Wednesday, September 20, 2017
Wednesday, September 13, 2017
My Muslim friend, The Historical Reliability of the Gospel, part One
The word Injil ("Gospel") is an Arabic translation of the Greek word Evangelion which means "happy message" or "good news," for it proclaims to all the absolute love of God towards sinners through the atoning death of Christ on their behalf; whoever truly believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).
Before addressing the belief that the Gospel of the Christians has been abrogated, we would say that anyone can accuse someone with whatever accusation he likes-but if there is no convincing evidence to back the accusation, it becomes null and void. Thus, those who say that the Gospel has been abrogated are obliged to mention:
Neither the contemporaries of Christ nor their successors questioned the authenticity of any part of the Gospel text:
Before addressing the belief that the Gospel of the Christians has been abrogated, we would say that anyone can accuse someone with whatever accusation he likes-but if there is no convincing evidence to back the accusation, it becomes null and void. Thus, those who say that the Gospel has been abrogated are obliged to mention:
- The original state of the verses abrogated
- The names of those who abrogated the Gospel, the time of abrogation and the purpose behind it.
- How the Gospel managed to be abrogated when, by the second century, thousands of Gospel texts had already spread to different countries in several languages.
- The method the abrogators used to cover up the alleged abrogation, which only the opponents of Christianity supposedly discovered and that hundreds of years after the alleged abrogation had taken place.
Neither the contemporaries of Christ nor their successors questioned the authenticity of any part of the Gospel text:
- Just ten days after the ascension of Christ into heaven, the Gospel began to spread orally among the people of Jerusalem who had lived with Him and knew everything about Him (Acts 2-7). Not even one of them disproved anything mentioned in the Gospel message. After that, in no more than three years, the Gospel spread to many Eastern and Western countries, being translated into the languages of these lands. Most of the inhabitants of these nations were permeated by Greek culture and influence then, so they did not accept the news until it had been thoroughly scrutinized from all angles (see Acts 17:10-12, 19:8-24). Historically, no one accused the evangelists of abrogating or distorting the Gospel.
- Neither Jews nor pagans, despite their cynicism toward Christian beliefs and practices since the first century (owing to its spiritual essence, far loftier than mere human understanding), accused Christians of deleting from or adding to their Gospel.
- The heathen philosophers who accepted Christianity during the first centuries were famous for their research and debating. They themselves divided into factions over the explanation of particular verses in the Gospel. Each group was hostile toward the other and tried to find fault on various philosophical points. Yet, no group accused any of the others of abrogating the Gospel upon which all parties depended for research and discussion. Thus, their unfiled acceptance of the Gospel text proves they regarded it as authentic.
The distinctives of the Lord Jesus Christ in the Qu'ran, part One
There are distinctives and attributes that were given to Christ in the Qur'an that were never given to anyone else who ever he was.
1) Jesus was the only person ever to be born of a virgin, distinguished from all humans and prophets without any exception. The Qur'an says about Mary, the mother of Jesus, as the Angel announced to her the coming baby, as saying: "She said, How shall I have a son, (me) whom no mortal has touched, neither have I been unchased. He said, Even so thy Lord has said, Easy is that for Me and that We may appoint Him a sign unto men and a mercy from Us. It is a thing determined (Mary 16-34).
http://answering-islam.org/
1) Jesus was the only person ever to be born of a virgin, distinguished from all humans and prophets without any exception. The Qur'an says about Mary, the mother of Jesus, as the Angel announced to her the coming baby, as saying: "She said, How shall I have a son, (me) whom no mortal has touched, neither have I been unchased. He said, Even so thy Lord has said, Easy is that for Me and that We may appoint Him a sign unto men and a mercy from Us. It is a thing determined (Mary 16-34).
http://answering-islam.org/
Monday, August 28, 2017
If you are a Muslim, the Third and Fourth Centuries
There were many scholarly authorities during the the third century. Among them was Origen. He was born in Egypt in AD 184 and died in AD 253. He was renown for his godliness, so much so that pagan philosophers gave him their writings to edit and embellish. He was a Bible commentator and preacher. Dionysius, Bishop[ of Alexandria, and Gregory, Bishop of Neo-Caesarea, were men of similar distinction.
In the fourth century, we find the historian Eusebius of Caesarea who died in AD 340. Hilarius, who died in AD 366, also wrote during this time.
Some 50 works out of a total of nearly 100, from the pens of these eminent scholars, have come down to us. Some are interpretations of the Bible, while others a variety of subjects and are well-supported by quotes from most of the sacred writings. These authors lived at different times and in various places. Clement was famous in Rome, Ignatius in Antioch, Polycarp in Smyra, Justin Matyr in Syria, Irenaeus in France, Athenagorus in Athens, Theophilus in Antioch, Clement and Origen in Egypt, Tertullian in Carthage and Augustine in Hippo (both in North Africa), and Eusebius in Caesarea. This wide variety of writters indicates the spread of the Christian faith. There could have been no conspiracy among the Christians over such a vast area to corrupt their Scriptures. Christian scholars compared 686 copies of the New Testament with existing translations, excerpts and quotations and all were found to be uniform. This proves the freedom of the Bible from tampering, corruption, alteration, additions or omissions. It has been of unanimous persuasion among Believers that the integrity of the New Testament books has been preserved.
I will throw my Muslim friend a common objection that you will most likely say to me.
Objection:
Scholars have disagreed over the chronology of the accounts of the Gospel of Christ because the ancients had shaky records upon which they based their writings. Those who followed passed on the doubtful texts. This resulted in disputes over when the various accounts of the Gospel were written.
Response:
The fact that we cannot accurately determine the dates when the Gospel accounts were written does not devalue them. The same is true of the Koran; although it is of more recent age than the Bible, Muslims have differed widely about the dates when the suras were composed. The location where certain suras were recited has been questioned. It is obvious that the Meccan suras descended before the Hijra and the Medinan suras came after. But whether the Prophet Muhammad recited a certain sura un Mecca or Medina, during a year of conquest, the farewell pilgrimage or one of his journeys cannot be proven. There have also been difference over the Fatiha ("the prologue"). Some have said it describes in Mecca but others say it was in Medina: still others have said it described in both cities ot that half came down in each. One opinion saus that Satan cried when the Fatiha descended. Some suras over which there are difference of opinion are the following: Jonah, Thunder, Pilgrimage, Salvation, Ya Sin, Sad, Apartments, The Merciful Lio, The Ranks, Congregation, Mutual Fraud, The Kingdom, Mankind, Stinters, The Most High, Dawn, The Land, Night, Power.
This is the case with the Koran even though its date of composition is later than that of the Bible. There are also disagreement over of all parts of the Koran's contents- indeed within the very verses themselves. However, when the New Testament books were being collected, the only difference that arose concerned the entire collection of books, not the individual chapters and verses. But even with these discrepancies over the Koran, no one has devalued or rejected it.
http://answering-islam.org/
In the fourth century, we find the historian Eusebius of Caesarea who died in AD 340. Hilarius, who died in AD 366, also wrote during this time.
Some 50 works out of a total of nearly 100, from the pens of these eminent scholars, have come down to us. Some are interpretations of the Bible, while others a variety of subjects and are well-supported by quotes from most of the sacred writings. These authors lived at different times and in various places. Clement was famous in Rome, Ignatius in Antioch, Polycarp in Smyra, Justin Matyr in Syria, Irenaeus in France, Athenagorus in Athens, Theophilus in Antioch, Clement and Origen in Egypt, Tertullian in Carthage and Augustine in Hippo (both in North Africa), and Eusebius in Caesarea. This wide variety of writters indicates the spread of the Christian faith. There could have been no conspiracy among the Christians over such a vast area to corrupt their Scriptures. Christian scholars compared 686 copies of the New Testament with existing translations, excerpts and quotations and all were found to be uniform. This proves the freedom of the Bible from tampering, corruption, alteration, additions or omissions. It has been of unanimous persuasion among Believers that the integrity of the New Testament books has been preserved.
I will throw my Muslim friend a common objection that you will most likely say to me.
Objection:
Scholars have disagreed over the chronology of the accounts of the Gospel of Christ because the ancients had shaky records upon which they based their writings. Those who followed passed on the doubtful texts. This resulted in disputes over when the various accounts of the Gospel were written.
Response:
The fact that we cannot accurately determine the dates when the Gospel accounts were written does not devalue them. The same is true of the Koran; although it is of more recent age than the Bible, Muslims have differed widely about the dates when the suras were composed. The location where certain suras were recited has been questioned. It is obvious that the Meccan suras descended before the Hijra and the Medinan suras came after. But whether the Prophet Muhammad recited a certain sura un Mecca or Medina, during a year of conquest, the farewell pilgrimage or one of his journeys cannot be proven. There have also been difference over the Fatiha ("the prologue"). Some have said it describes in Mecca but others say it was in Medina: still others have said it described in both cities ot that half came down in each. One opinion saus that Satan cried when the Fatiha descended. Some suras over which there are difference of opinion are the following: Jonah, Thunder, Pilgrimage, Salvation, Ya Sin, Sad, Apartments, The Merciful Lio, The Ranks, Congregation, Mutual Fraud, The Kingdom, Mankind, Stinters, The Most High, Dawn, The Land, Night, Power.
This is the case with the Koran even though its date of composition is later than that of the Bible. There are also disagreement over of all parts of the Koran's contents- indeed within the very verses themselves. However, when the New Testament books were being collected, the only difference that arose concerned the entire collection of books, not the individual chapters and verses. But even with these discrepancies over the Koran, no one has devalued or rejected it.
http://answering-islam.org/
Monday, August 21, 2017
If you are a Muslim, the Purpose of the Qur'an, part three
I will say this. My Muslim friends may obey the Qur'an commands and read this Gospel that they may reason and come to the saving knowledge of the Savior that is able to save you from your sins. For the meaning of these verses is but a warning that whoever refuses to believe the Gospel message has disobeyed God and defied God's Word. What will their excuse be on the Day of Judgement, knowing that the Lord Jesus Christ will be the righteous Judge on that day (as also, the Arab Messenger said). However, if your heart's desire is to inherit eternal life, you will have to believe the Bible and do according to its precepts. In the Bible, you will find the only way to harmonize between God's justice and mercy, to experience the forgiveness of sins and to have the everlasting joy in Christ Jesus, the Near-stationed to God. Consequently, you will be able to know and be sure of your eternity and you will be able to say: "I know whom I have believed and I am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day" (1 Timothy 1:12).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZ0MNUdxNYU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZ0MNUdxNYU
Thursday, August 3, 2017
Muslims needs to read this about the early church leaders in the second century, part five
Athenagorus. An Athenian philosopher, he is counted among the famous Biblical scholars. He defended Christians in a letter to Emperor Mark Anthony. He also wrote a treatise on the subject of the resurrection of the dead, in which he quotes from the Bible. Other writers who quoted New Testament books are Theophilus, Bishop of Antioch; Clement of Alexandria and Tertulian.
http://answering-islam.org/
http://answering-islam.org/
If you are a Muslim, the Purpose of the Qur'an, part two
The Qur'an text has adopted this very important route of pointing its readers to the Bible, we've found a cause to quote it, so that the reader may reason and believe. Furthermore, the Qur'an continues to insist in its admonition that also Christians and Jews should ever uphold the Bible, saying: "People of the Book, you do not stand on anything until you perform (live according to what is in) the Torah and the Gospel. (Table 68). Then the Qur'an tells the Muslims to believe in the Bible saying: "Ye who have believed, believe in God.. and in the Book that He sent down before (meaning the Bible)... (Women 136). As you read the Qur'an, you find that it is pointing its reader towards the Bible. It does that because the Bible does not speak of educational principles and moral values only; but because it is the only Book that contains the message of salvation, forgiveness of sins and assurance for eternity.. a message man needs badly. Consequently, the Qur'an commands the Muslims, saying: "Ask questions of the people of the remembrance if you do not know." (Prophets 7).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANrR8xfCcEI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANrR8xfCcEI
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