Dear ahmadjee
(should one spell it with a capital "a"?)
My pardon for the lengthy explanations. My efforts is not to sow discord or confuse people with the explanations but rather to bring clarity to some as to the Christian teaching on salvation. It is not my intention for people to change their faith. God Almighty will call those He want, as and when He wants them.
Since the doings and sayings of Jesus Christ in the Gospels also are written by the same Apostles, I assume that some people will take your argument against the Apostles' writings further to include the whole New Testament Books of the Bible. For Christians in discussing their doctrines, the whole Bible has the same weight as is written: * All Scripture is God- breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. - 2Tim.3v16-17 *
I will though accommodate you and give some examples from not just the Gospels, but also the Old Testament part of the Bible. You have to realize though that the Old Testament is more of a history and poetic biblia of books and has very little clear theological reasoning as done in the writings of the Apostles who specifically wrote the writings to explain certain issues. Further I just need to state that I will accept the teachings of people that conversed personally with Jesus Christ rather than anyone else that want to teach differently who has never seen or talked with Jesus Christ themselves. As to your statement that the Apostles were in disagreement among themselves as to the teachings of Jesus, there is no such disagreements except that some highlighted certain issues/aspects more than others due to the audience they wrote to and their ability to express themselves.
My points 1 and 2 is straight out of the Old Testament, you will agree, so I will not re-explain them.
Point 3 as to universal sin: King David wrote in Psalm 51v5 * Surely I have been a sinner from birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. * and in verse 14 * Save me from blood-guiltiness, O God , the prophet Jeremiah wrote in chapter 17v9 * The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? *. David also wrote * The Lord looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no-one who does good, not even one. - Ps.14v2-3 *, and in Ps143v2 * Do not bring your servant into judgement, for no-one living is righteous before you. *. King Solomon prayed/wrote * "When they sin against you *(God Almighty) - for there is no-one who does not sin - and you become angry.... - 1King.8v46 *, and in Ecclesiastes 7v20 * There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins. *. Jesus inferred that all his listeners were sinners by stating * If you then, though you are evil... - Luk.11v13 *. The prophet Isaiah in his prophesy about the coming Messiah wrote * We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. - Isah.53.6 *. Job wrote * If God places no trust in his holy ones, if even the heavens are not pure in his eyes, how much less man, who is vile and corrupt, who drinks up evil like water! - Job15v15-16 *.
Point 4 as to the inability of people to do anything to save themselves: The Psalmist wrote three times in Psalm 80 * Restore us, O God Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved * and the prophet Jeremiah wrote in Lamentations 5 * Restore us to yourself, O Lord, that we may return. *. Both accepted that God needs to make the first move in order for man to be saved. King David wrote in Psalm 51v10 * Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. *. David use the word "ba'rah" for the word "create" which means "create from nothing" as God did with the universe - very much as per the "rebirth" of the New Testament writers and Jesus Christ's teachings. Only God Almighty can change the sinful heart of man. Job infer in chapter 9v2 that no-one can be righteous by himself * But how can a mortal be righteous before God? *. Jesus infer that man can do nothing to save himself by saying * What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? - Matt.16v26 *
Point 5: God himself taking a hand in the saving of mankind: The prophet Isaiah wrote * Therefor the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel - Isah7v14 * This "Immanuel" translate to "God with us". Compare what the prophet Zechariah quote God Almighty saying "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look **on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn **for him* as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieve for a firstborn son" - Zech.12v10 , with what the prophet Isaiah wrote * For to us **a child* is born....and he will be called Wonderful Councillor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. - Isah9v6 *. Judaism and Christianity both see these quotes as Messianic prophecies. Notice how God interchange between "me" and "him" in the Zechariah quote, and how can a child be a "Father" and Mighty God"?
Point 6: In Isaiah 53 we have the following prophecy completely fulfilled by Jesus Christ: * He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering......Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.....the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgement, he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living.....He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer.... After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.....For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. *. Many, many more examples can be quoted where the coming of the Messiah is foretold and fulfilled by Jesus Christ.
Point 6: Jesus Christ said the following: For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and **I* will raise him up at the last day*
Point 7: Jesus Christ said the following: Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad - John8v56; For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it - Mattt.13v17. Abraham was justified because he believed in God: Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness. The promise of the Messiah that would come to save the world was well known all through the Old Testament times, e.g. Abraham: ...and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you - Gen.12v3, Jacob: ....until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his - Gen49v10, the Passover of the Israelites, Job: I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth, David: ...because you will not be abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.
BTW: Even the Old Testament was written by sinful people......