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 […]
If Adam had not eaten the forbidden fruit and Eve had, would only Eve (or only women) be cursed?
This question assumes a literal interpretation of Genesis 2-3, which not all interpreters accept but we will accept for the sake of this question. This is a question about a hypothetical scenario so I can only give a hypothetical answer. The command God gave Adam concerning the tree of the knowledge of good and evil […]
Why did Jesus weep at the tomb of Lazarus? (John 11:35)
We aren’t specifically told why Jesus wept at Lazarus’ tomb. A possible answer is that he was upset because his friend was dead (although he knows he’s going to raise him soon [John 11:23], so this doesn’t seem like the fullest answer). Another possibility is that he weeps because the people around him don’t seem […]
Why were the Israelites born in the Wilderness not circumcised?
Joshua 5:5,7 tell us that the Israelites born in the wilderness weren’t circumcised, but we aren’t told why. It seems probable that it was because the Israelites neglected to do it.
Were the Israelites circumcised during their time in Egypt?
It seems probable that they were. Joshua 5:5 says the Israelites were already circumcised at the time they came out of Egypt, but their is no record of a mass circumcision just prior to their exodus, which would seem to suggest that the Israelites continued to carry out circumcision during their time in Egypt. Additional note Joshua […]
Why was no one in the whole Bible perfect except for Christ?
Everyone throughout the history of the world has, at some point, sought to fulfill their their own evil desires (Rom. 3:9-18; James 1:14-15). Doing this has meant they (and we) are not perfect. Jesus, on the other hand, has always sought to do his Father’s will instead of his own (as he said in John […]
Please explain John 7:39
On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those […]
What could the Pharisees not do without the approval of the Roman government?
During the Greek and Roman period the supreme religious body of the Jews was the Great Sanhedrin in Jerusalem. It was the final authority on religious matters, but also seemed to have had political and judicial power. When the Romans deposed Archelaus, Judaea became a Roman province under the authority of a Roman governor (of […]
Will there be a need for sacrifices in the new temple? (Ezekiel chapters 40-48)
In the New Testament we read that “it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Heb 10:4) and that “we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Heb 10:10). And yet Ezekiel 40-48 seems to speak of a future temple in […]
Were Annas and Caiaphas Idumeans?
No. Annas and Caiaphas were both Jewish high priests, and therefore of the tribe of Levi. Perhaps you are thinking of Herod, who was an Idumean (also known as an Edomite). Because he was Idumean, he was not allowed in the temple he financed, whereas Annas and Caiaphas were the leading officials in the temple. […]