Alpha and Omega Ministries is a Christian apologetics organization based in Phoenix, Arizona. James White, director, is a professor, having taught Greek, Systematic Theology, and various topics in the field of apologetics for numerous schools.
The following was first published around 1990 in tract form. An Examination of Common LDS Beliefs About the Bible “We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.” So says the 8th Article of Faith of the Church of Jesus
An Examination of Joseph Smith’s “Explanation” of Facsimile #2 in the Book of Abraham In 1835 Michael H. Chandler arrived in Kirtland, Ohio. In his horse-drawn wagon he carried four Egyptian mummies. Along with the mummies were included displays of the papyri rolls found on the mummies themselves. Joseph Smith, the Mormon Prophet, was fascinated by Chandler’s exhibit, so much
The following information sheet was first published around 1990. Purpose and Meaning of “Ego Eimi” in the Gospel of John In Reference to the Deity of Christ The Gospel of John has come under great fire in recent centuries for its incredibly high Christology. On this basis alone certain form-critics have rejected the book as having any historical authenticity whatsoever,
The following article was originally published in the October 1989 issue of The Dividing Line Theological Journal. The article is presented in its entirety as it was originally published. “Foreknowledge”Its New Testament MeaningJames White “For whom He did foreknow, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He might be the firstborn of many
The following article was originally published in the October 1989 issue of The Dividing Line Theological Journal. The article is presented in its entirety as it was published. The Early Canon Process of the New Testament James White The traditional Protestant concept of Scripture is difficult to extract from the concept of canon, so closely are the two connected in
The following was first published around 1989 in tract form. The single greatest explanation of the nature and existence of God from the mouth of the Mormon Prophet, Joseph Smith, is to be found in his comments at the funeral of one “King Follett”in April of 1844. This discourse was published first in the Times and Seasons of August 15,1844.
It is difficult to imagine making it through any conversation with one of Jehovah’s Witnesses on the subject of the Deity of Christ without having to tackle John 1.1, and the infamous “translation” (I use the term very lightly) found in their New World Translation, “In beginning the Word was, and the Word was with God, and the Word
The following was first published as an information sheet around 1989. Jesus Christ – the Lamb of Revelation (An Examination of the Relationship between God and the Lamb in the Book of Revelation) John the Apostle was privileged to see things far beyond what any man had seen before. The record of his visions, the book of Revelation, has fascinated
Few books in the Old Testament provide a richer depth of theological knowledge than the wonderful prophecy of Isaiah ben Amoz. It is not the intention of this paper to deal with issues such as the controversy over the unity of the work – the working assumption here is that the material to be covered is indeed the work of
I. Introduction The doctrine of the Trinity requires a balanced view of Scripture. That is, since the doctrine itself is derived from more than one stream of evidence, it requires that all the evidence be weighed and given authority. If any of the foundational pillars of the doctrine (monotheism, the deity of Christ, the person of the Holy Spirit, etc.)
“The word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12 KJV). The ability to utilize the Word of God accurately and correctly in the witnessing situation
THEOTETOS: MEANING AT COLOSSIANS 2:9 There really are no translational difficulties presented by Colossians 2:9. There are no textual variants to worry about, and the meanings of the various words are pretty clear. However, two of the words, theotetos and somatikos do need further elaboration. The Greek of the passage reads as follows: hoti en auto katoikei pan to pleroma
12/11/1987 The following letters were written during 1986/87. They comprise the correspondence between Mr. James White, Director of Alpha and Omega Ministries, and Mr. Dennis McKinsey, the editor of a periodical entitled “Biblical Errancy.” As Mr. McKinsey feels free to publish letters written to him in his periodical, and as there is no copyright on “Biblical Errancy,” we have felt
Reply by Mr. McKinsey, as contained in the August 1986 edition of “Biblical Errancy.” Sections correspond to the sections placed in the previous letter. Section A: Dear JW. Like you, I have encountered the same arguments on numerous occasions and your “out-of-context” pleading is one of the most common. You alluded to point #18 in the May 1986 commentary and
Mr. McKinsey’s response to the above letter as contained in the October and November issues of “Biblical Errancy.” Section A: Dear JW. So many of your comments warrant analysis that one hardly knows where to begin. (1) You state that there is no reason to suppose that Jesus’ original command to his disciples was meant to be eternal. But what
(The following is Mr. McKinsey’s lengthy response to the first section of the above letter as it appears in the April 1987 edition of Biblical Errancy). Dear JW. After several months of correspondence it’s rather obvious, but unfortunate, that you have a notable array of shortcomings including a failure to listen very well, a strong propensity to belabor points that have
1. Why are people today being punished for Adam’s sin? Why do women have to endure pain in childbirth because of Eve’s sin, especially in the light of Deuteronomy 24:16 and other references? Answer to Question #1: Original sin. Few doctrines come under more consistent and heavy fire than that of man’s sin. This is hardly to surprise us, as
Below I deal with a few classic examples of the kind of errors made by McKinsey in BE over the years. This is by no means anywhere near an exhaustive list – just a few (to use his own words) imbroglios he has managed to get himself into in his attack upon God’s Word. In the December 1983 issue of
I first give the specific sections of the May 1986 edition of “Biblical Errancy” that I cite in my first letter). Jesus Vs. Paul…(18) Jesus — “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matt. 15:24) and “…Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But
Letter #2 from James White, responding to Mr. McKinsey’s comments as contained in the August 1986 edition of Biblical Errancy. As above, sections correspond to Mr. McKinsey’s response as printed in the October and November issue of his publication. I will attempt to he brief, as your space is limited. DM, your point that Jesus contradicted Jesus by, after His
Letter #3 from James White, responding to Mr. McKinsey’s comments as contained in the above two editions of Biblical Errancy. I contacted Mr. McKinsey a number of times to determine if the letter was going to be printed. It was, partially, in the April, 1987 edition, though the original letter was written and sent on October 13, 1986. Section A: Dear Mr. McKinsey:
Having finished the published debate itself, I will now turn to dealing with some of the common questions and tactics utilized by anti-theists when talking with Christians about the Bible. Notice first of all that I have used the term anti-theist. Many atheists like to say that they have no beliefs, hence they have nothing to defend. But, if atheists
8. How can Exodus 33:20 and John 1:18 (both stating that no one can see God) be reconciled with Genesis 32:30 and Exodus 33:11 which say that men have seen God? Answer to Question #8: Seeing God. Using John 1:18 to demonstrate the Deity of Christ has been a long tradition in apologetics. There is indeed a contradiction here if
“Would Jesus have done that?” A Biblical Look at Defending the Faith Matthew 22:29: Jesus told the Sadducees, “You are mistaken, not understanding the Scriptures, or the power of God.” Matthew 23:13-36: In this passage Jesus pronounced seven woes upon the Pharisees. In this discourse Jesus used such words as “hypocrites” “blind guides” “fools” “blind men” “whitewashed tombs” “serpents” “brood
Alpha and Omega Ministries Guide to Biblical Interpretation “rightly dividing the Word of Truth” The following information sheet was first published around 1987. I. Background of the passage A. Main theme of the book? B. Author’s purposes? C. Author’s background? D. Historical setting? E. What kind of literature is this? Parable, poetry, apocalyptic, teaching? F. Reader’s Understanding/Context – To
The following article was originally published in the July/August and September/October 1986 issue of The Dividing Line Theological Journal. The article is presented in its entirety as it was published. GOODSPEED AND THE DEITY OF CHRIST OF COURSE JESUS IS DIVINE! Anyone who has talked to Jehovah’s Witnesses about the subject of the Person of Jesus Christ has debated the proper
PROTOTOKOS (“Firstborn”): Its Meaning and Usage In the New Testament The Apostle Paul left us two great passages expressing his teaching concerning the person of Christ in His pre-incarnate state: Philippians 2:5-7 and Colossians 1:15-17. It is interesting that both passages provide quite a challenge to the translator, though their meaning undoubtedly was clear to their original audiences. In the Colossians passage,
Please Note: This outline goes with our audio, “Son of God, Lord of Glory,” available on Sermon Audio I. Introduction A. Need for this study 1. Historic Importance of the Deity of Christ 2. Modern attacks B. Bible based – no apologies C. There is one God 1. Biblical view 2. Jesus not a “god-like” one – Is. 46:9, Psalm
Attached to this sheet is a copy of what can be called a ‘representative sample’ of a letter that requests that a person’s name be removed from the rolls of the Mormon Church. Some introductory comments are necessary. First, there are some folks who leave Mormonism, come to Christ, and have no desire whatsoever to have their names removed from
