Jesus' Wife????

[LIGHTBEING]

I have been pondering for a long time about Jesus and his relationship with Mary Magdalene. It seems that all Christians turn there head to this one.

The gospel writers say that Mary of Magdalene went to the tomb to “anoint” him. The Ashuric/Syraic (Arabic) word for anoint is masaha, which means “to rub, to massage, to anoint.”

Mary of Magdalene went to the tomb to anoint the body of her husband, Jesus (Mark 16:1). If she were not his wife, in no way would she have been allowed, under the Law of Moses which they followed, to see or wash his dead body.

 

[Tiassa]

Yep. Jesus' wife.

A note or two toward the possibility of Jesus having a wife:

Sister, we know that the savior loved you more than the rest of women. Tell us the words of the savior which you remember which ... we do not (know) and have not heard. (Peter to Mary Magdalene; Gospel of Mary Magdalene, 17.18)

That speaks pretty much for itself. The second point is that I have heard it asserted that rabbis must be married; Jesus was, after all, called Teacher. On this point, though, I’m a little shaky; I was crawling my usual text sources for it with no luck, so AskJeeves finally did me a favor (I’ve never been a fan or it) and pointed me to a Quick Fact Sheet called Was Jesus Married? which reflects this very point, among others:

INDIRECT EVIDENCE

1. Jewish customs of Jesus' day required married Rabbis. Unmarried men were considered a curse to Jewish society. Jesus would not have had much credibility as a leader had He not been married. Although Jesus was a non-conformist and had many conflicts with Jewish tradition, His parents, Joseph and Mary, were not. The Bible says that they were careful to perfectly obey the laws of their people. It also says that Jesus was "subject unto them". Since Jewish culture practiced arranged marriages and early marriage, as well (a Jewish boy was marriageable at age 16), it is reasonable to assume that Jesus' parents would have performed their parental duties faithfully and arranged a bride for the young Jesus. There are 18 silent years in His life (12 - 30). The Gospel of John tells us that there were many other things which Jesus did which have not been recorded.

This point is important because it shifts the weight of presumption. Given the cultural milieu in which Jesus lived and the supporting Biblical evidence, the burden of proof lies with those who do not believe Jesus was married. They must show why Jesus and His parents would have been derelict in their civic responsibilities and not contracted a marriage.

2. According to Josephus, descendants of the House of David felt a moral obligation to perpetuate their line, never knowing which one among their descendants would be the chosen Messiah. Jesus may or may not have known who He was, but regardless, He lived as a normal person until called by the ministry of John the Baptist.

Unfortunately, I can’t seem to get a link to an LDS site called Jesus Was Married to work right now. (See? I told you I’m not a fan of AskJeeves.)

Hopefully, though, the one linke will work at all (I haven’t even seen it yet), and the other will prove of use for the discussion.

thanx,
Tiassa

 

[Amp]

Hey there.

I'm of the opinion Jesus did not marry. He obviously knew his status when he was proceding about the Fathers business. IMHO, he had discerned his destiny while still quite young. He is also obviously a very intellegent individual and I think he probably thought about marriage and realized it would detract from the mission he was on. Now is where I plug in the info in the Ubook, according to the Ubook Jesus attracted quite a few women but he knew the general course his life was to take and thus dissuaded at least one who had thoughts of marrying him. Peace Amp

 

[LIGHTBEING]

I'm of the opinion Jesus did not marry

As do many other people. But if you look at the facts of that time and what the Bible has stated, the logical conclusion would be that he did marry. Seems Early editors of the Bible missed a few details. They didn't want the readers to even think that Jesus may have been married. This would make him less Divine and Godly and more like a Human, just like us. You can understand the Dilemma they had.

 

[Amp]

Lightbeing, That could be true but Jesus himself

was/is familiar with the scriptures and he knew about the nephlim so he may have decided not to marry based on that knowledge. I still believe what the Ubook says is what probably happened , here it is - "5. REBECCA, THE DAUGHTER OF EZRA
127:5.1 Although Jesus was poor, his social standing in Nazareth was in no way impaired. He was one of the foremost young men of the city and very highly regarded by most of the young women. Since Jesus was such a splendid specimen of robust and intellectual manhood, and considering his reputation as a spiritual leader, it was not strange that Rebecca, the eldest daughter of Ezra, a wealthy merchant and trader of Nazareth, should discover that she was slowly falling in love with this son of Joseph. She first confided her affection to Miriam, Jesus' sister, and Miriam in turn talked all this over with her mother. Mary was intensely aroused. Was she about to lose her son, now become the indispensable head of the family? Would troubles never cease? What next could happen? And then she paused to contemplate what effect marriage would have upon Jesus' future career; not often, but at least sometimes, did she recall the fact that Jesus was a "child of promise." After she and Miriam had talked this matter over, they decided to make an effort to stop it before Jesus learned about it, by going direct to Rebecca, laying the whole story before her, and honestly telling her about their belief that Jesus was a son of destiny; that he was to become a great religious leader, perhaps the Messiah.
127:5.2 Rebecca listened intently; she was thrilled with the recital and more than ever determined to cast her lot with this man of her choice and to share his career of leadership. She argued (to herself) that such a man would all the more need a faithful and efficient wife. She interpreted Mary's efforts to dissuade her as a natural reaction to the dread of losing the head and sole support of her family; but knowing that her father approved of her attraction for the carpenter's son, she rightly reckoned that he would gladly supply the family with sufficient income fully to compensate for the loss of Jesus' earnings. When her father agreed to such a plan, Rebecca had further conferences with Mary and Miriam, and when she failed to win their support, she made bold to go directly to Jesus. This she did with the co-operation of her father, who invited Jesus to their home for the celebration of Rebecca's seventeenth birthday.
127:5.3 Jesus listened attentively and sympathetically to the recital of these things, first by the father, then by Rebecca herself. He made kindly reply to the effect that no amount of money could take the place of his obligation personally to rear his father's family, to "fulfill the most sacred of all human trusts -- loyalty to one's own flesh and blood." Rebecca's father was deeply touched by Jesus' words of family devotion and retired from the conference. His only remark to Mary, his wife, was: "We can't have him for a son; he is too noble for us."
127:5.4 Then began that eventful talk with Rebecca. Thus far in his life, Jesus had made little distinction in his association with boys and girls, with young men and young women. His mind had been altogether too much occupied with the pressing problems of practical earthly affairs and the intriguing contemplation of his eventual career "about his Father's business" ever to have given serious consideration to the consummation of personal love in human marriage. But now he was face to face with another of those problems which every average human being must confront and decide. Indeed was he "tested in all points like as you are."
127:5.5 After listening attentively, he sincerely thanked Rebecca for her expressed admiration, adding, "it shall cheer and comfort me all the days of my life." He explained that he was not free to enter into relations with any woman other than those of simple brotherly regard and pure friendship. He made it clear that his first and paramount duty was the rearing of his father's family, that he could not consider marriage until that was accomplished; and then he added: "If I am a son of destiny, I must not assume obligations of lifelong duration until such a time as my destiny shall be made manifest." 127:5.6 Rebecca was heartbroken. She refused to be comforted and importuned her father to leave Nazareth until he finally consented to move to Sepphoris. In after years, to the many men who sought her hand in marriage, Rebecca had but one answer. She lived for only one purpose -- to await the hour when this, to her, the greatest man who ever lived would begin his career as a teacher of living truth. And she followed him devotedly through his eventful years of public labor, being present (unobserved by Jesus) that day when he rode triumphantly into Jerusalem; and she stood "among the other women" by the side of Mary on that fateful and tragic afternoon when the Son of Man hung upon the cross, to her, as well as to countless worlds on high, "the one altogether lovely and the greatest among ten thousand."

6. HIS TWENTIETH YEAR (A.D. 14)
127:6.1 The story of Rebecca's love for Jesus was whispered about Nazareth and later on at Capernaum, so that, while in the years to follow many women loved Jesus even as men loved him, not again did he have to reject the personal proffer of another good woman's devotion. From this time on human affection for Jesus partook more of the nature of worshipful and adoring regard. Both men and women loved him devotedly and for what he was, not with any tinge of self-satisfaction or desire for affectionate possession. But for many years, whenever the story of Jesus' human personality was recited, the devotion of Rebecca was recounted.
127:6.2 Miriam, knowing fully about the affair of Rebecca and knowing how her brother had forsaken even the love of a beautiful maiden (not realizing the factor of his future career of destiny), came to idealize Jesus and to love him with a touching and profound affection as for a father as well as for a brother. "
Peace Amp

 

[Cris]

Of course I hope you all realize that the alleged historical evidence that Jesus even existed is still highly suspect. And to then even suggest details about any aspect of his life is really just conjecture.

A wife? Why not? It just adds more flavor to the existing fictional stories about, probably an entirely mythical person.

Cris

 

[LIGHTBEING]

So your running with the UBook? My brother started reading that a while ago. I wanted to but I never got around to it. I'm afraid no Book has a clear idea about Jesus not even the UBook. I'm only suggesting the logical conclusion. Being that I don't believe Jesus to be "God" it is perfectly acceptable to me. And I assume you are not Christian, so why defend it. The UBook doesn't hold Jesus equal to God?

 

[Avatar]

Originally posted by Cris
Of course I hope you all realize that the alleged historical evidence that Jesus even existed is still highly suspect.
Cris

I really don't beleive tht a whole religion was made up with no real historical person to start it. Of course I don't think tht Yeshua was a god or even son of god. He probably was a misunderstood phylosopher.
Why don't you like the idea tht Yeshua was a real person Cris? He didn't start christianity, he was Jewish. He had original thoughts about death and life and nthing wrong with it really.
Cheers!

 

[blonde_cupid]

There is plenty of evidence of the existence of Jesus, both biblical and non-biblical.

There is no evidence that anyone in the first few centuries actually doubted the existence of Jesus.

 

[Amp]

Lightbeing

No Jesus is not the 'God'(ubook term- First source and center) but he is like the Father in that he does the will of the Father and he characterized the Fathers personality so WE may have some notion of his Father.

My assertion: if there is a record, a so called 'book of life' then any and every living personality would be recorded therein so Jesus was/is just such a personality and if the Ubook is what it claims to be then revealing episodes in his life should be no problem. Peace Amp

PS Perhaps I'm not a christian, but I believe Jesus's message to us that we are the children of 'God' and that makes the humans of Earth my brothers and sisters.

 

[Tiassa]

The gap in Jesus' life?

When, then, did Jesus find out who he was? We might point to when he was how old, in Luke 3.22? Strangely, I was reminded of that by an unrelated article in Parabola, so ... yeah.

So, Jesus was 18, 19 years old, dicking around in Galilee, knowing all the time that he was the Messiah? Pointing back to the Was Jesus Married? link, we note fourteen marriageable years of Jesus' life about which we know nothing.

The Parabola article in question (Bourgeault, Cynthia; Nurturing the Heart; v.27, n.1, pp. 6-11) is actually about spiritual progress, as opposed to any Biblical issue directly. Yet, the author reminds us:

The passage from one feedback loop is symbolically described in the gospel accounts of Christ's temptations in the wilderness, particularly the refusal to "turn stones into bread," or feed oneself by one's own egoic capacities. What is often overlooked in discussions of these narratives, however, is that Jesus' encounter with temptation takes place only after his baptism, where he first receives the revelation of his true identity: "This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased" (Luke 3.22). First comes the unfolding of the true identity; then comes the casting away of all that is not essential to it.

It seems that Jesus was thirty, or thereabout, at this time.

Thus I must disagree with the reasoning that Jesus was not married because he was aware of his identity. He may well have left his wife; perhaps she was reduced to, say, prostitution? A bit of sympathy toward the Magdalene?

thanx,
Tiassa

 

[Amp]

Tiassa, wasn't that the temptation by Satan?

He was born, grew through childhood into a teenager to an adult so it is probably more accurate to view the temptation after the baptism on a different level than the temptations(we all go through) he had to resist while growing up. JMO Peace Amp

 

[LIGHTBEING]

Amp,

I beleive that we are all God's children as well. We are all part of a whole. It didn't take Jesus' message for me to understand this. But who knows, it may not even be Jesus' message you are really reading. One will never know. To me, it is all irrelevant.

 

[Cris]

blonde_cupid

There is plenty of evidence of the existence of Jesus, both biblical and non-biblical.

Nonsense. Show me something that demonstrates that he existed, as opposed to just assertions. If there is plenty then you should have no trouble with this easy question.

There is no evidence that anyone in the first few centuries actually doubted the existence of Jesus.

Yes there is, and lots of it, see the articles below.

The Origins of Christianity and
the Quest for the Historical Jesus Christ http://www.truthbeknown.com/origins.htm

A couple of short extracts -

The Proof

The assertion that Jesus Christ is a myth can be proved not only through the works of dissenters and "pagans" who knew the truth - and who were viciously refuted or murdered for their battle against the Christian priests and "Church Fathers" fooling the masses with their fictions - but also through the very statements of the Christians themselves, who continuously disclose that they knew Jesus Christ was a myth founded upon more ancient deities located throughout the known ancient world. In fact, Pope Leo X, privy to the truth because of his high rank, made this curious declaration, "What profit has not that fable of Christ brought us!" ……………………………

The Characters -

It is evident that there was no single historical person upon whom the Christian religion was founded, and that "Jesus Christ" is a compilation of legends, heroes, gods and godmen. There is not adequate room here to go into detail about each god or godman that contributed to the formation of the Jewish Jesus character; suffice it to say that there is plenty of documentation to show that this issue is not a question of "faith" or "belief." The truth is that during the era this character supposedly lived there was an extensive library at Alexandria and an incredibly nimble brotherhood network that stretched from Europe to China, and this information network had access to numerous manuscripts that told the same narrative portrayed in the New Testament with different place names and ethnicity for the characters. In actuality, the legend of Jesus nearly identically parallels the story of Krishna, for example, even in detail, as was presented by noted mythologist and scholar Gerald Massey over 100 years ago, as well as by Rev. Robert Taylor 160 years ago, among others. The Krishna tale as told in the Hindu Vedas has been dated to at least as far back as 1400 B.C.E. The same can be said of the well-woven Horus mythos, which also is practically identical, in detail, to the Jesus story, but which predates the Christian version by thousands of years.

Now try the Jesus Puzzle. http://human.st/jesuspuzzle/jhcjp.htm

Avatar

I really don't beleive tht a whole religion was made up with no real historical person to start it.

Then reassess your beliefs. Not only is it possible but also the most probable. Put yourself into the historical context of the times and consider this extract from the above link -

We are led to conclude that the beginning of the Christian movement was not a response to any human individual at one time and location. Christianity was born in a thousand places, out of the fertile religious and philosophical soil of the time, expressing faith in an intermediary Son who was a channel to God, providing knowledge, love and salvation. It sprang up in many innovative minds like Paul’s, among independent communities and sects all over the empire, producing a variety of forms and doctrines. Some of it tapped into traditional Jewish Messiah expectation and apocalyptic sentiment, other expressions were tied to more Platonic ways of thinking. Greek mystery concepts also fed into the volatile mix. Many groups (though not all) adopted the term "Christ" for their divine figure, as well as the name "Jesus", which in Hebrew has the meaning of "Savior". Paul and the Jerusalem brotherhood around Peter and James were simply one strand of this broad salvation movement, although an important and ultimately very influential one. Later, in a mythmaking process of its own, the Jerusalem circle with Paul as its satellite was adopted as the originating cell of the whole Christian movement.

I have some more references if you like.

Cris

 

[Avatar]

hmmmmm interesting. I'm not buying it for now, but I will considerate this and do a little bit of my own (independent) search.
Bye!

 

[Tiassa]

Customs, laws, Clive Barker, and even a heresy ...

He was born, grew through childhood into a teenager to an adult so it is probably more accurate to view the temptation after the baptism on a different level than the temptations(we all go through) he had to resist while growing up.

Just as a point-by-point:

* Jesus was 30 when his ministry began (Luke, 3.23)
* This is 14 years into a marriageable age (cf. prior links)
* Jesus did not come to change (destroy) the Law or the Prophets, but to fulfill them (Matt. 5.17)
* Inasmuch as I can tell from prophets (e.g. Micah 4.2-ff), in the latter days, "from Zion will go forth the law, even the word of the Lord from Jerusalem". This notion can serve to reinforce the above point from Matthew 5.
* Referring again to the links in prior posts, the Was Jesus Married? page reminds us of the importance of marriage. (see above posts)
* With Jesus fulfilling the law which had come before him, we can conclude that he was, most likely married.

This is important to establish, and where I'm taking issue, for instance, is a notion which you included in your earlier reasoning:

I'm of the opinion Jesus did not marry. He obviously knew his status when he was proceding about the Fathers business. IMHO, he had discerned his destiny while still quite young

To point to the episode in Luke 3.22, his baptism, what sign does Jesus have of his true identity before this?

As the Bourgeault article in Parabola suggests: first comes the true identity, and then the shedding away of the nonessentials. Of the 18 years of Jesus' life we do not have in the Bible, he was, after all, human ... It is only after he has progressed as a human being that he can understand his true identity, and we see identity being resolved when Jesus is around 30. True, there is a difference 'twixt temptations, but that symbolism only lends toward the separation of identities: as a mundane human, Jesus dealt with mundane temptations; once his identity was revealed, however, the game was afoot and the chief players make their entries. As a side note, I recommend the Clive Barker play The History of the Devil, or, Scenes from a pretended life for an excellent examination of Christ's temptation in the desert.

The key point to me is that Jesus did not know his true identity until he was around 30, by which I must necessarily disagree with the point of his celibacy resulting from his knowledge, fear of the tale of the nephilim, and so forth.

Furthermore, it is worth pointing out, though I'm not going to knock you for this one, that your reasoning equals Docetism ... the heresy (like I care about heresy) of assuming that Jesus was not fully human, thereby diminishing the sacrifice he made on the cross by allowing the divine reduction of suffering. On the one hand, the Old Church persecuted that particular heresy; to the other, the Nicene Creed and the Trinity itself owe much to the heresy. I'm thinking of the Nephilim line here ....

thanx,
Tiassa

 

[Markx]

I think........

I think Islam portrays a better picture of Jesus then Christians and Jews.

The info is taken from Book by Ahmed dedat.




Christians Unaware

The Christian does not know that the true spirit of charity which the Muslim displays, always, towards Jesus and his mother Mary spring from the fountainhead of his faith - the Holy Quran. He does not know that the Muslim does not take the holy name of Jesus, in his own language, without saying Eesa, alaihi assalam ("Jesus, peace be upon him")

The Christian does not know that in the Holy Quran Jesus is mentioned twenty five times. For example:

"We gave Jesus, the son of Mary, clear signs and strengthened him with the Holy Spirit" (The Holy Quran 2:87)

"O Mary! God giveth thee glad tidings of a Word from Him: his name will be Christ Jesus, the son of Mary..." (3:45)

"...Christ Jesus the son of Mary was (no more than) an apostle of god..." (4:171)

"...And in their foot steps we sent Jesus the son of Mary..." (5:46)

"And Zakariya and John, and Jesus and Elias: all in the ranks of the righteous." (6:85)

Jesus - His Titles

Though Jesus is mentioned by name in twenty-five places in the Holy Quran, he is also addressed with respect as: Ibn Maryam, meaning "The son of Mary"; and as the Maseeh (in Hebrew it is the Messiah), which is translated as "Christ". He is also known as Abdullah, "The servant of Allah"; and as Rasul u Allah, the messenger of Allah.

He is spoken of as "The Word of God", as "The Spirit of God", as a "Sign of God", and numerous other epithets of honor spread over fifteen different chapters. The Holy Quran honors this mighty messenger of God, and the Muslims have not fallen short over the past fourteen hundred years in doing the same. There is not a single disparaging remark in the entire Quran to which even the most jaundiced among the Christians can take exception.


Mother And Son
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Mary Honored

The birth of Jesus Christ is described in two places of the Quran - chapter 3 and chapter 19. Reading from the beginning of his birth, we come across the story of Mary, and the esteemed position which she occupies in the House of Islam, before the actual annunciation of the birth of Jesus is given:

"'Behold'! the angels said: 'O Mary! God hath chosen thee and purified thee, and chosen thee above the women of all nations" (3:42)

"Chosen thee above the women of all nations." Such an honor is not to be found given to Mary even in the Christian Bible! The verse continues:

"O Mary! Worship thy Lord devoutly: prostrate thyself, and bow down (in prayer) with those who bow down." (3:43)



Mary's Birth

The story is that the maternal grandmother of Jesus, Hannah, had hitherto been barren. She poured out her heart to God: If only God will grant her a child, she would surely dedicate such a child for the service of God in the temple.

God granted her prayer and Mary was born. Hannah was disappointed. She was yearning for a son, but instead she delivered a daughter; and in no way is the female like the male, for what she had in mind. What was she to do? She had made a vow to God. She waited for Mary to be big enough to fend for herself.

When the time came, Hannah took her darling daughter to the temple, to hand over for temple services. Every priest wanted to be the god-father of this child. They cast lots with arrows for her - like the tossing of the coin - head or tail?
eventually she fell to the lot of Zakariya, but not without a dispute.

The Source of His Message

This was the story. But where did Muhammed, salla Allah u alihi wa sallam, get this knowledge from? He was an Ummi, Arabic for "unlettered". He did not low how to read or write. He is made by God Almighty to answer this very question in the verse above, by saying that it was all by divine inspiration. "No!", says the controversialist. "This is Muhammed's own concoction. He copied his revelations from the Jews and Christians. He plagiarized it. He forged it."

Knowing full-well, and believing as we do, that the whole Quran is the veritable Word of God, we will nevertheless agree, for the sake of argument, with the enemies of Muhammed, salla Allah u alihi wa sallam, for a moment, that he wrote it. We can now expect some cooperation from the unbelievers.

Ask him: "Have you any qualms in agreeing that Muhammed was an Arab?" Only an ignorant will hesitate to agree. In that case there is no sense in pursuing any discussion. Cut short the talk. Close the book!

With the man of reason, we proceed. "That this Arab, in the first instance, was addressing other Arabs. He was not talking to Indian Muslims, Chinese Muslims, or Nigerian Muslims. He was addressing his own people, the Arabs. Whether they agreed with him or not, he told them in the most sublime form, words that were seared into the hearts and minds of his listeners that Mary the mother of Jesus, a Jewess, was chosen above the women of all nations. Not his own mother, nor his wife nor his daughter, nor any other Arab woman, but a Jewess! Can one explain this? Because to everyone his own mother or wife, or daughters would come before other women.

Why would the prophet of Islam honor a woman from his opposition! and a Jewess at that! belonging to a race which had been looking down upon his people for three thousand years? Just as they still look down upon their Arab brethren today."

Sarah and Hagar

The Jews learn, from the Bible, that their father, Abraham, had two wives Sarah and Hagar. They say that they are the children of Abraham through Sarah his legitimate wife; that their Arab brethren have descended through Hagar, a "bondwoman", and that as such, the Arabs are an inferior breed.

Will anyone please explain the anomaly as to why Muhammed, salla Allah u alihi wa sallam, if he is the author, chose this Jewess for such high honor? The answer is simple, he had no choice he had no right to speak of his own desire. "It is no less than an inspiration sent down to him." (53:4)

The Chapter of Maryam

There is a Chapter in the Holy Quran, named Surat u Maryam "Chapter Mary", named in honor of Mary the mother of Jesus Christ, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him; again, such an honor is not to be found given to Mary in the Christian Bible. Out of the 66 books of the Protestants and 73 of the Roman Catholics, not one is named after Mary or her son. You will find books named after Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter, Paul and two score more obscure names, but not a single one is that of Mary!

If Muhammed, salla Allah u alihi wa sallam, was the author of the Holy Quran, then he would not have failed to include in it with Mary, the mother of Jesus, his own mother Aamina, his dear wife Khadija, or his beloved daughter Fatima. But No! No! This can never be. The Quran is not his handiwork!.


The Good News
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" 'Behold!' the angels said: 'O Mary! Allah giveth thee glad tidings of a word from him: his name will be Jesus, the son of Mary; held in honor in this world and the hereafter; and (of the company of) those nearest to Allah." (3:45)

"Nearest to God," not physically nor geographically, but spiritually. Compare this with "And (Jesus) sat on the right hand of God." (Mark 16:19). The bulk of Christendom has misunderstood this verse as well as many others in the Bible. They imagine the Father (God) sitting on a throne, a glorified chair, and His Son, Jesus, sitting on His right hand side. Can you conjure up the picture? If you do, you have strayed from the true knowledge of God. He is no old Father Christmas. He is beyond the imagination of the mind of man. He exists. He is real, but He is not like anything we can think of, or imagine.

In eastern languages "right hand" meant a place of honor, which the Holy Quran more fittingly describes as "In the company of those nearest to Allah." The above verse confirms that Jesus is the Christ. and that he is the Word which God bestowed upon Mary. Again, the Christian reads into these words, a meaning which they do not carry. They equate the word "Christ" with the idea of a god-incarnate; and the "Word" of God to be God.

"Christ" Not a Name

The word "Christ" is derived from the Hebrew word Messiah, Arabic Maseeh. Root word masaha, meaning "to rub", "to massage", "to anoint". Priests and kings were anointed when being consecrated to their offices. But in its translated Grecian form, "Christ" seems unique: befitting Jesus only.

Christians like to translate names into their own language; like Cephas to "Peter" , Messiah to "Christ". How do they do that? Very easily. Messiah in Hebrew means "Anointed". The Greek word for anointed is Christos. Just lop off the 'os' from Christos, and you are left with "Christ"; a unique name!

Christos means "Anointed", and anointed means appointed in its religious connotation. Jesus, peace and blessing be upon him, was appointed (anointed) at his baptism by John the Baptist, as God's Messenger. Every prophet of God is so anointed or appointed. The Holy Bible is replete with the "anointed" ones. In the original Hebrew, he was made a Messiah. Let us keep to the English translation "anointed."

Not only were prophets and priests and kings anointed (Christos-ed), but horns, and cherubs and lamp-posts also.

"I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar ..." (Genesis 31:13)

"If the priest that is anointed do sin ..." (Leviticus 4:3)

"And Moses... anointed the tabernacle and all things that was therein..." (Leviticus 8:100)

"..the Lord shall...exalt the horn of his anointed" (I Samuel 2:10)

"Thus saith the Lord to his anointed to Cyrus..." (Isaiah 45:1)

"Thou art the anointed cherub..." (Ezekiel 28:14)

There are an hundred more such references in the Holy Bible. Every time you come across the word "anointed" in your Bible, you can take it that that word would be christos in the Greek translations, and if you take the same liberty with the word that the Christians have done, you will have Christ Cherub, Christ Cyrus, Christ Priest and Christ Pillar, ...etc.



Jews Amazed

There is no Joseph the carpenter here. The circumstances being peculiar, Mary the mother of Jesus had retired herself to some remote place in the East (19:16). After the birth of the child she returns.

A. Yusuf Ali, comments in his popular English translation of the Quran:

"The amazement of the people knew no bounds. In any case they were prepared to think the worst of her, as she had disappeared from her kin for some time. But now she comes, shamelessly parading a babe in her arms! How she had disgraced house of Aaron, the fountain of priesthood!

"Sister of Aaron": Mary is reminded of her high lineage and the unexceptionable morals of her father and mother. How, they said, she had fallen, and disgraced the name of her progenitors!

What could Mary do? How could she explain? Would they, in their censorious mood accept her explanation? All she could do was to point to the child, who, she knew, was no ordinary child. And the child came to her rescue. By a miracle he spoke, defended his mother, and preached to an unbelieving audience."

Allah azza wa jall says in the Quran:

"But she pointed to the babe. They said: 'How can we talk one who is a child in the cradle?' He (Jesus) said: 'I am indeed a servant of Allah (God) : He hath given me revelation and made me a prophet: 'and He hath made me blessed wheresoever I be, and hath enjoined on me prayer and charity as long as I live. '(He hath made me) kind to my mother, and not overbearing or unblest; 'So Peace is on me the day I was born, the day that I die, and the day that I shall be raised up to life again)'!" (19:29-33)

His First Miracle(s)

Thus Jesus, peace and blessings be upon him, defended his mother from the grave calumny and innuendoes of her enemies. This is the very first miracle attributed to Jesus in the Holy Quran that, he spoke as an infant from his mother's arms. Contrast this with his first miracle in the Christian Bible which occurred when he was over thirty years of age:

"And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, they have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, 'Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.' His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. And there were set there six water pots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. Jesus saith unto them, Fill the water pots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it. When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now." (John 2:110)

Since this miracle, wine has flowed like water in Christendom. Many reason that what was good for the Master is good enough for them. Jesus was no "kill-joy" they say. Didn't he make good potent wine, that even those "well drunk", those whose senses had been dulled could make out the difference ? "That the best was kept for the last.". This was no pure grape juice. It was the same wine that, according to the Christian Bible, enabled the daughters of Lot to seduce their father (Genesis 19:32-33).It was the same wine which the Christian is advised to eschew in Ephesians 5:18 - "And be not drunk with wine..."

It is that innocent (?) 1% potency that eventually leads millions down into the gutter. America has 10 million drunkards in the midst of 70 million "born-again" Christians! The Americans call their drunkards "Problem Drinkers". In South Africa, they are called "Alcoholics"; drunkard is too strong a word for people to stomach.

But the Prime Minister of Zambia, Dr. Kenneth Kaunda, does not hesitate to call a spade a spade. He says, "I am not prepared to lead nation of drunkards", referring to his own people who drink intoxicants.

Whether the water "blushed" or not "seeing" Jesus, we cannot blame him or his disciples for the drinking habits of his contemporaries. For he had truly opined, "have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now" (John 16:12). Mankind had not reached the stage of receiving the whole Truth of Islam. Did he not also say "You cannot put new wine into old bottles"? (Matthew 9:17).



Jesus Defended

Muhammed, salla Allah u alihi wa sallam, the Messenger of God, is made to absolve Jesus from the false charges and calumnies of his enemies.

"And He (God Almighty) hath made me (Jesus) kind to my mother, and not overbearing or unblest" (19:31).

On receiving the good news of the birth of a righteous son Mary responds:

"She said: 'O My Lord! how shall I have a son, when no man hath touched me?"

The angel says in reply:

"He said: 'Even so: Allah (God) createth what He willeth: when He hath decreed a matter He but sayth o it 'Be,' and it is! And Allah (God) will teach him the Book and Wisdom, the Torah (Law) and the Gospel," (3:47-48).




The Biblical Version

Says the Bible:

"And the angle answered and said into her : 'The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee" (Luke 1:35)

Can't you see that you are giving the atheist, the skeptic, the agnostic a stick to beat you with? They may well ask "How did the Holy Ghost come upon Mary?" "How did the Highest overshadow her?" We know that literally it does not mean that: that it was an immaculate conception, but the language used here, is distasteful. Now contrast this with the language of the Quran:

The Quranic Version

"He said (the angel says in reply): 'Even so: Allah (God) createth what He willeth: when He hath decreed a plan, He but saith to it, 'Be,' and it is!' " (3:47)

This is the Muslim concept of the birth of Jesus. For God to create a Jesus, without a human father, He merely has to will it. If He wants to create a million Jesus' without fathers or mothers, He merely wills them into existence. He does not have to take seeds and transfer them, like men or animals by contact or artificial insemination . He wills everything into being by His word of command "Be" and "It is".

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I came acorss this book when I was 17 and had it since then. I find it very interesting and very indetail. When I took it to my local bible school, they told me to get rid of and even said it is satan's handi work. And there is no truth to all this. But no one tried to object it or tried to tell me that why Muslims think that way or why it is wrong even thou it make more sense. I like to share more from this book if any one interested.
Later.

 

[blonde_cupid]

Cris,


***The Proof

The assertion that Jesus Christ is a myth can be proved not only through the works of dissenters and "pagans" who knew the truth...***

Please, point out some of those works.



***Piece No. 1: A Conspiracy of Silence

In the first half century of Christian correspondence, including letters attributed to Paul and other epistles under names like Peter, James and John, the Gospel story cannot be found. When these writers speak of their divine Christ, echoes of Jesus of Nazareth are virtually inaudible, including details of a life and ministry, the circumstances of his death, the attribution of any teachings to him. God himself is often identified as the source of Christian ethics. No one speaks of miracles performed by Jesus, his apocalyptic predictions, his views on any of the great issues of the time. The very fact that he preached in person is never mentioned, his appointment of apostles or his directive to carry the message to the nations of the world is never appealed to. No one looks back to Jesus’ life and ministry as the genesis of the Christian movement, or as the pivot point of salvation history. The great characters of the Jesus story, Mary his mother, Joseph his father, John his herald, Judas his betrayer, Pilate his executioner: none of them receive a mention in all the Christian correspondence of the first century. As for holy places, there are none to be found, for not a single epistle writer breathes a word about any of the sites of Jesus’ career, not even Calvary where he died for the world’s sins, or the empty tomb where he rose from the dead to guarantee a universal resurrection.***


The letters of Paul alone, proves this "Conspiracy of Silence" theory to be false.


Here's a small sample from Romans 6:5-11:

For if we have grown into union with him through a death like his, we shall also be united with him in the resurrection. We know that our old self was crucified with him, so that our sinful body might be done away with, that we might no longer be in slavery to sin. For a dead person has been absolved from sin. If, then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more; death no longer has power over him. As to his death, he died to sin once and for all; as to his life, he lives for God. Consequently, you too must think of yourselves as [being] dead to sin and living for God in Christ Jesus.

P.S...

In Romans 1:16, Paul writes, "I am not ashamed of the gospel"

 

[Aware]

hmmmm....doesn't anyone know of anything that demonstrates that Jesus existed??

 

[Cris]

blonde_cupid,

Last point first.

In Romans 1:16, Paul writes, "I am not ashamed of the gospel"

But what does that mean? Paul’s letters were written before, what we usually mean by the gospels.

Cris