All Questions
13
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6answers
1k views
Why is the number three special?
What is the significance to the number 3 in the Bible? There is already a question about the number seven, but no one said anything about 3.
Here are a few 3's I came up with:
The Trinity (Godhead) ...
13
votes
5answers
2k views
Why did the apostle John call himself, “the disciple whom Jesus loved”?
John refers to himself, on at least four occasions, as "the disciple whom Jesus loved"? (John 13:23, 19:26, 21:7 & 21:20).
Why is this? It seems a bit arrogant, especially as Jesus loved the ...
13
votes
3answers
212 views
Should Christians proselytize other Christians?
I've seen many instances of Christians trying to convert believers from other denominations into their own. However, the teaching I've heard of this has always been against the practice. My personal ...
13
votes
2answers
229 views
Can we trust the Septuagint?
I've previously used the Apostolic Bible for digging deeper into the meanings of passages. However, I've found that some passages in the Old Testament make no sense compared to the modern ...
13
votes
1answer
5k views
In what countries is it illegal to own a Bible (the most banned book in the world)?
It is my understanding that in many countries of the world, it is illegal to print or own a copy of the Bible. Is there any compilation of which countries have banned the Bible?
As an aside, if you ...
13
votes
3answers
460 views
Does “Mere Christianity” represent the core of Christian belief?
I just finished reading C. S. Lewis in A Time of War by Justin Phillips. It seems Lewis went to great lengths to ensure that everything he said in his BBC talks that became Mere Christianity was ...
13
votes
3answers
293 views
Is there a basis for Christian holidays in the Bible?
I was just curious if holiday celebrations like Christmas and Easter were written in the Bible, not merely mentioned but specifically indicating that people should celebrate them. It seems to me that ...
13
votes
3answers
493 views
If the Holy Spirit is God, and God can not be in the presence of sin, then how can the Holy Spirit dwell in me a sinner?
If we believe in the Trinity, in essense that the Holy Spirit is God, and we believe that God can not be in the presence of sin, then how can the Holy Spirit dwell within me a sinner?
13
votes
2answers
353 views
Why Do Moses' Laws About Slavery and Punishment Not Align with the Teachings of Jesus?
In Exodus 21, God is telling Moses what the laws should be concerning slaves and servants among the Israelites. If this is the same God who made all of mankind in His own image, then why would he ...
13
votes
1answer
379 views
Why doesn't the Catholic Bible include all books from Septuagint?
The Catholic Bible (as opposed to the Protestant Bible) includes the so-called deuterocanonical books. It's commonly simply stated that the books in Septuagint are included in the Catholic canon. ...
13
votes
6answers
530 views
What is the Biblical evidence for Old Earth?
According to a comment by another user in this question Why do OEC discount the literal interpretation of the book of Genesis?, apparently there's Biblical evidence for an Old Earth. As a Young ...
13
votes
2answers
606 views
Why does communion frequency vary in different denominations?
Different churches celebrate the Eucharist (Communion, Lord's Supper, ...) with different frequency. At one extreme, Catholic and high Anglican churches tend to celebrate it at least daily. Many ...
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?
13
votes
7answers
310 views
Why are some people born into famine and starvation?
I was raised Christadelphian, and after 17 years of education and reading the bible, I dismissed my faith and left the church. One of my main reasons for turning my back on God was this.
Why is it ...
13
votes
4answers
269 views
How could animals have gotten all around the world after the flood?
I am a Christian, but this question has been troubling me for a long time. If all the world's animals dispersed from Mt. Ararat, it would stand to reason that there should be no animals in the ...
13
votes
3answers
443 views
What is the difference between Evangelical and Protestant?
Just the other day, I heard somebody talking politics and contrasted the Roman Catholic church's political influence with "the Evangelical vote". In this sense, as is often done in US media, the word ...
13
votes
3answers
2k views
What's the significance of hyssop in John 19:29?
There is just one verse in the New Testament that refers to hyssop and is not referring to the Old Testament:
John 19:29 (NLT)
A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in ...
13
votes
3answers
193 views
Dialog between Jesus and Peter in John 21: what's going on?
In John 21: 15-17 there's a post-Resurrection dialog between Peter and Jesus. Here's the KJV translation of this dialog.
So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of
Jonas, ...
13
votes
2answers
1k views
When did “tithing” come to mean “giving 10% of your gross income to the Church”?
I know the word "tithe" has "tenth" built into it, and so some Christians assume that every usage of the word "tithe" in Scripture is referring to "giving 10% of your gross income to the church." But ...
13
votes
2answers
283 views
Does the Bible support the concept of male spiritual headship?
What I mean by this is a little beyond "Wives submit to your husbands." In Joshua 7:22-25 Joshua stones and burns the entire family of Achen, including his children, after he sins by keeping back ...
13
votes
3answers
207 views
How should a christian evaluate whether a particular action a sin or not?
Since they are directly addressed in the ten commandments, most people agree that committing adultery or murder is sin; yet this world is a complicated place full of things that are not so clearly ...
13
votes
1answer
188 views
On what do Catholics base their doctrine of the eternal virginity of Mary?
I understand that the Catholic Church teaches that Mary is the eternal virgin in that she neither had sexual relations with Joseph (or any other man) either before or after the miraculous conception ...
13
votes
2answers
5k views
What is the origin of praying hands folded?
I was taught in Sunday school to pray hands folded. On the other hand, there's no biblical mention of the practice (as far as I know). It actually doesn't seem to matter which position we pray in.
...
13
votes
1answer
342 views
What is the difference between 'Biblical' and 'Systematic' theology?
Particularly among Protestant traditions, it is common to classify books and classes that cover broad looks at theological issues as either "Biblical' or 'Systematic'. Sometimes this is even extended ...
13
votes
2answers
440 views
Why did Mormons stop practicing polygamy?
I know that early in the formation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, polygamy was common. It's my understanding that it was an everlasting command from God to Joseph Smith.
...
13
votes
5answers
264 views
What is the verdict on an unjust judge?
In order to ask this, let me set a stage. This is just a scenario that will be recast in a second.
As Christians we believe that God is good. We trumpet his justice, rightness, holiness, and so on ...
13
votes
2answers
316 views
Identity of Christ's Bride
I've always believed (like Christians around me) that Christ's Bride is the church. However, I recently met two guys that claimed that the Bride is actually the new Jerusalem that comes down from ...
13
votes
1answer
240 views
Why were Deuterocanonical books rejected in the Reformation?
The Deuterocanonical books were included in the Septuagint, but not the Hebrew Bible. They are mostly included in the Catholic Old Testament, but not in the Protestant one.
I understand the choice ...
13
votes
2answers
1k views
What effect did the Reformation have inside the Catholic Church?
I confess my knowledge of church history branches at about the Reformation. I know a quite a bit about Catholicism today, and I have an idea of what it was before the Reformation. These are not at all ...
13
votes
3answers
2k views
What is the significance of the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden?
If Adam and Eve were created perfect and without death (immortal), then what is the significance and purpose of the Tree of Life in the middle of the Garden of Eden?
13
votes
2answers
240 views
What is the Biblical basis for Unconditional Election?
Calvin, among his other points includes the point that we are Unconditionally Elected and chosen by God alone and nothing we can do can help or hurt this fact. What is the Biblical basis for this?
13
votes
1answer
60 views
Are there any surviving hymns from the Valdensian movement?
The Valdensians preached and celebrated the Lords Supper in the native tongue of the people, not in Latin. However, every source I've read about their customs focus on what was spoken, and I also want ...
13
votes
2answers
337 views
Did Jephthah sacrifice his daughter?
In Judges 11, Jephthah vows to give whatever comes out of the door of his house as a burnt offering.
Judges 11:30-40 (ESV) [emphases mine]
30 And Jephthah made a vow to the LORD and said, ...
13
votes
5answers
189 views
Is prayer effectively second-guessing God?
If one were to accept that God has a plan and that His will is to be honored, isn't hoping to sway God's plan for the future disrespectful?
-- Update --
A lot of these answers are across the board, ...
13
votes
2answers
348 views
What exactly do we know about Heaven?
Most of us probably have a lot of vague ideas about Heaven, the place where the faithful are said to spend their afterlife. But when I really start to think about it, I can't back most of my ideas ...
13
votes
3answers
263 views
Does God hate Sinners like he hates Sin?
I've heard it a thousand times, God loves the sinner but hates the sin. Recently I came across a verse in Psalms 5:5
Psalm 5:5 King James Version (KJV) 5The foolish shall not stand in
thy ...
13
votes
1answer
231 views
Distributism and Subsidiarity beyond the counsel of Jethro in the Bible
In chapter 18 of Exodus, Moses' father-in-law Jethro instructs him on how to set up a fairly ordered society where Moses doesn't have to burn himself out by answering everyone's questions all the ...
13
votes
2answers
2k views
What is the significance of taking hold of the horns of the altar?
Hi all I was wondering why did Joab take hold of the horns of the altar in 2 Kings 28? Or rather, what is the significance of him doing that? What is he trying to do?
1 Kings 2:28-29 (NIV)
28 ...
13
votes
1answer
344 views
Who, and what, are the “chosen people”?
According to Deuteronomy 7:6, the Israelites are called the "chosen people". Who in fact are the chosen people, and does this include Christians?
What sets the chosen people apart, are there special ...
13
votes
2answers
409 views
What does it mean that Jesus was the “second Adam”?
I often hear Jesus referred to as the "second Adam" or sometimes as the "last Adam". What meaning does this title carry? Does it mean that things didn't work out so well for Adam and so God had to try ...
13
votes
1answer
698 views
How can I tell the difference between the Moral law and other laws in the old testament?
Many Christians believe that there are three kinds of law in the Old Testament:
The moral law that declares how man should live.
The civil law that was the legal structures for the ancient nation of ...
13
votes
2answers
243 views
What should a Catholic Religious Ed. class be taught about the Reformation?
I'd like to incorporate some information from this site in my Religious Ed. class.
I teach a weekly class to 8th and 9th graders and none of them really understand what the difference is between us ...
13
votes
3answers
188 views
When did knowledge of Christ's sacrifice become necessary for salvation?
First, this question makes two assumptions:
For a person to be saved today, they must hear the gospel of Jesus Christ, and accept the gift of His death on the cross as penance for their sin.
Before ...
13
votes
1answer
577 views
Wave offering; What exactly was the point?
In Leviticus 7 verse 30, This passage is written:
30 With their own hands they are to present the food offering to the LORD; they are to bring the fat, together with the breast, and wave the ...
13
votes
4answers
264 views
If Christ is considered the 'Son of God' then how is He a part of a Trinity?
Note: This is in NO way a troll or a poke at any faith that believes in the doctrine of the Trinity but rather is simply a question for clarity.
There are several passages within the bible that ...
13
votes
1answer
104 views
Does the Bible itself give us clues about which parts to interpret literally and which figuratively?
I know that the question may seem a little bit self-referential but I ask it anyway:
There is often great controversy among Christians what parts of the Bible are to be interpreted literally and what ...
13
votes
1answer
179 views
What are the primary differences and implications of a propitiatory view of the atonement versus an expiatory view?
Western theology tends to view atonement as propitiation, while Eastern tends to view it as expiation. What are the primary differences and implications of each perspective? Are they antithetical or ...
12
votes
7answers
608 views
Was Jesus a separate god?
The New World Translation of John 1 seems to indicate that Jesus was a separate god from the Father.
1 In [the] beginning the Word was, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god.
2 ...
12
votes
6answers
894 views
Where did Noah find polar bears and penguins in Palestine?
The biblical account of Noah's Ark and the flood seems implausible to me due to this detail... How could animals accustom to thriving in extreme temperatures be found in a common place for ...
12
votes
5answers
2k views
Are there Biblical reasons why a Christian should not believe that Global Warming is happening
This is something that has confused me over the years. It appears that many christians stand against the belief global warming or climate change. But I have yet to hear any biblical reasoning. I would ...
