Two Demon Possessed Men or One?
Matthew 8:28-33; Mark 5:1-16 and Luke 8:26-39 all relate the story of Jesus casting out demons from a man or two men and sending them into a herd of swine which then drowns itself. Matthew claims…
More Historical Inaccuracies In The Bible
The question of historical accuracy is sometimes a complicated one, and there are many reasons why each instance deserves to be treated on its own merit. Nonetheless, I'll try to provide you with…
The Apostle Formerly Known as Saul
I keep coming across a “sticky” misconception that God (specifically, Jesus) changed the name of an important figure we now typically refer to as “Saint Paul.” In a recent sermon, I heard: “Just like…
Lazarus Died Again
Yes, Lazarus (cf. John 11) died again, but we don't have a record of when. One reason we know he died again is that he was not resurrected with a glorified body, and only those raised with glorified…
Moses and Divorce
Moses permitted divorce because of the men's hardness of heart (Deut. 24:1-4; Mark 10:5), though the ideal had always been for one man and one woman to live in loving, forgiving monogamy. Sometimes…
Pilate and Herod
Herod was king over Galilee and Perea; Pilate was prefect over Judea and Samaria. Caesar was emperor over both these territories, so both Herod and Pilate were under his rule. Their positions seem to…
Calvin, Salvation, Baptism
On the specific issue of Calvin's view of baptism and that represented in the Westminster Standards, the two are basically the same. Also, just as a side note, Calvin himself said that his…
Why Not a Towel?
There are two occasions in Scripture when women wipe Jesus' feet with their hair. One is in Luke 7:38, the other in John 12:3. In the first instance, a prostitute wets Jesus' feet with her tears and…
Jesus Came to Save the Unbelievers?
The answer lies in the broader context of John 12:44-50. Jesus' point is not that he won't ever judge the unbelievers -- after all, in verse 48 he says that his word will judge unbelievers on the…
Can you explain Matthew 26:39?
I think your treatment of Jesus' desire is too simplistic. Jesus was determined to submit entirely to the Father's will ("as you will"). His prayer may be interpreted from different perspectives…
Transfiguration, Elijah, and Moses
I think you mean "translated," yes? Elijah was "translated" when he was taken up to heaven without dying. He and Moses then appeared with Christ on the mount when Christ was "transfigured." At any…
Backsliding Christians
The Bible teaches that once you are saved you cannot lose your salvation. There are many, many arguments and proofs for this doctrine, including: Christians are predestined not just to initial…
Pharisees and Works Righteousness
It is my understanding that the Pharisees did not teach works-based salvation. According to the New Testament, their doctrine of salvation had some flaws, but trusting in personal merit is not…
Unforgivable Sin
In the immediate context of Luke 12:10, there is not much to indicate specifically what Jesus meant by "blasphemy of the Holy Spirit." It seems to be somewhat paired, at least in a rhetorical way…
Mary and Joseph's Parents
Actually, the Bible doesn't tell us anything about Mary's parents. Some believe that the genealogy in Luke 3 is actually Mary's genealogy, but there is no indication of this in the text. Rather, even…
Joshua = Jesus?
The answer is "yes and no." Or, if you prefer, "sort of." That is, in the New Testament "Jesus" is the English translation of the Greek name "Iesous" when "Iesous" refers to the Savior. "Joshua" is a…
Greater Than John the Baptist?
There are a couple of things that Jesus may have meant. Clearly John was a true prophet of God, and a great one at that. Jesus' language suggests that John was at least as great as Abraham, Moses and…
Prophetic Fulfillments in Mark
Your question seems to assume a dichotomy between "fulfillment" of the Old Testament in Mark's Gospel and bringing "something entirely new" to the table in regards to Jesus. But it is not really a…
Elizabeth and Mary as Prophetesses
Your raise some very important points. I'll try to comment on three of them. 1. The issue of interpreting Elizabeth and Mary in line with the Old Testament prophets is a somewhat complicated one. In…
John the Baptist an Old Testament Prophet?
Yes, there are significant similarities between John the Baptist and the Old Testament prophets. The Old Testament prophets whose writings we have in the Bible, and many of those prophets mentioned…
Simon Magus
Simon Magus (a.k.a. Simon the Magician) is a very interesting character. The Bible records his encounter with Peter in Acts 8, and several early Christian writings tell of things that later happened…
Bible Rife with Contradiction
There are many things in the Bible that at first glance look contradictory, but there are, in my opinion, reasonable explanations for all of them. Much of recognizing the harmony rather than the…
God Loves Pagans Too
Actually, this is not the general agreement of Calvinists. Mosts Calvinists believe that God loves people other than the elect. They do, however, believe that God has a special love for the elect…
Missing Verses?
The short answer is "yes." Here's the long answer: The NIV deliberately omits certain verses in Acts and elsewhere. This is because the translation committee of the NIV determined that certain verses…