I encounter atheists who visit a Christian's twitter site and drop messages like this frequently. IN this one, since I was accused of being dishonest, I felt inspired to respond to his points. He blocked me before I could really reply, but not before cursing at me and calling me dishonest. He was not willing to understand the context. He seemed to only pick up on some aggregated tweet of "out of context" verses/allegations as I see so often. Freedom of speech as we're all allowed our first amendment.
With all due respect, Christian and Biblical scholars have refuted these claims by the atheists but they seem offended when you bring up the context and then resort to accusing you of lying and then usually curse at you. I prefer to trust the biblical scholars and experts in scripture rather than that of someone who is showing verses completely out of context and adding their own interpretation without understanding the context. They're completely entitled to their own opinion and they're completely entitled to curse at me and call me dishonest if they like. However, I am using sources like "Is God a Moral Monster" and "Is God a Vendictive Bully" from Paul Coplan and others who have spent most of their lives in that discipline. SO the atheist above is actually attacking them and the Biblical scholars of the current and past decades. IHMO, I'll go with Coplan, etc.. I've seen too many posts by atheists who twist scripture to push their "God is dead" agenda.
Breaking these down 1 by 1
John 7:8-10
8 You go to the festival. I am not[a] going up to this festival, because my time has not yet fully come.”
9 After he had said this, he stayed in Galilee.
10 However, after his brothers had left for the festival, he went also, not publicly, but in secret.Also "yet" means when he did finally go, it was time. No lie. Need to read the context.
Matt:21:22
21 Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done.22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”It's important to recognize that this promise from Jesus to the disciples can be misunderstood or misused. He is not saying to them or to the believers to follow in the coming generations that we can demand whatever we want from God in whatever form or fashion we want it and He is required to give it to us. He is still God, and we remain His creatures and children through faith in Jesus.
Christ specifically tells the disciples they will receive anything they ask—but only if they have faith. This means trust in God and His power to do what He wants to do. It also means an alignment with the will of God—it does not mean using the Creator as a vending machine. It's noteworthy that these men, who heard Jesus make these promises (John 14:13–14), did not attempt grandiose, unnecessary miracles as part of their future ministry.
Matthew 24:34
32 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near.33 Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it[e] is near, right at the door.34 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.Therefore, it is imperative that Matthew 24–25 be seen as dealing with a future time. The generation that Jesus speaks of “not passing” until He returns is a future generation, namely, the people living when the predicted events occur. The word generation refers to the people alive in the future when the events of Matthew 24–25 take place.
Mark 7:15
There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.”Those attacking the Bible should please be fair and understand the context before doing so. Sadly before I really did a lot of digging into the Bible in the last year, I came to understand just how the claims of the atheists can be refuted when putting the verses into context. I'm sad because I fear other Christians don't put in that sort of effort and may be easily misled by claims like this from atheists. That's one of the major reasons for this website.
Jesus points out that these religious leaders don't understand what "unclean" means. In the ceremonial law, God gave standards for what the Jews were to eat and what they were to avoid. But eating shrimp or bacon is nothing compared to the selfishness and pride that fills the hearts of the scribes and Pharisees. Ungodly attitudes identify that you are already defiled in your heart. Neglecting to wash your hands has nothing to do with your heart. The religious leaders turn cleanness into a cult while dismissing the spirit of the law.
Matt 21:12
Jesus at the Temple
12 Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves.Oh my goodness. I can't even believe they list this one. They were in the Holy Temple of God using it as a farmers market per se. They were on the property of the holy temple. This does not even fall into the category of destroying property. He dumped the money over (in which they could recover. This one is just flat out rediculous and a major reach.
Matt 8:32
Jesus Restores Two Demon-Possessed Men
28 When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes,[c] two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. 29 “What do you want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?”
30 Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. 31 The demons begged Jesus, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”
32 He said to them, “Go!” So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water. 33 Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. 34 Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.4. The fact that there was a herd of pigs nearby shows that we are in Gentile territory, since the Jews regarded pigs as unclean, and did not raise them for food or anything (Deuteronomy 14:8). In other words, this is one of those rare moments when Jesus is reaching out into the Gentile world as a pointer to the fact that his ministry is going to result in a global mission to all the peoples of the world (Matthew 28:19–20).
Jesus Curses a Fig Tree and Clears the Temple Courts
12 The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13 Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. 14 Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.Nobody's property.
As to the significance of this passage and what it means, the answer to that is again found in the chronological setting and in understanding how a fig tree is often used symbolically to represent Israel in the Scriptures. First of all, chronologically, Jesus had just arrived at Jerusalem amid great fanfare and great expectations, but then proceeds to cleanse the Temple and curse the barren fig tree. Both had significance as to the spiritual condition of Israel. With His cleansing of the Temple and His criticism of the worship that was going on there (Matthew 21:13; Mark 11:17), Jesus was effectively denouncing Israel’s worship of God. With the cursing of the fig tree, He was symbolically denouncing Israel as a nation and, in a sense, even denouncing unfruitful “Christians” (that is, people who profess to be Christian but have no evidence of a relationship with Christ).
Matthew 21:2
"Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. New Living Translation "Go into the village over there," he said.No, of course, Jesus does not steal a donkey. In fact, the donkey belongs to God, and therefore belongs to Jesus. And its human owner is happy to provide the animal.
Luke 14:26
“If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple."
Not literal hate
Comments