Now Let us Begin When We Read His Article Here :
Where is the “Christ” in “Christianity?”
Religious scholars have long attributed the tenets of Christian faith more to Paul’s teachings than to those of Jesus. But as much as I would like to jump into that subject, I think it best to back up and take a quick, speculative look at the Old Testament.
The Old Testament teaches that Jacob wrestled with God. In fact, the Old Testament records that Jacob not only wrestled with God, but that Jacob prevailed (Gs 32:24-30Genesis). Now, bear in mind, we’re talking about a tiny blob of protoplasm wrestling the Creator of a universe 240,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 miles in diameter, containing over a billion galaxies of which ours—the Milky Way Galaxy—is just one (and a small one, at that), and prevailing? I’m sorry, but someone was a couple pages short of a codex when they scribed that passage. The point is, however, that this passage leaves us in a quandary. We either have to question the Jewish concept of God or accept their explanation that “God” does not mean “God” in the above verses, but rather it means either an angel or a man (which, in essence, means the Old Testament is not to be trusted). In fact, this textual difficulty has become so problematic that more recent Bibles have tried to cover it up by changing the translation from “God” to “man.” What they cannot change, however, is the foundational scripture from which the Jewish Bible is translated, and this continues to read “God.”
Unreliability is a recurring problem in the Old Testament, the most prominent example being the confusion between God and Satan! II Samuel 24:1 reads, “Again the anger of the LORD was aroused against Israel, and He moved David against them to say, ‘Go, number Israel and Judah.’” However, I Chronicles 21:1 states, “Now Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel.”
Uhhh, which was it? The Lord, or Satan? Both verses describe the same event in history, but one speaks of God and the other of Satan. There is a slight (like, total) difference.
Christians would like to believe that the New Testament is free of such difficulties, but they are sadly deceived. In fact, there are so many contradictions that authors have devoted books to this subject. For example, Matthew 2:14 and Luke 2:39 differ over whether Jesus’ family fled to Egypt or Nazareth. Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4 differ over the wording of the “Lord’s Prayer.” Matthew 11:13-14, 17:11-13 and John 1:21 disagree over whether or not John the Baptist was Elijah.
Things get worse when we enter the arena of the alleged crucifixion: Who carried the cross—Simon (Luke 23:26, Matthew 27:32, Mark 15:21) or Jesus (John 19:17)? Was Jesus dressed in a scarlet robe (Matthew 27:28) or a purple robe (John 19:2)? Did the Roman soldiers put gall (Matthew 27:34) or myrrh (Mark 15:23) in his wine? Was Jesus crucified before the third hour (Mark 15:25) or after the sixth hour (John 19:14-15)? Did Jesus ascend the first day (Luke 23:43) or not (John 20:17)? Were Jesus’ last words, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit my spirit’” (Luke 23:46), or were they “It is finished” (John 19:30)?
These are only a few of a long list of scriptural inconsistencies, and they underscore the difficulty in trusting the New Testament as scripture. Nonetheless, there are those who do trust their salvation to the New Testament, and it is these Christians who need to answer the question, “Where is the ‘Christ’ in ‘Christianity?’” This, in fact, is a supremely fair question. On one hand we have a religion named after Jesus Christ, but on the other hand the tenets of orthodox Christianity, which is to sayTrinitarian Christianity, contradict virtually everything he taught.
I know, I know—those of you who aren’t screaming “Heretic!” are gathering firewood and planting a stake. But wait. Put down the high-powered rifle and listen. Trinitarian Christianity claims to base its doctrines on a combination of Jesus’ and Paul’s teachings. The problem is, these teachings are anything but complementary. In fact, they contradict one another.
Take some examples: Jesus taught Old Testament Law; Paul negated it. Jesus preached orthodox Jewish creed; Paul preached mysteries of faith. Jesus spoke of accountability; Paul proposed justification by faith. Jesus described himself as an ethnic prophet; Paul defined him as a universal prophet.*
Jesus taught prayer to God, Paul set Jesus up as intercessor. Jesus taught divine unity, Pauline theologians constructed the Trinity.
For these reasons, many scholars consider Paul the main corrupter of Apostolic Christianity and Jesus’ teachings. Many early Christian sects held this view as well, including the second-century Christian sects known as “adoptionists”– “In particular, they considered Paul, one of the most prominent authors of our New Testament, to be an arch-heretic rather than an apostle.” (1)
Lehmann contributes,
What Paul proclaimed as ‘Christianity’ was sheer heresy which could not be based on the Jewish or Essene faith, or on the teaching of Rabbi Jesus. But, as Schonfield says, ‘The Pauline heresy became the foundation of Christian orthodoxy and the legitimate church was disowned as heretical.’ … Paul did something that Rabbi Jesus never did and refused to do. He extended God’s promise of salvation to the Gentiles; he abolished the law of Moses, and he prevented direct access to God by introducing an intermediary. (2)
Bart D. Ehrman, perhaps the most authoritative living scholar of textual criticism, comments,
Paul’s view was not universally accepted or, one might argue, even widely accepted …. Even more striking, Paul’s own letters indicate that there were outspoken, sincere, and active Christian leaders who vehemently disagreed with him on this score and considered Paul’s views to be a corruption of the true message of Christ …. One should always bear in mind that in this very letter of Galatians Paul indicates that he confronted Peter over just such issues (Gal. 2:11-14). He disagreed, that is, even with Jesus’ closest disciple on the matter. (3)
Commenting on the views of some early Christians in the Pseudo-Clementine literature, Ehrman wrote,
Paul has corrupted the true faith based on a brief vision, which he has doubtless misconstrued. Paul is thus the enemy of the apostles, not the chief of them. He is outside the true faith, a heretic to be banned, not an apostle to be followed. (4)
Others elevate Paul to sainthood. Joel Carmichael very clearly is not one of them:
We are a universe away from Jesus. If Jesus came “only to fulfill” the Law and the Prophets; If he thought that “not an iota, not a dot” would “pass from the Law,” that the cardinal commandment was “Hear, O Israel, the Lord Our God, the Lord is one,” and that “no one was good but God”….What would he have thought of Paul’s handiwork! Paul’s triumph meant the final obliteration of the historic Jesus; he comes to us embalmed in Christianity like a fly in amber. (5)
Dr. Johannes Weiss contributes,
Hence the faith in Christ as held by the primitive churches and by Paul was something new in comparison with the preaching of Jesus; it was a new type of religion. (6)
A new type of religion, indeed. And hence the question, “Where is the ‘Christ’ in ‘Christianity?’” If Christianity is the religion of Jesus Christ, where are the Old Testament laws and strict monotheism of the Rabbi Jesus’ Orthodox Judaism? Why does Christianity teach that Jesus is the son of God when Jesus called himself the “son of Man” eighty-eight times, and not once the “son of God?” Why does Christianity endorse confession to priests and prayers to saints, Mary and Jesus when Jesus taught his followers, “In this manner, therefore, pray: ‘Our Father …’” (Matthew 6:9)? And who appointed a pope? Certainly not Jesus. True, he may have called Peter the rock upon which he would build his church (Matthew 16:18-19). However, a scant five verses later, he called Peter “Satan” and “an offense.” And let us not forget that this “rock” thrice denied Jesus after Jesus’ arrest—poor testimony of Peter’s commitment to the new church.
Is it possible that Christians have been denying Jesus ever since? Transforming Jesus’ strict monotheism to the Pauline theologians’ Trinity, replacing Rabbi Jesus’ Old Testament law with Paul’s “justification by faith,” substituting the concept of Jesus having atoned for the sins of mankind for the direct accountability Jesus taught, discarding Jesus’ claim to humanity for Paul’s concept of Jesus having been divine, we have to question in exactly what manner Christianity respects the teachings of its prophet.
A parallel issue is to define which religion does respect Jesus’ teachings. So let’s see: Which religion honors Jesus Christ as a prophet but a man? Which religion adheres to strict monotheism, God’s laws, and the concept of direct accountability to God? Which religion denies intermediaries between man and God?
If you answered, “Islam,” you would be right. And in this manner, we find the teachings of Jesus Christ better exemplified in the religion of Islam than in Christianity. This suggestion, however, is not meant to be a conclusion, but rather an introduction. Those who find their interest peaked by the above discussion need to take the issue seriously, open their minds and then … read on!
Copyright © 2007 Laurence B. Brown
Permission granted for free and unrestricted reproduction if reproduced in entirety without omissions, additions or alterations.
(A graduate of Cornell University, Brown University Medical School and George Washington University Hospital residency program, Laurence B. Brown is an ophthalmic surgeon, a retired Air Force officer, and the medical director and chief ophthalmologist of a major eye center. He is also an ordained interfaith minister with a doctorate in divinity and a PhD in religion, and the author of a number of books of comparative religion and reality-based fiction. His works can be found on his website, www.LevelTruth.com)
∗ Jesus Christ was one more prophet in the long line of prophets sent to the astray Israelites. As he so clearly affirmed, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” (Matthew 15:24) When Jesus sent the disciples out in the path of God, he instructed them, “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” (Matthew 10:5-6) Throughout his ministry, Jesus was never recorded as having converted a Gentile, and in fact is recorded as having initially rebuked a Gentile for seeking his favors, likening her to a dog (Matthew 15:22-28 and Mark 7:25-30). Jesus was himself a Jew, his disciples were Jews, and both he and they directed their ministries to the Jews. One wonders what this means to us now, for most of those who have taken Jesus as their ‘personal savior’ are Gentiles, and not of the “lost sheep of the house of Israel” to whom he was sent.
Now to Start Off Brown claims that Religious scholars have tenets to believe in The Teachings of Paul than to those of Jesus. But what he doesn't tell you IS WHICH Religious Scholars, the Liberals who don't believe in the Supernatural or the Conservatives who believe that God has spoken and revealed the scriptures. So Brown is being deceptive when he broadens the spectrum in regards to the belief in Jesus and Paul's writings.
Secondly the reason why we have Paul's Teaching or in other words the reason why Paul wrote his Letters was because of Jesus Christ. It was because of Jesus that Paul started his evangelistic movement or ministry and BEGAN preaching about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul before his ministry was a persecutor of Christians and hated the Jesus Christ but when he met the living Jesus his life turned around and then he Began preaching his name.
Here are some verses that show Paul hated and Persecuted Christians before his Conversion :
TO START OFF HERE IS GALATIANS 1:13-14:
So in this Verse Paul claims that he has persecuted Gods people and tried to destroy it.
And here's More : 12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength,that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. 13 Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. 14 The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Here Paul is admitted and describing God's Grace towards himself because he persecuted the church and blasphemed God. He was violent and yet God showed him Mercy and turned his Life around specifically Jesus Christ who saved him and poured out his love.
So what Made Paul become a believer and pro claimer of Christ??
It was because of Jesus he became the Man that we read in the Epistles.
And here is the verse : Acts 9:1-19
9 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. 3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.
“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. 6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
7 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. 8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. 9 For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.
10 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!”
“Yes, Lord,” he answered.
11 The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”
13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. 14 And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”
15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”
17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized,19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength.
So we Read in this Chapter that Paul was Threatening Jesus's followers. And asked the high priest for Letters to the synagogues so that if any Christians were found they could be delivered to him and taken prisoner. So it is clear that Paul wants nothing to do with Christ. Let's continue as Paul Journeyed to Damascus all of a sudden a light came from Heaven flashing above him. This entity asked him Why he's persecuting his Church and Paul responded by asking him who this individual was. And the individual confirmed that he himself is Jesus.
Jesus then tells Paul to go to the city and in doing so Paul becomes blind and the Men that traveled with him didn't know what was going on they just became speechless and guided Paul to Damascus. And for 3 days Paul was blind, however a Disciple by the name Ananias was told by Jesus in a vision. Jesus tells him to go to Straight Street and ask for a Man named Saul/Paul. Because Paul in his own vision saw Ananias restore his sight. Ananias knowing who Paul was -was uncomfortable because of all the Wrong that he has done to the Christians.
However God wanted to use Paul to proclaim his name and show him how much he will suffer because of him. And in confirmation to the visions Ananias goes to Paul's house and confirms that Jesus sent him to heal Paul's eyes and in the power of the Holy Spirit Paul eyes were opened. And this is how Paul's Journey begins.
So Brown is quite frankly being deceptive because if he really supposedly read the New Testament then he knows that you can't separate Paul from Jesus because Paul was hateful and violent towards the followers of Jesus namely Christians and yet because of Jesus Paul became the man that we read in the Epistles and Letters.
So it is clear that Paul because of Christ converted to Christianity and became a follower and servant of Christ.
Now in regards to their message Paul and Jesus taught the same Message because Paul was inspired by the Holy Spirit and was converted because Of Jesus.
Here are some confirming passages
Matt 16:21 “From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.”
So Here Jesus tells his Disciples that he will got to Jerusalem be killed or in other words Die and be raised to Life in 3 days.
Now let's contrast this with some of Paul's Teachings 1 Cor 15:3-4 “For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.
So here again Paul gives a confirmation that Jesus Died on the cross for our sins and rose again on the third day.
And just a quick Note Jesus's purpose on earth was to die and Rise again in 3 days and this was his CORE message that he taught. However when we turn to the Epistles Paul teaches the exact same thing as I have just showed you that Jesus came to Die for our sins and rise from the Dead.
And for confirmation here are more passages that confirm my point and NOT Brown's.
John 10:17-18 "Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. "No one takes 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 command I have received from My Father."
Col 1:21-22: “yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight”
John 2:19-22 Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." Then the Jews said, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?" But He was speaking of the temple of His body. Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.”
Phil 2:8: “And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”
Luke 24:6-8 "He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, "saying, 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.'"And they remembered His words.
Rom 14:9: “For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living.”
So After giving you more passages it couldn't be more clear that Paul agrees and teaches the Same Message that Jesus taught, That Jesus came to Die and Rise for the Sins of the World.
So Much for Mr. Brown's supposedly belief that Paul and Jesus taught different messages.
Thirdly Brown then goes to the Old Testament and questions the Fact God in Genesis 32:24-32 wrestles with Jacob and Jacob prevails. And Brown thinks that this somehow supposedly refutes Christianity.
Well First this honestly is a pathetic argument made by Brown because number 1 we Christians believe God can do anything. We believe God is All Powerful,All Just,All Loving, All Present,All Knowing, All Holy or in other words we believe in the infinite nature of God. So Brown's arguments are pointless and quite honestly pathetic because God can do anything.
He then makes an absurd arguments and starts comparing God to humans using mathematical numbers to describe the distance and power between God and Humans. He says " Now, bear in mind, we’re talking about a tiny blob of protoplasm wrestling the Creator of a universe 240,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 miles in diameter, containing over a billion galaxies of which ours—the Milky Way Galaxy—is just one (and a small one, at that), and prevailing? I’m sorry, but someone was a couple pages short of a codex when they scribed that passage."
Firstly it's really Ironic that Brown states the supremacy and Power of God of how he sustains all the Galaxies which are in the billions and then contradict himself in the end of the Paragraph and says that small one (Jacob)can't prevail, when in the same verse it's very clear that God allowed Jacob to do so.
You see how deceptive Brown is and when I show you the Passage you will see why:
You see how deceptive Brown is and when I show you the Passage you will see why:
So If Brown wants to be consistent in his argument he's saying that God is so much greater than us meaning we can't comprehend him or understand him. He's much more powerful than us and he also created us, he can sustain the whole universe but when it comes to becoming a human and humbling himself to wrestle with his creation through his whole Power as Brown says, then all of sudden that's not Possible, it is clear inconsistency on Brown's part. And quite honestly it is ridiculous. Or in other-words Brown's Logic is ridiculous If God is so Big and can sustain the entire Universe no problem then he can't lose in wrestling match to a "tiny blob" as Brown stated. Which makes no sense really because If God is so Great then why can't he lose to this "tiny blob" in a wrestling match if he has ALL THE POWER (as Brown's states)to choose to allow Jacob to prevail. In other words If God can sustain the bigger things then why can't he become or sustain the little things like Humans and Allow them to prevail in wrestling Match if he wants to. Brown's Logic is ridiculous again because If God can do the bigger things then shouldn't it be all the more easier for him to do the Smaller things????
God can do anything even if it means becoming or assuming Human form, he can interact with us and humble himself so we can fellowship with him. And if God wants to become a human and wrestle with us he can do so because he is ALL POWERFUL.
In fact here are some verses describing God's Power and Mystery
1 Chronicles 29:11 - Thine, O LORD, [is] the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all [that is] in the heaven and in the earth [is thine]; thine [is] the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all.
Genesis 1:2 - And 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.
Ephesians 3:9 - And to make all [men] see what [is] the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
Job 11:7 - "Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?
Romans 11:33 - Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!
Job 36:26 - How great is God--beyond our understanding! The number of his years is past finding out.
I can go on and go on quoting Passages where it's very clear that God is All Powerful,That he created everything and is above our own Understanding. So should it surprise us then that he can become a human being and wrestle with us and even allow us to prevail. The answer is NO because he can do anything he delights.
Brown then makes a quite stupid remark and says " I’m sorry, but someone was a couple pages short of a codex when they scribed that passage."
Actually Brown you're the one that fell a couple passages short because you forgot to read the entire Bible as a whole where it's clear God is All Powerful and can do anything he wants. It also says that God is above and beyond our understanding. And yet in your Article you're saying that God is so powerful and then contradict yourself and say God can't let Jacob prevail because Jacob is not God even when it's very clear that God allowed Jacob to win and has the Power to limit or humble himself, such inconsistency.
The author of Genesis knew of God's Power and that's why he had no problem writing that God became a Man and wrestled with Jacob because he wants to have intimate relations with his creation and has the Power to do so.
Brown then goes off and says that because this passage is supposedly "embarrassing" some translations have changed it to Man instead of God. Well first of all those who are supposedly embarrassed are not True Christians because If they really were they should not be embarrassed in the first place. And second He God becomes a Man so even if the Translations were to change the wording to a Man that would not be a Problem because God himself is appearing as A MAN, so I don't understand Brown's Point here and also even if I gave Brown the Benefit of the doubt in the context it is clear that the one who Jacob is wrestling with is God(which I will post later). He also brings up the point that it could be an angel but I'll agree with him that the Passage is Clear because it's clearly God.
And for Anyone who wants to read the Passage it's right here
24So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak.25When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. 26Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.”
But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
27The man asked him, “What is your name?”
“Jacob,” he answered.
28Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel,e because you have struggled with GOD and with humans and have overcome.”
29Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.”
But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there.
30So Jacob called the place Peniel,f saying, “It is because I saw GOD face to face, AND YET MY LIFE SPARED.”
So it is clear in this Passage that Jacob wrestled with God even if some translation says "Man" because Jacob clearly testifies that He himself Saw God Face to Face. And the most astonishing thing is that Brown deliberately forgets to read the last statement in this particular Passage where Jacob says "Yet My Life Spared" so it is clear that God himself allowed Jacob to prevail against him because he wanted to it was his own choosing because he loves his creation and wants to have fellowship with them. It is clear that Jacob Knew that it was because of the Grace of God- God allowed him to prevail against him and LET HIM LIVE. And this indicates that God in his choosing allowed Jacob to prevail against him in their little wresting match but could have through his Power taken Jacobs Life If he wanted to but he was humble and loving enough to allow Jacob to overcome him in this specific Manner.
So in conclusion Of this Particular Refutation it is clear That Brown's attempts to attack the Bible have been exposed and refuted and that when we read the Bible as a whole his arguments fall flat to the feet of Jesus and cannot stand to scrutiny.
And also to my good friend Paul Williams stop posting articles that supposedly refute the Bible because you end up proving Islam to be false because the Koran (as I showed in my last post) clearly confirms the Bible as the Word of God. And by quoting Brown who opposes the Bible AND WOULD THE KORAN ,you end up opposing the Koran,Islam and Muhammad and refute yourself and your religion.
I will Continue My refutation on Brown's Article Where is the "Christ" In Christianity Part 2
More to come
And God Bless you
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