Interesting! I was always taught that St. John wrote with gnostics in mind, but prior to this post, I was always uncomfortable with that assertion because gnosticism was a later thought experiment. (Actually, it seems to be a persistent deception.)
I listened to a commentary yesterday by a Moslem friend. Among other subjects, he rejected the concept of some Moslems termed "abrogation": that one verse of the Quran may negate another verse. No, he argued, because the Quran (and each verse) is "eternal". "Eternal" is an attribute (is it not?) of God Himself. So, God's "word" is as eternal as God Himself is. This sounds familiar to Christian ears: the relationship of the Father to the Logos. Thus, if Islam views Christianity as polytheistic, it seems that Islam is also. Or, rather, Christianity is not less monotheistic than Islam.
Interesting! I was always taught that St. John wrote with gnostics in mind, but prior to this post, I was always uncomfortable with that assertion because gnosticism was a later thought experiment. (Actually, it seems to be a persistent deception.)
I listened to a commentary yesterday by a Moslem friend. Among other subjects, he rejected the concept of some Moslems termed "abrogation": that one verse of the Quran may negate another verse. No, he argued, because the Quran (and each verse) is "eternal". "Eternal" is an attribute (is it not?) of God Himself. So, God's "word" is as eternal as God Himself is. This sounds familiar to Christian ears: the relationship of the Father to the Logos. Thus, if Islam views Christianity as polytheistic, it seems that Islam is also. Or, rather, Christianity is not less monotheistic than Islam.
Thank you. This is enlightening.