The “us” an “we” in Acts 20:5-6 refer to the author of Acts (i.e., Luke) and Paul (also see Acts 16:10–17; 20:5–15; 21:1–18; 27:1– 28).
Can you tell me what “shaddai” means?
Even though El Shaddai is generally translated God Almighty, shaddai is from the same root as “breast,” with reference to nurturing. This title occurs significantly in Genesis referring to God’s development of Abraham’s descendants. Exod. 6:4 affirms this: “I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as El Shaddai, but by my name yhwh I did […]
If the kingdom is on earth, what does “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt 5:3) refer to?
The expression “kingdom of heaven” is equivalent to the expression “kingdom of God”, which is used in the parallel account in Luke (cf. Luke 6:20). The word “heaven” in the expression “kingdom of heaven” does not refer to the location of the kingdom, but the authority of the kingdom. The expression “kingdom of heaven” is […]
Does “people of Israel” and “Hebrew slaves” mean the same thing?
Yes, more or less. The expression “people of Israel” refers to the nation descended from Jacob (also called “Israel”). The word “Hebrew” has a wider usage. For example, Abram is described as a “Hebrew” (Gen 14:13). It is sometimes suggested that “Hebrew” derives from the name “Eber”, who was an ancestor of Abram (Gen 11:16) […]
What is a New Testament example of God sending or condoning a lie?
A New Testament example of God sending a strong delusion – 2 Thessalonian 2:9-12: The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, (10) and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be […]
What does it mean Jesus is the first and the last?
Jesus is of first importance in God’s plan with humankind and the universe. Consider Colossians 1:15-20: He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. (16) For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities–all things were […]
What are some of the lessons can we learn from the nephilim, or giants?
We can trace the story of the nephilim throughout various parts of the Bible. From the nephilim and their interaction with God’s people, we can learn to recognise the typical conflict between God’s ways and man’s ways, and the result that occurs when following one versus the other. Keeping with the many scriptural references to […]
How many times in the Old Testament did the Hebrews reject God?
It might be a bit of a cop-out kind of answer, but: lots and lots of times! Probably too many times to number. God’s opinion on this is expressed well in (among other places) Jeremiah 32:30-35: The people of Israel and Judah have done nothing but evil in my sight from their youth; indeed, the […]
What’s the interpretation of “the meek shall inherit the earth” (Ps. 37:11; cf. Mat. 5:5)?
The phrase ‘the meek shall inherit the earth’ is from Psalm 37:11. Partly, the psalm is about how wicked people will be destroyed but that God’s people will receive the earth as a gift from God. Ultimately, God will take steps towards this when he sends Jesus back to the earth to bring his kingdom […]
Does God teach both believers and unbelievers through suffering?
Yes, God does teach both believers and unbelievers through suffering. More on this in a moment, but first it’s worth emphasizing that not all suffering is from God (e.g., sometimes suffering is brought by other humans: cf. 1 Sam. 26:19) — so, just because someone is experiencing suffering in their life, it doesn’t mean that […]