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…
Falling Short of God's Glory
The phrase "fall short" means all sorts of things, depending on the context; it does not have one consistent meaning throughout the Bible. When you find phrases like "fall short" and "miss the mark"…
Physical Description of Paul
The Bible does not provide a description of Paul, though many have speculated that he had problems with his eyes. These speculations have been based on his apparently large handwriting (Gal. 6:11)…
Calvinism and Matthew 23:37?
Your question is referring to universalism, and there are several texts of Scripture that appear to speak to this: Ezekiel 18:23, 32; 33:11; I Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9. However, when properly…
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…
Same-Sex Love?
In answering this question it is necessary to define some biblical terms from God's holy perspective and to understand God's definition of "love" in regards to couples (families). Biblical romantic…
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…
What is the ordo salutis?
Ordo salutis is Latin for "the order of salvation," which deals with the logical sequence of stages involved in the salvation of a believer - election, effectual calling, regeneration, conversion…
Blasphemy or Superstition?
From your description, it does not sound to me like what you have done qualifies as blasphemy. To be honest, it sounds more like you have a superstitious view of blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, and…
Jews and The Revelation of John
First, please let me affirm for you that Jesus' Jewishness was very important to him and to his ministry. As you note in Romans 11, being Jewish is even important for Gentile Christians. In the Old…
Unnatural Acts
In the context of Romans 1, these verses seem to refer only to homosexuality. Although bestiality and other sexual sins are condemned in other portions of Scripture, they are not the topic of…
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…
Anti-Christ a Human?
Only John mentions the idea of antichrist (1 John 2:18; 2:22; 4:3; 2 John 7), and his letters antichrist does not seem to be any particular individual. There are also some textual variants that…
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…
What does 1 Corinthians 6:12?
For a bit of detail on 1 Corinthians 6:12, please take a look at: https://thirdmill.org/newfiles/ric_pratt/NT.Pratt.1Corinthians.6.12-20.html In general, the idea of "mastery" in 1 Corinthians 6:12…
Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit
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…
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…
Where Did Paul Write Philippians?
The Bible does not tell us precisely where Paul was when he wrote Philippians. Scholars have generally argued for one of three localities: Caesarea, Ephesus, and Rome. The traditional view that he…
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…
Righteous Scarcely Saved
The point of Peter's argument in this section of the letter is that Christians should expect to suffer for Christ's sake (1 Pet. 4:12-16), and that in their suffering they should entrust themselves…
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…