QUICKY VERSES

GOD: Ecclesiastes 3:2, "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:...."

Matt. 4:8, "Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor."

GOD: "Do not judge,...." Matthew 7:1.

Matthew 5:41, "If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles."

JESUS: “You must not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have come not to bring peace, but a sword.”Matthew 10:34 and Luke 12:51.

Jesus--"Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments and shall teach men so, he shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven...." (Matt. 5:17-19) and "it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fall" (Luke 16:17) and "The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: all therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do" (Matt. 23:2-3) and (John 7:19, Mark 1:44)

GOD: "And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him." James 5:15

SINLESS PERFECTION:

"Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him" (1 John 3:6),

"No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God" (1 John 3:9 NIV),

"We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin, the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one does not touch him" (1 John 5:18 NIV).

Romans 3:10, NIV "As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one;...."

Romans 2:1, "You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things."


Romans 13:1 ESV, "Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God."

"Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers." (1 Peter 2:13-14).

Matt. 5:39, "But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also."

Luke 19:27


Islam is an exceptionally dangerous religion because the Koran actually advocates the eradication of its opponents. Did NT writers go that far? Maybe, depending on how Luke 19:27 and the surrounding verses are interpreted.

Specifically, in Luke, Jesus related a parable about a nobleman who went on a trip and left three servants with some money that they were to increase by trading. The first increased his ten pounds and the second increased his five pounds, but the third did not increase his at all. This upset the nobleman after he returned and the following conversation occurs beginning with the third servant speaking at verse

:21 "For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man; thou takest up that thou layest not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow.
:22 And he (the nobleman) saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth I will judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:
:23 Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury?
:24 And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds.
:25 (And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.)
:26 For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him.
:27 But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring thither, and slay them before me .
:28 And when he (Jesus) had thus spoken, he went before, ascending up to Jerusalem."

The crucial question is: Where do the words of the nobleman end. At what verse does he stop speaking. It is extremely important whether or not the last thing he says is verse 24, 26, or 27 because if Jesus is speaking for himself in verse 27 then he is one of the most intolerant and ruthless figures to have ever emerged from the pages of literature. On the other hand, if these two verses are merely a summation of the situation by the nobleman, the Christian dilemma is lessened dramatically.

It's too ambiguous. Is Jesus saying verse 27 or is he merely relating the words of a nobleman in a parable? That's the issue.

GK, wrote an article in the FFRF's Newsletter, Freethought Today , the gist of which was that, "The quote is directly attributable to and about Jesus. Although apologists contend that this is merely a 'quotation within a quotation'... Biblical scholarship demonstrates otherwise." To prove these comments express the attitude of Jesus, he cites several commentaries from Christian sources. GK states that all these commentaries "substantiate my conclusions regarding the muddled verses that clearly portray Jesus insisting 'slay mine enemies at my feet'...."

The commentaries he cites to prove verse 27 is not part of the pounds parable are as follows:

(1) Dummelow Bible Commentary, N.Y., 1922, page 765, notes that verse 27 has nothing to do with the servants who managed money, but 'describes the final punishment of those who reject Christ.'
(2) The International Critical Commentary, 1902, Vol. 27, 5th edition, on page 443, notes. 'St. Augustine more than once points to verse 27 in answer to the objection that the severe God of the OT cannot be identical with the God of Love in the NT. In the Gospels, as in the Law, the severity of God's judgments against willful disobedience is plainly taught....'
(3) Cook Commentary of the Holy Bible, 1878, Vol. 1, London, page 440, specifically attributes verse 27 to '...(Jesus) literal coming of the end of the world...,' and is not applicable to the parable's servants' management of their master's pounds.
(4) Elliott Bible Commentary, Vol. VI, London, page 338, notes that verse 27 is distinct from the parable of the pounds and 'Spiritually it represents, in bold figures drawn from the acts of tyrant kings, the ultimate victory of JC over the unbelieving and rebellious.' GK concludes by saying, "The above references should adequately demonstrate on which side 'scholarship' comes down on this particular issue." GK's interpretation of verse 27 is certainly in keeping with JC's belligerent comment in Matt. 10:34 ('I come not to bring peace, but to bring a sword').

In the interest of balance, however, it should be noted that some people disagree with GK and their views are aptly stated by the following letter to the Humanist News of Minneapolis-St. Paul. A woman stated, "In the interests of accuracy I would point out that GK has quoted very carelessly. Jesus is telling a story, a parable, and in the parable the king says, 'But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them before me.' Yes, Jesus did say the words, but I believe they must be taken in context. It is very different, to my mind, to say that Jesus wanted his enemies brought before him and slain, or that in a story, which made a particular point, a character in the story said it."

On page 160, Gerald Sigal's The Jew and the Christian Missionary is quoted and uses Luke 19:27 as evidence that JC advocated killing enemies. In Luke 19:11-12, it identifies these words of JC as part of a parable concerning 'a certain noble man.'...although it was JC speaking, he was quoting Herod's attempt to reclaim his throne and quash rebellious peasants after he had made his journey, which can hardly be held against him."

If, in fact, Jesus told people to bring his enemies before him and slay them, his decency and humaneness, indeed his credibility itself, is dealt a staggering blow. Although definitely in keeping with some comments by Jesus, it's at variance with others. Anyone who can definitively prove Jesus was referring to himself in Luke 19:27 will have all but decimated any Christian claims to tolerance, open-mindedness, and civil discourse. In effect, Jesus would be saying: Believe my way or die. Judging by the number of religious executions that occurred during the Middle Ages, that could very well be how many Christians interpreted it.

It is always interesting to note the terminology employed by Biblical apologists with respect to contradictions. They are rarely referred to as contradictions. Such words as "difficulties," "discrepancies," "detractions," and "problem," are used far more often than contradictions, fallacies, and falsehoods; an obvious attempt to minimize inconsistencies. A minor discrepancy sounds far less serious than a contradiction.

Has anyone ever seen God's face?

John 1:18 "No man hath seen God at any time;..."
Exodus 33:20, And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.
John 6:46 "Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father."
1 John 4:12 "No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us."

Versus

Gen. 32:30 "And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved."
Exod. 33:11 "And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend."
Num. 14:14 "...that thou LORD art seen face to face,..."
Job 42:5 "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee."
Deut. 34:10 "And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face,..."
Deut. 5:4 "The LORD talked with you face to face...."
(also Psalm 63:2 Isa.6:1 & 6:5, Amos 7:7-8, Ezek. 20:35, Ex 24:9-10

In April 1982 Zondervan Publishing House issued one of the most comprehensive writings in recent memory to justify Biblical fallacies. Entitled An Encyclopedia of Biblical Difficulties, the promotional campaign by "Christian Readers News" describes it as a work which "exhaustively studies every difficult passage in the Bible-Genesis to Revelation." This is erroneous as will be shown. What are Gleason Archer's explanations with respect to seeing God's face?

Archer says: "The Bible draws a clear distinction between gazing on God in his unveiled glory and beholding a representative or reflection of God..."

My Reply: The issue concerns whether or not God's face is seen, not whether his glory or a mere reflection is viewed. Acher has re-framed and rewritten the problem. Ex. 33:11 and Gen. 32:30 clearly say God's face was seen, not a representation.

The Bible draws no distinction in these verses between his glory and a mere reflection. Archer has artificially created a difference which does not exist. He is trying to escape from the problem by admitting a reflection of God was seen but not his essence, his glory.

Archer continues: "John 1:18 declares, "no man has seen God at any time (that is, his full glory as Creator and Sovereign of all the universe.

My Reply: John 1:18 says nothing about "his full glory as Creator and Sovereign of all the universe." There is no such proviso, not even implicitly.

Archer then says: "We behold the face of God by faith as we look to Christ, 'He who has seen Me has seen the Father.' (John 14:9) God therefore showed His face and declared His glory through His Son, who was God Incarnate."

My Reply: Yes, the Bible does say men see God through Jesus but it also says God is seen face to face. The latter is prominent also. The Bible nowhere states that one excludes the other.

Archer proceeds: "God showed His face through an angel ( as at the interview with Moses at the burning bush ( Ex. 3:2-6), or else through his glory cloud,..."

My Reply: The Bible clearly states that Moses(Ex. 33:11) and Jacob (Gen.32:30) saw God face to face, not "through an angel" or "through His glory cloud." Archer is guilty of insertionism-the unwarranted and unsubstantiated insertion of words into Biblical verses to escape contradictions or a mistake.

Archer chose a bad example from his perspective when he used Ex. 3:2-6. It says "And Moses hid his face: for he was afraid to look upon God." How then, could he have seen God's face through an angel or otherwise.

Archer adds: "We are therefore to understand that Yahweh met with Moses and talked to him in some glorious representation that fell short of a full unveiling of His face. In that sense He talked to Moses face to face..."

My Reply: Again Ex. 33:11 and Gen. 32:30 say "face to face" not "in some glorious representation that fell short of a full unveiling of His face. And finally, Archer falsely alleges that in Ex. 33:18: "Moses asked to see the very face of God."

My Reply: This verse actually states that Moses asked to see God's glory, not his face. They are not identical. God did not deny this request as verse 19 shows, but stated in verse 20 (RSV) that it would not extend to revealing His face

1 Timothy 6:16 NIV, ".... who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen."



Submission to the Authorities

Romans 13:
1 "Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.
2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.
3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended.
4 For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.
5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.
6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing.
7 Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

Hitler: My feeling as a Christian points me to my Lord and Savior as a fighter. It points me to the man who, once lonely with only a few followers, recognized these Jews for what they were, and calling me to fight them, and who, so help me, was greatest not as a sufferer but as a fighter. With boundless love, as a Christian and as a man, I read the passages which relate how the Lord finally gathered His strength and made use of the whip in order to drive the usurers, the vipers, and cheats from the temple. Today 2,000 years later, I recognize with deep emotion Christ's tremendous fight for this world against the Jewish poison. I recognized this most profoundly by the fact that He had to shed his blood on the cross for his fight. As a Christian it is not my duty to permit myself to be cheated, but is my duty to be a champion of truth and of right.... As a Christian I owe something to my own people.... I am a veritable devil and not a Christian if I do not feel compassion and do not wage war, as our Lord did 2,000 years ago, against those who are pillaging and exploiting this poor people (the German people).... Two thousand years ago a man was likewise denounced by this particular race which today is denouncing and blaspheming everywhere.... That man was dragged into court and they said then: He is arousing the people! So he also was "agitating." And against whom? Against "God," they cried. Yes indeed he was agitating against the "god" of the Jews, for that "god" is money. (Munich, April 12, 1922; Voelkische Beobachter, April 22, 1922).

The National Government will preserve and defend those basic principles on which our nation was built up. They regard Christianity as the foundation of our national morality and the family as a basis of national life. (Hitler to the German People: Feb. 1 1933).

I know that here and there the objection has been raised: Yes, but you have deserted Christianity. No, it is not we that have deserted Christianity, it is those who came before us who deserted Christianity.... National Socialism neither opposes the Church nor is it anti-religious, but on the contrary it stands on the ground of real Christianity. And we have no other desire than to be true to that position.... These are not anti-Christian, these are Christian principles. (Speech at Koblenz, Aug. 26, 1934).
Hitler was often asked why Nazis use the swastika and replied,
And when it is said to me as many have: How can you carry your heathenish symbol in the van of this struggle when the Christian Cross alone is called to lead it? To this I say: This symbol is not directed against the Christian Cross. On the contrary, it is the political manifestation of what the Christian Cross intends or must intend.... One should from the vary beginnings preserve this Cross from any political contact until the structure of these political parties again becomes worthy of association with this symbol....(Munich, Oct. 25, 1930, Voelkische Beobachter, Oct. 28, 1930).

Jer. 13:23, "Can an Ethiopian change his skin or a leopard its spots? Neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil."

2 Sam. 1:26, "How I weep for you, my brother Jonathan! Oh, how much I loved you! And your love for me was deep, deeper than the love of women!"

1 Samuel 18:1, And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.

Ecclesiastes 3:2, "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:...."