What Are the Apocrypha and the Gnostic Gospels?
The Apocrypha is a set of books written between the third century B.C. and the first century A.D. It consists of fourteen books (fifteen if you divide the books differently) which are found in the several ancient copies of important Greek translations of the Old Testament and reflect some of the Jewish tradition and history that came after the time of Malachi (the last Old Testament prophet)…
Why Would God Say: “I Have Hated Esau…”?
Several months ago, you answered a question on things that God “hates” based on Proverbs 6:16. That was most enlightening to me and helped me understand this passage more fully. Recently, I was reading in Malachi 1:2-3, and it has, in part, these words of God: “I have loved Jacob; but I have hated Esau….”
What Makes the Bible Unique?
The Bible is clearly the most influential book the world has ever known. Abraham Lincoln called it “the best gift God has given to man.” Patrick Henry said, “It is worth all other books which were ever printed.”…
How Long is Eternity?
Let’s stop and ask the question, “How long is eternity?” How long will I exist either with or without the eternal rewards God wants me to have? If you’re a non-Christian, how long will you exist in hell?…
Is the Church Sexist Towards Women?
These two passages deal with women in the church. In Corinthians 14, women are to keep silent in church, and if they want to learn anything, they ask their husbands at home. In 1Timothy, it says much the same thing and includes women not teaching or exercising any authority over men…
How was the Bible Put Together?
How do we know that the sixty-six books of the Bible are the only writings that should be included in Scripture? What about the Apocrypha, or the Gnostic gospels? Why shouldn’t they be included? The answer lies in the idea of canonicity…
How Do We Know Jesus Died from the Crucifixion?
Crucifixion seems to have been invented by the Persians, who transmitted it to the Carthaginians, from whom the Romans learned it. It was the ultimate Roman punishment for slaves and provincials, but it was not used for Roman citizens…
What is the Trinity?
The basic belief in Christianity is that one true God has revealed that He is three Persons, or centers of consciousness, within one Godhead. Because the concept cannot be fully comprehended does not mean the doctrine is irrational or cannot be accurately defined…
Getting Your Values Straight
I was shocked and appalled to read some time ago an account of a murder which took place in Atlanta. The murderer stated that he killed the man in the den of his home. Then he said, “What I really hated was messing up that beautiful Persian rug.” Can you imagine? No remorse over his…
The Christian’s Most Powerful Weapon
With the continuing moral and spiritual deterioration of our culture, as evidenced by the increasing raunchiness of movies and television programs, we, as Christians, are increasingly having to ask ourselves, “What can we do?” How can we best combat the evils in our society? BY LEGISLATION? It has been said that you can’t legislate morality.…
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