No. This is a popular myth that is actually cited as a fact in some 19th Century sources. It is based on very old feelings against Christmas from the Puritans onward. However it is not true. Modern scholarship on early Christiantity, such as the chronologists Paul L. Meier (1989) and Susan K. Roll (1995) identify John […]
What happens in the resurrection to those who are not circumcised or baptized?
It first needs to be said that what happens in individual cases is very much something that is best left to God. Only in the case of a few individuals – the list of holy men and women in Hebrews 11, the thief on the cross – do we have either a positive or negative indication. They […]
Universalism and “in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Cor. 15:22)
Question: What about Universalists who claim that all mankind will die, so in Christ all mankind shall be made alive – even Hitler? Universal salvation – a misreading Universalism, also called Universal Salvation or Universal Reconciliation, is largely based on misreading of one verse, where Paul says “For as in Adam all die, so also […]
Was Jesus really dead for three days? “I was dead” (Revelation 1:18)
There probably isn’t a more important question to ask about the Bible, given that the resurrection of Jesus is the central event in the Gospel. The question could refer to two theories, the first being one of those sometimes put forward by some questioning the the resurrection – the so called “swoon theory” whereby Jesus […]
Who were the resurrected saints who came out of the tombs in the earthquake and went into Jerusalem when Jesus died? (Matthew 27:52-53)
A very strange incident This is a good question, and perhaps the oddest and most challenging little detail about the crucifixion account in Matthew. Here is the passage: Matthew 27: 51 And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. 52 […]
Why did God create humans?
Why did God create people? There are several reasons for the creation of men and women suggested in the Bible: …. bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth – everyone who is called by my name, who I created for my glory, whom I formed and made. (Isaiah […]
What does the Holy Spirit empower believers to do?
The holy spirit is a very important area of Christian faith, but is subject to misinterpretation and misunderstanding. I want to briefly look at some of the Apostle Paul’s comments on the Holy Spirit, as they shed a lot of light on a correct understanding. Although the miraculous powers given to some first century believers […]
What does “there are three that testify” mean? (1 John 5:7)
First, what isn’t in the Bible Before answering the question – just because there are those with older versions such as the KJV some mention needs to be made of these extra words found in the KJV and NKJV: For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: […]
What does the Bible say about environmentalism and climate change?
Given that most of the Bible was written in the Ancient Near East and Palestine from 3,000 to 2,000 years ago no-one would expect the writers of the Bible to have forseen the full impact on the planet of today’s human population of 7.2 billion, multiplied by the effects of industrialization and consumerism. Nevertheless the Bible […]
What does “the church of God, which he bought with his own blood” mean? (Acts 20:28)
The full verse in context is as follows: 26 “therefore I declare to you this day that I am not responsible for the blood of any of you, 27 for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God. 28 Keep watch over yourselves and over all the flock, of which the Holy Spirit has […]