Children (no matter how old!) should always honour their parents (Eph. 6:1-3). This can be especially difficult when a parent’s life has aspects that are ungodly. Jonathan, David’s friend and King Saul’s son, was someone who had to do exactly that: honour a parent who was often living in an ungodly way. In many parts […]
When will Jesus return?
Jesus himself, talking about his return, said that ‘concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only’ (Mat. 24:36). We do not know when Jesus will return; in fact, when he does return, it will be very sudden (Mat. 24:42-51; Mat. 25:13; 1 Thess. 5:2-6; Rev. […]
What is the significance of the number 7 in the Bible?
The number 7 occurs many times in the Bible, beginning with the seven days on which God created and rested (Gen 2:3) through to the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues (Revelation 21:9). It is used so often that God must be telling us something by its repetition, […]
Does Genesis 2:5-9 contradict Genesis 1?
Not at all! Genesis 1:1-2:3 is obviously a highly structured narrative of the days of creation, while Genesis 2:4-3:24 is clearly a much more detailed account of Eden. The author just decided to finish the overall creation week story before going back over some parts in more detail. Everyone writes like this — in Scripture […]
What is the difference between the Hebrew and Gregorian calendars?
The Hebrew calendar was used in Israel in Bible times, and is still used by Jews for religious purposes. It is based on 12 lunar months (354 days) but with an additional month added every few years (7 times every 19 years) to keep the calendar in line with the solar year (365 days). Originally […]
Was Luke a Gentile?
The Bible does not reveal Luke’s nationality. He probably lived in Troas (judging from the switch to personal pronouns in Acts 16:8-10). However, there is an early tradition that he was a native of Antioch in Syria. There were large Jewish populations in both cities, and much of the Roman world, so neither is a […]
Did Jesus say the kingdom of God is “within you” or “among you”? (Luke 17:21)
Question: What did Jesus say? The ESV [2001] translates Luke 17:21 in the following way: nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you. [a] Or within you, or within your grasp The NIV [NT: 1973] translates the verse like this: nor […]
Who were the sons of God who married the daughters of man in Genesis 6:2-4?
The passage in question is this: 6:1 When people began to multiply on the face of the ground, and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that they were fair; and they took wives for themselves of all that they chose. 3 Then the Lord said, “My spirit shall not abide in mortals forever, for they are flesh; their days […]
Does repeated sin show a lack of repentance?
In principle, repentance implies an utter rejection of former sin. For example, a thief who repents will not only ask forgiveness for his former thefts but will also change his ways so that he does not steal any longer. Jesus said to the woman taken in adultery “go and sin no more” (John 8:11). So, […]
How tall was Goliath?
Most English translations of the Bible (e.g. NASB, NIV, KJV, NRSV), following the Masoretic Text of the Old Testament,1 say that Goliath was six cubits and a span tall. The ESV, for example, says the following: And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. [1Sam. 17:4] […]