Tag: Questions

In Luke 12:49 Jesus said, "I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!" Scholars have interpreted Jesus' words differently, and all agree that it is hard to know precisely what He had in mind here. Some scholars point out that in Old Testament times fire often sym...

No. Science depends upon observation and replication. Miracles, such as the Incarnation and the Resurrection, are by their very nature unprecedented events. No one can replicate these events in a laboratory. Hence, science simply cannot be the judge and jury as to whether or not these events occurre...

If you are not clergy, find out the requirements of your church. The laying on of hands is used in a number of church rites, some of which can only be conducted by clergy. You must obey all the rules that apply to you, so that you do not accidentally make a mockery of your own church. Important Cons...

There are situations in which clothing is very important. I found this out by accident once, when I walked into a furniture store, coincidentally wearing the same sort of shirt as the employees. I had to leave because the other customers expected me to wait on them. Clothing conveys a message. A bus...

A Tenebrae is a special service for Holy Week, that can be conducted on Wednesday in Holy Week, Maundy Thursday, or Good Friday. You can read a description of a Tenebrae service elsewhere in my web site. The purpose of this page is to help you design one. “Tenebrae” is Latin for “shadows,” so this i...

In Mark 11:23-24 we read, "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have receiv...

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...

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 ...

The commandment in Exodus 20:8-11 states that the seventh day of the week, Saturday, is the day which the Lord selected as the day of rest and worship. However, in the New Testament the Christian church began to worship and rest on the first day of the week, Sunday. Are Christians violating the Sabb...

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 ...

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...

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 ...