Jesus "the Magician"

[Coliseum]

Throughout Scripture we see men try to imitate Christ with magic, sorcery, black arts...but His children are all-too aware of the wiles of the Devil:

"A professor of communism demonstrated at a meeting that Jesus was nothing but a magician. The professor had before him a pitcher of water. He put a powder in it and it became red. “This is the whole miracle,” he explained. “Jesus had hidden in his sleeves a powder like this, and then pretended to have changed water into wine in a wonderful manner. But I can do even better than Jesus; I can change the wine into water again.” And he put another powder in the liquid. It became clear. Then another powder and it was red again. A Christian stood up and said, “You have amazed us, comrade professor, by what you are able to do. We would ask only one thing more of you—drink a bottle of your wine!” The professor said, “This I cannot do. The powder was a poison.” The Christian replied, “This is the whole difference between you and Jesus. He, with His wine, has given us joy for two thousand years, whereas you poison us with your wine.” The Christian went to prison. But news of the incident spread very far and strengthened many of the faith."

Wurmbrand, Richard. Tortured for Christ

If we only knew of the many who are gladly in prison---sometimes tortured for their faith. How beautiful are these saints.

[Michael37]

36 minutes ago, Coliseum said:

Throughout Scripture we see men try to imitate Christ with magic, sorcery, black arts...but His children are all-too aware of the wiles of the Devil:

"A professor of communism demonstrated at a meeting that Jesus was nothing but a magician. The professor had before him a pitcher of water. He put a powder in it and it became red. “This is the whole miracle,” he explained. “Jesus had hidden in his sleeves a powder like this, and then pretended to have changed water into wine in a wonderful manner. But I can do even better than Jesus; I can change the wine into water again.” And he put another powder in the liquid. It became clear. Then another powder and it was red again. A Christian stood up and said, “You have amazed us, comrade professor, by what you are able to do. We would ask only one thing more of you—drink a bottle of your wine!” The professor said, “This I cannot do. The powder was a poison.” The Christian replied, “This is the whole difference between you and Jesus. He, with His wine, has given us joy for two thousand years, whereas you poison us with your wine.” The Christian went to prison. But news of the incident spread very far and strengthened many of the faith."

Wurmbrand, Richard. Tortured for Christ

If we only knew of the many who are gladly in prison---sometimes tortured for their faith. How beautiful are these saints.

Thanks for bringing this to mind

Richard Wurmbrand, also known as Nicolai Ionescu (March 24, 1909 – February 17, 2001) was a Romanian Christian minister of Jewish descent. In 1948, having become a Christian 10 years before, he publicly said Communism and Christianity were not compatible. As a result, he experienced imprisonment and torture by the then Communist regime of Romania, for his beliefs. After serving a total of fourteen years, he was ransomed for $10,000. His colleagues in Romania urged him to leave the country and work for religious freedom from a location less personally dangerous. After spending time in Norway and England, he and his wife Sabina, who had also been imprisoned, emigrated to America and dedicated the rest of their lives to publicizing and helping Christians who are persecuted for their beliefs. He wrote more than 18 books, the most widely known being Tortured for Christ. Variations of his works have been translated into more than 65 languages. He founded the international organization Voice of the Martyrs, which continues to aid Christians around the world who are persecuted for their faith.  [From Wkpd]

[Deadworm]

Ah, but a well respected Columbia University professor, Morten Smith, wrote a well -respected book entitled "Jesus the  Magician," in which he demonstrates how Jesus and Paul used techniques borrowed from contemporary Greco-Roman magic. Have you read his evidence or are you content with the disingenuous evangelical ploy of creating a weak straw man to avoid the hard work or honest and open inquiry?

[Don't worry  I ask this question not as a debunker, but as a devout evangelical who deplores the typical evangelical unwillingness to consider the evidence marshalled from intellectuals against the Christian faith.]

[Michael37]

26 minutes ago, Deadworm said:

Ah, but a well respected Columbia University professor, Morten Smith, wrote a well -respected book entitled "Jesus the  Magician," in which he demonstrates how Jesus and Paul used techniques borrowed from contemporary Greco-Roman magic. Have you read his evidence or are you content with the disingenuous evangelical ploy of creating a weak straw man to avoid the hard work or honest and open inquiry?

[Don't worry  I ask this question not as a debunker, but as a devout evangelical who deplores the typical evangelical unwillingness to consider the evidence marshalled from intellectuals against the Christian faith.]

Either you're a Bible-believer or you are not. 

Since when did "well respected" academics become the arbitors of truth?

[Don't worry, I always challenge the speculations of intellectuals who claim to have evidence that contradicts the Bible.] 

[AngelInTraining93]

47 minutes ago, Deadworm said:

Ah, but a well respected Columbia University professor, Morten Smith, wrote a well -respected book entitled "Jesus the  Magician," in which he demonstrates how Jesus and Paul used techniques borrowed from contemporary Greco-Roman magic. Have you read his evidence or are you content with the disingenuous evangelical ploy of creating a weak straw man to avoid the hard work or honest and open inquiry?

[Don't worry  I ask this question not as a debunker, but as a devout evangelical who deplores the typical evangelical unwillingness to consider the evidence marshalled from intellectuals against the Christian faith.]

Magic is sin and Jesus was sinless. Jesus did not practice magic, nor for that matter did Paul, and to say otherwise is blasphemy. 

[missmuffet]

I won't reply to this post because of my love and respect for the Lord. 

[BeauJangles]

Jesus "the Magician"

Sorry, but I can't buy into this concept. The two words are not synonymous. 

[Alexalex]

In the bible they all drank the wine and said it was some top quality drink, even with modern science all the professor could do is change the color and poison the water in the process...

[lftc]

@missmuffet and @BeauJangles

I greatly respect both of you.  You spend your time encouraging others on this forum.  You are a blessing to many.

I respectfully suggest that you misunderstood @Coliseum.  He was actually presenting the story to illustrate that Jesus was NOT a magician, but rather someone to believe in so much that one is willing to go to prison.

Be blessed.

[lftc]

11 hours ago, Alexalex said:

In the bible they all drank the wine and said it was some top quality drink, even with modern science all the professor could do is change the color and poison the water in the process...

Well Said, AlexAlex.