Samson was a martyr whose last act brought death both to himself and to the Baal-worshipping Philistines. Samson’s life had become miserable and hopeless. He had lost his eyesight, his freedom, his strength and his family and friends. All he had left as he spent his life grinding in the Philistine’s mill, was his faith […]
What does the Bible say about near-death experiences?
Near-death experiences, outside the Bible Records of dreams and visions on the sickbed, near death, go back to ancient times. An example is the story told by the Greek writer Plato who recalls the visions seen by a Pamphylian soldier, Er son of Armenious, after he had revived from near death after being left for dead several days among […]
How many times is thankfulness mentioned in the Bible?
The number of times the word thankfulness is mentioned in the Bible, depends on the version you look at. For example, in the ESV and the ISV, the word occurs twice: 1Co 10:30 If I eat with thankfulness, why should I be denounced because of what I am thankful for? and Col 3:16 Let the […]
Ezekiel: The prophet speaks about going into captivity but he’s a captive already. What am I missing?
In Ezekiel 12, God tells Ezekiel to act out a prophecy for the people to see. It is true that Ezekiel and the people who witnessed his actions, were in captivity, but not all the Jews were exiled from Judah at this stage. This prophecy was aimed at the prince and the Jews in Jerusalem […]
Who or what is the devil in the wilderness temptations of Christ? (Matthew 4)
Someone who asks the question “Who or what is the devil in the wilderness temptations of Christ?” (Matthew 4, also Mark 1, Luke 4) probably already knows enough to be thinking beyond the traditional (in fact medieval) popular fallen angel with red cloak, cloven hooves, tail and pitchfork, and is asking “What did the author of […]
Who or what is the “god of this age” in 2 Corinthians 4:4?
The phrase “god of this age” is found once in the Bible: In their case the god of this world (aion, age) has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. (2 Corinthians 4:4 ESV) […]
Who is the gospel for and what is the message?
Who is the gospel for? The gospel is for people from all nations who believe in the name of Jesus and do what is true. Luke 24:46-47: “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, (47) and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be […]
Is the “prosperity gospel” scriptural?
The quick answer to this question is simply no. The “prosperity gospel”, is the idea that being a good Christian, with good works or fervent prayer will bring back greater material rewards is simply not how God works with mankind, including not how God works with believers. The idea has been given a new lease of […]
Why did Jesus permit the demons to go into the pigs? (Legion and the Gadarene swine Mark 5:1-20, Luke 8:26-39)
The passage in Mark’s version: 5:1 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. 2 And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. 3 He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with […]
What does “Do you not know that we are to judge angels?” (1 Corinthians 6:3) mean?
“Do you not know that we are to judge angels?” (1 Corinthians 6:3) is one of the most obscure statements in 1 Corinthians – a letter that contains many references to local circumstances in Corinth and is a reply to correspondence received by Paul which we do not have. The literal reading of Jehovah’s Witnesses’, and […]