Saturday, April 14, 2007
The Doctrines of Christianity
1.The Bible:
The Bible is inspired by God (2 Timothy3:16-17) and has thus been accurately transmitted to the present day by thousand of manuscript copies which still exists. It is the single final authority from God.
Comments:
➢ There are well over 5,300 partial or complete NT manuscripts that attest to its reliability and accurate transmission.
➢ There are 86,000 quotations of the New Testament by the early church fathers. Because of this, all but 11 verses could be accurately reconstructed even if we had no manuscript copies.
➢ As for the Old Testament, in the Dead Sea Scrolls discovered at Qumran in 1947 we have OT manuscripts that date about a thousand years earlier (150 B.C.) than the other previous manuscripts in our possession (which dated 980 A.D.). When one compares the two sets of manuscripts, they are practically identical, with very few changes.
➢ The fact that there two sets of OT manuscripts – some dating long before Muslim claim of biblical corruption (150 B.C.) and some dating long after (980 A.D.) – and the fact that these two sets of manuscript are practically identical proves the incredible accuracy of the Old Testament’s manuscript transmission
➢ Even the Quran encourages Christians to obey what is written in the Bible (Surah 5:50,68), and encourages people to believe in the previous Scriptures (Surah 4:136).
2.God
There is one true God (Deut 6:4) and He is a Trinity (Matt 28:18;2 Corinth 13:14). In the unity of the one God, there are 3 co-equal & co-external persons—the Father, Son & Holy Spirit. God is both transcendent (above& beyond us) and immanent (near to us)[Jeremiah 23:23-24].
God is characterized by grace, mercy, power and judgment.
Comments:
➢ It is not the worship of three gods (tritheism)
➢ It is not “three gods in one god” or “three persons in one person”
➢ Rather, there is one God, and within the unity of the one God there are three co-equal and co-eternal persons – the Father, Son & Holy Spirit.
➢ The doctrine of the trinity is based on three lines of evidence: evidence that there is only one true God (Isaiah 44:6; 46:9; John 5;4; Romans 3:29-30; 16:27; 1 Corinthians 8:4; Galatians 3:20; Ephesians 4;6; 1 Timothy 2:5; James 2:19); evidence that there are three persons who are called God – the Father (1 Peter 1:2); Jesus (Hebrews 1:8), and the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3-4); and evidences of three-in-oneness within the Godhead (Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14).
➢ Moreover, each of the three persons on different occasions is seen to possess the attributes of deity. For example, all three are said to be omnipresent(everywhere-present): the Father (Jeremiah 32:17); the Son (John 16:30), and the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:10). All three are omnipotent(all-powerful): the Father (Jeremiah 32:17); the Son (Matthew 28:18); and the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:19). Furthermore, holiness is ascribed to each person: the Father (Revelation 15:14); the Son (Acts 3:14); and the Holy Spirit (John 16: 7-14). And each of the three is individually described as the truth: the Father (John 7:28), the Son (Revelation 3:7), and the Holy Spirit (1 John 5:17).
➢ Jesus is God’s Son not only in the sense that the Father procreated Jesus, but rather in the sense that Jesus Himself is eternally God by nature, just like the Father is. Ancient Semitics used the phrase “Son of…” to indicate likeness or sameness of nature and equality of being. That is why when Jesus claimed to be the Son of God, His Jewish contemporaries understood. He was making a claim to be God (John 19:7; see also 5:18).
➢ God is complete in himself. He didn't need to fellowship with us, as the Father, Son & Holy Spirit are in perfect fellowship. He created us out of His will (not need) and desires our communion with Him. If it was a monad God, who does God fellowship with before He created man?
3.Man
Man is composed of body and soul, and is born into this world with a sinful nature (Romans 5:19). Man is to trust in Christ for salvation (Acts 4:12), and then glorify God throughout life.
4.Sin
Sin is the failure to live up to God’s standards (Romans3:23). It involves moral rebellion against God. Because sin is such a dire problem, a powerful remedy is needed. This is found in the atonement wrought by Christ at the cross (Matthew 26:28; Hebrews 10:18-22).
5.Salvation
Salvation is a free gift of God and is received by faith in Jesus Christ (John 3:16;Acts 16:31). Salvation cannot be earned, but is based on God’s grace (Ephesians 2:8-9). The moment one trust in Christ, one is born again (John 3:5), declared righteous (Romans 3:24), reconciled to God (2 Corinth 5;19), forgiven (Hebrew 10:17; Collosians 2:13-14), and adopted into God’s forever family.
6.Jesus
Jesus is the son of God. He is both God (Hebrews 1:8) and Lord (Matt 22:43-45). He has all the attributes of deity – all powerful (Matt 28:18), all-knowing (John 2:24-25). He does things only God can do – such as creating the universe (John 1:3) and raising people from the dead (John 11:43-44). He was worshipped as God (Matt 14:33).
7.Death
Jesus died on the cross for our sins (Matt 20:28). He “gave himself as a ransom for all men.”(1 Timothy 2:16). He then rose bodily from the dead—an event attested to by abundant evidence. On one occasion He appeared bodily to more than 500 people at the same time (1 Corinth 15:6). He was then exalted to the highest place of honor & given a name above every other name (Phillipians 2:8-11).
8.In Christ
Depending on whether one has trusted in Christ (John 3:16; Acts 16:31), one will either spend eternity in heaven or hell. Heaven is a place of great glory (1 Corinth 2:9) where death is absent (1 Corinth 15:54) and rest predominates (Revelations 14:13). There will be intimate fellowship with God and Christ (2 Corinth 5:8; John 14:2-3). Hell is a place of horror (Psalm 30:9), weeping (Matthew 13:42), and punishment (Job24:19)
Comments:
Jesus died in our place.
Even the Quran affirmed that Jesus was sinless and righteous (Surah 3: 45, 49; 4:158; 82:22). Jesus was our sinless substitute and make us righteous before God(2 Corinthians 5:19-21).
The Bible is inspired by God (2 Timothy3:16-17) and has thus been accurately transmitted to the present day by thousand of manuscript copies which still exists. It is the single final authority from God.
Comments:
➢ There are well over 5,300 partial or complete NT manuscripts that attest to its reliability and accurate transmission.
➢ There are 86,000 quotations of the New Testament by the early church fathers. Because of this, all but 11 verses could be accurately reconstructed even if we had no manuscript copies.
➢ As for the Old Testament, in the Dead Sea Scrolls discovered at Qumran in 1947 we have OT manuscripts that date about a thousand years earlier (150 B.C.) than the other previous manuscripts in our possession (which dated 980 A.D.). When one compares the two sets of manuscripts, they are practically identical, with very few changes.
➢ The fact that there two sets of OT manuscripts – some dating long before Muslim claim of biblical corruption (150 B.C.) and some dating long after (980 A.D.) – and the fact that these two sets of manuscript are practically identical proves the incredible accuracy of the Old Testament’s manuscript transmission
➢ Even the Quran encourages Christians to obey what is written in the Bible (Surah 5:50,68), and encourages people to believe in the previous Scriptures (Surah 4:136).
2.God
There is one true God (Deut 6:4) and He is a Trinity (Matt 28:18;2 Corinth 13:14). In the unity of the one God, there are 3 co-equal & co-external persons—the Father, Son & Holy Spirit. God is both transcendent (above& beyond us) and immanent (near to us)[Jeremiah 23:23-24].
God is characterized by grace, mercy, power and judgment.
Comments:
➢ It is not the worship of three gods (tritheism)
➢ It is not “three gods in one god” or “three persons in one person”
➢ Rather, there is one God, and within the unity of the one God there are three co-equal and co-eternal persons – the Father, Son & Holy Spirit.
➢ The doctrine of the trinity is based on three lines of evidence: evidence that there is only one true God (Isaiah 44:6; 46:9; John 5;4; Romans 3:29-30; 16:27; 1 Corinthians 8:4; Galatians 3:20; Ephesians 4;6; 1 Timothy 2:5; James 2:19); evidence that there are three persons who are called God – the Father (1 Peter 1:2); Jesus (Hebrews 1:8), and the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3-4); and evidences of three-in-oneness within the Godhead (Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14).
➢ Moreover, each of the three persons on different occasions is seen to possess the attributes of deity. For example, all three are said to be omnipresent(everywhere-present): the Father (Jeremiah 32:17); the Son (John 16:30), and the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:10). All three are omnipotent(all-powerful): the Father (Jeremiah 32:17); the Son (Matthew 28:18); and the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:19). Furthermore, holiness is ascribed to each person: the Father (Revelation 15:14); the Son (Acts 3:14); and the Holy Spirit (John 16: 7-14). And each of the three is individually described as the truth: the Father (John 7:28), the Son (Revelation 3:7), and the Holy Spirit (1 John 5:17).
➢ Jesus is God’s Son not only in the sense that the Father procreated Jesus, but rather in the sense that Jesus Himself is eternally God by nature, just like the Father is. Ancient Semitics used the phrase “Son of…” to indicate likeness or sameness of nature and equality of being. That is why when Jesus claimed to be the Son of God, His Jewish contemporaries understood. He was making a claim to be God (John 19:7; see also 5:18).
➢ God is complete in himself. He didn't need to fellowship with us, as the Father, Son & Holy Spirit are in perfect fellowship. He created us out of His will (not need) and desires our communion with Him. If it was a monad God, who does God fellowship with before He created man?
3.Man
Man is composed of body and soul, and is born into this world with a sinful nature (Romans 5:19). Man is to trust in Christ for salvation (Acts 4:12), and then glorify God throughout life.
4.Sin
Sin is the failure to live up to God’s standards (Romans3:23). It involves moral rebellion against God. Because sin is such a dire problem, a powerful remedy is needed. This is found in the atonement wrought by Christ at the cross (Matthew 26:28; Hebrews 10:18-22).
5.Salvation
Salvation is a free gift of God and is received by faith in Jesus Christ (John 3:16;Acts 16:31). Salvation cannot be earned, but is based on God’s grace (Ephesians 2:8-9). The moment one trust in Christ, one is born again (John 3:5), declared righteous (Romans 3:24), reconciled to God (2 Corinth 5;19), forgiven (Hebrew 10:17; Collosians 2:13-14), and adopted into God’s forever family.
6.Jesus
Jesus is the son of God. He is both God (Hebrews 1:8) and Lord (Matt 22:43-45). He has all the attributes of deity – all powerful (Matt 28:18), all-knowing (John 2:24-25). He does things only God can do – such as creating the universe (John 1:3) and raising people from the dead (John 11:43-44). He was worshipped as God (Matt 14:33).
7.Death
Jesus died on the cross for our sins (Matt 20:28). He “gave himself as a ransom for all men.”(1 Timothy 2:16). He then rose bodily from the dead—an event attested to by abundant evidence. On one occasion He appeared bodily to more than 500 people at the same time (1 Corinth 15:6). He was then exalted to the highest place of honor & given a name above every other name (Phillipians 2:8-11).
8.In Christ
Depending on whether one has trusted in Christ (John 3:16; Acts 16:31), one will either spend eternity in heaven or hell. Heaven is a place of great glory (1 Corinth 2:9) where death is absent (1 Corinth 15:54) and rest predominates (Revelations 14:13). There will be intimate fellowship with God and Christ (2 Corinth 5:8; John 14:2-3). Hell is a place of horror (Psalm 30:9), weeping (Matthew 13:42), and punishment (Job24:19)
Comments:
Jesus died in our place.
Even the Quran affirmed that Jesus was sinless and righteous (Surah 3: 45, 49; 4:158; 82:22). Jesus was our sinless substitute and make us righteous before God(2 Corinthians 5:19-21).
