The Voice Of Billy Graham, Or The Voice of Jesus?

January 2007

by disciples of Jesus of Nazareth

( all Gospel verses quoted from the Faithful New Testament translation or FNT )

The voice of Jesus is a powerful thing. We are to hear his voice.  We are to know his voice. How is one to do such a thing when there are so many out in the world today preaching their version of the Truth? How are we to separate these false testimonies of yesterday, today, and tomorrow from the Truth of our Lord?  The task seems insurmountable.  Yet, is it?

The Truth of the matter is that it is very simple, yet due to the love of life in this world, it is quite hard to many.  If we listen to Jesus, we learn there is only one thing we must do in order to hear the Truth.  We must hear Jesus when he says, “Hear MY Voice! 

John 10 

³ The gatekeeper opens [the gate] to this [one], and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls¹ his own sheep by name, and he leads them out. ⁴ When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, because they know his voice. ⁵ They will not follow [the voice belonging] to [a] stranger, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.

¹⁴ I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me, ¹⁵ just as the father knows me, and I know the father, and I lay down my psyche-life⁶ in behalf of the sheep. ¹⁶ And I have other sheep that are not of this sheep-pen, and I must lead [these], and they will hear my voice, and they will become one flock, one shepherd.

²⁷ My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me, ²⁸ and I give them zoe-life⁴ eternal, and they will not perish⁸ to eternity, and no one will seize them from my hand.

John 18

³⁷ Pilate therefore said to him: So are you [a] king? Jesus answered: You say that I am king. I am born for this and am come into the world for this, in order that I witness to the truth. All those being from the truth hear my voice.

The Voice of Billy Graham???

This paper deals with one of many men in today’s world who gives false testimony against our Lord.  Let us compare the voice of Billy Graham to the voice of Jesus of Nazareth.

This evangelist, who has spent his life and energies preaching a flawed salvation doctrine founded on believing something about Jesus, has never yet realized what it means to actually believe Jesus.

"Why did God forsake Jesus?"

Christendom has long had an answer to this, which is expressed in the following quotations.

From Matthew Henry's Commentary
He let out upon his soul an afflicting sense of his wrath against man for sin. Christ was made Sin for us, a Curse for us; and therefore, though God loved him as a Son, he frowned upon him as a Surety. These impressions he was pleased to admit, and to waive that resistance of them which he could have made; because he would accommodate himself to this part of his undertaking, as he had done to all the rest, when it was in his power to have avoided it.

From Billy Graham:
The authorities crucified Jesus. It was the most horrible death that we can think of, with nails in his hands and his feet and a spear in his side, and blood streaming down his body. But that wasn't his only suffering. His greater suffering was heard in his cry, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" The Bible says, "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us." God had laid on him all of our sins. Every bad thing that we have ever done, every bad thing that we have ever thought, was put on Christ. He took it for us, in our place, because he loves us.

God had forsaken Jesus because Jesus, on the cross, became sin!  

It seems the perfect explanation, and is clearly biblical, being based on the doctrine of Paul as expressed in II Corinthians 5:

[21] For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

This powerful doctrine stands as the foundation of the Christian religion.  It rests on a belief that Jesus, on the cross, was a sacrificial offering for the sins of all humanity.  What great love! What great love that Jesus would subject himself to such horror for our sakes! What great love that God would give his Son thus to suffer for us!

The Lie Unmasked

Attractive as it is, this explanation for why God forsook Jesus on the cross cannot stand. First, it rests on the false doctrine of Paul according to which Jesus was a sacrifice for our sins.  Second, it ignores the great and infinite mercy of the Father.  Third, it perverts a true conception of the justice of God.  Fourth, it limits the love of God. Fifth, it ignores the fact that Jesus explained his crucifixion contrary to this.  

It is not necessary here to expand on all these points, for Jesus on the cross was no sacrifice for sin, who had clearly taught:

Matthew 9:13
[13] Go and learn what this means, `I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.

Knowing that God does not desire sacrifice, Jesus would never have made himself such. No, to comprehend what was transpiring there one must listen to Jesus explanation of the event, which I have posted at the Great Principle link.

This Great Principle underlies everything pertinent to the gospel.  Any one who loves life in this world -- who seeks to save life in this world -- will lose life eternal.  It follows that we are placed in this world so as to make the choice between life and life.  While we remain bound to life in this world, we cannot inherit the life eternal.  If we seek to save this life, we will lose eternal live.

It is the choice set before every individual human being on this earth.  It is essential to the purpose of the Father that we make this choice as free agents so as to qualify as his children in the Eternal Glory.  This is the core of the gospel of Jesus.  He taught it throughout his ministry, and then sealed it by his personal and consistent example when he deliberately chose to hate life in this world so as to go to the Father.  Therefore the Father forsook him as he suffered on the cross, that the choice be a free one and that it might be his alone.  Had the Father stood by him to strengthen him, comfort him or encourage him Jesus would not have been the perfectly free agent required for this to be a true choice.  And it was indeed a true choice, because he had the option to avoid the cross or to come down from it, thus saving his life:

Matthew 26:53
⁵³ Or do you suppose that I am unable to call upon my father, and he will place at my disposal at once more than twelve legions of angels? ⁵⁴ How then would the scriptures be fulfilled that must thus come to pass?  

That the crucifixion was an exemplary rather than a substitutionary act he confirmed when he stated for all the ages to hear:

^{Mark 8:34}

³⁴ And calling upon the crowd with his disciples he said to them: If anyone would come after me, let him renounce⁴ himself and take up his cross, and be following me.  

Do you now see?  He died ahead of us, not instead of us.  His death was exemplary, not substitutionary.  Had Jesus saved his life, he would have lost eternal life as surely as would any other person.

Do you not yet understand?  Then consider the hapless prodigal son in his distress in the "far country" where his life illustrates the lives we live in this world and where his love for that life illustrates the love we have for life in this world.  Then focus on the point of his decision to "arise and go to my father," thus forsaking life in the far country. Did his father come to him and implore him, or encourage him, or strengthen him or comfort him to make the choice an easy one?

Conclusion:  Jesus cried out from the cross, "E'lo-i, E'lo-i, la'ma sabach-tha'ni?" because he was indeed forsaken by the Father in that terrible hour.  The Father forsook him only because he must exemplify the free choice that every person must make who qualifies to go to the Father -- a free and uncompromised choice between life in this world and eternal life so that we may be acceptable as children of God.

Which Voice Do You Hear?

Here are further links to false testimony from Billy Graham vs. true testimony from Jesus of Nazareth:

http://www.voiceofjesus.org/index15.html

http://www.voiceofjesus.org/index56.html

http://www.voiceofjesus.org/index52.html

http://www.voiceofjesus.org/index23.html

http://www.voiceofjesus.org/index21.html

http://www.voiceofjesus.org/index32.html

http://www.voiceofjesus.org/index34.html

http://www.voiceofjesus.org/index39.html

http://www.voiceofjesus.org/index60.html

http://www.voiceofjesus.org/index61.html

http://www.voiceofjesus.org/index43.html

http://www.voiceofjesus.org/index36.html

http://www.voiceofjesus.org/unattended.html

Longer articles where Billy Graham is noted:

http://www.voiceofjesus.org/oilandwater.htm

http://www.voiceofjesus.org/maxim.htm

http://www.voiceofjesus.org/tribalgod.html

http://www.voiceofjesus.org/falsedoctrine.htm

http://www.voiceofjesus.org/builder3.html 

http://www.voiceofjesus.org/footstool.htm

You can also visit The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association at  BGEA and download his views on almost any subject.  His search box will help you to find his views on specific topics.

Or

 You can visit The Words of Jesus to find out his views on specific topics by reading His Words alone at Words Of Jesus on the Voice of Jesus.org site.  We also recommend the Faithful New Testament translation which can be found at FNT .  A Red Letter Bible highlighting the Words of Jesus in red can be of use to you as well, or any Bible that holds the New Testament Four Gospels.  His Word is readily available to those who seek it.

Again we ask…Which voice do you hear?

Let us choose the voice of Jesus:

John 5

²⁴ Truly truly I say to you that the [one] hearing my word and believing the [one] having sent me has eternal zoe-life⁹ , and does not come into judgment, but is moved out of death into zoe-life⁹. ²⁵ Truly truly I say to you that [the] hour comes and now is when the dead will hear the cry of the son of God and those having heard will zoe-live. ²⁶ For as the father has zoe-life⁹ in himself, likewise also to the son he has given zoe-life⁹ to be having in himself. ²⁷ And he gave him authority to be doing judgment, because he is [a] son of man.

²⁸ Be not marveling at this, that [the] hour comes in which all those in the graves will hear his voice, ²⁹ and those having done good will come out to [the] resurrection of zoe-life⁹, [but] those having done [as a practice] worthless¹⁰ [things] will come out to [the] resurrection of judgment. ³⁰ For I am not able to be doing anything from myself; just as I hear do I judge, and my judgment is just, because I do not seek my own will but the will of the [one] having sent me.

³¹ If I witness concerning myself, my witness is not true. ³² Another is witness concerning me, and I know that the witness is true that he witnessed concerning me. ³³ You sent to John, and he has witnessed to the truth; ³⁴ but I do not receive witness by man, but I say these [things] that you be saved. ³⁵ That [one] was the burning and shining lamp and you wanted to rejoice for [hour] in his light.

³⁶ But I have [a] witness greater than John; for the works that the father has given me in order that I complete¹¹ them, these works themselves which I do witness concerning me that the father has sent me. ³⁷ And the father having sent me, that [one] has witnessed concerning me. Neither his voice have you ever heard nor his visible-form have you ever seen, ³⁸ and his word you do not have abiding in you, because he whom that [one] has sent, in this [one] do you not believe. ³⁹ You search the scriptures, because you suppose in them to be having eternal zoe-life⁹, and these are those witnessing concerning me. ⁴⁰ And you do not want to come to me in order that you have zoe-life⁹. ⁴¹ I do not receive glory from men, ⁴² but I have known you that you do not have the agape-love of God in yourselves. ⁴³ I am come in the name of my father, and you do not receive me; if another come in his own name, that [one] you will receive. ⁴⁴ How are you able to believe, receiving glory from each other, and the glory of the only God¹² you do not seek?

⁴⁵ Be not supposing that I will accuse you to the father, the [one] accusing you is Moses, in whom you have hoped. ⁴⁶ For if you were believing Moses, you would have believed me; for concerning me did that [one] write. ⁴⁷ But if you do not believe the writings of that [one], how will you believe in my words?

John 10

¹ Truly truly I say to you, the [one] not coming in through the gate into the sheep-pen but coming up from elsewhere, that [one] is [a] thief and [a] robber. ² But the [one] coming in through the gate is [the] shepherd of the sheep. ³ The gatekeeper opens [the gate] to this [one], and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls¹ his own sheep by name, and he leads them out. ⁴ When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, because they know his voice. ⁵ They will not follow [the voice belonging] to [a] stranger, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers. ⁶ Jesus told them this parable; but these [ones] did not know what it was that he was speaking to them.

⁷ So Jesus said again, Truly truly I say to you that I am the gate of the sheep. ⁸ All who came before me are thieves and robbers. But the sheep have not heard them. ⁹ I am the gate. If anyone enter through me, he will be saved, and he will come in and will go out and will find pasture. ¹⁰ The thief does not come except in order that he steal and slaughter² and destroy³ ; I came in order that they have zoe-life⁴ and have [it] exceedingly.⁵

¹¹ I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd appoints his psyche-life⁶ in behalf of the sheep. ¹² But the hired-hand also not being shepherd, of whom the sheep are not his own, he sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees—and the wolf seizes them and scatters [them]— ¹³ [he flees] because he is [a] hired-hand and the sheep are not [a] concern to him.

¹⁴ I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me, ¹⁵ just as the father knows me, and I know the father, and I lay down my psyche-life⁶ in behalf of the sheep. ¹⁶ And I have other sheep that are not of this sheep-pen, and I must lead [these], and they will hear my voice, and they will become one flock, one shepherd. ¹⁷ Because of this the father agape-loves me, because I lay down my psyche-life⁶, in order that I again receive it. ¹⁸ No one takes it from me, but I dedicate it myself. I have authority to dedicate it, and I have authority to again receive it; this commandment I received from my father.

¹⁹ [A] division again came to pass among the Jews because of these words. ²⁰ And many among them were saying, He has [a] demon and is insane; why do you hear him? ²¹ Others were saying, These words are not [those] of [one] demon-possessed. Is [a] demon able to open [the] eyes of [the] blind⁷ ?

²² The Festival of Dedication then came to pass in Jerusalem. It was winter, ²³ and Jesus was walking in the temple in the porch of Solomon. ²⁴ So the Jews encircled him and were saying to him, How long do you hold our psyche-lives⁶ [in suspense]? If you are the Christ, tell us openly. ²⁵ Jesus answered them, I told you and you did not believe. The works that I do in the name of my father, these witness concerning me, ²⁶ but you do not believe, because you are not of my sheep. ²⁷ My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me, ²⁸ and I give them zoe-life⁴ eternal, and they will not perish⁸ to eternity, and no one will seize them from my hand. ²⁹ My father who has given [them]⁹ to me is greater than all, and no one is able to be seizing [them] from the hand of my father. ³⁰ I and my father are one [thing].

John 12

²⁷ Now my psyche-life⁹ is troubled, and what should I say? Father, save me from this hour? But because of this I came to this hour. ²⁸ Father, glorify your name. [a] voice therefore came from heaven: I have glorified [it] and will again glorify [it]. ²⁹ The crowd therefore having stood and having heard were saying: Thunder came to pass, others were saying: [An] angel has spoken to him. ³⁰ Jesus answered and said: This voice did not come to pass because of me but because [of you]. ³¹ Now is the judgment of this world. Now will the ruler of this world be thrown out.

John 18

³³ Pilate therefore went in again into the Praetorium and called Jesus and said to him: Are you the king of the Jews? ³⁴ Jesus answered: Do you say this from yourself or did others tell you concerning me? ³⁵ Pilate answered: Am I [a] Jew? Your nation and chief-priests have delivered you up to me. What did you do?

³⁶ Jesus answered: My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my officers would have fought in order that I not be delivered up to the Jews; but now my kingdom is not from here. ³⁷ Pilate therefore said to him: So are you [a] king? Jesus answered: You say that I am king. I am born for this and am come into the world for this, in order that I witness to the truth. All those being from the truth hear my voice. ³⁸ Pilate says to him: What is truth?

May You Hear His Voice and no other!

His Peace to you.