Posts Tagged ‘terminology’
Why does Hebrews 9:27 state what it does and yet Elijah and Enoch did not experience physical death?
Question: Why does Hebrews 9:27 state what it does and yet Elijah and Enoch did not experience physical death? Answer: “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). The writer of Hebrews is stating a general principle. Because of Adam’s sin, man is appointed to die. “In the…
Read MoreWhat does “put my tears in your bottle” mean in Psalms 56:8?
Question: Can you help me with the meaning of Psalms 56:8, especially the part “tears into thy bottle?” Answer: “You number my wanderings; put my tears into Your bottle; are they not in Your book?” (Psalm 56:8). Each phrase is a reference to God remembering or recording what has happened to David. This particular Psalm,…
Read MoreWhat does “the unsearchable riches of God” mean?
Question: There is a phrase used that I’ve heard which I am not sure I understand. The unsearchable riches of God. Why do people say, “unsearchable riches?” By reading and study of the Bible, we can learn what God wants and learn what Jesus did, said, and taught. But “unsearchable riches” must mean more than…
Read MoreDoes the Bible say the spiritual world is more real than the physical world?
Question: I remember reading in the Bible that “the spiritual world is more real than the physical world.” I have tried to find it again and cannot. Do you know what the reference for this is? Answer: I recall reading a short book by C.S. Lewis that had this idea as its theme. I also…
Read MoreWhat does “the day of visitation” mean?
Question: In Luke 19:44, what do you think is the “day of visitation”? What do you think the other references in the Bible mean in regards to this phrase? We are doing a chronological study and up to this time frame. I have asked you one other question and you are about in the same…
Read MoreSeveral questions from I Samuel
Question: We are continuing our study of I Samuel in our ladies’ class. We had a couple of questions. If you have time, we would appreciate your input. In I Samuel 21:5 do you think that the term “vessels” refers to the bodies of David’s men? Does this indicate that they were “clean” as far…
Read MoreWhy does Mark have “Eloi” and Matthew have “Eli” for the same statement?
Question: I believe that Matthew’s account lists Jesus’s cry from the ancient texts when he wrote “Eli, Eli lama sabachthani”. This is not a quote from Psalm 22. The Hebrew in Psalm 22 is ‘azab, not sabachthani. I’ve seen some stretches that try to link sabachthani with ‘azab, but I believe it is a bit of…
Read MoreCan you explain all these similar phrases about dying with Christ and dying to sin?
Question: What do these phrases mean? I have been crucified with Christ I am dead in Christ I have died to Christ I am dead to sin I am dead in sin I am resurrected with Christ Answer: Let’s examine each phrase in the statement in which it was given: I have been crucified with…
Read MoreWho was sent out as the first missionary?
Question: Who was sent out as the first missionary? Answer: The answer depends on how tightly you want to define the word “missionary.” It isn’t a word used in the Scriptures, so we can’t apply a Greek or Hebrew definition to the word. Technically, “missionary” means someone sent on a mission and there are numerous…
Read MoreIs the church the building or its members?
Question: is the church the building or is the church made up of its members? Answer: In English, the word “church” can refer to either the building or the people worshiping God in a local. For example, one set of definitions is: one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of…
Read MoreWhat is a “love feast?”
Question: What is an Agape Love Feast? Is it where food was served? Answer: The phrase “love feast” only appears once in the Scriptures. “Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah. These are spots…
Read MoreWhat does it mean to “inherit the kingdom of God?”
Question: What is your position on Galatians 5:2? Is “inherit the Kingdom of God” compared to salvation or is it dealing with rewards? Answer: The Christian’s relationship to God is described by several metaphors in the Bible. One is seeing a Christian as a child of God. “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit…
Read MoreWhat is the Law of Christ?
Question: Read an article on your page concerning Paul and his motives. If what is stated in the New Testament is true, I agree with you about him. Could you tell me what the “Law of Christ” is? My teaching, and correct me if I am wrong, is that “the Torah” better translates from the Hebrew into English…
Read MoreWhat is meant by “one will be left and the other taken”?
Question: Where it says one will be left the other taken away, (always mentioned by people with the rapture and stuff). I was wondering what was your take on that verse. Answer: The same illustration is used in two different contexts, though the overall meaning of the illustration is the same: “But of that day…
Read MoreAre the new heavens and new earth been already made or will it be created in the future?
Question: Are the new heavens and new earth been already made or will it be created in the future? Answer: This is a question that leaves me wondering whether an answer one way or another will make any difference in how you and I must live our lives on this earth. In the Old Testament,…
Read MoreIs there a distinction between forgiveness and redemption?
Question: First, I must say that your web site is fantastic! There is much cool stuff here that I wish I had more time to read. At Bible class last night, the issue of forgiveness vs. redemption and taking away sin came up. The issue, and my question, is whether forgiveness and redemption are the…
Read MoreWhat is the difference between a Greek and a Gentile?
Question: Can someone help me understand who is referred to when the Bible speaks of a Greek and Gentile? For instance, Timothy’s father was Greek. Does that mean he was a Gentile? And Paul said in Romans 1, “It is the power of God … to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” Is…
Read MoreHow can we be children of God and slaves of God at the same time?
Question: I have been struggling with the concept of “children of God.” I understand we are made children of God when we becoming Christians, yet we are bondservants to God and Christ — we are servants. I was wondering when it refers to us being children of God, is it a general reference like the…
Read MoreAn Urgent Need to Study
Text: II Timothy 2:8-19 I. It is fascinating to read well crafted prose or poetry. With just a few words, the author can communicate not only a message, but even a mood. A. Individual words are not flat. Even synonyms carry subtle differences in meaning. B. And the idea is not restricted to the English language. Languages…
Read MoreWhat did Jesus mean by “eat my flesh and drink my blood?”
Question: I would like to know in John 6:53-56 what does Jesus mean by “eat my flesh and drink my blood”? What do flesh and blood represent here? Answer: The statement is found in a discourse recorded in John 6. In the context, Jesus had feed over 5,000 people miraculously and this created a crowd…
Read MorePlease explain the “baptism of fire”
Question: Please explain the “baptism of fire.” Thank you. Answer: The concept of a baptism of fire comes from a statement made by John the Baptist. “And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the…
Read MoreWhat is meant when Paul said we are by nature children of wrath?
Question: In Ephesians 2:3 it talks about by nature we are children of wrath, My own opinion is that it’s referring not to children, which is plain and clear, but to people who have already sinned. I’m trying to get this point across to my friend, but he believes in a sin nature and says…
Read MoreGospel, Word, Truth, Seed, Doctrine
by Carl A. Allen The denominational world has tried to seek unity by teaching we are to believe the Gospel and not enforce “doctrine.” According to them we should not divide over baptism, the Lord’s Supper, instruments of music, tithing, marriage, and divorce, etc. because all of this falls into “doctrine,” and we have no…
Read MoreWhat are a jot and a tittle?
Question: In Matthew 5: 17-18, it says, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till…
Read MoreWhat does “Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem?” mean?
Question: I am teaching the book of Judges this evening and am not sure about one thing I read in 9:28 and hope you can help me. It is my understanding that Shechem is a city. This is a figure of speech called metonymy – where one thing represents another. Examples: I have 300 head…
Read MoreOnce for All
by Billy Norris via Gospel Guide, Vol. 27, No. 12, December 1995 “Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints…” (Jude 3). The original…
Read MoreWhat does “gnashing of teeth” refer to?
Question: I hope you are doing well. I really like your new look on your web site, and the convenience it offers. Great work! Thanks, it makes it easier to navigate. I have a question about something that Jesus said more than once, usually (I think) during the telling of parables. It concerns passages in…
Read MoreDoes regeneration and being born again mean the same thing?
Question: Does regeneration and being born again mean the same thing? Answer: “But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love toward mankind appeared, not by works of righteousness, which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy, he saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom…
Read MoreNotes on the Words and Terms Used In Our Songs
by Roger and Becky Williams -A- Abba – Aramaic for father; Mark 14:36 abhor – to shrink away from with disgust abide – to continue to stay; remain; wait abode – a dwelling place; home acclamation – strong approval or loud applause accord – being in agreement; harmony adoration – devoted love, respect, and honor…
Read MoreIs the commandment “You shall not kill” or “You shall not murder”?
Question: Is the commandment “You shall not kill” or “You shall not murder”? Answer: The Hebrew word in Exodus 20:13 and Deuteronomy 5:17 is ratsach. It is not the commonly used words for killing, which are haragh (to slay) and muth (to die). Ratsach is most frequently used in Numbers 35 where rules are given to determine if the death of a…
Read MoreWhat is the difference between a revival and a Gospel meeting?
Question: What is the difference between having a “revival” and a “Gospel meeting?” Answer: Depending on who you talk to the answer can range from not much too quite a bit. One definition of a revival is “an evangelistic meeting intended to reawaken interest in religion.” Where a Gospel meeting focuses on teaching some aspect…
Read MoreWhat does personal accountability mean?
Question: What does the term personal accountability mean? Answer: The phrase is not used in the Bible, but we sometimes speak about our personal accountability before God. By this, we are referring to the fact that each one of us must give an account to God regarding the things we personally have done. “So then…
Read MoreDoes Psalm 58:3 show that at least some children are born sinful?
Question: Psalms 58:3 The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies. I looked up in one concordance what “estranged” means: to be strange, be a stranger (Qal) to become estranged strange, another, stranger, foreigner, an enemy (participle) loathsome (of breath) (participle) strange woman, prostitute, harlot…
Read MoreCan you explain what it means that the sins of the fathers are put on the children?
Question: I found the passages that relate to the sins of the father, maybe you can give me a view on what they mean. I see how people can make their case, but let me know what it all means, or if needed, put it into context. “You shall not worship them or serve them;…
Read MoreCould you explain the phrase, “consider the lilies?”
Question: Please explain to me exactly what Jesus meant when He said, “Consider the lilies.” Thank you. Answer: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where…
Read MoreWhat is the law in Romans 7?
Question: I would like to ask what is the “law” which Paul was referring to in Romans 7:14-25. Thank you. Answer: The Bible speaks of many different types of laws, so we need to examine the context to see what law is being discussed. Or do you not know, brethren (for I speak to those…
Read MoreWhat is the eternal covenant?
Question: What is the eternal covenant? What is the difference from other covenants? Answer: “Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in…
Read MoreWhat is the difference between being saved and delivered?
Question: What is the difference between being saved (rededicated) and delivered? Answer: In the Scriptures there is little difference between being saved and being delivered; though being saved generally focuses on the person being rescued and being delivered focuses on the person doing the rescue. The term “rededicated” is not found in the Bible. The…
Read MoreWhat does the word “perfect” mean in I Corinthians 13:10?
Question: Regarding speaking in tongues, in the verse that says “when that which is perfect is come,” what does the word “perfect” mean in Greek? Answer: “Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know…
Read MoreWhy is there a “-;” in Exodus 32:32?
Question: First, this is a wonderful website, I have really enjoyed the information I have read and look forward to reading more. My question: What is the meaning of the dash and semicolon in Exodus 32:32? I heard it preached once as “the word Moses could not say” with a further explanation that the word…
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