Remember this One Fact

 

2 Timothy 2:8-13

The apostle Paul tells Timothy to remember this one fact: “Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal.  But the word of God is not bound!  If Christ was not raised from the dead our faith is of no value.  And for as long as we have had the Written Word of God, the Bible, evil men have tried to replace it, destroy it, or add a new bible like the Mormons.  They will not come out publicly and say the book of Mormon replaces the Bible, but will say that it gives new insights.  My reason for addressing the subject is that this came to light from a supporter of Mitt Romney who is a Mormon and running for the office of President of the USA.  Professor Richard Bushman, who is a Mormon, had the following to say in support for Romney and the Mormon faith. "To my way of thinking the idiosyncrasies of Mormon belief and practice are not the issue; Catholic belief in transubstantiation and Protestant belief in the resurrection [of Jesus] can be made to look silly, too," he told CNN in reaction to Erickson’s book.

I must tell the professor that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is not odd or unusual to the Catholic or the Protestant believer in Christ, but because the Professor is a man of great knowledge and especially on his church, it leaves me wondering if Mormons put no hope in a risen Christ?   The apostle Paul has this reply to anyone who holds to such teaching: “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.”  (1 Corinthians 15:17)  You may need to go first to 1 Corinthians 15:4, “That he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” The apostle Paul gives this account of his personal encounter with Christ, and the following account of the number of people who also encountered the risen Christ; and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.  "Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.  Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.  Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.” (1 Corinthians 15: 5-8)

Professor Richard Bushman, who is a Mormon by his own statement, is much closer in his belief to Muslims than to Christians, if his statement supports his beliefs.  I found this information of great interest: “Based on Dr. Hemer's credible research, the book of Acts was recorded on paper about 62 AD (NOTE: the Qur'an was recorded on paper about 572 years after the book of Acts. This original (called the Hafsah Codex) and most credible version of the Qur'an was later destroyed by Muslims about 667 AD! WHY?).
When Saul of Tarsus met Jesus on the road to Damascus, Jesus spoke from heaven.  Since Acts records that Jesus ascended into heaven, there is no conflict based on the texts written into the book of Acts and the experience of the Apostle Paul.
However, there is conflict with the Qur'an, which claims that Jesus never died on the cross or rose from the dead. Instead, the Qur'an claims, without external or supporting evidence, that Jesus simply ascended into the heavens.”   
The Holy Bible, the revealed and inspired Word of God, states that the Qur’an or Koran is antichrist and so is anyone who holds to such teaching.  The apostle John is very clear on what an antichrist will look like and you can look this up in 1 John 2:18; 4: 2-3, and 2 John 7, states, “For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh.  Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist.
(Note: Given the choice of the two men running for the office, I am going with Mitt.)
From the Back Porch,
Bob Rice