Question: We have been taught that the Old and New Testaments originally revealed by God through prophets such as Moses, David, Jesus, and others have been corrupted. The Qur'an dictated to the prophet Muhammad corrects the corrupted teachings found in the Bible. If this is the case, why do Christians and Jews persist in following that which has been corrupted?
Answer: There are thousands of manuscripts of both the Hebrew Old Testament and the Greek New Testament dating from the first century B.C. (Old Testament) and 2nd century A.D. (New Testament) to the days of Muhammad in the 7th century. There is a translation (called the Septuagint) of the Old Testament into Greek dating back to the second century B.C. There are translations of the New Testament into the Latin, Syriac, Egyptian, Gothic, Armenian, and Ethiopic languages dating back as early as the 4th century A.D. No substantial differences have been found among all these manuscripts-thus no evidence of corruption of the Scriptures-over this span of time.
The Old Testament was given by God first of all to the nation of Israel. God used Israelites (now called Jews) to write it down in the Hebrew language. They are the ones who cherished it, protected it, and so carefully copied it by trained scribes. The New Testament was given to Christians. God used Christian apostles and prophets to write it down in the Greek language. They are the ones who cherished it, protected it, and so carefully copied it by trained scribes.
The New Testament contains many, many quotations from the Old Testament. The New Testament also contains many, many fulfilled prophecies written down in the Old Testament, particularly concerning the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ.
If the original revelation was corrupted, then it had to be done in such a sophisticated and widespread manner that the Old Testament prophesies recorded by Moses, David, Isaiah, Daniel, Micah, Zechariah, and Malachi concerning the Messiah, and their literal fulfillment in the birth, life, suffering, and death of Jesus Christ recorded in the Gospels, would all be corrupted in a highly consistent manner. Also, incredibly, such corruption somehow had to be reflected in every single one of the thousands of manuscripts that exist of the Old and New Testament. In conclusion, there is not one shred of evidence that the Old and New Testaments given by God were ever any different from the way they read now.
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Question: Doesn't the Bible teach that God had sexual intercourse with Mary, and that Jesus was born from this union?
Answer: No, the Bible does not teach this. No Christian in all the world believes this. It is absolute blasphemy. The birth of Jesus was a miracle. The Bible says, "Behold, a virgin shall be with child and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us" (Matt. 1:2323Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. (Matthew 1:23)). Mary was still a virgin -she had never had sexual intercourse-when she gave birth to Jesus. The Holy Spirit miraculously worked in the womb of Mary (we are not told just what He did or how He did it) to bring about the conception of Jesus (Luke 1:3535And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:35)).
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Question: The Old Testament says, "The LORD our God is one LORD" (Deut. 6:44Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: (Deuteronomy 6:4)). Why, then, do Christians say there are three Gods?
Answer: Christians do not say there are three Gods. Christians believe that the Bible teaches the existence of a triunity or Trinity, that is, one God who exists in three Persons-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In one sense God is one, and in another sense God is three. Just how God can be three and one at the same time is a mystery that no biblical scholar can honestly claim to understand.
The reason Christians teach and believe something so difficult to understand is because the Bible teaches it, starting with the very first verse of the Bible: "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth" (Gen. 1:11In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)). The Hebrew word for "God" is elohim, a plural word. Then we read, "God said, Let us make man in our image" (Gen. 1:2626And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. (Genesis 1:26)). In the verse quoted in the question (Deut. 6:44Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: (Deuteronomy 6:4)), the word "one" in the Hebrew sometimes denotes a composite unity, such as many grapes making up "one cluster" (Num. 13:2323And they came unto the brook of Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bare it between two upon a staff; and they brought of the pomegranates, and of the figs. (Numbers 13:23)), or a man and a woman marrying and becoming "one flesh" (Gen. 2:2424Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. (Genesis 2:24)), or three divine Persons making up "one God."
There are some very important differences between three gods and a Trinity. Three gods (if such could exist) would imply separate and independent attributes, actions, goals, and purposes. The many gods in the Greek and Roman myths were always at cross purposes, fighting and arguing with one another about this or that. In vast contrast, the three Persons of the Trinity or Godhead have one purpose, one goal, the same attributes, and cooperate totally with one another in their actions. All three Persons were active in the creation of the universe (Psa. 102:2323He weakened my strength in the way; he shortened my days. (Psalm 102:23); John 1:33All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. (John 1:3); Col. 1:1616For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: (Colossians 1:16); Gen. 1:22And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. (Genesis 1:2); Job 26:1313By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens; his hand hath formed the crooked serpent. (Job 26:13)), all were involved in God the Son becoming a Man (Luke 1:26-3526And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, 27To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. 28And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. 29And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. 30And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God. 31And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 32He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. 34Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? 35And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:26‑35)) and in anointing the Lord Jesus for His earthly ministry (Matt. 3:16,1716And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: 17And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (Matthew 3:16‑17)). All three were involved in the death of Christ and His work of redemption (Rom. 8:3232He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? (Romans 8:32); 1 John 4:10,1410Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1 John 4:10)
14And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. (1 John 4:14); John 10:1818No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father. (John 10:18); 1 Peter 2:2424Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. (1 Peter 2:24); Heb. 9:1414How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (Hebrews 9:14)), as well as in His bodily resurrection (Acts 2:2424Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. (Acts 2:24); John 10:1818No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father. (John 10:18); 1 Peter 3:1818For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: (1 Peter 3:18)).
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Question: If the three Persons all worked together, hand-in-hand, and all had the same purpose and goal, why was there a need for three of them?
Answer: Christian scholars do not pretend to know the whole answer to this excellent question, but here is probably the most important reason: In order to provide redemption for sinful man, God must punish a perfect substitute. While He could have created a perfect, holy, sinless man for the sole purpose of punishing him as mankind's substitute, this would have been grossly unfair to that specially-created man. The only other alternative was for one of the Persons of the Trinity to be miraculously born into this world as a Man-child, live a perfect, holy, sinless life, and be punished by the other Persons of the Trinity for man's sins.
Question: What does the Bible mean when it speaks of Jesus being the "Son of God"?
Answer: First of all, it is important to understand that the One who was born of Mary existed in heaven as the Son of God from eternity past; He did not become Son of God by virtue of becoming a human being or by being an offspring or a creation of God. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son" (John 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)). He was already the Son when God sent Him down into this world. The one we know as Jesus was with God and was God from eternity, from before the beginning of time (John 1:11In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1)). In fact, the Bible tells us that "All things were made by Him" (John 1:33All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. (John 1:3); Col. 1:1616For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: (Colossians 1:16); Heb. 1:22Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; (Hebrews 1:2)).
But let us return to the question of why Jesus is called "the Son of God"? The expression "son of" is used in everyday speech as a metaphor and does not necessarily imply a physical relationship. For example, in the Bible, the disciples James and John were known as "the sons of thunder" (Mark 3:1717And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder: (Mark 3:17)); wicked men were sometimes called "sons of Belial" (Judg. 19:2222Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain sons of Belial, beset the house round about, and beat at the door, and spake to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man that came into thine house, that we may know him. (Judges 19:22); 1 Sam. 2:1212Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the Lord. (1 Samuel 2:12); etc.); and the inhabitants of Jerusalem were called "precious sons of Zion" (Lam. 4:22The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter! (Lamentations 4:2)). The term "Son" as applied to the Lord Jesus Christ implies the intense, eternal love that bound Him and His Father together (John 1:18;5:20;15:9;17:23,24,2618No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. (John 1:18)
20For the Father loveth the Son, and showeth him all things that himself doeth: and he will show him greater works than these, that ye may marvel. (John 5:20)
9As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. (John 15:9)
23I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. 24Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. (John 17:23‑24)
26And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them. (John 17:26)); it also implies the likeness, unity and harmony that have always existed and always will exist between the Father and the Son (as well as with the Holy Spirit)-a unity of attributes, abilities, thought, purpose, and action.
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Question: Does the Bible really teach that Jesus was God and had absolute equality with God?
Answer? Yes, there are many passages in the New Testament and even some prophetic passages in the Old Testament that teach this. Here are a few examples:
"I and My Father are one. Then the Jews [showing that they understood the implications of such a statement] took up stones again to stone Him" (John 10:30,3130I and my Father are one. 31Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. (John 10:30‑31)).
"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery [or a thing to be held onto at all costs] to remain equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men" (Phil. 2:5-75Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: (Philippians 2:5‑7)).
"Thomas answered and said unto Him, My Lord and My God. Jesus said unto him, Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are they who have not seen, and yet have believed" (John 20:28,29). 1
As an Old Testament example, read the prophecy of the suffering Servant in Isaiah 52:13-53:1213Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high. 14As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men: 15So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider. 1Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? 2For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. 3He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. 8He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. 9And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. 10Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. 11He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. 12Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. (Isaiah 52:13‑53:12). There are a couple dozen specific fulfillments and quotations of the prophecies of this passage in the New Testament accounts of the life, suffering, death, and resurrection of Christ (see, for example, 1 Peter 2:21-2521For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: 24Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 25For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls. (1 Peter 2:21‑25)). In Isa. 52:1313Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high. (Isaiah 52:13) we read, "Behold my Servant shall deal prudently, He shall be exalted [Hebrew rum] and extolled [nasa] and be very high." Thus He is identified with Jehovah of hosts "sitting upon a throne, high [rum] and lifted up [nasa]" in Isa. 6:1,31In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. (Isaiah 6:1)
3And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. (Isaiah 6:3). Jehovah is the personal name of Israel's one true God. The suffering Servant, the Lord Jesus Christ of the New Testament, is here identified as Jehovah, the one true God of Deut. 6:44Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: (Deuteronomy 6:4).
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Question: The Qur'an teaches that Jesus Christ was not crucified or killed: "They killed Him not, nor crucified Him, but so it was made 16 appear to them... for of a surety they killed Him not" (surah 4:157). Why, then, do Christians make so much of the crucifixion of Jesus?
Answer: The Bible states clearly and emphatically, "Christ died for our sins... and... was buried" (1 Cor. 15:3,43For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: (1 Corinthians 15:3‑4)). "Christ also suffered for us... who His own self bore our sins in His own body on the tree" (1 Peter 2:21,2421For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: (1 Peter 2:21)
24Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. (1 Peter 2:24)). "Christ also has once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God" (1 Peter 3:1818For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: (1 Peter 3:18)). After His resurrection, He said to His disciple Thomas: "Reach here your finger and behold My hands; and reach here your hand, and thrust it into my side" (John 20:2727Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. (John 20:27); Luke 24:3939Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. (Luke 24:39)).
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Question: Muslims are taught that someone else.
miraculously given the face of Jesus, was crucified at Calvary, while Jesus was raised up into heaven alive by God. We believe that it was not possible that such a good man as Jesus should die, and that it is immoral to think that a good man should die for guilty sinners. How do Christians explain this?
Answer: There are several points to be made in this regard:
The sin of men in plotting to kill Jesus. God allowed man to show to the utmost degree his hatred of God by his treatment of God's Son. "He came unto His own, and His own received Him not" (John 1:1111He came unto his own, and his own received him not. (John 1:11)). Of one wiser and "greater than Solomon" they exclaimed, "We will not have, this Man to reign over us" (Luke 11:31;19:1431The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here. (Luke 11:31)
14But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. (Luke 19:14)). Concerning the giver of eternal life (John 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)) they cried, "Crucify Him, crucify Him" (Luke 21:2323But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. (Luke 21:23)). But Jesus was also caused to suffer and be put to death by an accumulation of ordinary sins: the bigotry and hatred of the religious people of His day, the love of money of one of His disciples, the governor Pilate's fear of the populace which led to compromise, and the cheap taunts and mockery of the mass of people. These same sins are prevalent today. Perhaps we have never realized what terrible results small sins can have.
The love of Christ in choosing to die. As we read the accounts of the death of Christ, we see how often He could have saved Himself. He could have avoided the cross, but he set His face to go to Jerusalem (Luke 9:5151And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem, (Luke 9:51)). In the Garden of Gethsemane, as He anticipated the sufferings of the cross, He shrank from suffering, praying that if it were possible the cup of suffering might be taken from Him: Nevertheless, He yielded to His Father's perfect will, saying, "Not as I will, but as Thou wilt" (Matt. 26:3939And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. (Matthew 26:39)). And when Judas led the band of priests and elders to take Jesus, He said, "Do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He shall presently 'give Me more than 12 legions of angels?" (Matt. 26:5353Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? (Matthew 26:53)) _No man had the power to take his life away. He had the power within Himself to lay down His life and the power to take it again (John 10:17,1817Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. 18No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father. (John 10:17‑18)). In His infinite love for sinners, He chose to lay it down as "a ransom for many" (Matt. 20:2828Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. (Matthew 20:28)).
The purpose of His death-redemption and forgiveness of man's sins. While even Muslims accept Jesus as a great teacher and prophet sent from God, if this is all He was, then it surely would have been a tragedy for Him to suffer and die at the hands of wicked men as the worst kind of criminal. But Jesus was much more than this. He "came down from heaven" (John 3:1313And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. (John 3:13)) for the express purpose of suffering and dying for our sins as our Substitute. So God used man's hatred of Himself and His Son, allowed wicked man to put His Son on the cross, and then did something utterly awesome and wonderful! God took our sins and put them on that holy Man Jesus as if they were His sins, and God punished His Son as our Substitute. Eight times in Isa. 53 this truth of the suffering Servant as man's Substitute for sin is brought out; four times it is found in verse 5: "He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed." See if you can find the four other expressions of this truth in Isa. 53.
Yes, a good man did die for guilty sinners; isn't this good news!! This is the basis for a holy, righteous God forgiving rebellious, guilty, hell-deserving sinners. God graciously has provided a way of forgiveness and salvation to us who deserve eternal banishment from His holy presence. That is awesome!!
The resurrection. God did, indeed, raise His holy, sinless Christ alive to heaven, but not until after He had accomplished the purpose for which He came to earth, namely, dying for our sins. The Bible provides many evidences of the resurrection of Christ. For example, the apostle Paul says that Christ "was seen of above 500 brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain unto this present" (1 Cor. 15:66After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. (1 Corinthians 15:6)). In other words, if Paul's readers had any doubts or questions about the reports of Christ's resurrection, Paul could provide names and addresses of nearly 500 witness to that fact. A strong historical evidence of the resurrection of Christ is the very existence of Christianity as a religious movement. The view we have of Christ's disciples after His crucifixion and burial is one of deepest despondency and fear for their own lives (John 20:1919Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. (John 20:19)). Jesus' chiefest disciple, Peter, had shamefully denied three times that Jesus was His Lord and Master in order to save his skin. But what a total transformation took place among the disciples once the risen Christ appeared to them. He showed them by His resurrection that He really was the One whom He claimed to be, namely, the eternal Son of God, and that He had totally satisfied a sin-hating God by His
suffering and death on the cross. And He promised that He would return some day to take all of His disciples to be with Him in heaven for eternity (John 14:1-31Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (John 14:1‑3); 1 Cor. 15:51-5851Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. (1 Corinthians 15:51‑58); 1 Thess. 4:13-1813But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18Wherefore comfort one another with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:13‑18)). For these reasons, the disciples were emboldened to become fearless, courageous preachers of the gospel of Christ, in spite of both the threat and the reality of imprisonment and death (read the entire book of the Acts of the Apostles).
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Nearly all the religious systems of the world teach that man must try his very best to please a holy God and to do more good works than bad ones in order to be assured of a place in heaven. In Christianity alone is found the teaching (through the Bible) that God is so high and so holy that man could never do enough good works to overcome his sins and to deserve eternal life. And in Christianity alone is it taught that the high and holy God loves sinful man so much that He gave His only Son to die for man's sins and thus provide redemption, forgiveness, and eternal life for those who are spiritually "dead in trespasses and sins" (Eph. 2:11And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; (Ephesians 2:1)). Will you, my dear friend, humble yourself before the high and holy God, acknowledge that you are a rebellious, bankrupt, spiritually dead sinner, and place your trust in the crucified and risen Christ alone for your eternal salvation?
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"Whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire" (Rev. 20:15). 44444
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