Category Archives: The Bible

Steady Growth Movement 

Some of us may wonder why Christian growth seems to take such a long time, and we wonder if it is happening at all. Jesus addressed this issue in Mark 4. It’s a matter of how well we are hearing … Continue reading

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A Overlooked Ingredient in the Christmas Story 

Many words have been inked about the Son of God becoming a human being in the Christmas story. However, I seldom read of one aspect of the story, one important reason that’s left unmentioned, of why Jesus had to be … Continue reading

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In Matthew 5:17, Doesn’t Jesus contradict the NT authors about the law continuing forever?

Here is the passage in Matthew 5:17-19: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven … Continue reading

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Did Jesus really mean it when he said to remove the eye or hand if we can’t stop sinning?

Here is the passage: “If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off, and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life maimed or crippled, rather than having two hands or … Continue reading

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Are we justified by faith, or by works?

James 2:14 begins a train of thought that has puzzled readers probably ever since it was written. Here is the beginning of the passage: What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have … Continue reading

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All does not always mean All

In the Bible, “all” sometimes means all, and sometimes it has a much more limited sphere. This is also true for “whatsoever” and “everything.” In many cases, these all-inclusive words are not referring to everything in every possible scenario in … Continue reading

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How do we harmonize the nativity accounts of Matthew 2 and Luke 2?

Some Bible scholars have tried to harmonize the birth stories of Jesus in the gospels of Matthew and Luke. When they have been unable to do so, they have concluded that the stories are fictional, myths, merely figurative. Most of … Continue reading

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Why should we read the Old Testament?

Is the Old Testament (OT) of any value nowadays? Many people say that we no longer have to follow all those laws and rules anymore, so why bother reading it at all? I’ve read through the OT many times along … Continue reading

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Aren’t Jesus’ words more authoritative than Paul’s?

Someone asked this question because they saw a verse where Paul seems to contradict Jesus. (In that instance, Jesus said the law will not pass away, yet Paul wrote it was passing away.) Also, since Jesus is God and Paul … Continue reading

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What’s a good way to study the Bible?

Read from the beginning of the book The best way to study the Bible is to start at the beginning. Either the beginning of the Bible (best) or beginning of any of its books. Do not jump in at random, … Continue reading

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What is the purpose of Bible preaching?

God uses regular and faithful Bible preaching to share His truths about life. Here is what the Bible says of itself: And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto … Continue reading

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What good are the Ten Commandments for today?

God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses to pass on to the Israelites in ancient times. Are they still relevant now? Well, God’s purpose for giving them then are similar to the purpose they are given now. If the Israelites … Continue reading

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Was the mark of Cain God’s curse on him?

Here is the passage in question. As we see, Cain kills his brother, God confronts him with it, then the mark is applied: And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the … Continue reading

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Isn’t the Bible full of contradictions and mistakes?

Theologians have placed Bible difficulties and contradictions in various classifications in order to unravel their problems. For instance, some problems are due to sequence, such as the events following Jesus’ death at the end of each of the gospels. They … Continue reading

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Don’t the passages in the OT mentioning evil, proud, fools, and wicked persons refer to the unsaved, and good, wise, and righteous persons refer to the saved?

I used to interpret my Bible that way. When I trusted Christ, God imputed his righteousness to me. Therefore I thought the verses referring to the good, wise, and righteous I applied to myself. Everything evil I applied to the … Continue reading

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Who are the overcomers of Revelation chapters 2 and 3?

In Revelation chapters 2 and 3, our Lord encourages the churches to overcome the issues he raises. Did Jesus intend for his warnings to refer to believers, or unbelievers? Do the blessings in these chapters apply to all believers, or … Continue reading

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What kind of study resources will help me understand the Bible better?

Many resources, written and digital, are available to help us understand the Bible. Here are a few resources I use: Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words. This book gives us the meanings of the Greek text. Like English words, … Continue reading

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Why did Jesus speak in parables?

A parable is a story using everyday events to illustrate a truth. This was Jesus’ main mode of teaching the public. “But without a parable He did not speak to them. And when they were alone, He explained all things … Continue reading

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If some verses are missing from some Bibles, then is the Bible perfectly preserved?

As a whole, the texts are amazingly well preserved. Some modern Bibles use a variety of manuscripts to translate the text. In choosing some manuscripts, Bible translators will leave out the parts not contained in other manuscripts. You may look … Continue reading

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How is it possible for the vegetation to have appeared before the sun?

In the normal order of things, a plant needs the Sun in order to grow. In God’s act of creation, we find that God created vegetation on the third day, and then God created the sun on the fourth day. … Continue reading

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Why do Christians use quotes from the Bible instead of formulating ideas and opinions of their own?

Christians who quote the Bible for perspectives in life are saying that God’s perspective is unchanging and trustworthy. Your parents say one thing, your experience teaches something else, your teachers have other perspectives, and your friend goads you in yet … Continue reading

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How can the Word of God be infallible if fallible humans wrote it?

It helps to understand what Christians mean by the Word of God. The Word contains the words of saints and sinners, of men and demons. Although it quotes sinners and demons, it is the Word of God simply because God … Continue reading

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If the Bible can’t even add up numbers correctly, as in the case of pi, why should we rely on it?

Here is the verse: “Then he made the Sea of cast bronze, ten cubits from one brim to the other; it was completely round. Its height was five cubits, and a line of thirty cubits measured its circumference” (1 Kings … Continue reading

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How can you tell whether people have translated the Old Testament books correctly if we don’t have the originals?

I remember watching kids playing the game of Telephone, where the teacher whispers a message in the ear of the child at one end of the line, and the children pass it on to the other end of the line, … Continue reading

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Isn’t the story of Adam and Eve merely symbolic?

It is historical, not symbolic, for several reasons: The story is treated as a straightforward, literal account in Genesis, and acknowledged in the epistles, such as here: “For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but … Continue reading

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Aren’t people narrow-minded for taking the Bible so literally?

The Bible is composed of several different types of literature. For instance, the books of Moses up to Psalms are historical records of literal events. The Psalms are poetical in many places. Proverbs is wisdom literature. The prophetical books record … Continue reading

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Is there any truth to the Bible codes?

The Bible has several fascinating traits that some claim are the fingerprint of God in the book. Some claim that one such discovery is the Bible Code. This method seeks to find hidden messages that relate to modern events by … Continue reading

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How can a 2,000-year-old Bible be practical today?

In a Bible study I attended, we read a chapter ahead of time and jotted down our impressions. Then we met and shared our findings as we were called upon. In this way we marched through the Bible chapter by … Continue reading

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What authority determines how people should interpret the Bible?

When we interpret a Bible passage, we are trying to find out what the writer originally meant to say. At that stage, we are not trying to figure out what it means. It’s important to learn the interpretation before we … Continue reading

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What if the early church tried to fake the gospel stories?

People have made many attempts to show that the church has corrupted the early texts in order to play up Jesus as a phony Messiah. There are several problems with this approach. 1. Surely the early church would have portrayed … Continue reading

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