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Q&A Archives:
by Dr. D ~THE BIBLE:
NEW TESTAMENT:
-NT Writing About Jesus Came Much Later?
-Was the Apostle Paul Really a Spy?
-The Discovery of Apostle Paul’s Bones?
-Acts: ‘Prophetess Daughters’?
-The Names of Philip’s Daughters?
-Animal Sacrifices and Atonement for Sin?
–JESUS:
-The First Words of Jesus in the Gospels?
-Did Jesus Ever Claim to be God?
-NT Writing About Jesus Came Much Later?
-The Genealogy of Jesus and Jewish Objections
-How Jesus of Nazareth Fulfills “The Branch” Prophecies
-Jesus Heals The Guy, But Forgives His Sins First?
-Why Jesus didn’t Resurrect Joseph
–CHRISTMAS:
-The Christmas Story: Where is it in The Bible?
-Was Jesus Really Born on December 25?
-Isn’t Christmas a Pagan Holiday?
-Re: The Wisemen and the First Christmas
-Were There Really Four Wisemen?
-Are the Wisemen Really Buried in Cologne?
–EASTER:
-Easter Question: Did Jesus Really Rise from the Dead?
-The Reactions of the Criminals Crucified with Jesus -Some Discrepancies?
-Jesus: “Today You Will Be With Me In Paradise”
OLDER TESTAMENT:
-Which Came First Moses or Job -or- Who Lived the Longest?
-Animal Sacrifices and Atonement for Sin?
-Numbers 13:33 – The Nephilim and The Anakites?
-Deut. 6:4 -“The Shema” and The Trinity
—GENESIS:
-Did the Universe Have a Beginning or Has it Always Been There?
-Gen.1: There was Light before the Sun was Created?
-How Long Did Adam and Eve Live in The Garden?
-Genesis 3: Did God Create Evil?
-God Said if They Ate the Forbidden Fruit They Would Die But They Didn’t?
-What Was the ‘Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil’?
-First Woman Created in Gen.1:27 or Gen.2:22?
-Man or Animals Created First?A Contradiction Between Gen.1 & Gen.2 ?
-Were the ‘Days’ in Genesis One 24 Hours Long?
-God Liked Abel’s Offering but Not Cain’s?
-Gen. 6:2-4: Who Are “The Sons of God” and “The Nephilim”?
-Did God Actually Go and Check Out Sodom and Gommorrah for Himself?
-Re: Gen. 19:31-36 Lot’s Daughters & Gen. 9:25
-Gen. 19:31-36 Lot’s Daughters & Sodom and Gomorrah
-Why God Rejected The Tower of Babel
THEOLOGY:
-Did the Universe Have a Beginning or Has it Always Been There?
-If God Made the Universe Then Who Made God?
-Isn’t God the Sum Total of Everything?
-Genesis 3: Did God Create Evil?
-God in The O.T. Seems different Than The Father of The N.T.?
-Deut. 6:4 -“The Shema” and The Trinity
-Can Those ‘Left Behind’ Still be Saved?
-Will We Remember This life in Heaven?
-Does God Answer the Prayers of Sinners?
-Animal Sacrifices and Atonement for Sin?
MISC:
-Should Christians Use the Name “Allah” for God?
-Is The Ark of the Covenant Really in Ethiopia?
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-Celebrating Easter and The Resurrection of Jesus
by Dr. D ~Happy Easter season. Here are some links to a few of our best questions and answers on the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and Easter:
1. -Easter Question: Did Jesus Really Rise from the Dead? (Featured also in our last post)
Here’s a great article by William Lane Craig (professor of philosophy at Talbot School of Theology in La Mirada, CA) looking at the facts concerning the resurrection of Jesus–a timely pursuit for the Easter season:
“To answer the question of Jesus’ resurrection from a historical standpoint, we must first determine what facts concerning the fate of Jesus of Nazareth can be credibly established on the basis of the evidence and second consider what the best explanation of those facts is. At least four facts about the fate of the historical Jesus are widely accepted by New Testament historians today.”
A TV program claimed that the family tomb of Jesus, including bones and a wife and son, had recently been discovered. So one writer referenced the ‘discovery’ and asked: Why are you still celebrating Easter?
Historically Jewish folks have been slandered as ‘Christ Killers.’ Why that is totally wrong.
4. -The Reactions of the Criminals Crucified with Jesus -Some Discrepancies?
Reconciling the different Gospel accounts.
5. -Jesus: “Today You Will Be With Me In Paradise”
Today? Wasn’t Jesus resurrected 3 days later so how can that be and exactly where is Paradise?
6. -Jesus- Who Do You Say He Is?
Peter responded to the question: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matt. 16:15). Jesus continues today to ask all of us the same question.
May you and yours be blessed this Easter season. *Top
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-Christmas Q & A’s
by Dr. D ~
(Nativity: Wikipedia)
As a special for this Christmas season, here are links to all of the Christmas Q & A’s from our archives:
1. First the Christmas story itself:
2. What about Christmas itself- is it really a Christian Holiday?:
3. There seems to be a lot of interest in the ‘Wisemen’ (Magi) that visited Jesus:
-Re: The Wisemen and the First Christmas
Merry Christmas. May you and your family have a blessed Christmas season. *Top
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-Was Jesus Really Born on December 25?
by Dr. D ~Q: We know that Jesus really wasn’t born on December 25th so why celebrate Christmas at all?
A: We have answered this question about December 25th before. It is true that the Bible doesn’t really tell us what day Jesus was actually born on. The only scriptural clue is that there were shepherds in the fields tending their sheep that night. That means the first Christmas Eve probably happened sometime during a span from April through October. So we can be somewhat certain that it did not happen in December.
Nevertheless, anytime is a good time to celebrate the birth of Jesus. One thing for sure, the traditional Christmas season brings the message of the nativity and the coming of God’s Son into the cultural mainstream at least once a year regardless of all of the commercialism.
Also the Christmas season has become a special time for families to get together. A time for giving gifts and for reaching out and helping others. A time that transforms our lives for the better and a fine tribute to a child who grew up and changed the world and was the greatest gift of all time:
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. –John 3:16 (ESV)
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-The First Words of Jesus in the Gospels?
by Dr. D ~Q: Can you tell me the first spoken words of Jesus in the gospels. What version you used? Thanks Brad
A: The first words of Jesus recorded in the Gospels are found in Luke 2:49. The context is Luke 2:41-52.
Jesus was 12 years old at the time and he and his family went up to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. When his family left to travel back home Jesus stayed behind and conversed with the teachers in the Temple for three days. His parents finally discovered that he was not traveling with their caravan and went back to Jerusalem looking for him.
The First words spoken by Jesus were his response to the query of his parents. basically Jesus told his parents that he is where he should be doing the things of his Father (God). Here’s two versions of the answer:
49 And He said to them, "Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business? NKJV
49 And he said to them, "Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?" ESV
After reading the two versions, you might be asking which is it? The Father’s business or his house? Actually if you look at the original Greek, either translation is correct. There is no specific Greek word in the phrase that identifies the subject. Literally the Greek reads:
“Not know that in –(that or the things)- of my Father I must be?”
This leaves the context to determine the meaning. Is the reference about “doing” the things of my father or being “in” that which my father owns?
In the vernacular of the day, the unstated reference in this verse usually would have meant the residence or business and most of the time in that culture they were one and the same. Therefore either house or business is correct.
Personally I prefer ‘business’ since that is the way I memorized the passage as a child. In that case he is doing the things or business of His Father. However, the Early Church Fathers (2nd-4th century) understood the passage to be pointing to the Temple or House of God. The emphasis in that understanding is on location. In that case, Jesus is telling his earthly parents that they should have known where he would be- in His Father’s House-the Temple.
Most of the modern versions have chosen to interpret the passage as being “in” the Father’s house following the earliest understanding of the Church Fathers. It also makes the most sense in the context of the question Jesus poses to his parents- “Why did look for me?” -which naturally points to a subject of location rather than action. The KJV and NKJV interpret the context to be one of action or doing.
In final analysis, I believe that a possible double meaning here in the vernacular actually brings a fuller and more complete meaning to the passage. On one hand, Jesus was doing the things or business of his Father in his conversations with the Priests and Rabbis while at the same time he was literally in his Father’s House. *Top
