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 […]
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 […]