postlaestadianrevival

Before I begin, I would like to make it clear that I am not judging the people who practice these religions. In fact, I have dear friends who are members of the religions I will discuss below. My goal is to inform Christians of some basic aspects of these different belief systems so that they can effectively and lovingly share the true Jesus with friends of those religions. I will include some Bible verses regarding the topics we will cover, but they are by no means all-inclusive.

Keep this in mind as you read the following: Just because someone proclaims the name of Jesus Christ, it doesn't mean they are a Christian.

2 Corinthians 11:3-4 says But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.

ISLAM
Islam is a religion rooted in Christianity. Mohammed, rewrote many well-known Bible stories and included his revised versions in the Quran. But he also made up new doctrines on how people are to achieve salvation... some that unfortunately are behind some extremist groups in the Middle East today. Muslims believe in Allah, who is not to be confused with the God of the Bible. Allah "cannot beget" (have offspring) but the God of the Bible can and did (His Son is Jesus Christ). Many Muslims say that Allah and the God of the Bible are one and the same, but if that is the case, why do some extremist (notice, I say "EXTREMIST") Muslim groups try to kill people (Jews and Christians) who supposedly serve the same God? Muslims believe in Jesus, but not the same Jesus as we do. They believe in a Jesus who was a "gift child" to Mary, who was not the Son of God but a prophet, and who didn't really die on the cross (a substitute is said to have taken his place).

The Bible's answer to Islam:
Hebrews 12:2 Jesus DID endure the cross.
1 John 5. Jesus IS the Son of God.

MORMONISM
Mormonism also is an offshoot of Christianity. (This statement is not meant to say that it is a Christian denomination, because it is not.) It was founded by Joseph Smith, who claimed to be a prophet of God. However, he made radical prophecies. To name a few, he said that there were people living on the moon, and he said the American government would be overthrown at a particular time (which did not happen). Joseph Smith wrote the Book of Mormon. He claimed that while the Bible was the history of the Old World, the Book of Mormon was a history of the New World (the Americas). Unfortunately for Mormonism, archaeology, DNA, anthropology, and linguistics overwhelmingly disprove the Book of Mormon. What do Mormons believe about Jesus? They believe that he was born as a result of a physical union between God the Father and Mary, that Jesus was married and had children, that after his resurrection he visited the New World, and that he was the brother of Satan. Mormon Doctrine includes the Book of Mormon, the Bible, the Doctrine and Covenenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. Sadly, when presented with Biblical evidence for why their fundamental beliefs are wrong, Mormons often brush it aside by saying that the Bible must not be translated correctly or that it has changed over time.

The Bible's answer to Mormonism:
Deuteronomy 18:22 Joseph Smith was a false prophet.
Matthew 1:18-23 Mary was a virgin, with child by the Holy Spirit.
Isaiah 40:8. God's word does not change.

If you have any questions, comments, or Bible verses to share about any of these religions or add comments about another, please put a title at the top of your post identifying which religion you are speaking of. I have studied Islam and Mormonism in depth, which is why I chose to post about them. Please do not use derogatory language regarding people of different religions, and if you have information to share, please make sure it is well researched and thought out. Thank you.

MORMONISM

Lucy wrote: Sadly, when presented with Biblical evidence for why their fundamental beliefs are wrong, Mormons often brush it aside by saying that the Bible must not be translated correctly or that it has changed over time.

Here I will counter these Mormon arguments.

1. Is the Bible translated incorrectly?

The Bible was translated by Christians from the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek into many different languages. Different groups of Christians indeed disagreed on different belief issues, but the words in their Bibles always agreed. Bibles within the Roman Empire matched Bibles outside of the Roman Empire. Even in different languages, the Scriptures remained fundamentally the same. Christians may have had differing personal opinions, but they did not change the Bible to suit those preferences. They considered the Bible to be the Word of God. Their purpose was to let the Bible change them, not to change the Bible.

2. Has the Bible changed over time?

Scribes of the ancient Old Testament were so meticulous about copying the manuscripts perfectly that they would rip up the copy and start over if they made one mistake. The Scriptures were intensely sacred to the Jews. Because of their dedication to preserving the original Scriptures, if you compare the latest complete manuscripts with the most ancient ones (such as the Dead Sea Scrolls), you'll find it almost entirely unaltered. The few differences that have been found were minor spelling errors or insignificant slips of the pen. The argument that the Bible has been fundamentally changed may sound like a valid argument to the untrained ear (after all, it is SO old!) But careful research reveals otherwise. Luke 4:16-21 reveals that Jesus read from the scroll of Isaiah at the synagogue. That shows that Jesus had no problems with the validity of the Old Testament. Now, about the New Testament. What is not commonly known is that there is more manuscript evidence for the New Testament than for major ancient Greek and Roman writings.

I once asked some Mormons "What about those verses which say ye shall not add to God's word nor take away...if one takes away God will remove his name?" They answered that these warnings only refered to those specific books of the Bible. How could that be? That idea gives anybody free reign to add new scriptures or to put theological writings, sermons, songs, whatever, on equal level with the Bible.

MORMONISM

I remember showing those verses to a Mormon friend once. She gave that same reply as well.

But it is true. Biblical authors' writings were distinctly separate books. The books and letters were compiled together long afterwards. So Mormons do have a point there. The books in our Biblical Canon are not the only ones that are true Scripture. There are others. For example, Jude refers to the Book of Enoch in his letter (see Jude 14).

And you have a point, too, to worry that people may think they can add to the Scriptures. Unfortunately, the Mormon religion has done that. Keep in mind, though, that it is of no use to argue with them about that. They have four different books of "Scripture", and because they consider the Bible inferior to the others, they will not take the Bible's word over the words of their other books. So pointing out those verses is not the best way to go about debating with LDS people.

When trying to persuade LDS friends of the truth, the most effective means is discrediting the roots and foundation of their belief system: Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon.

The best hope we have in helping Mormons is prayer! Pray fervently for them! James 5:16 says "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." Since all believers have been made righteous in Christ (Romans 3:22), this verse applies to all believers in Christ!