How do we talk about God’s judgment in the New Testament and church eras? We’re used to seeing God’s judgment in the Old Testament. He was no discriminator of persons, either. He visited judgment upon unbelievers like those in Sodom and Gomorrah. But he also judged the people of Israel…
Why did God change people’s names in the Bible? Beginning with Abraham, Sarah, and Jacob, and going into the New Testament when Jesus changes Simon’s name to Peter, God has been changing people’s names throughout Scripture. But to many people this is a strange thing. God changes people’s names for…
What were the problem churches for Paul and how do his letters show it? There were several churches that Paul had odd relationships with. Even though he founded these churches, his enemies found ways to take them off track from what he taught. These people chased Paul around and taught…
Were Herod the Great and his son Jewish? Herod the Great was king over Judea during the birth of Jesus. He is known for his many building projects in service to creating a stable relationship with the Jews he ruled. He was also known as a tyrant and a paranoid…
Can you explain the details of John the Baptist’s murder? Who wanted his head on a platter? Is there a parallel between Herod and Pontius Pilate? John the Baptist was the forerunner for Jesus. He was prophesied to come before Jesus and prepare the way for his coming. When Jesus…
Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay Everyone wants justice in our world, even convicted criminals. It’s a common joke on all the TV shows that if you are in prison and ask anyone what they did, they say, “I didn’t do it.” But standing in the prison yard with the fence…
When John ate locusts in the wilderness, was it the flower or the insect? Matthew records that John was a bit of a wild character (Matthew 3:4-6). Wearing camel’s hair reminds us, and the people who came out to be baptized by him, of Elijah. He was a gruff character…
Was John the Baptist the only one who baptized with water? Actually, no. The Jews had a long standing practice with water. They fully immersed any proselyte in water to introduce them to Judaism. If you became a Jewish convert, you are baptized in water as part of the ceremonial…
What was Jesus like in his youth? This is a great question that doesn’t have much of an answer. It is only because of two Gospels (Matthew and Luke) that we even know much about his birth. So here is what the Bible says about Jesus as a youth: After…
What was the difference between Jesus’ divine acts and his human acts? There is quite a history to this question. The Greek and Western Christians wanted to define the different natures of Jesus. He was a human but he was also God. But how much of him was human and…