Questions tagged [bible]
Questions about the history, composition and canon of the Bible. Don't use this tag for beliefs and practices in the Bible.
12
votes
1answer
16k views
What does the Bible say about the appearance of angels? [closed]
In Christian art, angels are often depicted as winged human-like creatures. However, I'm curious if there is any justification for this in the Bible? I've sometimes heard that there isn't, so that's ...
15
votes
2answers
444 views
Is it right for a church to be wealthy? [closed]
Jesus preached that the faithful should give up their wealth and worldly possessions and spend a humble existence in servitude of God. A church must have a certain amount of wealth in order to ...
23
votes
4answers
335 views
Hand Picked Bible Applications [closed]
I understand that my question pokes at a sensitive area, but being a nonreligious person in a largely Christian region, I find it extremely dissatisfying to leave such a core aspect of my neighbor's ...
19
votes
4answers
437 views
Does the Bible itself give us clues about which parts to interpret literally and which figuratively? [closed]
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 ...
14
votes
4answers
252 views
Does the Bible give any reason as to why its content is sometimes difficult to interpret? [closed]
As evidenced by this site, and the divisions between various Christian denominations, there seems to be a lot of different ways some passages in the bible can be interpreted.
One example is ...
20
votes
6answers
99k views
What is the significance of Jesus seeing Nathanael under the fig tree?
In John 1:46-50, Nathanael is introduced to Jesus for the first time.
Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son ...
13
votes
2answers
1k views
What does it mean to comment on scripture with scripture?
What does it mean to "comment on a verse with a verse" or "only scripture can explain scripture"? I see these kinds of comments popping up in comment threads that discuss the meaning of a verse.
What ...
4
votes
1answer
339 views
How do we know the events described in the bible are true? [closed]
Many Christians will quote passages from the bible as proof or evidence when needed. However, given that it is a story written, translated, interpreted, re-written, re-translated and re-interpreted by ...
6
votes
6answers
10k views
How does the Bible explain the existence of fossils that are millions of years old? [closed]
People have been finding fossils for many years. Millions of fossils fill museums and storage vaults around the world, and we've yet to find a single one of a human. This suggests that the animals and ...
4
votes
0answers
74 views
Is there a point when “be fruitful and multiply” should no longer apply? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Is the commandment to multiply, and replenish the earth in effect today?
Well mainly I'm talking about the multiply bit...there are 7 billion people on the planet, is there ...
8
votes
2answers
2k views
What is the biblical justification for allowing only male pastors? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
What is the biblical justification for permitting female pastors?
What is the biblical justification for allowing only male pastors?
How do churches excluding women from ...
18
votes
3answers
23k views
How long did it take to form the Biblical canon?
How long did it take to collect all of the writings that eventually formed the first version of the Bible? In other words, starting with when the first writing was created (I'll say when it was ...
26
votes
3answers
5k views
What does the bible say about interracial marriages? [closed]
This has been a popular topic of debate, at least where I live. As Armenians, we like to...discourage marriages with spouses of a different ethnicity or nationality, simply in order to carry the ...
3
votes
8answers
273 views
Are the Bible and God the same… thing/being? [closed]
Or why do people here always ask "What does the Bible say?"... why not ask the proper "What does God say?".
5
votes
6answers
2k views
A “version” of the bible with sentence structure written in English but retaining most of the original untranslated “nouns/verbs/adjectives”?
Is there a "version" of the bible that has it's sentence structure written in English, yet retaining most of the original untranslated "nouns/verbs/adjectives" ?
Ok this is quite hard to explain, I'm ...
11
votes
4answers
4k views
How does entertainment glorify God at all? [closed]
In the modern context, we have many things to keep ourselves entertained and motivated to do work - music, videos, movies, games, magazines etc.
According to 1 Corinthians 10:31 KJV
Whether ...
12
votes
4answers
550 views
Profanity in entertainment? [closed]
Many comedians nowadays rely on the use of profanity to enhance their comedy. This is also present in movies and television (although limited).
I know the bible says not to let "unwholesome talk" ...
15
votes
7answers
6k views
How ambitious should a Christian be? [closed]
According to Luke 16:13 (ESV):
No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and ...
29
votes
6answers
280k views
What are the different names of God in the Bible and what do they mean? [closed]
I see that our current-day Bibles only refer to God as LORD. Can you explain to me what the different names of God are and what they mean?
10
votes
2answers
344 views
If you are forgiven through the Grace of God, why do you need an Indulgence?
Ephesians 2:8,9 (NIV)
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
And from Wikipedia's ...
14
votes
3answers
988 views
Are these Bible verses referencing UFOs? [closed]
Ezekiel 1:16:
This was the appearance and structure of the wheels: They sparkled like topaz, and all four looked alike. Each appeared to be made like a wheel intersecting a wheel.
Exodus 13:22:
...
22
votes
4answers
1k views
Was the flood of Noah global or local? [closed]
Genesis 7 and 8 describes the flood of Noah, and says in part:
The waters rose and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the water. They rose greatly on the earth, ...
16
votes
1answer
3k views
The voice of God vs the voice of Satan [closed]
I listen to heavy music and I have had people tell me on numerous occasions the vocals sound like the voice of Satan, even when the band is clearly Christian (see For Today if you are curious). Movies ...
7
votes
3answers
400 views
Why has God created us? [closed]
Why has God created us? The Almighty Lord does not need anyone; he does not need the angels, the heaven, or the earth. Are there any written words in the Bible that tell the reason?
17
votes
4answers
23k views
What does the Bible say about Science? [closed]
It's a debate that atheists seem to thrive on. Fact vs. Faith.
Personally, I believe in a co-existence of the two, but I'm interested in what the Bible has to say about us learning about our ...
16
votes
4answers
7k views
Should a Protestant read the apocryphal books of the Bible? [closed]
The Protestant Bible has 66 books. Should we read apocryphal books (e.g. 1&2 Maccabees and Gospel of Thomas)?
19
votes
3answers
27k views
The symbolic use of “horn”
It has proved difficult to find an answer to this question
A quick concordance search of "horn" and you will find many different uses for the word. My center-column notes say "strength." But why? ...
32
votes
6answers
4k views
What does the bible say about homosexuality?
I was recently listening to a podcast and the preacher said that he has looked through the entire bible and could not find anywhere where it says that homosexuality was a sin.
Where does the bible ...
11
votes
3answers
2k views
Should Genesis 1:2 be translated “And the earth became without form…”? [closed]
The Gap theory seems to be based largely on translating Genesis 1:2 differently from the usual translations, eg. KJV:
1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
1:2 And the ...
17
votes
4answers
676 views
Where does the Bible stand on vegetarianism? [closed]
The subject of vegetarianism (or dietary recommendations in general) appears to me to be a bit ambivalent in the Bible.
For example, Genesis 1:29 , Romans 14:21 and Isaiah 65:21-25 appear to endorse ...
24
votes
5answers
1k views
Does being a Christian mean being a Bible literalist? [closed]
Where are the lines for Bible literalism in the Christian faith? Are all aspects of the Bible treated with the same level of literal belief (as actual history), or are some parts considered to be ...
18
votes
6answers
4k views
In what order should the books of the (Protestant) Bible be read? [closed]
The Bible is probably one of the most historically significant books for the Western civilization, so it should be a worthwhile read for many a literature geek.
In which order should it be read, then?...
