Monday, April 18, 2011

Bart Ehrman unknowingly refutes Islamic Polemics

Even Bart Ehrman knows that Jesus was crucified, died, and was buried!

This refutes the Qur'an at Surah 4:157, which denies that Jesus Al Masih (The Messiah) was crucified and died.

See “Bart Ehrman: A Hero for Islam?” by Keith Thompson

Keith Thompson has an excellent article that refutes Muslim dependency on Bart Ehrman. He not only shows how using Ehrman defeats the Muslim’s view of the crucifixion, but several other issues also that are key to the Islamic Polemic.

http://www.answering-islam.org/authors/thompson/bart_ehrman_hero.html#fnr_2

Even Bart Ehrman knows that:
Jesus was crucified,
Jesus was buried,
that Paul met with James and others of the 11 disciples/apostles,
and that the gospel of John really does teach the Deity of Christ!


"In any event, Tacitus's report confirms what we know from other sources, that Jesus was executed by order of the Roman governor of Judea, Pontius Pilate." (footnote 2 in Keith Thompson’s article)

(Bart Ehrman, The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings, Oxford University Press, 2000], p. 197)

Here are the topics that Keith Thompson covers and shows that each one of the Islamic polemic is not supported by Ehrman.

Topic 1: The Crucifixion of Jesus
Topic 2: Paul the Usurper or Real Apostle of Christ?
Topic 3: Jesus was buried & His Apostles Reported Visions
Topic 4: Does the Bible anywhere teach that Jesus is God?

Another example of Dr. James White's saying, "Inconsistency is a sign of a failed argument."

7 comments:

Rhology said...

Yup.

John Bugay said...

Ken, thanks for this reminder, which again reflects that there is a confluence of historical understanding among "liberal" and "conservative" scholars.

It wasn't long ago, that Bertrand Russell was saying "Historically, it is quite doubtful whether Christ ever existed at all, and if He did we do not know anything about Him." (Bertrand Russell, Why I am not a Christian.)

That's just no longer the case any more.

And this is one more reason why conservatives are winning.

Ken said...

I need to check your blog more often, Rhology! Good one!

John,
Indeed, which is also why using Lampe for post-canonical issues of the history of the Roman early church is good; but not relying on his liberalism on Scripture and the Pastoral epistles; and that there is no necessary logical inconsistency in using him that way, as you did.

Used to consider myself Christian said...

You say even Bart E. knows Jesus was crucified, died, and was buried? I think you need to listen to the underlying message here...Bart makes it very clear the texts we have of the New Testament can not be trusted...we don't have the originals, etc. etc. I hardly think Bart would back any "claim" as "fact" from a text he so openly "REFUTES"...The Christian Bible. I say, Try again Ken....:)

Rhology said...

You completely missed the point, Used to.

daawa said...

Hi everyone,read the Qur'an there is chapter dedicated to mary may allah be pleased with her,and her son jessus may peace be with him,they are very honored i islam,by reading and studying the the holy Qur'an all the questions and contradiction of the bible will be answered,may Allah guide us all to the straight path

Ken said...

Salaam Daawa,
Peace to you - true peace is only found in Jesus the Messiah - John 14:27; Romans 5:1, Matthew 11:28-30; Ephesians 2:13-15

I have read Surah 19 - Maryam.

Daawa, Have you read the Injeel ? انجیل ؟ - Have your read the New Testament? (all the way through - in your heart language ? )

I have read all of the Qur'an all the way through at least once, and I still read some of it in order to understand you and your religion better.

Surah 19:19 indicates Jesus was "pure, faultless, sinless" - on that we agree.

Jesus the Messiah was without sin.
(2 Cor. 5:21; Hebrews 4:15; John 8:46; Hebrews 7:26)

Luke 1:34-35 - the holy Injeel - also explains the virgin birth of Al Masih and why we call Him "the Son of God"

the angel explains that Mary will have a son, so she asks -

34 Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?”

35 The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God."

Jesus had no human father - His mother was a virgin.

God's power and Holy Spirit conceived Jesus spiritually in the womb of Mary - so Jesus' nature was divine. He was 100% God and 100% man - He had 2 natures.

He is eternal and existed with God the Father from eternity past - John 1:1-5; 1:14; John 17:5

He is and was the "Kalimat'allah" کلمه الله (Word of God)

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." John 1:1

We agree that God did not get married or have sex - that is impossible for God who is Spirit - invisible, unseen, non-physical.

If Muslims think that Surah 6:101 is teaching what Christians believed, that is wrong.

Estaqhfr'allah ! استغفرالله
(May God forgive! perish the thought!)

that is what the Mormons believe - they are not Christians and are a theological cult, even though they are very nice and moral people and don't drink alcohol (or coffee or tea either !!).

God loved humans out of all nations, languages and cultures (Revelation 5:9) - so He was willing to become a man (Hebrews 2:17; Philippians 2:5-11) and live for around 33 years and let sinful people kill Him voluntarily -

John 10:18
"No one takes My life from me; I lay it down voluntarily, and I have authority to take it up again."

"God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

But since we are sinners - we must realize we are wicked sinners, helpless, rebellious, prideful, selfish, full of jealousy and anger and malice and lusts, and God condemns our sin and has holy wrath/anger/justice against our sin. we must realize, and repent of our sins and turn to Christ Al Masih as the only savior from sin and only way to God the Father and the only way to heaven; the only truth that leads us to God and heaven. John 14:6

Mark 1:15 - Repent and believe the gospel.

God's holy anger and wrath against our sin will bring judgement one day on all who don't repent and trust Christ as Savior and Lord.

Hell is real - Mark 9:48; Matthew 5:21-30; Revelation 20:10-15; Luke 16.

God's wrath is real -
John 3:36
Ephesians 2:1-3

Our sin is deep in the heart of our thoughts, motives, imaginations, and desires.
Genesis 6:5
Mark 7:20-23
Jeremiah 17:9

Only Al Masih, Jesus the Messiah can save you from your sins -
John 14:6
Acts 4:12

Mark 10:45
Jesus said -
"The son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

the word "ransom" is the same root word of the concept in the Qur'an in 37:107 - about the substitutionary sacrifice of the innocent ram (or lamb or sheep) for the human - for Abraham's son.

Something to think about - "Why did Allah substitute an innocent ram for Abraham's son?"