Essay Sample on Biblical Texts Corrupted by Power-Hungry Deceivers: Apostle Peter

Introduction

Apostle Peter claims that some passages in the Bible contain false interpolations, and thus, the Scripture does not reveal the authentic nature of God. Several factors make specific passages in the Scripture false. First, they were written by power-hungry deceivers like Simon Magus, who corrupted Biblical texts as a way to mislead the multitudes. Peter argued that the Law of Syzygies categorizes Biblical principles into pairs and opposites since the Scripture has parallel genealogies of truth and errors that dates back to the era of Adam. The existence of parallel lineages, therefore, make specific passages false.

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Secondly, the authors of some Biblical passages relied on the interpretations by Jewish Christians who included a spurious message to the Scripture. Peter cites the Law of Torah as an example of a Biblical text that contains falsehoods in the Scripture. The seventy elders who received the law from Moses, according to Peter, altered its content (Romanus 365). Spurious additions by Jewish elders, therefore, makes some passages in the Scripture false. Thirdly, such readings were written by individuals who did not have God's first-hand message. Peter said that people should go to the true prophet to gain knowledge about the truth of God. The fact that the passages were written by people who are not part of the Prophet's lineage makes the Scripture false.

The inclusion of "false passages" to the Scriptures is necessary even if it has controversial issues. First, it is critical to the philosophy of religion since it enables Christians to reflect on matters of religious significance, including alternative concepts of God, and the nature of religion. Secondly, the inclusion of the passages challenges Christians to search for wisdom connected to specific religious practices and fringe elements in Christianity.

Characteristics of a True Prophet

Clementine Homilies stresses that a true prophet is a person in possession of the true nature of God ((Romanus 365). Such a person have the powers to make divine revelations of what constitutes false and true passages in the Law of Torah. The primary defining feature of a true prophet in Clementine Homilies, therefore, is the ability, to tell the truth in the Scripture. The Law of Syzygies states that a prophet falls either in the genealogy of truth or error. In this case, a true prophet falls in the lineage of people who preach the truth.

There are several ways to determine whether a person is a true prophet. The first test is to assess whether an individual's message and actions reflect the will of God. A true prophet, in this regard, upholds the will of God. Such a person speak the word of God publicly, fearlessly and without compromise, despite the situation, whether foul or fair. False prophets, on the other hand, convey the messages from their understanding and cannot interpret the signs of the times.

The second approach to distinguish false prophets from true prophets is to weigh a person's interests and whether the individual has a gift of prophecy or not. A false prophet aims to gain power, earn recognition, and money by performing miracles. Such people are not concerned with the welfare of the society but instead their interests. Conversely, a true prophet stands in solidarity with the poor and vulnerable members of their community. They are also interested in promoting peace, justice, and peaceful coexistence in their societies. True prophets, however, simultaneously denounce and announce situations to their people. As such, true prophets publicly denounce evils in society and proclaim God's reign of peace and justice.

Events of Prophet Muhammad's Prophetic Mission in Mecca

Prophet Muhammad's mission started in Mecca in 570 CE before moving to Medina in 622 CE (Berg para. 1). The Prophet was born to a wealthy household in Mecca, which was then an interpretive center in the region. The Muslims believes that Muhammad's mother was Amina, whereas his father was Abdullah (Zayd and Chaabihi 42). However, Abdullah died before the Prophet was born. Abd al-Muttalib, Muhammad's paternal grandfather, played critical roles in raising Muhammad during his mission in Mecca. Abd al-Muttalib, however, died when Muhammad was eight years old. Upon the death of his paternal grandfather, Abu Talib, the uncle to Muhammad, took the responsibility of raising the Prophet. Abu Talib was then the leader of the Quraysh community, the most powerful tribe in Mecca.

The call of Mohammed as the Prophet of Allah is the most critical event in Muhammad's prophetic mission in Mecca. The Muslims, however, call this incidence "Muhammad's first revelation." The event is essential in the history of the Muslims since it marked the beginning of the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book. Archangel Jibril, who is called Gabriel in English, appeared to Muhammad at Mount Hira. Muhammad was married to Khadija, a wealthy woman in Mecca. The Prophet accepted Angel Gabriel's message by reciting his words (Almujalli 1). This event is historic since it marked the start of the Islamic religion.

Mohammad addressed social injustices in Mecca and thus one of the greatest achievements during his mission. The Prophet instilled a sense of social justice and fairness among his people. In this way, Mohammad's thoughts solved inter-tribal wars besides ending the exploitation of the needy in the Mecca. He also signed treaties with other tribes as a way to strengthen the people of Mecca. The migration of the Prophet's followers from Mecca to Medina in 622 is the last event in Mohammad's mission in Mecca (Almujalli 7).

Mohammad's entry to Medina in 622 ushers in a new era where the Prophet gained more followers. Mohammad spent ten years of his life in Medina. His key events asserted the influence of Islamic religion in Medina. The building of the first Mosque is a landmark event underlying the Prophet's mission in Medina. The Prophet facilitated the establishment of the first-ever Mosque in the history of Islam (Berg para. 1). The Mosque was built for the Muslims who were the victims of oppression in Makah. The Mosque served a center for uninhibited gatherings, learning Quran, and a point where people received instructions for their leaders.

Fraternization is another landmark event in the Prophet's mission. Muhammad united the Ansar (Madinite Helpers) with Muhajireen (Makkan Immigrants) where he instilled bonds of Islamic brotherhood. This event fraternized the Muslim community, joining all the believers as brothers in faith. Fraternization is a critical event since it imparted spirits of self-sacrifice to the present-day Muslims. Muslims also learned to be patient from fraternization.

The Prophet established the Islamic State and Government that united Muslims in all Islamic societies. Mohammad applied divine commandments, which ultimately led to the establishment of a real Islamic society. The Prophet also expounded miracles of the Holy Quran to the Islamic State besides erecting the pillars of justice and virtues. Notably, the establishment of an Islamic State and Government introduced a perfect-ever constitution that ended oppression.

Jihad is another landmark event that happed during the Prophet's mission in Medina. This holly struggle, however, was a natural consequence for the introduction of Islamic State and Government. Unbelievers in Medina plotted to stamp out Mohammad's divine call, which necessitated the Muslims to take up arms to secure their state and defend their faith. The final event occurred in 629, where the Prophet returned to and conquered Mecca.

Reasons Why Prophet Muhammad was believed as God's Authentic Messenger

Several factors explain why many people regarded Mohammad as an authentic messenger from God. First, Mohammad's message was centered on living a Holy life that pleases God. He denounced social injustices, among other evils since it was against God's will. Mohammad warned the community of divine judgments if they did not recognize God as the only Supreme Being. The fact that Mohammad encouraged people to embrace monotheism besides denouncing social injustices explains why many people considered him an authentic messenger from Allah.

Secondly, Mohammad was a selfless prophet who was not concerned with gaining power, recognition, and wealth. While he was an influential person in Mecca and Medina, the Prophet did not use his position to promote self-interests. The Prophet signed various treaties for the benefit of Mecca when the community had little sources of income. One of the agreements that Muhammad signed with other leaders was the treaty of Hudaibiyah.

Thirdly, many people believed that Muhammad received direct revelations from God. The Prophet's direct communication with God, therefore, made many people believe that he was Allah's authentic messenger. Through revelations, Mohammad received messages about living a Holy life and divine judgments for worshiping other gods. In this regard, the nature of messages that the Prophet passed to the general public made people view him as God's true messenger.

Finally, the efforts of Prophet Muhammad promotes the will of God. The Prophet, for instance, facilitated the construction of the first-ever Mosque in the Islam world. The Mosque was used to teach Quran, Islam laws, and deliver a sermon. Also, he led the fraternization of all Muslims and encouraged them to live in peace. These activities promote the will of God and thus convinced people that Mohammad was an authentic prophet of God.

Works Cited

Almujalli, Hussam. "The relationship between the Prophet Muhammad and the Quran." Journal of Islamic Studies 2.4 (2014): 01-05, http://jiscnet.com/journals/jisc/Vol_2_No_4_December_2014/1.pdf. Accessed 27 Sept. 2019.

Berg, Herbert. "Muhammad: The Messenger of God." Religious Literacy Project, Harvard Divinity School, rlp.hds.harvard.edu/religions/islam/muhammad-messenger-god. Accessed 27 Sept. 2019.

Romanus, Clemens. The Clementine homilies :( Translated by Thomas Smith, Peter Peterson, and James Donaldson.), 1870, http://www.documentacatholicaomnia.eu/03d/0050-0150,_Pseudo_Clemens,_Homilies_[Schaff],_EN.pdf. Accessed 27 Sept. 2019.

Zayd, Ahmed Abu, and Ahmed Chaabihi. The Life of the Prophet. Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), 2003, https://www.isesco.org.ma/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Life-Prophet.pdf. Accessed 27 Sept. 2019.