All Questions
8
votes
2answers
89 views
Was the Book of the Law (Torah) ever kept inside the Ark of the Covenant?
Deuteronomy 31:24-26 (NIV) After Moses finished writing in a book the
words of this law from beginning to end, he gave this command to the
Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the ...
6
votes
1answer
80 views
What was inside the Ark of the Covenant?
1 Kings 8:9 (NIV) There was nothing in the ark except the
two stone tablets that Moses had placed in it at Horeb, where the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites after they came out of
...
10
votes
2answers
133 views
At the greater emergence of democracy in Europe during the 'Enlightenment' did the papacy support democracy?
I was just wondering how did the papacy respond to democracy when it first arose in Europe? On one hand, in a country that was, according to its sovereign, a Catholic country, democracy would be very ...
1
vote
0answers
53 views
What does this quote mean? [closed]
This was in the context of surrendering our will to God. The quote goes "An over-weaning consideration for ourselves is the thing that keeps us from that decision (of surrendering our will), though we ...
3
votes
2answers
38 views
What is being said in Proverbs 25:2
Proverbs 25:2
King James Version (KJV)
2 It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.
I came across this today on this site when I found the ...
5
votes
1answer
35 views
What is the basis for anointing of physical objects and who practices this?
It's been a tradition of my family and friends to anoint a home with oil when a family moves in. I understand the significance of praying and dedicating the space as God's, used for His purposes and ...
3
votes
3answers
113 views
What is the difference between the Jehovah Witnesses and Pentecostal Churches?
Is there any dogmatic difference between Jehovah Witnesses Churches and Pentecostal Churches? Are they one and the same as far as beliefs are concerned? Untill recently I thought both the Churches ...
4
votes
2answers
104 views
Why does God punish us when He gives us free-will?
God gives us free-will. But why does God punish us for exercising our free-will in certain ways (disobeying Him, sinning)? Why even both to give us free will, if we are to be punished for exercising ...
2
votes
4answers
85 views
Why is the curse of original sin not specific to humans?
From what I learned in church the whole world "fell" after Adam sinned.
Now the typical question is why should everyone have to pay the price and is usually answered by we would have done the same if ...
11
votes
2answers
174 views
Is there any account of a religious marriage ceremony in the scripture?
I was studying the Puritans recently, and discovered something interesting about William Bradford. According to Wikipedia, he married his wife in a civil ceremony, because "the Separatists could find ...
9
votes
2answers
101 views
Why did the Catholic Church decide to have a Bible?
As far as I know, the Catholic Church considers God's revealed truth in Sacred Scripture to be part of, but by no means the sum total of Divine Revelation. Sacred Scripture is the written part of our ...
-1
votes
0answers
37 views
What is the doctrinal basis to have the position of pope? Is it still valid? [duplicate]
Why does the position of Pope still exist to date , are there any biblical justification of having a papal authority like the one which is present at the Vatican?
5
votes
2answers
122 views
What is the basis of the non catholic denominations to hold catholics as Idolaters
I was reading this article on an authoritative bible site . I was wondering what is the doctrinal bases to hold Catholics as Idolaters
Here is the excerpt:
Life Magazine, reporting the ...
-4
votes
2answers
101 views
Why is Jesus the Son of God and the Truth, but not Mansoor Hallaj?
What makes Jesus the Son? If Jesus is the Son, then Mansoor Hallaj is also the Truth?
If Jesus didn't claim to be the Son, then Mansoor Hallaj also claimed to be the Truth in a fanatical manner, ...
3
votes
0answers
46 views
How can all animals fit in Noah's ark [duplicate]
Genesis 6
14 So make yourself an ark of cypress[c] wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. 15 This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be three hundred cubits long, ...
8
votes
1answer
71 views
At what date in history was the last papal anathema officially applied through the death penalty in a papal court against a heretic or protestant?
I was just wondering when in history the official papal death sentences really ended. I am not interested in any killing that was not officially authorized by a pope (or his authorized ...
4
votes
2answers
52 views
What is the Biblical evidence that Jesus' mother was one of His disciples?
The Roman Catholic Church venerates Mary as not only having been blessed to be the mother of Christ, but also as having been born without sin (Immaculate Conception), and to have been a perpetual ...
9
votes
3answers
84 views
Did Dante's Divine Comedy describe or define Christian views on the afterlife?
Dante's Divine Comedy, the 14th century epic poem describing a journey through the various levels of Hell, Purgatory and Heaven and the persons or types of persons who inhabit each level (including ...
4
votes
1answer
59 views
How does prayer and action affect God's plan? [duplicate]
Here is a scenario to explain my question.
If God planned to give you a car on your 30th birthday but you did not pray for it, will he not give it to you?
Or what if its not in his plan to give you ...
6
votes
4answers
152 views
Are there any churches that do not accept the teachings of Paul?
From different discussions (including some on this site) it seems that Paul's teachings were different from the teachings of Jesus and the other apostles in some aspects. In light of this are there ...
10
votes
5answers
132 views
Is it hypocritical for Paul to circumcise Timothy in Act 16:3?
Acts 16:1-3 (NASB)
1 Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. And a disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek, 2 and he was well ...
12
votes
4answers
176 views
Why did Jesus have to die?
Some point to a blood->payment mechanic, but I wish to look deeper than this: if payment for sin is required, why the blood->payment mechanic in the first place, even before Old Testament ritual was ...
-3
votes
0answers
56 views
Is there any truly free Christian church today from the international powers? [closed]
I was born as a Catholic and I always believed that the Catholic Church was the only true Church of Jesus Christ. Many years after Vatican II, I discovered that the present Catholic Church is not the ...
10
votes
5answers
268 views
Why do Christians appeal to personal gain and inducing fear when attempting to “convert” people?
I have many times witnessed christians trying to convince or convert atheists or people of other religions to christianity as well as all sorts of arguments and quarrels regarding christianity. I'm ...
12
votes
3answers
218 views
How could a sinless Mary die?
Ignatius Theophorus's answer to this question about the assumption of Mary states:
In addition, there is an ancient document which actually relates the death of Mary and the assumption of her ...
5
votes
1answer
58 views
Did Mary die, or was she translated like Enoch and Elijah?
According to the Bible, did Mary die?
From a comment on another question, it seems that at least some denominations (including the Roman Catholic Church) teach that, like Elijah and Enoch, Mary did ...
4
votes
3answers
86 views
Is there any methodology according to Bible to drive out demons from possessed people?
There are numerous instances in the Bible where Jesus drives out demons from people who were possessed by them. If we take a general view of these events during the ministry of Jesus, we find that ...
3
votes
1answer
91 views
What is the difference between the grave and Hades?
John 5 vrs 28-29 (NIV)
" Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out those who have done good will rise to live, and those who ...
-1
votes
0answers
84 views
what is it that one would need to do according to the Bible if one was demonic possessed? [closed]
I have a following case,
My cousin has been sick since he turned 13 he is 25 now he stopped eating an stopped talking an walking very aggressive at times when you,hook him up to his feeding tube ...
1
vote
0answers
33 views
Unification Explanation of Chronological Disparities between St. John and the Synoptic Gospels Concerning Jesus' Passion [duplicate]
It has been reported that there are many discrepancies with the gospels account. One such account of discrepancy is the day in which Jesus was crucified the 14th or 15th of Nisan. This questions asks ...
3
votes
1answer
83 views
Why are some miracles hard to explain and some are not?
Here is a related question but they are not the same
Do miracles violate the laws of physics?
Looking at most miracles in the bible, they can be explained based on what we already understand ...
6
votes
2answers
84 views
How many New Testament manuscripts do we really have?
How does the Bible size up with other books from the ancient world?
Is it really true that the New and Old Testament is the book from the ancient world that has the largest amounmt of extant ...
5
votes
0answers
59 views
Explanation of Chronological Disparities between St. John and the Synoptic Gospels Concerning Jesus' Passion [migrated]
Significant chronological disparities exist between St. John's telling of the life and death of Jesus and those of the synoptic gospels. For instance, St. John discusses at least three years of Jesus' ...
11
votes
1answer
110 views
Why hold hands for grace?
My impression is that, among many Christians, people around a table saying a prayer thanking Jesus for a meal hold hands with one another. What is the origin of this practice, and are there any ...
2
votes
1answer
68 views
Which sects interpret “Day and Hour unknown” literally?
Matthew 25:13 (NKJV) “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day
nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.
Is there any Christian sect which literally interpret this verse and say ...
0
votes
0answers
23 views
What is the meaning of “Day and hour unknown”? [migrated]
Matthew 25:13 (NKJV) “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day
nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.
This verse mentions only the day and the hour as unknown. Does this mean ...
-9
votes
0answers
61 views
where did Jesus's photos coming from? [closed]
There is no cripture in the bible wrote THEY SHOOT HIM PHOTOS even when He was in the tample, but we have those photos now. So where did they get those photos?
8
votes
1answer
63 views
Is the Eastern Orthodox Church independent from regional governments?
I have heard that interference from Moscow has been the cause of some dissent and even a schism within the Russian Orthodox Church in America. I think the very existence of the Russian Orthodox ...
2
votes
1answer
86 views
Whose morals are being referenced by NT authors in the expression “sexual immorality”?
When the expression "Sexual Immorality" appears in bible translations (Namely, when Paul uses that word/phrase 1 Corinthians) — to whose morals is it referring?
The morals of the body of the church ...
2
votes
1answer
68 views
Does God shape your destiny by the genes you inherit? [closed]
From the Christian perspective: Does God allow the process of recessive genes being over-powered by dominant genes to create who you are - personality traits, interests etc. - and then see how a ...
1
vote
1answer
48 views
Why the change of heart for Peter in John 18? [closed]
In John 18:10 Peter demonstrates courage during Jesus's arrest when Peter uses his sword to defend Jesus. A few verses later during Jesus's trial Peter denies Jesus. It seems that Peter would risk ...
5
votes
1answer
69 views
Was the temple built in 46 years or was it 46 years old during Jesus time?
I stumbled on this verse again and would like some clarification:
John 2:20 Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?
Was the ...
-1
votes
2answers
83 views
Controversy regarding the birth of man [closed]
Scientists say that humans are from apes. But the Bible says that God created adam and eve
Can somebody explain this controversy ?
6
votes
1answer
85 views
“Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani”?
In all Christian bibles the translators wrote this verse in the same language and translated it. ( Maybe its Hebrew which Í don't know) but why only Mark 15 vrs 34 in the whole, is it because when ...
8
votes
0answers
50 views
What does “the saints are not keepers of the law, but legislators” mean?
In a recent encyclical marking the 1700th anniversary of the Edict of Milan, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, wrote:
The Wisdom of God, the Lady Theotokos our ...
9
votes
2answers
179 views
Is there a Biblical basis for the belief that a living person may visit heaven or hell?
As you may know there are many books where people have said they had been in hell and in heaven, and that even Jesus guided them. And that sounds a lot like Divine Comedy.
I'm pretty sure that's not ...
3
votes
0answers
23 views
Did everyone go to hell before Jesus died for our sins? [duplicate]
I've seen a couple of answers in this site which explained the meaning of "Jesus died for our sins". In these answers I gathered that Jesus (a representation of God himself) died so we could be ...
6
votes
3answers
70 views
Why is it rare to combine Reformed/Calvinist doctrine and Dispensationalism?
I've been told that it's rare to find someone who combines Dispensationalism and Reformed/Calvinistic doctrine (such as John MacArthur). Why is this? What ideas don't mesh well?
13
votes
3answers
101 views
Criteria for translation
I know there are a TON of translations out there and that some people prefer things like King James Only. But I was wondering: What are some good criteria for choosing a translation and why?
3
votes
1answer
59 views
Did the Lord God agree with “an eye for an eye”? [duplicate]
In the Old Testament there is a scripture about an eye for an eye law:
[Exodus 21:23~25] And if [any] mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, ...
