When reading the Bible, we're wise to keep an eye out for repetition. This emphasis points to pivotal moments. God talked to a lot of people in the Bible, from Adam to Zechariah. Here's a list of eight people who, in pivotal moments, God called by name... not once, but twice.
It's commonly believed that all of Jesus' disciples, except John, were martyred... that is, killed for following Jesus. Unfortunately, these events aren't as clear as we'd like them to be. Some seem to be well-attested in history while others rely on traditions, both oral and written.
Following Jesus is more than just believing what He said. It's also recognizing that a right relationship with God includes accepting that He IS God, and that we are not... that we are His subjects, and that He expects us to live as loyal subjects in His kingdom.
One of the most common objections about the Bible is that it was supposedly created by Roman Emperor Constantine at the Council of Nicea in AD 325. Of course, that's not true. It's mythology, not history. So what really happened at the council of Nicea?
Patty asked: Why are there so many different types of Bibles? And what is the best one to read? Let's look at some of the reasons. I can think of several.
I understand your concern, as many Christians have grown up with the idea that burial is the option that God prefers. They see some connection between burial and resurrection. Of course, that doesn't quite make sense.
Between the death of Joshua and the inauguration of King Saul, the ancient nation of Israel didn't have specific human leaders at the top of the food chain, running the show. Moses' generation didn't get to enter the Promised Land. The next generation did, and they fought battles and took land as God directed.
First, what IS the rapture? It's generally taught be the event where Jesus comes to take His Bride - the church, which is all believers - to Heaven with Him. Some believe this will happen before the Great Tribulation, some believe it will be in the middle, and some at the end. All of these views consider the rapture to be a separate event from Jesus' second coming.
First, what is a cult? The word simply suggests a specific set of beliefs that spring from another set of beliefs. In that sense, Christianity is historically and technically a cult of Judaism. The word is neutral, even though most of us use it in a negative sense.
A reader asks: What exactly does spiritual warfare look like? What about deliverance ministries? I’m not clear on what I believe about it.
In the words of Rich Mullins, Jacob got two women and a whole house full of kids. Jacob, renamed Israel, had twelve sons by four different women: two wives and two concubines. Those twelve sons had their own families... twelve different tribes of Israel.
For the record, the question was more like 'should Christians just accept the Bible as a whole, or should we be skeptical of different parts of it?'. I'm going with accepting it as a single, trustworthy set of documents.
