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1 On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. 2 And great multitudes were gathered together to him, so that he got into… Read More

1 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the report about Jesus 2 and said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead, and… Read More

1 Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, 2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash… Read More

21 Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have… Read More

1 Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing him asked that he would show them a sign from heaven. 2 He answered and said to them, “When it is… Read More

1 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; 2 and he was transfigured before them. His… Read More

1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 Then Jesus called a little child to him, set him… Read More

1 Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these sayings, that he departed from Galilee and came to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. 2 And great… Read More

1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 Now when he had agreed with… Read More

1 Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village opposite… Read More

23 Now when he came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you… Read More

1 And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said: 2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son,… Read More

1 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples, 2 saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 Therefore whatever they tell you to observe,… Read More

1 Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and his disciples came up to show him the buildings of the temple. 2 And Jesus said to them, “Do… Read More

1 “Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Now five of them were wise,… Read More

1 Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, that he said to his disciples, 2 “You know that after two days is the Passover, and… Read More

31 Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of me this night, for it is written: ‘I will strike the Shepherd, And the… Read More

1 When morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put him to death. 2 And when they had bound him, they led… Read More

32 Now as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. Him they compelled to bear his cross. 33 And when they had come to a… Read More

1 Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. 2 And behold, there… Read More

1 The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2 It is written in the prophet Isaiah: Look, I am going to send my messenger in… Read More

9 At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptised by John in the Jordan. 10 As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw… Read More

21 They went as far as Capernaum, and at once on the Sabbath he went into the synagogue and began to teach. 22 And his teaching made a deep impression… Read More

1 When Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days, it became known that he was at home. 2 Many gathered together so that there was no longer room for them,… Read More

1 Another time he went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. 2 Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so… Read More

1 Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on… Read More

1 They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. 2 When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an evil spirit came from the tombs… Read More

1 Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples. 2 When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him… Read More

30 The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. 31 Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not… Read More

1 The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus and 2 saw some of his disciples eating food with hands… Read More

1 During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said, 2 “I have compassion for these people; they… Read More

1 And he said to them, “I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power.”… Read More

1 Jesus then left that place and went into the region of Judea and across the Jordan. Again crowds of people came to him, and as was his custom, he… Read More

32 They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again he took the Twelve… Read More

1 And as they approached Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, 2 and said to them, “Go into the village… Read More

1 And he began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard, and put a wall around it, and dug a vat under the wine press, and… Read More

1 As he was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!” 2 “Do you see all these great buildings?”… Read More

21 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. 22 For false Christs and false prophets… Read More

1 Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some sly… Read More

32 They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 He took Peter, James and John along with him, and… Read More

1 Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, reached a decision. They bound Jesus, led him away… Read More

1 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. 2 Very early on… Read More

Please read Luke 2:42-52. Jesus had the holiday spirit. This was a busy time. Yet his family literally forgot the Lord —  they were not on the same spiritual wavelength…. Read More

This popular Jewish celebration falls close to the Christmas of the traditional church observance. It dates to the days of the Maccabean revolt (2nd century BC). For the origins of… Read More

If you have followed all the studies this year, you have completed an intensive study of the entire New Testament. Well done! For the next few days seasonal information and… Read More

I noticed your reply to the inquiry about the ISV [Q 0695] and I wondered if you have noticed that free HCSB software is now available at e-sword.net. They also… Read More

We recently used IVF to conceive another child. However, instead of the normal number of good fertilized eggs (four), which would normally produce one or two babies, we ended up… Read More

Can you think of an instance where an evangelist, elder, deacon, etc. might have his authority removed? A situation has happened in our local congregation that has sparked many questions… Read More

What do you think about David Berçot and his writings, especially Will the Real Heretics Please Stand Up? — Alvin Gumiran (Manila) I enjoy David Berçot’s writings enormously. They make… Read More

Is it wrong if I move in with my boyfriend? If we love each other, isn’t that what counts? Is the Bible against this? Living (and, presumably, sleeping) with your… Read More

I have recently read the following books: How We Got the Bible, by Neil R. Lightfoot; The Origin of the Bible, by Philip Wesley Comfort; and From God to Us,… Read More

How do viruses fit into God’s plan, and where do you believe they come from? Also, do you believe they are living? — B.M. Virology is simply not addressed, even… Read More

Romans chapter 3 says that "there is no one righteous — not even one." If there is no one righteous, why is Jesus considered the righteous one? Does righteous mean… Read More

I recently wrote a paper on my blog entitled "What is Salvation?" Yet I felt that the baptism discussions were a little too pointed, too focused on baptism exclusively rather… Read More

I was reading in Psalms 1, and I noted verse 5: "Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous." I was… Read More

Romans 16:13 says that Rufus’ mother was like a mother to Paul. Speculating that this woman was the wife of Simon of Cyrene Mark 15:21, when did Paul develop this… Read More

I have begun reading through Leviticus to get a better understanding and appreciation of the temple/tabernacle worship. One of the striking things is the sudden death of Nadab and Abihu,… Read More

I am truly trying not to "speak where the Bible is silent," and I feel like baptizing children is one of those issues. I see that Jesus called children to… Read More

In the first five books of the OT, there are at least 21 times where people were killed directly or ordered to be killed by God. Yet God said, "Do… Read More

Acts 22:28 states that Paul was a natural born Roman citizen, while Philippians 3:4-5 states he’s a Hebrew. There are other passages in Scripture indicating his apparent dual citizenship. My… Read More

When do you think John the Baptist was taken into prison in relationship to Jesus’ ministry? It seems like one account says that after Jesus got back from the wilderness,… Read More

I appreciate your answers to the questions concerning dating and whether to marry. I recall you writing that if you have the gift of celibacy you should consider remaining single… Read More

In Acts 1:26, the apostles cast lots to determine who would replace Judas as the twelfth apostle. Proverbs says, "The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision… Read More

I have a question regarding homosexuality. I am a Christian and obviously believe God’s word to be true. The Bible says homosexuality is sinful — something to be repented of…. Read More

I have a question about 2 Corinthians 2ff. and Ephesians 1. Paul often uses the term "we," "our," etc. In our reading and preaching of these texts, it seems to… Read More

"For many are called, but few are chosen" appears in some Bibles as part of Matthew 20:16, after "the first shall be last and the last shall be first." Yet… Read More

I would like to share the following submission from one of my readers. (My own position is that in 99% of all cases, abortion is indeed wrong.) Would you consider… Read More

I visited a Bible discussion on campus at a nearby university. The topic was the life of David. The leader mentioned (commenting on 1 Samuel 29) that since David fled… Read More

Can you please suggest some websites with some good biblical study courses? (several inquirers) John Lang, of Indianapolis, recently sent the following great links. I think you will appreciate all… Read More

Where can I find out what coins in Bible times looked like? Any pointers? A good Bible encyclopedia would probably help you, though there is a quicker way. Since you… Read More

I came across an online resource for a Bible translation I was unfamiliar with. The ISV (International Standard Version) purports to bridge the gap between literal and idiomatic translations. The… Read More

I found a book that answered a lot of my questions about prayer. It is Nelson’s Personal Handbook on Prayer, by James Wilhoit. On page 182 it says, "First of… Read More

Don’t the two following passages in the scriptures rule out that the kingdom of God came on the day of Pentecost? Luke 17:20-21: "Once, having been asked by the Pharisees… Read More

Could you please explain the concept of surrender as it applies to "letting go and letting God"? I hear this over and over, but I’m not sure that I know… Read More

Is it true that the Koran prophesies the "War on Terror" against Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden? I recently received an email. It said, "No other nation, except Israel,… Read More

I was reading about Origen (d.254 AD), one of the ancient church fathers in a recent Christian history magazine, and it got me thinking. My church has taught for years that… Read More

Do you believe that Revelation was written by John around 64-65 A.D, or do you hold to the more traditional date of 95 A.D? I know that the 95 A.D…. Read More

[The issue at hand: whether it is right to baptize a couple living together who are not technically married.] — See Q&A 0666 for the context. I was reading through… Read More

I read somewhere (I can’t remember where) that each of our modern-day paragraphs is the equivalent of a single sentence in the original Greek. But my interlinear Bible seems to… Read More

Do all who call on the name of the Lord get saved? Or only the ones who do his will? I am thinking of passages like Romans 10:13, Joel 2:32,… Read More

How do you explain that Jesus himself called people ‘fools’? Wouldn’t he be subject to hellfire according to his own words (Matthew 5:22 versus 23:17, 19)? What does this mean… Read More

I have a question about Romans 10:9. Before every baptism I’ve been to, including my own, the person to be baptized confessed "Jesus is Lord." Was this confession done in… Read More

I was wondering what your view was about life on other planets. — Chris Gordillo So far, there is no unequivocal evidence that there has ever been life any of… Read More

I’m trying to understand the idea of male-female relationships — i.e. marriage, or in my case, dating. My desire is to have a girlfriend, and eventually a wife, but I’m… Read More

I noticed in your book Genesis, Science & History [now Origins] that you teach Revelation 21-22 is about the church triumphant. My viewpoint on this is evolving, but I have a… Read More

What reference books do you recommend in order to study New Testament words? — C. W. Rardin Why not start with Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament… Read More

I believe Mary and Joseph were called "married" before Jesus was born. I do not understand this. Were they really married? And were they allowed to have sex together? And… Read More

Please help to make sense of the following scriptures — how they relate to one another and should be applied. Numbers 30:10-12: "Suppose a woman is married and living in… Read More

I recently visited a charismatic church. The sermon was about strengthening the spirit, or, as they put it, "Getting the wuss out of you!" The main scripture was Numbers 13:29,… Read More

In Acts 21:29, Paul was criticised for bringing an uncircumcised Greek into the temple courts. I was trying to find the OT regulation stipulating that Gentiles, aliens or the uncircumcised… Read More

I am reading through Chronicles and have a question about names in the Bible. Do you know the process by which names are translated? I came across one name Evil-Merodach,… Read More

I would like to study the water and HS baptism as one in the same theme. Do you have some scriptures or a study on that? Yes, chapter 24 of… Read More

I’ve been asked by a few friends, “Was it a sin to be immoral in the Old Testament without being married?” What do you say?”—Carmen (Long Beach) Absolutely! It is… Read More

The article posted at your website on this difficult subject is very helpful. I especially appreciate the time all the authors took in developing the “concessionary will” strand in the… Read More

1 Samuel 17:50 and 2 Samuel 21:19 appear to be contradictory. The second passage says Elhanan son of Jaare-Oregim of Bethlehem killed Goliath the Gittite. If this is true, how… Read More

In Daniel 6:30, the king who conquered and took over the Babylonian empire was Darius, while I guess historical records indicate it was Cyrus. What would you say about this?… Read More

Are the Nag Hammadi and Lut Lake documents (gospels) true, or did somebody make them up to confuse the believers? If they are true, do they contradict with the Bible… Read More

In Acts 19, in Ephesus, the great goddess is named Diana in the KJV, but is called Artemis in the NIV. This seems like a pretty big difference. Any reason… Read More

I really appreciate you taking the time to answer my question in Q632. However, there are some loose ends I’d like to clear up. First, you said "Then why, you… Read More

At your website you wrote that if the laws of the land recognize you as married, then that is fine. I have a friend who has been living a common… Read More

Is masturbation sin? Can we separate the act from the sinful desires that accompany it? The Bible does not directly address the subject, so we should be careful in how… Read More

In Matthew 5:42 we read, "Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you." Is it right for… Read More

I checked out one of your articles regarding the creation account, where you said, "There are several other scientific insights one can glean from Genesis. For example, Genesis 3 teaches… Read More

I will get married soon. My fiancée and I were wondering, "Is it really necessary to be married in front of the church, or only in front of the law?"… Read More

How should we proceed with people who in the past were disfellowshiped from the church? In Bulgaria we are asking ourselves, "For how long does the disfellowship apply?" and "If… Read More

A footnote in my NASB study Bible on 1 Kings 16 said Ahab was probably worshiping both YHWH and Baal, because the names of both of Ahab’s sons refer to… Read More

I just want to know about the biblical explanation of the Sunday church service. I am referring to such features as the welcome, opening prayer, communion, benevolence collection, message, response,… Read More

As a political science and sociology student I have found it fairly difficult to accept all that my country continues to do domestically and abroad to those less fortunate. I… Read More

It seems that Satan was created with the sole purpose of sifting men. God knew that Satan and the other angels would turn from him, before he even created him…… Read More

You wrote, "Whatever resists God’s will is evil’ (Q0067). Before, I viewed the cosmos as a duality with two forces, good and evil. But as I see things now, that… Read More

I’d love to see something posted on clearing debt. During my 19 years as a disciple, I’ve allowed contribution pressures to influence my financial decisions. I have a good bit… Read More

Here in Turkey it’s not that easy to get sources to teach us about Christianity. I have a question: Are the Nag Hammadi documents true, or did somebody make them… Read More

I have done some study about salvation and baptism, and have come to some conclusions that are in seeming disagreement with the doctrine of salvation through baptism. Undoubtedly, baptism is… Read More

When it comes to reading the Bible daily, is there any passage that calls us to read every day? I am looking for a passage that’s not been taken out… Read More

What are your thoughts on the authorship of Isaiah? I know that most scholars believe the book consists of the prophecies of two, three or more prophets, including various editorial… Read More

I noticed in The Muslim Challenge at the website the "Fatiha." I have studied part of the Koran back in high school in Lebanon and recently bought a copy of… Read More

Is Mary in Luke 10:38 the same Mary who appears at the foot of the cross in Luke and John? — Tasha No, Mary, sister of Martha and Lazarus, is… Read More

I am trying to figure out 1 Corinthians 11:17-19, where Paul talks about how there will be differences among brothers to show which have God’s approval. Does this mean the… Read More

I have been taught that in Matthew 16 Peter was given the keys (plural), and used one in Acts 2 for the Jews then the other in Acts 10 to… Read More

What do we know about crucifixion in the ancient world? One of the best books I have ever read is The Cross of the Son of God (London: SCM Press,… Read More

From Deuteronomy 21:10-14, it would appear that God allows his people to marry outside of Israel. Was this a special case? What seems odd to me is that the husband… Read More

Thank you for your website. I find it quite helpful to hear the questions of others, and am thankful that others are just as confused about some things as I… Read More

Doesn’t Mark 16 encourage Christians to handle snakes? What do you say about that? In Mark 16 — if we accept the passage as genuine — Jesus predicted that believers… Read More

Biblical prophecy is nothing like the so-called prophecies of the world. It is accurate, reliable, and sure. The prophecies of the world, by contrast, tend to be vague, phony, or… Read More

I was reading through Luke, focusing on how Jesus started his ministry, and I started to wonder why Jesus wouldn’t call anyone to follow him before Simon and Andrew. Jesus had to have… Read More

My questions regard 2 Samuel 7:11-16. The passage seems to be referring to Solomon. On the other hand, I am tempted to believe this scripture refers to Jesus. Who is… Read More

Why did Jesus tell people they couldn’t have life unless they ate his body and drank his blood? This seems strange, as though it is coming out of nowhere. I… Read More

The question is about Mark 3:28 and Matthew 12:32 versus Luke 12:10. This is of importance for me, because Mark 3:28 is often explained by reference to its context. In… Read More

"The LORD says to my Lord" in Psalm 110:1 is usually considered proof of Jesus’ divinity. However, I’ve read some Jewish writers claiming the second "Lord" is a false translation… Read More

I’ve heard and learned that committing suicide is sin. Some people have cancer that doctors can’t help. Do they have to go through pain and suffering? The AMP version of… Read More

In Mark 4:10-12, we read, "When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. He told them, ‘The secret of the kingdom of… Read More

I’ve often wondered what Judas did with his money he received for betraying Jesus. In Acts 1:18 it says he bought a field (where he died). But in Matthew 27:5-7… Read More

I have helped many people get baptized into Christ. I’ve also prevented many people from getting baptized because they were not meeting my expectations (or the specific challenges I laid… Read More

Can you help me reconcile these two scriptures: Matthew 2:13-23 and Luke 2:22? In Matthew, we find Joseph bringing Mary and Jesus to Egypt right after the visit of the… Read More

I do not see the Ark of the Covenant mentioned in the Bible after the time of Solomon. What happened to it? Where might it be? Is recovering it of… Read More

I have heard it argued for years that there should only be "one church in one city." Yet I have found at least three biblical examples of multiple churches in… Read More

In my spiritual world, quitting church and returning are very hot issues. The question is often posed, What must we expect from people who want to return to church? It… Read More

According to the Law God gave us by Moses each person should be responsible for his own deeds. “The father shall not be put to death for their children, nor… Read More

I have read in a book, Twisted Scriptures, that Hebrews 13:17 should not be translated "obey your leaders" — that this is an incorrect way to read the passage. It… Read More

I think that I’ve read somewhere that Paul stayed for several years in Tarsus after he had been baptized and before Barnabas came and picked him up. I used to… Read More

I heard a sister say, "Hi, I’m a recovering alcoholic." I understand that the point of this is to keep one humble by reminding oneself one is still an addict… Read More

Do you think it is important for a preacher to attend seminary? (A frequent question) Short answer: no. Long answer: Please keep reading. In the New Testament, it seems that… Read More

I get confused about when the Bible is talking about the end of the world or the end of Judaism. What is the "time of restoration" in Acts 3:21? If… Read More

In Acts 21:29, Paul was criticised for bringing an uncircumcised Greek into the temple courts. I was trying to find the OT regulation stipulating that Gentiles, aliens or the uncircumcised… Read More

Can you please suggest some books so that I can go deeper in my Bible study? This will also help me prepare lessons. You might want to take a look… Read More

I’ve been a disciple now for 12 years — and I think I have a pretty inquisitive spirit. I always question and analyze…..to some extent this is good, and to… Read More

What writings would you recommend that are not in the canonized Bible? It seems like there are a lot of good commentaries on the scriptures from our 1st and 2nd… Read More

My question is from Revelation. I notice that the letters to the churches are addressed to the angels over those churches. My question is, Are the angels responsible for taking… Read More

I was listening to your sermon on Ephesians 4. You said the great thing about the Bible is that, even if all Christians died off and only the Bible was… Read More

I’ve recently read a little about the Indian Bible. the Bhagavad Gita, and in it there is much written about a figure who has many similarities to Jesus. He was… Read More

How would you explain 1 John 2:12-14 in regard to the word "children"? This is one of the words used by Lutherans to justify the practice of baptising children. The… Read More

A friend of mine who tends to question everything about Jesus suggested that he might have been married. What do you say? –Katie Campbell (Columbus, Ohio) Knowing–and as he often… Read More

I am reading Early Christian Readings, by Andrew Louth. A couple of his statements confused me. (He is very Roman in his leaning). First, he refers to the Martyrdom of… Read More

I have heard it preached that the word "righteousness" (as in Matthew 6:33) in the original language is same as the word for "charity" and that, therefore, "Seek first his… Read More

Jesus was born into a Jewish household, and Joseph presumably taught him everything he (Joseph) knew about God’s word and God’s plan. How do we know that he and Mary… Read More

There is a scripture that says we can cause a little one to stumble. Yet I was under the impression that each person is responsible for his/her sin. How can… Read More

In a response to an inquiry entitled "Email from a Dead Mormon!" you said. "The Book of Mormon claims to have come through the mediation of an angel…" Could you… Read More

I just wanted to know what would be your opinion regarding the sentences below, which I found at sex education website. "God never said that sexual information was a sin:… Read More

There is not much said about demons in the Bible except that they exist. It is generally believed that they are the fallen angels, but my study of 2 Pet…. Read More

I was wondering what your take is on hypnosis. My question more has to deal with the idea of suppressed memories and things of that nature. Although mental health counseling… Read More

Q&A 0605 – Baptism and dementia “I have a question that has been troubling me this few days and I hope you can help. My mom studied the bible and… Read More

In Luke 9:41, we read, ‘O unbelieving and perverse generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you and put up with you? Bring your son here." I sense… Read More

Would Christians have been involved in the building of the temple in Jerusalem, or was this temple somehow associated with the coming of the kingdom for Jews who did not… Read More

As I was reading my Bible I have noticed that the Song of Songs talks not about a wedded couple, but an engaged couple. I was wondering how you interpret… Read More

Why do you feel the need to teach about either hierarchy in heaven or one’s appreciation of heaven? I refer to one of your visits to England when you taught… Read More

I was studying Hebrews 9, and have a question about verse 28: "So Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time… Read More

Is there any evidence that Mary Magdalene was one of the apostles, or that Jesus married her (or was her lover)? Lots of popular books and movies seem to take… Read More

Is it really wrong for a Christian to use violence against his enemies? — [Many questions] Violence was not the way of the Lord. Non-resistance was his position as well as the… Read More

I was just wondering, exactly what are the two unchangeable things mentioned in Hebrews 6:17-18? — Chad Garber As I understand the text, they are the promise (v.15) and the… Read More

What did Jesus mean when he said to Mary, "Dear woman, why do you involve me?… My time has not yet come" (John 2:4)? Did Mary know Jesus could perform… Read More

I’ve been studying the influence of culture on church practice. 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 got me thinking, and I have done a lot of further study on this subject. You are… Read More

Your answer to the question of communion really intrigues me. I was neither a Catholic nor a Protestant prior to making my decision for Christ; I am (and was) a… Read More

What does it mean when Acts says "the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, and the eunuch saw him no more…"? Was Philip actually "sucked up" somehow and transported… Read More

One book I read claimed that the meaning of "faith" according to the book of James is different than "faith" according to Paul in Romans. How should I think about… Read More

My question is about disciples moving between cities or countries. Recently a disciple asked me for advice on moving to another city in the United States, one in which the… Read More

Before becoming a disciple, I used to practice witchcraft. I could, and still can, meet people for the first time and pretty much know their life story. I use this… Read More

Bible critics are quick to point out that bats are incorrectly grouped with the birds in Leviticus 11:19 and Deuteronomy 14:18. Since bats are mammals, what do you say about… Read More

My wife and I are currently reading your parenting book, The Quiver [republished in 2017 as Principle-Centered Parenting]. I can’t tell you how much pressure I feel as a dad…. Read More

I’ve been reading Romans and am finding it very difficult to understand some of the concepts I find there. For example, does God create people to be destroyed in order… Read More

I have been trying to look for scriptures that speak about God’s affection. As a woman who grew up in a dysfunctional home without men, I long to feel loved… Read More

Where does the Bible speak helpfully about sexual abuse? I’m having a hard time overcoming my childhood abuse. I’m taking part in a “recovery” ministry right now to deal with… Read More

Proverbs 27:10 says, "Do not forsake your friend and the friend of your father, and do not go to your brother’s house when disaster strikes you; better a neighbor nearby… Read More

Matthew 5:19-20 reads, "Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but… Read More

I recently read the book of Revelation, as far as I could. In the end it’s written that saved souls are going to rule. But what are they going to… Read More

Critics of the Bible point out that the reference to the "Sea" in the OT shows mathematical confusion. [The Sea was an enormous basin in which the priests bathed before… Read More

Please recommend a good website for online Bible resources. Take a look at http://www.studylight.org. There you will find the complete ISBE, International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. (I recently purchased the hard… Read More

Does God approve of affirmative action? — M.D.N.W. I don’t know what God’s opinion is concerning "affirmative action" — he hasn’t told me! — though I do know from his… Read More

Do we need to confess our sins daily to someone else? Things I do know: confession to God is of the utmost importance. It is also important to confess/make amends… Read More

As Christians, should we believe in fate or destiny? Really interesting question. We sing "He’s got the whole world in his hands…" We trust the Lord, and rightly so. Providence, the… Read More

In Matthew 25:31-46, the Parable of the Sheep and Goats, is Jesus saying that this is all that is required to enter heaven? Surely I don’t think so, but it… Read More

I don’t understand this verse about forgiveness. Perhaps you can enlighten me on the context/meaning of this? I thought that unconditional forgiveness is commanded according to Matthew 6:14. — Josephine… Read More

Hebrews 11:4 says, "And by faith he Abel still speaks, even though he is dead." My Bible notes suggest that he still "speaks" through his spiritual reputation and good influence…. Read More

I have been reading a book on Greco-Roman cultural norms. It was mentioned that in most cases the Roman government would not legally recognize the marriage of a citizen to a… Read More

In Corinthians 5 Paul challenges the church at Corinth to expel the immoral brother from the fellowship, and then he lists other sins at the end of the chapter. Is… Read More

If you’re studying the Bible and are a smoker but haven’t been baptized yet, should being a smoker stop you from being baptized?… Most smokers haven’t been immersed, therefore they… Read More

Which scriptures will help a believer not to become legalistic? Any help will be greatly appreciated. — Veronica Galatians is very much written to combat legalism. Romans also addresses the… Read More

I have always had a concern when connecting/projecting Jesus’ directing Nicodemus that he must be born of water and the Spirit to new covenant baptism, as in Acts 2:38. I… Read More

My second question: I have often thought that perhaps the serpent in the garden of Eden was a dinosaur, and when God gave him his punishment in Genesis 3:14, that… Read More

Your article on the limited duration of hell was extremely beneficial to my faith; I cannot tell you what an answer to prayer it was! Since angels have free will… Read More

Romans 16 shows that there were many churches in the city. Is it possible to have five or eight churches in one city, each with independent authority? — Fabio Castellanos… Read More