Tobacco was probably first used by the ancient Maya people. Christopher Columbus observed people of the Caribbean smoking tobacco in 1492 AD and the practice was introduced into Europe in the sixteenth century AD. It is most unlikely that any person in the Bible was smoking thousands of years before this.
Why is the 400+ years from Malachi to Matthew not recorded or documented?
The Bible is not a history book — although it contains an accurate record of some history. The Bible is the account of the Old Covenant and the New Covenant that God made with human beings. The Old Testament is concerned with the period of the Old Covenant and the New Testament with the New […]
Is Nero the “devil who prowls around like a roaring lion”? (1 Peter 5:8)
1 Peter 5:8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. The first thing to say is that the interpretation “the devil as a lion is Nero” is a big improvement on the popular (at least in earlier days) idea that this verse refers to a […]
Why did Jesus tell some people he healed to talk about it and others to be silent?
Jesus was famous. He attracted great crowds of people (see Matthew 4:23-24) which made his work preaching and healing difficult at times. On at least one occasion Jesus was at risk of being crushed by the crowds: “When the great crowd heard all that he was doing, they came to him. And he told his […]
How should 2 Corinthians 3:17 be translated?
Q. Should this verse read “the Lord is the Spirit” (ESV etc.) or “the Lord is that Spirit” (KJV)? 2 Co.3:12 Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, 13 not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being […]
What scriptures address the timelessness of the Bible?
The Bible contains a timeless message of hope and is by no means a book of the past. God, the author of the Bible, is timeless (Psalm 90:2) and wishes to share eternity with the people who love Him (Romans 6:23). Thousands of years ago God instructed the nation of Israel to “teach their children” […]
What was God’s purpose for feeding his people Manna?
Great question! This is definitely something that God has placed before us to teach us an important lesson. One that both his people in the wilderness were supposed to learn, and one that he has passed on to us to learn as well! First we’ll look at what God says his intent was for providing […]
What is Holy Communion? Why is it necessary to a Christian’s life?
The actual term “Holy Communion” does not appear in the Bible. This is a Roman Catholic or Anglican term for the taking of bread (or wafers) and wine. This is also called the Eucharist, the Sacrament of the Table, the Blessed Sacrament, and so on. In the Bible it is called “the Lord’s supper”, or […]
Why did God save the Israelites with a bronze snake when idolatry was forbidden?
This is a good question. Under normal circumstances making of such an image was forbidden: Exodus 20:4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. However in this […]
Does Matthew 12:43-45 show that demons are real?
Return of an Unclean Spirit Matt.12:43 “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. 45 Then it goes […]