Thursday, August 23, 2012

Understanding Christianity and Islam

Many today are looking to understand the basic differences between Christianity and Islam. Dr. Michael Horton of Westminster Seminary California discusses the relationship between Christianity and Islam in 3 videos. In the first video below, Dr. Horton explains the basic differences between Christianity and Islam. In the second video, Dr. Horton explains the differences between the Bible and the Koran. In the third video, Dr. Horton explains how Christians can love their Muslim neighbors.

Part 1



Part 2:



Part 3:



For further reading, below is a link to Dr. Horton's article entitled "Christ & Islam":

http://www.modernreformation.org/default.php?page=articledisplay&var1=ArtRead&var2=1372&var3=main&var4=Home

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Are Mormons Christian?



The Mormon faith (formally known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) has been in the news recently, due to the Presidential candidacy of Mitt Romney. However, other well known politicians and celebrities are Mormons, including Senators Harry Reid and Orrin Hatch, TV Personality Glen Beck, Business Consultant Steven Covey (7 Habits of Highly Effective People), and well known Television and Music personalities Donny & Marie Osmond. There has been some discussion of late in the media regarding what the Mormons believe. In 1997 and in 2007, former President Jimmy Carter described Mormons as Christians. More recently, Pastor Robert Jeffress (friend of Republican Presidential Candidate Rick Perry and Pastor of the 10,000 member First Baptist church of Dallas TX) called Mormonism a "cult." On April 24, 2012, CNN reported that Pastor Joel Osteen said Mitt Romney was a "Christian," and that he sees Mormons as "brothers in Christ."  So, the question is, are the Mormons just another denomination of Christianity like the Catholics, Lutherans, Methodists, etc., or are they a completely different faith altogether?  Is there some good evidence out there for comparing what Mormons and Orthodox Christianity believes?

Below are links to some great blog articles that give a clear picture of what Mormons believe and how it differs, and is quite unlike Orthodox Christianity:

Joe Carter, Editor of the Gospel Coalition, has an nice article entitled: The FAQs: Are Mormons Christian?

Justin Taylor, VP of Editorial at Crossway Books, has an article entitled: An FAQ on the Difference between Mormonism and Biblical Christianity

Kevin DeYoung, Senior Pastor of University Reformed Church in East Lansing MI, has an article entitled: Mormonism 101 

Denny Burke, Associate Professor of Biblical Studies at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, has an article entitled: Is Mormonsim a Cult?

Albert Mohler, President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, has an article entitled: Mormonism, Democracy, and the Urgent Need for Evangelical Thinking

Finally, there is an article co-authored by a Mormon and an Orthodox Christian that is interesting as it contains opposing views. Bruce D. Porter is a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Gerald R. McDermott is Jordan-Trexler Professor or Religion at Roanoke College. The article is called: Is Mormonism Christian?

Finally, there are some good videos by Bobby Conway, the "One Minute Apologist," which discuss the differences between Christianity and Mormonism featuring Richard Howe and Norman Geisler:



Monday, April 2, 2012

What About the Body?

Last year, one of the guys in my men’s Bible study asked the question: “Was Jesus’ physical body raised from the dead and why is that important?” The following is my attempt to answer that question.

The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the pivotal doctrine of the Christian faith. Without the resurrection, the Apostle Paul tells us that we are still dead in our sin (1 Cor. 15: 13-14). There are some however, who claim to believe in the resurrection, but deny that the physical body of Jesus was raised from the dead. Some of these persons include Jehovah Witnesses, who claim that Jesus was raised as a spirit; a sort of spiritual resurrection. Why is it important that Jesus rose bodily from the dead? Below are some reasons which point to the importance of believing in Jesus’ bodily resurrection from the dead:

  • The definition of the word Resurrection in the Bible always refers to the physical body in the Hebrew and Greek languages, unless it is used figuratively. Hebrew and Greek Lexicons confirm this.

  • Jesus taught that his physical body would be raised from the dead and that he would raise it. In John 2:19-22, Jesus tells the Jews “destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days,” claiming that his body would be raised from the dead after three days. John mentions that the disciples recalled this after Jesus’ resurrection.

  • Jesus proved his bodily resurrection by appearing directly to his disciples. In John 20:24-28, we read that Thomas refused to believe in the resurrection unless he could see and touch Jesus. Jesus then appeared and allowed Thomas to touch him. Thomas did see and touch Jesus, and became a worshipper instead of a doubter when confronted with the risen Christ.

  • Jesus corrected the Disciples’ error about his resurrection. In Luke 24: 36-49, Jesus appeared to the disciples. They immediately thought they had seen a ghost, or spirit being. However, Jesus corrects them, asking them to examine and touch him; saying that a ghost does not have flesh and bones as Jesus had. To make the point even stronger, Jesus ate with them. Jesus dispelled the error that he was a spirit and showed that he had a physical body.

  • The Disciples were dramatically changed after many multiple appearances. Luke further tells us in Acts 1:3-4 that Jesus gave the apostles many convincing proofs that he was alive during the 40 day period after his resurrection. John tells us in 1 John 1:1 that the Apostles not only saw and heard, but also handled or touched the glorified, resurrected Jesus physically. Paul tells us in 1 Cor 15: 6 that there were over 500 witnesses to the resurrected Christ. The post resurrection appearances of Jesus to his disciples convinced them so dramatically that they were changed from fearful cowards into fearless Apostles, willing to die for the Gospel.

  • Belief in the historic doctrine of the Resurrection is a spiritual necessity. In 1 Cor 15:17, Paul says that if Christ is not raised, then our faith is in vain and we are still in our sins; we would still be condemned if Jesus weren’t raised from the dead. In Romans 10:9, Paul tells us that if we confess with our mouth Jesus Christ and believe with our heart that God raised him from the dead, we will be saved.

Some questions arise regarding the resurrection. Below are listed some of them along with a response:

  • In John 20 and Luke 24, Mary Magdalene and the disciples failed to recognize the resurrected Jesus. Jesus also appeared to his disciples in a room where the door was locked. Does this mean that Jesus was a spirit or in some unrecognizable form? No. Luke 24:16 states that their eyes were kept from recognizing Jesus. Jesus prevented the disciples from recognizing him until He wanted them to. Also, in his glorified form, Jesus had the ability to appear at will wherever he chose. The fact that he appeared in the room doesn’t mean he had to be a spirit. There is no Bible reference that indicates Jesus passed through a door; he simply willed his presence to be there physically in the room with his disciples.

  • In 1 Cor 15: 44, Paul uses the description “spiritual body.” Is a “spiritual body” a spirit? No. First, Paul attached the word “body” to his description. Second, Jesus’ glorified body was unlike anything we are familiar with. 1 Cor 15:50 states that Christ’s body was of “flesh and bones,” therefore it was tangible body, not a non-corporeal spirit. Also, if Jesus was really a spirit, then it could be argued that making his disciples think he had a physical body was deceptive on Jesus part.

  • In 1 Cor 15:45, why does Paul describe Jesus as a “quickening spirit?” Paul was not saying Jesus is a spirit; he is describing the authority Jesus has to raise the dead. In John 5:21, Jesus has the power to quicken, or give life to whomever he wills. John further states in verses 25-29 that Jesus will be involved in raising or resurrecting all flesh, one of his functions as God the Son.  

  • 1 Peter 3:18 says that Christ was “quickened by the spirit”…does this mean that Christ was raised a spirit? No. This verse and Romans 8:11 tell us that the Holy Spirit was involved in Christ’s resurrection. Jesus himself said he was involved in his own resurrection (John 2: 19-22 and John 10:18), while Peter confirms that the Father was involved in raising Jesus from the dead (Acts 3:26). Therefore, all three persons of the Trinity were involved in the resurrection.

As Jesus said in John 11:25”I am the resurrection and the life.” The glorious truth and promise of the resurrection is that we, as believers, will be like the resurrected Christ someday (1 John 3:2) This is reason to hope in the future. May we, like the disciples, no longer fear death, for we too will conquer death itself through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Bibliography: Walter R. Martin, Essential Christianity (Santa Ana CA: Vision House, 1980), pp. 59-65.

Monday, March 5, 2012

What to Say When Someone Says "The Bible Has Errors"

Jonathan Dodson, pastor of Austin City Life Church in Austin Tx, has a good article supporting the reliability of the Bible, entitled What to Say When Someone Says "The Bible Has Errors." Go to the link below:

http://www.gospelcentereddiscipleship.com/what-to-say-when-someone-says-the-bible-has-errors/

The page also has the article available for download in pdf format. Use this link below:

http://www.gospelcentereddiscipleship.com/wp-content/plugins/post2pdf-converter/post2pdf-converter-pdf-maker.php?id=586

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Seven Statements Jesus Made About Himself


A lot of people have different opinions about who Jesus is. However, the best evidence of who Jesus is comes directly from Jesus himself. Jesus made seven statements about himself that are recorded in the Bible. No one else in history ever made the kind of statements that Jesus made. Here they are:
  1. Jesus repeatedly said that he came down from heaven. The Gospel of John contains at least six instances where Jesus said this. Jesus didn’t just say that he saw heaven, but that he originated and came down from there.
  2. Jesus said that he alone is God. In John 10: 30-33, Jesus says the he and the father are one, making himself equal with God. We further read that this is exactly why the Jews (Pharisees) wanted to kill Jesus and was so vigorously opposed by them.
  3. Jesus said that his miracles proved that he was God. In John 10: 36-39, Jesus points to his miracles as proof of who he is.
  4. Jesus says he is without sin. In John 8: 46, Jesus asks who would convict him of sin, implying his sinless and holy nature. This is an astonishing claim, as we are all aware of our own faults. Jesus says he has none.
  5. Jesus says he could forgive sin. In Mark 2: 5, Jesus tells the paralytic man his sins are forgiven. The Pharisees heard this and a debate ensued, as they said that only God can forgive sins…and they were right.
  6. Jesus said he is the only way to Heaven. In John 14: 6, Jesus says that He is the way, the truth, and the life, and that no one can reach the Father in heaven except through him. Salvation then, is not by means or works of man or any religions; salvation is only by and through Jesus himself.
  7. Jesus predicted that he would be killed and that he would rise bodily from the dead. Jesus predicted his own death and bodily resurrection in John 2 and Mark 10:33-34.
The question for us today is: who do you think Jesus is? Jesus asks us this question in Matt 16:15 when he says “Who do you say that I am?” Jesus invites us to repent and come to him in faith for only the life he can give….eternal life.

Bibliography:
Mark Driscoll, sermon entitled “Vintage Jesus”, given at the Crystal Cathedral, August 23, 2009. The entire message is available at this link: