I stole money from my aunt. Should I ask for a spanking?
Question: I was reading through your website and I feel guilty so I felt compelled to send a message. I am 17 years old and have been stealing money from my aunt’s house. I have been babysitting her kids and she has trusted me. I have taken a lot of money over a period of…
Read MoreWould you explain what apologetic writing is?
Question: Would you please explain what is ‘apologetic writing’? I have noticed this phrase before and do not understand it. Thank you. Answer: Apologetics comes from the Greek word apologia, which means to defend a position against an attack. It should not be confused with the English word “apology,” which means to plea for forgiveness. Therefore,…
Read MoreI’m planning to get married and we are already having sex, so can we continue until marriage?
Question: Well, I am getting married in November of next year. Is it okay, as I am already making love to my husband-to-be and have been since he took my virginity, to continue? Is there a way to make our relationship pure? How do we invite God in our love life, including our sex life,…
Read MoreIs it wrong to work at McDonald’s or sell Twinkies?
Question: If it is clearly wrong from a biblical standpoint to work in the tobacco industry is it also wrong to work at a McDonalds or sell Twinkies? If I Corinthians 6:19 is prohibiting substances that are harmful to the body (besides sexual sin), then you can just as well preach against McDonalds and Twinkies…
Read MoreCan you help me figure out the reigns of the kings of Israel and Judah?
Question: Can you help me figure out the reigns of the kings of Israel and Judah? I keep getting all the names confused. Answer: There are several excellent sites on the web that list all the kings of Judah and Israel. An excellent chart can be found at http://www.ldolphin.org/kings.html. Darrell Hamilton
Read MoreI am confused about premillennial theory
Question: I have a Bible question. I have been reading a lot of the material on the Bible.ca website. I found most of the information super excellent and very, very good at exposing the heresy of the word-faith / Pentecostal type of movement. I have also checked out the section that is about debunking the…
Read MoreWhat did Jesus mean by “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by me”?
Question: When Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh to the Father, but by me. What was he really saying? Answer: “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). Peter states basically…
Read MoreGetting back to basics
Question: I recently ran across your web site by accident. I don’t even remember what I was looking for. After having read several of your comments and postings by various people, it seems you are one of the few churches that “get it” in these times. I have been a Christian for many years and…
Read MoreDo you perpetuate the myth of Santa Claus?
Question: Do you, or the flock, there perpetuate the deceit that is the myth of Santa Claus? Thank you for your time. I apologize for repeatedly bugging you about things. I hope I am not a burden, I just don’t have very many people I can trust to ask difficult questions. Answer: I don’t mind…
Read MoreReligious Exploitation
by Oscar Miles I have sometimes speculated about what would upset Jesus most if He came to live with us as a human as He did 2,000 years ago. I have contemplated many different scenarios through the years. I thought He would be angry at religious division when He prayed for unity as His death…
Read MoreHow many people did Jesus raise from the dead during his earthly ministry?
Question: During his earthly ministry, how many people did Jesus raise from the dead or bring back to life? Answer: Jesus raised the widow’s son at Nain (Luke 7:11-17), Jairus’ daughter (Matthew 9:18-26; Mark 5:21-43; Luke 8:40-56), and Lazarus (John 11:1-44).
Read MoreDoes the use of unique words in I Corinthians 11 change the meaning of this passage?
Question: I have been doing a lot of studying on head covering. At first glance, I felt that a secondary head covering was needed, but I wasn’t sure when. Only at worship? During every prayer? So I got the lexicon out and started combing through the Greek and Hebrew. I also hit the Internet and…
Read MoreWhat am I going to do tomorrow?
Question: What am I going to do tomorrow? Answer: “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Matthew 6:34).
Read MoreIs a head covering needed for all prayers or only during worship?
Question: Is a head covering needed any time a prayer is said (i.e. before dinner, around the house, baseball game, Bible class, etc.) or just during a worship service? Answer: “But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, for that is one and the same as if her head…
Read MoreWhat if a person can’t afford the fee for a baptismal service?
Question: I am worried if one cannot get baptized just because they cannot afford to pay for the service and just because they have no money to afford a baptism. If that is the case, would that person be exempt from the requirement for baptism and still be saved? Answer: Fee? What fee? There is…
Read MoreWhich Bible is the true Word of God?
Question: Which Bible is the true word of God? Answer: There is only one Bible. There are many different translations of that one Bible, but it remains that there is only one Bible. “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one…
Read MoreCan a woman be a pastor?
Question: Can a woman be ordained as a Christian pastor? Answer: The word “pastor” is used very loosely in the denominations. Generally, in a denomination a pastor is a preacher. Women are not able to be preachers since God through Paul stated, “And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority…
Read MoreWas the Ethiopian eunuch baptized in a pool or a river?
Question: Was the Ethiopian Eunuch baptized in a river or in a pool? (Acts 8:36-38) Answer: “Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?”” (Acts 8:36). We know the eunuch was traveling down a road going from…
Read MoreThe Moabites and Amorites refer to which country?
Question: The Moabites and Amorites refer to which countries? Answer: The Moabites are citizens of Moab and the Amorites were citizens of Amor. Moab was a country at the southeast corner of Israel on the east side of the Dead Sea. Moab was a son of Lot, Abraham’s nephew (Genesis 19:36-38). Amor was one of…
Read MoreWhy do I feel so disconnected after making the sign of the cross?
Question: When I make the “Sign of the Cross” before praying, I feel so blessed ‘opening’ and ‘connecting’ myself to God and all those in Heaven. It is very uplifting. However, when I make the “Sign of the Cross” finishing the prayer, I feel I’m closing myself off, away from God, until I pray, again.…
Read MoreIs it okay to listen to secular music?
Question: Hi! I have e-mailed before concerning if we could have facial hair. I have come to you again for some help concerning secular music. My question is: Is it ok to listen to it or is it against God’s Word? I myself believe that it serves no purpose but to pervert the Good News of…
Read MoreI really appreciate your article, “The Institution of Marriage”
Question: I just finished reading your article from the Internet entitled “The Institution of Marriage,” and wanted to comment on how comprehensive, well-written, and accurate it is. I’m a scholar of the Word myself, and truly appreciate reading godly interpretations and discussions such as this. I’m going to share it with my husband and children (ages 20,…
Read MoreWho were the sons of God in Genesis 6:4?
Question: Please explain Genesis 6:1-8. Who were the sons of God? Answer: “There were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown” (Genesis…
Read MoreRearing a Second Family
by Jim Sasser In our local paper last Sunday and Tuesday there were different articles and statistics concerning children that are being basically reared by their grandparents. This means that they are rearing a second family. I am fortunate enough to have 20 wonderful grandchildren. If an emergency should arise, even though my dear wife…
Read MoreMy 28-year-old son is very accusatory. How do I handle the situation?
Question: My son is 28 years old. He has spent a good part of the last ten years instructing me about how I need to change my ways and live by God’s word. I believe that his intentions are sincere; however, I feel as though he looks for fault in everything I do. I am…
Read MoreIs a preacher an employee of the church?
Question: Your web page is one of the very best. It demonstrates a superior grasp on 21st-century problems facing brethren today. It also displays wisdom in addressing the matters. Your Answers: Preacher is on target. I am in urgent need for something addressing whether or not a preacher is an employee of the church. Can you…
Read MoreWhere does Micah say that God asks us to be fair and just?
Question: I am looking for the exact quote from the prophet Micah to use as an inscription for a gift. I think that it begins: Be fair and just, be merciful and true, these are the things I am asking of you. If you could help that would be great. Answer: I believe the verse…
Read MoreDoes a congregation have the right to mandate what is preached?
Question: Thank you for your excellent response – It covers the subject well. The congregation’s abuse of this is precisely the issue. Does this give the brethren the right to mandate or demand what he is to preach and teach? I am not talking about suggestions or a curriculum. I started a new Wednesday class…
Read MoreRacial Hatred
Bill White via Meditate on These Things Tri-County Church of Christ, Watertown, NY December 30, 2006 No attitude of mind is further from the spirit of Christ than that of racial hatred. No, I am not thinking in terms of the degree of sin, I simply mean that racial hatred and prejudices are totally…
Read MoreWhy must the Lord’s Supper be taken every week?
Question: Why is it necessary to celebrate the Lord’s Table every week and not, say, once a month or whenever we feel like it? Answer: “For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. Therefore I…
Read MoreWhat are the advantages and disadvantages of a broken marriage?
Question: What are the advantages of broken marriages? What are the disadvantages of broken marriages? Answer: “And this is the second thing you do: You cover the altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping and crying; so He does not regard the offering anymore, nor receive it with goodwill from your hands. Yet you…
Read MoreDid Pharaoh die in the Red Sea or just his army?
Question: Did Pharaoh die in the Red Sea or just his army? Answer: “And the Egyptians pursued and went after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. Now it came to pass, in the morning watch, that the LORD looked down upon the army of the Egyptians…
Read MoreDoes the New Covenant require confirmation?
Question: Does the New Covenant require confirmation, the same thing the Israelites did when Moses with the twelve tribes of Israel confirmed the Covenant by acknowledgment and sprinkling of the blood? Answer: The Old Covenant was dedicated by the shedding of animal blood and that blood being sprinkled on the people. This acceptance was only…
Read MoreAre Gentiles also descendants of Abraham?
Question: If we Gentiles are also descendants of Abraham, then from whose mother: Hagar, Sarah or Keturah? Is it from Keturah to whom she bore Abraham six legitimate sons after Abraham married her after Sarah died? Am I correct to say that Muslims are descendants of Ishmael who later intermarry with the descendants of Esau,…
Read MoreWhy is it a sin to be gay?
Question: Why is it a sin to be gay? When you see with other countries, this is a natural way of life. I’m confused. I’m nearly 40 years old. I have known I was gay from the age of 14. I have never touched a woman but love to look at women in the nude…
Read MoreSelecting a Quality Bible
by Wayne Goforth Many articles have been written over the years concerning various translations of the Bible available. Which ones are good and reliable, which should be avoided like the plague, the specific errors or positive qualities, etc. of each. This series, however, views the physical construction of Bibles and their pros and cons of…
Read MoreHow do we handle sexual intimacy when my husband has diabetes?
Question: My husband and I have been married for 43 years and I am thankful I love him with all my heart. We have a problem in our marriage we can’t be together sexually. My husband is a diabetic and has a problem with erectile dysfunction it really discourages him makes him feel less than…
Read MoreDoes the blessing of wine outweigh its dangers?
Question: Generally, the Bible condemns drunkenness (in a variety of places) but nowhere condemns wine or alcoholic beverages in total. In fact, the mild exhilaration that comes from moderate imbibing of wine is seen as a blessing of God in several Old Testament passages. Health advisor says alcohol impairs the nervous system and strains the…
Read MoreDo you know of a source for children studies on the Internet?
Question: I want to send you a note of thanks and encouragement for your great website and your stand for the truth. I am a minister in the Lord’s church and truly appreciate men who continually stand for truth. I also had a question: Do you know of any good “family” devotional books or websites…
Read MoreWhy don’t you use the King James Version?
Question: Why don’t you use the King James Version? Answer: The problem is that the English language has changed in the last 400 years. Here are some examples: “Against” used to merely mean opposite or confronting. Thus in I Samuel 25:20 “And it was so, as she rode on the ass, that she came down by…
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