In the King James Version, this passage reads For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. (Matthew 24:7 KJV) “Divers places” does not refer to places where divers go. This is archaic spelling for “diverse places”. The King James Version was […]
Why didn’t God destroy the Canaanites himself, rather than ask Israel to do it?
There’s no question that God could’ve destroyed the Canaanites directly. Some of the methods by which God destroyed people directly in the Bible: The ground swallowed them (Num 16:31-32) Plague (Exodus 32 : 35) Snakes (Num 21: 6) Kill directly (Num 8:17, Acts 5:5-10) But he chose not to do this to the Canaanites, in […]
Can you be saved more than once?
Some Christians like to talk about being saved more than once. Is this right? It’s a matter of perspective. The most Biblical perspective is this: For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God (Eph 2:8 ) This gift was given once: […]
Will Adam and Eve be raised to everlasting life?
The Bible doesn’t tell us whether Adam and Eve will be raised to eternal life. It’s possible; God tells us that if you repent, you’ll be forgiven. For instance: Again, when a wicked person turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he shall save his life. Because […]
Do “holy” and “sanctified” mean the same thing?
‘Holy’ and ‘sanctify’ are closely related words. To ‘sanctify’ something means to ‘make it holy’ — i.e. ‘sanctification’ is the “process” whereby something goes from being unholy to holy. In fact, sometimes Bible translators use the phrase ‘made it holy’ (or similar) instead of ‘sanctified’; compare, for example, the following two Old Testament verses that […]
How many people witnessed the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus?
Hundreds of people witnessed each of these events. Witnesses of the crucifixion of Jesus Chief priests, scribes and elders (Matthew 27:41) Centurion and Roman soldiers (Matthew 27:54) Simon of Cyrene (Mark 15:21) Two criminals crucified with Jesus (Luke 23:33) Crowds of bystanders (Matthew 27:37; Luke 23:48; John 19:20) Many women including Mary Magdalene, Mary the […]
Why do Christians go to church on Sundays?
There is no commandment in the New Testament about when we should meet, only that we should meet regularly (Hebrews 10:25). So Christians have chosen to meet at different times and on different days depending on what is convenient. For example, Christians living in Muslim countries often meet on Fridays because that is the Muslim […]
In the book of Psalms, which is the shortest verse and which is the longest verse?
This information is based on the Authorised Version (KJV). Other versions differ. By word count there are two shortest verses, both with 7 words each: LORD, remember David, and all his afflictions Ps 132:1 His foundation is in the holy mountains. Ps 87 : 1 The longest verse has 45 words: For in the hand […]
Is “leprosy” in the Bible the same as the disease that’s called leprosy nowadays?
Leprosy (Hansen’s Disease) did not exist in the Ancient Near East. The Bronze Age Hebrews had no word for ‘leprosy’ (Hansen’s Disease). Leviticus 13 and14, chapters containing laws concerning ‘leprosy’, are talking about a non-lethal but possibly infectious skin disease which will clear itself up if left alone for a couple of weeks. The relevant scholarly literature has […]
How can you be reconciled with someone who has something against you?
Jesus says: So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. (Matt 5:23-24) The problem is that this is easier said than […]