John 14:8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. 9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? 10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake."
1. The Christian worldview in the deity of Christ.
2. Fully man: The image of God is not a primate.
3. The spiritual reality of Christ
4. proof of Jesus Divinity
5. Jesus the greatest man: testimonies of the world's greatest figures
6. Jesus Creation doctrine
7. Jesus and the moral argument for God
One of the inherent flaws in the debate of theism or creationism is the insistence upon isolating arguments away from A fully developed Christian World view.
It is my view that this amputated Christian apologetic is not equipped to handle certain objections consistently and as a result the competition focuses their attacks upon religious and metaphysical questions instead of giving an honest assessment of scientific evidence..
The fundamentalist Christian scholar and philosopher James Orr once gave an outline of the Christian view of the World in the following propositions. It follows thus...
"I. First, then, the Christian view affirms the existence of a personal, ethical, Self revealing God. It is thus at the outset a system of theism, and such us opposed to all systems of atheism, Agnosticism Pantheism, or mere Deism.
II. The Christian view affirms the creation of the world by God, His immanent presence in it His transcendence over it, and his holy wise government of it for moral ends
III. The Christian view affirms the spiritual nature and dignity of man- his creation in the divine image, and destination to bear the likeness of God in a perfect relation of sonship.
IV. The Christian view affirms the fact of the sin and disorder of the world, not as something belonging to the divine idea of it, and inhering in it by necessity, but as something which has entered in it by the voluntary thing aside of man from his allegiance to his creator, and from the path of his normal development The Christian view of the world, in other words involves a fall as the presupposition of it's doctrine of redemption; whereas the "modern" view of the world affirms that the so-called Fall was in reality a rise and denies by consequence the need of Redemption in the scriptural sense.
V. The Christian view affirms the historical Self-Revelation of God to the patriarchs, and in the line of Israel, and, as brought to light by this, a gracious purpose of God for the salvation of the world, centering in Jesus Christ, His Son, and the new Head of humanity.
VI. The Christian view affirms that Jesus Christ was not mere man, but the eternal Son of God , a truly Divine Person- who in the fullness of times took upon Him our Humanity and who, on the ground that in Him as man there dwells the Godhead bodily, is to be honoured, worshipped, and trusted, even as God is. This is the transcendent "mystery of godliness'" the central and amazing assertion of the Christian view- by reference to which our relation is determined to everything else which it contains." Orr, James The Christian view of God and the World as centering on the incarnation Sketch of the Christian viewpg.32-33
Now sadly, most Christian apologist following the tradition of Roman Catholic, Thomas Aquinas have divorced the cause of monotheism from faith in Christ. Arguing that Faith is segregated from Reason and somehow a monotheistic God without Christ is rational while doctrines like the deity of Christ and the trinity are based on an uncertain faith.
But, in fact the opposite is true, faith in Christ is rational and monotheism without Christ becomes faith
"Faith is a sure confidence of things which are hoped for, and a certainty of things which are not seen." hebrews 11:1 Tyndale Bible
Romans 1: 20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse"
Now part of the thesis of the book "The fact of creation" is that the category of the existence of God once properly informed, is not to be conditioned upon pious faith, but is indeed self evident. The denial of God's existence is thus immoral.
However, in order to assert an eternal truth we have to assert metaphysical truths which are not physical.
SO the case for God is physically proven and the only rejections of this existence are metaphysical!!
Since agnostics transgress physical argumentation, Christian metaphysics is not just legalized but indeed demanded!
So let us look for evidence of the Christian God, which is exemplified in the Deity of Christ.
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not."
1: 14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."
Here, we are introduced to the Word or in Greek the "LOGOS". The Logos is God and in the beginning with God. Later in the passage we see that the deified Logos is translated into or became flesh and dwelt immanently with man.
In his first epistle, John writes...
Psalm 33:4 For the word of the Lord is right; and all his works are done in truth.5 He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.6 By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.7 He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses.8 Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.9 For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast."1: 14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."
Here, we are introduced to the Word or in Greek the "LOGOS". The Logos is God and in the beginning with God. Later in the passage we see that the deified Logos is translated into or became flesh and dwelt immanently with man.
In his first epistle, John writes...
1 John 1: 1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; 2 (for the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) 3 that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full."
There is no doubt from John's teaching of the LOGOS that the deity of Christ is not only affirmed but indeed that he witnessed it! In the first passage the Logos is God. Later the Logos became flesh or human. And in the 1st epistle John has seen "in the beginng"/logos physically.
The Word is called LOGOS in greek, which theologians associate with the deity of Christ. The Word of the Jehovah is figurative of that deity Showing the power of God which would be embodied in Jesus Christ.
Colossians 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist."
Here Paul also proclaims the Deity of Christ. It is important to notice that Christ is identified as the image.of GodThis connects man and God which is the essential shift in worldview.
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 fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."
As we noted the image of God that we find in man in inherently connected to man's relationship with God through the Logos/christ
John 8:15 Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man.16 And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me.17 It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true.18 I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me.19 Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also."
Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.2 Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.3 There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.4 Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun,5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.6 His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.7 The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.8 The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether."
One of the inherent flaws in the debate of theism or creationism is the insistence upon isolating arguments away from a fully developed Christian World view.
It is my view that the amputate Christian apologetic is not equipped to handle certain objections consistently and as a result the competition focuses there attacks upon religious and metaphysical questions instead of giving an honest assessment of scientific evidence..
Fully man: image of God, not a primate.
1 Timothy 2: 3For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; 4 who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;"
Luke 3:23- 38 which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God."
Genesis 2: 7 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."
There is no evolutionary lineage of man, He is a direct descendent, creation and offspring of God.
Thus since Jesus col. 1:15 who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:" became incarnate He identified Man with God. Also, he would not be incarnate in a simple beast that was not in God's image.
The Spiritual Reality of Christ
Many people have what is known as a materialistic worldview, where everyone and everything is only physical. This creates an instant barrier to anything supernatural like the topic of Jesus or God. However, there have been several scientific and philosophical proofs for immaterial things.
Plato's theory of forms
"The theory of Forms or theory of Ideas[1][2][3] is a philosophical theory, concept, or world-view, attributed to Plato, that the physical world is not as real or true as timeless, absolute, unchangeable ideas.[4] According to this theory, ideas in this sense, often capitalized and translated as "Ideas" or "Forms",[5] are the non-physical essences of all things, of which objects and matter in the physical world are merely imitations. Plato speaks of these entities only through the characters (primarily Socrates) of his dialogues who sometimes suggests that these Forms are the only objects of study that can provide knowledge.[6] The theory itself is contested from within Plato's dialogues, and it is a general point of controversy in philosophy. Nonetheless the theory is considered to be a classical solution to the problem of universals.
The early Greek concept of form precedes attested philosophical usage and is represented by a number of words mainly having to do with vision, sight, and appearance. Plato uses these aspects of sight and appearance from the early Greek concept of the form in his dialogues to explain the Forms and the Good." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_forms
Everything is based in immaterial ideas. These ideas are not simply in our minds because they have external observations, which is how we have modern science. The power of ideas multiply as we go from the forms of living things to the forms of the DNA of Living thingsNDE (Near Death Experiences)
"Dr. Bruce Greyson began his research into near-death experiences here at the University of Virginia in the mid-1970’s. Dr. Greyson has carried out surveys of these experiences among average people and hospital populations, and has studied the features and after-effects of near-death experiences among a sample of more than a thousand experiencers. Dr. Greyson continues his research into NDEs even after his retirement in 2015. With the future development and continuity of the ongoing NDE research in mind, Dr. Greyson has continued to collaborate with esteemed scientific colleagues from all around the world. Since adding our newest research colleague, Dr. Marieta Pehlivanova to the DOPS staff in 2017, Dr. Greyson has been mentoring and collaborating with her on a variety of ongoing research projects involving immediate and long-lasting effects of near-death experiences. Over his long year career, Dr. Bruce Greyson has documented the profound and long-lasting effects of near-death experiences on individuals’ attitudes, beliefs, values, and personalities, and his research has shown why these experiences cannot be dismissed as dream states or hallucinations. Dr. Greyson’s large body of innovative and important scientifically conducted research challenges us to consider what NDEs can teach us about the relationship between our brain and our mind, expanding our understanding of consciousness, and of what it means to be human." https://med.virginia.edu/perceptual-studies/our-research/near-death-experiences-ndes/fifty-years-of-research-nde/
Records of our modern medical industry has helped us to demonstrate experience of obtaining knowledge out side of the brain, thus insisting that the mind is immaterial. Specifically, instances implying that this mind can survive the death process.
Binding Problem
Perception: The Binding Problem and the Coherence of Perception
T. Schmidt, in Encyclopedia of Consciousness, 2009
"A Binding Problem in Early Vision?
"A Binding Problem in Early Vision?
The binding problem was first recognized in computer science and became a prominent research topic in psychology and neuroscience during the 1980s. One major force that gave the binding problem some urgency in cognitive neuroscience was the increasingly popular notion that the visual system disassembles incoming stimuli into different processing streams, each dealing with a separate feature such as color, orientation, or motion, in specialized regions of the cortex." https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/binding-problem#:~:text=The%20%E2%80%9C%20binding%20problem%20
%E2%80%9D%20arose%20from%20neurobiological,certain%20
features%20could%20be%20disrupted%20without%20disrupting
%20others.
It seems the immaterial mind process things like the operations of our eyesight binding the visual data together so that we can accomplish sight.
While Previous chapters make the case for the factuality of a creator God, we must take note that the there is a spirit by which God conducts from His infinite essence unto the spirit of man.
%E2%80%9D%20arose%20from%20neurobiological,certain%20
features%20could%20be%20disrupted%20without%20disrupting
%20others.
It seems the immaterial mind process things like the operations of our eyesight binding the visual data together so that we can accomplish sight.
While Previous chapters make the case for the factuality of a creator God, we must take note that the there is a spirit by which God conducts from His infinite essence unto the spirit of man.
Jesus proof of divinity:
The resurrection; The most documented miracle of all proves it self to be a historical fact. Considering how this was predicted an perform it gives Jesus authority to a title like "The Son of God". For a full case see https://biblesmack.blogspot.com/2018/09/the-facts-of-gospel.htmlFor brevity's sake here are some rarely if ever used scriptures to show the fact of the resurrection.
Early Apostolic witness
James 1:1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting." 2:2 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
5:7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. 8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh."
James is the first chronologically written book of the New Testament. It was written in Jerusalem before his martyrdom. Typically the thought is that first came the legend of resurrection and then came the deity of Christ. Yet here we see the divinity clearly portrayed.
Galatians 1: 3 grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:"
One of Paul's first letters confesses that Christ died for our sins. This implies of course that he indeed died.Galatian 2:7 but contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter; 8 (for he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:) 9 and when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision"
Paul's Gospel is authenticated by the Apostles
The testimony of Peter
1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: 7 that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: 8 whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: 9 receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. 10 Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: 11 searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. 12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into."
The testimony of John
1 John 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; 2 (for the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) 3 that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full."
Against alternative theories
John 11:38 Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.
39 Jesus said, Take ye away the stone."
If jesus couldn't move a burial stone while fully healthy. Then why after beatings, nails in his hands and feet and being packed with herbs and suffication would he be able to move a greater stone?
Mark 16:And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great."
Thus Jesus would have been trapped and died anyway. Which ruined the swoon theory.
39 Jesus said, Take ye away the stone."
If jesus couldn't move a burial stone while fully healthy. Then why after beatings, nails in his hands and feet and being packed with herbs and suffication would he be able to move a greater stone?
Mark 16:And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great."
Thus Jesus would have been trapped and died anyway. Which ruined the swoon theory.
Acts 4:1 And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them, 2 being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead."
Acts 3:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. 14 And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. 15 But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, 16 saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it. 17 But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name."
If the chief priest really believed the disciples had stolen the body, why didn't they just torture the apostles until they could find it when they arrested them?
Acts 3:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. 14 And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. 15 But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, 16 saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it. 17 But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name."
If the chief priest really believed the disciples had stolen the body, why didn't they just torture the apostles until they could find it when they arrested them?
john 19:4 So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. 5 And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in. 6 Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie, 7 and the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. "
If they got confused about which tomb jesus was laid in, they would not find a used buriel cloth/shroud and napkin(sudareum)!
If they got confused about which tomb jesus was laid in, they would not find a used buriel cloth/shroud and napkin(sudareum)!
If the women did not know where the body of Jesus went, then they were in an empty tomb!
Psalm 110:1 The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
2 The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion:
rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.
3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power,
in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning:
thou hast the dew of thy youth.
4 The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent,
Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek."
Mark 16:19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God."
Hebrews 5: 6 As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. 7 Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; 8 though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; 9 and being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; 10 called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec."
Now many would see this as a weak prophecy. However, it's weakness makes it a strong witness! The author of Hebrews believes that Jesus fulfilled the figure of psalm 110, because Jesus ascended to heaven to gain the priesthood of melchisedek thus the author believes that Christ ascended. This authenticates Mark 16:19(historically attested by Irenaeus) If Christ ascended then he resurrected! thus also proving his divinity.
Ephesians 4:8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)"
Paul's re-enforcement shows the confidence in the resurrection and is a testable hypothesis. If Christ did not resurrect, where is his body? Plus if anybody would have found it, Paul should have been the man!
Acts 8: 3 As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison. 4 Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word."
So the Gospel is no simply claimed, but in it's minor details assumed as a matter of fact.
This narrative assumes there was an empty tomb. The early date of Matthew a work written in Israel should have easily produced a rebuttal had it no been a fact that the tomb was empty. Matthew being a tax collector would have access to what was going on in the government through old associates.
Jesus existence
I have exhausted this topic in other works
http://biblesmack.blogspot.com/2017/08/did-miraculous-jesus-exist.html
https://biblesmack.blogspot.com/2018/09/the-facts-of-gospel.html
*To summarize: there is a lack of extrabiblical contemporary records because most would be destroyed when temple was destroyed in 72AD.
*However, the extra-biblical legends of Joseph of Arimathea has acquired archaeological evidence confirming his and a young teen Christ in his" missing years", visit to the ancient aisles then called Tarschish/Cassiterides provide by implication an extrabiblical contemporary witness
*many competitive messiahs in the century and the gnostic gospels centuries later cast doubt on fabricated Jesus conspiracy
* extrabiblical historical accounts from Josephus, Tacituis, Eusebius/ Tertullian, Phlegon, Hadrian, Suetonius, Pliny the younger, and the Talmud show Christ existence to be extremely historically verified.
The Authenticity of the gospels* The writings of the Ante-nicene fathers contain the full text of the gospels spread out over recorded sermons.
*The manuscripts date back to the 2nd century and possibly earlier.
* James and Paul were skeptics and witnesses to the gospels and life of Christ.
* A case for an early date to the Gospels publication
* Presence of the four Gospels fulfills the need of historical record, while differences points to the uniqueness of the eye-witness accounts
* Historical nature of he accounts even if throwing the presuppositions of mythology.
* More copies and in more languages than any other work of antiquity Eliminating the attacks of alteration.
"The Great Isaiah Scroll (1QIsaa)
This" is one of the original seven Dead Sea Scrolls discovered in Qumran in 1947. It is the largest (734 cm) and best preserved of all the biblical scrolls, and the only one that is almost complete. The 54 columns contain all 66 chapters of the Hebrew version of the biblical Book of Isaiah. Dating from ca. 125 BCE, it is also one of the oldest of the Dead Sea Scrolls, some one thousand years older than the oldest manuscripts of the Hebrew Bible known to us before the scrolls' discovery." http://dss.collections.imj.org.il/isaiah
Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel."
Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel."
Isaiah 11:1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:
2 and the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him,
the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of counsel and might,
the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord;"
Isaiah 9:1 Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations.2The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light:they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death,upon them hath the light shined...."
Isaiah 9:1 Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations.2The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light:they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death,upon them hath the light shined...."
9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father,
The Prince of Peace."
The Prince of Peace."
Isaiah 2:And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem."
therefore thus saith the Lord God,
Isaiah 28:Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone,a precious corner stone, a sure foundation:
he that believeth shall not make haste.
17 Judgment also will I lay to the line,
and righteousness to the plummet:
and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies,
and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.
And your covenant with death shall be disannulled,
and your agreement with hell shall not stand;
when the overflowing scourge shall pass through,
then ye shall be trodden down by it.
19 From the time that it goeth forth it shall take you:
for morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by night:
and it shall be a vexation only to understand the report."
Isaiah 40:2 Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned:
for she hath received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.3The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness,
Prepare ye the way of the Lord,
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
to raise up the tribes of Jacob,
and to restore the preserved of Israel:
I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles,
that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth."
there is no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.5.But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter,and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. 8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation?
for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. 9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. 11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
Jesus the greatest Man: testimonies of nonChristians.
Albert Einstein "What life means to Einstein: An interview by George Sylvestor Viereck The Saturday Evening Post
Napolean Bonaparte "I know men and I tell you that Jesus Christ is no mere man. Between Him and every other person in the world there is no possible comparison. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I have founded empires. But on what did we rest the creation of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded His empire upon Love and at this hour millions of men would die for Him."
Ghandi "A man who was completely innocent offered himself as a sacrifice for the good of others including His enemies and became the ransom of the world it was a perfect act."
Louis Farakhan "No prophet before Jesus casted out demons that I can remember Do you remember any of the Old prophets casting out demons? Jesus was deep there was something about the power in his word that demon came out."
"How can you be of Jesus Christ and afraid to speak his word! How can you be of Jesus Christ and refuse to stand up for His righteousness and let everything and anything go on in the house of God and you wink your eye as though you saw nothing!" https://youtu.be/Claw_yRLF4M minute 32
H.G. Wells "I am an historian, I am not a believer, but I must confess as an Historian that this penniless teacher from nazereth is irrevocably the very center of history. Jesus Christ is easily the most Dominant figure in all history"
Jacque Rougeous "Jewish authors would never have invented either that style nor that morality; and the gospel has marks of morality; and the gospel has marks of morality so great, so striking, so utterly imitable, that the invention of it would be more astonishing than the hero... Shall we suppose that the evangelical history is a mere fiction? Indeed it bears no marks of fiction, on the contrary, the history of Socrates which no one person is to doubt, is not so well attested to as that of Jesus Christ."
Ghandi "A man who was completely innocent offered himself as a sacrifice for the good of others including His enemies and became the ransom of the world it was a perfect act."
Farakhan "No prophet before Jesus casted out demons that I can remember Do you remember any of the Old prophets casting out demons? Jesus was deep there was something about the power in his word that demon came out."
Jesus teaches creation)
Luke 16: 31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
john 5: 45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. 46 For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. 47 But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?
Matthew 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
John 3: 12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?
The Deity of Christ
A. Extrabiblical
"What we call matter is basically the energy in the low states of vibration. Vibration is energy. Energy is vibration. What does vibrate then?? Sound is the vibration of the air molecules (mechanical wave of pressure and displacement, through a medium). That means, that the sound is the vibration of matter (air). If matter is also vibration, then air must be a vibration of something else (because how can vibration exist without a medium?)." https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/280001/if-all-matter-is-vibration-what-does-actually-vibrate
Creation completely breaks down to vibrations and vibrations are sound. A word is a sound that is intelligible. the universe is intelligible and therefore the universe is a word.
"Many scientists believe that the rational design of the universe suggests that it was prepared for us. “It almost seems as if the universe in some sense must have known we were coming,” (Freeman Dyson); “We are truly meant to be here” (Paul Davies). They draw these conclusions from the exquisite design of the universe. Albert Einstein found the rational intelligibility of the universe to be astonishing: “The most incomprehensible thing about the universe,” he said, “is that it is comprehensible.” In fact, one could say that the fact of the universe being capable of being understood suggests that it was designed for beings with that capability." https://albertnorton.com/the-intelligible-universe/
"The recent emergence of language and its stability are both consistent with the Strong Minimalist "Thesis, which has at its core a single repeatable operation that takes exactly two syntactic elements a and b and assembles them to form the set {a,b}."
"This viewpoint does not preclude the possibility that communicative considerations can play a role in accounting for the maintenance f language once it has appeared or for the historical language change that has clearly occurred within the human species, with all individuals sharing a common language faculty, as some mathematical models indicate[1]-[3]. A similar misconception is that language is coextensive with speech and that the evolution of vocalization or auditory-vocal learning can therefore inform us about the evolution of language (Box1) [1],[4]. However, speech and speech perception, while functioning as possible external interferences for the language system, are not identical to it. An alternative externalization of language is in the visual domain. As language is in the visual domain, as sign language [1]; even haptic externalization by touch seems possible in deaf and blind individuals[5]. Thus, while the evolution of auditory-vocal learning may be relevant for the evolution of auditory-vocal learning may be relevant for the evolution of speech, it is not for the language faculty per se. We maintain that language is a computational cognitive mechanism that has hierarchical syntactic structure at its core [1], as outlined in the next section,"
How Could Language Have Evolved? Johan J. Bolhuis, Ian Tattersall, Noam Chomsky, Robert C. Berwick https://chomski.info/20140826/
Logos
"Philo was not the first to write about the cosmic Logos. For Heraclitus of Ephesus(who flourished about 500B.C.) as well as the stoic philosophers who came along much later, Logos was a cosmic law of Reason that controls the universe and is immanent in human Reason. The stoics regarded human reason as an extension of the Reason that pervades the entire cosmos. It is important to note that the Logos of Heraclitus and the Stoics was neither a personal God nor even a personal being but a physical abstraction." pg. 59-60 The Word of God and the Mind of Man Ronald H. Nash
"The New Testament ascribes three distinct but related functions to the Christian logos which make it possible to speak of Christ as the cosmological Logos, and the soteriological Logos. This is simply another way of saying that Jesus is a necessary condition for the existence of the world, for human knowledge and for Redemption. Without Jesus, the world would never have come into existence and would not exist now, without Jesus the human animal would never have become a creature capable of knowledge: and without Jesus, human beings would never have been redeemed from sin." pg. 66
The Word of God and the Mind of Man Ronald H. Nash
Cosmic Signs of Christ
"A firm persuasion had long prevailed through all the East,3 that it was fated for the empire of the world, at that time, to devolve on some one who should go forth from Judaea."http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0132%3Alife%3Dves.%3Achapter%3D4#note3
"A firm persuasion had long prevailed through all the East,3 that it was fated for the empire of the world, at that time, to devolve on some one who should go forth from Judaea."http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0132%3Alife%3Dves.%3Achapter%3D4#note3
“During the interval between March 10th April 7th of 5 BC, a comet
appeared close Alpha and Beta Capricornii and was visible for more than 70 days”"
Korean observation
“On March 31st of 4 BC a bushy star
appeared close to Altair” (paraphrase)
B.Scripture
C. Creation Miracles
Annointed
Matthew 3:16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: 17 and lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."
Water into wine
John 2:7 Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.8 And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it.9 When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, 10 And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now."
jesus calms the storm
Matthew 8:23 And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. 24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. 25 And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. 26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. 27 But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!"
cast out demons
Mark 5:2 And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, 3 who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: 4 because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. 5 And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones. 6 But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, 7 and cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not. 8 For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. 9 And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many. 10 And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country. 11 Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding. 12 And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. 13 And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea. 14 And they that fed the swine fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that was done. 15 And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid."
raises the dead
John 11:38 Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. 39 Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days. 40 Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? 41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. 42 And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. 43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. 44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.
transfigured
Walks on water
Matthew 14: 26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. 27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. 28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. 29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. 31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? 32 And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased. 33 Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.
Feeds 5,000
Matthew 14:15 And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals. 16 But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat. 17 And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes. 18 He said, Bring them hither to me. 19 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. 20 And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full. 21 And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children."
Savior of creation
Romans 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now."
Jesus the creationist
Mark 10:6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. 7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; 8 and they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh."
John 10: 10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."
1 John 3: 8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
Jesus and the moral argument for God
"And Anne Frank, only fourteen at the time, her mind already "flooded," she said of the atrocities of war, and having previously assumed, that if there was a God, he had to be good, wrote this in her diary on Feburuary 5, 1943: "The Little Faith I used to have has been completely shattered. If God existed, He would have certainly not permitted that human beings be thrown alive into furnaces, and the heads of little toddlers be smashed with butts of guns or be shoved into stacks and be gassed to death." And according to Christianity, God being all powerful, could have easily stopped all of this. But he apparently decided it was just fine with him. "For God so Loved the World that he gave his only begotton son to die for our sins" the standard Christian mantra says. But God apparently doesn't love the world enough to stop all the horror, murder tragedy, even genocide, in the world. Some love." page 28-29 Divinity of Doubt Vincent Bugliosi
Reading this as an educated an experienced Christian I am not really feeling any sympathy. For Anne Frank I feel sympathy and remember vividly a play portraying her diary's as a child. But none for the Author.
So why is that? Because equally I hope I can move others to my point of view and yet many will scoff at my arguments equally.
First, bugliosi has an irrational starting point and I think he knows this
"The agnostic would not fit into this theoretical trial because he is not making an allegation one way or the other. The only position he is taking is that he doesn't know."pg. 19
SO then he reveals his true premise.
"I'm not agnostic on the Christian God, The God of Catholicism and Protestantism. Almost by definition he does not exist, So therefore I have virtually no ambivalence, or lingering agnosticism on this issue." pg. 25
Oh Really??
Well then, we should make a case with Christ on trial, right?
"More than one person has suggested that I set forth my case for agnosticism ( against my opposition, theism and atheism) in a structured way roughly analogous to a trial...."
"First, in a trial the side making the allegation has the burden of proof (The prosecution in a criminal case, The plaintiff in a civil case) That first presents the evidence to prove it's allegation or case. The defense provides evidence to poke holes in the other sides case and many times even presents affirmative evidence to prove the opposite, that the allegation is not true. In this context, the Theist making the allegation that God exists, would open the case, and the atheist would try to knock this allegation down by establishing weaknesses in the theist's case and/or attempting to affirmatively prove that God can not exist." SO the attourney could have indeed argued his agnosticism against Christianity but then he would have to deal with the evidence for Christianity!! Second, Now, when he is making his case against the God of Christianity he searches for a not normal example of an extreme occasion for evil. However the Christian worldview assumes the existence of evil. While the agnostic Worldview doesn't! If God does not exist then there are not metaphysical categories and since Bugliosi at least desire the materialistic option, he can not make metaphysical arguments. He would have to argue for relativistic ethics. At which point you would not be able to claim that God is objectively evil. If evil exist it would have to be in according to the Christian worldview and we would have to condemn it only accepting judeo-Christian presuppositions. Third, The case has not been made that God being Good is responsible for all the deeds of his creation. Materialism must assume that man is irresponsible as a product of random evolution. God does not perform these deeds. God has enabled man to have dominion over creation.
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 fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. 30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so."
God has established man with dominion and as implicit in dominion we have responsibility.
James 1: 13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 14 but every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death."
So then the atrocities are the results of the NAZIS. The Nazis did not follow the bible. The country as a whole went apostate with the advent of German Higher critical schools and the search for the historical Jesus. No bible, Cross or resurrection, no Christianity. Bit's and pieces here and there, but ultimately persecution and destruction for convicted evangelicals. Their defense in the Nuremburg trials was that they(Nazis) were only taking orders and had no personal responsibility.
This is Bugliosi's contention that God and not them was responsible. Vincent Bugliosi is defending Nazism!!! Blaming God for evil is condoning the greatest evils of mankind because they have lost all accountability!
Yet God is not just escaping Evil He is going to solve that problem through Christ!
Jesus makes God personal
John 8: 19 Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also."
Jesus makes God loving
John 15: 9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love."
Jesus makes God innocent
John 10: 10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep."
Jesus makes God moral
Matthew 5:1 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: 2 and he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, 3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. 10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. 14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven."
Jesus makes God a Savior
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."
Jesus and the conscience
Man learns humility
John 13: 3 Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God; 4 he riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. 5 After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded."
Love
Matthew 5:43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 4
Internal ideals,
Matthew 23:24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. 25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. 26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
Grace
Luke 15: 20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. 21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. 22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: 23 and bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: 24 for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
Without Christ, no remedy for guilt, no boundaries for peace, no allegiance for order
Millions of people the world over have not only expressed religious allegiance but testimonies concerning Christ to overcome issues not only of significance and behavior, but the unique nature of forgiveness has inspired people the world over to surprisingly the various addictions and vices of society. Drug addictions, alcohol, sex adictions etc. etc.
Normal religion is useful but does not achieve this level of healing and fulfillment. I was once talking to a muslim. They had been rebellious and hedonistic as youth. Now they were more devout. But it was not so much in happiness and joy, it was simply more that they were forced to behave. Now some nominal Christians can also have this experience. However, a deeper understanding of the gospel teaches us that Christ has purchased our debts to God. That since we are as a result no longer guilty before God we have justified forgiveness which makes us embrace forgiveness and enables us to start over in righteousness. Also we are confident of the love of God which assures us and reminds us to love others. Love enables an internal morality by which we can exceed normal human regulations and be freed to live in peace.
Now this is not to say that it proves that God exist. But it proves that the God of Christianity is moral.
Meanwhile we have to consider the problem of morality and evil. The secular view can not pin down what morality is, even though they are quick to point out the existence of immorality especially if such immorality points the guilt of enemies. One instance people can remember is the infamous Nuremburg trials. Nazi War criminals defended their atrocities because the German government gave them .
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