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 […]
Explain Hebrews 1:2 “by whom also he made the worlds.”
The following answer is taken from Ron Abel’s Wrested Scriptures Hebrews 1:2 “[God] hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds.” Problem: This passage is cited to prove the pre-existence of Christ since God made the […]
Why did eggs get associated with Easter?
This is a one of the easier Orthodox and Catholic Christian traditions to explain: The eating, as well as painting and giving of painted eggs, developed as a by-product of traditions about fasting. New Testament teaching about private fasting, and remembering ‘Christ our Passover’ weekly It first needs to be said that there is no […]
Was Elijah a Gentile?
I Kings 17:1 introduces Elijah as: Now Elijah the Tishbite (Hebrew tishbi), who was of the settlers (Hebrew toshab) of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the LORD, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall certainly be neither dew nor rain during these years, except by my word.” (NASB) The Hebrew “Tishbi” […]
Did Matthew realise that the original “Emmanuel” prophecy (Isaiah 7:14) refers to a child at the time of Pekah and Rezin (Isaiah 7:1, 16)?
In some ways, from the perspective of those new to the Bible, it’s quite a reasonable question. For those in many countries the name “Emmanuel” (KJV) or “Immanuel” (ESV etc.) is used almost exclusively in the context of Christmas carols such as ‘O come, O come, Emmanuel’, and in the reading of Matthew’s account of […]
Why did God punish “to the third and the fourth generation” (Exodus 34:7)
Exodus 34:7 says that God “[visits] the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation” (ESV). The limit of living influence This evidently has nothing to do with the consequence of Adam’s sin – such as discussed in Romans, but is related to family and […]