The
following is a response to Nisar Muhammad’s article regarding Paul which
can be found here:
http://www.answerchristianity.fsnet.co.uk/StPaul.htm
Nisar has falsely claimed that I have been unable to refute his arguments, and consistently boasts about defeating me. He even boasts about being my student. Seeing that this is not about me, but rather about God's truth, his fanaticism with me becomes all the more intriguing.
Suffice it to say, much like I have already done in prviate email exchanges, I will be refuting all of Nisar’s false claims in order to silence the lie that I have been unable to refute him. This time my responses will be posted on the web for all
to see. Nisar thinks that by repeating himself over and over again will
somehow prove that his arguments are sound, even though these arguments
have been thoroughly refuted.
I trust that the intelligent
readers wil be able to see that Nisar’s arguments are some of the worst
ever, with only Osama Abdullah’s articles being much worse still. As
I refute Nisar’s points, the readers should be able to see that it is
Nisar who has shown that he is incapable of refuting my arguments. Repeating
himself doesn’t refute anything.
With that said, let us begin
our response by the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
NISAR: Looking at FALSE Christian
beliefs in...
http://www.answerchristianity.fsnet.co.uk/StPaul.htm
The False Apostle
Muslims believe that between
the Prophet Jesus (Peace Be Upon Him) and the Prophet Muhammad (Peace
Be Upon Him) no Messenger of God came to the Gentiles or Jews. This
is based on an agreed hadith in Imam Muslim and Imam Bhukari as below:
Volume 4, Book 55, Number
651:
Narrated Abu Huraira: I
heard Allah's Apostle saying, "I am the nearest of all the people
to the son of Mary, and all the prophets are paternal brothers, and
there has been no prophet between me and him (i.e. Jesus)."
One man claimed to be a
messenger of God in this intervening period. That man was called both
Paul and Saul.
According to Christians Paul
was a "Messenger of God". Jesus appeared to him in a vision
as God and choose him as a Messenger i.e. Paul is a Messenger of God
because Jesus is God.
It is said that Paul is
"sent to the the Gentiles" to preach to them the Gospel; i.e.
he is "a sent one" (an apostle) with a message . [Remark:
"Apostle" and "Messenger" are basically equivalent
terms]
Paul is sent by Jesus to
the nations with a particular message, i.e. he is a messenger, quotes
from the Bible where the title "Apostle" is applied to him
are as follows:
Paul, a servant of Christ
Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God,
... (Romans 1:1)
Paul, called to be an apostle
of Christ Jesus by the will of God, ... (1 Cor. 1:1)
Paul, an apostle - sent
not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God, the Father, ...
(Galatians 1:1)
I had been entrusted with
the task of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, (Galatians 2:7-10)
St. Paul and Islam
RESPONSE:
First, Nisar has erroneously
assumed that Muhammad is a prophet/messenger, and therefore whatever
his false prophet says must be true. Nisar needs to prove that Muhammad
is a prophet and not simply assume that he is.
Second, it may be true that
some Muslims believe that there were no messengers between Jesus and
Muhammad, yet this is not the case with all Muslims. As we shall see,
Muslim scholars of the past wholeheartedly upheld the view that Jesus’
apostles functioned as messengers and prophets, and that Paul himself
was a true disciple of Jesus Christ.
Third, Nisar is wrong in claiming
that Paul was one man who claimed to be a messenger, since the NT is
replete with examples of messengers and prophets that came after the
Lord Jesus Christ:
“Therefore
I (Jesus) am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers.
Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your
synagogues and pursue from town to town.” Matthew 23:34
“During this time
some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.
One of them, named Agabus, stood up and
through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over
the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.)
The disciples, each according to his ability, decided to provide help
for the brothers living in Judea. This they did, sending their gift
to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.” Acts 11:27-30
“In the church at Antioch
there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger,
Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch)
and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting,
the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for
the work to which I have called them.’ So after they had fasted and
prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.” Acts 13:1-3
“Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the brothers.” Acts 15:32
“Leaving the next day,
we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist,
one of the Seven. He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied.
After we had been there a number of days,
a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. Coming over to us,
he took Paul's belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, ‘The
Holy Spirit says, “In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the
owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.”’ When we
heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to
Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, ‘Why are you weeping and breaking my
heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem
for the name of the Lord Jesus.’” Acts 21:8-13
“Greet Andronicus and Junias,
my relatives who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding
among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was.” Romans
16:7
“And
in the church God has appointed
first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then
workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able
to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking
in different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are
all teachers? Do all work miracles?” 1 Corinthians 12:28-29
“For what I received I
passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins
according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised
on the third day according to the Scriptures,
and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After
that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same
time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.
Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last
of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.” 1 Corinthians
15:3-8
“Consequently, you are
no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people
and members of God's household, built on the foundation
of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the
chief cornerstone.” Ephesians 2:19-20
“which was not made known
to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit
to God's holy apostles and prophets.” Ephesians 3:5
“But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it… It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers.” Ephesians 4:7, 11
These verses should put to rest Nisar’s false assertions that Paul was one man that claimed to be a messenger, since there were many apostles and messengers.
NISAR:
Islam denies the apostleship
of Paul and the claim that Paul is a messenger of God.
RESPONSE:
Correction. Contemporary Muslims
like Nisar may deny the apostleship of Paul, but the first Muslims did
not as the following citations conclusively prove:
<so We reinforced
them with a third> means, ‘We supported and strengthened them
with a third Messenger.’ Ibn Jurayj narrated from Wahb bin Sulayman,
from Shu’ayb Al-Jaba’i, “The names of the first two Messengers were
Sham’un and Yuhanna, and the name of the third was BULUS,
and the city was Antioch…
<Verily, we have been sent to you as Messengers.>
meaning, ‘from your Lord
Who created you and Who commands you to worship Him Alone with no partners
or associates.’ This was the view of Abu Al-‘Aliyah.
Qatadah bin Di‘amah claimed that they were MESSENGERS of the Messiah,
peace be upon him, sent to the people of Antioch. (Tafsir Ibn
Kathir (Abridged), Volume 8, Surat Al-Ahzab, Verse 51 to the end of
Surat Ad-Dukhan, abridged under a group of scholars under the supervision
of Shaykh Safiur Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri [Darussalam Publishers &
Distributors Riyadh, Houston, New York, London, Lahore; First Edition,
September 2000], p. 179; bold and capital emphasis ours)
Sham’un refers to Simon Peter,
Yuhanna to the apostle John, and Bulus is Arabic for Paul. Ibn Kathir’s
citation demonstrates that many of Muhammad’s contemporaries viewed
Paul as one of the Messengers sent by God! In light of Nisar’s assault
on the beloved Apostle Paul, this becomes quite intriguing. In Alfred
Guillaume's translation of Ibn Ishaq’s
Sirat Rasulullah titled The Life of Muhammad (Oxford University
Press Karachi) we find the following positive endorsement of Paul:
“God has sent me (Muhammad) to all men, so take a message from me, God have mercy on you. Do not hang back from me as the disciples hung back from Jesus son of Mary. They asked how they hung back and he said, ‘He called them to a task similar to that which I have called you. Those who had to go a short journey were pleased and accepted. Those who had a long journey before them were displeased and refused to go, and Jesus complained of them to God. (T. From that very night) every one of them was able to speak the language of the people to whom he was sent.’ (T. Jesus said, ‘This is a thing that God has determined that you should do, so go.’)
“Those whom Jesus son of
Mary sent, both disciples and those who came after them, in the land
were: Peter the disciple AND PAUL WITH HIM, (PAUL BELONGED TO THE
FOLLOWERS AND WAS NOT A DISCIPLE) to Rome. Andrew and Matthew to
the land of the cannibals; Thomas to the land of Babel, which is in
the land of the east; Philip to Carthage and Africa; John to Ephesus
the city of the young men of the cave; James to Jerusalem which is Aelia
the city of the sanctuary; Bartholomew to Arabia which is the land of
Hijaz; Simon to the land of Berbers; Judah who was not one of the disciples
was put in place of Judas.” (Ibid. p. 653; bold and capital emphasis
ours)
Other Muslim sources that affirm
the preceding statement include:
“Among the apostles and
those disciples around them, whom Jesus sent out, there were Peter
and his companion Paul.” (Thalabii,
Qisas al-Anbiyaa, pp. 389-390)
And,
“Among the apostles,
and the followers who came after them were the Apostle Peter and
Paul who was a follower and not an apostle; they went to Rome. Andrew
and Matthew were sent to the country whose people are man-eaters, a
land of blacks, we think; Thomas was sent to Babylonia in the east,
Philip to Qayrawan (and) Carthage, that is, North Africa. John went
to Ephesus, the city of the youths of the cave, and James to Jerusalem,
that is, Aelia. Bartholomew was sent to Arabia, namely, the Hijaz; Simeon
to the land of the Berbers in Africa. Judas was not then an apostle,
so his place was taken by Ariobus. He filled in for Judas Iscariot after
the latter had perpetrated his deed.” (History, Volume IV, p.
123; bold emphasis ours)
The translator, Moshe Perlmann,
comments on the above statement that Paul was not an apostle:
317. In Islamic terms the
messengers or apostles pave the new path. Their work is continued by
the tabi'un, the followers, members of the next generations,
who lead the Faithful. (Ibid.)
According to Islam’s premiere
historian Paul was a faithful follower of the Apostles, especially the
Apostle Peter. In fact, al-Tabari lists Paul as one of those martyred
for the faith:
“Abu Ja'far says: They
assert that after Tiberius, Palestine and other parts of Syria were
ruled by Gaius, son of Tiberius, for four years. He was succeeded by
another son, Claudius, for fourteen years, following which Nero ruled
for fourteen years. He slew Peter and crucified Paul head down.
For four months Botlaius [Vittelius] ruled thereafter. Then Vespasian,
father of Titus whom he sent to Jerusalem, ruled for ten years. Three
years after his rise to power, forty years after the ascension of
Jesus, Vespasian sent Titus to Jerusalem. Titus destroyed it and
slew numerous Israelites in his wrath over the fate of Christ…”
(Ibid., p. 126; bold emphasis ours)
We therefore see that as far as
sound biblical exegesis, historical data, and Islamic traditions are
concerned Nisar has no case against the beloved Apostle of the Lord
Jesus. Nisar needs to invent lies and twist sources in order to justify
his assault on Paul.
NISAR:
In His Pre-Christian Days
He Had Been A Persecutor Of The Disciples Of Jesus (PBUH)
Bede a commentator of the Acts
says in his commentary with regard to Saul - "and when they were
put to death I handed down judgement. I myself gave judgement how they
must be killed"
Under Acts 9:1 he says
"He was causing those who were present to suffer slaughter, and
he was terrifying those who were absent by his threats. He had more
than blood of Stephen on his hand."
Stephen the Deacon, first
Christian Martyr. Deacon. Preacher. Jews stoned him to death. In the
crowd was a man as Paul, who approved of his death.
According to the Acts Paul
associated himself with Stephen's accusers, guarding the outer garments
of the witness as, in conformity with the ancient law, they threw the
first stones at his execution. He tried to get the Christians to renounce
their faith when they were brought before synagogue courts, pursuing
refugees beyond the frontiers of Judea in an attempt to bring them back
to trial and punishment.
He had done evil to the
Saints in Jerusalem.
He was breathing threats
and slaughter.
He arrested the Christians
He had and he himself flogged
the Christians often in every synagogue
He physically beat the
Christians
Beyond measure he ravaged
the Church
He was totally successful
in Jerusalem
He persecuted the church
He was a blasphemer
HE TRIED TO MAKE THE CHRISTIANS
BLASPHEME
He was CHIEF sinner
He bound men and women
He persecuted the way (Christians)
to death
He was violent i.e. caused
injury to others
He made havoc and was ravaging
the church
He went from synagogue
to synagogue
After Stephen's death he
may have led the worst persecution of the church
He went house to house
He went to foreign cities
He had the Christians punished
He had savagely attacked
the Christian faith
He had persecuted the Christians
He had persecuted this
way unto death
He had imprisoned the saints
RESPONSE:
Please do notice that as Nisar
himself admits, these things occurred BEFORE Paul converted. They are
therefore irrelevant to our discussion. That Nisar can only cite examples
from Paul’s pre-Christian days to cast doubt on his integrity speaks
volumes about Nisar’s arguments.
NISAR:Paul had the deacon Stephen
slaughtered, he had other early Christians scourged in synagogues and
hunted them from town to town. Look at what Jesus said about him. He
was of this generation i.e. the generation of Jesus (PBUH). BTW, Jesus
was talking to the scribes and the Pharisees. PAUL WAS A PHARISEE.
"You serpents, brood
of vipers, how can you escape being condemned to HELL?"
"This is why-look-
I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes; some you will slaughter
and crucify, some you will scourge in your synagogues and hunt from
town to town (city to city); and you will draw down on your self the
blood of every upright person that has been shed on earth, from the
blood of Abel the holy to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah whom
you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. IN TRUTH I TELL YOU,
it will recoil on this GENERATION"
Paul had a part in the
death of Christians. "SAUL WAS STILL BREATHING OUT MURDEROUS THREATS
AGAINST THE LORD'S DISCIPLES". He "persecuted the way (Christians)
to death ".
Page 16-17 Christian Martyrs;
A handbook of the believers who have dared to die for God compiled by
Robert Backhouse, says "He (PAUL) instigated imprisonment and executions
on numerous early followers of Christ". The killings were not the
only sins of Saul.
RESPONSE:
Here, Nisar tries to pit scripture
against scripture, something that Satan tried to do against the Lord
Jesus. But as the Lord Jesus demonstrated, one must interpret scripture
in light of scripture. (Cf. Matthew 4:1-10)
Nisar cites Jesus’ rebuke of
the Pharisees to prove that since Paul was a Pharisee, he therefore
falls under Jesus’ condemnation. This fails to take into consideration
that many priests and Pharisees believed in the Lord Jesus and repented
of their sins:
“So the word of God spread.
The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly,
and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.”
Acts 6:7
“Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees
stood up and said, ‘The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to
obey the law of Moses.’” Acts 15:5
This also fails to take into
consideration that even during Jesus’ earthly minister several Pharisees
and members of the Sanhedrin had secretly come to believe in him:
“Now there was a man
of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council.
He came to Jesus at night and said, ‘Rabbi, we know you are a teacher
who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs
you are doing if God were not with him.’ In reply Jesus declared,
‘I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is
born again.’ ‘How can a man be born when he is old?’ Nicodemus asked.
‘Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!’
Jesus answered, ‘I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom
of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth
to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised
at my saying, “You must be born again.”’” John 3:1-7
“Finally the temple guards
went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, ‘Why didn't
you bring him in?’ ‘No one ever spoke the way this man does,’ the guards
declared. ‘You mean he has deceived you also?’ the Pharisees retorted.
‘Has any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him? No! But
this mob that knows nothing of the law--there is a curse on them.’
Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their
own number, asked, ‘Does our law condemn anyone without first hearing
him to find out what he is doing?’ They replied, ‘Are you from Galilee,
too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out
of Galilee.’” John 7:45-52
“Even after Jesus had done
all these miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe
in him… Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed
in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their
faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue;
for they loved praise from men more than praise from God.” John
12:37, 42-43
“It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So as evening approached, Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died. When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph. So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.” Mark 15:42-47
This means that Jesus’ condemnation didn’t apply to ALL Pharisees and
scribes, but to those whose hearts were hardened and would not accept
him. Paul, on the other hand, was miraculously transformed from an enemy
of Christ to one of the greatest Christian soldiers the world has ever
known.
Nisar must explain the reasons
for Paul’s conversion and martyrdom for a religion that he himself was
trying to destroy. To simply attack Paul’s character and integrity doesn’t
explain away Paul’s conversion to Christianity. If we add to this the
positive testimony of Muslims such as Al-Tabari, we see that Nisar has
a lot of explaining to do.
NISAR:
Why Are Muslims Afraid
To Cry Wolf
Make a tree good and its
fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for
a tree is recognized by its fruit. 34
You brood of vipers, how
can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the
heart the mouth speaks. 35
The good man brings good
things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil
things out of the evil stored up in him. A Wolf attacks, seizes and
kills his prey. The false wolf may not always be aware of his folly.
"Watch out for false
prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are
ferocious wolves.16
By their fruit you will
recognize them.....17
Likewise every good tree
bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.18
A good tree cannot bear
bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.19
Every tree that does not
bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.20
Thus, by their fruit you
will recognize them.21
"Not everyone who
says to me, `Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only
he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.22
Many will say to me on
that day, `Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your
name drive out demons and perform many miracles?'23
Then I will tell them plainly,
`I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' RESPONSE:
How these passages apply to
Paul is beyond us. If Nisar is trying to use these passages to cast
doubt on Paul’s integrity DUE TO HIS PERSECTUION OF BELIEVERS PRIOR
TO HIS CONVERSION, then these verses do not support Nisar’s arguments
at all. Let us quote the very passage Nisar cites above:
“Make a tree good and
its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad,
for a tree is recognized by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how
can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the
heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good
stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil
stored up in him.” Matthew 12:33-35
The question is how can anyone
make a tree good? The Lord Jesus gives us the answer:
“I am the true vine, and
my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears
no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that
it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the
word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No
branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine.
Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the
vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him,
he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone
does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers;
such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned… You did
not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit
that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in
my name.” John 15:1-6, 16
Much like Jesus chose the twelve
and empowered them to bear fruit, the Lord Jesus also chose Paul and
appointed him to bear fruit as well. In fact, Jesus’ whole mission was to come and make sinners righteous:
“As Jesus went on from
there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s
booth. ‘Follow me,’ he told him, and Matthew got up and followed
him. While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors
and ‘sinners’ came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples,
‘Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and “sinners”?’ On hearing
this, Jesus said, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the
sick. But go and learn what this means: “I desire mercy,
not sacrifice.” For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.’”
Matthew 9:9-13
“Jesus entered Jericho
and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he
was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus
was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. So he
ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was
coming that way. When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said
to him, ‘Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house
today.’ So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people
saw this and began to mutter, ‘He has gone to be the guest of a “sinner”.’
But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, ‘Look, Lord! Here and now
I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody
out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.’ Jesus said
to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too,
is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save
what was lost.’” Luke 19:1-10
If anything, Paul’s conversion
is a living testimony of Jesus’ claim. Paul is proof that the risen
Lord Jesus has the life-transforming and sovereign power to take the
worst of sinners and change them into the greatest of saints:
“I thank Christ Jesus our
Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing
me to his service. 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. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly,
along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ
Jesus came into the world to save sinners-of whom I am the worst. But
for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners,
Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for
those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.” 1 Timothy
1:12-16
“Do you not know that the
wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither
the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes
nor homosexuals nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers
nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
AND THAT IS WHAT SOME OF YOU WERE. But you were washed, you were
sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ
and by the Spirit of our God.” 1 Corinthians 6:9-11
We again see that Nisar has
tried to pit scripture against scripture in order to impugn Paul’s integrity.
Yet a careful reading of the entire context of scripture sufficiently
refutes Nisar’s erroneous assertions. Nisar proceeds to conclude
his assault on Paul by pasting the following comments from an anti-Pauline
Jewish website:
Yeshua And The Conclusion
As long as one isn’t trying
to salvage Paul’s reputation, the earlier date of 65 AD for the writing
of Revelation, during the Neronian persecution, fits all the data best. RESPONSE:
The author has assumed that
Revelation was written during the same time that 2 Timothy was written.
Yet many scholars do not agree with his assessment since many place
the writing of Revelation during the reign of Domitian, a view supported
by some of the early Church fathers:
When John said these things
[in Revelation], he was on the island of Patmos, condemned by
Caesar Domitian to labor in the mines. Therefore, it was there
that he saw the Apocalypse. When he had grown old, he thought that he
would eventually meet his end through suffering. However,
Domitian was killed and all his judgments were thrown out. After
he was released from the mines, John later delivered [to the churches]
this same Apocalypse that he had received from God… He later wrote the
Gospel of the complete faith for the sake of our salvation.
For when Valentinus, Cerinthus, Ebion, and others of the school
of Satan were scattered abroad throughout the world, all the bishops
assembled together to John from the neighboring provinces and compelled
him to draw up his testimony. Victorinus (c. 280, W), 7.353, 354;
see also 2.603, 604. (A Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs,
Hendrickson Publishers, Massachusetts 1998, edited by David W. Bercot,
p. 382; bold emphasis ours)
Interestingly, this source
identifies some of the heretics and may quite possibly be those referred
to by the Lord. This interpretation becomes more plausible in light
of the fact that Cerinthus lived in Ephesus during the time that John
was there:
There are also those who
heard from [Polycarp] that John, the disciple of the Lord, went to bathe
at Ephesus. But realizing that Cerinthus was within [the bath
house], John rushed out of the bath house without bathing. Instead,
he exclaimed “Let us fly, lest even the bath house fall down,
because Cerinthus, the enemy of truth, is within.”
Irenaeus (c. 180, E/W), 1.416.
(Bercot, p. 381; bold emphasis ours)
Second, even if the author’s
dating were correct this still wouldn’t prove his point. For instance,
both the NT and the early Church Fathers wholeheartedly acknowledge
the Apostles’ approval of Paul. Compare the following citation:
The church in Ephesus was
founded by Paul, and John remained among them permanently until the
time of Trajan. It is a true witness of the tradition of the apostles.
Irenaeus (180, E/W), 1.416. (Ibid., bold emphasis ours)
More evidence for Paul’s acceptance
below.
NISAR:
The one fact that immediately
jumps from the pages of Revelation is that in spite of Paul's supposed
popularity, not one word is given from Yeshua in recognition of him
or his work among the Gentiles. Of the seven churches to whom the book
is originally addressed, as far as we know, only one of them is a church
that had any direct dealings with Paul. That church is the church of
Ephesus, the first on the list of the seven. John records:
RESPONSE:
The Lord Jesus also didn’t
mention Peter, James or any other Apostle by name for that matter with
the exception of John. And? This is a classic example of arguing from
silence. One can just as easily say that the Lord Jesus didn’t need
to refer to Paul since it was common knowledge that he was the Lord’s
instrument to the Gentiles. In fact, that Jesus would actually address
places where Paul preached demonstrates that the Lord acknowledged the
Apostle’s work and was simply correcting some of the aberrations that
had taken place since Paul’s demise. The following example helps illustrate
this point:
“Yet I hold this against
you: You have forsaken your first love.” Revelation 2:4
The Lord Jesus may be reminding
the Ephesians of the love they initially had for Christians, which Paul
had praised them for in his epistle:
“For this reason, ever
since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus
AND YOUR LOVE FOR ALL THE SAINTS, I have not stopped giving thanks
for you, remembering you in my prayers.” Ephesians 1:15-16
The Lord Jesus would therefore
be exhorting them to restore their intense love for believers. If this
is the case, then this supports my point that Jesus is not condemning
Paul or his ministry, but rather exhorting Christians to live up to
the standards that Paul had set for them. Furthermore, using the author’s
logic one can just as quite easily say that the Lord Jesus was undermining
Peter’s authority in the following passages:
“When I saw him, I fell
at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and
said: ‘Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living
One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever!
And I hold the KEYS of death and Hades.’” Revelation 1:17-18
“To the angel of the church
in Philadelphia write: These are the words of him who is holy and true,
who holds the KEY of David. What he opens no one can shut, and
what he shuts no one can open. I know your deeds. See, I have placed
before you an open door that no one can shut.” Revelation 3:7
Jesus’ statement that he holds
the keys of death, Hades and David is clearly a polemic against Matthew’s
claim that Peter holds the keys to the kingdom in Matthew 16:19. This
means that Peter was a false Apostle. This is what we would be forced
to conclude if the author’s reasoning was sound, which of course it
is not.
NISAR:
"I was in the Spirit
on the Lord's Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet,
saying, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,"
and, "What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches
which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira,
to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea." Rev. 1:10,11 NKJV
Yeshua goes on to tell
John what to say to each church and the general pattern of the things
he said to each church went like this: first He would tell them what
they were doing right and commend them for it. Next he would point out
to them where they going wrong and reprimand them for it. Then he would
exhort them to repent and change what they were doing wrong, or they
would suffer the consequences. Then he would give them a promise of
reward if they did repent and overcome their problems. Then, (and this
is important), toward the end of each and every address to a church,
he would speak to the whole world and say that what was true and good
for this and all seven churches was good for anybody who cared to listen.
"He who has an ear,
let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches". NKJV
The reason that this is
important is because there has been some false teaching going around.
It holds that along with the obvious fact these letters were written
to specific churches in Asia, they were also a parallel prophecy of
the churches that would come along in time. The last church then (Laodicea)
was supposedly a foreshadowing of the Christian church in general at
the end of the age just before Yeshua returned. This has had the effect
that we have concerned ourselves with only what was supposedly addressed
to us. Today, one can hear all kinds of preaching about the lukewarm
church of Laodicea, but one hears very little about what was said to
the other six churches. We have been left blinded to six sevenths of
the truth available. There is no truth to the parallel theory because
the Holy Spirit explicitly repeated seven times that what was good for
each and every one of the seven churches was also good for any individual
who cared to listen. And much was addressed to those churches by Yeshua
that flies directly in the face of Pauline doctrine. More on this later.
Now look at what was said
to the only church of the seven that we know Paul had any dealings with,
Ephesus. Among the things that Yeshua commended the Ephesian church
for doing right, is this quote:
"I know your works,
your labour, and your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are
evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not,
and have found them liars." Rev. 2:2 NKJV
Yes. I believe Yeshua here
is referring to Paul and his cohorts Timothy, and possibly Barnabas,
and that his claims of apostleship and his doctrine are false! Consider
the facts.
Paul's ideas on the sovereignty
of God and his subsequent doctrine are groundless and severely flawed.
(See previous chapter) RESPONSE:
The author has assumed that
Paul is a false apostle. The author then uses this assumption to reject
Paul’s ideas regarding the sovereignty of God as groundless. The fact
of that matter is that Paul is correct and the author is wrong and must
therefore abandon his unbiblical presuppositions.
NISAR:
We have record of Paul claiming
to be an apostle to the Ephesians. "Paul, an apostle of Yeshua
by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus," EPH 1:1
NKJV
We have no record of anyone
else claiming to be an apostle to anyone anywhere, not even to the Ephesians.
Ephesus is the only church
of the seven listed in Revelation, that we have record of Paul claiming
to be an apostle to. RESPONSE:
This is essentially an argument
from silence. To say that we have NO RECORD of anyone else claiming
to be an Apostle to the Ephesians, is not the same AS DEMONSTRATING
THAT THERE WERE NO OTHER APOSTLES, especially men claiming to be Apostles
yet who were not. In fact, Revelation 2:2 is actual proof that there
were many Apostles, since the Lord Jesus doesn’t refer to one apostle,
but to at least two:
“I know your works, your
labour, and your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil.
And you have tested THOSE who say THEY ARE APOSTLES and are not,
and have found them liars." Rev. 2:2 NKJV
Since Jesus refers to more
than one apostle, the burden of proof is upon the author to provide
some historical references to show that Paul was part of a group of
false apostles that flourished in Ephesus. We have provided evidence
to show that he was not one of them. Hence, the author’s assertions
do not constitute as proof.
NISAR:Paul and his doctrine had troubles
being accepted in Ephesus from the start, as recorded in Acts 19:8,9.
"And he went into
the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading
concerning the things of the kingdom of God. But when some were hardened
and did not believe, but spoke evil of the Way before the multitude,
he departed from them..." NKJV
Remember that this is recorded
from Luke’s point of view and that he believed Paul's doctrine was 'the
Way'. Notice that those who rejected Paul are men in the synagogue,
not atheists or pagans. If these men had stood up in front of the synagogue
and said, "Paul's doctrine is flawed. He is a false apostle, and
a liar"; Luke would no doubt have seen this as "speaking evil
of the Way". RESPONSE:
Notice that when it is convenient,
the author will use Luke to prove his case. Yet the author will attack
Luke’s credibility when the latter contradicts the author’s erroneous
assertions. This essentially entails circular reasoning. Luke is correct
only when he agrees with the author, and wrong when he disagrees. Hence,
the author will use Luke to validate his unproven assumptions, and then
use these very assumptions to reject Luke when the latter disagrees! Let us quote the context to
see what the author conveniently left out:
“Paul entered the synagogue
and spoke boldly there for three months,
arguing PERSUASIVELY about the kingdom of God. But some of them
became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the
Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions
daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. This went on for two years, so
that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard
the word of the Lord. God did extraordinary miracles through Paul,
so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken
to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left
them. Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to
invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed.
They would say, ‘In the name of Jesus,
whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.’ Seven sons of
Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. One day the evil spirit
answered them, ‘Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who
are you?’ Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered
them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house
naked and bleeding. When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living
in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear,
and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. Many of
those who believed now came and openly confessed their evil deeds. A
number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and
burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls,
the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. In this way the word of the
Lord spread widely and grew in power.” Acts 19:8-20
We see that God supernaturally
backed up Paul’s message through signs and wonders. Hence, if the author
is basing his rejection of Paul primarily on the reaction of SOME of
the Jews despite their being vigorously refuted, then he must also reject
the rest of the Apostles as well since not all accepted their message
either. In fact, the Apostles claimed to hold to the same Gospel that
Paul proclaimed:
“Some men came down from
Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: ‘Unless you are circumcised,
according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.’ This
brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So
Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to
go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this
question. The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through
Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted.
This news made all the brothers very glad. When they came to Jerusalem,
they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders,
to whom they reported everything God had done through them. Then some
of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up
and said, ‘The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the
law of Moses.’ The apostles and elders met to consider this question.
After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: ‘Brothers, you
know that some time ago God made a choice among you
that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel
and believe. God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them
by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. He made no
distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by
faith. Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks
of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able
to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that
we are saved, just as they are.’
The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and
Paul telling about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done among
the Gentiles through them. When they finished, James spoke up: ‘Brothers,
listen to me. Simon has described to us how God at first showed his
concern by taking from the Gentiles a people for himself… It is my judgment,
therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who
are turning to God. Instead we should write to them, telling them to
abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the
meat of strangled animals and from blood. For Moses has been preached
in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues
on every Sabbath.’ Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church,
decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with
Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas,
two men who were leaders among the brothers. With them they sent the
following letter: The apostles and elders, your brothers, To the Gentile
believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia: Greetings. We have heard that
some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling
your minds by what they said. So we all agreed to choose some men and
send them to you with OUR DEAR FRIENDS Barnabas and Paul-men who
have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore
we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are
writing. It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you
with anything beyond the following requirements: You are to abstain
from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled
animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these
things. Farewell.” Acts 15:1-14, 19-29
Furthermore, had the author
continued reading Acts he would have found Paul warning the Ephesians
of false teachers that were to arise after his passing:
“From Miletus,
Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. When they
arrived, he said to them: ‘You know how I lived the whole time I was
with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. I served
the Lord with great humility and with tears, although I was severely
tested by the plots of the Jews. You know that I have not hesitated
to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you
publicly and from house to house. I have declared to both Jews and Greeks
that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord
Jesus. And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem,
not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every
city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me.
However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish
the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task
of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace. Now I know that none
of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever
see me again. Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of
the blood of all men. For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the
whole will of God. Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which
the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of
God, which he bought with his own blood.
I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and
will not spare the flock. Even from YOUR OWN NUMBER will arise and distort
the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your
guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each
of you night and day with tears. Now I commit you to God and to the
word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance
among all those who are sanctified. I have not coveted anyone's silver
or gold or clothing. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have
supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. In everything
I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the
weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: “It is more
blessed to give than to receive.”’ When he had said this, he knelt down
with all of them and prayed. They all wept as they embraced him and
kissed him. What grieved them most was his statement that they would
never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.” Acts
20:17-37
Revelation 2:2 therefore proves
that Paul’ prophecy regarding false teachers arising after his departure
was correct. It is little wonder that the Ephesians rejected these false
apostles, since they were faithfully following Paul’s advice. Hence,
if anything Revelation 2:2 actually vindicates the Apostle Paul and
shows that his prophecies were truly inspired by the risen Christ!
NISAR:
If these five reasons are
not enough to seriously call into question Paul's status as an apostle,
there is one more. It is a most interesting quote from Paul's own pen
that finally seals the fate of his supposed apostleship. It comes from
his second letter to Timothy, which was also written during the same
Neronian persecution (the same time the book of Revelation was being
written). This letter is believed by many scholars to contain the last
recorded words of Paul. Here he makes a short statement of lament that
seems to have gone unnoticed. The implications of which are astounding
if one is able to hear everything that is being said. In 2Tim. 1:15,
Paul says to Timothy:
"This you know, that
all those in Asia have turned away from me."
Asia! All of them! Rejecting
Paul! And when he says, "This you know", it sounds like this
must have been relatively common knowledge at that time. Asia! The very
place that Yeshua told John to write, where his seven churches were.
And they were alive, and obviously had been established for some time.
Again, notice that Paul did not say that Asia had rejected the gospel
of Yeshua. Obviously they hadn't rejected Yeshua if there were thriving
churches there that Yeshua wanted to address through John. Instead Paul
said that all Asia had rejected him personally! How could it NOT be
Paul and his band that Yeshua had commended the Ephesian church for
rejecting?
RESPONSE:
Let us read the context to
see how the author has misquoted Paul:
“You know that everyone
in the province of Asia has deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes.
May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because
he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains. On the contrary,
when he was in Rome, he searched hard for me until he found me.
May the Lord grant that he will find mercy from the Lord on that day!
You know very well in how many ways he helped me in Ephesus.” 2 Timothy
1:15-18
It is clear from the context
that Paul was using hyperbole, since he makes mention of an entire household
who assisted him. In fact, when we continue to read 2 Timothy we are
surprised to find the following:
“Only
Luke is with me. GET MARK AND BRING HIM WITH YOU, because
he is helpful to me in my ministry.” 2 Timothy 4:11
Paul mentions Luke as being
with him as well as requesting that Timothy bring Mark since Mark was a
great benefit to the Apostle. Interestingly, Paul elsewhere mentions
both Mark and Luke as being present with him at the same time:
“My fellow prisoner Aristarchus
sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas.
(You have received instructions about him; if he comes to you, welcome
him.)… Our dear friend Luke, the doctor, and Demas send greetings.”
Colossians 4:10, 14
“And so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke, my fellow workers.” Philemon 24
Interestingly, this is the same Mark that accompanied the Apostle Peter
and who wrote the Gospel of Mark:
“She who is in Babylon,
chosen together with you, sends you her greetings,
and so does my son Mark.” 1 Peter 5:13
These verses conclusively demonstrate
that both Paul and Luke were on good terms with the Apostles and their
companions. In fact, Peter himself praised Paul and called the latter’s
writings Scripture:
“Bear in mind that our
Lord's patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also
wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same
way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters
contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and
unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to
their own destruction.” 2 Peter 3:15-16
We therefore see that much
like his five previous points, the author’s last point contains little
substance and fails to prove his assertions.
NISAR:
This by itself, should
be more than enough reason to raise some question about Paul. When we
add to this the rest of the evidence against him, we have more than
enough evidence to do as the Ephesian church, and convict Paul of the
crime of false impersonation of an apostle!
If Yeshua’s opinion of
Paul was that Paul was a false apostle and a liar.
RESPONSE:
The evidence from the Holy
Bible, early Church history, and early Muslim records should provide
sufficient reasons to accept Paul’s claims. When we examine the evidence
objectively we are forced to do what Paul commands, namely to test all
things and reject that which is unsound. Since the author’s arguments
are devoid of any substance, we choose to reject his claims and align
ourselves with the risen Lord Jesus in his assessment of his beloved
Apostle:
“Meanwhile, Saul was still
breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went
to the high priest 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. As he neared Damascus
on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He
fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do
you persecute me?’ ‘Who are you, Lord?’ Saul asked. ‘I am Jesus,
whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. ‘Now get up and go into the city,
and you will be told what you must do.’ The men traveling with Saul
stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone.
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. For three days he
was blind, and did not eat or drink anything. In Damascus there was
a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, ‘Ananias!’
‘Yes, Lord,’ he answered. 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. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place
his hands on him to restore his sight.’ ‘Lord,’ Ananias answered, ‘I
have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done
to your saints in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from
the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.’ But the Lord
said to Ananias, ‘Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my
name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel.
I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.’ 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.’ Immediately, something like scales
fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized,
and after taking some food, he regained his strength.” Acts 9:1-18
This concludes this part. In
the next part, we will compare Muhammad to Paul in order to document
how the former fails to live up to the standard set by the risen Lord’s
true emissary. Jesus is our risen and eternal
Lord of glory forever and ever! Amen.
Quennel Gale at queball20@yahoo.com