Posts Tagged ‘history’
Whose idea what it to send spies into Canaan?
Question: One of our members came to me following our class last evening disagreeing with the answer I gave to the question, “Whose idea was it to send spies into the land of Canaan?” She believes it was the people’s idea not God’s. I have studied it more and come up with the following. If you…
Read MoreWho is the Queen of the South?
Question: Who is the Queen of the South? Answer: “The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here” (Matthew 12:42). This is a reference…
Read MoreWhat saved Joshua and Caleb?
Question: While teaching then the book of Numbers last evening all went pretty well until we arrived at chapter 14. The question was asked: “Apparently, what saved Joshua and Caleb?” I said that it was Moses because he was their mediator and interceded for the people. Several in the class disagreed and said it was…
Read MoreCan you help me with some questions on Numbers 13 and 14?
Question: I’m stuck with trying to answer the following questions I have been given to answer for a class I’m teaching this evening on Numbers 13 and 14. Can you help me out with the following? Twelve spies were selected, one from each tribe. Each of the men was a “leader” (vs.2). They were “heads…
Read MoreDoes history record Herod killing the children?
Question: Regarding Herod killing the children, are there any other documents from other sources such as Roman or other ancient cultures documenting this event? Answer: “Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were…
Read MoreWhat happened to the Ark of the Covenant?
Question: My question concerns the Ark of the Covenant. I once read and now finally have found a Bible chapter that says that the Ark of the Covenant was seen in the temple of God, in Heaven. This verse is Revelation 11:19. Many, many people are still searching for the ark, such as archaeologists. Why…
Read MoreThe Birth of Christ: Fact or Myth?
by Abraham Smith Simeon blesses the child Jesus Luke 2:25-35 This is a time of year when many of us will enjoy time with our loved ones. It is also a time of year when some people will take the opportunity to share with us how wrong they think the Bible is in its record…
Read MoreWhy did Catholicism start and when did it happen?
Question: Why did the religion Catholicism start and what year did Catholicism start? Answer: Why Catholicism started is fairly straightforward. Man has a difficult time leaving something alone. There is a strong desire to modify things with the goal of “improving” things. This tendency is encouraged by Satan who wants to destroy the works of…
Read MoreWhat is the name of David and Bathsheba’s firstborn who died?
Question: What is the name of David and Bathsheba’s first born who died? Was it Shimea? Answer: From the time the child is first mentioned in II Samuel 11:27 until his death in II Samuel 12:23, the child is not referred to by name. Since II Samuel 12:18 specifically mentions that the death occurred seven…
Read MoreThe Story of the Churches of Christ in Central Europe
by H. Godwin Grimm January 1957 Mannheim, Germany The history of the churches of Christ is the story of a small group of men and women united to Christ in a bond of obedience and mutual love, guided and inspired by His spirit. They felt commissioned by the Lord to be His agent in the…
Read MoreIs Assyria the same as Syria today?
Question: Is Assyria the same as Syria today? Answer: Assyria was an ancient empire whose capital city was Nineveh (II Kings 19:36). It was primarily located in Mesopotamia, the land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers on the western end — roughly where Iraq is currently located. Syria was kingdom located at the northeast corner…
Read MoreWhere do the Arabs come from?
Question: Where do the Arabs come from? From which patriarch? Many people say Ishmael, but Ishmael had an Egyptian mother. Where in the Bible is the name Arab first used? Answer: In the answer to a prior question, “What happened to Ishmael’s descendants?” I gave a detailed list of the various Arab nations who descended…
Read MoreCould Israel have crossed the Red Sea on the eastern side of the Sinai peninsula?
Question: I was wondering if the possible crossing could be on the eastern side of the Sinai peninsula? Answer: Such a crossing would not match the account on numerous factors. “Then the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides children. A mixed multitude went up with…
Read MoreWhat is the history of the “Church of Christ?”
Question: What is the history of the “Church of Christ?” Answer: The true history of the church is found in the Book of Acts in your Bible. However, I assume from your question you are wondering about the history of the churches of Christ in the United States. A really good and detailed account is…
Read MoreWhere can I find information about the falling of Jericho’s walls?
Question: I am doing a paper for school trying to prove that the Bible is true. One example I was going to use was the walls of Jericho. What I have to do is find the verses, and then try to prove it looking in books, interviews, the Internet, etc. I have heard before that…
Read MoreHow can you trust early Christian writers when you disagree with them on some topics?
Question: I appreciate and respect your willingness (and the willingness of your church) to so openly and staunchly defend your beliefs to the world. If anyone “has a ready answer,” it’s the folks at La Vista Church of Christ! You previously wrote: Allow me a moment to answer your last question. I find it amusing…
Read MoreFlaws in the “Iraq – Interesting” E-Mail
by Nathan Barton Once again, an e-mail “chain letter” is being circulated which is a hoax filled with misleading information that should not be spread by anyone. It is full of false teaching about the Bible and history, and generally very much wrong. It won’t try to rip you off, or make you send all…
Read MoreWho made the discoveries regarding oceanic springs and innumerable stars?
Question: I found your information on Evidence very good pertaining to scientific evidence in proof of the Bible. I do have a few questions, although, on which I hope you can enlighten me. Q1 “Ocean Springs” – Job 38:16 – Discovery 1930-1945. Who made this discovery? Was it an expedition? Which expedition? When was it Is there a discover’s…
Read MoreProof that Israel wasn’t afflicted for 400 years?
Question: I have been studying about the duration of the Israelites’ bondage in Egypt, and I have found that most of them say there could be generation skip, such as “How Long Was the Egyptian Bondage?”. The problem is Bible scholars don’t take into account certain verses which are very important to this study. We…
Read MoreHow were the nations scattered and was the world one continent that was divided in the days of Peleg?
Question: I read the page titled “Gog and Magog” and found it very interesting, as well as helpful. But there is one thing I question: I thought, according to the Bible, that Egyptians and Libyans came from Mizraim, Ham’s son, not from Put. Could you clarify this for me? Also, would you comment on how…
Read MoreCrossing the Sea
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton The Junior High class had an excellent question the other day: Just where did the Israelites cross over from Egypt to the Sinai Peninsula? If you look at the maps in the back of most of our Bibles you will find multiple routes shown. None of the routes actually cross the…
Read MorePaul’s Imprisonment
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Philippians 2:17-30 I. We all have a tendency to make assumptions about what does not appear A. Those assumptions help us to organize what we do know B. We do this whether we are trying to determine why someone walked by without saying “Hi!” or when we read the Bible. C. Yet, at…
Read MoreWhere is Edom today?
Question: What is Edom’s name today? Answer: The country of Edom was founded by Jacob’s brother Esau. He picked up the nickname “Edom” or “Red” when he sold half of his massive inheritance for a simple bowl of red bean stew. Edom was located in the region to the southeast of Israel. Mount Seir was…
Read MoreHow did the twelve apostles die?
Question: How did each of the 12 original apostles die, and where are the records of their deaths found in the Bible? Answer: The New Testament, for the most part, was written by the apostles or those close to them. As such you would expect the records to end before the authors died, and such…
Read MoreDid Onesimus later become an elder?
Question: I heard a preacher say one time that Onesimus ended up becoming an elder of the church. Is that not speculation and conjecture? Answer: Ignatius, a Christian who wrote at the beginning of the second century, to the church in Ephesus said, “Seeing, then, that we have become acquainted with your multitude in the…
Read MoreWas Rome a safe haven for runaway slaves?
Question: Was Rome at one time a safe haven for runaway slaves? Answer: Roman law in regard to slaves was quite severe. A Roman master could treat his slave as he pleased — sell him, beat him, or put him to death. However, morality and practical matters caused most masters to restrain their hands. After…
Read MoreWho were the judges and kings of Israel?
Question: What were the names of the kings of Israel? How many judges were there that ruled over Israel? Answer: The judges of Israel were: Othniel Ehud Shamgar Deborah Gideon Abimelech (Not a true judge. He was merely a corrupt ruler during the period of the Judges. Judges 9:22) Tola Jair Jephthah Ibzan Elon Abdon Samson…
Read MoreWho were Lot’s descendants?
Question: Who were Lot’s descendants? Answer: Lot lost most of his family during the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. “And while he lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his wife’s hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the LORD being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside…
Read MoreWhat musical instruments were used in ancient Greece?
Question: What musical instruments were used in ancient Greek times? Answer: The Greeks had a variety of instruments, such as the flute, the lyre, the harp, drums, cymbals, and castanets. There were also several horns (wind instruments). A detailed list can be found at: The Musical Instruments of Ancient Greeks Ancient Greek Music. It was…
Read MorePre-Campbell Christianity
by Ken Chumbley via Gospel Gazette, Vol. 2, No. 8, p. 18, August 2000 The following is an excerpt from an article by Carroll Sites that has been found in a number of bulletins over the last few years: Many people identify churches of Christ as owing their roots to Alexander Campbell in 1813. This is…
Read MoreWhat happened to Ishmael’s descendants?
Question: What happened to Ishmael’s descendants? Answer: God promised Abraham, “And as for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall beget twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation” (Genesis 17:20). Ishmael’s initial descendants are recorded for us…
Read MoreHow many monuments were raised in Joshua 4?
Question: I’m a bit confused. How many monuments were raised in Joshua 4? I thought there were two, but my husband says there was only one. Answer: Perhaps outlining the events in chapter 4 will make things clearer: The people of Israel finished crossing the Jordan (Joshua 4:1) Joshua picked twelve men, one from each…
Read MoreYou only worship on Sunday because Constantine changed the day of worship
Question: It seems to me that you would find any mention of the first day of the week and anything that happened on that day is used to support the idea of worshiping on Sunday. Mainstream Christianity worships on Sunday only because the Roman Catholic Church and Emperor Constantine changed the day of worship to…
Read MoreHow Long Was the Egyptian Bondage? (Hamilton)
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Occasionally someone will insist that the Bible is not inspired by God and to prove their point they will state there are contradictions in the Bible. One of these apparent contradictions involves the duration of the Israelites’ bondage in Egypt. There are five verses which state the length of this…
Read MoreIt Can Change So Fast
by Matthew Allen The wealth and materialistic excess of God’s people eight centuries before Jesus were almost unparalleled. The level of prosperity almost certainly equaled that of the days of David and Solomon. Amos gives us a vivid detail of life during the reigns of Jeroboam II of Israel and Uzziah of Judah, shedding light…
Read MoreWhere in the Bible did a Jewish woman become queen?
Question: What chapter in the Bible did a Jewish woman become queen? Answer: Actually, Jewish queens are mentioned in several places. Athaliah made herself queen of Judah after her son’s death by killing all her grandsons (though she ended up missing one). See II Kings 8:26; II Kings 11:1-16; II Chronicles 22:10-23:21. The book of Esther is about…
Read MoreWhat did King David do as king?
Question: What did King David do as king? Answer: I don’t know if you are asking for a summary of David’s accomplishments or what the duties of a king were in David’s time. Below is a quick overview: The Accomplishments of King David David successfully defeated the enemies of Israel, thus creating the ability for…
Read MoreWhen did Saul reign in Israel?
Question: When did Saul rule Israel? How long was his reign? Answer: While the information given in the Bible has been repeatedly proven accurate, dates have been a particular challenge because earlier cultures did not use fixed calendars as we do. Instead, time was measured based as elapsed from certain major events or significant person.…
Read MoreBabylon Clay Tablet Confirms Jeremiah
by Ben M. Shropshire via Lifeline, 7/15/00 The recent discovery of a cuneiform clay tablet by an Austrian scholar at the site of ancient Babylon confirms the historical accuracy of the book of Jeremiah. The recently deciphered tablet, which dates from 595 BC, refers to an official in the court of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon,…
Read MoreWhy did Jesus start Catholicism?
Question: Why did Jesus start Catholicism? Answer: The simple answer is that Jesus did not start Catholicism. Catholicism is a system of religion that gradually developed from the church started by Jesus, but Catholicism has long ago stopped resembling the original church. Jesus stated, “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and…
Read More