Is masturbation a sin when it is not accompanied by pornography or sinful thoughts?
Question: I masturbate and I’ve been addicted to it now. Anyhow, I read in your article that if one produces semen with any sexual purpose, it is a sin (such as seeing a pornographic picture or video). My question is: Would masturbating without thinking of such things and just masturbating with a clear mind, that…
Read MoreWhy do you quote from the Old Law?
Question: I read Why We Don’t Follow the Old Testament and saw your point of view on the matter, but you do quote laws from Leviticus to justify positions. Aren’t all those laws thrown out, along with all other laws from the Old Testament? I’m not debating homosexuality here, but you do quote: Leviticus 18:22…
Read MoreDon’t you feel guilty telling young people they have sinned?
Question: When you look over these posts and see how miserable and guilty the children that you advise feel about their “sins,” don’t you regret the way you teach? God loves us all no matter what mistakes we make and it would be nice to find some Christians who teach the love and not the…
Read MoreAm I married in the eyes of God?
Question: When I met my husband, he was going through a divorce from his former wife. She had been unfaithful. He moved out and the other man moved in with her. Before I met him, he had already begun the divorce papers. Because of his first wife’s unfaithfulness, I understand he had a right to…
Read MoreCan a married man have a female friend whom he prefers over his wife?
Question: My husband has a new “friend” (female) that he constantly chooses over me. He lies to me in order to be with this friend. He tells this friend things that I told him in confidence about her, such as that I am uncomfortable with their new relationship. He puts me down to this new…
Read MoreWhat happens when you swear not to do something, but you do it anyway?
Question: What happens when you swear to not do something but you do it? And what should you do? Answer: Whether you swear or simply stated that you were not going to do something, that is sufficient to bind a Christian. A Christian is a man of his word. Swearing isn’t required to make a…
Read MoreDid Nehemiah rebuild the whole wall of Jerusalem or only parts of it?
Question: When Nehemiah rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem was he rebuilding the whole wall or only parts of it? Answer: When the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem, the Bible noted the following, “And all the army of the Chaldeans who were with the captain of the guard broke down the walls of Jerusalem all around” (II Kings…
Read MoreAre you born again?
Question: What I would like to know is are you a born again Christian church as in John 3:3? Jesus said no one will enter the kingdom of heaven unless they are born again so are you? Answer: No one can be a Christian without being born again. For more details, see the article “Are…
Read MoreQuestions about Jesus
Questions: How old is Jesus? Where is he from? Why do people believe in Jesus? What is his real name? Why is he dead? Why do people think of him? What does he look like? Do you like him or not? Do you think he is nice and kind and helpful? Why do they pray…
Read MoreDid the apostles speak in different languages or did the people hear in different languages?
Question: When the apostles were speaking in tongues, were they actually speaking a different language or did each person hear them in their own language? Were they each speaking and different groups congregated toward the one who was speaking their particular language or did each apostle just speak and every person just heard him in…
Read MoreHow big was Jerusalem?
Question: How big was Jerusalem in say, square miles? Answer: In David’s day, Jerusalem occupied a space of about 12 acres (0.02 square miles), and the estimated population was about 2,000 people. During Solomon’s day, the size of the city increased to 125 acres (0.2 square miles) and the estimated population was about 25,000 people.…
Read MoreNow that I’m changing, people I know are taunting me. What do I do?
Question: I want to tell you something and then ask if you would please comment on the situation. As you know, I have written to you several times asking questions. I also am doing a Bible study online, through a congregation of the Church of Christ. I refer back to many of your answers for…
Read MoreWere the Ten Commandments Nailed to the Cross?
by Clem Thurman via Gospel Minutes, Vol. 56, No. 20, May 18, 2007 QUESTION: I understand that the Old Testament was “nailed to the cross” when Jesus died. Would that also include the Ten Commandments? If so, what about idolatry, murder, and the other moral commandments? ANSWER: The first listing of the Ten Commandments is found in Exodus…
Read MoreWas Luke a Gentile?
Question: Was Luke a Gentile? Maybe a proselyte? If so, how do we know this? Answer: Nothing is said in the Scriptures concerning Luke’s heritage, so we cannot know by direct reference. Luke is believed to be a Gentile because in Colossians 4:10-14, Paul lists three fellow Jews and then three others, of which one…
Read MoreThree trivia questions
Question: What two Old Testament men loved each other passing the love of women? What son fell on his father’s neck? Who wanted a drink from a certain well and refused it when brought? Answer: Someone into trivia, I see. What two Old Testament men loved each other passing the love of women? From David’s…
Read MoreA rebuttal to “When is a child too old to spank?”
Question: I would like to comment on your article entitled: How do we start biblical discipline when our children are already older? I agree with most of what you have written. I believe that corporal punishment can be very effective if it is done in love, not impulsively and not as a reaction to anger. As…
Read MoreWhat are my chances of being pregnant?
Question: My boyfriend ejaculated inside me twice without a condom. I had an abortion around February. What are my chances of being pregnant? Answer: If 100 married couples were regularly having sex and using no contraceptive, the odds are that in one year 85 have the couples will have conceived a child. The fact that…
Read MoreShould I marry the girl I got pregnant or the girl that I love?
Question: Needing some scriptural advice. I got a girl pregnant, or so she claims. I know that was a sin and have sought forgiveness with God. My confusion is here: I don’t feel like she’s the best Christian woman for me, actually, she and I fight often. I have a life long friend who I…
Read MoreWere proselytes considered Jews?
Question: Were proselytes considered “Jews”? For instance, would a proselyte have been welcome in the temple or synagogue? Answer: A person who converted to Judaism was considered equal to those born under Jewish law. Yes, they were welcomed into the synagogue. When Paul was teaching in the synagogue, there were proselytes there. “Now when the…
Read MoreNotes on the Words and Terms Used In Our Songs
by Roger and Becky Williams -A- Abba – Aramaic for father; Mark 14:36 abhor – to shrink away from with disgust abide – to continue to stay; remain; wait abode – a dwelling place; home acclamation – strong approval or loud applause accord – being in agreement; harmony adoration – devoted love, respect, and honor…
Read MoreDo you have a summary of John 6?
Question: I am witnessing to a Roman Catholic and we are discussing John 6 the bread of like. Without getting into the long word game over what they believe, I was wondering if you would have anything on John 6 I could read. I have been engaged in this ugliness long enough and I’m trying…
Read MoreWhat were the requirements to be a Pharisee?
Questions: Do you happen to know what the “requirements” were to be a Pharisee? Answer: The word “Pharisee” means “a separatist” in the Hebrew language. They arose while Greece was spreading its influence across the world as a group opposing Greece’s Hellenistic influence in Israel. It started as a social movement, became a school of…
Read MoreWhen and why did humans start eating meats?
Question: When and why did humans start eating meat? Answer: When the world was first created, mankind was given vegetables to eat. “And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall…
Read MoreNotes on Kings During the Divided Kingdom
Kings During the Divided Kingdom From I Kings Judah Israel Prophets Solomon (Mostly Good) 40 years I Kings 1-11 Nathan I Kings 1 Ahijah I Kings 11 Iddo Rehoboam (Evil) 17 years I Kings 12:1-24; 14:21-31; 15:6 Jeroboam (Evil) 22 years I Kings 11:26-40; 12:1-14:20 Ahijah I Kings 14 Shemaiah Iddo Abijam (Abijah) (Evil )…
Read MoreIs killing animals limited to only when needed for skins and meat?
Question: Is there a verse in the Bible says we shouldn’t kill God’s creatures unless it is for their skins or meat or anything like that? Because in my job I kill moles for money. If there is, would I be doing wrong or a sin if there is a verse like that? I thought…
Read MoreWhy is Jesus said to be of Nazareth if he was born in Bethlehem and who was the serpent in the Garden?
Question: Hi! My brother-in-law asked me, “Why was Jesus called Jesus of Nazareth if he was born in Bethlehem?” My answer was because he was only born in Bethlehem, but he was raised in Nazareth. Was I correct? He also feels that Jesus, in the form of a snake, tempted Adam and Eve to test…
Read MoreAre speaking in tongues and prophesying similar gifts?
Question: With talking in tongues, some of the time it says they talked in tongues and prophesied. Was that part of talking in tongues, or separate? I always get confused. I know in I Corinthians 14:22 mentions reasons for each, but I don’t know if they are separate. Answer: Speaking in tongues means having the…
Read MoreHow do I handle attending services when there are family outings planned?
Question: I am wondering how to handle getting to church in various situations. One is when my husband, who is not a Christian, has family functions that we are all expected to attend, i.e.: Easter Sunday, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, etc. My husband usually says I can’t go to church because it’s too much driving…
Read MoreDid the woman at the well change her life?
Question: Did the woman at the well make a change in her life, and if so what kind of change did she make? Answer: After the incidence at the well, we are told, “From that city many of the Samaritans believed in him because of the word of the woman, who testified, “He told me…
Read MoreIs it wrong to have a fellowship building for dinners?
Question: You have a great web site, and I’m forwarding a link to several people. On the home page, the first paragraph causes me to ask if you think it is wrong to have a fellowship building for pot luck dinners. Answer: In answer to your question, I will point you to some responses and…
Read MoreDo people know what is happening on earth after their death?
Question: Do saved people, after they go to heaven, know what is going on down here on earth? Answer: Those who have died are no longer involved in the activities on earth. “For the living know that they will die; but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of…
Read MoreIs it true that the purpose of baptism is not for salvation?
Question: Could I be baptized in a pool if I wanted to? One more question and I promise I will leave you alone: Would you agree with me if I said: “the purpose of baptizing is not for salvation, but for a public testimony of repentance and faith in Jesus Christ”? Is the only requirement…
Read MoreWhy does your map show Israel in Egyptian territory when the Bible says they left Egypt?
Question: Why does your map of the Exodus route so blatantly defy what the Scriptures tell us happened and instead follows the theories of secular men? Doesn’t the Bible tell us that the Hebrews left Egypt completely the day following Passover (Exodus 12:51)? Don’t all accounts of when the Hebrews entered Elim or Sinai use…
Read MoreIsn’t the Nicene creed wrong and don’t most Christians celebrate Christmas on the wrong day?
Question: I was very interested in your ideas about the Roman Church, two changes were brought in not on your list. The Nicene Creed: Papists believe that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son, whereas true Christians believe in what Jesus said, that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father. This change…
Read MoreAm I doing the right thing by getting baptized again after being baptized as a child?
Question: I am getting baptized in a couple of days and I wanted to make sure I was doing the right thing. The problem is that I was baptized as a toddler in a Catholic Church. I am not Catholic and the baptism meant nothing because I lived a life of pure sin until the…
Read MoreWas Balaam’s donkey speaking in tongues?
Question: Was speaking in tongues done in the Old Testament? The reason I ask is that talking in tongues is nothing more speaking in a language not known to the user. I know it won’t be a critical or applicable statement, but didn’t even a donkey speak in tongues with Balaam? I know it says…
Read MoreWhat do you think about my statement of belief regarding the Lord’s Supper?
Question: I was surfing the net doing some research and discovered your teaching regarding the Lord’s Supper. We are currently dealing with this issue and thought I would pass on our statement of belief for authority to make the Lord’s Supper available in subsequent assemblies. [The document is not copied here. It basically listed a…
Read MoreA reader who doesn’t believe the gifts of the Spirit have ended
Question: Having read through some of the ‘answers,’ I would like to point out that Paul talks about tongues of angels and men; therefore, there is a tongue of angels that we cannot understand but that the speaker speaks in mysteries to God. This is also why Paul encourages the Corinthians to covet prophecy while…
Read MoreWhat is the significance of the number 40?
Question: What is the significance of the number forty in the Bible? In my reading, I have notice numbers to be very significant. For example, the twelve Israelites went to search out the promised land and it took them 40 days, but because of their bad report, they spent the next 40 years in the…
Read MoreShould I be suspicious of Filipino preachers soliciting support?
Question: I recently received the two attachments from preachers in the Philippines. While surfing through the net I came across a post of yours “The Corruption of Money”. Pretty scary! Before the brethren here decide to send a one-time amount of financial support I have been asked to do some investigating to determine whether or…
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