Doctrine Archives - Christian Questions Bible Podcast: Recent Episodes
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In this Ten Commandments Series, we are looking at each commandment individually to see how they all apply to our present day personal Christian lives. In our systematic examination of each of the first five commandments, we have seen a powerful interconnectedness that deepens their meaning to us. The first three focus on God as our sole object of ultimate worship and loyalty. The Fourth Commandment to remember the Sabbath teaches us as Christians to rest in God through Jesus, making sure our motivations in life are continually spiritually focused. The Fifth Commandment to honor our father and mother was the first one to fully focus on our interpersonal human relationships. This respect and honor towards parents are the clear foundation for the rest of the commandments, which set rigid guidelines for the mutual respect we should have for all of humanity.
Murder, according to Jesus, begins long before any physical act. Christians become guilty of murder—”spiritual murder”—when anger, contempt and destructive words diminish another person’s God‑given worth. The Sixth Commandment calls us to protect the sanctity of life by practicing humility, reconciliation and honoring the image of God in everyone.
There’s a progressionThis teaching shows a metaphorical progression: anger places us in danger of judgment in court, contempt places us in danger of the high court, and calling someone a fool places us in danger of losing everything through God’s righteous judgment. Jesus is revealing that for Christians, murder begins long before any physical act. It starts in the heart, where anger, contempt and destructive words diminish another person’s God-given worth.
For Christians today, modern expressions of this potential spiritual murder includes dehumanization, online hostility and the quiet killing of hope through criticism or belittling. Scripture consistently teaches that our words carry power to bless or curse, to build or destroy. When we diminish someone’s identity, worth or potential, we violate the spirit of the Sixth Commandment.
Fortunately, Jesus offers a clear remedy for this sometimes subtle but massive challenge. It begins with humility, reconciliation and intentional care for our brothers and sisters. As light bearers, Christians are called to protect life in every form—physical, emotional and spiritual. Jesus’ application of this sixth Commandment to his followers challenges us to look honestly at how we react, how we speak, and how we form judgments, so that our conduct reflects the value God places on every single human being.
Key Takeaways• Murder begins in the heart long before any physical act.
• Anger, contempt and degrading speech place believers in spiritual danger.
• Jesus raises the Sixth Commandment to a higher, inward standard.
• Dehumanization and slander are modern forms of “spiritual murder.”
• Protecting the sanctity of life includes guarding others’ hope and potential.
• Christians must practice humility, reconciliation and intentional respect.
The post What Makes Christians Guilty of Murder? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
The Fifth Commandment God gave to Israel after He freed them from slavery was a simple statement of respect. God instructed each and every individual to honor their parents. To really understand the import of this command from God to His people of Israel and to us, it is important to do two things. First, recognize that appropriate “honor” for one’s parents really has its foundation in the previous four Commandments. Second, be aware that while honoring our parents does have its basis in honoring God, we must recognize that any and all honor we give them reflects how and why we honor God. So, how and why do we as Christians honor our parents?
To honor your parents means giving weight, respect and value to their role in our lives. Biblically, honor is an external action rooted in reverence for God, expressed through respect, care, listening and godly obedience. Jesus modeled this honor both in his youth and at the cross.
It’s all connectedIn this episode, we explore how to honor your father and mother goes beyond a cultural expectation to a spiritual discipline. Scripture shows that honoring parents is woven into the very fabric of a God-reverencing life. The Law connects honoring parents with holiness, avoiding idolatry, Sabbath rest and the sanctity of God’s name. In other words, how we treat our parents reflects how seriously we take God Himself.
What if they just aren’t good parents?As reverential and respectful as all of this is, what happens when parents are not honorable? The Bible never asks us to blindly follow destructive behavior. To honor your parents must always be filtered through honoring God first. Sometimes honor looks like setting boundaries, seeking help or breaking cycles of harm. Other times, honor means patience, forgiveness and choosing respect even when circumstances are challenging.
Ultimately, honoring parents is a heart-driven choice. It is an act of worship, a reflection of God’s character and a pathway to significantly healthier families and communities.
Key Takeaways• Honor is an external action rooted in reverence for God.
• The Fifth Commandment builds on the first four, linking family respect to spiritual devotion.
• Jesus modeled parental honor from childhood through his final moments on the cross.
• Honoring destructive behavior is not biblical; boundaries might be necessary.
• True honor comes from the heart and reflects God’s holiness in everyday relationships.
The post What Does Honoring Our Parents Really Mean? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Although the Ten Commandments are well known, the sad reality is they certainly are not well practiced. In our current Ten Commandment series we are examining each one and how it relates to our Christian lives here and now. So far, we’ve covered the first three and have found them to be deeply connected and incredibly relevant for our everyday lives. We now look at the fourth, the command to remember the sabbath day and to keep it holy. As Christians, the issue here should be obvious. The Jewish sabbath is Saturday and we have our day of worship and rest on Sunday. Are we wrong in this approach, or is our remembering the sabbath supposed to be expressed in entirely different terms?
The Fourth Commandment—remembering the Sabbath and keeping it holy—was central to Israel’s covenant life. It provided a weekly pause from physical labor so the people could refocus on God, examine their hearts and correct any possible drift toward idolatry and hypocrisy. But for Christians, the meaning of Sabbath rest shifts dramatically. Instead of a literal day of ceasing from physical work, the New Testament reveals a deeper, spiritual rest rooted in Christ himself.
God rested on the seventh day not because He was tired, but because His physical creative work was complete. From that point forward, His work became spiritual—preparing the world for Messiah and unfolding His plan through Jesus. Hebrews 4 explains that Israel failed to enter God’s rest because of disobedience, while believers now enter that rest through faith in Christ. This rest is not inactivity; it is the peace and strength that come from aligning our lives with God’s ongoing spiritual work.
Jesus reinforces this truth when he invites the weary to take his yoke and learn from him. His rest is the relief from worldly burdens, anxieties and self‑driven striving. The Greek words used—katapauo (to cease) and anapauo (to refresh)—show that Christian rest involves both putting down earthly concerns and taking up the spiritually refreshing work of discipleship.
The early church modeled this beautifully.They gathered on the first day of the week—Resurrection Day—to teach, pray, give and serve. This was not a pause from spiritual labor but a celebration of Christ’s victory and a recommitment to the work God prepared for them.
For Christians today, Sabbath rest is a daily posture. We still handle our responsibilities, but our true labor is in Christ. We rest by living as “new creatures,” empowered by God’s spirit, focused on His plan, and engaged in His work every day.
Key Takeaways* The Jewish Sabbath focused on ceasing physical labor; Christian Sabbath focuses on spiritual rest in Christ. * God’s rest began after creation and continues through His spiritual work in Messiah. * Believers enter God’s rest through faith, obedience and alignment with Christ’s work. * Jesus’ yoke brings refreshment, not exhaustion—spiritual work is restful when done in him. * The early church gathered on Resurrection Day to teach, serve and worship, modeling Christian Sabbath principles. * Christian rest is daily: putting aside earthly anxieties and engaging in God’s spiritual work with renewed focus.
The post Does Honoring the Sabbath Apply to Christians Today? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
In our last episode, we unfolded the revealing of the Ten Commandments to the nation of Israel after they were miraculously freed from Egyptian slavery. We observed how God powerfully reminded them that their deliverance came from Him, and how their loyalty to Him was to be reflected by the First Commandment’s instruction of having no other gods before Him. As Christians, we were also rescued from the “slavery” of sin and death by God through the sacrifice of Jesus. We are therefore required to follow this Commandment and have our loyalty solely focused on God through Christ. The Second Commandment instructs us to have NO idols in our lives and builds squarely upon the First. Practically speaking, what does being idol-free look like? What are the dangers of not living up to this standard?
Reject idolatryIn this episode we see that the Second Commandment’s call is to reject idolatry in every form. Idolatry begins internally, in the direction of the heart, and then becomes visible through what we “make,” “bow to” and “serve.” Idolatry can be described as a root sin that misdirects loyalty before any outward wrongdoing appears, creating patterns that can affect generations.
Modern idolsGod warned Israel not to create images of anything in heaven, on earth, or in the sea, because they never saw God’s form and were instead meant to be His living image. Idolatry is shown to be a shortcut, like the golden calf, offering quick reassurance instead of the slow, transformative work of trusting God. Modern idols may not be carved statues; they are often subtle, sophisticated and deeply embedded in daily life: ego, success, comfort, possessions, technology and even AI when used as a spiritual shortcut rather than a tool.
The New Testament approach to idolatry can be summed up in Paul’s approach in Acts 17, where he confronted a city full of idols with gentleness and respect. His method becomes a model for addressing idolatry both around us and within us, recognizing it, isolating it, repenting and returning to God’s sovereignty. Idolatry appears repeatedly in New Testament “danger lists,” emphasizing its destructive power and its ability to quietly replace God as the source of validation and security.
Ultimately, this Commandment calls Christians to spiritual awareness, honest self-examination and wholehearted loyalty to the God who cannot be contained, controlled or replaced.
Key Takeaways* Idolatry is a root sin: it misdirects the heart before any outward sin appears. * The Second Commandment is an external action command, building on the internal loyalty of the First. * Israel never saw God’s form, so any image replaces His true nature with something man made. * Modern idols are subtle: ego, success, comfort, possessions, technology, and even AI when used as a shortcut. * Idols promise control and immediacy, but they shape us in their image rather than God’s. * Paul’s approach in Acts 17 is a model: meet people where they are, speak gently and point them toward the true God. * Self-examination is essential: identify what you “bow to” or “serve” emotionally or habitually. Keep idols out of your life. * Repentance restores direction, bringing us back into the light and away from destructive patterns. * Christians are God’s temple, so idols have no rightful place in our lives.
The post How Do I Keep Idols Out of My Life? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
The giving of the Ten Commandments to the people of Israel after their miraculous deliverance from slavery in Egypt was part of one of the most memorable series of events in the entire Old Testament. Here were these millions of people who were now free from bondage but as yet with no home, and no way to take care of themselves other than trusting in Moses who was following God’s instructions. The giving of these ten foundational laws would set them up to understand who God was and what He would expect from them regarding their honoring Him and their respecting one another. These Ten Commandments were God’s directive to His people after He delivered them. They would stand the test of time. So, what do they mean to us as Christians? Are we bound by these Laws in our deliverance from sin and death?
First CommandmentIn this episode, we take a deep look at the First Commandment, “You shall have no other gods before Me,” and discover why this ancient instruction remains foundational for every Christian today. We walk through the dramatic setting of Exodus 19 and 20, where God prepared Israel to receive His Law by reminding them of His deliverance, His protection and His covenant love. Before giving a single command, God established relationship: “I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt.” That same pattern carries into Christianity, where we are called out of darkness into God’s marvelous light through Christ.
Our conversation highlights how the Ten Commandments were not merely rules for Israel, but timeless principles that reveal God’s character. Jesus and the apostles built their teachings on these same moral foundations, showing that while Christians are not under the Law of Moses, we are absolutely called to live out the righteousness those commandments point to. The First Commandment in particular is an “internal instruction”—a matter of the heart that shapes every outward action. It calls us to give God our instinctive loyalty, our first trust and our deepest devotion.
Other godsFurther, we explore what “other gods” look like today. They may not be carved idols, but they show up in subtle forms like fear, control, comfort, self-reliance, approval or anything that quietly becomes our first “go to” instead of God.
Ultimately, the First Commandment invites us to know who God is, absorb what He does and live in a way that reflects His sovereignty. When God truly comes first, everything else in life finds its rightful place.
Key Takeaways• The First Commandment is an internal instruction that begins in the heart.
• God established relationship before giving the Law—He first delivered Israel.
• Christians are called out of darkness just as Israel was called out of Egypt.
• “Other gods” today often appear as subtle loyalties like fear, control, comfort or self-image.
• Jesus and the apostles built their teachings on the same principles found in the Ten Commandments.
• True worship means giving God our instinctive trust, loyalty and direction.
• Knowing who God is must lead to living according to His sovereignty.
• Violating the First Commandment is always the beginning of spiritual downfall.
The post Do the Ten Commandments Apply to Christians Today? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
If we are not careful, it can be easy to misrepresent God. So often we hear people proclaim that God is a God of anger and wrath, a God who demands that we fear Him. While God does absolutely and ultimately demand that all will eventually honor and reverence Him, we need to be able to grasp what He requires of humanity now. The Bible, if carefully understood, supplies these answers. By examining what “fear of the Lord” looks like first in the Old Testament and then in the New, we can receive a clear picture of what He demands. What does this picture show us? It reveals His power, His authority and His overwhelming benevolence.
The Old Testament lays the foundation for understanding the fear of the Lord. The Hebrew words for fear carry both negative and positive meanings ranging from terror to deep reverence. Israel’s experience was often physical and immediate, while Christians today apply these principles spiritually. This distinction helps us to appreciate why “fear” in Scripture can sometimes sound intimidating yet ultimately points toward a relationship grounded in respect and devotion.
Reverence for God brings blessing.Passages from Psalms and Proverbs show that fearing the Lord leads to confidence, instruction, protection and even joy. For example, Proverbs describes the fear of the Lord as “a fountain of life,” offering refuge and strength. This kind of fear is not about shrinking back, but about recognizing God’s greatness and drawing closer to Him because of it.
Reverence for God brings guidance.A deeply personal example of this is Rick’s experience of how reverence for God sustained him through the trauma of his daughter’s assault. He describes relying on prayer and scriptural principles when he didn’t know what to do, illustrating how reverence can anchor believers during life’s most overwhelming moments.
The New Testament verifies that reverence remains essential for Christians. While the Greek word phobéō can mean fright, it also carries the meaning of awe and respect. The apostles encourage believers to perfect holiness in the fear of God, to honor all people and to avoid any ungodly spirit of cowardice.
The picture is clear: ‘Fearing the Lord’ means placing Him in His rightful position—above all things—and allowing that reverence to shape our confidence, choices and character.
Key Takeaways
- The ‘fear of the Lord’ in Scripture primarily means reverence, awe and deep respect, not terror.
- Old Testament examples show that reverence brings instruction, protection, confidence and blessing.
- True ‘fear’ of God draws us toward Him, not away from Him.
- The New Testament continues this theme, urging Christians to perfect holiness in reverence.
- God has not given Christians a spirit of fearfulness or cowardice.
- Reverence becomes especially powerful during personal trials, grounding us in God’s presence and guidance.
The post What Is the ‘Fear of the Lord’? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
We all sin. We all make mistakes and sometimes they are just plain embarrassing. As Christians, we know that forgiveness for our sins can be readily available as a result of Jesus’ sacrifice. The question is, what do I have to do to access that availability? Is it automatic? Am I forgiven just because I have claimed the name of Jesus? The answer to that question is an emphatic NO! While being a disciple of Christ grants us access to forgiveness from God, it does not automatically apply that forgiveness to our ongoing sins. So, what do we have to do? Do we actually have to confess our sins in detail to God? What does confessing our sins actually mean? Are there rituals that we should be following? Should we confess them to others? Is there a right way and a wrong way to do this?
Confession is not a ritual or a formula.Scripture presents it as something far more meaningful: a relational step that brings us back into alignment with God. The Apostle John uses the Greek word homologeō—to “say the same thing”—meaning confession is agreeing with God’s assessment of our actions rather than defending, minimizing or hiding them. It is the moment we stop managing our image and start embracing honesty before the One who already knows every detail.
King David’s experience in Psalm 32 gives us a vivid picture of this process. Before he confessed, he described his inner life as wasting away under the weight of guilt. But once he acknowledged his sin without excuses, he found relief, clarity and restored fellowship with God—even though the severe consequences of his actions remained. Confession didn’t erase the earthly fallout, but it reopened the door to God’s mercy and peace.
The New Testament builds on this foundation by reminding us that we confess not to inform God, but to align ourselves with Him. Hebrews shows that Jesus, our sympathetic High Priest, opens the way to the throne of grace so we can approach God with confidence. Confession becomes the pathway out of darkness and into light, where cleansing and transformation can actually happen. It is how we keep our hearts soft, our conscience clear, and our relationship with God vibrant and honest.
Key Takeaways• Confession is relational, not ritualistic—it restores alignment with God.
• The biblical meaning of confession is to agree with God’s truth about our actions.
• God already knows our sins; confession helps us see ourselves clearly.
• David’s example shows that confession brings relief, honesty and renewed fellowship, even when consequences remain.
• Confession is part of walking in the light, keeping us spiritually awake and accountable.
• Through Jesus, we can approach God with confidence, knowing forgiveness and cleansing are available.
• True confession leads to transformation—allowing God’s grace to work in us and through us.
The post Is It Necessary to Confess My Sins? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
There are two fundamental lessons we can learn about God from having a general knowledge of the true message of the Bible. First, we know that God is love, as He created humanity for the sake of having an eternal human family. Second, God is just. His love for humanity is not weak and unreliable; it is based on a solid foundation of justice. When Adam sinned, this justice aspect of His character was plain to see as Adam would no longer have eternal life. He would now be destined to live out his life outside of the Garden of Eden, in a different environment than he had originally been given. Adam, Eve and the generations they would produce would now make their living off of a cursed earth. What would this mean for them? Did their disobedience doom to whole world to a cursed life of hopelessness? Did God curse the world?
Two targeted cursesWhen we look closely at the Genesis account, we discover that God’s actions in Eden were far more purposeful and hopeful than many assume. Rather than cursing humanity, God issued two targeted curses: one on the serpent and one on the ground. The serpent’s curse carried both humiliation and prophecy, pointing forward to the eventual destruction of Satan by the promised seed. The curse on the ground introduced toil, resistance and frustration into human labor—not as an act of divine spite, but as a teacher. Life outside the Garden would now reveal the true cost of sin and humanity’s deep need for redemption.
Throughout Scripture, this theme continues. Cain’s judgment, Lamech’s longing for relief and Noah’s partial mitigation of the ground’s difficulty all show that God’s curse on the soil shaped human experience but never represented a curse on humanity itself. Even after the Flood, God reaffirmed stability and seasons, signaling mercy within the struggle. The ground remained cursed, but the world was not abandoned.
Romans 8The Apostle Paul picks up this thread in Romans 8, explaining that creation was “subjected to futility”—not cursed—and that this condition is temporary. Paul uses the imagery of childbirth to show that the world’s present suffering is leading toward something new. The groaning of creation is in anticipation. God’s plan has always been restoration.
This is where Jesus enters the picture with breathtaking clarity. By taking Adam’s death penalty and stepping into the Law’s covenant curse—symbolized by being “hung on a tree”—Jesus opened the way for both Jews and Gentiles to become part of Abraham’s promised seed. His sacrifice ensures that the curse on the ground, the futility of creation and the burden of sin will all be resolved in God’s appointed time. The story that begins with a curse ends with healing and restoration, and the promise of a world made new.
Key Takeaways• God cursed the serpent and the ground in Genesis 3. He did not curse humanity.
• The curse on the ground served a purpose, shaping human experience and pointing to the need for redemption.
• Creation’s “futility” in Romans 8 is temporary and filled with hope.
• Jesus fulfilled the Law’s curse symbol by being publicly displayed on the cross.
• Through Christ, both Jews and Gentiles become Abraham’s seed and heirs of the promise.
• God’s plan moves from curse to consequence to redemption and finally, to restoration.
The post Did God Curse the World? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
In Part I of this 2-part series, we introduced several reasons why many Christians believe women should be able to serve as pastors. Our scriptural considerations began with understanding what the “equality in Christ” in our theme text means. We found that it is pointing to an immovable foundation for people of differing ethnicities, different social standings and both genders to stand firmly upon. While Christ does not change our heritage, social standing or gender privileges, he equally welcomes all of us. We also briefly examined the roles of a few prominent Old Testament women. Here we discovered that even though they were wise and chosen prophets of God, that did not open the door for them to be in any way related to the priesthood of Israel.
In Part II of our series, we continue examining the question of whether women should serve as pastors or elders by looking closely at New Testament women in ministry by including examples often raised in support of egalitarian views. We explore the lives of Priscilla, Phoebe and Junia—women of remarkable faith and influence—and consider how their contributions fit within the structure God designed for the early church. These women served powerfully and sacrificially, yet Scripture never presents them as holding the governing or teaching offices reserved for elders.
Gift vs. officeA major theme of this episode is the difference between gifts and offices. God gives spiritual gifts broadly to both men and women, enabling all believers to teach, encourage, counsel and serve. But the New Testament consistently assigns the formal teaching and governing roles of the church to qualified men. This distinction becomes especially important when we look at Pentecost. Peter quotes a prophecy from Joel to show that God’s spirit was being poured out on both sons and daughters, but his purpose was to highlight the arrival of miraculous gifts—not to redefine church leadership. Pentecost was a preview of God’s power, not a restructuring of the elder role.
The Competency ArgumentWe also address the modern argument of competency. Many women today are highly educated, capable leaders in every sphere of society. Scripture never denies their ability. Instead, it provokes us to consider how God arranges His body according to His design, not human preference. The pattern of male eldership is rooted not in culture, but in creation, headship and the consistent teaching of both Paul and Peter.
This episode encourages all Christians—men and women—to embrace their God given roles with humility, gratitude and purpose, recognizing that leadership in the body of Christ begins and ends with faithful service.
Key Takeaways• New Testament women served powerfully, but none are shown holding the office of elder.
• Gifts and offices are different: gifts show ability; offices show responsibility.
• Pentecost demonstrated God’s power, not a change in church leadership structure.
• Competency is not the issue—God’s design and order are.
• Headship is rooted in creation, not culture.
• Every Christian can lead by example, regardless of role.
The post Should Women Be Pastors? (Part II) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
The world has changed dramatically over the last 2,000 years. If you are accessing this podcast information, then the world you live in has gone from a very localized environment where the fastest news traveled was by horseback or boat, to a society of instant access for all news and information. Your world has transformed from a patriarchal society where men represented the vast majority of power and influence in life, to a society that continues to make all roles equally available for both men and women. So, has Christianity kept up with the times? Have we made all roles, specifically the role of pastor and teacher in the church equally available to both men and women? If your church has, should they have? If they have not, then why not? Should women be pastors? There is a clear scriptural answer to this!
Egalitarian and complementarian viewsIn Part I of this important two-part series, we take a careful, respectful look at one of the most debated questions in modern Christianity: Should women serve as pastors or elders in the church? Rather than beginning with our own conclusion that women should not serve in this way, we start by laying out the pro-woman pastor egalitarian viewpoint, exactly as its supporters understand it. We walk through the strongest egalitarian arguments, including equality in Christ, women in biblical leadership, the distribution of spiritual gifts and the practical reality that women already serve in many ministry roles today.
Once this perspective is clearly understood, the episode turns to Scripture to examine the foundation beneath the complementarian view we hold. What does “equality in Christ” actually mean? Does it erase distinctions God built into creation, or does it elevate men and women equally while preserving different roles? The conversation explores the Old Testament pattern of spiritual leadership, the significance of the priesthood, and the creation order established before sin entered the world. It also looks honestly at how sin distorted God’s design, leading to centuries of misuse, imbalance and cultural extremes Scripture never endorsed.
Throughout the discussion, the goal is not to diminish women’s value or gifting, but to understand how God arranged roles for the protection, order and flourishing of the church. This episode invites our listeners to consider the question not through the lens of culture or tradition, but through the lens of God’s revealed design.
Key Takeaways• Equality in Christ elevates men and women without erasing God-given distinctions.
• Women in Scripture held significant leadership roles, yet not the highest spiritual offices.
• Spiritual gifts are given broadly, but spiritual offices are assigned purposefully.
• The creation order—not culture—forms the foundation for church structure.
• Sin distorted headship into domination, but Scripture restores balance and dignity.
• Clearly understanding both viewpoints clearly helps us approach this topic with grace and truth.
The post Should Women Be Pastors? (Part I) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
In our last episode, we laid out a scriptural foundation for how human free will works by considering two Old Testament accounts. First, we looked at Joshua and how he was called upon by God to lead Israel after the death of Moses. His choosing to closely follow God’s direction in this task made him a great leader. This showed us the profound value of always using God’s word and His will to guide us. Second, we looked at the account of Adam and Eve and their sin. Their poor choices showed us how easy it is for us to apply our free will in self-destructive ways by listening to other voices that oppose godliness. Now we get practical and examine free will in relation to our Christianity, as well as free will in relation to the rest of the world.
As Christians, our free will is meant to be shaped and elevated by the teachings of Jesus. Scripture calls us to “continue in his word,” reminding us that discipleship requires direction, discipline and a conscience trained by truth. Understanding how God guides our free will helps us see that He does not override our choices; instead, He surrounds our path with the “guardrails” of providence—Scripture, conscience, correction and the influence of His spirit. These guardrails don’t force us to stay on the road, but they can lovingly prevent us from drifting into danger.
Ephesians 4Ephesians 4 gives us a practical picture of how God guides our free will by showing what a renewed mind and transformed character look like in action. This chapter becomes a roadmap for what a transformed free will looks like in daily life. As we “put off” the old self and “put on” the new, our choices begin to reflect Christlike qualities: truthful communication, forbearance, godly morality, upbuilding words, diligent actions, purified emotions and a tender, forgiving heart. This transformation is gradual, intentional and deeply connected to our willingness to align our intellect and character with God’s word.
This is good for Christians, but what about the free will of the world at large? While humanity’s choices now often lead to suffering and injustice, the Bible assures us that God has fixed a future “day of judgment”—a thousand-year period of restoration, clarity and righteous instruction. In that kingdom, every person will finally have the opportunity to choose God with full understanding. Free will, once confused and wounded, will be healed and guided toward life.
Key Takeaways• Free will becomes powerful and safe only when it is aligned with Jesus’ teachings.
• Ephesians 4 shows how a transformed free will produces Christlike behavior.
• Christian growth requires “putting off” the old self and “putting on” the new.
• The world’s uneven free will experiences will be addressed in the future kingdom.
• The “day of judgment” is a restorative, thousand-year period of learning righteousness.
• Ultimately, God’s plan leads every human being toward clarity, accountability and the opportunity to choose life.
The post How Does Our Free Will Work in God’s Plan? (Part II) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
The Bible plainly teaches us that God in His unfathomable wisdom and power has a clear plan for the destiny of ALL humanity. We also know according to 1 Peter 1:20 that His plan for the sacrifice of Jesus was clearly in place even before the earth was created. Now, if God’s plan was clear to Him even before humanity existed, how does that fit into our understanding that each and every one of us has free will? Wouldn’t His foreknowledge by its very existence make us all puppets in His hands? If He knows how it will all turn out, then aren’t we just playing a predetermined role? Actually, nothing could be further from the truth! As we dig into these questions, we will see that God’s plans and purposes are firmly built around the free will of all of His intelligent creation. Understanding this is life changing!
JoshuaAs we explored this question in Part I, we began with Joshua—one of Scripture’s clearest examples of how human free will operates within God’s will. Joshua was given a divine assignment and the assurance that God would be with him, yet he still had to actively choose obedience, courage and faith. God laid out the road, but Joshua had to walk it. His free will didn’t create God’s plan, but it determined how faithfully he would travel upon it. This powerful picture shows us that God’s foreknowledge does not eliminate our choices; instead, it provides the framework in which our choices gain meaning.
Adam & EveWe also examined the first human exercise of free will in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve were created perfect, placed in an environment designed for success and given clear boundaries. Their free will was real, and so were the consequences of their decisions. When Eve listened to another voice and Adam followed her lead, they stepped outside of God’s protective boundaries. God didn’t force the outcome, but free will must be tested, proven and ultimately aligned with God’s character.
Throughout the episode, we saw that God’s will is
- perfect
- committed
- time-tested and
- harmonious.
Human free will, by contrast, is developing. It must learn strength, courage, character and intellectual alignment with God’s truth. Rather than making us puppets, God invites us into a lifelong process of choosing His way—again and again—until our will becomes anchored in His.
Understanding this relationship between God’s sovereignty and our freedom is deeply practical. It shapes how we face decisions, how we interpret trials, and how we grow into Christlike maturity.
Key Takeaways• God’s foreknowledge frames human free will. It does not cancel it.
• Joshua shows that God provides the road, but we choose how faithfully we walk it.
• Strength and courage are active choices, not automatic feelings.
• Adam and Eve’s test reveals that free will must be proven and aligned with God’s character.
• God’s will is perfect and unchanging. Our will is being shaped to match His.
• Every decision becomes an opportunity to choose trust, obedience and spiritual growth.
The post How Does Our Free Will Work in God’s Plan? (Part I) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Are Christians who claim to heal and who claim to speak in tongues operating within the scriptural guidelines of Christianity today, or have they taken a giant step over the line of appropriate Christian behavior? In our last episode, we observed how the Old Testament established healing as an occasional gift and was not necessarily granted based on faith. We also observed that Jesus healed the masses and generally did not require faith and following to give that gift. We also saw that Old Testament speaking in tongues was absolutely speaking in foreign languages. It was a sign of God’s disapproval when foreign languages were introduced. The Apostle Paul verified that speaking in tongues – in foreign languages – was STILL a sign, but now it was a sign of approval to UNBELIEVERS. In this episode, we examine healing and speaking in tongues in the New Testament to understand how these gifts functioned in the early church.
The New Testament patternAs we turn to the New Testament, Jesus sets the pattern. He healed out of compassion, not as a reward for personal faith. In fact, out of the hundreds he healed, only four individuals are specifically commended for their faith. Healing was never meant to be a spiritual performance or a measure of someone’s worthiness. It was a sign that the Messiah had arrived and the call to the kingdom was open.
After Pentecost, the pattern remained narrowOnly two non-apostles—Philip and Ananias—are specifically recorded as performing healings. Both did so under circumstances that were tied to the spread of the gospel. The Apostle Paul later explained that healing was one of the lesser gifts and would eventually fade as the church matured and the written word took center stage. Scripture, not miracles, would become the enduring tool for building faith.
The same is true for speaking in tongues. The New Testament records only three instances of this occurring. In every case, tongues were real human languages used to communicate the gospel to foreigners. Tongues were never intended to be a private prayer language or a display of spiritual superiority. Paul repeatedly corrected the misuse of this gift, reminding believers that prophecy and teaching were far more valuable because they edified the entire church. Once the gospel was firmly established and the Scriptures completed, the purpose of tongues was fulfilled, and the gift ceased—just as Paul said it would.
Key Takeaways* Healing in the New Testament was a sign of the Messiah and the arrival of the kingdom. * Jesus healed out of compassion, not as a response to personal faith. * After Pentecost, only two non-apostles are recorded as performing healings, both for specific gospel purposes. * Speaking in tongues was always the miraculous ability to speak real foreign languages. * Tongues served as a sign to unbelievers and a tool for spreading the gospel. * Paul identified healing and tongues as lesser gifts that would eventually cease. * The completed Scriptures replaced the need for miraculous signs.
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Christianity today is diverse. When you think about it, there should only be one version of the Gospel, and it should be entirely based upon the Bible as a whole, specifically the words and actions of Jesus as well as the words and actions of his apostles and disciples in the New Testament. In many cases, the Gospel has unfortunately been reduced to a wide variety of denominations and beliefs that often contradict one another. One area of this divergence has to do with the gift of healing and speaking in tongues in the Bible. Many Christians today believe these two spiritual gifts continue today, and many Christians believe they ceased a long time ago. Who’s right, and how do we know?
In this first part of a two‑episode series, we take a thoughtful journey through Scripture to understand whether Christians today can genuinely heal or speak in tongues. We begin our conversation by stepping back into the Old Testament to uncover the foundation God laid long before Jesus’ ministry began. What emerges is a clear pattern: biblical healing and the use of foreign languages were never random miracles. They were purposeful signs—each revealing something about God’s sovereignty, His plan and His chosen messengers.
Old Testament: HealingsBy exploring several Old Testament healings, from Abimelech’s household to the Shunammite woman, Naaman, and King Hezekiah, we find that account highlights that healing was rare, deeply intentional, and always tied to God’s authority or the advancement of His plan. These moments set the stage for the dramatic shift that occurs when Jesus arrives, bringing healing on a scale never before seen. His compassion, power and fulfillment of prophecy reveal healing as a sign pointing unmistakably to the Messiah.
Old Testament: Speaking in TonguesThe conversation then turns to the surprising Old Testament roots of speaking in tongues. Through the Tower of Babel, Deuteronomy and Isaiah, we see how foreign languages originally signaled God’s disfavor and judgment. But at Pentecost, everything changes. The same sign that once scattered now gathers. The same confusion that once divided now draws people toward the gospel. Speaking in tongues becomes a powerful, unmistakable sign for unbelievers that God’s favor has arrived through Jesus and the outpouring of the holy spirit.
This episode lays the essential groundwork for Part II, where the New Testament gifts will be examined in greater detail.
Key Takeaways
- Old Testament healings were rare and always served a larger divine purpose.
- Jesus’ healing ministry fulfilled prophecy and revealed God’s sovereignty in a new way.
- In the Old Testament, foreign tongues were a sign of God’s disapproval and judgment.
- At Pentecost, tongues became a sign of God’s favor, enabling the gospel to reach all nations.
- Understanding the Old Testament foundation is essential for interpreting New Testament gifts today.
The post Are Christians Today Really Capable of Healing People or Speaking in Tongues? (Part I) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
There are many Bible accounts that have gathered a lot of attention over centuries because of their dramatic content. Cain and Abel, Noah and the Ark and David and Goliath are all powerful and dramatic Old Testament accounts filled with action. Two New Testament are Jesus in the manger and Jesus on the cross. All of these named stories show us a hero and their experiences. Then we have “Doubting Thomas.” Here was an apostle who did not betray Jesus and who was ultimately faithful to his calling, and yet we know him as the doubter. Is this a fair and unbiased way to be remembering one of Jesus’ closest followers? Was Thomas that far off from faithfulness so as to be labeled as a doubter?
Not a lot of informationThomas’ specific actions or words appear only three times in Scripture. The first two instances in John 11 and John 14 reveal a disciple who has courage, loyalty and a deep desire to stay close to Jesus. It is the third instance that causes so many to see him as a doubter.
Thomas was absent during Jesus’ first resurrection appearance to the other ten apostles. The disciples joyfully reported, “We have seen the Lord,” but Thomas—traumatized, grieving and left out of that experience—could not process their claim. His statement, “I will not believe,” is a Greek conditional phrase meaning, “I am not able to believe unless…”—a cry of emotional impossibility, not rebellion.
A personal demonstrationEight days later, Jesus appeared again and immediately addressed Thomas with compassion, not rebuke. He invited Thomas to examine his wounds, offering the same evidence the others received. Jesus gently dismantled Thomas’ doubt step by step, showing that honest struggle is always met with personalized grace. Thomas responded with one of the strongest declarations of faith in the New Testament: “My Lord and my God.”
Thomas’ story teaches five belief lessons about how Jesus builds faith, not by shaming doubt but by meeting it with truth and patience. Ultimately, Thomas became a model of how doubt, when brought to Jesus, can lead to deeper conviction and a more resilient faith.
Key Takeaways* Thomas’ doubt was rooted in trauma, not rebellion. * Jesus treats honest doubt differently from hard‑hearted resistance. * Thomas asked only for the same evidence the other disciples received. * Jesus responds with compassion, personalization and invitation. * Thomas’ final confession is one of the strongest expressions of faith in Scripture. * We believe he should be called ‘Discerning Thomas’ or ‘Faithful Thomas”!
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God is watching over me. God’s got this. The Lord will take care of it. These are all expressions of faith in God’s overruling care for us. While this kind of faith is something we should all strive for, the question remains as to what makes these statements true. Just because I say, “God will take care of it,” does that mean it is absolutely going to happen? Are there things that I personally need to have in place for God’s providence to be reality, or does saying this with conviction qualify as having enough faith? Is there a difference between our believing in God’s attentive care and His actual giving of His attentive care?
The quiet way God leads usThe episode explores these questions by reminding us that God’s providence (His holy and wise supervision of all things) is not something we activate with confident phrases. His care unfolds within His character, His timing and His purposes—not our expectations. Israel’s 40 years in the wilderness becomes a vivid example. God fed them, sustained them and disciplined them, but none of it happened on their preferred schedule. Much of His care was quiet, even unnoticed, until they looked back and realized how thoroughly He had carried them. Providence, in other words, often feels ordinary while it is happening and only becomes obvious in hindsight.
When God’s providence arrives as hardshipJesus’ preparation follows the same pattern. Before his ministry began, he faced hunger, misapplied Scripture and the lure of an easier path. None of these experiences looked like “providence” in the moment, yet each one shaped him for the work ahead. The episode emphasizes that God’s providence sometimes arrives as difficulty rather than relief—not because God is distant, but because He is forming something deeper in us than comfort. Jesus refused shortcuts, refused to manipulate God’s promises and refused to step outside his Father’s will. Only after the testing did the angels come to minister to him. That order matters.
Christians do not command providence; we receive it. We don’t decree outcomes or speak miracles into existence. Instead, we place ourselves where God’s guidance can reach us—by obeying what we already know, by waiting when the way is unclear and by trusting that God’s care is active even when it feels hidden.
Key Takeaways* God’s providence follows His timing and purposes, not our declarations. * Israel’s wilderness years show that God’s care is often quiet and recognized later. * Jesus’ temptations reveal that hardship can be part of God’s preparing grace. * We receive providence through obedience and patience, not by forcing outcomes. * True providence shapes us to follow God’s will, even when the path is difficult.
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In Part I of this two-part series, we focused on the magnificent gift that we as Christians are given when we accept the redemption for our sins available through Jesus’ sacrifice. We talked about the magnitude of this gift and how true disciples of Jesus are also required to give back as a result of receiving this gift. According to Scripture, the action of “giving back” is accomplished through our responsibility to reverently care for it. This care is clearly identified by how we choose to live our lives as genuine followers of Christ. Fortunately, we have clear and concise instructions waiting for us in the Scriptures!
Part I established the “required care focuses” from Romans 12:1—recognition, awe, gratitude, humility, intentional self‑denial, adopting a new mindset and full engagement. These attitudes prepare believers for the deeper work of transformation highlighted in the next verse.
Romans 12:2 introduces two essential components of discipleship:
- NOT conforming to the world
- Being transformed by the renewing of the mind.
Additionally, we suggest Christian non‑conformity has two “levels:”
- We must be OUT of alignment with the world’s values
- We must walk away from our own internal habits, desires and emotional patterns.
Jesus modeled this non‑conformity through his kingdom‑focused life, and his disciples were called to leave behind their former identities and occupations to follow him.The result: a “new creation”Transformation in Christ cannot begin until non‑conformity has intentionally been chosen. 2 Corinthians 5:14–17 and Philippians 3:13–15 reveal that transformation involves seeing others—and even Christ himself—from a spiritual perspective rather than a fleshly one. The Greek word for “transform” (metamorphoō) indicates a complete change of form, illustrated by the transfiguration of Jesus and the believer’s gradual change “from glory to glory” through the spirit. This transformation results in becoming a “new creation,” something entirely fresh and never before existing.
This process is lifelong, requiring perseverance, repeated decisions and reliance on God’s strength. Ultimately, transformation leads to receiving a “new name” and full acceptance by God, symbolized in Revelation 2:17. True discipleship is radical, intentional, and deeply rewarding, culminating in participation in God’s future work of blessing all humanity.
A Few Key Takeaways
- True transformation begins only after intentional non‑conformity to the world.
- Discipleship requires daily self‑denial, a renewed mindset and full engagement.
- Transformation is a gradual, spirit‑driven process that reshapes identity and purpose.
- True believers become a “new creation,” ultimately receiving God’s full approval and a symbolic “new name.”
The post How Do I Know if I Am REALLY Following Jesus? (Part II) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
As Christians, we love Jesus. All who claim that Jesus is their Lord and Savior do so because they have acknowledged their own sinful state and have realized the power of forgiveness that comes from Jesus’ sacrifice. It is easy for us to fellowship regarding what we have been freely given. What may not be as easy for us to define is what we are giving. A true disciple of Jesus receives redemption. That same true disciple is also required to give back as a result of that gift. Wait a minute! Isn’t Jesus’ gift freely given with no strings attached? Yes, it is free with no strings attached, and because we receive that gift, we are required to care for it. As we shall soon see, this required care thought is the very essence of being a true and genuine follower of Christ.
DiscipleshipDiscipleship is far more than loving Jesus—it requires intentional action, sacrifice and transformation. The “therefore” in Romans 12:1, which is the theme verse for this episode, points back to Romans 11, where Paul explains how Israel’s temporary casting off opened the door of mercy to Gentiles. This undeserved privilege should fill believers with awe, gratitude and humility. True discipleship begins with recognizing the magnitude of God’s gift and responding appropriately.
A living sacrificePaul’s instruction to “present your bodies a living sacrifice” introduces the core requirement of intentional self‑denial. Jesus modeled this throughout his earthly life, denying his own will in favor of the Father’s—even when it meant suffering. Followers of Christ must likewise abstain from sinful desires, count the cost of discipleship, and embrace the hardships, contradictions and separations that come with walking in his footsteps. These challenges are not meaningless; they produce spiritual growth and prepare believers for eternal glory.
Holy and acceptableThe call to be “holy and acceptable to God” requires adopting a new mindset shaped by the holy spirit. This new mindset involves continual learning, accurate handling of Scripture, humility and a commitment to godliness. Jesus’ own mindset—self‑emptying, obedient and focused on serving God—becomes the pattern for Christian transformation.
Finally, Paul describes this sacrificial life as “your reasonable service,” meaning it is the logical response to God’s mercy. Full engagement in discipleship includes prioritizing spiritual goals, supporting fellow believers as members of one body, and pressing forward toward the upward call of God. To truly follow Jesus is to live with recognition, awe, gratitude, humility, intentional self‑denial, a renewed mindset, and wholehearted commitment to God’s will.
The post How Do I Know if I Am REALLY Following Jesus? (Part I) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
So, what is the real mission of Christianity? Are we tasked with converting the world? Are we responsible to preach the good news of the gospel wherever we go, to anyone and everyone? Is the eternal destiny of those we come in contact with heavily dependent upon our delivering the message of salvation? All Christians would agree that at his ascension, Jesus commanded us to be part of preaching the gospel throughout the world. Where we differ is in the outcome of this preaching. The bottom-line question: Do we as Christians bear the responsibility of saving sinners from the wrath of God right here and right now in this age, or do we preach for another reason?
Worldwide conversion now?While Jesus commanded his followers to spread the gospel worldwide (Matthew 28:19–20, Acts 1:6–9), the purpose is not immediate worldwide conversion but rather the calling of disciples from all nations. Preaching plants seeds of truth, but only God causes growth (1 Corinthians 3:6–9).
The key to understanding the apparent contradiction of Jesus dying for all and yet not all following him now is that salvation unfolds in stages. First, a small group of disciples is called to walk the narrow way, living sacrificially as a “royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:9). Their faithfulness benefits the rest of humanity later, during the “day of visitation” and ultimate restoration (Romans 8:19–21, Acts 3:20–21). The rest of humanity will eventually be taught, tested and brought to repentance (2 Peter 3:9, 1 Timothy 2:4–6). Preaching today serves to identify disciples and to give glimpses of God’s kingdom, even if most people dismiss or misunderstand it.
Seeds of hopeUltimately, preaching is about sowing seeds of hope, pointing to God’s plan of universal restoration, peace and harmony. Scriptures like Micah 4:3–4 and Revelation 21:3–4 promise a future without war, pain or death, where God dwells with humanity. Preaching does not save directly but prepares the way for Christ’s mediation and the eventual salvation of all.
Preaching’s purpose: Not immediate conversion but calling disciples and offering hope.
Stages of salvation: First disciples, then the world in God’s kingdom.
Role of disciples: A “royal priesthood” whose faithfulness benefits all humanity.
Future promise: Universal restoration, peace and God having a restored relationship with mankind.
Preaching today plants seeds and reveals hope. Salvation itself is God’s work to be fully realized in His kingdom.
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As Christians, we deeply appreciate the price Jesus paid for us to be released from the grip of the sin of Adam. To say that this has given us a new opportunity for life is a dramatic understatement. All we can really do is be profoundly thankful as we diligently follow in his footsteps. One question many Christians find uncomfortable to face is the question of the “everybody else.” According to the Bible, what really happens to them? What effect did Jesus’ life, death and resurrection have on those who are atheist, Muslim or Hindu? If we say they are essentially doomed, the question of true justice needs to be addressed. How fair would it be to condemn people to eternal death who in many cases never, ever really knew the name of Jesus? Precisely what effect does Jesus’ sacrifice have on these people? Is salvation for all?
At the beginning of the human experience in Genesis, we all inherited of death through Adam’s sin. This teaches us that all of humanity is subject to mortality. Yet from the earliest Scriptures, God provided hope by proclaiming the promise of a “seed” who would ultimately defeat Satan and bring deliverance. This hope is fulfilled in Christ, whose death and resurrection counteract Adam’s transgression.
Romans 6:23 and 1 Corinthians 15:22 highlight that while we all die in Adam, all will be made alive in Christ. The promises to Abraham further confirm that “all nations” will be blessed through his seed, identified as Christ in Galatians 3:16.
Scriptures soundly proclaim that God’s will is for ALL to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4). Colossians 1:20 affirms the reconciliation of “all things” through Christ’s blood. This means Jesus’ sacrifice fully satisfied divine justice, making peace for all humanity.
It’s important to recognize that salvation in Jesus unfolds in stages:1. Jesus’ faithful followers are delivered now, 2. while the rest of humanity will be given opportunity in God’s future kingdom.
This two‑part plan ensures fairness and justice, as all will eventually come to full knowledge of the truth.
Balancing the scalesRomans 5 explains that just as condemnation came through Adam, justification comes through Christ, balancing the scales of divine justice. Several Old Testament prophecies reveal the vision of all nations worshiping God, showing the ultimate outcome of Jesus’ suffering. The power of the Bible’s message is evident: Jesus died for every single human being, ensuring both justice and hope for all creation.
The post Did Jesus Die for Every Single Human Being? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Reading the Bible can be confusing. After all, it is an ancient book of a collection of writings by about 40 people over a 1500-year span that details the plan of God through history, prophecy, parables, laws, observations and life guidance teachings. Some of the accounts of specific individuals featured in the Bible can come across as shrouded in mystery. Such is the case with the ending of the lives of Enoch, Moses and Elijah. The accounts of the deaths of these three faithful men can bring more questions than answers. What really happened to them? Was Enoch taken up to be with God? Why was the body of Moses hidden, and why did Satan seem to want it? Did Elijah really go to heaven in a fiery chariot?
Moses and SatanMoses’ death is recorded in Deuteronomy 34, where God Himself buried him in an unknown location. While this seems to be a very clearly stated end of his life, Jude 1:9 adds the unusual detail of Michael the archangel disputing with Satan over Moses’ body, possibly to prevent the people of Israel from idolizing it.
Elijah the prophetElijah’s departure in 2 Kings 2 is often misunderstood. Though taken up by a whirlwind with fiery chariots present, the Hebrew word for “heaven” often refers to the sky rather than God’s dwelling place. Jesus’ statement in John 3:13 confirms that no one ascended to God’s heaven before him. Elijah may have been removed from prophetic service or died, but he was not taken to God’s abode.
Both Moses and Elijah appeared in The Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17, Mark 9, Luke 9) vision. This vision was NOT a literal resurrection of Moses and Elijah, as the Bible clearly defines death as the absence of life on any level. Jesus alone was transfigured, while Moses and Elijah symbolically represented the Law and the Prophets, pointing to Christ as the centerpiece of God’s plan.
Enoch “translated”Finally, in relation to Enoch, “God took him” (or “translated” him according to the King James Version). While many notions exist about Enoch never dying, careful reading of the scripture texts in question reveal that he did die and likely didn’t know his death was coming.
Examining these fascinating narratives reveals the allure of creating drama where there is none, as well as the dangers of scriptural misinterpretation. Instead of being imaginative, let’s rely on the fact that God is in complete control of everything we simply don’t know!
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From what the Bible tells us about Enoch, he was an amazingly holy man who lived long before the Flood. To be described as one who “walked with God” is a true testimony of a life well lived. Further, a few lines of the Book of Enoch are actually quoted in the New Testament. With such credentials, we would have to wonder why the Book of Enoch is not a part of the Bible itself. Why wouldn’t you include the writings of a man who walked with God for 300 years? Could this be an oversight…or a conspiracy? Fortunately, a clear understanding of history and the Bible gives us thorough and conclusive answers to all of these questions.
What do we really know about Enoch? Even though he is rarely mentioned in the Bible, every reference to him shows his faith in and reverence for God. He lived before the Flood and was the seventh generation from Adam. He is referenced in the book of Hebrews as a righteous man, and his prophetic words are quoted in Jude.
With all of these positives in place, we need to review the reasons the Book of Enoch is NOT in the Bible. There are actually three Books of Enoch: 1 Enoch, 2 Enoch and 3 Enoch. We only focus on the first, as the other two books have never been considered for biblical inclusion.
There are at least five key criteria that explain its exclusion:1. 1 Enoch was never part of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh), which formed the foundation of the Christian Old Testament. 2. It is pseudepigraphal, meaning it was written centuries after Enoch’s life by unknown authors, likely during the Second Temple Period (300–100 BCE), and preserved only in Ge’ez, a classical Ethiopian language. 3. Its speculative theology includes fantastical angelology, apocalyptic visions and cosmology inconsistent with biblical truth and scientific understanding. 4. Its transmission history is very weak, lacking widespread manuscript preservation compared to canonical texts. 5. It was not used consistently across early Christian communities, with only the Ethiopian Orthodox Church recognizing it as scripture.
While 1 Enoch offers historical insight into Second Temple Judaism and reflects themes like judgment and the “Son of Man,” its theological inconsistencies and limited acceptance disqualify it from canon. Our focus should be on God-inspired Scripture, and we need to beware of being misled by writings that mimic biblical style but lack divine authority.
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“People should get what they deserve.” I’m guessing that most of us would see this as a general statement of fairness and equity. Of course, for this statement to ring true, we need to agree on who or what ultimately determines what people deserve. On a very basic level, this may sound like karma. So, what is karma? Basically, karma is the idea that what you do, especially your choices and intentions, shapes what happens to you later. If you act kindly and do good, good things are more likely to come your way. If you act selfishly or harm others, you may face negative consequences. In many Indian traditions, this isn’t just about this life, it can affect what kind of life you’re born into next. So, do Bible teachings supports the idea of karma? Are the two in harmony?
Similar principles?While both Karma and the gospel emphasize consequences for actions— “you reap what you sow”— they do diverge significantly in their foundations. Karma, rooted in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, is a complex, often impersonal law of cause and effect, sometimes spanning multiple lifetimes through reincarnation. In contrast, the Bible teaches a single human life followed by judgment in accordance with divine grace and forgiveness offered through Jesus Christ.
One may present three biblical arguments that resemble karmic principles: sowing and reaping (Galatians 6), reciprocity in judgment (Matthew 7), and narrative examples of moral consequences (e.g., David and Bathsheba, Achan’s disobedience). However, the gospel introduces the key distinction that God’s grace is not earned but freely given, and forgiveness is central to Christian life. Karma lacks a personal deity who intervenes with mercy; instead, it operates as a mechanical system of moral accounting.
Christianity offers clarity, direction and divine support, while karmic systems often leave individuals to navigate consequences without memory of past lives or a defined path to enlightenment. Ultimately, the gospel is a more compassionate and purposeful framework, culminating in eternal life through Christ, rather than endless cycles of rebirth.
Key Takeaways:* Karma and the Bible both teach consequences, but differ in origin, scope and divine involvement. * Karma is impersonal and often tied to reincarnation; the gospel centers on grace, forgiveness and a single human life. * Biblical justice is relational and redemptive, guided by God’s mercy and Jesus’ advocacy. * The gospel provides a clear, loving plan for humanity’s restoration, surpassing karma’s uncertainty.
The post Do We Get What We Deserve? Karma vs the Gospel appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
In our last episode, we spent some time defining exactly what Christian liberty is and what it is not. What we found is that Christian liberty has little to do with the kinds of freedoms that are reflected in a social status kind of way and everything to do with being given spiritual freedom that is to be exercised with great humility and responsibility. We also uncovered how the gift of Christian liberty can be easily misrepresented and therefore misused. This is troubling, as the results of these misapplications add up to decisions and conclusions that are NOT Christ-based. How can we avoid these pitfalls?
Because our freedom in Christ is a sacred privilege and not a license for self-indulgence, it comes with “guardrails,” moral boundaries that guide us toward righteousness and away from licentiousness.
Three key areas in our lives where our liberty can easily be misapplied:1. How we act: True liberty leads to loving service, not fleshly indulgence. Paul warned that irresponsible behavior can harm others and dishonor Christ. We must walk by the spirit and consider how our actions affect weaker consciences (Galatians 5, 1 Corinthians 8). 2. What we say: The distinction between “my truth” and “THE truth” is critical. Christian liberty does not grant freedom to redefine doctrine based on personal feelings, experiences or preference. Instead, we are called to speak and live according to Scripture, becoming “doers of the Word and not merely hearers” (James 1). 3. How we pursue peace and joy: Our liberty includes the freedom to surrender fully to God. On this episode, we read a personal testimony from a brother in Christ which illustrates how withholding repentance and vulnerability can block spiritual peace. Our true liberty requires humility, confession and submission to God’s will.
The bottom line is, our Christian liberty is designed for transformation, not convenience. It equips all believers to make God-honoring choices, serve others and reflect Christ’s character in a broken world. The freedom we have is not FROM responsibility, but FOR righteousness.
The post Does Christian Liberty Give Us Freedom of Choice? (Part II) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
The freedom, the liberty we obtain when we have been called to be disciples of Jesus is so much more than just a feeling of relief and joy. The fact is, having liberty in Christ actually defines a state of being, as it describes our freedom from whatever previously held us captive in our lives. It’s no wonder we feel the thrill of liberation! Here are the practical questions: What does it mean on a practical daily level to have this freedom so firmly set in our lives? What freedom of choice does it give? What freedom of choice does liberty in Christ take away? How are we supposed to know the difference?
What is liberty? What isn’t liberty?To begin with, we need to understand what Christian liberty is and is not. Upon examining several scriptures, it becomes obvious that Christian liberty is not unrestricted autonomy. It is not a free pass to do as we please. Rather, it is a divinely granted freedom from sin and spiritual bondage, which is only possible through Jesus’ sacrifice.
To truly understand this, it’s important to define liberty through both secular and biblical lenses. While secular definitions include “freedom from restraint” and “the power to act as one pleases,” biblical liberty, as defined in the New Testament refers to moral and spiritual freedom, and not license for indulgence. The Greek words for “liberty” show how freedom in Christ involves being freed from the law of sin and death, and not from moral responsibility.
What about licentiousness?Though “licentiousness” is a biblical form of liberty, it is directly opposed to Christian liberty. Licentiousness is derived from the same root word as our English “license.” It is described as a counterfeit freedom, an unrestrained indulgence that leads to spiritual corruption. False teachers, as warned by Peter and Jude, distort grace into permission for immoral behavior, undermining the transformative power of Christian freedom.
While liberty in Christ brings privilege it also comes with responsibility:
- It requires being a “doer” of the Word, not just a hearer (James 1:22–25).
- It involves the personal cost of sacrifice, transformation and application (Romans 12:1–5).
- It is not social liberation but spiritual elevation, lifting believers above worldly constraints.
Ultimately, our Christian liberty is framed as a gift from God, granted through His spirit and meant to guide us into holiness. It is a freedom with guardrails, designed not for self-indulgence but for loving service and spiritual growth.
The post Does Christian Liberty Give Us Freedom of Choice? (Part I) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
The Apostle Paul wrote a significant portion of the New Testament. There are 27 different books in the New Testament, and Paul is credited with writing about half of them. For the vast majority of Christians, his writings provide extremely practical teachings and examples for us to build upon the single and solid foundation of Jesus Christ. That being said, there are some Christians who believe Paul was an imposter, a self-appointed apostle who was actually diminishing the power of the Gospel of Jesus. What would make someone question the validity of Pauls’ writings? It turns out there are several varied reasons for this perspective. The question is, are they legitimate and what do they imply?
A major challengeOne of several major challenges to Paul’s apostleship we confront in this episode is that Paul never listed the Ten Commandments in full. While true, this actually mirrors Jesus’ own approach. Neither quoted them entirely but both emphasized their moral essence. Paul affirmed many commandments individually: he quoted the Fifth in Ephesians 6:1–3 and referenced the Sixth, Seventh, Eight and Tenth in Romans 13:9. He also implied the First and Second in Acts 17 and taught truthfulness in Ephesians 4:25, echoing the Ninth. Though he never explicitly cited the Third (against taking God’s name in vain), neither did Jesus, although reverence for God’s name was clearly implied.
Another objectionAnother objection claims Paul’s stance on circumcision contradicts Jesus. A key point about Paul’s teaching in Galatians 5 is that he opposed legalism, not circumcision itself. He warned against using rituals for justification, emphasizing that salvation comes through Christ alone. Paul even had Timothy circumcised—not for salvation, but to aid in the ministry work among Jews.
Further objections—such as the claim that all churches in the Roman province of Asia rejected Paul (2 Timothy 1:15) or that Revelation 2:2 denounces him can easily be answered by contextual study. Such study reveals that Paul’s abandonment was due to shame over his imprisonment, not doctrinal rejection. The denouncing of false apostles in Revelation clearly refers to later imposters, and not Paul himself.
Ultimately, Paul’s gospel is given to complement Jesus’ message, as it is tailored for Gentile audiences unfamiliar with Jewish law. His teachings emphasized love, transformation and Christ-centered righteousness, not ritual observance. Scriptural evidence clearly points to Paul as a faithful apostle, not an imposter.
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The man Christ Jesus stands at the center of the faith of hundreds of millions of people. His very existence, along with the words and actions of his life, creates a remarkable tapestry that truly provides a strong foundation for believers. Sometimes questions arise about how and why Jesus did all that he did. Was his life scripted? This question can have several layers. First, did Jesus do the things he did in a mechanical way, solely for the purpose of fulfilling Old Testament prophecies? Second, and on a much deeper level of skepticism, could Jesus have fulfilled the prophecies he fulfilled just as a show, to gain followers and notoriety? Could his life have been a collection of events designed to merely draw attention to himself and create a movement?
To emphatically answer these questions, we will just examine 14 of the hundreds of prophecies that Jesus actually fulfilled in his life. We will find they were all fulfilled in ways that were far beyond human orchestration.
Was Jesus just “checking boxes”?First, it is important to establish that Jesus absolutely desired to do the will of his Father in heaven. One could argue that such a desire might lead to mechanically “checking boxes” to show his compliance. As we review these prophecies, we will see this objection become irrelevant.
Here is a small sampling of prophecies that Jesus was part of but could not control. First, we begin with his birth and childhood:
- He was born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14), obviously not a self-directed event.
- He was born in Bethlehem Ephrathah, not Bethlehem of Galilee (Micah 5:2). This was fulfilled by way of Roman census laws.
- He was raised in Nazareth, fulfilling the theme of a humble Messiah (Isaiah 11:1–2).
As an adult, Jesus knew the Scriptures, but he still could not force their fulfillment.
- John the Baptist prepared the way for him (Isaiah 40:3–5). Jesus could not control John’s ministry.
- He entered Jerusalem triumphantly on a donkey (Zechariah 9:9). While Jesus could request the colt, he could not force the crowd’s reaction.
- He was betrayed by a friend and for 30 silver pieces (Psalm 41:9, Zechariah 11:12–13).
- He was mocked at the crucifixion (Psalms 22:7–8).
- He was buried with the rich (Isaiah 53:9), and Joseph of Arimathea unknowingly fulfilled this prophecy.
Was Jesus’ life scripted to fulfill prophecy?The only logical conclusion to all of this is that Jesus’ life wasn’t scripted by manipulation, but rather fulfilled divine foresight through personal submission, love for the Father, and the actions of others guided by God’s plan.
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The teaching Jesus gave to his apostles the night before his crucifixion about him being ‘the way, the truth, and the life’ was a profound foundation that described the path of every true Christian. Jesus as ‘the way’ opened up the opportunity for average, sinful individuals to become acceptable to God through the merit of Jesus’ sacrifice. He was and is the path we are to follow. As we walk this path, we can recognize Jesus as ‘the truth’ by accepting that his actions, teachings and example were always a direct reflection of the ultimate and pure truth that comes directly from the Father. Being on the path, following Jesus’ example and absorbing the truth of God’s words spoken through Jesus, we now can begin to open ourselves to understanding Jesus as ‘the life.’
At the beginning of John 15, Jesus taught us about how he is ‘the life’ in a rich metaphor of spiritual vitality. He called himself ‘the true vine,’ labeled God as the “Vinedresser” and his disciples as “branches.” These relationships highlight spiritual nourishment and fruitful discipleship rooted in obedience and love.
Here are just a few takeaways from this vital teaching:• Jesus as the ‘true vine’ shows us that his disciples must remain connected to him in order to bear fruit. God nurtures and prunes these branches to increase spiritual growth.
• Any and all fruitfulness comes as a result of his disciples abiding in Christ, receiving cleansing through his words as well as yielding to the loving discipline of God.
• Selfless love is central to bearing fruit, and Jesus openly modeled this specific kind of love through crystal clear obedience to his Father’s will. His disciples were commanded to love one another sacrificially by following his example. His sacrifice IS life to us!
Lazarus, come forth!As we look beyond this beautiful vine and branches teaching for just one other example of Jesus being ‘the life,’ the resurrection of Lazarus comes to mind. Lazarus had been dead for four days. As Jesus proclaimed himself to be ‘the resurrection and the life,’ he demonstrated God’s power through him to miraculously reverse death and even decay. This incredible event foreshadowed the final resurrection and restoration of all humanity.
Ultimately, Jesus is ‘the life’ because through him, death is overturned and eternal connection with the Father becomes possible. His life defines our purpose and our spiritual fruitfulness. Marked by love, it proves we truly “abide” in him.
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It seems odd that in our present day of technology and knowledge, it is very difficult to determine the difference between truth and opinion. You’d think it would be just the opposite. Yet here we are, in an environment where we can’t even trust news reports to reveal the whole story. Two-thousand years ago, Jesus proclaimed he is “the way, the truth, and the life.” By being ‘the way,’ he was telling us that finding a path towards God would come through knowing him. But what about Jesus being ‘the truth’? In a practical sense, how do we begin to understand Jesus as not only teaching us truth but actually being it?
Jesus as the path, the way to God, opens up the realization that he is the complete embodiment of divine truth. He doesn’t merely teach truth—he IS truth, the full representation of God’s will and character. John 14 shows us how Jesus relayed God’s words accurately and acted in perfect alignment with the Father’s intent, similar to how an ambassador speaks only on behalf of their government.
Jesus being ‘the truth’* This was continually reflected by his relationship with the Father, which was always one of unity and submission. * He always said what the Father instructed, did what pleased God, and reflected His care for humanity. * Because of all these things, he was able to assure his disciples of ongoing peace and spiritual support, even amidst the confusion and grief before and after his crucifixion.
The spirit of truthJesus introduced the holy spirit as the “spirit of truth,” as it would be God’s direct influence sent to them after his departure. Through it, the disciples would remain anchored in truth and be set apart by it.
Speaking to the Pharisees in John 8, Jesus affirmed that true freedom could only come through knowing and continuing in his word because his words were God’s truth. Though he faced opposition and death, he boldly spoke truth, fulfilled prophecy and established the groundwork for God’s coming kingdom.
Ultimately, Jesus as ‘the truth’ means he is the revealed reality of God’s redemptive plan—faithful, clear and unwavering. His mission wasn’t to challenge earthly authority but to eventually establish divine order and justice. This truth sets his disciples free and invites them to reflect it in love, obedience and spiritual transformation.
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On the night before his crucifixion—and just hours before he would begin a night of unjust treatment that would lead to humiliation, beatings and an eventual crucifixion—Jesus invested unhurried and precious hours with his disciples. His aim was to comfort them, as what they were about to witness would shake them all to their very core. Jesus was assuring them of his care for them and his profound loyalty to his Father, as this loyalty would ultimately bring redemption to them and to the whole world. Jesus’ simple statement of his being “the way, the truth, and the life” would be a key to open up their understanding of what their lives would need to look like.
To focus on the meaning of Jesus being ‘the way,’ we want to draw from Jesus’ final hours with the disciples the night before his crucifixion. This is not merely a directional statement; it’s a profound invitation to walk the path he walked.
Highlights ‘The way’ means more than a path. It reflects Jesus as the journey, the method AND the destination. The Greek word hodos implies a road, a manner of life and a progress toward purpose. * Jesus’ way is sacrificial. Even in betrayal and suffering, he continually framed his mission as glorifying the Father. * Jesus’ followers were not yet ready to follow him. Jesus introduced his commandment for them to love one another as he loved them. This command would become a foundational requirement before facing the weightier trials of faith. * ‘*The way’ would be through a narrow gate and on a difficult road: Matthew 7:13-14 illustrates that following Jesus requires purposeful sacrifice and perseverance. All who follow would need to develop spiritual surefootedness to walk this path. * Jesus protects us and guides us, much like a shepherd guarding his sheep (John 10:7–9)
Exclusive access pointBecause he is ‘the way,’ Jesus is not one of many options; rather, he is the exclusive access point to the Father. While not all follow this path now, his role as ‘the way’ extends ultimately to all creation (1 Corinthians 15:22). Those called now walk the narrow road, preparing to one day bless the rest.
It’s personal!Describing Jesus with this metaphor makes it personal. We are called not to merely admire the path Jesus walked, but to walk it ourselves, trusting that every step brings glory to the Father.
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Jesus said, “Many are called but few are chosen” in Matthew 22:14. For many Christians, these words of Jesus should bring a pause and consider moment. What was Jesus saying here? If we believe “God is love,” and we believe Jesus came as our Savior, do we also believe that everyone outside of Christianity, outside of this call, is lost and gone forever? Is this what Jesus was saying? If so, then how does that square with God being love? Is Jesus saying God is love, but only for the few whom He chooses, and the rest of His human creation are essentially garbage? Isn’t that a massive contradiction? If we are willing to examine this statement by Jesus in the light of Scripture, we will find a completely different answer. What we will find is a logic and a harmony founded upon God’s love AND His justice.
This statement of Jesus appears at the end of the Parable of the Wedding Feast. To properly understand its meaning, we need to connect it with God’s character of love and justice.
Reviewing the Abrahamic Covenant is a good place to start.Initially, Israel was called to be the sole source of the “stars of heaven”—a spiritual seed that would bless the world. However, national rejection of Jesus meant they forfeited this opportunity. Still, they weren’t permanently cast off; they remain essential to God’s plan as the “sand of the seashore,” the natural seed who will bless the world on earth.
The parable illustrates God’s persistent calling to those who could become true disciples of Jesus:
- First invitation: Offered through Jesus’ ministry to Israel.
- Second: Extended at Pentecost by the apostles.
- Third: Went out to the Gentiles, beginning with Cornelius.
This teaches us that discipleship is not based on heritage but on being drawn by God. The “many” called spans time, culture and background, but the chosen are those who respond fully to the invitation.
This call involves great responsibility.Discipleship requires self-denial, daily sacrifice, transformation and leaving behind worldly attachments. Like wedding guests required to wear the provided garment, those called must be “clothed” in Christ’s righteousness. Failing to do so leads to exclusion—not eternal torment, but the sorrow of lost opportunity.
Those who are chosen become part of a “royal priesthood” and “holy nation” (1 Peter 2:9), called to reflect God’s character and ultimately bless all mankind.
Importantly, the rest of humanity is not abandoned. Many scriptures point to a future restoration when all people will have opportunity for salvation. The current calling is simply the first phase of a broader redemptive plan that will ultimately fulfill God’s promise to bless all the families of the earth.
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Forty days after his resurrection, when Jesus was about to ascend up to the Father, he gave his disciples their great commission in Matthew 28. He told them to go and “make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the son and the holy spirit.” He told them to teach others to observe all that he commanded and that he would be with them always, even to the end of the age. The message here was simple and yet daunting: preach the gospel everywhere. Find disciples throughout the world and then teach them how to truly follow Christ. To accomplish this massive task, we need God’s spirit and biblical examples of how to present ourselves. So, what are the foundational principles of effectively sharing the gospel?
The Apostle Paul helps us identify the key biblical principles of witnessing in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23. He began by saying his own mission was to work at identifying with all people to better enable him to witness.
Three broad categories of witness opportunitiesHe then pointed out three broad categories of people he was attuned to, and these apply to us as well:
- To Jews, meaning to those who identified with Jewish customs. For us this would include those who are familiar with Christianity as well.
- To those with no Christian or Jewish faith who in many cases live very worldly lives.
- To the weak: those in any category who struggle with many forms of hardship or difficulty.
In three specific examples of sharing the gospel with others, both Jesus and the Apostle Paul demonstrated a powerful ability to capture the hearts of those they were speaking with. Their examples demonstrated five basic principles to help us be effective spokespeople for Christ.
- Recognize: Understand who your audience is, including their values, backgrounds, and beliefs.
- Respect: Establish common ground through relatable language and genuine respect.
- Listen: Engage attentively, inviting others to share their perspectives.
- Awaken: Spark curiosity by presenting unexpected, thought-provoking points that break routine thinking.
- Teach, Preach, Reason, and Encourage: Present the gospel witness with heartfelt clarity and a focus on God’s redemptive plan.
We saw how this all played out in the accounts of Paul before King Agrippa, and then again at Mars Hill in Athens speaking to a pagan audience. We also looked at Jesus encouraging two disciples on the road to Emmaus using these same basic principles. The power of the gospel message combined with these five communication principles reveals a recipe for great opportunity!
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We all know God IS love, and that because He loves His human creation, He sent Jesus to redeem us all from sin and death. We also know Jesus taught us to love our enemies and to pray for those people who despitefully take advantage of us. So, according to the gospel, love is a clear centerpiece of how God’s plan works and how we are to emulate Jesus in relation to our enemies. But what about those people we just may not like? You know, those individuals who are just irritating, who might see the world differently than we do and who always seem to be on the other side of issues. Can we just tolerate them – just “go along to get along” – or do we have to “love” them? If we do have to love them, what does that even look like?
The first step towards understanding and applying this concept is recognizing that love is absolutely central to God’s plan. 1 Corinthians 13 is known as “the love chapter,” as it gives several pointed descriptions of how the benevolent and selfless kind of agape love behaves. The fact that most of us don’t have what we would consider to be mortal enemies doesn’t mean we don’t struggle with loving individuals who irritate us or hold opposing views.
Positive traits and negative traitsThis chapter on selfless love distinguishes between positive traits (patience, kindness, rejoicing in truth) and negative traits (jealousy, arrogance, selfishness and keeping score of wrongs). It highlights that patience involves self-restraint and forbearance, allowing us to respect others even when differences arise. Kindness, beyond simple niceness, is described as “active” generosity, encouraging us to be useful to those we struggle with. We need to think about the challenges we may have applying these very positive traits to those we may not really like.
What selfless love is NOTIt does NOT express jealousy, which can manifest as resentment or unhealthy competition. Love does NOT boast, which elevates oneself at the expense of others. It is NOT arrogant, having an internal sense of self-centered superiority. Selfless love does NOT provoke, keep score, or act in any inappropriate way.
As Christians, we really need to rethink how we view difficult people, recognizing that every life matters. Since Jesus died for all, we are called to reflect his love – even toward those we find difficult. Our practical challenge is to actively demonstrate patience, kindness and humility every day with everyone.
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What does it mean to be “immortal? In Greek mythology, Zeus, Athena and Apollo were among their immortal gods, those who lived forever and had powerful influence over the mortal world. When someone achieves extraordinary levels of greatness in their field, they are often spoken of as being immortal. In American baseball, Babe Ruth and Willie Mays are “immortalized” by the way they played the game. These examples show us that immortality can be applied to mean someone or something as never dying, be it in a physical or an intellectual sense. So, how does the Bible define immortality? As we explore this question, we will see a clear and focused reasoning emerge that elevates what immortality is and who will have it.
Immortality: Inherent or a gift?Exploring the biblical concept of immortality requires focusing on its New Testament definition and implications. The Bible defines immortality as the inability to die or decay. This meaning is derived from two Greek words: athanasia (deathlessness) and aphthartos (incorruptibility). The Apostle Paul’s writings, especially 1 Corinthians 15, describe how humanity must transform from mortal (liable to die) and corruptible (subject to decay) to immortal and incorruptible in order to inherit the heavenly kingdom of God.
These findings clearly indicate that immortality is not an inherent human trait. Rather, it is a rare gift from God. It is given only to faithful followers of Christ who demonstrate self-sacrifice, discipline and obedience to God’s truth. Therefore, achieving immortality requires a life dedicated to spiritual growth and living by God’s will.
So, what about everyone else who has ever lived?These masses of people are offered eternal life—a perpetual existence reliant on God’s sustenance. Eternal life allows for the possibility of death if one strays, whereas immortality ensures complete deathlessness. The resurrection and Day of Judgment play crucial roles in offering eternal life to humanity.
God’s ultimate plan ensures eternal harmony between spiritual and earthly creations, with immortality reserved for a select few who serve as reconcilers. Understanding these levels of existence helps us appreciate God’s power, love, justice and wisdom in a deeper way.
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In our last episode, we examined how the Old Testament defines the human soul. In that discussion, we saw clear scriptural evidence defining the soul as life on a mortal level. The same Hebrew word for “soul” or “life” was consistently used to describe both animals and humans. Here we will focus on the New Testament. The big questions are simple: Did Jesus teach us that human souls are mortal in the same way we concluded the Old Testament taught? Did he in some way elevate and change that conclusion?
Key New Testament points regarding the nature of the human soul The Hebrew word nephesh (Old Testament) and the Greek word psuchē* (New Testament) both translate to “soul,” meaning a living being or sentient creature. * It is mortal and closely tied to life and physical existence.
This definition bridge between the Hebrew and Greek languages gives us a basis on which we can now observe practical New Testament teachings.
New Testament insights* Jesus and Paul both reaffirmed the mortal nature of the soul, emphasizing the physical and finite aspects of life. * Passages such as Romans 6:23 and 1 Corinthians 15:20-22 highlight that death is the result of sin, while eternal life is a gift from God through resurrection.
While these insights give us clear direction regarding our scriptural interpretation, there are still other questions that need consideration. The first is understanding the relationship between soul and spirit.
Distinction between “soul” and “spirit” The soul (psuchē) refers to a living being, while the spirit (pneuma*) denotes unseen power or influence. * Hebrews 4:12 distinguishes the two, showing that God’s word can reveal who we are and what influences guide us.
If the soul is not immortal, then where did the concept come from? Greek ideas, particularly from Plato and Pythagoras, introduced this concept, which later influenced Christian doctrine.
Our conclusion is that the Bible from beginning to end teaches that humanity is mortal, created as physical beings with finite lives. The concept of an immortal soul simply has no place in Scripture. The New Testament emphasizes the hope of resurrection through Christ, who offered his mortal life as a sacrifice for humanity. This teaching underscores the profound value of Jesus’ gift and God’s plan for eternal life in His kingdom.
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Are we as humans innately physical beings or spiritual beings? If physical, then our lives would by definition begin and end based upon their physical, tangible aspects. We would “come to life” when we are biologically alive, and we would cease to exist when our biology ceases to support life. If we are spiritual beings, then the biological part of the human equation would simply house the essence of that intangible spiritual existence.
The scriptural definition of the soulThe answer to this question rightfully begins by focusing on Old Testament teachings. Genesis 2:7, explains that humans became living beings through the combination of breath and body. This clearly indicates a physical nature rather than a spiritual one. The term “soul” (Hebrew: nephesh) is used to describe both humans and animals as breathing creatures.
Humanity’s superiority to animalsWhile this similarity may be surprising, Genesis gives us two strong distinctions between humans and animals. First, human beings were specifically created in God’s image and the animals were not. Second, humanity was given dominion over all other creatures and over the earth. In spite of these privileges, we all know Adam sinned by disobeying God. The consequence of his disobedience was death, as outlined in Genesis 2:16-17. God explained that death meant man would return to nonexistence, dust to dust. This same death is a universal experience for all living creatures, as highlighted in Ecclesiastes 3:19-20.
Death equals an absence of activityMan does not have an immortal soul. While this conclusion of death as a universal experience for all earthly creatures may be surprising, it does have a solid foundation. The fact is many scriptures emphasize a complete absence of activity in death. Ecclesiastes 9:10 describes the grave as devoid of work, knowledge or wisdom. Psalm 115:17 notes the silence of the dead, reinforcing that death is the absence of life rather than a continuation of existence. Ezekiel 18:4 emphatically states, “The soul who sins will die.”
ConclusionAs Bible-believing Christinas, we must be careful to affirm the Old Testament’s clear teaching that humans are mortal beings created to live on earth with the requirement of obedience. We do not possess an immortal soul. Without obedience, life is removed, and the soul becomes nonexistent. This examination provides a foundation for understanding life, death, and God’s sovereignty, paving the way for Part II, which explores the New Testament teachings on this important subject.
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Jesus plainly tells us in Matthew 7:1 that we are not to judge others. Ah, if only it were that easy! The fact of the matter is, the New Testament gives us many examples of things we are to make judgments about. At first glance, this can sound like a massive contradiction. Don’t judge! Wait; DO judge, and here is your list! As with any apparent Bible contradiction, all we need to do is understand the two apparently differing views in their appropriate context and we will end up with a harmonious and powerful lesson. The reason our Christian responsibility towards judgment comes across this way is to remind us of the importance of how we do things. Standing as a representative of Jesus means working to respond to all things the way Jesus did.
On this episode, we explore Jesus’ instructions in Matthew 7:1-2: “Do not judge so that you will not be judged.” While this statement seems straightforward, the New Testament provides instances where judgment is necessary, creating an apparent contradiction. However, this paradox is resolved when judgment is understood within its proper context, as actions guided by humility, self-awareness and Christlike love.
Warnings Against JudgmentJesus cautions against judgment with wrong motives, such as jealousy, self-righteousness or revenge. The “speck and log” analogy (Matthew 7:3-5) highlights the need for self-examination before addressing others’ flaws. Without addressing personal faults, one’s judgment becomes hypocritical and destructive.
Proper Judgment as a ResponsibilityRighteous judgment is required in certain circumstances:
- Disputes within the Christian community: 1 Corinthians 6 advises resolving conflicts among Christians rather than relying on secular courts.
- Identifying false prophets: Matthew 7:15-20 calls for discerning false teachers through their actions and “fruits,” ensuring biblical integrity.
- Addressing moral issues: 1 Corinthians 5 stresses confronting immoral behavior within the church with humility and firmness.
- Selecting church leaders: 1 Timothy 3 outlines qualifications for overseers, emphasizing Christlike character. Acts 14 describes congregations independently electing their leaders.
- Defending the gospel: Christians are tasked with guarding the gospel’s purity (Galatians 1:6-8) and refuting distorted teachings.
Guidelines for Righteous JudgmentTo judge righteously, Christians must align their actions with scriptural principles and examine their motivations. They must avoid presuming others’ motives and practice empathy to soften judgment. The ultimate goal is to glorify God through humility and love.
Jesus exemplified righteous judgment and humility, choosing not to retaliate against his persecutors. His teachings emphasize focusing on personal growth, achieving “sanctified eyesight” by fixing one’s eyes on Christ (Hebrews 12:1-2). This clear, single-minded focus enables Christians to judge with compassion and wisdom.
Romans 14 reminds believers to respect differences in faith practices, refraining from judging others in matters of conscience and personal convictions.
Practical ApplicationsJudgment should never be arbitrary or lead with ego. Instead, Christians are to approach situations with humility, scriptural insight and a genuine desire to uplift others. By prioritizing empathy and understanding, they can avoid toxic, superficial judgments.
While Christians are called to judge in specific circumstances, they must approach judgment with humility and godliness, ensuring their actions mirror Christ. The focus remains on fostering love, good deeds and mutual encouragement within the faith community. Ultimately, righteous judgment glorifies God and strengthens Christlike character!The post Do Christians Get to Judge Others? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Human beings are different from all the rest of God’s creation. Of all the creatures on this earth, we were the only ones created “in God’s image.” God was intentional with this, as the human race was meant to be an extension of God’s family here on this planet. He created us as social and relationship-oriented beings. We were created to be connected – not just with our Creator, but with each other. In many spiritually based groups, this connectivity is defined by the phrase “soul ties.” These are often described as the most intense connections people can have between them. They are credited with having their basis on a mystical level. Do these soul ties accurately represent what God intended humanity’s connections to look like, or are they way off base?
How are soul ties formed?Those who believe in soul ties claim these ties can be created by physical intimacy or other shared experiences that form an emotional bond. They also claim ties can be created by making vows or promises to someone out loud. The thought is that those words remain in existence somewhere in the universe as binding. Essentially, these claims point to a mystical kind of connection that in many cases is not only beyond our ability to choose; it is completely beyond our control. When such connections become damaging, the only way to break them is through spiritual rituals.
Taking this one step further, it is claimed by some that these soul ties have a basis in the Bible. One example cited as proof is Adam and Eve being “joined” together. Another is the deep friendship between Jonathan and David. These two examples, among others, are pointed to as evidence of this connectivity that goes beyond our human choices.
Is it possible that soul ties are a biblically based truth?Did God create us to have these mystical connections with others that endure through eternity? Check out our March 3, 2025 podcast, “Are Soul Ties Biblical?” for more. Answering these questions comes through several steps:
- We need to carefully examine the several scriptures some use to verify the existence of soul ties.
- We need to understand what the implications of soul ties are. If such connections are real, how do they fit in relation to the free will that God so plainly gave to humanity when He created us?
- We need to check the proposed methods of enhancing and removing these ties against what the Bible tells us is acceptable.
This is an important conversation. We live in a world where things mystical and unexplainable are fascinating and attractive. As Christians, our stance must always be to compare whatever is drawing the masses, against the ageless principles of biblical truth. Join us for this important conversation as we uncover the truth of the matter and where to draw the lines of our Christian faith
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The vision on the Mount of Transfiguration was one of those magnificent events in the life of Jesus that gives us some insight into just how remarkable his earthly ministry was. This vision had everything – it had Jesus’ very appearance changed to one of brightness and glory. It had the appearance of two Old Testament powerhouses who were talking with this glorious version of Jesus. It had the booming voice of God from heaven. And then it had the sudden removal of all these amazing elements and the world suddenly became normal again. In the midst of all of the glory and splendor shown here, we need to ask some simple questions. First, why did this happen? Second, what can we take away from this for our own benefit and understanding?
The visionPeter, James and John were given a unique privilege when Jesus invited them to go with him when he went up to a mountain to pray. He must have been praying for a long time because the account tells us that they fell asleep. Upon awakening, they saw a vision – a bright, glorious and shocking vision. There before them was Jesus, only he did not look like the man they knew. In this vision, his face was shining like the sun, and his clothes were bright and white beyond anything they had ever seen. To add to this sensational spectacle, they saw Moses and Elijah standing there talking to Jesus about his coming crucifixion. This certainly was not what they expected when Jesus had invited them to join him on this mountain! The vision accelerated, as it next included being engulfed in a bright cloud and hearing the booming voice of God proclaiming Jesus as His beloved son. This part terrified them. The next thing they knew, it was all over.
There are so many questions that need answering.First, what are Moses and Elijah doing here? We know they weren’t really there, as the resurrection had obviously not yet begun. Jesus had previously told us that no man had yet ascended up to the Father. Their appearance in this vision had to symbolize something significant, but what was it? Why were they talking to Jesus about his crucifixion? And what about the booming voice from heaven? What was the reason for all of this incredible drama?
Check out our January 20, 2025 podcast, “What Really Happened on the Mount of Transfiguration?” for answers. We put what the apostles were told a week before the event into perspective to help us understand what they were supposed to learn. Next, we consider what Moses and Elijah represented and why their specific likenesses were used in this message. We also explore the connection between this event and only other time in the Bible that Jesus, Moses and Elijah are linked. And then, of course, there was the voice from heaven. Join us as we walk through this fascinating event and find the inspiring answers to our questions!
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There are several scriptures in the Bible that really capture our imaginations. The account of Jonah and the great fish is one, Elijah being taken up in a whirlwind is another. One more of these is the account of the disciple Philip when he was instructed by God to find an Ethiopian man on a deserted road and witness the gospel to him. After this amazing and well-known encounter, the Scriptures say Philip was snatched away by God’s spirit. What does that mean? Many believe it was a miracle, and that Philip was supernaturally transported away from that place in an instant. Others believe he was simply and powerfully compelled to leave. Which perspective is true? Let’s unfold the events that lead to this detail and see what we can learn from the Scriptures!
There was no shortage of miracles in the New Testament.When we look at this particular experience with Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch, it is easy – almost natural – to assume it was just another miraculous event. Now, while the possibility exists that this was in fact a miraculous transportation, we want to be careful to think first. There are many questions that simply need to be asked. Was a miracle necessary? Did this commonly happen with disciples of Jesus? Was there something special about Philip that would have made this a logical sequence?
Philip was one of the seven deacons chosen in Acts chapter 6 to help the apostles with the care of many Christians who were in need. These brothers were chosen for their spiritualty, integrity and wisdom. He is the second named choice, behind Stephen who would soon become the first Christian martyr. After Stephen was brutally stoned to death at the bidding of Saul of Tarsus, Philip went to Samaria to preach. After his overwhelming preaching success, an angel told him to go down a desert road. It was there that he met the Ethiopian eunuch.
The story is really quite simple.Philip was guided by God’s spirit to witness the gospel to this individual who, though a foreigner, was reading from the book of Isaiah. Philip uses the very scriptures this man was reading to show him the height, depth and breadth of the life of Jesus and God’s plan. The response of this man was to seek immediate baptism and Philip complied. It is at this point that questions begin to swirl, because the Scriptures say God’s spirit “snatched” Philip away from the eunuch.
Check out our January 13, 2025 podcast, “Was Philip Miraculously Transported by the Spirit?” for more. We walk through the details of all that the Bible tells us about Philip and this event. What we find is a treasure trove of insight and understanding into who Philip was. This leads us to better grasp what actually happened when God’s spirit “snatched” him away. Join us for this fascinating exploration of how God’s spirit worked in Philip’s life. Inspiration awaits!!!
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Jesus was here 2,000 years ago. His message was clear, as he had come to pay the price for Adam’s sin. He preached, he healed, he called some to follow him, and he gave people hope. Jesus called himself “the way, the truth and the life” and announced that the “kingdom of God was at hand.” Fast forward 2,000 years, and we have to ask, where are we? It’s plainly obvious that the world has not come around to follow Jesus. And to be blunt, it is also obvious that much of the history of Christianity does not reflect well on the principles Jesus lived by and taught. So, what conclusions should we draw from all of this? Has the gospel message failed? Has the redemption Jesus promised the world just gone by the wayside, or is the gospel message doing precisely what God had always intended it to do?
Let’s face it, God is pretty smart. When He has a plan, it is a sure thing that His plan will not only work, but it will work flawlessly, gloriously and comprehensively. After all, He IS the all-powerful and all-wise Creator of all things! With these observations in mind, let’s consider the whole idea of the gospel. The word for “gospel” in the New Testament means “a good message.” When we look at how the Bible is laid out, the New Testament begins with four books we call the Gospels. Because these books are about the life of Jesus, it is easy to conclude that his life IS the good news. His life IS the essence of the gospel.
For ALL peopleIt’s logical to focus on the life of Jesus, as his mission was the good news. Now let’s go further. When Jesus was born there was an angelic announcement to shepherds, and it was very specific. The message – the proclamation of good news – stated in Luke 2:10 (KJV) said, “…behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.” So, what do we know so far? We know Jesus IS the “good news.” We also know this good news would be for ALL people. All people. Not just believers, and not just special people. The angel said “ALL,” and that angel had been sent by God to deliver that specific message.
The conclusion is undeniableAll will receive the good news, this gospel of Jesus. But how is this possible as so many have never even heard of him? Check out our December 16, 2024 podcast, “Is the Gospel as Success or a Failure?” for more. We dig into scriptures that give clear and abundant proof of how God’s plan does in fact include every man woman and child ever born. Even more thrilling is the fact that the message of the gospel being for all is all over the Bible! Join us for this incredible journey down the road of biblical truth and hope. It really is good news!
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How does someone become a follower of Christ? Does it begin by becoming curious about this Jesus person and all of the world-changing influence he has? Perhaps we are living in fear and are searching for a kind of security that is different and higher than anything else we know. Maybe we’re overwhelmed with despair in our lives, and we’re searching for powerful hope and encouragement. Or maybe we’ve been awakened to the realization that there is more to life than what this world has to offer – much more. While any and all of these things can play a role in coming to Christ, the one common factor in all cases of true discipleship is beyond us. It is God drawing us to Him through Jesus. So, how does that work? How can we identify the drawing of God and differentiate it from our own emotions?
By invitation onlyDuring his ministry on earth, Jesus plainly stated that no one comes to him unless God has drawn them. The context of this statement was Jesus talking about what it takes to become a true disciple of his. He was indicating to those listening that there was more to becoming one of his followers than they may have thought. True discipleship would always begin with God’s providence in someone’s life. An individual’s decision to truly follow would be an outgrowth of that invitation.
So, what does that drawing from God actually look like? The answer to this is best understood by looking at actual biblical examples of some who were called to follow Jesus from widely diverse backgrounds. Observing someone’s actual life circumstances coupled with what we are told was their heart attitude helps us see the process of how God calls.
Take Cornelius the Roman Centurion for exampleCornelius loved God, even though his life was far outside of God’s favor as a Roman Gentile. In spite of that lack of favor, he remained devoted to honoring what he knew of God’s ways. When God’s timing arrived, the Apostle Peter was sent to him to witness about Jesus. Cornelius was ready, and the despair of his previous lack of favor was transformed into fulfilled contentment as a follower of Jesus. This is just one example of how God may call us.
Check out our December 9, 2024 podcast, “How Do You Know If God Is Calling You?” for more. We also dig into the lives of the Apostle Paul before his conversion, Zaccheus the tax collector, and the Apostle Peter at the time he was drawn by God to Jesus. All four examples show us differing life circumstances through which God would draw individuals to Him as they came to Jesus. The lessons here are eye-opening as we learn how varied and unique God calling people can be. Join us as we walk through the lives of these faithful disciples of Jesus and appreciate their responses to God’s drawing.
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This may sound like an oversimplification, but we’re going to say it anyway: God is intentional. He always knows what He is doing and what it will eventually lead to. While this knowledge should serve as a great comfort to us, it can, because of our limited and imperfect minds, have the exact opposite effect. We may see things in the Bible that on the surface just don’t seem to click. We start wondering, why would God do it THAT way? That doesn’t make any sense! Take the two trees mentioned in the creation account. Both the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil were placed in close proximity to each other. They were both in the center of the Garden of Eden. Why two trees? Why have one for eating and the other just to avoid?
The Planet Earth projectUnderstanding the role the Tree of Life played in the Garden of Eden is relatively simple. God’s creation of Adam and Eve was the absolute high point of His whole Planet Earth project. They were created in His image, which meant they were created to be reasoning beings who would have authority over earth. Along with these wonderful gifts also came the ability to live eternally on earth. God made this ability real by giving them the Tree of Life, which had been placed in the middle of the garden. Eating the fruit of this tree regularly would apparently keep their physical health at the perfect level God had originally given them.
Eat from one but not from the other – why?Comprehending the role the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil played is a bit harder to grasp. This tree was also placed in the middle of the garden with strict instructions to NOT partake of its fruit. The uniqueness of this command made this tree stand out from the rest of the entire garden environment. Everything else in that garden, including the animals, was there as perfect contributors to a perfectly designed ecosystem. So, how then did this Tree of Knowledge fit in? It too would be part of the ecosystem, but on a very different level.
In God’s wisdom, He specifically placed this Tree of Knowledge near the Tree of Life as a teaching tool. After all, to live for eternity would require wisdom, experience and maturity, all of which needed to be learned. We all know what happened, as Adam and Eve disobeyed God. The result was they lost their right to eternal life. At face value, this Tree of Knowledge experience can easily look like a complete failure. However, the exact opposite is true. Check out our December 2, 2024 podcast, “Why the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge?” for more. We dig below the surface and discover many lessons from both these trees not only for Adam and Eve, but for us as well. There is much more to learn here than meets the eye!
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Doing God’s will should be a given for any and every Christian. After all, the mere fact that we are called “Christians” implies that we follow in Jesus’ footsteps and are therefore obliged to do God’s will as Jesus did God’s will. While this all sounds pretty straightforward, the big question has to do with knowing. How do we know what the will of God is? Answering this question may be harder than we would like to think. It would be easy to assume that because we love and worship God, He will in turn show us His love by giving us the good things we want. After all, that IS what it says in Psalm 37:4: “Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Sounds exciting and almost easy, but as you might have guessed, it’s not. So, how do we know what God wants for us?
There are many factors we need to put in order to understand God’s will for us in our daily lives. The first thing we need to grasp is more or less an introductory statement: God will NOT whisper His will to you into your ear. He will not send an e-mail or text; He will not post or message. He will not speak. Why? Wouldn’t these kinds of things make it easier to follow Him? On the contrary, these simple things would be counterproductive, as finding His will for us means we need to be looking for it.
So, where do we look?We search in the Bible of course, after all, it is His holy word! The Bible gives us two very broad categories of what doing God’s will looks like. The first category is full of things NOT to do. One very blunt scripture plainly makes this point: 1 Thessalonians 4:3: “For this is the will of God, your sanctification – that you abstain from sexual immorality.” The point is simple. If you want to do God’s will, then you completely avoid immoral behavior. Several other scriptures give us specifics on the many kinds of thoughts and behaviors we need to avoid.
The good news is that there are many more scriptures that tell us about the second broad category of things we SHOULD do. These are things like rejoicing, praying, being thankful and doing good.
With all of this said, there is so much more! Check out our November 18, 2024 podcast, “What is God’s Will, and How Do I Make It My will? For more. We outline how Jesus daily went about doing God’s will in every area of life. We take his example and overlay it onto our lives, and we suddenly have a clear guide. No texts or posts, just God’s holy word showing us His holy will. Don’t miss this wonderful journey towards living a much fuller Christian life!
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The Old Testament Law given to Moses after Israel’s deliverance from Egypt was filled with rituals and sacrifices. All of this was designed to teach God’s people two very basic principles. These principles are fundamental for any civilization that seeks to perpetuate itself. The first principle is to comply with righteous and just rules that transcend human desires. For Israel, this meant they could have the favor, protection and leadings of God if they remained in harmony with His commands. This required sacrifices. The second principle is to live with humble gratitude for the freedoms that righteousness and justice provide. Israel was to learn this power of thankfulness by practicing heart gratitude towards God for all of His mercies. All of this required animal sacrifices. Why?
In the Old Testament, it is hard to avoid animal sacrifices. They first appear in Genesis after Adam and Eve sinned. The Bible tells us God provided them with animal skins as clothing. This would be an obvious reference to the fact that covering humanity’s sins could only be done through a sacrifice. This one example lays out how God would illustrate the need for justice to be satisfied up until Jesus came.
What about the Tabernacle?When Israel was wandering in the wilderness, God instructed them to build the Tabernacle. This would be their portable place of worship. It would be the place where God’s presence could be felt, and His favor would be evident. It was within this structure that many different kinds of sacrifices took place. There were sin offerings, burnt offerings, peace offerings and wave offerings just to name a few. As we look at this from our 21st century perspective, we wonder why.
What was the point of all these rituals?This is a really good question. Though detailed, the answer is even better. Let’s start with the sin offering made on the annual Day of Atonement. These were the very basis of all the rest of the sacrifices, as they were in place to satisfy justice, to cover the people’s sins. The sin offering made annually was a specific requirement to maintain God’s favor. Without them, any and all other offerings could not have been acceptable to God. Comprehending the importance of this piece helps us grasp how the other pieces fit into the puzzle.
Check out our November 04, 2024 podcast, “What’s the Difference Between Burnt Offerings and Sin Offerings?” for more. We clearly define the how and why of the sin offerings, including what they represented for Christians. We then look into how the burnt offerings are different and what they represent for us as well. Further, we examine what a peace offering is and how it’s given based on these other sacrifices. What we find is a startling explanation that unfolds how God’s plan unfolds through Jesus. The connections are amazing! Join us as we make what sound like complex ancient rituals simple and meaningful!
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Demons are scary. Not only are they mysterious, but they are also powerful beyond our human capacity. In our last episode, we mentioned scriptures that assure us they are restrained in “chains of darkness.” While this condition does limit them, they can still exert great influence on our world – and on individuals as well. We know Jesus cast many demons out of many people and some of his followers were able to do the same. The big question here has to do with whether or not such power and authority is still present within Christianity. Are we supposed to be casting out demons today? If so, who is supposed to be doing this and what scriptural instruction have we been given to follow?
Then and nowLooking through denominational Christian history over the last 1,900 year or so, we can observe a wide range of exorcism practices. From rituals, to prayers, to incense to relics, crosses and commands, these varied practices have widely been in use. The tragedy here is that until recently, there was not a deep understanding of mental health issues. Many of the “exorcisms” performed over the centuries ended up further harming those afflicted people instead of helping them. Looking at this in the most positive way, we see well-meaning efforts creating damage due to medical science ignorance.
How did Jesus do it?This brings us to the fundamental question about what Jesus’ actual instructions were regarding casting out demons. It is important to note that when he himself cast demons out, it was basic. His command simply brought them out. Every time. Interestingly, all of the other recorded examples of demons being cast out by his followers seem to follow that same pattern of simplicity. We have no record of any rituals, lengthy prayers or ceremony.
An amazing fact is the Greek word for “exorcist” is only used once in the New Testament. It may be surprising that this word actually means “one who binds by an oath (or spell) i.e. by implication an exorcist (conjurer).” This definition of the practice of exorcisms gives us a very different perspective on casting demons out than what Jesus did and taught. The sole use of this word was to describe some Jewish individuals in the Apostle Paul’s day who were in Ephesus. These men were posing as authorities regarding the casting out of demons and had their fraudulence dramatically exposed.
Check out our October 28, 2024 podcast, “Should Christians Be Involved in Exorcisms?” for more. We examine what Jesus instructed his followers to do and thoroughly look into one of the more dramatic examples of Jesus casting out demons. Through this example, we are able to glean an understanding of the powerful principles that cast demons away from their personal manipulation of individuals. We then directly address the question of what our role is and is not regarding demon possession today. Join us for this sobering and enlightening conversation. We follow the biblical path to knowing and handling our current-day Christian responsibilities.
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The world is such a confused place. For many, discussing evil spirits is fascinating, as looking into dark mysteries beyond our world can be a thrilling and adrenaline-packed ride. For Christians, such conversations are entered into with a fear and respect, as we are speaking of dark and evil things beyond our realm and understanding. It is therefore with caution that we approach this subject. The Bible clearly teaches us that demons do exist, and they are opposed to God and His righteousness. Further, we know this topic is far too easily glorified and dramatized. The specific focus of our present conversation will be to better understand how the Bible defines and separates demonic possession and influence from the serious mental health challenges that are so prevalent today.
Demons are real.During Jesus’ earthly ministry, he came across several demon-possessed individuals. In each and every case, the afflicted individual’s life was filled with pain, sadness and hopelessness. In each and every case, Jesus was able to bring relief to their traumatic circumstances by casting the offending demons out of them. Throughout the last 2,000 years of Christian history, Jesus’ followers have countlessly revisited these accounts as faith-strengthening examples of hope. The bottom line here is simple: Demons are real, but the power of God’s spirit through Jesus can always overcome them.
This is all well and good for those who are demon possessed, but what about those who have mental health challenges? In many cases, the “symptoms” of mental health issues are similar to demon possession. This can be confusing. Throughout history many mental health cases have gone undiagnosed and untreated because they were thought to be demon-possessed individuals. This at the very least is tragic. How many people, even today, end up without appropriate treatment because we incorrectly jump to a demon possession conclusion?
Demon possession or mental health challenges?Fortunately, the Bible shows us that there is a difference between demon possession and mental health issues. Even better, Jesus shows us his compassion and clarity when dealing with such an issue. Many of us have never heard of this aspect of the gospel, but it is right there in black and white. It all has to do with the mental health of a young man whose father begged Jesus for help.
Check out our October 21, 2024 podcast, “Are There Different Kinds of Evil Spirits?” for more. We break down how the Scriptures differentiate between the internal challenges of mental health and the external issues of demons. We examine how Jesus went about healing this suffering person and all of the lessons he left for us to learn as a result. Mental health issues are very serious and are on the rise in our present day. They can be triggered by a wide variety of circumstances. As Christians, we need to understand what to do when confronted with them. Join us as we walk through this often mysterious and sometimes scary world. Learn with us about how to respond with appropriate Christian wisdom and compassion!
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When we read the Bible, it sometimes appears to say things that just don’t make sense. Think about the scripture that plainly says God did not want the Apostle Paul to preach the gospel in Asia. Why not? Jesus told his disciples to preach the word throughout the world. Didn’t Asia count? This apparent discrepancy can stimulate all kinds of questions and even provoke doubt as to the equity of God’s character. The good news is, the answer to all of this is not only sensible, but also profound and inspiring as well. When we understand the lay of the land, the literal geography of the area and the big picture of the mission the disciples were given, a whole new conclusion emerges.
Paul was called to be an evangelist.When he was converted while on his way to Damascus to persecute Christians, it was made plain to him that he would bring the gospel before Gentiles and kings. Paul answered this call with a remarkable passion. He would preach. He would stand before anyone and everyone, from the lowest peasant to the highest ruler. Paul would set up churches and expand the cause of Christ. Being told to NOT preach in a specific territory was not a normal – and likely not an expected – command to have to follow.
There are several aspects to this seemingly questionable command. First, it needs to be clarified that the Asia that was “forbidden” in this command was Asia Minor, which was actually a Roman province. This was not the massive continent of Asia that we know today. It is important to realize the gospel would be extremely prominent in this area and Paul would have much to do with the churches founded there.
All of this being said, why was he forbidden to preach?There’s more. Paul obeyed this command decisively and journeyed north through Asia. As he approached its northern edge, he proposed to leave that province and go into Bithynia and evangelize. He was again forbidden to go there and preach. Now wait a minute! What’s happening here? Why is Paul the evangelist seemingly being shut down from what he was called to do? Why were the core desires of his heart to spread the gospel being denied?
Check out our recent podcast, “Why Didn’t Paul Preach in Asia?” for more. We pull all of the pieces of context together and put them in order. We discover the reason for these denials was not to stifle, but to bring a magnificent increase to the work. The bottom line here is all about fulfilling the big picture of the gospel mission. It’s all about Paul being shown that his efforts would be focused and concentrated on those specific things that God wanted him to do at the specific time that God wanted them done. Join us as we take this very straightforward question and unveil a very straightforward scriptural answer!
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To many Christians, the fear of an eternal place of torment for unbelievers is very real. In the first four parts of this Hellfire Series, we addressed many of the sources of these fears one at a time. What we have seen is straightforward. First, the concept of “unquenchable fire” comes from the Old Testament and simply means a fire of destruction that burns until its work is done. Second, “weeping and gnashing of teeth” refers to deep regret on the part of those who should know better and has nothing to do with flames and torture. Third, the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus is just that. It is a parable that demonstrates the unfaithfulness of the Jewish nation when they rejected Jesus. Fourth, history plainly reveals the origin of torture and flames in an afterlife comes from pagan origins and is not at all biblical. Finally, here we are looking at the book of Revelation. Do its graphic statements fit in with all that we have previously discovered? Absolutely!
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Jesus is Lord. He sits at the right hand of the throne of God, which is the position of highest power and authority in ALL of God’s glorious creation. This position was not thoughtlessly given. It was awarded to Jesus because his loyalty to and reverence for the heavenly Father were and are without equal. This position of unfathomable power and glory was attained by Jesus as a result of his willing submission to a grueling test of loyalty. This test was not only unique, but it was also profoundly necessary for the good of God’s angelic creation, as well as for the future of the entire human race. This test required Jesus to experience change, hardship and uncertainty. It required him to learn, adapt and grow while always being exactly on target with fulfilling God’s will. So, how did he do this?
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When Jesus taught, he made many profound and life-changing statements. Here we are thousands of years later, appreciating how what he said can daily lift us up and inspire us. As beautiful as this is, it only scratches the surface. Our theme scripture is a classic example of this. It is awe inspiring to know Jesus is the “bread of life” that vanquishes hunger for all who truly follow him. Now let’s think more deeply. Let’s ask why. Why did Jesus say this? What was the deeper meaning that not only inspires but transforms our lives? Let’s check the context. The scriptures preceding this saying, tell us Passover was coming. In Jewish culture, this time of year brought anticipation for remembering the greatest deliverance in Israel’s history. Jesus would capitalize on this and show them something even greater.
Looking for Jesus?Jesus had just miraculously fed over 5,000 people with five barley loaves and two fish. This was after performing miracles of healing as well. That night his apostles got into a boat to cross the Sea of Galilee, and Jesus went into the mountains for solitude. In the middle of the night he came down, walked on the water and rescued his apostles from a storm as he delivered them across the sea. That next day, many who had been fed could not find Jesus and crossed the Sea of Galilee to find him because they had questions!
They found him.Jesus could read their hearts and knew the magnetic pull they felt towards him was based on his miracle of feeding thousands and not on his real message. His first words to them were to stop pursuing the physical advantage they perceived could be theirs by following him. Instead, he instructed them to pursue the “food that would endure to eternal life” he would give them. Jesus had offered them something powerful and unique. Their response was not, “Let’s follow;” rather, it was to ask him for a sign. They offered the manna from heaven God had supplied to Israel in the wilderness as an example. Didn’t they just see Jesus work miracles and feed thousands the day before?
Jesus didn’t miss a beat. He told them he was God’s “bread of life” that came from heaven, and this began to unsettle them. Then he went further. He talked about eating his flesh and drinking his blood as a requirement to follow him. Why would he say that?
Check out our August 26, 2024 podcast, “Why Is Jesus Called the Bread of Life?” for more. We follow this entire teaching as it was unfolded in John chapter 6. We pay special attention to the profound reasoning Jesus gave for being this bread of life. It’s easy to observe the growing unrest and anger that built within his audience. Join us on this uncertain journey as we learn how easy it is to see powerful truths from the wrong perspective. Jesus IS the bread of life. The question is, are we being nourished by him?
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The subject of eternal torment can be volatile, as there are so many variations in its explanations. Aside from all of the questions and debates regarding the interpretation of Scripture, there’s one fundamental question that often gets overlooked: If a hell of torment is the ultimate consequence for sin, did God’s people always know that? Think about the power of this question. For the many Christians who see the eternal torture of hell as a deterrent from sin, wouldn’t God in His justice have given all of His people through all of history ample knowledge of this overwhelming consequence? Is the doctrine of eternal torment plainly revealed throughout the whole Bible? When do we see this teaching revealed in any ancient pagan belief systems? What is the history of hellfire?
The biblical account of Adam and Eve speaks volumes.It is a straightforward way for us to understand how the principles of justice emanate from the mind and hand of God to the human race. God creates Adam and then Eve. He puts them into this garden to cultivate and gives them everything they need for a perfect and eternal life. God gives them the rules and plainly expresses that death is the penalty for disobedience. They disobey. They are removed from the Garden and the dying process begins. God had said that they came from the dust of the ground and to that dust they would return.
Such a clearly defined explanation of life and death at the very beginning of humanity’s course SHOULD be the basis for any conversation about the doctrine of eternal torment. Our first important question:
If such an eternally painful and horrifying consequence did come from God, why would He not proclaim it from the beginning?Why would God tell Adam he would return to the “dust of the ground” if he was to be eternally tortured? Built upon this first question are two further fundamental questions:
Why in the almost 4,000-year history of Old Testament writings is a hell of torment never referenced? Why would God be silent with so much at stake?
What did pagan history during that same period of time teach in great detail about afterlife torture? In how many different pagan cultures did these afterlife torture teachings appear?
Check out our recent podcast, “Did a Belief in Hell Always Exist? (Hellfire Series Part IV).” We delve deeply into these three questions. We trace pagan history in great detail. This history of hellfire reveals clear and incontrovertible evidence of afterlife torment and torture in many cultures. We compare the timeframe in which these beliefs were relevant with what was simultaneously happening in biblical history. The conclusions the evidence presents are more than just thought provoking, they are profound. Join us for this amazing and factual journey through questions rarely asked. What is at stake is our comprehension of the very character of God. What we find are glorious answers!
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The teaching of a burning hell as the end result for those who reject Jesus is widely accepted in many Christian circles. Our emphatic belief is that this teaching is not based on the Bible, but rather on traditions that have misinterpreted what the Bible teaches. In the first two parts of our series, we addressed what “unquenchable fire” in Scripture does and does not mean, as well as how to understand the true meaning of “weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Here in Part III, we examine what Jesus meant in his teaching about the Rich Man and Lazarus. Of all the verses in the Bible, some of the descriptions in this teaching can most easily be accepted as supporting being consciously tortured in flames. So, what’s the answer? Can being “tormented in this flame” be clearly and biblically explained?
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If you look at any cross section of our present-day society, you will find that most of humanity suffers from physical or emotional maladies of one kind or another. It doesn’t matter what people’s belief systems are, suffering is universal. Who amongst us wouldn’t want to have some of that suffering taken away in a miraculous fashion? Who wouldn’t want their arthritis healed or their cancer cured, or their hearing or eyesight restored? The Christian teaching of faith healing some groups of Christians adhere to can be a very attractive and exciting proposition. If I have enough faith, and if I go and see this or that preacher who can wield the power, praise God, I can have relief! As attractive as this might be, we need to ask the fundamental questions. Is this what Jesus taught? If not, what do we do with it?
The miracles really were miraculous!Jesus performed many miracles. His most frequently performed kind of miracle was that of healing. He could by his mere touch or words or attention grant healing for a wide variety of physical and mental ailments. Throughout the Gospels, there was not a single ailment that came before him that he did not or could not heal. What is even more dramatic is that some of those who were healed were not even in his presence. He spoke the word to someone who knew the ailing individual and the healing took place.
What about faith?The next amazing observation is that faith was NOT a driving force in his healing. One dramatic example of this was when he healed the ten lepers. All they did was ask for mercy. All Jesus did was tell them to go before the priest, and as they were on their way, they were healed. Nine of those men didn’t even come back to express gratitude for their restored lives. This healing episode, along with several others, shows us the worthiness of the person being healed was not a relevant consideration. Why then were they healed? Because Jesus had God’s spirit working though him, and he had deep compassion on our sinful and ailing world.
The disciples of Jesus who were granted this gift of healing (which incidentally was a small number) all operated exactly in the same way that Jesus did. They healed because God’s spirit was in them, and they too had compassion. Here is the big question: When we look at those who claim the title of faith healers today, do we see more similarities or differences when compared to Jesus and the apostles? Do today’s healers do their work in public? Do they “heal them all” the way Jesus and his disciples did? Is the delivering of healing based on God’s spirit and deep compassion, or do they require faith?
Check out our July 29, 2024 podcast, “Should Christians Expect to Be Healed?” for more. Join us as we ask the hard questions and search through the sound biblical principles of the gift of healing. The answers we find may cause you to pause and consider!
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In Part I, we looked into what Jesus really meant when he talked about “hell” and “unquenchable fire.” Gehenna, the Greek word Jesus used for “hell,” describes a valley in which horrible acts of idolatry occurred. God proclaimed this valley would be known as a valley of slaughter, a valley that would symbolize utter destruction. Further, we discovered that when Jesus spoke of “unquenchable fire,” he was referring to Old Testament fires of destruction that would burn until there was nothing left to be consumed. While these realizations take the eternal torture and flames out of the concept of hell, we still have other words of Jesus to consider. What about all of the times that Jesus said some would experience “weeping and gnashing of teeth”? What was he describing?
Seven timesJesus specifically spoke about “weeping and gnashing of teeth” seven different times. This tells us several important things. First, we see he was relaying a very important message. His words were a warning to his listeners to be aware of themselves so they would be able to avoid having this reaction. Second, we need to know who was being addressed. It turns out there were several categories of people being spoken to. There were the Jews of his day, and Christians – both true and false – throughout the whole age of gospel message going forth. Then he also addressed those at the end of the age, when the “time of trouble” will descend upon the world. Jesus’ message was comprehensive and attention-getting!
What does it mean – and what DOESN’T it mean?Next, we need to be aware of what this “weeping and gnashing of teeth” phrase meant and what it didn’t mean. This is a deeply important point, as many Christians instinctively associate it with the concept of a burning hell. The problem here is simple. As we discussed in Part I, the idea of torture in everlasting fire is not at all scripturally accurate. That being the case, we need to have a crystal-clear understanding of how Jesus used this particular phrase. By understanding the words and their context, this begins to become clear.
Next, we need to face the fact that most of the time “weeping and gnashing of teeth” is used, it is within the context of parables. Parables by definition are symbolic, and we need to honor that basis in our understanding. So many details and so little time! Check out our July 15, 2024 podcast, “What Does Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth Mean? (Part II)” for more. We systematically go through an overview of all seven times Jesus spoke these words. We identify the “who” and “why” of each instance. Finally, we then highlight the similarities and point out the differences as we compare them. What we find is a sobering and comprehensive lesson Jesus taught to anyone and everyone who would come to know him. Join us to see how weeping and gnashing of teeth makes incredible sense as a learning experience and not as eternal torture.
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To the critical observer, modern Christianity is confusing as we have countless denominations and their countless ways of interpreting Scripture. These widely varied interpretations give birth to widely varied traditions that support those interpretations. As a major subset of this, we have wide discrepancies regarding the destiny of unbelievers. Several times, Jesus plainly taught about the consequences of hell. The enormous question that needs answering is, did he teach hell was a place of agonizing and eternal torture from which there is no escape, or were his several references to hell pointing to a very different meaning? Our focus is on the primary New Testament word Jesus used to describe hell. If we understand the word and its context, we will understand Jesus’ meaning.
Is the fire REALLY “unquenchable”?Whenever Jesus spoke about hell, it was usually accompanied by descriptions of fire. Not only was there fire involved, but this fire was described as unquenchable. To make things even more dire, there were times when Jesus added descriptions of worms that don’t die. When we put this all together, it looks like we have descriptions of some kind of cataclysmic place, event or time that is wholly unpleasant. Jesus spoke about these things to get our attention. The question is, what was he actually showing us?
For many the answer seems obvious, and their conclusion is that all of this is describing the fiery torment of an eternal hell from which there is no relief. This widely held interpretation has been around for many generations. We would like to respectfully suggest what we consider to be several glaring inconsistencies with this reasoning.
Where is hell, exactly?The first question arises when we understand what the word for “hell” means in these teachings of Jesus. “Hell” is the Greek word Gehenna. Gehenna literally translates to “The Valley of (the son of) Hinnom.” This was a literal valley outside of Jerusalem that in Joshua’s day was passed on to the sons of Hinnom. So, this is a piece of real estate. Why would Jesus use a physical piece of land in these graphic descriptions? The sad answer is because of the idolatry that took place in the days of Jeremiah. Israel not only worshipped idols, but they burned their children alive to these idols as sacrifices. In the book of Jeremiah, God plainly stated that such torture had never entered His mind.
Why would God eternally torture people when by His own words he so vehemently condemned it? This is just one of many questions that need asking. Check out our July 8, 2024 podcast, “What Did Jesus Mean When He Talked About Hellfire? (Part I).” We dig deeply into this question, as well as the glaring questions about unquenchable fire, undying worms and Gehenna. The source for the answers to these queries is the Bible. No speculation, no tradition; just scriptures put in place to explain other scriptures. Join us as we walk down this biblical road in search of God’s clearly stated truth.
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As human beings, we all know what it’s like to get fired up about something. We see a circumstance unfold or read about something controversial, or our team wins the game no one thought they could. And we react! We become passionate or energized and feel that adrenaline rush. Suddenly there is no mountain too high or ocean too broad. We’re up for the challenge! Yeah, we all know what that’s like. The question is, is that what “having our lives on fire for Christ” looks like? Before we get too excited, let’s consider a simple question. What was David referring to when he wrote, “For zeal for Your house has consumed me” in Psalm 69:9? Was he talking about being consumed by a moment and reacting, or was he writing about having his very being consumed by a lifelong desire to honor God?
Compare todayThe 21st century version of getting fired up is a far cry from what was known as “zeal” in the Old and New Testaments. For us here and now, it really ends up being all about emotion. Being fired up can be either a good thing or a bad thing. The dramatics of such a surge of feelings can easily push the borders of personal control. Interestingly, this is the greatest similarity between modern-day fire and scriptural zeal. In the Bible, the word is often used to describe things like jealousy and even hatred. However, on the positive side, it is frequently used to depict a powerful, disciplined and long-lasting burning desire – just the kind of Christian zeal we want.
David, Paul, JesusWhen we look at biblical individuals like King David, the Apostle Paul and Jesus himself, we can begin to understand what this burning desire looks like. When Jesus cleared the moneychangers out of the Temple in John 2, he was described as having the same kind of zeal King David had relating to that very Temple. What was that zeal? David spent many years of his adult life dedicated to getting the Temple built. Even though God told him that because he was a warrior it had to be built by someone else, David was unphased. He planned, he gathered materials, and he taught his son Solomon what needed to be done. THAT is zeal. That is what a burning desire looks like according to the Bible.
How can we even relate to that kind of zeal? Check out our June 10, 2024 podcast, Is My Life on Fire for Christ? for more. We uncover some startling realizations about how Jesus learned zeal, and how he himself expressed it in different parts of his life. We break down several other biblical examples of zeal and then use them as a basis to formulate what our Christian zeal should look like. Finally, we compare the burning desire of zeal in the Bible with our emotional versions of it today. What we find is revealing! Join us and see how true zeal for Christ can change your life!
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Jesus plainly taught that the vast majority of humanity is traveling on the “broad road that leads to destruction.” Further he taught that there is a narrow way that leads to life, which is only found by few. For anyone who truly cares about humanity, this can be a very troubling thought. Why would God, the Creator of all things, set up a plan that’s such a losing proposition? Was Jesus really saying there are only a few who will ultimately be saved? If true, then what about all those scriptures that say Jesus died for ALL? If this is not the true understanding, then what does this “broad road to destruction” actually refer to? Fortunately, this can all get sorted out by putting several pieces of biblical reasoning together.
Clear or misconstrued?When we read Jesus’ words, we would like to believe they were always clear, understandable and to the point. However, by his own teaching, Jesus informed us differently. He told us he taught in parables. He also told us there were parts of his teaching that simply were not yet ready to be understood. Often times his words have been misconstrued, and as a result, many of his statements have fallen into a category of assumed meaning.
Jesus teaching about the fact that many are on “the broad road to destruction” falls into this category of assumed meaning. As we begin to unfold this saying, it is important to put our easily drawn assumptions aside and focus on what these words really meant. So, where do we start? Let’s begin with the context. Matthew chapter 7 is part of the Sermon on the Mount. A careful examination of this shows us that Jesus is teaching his closest disciples while thousands of others are listening in. The 7th chapter is several short teachings one right after the other, and this two-verse lesson is part of that.
Jesus tells his followers there is a broad road and a narrow road.He is teaching his disciples they are of the few who are privileged to navigate the narrow road. The basic comparison is that if you become a true follower of Jesus, you are spared from the road to destruction. All well and good, but where did this road to destruction begin and where does it lead?
The answer here is actually simple. All we need to do is determine when and where this road began. Check out our May 28, 2024 podcast, “What is the Broad Road That Leads to Destruction?” for details. We put this all in the context of the first part of Romans 6:23, “For as in Adam all die…”. We trace how and why this broad road to destruction is linked to this simple statement about Adam and build the case from there. What we find is surprising, as this road to destruction becomes clearly defined as a definitive part of God’s master plan for reconciliation. Don’t miss this!
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Our world can be confusing and scary. Sometimes it’s hard to know what is true, and sometimes it’s hard to know who to trust. For Christians, coping with this uncertainty should always come down to God’s word. What principles are we given in Scripture that will shine the sure light of truth on whatever dilemma we perceive to be in our way? Some Christian groups have taken to label much of the rampant darkness of our world as the work of “monitoring spirits.” The suggestion here is that these spirits are firmly connected to Satan, and their work is overwhelmingly focused on spying on and disrupting the lives of Jesus’ followers. As we look into this belief, we will ask the same question we always ask: what scriptural basis is there for these conclusions?
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Fasting is a practice that has endured for thousands of years. Fasting appears often in the Bible. Among other things, it is used as a tool of focus, an expression of grief and a sign of humility. What seemed to have been a common occurrence in ancient days has now become far less mainstream. So, do all of the biblical references to fasting in both the Old and New Testaments mean we as Christians should be engaging in this practice regularly? If we should be participating, what circumstances bring on appropriate times to fast? Just as important, how should we fast? Are there time frames that should be kept? What about drinking water during a fast – is that appropriate? So many questions! Fortunately, the Bible gives us many practical answers, and some are VERY surprising!
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In Part I, we talked about the great power of the solemn promises in the Bible called covenants. We observed how God had made several of these solemn promises, and that several are specifically labeled as “everlasting covenants.” As we look at Bible history, we can see that all of God’s promises have already been made and are already functioning – except for one. This one promise yet to be unfolded is the “New Covenant.” While this promise is clearly defined in Jeremiah, it is alluded to in several other books of the Bible. So, is the only difference between this New Covenant and God’s other promises the fact that it is yet coming, or are there more pieces to this puzzle?
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As Christians, we take great comfort in knowing that God is a God of unfathomable wisdom and integrity. We may be faced with things in life we never saw coming, but God is never caught off guard. With His foresight and eternal wisdom, He is not only prepared for anything, but He has preplanned for everything. God is also always as good as His word. He does not make a promise and then haphazardly decide not to keep it. In the Bible, covenants are really solemn promises. Throughout Scripture, God has made many of these promises with the description of being “eternal.” One such covenant was the Law given to Moses. It seems the Law was described as everlasting, and yet the New Testament tells us it loses its validity. Did God change His mind?
Rainbow Covenant and Abrahamic CovenantWhen we think of God and His eternal promises, there are two that often come to mind. The first is the promise that God made to Noah when he and his family stepped off of the Ark. God’s promise was to never again flood the earth, and it was symbolized by a rainbow. In giving this promise, God was emphatic: He meant what he said. The second promise that likely comes to mind is the Abrahamic promise. Though far more comprehensive in scope, the bottom line of this promise that most remember is the blessing of all the families of the earth through Abraham’s lineage.
Taken individually, these two promises are highly significant, as they are pointed statements from God. Both of them have to do with an eternal future, and both have to do with things outside of our human control. This is significant because it means that God has unilaterally taken responsibility for their eternal fulfillment. There is great comfort in being able to rely on God’s specifically stated words for the rest of eternity.
An everlasting covenant?As good as this is, it only scratches the surface. God made other promises that were also labeled as “everlasting covenants.” He promised that an eternal ruler would come from the lineage of King David. He also promised there would a “New Covenant,” a “covenant of peace” that would be everlasting as well. Here’s the amazing part – all of these promises are not individual statements about individual events. They are all fundamentally related to one another. They all tell parts of the same path that God revealed to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.
Check out our April 22, 2024 podcast, “Do the Covenants of God All Last Forever?” for more. Along with these promises, we examine the Law Covenant given to Moses. It will come as a surprise to many that the Law was NOT labeled as “everlasting.” In spite of its temporary nature, we dig into the details of how it is one of the vital and interlocking pieces of God’s everlasting plan for humanity. Don’t miss this unique and revealing journey!
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Every serious Christian knows about God’s holy spirit. We not only know about it, but we also often talk about what we believe to be its effects upon our lives. Christians speak of being provoked, directed, protected and guided by the spirit. Some of us claim the spirit speaks to us, or perhaps to our pastor, for the purpose of giving us not only instruction, but prophetic utterances regarding our lives as well. In short, our brand of Christianity or denomination has much to do with how we believe the holy spirit works. So, how does it work? Who is right, and who may be mistaken when it comes to understanding and following this mighty power of God in our lives? Not surprisingly, the Bible says a lot about this subject. It also doesn’t say things about God’s spirit we might assume are true.
God’s spirit is His power and influence.It has been busy at work in our whole earthly experience. The second verse of the Bible introduced it as the power that made creation happen by describing it as “moving upon the face of the waters.” God’s spirit was actively engaged throughout the entire Old Testament. It gave the prophets the ability to precisely represent God’s will in their words and writings. It gave many the power of miracles, and it gave some elevated powers of creativity. God’s spirit worked mightily with John the Baptist, as it provoked him to stand alone and plainly proclaim the coming of Israel’s Messiah, Jesus.
When God’s spirit came to Jesus himself at his baptism, something new had occurred. For the first time in human history, God’s spirit would not only help and guide, but it would also now dwell within the individual. Jesus was the first of what the New Testament later describes as a “new creation.” This application of God’s power and influence would be offered to those after Jesus, whom God would call to be footstep followers of His son. Their role in God’s plan would be unique and eternal.
How does it work?With such a high and lofty privilege being offered, the question arises as to how this actually works. Does this mighty power of God take over the person in whom it dwells? Can it talk us through our problems? Does it perform miracles to pave our way through adversity and bring us to abundance?
Check out our March 18, 2024 podcast, “Does God’s Holy Spirit Speak to Us?” for answers. We follow the pattens of how God’s spirit operated in the Old Testament and compare them to the New. We examine the spirit’s mighty introduction on the Day of Pentecost with Peter and the eleven. Interestingly, that incredible experience showed us a template for how God’s sprit does and does not work in our lives. We squarely address whether or not the spirit has a voice or communicates to us in other ways. This is an intense journey. Don’t miss it!
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We don’t know much about the spiritual world, especially before the creation of humanity. What we do know is that it was an entirely harmonious world with loyalty and obedience to God at its center. God foreknew that when pride crept into Satan’s heart and was exposed, it would lead to a massive shift in the way things would run. In heaven, it would no longer be business as usual, for now the lessons of sin and disobedience would be unleashed. These painful but necessary lessons would – under God’s power and providence – ultimately bring the whole of His creation back into the harmony it had left behind, only this time that harmony would be for eternity. How would He make this happen?
God existed before time began.His spiritual creations within and outside of our universe are ageless and beyond our human comprehension. Even His creation of our home, planet Earth and all of its life and abundance, are ancient beyond our reckoning. When God finished with this earthly creation, the Bible said God rested. Let’s understand, His resting was not because He was tired and needed a break. On the contrary, His resting signified He had completed exactly what He had set out to do.
Did God give up on the “old creation”?It is a startling development when thousands of years later, we are introduced to the concept of God developing a “new creation.” Many questions may arise as a result of this proclamation. Why create something new? Did God’s old creation not work out? Was it flawed? Were there unexpected developments that required God to develop a “Creation 2.0” version? Is God going to scrap the original creation and replace it with this new thing?
The answer to all of these questions is a resounding NO! God is far to wise and powerful to need to adjust or revamp His original plans. Such scrambling is left to us as impetuous, imperfect and incomplete human beings. Rather than being a quick fix, God’s “new creation” is actually a crowning jewel He designed to be put in place at the proper time and under the proper conditions.
So, what is this new creation? Who is it, and how does it work? Check out our March 11, 2024 podcast, “What is the New Creation?” for answers. We establish how, not surprisingly, it all began with Jesus and his faithful mission of sacrifice as a perfect human being. We follow how Jesus was and is THE pioneer of this amazing new part of God’s plan. Built upon his glory and honor are even more inspiring details and developments. This new creation also has everything to do with those who are called to be true disciples of Christ. What we uncover here is perhaps one of the most sensational aspects of all of God’s creations at any time in all of history. Don’t miss this mind-expanding revealing of a biblical truth that is so often ignored!
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Jesus is the Savior of the world. We all know how he left his heavenly glory with the Father and was reduced to the human condition so he could be the ransom – the corresponding price – for Adam and his fall from obedience and grace. By so doing, Jesus gave the whole human race an opportunity for everlasting life. So, when we look at Jesus, we see him as Savior, Redeemer, the Lamb of God, the author and finisher of our faith, and I could go on and on. So, why address him as the “last Adam”? Simply looking at such a title actually invites a lot of questions, especially since all the other ways we know Jesus seem to be so much higher and honorable. As we look into this, we will find what we always find: inspiring reasons and lessons that unlock an even deeper understanding of all Jesus has done!
Adam was blessedThough Adam’s tenure as the most honored, privileged and perfect earthly creation of God was short, it certainly was significant. His unique opportunities can be summed up in several distinct proclamations of God right at the beginning. God plainly stated Adam was created in His image, and he was singularly blessed as a result of that. Further, Adam was given the privilege of ruling over God’s beautiful green earth. This showed that God saw he had potential for wisdom, integrity and leadership. Finally, God told Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply so they could fill the earth.
But sin changed the course of those blessingsAll was in place for a glorious earthly creation to honor God. That is, until Satan, sin and Adam’s choice changed the course of those blessings. The consequences that followed gave way to death and destruction. To many observers, this looks like a major failure on God’s part. Though it looks like he was caught off guard, the exact opposite is true. God allowed sin and depravity to rear their ugly heads as an eternal object lesson. Enter Jesus as the one who would be called the “last Adam.”
Jesus succeeded where Adam failedThe title of “last Adam” holds great significance. God is telling us that he would treat Jesus in the same way as he treated Adam. The difference would be that all of those things Adam failed at would be picked up and powerfully managed by Jesus. The gifts of being in God’s image, blessing, dominion and fruitfulness would all be not only brought back to center, but highly elevated.
Check out our March 4, 2024 podcast, “Why Is Jesus Called the ‘Last Adam’?” for more. We systematically work through how Jesus took all of what Adam had failed at and redeemed, repaired, revitalized and renewed each and every piece. This surprising and thrilling journey through Scripture shows us aspects of God’s plan that are rarely ever noticed. Observing and appreciating the work, perseverance and precision with which Jesus as the last Adam accomplished his task gives a whole new meaning to appreciation. Don’t miss this!
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Jesus was at odds with the scribes and Pharisees. They stood for traditions that had been built upon the foundation of the Jewish Law but were not part of the already complex rules and guidelines God had commanded through Moses so many generations before them. No, these traditions were fabrications, and were likely in place to separate the ruling class from the people. Meanwhile, Jesus stood for the people. He stood for those who were less educated, less fortunate and less prominent, as they were the ones most likely to be open to God’s grace and mercy. This division came to a head shortly before Jesus was crucified, as he directly confronted these leaders with their hypocrisy. In Part I, we began to address the seven powerful “woes” Jesus had proclaimed to them.
How?It is important to realize how Jesus presented the seven woes to the scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 23. First, he was in a mixed crowd and began by telling the average people about the danger their spiritual leaders were bringing to them. Jesus said some hard things, and he said them right in front of those very spiritual leaders. Next, Jesus turned to those leaders and proceeded to tell them the depth of their failures.
Why?He did this for several reasons:
- All he said was true and necessary.
- He knew that his crucifixion was imminent, that he was out of time.
- He loved those religious leaders as members of God’s chosen nation, and he grieved over their fall from God’s favor.
The first three woes Jesus proclaimed to Israel’s religious leaders revealed hard truths about their lives. Jesus began by describing them as hypocrites. They claimed Moses’ authority even though it was far beyond their reach. They sought to convert others to be of the “ruling class” like them, while leaving the average people of Israel without the guidance they were tasked to give. They blindly added confusion to the sacredness of worship in the Temple so the average Jew could not measure up.
“Hypocrites and blind guides!”Jesus did not stop there. Oh no, there were four more of these woes, and each one dramatically captured their hypocrisy and deeper and deeper failures to truly uphold God’s Law. Check out our February 5, 2024 podcast, “What Did Jesus Really Think of the Pharisees? (Part II)” for more. We walk through the painful realities of these last four woes and focus in on the reasons for Jesus’ blunt approach.
These leaders had proudly and publicly obsessed over tiny details of the Law. They intentionally hid their craft and corruption beneath a shiny, clean appearance. They systematically proclaimed themselves better than everyone else both past and present. Join us for this remarkable journey as we observe Jesus calling out hypocrisy, self-imposed blindness to truth, corruption and devilish behavior. There is SO much we can learn by knowing what NOT to do!
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Jesus was a wise, loving and compassionate man. His whole reason for becoming a man was to give his life as a ransom for every single human being who ever lived, and you can’t be more selfless and giving than that. Yet, with all of his compassion, Jesus was also one to not mince words when a hard message was needed. This becomes extremely evident when we examine the seven “woes” he proclaimed to the Pharisees in Matthew chapter 23. Of all the words we have recorded from Jesus’ earthly ministry, these are the most blunt and direct. So, what was Jesus really saying to the scribes and Pharisees? Was he showing a fundamental dislike for them? Was he exposing their true characters so everyone could see? Or was he simply expressing his dislike for who they were and what they stood for?
Seven WoesJesus knew his earthly mission to present himself as the Messiah and as the ransom price for Adam’s sin, was ending. During those last few weeks of his ministry, there were many incredibly significant events recorded in Scripture for us. Not the least of these was his proclaiming of seven woes to the scribes and Pharisees. These spiritual leaders of the Jewish nation were (with individual exceptions) at odds with Jesus from the moment he began to preach. After 3½ years of being challenged by them, answering their questions, performing miracles in spite of them, asking them questions they could not answer and teaching all of the people to their dismay, Jesus was now out of time.
A Last AttemptThese scribes and Pharisees would not accept him, his message, or the proof of his being their Messiah. On the contrary, they had begun plotting to kill him. Jesus loved them as he loved all of God’s chosen nation. In proclaiming these woes, he was giving them a last opportunity to see the error of their ways. These hard and truth-filled criticisms were done publicly. Why? Because their hypocrisy and self-elevating behavior was paraded about before the people on a regular basis. Both the people and these leaders had a right to know how they continuously and obsessively misrepresented God’s Law for the nation.
Check out our January 29, 2024 podcast, “What Did Jesus Really Think of the Pharisees? (Part I)” for more. We set the context of Jesus’ words and then carefully examine the bluntness of what he said. First, we dig into what he meant by saying, “Woe to you!” with each and every reality he presented. We follow Jesus’ reasoning as he called them “hypocrites” and “blind leaders.” We observe as he backed these bold labels with specific and undeniable examples. This is a big topic, and Part I treats the first three of these seven woes. With each and every example, we pause and consider how to identify and avoid these very tendencies within each of us. Don’t miss this opportunity to see Jesus’ love, wisdom and proclaiming of truth in action!
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In Part I, we laid a foundation for understanding and managing harmful biases. One primary lesson we learned was that we ALL – no matter who we are and what our background is – are biased. While this is an uncomfortable truth, it is a necessary realization, for a true Christian is to strive to overcome any and all fleshly inclinations. We also learned this overcoming is no easy task. Just because we may be able to point out a personal bias does not mean we are on a path to dismantle it. On the contrary, often times recognizing our biases can make us very self-protective. In this episode, we continue to uncover specific ways our biases show themselves and specific scriptural principles to deal with them. This also is not easy!
We gave a simple working definition for bias:
An inclination or outlook that prevents an unprejudiced consideration of a matter.
The objective of this definition is to focus in on those biases that are obviously detrimental to our ability to see clearly. We need this clear focus because the fact is, most of us – and that includes me – live each day affected by personal biases. If these preconceived conclusions about others in our daily experiences don’t bring us to godliness, then they are undeniably wrong.
One example that is a problem for most of us.Many of us have personal biases towards others that belittle them. As Christians, this should never be so – and yet it’s a problem. What about someone who is of a different ethnicity, or a different religion, or is of a different political affiliation than me? Do I discount them in any way? What if someone has different social associations? If I am struggling financially, how do I feel about those who are not? How do I feel about those who struggle if I’m well off? If we look deeply into our reactions to those who are different than we are, we will likely uncover several biases.
This is an age-old problem.In the New Testament, James pointedly brings this out. He writes about the trap of honoring those who come into our Christian circles who appear to be well off and distinguished. We offer them the higher seats of honor in our gatherings. He then compares this to someone coming into our midst who may appear ragged and lowly. He emphatically writes that treating them like second-class citizens is far beneath the standards of equality in Christ we have been called to. Simply stated, this is wrong!
Check out our January 15, 2024 podcast, “Is My Christian Judgment Tainted by Bias? (Part II)” for more. We take aim at the serious damage this kind of bias can cause. We also expose how biases can break trust between us, and most tragically, how they can burn bridges. Our personal biases put us all in jeopardy. Join us as we seek biblical solutions for this often-overlooked, rampant personal problem!
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I was recently summoned for jury duty. As I sat in the room at the beginning of the day, the court and its representatives showed some really informative introductory videos on what to expect and look out for when serving on a jury. The main topic they focused on was bias. Their premise was that we ALL have biases and we ALL can be in danger of following them rather than following the simple facts of a case. I was struck by their significant efforts to enlighten and warn about this sometimes subtle but incredibly common enemy of justice. Our claiming to be Christian does NOT somehow magically release us from our previous biases. In fact, our claims to Christianity may even be in jeopardy because of our personal biases. So, how do we learn to recognize this devious and damaging tendency?
For the most part, we think of bias as not being able to see something without a preconceived notion of what it should look like. Our predetermined conclusions can easily sway what we think about whatever it is we may be dealing with. While this can sometimes be a good layer of protection, it more often than not ends up being a detrimental habit. Bias hinders us from seeing a broader perspective than our own. For this brief discussion we will define bias as: an inclination or outlook that prevents an unprejudiced consideration of a matter.
Bias hinders us in many ways.One primary and negative function of bias is that it keeps us from listening. Think about how easily our ability to listen to someone else is dependent on how we feel about that other person. If we like them and agree with their perspective, listening is easy. Our preconceived notion of what should be is being bolstered, and that’s comfortable. However, what happens if the person we are supposed to be listening to is presenting a contrary or questionable viewpoint? Are we open – or are we only partially paying attention – because their perspective is simply not acceptable or desirable?
Bias can even make us think and act in an unchristian way.Unfortunately, our bias against those who hold opinions and even facts we would rather not hear, usually prevails. And the sad thing is, this usually happens without us even realizing it! These habitual responses to those who may ruffle our feathers actually shuts down our ability to potentially hear truth. These responses stifle our growth and worst of all, they are unchristian on every level.
Check out our January 8, 2024 podcast, “Is My Christian Judgment Tainted by Bias? (Part I) for more. We examine several striking biblical examples of bias in action. While focusing in on three specific aspects of the destructive power of bias, we also lay out several steps to counter our biases. Because bias can’t simply be turned off, we need to learn how to calm it down and then redirect its energy. Let’s face it, bias is a problem! Join us to see how personally applying biblical principles can change that!
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God has an amazing plan that includes every human being who has ever lived. Rather than torturing billions for eternity in a fiery hell, this plan will give all of humanity a legitimate opportunity to be taught how to live in a godly and righteous way. We’re saying God’s plan gives EVERYONE an opportunity to become perfect in His sight. Now, if you look around at the condition of our world, it’s really easy to roll your eyes and think with all that’s happening, this plan of God’s is pretty lame! Well, it does look that way, but the reality is that this plan works in specific stages. There is a perfecting work happening right now, but it’s NOT focused on everyone. Our three-part series will walk through how and when Christians, non-Christians and all who have ever lived will have an opportunity for perfection.
When we think of somebody being “perfect” what do we picture in our minds? Likely we imagine someone whose physical appearance is flawless, and health is exemplary. Their mind would be sharp, intuitive and brilliant and their voice would be strong and melodious. They would be creative, personable, passionate, and they would be a superb leader. All in all, this is a tall order! We might imagine Jesus fitting such a description, but it would certainly be beyond any of the rest of us.
What is perfection?In the book of Matthew, Jesus was teaching about God’s graciousness of sending rain and sun upon both evil and good people. He then tells his disciples to “be perfect,” just like their Father in heaven is perfect. How can this even be possible? Perfection in the New Testament can be a tricky thing. First, there are several Greek words translated into our English Bibles as “perfect.” Second, none of them mean what our original description implied. The bottom line is these words all point to becoming complete. This can mean being complete in thought or words, actions or example.
Perfect or perfected?Even though Jesus was perfect, the Bible tells us he had to be “perfected” by way of suffering and experience. The same principle applies to any true disciple of Jesus. We are given the perfect gifts of justification through the blood of Jesus and God’s holy spirit. Having these things, we are also told to strive to be “perfect” – to be complete – as Christians. What does this really mean?
Check out our November 27, 2023 podcast, “What is the Biblical Process to Become Perfect? (Part I – The Church)” for more. We examine how we can actually spiritually grow into the “perfection” the Bible expects of us. We define the kinds of completeness, maturity and equipping that the New Testament focuses us towards accomplishing. Finally, we also lay the groundwork for examining how God’s plan actually contains a detailed perfecting process for nonbelievers as well. Join us for Part I of this 3-part series as we uncover biblical truths about Christian life, growth and perfection!
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Arise and be baptized! This and many other similar scriptural statements have in many ways defined Christianity. Unfortunately, because Christianity is so splintered it applies these very important words and instructions in a wide variety of ways. Some say baptism changes you, others say it is a symbol, and others say it is necessary for heaven. Some baptize infants, others baptize children and others, adults only. Others baptize into a church or denomination, while some “baptize into Christ.” Some see baptism as a necessary beginning to walk towards Christ, while others see it as a symbol of having decided to sacrificially follow Christ. How can all of this be one baptism? It can’t! What do we do with all of this? We search the Scriptures and look for the originally intended message behind Christian baptism.
What’s the purpose?When you think about it, baptism is a strange ritual. What would be the purpose of dunking people in water anyway? Do they need a bath? Actually, the whole concept of Christian baptism began with this general objective. Way back in the days of Moses when God gave them His Law, the people of Israel were meticulously instructed about cleanliness. Not only were they told to wash in water after being sick or in contact with a dead body, but they also had to become ceremonially clean by offering a sacrifice before the priesthood. Washing for Israel was an important act of physical cleansing that was tied to their spiritual cleansing as well.
Is this what Christian baptism is all about?John the Baptist arrives on the scene with a very specific mission regarding the whole nation of Israel. He announces the coming of their Messiah and tells the people to repent and be baptized. His message to Israel is to recognize their sins and demonstrate their repentance with a physical washing – just as the Law had prescribed centuries before. So, is this what Christian baptism is all about?
No. While repentance is a critical part of Christian baptism, it is only a beginning element and in no way represents the whole picture. “Baptism into Christ” has many other elements tied to it. It is important we don’t confuse the two. Christians often seem to focus on the repentance part of this picture, and therefore focus on the baptism of John. While important, it does not reflect true Christian baptism.
Check out our November 6, 2023 podcast, “Are Christians Really Baptized Into Christ?” for more. We put John’s baptism and baptism into Christ side-by-side. We also examine several other New Testament baptisms as well. John spoke of a “baptism of the holy spirit and of fire.” Jesus spoke of his followers being baptized with the “baptism of his own suffering.” The Apostle Paul spoke about being “baptized into Christ’s death.” How do all these differing baptisms fit together? Join us as we sort out these many New Testament references and put them in order. In the end, it all makes perfect sense, and it all teaches us amazing lessons!
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We live in a diverse world, and that can be a really wonderful thing! To observe and embrace the positive differences in our cultures, our backgrounds and our characters is worthy of celebration. Appreciating the immense differences we see in nature due to geographic locations is a fascinating journey through God’s creation. But here is a problem. Diversity, just like most anything else we as imperfect humans celebrate, can go to extremes that take the basic principles of godly righteousness and corrupt them with darkness and evil. This inevitably leads to the destruction of that which is good. What has this got to do with Satan and demons? Everything! Satan and those who follow him are masters of subtlety and can easily make darkness look like light.
Warning!In his letter to the Ephesian church, the Apostle Paul warns us that we in our Christian journey are wrestling against “spiritual wickedness in high places.” When you think about it, this is really creepy. How do you wrestle against something that is SO much more powerful than you and that you can’t even see? The answer lies in scriptural understanding, biblical faith and godly wisdom.
What do we know about this spiritual wickedness? Obviously, we know it all comes from Satan and his demons. While this is a good start, all it does is label the source. Our next level of understanding needs to be based on why and how this all began. Before we go any further, a word of caution. Satanic influence is real and powerful, and our foundational rule of operation is simple. Stay away from it! Investigating satanic websites, etc. so you can understand satanic power better is a foolish and unwarranted practice. All we need to know can be found in the Bible’s very detailed explanations of how all of this came about.
As we gain an understanding of the origins of this spiritual wickedness, we will also gain insight into how such evil works. Once again, the Bible gives us a very detailed outline about the process. There are many accounts in Scripture that reveal satanic tactics. The three temptations Satan brought to Jesus, demon possession and Satan “entering” Judas are some examples. As dark as these experiences were, they teach us how to perceive several methods of demonic influence. Our faith can be bolstered when we see these things and realize that they are recorded in Scripture for our protection.
Check out our October 30, 2023 podcast, “How Do Satanic Demons Influence Our World?” for more. We dig into the story behind the story with the beginnings of evil satanic influence in our world. Knowing the “what,” “why” and “how” of its origins clues us into some of the motivation behind demonic activities. More than this, we look at how to be prepared against the high-level evil that permeates our world. Join us for this important journey into understanding, faith, and godly wisdom as we face the dark spiritual enemies in our world.
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As Christians, we all are encouraged by the scriptural principle that God’s angels are watching over us. What better hands could we be in than those who were sent by God himself to care for our very lives! As encouraging as this scriptural principle is, we need to be careful to avoid turning this reverent truth into some kind of human imagination that skews and corrupts its purity. The Bible is very specific as to the kinds of roles that angels do and do not occupy in our human lives. For us to truly appreciate how angelic influence works, we need to be prepared to accept that MANY of the notions and traditions surrounding angels are simply human-based fantasy and imagination. This may sound disappointing, but it’s actually good news, as we want to define angelic activity through God’s word and His word only!
What’s an angel?There is much more to God’s angels than many of us may think. First and foremost, we need to understand what an angel is. The Old and New Testament words for angel are defined as “messengers” or “deputies.” This means angels serve the expressed and specific purpose of the one who sends them. This seems pretty simple and certainly not surprising, however in our human excitement, we can easily misapply this truth.
Let’s get down to the basic questions.Are we as followers of Christ supposed to know anything about the guardian angels God sends to watch over us? Are we supposed to know their names, or give them names? If they are watching over us, should we be praying to them? And what about a relationship? Should we seek or desire to have some kind of communication with them? What should we expect from them? Are they there to help us out in our everyday lives, and are they in any way at our command?
To understand the truthful answers to these questions, we need to prioritize exactly what we know to be true about angels. Check out our October 23, 2023 podcast, “How do Guardian Angels Take Care of Us?” for details. We look at several examples of angels doing their work in both the Old and New Testaments. What begins to unfold are the “dos and don’ts” that drive angelic intervention.
First, we learn why all of God’s heavenly host are not called angels. This understanding alone sets a strong foundation for what follows. We then learn how and why angels sometimes played major roles in the experiences of certain Old Testament faithful ones. How and why did an angel intervene in Abraham’s experience with Isaac? Why did Gabriel come to Daniel and speak with him? In the New Testament, why did angels help Peter escape prison and direct Philip to convert the Ethiopian eunuch? Most importantly, why did angelic intervention diminish as the New Testament continued? Join us for this fascinating journey as we observe how God’s angels do and don’t take care of us.
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As we have discovered from Parts I and II of this series, God is the Mighty One who has power and authority. He is the Self-Existing One who created humanity in His image for the purpose of having a personal relationship with them. Planet Earth was and is to be the eternal habitation of this human family. As God revealed Himself through man’s experiences, many aspects of His character became evident. He is the Supreme and Exalted Sovereign. He is all-sufficient and caring, and He continually provides. Not only is He “Jehovah Elohim” of individuals, but He is “Jehovah of Hosts.” He sanctifies, shepherds and brings peace to those who follow Him. He is our rock, our fortress, and through His providence, He provides salvation. This is a mere sampling of the breadth of God’s character as revealed in the Old Testament.
New Testament/New DepthWith the depth of explanation of who God in the Old Testament, you would think there would be little to add or clarify in the New Testament. Well, nothing could be further from the truth! The New Testament does far more than expand our understanding of God’s name, nature and character. It opens up a whole level of meaning and gives us a whole new depth of appreciation as well.
The way this all happens is really quite simple. In the first two parts of this series, we saw specific and dynamic patterns unfold. The further God’s plan unfolded, the more clearly He was able to be understood. In the beginning, God was the God of power and authority. After all, He created the heavens and the earth. He then became known as the God of relationship as it was revealed that the entire creative process was to accommodate His human creation. Fast forward, and Abraham became a “friend” of God. Fast forward again to when Israel was delivered from slavery and God became the “Lord of Hosts!” From there, He was sanctifier, protector, shepherd, and so much more. As time went on, so the understanding of God increased.
“Father,” a radically new titleNow the New Testament rolls in, and it’s time for Jesus to come as the Messiah. This would represent THE single most significant step forward in all of God’s plan. Jesus would come to cancel all of sin for all of humanity through his sacrifice. Such a world-changing step brought a world-changing view of God along with it. And it all came down to one simple common word that had been used through every generation of humanity’s history: Father.
Jesus proclaimed God to be his Father. This had never happened before and would have been a shocking change. More than this, Jesus said that those who followed him would also be able to claim God as their Father! What did all of this mean? Check out our September 18, 2023 podcast, “Who is God? (Part III)” for more. We delve deeply into this amazing description of God and all that it implies. Join us as we work to wrap our own minds around this profound, reverent and inspirational way to better understand God our Father!
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So many people believe God is a man-made myth. They see Him as a figment of the imagination of religious zealots who desperately seek some kind of higher power. When you look at mythological gods or the gods of some religious factions, you can certainly see the reasoning for that point. However, when we look […]
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Whether we like it or not or believe it or not, the presence of powers higher than our human understanding cannot be denied. The debate begins and rages when we try to label these powers. Our human perspectives, belief systems and even how we claim to apply science all come into play here. As Christians, we by definition believe God is the ultimate source of power. We believe Him to be wise, just and loving in His expressions of that power. But how do we know this to be true? It is no surprise that the answer to knowing who God is exists in a very broad and orderly fashion in the Bible. Literally starting at the beginning will lay a foundation for us to not only begin to understand God, but to also begin to have a deep appreciation of who He really is.
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When Jesus ascended to heaven, he told his disciples in Matthew 28, “Go and make disciples of all the nations.” He told them to baptize these disciples and teach them all that he had taught and commanded them to know and do. Ten days later, God’s spirit came upon the apostles, and this is where […]
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Prayer is an incalculably awesome privilege, and yet it is massively misunderstood. Prayer can easily become a ritual, an almost automatic activity like brushing our teeth. We know we need to do it because we know it’s really good for us. So, we do it at what we think are the appropriate times and in […]
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As Christians, our faith in God should translate into an unquestionable loyalty and trust. If God says something will be so, it is a guarantee it will happen. While this deep faith in the word of God should bring a powerful comfort to our lives, it’s also capable of bringing us serious doubts and concerns. […]
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The Lord’s prayer in Matthew chapter 6 is perhaps the most commonly quoted teaching of Jesus. This prayer is simple and pointed in its focus. “Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name.” This beginning teaches us not only to acknowledge God as Father but to hallow, to reverence, His very name. The […]
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It seems like it would be a no brainer to say that following Christ and following Christianity today are synonymous. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Imperfect human beings have always been very adept at creating alternative interpretations and approaches to most everything. Christianity is no exception. In Part I of our 2-part series, we began looking at some specific teachings of Jesus. We began holding Christianity up to the light of Jesus’ words and asked how we were doing with this. We continue the process in Part II. Even though we are asking about Christianity, the resounding question that begs for an answer is this: Am I personally choosing to follow Christ and his original teaching, or am I personally settling for some form of watered-down Christianity instead?
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When someone says they are a Christian, their claim can be easily interpreted in a variety of ways. Unfortunately, following the name of Christ has been a dramatically devalued description of religion over many centuries. Think back to the Dark Ages when the church mercilessly hunted, tortured and killed non-believers for the sake of “saving souls” in the name of Christ. Think about the smorgasbord of choices one now has available. We can choose a brand of Christianity that suits our lifestyle and fulfills our preferences. Being a disciple of Jesus Christ was not always this way. In the time of Jesus and the apostles, it meant something higher and had an eternal purpose. The question we all need to ask ourselves is simple. Is my chosen brand of Christianity in complete accord with Jesus’ original teachings?
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The thought that God is a God of anger – especially in the Old Testament – is alive and well. It’s a very convenient thought. All one has to do is select from the many passages in the Old Testament that show God commanding the destruction of this or that people. It’s easy to say He has anger issues and therefore should not be worshipped. The only problem is that this conclusion is in direct opposition to the truth. To grasp the correct thought, we need to begin by focusing on putting God’s anger into its proper context. This basic exercise opens up a perspective on God’s anger that redefines it. Simply stated, God’s anger is an occasionally used tool of His overwhelmingly just, loving, wise and powerful character. He is SO much bigger than He is given credit for.
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We all would agree that truth is important. Legally we know it is critical. When pressed to speak the truth under oath in the United States, you are asked, “Do you solemnly swear/affirm that you will tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God/under pains and penalties of perjury? As important as this sounds, we human beings are often lazy about truth and even afraid of it. Winston Churchill once said, “Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing had happened.” So, what is truth? Are there absolute truths? How can we know which ones are reliable and which ones are merely situational?
As they sought to unjustly put Jesus to death, the Pharisees brought him before Pilate and presented their case. When Pilate saw no merit in their accusations, he questioned Jesus without them. After some conversation, Jesus told Pilate that he came to proclaim the truth and those who heed his voice are of the truth. Pilate had a dilemma. Those who accused Jesus were supposed to be truthful religious leaders, and yet Jesus was innocent. How could their story be so far off from what Jesus said? It was here that he uttered his famous question, “What is truth?”
To many, truth is subjective.We live in a time where information and opinions are overwhelmingly accessible. At every turn, we are encouraged to create and adopt our own personal truths. These conditions result in endless debates and demands regarding the acceptance of our truths. In such a state, truth becomes what we decide it should be. Sadly, we are confused and misled with these conclusions. Why? We have confused “truth” with personal observations, opinions and values.
Have you heard the one about the elephant?The famous story of a group of blind men seeking to describe an elephant by their touch observations reminds us of this. In one version of the story, the first man thought the elephant was like a snake as he held onto its trunk. The second described it to be like a rope as he held its slender tail. The third man described the elephant to be like a pillar or tree trunk as he put his arms around one of its massive legs. All of these men were right. All of them spoke the truth, and yet none of them could fully describe the elephant, as they were limited by their own perspective.
Checkout our February 6, 2023 podcast, “What is Truth?” for more. We challenge the adoption and acceptance of personal truths as unquestionable truth. We examine what absolute truth is and how it, by definition, must be above and beyond our human framework. The conclusions are inspiring as we see how God and His word can lead us to absolute truth. Truth is always true, even if we choose not to believe it. Join us on our journey towards the freedom that comes from knowing and embracing genuine, unchangeable truth!
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There are some questions that are just plain difficult. One of those questions that many believers in God may wrestle with has to do with God seemingly allowing Satan to run the show. Let’s face it, evil stinks and we just want it to go away. Yet, God has continued to let Satan’s influence dominate our world for thousands of years! Most Christians believe God is absolutely capable of destroying Satan but begins to fall short when asked why it has not yet happened. Answers touch on God creating all of His spiritual and earthly intelligent beings with free choice, and this is a great start. The key factor in all of this is seeing HOW God gives each being a free choice and the ability to have fair and just choices.
Unbelievers incapable of seeing the gospelIn 2 Corinthians chapter 4 the Apostle Paul is talking about unbelievers. He describes them as incapable of seeing the gospel. Why are they incapable? In verse 4 he says they have been blinded by Satan, the “god of this world.” He is not saying they blinded themselves, or purposefully ignored the gospel. He is clear that they can’t see it because Satan has made it so. When Jesus spoke the Parable of the Sower and the Seed, he made a similar claim. He interpreted the birds eating the seed by the roadside as Satan taking the gospel message before it could be appreciated.
Is Satan in control?Seeing both Jesus and the Apostle Paul making such plain statements about Satan’s ability to control the gospel’s reach can raise questions. Who is really in charge here? Why hasn’t God stopped – or at least diminished – Satan’s reach, especially regarding the gospel? The answers are simple. God IS in charge. Period. He hasn’t thwarted Satan’s influence because it is not yet time for that part of His Plan. While these are simple answers, they certainly need detailed reasoning and scriptural support to reveal their logic and harmony.
Let’s begin to open the door to those important details. Consider that God’s continued allowance for Satan to keep on living is an integral part of His Plan to benefit ALL of His created beings. Satan’s rebellion actually serves God’s plan in two ways:
- Satan’s continued existence and influence serve as an undeniable and unavoidable example of what rebellion against God’s righteousness unfolds.
- Satan’s continued existence and influence serve as the basis for testing each and every one of God’s created beings. Every intelligent created being will ultimately choose to stay loyal to God’s righteousness OR ultimately choose to follow the darkness of Satan.
Check out our January 30, 2023 podcast, “Why Doesn’t God Just Destroy Satan?” for more. We provide strong scriptural reasoning to support these two reasons for Satan’s continued existence. We do this by tracing how Satan initially got the power he now abuses. Next, we trace how this power grab exactly fits into God’s eternal purposes and what its end result will be. Join us for an eye-opening journey that helps us see the wisdom, power and love of God!
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Everybody sins. We can’t help it because we are imperfect, and therefore we will inevitably fall. As Christians, we can and should claim the amazing advocacy of Jesus, ask forgiveness, make right what we did wrong and move on. But are there sins that go beyond what Jesus can help us with? Are there “unforgivable” sins? Are there sins that once committed doom us to eternal death? The Scriptures do say such sins exist. The good news is the Bible is specific about what they are and how they work. The difficult news is that some verses are hard to understand, and that can lead to confusion. So, what are sins that go beyond forgiveness, and how can we stay far away from them?
What if I accidentally commit this type of sin?First and foremost, we need to understand that according to the Bible, no one can commit a sin that dooms them to eternal death by accident. Many seem to walk through their lives with this fear hanging over their heads. What if I said this or did that without realizing it? Or, what if I did something as a joke or out of immaturity or a whim in the past – does that doom me to future eternal death? The answer here is no. Sins with no resurrection are not accidental. Remember, God is just and not vengeful. He is wise and not emotionally driven. He is powerful, not reactionary, and He is love but not weak.
However, this is not to say that being foolish about or disrespectful to God and His eternal power is ever advisable. It never is, as we all bear responsibility for our thoughts, words and deeds. The primary principle that needs establishing in this whole discussion has to do with “who.” Who is liable to committing a sin that leads to eternal death? The Bible unequivocally speaks about a resurrection for all of humanity that brings them an opportunity for reconciliation. This one fact tells us that all of humanity therefore does not have such liability here in this present age. If they did, they obviously would not be raised out of death.
Not all Christians are in this categoryThe liability to a death with no resurrection falls upon Christians, but NOT on all Christians. Once again, you look at this and think, what? The explanation for this is clearly laid out in Scripture and really is a must see. Check out our January 23, 2023 podcast, “What Sins Can Never Be Forgiven?” for more. We systematically go through the three sets of scriptures that always seem to come up when talking about sins with no resurrection. We find is a deep subject that has been muddied in its understanding and application over time. Phrases like “speaking against the holy spirit being unforgivable,” “the second death,” “for whom black darkness has been reserved forever” are all put in order. Join us as we attempt to separate out all of the mystery and leave just the plain statements of biblical truth to learn from. You don’t want to miss this!
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The rapture is a controversial teaching with its basis on one short set of verses in 1st Thessalonians. It is a teaching that has a wide spectrum of interpretations and applications. This teaching tightly unites those who believe in it, but more and more it terrifies many who have some association with it. In Parts I and II of our 3-part series, we began systematically walking through the scriptures in question. As we have attempted to clearly define each element of these scriptures, we have seen many of the contradictions and inconsistencies with this rapture teaching rise to the surface. In Part III, we closely examine what it means to be “caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” Our only objective is to adhere to what the Bible really teaches and walk away from anything else.
The main scriptures used to teach a rapture1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (NASB) reads: For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. The rapture teaching interprets these verses in a very dramatic way. As soon as Jesus returns with an audible cry and the blast of a trumpet, he miraculously and immediately raises all faithful Christians who had died over the last 2,000 years. In the next moment, he snatches up to heaven those Christians who are still living on the earth. What is left behind is chaos, fear and destruction.
Quick recapWhile this rapture teaching uses Scripture as its basis, its conclusions could not be further from the true meaning of those texts. In Parts I and II of our series, we explained the scriptural basis for and the method of Jesus’ return. We discussed how his return begins in a stealth-like manner – as a “thief in the night.” Then we defined the spiritual nature of the “shout” and “trumpet.” We talked about what the “dead in Christ” rising first means. We defined what we know and don’t know about their resurrection. All of these carefully considered details firmly disprove the rapture teaching.
Check out our January 2, 2023 podcast, “Do I Suffer from Rapture Anxiety? Part III” for more. We focus in on what it really means to those Christians living on earth at Jesus’ return “to be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” Our conclusions are based on the immediate and larger context of these verses, the meanings of the words, and the harmony of the rest of the Bible. The result is a teaching that brings hope and joy, not only to all faithful Christians, but to every other human being as well. Please join us for this in-depth, 3-part study of God’s Word. It may change your life!
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God’s plan for humanity is powerful, positive and proactive and is built upon the ransom price Jesus paid for every man, woman and child who ever lived. This plan is one of great joy! All scriptural events and prophecies point to the unfolding of this plan. As we observed in Part I of this series, the widely held Christian teaching of the rapture, in all of its varied interpretations, does not seem to fall in line with this plan. Instead of hope, it seems to bring distress and chaos. In Part I, we began systematically looking at the key elements of the scriptures from which this teaching is drawn. Our objective is to look at these texts in the context of the Bible itself and not the context of our opinions or our church’s doctrine. Here in part II, we continue to unfold what we believe God’s word actually teaches.
Care needs to be taken when reading the verses in 1 Thessalonians 4 that are used as the basis for the rapture teaching. In Part I of our three-part series, we examined much of verse 16, “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God.” We found that the shout and the voice of the archangel were spiritual activities, things that could not be perceived by human ears. The shout is the command for all those who died in Christ to rise to heaven. The voice of the archangel is the command of God through Jesus for the reestablishment of Israel to begin, as described in Daniel 12:1.
Is the trumpet of God a literal trumpet?Because the shout and voice of the archangel are not audible to humanity, we believe that this trumpet fits the same description. It also is a spiritual sounding, but of what? 1 Thessalonians tells us that the shout, the voice and the trumpet all happen at the beginning stages of the return of Jesus. Acts 3:21 tells us that Jesus does not return until the time of final restoration of all things, so we see this as a trumpet signaling restoration. Why? In Old Testament Israel, God had arranged for a trumpet to be blown every 50 years to signal a year of jubilee. What did that mean? It meant that all things were to be restored to the way God had designed them. Jesus returns with the trumpet of final restoration!
Check out our December 19, 2022 podcast, “Do I Suffer From Rapture Anxiety? (Part II)” for more. We elaborate on the magnitude and meaning of this trumpet and what the dead in Christ rising first entails. We then go into the big questions of timing. Do all Christians who are alive at this time instantaneously rise up to heaven when this happens as the rapture teaches? The true answer to this question does not come from Christian tradition; rather, it comes from careful study of Scripture. Join us as we unfold the inspiring truths that the Word of God reveals!
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Christianity is divided into many denominations and groups. These divisions create a wide variety of teachings that elicit a wide variety of reactions. Take the rapture as an example. In its basic form, it interprets the Scriptures to say that Jesus returns with a shout and a trumpet. He raises the dead Christians to him first and then all those faithful who are still living will be dramatically and immediately taken up to him as well. For both Christians and non-Christians, the drama of this view brings eye rolls and disdain from some, excitement and anticipation from some, and all-out fear, trauma and “rapture anxiety” from others. The rapture is a big teaching based upon a few scriptures. The big question is, does this teaching fit squarely with the original Christian doctrine we learn from the Bible?
The post Do I Suffer From Rapture Anxiety? (Part I) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Candy, costumes parties and fun! The Halloween season with all of its excitement and trappings is upon us. On top of the fun and the sugar rush, this is a time of year particularly specializes in seeking to be horrified as another form of entertainment. The party-like atmosphere is generously sprinkled with murder, mayhem, zombies […]
The post Is It a Sin If I . . . (Part IV) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Sin is a difficult thing to handle. We are constantly challenged to daily live up to godly standards of righteousness. As our social order expands into countless variations of perceived freedoms, there are many questions that need clarifying regarding what is right and wrong in God’s eyes. Today we examine two of those questions. First, […]
The post Is It a Sin if I . . . ? (Part III) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Jesus’ true disciples go to heaven. Not only did Jesus make this clear, but several other scriptures show this amazing result of God’s grace upon a life dedicated to walking in Jesus’ sacrificial footsteps. In the first two parts of this three-part series, we uncovered many heavenly privileges, inheritances and responsibilities that these faithful ones […]
The post What Will We Be Doing When We Get to Heaven? (Part III) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Going to heaven is a really big deal. Last week was Part I of our three-part series on what heaven-bound Christians will be doing when they get there. So far, we uncovered the mechanics of why only chosen ones are privileged to go to heaven. We began to scratch the surface regarding what these disciples […]
The post What Will We Be Doing When We Get to Heaven? (Part II) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
It’s pretty safe to assume that most every Christian looks forward to being in heaven with Jesus if they are faithful to their call of discipleship. While this can be an exciting and positively overwhelming prospect, it can also be a future that is filled with questions. What exactly will the faithful be doing when […]
The post What Will We Be Doing When We Get to Heaven? (Part I) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
God is all powerful and all knowing. The problem is, we often don’t think about what that really means. Not only has knowledge of God diminished in our day, but respect and reverence for Him are now scarce commodities. Humanity in this technology-driven age is prone to judge without understanding. Our benevolent Creator is an […]
The post Does God Ever Tempt Us? Contradictions Series appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
The actions of God in the Bible are an easy target for criticism. It is so easy to look into this ancient book and pick out events that may not look sensible and even make God look bad and wildly inconsistent. Examining these events carefully does reveal truth and harmony – if we are willing […]
The post Does God REALLY Require Human Sacrifices? Contradictions Series appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
The Bible is a really big book. It was written by about 40 people spanning a period of over 1,500 years and in three different languages. Just these facts alone create a likelihood of its writings being misunderstood, misinterpreted and misrepresented. Claims that the Bible is a wildly contradictory book are numerous and easy to […]
The post Is God REALLY Omnipotent? Contradictions Series appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Raising children never has been an easy task. Methods for parenting have varied dramatically based on what time in history you are bringing up children. Disciplining children in an “appropriate” way looks entirely different now than it did just a few generations ago. The culture you live in as you raise a family also has […]
The post Is Parental Discipline of Our Children a Thing of the Past? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
In Part I we examined modern-day Paganism and compared it with some of the most basic tenants of Christianity as revealed in the Bible. What we found were two fundamentally different approaches to life, worship and morality. We can see that as Christians, we are absolutely to love those who hold such a contrary belief […]
The post Can Christianity and Paganism Work Together? (Part II) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Our religious world has changed dramatically. In the bygone days of generations past. we had clear lines that marked our differences. Christianity seemed to have clear and unmistakable differences from religions like Hinduism, Buddhism and Druidism. Our “one God and one Savior” approach stood in an entirely different category from the multiple-god eternal journey that […]
The post Can Christianity and Paganism Work Together? (Part I) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
We live in an age of tremendous knowledge, phenomenal technology and unprecedented freedom. On one hand, ours is an age where the individual reigns supreme. I can decide what’s right and wrong for me. I can also expect others to make allowances for my conclusions. On the other hand, the Gospel of Jesus Christ tells […]
The post Is the Gospel Obsolete? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
The vast majority of Christian belief systems may have a problem. What do they do with the billions of humanity who aren’t true followers of Jesus, but they aren’t terrible people either? These billions try to live a good life by being decent and kind to one another. Many of these have not heard the […]
The post What if I’m Not Good Enough for Heaven? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
In our last episode, we deeply explored the human soul. We saw that both the Old and New Testaments clearly teach that humans ARE souls and don’t HAVE souls. We further confirmed that the Bible is explicit about the destiny of the human soul being death, as that was the irrevocable penalty for sin given […]
The post Where Do the Human Soul and Spirit Go When We Die? (Part II) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Do human beings HAVE souls or ARE they souls? Do human beings have a spirit? If so, what does that mean? Or, are we really spirit beings temporarily confined in a terrestrial body? What happens when we die? Do our soul and spirit die? Do they go someplace, or do they stay together? Religions, cultures […]
The post Where Do the Human Soul and Spirit Go When We Die? (Part I) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
In all of human history, there has never been an event with the magnitude and drama of the nation of Israel being freed from their harsh slavery in Egypt. Millions of people and countless flocks literally walked away from generations of harsh servitude. God guided them to their freedom after the 10th plague and through […]
The post Why Should Christians Care About Israel’s Deliverance From Slavery? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Part I of this important topic focused in on some harsh Old Testament accounts that featured God pronouncing death and destruction to those who perpetrated great evil. Bible skeptics parade these accounts as proof that God is merciless, evil and even sadistic. While the Old Testament does put these kinds of judgments into perspective, the […]
The post Is God’s Wrath Stronger Than His Love? (Part II) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
There are MANY things in the Bible that are easily misunderstood and therefore easily misrepresented. Perhaps the most singularly misrepresented subject in the entire Bible is the nature of God Himself. There are many who accuse God of being angry, vengeful, cruel and unjust, especially because of the Old Testament. They write Him off as […]
The post Is God’s Wrath Stronger Than His Love? (Part I) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
In the 2,000 years since Jesus walked the earth, Christianity has in some ways progressed but in many ways fragmented. Depending on the doctrine or ritual you are looking at, you can find groups with a laser focus on it or a minimized approach to it. The early Christian ritual of the “laying on of […]
The post Should Christians Be Practicing Laying on of Hands? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Outside of some deeply philosophical debates, the idea of human beings having inherent freedom of choice seems to be a generally acceptable premise. Free will makes us special. The capacity of conscious choice establishes humankind in a unique category in relation to the rest of life on our planet. When human beings interfere with the […]
The post Do We Really Have Free Will? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
The Bible is a complicated book. It is a book of many books written in several languages over more than 1,500 years by the hand of about 40 individuals. It contains history and prophecy, as well as spiritual, moral and legal guidance. Its content is relayed in the form of historical records, letters and proclamations. […]
The post Are There Secrets to Studying the Bible? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Near-death experiences (NDEs) are common. They have been reported from cultures and religions worldwide for hundreds of years. In this near-death scenario, there is usually a dark tunnel with a warm and calming light at the end. Often there are deceased relatives waiting in that light to receive the person going through the experience. Sometimes […]
The post Is a Near-Death Experience a Glimpse of Heaven? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
We always say that prayer changes things – and it does. Jesus was emphatic about this and even gave us an example of how to pray in what is known as “The Lord’s Prayer.” With prayer, as with so many parts of Christian doctrine, the core value of what the Bible teaches easily gets lost […]
The post Why Aren’t My Prayers Being Answered? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
It seems like wisdom has become old fashioned and obsolete. When I think of wisdom, I think of a thoughtful approach that is not driven by self-interest. I think of quiet observation that seeks to understand the people, the facts and the circumstances before weighing in with answers. When I think of wisdom, I think […]
The post Is Anyone Listening to the Wisdom of the Bible? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Our shared human experience is linked by extreme grief at the loss of a loved one. COVID-19 has unexpectedly killed millions of people around the world, often with no time opportunity for meaningful closure. When a child dies, or a loved one dies tragically or simply passes away from sickness or old age, we want […]
The post Can the Dead Communicate With Us? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
When Jesus was being questioned by Pilate in John 18:37, he told him, Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice. Pilate’s answer was an important question because he asked, What is truth? This brief interchange brings us to similar questions. How do we know that we are people of the truth? Do the […]
The post Are My Christian Beliefs Based on Truth or Error? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
The word “curse” is overused and under comprehended. Cursing can mean using words that are not acceptable to repeat in public. To curse can mean to call upon a perceived other-worldly power for the purpose of harming someone or something. Cursing can also mean the expression of great disdain and loathing for people or things. […]
The post Can Christians Be Cursed and Curse Others? Curses Series (Part III) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Our God is a God of order. Psalm 89:14 says that righteousness and justice are the very foundation of His heavenly throne. This means that all He does must be based in what is right and just. While some of us may look at this through fearful eyes, this is actually great news. It means […]
The post Am I Living Under a Generational Curse? Curses Series (Part II) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Christianity waits for the return of Jesus. Depending on your doctrinal beliefs, you may be looking for his return to bring incredible drama and life changing moments – things like earthquakes , destruction, anarchy and a rapture. While we can see scriptural evidence to support SOME of these things, we want to be careful about […]
The post Could Jesus Return Without You Knowing? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
To live a life as a disciple of Christ is to live a life of discipline and focus. We are walking in Jesus’ footsteps, and that means there are many things we need to do. After all, by his teachings and examples, Jesus wrote the book of our faith. So, what did Jesus expect from […]
The post Are Christians Supposed to Convert the World? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
The call of Christianity is unique. It is a call to sacrifice and humility, a call to the subduing of one’s own will in favor of God’s will. While there are many noble purposes in this world and many humble and dedicated people, a Christian is called to the ultimate purpose of eventually reconciling the […]
The post Do We Have the Purpose of the Holy Spirit Backwards? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Jesus changed the world when he came to earth as a man over 2.000 years ago. His character, teaching, miracles and wisdom were and still are unmatched anywhere and anytime. As impactful as his first coming to earth was, he was very specific to let his followers know he would be returning again. Many who […]
The post What Are the True Reasons for Jesus’ Return to Earth? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
We all make judgments, even when we are not thinking about it. If you are listening to this podcast, you are right now deciding whether to keep listening. If you are reading this blog, you are right now considering whether or not to continue reading. This verifies that judging is an important exercise, for it […]
The post Is It Ever Right to Judge Your Brother? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
God does have a plan for the destiny of humanity. He always has. Think about it – God created man as the crowning feature of the earth’s system of life. Man was given dominion over the planet, sin entered and the whole thing seemed ruined. The thing is, God knew sin would enter. He knew […]
The post Did God Make Heaven and Hell Humanity’s Destiny (Part II) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
The general consensus in Christianity is that there are two paths, two destinies that await humanity. First, there is the heavenly bliss of being with Jesus. After all, Jesus himself said he was preparing a place for his followers in heaven and that he would bring us there. Second, there is the fiery torturous eternal […]
The post Did God Make Heaven and Hell Humanity’s Destiny? (Part I) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
As Christians, we unequivocally herald the death and resurrection of Jesus as being the absolute centerpiece of our faith. Further, we claim that the entire purpose of our Holy Bible is focused on these events as its primary message. These descriptions are overwhelmingly accurate. But why? Many Christians will answer that we are saved as […]
The post How Did Jesus’ Resurrection Change Both Heaven and Earth? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
21st century Christianity can be confusing. With all of the denominations and interpretations and approaches to Scripture it is hard to fathom they all claim to represent the same thing. So, what is the bottom line? Is being a Christian – a true Christian – a difficult way of life, or is it a privileged […]
The post Does Being a Christian Have to Be Difficult? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
…And they lived happily ever after! This is such a promising and bliss-filled ending that is sought after and hoped for by so many. Who wouldn’t want the prospect of happiness and contentment as a recipe for their married life in all their coming days? The truth of the matter is that at the rate […]
The post How Vital Are My Vows of Marriage? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
“Words mean things” is a simple and powerful truism that certainly applies to our study of God’s word. In our mistranslation podcast series, we have endeavored to establish how much a text of Scripture can be changed by the mistranslation or misunderstanding of a single word. Every word of inspired Scripture can and should be […]
The post Has the Bible Been Mistranslated and Misunderstood? (Part V) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
For any Christian, understanding the Bible and its message should be of paramount importance. The fact that the Bible is a collection of books and letters written in ancient times by various authors presents a challenge to this understanding. We need to learn what is authentic, what is mistranslated and how it all harmonizes. We […]
The post Has the Bible Been Mistranslated and Misunderstood (Part IV) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
In part 1 of this two-part series, we discovered several very clear scriptural statements and lines of reasoning that showed us we are justified by faith. Having established that, the most obvious next question is, what about works? How does the Bible define “works of faith”? Is it a work of faith to go to […]
The post Is It Faith or Works That Gets Us to Heaven? (Part II) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
I’m a Christian. I have been called by God to follow in Jesus’ footsteps. I believe that as a sinner, I cannot do anything to earn God’s favor. Jesus’ sacrifice gave me a standing before God that I could not have had without it. So, what now? Jesus promised that all his true followers would […]
The post Is It Faith or Works That Gets Us to Heaven? (Part I) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
In part 2 of our series, we reviewed a list of tools Bible students can use to study the original languages of Scripture. These tools enable non-experts (like us) to unlock the Greek and Hebrew of the Bible to understand what the original inspired words mean and how they are used. Then we examined “spurious” […]
The post Has the Bible Been Mistranslated and Misunderstood? (Part III) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
In Part I of our series, we examined the evidence that the Bible is an historically-validated document. Ancient manuscripts like the Dead Sea Scrolls demonstrate that what we have today in Scripture is amazingly faithful to the original. We ended that conversation by reviewing modern translations and the question of what are considered the most […]
The post Has the Bible Been Mistranslated and Misunderstood? (Part II) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
The Bible is the foundation of our faith. We believe it to be the mind of God expressed to humanity. Its purpose is to tell us things we cannot deduce from nature – like where we come from, how we got to the present time and where we are going. The Bible shows us the […]
The post Has the Bible Been Mistranslated and Misunderstood? (Part I) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Life and death can be confusing, and we generally fear the death part of the equation. We all want life to mean something. For Christians, that meaning comes through what we do with the one life we are now living. By focusing ourselves on being like Jesus in the here and now, we make the […]
The post Ghosts, Reincarnation and Humanity – What’s Real? (Part II) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Are ghosts real? Is reincarnation a legitimate process in the patterns of life? For billions of people in our world today, the answers to one or both of these questions is a resounding yes. It all has to do with the mystery of what happens after we die. Life is precious, and because we cannot physically […]
The post Ghosts, Reincarnation and Humanity – What’s Real? (Part I) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
When God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses, He set a standard that would influence the world for ages to come. Those ten statements of direction summed up all of what humanity would need to live godly and productive lives. The first two of those Commandments were to have no other gods before God himself […]
The post Do I Have Other Gods and Idols in My Life? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Slavery. It is a function of a sin ridden imperfect human race. When we hear of people being slaves the reality of what that means has a dramatic range. There was the inhuman harshness of Egyptian domination over Israel and the enslavement of Africans a few hundred years ago. Then there were the Roman and Greek […]
The post Why Did God Allow Slavery in the Bible? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Every Christian group proclaims what they believe to be the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as we all claim to follow his leading and his life. The problem arises when we compare our doctrine, principles and life objectives with one another. Simply stated, it all just does not line up. There are SO many variations of […]
The post Does Christianity Preach the Gospel? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
How is Christianity supposed to be organized? If you look at the countless denominations we have today, you will see a wide variety of interpretations regarding leadership. With some, it all boils down to one individual leader. With others, it is a committee of several. In many cases, those in authority have the responsibility of […]
The post Does My Church Leadership Have It Right? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Religious faith is widely accepted as contrary to reason. It is assumed to be built upon mystical and even fantastical thinking. It is thought that religious faith, when put to a test of reasoned criticism, would fail miserably. This conclusion may be true regarding many different religious systems in our world. We can’t speak for […]
The post Is Faith Built On Reason or Is Reason Built On Faith? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Our society is so advanced we can access the world from the palm of our hand. It is so sophisticated we can communicate our thoughts globally in an instant. But it is so self-absorbed we can design a reality with our own ego at its center. In the ancient history of the Jewish nation, the […]
The post What Does It Mean to Take God’s Name In Vain? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Everybody needs money. Like it or not, it is one of the driving forces that contribute to a successful life. As Christians, we all know we need to be aware of how we handle our money. We also look to Jesus for the core values of our entire lives, so observing what he said about […]
The post What Did Jesus Teach Us About Money? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
As Christians we are always reminded of the importance of sacrificing our own will to do the will of God. Our faithfulness is a direct result of the effort we put into our sacrificial lives. The Old Testament overflows with regulations and propriety regarding making sacrifices to God. These include not only animals sacrifices but grain, oil and […]
The post Is Obedience More Important Than Sacrifice? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
One of the Ten Commandments was to “remember the sabbath to keep it holy.” As Christians, we are always saying the Ten Commandments are still a necessary part of God’s Law that we should keep. So, why do the vast majority of Christians have their “day of rest” on Sunday when the sabbath God set […]
The post What Does the Sabbath Look Like for Christians? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
As Christians, we are clearly taught to live our lives in harmony with God’s will and His ways by following in the footsteps of Jesus. We all know this challenge is one we can never fulfill with perfection. We all have experienced failure along these lines. Because we are imperfect, God expects us to fail, […]
The post Can Our Sins Ever Produce Blessings? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
There is no denying the New Testament – and actually the entire Bible – is all about Jesus. His sacrifice for humanity is proclaimed from Genesis to Revelation. He IS the key to the gospel. Having said this, the life and writings of the Apostle Paul dominate much of the New Testament. His experiences and […]
The post Did the Apostle Paul Contradict Jesus? Contradictions Series appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
For every Christian, Jesus is THE example, leader and fulfiller of our faith. We continually gain inspiration from his perfect example and unselfish sacrifice. When we think about a less-than-perfect Christian example, most of us go to the Apostle Peter or the Apostle Paul. Both men showed us how to achieve spiritual victory through imperfection. […]
The post Paul or Matthias: Who Was the Real 12th Apostle? Contradictions Series appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
(See Part I of this topic.) In many ways, the Apostle Paul was like a magnet. Over the last 2,000 years, his preaching, teaching and writing have attracted countless millions to seek out what being a Christian really means. He was a leader in every sense of the word. He lived his faith to Jesus […]
The post Does the Apostle Paul Contradict Himself? (Part II): Contradictions Series appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
The Apostle Paul is a Christian icon. He essentially wrote half of the New Testament as he carried the gospel far and wide. He suffered dramatically for his faith, was challenged regularly by those in authority and even stood up to the Apostle Peter when it was needed. When you read his words, you cannot […]
The post Does the Apostle Paul Contradict Himself? (Part I): Contradictions Series appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
The Christian belief in being “born again” can be at the very least confusing. Does it mean you get to restart your life, kind of like a do-over? Is it beginning a brand new life lived in a brand new context? Does being born again mean you are the same person with the same issues, […]
The post Are Christians Really Born Again? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
We know every Christian wants to go to heaven. The real question is, does every Christian know what is required to get there? Last week we began to talk about the several important elements God has put in place. These define not only His plan in general, but they clearly show us what the Christian […]
The post What Three Steps Will Get Us to Heaven? (Part II) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
So, what does the road to heaven actually look like? If you look across the wide spectrum of Christian beliefs you will find far more variety in the answer than you might have thought. You would expect all of the answers to include believing in Jesus – and that’s a good start. However, the Bible […]
The post What Three Steps Will Get Us to Heaven? (Part I) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Life is often measured by time. Our society is hyperfocused on immediate gratification, which means we don’t want to have to wait. We don’t want to have any interval pass before we get what we want. We have scheduled events, appointments, work hours, lunch breaks and periods for sleep. All of these things are time-driven. […]
The post Why Does Time Matter in God’s Plan? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
It’s funny how certain fanciful images make their way into the human mind and somehow become a part of our belief foundation. Case in point – someone dies and the next thing we know, we visualize them standing before those massive and ornate “pearly gates” of heaven. Once issued their wings and harp, we see […]
The post Do People Turn Into Angels When They Die? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
As Christians we follow Jesus. His life story is told in the New Testament of the Bible and we rightfully focus on those books. Sometimes though, our focus brings us away from the rest of the story – the Old Testament. We think, why do we need all of that Jewish history? Why do we […]
The post Should Christians Care About the Jewish Tabernacle? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
How often do we hear of someone who just seems to have everything going wrong in their lives? They suffer loss, they have physical ailments, they are deeply distressed and their life seems to be going nowhere. Sometimes when we are that suffering person, we may begin to wonder, what did I do to deserve […]
The post My Life is Full of Suffering – Am I Cursed? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Most Christians will tell you that once you are called to Christ, it means you are called to be “footstep followers of Jesus.” While this description is easily given, it is not so easily explained. How can we walk in his footsteps as a disciple when we are really nothing like him? He was perfect, […]
The post Jesus Died For You! Are You Dying For Him? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
One of the very basic tenets of Christianity is the belief that God does not change. We see him as omnipotent, above the fray and the embodiment of clear vision and intention. As such we believe that when God’s plan has been put in motion it is a universally unstoppable force. Enter the concept of […]
The post Do Our Prayers Change God’s Mind? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
This continues our series on Bible Contradictions. The life of Jesus as a man on earth was filled with wonder, teaching and miracles. His obedience to his Father’s will was the centerpiece of his mission, as he came to pay the ransom price for Adam. Critics say Jesus’ earthly life was also filled with contradictions. […]
The post Do the Accounts of Jesus’ Life Contradict Themselves? Contradictions (Part VI) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
This continues our series on biblical contradictions. Genesis is the first book of the Bible and its foundation. It lays out for us the origin of the intricacies of our world, as well as the origins of the human race. Morality is introduced, and this book takes us through the first few thousand years of […]
The post What Profound Secret Does Creation Reveal? Contradictions (Part V) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
This continues our series on biblical contradictions. Ask any Christian and they will tell you one of the greatest – if not THE greatest – events in all of biblical history is the resurrection of Jesus after his crucifixion. We laud this event as the undeniable guarantee that God’s plan for the world’s salvation is […]
The post Why So Many Contradictions Surrounding Jesus’ Resurrection?, Contradictions (Part IV) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
This continues our series on biblical contradictions. See Part I and Part II for more. We all need foundational principles to believe in and solid ground to stand on. Human nature thrives where such a firm base can be found. Achievement can flourish when there is unflinching belief, in a relationship, the science of […]
The post Does God Contradict Himself?, Contradictions (Part III) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Jesus died for our sins, and if we believe in him we will go to heaven. This common Christian belief that ties Jesus’ sacrifice and our salvation up into one neat package sounds simple, but it actually raises many questions. What does it mean to “believe” in Jesus? Is belief in his teachings the point […]
The post Are Jesus’ Ransom and Our Salvation the Same? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
The New Testament gives us a clear picture of Jesus replacing the Old Testament Law as our path to life. As Christians we all agree with this, and yet so many of us still follow parts of that old Jewish Law. Why? Are certain aspects of it supposed to be carried over? Are we required […]
The post Does the Old Testament Law Apply to Me? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Most people seem to have a sense there is something beyond this life, that death is not a permanent end. This “sense” is expressed in a myriad of differing beliefs about life and death. Every Christian denomination believes in the resurrection of the dead, but the similarities stop there. Looking at the Scriptures we find […]
The post What is the End Times Resurrection About? How Does It Work? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
We live in a time and place where we are blessed with freedom of speech. This means we have freedom to preach! Preach what? The Gospel of Christ of course! Now, depending on your perspective, the “good news” of the gospel can mean a wide variety of things. When we present Jesus to someone, are […]
The post Preach the Gospel! What Does That Mean? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Christian unity. It has such a reassuring sound to it. To be unified in Christ is to be in a position of not merely mutual acceptance but in a position of locking arms and co-laboring for the accomplishment of something far bigger than any one of us. The problem is the reality in which we […]
The post We Are Christians, But Are We Unified? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Several weeks ago (see Part 1) we began a journey down what might be considered a tricky path as we took a first step towards addressing an enormous subject – perceived Bible contradictions. This is a huge undertaking, not only because of the Bible’s very nature, being ancient and authored by several over many centuries, […]
The post Does the Bible Contradict Itself? Contradictions (Part II) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
The King James Bible says righteousness and judgment (although this word judgment should more accurately be translated as “righteousness”) are the foundation of God’s throne. This picture language shows us that God does indeed judge everyone, and everything and His judgments are based on that which is right and equitable. So, how does it work? […]
The post Does God Judge Everyone the Same Way? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
(After this, head over to Part 2 for more.) The Bible is a big, complex and deeply misunderstood book. It was written over a period of 1,500 years by up to 40 authors. It was written in three different languages. To make matters more complicated, it has been translated a myriad of times through the […]
The post Does the Bible Contradict Itself? Contradictions (Part I) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
What comes to mind when you think about the Last Supper? Perhaps you envision the famous Leonardo da Vinci painting which captures the moment Jesus revealed there was a traitor in their midst. Maybe you focus on Jesus helping his apostles to prepare for the trauma of his coming crucifixion. Perhaps you dwell on Jesus […]
The post What Happened at the Last Supper? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Atheists will tell you there is no scientific proof of God nor can there be. They have a materialistic view of the universe that, by definition, excludes God. Though this philosophy is pervasive in the world today, there is much evidence that reveals a great deal of willing ignorance in that belief. Is science the […]
The post Does Science Prove Intelligent Design? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Baptism is an enormous part of Christianity. It is mentioned frequently and seriously throughout the New Testament. While most Christians agree on its importance, we vastly disagree on its meaning and place within our teachings. Is baptism a symbol of what has begun changing in you or does it actually change you? Is it a […]
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Christianity is confusing. There are so many brands to choose from and so many ways we are shown to express it. For some of us, Christianity is saving the world here and now. For others, it is being charitable and kind. Then there are those who say that following Jesus is for our own personal […]
The post You’re a Christian, But Are You Holy? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Every Christian acknowledges the evil that permeates our world, though explaining its depth and purpose can be challenging. We always say it is a result of sin and Satan – and that’s true. The harder question most don’t ask or want to ask is whether or not God is responsible for evil. If He is […]
The post Is it God’s Fault We Have Evil in This World? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Fundamental to all of Christianity is the foundational teaching of salvation. The problem is that the actual interpretation of salvation shifts dramatically depending upon which denomination or group you belong to. For some, it is speaking words of acceptance and offering a simple prayer. For others, it is belonging to a specific church, and for […]
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Sometimes the Bible is really dramatic. Take the day of Pentecost in Acts which was fifty days after Jesus was crucified. The apostles were told by the risen Jesus to hang around Jerusalem, and on the morning of this particular day there were fireworks – literally, there were fireworks that came down from heaven. Not […]
The post Why Did the Tongues of Fire Touch the Apostles? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
October brings Autumn and Autumn brings a major change of seasons. Leaves brilliantly change color as they die, the harvesting of crops comes to its end and the colder weather sets in. It is at this time of nature “closing up shop,” this time of things dying, that Halloween and all that comes with it […]
The post Can Zombies Possibly Be Real? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
We really are messed up. Just look around and observe the kinds of things we call “entertainment,” and it quickly becomes obvious that human minds have an unhealthy fascination with the powers of darkness. How many movies, TV shows and online series and stories focus on dark spiritual power? How many depictions of Satan and […]
The post How Do Demons Influence Our World? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
As far as I’m concerned, angels are pretty much a mystery to us. I think that we have very limited knowledge of what goes on up there in heaven and are just given glimpses of what angels have done here on earth at God’s command. Further, we have no strong biblical reason to believe that […]
The post How Do Angels Help Us in Daily Life? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Faith is awe-inspiring in its transformative power, reassuring in its calming ability and provides powerful contentment as we apply it daily. Faith is also one of the most misunderstood, misrepresented and maligned aspects in all Christianity. It is too easily confused with ignorant hope, and as a result, is easily dismissed by its detractors as […]
The post How Does Faith Actually Work? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
What is the business of Christianity? What are we here to do and how is it supposed to be accomplished? To cut through all of the rhetoric, what does it monetarily cost to follow Jesus – is it 10% of your income? More? How much of our Christian message, method and motivation is based – […]
The post Do Tithes and Offerings Belong in Christianity? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
,Leadership is a key to success in almost every part of life. When it is done well, those being led not only engage, but they have a tangible opportunity to grow and even be transformed. When done poorly, those who should be led can become apathetic, lazy and directionless. Now, we need to be careful […]
The post Have You Lost Faith in Your Spiritual Leaders? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
The fountain of youth. The cure for cancer. A magic diet pill. We would all love to have these incredible “miracles” for whatever ails us. When Jesus walked the earth 2,000 years ago he, in a sense, was a life-changing elixir and a source of quick fixes as he healed the masses. Who wouldn’t have […]
The post Is Christianity a Healing Religion? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Every Christian adheres to and celebrates the belief that Jesus died to pay for our sins. In the spirit of Jesus’ own words saying “there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved,” we go about preaching the good news of the salvation made available through the life, death and resurrection […]
The post Did Jesus REALLY Die for Everyone? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Everyone loves the idea of being free, and in America we especially are reminded of the privilege of liberty at this time of year. Unfortunately I think many of us do not really understand what freedom and liberty are, and even more so what they are not. In reality, true liberty by very definition has […]
The post Do We Really Have Freedom of Choice? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
See Episode #1021 Part I and Episode #1024 Part II. Understanding the truth of the hellfire teaching is difficult. On one hand, we have powerful Christian tradition that has for over 1500 years emphatically taught that all who do not come to Jesus will suffer eternal torment and torture for their sins. Hard teaching […]
The post Is the Hell of Christian Tradition Taught in the Bible? (Part III) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
The world is not a peaceful place. It seems to have become especially hostile in the arena of thoughts and perspectives. For some reason we can no longer tolerate a dissenting opinion – rather than respectfully listening to disagreement, we instead resoundingly lash out with personal attacks, sarcasm and a self-righteous indignation. Pretty sad, huh? […]
The post Should We Be Peacemakers? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
“The end result of God’s judgment upon those who do not accept Jesus is eternal fire and torment.” Such is the serious warning of many Christians of many centuries before us and of our day as well. Their studied claim is that Jesus was specific,and his words are the words of the Gospel and are […]
The post Is the Hell of Christian Tradition Taught in the Bible? (Part II) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
It is called Hellfire. For many centuries the churches have taught that when sinners die they face a punishment of eternal torment and torture in hell. Reading some of the descriptions of how this intense and endless torture works will make your skin crawl and your stomach turn. Yet, those who adhere to such teaching are […]
The post Is the Hell of Christian Tradition Taught in the Bible? (Part I) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
MERCY or JUSTICE? We often see them as opposites. When someone does something particularly bad we want justice in its harshest and most direct form to be there waiting for them. We tend to see justice as hard but righteous punishment reserved for those who we feel deserve it. Mercy is perceived differently. Often when […]
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For most of us it’s simple. God is good, Satan is evil. They fight and God wins. God destroys Satan and all evil with him. It is simple and reassuring until we think a little more deeply about it. Where did evil actually come from? If God created all things then He must have created […]
The post Are God and Evil Meant to Coexist? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Life has really changed. With all of the amazing connectedness we have through social media, we are more alone than ever. We see people via Facetime but we cannot touch them. We “chat” without talking. We “like” without truly feeling emotion, we “follow” without knowing where we are going and we “join” without ever going […]
The post Do We Have to “Turn the Other Cheek”? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
When I was a kid and faced with the potential consequences (“consequences” nothing…I mean, I was faced with getting punished!) for my actions, there was often that moment that every kid dreads. I had to tell my dad or mom what I did. Now look, they already knew what I did; they were teaching me […]
The post Does God Bless Us When We Act in an Unrighteous Way? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Prayer is a staple of religion. If you don’t follow any particular religion then perhaps you meditate. The point is, humans by and large are tuned to opening their minds to some kind of external power or tranquility. For many, this opening of their minds provides a sense of security and peace as they feel […]
The post Will Prayer Change Your Life? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
What has happened to us? We live in an age where ego and emotion are more important than virtue and values. An age where personal preference outweighs personal worth and “I want it now” trumps integrity. We live in an age where absolutes aren’t (unless we decide they fit into our personal plan) and standards […]
The post Are We SURE Sin is Really Sinful? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
A few weeks ago in Part I we began a conversation about Bible study and its inherent challenges of understanding and interpretation. As we discussed the book in all of its complexity, we suggested a very straightforward and simple conclusion: the Bible is difficult to understand because it was purposely written to be difficult to […]
The post Why Didn’t God Make the Bible Easy to Understand? (Part II) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
In the immensity and complexity of the book we call the Bible, there are some verses that have become somewhat famous…like the Christmas text “Good tidings of great joy…” The football stadium text “For God so loved the world… the character of God text “God is love…”. Another text that is well known and deeply […]
The post Did Jesus and the Thief Go from the Cross to Paradise? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
This is Part 1 of a 2-part series. Pick up a book or an article and start reading. If that book or article is well-written, it will bring you to some kind of conclusion, some kind of understanding or realization that you didn’t have before. Now, these realizations can be across a wide scope of […]
The post Why Didn’t God Make the Bible Easy to Understand? (Part I) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
…Unless one is “born again.” This phrase carries great meaning no matter what Christian denomination you come from. The meaning of the phrase certainly changes depending upon your particular belief system, but the power of the phase remains intact. To be “born again” in all cases implies one of the most significant spiritual changes any […]
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Christians like most other people are creatures of habit. Although society has engineered dramatic changes in how we handle our lives, for many Christians the act of going to church remains a staple in their lives. We go to church to do what? Traditionally we have gone to learn about God, to have fellowship with […]
The post What Makes a Church a “Good Church”? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Have you noticed how easy it is to offend people these days? There seems to be such an overt need to accept and to be accepted that we go overboard with the “correctness” of our words and behavior lest we hurt anyone’s feelings at any time. Now, being accepting of others is a good thing, […]
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Revenge – the desire for it can be a powerful and even overwhelming emotion. Sadly, thinking about revenge can be a fun, motivating and bonding experience. It occupies our minds with creative and often diabolical means with which to carry out our purpose. It is amazing how the development of such a negative action can […]
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Thinking about the death of Jesus always produces a variety of emotions. On one hand, we feel a deep sense of gratitude, hope and praise, for without his willing sacrifice and ignominious death, we would all remain under the sentence of sin with no possible way out. In short, we and the entire human race […]
The post How Were Politics Part of Jesus’ Crucifixion? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Jesus loves you! This is a true, simple and potentially life-changing statement. Once we accept what that three-word sentence actually means, it can become a steering mechanism for everyday of our lives, pointing us to righteousness, godliness and self-sacrifice. Jesus loves you. Pointed and refreshing, but what does it really mean? Does Jesus’ love for […]
The post Is Christianity a Greedy Religion? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
As Christians, we pin all of our hopes on the belief that Jesus was crucified and died for our sins. This is the bottom line core reason for our coming to Christ for it speaks of him doing something for us out of pure love that we in no way could do for ourselves. To […]
The post Did Jesus Die for Muslims? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
The ability to compromise is a lost art. We have become so diverse in our thinking, so polarized in our viewpoints and so set in our conclusions as unequivocally right, that the mere idea of compromise is in some cases viewed as a repulsive evil. Now look – there are times when compromise should be […]
The post How Much Should Christians Compromise? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
What would you think of a powerful leader who sanctions rape, pillaging, the destruction of thousands of lives for the wrong doings of one, racism and genocide? No matter who we are, if we have a conscience in any way tuned to the sanctity of human life, we would have to label them a monster […]
The post Why Do Some Think God is a Monster? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
How would you like access to power? This power can change your life, give you things, protect you and even heal diseases! This power is from a source that is unlimited, a source that is generous and a source that truly has your best interest in mind. Sound intriguing? For many Christians, this power is […]
The post How Can I Get the Holy Spirit? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
A goose that lays golden eggs. King Midas and the ability to turn things to gold through “the Midas Touch.” A winning Powerball Lottery ticket. Confessing Jesus as your Savior and inheriting an irrevocable one-way ticket to heaven. What do all of these things have in common? First of all, they all sound really good […]
The post Once Saved, Are You Set for Life? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Defining God is a monumental task. The measure of its difficulty is such that very few will ever follow through with it, for the world is overrun with contradictory myths, stories and legends about the nature and purposes of God. So many stories, so little truth! Defining God requires us to look into things beyond […]
The post Who is God? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
We all do wrong. We all hurt other people. Sometimes the hurt we deliver is the result of oversight, ignorance or immaturity, or careless words and actions or sloppy and selfish thinking. We hurt someone, but we don’t really mean it. Sometimes the hurt we deliver is a result of anger or vengeance or jealousy […]
The post Does God Really Forgive Me? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Judgment Day! The very words strike fear into the hearts of many believers across the borders of many religions. After all, this world obviously does not dole out any form of true justice to its vast population, and whatever God you may believe in surely sees this and will soon balance those scales that are […]
The post Will Sinners Be Happy on Judgment Day? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Good and Evil. Throughout history there has always been a battle between the two and for many who hold a religion as sacred, this battle has its leaders. As Christians, we embrace God Almighty as the unequivocal Creator and Leader of all that is good and righteous, and we see Satan as the captain of […]
The post Who is Satan? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Lots and lots of people pray, and we pray for all kinds of things from wanting more material things in our lives to wanting to be healed from disease or injury, to wanting bad experiences to end. While we also pray for God’s will to be done, it seems as though the focus of most […]
The post What Should We Be Praying For? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
To figure out how important the substance of what we believe is, we really need to go back before the varied traditions of Christian thinking developed to the time when the original messengers of the Gospel were on the scene. That would be the twelve Apostles and what we find there is telling. For instance, […]
The post Is WHAT You Believe that Big of a Deal? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
The whole idea of being our brother’s keeper comes up very early in the Bible, and it comes up under some really bad circumstances – the murder of Able by his brother Cain. God had watched the circumstances develop that would lead to Cain’s growing rage and God actually intervened with a potential solution. The […]
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We live in a time of great contradiction. There are voices that shout, rant and insist for all in our society to embrace and accept everyone no matter what their choices in life are and no matter what their actions in life may be. Their message in many ways is framed as one of love […]
The post Why Should We Love Our Enemies? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Jesus was a powerful man who was called upon to deliver a powerful message. He walked this earth 2,000 years ago and preached about peace, love, honoring God and a kingdom. It can be argued that his message and his life were more influential than any other in all of history. Okay, fine. So, where […]
The post Is the Power of the Gospel Fading? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
What kind of image comes to your mind when you think about someone who makes promises but never keeps them? Is that a person you feel comfortable with, a person that you can count on, or is that a person who you think twice about, they conjures up doubt and even suspicion in your mind? […]
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Time passes and that original drive and inspiration begin to fade. It is kind of like the new toy you get for Christmas – after you use it for awhile, it ends up being just another toy to be tossed around. But wait a minute! This is your life we are talking about and NOT […]
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Demons – what are they – who are they? Are they associated with Satan or are they figments of very fertile imaginations, brought to life through very real special effects and computer technology? Demons are real and are the minions of Satan – but when we think of minions, what do we think of? Believe […]
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Angels… We have such varied perceptions of them. Sometimes they are viewed as little cupids, flying around shooting people with their arrows of love. Sometimes we think they are white glowing winged creatures. Sometimes we think they take on human form and intervene in specific and dramatic ways and sometimes we think that they are […]
The post Do Angels Protect You? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Jesus had an amazing way of saying a lot with few words. Jesus had a mission – he spoke about it, lived it and taught its principles. A major part of that mission was to open the way of “sonship” to the Father. Jesus told us he IS the way to the Father and he […]
The post How is Jesus “The Truth”? (Part II) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Ours is a society of diversity, and we as a society have made it that way. There is a great value in diversity because it helps us to focus on, accept and appreciate the contributions given by those who may not be like us. This is good. The problem lies in how our diverse society […]
The post How Much of Our Life is Pagan? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
On the night before his crucifixion and literally hours before he would begin a sleepless ordeal of beatings, humiliation and accusation, Jesus took his precious time to give comfort to his truest followers. He spoke of what would happen, of God’s care for them and of his love and devotion to them. He taught them […]
The post How is Jesus “The Way”? (Part I) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Humanity loves ritual and tradition, as they give us a sense of our roots and a sense of belonging. Christianity has its rituals, one of which is baptism. The problem is, there are many ways that different Christian groups define baptism. So, what part should baptism play in our Christian faith? Is it necessary? Should […]
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We believe in God. He is the Almighty Creator. But if you look around, what do you see? Watch the news and you will not only get depressed but probably scared as well. Here in our country, several Christians were gunned down while at a Bible study. A local sheriff was murdered while putting gas […]
The post So, Why Hasn’t God Destroyed Evil? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
The world is messed up. If you believe in God, then you most likely believe in some sort of ultimate justice system. The question is, what does God’s system of justice consist of – what kind of penalty? For generations, the majority of Christianity has believed in a hell of fire and torment as the […]
The post Do the Fires of Hell Come From God? (Part III) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
A few weeks ago Part I, we began to talk about how God communicates to us in our day. We began by looking at the biblical history of God and humanity and really spent most of our time talking about how He does NOT communicate with us now. This week we will focus on what we […]
The post How Does God Speak to Us Here and Now? (Part II) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Several weeks ago we began to talk about the destiny of sinners as described in the Bible. In Part I of our series, we looked at the biblical phrase “weeping and gnashing of teeth” – who it applied to and when. We found out that it really has nothing at all to do with any […]
The post Do the Fires of Hell Come From God? (Part II) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
The Bible is not only an ancient book, it is also an incredibly unique book, for it was written over a period of about 1,500 years by many authors and in several languages. It covers history and prophecy, moral and legal guidance, family counsel, spiritual enlightenment and a firm pathway to finding and appreciating the […]
The post So, Where Does the Bible Come From? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
We as Christians say that God is love – and that is true. But what does that really mean? Who does God love and how do we know? Sometimes the answer to that question is difficult to see as we live in a world of sin and sadness. We must remember that God’s love is […]
The post God’s Three Great Promises – Which One is For You? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
It is a pretty simple equation: You love God, you pray to Him, obey Him and serve Him and in return we as humans look for some kind of indication of His love and acceptance. We want to – we need to – hear from God in some way or other. So, how does He […]
The post How Does God Speak to Us Here and Now? (Part I) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Christianity is all about salvation in Christ Jesus, but it is also about judgment and accountability for wrongdoing. All Christians believe that Jesus clearly addressed both the salvation and judgment, but we are widely divided on what he meant by his words. Did Jesus teach that all who do not accept him are doomed to […]
The post Do the Fires of Hell Come From God? (Part I) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
The world is a big place and Christianity is a big religion. With 2,000+ denominations we will find a vast labyrinth of beliefs, traditions and interpretations of Scripture. One widely interpreted Christian belief is the understanding and use of the gift of speaking in tongues. For many it is an integral part of their faith […]
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Today is Mother’s Day, a day to stop, think about and honor the role that motherhood plays in our lives. Be sure to express your gratitude to the mothers in your lives! Now, on this day that we honor motherhood we also want to look into the Bible’s treatment of womanhood. It sure seems like […]
The post Does the Bible Advocate for Women’s Rights? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
(Part 1 found here) A few weeks ago we began to look at the nature of the soul as defined in the Bible – not as defined by traditions or mythology or different social groupings – but as defined by the Bible. What we found was the Bible clearly states that the soul – the […]
The post Where Does Your Soul Go When You Die? (Part II) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Today is a special day, for it was on this day over 2,000 years ago Jesus rode into Jerusalem to the adoration of the crowd. This would begin the final series of events that would lead to his death. Today is another anniversary as well, for it was on this day over 1,400 years before […]
The post Israel’s Passover – What Does It Mean To Us? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
To have faith is to have an awesome power, for it connects you to something outside of yourself and sometimes to something within yourself that can alter your way of life. Now, depending on what you put your faith in, this altered way of life can end up leading to great advantage or to great […]
The post Are Christians Supposed to Be Healed? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
(Part 2 found here) Death and taxes – two sure things for us in this life. Now, with taxes we can always try and avoid them – we can shelter our money, make less money, get a better tax advisor – you know – we can play the game and sometimes even come out ahead. […]
The post Where Does Your Soul Go When You Die? (Part I) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
God blessed Isaac and he became a wealthy man. God through Elisha blessed the woman whose husband died with enough to pay her debts and then some. God told Malachi to test His grace by bringing in the tithes so that God could open the windows of heaven and pour out blessing. God is giving […]
The post Why Aren’t You a Wealthy Christian? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
It kind of funny how there is such a movement against the Bible and biblical principles these days, yet things like “Armageddon” and “Judgment Day,” which have their basis in Scripture, are common themes in our society. Of course, society dramatizes these things way beyond the reality of Scripture, so what we perceive is generally […]
The post What Really Happens on Judgment Day? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Atheism – for many of us who profess Christianity, even hearing the word conjures up a need to defend oneself and one’s faith. Sometimes we envision atheists as those whose objective in life is to ridicule not only us but the mechanism of our faith. And not just the mechanism of our faith, but the […]
The post Did Jesus Die For Atheists? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Racism – it is one of the hardest, most emotional and divisive subjects in our present culture. Understanding what it means, where it came from and how to deal with it are some of the many pressing questions that surround this issue. One of the utterly false reasonings that helped to provoke our modern day […]
The post Does the Bible Support Racism? (Part I) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
To be a Christian is perhaps the most amazing privilege in the history of mankind. After all, you are called to walk in the footsteps of the master, to sacrifice your will, your time and your energy for one short lifetime. In exchange, you will be given an eternity of godly power and wisdom and […]
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(See Part I for the beginning of this discussion.) A few weeks ago we began a discussion on the keys to understanding the Bible as the word of God and therefore to being able to understand the mind of God. Is it really possible to know what God is thinking and what He is planning […]
The post Can We Know the Mind of God? (Part II) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
The Ebola virus. War between the Palestinians and Israel. Iraq being plundered by ISIS. Christians in the middle east being persecuted and killed. Worldwide anti-Semitism on the rise. The tenuous problems with Russia and Ukraine. In our country – lawlessness on the southern border, Government scandals over the IRS, the Health Care system and Benghazi, […]
The post A World in Chaos! Should We Be Afraid? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
God is Almighty. He is all knowing and all seeing. We believe He is the very embodiment of wisdom, justice, love and power. As our Creator, we believe He has a plan – a detailed plan – that He will see accomplished for the good of all mankind. How do we think we know these […]
The post Can We Know the Mind of God? (Part I) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Resurrection. It is synonymous with the most basic tenets of Christian belief, no matter what denomination, sect or group one may come from. For most of us, we think about Jesus and the fact of his resurrection and we think about the prospect of our own resurrection. On the surface it sounds pretty simple – […]
The post How Many Resurrections Will There Be? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
In just a few days the costumes will come out, the candy will be distributed, the parties will roar on! The ghosts, the goblins, the skeletons – the superheroes, the princesses, the ballerinas – all will engage in a happy celebration of Halloween – ironically the night where pagan tradition says the veil between the […]
The post How Bad Can White Witchcraft Be? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Satan. The Devil. The Adversary. These are but a few of the names that describe that powerful spiritual being who fell from heaven and opposes God. Many people don’t believe he exists. Still others look at the Bible and point out how Satan is such an infrequent player in the Old Testament and a dominate […]
The post Does the Devil Really Exist? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Followers of Jesus today are bombarded on every side with agnostic and atheistic philosophies that erode faith. In science, the theory of Evolution is embraced by many as the best explanation of man’s existence on earth, of course without the necessity of a supposed mythical creator. However, in recent decades the scientific debate over the […]
The post Is God Really the Creator? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
So much of the philosophy of our society today is built around the idea that “I am the center of my universe, therefore what I want, I truly must have,” so the whole concept of sin becomes very subjective and often not even really relevant in people’s lives. So, is sin as relevant today as […]
The post Where Does Sin Come From? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
As Christians, we all have a sense of the sanctity of marriage. We all know that it is supposed to be ‘til death do us part, yet we also experience about as high a rate of divorce as the rest of our society. Does Jesus give us solid guidelines for marriage and divorce? Should Christians […]
The post What About Divorce? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Jesus knew when his time would be up and his sacrifice would be complete. He knew – down to the very hour – he knew. He understood the pain and suffering that awaited, and he also understood the immense difficulty and challenge that would unfold, not only for him but for his followers as well. […]
The post Jesus Was Prepared…Are You? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Sometimes we as Christians just don’t see eye to eye. We all (hopefully) take the doctrine of Christ seriously and want to abide by the word of God, so when we come to a subject that is widely interpreted, we have a dilemma. The concept of a Hell of Torment is one such topic. There […]
The post What is the History of Hellfire? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
For the Christian, the Holy Spirit is a sacred part of our faith. It was promised to us in the absence of Jesus as a comforter, a guide, a teacher and even an intercessor. It is a true evidence of one who has been called, chosen and working towards being faithful. So, how does the […]
The post How Does God’s Spirit Work? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
In Part I, we began to unfold one of the greatest Bible prophecies ever spoken – the prophecy that Jesus himself spoke relating to his return. We talked about that return was a process and how his eventual revealing would be similar to a sunrise. We talked about how it was built upon the sacrificial […]
The post Is Jesus Really Returning? (Part II) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
A few weeks ago, we opened up the ever volatile topic of gender roles, the Bible and the 21st century. From what most of us know about the Bible, it sure doesn’t seem to fit in today’s world when it comes to defining men, women and their relationships today. In this program we will continue […]
The post Should We Be Gender Neutral? (Part II) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
It was about 2,000 years ago when Jesus walked this earth as a man to fulfill the necessary requirements of justice and give his life as a ransom price for Adam and therefore for all mankind. We see that sacrifice as the pivot point of human history – and it was, but Jesus himself assured […]
The post Is Jesus Really Returning? (Part I) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Oh boy! Here we go, right into the belly of the beast called equality! Why do we call it a beast? Because it does appear that gender equality is grossly misrepresented and misunderstood! Belief in equality is key, but should men and women, in all things, be consistently measured with the same yardstick? We ARE […]
The post Should We Be Gender Neutral? (Part I) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Prayer is an almost universal phenomenon. People pray to all kinds of “gods” and we pray about all kinds of things. We use all kinds of tools to help us pray – prayer shawls, wheels, rugs, books and beads, to name a few. People pray to worship, to ask for help, guidance, peace, patience, strength, […]
The post Does Prayer Really Change Life’s Outcomes? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
(Part 2 in a 2-part series) About a month ago we began talking about leadership – Christian leadership – and how important it is for a Christian community – any community – to have significant leadership. Without leadership, people tend towards their own way and more than that, without leadership people tend towards a self-centered […]
The post What Makes a True Christian Leader (Part II) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
So, it’s fall and once again we are all gearing up for the big holiday. You know the one – it’s the holiday where kids rule and get stuff, where everyone suddenly seems to be in a giving mood and for one night anyway, freely gives to anyone who passes by. It is the holiday […]
The post Trick or Treat – Really? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
We are blessed – truly blessed – to know Christ and to have the opportunity for salvation before us. In light of this blessing that is claimed by Christians, some have raised the question if you (Christians) have this blessing and path to God’s favor while the vast majority of the world’s population does not, […]
The post Can Everyone Answer the Gospel Call? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
In Part I, we began an important discussion regarding God and His treatment of humanity in the Old and New Testaments. There are many who say that the warlike and nationalistic activities of the God of the Old Testament cannot possibly be the same as the God of mercy love and salvation of the New […]
The post Does the Same God Rule in the Old and New Testament? (Part II) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
(Part 1 in a 2-part series) Leadership – In today’s world, it is one of the most important necessities of life and sadly it is one of the most absent aspects of life. Humanity needs leaders. We need leaders to show us a vision, to clear a path, to walk the path first and to […]
The post What Makes a True Christian Leader (Part I) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
As Christians we believe that we have been given the answer for the major dilemma of life – sin and ultimately death. We believe that the life, death and resurrection of Jesus put back in balance what Adam’s sin originally put out of balance. The problem is this: We as Christians cannot agree as to […]
The post Jesus Died. So, Who Benefits? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
(Part 1 in a 2-part series) Ours is a world of great contradiction. Some say the ends justify the means and others say that the means are an end in themselves. Some say equal treatment is giving everyone the same while others say that equal treatment is giving each what they need. Some say that […]
The post Does the Same God Rule in the Old and New Testament? (Part I) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Several weeks ago we talked about demons, their sometimes subtle and sometimes blatant influence in our world today and how careful we need to be. What about angels? Does God give us the influence of angels to counteract the darkness that demons bring? Can we find our hope and perspective in the presence and guidance […]
The post Are Angels Influencing Your Life? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Ours is a day of openness, availability and communication – sort of. We can stay in touch with friends and family on a moment by moment basis, follow news as it happens and even tap into the spirit world pretty much at will. Wait a minute…what? Tapping into the spirit world – is that something […]
The post Are Demons Influencing Your Life? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
It is awfully cliché to say it, but death is part of life. Nobody wants it, nobody likes it and nobody even likes thinking about it. But death, until further notice, is the inevitable end for every being that exists on this earth. So, what happens when you die? Talk to 10 people and you […]
The post What Happens When You Die? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Baptism is one of the central themes of Christianity and is held as sacred by all denominations. Now you would think that with such widespread agreement that Christianity would be in agreement, but alas we are not! Here are the areas of concern: who should be baptized, what does baptism actually mean, when (at what […]
The post Why Do We Baptize? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Sickness and disease are a scourge of humanity. Far too often we witness good and decent people contract some serious disease or malady and we watch as their quality of life goes from bad to worse. Science and medicine have worked wonders in the fight against such things, but the battle still rages on. The […]
The post Can Christians Heal Disease? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
This past week, the Powerball jackpot was up around $500 million! To many it represents a dream of a care-free life full of travel, leisure and luxury. For some Christians, the mere fact of their Christianity represents the same, as the Prosperity Gospel preaches that God does absolutely want you to live the good life […]
The post Is the Gospel Your Ticket to Wealth? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Five weeks ago we began a discussion on the highly controversial topic of hellfire and the Bible and whether or not these two belong together. We based that conversation on a 2012 documentary entitled “Hellbound?” written and produced by Kevin Miller. Kevin joined us for that discussion as we mainly focused on the Old Testament […]
The post Are Most People Really “Hellbound?” (Part II) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Christianity is a faith that claims to see the mind of God through His written Word. It claims to represent a God of love and compassion, yet a God of justice and consequence as well. All Christians are unified in the belief that the true followers of Christ will be rewarded with immortal life in […]
The post Are Most People Really “Hellbound?” (Part I) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
In just seven days, the Christian world will be enraptured in the celebration of Resurrection Sunday – the celebration of the day – the event that actually changed the course of human history. What sometimes gets overlooked are the striking events of the week before and the significant part they play in tying Old Testament […]
The post Palm Sunday – What is the Real Story? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Several weeks ago, we began working on a response to a YouTube video sent to us by a college student entitled, “Why I am no longer a Christian,” a 1½ hour step-by-step presentation of how another young man went from devoted Christian to atheist. It was a well done, non-inflammatory treatise on why the author […]
The post Should You NOT be a Christian? (Part III) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Several weeks ago, we began working on a response to a YouTube video sent to us by a college student entitled, “Why I am no longer a Christian,” a 1½ hour step-by-step presentation of how another young man went from devoted Christian to atheist. It was a well done, non-inflammatory treatise on why the author […]
The post Should You NOT be a Christian? (Part II) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
About two months ago, we received an email from a listener – a college student – who was troubled. He is a Christian and had watched a YouTube video entitled, “Why I am no longer a Christian,” a 1 1/2-hour, step-by-step presentation of how another young man went from devoted Christian to atheist. It was […]
The post Should You NOT be a Christian? (Part I) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.