faith Archives - Bible Authenticity

Does Forgiving Sins Mean Jesus Is God?

February 2, 2025 BibleAuthenticity Comments 2 comments

Nigel W.D. Mumford - Jesus heals the paralytic lowered down ...

Many Christians have been taught and believe that Jesus Christ is Almighty God because he actually forgave sins while he was on earth. Does forgiving sins mean that Jesus is God? Let’s analyze the scriptures objectively, and see for ourselves.

Mark 2:5-7 – “When Jesus saw their faith, he saw to the paralytic, ‘Child, your sins are forgiven.’ Now some of the scribes were sitting there asking themselves, ‘ Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming. Who but God alone can forgive sins?” (NAB). Does this assertion by Jesus’ enemies that, ‘only God can forgive sins’, mean that Jesus is God? Notice next what term Jesus uses to describe himself: read more

IS FAITH INFERIOR TO REASON?

May 8, 2023 BibleAuthenticity Comments 1 comment

Is the Bible reliable? — Is faith inferior to reason?

Atheists assert that faith is inferior to reason. One of the reasons (no pun untended) for this is that they usually have a misconception of what faith actually is, thinking it is blind faith or credulity. True Biblical faith is:

“Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen”—Hebrews 11:1 NASB

“Faith shows the reality of what we hope for, it is the evidence of things we cannot see”—Hebrews 11:1 NLT

“Faith” here is from the Greek word pistis, which refers “to confidence that something is real, with a strong implication that action will ensue from this belief” (NLT Word Study System). read more

IS THERE ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO PROVE GOD’S EXISTENCE?

May 31, 2022 BibleAuthenticity Comments 68 comments

Is there enough evidence to prove God’s existence? Atheists say, “No!”

“Since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities — his eternal power and divine nature — have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse”—Romans 1:20 NIV

BIBLICAL CHRISTIANITY REQUIRES LESS FAITH TO BELIEVE IN THAN ATHEISM

While Christians are often derided for their seemingly “blind faith” in the Creator/God’s existence, the facts give powerful evidence the Biblical Creator/God is real. read more

Atheists Ask: “If God Is Real, Then Why Is Faith Required?”

January 8, 2018 BibleAuthenticity Comments 0 Comment

First of all, when people ask this they are using a different definition of “faith” than the the Bible does. The average person thinks “faith” means: “blind faith”, or belief without any evidence, zero, zippo, nada. That is not Biblical “faith”. So let’s clarify what we mean Biblically by faith. “Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1 NAB). Biblical faith has evidence in support of it, in fact, lots of it! For example: “Since the creation the world God’s invisible qualities–his eternal power and divine nature–have been clearly seen, been understood from what has been made” (Romans 1:20 NIV). We can see from the earth and the universe that there must be a designer and Creator. However, it is impossible to see Almighty God literally. “You cannot see My face, for no one can see Me and live” (Exodus 33:20 CSB). This is why faith is required. In some ways it’s no different from things we think, and do, everyday, but without giving it much thought. Would you work for a company, or organization that you didn’t think was going to pay you on payday? No, you have faith, for good reasons, that you will get paid. You wouldn’t buy a car, or an appliance, if you didn’t at least have some faith, or reasonable expectation, that it would work. Your wouldn’t hire someone to do a job for you without some faith they could do it, would you? Logical reasoning tells us what Hebrews 3;4 says: “For every house is built by someone, but he that created all things is God” (Jubilee Bible). You didn’t see a certain house being designed or built, but you logically know that someone had to design and construct it. Why would we use different reasoning standard about the immeasurably more complex universe, and its designer and builder? Therefore, the Bible says: “Only fools say in their hearts, ‘There is no God'” (Psalm 14:1 NLT). While it is true that “not all people have faith” (2 Thess 3:2), faith is required, and is available to all people!

Healings – For Christians, Non-Christians, or Who?

July 20, 2017 BibleAuthenticity Comments 0 Comment

Many Christians firmly believe that they or someone they know, or know of, have been miraculously healed. Are healings for Christians today, or for non-Christians, or both?

“This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will”—Hebrews 2:3-4 NIV

In the first century, God gave the Apostles and some of their Christian associates the power to heal. But who did they heal? Were these healings performed on other Christians, or on non-Christians? Or were both healed? Let’s examine the Bible to find out.

But we also need to keep in mind Biblical warnings, such as the following, because Jesus foretold there would be many counterfeit Christian healers:

“Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophecy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. away from me, you evildoers'”— Matthew 7:22-23 NIV read more

Salvation Through Faith – What About Christian Works?

June 23, 2017 BibleAuthenticity Comments 0 Comment

“Faith without works is dead”—James 2:26

In our previous article on salvation, we established that the Bible does not support the eternal salvation (or “once saved, always saved”) doctrine. So how is a Christian saved? Is it by doing good deeds and refraining from doing bad things? Is salvation attained by Christian works? Or is it by faith alone? If by faith alone, then where do Christian works fit in? Let’s see what the Bible has to say on this matter.

Do Christian works produce salvation, or does salvation produce Christian works?

“Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done.” (Ephesians 2:9 NLT) The same verse in the NIV says that salvation is “not by works.” So obviously, the Bible says our own works cannot save us. It is not saying that as Christians, we should not be doing good works. Rather, it is saying that salvation is not attained simply by doing good works.

“To cleanse for himself a people for his own possession, eager to do good works.” (Titus 2:14 CSB) We Christians should be eager to do good works.

“That slave whose master finds him working when he comes will be rewarded.” (Matthew 24:46 CSB) Christians are expected by God and Christ to work as Christians. See Matthew 25:14-46; Matthew 24:45-51; Luke 12:42-48; Luke 19:11-27.

“To equip his people for works of service.” (Ephesians 4:12 NIV) So God’s people, Christians, are saved and continuously equipped for “works of service.” So rather than being the mechanism by which Christians are saved, good works are actually a product of salvation. A Christian who is truly saved will be equipped by God for good works and will therefore be fully able to accomplish these works.

“You have a reputation for being alive, but you are dead.” (Revelation 3:1 CSB) read more