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Webcasting around the world from the desert metropolis of Phoenix, Arizona. This is the dividing line. The Apostle Peter commanded Christians to be ready to give a defense for the hope that is within us.
Yet to give that answer with gentleness and reverence. Our host is dr. James white director of Alpha Omega ministries and an elder at the Phoenix Reformed Baptist Church. This is a live program and we invite your participation.
If you'd like to talk with dr. White call now. It's 602 nine seven three four six zero two or toll-free across the United States. It's one eight seven seven seven five. Three three three four one and now with today's topic.
Here is James white.
You know, I'm not too sure why it is the minute right as as the music starts Strange things that happen in channel or I see things on the internet that are very odd for example as the music started I looked over at Twitter and One of the people I follow on Twitter is American professional cyclist TJ van Garderen and TJ just tweeted remember that ticket I told you guys about ended up costing $369 now.
Why would a professional cyclist get ticketed for? $369 for 74 in a 55 zone. I Cannot conceive of what it would be like on the back of a bicycle at 74 miles per hour. I cannot begin to conceive that I hit my all-time my all-time high speed on i -17 southbound out of into Black Canyon City you know the the five mile hill those who know Arizona no five mile hill out of.
What what is up at the top? What's the rest of it? Sunset point sunset point down into into my all-time high speed was 48 miles an hour. That's not much. Most people are in the 50s. I just figure you know after a certain speed I know how many times I've had flats.
You know and I just like my skin where it is, you know. The idea of sliding down pavement at 50 60 miles per hour Just does not appeal to me. The thrill is gone at that point. So so last oh, I don't know back in December.
I hit 40 46 .4 out near. Was that Apache Lake is that? Anywhere out somewhere around there and so I cannot even begin to imagine 74 miles an hour right at the same time as I'm looking at that. I look into the chat channel and Did I just see squirrels saying that he had been abducted by an alien?
I think that's what he said and and he's a pastor and that's a scary thing that he's thinks He's been abducted by an alien. So but we won't mention anything more about that. Anyways, welcome to the dividing line a special Thursday morning edition reason being.
That's I am teaching five hours a night right now for Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary. And if if now is the time I can't say that I'm teaching what I'm doing five hours a night I'm not teaching for Golden Gate.
I'm living at Golden Gate. It's that is I? Yeah, and I you know good old Keith my my my lovely dentist. Yes. Well, he's very good. I'm not sure that lovely was a proper term, but I was thinking British.
I was listening to Justin Briarley this morning and that it's just just a term lovely comes into mind whenever I listen to Justin Briarley, you know. Actually had Michael Brown on and I was it was the Christmas Eve program.
I'm sort of catching up of sort. I I'll be honest I fell behind with all the William Lane Craig stuff because I'm not a William Lane Craig fan. So it was just sort of like just overload on William Lane Craig there for a while.
But they had Michael Brown on debating an atheist on messianic prophecies on Christmas Eve. I thought was really cool. So that's that's where I came from. Anyhow, what was I talking about? I have no earthly idea, but I'm teaching five hours a night right now.
And and so we've got five to ten tonight and five to ten tomorrow night yet and a really neat thing going on tomorrow Night that hopefully I'll tell you about next week if it works because it's all dependent upon technology, which may not work.
We'll find out. But it's been a great class and great students. And like I said My dentist Keith is taking the class and last night about nine o 'clock, man. You could tell the man had been working all day and now he was working all night.
He was looking tired. Everybody was looking pretty tired at that point and me too. I got it, you know stuff. You know the brains just start turning to goo. You know about 830 at night and it takes a lot of work to stay focused for these January intensive courses but anyways two more nights of that and then I just I just what I need to do is I Should find some place I can go to like that class where there's almost no interruptions, you know.
My cell phone's turned off or else. That's the only way I get any progress in this book done because it's just it just isn't happening and I'm very Frustrated with that, but anyhow the class has been been going great on the way out there.
I've been listening to Catholic answers live. Because they're on while I'm driving out there. It's a fairly decent drive out to Scottsdale and Scott Hahn was on a couple days ago. I'm talking about the new evangelization and it's so sad to hear these people call up and You know, I've come home to Rome and now I'm trying to convert my family and how do I deal with and it's it's so Simplistic.
I mean these people who have who have bought into Romanism. Who say well, I was a Protestant once the the questions that they ask demonstrate they never Ever had a clue what it was. They supposedly believe it is so easy to convert.
The.
Truly.
Non-protestant Protestants, I Mean if you're a Protestant today, and the only reason you're not a Roman Catholic is because you think the Pope looks funny in a silly.
Hat.
You're easy to convert. You're really easy to convert. No two ways about it. And I I just Listening to these folks just just makes me want to pull. Well if I had hair to pull it out because they they they clearly have no commitment to or understanding of justification or sola scriptura any of these things and So it's no wonder they're then given very very shallow Arguments to use with their families, which unfortunately may be highly effective who knows but it's it's frustrating and this one guy called up and Hans answer to him Was so shallow and I know what Hans background is.
And I know that he could have given a much better response. Maybe maybe he's just gotten lazy with it, you know, and it's just like well Most of people call up are asking shallow questions shall give shallow answers.
Maybe maybe that's what's happening I don't know, but it was offensive to me to listen to it. Just that the glib way that most of the Catholic answers folks Talk and then it then it hit me. Wow. Well that sort of is reflected in the Catholic answers forums we are constantly criticizing a Catholic answers forums these lay people who give these shallow arguments and and Are just willing to believe anything as long as it's against a Protestant who speaks out against Rome.
But they're just they're just mimicking the people that are their heroes that they listen to on the on the radio all the time it's it's a sad thing, but It's been interesting to listen that I almost I actually did download.
But I left it on my my Mac which didn't bring in with me because I'm only here for a little brief period of time.
Today.
But I did download that Han thing. I almost played the clip and then of course Tim Staples comes on. Oh, oh, oh that reminds me. I didn't tell you guys this and now I'm gonna tell everybody all at the same time.
But.
Evidently they this rock disappeared and they've got a new magazine. There's just Catholic answers magazine. I guess they're calling it. I thought this rock was at least a interesting title anyhow, but Tim Staples now remember Tim remember Tim.
No, I never debated him on purgatory. Tim Staples. Tim. One of the foremost biblical scholars in the Roman Catholic world Tim Staples. Yes that that fellow director of Apologetics for Catholic answers, which I found interesting because Jimmy Akin was there long before Tim Staples was so I find that.
Interesting, but be it as it may. Yes, the Tim Staples that we debated almost two years ago now here on the dividing line on first Corinthians chapter 3 and the subject of purgatory and. That's the very debate that most Roman Catholics don't even know existed because Catholic answers has ignored it even though of course part of the pre debate arrangements was that that they would have the ability to make this available and we certainly let them know where the mp3 was to make available and They had made available Tim Staples debate with Steve Greg remember they and they talk call it a debate and it was just a radio program and stuff like that they loved to make that stuff available and after the debate.
When I tried to get hold of Tim and talk with him some more. But maybe doing some future topics and things like that and it got real quiet, and I wasn't. Exactly. I just getting anything back to me. Finally.
I got a note back from he's been really really busy with lots and lots of emails. Well, yeah as if I don't understand that. And At the same time I hear him on Catholic answers live saying that. Now he's gonna be doing a lot more debates in the future looking for looking to line up debates.
Well, Tim, we're we're here man. You know, I mean sure I have to schedule it a ways out. I mean all of 2012 is already filled up for me. But uh, but for something on radio or something like that. Hey, I could find I can find the time we can we can do that.
Well one of the things they're doing in the new Catholic answers magazine that I found out about and I Remember exactly where I was on the 202 loop when I heard this. Or is that the is that the one I want?
No, it's a 202 right around there right after the mini stack is. They are doing written debates and he says it's the first time they've ever done this. They're allowing non Roman Catholics to write for the magazine in this in the form of a debate and the current edition I think we might want to pick it up.
In fact the current edition of the magazine there is a debate on once saved always saved between Tim Staples and Mike Gendron and I'm sitting here going. Wow, I need to I need to write to Tim because he must not have my email address because I haven't gotten any invitations.
To engage Tim on on the papacy. To yeah, you mean cherry-picking you think so you think you think you might you might you think he might be doing that? No, come on. You're such a skeptic man. I tell you It must be where I get all my meanness from is you huh?
You know you and Russian women and stuff like that. I Got that from him. It's his fault. It's all his fault. We have evidence of this anyway. There are so many topics I would I would love to do a written debate on does Kakara to many at Luke 128 mean full of grace.
You know all these things that Tim has made claims of you know I still have a recording of him back in the 19 early 1990s middle 1990s saying that every single church father That ever commented on Matthew chapter 16 agreed with Rome on it.
I think that would just be awesome. We there are so many topics that we could do we could go into depth on his claims about the subjunctive that he made on The Bible answer man programs we did together and and there's just so many things we could do and I'm hoping I'm checking my spam Filter, you know just to make sure that for some reason his invitations to to get involved Just haven't gotten lost someplace because I'd just be wonderful.
Don't you think I'd be wonderful. You think there's just a small bit of sarcasm in my voice right now just a teeny tiny.
Do we have the sarcasm filter on we. Maybe you guys could debate whether or not we've ever edited any of the video.
Oh, we could do that too. Except he hasn't he's not he's smart enough. Unlike certain people in this Catholic answer forums not to make libelous and foolish Accusations without evidence and then just try to ignore that they ever made them.
He's not he's not like that. So anyway, so It'll be interesting to see what debates come up.
Just for the few Roman Catholics in the audience who might be interested we stand ready. And we'll see if we'll see if that if that happens because I think there should be some great topics we could go into real depth.
On.
That I especially biblical topics. I'd love to go into depth on with with Tim Staples. But given the response to the last debate we did nothing there. Oh, yeah, hey Tim eight seven seven seven five three three three four one anyone from Catholic answers live.
Who wants to get past my spam filter eight seven seven seven five three three four one. Even though we're probably taking any calls today if you call. We'll put you on we'll put guardian on. This seems to have lost the number after a few years now and Though we've had we've had the same number all this time.
We've pretty much had the same number since we moved into these studios, right? Oh, yeah, and that was in these studios. I specifically remember that so yeah guardian Ignatius He of the Catholic answers forums that has lied about us and said that we we edit the The debates we do especially with with Mitch Pacwa which Mitch Pacwa, of course would never make silly stupid false lying accusation like that, but Ignatius does.
Ignatius if you'd like to call in we would love to hear your evidence of this. We really really would like to see that and hey You know if Scott Butler would like to call it and explain why after all these years He still continues to suppress the videotapes of the first two debates.
We did with Mitch Pacwa Holding them hostage for $5 ,000. You know, maybe he'd like to explain that. So there is there is all of that. Alright, I want to try to get through the dia Mohammed Samuel Green debate.
Because I have a presentation Done by a Muslim out of Riyadh. I think it's Riyadh. I'll have to check again. I'll have to look at my email. But he's in Saudi Arabia right now and I told him that once we got to it I'd let him know so we could listen and then he seemed to show an interest in actually participating in the program.
Obviously, we might have to play with some time frames to try to sync up with Saudi Arabia which is on the other side of the planet, but we'll we'll try to work something like that out and See if we can't make make that work as well.
So I want to get to that as well and Maybe might also throw in a little bit more on the James McCarthy sermon today without Investing three minutes in the Radio Free Geneva theme in the process and then Lord willing next week back to our regular schedule.
I've got a couple weeks. I got the rest of the time in January. I think I'm here and then I don't leave again until February but thankfully until March they're all just weekend type things which shouldn't impact the dividing line schedule too much and Look forward to being with you for all that.
So let's let's get back to it here and For those of you. Oh, and by the way, thanks to let me Scroll back down here and see if I can can find this Thanks to whoever it was who? Suggested to me here. It is Chris Lowen's.
Chris Lowen's on Twitter suggested a program to me that has allowed me to. And I knew there are programs that did this but the ones I had seen were extremely complicated to install. I just went to start editing stuff in the Mac in Apple, whatever.
I don't and I don't go there but put me onto a program that installed very easily and now I can only I can use one keyboard and one mouse for all four screens and That will that will really simplify things for me a lot.
I have to spin this thing like I get all the way across all this real estate to get back where I was on the other.
Side. Yes, sir. Is that Chris Lowen's or is that Chris L? Owens? It's already Twitter speak. It could be Chris Lowen's.
It could be any of those things. It could be it could yeah, I could be any of those things. I have no earthly idea. However, he does not claim to have been born in Istanbul. So that's that's something going for him.
Right off the bat.
Actually during during we take a break to eat something during these five hours, you know you know, we all I bring my you know sandwich or whatever it is and I played a portion of my video with Issam on the the many fake Arabic isms of Ergen Kanner during during the break and that was that was our entertainment for for that one.
That was that was fun. Okay. Anyways, let's finally get back to the diya Mohammed debate and he is talking about how the Quran has never ever changed they.
Changed and in 1470 what we have to think 1400 plus years. It has never been changed. Not a dot not a jot. No, no I'm a challenge anybody to bring me two different currents.
Well, you're not going to come up with two different currents dia. But you are going to come up with textual variants you are going to see. The evidence of the tradition of Ibn Masud in for example, the fogs palimpsest manuscript the London man the Paris manuscript likewise shows evidence of Issues that existed in the early days.
The Tafsir literature, which I don't think you've read likewise seems to provide that kind of Information as well. So it's it's there and That is part and parcel of any the transmission of any written text over time.
But there are a special A special there's an a special area of study when it comes to Quran that is in its infancy. New Testament manuscript studies are far more advanced than Quranic studies at this point and there are a number of reasons for that.
But the general availability of New Testament manuscripts in comparison to and information about New Testament manuscripts and collations of New Testament manuscripts and and Digital photography of New Testament manuscripts is far beyond the state that currently exists in the study of the Quran.
But of course if you accept the traditional story of the Othmanian revision under the third caliph.
That.
Introduces all sorts of issues and then you have Ibn Masud and Ubayyad and Cobb and you have the the companions that gather around Ibn Masud at Kufa and Then in the midst of all this and I think this is extremely important is the fact that this controversy is taking place at the exact same time as the origins of the Sunni Shia split and that that was about the issue of Succession and that some of the variants Seem to be relevant to that.
All of that is extremely important. And when you have Othman Who is representing one side of things in control the text that raises huge Massive issues about the reliability of the resultant text that he produces.
Now you may say well, we have a really really really really good idea of exactly what Othman had and you're right you do. But because of the revision Which could never have happened with a New Testament because the way in which it was transmitted it raises all sorts of very important issues in regards to reliability of the text of the Quran despite the fact that it is the youngest of Comparison of the Quran in the New Testament Quran in the Old Testament.
It's by far the youngest least Lengthy period of time during which it is transmitted in a handwritten form should be must be the most accurately transmitted in the sense that it had such a Minimal period of time of transmission by hand and was state-sponsored.
So you should have the smallest number of variants. No question about it.
The big the main issue for anyone who really thinks through this subject and if you've been listening to what we're saying in response to Bart Ehrman you've Understood this as well. The big issue is Could the text have been fundamentally altered prior to the earliest manuscripts that we have and in light of of Sahih al-Bukhari six five one nine and five ten.
There's just no way around that outside of the discovery of Something that the Hadith says did not exist and that would be well, okay. I'll take that back unless you could find Hafsa's manuscript if you could find the manuscript that was produced under Abu Bakr and Then was given to Umar and then to Umar's daughter Hafsa Which was then asked for by Uthman and and according to Sahih al-Bukhari He gave it back to her or at least promised to give it back to her whether or not he did or didn't who knows?
But I suppose you could find Hafsa's manuscript. That would be that would be great. But the chances of that are extremely small and So we we press on it's out there.
And I can say with certainty because the book says it was certainly and the author of the book is divine God Almighty. Again coming back to the identity of Jesus who Jesus is following Jesus We Muslims humbly say that we're more Christian the Christian and Jewish in the Jew.
Because we follow Jesus more than the Christian does now, of course.
This is an interesting presentation. We follow that we follow Jesus more than the Christian does. Well, what do they mean by that? They certainly don't mean they follow everything Jesus says in New Testament because they reject The textual accuracy of almost everything.
Well, they do reject the textual accuracy of everything that contradicts what comes in the Quran. So you're you're left with? The minimal Element of discussion that's found in the text of the Quran Concerning Jesus.
25 ayah that mentioned him by name. Some more that mentioned him by reference. Less than a hundred grand total and Very little information almost nothing historical About Jesus. And that becomes the lens through which everything in the New Testament must be read and To say that you're gonna follow that Jesus.
And that makes and you're good. That means you follow him more. It well, obviously doesn't make any sense. It does not follow.
From the reality Jesus says don't eat the pig. You'll eat the pig.
Jesus never said don't eat the pig. Where do you think he said that. Where's the reference to that in your book or in any other book? It's not there instead you have in the earliest gospel according to standard views today of Mark and priority which Muslim apologists seem to love to embrace.
Instead you have Jesus in mark making all meats clean. Says it's not what goes into a man that defiles. It was what comes out. He made all meats clean. That's the earth there. You have something that clearly comes even Even from the perspective of Bart Ehrman.
He puts mark somewhere in the late 60s, right?
That's what about.
20 times closer than the Quran and. So you where does he get this stuff? I? Didn't even bring a Bible to this debate as far as I can tell. He's doing it all off the top of his head. And unfortunately, his memory is not like Shabir Ali.
You know when Shabir does stuff off the top of his head. He's normally right. He's got a good memory. But not not dm Muhammad.
Jesus said circumcise you don't practice that anymore.
Exactly. Where did Jesus say that? Oh, well, he said, you know, keep the law and whoever breaks. Okay, that's that's quite true. He did say that. So the question then becomes Who then follows Jesus in their teaching.
In other words is Is it just Jesus or did Jesus have disciples now as a Muslim. DIA can't argue this point. Because the Quran says that God would make the faithful followers of Jesus victorious until the day of judgment.
So you've got to tell me who they were. You can't you can't get around you can't do the real popular thing that at least not consistently. I'll just say well It was just all Paul. It was just all Paul.
That's what DIA Muhammad says, too. But but wait a minute if Paul Corrupted Jesus's teachings Then the Quran is wrong in its promise. So which is it gonna be because if Paul didn't corrupt. I love this.
If Paul didn't corrupt the teachings of Jesus Then the Quran is wrong because it contradicts what Paul said about Jesus. If he did then the Quran is wrong because the Quran promised that the followers of Jesus be victorious until the Day of Judgment, so.
Which one are you gonna go for saying is brutal because Paul came and said you can eat the pig now. Your master's telling you don't. Don't even touch his carcass for it's unclean to you. He's emphatic in it.
You didn't just mention. He's emphatic. Don't go near it. You'll eat it. Most of us we don't go near it because Jesus said so because Allah confirms it don't eat the pig.
Still would love to know what the reference is here. You know, but You know what and I am absolutely certain that DIA Muhammad thinks that somewhere in the New Testament. It says don't eat the pig. Just like he thinks John 5 7 is the only person that Randy has been taken out.
The man just doesn't know what he's talking about. He did there. It's just a level of ignorance that is very very common and having to deal with it.
Yes, sir, but don't we draw that from the vision Peter had.
Well call unclean that which that's that's that's part of it that but that was more Jesus had already. Now, of course mark wouldn't be written by the time that Peter has his vision. But if you're talking about specific references to Jesus's words So you go the Gospels and in the Gospels in in mark, you have the specific text where it is said.
Saying this Jesus made all meats clean. So he he suspended by his own authority those elements of the dietary Law, it's it's just right there. There just isn't any place where G is said don't eat the pig.
It's just not there. He's I'm but I'm sure he thinks it is. I'm sure he thinks it's somewhere and and it's us that are missing it again.
Following what Jesus himself is saying He says and and again when he says either I am when when when when God Almighty said to Moses I and say when Moses went to the mountain and he said who should I tell what should I tell the people who sent me?
It is I am what I am and the word is Yeah, yeah, I am what I am. Don't worry about who don't worry about the I am what I tell him I am what I am. So when Jesus says before Abraham I am In the knowledge of God we all are.
Now catch this. Because this is actually not an unusual argument. It's it's a very poor argument, but it's not an unusual argument and It's not just The Muslims who will who will use this argument either?
But the idea that was just made is well.
In.
The eternal knowledge of God Jesus existed, but then again, so do we all and so Jesus wasn't saying anything special which of course is exactly why the the soldiers fell over when Jesus said that and Exactly why the Jews pick up stones to stone Jesus when he said that was because Jesus was saying nothing remarkable at all.
Makes makes perfect sense to me. But again, do Muhammad is not looking to Actually interpret these texts in their context or in their original languages, even though he just gave a close approximation of Hebrew of Exodus 314.
He should take the time to look at the Greek Septuagint rendering of it and how that comes into the minor prophets and how that comes into the New Testament and and You know just few just few weeks ago.
We Demonstrated I think on this program How deeply you can go into this particular subject and and demonstrate that the I am sayings are most definitely Purposeful on John's part and exactly what it is.
They communicate to us.
I am is not a term used for God. I am. You have taken a term that a word that God said the script I am and made it into the name of God.
So Jesus says the sound familiar remember my debate just a few weeks ago with Patrick novice on this very subject. That's not a name of God and then you we went into Isaiah and other places where Ego, I me is used not only as a name we provide citations from scholars in the subject but even Repeated twice to identify Yahweh in opposition to false gods but again deal Muhammad just doesn't even know this information exists and Unfortunately has chosen to ignore all efforts that I've made to contact him.
So my gut feeling is and I hope I'm wrong about this. I really really Hope I'm wrong about this, but I doubt he'll ever listen to these programs. I just get the feeling listening to him speaking that he's happy with what he believes and and He's just gonna keep repeating it whether it's truth or not.
It's another issue and I hope I'm wrong about that. I really really would love to hear from him and say, you know I've just been really busy and I'm gonna listen and the law I would like to see that happen if it for no other reason then when he speaks in the subject in the future, he can be a little bit more accurate and and which means he'd be talking much more about Muslim things and Christian things because his knowledge of Christian things is is.
Highly inadequate before Abraham was I am you guess? Oh, well, he said I am and and the God of when Moses said I am so it must be one of the same thing. That's stretching pretty far. You know, I was talking to a friend once.
I'll talk to a friend once about you know, it's not Christianity and you know. He's talking about the divinity of Christ except Christ as Lord and I said to him imagine. It's pretty scary imagination, but we're dead and a day of resurrection came and we all get questioned.
We all agree. So there will be come of the will come a time. We need to answer to our Lord and If in fact Jesus is Lord and he says to me, why did you not worship me? Why did you not take me as your Lord?
I have an answer. You never told me to. Now we could agree and get into details. But he said this and we twisted and I am and and the father would be gotten look if my salvation Depends on things that I have to stretch and change and that's that can't be right.
Allah is clear in the Quran stretch and change. Which means the truth of those things is outside of do Muhammad's purview of study and discussion. And so we're we are stretching and changing things when the reality is that he's just not familiar with the subject and the information as It needs to be presented.
So we're stretching and changing things. Yeah, it's a whole lot easier. Mr Muhammad to just not go in depth into the scriptures and just go with what people have told you to believe. But that's not the same thing as.
Honestly dealing with the text. Yeah, you know, there is no God but God Almighty. And I mean I want to emphasize that Allah is not the Muslim God. Christian Arabs have that use of what Allah. There is no God but God.
There is no respect to any Muslim. There is no questioning who God is. The theory behind God. But you're asking me to or you're having us to say. Believing in Jesus that he was Lord and Savior. He never said he was Lord.
He never said for him to be worshipped.
He never said he was Lord. That's is that the second time? We've heard that one because I'm pretty certain we've already refuted that one. You call me Lord and thus I am and Over and over again people referred to him using that term courteous.
He doesn't rebuke them for it. And so he never says he was Lord and yet all of his followers called him Lord and and he accepted that title. And that's what the Gospels revealed to us and then he is worshipped in specifically religious context not just context.
We can sort of try to get around that and get well, you know, maybe this person didn't really know and you know stuff like that. You know, no, there are specifically religious context you think of the blind man in John chapter 9 and Jesus reveals himself to him and he worships him.
And do you really think that's just some sort of of Appropriate human reverence after His revelation. I am the Son of Man. I am the Son of God, whichever term you want to use there I I don't think so.
So he is worshipped after his resurrection. He is worshipped so it's just you're listening to the effect of Studying someone else's religion by only listening to what your side says and folks Christians do this all the time we do it all the time and To some extent it cannot be completely Avoided because none of us Myself included can Make comments on every religion on the planet solely from first-hand sources.
You just can't do it. No one could possibly even read everything they'd need to read in a lifetime To be able to comment on all religious perspectives. It just can't be done. I mean, there's just too much.
So all of us have to in in a sense do that but the problem is do Muhammad is a speaking in a public sense in a debate and B he's not saying well in my limited study of secondary sources primarily from The Muslim side.
This is what I understand. That would have been nice. But that's not what you get. Instead you get these broad sweeping no such thing and it cannot happen and all the rest of this kind of stuff and it just ends up sounding really tinny and It ends up sounding like a lot of stuff that I see being said about Islam that bothers me.
Because it's so clearly Derived from secondary sources and they're not reliable secondary sources.
It's in big you he never in that, you know coming from the word for the mouth of Jesus in the three in the three-and-a-half. He's that he walked in his ministry. He never said that he is God or worship it.
He there and what you're hearing there is coming directly straight completely lockstock and barrel from Akhmed didot he just he's just accepting whatever Akhmed didot has to say as being the final word in all things and.
The danger of doing that is Akhmed didot was not a reliable person.
He said the complete opposite his father's great in him. He said don't call me good. He didn't doesn't know of the last day.
Okay, we've responded to all of these. He's becoming some repetitive. We're gonna get toward the end of it here where they get into interaction where there's some more interesting.
Over and over and over and over again he shows us that he's a man and he's not part of the the the. The Trinity. Now the Doug was quite us. He said the Trinity has been taken out. Because it's not in the most ancient manuscripts.
So who's writing the but I mean who's writing the Bible. Is the Bible the God of word the Word of God? Or is it is it dependent on. And I'll say this all with respect. It's not it's not.
You're taking ancient manuscripts and you're taking you're putting out. So all the ones that worship God is three gods before they'll realize it wasn't there.
Mr. Muhammad, how do you know that the Quran you have today is accurate? Don't you have don't you go back to ancient manuscripts? Why why why is it that that people refer to the top copy? Manuscript and they refer to the London manuscript in the Paris manuscript and and to the why was there such excitement?
Only a few decades ago When the Yemeni manuscripts from Saana Were were discovered. Why was there such excitement if those things are irrelevant and if you find variation and change in those Why isn't that important to you?
I would think that a truth-loving Muslim would be extremely interested in in understanding why The fogs palimpsest manuscript reads the way that it does why there is clear evidence of editing in it. It's the same message.
But but why is there difference? Why did the early Tafsir literature make so many references to variations in reading especially in reference to Abdullah Ibn Masud and Ubaid and Cobb why? It would seem to me that you would want to understand that and that there's a there's a sort of a surface level Cavalier nature in your attitude toward truth if you just Ignore those things and at the same time then Criticize the New Testament based upon ignorance and just And again not even knowing which verse we're talking about and the fact that it is not a part of the Greek text until.
Well.
Longer after the birth of Christ than the Quran has existed since it was revealed. I know you believe the Quran has eternally existed, but.
We're talking 1400 years who died and the ones who've come after the Quran says that they came that the The Old Testament and the New Testament we believe that it came down. I don't have to have the book in itself.
We believe but it was corrupted. The Bible says so in the preface as I mentioned in you international.
The Bible is corrupted because the preface in international version says that we need to fix some of the Translational errors in the King James as if the Bible existed in the English language all along.
I mean, this is just such a Basic category error that that it's it's somewhat difficult.
This is a King James version has defects that are so many and so serious as to call for a revision So I'll give it back to the People taking Q &A's.
Call upon Sammy for a five minute rebuttal.
We'll we'll skip past Samuel there, even though I'm sure he did a fine job. And in fact, I know he did a fine job and After his. Let's get to the Q &A part here. It's famous for.
Giving life back to the dead. And it's something I didn't quit. I did. I didn't mention but I'll quickly mention if you read the Bible Jesus never gave life back to the dead. He never gave life back to the dead.
When he came back and the sister of Lazarus came and said Master master if you would hear you would have saved him Lazarus dead. And he said to take me to where he was buried. And he in. She took him and in.
Jesus Fell on his knees and fell to his face. Take another. He fell to his face had a muscles break. All right face down and he said. And he supplicated. Then he looked up and he put his hands on. He supplicated.
He said now by the way, um, that's nowhere in John 11. It's nothing about Jesus Falling on his face in the resurrection of Lazarus. The only place where where Jesus falls this face of the ground is in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Again, it's it's a Ahmed D dot Standard Islamic argument that Jesus would have even adopted the the Bodily positions of Muslims in his prayers. And I've had other Muslims other Muslims realize that's really stretching it.
You can't prove it. And of course when we look to information that we can obtain Concerning Jewish prayer practices in the days of Jesus that doesn't follow. Now a person of course can pray in all sorts of positions.
Lying down bowing hands raised toward the heaven eyes lifted up to heaven. I mean that's much more common in Jesus's experience than Head bowed to the ground. But again, it's just that idea of well the marks of prostration Especially important to Muslims, etc, etc.
He said oh my lord. I know thou hear me.
I know that's always hear me what I'm doing this and this is what Jesus saying about what I'm doing this. So the people around me know that you have sent me so it doesn't look like Jesus is doing the work.
He put on a show and this is what Jesus saying. He's put on a show so the people around him may know that you have he that God has sent him. And he's just asking you again and he said. And then Jesus stood up and said let us come out.
It doesn't say that he brought life back to the dead. He supplicated to God Almighty.
Well, of course the assumption there is that The action of Jesus is merely a secondary thing or that or that for Jesus to give life to the dead He must do so separately from the father as a separate God.
And of course, we don't believe in separate gods. We don't believe in any of those things. So the presuppositions that mr Muhammad brings to the interpretation of the New Testament truly blind him to the actual beauty of the New Testament and The things related there too.
So we'll continue with that. I want to Step away from that for just a moment so that we can Sort of shift topics. It's a regular size program today. Sorry about that Ralph, but just just sort of the way just sort of the way It is.
Got a got a lot of stuff going on today and trying to cram it all into one day. Then the the nights are just are just way too short. But I want to do a shift gears and continue some of the review that we've been doing as part of the radio free Geneva, but like I said, we only have about 14 minutes left in the program so taking up three minutes of that just with the radio free Geneva theme seems like somewhat of a Inappropriate use of time so we go back to the sermon preached on Calvinism by brother James G McCarthy.
We've been looking at some of the text that he's been raising and looking at by the way, just just for sake of completeness. I Did want to mention I had mentioned an ayah and the Quran. I didn't give you the reference I was referring to to surah 355.
Where now I will I will read this Without the added material that the sahih international Translation provides when Allah said Oh Jesus indeed I will take you and raise you to myself and purify you from those who disbelieve and make you and make those who follow you Superior to those who disbelieve until the day of resurrection.
Then to me is your return and I will judge between you concerning that in which you used to different now the Arabic of this text.
Up.
Refers rather obviously to the death of Jesus if it wasn't for surah 4157. No one would question that but the important thing is it says and Purify you from those who disbelieve and make those who follow you superior to those who disbelieve until the day of resurrection.
Now to try to get around this the sahih international has inserted an entire phrase. It's almost like the new world translation At this point. Oh, we don't like what that says. So they've changed it to and make those who follow you in submission to Allah alone Superior to those who disbelieve.
So in other words, they change it to where it becomes a prophecy of making the Muslims Superior to the Christians, but that's not what it said and you you can't find that is nowhere in the Arabic. It's referring to the followers of Jesus and It specifically says make those who follow you superior to those who disbelieve until the day of resurrection, that's what it says.
You've got to deal with it and mistranslating it or adding entire phrases that Bring in other things just isn't isn't the way to do it. All right on to the sermon by James.
McCarthy that through holy living it can't be talking of eternal salvation. You're. You're justified by faith.
Okay. Now did you bring it back up to speed here? My apologies for just throwing that out at you, but it helps me to remember We're in the world we're to be honest with you. We're talking here about First Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 13 and.
At the last portion of this sermon McCarthy was it was basically saying This isn't talking about salvation. Because we're not we're not we're justified by faith we're not justified by what we do and. As if that's what Paul is referring to in this text, which of course he is not referring to in this text at all specifically when it says I'm sorry.
Did I say first Thessalonians? I meant second Thessalonians. Oh second Thessalonians chapter 2. I believe I'd always give thanks to you to God for you brothers beloved by the Lord because God chose you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth and.
We were commenting as the music was coming up last time at the amazing assertion that this has nothing to do with salvation that due to the context which is interpreted in a eschatological dispensational eschatological fashion.
By.
James McCarthy that this isn't talking about salvation itself, even though these are all of Paul's salvation words and That there is nothing whatsoever contradictory about God's having chosen us from the beginning for salvation by Sanctification of the Spirit it is their self.
Is there any salvation? Apart from the sanctifying work of the Spirit. Of course not. Of course not. And What is Pistai Aletheios if it is not faith in the truth? It just it just. And. And the continuation then is in verse 15 is.
The fact that he's talking about the gospel. Stand firm and hold fast. And what what does he use stegate and kratita? In like first Corinthians 15, it's about holding fast to the gospel and That's exactly how the gospel has been communicated to the Thessalonians.
By word of mouth that is by his preached word and by a pistol a letter from us and I had just had enough time to sort of sneak in. How does he deal with the Roman Catholic? Misuse the second Thessalonians 2 15 if he doesn't see that it's the gospel.
It's a context here, but he can't because of his opposition to Calvinism. Theology matters big time in all sorts of different ways as as we see right there. So we we continue on.
But in bad times and we're already in bad times the way we're going to be delivered through these bad times and the delusions that Are already coming upon the earth is through holy living sanctification and by faith in the truth sticking close to the God word.
Because God has already determined in advance that when we are not going through the tribulations. He's going to preserve us from that. We're not going to fall into the delusion of the end times and of the Antichrist.
It's not talking about who's saved and who's not at all. The word salvation is used in scripture of a variety way. Paul was saved from the sea and the shipwreck.
Delivered that's all it's so the way you get around the clarity of second Thessalonians 2 13 is by expanding the term salvation soteri on and And recognizing oh, it's it's used in many ways. Well, it is but that doesn't address how it's being used here.
And if you can say that Paul Can use all these terms selected Sanctification of the Spirit belief in the truth and All right, but that's not that that has nothing to do with who's saved not saved. I suggest that here is glaring evidence of Tradition being used to override the clarity of the text of Scripture itself.
Very very clear. Remember, he's the one who said not a one of the texts that we use not one of them in Context actually supports Calvinism. Well, we've seen so far in Ephesians 1 and now in second Thessalonians chapter 2.
That's not true. Oh, it means we are going to be delivered through sanctification faith to the truth. Well, the other leavers are going to receive a diluting influence. Now I propose to you if you start looking at verses in context you're gonna find there isn't a single verse that teaches.
With the five-point Calvin say they teach they've got great proof text, but once you put them back in context They disappear. Now in their defense, I want to say something else. There are a lot of very difficult verses That we dodge that we don't face up to.
Okay. Let's take a look at one of those. John 6 44.
Now here I love that. That's my introduction you you want you want a verse that that Armenians? Okay synergists Dodge and everything else. It's not just John 6 44. It's John 6 35 through 45 at least. Because John 6 44 you if you just jump to that then you're going to miss the incredible assertions of 37 to 39.
Still I'm gonna be very interested in and how we deal with John 6 44.
The Lord Jesus said no one can come to me unless the father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. Okay, now don't dodge that verse. Yeah, I don't. That's also Heavily used by by Calvinist it is no one could come to Christ unless the father draws him.
No one has the ability To come to Christ, but let's let's do what what brother McCarthy says we do. We need to put in in context and Jesus has already introduced us to the concept of God giving a particular people to Jesus and As a result of their being given they come to Christ not that God foresees are gonna come to Christ and therefore he gives them to Jesus and then they come to Christ which is a really silly circle of misreason.
But the giving of the father precedes and determines the resulting action of The people who come to Jesus. And Jesus has also said he's come down of heaven not to know his own will but the will of the him who sent and what's That will that of all that have been given him.
He lose nothing but raise it up on the last day. Jesus's Task from the father to fulfill the will of the father is to be a perfect Savior. He has to have the capacity and power to fulfill that will and so that's what's come before and the people grumble about this and they don't like this and They reject who Jesus is saying in the centrality of his of his person To salvation itself.
Jesus stop grumbling amongst yourselves. No one has the capacity or ability to come to me unless the father who sent me draws him and I will raise him up On the last day. I'll raise him on the last day is the same group as 637 to 39 The ones given him him by the father.
So who is drawn to the son those who've been given to him by the father and who is saved of that group? Everyone of all he's given me I lose none of them. So who's drawn? Well, if it's every single person on the planet then every single person will be raised up on the last day and saved by Jesus because that's what he says and To be raised up in the last day is to be is what is to be given eternal life.
There's no question about that in the context just just follow it through. We've done this a million times before Follow it through and you'll see that being raised up in the last day is to be receiving eternal life.
So when the father draws someone the son who does he draw he draws those he's given to the son and Only those he's given the son because this is explaining the unbelief of the Jews. Remember go back to verse 35.
You've seen me and yet you are not believing why. Because there's certain people the father gives the son and they're the ones who come to Me. So what do you say? If you just follow it through there it is let's see if.
James McCarthy sees that. Please don't quote John 3 16 and say, you know. The John 3 16 says anyone can believe. So those two cancel out. We're back to zero. I mean you can't do that with Scripture. John 3 16 says what it says and this verse says what it says.
Okay, and there's other verses like that. You just go over a few verses off earlier. Verse 37 and 6. 37 All that the father gives me shall come to me and the one who comes to me I will certainly not cast out.
What percentage of the people whom the father draws will come to Christ and be saved.
All.
100 you say with Jim you're really confusing. We're back to Calvinism again. Yes, we can't come unless the father draws you and draws you you will come and if you come he will receive in your safe. Okay, what are you talking about?
I just thought I thought you're not a Calvinist now you are a Calvinist. Well, I'm just saying this there's some verses here. We really got a face. Okay. Now the Lord also said, you know now if I'd be lifted up, I will draw all men to myself.
So we got all men will be drawn to Christ over here and we got the father will draw those two cancel and we're back.
To zero again. No, no, no, no, we're not and notice we've we've left John 6 now. We've jumped six chapters down the road into a completely different context of the Greeks coming to Jesus. And what does Jesus do when the Greeks come to him?
He does not reveal himself to them. He hides himself from them and.
So.
It's real common to jump there and he's at least saying no we can't just we can't just we've got to deal with all of it.
But let's see how he does. Oh, you can't do that with Scripture. Okay? The verses say what they mean and they mean what they say and You can quote me, you know all the anyone can believe verses in the world.
You're still gonna have to deal with John 6 44. We're gonna be honest and I don't think we have been honest in our circles. I don't think we've been honest. And so we've created this vacuum of Confusion because we haven't faced up to these hard verses and I'll tell you there's somebody wants to fill that vacuum.
And that's some Calvinists. We've got some really good arguments and it's create a lot of confusion. So what did you have to do is you also have to collect those verses which in context in the context here is salvation.
Which say some pretty hard things? Now we're almost out of time. I Want to give you a way that you can reconcile these two now.
I just realized looking at the clock if I even start this we're we're not gonna we're not gonna even be able to get through it.
No.
And unfortunately the trip out to Scottsdale doth loom large and much must be done so How do you get around this? How do you explain John 6? This is called a teaser. How do you join us next time on the device?
To find out how it is you can deal with John 6 and yet still be a synergist. That's that's how to get you to tune back in Tuesday. We'll definitely pick that one up Next Tuesday. How's how's that sound?
So Put it on your calendars.
Next.
Tuesday the 17th we'll get back together at our normal time and we'll probably go for a jumbo just so that people. Feel like we still do that once in a blue moon, but we'll continue on with that next time around.
Listening to the vine line. We'll see you next time.
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