Category: My Answer

Why do Catholics confess to Priests?

“Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses”

[1 Timothy 6:12] 

Non-Catholics and Muslims condemn the Catholics for making confession to priests. They argue that confession should be made directly to God since only Him can forgive sins, so why a Catholic should confess to a priest? These people failed to realize that the Catholic Church is the owner of the Bible, thus Catholics know the Bible better than them. Why would we disclose our sins to God when He already knew our sins?

The confession of sin mentioned in the Old Testament was made to a Godly man (leader chosen by God or priest). A sinner came to a Godly man and confessed his/her sin to him, after confession, the Godly man would then pray to God for the forgiveness of the confessor. And this is what the priests are doing today in the Church, they receive confessions, after that, they plead to God for the forgiveness of the apellant. It is not the priest who forgives sins, but he just acts as an intercessor for the confessing sinner. God won’t hear the pleading of a sinful man, that’s why we need a Godly man to do the pleading for us sinners.

God commands us not to conceal our sins, meaning our brothers in Christ should know it, thus telling of sins should not be made to God but to our Godly fellows. Confessing our sins to Godly people is part of our burden so as to earn forgiveness from above. If your wife has committed a marital unfaithfulness, and she just hide it from you because only God can forgive, is it okay for you? And if your playmate broke your nose accidentally, is it okay for you if he won’t ask forgiveness from you because you have no right to forgive? Evidently, each of one us is part of this forgiving and interceding circle. If I forgive your sin against me you will also be forgiven by God, likewise my sins against my other fellow will be forgiven by God as well. That’s why the apostle James commanded us to confess our sins to one another, and pray for one another (James 5:16). In this verse, the apostle James is talking in general. His commandment does not mean that we should tell our sins to anyone, but to the people who are Godly, like the priests who are leaders appointed by God Jesus. 

Confession of sins was already commanded by God and practiced by the Israelites even before the arrival of the New Testament [Numbers 5:7]. John the baptist also administered confession [Mark 1:4-5]. Jesus gave authority to His disciples to forgive sins, He told them, “If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven” (John 20:23). Take note that the apostles were appointed by Jesus to lead his church, so they were priests. Peter was the first head or pope of Christianity, and his priesthood along with other apostles were handed down to the Catholic priests of today. Therefore, if the priests won’t forgive you because you don’t want to confess your sins to them, your sins won’t be forgiven by God as well.

Biblical verses commanding us to confess our sins to one another;  

OLD TESTAMENT

1. [Numbers 5:7] and must confess the sin he has committed. He must pay full compensation, add a fifth to its value, and give all this to the one he has wronged

2. [Leviticus 5:5-6] when anyone becomes aware that they are guilty in any of these matters, they must confess in what way they have sinned. As a penalty for the sin they have committed, they must bring to the Lord a female lamb or goat from the flock as a sin offering; and the priest shall make atonement for them for their sin.

3. [Leviticus 16:21] “Then Aaron shall lay both of his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the sons of Israel and all their transgressions in regard to all their sins; and he shall lay them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who stands in readiness.

4. [Leviticus 26:40] ‘If they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their forefathers, in their unfaithfulness which they committed against Me, and also in their acting with hostility against Me—

5. [Psalm 32:5] I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I did not hide; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD”; And You forgave the guilt of my sin. 

6. [Psalm 38:18] For I confess my iniquity; I am full of anxiety because of my sin.

7. [Proverbs 28:13] Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.

8. [Nehemiah 9:2] And the seed of the children of Israel separated themselves from every stranger: and they stood, and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers.

9. [Jeremiah 3:13] But yet acknowledge thy iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God: and thou hast scattered thy ways to strangers under every green tree, and hast not heard my voice, saith the Lord.

10. [Jeremiah 14:20] We acknowledge our wickedness, O LORD, the guilt of our fathers; indeed, we have sinned against You.

11. [Joshua 7:19] And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me.

12. [Hosea 5:15] Then I will return to My place until they admit their guilt and seek My face; in their affliction they will earnestly seek Me.”

13. [Ezra 10:11] Now make confession to the Lord, the God of your fathers, and do his will

NEW TESTAMENT 

1. [Matthew 3:5-6] People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region around the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

2. [Matthew 16:19] I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

3. [Matthew 18:18] Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

4. [Mark 1:4-5] John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. People went out to him from all of Jerusalem and the countryside of Judea. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

5. [John 20:23] If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

6. [Acts 19:18] Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed what they had done.

7. [Romans 10:9-11] . . . For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture says, Whosoever believes on him shall not be ashamed. 

8. [2 Corinthians 2:10] When you forgive this man, I forgive him, too. And when I forgive whatever needs to be forgiven, I do so with Christ’s authority for your benefit

9. [1 Timothy 6:12] Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

10. [Hebrews 5:1] Every high priest is a man chosen to represent other people in their dealings with God. He presents their gifts to God and offers sacrifices for their sins 

11. [1 John 1:9] If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

12. [James 5:16] Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. 

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ALSO READ: 

The Bible Teaches Intercession

Prostration and Kneeling in Prayer

 

Why Jesus died if he is God?

Jesus saved mankind thru his death

† Jesus bore the sins of mankind, thus he took the pain and suffering resulted from the punishment imposed to us (mankind). He’s presenting himself to God as sinful mankind who was punished on a cross because of our sins. Prophet Isaiah foretold about the suffering Messiah, to quote;

[Isaiah 53:4-6] “Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all”

[Isaiah 53:12] “Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors”

COMMENT: The above verses foretell the fate of Jesus, who will become the bearer of our sins and taker of our punishment. He will become the intercessor between God and sinful mankind. Jesus though God in spirit, did not use his divine power to his advantage, instead he showed so much humility and used his humanity in going through worldly suffering. Consider the verses below;

[Philippians 2:5-8] Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider to be equal with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself, having taken the form of a servant, having been made in the likeness of men. And having been found in appearance as a man He humbled Himself, having become obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

† Jesus had authority on himself but he intentionally gave up his human life so as to redeem mankind, as he said;

[John 10:18] “No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.”

† Right after the fall of the first man, God had set up a plan to destroy Satan’s work. He said to the Serpent Satan;

“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel” [Genesis 3:15].

COMMENT: This promised seed was fulfilled in Jesus who’s born to a woman (Mary). The reason why Jesus was sent by God is to destroy the devil’s work through his death. So that in Jesus death, he might deliver us from the power of death inflicted by Satan. Kindly read;

“He that commits sin is of the devil; for the devil sins from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil” [1 John 3:8]

“Since then the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage” [Hebrews 2:14-15]

† All people sinned [Micah 7:2], therefore all people should be sentenced to death physically and spiritually since the penalty of sin is death. But because God so loved the world (John 3:16), He saved it by sending forth a spirit from Him (the Son) and dwelt in a man (Jesus) to obey the commandment accorded to humanity. Jesus presented himself as an atonement for sin like a sacrificial lamb. Only righteous or sinless man can enter into Heaven, but how can we be righteous if we are sinners since birth [Psalm 58:3]? A sinner cannot reconnect to the glory of God by himself. God looked for a sinless or holy man to be the reason He would not destroy mankind, but He had found no one [Ezekiel 22:30 & Isaiah 59:16]. Because God so loved mankind, He sent forth a spirit from Him and came down to Earth to take a human body (Psalm 104:30, Psalm 107:20, & John 6:38). This man obeyed the commandments of God perfectly and went through worldy suffering so that mankind won’t perish [Psalm 73:27]. Jesus bore our iniquities and died on our behalf so that we can become righteous and justified in the eyes of God the Father through him [Romans 3:25-26]. By Jesus’ suffering and anguish on the cross, God’s wrath becomes pacified;

“As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities” [Isaiah 53:11]

† Jesus was following the will of the Father, his fate was already foretold in the Scriptures thousand years before his birth. In fact his last word was, “it is finished” [John 19:30], referring to the fulfillment of the prophecies about him. Kindly check this speech of Jesus to his apostles after his resurrection;

“These are my words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled” [Luke 24:44] 

† Mankind became separated from God thus they lost their everlasting life. Sinlessness means everlasting life while sinfulness means death, thus we are dead already because of sin. But through the resurrection of Jesus we can also be resurrected, all we have to do is to believe in his saving work and follow his will.

† Why is it that the spirit of God needed to dwell in a human body in order to save us mankind? The answer is;

“For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead” [1 Corinthians 15:21] 

For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. [Romans 5:19] 

† Only the human body of Jesus which was killed, but his spirit wasn’t. Even us ordinary humans, Satan cannot kill our souls. Only God can kill spirits including the spirit of Satan. 

[Matthew 10:28] Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 

† Why Jesus did not use his divine power to stop or skip the test of life? If Jesus avoided the wordly suffering, that is a cheating. How could he become righteous or sinless if he is a cheater? How could his saving work be qualified? The mission of Jesus was to obey the law perfectly, in this manner he saved mankind.   

† Is the Father unfair by allowing Jesus to be killed? Nope, for He exalted Jesus to the highest place in return.

[Psalm 89:27] “And I will appoint him to be my firstborn, the most exalted of the kings of the earth”

[Isaiah 52:13] “Behold, My Servant will act wisely; He will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted”

[Hebrews 2:9] “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because He suffered death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone”

[Philippians 2:9-11] “Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name above all names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” 

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ALSO READ: If Jesus is God, why He said the Father is greater than I?

Did Jesus come to abolish the law or to fulfill?

Book of Matthew foto

Supposed Contradiction: In [Matthew 5:17-18], Jesus did not come to abolish the law, But in [Ephesians 2:13-15], Jesus abolished the law of Moses 

Questioned verses: 

[Matthew 5:17-18 & Luke 16:17] Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. “For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished

Contradict with 

[Ephesians 2:14-15] In his body he has made Jewish and non-Jewish people one by breaking down the wall of hostility that kept them apart. He brought an end to the commandments and demands found in Moses’ Teachings so that he could take Jewish and non-Jewish people and create one new humanity in himself. So he made peace 

[Hebrews 7:18-19] The former requirements are rejected because they are weak and useless. Moses’ Teachings couldn’t accomplish everything that God required. But we have something else that gives us greater confidence and allows us to approach God.

ANSWER: In [Matthew 5:17-18], Jesus does not say, “I uphold the law,” but merely says He came to fulfill all the things that were written about Him in Tanakh (Old Testament) being the Messiah, prophet or messenger, savior, etc.. Kindly read the supporting verses below: 

[Luke 24:44] “These are my words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled” 

[Matthew 26:53-54] Are you not aware that I can call on My Father, and He will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen this way?”

On the other hand, [Ephesians 2:14-15] does not say all the laws of Moses are abolished, but some of the demands found in Moses’ Teachings. Because there are laws of Moses that are intended only for the Israelites especially when it comes to cleansing and atonement rituals such as circumcision, animal sacrifice, food prohibition, and others. These mentioned Mosaic demands make the Jews separated from non-Jews. Jesus Christ, being our ultimate sacrificial lamb to God, the purifier of the world, superseded all these cleansing and atonement rituals. Circumcision is no longer necessary to the Church, animal sacrifice is no longer performed by us, impure animals that were forbidden to eat before were already purified by Him [Acts 10:15]. And because of this sacrifice and purification through Jesus, the Jewish and non-Jewish became one Church or humanity. The arrival of Jesus is also the arrival of the New Covenant, the everlasting covenant, which is intended for all peoples. This is to fulfill what God had promised roughly 700 hundred years before Jesus;

[Jeremiah 31:31-32] “The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD. 

But when it comes to the Moral teachings, the Ten Commandments, and prophecies; Jesus confirmed them.

While in [Hebrews 7:18-19], it says that the Former Law is useless not in the sense that it’s wrong, but it is impossible for us to follow it. The one who can have eternal life is only the perfect or sinless man (Psalm 37:37 & Revelation 21:27), therefore it is impossible for us to enter into Heaven since mankind fell to sin. Because of our sinful nature, our body is weakened to combat the urges of sins. But in the New law or Covenant, Jesus is our perfecter and justifier of faith, thus very possible for us to follow it and enter the kingdom of God. Kindly read; 

[Hebrews 12:2] Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

[Romans 3:26] to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

[Romans 8:3] 

New International Version
For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh,

New Living Translation
The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins.

GOD’S WORD® Translation
It is impossible to do what God’s standards demand because of the weakness our human nature has. But God sent his Son to have a human nature as sinners have and to pay for sin. That way God condemned sin in our corrupt nature.

Amplified Bible
For what the Law could not do [that is, overcome sin and remove its penalty, its power] being weakened by the flesh [man’s nature without the Holy Spirit], God did: He sent His own Son in the likeness of sinful man as an offering for sin. And He condemned sin in the flesh [subdued it and overcame it in the person of His own Son] 

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ALSO READ: My Answers to Muslim Accusations Against Christianity

Psalms 102:25-26 Versus (Ecclesiastes 1:4 and Psalms 78:69)

The mentioned title of this post is one of the supposed contradictions raised by many Bible critics; (Psalms 102:25-26) says the earth will perish, but (Ecclesiastes 1:4 & Psalms 78:69) say the earth abides forever.   

[Psalm 102:25-26 & Hebrews 1:10-11] In the beginning You laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands They will perish, but You remain; they will all wear out like a garment. 

Versus

[Ecclesiastes 1:4] “One generation passes away, and another generation comes; But the earth abides forever.”

[Psalms 78:69] And He built His sanctuary like the heights, Like the earth which He has established forever.

ANSWER: 

A.) First let us take up verse [Ecclesiastes 1:4]; 

“One generation passes away, and another generation comes; But the earth abides forever.”

ANALYSIS: The ‘earth’ used in this passage means “soil or land”, and not the planet Earth. This earth, soil, or land refers to the delightful or good people who abide the will of God.

Kindly read the verses below to identify who is this earth, soil, or land;

[Malachi 3:12] “All the nations will call you blessed, for you shall be a delightful land,” says the LORD of hosts. 

COMMENT: In this verse, the righteous Israelites are called a ‘delightful land’ by God.

[Luke 8:15] And the seed that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest 

COMMENT: In this verse, ‘seed’ represents the word of God [Luke 8:11]; and ‘good soil’ represents good people. God liken the good people as good soil which produces huge harvest. They are the ones who have influenced others to come to God. ‘Good soil or people’ are the ones who abide the will of God.

Kindly compare [Ecclesiastes 1:4] with [1 John 2:17] that says;

[1 John 2:17] And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

♦Therefore, it is man who does the will of God that will abide forever, and not the planet Earth.

B. NOW, let us take up the second questioned verse from [Psalm 78:69] which says;

“And He built His sanctuary like the heights, Like the earth which He has established forever.”

ANALYSIS: I believe this verse is not accurately translated, because in other translations we can find the following verses;

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
He built his holy place upon the height and he prepared it in the Earth for eternity.

Douay-Rheims Bible 
And he built his sanctuary as of unicorns, in the land which he founded for ever.

COMMENT: Based on the translations above, it is obvious that it is not the earth which is founded forever, but the sanctuary (Church) of God prepared on Earth. This is referred to the Church built by Jesus on Earth, and this Church is for eternity. Meaning the Catholic Church is the kingdom to be brought to the Heaven.  

Kindly compare (Psalm 78:69) to its parallel verses in (2 Samuel 7:13 & 1 Chronicles 17:12) we can know;

[2 Samuel 7:13] He will build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 

[1 Chronicles 17:12] He is the one who will build a house–a temple–for me. And I will secure his throne forever. 

God wants a descendant of David to build His house or temple, and He will establish His throne forever. This descendant is Jesus whom God will establish His throne or kingdom, kindly read the following verses about the kingdom of Jesus;

[Jeremiah 23:5] The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land.

[Daniel 7:14]  And to Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations and men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed.

[Luke 1:33] and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever. His kingdom will never end!

♦Therefore, it is the kingdom of God Jesus which is founded forever, and not the planet Earth.  

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ALSO READ: Matthew 5:17-18 Versus Ephesians 2:13-15

Why God commands to wipe out the Amalekites?

battle in the old

When Christians denounce Islam because it commands to kill and terrorize other people, Muslims used to counter it by citing [1 Samuel 15:3] as more severe than what Allah commanded. 

Questioned Verse:

[1 Samuel 15:2-3] ‘I witnessed what the Amalekites did to the Israelites when they hindered them on their way up from Egypt. Now go and attack the Amalekites and devote to destruction all that belongs to them. Do not spare them, but put to death men and women, children and infants, oxen and sheep, camels and donkeys.’”

ANSWER:

Firstly, that extermination order from God was limited for a particular tribe only, and not for all other people as what Allah commanded their believers. Secondly, that event does not justify the massive killings of non-Muslims carried out by Islam. Did Yahweh kill other people because they were not adherent to Judaism? Nope, He killed Amalekites because aside from being idolatrous, Amalekites attacked the innocent Israelites while exhausted from their exodus. The Israelites were led by God but still the Amalekites attacked them because they had no fear of God. Kindly read; 

[Exodus 17:8] After this, the Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim.

[Deuteronomy 25:17] Remember what the Amalekites did to you along your way from Egypt, how they met you on your journey when you were tired and weary, and they attacked all your stragglers; they had no fear of God. 

And this is the main reason why God wanted to blot out the Amalekites, kindly read; 

[Exodus 17:14] Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as a reminder and recite it to Joshua, because I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.”

The destruction of Amalekites was already prophesied by Balaam 400 years before the time of king Saul, kindly read;

Balaam’s Final Three Oracles

[Numbers 24:20-22]:

Then Balaam saw Amalek and lifted up an oracle, saying:

“Amalek was first among the nations,
but his end shall be destruction.”

Next he saw the Kenites and lifted up an oracle, saying:

“Your dwelling place is secure,
and your nest is set in a cliff.

Yet Kain will be destroyed
when Asshur takes you captive.”

Why not imitate the behavior of the Kenites whose lives were spared by God because they showed kindness to Israelites when they journeyed from Egypt? Kindly read; 

[1 Samuel 15:5-6] Saul came to the city of Amalek and lay in wait in the valley. And he warned the Kenites, “Since you showed kindness to all the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt, go on and get away from the Amalekites. Otherwise I will sweep you away with them.” So the Kenites moved away from the Amalekites. 

God waited 400 years for Amalekites to change from their evil ways, but nothing happened. If you attack Israel, you will suffer the wrath of God, so I advice you Muslims to stop attacking Israel if you want to maintain your eternal lives. It’s not true that God hates the Jews as propagated by your religion. In fact today, the Islamic countries have been attempting to destroy Israel but failed though Israel is just a tiny nation. This is to fulfill what God had promised in Tanakh that He will bring the Israelites back to their land, and from that point, no one can uproot them anymore. Kindly read the following verses; 

[Amos 9:15] I will plant the people of Israel in their land, and they won’t be uprooted again from the land that I gave them, says the lord your God.

[Jeremiah 32:37] I will surely gather my people from all the lands to which I have banished them in my furious anger and great wrath, and I will return them to this place and make them dwell in safety. 

Read: Warning To The Muslims Who Want To Exterminate The Jews

Yahweh cares for other people unlike Allah, to prove; 

[Exodus 23:9] Do not oppress a foreign resident, since you yourselves know how it feels to be foreigners; for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt. 

[Deuteronomy 23:7] Do not despise an Edomite, for he is your brother. Do not despise an Egyptian, because you lived as a foreigner in his land.

[Deuteronomy 24:17] Do not deny justice to the foreigner or the fatherless, and do not take a widow’s cloak as security. 

Read: Yahweh cares for Nonbelievers

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ALSO READ: Did Jesus Come Not To Bring Peace But A Sword?

Is Catholicism the reason why the Philippines is poor?

I cannot understand why people pointed the Catholicism as the cause of poverty in the Philippines. Catholicism does not teach people to steal, on the contrary, it teaches to love your fellow as you love yourself. Had the Filipinos followed this commandment, Philippines might be one of the rich nations on Earth. The U.S. became great because of their Christian belief. I came across a blogger who told that it’s because priests are corrupt and have secret affairs with women. If a priest has an affair with a girl, is this the deed of the Catholic Church? does the Church teach their priests to be immoral? If a priest has an immoral affair, does he steal the money of the nation? How many government positions that the Catholic leaders hold?  The affairs of the Church has nothing to do with Government.

The main cause is corruption. The Philippines has been in poverty because of the massive corruption in her government. Most of her politicians if not all are corrupt. They love money more than their neighbors. They are Christians in names but not in their hearts, they just worship Jesus Christ on their lips. Marcos had stolen 5 to 10 Billion dollars from the country that bankrupted her in 1983.   

The secondary cause is the calamities that strike the country annually. Many lives and Millions or even Billion of pesos are lost per year.

The third reason is the ignorant voters. Most Filipino voters are clueless enough to keep voting politicians disregarding their bad records. Some are loyalists who are ready to fight against their family and friends just to defend their political idol, even if this politician is proven corrupt and murderer. Some voters are for money alone, any candidate who can give them larger price during election, they will vote for him/her. 

The fourth reason that holds the Philippines from growing is the ever-existing war in Mindanao, Muslim extremists keep insisting their sovereignty. To tell you, their god Allah doesn’t like non-Muslims esp. Christians and Jews. If a Muslim becomes devoted to his religion, he will end up killing non-Muslims and Hypocrites. Muslims who refuse to go Jihad or to fight in the cause of Allah are called Hypocrites. The Malaysian government (Muslim country) trained and financed the activity of these rebels as admitted by Nur Misuari, the founder of MNLF. 

Another cause that impedes the Philippine economy from growing is China. This country founded communism and supported the communist party in the Philippines before. The CPP-NPA rebels have been warring against the Philippine government for a long time. The massive human right abuse by the government of Ferdinand Marcos Sr. propelled the growth of rebellion in the country. The decades war between the Philippines and the separatist has been causing serious instability in the country that affects businesses and tourism. From China comes the shabu manufacturers that makes the Philippines a shabu market. Of course the activity of this drug syndicates cannot progress without the help of some officials in the country. Many of the politicians attracted to the fat bribes offered by China. Many of the law enforcers just seize shabu for money. If a Chinese druglord is willing to pay a large sum, the officials just let the drug dealer and his shabu escaped. Just like what happened recently, where Billions of pesos worth of shabu slipped past the Bureau of Custom twice in a row. President Duterte instead of penalizing the heads of the Bureau of Custom, he just transferred them to another government positions. Government Officials in the Philippines are not afraid to commit corruption because they are backed by the president or high official. And if they get imprisoned, they comfortably live under house arrest. And most of these convicted politicians will be pardoned and released by the next president that they supported during election. China bribed Duterte and Bbm so that they won’t use the legal victory of the Philippines against China at the Hague Convention which was achieved by the Aquino administration. China also keeps harassing the Filipinos, depriving them to  cultivate the oil-rich area in the West Philippine Sea even if it is well within their Exclusive Economic Zone. Chinese coastguards keep chasing the Filipino fishermen and drive them out from their own fishing ground, allowing their fishermen to monopolize the area. Today, Filipinos are now importing fishes from China which are caught from their own fishing territory. 

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Bible says Jesus is at the righthand of the Father, so which of them is the real God?

Alleged verses:

[Acts 7:55] But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God 

[Hebrerw 12:2] Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

ANSWER: As I had been saying, Jesus was a spirit of God who came down from Heaven in order to save the world. Jesus was the spirit or word which was sent forth by God to create all things, so they are one in nature. Kindly analyze the verse below; 

[Isaiah 48:16] “I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there I Am; and now the Sovereign Lord has sent Me with his Spirit”. 

: The speaker of the verse above says that He exists even before the Creation period, so He is God. And then, this God is sent by the Sovereign Lord with His Spirit.

Jesus claimed that he proceeded forth from the Father (source Spirit), and came down from Heaven. And also, he has the capability to send a spirit from the Father. Meaning, he has power over the Father in this instance. Ponder the verses below;

[John 8:42] Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me.

[John 6:38] For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.

[John 15:26] “When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, He will testify about Me.

Jesus also told us that they are one with the Father, kindly read the verses below;

[John 10:30]  I and the Father are one 

[John 14:10] He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? “Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? 

Even Quran testifies that Jesus is a spirit or word that proceeded from Allah, kindly read;

[66:12] And Mary, daughter of ‘Imran, whose body was chaste, therefor We breathed therein something of Our Spirit. And she put faith in the words of her Lord and His scriptures, and was of the obedient. 

[4:171] O People of the Book! Commit no excesses in your religion: Nor say of Allah aught but the truth. Christ Jesus the son of Mary was (no more than) a messenger of Allah, and His Word, which He bestowed on Mary, and a spirit proceeding from Him . . . 

: Verse 66:12 tells us that Jesus is something (part) of the spirit of Allah breathed into Mary. Verse 4:171 tells us that Jesus is a spirit or word that proceeded from Allah. 

God is one being, but He has the capability to scatter His Spirit into many. Just like water, one nature, but has the capability to scatter upon different places of the Earth, and reversely, it has the capability to converge from different places into one body. God can pour His Spirit upon all people (Joel 2:28), meaning, He can distribute His Spirit to all people. God could separate His spirit and appear to us in many persons or forms.

If Jesus is God, why He has a Beginning (His birth)?

Holy Trinity, Great Portland Street, London W1 - Mosaic

The birth of Jesus was God’s entrance to the world in human form as foretold by prophet Isaiah, he announced; 

[Isaiah 9:6] For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 

[Isaiah 7:14]: Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel (God with us). 

Roughly 700 years before Jesus, prophet Isaiah predicted the coming of a Son. He will be born to a virgin woman and will be called Mighty God or everlasting Father. The prophecies above was fulfilled in Mary, angel Gabriel said to her;

[Luke 1:30-32] So the angel told her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son, and you shall give Him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.

The first couple fell to sin, thus death entered the world. Mankind became separated from the glory of God. The Holy Spirit that clothed them and gave them eternal life left them. Only sinless or holy man can wear the clothes of eternal life. God searched for a perfect man among us to be the savior of mankind, but found no one (Isaiah 59:16 & Romans 3:10). Because of His great love, God put the saving work in His hand. It is man who died because of sin therefore it is also man who will rise from the dead. This is the reason why God raised a human being and took a spirit from His spirit and put on this man [Deuteronomy 18:18, Isaiah 61:1, Luke 4:18, & John 14:10]. The human body of Jesus has a beginning, but His Spirit has no beginning and end because It is a portion of God’s spirit. Jesus declared that He has no beginning and end;

[John 8:58] Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I AM” 

[John 8:23-24] “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I AM HE, you will indeed die in your sins.” 

[John 13:19] “I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I AM WHO I AM. 

Jesus took the name of God of Abraham in John (8:23-24 & John 13:19), Compare these verses to (Isaiah 43:10 & Exodus 3:13-14); 

[Exodus 3:13-14] “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you’.

[Isaiah 43:10] “You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I AM HE. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.

“I AM, I AM HE, or I AM WHO I AM”, is the title of God mentioned in the Bible. It speaks His self-existence; that He has no beginning and end, that He is the First and the Last, ever the same. 

The savior must be a perfect man, that’s why Jesus though also God, did not use his divinity to his advantage (Philippians 2:6), instead he used his humanity in obeying the law perfectly. If Jesus had used his power to bypass the law, how could he be sinless? How could he be righteous? And how could his work be a saving sacrifice for humankind? 

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ALSO READ: If Jesus Is God, Why He Did Not Know the Last Hour?

If Jesus Is God, Why He Cried Out, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?”

Have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Although he was in the form of God and equal with God, he did not take advantage of this equality. Instead, he emptied himself by taking on the form of a servant, by becoming like other humans, by having a human appearance. He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, death on a cross. 

Philippians 2:5-8
crucified Jesus
Jesus cried to the Father in behalf of sinful mankind

†Actually this cry, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” is a fulfillment of the prophesy in [Psalm 22:1]. But to better understand this cry, let us read Psalm 22 from verse 1 to 2; 

[Psalm 22:1-2]

1 My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning, 

2 O my God, I cry by day, but You do not answer; And by night, but I have no rest. 

COMMENT: From analyzing the verses, definitely it is not a personal entreaty of Jesus to the Father because in verse 2, the Psalmist is restless by night, and his cry is not answered by God. While Jesus was never deserted by the Father, in fact the Father dwelt in him [John 14:10]. The passage above is a pleading prophesy of a sinner (sinful mankind) who is forsaken by God. Since Jesus was the bearer of our sins and the taker of our punishment, he’s presenting himself to God as a sinful mankind who was punished because of sin. The begging and crying of Jesus is the begging and crying of mankind which he represented.  

†Prophet Isaiah foretold about the suffering Messiah or Jesus, to quote;

[Isaiah 53:4-6] Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 

[Isaiah 53:12] Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors. 

COMMENT: The above verses foretold the fate of Jesus who will be the bearer of our sins and the taker of our punishment. He will become the intercessor between God and sinful mankind. 

†Jesus although also God (since he is the spirit of God) did not use his power to his advantage, instead he emptied himself to become an ordinary human. He humbled himself, and followed perfectly the law assigned to humanity even death on a cross. Consider the verses below; 

[Philippians 2:5-8] Have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Although he was in the form of God and equal with God, he did not take advantage of this equality. Instead, he emptied himself by taking on the form of a servant, by becoming like other humans, by having a human appearance. He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, death on a cross. 

†Jesus had authority on Himself if He wanted to but He intentionally gave up His human life to redeem us. As He said;

[John 10:18] “No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.”

†After the first parents sinned because of the Serpent’s deception, God already had set up a plan to destroy Satan’s work, He said to the Serpent Satan; 

[Genesis 3:15]“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel”. 

COMMENT: This mentioned seed was fulfilled in Jesus who was born to a woman (Mary). The reason why Jesus was sent by God is to destroy the devil’s work through His death. So that in Jesus death, He might deliver us from the power of death inflicted by Satan. Kindly read;

[1 John 3:8] He that commits sin is of the devil; for the devil sins from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil 

[Hebrews 2:14-15] Since then the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. 

†The wages of sin is death, therefore mankind should die. God looked for a sinless man to be the reason He would not destroy mankind, but found no one [Ezekiel 22:30 & Isaiah 59:16]. Because of His great love for humanity, God sent forth a spirit from Him to dwell in a human body so as to save the world through death. Jesus took the penalty of death in place of us so that we may not perish because of sin [Psalm 73:27]. He bore our iniquities and died on our behalf so that we can become righteous and justified through Him [Romans 3:25-26]. By His suffering and anguish on the cross, God’s wrath became satisfied. As Isaiah prophesied;

[Isaiah 53:11] As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities.

†Jesus was following the will of the Father , His fate was already written in the Scriptures since thousand of years before His birth. In fact His last word was, “it is finished” [John 19:30], referring to the fulfillment of all the prophecies about Him. Kindly check this speech of Jesus to His apostles after His resurrection;

[Luke 24:44] “These are my words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled” 

†Furthermore, Christians are the modernizers of the world. They are the inventors of electricity, spaceship, computers, internet, cellphones, satellites, and many more. Therefore, Christians are genius for they are guided by God. Do you think when it comes to identifying God, they are so dumb? Christians believe Jesus as God  because they have convincing reason. You study the Bible and you will see that Jesus is God. Imagine the world without Christians, the world of today would have been still barbaric. As a matter of fact even until now, many of the Islamic countries are still barbaric. Marrying a cousin, marrying a child/sex with a child , raping/selling slaves, and beheading/mutilating people are still practiced. 

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ALSO READ: Why Jesus Died If He’s God?

Ezra 2:65 vs. Nehemiah 7:67, numerical discrepancy

Biblical error allegation:  In Ezra 2:65, there are 200 male and female singers, while in Nehemiah 7:67, there are 245 male and female singers

[Ezra 2:65] besides their 7,337 male and female slaves; and they also had 200 male and female singers.

versus

[Nehemiah 7:67] besides their 7,337 male and female slaves; and they also had 245 male and female singers. 

Answer: First, Both Ezra and Nehemiah agree that the total was 42,360 (Ezra 2:64 & Nehemiah 7:66). And if we sum up their two lists respectively will give us 29,818 for Ezra, and 31,089 for Nehemiah. Further calculations show that Nehemiah lists 1765 persons who are not in Ezra, and Ezra has 494 not mentioned in Nehemiah. By adding Ezra’s 494 to Nehemiah’s total, and adding Nehemiah’s 1765 to Ezra’s total, we find that they will both add up to 31,583, with every name being on both lists. Subtracting 31,583 from 42,360 gives a difference of 10,777. This difference was not broken down by name or town because they were not associated with the former Southern Kingdom. Both [Ezra 2:1] and [Nehemiah 1:3] hint that the list’s purpose was to name those of the Southern Kingdom who returned from Babylon. The 42,360 is the whole or total assembly of Israelites. Since there were long years gap from Ezra to Nehemiah in their returns to Jerusalem, I believe there was adjustment made in Ezra’s time, that 45 were added to the previous 200 singers. This 45 must be coming from the undesignated or unnamed 10,777 people in the list.

Second, assuming that this slight numerical disagreement occurred, this cannot discount the veracity of the history since there are many categories or figures that are agreeing. Just like when there are two witnesses testifying against you that you robbed a house. One witness stated that, he saw you went out from the house at 3 a.m. last night carrying a large bag, you wore a black jacket and a cap. The other witness also stated that he also saw you went out from the house carrying a large bag at around 2:30 a.m. last night, you wore a black jacket and a cap. The verdict is you actually robbed that house since there are many agreeing testimonies despite the minutes differential of time.

Third, we should identify from whom the information comes, is it from God or not, and which type of information is this, is it prophetic or historical? As you know, the Bible contains not just prophetic but also historical information. In the historical side, the Bible could contain any event. For instance, King David lusted Uriah’s wife Bathsheba in the Bible, this is not good information, but it should be put in the record since it actually happened. Early Christians were not hiding something even hideous matter (this proves that Christians did not correct the Bible contrary to the accusation of Islam, if so, you could not find any numerical discrepancy inside it). This numerical contradiction is historical. The Bible is God-inspired when it comes to the words of prophesy. Kindly read the verses below;

[2 Peter 1:20] “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit”

[Revelation 22:18-19] I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.

God is only concerned on matters of prophesy. A Scripture containing a prophetic blunder like Quran is certainly not from God.

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ALSO READ: Psalms 102:25-26 Versus (Ecclesiastes 1:4 and Psalms 78:69)

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