Question: Ephesians 4:8 is a quote from Psalm 68:18, but it is miss-quoted by Paul. The verse in Ephesians says “gave gifts to men,” while Psalms says “received gifts from men”. Please explain. Thank you. Answer: In Ephesians 4:8 it is likely that Paul is quoting the Aramaic Targum rather than the Septuagint. The Aramaic […]
Question: I’ve been trying to understand if Daniel 9 actually presents a credible prophecy. I’m at least familiar with (though do not completely understand) all the different perspectives. I’m aware that some interpretations involve the beginning of the “decree” [Daniel 9:25] in 444/445 B.C. (Nehemiah 2:1). You begin the period of 490 years from 458 […]
Question: How can free will exist if God is omnipotent? Answer: First of all, I assume you are asking about free will in light of God’s sovereignty, not his omnipotence. I see no logical problem in God being all-powerful preventing him from using his power to create a sentient being with free will. I know […]
Question: What are the origins and influences of the science of positive thinking and personal development? Is it biblical when we know that this science mainly advocates the exaltation of the self? Autosuggestion, visualization and mental imagery? What do you think of the fact that some philosophers or psychologists claim that Jesus is a great […]
Question: After leaving Egypt, did the Hebrew worship the True God of Israel in the desert through the Golden calf or did they worship another god through the use of the Golden calf ? Answer: The Hebrew may be subject to two different interpretations. Aaron said, “These are your gods, Israel, who brought you out […]
Question: How did the Jewish government handle the resurrections of the dead during the Good Friday story? I mean today once your social security file is closed its over for you! Imagine how our government would handle the dead coming back into the cities! Is there any Jewish mention of these saints when they came back […]
Question: Why do bad things happen to good people? Answer: This is a complex and difficult question and there is no simple answer. I have written an essay on the question of suffering. I am attaching it here and copying and pasting below. The Problem of Pain and Suffering Here is the “quick” version. Everything God […]
Question: I heard about discovery of Jesus’ blood on the ark of covenant by Ryan Watt. He concluded they found Jesus’ blood ….when they tested this blood the results were that Jesus’ blood is still alive today, and it has 24 chromosomes: 23 from his mother and 1 from the Holy Spirit which proves the […]
[Editor’s note: I received a long and somewhat rambling set of comments and questions from someone. I asked for a more succinct set of comments and questions so that I could respond. You will see below that the shorter version is still a bit unfocused, but this person asks sufficiently important questions that I felt […]
Question: In Matthew 28:19, Jesus commanded His disciples to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Now I know my question will sound silly, but keep in mind that there is indeed a reason behind it. So… what is the name of the Holy Spirit? Answer: This is not […]
Question: What do you say to someone who claims that prayer is a waste of time because supposed “answers” to prayer are simply result of confirmational bias? Answer: The way I see it, either God exists or he does not. If he exists, either he listens to and answers prayer or he does not. I […]
Question: What do you say to the idea that Joseph of Arimathea did not actually exist? Is there good historical proof that he did? Answer: There is no “proof” that any single person lived in ancient history. It is literally impossible to prove that Nero or Julius Caesar or Nebuchadnezzar or anyone else in ancient […]
Questions: 1.Why did the council have to meet to discuss if Jesus was the Son of God or if he was human or a spirit? 2.If God inspired man to write the Bible and he lives in me, why do I need the Bible or Jesus to tell me how to live when I can […]
Question: Did Paul really write the pastoral epistles? Most scholars refuse this opinion and say that they were written later after Paul’s death. They say that the vocabulary and style are different from that of the seven undisputed epistles. Some have suggested that Paul used a secretary to write these epistles, probably Luke, because he […]
[Editor’s note: The one sending this comment read a Q & A at the site and took great exception to the article. My reply is below. The original article is here ] Comment: I am in absolute disagreement with your article on the Roman Catholic Church being able to claim its roots back to Pentecost, […]
Question: What is the way to respond to this question? Can God make a rock so big, he can’t move it? Answer: This is one of the classic “challenges” to the idea of the Christian God that atheists and agnostics throw out there. It is really a rather unsophisticated challenge, but for those who do […]
Question: I want to ask you some questions about quantum mechanics, cause I know that’s your specialization. 1. I’ve read about the many-worlds interpretation and am wondering if it is true, and if it’s true then would this interpretation deny God’s existence? 2. I’ve also read about many-minds interpretation, but I am still confused about […]
Question: I believe the Holy Spirit is a person and I believe Jesus was conceived through the Holy spirit, but someone who thinks the Holy Spirit is not a person could ask me this question and I cannot find an answer..please help me ! The reasoning is this: If the Holy Spirit is a person of […]
Question: Some people think that Jesus was begotten by the father only at his resurrection because the apostle Paul said about Jesus that he was appointed Son of God by His resurrection ( Romans 1 – or the speech of Paul in the Act of the Apostle). I’m currently reading the Bart Erhman’s book “How Jesus […]
Question: Can you tell me if Jesus said anything about forming a religion around him. The only thing I can find is that he was going to build his church on Peter’s foundation. I believe he was here to show us a way of life not a religion. How wrong do you think I am? […]
Question: Is Zechariah 13:7 talking about the Messiah or is it about the false shepherd whom God strikes in Zechariah 11:17 or perhaps the false prophet in Zechariah 13: 1-6? Answer: The shepherd of Zechariah 13:7 is the Messiah. I know this for sure because in Matthew 26:31 the inspired gospel writer Matthew tells us […]
[Editor’s note: I am dispersing my answers among the questions. They will be in italics.] Question: I have been a believer of Jesus Christ for more than 10 years. Recently my brother who is an atheist challenged me with many absurd theories he found on the internet. That provoked me to look for solid evidence […]
Question: Doesn’t Revelation 17: 10 show that John got his vision during the sixth king, who is Vespasian? and the seventh king who is to come is Titus, who according to this verse will rule for a short time, and he did, from 79 till 81 AD? If this is true, then John got […]
Question: I had a question about a couple of things that I heard an atheist bring up the other day. How do you respond to an atheist that says they can’t believe in the Bible because of some of the things that are in there like talking snakes, talking bushes, unicorns or even the time […]
Question: I have heard it said that if all the New Testament manuscripts were lost, the entire NT could still be replaced merely by the quotes from the church fathers…except for a scant few verses. My questions: 1. Who all has done a study to verify this? 2. How accurate were the quotations by the […]
Question: My brain is overheated since i’m trying to reconcile the apparent contradictions we find in the narratives of the apparitions of Jesus after his resurrection. For example, Jesus said to the disciples to go to Galilee and that He will precede them there and then they will meet Him in Galilee. (Matthew)….but no….Jesus appeared […]
Question: While sharing my faith with a person of another religion, he was questioning me about why my God is so cruel to kill people when He is zealous.? I was going through Old Testament books and see lot of battles, killings etc.. I just want to be clear about what God want us to understand when […]
Question: Is Malachi 3:1 calling Jesus Christ a Messenger or a Angel of the covenant? Answer: First of all, Malachi 3:1 is about John the Baptist, not about Jesus. Like John said about himself, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’” (John 1:23) In Matthew […]
Question: I have three questions: 1- I have searched and found that there is division between scholars about dating the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts. Although some believe that they were written before 62 AD because there is no mention of Paul’s death or destruction of Jerusalem, most scholars believe that they […]
[Editor’s note: This is a series of two questions and answers] Question: Why do Muslims think that we worship the same God? Answer: The reason they say we worship the same God is because we worship the same God. Muhammad believed that the God of the Jews and the God of the Christians was the […]
[Editor’s note: I received two remarkably similar questions within hours of each other, so am combining them below. I hope it is not confusing.] Question: I have few questions that have weighed on the back of my mind for a while. How is God in control when people have free will? They can sin against […]
Question: [editor’s note: this is a rather long question with an even longer answer, so be patient] I came across a write up on the fact/fiction of the Resurrection of the Lord herehttp://capturingchristianity.com/fact-fiction-resurrection-jesus-comprehensive-case/ My questions to you won’t focus on street epistemology but on the last comments of this article from Bob. His line […]
Question: My friend has argued that needing to be baptized with water to receive salvation is a false doctrine. Her argument is based on the idea that the baptism Jesus established is entirely spiritual- a baptism of the Holy Spirit- and baptism with water is only a “work” one does out of obedience after one […]
Questions: 1 – In Luke 24 we read that two disciples met Jesus and talked with him but did not know him! We read also about Mary Magdalene who did not know Jesus at first in John 20. Jesus appeared again in John 21 to the disciples but they did not recognize him!!! Doesn’t this support the […]
Question: “The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled.” Genesis 6:6 NIV I wanted to know if God regretted making humans, then can we conclude that he made a mistake making humans. What would it mean if we say that God makes mistakes? Answer: This is […]
Question: I know the story in Genesis 38:8-10 is not talking about masturbation. I know some people call masturbation Onanism, even though the scripture is clearly not talking about this. However, could this scripture be used to forbid the use of condoms and contraceptives? Is continuing the family line not a moral obligation as it […]
Question: How were the books of the Bible chosen? Do we know how many children Joseph and Mary had? Answer: I answer your first question in great detail in my book “Reasons for Belief” which is available at www.ipibooks.com. I am also attaching a shorter version of notes on canon to this e-mail. HOW WE […]
Question: I have a question concerning the little horn of the fourth beast in Daniel 7:24. While you claim that the little horn was Domitian, http://www.end-times-prophecy.org/who-is-the-bible-antichrist-today.html claims it represents the Catholic Church. Would you have any thoughts on this claim? Answer: I believe that those who claim that the eleventh horn in Daniel 7 is the Roman […]
Question: Jehovah’s Witnesses state that Constantine made the Bible pagan, Hence their New World Translation. Do you have any evidence against this as nobody yet has been able to provide me something that backs up their claim. Thanks very much. Answer: This claim is so blatantly unfounded that for anyone to make the it they […]
Question: Why are there so many divisións in Christianity? Why can’t we all be one? Answer: I have already answered this question, and am copying an earlier answer but am amplifying the response a bit. The reason there are so many denominations is a matter more of history than of anything else. There really was […]
Question: In one of your articles, you said you used to be an atheist, but now you believe in God. Why did you change your mind about the existence of God and why did you choose Christianity? Why not Judaism or Islam, Hinduism? Have you read the texts of other religions? If so, why do […]
Question: We use the fact that Jesus cast out demons as evidence of his power. However, I have noticed that other religious leaders also cast out demons, such as Muslims, Jews, Buddhists and even African wizards. How is it possible that others can do this sort of thing? What does it mean, given that Jesus […]
I have several questions: How can I believe in God when I grew up from a background of science and critical thinking? What about evolution? What if we believe and God commands us to kill someone? What is the most compelling scientific evidence or argument available? If you can, please provide three scientific arguments. What […]
[Editor’s note: for those who are not aware, Wisdom (also known as Wisdom of Solomon) is part of the Old Testament Apocrypha. It can be found in the Jerusalem Bible or in any Catholic Bible] Question: Since the Wisdom of Solomon chapter 2 contains many good MESSIANIC prophecies is there any evidence of its authenticity […]
Question: What proof is there against the stories about Jesus in the Talmud (for example in the Toledot) and Celsus? Answer: I am well aware of Celsus and his spurious attacks on Jesus and the Christian faith, but, to be honest, I had not heard of the Toledot before. Technically, the Toledot is not part […]
[Editor’s note: To readers who are not from the United States, please forgive the fact that this question and answer are somewhat between insiders to the US on this question. Hopefully, the principles will apply everywhere] Question: I have a question as immigration debates are heating up in America. Normally, I wouldn’t care as much. […]
Question: In reading the account of woman’s creation in KJV, NIV, ESV, etc. she is mentioned as being formed out of Adam’s ribs, however the direct Hebrew translation is not ribs but “Angular Organ(s)”. Also, the Hebrew word “adm” is used when referring to “human, person, or man” and “Adam”. So my questions are 1) […]
Question: Is Isaiah 25:6-8 a dual prophecy – of the resurrection of Christ and of the second coming of Christ? The background of the question is the parable of the great banquet in Luke 14. I have read in Kenneth Baileys book “Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes: Cultural Studies in the Gospels” that the Jews believed […]
Question: Robert Price claims that 1 Corinthians 15 : 3 – 11 is an interpolation https://depts.drew.edu/jhc/rp1cor15.html How can you prove the authenticity of this important text? [Editor’s note: this passage is a key one with regard to the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus] Answer: I did some research and found that, as far as I can […]
[Editor’s note: This is a follow-up to a question just posted a couple of days ago. I asked the questioner to send specific examples from a rather long article by an atheist who claims that Jesus did not even live at all. The material in italics is the material he asked me to comment on […]
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