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Is it OK to have a pet snake?
Question: Is it OK to own a pet snake? Only because you like them as a pet, not because you worship them. I was wondering, since the devil is often depicted as a snake in the Bible, would it be considered bad luck to have one as a pet? Thank you, Answer: People have domesticated…
Read MoreHow do you deal with an elder’s wife’s gossiping?
Question: Do the wives of the elders have any authority over the other women of the congregation? Are there qualifications for the wife of an elder? How should it be handled when the wife of an elder repeats hurtful information about a member of the church she learns from her husband to others? Thank you.…
Read MoreI think I’m beyond hope
Question: Brother Jeffrey, I am in my seventies. I keep having this “depression” that I’ve dealt with since High School. (By the way, I think depression is just a result of sin. After all, nobody in the Bible had a mental problem; it was just sin.) When I was young, I obeyed the Gospel, but…
Read MoreCan you explain two verses used by someone who believes in the rapture?
Question: Hello Sir, I have recently been talking with a nice lady who believes in the rapture. I asked her if she would tell me why she believes in it. She said I Thessalonians 5:9 and Revelation 3:10. Could you explain those to me? I was a bit perplexed about what to say in response…
Read MoreI’ve been living irresponsibly, but I want to serve God
Question: Dear Sir, I am a 35-year-old single man. I am writing this with utmost shame, disgust, and remorse for my sinful and irresponsible lifestyle when it comes to the sexual department. I have been very immoral, you name it, I am entirely guilty of the sin. Whether it be masturbation, pornography, fornication, you name…
Read MoreDoes “race” exist?
Question: In Mark 7:26, Mark mentions that the mother of the daughter who had the unclean spirit was a member of the Syrophoenician race. Don’t races not exist, as stated in Galatians 3:28 and Acts 17:24-26? Answer: The Greek word genos has several meanings. It can refer to a race, a nation, a kind (or species),…
Read MoreHow do I know God is good?
Question: Hello there, I need help with many spiritual questions. I was baptized into Christ a few years ago and had been exploring the spiritual aspects of life for many years before that. While at times I have experienced fleeting moments of assurance, most of my Christian experience has involved negativity and anxiety. I believe the…
Read MoreHow much should we judge?
Question: I know that it is not our job to decide who goes to heaven or hell. Still, my boyfriend says that my family will not be saved because God will not accept the worship that they offer, because they are using instruments and teaching false lessons, such as once saved always saved, and other…
Read MoreWhat kinds of sex are included in Leviticus 18:22?
Question: According to Leviticus 18:22, “Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable” (NIV). My Question: Is it oral or anal sex, or something else? What if the person is a transgender woman, meaning male to female? Answer: “You shall not lie with a male as…
Read MoreCan you be forgiven if you intentionally sin?
Question: Hello, I was told by my parents (who are a deacon and a deaconess in a church) that if someone sins intentionally (meaning that they know what they’re doing is a sin), God would not forgive them. Is that true? Answer: I assume your parents are thinking of: “For if we go on sinning…
Read MoreHow do I repair the consequences of my sin?
Question: My girlfriend and I (both from Christian families in the same denomination and church) made the grave mistake of having sexual relations. We sincerely repented before God and asked for His forgiveness, but that act created in me a deep conviction that I had joined her as a married couple before God. My most…
Read MoreHow come the Ethiopians and the Canaanites speak Semitic languages
Question: How come the Ethiopians (Cush) and the Canaanites both descend from Ham, yet speak a Semitic language? Thank you. Answer: When God divided mankind’s language, nothing is stated about how that division took place. Nothing says all of Ham’s descendants spoke related languages. Linguists group similar languages. Thus, Hebrew, Aramaic, Arabic, Amharic, and many…
Read MoreWhen was Jesus first referred to as the Son of God in the Old Testament?
Question: When was Jesus first referred to as the Son of God in the Old Testament? Answer: “I will surely tell of the decree of the LORD: He said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, and the…
Read MoreMy husband has been drinking and cheating, and I don’t know what to do
Question: Good morning, sir, I hope you are well. Please be patient with me. Life turns on me, and I end up not knowing even that which I thought I knew. I am crying as I type this. I am caring for my youngest child while I work a full-time job from home. I’m also…
Read MoreShould we merge with a nearby congregation?
Question: Hi, I have a few questions about two churches of Christ merging. I’m a member of a church of Christ. Around five years ago, we had around 50 members, including two elders and three deacons. I was one of the deacons. Things changed a few years ago. The two elders moved outside of the…
Read MoreIf a pastor sins, is he still qualified to be a pastor?
Question: If a pastor sins and then repents, is he still qualified to be a pastor? I don’t know the Bible from cover to cover, but I’ve heard some Christians say that a pastor can no longer preach if he has sinned. I’m wondering if a pastor who has truly repented of his sin can…
Read MoreIs it wrong to marry the person you love?
Question: Hi, I came to your website and followed it for a couple of days. I’m glad that you are helping people with your answers. I want to know if Christians can have a love marriage? Is it against God’s word or is it against God’s will? If two people, who believe in Christ, are…
Read MoreWhat does “isles of the Gentiles” refer to?
Question: What do “Isle” and “Gentile” mean in the verse: “By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations” (Genesis 10:5 KJV). Answer: “Gentile” refers to nations, specifically nations other than Israel. “Isles” is an older way of saying “islands.” Newer…
Read MoreI’m uncomfortable with changes made to the order of worship
Question: Hello! I attend a church where some changes have occurred recently. Although several in the congregation are unhappy about it, I still am not sure whether these are scriptural matters or personal preferences. Our order of worship since I have been there is two songs, prayer, scripture reading, song, Lord’s Supper, song, sermon, invitation…
Read MoreCan any Christian man baptize another person?
Question: Good day. I obeyed the gospel of Christ nearly ten years ago. My question to you is: Can I baptize someone? Let me give you the scenario. I go to worship service with my children, and my son wants to get baptized, but he is fearful of getting in front of the congregation to…
Read MoreHow do I deal with people’s profanity?
Question: I have a question or concern tonight. I was talking to my next-door neighbor this evening. I was passing by while working in the yard and started a conversation with him. I asked him about some work he had been doing in his yard. He used some very bad language, expressing how difficult it…
Read MoreDo These Passages Talk of Human Sacrifices?
Question: I have a question about human sacrifice in Scripture, please. I believe in the Bible and I am a Christian, of course. But the following verses do bother me, because they really do sound like human sacrifice: Isaiah 34:5–6 (about Edom): “The LORD has a sacrifice in Bozrah, a great slaughter in the land…
Read MoreI’m Hindu, but I’ve started believing in Jesus
Question: Hi, I am a Hindu. Because of a friend of mine, who is a Christian, I am in the early stages of respecting Jesus as God. I wanted to marry that friend who introduced me to Jesus. However, the problem is with my parents. I have two questions: They will obviously oppose a marriage…
Read MoreWhat is the difference between a mistake and a sin?
Question: How do we discern if a mistake is sinful or not? For example, if someone (not a characteristically prideful person) fails to listen to wisdom and makes a poor choice, believing they’re using good judgment, is that sin? Does the Bible talk about mistakes, or give examples of mistakes, or is it all sin…
Read MoreA girl I’ve been talking to is starting to believe in Jesus. What do I do now?
Question: Hi, I am a Christian who came from a Hindu family and believe in Jesus Christ. I have a friend at my workplace. She is Hindu, and I wish to marry her. I introduced Jesus to her. She has now begun to secretly believe in him, and she has started reading the Bible. What…
Read MoreThere seem to be so many grey areas in a relationship
Question: Hello there, I’ve recently gotten engaged to my boyfriend after several years of dating and have some questions regarding how we should conduct ourselves during this period of our lives, in a realistic and godly way. I’m aware that sex is not allowed, but all the other areas regarding a relationship seem to be…
Read MoreDid Paul start the teaching that Jesus died for our sins?
Question: It’s taught in Mid-Acts Dispensationalism that the gospel before Paul was simply that Jesus is the Son of God, not that He died for our sins, until Paul preached this. The Ethiopian in Acs 8 said he believed Jesus is the Son of God, not that he died for sins like Paul’s Gospel in…
Read MoreIs using the names of the week wrong?
Question: I’ve been reading your posts and finding them really helpful. Thanks for sharing your insights! I’m having a discussion with someone about the names of the days of the week. They argue that using names like Sunday and Saturday is unbiblical because they’re named after gods. They also claim that we worship every day,…
Read MoreWhat does “go to” mean in the King James?
Question: “And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth” (Genesis 11:4 KJV). What does the archaic word go to mean in Genesis 11:4? Wiktionary…
Read MoreCan a woman greet people at the door?
Question: I have a question. Can women serve as door greeters alongside men? And should young men be participating in overseeing the nursery? For years, our door greeting has been done only by men, and I think it’s odd to change that. We have a young man who participates in the nursery, and I feel…
Read MoreWho does “firstborn” refer to in Hebrews 12:23?
Question: In reading Hebrews 12:23 in another language, I noticed that “firstborn” is in the plural. Does it refer to the Christians in the church? Answer: One of the interesting results of studying with people with different backgrounds is that things will be pointed out that you never considered before. In English, “firstborn” is used…
Read MoreIs it wrong to send someone to jail knowing that they will likely die there?
Question: Hi Mr Hamilton, I hope you’re doing well. I had a question if you don’t mind answering. My wife and I recently had a trial against her rapist, and he got sentenced to 50 years in prison with all his charges. She heard it’s a sin to sentence someone to prison when they’ll likely…
Read MoreIs there a difference between “divorce” and “puts away”?
Question: Mr. Hamilton, First of all, thank you very much for taking the time to respond to emails. Your grace and patience have been a tremendous help to me. I have some questions I have been pondering on and hoping to gain some of your insight on, if that’s alright? While reading my Bible, I…
Read MoreDo you have to send away your children from an unlawful marriage?
Question: How about children born from an unlawful marriage? Will repentance require you to send them away, too? Answer: “The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father’s iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son’s iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon…
Read MoreDoes God need us?
Question: Someone asked me a question: “If God needs us in heaven, why did He create us here on earth and not directly in heaven? Answer: Based on what passage does the person conclude that God needs us? “The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and…
Read MoreOur Common Ancestor
by David Gibson Ark-aeological? From time to time, we hear that Noah’s ark has been sighted. Whether it has or hasn’t, we should have no doubts about the historicity of the biblical account. Jesus accepted the biblical account of the Flood (Matthew 24:37-39). Three times Peter referred to the Flood as historical (I Peter 3:20;…
Read MoreShould Christians Meet on Sunday?
by Scott J. Shifferd Why do churches meet on Sunday? The churches in the New Testament met on the first day of the week. Luke reported this is the common practice of churches of Christ (Acts 20:7). However, is this passage all the Bible speaks about meeting on the first day of the week? The…
Read MoreDo you have material on restoring young people who had committed fornication?
Question: Good day, I am looking for resources to restore young people who have fallen into the sin of fornication. Do you have any lessons? Do you know of any books or pages? Thanks a lot! Answer: There is a ton of material on the topic of fornication on this website. I selected a few…
Read MoreI’m not certain some of our deacons are qualified to be deacons
Question: Hello, I’m a member of the church of Christ and have questions about the deacons where I serve. We have several deacons, and some of them have unknown situations to me. The first, to my knowledge, married without having children of his own, but his wife had children she brought into the marriage. I…
Read MoreI can’t seem to shake pornography
Question: Hi, I obeyed the gospel when I was 12 years old as a member of the church of Christ. My mom died a few months after I was baptized. It wasn’t long after that that I began allowing myself to be influenced by the wrong crowd, allowing the world to creep back into my…
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