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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 9 7 3 4 6 0 2 or toll-free across the United States. It's 1 8 7 7 7 5 3 3 3 4 1. And now with today's topic here is James white.
And good afternoon, welcome to the dividing line taking your phone calls today at 8 7 7 7 5 3 3 3 4 1. 8 7 7 7 5 3 3 3 4 1 is the phone number if you'd like to join us. Live on the program today. We are live in studio.
Which we normally are. We used to do tape stuff when we weren't going to. That's when we were on the radio though. We had to provide something and Now for I could be there. We just sort of go. Yeah, whatever.
So.
So hope some of you are possibly planning on joining us in Virginia. I'm coming up Easter weekend. I will be doing one of the I believe is it's total of six debates five debates. I'd have to look again, but it's a lot of debates many many debates on Islam.
And you'll see the banner ad which Micah just fixed which now has the date in it. On there and there are debates afterwards. I'm moderating two of the debates coming after the debate that I myself am doing.
So you will if you like all sorts of stuff then you'll you'll find that to be all sorts of debate. You'll find that to be very very interesting. I do have a video lined up here, which videos don't work as well on the dividing line.
But You can still listen and what I do is I'll I'll describe for you What's what's going on when it gets a little bit quiet basically. But we'll we'll get to those in just a moment, but we are taking your phone calls at eight seven seven seven five three three three four one is the phone number and We've already got one caller online.
So get in line don't I don't have too much patience to the folks who? Call into our agenda program. They have talk really fast like this I can't really answer the questions because you had all the time the world and of course next week There won't be anybody calling anyways because the time changes.
Time changes really really early this year and it changes the Sunday. It usually takes us a couple months. Oh, man. I'll tell you it changes 2 a .m Sunday morning for all the rest of you people out there who absolutely insist upon dishonoring time and Dishonoring God's creation and but you know, there's nothing we can do about it.
And what really bugs me is I really like radio controlled clocks. So they're always exactly on time, so I still have to run around my house. Resetting all the clocks the ones that don't have you turn off the stupid daylight savings time button on them because in a day or two, they're all confused and then I'm all confused and I just every Man, but anyway, at least from now on it's like eight months I think eight months in daylight savings time and and only four months out.
So But like I said for about two weeks nobody there'll be going hey I had the dividing line was on as I can tell you time. It's just like how do you people get to work on time? I mean you get are you getting to work an hour late?
I don't get it. Yeah. Well, anyway All right, so right off the bat we have I have a sneaking hunch that there's an objection to be rendered here. But let's go to Missouri and talk with Manuel. Hello Manuel.
Hi. Hi. How you doing? Dr. White doing good. Yeah.
Yeah, I do have an objection apologetics. Are you on a are you on a cell phone or I am NOT.
It sounds like there's wind behind you or something. You got a loose connection. No, I'm probably a little nervous.
I I don't know.
No, no has nothing to do with your voice. Had to do with. We just got a bunch of static all of a sudden. But anyway, go ahead.
Yeah.
Okay, we're still trying to hear you. We're gonna keep trying but for some reason when you're speaking, it sounds like there's an ocean behind you. It's almost like something's dragging across Your phone or something.
So I'm sorry. No right now. It sounds fine. So however, you're holding your phone now, okay, probably the way to do it. I just don't know how else to describe.
Okay, I'll have to maybe go get some tinfoil or something.
I don't know. Like we used to do with the old TV. Yes. Yes. Well, is this is this one of the radio things? Don't know but I mean your phone. Is it is it hardwired in or is it is it cordless? It's a cordless.
Ah, there you go. That may be the problem. Yeah, you need to get as close to the base with it as you can. I'll do that. And I'm sorry that's what's going on is we're getting a bunch of static. Okay, okay.
So and you'll you'll you'll hear that if you listen to the okay archive.
I'm not listening to the podcast. I'm just trying to listen to you on the phone.
I know but I mean when when when we post it, you'll be able to hear why I was saying get close to that thing. That's actually even worse, but let's go ahead and go for it and see what happens. Okay. All right.
Can I go ahead? Can you go ahead and what.
Your apologetics here on your YouTube. Sure. Sure. Sure. Go ahead. It says. And finally one is Pentecostal. They confuse the father and the son making Jesus two persons, of course, that's not.
The divine side. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry Manuel. Most of what you're saying is getting lost and I I tell you what if you do you have a corded phone somewhere? No, I don't. Okay. All right, cuz right now we're getting about 30 of what you're saying.
I'm gonna call you back. Well cell phone probably will be worse. No, I doubt it because I've not heard a cell phone sound this bad. Please feel free. All right. Thank you. I Remember those cordless phones like that?
That's one of the old style with the you know I'm getting static and I think what he was saying was of course, that's untrue and Let me just say for the audience There are all sorts of different forms of oneness theology.
But what I was referring to was of course the idea that Jesus is two persons. That is the deity aspect of Jesus is referred to as the father. The son is a created being and came into existence at a point in time.
Which is what I was referring to there. So. But that that's okay. We don't need all the type and stuff. I'll just go ahead and we're ready to go. Got him. All right. Let's try it this time. Hello. Yes.
Wow sounds totally different. Sound better. Yes, sir. Okay, great. All right, so go ahead.
All right, it says. And finally one that's been a gospel. They confuse the father and son making Jesus two persons. That's not correct.
Let me stop you right there is. Does the. Has the Sun existed as an eternal divine person.
No, okay. So you of course, you know that that's our belief. We don't believe that that he was an eternal Person separate from the father, right? And so Jesus when he dr. White, do you believe that do you believe it was a separate person from?
The father.
Yes, sir. I'm a Trinitarian. Well, I thought classical.
Trinitarian doctrine taught that that was a distinction not a separation.
Well, you're using I don't know how you're using those terms, but the father and the son communicate with one another. Jesus was not praying to himself. Of course they did. Okay. So when I said that there that the Jesus of oneness theology is two persons.
Who was Jesus praying to in his brain to his father that existed before he did is a real human man.
So that father wasn't him.
All humans. All humans are in subjection to the. All humans are in subjection to God. The father. Jesus was a real human man. The Trinitarian doctrine actually denies the real humanity of the son. No, I know.
Actually a hybrid.
No, it doesn't but I but your your first objection was to say that my that I was misrepresenting you. I'm doing the same viewpoint of dr. Bernard and everybody else. Yeah.
Of course you are and I and I agree and that's wrong. Jesus a father because The father is his deity that was given to him without measure John 3 34 1st Corinthians 15 45 So Matthew 20.
Nobody nobody's looking up all your references. You can skip those unless they're relevant. So the Jesus who spoke as God. That was the father speaking when he spoke as God.
That was the deity that was given to the real human son and.
So the Jesus who then prayed that was the human nature.
That was. I didn't say anything about nature. I said that was the real human man the time.
Okay, the real human man, so yeah that just proves exactly what I said in my video. However, because you still have it. We have one mouth. Was that one mouth saying?
No, dr. White. We haven't argued the person's thing yet. I don't believe God is a spirit is a person.
We'd have to argue that point first. Well, that's that's just basic language, sir.
I mean, we're talking about someone who can communicate not basic language. Do persons die.
Human persons.
You have to qualify you your statement on person.
Yeah, well, but most people recognize that God is personal because he speaks of himself in distinction with others.
So the idea I don't think he deals with mankind that a real person.
Well, but he don't he was personal before mankind existed.
He's God above above us and he doesn't die. That persons die, but that's not. That's not what I'm here for. I wanted to read your apologetics and show how it's wrong and actually that you have two persons in Jesus.
Well, okay first but your first the first accusation I have refuted it to anyone I think who's listening to what we're saying.
What did you refute?
Yeah, I refuted the assertion that I was misrepresenting someone when I said that you believe Jesus. Two persons. If you have one man and out of the same mouth comes a speech of one person or a Deity or whatever, you know, you want to you.
If you want to play games a person fine. But you've got a deity speaking and a man speaking. Don't interrupt me, sir. If you have a deity speaking and a man speaking then you have two persons speaking especially when they address at each other.
Okay, sir, you do not Balaam's donkey that talk. Was that a person or was that God speaking through the dog if you want to turn the Sun into an.
Analogy for Balaam's donkey, sir. I think.
I want to turn the Sun into what the Sun really is. He was a real human man, which you deny. No, I do not deny that. You do deny that. He's a real human man. Okay. Thank you.
Ever so much for calling up and Demonstrating that you're incapable of meaningful communication. All right. Well, I'm happy to talk with folks, you know, we can have discussions but leave leave your temper and Your inability to allow for other viewpoints someplace else.
Okay, I'm just you know, this is too important for that kind of behavior and I'm just just not gonna do it. So eight seven seven seven five three three, three, four one for people who want to have meaningful conversation and who do not want to just constantly interrupt and basically change the entire historical dialogue on the subject of the Trinity and change words and Falsely accused me of things and then when refuted refused to admit that.
So anyways We will move on from there. As I mentioned I have on on YouTube The conversion of some people to Islam and I I wanted to play this because I don't think Christians.
Really?
Realize this happens. I really really don't I I don't think that they Have seen this and and recognize this and I think if you will hear Khalid yasin Khalid yasin is a is He's a black preacher and if you listen to black preachers He's he is a black preacher, but he's a black Muslim preacher.
I'm not saying black Muslim as in Farrakhan all that wackiness as far as I can tell he's an orthodox Muslim, but He preaches the way that black preachers preach and he preaches all over the world at the end of one of his talks According to the YouTube item here.
It says 22 people accepted Islam and This is as similar as you're gonna get to an altar call in an evangelical church. But what you got to realize is most of the people on This video are denying Christ by doing what they're doing.
They are professed quote-unquote professed Christians and That makes it All the more interesting so I want to play for you this this clip and I'll be interested in what your responses are to it. And what you what you think about let's Let's listen to Khalid yasin as he Basically instructs it's it's very similar very very similar to what you'd see at the end of a lot of evangelical meetings People coming forward and the preacher talking to them and they're given a Bible, but this time they're given a Quran and They're led in the Muslim equivalent of the sinner's prayer, but it's not the sinner's prayer at all.
In fact, that's one of the things I hope you will hear and note notice that it's it's striking and the fact that they are led To say these words in Arabic Even though they don't know what Arabic means.
That's what they're that's the only way to do it is to they're just repeat the words after him. And that's how a person becomes a Muslim. So let's listen to this this clip and I'll describe some of the things going on As we're as we're moving along.
One.
Can you stand for me quickly. Just stand for me? Come right here, please.
Now if you're wondering that is a lot of Akbar is being is being yelled in the back and that's you know. We've gotten used to that because that's basically what? Terrorists are screaming as they blow themselves up.
But that is. That is the Islamic equivalent of hallelujah alaha Akbar and that's that's what you're hearing the back.
I want to make this. I want to make this transition or this transaction. Because this what it is. These are human beings is making a transaction with God. They're not making a transaction for us. They're making a transaction with God and a transition in their lives.
So I want to make this easy for them. We have a gift for them and we're going to give them this gift which includes Give each one of them. I'm gonna tell them what it is.
And now you Kelly Doss has walked away. He's handing some stuff to these people in line. They're basically packages of books including the Quran a biography of Muhammad. And we have one the basic instructions or new Muslims.
Now the gift that we're giving to them Is something that will help them on their way? One it's a copy of the Quran with the transliteration of the meanings. Secondly It's a short easy to read authentic biography of the Prophet Muhammad.
Peace and blessings be upon him. Thirdly it is a set of seven books. It is a set of seven books that have in it lessons for new Muslims. Now your acceptance of Islam is your acceptance of God. Not your acceptance of me or not your acceptance of these people.
Nor your acceptance of the political dynamics in the world because it has nothing to do with that it's just your acceptance of God. And This gift is to help you make that trans transition. Did everybody receive a copy?
You have a copy. Wonderful. I Want you to say with me the simple words. And these words are nothing more than what I have explained.
Now here's here's how a person becomes a Muslim. A lot of Christians don't know how a person becomes a Muslim and while there is a playing this for you is so you can compare and contrast and It I think it helps to make it real.
To watch this and to recognize this is down. I believe in Sydney, Australia. So what would be the nominal background of the vast majority of these people staying there? They are at least nominal Christians probably very nominal Christians but this is this is the mechanism the means by which you become a Muslim and you're not gonna.
Well, I'll let you listen for yourself.
Oh trick no curve and we don't have a pool in the back for you to dip in.
I know that. Now a guy is talking to him about someone who is supposed to be coming there to have a little bit of a disagreement here.
My brother who my brother who is and rightfully so is. Very concerned and very inspired about one of the ladies who are here and I also. Because she was brought here last night by her son, and I mean that's profound.
That's the most profound gift that a son can give to his mother and that's certainly the most profound gift that a mother can give to her son and That's our sister Pam. That's here and I'll meet with all of these.
I'll meet with all of these fortunate and Special people after we finish our meeting here this evening, but let's say the words. Let's just go over the words called the shahada. The bearing of witness and I'll tell you what it is essentially it is the saying of That there's none to be worshipped except almighty God and that Muhammad is the messenger of God.
Saying that word and then adding to it. I testify or I declare or I announce That there's none to be worshipped except almighty God and that I testify or I declare or I announce that Muhammad is the messenger of God brings you all into the transition of Islam.
From that point it's your sincerity. It's your acts of worship. It is your commitment. That will make the difference. Now whatever you owe God of something you did that only you know and God knows after tonight.
Your board is clear. Because God is the forgiver of those that come back to him. But whatever you owe somebody money rent a loan you still owe that. Is that fair? Okay, please just say after me.
The words la la.
Ilaha.
In law.
Now, let me just stop there. There is no. There's no ilah God other than Allah the one true God.
Muhammad.
Rasool Allah.
Rasool Allah Rasool Prophet Apostle the in this context the Apostle of Allah, so it's it's really a twofold confession. He's gonna go on from there for a little bit more but it's twofold confession, there is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his Rasool Muhammad is his prophet.
Ashadu.
Allah.
Ilaha Illa Allah Wa ashadu.
Anna Muhammadan.
Abduhu.
Wa Rasuluh.
Sallahu.
Allahu Alayhi Wasallam.
Ameen.
What I want to say to to you brothers and sisters and honestly I am truly grateful in the sight of Allah. Not because I'm gonna get paid for each one of you. Because it's not about that, but I'm grateful because When I'm look when I look at you I see myself 37 years ago and I do realize I do realize that.
Sincerity and commitment and straight talking can change a person's life because it certainly changed mine and what I want to tell you is that all of you are fortunate because Certainly someone brought you here tonight.
I mean your own inquisitiveness your own concern about life sort of Navigated you here or brought you here, but someone some Muslim who you have as an associate or a relative Brought you here. That person is your sponsor.
That sponsor should help you work out your problems and your transition. Now because I live in the UK or because I'm from America It means that I'll be a long-distance mentor. Friend of yours brother in Islam and open for you to help you resolve your problems, but the Muslims of Sydney Australia and in particular the sponsor that brought you here your relative or your friend.
Those are the people that should work things out for you. Yes. That's right. She said it doesn't even have to be a person that you name because God might have brought you here. Isn't that beautiful? Now unfortunately tomorrow morning I'll be going to Melbourne and coming back on Thursday.
And what I would like to do is to arrange to have dinner with all of you when we get back. So, please take your gifts. I can't shake hands with you pretty ladies.
Can't shake a woman's hand. Not now. Could have before good now. Well, he wouldn't have. May God bless you so much. So there there you have the conversion of 22 people to Islam in Sydney, Australia and You know, how do you how do you feel most Christians?
I'll be honest with you I think one of the odd things that I remember feeling the first time I walked into a Mormon Church. There's a there's an element of challenge it makes a Christian a Christian feel uncomfortable To see something that you've only seen in one context taking place in another context.
When you talk to a a person who has joined the Mormon Church from an evangelical church. You have that same feeling here you have a person joining completely different religion and yet conversion in Some ways is similar, but there were some major differences at least I hope.
Sadly, there weren't a lot of major differences and in that to a lot of evangelicalism. But I would hope that especially this audience would recognize the difference between the type of conversion and I've got someone trying to PM me and Flooding my screen in front of me while I'm doing the dividing lines very very disruptive.
The vast difference between true conversion and The Well, well you just saw there which was You know, he said some words now don't don't get me wrong a an Orthodox Well intended well meaning Muslim is going to say look when you say those words those words have to be filled with meaning and commitment and and All those all those things like that.
Okay, I understand that but Saying that your board is going to be clean with God is not quite the same thing and Did you hear about your faithfulness and your acts of worship? That's what? Continues Your state as a Muslim there is a vast difference between well you you've said the the shahada You have confessed the oneness of Allah and that Muhammad is his rasool but You have to then continue on you have to continue with your Acts of faithless.
That's what keeps you as a Muslim. It's not like Your nature has been changed. It's not like You have a new heart and a new nature and a new orientation. There wasn't any I didn't hear anything there about repentance.
I heard nothing about turning from from sin or anything along those lines at all. And you've got to realize that that Islam is not just a religion. It is a a way of behavior as well. And so those books are gonna tell you how you should now start dressing and how you should now start washing.
And.
When you're to do the the foot your prayers in the morning and the and the five times during the day and and all these things and that's what makes you a Muslim. And I have I see another one here called about a revert and I may I may just go ahead and And and play that After we take our break, but it depends on what phone calls come in.
Eight seven seven seven five three three three four one. We'll be back right after this break.
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Get your copy in the bookstore at a omen. Or it sounds a little bit like the kind of music you'd play at a revival.
Come on down front brothers and sisters. I see that hand. Yes. How you do it I guess. And Sort of similar to Hey, let's go ahead and take a phone call. Let's talk with Pierre. Hi Pierre. How you doing?
Hi, dr. White. I'm pretty good. What's going on? Yeah, I just wanted to Comment on something I thought today on program Who's a leader of an Islamic? Information Center. He was in Toronto part of me in Toronto.
Not. I don't know where he's from. I actually forget but no not from Toronto. Okay, so it wasn't should be early. No, it wasn't should be early. No, but he was referring to the difference between Muslim evangelism being sort of Like an invitation that you can be Islam and discuss religion in a very logical way because he believes people are reasonable and logical point was about Christianity and our evangelism, but I would assume he'd probably be.
Arguing that it's emotional and non-rational.
Well, the thing the thing that I want to point out is that I yes, we are reasonable and rational people, but I Get the thing that struck me immediately was that a logical you are in your presentation.
No, you know, it's well just the opposite. Yeah, I mean they literally their doctrine is just the opposite of that. Yeah, exactly.
It seems that Logical and then you know in truth if you don't address when your logic in your eye You're going to be that's invitational type of for their lives in different. Well, there's two things.
Then if I could play the advocate for that side for a moment just simply to flesh it out Basically what they would say is look no We don't we don't believe in conversion by the sword those who practice that are not true Muslims however.
In a Muslim country, it is perfectly proper to not only put limitations on your proselytizing of others but Likewise in exchange for your protected status and your ability to continue to worship As a Christian or as a Jew there is the jizya that you need to pay the tax you need to pay and there are certain limitations.
If you're not going to be a Muslim, then you cannot bury your dead where the Muslims bury their dead. You cannot wear the clothing that Muslims wear etc. There's all these limitations. They're placed upon upon Christians, but obviously, I point out that true Christianity should not change whether it is in the majority or minority as to its nature and its teaching and When cultural Christianity takes over I'm just as opposed to that as I am anything else but Islam and it's it's Evangelistic methodologies, it's proselytizing does change and change radically when you go from Islam being the minority religion to being the majority religion and That's that says a lot to me personally.
I think that says a lot concerning the nature of this religion that it is something completely different when it is The majority than when it's the minority.
Yeah, yeah, but you won't be. The thing is you won't ever have a Muslim.
Evangelist, maybe not in the West, but I've seen some things once in a while. Sometimes it's memory TV memory dot TV that's translating it, but sometimes you will find this. I was watching a clip about an Egyptian Muslim really lamenting the massive losses Islam is experiencing in Africa and It was pretty unusual to to see someone being so honest about the situation in in Africa.
You know Islam was the was the primary religion there for a long time and it is it's shrinking in Africa. A lot of people do not know that and. So they were they were discussing it. So I think there is a vast difference between the the external discussion takes place in Western cultures and that which takes place elsewhere.
Yeah, I would caution my fellow believers in Christ that when they're dealing with my experience has been that your life could be. You could be in danger Mohammed.
Well, there's certain there certainly is that within the religion that would allow that kind of radical behavior. There's that honestly in the number of religions. Even not just Islam, but there is that foundation within the concept of jihad and and within the Quran that certainly does allow for Very radical forms of behavior.
And I've had a lot of folks ask me with great sincerity Do you wear a bulletproof vest when you speak and things like that? And and I've had people come up to me and say I you should never you should never speak on these subjects without a bodyguard.
And things like that. So that's you know, that has that has happened happened more than once. But so, what do you think listening to to the to the The people giving their confession is that what is what kind of feelings does that bring up in your in your mind?
I was playing the the clip. Did you hear the clip of the people converting to Islam? Oh, I'm sorry.
No, I kind of caught the program late. Okay. All right. That's fun. I want to get that call in. Okay, no problem. Thank you for the call today. Okay. Thanks a lot. All right. All right. God bless. Bye.
8 7 7 7 5 3 3 3 4 1. I let's go ahead and let's let's do this. I'm gonna I'm gonna play A clip. I've not even looked at it's a little bit dangerous might be boring. But this is an Australian Reverting to Islam and it sort of follows along a lot.
We're all gonna get to learn this about this together. Let's. Of course the problem is what I should have done is started this a few moments ago. So that I'm gonna I'm gonna let it. I'm gonna go ahead and let it buffer up because you know how it works since we're Streaming right now where I'm trying to download a video on the same line that we're streaming our audio on so I'm gonna well.
You know what? It's only two minutes and 35 seconds. It's actually pretty short. So I'm gonna go ahead and and play it here and it should should work. Let's let's see what this. And everyone's just standing there.
Looking around.
Huh, Timba, Timba, where are you from? I'm from here. You're from Australia also. Did you study something about Islam before.
You were here last night. You just came tonight. So what you understand about Islam you you accept. Yes, you believe. There's none of you. I should accept the Creator. Beautiful, thank you so much brother.
They were very generous. They increased the time for half an hour. And what you have understood about the Prophet Muhammad you also accept that yes. Okay. So do you heard what I said to Tony. You heard the words I recited.
But this is a simple proclamation of Islam for you for me for anybody that doesn't. So just I'm gonna just ask you to.
Take my hand just recite after me. La ilaha la ilaha illallah illallah Muhammad Muhammad Rasool Allah Rasool Allah Ashadu Ashadu An la ilaha illallah wahdahu la sharika lahu wa ashadu anna muhammadan abduhu wa rasooluh sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
And he gets his package right there at the end.
Finbar have we met before? So on your own inspiration on your own reading on your own investigation. You accepted this. Is that correct? Do you believe Finbar that this will make you a better human being?
Yes, give you a better.
Insight into life. You think that when you see your parents and your siblings and people that you go to school with and whatever that you will have. The ability to explain to them why you made this choice.
That's interesting will this make you a better human being. Who's selling a lot of books with that one right now? Seriously, that's what Joel Osteen's being the best you you can be. You know, I hear that and I I just I At least I can be very very consistent in saying I have consistently decried the the watering down of the gospel To where it becomes nothing more than a self-help methodology.
I I've been saying that for a long long time and So I have often Rebuked those who have turned the gospel into something that will it make you better human being? That's not what the gospel is about. The the gospel is about recognizing God for who he is Me for who I am understanding what sin is the justice of God and punishing my sin and fleeing from the wrath of God To the only place where I can have eternal life and that is in Jesus Christ turning from my sin Seeking his mercy.
The idea of me being a better person. Well, I should hope so if I if if the Spirit of God changes my heart. The Spirit of God changes me from being a God hater to a God lover. So I will delight to do what is pleasing in his sight then.
That's gonna make me a better person. Maybe not in the world's perspective back in the world's perspective. It's gonna make me a freak. But it's certainly going to make me a better person from God's perspective but very very very different mindset that is being illustrated here in this particular in this particular context and there's there's I just noticed there's another there's a whole series of Convert videos here of people professing That religion and so here you have, you know in essence the the counter evangelist the Islamic evangelist and a lot of Christians.
I Just wonder how you're you're feeling about it when you hear something like that. For most Christians who have never experienced something like that before that is Disorienting and troubling. Because you think that only happens one direction and it doesn't and When you see the parallels.
That bothers folks it bothers folks that that kind of thing can happen in religions that we know that there's there's this huge chasm between Christianity and Islam and Yet you hear this kind of thing going on you go that looks just like what I saw on TBN a couple nights ago except that there's no one wearing really Frufru looking hair bent dancing around behind the guy it actually sadly it looks considerably more respectable Than a lot of what you see sadly.
But that's that's the situation you face. But I I play that hoping to to discomfort you. Because this is going on and we tend to live our lives. And just you know that which is uncomfortable to us we just just put it out of our minds and I don't worry about it, I want to think about that and We need to be thinking about these things because our brothers and sisters Who live in those lands where they are the religious minority they see it all the time.
My Arabic tutor was raised in Syria as a Christian, and it's interesting to me that He can quote Sir al-fatihah the opening the first surah of the Quran by heart though he Certainly did not ever seek to memorize it because the culture in which he lived was so Saturated with the repetition of that very brief Opening prayer that he didn't have to try to memorize it.
He just memorized. It's like there are certain songs that if you're an American and you're exposed to the culture for any period of time. You know those songs you don't have to sit down with a piece of paper and go okay?
I'm gonna memorize this or sit there and listen to the song over and over again. It's it's already there. There's certain advertising jingles that I could start going after and You everybody in the audience unless you live in the lead mine and one of those folks.
It's never owned a television set and never opened up never turn on a radio. Maybe you wouldn't know it, but everybody else would just be able to hum along sing along quote along. Whatever you didn't have to try to that's that's how Christians are in those Those particular cultures with so much of this Islamic material so anyways wanted to play that and to sort of go.
Think about it. This. This is what's going on. It's real for most American Christians Islam is out there. You don't know almost any Muslims or those that you do know are in a very small minority. Standing and so it's just easy to just put that push that stuff away and says yeah.
Well, you know let's let white worry about or something like that. You know. That's that's not really an option. I can I can do everything I can and Others who are working in this field can do everything they can to equip you encourage you.
But the vast majority of meaningful apologetic evangelism with Islam takes place one-on-one between individuals and That's where you come in and everybody listening who is a believer in Jesus Christ.
That's where it comes in eight seven seven seven five three three three four one. Let's talk with Josh. Hi Josh. Doing all right.
So the question about marking priority. I was on the blog and they were talking about the MSU update. And they seem to have the impression that pretty much everybody who worked on that committee was reject.
Ordering.
Patients would.
The.
Rejection of Markham priority or holding to.
Translation. Well, I have no idea how one would determine The Translation Committee's views on on Markham priority. I really can't comment on that. I would imagine that Especially the the earliest of translators probably would have been Less friendly to that perspective than maybe in the mid -1990s, but I know that for example, dr. Thomas at Masters I you know, he's written the lengthy book from that perspective.
Rejecting Markham priority. I don't know if you've seen it. But if you haven't you might want to look at dr. Thomas's work on that subject. And of course, he was one of the NASB translators. So that would seemingly indicate something along those lines, but Maybe there maybe there was a specific Criteria that was used in that way.
I'm unaware of if that's the case, but I don't see I Suppose there there might be some impact only in the sense that if you're doing translation and you are assuming a Particular literary dependence of Matthew and Luke on Mark as if they literally possessed The finished text in written form themselves and had it laying on a table in front of them.
Which is is a pretty pretty large assumption that a lot of people make today. But it's it's a very large assumption That even folks like NT Wright don't actually make those assumptions, which is interesting.
But I suppose if you start there Then you might allow that to impact your translation of those synoptic parallels. That would not fall into what's called the Q elements because that's Matthew and Luke dependent upon some other source.
But where where Matthew and and Luke are following Mark in that way I Suppose that might have some impact at that point. I can't think of any I can't think of any particular examples at the moment, but I I don't think that it wouldn't of any necessity require a difference in translation So I'm not when you said something about a blog, I'm not even sure which blog you're referring to.
Well, I've never heard any discussion of it.
I don't know how relevant it is, but I would imagine that probably reflects the fact that. Not I know. I know. Dr. Thomas didn't work on the 95 update though. He was one of the original translators, but he's fairly well known from Master Seminary for his books arguing against Mark and priority and and so on so forth, so that's.
That that would be something you know that I I really couldn't comment on but I can't see how. You could make much of a really strong argument that it's going to override. The translation of the text were there any examples given.
Suggest that it was did influence the translation. We just have one of those. People most academic people the majority view. Yeah, and so it was odd to have the translation committee.
Well, yeah, you got to remember majority views amongst scholars especially today. And this is something people really really really need to understand need to learn how to debunk scholarship. Majority views amongst scholars today does not that that does not carry near the weight that it would have Say 200 years ago.
Why do I said because? Scholarship by its very nature. There's such a massive volume of data in almost any Meaningful field that a person by nature to get a PhD has to be very Specialized in one particular area and I've met people and I could go into names, but I've met people Who are will be called a Bible scholar?
Who have a scholarly level of understanding and information in particular aspects of biblical translation, but when it comes to something like Systematic theology or even the deity of Christ what they present as a defense the deity of Christ is very very basic because that's just simply not a part of of What their field of scholarship was focused upon and so you can get into a doctoral program?
With some pretty basic levels of knowledge in other areas, and it doesn't fall that just because you've learned to use Research tools that you've actually had the time to use those in all areas of knowledge and so There are lots of things that are just basically taken as a given and are Therefore the majority view.
But it does not follow that what that means is that majority of people have actually studied the issue at all. It could actually be a very small Minority of people who've stayed that issue and if their opinions then become the prevalent ones within the the The act of the Academy within academia.
Then yeah, they get the majority report. But that does not mean that all those scholars have studied this stuff and come to the same conclusions and in fact in many ways Once a majority perspective takes root that can actually very much limit The amount of counter study that would be done Because it is taken as a given.
It's like well. That's not really a fresh new area of research. Let's let's move on to something over here. It's sort of a given and it's you can have majority views remain majority views for a long long time and get repeated over and over again.
That are not really being critically examined now. That's not necessarily the case here because there are a lot of voices out there going you know. This may be the majority perspective, but man it still leaves a lot of questions unanswered.
And it really makes you wonder Why people are so willing to be so downright dogmatic about things when you know even N .T. Wright says We don't know we just don't know scholars say they know, but we don't know we need to say this three times for breakfast.
We don't know being that's that's a refreshing element of.
Of.
Honesty at that point. If it was absolutely necessary for to us to know I think God would have arranged for us to know. But we don't know and I really have a hard time with with the folks who get very very dogmatic about it and say well You know since everybody believes it that it must be true.
So keep that in mind when you hear people saying talking about you know the majority of scholars. And the only thing it's relevant is the majority of scholars who actually do Specific study in that particular area.
The rest of it. It really doesn't matter a whole lot, so hey anyway. Thanks for call Josh appreciate it for calling the dividing line today, and we will be back Lord willing next Tuesday Morning on the dividing line to have the clue we'll be talking about but that's what makes it fun.
Thanks for listening. God bless.
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