He is light John 1. The eighth is after His resurrection. Seven in Scripture is the number of completion or perfection. Eight indicates a new beginning. Note also the relationship between the signs, i. Revelation points to new beginnings: the Millennial Kingdom and Eternity. John the Baptist and the Twelve also proclaimed this kingdom message. Consider the following:. Matthew 3.
This phrase is unique to Matthew. Probably the best analysis of this was by E. Why is this? When he mentioned His kingship, it was to emphasize the fact his own people, the Jews, were the ones primarily guilty of murdering their Messiah and rejecting their King and His kingdom.
Peter made this fact abundantly clear in his post-resurrection messages to the Jews Acts 2. Why did John write his gospel? John provided the answer to this question in John He wrote:. The eight signs he recorded were to prove that Jesus was the Christ and that his readers might have life through Him.
The signs were miracles. All signs are miracles but not all miracles are signs. To whom did John write? He wrote to Jews. His gospel was written to prove to Jews that Jesus was the Messiah.
We have examples to show what they believed. You will see greater things than these. Do you believe this? Of himself or of someone else? What prevents me from being baptized? The above testimonies have a common thread. When when we read the following passage we must understand what it meant at the time. John wrote:. This passage is probably familiar to more people than any other passage in Scripture. Most misunderstand it, however. The gospels reveal that Jesus ministered to Jews only Matthew Luke 7.
In context, this passage has to do with Jewish salvation, the gospel of the kingdom, not Gentile salvation. Interpretatively, John 3. He expected him to believe He was the Christ, the Son of God. On the basis of this faith one obtained salvation.
This was the crux of the objection the chief priests made against Jesus. This was why they arrested Him. They refused to believe He was the Messiah, the Son of God. Thus, John recorded:. What is missing in all of the salvation messages above? The cross. The blood of Christ.
The resurrection of Christ. None of these exist. We learn them from Paul. Paul wrote:. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; 26 for the demonstration, I say , of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus Romans 3.
No one wrote about the significance of the death of Christ for salvation until Paul. Paul declared:. No one preached this gospel until Paul. As we have seen above, this was the gospel Paul preached immediately following his own conversion.
However, later, probably during the three years Paul recounted that he was in Arabia Galatians 1. Peter accused his audience all Jews of murdering their Messiah and declared God had raised Him from the dead. Did Peter tell them Christ had died for their sins and rose from the dead? Peter declared:. What was their reaction? Jesus died for my sins and rose from the dead so I might have eternal life. They were convicted. The death of Christ for them was a sin they had committed.
Thus, Peter told them to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ Acts 2. Again, this was the gospel of the kingdom, not the gospel of the grace of God Acts After God saved Saul of Tarsus, all this changed.
God began a new salvific paradigm with Paul. For Paul, the cross was glorious. Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? This was a Jewish message. No mention is made of the cross, his shed blood, or glorious resurrection in the gospels or early Acts. This is what believing in Jesus meant.
The gospel for today is 1 Corinthians Strictly speaking, John 3. Anyone is free to reproduce this material and distribute it, but it may not be sold. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.
Traditionally, the groom would go away for an undisclosed period of time where he would prepare a place his bride. At some point the father of the groom would say it is ready now go get your bride and bring her home to were you are.
What are your thoughts on this given the rapture was a secret revealed to Paul and the Gospel of John is written to Jewish believers? God Bless Ron G. Ron, While this passage has been used for the Rapture, it is an erroneous conclusion.
We know it is wrong because the Bible tells us so. No one knew of it until the ascended Lord revealed it to Paul who revealed it to us cf. Colossians 1. The Rapture is wholly associated with the Church, the body of Christ, which is a Pauline revelation. Mystery-something strange or unknown which has not yet been explained or understood: Secret-Not known or seen or not meant to be known or seen by others.
Jesus revealed the mystery He was not keeping it a secret! It is clear from such uses that these were secrets, unknown to anyone before Paul. Paul received numerous revelations of truth God had kept hidden. These secrets and revelations were the doctrines that concern the Church, the body of Christ, which was a secret until the risen Lord revealed it to Paul.
All Church doctrine comes from Paul and no one else. Ron G Here is what John 14 means for the Jews to whom the book was written to, but then I provided an application for us in the body of Christ in this dispensation. John Doctrinal interpretation and our application. While God is changeless, He has changed how people know Him over time. All salvation is of God. If He told us to do 6 jumping jacks and clap our hands 3 times for salvation that would be the way of salvation.
Our response would be to obey. So Jesus was telling Nicodemus that to know God was a God-thing. Don, i have found problems with dispensations, though they appear to be less troublesome than the Christological position. Is it safe to say that from Gen. To Rev. The bible is progressive revelation with covenant theology a corner stone please help. Yusuf Ali, the famous modern translator and commentator of the Quran, has said that the earliest date for an Old Testament manuscript is AD.
This is quite wrong. In there was a discovery of ancient biblical and non-biblical manuscripts now known as the Dead Sea Scrolls. These manuscripts contain portions of or complete copies of every Old Testament book except Esther. Yet it is the remarkably extensive discovery in the Dead Sea Scrolls that confirms that the modern day Old Testament has been unchanged since at least before the time of Christ.
The Dead Sea discovery verifies that today we are in the possession of the Old Testament that Jesus read and used. And Jesus himself testified as to the correct books of the Old Testament and to their accuracy. Here are just a few of many examples: Matthew , , , , ; Luke , ; John , Jesus' testimony is an important substantiation that the Old Testament was consistently preserved up to his time. Absent any contrary evidence, the belief that the Old Testament has been reliably preserved is warranted.
The fragments are small enough that some scholars are skeptical. But the importance of the discovery is that it adds to already existing evidence that the New Testament was written in the first century. The modern Bible agrees with the earliest manuscripts, so we have an unbroken chain from very early in the Christian era. While we do not have the original New Testament manuscripts "autographs" , we do have over 25, ancient copies of New Testament manuscripts, or pieces thereof.
Careful analysis by scholars can compare the various manuscripts and reproduce the originals with great precision. Only about 40 lines of text in the New Testament are in doubt, and these do not affect any Christian doctrine. Since there are numerous extant New Testament manuscripts from hundreds of years before Muhammad which agree with the modern Bible, the Muslim charge that the modern Bible has been changed is a hollow claim.
Thus, the Bible Old and New Testaments being read during Muhammad's time and hundreds of years prior is the same Bible we have today. There is no longer any real doubt that the New Testament is what it claims to be—a reliable record of Jesus and his apostles written by eyewitnesses and interviewers of eyewitnesses of Jesus. We are convinced that the entire New Testament was written between 40 and 70 AD. Also a book by John A. Robinson entitled Redating the New Testament. In addition to the manuscript evidence itself, we have quotations from the New Testament from the early church fathers from 97 AD to AD.
These quotations allow reconstructing all but eleven verses of the modern New Testament—even without any manuscripts themselves!
This is significant to Muslims, since these attestations are from hundreds of years before Muhammad. Yusuf Ali also said that the New Testament we have today is not the same as in Muhammad's time. Wrong again. The accumulation of evidence proves that the case is really closed in this matter. The New Testament has been reliably preserved through the ages. A final charge by Muslims is that the Apostle Paul changed the message of Jesus. There is absolutely no evidence for this claim. Besides, there are simply too many well-attested ancient manuscripts for this to be even remotely possible.
Further, Paul's message was both checked and approved by the original apostles Galatians ; 2 Peter ! By the way, the Bible is easier to verify than the Quran, because unlike the Quran there has never been any wholesale destruction of ancient manuscripts. The historical evidence is vast for biblical scholars as well as opponnents of Christianity to investigate. There is nothing hidden or swept under the rug.
Also significant for the Muslim is that the Quran itself has a high view of the Bible, indeed proclaiming it as without error! While this will be a bit tedious for our non-Muslim readers, we think it is important to document that the Quran does indeed support the Bible in key areas.
The information was compiled by Dr. Especially our Muslim readers are encouraged to obtain a copy of this book See resource list below , or at least look up these passages:. See also: Suras , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , But the unjust deny the communication of Allah Surah Surely they who disbelieve in the communications of Allah, they shall have a severe chastisement; and Allah is Mighty, the Lord of retribution Sura The logic is quite simple and unavoidable.
The Quran says that the Bible was true at the time of Muhammad. The manuscript evidence unequivocally verifies that the Bible we have today is the same as the one in Muhammad's time and before. So Muslims who say the Bible is corrupted are either mistaken themselves, or else the Quran is wrong.
Since Muslims cannot accept that the Quran is wrong, the Bible must be accepted as reliable and true. And thus it is logically consistent for the Muslim to accept the Bible. In summary, neither the Bible nor the Quran that we have today is identical to the originals. But both have been substantially preserved. There is no evidence that any important doctrine of either Christianity or Islam has been altered from the originals.
Let us summarize the evidence why the Bible can be trusted. There are four important approaches to considering the evidence for the reliability of the Bible:. These facts, and much more supports the Christian view that the Bible is indeed from God.
The only apparent reason why Muslims claim that the Bible has changed is that there is so much contradiction versus the Quran. There is no evidential basis for the claim that the Bible is anything other than reliable.
Here is an honest Muslim scholar who admits that the Quran does not say that the Bible is corrupted: Honest. There is a significant difference between the founders of the two religions. Muhammad was a sinner. In Suras , , and , Allah tells Muhammad to ask for forgiveness for his sins translated frailties in some translations. Certain sins of his are mentioned in Bukhari and , which include cutting off people's limbs, burning out their eyes, and making them die of thirst.
Other mention of his sins are found in Bukhari , , , , , , Arthur Jeffery summarizes the biography of the prophet Muhammad by Ibn Ishaq as follows: "He organizes assassinations and wholesale massacres. His career as tyrant of Medina is that of a robber chief, whose political economy consists in securing and dividing plunder. Jerry Rassamni, author of From Jihad to Jesus , asks a reasonable question to Muslims—"If Islam's prophet, who is purported to be the model of purity for Muslims, was not in a perfect state of perfection [mutma'inaah], then what hope do other Muslims have in achieving the stage of perfection?
Jesus, on the other hand was without sin Acts ; 1 Peter , ; 1 John , Even his enemies, those who betrayed and crucified him, acknowledged his perfect life Matthew ; Luke This is an important theme in the Bible, but as we have previously mentioned, it is also confirmed in Islamic teaching Bukhari Jesus lived the perfect life for us all.
This gives meaning to his claim to divinity since no one else has ever achieved perfection. And his sacrificial death for our sins becomes even more poignant. The Bible says that Jesus gave his life that others may live in a very spiritual and real sense. Modern Islam is generally considered to be free of racism. However, Muhammad himself owned slaves, including a black slave named Anjasha Bukhari , , , , , etc.
For more information, see www. Slavery was a common practice in the ancient world. Indeed, the Bible seems to acknowledge it as common practice. But Christianity teaches that all people are created equal Genesis ; Galatians And the Bible specifically condemns the slave trade 1 Timothy Muhammad by his own admission was merely a mortal man Sura , and never performed a single miracle Suras , , Bukhari , The Quran itself acknowledges that Muhammad's opponents challenged him with, "Why is not an angel sent down to him?
But Muhammad could not deliver. Yet Jesus performed numerous miracles before many witnesses Mark ; John , et. Jesus' miracles are even confirmed in the Quran Sura Muhammad said of himself that he could do nothing for you Sura , but only Jesus can forgive your sins 1 John In addition to being powerful, Muhammad was wealthy Bukhari , which brings into question his true motive.
But Jesus was a lowly itinerant rabbi whose motive is not in question. Jesus' status is important because he could relate to the common person of any time:. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows He was pierced for our transgression, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed We all like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Isaiah We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.
Hebrews Jesus' influence came not from wealth or political power, but from his words and actions that challenged people's very concept of truth Mark ; John He said,. Let's consider further the subject of prophecies. One thing that has convinced many of the true identity of Jesus is the evidence from fulfilled prophecies.
Jesus fulfilled over prophecies and implications, many made hundreds of years before his birth. While some of the prophecies are subtle, many are precise—including his place of birth, and the details of his life and death. We have listed a few of these on our website. Jesus even predicted his own death and resurrection Matthew ; Acts , etc.
The interested reader may want to take the time to look up these prophecies and the details of their fulfillment. It is hard to get the color and richness of Christianity without understanding this aspect of it. Abdul Saleeb, who converted to Christianity from Islam, says the two primary things that convinced him that Jesus is more than just a prophet were first, the character of Jesus, and second, Jesus' amazing fulfillment of prophecy.
This element of prophecy, which is such an important part of Christianity, has no parallel in any other religion. Jesus is the focus and fulcrum of all of history. Finally, Muhammad had quite a number of phobia s revealed in the hadiths.
Why would you be a follower of Muhammad—or anyone else—when you could be a follower of Jesus, the Savior of the World? It is clear that fundamental Christianity and fundamental Islam are incompatible worldviews. If either one is right, the other must be wrong. Who is the liar?
It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the anti-christ—he denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray.
Speaking especially to our Muslim readers, we invite you to consider the Christian faith. The Christian faith offers assurance of salvation. It also offers love and intimacy with God. Consider especially the person of Jesus—his beauty and gentleness.
May your hopes and dreams be fulfilled. For further information, visit our website. And consider seriously comparing the two religions from every aspect to find truth:. Converts from Islam to Christianity have one unamimous message about why they converted: "Islam stands for violence and coercion; Christianity for joy, reconciliation, objective truth, and redemption.
Campbell, Dr. Available from Middle East Resources, P. Geisler, Norman L. This book is our top recommendation. The summary of the evidences for the Christian faith and doctrines pages is the best we have seen, and we encourage anyone interested in understanding the Christian faith to read this section especially.
This is a remarkable story of how one man left a life of terror as a jihadist to critically study both Islam and Christianity. Sproul, R. This is a 3-tape audio series interview of Abdul Saleeb by R.
It is available online at www. This is an eight-hour made-for-TV video series that is excellent for study groups. Islamic Sexuality Part 1. Islamic Sexuality Part 2.
Islamic Sexuality Part 3. Inquiry Into Islam. Islam Permits Lying. A Scientist's Testimony: part 1 part 2. Afshin Javid's Testimony. Faith Facts. All rights reserved.
Did Peter die a martyr in Babylon? Can God be surprised? Bible Answers - Beginners - In-Depth. Study by Topic - Prophecy - Apostle Paul. Maps and Pictures - Amazing Facts! Bible Humor - Bookstore - Free. Groundless speculation. Please look at all of the evidence as a whole. And do not just believe what PHD says. There are multitudes on the planet and they do not all agree, so look at the evidence, listen to what scholars have to say.
Think for yourself. Mark is the earliest of the gospels and there is pretty much consensus that it was written around 70 AD earlier that the AD Ryan seems so certain about.
John himself died in 44 AD. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are all anonymous. Most scholars no longer believe that Mark was John Mark the scribe of Peter. Today we would call that a forgery, but in those times it was pretty normal. When if you believe and understand the bible from start to finish you should know as a child also understand as a child staying pure in your thoughts. Then you would understand that God would only accept a pure unblemished sacrifice. Now that being said if Jesus was married then he would not and could be a sacrifice pleasing to God.
If people would tell the truth? No it was her flesh. Her physical appearance. Also Jesus said if you have lusted after a woman then you have already committed adultery. So tell the truth what was it that drew you to your wife? I already know sin. There for Jesus could not have been married. Watch the above five minute youtube video.
Therefore, no one should believe the very improbable, 2, year old, tall tale that a three-day-dead guy walked out of his sealed tomb to eat a broiled fish lunch with his former fishing buddies and a few days later, flew off into outer space where he sits today on a golden throne, at the edge of the universe, as King of the Cosmos!
The fourth gospel was written by Lazarus. Newsflash: The majority of New Testament scholars no longer believe that eyewitnesses wrote the Gospels. This bible shows the true names.
Since the rulers were seeking to kill him because of Jesus it is possible that he used an alternative name to hide his true identity. The name John in Hebrew is Yahukanon. Are Christian pastors honest with their congregations regarding the evidence for the Resurrection? It amazes me but it should not because heresy was alive in the 1st century. The apostle Paul was struggling with this then when he wrote his letters re to the Galatians for example. The Enemy who is Satan seeks to confuse and deceive in order to keep us from the truth.
Study the scriptures for yourselves and rely only those proven commentators and expositors that have survived the test of time. One of the greatest that was recorded is Dr Martyn Lloyd Jones. There are over sermons that were recorded at the Westminster Chapel in London in the s and 60s. The Dead Sea Scrolls would give you a clue. The 31 banned gospels form the Bible was not written by the Romans with the collaboration of Josephus Flavius which were all pro-Roman and anti-Jewish.
Those four gospels were used as propaganda scriptures against the Jews in favor of the Romans. The book of John is about a man called Jesus who at the baptism of the Lord An of the book of Matthew came the next day while Ani was a way in the wilderness fasting and praying to his father before being tested of Satan to see if he be the real son of God.
He too will b crucified and buried but Jesus of John is now in the grave for 24 hours. The moment that the Lord dies at three in the after noon there is a great earthquake and the living ones being righteous are aroused and made to stand up among the dead ones.
They assemble and go into the city of Jerusalem are seen by many but the gentile Jesus is not seen among then for he is unrighteous and he will remain in the grave for 84 more hours until he is aroused on Sunday morning at sunrise, In the mean time the Lord is in the grave three days and three nights and he will rise with the second earthquake and angel from heaven but the gentile Jesus of John has 12 more hours in the grave until Sunday morning The Jesus of John is no more than a gentile Jew writing a story of a gentile Jew who was called the son of God but never approved by God the Father of the Hebrews.
The false messiah Jesus offered eternal life to those perishing but the sons of God of the book of Matthew were never perishing for there was prepared for them a place before the foundation of the earth.
Only the evil and wicked gentiles all go to hell as they were assigned before the earth was formed. The gentile deceiver Jesus made a way for all gentile to be saved by believing in the false messiah Jesus, Ani the Lord came for his divorced wife and her children, He had to die to annul the first marriage vows that he could remarry his wife. Ani then became the price to buy back the wife and the children from the one who possessed them, It was purely a financial transaction for those redeemed take no part in the act of redeeming and nothing is required of them, Only the evil and wicked gentiles have to believe in the false Jesus to be saved from nothing the wrath of God still awaits them when they die,.
John is an eyewitness account of the Apostle John Mary was never an apostle, and women were forbidden to teach. Pick any handful of biographies of, say, Abraham Lincoln. Or any figure. The tone, style, perspective, focus, choice of anecdotes, etc.
And the ultimate author of the Gospels, God, might tell us one day to walk over the hill to town. He might spend the next day telling us about town. He might spend the third day giving practical logistical advice for the journey. On the fourth he might describe the people of town and their physical needs, while on the fifth brief us on the spiritual connection of traveling by foot and evangelizing door-to-door. It is very clear if you read in John The author identified himself who he was in John The gospel of John was written by a ressurected Judas Iscariot.
Jesus supernaturally caused Judas to betray Him, to fulfill the prophesy in Scripture. The story of Lazarus foreshadows this. Paul- I agree, what you wrote is directed by the Holy Spirit. Jesus was showing His appreciation because John loved what He loved which resulted in their close relationship. Spiritual things are spiritually discerned 1 Cor 2: 13, The Gospel of John was written by John.
He descipled all four regularly, although neither Mark nor Luke were one of the first 12 apostles named by Jesus. Mark was probably John Mark Acts 12 Luke was both a physician and a historian, to whom the book of Acts is attributed.
He was the apostle John which penned the Revelation and also wrote 1st 2nd and 3rd John. The stories of the four Gospel writers vary, but only in chronology and perhaps in their inclusions. They do not vary in essence. Matthew, John Mark, and Luke collaborated frequently, resulting in their stories being synchronized. Jesus exuded the love of God profusely, without measure. John He loved all12 apostles, but John paid more attention to his love, while the others paid more attention to the events.
Some had said that Jesus loved John because John was his natural brother. He was not. He was a son of Zebedee. There is also spiritual significance; he was telling his own mother to now look to his ministry for guidence.
John inclined his own heart towards what Jesus loved. John ; John ; and John , 20 are translated incorrectly. Many people, probably hundreds or even thousands were writing on parchment quickly and simultaneously as orations were presented by prophets, by Jesus and by the apostles.
Hundreds or thousands of people also hand copied letters and eye-witness accounts that were written by the apostles. In many cases, the oldest surviving copies that could be found had been hand written 10 to 50 years after the first writings.
Many of those were not discovered until two to three hundred years after they were written. The accounts, both verbal and written of reliable historians must also be considered. However, other historical accounts will help verify who the original author was.
The Book of Enoch, and the Gospel of Thomas are two such examples. Steve, yes spurious for the fact that a lot of the scriptural context of Matthew, Mark, and Luke are quite contrary to Johns testimony. Not found in the other three. But there is a verse in john , like John himself wrote the Gospel of John.. I wanna get clarify with this..
I agree this author is sounding like some CNN host who knows nothing more than superficial media hear-say. One quick search on the topic online would help you clarify all those doubts and yet such lethargic unscholarly attitude.
What I would like to know is, what book the author of this essay is reading? Yahshua was taken to prison Passover night as He broke bread.
He was hung on a tree a High Shabbat Wednesday. He resurrected on a Sabbaton Sabbath before dawn. I remain a firm believer that it was Mary Madgalene who wrote the gospel of John. Christ loved her the most, and in this gospel it is referred to as written by the one whom Jesus loved. This is an amazing first hand account. I find reading these statements that there are some very studied people.
But There are some who are just plain stupid. What have I lost by believing in Gods word Nothing. It makes a lot of sense that Lazarus wrote the gospel of John. Listen to the message in the following link. Despite such abundant proclamations, the feeding of thousands from what seems to be an impossibly small food source loaves and fish and healing, Jesus is not accepted by the religious leaders of his day.
Peter recognizes Jesus as the Messiah. Jesus foretells his death and resurrection. There is a transfiguration scene in which Jesus is glorified with Moses and Elijah. In some ancient manuscripts, Mark ends with a resurrection appearance. Of the four gospels, Mark is not as obvious as the next three in revealing a Jesus that is clearly aware of himself as both human and divine, though Jesus is called Lord, Adonai, the traditional term for God in lieu of tetragrammation, or the name of God, often depicted in English as YHWH, which, for reasons of piety, is not to be pronounced , Jesus forgives the sins of others often thought to be a prerogative of God alone , and he seems to understand that his death and resurrection has a role in bringing about the kingdom of God in apocalyptic terms Mark In the interest of space, many details in Mark are omitted, and the same is true in this combined, telescoped portrait of Matthew and Luke.
From a literary point of view, there is a fierce urgency to Mark, whereas Matthew and Luke seem less hurried. As far as evil is concerned, both Gospels see Jesus as perpetuating and fulfilling the promise of God to deliver the people of God from evil.
Matthew and Luke see Jesus as fulfilling older prophecies as Messiah and Savior, crucified and raised from the dead. Jesus combats the evil of others by calling them to repentance and sharing with them the values to live by e. Jesus condemns the evil of not just behavior adultery , but of sinful desire lust Matt The hoarding of wealth is not commended Matt ; , but instead generous living is blessed Matt ; Luke This appears to place Jesus theologically in line with the Covenant of Noah in which God promises not to bring all wrongdoers to punishment in this life as well as the Book of Job in which an innocent person suffers.
In Matthew and Luke, Jesus triumphs over evil by suffering, death, and resurrection. It must be noted that in all four gospels, there is a theme of judgment e. Luke In John, the conflict between good and evil is cast between life and death, lightness and darkness. In John, Jesus as the Lord and giver of life confronts the darkness of this world, providing a way of salvation through his life, teaching, death, and resurrection. Jesus is a person who is said to be at one with the Father and is worshipped.
The Holy Spirit also seems personal, if not a person e. Luke ; ; John ; ; Acts ; Romans ; 1 Thes. So it appears at least hints that evil is opposed to a Triune God — a thesis that will be clarified in the creedal era.
But it should be noted that however much if at all the divinity of Jesus is recognized in the gospels, they nowhere claim Jesus is the entire divine. This is the difference that was later expressed by claiming that Christ is totus dues or wholly God but not totum dei the whole of God. Whose Monotheism? As the New Testament unfolds there is the suggestion that while Jesus triumphed over death and evil, the full defeat of evil will not occur until Jesus returns I Thes ; Revelations The Apocrypha, for example, is recognized by the Roman Catholic Church as divinely inspired, while Protestant denominations tend only to recognize it as worthy of study concerning the divine, but not as authoritative as the rest of scripture.
For many Christians scripture itself will function as a guide to what is evil and good. Even if Satan himself can cite scripture Matt 4 , scripture itself has been seen by Christians as holy and an instrument for doing good Col ; Heb , 2 Tim Christians have, however, differed as to whether they see scripture itself as the revelation of God or containing the revelation of God.
On the former model, scripture would be as disclosive and revelatory of God, as an honest letter would be written by someone perfectly trustworthy. On the latter, scripture is the means by which God and the ways of God may be revealed to persons. In this model, scripture can serve as a portal or perhaps even a doorway; under some conditions perhaps under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit one may come to encounter the divine through it.
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