SIMON MAGUS, GNOSTICISM, THE 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.

"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."

"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."

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)."

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."

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, having witnessed the miracles that were performed, and he 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.

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.

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 disciples were. Even though Simon "believed in Jesus", as Muslims believe they do, Simon didn't receive a new heart because he remained unrepentant. Perhaps not so unlike those that had deceived themselves into believing they were once "Christians" that claim to have "converted" to Muhammad's 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.

"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."

"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."

"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."

"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.

"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."

"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 ...."

"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."

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."

Doesn't that read just like Muhammad's followers various accounts at the beginning of this page? Even the switching faces detail! It seems we found the mystery man replacement on the cross that eluded those poor tragically deceived followers of Muhammad quoted earlier!

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 that Jesus 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 various accounts above, that they are "...those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow...".

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 inspired by a first century sorcerer named Simon Magnus 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 substution 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...".

Based on Islamic history of imperislistic conquest and subjugation of God's people, 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?

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.

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

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 spirit appeared to him as an "angel of light" in a cave. It was Muhammad's wife Khadijah that came up with the remedy.

"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 ibn 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."

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]"

Muhammad's followers believe Jesus was carried physically to "paradise" without ever having died. Muslims perhaps presuming Jesus is enjoying His share of sex with multiple virgins, fruit, chicken and wine that Muhammad offers there. Yet because of a sura regarding Jesus speaking from a cradle, that Muhammad plagiarized from a 2nd century Arabic apocryphal fable, they are actually compelled to believe that an obviously immortal Jesus will return to earth, now after a couple thousand years, only to die after He returns!

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.

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.

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:

The same weapon our military should be using overseas. Instead Afghani translations of the Gospel, were taken from our soldiers and burned, for fear of offending the Afghanis. So more American blood and treasure is spent instead.

If you think God is about Muhammad's 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)

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 - 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.

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.

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.

The scriptural, historical, and archaeological evidence of Roman census taking, suggest that Jesus was likely born in 8 BC. Yet most of the world's population today believe that the Gregorian or solar calendars indicate when Jesus was born. (example argument begins this PDF)

As we learned from the example of the Samarians, mass psychology particularly when accompanied by evil forces, can convince large masses of people to believe something, that is in fact the exact opposite of truth. It is obvious to us non-Samarians today that Simon the Magician was indeed not God.

Muhammad's followers have been compelled to DENY the whole subject of the Gospel, and REJECT the blood of the Lamb of God that would save them, because of their faith in the 23 year 7th century record of Muhammad, and Simon Magus by way of the Ebionites. The tragedy becomes even more apparent when we discover that they engage in Mecca centered thinly repackaged Quraish Star Family worship rituals, further influenced by the Sabians and Zoroastrians.

To those that have been so conspicuously and heinously deceived by THE false prophet Muhammad, haven't you known in your heart for a long time, that something is very wrong with the STAND-ALONE 7th century "religion" of your self-proclaimed "prophet"? A man you cannot deny is revealed through your own books, as a mass murdering, female prisoner abusing, terrorist and thief.

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.

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.