...Continued from Part 1
The New Testament character called "Jesus" was
depicted by the New Testament writers as having performed many
miracles. However, as the instructions from God in the Old
Testament(Deut 13:1-18) make clear, the performance of
miracles doesn't validate anyone as being approved of by God or
sent in his name.
Jesus also exhibits the symptoms of being a false prophet and
false teacher.
The blood drinking salvation ritual is an obvious violation of
God's law.
Jesus also gave a prophecy that he would return in his
kingdom(with rewards and angels) within the lifetimes of some of
his immediate associates(Matt 16:27-28, also Matt 24:34 and
Matt 26:64).
This qualifies as false prophecy. The much trumpeted return of
Jesus has never happened at all, despite the fervent prayers of
Christians over the last two thousand years.
In the Book of Revelation, this promise by Jesus is repeated and
is phrased in terms of absolute certainty:
Rev 1:1-3
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew
unto his servants things which must shortly come to
pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto
his servant John:
Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus
Christ, and of all things that he saw.
Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this
prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the
time is at hand.
The return of Jesus was to be very soon, not thousands of years
after he was dead.
How do I know? The Bible tells me so. Again and again it
reiterates the promise.
Rev 22:6-7,12,20
And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the
Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his
servants the things which must shortly be done.
Behold, I(Jesus) come quickly: blessed is he
that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward
is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come
quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
Under the stipulations of the Old Testament, a valid king Messiah
would usher in the messianic era during his lifetime.
There is no qualifier for a second coming being needed by a
Messiah to do in a second attempt that which he was supposed to
have done the first time.
Jer 23:5-6
Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto
David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and
shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.
In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel
shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be
called, The Lord Our Righteousness.
Note: In his lifetime, although he claimed under oath that he was
the expected Messiah(Matt 26:63-64), Jesus never sat on
the throne of David, nor did he rule and prosper, nor did he
unify Israel and Judah, nor did he bring people into great
compliance with the law as Ezek 37:24 requires.
While I have no doubt that fundamentalist Christian apologists
can rationalize the messianic failure of Jesus along with his
failed prophecy for a quick return into glowing success stories,
the credibility and quality of such rationalizations must be
determined by the reader.
The New Testament writer Paul also felt the return of Jesus would
occur within the lifetimes of people that were alive in that era.
1 Thess 4:16-17
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with
the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the
dead in Christ shall rise first:
Then we which are alive and remain shall be
caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in
the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.(also see Rom
13:11)
Paul not only engaged in false prophecy, but compounded his sin
by attempting to turn people away from God's law, claiming that
faith in a human sacrifice had replaced the law.
Gal 5:18
But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the
law.
Contrary to Paul's claims, the law was not to be tampered with
and all of God's statutes were to be kept diligently, as they
were the source of righteousness. God's true followers were not
to add or subtract from the law.
Deut 4:2
Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall
ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the
commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.
Psa 119:1-4
Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the
Lord.
Blessed are they that keep his testimonies,
and that seek him with the whole heart.
They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.
Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.
Paul also claimed that the arrival of a king Messiah would be the
end of God's law.
Rom 10:4
For Christ(or Messiah) is the end of the law
for righteousness to every one that believeth
This also directly contradicts the Old Testament teaching, which
declares that the messianic era would be a time of great
compliance with the law. The law would not be ended at all.
Ezek 37:24
And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall
have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my
judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them.
It should be noted that Paul never met Jesus before or after his
alleged resurrection and his spiritual experience was comprised
of a vision and a dreamlike trance(Acts 22:6-18).
In 1 Cor 9:20-22, Paul says that he will wear many masks
as part of his effort to convince people that they should convert
to the new religion.
The prophet Isaiah wrote a warning about those who wanted to
dismiss God's law:
Isa 8:20
To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to
this word, it is because there is no light in them.
Paul certainly fits the description of the type of dark false
teacher, and "a dreamer of dreams", that God told his
people to watch out for in Deut 13:1-18
Another Christian "dreamer of dreams" was Peter, who
was convinced that God's food laws(Lev 11) were no longer
binding on the people.
Acts 10:10-15
And he(Peter) became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while
they made ready, he fell into a trance,
And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending upon him,
as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let
down to the earth:
Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and
wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.
And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat.
But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing
that is common or unclean.
And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What
God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.
Contrary to Peter's dream teaching, God's law states that all
foods are not clean:
Lev 11:46-47
This is the law of the beasts, and of the fowl, and of every
living creature that moveth in the waters, and of every creature
that creepeth upon the earth:
To make a difference between the unclean and the clean,
and between the beast that may be eaten and the beast that may
not be eaten.
Peter also implicates himself as a false prophet as he claimed
the world would end soon, a claim that was made to accommodate
and support the Christian expectation of a quick return trip to
earth by Jesus.
1 Peter 4:7
But the end of all things
is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto
prayer.
However, none of these false prophecies or contradictory
teachings on the part of the New Testament character called
"Jesus", and on the part of the writers, stopped them
from vilifying any Jews who rejected the Christian claims and
teachings.
Often lost in the all the demonizing of the Jewish authorities,
who didn't jump on board the Christian doctrinal ship, is the
point that they were doing exactly what God told them to do in Deut
13:1-18.
Jesus is portrayed as verbally abusing the Jewish scribes and
Pharisees in Matt 23:13-39, making them the perfect
whipping boys for the new religion to bash and set up as straw
men enemies of God.
Examples of New Testament vilification of the Jews who did not
jump on the Christian bandwagon follow:
Paul, a Jewish apostate, calls the Jews Jesus killers and claimed
that Jews did not please God.
1 Thess 2:14-16
For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which
in Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like
things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the
Jews:
Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own
prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not
God, and are contrary to all men:
Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved,
to fill up their sins alway: for the wrath is come upon them to
the uttermost.
Note: It's rather hard to imagine how God would be pleased with
Paul, the man who declared God's laws a curse(Gal 3:13)
and that the laws were done away with by Jesus(Rom 10:4).
Paul again shows off his Christian love for his fellow man in the
following expose of hate speech:
Titus 1:10-16
For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers,
specially they of the circumcision(Jews):
Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert
whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy
lucre's sake.
One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, the
Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.
This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they
may be sound in the faith;
Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and
commandments of men, that turn from the truth.
Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled
and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and
conscience is defiled.
They profess that they know God; but in works they deny
him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every
good work reprobate.
Note: Anyone who disagreed with Paul was in danger of being
called a "deceiver" and much worse.
One also has to wonder if any of the "Jewish fables"
that Paul warned people about made their way into the modern
Bible!
In the following case, Paul defines an unbeliever(and religious
competitor) as a child of the Devil and one who perverts the ways
of the Lord.
Acts 13:9-10
Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost,
set his eyes on him.
And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou
child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou
not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?
Note: Naturally, Paul who got his gospel as the result of a
dreamlike trance, didn't pervert the right ways of the Lord when
he told people they didn't have to obey the law anymore.
In other words, Paul, who had no problem perverting God's law
into a relic that people no longer needed to obey, deems himself
so pious that he can accuse others of perversion of the word.
A more modern analogy useful in describing Paul would be:
A blackened pot that sits in the fire looks at the kettle sitting
beside it and labels the kettle as tarnished by black smoke.
Paul doesn't tolerate any other gospel being preached if it isn't
what he approves of.
Gal 1:9
As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any
other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let
him be accursed.
Paul again warns about false teachers.
In modern corporate culture this is called trashing your
competition.
2 Cor 11:12-15
But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from
them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be
found even as we.
For such are false apostles, deceitful workers,
transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of
light.
Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be
transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be
according to their works.
Note: Paul claimed that Satan is an angel of light, and he ought
to know.
Ironically, this sounds very much like what Paul saw in his
vision.
Paul wrote that he saw a shining faceless light and heard a
voice.
Of course, the God inspired Paul assumed it must have really been
Jesus rather than Satan playing games with him.
In the next example, Paul claims to be a type of soldier for God,
who trashes the religious competition and brings every stray or
independent thought into the Christian new world order.
2 Cor 10:5-6
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth
itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity
every thought to the obedience of Christ;
And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience,
when your obedience is fulfilled.
Note: Christian revenge on "disobedience" is also
stressed here.
In other words, love thy neighbor as long as they fall into line
with what you tell them to think.
This is the very essence of a repressive and totalitarian dogma.
The Gospel of John portrays a pious, truth telling Jesus, and has
him defining the hapless Jews who dare to question him and his
teachings as being children of the Devil, their Father.
John 8:40-45
But now ye(Jews) seek to kill me(Jesus), a man that hath told you
the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham.
Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not
born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.
Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me:
for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of
myself, but he sent me.
Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear
my word.
Ye are of your father the devil, and the
lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the
beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth
in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is
a liar, and the father of it.
And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.
Note: Jesus certainly wasn't telling the truth about his blood
being real drink, approved of by God for human consumption.
Just because someone says they represent God doesn't mean they
really do.
Of course, the evil, wicked Jews who didn't swallow these new
doctrines must be portrayed by Christians as villians and Godly
rejects if the New Testament is to justify itself in the eyes of
potential converts.
This is all part of the expand and dominate agenda.
In the Book of Revelation, the Jews who don't accept Christian
teachings are equated with Satan.
Rev 2:9
I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art
rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews,
and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.
The New Testament scripture vilifying Jews and unbelievers who
didn't accept the teachings of the new religion is little
different than modern day advertising smear campaigns, where an
enemy is targeted and defined as inferior or of dubious quality.
The New Testament also replaced the Hebrew God as the official
savior and gave that title and status to a new character named
"Jesus".
Acts 4:12
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is
none other name(Jesus) under heaven given among men,
whereby we must be saved.
The New Testament claim that there is no name other than
"Jesus" in which salvation can be claimed is certainly not
consistent with Old Testament teaching.
According to the Old Testament, God will not give his glory to
others(that includes the Christian man/god called Jesus).
Isa 42:8
I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not
give to another, neither my praise to graven images.
God makes it clear that he is a singular being(not a three
headed Trinity) and there is no savior apart from him.
Isa 43:11-12
Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have
chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am
he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be
after me.
I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no
saviour.
The Old Testament again confirms that God is a singular being and
is the only savior.
There are no others.
Isa 45:21-22
Declare and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together:
who hath caused this to be heard from ancient time? who hath
declared it long ago? Is it not I, Jehovah?
And there is no God else beside me; a just
God and a Saviour, there is none
besides me.
Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I
am God, and there is none
else.
The Christian attempt to insert Jesus into the salvation equation
and give him all the glory makes a mockery of God's proclamations
about himself.
Further evidence of the Christian attempt to usurp power and
authority from the Old Testament God and give it to Jesus can be
found in Matt 28:18-20, where Jesus claims that all
authority in heaven and earth has been given to him.
Jesus also issues the "great commission" where he
instructs his followers to go out and convert the world to the
new religion.
This provides a wonderful rationalization for aggressive
proselytizers, as they can always justify the use of Godly
threats of hellfire and in your face style preaching by saying
that their God commands them to be dogmatic fundamentalists.
After all, the Bible says it, so it must be true.
Despite all the claims by fundamentalist Christians that the New
Testament represents 100% God inspired doctrine and totally
accurate history, the blatant inconsistencies with Old Testament
teachings that are observed in the New Testament do not support
such an absolutist assertion.
The scriptural evidence also indicates a concerted effort to
vilify anything that disagrees with cult doctrine.
Far from being one large harmonious text that Christian
fundamentalists would like people to believe, the Bible cannot be
said to represent the consistent word of a universal creator or
deity.
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