Tag: Questions

Cedars of LebanonThe common thought is Noah alone, or with the help of his sons built the Ark. A ship of this size being built by one man, or even by four or five men seems quite impossible. To begin this discussion we should first determine just how large the Ark actually was? In Genesis 6:15 we ar...

No. First of all, while ultimate physical healing is in the atonement (a healing we will enjoy in our resurrection bodies), healing of our bodies while in the mortal state (prior to our death and resurrection) is not guaranteed in the atonement. Moreover, it is important to note that the Hebrew word...

The backdrop to understanding this title is the Book of Isaiah. In Isaiah 44:6 God Almighty affirms: "I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God." Again, in Isaiah 48:12, God said: "I am he; I am the first and I am the last," and God said this right after His pronouncement that ...

This sounds like some kind of contradiction at first glance, but in fact there is no contradiction. An examination of Scripture reveals that the phrase "Son of Man" carries broad significance. First of all, even if the phrase "Son of Man" is a reference to Jesus' humanity, it is not a denial of His ...

Matthew 12:31-32 says, "Every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to c...

In 3 John 2 we read: "Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers." Some people have cited this verse in support of what they call the "prosperity gospel." But this is a misunderstanding of the verse. The Greek word for "prosper" here refers...

In Luke 7:20 we read that John the Baptist, now in prison, sent some messengers to Jesus to ask, "Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?" Jesus replied to them: "Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who hav...

In Luke 22:31-32, Jesus said to the disciple Peter: "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers." As a backdrop to understanding this passage, wheat in ancient times was s...

Matthew 27:5 tells us that Judas died by hanging himself. Acts 1:18 tells us that Judas fell onto some rocks and his body burst open. Is there a contradiction here? No. Both accounts are true. Apparently Judas first hanged himself. Then, at some point, the rope either broke or loosened so that his b...

These instructions are for clergy only. If you are a lay person, talk to your pastor. Acquiring, Consecrating, and Storing the Oil Check with your judicatory to find out the proper procedure for obtaining oil, the type of oil that you must use, whether or not you are authorized to consecreate it, th...

In 1 Corinthians 10:14 we read, "Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry." The Jehovah's Witnesses argue that the command against idolatry in this verse represents a command not to wear a cross. To wear a cross, they say, is a form of idolatry. It is certainly true that Christians must avoid ...

I believe they did. Let us consider the apostle Paul as an example. In 1 Corinthians 2:13 the apostle Paul said he spoke "not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words." In this passage, Paul (who wrote a huge portion of the ...