Jay Smith – Could God Become a Man?

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Jay Smith is an evangelist and apologist who regularly debates radical Muslims at Speakers’ Corner in London, England. Smith has a Master’s degree in Islamic studies from Fuller Theological Seminary and is currently working on a Ph.D at the London School of Theology. Born in India, he was influenced by a stay at L’Abri, while a world traveller, and later was convicted to minister to the underserved 800-million Muslim population. Smith is an expert in Christian-Muslim apologetics, and weekly he leads dozens of Christians to the Speakers Corner in Hyde Park, where they engage in debate, answer questions, share their faith and make friends with hundreds of Muslims. Smith emphasizes the use of polemics, over apologetics, with Muslims and has been described as the Unapologetic Apologist in Christianity Today. Smith heads up Hyde Park Christian Fellowship.

Listen to: Jay Smith speak on the topic of “Could God Become a Man?”

3:03-6:48

Jay Smith says that Muslim denial that God could become a man limits God’s omnipotence.  Jay Smith’s argument is helpful up to a point.  However, he goes too far saying that it is therefore possible for God to die.

There are some things God cannot do.  God cannot lie (Hebrews 6:18).  Because God is eternal, He cannot die.  Does this mean Jesus did not die on the cross? No.  Jesus is truly God and truly man.  John Calvin’s explantion of Jesus’ death as the God-Man is one of the soundest,

In short, since neither as God alone could he feel death, nor as man alone could he overcome it, he coupled human nature with divine that to atone for sin he might submit the weakness of the one to death; and that, wrestling with death by the power of the other nature, he might win victory for us (Institutes of the Christian Religion II,xii,3).

6:49-22:29

The majority of Jay’s discussion is on the topic of the Trinity.  Jay Smith discusses the Trinity.  The word “Trinity” is not found in the Bible, but the doctrine is taught.  Likewise, the word “Tawhid” is not found in the Quran, but the doctrine is taught in the Quran.