Does The Gospel Of John Predict The Coming Of The Prophet Muhammad?

 Some Muslims believe that in John 14 the reference to Helper, Advocate, or Counselor is a reference to Muhammad.  Of course Christians hold that the Helper is the Holy Spirit.  Muslims believe the text in John has been changed and that it should have "exalted one" instead of Helper.  So they believe the exalted one refers to Muhammad.  There is no evidence that the text in John 14 has been changed, but this is what many Muslims believe.  

(John 14:16-17)"And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him.  You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you." (ESV) 

Jesus did not ask the Father to send Muhammad to be with the disciples forever.  In fact the Helper is even referred to as the Spirit of truth.  The world did see and know Muhammad unlike the Holy Spirit.  The disciples in the first century did not know Muhammad and he did not dwell with them because he was not born yet.  One also wonders how Muhammad could be inside the disciples.  

(John 14:26)"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you." (ESV) 

This verse directly refers to the Helper as the Holy Spirit.  The Father did not send Muhammad in the name of Jesus to teach the disciples all things or to bring to their remembrance all he said to them.  

Muslims who say the Helper in John 14 refers to Muhammad are practicing terrible and absurd interpretation, reading into the text things that are not there.  Jesus did not predict the coming of a prophet who would supersede him.  There is no greater prophet than Jesus.  Of course Jesus is more than a prophet, he is the Christ, the Son of God. 

John 3:16 (A Bible Translation Comparison)

 (NKJV)"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." 

(ESV)"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." 

(LSB)"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." 

(CSB)"For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." 

The NKJV follows the KJV in this verse except for updated language.  The ESV and LSB stay close to the form and wording of the KJV.  The CSB departs somewhat from the traditional KJV rendering.  

In the first clause of the verse the NKJV, ESV, and LSB all have the traditional rendering, "For God so loved the world."  The CSB moves away from the traditional translation with, "For God loved the world in this way."  

Another difference in the translations centers around the Greek word "monogenes." The NKJV and the LSB render the phrase, "only begotten Son." The ESV has "only Son," while the CSB has "one and only Son."  

NKJV (New King James Version)

ESV (English Standard Version)

LSB (Legacy Standard Bible)

CSB (Christian Standard Bible)

The Books That Shaped Me

 Of course the Bible is far above all other books because it is the Word of God.  For several years I used the NIV (1984 Edition) and then later switched to the ESV, which is now the main translation that I use.  Here are some of the most significant and influential books on my thought.  

Institutes Of The Christian Religion by John Calvin

Here I Stand by Roland Bainton

The Bondage Of The Will by Martin Luther

The Gospel According To Jesus by John MacArthur

No Place For Truth by David Wells

What Is Reformed Theology? by R.C. Sproul

Christian Apologetics by Cornelius Van Til

The God Who Is There by Francis Schaeffer

The King James Only Controversy by James White

Desiring God by John Piper

Putting Amazing Back Into Grace by Michael Horton

Always Ready by Greg Bahnsen

Apologetics by John Frame

Jesus Under Fire edited by Michael Wilkins & J.P. Moreland

What Ultimately Determines A Person's Salvation?

 Most modern evangelicals believe salvation is based on a decision made by a person and this decision is the final cause of salvation.  They hold that the free will of man determines the final result of salvation.  What if I told you the Bible disagrees with this view?  

(John 1:12-13)"But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God." (ESV) 

From this passage we see plainly that salvation is not determined by blood, the will of the flesh, or the will of man.  Believers are instead born of God.  This is talking about regeneration or being born again.  Being born of God precedes receiving and believing in Christ.  If this were not the case it would make no sense for John to have said it is not of the will of man.  We see that God is the cause of someone's salvation.  

(Romans 9:16)"So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy." (ESV) 

We see plainly from this verse that salvation is not determined by the free will or efforts of man.  It depends on God's will and mercy.  It is not based on the choice or actions of humans.  We see that salvation is ultimately determined by God.  

(Romans 9:18)"So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills." (ESV) 

God elects some people to salvation and he passes over other people according to his will. No one deserves salvation, it is received by the elect because of God's mercy and grace. 

God is sovereign over all things including salvation.  A person's salvation is ultimately determined by God and not man.  A person will respond with faith and repentance only after he is regenerated or born again.  Faith is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8-9) and repentance is granted by God (Acts 11:18).  Salvation is the work of God alone.  It is not God and man working together.  To God alone belongs the glory.     

Psalm 23:1 (A Bible Translation Comparison)

 (ESV)"The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want." 

(LSB)"Yahweh is my shepherd, I shall not want." 

(NIV)"The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing." 

(CSB)"The LORD is my shepherd; I have what I need." 

The ESV and the LSB are more literal translations.  The ESV maintains the traditional translation of Psalm 23:1.  The LSB maintains the traditional wording except that it translates the Hebrew YHWH (the tetragrammaton) as Yahweh instead of LORD.  The NIV and the CSB are less literal translations that move away from the traditional rendering of this verse.  

(ESV) English Standard Version

(LSB) Legacy Standard Bible

(NIV) New International Version

(CSB) Christian Standard Bible

A Christian View Of Death

 With the recent death of my mother I have thought a lot about death recently.  The prevailing secularism of our society tells us death is normal and natural.  Some believe this world is all there is, while others hold to some vague notion of heaven.  For the right answers we turn to the ultimate authority, God and his Word.  

Death is not normal or natural as the secularists teach us.  Man was not created to die, death was not part of God's good creation (Genesis 1-2).  Death came into the world because of the sin of man (Romans 5:12, Genesis 2:15-17, Genesis 3).  Death is an intrusion into God's good creation and an enemy to be defeated.  

How did Jesus view death?  At the death of his friend Lazarus we read that, "Jesus wept" (John 11:35).  We also read that Christ was, "deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled" (John 11:33).  From this passage we see that Jesus mourned the death of his friend and that he was even angry at the evil of death.  Jesus is God and he was without sin so these reactions to death are correct.  The last enemy to be destroyed is death (1 Corinthians 15:26).  Christ through his life, death, and resurrection has defeated death, sin, and the devil.  

(1 Corinthians 54b-57)"Death is swallowed up in victory.  O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?  The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (ESV) 

At death the soul of the true Christian goes to heaven and then at the last day the believer receives a resurrection body that will be united to his soul (1 Corinthians 35-49).  Christians will be in heaven where there will be no more pain, suffering, sin, or death (Revelation 21:1-4).  Unbelievers will go to hell and face the wrath of God for eternity (Matthew 25:41, Revelation 14:9-11).     

Martin Luther On The Bible

 Martin Luther (1483-1546) led the Protestant Reformation and was one of the most significant figures in history.  So, what were his views on the Bible?  

Luther referred to Scripture as "God's Book or Word" and said "we attribute to the Holy Spirit all of Holy Scripture." Speaking on Biblical authority he stated, "In all articles, the foundation of our faith must be God's Word alone, and without God's Word there can be no article of faith."  

Martin Luther believed the Bible "never erred" and "it cannot err."  He said, "You must follow straight after Scripture, accept it and not even speak one syllable against it, because it is God's mouth."  Luther also stated, "The Bible is alive, it speaks to me.  It has feet, it runs after me.  It has hands, it lays hold of me."  

Contending with the Roman Catholic Church Luther said, "A simple laymen armed with Scripture is to be believed above a pope or a council without it."  He also said, "My dear pope, you must not lord it over Scripture, nor must I or anybody else, according to our own ideas.  The devil takes that attitude!  We should rather allow Scripture to rule and master us, and we ourselves should not be the masters, according to our own mad heads, setting ourselves above Scripture."  

We close with Luther's famous statement, "Unless I am convinced by Scripture and plain reason-I do not accept the authority of popes and councils, for they have contradicted each other-my conscious is captive to the Word of God.  I cannot and I will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe.  God help me.  Amen."