The Superior Morality Of The Judeo-Christian God

"Recently, archaeologists working in northern Peru made a discovery they called “disturbing and disquieting.”

Digging in the outskirts of the pre-Columbian city of Chan-Chan, they found the remains of about 140 children and 200 animals, mostly llamas. The condition of the children’s remains made it clear that they had been sacrificed along with the animals, perhaps in response to some emergency or dire threat. According to the Washington Post, it’s the site of “the largest known child sacrifice in the world.”

While this is a very unpleasant subject, it serves as a gruesome reminder of how biblical religion, especially Christianity, changed the course of human history.

Chan-Chan was the capital of the Chimú empire. Before their disturbing find, the archaeologists were not aware that this ancient people practiced child sacrifice. Their hypothesis is that the sacrifices were in response to a severe weather event, perhaps a strong El Niño, which caused catastrophic flooding.

Whatever precipitated the child sacrifice, the Chimú were far from alone in their attempts to placate the gods by slaughtering their children. Their conquerors, the Incan Empire, also practiced child sacrifice in times of emergency.

In the Old World, the Carthaginians, who were descended from the biblical city of Tyre, sacrificed children to their gods at shrines the Hebrew Bible called “tophets.” The Romans made a big deal out of this fact in their anti-Carthaginian propaganda, conveniently omitting the fact that they did the same in response to the Carthaginian general Hannibal’s invasion of Italy.

The Carthaginians weren’t the only ancient people who emulated Canaanite child sacrifice. Pre-exilic Israel practiced this demonic rite, as well. In Jeremiah 7, the Lord denounces the “high place of Topheth” where the people “burn their sons and daughters in the fire.”

On account of this abomination, the Lord said that “I cause to cease from the cities of Judah, and from the streets of Jerusalem, the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride; for the land shall become a waste.”

Then, of course, there’s that one specific example cited by the Washington Post in its article about the find in Peru: the “Binding of Isaac” in Genesis 22. While parts of this story are perplexing and even troubling, it’s inclusion along with the other examples misses a crucial point: There was never a chance Isaac would be sacrificed.

If Abraham, to quote Bob Dylan’s paraphrase, had replied to God “Man, you must be putting me on,” Isaac lives. If, as actually happened, Abraham was willing to be fully obedient to God’s instruction, Isaac lives because God prevents the sacrifice.

This God, as Christianity would later teach the world, doesn’t demand our children as a sacrifice, but rather sacrificed His own Son on our behalf."

https://www.cnsnews.com/commentary/john-stonestreet/obvious-parallels-between-discovered-child-sacrifice-site-and-recent

Answering The Mormons On Baptism For The Dead

          "Many people, however, have died without being baptized. Others were baptized without proper authority. Because God is merciful, He has prepared a way for all people to receive the blessings of baptism. By performing proxy baptisms in behalf of those who have died, Church members offer these blessings to deceased ancestors. Individuals can then choose to accept or reject what has been done in their behalf...Because He is a loving God, the Lord does not damn those people who, through no fault of their own, never had the opportunity for baptism. He has therefore authorized baptisms to be performed by proxy for them. A living person, often a descendant who has become a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is baptized in behalf of a deceased person. This work is done by Church members in temples throughout the world." (https://www.lds.org/topics/baptisms-for-the-dead?lang=eng)

          Mormons cite 1 Corinthians 15:29 as biblical evidence that Jesus Christ and the apostles sanctioned their strange practice of members getting baptized on behalf of loved ones who passed away. However, the Apostle Paul (or any other biblical author) nowhere approves of Christians holding such a custom. The concept is not taught here. Rather, he uses baptism of the dead as evidence that even pagans believed in some concept of a resurrection and afterlife. Some of the Corinthians had embraced the heretical notion that there would be no physical resurrection. So, Paul reasoned that if such were the case, their baptism was done in vain. There would be no hope of seeing loved ones again. 

          In other words, the Apostle Paul said that a tradition among unbelievers was to get baptized for the sake of their deceased loved ones with the yearning and aspiration of being united when they were raised from the grave. His intention is not to provide commentary regarding the efficacy or truthfulness of baptism for the dead, but to illustrate that even the pagan world looked forward to being raised from the dead. This excerpt on the Mormon practice of baptism for the dead is insightful here:

         "The silence of the Book of Mormon on baptism for the dead is an important fact, for it means that a single verse in the Bible — 1 Corinthians 15:29 — constitutes its sole mention in ancient Christian Scripture. This is acknowledged by the Encyclopedia of Mormonism (a 1992 work published under the supervision of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the LDS church) — “He [Paul] refers to a practice of vicarious baptism, a practice for which we have no other evidence in the Pauline or other New Testament or early Christian writings."

          This practice is patently absurd when approached from a biblical standpoint. One's eternal destiny is forever sealed at the moment of physical death (Luke 16:22-26). Further, God only rewards individuals according to their own conduct in this life (Ezekiel 18:20). Thus, Scripture contradicts any notion of baptism for the dead.

The Philosophical Incoherence Of The Mormon God

        The Mormon church professes belief in a plurality of gods. It teaches a concept called eternal progression, which is the idea that men can work to attain godhood. The Mormon understanding of deity can not only be easily refuted from a biblical point of view, but also suffers due to being by its very nature logically incoherent.

        The problems arise from the fact that Mormons believe God to have once been a mortal man who needed to reach a standard of perfection in order to be considered divine. The propositions of God being uncreated and God once being formed are mutually exclusive.

        If God is not without beginning or end, then He must be subject to an additional transcendental truth (which cannot exist without an infinite mind). He must be held accountable to a standard higher than Himself. He must be under the dominion of some other gods. It would be self-contradictory to argue that God has always been eternal and unchanging while at the same time believing that He had to become a perfect deity. Yet, that is what the Mormons proclaim as truth.

        The Mormon concept of God leaves us with numerous questions. Who was the first god? Who within the infinite succession of gods set the universe into motion? On what basis could there be moral absolutes? How did the Mormon god obtain omniscience in the first place (appealing to infinite regression does not get us anywhere)? If all Mormon gods are supposed to have mortal human bodies, then what about the Holy Spirit who does not have one and is considered a god?

Should Translators Place A Comma Before Or After The Word "Today" In Luke 23:43?

          "And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise." (Luke 23:43)

          This passage of Scripture has played a crucial role in the debate on the immortality of the soul. It has traditionally been argued that, since Jesus Christ promised the repentant thief who was crucified with Him entrance into heaven that very day upon physical death, our souls must continue to remain conscious after physical death. That interpretation, if upheld, would indeed fly in the face of the erroneous doctrine of conditional immortality.

          Proponents of soul sleep correctly point out that the Greek language has no commas. Punctuation marks were added to manuscripts after the New Testament was written. Based on that fact, it has been argued that the correct placement of the comma should be incorporated after the word today. In other words, it has been suggested that Luke 23:43 should read as follows: "Truly I say to you today, you shall be with Me in Paradise." It would change the meaning of the text to mean that Christ spoke to him at that moment the promise of entering into paradise at some undefined point in the future as opposed to that same day of death. The timing of believers entering into paradise would therefore be at the final resurrection.

          While both variant readings are theoretically acceptable, the objective of here is to argue in defense of a comma being inserted prior to the word today. First and foremost, the context demands that we understand the reference to today as meaning on that very same day. The dying criminal understood on what day that Christ spoke those comforting words. There was no need for Him to emphasize the timing of today. It would literally make no sense for a man who is suffocating and dying on a crucifix to make such a hasty waste of his words. 

          In this grand episode of the incarnate Lord gently and affectionately showing forth clemency in response to the converted convict's petition, we see Him referencing to a paradise consistent with popular Jewish thought about the unseen Edenic realm. This abode for the righteous is analogous to Abraham's bosom, which is mentioned in Luke 16:22. Further, "today" in Luke 23:43 is contrasted with "When you come into your kingdom" in Luke 24:42. Thus, the repentant thief entered heaven the instant he died.

          Dr. Timothy E. Saleska gives these comments on the placement of the word "today" in Luke 23:43:

          "The reason that almost all translators place the comma before “today” is because of the expression by Christ: “Verily I say unto you…” That expression, used exclusively by Christ, occurs approximately 100 times in the Gospels and its intent is always to emphasize the statement that follows; in this case, “…today you shall be with me in paradise.” This is the strongest reason for placing the comma where almost all translators throughout the history of the church have placed it. It fits the meaning and intent of Christ’s promise to the thief that he would be with him that day in paradise. Christ wants him to be certain of that. If the comma is placed after “today” i.e. “verily I say unto you today, you shall be with me in paradise” the word “today” is superfluous. It is obviously “today,” there is no reason to say it; it confuses the meaning and intent. Also, why would Christ change the formula “verily I say unto you” emphasizing what follows, in just this one instance, when it is stated with the specific purpose I have indicated, everywhere else?"

1 Timothy 2:5 ("One Mediator Between God And Man") And Roman Catholic Apologetics

• Discussion:

          -The purpose of this article to rebut claims made by Sonja Corbitt in defense of Roman Catholic Mariology and an ordained ministerial priesthood in light of 1 Timothy 2:5. She largely just uses semantics here rather than actually addressing relevant issues. This critique begins with a citation from the author in bold letters and is followed with critical comments:

          "Indeed. Did Jesus carry you in his womb? And after your conception, gestation, and birth, what then? Have you not been fed, clothed, educated, loved, provided for, and protected by someone who is not Jesus unto this day?"

          This rhetoric is only designed to sidestep the real issue at hand. How could the Apostle Paul consistently affirm Jesus Christ to be our "one mediator" when there is supposedly a bunch of other lesser mediators? The author does not provide a clear-cut explanation as to how or why this can be. In that same text, Paul says that there is "one God." Based on the reasoning of the author, should we deduce the existence of mini-gods?

          "Does everything you know about Christ come from Christ himself? Did Jesus baptize you? Did Jesus teach you to read or read the Scriptures to you? Did Jesus hand-write your Bible, gather its writings, or physically protect the Deposit of Faith for 2000 plus years until you could receive it from his literal mouth?"

          The author merely filibusters the issue of what it means for Jesus Christ to be the one mediator between God and man. Christ came to reconcile sinners to a holy God. Only He, being sinless and divine, could make our redemption happen through His atonement sacrifice. We are to place our trust in Christ alone. He handles our prayers before God. Christ alone is our intercessor before God.

          "You are prayed for by other people. You are taught the Word of God by a person. And people even forgive one another! All the time if they’re obedient to Jesus, “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us."

          When we pray on behalf of other Christians, we are not praying to them or through them. Prayer is done to God through Christ alone. The New Testament establishes Him as being the mediator between God and man without any reference to saints and angels (Hebrews 9:13-15; Hebrews 12:24).

          There is a distinction between the forgiveness of sin committed between offended parties and the forgiveness before God made available through the cross. It is also fallacious to conflate teaching Scripture with being a mediator of His grace. Petitioning God in prayer nowhere amounts to functioning as a channel of God's mercy or applying the benefits of Christ's atonement to other people.

          "Catholic confession and forgiveness through a priest follows the same pattern. The Pharisees also made the “God is the only mediator” claim against Jesus in this very matter: “No man can forgive sins, but God only” (Luke 5:21).

          The point that Jesus Christ makes in Luke 5 is that He is God in the flesh. As such, He would indeed have the authority to pardon our iniquity. Also, there is an element of irony that is worthy of consideration here. Even the Scribes and Pharisees of the Law were not arrogant enough to think that they had the ability to forgive the sins of God's people. Yet, the Roman Catholic priesthood has without guilt or embarrassment took upon itself precisely that role!

          Some may argue that God alone forgives sin through a priest, but that premise is self-defeating. In that scenario, there would still be an additional party involved in Jesus Christ's mediatorship. Believers are to approach God for the forgiveness of sin directly through Christ. We do not need to consult sinful men in order to access the grace provided through the cross (Hebrews 4:14-16). We are to approach Jesus Christ directly for the forgiveness of any and all sins.

Does 1 Corinthians 15:50 Say That We Will Not Be Raised With Physical Bodies?

• Discussion:

          -A common proof text of the Jehovah's Witnesses cited in their rejection of Jesus Christ resurrecting bodily from the grave and for its so-called special class of 144,000 being resurrected as spirit beings is 1 Corinthians 15:50, which is cited as follows:

          "Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable."

          Notice how Jesus Christ said that He had flesh and bones so as to prove to His disciples that He was not merely a ghost (Luke 24:39-40). The presence of His hands and feet shows that He was not only immaterial, for it would have been impossible for Him to do so had things been otherwise. Moreover, God took His faithful servant Enoch directly into heaven in his physical body (Genesis 5:24). We are given no indication of him becoming only a spirit being.

          The final resurrection of the dead will not involve us leaving our mortal bodies behind to decompose. Rather, we will "put on" the imperishable (1 Corinthians 15:53-55). God will eventually perfect our physical bodies. Our nature will be restored back to what it was prior to the fall. This process will be done instantaneously (1 Corinthians 15:52). The phrase "flesh and blood" is a euphemism for humanity in its fallen state.

          We must be raised up and glorified to enter into the New Heavens and New Earth in the same manner that Christ was. He has a real, tangible body. He ascended in a human body (Acts 1). He currently is a man mediating between believers and God (1 Timothy 2:5). He will come again to judge the world as a man (Acts 17:31). In Christ dwells (present tense) all the fullness of deity in bodily form (Colossians 2:9).

Debunking The Jehovah's Witness Teaching On The 144,000

• Discussion:

          -The Watchtower Society teaches that there is a literal, anointed class of 144,000 Christians who will inherit the kingdom of God and reign with Christ. Other believers who qualify to fit into a secondary rank will get to dwell together in a world of paradise under the headship of the 144,000. To summarize, the Jehovah's Witnesses maintain a distinction among types of redeemed people.

           The Bible does not place a specific limit on the number of people who can enjoy spending eternity with God in heaven. Everybody who asks receives, and everybody who seeks will find (Matthew 7:8). There is no spiritual distinction among those who have placed their trust in the righteousness of God (Romans 3:21-22). The Apostle Paul says without setting forth any categories that our citizenship is in the heavenly sanctuary above (Philippians 3:20). Jesus Christ said that the "household" of the Father is comprised of "many rooms" (John 14:2-3).

          If the Jehovah's Witnesses are correct in their understanding regarding the 144,000 people spoken of in Revelation chapters 7 and 14, then that would mean (in order to remain consistent with the rest of the context) only a small remnant of Jewish people could be saved. With that point comes other inferences that are ludicrous. Charles Taze Russell would be excluded from heaven because he was not a Jew. The Apostle Peter would be excluded from heaven because he was not a virgin. All women would be excluded from heaven because the context identifies all members of this group to be males (which would be sexist).

          These believing Jewish males could very well be ordained by God from the twelve tribes of Israel to preach the gospel in the midst of tribulational calamity (Revelation 14:1-3). Other commentators take this reference to the 144,000 to be a symbolic representation of the entire body of the saints. After all, Revelation 7:9-10 says that countless multitudes of people were standing before the throne of God worshiping and singing praises. Nonetheless, the idea that only 144,000 people will enter heaven is untenable.

          Strangely enough, the idea of an eternal paradise earth for a secondary class of believers was introduced into the Jehovah's Witness sect by Joseph Rutherford, the second president of the Watchtower Tract and Bible Society. It was not taught by Charles Taze Russell, who is reputed to be the founder of what has been termed the Bible Study Movement. This teaching has not been present among the Jehovah's Witnesses from the very beginning.

Was Mary Magdalene A Prostitute?

"There is no evidence that the early church tried to tarnish Mary Magdalene’s reputation by making her out to be a prostitute. Any reference to her as a prostitute does not come from the Bible. Here is what we do know of Mary from the biblical record: Seven demons were cast out of her by Jesus (Luke 8:2); she witnessed the horror of the crucifixion (Matthew 27:32-56); she was present at the burial of Jesus (Matthew 27:57-61); she, along with two other women, went to anoint the body of Jesus (Mark 16:1), and she was the first person to see Jesus in his resurrected body (John 20:10-18).

Some have surmised that since her name and story appear immediately following the account of a prostitute, the two are one and the same woman (see Luke 7:36-8:2). But there is no biblical support for this conclusion. (Most historians agree that the reference to Mary Magdalene as a prostitute was started in the sixth century by Pope Gregory I). Still others have conjectured that she is the anonymous woman caught in adultery. There is no evidence to support that assumption, either. Some have guessed that she might have been a prostitute simply because she came from Magdala, which was often associated with prostitution. Once again, the Bible says no such thing. Any association of Mary of Magdala with either of the above-mentioned anonymous women would have been merely a result of conjecture--or very careless scholarship--probably dating to the Middle Ages, as opposed to a smear campaign."

James L. Garlow and Peter Jones, Cracking Da Vinci’s Code, p. 59-60

Was Jesus Christ Crucified On A Cross Or A Stake As The Jehovah's Witnesses Claim?

• The Greek Terms Stauros And Xulon:

          -The Greek word stauros has been a subject of much debate regarding its meaning in the context of crucifixion. Historically, stauros could refer to a pole or stake, not necessarily the traditional cross shape commonly associated with Christian symbolism. Various forms of crucifixion existed, as noted by Seneca the Younger who observed, "I see crosses there, not just of one kind but made in many different ways: some have their victims with head down to the ground; some impale their private parts; others stretch out their arms on the gibbet.”
          -In addition, the Greek word xulon describes anything made from wood and could be used to refer to a tree. In the New Testament, specifically Galatians 3:13, the Apostle Paul quotes Deuteronomy 21:22-23, which originally spoke of people being hanged on trees as a sign that they were cursed by God. This context emphasizes that the form of the crucifixion device, whether a cross or a stake, is secondary to its symbolic significance.

• Biblical Evidence Of The Traditional Cross:

          -Despite the linguistic flexibility of stauros and xulon, there is compelling biblical evidence supporting the traditional cross shape:
            *The doubting Thomas encounter (John 20:24-29): This passage mentions nails (plural) piercing Jesus' hands, suggesting multiple nails, which aligns with the cross having an extended horizontal beam.
            *Pontius Pilate's inscription (Matthew 27:37; Luke 23:38): The inscription nailed above Jesus' head indicates an elevated structure, consistent with a cross rather than a stake.
            *Peter's Foretelling (John 21:18): Jesus describes Peter's future crucifixion by Roman guards, emphasizing the stretching out of hands, which mirrors the traditional crucifixion posture.

• Controversy With The Jehovah's Witnesses:

          -Jehovah's Witnesses maintain that Jesus was crucified on a stake, not a cross. Originally, the Watchtower Society taught that He died on a cross but later shifted this stance. This change has sparked theological debates, particularly given the biblical descriptions that support the traditional cross shape.

• The Jehovah's Witnesses And Bodily Resurrection:

          -Jehovah's Witnesses also contend that Jesus did not resurrect in a physical body, but as a spirit. Scriptural accounts, however, affirm the physical resurrection of Jesus. Luke 24:39 explicitly shows Jesus inviting His disciples to touch Him and witness that He has flesh and bones. Moreover, in Luke 24:40-43, Jesus eats in front of His disciples, further proving His physical form. John 2:19-22 emphasizes that Jesus' body was indeed resurrected, countering the notion of a purely spiritual resurrection.

A Critical Exposure Of The Clear Word Bible

• Discussion:

          -The Clear Word Bible is a paraphrase written by Jack J. Blanco and made available to the public by the Review and Herald Publishing Association in March 1994. This product of the Seventh-Day Adventist church was designed to be an amplified version of Scripture. The Clear Word Bible was made for devotional use. Nonetheless, this paraphrase is to be avoided because it contains textual modifications aimed at reflecting aberrant Seventh-Day Adventist theology. It contains bias in support of false doctrines such as annihilationism and Sabbatarianism. Following are examples of textual perversion within the Clear Word Bible:

• Genesis 2:2-3:

          -"Then on the seventh day of creation week, God stopped to enjoy what He had made and to rest in the beauty of it all. So He blessed the seventh day and set it apart as a day of spiritual refreshment and joy." (Clear Word Bible)

          -"By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made." (New American Standard Bible)
          -"And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation." (English Standard Version)

            *The Seventh-Day Adventist rendering of this passage makes the seventh day a day of creation when the process was actually completed on the sixth. The Sabbath is introduced prior to the time when the Bible itself reveals that day (Exodus 16).

• Genesis 35:18:

          -"But Rachel didn’t survive the birth, and as she was dying, she named her baby Benoni, which means Son of My Sorrow, but Jacob renamed the baby Benjamin, meaning Son of My Right Hand." (Clear Word Bible)

          -"It came about as her soul was departing (for she died), that she named him Ben-oni; but his father called him Benjamin." (New American Standard Bible)
          -"And as her soul was departing (for she was dying), she called his name Ben-oni; but his father called him Benjamin." (English Standard Version)

            *The Seventh-Day Adventist rendering of Genesis 35:18 is clearly biased in favor of the false teaching called soul sleep.

• Matthew 25:46:

          -"I have no choice but to end your lives, because in my kingdom everyone cares about everyone else.” (Clear Word Bible)

          -"These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." (New American Standard Bible)
          -"And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (English Standard Version)

            *This verse has been altered so drastically in the Clear Word Bible that it barely resembles how reputable translations render Matthew 25:46. The translators grasped at straws here to avoid the clearly unfavorable implications of this passage as it relates to annihilationism.

• John 10:30:

          -"You see, my Father and I are so close, we're one." (Clear Word Bible)

          -"I and the Father are one." (New American Standard Bible)
          -"I and the Father are one." (English Standard Version)

            *The Seventh-Day Adventist rendering of this text is problematical because it describes a relational oneness rather than ontological. The oneness spoken of in John 10:30 is of being or the nature of God, not merely relational closeness.

• Hebrews 4:9:

          -"So there still remains the offer of spiritual rest that God intends for each generation to have, of which the Sabbath is a symbol." (Clear Word Bible)

          -"So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God." (New American Standard Bible)
          -"So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God." (English Standard Version)

            *This passage, when taken in context, plainly tells us that it is through Jesus Christ that we enter into the promised rest of God. It has nothing to do with Christians observing a weekly Sabbath.

• Comments From Wayne A. Grudem On The Poor Quality Of The Clear Word Bible:

          -"I do not think anyone should trust The Clear Word as a reliable translation of the Bible, or even as a useful paraphrase. It repeatedly distorts the teaching of the Bible. It removes significant content that is in the original Hebrew or Greek, and adds new ideas that are not found in the original texts. Verse after verse has been changed simply to support unusual Seventh-day Adventist doctrines, but these changes are not supported by reliable translations such as the KJV, NKJV, ESV, NASB, RSV, or NIV, or even by dynamic equivalence translations such as the New Living Translation or free paraphrases such as The Message. I was deeply troubled as I read various verses because it was clear that these verses were no longer the words of God only, but the words of God mixed in with many words of man, and ordinary readers of The Clear Word will not be able to tell the difference."