None at all. Whenever the Bible refers to Jesus’ relatives, it speaks only of his step-father, mother and siblings, but never of a wife. Furthermore, he encourages singleness in Matthew 19:12. For an extensive discussion of the issue, see “Was Jesus married? A careful look at the real evidence” by Mark Roberts.
Where does the Bible first mention schools and study?
We know very little about educational practices during the Genesis period. By the time of Moses, in Egypt, there was an education system for the wealthy. We know from Acts 7:22 that Moses “was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians”, and so he must have attended some kind of school in Egypt. Both Philo […]
How old was Isaac when Abraham took him to be sacrificed?
We are not told how old Isaac was at the time he was taken to be sacrificed on Mt Moriah (Genesis 22:1-19). He was old enough to walk for three days, and to carry the wood for the burnt offering (Genesis 22:6). So it would seem he was probably at least 12, and possibly considerably […]
How many female prophets are in the Bible?
Several women are described as prophetesses. In the Old Testament we have the following five: Miriam (Exodus 15:20-21) Deborah (Judges 4:4) Huldah (2 Kings 22:14) Noadiah (Nehemiah 6:14) Isaiah’s wife (Isaiah 8:3) The Jewish Talmud counts some additional women as prophets including Sarah, Hannah (mother of Samuel), Abigail (wife of David) and Esther. However, these are […]
What is the allotted life span promised by God to man?
The Bible does not clearly specify an allotted life span. There are two Bible passages that are sometimes quoted in connection with human lifespans. Genesis 6:3 “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.” Here God is commenting on the future of the human race. […]
Why does the Bible say, “Call no man father on earth”?
Your full question: Why does the Bible (Matt 23:9) say call no man father on earth? Are we wrong to call our biological fathers, father? We are not wrong to call our biological fathers “father”. In Matthew 23:9, Jesus is using exaggerated language to make a point – much like when he said in Mark […]
Please explain John 10:5-12
John 10:5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers. We are the sheep, Jesus is the shepherd. We follow him because we are born of God and know the truth and know what is right. We know when a shepherd is […]
How has the Bible helped and changed the world today?
The Bible has helped change the world in a number of ways.1 Here are a few examples: Many laws were initially based on the teachings of the Bible.2 Slavery was abolished by people who saw it contradicted what the Bible taught about the worth of all people.3 Science has been encouraged by many Biblically minded […]
Did the world end on May 21, 2011?
Back on 23rd April, 2011, I answered the question, “Will Jesus return on 21 May 2011?” That question alone has generated thousands of hits on this site, particularly in the last week or so (much more than any other question we’ve ever answered). Well, the world didn’t end — I think we would’ve noticed. Personally, […]
Is it possible that that God created the world in 7000 years in our time, but 7 days in his time?
Well, it’s possible. Genesis says that God created the world in seven days: And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God […]