Does God Control Our Hearts?
Why did God harden Pharaoh’s heart? Does God control all of our hearts so he really decides whether we believe in him or obey him? The events preceding the exodus were […]
What Was The Bethlehem Star?
Astronomers have made careful studies of the celestial decade of 14-4 BC, and three candidates have been proposed as possible stellar phenomena that might fit into Matthew’s description. Johannes Kepler […]
What Happens When A Christian Dies? Does He Immediately Go To Heaven?
New Testament passages that allude to the state of the righteous between death and resurrection come largely from Paul. In the context of anticipating the possibility of his own death […]
What Does The Bible Teach About Dating?
The short answer is that the Bible teaches nothing about dating, at least directly. Dating as a cultural practice of modern Westerners was unknown in the ancient Near East and […]
What Did Jesus Mean When He Said, “This Generation Will Not Pass” In Matthew 24:34?
The various portents preceding the climax of the end of the age, Jesus said, were like spring leaves heralding the coming of summer. Early leaves indicate that summer is near, […]
In the Apostles’ Creed It Says That Christ Descended Into Hell After His Death. What Does This Mean?
There is a certain discomfort for the modern mind by this phrase, and it is perhaps sharpened by the fact that the phrase does not appear in either the old […]
In The Lord’s Prayer As It Is Commonly Recited In Protestant Churches, The Ending Phrase “For Thine Is The Kingdom And The Power And The Glory, Forever And Ever” Is Not In The Prayer As Delivered By Christ. What Is The History Of That Ending?
Here, indeed, is a true observation. In the two versions of the prayer that Christ taught his disciples to pray (Mt. 6:9-13; Lk. 11:2-4), neither of them have this ending […]
Why Does The Bible Say That When Joseph Discovered That Mary Was Pregnant He Considered Divorcing Her. Weren’t They Only Engaged At The Time? (Matthew 1:19)
Mary, as the Gospel of Matthew indicates, was pledged to be married to a man named Joseph. Some knowledge of Jewish marriage customs is necessary to fully appreciate the circumstance. […]
What Does The Bible Teach About Tithing In Our Day?
The New Testament ethic of giving is perhaps best summed up in a statement by St. Paul, who said, “Each person should give what he has decided in his heart […]
Why Was It Wrong For The Spies In Numbers 13 To Give A Bad Report? Weren’t They Told To Go Check It Out? Weren’t They Just Being Truthful?
There are two accounts of the spies sent into the Land of Canaan, one in Numbers 13 and the other in Deuteronomy 1:19ff. It is important to read both accounts […]
Why Would God Write The Bible In Such A Way As There Are So Many Interpretations? Is There One Right Interpretation?
Probably the first thing that should be said is that all writings, religious or secular, ancient or modern, require interpretation. As soon as there is a reader, the process of […]
What Is Blasphemy Against The Spirit?
In the synoptic gospels, just after he had been accused of exorcising demons through the power of Beelzebub, Jesus warned against the sin against the Spirit, what he called an […]
Can Satan Read Your Mind? Can He Inject Thoughts Into Your Mind?
To over estimate Satan’s power is just as debilitating as to underestimate his power. In the first place, the Scripture is quite clear that Satan is not omniscient. God was […]