Author Topic: SIMON MAGUS, GNOSTICISM, EBIONITES & ISLAM  (Read 3330 times)

Peter

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SIMON MAGUS, GNOSTICISM, EBIONITES & ISLAM
« on: September 09, 2011, 07:31:18 AM »
video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPNr-e2phhs

SIMON MAGUS, GNOSTICISM, EBIONITES & ISLAM

Surah 4:157 That they said (in boast), "We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah";- but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not:-

From this verse Christians will immediately recognize that Islam rejects the WHOLE SUBJECT of the Gospel, which is the crucifixion, death, and resurrection of the sinless Messiah, the Prince of Peace, the spotless Lamb of God, who saves all from sin who have faith in His shed blood.

1Corinthians 1:23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

If you go to Muslim forums and ask who did  die on the cross you will get answers like the following that were offered.....

"I believe that a true disciple of Jesus took up the cross and died for him knowing that Jesus would raise him again from the dead. I also believe that the true disciple was not one of the twelve, was not even a Jew but was in fact a Gentile."

"If I recall correctly, Narrations state that There was a guy who used to oppress Jesus PBUH So Allah turned the guy into His Likeness (When exactly I don't remember Maybe during the time of carrying the cross maybe before his capture...) and the guy was executed instead of Jesus PBUH so it was made to appear that Jesus PBUH was but he wasn't."

"The disciple (JUDAS) Who betrayed him was hanged, (God changed him to the shape of Jesus), and before they take him to court, he keep saying I am not Jesus but the soldiers beat him so much until he confess to be Jesus, same as the American soldiers do in Iraq war."

From some of their more official sources that were presented.

"al-Baydawi said (p. 135) - "A group of Jews cursed Christ and his mother. He invoked evil on them and, may He be exalted, turned them into monkeys and swine. The Jews gathered together to kill him, but God, may He be exalted, informed him (Jesus) that He was going to lift him up to heaven. Thus, (Jesus) said to his companions, `Who would like to have my likeness cast on him and be killed and crucified, then enter the paradise?' One of them volunteered (to do so) and God cast on him Christ's likeness. He was then arrested, crucified and killed. It is also said that (the crucified one) was a traitor who went with the mob to guide them to Christ (he meant Judas), thus God cast on him the likeness of Jesus and he was arrested, crucified and killed."

Qurtubi - "While explaining the words of the Qur'an: (but they were deluded by resemblance), master exegete, Dahhak says: It so transpired that, following the intention of Jews to kill Sayyidna 'Isa (A.S) his disciples assembled at a given place. Sayyidna 'Isa (A.S) joined them there. It was Iblis who gave the address of Sayyidna 'Isa (A.S) to the execution squad standing ready for the mission. Four thousand men surrounded the suspected house. Sayyidna 'Isa (A.S) said to his disciples: 'Is one of you willing to go out and be killed and then be in Paradise with me?' One of them offered to do so. Sayyidna 'Isa (A.S) gave him his shirt and head-cover. Then, cast on him was the resemblance of Jesus and as soon as he came out, the Jews, believing him to be Jesus, caught him and crucified him, and Sayyidna 'Isa (A.S) was lifted.

Mazhari - "According to some reports, the Jews had sent a person known to Arabs as Teetlanoos to kill Sayyidna 'Isa (A.S). He did not find Sayyidna 'Isa (A.S) in the house for he was already lifted by Allah towards Himself. So, when this person came out of the house, he had been made to resemble the looks of Sayyidna 'Isa (A.S). The Jews took him to be Sayyidna 'Isa (A.S). Thus, they took away their own man and killed him."

From the person who posted the last two accounts: "There is room for whichever of the situations came to pass - the Holy Qur'an has not determined any particular situation. Therefore, Allah alone knows what really happened."

Muslims will often lazily invoke that phrase, rather than seek out truth.

"...the quran says, we removed Isa (AS), and the order became confusing to them, but they did not kill Isa (AS).
A group of soldiers went into his hiding place and they brought out a person that looked exactly like him, even talked like him. And he keep telling them that they are mistaken, but they would not believe him. Now who was the substitute? Some say he was one of the soldiers, some say he Might have been Judas. All we know is he was not ISA (AS)."

That's 1.5 billion people resolved in DISbelief regarding the whole subject of the Gospel.

"A Muslim believes what Allah told in the Quran that He raised Jesus unto Himself and that they didn't crucify nor kill him for sure, but so it appeared to them.
This is the main point, the rest are details ... some scholars said another person was on the cross, may be the one who betrayed Jesus. But we know that God had a plan and didn't allow them to kill Jesus Peace be upon him."

We can see Muhammad's followers are not interested in WHO WAS crucified, because a spirit fills them with complete resolve, ONLY as to SPECIFICALLY what to DISbelieve. The most important thing to them, at all costs, is to DENY the crucifixion, death and resurrection of the Messiah.

Muhammad's denial is the EXACT OPPOSITE of the WHOLE SUBJECT of the Gospel.

Over the last nearly 2,000 years there has never been a single CHRISTIAN - a follower of Christ Jesus the sinless Messiah - that has denied the crucifixion, death and resurrection of the Lamb of God, since the Messiah's sacrifice and our faith in His shed blood, is the source of our salvation and the WHOLE SUBJECT of the Gospel. Nor is there a sect of Judaism that does not believe a man named Jesus - Yeshua - was killed in the first century. While Christians and Jews are in complete resolve as to WHO WAS killed, we can see from the Muslim's accounts above that "...those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow...".

Here's another.....

"Jesus himself was ..... watching soldiers hanging the WRONG MAN and he was Laughing. If the one on the Cross was Jesus, then why was he laughing for pain?"

Please note this account of Jesus laughing, during a substitute's crucifixion, for later.

So how did Muhammad come up with this doctrine that is so exactly opposite to the whole subject of the Gospel?

Enter..... Simon Magus.

In the scriptures we learn that...

Acts 8:5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. 6 And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. 7 For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed [with them]: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed. 8 And there was great joy in that city. 9 But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one: 10 To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God. 11 And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries.

Thus, before the disciples arrived, a whole city had been bewitched by Simon's sorcery, through which many became possessed by demons and unclean spirits. They believed they were serving God because Simon deceived them into believing he was of  God - even was God - but they were actually serving Satan, and his messengers. The same forces are overtly at work today in the "New Age" movement, and more covertly in other groups that have been deceived into believing they worship the one true God.

12 But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13 Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done.

So Simon believed, when he saw the miracles that were performed, and even got baptized. But let's see if just "believing in Jesus" as Muslims believe they do, and even getting baptized as Simon did, assures our salvation.

14 Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: 15 Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: 16 (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) 17 Then laid they [their] hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. 18 And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, 19 Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.

Simon's attempted purchase of the things of the Spirit of God is where the term "simony" comes from.

20 But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. 21 Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.

We can see that though Simon "believed in Jesus", and was even baptized, he was not born again.

22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.

It seems Simon was more interested in how much he could enhance his stature and income as a magician if he could perform the miracles the apostles were. Even though Simon "believed in Jesus", as Muslims believe they do, Simon didn't receive a new heart because he was unrepentant. Perhaps not unlike those that had deceived themselves into believing they were once "Christians" that claim to have "converted" to Muhammad's stand-alone 7th century religion.

23 For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and [in] the bond of iniquity. 24 Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me. 25 And they, when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.

Simon the Magician was eventually dubbed "the father of heresies" by our early church fathers, not only because he declared himself to be God, but because he penned Gnostic doctrine that cults like the Ebionites later adopted and disseminated.

Early church father Irenaeus in "Against Heresies" begins this section with an exegesis of the same passage. (link to source)

Chapter XXIII.—Doctrines and practices of Simon Magus and Menander.

"This Simon, then—who feigned faith, supposing that the apostles themselves performed their cures by the art of magic, and not by the power of God; and with respect to their filling with the Holy Ghost, through the imposition of hands, those that believed in God through Him who was preached by them, namely, Christ Jesus—suspecting that even this was done through a kind of greater knowledge of magic, and offering money to the apostles, thought he, too, might receive this power of bestowing the Holy Spirit on whomsoever he would,—was addressed in these words by Peter: “Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God can be purchased with money: thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter, for thy heart is not right in the sight of God; for I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity."

Irenaeus continues regarding Simon after his unsuccessful attempt to purchase the Holy Spirit.....

"He then, not putting faith in God a whit the more, set himself eagerly to contend against the apostles, in order that he himself might seem to be a wonderful being, and applied himself with still greater zeal to the study of the whole magic art, that he might the better bewilder and overpower multitudes of men. Such was his procedure in the reign of Claudius Cæsar, by whom also he is said to have been honoured with a statue, on account of his magical power."

Thus Simon went on to become an even more famous magician.

"This man, then, was glorified by many as if he were a god; and he taught that it was himself who appeared among the Jews as the Son, but descended in Samaria as the Father while he came to other nations in the character of the Holy Spirit. He represented himself, in a word, as being the loftiest of all powers, that is, the Being who is the Father over all, and he allowed himself to be called by whatsoever title men were pleased to address him."

Posing as God, Simon taught the following view of the crucifixion.

"For since the angels ruled the world ill because each one of them coveted the principal power for himself, he [Jesus] had come to amend matters, and had descended, transfigured and assimilated to powers and principalities and angels, so that he might appear among men to be a man, while yet he was not a man; and that thus he was thought to have suffered in Judæa, when he had not suffered."

Simon suggesting that Jesus was "thought to have suffered in Judæa, when he had not suffered." Simon, through Satan's power, deceived multitudes. Just as multitudes are deceived in the world today.

This from Tertullian in "Against All Heresies" (link to source)

"After him [Simon Magus] Menander, his disciple (likewise a magician), saying the same as Simon. Whatever Simon had affirmed himself to be, this did Menander equally affirm himself to be, asserting that none could possibly have salvation without being baptized in his name."

"Afterwards, again, followed Saturninus: he, too, affirming ..... that Christ had not existed in a bodily substance, and had endured a quasi-passion in a phantasmal shape merely; that a resurrection of the flesh there will by no means be."

Enter..... Basilides.

"Afterwards broke out the heretic Basilides. He affirms that there is a supreme Deity, by name Abraxas .... there ensued infinite issues and processions of angels; that by these angels 365 heavens were formed ...."

You get the picture, and predictably degenerating into even worse.

"To these are added those heretics likewise who are called Ophites: for they magnify the serpent to such a degree, that they prefer him even to Christ Himself; for it was he, they say, who gave us the origin of the knowledge of good and of evil."

Let's get back to Irenaeus regarding Basilides on Jesus, please carefully note the following, remembering back to the quotes of Muslims from early in this video.

Chapter XXIV.—Doctrines of Saturninus and Basilides.

4.  "He appeared, then, on earth as a man, to the nations of these powers, and wrought miracles. Wherefore he did not himself suffer death, but Simon, a certain man of Cyrene, being compelled, bore the cross in his stead; so that this latter being transfigured by him, that he might be thought to be Jesus, was crucified, through ignorance and error, while Jesus himself received the form of Simon, and, standing by, laughed at them."
(link to source)

Doesn't that read just like Muhammad's followers various accounts at the beginning of this video? Indeed it seems we found the mystery man replacement on the cross that eluded those poor deluded souls!

So Muhammad's suggestion that it only appeared that Christ was crucified, and his later followers suggestion that Christ exchanged Himself with someone else that suffered instead, was born of a first century sorcerer named Simon Magus dubbed the "father of heresies". A man that tried to buy the Holy Spirit, and bewitched people into believing that he was God, succeeded by a disciple of his named Basilides, who embellished Simon's blasphemy with the more explicit detail of substitution on the cross. The succession of these Gnostics eventually inspiring others to "...magnify the serpent to such a degree, that they prefer him even to Christ Himself...".

So is it a surprise to find Muhammad's followers driven by a spirit that causes them to "contend against the apostles" just as Simon the Sorcerer did? Following a false prophet that filled them with complete resolve as to what to DISbelieve and DENY. To REJECT the very blood of the Lamb of God that would save them.

Some Muslims protest that "Allah" wouldn't let his "messengers" get hurt, but that flies in the face of, not only the martyrdom of Jesus and His prophets, apostles, disciples and witnesses, but of the Quran itself.

Sura 2.61 ....and killed the prophets wrongfully.

Ah, but wait a minute! Muhammad wasn't born until 400 years after Simon the Sorcerer, so how could he have known about his teaching? How could Muhammad have learned this Gnostic doctrine of DISbelief in Jesus' crucifixion, that Muhammad's stand-alone followers cling to so tenaciously today?

Enter..... the second century occult cult of the Ebionites.

Muhammad went into a suicidal funk in which he wanted to throw himself off a mountain because his "revelations" had ceased. Like the one in which a demon appeared to him as an "angel of light" in a cave. It was Muhammad's wife Khadijah that came up with the remedy.

Quoting a paper from - first-language Arabic - Dr. Rafat Amari's 20 year full-time study of Arabia and Islam, "Occultism in the family of Muhammad".....

"Khadijah, the first wife of Mohammed, came from a family of prominent occult leaders.  Among them we mentioned Ruchieh, a Kahineh of Jinn-devils at Mecca. Ruchieh was the sister of Waraqa bin Naufal,[xxvii][27] the Ebionite occult priest who was the cousin of Khadijah."

"After the negative experiences which depressed Mohammed, Khadijah sent him to her cousin, Waraqa, to convince him that Mohammed was called to be a prophet of Allah. Waraqa succeeded in his task and became responsible for most of the Qur’anic verses at the beginning. Waraqa inserted Ebionite doctrines about Jesus in the Qur’an, stating that Jesus was a prophet, and that He was not crucified, but God made someone to resemble Jesus. That one was crucified because the crowd thought he was Jesus. This doctrine was first initiated by Simon, the magician from Samaria, who later founded a heresy which took his name, Simonianism. In reality, Simon created the root for such doctrine, before it was developed by the Gnostics in later times. Here, I present Simon the magician’s idea about Jesus, which Hyppolytus reported in “The Refutation of all heresies”:

"Jesus Christ being transformed, and being assimilated to the rulers and powers and angels, came for the restoration (of things). And so (it was that Jesus) appeared as man, when in reality he was not a man. And (so it was) that likewise he suffered, though not actually undergoing suffering, but appearing to the Jews to do so."

The full article is available at the following link.
(link to paper)

Christians that have had any experience in discussion with Muslims on YouTube will recognize that they could for the most part, insert "Muslims" in place of "Ebionites", in this Wikipedia paragraph on the Ebionites.

"The majority of Church Fathers agree that the Ebionites rejected many of the precepts central to Nicene orthodoxy, such as his pre-existence, divinity, virgin birth, atoning death, and physical resurrection.[5] The Ebionites are described as emphasizing the oneness of God and the humanity of Jesus as the biological son of both Mary and Joseph, who by virtue of his righteousness, was chosen by God to be the messianic "prophet like Moses" (foretold in Deuteronomy 18:14–22) when he was anointed with the Holy Spirit at his baptism.[4][59] Origen (Contra Celsum 5.61)[60] and Eusebius (Historia Ecclesiastica 3.27.3) recognize some variation in the Christology of Ebionite groups; for example that while all Ebionites denied Christ's pre-existence there was a sub-group which did not deny the virgin birth.[61]"
(link to Wikipedia article)

The article at the following link compares Ebionites and Muslims side by side.
(link to article)

Muhammad's followers believe Jesus was carried physically to "paradise" without ever having died. Presumably enjoying His share of the multiple virgins and wine that Muhammad offers there. Yet because of a sura regarding Jesus speaking from a cradle, that Muhammad plagiarized from a 2nd century Egyptian apocryphal fable, they are actually compelled to believe that an obviously immortal Jesus will return to earth after 2,000 years, only to die after He returns!

Sura 19:33 "So peace is on me the day I was born, the day that I die, and the day that I shall be raised up to life (again)"!

Talk about lost in confusion!

It should come as no surprise then, to find that the spirit of the "prince of the power of the air" that guides magicians, sorcerers, demons, Gnostics and other blasphemers - that "contend against the apostles" like Simon the Magician - would compel Muhammad's followers to believe that when Jesus returns He will "break the cross"!

Bukhari B43 #656 Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Apostle said, "the Hour will not be established until the son of Mary (i.e. Jesus) descends amongst you as a just ruler, he will break the cross, kill the pigs, and abolish the Jizya tax. Money will be in abundance so that nobody will accept it (as charitable gifts).

Jesus apparently to return and reverse the testimonies of all of His prophets, disciples, apostles and witnesses, as bequeathed to us through the WHOLE SUBJECT of the Gospel.

And wouldn't you know it - "money in abundance"!  Muhammad seeming to never pass up an opportunity to reveal his focus on the things of the flesh.

Galatians 4:22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. 23 But he [who was] of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman [was] by promise. 24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. 25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. 26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

This subject is explored in more depth in the "Children of the Flesh" video.

Internet and YouTube Christians, engage Yahweh's enemies in this epic battle every day, with the sword that He gave us.

Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places]. 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

If you think God is about imperialistic conquest and beheading innocent Jewish farm boys and their dads and grandpas, while sexually violating and enslaving their little sisters, mothers and grandmas, and then stealing their property, perhaps you deserve to follow Muhammad until you stand in judgment before the very Son of God you deny. (video on Muhammad's massacre of the Banu Quraiza Jews)

John 5:22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:

If you are a follower of Muhammad, and his stand-alone 7th century religion, why don't you at least read the Gospel  to learn about the love of the ONE true God YHWH - as so beautifully expressed through His Messiah - and whose people have followed Him through two covenants for 3500 years, as revealed through ALL of His prophets and witnesses in His 1600 year record.

Muhammad challenged....

Sura 2.23 And if ye are in doubt as to what We have revealed from time to time to Our servant, then produce a sura like thereunto; and call your witnesses or helpers (If there are any) besides Allah, if your (doubts) are true.

Can we call on the Messiah's witnesses to produce one like it?

1 John 4:5 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. 6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. 7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son [to be] the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

John 13:35 By this shall all [men] know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

To those that have been so conspicuously and heinously deceived by THE  false prophet Muhammad, haven't you known in your heart for quite some time, that something is very wrong with the STAND-ALONE 7th century "religion" of your self-proclaimed "prophet" Muhammad? Jesus can fix that hole in your heart, and fill the emptiness that comes from praying in the "vain repetitions of the heathen", while prostrating yourself before the Quraish pagan's black stone idol in Mecca.

Have you ever even read the Gospel? How could a Muslim obey their "Allah's" commandment to: "Believe in ... the scripture which He sent to those before (him)." if you haven't even read those scriptures?

Why not try the movie "The Gospel of John" available at the link in the "Show more" drop-down menu just under this video?

Your ETERNAL LIFE hangs in the balance.

1 John 2:22 .... He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. 23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father.....

John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Revelation 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet [are], and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

To those so sorely deceived by Muhammad, why not ask Jesus to come into your heart and life today, like your former brethren whose testimonies you can view on the muslims4jesus YouTube channel?

Matthew 7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.