To Save Him From Death
To Save Him From Death
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| Explanations of the Church Rebutted |
So far we have discussed the trials and self efforts of Jesus for saving himself, and now let us examine his prayers in detail.
“and he went a little farther and fell on his face and prayed, saYing, o my father, if it be possible, let this cup (DEATH) pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou WILT". (MATT. 26:39)
“HE WENT AWAY AGAIN THE SECOND TIME, AND PRAYED, SAYING, O MY FATHER, IF THIS CUP MAY NOT PASS AWY FROM ME, EXCEPT I DRINK IT, THY WILL BE DONE”. (Matt. 26:42)
“AND HE LEFT THEM, AND WENT AWAY AGAIN, AND PRAYED THE THIRD TIME, SAYING THE SAME WORDS” (Matt. 26:44)
“AND HE WENT FORWARD A LITTLE, AND FELL ON THE GROUND, AND PRAYED THAT, IF IT WERE POSSIBLE, THE HOUR MIGHT PASS FROM HIM. AND HE SAID, ABBA, FATHER, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE UNTO THEE: TAKE AWAY THIS CUP FROM ME: NEVERTHELESS NOT WHAT I WILL, BUT WHAT THOU WILT". (MARK 14:35-36)
“AND HE WAS WITHDRAWN FROM THEM ABOUT A STONES CAST, AND KNEELED DOWN, AND PRAYED, SAYING, FATHER, IF THOU BE WILLING, REMOVE THIS CUP FROM ME: NEVERTHELESS NOT MY WILL, BUT THINE, BE DONE. AND THERE APPEARED AN ANGEL UNTO HIM FROM HEAVEN, STRENGTHENING HIM. AND BEING IN AN AGONY HE PRAYED MORE EARNESTLY: AND HIS SWEAT WAS AS IT WERE GREAT DROPS OF BLOOD FALLING DOWN TO THE GROUND (Luke 22:41-44)
“NOW IS MY SOUL TROUBLED; AND WHAT SHALL I SAY? FATHER SAVE ME FROM THIS HOUR: BUT FOR THIS CAUSE CAME I UNTO THIS HOUR. FATHER, GLORIFY THY NAME. THEN CAME THERE A VOICE FROM HEAVEN, SAYING, I HAVE BOTH GLORIFIED IT AND WILL GLORIFY IT AGAIN:. (JOHN 12:27-28)
The aforesaid nature of the prayers Jesus offered beseeching God to save him from the accursed death awaiting him, is itself evident how unwilling Jesus had been to be betrayed. He was sorrowful and very heavy and even remarked that his soul was exceedingly sorrowful even unto death. And he fell on his face and prayed “LET DEATH PASS FROM ME”, ABBA FATHER ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE UNTO THEE: TAKE AWAY THIS CUP* FROM ME, thus repeating the same prayers several times. His agony and reluctance to meet death and his anxiety for deliverance from death can be well understand, better than in writing from the verse, “AND BEING IN AN AGONY HE PRAYED MORE EARNESTLY: AND HIS SWEAT WAS AS IT WERE GREAT DROPS OF BLOOD FALLING DOWN TO THE GROUND” (Luke 22:44)
Not only did he pray, but also asked his disciples to pray. “WATCH AND PRAY, THAT YE ENTER NOT INTO TEMPTATION”. (Matt. 26:41). The verse is not clear as to what or for whom he requested them to pray. Had the verse ended with “WATCH AND PRAY” only, it would have meant “watch and pray for me (Jesus) that I may be saved”. But the verse says “WATCH AND PRAY THAT YE ENTER NOT INTO TEMPTATION”. Some how the clause” YE ENTER NOT INTO TEMPTATION” followed the words “watch and pray” to mean, “watch and pray for yourselves (disciples) so that ye may not enter into temptation. However the words further uttered by Jesus in connection with the request to his disciples prove that he had asked them to pray more for him (Jesus) than for the disciples themselves as can be inferred from the following comment made by him. He returned to his disciples from the middle of his prayers, to see whether they were praying, and finding them asleep said “WHAT COULD YE NOT WATCH WITH ME ONE HOUR?” and returned to his prayers. When he came back again and found them still asleep he went away and prayed again the third time and when he finally returned from his prayers to find them still asleep said “SLEEP ON NOW, AND TAKE YOUR REST; BEHOLD THE HOUR IS AT HAND AND THE SON OF MAN IS BETRAYED INTO THE HANDS OF SINNERS”. These verses in this context evidently mean that the request or command of Jesus was to pray only for his safety and not for the disciples. However Jesus earnestly prayed God to save him from the hands of sinners, and also requested the disciples to pray for him and is safety. Not only this; that even the angel of God appeared and prayed for him is obvious from the verse, “AND THERE APPEARED AND ANGEL UNTO HIM FROM HEAVEN STRENGTHENING HIM” (Luke 22:43). In other words, “There appeared an angel too unto him from heaven who strengthened him or supported him by participating in his prayers or likewise the angel too prayed for Jesus.
Therefore, according to the above facts it is clear that Jesus was not desirous of offering atonement, but quite reluctant to do so. If the atonement doctrine were to be true, his unwilling offer would in no way bring him the full fruit of acceptance by God, and on the other hand there is a threat, that such unwilling atonement may be rejected consistent with the same remark, made by God, in the case of Cain “IF THOU DOEST WELL SHALL THOU NOT BE ACCEPTED?” (Genesis. 4:3). In this way the doctrine advocated is of no use to the Church.
However, if God was particular that only a vicarious atonement should be made, ignoring the party’s willingness or unwillingness, it was quite unjust to put one innocent and unwilling person into Hell in atonement for the sins of others. Do you believe that God had committed such an act of injustice contrary to the reputation of God as being JUST? In this way also the atonement doctrine is proved to be meaningless.
EXPLANATIONS OF THE CHURCH REBUTTED
When the prayers of Jesus to God for his deliverance are quoted in support of our argument, the Church tries in vain to defend its claims by making a stress on the following points:
(1) The Church says that Jesus prayed God to save him of course, but at the same time prayed too and said “NEVERTHELESS NOT AS I WILL, BUT AS THOU WILT” ……………… So he was not very much particular that he should be saved, but left the choice to the will of god.
(2) The Church also Says: Jesus openly agreed tht “SPIRIT INDEED IS WILLING BUT THE FLESH IS WEAK” …………….. Thus he was willing to atone, but being an incarnation of God in human form he felt the weakness that goes naturally with a human being.
Now we beg to state that the above two explanations are lame and untenable and can in no way defend the Church. They rather harm them to a greater extent. Please note the following points in support of our claim:-
The real inner meaning of the clauses “NEVERTHELESS NOT AS I WILL, BUT AS THOU WILT”, is “I am not willing for atonement; I am not willing to be betrayed into the hands of the enemy; I am not willing to be crucified; - and my desire is that I must be saved at any cost. This is my final and firm decision but being just a human being having no ability or possibility of getting things done to my liking, I have simply expressed my intention and will to you, --- it is not in my hands to achieve the objective --- but you are God --- you are master --- you are omnipotent and so capable of doing whatever things you like to do. I can be saved only when it is THY WILL to save me and if it is not Thy will to save me, there is no power on earth that can save me. Thy will be done just accordingly.”
It goes without saying, as a matter of fact, that whether Jesus submits himself to the will of God or not, ony God’s will be done. And it is meaningless to say “BUT AS THOU WILT” because there is none besides God competent to do according to his own will.
Please note that there are two kinds of WILLS here.
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1) |
MY WILL (Jesus’s Will) |
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TO BE SAVED, which expresses his persistent unwillingness for atonement. |
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AND |
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2) |
THOU WILT (god’s will) |
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It had to be against the will of Jesus as per the context and meaning of this particular verse NOT TO SAVE, which indicates the forcible act of putting one unwilling person to death in atonement, according to the interpretation of the Church. |
If the first kind of will was given effect to, then there was no atonement.
If the second kind of will was given effect to, forcible atonement is meaningless.
In clarification of the two kinds of WILLS (one of Jesus and the other of God’s) when either one of the wills was given effect to, they bear testimony to the fact that the atonement doctrine is false.
Now let us examine the second contention of the Church which is offered in defense.
“THE SPIRIT INDEED IS WILLING BUT THE FLESH IS WEAK”.
As a matter of fact these are the words spoke by Jesus to his disciples to encourage them to be alert and on guard. We have discussed the point in detail earlier in pages 22 to 24 which may be once again referred to, so as to understand more clearly.
Even if we consider the same words “THE SPIRIT INDEED IS WILLING BUT THE FLESH IS WEAK” to have been spoken in relation to Jesus himself as Church interpets, let us examine how it disproves the atonement doctrine.
In this regard I would like to invite the attention of the Church to the theory of atonement advocated by them once again. By way of atonement the body should undergo the physical torments of the world and the soul suffer in Hell. Both the spiritual and physical sufferings must be undergone to make the atonement effective. Then is it reasonable to say “THE SPIRIT INDEED IS WILLING BUT THE FLESH IS WEAK”? Do you believe that the person who hesitated to suffer worldly and physicl torments which are nothing at all as compared to the torments of the soul in Hell, would voluntarily allow his spirit to go to Hell without hesitation in atonement for the sins of others? Assuredly not.
Now let us examine the prayer as quoted in the Gospel of John too.
“NOW IS MY SOUL TROUBLED; AND WHAT SHALL I SAY? FATHER, SAVE ME FROM THIS HOUR; BUT FOR THIS CAUSE CAME UNTO THIS HOUR”. (John 12:27)
Please note, how self contradictory is the above prayer. On one hand he was appealing to God for deliverance from the hour (death); and on the other hand admitted that he came for the hour (death). Is it worthwhile to believe an honored great prophet of God as ever having given expression to such an ambiguous prayer? It is only a slur on that great prophet, if the Church so contends.
