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A “thank you” regarding an article on marriage
Question: I had an opportunity to go through your article regarding An Overview of Marriage. It is very nice and superbly done. Thanks and I praise the Lord for your dedication and care for Christian families. Answer: Thank you for your kind words about Preparation for a Lifetime.
Read MoreCould you help me explain to my girlfriend that speaking in tongues has ended?
Question: I have a big problem and if you could answer this, I would greatly appreciate it. My girlfriend thinks she can speak in tongues and she claims her whole church was doing so today, but I know this is not so and I told her it wasn’t true. I feel that unless I straighten…
Read MoreCan you be forgiven after blaspheming?
Question: I was reading another answer that you gave to someone else concerning unforgivable sin and blasphemy. You wrote: “God defined blasphemy in Numbers 15:30-31. “But the person who does anything defiantly, whether he is native or an alien, that one is blaspheming the LORD; and that person shall be cut off from among his…
Read MoreHow can dances at a wedding reception be bad?
Question: Hi, I am a young man who is going to be getting married. I would have loved to use the preacher at my congregation (a church of Christ) but he gave me a pamphlet of his “Do’s and Don’ts.” Two things that he made clear of were no alcohol at the reception and no…
Read MoreIf we didn’t inherit Adam’s sin, why aren’t we all starting in the garden of Eden?
Question: Regarding Adam and not inheriting his sin: If that were so, wouldn’t we all start in the Garden of Eden and each be given a chance to follow the command not to eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil? No. We are sent with Adam. We are all…
Read MoreCan Satan hear our internal prayers?
Question: Who can hear our silent prayers — those prayers that are thought in our minds but not verbalized? Isn’t God the only one who can read our minds and hearts? Satan cannot hear our thoughts, can he? Answer: In dedicating the temple, Solomon prayed, “whatever prayer, whatever supplication is made by anyone, or by…
Read MoreWhy does Psalm 104:8 read so differently in different translations?
Question: I have an interesting question. In the NIV it says. they flowed over the mountains, they went down into the valleys, to the place you assigned for them. Psalm 104:8 NIV But in another version it says Mountains rose and valleys sank to the levels you decreed. Psalm 104:8 NLT Do they mean the…
Read MoreIs repentance all I need to do to be saved?
Question: I’m really confused, mainly because of all the bad things I’ve done. How do I fix it, or is it already fixed if I just repent? Answer: While repentance is critical for salvation from sins because Jesus said, “I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3); yet,…
Read MoreDidn’t Joel say that young men would dream dreams?
Question: You said prophecies would cease, but it also says in the Bible young men will dream dreams and the older would have visions or something along those lines, so I’m really confused. Answer: God said, “Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether…
Read MoreDo I spank my child for telling me off?
Question: Just recently my child swore at me. Do I spank him? Answer: That your child should be punished for being disrespectful is obvious. Whether you choose to use spanking as the means is up to you. But leaving him unpunished will just encourage further disobedience in the future. “Because the sentence against an evil…
Read MoreDo I have to make restitution?
Question: Is it a sin if you don’t pay back what you’ve stolen? Like I used to copy movies and, well, that’s stealing, but I don’t feel like paying back what I copied. Isn’t that why Jesus dies for our sins? Answer: Repentance from sin means making a complete turn around in your attitude and…
Read MoreWhen did Adam, Eve, and the Bible come into existence?
Question: My girlfriend and I were discussing things in the Bible, and we were wondering when did Adam and Eve come into existence, and when did the Bible come into existence? We were just wondering. I have heard this question asked before in other people’s conversations and didn’t get a satisfactory answer. So, please help…
Read MoreHow do you honor your widowed stepmother?
Question: How do you honor your widowed stepmother who raised you and who expects more from you than her own children and who is controlling the connection to your stepbrothers and half-brothers (my other siblings)? I am in my fifties and never married. My other siblings are married and I want to part of their…
Read MoreIsn’t it better to embrace the Salvation Army as part of God’s gift to humanity?
Question: God has given the Salvation Army a charitable nature and blessed it with members who similarly want to be ‘like Jesus’ who himself went against the conventions of the day to become involved with people who were poor, sick and rejected by society. Rather than narrowly home in on doctrinal differences would it not…
Read MoreWhere can I learn about Paul’s work?
Question: I need help with finding information about Paul’s labors, his ministry, his sufferings, and his imprisonment. Can someone please help as soon as possible? Answer: Most of the life of Paul is determined from the book of Acts, starting with the ninth chapter and proceeding to the end of the book. Other information is…
Read MoreWhy was the Song of Songs written?
Question: Why was the Song of Songs written? Answer: God didn’t choose to tell us. All of the Bible was written to guide mankind. “As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue” (II Peter 1:3).…
Read MoreWhat was the church used for in the 14th century besides religious activities?
Question: In the 14th century in Europe, apart from religious activities what did the public and nobles use the church for? Answer: My first inclination was to dismiss the question since it wasn’t biblically based, but I realized there is a small point that should be made. The question, from a biblical viewpoint, is inaccurate…
Read MoreWhy should we forgive?
Question: Why should we forgive? Answer: “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 16:14-15).
Read MoreCan I remarry even though I also committed adultery?
Question: I have been separated from my husband for five years now. During that time I kept asking him for us to work our marriage out. But he has been very reluctant. Since our separation, he was seeing another woman and had a child with her that he has been hiding from me for a…
Read MoreWhy was Moses called?
Question: Why was Moses called? What was he called to do? What were the excuses he gave? Answer: These sound like questions from a lesson book and not a personal question. I won’t do your homework for you, but you can read Exodus 3 and 4 to find the answers to your questions.
Read MoreAre there medicinal foods?
Question: In my readings and Bible studies, I have seen that there is mention of certain items of food that were to be included in the Passover meal. In particular, I am wondering about ‘bitter herbs’. Do you know, or does the Bible clarify, what these herbs were? And why would they be included in…
Read MoreHow many gifts did the early Christians receive from the Holy Spirit?
Question: I was wondering from I Corinthians 12:4-11 and other related passages, what you think to these questions. Did a Christian receive from the Holy Spirit only one spiritual gift or was it possible to receive more than one? In Acts 8:7, we read of Philip able to cast out demons and heal people. Is…
Read MoreCan a Christian swear an oath on a Bible?
Question: Can a Christian place his hand on the Bible and swear an oath of any kind? Or, raise his right hand and swear to tell the truth, in a courtroom? Or, can a Christian swear, anywhere, anytime, under any circumstances? I find a difference in the word ‘affirm’ and the word ‘swear.’ What saith…
Read MoreDoes the command for a woman not to teach only apply to the assembly?
Question: I have some questions regarding I Timothy 2:11-12. Are these verses concerning a woman learning and teaching general commands or are they specific to the assembly? What, in the context, determines this? Further, I am no Greek scholar. Those who are familiar with the Greek, what is the proper understanding of verse 12? Specifically,…
Read MoreIs it right for my step-father to spank me at 20 years of age?
Question: I am 20 years old and my mother recently remarried a man who believes in spanking. Well, the other night I stayed out overnight at a friends house and didn’t come home (my mother knew about this) and when I came home the following morning he was waiting at the front door for me.…
Read MoreEven though there is falsehood in an article, can’t you read it to find some truth buried in it?
Question: I am somewhat frustrated. I suppose you may have felt frustrated reading that article I sent, or at least part of it. When I read it, of course, I wasn’t looking for flaws. You appear to focus on flaws when reading something you know you disagree with. I suppose nearly everyone including me does…
Read MoreIf evil comes from within, what difference does it make if there is a devil?
Question: If you would help me with a question on the subject of the Devil, I would be grateful to you. If evil comes from within, as stated in Mark 7:18-23 and James 1:14-15, what difference does it make if there is a real devil or not? Answer: If you are willing to accept God’s…
Read MoreDo the elders and preachers constitute the church in decisions?
Question: I have been a member of the church of Christ for some time now. My family and I moved to another congregation to help out because they were very small. My wife and I began to have difficulties in our marriage. She decided to take our problems to the elders and the preacher of…
Read MoreIn order to repent, do you need to find the people to whom you set a bad example?
Question: If you were a bad example as a teen and several of the other teens at church were influenced to sin by you, once you have repented and started living as a Christian years later, what does the Lord want you to do? Do you need to track these people down and ask their…
Read MoreWouldn’t wine need to be fortified in order to be used as starter fluid?
Question: A question: if strong-drink was only 15% alcohol and below in biblical times, how was it used as a starter fluid? I believe you need much stronger alcohol to light a fire, no? Answer: From a recipe: As soon as the mushrooms are colored add the marsala wine. Caution: the Marsala wine is flammable…
Read MoreI don’t feel like attending Wednesday night Bible class. Do you think it is a sin?
Question: I am 64 years old and still working a full-time job. I also have some health issues that make it very hard for me to walk, so by the time I get home, I stay home. I don’t feel like attending Wednesday night Bible class. My daughter says that it’s a sin that I…
Read MoreIf Jesus is God, how is it that he had a body?
Question: Sir, Let me ask you some questions about the identity of Jesus and may you let the Scriptures answer. May God use you in this task. Here are the questions: If Jesus is God, how is it that he had a body? Is it not written that God is a spirit? Did Jesus ascend…
Read MoreWho promised to sacrifice the first thing he saw if he won a battle?
Question: Which king promised God that if he would help him win a certain battle that he would sacrifice the first thing he saw, which turned out to be his daughter? Answer: You are referring to Jephthah, though he was a judge of Israel and not a king. The story is found in Judges 11.…
Read MoreHow can I serve God when I am so angry at Him?
Question: Again, sincere thanks for your responses. I sense that despite my style, deep frustration, and unfortunately a measure of anger in my effort to understand Christianity, etc. you can see that I am, at least in part, honestly and sincerely seeking answers. If, in fact, the bulk of what you believe is true, my…
Read MoreIs divorce still valid for adultery?
Question: My wife admitted to committing adultery. I still had feelings for her, especially her soul. After an argument one evening, I tried to comfort her. We had intercourse, but then on the next two occasions, it was as if he was in bed with us. I haven’t been able to get it off my…
Read MoreHow do I handle a daughter who chooses her boyfriend over her parents?
Question: How do I best handle a 16-year-old daughter who chooses her 18-year-old boyfriend over her own flesh and blood? She threatened to run away from home if we didn’t let her go to his Senior Prom. Her father and I told her she could go but not with our blessings and for her not…
Read MoreDidn’t God tell someone to lie in I Kings 22?
Question: I appreciate your response. For me, I Kings 22:22 is abundantly clear. I found it among a few other examples, most of which were less conclusive. For example, where God sent strong delusion, which isn’t specifically a lie. A tangential issue is where God repented for installing a certain king. Some would say that…
Read MoreCan the Bible be understood by the common man?
Question: Have you heard of Eli Soriano? What do you think about his teachings? Answer: I looked briefly at Eli Soriano’s website. I’m afraid I didn’t get far because there was a statement on the first page that I knew to be contrary to God’s Word. “The Bible contains many things hard to understand. Such…
Read MoreHave you read the whole Bible and memorized Scriptures?
Question: Ok, that clears up some objections. Thank you very much, dear sir, for answering me by showing the Scriptures and not using just your own opinion. My dear sir, I hope that you will continue to be faithful in doing that. And may you be used by God to help me understand His words. You…
Read MoreCan a man lust after his own wife?
Question: Can a man lust after his own wife? Answer: The word for lust, both in English and in Greek, means a strong desire. Generally, it is used in a negative sense, in that we speak of someone having a strong desire for something that is wrong. But it can be used in a positive…
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