Posts Tagged ‘idolatry’
What about ghosts, sacrificing to the dead, and sin?
Question: I have doubts about certain religions. People have asked me what I believe regarding these things and I honestly don’t know what the Bible says about it. You probably know about religions that preach about “ghosts” or “spirits.” I’ve even heard about people who sacrifice animals or other people to get something they want.…
Read MoreCan you believe in the zodiac at least partially?
Question: Is it OK to believe in the zodiac, at least partially? I know that not everything relates to it or that it describes someone’s character, but some of that information seems too realistic. Is this some kind of tool the Devil uses to get us to believe in his lies and not the real Truth…
Read MoreYour article on the queen of heaven was excellent
Question: We are studying in Jeremiah on Wednesday nights for the next few months and I was doing research on what the “queen of heaven” might be for our preacher, who teaches the class. I’ve copied the article and given credit to La Vista Church of Christ. It’s an excellent article. I have visited your web site before,…
Read MoreWhy was there an idol in David’s house?
Question: In I Samuel 19:13, why was there an idol in David and Michal’s house? I know Saul erected a monument for himself in Carmel (I Samuel 15:12). Did Saul and his children worship other gods? Answer: The Hebrew word teraphim is often translated as a “household idol,” but some translators, such as Koehler-Baumgartner, think that it…
Read MoreIs it wrong to have images of animals or men for toys?
Question: Are stuffed toys, teddy bears, barbie dolls, and so on related to witchcraft? In Deuteronomy 4:4-18 it mentions graven images. Is this really referring to teddy bears, stuffed toys, and so forth? As I believe, these verses are related to idols that people worshipped. Teddy bears, stuffed toys are only toys and not represent…
Read MoreThe Temple of the Lord
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/TempleOfTheLord.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: II Corinthians 6:14-7:1 I. What is a temple? A. In warning Christians not to bind themselves with unbelievers, Paul reminds us that we are the temple of God – II Corinthians 6:16 1. It is the place where God dwells – I Corinthians 3:16 2. Both on an individual scale as well…
Read MoreWhat do you think about someone claiming you can make an idol of God’s Word?
Question: First, thank you for all the information you provide on your website. I came upon your website while looking for pictures for a Bible class I was teaching. Let me say that my husband and I were baptized into Jesus Christ. I was raised Catholic, and my husband was raised Lutheran. We were both searching…
Read MoreIs art only condemned in connection with idolatry?
Question: Hello I want to know if art is ok for sure. I like art but want to be more sure it is ok. I have read this answer before: “Are not pictures of Jesus and angels, or even wedding announcements, sinful because they are graven images?” But what about Deuteronomy 4:16-18,23? Bowing down to…
Read MoreIs Cain the son of the serpent?
Question: Eve thanks God for buying a child with God. God never talked to Eve, only the snake did. Is she calling the snake God? Cain built a city, for who? Who did he marry? How did he have the skills? Chapter 4: Cain’s offspring contributed to society’s advancement, but they are not listed as…
Read MoreIs the book Bhagavad-Gita inspired and true?
Question: Is the book Bhagavad-Gita inspired and true? Also, how can I answer a Hare Krishna monk regarding the same? Answer: Bhagavad-Gita, or Song of God, is one of several books considered scripture to the Hindus. Since the Hindu religion is an old idolatrous religion, the books supporting the religion are as false as the…
Read MoreHow do I get an Ifa priestess’ curse off of me?
Question: Hello, I recently read the outline that’s entitled “Is Witchcraft Real?” I’m desperately in need of spiritual help. A curse has been placed on my mother and I. None of the events that have been taking place in our lives are rational. I’m not sure if you’ve heard of the Ifa religion, but someone that…
Read MoreWhy did Aaron make the golden calf?
Question: Why did Aaron make the golden calf right after God had spoken the ten commandments to the Israelites? Answer: When confronted by Moses regarding his sin, Aaron blamed the people into pressuring him. “You know the people, that they are set on evil” (Exodus 32:22). He blamed Moses for taking too long to get…
Read MoreNotes on Hinduism
by Paul Williams via Truth Magazine, January 2, 2003 Hinduism is the religion of the vast majority of people who live in India. About 70% of the millions of Indians who live in South Africa are Hindus and there is an increasing number of Hindus in America. The influence of this religion is seen in the…
Read MoreIs numerology satanic?
Question: I have a quick brief question: is numerology satanic or devil worshiping? Answer: Numerology is “the study of the supposed occult influence of numbers on human affairs.” Like astrology, numerology attempts to divine a person’s character and future. In numerology, it is based on numbers related to a person, wherein astrology is based on positions…
Read MoreCan thinking about a girl constantly be idolatry?
Question: Could you help me understand what idolatry is according to the Bible? I know it seems like a simple concept, but I have heard so much conflicting information on the subject. For example, I heard one preacher complaining that being devoted to American Idol constituted idolatry (how about that?). Another said that following celebrities…
Read MoreReligion According to Man
Text: Galatians 1:6-10 I. What happens when man decides to worship God in his own way? A. We see among denominations thousands of varying beliefs, yet all claim to be worshiping God and using the Bible as their guide B. Some even abandon the Bible and use other books, such as the book of Mormon C. Could God…
Read MoreGod’s Image
by Shane Williams via The Lilbourn Light, Vol. 8, No. 4, Aug. 2007. Marcus Terentius Varro (116-27 B.C.) is described in the Encyclopedia Britannica as “Rome’s greatest scholar.” He wrote more than 400 books on many subjects. Among his writings is this statement: “They who first introduced images of the gods removed fear and added error.” This…
Read MoreIs having a symbol of Christianity idolatry?
Question: Is having the name of Jesus displayed anywhere tantamount to idolatry, or is it a “denominational symbol”? [To clarify, I might ask, “Is the written name of Jesus equal to an idol, if displayed openly?”] Years ago, I bought a car from a young lady. On the trunk lid of that car was the…
Read MoreWhat is Nehushtan?
Question: What is ‘Nehushtan’? Is that some sort of ancient idea of a god or deity worshiped at that time? I have read about the ‘bronze serpent’ but don’t understand what this means. Why did Moses make it? What did it signify? Answer: “He removed the high places and broke the sacred pillars, cut…
Read MoreNotes on Idolatry
Galatians 5:20 Ephesians 5:5 Colossians 3:5-6 Revelation 22:15 See also Mythology
Read MoreNotes on Mythology, False Gods and Their Worship
General References Judges 2:12 1 Kings 9:9 2 Chronicles 7:22 Ammonite Gods Molech Leviticus 18:21 2 Kings 23:10 Jeremiah 32:35 Amos 5:26 Zephaniah 1:5 Acts 7:43 Assyrian Gods General References 2 Chronicles 32:21 Land Based Gods 2 Kings 17:26-27 2 Kings 18:33 Isaiah 36:18 Babylonian Gods General References Isaiah 21:9 Marduk Jeremiah 50:2 Bel Isaiah…
Read MoreWhat do you think about religious art?
Question: What do you think about religious art, especially the portraits of Christ? Have you ever heard that it is a graven image or idolatrous? Some think that to portray Christ in movies or artwork is akin to blasphemy or at the least a kind of pagan idolatry. They say we would never sanction statutes…
Read MoreWhat does “you shall have no other gods before me” mean?
Question: What does “you shall have no other gods before me” mean? Answer: See the lesson “No Other Gods” from the workbook The Ten Commandments. If you have further questions, please write again.
Read MoreNotes on the Ten Commandments
“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me.” Repeated in the New Testament: Matthew 4:10; Acts 17:16; Romans 1:25; I Corinthians 8:4-6; Philippians 3:19; Colossians 2:18; Revelation 19:10; 22:9 “You shall not make for…
Read MoreWho is the Queen of Heaven in Jeremiah 7:18?
Question: If there are no female gods, then who is the Queen of Heaven in Jeremiah 7:18? Answer: Just because man worships an idol, it does not make the god represented by the idol real. “Therefore know this day, and consider it in your heart, that the LORD Himself is God in heaven above and on…
Read MoreWhy is there no female god in the Bible?
Question: Why is there no female god in the Bible? Answer: If this is in reference to false gods of idolatrous worship, then there are female gods mentioned in the Bible. People worshipped Asheroth or Asherah, a Canaanite goddess of fertility. “So the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD. They…
Read MoreWhy Believe in the God of the Bible?
Billy B. Norris via Gospel Guide, Nov. 1995 One may be a believer in the One God; an atheist, a disbeliever in any god; or a heathen, a believer in many gods. Let’s examine each of these positions: Heathenism In its plural number of gods, heathenism is confusing and divisive. As a young man, Solomon…
Read MoreWhy were the stars and moon created?
Question: Why were the stars and moon created? Answer: The sun exists to bring light during the day and the moon and stars exist to bring light at night. “Thus says the LORD, Who gives the sun for a light by day, The ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night”…
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