Many Christians today strongly feel that “Israel according to the flesh” (1 Corinthians 10:18 NAB) is still ‘God’s chosen people”, and that the modern day Republic of Israel has a place in God’s purpose, and fulfilled Bible prophecy when it was established in 1948. They believe that Old Testament prophecies of the restoration of Israel are fulfilling and will be fulfilled in a physical, literal way. Which Jerusalem matters to Christians? This article will consider what the scriptures themselves say.read more
The belief of Karma originated way back in antiquity in India, and, with variations, is held by the Eastern religions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. Karma is also popularly believed in the Western world, and some even assert that Karma is a Biblical belief. What we need to know, then, is Karma true? The article on this website entitled, “Why Do Bad Things Happen To Good People?”, discusses many aspects and ideas of Karma in the light of what the Bible says, so we won’t repeat all that here, but please reference what the article sasy about it. We will, however, further discuss other aspects of Karma in the light of the scriptures in this article.read more
Was Jesus’ body resurrected? What about the sacrifice of Jesus’ body?
We hear much about “the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ,” but very little about the sacrifice of Jesus’ body. Why? Out of 31,000 verses in the Bible, not one of them mentions a resurrection of Jesus’ body. But, how about the sacrifice of Jesus’ body?
“We have been made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time”—Hebrews 10:10 NIV
Most Christian churches and preachers claim that Jesus’ physical body was resurrected. However, the Bible, as we can see above, says that Jesus’ body was sacrificed. What does that mean?read more
Trinitarians focus on a few scriptures in which the holy spirit is personified, which, when taken literally, make it appear to be an actual spirit person. Let’s examine the uses in John of the word spirit, wherever it means the holy spirit.
Is the holy spirit a person in the Gospel of John?
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Were Jesus’ Resurrection Appearances Physical or Spiritual?
What do Jesus’ appearances after his resurrection tell us?
“If Christ has not been raised, your faith is in vain”—1 Corinthians 15:17 NAB
There is no doubt that Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead. But how? In a physical body, or in a spiritual body?
There are a number of appearances by Jesus recorded after his resurrection. What do these appearances tell us about his resurrection? Are there clues as to whether his resurrection was in a physical body or a spiritual body? Let’s examine the Bible to find out.
“He was brought to life in the spirit”—1 Peter 3:18 NAB
Since the Bible tells us that Jesus was resurrected as a spirit, let’s see if his resurrection appearances match this description.
Matthew 28:8-9 – “They hurried away from the tomb . . . and ran . . . suddenly Jesus was there in their path, greeting them.” (REB). The resurrected spirit, Jesus, materialized a fleshly body temporarily for this sudden appearance to the women who were running from his tomb..
John 20:14-17 – “She turned round and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not recognize him.” (REB) … “Thinking he was the gardener.” (NIV). Mary Magdalene knew Jesus very well. Obviously, his materialized body looked different outwardly. Mary recognized him by his voice, and by the way he spoke.
Luke 24:15-16 – “As they talked and argued, Jesus himself came up and walked with them; but something prevented them from recognizing him.” (REB) Jesus also appears in a physical body that is different from the one he had prior to his execution, and apparently even different from the one Mary saw him in.
Luke 24:30-31 – “Broke it into pieces… suddenly they saw! And they recognized him, and he vanished from their sight.” Fleshly people can’t do this. Jesus was obviously a spirit who materialized various bodies temporarily, and then disappeared back into the spirit world.
Luke 24:35 – “Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread” (NIV). Notice, they did not recognize him by his physical appearance, but by his mannerisms. Jesus obviously did not have the same fleshly body in these resurrection appearances, since he was not recognized physically. His mannerisms in the breaking of the bread in Luke 24 gave him away.
John 21:4 – “Morning came, and Jesus was standing on the beach, but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus” (REB), because Jesus looked different, with yet again a different fleshly body. “Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.” (NIV). This gives evidence Jesus was a spirit.
John 20:19 – “On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst” (NAB). read more
Was Jesus resurrected as a spirit or with a fleshly body?
It is widely preached and believed that Jesus was resurrected with a physical body. It is even asserted that if one doesn’t believe Jesus was resurrected with a physical body, then that person denies that Jesus was resurrected. According to the Bible, was Jesus resurrected as a spirit or with a fleshly body? Let’s examine the scriptures to find out.
What are the scriptures that the gospel Mark is teaching about God? Is the Trinity in Mark? — Is Jesus Christ God Almighty, and also God the Son, or is he the Son of God, the Messiah, and the Son of Man?
Mark 1:1 – “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ [the Son of God]” (NAB). “Some important manuscripts here omit the Son of God” (NAB note on Mark 1:1). One important point that we can glean from this is that no manuscripts of Mark 1:1 call Jesus ‘God,’ or ‘God the Son.’
Mark 1:9-11 – “Jesus came fromNazareth of Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John. On coming up out of the water he saw the heavens torn open and the Spirit, like a dove descending upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, ‘You are my beloved Son, with you I am well pleased'” (NAB). In this scene, Jesus is in the water, and is obviously not the holy Spirit that came down upon him, or God, who is in heaven. The holy Spirit, rather than being portrayed as a person, or intelligent entity, is coming down in the air “like a dove”. Trinitarians assert that these scriptures support the Trinity in Mark. How? Trinitarians count, one, two, three . . . there’s the Trinity! The mention of the three together doesn’t make them a Trinity in Mark, any more the mention of “Stephanus, Fortuna=&0=&together make them a Trinity. As we can see, not one aspect of the Trinity doctrine is supported in these verses. There is no equality, no existing from eternity, nothing about being Almighty, nothing about all three being God, etc.
Mark 1:13 – “He remained in the desert for forty days, tempted by Satan” (NAB). – Since “God cannot be tempted by evil” (James 1:13 NRSV), so Jesus cannot be God, because he was tempted.
Mark 1:24 – “Jesus of Nazareth . . . I know who you are–the Holy One of God!” (NAB) – “The Holy One OF God” is obviously not God.
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:
Mark 2:10 – “The Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth” (NAB). – “The Son of Man” cannot be God, since “God is not a human being” (Numbers 23:19 NAB). “The Word became flesh” (John 1:14). When Jesus was born on earth, he was “fully human in every way” (Hebrews 2:17 NIV), so he could not be God. The ‘authority to forgive sins’ had been bestowed on Jesus as God’s “representative” (John 5:43 Williams New Testament), obviously. God doesn’t need anyone’s authority. In fact, Matthew 9:8says, “The crowd . . . praised God for sending a man with such great authority” (NLT 2013 edition). Jesus said, “God sent me” (John 8:42 NIV), so he could not be God.
Mark 2:28 – Jesus once again refers to himself as “the Son of Man”. “The Son of Man” cannot be God, because “God is not a man” (Numbers 23:19).
Mark 3:11 – “You are the Son of God”, not “God”, not “God the Son,” a Trinitarian concoction never used in the Bible.
Mark 5:7 – “Jesus, Son of the Most High God”. Once again, Jesus is called ‘God’s Son’, but not “God the Son,” a Trinitarian concoction never used in the Bible.
Mark 6:4 – “A prophet is not without honor except in his his native place and among his own kin and in his own house” (NAB)– Jesus calls himself “a prophet” – one who represents God. A prophet is not God himself.
Mark – 8:29 – “‘Who do you say that I am?’Peter said to him in reply, ‘You are the Messiah'” (NAB), – not “God”, not “God the Son”, a Trinitarian concoction never used in the Bible.
Mark 8:31 – “the Son of Man must suffer”. Mark 8:38 – “the Son of Man… when he comes in his Father’s glory”. The Son of Man is not God, because “God is not a man” (Numbers 23:19).
Mark 9:7 – “a voice came from the cloud: ‘This is my Son.'” – In this transfiguration scene, “God [is] in heaven” (Luke 15:18,21), Jesus is on earth, and God calls him his “Son”. Obviously, they are two entirely separate and distinct, different people.
Mark 9:9 – “until the Son of Man had risen from the dead” – The Son of Man is not God, because “God is not a man” (Numbers 23:19), plus “God . . . will never die” (Habakkuk 1:12 NIV), and “this Jesus God resurrected” from the dead (Acts 2:32 HCSB; Revelation 1:18).
Mark 9:12 “the Son of Man must suffer much”. God is not the Son of Man, because “God is not a man” (Numbers 23:19), and stayed in heaven (Matthew 6:9), not suffering on earth.
Mark 9:31 – “the Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men … and they will kill him” – The Son of Man can’t be God, because “God . . . will never die” (Habakkuk 1:12 NIV)..
Mark 9:41 – “you belong to the Messiah“. The Messiah is obviously not God.
Mark 10:18 – “Jesus answered, ‘No one is good – except God alone.'” Obviously, Jesus was saying that he’s not only not God, but is inferior to God. Thus, the scriptures disprove the “equality” aspect of the Trinity doctrine.
Mark 10:33– “the Son of Man will be delivered over”. The son of Man is not God, because “God is not a man” (Numbers 23:19).
Mark 10:40 – “but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant.” – If Jesus says he doesn’t even have that much authority, then who does? – It must be his Father. Jesus admitted, “I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment what to say and what to speak” (John 12:49 ESV). “He has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man” (John 5:27 NIV). Jesus is totally dependent upon his Father for his authority.
Mark 10:45 – “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve.” God doesn’t serve anyone, but Jesus does!
Mark 10:47 – “When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout ‘Jesus, Son of David.'” – Notice, Jesus was not called “God”, but “the Son of David”, an expression that cannot apply to God. This is another proof that Jesus cannot be God.
Mark 10:51– “The blind man said, ‘Rabbi,'” – He called Jesus “Rabbi”, meaning teacher, not God.
Mark 11:9 – “God bless the One who comes in the name of the Lord.” This is a fulfillment of Psalm 118:26, “Blessed in the name of Yahweh is he who is coming!”, which is referring to Jesus coming in the name of Yahweh.
Mark 11:21 – “Peter said to Him, “Rabbi . . . ‘” (NASB) – Rabbi means teacher, which was one of Jesus’ titles, but he did not call him God.
Mark 11:22 – “Jesus said to them in reply, ‘Have faith in God'” (NAB), referring to his Father.
Mark 11:25 – “So that your Father in heaven may forgive you”=&1=&The Father in heaven is the one who grants forgiveness, not Jesus.
Mark 11:28 – “Who gave you this authority?” – someone gave him this authority.
Mark 11:33 – “Jesus said, ‘Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things'” (NIV). Where does Jesus’ authority come from? Jesus said, “I have not spoken on my own authority” (John 12:49 ESV). “The Father . . . has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man” (John 5:27 NIV). Jesus’ authority comes from God the Father, which proves he is not only not God, he’s not even equal to God.
Mark 12:12 – “knew that the story was about them” – killing the Son, Jesus
Mark 12:14 – “You teach the truth about God’s way.” – Not Jesus’ way, or the Trinity way
Mark 12:29 – “Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘HEAR, O ISRAEL! THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD” (NASB) – “One” is the Greek word “heis”, meaning the numerical one, not a compound unity, as Trinitarians would have us believe. Not two or three, not divided, not Trinity. The main teaching of Jesus, he said, was that ‘God is one person only’, “God is only one [Greek: “heis”] (Galatians 3:20 NASB), which flatly contradicts the Trinity doctrine of a 3-in-one God.
Mark 12:30 – “Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘HEAR, O ISRAEL! THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD“(NASB)– The greatest commandment is to love God, not Jesus or Trinity.
Mark 12:32,33 – “He is one and there is no other but he. And to love him with all your heart . . . ” (NAB). God is referred to as being only “one” and by the singular personal pronouns “he” and “him”. Jesus confirmed that the scribes’ description of God was correct (Mark 12:34).
Mark 12:33 – “sacrifices we offer to God”, not Jesus, or Trinity.
Mark 12:35 – “the Christ is the Son of David” – God is not the son of David, nor is he anyone’s “son”.
Mark13:26 – “the Son of Man is coming” – God is not the Son of Man
Mark 13:32 – “No one knows… not even the Son. Only the Father knows.” – Since God knows things the Son doesn’t, obviously, God is superior to Jesus, they are two different and distinct individuals.
Mark 14:21 – “For the Son of Man must die, as the Scriptures declared long ago” (NLT). “The Son of Man” is Jesus, not God. Jesus died, but “Yahweh . . . God . . . never dies” (Habakkuk 1:12 NJB), so Jesus cannot be God
Mark 14:24 – “My blood which is the new covenant that God makes with his people” – God makes the new covenant and seals it with Jesus’ blood. Jesus’ blood was shed in his sacrificial death. Since “God . . . never dies” (Habakkuk 1:12 NJB), Jesus cannot be God.
Mark 14: 36 – “Abba, Father! You can do all things. Take away this cup of suffering. But do what you want, not what I want.” – Obviously speaking as subordinate to his Father. Not praying to himself.
Mark 14:41 – “Son of Man”, who, by definition, cannot be God.
Mark 14:61 – “Are you the Christ, the Son of the blessed God?” – Jesus is referred to as the Son of God, not God the Son
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