One Temple Cleansing, or Two?

Most of us are familiar with the gospel accounts of Jesus cleansing the temple. You know, where He flipped tables and ran out the moneychangers. That happened right before His crucifixion, right? Well... yes, but maybe He did it twice.

The Parables of Jesus

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.

Just Don’t Be a Jesus Freak

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?

Progressive Christians: Where and How They Differ with Jesus

These days, many who claim the name of Jesus are also politically and theologically "progressive." They don't view God, Jesus, or the Bible in the traditional sense of what Christians have believed from the first century forward. They often substitute their own views for those found in Scripture. For this reason, it's important to be able to compare progressive beliefs with Scriptural truths.

How to Appreciate Early Jesus Symbols

Throughout history, Christians have used simple symbols - called monograms or Christograms - to represent Jesus. Some appear in early biblical manuscripts. Explore the history and meaning of some of these symbols.

The Gospel Authors Knew Palestinian Geography

Skeptics often claim that the gospels weren't written by eyewitnesses... that they were written later, embellished the facts, and so are unreliable accounts of history. Here we see that the authors have extensive knowledge of local geography, including towns, water, and directions.

Did Jesus Exist? Searching for Evidence Beyond the Bible

Skeptics of Christianity often suggest that Jesus may not have existed. Extra-biblical evidence is especially helpful. Both Tacitus and Josephus mention Jesus, and this article outlines the evidence. Establishing the historicity of the Bible is an important part of discussing Christianity today.

Did the Early Church Invent the Divinity of Jesus over a Long Period of Time?

Skeptics of Christianity sometimes claim that Jesus never claimed to be God, and that belief in His divinity was a legend that developed over time. When did this belief develop? How early can it be established?

The Top 40 Messianic Prophecies

The Jewish Scriptures - the Old Testament - speak often of the coming Messiah. The New Testament clearly claims that Jesus is that Messiah, and points to many Old Testament prophecies as being fulfilled by Jesus. Here are 40 of the 300+ prophecies associated with Jesus' life, death, and resurrection.

A Neglected Proof for the Resurrection – The Sign of Jonah

Jesus' death fulfilled Old Testament prophecy. Even though He paralleled His own death with 'the sign of Jonah,' some have struggled to justify using His words as evidence, believing that Jonah didn't die inside the fish. A careful look at Scripture says otherwise.

How Can the Divinity of Christ be Proven?

Jesus asked His disciples who people thought He was. We should ask others the same question. Many don't believe Jesus is God. If He is, then His claims should be taken very seriously.

Old Testament God vs New Testament God?

At first glance, God in the Old Testament seems harsh, and perhaps callous. God in the New Testament seems loving, and gentle. With respect, this is a simple misunderstanding. It's also not new...this has been a common misunderstanding since at least the turn of the first century AD.

Did Jesus Claim to be God?

Many skeptics of Christianity believe that Jesus never claimed to be God. Some claim that nobody believed He was God until long, long after His death. Others argue that Jesus' own words show that He believed Himself to be simply a man, or only the Son of God and not God Himself. Still others claim that Jesus' divinity was created by the apostle Paul, and that his teaching and Jesus' teaching are in conflict. From Jehovah's Witnesses to Muslims to atheists, a whole bunch of people deny that Jesus is God.

Jesus in Every Language

One of the most popular articles on GodWords is What Does Jesus Mean?. The article gets a lot of comments requesting the meaning of Bible names, so I thought it was time to begin a list of Jesus' name in different languages.

Did Jesus Really Exist? Bart Ehrman Explains.

Some people doubt that Jesus actually existed. They claim that some first-century men made up a story, and that a bunch of people were fooled into believing it. I've heard from a lot of skeptics of Christianity, and there's a fair number who claim that Jesus never actually existed.

Did Jesus Ever Get Sick?

Some presume that He never got sick because He is God, but they forget or ignore that He is also fully human. He grew in wisdom and stature, got hungry, got tired, got frustrated, felt pain...so there's no reason to assume that He never got sick.

Was Dan Brown Right? Was Jesus Married?

I'd like to even give Brown credit for being imaginative...but I can't. I read Holy Blood, Holy Grail in 1986 or so, and it would be kind to only say that Brown plagiarizes heavily from it. That book was interesting fiction too, despite its claims.

Does Mark 7 prove that Jesus was a racist?

Jewish men of that time, by and large, did not speak to Gentiles (non-Jews). They especially did not speak to women. In fact, it's said that they went so far out of their way to avoid contact with women and Gentiles that they would cross the street to avoid passing next to them.

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