In 1976 the Good News Translation became the first major translation to depart from translating Isaiah 7:14 as “virgin”, but more importantly also in making the change from “will conceive” to “has conceived”, “is pregnant”: Isaiah 7:14 Well then, the Lord himself will give you a sign: a young woman who is pregnant will have […]
What does the Bible say about “near death experiences” NDEs?
In short – nothing. Because in Bible times the medical care that would allow humans to survive the heart stopping barely existed. While the idea of mouth-to-mouth breathing coupled with manual cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can be traced back as far as references in the medical literature of Ancient Egypt (c. 2686 – c. 2181 BCE), […]
What does it mean “God not of the dead but of the living” (Matthew 22:32, Mark 12:27, Luke 20:38)
This statement of Jesus is recorded three times, once in each of the synoptic gospels: Matthew 22:32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is God not of the dead but of the living.” (NRSV) Mark 12:27 He is not God of the dead, but of […]
Does the New Testament apply Isaiah 9:6 to Jesus?
Indirectly, yes. Matthew has already made reference to the Isaiah 7:14 and 8:8 Hezekiah-Immanuel prophecies, so it is not surprising to find the Isaiah 9 context of the Hezekiah-Wonderful Counsellor prophecy applied to Jesus as well. Matthew is pointing out the full lifespan of Hezekiah as a fore-type, or foreshadow, of Christ.Hezekiah’s royal birth from […]
What are the “evil angels” in Psalm 78:49 KJV?
This is just a translation mistake. Most versions say “destroying angels.” The context shows that this is talking about the angel of death that God sent to kill the firstborn of Egypt, and perhaps referencing also similar later events such as the angels of death which destroyed the Assyrian army while they slept in their […]
Can the term “in the name of” in Matthew 28:19 have multiple referents?
This question relates to “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” in Matthew 28:19 εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος There is already a separate answer on this website showing that the whole context of Matthew 28:18-20 is about baptism that […]
Who is the “man of sin” and “son of perdition” in 2 Thessalonians 2:3?
The term “Son of Perdition” occurs three times in the Bible and is a name given to Judas Iscariot in Matt. 23:15 and John 17:12 and given to an end time figure some associate with 1 John’s “antichrist” in 2 Thess. 2:3. The noun ‘perdition’ (Greek ἀπώλεια apṓleia) simply means destruction or utter loss. It […]
Sodom and Gomorrha, “strange flesh” and “eternal fire” (Jude 1:7)
There are a couple of questions asked about this verse related to what exactly is “going after strange flesh”, and whether the fire of Sodom and Gomorrha was itself “eternal fire”. However the sentence itself is pretty much self-explanatory. It says what it says and is what it is. 7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and […]
Did Jesus break the Law of Moses about the Sabbath? Or just the Pharisee interpretations of the Law?
The Pharisee accusation The Pharisees persistently accused Jesus of breaking the law about the Sabbath. Most of these accusations relate to Jesus healing people on the Sabbath. The main passages concern the man with a withered hand in the synagogue (Matthew 12:10 & Mark 3:2), a man with dropsy [swelling] at a Pharisee’s house (Luke […]
Should Christians support the state of Israel?
No. Christians should not support any state. Our allegiance should be to our future king, the Lord Jesus, who has promised to return and rule on earth. (There, that was one of the shortest answers on this website) This does not affect the different question as to God’s continuing relationship with the Jewish nation and […]