Challenge to Christians

Answered By Quennel Gale

in response to

Abdullah Smith
(of www.answering-christianity.com)

POINTS 1-11 Part 1

Osama Abdallah has enlisted the help of other Muslims on his website. One such Muslim is Abdullah Smith. In his list he has allegedly composed a series of practices that he believes Christians selectively follow. We will examine these practices and Mr. Smith’s comments while exposing his selective quoting and Islamic propagandists’ selective use of the Bible.

He Says:

I have compiled a list of verses that Christians neglect. They practice what is called ‘selective morality’ when it comes to the Bible. They choose verses and jam it down ours throats, and the rest they ignore and reject vehemently. Its about time we have exposed this truth about those who claim to be followers of Christ. They really don’t follow him at all. My comments are in red.

(1)   Do they fast like Jesus?      

When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, ¹⁸so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. (Matthew 6:16-18)

And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. (Matthew 4:2)

And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting. (Mark 9:29)

People had complained to Jesus saying, “Why do the disciples of John fast often, and make prayers, and likewise the disciples of the Pharisees; but thine eat and drink?” (Luke 5:33). But Jesus replied that as long as he is with them his disciples should not fast, but after he is taken away then “they will fast in those days” (Luke 5:35).

So after they had fasted and prayed… (Acts 13:3)

* Christians do not fast; neither do they put oil on their heads. The disciples fasted like Jesus after his departure, and Muslims fast like them too!

Response:

First off Mr. Smith begins by poisoning the well and claims that Christians jam certain verses down Muslims’ throats while practicing selective morality. In reality, Muslims such as his friend Osama Abdallah are guilty of selectively using the Bible. One example is Muslims claiming that the Bible is corrupted while at the same time using the Bible as an accurate source when it helps prove their case.

Furthermore, Mr. Smith is totally wrong about Christians not putting oil on their heads before a fast. Churches across the world use “olive oil” as “blessed oil”, before many major prayers and fasts. I am really disappointed in Mr. Smith for bringing this charge up because apparently he has never attended a Church in his life!

Many Christians would be shocked to hear this allegation and would immediately say, “Where does this guy get his information?” Well to put it mildly for the reader, Muslims will believe just about anything that one of their own conspirators may say. Hence, because most Muslims who live in Muslim countries don’t have Churches whatsoever, they have no way of knowing whether Mr. Smith’s charge are false or not. However, in the western world, Churches are plentiful and I haven’t seen a Church that doesn’t use oil for prayers or very important practices such as fasting! Mr. Smith also commits a major fallacy with his claim, namely that he hasn’t validated his assertion with any evidence. If he claims that Christians don’t fast by putting oil over their heads, he needs to present some type of credible survey showing the percentage of Churches who neglect this practice etc. Unless he is omnipresent, like God, and has the ability to see inside of every Church on earth, Mr. Smith has no way of validating his claim as being true.

Furthermore, Mr. Smith needs to be careful because Christians aren’t commanded to always fast 40 days like Jesus.

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.' Matthew 4:1-4

From reading the context of this passage, the Spirit led Jesus to be tempted by the devil and challenge his claim of being “THE SON OF GOD”, and whether he would remain an obedient Son. It is obvious that this practice is specific only to Jesus because “the tempter, or Satan” came to him after the 40 days of his fasting so as to goad him to “do this or that” in order to prove that he is the Son of God. Yet nowhere in this passage is it commanded upon Jesus’ followers to adhere to this type of fasting which entails:

1. Go to a desert.

2. Fast 40 days.

3. Allow Satan to come.

4. Test the claim whether we are the sons of God, etc.

Taking Mr. Smith’s argument at face value would not only bring problems to his credibility as a Bible exegete but it would expose Islam since the Quran explicitly denies that Jesus is the Son of God in the first place. Therefore, if Mr. Smith has a problem with Christians not following Jesus, then would he have a problem with his denial of the fact that Jesus is called “THE SON OF GOD”? According to Islam he would have to deny this truth, and therefore would be in direct conflict with the teachings of the Bible! This makes it is obvious that this is a non-argument.

Even more problematic for Mr. Smith’s position is that Muslims also don’t fast like Jesus as he erroneously claims:

Why Do Muslims Fast during Ramadan?

BY
Abdullateef Bello

"...whoever witnesses the Month of Ramadan should fast through it..." Q(2:185)

Abstract

As muslims prepare for the age-old annual compulsory one-month fast, this article looks closely at some of the reasons why muslims do Ramadan fast. It also traces the history of fasting in Islam.

History of Ramadan Fast

What turns out now to be a compulsory annual event (i.e fasting during the month of Ramadan by all able-bodied muslims) started in the early years of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) in Medina, precisely in the second year of Hijra. Prior to his flight to Medina (known as Hijra), the Prophet(s.a.w) was in the habit of fasting three times per month (this gives 36 days in a year) when he was in Mecca and to a great extent when he settled in Medina. Not long, the Prophet(s.a.w) soon discovered that the Jews in Medina used to set aside one special day for fasting. By Islamic lunar calendar, the day used to be 10th of Muharram, often called yawmu :ashura. The Prophet(s.a.w) then asked the Jews about the significance of the day. He was told that it is the day Allah helped Prophet Musa(a.s) to humiliate, defeat and drown the tyrant, Fir'aon. By all standard, since Musa(a.s) was a prophet of Allah and of course a muslim, the Prophet(s.a.w) felt that Musa(a.s) was nearer to him as a Prophet (as well as to the muslims) than to the Jews. To this end, he ordered his companions to fast along with him that day.

Narrated Ibn 'Abbas(r.a): When Allah's Apostle(s.a.w) arrived at Medina, he found the Jews fasting on the day of 'Ashura. The Prophet(s.a.w) asked (about it) and they replied: "This is the day when Moses(a.s) became victorious over Fir'aon". The Prophet(s.a.w) said (to the muslims), "We are nearer to Moses than they, so fast on this day" (Sahih Al-Bukhari, vol.6, p.233)

The Prophet(s.a.w) also sent a companion to go round Medina to announce to all the muslims that whoever has eaten should fast for the remaining hours of the day and whoever has not eaten should fast for the day (see Sahih Al-Bukhari, vol. 3, hadeeth 181, p. 103). It is evident that 'Ashura fast was the first communal fast made obligatory for the muslims by the Prophet(s.a.w) whereas his own habit of 3-day-fast-per-month remained optional.

The All-knowing Allah formally revealed two verses regarding fasting in the second year of Hijra: the verses spelt out the reasons for fasting; when to do so; who should be exempted? etc. Let's see the verses:

"O ye who believe, fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for people before you so that you will (learn how to attain) piety" (Q2:183)

"(fasting is) for a fixed number of days: but if any one of you is sick, or on a journey, the prescribed number (should be made up) from (other) days later. For those who can do it (with hardship) is a ransom, the feeding of one that is indigent. But whoever can give more (than this) of his own free will--(then) it is better for him, and it is better for you that ye fast, if ye but knew." Q(2:184) When these two verses were revealed, 'Aisha(r.a) reported that the Prophet(s.a.w) then said to the muslims: "Ramadan fast is a divine obligation but whoever likes to fast 'Ashura day (as well) may do so voluntarily or leave it". Undoubtedly, Ramadan fast is a blessing to the muslims in the sense that from one-day 'Ashura fast, Allah gave them a whole month of Ramadan instead. Ramadan may be 29 or 30 days depending on when the moon was sighted.

A cursory look at the qur'anic verses above reveals that the All-wise intend ease for the muslims and not difficulty: for instance, ransom was allowed for those who choose not to fast due to hardship or difficulty. This freedom or leniency was shortlived when the All-wise and the All-knowing Allah tightened His injunction with another revelation that nullified giving ransom, by able-bodied muslims, in exchange for missed Ramadan fast thus:

"Ramadan is the (month) in which Qur'an was sent down, as a guide to mankind, and a clear guidance and judgement (so that mankind will distinguish right from wrong). Whoever among you witnesses the month of Ramadan should fast through it. But whoever is sick or on a journey, the prescribed period (missed should be made up) by days later. Allah wants ease for you and He does not want to put you into difficulties. (He wants you) to complete the prescribed period and to glorify Him in that He has guided you; and perchance ye shall be grateful" Q(2:185).

This verse shows that Allah wants every able-bodied muslim to "complete the prescribed period" (30 or 29 days depending on when the moon was sighted). It infact re-emphasises the importance of Ramadan fast which Allah made clear in the last part of Q(2:184) where He said: "...it is better for you that ye fast if ye but knew". Unambiguously, feeding of the poor person as a ransom for not fasting (by those who can fast) is not allowed by Q(2:185). This is the genesis of Ramadan fast in Islam.

Remarkably, it is clear that 'Ashura fast was replaced by Ramadan fast, but the habit of fasting 3-day-per-month which the Prophet(s.a.w) used to do was a blessing in someway because his 36 days a year fasting can be interpreted thus: Allah approved 30 days as FARD (i.e obligatory) for the month of Ramadan, and the Prophet(s.a.w) recommended six days fasting in the month of Shawwal for all muslims (though this is voluntary). If these two fastings are adopted, one would have done 36 days (which is the same as fasting round the year).  (Source)

As you can see from the quotation above, MUSLIMS AT THE VERY MOST ONLY FAST 36 DAYS NOT 40 LIKE JESUS! Secondly, the original purpose for fasting in Islam doesn’t come from Jesus’ fasting but from Moses in his dealing with Pharoah! The Ramadan fast isn’t 40 days, it is 29-30 days depending on the time of the appearance of the crescent moon. Allah, in his alleged wisdom, prescribed Ramadan not as a continuance of Jesus’ fasting but as Muhammad’s self-proclaimed prophetic calling and his being given the Quran. Hence, Mr. Smith is dead wrong when he asserts that Muslims adhere to Jesus’ way of fasting, since nothing could be more farther from the truth.

More importantly, can Mr. Smith show us in the Quran, Hadith or Sirah literature where it’s commanded for Muslims to not just fast for 40 days, but to cover their head with oil, or call themselves the “Son of God” like Jesus did? If he can’t then his claim against Christians and his defense of Muslims is absolutely wrong!

He Says:

(3) Do they behave like Jesus?

The Bible describes the character of Jesus:

So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. (John 2:5)

And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.

Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.

(John 2:3-4)

But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay [them] before me. (Luke 19:27)

I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! (Luke 12:49)

Response:

Frankly I don’t see the purpose of using these verses as a summation of Jesus’ character. These are out of context verses isolated from their historical and theological settings. If Mr. Smith is using this to try and claim that Christians should whip people and be violent, he needs to watch himself. This can easily be used against him and Islam without requiring us to quote out of context. Now let’s look at the verses in question one more time:

So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. (John 2:5)

First off, Mr. Smith is quoting John 2:15 (not 2:5) out of context. When we view the immediate verses around it we find the reason why Jesus whipped the men of the temple:

When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves he said, "Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!" John 2:13-16

The reason why Jesus whipped these men is because the temple courts were for the worship of God and not for making money. Also this website proves that only Jesus had the authority to do this, not his followers:

"THE GOSPEL OF JOHN"

                 The Cleansing Of The Temple (2:13-25)

INTRODUCTION

1. It is common to think of Jesus as a gentle, peace-loving man...

   a. He certainly presented Himself as such on most occasions - e.g.,

      Mt 11:28-30

   b. People felt comfortable in bringing their children to Him - e.g.,

      Mt 19:13-14

2. Yet on occasion Jesus displayed strong righteous indignation...

   a. Such as when He visited Jerusalem during the Passover at the

      beginning of His ministry

   b. As He drove the moneychangers and merchandisers out of the temple

      - Jn 2:13-15

[What prompted this outburst of anger?  What gave Jesus the authority to

do this?  What lessons might we glean from this event?  As we seek to

find the answers let's first note...]

I. THE REBUKE OF THE LORD

   A. MERCHANDISING HIS FATHER'S HOUSE...

      1. The Lord's rebuke reveals the reason for His outburst - cf. Jn

         2:16

      2. The sellers of oxen and sheep, along with the moneychangers,

         had turned the temple into a house of merchandise

      3. It was to be a house of prayer, they had turned it into a den

         of thieves - cf. Mt 21:13

      -- The Lord was angered by the manner in which some used religion

         to make money

   B. MIGHT WE BE GUILTY OF A SIMILAR OFFENSE...?

      1. What if we attend church simply as a form of "networking", to

         make business contacts?

      2. What if we take advantage of our relationship as brethren to

         further a multilevel marketing business, a home-based business,

         or any other financial enterprise?

      -- The Lord's temple today is the church, we must be careful lest

         we defile it as well (cf. 1 Co 3:16-17)

[The Lord has ordained that those who preach the gospel be supported (1

Co 9:14).  But He is angered by those who view the Lord's temple

(people) as a way to get rich.  Next, we note that His anger was

prompted by...]  

II. THE ZEAL OF THE LORD

   A. ZEAL FOR HIS FATHER'S HOUSE...

      1. The disciples were reminded of an Old Testament prophecy - Jn

         2:17; cf. Psa 69:9

      2. Jesus had zeal (fervor) for God's house, for it's intended

         purpose (a house of prayer)

      -- His great zeal for His Father's house moved Him to action

   B. HOW IS OUR ZEAL FOR THE LORD'S HOUSE...?

      1. Remember, today the Father's house is the church - cf. 1 Ti

         3:15

      2. Do we have great zeal for the church?

         a. That it fulfill it's intended purpose (to make known God's

            will)? - cf. Ep 3:10-11

         b. That we are troubled when we see people try to turn it into

            something else, such as social club, or a purveyor of 

            entertainment?

      -- If we have zeal for the Lord's house, we will not rest silent

         when others pervert its purpose

[Of course, the action we take may not be the same as what Jesus did. 

Indeed, He took up "a whip of cords."  What right did He have to use

such a display of force?  That's what the Jews wanted to know...]

III. THE AUTHORITY OF THE LORD

   A. THE SIGN THAT PROVES HIS AUTHORITY...

      1. They wanted to know what sign (miracle) He could offer to prove

         His right to cleanse the temple - Jn 2:18

      2. Jesus offered His ability to rise from the dead as the ultimate

         proof - Jn 2:19-22

         a. Later, He would restate His claim to have this ability - Jn

            10:17-18

         b. His resurrection proved that He was the Son of God - cf. Ro

            1:4

      -- He has been given the authority to exercise such judgment as

         cleansing the temple - cf. Jn 5:22,26-27

   B. WE DO NOT HAVE THE SAME AUTHORITY...

      1. We are to judge with righteous judgment - Jn 7:24

         a. At times we must distinguish between "hogs" and "dogs" - Mt

            7:6

         b. We can distinguish between good and bad fruit - Mt 7:15-20

      2. But our authority to judge is limited - Mt 7:1-5

         a. There are things we cannot judge in this life - 1 Co 4:3-5

         b. There are people we are not to judge - 1 Co 5:11-13

         c. Vengeance in particular belongs to the Lord - cf. Ro 12:

            17-19

      -- While Jesus is our example (cf. 1 Pe 2:21), there are some

         "steps" that He took that we cannot take

[The reason we cannot emulate the Lord in every case becomes evident as

we consider...]

IV. THE POWER OF THE LORD

   A. THE POWER THAT JUSTIFIES HIS ACTION...

      1. John mentions how many came to believe in Him because of His

         signs - Jn 2:23

      2. John also makes note of His unwillingness to commit Himself to

         others at this time

         a. He had no need to, because he knew all - Jn 2:24

         b. He had no need to, because he knew what was in man - Jn 2:25

      -- Jesus is revealed as one who can discern the hearts of men 

         - cf. Mt 9:4; Re 2:23

   B. WE DO NOT HAVE THE SAME POWER...

      1. We cannot discern the hearts of men like the Lord can; note

         these comments:

         a. "Our Lord knew all men, their nature, dispositions,

            affections, designs, so as we do not know any man, not even

            ourselves."

         b. "He knows his crafty enemies, and all their secret projects;

            his false friends, and their true characters."

         c. "He knows who are truly his, knows their uprightness, and

            knows their weaknesses."

         d. "We know what is done by men; Christ knows what is in them,

            he tries the heart."

         -- Matthew Henry Commentary

      2. Since we cannot read the hearts of men, we must be careful

         a. We are unable to always know the motives of others

         b. We must approach those in opposition with humility - cf. 

            2 Ti 2:24-26  

         c. We must approach brethren overtaken in a fault with

            gentleness - cf. Ga 6:1

CONCLUSION

1. In contending for the faith (which is a solemn duty, Ju 3)...

   a. Some often use the example of Jesus cleansing the temple to

      justify their behavior

   b. As they lash out in anger (righteous indignation?) towards those

      teaching error

2. Is it right to appeal to Jesus' example in this case...?

   a. Can we appeal to every example of Jesus?

   b. If so, are we justified to use a whip of cords as well?

3. The immediate context offers reasons to answer carefully...

   a. Jesus possessed unlimited authority to judge man, proven by His

      resurrection from the dead

   b. Jesus possessed divine power to read the hearts of men, we

      sometimes cannot even discern our own hearts

4. There are times for righteous indignation...

   a. But some things must be left to the Lord, the righteous Judge

   b. We must avoid what might actually be "self-righteous" indignation!

While we may not always be able to emulate the Lord's prerogative to

judge, we should certainly strive to copy His zeal for His Father's

house.  Is our zeal for His church what it ought to be...? (Source)

This link gives explicit references and details as to why Jesus whipped the moneychangers in the temple and it shows that “we” Christians don’t have the same right to do what he did. Hence, Mr. Smith ostracizes Christians for doing something that we have no divine sanction to do in the first place. In this case Mr. Smith wants us to sin or by arrogating to ourselves the very divine prerogatives which Jesus alone has. Christians know this, Muslims don’t because Muslims don’t know the Bible.

And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.

Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.

(John 2:3-4)

I don’t see the problem with this passage either. Unless Mr. Smith is trying to say that Jesus was insensitive with his words here. If so, this is only a matter of opinion. Also Mr. Smith’s other Muslim brothers, Osama Abdallah and Sami Zaatari would clearly recommend that Christians and other Non-Muslims refer to the Arabic of the Quran to get a clearer meaning and not just rely on an English translation. We would like to do the same to show you that Mr. Smith is totally ignorant of the NT Greek in this verse. In fact we will let the famous A.T. Robertson, who was one of the foremost NT Greek authorities in the Western world, explain this for us:

Woman (gunai). Vocative case of gunh, and with no idea of censure as is plain from its use by Jesus in Luke 19:26. But the use of gunai instead of mhter (Mother) does show her she can no longer exercise maternal authority and not at all in his Messianic work. That is always a difficult lesson for mothers and fathers to learn, when to let go. What have I to do with thee? (Ti emoi kai soi;). There are a number of examples of this ethical dative in the LXX (Judges 11:12; 2 Samuel 16:10; 1 Kings 17:18; 2 Kings 3:13; 2 Chronicles 35:21) and in the N.T. (Mark 1:24; Mark 5:7; Matthew 8:29; Matthew 27:19; Luke 8:28). Some divergence of thought is usually indicated. Literally the phrase means, "What is it to me and to thee?" In this instance F.C. Burkitt (Journal of Theol. Studies, July, 1912) interprets it to mean, "What is it to us?" That is certainly possible and suits the next clause also. Mine hour is not yet come (oupw hkei h wra mou). This phrase marks a crisis whenever it occurs, especially of his death (Luke 7:30; Luke 8:20; Luke 12:23; Luke 13:1; Luke 17:1). Here apparently it means the hour for public manifestation of the Messiahship, though a narrower sense would be for Christ's intervention about the failure of the wine. The Fourth Gospel is written on the plane of eternity (W. M. Ramsay) and that standpoint exists here in this first sign of the Messiah. (Robertson AT, “Word Pictures of the New Testament” Commentary on John 2:4 Source)

The reason for Jesus using this language was to show his mother that she didn’t exercise her maternal authority over him any longer because he was a FULL GROWN MAN. Robertson expounds on this in saying that it’s hard for parents to let go of their kids and let them be adults like they were allowed to be adults. Now unless Mr. Smith is implying that Christian adults should manipulate and control their children, I don’t see any problem with this. I guess Mr. Smith is a “momma’s boy”?

But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay [them] before me. (Luke 19:27)

First off, in the Parable of the Ten Minas, Jesus is represented here as being the King. Last I checked, the NT teaches that Jesus is God and that God has the right to slay his enemies, a point with which even the Quran agrees. In fact we will post this for Mr. Smith to refresh his memory:

And the Jews say: Ezra is the son of Allah, and the Christians say: The Messiah is the son of Allah. That is their saying with their mouths. THEY IMITATE THE SAYING OF THOSE WHO DISBELIEVE OF OLD. ALLAH (HIMSELF) FIGHTETH AGAINST THEM. HOW PERVERSE ARE THEY! They have taken as lords beside Allah their rabbis and their monks and the Messiah son of Mary, when they were bidden to worship only One Allah. There is no Allah save Him. Be He Glorified from all that they ascribe as partner (unto Him)! Fain would they put out the light of Allah with their mouths, but Allah disdaineth (aught) save that He shall perfect His light, however much the disbelievers are averse. He it is Who hath sent His messenger with the guidance and the Religion of Truth, that He may cause it to PREVAIL OVER ALL RELIGION, however much the idolaters may be averse. O ye who believe! Lo! many of the (Jewish) rabbis and the (Christian) monks devour the wealth of mankind wantonly and debar (men) from the way of Allah. They who hoard up gold and silver and spend it not in the way of Allah, unto them give tidings (O Muhammad) of a painful doom, On the day when it will (all) be heated in the fire of hell, and their foreheads and their flanks and their backs will be branded therewith (and it will be said unto them): Here is that which ye hoarded for yourselves. Now taste of what ye used to hoard. S. 9:30-35

Here are some narrations which reflect the very spirit and attitude of in Surah 9:30:

Narrated 'Aisha and 'Abdullah bin 'Abbas:

When the last moment of the life of Allah's Apostle came he started putting his 'Khamisa' on his face and when he felt hot and short of breath he took it off his face and said, "MAY ALLAH CURSE THE JEWS AND CHRISTIANS for they built the places of worship at the graves of their Prophets." The Prophet was warning (Muslims) of what those had done. (Sahih Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 8, Number 427)

Note again what 9:30 says:

And the Jews say: Ezra is the son of Allah, and the Christians say: The Messiah is the son of Allah. That is their saying with their mouths. THEY IMITATE THE SAYING OF THOSE WHO DISBELIEVE OF OLD. ALLAH (HIMSELF) FIGHTETH AGAINST THEM (Arabic: qaatalahumu llahu anna yu'fakoona-- Literally-May Allah KILL THEM). HOW PERVERSE ARE THEY! S. 9:30

Now obviously Mr. Smith should have a problem with this also right? But I’m sure he’ll find someway to explain such nonsense. In the Bible God is talking about destroying his enemies who have opposed him and refused to accept his offer of salvation. And the Bible says that God will even destroy those who seek to destroy the remnant of his people from both the Jews and Christians (Cf. Zechariah 12-14; Revelation 121-17; 19:11-21). In the Quran, however, God wants to kill Jews and Christians! Or more appropriately I should say that is Muhammad who wanted to kill Jews and Christians since the Quran isn’t inspired by God.

I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! (Luke 12:49)

This seems good on the surface but the fire Mr. Smith is talking about is one of hatred. Let’s turn to the Bible to see what “fire” Jesus is talking about:

“I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed! Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law." Luke 12:49-53

The fire that Jesus is speaking of is the division which occurs because of one’s love and devotion to Christ. In other words, it is not believers who hate others, but others who will hate the believers because of their love for Jesus. Even family members of the believers will hate them because of their faith in the Messiah which the former reject. Also we have more “fire” for Mr. Smith:

John answered them all, "I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT AND WITH FIRE. Luke 3:16

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to BE TONGUES OF FIRE THAT SEPERATED and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Acts 2:1-4

Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: "'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood AND FIRE AND BILLOWS OF SMOKE. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.' "Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. Acts 2:14-24

As you can clearly see, the “fire” of the Bible brought by Jesus is the Holy Ghost, tongues, miracles and the spirit of prophecy that will divide the world to either follow him and his word or reject him. This is the division that Jesus is talking about. Paul expounds even more on this under the divine inspiration of God:

What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building. By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. IT WILL BE REVEALED WITH FIRE, AND THE FIRE WILL TEST THE QUALITY OF EACH MAN’S WORK. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. 1 Cor. 3:5-15

Now what is this fire? The Bible tells us:

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our "GOD IS A CONSUMING FIRE." Hebrews 12:28-29

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. DO NOT PUT OUT THE SPIRIT’S FIRE; do not treat prophecies with contempt. 1 Thess. 5:18-20

God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven IN BLAZING FIRE WITH HIS POWERFUL ANGELS. He will punish those who do not know God and DO NOT OBEY THE GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS. 2 Thess. 1:6-8

The “Fire” of the Bible in this instance is God himself, his Son Jesus Christ, and his Holy Spirit, the Divine Trinity. God is the only one who will test man’s works to find them acceptable, he is the only one who will judge men, and he is the only one who can save men. Yes, Mr. Smith is right, Jesus did come to bring fire which will divide men, reason why is because not all men will follow God and therefore cause division in families and among the inhabitants of the earth. Is Mr. Smith against this fire (God)? If so, then why? Surely he can’t be against the fire of the word of God separating the wicked from the just. But as we already shown, Muslims don’t follow the one and True God in the first place.

(4) Do they hate their family members?

"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:26)

* We know the Bible strictly forbids getting drunk and prohibits drinking wine (Leviticus 10:9)  Christianity is the cause of the social corruptions today, so how many Christians hate their family members?

Response:

Ah, the famous “hate” verse propagated by many laymen! Well this argument is about as old as time itself. It doesn’t mean “hate” in the sense of the English word. In order to find the true meaning we must turn to its Near Eastern content and usage. Christian Apologist Glen Miller expounds on this excellently:

Several points:

1.      When you say 'miseo' means 'hate', it is important to realize that language is just not that simple. When I say "Compared to Lime Sherbet, I hate vanilla", most readers will not know how I will respond to the question "would you like a scoop of vanilla" on a hot day. In this example, hate does not have the intensity or extension range that would be present in "I hate crimes against the elderly." In other words, usage and context ALWAYS play a critical element in understanding that a word means IN A SPECIFIC CASE. And all honest attempts to understand a text-biblical, political, scientific, philosophical--must begin with this understanding of the richness and flexibility of natural language. All attempts to 'force' a word into a narrow range of meaning are subject to the possibility of error.
 

2.      In this case, we have three data points that help us determine the range/intensity of the word miseo:
 

3.      Semitic usage patterns of love/hate in bipolar contexts;

The Semitic mind of OT/NT would state relative comparisons as absolutes, and this would even show up in the same passage. Cf. Genesis 29.30-31:

"Jacob lay with Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah (mem proposition)...When the LORD saw that Lead was not loved (lit. hated)"

This text shows that "hated" could mean IN CERTAIN CONTEXTS "love less than"... (You also have a similar use of hate in Deut 21.15-17 wherein one wife is preferred over another and the word 'hate' is used of the 'less preferred'. In other words, the Semite reader would not make the harsh and rigid conclusions that one from a western culture might.

2.      Semitic range of miseo
 

We have extra-biblical data that argues that while miseo to Greeks h has a more narrow word content, to Semites using miseo, the range was considerably wider, including the sense of 'leaving aside', 'renunciation', or "abandonment' (cf. F.F. Bruce, The Hard Sayings of Jesus, Downers Grove: IVP, 1983, p.592.)

3.      the parallel passage in Matthew 10:37 using paraphrase

The parallel account of this message is given in Matthew 10.37:

"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me."

When Matthew paraphrases the words of Jesus in this passage, he makes sure that the range and intent of the utterance in seen in its SEMITIC LIGHT. In other words, he preserves less of the ambiguity of the original saying of Jesus in order to make sure that the correct nuance is made explicit. In so doing, he shows us the Semitic idea of 'lower preference' seems to be the correct meaning behind miseo in this passage. (Was Jesus a Hate Monger:  Source)

In its Semitic usage, “hate” doesn’t literally mean hate someone you don’t like but NOT TO LOVE THEM MORE THAN THE PERSON IN QUESTION. Hence Jesus is clearly saying “You must love me more than anybody else”. Even God of the Quran requires that one must love him more than any human person or agent. From the same link above this is verified:’

1. TDNT: under miseo (5.c): "Hatred in Discipleship. To be a true disciple one must hate all others for Jesus' sake. This is NOT PSYCHOLOGICAL HATRED BUT A TOTAL COMMITMENT THAT GIVES ABSOLUTE PRIORITY TO JESUS." (emphasis mine)

2. Exegetical Dictionary of the NT (xlation of EWNT, Eerdmans, 1993): under miseo (vol. 2. p431) give the definition as 'hate, despise, disregard' and in section 2.c address the passage under question: "Jesus' commands to hate one's family and oneself for his sake (Luke 14.26) and not to love one's family more than him (Matt 10.37) amount to the same thing: the decisive factor for discipleship with Jesus is to disregard all else (cf. also Luke 9.59f)."

3. See also the New International Dict. of NTT (Vol. 1.pp556)--the emphasis is on priority, not animosity. (IBID)

Mr. Smith doesn’t understand the usage so the error regarding “hate” is on his part, not on Jesus’. This reminds us of the Muslim argument that we need to “Go to the Arabic Quran.” Well in turn, I tell Mr. Smith, “Go to the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek Bible.” Mr. Smith must welcome Jesus’ message as well as those who were sent by Jesus or he is to be eternally condemned:

After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. HE TOLD THEM, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Go! I am sending YOU out like lambs among wolves..."He who LISTENS TO YOU LISTENS TO ME; he who REJECTS YOU REJECTS ME; but he who rejects me REJECTS HIM WHO SENT ME." The seventy-two returned with joy and said, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name." Luke 10:1-3, 16-17

To reject Jesus is equivalent to rejecting God, therefore how can a person make it to heaven by rejecting God? The only way to enter God’s heavenly abode is by repenting of their rejection of Jesus by accepting him as Lord and Savior. Jesus substantiates this conclusion in the passage below:

Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. Then he said to them, "Whoever welcomes this little child in MY NAME welcomes me; and WHOEVER WELCOMES ME WELCOMES THE ONE WHO SENT ME. For he who is least among you all--he is the greatest." Luke 9:47-48

You can't take Jesus out of the equation of salvation since the Bible everywhere records him as saying, "accept me and you accept the one who sent me", etc. If you welcome Jesus you welcome God. Hence, to love your family and friends more than Jesus is, in effect, to love them more than God himself!

(5) Do they pray in the manner of Jesus?

And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou [wilt]. (Matthew 26:39)

* Do Christians pray like Jesus? The answer is no. The scripture above seems to imply that Christians are blind people who cannot discern the fact with their own eyes that Jesus prayed in physical manner.

Other significant examples:

And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me and be thou perfect.  And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, As for Me, behold, My covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.  (Genesis 17:1-4)

Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;

(Psalms 95:6)

And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,  Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.

(Revelations 7:11-12)

And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the Lord until eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads.  And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord God, wherefore hast Thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? Would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side of the Jordan!  (Joshua 7:6-7)

And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell upon their faces: and the glory of the Lord appeared unto them. (Numbers 20:6)

Response:

Okay, this takes us back to the first example. Where exactly has Mr. Smith proven that Christians don’t pray like Jesus in the verses above? Anyone who has attended a church for a substantial period of time has seen people “fall on their face” and pray to God. People do it at an altar call every Sunday at my Church. But instead of elaborating on an non-issue, we find that Mr. Smith is wrong again on his exegesis of Matthew 26:39. He claims:

* Do Christians pray like Jesus? The answer is no. The scripture above seems to imply that Christians are blind people who cannot discern the fact with their own eyes that Jesus prayed in physical manner.

When we read the verse in question we find no such conclusion. Notice first that the that there is no plural references which would suggest that Jesus’ prayer is communal, a teaching on how his followers should pray:

AND HE went a little further, and FELL ON HIS FACE, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from ME: nevertheless NOT AS I WILL, but as thou [wilt]. (Matthew 26:39)

Now if Mr. Smith is claiming that this verse is showing Christians being blind then we must remind him that the person praying above is Jesus himself:

Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, "Sit here WHILE I GO OVER THERE AND PRAY." He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me." Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." Matt. 26:36-39

The only one blind according to Mr. Smith’s imaginary argument would be Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, not all of Christendom. In fact there is no evidence that Christians couldn’t discern that Jesus prayed in a physical manner. Mr. Smith needs “hooked on phonics” badly.

More importantly, Jesus didn’t pray like Muslims do. According to the Scriptures, Jesus and his followers would look either up to heaven or would stand up to pray:

"Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all." Mark 6:41

"And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins." Mark 11:25

According to the Sunnah of Muhammad, praying with ones eyes looking up is a no-no:

Jabir b. Samura reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: The people who lift their eyes towards the sky in Prayer should avoid it or they would lose their eyesight. (Sahih Muslim, Book 004, Number 0862: http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/muslim/004.smt.html#004.0862)

Abu Huraira reported: People should avoid lifting their eyes towards the sky while supplicating in prayer, otherwise their eyes would be snatched away. (Sahih Muslim, Book 004, Number 0863: http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/muslim/004.smt.html#004.0863)

Jesus also called God his Father when he prayed:

"Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, 'MY FATHER, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.'" Matthew 26:39

Yet no Muslim could ever pray to Allah and call him their Father:

"They say: 'The Most Gracious has begotten a son!' Indeed ye have put forth a thing most monstrous! At it the skies are about to burst, the earth to split asunder, and the mountains to fall down in utter ruin, That they attributed a son for the Most Gracious. For it is not consonant with the majesty of the Most Gracious that He should beget a son. Not one of the beings in the heavens and the earth BUT MUST COME TO THE MOST GRACIOUS AS A SERVANT." S. 19:88-93

So what is Mr. Smith’s point?

(6) Sell everything and give to the poor?

 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:33)

"All these I have kept since I was a boy," he said. “When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."  (Luke 18:21-22)

Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses, (Matthew 10:9)

* Should Christians accept poverty and sell everything they have? This teaching is neglected because the Christian West is known as the consumerist society.

Let’s look at these verses in question. In the first place, the context of Luke 14:33 refers to Jesus calling disciples to radical living, to be willing to forsake all in order to give their utter allegiance to the cause of God. Is Mr. Smith suggesting that Muslims must give less than this in their devotion to Allah?

Jesus is using hyperbole, exaggerated form of speech, in order to drive home the point how crucial and vital the call of discipleship is. One must be willing, if necessary, to forsake all to heed the call of God in Christ. But Jesus wasn’t saying that to work or to provide for oneself, or others, is a sin since part of following him entails not being lazy or a burden on others:

“Then Jesus asked them, ‘When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?’ ‘Nothing,’ they answered. He said to them, ‘But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. It is written: “And he was numbered with the transgressors”; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment.’ The disciples said, ‘See, Lord, here are two swords.’ ‘That is enough,’ he replied.” Luke 22:35-38

Jesus is basically saying that the disciples will need to provide for themselves now that Jesus will be physically absent from them, obviously by the grace of God. In other words, as they seek to do God’s will the Lord will provide opportunities for them to procure the things needed for their work of ministry and surviving, i.e. working as tentmakers to make money like Paul did, being fed by the people whose houses they visit etc.

Paul warns lazy Christians: 

“In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone's food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow. For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: ‘If a man will not work, he shall not eat.’ We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies. Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the bread they eat. And as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right.” 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13  

Mr. Smith also quoted this:  

"All these I have kept since I was a boy," he said. “When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."  (Luke 18:21-22)

Notice this from Proverbs:

He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done. Prov. 19:17

By giving to the poor, the man would be lending to God. When one lends something to another, HE RECEIVES IT ALL BACK PLUS INTEREST! Also this passage was specific to this particular man’s blessing and not directed towards all Christians. It didn’t say in an inclusive clause “All must do this”, but that only this particular person in question who was being tested because of his attachment to money. In fact the Bible shows us that when God makes these kinds of request, he actually tests the person in question to see if they have enough faith to follow him without question. If they do, then he would relent and usually not allow them to go through with this task. One good example is Abraham and Isaac, in which God told him to sacrifice Isaac, but because Abraham was willing to follow God’s word without question, God relented and sent the ram:

Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied. Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. SACRIFICE HIM THERE AS A BURNT OFFERING on one of the mountains I will tell you about." Gen. 22:1-2

Later on:

When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied. "Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. NOW I KNOW THAT YOU FEAR GOD, BECAUSE YOU HAVE NOT WITHELD FROM ME YOUR SON, YOUR ONLY SON." Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, "On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided."  Gen. 22:9-14

Therefore if the man would have obeyed Jesus, it is very likely he wouldn’t even needed to give up his possessions. Much like Abraham, the person was being tested. Christians, because they realize this, know that they aren’t required to give up everything and be poor as Mr. Smith claims. Mr. Smith’s unfamiliarity of the Bible could only lead to such a false conclusion like this.

Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses, (Matthew 10:9)

This verse has no reference on all of Christendom. It is specific to the Disciples of that time as the passage illustrates:

He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. These twelve Jesus sent out WITH THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS: "Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.' Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy,drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts; take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep. "Whatever town or village you enter, search for some worthy person there and stay at his house until you leave. Matt. 10:1-10

The whole concept of not taking gold and silver for the journey is because the disciples would be busy working for God and that any worthy person of the town or village they were in would take them in and provide the basic necessities for them. Hence it would be unnecessary for taking extras when God was going to use people to provide for them on their mission. Also Mr. Smith is wrong in claiming that this should refer to all Christians. We aren’t the 12 disciples! The Bible is very specific as to whom this verse refers. If Mr. Smith took the time to actually read he would easily see this. But as we’ve shown before, Mr. Smith and the other goonies of Osama Abdallah don’t care about truth and accurate representation of the Bible in the first place.

(7) Is marrying divorced women adultery?

But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery. (Matthew 5:32, 19:9)

* Marrying a divorced woman is adultery? How many Christians have broken this law?

Response:

This link explains this in an excellent fashion:

Question:  “What does the Bible say about divorce and remarriage?”

Answer:  First of all, no matter what view one takes in the issue of divorce it is important to remember the words of the Bible from Malachi 2:16a: “I hate divorce, says the Lord God of Israel.” According to the Bible, God’s plan is that marriage be a lifetime commitment. “So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate” (Matthew 19:6). God realizes, though, that since a marriage involves two sinful human beings, divorce is going to occur. In the Old Testament, He laid down some laws in order to protect the rights of divorcees, especially women (Deuteronomy 24:1-4). Jesus pointed out that these laws were given because of the hardness of people’s hearts, not because they were God’s desire (Matthew 19:8).

The controversy over whether divorce and remarriage is allowed according to the Bible revolves primarily around Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:32 and 19:9. The phrase “except for marital unfaithfulness” is the only thing in Scripture that possibly gives God’s permission for divorce and remarriage. Many interpreters understand this "exception clause" as referring to "marital unfaithfulness" during the "betrothal" period. In Jewish custom, a man and a woman were considered married even while they were still engaged “betrothed.” Immorality during this "betrothal" period would then be the only valid reason for a divorce.

However, the Greek word translated “marital unfaithfulness” is a word which can mean any form of sexual immorality. It is can mean fornication, prostitution, adultery, etc. Jesus is possibly saying that divorce is permissible if sexual immorality is committed. Sexual relations is such an integral part of the marital bond “the two will become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:5; Ephesians 5:31). Therefore, a breaking of that bond by sexual relations outside of marriage might be a permissible reason for divorce. If so, Jesus also has remarriage in mind in this passage. The phrase “and marries another” (Matthew 19:9) indicates that divorce and remarriage are allowed in an instance of the exception clause, whatever it is interpreted to be. It is important to note that only the innocent party is allowed to remarry. Although it is not stated in the text, the allowance for remarriage after a divorce is God’s mercy for the one who was sinned against, not for the one who committed the sexual immorality.

Some understand 1 Corinthians 7:15 as another “exception,” allowing remarriage if an unbelieving spouse divorces a believer. However, the context does not mention remarriage, but only says a believer is not bound to continue a marriage if an unbelieving spouse wants to leave. Others claim that abuse (spousal or child) are valid reasons for divorce even though they are not listed as such in the Bible. While this may very well be the case, it is never wise to presume upon the Word of God.

Sometimes lost in the debate over the exception clause is the fact that whatever “marital unfaithfulness” means, it is an allowance for divorce, not a requirement for divorce. Even when adultery is committed a couple can, through God’s grace, learn to forgive and begin rebuilding their marriage. God has forgiven us of so much more. Surely we can follow His example and even forgive the sin of adultery (Ephesians 4:32). However, in many instances, a spouse is unrepentant and continues in sexual immorality. That is where Matthew 19:9 can possibly be applied. Many also look too quickly to remarriage after a divorce when God might desire them to remain single. God sometimes calls a person to be single so that their attention is not divided (1Corinthians 7:32-35). Remarriage after a divorce may be an option in some circumstances, but that does not mean it is the only option.

It is distressing that the divorce rate among professing Christians is nearly as high as that of the unbelieving world. The Bible makes it abundantly clear that God hates divorce (Malachi 2:16) and that reconciliation and forgiveness should be the marks of a believer’s life (Luke 11:4; Ephesians 4:32). However, God recognizes that divorces will occur, even among His children. A divorced and/or remarried believer should not feel any less loved by God, even if their divorce and/or remarriage is not covered under the possible exception clause of Matthew 19:9. God often uses even the sinful disobedience of Christians to accomplish great good.

Recommended Resource:  Divorce and Remarriage: 4 Views edited By H. Wayne House. (Source)

God knew that Marriage would be between two sinful humans. Hence, if divorce does happen and it goes outside the concept of Matthew 5:32 and 19:9, God easily would forgive the transgression of the guilty party:

"Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits-WHO FORGIVES ALL YOUR SINS AND HEALS ALL YOUR DISEASES," Psalm 103:2-3

"In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had PROVIDED PURIFICATION FOR SINS, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven." Hebrews 1:1-3

For God so loved the world that He gave HIS ONLY begotten Son, that WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send HIS SON into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. John 3:16-17

Unlike, Mr. Smith’s false god, and his false prophet, and his false religion Islam, the object of Christianity is to save people from the sins they’ve committed not to condemn them and never forgive their sins. The “adultery argument” is just another sin covered by the blood of Jesus. In fact since Mr. Smith is so concerned about adultery then he needs to explain this. According to S. 9:51, nothing befalls Muslims except what Allah has ordained. And in other references we are told,

"Allah leads astray whomsoever He will and guides whomsoever he will." S. 14:4

"Whomsoever Allah guides, he is the one who follows the right way; and whomsoever He causes to err, these are the losers. And certainly We have created for hell many of the jinn and the men; ... Whomsoever Allah causes to err, there is no guide for him; and He leaves them alone in their inordinacy, blindly wandering on." S. 7:178-179, 186

"If thy Lord had so willed, He could have made mankind one People: but they will not cease to differ. Except those on whom thy Lord hath bestowed His Mercy: and for this did He create them: and the Word of thy Lord shall be fulfilled: ‘I will fill Hell with Jinns and men all together.’" S. 11:118-119

Not only does Allah guide people astray, but also has created men specifically for hell. To make matters worse, he even ordains the evil one commits as this Muslim tradition shows:

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Apostle as saying:

Verily Allah has fixed the very portion of adultery which a man will indulge in, and which he of necessity must commit (or there would be no escape from it)." Sahih Muslim #6421, 6422

To even imagine that Allah causes adultery is beyond horrendous! Does Mr. Smith have a problem with this? Yes or no?

(8) Are they supposed to gouge their eyes? Cut off their hands?

If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, (Mark 9:43-47)

Response:

This isn’t a literal commandment from Jesus. It is a parable. If you look at the early NT history you never would find this type of practice by early Christians. They understood it clearly as a parable and not as a literal commandment. In the Bible, it is wrong to defile or dismember the Bible for it is the temple of the Holy Ghost:

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore HONOR GOD WITH YOUR BODY. 1 Cor. 6:19-20

If Mr. Smith has a problem with Paul’s saying by arguing that this isn’t Jesus’ words, we would like to refer him to what Jesus himself said about Paul:

As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?' 'Who are you, Lord?' Saul asked. 'I AM JESUS, WHOM YOU ARE PERSECUTING,' HE REPLIED. 'Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.' The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything. In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, 'Ananias!' 'Yes, Lord,' he answered. The Lord told him, 'Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. IN A VISION HE HAS SEEN A MAN NAMED ANANIAS COME AND PLACE HIS HANDS ON HIM TO RESTORE HIS SIGHT.' 'Lord,' Ananias answered, 'I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.' BUT THE LORD SAID TO ANANIAS, 'Go! THIS MAN IS MY CHOSEN INSTRUMENT TO CARRY MY NAME before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.' Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, 'Brother Saul, the Lord - Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here - has sent me so that you may see again annd be filled with the Holy Spirit.' Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength. Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. Acts 9:3-20

Listening to the words of Jesus we see that

1. He personally chose Paul as his servant

2. Ananias was the second witness that Jesus himself spoke to who confirmed Paul.

3. Jesus used Paul to carry his name to the Gentile world.

Hence, the words of Paul were the very words of Jesus through divine inspiration as the Bible clearly illustrates. Therefore the idea about cutting one’s members or plucking out one’s eye etc., has always been viewed as allegorical, not intended to be literally applied because it is against God to defile the body, which is his Temple.

(9) Are they allowed to save money?

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. (Matthew 6:19-20)

* Jesus seems to be forbidding banks to exist, since the words “where thieves break in and steal” implies the storage of money and bank robbers! Jesus rejects the accumulation of money, that’s why he overturned the money changers at the Temple. The Hadith below clarifies this point:

Volume 2, Book 24, Number 488:

Narrated Zaid bin Wahab:

I passed by a place called Ar-Rabadha and by chance I met Abu Dhar and asked him, "What has brought you to this place?" He said, "I was in Sham and differed with Muawiya on the meaning of (the following verses of the Quran): 'They who hoard up gold and silver and spend them not in the way of Allah.' (9.34). Muawiya said, 'This verse is revealed regarding the people of the scriptures." (Sahih Bukhari)

Response:

Mr. Smith is reading too much into this verse than what meets the eye. Jesus gives the reason why he made such a statement:

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matt. 6:19-21

Jesus is saying that those who put their heart into storing up treasures on earth will lead to nowhere. He isn’t saying that one shouldn’t store money in the general sense of NEVER DOING IT PERIOD. He is saying DON’T LET IT BE THE WHOLE SOLE PURPOSE OF YOUR LIFE. He proves this later on by saying:

"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. Matt. 6:24

Notice that Jesus clarifies the reason for the “treasure storing”. It isn’t for the sake of never doing IT BUT FOR THE PURPOSE OF NOT MAKING ONESELF A SLAVE TO DOING IT. One must be a slave to God. Does Mr. Smith advocate that we be slaves to money instead of God? He is clearly implying this with his argument. This is basic logical deduction that a simple 4^th grader should be able to arrive at. In fact reading the rest of this passage Jesus clearly says that his followers are going to have these very same treasures here on earth:

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. ARE YOU NOT MUCH MORE VALUABLE THAN THEY? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. BUT SEEK FIRST HIS KINGDOM AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND ALL THESE THINGS WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU AS WELL. Matt. 6:25-33

Now if Jesus is advocating what Mr. Smith claims above then why is he telling his followers to seek the kingdom of God TO HAVE THESE VERY SAME THINGS GIVEN TO THEM? It’s because Jesus isn’t against treasures in the sense of storing for the necessities of life but against MAKING MONEY ONES VERY GOD. Jesus is cleaerly for his followers seeking God first so God can bless them for this reason:

The blessing of the LORD BRINGS WEALTH, and he adds no trouble to it. Prov. 10:22

Hence, by not seeking God first, the Christian could get rich and make money their god and experience trouble. But by seeking first the kingdom of God, the Christian would get all their necessary provisions, and the gift of contentment in all circumstances with what they have, being protected from being sorrowful or troubled because of daily needs (Cf. Philippians 4:4-13). Jesus does the very same thing Mr. Smith accuses him of not doing, namely, telling his followers to seek God first to receive one’s provisions, but not to store up riches first while putting God second.

(10) Will rich people enter Heaven?

Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." (Matthew 19:24, Mark 10:25, Luke 18:25)

Response:

As we saw above, the blessing of the Lord makes one rich but it added no sorrow or trouble. It is only unsaved rich men who find it hard to enter into heaven, NOT JUST ANY RICH PERSON. In fact in the OT God is against people being poor:

You may require payment from a foreigner, but you must cancel any debt your brother owes you. However, THERE SHOULD BE NO POOR AMONG YOU, for in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you, if only you fully obey the LORD your God and are careful to follow all these commands I am giving you today. Deut. 15:3-5

God also mentions how the rich will worship him in this passage:

for dominion belongs to the LORD and he rules over the nations. All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before him— those who cannot keep themselves alive. Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord. Ps. 22:28-30

Also related to these verses is what Jesus says about being rich:

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!" The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, "Who then can be saved?" Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God." Matt. 19:23-27

Now Mr. Smith is asking whether rich people will enter heaven, whereas Jesus gives the answer right in the very same passage by saying “YES” for with God THIS ISN’T IMPOSSIBLE. So since God can do the impossible, then a rich man CAN MAKE IT TO HEAVEN, even though in moral circumstances his riches makes it impossible for him to enter. In other words, it is humanly impossible for a rich man to enter heaven, but not for God since he can enable anyone, including the rich, to love him more than their riches:

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. 1 Timothy 6:17-19

 Imagine, rich Christians who love the Lord and are saved! More importantly, it is impossible for anyone, whether rich or poor, to be saved apart from Jesus. Jesus alone can save a person since, according to the Bible, salvation is found in no one else:

Salvation is found IN NO ONE ELSE, for there is NO OTHER NAME under heaven given to men by WHICH WE MUST BE SAVED." When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with JESUS. Acts 4:12-13

Just as the apostle Paul stated:

I am not ashamed of THE GOSPEL, because it is the power of God FOR THE SALVATION OF EVERYONE who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith. Rom 1:16-17

Hence, it is impossible for any man, rich or poor to make it to heaven without being saved by Jesus. If Mr. Smith believes otherwise, is he implying that while “rich people” don’t go to heaven that “poor people” can save themselves, eliminating the need for God? That is where his argument is leading!

(11) Can they move mountains?

He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you (Matthew 17:20)

Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done.

(Matthew 21:21)

* Remember when Jesus cursed the fig tree and it withered, bearing the sign that no fruit will grow from it again. Jesus himself made it clear:

Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, "May you never bear fruit again!" Immediately the tree withered.

(Matthew 21:19)

* Since the fig tree withered in the literal sense, it means that Christians can also move mountains in the literal sense too! This is precisely what Matthew 21:21 is dictating.

Response:

Okay. The problem with Mr. Smith’s argument is that there is no way he can measure a Christian’s faith based on this. Many Christians have raised the dead, and did untold miracles. Not everything was written down in the Bible. In fact the Bible illustrates this also:

Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written. John 21:25

Not everything Jesus and his followers did were written down. However if Mr. Smith has a problem in believing this then he has the Quran to blame, since it tells him to believe in Jesus whom he has been trying to show is a failure, or at least that his teachings fail to materialize. So if Jesus is wrong, then the Quran is also wrong for telling him to believe Jesus. The Quran doesn’t tell us what words of Jesus not to follow nor does it refute what Jesus said above. Hence, Mr. Smith has nothing to stand on in trying to use this as an argument against Christianity. This concludes part one. We’ll proceed with pointers 12-20 very soon.