“The world’s living population now stands at about eight billion. With the return of Christ, many people who are dead will awake. The population of the world will multiply. Question: How would Christ judge so many people? Please explain Christ’s judgment on the resurrection.” There are two parts to this question – firstly how many […]
What are the “principalities and powers” in Ephesians 6:12 and elsewhere?
This is a complex question in that the theme of ‘principalities and powers’ is more than the just the one best known verse in Ephesians 6:12, but runs through the New Testament, from the Beelzebub theme in the synoptic gospels, the prince of this world in John, through to Paul’s view of evil in the […]
Did Jesus visit India?
There is no evidence, nor is it considered likely by any mainstream scholar, that Jesus of Nazareth ever left the immediate environs of Judea, Galilee and Transjordan during his adult years. Jesus’ evident awareness of Greek culture is easily explained by the proximity of the cosmopolitan market town of Sepphoris an hour’s walk from Nazareth, […]
Is there a lost Hebrew gospel of Matthew?
In short, no. This is one of the easiest questions to answer about the Gospels. For an introduction to the language New Testament documents see the introductory chapters of any good study Bible. Papias The idea of a a Hebrew original to Matthew largely originates with the fragments of a claim of Papias of Hierapolis […]
Is there any basis to numerology or gematria in the Bible?
Basically the answer to this question is : Yes, for a few very simple Old Testament associations with some numbers – such as 7 for 7 days, and 12 for 12 tribes. No, for most other numbers. And as regards gematria (a rabbinical term) and the assignment of number values to letters in a word, […]
What is the sin-animal crouching at Cain’s door in Genesis 4:7?
“If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.” (Genesis 4:7 ESV) Most modern Bible versions render the verse as if sin in this verse is allegorized as a […]
What does “the kingdom suffers violence” mean? (Matthew 11:12, Luke 16:16)
“And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.” (Matthew 11:12, King James Version, 1611) The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it. (Luke 16:16, KJV) The […]
How is Jesus “firstborn of all creation” (Colossians 1:15)
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by [ESV footnote: or by means of] him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And […]
Is the Book of Job history or story?
An emotive subject This is a subject that can excite emotions. For many Christian readers the idea that the 66 books of the Bible could include a ‘story’ is a shocking and offensive idea. The immediate reaction to the question is to state that Job is mentioned as a historical figure in Ezekiel 14:14 and […]
How many years did Jesus spend with his disciples before he was crucified?
Here are a few facts that we know, to help try to answer this question: Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan, probably in the 15th year of Tiberias (29AD) or very soon afterward. Jesus then went straight away out to the wilderness for 40 days. When John the Baptist was arrested, Jesus withdrew […]