by Matthew W. Bassford If there is anything we should take away from reading through the gospels this year, it is a deeper understanding of the skill with which the Evangelists crafted their narratives. Nothing in any of the gospels is there just because Jesus did it. As John observes in John 21:25, all four…

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Question: Hi Jeff, I recently came across a post that, rightly so, was completely wrong. The post basically says and I will also attach the picture, that Jesus never said homosexuality is wrong, marriage can be with whomever and it doesn’t matter who you worship. My question is just by the gospels alone, can it…

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Question: In Matthew 27:64, what does “so the last error shall be worse than the first” mean? Answer: “Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead.’ So the last deception…

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Question: How many Roman soldiers came to arrest Christ? Answer – None – the guard force was from the Temple guard. A Roman guard would not have taken Jesus to the High Priest’s house but to the Roman fortress to be held. Answer: “The band of soldiers (tên speiran). No word for “of soldiers” in…

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Question: Some say that Jesus attended three Passovers during his ministry and by that try to determine long He preached His gospel. I’ve heard that there may have been four Passovers, thus making His preaching career longer than 3 1/2 years. The possible fourth Passover, I believe is in the Gospel of Luke? Answer: Jesus…

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Question: As I understand Matthew 19:9 and Matthew 5:32 concerning divorce, Jesus is answering the Pharisees (Jews) as they were tempting him on this question. His answer was the same as the law that they were under (except for fornication). Such as in the case that Joseph thought Mary was in. Why do we in the church today…

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Question: In Mark 6:45, were the disciples rowing that boat for 7 hours?  I know it says the “fourth watch” but is that equivalent to 7 hours like I heard a preacher say? Answer: In the days before timepieces, people tended to divide the days and nights into three-hour segments. While you might not know…

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Question: Catholics say that according to John 2:1-11, the mother of Jesus not only interceded but thanks to her intercession, Jesus Christ advanced the hour to show (to manifest) his glory and He was the Messiah. Please address the following concerns: Is that true that thanks to Mary intercession, Jesus advanced the hour to show…

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Question: What are the four faces of Jesus? And how are they related to the present-day church? Answer: The phrase is not used in the Bible, but it is how some modern writers refer to the four gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Each gospel is addressed to a different audience and, therefore, addresses different…

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