CHRISTIAN
AND MUSLIM ARGUMENT ON THE GODHEAD OF CHRIST 6.1 Jesus the Literal Son of God 6.2 Jesus Addressing God as “Father” 6.8 The Word Created Everything 6.9 Thomas Addressed Jesus as “My Lord and My God” |
6.2 Jesus addressing God as “Father”
“He went on a little farther and fell face down on the ground. He prayed that, if it were possible, the awful hour awaiting him might pass him by. “Abba, Father, he said...” (Mark 14:35-36, NLT) Muslim Answer: Dr Gary Miller: “If Jesus had said that God was his Father did he meant that literally? Some Jews came to Jesus want to argue with him and he said to them: “You are following the advice of your father…” They replied, “We were not born out of wedlock! Our true Father is God himself.” Jesus told them, “If God were your Father, you would love me… For you are the children of your father the devil.” (John 8:38-44, NLT) Now, obviously neither side in this argument was talking about something literally. Jesus didn’t literally mean that if we trace back to the great-great-grandfather of the Jews he was the devil. He meant Father in a sense of “who sustains you”, “Whose side are you on”, “Whose children do you behave like?” The Jews meanwhile understood Father in a symbolic sense of “Master”. There are many references to that in their Scripture the Old Testament. For example in Isaiah we found: “Lord, look down from heaven and see us from your holy, glorious home… surely you are still our Father! Even if Abraham and Jacob would disown us, Lord, you would still be our Father. You are our Redeemer from ages past.” (Isaiah 63:15-17, NLT)[1] In Galatians 4:6, every Christian is said to call God “Abba” or “Father”, not only Jesus: “And because you Gentiles have become his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, and now you can call God your dear Father.” (NLT)
|
|
|
