The simple apologist

1 Joh 5:19 We know that we are of Elohim, and that all the world lies in the wicked one. We know the question..."Why does God allow evil and suffering in this world?" Suffering is a different issue to evil, and I will deal with suffering in my next post...this post will deal with evil. The verse I quoted above addresses the first part...Evil.  That phrase 'all the world lies in the wicked one', is well translated as 'all the world lies under the sway of the wicked one' in the New King James Version of the Bible.  The original Greek text reads 'all the world lies in wickedness'. What this text makes clear is that the world we live in IS an evil one.  There is a spiritual dimension in which there are spiritual forces at play.  And since we are spirit beings (who live in a body and have a soul), we are very much affected by the happenings in the spiritual dimension.  Right at the beginning of the bible this interplay is made clear in the ex...

1 Cor 11:1 Be immitators of me, as I also am of Messiah. These are the words of Paul, writer of much of the New Testament.  He is telling the followers of this new faith (later to become known as Chistianity), to immitate him.  He did this with confidence, knowing that he himself is immitating our Messiah, Yeshua.  But why was this even necessary? Why would he not just tell them to immitate Yeshua directly?  Why immitate Paul?  The answer is simply because at this time, there were no New Testament writings in which they could read about the actions of and the example set by Yeshua.  This was a new faith and Paul was one of the pioneers in the preaching thereof. But for us today things are very different...we have a bible through which we can read of the works of our Saviour, and can immitate him directly...there is no need to immitate any man.  Sadly though, some of our leaders, and most who proclaim to be Christian, are not 'immitators of Messiah...

Unless stated otherwise, all my bible references are taken from the TS2009 translation . I've found this translation to be the least 'polluted' by translator's opinions - it is the most literal translation from the original Hebrew/Aramaic/Greek writings into English: If the original word literally means set apart , then it is translated as such into English, whereas all other bibles translate it as holy . If the original word literally means Messiah , then it is translated as such into English, whereas all other bibles translate it as Christ . I guess my favorite example is the use of taught ones instead of disciples .  (Perhaps an influence of my Star Wars geekdom...I can so picture Joda saying: Take heed, my young taught one, fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate... ) Admittedly, it is not the easiest translation to read, and some passages leave me thinking "HUH?!?, it's like it's trying to speak to me......

Joh 3:16 For Elohim so loved the world that He gave His only brought-forth Son, so that everyone who believes in Him should not perish but possess everlasting life. I am sure that nobody who is in a culture that has been evangelised has not heard this verse.  So much so that it might even sound like a cliché.  But really, it is the bottom line! It is not the fact that our Messiah died, and was raised again, that moves us to accept Him...it is the fact that He did this out of love for us.  The bottom line is, Jesus loves us.  YHVH loves us. I came to accept His love and submitted my life to Him while I was still single.  During the years thereafter, I learned about His unconditional love ( Agapé  in the Greek), but it was really only once I became a dad myself that I really, for the first time, understood  unconditional love.  I look at my kids and feel, and know , that there is nothing they can do that will make me love them less...or more...

1 Cor 15:3b-4 That Messiah died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised the third day, according to the Scriptures. One can say that this sentence really is the cornerstone of Christianity.  If this sentence is a lie, then Christianity is just another religion like any other.  But it this sentence is true, so is the basis for Christianity. But actually the basis for Christianity is so much more than the events referred to in that statement...that sentence in itself is not enough to convince anyone to become a Christian.  It can very easily leave the unbeliever, the skeptic, thinking "So What?!".  So what if it is true? (Although that same sceptic would have to admit that such a reaction to a truth like that indicates a certain lack of a grasp of the gravity thereof, don't you think?) The real kicker though is the WHY ?  WHY did those events happen? The moment one gains an understanding of THAT, and still r...

1 Pet 3:15 But set apart YHVH Elohim in your hearts, and always be ready to give an answer to everyone asking you a reason concerning the expectation that is in you, yet with meekness and fear. I've never been much of a writer...never had much of a desire to pen my thoughts, and yet here I am, starting this series of articles/blogs/notes, as I am instructed to do and under guidance of Ruach Hakodesh - the Holy Spirit. These notes are my thoughts on and critisisms of the Christian walk, as well as it's answers to various issues that are raised up against it.  Perhaps my own attempt at apologetics, if I may be so bold. But as the verse above instructs, I will do so with gentleness, and reverence - a reverence both for you, the audience, and of course, a reverence for our Creator, YHVH.