Continuing the series of Posts based upon and calling out the more egregious lies of Muslim Posts.
Shehu Ahmad Rabiu posted:
REFUTING POSTS OF MUSLIMS: “✨ BIBLE SAYS THAT GOD IS NOT MAN.”
Numbers 23:19 “God is not a man…”
Hosea 11:9 “…For I am God, and not man…” Jesus is called a man many times in the Bible:
John 8:40 “…a man who has told you the truth…”
Acts 2:22 “Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know.”
Acts 17:31 “He will judge the world in righteousness through a man whom He has appointed”
1 Tim. 2:5 “…the man Christ Jesus.”
God is not a man, but Jesus, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, was a man, therefore, Jesus was not God.”
RESPONSE:
We can examine each of the above references in turn:
□ Numbers 23:19
Note the incomplete quote, what the verse actually says, in effect is that God is not like man:
“God is not a man who lies, or a son of man WHO CHANGES HIS MIND. Does He speak and not act, or promise and not fulfill?” (Numbers 23:19 HCSB)
The whole premise of the post fails from the get go because of a deliberate partial quote which alters its meaning.
Numbers 23:19 does not rule out the possibility of God appearing as a man and/or becoming a man. It simply states that God’s essence is distinct from man, without denying the fact that God could/would eventually take on a human nature. In reality, this text simply illustrates that God is not a man by NATURE and doesn’t therefore lie or change his mind like men normally do. (Or indeed as the capricious god of Islam does with all his abrogations).
What this basically means is that if God chose to become a man then He wouldn’t be like other men … He would be completely pure and holy and above all truthful. And since God did become man in Christ we find that this is exactly the kind of person Jesus was, namely, absolutely pure and sinless:
“What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are–the Holy One of God.” (Mark 1:24)
“Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.’” (John 6:68-69)
“Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. [7] “If you know Me, you will also know My Father. From now on you do know Him and have seen Him.” (John 14:6‭-‬7)
□ Hosea 11:9
“I will not vent the full fury of My anger; I will not turn back to destroy Ephraim. For I am God and not man, the Holy One among you; I will not come in rage.” (Hosea 11:9 HCSB)
Another verse where God is contrasting His behaviour to ours. Nothing to say He cannot or will not take human form.
“For I am God and not man: “not swayed by human passions, but so tempering His wrath, as, in the midst of it, to remember mercy; so punishing the iniquity of the sinful children, as at once to make good His gracious promises which He made to their forefathers.” : “Man punishes, to destroy; God smites, to amend.” (Barnes Notes)
“God, … not man—not dealing as man would, with implacable wrath under awful provocation (Isa 55:7-9; Mal 3:6). I do not, like man, change when once I have made a covenant of everlasting love, as with Israel (Numbers 23:19). We measure God by the human standard, and hence are slow to credit fully His promises; these, however, belong to the faithful remnant, not to the obstinately impenitent.” (JFB Commentary)
□ John 8:40
Again it needs reading in context:
[38] “I SPEAK WHAT I HAVE SEEN IN THE PRESENCE OF THE FATHER; therefore, you do what you have heard from your father.” [40] But now you are trying to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do this! [42] Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, BECAUSE I CAME FROM GOD AND I AM HERE. FOR I DIDN’T COME ON MY OWN, BUT HE SENT ME.” (John 8:38‭, ‬40‭, ‬42 HCSB)
What mere man can claim to have spoken “what I have seen in the presence of the Father”? What mere man can say “I came from God … He sent Me”?
Obviously there is much more to be learned about Jesus identity than the ripped out of context John 8:40 alone says.
□ Acts 2:22
Another verse which, if Muslims could only quote verses in context we would never see from them:
[22] “Men of Israel, listen to these words: This Jesus the Nazarene was a man pointed out to you by God with miracles, wonders, and signs that God did among you through Him, just as you yourselves know. [23] THOUGH HE WAS DELIVERED UP ACCORDING TO GOD’S DETERMINED PLAN AND FOREKNOWLEDGE, you used LAWLESS PEOPLE TO NAIL HIM TO A CROSS AND KILL HIM. [24] GOD RAISED HIM UP, ending the pains of death, because it was not possible for Him to be held by it. [25] For David says of Him: I saw the Lord ever before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. [26] Therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced. Moreover, my flesh will rest in hope, [27] because You will not leave me in Hades or allow Your Holy One to see decay. [31] Seeing this in advance, he spoke concerning the resurrection of the Messiah: He was not left in Hades, and His flesh did not experience decay. [32] “GOD HAS RESURRECTED THIS JESUS. WE ARE ALL WITNESSES OF THIS. [33] Therefore, since He has been exalted to the right hand of God and has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit, He has poured out what you both see and hear. [34] For it was not David who ascended into the heavens, but he himself says: The Lord declared to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand [35] until I make Your enemies Your footstool.’ [36] “Therefore let all the house of Israel know with certainty that GOD HAS MADE THIS JESUS, WHOM YOU CRUCIFIED, BOTH LORD AND MESSIAH!” (Acts 2:22‭-‬27‭, ‬31‭-‬36 HCSB)
Oops! Epic fail! …. “you used LAWLESS PEOPLE TO NAIL HIM TO A CROSS AND KILL HIM. [24] GOD RAISED HIM UP”
… “GOD HAS RESURRECTED THIS JESUS. WE ARE ALL WITNESSES OF THIS.”
… “GOD HAS MADE THIS JESUS, WHOM YOU CRUCIFIED, BOTH LORD AND MESSIAH!”
I am not sure how many errors we find in the Quran from the above but at least 3 Muslim claims debunked that stand out:
1. The crucifixion happened, albeit unlawfully, it was all part of God’s pre ordained plan.
2. God not only resurrected Jesus, but has made Him Messiah and Lord.
3. The disciples witnessed these events.
□ Acts 17:31
Paul speaking to the men of Athens:
“For as I was passing through and observing the objects of your worship, I even found an altar on which was inscribed: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. [24] The God who made the world and everything in it — He is Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in shrines made by hands. [30] “Therefore, having overlooked the times of ignorance, God now commands all people everywhere to repent, [31] because He has set a day when He is going to judge the world in righteousness by the Man He has appointed. HE HAS PROVIDED PROOF OF THIS TO EVERYONE BY RAISING HIM FROM THE DEAD.” (Acts 17:23‭-‬24‭, ‬30‭-‬31 HCSB)
Well well, what do you know? Another deceitful partial and incomplete quotation, with the second sentence omitted for obvious reasons.
Yes Jesus is the God-man who as He also said in His own words He will be coming to judge the world:
“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and ALL THE ANGELS WITH HIM, THEN HE WILL SIT ON THE THRONE OF HIS GLORY. [32] ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE GATHERED BEFORE HIM, and He will separate them one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. [33] He will put the sheep on His right and the goats on the left.” (Matthew 25:31‭-‬33 HCSB)
Muslims what mere man commands all His angels? And sits in a throne of glory judging all the nations before Him?
□ 1 Timothy 2:5
“For there is one God and one mediator between God and humanity, Christ Jesus, Himself human, [NKJV “The Man Christ Jesus] (1 Timothy 2:5 HCSB)
Again no ordinary man. Jesus uniquely lived the perfect life. He proved that He is that “no one is good except God” that alone makes Him God by leading a sinless life. He used the adjective “good” of Himself when He said here “I am the good shepherd”:
“I am the good shepherd. I know My own sheep, and they know Me, as the Father knows Me, and I know the Father. I lay down My life for the sheep. But I have other sheep that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice. Then there will be one flock, one shepherd. This is why the Father loves Me, because I am laying down My life so I may take it up again.” (John 10:14‭-‬17 HCSB)
In overcoming death Jesus proved his claim to have the power over death and life that alone belongs to God and apart from anything else it proves that He is eternal and alive. Having been born in the flesh make no mistake He can return in the flesh and He will be seen to reappear again just as He was seen to leave. Only this time He will reappear in His heavenly glory and with the heavenly host of HIS angels. (Matthew 24.31) who will gather up His elect from every corner of earth:
“Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the peoples of the earth will mourn; and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. He will send out HIS ANGELS with a loud trumpet, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.” (Matthew 24:30‭-‬31 HCSB)
Jesus promised He will return to judge and rule the world in perfect justice. And He alone is uniquely qualified to be the one true Mediator between God and man, because having both a divine nature and a human nature, He sees and can judge everything with perfect justice, having the 20:20 vision of His dual nature.
In the meantime He told us to pray to Him. (John 14.14) He promised to answer prayers: “Whatever you ask in My name, I will do it so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” (John 14:13 HCSB)
Jesus told us that He is present whenever two or more are gathered in His name. (Matthew 18.20) He promised that by remembering His death and resurrection and His blood shed for us we are cleansed from all unrighteousness and can inherit eternal life.
What mere man can hear, answer and be present at every prayer gathering in His name?
The post concludes “God is not a man, but Jesus, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, was a man, therefore, Jesus was not God.”
Well, sorry the first clause was defeated merely by a proper reading of Numbers 23:19. Likewise Hosea 11:9. So the rest falls by default.
And when we look at other passages the Bible quite explicitly states that God will become a man, in direct contradiction of the partial Muslim claim for Numbers 23:19.
The Old Testament confirms that God will walk amongst us:
“I WILL WALK AMONG YOU AND BE YOUR GOD, AND YOU WILL BE MY PEOPLE. [13] I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, so that you would no longer be their slaves. I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to live in freedom.” (Leviticus 26:12‭-‬13 HCSB)
Again the Old Testament develops this theme further … a child will be born who will be called MIGHTY GOD and He will rule over an everlasting kingdom:
“For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on His shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, MIGHTY GOD, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. [7] The dominion will be vast, and its prosperity will never end. He WILL REIGN ON THE THRONE OF DAVID AND OVER HIS KINGDOM, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from now on and FOREVER. The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will accomplish this.” (Isaiah 9:6‭-‬7 HCSB)
Continuing this progressive revelation, the New Testament tells us the name of this God-man king:
“Then the angel told her: Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. [31] Now listen: You will conceive and give birth to a son, and YOU WILL CALL HIS NAME JESUS. [32] He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the LORD GOD WILL GIVE HIM THE THRONE OF HIS FATHER DAVID. [33] HE WILL REIGN OVER THE HOUSE OF JACOB FOREVER, AND HIS KINGDOM WILL HAVE NO END. [35] The angel replied to her: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy One to be born will be called the SON OF GOD.” (Luke 1:30‭-‬33‭, ‬35 HCSB)
Thus another Muslim Post bites the dust, caught out and exposed by its own deceit. When will they learn to debate honestly?