All Questions
13
votes
3answers
2k views
Are inter-faith marriages prohibited by the Bible?
Setting aside marriages of couples from two different Christian faiths, does the Bible address whether a Christian may marry a non-Christian?
I believe that the Old Testament prohibits Jews from ...
12
votes
6answers
3k views
Does the Bible condemn white lies?
Orthodox views on it state that any sort of lie is a sin by itself. More liberal Christians will say that it doesn't really mean that much provided it doesn't hurt anybody. But more importantly than ...
10
votes
2answers
348 views
What is the basis for Cessationism?
Cessationism is the belief held by some protestants that the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as prophecy, do not occur in present day. The general thinking is that these gifts "ceased" at ...
9
votes
3answers
869 views
Did Adam and Eve's Progeny Commit Incest?
I have a multi-part question.
Did Adam and Eve's Progeny Commit Incest?
Genesis, Chapter 4 tells us about Cain and Abel.
Genesis, Chapter 5 tells us about Seth and "other sons and daughters".
I ...
6
votes
2answers
806 views
How do we know Mary was a virgin at the time of Jesus' conception?
Luke 1:26-26:
26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of ...
6
votes
5answers
1k views
Is “hate the sin, love the sinner” a Christian idea?
The expression "hate the sin, love the sinner" gets thrown about in both Christian and non-Christian circles, but it does not seem to a bible verse. Is it a biblical concept or just a popular cliche? ...
6
votes
2answers
463 views
Is the commandment to multiply, and replenish the earth in effect today?
Adam and Eve were commanded to multiply and replenish the earth.
Genesis 1:28-30
28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and ...
5
votes
2answers
827 views
Does the Bible support slavery and (White) Superiority?
Slavery existed as a fact of life in the Ancient World, and the Bible mentions slavery in many places. The question is this: When the Bible speaks of slavery, is it supporting it, or merely ...
4
votes
7answers
285 views
Are there any conditions which make oneself completely unredeemable in the eyes of God?
I am curious if there are any actions or conditions which "seal your fate" so to speak, such that should you do them—no matter how much you repent or accept Jesus or pray—that you are doomed forever ...
26
votes
10answers
620 views
Biblical basis for baptism as a prerequisite for salvation
Some people believe that if you have not been baptized, you cannot be saved.
Others (including myself) believe that it is merely the outward declaration of what has already happened in the heart.
...
17
votes
2answers
406 views
Why are there different divisions of the Ten Commandments?
The Ten Commandments is often shown as a nice list with ten short statements, whereas in the Bible it exists as a long block of text in Exodus 20:2–17 and Deuteronomy 5:6–21. For reference:
Exodus ...
13
votes
3answers
190 views
What was the problem at Babel?
In the Genesis account of the tower of Babel a bunch of guys got together to build a really tall tower somewhere in the desert. God gets wind of the affair but it doesn't sit well:
Genesis 11:5-6 ...
12
votes
2answers
310 views
According to the Mormon doctrines, who created the universe?
This may be related to a previous question about the first god who began eternal progression. This is something I've really been wondering for a while.
If the Almighty God began life as a man, he ...
11
votes
4answers
2k views
Was Onan really struck dead by God for masturbating?
Historically, Onan in Genesis 38 has been accused of masturbation, and for this supposed transgression was struck dead. The term Onanism (or in German Onanie) is still used to describe this practice.
...
11
votes
6answers
4k views
Is premarital sex πορνεία (porneia)?
This question is pretty much a spinoff of What does the Bible say about sex before marriage / premarital sex? because its current answer depends on the assumption that premarital sex is πορνεία ...
8
votes
4answers
475 views
Should Christians marry non-Christians?
The new testament talks of not being yoked with unbelievers -
2 Corinthians 6:14 "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers."
The old testament forbids intermarriage with other nations -
...
8
votes
1answer
138 views
When did Christmas (the birth of Christ) first begin as a Christian celebration?
I remember hearing something about a true Saint Nicholas who maybe helped poor children or something, but to be honest, I really don't know much about when Christmas began to be celebrated by ...
8
votes
5answers
473 views
Should “Jesus” be rendered “Yeshu‘a” in English?
The original name for Jesus in Hebrew-Aramaic is yeshu‘a. This was translated into Greek as Iēsous and then via the Latin Iesus into German, and eventually into English as Jesus.
Since Christians ...
7
votes
2answers
212 views
Why are the books of the Protestant Bible in the order that they are in?
I am curious why the books of the Protestant Bible are in the order that they are in?
Someone told me they thought the books were in some sort of chronological order - is that true? (I know the ...
7
votes
2answers
296 views
The effect of poison on Christians
Can someone explain me these passages about the effect of poison?
Who is immune to poison?
Why do they have this trait?
Why isn't anyone today immune to poison?
Mark 16:17-18
17And these ...
6
votes
3answers
421 views
What does the Bible say Christians should or should not do on the Sabbath?
Most of the Christians I know do whatever they like on Sunday: working at home, paid employment etc.
Is there any specific information in the New Testament that suggest what Christians should or ...
5
votes
3answers
219 views
Do Christians Regard Speaking in Tongues as Necessary?
I have heard that some Christians consider it the only sure sign of having received the Holy Spirit, which would seem quite important.
If not generally, which groups hold to this belief, and in what ...
2
votes
1answer
222 views
How many laws from Old Testament are still valid in New Testament? [duplicate]
I don't know this question is within the scope or not.
Its straightforward. How many of the Laws in OT can be transported to NT and usable?
These are some of the OT laws which are no longer useful ...
24
votes
5answers
578 views
Can people speak in tongues today? [closed]
The Bible refers to people speaking in tongues--most notably at Pentecost. Is this something that legitimately happens today?
I've been in church services where speaking in tongues has happened, but ...
29
votes
8answers
900 views
What is unique about Christianity?
Inspired by this question: How do Christians explain to commonalities between their religion, other major faiths and obscure isolated tribal belief systems?
What is fundamentally unique about ...
29
votes
7answers
2k views
How did all the animals fit into Noah's ark?
During the great flood Noah was ordered by God to fetch two animals of each species and put them into his ark.
19 And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of
every kind ...
16
votes
4answers
404 views
How can things considered bad when done by humans become good when God does them?
The following is one of the central questions concerning moral values in Christianity.
I am referring to an answer Caleb gave earlier on here. There he says, and I believe this is the standard stance ...
12
votes
6answers
323 views
What does “in the image of God” mean?
Genesis 1:26:
Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild ...
28
votes
2answers
1k views
When did the prohibition of marriage for priests in the Catholic church originate?
The Bible mentions that one of the miracles Jesus performed was the healing of Peter's mother-in-law. This makes it quite clear that Peter himself was married, and Peter is the considered the first ...
19
votes
6answers
480 views
Is Hell eternal, or do some/all escape it?
In his recent book, Love Wins, author and pastor Rob Bell caused quite a bit of controversy (and anger) by making the argument that Heaven is the state that we are in when we follow God's will and ...
14
votes
2answers
229 views
Does the triune God have will by nature, or by persons?
Given the triune God, one nature and three persons, do they experience their will in their singular nature or in their separate persons? That is, do they share one will, or does each have a separate ...
11
votes
2answers
296 views
Was the Holy Spirit or God (the Godhead), the father of Jesus?
Holy Spirit conceives Jesus
Matthew 1:20 ESV
But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord
appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear
to take ...
10
votes
6answers
678 views
Why does God resort to genocide and destruction?
According to this answer, God does not want to destroy sinners. And yet, there are several accounts in the Bible of God doing just that. Sodom and Gomorrah is one example, another one is the flood or ...
21
votes
6answers
789 views
How long was Jesus in the tomb?
All (most?) Christian denominations celebrate Good Friday as the day that Jesus was crucified on the cross, and then celebrate Easter as the day that Jesus rose from the tomb. Most spots in scripture ...
19
votes
3answers
599 views
What does the Bible say about Capital Punishment?
Some Christians are for and some are against capital punishment. However what does the Bible have to say about it?
13
votes
2answers
278 views
How old is old earth creationism?
The answers to What is the biblical evidence for an old Earth? say that biblical arguments for old Earth creationism are based on the ambiguous words used for describing lengths of time in Genesis.
...
13
votes
4answers
6k views
Do angels have free will?
I believe we have free will and that God has free will. It would seem Lucifer also had free will. Do all angels have free will as we do?
12
votes
5answers
236 views
How was documented dialog observed?
For example in Jonah 4:9 we find dialog between God and Jonah.
But God said to Jonah, Do you have a right to be angry about the vine?
I do, he said. I am angry enough to die. But the LORD said, ...
10
votes
5answers
4k views
What does the Bible say about people with mental illness?
Some people with mental illness might do lots of things that are unpredictable and considered sin, up to killing themselves, or possibly forget anything about Jesus and salvation.
So, what does the ...
10
votes
1answer
225 views
What do Catholics mean when they talk about the Real Presence in the Eucharist?
The Catholic Church is one of several denominations that teach the Real Presence, but they don't all have the same understanding of this doctrine. What is the Catholic understanding?
7
votes
3answers
158 views
What is the doctrine of the Trinity?
What is the doctrine of the Trinity as defined by Christianity?
Obviously there are three entities involved: God the Father, Christ, and the Holy Spirit, but is there more to the definition?
6
votes
3answers
274 views
Is there Biblical support for Hell?
One of the common tenets of Christian Universalism (as well as Annihilationism) is the non-existence of Hell as an eternal punishment for non-Christians, that everyone has been granted salvation ...
25
votes
4answers
498 views
How were the books of the New Testament chosen?
I'm interested in finding out what the process of choosing the books of the New Testament was, when and who did the choosing
24
votes
6answers
370 views
Is the “sinner's prayer” important for salvation and why?
In evangelical churches the sinner's prayer is a very much emphasized aspect for someone to become or convert to being a Christian. In fact, most church services I attended growing up ended with the ...
22
votes
1answer
2k views
What happened to the tribe of Dan in Revelation?
Compare the twelve tribes of Israel, according to Genesis 35:23-26 (left column) and Revelation 7:5-8 (right):
Asher : Asher
Benjamin : Benjamin
Dan : Gad
Gad : Issachar
Issachar : Joseph
Joseph : ...
16
votes
4answers
396 views
Are Catholics like pagans, in Evangelical vision?
This question is based on my personal experience. Some time ago I had a discussion with a friend of mine who's an evangelical pastor.
In a very subtle way, he was asserting that I actually believe ...
15
votes
4answers
425 views
Why do OEC discount the literal interpretation of the book of Genesis?
This is to rephrase the question Are scientific findings a test to Christians' Faith?
It seems to me that, without any outside interference, the Bible itself gives no suggestion that the Book of ...
12
votes
3answers
525 views
How does free will fit with the doctrine of predestination?
The Calvinistic doctrine of predestination states that God has chosen who will live and who will die. That Christians are unconditionally elected for salvation or damnation.
However, how does this ...
12
votes
3answers
323 views
What exactly IS Hell?
I'm not disputing that Hell exists, what I want to know is WHAT IS HELL?
In my opinion there are only two possible answers, but you might inform me of something else. Many people have argued that ...
11
votes
3answers
122 views
What is an apostle?
Often the apostles are referred to as "the twelve apostles" - the twelve disciples called by name by Jesus. But Paul called himself, and Barnabus, apostles. Were Paul and Barnabus really apostles? Are ...
