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Why are there so many Bible translations, and which is the best? |
Answer
The fact that there are so many English Bible translations is both a blessing and a problem. It is a blessing in that the Word of God is available to anyone who needs it in an easy\-to\-understand, accurate translation. It is a problem in that the different translations can create controversy and problems... |
What is Bibliology? |
Answer
Bibliology is the study of the Bible, the Word of God. The Bible is the inspired source of knowledge about God, Jesus Christ, salvation, and eternity. Without a proper view of the Bible, our views on these and other issues become clouded and distorted. Bibliology tells us what the Bible is. Common questio... |
Is the Bible truly God’s Word? |
Answer
Our answer to this question will not only determine how we view [the Bible](questions_Bible.html) and its importance to our lives, but it will also have an eternal impact on us. If the Bible is truly God’s Word, then we should cherish it, study it, obey it, and fully trust it. If the Bible is truly the W... |
How and when was the canon of the Bible put together? |
Answer
The term “canon” is used to describe the books that are divinely inspired and therefore belong in the Bible. The difficulty in determining the biblical canon is that the Bible does not give us a list of the books that belong in the Bible. Determining the canon was a process conducted first by Jewish rabbi... |
Why should we study the Old Testament? |
Answer
There are many reasons to study the Old Testament. For one, the Old Testament lays the foundation for the teachings and events found in the New Testament. The Bible is a progressive revelation. If you skip the first half of any good book and try to finish it, you will have a hard time understanding the ch... |
What does it mean that the Bible is inspired? |
Answer
When people speak of the Bible as inspired, they are referring to the fact that God divinely influenced the human authors of the Scriptures in such a way that what they wrote was the very Word of God. In the context of the Scriptures, the word “inspiration” simply means “God\-breathed.” Inspiration means ... |
What are some interesting facts & stats about the Bible? |
Answer
Books in the Bible: 66
Books in the Old Testament: 39
Books in the New Testament: 27
Shortest book in the Bible: 2 John
Longest book in the Bible: Psalms
Chapters in the Bible: 1,189
Chapters in the Old Testament: 929
Chapters in the New Testament: 260
Middle chapter of the Bible: ... |
What is the canon of Scripture? |
Answer
The word “canon” comes from the rule of law that was used to determine if a book measured up to a standard. It is important to note that the writings of Scripture were canonical at the moment they were written. Scripture was Scripture when the pen touched the parchment. This is very important because Chri... |
Can/should we interpret the Bible literally? |
Answer
Not only *can* we take the Bible literally, but we *must* take the Bible literally. This is the only way to determine what God really is trying to communicate to us. When we read any piece of literature, but especially the Bible, we must determine what the author intended to communicate. Many today will r... |
What is the KJV Only movement? |
Answer
Many people have strong and serious objections to the translation methods and textual basis for the new translations and therefore take a strong stance in favor of the King James Version. Others are equally convinced that the newer translations are an improvement over the KJV in their textual basis and tr... |
What are the Dead Sea Scrolls and why are they important? |
Answer
The first of the Dead Sea Scroll discoveries occurred in 1947 in Qumran, a village situated about twenty miles east of Jerusalem on the northwest shore of the [Dead Sea](Dead-Sea.html). A young Bedouin shepherd, following a goat that had gone astray, tossed a rock into one of the caves along the seacliffs... |
Does the Bible contain errors, contradictions, or discrepancies? |
Answer
If we read the Bible at face value, without a preconceived bias for finding errors, we will find it to be a coherent, consistent, and relatively easy\-to\-understand book. Yes, there are difficult passages. Yes, there are verses that appear to contradict each other. We must remember that the Bible was wri... |
Why should we read the Bible / study the Bible? |
Answer
We should read and study the Bible because it is God’s Word to us. The Bible is literally "God\-breathed" (2 Timothy 3:16\). In other words, it is God’s very words to us. There are so many questions that philosophers have asked that God answers for us in Scripture. What is the purpose to life? Where did I... |
What are the Apocrypha / Deuterocanonical books? |
Answer
Roman Catholic Bibles have several more books in the Old Testament than Protestant Bibles. These books are referred to as the Apocrypha or Deuterocanonical books. The word *apocrypha* means “hidden,” while the word *deuterocanonical* means “second canon.” The Apocrypha/Deuterocanonicals were written prima... |
Where is a good place to start reading the Bible? |
Answer
For starters, it is important to realize that [the Bible](what-is-the-Bible.html) is not an ordinary book that reads smoothly from cover to cover. It is actually a library, or collection, of books written by different authors in several languages over 1,500 years. Martin Luther said that the Bible is the ... |
Who were the authors of the books of the Bible? |
Answer
Ultimately, above the human authors, the Bible was written by God. Second Timothy 3:16 tells us that the Bible was “breathed out” by God. God superintended the human authors of the Bible so that, while using their own writing styles and personalities, they still recorded exactly what God intended. The Bib... |
What are the lost books of the Bible? |
Answer
There are no “lost books” of the Bible, or books that were taken out of the Bible, or books missing from the Bible. Every book that God intended to be in the Bible is in the Bible. There are many legends and rumors of lost books of the Bible, but the books were not, in fact, lost. Rather, they were reject... |
What is biblical numerology? |
Answer
Biblical numerology is the study of numbers in the Bible. Two of the most commonly repeated numbers in the Bible are 7 and 40\. The [number 7](number-7-seven.html) signifies completion or perfection (Genesis 7:2\-4; Revelation 1:20\). It is often called “God’s number” since He is the only One who is perfe... |
Is there any validity to the Bible codes? |
Answer
Bible codes are hidden messages purported to exist in the original text of Scripture. Many people claim to have discovered Bible codes using mathematical patterns. Some codes are found by counting letters or by assigning numerical values to each letter in a text (called “theomatics”). More complex codes a... |
How did people know about God before the Bible? |
Answer
Even though people did not have the Word of God, they were not without the ability to receive, understand and obey God before there was a Bible as we know it. In fact, there are many areas of the world today where Bibles are not available, yet people still can and do know about God. The issue is one of re... |
What is the JEDP Theory? |
Answer
In brief, the JEDP theory states that the first five books of the Bible, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, were not written entirely by Moses, who died in the 1400’s B.C., but also by different authors/compilers after Moses. The theory is based on the fact that different names for God ... |
What is the Synoptic Problem? |
Answer
When the first three Gospels—[Matthew](Gospel-of-Matthew.html), [Mark](Gospel-of-Mark.html), and [Luke](Gospel-of-Luke.html)—are compared, it is unmistakable that the accounts are very similar to one another in content and expression. As a result, Matthew, Mark, and Luke are referred to as the “[Synoptic ... |
Is it possible that more books could be added to the Bible? |
Answer
There is no reason to believe that God would present further revelation to add to His Word. The Bible begins with the very beginning of humanity—Genesis—and ends with the end of humanity as we know it—Revelation. Everything in between is for our benefit as believers, to be empowered with God’s truth in ou... |
Should Mark 16:9-20 be in the Bible? |
Answer
The very last part of the [Gospel of Mark](Gospel-of-Mark.html) has been a controversial passage for almost as long as the church has been in existence. The question is whether that portion of the Gospel, specifically, Mark 16:9–20, should be included as part of Mark, or if the Gospel should end with vers... |
What is the proper way to study the Bible? |
Answer
Knowing how to study the Bible is important, because determining the meaning of Scripture is one of the most important tasks a believer has in this life. God does not tell us that we must simply [read the Bible](why-read-Bible.html). We must study it and handle it correctly (2 Timothy 2:15\). Studying the... |
Do I have to believe the Bible is inerrant to be saved? |
Answer
We are not saved by believing in the inspiration or inerrancy of the Bible. We are saved by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior from sin (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8–9; Romans 10:9–10\). At the same time, though, it is only through the Bible that we learn about Jesus Christ and His death and res... |
What is the book of Enoch and should it be in the Bible? |
Answer
The Book of Enoch is any of several [pseudepigraphal](pseudepigrapha.html) works that attribute themselves to Enoch, the great\-grandfather of Noah; that is, Enoch son of Jared (Genesis 5:18\). A piece of ancient literature is a pseudepigraphon if it makes false claims as to authorship. A pseudepigraphon... |
What is the documentary hypothesis? |
Answer
The documentary hypothesis is essentially an attempt to take the supernatural out of the Pentateuch and to deny its Mosaic authorship. The accounts of the Red Sea crossing, the manna in the wilderness, the provision of water from a solid rock, etc., are considered stories from oral tradition, thus making ... |
Old Testament vs. New Testament - What are the differences? |
Answer
While the Bible is a unified book, there are differences between the Old Testament and the New Testament. In many ways, they are complementary. The Old Testament is foundational; the New Testament builds on that foundation with further revelation from God. The Old Testament establishes principles that are... |
Is there proof for the inspiration of the Bible? |
Answer
Here are some evidences that the Bible is inspired (God\-breathed), as declared in 2 Timothy 3:16:
1\) Fulfilled prophecy. God spoke to men telling them of things He would bring about in the future. Some of them have already occurred. Others have not. For example, the Old Testament contains more tha... |
What is the Septuagint? |
Answer
The Septuagint (also known as the LXX) is a translation of the Hebrew Bible into the Greek language. The name *Septuagint* comes from the Latin word for “seventy.” The tradition is that 70 (or 72\) Jewish scholars were the translators behind the Septuagint. The Septuagint was translated in the third and s... |
What is biblical hermeneutics? |
Answer
Biblical hermeneutics is the study of the principles and methods of interpreting the text of the Bible. Second Timothy 2:15 commands believers to be involved in hermeneutics: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who . . . correctly handles the word of truth.” The purpose of b... |
Is the Bible relevant for today? |
Answer
Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double\-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” While the Bible was completed approximately 1900 years ago, its accuracy and relevance ... |
Does the inerrancy of the Bible only apply to the original manuscripts? |
Answer
To be [inerrant](Biblical-inerrancy.html) is to be free from error. Only the original autographs (the original manuscripts written by the apostles, prophets, etc.) are under the divine promise of inspiration and inerrancy. The books of the Bible, as they were originally written under the inspiration of th... |
What is sola scriptura? |
Answer
The phrase *sola scriptura* is from the Latin: *sola* having the idea of “alone,” “ground,” “base,” and the word *scriptura* meaning “writings”—referring to the Scriptures. *Sola scriptura* means that Scripture alone is authoritative for the faith and practice of the Christian. The Bible is complete, auth... |
What are redaction criticism and higher criticism? |
Answer
Redaction criticism and higher criticism are just a few of many forms of biblical criticism. Their intent is to investigate the Scriptures and make judgments concerning their authorship, historicity, and date of writing. Sadly, most of these methods end up attempting to destroy the text of the Bible.
... |
What is the Latin Vulgate Bible? |
Answer
“The Vulgate” is the popular name given to the Latin version of the Bible, a translation usually attributed to [Jerome](Saint-Jerome.html). Before Jerome’s time, as the number of Latin\-speaking Christians grew, the Bible was translated into Latin so that the Christians of the time could understand it. It... |
What are the beatitudes? |
Answer
The Beatitudes are the eight declarations of blessedness spoken by Jesus at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:3\-12\), each beginning with "Blessed are..." It is debated as to exactly how many beatitudes there are. Some speak of seven, nine, or ten beatitudes, but the number appears to b... |
Has the Bible been corrupted, altered, edited, revised, or tampered with? |
Answer
The books of the Old Testament were written from approximately 1400 BC to 400 BC. The books of the New Testament were written from approximately AD 40 to AD 90\. So, anywhere between 3,400 and 1,900 years have passed since a book of the Bible was written. In this time, the original manuscripts have been l... |
What is biblical typology? |
Answer
Typology is a special kind of symbolism. (A symbol is something that represents something else.) We can define a type as a “prophetic symbol” because all types are representations of something yet future. More specifically, a type in Scripture is a person or thing in the Old Testament that foreshadows a p... |
Why are the newer translations of the Bible missing verses? |
Answer
If you compare the King James and New King James Versions with the newer translations (e.g., the New International Version, English Standard Version, Christian Standard Bible, New Living Translation, etc.), you will notice that several verses are entirely missing from the newer translations. Examples of m... |
Why isn’t the Bible in chronological order? |
Answer
The books of the Bible are not in chronological order; rather, they are primarily arranged according to type of literature. For example, Genesis through Esther are historical and are grouped together, Job through Song of Solomon form another group of mainly poetry, and Isaiah through Malachi are prophecy,... |
Who divided the Bible into chapters and verses? |
Answer
When the books of the Bible were originally written, they did not contain chapter or verse references. The Bible was divided into chapters and verses to help us find Scriptures more quickly and easily. It is much easier to find "John chapter 3, verse 16" than it is to find "for God so loved the world..." ... |
Is it important to know Greek and Hebrew when studying the Bible? |
Answer
Martin Luther, the great Protestant reformer, wrote the following in regard to the importance of understanding Greek and Hebrew when studying the Bible: "The languages are the sheath in which the sword of the Spirit is contained." God sovereignly chose to have His Word written in Hebrew (the Old Testament... |
Who is Jesus Christ? |
Answer
Unlike the question “[Does God exist?](Does-God-exist.html)” the question of whether Jesus Christ existed is asked by relatively few people. Most accept that Jesus was truly a man who lived in Israel 2,000 years ago. The debate begins with the discussion of Jesus’ full identity. Almost every major religio... |
Textual criticism - what is it? |
Answer
Simply stated, textual criticism is a method used to determine what the original manuscripts of the Bible said. The original manuscripts of the Bible are either lost, hidden, or no longer in existence. What we do have is tens of thousands of copies of the original manuscripts dating from the 1st to the 15... |
Did Jesus have brothers and sisters (siblings)? |
Answer
Jesus’ brothers are mentioned in several Bible verses. Matthew 12:46, Luke 8:19, and Mark 3:31 say that Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see Him. The Bible tells us that Jesus had four brothers: James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas (Matthew 13:55\). The Bible also tells us that Jesus had sisters, but they ar... |
What is Christology? |
Answer
The word "Christology" comes from two Greek words meaning "Christ / Messiah" and "word" \- which combine to mean "the study of Christ." Christology is the study of the Person and work of Jesus Christ. There are numerous important questions that Christology answers:
[Who is Jesus Christ?](who-is-Jesus... |
Is the resurrection of Jesus Christ true? |
Answer
Scripture presents conclusive evidence that Jesus Christ was in fact resurrected from the dead. Christ’s resurrection is recorded in Matthew 28:1\-20; Mark 16:1\-20; Luke 24:1\-53; and John 20:1–21:25\. The resurrected Christ also appeared in the Book of Acts (Acts 1:1\-11\). From these passages you can g... |
Why is the virgin birth so important? |
Answer
The doctrine of the virgin birth teaches that Jesus Christ was born of a virgin. That is, when [Mary](virgin-Mary.html) conceived Jesus, she had never had sexual intercourse. Jesus’ birth, therefore, was truly miraculous. The virgin birth of Jesus is a crucially important doctrine and one that the Bible p... |
Is Jesus God? |
Answer
Some who deny that Jesus is God make the claim that [Jesus never said that He is God](did-Jesus-say-He-is-God.html). It is correct that the Bible never records Jesus saying the precise words, “I am God.” This does not mean, however, that Jesus never claimed to be God.
**Is Jesus God? — Jesus cla... |
Did Jesus go to hell between His death and resurrection? |
Answer
There is a great deal of confusion regarding this question. The concept that Jesus went to hell after His death on the cross comes primarily from the [Apostles’ Creed](apostles-creed.html), which states, “He descended into hell.” There are also a few Scripture passages that, depending on how they are tran... |
What happened during Jesus’ childhood? |
Answer
Other than Luke 2:41–52, the Bible does not tell us anything about Jesus’ youth. From this incident we do know certain things about Jesus’ childhood. First, He was the son of parents\* who were devout in their religious observances. As required in the law, Joseph and Mary made the yearly pilgrimage to Jer... |
Where does the Old Testament predict the coming of Jesus Christ? |
Answer
There are many Old Testament prophecies about Jesus Christ. Some interpreters place the number of Messianic prophecies in the hundreds. The following are those that are considered the clearest and most important.
Regarding Jesus’ birth—Isaiah 7:14: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: ... |
On what day was Jesus crucified? |
Answer
The Bible explicitly states, in all four Gospels, that Jesus was crucified on preparation day (Matthew 27:62; Mark 15:42; Luke 23:54; John 19:14,31\). He rose again on the first day of the week (Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:1; Luke 24:1; John 20:1\). Determining the day of the week for the crucifixion would seem... |
What did Jesus look like? |
Answer
The Bible nowhere gives a physical description of what Jesus looked like during His incarnation. The closest thing we get to a description is in Isaiah 53:2b, “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him.” All this tells us is that Jesus’ appearanc... |
Why are Jesus’ genealogies in Matthew and Luke so different? |
Answer
Jesus’ genealogy is given in two places in Scripture: Matthew 1 and Luke 3:23\-38\. Matthew traces the genealogy from Jesus to Abraham. Luke traces the genealogy from Jesus to Adam. However, there is good reason to believe that Matthew and Luke are in fact tracing entirely different genealogies. For examp... |
When did Jesus know that He was God? |
Answer
Jesus was always God. From eternity past He has been the second Person of the Trinity, and He always will be. The question of when, after the [Incarnation](incarnation-of-Christ.html), the human Jesus knew that He was God is interesting, but it is not addressed in Scripture. We know that, as an adult, Jes... |
What does it mean that Jesus is the Son of Man? |
Answer
Jesus is referred to as the “Son of Man” 82 times in the New Testament (NIV and ESV). In fact, *Son of Man* is the primary title Jesus used when referring to Himself (e.g., Matthew 12:32; 13:37; Luke 12:8; John 1:51\). The only use of *Son of Man* in a clear reference to Jesus, spoken by someone other tha... |
Could Jesus have sinned? |
Answer
There are two sides to this interesting question. It is important to remember that this is not a question of whether Jesus sinned. Both sides agree, as the Bible clearly says, that Jesus did not sin (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:22\). The question is whether Jesus could have sinned. Those who hold to “im... |
What does it mean that Jesus is the son of David? |
Answer
Seventeen verses in the New Testament describe Jesus as the “son of David.” But the question arises, how could Jesus be the son of David if David lived approximately 1,000 years before Jesus? The answer is that Christ (the Messiah) was the fulfillment of the prophecy of the seed of David (2 Samuel 7:12–16... |
Why was Jesus baptized? |
Answer
At first glance, it seems that Jesus’ baptism has no purpose at all. John’s baptism was the baptism of repentance (Matthew 3:11\), but Jesus was sinless and had no need of repentance. Even John was taken aback at Jesus’ coming to him. John recognized his own sin and was aware that he, a sinful man in need... |
Why did Jesus have to experience so much suffering? |
Answer
Jesus suffered severely throughout His trials, torture, and crucifixion (Matthew 27; Mark 15; Luke 23; John 19\). His suffering was physical: Isaiah 52:14 declares, “There were many who were appalled at Him—His appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness.”... |
What were the seven last words of Jesus Christ on the cross and what do they mean? |
Answer
The seven statements that Jesus Christ made on the cross were (not in any particular order):
(1\) Matthew 27:46 tells us that about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Here, Jesus was expre... |
What does it mean that Jesus is the Son of God? |
Answer
Jesus is not God’s Son in the sense of a human father and a son. God did not get married and have a son. God did not mate with Mary and, together with her, produce a son. Jesus is God’s Son in the sense that He is God made manifest in human form (John 1:1, 14\). Jesus is God’s Son in that He was conceived... |
Who was responsible for Christ’s death? |
Answer
The answer to this question has many facets. First, there is no doubt the religious leaders of Israel were responsible for Jesus’ death. Matthew 26:3–4 tells us that “the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, and they schemed to arr... |
Was Jesus Christ married? |
Answer
The recent discovery and translation of the fourth\-century "Jesus’ wife papyrus" has reopened the discussion as to whether Jesus had a wife / was married. The "Jesus’ wife papyrus" says, "Jesus said to them, 'My wife ...'" This discovery is interesting in that it is the first Gnostic writing to explicitl... |
How is Jesus Christ unique? |
Answer
1\. *Jesus Christ is unique as the [only begotten](only-begotten-son.html) Son of God* (Psalm 2:7, 11–12; John 1:14; 3:16; Luke 1:35\). Jesus is the “one\-of\-a\-kind” Son of God in that He shares the same divine nature as God.
2\. *Jesus Christ is unique in that He is eternal.* He existed from eter... |
Was Jesus ever angry? |
Answer
When Jesus cleared the temple of the moneychangers and animal\-sellers, He showed great emotion and anger (Matthew 21:12\-13; Mark 11:15\-18; John 2:13\-22\). Jesus’ emotion was described as “zeal” for God’s house (John 2:17\). His anger was pure and completely justified because at its root was concern fo... |
Why did Jesus say, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” |
Answer
“And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46, KJV). This cry is a fulfillment of Psalm 22:1, one of many parallels between that psalm and the specific events of the crucifixion. It is... |
What was Jesus like as a person? |
Answer
Although He had “no beauty of majesty to attract us to him...” (Isaiah 53:2\), it was Jesus’ personality that drew men to Him. He was a man of great character. The more we understand what Jesus was like, the more we can seek to emulate His character.
What was Jesus like? Jesus had a *compassionate* ... |
Did Jesus fight Satan for the keys to the kingdom? |
Answer
Keys are a symbol of control. Keys keep people in or out. If they do not have a key to a lock, they cannot enter or exit. Keys grant the holder access to interiors and their contents, and in ancient times the wearing of large keys was a mark of status in the community. In the New Testament, the word "Hade... |
What does it mean that Jesus is the Lamb of God? |
Answer
When Jesus is called the Lamb of God in John 1:29 and John 1:36, it is referring to Him as the perfect and ultimate sacrifice for sin. In order to understand who Christ was and what He did, we must begin with the Old Testament, which contains prophecies concerning the coming of Christ as a “guilt offering... |
What is the Jesus Seminar? |
Answer
The "Jesus Seminar" was begun by New Testament "scholar" Robert Funk in the 1970s. It was Funk’s desire to rediscover the "historical Jesus" that was hidden, he believed, behind almost 2,000 years of Christian traditions, myths, and legends. The Jesus Seminar was created to examine the biblical gospels an... |
What is the hypostatic union? |
Answer
The hypostatic union is the term used to describe how God the Son, Jesus Christ, took on a human nature, yet remained fully God at the same time. Jesus always had been God (John 8:58, 10:30\), but at the incarnation Jesus became a human being (John 1:14\). The addition of the human nature to the divine na... |
If Jesus is God, why did He not know when He would return? |
Answer
Speaking of His second coming, Jesus said, “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Matthew 24:36; cf. Mark 13:32\). The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus is God (John 1:1, 14\), and we know that God is omniscient. So it seems strange that Jesu... |
If Jesus was God, why did He call God "My God?" |
Answer
This can definitely be a confusing issue. It all goes back to the "mystery" of the Trinity. When Jesus was on the cross, He quoted Psalm 22 (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34\). This was a psalm of David, but it was a Messianic prophecy as well. The entire psalm contains remarkable predictions by David concerning... |
What was the meaning and importance of the transfiguration? |
Answer
About a week after Jesus plainly told His disciples that He would suffer, be killed, and be raised to life (Luke 9:22\), He took Peter, James, and John up a mountain to pray. While praying, His personal appearance was changed into a glorified form, and His clothing became dazzling white. Moses and Elijah ... |
Who is the Holy Spirit? |
Answer
There are many misconceptions about the identity of the Holy Spirit. Some view the Holy Spirit as a mystical force. Others see the Holy Spirit as an impersonal power that God makes available to followers of Christ. What does the Bible say about the identity of the Holy Spirit? Simply put, the Bible declar... |
What is the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit? |
Answer
The concept of “blasphemy against the Spirit” is mentioned in Mark 3:22–30 and Matthew 12:22–32\. Jesus has just performed a miracle. A demon\-possessed man was brought to Jesus, and the Lord cast the demon out, healing the man of blindness and muteness. The eyewitnesses to this exorcism began to wonder i... |
What is the kenosis? What does it mean that Jesus emptied Himself? |
Answer
The term *kenosis* refers to the doctrine of Christ’s “self\-emptying” in His incarnation. The word comes from the Greek of Philippians 2:7, which says that Jesus “emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men” (ESV). The word translated “emptied” is a form of *kenoó*... |
How do I identify my spiritual gift? |
Answer
There is no magic formula or definitive test that can tell us exactly what our spiritual gifts are. The Holy Spirit distributes the gifts as He determines (1 Corinthians 12:7\-11\). A common problem for Christians is the temptation to get so caught up in our spiritual gift that we only seek to serve God i... |
When / How do we receive the Holy Spirit? |
Answer
The apostle Paul clearly taught that we receive the Holy Spirit the moment we receive Jesus Christ as our Savior. First Corinthians 12:13 declares, “For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.” Romans 8:9 tells u... |
What is Pneumatology? |
Answer
The word Pneumatology comes from two Greek words which mean "wind, air, spirit" and "word" \- combining to mean "the study of the Holy Spirit." Pneumatology is the study of God the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity. It answers numerous important questions about the Holy Spirit:
[Who / what... |
Are the miraculous gifts of the Spirit for today? |
Answer
First, it is important to recognize that this is not a question of whether God still performs miracles today. It would be foolish and unbiblical to claim God does not heal people, speak to people, and perform miraculous signs and wonders today. The question is whether the miraculous gifts of the Spirit, d... |
Is being slain in the Spirit biblical? |
Answer
Most commonly, being “slain in the Spirit” happens when a minister lays hands on someone, and that person collapses to the floor, supposedly overcome by the power of the Holy Spirit. Those who practice slaying in the Spirit use Bible passages that talk about people becoming “as dead” (Revelation 1:17\) or... |
What is the baptism of the Holy Spirit? |
Answer
The baptism of the Holy Spirit may be defined as that work whereby the Spirit of God places the believer into [union with Christ](union-with-Christ.html) and into union with other believers in the body of Christ at the moment of salvation. The baptism of the Holy Spirit was predicted by John the Baptist (... |
What is the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives today? |
Answer
Of all the gifts given to mankind by God, there is none greater than the presence of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit has many functions, roles, and activities. First, He does a work in the hearts of all people everywhere. Jesus told the disciples that He would send the Spirit into the world to “will convict t... |
How does God distribute spiritual gifts? |
Answer
Romans 12:3\-8 and 1 Corinthians chapter 12 make it clear that each Christian is given spiritual gifts according to the Lord’s choice. Spiritual gifts are given for the edification of the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:7, 14:12\). The exact timing of the giving of these gifts is not specifically mention... |
What does it mean to walk in the Spirit? |
Answer
Believers have the [indwelling Spirit](indwelling-of-the-Holy-Spirit.html) of Christ, the Comforter who proceeds from the Father (John 15:26\). The Holy Spirit assists believers in prayer (Jude 1:20\) and “intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God” (Romans 8:27\). He also leads the be... |
Is speaking in tongues evidence for having the Holy Spirit? |
Answer
There are three occasions in the book of Acts where speaking in tongues accompanied the receiving of the Holy Spirit—Acts 2:4, 10:44\-46, and 19:6\. However, these three occasions are the only places in the Bible where speaking in tongues is an evidence of receiving the Holy Spirit. Throughout the book of... |
How can I be filled with the Holy Spirit? |
Answer
In Ephesians 5:15–20, the apostle Paul teaches believers how to experience a holy relationship with God—how to live for Him, obey Him, and discover His will as we serve Him. He writes, “So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. . . . Don’t act thoughtlessly, but under... |
What is the difference between a talent and a spiritual gift? |
Answer
There are similarities and differences between talents and spiritual gifts. Both are gifts from God. Both grow in effectiveness with use. Both are intended to be used on behalf of others, not for selfish purposes. First Corinthians 12:7 states that spiritual gifts are given to benefit others and not ourse... |
What is the meaning of perfect in 1 Corinthians 13:10? |
Answer
First Corinthians 13:10 says, “When that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away” (KJV). The ESV puts it this way: “When the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.” The “in part” or “partial” things are the gifts of [prophecy](gift-of-prophecy.html), knowledge, and tong... |
What is praying in the Spirit? |
Answer
Praying in the Spirit is mentioned three times in Scripture. First Corinthians 14:15 says, “So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind.” Ephesians 6:18 says, “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with ... |
Will the Holy Spirit ever leave a believer? |
Answer
Simply put, no, the Holy Spirit will never leave a true believer. This is revealed in many different passages in the New Testament. For example, Romans 8:9 tells us, “…if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.” This verse very clearly states that if someone does not have ... |
What is the filioque clause / filioque controversy? |
Answer
The filioque clause was, and still is, a controversy in the church in relation to the Holy Spirit. The question is, “from whom did the Holy Spirit proceed, the Father, or the Father and the Son?” The word *filioque* means “and son” in Latin. It is referred to as the “filioque clause” because the phrase “a... |
What is the fruit of the Holy Spirit? |
Answer
Galatians 5:22\-23 tells us, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self\-control.” The fruit of the Holy Spirit is the result of the Holy Spirit’s presence in the life of a Christian. The Bible makes it clear that everyone receives the... |
Is a believer supposed to be able to feel the Holy Spirit? |
Answer
While certain ministries of the Holy Spirit may involve a feeling, such as conviction of sin, comfort, and empowerment, Scripture does not instruct us to base our relationship with the Holy Spirit on how or what we feel. Every born\-again believer has the indwelling Holy Spirit. Jesus told us that when th... |
What is the purpose of the church? |
Answer
Acts 2:42 could be considered a purpose statement for the church: “They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” According to this verse, the purposes/activities of the church should be 1\) teaching biblical doctrine, 2\) providing a plac... |
Subsets and Splits
Top Long Responses
Returns the prompts and responses where the response length falls within a specified range, ordered by decreasing length, which provides basic insight into the distribution of response lengths.