The tree of life is primarily mentioned in Genesis and Revelation. It was a tree in the midst of the garden of Eden. In Genesis 3:22 (NIV), God says He [Adam] must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever. Thus, the […]
Is Jewish persecution a result of them being God’s chosen people?
The Jews have suffered numerous and terrible persecutions including the Spanish inquisition, the Russian pogroms and the Nazi Holocaust. The Bible predicted that this is exactly what would happen. For example, Deuteronomy says that if the people of Israel did not serve God as he had commanded then . . . And you shall become […]
Is it true that God writes down all my activities?
This idea comes from Malachi 3:16. Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name It is not so much what we do that is written in this […]
Is everything in the Bible true?
It depends what you mean by “Bible” and what you mean by “true”. There are things quoted in the Bible that are not true. For example, the book of Job contains long speeches by people who did not speak truly about God, but this is not clear until the end of the book. See Job […]
How is our “reward in heaven” (Matthew 5:12)?
Matthew 5:12 (NIV) states Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Suppose I have a gift for my daughter and I tell her “Happy birthday! I have a gift for you in the dining room”. Then I may […]
How can all things come from both the Father and the Son (1 Corinthians 8:6)?
The quotation you allude to is yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. (1 Corinthians 8:6) The Greek word translated “through” has a wide range of meanings depending on […]
Does the law of Moses apply to Christians today?
No. This was debated at length in the early days of Christianity and the apostles all agreed that the Old Testament law of Moses does not apply to Gentile Christians. In fact, they held a conference about it in Jerusalem in AD50 at which they decided that Gentile Christians would only have to obey four […]
Does the Bible say men should not have long hair?
The only relevant verse here is in 1 Corinthians: Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a disgrace for him . . . (1 Corinthians 11:14) In first century Greece, long hair identified a man as a homosexual. For example, in Juvenal’s Satires (8.112-131) he refers to a “long-haired […]
Does our soul or spirit go to heaven?
There is one verse that describes a spirit going to heaven when we die: … and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. (Ecclesiastes 12:7) This is an allusion back to Genesis 2:7 and the creation of Adam. He was made from dust and […]
Does Genesis 2 contradict Genesis 1?
It is often claimed that Genesis 1 and 2 represent two contradictory accounts of creation. For example, Genesis 1:24-26 has the animals created before humans. Yet Genesis 2:18-19 appears to have animals created after humans in most versions. For example, the NKJV has And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should […]