EARLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH HISTORY #1: WHO'S WHO IN EARLY PRE-NICENE CHRISTIAN WRITERS

Great job guys. Keep on speaking and standing for Truth. Blessings

Does the Roman Catholic religion really have a 2000 year old history as Roman Catholics constantly argue for? Again & again Romanists argue that their Roman church organization & its hierarchy go back to "Pope" Peter in the first century. Our Director of Research Steve Morrison (webmaster for http://www.historycart.com/ - which deals with early Christian church history; http://www.biblequery.org/ - which answers over 8500 Bible questions, & http://www.muslimhope.com/ - which refutes the false religion of Islam created by Muhammad) has the following reply for Roman Catholics who make the ridiculous "2000 year" claim: "Hi, Just a little correction here. It was said, "Yet only the Catholic Church and its 2000 year history can match."
There was no Roman Catholic church back then. The first person to be called a "Pope" was Heraclas of Alexandria (236-249 A.D.). The Copts trace their popes from him, not Roman Catholics.

The first Roman bishop to be called a Pope was Siricius (c.384-399 A.D.), after Nicea. So the Copts have prior claim to a pope, not Roman Catholics. A Roman Catholic today cannot consider the Copts as non-Christians, since the Roman Catholic church in more recent times has restored communion with the Coptic church.

Furthermore the Greek Orthodox church, which orthodox people would argue goes back father than the Roman Catholic church, never needed a pope. The 325 A.D. Council of Nicea established four "central" metropolitan churches, not one. So if you accept the tradition of the church councils, then by church tradition Rome is NOT the center of the church. The orthodox church did not "break away" from the Roman Catholic church; both churches excommunicated each other.

So if you are a Roman Catholic who wants to follow the truth, you must stop saying things like "Yet only the Catholic Church and its 2000 year history can match" because it is a provable, historical lie, as any Greek Orthodox or Copt will strenuously tell you.

As Protestants, we want to go back to the Bible, not man-made organizations with their brutal massacres, papal assassinations, anti-popes, forced deposition of popes, a pope tried for heresy after his death, torture and inquisitions, burning their own "saint" at the stake, etc. But that is not my main point here.

My main point is that if a Roman Catholic brings up "Yet only the Catholic Church and its 2000 year history can match," once they have been shown that it is provably false, they have to now stop saying that, or else they have disqualified yourselves as someone who cares about the truth. "

For more on the subject of early church history as it pertains to Roman Catholicism see Steve Morrison's 18 part church history video series on YouTube - some of the titles from that series are "EARLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH HISTORY #3: EARLY CHRISTIANS QUOTED SCRIPTURE WITHOUT A ROMANIST OR KJV BIBLE" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVDOyok6nLo&index=27&list=PLFFA8D69D1B914715, "EARLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH HISTORY #11: BIBLE IS HISTORICALLY RELIABLE BUT NOT ROMAN CATHOLIC TRADITIONS" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUvINqo-nv8&index=28&list=PLFFA8D69D1B914715, "EARLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH HISTORY #14: PRE-NICENE (325 A.D.) CHURCH WAS NOT A ROMAN CATHOLIC SYSTEM" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Y2dDQmstZg&list=PLFFA8D69D1B914715&index=83, "EARLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH HISTORY #15: THERE WAS NO POPE OR CARDINALS; DID HAVE SEX & MONEY RULES" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pawgv6qeQ8U&index=84&list=PLFFA8D69D1B914715 & "EARLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH HISTORY #16: GOVERNMENT & RULERS; ROMAN CATHOLICISM VEILS TRUE GOSPEL" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15YKczpo2Q8&index=85&list=PLFFA8D69D1B914715. Particularly see Steve's website www.HistoryCart.com. Other videos we have on early church history and Roman Catholicism are: "EARLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH HISTORY PROVES ROMAN CATHOLICISM FALSE" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WP9jg2h3xjQ&index=11&list=PLFFA8D69D1B914715, "HISTORICAL SPLIT BETWEEN ROMAN CATHOLICISM & THE CHRIST OF THE SCRIPTURE: MAN'S WORD OR GOD'S WORD?" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUt7rC6a_3s&index=4&list=PLFFA8D69D1B914715, "THE ORIGINAL EARLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH WAS NOT A ROMAN CATHOLIC SYSTEM OF SALVATION" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujbtVmZ5wes&index=26&list=PLFFA8D69D1B914715, "Vatican System: List of Murdered Popes, 75 Popes Approved Torture, Murder, Burning at the Stake" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsfuajeJJ_M&list=PLFFA8D69D1B914715&index=134. Further references: http://www.christiantruth.com/, http://www.bereanbeacon.org/ &

http://www.cwrc-rz.org/. See also our playlist "Dealing with Roman Catholicism, Idolatry & the Virgin Mary" with 145 videos and counting at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFFA8D69D1B914715.

2 Timothy 4: 2-5, "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry."

To those who wish to discuss issues brought up in our video posted here to a greater extent please know that you can email one of our ministry volunteers at certainandsecure@gmail.com. Also realize that we may have an entire playlist of videos on this subject on our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/CAnswersTV. Besides that know that we have three websites to answer additional questions at www.BibleQuery.org (answers over 8500 questions on the Bible & refutes critics of the Bible), www.HistoryCart.com (this website deals with an in depth analysis of early Christian church history) and www.MuslimHope.com (this website is a documented refutation of Islam, a false religious & political ideology of warlike jihad against all unbelievers invented by Muhammad while he was in Medina for the last 9 years of his life where he averaged one offensive military jihad of pillage, rape & slavery every month to six weeks against his neighbors which eventually led to conquering all of Saudi Arabia- see also http://www.politicalislam.com/, http://www.answeringmuslims.com/, http://answering-islam.org/, http://www.jihadwatch.org/ & our playlist "Dealing with Islam, Muslims: Sunni, Shi'ite, Alawites, Sufis" with 71 videos & counting at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1C7F68B548009FDD). 1 Peter 3:15

Thanks for taking time to share all this useful information! I agree with all your points except H4 Glorify/worship the Holy Spirit. In the context of worshiping God that is ok, but saying things like "Come Holy Spirit cover me" is an incantation, the Holy Spirit always seeks to point to Christ and thats who we should worship.

Why do the Christens who have studied the occult have a problem with Catholicism? I have noticed this more than a few times.

I'm impressed. Morrison appears to know what he is talking about, and his discussion is delivered in a scholarly manner. Well done. I'll keep watching.

It has been properly pointed out that many of the early church fathers fell into numerous heresies & in some cases damnable heresies because, after all, they were not writers of inspired scripture. It is also a fact that the further in time the early church got away from the original apostolic age the more the apparent declension or deterioration of scriptural truth is to be found in the writings of the early church writers (for documented evidence of this please review the writings of early church historian & scholar William Cunningham at http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?speakeronly=true&currsection=sermonsspeaker&keyword=William_Cunningham). In fact, the sixteenth century Reformers looked like university presidents compared to the early church fathers who seemed to be mere school boys by contrast when it came to scriptural apostolic understanding (although Martin Luther did suffer some from his heavy Romanist indoctrination & tradition in some regards). Although the early church fathers can be useful they cannot be put on the same level as the Word of God itself (Psalm 138:2). If the early church fathers say anything that contradicts what the apostolic writers have stated in scripture then any anti scriptural teachings of the early church fathers must be rejected completely (Isaiah 8:20, "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.") & the warning of Peter remembered, 2 Peter 3:15-16, "And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction."
Water Baptism
Under the heading of salvation, it is important at this point to touch on baptism. Although it may seem inconsistent to digress into what may be considered an "ordinance" or "sacrament" of the church after indulging in the metaphysical realities of being "in Christ" and being revealed as a son of God, it is necessary since so many of the early church fathers equated our regeneration with the act of immersion. The actual issue of baptismal regeneration, however, we will only touch on at the end. Instead, we will first investigate the apostolic practice, including what was considered valid and the development of baptismal theology in the early church.
Baptism is perhaps the most universal of all Christian ordinances. It is considered the "portal" into the Christian church by many branches of Christianity. The early church fathers put a tremendous amount of emphasis on baptism, which sparked a significant amount of debate. Other than the controversies regarding the deity of Christ, the debates and controversies that raged over baptism and rebaptism stand out as the most intense theological debates of the third and fourth centuries. Some of the questions that are still asked today are
:
a) Did the early church baptize infants?
b) Does baptism wash away "original sin"?
c) Is an individual regenerated (ie. "born-again") at baptism?
In the beginning of all of the gospels, we find how baptism was the central facet of John the Baptist’s ministry. In Judaism, ritual washing was already a practice, particularly with the Essenes and many ascetic groups, but John’s baptism is distinguished as a "baptism unto repentance" (Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3; Acts 19:4). In this respect John represents the personification of all of the prophets thus far. The highest moral teaching of Judaism can be seen in the prophets in their emphasis of the heart attitude that God seeks, rather than ritual observances (See Amos 5:21-23). Yet even during John’s ministry, there was already a foreshadowing that the pattern of water baptism served as a type for the spiritual baptism that would be introduced by the Messiah. John says in Matthew’s gospel that he baptized with water, but he that comes after me shall "baptize you with fire and the Holy Spirit". For this reason, we should always keep before us the truth that the water has no "magical" properties about it, nor can it be considered an end itself.
Infant Baptism
It is a common practice among orthodox, Roman Catholic, as well as several Protestant bodies (ie. Lutheran, Covenant, etc.) to baptize individuals when they are infants. The practice is frequently justified on the grounds that, under the Mosaic economy of salvation, God's covenant was extended to even infants through circumcision, which was to be performed on the eighth day after birth. The covenant of circumcision is said to be a type or foreshadowing of baptism, which serves a similar function under the New Covenant. This reasoning appears in the church documents Apostolic Constitutions (ca. 4th Century)
"Do not delay to turn to the Lord, for thou knowest not what the day will bring forth." Do you also baptize your infants, and bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. For He says "Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not." (VII:457)
as well as Cyprian (V:353)
For this reason we think that no one should be hindered from obtaining the grace under the law that was already ordained, and that spiritual circumcision ought not be hindered... and nobody is hindered from baptism and grace how much more should we not hinder an infant, who being lately born, has not sinned, except in being born after the flesh in the nature of Adam.

Furthermore, the waters of baptism were thought by many to have a "medicinal" property, and that the water itself was effectual in affecting a rebirth of the spirit of an individual, and they would be regenerated in the act of baptism itself.
Are we then to expect that this was the apostolic practice, observed by the apostles and their successors in the apostolic churches? Although the previously mentioned texts demonstrate a belief in an objective and effectual power resident in the waters of baptism, there is even more evidence that would denote the contrary. It can be sufficiently shown that the earliest apostolic teaching on baptism did not make provisions for infants. The primary reason is because faith is an integral element of salvation. Whether one believes in baptismal regeneration or not, it is undeniable that personal faith is the active agent in applying the benefits of Calvary to our lives. Baptism is an ordinance that is entered into only when an individual has made the decision to fully believe in Jesus Christ. We see in the Bible when the apostle Philip was to baptize the Ethiopian eunuch whom he had converted, the eunuch asked
"What is to prevent me from being baptized?" Philip answered
"If you believe with your whole heart, it is permissible." (Acts 8:36,37)
It is interesting that the critical part of verse 37, which clearly implies that one must fully believe in Jesus before being baptized, is missing from many contemporary translations, even though it is found in the majority of original Greek manuscripts. The best evidence for the authenticity of the verse lies in the fact that it is quoted by Scripture by Irenaeus ( Against Heresies XI, 8), and Cyprian (Treatise IX, 2, 43), many, many years before the oldest manuscripts which do not include it were ever written. This fact establishes without question the principle that, according to scripture and church tradition, personal faith is a prerequisite to baptism.
Looking through the rest of the New Testament, there are no clear examples of infants being baptized. The inference is that they were not, since such stress in put on repentance, faith and confession of the Lordship of Christ as being intrinsic to the New Birth. Most baptismal texts found in the Patristic church likewise infer that those being baptized are at least old enough to enter into baptism of their own volition. Consider some of the texts from the early church regarding baptism.

Didache (ca. 100 A.D.):
But before the baptism, let the baptizer fast, and also the baptized, and what ever others can; but thou shall order the baptized to fast one or two days before.
Justin Martyr (First Apology; ca 155 A.D.)
As many are persuaded and believe that what we teach and say is true, and undertake to live accordingly, are instructed to entreat God with fasting...then they are brought by us where there is water, and are regenerated in the same manner in which we ourselves were...For Christ also said :"'Unless you be born-again, you cannot see the kingdom of God".
Tertullian (On Baptism)
They who are about to enter baptism ought to pray with repeated prayer, fasts, and bendings of the knee, and vigils all the night through, and with the confession of all bygone sins, that they may express the meaning of the baptism of John.
Virtually every text from the first two hundred years of Christianity that deal with baptism mention the obligation on the part of those being baptized to be spiritually prepared, usually by repentance and faith, and extended periods of prayer and fasting. This would preclude any possibility of baptism being applicable to infants. Any reference to infants being baptized is conspicuously missing. The whole matter is decisively answered by one text from Tertullian.
Tertullian:(On Baptism-III:678)
"Unless a man be reborn of water and spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven" has tied to faith the necessity of baptism. Accordingly, all thereafter who became believers used to be baptized...and so according to the disposition, circumstances and even the age of each individual, the delay of baptism is preferable, principally, in the case of little children....For the Lord does indeed say "Forbid them not to come to me". Let them come, then, while they are growing up. Let them come while they are learning; while they learn whither to come; let them become Christians when they have become able to know Christ. Why does the innocent period in life hasten to the "remission of sins"? ..Let them know how to "ask" for salvation, that it may seem to have given "to him that asketh". .
If this is indeed the unanimous consent of the church, how did it happen that infant baptism became the norm? Although the answer may be somewhat speculative, we need to look to one of the baptismal texts from Irenaeus. Irenaeus, who held to the orthodox position regarding when one should be baptized, wrote a text which supported the common perception that we are born-again when we are baptized. He said in Against Heresies in 180 A.D.
We are lepers in sin, we are made clean by means of the sacred water and invocation of the Lord, from our old transgression; being spiritually regenerate as new born babes, even as the Lord has declared "except a man be born again through water and the Spirit, he shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Years later, we see some Christian writings taking Irenaeus' words and interpreting "spiritually regenerate, as newborn babes" as meaning that we are baptized as new-born babes! In the proper historical and textual context however, this is inconceivable. Thus, sometime in the mid 3rd century and in contradiction to the norm, the practice of baptizing infants started, built largely on a misinterpretation of Irenaeus.
Baptism and Original Sin
One of the most common arguments in favor of the necessity of infant baptism involves the question of original sin. The Roman church today, for example, views baptism as the means that an individual is cleansed from guilt incurred in the original sin of Adam and Eve. It is thought that the effectiveness of the baptism is in no way dependent upon the recipient of the sacrament. Therefore, it was considered expedient to baptize someone as soon as possible, namely, right after their birth.

This is quite different from the biblical teaching, which is that baptism is the symbolic ordinance that typifies our identification with the burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is a death to our old life, and the beginning of our new life in Christ. Rather than baptizing immediately after birth, it was actually more common to wait late until the twilight of one's years to be baptized. The rationale for this was that baptism was thought by many to be a one shot deal at forgiveness and pardon, so a late baptism would minimize the opportunity for an individual to accrue any damning sins. Even in the Fourth century this mindset was prevalent, witnessed by the fact that Constantine himself would not be baptized until he was on his deathbed. The earliest archeological evidence we have that a child was baptized comes from an epitaph on a young boys tomb in the Lateran. The quote is from the fourth century and it reads:
Florentius set up this inscription for his well deserving son
Appronianus, who lived one year, nine months and five days.
Since he was truly beloved by his grandmother, and she saw that
he was destined for death, she asked of the church that he might
depart a believer.
Many who have pointed to this as evidence for infant baptism have missed the point of the epitaph altogether. It does not support the idea that infants were baptized. On the contrary. The boy was almost two, not yet baptized, and when it was apparent that he was not going to survive to a mature age, the grandmother made a special request (presumably to baptize him) before his death. This epitaph actually supports the view that infants were not baptized as a normal procedure at that point in church history, and that putting off the practice until later in life was still the most common opinion.
If it is true that infants were not baptized, then what about the understanding of original sin? What did happen to a child or an infant that was not baptized? Were they damned because of Adam’s guilt? Again, looking closer at the earliest documents, we find that the early church had a vastly different perception of Adam's sin and it's effects.
Shepherd of Hermas (ca. 150 A.D)
They are as infant children in whose hearts no evil originates; nor did they know what wickedness is, but always remain as children. Such accordingly without doubt, dwell in the kingdom of God, because they defiled in nothing the commandments of God. ...all infants are honorable before God, and are first in persons with Him.
The Shepherd of Hermas, previously noted, was considered canonical by several fathers of the church. According to him, there is no evil in the heart of an infant, and they dwell in the kingdom of God. Below we have a statement by Justin scolding the Roman dignitaries for allowing their pagan priests to sacrifice children from the womb for the purpose of divination.
Justin Martyr, First Apology XVIII, 155 A.D)
For you let even necromancy, and the divinations, whom you practice on immaculate children, and the invoking of departed human souls.
Notice that he calls the children "immaculate". Tertullian apparently held the same regard for infant children.
Tertullian, Treatise on the Soul, 204 AD
those abodes; if you mean the good why should you judge to be unworthy of such a resting-place the souls of infants and of virgins, and those which, by reason of their condition in life were pure and innocent?
In the previously noted text from Tertullian’s On Baptism, he likewise referred to unbaptized infants as "innocent". In addition to these, we have a frequently cited text from the Apocalypse of Peter from the 2nd century, that is quoted by Clement of Alexandria, Theodotus and others, that states emphatically that aborted children are immediately ushered by a guardian angel into paradise, and share in a "better fate". It is understood by these fathers that Adam’s guilt did not extend to one who had not sinned. If it did, then we would all need to concede that every aborted child, miscarriage, stillborn child, or otherwise unbaptized infant that died was in hell. Such an idea would be abhorrent to the early church.

The issue is understood biblically in Romans 5:12 which states that "sin entered the world through one man (Adam), and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men for all have sinned". Notice that the actual agent of death to each individual is that individual’s personal sin. Likewise the next verse states that sin is not imputed where there is no law, that is, no understanding of right and wrong, which surely would be the case with an infant. It must be noted, however, that it would be equally wrong to propose that the descendants of Adam were unaffected by his actions. Man was qualitatively changed, now having the potential to know good and evil. Apparently his will was crippled and frustrated from being able to "do as he ought". (Romans 7:12-24) God, by his own sovereignty, has decreed that all man are bound over to disobedience (Romans 11:32; Galatians 3:22). The operation of sin in our lives, likened to a conception and gestational period in the book of James, "brings forth death ( James 1:14-15). To summarize the issue, then, we could fairly say that the early church taught that infants are guilt free, yet, the due to the fall we know that no natural mortal, upon being able to distinguish right from wrong, can stay guilt free, but instead is prone to sin.
When Cyprian of Carthage started promoting infant baptism as a cure from Adam’s sin. He immediately had to defend it against the charge of novelty. As shown, it was not the church’s understanding that infants were in need of cleansing from sin. At the time, however, no major theological counter-thesis was offered. It was not until Pelegius started preaching in the early 5th century that the orthodox church was forced to define the doctrine of "Original Sin". Pelegius, who up to this point had been an orthodox bishop and writer, propounded that Adam’s sin had absolutely no effect on his offspring, and that every individual had the potential to live a perfect and holy life. Pelegius asserted that man was by nature good, and could, by his own will and accord, live pleasingly before God. This extreme position, threatened the very necessity for the sacrifice and atonement of Christ. If justification was by the law, then Christ died in vain (Galatians 2:21). St. Augustine, through a number of polemical writings and Councils, refuted and condemned the teaching of Pelegius. Unfortunately, as is with many conflicts of ideas and words throughout history, the rhetoric and polemic overstated the orthodox position. In order to counter the inherent goodness of all, as taught by Pelegius, Augustine championed the inherent depravity of all, including infants. As a result, he held to the position that all infants are in a state of damnation before God, not because of their sin, but Adam’s. According to Augustine, unbaptized infants go to suffer in hell. Some Roman Catholic theologians have attempted to soften this somewhat, hypothesizing a place called "limbo" which is more humane then hell, so as to deflect the obvious charge of injustice that would come with consigning newborn babies to eternal torment. This has never been officially defined by the Roman church, however. The Augustinian concept of Original Sin, then, must be rejected as a departure from the apostolic rule of faith.
Another viewpoint of infant baptism is one which equates the baptismal act with the sign and seal of the New Covenant, akin to circumcision of the Old Covenant. Some of the later texts which support infant baptism suggest that the baptism should be done on the eighth day, as was the circumcision of the Old Covenant. It must be kept in mind, however, that the New Testament frequently mentions circumcision, but never as a type for baptism. Instead, it says "neither circumcision nor uncircumscision means anything, but what counts is a new creation" (Galatians 6:15) which subordinates any "sign or seal" of a covenant to the spiritual reality of being born-again by trust in Christ. Likewise, Paul also points out that even Abraham was justified by believing God, before and independently of the sign of circumcision. (Romans 4:9-11). Consequently, since the New Testament minimizes the alleged typology of circumcision, it is not likely that we would find any apostolic teaching that would equate baptism with the same function of sealing an individual into God’s New Covenant. Instead, we find that both circumcision and baptism both serve as types for the spiritual reality of putting off our flesh and being washed of the impurities of the old nature. The spiritual reality, of course, is most applicable to an adult.
Baptismal Regeneration
The belief in baptismal regeneration was apparently held by the majority of the early church fathers. Although one could debate writer by writer through the first few centuries as to whether this was indeed an apostolic teaching, in brief, the larger question would be as to whether an individual is saved (regenerated) by faith alone or by faith and baptism. The answer to that question is simply found by examining the scriptures to see whether salvation is imputed to those who believe and are baptized, or to those who merely believe. If the baptismal waters are indeed necessary for salvation, as even some writers proposed, then we should not find any cases in scripture where individuals are "saved" apart from baptism. There are, of course several glaring examples. The thief on the cross (Luke 23:40-43), as well as those in the household of Cornelius who believed and were filled with the Holy Spirit before they were baptized with water (Acts 10:43-48) are two clear examples. There are also numerous examples of Paul’s missionary endeavors, where he preaches and many believe, yet there is no reference to water baptism. With this being the case, we must conclude that water baptism cannot be equally an agent to salvation, since there are cases of individuals being saved by faith apart from the waters of baptism. Neither can the act of baptism carry salvific power in and of it’s self, since there are scriptural examples of individuals receiving baptism at the hand of the apostles, yet that individual still declared to be perishing because there heart was not right with God (cf. The Story of Simon Magus, Acts 8:9-24). Why then did so many early church fathers attribute regeneration at the point of water baptism? We could speculate that the hostile anti-Christian culture may have had a role to play. In the early church, baptism was the public profession before all that the individual was joining themselves to the Christian community. They were declaring that they were dead to their old life of idolatry and paganism. For many, it was the act that destined them to a martyr’s fate. Culturally, there was also the de-emphasis of such rites with many of the Gnostics. Those Gnostics that did have a baptismal ritual (Sethians and Valentians) had it so "super-spiritualized" that it would be construed by many to be a polemic against the normal, orthodox baptismal practice. We would consequently expect an increased emphasis on the act of baptism itself, certainly far more than our culture would remit. It could also be that the significance of water baptism is not derived so much from the agency of the water, but from the agency of faith and public profession of the Lordship of Christ. "If you confess me before men, I will confess you before my heavenly Father" (Matthew 10:32). In any respect, I would deduce that the emphasis on the ritual of baptism with respect to regeneration by the fathers was more a product of these cultural forces than actual apostolic teaching.

In summary of the issue, we can see that the post-apostolic church may have had a deeper
awareness of the mechanics of salvation, without the burdens of some of today's debates. This is not to say that everyone in the first three centuries understood the magnitude and glorious liberty of salvation in Christ. On the contrary; salvation by faith was one of, if not, the first foundational tenet to fall prey to the apostasy. Very early in the third century, because of the necessity of bearing up under persecution, we can see references to good works (ie. public profession) being necessary for salvation. By the middle of the third century, the regeneration of the believer was ascribed most commonly to happen at baptism. Ultimately, as the Roman Empire broke apart in the fifth century, and the church assumed the role of maintaining order in that civilization, eternal salvation was joined to the reception of the sacraments. Later in western history, this would give the papacy exceptional control over the princes, barons and kings throughout Europe. If a certain ruler would not side with the demands of the Pope, the Pope could vow to withhold the sacraments from that ruler and his subjects. Although that might not have struck fear into the ruler, the prospect of eternal damnation for an entire duchy or kingdom would create a panic and terror among the masses, and the ruler's hand would be forced to reconcile with the Pope.
Today there is need to renew the original apostolic understanding of salvation. The gospel message, as typified by the Pauline revelation of grace, righteousness and adoption, is forever coupled to the truths borne by the act of baptism, that of self-abandonment and death to the old life, so as to fully serve God in the newness of life. So many have tried to reinterpret the gospels as merely a means to the end of raising one’s self-esteem, or instilling dignity and human worth. For others, it is a "feel good" message, brimming with warm snugglies of how much God loves us. All though there is truth in both views, we cheat ourselves of the fullness of our common salvation when we see it as less than a total redemption, of the total man, to be fully adopted into Gods’ family as a true child of God. Likewise, we cheat God when we respond with anything less than laying down every aspect of our old life and being, in complete service to God, for His glory alone. For more on the issue of water baptism see our videos: "IS WATER BAPTISM NECESSARY TO ESCAPE HELL & BE SAVED & ARE YOU "BORN AGAIN" (JOHN 3:3-8) BY IT?" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYJtMV9qrWg & "THE EVANGELICAL CHRISTIAN ROMANCE WITH APOSTATE ROMAN CATHOLICISM (PART 1): WATER BAPTISM SALVATION?" at  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XobZCIzK-Zo. See our website www.BibleQuery.org & the article posted there called "Water Baptism Not Essential for Salvation." See also our newsletter posted there called "Church of Christ." The following link concerning water baptism is very useful at http://www.gotquestions.org/baptism-salvation.html. 2 Timothy 2:15

“Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.” —Luke 13:23-24 Do you understand the question in the above Scripture? “Lord, are there few that be saved?” Someone came to Jesus and wanted to know if “few” people were saved. It's interesting that the person didn't ask if “many” people were saved. Evidently the person had been listening to Jesus' preaching and became convinced that few people were really saved. When the Bible speaks of being “saved,” it means saved from God's wrath upon Christ-rejecting sinners in Hell (for more on hell see our playlist "Dealing with Hell, Lake of Fire, Unpopular Bible Doctrines" with 30 videos at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE04A1D0DFE95B95E & "Eternal Punishment, Part 1" at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=12607145320 & "Eternal Punishment, Part 2" at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=12607143539). Romans 5:9, “Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.” All Christ-rejecters go to Hell if they die in their sins. If a person is “saved,” then they are going to Heaven when they die. Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” We are saved from the eternal consequences of sin, which is punishment in hellfire. To be saved is synonymous with being “born again.” When a person becomes a born-again child of God, they are saved eternally. EVERY human being MUST to be saved (i.e., born again) to enter into Heaven. John 3:3, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” If a person dies in their sins without believing on Jesus as the Savior, the Son of God, they will burn in Hell forever (Revelation 20:11-15).Just as the disciple who asked Jesus the question in Luke 13:23, I myself often wonder how few are truly born again believers. I dare say not many. Let's consider the question again...“Lord, are there few that be saved?” There are over one billion Catholics in the world who errantly believe that the Catholic Church is going to save them. Roman Catholics do not trust Jesus Christ alone; but rather, rely upon manmade traditions and self-righteous works to save them. According to the Word of God, genuine Catholics are hellbound in their sins because they are trusting in self-righteousness (Romans 3:20; 10:3-4; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5, see our playlist "Dealing with Roman Catholicism, Idolatry & the Virgin Mary" with 129 videos & counting at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFFA8D69D1B914715). There are over one billion Islamic Muslims in the world who deny that Jesus Christ ever died upon a cross for our sins (see our playlist "Dealing with Islam, Muslims: Sunni, Shi'ite, Alawites, Sufis" with 67 videos at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1C7F68B548009FDD). According to the Bible, they are antichrists and liars on their way to Hell (1st John 2:22-23). There are over 183,000 cults in Japan alone that deny Jesus Christ as the only Savior of the world. Other false religions include Scientology, Hinduism, Wicca, Buddhism, Seventh Day Adventism, Zoroastrianism, Greek Orthodox, Judaism, Jehovah Witness, Mormonism, Freemasonry, and many more (see our YouTube channel CAnswersTV at https://www.youtube.com/user/CAnswersTV with over 615 videos covering most of these anti Christian religions in detail). Why do I call them “false religions”? It's simply because they all corrupt the Biblical teaching of salvation, i.e., the gospel (see our playlist "Dealing with Anti Trinitarians (UPC) & Early Church History" with 48 videos at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9931642C7C8FFEAB). Most false religions ADD works to faith. Mormons and Jehovah Witnesses DENY the deity of Jesus Christ (i.e., that He is Almighty God) - see our playlists "Dealing with Mormonism, the Religion of Mitt Romney & Utah" with 20 videos at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL11CD0EE613306BB5 & "Dealing with Jehovah's Witnesses, Watchtower Society" with 22 videos at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCF0ADB29C0EB8C40. Seventh Day Adventists falsely and deceitfully redefine faith to mean works (see our playlist, "Dealing with Seventh-day Adventism & Their "Prophetess" with 23 videos at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5316CC6F66F24283). There are hundreds of millions of followers of Hinduism who deny Jesus as the Savior, the Son of God (see our playlist "Dealing with Anti Christ Cults, "New Age" & World Religions" with 42 videos at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL69A3047B3497590A). Judaism denies that Jesus is the Messiah. The same Pharisaical Jews who crucified Jesus 2,000 years ago are crucifying Him today. The Campbellite Church of Christ deceitfully speaks of faith in Christ, but also requires water baptism and living the Christian life to be saved. That is works salvation, which is a lie of the Devil (Romans 3:20; Romans 4:5-6, see our playlist "Dealing with "Saved by Works & Baptism", "Church of Christ" with 72 videos at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBD55090718DA6D3D).  Every Catholic claims not to worship Mary, but the second commandment (Exodus 20:3-5) forbids even bowing to Mary (which every Catholic does, for more on the Roman Catholic installation of the worship of saints, images, & polytheism in church history hear "Perseverance of the Saints & the Worship of Saints (Historical Theology Vol. 1, #17)" at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=14101149112 & "The Worship of Images & Civil Authorities (Historical Theology Vol. 1, #18)" at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=15101057200). There are hundreds of millions of so-called Charismatic & Pentecostal "Christians" who trade the Word of God for their own wild emotional experiences & replace the Biblical gospel for a gospel of "heath & wealth" despite 1 Timothy 6:10 saying, "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows" - see our two video series on this: "Blasphemous Charismatic & Pentecostal Mayhem #1: Mad Delusional Experiences Replace Scripture Alone" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kbv7YsyMf0I begins one series while "AGONY OF THE PHONY WORD-FAITH TV PREACHERS #1: MIND SCIENCE ORIGINS OF KENNETH HAGIN & HIS DISCIPLES" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwQ5BLrYD_U&list=PL2CDA855486B09128&index=4 begins another series. Even secular humanism, atheism & agnosticism can be considered faith based religions due to the fact that atheists & humanists have a faith that God does not exist while agnostics are willingly ignorant concerning God (see our playlist "Dealing with "God Hating" Atheists, Agnostics, Know-It-Alls" with 20 videos at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL640E505B96CD6B39). Many animistic religions exist throughout the world as well which are described in Romans 1:18-32, see our video "FOREIGN MISSIONS FOR CHRIST: PREACHING TO CANNIBALS, WITCH DOCTORS & TRIBAL NATIVES" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACnDLyXa9H0. All of the religions I have just mentioned account for well over seven eighths of the earth's population or more. Keep in mind, besides all of this, Jesus said, "And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God" (Matthew 19:24). Who are considered "rich people"? It's not just millionaires & world leaders but many lesser wealthy persons who exceed the vast majority of mankind in money & possessions (Luke16:19-31 is a good example of this in the parable of the rich man & Lazarus). See the video "It is Difficult for Americans to Enter Heaven - Tim Conway" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDwNGXciNCQ. Statistics provided in this video show that even the poorest Americans living in the United States have a better net income than most of the world. For instance, according to Forbes magazine, June 1, 2013, the bottom 5% of United States citizens are richer than 68% of people living throughout the rest of the world; U.S. citizens who make $50,000 a year are richer than 99.69% of the people in the rest of the world; U.S. citizens who make $20,000 a year are richer than 96% of the people in the rest of the world, U.S. citizens who make $10,000 a year are richer than 84% of the people in the rest of the world; U.S. citizens who make $100,000 a year are in a category that only 8 out of every 10,000 people achieve in the entire world. Will it be difficult for rich Americans who don't think they're rich to enter into the kingdom of heaven? Jesus already gave the answer. For more on this hear "Those Whom God Hates He Is Often Pleased To Give Plenty Of Earthly Things To, Edwards" at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=427121150346 by the well known theologian Jonathan Edwards who also preached the most famous sermon on North American soil called, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=770213541. If you don't like what I am telling you then get mad at God because He wrote the Bible. If you take the Bible at FACE VALUE, you can only interpret it one way. The best way to interpret the Bible is with the Bible. God said what He meant and meant what He said. Let the Bible speak for itself. Jesus answered the question in Luke 13:24 with the following words...“...for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.” Most of the people in this world are going straight to Hell when they die because they have not been born again (hear "Few Saved From A Burning Hell" at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=3514145121). Lies and deception are everywhere! Catholics and Jehovah Witnesses claim to be born-again but they are NOT. You can't get born-again by doing good works, confessing your sins to a priest, getting water baptized,  joining a church or keeping the Sabbath Day. Salvation is NOT found in any religion; but rather, in a Person—The Lord Jesus Christ!  Most people today have churchianity without Christianity, and they are all going to Hell if they don't repent toward God of their unbelief (for more on this see our video "TRUE BELIEVERS & NON BELIEVERS ACCORDING TO THE GOSPEL OF THE REFORMATION: WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_dN0oC57Rk). The vast majority of so-called "Evangelical Christians" in the world today do not know what the Biblical gospel is or what "justification by faith alone" is (see our video "SAD STATE OF THE CHURCH: 87% OF EVANGELICAL "CHRISTIANS" DON'T KNOW WHAT GOSPEL JUSTIFICATION IS" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=im4ozy_EiR4. There are only two types of religions in the world: DO and DONE. Either you believe that you have to DO something to go to Heaven; or else you believe that it is DONE, paid for by Jesus' precious blood. Jesus said in Luke 13:24 that “many” will seek to enter into Heaven but will not be able. That is quite startling. Jesus said the same thing in Matthew 7:21-23 . . . “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” The reason why these religious people were not allowed into Heaven was because they attempted to enter Heaven through their own self-righteousness. In Matthew 5:20 Jesus spake concerning the religious leaders of His time . . . “For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Most of the religious churchgoers in the world today are as lost as can be, still hellbound in their wickedness. They have not done the will of God concerning salvation, which is to BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST (John 6:40; Acts 16:30-31).  Jesus provides two contrasts in Luke 13:24, the contrast between seeking to enter and striving to enter and the contrast between seeking to enter through the narrow door and seeking to enter by any other means. Let’s now focus on the second contrast. Look at verses 25-27:"Once the head of the house gets up and shuts the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock on the door, saying, 'Lord, open up to us!' then He will answer and say to you, 'I do not know where you are from.' 26 "Then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets'; 27 and He will say, 'I tell you, I do not know where you are from; DEPART FROM ME, ALL YOU EVILDOERS.' (Luke 13:25 NAU) Jesus’ statement at the end of 25 and the middle of 27 is translated well in the NIV: “I don't know you or where you come from.” In effect, He is saying, “I don’t know you at all! You may think that you are mine, but I have nothing to do with you – I don’t even know your family, your village” So what does Jesus mean by the narrow door? What is His intended contrast with other methods of entering? Again, let’s begin by considering what the narrow door is not: The narrow door is NOT being in a church, reading the Bible, listening to sermons, looking to others like a Christian. This is clear from verse 26: these evildoers looked just like believers who had been with Jesus. They had listened to His preaching. But He does not know them, and they stand condemned.The narrow door is NOT being prominent in this life. Jesus says in verse 30 that some who are presently first will be last. Prominence now is no guarantee of one’s entering through the narrow door.The narrow door is NOT being a descendant of a great believer. See verse 28. Remember, Jesus is speaking to descendants of Abraham and Jacob. I sometimes like to use the expression, “God has no grandchildren.” Each of us must come to Jesus on our own, not through our parents, our grandparents, or other ancestors. Then what does Jesus mean by the narrow door? Elsewhere, Jesus says He Himself is the door: I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. (John 10:9) In what sense is this door narrow? In two ways. First, the door is narrow in the sense that no one comes to the Father any other way (John 14:6). No religious activities – Christian or non-Christian – bring us into the Kingdom. Sincere beliefs do not bring us in. Good works do not bring us in. Good feelings about our relationship with Christ do not bring us in. Though in our pluralistic society this message is despised, we must preach, teach, and live out this truth: There is only one door, and that narrow door is Jesus. The Lake of Fire is waiting for "many" when they die. Jesus' disciple asked Him if few people are going to Heaven. Jesus replied that many people will attempt, but fail. When the floods came in Noah's day, many people tried to get on the ark, but it was too late once the door was closed. When the bridegroom came in Matthew 25:1-13, the five foolish virgins were left behind because they were gone buying oil at the last moment. Do not likewise make the mistake of delaying salvation, for you will be sorry when it is too late. Few souls are going to Heaven. Jesus said, "Only those who find that strait gate and narrow way that leadeth unto life (Matthew 7:13-15), which is the righteousness of Jesus Christ will make it to heaven. So many churchgoers have religion, but they have never truly been born of the spirit of God, which is the Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9, hear "Why Are So Few People Saved?" at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=111710103558). Salvation happens when a person acknowledges their guilt of sin unto God in repentance; believing on Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God, to be forgiven (this is a supernatural action caused by God in the heart of a repentant sinner in 2 Timothy 2:24-26; see also "SUPERNATURAL BIBLE PROPHECY CONCERNING JESUS THE JEWISH MESSIAH (PART #1)" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVByqkjwChs). We are SINNERS and Jesus is the wonderful SAVIOR! Acts 10:43, “To Him give all the prophets witness, that through His name whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of  sins.” Salvation is given to those "few" who have been ordained to eternal life by God Himself (Acts 13:48). And who are those "few"? Jesus answers that question in John chapter 6:37,39,44,63 & 65: "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." "And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day." "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day." " It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." "And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father." For more on this see our video "The Sovereignty of God Versus Man-Made Religions, Hollywood Movies & Petty Emotionalism" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UQABR_9gGI. Keep in mind that God works with relatively few numbers throughout world history (remember how Elijah thought he was the last prophet of God left in Israel in 1 Kings 19:13-18 & the Lord had to correct Elijah about the number but still the number God told Elijah was small). The God of the Bible has always had His way of operating His plan in this world & it has always been consistently with small numbers (1 Corinthians 1:26-29, "For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:29 That no flesh should glory in his presence." For an excellent message concerning the small numbers God has historically employed please hear the outstanding theologian Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones in his sermon "Sermon 113 - Three-score and Fifteen Souls" at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=99217141430450. We also have a video along these lines called " Biblical Predestination #6: God Only Chooses a FEW for Salvation (Many Called/Few Chosen)" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veCdGzYsc70. See also our video "Strive To Enter - But Many Will Not Be Able To - Greg Van Court - Dayspring Fellowship, Austin, TX" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qr2Rn-7o4RA. 2 Timothy 2:15, "Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

One of the biggest arguments against the credibility of those living and writing in Alexandria is that they were influenced by the gnostic, philosphical view points of the culture at the time, yet these same people fail to realize the enormous pagan influence of Rome which infiltrated the early church in Rome who was responsible for the death of more Christians than anyone else in human history. Yet, alot of our modern traditions and ritulas stem from this syncretistic abomination. They changed the Hebrew calendar into a solar calendar and cross contaminated God's Holy Feast days with their pagan rendition. Easter stems from Ishtar and the spring equinox and Christmas stems from Saturnalia and the celebration of the winter solstice. If anything, we should stand against everything that came from the Roman Catholic era and focus more on the anti-Nicene teachings since they were the closest to the Apostles, bar none. There has been some serious mistranslations since, once again all starting in Rome. 'Hell' is a pagan word and concept stemming from 'Hele' the Teutonic goddess of the underworld in Northern Europe. Forever and ever should be 'age of ages'. The true greek for 'Lake of Fire and Brimstone' is actually the 'Lake of Divine Purification' We need to understand the 7 ages and it will clarify the true greek interpretations and ante-Nicene beliefs in Universal Restoration when at the end all will be restored back to God. We have all been fooled by those who seek to control us and distort the truth for their own gain; warned of by Paul.

19 Reasons Why Many Honorable People Do Not Want to Be Muslims (see also the following videos: "Top Ten Reasons Muhammad Is Not a Prophet" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MO8sZ1JyP1A, "Ten MORE Reasons Muhammad Is Not a Prophet" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4p7HuuhF8k, "50 Reasons Muhammad Was Not a Prophet (in Under Five Minutes)" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Q3f15NXrLI, "David Wood: Five Reasons the Quran Is Not the Word of God" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvlzlBov9zc, "Who Killed Muhammad?" at  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6st_tFj6ouM, "Why Did Muhammad Wear Women's Clothing?" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-50CraaniT0; also see www.AnsweringMuslims.com & www.MuslimHope.com).
Ask a Muslim: have you ever wondered why many people who want to follow the truth, believe they cannot, in good conscience, become Muslims?
This list not intended give all the support people have for every reason. This simply, in a respectful tone, to briefly describe some of the reasons, any single one of which, if true, would be sufficient to disqualify Islam. The references explain each reason.
Islam Denies Words of Previous Prophets
1. Muslims reject words of previous prophets; the claim they are corrupted. Yet Sura 5:46-48 says Jesus confirmed the law and the gospel. The Dead Sea Scrolls have the Old Testament from the Jesus’ time. www.MuslimHope.com/DeadSeaScrolls.htm
If Allah were not powerful to preserve the law of Moses and the gospel of Jesus, Allah would not be powerful enough to preserve the message of the Qur’an. If Allah could preserve the message of the Qur’an, He could preserve His Word before then too. www.MuslimHope.com/WhatEarlyChristiansTaughtSummaryGrid.htm
2. Islam rejects prophets teaching that God is a Father. This is affirmed by Jews, Christians, and frequently in the Old and New Testaments. www.MuslimHope.com/FatherhoodOfGod.htm
While God is not a Father in a sexual sense, He is both an adopted Father to believers, and He specially begot Jesus before time began. God is clearly a Father in the copies of scripture we have at the time of Jesus. www.MuslimHope.com/DeadSeaScrolls.htm
3. Jesus taught that He is the Son of God and accepted Worship as God. The Qur’an rejects this.
www.MuslimHope.com/JesusIsGod.htm. Even early pagan writers acknowledge this is what was taught.
4. Allah deceives – even all the followers of Christ. Yet the Bible says God does not lie (Num 23:19; 1 Sam 15:24) In the Qur’an Allah is the greatest of schemers, fooling all His early followers into thinking Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead. www.MuslimHope.com/DeceptionInIslam.htm
Some Errors in the Qur’an
5. Zul Qarnain: the sun does not set in a muddy spring www.MuslimHope.com/ZulQarnain.htm
www.MuslimHope.com/AstronomyAndTheQuran.htm
Muslim historians show that this idea in Sura 18:85-86, that the sun really goes down into a muddy spring at night, was literally believed, and misled Muslims until recently.
6. There was no mosque in Jerusalem in Mohammed’s alleged Night Journey (Sura 17:1) www.MuslimHope.com/NightJourney.htm
The site in Jerusalem of the destroyed Jewish temple, and the future al-Aqsa mosque, was a garbage dump in Mohammed’s time, as documented by Muslims. Mohammed claimed to visit a building that did not exist. Non-Muslims would question why Palestinians felt the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade needed to exist.
Changes in the Qur’an
7. Major rewrite: Daughters of Allah in Sura 53 www.MuslimHope.com/DaughtersOfAllah.htm
Four early and seven later Muslim biographers document that Sura 53 originally said, "Have ye seen [the pagan goddesses] Lat, and ‘Uzza, And another, the third, Manat? These are the exalted cranes (intermediaries) Whose intercession is to be hoped for." The hadiths and Qur’an also admit that when Revelations came, Satan also sent counterfeit "whisperings"
8. Variants: Mohammed’s secretaries, ‘Ubai bin Ka’b and others had fewer or more suras. It is a falsehood when some Muslims say the Qur’an has no variants. www.MuslimHope.com/QuranVariants.htm
While some Qur’anic verses were left in but abrogated (i.e. not to be followed after a brief time), the hadiths and Muslim historians document verses and even suras silently removed. The newly discovered early San’a/Yemeni Qur’an also showed many variants.
Violence of Mohammed and Early Muslims
9. Mohammed ordered torture at least twice
www.MuslimHope.com/WarInIslam.htm
Kinanah bin al-Rabi’ was slowly burned because he did not want to tell where his treasure was. The other case was on a tribe that killed people Mohammed sent to tell them to drink camel urine for their ailments.
10. Mohammed ordered assassinations www.MuslimHope.com/Assassinations.htm
10a. Ka’b bin Ashraf maligned Allah and his messenger [i.e. Mohammed]. Ka’b bin Ashraf trusted the assassin, but Mohammed specifically allowed the assassin to say anything and betray him.
10b. Abu Rafi (probably for military reasons)
10c. Attempted of Abu Sufyan (Meccan general)
10d. al-Aswad (He claimed he was a prophet too, so Mohammed used violence to silence him.)
10e. Khalid bin Sufyan (Mohammed heard he was gathering a force)
10f. Yusar bin Rizam (Muslims killed him when they sensed he had second thoughts about becoming a Muslim, but Mohammed did not order this)
11. Mohammed spread Islam by the sword: Mohammed ordered surprise attacks on unsuspecting people. If Islam means "peace", why in a ten-year period were there about 82 battles? www.MuslimHope.com/WarInIslam.htm
www.MuslimHope.com/BanuMustaliq.htm
Islamic View of Women and Marriage
12. Women your right hands possess. Besides up to four wives, a Muslim man can have unlimited slave girls and captives for sex, even if they are unwilling. www.MuslimHope.com/WomenInIslam.htm
www.MuslimHope.com/RightHand.htm
13. Women are less than men: not pray during their time of month, less intelligent, more in Hell. www.MuslimHope.com/WomenInIslam.htm
Muslim scholar al-Ghazali (1058-1111 A.D.) listed 18 ways women are inferior to men. They include:
A woman’s court testimony counts as half a man’s
Men have multiple wives; women only one husband
Woman cannot divorce so easily like men
The wife must stay secluded at home
A woman must keep her head covered
Women cannot leave the house except with a near relative
A woman cannot be a ruler or judge
14. Mustahil and Mu’tah – they sound disgusting
After an irrevocable divorce, a woman must consummate a marriage with someone else before she can remarry the man. A mustahil is a man paid to perform this service. Mu’tah is temporary marriage, so that a man can marry a woman for a few hours, or longer, but it is not called prostitution. Sunnis say Mohammed permitted this for a period of time only, but Shi’ites say it is valid today, and this is practiced in Iran and other places.
www.MuslimHope.com/WomenInIslam.htm
15. Why did Mohammed consummate his marriage with a 8 to 9 year old girl? www.MuslimHope.com/AishaNine.htm
This has caused untold grief and physical problems of perforated uteruses for young Muslim girls in Africa and elsewhere.
The Unusual Character of Mohammed
16. Why did he need so many wives? www.MuslimHope.com/WhyDidMohammedGetSoManyWives.htm
His adopted son was commanded to divorce his wife Zainab bint Jahsh so that Mohammed could marry her. Other wives, Safiya and Juwairiyya bint Harith, were widows because Mohammed had their husbands killed right before. Some women declined Mohammed’s marriage proposals, and Muslim historians also document that Mohammed had some divorces too. Mohammed had concubines too.
17. Bewitched: How could a true prophet of God be under an evil spell? www.MuslimHope.com/Bewitched.htm
This is documented in at least 11 places in the hadiths, which define the (Sharia) Law of Sunni Islam.
18. Odd Superstitions: The hadiths record that Mohammed taught the evil eye is a fact, after the call of nature must use an odd number of stones, clean your nose an odd number of times, recite prayers an odd number of times, apply collyridium or eyes an odd number of times. Put on your right sandal first and take off your left sandal first. Eat with your right hand because Satan eats with his left. www.MuslimHope.com/IslamAndScience.htm
www.MuslimHope.com/IslamAndMedicine.htm
19. Torment of the grave was something that terrified Mohammed himself. This does not mean time in Hell, but in the actually grave site itself. Mohammed was fearful of this for others, his Muslim followers, and specifically for himself. www.MuslimHope.com/TormentOfTheGrave.htm
For more information see www.MuslimHope.com
John 14:6, "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

This is in response to a "Charismatic Catholic" who attacked our video "Blasphemous Charismatic & Pentecostal Mayhem #2: A Hyped Circus, Sham Unity, Charismatic Catholics" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-BWQeCkFfM&list=UUQ_EDvOtDAAWfCvGUhd6y3A & said "I have seen miracles and healing all in Jesus name such as vision restored & legs grew and have became even with the other leg." Vision & longer leg problems are typical ploys used by so-called "healers." Why don't these charismatic "healers" raise the dead & heal everyone at the hospitals, especially in the terminally ill wards? Why don't these charismatic "healers" heal the way Jesus healed in the Bible? Charismatic "healings," especially at their money making "miracle healing crusades," have no basis in Biblical reality. Sorry but you have been deluded by either equally deluded false prophets or intentionally deceitful religious con men. To begin with Roman Catholics are not true Christians since they believe a false gospel of salvation & thus are under God's curse (Galatians 1:6-10, see an article on this by former RC priest for 22 years Richard Bennett at http://www.bereanbeacon.org/article/sorted/01_On_Catholicism/Are_Catholics_Christians.pdf). Two items that come in handy in knowing about when Romanists argue that anything said against the Roman "church" is not the truth is to tell them about the following two items: 1. The following website is by self proclaimed Roman Catholics following the so-called "true church" (in other words their Roman church is their true savior not the Biblical Jesus Christ) at http://www.mostholyfamilymonastery.com/. These Romanists destroy the new Romanists since the invention of Vatican 2 in 1965. They present great information proving modern Romanism & their popes (they call them anti-popes) to be a false & apostate religion. It doesn't get much better than this when one group of apostate Romanists attack another brand of apostate Romanists in order to prove to the world they are false! 2. Our video "The Homosexual Pope, Priests, Universalists, Evolutionists & Disunited Roman Catholic Apologists" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hThonwrX6QU&list=PLFFA8D69D1B914715  proves from Roman Catholic sources themselves that one of their popes was a practicing homosexual, that almost 50% of Roman Catholic priests are homosexuals (for more on this see our video "FORMER ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST SAYS CHURCH OF ROME HAS A FALSE GOSPEL & WIDESPREAD HOMOSEXUALITY" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0y4C-nBQ3mE), that the Roman church buys the theory of evolution which denies the first eleven chapters of Genesis in the Bible (see our playlist "Dealing with Darwin's Metaphysical Evolution Religion" with 21 videos at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0703E78058346A52), that Pope John Paul II kissed the Muslim Qur'an & said Islam has the same god as Roman Catholics have (see the videos "Top Ten Reasons Muhammad Is Not a Prophet" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MO8sZ1JyP1A, "Ten MORE Reasons Muhammad Is Not a Prophet" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4p7HuuhF8k, "50 Reasons Muhammad Was Not a Prophet (in Under Five Minutes)" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Q3f15NXrLI, "David Wood: Five Reasons the Quran Is Not the Word of God" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvlzlBov9zc, "Who Killed Muhammad?" at  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6st_tFj6ouM, "Why Did Muhammad Wear Women's Clothing?" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-50CraaniT0; also see www.AnsweringMuslims.com & www.MuslimHope.com) & how Roman Catholic apologists are at each others' throats because of the vast differences within Romanism itself. Besides all that see the following websites for detailed information on Romanism & how it is a counterfeit religion at www.BereanBeacon.org, www.CWRC-RZ.org & http://www.mtc.org/. Our playlist "Dealing with Roman Catholicism, Idolatry & the Virgin Mary" currently has 122 videos refuting Romanism at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFFA8D69D1B914715. Remember Titus 1:9-16,
"9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
10 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:
11 Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.
12 One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, the Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.
13 This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;
14 Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.
15 Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.
16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.").

Next, what you thought were "healings" were not true Biblical healings at all ("How to Fake a Healing" by Caroline Weerstra - "Pentecostals often remain in Pentecostalism despite many misgivings for one simple reason:  the healings.  They may admit that many of the practices and teachings are unbiblical.  They may confess that there is rampant abuse and manipulation.  But they shake off the doubts because they have seen so many supernatural events--people stand up out of wheelchairs, back pain healed, etc.  And so they wonder, "If this is really so bad, why are so many people being healed?  Isn't it all worth it if sick people are being restored to health?" 
However, Pentecostal church services are all about showmanship and appearance.  It is surprisingly easy to fake healings, even to hold entire healing services in which people appear to be 'healed' all over the church and yet no one is really cured.  How is this accomplished?  The trick is usually, as Miracle Max said in the quote above, to focus on problems which can be resolved some way other than strictly supernaturally, to learn to 'heal' those who are only partly ill or can be made to seem well when they are not. 
Let's examine some of the most common 'healing' tricks in the Pentecostal experience: 
(a)  Bigfoot Sightings.  Perhaps the largest category of fake healings is what I call "Bigfoot Sightings", because, like the mythical Bigfoot, all that is known about these healings is that somebody else swears that they saw them and that they are real. 
Most often, it is the pastor or a visiting evangelist who relates stories of healings that occurred somewhere else.  When these 'healings' are described in great detail to excited crowds, people tend to forget that they never actually witnessed the event and have no reason to believe that it actually occurred.  In the retelling of the story, people often relate the healing as though they witnessed it themselves.  It is only upon careful questioning that the truth emerges:  nobody actually saw this one; it was just a story told to the group by some convincing-sounding guy with a microphone. 
EXAMPLE:  Evangelist/ missionary David Hogan often uses this technique.  Every time he speaks to groups, he claims to have raised 400+ people from the dead and performed many amazing miracles.  Although he relates many incredible stories, he never actually performs miracles at his meetings . . . he just talks about all the miracles that he supposedly performed somewhere else.         
 
Hogan's fans often describe him as a great man of God who heals the sick and raises the dead.  When directly asked, however, they admit that they have never actually seen Hogan do any miracles.  The only reason they have to believe that Hogan has ever performed any miracles is that Hogan himself claims that he has.
 
(b)  "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!"  Occasionally, 'healings' are fakes, plain and simple.  Many evangelists believe that seeing people apparently get healed raises the level of faith of the parishioners and so opens the door for real healings.  They use this as an excuse to orchestrate healing shows that are planned in advance simply to shock and amaze the crowd.
 
EXAMPLE:  It is difficult to say how often this technique is used, because evangelists who employ it are usually quite careful to cover their tracks.  However, occasionally, scandals open up that allow a glimpse inside such misdealings.  One of the best known examples of the intentional and calculated use of fake healings involved cult leader Jim Jones.  Jones began his ill-fated career as a Pentecostal revivalist and healer.  One of his favorite techniques involved healing people of 'cancer' by apparently removing chunks of foul-smelling material from their bodies that he claimed were the cancerous tissues.  People's Temple insiders later confessed that the 'cancers' were actually rotten chicken livers, produced at the appropriate time during the church service with a little slight-of-hand.
 
(c)  MOSTLY disabled or ALL disabled?  One of the most obvious and most popular techniques used by faith healers is based upon a popular misunderstanding of disabilities.  When someone is in a wheelchair, people tend to assume that the person cannot walk AT ALL.  This is rarely the case.  Most people in wheelchairs can stand and even walk a little, just not far and not well.  Likewise, when a person is said to be blind or deaf, people tend to assume that the person cannot see or hear AT ALL.  Again, this is rarely the case.  Most blind people can see a little, just not very well, and most people who are 'deaf' are really only partially deaf.
 
This explains why many 'miracles' that occur in faith-healing services appear to be only partial healings.  A healer may tell someone in a wheelchair to stand and walk.  The person shakily stands and limps painfully across the stage.  The crowd cheers, because they think that this is amazing progress and that the person is on his or her way to a full recovery.  But, in fact, it may be no improvement at all.  Likewise, many healers will test a healing of a blind person by holding up a handkerchief and asking the person to grab it.  When the blind person is able to take hold of the handkerchief, the crowd is amazed, not realizing that there is nothing remarkable about a partly blind person being able to see a large white object held only inches from his or her face.
 
EXAMPLE:  This is one of the most common healing techniques and is used by many, many faith healers.  One of the best known examples is Peter Popoff, who used a few trusted collegues to scout for healing candidates among the crowds that came to his healing services.  Popoff's scouts always asked people in wheelchairs if they could walk a little or not at all.  Any that could walk a little were called up to the front for 'healing' during the subsequent service.  The technique was exposed by skeptic James Randi who placed actors in the audience to claim that they had disabilities.  Randi's actors were interviewed by Popoff's scouts, and the information transmitted to Popoff via a radio transmitter.  Randi intercepted and recorded the transmissions, which fed Popoff information on various audience members, including which of them would make good 'healing' candidates. 
 
(d)  The Placebo Effect.  Many so-called 'healings' are extremely subjective.  People are most often 'healed' of rather vague conditions that are not visible, such as chronic back pain.  A person who suffers from this condition may get caught up in the excitement of the healing service and may even experience a lesser degree of pain for a while, due to his or her earnest desire to be healed which can, for a while, lead them to believe that a healing has taken place.  However, often the pain returns shortly after the healing service ends.
 
EXAMPLE:  The HBO documentary "Question of a Miracle" follows several people who were supposedly healed by Benny Hinn.  (As it turned out, none of them actually were healed).  One of these cases involved a man who suffered from severe pain in his hip joints and needed surgical intervention.  The man claimed that during the healing service he was totally healed and freed from pain.  He even demonstrated this by doing exercises on-stage at Hinn's direction--squatting, bending, etc, all while claiming to feel no pain at all.  However, the pain returned shortly after the healing service ended, and the man still suffers the exact same condition and still needs surgery.
 
(e)  The Rain Dance.  A surprising number of 'healings' are actually simply a matter of people taking credit for natural events, as though they were supernatural phenomena.  I cannot even count the number of times I have heard people claim to be healed of the common cold.  And yet, recovering from a cold is something that everyone does dozens of times in their lifetime--there is nothing supernatural about a recovery (even a speedy recovery) from such a condition.  Similarly, many cancer 'healings' are actually the result of extensive medical treatment that has resulted in remission.
 
Sometimes health situations are somewhat more complex and yet just as likely to result in spontaneous improvement or medically-assisted recovery.  Some heart conditions that occur in childhood usually do spontaneously improve, some neurological or muscular conditions can make sudden and remarkable improvement, especially with medical treatment and/or physical therapy.  But this is often overlooked by Pentecostal crowds eager for a good healing story.
 
In all my years as a Pentecostal, as many healing stories as I heard, I never heard of one case of someone being healed of Down Syndrome.  In fact, in my experience, Pentecostals never even pray for healing for someone with Down Syndrome, and so, by avoiding these cases, they tacitly acknowledge that they did not really think it likely that someone with a truly PERMANENT condition would be "healed".
 
EXAMPLE:  I used this technique many times myself.  Specifically, I recall giving testimony (at various times in my Pentecostal life) that I had been healed of a sprained wrist, a headache, a backache, and several other mundane conditions.  In retrospect, I have to admit that these were faked.  Although I did not intend to fake, I wanted to see healings to badly that I started claiming that every recovery was a 'healing'.  For example, when I suffered a very slight wrist sprain while roller skating, I prayed that God would heal my wrist.  When, the next morning, the wrist stopped hurting, I claimed that it had been healed.
 
We do well to look at ALL Pentecostal and Charismatic healing claims through highly skeptical eyes.  Pentecostal and Charismatic leaders have a compelling reason to lie and exaggerate their 'healing' claims:  miracle stories gather followers and increase financial support.  Pentecostal and Charismatic churches are full of desperate people who want to see miracles and who are eager to believe every wild tale and to interpret every event supernaturally.
 
Ask difficult questions.  Demand difficult healings.  If Benny Hinn, David Hogan, or any other 'faith healer' can really call down the power of God to heal a backache . . . well, they should be able to heal Down Syndrome, regrow amputated limbs, etc.  And let's not take their word for it . . . let's have it on videotape so that everyone can see and marvel.  If the faith healers can't do this . . . well, it's time we ask ourselves why." See also "Lying Charismatics and Healing Fraud" By David J. Stewart -
       I've been reading a helpful book by Pastor Hugh F. Pyle exposing the fake Charismatic healing frauds; such as Oral Roberts, Pat Robertson, Benny Hinn and thousands of others. The title of the book is: The TRUTH about TONGUES and the CHARISMATIC movement. The book is available from the Sword of the Lord.
The following excerpt is taken from Chapter 15, titled, “Charismatics and Healing” . . .
How genuine is the healing of the healers?
I am now looking at a letter written by Oral Roberts who says:
As I write these words, wave after wave of God's healing power is flooding through me. My hands feel as if there is a supernatural heat in them; my right hand is especially hot right now.
Oral goes on to describe his conversation with God—actually quoting the words God says to him out loud. He declares that God told him to send each prayer partner a swatch of new cloth with the imprint of Oral's hot hand upon it, and they could place their hand on the imprint of Robert's hand and actually feel his healing touch.
He then goes on to say that God told him to ask his prayer partners for more money to finish his “City of Faith.” Then he goes on to feel great sorrow for the finances of his “hurting” prayer partners who need a new miracle; so it seems God told him to have his prayer partners each send him $38 for one square foot of the project as a blessing pact covenant with God. Oral assures his partners that he is “so anointed by God, I can hardly write. Your swatch of new cloth is now ready.”
I'm sure great numbers of people got together the $38 to send in to get the imprint of the hot hand of Oral Roberts.
Another time Roberts got his followers to donate more than $5 million for cancer research since the evangelist told them he “had God's promise to cure the disease.” This was well over five years ago. Oral got his $5 million, but we have not seen any more evidence of his promised cure for cancer. Yet he told his gullible audience, “This is not Oral Roberts talking, but the Spirit of God through him.”
One year earlier, Oral Roberts went to the Alhambra Community Hospital in California for eye surgery. After building his multi-million dollar hospital in Tulsa, one wonders why he went to California for his surgery. Also why did a healer like Roberts, who trains and associates with other healers, need surgery anyway?
The Bible says there were (and are) just “twelve apostles of the Lamb” (Rev. 21:14). Yet Richard Roberts refers to his dad as an apostle, as do others of his followers.
This can give rise to the divine “prophecies” he makes like the one stating that God would “call him home” if he did not raise $8 million from his subjects in 1987.
Mike Randall, writing in the Baptist Bible Tribune, stated that, if he did not get the $8 million, it would be the first time ever recorded that God killed one of His servants for not raising enough money!
Truly the “signs of an apostle” were done by the apostles (2nd Cor. 12:12), not by the cheap imitations of the twentieth century.
Some years back “healing evangelist” A.A. Allen told his radio audience, “If you are sick, if you have a cancer, it's because there is a sin in your life. Get rid of your sin and you get rid of your cancer.” That same man died in San Francisco, having gone there to be treated for an arthritic knee. Yet the coroner reported that Allen died of acute alcoholism!
...The ecumenical Pentecostal David duPlessis, who was called “Mr. Pentecost,” died of cancer of February of 1987. If the Charismatic healers have the “hot hand” power they claim to have, why would they let “Mr. Pentecost” die of cancer?
...Healers like Kuhlman, Coe, Allen, and duPlessis sicken and die. Bakker and Roberts have to wear glasses. Tammy has her warts and hernia. Oral goes to California for surgery. It would certainly appear that the best thing to do is to obey the laws of good health, eat properly, have a check-up yearly and trust the Lord.
Meanwhile, a return to Bible evangelism is in order. One day our “vile body” will experience perfect healing when it is “fashioned like unto his glorious body” for all those who are truly saved by His grace.
SOURCE: The TRUTH about TONGUES and the CHARISMATIC movement, by High F. Pyle, pg. 127-130; Sword of the Lord Publishers; PO Box 1099, Murfreesboro, TN, 37133; copyright 1989; ISBN: 0-87398-846-9
I also highly recommend Dr. John R. Rice's great book, THE CHARISMATIC MOVEMENT. The Charismatic Movement can easily be proven fraudulent. I'm so sick of hearing Charismatic cocky ministers (many who deny being Charismatic, go figure), claim to have witnessed miraculous healings in some remote location on earth, with no video cameras recording the event, and you are expected to simply take them at their word. Well, I don't. They are liars inspired by “the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:2).
ALL faith healers get sick eventually and die (Romans 6:23). They need surgery like everybody else who needs surgery. They wear glasses and have hearing-aids like everybody else who needs them. Who's kidding who?
The Bible DOES teach divine healing; but it is the exception and not the norm. Also, healing is never at the whim of some greedy televangelist who sports healing as a cheap form of entertainment. God works in a still and quiet manner, not in the spotlights by charlatans who exploit gullible people out of their money.
In Pastor Max D. Younce's excellent book, I'M SO GLAD YOU ASKED!, he states:
God has allowed mankind to learn much about science and medicine. He has given doctors for our benefit. God expects us to use the blessings of medical knowledge He has given us. In James 5:14-16 we find the elders anointed with oil (medicine) and prayed. That is what God wants us to do today. Use the medicine and knowledge available, and bathe it with prayer.
God can and does step in, at His will; but it is not through the phony “faith-healer” procedures that are so prevalent today. When God heals, He heals completely and without charge! It is always right to appeal to the “Great Physician.” He is always in!
“And the prayer of faith shall heal the sick, and THE LORD (if it is His will) shall raise him up...”

SOURCE: Dr. Max D. Younce, I'M SO GLAD YOU ASKED!, Volume 2, pg. 225; ISBN-13-978-0-9815225-8-6; Morris Publishing.
Sickness and physical suffering are a part of the sin-cursed world in which we live. Our flesh is frail, weak and prone to all sorts of diseases and problems as we age. Taking care of one's health is no guarantee of a long and happy life. Health-crazed people drop dead all the time at the same age as others who abuse their health with alcohol, lack of exercise and cigarettes. Everything born is born dying.
 
Isaiah 53:5 Doesn't Guarantee Healing
Some false prophets pervert the Biblical meaning of Isaiah 53:5, “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” Some dreamers claim that the phrase “with His stripes we are healed” is a promise of physical healing in this earthly life. However, that is NOT what this Scripture means at all. The Lord's work of redemption made reconciliation with God possible by His blood (Ephesians 2:13).
We are made right with God by faith in the literal blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ. We are healed from the curse of sin and the Law. There is NO Biblical promise of divine physical healing while we are still in our present fleshly bodies. Death and sickness are a part of life, and there's nothing we can do about it except pray to God for healing and go to the doctor. God gave us doctors, just as He gave us dentists and firemen and automobile mechanics.
 
The Apostle Paul Left Trophimus Sick
Paul left his friend, Trophimus at Miletum... SICK!!! 2nd Timothy 4:20, “Erastus abode at Corinth: but Trophimus have I left at Miletum SICK.” The mighty missionary, preacher, evangelist, and Christian man of God, the Apostle Paul, left Trophimus SICK!!! There was no divine healing! It wasn't God's will to heal Trophimus. Don't forget that. There has never been one Charismatic preacher, who are nearly all arrogant and highminded, that has emptied out a hospital of sick and ailing patients.
The following Scriptures teach us that only Jesus can do certain miracles. John 15:24,25, “If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.” Jesus proved His deity by performing miracles, like healing amputees, that no other man could do. If anyone could heal amputees today, the world would follow that person as if God Himself.
Only Jesus, Who was God in the flesh upon the earth (1st Timothy 3:16; John 1:1-3, 10-14), had the power to do such miracles; and for a short time His apostles to validate the Gospel message to the world of Jesus Christ crucified and RISEN (John 16:33). By the completion of the Word of God with the book of Revelation, all Apostolic powers had stopped. Again, Paul couldn't even heal Trophimus, nor remove his own thorn in the flesh (2nd Corinthians 12:8). In 2nd Timothy 4:11, Paul said that Luke, a medical physician, was profitable for his ministry. Thank God for honest and legitimate doctors.
The one big common denominator in the modern Charismatic Movement, including TBN and The 700 Club is greed for more money. Legitimate Biblical healing NEVER, and I mean never, pressures anyone for money, nor even asks. God's power is not for sale as Simon the former Sorcerer learned the hard way. Acts 8:20, “But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.” That's exactly the wickedness that Pat Robertson, his son, Gordon and Terry Meeuwsen are committing when they ask for donations in return for promises of financial prosperity and improved health.
They are selling the power of God, so-to-speak. The truth is that they have no power of God. What they are doing is of the Devil, as greedy dogs, exploiting people who are wearied, sick and emotionally hurting. 2nd Peter 2:3, “And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.” Their day is coming, just as everyone's day of reckoning is coming, when they shall stand before God as their Judge (Romans 12:19; Romans 14:12; 1st Thessalonians 4:6; 1st Corinthians 3:11-15; 2nd Corinthians 5:10-11; Revelation 20:11-15; 21:8).
Demonic entertainers today, like Criss Angel, have openly admitted that they perform certain magicians tricks in a sinful attempt to disprove and discredit the deity of Jesus Christ. Criss Angel has walked on water using gimmicks, which many unbelievers have used to claim that Jesus was a fraud. They had better hope they're correct, because life is short and Judgment Day is coming if they're wrong.
Isaiah 56:11, “Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.” See our playlist "Dealing with Phony TV Preachers (TBN) & King James Onlyites" at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2CDA855486B09128. Titus 1:9-16

For more on the Biblical Doctrine of the Trinity go to our website www.BibleQuery.org and once on our homepage scroll down to our newsletter section on the left side of the screen then click on our newsletters "The Trinity" & "Oneness Pentecostals." See also our playlist "Dealing with Anti Trinitarians (UPC) & Early Church History" on YouTube at
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9931642C7C8FFEAB with 43 videos. What is the Trinity? The word "trinity" is a term used to denote the Christian doctrine that God exists as a unity of three distinct persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Each of the persons is distinct from the other yet identical in essence.  In other words, each is fully divine in nature, but each is not the totality of the other persons of the Trinity.  Each has a will, loves, and says "I" and "You" when speaking.  The Father is not the same person as the Son, who is not the same person as the Holy Spirit, and who is not the same person as the Father.  Each is divine, yet there are not three gods but one God. There are three individual subsistences or persons.  The word "subsistence" means something that has a real existence.  The word "person" denotes individuality and self-awareness.  The Trinity is three of these though the latter term has become the dominant one used to describe the individual aspects of God known as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Included in the doctrine of the Trinity is a strict monotheism which is the teaching that there exists in all the universe a single being known as God who is self-existent and unchangeable (Isaiah 43:10; 44:6, 8).  Therefore, it is important to note that the doctrine of the trinity is not polytheistic as some of its critics proclaim.  Trinitarianism is monotheistic by definition, and those who claim it is polytheistic demonstrate a lack of understanding of what it really is.
The Trinity
God is three persons.
Each person is divine.
There is only one God.
Many theologians admit that the term "person" is not a perfect word to describe the three individual aspects/foci found in God.  When we normally use the word person, we understand it to mean physical individuals who exist as separate beings from other individuals.  But in God there are not three entities nor three beings.  God is a trinity of persons consisting of one substance and one essence.  God is numerically one.  Yet, within the single divine essence are three individual subsistences that we call persons.
Each of the three persons is completely divine in nature though each is not the totality of the Godhead.
Each of the three persons is not the other two persons.
Each of the three persons is related to the other two but are distinct from them.
The word "trinity" is not found in the Bible, but this does not mean that the concept is not taught there.  The word "bible" is not found in the Bible either, but we use it anyway.  Likewise, the words "omniscience," which means "all-knowing," "omnipotence," which means "all-powerful," and "omnipresence," which means "present everywhere" are not found in the Bible either; but we use these words to describe the attributes of God. So, to say that the Trinity isn't true because the word isn't in the Bible is an invalid argument.
Is there subordination in the Trinity?
There is, apparently, a subordination within the Trinity regarding order but not substance or essence.  We can see that the Father is first, the Son is second, and the Holy Spirit is third.  The Father is not begotten, but the Son is (John 3:16). The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father (John 15:26). The Father sent the Son (1 John 4:10).  The Son and the Father send the Holy Spirit (John 14:26; 15:26).  The Father creates (Isaiah 44:24), the Son redeems (Gal. 3:13), and the Holy Spirit sanctifies (Rom. 15:16).
This subordination of order does not mean that each of the members of the Godhead are not equal or divine. For example, we see that the Father sent the Son, but this does not mean that the Son is not equal to the Father in essence and divine nature.  The Son is equal to the Father in his divinity but inferior in his humanity.  A wife is to be subject to her husband; but this does not negate her humanity, essence, or equality.  By further analogy, a king and his servant both share human nature.  Yet, the king sends the servant to do his will. Jesus said, "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me" (John 6:38). Of course Jesus already is King; but the analogy shows that because someone is sent, it doesn't mean they are different from the one who sent him.
Critics of the Trinity will see this subordination as proof that the Trinity is false.  They reason that if Jesus were truly God, then He would be completely equal to God the Father in all areas and would not, therefore, be subordinate to the Father in any way; but this objection is not logical. If we look at the analogy of the king and the servant, we certainly would not say that the servant was not human because he was sent.  Being sent does not negate sameness in essence.  Therefore, the fact that the Son is sent does not mean that He is not divine any more than when my wife sends me to get bread, I am not human.
Is this confusing?
Another important point about the Trinity is that it can be a difficult concept to grasp, but this does not necessitate an argument against its validity. On the contrary, the fact that it is difficult is an argument for its truth.  The Bible is the self-revelation of an infinite God.  Therefore, we are bound to encounter concepts which are difficult to understand--especially when dealing with an incomprehensible God who exists in all places at all times. So, when we view descriptions and attributes of God manifested in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, we discover that a completely comprehensible and understandable explanation of God's essence and nature is not possible.  What we have done, however, is derive from the Scripture the truths that we can grasp and combine them into the doctrine we call The Trinity.  The Trinity is, to a large extent, a mystery. After all, we are dealing with God Himself.
It is the way of the cults to reduce biblical truth to make God comprehensible and understandable by their minds.  To this end, they subject God's word to their own reasoning and end in error.  The following verses are often used to demonstrate that the doctrine of the Trinity is indeed biblical:
Matt. 28:19, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit."
1 Cor. 12:4-6, "Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit.  5And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord.  6And there are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons."
2 Cor. 13:14, "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all."
Eph. 4:4-7, "There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.  7But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift."
1 Pet. 1:2, "according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, that you may obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in fullest measure."
Jude 20-21, "But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith; praying in the Holy Spirit; 21keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life."
________________
Sources:
Baker's Dictionary of Theology, Everett Harrison, ed. Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1960.
Berkhoff's Systematic Theology, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1988.
Grudem, Wayne, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1994.
Hodge's Systematic Theology, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1981.
Seven Simple Facts About the Trinity
 
"Trinity" was a term used by Theophilus of Antioch (168-181/8 A.D.) and Tertullian (c.207 A.D). It describes seven Biblical facts. Are there any you have not seen before in the Bible? 
1. There is an Undeniable "Threeness" in Scripture
Mt 3:16-17; 28:19; 2 Cor 13:14; 1 Pet 1:2; Eph 2:18; 3:14-17; 1 Th 1:3-5; Rev 4:8; Rom 15:16; Heb 9:14; Jude 20,21; Isa 48:16; 2 Th 2:13-14; John 15:26.
Is the work of our salvation at the cross a work of man or a work of God?
 
2. The Three Are Inseparable in Some Ways
Mt 28:19; John 10:27-30; 12:44-46,49-50; 14:9-11; 15:26; 16:13-15; 17:10; Rom 8:9-11; 1 Cor 2:11-12. The Father & Jesus share at least 25 names and titles (Lord of Lords Rev 17:14; Dt 10:17, Alpha & Omega Rev 1:8;17-18). How often have you said the end of 1 Cor 12:3?
 
3. The Three Are Distinct in Some Ways
Mt 3:16-17; Lk 3:21-22; Jn 1:1;6:38;14:31;15:26;16:28;17:5; Acts 5:31-32; Heb 5:7-8. Heaven was not empty when Jesus came to earth. The Three communicated when Jesus was baptized.
 
4. The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Spirit is God
1 Pt 1:2,3; Jn5:18;8:54 Heb 1:8-9; Rev 1:8; 22:12-16 Rom 8:9-16; 1 Cor 12:6,11
Ep 1:2-3,17;3:14;5:20 John 1:1,18; 20:28; Luke 1:35; 1 Cor 2:10-11
1Th1:1,3;3:11;Phm 3 Hosea 1:7, Is 7:14 1 John 4:12,13,15-16; Jn 14:16,26
2Th1:1; 2:16; Ga1:1,3 1 John 5:11,12, vs. 21 1 Cor 3:16 vs. 1 Cor 6:19
Titus 1:4; 1Cor1:3;8:6 Col 2:9 & Mt 1:23 Acts 5:3-4; Job 33:4; Ps 139:7-10
Ep3:11;Jn17:5 (eternal) Heb 7:3; 13:8 (eternal) Heb 9:14 (eternal)
In some verses idols are referred to as gods, (Gen 31:30,3; 1 Cor 8:5) and in two places men are referred to as "gods" (Ps 82:6-7; Jn 10:34-36). "God" here though is defined as:
1) One whom we and all the world are created through.
2) Rightfully worshipped by angels and men.
3) Rightfully given praise and devotion by men.
4) Rightfully called our Lord and our God.
 
By the above definitions, Christ is God according to the following scripture.
1) Jn 1:3; Col 1:16-17 (other in Jehovah's Witness New World Trans. is their own addition)
2) Heb 1:6,9 (proskuneo in Greek), Rev 5:8-9, John 9:38
3) 2 Cor 11:3
4) John 20:28-29; Heb 1:8-9; Rev 22:20; Php 2:11 (Lord).
If you refuse to recognize Jesus in these four ways, there is no need to continue until you decide to repent and obey the Bible.
God’s people in the Bible boast of and give glory to Jesus Christ. Do You?
Gal 6:14, 1 Cor 1:23,30,31, 1 Cor 2:2, John 1:14, Php 2:10-11, 2 Peter 3:18.
How many times have you boasted of what Paul boasted of in Gal 6:14?
 
5. There is only One God, Not Three Separate Ones
Dt 4:35-9;6:4; Mk 12:29-33; Isa 43:10-2;44:6,8;45:5-6,14,21;46:9; Joe2:27;1Tm1:17;2:5;6:15-6
 
6. They are Co-equal in a Similar Way as a Father and Son Are Co-equal
John 5:18; 5:23; Col 2:9-10; (Is 44:6; Rev 1:8 vs. Rev 1:17-18; 22:13)
As John 5:18 shows, a father is equal in nature to the son he begets. Otherwise, your father must be greater than you, your grandfather greater than him, and your 100th ancestor must have been one super guy. People make things but "beget" only people. God made created things but "begets" only God, his only begotten Son. Shouldn't church worship be modeled after heavenly worship? If you have never sung or given glory to God and the Lamb, prayerfully read Rev 5:9,12-14.
 
7. They Differ in Role and Rank in a Similar Way as a Father and Son Differ
1 Cor 11:3; 15:25-28; Mt 12:18; Eph 1:17; John 1:33; 14:16,26,28; 20:17; Rom 8:26-27; 1 Peter 1:3-4. A Father is the head of a son, and God is the head of Christ. (1 Cor 11:3)
Starting with Augustine, who did not know Greek and probably had not read Tertullian, some Christians tend to neglect the 7th fact.
This tract has been endorsed by these University of Texas at Austin groups: Chinese Bible Study (CBS), Longhorn Life Campus Mission, the Navigators - UT, International Student Friendship Ministries, Baptist Student Union, and A.C.C.C.F. (1994)
 
The Holy Spirit 
According to Genesis 1:1 the Holy Spirit moved over the waters. Jesus and believers are baptized with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit does have the aspects of a force (like wind), or a thing (like water or oil). JW's believe that therefore, since the Holy Spirit has these aspects or a force or thing, the Spirit cannot have the aspects of a person.
 
The last statement is merely human wisdom, not God's revealed truth. Whatever man may say or think, the Holy Spirit has the aspects of a person as shown in the following passages. A JW might argue these scriptures could mean the Holy Spirit is still a thing, but more like a radio that communicates, a robot that moves, or an artificial intelligence program that guides. However, being comforted by a comforter that is a thing is cold comfort indeed. Living by a thing, a thing being like a parent to us, being loved by a thing, and having fellowship with a thing seem rather inconsequential. To say that "the Holy Spirit is a thing, but God made it to appear like a person" sounds like calling God a trickster. Since the Holy Spirit is a force (whether personal or impersonal), either He is a Person and all the scriptures listed below are full of meaning, or else He is impersonal and I do not know what meaning these verses have for you.
 
As a witness of Christ (Acts 1:8 Rev 20:4) as well as of Jehovah, I testify that the Holy Spirit guides me teaches me, and yes, even disciplines me in a Personal way. Better are even the discipline and rebuke from God's hand than the fairest pleasures apart from God's presence. Here are the verses:
 
Parakletos (the comforter, the one John 14:16,26, John 15:26
along side us)
Speaks to us Acts 13:2, Heb 3:7
 
Reminds us John 14:26
 
Like a parent, so we will not be John 14:18
orphans (orphanos in Greek)
Guides us John 16:13
 
Teaches us John 14:26 1 Cor 2:13
 
Lives in us 1 Cor 3:16, 2 Tim 1:14, Rom 8:9,11, Eph 2:22
 
In our hearts 2 Cor 1:22 Gal 4:6
 
We live by the Spirit Gal 5:16,25
 
Led by the Spirit Gal 5:18 Rom 8:9
 
He intercedes for us Rom 8:26-27
 
Can be insulted Heb 10:29
 
Testifies of Christ John 15:26
 
Has a mind Rom 8:27
 
Can be grieved Is 63:10, Eph 4:30
 
Chooses who to give gifts 1 Cor 12:11
 
Possesses love Rom 15:30
 
Can think things are good Acts 15:28
 
Is given to us Rom 5:5, 1 John 4:13
 
Searches deep things of God 1 Cor 2:9-10
 
God in us 1 John 4:12-13,15-16, Rom 8:9-10,
1 Cor 3:16, 6:19, John 14:23, 15:4
With us always Mt 28:20
 
Groans (and thus cares) for us Rom 8:26-27
 
Gives joy 1 Thess 1:6
Does your religion ever make you feel lonely and alone? Christ promised not to leave us a orphans (orphanos in the Greek), but Christ promised to come to us. (John 14:18) That's right, Jesus Himself promised that he and the Father would actually live in us (John 14:23).
 
Does Christ live in you? Perhaps you say he does not based on John 14:24. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit, for you can grieve Him (Ephesians 4:30). 1 Corinthians 3:16 declares that it is God's desired will that we be Temples of God, and that God's spirit dwells in us.
 
To see how the Spirit can feel, read Romans 15:30, where Paul witnesses of the love of the Spirit. The phase "by the love of the Spirit" means
a) the Spirit's love for us,
b) our love for the Spirit, or
c) both.
 
If the Spirit has love for us, He is a Person. If you have (or at least you are supposed to have) a love for the Spirit like your love for Christ, then He is a Person. If c) is true, then... the case is closed. Do you love the Spirit? If not, I invite you to repent and pray the short prayer below.
 
(A short note: Jesus in the Lord's prayer addressed the true God as "Our Father, who art (is) in heaven". Thus we can be confident that this is a proper way to address God and begin a prayer.)
 
Our Father, who is in heaven, I want your name to be glorified upon the earth. I repent of relying on man's religious books above your Holy word. Forgive me of the false prophecies and teachings I have believed. For even the errors I believed in ignorance, I admit I did not check them against the truth of your Word. Jehovah God, I do not even think I can find the truth without your Spirit, which I have not asked to come in me. But now, Jehovah, I ask the Holy Spirit, your Spirit, to dwell in my life. You promised not to despise a contrite heart, so please teach me, and guide me out of my errors and sinful ways, that I would walk according to your Spirit and learn what is meant by the fellowship of the Spirit. In the name of Jesus Christ, whose shed blood opened up the way for me to be with you, I pray. Amen.
 
If you have sincerely prayed this prayer then remember that God has promised the Spirit to all who earnestly seek Him. There is a very important book you just must read all the way through - the New Testament! If you cannot read ancient Greek (and most people cannot), I would suggest a translation done where all the translators knew Greek and Hebrew. Examples are the updated New American Standard, The New King James, or the New International Version. If you choose to read the Jehovah's Witnesses New World Translation, I need to tell you that one of the translators (Knorr) testified in a U.S. Court of Law that he did not even know Greek.

Indwelling of the Trinity
Indwelling, Not Mingling
It is crucial to both understand the intimacy of the relationship between Jesus and the Father and between them and us. For each statement, there are specific meanings 4 , and limitations on meaning D . Italicized verses give examples, Tilde "~" verses indicate but do not prove, and the other verses prove the points.

1. As Jesus is In the Father, We Are In Jesus, and Jesus Is In Us
ü There is a connection between these relationships: Father-Jesus, Jesus-Us, Us-Jesus. Jn14:20;17:23;6:57
D There is more to the Trinity than just this analogous relationship. Mt28:19;Jn1:1,18;Php2:6-7;Co1:15
ü 4 The Father, Jesus, and us all share some things, like eternal life.Jn16:13-15
The Father & Jesus "own" all in common. Jn16:15;17:10. The H.S. reveals this to us. Jn16:14-5
D The Father does not have some things we share with Jesus after His human birth. He1:6-10;2:14;7:3

2. As the Father and Jesus are One, We are to Be One
ü We are to be one with each other in some ways similar to the Father and Jesus. Jn17:11,21-22
D They are One in some ways we cannot be one. Jn 5:23

3. The Father lives in Jesus
ü On earth the Father lived in Jesus. Jn10:38;14:10-11. Jesus was filled with the Spirit. Lk4:1,18
ü If you really know Jesus, then you know the Father and have seen the Father. Jn14:7-9
D The Father did not become, progress, or turn into Jesus.He13:8;1:9;Jn14:10,24,26;15:1;16:27-8,32;17:5

4. Jesus lives in the Father
ü On earth Jesus was in the Father. Jn10:38;14:11
D They are distinct; Jesus was not a ventriloquist. Mt3:16;Jn8:18. Jesus was forsaken at Calvary. Mk15:34;Mt27:46
ü No one comes to the Father except through Jesus. Jn14:6;6:45;~8:24;Ac3:12
D As close as they were on earth, Jesus still would be going to the Father. Jn14:12;Mk16:19;Jn20:11
ü Jesus is called Everlasting Father, which may refer to being the source of everlasting life. Is9:6
D Jesus did not become, progress, or turn into the Father. He13:8;~Re5:13;Jn20:17;14:10,24,26;15:1

5. God/Father/Christ/the Spirit is in Us
ü People see God through us and in us.
D God does not live solely in us, any more than stars exist solely in telescopes. 1Tm6:16;Jr23:24;Re19:11
ü Father/Jesus/the Spirit also actually dwells/makes their home in every believer. Jn14:17,23;17:26;Rm8:9-11;Ga3:6;1Cr6:19;1Jn4:15-16;2Tm1:14
D God/Father/Christ/Spirit did not become us, or turn into sinful man. Jas1:13;He4:15:1Pt2:22;1Jn3:5
ü God works and acts in us and through us. Php2:13;1Cr15:10;Rm15:18-19
ü God's people, the church, are together Christ's body. 1Cr6:15;10:17;12:27;Ep4:12;Co1:24.
D We are not Christ's physical body. Co1:22. God is not limited to acting though us. Gen1;Ac9:1-6;Rev
ü Helping/Not helping us is the same as to Jesus Christ. Mt25:35-45;Jn13:20;Ac9:4-5;22:7-8;26:14-15
D People can praise or revile God directly without doing things to believers. Rm1:18-32;Rv9:20-21

6. We Live in God/Father/Christ/the Spirit
ü We are in Jesus and the Father. Jn17:21;Co2:6,12;3:3-4;1Jn4:12,15-16;5:20.
ü We must remain in Jesus Christ and in His love. Jn15:1-9;1Jn2:27
D We are not fully with God now; we still need to go and be with God. 2Cr5:8;1Cr13:12;Php1:23
ü Because Jesus lives, we will live. Jn14:19;Co3:4;1Cr15:12-22;~1Th4:13-17
D We do not become, progress, evolve, or turn into God or Christ; rather we become godly and Christ-like. Is42:8;43:10;~Re7:13;Rm8:29;1Jn3:2;Php3:21
ü We're new creations in Christ. 2Cr5:17;~Rm7:1-6. We've the mind of Christ. 1Cr2:16;~Rm12:2
D We do not become zombies; we are still to have our own (renewed) minds & personalities.1Cr6:2-6;11:13;13:11+14:20;Rm14:5-6

Early Church Teaching on the Trinity
The following church leaders of the early and post-Nicene church taught the doctrines of the Trinity. It is interesting to note that the Jehovah Witness Watchtower publication Can You Believe the Trinity? quotes most of these church fathers to attempt to show they did not believe in the Trinity.

Leader
References
Statements and Beliefs
Ignatius: disciple of John the Apostle died 107/116
17 places: Letter to Polycarp chapter 3 Ephesians 7
"Jesus is God"

"God Incarnate"
Diognetus (130)
To Mathetes
Christ sent as King, God, man, and savior
Justin Martyr: died 110/114-165
Dialogue with Trypho ch. 55-56,59,61-64,66,74-78
"Deserving to be worshipped as God and Christ." Erred in thinking a time before Christ existed.
Theophilus of Antioch (115-181)
To Autolycus 2:22
what else is this voice [in the Garden of Eden] but the Word of God, who is also His Son?
Tertullian died 200-220/240
Entire book Against Praxeus
First to use the term Trinity.
Irenaeus: disciple of John the Apos-tle. 120-202
Against Heresies 3:19:2
"Jesus is Himself in His own right, ...God, & Lord, ..."
Clement of Alexan-dria 153-220
Stromata 5:14,
The Instructor
"the Holy Trinity"
Hymn in praise of Jesus: "Lord of all time and space; Jesus Savior of our race;"
Hippolytus disciple of Irenaeus 170-236
Against the Heresy of One Noetus
"Son of God who, being God became man."
Origen of Alexan-dria 184-254
de Principis 1.3.8
Origen was very contro-versial in his time, but his views on the Trinity were not questioned.
"the power of the Trinity is one and the same." Origin erred on pre-existence of souls and eventual human universalism
Novatian 210-280
Treatise on the Trinity
enough said.
Athanasius died 296-373
Sermon on Luke 10:22
United without confusion, distinguished without separation, Indivisible without degrees
Basil of Cappadocia 329-379
Letter 8 to the Caesareans, On the Spirit
The Father is God, the Son is God, the Spirit is God. Discusses Arian controversy
Gregory of Nyssa 335-394
On Not Three Gods, Against Eunomius
nature of the Father & Son is the same
Hilary 353-368
Wrote a book on The Trinity
Enough said
Ambrose of Milan 340-397
On the Christian Faith
Holy, Holy, Holy in Rev 4:8 referred to the Trinity.

John Chrysostom 370-407
Homily 3 on John 1:1
Word’s eternity as a person; uncreated
Augustine of Hippo 354-430
Book: On the Trinity
Did not accept any difference in rank
Nestorius: Council of Ephesus 431
Started Nestorianism
His belief that Jesus was God was never criticized
Cyril of Alexandria 431-444
Nestorius’ main opponent at the Council of Ephesus
Started emphasis on Mary the mother of God. (unfortunately)
Patrick of Ireland 389-461
did not write much
famous cloverleaf analogy.

The Church Fathers on the Trinity
Ignatius (died 107/116)
About the Lord’s second coming "Look for Him that is above the times, Him who has not times, Him who is invisible, Him who for our sakes became visible, Him who is impalpable [beyond touch], Him who is impassable [beyond passion], Him who for our sakes suffered, Him who endured everything in every for our sakes." Letter to Polycarp chapter 3.

Diognetus to Mathetes (written 130)
"As a king sends his son, who is also a king, so sent He Him; as God(1) He sent Him; as to men He sent Him; as a Saviour He sent Him,..." ch.7 The footnote (1) says "God" here refers to the person sent.

Justin Martyr (110/114-165)
"for when we give out some word, we beget the word; yet not by abcission, so as to lessen the word [which remains] in us, when we give it out; and just as we see also happening in the case of a fire, which is not lessened when it has kindled [another], but remains the same;... The Word of Wisdom, who is Himself this God begotten of the Father of all things, and Word, and Wisdom, and Power, and the Glory of the Begetter, will bear evidence to me..." Dialogue with Trypho ch. 61.

Theophilus bishop of Antioch (115-181)
"For the divine writing itself teaches us that Adam said that he had heard the voice. But what else is this voice but the Word of God, who is also His Son? To Autolycus 2:22

Tertullian (200-220/240)
"The Word, therefore, is both always in the Father, as He says, ‘I am in the Father;’ and is always with God, according to what is written, ‘And the Word was with God;’ and never separate from the Father, or other than the Father, since ‘I and the Father are one.’" Against Praxeus chapter 8.

Irenaeus (120-202)
"But that He [Jesus] is Himself in His own right, beyond all men who ever lived, God, and Lord, and King Eternal, and the Incarnate Word, proclaimed by all the prophets, the apostles, and by the Spirit Himself, may be seen by all who have obtained to even a small portion of the truth." (Irenaeus Against Heresies 3:19:2).
"Know thou that every man is either empty or full. For if he has not the Holy Spirit, he has no knowledge of the Creator; he has not received Jesus Christ the life; he knows not the Father who is in heaven;..." (Against Heresies 3:16)
"She [the church] also believes these points [of doctrine] just as if she had but one soul.... For the churches which have been planted in Germany do not believe or hand down anything different nor do those in Spain nor those in Gaul, nor those in the East nor those in Egypt nor those in Libya, nor ..."

Hippolytus (170-236) after quoting part of John 1:1
"If, then the Word was with God and was also God what follows? Would one say that he speaks of two Gods? I shall not indeed speak of two Gods but of one; of two Persons however and of a third economy (disposition), viz., the grace of the Holy Ghost. For the Father indeed is One but there are two Persons because there is also the Son; and then there is the third the Holy Spirit. The Father decrees, the Word executes and the Son is manifested, through whom the Father is believed on. The economy of the harmony is led back to one God; for God is One. It is the Father who commands and the Son who obeys and the Holy Spirit who gives understanding; the Father is above all, and the Son who is through all and the Holy Spirit who is in all. And we cannot otherwise think of one God, but by believing in truth in Father and Son and Holy Spirit." Against the Heresy of One Noetus chapter 14.

Athanasius (296-373)
"United without confusion, distinguished without separation. Indivisible and without degrees." Sermon on Luke 10:22
"For it is only on the cross that a man dies with his hands spread out. Whence it was fitting for the Lord to bear this also and to spread out His hands that with the one He might draw the ancient people, and with the other those from the Gentiles and unite both in Himself." Incarnation 25:3

Basil of Cappadocia (329-379)
"when all the while they ought to confess that the Father is God, the Son God, and the Holy Ghost God, as they have been taught by the divine words,..." Letter 7 to Caesareans (p.116)

Hilary (353-368)
"The deeds of God therefore are beyond the understanding of our human nature and do not fit in with our rational process of thought because the operation of a limitless eternity demands an infinite comprehension of measuring things. So it is not a conclusion of reason but a limitation of power when God became man, when the Immortal dies, when the Eternal is buried. Again, on the other hand it does not depend on our manner of thinking but on omnipotence that He appears as God from a man, as immortal from one who is dead, and as eternal from one who is buried. Hence we are revivified by God in Christ through his death." Trinity 1:14
"Since unless things are of the same nature they are never accorded equal honor, and equality of honor does not bring about a separation in those who are being honored. But the mystery of the birth demands equality of honor." (on John 5:23)

Gregory of Nyssa (335-394)
"When we say that the Godhead of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost is one, and yet forbid men to say ‘there are three Gods’?" On "Not Three Gods"

Ambrose of Milan (340-397)
"These words, then, are written with regard to God, of which Name the dignity and truth are common to [both the Father and] the Son." Of the Christian Faith 3:3:17.

Summary
The church did not have non-Trinitarians. Gnostics, Arians, and other heretics were excluded from the church. The doctrines of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons and others are modern inventions.

Watchtower Statements on the Trinity
Watchtower magazine 2/1/1977 p.95 in Rom 10:12, the identity of "Lord" cannot be established with certainty from the context. In other words JW’s cannot say who their Lord is. (See 1 Cor 12:4-6).


"Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves." Matthew 7:15 

"Evangelical" Christianity (see our video "ECUMENICAL CHAOS: Going to Bed With Roman Catholic False Prophets & Idolaters" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S76Nvi6p0lw) is awash in bad theology (via Wesley & Finney), bad leadership (like Billy Graham & TBN), & Biblical ignorance (87% don't know the Gospel or what justificaton is) thus it seems to accept anyone who claims to be a Christian (like Romanists, Mormons, Seventh-day Adventists or whoever). For proof of this see the following: "Methodist Founder & Self Proclaimed Heathen John Wesley Said He Never Believed In or Loved God" (short version) at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_bz2RyShFI & "JOHN WESLEY, FOUNDER OF METHODISM & AN ARMINIAN, SAID HE DID NOT LOVE GOD & WAS "AN HONEST HEATHEN" (long version) at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Vo3ljr7ccs; BEWARE OF FALSE PROPHETS: CHARLES GRANDISON FINNEY - PHONY REVIVALIST & ARCH-HERETIC at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rUbi8AJRw4, "Exclusive Interview with Dave Hunt about the Gospel-less Mother Teresa & Compromiser Billy Graham" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YtX1DirDI4&list=UUQ_EDvOtDAAWfCvGUhd6y3A, Our playlist "Dealing with Phony TV Preachers (TBN) & King James Onlyites" at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2CDA855486B09128 & "SAD STATE OF THE CHURCH: 87% OF EVANGELICAL "CHRISTIANS" DON'T KNOW WHAT GOSPEL JUSTIFICATION IS" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=im4ozy_EiR4. See our playlist "Dealing with Roman Catholicism, Idolatry & the Virgin Mary" with 119 videos at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFFA8D69D1B914715, our playlist "Dealing with Mormonism, the Religion of Mitt Romney & Utah" with 20 videos at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL11CD0EE613306BB5 & our playlist "Dealing with Seventh-day Adventism & Their "Prophetess" at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5316CC6F66F24283 with 23 videos. Billy Graham's false views on universal salvation & hell distort the Gospel message & is another reason he is so popular with the world (Galatians 1:6-10, see our playlist "Dealing with Hell, Lake of Fire, Unpopular Bible Doctrines" with 30 videos at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE04A1D0DFE95B95E). Please reference the websites: www.BereanBeacon.org & www.CWRC-RZ.org. The simple Biblical fact is that few are going to be saved from the wrath of God & hell (Luke 13:23-30, Matthew 7:13-29, etc.); see our video on this: "Unpopular Bible Doctrines #2: Many "Christians" Are Not Real; God Loves Judgment; No Forgiveness" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJIlReP9SFw. All the ecumenical "love" & "harmony" in the world is not going to change the fact that God still hates false religions (Deuteronomy 28:64, 32:17, 21, Leviticus 17:7, Psalm 106:37, Jeremiah 44:3, 1 Corinthians 10:20, see also http://biblehub.com/deuteronomy/32-17.htm) & false doctrine (Revelation 2:6,14-15, 2 Peter 2:15, etc.). Thus following the Bible alone is the only safe path to travel (2 Timothy 3:15-17, 4:2-5, 1 Timothy 1:3-11, 6:3-5, etc.; see our video "WITHOUT "SOLA SCRIPTURA" (THE BIBLE ALONE), WHO IS TELLING THE TRUTH?" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcMnF6tgya0). 2 Timothy 2:15  

The Only True Church - Hear the following: "Is the Pope in the True Church?" at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=820752920, "The One True Church" at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=81212170178, "Papacy's Claim to have the Authority of the Apostle Peter, Roman Catholicism, Pope" at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=121312161512, "Institutes of the Christian Religion #42 The Ancient Form of Goverment Utterly Corrupted by the Tyranny of the Papacy/Antichrist" at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=21308121690 & see our playlist "Dealing with Roman Catholicism, Idolatry & the Virgin Mary" at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFFA8D69D1B914715.
Just about everyone who has started a movement has declared themselves the only true church on earth. In this they claim one must join their exclusive group or organization to be saved and to be a Christian. Many believe there has been a complete apostasy already, so there is need of a full restoration. While God does have a true Church on earth, he has already stated how one enters to be part of this Church. First lets go through the many familiar and some not so familiar groups that claim to be the ONE TRUE CHURCH. Then we will look at how one enters the true church.
Mormonism LDS- 13th LDS President Ezra Taft Benson, “This is not just another Church. This is not just one of a family of Christian churches. This is the Church and kingdom of God, the only true Church upon the face of the earth...” (Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, p.164-165). This church is the only true and living church on the face of the whole earth (D and C 1:30) “There is no salvation outside the church of Jesus Christ of Latter -day Saints (Mormon Doctrine, p.670)
“Behold there are save two churches only; the one is the Church of the Lamb of God and the other is the church of the devil; wherefore who so belongeth not to the church of the lamb of God belongeth to that great church; which is the mother of abominations; and she is the whore of all the earth.” (The Book of Mormon, 1 Nephi 14:10)
on April 8, 1973, LDS Apostle Mark E. Petersen proclaimed that salvation “comes only through the Church itself as the Lord established it... Therefore it was made clearly manifest that salvation is in the Church, and of the Church, and is obtained only through the Church.”
“The Roman Catholic, Greek, and Protestant church, is the great corrupt, ecclesiastical power, represented by great Babylon....” (Orson Pratt,  Writings of an Apostle, “Divine Authenticity,” no.6, p.84).
the LDS church is, “the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth, with which I, the Lord, am well pleased ...” Brigham Young (Mormonism's Second President)
“Our message is so imperative, when you stop to think that the salvation, the eternal salvation of the world, rests upon the shoulders of this Church. When all is said and done, if the world is going to be saved, we have to do it “ (“Church Is Really Doing Well,” Church News (a bi-weekly publication by the Mormon church),  July 3 1999, 3)
Jehovah’s Witnesses- The Gospel of the Kingdom ceased to be proclaimed shortly after the death of the apostles. It was not preached again until after 1918.(WT, 12/1/1928, pp. 363-64)
We acknowledge as the visible organization of Jehovah on earth the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, and recognize the Society as the Channel or instrument through which Jehovah and Christ Jesus give instruction and meat in due season to the household of faith. (Watchtower, April 15, 1939 p. 125)
“ The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society the one and only channel which the Lord has used in dispensing his truth continually since the beginning of the harvest period?” (WT 4/1/1919, p. 6414)
“The world is full of Bibles…why then do the people not know which was to go? Because, they do not also have the teaching or law of the mother, which is light.”(WT 5/1/1957, p.274)
“Outside the true Christian congregation what alternative organization is there? Only Satan’s organization…”(Watchtower 3/1/1979 p.24)
“Consider too, the fact that Jehovah's organization alone in all the earth is directed by God's holy spirit or active force.” (Watchtower, July 1, 1973, page 402)
Iglesia ni Cristo- “the complete disappearance of the first-century Church of Christ and the emergence of the Catholic Church” (Pasugo, July-Aug. 1979, p. 8).
Thus, outside the Church of Christ no one can be considered a true believer.'' (PASUGO, September/October 1981, p.9)
“Each member ... should submit himself to the Administration of the Church in order to be saved.”(PASUGO, January 1976, p. 9)
''People who embraced the true church will be saved not because of the good deeds they have done, but through God's merciful act of commissioning messengers entrusted with words of reconciliation.'' (PASUGO September/October 1986, p. 20)
International Church of Christ - “There is one church! There is one God. There is one kingdom of God and this is it! (The Great Commission, audio tape, Weger/Rock, Hodge/Hamann/Fulcher/Fields)
“you are in the only family that exists on the face of the earth.”( Phil Lamb, We Are Family, audio tape 1990 West Coast Conf.)
“We're the last hope the world has. Nobody else is going to do what we're doing. Nobody else has the right message. Nobody else has the right commitment.”( Gordon Ferguson, Radical Men, Radical Times Hosea Radical Love of God, Manila World Leadership Conf., Aug. 1994 )
“your salvation is hanging in the balance. .... When you walk away from the movement of God, there is no where to walk. Walking out of the light into the darkness. There is nobody else There is nobody else in this country that That has the true gospel -- that is, trying to make disciples of Jesus. There is nobody else in this entire world. This is the movement of God! There is no place to go.” (Nick Young. Tulsa Reconstruction meeting, August, 1992, audio one, side two)
“When you preached who is really saved: that you gotta have faith, you gotta repent, you gotta become a true disciple of Jesus, and then you gotta be water immersed for the forgiveness of sins received through the Holy Spirit, that excludes all other denominations…everybody else out there.”( Kip McKean. “Preach the Word.” Johannesburg World Missions Leadership Conference. Aug. 1995, audiotape #10091, side 2)  
True Jesus Church- On 5. on the web they emphatically state “The True Jesus Church is the true church restored by God through the Holy Spirit of the latter rain. She is the revival of the apostolic church in the end times.” on the web “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by Me” (John 14:6). Therefore, one can receive eternal life only through the true church.”
The Philadelphia church- Mr. Flurry “The “household” is God's Family or true church. It's the family that God rules. This is God's inner circle--His very elect. One servant, one leader or one man is made ruler over God's church. Only this church (The PCG) gives meat in due season. Only this church is doing God's work!” (The Philadelphia Trumpet, p.1 May 1995)
“Some in the world try to label the PCG a cult. Actually, we are God's only true representative on this earth!...”( The Philadelphia Trumpet, p. 19 March, 1994)
“...that truth is in only one church today, God's church. Only God's Philadelphia Church has retained God's Law in this end time” (The Philadelphia Trumpet , p.5 March 1994).
Roman Catholic Church-”But by divine institution it is the exclusive task of these pastors alone, the successors of Peter and the other Apostles, to teach the faithful authentically, that is with the authority of Christ ....” (Vatican Council II Vol. 2, p. 430, 1984)
“If anyone says that in the Roman Church, which is the mother and mistress of all churches, there is not the true doctrine concerning the sacrament of baptism, let him be anathema.” (The Canons And Decrees Of The Council Of Trent, p. 53 -- Seventh Session, Sacrament Of Baptism, Canon 3)
“This loyal submission of the will and intellect must be given, in a special way, to the authentic teaching authority of the Roman Pontiff, even when he does not speak ex cathedra in such wise, indeed, that his supreme teaching authority be acknowledged with respect, and that one sincerely adhere to decisions made by him, conformably with his manifest mind and intention ....” (Vatican Council II ,Vol. 1, p. 379)
The Second Vatican Council’s Decree on Ecumenism explains: “For it is through Christ’s Catholic Church ALONE, which is the universal help toward salvation, that the fullness of the means of salvation can be obtained.”
Pope Boniface VIII declared: “There is one holy Catholic and apostolic church, outside of which there Is NO SALVATION ... it is altogether NECESSARY FOR SALVATION for every creature to be subject to the Roman Pontiff.' (“infallible papal bull, Unam Sanctam)  Vatican II declared:  ... this holy Council teaches ... that the church .. Is NECESSARY FOR SALVATION.” (VATICAN COUNCIL II, Costello Publishing, Austin Flannery, O.P., General Editor, Vol 1, pp. 364-365) 
All Christians will be gathered in a common celebration of the Eucharist, into the unity of the one and only Church, ... The unity, we believe subsists in the Catholic Church as something she can never lose. (Vatican II, Decree on Ecumenism, chap. 1, 4, p. 416).
The local Church (Witness Lee)- When we were in the denominations, we were blind. I do not believe that any dear Christians who have really received sight from the Lord could still remain in the denominations. Everyone who sees must leave the fold and enter the pasture, under the sunshine, in the fresh air, in liberty. Where are you now? Are you in the fold, or are you now in the pasture? Allow me to say this: if anyone is still in the fold, he is blind. Of course, a blind person requires the fold to keep him. But when he receives his sight, he will swiftly leave the fold for the pasture, for the sunshine, for the fresh air.” (Witness Lee, Christ Versus Religion LSM, 197,1 p.109-110)
The only way to follow the Lord absolutely is to go the way of the local church. (Witness Lee, The Practical Expression...p.94)
If you leave the church (the Local Church), you miss the mark of the Lord's testimony. You must be in the testimony of Jesus. Only the golden lampstands, the local churches, are the testimony of Jesus....if you are not in the local churches you are not the testimony of Jesus.”( Witness Lee, The Stream magazine Nov. 1976, p.7)
House of Yahweh-”With all the Churches and Religious Organizations in these Last Days preaching what they call Salvation, why would Yahweh need to establish another organization in order to get his way--the True Way of Salvation--taught?
“The One Body of Messiah IS The House of Yahweh! “...IF we 'separate' from the One Body of Messiah: The House of Yahweh, then we succumb to Satan, then at that very moment we become worshipers of Satan...of if one LEAVES The Body - The only Prophesied, Established Work that Yahweh Himself has chosen, then that one does NOT partake, or is NO LONGER a partaker, with the rest of The body of Messiah - The House of Yahweh” (What Yahweh's Feasts Mean to You, pp. 78, 87).
“ The churches in the world today do not even pretend to keep Yahweh’s Laws. How could they pretend such a thing anyway, they all blatantly rebel against every one of them.... It should be very obvious why Yahweh had to establish His House in these Last Days--the Christian Churches are not The House of Yahweh. They do not stand in Yahweh’s counsel. They are not the Pillar and Ground of the Truth. They do not teach Yahweh’s Laws, therefore, they do not turn the people away from sin--breaking Yahweh’s Laws.”
“I urge you to obtain the books … and start learning the true way to Salvation. This way is not taught in the world by any organization, other than the one established by Yahweh--The House of Yahweh.”
Hawaii fellowship of the Universal World Church “a voice thundered and uttered these words “This is my daughter in whom I am well pleased. As Jesus, my son, paid the price through his faithfulness upon the cross.. my anointed daughter, Miss Velma, has paid the price through her faithfulness at the golden altar. Therefore, all who will believe in her, will receive my gift of eternal youth which is new revelation Mamre.” (The mighty Miracle of the new Revelation of Mamre p.49-50) The new Revelation of Mamre is the greatest gift ever given to a people by almighty God. “(The mighty Miracle of the new Revelation of Mamre p.7)
“Miss Velma has paid the price! She has become the sacrificial offering required by God that all of mankind may reap one of god's greatest rewards, new revelation Mamre”( ibid.p.51)
7th day Adventists-”I saw that God has honest children among the nominal Adventists and the fallen churches, and before the plagues shall be poured out, MINISTERS AND PEOPLE WILL BE CALLED OUT FROM THESE CHURCHES and will gladly receive the truth....But the light will shine, and ALL WHO ARE HONEST WILL LEAVE THE FALLEN CHURCHES, and take their stand with the remnant” (Early Writings, p. 261 )
We can see the common thread of these churches. They are separatists and deny anyone else can have the right message.  That one must come to their CHURCH to be saved.   That is the common deviation from Scripture and what makes them a cult. 1 Jn.2:19 “they went out from us but they were not of us, if they had been of us , they would have continued with us, but they went out that they might be made known that none of them were of us.” This was already occurring in the early church.
Now that we have read through just a few churches that claim exclusivity to being the only representatives of Christ and God on earth. We need to go to the Bible to see what it states on this matter. It is possible that one of these groups that claim this can be right. But it is impossible for all of them to be right since they all claim exclusivity.  Who would know? Jesus who is the head of the Church would know, and the Apostles he appointed to write down his teachings are the ones we need to go to, to find the truth.
What is the Church?
The first time we find the word Church is in Mt.16:18 where Jesus said he will build his church upon the revelation the Father gave Peter when he openly confessed that Christ is “ the Son of the living God.”  “Upon this rock I will build my church.”  So this must be the Churches confession of faith, if not, then it is not the Church. What this meant in the Judaic culture is that Christ is equal to God, having the same nature as his Father.
The Scripture is clear only God is to be worshipped Ex.34:14: “For thou shall worship no other God for the Lord (Yahweh), whose name is jealous, is a jealous God.” The Church worships God and also worships Christ. The Father in Heb.1:6 tells all the angels to worship the Son. Both the Father and the Son are worshipped in heaven (Rev.4-5) and on earth. The Bible teaches that Jesus is not only worshipped, but also called God by Thomas in Jn.20:28 “My Lord, my God.” (Greek- The Lord of me, the God of me).  We find the wise men worshipped Jesus as a child. Mt.2:11.The leper worshipped Jesus Mt.8. The ruler bowed and worshipped Mt.9:18 .The believer who was blind worshipped him Jn.9:38. The women worshipped him Mt. 15:25, Mary Magdalene worshipped him Mt.28:9, the disciples worshipped him Mt.28:17.Jesus was worshipped just as the Father was worshipped.
It is called the Church of God which he had purchased with his own blood (Acts 20:28). After Christ raised from the dead and ascended he sent the Holy Spirit to birth a new entity, the church. The Greek word is ekklesia (which is used 114 times in the New Testament) which means a called out assembly (Ek = out of, Kaleo= to call). It is never used of a building or of the kingdom of God. The Church is not the kingdom, but included in it. The Church is a invisible living spiritual organism, composed of all the believers world wide, from the time of its inception on Pentecost, until the taking away of the Church at the rapture. Its origin is found in God as the Holy Spirit gave it its birth in Acts 2:1-4 with the disciples and the Jews at Pentecost in v.33.  And we become part of this same Church today the same way they did, by spirit baptism,  being born again of the Spirit.  No one joins the Church unless they are first joined to Christ. This is why Jesus said you must be born again, (by the Spirit Jn.3:5) not join the Church! The Church began in Jerusalem, not Rome. Any Church that does not trace its start to Jerusalem on Pentecost is not His church. Those who claim the Church needed to be restored from an apostasy are not part of the original Church.  Jesus said the gates of hell would not prevail against the Church, she would never be overcome, no matter how many were killed, it would never result in a complete apostasy.  So any church claiming theirs as a restoration can't be traced back to the original.
Jesus told Peter: “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” (Matt. 16:18). Meaning it would not remove it nor hinder it's growth, work or people. If his Church had apostatized then the gates of hell would have prevailed against it, which makes Christ a liar, that is uncomfortable even for the cult's to say. Christ will not abandon his bride, he said he would always be with.  How could Christ be with his Church always if his Church ceased to exist for over 1800 years? The Church is already made and continues to grow through history.  No devil or man can stop or hinder it because Jesus is the architect, not man. While it is valid to claim that there needs to be repentance or reformation throughout the church's history, to get back to the bible when we drift. To restore a church from apostasy has quite a different meaning.  
The true Church is built upon what Peter said Christ is- The Son of the living God- the eternal one. We can only have this by revelation the same way Peter did, from heaven. It is not man revealing this truth but God himself.
Christ teaches In Matthew 28:20 he said, “I am with you always even until the end of the world.” And in John 14:16, 18 he said, “And I will pray to the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, to be with you forever. . . . I will not leave you desolate.” Christ promised that nothing would prevail against his Church, that he would be with it always, that the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, the third person of the Holy Trinity would be with her always.  Christ will not abandon his bride.  How could Christ be with his Church always if his Church ceased to exist for 1800 years?
We are the Church
We (the people) are the Church, which is likened to the temple 1 Pet. 2:5 “you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” We are bricks cemented together our spiritual sacrifice is ourselves, our lives. As Rom.12:2 tells to present ourselves as living sacrifices. We no longer sacrifice animals for a sin offering but present ourselves, our lives to God continually each day to be used by Him.
1 Cor.3:16 teaches that each of us as individuals are the temple of God because “the Spirit of God dwells in you.” You are not Christ's possession or part of his Church unless you have the proof by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. (by the way this does not mean one must speak in tongues or have another spiritual manifestation).
We are called Col. 1:24: “His body, which is the church” 2 Cor. 6:16 that “we are the temple of the living God.” As God has said: “I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”
2 Cor.3:7 The church will be God's dwelling place. together we are the temple (the church) the dwelling of God. Christ “In You” is the hope of glory.
Eph. 2:20-22: “Having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone, in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”  Jesus is the cornerstone and the apostles the foundation stones. Paul explains further in Eph. 4:15-16: “but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head-- Christ-- from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.” The Church is a living temple made up of bricks whom are the people. We are all interdependent on one another.  Just as a house is not made with one brick but all are cemented together.
Each brick has a different gifting and talents and all are to be used so that the body can be healthy. Just as Paul's example of the outside of the body we are all different and the least is to be honored as much as the greatest. Certainly the pancreas adrenal glands on the inside of the body if they were not functioning would affect the rest of its health.
Heb 3:1-6: “For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God. And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward, but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.”
How Does one Join the Church?
1 Cor. 12:27: “Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.” Notice collectively and individually.  This means one does not have to belong to a certain denomination or group but to Christ.
No one is told to join the Church by the apostles because it is an automatic placing of one in the body of which Christ is the head. 2 Cor.5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”  We are put in Christ to become a new creature, not in a Church.   Becoming part of a Church is the natural outcome of the new birth.
Jn.1:12-13 “ But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” To be born of God is to have the Holy Spirit regenerate the dead spirit in man back to a relationship with God.   This comes through Christ alone, no Church or minister can give you this.
1 Cor.12:12-13 “For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body-- whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free-- and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.” This is how one enters the Church by the Spirit who comes inside us and unites us with the rest of the body which is invisible and visible. Paul writes in Rom.3:24: “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”  This is one of Paul's favorite technical terms. Paul points to our spiritual life coming from being connected to the Son. It is Christ that uses examples to show us that He is the gate, the door, the way.  We enter the Church (become part of the church) by a person and his work for us. As we come to Christ He puts each one in his spiritual body the Church. You don’t join a church but are born into a family that is the Church. And it is not limited to a local body but a worldwide family of faith.
When Paul was persecuting the church, Jesus said he was persecuting him, because he was the owner of it, we are his body and his Spirit indwells those who he killed.  By killing Christians he was fighting against Christ himself. The Church is Christ's invisible body on earth.  The Church is called “the Church of God”  Eph.5:23-24: “also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.” 24... “the Church is subject to Christ.” The Church is ruled by God, just as our body takes instructions from its head. Col.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 may have the preeminence.”  If we want to obey the truth we receive our sustenance and instructions from Christ alone, collectively and individually!
Jesus referred to those who were part of his body/ Church as “my sheep”. In John 10:16, Jesus spoke of other sheep which were not of this fold, them also I must bring and they will hear my voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd. What he meant is that the Gentiles outside the nation of Israel were to be grafted into the covenant and have him as their shepherd. You are the branches “I am the vine.” All these relate to our connection to the Son who brings us to the Father, and is the source of our eternal life. We cannot produce fruit apart from him Jn.17. Mark 6:34  “So He began to teach them many things.” Listening to Christ is the first step to having him be your shepherd, you then become a disciple by following his teachings.  The leaders or shepherds are to train the sheep to hear the chief shepherds voice.
The word “Church of Christ” is not singular but plural in the Scriptures, which is a problem for those that call themselves the exclusive Church of Christ.1 Cor.1:2, 1 Cor.10:32, also Rom.16:16 calls them the Churches of Christ. Rev.1:20 says Christ holds the seven golden lamp stand's, the seven stars and the messengers (angels) of the seven churches in his hand showing his control. This becomes a problem for numerous groups that claim the name “Church of Christ”, since it is plural not single.   Likewise for the Jehovah’s Witnesses, since they are Jehovah’s “organization” and not a Church nor Christ’s.  Not because of name only, but because they do not look to Christ as the head. Actually if one asks the question to these groups who is the head of your Church?  You can various answers from a prophet, apostle, a revelator, to a Pope.  Even those who claim Christ can have a different Jesus from the Scriptures. (2 Cor.11:4) So we must examine who Jesus is to them and their relationship to him.
Rev 2:23 “and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works.” Only God is able to search the heart and give rewards.
The Church's Purpose
The true Church teaches the bible alone, and promotes evangelism to fulfill the commission Christ gave in Mt.28:18-19. Our purpose Eph. 3:9-10:  “... to make all men see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things; that through the Church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places.” This is done by teaching the Scriptures equipping the body for our growth first then for the work of ministry Eph.4. So the message can go out to there communities. We are to gather to be taught, equipped for ministry so we can evangelize to bring others to the Lord. The church is a spiritual hospital for sinners so they can be healed from sin. The church is not a building to meet in to come to the Church, instead we should be going out being the church.  We have a mission.  To make disciples and grow in their relationship with God. We have them join in the body, whether its our particular local body or another that is part of the church universal. Everyone needs to be involved in a local body of believers, an assembly to help bring health to themselves and the body.
Different churches have different focuses and different ways of doing ministry. Within the main framework of evangelism there is other ministries, this does not mean any one way is the only way as a long as it is all biblical. Each church may have a specific way to minister to its own communities needs and essentially have different focuses.  It is from this variety God is able to meet the needs of individuals and their personalities.
The One TRUE Church
The true Church holds to the core beliefs of Christianity without subtracting or adding to them. Christ is the eternal God come in the flesh, there is one God and 3 distinct identities (persons) who exist simultaneously as the One God. The virgin conception, the sinfulness of man and the need of a savior, the new birth, the Gospel which is the death burial and physical resurrection, the 2nd coming, baptism, eternal mediator and priesthood of Christ, the priesthood of all believers, the infallibility and inerrancy of Scripture, judgment and rewards to the believers.  These are the essentials that are clarified in the Scriptures.
If the Church one attends does not hold to these essential beliefs, they are not Christ's Church no matter what name they have on their outside or on paper. This is not my opinion, but the Bibles explanation what the apostles taught through the Gospels, the book of Acts, and in the Epistles.
In conclusion there is one true Church, but it is not found in a certain denomination or group by itself.  Those who claim you must join their group or Church to be right with God, only prove they do not understand what the word Church or body of Christ means.  It is not exclusive but inclusive, as it is found in the heart of all those who have accepted the true Jesus, and have come to God the way He has provided (through His son on the cross), and hold to the essentials of the faith. Whether one is Lutheran, Anglican, Baptist, Presbyterian, Episcopalian, Charismatic, or Pentecostal, etc. The Church transcends denominational barriers, it exists within denominations, as well as outside of them.  This is the Universal Church that has continued from the beginning of Pentecost.  While denominations may have differences on peripheral issues, they do hold to the core beliefs that make them all part of the body of Christ, the Church.
Two items that come in handy in knowing about when Romanists argue that anything said against the Roman "church" is not the truth is to tell them about the following two items: 1. The following website is by self proclaimed Roman Catholics following the so-called "true church" (in other words their Roman church is their true savior not the Biblical Jesus Christ) at http://www.mostholyfamilymonastery.com/. These Romanists destroy the new Romanists since the invention of Vatican 2 in 1965. They present great information proving modern Romanism & their popes (they call them anti-popes) to be a false & apostate religion. It doesn't get much better than this when one group of apostate Romanists attack another brand of apostate Romanists in order to prove to the world they are false! 2. Our video "The Homosexual Pope, Priests, Universalists, Evolutionists & Disunited Roman Catholic Apologists" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hThonwrX6QU&list=PLFFA8D69D1B914715  proves from Roman Catholic sources themselves that one of their popes was a practicing homosexual, that almost 50% of Roman Catholic priests are homosexuals (for more on this see our video "FORMER ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST SAYS CHURCH OF ROME HAS A FALSE GOSPEL & WIDESPREAD HOMOSEXUALITY" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0y4C-nBQ3mE), that the Roman church buys the theory of evolution which denies the first eleven chapters of Genesis in the Bible, that Pope John Paul II kissed the Muslim Qur'an & said Islam has the same god as Roman Catholics have (see the videos "Top Ten Reasons Muhammad Is Not a Prophet" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MO8sZ1JyP1A, "Ten MORE Reasons Muhammad Is Not a Prophet" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4p7HuuhF8k, "50 Reasons Muhammad Was Not a Prophet (in Under Five Minutes)" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Q3f15NXrLI, "David Wood: Five Reasons the Quran Is Not the Word of God" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvlzlBov9zc, "Who Killed Muhammad?" at  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6st_tFj6ouM, "Why Did Muhammad Wear Women's Clothing?" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-50CraaniT0; also see www.AnsweringMuslims.com & www.MuslimHope.com) & how Roman Catholic apologists are at each others' throats because of the vast differences within Romanism itself. Besides all that see the following websites for detailed information on Romanism & how it is a counterfeit religion at http://www.BereanBeacon.org, http://www.CWRC-RZ.org & http://www.mtc.org/.
Remember Titus 1:9-16,
"9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
10 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:
11 Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.
12 One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, the Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.
13 This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;
14 Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.
15 Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.
16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate."
http://www.BibleQuery.org http://www.historycart.com/ http://www.muslimhope.com/
John 14:6

Hear "Why You Can Believe The Bible" by Voddie Baucham at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=91314616480 & Dr. James White concerning "Can I Trust My Bible?" at http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?seriesOnly=true&currSection=sermonstopic&sourceid=immanuelbc&keyword=Can+I+Trust+My+Bible%3F&keyworddesc=Can+I+Trust+My+Bible%3F which includes "Textual Criticism: Reliability, Answering Critics, Bible Versions & Sufficiency of Scripture."
How Do We Know the Bible is True? Is it Really the Word of God? Many critics of Christianity attack the Bible’s truthfulness.  Many don’t believe it because they say it was written by man.  Is the Bible really God speaking to man?  Is the Bible of human origin or a direct revelation from God? The Bible The word Bible is from the root word “biblios” which is Greek for “little books.“  The Bible contains 66 books and was written by 40 authors.  The books you see in most Bibles have been tried and tested and were generally accepted by the early church.  For centuries the Bible was not available to the general public due to their being only hand-copied ones available.  The Bible has been banned from many nations, it has been burned by others, it has been declared out of date by moderns, but it has brought salvation to untold millions.  It is the unbridled truth and the unchangeable Word of God that changes those who read it.  When people read it, it reads them too!  It comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable.  What follows is conclusive evidence that we can believe that the Bible is God speaking to us and not just the words of men. Thus Says the Lord or Thus Says Man?
If the Bible were indeed a work of man, then we would expect some of the words to say, “thus says the prophet Jeremiah” or “thus says Peter an Apostle of God” but it doesn’t.  From what I could count, “Thus says the Lord” is recorded 418 times.  If it were of human origin, then we would read somewhere that the Bible or the message came from a certain author but we never see that anywhere.  On the contrary, we read over 1,000 times where “Jesus said” and “Thus says the Lord” were written down.  In fact, even the Book of Revelation is not called John’s Book of Revelation at all.  In Revelation 1:1-2 we see where the words of this book came from: “The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place.  He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John.” So John was just the recipient of the book as he just wrote down what he was told.  Paul said, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Tim 3:16).   Paul clearly said that all Scripture is God-breathed…not just the New Testament or the Old Testament, but all Scripture.  Peter reiterates it by writing, “For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Pet 1:21).  Peter would tell you that “you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation” (2 Pet 1:20).
God gives a very serious warning to anyone who takes away or adds to any of the words in the Bible, indicating that only He gives the words of this book and no human had better tamper with it.  In Revelation 22:19 God warns that if anyone adds to or takes away any of the words of the Bible, He “…shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city (heaven or the new Jerusalem)”. This same warning is given in the Old Testament in Deuteronomy 4:2.

Alleged Errors in Transcribing
When the Word of God was reproduced to make another copy, well before the printing press was invented, there were 70 scribes that worked on it with expert precision second to none.  Imagine that each of the scribes had the other sixty-nine scribes check their writings for error. Each of these seventy scribes reviewed each other’s work and every written copy, letter by letter, line by line, book by book were examined meticulously.  If any errors were found, the started all over again on that particular book or page.  Imagine you’re one of the scribes and you have just finished a section.   Now the other sixty-nine scribes check your work and compare it to the original.  The amazing fact is that their methods resulted in such an accurate reproduction of scripture that only one error for every fifteen hundred words occurred and these errors were so slight that they never affected the content. This copying left absolutely no room for any private interpretation or mistranslation at all.  By modern standards, the accuracy rate is superior to that of Microsoft’s Spelling and Grammar Check, which by the way is not perfect.  When you consider the stringent guidelines and conditions, no one can dispute that the translation differences had any negative effect on the message of the Bible or its general context.
Manuscript Evidence
New Testament manuscripts have been preserved by the thousands and the fact is that no other ancient works in human history have such enormous documented and recorded histories as does the Bible.  There are about 6,000 complete or fragmented Greek manuscripts, 10,000 Latin manuscripts and over 9,000 manuscripts in various other ancient languages.  The dates of these manuscripts range from the 2nd century up to the invention of the printing press in the 15th century. Nearly ever year there are more New Testament manuscripts discovered that were handwritten in the original Greek format which continues to add to the enormous collection already on hand.  In 2008, 47 new Greek manuscripts were discovered in Albania.  Of these, 17 of them were unknown to Western scholars.
The fact is that the amount of manuscript evidence is astounding.  There are over 25,000 New Testament manuscripts of which 5,000 of these date from the first century. What that translates into for Historians is what is called a primary source.  A primary source is a source that comes from eye witnesses.  The nearly 6,000 Dead Sea Scrolls are so close in agreement, contextually, that there is only 0.01% in differences and the main differences are only in the differentiation of vowels.  In no way do these miniscule differences affect the text or the context.
One of the greatest supportive facts is that the evidence verifies the dating of Matthew’s Gospel as far back as A.D. 60.  Scholars argue that Mark wrote the first Gospel.  This places the composition of Mark to within 20 years of the events that took place and were recorded in his Gospel. With the evidence that the synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) and Luke’s second volume, Acts, were written so close to the time of the crucifixion, the record of the events of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection makes these facts indisputable.  Luke and Acts was originally one book but was later separated into two books for the reader’s convenience but the content never changed.  The fact that they were written within the lifetimes of those who were eyewitnesses is evidence strong enough to hold up in a court of law.  Since the Old and New Testament manuscripts have been preserved by the thousands and there are no other ancient works in human history to compare to it, what we have today in the Bible is as a reliable source as any current historical account or newspaper printed today.  The Bible is the Word of God, as men were moved by the Holy Spirit to write it.  It is God speaking to us and it is without error and full of truth.


If God has revealed Himself in propositional form, that revelation would have certain properties due to His infinite knowledge and moral perfection:
It would be entirely true - His infinite knowledge would prevent errors and His truthfulness would keep Him from deception.
It would be a coherent unity, therefore not self- contradictory.
It would contain God's will for man, and provide the motivation to live according to that will (1).
God has revealed Himself in the Bible without error. The Bible itself claims this inerrancy (2 Timothy 3:16-17 (2); Matthew 5:18 (3); etc.). Let's look at some of the proofs for the Bible's claim to be the infallible word of God.
Archaeological evidence
The first proof we have testifying to the reliability of the Bible is the archaeological evidence. Nelson Glueck, a respected Jewish archaeologist claims: "It may be stated categorically that no archaeological discovery has ever contradicted a biblical reference." (4) The liberals made wild claims against the Bible a hundred years ago but now they are silent. This is not true of other religions. The Mormon claim for inspiration of the Book of Mormon has been categorically condemned by the Smithsonian Institute because of the fallacies shown by archaeology; this is not so with the Bible. A.N. Sherwin-White, a respected classical historian at Oxford says, "For Acts the confirmation of historicity is overwhelming...", although, not being a Christian, he still regarded it as being "propaganda."(5)
Historicity of Jesus
A case in point is the historicity of Jesus. Although many atheists state that Jesus never lived, He is mentioned by many contemporary, non-Christian historians. Let us look at the evidence.
Flavius Josephus, a first century Jewish historian wrote of Jesus and the Christians:
"so he [Ananus, son of Ananus the high priest] assembled the sanhedrin of judges, and brought before him the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ, whose name was James, and some others (or some of his companions) and when he had formed an accusation against them, he delivered them to be stoned." (6)
Other Jewish rabbinical writings, including Rabbi Eliezer and writers of the Talmud, talk about Jesus and his miracles. Surprisingly to many atheists, they never denied that miracles took place, but attempted to explain them as a result of evil (7). More information about Jesus in the Talmud can be found at Jesus Christ In The Talmud.
Cornelius Tacitus wrote about Jesus and the first century Christians in his Annals (a history of the Roman empire):
"Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus." (8)
Thallus, a Samaritan historian, wrote ca. 52 A.D. attempting to give a natural explanation for the earthquake and darkness which occurred at the crucifixion of Jesus. Mara Bar-Seraphon wrote a letter to his son in 73 A.D. which tells of the deaths of Socrates, Pythagoras, and of Jesus, "What advantage did the Jews gain from executing their wise king?...Nor did the wise king die for good; he lived on in the teaching which he had given." Jesus is also mentioned by Phlegon, a first-century historian, Lucian of Samosata (in The Passing Peregrinus), and Plinius Secundus, (Pliny the Younger).
Scholars have made statements such as, "no serious scholar has ventured to postulate the non-historicity of Jesus ." (9) The latest version of Encyclopedia Britannica says in its discussion of the multiple extra-biblical witnesses:
"These independent accounts prove that in ancient times even the opponents of Christianity never doubted the historicity of Jesus, which was disputed for the first time and on inadequate grounds by several authors at the end of the 18th, during the 19th, and at the beginning of the 20th centuries." (10)
Even the atheist H. G. Wells spoke of Jesus, "...one is obliged to say, "Here was a man. This part of the tale could not have been invented." (11)
Scientific evidence
Recent scientific evidence is adding to the evidence supporting the reliability of biblical chronology from the scriptures. This study demonstrated the reliability of the Biblical record regarding the Egyptian plagues and demise of Jericho.
Drs. Hendrik J. Bruins and Johannes van der Plicht reported in the prestigious British journal, Nature (12), that the destruction of Jericho was dated to 1580 (+/- 13 years) B.C. (using 14C dating). This date is significant, since several archeologists have insisted that Jericho was destroyed by the Egyptians between 1550 and 1300 B.C. The recent study discredits the Egyptian theory, since the date is much too old.
What is even more exciting is that scientists, using 14C dating and tree rings, have found evidence of a volcanic eruption from the Aegean island of Thera, which recently has been dated to 1628 B.C. (13). This would place the eruption at 45 years prior to the destruction of Jericho, at a time which coincidentally corresponds to the time of the plagues the Lord unleashed upon Egypt. Check out Exodus 10:
Then the Lord said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward the sky, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even a darkness which may be felt." So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days. (Exodus 10:21-22)
Even the researchers commented that the 45 years difference in events was "rather striking."
The Bible's Uniqueness and Unity
The next proof is the Bible's uniqueness and unity. The Bible was written by over 40 authors who came from just about every walk of life conceivable, including fisherman, kings, a butler, priests, and a tax collector. The 66 books of the Bible were written over a 1,500 year span in three languages on three continents with one theme and no contradictions. C.J. Sharp captures this miracle well:
"If a fragment of stone were found in Italy, another in Asia Minor, another in Greece, another in Egypt, and on and on until sixty-six fragments had been found, and if when put together they fitted perfectly together, making a perfect statue of Venus de Milo, there is not an artist or scientist but would arrive immediately at the conclusion that there was originally a sculptor who conceived and carved the statue. The very lines and perfections would probably determine which of the great ancient artists carved the statue. Not only the unity of the Scriptures, but their lines of perfection, suggest One far above any human as the real author. That could be no one but God (14)."
Prophetic evidence
Yet another reason Christians believe God is the ultimate author of the Bible is the predictive prophecies in the Bible. This aspect is unique to the world's religions because if one predicts something will happen and it does not, they are proven to be phony. The Bible is literally filled with detailed prophecies that have been fulfilled with 100% accuracy. Here is a list of 85 Messianic prophecies along with their fulfillment through the life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus:
Prophecies of Jesus of Nazareth as Messiah
#Prophetic ScriptureSubjectFulfilled
1
Genesis 3:15
seed of a woman
Galatians 4:4
2
Genesis 12:3, Genesis 22:18
descendant of Abraham
Matthew 1:1, Acts 3:25
3
Genesis 17:19, Genesis 21:12
descendant of Isaac
Luke 3:34, Luke 3:23-24
4
Genesis 28:14, Numbers 24:17
descendant of Jacob
Matthew 1:2, Luke 3:23-24
5
Genesis 49:10
from the tribe of Judah
Luke 3:23-24, Luke 3:33
6
Isaiah 9:6, 11:1-5, Jeremiah 23:5-6
descendant of David
Matthew 1:1, Luke 3:23-24
7
Isaiah 11:1
descendant of Jesse
Luke 3:23-24
8
Ezekiel 37:24
will shepherd His people
Matthew 2:6
9
Isaiah 9:7
heir to the throne of David
Luke 1:32-33
10
Micah 5:2
His pre-existence
Colossians 1:17
11
Isaiah 9:6, Micah 5:1
eternal existence
John 8:58, 11, 14, Ephesians 1:3-14, Colossians 1:15-19
12
Psalm 45:6-7, Psalm 102:25-27
anointed and eternal
Hebrews 1:8-12
13
Psalm 110:1
called Lord
Matthew 22:43-45
14
Isaiah 33:22
judge
John 5:30
15
Psalm 2:6
king
Matthew 27:37
16
Micah 5:2
born in Bethlehem
Matthew 2:1, Luke 2:4-5, 7
17
Daniel 9:25
time for His birth
Matthew 2:1, 16, 19, Luke 2:1-2
18
Isaiah 7:14
to be born of a virgin
Matthew 1:18, 24, 25, Luke 1:26-27, 30-31
19
Psalm 72:9
worshipped by shepherds
Luke 2:8-15
20
Psalm 72:10
honored by great kings
Matthew 2:1-11
21
Jeremiah 31:15
slaughter of children
Matthew 2:16-18
22
Hosea 11:1
flight to Egypt
Matthew 2:14-15
23
Isaiah 40:3-5
the way prepared
Matthew 3:1,2, Luke 3:3-6
24
Malachi 3:1
preceded by a forerunner
Luke 7:24, 27
25
Malachi 4:5-6
preceded by Elijah
Matthew 11:13-14
26
Psalm 2:7, Proverbs 30:4
declared the Son of God
Matthew 3:17, Luke 1:32
27
Isaiah 9:5-6, Jeremiah 23:5-6
God's name applied to Him
Romans 10:9, Philippians 2:9-11
28
Isaiah 11:2, 61:1, Psalm 45:8
anointment of Holy Spirit
Matthew 3:16, 17, John 3:34, Acts 10:38
29
Isaiah 9:1-2
Galilean ministry
Matthew 4:13-16
30
Psalm 78:2-4
speaks in parables
Matthew 13:34-35
31
Isaiah 56:7, Jeremiah 7:11
temple becomes a house of merchandise instead of prayer
Matthew 21:13
32
Psalm 69:9
zeal of Jews for the temple instead of God
John 2:17
33
Deuteronomy 18:15, 18
a prophet
Matthew 21:11, Acts 3:20, 22
34
Isaiah 29:18, Isaiah 35:5-6
blind, deaf, and lame are healed by the Messiah
Luke 7:22, Matthew 9:35, 11:3-5
35
Isaiah 40:11, 42:2-3, Isaiah 53:7
Messiah will be meek and mild
Matthew 12:18-20, Matthew 11:29, Hebrews 4:15
36
Isaiah 53:9
Be sinless and without guile
1 Peter 2:22
37
Isaiah 42:1, Isaiah 49:1
will minister to Gentiles
Matthew 12:18-21Luke 2:32
38
Isaiah 61:1-2
to bind up the brokenhearted
Luke 4:18-19
39
Isaiah 53:12, Isaiah 59:16
to intercede for the people
Romans 8:34, Hebrews 7:25
40
Isaiah 53:3, 8:14, 28:16, 63:3, Psalms 69:6, 118:22
rejected by His own people, the Jews
John 1:11, 7:5,48, Luke 23:18, Acts 4:11, 1 Peter 2:6-8
41
Psalm 118:22
Be rejected by the Jewish leadership
Matthew 21:42, John 7:48
42
Psalm 2:1-2
plotted against by Jews and Gentiles alike
Acts 4:27
43
Psalm 110:4
priest after the order of Melchizedek
Hebrews 5:5-6
44
Zechariah 9:9
enter Jerusalem on donkey
Mark 11:7, 9, 11, Luke 19:35-37
45
Haggai 2:7-9, Malachi 3:1
entered the temple with authority
Matthew 21:12, Luke 2:27-38
46
Psalm 8:2
adored by infants
Matthew 21:15-16
47
Isaiah 53:1
not believed
John 12:37-38
48
Zechariah 13:7
sheep of the Shepherd scattered
Matthew 26:31, Mark 14:50
49
Psalm 41:9, 55:13-15
betrayed by a close friend
Matthew 10:4, Luke 22:47-48
50
Zechariah 11:12
betrayed for thirty pieces of silver
Matthew 26:14-15
51
Zechariah 11:13
betrayal money used to buy Potter's field
Matthew 27:6-7
52
Psalm 35:11
accused by false witnesses
Mark 14:57-58
53
Isaiah 53:7
silent to accusations
Matthew 27:12, Mark 15:4-5
54
Isaiah 50:6
spat on
Matthew 26:67, 27:30
55
Isaiah 50:6
beaten
Matthew 26:67, 27:26, 30
56
Micah 4:14
struck on cheek
Matthew 27:30
57
Isaiah 49:7, Psalm 35:19, Psalm 69:4
hated without reason
John 7:48, 15:24-25
58
Isaiah 53:5
wounded and bruised
Matthew 27:26
59
Isaiah 53:5
vicarious sacrifice
John 1:29, , 3:16, Romans 5:6, 8
60
Daniel 9:24-26
cut off, but not for Himself
Matthew 2:1, Luke 3:1, 23
61
Isaiah 53:12
crucified with malefactors
Matthew 27:38, Mark 15:27-28
62
Zechariah 12:10, Psalm 22:16
pierced through hands and feet
Luke 23:33, John 20:25-27
63
Psalm 22:7-8
sneered and mocked
Matthew 27:31, Luke 23:35
64
Psalm 109:24, 25
fell under the cross
Luke 23:26
65
Psalm 69:9
was reproached
Romans 15:3
66
Psalm 38:11
friends stood afar off
Luke 23:49
67
Psalm 109:25
people shook their heads
Matthew 27:39
68
Psalm 22:17
stared upon
Luke 23:35
69
Psalm 22:16, 69:21
given vinegar for His thirst
Matthew 27:34, John 19:28-29
70
Psalm 109:4, Isaiah 53:12
prayer for His enemies
Luke 23:34
71
Psalm 22:17-18
soldiers gambled for His clothing
Matthew 27:35-36, John 19:23, 24
72
Psalm 22:1
forsaken by God
Matthew 27:46
73
Psalm 31:5
committed Himself to God
Luke 23:46
74
Exodus 12:46, Psalm 34:20
no bones broken
John 19:32, 33, 36
75
Psalm 22:14
heart broken
John 19:34
76
Zechariah 12:10
His side pierced
John 19:34
77
Amos 8:9
darkness over the land
Matthew 27:45
78
Isaiah 53:9
buried with the rich
Matthew 27:57-60
79
Psalm 3:5, 16:10, 49:15
to be resurrected
Mark 16:6-7, Acts 2:31
80
Isaiah 44:3, Joel 2:28
sent the Holy Spirit
John 20:22, Acts 2:16-17
81
Isaiah 55:3-4, Jeremiah 31:31
establishes a new covenant
Matthew 26:28, Luke 22:20, Hebrews 8:6-10
82
Psalm 68:18, Psalm 110:1
His ascension to God's right hand
Mark 16:19, Acts 1:9, 1 Corinthians 15:4, Ephesians 4:8, Hebrews 1:3
83
Psalm 29:11, Micah 4:3
peace proclaimed by disciples
Luke 2:14, John 14:27, Acts 10:36
84
Isaiah 60:3
"Light" to Gentiles
Acts 13:47,48
85
Isaiah 11:10, 42:1, 49:1-12
the Gentiles will seek the Messiah
Romans 11:25, 15:10
Although some of these prophecies are vague and could have been deliberately fulfilled, many are very specific: 16. Place of birth (Micah 5:2). 17. Date of birth (Daniel 9:25). 18. Manner of birth (Isaiah 7:14). 62. Manner of death (Zechariah 12:10; Psalm 22:16 prophesied before the invention of crucifixion). 76. Piercing in side (Zechariah 12:10). 78. Burial (Isaiah 53:9).
The Bible made several prophecies of the complete destruction of cities. Many of the cities it said would be rebuilt and several it claimed would never be rebuilt - The Bible is 100% accurate in both categories as archeology shows. One amazing example is the city of Tyre. Ezekiel 26:3-5,7,12,14 and (15) predict:
Nebuchadnezzar will take the city.
Other nations will participate in the fulfillment.
The city is to be made flat like the top of a rock.
It is to become a place for spreading nets.
Its stones and timber are to be laid in the sea.
The old city of Tyre will never be rebuilt.
History records that Nebuchadnezzar took the adjacent mainland settlement of Ushu ("Old Tyre"), but the people escaped out to the island city. Later, Alexander the Great took the island off the coast by taking the old city's rubble and throwing it into the sea making a land-bridge (this caused the old city to look flat like a rock due to the scraping of the material). The old city is now a place for fisherman but no city has been planted there even though there is an excellent water supply to support a major city.
Shelly, Rubel. 1990. Prepare To Answer. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, p 92.
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16)
"For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass away from the Law, until all is accomplished." (Matthew 5:18)
Nelson Glueck, Rivers in the Desert, Farrar, Strauss and Cudahy, New York, 1959, p. 31.
"For Acts the confirmation of historicity is overwhelming. Yet Acts is, in simple terms and judged externally, no less a propaganda document than the Gospels, liable to similar distortion. But any attempt to reject its basic historicity even in matters of detail must now appear absurd." A. N. Sherwin-White. 1978. Roman Society and Roman Law in the New Testament. Baker, Grand Rapids, p. 189.
Flavius Josephus The Antiquities of the Jews 20.9.1
Matthew 12:24, Mark 3:22, Luke 11:15, Flavius Josephus The Antiquities of the Jews 18:63, Talmud P. Ta'an. 65b, and the Sanhedrin 3a
Cornelius Tacitus Annals 15.44 from The Tech Classics Archive translated by Alfred John Church and William Jackson Brodribb
Otto Betz. 1968. What do We Know about Jesus?, SCM Press, page 9.
Encyclopedia Britannica (Article on "Jesus")
H. G. Wells, Outline Of History.
Bruins, H.J. and J. van der Plicht. 1996. The Exodus enigma. Nature 382: 213-214.
Friedrich, W.L., P. Wagner, and H. Tauber. 1990. Thera and the Aegean World III Thera Foundation, London, UK.
Kuniholm, P.I., B. Kromer, S.W. Manning, M. Newton, C.E. Latini, and M.J. Bruce. 1996. Anatolian tree rings and the absolute chronology of the eastern Mediterranean, 2220-718 BC. Nature 381: 780-783.
Renfrew, C. 1996. Kings, tree rings and the old world. Nature 381: 733-734.
Shelly, Rubel. 1990. Prepare To Answer. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, p 114.
therefore, thus says the Lord God,` Behold, I am against you, O Tyre, and I will bring up many nations against you, as the sea brings up its waves. And they will destroy the walls of Tyre and break down her towers; and I will scrape her debris from her and make her a bare rock. She will be a place for the spreading of nets in the midst of the sea, for I have spoken,' declares the Lord God, `and she will become spoil for the nations.'... For thus says the Lord God, "Behold, I will bring upon Tyre from the north Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, king of kings, with horses, chariots, cavalry, and a great army.... Also they will make a spoil of your riches and a prey of your merchandise, break down your walls and destroy your pleasant houses, and throw your stones and your timbers and your debris into the water.... And I will make you a bare rock; you will be a place for the spreading of nets. You will be built no more, for I the Lord have spoken," declares the Lord God.... "Then all the princes of the sea will go down from their thrones, remove their robes, and strip off their embroidered garments. They will clothe themselves with trembling; they will sit on the ground, tremble every moment, and be appalled at you." (Ezekiel 26:3-5,7,12,14,16)
Is the Bible inspired?
The doctrine of the inspiration of the Bible means that the Bible in the original documents is God-breathed, and that it is a divine product; and because it is divine, the original documents are inerrant.  The copies of those documents are not inspired.  We have copies of inspired documents.
2 Tim. 3:16-17 says, "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work." Paul who wrote this epistle was obviously referring to the entirety of the Old Testament as being inspired.  The word "inspired" is literally "God-breathed."  This is an interesting phrase since it implies that the Scriptures are from the mouth of God.  Likewise, Peter says in 2 Pet. 1:21, "for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God." Notice that Peter is stating that prophecy is not the product of human will.  Instead, prophecy occurs by those moved by the Holy Spirit.
Furthermore, we can easily see that the Old Testament Scriptures are full of statements and phrases claiming to be the Word of God.
"Thus says the Lord" occurs 418 times in the NASB, 413 in the KJV
Exodus 4:22, "Then you shall say to Pharaoh, Thus says the Lord, 'Israel is My son, My first-born.'"
1 Kings 11:31, "And he said to Jeroboam, 'Take for yourself ten pieces; for thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and give you ten tribes.'"
Isaiah 7:7, "thus says the Lord God, 'It shall not stand nor shall it come to pass.'"
"God said" occurs 46 times in both the NASB and the KJV
Genesis 1:3, "Then God said, 'Let there be light'; and there was light."
Exodus 3:14, "And God said to Moses, 'I AM WHO I AM'; and He said, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, I AM has sent me to you."
Exodus 6:2-3, "God spoke further to Moses and said to him, 'I am the Lord; and I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name, Lord, I did not make Myself known to them.'"
God spoke through prophets
1 Kings 14:18, "And all Israel buried him and mourned for him, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke through His servant Ahijah the prophet."
2 Sam. 24:11-12, "When David arose in the morning, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying, 12 'Go and speak to David, Thus the Lord says, "I am offering you three things; choose for yourself one of them, which I may do to you."'"
Zech. 7:7, "Are not these the words which the Lord proclaimed by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and prosperous with its cities around it, and the Negev and the foothills were inhabited?"
The Spirit of the Lord spoke through people
2 Sam. 23:2, "The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me, and His word was on my tongue."
1 Kings 22:24, "Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near and struck Micaiah on the cheek and said, 'How did the Spirit of the Lord pass from me to speak to you?'"
2 Chron. 20:14-15, "Then in the midst of the assembly the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, the Levite of the sons of Asaph; 15 and he said, 'Listen, all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: thus says the Lord to you, Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God's.'"
As you can see, the Old Testament Scriptures are clearly full of statements showing the inspiration of God through the writers.  The Old Testament assumes and speaks from the perspective of divine inspiration. Should we do any less?
What about the New Testament?
We see that the Old Testament is repeatedly spoken of as being inspired via the numerous references cited above but what about the New Testament?  Are the New Testament books inspired as well?
The Christian church has always considered the New Testament documents to be inspired.  Though in the early church there were some debates on which New Testament books to include in the Bible, God worked through the Christian church to recognize those inspired works.  Therefore we now have 27 inspired books for the New Testament.
In 1 Cor. 14:37 Paul said, "If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, let him recognize that the things which I write to you are the Lord's commandment."  In 2 Pet. 3:16 Peter said, "as also in all [Paul's] letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction." Also, Jesus said in John 14:26, "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you." This means that the Lord has commissioned the apostles to accurately record what Jesus had said because the Holy Spirit would be working in them.
So, we can see that Jesus promised direction from the Holy Spirit, that Paul considered what he wrote to be the commands of God, and that Peter recognized Paul's writings as Scripture.  In addition, since the Christian Church recognizes the 27 books of the New Testament are inspired and since we see internal claims of inspiration in the New Testament, we conclude that inspiration applies to the New Testament documents as well.
Objections
Inspiration violates free will.
A. Inspiration does not violate free will.  What if the person through whom God is working has been regenerated by the Holy Spirit and desires to have the Lord speak through him?  Would this negate the ability of God to inerrantly speak through such a person?  Would it also mean that the person has no free will if he has voluntarily subjected his will to the will of God?
B. Certainly, God has the ability to work through individuals to bring them to a place where they can record inerrant statements.  Cannot God manifest himself to someone, deliver to him a verbal message, and have that person record it?  Would that statement not be inspired of God?
C. Proverbs. 21:1,"The king's heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever He wishes."  This verse clearly states that God is able to work through an individual's "free will" to bring about what God desires. 


2. What about the numerous contradictions in the Bible?
A. It is true that there are difficulties with in the Word of God.  But these are due to copying errors through the centuries.  As more and more historical, archaeological, and manuscript evidence is uncovered, the fewer Bible difficulties there are.  Nevertheless, for an examination of answers to the alleged Bible contradictions, please see www.BibleQuery.org. 


3. The manuscript evidence doesn't support inerrancy of the originals.
A. This is a subjective conclusion.  The more I have studied about the ancient manuscripts, the more I have concluded that the original documents were indeed inspired and inerrant.
B. The logical implication of the statements within the Bible is that they are inerrant since they claim to be offered from God.  They either are or are not inspired of God.  If they are not, then their claims of speaking for God are lies.


4. Inspiration applies to scripture--not people.
A. God works sovereignly through people to inspire his documents.  It is the people whom God indwells with his spirit and the people who are inspired by God to write his word.  If inspiration only refers to Scripture, and somehow means that people are not themselves inspired, the Scriptures are still God-breathed and necessarily inerrant.
For more see our website www.BibleQuery.org.

This is in response to "Chad Daniels" who asked, "+CAnswersTV Can you recommend any books on the early Church?"
Steve Morrison, Director of Research for Christian Answers, says, "Here is what I use for early Church writings:
A wonderful resource for most of their writings online is http://www.ccel.org. Christian classics Ethereal Library has the Pre-Nicene Fathers as well as Nicene Fathers on-line. 
Austin, Bill R. Austin’s Topical History of Christianity. Tyndale House Publishers, inc. 1983, 1987. 
Bercot, David W. (editor) A Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs. Hendrickson Publishers 1998. 
Kelly, J.N.D. Early Christian Doctrines. Revised Edition. Harper & Row Publishers. 1960, 1965, 1968, 1978. 
Malaty, Fr. Tadros U. The School of Alexandria Book One Before Origen. Pope Shenouda III Coptic Theological College, Sydney , Australia . 1995. 
Petty, Robert A. Adamantius : Dialogue ont he True Faith in God. Peeters 1997. 
Richardson, Cyril C. (editor) Early Christian Fathers. Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc., 1970. (This does not have the great footnotes of Roberts and Donaldson, but is in very readable modern American English.) 
Roberts, Alexander and James Donaldson. Ante-Nicene Fathers. volumes 1-10 Hendrickson Publishers, 1994. 
Schaff, Philip and Henry Wace. Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers volume 14 the Seven Ecumenical Councils Second Series first printing 1994. Translated by Henry R. Percival. 
Schaff, Philip. And Henry Wace. Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian church. Volume 4, St. Athanasius: Selected Works and Letters. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publisher Company. Reprinted 1998. 
Schaff, Philip (editor) revised by David S. Schaff, The Creeds of Christendom. Volumes 1, 2, and 3. Harper & Row, 1931. 
Stewart-Sykes, Alistair. Melito of Sardis On Pascha. St. Vladimir’s Press 2001.

Blessings,
Steve.
John 14:6"

+CAnswersTV Can you recommend any books on the early Church fathers?

Clement was Bishop of Rome aka an early Pope...

Interesting

Nice overview. It's not an easy subject to teach. So few are familiar with this subject matter.