The answer to this question depends on about what? Humanism, scholarship, science and atheism? Scholars probably have had a bad rap from Christians – as there was a perceived assault on the Bible from many scholarly fronts during the 18th and 19th Century from archaeologists, Bible text experts and then scientists which challenged the faith […]
Why did Abraham say “the gods caused [plural] me to wander” before Abimelech? (Genesis 20:13)
This is one of the more awkward moments in the story of Abraham – and comes in a passage where Abraham tells several half truths to Abimelech. s The most famous one being that Abraham tells Abimelech that Sarah is his sister, leading Abimelech to try to take Sarah as a wife, though God intervenes […]
Explain “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7) and “Give no place to the devil” (Ephesians 4:27)
4 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you […]
“Yet she will be saved through childbearing” (1 Timothy 2:15)
13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve; 14 and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. 15 Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control. (1 Timothy 2:13-15 ESV) This is a verse which has had multiple readings for centuries, so it is probably best to […]
Who provoked David to number Israel? God (2 Sam. 24:1), or Satan (1 Chron. 21:1)?
A famous contradiction concerning who provoked David to number Israel is found between 2 Sam. 24:1 and 1 Chron. 21:1. 2 Samuel 24, David counts his army. In the earlier account we read that God was behind what happened, inciting David to number the army, and then punishing Israel because David had done so: 24: […]
Does Paul’s advice to eat whatever is sold in the meat market (1 Co 10:25) contradict James’ letter (Acts 15:29) not to eat meat with blood in it?
The answer here has to be “yes”. There’s no way to reconcile the two following passages, other than by allowing that circumstances had changed. First, the Jerusalem council, dated to around 49 CE. 19 Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, 20but should write to […]
Who was Melchizedek?
Melchizedek appears only once in the Bible, briefly in Genesis 14. He was a local king-priest who came to bless and congratulate Abraham after his defeat of Chedorlaomer who had taken Lot hostage. Like Abraham himself Melchisedek appears to have taken no part in the original fight between Chedorlaomer and the King of Sodom which […]
Does an internal or external tempter in the wilderness affect how we understand Jesus?
The issue of an internal or external tempter is not limited to belief or non-belief in the fallen-angel devil developed in post-New Testament church traditions, but even among those who do not accept a fallen angel devil, the idea of an external tempter – a human following Jesus into the wilderness has been suggested. The […]
What is the difference between “incorruptible” and “immortal” in 1 Corinthians 15?
The resurrection of both good and evil, just and unjust, responsible to judgement is a basic Old Testament teaching (Daniel 12:2), repeated in John (John 5:29) and emphasized by Paul (Acts 17:31) and particularly when Paul talks of “a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust” (Acts 24:15). However, one passage […]
Should Christians take part in vaccinations?
This is a question on which the Bible does not have specific instruction since vaccination was unknown until Edward Jenner 1796 made the first inoculation with the harmless cowpox virus, granting immunity to smallpox, leading in 1798 to the first actual vaccine – against smallpox. The enormous benefits to individuals and society as whole from […]