Dear Brother Kai
I apologise ... I thought I had read the whole of your rebuttal but it seems I missed the bit about the atoning value of Jesus' death. I have just found what you said.
Matthew 20:
17Now as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside and said to them, 18“We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death 19and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!”
You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27and whoever wants to be first must be your slave– 28just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Matthew 26:
26While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”
27Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom.”
Luke 24:
44He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”
45Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48You are witnesses of these things. 49I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
John 3:
13No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven–the Son of Man.[d] 14Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.[e]
16“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,[f] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.
Now that I have read those passages, I see a single thread running through the whole New Testament - a single unanimous message that Jesus died and rose again to procure the forgiveness of sins for those who believe in him. The same good news was preached by Jesus, Paul, John, Luke, and Peter. Jesus' death was not
merely the tragic consequence of opposing the Jewish establishment, nor was it
merely a demonstration of turning the other cheek. Instead, it was a sacrificial offering for sin, wisely planned by God, in order to make atonement for us sinners and graciously give us eternal life.
I think Paul explained Jesus' death more fully than Jesus explained it himself. But that is consistent with the progressive nature of God's revelation throughout history. And Jesus predicted that his Apostles should expect to receive deeper revelation after his departure.
I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. (John 16:12)
But the message is still the same. Jesus gave us the outline, while Paul filled in the details - both of them teaching the same truth from God by the Holy Spirit.
If you have time, I would certainly appreciate hearing your thoughts about Paul's use of quotations from the Old Testament. (This was mentioned recently by some Muslims I know.)
Many thanks again,
Phiz