God worked through Mary and Joseph, thus Christ was born. Through Christ came Christianity
God worked through Abraham and Sarah, thus Issac was born. Through them the Jewish Nation Israel.
God worked through Abraham and Hagar, thus Ishmael was born. Through them the Arab Nation. Muslims.
These are the three religious systems.
When we wonder about where and how religious systems got started we have to look at the above chart to get our answers.
In the above chart you will see that from God, through Mary and Joseph whom He chose to bare the Savior, Christ came. Through Christ came the Christian Faith.
Now from Christ there is a split, out of Judaism came Christianity, due to the Jews not listening to Christ and adhering to His commandments. The Jews were therefore cut off and the Gentiles were given the task of carrying on Christ’s mission of bringing His word to the people.
From God, through Abraham and Sarah whom He chose to bare Isaac, came the Jewish Nation. Who being a stiffed neck people since the time of the Egyptian exodus failed to turn to God and obey His commandments. They turned instead to the idols of the pagans around them and lost their favor with God.
From God, through Abraham and Hagar, came Ishmael, the Muslim Nation. This nation would not accept Christ as the Son of God, but only as a prophet. They did not adhere to the ways of God, but chose another to follow, the prophet Mohammed. Their god they call Allah.
Now from what I have read and gather from scripture, the Muslim faith would not have come to be if Sarah had not given Hagar her slave to Abraham to bare Sarah a child and heir for Abraham. However, since it happened, God used that circumstance and brought forth the Arab nation. This nation fits into the prophecy we find in the book of Revelation.
All three play a big role in prophecy.
The following information is excerpts from a book called “So What’s the Difference? It compares many religions to each other, but we are only looking at the three major ones.
JUDAISM
They are still waiting for the Messiah.
What makes a person Jewish? Is being a Jew a nationality, a religion, or both? What can we say of our Jewish friends about Jesus Christ, born a Jew but rejected by many of His own people? John 1:11 says: “He came unto his own, and his own received him not.”
These are some of the questions often asked about the people who follow one of the world’s oldest living religions.
To begin with, the Jewish people are descended from the ancient Hebrews. This name comes from the Eber, their traditional ancestor (mentioned in Genesis 10:21”Unto Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder, even to him were children born.”)
We can go back even farther to the name Shem, a son of Noah. From Shem comes the word “Semitic,” which refers to a group of people that includes both Jews and Arabs.
The History of the Jewish nation is contained in the Old Testament, the only Scriptures recognized by the Jewish people. Of particular importance is the Torah-the Law contained in the first five books of the Old Testament.
For Judaism, another critical part of the Old Testament is the writings of the prophets. These spokesmen for God stressed the importance of justice and love, placing that importance far above the empty ritualism of keeping the external regulations of the Law, while missing its intent (Micah 6:8 “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?) Striving for decent behavior (exhibiting justice and love) is still basic to Jewish thinking. It is no coincidence that many charitable organizations are led and supported by Jewish people.
Since the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple by the Romans in A.D. 70, the Jews have no place to offer sacrifices for their sins as required by the Law of Moses (Deut. 12). After this dreadful loss, they scattered to almost every nation in the world where they established communities and built synagogues to keep their faith alive.
The Jewish people have been persecuted many times, worst of all by the Nazis who murdered 6 million Jews in the Holocaust. In 1948, the state of Israel was born and became a homeland to Jewish people immigrating from all over the world. In 1967, the Israelis captured all of Jerusalem, the first time they had held it as a free people since 586 B.C.
JESUS CHRIST: THE GREAT DIVIDE
It is on the question of Jesus Christ – who was this man? - That most Jews and Christians divide. This division began while Jesus walked the earth. The Jews of that time were looking for a messiah (literally “Anointed One”), spoken of by the Old Testament prophets as one who would redeem His people from their sins, Hebrews 2:16, 17
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For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. | |
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Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. |
But by Jesus’ time, Judaism was divided into many competing sects. Some, including many of the Pharisees, had become tradition bound and focused on outward conformity to the Jewish laws, without the right heart attitude.
Others, the Essenes, sought refuge in ascetic desert communities. Still others,
The Sadducees had emptied Judaism of the supernatural to the extent that it wasn’t much different from Greek philosophy. And still others,
The Zealots, hoped for a national deliverer, a warrior-king like David or Judas Maccabeus, who would drive out the hated Romans and restore the nation of Israel to its ancient glory.
When we realize this, it is easy to see why many were disappointed by the humble Man of Galilee.
The New Testament contains many references to Jesus as the Messiah, or Christ (see Matthew 16:16; 26:63-65; Luke 24:26; John 8:28). Christians see many messianic prophesies in the Old Testament fulfilled by Jesus’ earthly life.
THE “SUFFERING SERVANT” OF ISAIAH 53
Perhaps the greatest of these prophetic passages is in the book of Isaiah. Beginning with chapter 49, Isaiah describes God’s servant Messiah King, who will suffer to redeem His people from their sin and to turn Israel to the Lord (Isaiah 49:5-26).
Isaiah opens chapter 53 by predicting that this servant will be despised, rejected, sorrowful, and full of grief (verse 3). These words are a perfect description of Jesus, who came to redeem the world but was rejected, especially by His own people (John 1:10-12).
Isaiah also describes the redemptive ministry of the Messiah. The messiah would bear punishment for mankind’s transgressions (Isaiah 53:4-6). Peter reminds us that the Messiah died for all mankind and that His suffering brings us salvation (Peter 2:24, 25).
Finally, Isaiah describes just how the Messiah would die. In the gospels, we find Jesus fulfilling every detail of this prophecy (compare Isaiah 53:7-9 with Matthew 27:57-60 and Luke 23:32, 33).
The Old Testament also prophesied the Messiah’s triumphant resurrection: “You will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay” (Psalm 16:10). After Jesus’ resurrection, Peter quoted this prophecy in the first sermon of the Early Church (Acts 2:27-31). Many people had seen the risen Jesus. They knew that the prophecy had been fulfilled. They remembered what Jesus had said after His resurrection:
This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms. . . . This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem ( Luke 24:44,46,47).
SUMMING UP DIFFERENCES BETWEEN JEWS AND CHRISTIANS
Regarding God: Jews believe that the Lord God is one (Deut. 6:4); Christians believe there is the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, coequally and coeternally God (Matthew 3:13-17; 28:19; 2 Corinth 13:14).
Regarding Jesus Christ: Some Jews may accept Jesus as a good teacher or even a prophet, but they reject Him as Messiah, because He claimed to be divine and He failed to deliver Israel from oppression; Christians respond that Jesus is God as well as man, and He died to redeem all men from sin (Mark 10:45; John 1:13, 14; 1 Peter 2:24).
Regarding sin: Jews believe that man is not born good or evil; he is born free to choose between the two. Christians teach that everyone is born in sin and falls short of God’s standards (Romans 3:10, 23; 5:12).
Regarding salvation: Jews believe that anyone, Jew or Gentile, may gain salvation through commitment to the one true God and through moral living; Christians counter that man is saved through faith in the atoning death of Christ on the cross (Romans 3:24; Ephesians 2:8,9).
CHRISTIANITY
Biblical Christianity, what does that mean? Can you be a Christian and not be biblical? Are there brands of Christianity that are unbiblical?
Whatever their tradition or denomination, most who answer to the name of Christian claim in some sense to be biblical. Biblical means that the Christian believer searches seriously and carefully for the meaning of the Bible on its own terms, not changing its meaning to fit the times. Biblical Christians approach the Bible with reverence and respect, because they believe it is true and authoritative—that it contains God’s very words.
As early as the second century and even late in the first, Christians saw the need for separating right (true) Christian belief from various kinds of subtle heresies that began to creep in. Webster defines heresy as “an opinion held in opposition to the commonly received doctrine and tending to promote division or dissension.” Christianity has always had its foes, but no enemy has been more dangerous than the heretics within who have held opinions in opposition to the commonly received truths on which Christianity was founded. These common truths are contained in the New Testament, the books and epistles that came to be recognized as God’s inspired – and final-words on what Christianity really is.
From the Gnosticism of the first and second centuries to the liberalism of the present day, biblical Christians-the Body of Christ-have had to guard against heresy as well as against being too quick to judge other Christians with differing viewpoints. Biblical Christianity is like a huge tent or canopy that covers a myriad of churches, denominations and groups, all of which have beliefs or interpretations of Scripture they prefer to emphasize. But what draws all of these groups together are basic biblical doctrines that center on this plain and simple teaching:
1 Corinthians 15:3, 4
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For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; | |
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And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: |
CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES
For Christians, the Scriptures are the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. Christians view these writings as the God-given basis for their faith. Inspiration of the Bible is a main watershed between Christianity and other faiths. If the Bible cannot be trusted to be the inspired Word of God, then its claims concerning the deity of Christ, our sinful state and our need for salvation through faith in Christ’s death and resurrection have no force. The biblical Christian recognizes the Old and New Testament as the only words that come from God Himself-the final authority for faith and practice. For biblical Christians, all claims to authority must be judged according to Scripture. Following are answers to common questions concerning the Scriptures.
The favorite verse for claiming the Bible’s superiority to other books is
2 Timothy 3:16 “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:”
As you read the pages of Scripture, particularly the New Testament, there is an unmistakable tone of authority and accuracy. This is because the writing was done either by eyewitnesses or by people very close to those who actually knew and lived with Jesus.
How was the canon formed?
In the Early Church, apostolic authorship was one of the chief criteria for deciding what books should be included in the New Testament canon (“group of authoritative books”). The apostles were men who had served and lived with Christ. They actually had known Him or had experienced Him in a unique way, as did Paul who was converted on the road to Damascus. The apostles suffered incredible persecution; most died horrible deaths for the Christian cause. The only plausible explanation for their zeal was that they had actually seen, talked and eaten with the resurrected Jesus. If Christ had not risen and appeared to the apostles, it’s unimaginable that they all would have died for a lie.
Even more powerful than the claims of those who wrote the different books of the Bible is the testimony of Jesus Christ Himself concerning the inspiration and authority of Scripture.
The most important claim to inspiration for the Bible is what Christ Himself said about Scripture (the Old Testament at the time, because the New Testament was not yet written). Jesus believed that all of Scripture is sacred; that’s why he said: John 10:35” If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;”
In the final days and weeks before He went to the cross, Jesus mentioned what He had to do in order that the Scriptures be fulfilled:
Luke 18:31 Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished.
Matthew 26:54 But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?
Throughout history, attacks have been made on the Bible’s accuracy and inspiration, but the Bible still stands. Critics may disagree with or reject the Scriptures, but they cannot conclusively prove that the Bible is not what it claims to be: the inspired Word of God. As the psalmist said, “Forever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.” Psalm 119:89
Holding a biblical worldview based on the absolute truth of Scripture can sound like Christians believe they have all the truth. Christians do not claim to possess all the truth because only God knows all the truth perfectly. At best, we can know truth only partially as 1 Corinthians 13:12 clearly states: “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known”.
Neither do Christians claim that there is absolutely no truth in non-Christian religion and other worldviews. There are many truths that are common to all people. Nor do Christians claim that they are immune from cultural blinders or other errors. Error and foolishness is a common human problem, even among Christians. (We know from Bible teachings and Sister White that we shall be judge on the light and knowledge that we have, so whatever truths we and other religions have, we shall be judge on them).
This chapter is built around 1 Corinthians 15:3, 4, which centers on the person and work of Christ, the nature of man and the inspiration of Scripture.
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For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; |
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And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: |
Obviously, there are many other doctrines to the Christian faith and not all Christian bodies would agree with every point. Roman Catholics or Eastern Orthodox, who believe that Tradition is equally as important as Scripture (but I think that they believe more in traditon than they do in Scripture).
These two verses in 1 Corinthians are the touchstone for the Christian who wants to be biblical. Is Christ God, or just the Son of God? Many people have trouble with that one. Christians believe that Christ came to bring salvation and died for us. Biblical Christians believe that by nature they are sinners, spiritually dead, and that their only hope of salvation from sin is faith in Christ’s death and resurrection. Biblical Christians believe they have a Bible that is inspired by the living God, and it is the only infallible rule of faith and practice.
In order to make intelligent comparisons with other faiths, Christians must know what their own faith teaches-what their own Bible says. These teachings are not to be revised, watered down or “demythologized.”(To separate mythological, legendary, or apocryphal elements from a writing, work of art, historical figure, etc.) Biblical Christianity stands in faith and assurance upon the evidence “that was once for all entrusted to the saints” Jude 3
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Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. |
Only God can provide saving faith to a person, and that happens only when that person is open to what God has to say. In Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 12:3 “Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.”
Why is Christendom so splintered?
Throughout the history of the church-A.D.30 until the present-the biblical truths discussed in this chapter have been challenged and denied by all kinds of groups, some within the church and some without. The story of how the church has dealt with everything from heresy to holy war is inspiring as well as saddening. From the very beginning, Christians have fought a battle to believe the faith once delivered to the saints.
In the first century, Christ’s apostles founded the church, which spread quickly from Jerusalem out into the entire Mediterranean world despite persecution from:
1. The Jews who did not accept Christ as the Messiah
2. The Roman government, which branded Christians outlaws because they insisted that Jesus, not Caesar, was Lord.
Many Christians were martyred, but their blood became the seed that spread the church even more. As the church grew, however, an even greater threat came from within its ranks in the form of heresy, particularly Gnosticism, which threatened to corrupt and twist the gospel into just another pagan religion or philosophy. But the church fought off this threat as well, particularly through the work of men called apologists who wrote and spoke the truth.
By the second century, the church founded by the apostles developed into the Catholic (universal) church; and early in the fourth century persecution of Christianity was ended by Constantine who became emperor of the Western Roman Empire after winning a battle in which he believed Christ gave him special help. Christianity soon became the dominant religion of the Roman Empire, and eventually the Church included five patriarchates- four in the East (Constantinople, Jerusalem, Alexandria and Caesarea) and Rome in the West. Distance, different languages and cultures, and conflicting theological opinions were all reasons for serious disagreement between East and West; but the chief cause of division was a continuing insistence by the Church at Rome on supreme power and authority over all of Christendom. The rift came to a head in 1054 when a major split created the Roman Catholic Church in the West and the Orthodox Church in the East.
After the split, the Roman Catholic Church gained even more power and continued to add doctrines not found in Scripture. In addition, the Roman Church became more and more corrupt, which finally led to the Protestant Reformation, started by a Catholic monk named Martin Luther. In the beginning, Luther intended to reform the Roman Church by making the Bible the only authority. But Church leaders, particularly the pope, rejected his views and he was forced out.
The Reformation spread throughout Europe, and those who protested against the teachings of Rome came to be recognized as a new form of Christianity called Protestant. From one Christian Church, came three major branches or trunks: Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestant, which further divided into many different denominations.
How did the simple gospel taught by Paul and other writers of the New Testament develop into scores of viewpoints that all call themselves Christian but who cannot agree, often on very crucial issues? Why do these disagreements persist to this day? Can the gaps ever be bridged?
To begin seeking answers to these challenging questions, we will begin with a look at the differences between the evangelical Protestant (the terms “evangelical Protestant, “evangelical”, and “Protestant” refer only to Christians who follow the teachings of the sixteenth century Reformers who tried to get the Roman Catholic Church to return to the biblical Christianity of the first century) view presented in this chapter and the Roman Catholic view being taught by the Vatican as the second millennium ended and the twenty first century began.
OTHER TRUNKS OF THE CHRISTIAN TREE
ROMAN CATHOLISIM
To compare specific or particular differences between the Catholic Church and the many Protestant churches that came out of the Reformation would be a hopeless task. So we will compare biblical Christianity to the Roman Catholic Church regarding authority (Rome’s claim to be the only “true church,” with the exclusive right and ability to interpret the Word of God for believers) and salvation (how a person finds justification from his sins).
SOLA SCRIPTURE OR THE BIBLE PLUS TRADITION?
One of the major battle cries of the Protestant Reformation was sola scripture- : Scripture alone.” The reformers rejected many Roman Catholic traditions and practices and argued for a Church that would base its doctrines and practice strictly on what the Bible teaches. But at the Council of Trent (1545-1563), the Roman Catholic Church rebuffed this teaching and retained the right and power to interpret the Holy Scriptures according to what it believed the Bible says.
During Vatican Council 2 (1962-1965), the claims of Trent were simply upheld in a little different form, Among the Vatican Council 2 documents is the “Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation” (Dei Verbum). A careful reading of the Dei Verbum shows that the Roman Catholic Church believes that the apostles passed on their authority to succeeding bishops in the churches of the first century and the centuries that followed. As the years went by, the Church added certain teachings based on what it calls Sacred Tradition. Because the bishops supposedly possessed the same apostolic insight and wisdom as the apostles, the traditions they began to pass on were given equal weight with Scripture. Instead of sola scripture (the Bible alone), the Catholic Church assumed and claimed the correct approach to the Scripture plus tradition.
SOLA SCRIPTURA IS IMPORTANT
Sola Scriptura is a direct contradiction of the Roman Catholic claim that Scripture and Sacred Tradition are equal sources of spiritual authority.
Sola Scriptura means the Bible alone is all we need for our spiritual authority. All things we need to know, believe and practice are clearly stated in the Scriptures, which are given by inspiration of God.
Anyone with common sense can understand what the Bible says in order to believe in Christ and be saved.
At the same time, the Bible is not a catalogue containing all knowledge of everything- including religion. Scripture plainly says that if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead you shall be saved Romans 10:9 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” It does not mention the need to know all the other things that Jesus did.
Nor does sola scriptura mean that anyone can believe whatever he likes and interprets the Bible as he sees it. The Church is commissioned to teach the truth but the Church must remain subservient to the truth. The Protestant believer can trust his church only to the extent that it stays true to Scripture.
READ SCRIPTURE, YES- ACCORDING TO THE VATICAN INTERPRET IT, NO
Contrary to what some Protestants have thought over the years, Catholics are encouraged to read the Bible, however, they are not encouraged to interpret for themselves. The Dei Verbum document confirms this idea when it says, “All that has been said about the manner of interpreting Scripture is ultimately subject to the judgment of the Church which exercises the divinely conferred commission and ministry of watching over and interpreting the Word of God.” Evangelical Protestants, however, believe that the Holy Spirit guides individuals in learning what God has to tell them; believers are to search the Scriptures themselves: John 16:13 “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” And Acts 17:11 “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”
A key example of Roman Catholicism’s insistence that it is the only accurate and authoritative source of interpretation of Scripture is Matthew 16:13-20.
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When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? | |
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And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. | |
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He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? | |
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And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. |
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And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. |
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And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. |
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And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. |
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Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ. |
In this passage, Jesus paused to ask His disciples, “Who do you say I am?” Peter tells Him that He is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Jesus tells Peter that only His Father in heaven could have revealed this truth to him and then adds the famous lines,
Matthew 16:18, 19
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And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. | |
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And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. |
(Here is a prime example of how someone can take Scripture and make it what they want it to be). According to the Catholic Church Catechism they claim that Jesus named Peter the “rock” of his church, gave him the keys and made him shepherd of the whole flock. “This pastoral office of Peter and the other apostles belongs to the Church’s very foundation and is continued by the bishops under the primacy of the Pope” who “as Vicar of Christ and as pastor of the entire Church has full, supreme and universal power over the whole church, a power which he can always exercise unhindered.
Evangelicals do not agree with Rome’s interpretation. First, Jesus does not say directly that He will build his Church upon Peter himself, but upon “this rock.” The Greek text clearly refers to Peter as Petros (meaning a small stone) and to “this rock” as petra (meaning a very large Gibraltar-size rock).
Errors of the Catholic Church:
· Baptism of infants-sprinkling of water on the forehead. The Bible clearly states full emersion of Adults. A infant cannot make a decision on its own for Christ.
· Confirmation-at the age of 12 a child is confirmed into the Catholic Faith and taught all the doctrines needed to be a good Catholic.
· The Holy Eucharist-the transubstantiation the believing that Jesus is truly in the host of the Eucharist and the wine His blood. They claim to call down Jesus from heaven to their altar and crucifiy Him daily.
· Penance or Reconcilliation- what you are given after confessing to the priest. example 10 Hail Marys,10 Our fathers and the Act of Contrition. And told to go and forgive others and sin no more.
· Anointing of the Sick-
· Holy Orders-ordination of the priest, bishop, or cardinal.
· The seven sacraments-
The Latin word sacramentum means "a sign of the sacred." The seven sacraments are ceremonies that point to what is sacred, significant and important for Christians. They are special occasions for experiencing God's saving presence. That's what theologians mean when they say that sacraments are at the same time signs and instruments of God's grace.
· Matrimony-the error here is the question of children. At the pre-marriage meetings the couple is asked if they are going to have children. If you do not answer the question the question to the priests satisfaction, he can deny to marry you. The churches aim is to recruite priests and nuns from the future children of the church.
· The Catechism- is what the children are taught which includes all the doctrines of the church.
· Confessing to a priest- telling your sins to a man who sins also is not a good idea. We have only one confessor and that is Jesus Christ. only He can forgive sins, only Jesus can give absolution, Man cannot, he has not authority to do so.
· Purgatory-where the dead go if they are not holy enough to go to heaven. In purgatory they are cleansed and purified, and only prayers and masses said for them can release them from their torment. This is a pagan lie, and not real.
· Indulgences-these are payments made to the church to get your loved ones out of purgatory, or to attain other favors from the church.
· Mary as co-mediator-Mary cannot be co-mediator, because she is not in heaven, but in the grave. She was not given any special attention from corruption as the church states. She waits in the grave till Jesus comes to resurrect her.
SUMMING UP MAJOR DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ROMAN CATHOLICS AND EVANGELICAL PROTESTANTS
Regarding authority: Catholics claim that Scripture and “Sacred Tradition” are equal in authority. Protestants say the Bible is the sole guide for faith and practice (2 Timothy 3: 16, 17; 1 John 5:13). Rome says the magisterium (teaching authority of the Roman Church) has been entrusted to interpret the Bible for Catholics, who are not to interpret it for themselves. Protestants say that individual Christians can trust the Holy Spirit for guidance as they read and interpret the Bible for themselves (John 5:39; 14:26). Catholicism teaches that Peter was the first pope, and that through apostolic succession other popes have succeeded him, each serving as “vicar of Christ”; Protestants insist the apostles had equal authority and there was no “pope,” a word not found in the New Testament (Matthew 18:18; John 20:23). Catholics teach that the pope is infallible when he speaks “ex cathedra” (literally “from the chair” or with authority) on matters of faith and morals; Protestants reply that no human being is infallible, and only Christ is head of the Church (Ephesians 1:22; Colossians 1:18).
2 Timothy 3:16, 17
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All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: |
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That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. |
1 John 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
Matthew 18:18 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
John 20:23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.
Ephesians 1:22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
Colossians 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
Regarding Salvation: Catholics claim that salvation is secured by faith in Christ plus good works and grace conferred through the seven sacraments of the Church; Protestants reply that salvation is secured through sola fide (faith alone) in Jesus Christ’s atoning sacrifice on the cross ( Romans 3:24; Ephesians 2:8, 9). Catholics blend justification and sanctification into one process as the believer must work to merit eternal life; Protestants believe God justifies the believer by declaring him or her righteous, and that sanctification is a lifelong process of becoming holy as God works within (John 17:15-19; Philippians 2:12, 13). Catholics believe they cannot pay for all their sins in this life, and at death they go to purgatory for an undetermined time to be made totally fit for heaven; Protestants, believing they are justified by faith in Christ and nothing else, trust that they will go straight to heaven where sanctification is completed in Christ’s presence (2 Corinthians 5:6-10; 1 John 2:28-3:2).
Romans 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
Ephesians 2:8, 9
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For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: | |
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Not of works, lest any man should boast. |
John 17:15-19
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I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. |
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They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. |
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Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. |
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As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. |
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And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. |
Philippians 2:12, 13
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Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. | |
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For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. |
2 Corinthians 5:6-10
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Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: | |
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(For we walk by faith, not by sight:) | |
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We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. |
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Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. |
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For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. |
1 John 2:28
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And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. | |
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If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him. |
1 John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
ISLAM
Allah is One, And Christ Was Just a Prophet
This major religion:
· Has gained thousands of converts in North America, including many professional athletes.
· Is the youngest among major world religions but still one of the largest.
· Is so missionary minded that it is seeking to convert Western countries, not just African and Asian countries.
Islam claims nearly 1 billion followers in countries throughout the world; Islam originated in what is now Saudi Arabia, and from there is expanded along trade routes to Africa and Asia. The country with the most Muslims is Indonesia, with 120 million. In addition, there are millions more in parts of Eastern and Western Europe and in the Americas. One out of every six humans begins on the face of the earth subscribes to the faith of Islam.
The word Islam means ‘submission” (to Allah, the God of Mohammed, and the man who founded this religion). A believer in Mohammed’s religion is a Muslim, meaning “one who lives his life according to God’s will.
HOW MOHAMMED BECAME A PROPHET
Born in Arabia in the city of Mecca in A.D. 570, Mohammed came from a prominent and highly respected family. His father died a few days before his birth, and his mother died when he was six years old. Mohammed’s grandfather took him in but died when Mohammed was nine. Then he went to live in the home of Abu Talid, his uncle, where he herded flocks. As he grew older, Mohammed developed his concepts of monotheism from several sources, including the Monophysites, who believed that Christ had only a divine nature, and Nestorians, who divided the Incarnate Christ into two separate natures, divine and human, in one person (denying that the man Jesus of Nazareth was both fully God and fully man). In addition, it is believed he absorbed a great deal of teaching from Jews who exposed him to the Talmud.
As a young man working in the caravan trade, Mohammed attracted the attention of his employer, a wealthy widow named Khadija. Although she was 40 years old and he was 25 when they were married, they lived happily together and she bore him several children. After his marriage, Mohammed spent much of his time during the next 15 years in solitary meditation. At the age of 40, he received his first revelation while contemplating in a cave on the Mount Hira near Mecca. According to Mohammed, the archangel Gabriel came to him during a dream and brought the following command of God:
Read in the name of thy Lord who created, who created man of blood coagulated. Read! Thy Lord is the most beneficent, who taught by the pen, taught that what they knew not unto men.
From this command to “read” comes the name for the holy book of Islam, the Qur’an, meaning “the reciting” or “the reading.” Because Mohammed could not read or write, the Qur’an is his reciting of revelations given to him.
In A. D. 620 plots were hatched to kill Mohammed and his followers. The Meccans organized an army and the fighting ended in 630 with Islamic forces triumphant. Mohammed entered Mecca and destroyed every idol in the Kaaba, the main temple, except the Black Stone, a sacred meteorite enshrined there. Mohammed then declared the Kaaba to be the most holy shrine in Islam. Since that time it has been the spot toward which all devout Muslims direct their prayers.
During the next two years, Mohammed strengthened his position as the leading prophet and ruler of Arabia. He united the tribes into a vast army to conquer the world for Allah. His death in 632 did not lessen the fervor of his followers. They carried their faith across Asia, Africa, even into Europe-and to this day the growth of Islam has steadily increased to its current worldwide status of over 1 billion.
THE TEACHINGS OF ISLAM
The Qur’an is the sacred scripture of Islam. About four-fifths the length of the New Testament, it includes 114 surahs, or chapters. While the Ideas are all credited to God, Mohammed dictated parts of the Qur’an, while the rest came from the writings of disciples who remembered his oral teachings after he died. Much of the Qur’an jumps from one time and place to another lacking a narrative unity. Muslims claim, nonetheless, that it is copied from an original in Arabic, which they claim is in heaven.
In addition to the Qur’an, Mohammed developed important teachings and sayings called Sunnah (literally, “path”). The Sunnah became a base for traditions build on Mohammed’s conduct as a prophet and how he handled things while being guide, judge and ruler of his Muslim followers. The Sunnah were gathered into one body of work called the Hadith, which supplements the Qur’an in the same way the Talmud supplements the Hebrew Bible in Judaism.
Still another important body of teachings in Islam is the Shariah, a combination of legal interpretations of the Qur’an and the Sunnah. Shariah means “law,” and it lays down a strict and comprehensive guide of life and conduct for Muslims. It includes prohibitions against eating pork and drinking alcoholic beverages, as well as punishments for stealing, adultery, apostasy (denying Islam) and blasphemy (saying anything derogatory about Islam or Mohammed).
THE SIX DOCTRINES OF ISLAM
THE FIVE PILLARS OF THE FAITH
Following are the doctrines that every Muslim is required to believe:
· God: There is only one true God and His name is Allah. Allah is all seeing, all knowing, and all powerful.
· Angels: The chief angel is Gabriel, who is said to have appeared to Mohammed. There is also a fallen angel named Shaitan (from the Hebrew “Satan”), as well as the followers of Shaitan, the jinns (demons).
· Scripture: Muslims believe in four God inspired books: The Torah of Moses (what Christians call the Pentateuch), the Zabur (Psalms of David), and Injil (Gospel) of Jesus, and the Qur’an. But, because Muslims believe that Jews and Christians corrupted their Scriptures, the Qur’an is Allah’s final word to mankind. It supersedes and over rules all previous writings.
· Mohammed: The Qur’an lists 28 prophets of Allah. These include Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Jonah, and Jesus. To the Muslim, the last and greatest prophet is Mohammed.
· The end times: On the “last day,” the dead will be resurrected. Allah will be the judge, and each person will be sent to heaven or hell. Heaven is a place of sensual pleasure. Hell is for those who oppose Allah and his prophet Mohammed.
· Predestination: God has determined what he pleases, and on one can change what he has decreed (also known as kismet, the doctrine of fate). From this doctrine comes the most common Islamic phrase, “If it is Allah’s will.”
Besides the six doctrines to be believed, there are five duties to be performed.
· Statement of belief. To become a Muslim, a person must publically repeat the Shahadah: “There is no god but Allah and Mohammed is the prophet of Allah.
· Prayer. Muslims pray five times a day- at daybreak, noon, mid-afternoon, after sunset and early evening. The Muslim must kneel and bow in the prescribed manner in the direction of the holy city, Mecca.
· Alms. Muslim law today requires the believer to give one-fortieth of his profit (2.5 percent). This offering goes to widows, orphans, the sick and other unfortunates.
· Ramadan. The ninth month of the Islamic lunar year is called Ramadan and is the highest of Muslim holy seasons. Muslims are required to fast for the entire month. Food and drink, as well as smoking and sexual pleasures, are forbidden, but only during daylight hours. During Ramadan, many Muslims eat two meals a day, the first just before sunrise and the other shortly after sunset. During Ramadan, the believer must not commit any unworthy act. If he does, his fasting is meaningless.
· Pilgrimage to Mecca. This is called the Hajj and must be performed at least once in a Muslims lifetime. However, if the pilgrimage is too difficult or dangerous for the believer, he can send someone in his place.
HOW THE QUR’AN CONTRIDICTS THE BIBLE
The Bible has had an important influence on the teachings of Islam. For instance, the Muslim proudly traces his ancestry to Ishmael, a son of Abraham. Muslim beliefs about the nature of God, the resurrection of the body and judgment are roughly similar to the teachings of the Bible. But there are some striking differences. Following are some of the Muslim ideas that contradict what is taught in the Bible.
For Muslims, God is one,Period. The Qur’an explicitly attacks the Christian teaching that there is the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, saying that anyone who ascribes “partners” to God is committing the sin of shirk (blasphemy). This prohibition is explicitly directed against the Christian doctrine that Jesus is the Son of God.
Muslims also teach that Allah is transcendent (all-powerful) and relatively impersonal. Of the 99 names ascribed to God in Islam, “Father” is omitted (to avoid the idea of the Father and the Son). This is in stark contrast to the Bible and to Jesus’ own teaching, which says that God is our personal heavenly Father. (Compare passages on God’s greatness, such as Psalm 77:10-15 and Isaiah 43:13, with passages on God’s love, such as Deut. 7:8; Jeremiah 31:3; Ephesians 2:4; 1 John 3:1;4:7.) while one of the 99 Muslim names for God is “the Merciful,” He is not viewed primarily as a dispenser of love and grace but more as a righteous judge to whom the Muslim must give account.
The Qur’an denies that Jesus is the Son of God, but does describe the virgin birth in a passage similar to Luke 1:23-38. The Qur’an calls Jesus a prophet, equal to Abraham, Jonah and others; but places Him in rank far below Mohammed.
Mohammed totally ignored what the New Testament says about Jesus’ divinity, for example Matthew 8:29; 17:5; John 1:1-5; 8:58; 10:30; 14:9; 20:28; Colossians 1:15-17;2:9). Instead of admitting that verses like these exist, the Muslims claim that Christians have changed the Bible.
The Qur’an says that Christ never really died on the cross. They slew him not nor crucified, but it appeared so unto them.” According to Islam, Allah took Jesus to heaven just before the crucifixion, because it is unthinkable that an approved prophet of God should face such a humiliating defeat. Who then died on the cross? Muslims say it was Judas (or possibly Simon of Cyrene), made up so cleverly to resemble Jesus that even Mary and the disciples were fooled! Another theory held by certain Muslim sects is that Jesus was taken down from the cross in a coma and that later revived and traveled to another area where he finally died.
Obviously, all this is in complete opposition to the teaching of the Bible. As we have seen, the Cross is the center of God’s redemptive plan. The crucifixion of Christ was prophesied in the Old Testament. Eyewitness accounts of that crucifixion are contained in each of the four Gospels. (1 Corinthians 1:23; 2:2; 15:3, 4; Galatians 2:20; 6:12, 14; Ephesians 2:16).
Jesus predicted His death many times (Matthew 16:21). Why did He die? As a “ransom for many” (Mark 10:45; He promised that through His shed blood there would be “forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:28).
As for Judas, the Gospels tell us that he was the one who betrayed Jesus (Mark 14:10, 11, 43-45); and in remorse for what he did, Judas hanged himself (Mattthew 27:5). Judas died at the end of a rope, not on the Cross of Calvary.
The Qur’an declares that each person must take care of his or her own sins. The Muslim must earn salvation from sin by following the Five Pillars of the Faith. If he doesn’t make it, it’s his own fault: “Whoever goes astray, he himself bears the whole responsibility of wandering”.
In contrast, the Bible teaches that we all have sinned and gone our own way (Isaiah 53:6). The only way mankind can find forgiveness is through faith in Jesus Christ (John 3:16; Acts 4:12; Romans 3:23-26; Ephesians 2:4-9).
SUMMING UP MAJOR DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MUSLIMS AND CHRISTIANS
Regarding God: Muslims believe there is no God but Allah. Christians believe that God is revealed in Scripture as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (Matthew 3:13-17; 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14).
Regarding Jesus Christ: Muslims believe that Jesus was only a man, a prophet below Mohammed in importance, who did not die for man’s sins, Christians say Christ is the Son of God, the sinless redeemer who died and rose again for sinful man (John 1:13,14; 1 Peter 3:18).
Regarding sin: Muslims claim that humans are born with hearts that are clean slates. If they commit sins, these can be overcome by acts of the will; Christians counter that we are born corrupted by sin, spiritually dead apart from God’s grace, and that no one does good apart from faith (Romans 3:12; Ephesians 5:8-10).
Regarding salvation: Muslims say that Allah does not love those who do wrong, and each person must earn his or her own salvation; Christians contend that a loving God sent His Son to die for our sins, according to the inspired Word (Romans 5:8; 1 Corinthians 15:3,4).
What can we say of these differences between religions? There is purpose in it, God has a plan, and through prophecy we begin to see what that plan is.
What is known is that for those who do not choose to follow God’s commandments and obey His Word; there is no place in heaven for them.
Only in heaven will there be unity, only in heaven will there again be one language, one faith, no more divisions. Amen to that.