A Bible lesson by Ivor Jefferies
Christians disagree about the detail of the end times. Some believe in a single coming of Christ at the end of human history, while others believe in two comings: first a secret rapture, and then a Second Coming to introduce Christ’s thousand year reign of peace in Jerusalem.
All of us believe that one of these views is wrong. And yet, whichever view you take, you can believe it and still be a genuine Christian.
This is not true when it comes to the cross of Christ. Certain errors would instantly disqualify someone from being a Christian at all, and there can be no salvation for those who believe it. This is the point of Galatians.
How can we spot these fatal errors about the cross, and how do we avoid them?
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According to the Qur'an Jesus did not die on the cross.1 Some say that they removed Him after He fell into a coma, or that Judas swapped places with Him.
1. How would you refute this claim, and what will happen if you do not believe that Jesus died for our sins?
Read Matt. 27:3-5, John 19:30c, 33-42, 1 Cor. 15:1-3, Heb. 9:14, 22, 10:26-29.
Muslims might respond by saying that the Gospels are corrupted, and yet the earliest fragment of John's Gospel dates from around 100 AD. Furthermore, there are more than 5500 New Testament manuscripts and these agree 99.5%!2
To say that Jesus did not die on the cross is simply ignorant. Even secular historians from the 1st century AD agree that Jesus was crucified under Pontius Pilate.3
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Prosperity preachers say that Jesus literally became a sinner on the cross, that He took on the nature of Satan, that He paid a ransom to Satan in order to free us from his tyranny, or that He suffered in hell for our sins after He died.4
2. How do the verses below to refute these heresies?
- Jesus became a sinner: 2 Cor. 5:21, Phil. 2:8, Heb. 7:26, 1 Pet. 1:19, 2:24, 3:18.
- Jesus took on the nature of Satan: Gen. 3:15, 1 John 3:8, Mark. 3:22, 28-30.
- Jesus paid a ransom to Satan: Rom. 3:25, 5:9, Eph. 5:2.
- Jesus suffered in hell after He died: Luke 23:43, 46, John 19:30b, Heb. 9:12, 24.
According to 1 Pet. 3:19-20 Jesus went and preached to the spirits in prison who were disobedient in the days of Noah. What does this mean? Through Noah the Spirit of Christ preached to those who are now spirits in prison, but He did so while they were still alive (Heb. 11:7, 1 Pet. 4:6, 2 Pet. 2:5, 1:20-21). Or Peter may be referring to the evil spirits who were disobedient in the time of Noah (Gen. 6:1-4, 2 Pet. 2:4, Jude 6). In that case He would mean that they are now in prison, and that Christ proclaimed his victory over them on his way to heaven after He died.
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Liberals downplay God’s wrath upon human sin by saying that a God of love would never punish his Son so brutally for our sins. Rather, Jesus died as an example of sacrificial love. It is by loving like He did that we are forgiven.5
3. How does this teaching affirm, yet fall short of the Biblical teaching?
Read Eph. 5:25, 1 Pet. 2:21, 1 John 3:16, Isa. 53:4-6, Gal. 3:13, Heb. 9:22.
In Roman Catholic theology the cross of Christ is insufficient to save us—baptism, good works, penance, prayers through Mary, attending Mass, etc. are necessary for salvation.6
4. How does the God’s Word refute the error of the Catholic Church?
Read Gal. 2:16, 21, Eph. 2:8-10, Jas. 2:14-26, Acts 4:12, 1 Tim. 2:5.
5. Many unsaved people believe that Jesus died for their sins. What makes your faith different from theirs?
Read Jas. 2:19, Mark 1:15, Luke 19:8-10, John 1:12, 6:35, 40, Acts 20:21.
1 “...they said (in boast), ‘We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah’;—but they killed him not, nor crucified him. Only a likeness of that was shown to them. And those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge. But only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not:—Nay, Allah raised him up unto Himself.” (Surah 4:157-158).
2 https://www.wesleyhuff.com/blog/2021/5/6/the-earliest-new-testament-manuscripts. Lee Strobel, The Case for Christ (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1998), 70-94. Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology (Nottingham, England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994, 2007), 96. John MacArthur & Richard Mayhue (ed.), Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic Summary of Bible Truth (Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway, 2017), 127-128. Also see https://normangeisler.com/a-note-on-the-percent-of-accuracy-of-the-new-testament-text/
3 Flavius Josephus, Complete Works: The Antiquities of the Jews: 18.3.3 (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Kregel Publications, 1960), 379. Publius Cornelius Tacitus, The Annals, 15.44. Also see https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/reviews/josephus-jesus-new-evidence/
4 Kenneth Copeland, Believer’s Voice of Victory, TBN, April 21, 1991 in John MacArthur, Strange Fire (Nashville, Tennessee: Nelson Books, 2013), 47. Joyce Meyer, The Most Important Decision you Will Ever Make (Tulsa: Harrison House, 1996), 39-41. Also see http://www.equip.org/article/the-teachings-of-joyce-meyer/; https://www.tms.edu/preachersandpreaching/did-jesus-become-sinner-cross/; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sL08t3kUEjw
5 Wayne Grudem, Sytematic Theology (Notthingham, England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994, 2007), 581; John MacArthur & Richard Mayhue, Biblical Doctrine (Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway, 2017), 537.
6 Herbert M. Carson, The Faith of the Vatican (Darlington, England: Evangelical Press, 1996).