Examining The Claims, Part 2

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=50 BGCOLOR="#333366" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>Examining The Claims, Part 2</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=165 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="132" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 35 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id288.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Examining The Claims, Part 1"><U><B><IMG SRC="007151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id290.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Bottom Line Evidence"><U><B><IMG SRC="008151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="20"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="35" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="20" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="13"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="27"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <div> Previous/Next Sermon</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="www.stanbaker.org"><U><B>Home</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Biblical and Theological Studies"><U><B>Biblical and Theological Studies</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Church Ministry"><U><B>Church Ministry</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sermon Notes"><U>Sermon Notes</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id5.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Personal"><U><B>Personal</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> <div> <A HREF="mailto:stan@stanbaker.org" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:stan@stanbaker.org"><U>stan@stanbaker.org</U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=430 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>Examining the Claims, Part 2: Other “Holy Books”</B></div> <div> <B>Series: Why We Can Trust the Bible, Part 5</B></div> <div> <B>Berean Bible Church, November 11, 2001pm</B></div> <bR> <div> Other “Holy Books” include the Apocrypha, the Koran, and the Book of Mormon</div> <bR> <div> <B>The Apocrypha</B></div> <div> A. The apocryphal books did not appear in the Hebrew canon, but in some copies of the Greek translation. The Apocrypha contains helpful writings, historically and religiously. It just isn't the word of God, and it doesn't claim to be.</div> <div> B. They do not claim divine inspiration.</div> <div> C. They contain historical and geographical errors.</div> <div> D. Jesus, the Jews, and the Apostles did not quote them as Scripture.</div> <div> E. Early lists of the Scriptural canon did not include these books. Not until 1596 did the Roman Catholic church officially recognize these books.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Islam and the Koran</B></div> <div> A. The Koran is believed to supercede the Bible. Muhammed at age 40 felt selected by God to preach the true religion. He claimed that the angel Gabriel gave him God's new word over the next 23 years. It was considered the culmination of the what God revealed through the Hebrew prophets and Jesus.</div> <div> B. Muhammed is a greater prophet than Jesus.</div> <div> C. Jesus is not God.  He was one of many prophets.</div> <div> D. Guarantee of paradise (salvation) is not given, except to martyrs.</div> <div> E. It is appropriate to spread the faith by force.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Mormons and the Book of Mormon</B></div> <div> A. The Book of Mormon comes from golden tablets supposedly given to Joseph Smith by the angel Moroni. It was published in 1830. (Though the tablets were supposedly buried in the year 428, they contain about 25,000 words taken verbatim from the 1611 King James Bible.)</div> <div> B. Mormonism is considered the culmination of Christianity, the recovery of the “true church.” In their view, due to apostasy, God removed his church from the world for awhile.</div> <div> C. Mormons claim to be Christians and to follow the Bible, in addition to the Book of Mormon.</div> <div> Other authoritative writings include the Pearl of Great Price and Doctrines and Covenants.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Beliefs of Mormons</B></div> <div> A. Mormon theology recognizes many gods.</div> <div> B. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one in purpose and mind and heart, but not substance or essence. Consider John 1:1, Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible: “In the beginning was the <I>gospel preached through the Son. And the gospel was the word, and the word was with the Son, and the Son was with God, and the Son was of God</I>.”</div> <div> C. Salvation involves works, for example, baptism.</div> <div> D. Humans have the potential to become gods.</div> <div> E. Almost everyone makes it to one of three heavens.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Jehovah’s Witnesses</B></div> <div> A. They claim the Bible (New World Translation) as authority, as well as various writings.</div> <div> B. Christ is not God; the Trinity is denied (John 1:1 in the New World Translation, “The Word was a god.”)</div> <div> C. Salvation is by works, a life of obedience.</div> <div> D. Christ returned in 1914.  God’s kingdom was then fully set up in heaven.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> copyright, 2002, Stanley Baker</div> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> </td> </tr></table></body>