GOD IS REAL!

Premise #1: The God in the Bible is real because the Bible says so.
Premise #2: The Bible is true because the God in the Bible says so.
Premise #3: If you have any questions or doubts, see premise #1.

Naturally I recognize that this is an oversimplification of the matter, but none-the-less, this simple list, to a large degree, succinctly encapsulates the only Christian “proofs” of God’s existence and involvement with humans.

While a Christian,I demanded irrefutable proofs for what I considered the outrageous allegations and claims of Evolutionists and Atheists. Why did I not demand the same type of evidence for the even more remarkable claims of the supernatural made by the Bible?

My thought process seems so much clearer now than it was when the “eye of faith” guided me. There can really be only one explanation as I look back in retrospect: I believed what I wanted to believe. In some measure, I chose to believe the Bible because it gave me a sense of security, purpose and control over reality that is not available in an existential worldview.

Whether or not I now have something better than Christianity to offer is not ultimately relevant to this discussion. What is relevant is that I be honest with myself by demanding the application of the same type of irrefutable proof criteria to the claims of religionists as are routinely expected of scientists.

Insults to Women in the Bible:

"Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak.... And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home." -- 1 Corinthians 14:34-5

Genesis
God fashions a woman out of one of Adam's ribs. This was necessary since Adam couldn't find a "help meet" in any of the animals that God made for him. 2:20-22
Adam blames Eve and Eve blames the serpent. 3:12-13
God punishes Eve, and all women after her, with the pains of childbirth and subjection to men. 3:16
Lamech is the first of a long line of biblical men with more than one wife. It seems that God approves of such marriages. 4:19, 23
Finally, sometime in the next 800 years, Adam begat some daughters. These nameless ones are the first (and nearly the last) girls to be born in the Bible. Maybe the rest of the women were made from male ribs. 5:4
"The male and his female ..." Notice that in the Bible female animals are the property of male animals, as women are the property of men. 7:2
Abram makes his wife lie for him, by telling the Egyptians that she is his sister. But at least it was half-true, since she was his half-sister. Such incestuous marriages are condemned elsewhere in the Bible, but god makes an exception for Abram and Sarai. (See Gen.17:15-16 where God blesses their marriage.) 12:13
Sarai is the first of a long line of barren women who were desperate for children. (In the Bible, it is the women who are barren, never the men.) She sends Abram into her handmaid, Hagar, so that she can "obtain children by her." Abram gladly complies. 16:1-4
Sarah, who is about 90 years old and has gone through menopause, laughs at God when he tells her that she will have a son. She asks God if she will "have pleasure" with her "Lord" [Abraham], when both are so very old. God assures her that he will return and impregnate her at the appointed time. 18:11-14
Lot refuses to give up his angels to the perverted mob, offering his two "virgin daughters" instead. He tells the bunch of angel rapers to "do unto them [his daughters] as is good in your eyes." This is the same man that is called "just" and "righteous" in 2 Pet.2:7-8. 19:8
Lot's nameless wife looks back, and God turns her into a pillar of salt. 19:26
Honest Abe does the same "she's my sister" routine again, for the same cowardly reason. And once again, the king just couldn't resist Sarah -- even though by now she is over 90 years old. (See Gen.12:13-20 for the first, nearly identical, episode.) 20:2
God gets angry with king Abimelech, though the king hasn't even touched Sarah. He says to the king, "Behold, thou art but a dead man," and threatens to kill him and all of his people. To compensate for the crime he never committed, Abimelech gives Abraham sheep, oxen, slaves, silver, and land. Finally, after Abraham "prayed unto God," God lifts his punishment to Abimelech, "for the Lord had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah." 20:3-18
Abraham had several concubines. 6:
26:7 Isaac uses the same "she's my sister" lie that his father used so effectively (see Gen.12:13, 20:2). 26:7
Once again, like Sarah and Rebekah before her, Rachel is barren. 29:31
"Give me children or else I die." Rachel considers herself worthless if she cannot produce children for her husband. 30:1
But luckily she has an idea. She says to Jacob, "Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her." She solved the problem the same way as did Sarah (16:2). 30:3
Leah, not to be outdone, gives Jacob her maid (Zilpah) "to wife." And Zilpah "bare Jacob a son." 30:9
31:17 "Then Jacob ... set his ... wives upon camels." Jacob had four wives (or two wives and two concubines -- this distinction is not clear in the Bible): Rachel, Leah, Billah, and Zilpah. There is no indication that God disapproves of this arrangement. (See also Gen.32:22) 31:17
31:34-35 Laban, Rachel's father, is hunting for the "images" that Rachel had stolen from him. Rachel sits on the "images" and says to her father, "Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise up before thee: for the custom of women is upon me." She knows that no man will come near her when she is menstruating. 31:34-35
Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, is "defiled" by a man who seems to love her dearly. Her brothers trick all of the men of the town and kill them (after first having them all circumcised), and then take their wives and children captive. 34:1-31
Dinah's brothers, to justify the massacre of a town for the rape of their sister, say: "Should he deal with our sister as with a harlot?" To the author of Genesis, rape is clearly a crime against the honor of men rather than against a woman. 34:31
Rachel dies in childbirth; but at least she had another son. And in the Bible, a woman is expected to die happily as long as she has a son. 35:17-18
"Reuben went and lay with his father's concubine." I wonder why God wants to tell us about it. Maybe he figures that "inquiring minds want to know." 35:22
Esau (Isaac's son) had several wives (continuing the tradition of polygamy, with no editorial comment from the Bible). One of his wives, according to 36:2, was Adah the daughter of Elon, but in 26:34 her name is given as Bashemath the daughter of Elon. Yet verse 3 says Bashemath is the daughter of Ishmael. 36:2, 6
"And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite ... and he took her, and went in unto her. And she conceived, and bare a son; and she called his name Er. And she conceived again [I guess Judah must have went in unto her again] and bare a son; and she called hi name Onan." (It seems that the probability of having a biblical daughter is considerably less than 50%.) 38:2-4
After Judah pays Tamar for her services, he is told that she "played the harlot" and "is with child by whoredom." When Judah hears this, he says, "Bring her forth, and let her be burnt." 38:24

Exodus

"Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, ... nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbor's." In the Bible, women are the property of men; they are his possessions -- like an ox or an ass. 20:17
God explains how to go about selling your daughter -- and what to do if she fails to please her new master. 21:7
God's instructions for taking a second wife. 21:10
If you "entice" an "unmarried maid" to "lie" with you, then you must marry her, unless the father refuses to give her to you, in which case you must pay him the going price for virgins. 22:16
"Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live." Thousands of innocent women have suffered excruciating deaths because of this verse. 22:18
Three times a year God wants to see all of the males. The females he never wants to see. 23:17
"Their daughters go a whoring after their gods, and make thy sons go a whoring after their gods." God always blames the women; it is they who "go a whoring" and then "make" the men "go a whoring." 34:16
"Thrice in the year shall all your men children appear before the Lord." But what about the "women children"? Don't they ever get to appear before the Lord? 34:23

Leviticus

Only unblemished males are to be killed and offered to God. Females don't even make good burnt offerings. 1:3, 10
When a king sins only the best sacrifice will do -- he must offer a male goat to God. But if a commoner sins, a female will do. 4:22-28
Women are dirty and sinful after childbirth, so God prescribes rituals for their purification. If a boy is born, the mother is unclean for 7 days and must be purified for 33 days; but if a girl is born, the mother is unclean for 14 days and be purified for 66 days. This is because, in the eyes of God, girls are twice as dirty as boys. 12:1-8
God lays down the law on menstruating women. Such women are to God both filthy and sinful, and anyone who comes near them is contaminated by them. 15:19-30, 33
"Also thou shalt not approach unto a woman to uncover her nakedness, as long as she is apart for her uncleanness," Don't even look at a menstruating woman. 18:19
Rape of a slave woman is to be punished by scourging the victim (the slave woman) -- but the rapist's sins "shall be forgiven him." 19:20-22
If a man "lies" with his daughter-in-law, then both must be killed. 20:12
If a woman "lies with a beast" both the woman and the animal are to be killed. 20:15
If a man has sex with a menstruating woman, they both "shall be cut off from among their people." 20:18
Women with "familiar spirits" are to be stoned to death. 20:27
Priests can't marry "whores", "profane", or divorced women. Why? Because "he is holy unto his God" and they would defile him. 27:7
A priest's daughter who "plays the whore" is to be burned to death. 21:9
A priest can only marry a virgin. No harlots, widows, or divorced women will do. (God really likes virgins.) 21:13-14
God estimates the value of human life in dollars and cents. Of course, to God, females are worth considerably less than males -- but neither are worth much. 27:3-7

Numbers

The Law of Jealousies. If a man suspects his wife of being unfaithful, he reports it to the priest. The priest then makes her drink some "bitter water." If she is guilty, the water makes her thigh rot and her belly swell. If innocent, no harm done -- the woman is free and will "conceive seed." In any case, "the man shall be guiltless from iniquity, and this woman shall bear her iniquity." 5:11-31
Miriam and Aaron (Moses' brother and sister) criticize Moses for marrying an Egyptian woman and thus breaking the law of God (see Ex.34:16, Dt.7:31, 1 Kg.11:2). But God makes it clear that his rules don't apply to his favorites, and he strikes Miriam with leprosy. Notice that only Miriam is punished, though both she and Aaron complained. God just doesn't like women much, does he? 12:1, 9-10
When one of the Israelite men brings home a foreign woman, "Phinehas (Aaron's grandson) sees them and throws a spear "through the man .. and the woman through her belly." This act pleases God so much that "the plague was stayed from the children of Israel." But not before 24,000 had died. 25:6-9
Because of Phinehas' javelin throw, God gave him his covenant of the everlasting priesthood. so this was the valiant deed that established the priesthood! It figures. 25:10-13
If a man dies and has no son, then his inheritance goes to his daughter. But if he has a son, then the daughter gets nothing. Also no mention is made of wives, sisters, or aunts. 27:8
If men make vows, then God expects them to keep them. But a woman cannot make a vow, unless it is "allowed" by her husband or father. If it is "allowed," then she must keep it -- be even so, she is not responsible (her husband or father is). 30:3-16
Under God's direction, Moses' army defeats the Midianites. They kill all the adult males, but take the women and children captive. When Moses learns that they left some live, he angrily says: "Have you saved all the women alive? Kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him. But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves." So they went back and did as Moses (and presumably God) instructed, killing everyone except for the virgins. In this way they got 32,000 virgins -- Wow! [Even God gets some of the booty -- including the virgins. (31:28-29)] 31:1-54

Deuteronomy

covet his neighbor's wife or ass -- or any thing that belongs to his neighbor. You see, in the eyes of God, women are the possessions of men. 5:21
Three times a year all of the males are to appear before God. The females he never wants to see. 16:16
If you see a pretty woman among the captives and would like her for a wife, then just bring her home and "go in unto her." Later, if you decide you don't like her, you can "let her go." 21:11-14
Rules for those who have two wives: "one beloved, and another hated." 21:15
Women are not to wear men's clothing -- it's an "abomination unto the Lord." 22:5
If a man marries, then decides that he hates his wife, he can claim she wasn't a virgin when they were married. If her father can't produce the "tokens of her virginity" (bloody sheets), then the woman is to be stoned to death at her father's doorstep. 22:13-21
If a betrothed virgin is raped in the city and doesn't cry out loud enough, then "the men of the city shall stone her to death." 22:23-24
If a man rapes an unbetrothed virgin, he must pay her father 50 shekels of silver and then marry her. 22:28-29
God says not be bring any whore, sodomite, or dog into the house of the Lord. For "these things are an abomination to the Lord." Sodomites and dogs are biblical names for homosexuals. 23:17-18
If a man marries a woman and later finds "some uncleanness in her," then he can divorce her and kick her out of his house. If another man marries her and then dies, the first husband cannot marry her again. "For that is an abomination before the Lord." 24:1-4
If a man dies before his wife has a child, then the widow must marry her husband's brother -- whether she likes him or not, and whether she wants to or not. 25:5
If two men fight and the wife of one grabs the "secrets" of the other, "then thou shalt cut off her hand" and "thy eye shall not pity her." 25:11-12

Judges

Caleb offers to give his daughter to anyone who conquers the city of Debir. Caleb's nephew wins the contest and is given his cousin for a prize. 1:12-13
"Have they not divided the prey; to every man a damsel or two?" 5:30
Gideon had 70 sons (no one knows how many daughters) "for he had many wive 8:30
After being hit in the head with a millstone thrown by a woman, a soldier orders his armor bearer to kill him so that no one would say that a woman had killed him. 9:53-54
When "the spirit of the Lord" comes upon Jephthah, he makes a deal with God: If God will help him kill the Ammonites, then he (Jephthah) will offer to God as a burnt offering whatever comes out of his house to greet him. God keeps his end of the deal by providing Jephthah with "a very great slaughter." But when Jephthah returns, his nameless daughter comes out to greet him (who'd he expect, his wife?). Well, a deal's a deal, so he delivers her to God as a burnt offering -- after letting her spend a couple of months going up and down on the mountains bewailing her virginity. 11:29-39
Manoah's nameless wife, like so many biblical women, is barren. But an angel fixes that, and Samson is born. 13:2-3, 6, 9
Samson sees a Philistine woman and tells his parents to "get her for me; for she pleaseth me well." 14:1-3
Samson's father-in-law gives Samson's wife away to a friend, since he thought Samson "hated" her. He suggests that Samson take his younger daughter instead, saying the younger one's prettier anyway. 15:2
After taking in a traveling Levite, the host offers his virgin daughter and his guest's concubine to a mob of perverts (who want to have sex with his guest). The mob refuses the daughter, but accepts the concubine and they "abuse her all night." The next morning she crawls back to the doorstep and dies. The Levite puts her dead body on an ass and takes her home. Then he chops her body up into twelve pieces and sends them to each of the twelve tribes of Israel. 19:22-30
To find wives for the Benjamites (they were unwilling to use their own daughters), the other tribes attacked and killed all occupants of a city except for the young virgins. These virgins were then given to the Benjamites for wives. 21:7-23

Ruth

Ruth is "purchased" by Boaz for a wife. Ru.4:10

1 Samuel

"He [Samuel's father] had two wives." Once again, by its silence, the Bible endorses polygamy. 1:20
"The Lord had shut up her [Hannah's] womb." Why? The Bible doesn't say. Maybe God had nothing better to do. 1:5
"And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the Lord remembered her [he probably said something like, "Oh yeah, she's the one whose womb I shut up."]. And Hannah conceived and "bare a son [Oh boy, another boy!], and called his name Samuel." 1:19-20
David and Saul have a contest to see who can kill the most people for God, and the women act as cheerleaders saying, "Saul has killed his thousands, and David his tens of thousands." 18:6-7
David kills 200 Philistines and brings their foreskins to Saul to buy his first wife (Saul's daughter Michal). Saul had only asked for 100 foreskins, but David was feeling generous. 18:25-27
The priest tells David that he and his men can eat the "hallowed" bread if "they have kept themselves at least from women." David assures the priest that they have and that "the vessels of the young men are holy." So it'd be OK for them to eat the holy bread. 21:4-5
So David takes his second wife (Abigail) after God killed he husband (Nabal). He also, at the same time, took another wife (#3), Abinam. In the meantime, Saul gave Michal (his daughter and David's first wife) to another man. 25:41-44
David just keeps getting more wives. God doesn't seem to mind a bit. 30:5

2 Samuel

"And David took him more concubines and wives." 2 Sam.5:13
God says he will give David's wives to someone else who will "lie with thy wives in the sight of the sun." 2 Sam.12:11-12
Absalom "goes in unto" his father's [David's] concubines. 2 Sam.16:21-22

1 Kings

"King Solomon loved many strange women. And he had 700 wives and 300 concubines." God didn't mind the number so much; it was their strangeness that he objected to. 11:11-3
Jezebel (Ahab's "strange" wife) "stirred up" Ahab to "work wickedness in the sight of the Lord." to punish her, God vows that "the dogs shall eat Jezebel." 21:23, 25

1 Chronicles

"And David took more wives..." with the apparent approval of God. 14:3
Solomon's 700 wives and 300 concubines. 1 Kg.11:3

Ezra

The Israelites offend God by "taking" foreign wives and thereby corrupting "the holy seed." 9:2
Ezra tells the men that they must abandon their wives and children if they are to avoid God's wrath. 10:2-3, 10-12

Nehemiah

Nehemiah rebukes the men for marrying "strange wives." Neh.13:25-27

Esther

The king throws a party and encourages his guests to drink to excess. Then, when they are all drunk, he orders Queen Vashti to show her stuff before him and his guests. 1:7-11
Vashti refuses to entertain the kings drunken guests by dancing before them. For this she is no longer to be queen, to be replaced by someone better (prettier?). 1:10-11
Because of Vashti's disobedience, the king decrees that "all the wives shall give to their husbands honor, both the great and the small" and "that every man should bear rule over his own house." 1:13-22
"All the fair young virgins" throughout the kingdom are brought before the king, and the one that "pleaseth" the king the most will replace Vashti. 2:2-4
When it was Esther turn to "go in unto the king," she pleases the king the most. So, having won the sex contest, she is made queen in Vashti's place. 2:8-9, 12-17
Since women are inherently dirty, the woman that "pleased the king" the most must be "purified" for twelve months before she can be made queen. 2:9-12

Proverbs

God warns us about the dangers of "strange women." Strange men are OK though. 2:16-19
The feet of strange women "go down to death," and "her steps take hold on hell." 5:3-5
Watch out for those evil, strange, and whorish women. 6:24-26
A woman that seduces a man is evil -- the man is just an innocent victim. 7:5-27
We are warned again about "foolish women" who are "simple" and "knoweth nothing," who drag their guests into "the depths of hell." 9:13-18
A fair woman without discretion is like a golden jewel in a pig's snout. 11:22
Avoid living with "brawling" women. 21:9
Try not to live with "contentious" or "angry" women. 21:19
"Strange women" have "deep pits" for mouths into which fall those whom God hates. 22:14
"Whores" and "strange women" lie around waiting to trap innocent men. 23:27-28
Don't even look at any "strange women." If you do, you will utter perverse things. 23:33
Avoid living with "brawling" women. 25:24
"Contentious women" are like "a continual dropping on a very rainy day." There are no contentious men. Well, maybe there are a few, but they are like sunny spring days. 27:15
Adulterous women eat, wipe their mouths, and say "what a good girl am I." 30:20
One of the four things that the earth cannot bear is: an odious woman when she is married." 30:21, 23
Don't give your strength to women. 31:3
"Who can find a virtuous woman?" Virtuous men are much more common. 31:10

Song of Solomon

"There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, and virgins without number." Oh boy! 6:8

Isaiah

Isaiah shows his contempt for women by saying that things have gotten so bad for his people that "women rule over them." 3:12
God will "smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion" and "will discover their secret parts" since he doesn't like the way they dress and walk. 3:16-17
After God takes away the women's jewelry and perfume, and makes them all bald and stinking, he'll kill their husbands. Women will then become so desperate that "seven women will take hold of one man, saying ... let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach." 4:1
Egypt will become weakened and frightened "like unto women." 19:16
Talking about graven images Isaiah says, "thou shalt cast them away as a menstrous cloth." 30:22
"Tremble, ye women that are at ease .. strip you, and make you bare ... They shall lament for the teats." 32:6

Jeremiah

Jeremiah insults people by calling them "harlots" who have sex on every hill and under every tree. 2:20
God compares Jerusalem's sinful ways to a promiscuous woman, or a wild donkey in heat. 2:24
"Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire?" This is meant to be a rhetorical question with an obvious answer: Of course not; women think only about their clothes. 2:32
A divorced woman is "polluted" when she remarries. The man, of course, remains perfectly clean through it all, even though he was the one who "put her away" in the first place. 3:1
"In the ways thou hast sat for them ..." A woman can't even sit anymore without being condemned by God. 3:2
Jeremiah loves to insult people. His favorite insult is to call someone a whore. In this verse he accuses Judah of having a "whore's forehead." 3:3
More talk of harlots who have sex under every tree. 3:6
Judah commits adultery with "stocks and stones." 3:9
"As a wife treacherously departeth from her husband ..." If a woman leaves her husband, she is "treacherous," but a man is blameless when he "puts her away" for no reason. 3:20
God threatens to punish the men by taking away all of their property, including their wives, and giving them to others. 6:12
To punish men, God will "give their wives unto others." 8:10
God compares the destruction of Jerusalem to the rape of a woman who deserves to be raped because she has sinned. 13:22
God plans to expose Jerusalem's private parts to the world by lifting her skirt over her head, so to speak. He's seen her commit whoredoms and abominations and whatnot on the hills, and he's getting darned sick of it! 13:26-27
God will cause the daughters of Rabbah to be burned with fire. 49:2
God plans to make the Babylonian men "become like women." (A fate worse than death to a misogynous god.). 50:37

Lamentations

Jerusalem is compared to a naked woman who sighs and turns backward. "Her filthiness is in her skirts." 1:8-10
"Jerusalem is as a menstrous woman." To God this is an insult. 1:17
God gets angry and mercilessly torments and kills everyone, young and old. He even causes women to eat their children. 2:20-22
Once more the good God "accomplishes his fury" by making women eat their children. Praise God. 4:10-11
When God gets angry at you he calls you a drunken whore. 4:21

Ezekiel

God sends a "man clothed with linen" to mark the foreheads of the men who will be saved. Apparently only men are considered good enough to keep, the others (unmarked men, "maids", little children, and women) are to be slaughtered. God says he'll "fill the courts with the slain" and will have pity on no one. 9:4-10
God likes neither woman nor pillows. He says, "Woe to the woman that sew pillows ... Behold, I am against your pillows." 13:18-21
God dresses up Jerusalem, cleans off the blood that she was wallowing in, and then watches her open her "feet to everyone that passeth by." She made "images of men" and committed "whoredom with them." God's really angry about it and says that she will be stoned "with stones and thrust through" with swords. 16:6-41
"Thou art thy mother's daughter, that loatheth her husband and her children; and thou art the sister of thy sisters ..." And so begins a long, tiresome denunciation of Jerusalem. 16:45
A good man never gets near a menstruating woman. 18:5-6
God, through the mouth of Ezekiel, delivers another disgusting tirade about discovering the nakedness of fathers, committing adultery with neighbor's wives, daughters-in-law, and sisters. But don't worry because God "will consume thy filthiness out of thee." 22:1-16
Two sisters were guilty of "committing whoredoms" by pressing their breasts and bruising "the teats of their virginity." As a punishment, one sister's nakedness was discovered, her children were taken from her, and she was killed by the sword. And the fate of the surviving sister was even worse: Her nose and ears were cut off, she was made to "pluck off" her own breasts, and then after being raped and mutilated, she is stoned to death. Praise God. 23:1-49
God gets all excited about cooking with "scum" and human flesh, saying "kindle the fire, consume the flesh, and spice it well, and let the bones be burned ... Woe to the bloody city, to the pot whose scum is therein, and whose scum is not gone out of it." And finally, "her great scum went not forth out of her: her scum shall be in the fire." 24:3-14
God kills Ezekiel's wife and then tells him not to mourn her. 24:15-18
God explains that he will have the "daughters which are in the field be slain by the sword" so that "they shall know that I am the Lord." 26:6, 8
In condemning Israel God says, "their way was before me as the uncleanliness of a removed woman." 36:16-17

Hosea

God tells Hosea to commit adultery, saying "take ... a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms" because the land has "committed great whoredom." So Hosea did as God commanded and "took" a wife named Gomer. 1:2-3
Hosea tells his kids to talk to their mother, "For she is not my wife." Then God continues to rant about "whoredoms" and "adulteries from between her breasts." He threatens to "strip her naked and set her as in the day she was born." 2:2-3
God "will not have mercy upon her children for they be the children of whoredoms. For their mother hath played the harlot." 2:4-5
God says he "will discover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers." 2:10
God gets jealous when women wear jewelry and pursue relationships with other men. 2:13
God tells Hosea to "love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress." 3:1
In accordance with God's command, Hosea buys himself a wife for 15 pieces of silver and one and a half homers of barley. 3:2
Committing whoredom by going a whoring with the spirit of whoredom. 4:10
If you misbehave, God will make your daughters "commit whoredom" and your wife "commit adultery." 4:13
God will induce miscarriages and kill the children of Ephraim. 9:11-12
In another "pro-life" passage, Hosea says: "Give them, O Lord: what wilt thou give? give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts." 9:14
In answering Hosea's tender prayer, God swears he will "slay even the beloved fruit of their womb." 9:16
Because the Samaritans chose to worship another deity, God promises to dash their infants to pieces and their "women with child shall be ripped up." 13:16

Amos

God predicts that "a man and his father will go in unto the same maid." 2:7
The words "kine" and "masters" here in the KJV are translated as "cow" and "husbands," respectively, in several other versions (NRSV, NIV, NJB, among them). That would mean these "cows" are women, who oppress the poor and act like drunkards. 4:1
After ordered to stop prophesying, Amos gets nasty with the Amaziah the priest, telling him his wife will become a whore, his kids will be killed, and he'll die in a pagan country. 7:17

Micah

"And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand." 5:12-13

Nahum

God will "discover thy skirts upon thy face, ... show the nations thy nakedness" and "will cast abominable filth upon thee."3:4-6
In the middle of his threats and insults God says, "Behold, thy people in the midst of thee are women." I guess this ("You're all just a bunch of women.") was the biggest insult God could think of at the moment.3:13

Zephaniah

"Woe to her that her that is filthy and polluted." Only women are filthy and polluted.3:1

Zechariah

God will see to it that Jerusalem "shall be taken ... and the women ravished." 14:2

Matthew

Jesus says that divorce is permissible when the wife is guilty of fornication. But what if the husband is unfaithful? Jesus doesn't seem to care about that. 5:32
When Jesus' mother and brothers want to see him, Jesus rudely asks, "Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?" So much for Jesus' family values. 12:47-49
Abandon your wife and children for Jesus and he'll give you a big reward. 19:29
"Woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days." Why? Does God especially hate pregnant and nursing women? 24:19
Jesus apparently approves of polygamy since he tells, without comment, a parable involving ten virgins and one bridegroom. 25:1

Mark

Jesus shows disrespect for his mother and family by asking, "Who is my mother, or my brethren?" when he is told that his family wants to speak with him. 3:31-34
Jesus will reward men who abandon their wives and families. 10:29-30
In the last days God will make things especially rough on pregnant women. 13:17

Luke

Even Mary had to be "purified" after giving birth to Jesus. Was she defiled by giving birth to the Son of God? 2:22
Males are holy to God, not females. 2:23
Jesus, when told that his mother and brothers want to see him, ignores and insults them by saying that his mother and brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it. 8:20-21
Abandon your wife and family for Jesus and he'll give you a big reward. 18:29-30

John

Jesus speaks rudely to his mother, saying: "Woman, what have I to do with thee?" 2:4
Jesus tells Mary Magdalene not to touch him because he hasn't yet ascended -- as if the touch of a woman would defile him and somehow prevent him from ascending into heaven. 20:17

Romans

Paul explains that "the natural use" of women is to act as sexual objects for the pleasure of men. 1:27

1 Corinthians

Paul would prefer that no one marry. but he says "to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife." 7:1-2
Paul says "the head of the woman is the man," meaning that the women are to be subordinate to men. 11:3
Women must cover their heads in church. 11:5-6
Men are made in "the image and glory of God," but not women; they are "the glory" of men. Paul concludes that women are made from and for men. 11:7-9
Women are commanded by Paul to be silent in church and to be obedient to men. He further says that "if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in church." 14:34-35

Ephesians

Paul orders wives to submit themselves to their husbands "in every thing" as though they were gods. "For the husband is the head of the wife." 5:22-24

Colossians

Wives, according to Paul, must submit themselves to their husbands. 3:18

1 Timothy

Women are to dress modestly, "with shamefacedness" -- "not with braided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array." 2:9
Paul forbids women to teach or "to usurp authority over" men. Rather they are to "learn [from men] in silence with all subjection [to men]." 2:11-12
Men are superior to women in Paul's eyes, since Adam was made before, and sinned after, Eve. But even though women are inferior to men, Paul says they shouldn't be discouraged because they shall "be saved in childbearing." 2:14-15
"A bishop must be ... the husband of one wife." Apparently, it's OK for laymen to have several. 3:2
Real widows are "desolate" and pray "night and day." But those widows that experience pleasure are "dead while [they] live." 5:5-6
You should help a widow only if she : 1) is over 70 years old, 2) had only one husband, 3) has raised children, 4) has lodged strangers, 5) has "washed the saints feet," 6) has relieved the afflicted, and 7) has "diligently followed very good work." Otherwise, let them starve. "But the younger widows refuse [to help]: for ... they will marry; having damnation." Besides the young widows are always idle tattlers -- "busybodies, spreading things which they ought not." He adds that "some are already turned aside after Satan." 5:9-15

2 Timothy

In the last days, "silly women" who are "ever learning" will be "led away with divers lusts." 3:6-7

Titus

Even old women must be "obedient to their own husbands." 2:3, 5

1 Peter

Peter orders all wives to be "in subjection" to their husbands. 3:1
Wives are to use "chaste conversation, coupled with fear." They are not to braid their hair, wear gold, or put on any "apparel." They are to do these things in imitation of the "holy" women of the Old testament who were "in subjection to their won husbands: even as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him Lord." 3:2-6
In relation to her husband, the wife is "the weaker vessel." 3:7

2 Peter

Peter describes Lot, who in Gen.19:8 offers his two virgin daughters to a crowd of angel rapers and later (19:30-38) impregnates them, as a "righteous man." 2:8

Revelation

Jezebel (whom God had thrown off a wall, trampled by horses, and eaten by dogs [2 Kg.9:33-37]) is further reviled by John, saying "that woman Jezebel" taught and seduced God's "servants to commit fornication." 2:20
Jesus will "cast her [Jezebel] into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her." 2:22
Only 144,000 celibate men will be saved. (Those who were not "defiled with women.") 14:3-4
The great harlot is described as being "full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication." She has a rather large and prominent sign on her forehead, she will get drunken with the blood of saints and martyrs, she will be made "desolate and naked," and her flesh will be eaten and burned with fire. 17:1-16
All nations "have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication" and kings has "waxed rich through ... her delicacies." 18:3
The "great whore" corrupted the earth with her fornication. :2

Lead Us Not Into Temptation

Probably one of the most familiar passages in the New Testament is the Lord' s Prayer which can be found in the gospels of Matthew (Matthew 6:9-13) and Luke (Luke 11:1-4). Jesus provides his disciples with a blueprint for proper prayer, contrasting the attention grabbing prayers of those who prayed in public with the humble and private petition with which we are all familiar. But hidden within the lines of that memorable prayer is a doctrine that proves problematic for the Christian. In short, Jesus is asking God not to steer the believer into a situation where they would undergo a temptation. The problem is obvious.

Why would God actually lead anyone to be tempted to sin?

The whole thrust of the Bible is a plea for the believer to avoid sin. The notion that God, perfect in his knowledge and incapable of sinning, would actually allow someone to be tempted is understandable if you believe 1st Corinthians 10:13 which says that God will not allow you to be tempted beyond your ability to resist but provides a way out for every temptation. The notion that God actually leads a person into temptation, or testing, is deplorable. As if life isn't plagued enough with temptations to do wrong, God must actually lead people into tempting circumstances, thereby playing a part in their sin.

The first case of God tempting man comes within the first two chapters of the Bible! God creates the universe in six days (why an omnipowerful deity needed six days is beyond me), placed man in a beautiful garden and then placed within his reach a tree from which he was commanded not to eat.

Genesis 2:8-9, 15-17 8 And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9 And out of the ground the LORD God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die."

Now, here we have a utopian setup with a sinless man, a perfect world and a God who was physically communing with the man and yet God had to provide the man with an unnecessary temptation. It was unnecessary because the tree of the knowledge of good and evil didn't serve any other purpose than to tempt the man! God, or gods if you understand that elohiym in Hebrew is theplural for god, didn't need the tree because he already knew good from evil.

Genesis 3:22 Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of us,knowing good and evil;

The tree, however, did serve a purpose for the writers of the Genesis tale. It provided an easy explanation, although problematic, for why mankind died of old age. To the Genesis writers, it made perfect sense. They needed man to be banished from the garden of Eden, removing the tree of life from his grasp which then brought about the physical (not spiritual) death of mankind. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil didn't have to be there since man could have sinned in any number of ways (murdering Eve, for example), thereby removing the fact that God actually caused man to sin by placing a restriction upon him which served no other purpose but to cause him to sin. But the authors were unable to see past the simplicity of their fiction to the theological quandary it created: God tempted man.

Now, some will say that God didn't tempt man, Satan did. But I ask them "Who planted a tree of knowledge of good and evil in the garden and made it taboo? Did Satan plant the tree?" God also, being omniscient, knowingly allowed the serpent (which, by the way, is not Satan, Lucifer, etc.) to push Eve over the line and hence Adam (who, by the way, was never named Adam since the Hebrew word for man is adam). Therefore, God is ultimately responsible for leading man into temptation. One analogy that comes to mind is that of a father playing with his two year old daughter in the living room. There are plenty of off-limit items for a two year old but one day, he decides to place his unloaded .45 on the coffee table, pull his daughter over and explicitly tell her not to touch it or she
would get a spanking. What purpose does that gun on the coffee table serve other than to tempt the little girl? He leaves it there until the inevitable happens: natural curiosity overwhelms her and she touches it. No one would view the father as sane but isn't that exactly what the authors of Genesis have God doing? Only they needed the forbidden tree to be in the garden so that man could violate a command of God and consequently, be expelled from paradise and eternal life, thereby giving the primitive Jews an explanation for the origin of physical death.

The meaning of the word temptation as modern culture understands it is a battle between a person's simultaneous desires to refrain from an act which would result in a greater good and to indulge in the act for more immediate gratification. Should I eat that Twix bar and fulfill my desire to excite my tongue and add unnecessary pounds to my already bulging waistline? Or, should I refrain and meet my desire for a healthier body and mind in the long haul? One desire usually wins out but not to commit the fallacy of excluding the middle, one might eat only half the candy bar, thereby trying to please both desires. But the word as used in the Bible can be, for all
practical purposes, substituted with the word test.

The end result is the same. Man is being tested to see if he will obey God (not sin) or disobey God (sin). This is demonstrated most clearly in Jesus' wilderness temptations. The passages are found in Matthew and Luke and depict Jesus being tempted or, tested, by Satan.

Matthew 4:11 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

Isn't it interesting that the Holy Spirit was the one who "led Jesus into temptation"?

The first test appealed to Jesus' hunger. Should Jesus use his power to make bread from the surrounding stones and satisfy his immediate desire? Or, should he refrain from it, thereby fulfilling scripture and satisfying the doctrine that he was tempted as we all are, yet without sin? Use the power (sin) or not (no sin) - it all boils down to the same thing whether you call it a test or a temptation.

James had a few things to say about temptation. Apparently, there were those during his lifetime who also noticed that God was guilty of leading people into temptation, just like Jesus acknowledged was possible in his prayer, and he gave this inspired response.

James 1:12-15
12 Blessed is the man who endures trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life which God has promised to those who love him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted with evil and he himself tempts no one; 14 but each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin; and sin when it is full-grown brings forth death.

A few things are worthy of noting. First, James boldly asserts that God cannot be tempted with evil. Hmm. Didn't we just see Jesus (who most Christians believe is God) being tempted with evil? Or, does this only prove that Jesus was truly just an earthly messiah who was to rule the Jews as the descendent of David? If Jesus was really the "god-man", fully God and fully man, then how could he have been tempted being "fully God"? He would have known far too much to be tempted with the measly offerings that Satan tossed his way. "Hey Jesus. Although you are God and created everything including me, I'll give you a few kingdoms on Earth if you'll worship me." At any rate, the more interesting phrase is the very next piece: God tempts no one. Obviously, James didn't know his Old Testament very well! We've already seen that God did tempt Adam and Eve with the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Are there any other instances where God tempts or, tests, man? Let's take a peek, shall we?

When God told Abraham to murder his son, Isaac, that was a test. In fact, the verse actually uses the word tempted!

Genesis 22:1-2
1And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. 2And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. James, if you're in heaven listening now, I hope you see the danger of making dogmatic assertions that do not reflect the facts. God tempted Abraham. God tested Abraham. There is no distinction because the end result is exactly identical! Abraham is faced with the two (possibly more) desires. Does he meet the desire whereby he wants to save his son from being stabbed with a knife till he bleeds to death and then roasted or does he meet his other desire which is to obey God? Save his son (disobey God, which is sin) or kill his son (obey God, which is never a sin no matter what
God tells a person to do)? Sin or not sin?

Sorry, James. God tempted Abraham.

Another instance of God tempting man to sin is the story of David being moved by God (or prompted by God) to number Israel.

2nd Samuel 24:1

1And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.

So, was numbering Israel really a sin? Let's see what God's word has to say.

2nd Samuel 24:10-13
10And David's heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the LORD, I have sinned greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech thee, O LORD, take away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly. 11For when David was up in the morning, the word of the LORD came unto the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying, 12Go and say unto David, Thus saith the LORD, I offer thee three things; choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee. 13So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him, Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies, while they pursue thee? or that there be three days' pestilence in thy land? now advise, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me.

Not only did David believe he had sinned, but so did God because he offered three different punishments to choose from. It almost sounds like the old TV show Let's Make A Deal. The scary thing is that God moved David to sin. It could also be said that God caused David to sin for as Paul states in Romans 9, "who can resist God's will?"

Another interesting instance where God was tempted (but not to evil) is recorded in Exodus chapter 17. Here, the Israelites are moaning and bellyaching to Moses because they are dying from thirst, being in the desert for so long without water. Seems reasonable to me. I moan and bellyache if my Internet connection suddenly disconnects so why would it be unreasonable to gripe if you haven't had anything to drink in days? Nevertheless, the people tempted God.

Exodus 17:1-7
1 And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the LORD, and pitched in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink. 2 Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the LORD? 3 And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst? 4 And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me. 5 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go. 6 Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not?

What I find interesting about this little pericope is that although the people tempted God by saying "Is he among us" or in our vernacular, "If God exists, why doesn't he do A, B or C?", God succumbed to the temptation!!! Holy cow! Here we have an all-mighty, all-knowing God being coerced into acquiescing to the people's griping! It is not a case of God being tempted to do something evil, but a case of God being tempted to prove his existence and giving in to the test. This isn't the only time God worked miracles for
the express purpose of proving his existence to his chosen people as well as the heathen, either. If only he would do that today, wouldn't it allow more skeptics to be saved and give truth to the passage in 2nd Peter 3:9 which says:

9T he Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Unfortunately, God is willing that many should perish if we take the stories at face value. We've seen the evolution from the words of Jesus "lead us not into temptation" to the more refined theology of James where God "tempts no one". The notion that God plays a part in man's sin is abhorrent to the Christian but I'll leave the Christian to cogitate on the implications of these famous words of their Lord and Savior.

"lead us not into temptation"

©2001 Tim Simmons

The Dark Side of the Character of Jesus of Nazareth

By Wm. F. Henness
Chapter
Jesus Defiled 1
Jesus' Third Passover 2
Building the Prophet's Tombs 3
You Fool! 4
Fear Not To Die 5
A Historical Lie 6
"I Am... The Truth" 7
False Prophecies 8
Then Shall the End Come 9
But I Say Unto You! 10
Some Will See Him Coming 11
This Generation 12
The Mustard Seed 13
"Slay Them Before Me" 14
Practice What You Preach 15
A Friend of Jesus 16
Jesus Said Nothing In Secret 17
Two or Three Witnesses 18
"Then My Servants Would Fight To Defend Me" 19
Destroyed Private Property 20
Who Will Send The Comforter? 21
Who Raised Jesus From the Dead? 22
Jesus Broke the Sabbath 23
Jesus Unclean! 24
Follow Another God 25


Chapter 1 Jesus Defiled

"Which of you convinceth me of sin?" (John 8:46a)

This was spoken by Jesus, who was undoubtedly ceremonially unclean much of the time. I will deal with only three areas: touching a leper, touching a dead body, and being touched by an unclean person. First some scriptures about the uncleanness of leprosy.
"And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying, Command the children of Israel, that they put out of the camp
every leper, and everyone that hath an issue, and whosoever is defiled by the dead. Both male and female
shall ye put out, without the camp shall ye put them; that they defile not their camps, in the midst whereof
I dwell." (Num. 5:1-3)
"Or if he touch the uncleanness of man, whatsoever uncleanness it is wherewith a man shall be defiled, and
it be hidden from him, when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty..., And it shall be, when he shall be
guilty in one of these things, that he shall confess that he hath sinned in that thing." (Lev. 5:3,5)

These scriptures are pretty clear that a person with leprosy was unclean or defiled, and that if anyone touched a person who was unclean, if and when he knew it, he was guilty of sin. He then had to offer an animal sacrifice, etc., for this cleansing (see Lev. 5:6-13). Now consider Jesus of Nazareth.

"And, behold, there came a leper and worshiped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy
was cleansed." (Matt. 8:2,3)
Second; a person who touched a dead body became unclean or defiled.

"He who toucheth the dead body of any man shall be unclean seven days." (Num. 19:11)

Now consider Jesus.

"While he spoke these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshiped him, saying,
My daughter is even now dead; but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live... But when the
people were put forth, he went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose." (Matt. 9:18,25)

Third; whoever was touched by an unclean person, was defiled by being touched.

"And if a woman have an issue, and her issue in her flesh be blood, she shall be put apart seven days;
and whosoever toucheth her shall be unclean until the evening." (Lev. 15:19) (see also v.v. 20-27)

So, whoever happened to be touched by an unclean woman, themselves became defiled until the evening. Consider Jesus.

"And a woman, having an issue of blood twelve years,... came behind him and touched the border of
his garment; and immediately her issue of blood stanched... And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me;
for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me." (Luke 8:43,44,46)
The reason the woman was afraid, and trembling, is because she had caused him to be defiled or unclean, by touching him.

Perhaps the reason Jesus spent so many nights outside Jerusalem, was because he was ceremonially unclean much of the time, by touching the unclean. Look back at the words of Lev. 5:3 again please.
"... whatsoever uncleanness it is wherewith a man shall be defiled,..."
This simply means, if a person touched any kind of uncleanness, it made them defiled, and when, or if, they knew it, they became guilty. Then verse 5 says:

"And it shall be, when he shall be guilty in one of these things, that he shall confess that he hath sinned
in that thing."

Then he was to bring his trespass offering, for his sin, which he had sinned, which was a lamb, or a kid goat, or two turtle-doves, or two pigeons, or one tenth ephed of flour.

"And the priest shall make an atonement for him as touching his sin that he hath sinned in one of these,
and it shall be forgiven him,..." (v. 13)

Jesus intentionally touched many unclean people, so did he sin? Was he guilty? Did he bring a trespass offering? Was he forgiven?
Here is the stinger for those who will say that Jesus didn't have to keep these laws because he was the son of God, and thereby not bound to the laws of God. He said,
"And he that sent me is with me. The Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him." (John 8:29)
I suppose that includes touching lepers, dead bodies, changing, by adding to and taking from the law, destroying private property, etc.


Chapter 2 Jesus' Third Passover

In the Bible, under the law of Moses, there were three festivals that ALL males were required to attend.

"Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year. Thou shalt keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread
(Passover)... And the Feast of Harvest,... and the Feast of Ingathering,... three times in the year all thy males
shall appear before the LORD God." (Ex. 23:14-17)

There were several stipulations that must be observed. One, they must not keep it at their homes but it must be kept at Jerusalem.

"Thou mayest not sacrifice the Passover within any of thy gates,... But at the place which the LORD thy God
shall choose to place his name in,..." (Deut. 16:5,6)

This place was Jerusalem, and they also must go there and give money.

"...; and they must not appear before the LORD thy God empty. Every man shall give as he is able, according
to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee." (Deut. 16:16,17)

Also, they must not refuse to go and attend the Passover.

"But the man that is clean, and is not in a journey, and forbeareth (refuses) to keep the Passover, even the
same soul shall be cut off from among his people; because he brought not the offering of the LORD in it's
appointed season, that man shall bear his sin." (Num. 9:13)

To summarize, all males must go to Jerusalem to give an offering, and if they refused to go and keep the Passover, they were cut off from the people and they bore their sin of it.
Now, if this is clear to you, you now have a big problem. In a book written by a defender of the faith, entitled, "Baker's Harmony of the Gospels", edited by Benjamin Dacies, on page 67, part V, concerning the third Passover during Jesus' ministry, he says in a foot note; "This Passover was not celebrated by our Lord in Jerusalem because the rulers were seeking to kill him, and his time had not yet come (John 7:1 comp. with Luke 9:51); see note z on # 64."

"After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for he would not walk in Judaea, because the Jews sought to kill him." (John 7:1)

However, on the fourth Passover;

"And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he steadfastly set his face to go
to Jerusalem." (Luke 9:51)

This was nearing the fourth Passover, but he did not attend the third Passover for fear of the Jews. Now, do you realize the magnitude of this? Jesus refused to go to a Passover feast. You may say as also said the gospel writer, "his time was not yet come", and that sounds noble, but according to John 7:1, he was afraid to go to Judaea, and under the law, he sinned by refusing to go where he was required to go. There was nothing in the law allowing for absence because of hear.
I want to reinforce the fact of Jesus not attending this third Passover. Concerning this time of the third Passover;

"After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias... And the Passover, a feast of
the Jews, was nigh." (John 6:1)
"And he took them and went aside privately into a desert place belonging to the city called Bethsaida." (Luke 9:10)
"... and entering into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum." (John 6:17)

Then the next day he had a lengthy discourse with the people in (6:22-71). Then we come to John 7:1 where it says,

"After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Judaea, because the Jews sought to kill him." (John 7:1)

Now a little geography. Bethsaida is at the north end of the sea of Galilee and Capernaum is on the northwest coast of that sea. Both cities are about 80 air miles from Jerusalem where the Passover was to take place shortly ('was nigh'). A good day's journey on foot would be about 20 miles a day. That would be something like a five day journey, even if he had left immediately, but he didn't. Notice John 7:1 again, this is after a couple of days have elapsed after it says, "the feast of the Jews was nigh."
He didn't go.


Chapter 3 Building the Prophet's tombs

"Woe unto you! For ye build the sepulchers of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. Truly ye bear witness
that ye allow the deeds of your fathers; for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchers." (Luke 11:47,48)

Building a tomb for someone whom your ancestors have killed certainly does not mean you approve of the killing. That would be like a group of people who built Lincoln's tomb, but that does not mean they approved of John Wilkes Booth killing him. One has absolutely nothing to do with the other. Logic must not have been among Jesus' strong points. Another thing, what prophets did the Jews kill?


Chapter 4 You fool!

"...; but whosoever shall say, thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire." (Matt. 5:22c)

This very strong judgment was given by Jesus no less. First, the meaning of the Greek word "fool."
In Strong's Gr. Lex. # 3474; mo-ras'; dull or stupid. Here in Matt. Jesus is telling us that if anyone calls someone a fool, they are in danger of going to hell. This may be good advice, but Jesus himself should have practiced what he preached.

"Ye fools and blind; for which is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?" (Matt. 23:17)
"Ye fools, and blind, for which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?" (v. 19)

Here Jesus is calling the scribes and Pharisees, fools. The word "fools", in these two verses is the exact same word he used in Matt. 5:22, where he said the name caller is in danger of hell's fire.
He called people fool in other places also, however, he used a different and much stronger word in those places, but it was translated fools, in English just the same.

"Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also?" (Luke 11:40)
This word "fools" is # 878; mindless, as in stupid, ignorant, etc.

"But god said unto him, thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee;..." (Luke 12:20)

This verse says Jesus said that the rich man was a fool. This "fool" is # 876; froth, as in slaver. The word slaver means, to slobber, to let saliva run or dribble, or drool. In other words, someone who is so retarded or stupid as to slobber and doesn't even have enough sense to swallow his saliva.
He used another word for fool, which is # 453; unintelligent.

"then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!" (Luke 24:25)

In conclusion, Jesus called individuals fools, but we must not. So, apparently Jesus was immune from this condemnation. Did this warning apply to everyone except himself?


Chapter 5 Fear not to Die

Jesus taught to don't fear those who may kill you.

"Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do." (Luke 12:4)

However, he hid, fled and avoided death when necessary.

"After these things Jesus walked in Galilee, for he would not walk in Judaea, because the Jews sought to kill him." (John 7:1)
"Then took they up stones to cast at him; but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the
midst of them, and so passed by." (John 8:59)
"Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him. But when Jesus knew it,
he withdrew himself from there;..." (Matt. 12:14,15)
"Then from that day forth they took counsel together to put him to death. Jesus, therefore, walked no more openly
among the Jews, but went from there unto a country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim, and there
continued with his disciples." (John 11:53,54)
"Therefore, they sought again to take him; but he escaped out of their hand,..." (John 10:39)

Then again, in the garden, he prayed to God three times that "this cup" (this fate) may pass from him, nevertheless, not his will. And finally on the cross, he cried out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
So, it's nice to say don't fear those who may kill you, but it's another thing when they really want to do it.


Chapter 6 A Historical Lie

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works
than these shall he do, because I go unto my father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do,
that the father may be glorified in the son. If ye ask anything in my name, I will do it." (John 14:12-14)

When has anyone performed a miracle equal to what Jesus supposedly did? Such as walking on water, healing the blind, healing withered arms, stilling a storm, multiplying food, raising the dead? Much less doing "greater works" than these.
Also, what things that are asked in his name are done? He said "whatsoever" things. That means anything or everything. He said, "that will I do". In other words, whatsoever anyone asks for he will give it to them. Then he strengthened it by adding, "if you shall ask anything in my name, I will do it." No questions about it, he will do it. Is this promise true? I have never seen it done.


Chapter 7 "I am... the Truth"

Did Jesus lie when he said,
"..., the foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head." (Matt. 8:20)

The disciples asked him,
"..., where dwellest thou? He saith unto them, come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode
with him that day." (John 1:38,39)

In Strong's Gr. Lex., for the two words, "dwelt", and "dwellest", the same word is used, which is # 3306; men'-c; to stay (in a given place, state, relation, or expectancy) abide, continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain, stand, tarry. So, did Jesus lie when he said he had no place to lay his head?
Did Jesus tell the truth about Lazarus?

"When Jesus heard that, he said, this sickness is not unto death,..." (John 11:4)
"Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead." (v. 19)


Chapter 8 False Prophecies

In Matt. 16, Jesus is foretelling of his coming death in verse 21, then Peter rebukes him. Next Jesus tells of the cost of following him. In verse 27, he tells of the return of the Son of man.
"For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his father with his angels, and then he shall reward every man
according to his works." (Matt. 16:27)
This verse is clearly referring to the second advent of Jesus when he comes back to earth after the seven years of tribulation, which follows the rapture of the church.
"Verily, I say unto you, there are some standing here, who shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man
coming in his kingdom." (v. 28)
It has been nearly 2,000 years and the rapture has not occurred, much less the tribulation and the second advent of Jesus' coming.

Jesus said concerning the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple;
"...; and they shall not leave in thee (Jerusalem) one stone upon another,..."(Luke 19:44b)
And when his disciples mentioned the temple, he said the same,
"Verily, I say unto you, there shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down." (Matt. 24:2)
Today, nearly 2,000 years after this, there is, what is called the wailing wall, or the west wall, which is supposed to be the west wall of the temple's outer court, still standing, with each stone still upon another. It is said that the wailing wall is the only part of the ancient temple still standing.

"Nevertheless, I must walk today, and tomorrow, and the day following; for it cannot be that a prophet perish
out of Jerusalem." (Luke 13:33)
Now, we all know the historical account of Jesus being condemned in Jerusalem and crucified out of the city. The truth is, a prophet did indeed perish out of Jerusalem.

When Peter asked Jesus what reward the twelve apostles could expect for forsaking all to follow him, Jesus said;
"Verily, I say unto you that ye who have followed me, in the regeneration, when the son of man shall sit on
the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." (Matt. 19:28)
Jusas was one of those twelve who was there when Jesus said this. Surely, Judas was not going to be sitting on a throne, judging one of the tribes of Israel! If Jesus was all knowing he would have known Judas would betray him and would die by his own hand, lost.

Jesus here gives the only sign of his messiahhood.
"For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so shall the son of man be
three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." (Matt. 12:40)
If Jesus was crucified on Friday, as we are told, and buried quickly before sundown on that Friday, and arose early on Sunday morning, before daybreak, or Saturday night; there is no way one can get three days and three nights out of that. For if we count backward from Sunday morning, three full days and three full nights, you cannot arrive a Friday sundown.

Supposedly, on Palm Sunday, when Jesus entered Jerusalem,
"And the multitude that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna, to the son of David! Blessed is he that
cometh in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!" (Matt. 21:9)
Then, just a couple of days later, Jesus laments over Jerusalem, and says;
"For I say unto you (Jerusalem), ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the
name of the Lord." (Matt. 23:39)
Besides the people of Jerusalem saying that phrase just two days before this prediction, the next time the people of Jerusalem saw Jesus, they did not say the blessing, but rather, "crucify him".

Jesus gave a promise to his followers, to encourage them, no doubt, that, if they wanted to be his disciples and leave everything and follow him, they will be repaid 100% in this life.
"Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and followed thee. And Jesus answered and said, Verily I
say unto you, there is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children,
or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's , but he shall receive an hundred fold now in this time, houses, and brethren,
and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life." (Mark 10:28-30)
First, Jesus promised this to all, and it is to apply in this life. This promise is to anyone who will leave his house or lands for Jesus or the gospel, of gaining 100 more houses or 100 more lands, in this life. How many young people have left their families, houses, or lands, to become pastors, missionaries, and evangelists, etc., then lived their lives and died without gaining 100 houses or 100 more lands, as they were promised by Jesus. The only conclusion we can come to is, the promise was a lie. They did their part by faith, but Jesus did not do his part.

Here is a prophecy by Jesus that hasn't been fulfilled in 2,000 years.
"And I, if I be lifted up from the earth will draw all men unto me. This he said, signifying what death he should die." (John 12:32,33)
He was, apparently, lifted up (crucified), but it is also evident from history, that "all men" have not been drawn to him. There have been millions who have lived and died and have not even heard or known of someone called Jesus who was crucified. They were not drawn to Jesus as he said he will draw all men unto him.

In Deut. 18:22, is the means of determining whether a prophet is a true prophet of God, or a false prophet.
"When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing
which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously; thou shalt not be afraid
of him." (Deut. 18:22)
Jesus, who made these prophecies, obviously said them presumptuously as a false prophet, so, we need not fear him.


Chapter 9 Then Shall the End Come

Jesus made a profound statement about the end of the world.
"And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall
the end come." (Matt. 24:14)
When the gospel has been preached in all the world for a witness to all nations, then shall the end come. What would you think about this if you suddenly found out the gospel has already been preached in all the world? Even 2,000 years ago? What would that do to your faith in this promise of the end coming? Read and weep!
"..., of which ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, which is come unto you, as it is in all the world,
and bringeth forth fruit,..." (Col. 1:5,6)
"If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have
heard, and which was preached to every creature that is under heaven,..." (Col. 1:23)
"But I say, have they not heard? Yes, verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of
the world." (Rom. 10:18)
There you have it. Did Jesus' prophecy come to pass as he said it, or not? If these three scriptures are true, when did the end come? But, if these three scriptures are not true, why are they in the HOLY BIBLE?


Chapter 10 But I Say Unto You

Three places in the O.T., God instructed man to not add anything to his laws, or take anything away from them. This is what God the Father said.
"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." (Deut. 4:2)
"Whatsoever thing I command you, observe to do it; thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it." (Deut. 12:32)
"Every word of God is pure; he is a shield unto those who put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words,
lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar." (Prov. 30:5,6)
From these verses it is pretty clear we are not to add or subtract anything from the law or the words of God. If anyone does, he is reproved and is a liar. Right? This is pretty serious stuff, because if you will be open-minded enough to read farther, you will see that Jesus of Nazareth did just what those verses say not to do. Observe what he said.
"Ye have heard that it was said by them of old, thou shalt not kill and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger
of judgment; But I say unto you that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger
of judgment; and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council; but whosoever
shall say, thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire." (Matt. 5:21,22)
"Ye have heard that it was said by them of old, thou shalt not commit adultery; but I say unto you that
whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." (v.v 27,28)
"It hath been said, whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement; but I say
unto you that whosoever shall put away his wife, except for the cause of fornication, causeth her to
commit adultery; and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery." (v.v.31,32)
"Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old, thou shalt not forswear (perjure) thyself,
but shalt perform unto the LORD thine oaths; but I say unto you, swear not at all,... but let your
communication be, yea, yea; nay, nay; for what ever is more than these cometh of evil.: (v.v.33,34a, 37)
In the law a person was permitted by God to swear an oath, but they must perform it. Jesus adds to this law by saying we cannot do it. He canceled God's law.
"Ye have heard that it hath been said, an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth; but I say unto you
that ye resist not evil,..." (v.v.38,39)
"They say unto him Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law,
commanded us that such should be stoned; but what sayest thou?...(Jesus said) He that is without sin
among you, let him first cast a stone at her... Neither do I condemn thee; go, and sin no more." (John 8:4,5,7,11)
In the law, the common people were to do the stoning, which was Israel's governmental means of execution. If they waited until they could find a sinless person to administer capital punishment, there wouldn't have been any. Also, if God(the father) condemned adultery, why wouldn't Jesus(the son), who was supposed to be one with the father, do the same?
"It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true. I am one that bear witness of myself,
and the father that sent me beareth witness of me." (John 8:17,18)
The law did require the witness of two men to be true, but that was two other people. Even when God in heaven witnessed the crime, he did not testify. He wanted two other people besides the victim to testify.
Remember what God said?
"But the prophet, who shall presume to speak a word in my name, with I have not commanded him to speak,
or who shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die." (Deut. 18:20)
"Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish anything from it, that ye may
keep the commandments of the LORD your god which I command you." (Deut. 4:2)
Jesus did add to and diminish from the law, and even canceled some of them. He also died young.


Chapter 11 Some Will See Him Coming

Matthew, Mark and Luke record a prophecy made by Jesus concerning the second Advent or when he comes back to earth to judge the world.
"For the son of man shall come in the glory of his father with his angels, and then he shall reward every man
according to his works. Verily, I say unto you, there are some standing here, who shall not taste of death,
till they see the son of man coming in his kingdom." (Matt. 16:27,28)
"..., there be some of them that stand here, who shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom
of God come with power." (Mark 9:1)
"But I tell you the truth, there are some standing here, who shall not taste of death, till they see the
kingdom of god." (Luke 9:27)
Here we have a false prophecy by Jesus. He said there were some people who were there at that time (about 30 A.D.) who would see the son of man (Jesus) coming with power in his kingdom, before they died. It has been nearly 2,000 years now, and he still hasn't come.


Chapter 12 This Generation

Jesus is predicting the future events that will come to pass. He is talking of the great tribulation in Matt. 24:21-28.
"For then shall be great tribulation,..." (v.21)
then he speaks of after the great tribulation, etc.
"Immediately after the tribulation of those days..." (v.29)
"And then shall appear the sign of the son of man in heaven;..." (v.v.30-32)
Then he said;
"So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily, I say unto you,
this generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled." (v.v.33,34)
All these things, are -- sun, moon and stars are darkened, heaven shaken(v.29) -- sign of son of man in heaven, all the earth mourn, see the son of man coming with power and great glory(v.30)-- sending of angels to gather the elect(v.31) -- parable of fig tree(v.32) -- then the two verses in question. That generation did pass away, and many, many more, and all these things still have not happened.


Chapter 13 The Mustard Seed

One well known scientific blunder by Jesus is found in Matt. 13.
"... the kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard see, which a man took, and sowed in his field; which,
indeed, is the least of all seeds; but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree,
so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches of it." (Matt. 13:31,32)
I would think that someone who is not knowledgeable of botany, would not speak on the subject, for three reasons. One, a mustard seed is not the least or smallest of all seeds, for the orchid seed is smaller, and a few others; two, when grown it is not the greatest or largest of all herbs; three, a mustard seed does not grow up and become a tree.
Now, if this statement is not true, then Jesus lied, or, if he did not lie on purpose, hen he lacked knowledge and was not Divine God.
The importance of Jesus' statement as a problem is stated by Charles Ryrie, in his book, 'Inerrance', page 94, where he said, "In his parable of the mustard seed the Lord said that the mustard seed was the smallest of all seeds. Is that plainly an erroneous statement, since botanically the mustard seed is not the smallest? Before jumping to that conclusion, remember that it was stated by Jesus Christ. If he spoke a lie, how could he have been sinless? This is not simply a small factual discrepancy; if the statement is not true, then it proves something about the one who made it, and that becomes a serious doctrinal matter. You cannot separate this history from it's doctrinal ramification."


Chapter 14 "Slay Them Before Me"

In Luke 19, there is a parable spoken by Jesus, and dealing only with the citizens, it says:
"He said, therefore, a certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.
But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, we will not have this man to reign over us.
And it came to pass that, when he was returned, having received the kingdom,... But those mine enemies,
who would not that I should reign over them, bring here, and slay them before me." (Luke 19:12,14,15,27)
Now, since Jesus is supposed to be the nobleman, and he went away, and is supposed to return, and judge; isn't his judgment a little harsh? It is out of character with other verses that supposedly describe Jesus, such as;
"Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34)
"Ye have heard that it hath been said, thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy; but I say unto you,
love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you,... for if ye love them who love you,
what reward have ye? Be ye, therefore, perfect, even as your father, who is in heaven, is perfect." (Matt. 5:43,44,46,48)
If Jesus was such a "nobleman," who taught others to "forgive," and to "love your enemies," and "do good to them that hate you," and to be "perfect"; why, pray tell, did he liken himself to the nobleman who was hated by the citizens who did not want him to reign over them, and then called them before him and had them killed? Is that practicing what you preach, or not?


Chapter 15 Practice What You Preach

Sometimes Jesus taught one thing and practiced the opposite. Here are some examples.
"But I say unto you, that ye resist not evil, but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him
the other also." (Matt. 5:39)
However, when evil seemed to be dominant, Jesus acted differently, such as;
"And he found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money, sitting.
And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the
oxen; and poured out the changer's money, and overthrew the tables;..." (John 2:14,15)
He taught to love your enemies, to bless them, to do good to them.
"But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray
for them who despitefully use you, and persecute you." (Matt. 5:44)
But when it came to practicing this good teaching he called his enemies, hypocrites seven times (Matt. 23:13-15,23,25,27,29), blind five times (v.16,17,19,14,16), fools twice(v.17,19), white washed tombs (v.27), snakes and vipers (v.33), killers (v.34,35). That doesn't sound to me like what he said we should do for our enemies, does it?

Jesus taught us to respect others, to serve others, and to honor others, but that isn't the way he reacted to the high priest.
"The High Priest then asked Jesus of his disciples, and of his doctrine. Jesus answered him, I spoke openly
to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, where the Jews always resort; and in secret
have I said nothing. Why asketh thou me? Ask them who heard me, what I have said unto them; behold,
they know what I said. And when he had thus spoken, one of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with
the palm of his hand, saying, Answereth thou the High Priest so? Jesus answered him, If I have spoken
evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why smitest thou me?" (John 18:19-25)
This little debate doesn't sound like Jesus' teachings. He was obviously argumentative and defensive.

Jesus then proceeds to answer Pilate in an argumentative and defensive manner also.
"Pilate... called Jesus and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews" Jesus answered him, Sayest thou
this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me?" (John 18:33,34)
"Pilate, therefore, said unto him, Art thou King then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a King. To this
end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Everyone
that is of the truth heareth my voice." (v.37)
Pilate asked Jesus if he was the king of the Jews and he replied in our modern speech; Did you ask this on your own or did others prompt you? Pilate then asked him again, are you then a king? Jesus replied, you say I'm a king, that's what I was born to be, and why I'm here, that I should confirm truth and all who know the truth hear me.
You see, Pilate asked him a simple question, twice, but Jesus didn't answer the simple question, but was elusive and argumentative.


Chapter 16 A Friend of Jesus

The author of the book of John has recorded that Jesus made this conditional statement. Then in the next verse he said what he will do for his friends.
"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends,
if ye do whatever I command you." (John 15:13,14)
So, according to these two statements, Jesus laid down his life for you, if you are his friend, and you are his friend only if you do whatever he commands you to do. Now we need to see what all he commands you to do.
First, he commands the Great Commission found in Matt. 28:19,20. Then Jesus gives a "new commandment", even though this loving one another was already commanded in the law. (see Lev. 19:18,34) It is referred to several times in the N.T., as in 1 John 2:7; 11 John 5. Lastly, there are several other commands, such as what to do to be his disciple, i.e. forsaking everything you have to follow him, to believe on him, etc.
So, you are Jesus' friend, on one condition; you must do whatever he commands you. And according to John 15:13,14, he died only for his friends. So, are you saved? Do you do all he commands?


Chapter 17 Jesus Said Nothing in Secret

"Jesus answered him, I spoke openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple; where the
Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing." (John 18:20)
It seems to me that if he ever taught a few private individuals, that would constitute teaching in secret or privately. In only Matthew's gospel alone, somewhere around one-fourth is private teachings.
Matt. 10-11:1, he is teaching the twelve about how to evangelize, how to handle persecution. He even admitted to teaching in secret.
"What I tell you in darkness, that speak in light, and what ye hear in the ear, that preach upon the house tops." (v.27)
Then he teaches them more about how to evangelize. In Matt. 13:10-23, his disciples came to him privately and asked the meaning of a parable. In verse 36-52, he explains more about parables to the twelve privately. In 16:13-20, he taught the twelve about who he was and told them, "... that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ." (v.20)
In verse 24-28, he taught only his disciples about discipleship. In 18:1-35, he taught them privately about childlike faith, another parable and offences, and about forgiveness. In 19:10-12, about eunuchs. In 19:23-20:19, he taught doctrine privately to the twelve concerning the rich, another parable, and then verse 17 says;
And Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside along the way, and said unto them." (v.17)
Matt. 24,25, and up to 26:2, is more private or secret teaching to the twelve. In 26:20-46, is more teaching in private to the twelve at the last supper. John goes into lengthy detail as to just what he taught them in secret. These verses are only from Matthew's gospel. And for him to say, "and in secret have I said nothing.", is simply a lie, or to put it more tactfully, its not a truthful statement.
There is a classic example but it is in John's gospel.
"There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; the same came to Jesus by night,
and said unto him,..." (John 3:1,2)
The words, "by night", makes it in secret, because Nicodemus was ashamed to be seen with Jesus. Jesus then proceeds to teach several things, secretly, one on one, to one man. First, about being born again, then about Nicodemus being a teacher of Israel and not understanding, but Jesus spoke of what he knew. Then he spoke of his coming down from heaven and his being in heaven. Then of Moses' serpent, of how to obtain eternal life, and finally of light and darkness and truth.
The twelve disciples apparently were absent on this occasion, or else Peter would have said something.
So, in light of only this one incident, how could Jesus later say; "..., and in secret have I said nothing." --?


Chapter 18 Two or Three Witnesses

In the law it is written:
"One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth;
at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established." (Deut. 19"15)
In the gospel of John, Jesus supposedly said concerning this law;
"It is written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true." (John 8:17)
Notice the words underlined, "your law", and "two men". Jesus here is defending himself before the Pharisees. He says the law is their law, implying he is not bound by it. He also says the witness of two men are required to verify truth in a matter. Then he continues on to name the two men that verify him as truth.
"I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me." (v. 18)
Jesus here is saying that he is one that bears witness of himself, and God is the other one. But God is not a man as the law said was necessary. And, the one in question could not be considered one of those who bear witness either. It must be two other people. The Pharisees understood this about this law, that is why they asked him, in the next verse, where his father was.
"Then said they unto him, where is thy father?..." (v.19a)
Then Jesus proceeds to tell them why they did not know his father whom they naturally assumed was his natural father. Was Jesus above the law, and didn't have to abide by it? Did he make his own rules?


Chapter 19 "Then My Servants Would Fight to Defend Me."

When Jesus was before Pilate in judgment, he made an untruthful statement.
"Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants
fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now is my kingdom not from here." (John 18:36)
Here he said that, since his kingdom was not of this world, his servants would not fight to defend him, but if his kingdom was of this world, then his servants would fight to defend him. If his kingdom was not of this world, why did he command his disciples to sell their garments and buy swords?
"Think not that I am come to send peace on earth; I come not to send peace, but a sword." (Matt. 10:34)
"..., and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one." (Luke 22:36)
"And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords, and he said unto them, it is enough." (v.38)
Then just a few hours before Jesus made this untruthful statement, Peter had used his sword defending Jesus when he was arrested.
"Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it, and smote the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear." (John 18:10)
So, since Jesus said he had come to send a sword, and sell your garments and buy one, and he had just seen Peter try to defend him; why did he then say, "my kingdom is not of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now is my kingdom not from here."? If his kingdom was of this world, and his servants would fight, then he lied when he said, "but now is my kingdom not from here". If his kingdom was not of this world, why did he say he was come to send a sword, and commanded his disciples to buy one? If he knew in advance, that Peter would fight, why did he say they would not? If he did not know what he would do, did he have all knowledge? And if he was not of this world, why did he resort to physical violence when he overturned the money changer's tables and drove them out of the temple with a scourge? (John 2:14,15)
Modern day example is: a religious/political leader tells the judge before whom he has been brought on charges of dissension, that if his kingdom was of this world, his servants would fight to defend him, but his kingdom is not of this world. He makes this statement shortly after he told his followers to sell their clothes, if necessary, and buy AK-47's. When a couple of them were shown, along with many rounds of ammo, he said that was enough. Earlier that day, one of his followers shot and wounded one of the cops that had come to arrest him. In light of what he told his followers, and the shooting, did he lie to the judge?


Chapter 20 Destroyed Private Property

In the law it was forbidden to destroy fruit trees.
"Only the trees which thou knowest that they are not trees for food, thou shalt destroy...? (Deut. 20:20)
Now Jesus surely knew this law, however, he disregarded it.
"And when he saw a fig tree along the way, he came to it, and found nothing on it but leaves only, and said
unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforth forever. And presently the fig tree withered away." (Matt. 21:19)
"...; for the time of figs was not yet." (Mark 11:13)
The law said that if anyone killed a beast that belonged to someone else, he must make it good or restore it to the owner.
"And he who killeth a beast shall make it good, beast for beast." (Lev. 24:18)
"And he who killeth a beast, he shall restore it." (v.21)
"...; for I am the LORD thy God." (v.22)
Jesus, on the other hand, told demons to go into a herd of 2,000 pigs, which,if he had all knowledge, knew would run into the sea and drown. (see Mark 5:11-13)
Question. Did Jesus keep the law, as he said he did, and restored all those 2,000 pigs to their owners? Or, did he not? Was he above keeping the law? Why would he destroy the fig tree of someone else? Why would he expect figs on it when it was not the time for figs? Was he having a bad day? Did he restore all the value of the pigs to the owner, as the law commanded?


Chapter 21 Who Will Send the Comforter?

Either John or Jesus made a flat out contradictory statement, all in the same book, one chapter apart.
"But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the father, even the spirit of truth, who
proceedeth from the father, he shall testify of me." (John 15:26)
Notice the one who will send the Comforter is Jesus himself. Now drop back exactly one chapter and read who is the sender.
"But the Comforter, who is the Holy Spirit, whom the father will send in my name, he will teach you all things,
and bring all things to your remembrance, whatever I have said unto you." (John 14:26)
Who then will send the Comforter? Can you believe what Jesus said? If you can, who will the sender be?


Chapter 22 Who Raised Jesus From the Dead?

I will give only two verses for each side of this controversy. The first one are the verses that are in the salvation formula.
"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that
God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." (Rom. 10:9)
"Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,
whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you
whole." (Acts 4:10)
There are other verses that say that it was God Th Father who raised Jesus the Son from the dead, nevertheless, here are only two verses that tell us, it was not God the Father at all but Jesus the Son, himself who raised himself from the dead.
"Jesus answered, and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." (John 2:19)
"No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to
take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father." (John 10:16) (see verse 17 also)
So, who raised him up, God the father, or Jesus himself, the Son? Or both? If God did it, then Jesus lied when he said he would raise himself, if he raised himself, then Luke and Paul lied by saying God would do it. Either way you look at it, someone lied. Who deceived whom?


Chapter 23 Jesus Broke the Sabbath

The Pharisees really were right in accusing Jesus of breaking the law of the Sabbath. Let's lay a little groundwork first. First, God supposedly rested on the Sabbath day.
"And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all
his work which he had made." (Gen. 2:2)
In Exodus, God reinforced the law of rest in the fourth commandment.
"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work." (Ex. 20:8,9)
Then he gives the reason for the Sabbath day.
"For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day;
wherefore, the LORD blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it." (v.11)
Now, according to the law, no work at all was to be done on the Sabbath days, not even good works. This brings us to the N.T.
"And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he dad done these things on
the Sabbath (namely healed a man and told him to carry his bed).
But Jesus answered them, "My father worketh hitherto, and I work." (John 5:16,17) The word "hitherto", is # 2193 & 737; when together they are, "until now".
Here Jesus admits that God has worked on the Sabbath day, for he explains what he did by saying:
"Then answered Jesus, and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, the son can do nothing of himself,
but what he seeth the father do; for whatever things he doeth, these also doeth the son in the same manner." (v.19)
So, Jesus is saying, what God does in the form of works, so he does the same also. He is saying, since God is healing on the Sabbath, he will also heal on the Sabbath, and whatever other works God does on the Sabbath, he also will do the same. (read v.v.20,21)
In conclusion, Jesus admitted to working and breaking the Sabbath, but he does it because God is doing the same. It looks like God didn't stop working on the Sabbath, if the way Jesus understands it is correct.


Chapter 24 Jesus Unclean !

The Bible repeatedly says that nothing pure can come from a woman.
"Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one." (Job 14:4)
"How then can man be justified with God? Or, how can he be clean that is born of a woman?" (Job 25:4)
Anyone touching a woman within seven days after she has menstruated (bled) is impure, according Lev. 15:19, which says:
"And if a woman have an issue, and her issue in her flesh be blood, she shall be put apart seven days;
and whosoever toucheth her shall be unclean until the evening." (Lev. 15:19)
Baby Jesus must have touched his mother every day during those seven days, which made him unclean until the evening each day for seven days. Mary was also unclean another 33 more days.
"And she shall then continue in the blood of her purifying three and thirty days; she shall touch no hallowed thing
(not even baby Jesus?), nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying be fulfilled." (Lev. 12:4)
Mary was unclean all this time, from Jesus' birth for the next forty days. Notice:
"... then she shall bring two turtles, or two young pigeons, the one for the burnt offering, and the other for a
sin offering: and the priest shall make an atonement for her, and she shall be clean." (Lev. 12:8)
Mary must have been impure or unclean when she resumed menstruation, and since it is difficult to see how she could have avoided touching Jesus, such as changing his diapers, nursing him, etc., Jesus must have been unclean at the same time also. Even after the 40 days, at each of Mary's periods and for seven days after, Jesus was also unclean. I realize it wasn't the baby's fault, but he wasn't as pure as people like to think he was.
Remember Job? "Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one." and "Or how can he be clean that is born of a woman?" We're told by those who know, that Jesus was, "untouched by sin or impurity, the pure son of God", however, this just could not have been the case.
Maybe Mary contaminated Jesus so much that is why he spoke almost disrespectful of her, saying, "Woman, what have I to do with you?". (John 2:4), calling her woman several times. Once his mother wanted to speak with him and he said, "Who is my mother?" (Matt. 12:46-50). He said to be his disciples you must hate your mother. (Luke 14:26) He cared so little for his mother that when he was twelve years old and in Jerusalem, he stayed back there for two days without asking, however, after that incident he subjected himself to her authority. (see Luke 2:41,51) Perhaps he got a good thrashing?


Chapter 25 Follow Another God

"If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, and the sign
or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spoke unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast
not known, and let us serve them, thou shalt not harken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of
dreams; for the LORD your God testeth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart
and with all your soul. Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments,
and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him. And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams,
shall ye put to death, because he hath spoken to turn you away from the LORD your God, who brought you
out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which
the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee." (Deut. 13:1-5)
Did Jesus of Nazareth try to draw people to someone else other than Jehovah, with signs and wonders?
"In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, If any man thirst, let him come
unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of
living water." (John 7:37,38)
"Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matt. 11:28)
Even though Jehovah said he would give rest. (Ex. 33:14)
So, if a prophet, who can do signs and wonders, and if he seeks to turn people from Jehovah, the LORD, Israel's God, and to someone else, or another god, then, that prophet should die according to Jehovah's law.

Donated by Bill Henness

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