20
votes
Accepted
Does the Bible explain why God chose Israel?
"Why did God choose Israel?" appears as a common question among some Christians. For example, we had entire sermons for weeks based on this one question. Enough of that now; to the answer!
God chose ...
- 2,156
16
votes
What was the Early Church’s view on socialism?
To what extent was the early church "socialist"?
Acts 4:32-37 (NASB95)
And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one [of them] claimed that anything ...
- 5,919
14
votes
Accepted
In which one of the four Gospels is the Old Testament quoted the most?
The answer to this question depends somewhat on the definition of "quoted," but we can draw some high-level conclusions. BlueLetterBible.org provides a list of New Testament citations and allusions ...
12
votes
Accepted
Did Samuel act as a priest on top of being a prophet?
Pay close attention to the words and what they are referring to here:
1 Samuel 1:1
There was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim of the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham,...
- 2,094
12
votes
What was the Early Church’s view on socialism?
Modern-day Socialists would be unlikely to view the first century Christians as Socialists, despite a few similarities. This dictionary definition of socialism states that Socialists believe in a
&...
- 21.7k
11
votes
Accepted
What is a Sabbath day's walk?
The exact value of a "Sabbath day's walk" is 2,000 cubits, which works out to about 5/8 of a mile, or one kilometer. Commentator Craig S. Keener explains the logic and biblical basis:
The figures ...
10
votes
Was casting out of demons done in the Old Testament by any Prophets or was it started in the New Testament?
There are no explicit references to exorcism in the OT. However, in a possible foreshadowing of Christ, David caused an evil spirit to depart from Saul multiple times by playing the harp (1 Sam 16, 18,...
- 314
10
votes
What is the Biblical basis for prohibiting sex outside marriage?
It's one of the 10 commandments: Thou shalt not commit adultery (see Exodus 20:14)
The 18th chapter of Leviticus is devoted to condemning all manner of other sexual sins, lest any seek for loopholes ...
- 9,643
9
votes
Does the Old Testament anywhere imply that the Law of Moses may be abrogated?
Jeremiah 31:31-34 English Standard Version (ESV)
The New Covenant
31 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a
new covenant with the house of Israel and the house ...
- 10.2k
9
votes
How do the Seventh Day Adventist approach Old Testament laws?
We Seventh Day Adventists distinguish between three different kinds of laws in the Bible:
Moral laws.
Ceremonial laws.
We also believe that there were laws in the OT specific to Israel as a nation. ...
- 278
9
votes
Accepted
How long was David on the run from Saul?
The short answer is: We don't know for sure because there are very few dates or ages given in the stories of Saul and David in the Bible.
We cannot even be certain of the length of Saul's reign, or ...
- 8,401
9
votes
What was the Early Church’s view on socialism?
Dan Walden, a Christian writer who has written on socialism from a Christian perspective, addresses a related question in the essay, "Was Jesus a Socialist?":
Jesus was obviously not a ...
- 91
9
votes
Was Jesus opposed to homosexual activity?
If Paul was speaking as an authorized apostle and representative of Jesus Christ (see Romans 1:1), as most Christians hold, then Paul's teachings reflect the mind of the Lord on the matter.
Many ...
- 9,643
8
votes
What is the origin of the moral-civil-ceremonial distinction of the Old Testament law?
Division of the law in the early church
The law has been "divided" since the early church, but at first only into two parts. Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Augustine, and others described a ...
8
votes
Why was Aaron not allowed into the promised land?
Aaron's death was a judgement for what happened at the water of meribah.
“Aaron will be gathered to his people because he will not enter into the land which I have given to the children of Israel ...
- 81
8
votes
Accepted
Was it just Daniel who prayed toward Jerusalem or did all exiles do so?
Joyce Baldwin's commentary on Daniel says (pg. 129):
Verse 10 supplies welcome evidence concerning prayer habits during the later biblical period. Windows . . . open toward Jerusalem is a literal ...
- 15.1k
8
votes
Accepted
Was each "Book" of the Old Testament on a separate scroll prior to the second century A.D.?
The answer appears to be «usually» but «with some exceptions», and also «the experts aren't completely sure».
We can divide the sources adduced into indirect evidence (references to scrolls in ...
- 4,292
8
votes
How many languages had the Hebrew Bible been translated into by 30 CE?
It might be helpful for you to research the Septuagint, which is also referred to as LXX being the Roman numeral for seventy as it is traditionally believed that seventy Jewish elders performed the ...
- 21.1k
8
votes
What specific thing in the Bible separates the Old Testament from the New Testament?
There's a little bit of history to the titles Old Testament and New Testament that needs to be explained.
We begin with the Greek word διαθήκη (diatheke) which has two major distinct sub-senses and ...
- 19.2k
7
votes
How much variation is in the Hebrew language of the Old Testament?
Overview of Hebrew history
Although not specifically asked for, it is profitable to start with a brief overview of the history of the Hebrew language. For more details on the subject, see A History ...
- 7,756
7
votes
Accepted
What did salvation mean to the Israelite people of the OT?
Throughout the narrative parts of the Old Testament, there is very little mention of any afterlife. That idea arises mostly later on, in the books of the Prophets.
During the bulk of Old Testament ...
- 8,401
7
votes
Accepted
What Bible verses deal with a man stealing bread and having to pay double?
It's Exodus 22. There's nothing specifically about bread, but it covers theft and double restoration.
Exodus 22:4 (KJV):
If the theft be certainly found in his hand alive, whether it be ox, or ass,...
- 260
7
votes
Accepted
Virgin Mary in Old Testament?
Yes, there are references to Mary in the Old Testament—vastly less than those to the Christ, Jesus, who is the entire focus of the Bible, but nonetheless, there are references.
I will be answering ...
- 8,025
7
votes
Accepted
Can a person prove that Jesus Christ is in the Old Testament without going to the New Testament?
In Luke 24, Jesus says this to the two men walking to Emmaus:
25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all
that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Messiah have to ...
- 10.2k
7
votes
Was Jesus opposed to homosexual activity?
Jesus re-iterated the words of Adam, the first man, when he is recorded by both Mark and Matthew saying :
For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; [Mark 10:7 ...
- 21.1k
6
votes
Is Hell in the OT? Chronologically, when was the concept of Hell first mentioned in the Bible?
The concept of Hell was known by the Israelites as Sheol. It is mentioned by Jacob when he is told of his son Joseph's death. He states in Genesis 37:36 that "I shall go down to my son a mourner unto ...
6
votes
Accepted
What is the evidence that the Angel of the Lord in the old Testament is probably Jesus?
Justin Martyr is probably the strongest early advocate for the view that the "Angel of the Lord" in the OT often refers to Christ. In his Dialogue with Trypho, he argues that many supernatural ...
6
votes
What is the difference between the names of "Jehovah God" and "The Lord"?
To definitively answer this question, one would need to know the Bible verses being compared...
"Jehovah God" almost certainly refers to יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהִ֖ים "YHWH elohim". It is ...
- 7,756
6
votes
Complete list of versification differences in the Tanakh
I have been working on some software which converts between different versification systems. As part of that, I have a file listing the various differences: transformations.data. There is no single "...
- 19.2k
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