THE NEWSLETTER OF IBTM
with Douglas Jacoby
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12 Feb 2025
Good morning from Marietta, Georgia.
It’s good to be spending a few weeks in what been our “home state,” more or less, for some 22 years. On Saturday I’m heading up to North Carolina for the memorial service of an old friend. The following week it’s off to Abilene, Texas, for the Teleios Conference. Yet most of the time I’m here in the Atlanta area, dealing with medical things and keeping up my normal work. Through this transitional time, we both certainly appreciate your prayers.
Today you will find three offerings, focusing on three persons—one globally famous, another a woman known to many Bible readers, the third relatively obscure. I refer to Muhammad, Junia, and yours truly.
Moments I (Dearly) Wish I Could Take Back (Part 8—Conclusion)
As we think back on some of the mistakes we’ve made in our lives, wouldn’t it be great to be able to go back (in time) and get a “redo”? Alas, that is not possible. Yet we can still learn from these…
The time period covered: Australia, again (2002-2003), Ohio (2003), Georgia (2003-2020), Scotland & England (2020-2025). For my many mistakes, I am sorry.
To hear this talk, and the previous 7, just click on the image to the right.
Junia a Female Apostle?
Q: Romans 16:7 says Junia was an apostle. But I thought only men could be apostles. What does Paul mean?
A: Here’s the text in question: Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was (Rom 16:7).
There are really several questions bound up in one. Was Junia male or female? What is meant by “apostle”? Does “among” imply that they were apostles, or simply well-respected among the apostles? Any why does Paul include them in the end of his letter anyway?
Since 1977, scholars have increasingly doubted this was a man (Junias). The masculine name Junias seems to be unknown in the first century, while the feminine Junia is well known. Besides, Junianus, the male name, would be abbreviated to Junas, not Junias. Furthermore, earlier translations consistently understand this to be a feminine name. KEEP READING
Thoughts on Ibn Ishāq’s Sīrat Rasūl Allāh
Why is it important to learn about the life of Muhammad? Because of his extensive global impact; because he is venerated by one quarter of humanity; and because his continuing influence affects our world politically, economically, socially, and spiritually. There are also many misunderstandings afoot about Muhammad and the Islamic faith. For these reasons, I have devoted a lot of time to reading the Qur’an (multiples times), the Hadith (ancient traditions), and in the past few months, the most respected ancient biography of Muhammad.
Abū ʿAbd Allāh Muḥammad ibn ʾIsḥāq ibn Yasār al-Muṭṭalibī, known simply as Ibn Ishaq (Arabic: أَبُو عَبْدُ ٱلله مُحَمَّدٱبْن إِسْحَاق ٱبْن يَسَار ٱلْمُطَّلِبيّΩ), was an 8th-century (c. 704–767) Muslim historian and hagiographer. He lived c. 704-767 AD (85-151 A.H.), was born in Medina and died in Baghdad.
His Sīrat Rasūl Allāh (literally Life of the Messenger of Allah) is based on biographical details written down in the first century of Islam. There were many early biographies. This one contains about 600 hadiths. The Hadith contains the words and / or deeds of Muhammad. Without the Hadith is difficult to develop a full-orbed picture of Muhammad; like trying to understand the earthly Jesus if our New Testaments were missing the four Gospels. While the Hadith are normally considered authoritative, not so the Sirat.
Here are the contents of The Life of Muhammad: A Translation of Ishāq’s Sīrat Rasūl Allāh.
I. The Genealogy of Muhammad; Traditions from the Pre-Islamic Era; Muhammad’s Childhood and Early Manhood
II. Muhammad’s Call and Preaching in Mecca
III. Muhammad’s Migration to Medina, His Wars, Triumph, and Death
IV. Ibn Hishām’s Notes
My copy is a little over 700 pages. I had considered sharing my reflections page by page, but opted in the end to review the book topically rather than tediously. Beginning next week, I’ll share with you what I came up with:
- Muhammad the man (birth, family, calling, death)
- Teachings and practices (worship, laws, women, etc)
- The Miraculous
- Warfare, anger, revenge
- Violence and Compulsion
- Miscellaneous matters
- The People of the Book (Jews and Christians)
- The biography of Muhammad vs. the biographies of Jesus
- Who is the ideal human? Muslims say Muhammad. What do you say, and why?
Please consider this a provisional outline. My research is complete, but the process of consolidation is still underway.
Till Next Week…
On the 19th we’ll highlight two superb books and continue with our study of the biography of the true Muhammad. There is also a new Q&A (in the area of science), though it will not appear in the newsletter. My main studies are biblical (currently, the gospel of Luke, Song of Solomon, and Romans), yet I have always tried to spend some time daily in Christian evidences, world religions, church history, other fields that illuminate and often enhance our knowledge of God’s Word.
Thank you, as always, for your many prayers.
— Douglas
- For years of previous newsletters, click here.
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