When Herod heard of Jesus’ miracles he said “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised” (Mark 6:16). Then Mark recounts the story of how John had died, in order to explain Herod’s statement. The next verse begins For it was Herod who had sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake […]
Is it possible for a person to be baptized secretly without announcing it publicly?
There is no explicit requirement for a public confession or baptism, nor is there any prohibition of doing it in secret. Timothy’s “confession” (usually meaning the baptism and its proclamation) is described in 1 Timothy 6: Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and […]
How many versions are there of the Bible and do any of them contradict each other?
There are hundreds, possibly thousands, of translations of the Bible. In English alone, there have been more than 100 published translations of the Bible in the last ten years (see www.biblereadersmuseum.com for a list). In general, the differences between the translations are largely about style of language and whether the translation is more word-for-word or […]
When did the last days begin?
The Bible uses the term “last days” in several different ways. For example: But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, […]
Did Christians corrupt the text of Psalm 22:16 to make it refer to the crucifixion?
In many English translations of the Bible, Ps. 22:16 says: For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet (Ps. 22:16, ESV, also KJV; NASB; NIV; NLT; etc.) Although this verse isn’t quoted in the New Testament (NT), it is often referred to by Christians as a […]
Does Satan send bad dreams?
There are two questions here. One does Satan exist and if so what is he or it? And two what causes bad dreams. We’ll deal with the second question: Where do dreams come from? Most dreams appear to arise from within our own subconscious minds (e.g., Eccles 5:3), although the Bible describes some dreams as […]
What does the colour silver mean in the Bible? – and what do any colours mean in the Bible?
Some people like to find a symbolic significance for all or some colors mentioned in the Bible. However, the Bible never provides any clear indication that colors are used symbolically, or what each color meant if they are symbolic. So if there is any symbolism intended, the only way to find it is to read […]
Were the Israelites ruled by Judges during the first few centuries in Canaan?
The Israelites arrived in the promised land of Canaan in 1406BC and for the next 350 years their leaders were the “judges”. There was no central government and the judges arose as local ad hoc leaders during times of crisis. Whenever the LORD raised up judges for them, the LORD was with the judge, and […]
Why are 2 Kings 25:27-30 and Jeremiah 52:31-34 almost exactly the same?
There are several Bible passages which are almost identical. In this case, it is most likely that both passages are borrowing from a common source document. There is a small discrepancy in the two passages. Jeremiah says that Jehoiachin was freed on the 25th day of the 12th month, whereas 2 Kings says it was on […]
Where does God identify himself as “one”?
There are a few occasions where God, in his word, the Bible, identifies himself as “one”. Deut. 6:4, for example, says: Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. This is quoted in Mark 12:29. Elsewhere in the Bible, we are told that this one God is the Father: …there is one […]