11
votes
Accepted
What is the biblical basis of the "goats are evil" trope?
The Overall Significance of Goats in the Bible
Goats in the Bible generally have a good significance. They were among the clean animals that could be eaten (see Leviticus 11; Deuteronomy 14:3-21), ...
- 8,513
11
votes
Accepted
How do proponents of Apokatastasis deal with the "Everlasting punishment" texts in scripture?
Those who believe in Apokatastasis believe Revelation 20:10 is grossly misunderstood. The Greek says:
καὶ ὁ διάβολος ὁ πλανῶν αὐτοὺς ἐβλήθη εἰς τὴν λίμνην τοῦ πυρὸς καὶ θείου, ὅπου καὶ τὸ θηρίον καὶ ...
- 2,482
9
votes
Accepted
What is the origin of the belief that Satan tortures the unsaved in Hell?
There is no biblical support for Satan or any of his demons torturing people in Hell. Rather, the adversary, Satan is said to travel around the world (Job 1:7) and even to have access to God's ...
- 7,530
9
votes
What is the Biblical basis for considering Satan the author of evil?
While the Old Testament introduces Satan and portrays him as:
Inciting David to sin by taking an unauthorized census (1 Chronicles 21:1)
Accusing Job of only walking uprightly because of the many ...
- 12.5k
8
votes
Accepted
Why is the sin of the fallen angels unforgivable? (Catholic catechism)
Satan and all the fallen angels (demons) are completely consumed with evil and chose to do evil with all their intellect and sin against God, thus repentance is no longer possible for them.
...
- 67.8k
8
votes
Where did Jesus' belief in the devil come from?
In Judaism, there most certainly is a devil, first alluded to in Genesis 3. The serpent mentioned that deceived Eve is known to be the devil, and we can specifically see a more direct reference to the ...
- 99
8
votes
For people who believe in Jesus and not the devil, what happened in the desert?
For people who believe in Jesus and not the devil, what happend in the desert?
There are Christians who believe in Jesus, but not in a personal Devil. For example: the Christadelphians.
Devil
...
- 67.8k
7
votes
Who was the target audience of the Book of Job?
Now the question of who is the target audience for Job is a tricky one, because there is the audience that Job intended, and the audience that God intended. Since the book is not addressed to a group ...
- 11.4k
6
votes
How does the LDS church back up the statement "I'm stronger than Satan"?
Frankly, according to the Bible Christians are NOT stronger than Satan, and that is not because he is a spiritual being and they are physical/spiritual beings. If anything, having bodies makes ...
- 9,703
6
votes
Was Satan created to accuse, or has he assumed that role in rebellion?
It is important to look at the context of Revelation 9:11. The Destroyer is released from the abyss by the star that fell from heaven.
And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven ...
- 678
6
votes
What is the origin of the belief that Satan tortures the unsaved in Hell?
There are two pieces of the puzzle here: First Hell, and Second, Satan. The question is when were these two pieces first merged together. Technically speaking, the Bible never explicitly links these ...
- 2,626
6
votes
Accepted
Prior to 1900 were there any depictions of Satan in Christian art as a woman/female?
Lucas Cranach the Elder (c.1472 – 16 October 1553), a German Renaissance painter and printmaker in woodcut and , made the following woodcut in 1523.It depicts Satan as half serpent and half woman!
...
6
votes
What did Luther and Calvin believe about "Lucifer" in Isaiah 14?
Although Calvin and Luther most certainly believed in an entity called Satan, they deny that Isaiah 14:12 has any connection with the devil or that Lucifer is his name. In Calvin's commentary of ...
- 2,482
6
votes
According to Catholicism, is it possible for the Devil to kill someone?
Matthew 10:28, New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE), says:
"Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in ...
6
votes
According to universalist Christians, is ill-will directed towards the devil virtuous?
Jude 1:8-10 says:
Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones. But when the archangel Michael, contending with ...
- 14.8k
6
votes
Accepted
According to the Catholic Church, whom does Jesus refer to as the “ruler of this world” in Jn 16:11?
The Greek word in John 16:11 is ἄρχων (archōn - see Strong's G758). The "Outline of Biblical Usage" gives: ruler, commander, chief, leader. The Authorized Version (KJV) Translation Count ...
- 496
6
votes
Why does God, according to his own words, "create evil"?
At the outset, we need to grasp the significance of the sentence preceding the one you quoted:
There is none beside me. I am the Lord, and there is none else.
This is the Lord God Almighty, creator ...
- 29.7k
6
votes
What is more objectionable to Christians: Satanism or Atheism?
One would have to make some sort of survey to answer the question regarding the two alternatives offered, by the question, regarding Christians.
To my own mind, it is clear what Jesus Christ's values ...
- 23.7k
5
votes
Why is Satan called the prince of the power of the air?
There are two words in Greek that could describe "air": οὐρανός (ouranos) and ἀήρ (aēr; obviously the origin of the English word). The latter word is what appears in Ephesians.
Whereas οὐρανός ...
- 5,637
5
votes
Do any other denominations agree with the Jehovah Witnesses that Satan was cast to earth in 1914?
Yes, if you consider dissident groups of JW tradition.
In my research I have found at least 3 groups that share this belief to a greater or lesser degree.
These are:
As Testemunhas dos Deuses ...
5
votes
Why does church tradition teach that one third of the angels fell with Lucifer when no verse supports that
@BYE points in the right direction. Some of the prophecies in Revelation look backwards to events that occurred before John lived, because the contest between Satan and God goes back to the beginning ...
- 11.4k
5
votes
How will Satan rage in the hearts of the children of men? (LDS perspective)
The Book of Mormon Student Manual quotes the following from a discourse by Richard C Edgley of the Presiding Bishopric. This is the best quote I've found that answers your question succinctly:
We ...
- 432
5
votes
Accepted
How do JWs reconcile the belief that Satan was cast to earth in 1914 with Job 1:7 and Job 2:2?
Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that from the time of his rebellion until 1914 Satan was able to move about in the spiritual realm where Jehovah,Jesus and the faithful angelic host dwell, and in the ...
- 7,084
5
votes
Is there any Denomination which think that the "serpent" at the beginning of his existence in Eden is not a bad being?
The consensus of the first millennium Church Fathers was that the serpent of Genesis 3:1 (Masoretic נָחָשׁ - nā·ḥāš; Greek ὄφις - ophis) was a simple creature that was used as a tool by the devil.
...
- 5,637
5
votes
God and Satan in the book of Job: how did they know about this conversation?
Great Question, I was actually wondering the same thing for a while until I did some reading.
The entire bible was written with the Inspiration of God, as found in
2 Timothy 3:16 NKJV
16 All ...
- 51
5
votes
Accepted
According to Catholic exorcists, does the Devil hate Catholic Church prayers said in Latin?
There are no biblical references as to why Catholic exorcists say that Latin is hated by the Devil. Many Catholic priests who are exorcists have made this claim (statement). But I imagine that ...
- 67.8k
5
votes
Wouldn't evil have already existed on Earth before Adam and Eve?
Earth was created specifically with men in mind. Adam and Eve were given dominion over all the creatures over the earth.
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let ...
- 3,270
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible