The Two Tests: The Supernatural Claims of Christianity Tried by Two of Its Own Rules — John Shaqi
The Two Tests: The Supernatural Claims of Christianity Tried by Two of Its Own RulesLisle, Lionel
Religion
The Two Tests: The Supernatural Claims of Christianity Tried by Two of Its Own Rules
Lisle, Lionel
Apologetics
The Satan of the temptation was a being capable of transporting Jesus
from the wilderness to the pinnacle of the temple in Jerusalem, and
again to a mountain summit, where, in a moment of time, he showed him
all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, the disposal of whose
dominion he arrogated to himself. Again--Matt. xii. 22, 30--Jesus refers
to Satan as the king of a demon kingdom opposed to the kingdom of God;
Mark iv. 15, as preventing the words of life from taking root in men's
hearts; Luke x. 18, as one he himself had seen fall from heaven like
lightning; Luke xiii. 16, as one who had bound a woman with infirmity
eighteen years; Luke xxii. 31, as desirous to sift Simon Peter as wheat;
Matt. xiii. 39, as the enemy who sowed the tares among the wheat; Matt
xxv. 41, as the being for whom and for whose angels everlasting fire has
been prepared; John viii. 44, as the parent of the unbelieving Jews, a
murderer, and the father of lies. In Luke xxii. 3, John xiii. 27, Satan
is referred to as entering into Judas Iscariot to tempt him to betray
Jesus.
In the apostolic writings he is mentioned--Acts v. 3--as filling the
heart of Ananias to lie to the Holy Ghost; Acts xxvi. 18, as a power
over men's minds opposed to the power of God; 1 Tim. i. 20, and 1 Cor.
v. 5, as one to whom backsliders were to be delivered over; 2 Cor. ii.
11, Eph. vi. 11, 1 Tim. iii. 7, as a wily adversary; 2 Cor. xi. 14, as
transformed into an angel of light; 1 Thess. ii. 18, as thwarting Paul's
intentions; 2 Thess. ii 9, as one whose working is "with all power, and
signs, and lying wonders;" 1 Tim. v. 15, as one to whom backsliders turn
aside; 2 Tim. ii. 26, as an ensnarer of men; Heb. ii. 14, as "him that
hath the power of death;" 1 Peter v. 8, as "your adversary the devil,"
who, "as a roaring lion, goeth about seeking whom he may devour;" 1 John
iii 8, as "him who sinneth from the beginning;" Rev. ii. 9, 10,
13-24, iii. 9, as possessing a seat, a synagogue, and casting the true
professors into prison; Rev. xii. 9, as "the great dragon who was cast
out (from heaven), that old serpent called the devil and Satan, who
deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his
angels were cast out with him;" Rev. xii. 10, as "the constant accuser
of the brethren;" Rev. xx. 2, as being bound a thousand years.
Of this mighty and malignant being, is there any trace in the Old
Testament? Is the existence of such a person, such a power, continuously
and successfully working against God, consonant with Old Testament
belief? Isaiah (xlv. 5-7) boldly and decisively replies in the negative:
"I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me.... I
form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create evil; I the
Lord do all these things." Who or what, then, is the Satan of the Old
Testament?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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