[Faith-talk] Daily Thought for Saturday, June 25, 2016

[Paul Smith]

Hello and good day once again to you all.  Hope that your day is going 
well, by God's matchless grace and His providential care.

Several days ago in the regular postal mail I received the latest 
quarterly issue of a Braille magazine called "Torch Times," published 
by Torch Trust for the Blind out of Market Harborough on the UK's south 
coast.  In this issue was a somewhat intriguing article by Michael 
Rankin, Professor of Church History and Biblical Spirituality at 
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky.  His 
historical article taken from the British Christian publication 
"Evangelicals Now" for February 2016 is entitled "John of Damascus:  An 
Early Christian Response to Islam," rendered as follows:

Professor Michael Rankin brings us past wisdom for present faithfulness.

The last 20 years or so have thrust to the fore of evangelical 
consciousness our great need to share the gospel with Muslims.

But Christian concern about the salvation of those devoted to the 
teachings of Muhammad is nothing new.  One ancient vista from which to 
see the way that Christians responded to Islam during the very earliest 
period of Muslim expansion in the seventh and eighth centuries are the 
writings of the theologian John of Damascus (655 to 749 A.D.)  John had 
clearly taken the time to understand Islamic views and thinking, and 
was quite familiar with the Qur'an in Arabic, though his language about 
Islam could at times be somewhat intemperate.



A biographical Sketh

John is often described as the last of the so-called Church Fathers of 
the ancient church.  An Arab by ethnicity, his grandfather had played a 
key role in the surrender of Damascus in 635 to the Muslim army of 
Khalid ibn al-Walid, a great early Muslim general.  The Muslim rulers 
of Syria were tolerant of the presence of Christians and John's 
grandfather became a key administrator in the Muslim government of the 
region.  John's father, Ibn Mansur, was known as an extremely devout 
Christian, but also one of the most trusted officials in the Muslim regime.

John succeeded his father as a key advisor to the Muslim ruler, Caliph 
Abd al-Malik.  After a long life of service in the public realm, John 
left his position early in the eighth century in order to embrace life 
in a monastery near Jerusalem.  He was a prolific writer and among his 
writings there are two that specifically address Islam:  "On Heresies," 
a work that catalogues various heresies that had and were afflicting 
the church--chapter 101 is devoted especially to Islam--and "A Dialogue 
Between a Saracen and a Christian."



Identifying key differences

In "On Heresies" chapter 101, John locates Muhammad historically and 
then identifies some of his main theological teachings.  According to 
John, Muhammad asserts that "there is one God" and that "Christ is the 
Word of God and His Spirit, only a creation and servant, and that he 
was born without seed from Mary, the sister of Moses and Aaron." John 
also notes that according to Muhammad "Christ ... was not crucified nor 
did he die, for God took him to himself into heaven because he loved 
him", an accurate rendition of what is said in Qur'an 4:157.  Obviously 
this assertion strikes at the heart of Biblical Christianity in which 
the death of Christ for sinners is absolutely central for their salvation.

After mentioning the fact that the revelation of Muhammad, though it 
claims to be in succession to the Old and New Testaments, was not 
foretold by these earlier witnesses, John proceeds to deal with the 
Muslim critique of the Trinity:  "they call us Associaters, because, 
they say, we introduce an associate to God by saying Christ is the Son 
of God and God." John is responding here to a fierce monotheistic 
declaration like this--one of many in the Qu'ran:  "People of the Book 
... not say anything about God except the truth:  the Messiah, Jesus, 
Son of Mary, was nothing more than a messenger of God... So believe in 
God and His messengers and do not speak of a Trinity"... God is only 
one God, He is far above having a Son..." (4:171).



How to answer

John's response must ultimately be our response:  the teaching of the 
deity of Christ, and the Trinity, is what is found in the Scripture.  
Though the doctrine of the Trinity is indeed difficult to comprehend, 
it is biblical truth.  As John writes about the triumph of Christianity 
in the Roman Empire in another work, "The Orthodox Faith":  "Altars and 
temples of idols have been overthrown.  Knowledge of God has been 
implanted.  The consubstantial Trinity, the uncreated Godhead is 
worshipped... Hope of the resurrection has been granted through the 
resurrection of Christ... Yes, and most wonderful of all is that all 
these things were successfully brought about through a cross and 
suffering and death.  The gospel of the knowledge of God has been 
preached to the whole world and has put the adversaries to flight not 
by war and arms and camps.  Rather, it was a few unarmed, poor, 
unlettered, persecuted, tormented, done-to-death men, who, by preaching 
One who had died and was crucified in the flesh, prevailed over the 
wise and powerful, because the almighty power of the Crucified was with them."

As was the triumph of the gospel then, may it be so again, and that 
among the followers of Muhammad!

And there you have this article by Brother Rankin.  I must admit that 
I've seen the name of John of Damascus before, but never knew who he 
was.  Thank God for those who preserved his writings! Perhaps one of 
the four pastors reading this could shed a little more light on his 
life, if they have the resources at hand.

And that will do it for today, but don't forget that tomorrow in this 
spot will be the weekly Bible trivia game poem, then based on a passage 
from the New Testament.  Until then may the God of Abraham, Isaac and 
Jacob just keep us safe, individually and collectively, in these last 
days in which we live.  Your Christian friend and brother, Paul