INQUIRER: I only have one question, if you have enough proof, Bro. Eli, to what is written in Matthew 1:20, if it is really an angel, that Holy Spirit, sent in Joseph's dream saying that Mary will conceive and He will be called Jesus, does that commandment really come from God? That is my question.

EFS: Let us read Matthew 1:20 - "And as he thought upon these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take to you Mary as your wife. For that in her is fathered of the Holy Spirit."

INQUIRER: What is your doubt regarding this? I listen to you regularly, I heard from you recently that not all things written in the Bible are words of goodness; words of God.

EFS: These are words of an angel of God. That angel was a messenger of God. Not only Saint Matthew said that. Even Saint Luke testified that that angel was a messenger of God. "Angel of God," Saint Luke said. Let us read Luke 1:26-31 -

"And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS."

EFS: Therefore, not only one evangelist wrote that. Even Saint Luke wrote about the coming of the angel telling that Saint Mary would conceive and bring forth a son. I don't see any reason for you to doubt that.

INQUIRER: It is okay, I just want to have a strong basis regarding that. Because the root of the whole faith...

EFS: Brother, if you only want a strong basis, the basis that I searched in the Bible is much stronger than what you are looking for. Do you know why? All throughout the years, it is testified to even by the Romans. If you have read the history of the Roman Empire, there is a very little part in the history of the Roman Empire, this is written - “A certain Jesus of Nazareth crucified under the order of Pontius Pilate.” Look, that Pontius Pilate was an official in the Roman Empire in the Middle East. There is an inscription found now in our time that there was really a Pontius Pilate. Could you put on screen the inscription found by the archeologists? There it is - Caesarea, Israel New Testament Period Pontius Pilate, (26-37 AD). Limestone, That is a stone with inscriptions - Limestone, inscribed 82.0 cm H 65.0 cm W Building Dedication 4 Lines of Writing (Latin) Date of Discovery: 1961 Israel Museum (Jerusalem) AE 1963 no. 104 It is stored in the museum in Israel. The name "Pontius Pilate" is inscribed there. It means that there was really a Pontius Pilate who existed. That Pontius Pilate was the one who judged that Christ be nailed on the cross. He did not really want to judge but the Jews compelled him. So, he gave his judgment. Now, the name of Pontius Pilate was also written in the History of the Roman Empire, stating that he was the one who ordered the crucifixion of Christ. Do you still doubt that? Imagine, the Bible testifies; the stone excavated by archeologists testifies, and the history of the Roman Empire testifies. I do not have even a tinge of doubt that Christ is the fulfillment of what the angel said - "and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS." Jesus really became His name. "Iesus". That was why they wrote "INRI." Why "INRI"? Could you put that in Latin. Here, I will show you. It was written above His head on the cross - “scripsit autem et titulum Pilatus et posuit super crucem erat autem scriptum…” "Iesus" - I. “Nazarenus” – N “Rex” –R “Iudaeorum” – I INRI. That is the acronym of “Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum.” [John 19:19] In Tagalog -"JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS." There are so many evidences that that really was Jesus. What the angel said really happened. Jesus was born and crucified on the cross. In fact, when Christ was not born yet, it was written how He would be killed. So, we cannot deny that the Bible is true. Even in the time of Isaiah, 600 years before Christ was born, it was written what they would do to Christ. Isaiah 53:3-5 -

"He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."

EFS: He was striped, hurt, and punished for us. To whom was this fulfilled? Wasn't it to Christ? He bore our sins on the tree. I Peter 2:24 -

"Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree,"

EFS: That statement of Saint Peter was the continuation of Prophet Isaiah's prophecy. So, He was not born yet, but what will happen to Him was already written. He would be killed, hurt, aggrieved. And on the tree, not on the electric chair, he would be executed on the tree. It was already written before He was born. So, I cannot see a reason, brother, for you to doubt that. Look, how many presidents has America had? Do you believe that the presidents of America believe in the Bible? Who are we not to believe in it? The presidents believe in the Bible. The proof is, an American president said - “You cannot consider a man illiterate if he knows the Bible, neither can you consider a man learned, if he does not know the Bible.” See that? Neither can you consider a man learned if he does not know the Bible. And you cannot consider a man illiterate who knows the Bible. An American president said that. So, by that alone, I told myself that I am not alone in believing in the Bible. Why? He who believes in the Bible as I do is a president of a very powerful country. So, I do not have doubt about that, brother.