The Oneness of God

The Trinitarian doctrine has been a cornerstone of Christendom since the 4th century AD, when the Council of Constantinople occurred. It didn't simply drop out of thin air, as it had been developing since the 2nd century AD with the Greek apologist Justin Martyr being the first to propose a plurality of the Godhead. Justin's view though, was not Orthodox Trinitarianism. Justin believed that the Logos was inferior to God the Father and was the same Person as the Holy Spirit. Several of the Greek philosophers who converted to Christianity held a Binitarian view of the Godhead (that Jesus and the Father were the two Persons of the Godhead). Tertullian (who admitted that the majority, or "the unlearned", did not accept his doctrine) was the first to use the term "Trinity" to describe God as three co-equal and co-eternal Persons. The question is this: was this ever a part of Apostolic theology, or is it a product of Hellenistic thinking?

The cornerstone of monotheism for the Jewish people has always been Deuteronomy 6:4 (The Shema)- "Shema Yisra'el! Yahveh Elohinu,Yahveh echad."  (Hear, O Israel: Yahweh, is our God,---Yahweh alone.) For nearly 3,000 years, this has been the Scripture Jews have pointed to in order to show the Oneness and uniqueness of Yahweh in contradistinction to the false gods of the Gentiles. The first commandment of the Decalogue (The Ten Commandments from Exodus 20:1-17) is, "Thou shalt not have other gods, besides me." Isaiah the prophet stressed the Oneness of the God of Israel in many of his prophecies (Isaiah 40:25, 44:6, 45:5-6) and he probably did it more than any other Old Testament prophet. In Mark 12:29, Jesus stated His belief that the Shema was the most important commandment. Every day when devout Jewish men and women wake up, they recite the greatest commandment as a reminder of the God that delivered their forefathers from the land of Egypt.

Many Trinitarians state that the Hebrew word echad ("One") is not a strict unity, but is open to interpretation as speaking of plurality. It is true that echad sometimes has a compound plurality to it (Genesis 2:24), it is almost always used as speaking of singular objects and beings (Genesis 2:21). The word that Trinitarians say Moses would have used if God was singular would be yachid. This word is very rare in the Hebrew Scriptures, only being used 12 times. It also doesn't necessarily speak of oneness, but it always speaks of uniqueness. Zechariah 12:10 uses yachid to prophetically describe the coming Messiah as an "only begotten Son". Echad is the best word that Moses could have used in the Hebrew language to show that there is only one God, and God's Holy Spirit directed him to use that word.

Another famous verse that Trinitarians draw attention to is Genesis 1:26-

And God said—Let us make man in our image, after our likeness—and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the bird of the heavens, and over the tame-beast—and over all the land, and over every creeping thing, that creepeth on the land.

The Jewish people were never perplexed about this verse. Here is what one of their Targums (Aramaic paraphrases of the Old Testament, which I took from Artscroll's Tanach: The Stone Edition) say:

"And God said to the ministering angels who had been created on the second day of Creation of the world, 'Let us make Man.'" 

This conclusion is supported by several other passages in which God consults the heavenly court like a wise king:

Then he said, Therefore, hear thou the word of Yahweh,—I saw Yahweh, sitting upon his throne, and all the host of the heavens, standing by him, on his right hand, and on his left. And Yahweh said, Who will persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall, at Ramoth-gilead? And, one, said in this manner, and, another, said in that manner. Then came forth a spirit, and stood before Yahweh, and said—I, will persuade him. And Yahweh said unto him—Wherewith? And he said—I will go forth, and become a spirit of falsehood in the mouth of all his prophets,—So he said,—Thou mayest persuade, yea and prevail, go forth, and do so.- I Kings 22:19-22

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw My Lord, sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and, his skirts, did fill the temple. Seraphim, were standing above him; six wings severally, had each one,—With twain, he covered his face, And, with twain, he covered his feet, And, with twain, he did fly. And they continued crying out one to another, and said, Holy—holy—holy, is Yahweh of hosts,—the fulness of the whole earth, is his glory. And the foundations of the porch, were moved, at the voice of him that cried,—and, the house, was filled with smoke. Then said I—Woe to me!—for I am undone, Because, a man of unclean lips, am, I, And, in the midst of a people of unclean lips, do, I, dwell,—For, the King, Yahweh of hosts, have mine eyes seen! Then flew unto me, one of the seraphim, And, in his hand, a live coal,—With tongs, had he taken it from off the altar. Then touched he my mouth, and said—Lo! this hath touched thy lips,—Thus shall be taken away, thine iniquity, And, thy sin, by propitiation be covered. Then heard I the voice of My Lord, saying, Whom, shall I send? And who, will go for us? And I said—Here am I,—send me.- Isaiah 6:1-8

Trinitarians also frequently draw from the most common Hebrew word for God: Elohim. This is a plural pronoun for God, but most scholars agree that this is a majestic plural. Jewish people frequently use plural words to describe great things (like chayim for life). Elohim is also always used with singular verbs when referring to Yahweh, which gives more evidence of Yahweh being one Person.

The Hebrew Bible in one places seems to make distinction between God and His Spirit (Isaiah 48:16), but in context, it speaks of the Holy Spirit (Ruach haKodesh) as the Spirit of Yahweh and not as another Person:

Now, the earth, had become waste and wild, and, darkness, was on the face of the roaring deep, ---but, the Spirit of God, was brooding on the face of the waters.- Genesis 1:2

Do not cast me away from the presence, and, thy Holy Spirit, do not take from me...- Psalm 51:11

But, they, rebelled, and grieved his Holy Spirit,---And so he turned against them as an enemy, He himself, fought against them.- Isaiah 63:10

The Old Covenant writings also speak prophetically about God's Son Jesus: the coming Messiah.These verses usually speak of the Son as a man who is anointed by God, sometimes they refer to His deity, and sometimes even both at the same time. None of these verses speak of the Son as a distinct Person from Yahweh, they merely confirm Jesus's identity as the Messiah and affirm that He is God in the flesh.

The kings of earth take their station, and grave men, have met by appointment together,---against Yahweh, and against his Anointed One [saying]...Let me tell of a decree,---Yahweh, hath said unto me, My son, thou art, I, today, have begotten thee...Kiss the son, lest he be angry, and ye perish by the way, for soon might be kindled his anger,----How happy are all who seek refuge in him!- Psalm 2:2,7,11

Thy throne, O God, is to times age-abiding, and beyond, a sceptre of equity is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated lawlessness,---For this cause, hath God, thine own God, anointed thee, with the oil of gladness, beyond thy partners.- Psalms 45:6-7

[[David's. A Melody.]] The declaration of Yahweh to my Lord—Sit thou at my right hand, Until I make thy foes thy footstool. Thy sceptre of strength, will Yahweh extend out of Zion, Tread thou down, in the midst of thy foes.Thy people, will freely offer themselves, in the day of thine army,—in the splendours of holiness, out of the womb of the dawn, To thee, [shall spring forth] the dew of thy youth. Yahweh, hath sworn—and will not repent, Thou, [shalt be] a priest unto times age-abiding, after the manner of Melchizedek.My Lord, on thy right hand,—hath shattered—in the day of his anger—kings; He will judge among the nations—full of dead bodies! He hath shattered the head over a land far extended: Of the torrent in the way, will he drink;—For this cause, will he lift up [his] head.- Psalm 110

Wherefore, let My Lord Himself give, give you a sign,---Lo! a Virgin, being with child and giving birth to a son, thou wilt call his name Immanuel [translated: "God with us"].- Isaiah 7:14

For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.- Isaiah 9:6, New American Standard Bible

In order to understand the Oneness of God, you have to begin where we did in this article: the Tanakh. We must understand the New Covenant view of God from what was revealed in the Old Covenant. This might be difficult at points because when Jesus was born, the greatest miracle in history had occurred.

In the beginning was the Miltha. And that Miltha was with Elohim. And Elohim was that Miltha. This was with Elohim in the beginning...And the Miltha became flesh and dwelt among us and we saw his glory, the glory as the Only-Begotten who is from the Father who is full of grace and truth.- John 1:1-2, 14

Miltha is an Aramaic word that has many meanings, including "Word", "Substance", "Manifestation, "Instance", and others. The first three definitions are the most fitting. Jesus is the Word (Expression) of God, He is the Substance of God (Hebrews 1:3), and the very Manifestation of God in the flesh (John 1:14). The Miltha is with God in the beginning like our word is with us. Our expressive abilities are a part of who we are and not a distinct person from us. Genesis 1 records the creation and God speaking things into existence; this is the first appearance of the Miltha. This clearly is not a different Person from Yahweh. The Miltha is the eternal God's Manifestation and Word.

The deity of Christ is presented more fully in John's Gospel than in any other Book of the New Testament. The Synoptic Gospels did not deny the deity of Christ nor state it outright, but they did heavily imply it. The Gospel of John also portrays Jesus the Messiah as a genuine human being. Jesus is said to get tired when going to Samaria (John 4:6) and even gets troubled and afraid (John 12:27, 13:21), Jesus also mourns the death of His friend Lazarus (John 11:35). On the other hand, Jesus is accused of blasphemy several times in John's Gospel. He claims that He was in existence before Abraham (John 8:58) and also claims Oneness with the Father (John 10:30). Jesus even more boldly claims that to see Him is to see the Father (John 14:8-9). In John 20:28, Thomas refers to the risen Jesus as, "Mari w'Alahi", which is Aramaic for "My Lord and my God!"

In the Synoptic Gospels, Jesus reveals that He has authority to forgive sins (Matthew 9:6; Mark 2:10; Luke 5:24). He also says that the Messiah is the Lord of the Sabbath (Matthew 12:8; Mark 2:28; Luke 6:5). Only God should be the Lord of the Sabbath since He established it! Jesus also implies that the Messiah has to be more than just a man if He can be the Lord of His ancestor (Matthew 22:41-46; Mark 12:35-37; Luke 20:41-44).

All four of the Gospels make distinction between the Father and the Son. The fact that Jesus prayed to the Father (Matthew 9:10-14; Mark 14:35-39; Luke 6:12; John 17) makes a good example of the distinction made between the Father and the Son. Jesus also reveals that there is knowledge that He doesn't have but the Father does (Mark 13:32). Many Trinitarians point to these distinctions as evidence that the Father and the Son are two Persons, but this is not faithful to the Biblical record.

Let's consider a few things:

1. Why does the Old Testament not make mention of a Son of God besides in prophecy?
2. Why are there no distinctions made between the Father and the Son before the New Testament?
3. Why is the Holy Spirit frequently left out of these distinctions?

I believe that the distinction between the Father and the Son is rooted in the incarnation of the Miltha. Paul explains what happened during the incarnation:

And think you so in yourselves, as Y'shua the Mashiyach also thought; who, as he was in the likeness of Elohim, did not regard it sinful to be the coequal of Elohim; yet disinherited himself and assumed the likeness of a servant, and was in the likeness of men and was found in fashion as a man; and he humbled himself and became obedient to death, even the death of the stake. Wherefore, also, Elohim has highly exalted him and given him a name that is more excellent than all names; that at the name of Y'shua ever knee should bow, of (beings) in heaven and on earth and under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Master YHWH is Y'shua Mashiyach to the glory of Elohim his Father.- Philippians 2:5-11

This tells us that Jesus is God made flesh. This also tells us that this incarnation had an effect on how the Messiah functioned on earth. Jesus is God, but He operates as a servant to God. Jesus is a genuine man, so He thinks and reasons as a man. His mind is the mind of a Man, He is limited in consciousness and in knowledge. This, I think, shows us why distinction is made between Jesus and the Father.

Luke 2:52 tells us that Jesus even grew intellectually like we all do. This does not take away from Jesus's deity, it just shows us His genuine humanity. The incarnation was not a charade, it was 100% real. The Word did not merely wrap Himself in flesh or dwell in flesh; the Word became flesh. There is a big difference there. In order to put it simply: the distinction between the Father and the Son is not a distinction between two co-existing and co-equal Persons, but between the modes in which God is existing. The Son describes God within the incarnation, while the Father is God beyond the incarnation. When God became flesh, it is obvious that He did not cease to exist anywhere else.

Mashiyach, Meshikha, and Christos are the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek words for "The Anointed". Jesus is the Anointed One. Jesus was Anointed to heal us of our diseases, to cast out demons, and to preach the Gospel. Several verses of the New Testament declare that Jesus did not heal people because of His own divinity (even though He is God), but because of the anointing of the Holy Spirit of Yahweh that is upon Him:

Matthew 12:28- And if by the Spirit of Elohim I cast out demons, the Kingdom of Elohim has come near to you.

Luke 4:18- The Spirit of Master YHWH is upon me and because of this, He has anointed me to declare hope to the poor. And He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted and to preach release to the captives and sight to the blind. And to free those with the power of forgiveness who are oppressed. And to preach the acceptable year of Master YHWH.

John 14:10-11- Don't you believe that I am in my Father and my Father is in me? These words that I speak, I do not speak of myself but He who dwells in me, my Father does these works. Believe that I am in my Father and my Father is in me; otherwise believe even because of the works.

Acts 10:37-38- And also (you) know about the word that was in all of Yehud that went out from Galeela after the immersion that Yochanan preached concerning Y'shua who was from Nasrath, that Elohim anointed with the Ruach haKodesh and with power. And this is he who traveled around and healed those who were oppressed by evil, because Elohim was with him.

Let's also keep in mind that Jesus is not just distinguished from the Father, but also God altogether. Look at these verses:

Matthew 27:46- And about the ninth hour, Y'shua cried out with a loud voice and said, "My El! My El! [Lemana shabakthani] Why have you spared me?"

John 20:17- Y'shua said to her, "Do not touch me, for I have not yet ascended to my Father. But go to my brothers and tell them that I ascend to my Father and your Father and my Elohim and your Elohim."

I Corinthians 11:3- And I desire that you know that the head of every man is the Mashiyach, and the head of the woman is the man, and the head of the Mashiyach is Elohim.

Ephesians 1:17- That the Elohim of our Master Y'shua the Mashiyach, the Father of glory, may give to you the Spirit of Wisdom and of revelation in the recognition of him.

Why are Trinitarians willing to agree that the incarnation is why Jesus is distinguished from God but they aren't willing to use these same distinctions to show why Jesus is distinguished from God the Father? I believe that if we take the whole counsel of God, that you will realize that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are simply titles that describe the different manifestations of Yahweh, the one true God that are related to our salvation (Matthew 28:19; II Corinthians 13:14).

Unless stated otherwise, all Scripture quotations are taken from:
Rotherham's Emphasized Bible by Joseph Bryant Rotherham
Aramaic English New Testament by Andrew Gabriel Roth

http://www.bible-geeks.com/

Commentary on the Gospel of John According to the Aramaic Peshitta: Chapter 6

After these things, Yeshua went to the other side of the Sea of Galeela of Tiberius. And after him went a large crowd because they had seen the miracles which he did with the sick. And Yeshua went up a mountain, and there he was sitting with his disciples. And the feast of the Paskha of the Yehudeans was approaching. – John 6:1-4

          
    Unlike the Synoptic Gospels, most of John’s Gospel takes place in Judea. Several important cities in the Gospels are surrounding the sea of Galilee. Bethsaida, Capernaum, and Magdala are the main ones. Cana and Nazareth weren’t too far from the sea of Galilee either.

     Again, we see that Jesus did not have a small following, because a lot of people believed in him because of the miracles. John tells us in 2:23-25 that many of these people were not truly devoted. These people had not taken up the cross. They also didn’t understand what Jesus’s mission was during His first coming.

This is the second Passover that is mentioned in John’s Gospel. In contrast to the Synoptic Gospels, most of John takes place during the second and third years of Jesus’s ministry. The Synoptic Gospels alone would make it difficult to tell how long Jesus’s ministry lasted on earth, as they only mention one Passover, which is the last one.

And Yeshua raised his eyes and saw the large crowd that came to him and he said to to Peleepos, "Where can we buy bread that these [people] may eat?" And this he said, testing him, for he did know what he was about to do. And Peleepos said to him, "Two hundred denarii [of] bread would not suffice them [even] though each of them may take a small amount." One of the disciples, Andraus, the brother of Shimon Keepa, said to him, "There is here a certain boy who has upon him five loaves of barley and two fish, but what are these [items] for all those [people]?" Yeshua said to them, "Make all the people to recline." Now [there] was much grass in that place, and reclined the men in the number of five thousand. And Yeshua took the bread and blessed it, and divided it to those who reclined, and likewise also of he fish as much as they desired.– John 6:5-11

           
     Jesus wanted His disciples to have faith in Him, and He frequently referred to them as people having little faith (Matthew 8:26). Even after seeing Jesus’s many miracles, Philip and the other disciples just didn’t understand that Jesus could provide their every need. We really need to get a hold of that!

         
    This is the fourth sign that John records, telling us that Jesus the Messiah is the Bread of Life (Jesus explains it Himself later in this chapter). 200 dinarii is actually around $4,000, showing how big this crowd was. John didn’t say that this was 5,000 people, but 5,000 men (not including women and children). There could have been over 10,000 people there that were fed by this miracle.

And when they were satisfied he said to his disciples, "Gather the fragments that are left over, lest something should be lost." And they gathered [them] and they counted twelve baskets [of] fragments which were left over from those who ate of the five loaves of barley-bread. – John 6:12-13

                Jesus most likely told them to gather up the fragments in order to feed the poor. The fact that not all of the five barley cakes were gone is quite amazing. It seems like as the disciples would pull out a cake that another one would replace it. 5,000 men (maybe as much as 10,000 people including women and children also) ate of that bread and the fish and there were still leftovers. This is really symbolizes Jesus Himself, as there is plenty of Jesus to go around for those that desire Him.

And they who saw the miracle that Yeshua did were saying, "Truly this is a prophet who has come into the world!" But Yeshua knew that they were about to come [and] seize him and make him king, and he slipped away to a mountain by himself. – John 6:14-15

         
     This is why I said that most of the people that followed Jesus, including the twelve, didn’t understand why Jesus had come. Jesus did not come to reign in a worldly kingdom, because His Kingdom is not of this world. Jesus reigns in the Kingdom of Heaven, which is higher than any earthly political power. Next time, Jesus will come to reign as King on Earth (Matthew 28:18; Revelation 20:6). Jesus came the first time to die for our sins (Mark 10:45) as the Lamb of God (John 1:29).

And when evening came, his disciples went down to the sea. And they sat in a boat and were going to the other side, to Capurnakhum. And it became dark and Yeshua had not come to them. Now the sea was lifted up against them because a great wind was blowing. And they journeyed about twenty and five furlongs or thirty, and they saw Yeshua while he was walking on the sea. And when he drew near to their boat, they were afraid but he said, "It is I! Do not be afraid." And they were desiring to receive him into the boat, and at that hour that boat was at that land to which they were going. – John 6:16-21

         
    This is the fifth sign, showing Jesus’s dominion over nature as the Son of man. George Lamsa states that the Aramaic word al (L9) can mean “on” or “by”. When translating from Aramaic, you have to take into account that many words can mean many different things. One has to translate such words based on the context, and the context of this verse tells us that “on” is the correct translation, as they were clearly shocked. Why else would Jesus have told them not to be afraid?

And on the following day that crowd which was standing on the other side of the sea saw that there was not [any] other boat except that which into it had gone up the disciples and that Yeshua had not entered with them, his disciples, into the boat. But other ships had come from Tiberius near that place in which they ate bread while Yeshua blessed [it], and when that crowd saw that Yeshua was not there, nor his disciples, they went up into these ships and they came to Capurnakhum and were seeking Yeshua. And when they found him at the other side of the sea, they said to him, "Our Master, when did you come here?" Yeshua answered and said to them, "Truly, truly say I to you: that you seek me, not because you saw the miracles, rather that you ate bread and were satisfied. Do not labor [for] food which perishes, rather [for] food that endures to life that is everlasting: that which the Son of Man will give to you, for this man the Father God has sealed. – John 6:22-27

         
    These were the same people that had eaten the bread obviously. They were also missing the significance of the miracle that Jesus had done. The bread that Jesus had given them by the Sea of Galilee was nothing compared to the Bread of Life that He was about to give them.

They said to him, "What should we do to work the deeds of God?" Yeshua answered and said to them, "This is the work of God: that you should believe in him whom he sent." – John 6:28-29

          
   This is another statement made in John’s Gospel that points to salvation by faith and not by works. “This is the work of God…” means “This is what God requires of you…”, but we have to have a living faith. These people believed, but they were not rooted in Him at all. Jesus’s half-brother explains in his Epistle (James 2:14-26) what true, living faith in Jesus Christ is.

They said to him, "What miracle do you perform that we may see and believe in you? What have you shown? Our fathers ate manna in the wilderness, as it is written that 'Bread from heaven he gave them to eat.'" Yeshua said to them, "Truly, truly, say I to you: that [it was] not [that] Moshe gave to you bread from heaven, but my Father gives to true bread from heaven. For His bread, that of God, is he who has come down from heaven and gives life to the world."  – John 6:30-33

        
     Some people were not convinced merely by the miracle of the 5,000 being fed, they wanted more. “Moses gave people manna but that didn’t mean that he was the Messiah!” is basically what they were saying. They wanted more evidence. Jesus told them that the real Bread was He Himself.

They said to him, "Our Lord, at all times give to us this bread!" Yeshua said to them, "I am the Bread of Life. Whoever comes to me will not hunger, and whoever believes in me will not thirst ever. But I have said to you that you have seen me and you do not believe. All who my Father has given to me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will not cast outside. For I came down from heaven, not to do my will, but to do the will of Him who sent me. This is His will, that of Him who sent me: that I do not lose [one] from all that that he has given to me, but raise him up in the last day. For this is the will of my Father: that all who see the Son and believe in Him will have life that is eternal, and I will raise him up in the last day." – John 6:34-40

         
    Jesus Christ reveals who and what this Bread is, and they clearly weren’t expecting Him to say that. The people just didn’t get it. The Bread of Life is not just one of quantity, but quality. That Bread is so good that nothing else will satisfy and you will simply not want anything else.

         
    Some of these people did believe, but they walked away because of the words Jesus spoke during this chapter. They were not planted into Jesus’s hands by the Father. They were not grounded in the faith. Jesus won’t reject you if you come to Him, He desires to mend you and make you perfect in His sight. We should follow Christ’s example in this and In His absolute focus and desire to do God’s perfect will. Jesus never failed to do God’s will, therefore the Father was pleased with Him.

Now the Yehudeans were murmuring against him because he said that, 'I am the Bread that has descended from Heaven.' And they were saying, "Is this not Yeshua, the son of Yosip, he who we know his father and his mother, and how says this [man] that 'From Heaven I have descended?'" Yeshua answered and said to them, "Do not murmur one with another. No man is able to come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up in the last day. It is written in the prophets that, 'All of them will be taught of God.' Everyone who hears therefore from the Father and learns from him comes to me. Not that man can see the Father, rather He who is from God is He [who] sees the Father." – John 6:41-46

       
      These people understood what Jesus was saying and didn’t like it. Jesus claiming that He descended from heaven is a claim of deity, but they thought that He was the son of Joseph and not the Son of God. This is very similar to what was said about Jesus in His hometown of Nazareth (Luke 4:16-29).

      
       Jesus is quoting Isaiah 54:13 when He says that all people will be taught by God. Jesus is the Teacher that speaks the Words of eternal life, as He is the Word of God. If you want to hear from God, you come to Jesus. Jesus knows the Father better than anyone, so we can rely on Him to teach us the truth.

"Truly, truly, say I to you: that whoever believes in me has life that is eternal. I am the Living Bread who from Heaven has descended, and if a man should eat from this bread he will live forever, and the bread, that which I give, is my body, which for the sake of the life of the world I give." – John 6:47-51

        
     Jesus tells us why the manna given by Moses was not the true bread of God, because if they ate the Bread of Life they would not die. They didn’t just die physically like we all will, but they did spiritually because of their unbelief. This Bread is necessary for us to partake in. This is another example of Christ’s superiority over Moses.

And the Yehudeans were arguing one with another and saying, "How is this [man] able to give to us his body to eat?" And Yeshua said to them, "Truly, truly say I to you: that unless you eat the body of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in yourselves. And he who eats from my body and drinks from my blood has life that is everlasting, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my body truly is food, and my blood truly is drink. He who eats my body and drinks my blood in me abides and I in him. As the Living Father sent me, and live because of the Father, and whoever also eats of me will live because of me. This is the Bread that has descended from Heaven, not as ate your forefathers manna and died. He who eats this Bread will live forever." These things he said in the assembly while he taught in Capurnakhum. – John 6:52-59

       
      Again, the people misunderstood what Jesus was saying. George Lamsa suggests that eating the flesh and blood means “to work very hard”, but this is unlikely. If this were a Semitic idiom for that, then the Jews would have most likely understood it. Jesus is telling us that we must partake of everything that He is, that He stands for, and put Him at the center of our lives. Jesus’s Word and His Spirit are our daily nourishment.

And many who heard [it] of his disciples said, "This saying is hard. Who is able to hear it?" But Yeshua knew in himself that were murmuring his disciples about this, and he said to them, "This offends you? [What] if you see therefore the Son of Man ascending to the place that he was before? It is the spirit that makes alive, the body does not profit anything. The words that I speak with you are spirit and are life. But there are some of you who do not believe." For Yeshua had known from the start who those are that did not believe, and he who was who would betray him. And he said to them, "Because of this I have said to you that no man is able to come to me unless it is given to him from my Father." – John 6:60-65

       
      If these people were truly grounded in Christ’s teachings, then they would not have walked away from Him. They completely missed what He was telling them in this chapter due to their own lack of faith. Jesus is clearly very frustrated in this passage. Jesus also gives more evidence for His deity by making this statement about Him ascending to where He was from the beginning.

       
      Jesus’s words are not the words of any mere man, they are the very words of God. As Jesus says, the body (or the flesh) don’t mean anything. The Spirit is what matters and what gives life. If they had the grace given them by the Father, then the people would have obtained eternal life that day. No one can come to Jesus for salvation without being led by the Spirit in faith and grace.

Because of this saying many of his disciples turned their backs and did not walk with him. And Yeshua said to his twelve, "Why? Do you also desire to go?" Shimon Keepa answered and said, "My Lord, to whom should we go? You have the words of life that is eternal. And we believe, and know, that you are the Messiah: the Son of the Living God!" And Yeshua said to them, "Did I not choose you twelve and of you one is a Satan?" He was speaking now concerning Yehuda, son of Shimon Skaryota, for he was about to betray him, [being] one from the twelve. – John 6:66-71

      Notice how Jesus began this chapter with a large following and by the end of it He only has twelve people left. These twelve wouldn’t leave Jesus because they knew that there was no one else who had what He had: the very words of the living God. They also knew that He was the Son of God. Jesus then tells us that even one of the twelve would eventually go astray: Judas Iscariot, the traitor. In the original Aramaic, Jesus is actually saying that Judas is “a Satan” or satana (0n=s). Lamsa states, “The Aramaic satana (Satan) is derived from sta, which means to slide, to slip, or to miss the mark, and applies to one who causes these results.” Paul Younan defines satana as “Adversary”. Jesus is not saying that Judas is actually Satan himself, but that he is (as Andrew Gabriel Roth puts it) a “little devil”, or an enemy to Christ.

Concerning the Islamic Religion

A few years ago I posted an apologetics article about Islam for Facebook. Many people (most of whom claim Christianity as their faith) began to attack me for posting it. I find it shocking how many people are willing to stand up for another religion and not their own. Read it all below (all of my stuff is in bold):

Muslims are in strong error by denying the deity of Christ. They refer to Christians as "pagans" (assuming that we are all Trinitarian). I would like to talk about Islam for a little while. This is one of the most dangerous of the false religions in the world today.

Now for those of you who don't know a lot about Islam. I'll give a little bit of background information. According to the Unholy Koran, the Arabic "prophet" Mohammad received visions from an "angel" claiming to be from God (who is called "Allah" in Islam, "Allah" means "curse" in Hebrew).

Allah is never said to have spoken to Mohammad himself, but is said to have spoken to him through an angel. Muslims claim that Allah is the same God as the God of the Bible, whom they insist is not named YHWH, but Allah.

One infamous form of Islam is radical Islam, which is the religion that the terrorists (like Osama bin Laden) follow. Radical Islam follows Mohammad's law to a "t" (this law is called Sharia). Based on what I can tell, the Muslim laws are rather sexist (usually punishing women and putting them into more restricted lifestyles than men).

Muslims claim heritage from the patriarch Abraham through Ishmael, his firstborn son. They also claim that Ishmael, rather than Isaac, was the child of promise and that the Messiah would descend through him. The Bible tells us the opposite of this, but I do not disagree when they claim to descend from Ishmael. The Bible tells us the truth, that God promised Abraham that he would have a child named Isaac, and that Ishmael was a mistake of Abraham and Sarah's fleshly desires and doubt in God fulfilling His promise to them.

Anonymous: ok im christian and every thing but you do not have to call any other persons religion "false" they believe what they want and we can believe what we want i mean this is really unnesesary and hurtful to the muslim faith.

This is not me bashing Muslims, this is called apologetic writing. I am showing mistakes in Islam. I do not have a hatred for Muslims at all, but they are followers of a false religion. The only way to God is through Jesus the Messiah (John 10:1-7; John 14:6). I am just telling it like it is.

Now anyway, the Koran also claims that Jesus is not the Son of God (therefore denying that He is God in the flesh), but they agree that He is the Messiah of God. This is contrary to everything we are told in the scriptures about the identity of Jesus Christ. He is clearly taught to have been the one true God made flesh to die for our sins.

Anonymous: did you ever think that they think that there are mistakes in are religion and call it what you want its bashing another religion which in my oppinion un christian like. I do not think its right to judge another person

I'm not judging anyone. Only person I have mentioned that is a mere man is Mohammad. I do realize that they see mistakes in the faith of Christianity, I was going to get to that too. But Muslim apologists make many mistakes and contradictions while trying to discredit Christianity.

Anonymous: you are making many mistakes by posting this. these are the kinds of things that start religious wars between nations and the reason they try to discredit christianity is because people like you post and say these kind of things.

No Muslims are reading this either. Can you show any falsehoods at all in what I am writing? Islam has been trying to discredit Christianity (which has been around longer than Islam, mind you) for a long time. If you don't like what I write, then I am sorry to say this but simply don't read it. Jesus said in Matthew 28:19, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."

Anonymous 2: Muslims believe in the wrong faith.. simple as that.. no such things as virgins waiting for them when do stupid stuff

All I am doing is telling the truth. I'm not ashamed of that! Mark 16:15-16, "And He said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."

Anonymous: i am friends with some muslims so they might be reading this and its hard to ignore it when comment on it every five seconds judging someone elses religion and i dont believe you are telling the truth because you personally havent talked to someone of that faith i know this because you wouldnt be posting this if you did or I know i wouldnt personally but thats just me.

Anonymous 2: hahaha, dude, u liked ur own comment? thats cool.. but I love how everyone will stick up for other religions but never their own.. James all you can do is pray for Dylan, as there are many opinions in life and he shall pray for you

Anonymous: ok mr.devine i have no idea who you are and frankley i dont care but i honestly can say that i dont know what are society has come to when people can bash another religion.

Anonymous 2: hahaha, its life, get over it, deal wiht the facts and pray and tell ur muslim freinds to pray to their god haha.. than we can all live on with our miserable/happy lifes.. see ya

Anonymous: ok i thinks screwed up that u are laughing at this fact

Anonymous 2: lol

Anonymous: ok bye

I have done my reading on Islam, my friend. I do know what they believe. I can speak out against other religions if I want to! The Bible doesn't speak out against that at all. In fact, the Bible has instances of debunking religions and other heresies (read Colossians, in that Paul was debunking Gnosticism, a Greek philosophy that seeped into Christianity in the 2nd century).

I am not speaking in hatred of Islamics at all. You can say that I'm a non-Christian hater if you want but if you do that you are telling nothing but a lie. Islam is a false religion. If you don't believe that then I believe that you are going against what the Word of God (THE BIBLE) says. The Bible says in John 8:31-32, "Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on Him, If ye continue in My word, then are ye My disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

Now, I will continue. Muslims do, however, have a respect for Jesus. They believe He is the Messiah and the "2nd greatest Prophet behind Mohammad". Jesus was the true Prophet that was prophesied of in the Law of Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15-19). Mohammad gave many false teachings in his writings (I will go into that a little bit later), therefore according to Moses' quiz for a true or false prophet, he fits the description of a false prophet (Deuteronomy 18:20-22).

Muslims deny Jesus' deity on the basis of these things:

‎1. They reason that God cannot become a man.

2. Jesus prayed and God does not pray.

3. Jesus was tempted, and God cannot be tempted.

Now let me give some rebuttals real quick. First let us start on number 1. What is stopping God from becoming a Man? I thought God was all-powerful? God is all-powerful, so there is nothing wrong with God becoming a Man.

‎2. They are right in saying that God (while not incarnate) doesn't pray, but Jesus did pray because He was God coming to exist as a genuine Man. Jesus was conscious of Himself as a Man, and this is essential for Jesus to be the God-Man. Like all men, Jesus also needed a relationship with God. God was not praying to God, but a Man (who happened to be God as a Man), prayed to the Father in Heaven.

‎3. God is not tempted, this is in the Bible (James 1:13), and Jesus (who claimed to be God in multiple places, such as in John 8:58 or John 10:30) was tempted (Matthew 4:1-11). But keep in mind that Jesus was a Man too, so He could be tempted, but couldn't sin! Jesus' deity was not overcome by His humanity, and neither was His humanity not overcome by His deity!

For the record, I actually have spoken to a few Muslims before, but not face to face.

Now they also are non-Trinitarian, and I can't argue against that. I believe God is clearly taught in the Bible to be one Person!

Muslims also claim that the Bible has been corrupted, and therefore cannot be trusted. This is a false and unmerited claim, because the Bible is one of the most well-preserved documents that we have! There are presently about 5,686 Greek manuscripts of the New Testament (which was not as well-preserved as the Old Testament, but is still miraculously reliable). Scholars say that the copies we have are about 99.5% accurate. This is pretty amazing. The reason why it isn't 100% is due to textual variation (in which you see the manuscripts either missing verses others have, or wording things differently), but these are not really that problematic. This is why translations tend to have their differences. It depends on what manuscripts they use (at least usually, sometimes it is liberal agendas).

The Koran is not the perfect word of God that it claims to be either. There are many contradictions in their scriptures which are quite hard to reconcile. I will go through a few of them that I have been able to find on the internet.

"A. What was man created from, blood, clay, dust, or nothing?

1. "Created man, out of a (mere) clot of congealed blood," (96:2).

2. "We created man from sounding clay, from mud moulded into shape, (15:26).

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

4. "But does not man call to mind that We created him before out of nothing?" (19:67, Yusuf Ali). Also, 52:35).

5. "He has created man from a sperm-drop; and behold this same (man) becomes an open disputer! (16:4).

2. Is there or is there not compulsion in religion according to the Qur'an?

1. "Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error: whoever rejects evil and believes in Allah hath grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold, that never breaks. And Allah heareth and knoweth all things," (2:256).

2. "And an announcement from Allah and His Messenger, to the people (assembled) on the day of the Great Pilgrimage,- that Allah and His Messenger dissolve (treaty) obligations with the Pagans. If then, ye repent, it were best for you; but if ye turn away, know ye that ye cannot frustrate Allah. And proclaim a grievous penalty to those who reject Faith," (9:3).

3. "But when the forbidden months are past, then fight and slay the Pagans wherever ye find them, and seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem (of war); but if they repent, and establish regular prayers and practice regular charity, then open the way for them: for Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful," (9:5).

4. Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued," (9:29).

3. The first Muslim was Muhammad? Abraham? Jacob? Moses?

1. "And I [Muhammad] am commanded to be the first of those who bow to Allah in Islam," (39:12).

2. "When Moses came to the place appointed by Us, and his Lord addressed him, He said: "O my Lord! show (Thyself) to me, that I may look upon thee." Allah said: "By no means canst thou see Me (direct); But look upon the mount; if it abide in its place, then shalt thou see Me." When his Lord manifested His glory on the Mount, He made it as dust. And Moses fell down in a swoon. When he recovered his senses he said: "Glory be to Thee! to Thee I turn in repentance, and I am the first to believe." (7:143).

3. "And this was the legacy that Abraham left to his sons, and so did Jacob; "Oh my sons! Allah hath chosen the Faith for you; then die not except in the Faith of Islam," (2:132).

4. Does Allah forgive or not forgive those who worship false gods?

1. Allah forgiveth not that partners should be set up with Him; but He forgiveth anything else, to whom He pleaseth; to set up partners with Allah is to devise a sin Most heinous indeed," (4:48). Also 4:116

2. The people of the Book ask thee to cause a book to descend to them from heaven: Indeed they asked Moses for an even greater (miracle), for they said: "Show us Allah in public," but they were dazed for their presumption, with thunder and lightning. Yet they worshipped the calf even after clear signs had come to them; even so we forgave them; and gave Moses manifest proofs of authority," (4:153).

5. Are Allah's decrees changed or not?

1. "Rejected were the messengers before thee: with patience and constancy they bore their rejection and their wrongs, until Our aid did reach them: there is none that can alter the words (and decrees) of Allah. Already hast thou received some account of those messengers," (6:34).

2. "The word of thy Lord doth find its fulfillment in truth and in justice: None can change His words: for He is the one who heareth and knoweth all, (6:115).

3. None of Our revelations do We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, but We substitute something better or similar: Knowest thou not that Allah Hath power over all things?" (2:106).

4. When We substitute one revelation for another,- and Allah knows best what He reveals (in stages),- they say, "Thou art but a forger": but most of them understand not," (16:101).

6. Was Pharaoh killed or not killed by drowning?

1. "We took the Children of Israel across the sea: Pharaoh and his hosts followed them in insolence and spite. At length, when overwhelmed with the flood, he said: "I believe that there is no god except Him Whom the Children of Israel believe in: I am of those who submit (to Allah in Islam). (It was said to him): "Ah now!- But a little while before, wast thou in rebellion!- and thou didst mischief (and violence)! This day shall We save thee in the body, that thou mayest be a sign to those who come after thee! but verily, many among mankind are heedless of Our Signs!" (10:90-92).

2. Moses said, "Thou knowest well that these things have been sent down by none but the Lord of the heavens and the earth as eye-opening evidence: and I consider thee indeed, O Pharaoh, to be one doomed to destruction!" So he resolved to remove them from the face of the earth: but We did drown him and all who were with him," (17:102-103).

7. Is wine consumption good or bad?

1. O ye who believe! Intoxicants and gambling, (dedication of) stones, and (divination by) arrows, are an abomination,- of Satan's handwork: eschew such (abomination), that ye may prosper," (5:90).

2. (Here is) a Parable of the Garden which the righteous are promised: in it are rivers of water incorruptible; rivers of milk of which the taste never changes; rivers of wine, a joy to those who drink; and rivers of honey pure and clear. In it there are for them all kinds of fruits; and Grace from their Lord. (Can those in such Bliss) be compared to such as shall dwell for ever in the Fire, and be given, to drink, boiling water, so that it cuts up their bowels (to pieces)?" (47:15).

3. Truly the Righteous will be in Bliss: On Thrones (of Dignity) will they command a sight (of all things): Thou wilt recognize in their faces the beaming brightness of Bliss. Their thirst will be slaked with Pure Wine sealed," (83:22-25)."-

Many Muslims also try to use Biblical Scriptures against us to support their own teachings. There are two scriptures in particular. Let's start with the first.

Deuteronomy 18:15, "The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto Him shall ye hearken."

The Apostle Simon Peter confirmed in Acts 3:22 that this prophecy is referring to Jesus Christ. Muslims though, claim that this is referring to Mohammad. Here is how we can disprove that: notice that Moses said that this Prophet would be "of thy brethren". Who was Moses speaking to? The Israelites (or Jews). Mohammad was not an Israelite, but an Arab, therefore he is not the Prophet that Moses was speaking of. Jesus is confirmed to be a Jew, more specifically from the line of Judah, in the New Testament (Matthew 1:1-17; John 4:22).

The other one I've heard of being used before is John 14:16, "And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever..."

This is very simple. All you have to do is look at the next verse, which says, "Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." This is clearly speaking of the Holy Ghost, and not a man named Mohammad.

If Mohammad claimed this himself (I don't know for sure), then he was committing blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. This is the only sin which cannot and will not be forgiven by God. Jesus said in Mark 3:28-29, "Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith so ever they blaspheme: but he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation."

Another major error I'd like to add as a conclusion is the fact that the Koran teaches that sperm is formed in the chest. "Now let man but think from what he is created! He is created from a drop emitted-Proceeding from between the backbone and the ribs," (Qur'an 86:5-7).

Anonymous 3: ok you really shouldnt judge muslims like that, there are many out there with the biggest heart and probably the most loving people that you'll meet. I hope you become friends with some of them in the future. tackling someone else's religion isnt gonna do you any good, sorry to say. Religion isnt everything. and i dont mean to sound rude. Peace.

Anonymous 4: We all need to realize we are merely sinners in this world. Who are we to JUDGE? Last I checked god was the only one to judge. When the day comes we will all be judged by him. What religion is better is not for us to decide. We all have a choice in the matter. When our day comes is when we will all know. If we are speaking in opinion I feel we are all still too ignorant to truly know what to follow and what to not follow. However I can only hope with all the different religions, that in the creators eyes he sees us all the same no matter what we decide to follow, and to the creator we are all judged not because of our mistakes but each of our dedication to the creator no matter the "religion" because only he knows the truth we just believe.

Anonymous 5: Dylan has done nothing but author fact. You are not judging anyone by simply documenting what they believe, this was informative and cited; well done. James Cruise, I assure you that religious wars predate facebook and Dylans comments will not be starting one. I know you arent but 15 years old and your idealistic views will get you no where fast, no sense in re-inventing the wheel. Which brings me to my fav quote of all time, mostly because the endless truth behind its meaning. Although not coined by Winston Churchill, was made popular by his quote: "Those who refuse to learn history are doomed to repeat it" My suggestion is to do a little research yourself and Im not talking about a 'google search' either.

Anonymous 4: Have you infect read the first status??? " Muslims are in strong error by denying the dirty of Christ". In my opinion that is judgement. All things may be facts as written, however as I said before who are we? We are ignorant children. Who believe what we want. I am guilty as well. I believe in Jesus Christ. In some religions that's wrong. In mine its not. But who are we to say it is other the. Documented facts or opinions. We are ignorant children. I am ignorant. I will never know truly till the day has come and I can only hope our creator has pity on my soul. No offense meant to my amazing cousin! Just my view on religion

Listen to me, most Muslims are peace loving people. I mentioned radicals, I didn't say "ALL MUSLIMS ARE EVIL". All I am doing is showing the errors in the Koran and the Islamic religion. All Muslims deny the deity of Christ, this is a fact. Jesus said that you can judge by the fruit on the tree (Matthew 7:15-20). Islam is an Antichrist religion and if you don't believe me look at what they believe about Jesus! They deny that Jesus Christ died on the cross and deny that He is the one true God made flesh! I am not judging Muslims (notice I never condemned them as people, but I did condemn their beliefs about God).

Believe me when I say this. Jesus said He was THE way, THE truth, THE life. The word "the" implies that He was saying that He was THE ONLY WAY. No man cometh unto the Father except by Him. Jesus is it! If you can get to the Kingdom of Heaven through Buddha, Mohammad, Hubbard, or another cult/false religion, then Jesus was lying. The Bible tells us that Jesus is the sinless Lamb of God without blemish, but He is the just and Holy One!

If you don't believe that Islam is in error by denying the deity of Jesus Christ, then examine these verses:

John 1:1, 14

John 8:58

John 10:30

I Timothy 3:16

Colossians 2:9

John 5:18

When I say that "they refer to Christians as 'pagans'" that is a generalization, and not me saying that all Muslims necessarily believe that. I am not judgmental against Muslims. I just know for a fact that what they believe is not the truth. I might sound arrogant to you, but believe me that this is not the intention.

Anonymous 5: Well Maria Holmes you better start getting busy covering your bases on that logic. "who are we to say its the other".....Well there are a few million images, items and dieties worshiped around the globe. God, Allah, buddah, Hannah Montana and even the moon. Who knows who it actually is huh?

Anonymous 6: "I'm not going to get into this much. But I will say, I know Dylan and I know that is intent here was not to "judge" anyone. He is simply stating facts. Whether or not he should put this kind of thing as his status or not is really no one's business to say he should or should not. It's HIS profile and before he puts a status in I believe it says "What's on your Mind".. And That is what he is doing.. Telling us what is on his mind. All he has done is given facts. If someone had orange hair and Dylan said to them, :Hey dude, your hair is orange".. Is that judging them, or is that a fact?.... Same applies here. Dylan loves everyone that he comes to know unless they give him reason not to. And even then I have never known him to bad mouth anyone. -- He is standing for what he believes, and what I believe to be truth. He studies his word and other religions probably more then any person that I know to be on here. So, I wouldn't really say that he is wrong unless you yourself know's that he is. And that goes beyond knowing a Muslim, you have to study it out yourself.. Their belief. And I would be ever so careful to compromise as many Christians do in the name of "lets not judge".. It's not judging, its setting a standard and not compromising. Lest you be snared yourself by false religions....."

I'm not going to dissect the Bible and pick what is true and what is not. I am not God, so I have no right to do that. God testified through the Apostle Paul that the Scriptures were God-breathed (II Timothy 3:16). I will not compromise the truth, because truth is absolute, not relative. If I am condemned as a Pharisee and a non-Christian hater, then I'll deal with that. If you truly love Jesus, then you must keep all of His commandments (John 14:15) and that includes not compromising the truth. Jesus wanted us to know the truth so that we would be made free (John 8:32).

Anonymous 6: And he said to feed his sheep.. And by showing truth? YOU ARE! HE did not say compromise.. He said love. Reflect him.. LEad people to him.. How can you if you don't show truth and just tell everyone "It's ok hunny.. believe what you want to.. Jesus loves you and thats all that matter".. True as it is? There still has to be truth. Jesus said to REPENT and be Baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins.. Is that not the commandment that he gives? So if someone believes any other way, would you, as a Christian then say that is WRONG? Then why would you NOT lead them to the truth? Not out of judging.. but simply out of love. ...

Anonymous: ok mr Benjamin Allen i dont care what you think and my views might get me some where fast i dont think your physcic or anything i really dont care what you think and to know im 15 you would have to be stalking my profile thats kinda creepy so id keep your thoughts to urself about me to yourself.

Anonymous 5: Dont even know where to begin with this cluster. First off, your profile is not hidden and you have your birth date posted directly at the top...not sure if that qualifies as "stalking". However I feel that you think highly of yourself if thats the frist thing that crossed your mind.Second, if you dont care what I think why did you reply? Hmm.I could care less about your age, but you should consider your lack of life experience when discussing some topics. I once was 15 and no I didnt consider it much myself, but why re-invent the wheel every generation?

Anonymous: i do care when people bring my name into a picture so thats why i replied second i do not think highly of myself its people like you who think highly of them self when they bring a 15 year olds name into something and expect them not to care because your older and that bothers me i think its pretty messed up and i dont care what you think me but i do care what people say about others cause its messed up on so many levels.

Anonymous 4: Gotta love the narrow minded.. Hahahahhaha

Anoymous 2: "I dont see why everyone is takin offense.. Dylan basically was writing down what he feels.. America gave us Freedom of Speech.. if you dotn like it, just ignore it and dont comment on it"

Politically correct (liberal) "Christianity" is not Christianity at all. It destroys the central teachings of the faith that Jesus Christ and His followers taught. They taught that there was one God: YHWH/Yahweh/Jehovah (Mark 12:29; I Corinthians 8:6), and that YHWH became flesh in Jesus Christ, the Son of God (John 1:1, 14; John 8:58; I Timothy 3:16; Colossians 2:9), and that the Son of God died for our sins, was risen from the dead so that we might be risen with Him, and ascended into Heaven. Jesus is the only way to God, He is the one mediator between God and man (John 14:6; I Timothy 2:5), by which every man and woman be saved by the grace and love of the Lord Jesus Christ by faith in Him, confession of sins, repentance, regeneration of the Holy Ghost, and baptism (Acts 2:38; Romans 3:28; Titus 3:5; I John 2:1-2). This is the Gospel of Jesus Christ and it is true.

Many men and women, including all of the original 12 apostles (except John), died brutal deaths for preaching the Gospel. Would they have done this for a lie? Grishma, you are right, religion isn't everything: JESUS is everything to me and every other born-again Christian. I'm not going to cut anything out of the Bible because it isn't in red-letters or because people don't like it. The truth hurts sometimes, but the truth is to be heard and accepted! The truth which Jesus brought into the world set me free. He set me free from my sins. I am still not perfect to this day, but the Lord loves me and you all anyway! God Himself came in the flesh and died for our sins! Jesus is the Lord.

If I cut out verses of the Bible or tear out entire pages of it then I am dishonoring my Lord who died for me and his followers who died for the Gospel. I will tell the truth to you about Jesus and the whole truth, about which I am not ashamed. To deny anything in God's word as truth would be denying His goodness and mercy which He has shown to me through my walk with Him. There is nothing good in me but the Holy Spirit which dwells inside of me. While others may go and serve other false gods and idols, I will choose to serve the LORD.

I am only open to the truth, and if that makes me close-minded then I would rather not be considered open-minded. There is only one truth and one God. No Christian should be offended at any of my words, because they know that what I am teaching comes from the Bible (the only inspired religious Book). All I am doing is showing why I think that the Islamic religion is in error. I am also offering evidence to back up my opinion. Before you establish an opinion and try to be open about it, try doing a little bit of reading and find out for yourself.

Anonymous 3: All i'm saying is to have a little more respect to the other kinds of people in this world. The only thing is that you shouldnt have said their religion is false and when you said " one of the most dangerous of the false religions in the world " you were basically referring to a lot of different religions too. Just like if someone told you that your religion is wrong, you would get mad at them. You just got to look at other people's sides and not just yours.. and i get you have a strong opinion and dont mean harm, but I'd be nice if some respect was put into play. They can certainly live the way they choose and you can live the way you do in a peaceful way.

I understand. I try not to judge people, Leslie. But when something is false it is false, there is no beating around the bush. It is a dangerous religion and that is the truth. I could have went deeper into radical Islam but that is not the topic of discussion. Not all Muslims are the psychotic radicals we hear about on the news, there are plenty of peaceful Muslims that could very well be some of the finest people you meet. I think there are very dangerous heresies taught in Christian churches. I believe eternal security (the doctrine that teaches that a person cannot loose their salvation) is one of the most dangerous doctrines out there. Does that mean that I believe that the people who teach them are evil? Absolutely not. Everyone has the right to their own opinions and belief systems, but nobody can put reality and myth in the same category.

I haven't put my mouth against people who follow the Islamic faith. Only negative comment I had against any Islamic followers were radicals. Note that I did not say that every Muslim is a radical terrorist bent on destroying the Western way of life. Many Muslims came here to escape the evil deeds being done in the Middle East.

Anonymous 3: Alright, we'll just leave it at that. I respect your beliefs. Have a nice day:)

I have several friends that I have a strong respect for that are not Christians. One of them in particular is an Atheist. Not every Atheist is a militant like you see on Youtube or common internet forums. I know for sure that they are wrong about God not existing, but I do not think they are evil people for not believing, they are just mislead. I also don't believe that everyone on the planet who claims to be a Christian is going to Heaven either. Christianity is the most widely followed faith in the world (Islam in second place, mind you), but Jesus said, "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. [Matthew 7:13-14]." Jesus also said in Matthew 7:21-23, "Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in Heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? And in Thy name cast out devils? And in Thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity."

You too, Leslie. God bless you.

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