In previous articles, we have been going through common misconceptions regarding biblical creation. I recently came across a post on Facebook entitled “28 Christian Errors that Don’t Appear Anywhere in the Holy Bible.” This caught my attention because there are indeed claims that Christians sometimes make that are not true to the text of Scripture. I thought perhaps this list might contain a few such claims that are pertinent to origins, and these would be great to expand upon in our “misconceptions” series. But in reading the list, it was immediately obvious that the person who created it (Purusha) is not knowledgeable of the Bible. So, this list turned out to be primarily a list of Purusha’s misconceptions and lack of education in biblical theology.
Misrepresentations of the Bible are common among Bible critics. We Christians need to be ready to respond to such errors when they occur. The misconceptions listed below remind us that non-Christians don’t always understand what the Bible teaches. We need to be able and ready to articulate the major Christian doctrines and show where they occur in Scripture. For brevity, I won’t include all of Purusha’s list, but here are his more relevant claims (in purple text) along with my response (in black text).
Purusha> Unfortunately, some Christians make things up that don’t appear anywhere in the Bible — not in any book, not in any chapter, and not in any verse — and then they state those strange and false made-up notions as if they were scripture.
Dr. Lisle> This is quite true. On the flipside, many people deny those things that the Bible does teach. And we will see below that this is the case with Purusha.
Purusha> Is Christianity the only authentic religion? No: God has revealed many authentic religious traditions besides Christianity.
Dr. Lisle> It would have been helpful if Purusha clarified what he means by “authentic.” Clearly many religions exist. However, does God approve of religions that are contrary to the Bible? No! Consider what God says about other religions in Deuteronomy 6:14, “You shall not follow other gods, any of the gods of the peoples who surround you, for the LORD your God in the midst of you is a jealous God; otherwise the anger of the LORD your God will be kindled against you, and He will wipe you off the face of the earth.” See also Deuteronomy 11:26-28, 13:1-5, 28:15-68, 29:23-28.
Does God accept religious practice or worship besides that which He specifically outlined in the Bible? No! The first and second commandments (Exodus 20:3-6) teach that God only accepts worship on His own terms. How does God respond when people invent their own religious rituals in an attempt to serve God? Have a look at Leviticus 10:1-2. Clearly, God is not pleased with religious practices that are not according to His Word.
Purusha> (If this is not the case, then why do you accept the Jewish scriptures in the OT as authentic?)
Dr. Lisle> Because they are inspired by God, just like the New Testament Scriptures. The religion of the Old Testament is the same as the religion of the New Testament: repentance from sin and faith in the Living God. The name we assign may differ, the specific administration differs, but not the mechanism of salvation. Salvation is only possible because of what Christ did, and is only received through faith in Him (Acts 4:12). God revealed and accomplished His plan of salvation in two installments: The Old and New Testaments. The former pointed to the future work of Christ for salvation, and the latter points back to the past work of Christ for salvation. The difference is one of perspective, not mechanism. The Bible has always taught that people can only be saved by God’s grace, through faith in Him, and justice is accomplished by the substitutionary atonement of the Messiah (Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:3; Ephesians 2:8, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Isaiah 53:5).
Purusha> Has God revealed any scriptures besides the Bible? Yes: God has revealed many authentic scriptures besides the Bible.
Dr. Lisle> No. The Bible testifies and gives internal evidence that it alone is God’s revealed propositional Word. Works besides the Bible that claim to be from God (e.g. the various Mormon texts) inevitably contradict the Bible and therefore cannot be from God since God does not deny Himself (2 Timothy 2:13). The Old Testament pointed forward to the coming of Christ. Christ was the greatest revelation from God possible because He was and is God. The New Testament reports what Christ did and expounds on who He is. Consequently, there can be nothing more to add. To attempt to add other Scriptures beyond this is to insult Christ. Indeed, Hebrews 1:1-2 indicates that God’s revelation through Christ is the most direct revelation possible and was superior to the Old Testament revelation because we now have the complete revealed Gospel as explained by God Himself in the flesh. Furthermore, God strictly forbids adding to or subtracting from His Word (Deuteronomy 4:2). Those who claim that God inspired other texts besides the Bible are committing the sin of blasphemy.
Purusha> (What verse says that God hasn’t done so? None of them).
Dr. Lisle> Hebrews 1:1-2; Daniel 9:24; Galatians 1:8-9; Jude 3; 1 Corinthians 13:9-12
Purusha> Was the creation of the world limited to six literal days? No: The creation account in Genesis could have taken millions or billions of years.
Dr. Lisle> No. Of course, we have answered this before. God clearly writes that He made heaven and Earth and all that is in them in the span of six days (Exodus 20:11), the same as our work week (Exodus 20:8), where each day is defined as being bound by an evening and a morning (Genesis 1:5).
Purusha> (The Hebrew word “yom,” which has been incorrectly translated as “day,” literally means “time period,” which means that each one of the 6 yoms mentioned in Genesis could have been millions or billions of years long, and was not necessarily limited to a 24-hour period).
Dr. Lisle> So wrong. In fact, the Hebrew word “yom” is correctly translated as “day” and that is its only literal meaning. It is the same Hebrew word used for the days of our work week in Exodus 20:8-11, of keeping the sabbath day holy, and so on. “Yom” never literally means “time period”, however, it can figuratively mean “time period” only when used poetically as part of a figure of speech as in “the day of the Lord.” More importantly, the context of Genesis 1 absolutely precludes any meaning for “yom” except that of a literal day. Remember, God defines what “yom” means in Genesis 1:5, identifying it both as the light portion of our day (approximately 12 hours on average), and as a complete rotation of Earth (approximately 24 hours) as bound by evening and morning, just as we define the English word “day.”
Purusha> Has God ever stated that he would be crucified, or resurrect to sit next to himself as the Messiah? No: God has never stated that he would be crucified, or resurrect to sit next to himself as the Messiah.
Dr. Lisle> The way Purusha worded this (“sit next to himself”) demonstrates that he does not understand the Trinity. No, God the Son does not sit next to “Himself,” He sits at the right hand of God the Father as the Bible teaches in many places (Hebrews 1:13). Jesus is not the same person as the Father, but He is the same God and there is only one God. The Father, the Holy Spirit, and the Son are three eternally distinct persons, existing as one eternally and uncreated God.
So, Did the Son of God, Jesus, predict that He would be crucified? Yes! Mark 8:31, 9:31; Matthew 16:21, 17:22-23; John 10:15. In Matthew 20:18-20 Jesus states, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death, and will hand Him over to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and crucify Him, and on the third day He will be raised up.” The event is even predicted in the Old Testament in passages such as Psalm 22:16-18; Isaiah 53:5-12; Zechariah 12:10.
Did the Son of God predict that He would rise again? Yes! John 19-21; Mark 8:31, 9:31; Matthew 12:39-40, 16:21, 17:22-23, 20:17-20; John 10:17. In Matthew 20:20 Jesus says of Himself, “and on the third day He will be raised up.” The resurrection is also prophesied in Old Testament poetic passages (Hosea 6:2; Psalm 16:10, 49:15, 71:20).
Did God say that the Messiah would sit at the right hand of the Father? Yes! Psalm 110:1 states, “The LORD says to my Lord: ‘Sit at My right hand Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.’” Many other verses teach this, such as Hebrews 1:3, 13, 10:12, Matthew 22:44; Mark 12:36; Luke 20:42; Acts 2:34-36; Acts 7:55.
Purusha> (In what verse does he say that he would? None of them).
Dr. Lisle> Except for all those verses where He says exactly that, such as Mark 8:31, 9:31; Matthew 17:22-23, 20:17-20; John 10:15-17; Psalm 110:1; Hebrews 1:3, 13, 10:12, Matthew 22:44; Mark 12:36; Luke 20:42; Acts 2:34-36; Acts 7:55, to name a few.
Purusha> Is the Bible is the highest authority? No: The Bible is not the highest authority. (Which one is the higher authority: God, or the Bible?)
Dr. Lisle> Students of logic will recognize this as the bifurcation fallacy. The Bible is the Word of God: the exact expression of His mind. Thus, what the Bible says is exactly what God says. It has absolute authority precisely because God has absolute authority. Jesus (quoting Deuteronomy 8:3) said, “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).
Purusha> Was the serpent in Genesis literally a talking snake? No: The serpent in Genesis was not a literal talking snake. (In ancient Hebrew culture, the term “serpent” carried the metaphorical meaning of a deceitful person, just like the term “snake” carries the same metaphorical meaning in American culture).
Dr. Lisle> Then why does God curse the serpent to crawl on its belly (Genesis 3:14)? Would that make sense of a “deceitful person?” Why does God curse the serpent more than the other beasts (animals), thereby implying that it too is an animal (Genesis 3:14)? And, the real kicker… there were no other people in existence at the time!
Purusha> Is the serpent in Genesis is the same as Satan? No: The serpent in Genesis is not the same as Satan. (What verse says that he is the same? None of them).
Dr. Lisle> Except for Revelation 12:9 and 20:2 which specifically identify that serpent of old as Satan.
Purusha> Were Adam and Eve the first two humans? No: Adam and Eve were not the first two humans.(What verse says that they were? None of them).
Dr. Lisle> Except for those verses that explicitly state this, such as 1 Corinthians 15:45 which says “The first man, Adam, became a living soul.” And Genesis 3:20 states that Eve was the “mother of all the living,” and hence the first woman.
Purusha> Can people other than Jesus be good? Yes: Human beings other than Jesus can definitely be good — by obeying God.
Dr. Lisle> The Bible says, “There is no one who does good, not even one.” (Psalm 14:3). See also Romans 3:10-12; Isaiah 53:6, 64:6, James 2:10-11. Romans 3:23 states, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Jesus said, “No one is good except God alone.” (Mark 10:18, Luke 18:19).
Purusha> (Why did God save Noah and his sons if they weren’t good?
Dr. Lisle> Because God had mercy on Noah and showed Him grace. Grace is unmerited favor – meaning Noah did not deserve to be saved. The Bible specifically says, “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD” (Genesis 6:8).
Purusha> Why do you read the words of Moses in the OT as scripture, and the words of the Gospel writers in the NT as scripture, if Moses and the Gospel writers weren’t good?)
Dr. Lisle> We read the Scriptures as Scripture because they are from God. What the human authors wrote was not an act of their own will. Rather, the Holy Spirit directed their thoughts and words as they penned Scripture and, therefore, they spoke from God. The Bible explicitly states this in 2 Peter 1:21.
Purusha> Can modern Christians be disciples of Jesus, even though they have never met him personally? No: Jesus had a grand total of 12 disciples, and he never accepted any more than those 12 men as his disciples. Modern Christians cannot be “disciples” of Jesus because they have never met him personally.
Dr. Lisle> Here Purusha seems to be confusing the term “disciple” with “apostle.” It is the requirement of an apostle that he has seen Christ (1 Corinthians 9:1; Acts 10:41), and therefore we do not have apostles today. But a disciple is simply a “follower.” That’s what the word means. A disciple is one who follows the teaching and lifestyle of a particular teacher. You are a disciple of Christ if you follow his teachings and strive to live according to them, which we can do even today. Jesus had 12 main disciples, (who were also apostles), but he had chosen these from a larger group of disciples according to Luke 6:13.
The Bible recognizes more disciples than simply the main twelve. The Bible states that Joseph of Arimathea was a disciple of Jesus, though he was not one of the main twelve (Matthew 27:57). Ananias was a disciple of Christ, though not one of the twelve (Acts 9:10), and so were Timothy (Acts 16:1) and Tabitha (Acts 9:36).
Purusha> (What verse says that they can? None of them).
Dr. Lisle> Many verses cite other disciples: Matthew 27:57; Luke 6:13; Acts 9:10, 36, 16:1.
Purusha> Did Jesus claim to be God? No: Jesus never claimed to be God.
Dr. Lisle> It’s hard to believe that anyone who has actually read the Gospel accounts would make such a claim. Jesus claimed to be God both explicitly and implicitly. He referred to Himself as the “I am” (John 8:58) – the divine name by which God revealed Himself to Moses (Exodus 3:14). Jesus claimed to be one with God the Father (John 14:9, 17:22). He claimed to be equal to God (John 5:18). In John 10:30, Jesus claimed to be one with God the Father; the Jews understood that He was claiming to be divine and picked up stones to stone Him. John 10:33 states, “The Jews answered Him, ‘For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God.’”
Jesus accepted worship and the title ‘God’ when others used it of Him (John 20:28). Jesus claimed to have the glory of God (John 17:5), which means He is God since God will not share His glory with another (Isaiah 42:8, 48:11). In John 13:13 Jesus said, “You call me Teacher and Lord; and you are right for so I am.” Jesus claimed to have attributes that only God has, such as omnipotence (Matthew 28:18) and omni-presence (Matthew 28:20).
Purusha> (In what verse does Jesus claim to be God? None of them).
Dr. Lisle> Except of course for all those verses where He does claim to be God, such as John 8:58, 10:30, 13:13, 14:9, 17:22, and by implication in Matthew 28:18, 20, John 17:5, 20:28, to name a few. Moreover, God the Father calls His Son “God” in Hebrews 1:8.
Purusha> Is being gay a sin? No: Being gay is not a sin.
Dr. Lisle> Homosexual actions are sin. It is not a sin to be tempted.
Purusha> (What verse says that it is? None of them).
Dr. Lisle> Except all those that do, such as Leviticus 18:22 which states, “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.” Also, Leviticus 20:13 states, “If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.” Jesus affirmed that marriage is one man united to one woman by God (Matthew 19:4-6). Of course, if anyone repents of these sins and trusts in Christ for salvation, God is pleased to forgive such sins (1 John 1:9).
Purusha> Does the Bible say that there are only two genders? No, it doesn’t: In reality, there are three genders.
Dr. Lisle> Actually, Genesis 1:27 explicitly states, “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”
Purusha> (BIOLOGICAL FACT: The human race possesses a total of three (3) genders. Male (1) Female (2) Hermaphrodite (3) Members of the third gender are rare, but they do exist. All human beings have gender. Some human beings are neither male nor female. Therefore there are three genders. The fact is that some people are born members of the third gender, and your feelings do not change that fact.
Dr. Lisle> Biological fact: In human beings, there are two genders. A hermaphrodite is an organism that has both genders (male and female) on the same organism, such as most plants, and some invertebrates. It’s not a third gender; it is two genders on one organism. Humans are not hermaphrodites by design; however, development disorders can occasionally result in the development of traits of both genders manifesting on one individual. This is a disorder, not a third gender.
Purusha> Is the earth only 6,000 years old? No: The earth is way, way older than 6,000 years.
Dr. Lisle> No, the Earth is roughly 6000 years old. We know this from the fact that God created in six days (Exodus 20:11), man was created on the sixth day (Genesis 1:26-31), the timespan between Adam and Abraham was about 2000 years (Genesis 5-11), and all scholars agree that Abraham lived about 4000 years ago.
Purusha> (What verse says that it’s that young? None of them).
Dr. Lisle> It’s not “young” – it’s about 6000 years old. Again, the verses that teach this are Exodus 20:11, Genesis 1:26-31, Genesis 5-11. Also, Jesus confirms that the world is not much older than humanity in Mark 10:6, since God made Adam and Eve “from the beginning of creation.” So biblically, the Earth cannot be much older than about 6000 years.
Purusha> Is Allah is one of God’s Holy Names? Yes: Allah is one of God’s Holy Names.
Dr. Lisle> No. It is not one of God’s Holy names; it is not a name that God calls himself, such as YHWH. And you will not find this name in the Hebrew or Greek Scriptures. In Arabic, the word “allah” can simply mean “god”. However, Muslims refer to their god by the name “Allah.” The God of Islam is not the same as the triune God of the Bible.
Purusha> Is there more than one God, or is God three persons? No: There is only one God, and he is one person, not 2, 3, 4, or more persons.
Dr. Lisle> Again, Purusha demonstrates that he does not understand the biblical doctrine of the Trinity. There is one God. This one God exists as three eternally distinct persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Bible teaches that the Father is God (John 8:54, 20:17). The Bible teaches that the Son is God (Hebrews 1:8). The Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:3-4). The Bible teaches that there is one God (Deuteronomy 6:4). The Bible teaches that the Son and the Father are different persons (John 5:31-32, 37; compare with John 8:17; Matthew 18:16; Deuteronomy 19:15). And the Holy Spirit is a different person from the Son and the Father (John 14:16, 26). And it has always been this way (John 1:1, 17:5, Malachi 3:6).
If God were only one person, then what do we do with all the passages in which one person of the Godhead speaks to another person of the Godhead? Consider Hebrews 1:8-12 where God the Father calls God the Son “God.” This quotes the Old Testament passage Psalm 45:6-7. Likewise, God the Father speaks to God the Son in Psalm 110:1-5. In Genesis 1:26 one person of the Godhead says to the others “Let us make man in Our image…” See also Isaiah 48:16-17.
Purusha> (What verse states that God is more than one person? None of them).
Dr. Lisle> On the contrary, in addition to all the verses I listed above, all Old Testament verses referring to God teach this. The Hebrew word for “God” is “Elohim” which is a plural word, yet is always used with a singular verb. This indicates that God is one in one sense, and more than one in a different sense. Even the first three Hebrew words of the Bible imply the Trinity; Genesis 1:1 begins, “In the Beginning God created…” The phrase “In the beginning” is one word in Hebrew, and the word “God” is plural while the word “created” uses the singular subject form. Hence, after reading the first three words of the Bible we know that God is one in a sense and more than one in a different sense. The full doctrine of the Trinity is expounded throughout the rest of the Scriptures, especially in the verses listed above.
Purusha> Did Moses and the other OT Prophets worship Jesus? No: Moses and the other OT Prophets never worshipped Jesus. (What verse says that they did? None of them).
Dr. Lisle> All Old Testament believers worshipped Jesus although He was not yet called “Jesus.” Jesus is and always has been God (John 1:1). Old Testament believers worshipped God (Genesis 24:48; 2 Samuel 15:32; Nehemiah 8:6). Therefore, they worshipped Jesus.
Did any Old Testament believers specifically refer to the second member of the Trinity as Lord? Yes! In Psalm 110:1 David says, “The Lord says to my Lord: ‘Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for your feet.” Yes, the Lord (the Father) is speaking to David’s Lord (the Son) indicating that David understood that the Son is His Lord (as is the Father). Note that Jesus asked the unbelieving Jews to explain this verse, and they were unable (Matthew 22:42-46). The sons of Korah worshipped God the Son in Psalm 45:6-7 where they write, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of joy above Your fellows.” Note that they write that their God has been anointed by God, which would only make sense if they are referring to God the Son being anointed by God the Father. Hebrew 1:8-9 explicitly states this.
Purusha> Does God torture people for eternity in Hell? No: God does not torture people at all, and certainly not for eternity.
Dr. Lisle> In Matthew 25:46 Jesus says of unbelievers, “These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (The same word is used for ‘eternal’; so you have no hope of eternal life if punishment of the unrepentant is not also eternal). In Matthew 25:41 Jesus says of unbelievers, “Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels.’” Daniel 12:2 states, “Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt.”
The only morally appropriate punishment (not necessarily “torture”) for those who have committed treason against the infinitely Holy God is an infinite punishment, and hence one that any finite being would take an eternity to pay (2 Thessalonians 1:9). Hence verses like, Revelation 14:10 “And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night…,” Revelation 20:10 “…and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever”, Mark 9:48 “…and the fire is not quenched.” I can understand why people don’t want to accept such a horrible truth; but the Bible is very clear about this.
Purusha> (Seeing as God has revealed himself as the greatest conceivable being, and that the capacity to love is a great-making property, it follows logically that God is maximally loving. From that, it follows that he must prefer universal reconciliation over either eternal torture or annihilationism).
Dr. Lisle> A bad argument cannot withstand what the Bible directly teaches. Purusha has ignored God’s justice, which requires punishment of sin, and eternal punishment of eternal sin. Purusha has also failed to recognized that God respects human freedom. Those who end up in hell do so by their own perverse choice; they hate God and have no desire to be in His presence. Purusha has portrayed God as a cosmic rapist who forces love on those who don’t want it, those who have made it clear that they want nothing to do with God. God will not rape them. But since God is love, He will respect their choice. He will not drag those who hate Him against their will into His Holy presence; He will allow them to exist apart from His joy in the Lake of Fire. Jesus did not teach universal reconciliation. On the contrary, He said, “Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels.’ … These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life” (Matthew 25:41, 46)
Purusha> Are sinful tendencies inherent to the soul? No: The inherent state of the soul is to be sinless.
Dr. Lisle> This was true only before Adam sinned. Now, our natural (fallen) tendency is to sin (Genesis 8:21, Jeremiah 17:9). Unless and until Jesus saves us, we are slaves to sin and cannot stop sinning (John 8:34; Romans 6:6,16-20; 2 Peter 2:19). Before salvation, humans are by nature sinful and therefore under God’s wrath (Ephesians 2:3). Human beings are naturally sinful from our youth (Genesis 8:21), even from conception (Psalm 51:5).
Purusha> What verse states that sin is intrinsic to the soul? None of them
Dr. Lisle> Except of course for all those verses that teach exactly that our natural fallen state is one of sin: such as Ephesians 2:3; Jeremiah 17:9; Titus 3:3; 2 Peter 2:19; Genesis 8:21
Purusha> Did Jesus die for our sins? No: Jesus did not die for our sins. (Which verse says that he did? None of them).
Dr. Lisle> Actually, 1 Corinthians 15:3 specifically says “Christ died for our sins.” It doesn’t get much clearer than that! 1 Peter 3:18 states, “For Christ also died for sins once for all…” 1 Peter 2:24 states, “and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross…” That was the entire point of the crucifixion; for Jesus to pay the penalty of our sin, so that we can be forgiven and yet justice can be satisfied. See also 1 John 2:2, 4:10; Galatians 1:4; Matthew 26:28; Romans 4:25; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 10:12
Even the Old Testament teaches that Christ would die for our sins. Isaiah 53:5 states, “But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities;” Isaiah 53:6 states, “All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.” Isaiah 53:11b states, “By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities.” Isaiah 53:12b states, “Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors.” And that is just one chapter of the Old Testament.
Purusha> Can God die? No: God is immortal, so he cannot die (Which verse says that God can die? None of them).
Dr. Lisle> This was the entire point of the incarnation. God in the fullness of His unsuppressed divinity cannot die. Yet, only the death of God could pay the infinite penalty of the sin of mankind. Therefore, God the Son became a mortal man so that He could die (Matthew 20:28). While in His earthly ministry, God the Son voluntarily “emptied Himself” and many of the normal attributes of Godhood, such as omni-presence and immortality, were suppressed as clearly explained in Philippians 2:5-9. Purusha has missed the entire point of the Gospel.
Purusha> Does the Bible say that God became a man? No: The Bible does not state that God became man.
Dr. Lisle> God the Son became a man as explicitly stated in Philippians 2:5-8; John 1:1,14, 18; Hebrews 2:14; Romans 8:3; see also Hebrews 1:3; Colossians 2:9. Let me quote the relevant portions of John 1:1-14, “And the Word was God… And the Word became flesh…”
Purusha> (It does state that God is unchanging, however, which would imply that he never “becomes” anything).
Dr. Lisle> Purusha’s misconception is a common one. At the incarnation, God the Son took on human nature in addition to His divine nature. Some of His divine attributes were suppressed during that ministry. At the resurrection, Jesus was glorified and His divine attributes are no longer suppressed. However, throughout this, Jesus remained God. And God’s divine attributes have not changed. He is still eternal, triune, all-powerful, omni-present, all-knowing, righteous, just, and so on. God acts in time, but His divine nature has not changed.
Purusha> Did Jesus create the world? No: Jesus did not create the world. (What verse says that he did? None of them).
Dr. Lisle> Jesus Christ did indeed create world and many verses state this explicitly. Colossians 1:16 says of Christ, “For by Him all things were created, both in heaven and on earth visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities — all things have been created through Him and for Him.” In Hebrews 1:8-10, God the Father says to God the Son “And ‘You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the Earth, and the heavens are the works of your hands.” John 1:10 says of Jesus, “He was in the world, and the world was made through Him….” See also Hebrews 3:3-4.
Dr. Lisle: There are at least two lessons to take away from the egregious errors we have seen in the above list. (1) Facebook (or any social media) is not a reliable source of information. The internet is a wonderful thing. It has allowed those of us who have studied science and theology to reach many people with wonderful information. But it also allows people who have no knowledge whatsoever to post their ignorant, arbitrary opinions. Fortunately, some websites are peer-reviewed (such as the Biblical Science Institute) which drastically reduces error. But don’t take an internet claim as reliable unless there is a good basis for this.
(2) Second, Purusha’s errors highlight the importance of being a member of a conservative, Bible-teaching church. God gave us the church so that Christians can help other Christians. We need to challenge each other, in gentleness correcting claims that are contrary to the Bible. Such errors really should be corrected before they are posted on social media and may mislead the gullible.