted to deceive the world into believing that He was the Messiah, would He go so far as to ensure that He would be killed by such a horrific event?
When Jesus was brought to the Cross to be put to death, it was on the evening of Passover. According to Jewish tradition, the body of someone who was crucified could not be left on the cross past the start of the Sabbath, which began at 6 pm. Since Jesus was placed on the Cross at the 3rd hour, which is 9 am, the Jews in Israel wanted to ensure that He did not remain on the Cross at the start of the Sabbath, at 6 pm. Often, those who were crucified would live for days while hanging on the cross, before they would expire.
It was traditional to break the legs of a condemned criminal who had been placed upon a cross in order to hasten his death. The very act of being nailed to a cross caused great difficulty in breathing. The crucified would have to push down with his feet on the pedestal, where his two feet were nailed to, just to stand up for a moment and draw a breath of air. Being suspended on the cross by the arms, the lungs were greatly impeded and the mechanics of breathing were nearly impossible. The final strike against the body that ultimately caused the death of a crucified man was asphyxiation. After many hours or often days hanging on the cross, a person would become so fatigued that he was unable to push himself up, allowing breath to enter his lungs. Once this occurred, death quickly followed.
If the bones of a person on a cross were broken, at the middle of the lower leg, it would be impossible to thrust the body upwards and draw a breath. Instead of death by crucifixion taking days, it could occur within minutes. When the Roman guards came to break the legs of the three men who were being crucified on that day, they found that Jesus had already expired, and there was no need to break His legs.
Remember that in most cases, the legs of the condemned on the cross were not broken; only during times of necessity such as when there was an impending Sabbath that would begin soon. This was only done so that the condemned would die quickly and allow his body to be removed from the cross before the Sabbath began.
The fact that this event was predicted for the Messiah (as He fulfills the intent of the Passover Lamb) implies that the author of this prophecy knew His legs would not be broken. The writer possessed advanced knowledge that the Messiah would be put to death on the cross, along with the other criminals who were also being crucified. Even more amazing is the fact that the two criminals would have their legs broken, while those of the Messiah would be left intact. In about 90 percent of all crucifixions, the executioners did not break the legs of those on the cross.[1] The author of this prophecy knew that this crucifixion would occur just before the start of the Jewish Sabbath, which would require the legs of the crucified to be broken, yet leaving the bones of the Messiah unbroken—in fulfillment of Exodus 12:46.
How is it possible to write in describing these specific details, unless the writer had actually seen the events take place?
Although the Roman soldiers break the legs of both criminals who were crucified next to Jesus—when they examine Jesus, they find that He has already expired, negating the need to break His legs. Think for a moment and consider what an amazing event this was. How carefully God had to plan and arrange the events of Jesus’ crucifixion so that He would fully pay for the sins of the world on the cross, but die before the soldiers arrive to break His legs. Imagine what it would have meant if Jesus had continued to live just a short time longer, and the soldiers had also broken His legs! Jesus would have failed to fulfill the prophecies that describe the Messiah as the Passover Lamb with not one bone broken. A simple failure in just this one prediction would have meant that Jesus could not fulfill all the prophecies of the Messiah, and He could not be our Savior. What great precision and control the Lord has orchestrated to ensure that Jesus would fulfill these many Old Testament prophecies!
What if, on the day Jesus was crucified, He was the only one to die on a cross? What if there was only one other criminal to die, and Isaiah said “transgressors”? This would have disqualified Isaiah’s prophecy, and more yet it would have disqualified all of Isaiah’s prophecies. In order to be defined by God as a true prophet, all of the words of every prophecy that is spoken must come to pass precisely as they were predicted.[2] If this one prophecy had not been fulfilled by Isaiah, because Jesus was the only man to die on that day, then all 131 of Isaiah’s prophecies would have been disqualified. This gives us an idea how impossible it was for these men to write such perfect descriptions and have them fulfilled to the very letter.
Let us imagine for just a moment that the timing of any one of the events concerning the crucifixion had been altered in the slightest. Let us say that the beating Jesus received by scourging was just slightly more severe. The pressure from the strikes against His body, just a little harder. What if the soldier beating Jesus with the scourge had hit a vital organ with the metal pieces of the scourge, causing its failure? Jesus may have died before He even made it to the cross. What if Jesus did not have the ability to control the precise moment His Spirit departed His body? He would still be alive when the soldiers came to break the legs of the other men, and His legs would have also been broken. These simple changes in the entire process would have invalidated Jesus’ claim to be the Messiah, for the prophecies specifically state that the legs of the Messiah cannot be broken.
“No one takes My life from Me, but I lay it down when I chose. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it back again. This command I have received from My Father.”[3]
In this prophecy, Moses commanded that the Passover lamb could not have any of his bones broken while in the course of his preparation and death. It was Jesus’ intent to fulfill the purpose of the Old Testament Passover Lamb, as He became The Lamb who takes away the sins of the world, with no bone broken.
There are 400 prophecies of Messiah like this…
See all 400 of these Prophecies
Notes:
[1] Koskenniemi, Erkki; Kirsi Nisula and Jorma Toppari (2005). “Wine Mixed with Myrrh (Mark 15.23) and Crurifragium (John 19.31-32): Two Details of the Passion Narratives”. Journal for the Study of the New Testament (SAGE Publications) 27 (4): 379–391. doi:10.1177/0142064X05055745. Retrieved 2008-06-13.
[2] 1. Deuteronomy 18:21-22 And if you say in your heart, “How shall we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?”—22 when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.
2. Romans 4:17 God, who… calls those things which do not exist as though they did…
3. The test for whether a word spoken by someone who claims to be a prophet of God—is valid—is determined by their fulfillment. If any word or part of the prophecy fails, the person who spoke the prediction is called a false prophet; and no one should listen to that person.1 If, however, the words that are spoken in each of these prophecies come to pass exactly as they were written, then we can have confidence that God is the original source of these predictions.
[3] John 10:17-18, Author’s translation.
LikeLike
1. The prophets of the Old Testament predicted the same events that Jesus said and did.
Christians may believe this, but atheists are not alone in believing that there is not ONE single prophecy in the OT about Jesus. This is simply wishful thinking on the part of Christians. The overwhelming majority of Jewish scholars agree that there are zero prophecies about Jesus in the OT. Therefore, the best you can say is that the claim of accurate prophecies about Jesus in the OT is contested. One point to note: If the prophecies in the Christian holy book were as accurate as Christians claim, we should see this statistic in at least ONE public university world history text book. We do not.
2. The writers of the New Testament said that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, fulfilled all that the prophets wrote.
See above.
3. The writers of the New Testament said that they saw these things with their own eyes, and heard them with their own ears.
The majority of scholars do not believe that the Gospels were written by eyewitnesses nor the associates of eyewitnesses. Even the overwhelming majority of Roman Catholic NT scholars agree with this majority position. So claiming that this majority position on the non-eyewitness authorship of the Gospels is due to a bias against the supernatural is baseless.
4. 391 Times in the New Testament, these men wrote that Jesus was crucified and raised from the dead.
So? Many ancient texts make claims that we know are not historically accurate.
5. The writers of the New Testament said that they wrote these things so that we would know the truth of what happened concerning Jesus, and that He is God and Messiah.
How do you know that they weren’t mistaken? Humans have sincerely believed many false claims.
6. The New Testament exists as a valid record of historical events that has survived 2,000 years of time and decay with the same basic story.
You have no way of proving that the stories in the Gospels are historically accurate. The fact that we have thousands of accurate copies of a text in no way proves that the statements in the original text were historically accurate.
7. Either a person believes the testimony about Jesus, that He is God and the Savior, or they don’t.
What does that prove? Every religion and cult on the planet can make the same claim.
“The leader of heaven’s gate was a nut who made the whole thing up and deceived a group of gullible people.”
Maybe he was a nut who sincerely believed what he was preaching? Yes, some new religious sects begin due to a “prophet” who is a liar and a swindler. But others begin because a charasmatic leader sincerely believes that he is a special messenger from God, with a special message for humankind, and people believe him. He or she is not evil, just mistaken.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Not one of your statements is true Gary. I have written two books which fully validate that over 400 Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah were fulfilled by Jesus. Atheists often say “The overwhelming majority…” but this is not true. Only a small majority of people say these things and even then they do so because they have a bias against Christ and deny the clear evidence of the text itself which describes and proves that Jesus fulfilled these prophecies.
For example:
One thousand years before Jesus arrived on earth and died on a cross, David wrote in Psalms 16:8-11, that the Messiah would be raised from the dead.
I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice. My body rests in safety. For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your holy one to rot in the grave. You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever. ~Psalms 16:8-11 (NLT)
David writes that the body of Messiah will not be left in the grave to decay, He will be raised to life and live forever.
The critic will object to this conclusion and state that we are only speculating that David was writing this for the Messiah. The objections by most who doubt this verse is applicable to Jesus, say that David is speaking of himself, not someone else.
When we arrive at the New Testament, we begin to see how these obscure verses from the Old Testament, prove every aspect of Jesus’ life death, and resurrection. Notice what Peter wrote just 50 days after Jesus was raised from the dead, while speaking before a large crowd of people gathered in Jerusalem from all over the world:
“People of Israel, listen! God publicly endorsed Jesus the Nazarene by doing powerful miracles, wonders, and signs through him, as you well know. 23 But God knew what would happen, and his prearranged plan was carried out when Jesus was betrayed. With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed him to a cross and killed him. 24 But God released him from the horrors of death and raised him back to life, for death could not keep him in its grip. 25 King David said this about him: ‘I see that the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. 26 No wonder my heart is glad, and my tongue shouts his praises! My body rests in hope. 27 For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your Holy One to rot in the grave. 28 You have shown me the way of life, and you will fill me with the joy of your presence.’ ~Acts 2:22-28 (NLT)
Peter begins by telling the people in verse 23 that Jesus was nailed to a cross and killed, according to the “prearranged plan of God.” Then, in verse 24, Peter says that God raised Jesus from the dead.
In verse 25, Peter ties the resurrection of Jesus to the verse from Psalms 16:8-11, and applies it directly to Jesus. Then in verse 29, Peter said that David did not write this scripture for himself because he died and was buried and his grave is there in Israel. Peter says that David was writing this for Jesus, the Messiah, because he was a prophet who was writing about the future when Jesus would be raised from the dead.
29 “Dear brothers, think about this! You can be sure that the patriarch David wasn’t referring to himself, for he died and was buried, and his tomb is still here among us. 30 But he was a prophet, and he knew God had promised with an oath that one of David’s own descendants would sit on his throne. 31 David was looking into the future and speaking of the Messiah’s resurrection. He was saying that God would not leave him among the dead or allow his body to rot in the grave. 32 “God raised Jesus from the dead, and we are all witnesses of this. ~Acts 2:29-32 (NLT)
From this place in the Book of Acts, we can prove that what David wrote 1,000 years before Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead, is personally applicable to Jesus. Peter said that David was not writing about Himself, but Jesus who was crucified and raised, as David predicted for the Messiah.
Then Peter finishes his statement by saying that “we are all witnesses of this.” Peter is with the other eleven Apostles when he said this. From this text we can see how the 400 Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah are correctly applied to Jesus. We also learn that we not only have the witness of the four Gospels for Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, we also have all of the rest of the New Testament which also describes Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, and the fact that these events are supported by eyewitness testimony.
Now, you might say that these men just made the whole story up. In order to believe this, we would also have to accept that David made up his story in Psalms 16, about a Messiah who would come and die on a cross and be raised from the dead. Add to this 131 Messianic Prophecies by Isaiah, 95 others in the Psalms, and 130 additional prophecies in 25 other books of the Old Testament.
If we are to disregard the narrative about Jesus in the New Testament, then we must also disregard all that was written in the Old Testament about the coming Messiah; for they are the very same person, doing the very same things.
If we accept the idea that the Gospels are contrived, we must also accept that the entire Old Testament is also a fraud. What is predicted by the old is fulfilled by the new. If the Prophecies of the Messiah are lies and the testimony that Jesus performed the miracles these prophets predicted are lies, we are facing the greatest global conspiracy in the history of the world.
This deception began 3,500 years ago and involves 40 authors, who penned 66 books. Anyone who believes this is a fool. The fact that everything that Jesus said and did in the New Testament was predicted ahead of time by over 400 prophecies, and Jesus fulfilled every one, is empirical evidence that the testimony we read about Jesus in the narratives of the New Testament was not made up, it is all true.
This theme of an Old Testament prophecy written for the Messiah, and fulfilled by Jesus in the pages of the New Testament, is repeated over 400 times.
If you are able, please refute just the one prophecy of David I gave you in 1, above. Here in the Old Testament text, written by David one thousand years before Christ was born, he describes the death and resurrection of the Messiah. Peter describes this prophecy written by David, for the Messiah, as fulfilled by Jesus.
This is repeated over 400 additional prophecies: Every Old Testament prophecy of Messiah is fulfilled in the pages of the New Testament.
Here again is the atheist mantra, “The majority of scholars.” The only scholars who write these things are those who do not believe that the Bible is true in the first place. A Majority are atheists themselves and twist the text of the scriptures to fit their agenda that the Gospels were not written by eyewitnesses. In truth, the alleged scholars who dispute that the text of the New Testament was written by eyewitnesses, are not a majority, but a fringe few who are in the minority. All of the reliable scholars concur that the New Testament is reliable, historical testimony, written by eyewitnesses.
In the text of the New Testament itself, the writers state that they saw these thing with their own eyes and heard them with their ears:
Read this article on New Testament reliability:
Peter: Eyewitness
For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. ~2 Peter 1:16-18
John: Eyewitness
We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life. This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life.
He was with the Father, and then he was revealed to us. We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy. ~1 John 1:1-4 (NLT)
Luke: Scribe Of Eyewitness Testimony
Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed. ~Luke 1:1-4
The Testimony Of Jesus, States That The New Testament Was Written As A Historical Narrative:
And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. ~John 20:30-31
Gary, you don’t know that the text is not historically accurate, you are guessing. If you had read any of the hundreds of articles I have written to validate the New Testament as a historical narrative, you would know this.
How do you know they were not mistaken but simply told us the truth? This is the evidence that the New Testament presents to us. Anyone who studies the text for themselves can see that it is genuine and bears no marks of fraud or deceit. The majority of the books of the New Testament are personal letters of communication between Paul and other persons in distant locations. Paul did not write these as a narrative or story, but as instruction, correction, and sometimes rebuke. In this format, it is not possible that Paul was writing lies or deceit.
Yes we do have a proof that the Gospels are accurate. The text itself is the proof. Do you really believe that 66 books written over 1,500 years by 40 different authors from every walk of life, got together and conspired to fool the world into believing that a Messiah would come, and then did come?
The events that are described in the Gospels are nothing more that the fulfillments of all that the Hebrew prophets wrote for the Messiah. Every miracle that Jesus performed was predicted for the Messiah. The crucifixion and resurrection of the Messiah was predicted by the Old Testament prophets, and we see in the New Testament that Jesus perfectly fulfilled these predictions.
This is what the text proves and not you, nor anyone else can disprove these things.
The surviving text of the New Testament is the proof that all that is written about Jesus is true and is the fulfillment of the Old Testament predictions of a promised Messiah.
Neither you nor any of your atheist colleague has ever impeached the testimony of the New Testament about Jesus, or the fact of the Hebrew prophets writing over 400 Messianic prophecies for the Messiah, hundreds, even thousands of years before Jesus arrived.
Jesus is the Messiah that the Hebrew prophets predicted and this is proven to any honest person by the surviving text of the New Testament.
LikeLike
“All of the reliable scholars concur that the New Testament is reliable, historical testimony, written by eyewitnesses.”
The only way this statement can be true is if “reliable scholars” simply means “those scholars who already agree with my position.” I strongly suspect that if they ever stop agreeing with your position you’ll simply deem them unreliable.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Gary,
Are you trying to convince me, or yourself? It seems to me that you are filled with doubts regarding your denial of God and looking for validation by trying to refute those who trust in Christ.
If you don’t believe God exists, why do you care if I believe in Jesus and expect that I will go to heaven when I die? What difference could this possibly make to you?
If you are right, then when I die, that will be the end. If you are right then It doesn’t matter whether I trusted in Jesus or not. I will just die and that is the end.
If you are wrong and God does exist and Jesus is the only Savior, it will matter whether you trusted in Jesus or not. You won’t simply die, that won’t be the end. You will face a judgement beyond your ability to comprehend.
The historical evidence; the scientific evidence; the logical evidence, supports the fact that death is not the end.
I believe the Bible because of the evidence that supports it.
If you really believe that death is the end, it makes no sense that you are so persistent in trying to convince me that Jesus is not real.
It seems to me that you are trying so hard because you are not sure yourself and you think that by impeaching my arguments that you will convince me that I am believing in foolishness and this will confirm your own belief that there is not God.
I am never going to change my mind about Jesus, Gary. I began as a complete skeptic 44 years ago. I only believe that Jesus is real because of the evidence.
There is no evidence that the New Testament is not true. There is no evidence that the universe created itself or it originated because of another universe.
The scientific evidence proves that only an intelligent Being of infinite power and wisdom would be capable of creating this universe.
The evidence is conclusive Gary. Jesus is Creator and Savior because of the evidence from the Bible, supported by history, and the scientific evidence of the universe. This evidence settles the existence of God for me.
If you continue with me, I will understand that it is because you want to believe, not because you think you can change my mind. I am telling you now that you cannot possibly change my mind because the evidence is too great for that to ever be possible.
LikeLike
I lose as much sleep worrying about the Christian hell as you probably spend worrying about the Muslim hell. Why? Answer: Just as you do not believe that the evidence for the claims of Islam are any good, I do not believe that the claims of Christianity are any good. They are silly, based on nothing but false assumptions, conjecture, and wishful thinking.
The world is full of superstitious threats of eternal gloom and doom. Religious people don’t spend two seconds worrying about the threats of other religions, but are amazed when people of other religions are not worried about theirs.
I am involved in one of the greatest movements in human history: the debunking of religious superstitions. I consider it a great honor and privilege. I believe that one day, Rob, your great grandchildren will read our conversations and wish that Great Grandpa Rob had listened to reason and science instead of participating in the dissemination of ancient fear-based superstitions.
LikeLike
It’s impossible to not feel compassion for you Gary. The more I read from you the greater my realization is that you are tremendously misinformed. The fact that you honestly believe that you are part of “one of the greatest movements in human history, the debunking of religions superstitions,” was a stunning revelation.
This statement allowed me to see that your views of religion are skewed by a common belief that all religions are evil and mislead people.
Regarding the general atmosphere and history of religion, I would have to agree with you. There has been a terrible plague of false religious behavior that has plagued our planet for a very long time. The deeds done by those who claim to work for Christ, Allah, or other religions who abuse, murder, and oppress people, is inexcusable.
If you do not distinguish between what is false and what is true, you are making a catastrophic error. Just as racists, group all people of certain color into prejudicial categories, those who see all religious people as dangerous and preaching superstition, are also prejudiced.
It seems that you are not aware of the differences between true Biblical Christianity and false Christianity. You are including all Christians in the Crusades, pedophiles, abusers, and other crimes against humanity. Do you know that those who participated in these crimes were from large organized religions, but did not represent the Christ of the Bible?
If you compare the history of early New Testament Christians to large religious organizations and churches that exist today, you will find a stunning difference.
The faith that I practice, and the Savior I follow, does not condone any of the behaviors of these religious factions. There were no Biblical Christians who participated in the Crusades, the abuse of children, or the hoarding of wealth and power.
As is true in every part of human life, evil people often hijack what is good and use it for their own evil purposes. You don’t appear to understand the difference between the true followers of Jesus, as described in the pages of the New Testament and the false religious people who claim to be a Christian, but never act like Christ in the slightest.
A true Christian is one who acts, speaks, and lives their life as Jesus lived His. We are not perfect people, but our lives are lived purposely so that we might properly represent Jesus is every way possible.
If you study the life of Christ, you will see how He lived, treated people, spoke to them, and how He intentionally set Himself apart from sin.
Those who claim to be Christians who do not live as Christ lived, are liars. These are the people that I am sure you are thinking of in you aversion to religions. I also feel the same and I hate that liars have perverted the love, grace, kindness, and Holiness of Christ for their own evil purposes.
These things being said, I also realize that you will not likely agree with me that there is a difference between those who are seeking to live as Christ lived and all those who live horribly in the world, while claiming to be very religious.
If you believe that you can stand against the true followers of the Biblical Jesus, as His followers and those who seek to spread the Good News of His Salvation, you should know that you cannot possibly stop this movement. This has been tried for nearly 2,000 years. Even in the face of terrible persecution during the first 300 years of the Christian church when over 5 million believers were killed, this effort to stop Christ’s Gospel only served to increase the numbers of believers and spread news of Jesus to even more people.
Because you don’t know God, you cannot fathom His power to carry out His will on the earth. There is no power that has been capable of stopping Jesus’ Gospel, at any time.
You are not a part of anything new, regarding your opposition to Christ. You are in a very small minority of people, between 7-10% of people in the world, who claim that God does not exist. Some estimates are that close to 80% of the people on earth believe that God exists. Precisely how 7% who stand in opposition to 80% are the greatest movement in history, is not clear.
From the very beginning, the world has stood against Jesus and those who love Him. Jesus said that this world hates Him because His message is that we are evil and headed for judgement. He commanded every person to turn from their sins and believe in Him for their Salvation so that they could avoid the future judgement. The world hates this message because, Jesus said, “they love their sins more than they love God.”
The greatest movement against true Biblical Christianity has already taken place. It was in the first 300 years, when so many died for simply trusting in Jesus. Your movement today is weak and completely ineffective. More about noise and confusion than any coherent argument, the world doesn’t listen to you.
There is no hope in atheism. No love, compassion, grace, or joy. All that you offer the world is death. There is no hope of anything beyond the grave, no purpose in life, no basis for human worth, no worthwhile reason to believe what you espouse. Despite your feeble efforts, the world knows that atheism is a lie and the agenda you preach that there is no God, is not born out of evidence. You have nothing to offer the world, so they reject your attempts and only a very few weak minded individuals, deprived of intellect, believe in atheism.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is an Anvil that has worn out the hammer of many an atheist.
LikeLike
Just because a claim is unique, does not make it true. A case in point: The leader of Heaven’s Gate told his disciples that salvation would arrive on a comet. That is a very unique claim. We all know it wasn’t true though, right?
The uniqueness of a claim is not proof that a claim is true. There is no good evidence that the supernatural claims of Christianity are true, Rob.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Gary,
The basis for truth is whether there is evidence to support its premise, not whether it is unique.
1. The prophets of the Old Testament predicted the same events that Jesus said and did.
2. The writers of the New Testament said that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, fulfilled all that the prophets wrote.
3. The writers of the New Testament said that they saw these things with their own eyes, and heard them with their own ears.
4. 391 Times in the New Testament, these men wrote that Jesus was crucified and raised from the dead.
5. The writers of the New Testament said that they wrote these things so that we would know the truth of what happened concerning Jesus, and that He is God and Messiah.
6. The New Testament exists as a valid record of historical events that has survived 2,000 years of time and decay with the same basic story.
7. Either a person believes the testimony about Jesus, that He is God and the Savior, or they don’t.
The claims of Jesus are supported by both the Old and New Testaments, eyewitnesses who recored what they saw and heard, and this testimony has survived for us to read today.
The leader of heaven’s gate was a nut who made the whole thing up and deceived a group of gullible people.
I am surprised that you can’t tell the difference between the 3,500 year body of evidence for Jesus and the lies of heaven’s gate.
LikeLike
Notice that the fundamentalist Christian’s last line of defense in every discussion with non-believers is an attempt to instill fear of the unknown.
None of us knows for sure what happens after death. Christians and other religionists pounce on this uncertainty and attempt to scare us…
The problem is, there isn’t just one god. And if you have spent anytime like I have looking at the evidence for the major world religions, you will see that the evidence for the claims of Christianity are no better than the claims of other world religions (in fact, it is worse than many of them). There is no safe bet. We must believe based on evidence, not fear!
LikeLike
Gary, When God said in Genesis 6 that “every thought and intent of man was towards sin continually,” and God determined to bring judgement upon the earth; He could have destroyed the world immediately. Instead He gave the people of earth 100 years between the time Noah started building the boat and the time the flood began.
When God warned the Canaanites to cease killing their newborn babies on the fiery hot arms of their god, Molech, He could have destroyed them all immediately. Instead, God waited nearly 900 years before He brought their destruction.
When God judged the present world as guilty and worthy of judgement for rejecting His Son who came to die for our sins, He could have destroyed the world at that time. Instead, He has given the world nearly 2,000 years to repent and turn to Christ for salvation.
God is a righteous and Just Judge, but He is also a loving God who does not take pleasure in the death of the wicked. God has repeatedly shown us how patient he is with this wicked world that fell into sin and corrupted His perfect creation. All of the evil, suffering, sickness and death in the world is our fault. It is each one of us who, by our sin, continue to corrupt the world that God made.
God has determined that He will save those who believe what He said. He promised in Genesis 3:15 to send us a Savior who would be born of the “Seed of a woman,” a prophecy of a future Messiah by a virgin birth. God said through the prophets that Messiah would be crucified and raised from the dead after three days. Jesus arrived on the precise day that the prophet said He would come and was crucified and raised from the dead, just as the prophets said He would.
God has appointed a time of judgment for this world. Each one of us will stand before Him and give an account for the life we have lived. Jesus said that “every idle word that we speak, we will give an account for them.” Those who have obeyed God’s command to turn from their sins and receive the Savior He gave us, will be saved. Those who disobey God and refuse to repent and turn to the Savior God gave, will perish eternally.
Just as in the days of Noah, the Canaanites, and with the angels who rebelled, God will bring judgment to this world very soon. You have the opportunity today to hear this message, turn from your sins, and be saved. Please do not be foolish and continue with this denial of God, His word, and the arrival of His Son who came to save you.
Turn from your sins today and receive Christ so that a time of refreshing might come upon you and you will have the assurance of eternal life. You will find peace with God and peace with yourself. Your sins will be washed away and exist no more. You will become a part of an eternal family of people who love God and will live with Him in a perfect world forever.
I grieve for you, Gary. I feel so bad for you that your mind is confused; your eyes are blinded to the truth; your ears will not listen; your heart will not soften and receive the love of the truth so that you might be saved.
Please turn now and receive Christ and live for Him the rest of your life.
LikeLike
Gary, there is only one True and Living God. All the others are false gods created by the imaginations of men. Not knowing the difference between the True God and these others is clearly one of the reasons that you have such great difficulty. I will give you a detailed answer so that you will understand that there is just one True God.
When we examine all of the other gods of this world, we find common denominators. For one, they are usually the creations of men and their imaginations. The Bible defines all of these man-made gods as empowered by demons who are fallen angels masquerading as gods.
What am I saying then? That an idol is really a god? No!, The things which the Gentiles sacrifice to these gods, they really sacrifice to demons and not to God ~1 Corinthians 10:19-20 (RCR)
When we actually examine these other gods and religions, we see a stunning difference.
• The God of the Bible is Personal; all other gods are impersonal and often unknowable.
• The God of the Bible is uncreated and has no beginning; other gods are created beings who had a beginning.
• The God of the Bible is sinless, perfect in every regard; gods of other religions, myths, and legends are consistently imperfect, and display characteristics similar to human behavior.
• The God of the Bible is loving, compassionate, patient, kind, and merciful; all other gods do not possess these desirable attributes.
• The God of the Bible is a righteous judge who makes determinations based upon the heart and motives of a person; other gods cannot see into the heart of a person, nor do they know their true motives.
• The God of the Bible is the Creator of all that exists; other gods are a part of the creation but did not create the universe.
• The God of the Bible is compassionate and understanding in the fallen human condition. He departed heaven to become one of us in order to secure our salvation. All other gods are insistent that they are served and honored, and none would ever die for a human being.
• The God of the Bible has made over 3,500 prophecies—2,500 of which have already been fulfilled without error. The gods of this world do not have the ability to accurately predict the future, nor do they know their own future.
• The God of the Bible is all powerful and cannot be overcome by evil in any form. The other gods have limited power and cannot defeat all enemies or adversaries. They are often overcome by more powerful gods. Many gods of this world are imaginary, carved from wood or cast from metal.
These gods exist only in ideals but not in reality.
How foolish are those who manufacture idols. These prized objects are really worthless. The people who worship idols don’t know this, so they are all put to shame. Who but a fool would make his own god—an idol that cannot help him one bit? All who worship idols will be disgraced along with all these craftsmen—mere humans—who claim they can make a god. ~Isaiah 44:9-11 (NLT)
Many of the gods who exist in religions of the world are mortals or men themselves who have ascended to the position of a god. The God of the Bible has stated that only He is truly God, and exists as a non-material Spirit-Being.
This is what the Lord says—“I am the First and the Last; there is no other God. Who is like me?Let him step forward and prove to you his power. Let him do as I have done since ancient times when I established a people and explained its future. Do not tremble; do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim my purposes for you long ago? You are my witnesses—is there any other God? No! ~Isaiah 44:6-8 (NLT)
In all religions except those who trust in Jesus for their salvation, a works-based redemption is necessary. Those who make themselves a part of these particular religions must keep a code of behavior in order to be saved. The final destiny of the member is often unknown until that person dies.
In the case of a Mormon member, their eternal salvation is in the ultimate hands of the church founder, Joseph Smith. No Mormon can get into heaven without his express permission, even if they have a perfect record of obedience.
“No man or woman in this dispensation will ever enter into the celestial kingdom of God without the consent of Joseph Smith. From the day that the Priesthood was taken from the earth to the winding-up scene of all things, every man and woman must have the certificate of Joseph Smith, junior, as a passport to their entrance into the mansion where God and Christ are” ~Journal of Discourses, Vol. 7, p.282-91
The God of the Bible wanted us to know that we can be saved by our simple willingness to turn to Him. If we will trust in Jesus for our salvation, we can know for certain that we have eternal life as a present possession.
These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. ~1 John 5:13
All religions and churches of the world have methods of redemption that are far different from those prescribed by Jesus’ death and resurrection.
The followers of Jesus are saved by God’s grace (unmerited favor), through their faith in what Jesus has done for them in dying for their sins.
In all other religions, the participant, must, themselves, be perfect in their behavior before admission is granted. Christianity is unique amongst all religions in that salvation does not depend upon the performance of those who want to be saved, but upon Jesus who is saving them.
What is unique about Jesus, in contrast to other religions and the reason that He claims to be the only way to heaven is His unique, sinless character and record of sinlessness while living as a man on earth.
Jesus was born of a virgin by a supernatural work of God when Mary carried the Seed within her that permitted Jesus’ conception. This Seed was promised, in Genesis 3:15, by God as a prophecy of Mary’s future pregnancy through an act of God and not by any man.
Because Jesus was born without a sin nature, He was sinless from birth. In order to be qualified as our Savior, Jesus must not commit any sin during His entire life. According to the testimony of all those who knew Jesus and lived in close proximity to Him, He never sinned.
Jesus Claimed He Was Without Sin
But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? ~John 8:45-46
Either Jesus is telling the truth, or He is lying. If Jesus is lying about being sinless, then He is a sinner, just like all other men. If Jesus is a liar and deceiver, how could He also have the power to heal the sick and raise the dead? If men who are sinners can command a person to see again, walk who are paralyzed, or raise them from the dead, why don’t we see sinful men today with the ability to heal or raise the dead?
The evidence that is presented to us confirms that Jesus was sinless, or He never could have done the things that are written of Him.
The men who didn’t believe that Jesus was God, at first, later confirmed that they had never seen Jesus sin in the nearly four years they knew Him.
Paul: For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. ~Hebrews 4:15
Peter: but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. ~1 Peter 1:19
When we examine all of His behavior in the four Gospels, there is no record or mention of any sins that Jesus committed. This distinguishes Jesus as the only sinless human being in existence, and therefore qualified to be the Savior of the world.
A man who is, himself, a sinner can never act as a Savior for other men who are sinners. Because Jesus is the only man who is sinless, only He is qualified to act as our Savior. No other god or religion has a Savior who is sinless, therefore they are all inferior to Jesus.
Examine the graves of all others who claimed to be a savior, and you will find that their bones are still in the grave. The testimony of those who were there when Jesus was crucified is that three days later, He was seen alive by over 500 eyewitnesses, over a 40 day period of time.
For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time. ~1 Corinthians 15:3-8
Paul wrote this testimony. It was he who carried documents of authority from the government to towns all over Israel to arrest and condemn Christians to death (Acts 9). Paul wrote that Jesus appeared to Him personally after He had risen from the dead. From that moment, Paul changed from an adversary of Jesus to His chief advocate in proving that He rose from the dead.
It was because of Jesus’ resurrection that He had such a profound impact on the world. This effect is still being felt today by over two billion people who also believe that Jesus has risen from the dead.
The truth of Jesus’ resurrection is an anvil that has worn out many hammers of opposition over the past 2,000 years.
The Singular Life Of Jesus
When we explore who Jesus really is and compare His life with those of other religions and gods of this world, we see a distinct difference.
Only Jesus has displayed evidence that would allow us to conclude that He is God. Some have expressed doubts that Jesus really intended that people would believe He is God. When we examine the literary evidence from first century sources that are extant today, we see just the opposite.
Other gods:
When we examine other gods and religions, we see that their precepts and principles are drastically different from what we learn about Jesus in the New Testament. This is important because we find in this world that counterfeits are often similar to the genuine, but less-than, or incomplete in comparison.
Allah is similar to the Hebrew God, Yahweh, but does not have a Son who took the body of a man and died for the sins of the world. A works-based salvation, Islam demands obedience in order for salvation to occur. In examining their scriptures, we see that the Koran teaches violence and death as acceptable methods for conversion.
Quran (2:191-193) – “And kill them wherever you find them, and turn them out from where they have turned you out. And Al-Fitnah [disbelief or unrest] is worse than killing…but if they desist, then lo! Allah is forgiving and merciful. And fight them until there is no more Fitnah [disbelief and worshipping of others along with Allah] and worship is for Allah alone. But if they cease, let there be no transgression except against Az-Zalimun (the polytheists, and wrong-doers, etc.)”
Islam is a religion of violence; whereas Jesus taught love, peace, and kindness as emblems of faith. Islam teaches vengeance for enemies; Jesus said to love your enemies and do good to them.
You have heard that it was said,‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. ~Matthew 5:43-45
Those who follow the religion of Islam believe that human beings are sinners because Allah has willed this. Muslims do not teach or know that the Bible describes sin as the fault of human actions, not the fault of God (Romans 5:12, 18, 19). In Islam, God is responsible for the condition of the world. The Bible teaches that the world is full of evil, violence, suffering, sickness, and death because man brought sin into the world.
Former member of Islam, Nabeel Qureshi, said this:
“I left Islam because I studied Muhammad’s life. I accepted the Gospel because I studied Jesus’ life.”
Buddha: based upon the life of Siddhartha Gautama, a mortal man who was known as “the Buddha” or “the enlightened one.” To Buddha, the principal problem of earth is “Dukkha” or suffering. Only by achieving a mental state of “nirvana” through ridding the body of all physical or mental cravings and desires can a human being be free of suffering. Freeing a human being from temptation is never going to happen and it will not rid the world of sin, which is man’s basic nature.
The central problem with Buddhism is that its founder was a mortal, sinful man who has no real power to save anyone. This is a works-based religion without true eternal salvation. Buddha remains in his grave to this day, unable to achieve his own resurrection or to help anyone else with their resurrection. Jesus rose from His grave, never to die again. Jesus exhibited a power over death that Buddha could not attain.
Gnosticism: In the religion of Gnosticism, God is unknowable; the creator-god is evil, and all matter is evil. This religion is ancient, but made a prominent return in the third and fourth century after Jesus’ death and resurrection. Salvation in Gnosticism consists of returning to the spiritual world through secret knowledge of the universe.
Similar to many other religions, Gnostic salvation is the work of the participant, not the actions of God or His grace as described by the God of the Bible who gives eternal life as a free gift.
Hindu gods: number over 330 million. This is a works-based religion which is appealing to the human ego, but ineffective to really save.
Where the Christian God is personal, the Hindu god is impersonal and cannot be known.
The central problem of mankind from the Hindu perspective is ignorance, whereas the God of the Bible describes moral imperfection or sin and man’s central problem.
Salvation in Hinduism is a personal work of ridding self of ego and becoming god-like. The Christian God describes the salvation of all people as possible only because of the work that Jesus, the Son of God, has completed for us, and is offered as a free gift to anyone who will receive it.
Krishna: is an ascended man who became a god, one of millions of Hindu god’s. Salvation is by the achievement of an altered state of consciousness, which is used by demons to enter the body of unsuspecting human beings.
Taoism: is based on the teachings of a mortal man, Lao-Tzu, c. 550 B.C., from China. A therapy-type religion which promises peace and tranquility but no afterlife.
The Mormon God: has a son who is known by the same name as the Biblical Jesus, but is not the historical Jesus of the Bible.
When the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Gordon Hinckley, was asked if Mormons believe in the historical Jesus of the Bible, this was his response:
“No, I don’t. The traditional Christ of whom they speak is not the Christ of whom I speak. For the Christ of whom I speak has been revealed in this the Dispensation of the Fullness of Times. He together with His Father, appeared to the boy Joseph Smith in the year 1820, and when Joseph left the grove that day, he knew more of the nature of God than all the learned ministers of the gospel of the ages.’” ~Gordon Hinckley, LDS Church News, Week ending June 20, 1998, p. 7)
The Mormon Jesus
• A Created Being, older brother of Lucifer.7
• Was once a man, just one of many gods.8
• Not a Virgin birth. Conceived by a physical sex act by Elohim (God the Father or Adam) with Mary.9
• Was once a sinful, imperfect man.10
• Had to earn his own salvation.11
• Married to many different wives.12
The Jesus of the Bible
• Eternal, the Creator Himself, always was God.13
• Has always been God, became a man for us.14
• Conceived by the Holy Spirit with Mary who was a Virgin.15
• Eternally sinless and perfect forever.16
• Has always been God, did not have to earn salvation.17
• Never married to anyone.18 Al
Although most people think that Mormons are Christians, they do not believe in the Christ who is the only Savior, therefore their religion cannot save.
In order for salvation to be possible, a person must trust in the Christ who is described by the Bible, not in a different Jesus created by the Mormon religion.
The Jehovah’s Witnesses:
God is Yahweh from the Bible, not Jesus. Although the New Testament is clear that Jesus is Jehovah, this fact is denied by the JW religion. Although the Bible describes Jesus as the Son of God, the JW religion states that God did not have a son. The Jesus they call savior is not the Eternal God who came to earth as a man, but simply a created being.
Because the Jehovah’s Witnesses diminish Jesus, take away His power as God and make Him a created being, the Jesus they believing in, cannot save.
The following are some of the Jehovah’s Witness Doctrines:
• Jesus is not God. Jehovah is the mighty god who created Jesus.19
• Jesus was formerly the Archangel Michael.20
• Jesus was only a perfect Man, but He is not God.21
• Jesus did not raise from the dead Bodily, only in Spirit.22
• Jesus’ sacrifice alone did not pay for our Salvation. The JW’s must themselves earn their own salvation by performing good works.23
• There is no Father, Son, and Holy Spirit who are “God.” Only “Jehovah” is God.24
New Age:
god is an impersonal life force that is inside every person. Each member is their own god and a part of the total universe. The usage of demonic practices such as astrology, mysticism, use of crystals, yoga, tarot readings, holistic medicine, psychic abilities, angelic communications, channeling, amulets, and fortune telling, are all used by demons to deceive human hosts. In many cases, these New Age practices are a point of entry for demonic oppression and possession.
The primary difference between Jesus and all other gods and religions is his eternality, power of creation, power over death, and tremendous sacrificial love.
The View Of Jesus, By Other Religions
A common error by other religions and many people in the world is the diminishing of Jesus from who He is portrayed as by the Bible. The Hebrew and Greek scriptures portray Jesus as God, Creator of all that exists and the only Savior.
Many of these religions make Jesus a common, ordinary man–without the power to save anyone
.
• Islam: Jesus was only a man, a prophet below Mohammed.25
• Hinduism: Do not believe that Jesus is God but just one of many incarnations of Vishnu the Hindu God.26
• Buddhism: Jesus is not God. In fact, they do not believe in a personal God.27
• Baha’i Faith: Jesus is just another man whose career as lord ended when Mohammed founded Islam.28
• Christian Science: “The Blood of Jesus was no more able to cleanse sin when it was shed on the cross than when it was flowing in His veins”.29
• Evolution: “There is no purpose or meaning to life. All mankind is one cosmic accident…” “The man called Jesus is a mythical person created by religious zealots.”30
THERE IS NO ONE LIKE JESUS!
I wrote a book that documents the evidentiary reasons why only Jesus is God and all others are not.
References:
7 Milton R. Hunter, First Council of Seventy, The Gospel Through the Ages, p. 15
8 Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, V7, page 333
9 Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, pp. 547, 742
10 Joseph Smith, Times and Seasons, Vol. 5, pages 613-614
11 Joseph Smith, Times and Seasons, Vol. 5, pages 613-614
12 Orson Hyde, Apostle, Journal of Discourses, vol. 2, p. 82 Bruce R. McConkie, Apostle, Mormon Doctrine, p. 516
13 John 1:1, Colossians 1:17, Hebrews 1
14 John 3:16, John 1:1
15 Luke 1:31
16 Luke 1:35, John 8:46, 1 Peter 1:18-19
17 2 Corinthians 5:21, John 1:1
18 There is no record of Jesus marriage in any of the testimony of the entire Bible. 19 The Truth Shall Make You Free, p. 47, The Kingdom is at Hand, p. 46, 47, 49
20 Reasoning from the Scriptures, 1985, p. 306, “In His Pre-existence, Jesus Christ was the angelic being described in the Bible as Michael the Archangel. He has only the power and nature of a created angelic being,” (The Watchtower Publication)
21 Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, V7, page 333
22 Joseph Smith, Times and Seasons, Vol. 5, pages 613-614
23 Orson Hyde, Apostle, Journal of Discourses, vol. 2, p. 82 Bruce R. McConkie, Apostle, Mormon Doctrine, p. 516
24 John 3:16, John 1:1
25 The Koran, A very great prophet, second only to Muhammad. Jesus is not the son of God (9:30) and certainly is not divine (5:17, 75)) and he was not crucified (4:157
26 The Bhagavad Gita, tr. Juan Mascaró (Middlesex, England: Penguin Books, 1962
27 Buddhism and Interfaith Dialogue by Masao Abe and Steven Heine (Jun 1, 1995) ISBN pages 99-100
Mysticism, Christian and Buddhist by Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki ((Aug 4, 2002)) ISBN 1605061328 page 113
28 Stockman, Robert. “Jesus Christ in the Baha’i Writings”. Baha’i Studies Review
29 Christian Science: Science & Health, 25:6-9
30 Lawrence Krauss: From a Cosmic Perspective, We’re IrrelevantBecause if the universe doesn’t care about us and if we’re an accident in a remote corner of the universe, in some sense it makes us more precious. The meaning in our lives is provided by us; we provide our meaning. And we are here by accidents of evolution and the formation of planets.
LikeLike
Exodus 21:7-11
When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do. 8 If she does not please her master, who designated her for himself, then he shall let her be redeemed; he shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has dealt unfairly with her. 9 If he designates her for his son, he shall deal with her as with a daughter. 10 If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish the food, clothing, or marital rights of the first wife.[a] 11 And if he does not do these three things for her, she shall go out without debt, without payment of money.
LikeLike
It appears that your post here of the text from Exodus 21, is an attempt to impeach my article regarding God’s disapproval of slavery. I want to thank you for this post as it further serves to prove that God did not approve of slavery at any time.
This text from Exodus was written by Moses, who frequently had to give accommodations to the stubborn Jews and the pagans who left Egypt with the Jews, upon their deliverance from Pharaoh.
Jesus commented on one of these incidents when He was correcting the view of the Pharisees who asked Jesus about Moses giving approval for a man to issue his wife a certificate of divorce. Jesus said: “from the beginning this was not so…” Jesus went on to teach that God never condones divorce at any time, except for unfaithfulness and even then, this is not God’s perfect will for any couple.
Jesus told the Pharisees that Moses allowed this because of the “hardness of the hearts” of the Jews at that time. In other words, these people were going to do this anyway, Moses simply made an exception in their desire for divorce, with certain guidelines. Jesus made it clear that divorce (and slavery) is not God’s will.
This principle is the same concerning slavery or any other sin the Children of Israel were practicing, which God also did not approve of.
Who Was The Text Written To?
It is important to notice what the beginning of the books of the Old Testament state, regarding who these texts are being written to.
In the text you referenced from exodus 21:7-11, notice how the Book of Exodus begins:
Exodus 1:1 “Now these are the names of the children of Israel who came to Egypt…”
These texts are written to the Hebrews, not to the world. We see the Children of Israel gathered together by Moses at the foot of Mount Sinai to receive God’s law:
Exodus 19:1 “In the third month after the children of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on the same day, they came to the Wilderness of Sinai.”
In chapter 21, from where you brought your references text, we see that the context of this chapter is from God, through Moses, in guidelines for the Jews on how they should treat servants in their house:
Exodus 21:1-2 “Now these are the judgments which you shall set before them: 2 If you buy a Hebrew servant, he shall serve six years; and in the seventh he shall go out free and pay nothing.”
These guidelines are from Moses, to the Jews, not to the world:
The text you included here is the guidelines concerning how the Hebrews were to conduct themselves regarding a father who gives his daughter in marriage for a dowery (their custom), so that if the marriage should fail, the daughter would have financial support after she is divorced and goes back home to her father.
Your objection is to the text where it references the daughter as “sells his daughter as a slave.”
This did not mean the same to the people of that day, that it does to us today. From our history of unjust slavery that took place in the early history of the United States, and around the world, we see all slavery as atrocious and vile, as we should.
At the time that Moses wrote this, when he wrote this ONLY to the Children of Israel, not to the whole world, Moses was again making an accommodation similar to what Jesus said in His commentary of Moses authorizing the giving of a certificate of divorce. At this time of history, many Hebrew families were very poor. In order for families to survive, sons and daughter were sold into slavery so that income could be obtained for the remaining family members to survive. In this practice, God gave humane guidelines for the treatment of these persons; only for six years, released and all debts cancelled. No harsh treatment. Daughters were to be treated as a wife with all honor and love, treated with kindness and respect.
From the beginning of creation, at no time, will you ever find God endorsing the selling or owning of slaves. You will find God in His patience and forbearance with sinful human beings, making rules for how the early Jews were to treat slaves. You will not find God endorsing or approving slavery, only how the stubborn and obstinate Jews must treat slaves.
When we arrive at the New Testament we also see the practice of slavery in the Roman world and many people who had slaves or were slaves, began to trust in Christ. Paul wrote, again, guidelines for these relationships. See Philemon.
If you truly want to know how God feels about slavery, male and female equality, or differences in color or race, the following text from the New Testament sums it up:
Galatians 3:28 There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.
In other words, God respects and treats every person equally.
Under Jesus and the salvation He purchased for us, every person on the earth who trusts in Christ, is equal before God, in every way. Every place where true New Testament Christianity has spread throughout the world, over the course of human history, equality for all persons has always been a fundamental precept and principle.
The slavery that is seen in the Bible is due to human sinfulness, not by law or decree from God. It is in the Bible that we see the patience of God in giving stubborn people time to change their minds, receive the salvation that God offers, and then by their subsequent change of heart by knowing God, that people stop prejudice, hatred, slavery, and all sinful behavior as a result of being born again by the Spirit and having a new life that thinks and lives differently.
LikeLike
That’s a lot of explaining. I think the verse says it all, no explanation needed.
Even if I could prove to you, Rob, with indisputable historical evidence that your God condoned the selling of one’s daughter for financial profit or that he ordered the targeted killing of thousands of innocent children at some point in history, that would most likely not change your mind in the slightest about your god’s goodness or his existence. Why? Because your belief is not based on objective evidence. It is based on the subjective “testimony of the Holy Spirit” in your heart. Until you objectively evaluate the reality of the presence of a “spirit” inside your body, no amount of objective evidence will ever change your mind.
Here is what I suggest you do: Test the spirit. Do what the Bible tells you to do and test the spirit. Test the “spirit” that you believe lives in your body and gives you secret knowledge and life direction. Test this spirit with the same tests you would advise someone of another religion to do to prove the reality of their god or gods. If you do this, I believe that you will be unable to give good, convincing evidence that the “spirit” inside you is anyone other than…YOU…talking to yourself.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Gary,
By your comment that “the verse says it all and no explanation is needed,” you show that you are biased in your view of God and His word. If you were a sincere seeker of truth then you would want to understand what these verses of scripture really mean, in context with their background and the traditions of people at that time.
By drawing out a particular verse of scripture without seeking to understand it, or have it explained to you, it is easy to see that you have only one agenda: to impugn God. I find your comments quite disingenuous. Genuine seekers of truth welcome a detailed explanation. Scoffers, pull out verses of scripture with no context and mock God. You don’t understand God or His word because you don’t really want to understand. This is most unfortunate, but over time as I have read many of your comments, It is easy to discern now what your true intents are.
I explained to you that God did not approve the selling of a daughter. This was the practice of the culture of Jews at that time, for reasons of poverty. Moses gave this command to that generation, not to the whole world. Did you read the article? There is not a single place in the Bible where God states that we should take slaves. There are several places where we see that people take slaves, and because of the hardness of their hearts, God institutes commands for how they must treat these persons.
God did not institute “targeted killing of thousands,” He brought judgement to wicked populations of people who refused to cease from their evil. As God, He is perfect in every way and all of His judgements are right and just. If a judge does not condemn the guilty and execute a sentence against the unrighteous, he is an unrighteous judge. We would not want to live in a country where evil is not punished and justice is not served.
The Canaanites were brutal, vicious people who sacrificed their children to Molech. God warned these people for nearly 900 years before He brought their destruction. How long are you willing to wait when someone wrongs you or your family? God is very patient and kind and gives people a very long time before He brings judgement. When they do not listen and turn from their sins, He does bring judgement, as He should.
My belief is not based upon feelings or subjective evidence. I have written over 2200 articles and published 31 books about empirical evidence which proves that God exists, He is good, and earnestly wants to save people. It is people like yourself who deny God even though you see the universe He created, enjoy the life He gave you, and then shake your fist in His face and say He is unjust, and condemns innocent people to death.
God has given us evidence but you do not accept the evidence.
1. The universe God created is evidence He exists.
2. The Bible is the word of God and adequate instructions for Godly living.
3. The appearance of Jesus on earth, proves that God exists and allows us to see what He is like and what He requires of us to have a relationship with Him.
You do not accept God’s evidence. This does not change the fact that He has provided you with everything you need to believe. On your judgement day, you will not be able to say that you didn’t know that God exists, or that He did not prove Himself to you. You will have nothing to say, because you will know, that He knows, you knew.
You are the one that has committed wrongs by impugning the name of God and have misrepresented Him. You have rejected His love for you and gone out to tell people they are foolish to believe God is good or that He exists. Jesus said that those who spend their lives leading others away from Him, and cause them to loose their faith, as you are trying to do, “It would be better that they were never born…” God takes personal offense at your constant articles that you write to impugn His name and make people stop believing in Him. You have made yourself the enemy of God. Instead, notice how good the Lord is; He came to earth and died for you and gave up His life to save you. Stop your hatred of God, turn from your sins and receive Christ so that you might be saved from the judgment to come. I implore you!
Your idea that trust in Christ is simply a inner emotion that we believe in a Holy Spirit that is not real, and we depend only upon our feelings for faith, is absolutely not true. Perhaps this is why you stopped believing; because you did not have knowledge of the vast evidence, but only relied upon your feelings. These feelings changed when you had doubts, and you had no training in the evidence to support your doubts.
We should believe because God has left us such great evidence for faith. He created all that exists and left us His word to give us evidence for faith. Finally, God sent His Son into the world to die for our sins, and left a visible proof that He exists and He wants to save those who will trust Him.
I believe because the evidence compels me to believe. You should too.
LikeLike
“1. The universe God created is evidence He exists.”
I think you’re assuming your conclusion with a statement like this. You’ve assumed that the universe is created, and that God did it. We don’t know either of these things to be true. Frankly I don’t even know how the existence of the universe can be evidence for the supernatural, let alone the god of Christianity.
“2. The Bible is the word of God and adequate instructions for Godly living.”
How do you know this? I see plenty of bad advice in the Bible, along with bad ideas about how to live.
“3. The appearance of Jesus on earth, proves that God exists and allows us to see what He is like and what He requires of us to have a relationship with Him.”
Please explain to me how you get from “Jesus appeared on Earth” to “proves that God exists”. Even if I accept that Jesus came back from the dead this no more establishes that he is God than it establishes that Jesus is one of the aliens from The Highlander movies.
“God takes personal offense at your constant articles that you write to impugn His name and make people stop believing in Him”
And you know this based on what?
“Perhaps this is why you stopped believing; because you did not have knowledge of the vast evidence….I believe because the evidence compels me to believe. You should too.”
The evidence seems far from compelling, and I doubt that the evidence is why you are a Christian.
LikeLike
Thank you Herald for your comments, observations and questions.
These points were made towards the end of a longer conversation, so they are not complete answers. Assuming that you are genuinely interested in the answers, I will direct you to some of the articles I have written which answer your questions in great detail. Rather than send you to many pages, I will place the directory for all of these pages that answer the questions you posed here.
The only reason I am a Christian; a follower of Jesus, is because of the evidence.
Proving The Existence Of God From Evidence
The Universe
The Bible
The Historical Jesus
The Resurrection
One Way To Heaven
LikeLike