Biblical Worldview Academy » Religions

Major Problems with the New World Translation

Steve — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 08:52:57 +0000

: Pocket edition of the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures. Without references and footnotes. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Jehovah Witnesses love to knock on your door and promote their New World Translation (NWT) as the best Bible available to read and study. A few months back I responded to a question concerning the NWT and decided to post my answer.

Dear Steve,

The New World Translation used by Jehovah Witnesses comes from the actual “Dead Sea Scrolls” that were written in Hebrew. It contains exact scriptures (in English) and puts God’s name back in the Bible over 7,000 times where it is supposed to be. That is the only difference in their Bible. Why do the newer versions of the King James Bible leave out God’s name? Psalm 83:18 clearly says his name is Jehovah. Other scriptures are Exodus 6:3, Isaiah 12:2, Isaiah 26:4, Genesis 22:14, Exodus 17:15, and Judges 6:24. In the newer King James versions, his name is taken completely out. In my opinion to truly know someone it starts with knowing their name. How can you truly know someone if you don’t even know what their name is? Therefore, would you want to use a Bible that leaves God’s name out, or would you want to use one that sanctifies it? The choice is yours.

Angela

Dear Angela,
Thanks for writing and giving your view. I will begin by correcting a few obvious errors in your comments. First, your translation does not come directly from the “Dead Sea Scrolls.” The primary source material for the Old Testament in the NWT was Kittel’s Biblia Hebracia. This edition first appeared in 1906. Multiple secondary sources were used including the Dead Sea Scrolls.

The New Testament for the NWT was taken from the Westcott and Hort manuscripts. I have a Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures published by your organization and it admits Westcott and Hort were the primary New Testament text utilized. These manuscripts are accepted as valid texts for the New Testament. The problem is not the original New Testament texts; the problem is how the Greek in the NWT was translated into English and how words were added that were never in the original text.

Second, Jehovah is not a Biblical word. It was created by combining the original Hebrew name for God YHWH and adonai (word used by Jews who didn’t want to say God’s name). The resulting combined word, “Jehovah” has been used for the name God by many groups but it is not found in the Bible. Nowhere do you find the word Jehovah in the original languages, Hebrew or Greek.

Third, forcing the word Jehovah into the New Testament is simply wrong. When your translators did this they went against thousands of Greek manuscripts of the New Testament; some of which date back to the second century. Instead the New Testament uses the words “Lord” [Greek: Kurios] and “God” [Greek: theos] when talking about God. The writers never used Jehovah, even when quoting the Old Testament. The Greek New Testament source for the New World Translation, Westcott and Hort, never used Jehovah. They used kurios for Lord and theos for God. The Kingdom Interlinear confirms Jehovah was never in the original text. This interlinear published by the Watchtower Organization shows how kurios (Lord) and theos (God) were changed to Jehovah in the English translation. Stating God’s name was left out of the King James or any other version of the Bible is false. Angela, I suggest finding a Kingdom Interlinear at your hall so you can see for yourself. When your organization says they removed the name, they are lying to you.

Finally, let me address additional problems with the New World Translation. When it comes to this translation we find it almost universally rejected by noted scholars in the field of Biblical translations. Dr. Ron Rhodes, who wrote “Reasoning from the Scriptures with the Jehovah Witnesses,” stated:

“The New World translation is an incredibly biased translation. Dr. Robert Countess, who wrote a doctoral dissertation on the Greek text of the New World translation, concluded the translation ‘has been sharply unsuccessful in keeping doctrinal considerations from influencing the actual translation…It must be viewed as a radically biased piece of work. At some points it is actually dishonest. At others it is neither modern nor scholarly.’ British scholar H.H. Rowley asserted, ‘from the beginning to end this volume is a shining example of how the Bible should not be translated.’ Indeed, Rowley said, this translation is ‘an insult to the Word of God.’”

Dr. Julius Manti, author of A Manual Grammar of the Greek New Testament, calls the New World translation “a shocking mistranslation.” Dr. Bruce M. Metzger, professor of New Testament at Princeton University, calls the New World translation “a frightful mistranslation,” “erroneous,” “pernicious,” and “reprehensible.” Dr. William Barclay concluded that “the deliberate distortion of truth by this sect is seen in their New Testament translation. It is abundantly clear that a sect which can translate the New Testament like that is intellectually dishonest.”

It is highly revealing that the Watchtower Society has always resisted efforts to identify members of the New World Translation committee. The claim was they preferred to remain anonymous and humble, giving God the credit and glory for this translation. However, as former Jehovah witness David Reed notes, “an unbiased observer will quickly note that such anonymity also shields the translators from any blame for errors or distortions in their renderings. And it prevents scholars from checking their credentials.”

The Watchtower Society must have been utterly embarrassed when the names of the translators of the New World translation were made known to the public. The reason for concern was the translation committee was completely unqualified for the task. Four of the five men in the committee had no Hebrew or Greek training whatsoever (they had only a high school education)[1]. The Fifth, Fred W. Franz, claimed to know Hebrew and Greek, but upon examination under oath in a court of law in Edinburg Scotland he failed a simple Hebrew test.

In court Franz was asked if he knew Hebrew and he said yes. He said he had a command of various languages including Hebrew, Greek, Latin, Spanish, German, and French. When asked if he speaks Hebrew, he said no. He was then asked if he could translate the fourth verse of Genesis into Hebrew. His answer was NO! The fact was Franz, like the others on the committee, did not have the knowledge to translate Hebrew or Greek. The truth is Franz dropped out of the University of Cincinnati after his sophomore year and even while there, he had not studied anything related to theological issues[2].

More could be said about the errors of the New World Translation but I will stop here for now. Angela the New World Translation should be avoided at all costs.

[1] Rhodes, Ron, Reasoning from the Scriptures with the Jehovah Witnesses, Harvest House Publ. , 1993, p. 97

[2] Ibid, p. 97

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Unmasking the Deception of Islam part 20

Steve — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 06:29:45 +0000

Series summary

In my final post for the series on Islam, I would like to revisit a few of the key issues I covered during the series. I will then finish with some additional insights into sharing Jesus Christ with a Muslim.

Is Islam a violent religion? If the standard for answering this question is the Qur’an, the life of Mohammad and the Muslim rulers that followed his death, then the answer is yes. The Qur’an has multiple passages that promote the killing of pagans and people of the book (Jews and Christians) for various reasons. The Prophet Mohammad was a military leader who ordered the deaths of hundreds of individuals and the rulers who took over after his death, aggressively advanced into other countries to spread Islam by the sword. Violent Muslims have utilized all three sources throughout history to support their actions.

Theologically, Allah is far different from the God of the Bible. Islam rejects the doctrine of the Trinity and as a result, believes Jesus was simply a man that was one among many prophets who spoke for God. Mohammad was the last and greatest prophet. Muslims deny Jesus was fully God and fully man and that he died on the cross; someone (likely Judas) was substituted for Jesus and was nailed to the cross. They deny the truth of the resurrection.

Muslims believe to enter heaven they have to perform the five pillars of faith and daily be a good person. To them the Christian doctrine of salvation by grace through faith is simply false. Allah controls all who enter heaven and the Muslim lives under the burden of never having the assurance of heaven. I once asked a Muslim if he had an assurance of heaven and he said no. This led to a one hour spiritual discussion that challenged him. Grace and heaven are a good place to get into a spiritual discussion with a Muslim. It has been my experience Muslims love to talk about issues of religion.

Whenever you share your faith the Apostle Paul wrote about being thoughtful to all who need Jesus. Paul’s goal was to be sensitive to the non-Christian in order to earn the right to share the Gospel. Paul writes in, 1 Corinthians 9:22-23 “To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some. ²³I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.” To summarize what he said, “The Gospel is offensive enough; don’t you add to it.” When sharing with a Muslim we need to be sensitive and not erect walls. The violence issue is a wall that likely will end all discussion.

When you share ask questions. This will provide the direction you need to move forward. You could ask the person do you have the assurance of heaven. When they say no share with them how through the cross they can have assurance. I have an audio teaching on my web site called, “Sharing with a ‘good’ person.” It is a true story of a one hour taxi cab ride with a Muslim driver and how I showed him good is not good enough. Learn these illustrations and you can share with just about anybody who believes heaven is earned.

Some Recommended Books:

Unveiling Islam by Ergun and Emir Caner

Answering Islam by Norman Geisler and Abdul Saleeb

The Ambassador’s Guide to Islam by Alan Shlemon

Terrorism, Jihad, and the Bible by John MacArthur

Fast Facts on Islam by John Ankerberg and John Weldon

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Unmasking the Deception of Islam part 19

Steve — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 04:34:16 +0000

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Answering Questions

Why do Muslims take a pilgrimage (Haji) to Mecca?

The Hajj is based on a pilgrimage that took place well before the time of Muhammad. According to Hadith, elements of the Hajj trace back to the time of Abraham, around 2000 BCE. Islam recounts a pilgrimage story that accompanies the Biblical account of Abraham and Hagar. As a result Arabs and pagans regularly converged on Mecca.

In 631 CE, Muhammad led his followers from Medina to Mecca. It was the first Hajj to be performed by Muslims alone and the only Hajj ever performed by Muhammad. He cleansed the Kaaba, destroyed all the idols, and re-ordained the cube-shaped building as the house of God. It was from this point forward the Hajj was recognized as one of the Five Pillars of Islam.

Since there are 85% peaceful Muslim’s in the world, why can’t they control the ones who are terrorists? Couldn’t the peaceful ones change the belief system so they would all have to be peaceful to go to heaven?

I will begin by answering the second question. Why don’t they change the belief system? Muslims believe Islam is from Allah. It is a religious belief system that began at creation with Adam and Eve who were both Muslims. If the belief system is from Allah, then only Allah can change it. The peaceful Muslims have no power to change the belief system.

Fear plays a part for why peaceful Muslims cannot control the terrorists. To speak out against groups practicing terrorism is to risk your life. What you are asking is for peaceful Muslims to control a group of about 200 million people who believe they are doing the work of Allah and are ready and willing to kill all peace loving Muslims if they get in the way. In the thinking of the Islamic terrorists, nothing is to stand in the path of accomplishing the will of Allah.

What needs to be understood by the western world is warriors for Allah will never stop until everyone in the world bends their knees to Islam; for them war is eternal. Soon after the death of Mohammad, as Muslim fighters were moving outward from the Saudi Arabia Peninsula, the Persian commander asked the aggressors what they wanted. This is what he was told:

“God has sent us brought us here so that we may free those who desire from servitude to earthly rulers and make them servants of God, that we may change their poverty into wealth and free them the tyranny and chaos of [false] religions and bring them to the justice of Islam. He has sent us to bring his religion to all his creatures and call them to Islam. Whoever accepts it from us will be safe and we shall leave him alone; but whoever refuses, we shall fight until we fulfill the promise of God[1].”

Fourteen hundred years later Saudi legal expert Basem Alem said this:

“As a member of the true religion, I have a greater right to invade [others] in order to impose a certain way of life [according to Shari’a], which history has proven to be the best and most just of all civilizations. This is the true meaning of offensive jihad. When we wage jihad, it is not in order to covert people to Islam, but in order to liberate them from the dark slavery in which they live.”

Basem Alem and the terrorists are convinced Islam is the one true religion and believe forcing people to submit to Allah is a good thing. What can peaceful Muslims do? First, they can present their interpretation of the Qur’an as peace loving book and try to convince the other side why they are wrong. Second, they could also publicly speak out against terrorist groups.

Even with these steps I don’t believe the radical Muslims can be stopped. As long as they believe war is what Allah commands, nothing will stop their reign of terror until Jesus returns in power and glory. John writes in Rev. 22:20 (NIV) “He [Jesus] who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” Jesus is coming back some time in the future and justice will finally be delivered. We read Philippians 2:9-11 (NIV) “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, [10] that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, [11] and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” The Apostle Paul writes that upon the return of Jesus every knee will bow before Him and call Him Lord; everyone will finally acknowledge who He is. Upon His return the war on terrorism will finally be stopped.

Part 20

[1] Kennedy, Hugh, The Great Arab Conquests (Philadelphia: Da Capo, 2007), p. 112

Unmasking the Deception of Islam part 18

Steve — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 04:41:24 +0000

Answering Questions

If 85% of the Muslims do not practice violence, does that mean they do not agree with the teachings of the Qur’an?

There is disagreement about how to interpret the violent Qur’anic verses and the historical events of war and aggression. You could say it is the peaceful liberals versus the violent or radical conservatives. The liberals believe all verses on violence were defensive responses to opposing aggression. There are multiple violent verses that are defensive. However, the verses on violence I sited in my earlier blog (Islam part 6), unless indicated, do not have defensive restrictions. One said nonbelievers must pay a special tax or die. Others said unless they believe in Allah kill them. Conservative Muslims will take these verses at face value. As long as these violent verses remain, there will always be interpretation disagreements and radical conservatives will continue to act violently against all who don’t follow Allah.

All events of violence throughout history are interpreted by the liberals as defensive; Muslims were attacked first. And yet the historians that show the aggressive violence of Islam were Muslim historians. It appears to me the liberal interpreters are revisionists of both the Qur’an and their history of violent aggression. They impose their 21^st century peace loving values upon the teaching of the Qur’an and the historical record.

One way to test a so called peaceful Muslim is to ask him or her to publicly speak out against Islamic terrorist groups. David Horowitz did this while speaking as a guest on the campus of the University of California San Diego (UCSD) May 10^th, 2010. Horowitz is an outspoken Jew standing for the rights of Israel and the United States. During his presentation a Muslim student challenged him. She was a member of the Muslim student association (MSA) and was trying to confront him on his positions. He asked her if she condemns or supports the Hamas (or Hezbollah). We need to understand the goals of the Hamas and Hezbollah is the total destruction of Israel and the killing of all Jews. She spent minutes trying to avoid his question but he kept repeating it. She finally said she supported the Hamas. Unbelievable! Here is a Muslim group on the campus of UCSD that supports genocide of all Jews. This is a chilling video on the internet. (Click on David Horowitz to view the 3 minute exchange)

Horowitz has visited other college campuses and has publicly asked the Muslim groups to renounce the Islamic terrorist organizations. They all refuse to condemn these organizations. These Muslim liberals need to put their money where your mouth is. If they are not willing to publicly condemn these organizations then their liberal position that Islam is a peaceful religion is compromised.

If a woman is a suicide bomber, would she go to heaven?

First we must understand some Muslim scholars speak out against suicide bombing based on the Qur’an Surah 4:29 “O you who have believed, do not consume one another’s wealth unjustly but only [in lawful] business by mutual consent. And do not kill yourselves. Indeed, Allah is to you ever Merciful.”

However, some commentators believe that the phrase “do not kill yourselves” is better translated “do not kill each other”, and some translations (e.g., by Shakir) reflect that view. Even though many scholars believe suicide is forbidden in Islam, some conservative, influential Muslim scholars including most notably Yusuf al-Qaradawi have justified suicide bombings when the perpetrators are acting in self-defense without other available means to defend themselves.

The surah’s that talk about dying for the cause of Allah do not designate gender. Surah 4:74 “Let those (believers) Who sell the life of this world for the hereafter fight in the cause of Allah and whoso fights in the cause of Allah, – and is slain or gets victory, We shall bestow on him a great reward.” All Muslims who die for the cause of Allah get rewarded. It seems according to the Qur’an women suicide bombers go to paradise, just like the men.

Part 19

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Unmasking the Deception of Islam part 17

Steve — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 04:41:04 +0000

Answering Questions

Explain taqiyya and how Christians should deal with it.

Taqiyya is God sanctioned deception by Muslims. Historically it has been used during war as a way to deceive and lie to the enemy to gain an advantage. When captured a Muslim can lie about their religious devotion and has Allah’s permission to deceive by renouncing their faith. Allah will permit it because He sees your heart and true devotion to Islam.

Taquiyya is also utilized outside of war. One example, from the life of Mohammad, was the case of a Jewish poet who offended Mohammad. He asked for a volunteer to kill him. One man volunteered and was given permission by Mohammad to lie and deceive in order to murder him. The volunteer told the poet how he rejects Islam and Mohammad. Once he gained the Jewish poet’s confidence, he killed him.

Osama Bin Laden has used this to perfection. In one of his videos he blamed the United States and Israel for going to war. He listed his grievances against the West and said he was going to get revenge for all the decades of Western and Israeli oppression. Bin Laden pointed to the oppression of Palestinians and the Western exploitation of women for justification for his deadly attacks.

However, when Bin Laden spoke to influential Muslim intellectuals the truth came out. These Muslim scholars had written a letter after 9/11 explaining how Islam seeks a peaceful coexistence with the United States. Bin Laden wrote the following letter to chastise them.

“…And this fierce hostility—that is, battle—ceases only if the infidel submits to the authority of Islam, or if his blood is forbidden from being shed, or if Muslims are at that point in time weak and incapable. But if the hate any time extinguishes from the heart, this is great apostasy! …Such then is the basis and foundation of the relationship between the infidel and the Muslim. Battle, animosity, and hatred—directed from the Muslim to the infidel—is the foundation of our religion. And we consider this justice and kindness to them[1].”

Bin Laden used deceit (Taqiyya) to make the US think he was acting defensively, when in fact he was and is the aggressor; his only goals are to force us to bend our knees to Allah or kill us if we don’t. For the religion of Islam, war is eternal and so is deception. According to Bin Laden killing us is justice and a show of kindness.

How do Christians deal with taqiyya? Knowing Allah sanctions deceit makes trusting Muslims difficult. Taqiyya has ethical ramifications. Anyone who truly believes that God justifies and even encourages deception will not experience remorse over lying. Once we understand this teaching, trusting Muslims on television will be increasingly more difficult.

Contrast Islam’s encouragement to deny your faith under pressure of death with historic Christianity. Historically, during times of persecution Christians refused to deny Jesus Christ and were tortured and killed by the thousands. During the second century it was early church father Tertullian who said, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.” Lying and deceiving to save one’s life goes against the teachings of Jesus Christ and the example of His life. We read in Matthew 10:33-39 (NIV) “But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven. ³⁴“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. ³⁵For I have come to turn “‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law– ³⁶a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ ³⁷“Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; ³⁸and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. ³⁹Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” Jesus says Christians are going to face persecution. Under the pressure of death Christians are to stand strong and refuse to deny their faith in Jesus Christ.

Allah allows Muslims to lie to save their lives; Christians are to tell the truth to bring glory to God and be a witness to the saving power of Jesus Christ. The Christian church throughout history experienced tremendous growth when persecution intensified. Standing for Christ in the face of death is powerful and as Tertullian stated, the church has been built on the blood of martyrs.

Part 18

[1] Ibrahim, The Al Qaeda Reader, p. 43

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Unmasking the Deception of Islam part 16

Steve — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 05:10:47 +0000

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Answering Questions

How are women viewed in Islam?

On the Oprah Winfrey “Islam 101” program after 9/11, Oprah asked Queen Rania of Jordan about Muslim women. She said, “Islam views women as full and equal partners to men, so [women’s] rights are guaranteed by Islam.” Another guest, Dr. Maleeha Lodhi answered, “Restrictions placed on women in a certain country that is Muslim are often mistaken for being Islamic. There is nothing in Islam that does not accord women equal rights and respect[1].”

Muslim scholars all over the world rave about how Islam respects women. I’ve watched programs on television where women are interviewed and sing praises to the way they are treated. On the other hand, we have all seen counter examples in the newspaper and on television where Muslim women are repressed and murdered for seemingly minor issues.

Again we need to ask, who speaks for Islam? Is it today’s scholars who praise Islam’s treatment of women? Or do we go back to the foundational authorities such as the Qur’an and the Hadith? I believe the answer is obvious. The following are 6 examples show how women have been abused or the potential for exploitation.

Qur’an demeans women: Surah 2:282 “…and get two witnesses, out of your own men and if there are not two men, then a man and two women, such as ye choose, for witnesses, so that if one them errs, the other can remind her.” This Surah states a woman’s witness is equal to half a man. The reason for two women is because one may forget her testimony and needs the other to remind her. Men can testify solo. This Surah implies women are only half as smart as men.
Majority of people in hell are women: Hadith by Al Bukhari says Mohammad was shown hell and reported, “The majority of its dwellers were women who were ungrateful. It was asked, ‘Do they disbelieve in Allah? (Or are they ungrateful to Allah?) He replied, ‘They are ungrateful to their husbands and are ungrateful for the favors and the good (charitable deeds) done to them.’ (Bukhari 1:2:28) Talk about manipulation!
Marital punishment: Surah 4:38 “…As to those women on whose part ye fear disloyalty and ill-conduct, admonish them (first), (Next), refuse to share their beds, (And last) beat them (lightly).” Here we see men are allowed to discipline their wives for insubordination. All the words that appear in parenthesis are not in the original Arabic. So the Qur’an gives permission to husbands to beat their wives. We see examples in countries like Saudi Arabia where courts of law have ruled in favor of husbands who beat their wives for various reasons.
Qur’an supports polygamy: Muslim men are permitted to marry four women. Surah 4:24 “If ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly with the orphans, marry women of your choice, two or three or four; but if ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly (with them), then only one.” Also included in this surah is permission to take as a wife any woman you capture during war. If she is married, her marriage rights are dissolved and the soldier can have her. Surah 33:50 granted Mohammad permission to marry as many women as he desired. He married at least 11 women. This Surah was written for Mohammad only.
Qur’an allows men to marry children: Here the Qur’an is talking about how long men have to wait before finalizing a divorce. Surah 65:4 “Such of your women as have passed the age of monthly courses, for them the prescribed period, if ye have any doubts, is three months, and for those who have no courses (it is the same).” The waiting period for prepubescent girls (“those who have no courses” or no period) is three months. In order to divorce someone you have to be married first. Mohammad was in his fifties when he married Aisha who was 6 years old and consummated the marriage when she was 9.
Honor Killings: Human Rights Watch defines “honor killings” as honor crimes that are acts of violence, usually murder, committed by male family members against female family members, who are accused of dishonoring the family. A woman can be targeted by her family for a variety of reasons, including: refusing to enter into an arranged marriage, being the victim of a sexual assault, seeking a divorce—even from an abusive husband—or (allegedly) committing adultery. The mere perception that a woman has behaved in a way that “dishonors” her family and is sufficient to trigger an attack on her life. An example is the honor killing trial that began in Phoenix Jan.24, 2011. Faleh Hassan Almaleki, an Iraqi Muslim immigrant, killed his 20-year-old daughter, Noor Almaleki, on October 20, 2009, because she had become too westernized. After killing his daughter, Almaleki himself boasted that he had to take Noor’s life because she had dishonored his family by her “Western” behavior[2].

More could be said concerning the way Islam treats women. Fortunately, most Muslim men would never consider treating their wives the way the way the Qur’an teaches. However, as long as the Qur’an gives men permission to abuse women, equal rights for Muslim women will never be possible and the abuse will continue under the banner of Islam.

Part 17

[1] Shlemon, Alan, An Ambassador’s Guide to Islam, Stand to Reason www.str.org

[2] Posted by Jamie Glazov on Jan 24th, 2011 and filed under Daily Mailer, FrontPage.

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Unmasking the Deception of Islam part 15

Steve — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 04:47:17 +0000

Understanding the Beliefs of Islam

How do Muslims enter heaven?

Islam teaches all humans are created innocent and free but choose to sin against God. Adam’s single transgression (Genesis 3) was repented and forgiven by God and not passed on through birth. Sin is not part of our nature. A Muslim scholar writes:

“The Christian witness that the rebellion by our first parents has tragically distorted man and that sinfulness pervades individually and collectively, is very much contrary to Islamic witness. Islam teaches that the first phase of life on earth did not begin in sin and rebellion against Allah. Although Adam disobeyed Allah, he repented and was forgiven and even given guidance for mankind. Man is not born as sinner and the doctrine of the sinfulness of man has no basis in Islam[1].”

If Muslim’s are born without sin they do not require a savior to enter heaven. However, they still have an entrance requirement. Allah will only let Muslims into heaven who please Him and do good deeds. For the Muslim salvation consists of doing the 5 pillars of the faith (Surah 10:109) and having his or her good works outweigh bad deeds. Below are the 5 pillars of faith.

Confession (“Shahadah”) – Muslims must say “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is the prophet of Allah.” Saying this sincerely is all that is needed to become a Muslim.
Prayers – These are to be done 5 times each day, kneeling and bowing in the direction of Mecca.
Alms – Giving 1/40th of your income to help others. This is not considered charity but an obligation to help the poor.
Ramadan – A month when Muslims fast during daylight hours in atonement for their previous year’s sins. Muslims are allowed to eat and drink after sunset and some get up before sunrise to eat before the fast begins again.
Haji – They must make a pilgrimage to Mecca (by proxy if bad health or financial status is an issue.). There is an elaborate ritual including a visit to the most famous mosque in Mecca that holds the Ka’ba (cube-shaped building).

Muslims believe in a day of judgment. The dead will be raised to stand trial before Allah and they will be judged according to their deeds. However, with Allah there are no guarantees. One’s ultimate destiny is subject solely to the will of Allah. In Islam, there is no atonement for sin or promise of forgiveness, and no assurance of any kind, except for those who die in jihad. Only martyrs are guaranteed eternal life in paradise[2].

For the Christian all humans are born sinners and need a savior to enter heaven. The Bible teaches we are saved by grace through faith. Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV) “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God–⁹not by works, so that no one can boast.” This verse clearly teaches good works will not merit heaven, only by faith in Jesus can anyone have eternal life. All Muslims dying without Jesus and attempting to reach heaven through good works will be separated from God for all eternity. Separation is the penalty for their sins.

One strategy for sharing with a Muslim is to make the case against good works by using the Old Testament. Muslims believe Abraham was right with God based on living a good life. Have them read Genesis 15:6 (NIV) “Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.” Abraham (Abram) entered heaven by faith (believed) and not by doing good works. At my friend’s Bible study, I shared this verse with the three Muslims guests. I showed them Abraham was saved by grace through faith; that he was made righteous not by doing good works but by belief. They didn’t know how to respond. Abraham is one of their primary prophets and a model for earning heaven by doing good works.

I explained to the three Muslims at the study forgiveness is only possible by believing Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for their sins. They refused to accept what the Bible teaches concerning their sins. All three left that night without Jesus; they left thinking they could be good enough to please Allah. Hopefully, with the help of another Christian, they will someday learn the truth they rejected that evening.

Part 16

[1] B. Kateregga and D. Shenk, Islam and Christianity, Grand Rapids: Eerhmans, 1981 p. 101

[2] MacArthur, John, Terrorism, jihad, and the Bible, Kindle Book 2001

Unmasking the Deception of Islam part 14

Steve — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 14:03:35 +0000

Understanding the Beliefs of Islam

Who is Jesus Christ?

Muslims believe Jesus Christ was a prophet of God, one of many, and nothing more. Jesus was not the Son of God as the Bible teaches. To say Jesus is God is to commit the sin of shirk and is unpardonable. Yet, the Qur’ an does teach that Jesus did miracles (Sura 3:49; 5:110), was sinless (Sura 3:49), was called the “Messiah,” and was born of a virgin (Sura 3:45-47). Even though Mohammad did none of these, he is still even considered superior to Jesus.

Jesus claim to be God can be demonstrated in a variety of Biblical verses:

Jesus claimed He should be honored as God. He said in John 5:23, “that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the father, who sent him.” Jesus said He was to be honored equal to God the Father. Muslims would never honor Jesus equal with Allah.
The Gospels teach Jesus is God. The disciple Matthew writes at the birth of Jesus, Matthew 1:23 (NIV) “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel–which means, ‘God with us.’” John 1:1 says “the Word [Jesus] was God.” John 20:28 states, “Thomas answered and said to Him [Jesus], ‘My Lord and my God!’” The disciples believed Jesus is God.
In the New Testament Jesus was worshiped and prayed to, a privilege only given to God. Muslims would never do this.
Jesus makes a strong statement concerning His Divinity in John 8:58 (NIV) “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” Jesus was referring to Exodus when Moses asked God what name he could use when he addressed the people. We read in Exodus 3:14 (NIV) God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” God was to be called I AM and Jesus claimed to be the great I AM! The Jews understood what Jesus was claiming and wanted to stone Him for blasphemy; claiming to be God. We read in John 8:59 (NIV) “At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.” Later we see the Jewish religious leaders again wanting to again stone Him in John 10:31-33 (NIV) “Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, ³²but Jesus said to them, ‘I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?’ ³³‘We are not stoning you for any of these,’ replied the Jews, ‘but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.’” When Jesus called himself the great I AM he was claiming to be God and the Jewish religious leaders clearly recognized this. According to Judaism this claim was blasphemy, a charge worthy of death.

Muslims do not believe Jesus died on the cross. They teach God would never let Jesus die on the cross for blasphemy; this sort of death was reserved for the wicked and Jesus was a righteous sinless prophet. If the charge of blasphemy was false and we can trust the eyewitnesses, then Jesus died a righteous man as Christianity teaches. We believe the evidence demonstrates He died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. Let’s examine the charge of blasphemy brought against Jesus.

The charge against Jesus was He claimed to be the Son of God. We read in Matthew 26:63-66 (NIV) “But Jesus remained silent. The high priest said to him, ‘I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.’ ⁶⁴‘Yes, it is as you say,’ Jesus replied. ‘But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.’ ⁶⁵Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, ‘He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. ⁶⁶What do you think?’ ‘He is worthy of death,’ they answered.” Jesus affirms He is the Son of God and the Jewish religious leaders want Him dead for blasphemy. Did Jesus deserve to die for His claim to be the Son of God? Was his claim blasphemy or was it true? Son of God simply means he was God; second person of the Trinity. The Bible teaches Jesus was fully God and fully man, two natures one person. Therefore, the charge by the Jewish religious leaders was false; Jesus didn’t commit blasphemy because He was the Son of God. He willingly died on the cross for our sins. Three days later God confirmed Jesus was the Son of God through the resurrection.

This belief God substituted another man for Jesus is a story found in the Qur’an. We read Surah 4:156-157 “That they rejected Faith; that they uttered against Mary a grave false charge; that they said (in boast): ‘We killed Christ Jesus The son of Mary, The Messenger of Allah.’ But they killed him not, Nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them…” This was recorded over 650 years after the event.

When a Muslim makes this claim you can say, “That’s a nice story but what do you have for evidence?” All they have is the testimony of Mohammad who lived 600 yrs. after the death of Christ. The Bible has eyewitness accounts that support Jesus died by crucifixion. We also have first and second century non-Christian historians that say Jesus died on the cross.

This idea Allah substituted someone for Jesus on the cross is absurd. How could it be possible that everyone at the foot of the cross was fooled by an impostor? Don’t you think someone would have figured it out; maybe a disciple or His mother or the people who listened to His teachings or Roman guards who nailed Him to the cross? Which would you believe; eyewitnesses or someone claiming God told him Jesus didn’t die on the cross 600 years later? I believe the answer is obvious.

Part 15

Unmasking the Deception of Islam part 13

Steve — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 13:33:56 +0000

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Understanding the Beliefs of Islam

Defending the Bible

Many Muslims say they hold the Bible in high esteem. Yet, the only books they recognize as from God are the first 5 books of Moses, the Psalms, and the Gospel (all 4 Gospels). Even when they say these are from God, they mean only the original books are from God. Muslims claim what we have today has been altered by men. How do they know what Scriptures have been altered? Anywhere the Bible disagrees with Islamic beliefs they say it has been changed. They believe the original Bible taught Islam and not Christianity. What can you say to a Muslim who attacks the Bible?

First thing I would ask, “What evidence do you have the Bible has been changed?” The Muslim needs to show altered manuscripts that reflect this belief. There are none in existence. What you are doing here is calling their bluff.
Yet, the Qur’an assumes the Bible is reliable. Sura 5:47 says, “Let the people of the Gospel judge by what Allah hath revealed therein. If any do fail to judge by (the light of) what Allah hath revealed, they are (no better than) those who rebel.” Mohammad says Christians are to make decisions concerning the law based on what God has revealed in the Gospel. This wouldn’t make sense if the Bible had been corrupted during Mohammad’s time.
Have them read Sura 10:94, “If thou wert in doubt as to what we have revealed unto thee, then ask those who have been reading the Book [the Bible] from before thee; the truth hath indeed come to thee from thy Lord; so be in no wise of those who doubt.” Mohammad is stating that the Bible is from the Lord. In fact he is exhorting his followers to solve their doubts about the Qur’an by testing it with the Bible. This strengthens the authority of the Bible, especially the New Testament to which Mohammad was probably referring to. We know that Mohammad would have never referred his followers to consult a corrupted New Testament. Based on the ancient New Testament manuscripts, which were in existence before Mohammad, we know the Bible of his time was the same as the one we have today.
We have overwhelming evidence for the accuracy of the Bible.

We have over 5,700 manuscripts of the New Testament dating from 250 A.D. to the 15^th century.
No evidence has ever been found that demonstrates the message of the Bible was destroyed or distorted, as Muslims claim.
Muslims who quote anti-supernatural critics attacking the Bible ignore these same critics who attack the Quran for the similar reasons.
No book of antiquity compares to the quality of manuscripts of the Bible.

The evidence is overwhelming the Bible is reliable. Alan Shlemon, of Stand to Reason, in his booklet “The Ambassador’s Guide to Islam[1],” makes a much more in-depth case for how Muslims must respect the teachings of the Bible based on the Qur’an. This is a great strategy for sharing with Muslims. Once you establish the reliability of the Bible, you can then share the truth about Jesus.

Part 14

[1] Shlemon, Alan, The Ambassadors Guide To Islam, Stand to Reason www.str.org 2010 p. 9-24

Unmasking the Deception of Islam part 12

Steve — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 14:16:42 +0000

Understanding the Beliefs of Islam

Who is Allah?

If we compare the God of Christianity and the God of Islam from the standpoint of a sociologist, he would say we worship the same God. He would trace our beliefs back over 4,000 years and say Abraham was the father of Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. Therefore, he would conclude we all worship the same God Abraham did. I’ve encountered some Christians who say all 3 religions worship the same God. Well I have an advanced theological word for that sort of thinking; baloney! From a Biblical standpoint, the God of Islam and the God of Christianity are as different as can be imagined.

For the Muslim, Allah is the only true God. They believe they are the ultimate monotheists (belief in one God) because they totally reject the Biblical doctrine of a Triune God. They call belief in the Trinity “Shirk” which means associating partners with Allah. Belief in the Triune God is an unpardonable sin and all who commit Shirk are destined for hell. They mistakenly think we worship three gods. However, we believe in only one God subsisting in 3 persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; co-equal and co-eternal.

If Muslims reject the Trinity, they reject the God of the Bible and therefore they believe in a totally different God from a Biblical standpoint. There are additional differences but this one example is all that is needed to establish we worship different Gods.

According to Islam, Allah created the heavens and the earth. The first created spiritual beings were angels. Angels can neither err nor commit sin. Their sole occupation is to sing hymns of Allah. In addition to angels, God created a group of spiritual beings called Jinn. These are powerful intelligent creatures who possess freedom of choice. Therefore, some are good and others evil. Most Muslim scholars believe Satan was an evil Jinn. Both angels and Jinn were created before humans.

Islam teaches Adam was the first human God created, followed by Eve. Both were created in heaven and upon eating from the forbidden tree were cast down out of heaven to earth (This would make the fall of man truly a fall!).

Muslims believe we are not created in God’s image. What Allah gives to all humans is knowledge, will, and the power of action. This is contrary to what Christianity teaches. The Bible clearly says we are made in the image of God. Genesis 1:26-27 “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’²⁷God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” A useful definition of image of God comes from Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology: “The fact that man is in the image of God means that man is like God and represents God[1].” Like in the sense we have certain attributes given to us similar to God; we can reason, we can love, we desire justice, and more. Islam teaches no one is made in the image of Allah.

Some of the characteristics of the Muslim God are He is harsh, wrathful, sovereign, distant, and angry. The Qur’an also says Allah is All-forgiving and All-loving multiple times. Allah is not a personal God and therefore, no one can have a personal relationship with Him. In contrast Christianity teaches we can have a relationship with the God of the universe. The Bible says we have been adopted as sons (Rom. 8:14-15; Galatians 3:26); we are heirs of God (Gal. 4:7) and the Father deals with us as His children (Matt. 12:47; Mark 3:35; Hebrews 12:5, 7). We can even be called his friends (John 15:13-15; James 2:23) and we can call Him Dad, “Abba Father” (Gal. 4:6). The Biblical God as a personal God is another huge difference with the God of Islam.

The Bible says God is spirit but Muslims believe God is neither spirit nor physical; he is pure will. Therefore, Allah has no nature and everything is controlled by His sovereign will.

Muslims also argue that all moral laws can be created and uncreated by Allah. Therefore, for the Muslim it is acceptable for God on occasion to lie and later say it is wrong. Whatever Allah does is moral and is derived by his word or deed. The God of Islam is sovereign and can change his mind on any moral issue. This helps explain the doctrine of abrogation. In the Qur’an Allah at one time accepted Christians and Jews but later hated them when they refused to believe. Allah “abrogates” or causes to be null or void the earlier teachings which treated us with respect. This gives us a clear understanding why the later verses in the Qur’an commands his followers to kill Jews, Christians, and Pagans. All that Allah commands is right and good, whether it is peace or violence.

The Christian God acts according to His nature. He cannot lie because truth is part of His nature; God is love because love is part of His nature. The Muslim God existing as pure will has no nature and therefore, can act as He pleases. Allah can never be trusted like the God of the Bible; He can change is mind at any moment.

Part 13

[1] Grudem, Wayne, Systematic Theology, Zondervan Publishing, Grand Rapids Michigan, 1994, p. 442