I've been asked how much the widow's offering is worth today. There are at least two problems with the question. First, it entirely misses Jesus' point. The widow's offering was a sacrifice, while the offerings of others were apparently not.
Sheep aren't the smartest kind of animal, and there's a reason that Christians are often describes as sheep. As a group, we're pretty easy to manipulate. Jesus taught us to watch out for wolves, but we usually don't.
How many parables did Jesus teach? What are they about? Where can I find them? Jesus taught many times using parables, which are simple, earthly stories that explain a more complex, spiritual truth.
2022 was kind of a weird year. I added more articles than usual, saw more traffic than usual, and answered more personal emails than usual. A reasonable question would be "what changed?" and, to be honest, I'm not happy about what changed.
The Bible isn't one book. It's a collection of 66 books by different authors, in different genres... that is, different categories or kinds of writings. Some are history. Some are biography. Here's a list.
One of the most common questions that Christians ask is how we can know what God wants. We want to hear from Him directly, especially when faced with a difficult decision. So how does God speak to each of us?
What is a pastor? What are they for? The New Testament describes different roles for church leaders, including pastor. Learn why.
"A friend of mine was telling me that there are missing books in the New International Version Bible, but she can't remember which ones they are. Please let me know if this is true."
Like clockwork, not a week goes by without someone writing to either ask whether David Jeremiah is a false teacher, or to recommend him as a reliable teacher of Scripture. This article will not satisfy either group, but it’s the best I can do at this moment.
What does it mean when Christians say that they "decree" something? When they "declare" something, what are they doing? I witness people who claim to follow Jesus saying these things, and I'm disheartened. Why?
What is apologetics? Is it good for only Christians, or is it also helpful for non-Christians? Is anyone actually born again as a result of apologetic arguments? Should we bother with it at all?
Christian singer and songwriter Steven Curtis Chapman has the most awards in Christian music history... but his life has been a journey of ups and downs. He shares a bit of his story with the folks at I Am Second.
I'm often asked to assess those who call themselves 'apostles' or 'prophets.' My opinion is irrelevant, of course. The question is whether anyone today should use those terms for themselves. In this article, I focus on the 'apostle' part of the five-fold ministry, to clear up the questions about modern-day apostles.
The cosmological argument is the idea that God's existence can be shown likely by appealing to known facts about how the universe works. The Kalam Cosmological Argument is a variation of that argument. Popularized by William Lane Craig, it addresses the question of the universe's beginning, and its logical cause.
How does the Bible define marriage? What is marriage in God's eyes? Is it okay for people to have sex before they're married? These questions are not only important, but they're increasingly relevant as people, young and old, revisit their ideas about relationships.
I’m regularly asked about whether a specific Bible is good or bad. Most of the Bibles in the world are just fine. They adequately communicate God’s message to humanity without significantly substituting human ideas or traditions for divine revelation.
It's always exciting when someone decides to trust God with their life! For many, this decision can be a bit overwhelming. Sometimes it's hard to even understand what they just did, let alone see what happens next. Dr. William Lane Craig explains both in this brief video.
"Follow the science." That's a good idea, I'd say. Why? Because good science tells us true things about the world around us. Scientific thinking has always been on the side of theism, and of Christianity in particular.
The so-called "Gospel of Judas" is neither a gospel nor written by Judas. It's a second-century document that was created to promote gnostic ideas that directly contradict what Jesus' disciples wrote in the New Testament.
GodWords readers ask a LOT of questions. That's good! Unfortunately, many of the questions (and arguments) betray a certain level of ignorance about what the Bible says, and what it means. They show that many don't know how to study theology.
Many, even non-Christians, believe that God is love. However: only those who believe in the Trinity can substantiate the claim. It's not arrogance that makes me say that... it's simple logic.
Can a person be TOO religious? In much of the world, being a Christian doesn't present any real social problems... but being vocal about your faith is often seen as going too far. How much is too much, and how much is just right?
I recently witnessed a "blood moon." That is, I saw a full lunar eclipse where the moon appeared red. A lot of people believe that there is some spiritual significance in the occurrences of blood moons... that they accompany important events related to the nation of Israel. Is that true?
A lot of people believe in the 'law of attraction.' It's been promoted by people like Robert Schuller and Oprah Winfrey, and it's the foundational idea behind most Word of Faith preachers. What is it? How does it work, if it works at all? Should Christians study it?
"Progressive Christianity" is difficult to define, but easy to spot. There are a variety of different ideas in progressive churches, but the one thing they have in common is that they have abandoned the idea that the Bible is true and reliable.
Abortion is always a hot topic. Some see the debate as between religious people and non-religious people, but that's hardly accurate. There are a lot of atheists who oppose abortion, for example. The question at hand is whether abortion is a moral good, a moral evil, or a neutral act.
I hear it all the time from skeptics: the Bible didn't exist for hundreds of years after Jesus died. If true, that would imply that "established Christianity" differs from "original Christianity." This opens the door to all kinds of other nonsense, like Jesus not existing, Jesus not being God, and more.
Do people end up in Hell because they're ignorant? It's easy to assume that those who refuse to be saved simply lack information. "If they had only understood," we say. "If only they had known." At first glance, these words feel compassionate, but they really expose an insufficient view of God.
The Bible speaks regularly about demons, and about the healing of physical illnesses. Sometimes, both are included in the same verse. Some conclude that demons cause illnesses, and that casting out the demons will heal the illnesses. Is this true?
Do people become angels? Are God and Satan opposites? Are unicorns in the Bible? Melissa Dougherty explains twenty more things she wish she'd known... and points out again that many non-believers - and new believers - may believe a lot of things that just aren't so.
