The Skeptics' Overrated Bible on John's letters and Jude
as analyzed by
Sheila Rangslinger
1 John
- 1:7 Jesus' blood washes away human sin. Yes, and the problem is, what? SAB's bloodophobia?
- 1:8, 10 In these verses, John tells us that everyone is a sinner. but later, in the same epistle (3:6,9; 5:18), he says that Christians don't sin. See here.
- 2:13 SAB whines that John doesn't write to mothers. Maybe that's because men were given the RESPONSIBILITY of spiritual leadership in a Greco-Roman household. Women had their own domain that they WANTED, thank you.
- 2:15 "Love not the world." Stay away from those who believe differently than you.
But according to Jn.3:16 God loves the world. If he does, then shouldn't we? Nope. So where's the problem? God is objective and can avoid being entangled, unlike us.
- 2:18 John thinks he is living in "the last times." He "knows" this because he sees so many antichrists around. And he was right. See series here.
- 2:22 Whoever denies "that Jesus is the Christ" is a liar and an antichrist. If so, then there are about three billion antichrists now living. Not really, most of those 3 bill don't actually "deny" -- and about 1.5 bill or 2 bill just don't know having never heard of Jesus.
- 2:28 John warns his followers to get ready because Jesus is coming soon. Which he did. See link above.
- 3:2 John expects to live to see Jesus return. Ditto.
- 3:6, 9 Earlier in this letter (1:8, 10) John assured us that everyone sins. Yet in these verses he claims that Christians don't sin. See above.
- 3:8 John says that whoever sins is "of the devil." But if what he said in 1:8, 10 is true, then everyone is "of the devil." Ditto.
- 3:15 Jesus said that whoever wanted to be his disciple must hate his brother (Lk.14:26), but John says that such a person is a "murderer" and will not go to heaven. Partial answer here, but also, Jesus speaks in a familial context whereas John uses the idea of fellow religionists as "brethren".
- 3:18 Love "in deed and truth." Great idea. Does this mean we don't have to kill disobedient children (Dt.21:18-21), nonbelievers (Dt.17:2-7), sabbath breakers (Ex.31:14-15), etc. anymore? Or is this the way that Christians express their love "in deed and truth"? See here plus here -- SAB still thinks "love" is mushy sentimentality without justice. It's also argument by outrage.
- 3:22 How's this for a big lie? "Whatsoever we ask, we receive of him." See here.
- 4:2 John says that all spirits that say Jesus is the Christ are of God. If so, then the "unclean spirits" in Mark's gospel (1:23-24, 3:11, 5:7) must have been of God. See here.
- 4:3 John says that the antichrist was already present at the time 1 John was written. So Pat Robertson must be wrong when he says the antichrist is a Jewish man that is alive today. He is. See link above.
- 4:7-8, 16 "Love one another, for God is love." See 1 Sam.15:2-3 for an example of what this type of love can do. See above plus here.
- 4:9 This verse claims that Jesus is God's only son, but Gen.6:2 and Job 1:6 mention several other "sons of God." Um, it says only "begotten". Big diff.
- 4:12 John claims that no one has ever seen God, both other places in the Bible says that many have seen him (Gen.32:30, Ex.24:10, 33:11, Dt.34:10, Job 43:5, Is.6:1). See here.
- 4:18 Should we fear God? See here.
4:20 Should we love or hate our brother?
- 5:7 Many Bible verses (Dt.6:4, 32:3; Is.43:10, 45:5, 46:9; Jn.17:3) state that there is only one God, but here John says there are three. The Comma is not in the original anyway, but SAB needs the usual lesson in Trinitarianism.
- 5:12 You're not living unless you've got Jesus. Correct. And the problem?
- 5:16 John says "there is a sin unto death." It's a shame he doesn't tell us what it is. Why? Does SAB want to go out and do it?
- 5:18 Many Bible verses (2 Chr.6:36, Pr.20:9, Ec.7:10, 1 Jn.1:8, 10) claim that everyone is a sinner, but John says that some people (Christians) never sin. See above.
- 5:19 Christians are "of God;" everyone else is wicked. This is the usual ancient Semitic black and white thinking and hyperbole, but even so, where's all the proof that this is not generally the case?
2 John
- 7 The nonchristian is "a deceiver and an antichrist." Actually, this is applied to one who does not confess that Jesus has come in the flesh -- most likely docetists or adoptionists.
- 9 "Whosoever ... abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God." That is correct. And the problem, other than SAB's begged question, is?
- 10 Don't associate with nonchristians. Don't receive them into your house or even exchange greeting with them. Based on SAB's mistake over v. 7 -- actually refers only to these traveling false teachers.
3 John
- 10 John says he "will remember his [Diotrephes] deeds ... pratting against us with malicious words." Yes, and the problem is? Should you forget when people do bad things and just keep on letting them go?
- 11 Do good; avoid evil. He likes this one apparently.
Jude
- 4 God makes people evil and then condemns them to hell. More like, God foreknows their evil, and has predicted them in prophecy which Jude goes on to refer to. The word here is prographo. See the "graph" part and you get the idea.
- 5 Jude reminds us that God destroys those who don't believe in him. And of course to SAB, God should just shut up and let them live.
- 6 Jude says the fallen angels are chained down and cannot move, but 1 Peter (5:8) says they are free to roam around wherever they please. In context Jude refers to a specific Jewish story of specific angels, and Pete refers only to Satan! See what a little background knowledge can do for you?
- 7 God sent "eternal fire" on the people of Sodom and Gomorrah for "going after strange flesh." Yes, and the problem is? We're still waiting for that comprehensive defense of such behavior...
- 9 Jude informs us that Michael the Archangel argued with the devil about the body of Moses. Yes, and the problem, other than SAB's assumption against such beings existing, is?
- 14-15 Jude says Enoch prophesied that God would come with 10,000 of his saints "to execute judgment upon all." But where did he make such a prophecy? It is not recorded in the Bible. Like it has to be? See here. As for being seventh from Adam, don't forget to INCLUDE Adam in the count.