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More alleged Bible contradictions
More alleged Bible contradictions
Sam Shamoun
Osama has recruited some new writers whom he thinks will be able to
write rebuttals refuting the Holy Bible and Christianity. One such writer who has been
desperately trying to expose the Holy Bible is a convert to Islam named Abdullah Smith.
Mr. Smith has recently published a paper where he presents passages showing that the Lord
Jesus allegedly contradicted himself
(here).
Since this paper is pretty much representative of the kind of quality and level of
argumentation Osama’s new batch of writers are producing, we decided to address the
points raised by Mr. Smith in order to show that there is no substance to any of the
charges.
All scriptural quotations will be from the English Standard Version (ESV) unless we
indicate otherwise.
First Contradiction
"If I testify on my own behalf, my
testimony is valid (John 8:14)
Contradicts:
"If I testify about myself, my testimony is
not valid. (John 5:31)
RESPONSE:
Let us read the immediate contexts of the above references in order to get a fuller
understanding of what is actually being said:
"So the Pharisees said to him, ‘You are bearing witness about yourself; your
testimony is not true.’ Jesus answered, ‘EVEN IF I do bear witness about
myself, my testimony is true, FOR I KNOW WHERE I CAME FROM AND WHERE I AM GOING, but you
do not know where I come from or where I am going. You judge according to the
flesh; I judge no one. Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone
who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. In your Law it is written that the testimony
of two men is true. I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent
me bears witness about me.’ They said to him therefore, ‘Where is your
Father?’ Jesus answered, ‘You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you
would know my Father also.’" John 8:13-19
In this passage Jesus is speaking in reference to himself, that as far as he is
concerned his testimony is valid on the basis of his awareness of who is and where he
came from. In other words, Christ is stating that EVEN IF he were to testify about himself
this would be valid because of who he is, the Son of God. But realizing that the Jews
didn’t know who he was Christ goes on to produce another witness on his behalf,
namely the testimony of the Father, in order to convince them that he had come from God.
He repeats this point regarding the Jews needing witnesses in the next passage cited by
the author:
"I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because
I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me. If I alone bear witness about
myself, my testimony is not deemed true. There is another who bears witness about me,
and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true. You sent to John, and he has
borne witness to the truth. Not that the testimony that I receive is from man, but I
say these things so that you may be saved. He was a burning and shining lamp, and
you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. But the testimony that I have is
greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish,
the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me. And the
Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard,
his form you have never seen, and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not
believe the one whom he has sent. You search the Scriptures because you think that in them
you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to
come to me that you may have life. I do not receive glory from people. But I
know that you do not have the love of God within you. I have come in my Father’s
name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him.
How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory
that comes from the only God? Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is
one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope. If you believed Moses, you
would believe me; for he wrote of me. But if you do not believe his writings,
how will you believe my words?" John 5:31-47
In this context, Jesus states that as far as the Jews are concerned his
testimony is invalid. That is why he appeals to the testimony of John, his miracles, the
Father, the scriptures and Moses for verification of his divine claims. But even here
Jesus repeats the point he made in John 8, namely, he doesn’t need the witness or
testimony of men because he knows who he is and where he came from.
Second Contradiction
The world cannot hate you, but it hates
me because I testify that what it does is evil. (John 7:7)
Contradicts:
If you belonged to the world, it would love you
as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the
world. That is why the world hates you. (John 15:19)
RESPONSE:
The first passage is wrenched out of its immediate context:
"After this Jesus went about in Galilee; he would not go about in Judea, because
the Jews sought to kill him. Now the Jews’ feast of Tabernacles was at hand. So his
brothers said to him, ‘Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples may see the
works you are doing. For no man works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do
these things, show yourself to the world.’ For even his brothers did not
believe in him. Jesus said to them, ‘My time has not yet come, but your time
is always here. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify of it that
its works are evil.’" John 7:1-7
Jesus’ brothers did not believe in Christ and were therefore of the world.
Jesus’ disciples, on the other hand, were believers and were therefore not of the
world.
Third Contradiction
Love one another. As I have loved you, so you
must love one another. (John 13:34)
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. (John 15:12)
Contradicts:
"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)
RESPONSE:
In the first place Jesus’ instructions about loving each other were in reference
to the relationship that fellow believers must have with one another; the Lord wasn’t
addressing the relationship between believers and unbelievers. Jesus was telling his
followers that they must love each other even as Christ has loved them. Jesus’
comments in Luke 14:26, however, were dealing with one’s commitment to Christ taking
precedence over all other commitments, that one must not love anyone more than the Lord
Jesus and must be willing to forsake, if necessary, all for him even if it be family and
friends.
As far as whether Jesus meant that believers must literally hate their families for his
sake, we will let our good friend Christian philosopher and apologist Glenn Miller answer
this one:
Several points:
- 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.
- In this case, we have three data points that help us determine the range/intensity of
the word miseo:
- 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.
- Semitic range of miseo
We have extra-biblical data that argues that while miseo to Greeks 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.)
- 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.
- One final word on approaching this passage, GK. This is now the third one of your posts
I have examined carefully, and I have noticed a recurring mistake in your treatment of the
texts. You seem to be trying to force the text into a 'western world' framework or some
kind of rigid linguistic system. The language and content of the bible is much, much
richer and more powerful (like most classics) than one-dimensional approaches allow. The
book must be allowed to provoke honest interaction, not just assumption and conclusion. We
must submit our interpretations to it for 'dialogue' (like we have to do with the works of
Shakespeare or Hume or Kant). To merely say, "this verse is a contradiction"
without going through the possible answers honestly, borders on slander or
misrepresentation. I encourage you to use the background you have to anticipate the first
round or two of the opposing views. It will make your case much better, and your
credibility more apparent. For each of the 'standard problems' raised, there are typically
5-10 different solutions. The challenge for us is often 'which one makes the best sense?'
and/or 'which one can I hold before my God of truth and say I believe this one'. You could
probably bypass some of the "solved-a-hundred-times-before" passages you have
been advancing (e.g. the above and the Peter/Rooster one) and get on to the really juicy
ones! (Source: Jesus, the
hate-monger?)
We now turn the tables on the author to see if there is any contradiction in the Quran
regarding how believers are to view their families:
O ye who believe! Choose not your fathers nor your brethren for friends
if they take pleasure in disbelief rather than faith. Whoso of you taketh them for
friends, such are wrong-doers. S. 9:23 Pickthall
You shall not find a people who believe in Allah and the latter day befriending those
who act in opposition to Allah and His Apostle, even though they were their (own)
fathers, or their sons, or their brothers, or their kinsfolk; these are they into
whose hearts He has impressed faith, and whom He has strengthened with an inspiration from
Him: and He will cause them to enter gardens beneath which rivers flow, abiding therein;
Allah is well-pleased with them and they are well-pleased with Him these are Allah's
party: now surely the party of Allah are the successful ones. S. 58:22 Shakir
These texts contradict the following verses:
Serve God, and join not any partners with Him; and do good - to parents, kinsfolk,
orphans, those in need, neighbours who are near, neighbours who are strangers, the
companion by your side, the wayfarer (ye meet), and what your right hands possess: For God
loveth not the arrogant, the vainglorious; - S. 4:36 Y. Ali
Say: "Come, I will rehearse what God hath (really) prohibited you from": Join
not anything as equal with Him; be good to your parents; kill not your children on
a plea of want; - We provide sustenance for you and for them; - come not nigh to shameful
deeds. Whether open or secret; take not life, which God hath made sacred, except by way of
justice and law: thus doth He command you, that ye may learn wisdom. S. 6:151 Y. Ali
And We have enjoined on man doing of good to his parents; with trouble did his
mother bear him and with trouble did she bring him forth; and the bearing of him and the
weaning of him was thirty months; until when he attains his maturity and reaches forty
years, he says: My Lord! grant me that I may give thanks for Thy favor which Thou hast
bestowed on me and on my parents, and that I may do good which pleases Thee and do good to
me in respect of my offspring; surely I turn to Thee, and surely I am of those who
submit… But the one who says to his parents, `Fie on you both; do you threaten me
that I shall be brought forth again, when generations have already passed away before me?'
And they both cry unto ALLAH for help and say to him. `Woe unto thee! believe, for the
promise of ALLAH is true.' But he says, `This is nothing but the fables of the ancients.'
S. 46:15, 17 Shakir
How can one show kindness to infidel parents if the Quran forbids even befriending them?
Fourth Contradiction
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto
you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled,
neither let it be afraid. (John 14:27)
Contradicts:
Think not that I am come to send peace on earth:
I came not to send peace, but a sword. (Matthew 10:34)
I have come to bring fire on the earth, (Luke 12:49)
RESPONSE:
Here are the specific contexts of Matthew and Luke respectively:
"Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to
bring peace, but a sword. FOR I have come to set a man against his father, and a
daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a
person's enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother
more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not
worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find
it." Matthew 10:34-39
"I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled! I have
a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished! Do
you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.
For from now on in one house there will be five divided, 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 her daughter-in-law and
daughter-in-law against mother-in-law." Luke 12:49-53
The fire and sword Jesus was speaking of refer to the division that occurs when members
of a household embrace the Lord Jesus whereas the rest do not. The unbelievers in a family
will oftentimes persecute the believers, thereby destroying the peace and bond that once
was there or existed among them.
Jesus’ point in John 14:27 is that, in spite of such divisions and tribulations,
believers will be guarded by the peace of God which transcends all understanding:
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give
to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." John
14:27
"I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. They will put
you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he
is offering service to God. And they will do these things because they have not known the
Father, nor me. But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may
remember that I told them to you. I did not say these things to you from the beginning,
because I was with you… Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the
world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. When a
woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has
delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has
been born into the world. So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again and your
hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. In that day you will ask
nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he
will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will
receive, that your joy may be full… I have said these things to you, that IN ME
you may have peace. In the world YOU WILL HAVE TRIBULATION. But take heart; I have
overcome the world." John 16:1-4, 20-24, 33
"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be
known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in
everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to
God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts
and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is
honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is
commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think
about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me--practice
these things, and the God of peace will be with you. I rejoiced in the Lord
greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned
for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I
have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I
know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing
plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble." Philippians 4:4-14
Notice that in every one of these texts believers are told that they will experience
tribulations, trials, turmoils etc., but they are not to worry or be troubled by it since
God has promised to put his perfect peace within them which will enable them to cope in
such situations.
Fifth Contradiction
Honour thy father and [thy] mother: (Matthew 19:19)
Contradicts:
For I am come to set a man at variance against his
father, and the daughter against her mother (Matthew 10:35)
RESPONSE:
This was essentially answered above, in our response to the author’s third
contradiction. The only thing we would like to add here is that, unlike the Muslim who is
told not to befriend unbelieving family members, Christians are to still love and honor
their families even if they happen to be unbelievers who persecute them:
"You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your
enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who
persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes
his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax
collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than
others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your
heavenly Father is perfect." Matthew 5:43-48
"Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one
another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful
in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in
tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to
show hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.
Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one
another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be conceited. Repay no
one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If
possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge
yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine,
I will repay, says the Lord.’ To the contrary, ‘if your enemy is hungry, feed
him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning
coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."
Romans 12:9-21
Thus, a Christian must be willing to forego his family for Christ, if necessary,
without ceasing to love and pray for them.
Sixth Contradiction
"Don't you see that nothing that enters a
man from the outside can make him 'unclean'? For it doesn't go into his heart but into his
stomach, and then out of his body." (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods
"clean.") Mark 7:18
Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the
mouth, this defileth a man. (Matthew 15:11)
Contradicts:
And the pig, though it has a split hoof completely
divided, does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you. You must not eat their meat
or touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you. (Leviticus 11:7-8)
Wine [is] a mocker, strong drink [is] raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not
wise. (Proverbs 20:1)
RESPONSE:
These issues regarding the dietary prohibitions of the Law versus the NT teaching on
the permissibility of all foods have already been addressed in the following papers:
http://answering-islam.org/Responses/Shabir-Ally/pork1.htm
http://answering-islam.org/Responses/Meherally/circumcision.htm
http://answering-islam.org/Responses/Abualrub/one_law.htm
http://answering-islam.org/Shamoun/mosaic_law.htm
What is truly amazing is that Smith fails to realize that Muhammad comes under the same
kind of criticism and judgment which the author levels against the Holy Bible since the
former violated and broke many of these same OT restrictions and prohibitions. In fact,
Osama Abdallah, Smith’s partner, admits this but tries to explain away
Muhammad’s violation of the OT by claiming that God can change his mind according to
both the Holy Bible and the Quran, and did so in regard to many of these laws and
restrictions (here).
We have more to say about Osama’s argument regarding the permissibility of camel
meat as food in another rebuttal.
Furthermore, Smith’s own Quran states that Jesus came to make some things lawful
which God’s Law had forbidden:
Likewise confirming the truth of the Torah that is before me, and to make lawful
to you certain things that before were forbidden unto you. I have come to you with
a sign from your Lord; so fear you God, and obey you me. S. 3:50 Arberry
Hence, if we were apply to Smith’s methodology and reasoning to his own scriptures
then we must conclude that Allah’s Quran contains gross contradictions both with
itself and with the previous revelations.
Smith’s gross blunders may be the result of his being a recent convert to Islam,
accounting for why he is so ignorant about what the Holy Bible and the Quran actually
teach regarding these issues.
However, Osama Abdallah has years of experience in anti-Christian polemics, and has
authored and published hundreds of articles on the Quran and the Bible, and still makes
the same kind of ignorant statements (and also signs responsible as editor and publisher
of this very article).
Seventh Contradiction
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.
(Matthew
10:5)
"I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel." (Matthew 15:24)
Contradicts:
I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout
the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her." (Matthew
26:13)
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19)
RESPONSE:
In the first place, Jesus in Matthew 10:5 was referring to a specific mission
which the twelve disciples were to go on, but never said that this was suppose to be a
permanent, all-time directive against Gentile evangelization. In support of this, Luke
mentions that Jesus had sent out his followers on two different missions on different
occasions (cf. Luke 9, 10), highlighting the point that the disciples would engage on many
missionary tours, some of which would be more exclusive while others would be more
expansive in scope.
Moreover, even in Matthew 10 we find Jesus referring to and anticipating his
followers’ Gentile mission:
"And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean
spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. The names of
the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother;
James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew
the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananaean, and
Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, ‘Go
nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost
sheep of the house of Israel… Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of
wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of men, for they will
deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged
before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles.
When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say,
for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. For it is not you who speak,
but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.’" Matthew 10:1-6, 16-20
Thirdly, Matthew 15:24 is speaking of the extent of Jesus’ earthly mission, which
was primarily to the Jews, and doesn’t even refer to the disciples at all. Basically
Jesus was stating that he himself had come to the Jews only, without this implying that he
wouldn’t convert or heal any Gentiles along the way. After all, the blessing given to
Israel was to pour over to the Gentiles just as the apostle Paul stated:
"For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show
God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order
that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,
‘Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.’ …
But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of
the grace given me by God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the
priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be
acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:8-9, 15-16
Paul says that Jesus went to the Jews to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs so
that the blessing would also pour out to the Gentiles. One may ask in what way did
Jesus’ service to the Jews end up blessing the Gentiles? Simply, God’s promises
to Abraham stated that through him all the nations would be blessed. After Christ came to
fulfill the promises made to Abraham he then sent forth his disciples such as Paul to
bless the Gentiles by offering them the hope of the Gospel.
In fact, this is exactly what Jesus goes on to show right after he had told the woman
that he was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel:
"And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and
Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying,
‘Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a
demon.’ But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him,
saying, "Send her away, for she is crying out after us.’ He answered, ‘I
was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’ But she came and knelt
before him, saying, ‘Lord, help me.’ And he answered, ‘It is not
right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs (kunariois).’
She said, ‘Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs (kunaria) eat the crumbs that
fall from their masters' table.’ Then Jesus answered her, ‘O
woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.’ And her
daughter was healed instantly. Jesus went on from there and walked beside the Sea of
Galilee. And he went up on the mountain and sat down there. And great crowds came to
him, bringing with them the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and
they put them at his feet, and he healed them, so that the crowd wondered, when they saw
the mute speaking, the crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they
glorified the God of Israel." Matthew 15:23-31
Christ tells the woman that the bread of the children cannot be given to the dogs, with
her response being that even dogs end up eating crumbs falling from the children’s
table. What most people do not realize is that the word which Jesus uses for dogs (kunarion)
actually refers to a house dog, to a pet within a household, which explains how these pets
could be situated so close to the table of the children.
Jesus’ point was that the children of the household must eat first even before
their pets, but the pets will in fact eat once the children are done. In other words,
Christ is saying that Israel will be given the bread of heaven first since they are the
children of the covenant, but the Gentiles will also eat this bread as soon as
Israel’s feeding is complete. Yet in the meantime specific Gentiles will be able to
partake of this spiritual food because of their locus, because of their close proximity to
Israel. That is why Jesus goes on to give some "breadcrumbs" to the Gentiles, in
response to the woman’s request, i.e. right after their exchange the Lord Jesus,
being in a predominately Gentile area, goes on to perform miracles and healings for the
Gentiles living in that region.
The Lord Jesus was basically operating under the principle that the Gospel was to the
Jew first, not to the Jew only, and then also to the Gentiles:
"God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless
you by turning every one of you from your wickedness." Acts 3:26
"And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, ‘It was necessary that
the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge
yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. For so the
Lord has commanded us, saying, "I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you
may bring salvation to the ends of the earth."’ And when the Gentiles heard
this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were
appointed to eternal life believed." Acts 13:46-48
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to
everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek." Romans 1:16
"There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the
Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does
good, the Jew first and also the Greek." Romans 2:9-10
Finally, the use of dogs in reference to the Gentiles was no more offensive and rude
than Jesus likening Israel to sheep, since both these metaphors in the context of Matthew
refer to individuals who are beloved and dear to their owner.
For more on these points please read the following articles:
http://answering-islam.org/Hahn/gentiles.html
http://www.christian-thinktank.com/qcrude.html
And on it goes with ...
Eighth Contradiction
"Do not go among the Gentiles or enter
any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel.
(Matthew 10:5)
Contradicts:
Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is
called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.
There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.
(John 4:5-7)
RESPONSE:
Apart from the fact that Jesus was passing through Samaria to get to his destination,
and in light of what we said about Christ granting breadcrumbs to the Gentiles, we
don’t have more to add than what we have already said in our above response.
Ninth Contradiction
Think not that I am come to send peace on earth:
I came not to send peace, but a sword. (Matthew 10:34)
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. (Luke 22:36)
But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother
will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca, is
answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the
fire of hell.
(Matthew 5:22)
Contradicts:
Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into
his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. (Matthew
26:52)
…"for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. (KJV)
You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold
sacred? (Matthew 23:17)
Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that
sanctifieth the gift? (Matthew 23:19, KJV)
RESPONSE:
We have dealt with Matthew 10:34 and saw that the sword that Jesus was referring to is
the sword of division, that families will be divided as a result of belief in Christ. It
isn’t speaking of an actual sword.
Luke 22:36 is speaking of carrying a dagger for protection, for self-defense purposes,
since Jesus was going to be taken away to be crucified and the disciples would need to
then provide for themselves. In Matthew 26:52, Jesus is rebuking Peter from trying to
prevent Christ’s crucifixion from taking place. Jesus was also prohibiting his
followers from trying to live by the sword, using violence and death in order to force
people to convert and submit to Christ’s rule. In other words, Jesus was condemning
the very thing that Muhammad commanded his followers to do, namely to kill and oppress in
the name of God!
What is disturbing about this is that the author cited Luke 22:36 but failed to inform
the readers of what happens later on in the very same chapter:
"While he was still speaking, there came a crowd, and the man called Judas, one of
the twelve, was leading them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss him, but Jesus said to him,
‘Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?’ And when those who were
around him saw what would follow, they said, "Lord, shall we strike with the
sword?’ And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right
ear. But Jesus said, ‘No more of this!’ And he touched his ear and healed
him. Then Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders,
who had come out against him, ‘Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and
clubs? When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But
this is your hour, and the power of darkness.’" Luke 22:47-53
Luke, in complete agreement with Matthew, has Jesus rebuking his followers from using
the sword to defend him.
As far as calling others fools is concerned, this has already been answered
here.
Tenth Contradiction
Honour thy father and [thy] mother: (Matthew 19:19)
Contradicts:
Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with
thee? mine hour is not yet come. (John 2:4)
RESPONSE:
First, Jesus wasn’t being dishonorable by using the expression "woman"
since he used this very title on several occasions where no hint of disrespect is even
implied. As Christian scholar and apologist John Gilchrist wrote in response to Ahmad
Deedat:
Lastly Deedat, always seeking occasion to find fault with the Bible, criticises the
title "woman" used by Jesus when addressing his mother in John 2:4, alleging
that Jesus "behaved insolently towards his mother" (Christ in Islam,
p.19). He suggests that it would have been more appropriate to have simply called her
"mother".
Once again Deedat exposes his ignorance of the Bible and the times in which it was
written, for the title "woman" was an endearing title of respect and was
so used by Jesus whenever he addressed women. In one passage we read that the Jewish
leaders sought to stone a woman caught in adultery and asked Jesus for his verdict in the
matter. He replied: "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a
stone at her" (John 8:7). When they had all walked away he gently said to her,
"Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" (John 8:10). When she
said, "No one, Lord", he said "Neither do I condemn you; go, and do not sin
again" (John 8:11). While compassionately extending to her the hand of mercy
he called her "woman". Was this "insolent behaviour"? The title was
purely one of honour and respect, like "Madame" in French or "Dame"
in Afrikaans.
Jesus also used the title when comforting the woman of Samaria (John 4:21) and once
again addressed his mother in this way as he was dying on the cross, and saw her and his
beloved disciple John standing next to her. He said to her:
"Woman, behold your son." John 19:26
He then said to John, "behold your mother" and from that hour "the
disciple took her into his own home" (John 19:27). Even though he was enduring
all the horrors of the cross, he did not forget his mother and tenderly committed her to
his closest disciple among the men who followed him. After his resurrection he again used
the title "woman" when speaking to Mary Magdalene, his closest disciple among
the women who followed him (John 20:15). No one sincerely reading these narratives
can possibly draw the conclusion that the title "woman" was anything but
a gentle title of respect. (Gilchrist, Christ in Islam and Christianity,
"1. Mary in the Qur’an and the Bible";
online source)
Furthermore, Jesus isn’t just Mary’s Son he is also her Sovereign Lord and
God’s Son according to the NT record (cf. John 1:1-18). Being Mary’s Lord and
the Son of God, Jesus is not subject to his mother’s desires since he came not to do
her will but his Father’s will:
"But he said to them, ‘I have food to eat that you do not know about.’
So the disciples said to one another, ‘Has anyone brought him something to eat?’
Jesus said to them, ‘My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to
accomplish his work.’" John 4:32-34
"For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but
the will of him who sent me." John 6:38
’s will then Jesus has
every right to refuse her demands and to correct her seeing that he is her very Lord and
Savior.
More importantly, even if Mary’s demands were not necessarily out of line she
still needed to realize that Christ doesn’t operate under her schedule or timetable,
but only does and says exactly that which the Father commands:
"So Jesus said to them, ‘When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you
will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as
the Father taught me." John 8:28
"For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has
himself given me a commandment--what to say and what to speak. And I know that his
commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me."
John 12:49-50
"but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know
that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here." John 14:31
Eleventh Contradiction
And he took a child, and set him in the midst of
them: and when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them, Whosoever shall
receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: (Mark 9:36-37)
Contradicts:
And I will kill her children with death; and all
the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give
unto every one of you according to your works. (Revelations 2:23)
RESPONSE:
Smith has obviously not bothered to read Revelation 2:23 carefully. That text
isn’t referring to physical babies or young children, but to Jezebel’s spiritual
children who were not small kids by any means or stretch of the imagination:
"And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘The words of the Son of
God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze. I know
your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter
works exceed the first. But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel,
who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice
sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she
refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, AND
THOSE WHO COMMIT ADULTERY WITH HER I will throw into great tribulation, unless they
repent of her works, and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know
that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you as your works
deserve.’" Revelation 2:18-23
It is clear from the context that children here refer to Jezebel’s followers, not
to young biological children. The terms "children," "child,"
"sons," or "son" are often used throughout the Bible in reference to a
person’s followers or to younger believers who are not children but grown adults:
"I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my
beloved children. For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many
fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. I urge
you, then, be imitators of me. That is why I sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful
child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them
everywhere in every church." 1 Corinthians 4:14-17
"To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God
the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord." 1 Timothy 1:2
"She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings, and so does Mark,
my son." 1 Peter 5:13
"My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not
sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the
righteous." 1 John 2:1
Furthermore, even if Jesus were referring to small physical children in Revelation,
this still wouldn’t be a contradiction. As we just saw above Jezebel’s children
were those who shared in her idolatry and immorality, and thus were not true believers. In
Mark, however, the children whom Jesus blesses are those who belong to him:
"And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms,
he said to them, ‘Whoever receives one such child IN MY NAME receives me, and whoever
receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.’" Mark 9:36-37
The phrase "IN MY NAME" implies that these are Christian children, young boys
and girls who name the name of Christ. In either case, there simply are no
real contradictions between these passages.
The author again shows his confusion and inability to comprehend what these texts are
actually saying. Matthew 5 and Luke 6 are directing the disciples on how they are to treat
those who hate and persecute them. Believers must not persecute those who persecute them
but entrust their enemies to God’s will, whether he will grant them repentance unto
salvation or hand them over to judgement. Neither text denies that unbelievers will be
punished by God, but are simply instructing believers on how they are to treat their
enemies.
Yet the same Holy Scriptures plainly teach that God will bring judgment on those who
refuse to believe the Gospel and who seek to harm believers because of their love for
Christ:
This is what Luke 19:27 is talking about since this is referring to Christ’s
return when he will bring judgment on those who refused to believe in him:
In this parable Jesus is likening his ascension to and return from heaven to one who
goes far away to receive his kingdom and comes back to deal with those who refused to
acknowledge his reign. Basically, Christ is talking about his second coming where he will
judge both the righteous believers and unbelievers, along with false Christians.
How is this supposed to be a contradiction is simply beyond us. Jesus said that he has
lost none, and will never lose anyone, whom the Father has given him to save:
Judas did not belong to God and therefore wasn’t one of those whom the Father had
given the Son to save:
That is why one of the very texts cited by Mr. Smith calls Judas the son of perdition,
i.e. the one destined for destruction. Thus, the Lord Jesus truly lost none of those whom
God had chosen to save through his glorious Son.
The author assumes that Jesus allows no room for genuine repentance and restoration to
be granted to those who deny him. Even though it is true that the Lord Jesus will deny
anyone who denies him, the Lord is also willing to forgive and restore all who repent of
their faithlessness since his desire is that none should perish:
"The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the
father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the
righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself. But
if a wicked person turns away from all his sins that he has committed and keeps all my
statutes and does what is just and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die.
None of the transgressions that he has committed shall be remembered against him; for the
righteousness that he has done he shall live. Have I any pleasure in the death of the
wicked, declares the Lord GOD, and not rather that he should turn from his way and
live? But when a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does
injustice and does the same abominations that the wicked person does, shall he live? None
of the righteous deeds that he has done shall be remembered; for the treachery of which he
is guilty and the sin he has committed, for them he shall die." Ezekiel 18:20-24
"So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of
Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. If I
say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the
wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I
will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does
not turn from his way, that person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered
your soul. And you, son of man, say to the house of Israel, Thus have you said:
‘Surely our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we rot away because of them.
How then can we live?’ Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I have no
pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn
back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?"
Ezekiel 33:7-11
"For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also
forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father
forgive your trespasses." Matthew 6:14-15
"Then Peter came up and said to him, ‘Lord, how often will my brother sin
against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I do
not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven. Therefore the kingdom of heaven may
be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to
settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. And since he could not
pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had,
and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, "Have
patience with me, and I will pay you everything." And out of pity for him, the master
of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. But when that same servant went
out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him,
he began to choke him, saying, "Pay what you owe." So his fellow servant fell
down and pleaded with him, "Have patience with me, and I will pay you." He
refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. When his fellow
servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and
reported to their master all that had taken place. Then his master summoned him and said
to him, "You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me.
And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?" And
in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. So
also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother
from your heart.’" Matthew 18:21-35
"Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like
wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when YOU HAVE
TURNED AGAIN, strengthen your brothers." Luke 22:31-32
Note here that Jesus says he will pray for Peter which results in Peter turning back to
Christ again, showing that Christ desires that even those who deny him should turn to him.
The foregoing basically shows that the Lord Jesus is willing to forgive even those who
have denied him provided that they repent and acknowledge their sins.
The problem does not lie with Jesus, but with the author’s ability to read
carefully. We highlight the one specific part that the author apparently failed to see:
Christ’s promise is conditioned on the apostles’ faithfulness in following
him. Judas disqualified himself since he failed to follow Jesus faithfully. This becomes
clearer from the very Lukan passage alluded to by the author:
Christ promised that only those who continue with him in his trials would sit on
thrones to judge Israel. That this promise did not include all of the twelve, specifically
Judas, can be seen from the fact that Jesus had just indicated that one of them would
betray him. This means that since Judas was going to betray Christ, Jesus could not have
been including him in the promise.
Later on, the Lord Jesus chose Matthias to replace Judas thereby receiving the promise
of sitting on one of the twelve thrones:
Matthias was one of those who had been with the Lord Jesus from the very beginning and
had also shared in his trials and tribulations. Amazingly, heavenly Jerusalem is built on
the foundation of these twelve apostles:
It seems rather odd that the author failed to include the verses that precede Luke
22:30 (not 3). The author seemingly knew that when read in its immediate context the
passage fails to support his false assertions since the context clearly demonstrates that
Christ’s promise was based on the condition that his followers