Is Hudud In The Bible?

by | May 18, 2014 | Misc

I was in serious shock when I read a few articles saying hudud is in the Bible. One of it is found at DUN N26 Bangi, Selangor’s blog while there is another at My Journey Of Faith’s page

Both articles quoted the same Bible verse which is from Matthew 18:8-9

Matthew 18:8-9
8 If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire.
9 And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell

Let me first clarify that the Bible is not always read literally. Otherwise, according to Matthew 16:24, we would have to deny ourselves, literally take up a cross and follow Jesus. Furthermore, Jesus spoke in parables in the Bible, which should at least indicate to you that not everything is literal in the Bible.

Jesus in Mattthew 18:8-9, spoke metaphorically. When the phrases ‘cut it off’ and ‘gouge it out’ was used, Jesus was NOT referring to self-mutilation. What Jesus meant is that the root cause of the sin must be cut off and gotten rid off. Matthew 15:18-19 tells us that the root of the sin lies in the heart.

Matthew 15:18-19
18 But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them.
19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual
immorality, theft, false testimony, slander

Does it now mean that we have to cut the heart out?! Obviously not. In order to cut off the root of the sin, one must change his/her attitude (e.g. the behaviour that causes the person to sin must stop). In conclusion, hudud is NOT in the Bible. The only reason people get such an idea is because they read the Bible out of context. Which is unacceptable! 

Are Mormons, Christians?

by | May 11, 2014 | Misc

In a multi-religious country like Malaysia, confusions are bound to happen. After all, there are so many denominations under Christianity. Then there are the cults claiming to be Christians as well.

The objective of this article is to distinguish between Mormons and Christians based on the core beliefs of the two. Hopefully at the end of this article, you will know that Mormons =/= Christians

Firstly, Mormons believe that humans can become gods if they are good Mormons (as per Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 345-347, 354). Christians on the other hand believe there is only one God. “This is what the LORD says– Israel’s King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God” (Isaiah 44:6)

Mormons also believe that there are many gods (Mormon Doctrine , p. 163) while Christians believe that “there is no God but one” (1 Corinthians 8:4)

Furthermore, Mormons believe that there is a mother god (Articles of Faith , by James Talmage, p. 443) as well as that God is married to his goddess wife and has spirit children (Mormon Doctrine , p. 516). Meanwhile, the Bible only mentions God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Nothing suggests an existence of a “mother god”

They (the Mormons) also believe that there would be no salvation without Joseph Smith (founder of the religion) and the restoration [Mormon Doctrine, p. 670]. Christians on the other hand, believe that Jesus is the only way to the Father (John 14:6) and in order to be saved, you must declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead (Romans 10:9)

Mormons also claim the idea “that man is saved alone by the grace of God; that belief in Jesus Christ alone is all that is
needed for salvation,” is a “doctrine originated by Satan” (Miracle of Forgiveness, by Spencer W. Kimball, p. 206). Not forgetting the fact Mormons believe good works are necessary to obtain salvation (Articles of Faith, p.
92)

Meanwhile the Bible in Ephesians 2:8 tells us that, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God–” So Christians believe salvation cannot be earned. It was given to us as a result of God’s grace

John 3:16-17 forthrightly says,
“16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” So clearly it was God’s plan and not a doctrine originated by Satan. God sent His Son as an atonement for our sins because of His love for mankind

The points brought up above are only some of the contradictions between the core beliefs of Christianity and Mormonism. For a more detailed explanation on the subject,  www.carm.org/mormon-beliefs and
www.mormon.org/what-do-mormons-believe would prove to be of great help.
Mormons cant be Christians if their fundamental beliefs are different. Hence, Mormons =/= Christians

Jesus: The Son of God, or God?

by | May 8, 2014 | Misc

* This article is based on the Bible and is what Christians believe. If your religion tells you differently, so be it. But this may give you an insight as to what the Christians believe and what their basis is

The Bible contains numerous verses which support the idea that Jesus is the Son of God. The following list is non-exhaustive

1. Matthew 16:15-17

15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven

My point (MP): Jesus did not deny it when Simon Peter said he is the Son of God. Jesus even acknowledged that God revealed it to Simon Peter

2. Mark 1:9-11

9 At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was
baptized by John in the Jordan.
10 Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.
11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

MP: God the Father spoke from heaven announcing to the world that Jesus is His Son. This verse is also proof of the Trinity. Jesus (in the form of a man), The Holy Spirit (in the form of a dove), and God (in the form of a voice from heaven)

3. Luke 1:30-35

30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.
31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.
32 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,
33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.

MP: The angel tells Mary that her child to be is the Son of God. So, Jesus = Son of God

4. John 3:16-18

16 God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son

MP: Jesus said those words. Hence he is admitting to being the Son of God. How do we know Jesus said those words? The words of Jesus in the Bible are printed in red. Now, who says Jesus never said he was the Son of God?

Now that we have established that the Bible speaks of Jesus as the Son of God, lets move on to the next area. Is Jesus God? Again Scriptures enlighten us

1. Isaiah 7:14

14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel

MP: Jesus fulfilled this prophecy (as mentioned above in Luke 1:30-35). Immanuel means “God with us.” You may be thinking, “Doesnt it seem a bit far-fetched that it means Jesus is God?” Well, It’s not the only verse that proves my point

2. John 1:1 & John 1:14

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only
Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

MP: John 1:1 tells us that the Word is God. John 1:14 then tells us that “The Word become flesh and made his dwelling among us.” Sounds familiar? Jesus came down to Earth, hence became flesh. So if Jesus is the Word, he must be God. Simply put, the Word = God = Jesus

3. John 14:10

10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work

MP: Jesus is in God the Father, and God the Father is in him. How’s that possible? It’s really not that hard to understand. Jesus = God

4. 2 Peter 1:1

1 Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours

MP: Note that Simon Peter (a disciple of Jesus) said that Jesus is our God and Savior. Yet again it shows that Jesus is God

In conclusion, Jesus is the Son of God and he is God (as evidenced by the aforementioned Scriptures). You may ask, “How is this possible?! How can Jesus be the Son of God and yet God at the same time?!”

An in depth study as to the doctrine of The Trinity (God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit) would answer that question. Click on the link and read my summarized version

Is it wrong for Christians to eat pork?

by | May 8, 2014 | Misc

I have been involved in numerous online debates regarding the issue. Many of my opponents engage in cherry picking of Bible verses in order to solidify their point that Christians who eat pork arent following the teachings of Jesus. They quote verses in the Old Testament such as:

1. Leviticus 11:7-8

     7 And the pig, though it has a divided hoof, does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you. 

     8 You must not eat their meat or touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you

2. Deuteronomy 14:8

     8 The pig is also unclean; although it has a divided hoof, it does not chew the cud. You are not to eat their meat or touch their carcasses

3. Isaiah 66:17

     17 “Those who consecrate and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following one who is among those who eat the flesh of pigs, rats and other unclean things—they will meet their end together with the one they follow,” declares the Lord

 

Dont get me wrong. I believe in the truth of the Word of God. Regardless of whether the verse is found in the Old Testament or New Testament. However, it is erroneous to just quote Scriptures like this while ignoring the others. There are a lot of Jewish cultural practices which Christians do not do. Why? Because we have been saved by grace and not by works (Ephesians 2:8).

Jews do not believe that Jesus died to reconcile them to God, hence they take part in a lot of things in order to be “right with God.” Christians believe Jesus death on the cross absolved them from having to do good works in order to be right with God. Of course this DOESN’T mean that Christians can sin and do whatever they want. Christians are called to live holy lives (1 Thessalonians 4:7)

 

B. What did Jesus say?

1. Mark 7:15,17-20

     15 Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.”

     17 After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable.

     18 “Are you so dull?” he asked. “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them?

     19 For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.” (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean.)

     20 He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them

2. Matthew 15:11

     11 What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”

C. What else does the Bible say? 

1. Genesis 9:1-3

     1 Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth.

     2 The fear and dread of you will fall on all the beasts of the earth, and on all the birds in the sky, on every creature that moves along the ground, and on all the fish in the sea; they are given into your hands.

     3 Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything

2. 1 Timothy 4:3-5

     3 They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth.

     4 For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,

     5 because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer

3. Romans 14:14

     14 I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean

I personally believe it is not wrong for Christians to eat pork (as evidenced by the scriptures aforementioned). Whether to eat it or not is your personal choice. If your religion tells you to abstain from it, by all means do so. But DO NOT cherry pick scriptures and claim that Christians aren’t true followers of Jesus.