The word “abortion” is never used in the Bible and there is no direct commandment in either Old or New Testament that explicitly forbids terminating a human foetus. The closest the Law came to discussing abortion is Ex 21:22-25: When men strive together and hit a pregnant woman, so that her children come out, but […]
How many times has God revealed his will for us in the Bible? Can you list all the verses?
I count twenty-seven verses which speak of the will of God, but there may be more. I have listed them below in the order they appear in the Bible. However, simply counting the verses where the phrase “will of God” appears is probably not a sound method for discovering the will of God. God has […]
Is the King James Version the only true, unchanged version of the Bible?
No. In fact, there are a number of problems with the idea that the King James Version (KJV) is the ‘only true, unchanged version of the Bible’. For one thing, the King James Version of the Bible has its own history of revision.1 For example, changes were made to the text in 1769 (the changes […]
Matthew 18:20 is often quoted out of context. What does it really mean?
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 […]