Matthew 18:20 is a beautiful sounding verse. In it, Jesus says: For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them. As unbeautiful as it might sound, though, the context the verse is in is about processes of discipline within the church: If your brother sins against you, go and […]
If God hates homosexuality, would someone be born homosexual?
God doesn’t hate homosexuality; he hates homosexual acts, just as he hates illicit heterosexual acts. Note that the Bible never speaks of homosexual orientation; it condemns only homosexual acts.
Will our bodies be resurrected like Jesus was?
Yes. This is a wonderful, important (1 Cor. 15:12-19) part of the Christian faith that the apostle Paul writes about in 1 Corinthians 15. Two of the relevant parts of that chapter are: In 1 Corinthians 15:23 Paul says that Christ is the first of those to be raised: his resurrection is the forerunner, the […]
Who is Phoebe? What role did she play in the Bible?
Phoebe is mentioned in only one place in the Bible: I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae, that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron […]
Where does the Bible say that Jesus conquered death, hell and the grave?
This does not appear to be a direct quote from any one passage. Related ideas are found in the following passages: And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its […]
Who was the rich ruler in Luke 18:18?
The Bible doesn’t identify the ruler beyond the scant information it provides in Luke 18:18-30, Matthew 19:16-30 and Mark 10:17-31 (we certainly can’t pinpoint a particular, named person). All we know is that he is young (Mat. 19:20,22), rich, religious and a ruler (Luke 18:18). There are a few possibilities about what it meant for the man […]
When was the Holy Spirit given?
The full question: “I always thought the Holy Spirit came after Jesus’ ascension. However, Luke 2:25-26 says Simeon had that same “”Holy Ghost”” as Jesus mentions in Acts 1:8. Am I right? Also, was the Holy Spirit always available, but the apostles just didn’t have him until Jesus’ ascension? Basically, why the big plug in […]
Who was Eliakim son of Hilkiah? (Isaiah 22)
Eliakim son of Hilkiah was one of King Hezekiah’s government officials.1 His job was to be ‘over the household’ (2 Kings 18:18), ‘in charge of the palace’ (NRSV). In some of the Biblical records, Eliakim worked closely with two of Hezekiah’s other officials: Shebnah the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder. They were […]
Where did Leviticus and the Levites get their names?
The Levites The Levites got their name from their ancestor: the Levites were the people who descended from Levi, one of Jacob’s twelve sons (Ex. 6:16ff.).1 The Book of Leviticus “Leviticus” is the English name for the third book of the Bible (its title in the Hebrew Bible is taken from the first word of […]
What does the Bible say about people who have abused children physically?
Child abuse is a sin, so, like with all sins, when someone has abused a child they have earned death (Rom. 6:23). God loves children and hates people who cause bad things to happen to them (Mark 10:13-16; Mat. 18:1-9). Having said all that, like with all sins (except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit: Mark 3:29), […]