Problems with Reza Aslan’s Rejection of Jesus Before Pilate Part 2

Two months ago I wrote “Problems with Reza Aslan’s Rejection of Jesus Before Pilate Part 1.”  This is the second installment.

Reza Aslan has gotten into more controversies since my last post.  He’s managed to get himself kicked out of CNN. And that reminded me to work on part 2 of this series.

Aslan’s most popular book is Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth.

Reza Aslan questions the historicity of Jesus being before Pilate as the Gospels presented it.  On page 148 of the book he writes:

Either the threat posed by Jesus to the stability of Jerusalem is so great that he is one of only a handful of Jews to have the opportunity to stand before Pilate and answer for his alleged crimes, or else the so-called trial before Pilate is a fabrication.  There is reason to suspect that latter. (148)

We are examining his “reason” to question the Gospel account of Jesus before Pilate.  In part 1 I refuted Aslan’s argument based upon Aslan’s assertion that Pilate was one who was not for trials.  Here in this post I want to look at another of Aslan’s “reason.”

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Bible Contradiction? Who carried Jesus’ cross?

For today’s post will tackle the question the Skeptic Annotated Bible asked: Who carried Jesus’s cross?

Here are the two answers which the skeptic believes shows a Bible contradiction:

Jesus carried his own cross

“They took Jesus, therefore, and He went out, ^[a]bearing His own cross, to the place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha.” (John 19:17)

Simon the Cyrenian carried Jesus’s cross.

“As they were coming out, they found a man of Cyrene named Simon, whom they pressed into service to bear His cross.” (Matthew 27:32)

“ They *pressed into service a passer-by coming from the country, Simon of Cyrene (the father of Alexander and Rufus), to bear His cross.” (Mark 15:21)

When they led Him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, coming in from the country, and placed on him the cross to carry behind Jesus.” (Luke 23:26)

(All Scriptural quotation comes from the New American Standard Bible)

Here’s a closer look at whether or not there is a contradiction:

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What is the Gospel? In Russian

I’m posting this for evangelistic purposes.

One of the things I want to post more this year is biblically solid Gospel presentation.

Here it is in Russian for 3 minutes.

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Sam Shamoun: Refuting Iglesia Ni Cristo

Sam Shamoun has two videos and a couple of posts on his blog critiquing Inglesia Ni Cristo arguments that Jesus is not God from the James White debate with Iglesia Ni Cristo apologist Joe Ventilacion.

It’s worth praying that God would use these resources knowing that this group is the third largest religion in the Philippines.

Here’s the first video:

Here’s the second video:

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Pastor Alex Montoya’s Sermon: The Harvest Is Plentiful, But the Workers Are Few

I really appreciate the preaching ministry of Alex Montoya.  In this recent sermon at The Master’s Seminary chapel session, Dr. Montoya preaches a sermon “The Harvest Is Plentiful, But the Workers Are Few.”  It is based upon Matthew 9:36 – 10:16.

He goes to the heart of Jesus and exhorts the listeners to serve the Lord.

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Happy Mother’s Day and Jesus’ Last Words

Happy Mother’s Day!

On this day many in America will be honoring their mothers.  As Christians we must live out what God wants that we honor our parents.

I know Resurrection Sunday/Easter was last month but I’m still on a spiritual high after preaching the whole month of April on the death and resurrection of Christ.  There’s some famous final words of Jesus on the cross.

But I think there’s one set that we often miss over.  And its totally appropriate on Mother’s Day.

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Argument against the Trinity? Christ Getting Tired

Last month I posted Who Is God? Trinity Debate: Dr. James White vs Bro. Joe Ventilacion.  This was a debate between Christian apologist James White and a defender of the cult Iglesia ni Cristo.

Iglesia ni Cristo denies the deity of Christ.  In the comment section of my post someone introduced some arguments and verses against the divinity of Christ. In this post I want address one of the commentator’s argument:

God dies not get tired Isa40:28 . Christ got tired ,John 4:6 .

Isaiah 40:28 states “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth Does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable.”

John 4:6 states “and Jacob’s well was there. So Jesus, being wearied from His journey, was sitting thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.”

Does the fact that Jesus got tired meant that Jesus was not Divine?  I don’t think so let me explain.

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