Tuesday 25 December 2018

Having Eyes He’s Still Unable To See Pt. 3


We have now come to the final part of our response.
Jesus did two other miracles which the OT ascribes to Yahweh alone, such as cleansing people of leprosy and other infectious skin diseases:
“And He was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons. Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, ‘If You are willing, You can make me clean.’ Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, ‘I am willing; be cleansed.’ As soon as He had spoken, IMMEDIATELY the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed. And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, and said to him, ‘See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.’ However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.” Mark 1:39-45
As well as forgive sinners,
“And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receivethem, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them. Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven you.’ And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, ‘Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ But immediately, when Jesus perceived IN HIS SPIRIT that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, ‘Why do you reason about these things IN YOUR HEARTS? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, “Your sins are forgiven you,” or to say, “Arise, take up your bed and walk”? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins’—He said to the paralytic, ‘I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.’ Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, ‘We never saw anything like this!’” Mark 2:1-12
Hence, like Yahweh Jesus was able to heal all diseases such as touch and cleanse a leper, forgive sins, and know what people were/are thinking within their hearts:
Now Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great and honorable man in the eyes of his master, because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria. He was also a mighty man of valor, but a leper. And the Syrians had gone out on raids, and had brought back captive a young girl from the land of Israel. She waited on Naaman’s wife. Then she said to her mistress, ‘If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! For he would heal him of his leprosy.’ And Naaman went in and told his master, saying, ‘Thus and thus said the girl who is from the land of Israel.’ Then the king of Syria said, ‘Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.’ So he departed and took with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothing. Then he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which said, Now be advised, when this letter comes to you, that I have sent Naaman my servant to you, that you may heal him of his leprosy. And it happened, when the king of Israel read the letter, that he tore his clothes and said, ‘Am I God, to kill and make alive, that this man sends a man to me to heal him of his leprosy? Therefore please consider, and see how he seeks a quarrel with me.’ So it was, when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, ‘Why have you torn your clothes? Please let him come to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.’ Then Naaman went with his horses and chariot, and he stood at the door of Elisha’s house. And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, ‘Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean.’ But Naaman became furious, and went away and said, ‘Indeed, I said to myself, “He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.” Are not the Abanah and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?’ So he turned and went away in a rage. And his servants came near and spoke to him, and said, ‘My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, “Wash, and be clean”?’ So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. And he returned to the man of God, he and all his aides, and came and stood before him; and he said, ‘Indeed, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel; now therefore, please take a gift from your servant.’ But he said, ‘As the Lord lives, before whom I stand, I will receive nothing.’ And he urged him to take it, but he refused.” 2 Kings 5:1-16
{Sidenote: Pay close attention to the fact that Elisha never went out to meet Namaan directly, nor did he touch or wave his hand over the leprosy. This shows that the prophet had nothing to do with the healing, except for passing on the instructions that God had given him. This way God got the sole credit for the miracle. Besides, as a Torah-observant Israelite Elisha was expressly forbidden from touching a person with leprosy or any other infectious skin disease since such contact would have left him ceremonially unclean before God [cf. Leviticus 5:1-6; 7:21; 13:45-46; Numbers 12:9-15; 2 Chronicles 26:16-21]. This is in marked contrasted with the Lord Jesus who, instead of becoming defiled by such contact, was able to actually miraculously cleanse such individuals by the power of his touch!} 
“then hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive, and act, and give to everyone according to all his ways, whose heart You know (for You alone know the hearts of all the sons of men)… When they sin against You (for there is no one who does not sin), and You become angry with them and deliver them to the enemy, and they take them captive to the land of the enemy, far or near; yet when they come to themselves in the land where they were carried captive, and repent, and make supplication to You in the land of those who took them captive, saying, ‘We have sinned and done wrong, we have committed wickedness’; and when they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who led them away captive, and pray to You toward their land which You gave to their fathers, the city which You have chosen and the temple which I have built for Your name: then hear in heaven Your dwelling place their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause, and forgive Your people who have sinned against You, and all their transgressions which they have transgressed against You; and grant them compassion before those who took them captive, that they may have compassion on them.” 1 Kings 8:39, 46-50
“Would not God search this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart.” Psalm 44:21
“Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies…He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. As a father pities hischildren, So the Lord pities those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.” Psalm 103:2-4, 10-12 – cf. 139:1-16; 1 Chronicles 28:9; Isaiah 43:25; Daniel 9:9; Micah 7:18-19
Here is what The New Jerome Biblical Commentary says in regard to Jesus possessing the ability to forgive sins:
“… According to several OT passages (Exod 34:6-7; Isa 43:25; 44:22), the one who forgives sins is God. According to the reasoning of the scribes (they do not say it directly; see 2:6, 8), Jesus’ claim to forgive sins would thus qualify as blasphemy. Indeed, it does constitute an implicit claim to divine authority – something perfectly acceptable to early Christians who read Mark’s Gospel…” (Ibid., p. 602; bold emphasis ours)
The following Christian scholar does an excellent job of summing all of this up:
“But it is also in his miracles that Jesus displays a unique sense of deity. We must not view the miracles of Jesus as merely evidence of a Spirit-empowered individual who acts on behalf of God. Rather, all Jesus' miracles are set within the larger context of the inauguration of the ‘age to come’ – something which only God can do. The healing miracles are evidence of the arrival of the messianic age (Luke 7:22-23; cf. Isa. 29:18; 35:5-6; 61:1). They are visible manifestations of the presence of the supernatural rule of God coming in and through Jesus. For example, the nature miracles are displays of the work of God. In Matthew 8:23-27 we are told that Jesus exercises his authority over nature. He speaks a word, and the storm instantly calms. But what would this bring to mind for the Old Testament reader? It would remind them of the Lord himself, who triumphs over the stormy sea (see Ps. 107:23-32); cf. Job 9:8; Pss. 65:7; 77:19; Isa. 43:16; 51:9-10; Hab. 3:15).
“In a similar nature miracle when Jesus walks on the water (Matt. 14:25; Mark 6:48; cf. John 6:19), Old Testament readers would be reminded of the Lord who walks upon the sea (Job 9:8 LXX; cf. Ps. 77:19; Isa. 51:9-10). In fact, as the Gospels present this account each one of them recounts how the disciples were filled with terror. But, as Schreiner points out, ‘Jesus replies with the exact same words: ego eimi, me phobeisthe(‘I am; do not fear’).’ As Schreiner rightly argues, in John's Gospel ego eimi is full of christological import and hearkens back to ‘Exodus 3:14 and to texts in Isaiah that refer to the one and only God (e.g., Isa. 41:10; 43:10; 45:18). Given John's Christology, it is clear that Jesus is considered to be God–theos (John 1:1).’ That is why in the Gospels the proclamation of th gospel of the kingdom is accompanied by many miracles, healings and exorcisms of demons (Matt. 4:23; 9:35; 10:7-8; Luke 9:11; 10:9, 17; 11:20). In fact, Matthew 12:28 makes clear that Jesus' exorcisms of demons by the power of the Spirit is proof-positive that God's saving reign has now come to this world. Jesus' miracles, then, as Schreiner correctly notes, ‘are signs of the kingdom, manifestations of the new creation.’ In light of this, what is Jesus' self-understanding? It is this: he is not only the Messiah but also the unique Son vis-à-vis his Father and thus closely identified in authority and power with him.” (Stephen J. Wellum, The Deity of Christ, eds. Christopher W. Morgan & Robert A. Peterson [Crossway, Wheaton, IL 2011], 3. The Deity of Christ in the Synoptic Gospels, pp. 75-76; bold emphasis ours)
38 See Simon J. Gathercole, The Pre-existent Son: Recovering the Christologies of Matthew, Mark, and Luke (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2006), 64. Gathercole states: ‘The reference to walking on the sea is a ‘theophany’ motif which is taken over from Yahweh to Jesus … For the moment, however, the combination of the two passages showing Jesus' mastery of the sea (Matt. 14:22-23; Mark 6:45-52) points very strongly to a close identification of him with Yahweh in the Old Testament. (Ibid., p. 75; bold emphasis ours)
Even the Quran agrees that these are functions and abilities which only God possesses:
And those who, when they do an evil thing or wrong themselves, remember Allah and implore forgiveness for their sins – Who forgiveth sins save Allah only? – and will not knowingly repeat (the wrong) they did. S. 3:135 Pickthall – cf. Q. 39:53
“… but (all this was) that God might test what is in your breasts and purge what is in your hearts. For God knoweth well the secrets of your hearts.” S. 3:154 Y. Ali
What makes this all the more ironic is that the Quran also bears witness to the fact that Jesus performed all these same miracles that God is supposed to perform when he comes to dwell on the earth!
“to be a Messenger to the Children of Israel saying, ‘I have come to you with a sign from your Lord. I will create for you out of clay as the likeness of a bird; then I will breathe into it, and it will be a bird, by the leave of God. I will also heal the blind and the leper, and bring to life the dead, by the leave of God. I will inform you too of what things you eat, and what you treasure up in your houses. Surely in that is a sign for you, if you are believers.’” S. 3:49 Arberry
“When God said, 'Jesus Son of Mary, remember My blessing upon thee and upon thy mother, when I confirmed thee with the Holy Spirit, to speak to men in the cradle, and of age; and when I taught thee the Book, the Wisdom, the Torah, the Gospel; and when thou createst out of clay, by My leave, as the likeness of a bird, and thou breathest into it, and it is a bird, by My leave; and thou healest the blind and the leper by My leave, and thou bringest the dead forth by My leave; and when restrained from thee the Children of Israel when thou camest unto them with the clear signs, and the unbelievers among them said, “This is nothing but sorcery manifest.”’” S. 5:110 Arberry
As if this weren’t enough to prove that Jesus is God in the flesh, Christ also gave others the power and authority to perform miracles in his glorious and majestic name!
“And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted. And they came to Him. Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons:” Mark 3:13-15
“And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.” Mark 6:7, 13
“Now John answered Him, saying, ‘Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow uscasting out demons IN YOUR NAME, and we forbade him because he does not follow us.’ But Jesus said, ‘Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle IN MY NAMEcan soon afterward speak evil of Me.’” Mark 9:38-39
Williams will not be able to cite a single example from the Holy Bible – or the Quran for that matter – where an individual performs miracles in the name of a prophet or angel with God’s approval.
In light of the foregoing, can there be any doubt that Mark depicts Jesus as Yahweh God Incarnate? More importantly, how long shall Williams continue to deny the plain and explicit evidence from Mark’s Gospel that the reason Jesus does the works which both the Hebrew Bible and the Quran testify that only God can do, is because Mark presents Jesus the LORD God whom the prophets said was going to come and dwell on the earth?
All scriptural quotations taken from the New King James Version (NKJV) of the Holy Bible.

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IHS


Having Eyes He’s Still Unable To See Pt. 2


We continue from where we left off by picking up on Williams’ denial that Jesus’ miracles provide supernatural, divine confirmation that he is God in the flesh.

Yahweh Almighty Has Come!
The NT writings, especially Mark, ascribe to the Lord Jesus certain functions and roles which the OT prophets routinely attribute to Yahweh God alone. For instance, Mark records Jesus miraculously silencing the raging winds and seas just by his powerful word, a power which left his followers frightened and baffled:
“On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, ‘Let us cross over to the other side.’ Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, ‘Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?’ Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace, be still!’ And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. But He said to them, ‘Why are you so fearful? HOW IS IT THAT YOU HAVE NO FAITH? And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, ‘Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!’” Mark 4:35-41
The Gospel also reports Jesus walking on water:
“Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away. And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray. Now when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and He was alone on the land. Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them. Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by. And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw Him and were troubled. But immediately He talked with them and said to them, ‘Be of good cheer! It is I (ego eimi – I AM); do not be afraid.’ Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased. And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled. For THEY HAD NOT UNDERSTOOD about the loaves, because THEIR HEART WAS HARDENED.” Mark 6:45-52
These passages raise a few important issues for us to consider.
First, we again see the disciples’ failure to comprehend the signs which they were witnessing with their very own eyes. This provides further confirmation of our exegesis that Jesus deliberately chose to restore the blind man’s sight gradually as a way of illustrating the rather slow and long process it took for the disciples to overcome their spiritual blindness and deafness.
Second, the miracles which Jesus performed and the words he used to reveal himself to the disciples in Mark 6:50 (cf. Matthew 14:27), i.e. “I am; do not be afraid,” are actually ascribed to Yahweh in the Old Testament.
For instance, it is Yahweh alone who treads upon the waves of the seas and silences the winds as a display of his sovereign power and control over creation:
“He removes the mountains, and they do not know When He overturns them in His anger; He shakes the earth out of its place, And its pillars tremble; He commands the sun, and it does not rise; He seals off the stars; He alone spreads out the heavens, And treads on the waves of the sea; He made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, And the chambers of the south; He does great things past finding out, Yes, wonders without number.” Job 9:1-10
By awesome deeds in righteousness You will answer us, O God of our salvation, You who are the confidence of all the ends of the earth, And of the far-off seas; Who established the mountains by His strength, Being clothed with power; You who still the noise of the seas, The noise of their waves, And the tumult of the peoples. They also who dwell in the farthest parts are afraid of Your signs; You make the outgoings of the morning and evening rejoice.” Psalm 65:5-8
"The waters saw You, O God; The waters saw You, they were afraid; The depths also trembled. The clouds poured out water; The skies sent out a sound; Your arrows flashed about. The voice of Your thunder was in the whirlwind; The lightnings lit up the world; The earth trembled and shook. Your way was in the sea, Your path in the great waters, and Your footsteps were not known." Psalm 77:16-19
“O Lord God of hosts, Who is mighty like You, O Lord? Your faithfulness also surrounds You. You rule the raging of the sea; When its waves rise, You still them.” 89:8-9
“Those who go down to the sea in ships, Who do business on great waters, They see the works of the Lord, And His wonders in the deep. For He commands and raises the stormy wind, Which lifts up the waves of the sea. They mount up to the heavens, They go down again to the depths; Their soul melts because of trouble. They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, And are at their wits’ end. Then they cry out to theLord in their trouble, And He brings them out of their distresses. HE CALMS THE STORM, SO THAT ITS WAVES ARE STILL. Then they are glad because they are quiet; So He guides them to their desired haven. Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men! Let them exalt Him also in the assembly of the people, And praise Him in the company of the elders.” Psalm 107:23-32
And Yahweh is the One who reveals himself as the “I AM” as a way of encouraging his people to not be afraid since he is with them to deliver them from all their calamities:
“But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You areMine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you… Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your descendants from the east, And gather you from the west… Let all the nations be gathered together, And let the people be assembled. Who among them can declare this, And show us former things? Let them bring out their witnesses, that they may be justified; Or let them hear and say, “It is truth.” You are My witnesses,’ says the Lord, ‘And My servant whom I have chosen, That you may know and believe Me, And understandthat I am He (LXX – ego eimi). Before Me there was no God formed, Nor shall there be after Me. I, even I, am the Lord, And besides Me there is no savior. I have declared and saved, I have proclaimed, And there was no foreign god among you; Therefore youare My witnesses,’ Says the Lord, ‘that I am God. Indeed before the day was, I am He; And there is no one who can deliver out of My hand; I work, and who will reverse it?’” Isaiah 43:1-3, 5, 9-13
It is therefore clear that these signs serve the purpose of revealing Jesus’ identity as Yahweh Incarnate, the divine Son who is essentially coequal with the Father. As noted reformed Christian scholar and pastor John F. MacArthur puts it:  
“… Mark reports that, long with their great amazement, the men were also ‘very much afraid’ (4:41). They were now more afraid of the one who had stilled the storm than they had been of the storm itself. Many of them had encountered dangerous storms, but none had encountered such supernatural power as Jesus here displayed.
“After God had declared His great power and majesty, Job exclaimed, ‘I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear; but now my eye sees Thee; therefore I retract, and I repent in dust and ashes’ (Job 42:5-6). When Isaiah ‘saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple,’ he declared, ‘Woe is me, for I am ruined! because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts’ (Isa. 6:1, 5). After Daniel beheld the Lord, he testified: ‘No strength was left in me, for my natural color turned to a deathly pallor, and I retained no strength. But I heard the sound of his words, and as soon as I heard the sound of his words, I fell into a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground’ (Dan. 10:8-9). When Peter saw Jesus miraculously provide the great catch of fish, ‘he fell down at Jesus' feet, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”’ (Luke 5:8). When Paul encountered the risen Christ on the Damascus road, ‘he fell to the ground … And though his eyes were open, he could see nothing’ (Acts 9:4, 8).
“God's majesty is so overwhelming that when He displays Himself in even a small part of His glory men cannot stand in His presence. These disciples suddenly realized that God was standing in the very boat with them, and they were terrified by His power and His holiness. On a similar and later occasion Peter walked on the water. But when the wind came up, he became afraid, and Jesus not only held up His faithless disciple but also caused the wind to stop. ‘And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, “You are certainly God's Son!”’ (Matt. 14:29-33)… The same Christ who stilled the Sea of Galilee is the Christ who keeps every atom and every star in its orbit. He keeps the universe in balance and provides for each plant and animal. One day He is coming to restore the world that sin defiled, to make completely new the heavens and the earth. Even now He is the God who gives eternal life to those who trust in Him, and who will calm their every storm and give strength for their every tragedy.” (The MacArthur New Testament Commentary Series: Matthew 8-15 [Moody Publishers, Chicago, IL 1987], pp. 36-38; bold emphasis ours)
Since MacArthur may well be too conservative for Williams’ tastes here is what the translators of the rather liberal Catholic New American Bible say concerning Mark 6:50:
* [6:50] It is I, do not be afraid!: literally, “I am.” This may reflect the divine revelatory formula of Ex 3:14; Is 41:4, 10, 14; 43:1–3, 10, 13. Mark implies the hidden identity of Jesus as Son of God. (Bold emphasis ours)
And this is what they write in regards to Matthew’s version of Jesus silencing the winds and sea:
* [8:26] You of little faith: see note on Mt 6:30. Great calm: Jesus’ calming the sea may be meant to recall the Old Testament theme of God’s control over the chaotic waters (Ps 65:8; 89:10; 93:3–4; 107:29). (Bold emphasis ours)
Another rather highly liberal and critical source, The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, concurs:
“… commanded the sea: Jesus’ ability to control the sea is an implicit statement about his divine power, for God alone can rule the sea (see Ps 74:13-14, 89:10-12). Jesus addresses the sea, not the disciples. be quiet, be still!: A similar formula in 1:25 (where Jesus performs an exorcism) suggests that here Jesus is manifesting his control over the powers of evil. great calm: This feature indicates the completeness and effectiveness of Jesus’ action in controlling the sea… who is this … ?: Since only God could control the wind and sea, the disciples’ question carries an implicit confession of Jesus’ divinity, at least to the extent that he does the works customarily predicated of God in the OT.” (Raymond E. Brown, S.S., Joseph A. Fitzmyer, S. J., Roland E. Murphy, O. Carm. [Prentice Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey], p. 607; bold emphasis ours)   
And:
“… The approach to this story as an epiphany/theophany is most consistent with Mark’s presentation. The twin focus is Jesus and the disciples: (1) The divine identity of Jesus is suggested by his walking on the waters, his passing by them, and his words, ‘it is I.’ (2) The disciples run a gamut of emotions, ending in their astonishment and Mark’s comment about their failure to understand the true identity of Jesus… Mark meant ‘on the water,’ not simply ‘by the shore’; a naturalistic explanation cannot be built on the preposition epi here (see 6:47). The OT portrays walking on water as a divine function (see Job 9:8; 38:16). The representation of Jesus as walking on water thus carries an implicit claim about his divinity. He wanted to pass by them: The implicit christological claim is strengthened by the use of the vb. parelthein, which was linked with the theophany tradition in the LXX (see Exod 33:19, 22; 34:6; 1 Kgs 19:11). Its appearance in the LXX of Amos 7:8; 8:2 also suggests that Jesus desired to help his disciples in their difficulty… I am he: In the context of self-disclosure and theophany, this phrase must allude to the OT revelation formula (Exod 3:14; Deut 32:39; Isa 41:4; 43:10) applied to Yahweh, thus contributing to the implicit christological message of the whole text…” (Ibid., p. 611; bold emphasis ours)
These aren’t the only wonders that Jesus did which point to his divine identity. Other miracles include his healing the lame, the mute, the deaf and, as we have already seen, the blind:
“When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there. And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was. Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made well.” Mark 6:53-56
“Again, departing from the region of Tyre and Sidon, He came through the midst of the region of Decapolis to the Sea of Galilee. Then they brought to Him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, and they begged Him to put His hand on him. And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue. Then, looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said to him, ‘Ephphatha,’ that is, ‘Be opened.’ Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly. Then He commanded them that they should tell no one; but the more He commanded them, the more widely they proclaimed it. And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, ‘He has done all things well. He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.’” Mark 7:31-37
Once again, these are the very wonders which the OT says Yahweh will do when he comes to save his people and judge the wicked!
“Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, Whose hope is in the Lord his God, Who made heaven and earth, The sea, and all that is in them; Who keeps truth forever, Who executes justice for the oppressed, Who gives food to the hungry. The Lord gives freedom to the prisoners. The Lord opens the eyes of the blind; The Lord raises those who are bowed down; The Lord loves the righteous. The Lord watches over the strangers; He relieves the fatherless and widow; But the way of the wicked He turns upside down. The Lord shall reign forever—Your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the Lord!” Psalm 146:5-10
“The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, And the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose; It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice, Even with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, The excellence of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, The excellency of our God. Strengthen the weak hands, And make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are fearful-hearted, ‘Be strong, do not fear! Behold, YOUR GOD WILL COME with vengeance, With the recompense of God; HE WILL COME AND SAVE YOU.’ Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, And the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, And streams in the desert.” Isaiah 35:1-6
We are not through just yet since we have more examples in the third part of our rebuttal.


IHS

Having Eyes He’s Still Unable To See Pt. 1


As promised in a previous post, I am going to be responding to Muslim taqiyyist Paul Williams’ blatant distortion of Mark’s Gospel in an attempt to once again undermine the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. This time Williams focuses on Christ gradually healing a blind man as reported in Mark 8:22-26 in order to show that Jesus cannot be God in the flesh.
Here is what he says:
“There is an old, olde argument, now largely out of use in Christian circles, that argues Jesus was God because he did amazing miracles.  Surprisingly, the argument has now been resurrected from ignominy by certain Christians who frequent this blog… This is certainly the image of Jesus we see portrayed in Hollywood films and in popular Christian fantasy. But there are passages in the New Testament which portray Jesus in a very different light. As a Christian I recall feeling a twinge of embarrassment when I came across these stories…”
And after quoting the passage from Mark Williams decides to provide his own spin on the text,
“So to recap the story: to effect a miracle Jesus spits in the man’s face and puts his hands on the poor man’s eyes in a manner which would have been familiar to healers in the ancient world. Jesus was not sure if the spit had healed him so he asked the man if he could see anything. On discovering that the cure was only partially successful, Jesus tries again and this time he is successful – no doubt after a fervent prayer to God for the healing miracle to be complete.
“This story, if true (we have no way of verifying its authenticity), portrays Jesus in an utterly different light to Christian claims that his miracles prove he is God. If anything this story demonstrates just the opposite: Jesus is like the charismatic holy men who gradually, falteringly, effect a cure.”
Suffice it to say, Williams’ blatant misreading of the text raises many problems and further highlights the fact that this taqiyyist has no business criticizing God’s Word, the Holy Bible.
In the first place, how does Williams know for certain that it wasn’t Jesus’ intention to heal the blind man gradually? Does he have access to the mind of Christ to tell us with absolute certainty that Jesus intended to heal the blind instantaneously, upon the first touch? Did Williams ever bother to think for a moment that perhaps it was’ Christ’s will for the man to gradually receive his sight in order to use this as an example, an illustration, of something else?
Contrast Williams’ misreading and manhandling of the text with that of the noted Christian reformer and scholar John Calvin:
This miracle, which is omitted by the other two Evangelists, appears to have been related by Mark chiefly on account of this circumstance, that Christ restored sight to the blind man, not in an instant, as he was generally accustomed to do, but in a gradual manner. He did so most probably for the purpose of proving, in the case of this man, that he had full liberty as to his method of proceeding, and was not restricted to a fixed rule, so as not to resort to a variety of methods in exercising his power. On this account, he does not all at once enlighten the eyes of the blind man, and fit them for performing their office, but communicates to them at first a dark and confused perception, and afterwards, by laying on his hands a second time, enables them to see perfectly. And so the grace of Christ, which had formerly been poured out suddenly on others, flowed by drops, as it were, on this man. (Calvin’s Commentary on the Bible; underline emphasis ours)
And compare William’s assault and criticism of the method that the Lord Jesus used to heal the blind man with the attitude of this next commentary:
“This miracle, found only in Mark, raises several interesting questions. First, why did Jesus lead the man out of the town before healing him? Why didn’t He heal by simply touching the man? Why use such unconventional means as saliva? Why didn’t the man receive perfect sight immediately? (This is the ONLY cure in the Gospels which took place in stages.) Finally, why did Jesus forbid the man to tell about the miracle in the town? Our Lord is sovereign and is not obligated to account to us for His actions. There was a valid reason for everything He did, even though we might not perceive it. Every case of healing is different, as is every case of conversion. Some gain remarkable spiritual sight as soon as they are converted. Others see dimly at first, then later enter into full assurance of salvation.” (William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary, ed. Art Farstad [Thomas Nelson Publishers, Inc., Nashville, TN 1990], p. 1340; capital and underline emphasis ours)
This brings me to my second point. Williams forgot to mention–either because he hasn’t read the context or chose to butcher it in order assault the majestic and splendor of Christ–that this particular miracle is placed immediately after the Lord Jesus’ severe rebuke of the disciples for their failure to perceive and understand his message: 
“And He left them, and getting into the boat again, departed to the other side. Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, and they did not have more than one loaf with them in the boat. Then He charged them, saying, ‘Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.’ And they reasoned among themselves, saying, ‘It isbecause we have no bread.’ But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, ‘Why do you reason because you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Is your heart still hardened? HAVING EYES (ophthalmous), DO YOU NOT SEE (blepete)? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up?’ They said to Him, ‘Twelve.’ Also, when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of fragments did you take up?’ And they said, ‘Seven.’ So He said to them, ‘How is it you do not understand?’ Then He came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him, and begged Him to touch him. So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw (blepeis) anything. And he looked up and said, ‘I see (blepo) men like trees, walking.’ Then He put His hands on HIS EYES (tous ophthalmous autou) again and made him look up. And he was restored and SAW (eneblepen) everyone clearly. Then He sent him away to his house, saying, ‘Neither go into the town, nor tell anyone in the town.’ Mark 8:13-26
Note the connection between Christ reprimanding the disciples for having eyes and still not being able to see with the slow gradual process of the blind man receiving his sight. It is obvious that the healing of the blind man was meant to illustrate the slow gradual process of the disciples’ perception of Jesus’ teachings.
In fact, this is a theme which is repeated all throughout Mark’s Gospel since the Lord is depicted as having to constantly rebuke the disciples for their lack of understanding:
“And He said to them, ‘He who has ears to hear, let him hear!’ But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable. And He said to them, ‘To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, so that “Seeing they may see and not perceive, And hearing they may hear and not understand; Lest they should turn, And their sins be forgiven them.”’ And He said to them, ‘Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?’” Mark 4:9-13
“When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable. So He said to them, ‘Are you thus without understanding also? Do you not PERCEIVE that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thuspurifying all foods?’” Mark 7:17-19
“Then one of the crowd answered and said, ‘Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.’ He answered him and said, ‘O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.’ Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth. So He asked his father, ‘How long has this been happening to him?’ And he said, ‘From childhood. And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.’ Jesus said to him, ‘If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.’ Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, ‘Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!’ When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it: ‘Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!’ Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, ‘He is dead.’ But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, ‘Why could we not cast it out?’ So He said to them, ‘This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.’ Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it. For He taught His disciples and said to them, ‘The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him. And after He is killed, He will rise the third day.’ But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him.” Mark 9:17-32
This next one is quite interesting:
“In those days, the multitude being very great and having nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples to Him and said to them, ‘I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. And if I send them away hungry to their own houses, they will faint on the way; for some of them have come from afar.’ Then His disciples answered Him, ‘How can one satisfy these people with bread here in the wilderness?’ He asked them, ‘How many loaves do you have?’ And they said, ‘Seven.’ So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And He took the seven loaves and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and they set them before the multitude. They also had a few small fish; and having blessed them, He said to set them also before them. So they ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets of leftover fragments. Now those who had eaten were about four thousand. And He sent them away, immediately got into the boat with His disciples, and came to the region of Dalmanutha.” Mark 8:1-9
The disciples’ response is rather perplexing when we keep in mind that according to Mark 6:33-44 all of them had witnessed Jesus feeding approximately 5,000 men not counting women and children with five loaves of bread and two fish. They even managed to gather twelve baskets full of bread and fish that had been left over from this miraculously feeding!  
And yet despite all of these signs the disciples were still unable to perceive the message and Person of Jesus. 
It is therefore obvious in light of all of these examples that Jesus deliberately healed the blind man’s sight gradually, instead of instantaneously, as a way of illustrating the gradual spiritual perception of the disciples who at first didn’t understand the things Jesus said and did. 
This explanation is standard fare among the commentaries on Mark, just as the following quotations illustrate:  
“The importance of this story for Mark is that it anticipates the opening of the eyes of the disciples. This is the second in a pair of incidents that only Mark records (the first one is 7:24-37) and that fulfill the OT messianic expectations of Isa 35:5-6. Mark uses both incidents to lead up to the full revelation of Jesus' messianic dignity to the disciples (8:27-30). Their eyes too were opened, not by human perception, but by the miracle of God's gracious revelation – which was as much a miracle as the opening of the blind man's eyes." (Kenneth L. Barker & John R. Kohlenberger III,Zondervan NIV Bible Commentary Volume 2: New Testament [Zondervan Publishing House; Grand Rapids MI, 1994], p. 166; underline emphasis ours)
“The disciples had been blinded to spiritual truths by their constant preoccupation with their own immediate bodily needs. It was only fitting therefore that the next miracle should be the opening of the eyes of the physically blind man of Bethsaida, as a picture of what God would yet do for them. It is also fitting that 8:29, immediately below, should contain the account of the opening of the eyes of Peter to the messiahship of Jesus, and that chapter 9 should contain the story of the transfiguration. Of course, we are specifically told that Jesus healed many blind in the course of His ministry (Lk. 7:21), but this particular miracle is recorded only in Mark, naturally enough, if it occurred in Bethsaida, the home town of Peter (Jn. 1:44), and if Mark, even indirectly, depends on Petrine tradition. No name is recorded: with the exception of Bartimaeus (10:46), such people are usually nameless in the gospels, particularly Mark.” (R. Alan Cole, The Gospel According to Mark (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries), ed. Leon Morris [Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, MI: Reprinted 1999], p. 199; underline emphasis ours)
“In Mark's account of the healing of the blind man at Bethsaida not only the climax of the story but the entire narrative is constructed on the motif of 'seeing.' In English translations several of the words used for sight are the same, but in the original Greek there are eight different words used for nine instances of seeing in 8:23-25! The redundancy of references to sight and seeing provides a counterbalance to the redundancy of accusations of blindness and misunderstanding in the previous story. Yet another link between this miracle and the previous story occurs in the speech of Jesus to the blind man. At a miracle Jesus normally speaks an authoritative word or makes a pronouncement. Here, however, he asks a question, '"Do you see anything?''’ (v. 23).That unusual question looks like an echo of Jesus' pleading questions of the disciples in the previous story, the first of which was '"Do you still not see?"' (8:17). The blind man's response that he can see people who 'look like trees walking around' (v. 24) is a clue that the disciples themselves will be enabled by Jesus to begin the process of moving from blindness to sight
“The healing of the blind man of Bethsaida is the only miracle in the Gospels that proceeds in stages rather than being instantly effected. Matthew and Luke omit the miracle, likely because it suggested that Jesus was unsuccessful on the first attempt. The necessity of repeated touches cannot imply for Mark insufficiency on Jesus' part, however, since elsewhere Jesus performs more difficult miracles (from a human perspective) without fail, such as healing the Gerasene demoniac (5:1-20) or raising a dead girl (5:35-43). The two-stage cure in the present miracle thus suggests a process of revelation – as much for the disciples, we suspect, as for the blind man at Bethsaida. (James R. Edwards, The Gospel According to Mark (The Pillar New Testament Commentary)[Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, MI, 2002], pp. 243-244; bold emphasis ours)
"The touch of saliva and Jesus' hands (cf. 7:33) conveyed His intentions and stimulated the blind man's faith. At first the healing was only partial: He looked up (cf. 8:25) and sawpeople (lit., "the men," perhaps the Twelve) moving in a blur like trees walking around.Jesus' unusual question, Do you see anything? indicated that THIS WAS INTENTIONAL ON HIS PART (not a weakness in the man's faith). It was a fitting follow-up TO HIS REBUKING THE DISCIPLES (vv. 17-21). The man was no longer totally blind, but his sight was still poor. How like him were the disciples!
"Then Jesus put His hands on the man's eyes again. He looked intently (fromdiablepo; v. 24 has a form of anablepo); his sight was restored, and he began to see (from emblepo) everything clearly. Now his sight was perfect. This was the outcome the disciples could anticipate despite difficulties in the process." (John D. Grassmick, "Mark," The Bible Knowledge Commentary: New Testament, John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck (general editors) [David C Cook Distribution, Ontario, Canada 1983], p. 138; capital and underline emphasis ours)
Even a liberal Bible translation, namely the St. Joseph Edition of the New American Bible, which is a version that Williams’ guru in dawah Shabir Ally highly recommends, states the following:
* [8:22–26] Jesus’ actions and the gradual cure of the blind man probably have the same purpose as in the case of the deaf man (Mk 7:31–37). Some commentators regard the cure as an intended symbol of the gradual enlightenment of the disciples concerning Jesus’ messiahship.
And here is what The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, another liberal favorite of Shabir’s, says concerning this miracle:
“… If any story in Mark HAS A SYMBOLIC FUNCTION, IT IS THE HEALING OF THE BLIND MAN AT BETHSAIDA (8:22-26) (and the healing of Bartimaeus [10:46-52]). On the way, Jesus will impress upon the disciples the necessity of his death and resurrection. Nevertheless, the disciples are slow to understand Jesus. In the case of the blind man of Bethsaida, the coming to sight is gradual and imperfect; he does not follow Jesus. Bartimaeus is healed immediately and follows Jesus on the way. Describing these stories as ‘symbolic’ does not deny their basis in history, nor does it mean that they were intended purely as allegorical statements…” (Ibid., eds. Raymond E. Brown, S.S., Joseph A. Fitzmyer, S. J., Roland E. Murphy, O. Carm. [Prentice Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey 1990], p. 614; bold and capital emphasis ours)
That these commentators are correct, and that Jesus’ gradual healing of the blind man’s sight was deliberate, is further confirmed by the following passage:
“Now they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’ So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called. Then they called the blind man, saying to him, ‘Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you.’ And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus. So Jesus answered and said to him, ‘What do you want Me to do for you?’ The blind man said to Him, ‘Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘Go your way; your faith has made you well.’ And IMMEDIATELY he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.” Mark 10:46-52
Notice that in the case of Bartimaeus he was healed of his blindness instantaneously, which confirms that there was nothing lacking in the power of Christ to immediately heal the other blind man if he wanted to do so. Yet it is obvious from all of these examples that Jesus didn’t want the blind man to be healed immediately, but slowly in order to illustrate the spiritual blindness of his own followers who, like the blind man, only received their spiritual sight gradually over time.     
Now that we got Williams' deliberate manhandling of Mark 8:22-26 out of the way it is time to move on to the next part of the discussion where I will show that Jesus’ miracles do in fact prove that he is Yahweh God Incarnate


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Monday 5 November 2018

A Leading Taqiyyist Proves that Jesus is God! Pt. 3


Here is my final response where I will now use Williams’ own words to prove that Jesus is his God and Muhammad’s God, as well as the God of all creation.
Notice again what Williams wrote:
“In response: ONLY God is perfect, ONLY God is unable to make mistakes. Human beings by definition are fallible, not perfect. Part of the human condition is that we make ‘mistakes’ (a Biblical term for sin). The Bible teaches that just because we make mistakes it does not mean we cannot be righteous. As Solomon says in Ecclesiastes 7:20:
‘Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins.’
“Meaning even righteous people sometimes sin…” (Capital emphasis ours)
Since God alone is perfect and is incapable of committing any mistakes then this means that if the NT teaches that Jesus is absolutely perfect then he must be God. So now let us delve into the biblical witness to see what the inspired Scriptures have to say. Unless stated otherwise, all of the biblical quotations will be taken from the Authorized King James Version of the Holy Bible.
To begin with, the Holy Bible teaches that Christ is absolutely sinless and therefore morally perfect:
“He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, AND NO UNRIGHTEOUSNESS IS IN HIM.” John 7:18
Jesus’ claim is astonishing when we realize that this is the same language which the Holy Bible ascribes to Yahweh alone:
“He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.” Deuteronomy 32:4
“to shew that the Lord is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.” Psalm 92:15
“What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. ” Romans 9:14
Other texts which affirm Jesus’ absolute moral purity include the following:
“Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? ” John 8:46
“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21
“For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, YET WITHOUT SIN.” Hebrews 4:15
“who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life… And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death: but this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. For such an high priest became us, WHO IS HOLY, HARMLESS, UNDEFILED, SEPARATE FROM SINNERS, AND MADE HIGHER THAN THE HEAVENS; who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself. For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.” Hebrews 9:16, 23-28
“how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself WITHOUT SPOT to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” Hebrews 9:14
“forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb WITHOUT BLEMISH AND WITHOUT SPOT:” 1 Peter 1:18-19
“For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: WHO DID NO SIN, NEITHER WAS GUILE FOUND IN HIS MOUTH: who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.” 1 Peter 2:21-25
“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, EVEN AS HE IS PURE… And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; AND IN HIM IS NO SIN… Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, EVEN AS HE IS RIGHTEOUS. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.” 1 John 3:2-3, 5, 7-8
Second, Jesus is said to be the Holy and Righteous/Just One:
“And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.” Mark 1:23-24
“But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and you killed THE AUTHOR OF LIFE, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses.” Acts 3:14-15 English Standard Version (ESV)
“Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:” Acts 7:52
“And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth.” Acts 22:14
“My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. ” 1 John 2:1-2
“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith HE THAT IS HOLY, HE THAT IS TRUE, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; ” Revelation 3:7
These are titles which even Islam says are names and characteristics which belong to Allah:
The Divine Names Related to Perfection
As-Subbûh, Al-Quddûs: The All-Perfect, Utterly Pure
Subbuh is from Subhan, which is glorification and tanzih, disconnecting and elevating Him above any others. He is All-Perfect, All-Pure, All Glorious, far removed from everything evil and imperfect.
Quddus means pure (tahir, munazzah), pure and free of any imperfection. He is far removed from every imperfection or impurity or from anything that would detract from His glory, and disconnected from every description perceived by the senses and thought, All-Holy, All-Pure, All-Perfect.
Some say Subbuh denies imperfection and Quddus affirms perfection.
Al-Quddus is one of the Ninety-Nine Names…
The Divine Names Related to Justice
Al’Adl, Al-’Âdil: The Just
The Just and Equitable. He whom desire does not cause to incline or decline so that He should deviate from the right course in judgement.
Al-’Adl is one of the Ninety-Nine Names. (Aisha Bewley, Divine Names)
And:
5. Al-Quddus
The Most Holy…
30. Al-’Adl
The Utterly Just (Gibril F. Haddad, Allah’s Names and Attributes)
The Quran itself labels Allah as “the Holy One” in two places:
He is Allah, than Whom there is no other Allah, the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One, Peace, the Keeper of Faith, the Guardian, the Majestic, the Compeller, the Superb. Glorified be Allah from all that they ascribe as partner (unto Him). S. 59:23 Pickthall
All that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth glorifieth Allah, the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One, the Mighty, the Wise. S. 62:1 Pickthall
Third, Jesus plainly says that he is only able to do whatever the Father does, and can do everything that the Father does:
“Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, THE SON CAN DO NOTHING OF HIMSELF, BUT WHAT HE SEETH THE FATHER DO: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel. For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. ” John 5:19-21
He says basically the same thing about the Holy Spirit:
“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: FOR HE SHALL NOT SPEAK OF HIMSELF; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. ” John 16:13
Therefore, since the Father cannot sin and can never be mistaken this means that neither Jesus nor the Holy Spirit can ever sin or be mistaken either.
This is why Jesus can say that he always does what is pleasing to the Father, something that no human being can ever say, especially Muhammad:
“And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; FOR I DO ALWAYS THOSE THINGS THAT PLEASE HIM.” John 8:29
Even the Father himself bears witness that Jesus is his beloved Son with whom he is well pleased:
“And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: and there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, IN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED.” Mark 1:9-11
In light of the foregoing Williams is now left with no choice but to admit that according to the NT writings Jesus must be God in the flesh (though not the Father or the Holy Spirit) since this is the necessary conclusion of his own statements. Note how this works out logically:
A. Only God doesn’t sin and is unable to make a mistake.
B. Jesus never sinned or made a mistake according to the very same Holy Bible that Williams appealed to in order to make his point.
C. Therefore, Jesus is God who became a flesh and blood human being for our redemption.
There is simply no way around this for Williams.
We therefore want to personally thank Williams for helping us prove that Jesus is the God of all flesh, including Muhammad.

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Source: http://answering-islam.org/authors/shamoun/rebuttals/williams/proves_jesus_god3.html

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