What Do Muslims Believe About The Bible?

 Muslims believe the Qur'an is the highest authority and that it has superseded the Bible.  They also believe the Bible has been corrupted or altered by Jews and Christians.  

The Qur'an teaches that the Scriptures of Jews and Christians were revelation from Allah.  It even claims that there were prophecies about Muhammad in these previous revelations of Allah.  Ironically the Qur'an also claims that no one can change revelations from Allah.  

Islam seems to have a serious problem here.  On the one hand Muslims believe Jews and Christians corrupted their Scriptures.  On the other hand the Qur'an says these Scriptures were revelation from Allah and that no one can change his words.  

So if previous revelations from Allah have been corrupted, then Allah is incapable of preserving his words, including those of the Qur'an.  But if no one can change the words of Allah then Jews and Christians did not change or corrupt the Bible.  The Muslim is left living in contradiction and believing falsehood. 

The First Gospel

 What is known as the protoevangelium or the first gospel is found in Genesis 3:15.  This is the first promise of salvation.  

(Genesis 3:15)"I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel." (ESV) 

This verse in found in the context of God pronouncing the curse on the serpent.  The serpent is of course the devil or Satan (See Revelation 20:2).  The serpent received this curse because he deceived Eve and led Adam and Eve to sin against God, bringing all humanity and creation under the sin curse.  This is known as the Fall.  

The offspring of Satan includes all unbelievers while the offspring of the woman (Eve) includes Christ and all believers.  He in the last part of the verse refers to Christ.  Jesus will bruise the devil's head, that is crush or destroy him.  Satan will only bruise the heel of Christ, that is cause suffering.  

Jesus through his life, death, and resurrection has defeated the devil, sin, and death.  The victory will be consummated at the Second Coming of Christ. 

R.C. Sproul Books

 R.C. Sproul (1939-2017) was one of the best theologians in recent history.  Here are a few of his best books.

-The Holiness Of God

-Chosen By God

-What Is Reformed Theology?

-Willing To Believe

-The Invisible Hand

Does God Woo People To Salvation? (John 6:44)

 Many modern evangelicals say that God is simply wooing all people, trying to save them.  This is how they interpret John 6:44.  But is this view actually correct?   

(John 6:44)"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.  And I will raise him up on the last day."  (ESV) 

Modern evangelicals under the influence of Arminian theology say the word "draw" in this verse means to woo.  The Greek word (elko) actually means to compel.  This same Greek word is even translated as drag in Acts 16:19 and James 2:6.  

"No one can come to me" means that no one is able to come to Christ, a person does not will or desire to come to him.  God the Father must draw him to Christ.  God has to give a person the will to believe.  All those that the Father draws to Christ will be raised on the last day to eternal life (see John 6:40).  

Since all that the Father draws are raised to eternal life, it cannot be that God is drawing or wooing all people.  If that were the case you would have universalism (all people would be saved).  Instead God draws all those he has chosen, that is the elect, and they will be raised up to eternal life. 

(John 6:37)"All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out." (ESV) 

All that the Father has chosen will respond with faith in Christ alone for salvation.  It is plain that God is sovereign even in salvation.  It is the work of God alone, not the work of man.  The final determiner of a person's salvation is God and not man.  To God alone be the glory.  

My Beliefs About Biblical Matters

 View Of Scripture          

Scripture alone is the ultimate authority.  The Bible is the inerrant Word of God.  

Theological Perspective

Baptist, Reformed, Classic Protestant

Creation/Evolution

Young Earth Creationist

Soteriology (Salvation)

Doctrines Of Grace

Eschatology (Last Things)

Amillennialism with a preterist/futurist/idealist interpretation method. 

Gifts of Prophecy And Tongues

Cessationist

Role Of Women

Complimentarian

Apologetic Method

Presuppositionalism

Bible Translation

ESV (English Standard Version)

What About Those Who Never Hear The Gospel?

 So what happens to those people who never hear about Jesus?  Do they go to heaven or hell?  Some Christian leaders have said they will be judged on the amount of light or religious knowledge they have received.  But is this view the right view?  

(Romans 1:19-20)"For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.  For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.  So they are without excuse." (ESV) 

We see that all people have knowledge of the one true God, so they are without excuse.  Worshiping Allah or following the teachings of Buddha or anyone else is not acceptable light,instead it is idolatry.  

(Acts 4:12)"And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (ESV) 

(John 14:6)"Jesus said to him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me." (ESV)  

Scripture clearly teaches that salvation is found in Christ alone.  All other paths lead to hell, not heaven.  

(Romans 10:17)"So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." (ESV)

The answer for those who have never heard the gospel is to send missionaries to them.  Jesus is there only hope.  Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. 

Books On The Authority Of Scripture

 Here are some good books that deal with the authority, inerrancy, infallibility, reliability, and sufficiency of Scripture.  

Scripture Alone by James R. White

Sola Scriptura! Edited by Don Kistler

God's Word Alone by Matthew Barrett

The Inerrant Word Edited by John MacArthur

1 Timothy 2:3-6 (A Calvinist Defense)

 (1 Timothy 2:3-6)"This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.  For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time."  (ESV) 

We see the phrases, God desires all people to be saved and Christ gave himself as a ransom for all.  But Calvinism or Reformed theology teaches that God has chosen some people to be saved but not all people.  And it teaches that Christ died only for the sins of the elect, not for the sins of all people.  So is this passage a refutation of Calvinism?  

At issue in this passage is the meaning of the word "all."  In 1 Timothy 2:1-2 Paul gives instruction to pray for all people including kings and those in high position that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life.  It seems unlikely that the Apostle Paul is giving instruction to pray for every single person in the world.  Instead he means to pray for all kinds of people including government officials who might even persecute Christians.  A similar use of "all" is found in Titus 2:11 with the phrase, "bringing salvation to all people."  It is clear that Paul is not saying that all people will be saved but that all kinds of people will be saved.  

So this same meaning of "all" continues throughout this passage.  When we read that God desires all people to be saved, we understand it refers to all kinds of people, such as Jews and Gentiles.  When it says that Christ gave himself as a ransom for all we see that it again means all sorts of people, not every single person.  For further evidence we refer to Matthew 20:28 & Mark 10:45 which say that Christ gave his life as a ransom for many.  Also Hebrews 9:28 says Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many.  

So we see that this passage does not contradict the teaching of Calvinism after all.  God is not trying to save all people and failing to do so.  He is actually saving the elect and accomplishing his purpose.  The death of Jesus on the cross did not just make salvation possible for all people, instead it accomplished salvation for the elect.  God is sovereign even in salvation.  

Romans 3:28 (Protestants & Catholics)

 (Romans 3:28)"For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law."  (ESV)

To justify means to declare righteous.  This verse plainly teaches that justification is by faith alone.  In fact Martin Luther in his German translation of the Bible translated this phrase in Romans 3:28 as justified by faith alone.  We stand righteous before God by faith alone in Christ alone.  This is the Protestant position.  

But the official teaching of the Roman Catholic Church declares that if anyone holds that justification is by faith alone let him be anathema (cursed, condemned).  Roman Catholicism holds that justification is by faith plus works.  God and man work together to accomplish salvation.  

Roman Catholic teaching is in clear contradiction of Romans 3:28.  The Roman Catholic Church has condemned the true gospel and is proclaiming a different gospel.  The Catholic gospel has God and man sharing the glory.  Salvation is the work of God alone and all the glory belongs to him.  Justification is by faith alone in Christ alone.  

(Romans 4:5)"And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness," (ESV)

Parts Of God?

 In recent days we have seen the Trinity defined as one God comprised of three co-equal parts.  At best this is sloppy theology, at worst this is heresy.  

The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are not parts of God.  The Father is not 1/3 God, the Son is not 1/3 God, and the Spirit is not 1/3 God.  The members of the Trinity are persons, not parts.  There is one God in three persons.  There is one essence or being and three persons.   Each member of the Trinity is a distinct person who is fully and completely God.  Each person of the Trinity is co-equal and co-eternal.  

Theology should never be done in a sloppy way.  The doctrine of the Trinity is foundational to Christianity.  Christians and especially Christian leaders should take great care to get things precise and right because theology matters. 

ESV vs NIV (Matthew 4:19)

 (Matthew 4:19) "And he said to them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." (ESV)

(Matthew 4:19) "Come, follow me, Jesus said, and I will send you out to fish for people." (NIV) 

In this verse the ESV has "fishers of men" while the NIV has "fish for people."  The ESV rendering is more literal and traditional.  The Greek word "anthropoi" is masculine in the original language so the ESV translates it as "men."  

On the other hand the NIV 2011 edition regularly uses gender neutral language.  So it translates the Greek word "anthropoi" as "people."  The NIV is less literal and traditional than the ESV.  It is interesting to note that the NIV 1984 edition had "fishers of men."  

ESV, NASB 1995, NKJV, KJV, all have "fishers of men."  

NIV, CSB, NLT, NASB 2020, NRSV, all have "fish for people" or something similar. 

Pride Month

 In case you did not know June is Pride Month.  The purpose of Pride Month is to celebrate the LGBTQ community.  The LGBTQ movement is being promoted by government, corporations, the education system, the entertainment industry, the news media, the sports media, and even some inside the church.  There seems to be a lot of confusion in our society.  So to clear things up we turn to the Lord Jesus himself.  

(Matthew 19:4-5)"He answered, Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?"  (ESV) 

In this passage Jesus quotes from Genesis 1:27 and Genesis 2:24.  Here we have the Son of God affirming the authority of Scripture because it is the Word of God.  

"He who created them from the beginning made them male and female", just think about that.  This one verse alone refutes the whole notion of transgenderism.  God made you male or female, man or woman.  You are who God created you to be and have no authority to try and change that.  Transgenderism is a sin, it is rebellion against God's creative design.  

God created them male and female, Adam and Eve.  A man is to marry a woman and have sexual relations with her.  People of the same sex cannot get married or become one flesh.  Homosexuality is a violation of God's design for marriage and sexuality.  It is a sin, rebellion against God's creative design.  

Pride Month is simply a celebration of sin and rebellion against God.  All those in the LGBTQ community and all those who give their approval to such things need to repent of their sin and trust Christ alone for salvation. 

Understanding The Trinity

 The doctrine of the Trinity is very important and foundational to Christianity, but many people do not understand it.  God is totally unique so he cannot be compared to anything else.  

Christian apologist James R. White provides the following definition of the Trinity in his book The Forgotten Trinity, "Within the one Being that is God, there exists eternally three coequal and co-eternal persons, namely, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit."  

There is one God that exists in three persons.  There are not three Gods, there is one God.  The Trinity is not composed of one person, it is composed of three persons.    Each person of the Trinity is distinct while having the same divine nature.  The Father is not the Son, and the Son is not the Holy Spirit.  The members of the Trinity have different roles but the same unified purpose.  

Each person of the Trinity has always existed, none of them were created.  All three members of the Trinity are also equal.  One person of the Trinity is not less God than another person of the Trinity.  The persons of the Trinity are not parts of God.  Each person of the Trinity is fully and completely God.  

While the term "Trinity" is not found in the Bible it is plainly and clearly taught.  The doctrine of the Trinity is also not a contradiction.  If we were saying there are three persons and one person or one essence and three essences that would be a contradiction.  There are three persons of one essence or being. 

The Chinese Communist Party Bible

 The Voice Of The Martyrs has reported that the Chinese Communist Party plans to "update" the Bible.  This Bible version will be made to reflect Communist values and beliefs.  It will also include notes from Confucian, Taoist, and Buddhist sources.  

An example from the Chinese Communist Party Bible version comes from John 7:53-8:11 (the story of the woman caught in adultery).  In the CCP Bible the passage ends with Jesus stoning the woman himself and saying I am also a sinner.  

It is disputed as to whether John 7:53-8:11 is part of the original Gospel of John, but it does serve to show what the Chinese Communist Party is willing to do.  They are actually willing to change the very Word of God.  I would hate to be a Chinese Communist Party member on judgment day. 

Knowledge And Foolishness

 (Proverbs 1:7)"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction."  (ESV)  

This verse provides the central teaching of the book of Proverbs.  In Proverbs we have the constant contrast between wisdom and folly.  

God is sovereign and omniscient.  He is in control of all things and he knows all things. Therefore God is the foundation of all knowledge.  

If one does not presuppose the God of the Bible then he cannot even have knowledge.  Without God it would be impossible to know anything.  Sinful man tries to set himself up as the ultimate standard and authority but this is an impossibility.  

Unbelievers must leave their own worldview and borrow from the Christian worldview in order to have a basis for knowledge.  They cannot live consistently within their own worldview. 

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge and wisdom.  The rejection of God and the exaltation of the self is the height of foolishness.    

ESV vs NIV (1 John 2:2)

 (1 John 2:2)"He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world." (ESV) 

(1 John 2:2)"He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." (NIV) 

The major difference between these two translations in this verse is one word or phrase.  The ESV has "propitiation" while the NIV has "atoning sacrifice."  The phrase "atoning sacrifice" has the meaning to make amends, to pay for sins.  The term "propitiation" has a fuller meaning.  It means the payment for sins, but also includes turning away the wrath of God and turning it to favor.  

The NIV rendering of "atoning sacrifice" does not provide the reader with the full meaning. While the ESV rendering of "propitiation" does provide the full meaning for the reader.  Christ is the propitiation for our sins, for all believers in the whole world.  Our sins incur the wrath of a holy God.  The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross turns away the wrath of God from us and turns it to favor for us.  Because God's wrath has been propitiated or satisfied we can now have forgiveness.  

The more literal translations such as the ESV, NASB, and NKJV all have propitiation.  The less literal translations such as the NIV, CSB, and NLT have atoning sacrifice or something similar.     

What do Muslims Believe About The Qur'an?

 Muslims believe that the Qur'an is the Word of Allah.  Qur'an means the recitation while the terms Islam and Muslim refer to submission.  The Qur'an is believed to be perfect and eternal.  

Islam teaches that the Qur'an is a series of revelations given by Allah to Muhammad through the angel Gabriel.  The Qur'an is interpreted through the sayings of Muhammad known as the Hadith.  Muslims believe the Bible has been corrupted and has been superseded by the Qur'an.  

The Qur'an is divided into surahs or chapters and it is shorter than the New Testament.  While translations can be used the Qur'an as the Word of Allah is tied to the Arabic language.  Muslims believe the Qur'an should be placed on the highest shelf in the house and that it is disrespectful to write in it. 

Is Profanity Okay?

 In our modern culture profanity is common and considered normal.  Even some professing Christians regularly use bad language and act as if it is okay.  So is it all right to cuss?  For the truth about profanity we must turn to the Bible. 

(Ephesians 5:4)"Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving." (ESV)

Filthy talk, foolish talk, and crude joking are wrong and should be replaced with expressions of thanks to God.  

(Colossians 3:8)"But now you must put them all away:  anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth."  (ESV)

Here we see that obscene talk among other vices should be put away from your mouth. 

(Exodus 20:7)"You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain." (ESV) 

The worst form of profanity is taking the name of the Lord in vain.  The commandment forbids using God's name as a cuss word as well as using it in a careless or empty way.  

(Matthew 12:36)"I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak," (ESV)

People will be judged even for every careless word they speak.  The words spoken by a person show what is in the heart of that person (see also Luke 6:45).  

Profanity or being profane is the very opposite of being holy.  God is holy (see Isaiah 6:3, Revelation 4:8).  Therefore when someone is using profanity he is opposing God. Profanity is simply rebellion against God with your speech.  

(1 Peter 1:15-16)"but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, You shall be holy, for I am holy." (ESV)