The debate tonight is “Is Jesus divine according to the Bible?”  These are the texts of slides Matt Slick used for the debate with Nadir Ahmed, a Muslim apologist.  If you want the PowerPoint Matt used, download it here.

• After show https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3Gd7ue0STE, https://rumble.com/v4oz8kq-debate-2024-04-11-after-show-is-jesus-divine-according-to-the-bible-slick-v.html
  • Wow, I’ve got to leave a comment after the debate. I had no idea how bad Nadir’s arguments would be. He was mocking, accusatory, and condescending. He said that I would say “Wacky quacky interpretations,” “Bologna interpretations,” and “silly interpretations.” He didn’t seriously respond to my comments, conceded that the Bible does teach Jesus is divine – yet it also says we are all divine! He made many bad attempts at logic. One of them went something like this: In the Bible, demon-possessed people acted like epileptics. But how do you tell the difference between a demon-possessed person and an epileptic? That is confusion. God isn’t the author of confusion. So, that shows the Bible is confusing, and you can’t trust it. So, Jesus isn’t God.
  • If you bear to listen through the debate, you’ll see atrocious arguments.

 

Here are the slides I presented during my opening statement. I let Nadir know about this page so he could have information to respond to, which, basically, he did not.

Slide 1: Is Jesus Divine According To The Bible?

Slide 2: Introduction

1. The debate tonight is “Is Jesus divine according to the Bible?” The debate is not about the validity, reliability, or preservation of the Bible. It is not about what the Quran says, or what church fathers said.
2. If Nadir tries to undermine the Bible’s truth and reliability, then he is not debating the topic, which is about what the Bible says about Jesus.
3. Defining Terms
   1. Bible – the 66 books including 39 in the OT and 27 in the NT.
   2. Divine – The quality of being God.
   3. Jesus – The Person prophesied about, spoken of, and described in the Bible, who, was crucified, died, and rose from the dead three days later as was described by the eye-witnesses (1 Cor. 15:1-4).

Slide 3: Hypostatic Union

“The, hypostatic union, is the biblical doctrine that in the one person of Jesus, there are two distinct natures: the divine and the human. Each nature retains its essence and attributes and were not lessened or changed in the person of Christ at the incarnation. Yet, there are not two persons, but one person who is Christ.”  (“What is the hypostatic union?” (https://carm.org/doctrine-and-theology/what-is-the-hypostatic-union) )

Slide 4: Hypostatic Union

GOD	MAN
• He is worshiped (Matt. 2:2, 11; 14:33)	• He worshiped the Father (John 17)
• He was called God (Heb. 1:8)	• He was called man (Mark 15:39)
• He was called Son of God (Mark 1:1)	• He was called Son of Man (Jn 9:35-37)
• He is prayed to (Acts 7:59)	• He prayed to the Father (John 17)
• He is sinless (1 Pet. 2:22; Heb. 4:15)	• He was tempted (Matt. 4:1)
• He knows all things (John 21:17)	• He grew in wisdom (Luke 2:52)
• He gives eternal life (John 10:28)	• He died (Rom. 5:8)
• All the fullness of deity dwells in Him (Col. 2:9)	• He has a body of flesh and bones (Luke 24:39)

Slide 5: Communicatio Idiomatum

The Communication of the Properties means that the attributes of both natures are ascribed to the one person of Christ…the one person of Jesus can exhibit attributes of divinity (omnipresence, all-knowing, etc.,) and at the same time exhibit attributes of humanity (eating, walking, learning, growing, etc.).  The communicatio idiomatum does not mean that anything particular to either nature was communicated to the other.

Slide 6: Communicatio Idiomatum

DIVINE  CHARACTERISTICS

HUMAN  CHARACTERISTICS

Jesus dwells with people “…I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:20) Jesus dwells in people “…My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him” (John 14:23). Jesus raised Himself from the dead, “Destroy this temple [His body], and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19-21) Jesus answers prayers from people, “If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it” (John 14:13-14). Jesus draws all men to Himself (John 12:32) [no space left on the slide] Jesus searches the minds and hearts (Rev. 2:23)  [no space left on the slide]

Jesus is called a man (1 Tim. 2:4) Jesus got thirsty (John 19:28). Jesus ate (Luke 22:11) Jesus drank (Mark 14:25) Jesus spoke (Matt. 8:10) Jesus prayed (Luke 22:32) Jesus taught (John 18:20) Jesus has a body (Luke 24:39)

Slide 7: The Divinity of Jesus

• John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
• John 1:14, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
• John 20:28, “Thomas answered and said to Him, ‘My Lord and my God!’”
• Hebrews 1:8, “But of the Son He says, ‘Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, And the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom.’”

Slide 8: The Divinity of Jesus

• Isaiah 40:3, “A voice is calling, ‘Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.’”
  • The word “Lord” in Isaiah 40:3 is יהוה, יְהוִה, YHWH, the name of God.
• Mark 1:2–3, “As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: ‘Behold, I send My messenger [John the Baptist] ahead of You, who will prepare Your way; 3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight.’ “
• According to the Bible, John the Baptist was preparing the way for YHWH, for Jesus.

Slide 9: The Divinity of Jesus

• Psalm 116:4, “Then I called upon the name of the LORD [YHWH]: “O LORD[YHWH], I beseech You, save my life!”
• 1 Corinthians 1:2, “To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours:”

Slide 10: The Humanity of Jesus does not deny His Divinity

• Galatians 4:4, “But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law.”
• Hebrews 2:9, “But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.”

Slide 11: The Humanity of Jesus does not deny His Divinity

• John 14:28, “You heard that I said to you, ‘I go away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced because I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.”
  • Being a man under the Law, Jesus was in a lesser position than the Father
• John 20:17, “Jesus said to her, ‘Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, “I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.'”
  • Being a man under the Law, Jesus would call the Father, God.

Slide 12: Jesus is divine according to the Bible

• The Scriptures teach that Jesus is divine (John 1:1, 14; 20:28; Isaiah 40:3 with Mark 1:2-3; Psalm 116:4 with 1 Corinthians 1:2)

                             ——-finally ——–

• Exodus 3:14, “God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ””
• John 8:24, “Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am, you will die in your sins.”
• John 8:58, “Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.’”