In our last Q&A, titled, “Are there phrases in the Bible that have become normal in society today? (Part 2),” we covered this question briefly, as follows:

“God will never give you more than you can handle

“This is another common phrase which, as quoted, is not in accordance with Scripture. It is not found in the Bible. One commentary stated astutely: ‘When someone is going through a difficult time in life, whether they are feeling overwhelmed, stricken with grief, or just generally burdened, they are often encouraged that though their challenges are considerable, God would never give them more than they could handle. But, despite what we might say, God will give us more than we can handle [or bear].  Rather, God will never allow us to be tempted [or tested] beyond what we are able to [handle or bear]. He will always provide a way for us [to escape and] to be faithful to Him, even when the pull toward a different path is as strong as it has ever been.’… So, whatever we are being confronted with, GOD will help us. We need GOD… on our own, we can do and accomplish nothing. But with God, we can do and endure everything.”

We also quoted 1 Corinthians 10:13 in that portion of the above-cited Q&A, which reads:

“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

In this Q&A, we will address the issue at question in more detail.

Of course, God does not tempt us so that we sin.   In our booklet: “Teach Us To Pray” on page 60, we read under the heading: “But…God Tests Us:

“While God never tempts us to sin, He does test us, to help us NOT to sin. Sometimes His tests can be very difficult. And so, this is another way we can understand Christ’s admonition to us regarding our prayer to the Father. For instance, in the Jewish New Testament, by David H. Stern, it is written: ‘And do not lead us into hard testing…’ This is also an accurate translation in the context, and here is why:

“The New Testament Greek word for ‘temptation’ (‘peirasmos’), and the Greek word for ‘to tempt’ (‘peirazo’), can also mean, ‘trial’ and ‘to test.’ The same is true for the Hebrew words in the Old Testament, ‘massah’ and ‘nasah,’ which can mean ‘temptation’ and ‘tempt,’ or, ‘trial’ and ‘test.’ The context of the passage dictates the correct usage, and in most cases, the correct rendering is very clear.

“As we will see, we should want God to test us so that we grow stronger in a spiritual sense, so that we will become approved in His eyes. We know, however, that we can ask the Father not to make it too hard for us, as Christ indicated in the outline prayer. Jeremiah once prayed: ‘O LORD, correct me, but with justice; Not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing’ (Jeremiah 10:24). So did David (Psalm 6:1; Psalm 38:1).

“In addition, especially insofar as end-time Christians are concerned, they should also pray, ‘… do not subject us to the final test’ (Matthew 6:13; New American Bible). This refers to the Great Tribulation—’the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth’ (Revelation 3:10). Christ says that those who follow Him diligently will be able to escape that hour of final test (same verse).”

Everyone who has ever lived will have had tests and trials at one time or another, and true Christians are not exempt in any way.   In fact, we read in Acts 14:22 that Paul was “…strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, ‘We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.’”

It is interesting to read about God’s promise and intent in 1 Corinthians 1:8: “… who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

In this verse, stating that God is confirming us to the end, it means that we will make it with His help.   Paul’s expression in Philippians 1:6, under godly inspiration, was very similar, stating that he was “confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ…”

God hasn’t called us to fail and He will do everything He can to see that we succeed. He doesn’t give us anything that we can’t overcome because He is there assisting us, and maybe at times pushing us past our human limits but not beyond our total limit which includes His marvellous and wonderful help.

The overall message and understanding is that God is always faithful to His chosen ones, and with every trial that we encounter, He will offer us the strength needed in such circumstances.   And that is why we need to be and stay close to God, through daily prayer and study, where He sees our commitment to Him, and He will grant us His supernatural help whenever we need it.

So, it is biblically incorrect to say that God will never give us more than we can handle, if we just focus on our human strength. In fact, based on our human strength, we cannot do anything, and we cannot handle any trial which God gives us or allows to test us.

On the other hand, it is biblically correct to say that God will never give us more than we can handle when we focus on God’s help, who will sustain us to succeed. God knows how severe a trial He can allow, as He knows us better than we do, and He knows that with His help, we can succeed.

Prolific Christian writer, Charles R Swindoll, in his book on Abraham, pages 258-259, makes these observations:

“A test usually makes us feel vulnerable.   We get weak.   We begin to panic.   We try to find safety in the familiar.   We avoid taking risks.   But tests of faith call for boldness.   You may have heard it said that ‘God never gives us more than we can handle’.  That’s absolutely wrong!   He frequently challenges us to trust Him more by giving us far more than we can handle on our own.  He wants us to turn to Him in desperation and ask for His assistance.   He’s always willing to help, but he wants us to recognise our need and to want Him.”

When the apostle Paul writes that God won’t test us beyond what we are able to bear, he means not beyond what we are able to bear with God’s help. We are not independent of God when this happens; God makes up the difference between our own capacity and that which we need to handle the situation in hand. It is also important to note again the second part of Paul’s statement in 1 Corinthians 10:13, which says: “…but with the temptation [He] will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

Sometimes, we need a way out of trouble, and God must show us that way; otherwise, we might indeed be unable to bear the trial.

We said earlier that Paul’s statement that “no temptation” has overtaken us which is uncommon to man, and that God will not allow us “to be tempted” beyond what we are able to bear (as He will provide us with His help), should be rendered with “severe trial” or to be tested.” This is certainly true, as God does not tempt us to sin. On the other hand, God does at times ALLOW Satan to tempt us, and we should be mindful of this fact and ask God not to “lead us into temptation”—that is, not to allow Satan to bring severe temptations upon us. As we should ask God not to test us too severely, so we should also ask God not to allow Satan to tempt us too severely.  But even when those trials and temptations come, which we could not master on our own, we can rely on God who is there to help us so that we can bear (or escape) all of them.

We should note that God’s Spirit LED Christ into the wilderness after His baptism TO BE TEMPTED by Satan (Matthew 4:1) for forty days and forty nights. But God the Father was with Christ the entire time to give Him the power and strength, as well as the wisdom, to reject and overcome Satan’s temptations.

And so, we need God’s assistance at all times and then, with His help, we can truly say that we can handle anything that is thrown at us as we head towards the Kingdom of God.  The good news is that God will give us all the help we need in every situation we face even if by our own normal human standards, such testing is beyond our human capabilities to handle.   And that is the key.  And God gets the glory!

It is not God’s Will that we should fail and He will help us to overcome the testing and trials and temptations that may come our way so that we may have everlasting life in His soon-coming Kingdom!

Lead Writers: Brian Gale (United Kingdom) and Norbert Link

In this new series, we will continue to give examples of phrases from the Bible that are part and parcel of our everyday language.  We will also give examples which are not found in the Bible per se, but which are close and express biblical principles, and we will quote examples which are not in the Bible and even contradict biblical teaching, even though some people think that they are in God’s Word.

Pride goes before a fall 

This is a close quote, but not totally accurate. The passage in Proverbs 16:18 reads: “Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.” On Little House on the Prairie, Caroline Ingalls corrected Mrs. Oleson who had just chastened her with the misquote of pride goes before a fall. 

A labor of love

This phrase is used to describe the motive behind working or laboring. Ultimately, we work for God. Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 1:3: “… remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father…”

No rest for the wicked

A common phrase, but again, not totally accurate. The passage in Isaiah 57:21 reads: “‘There is no peace,’ Says my God, ‘for the wicked.’” Of course, both phrases are connected. Someone who has no rest has no peace. He lives in constant fear.

Casting pearls before swine

It is often used to say that we must be careful not to share good advice with others who don’t want it. It goes back to Christ’s stern warning not to teach spiritual knowledge to those who reject and despise it. 

He said in Matthew 7:6: “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.”

Go the extra mile

Again, not a totally accurate quote. It refers to the idea to go beyond and above what we must do… be it in respect to our work or to our relationship with others. Christ used this phrase to warn His disciples not to turn to violent resistance against the government. The Romans had a habit of forcing casual travelers to carry their belongings for a mile. Christ said that rather than violently resisting such practice, volunteer to go even another mile with them. He said in Matthew 5:41: “And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.”

Turn the other cheek

A close quote, but not totally accurate. It stands in direct context with the concept of going the extra mile. Jesus was saying that we must not resist others by resorting to violence; that it is better to suffer injustice than to commit it ourselves. He states in Matthew 5:39: “But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.”

An eye for an eye

A phrase associated today with revenge. However, it is based on equal or retaliatory justice. It has been wrongfully used to justify revenge, but the real purpose was to have a judge or magistrate give fair compensation for a harm done… to pay the victim the value of the incurred damage. 

Exodus 21:24-25 reads: “… eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.”

A thorn in the flesh 

This phrase is used in this world to describe a sometimes minor, uncomfortable unpleasantry. However, it is a famous saying by Paul, who suffered, it seems, from an incurable physical sickness which he attributed to Satan’s doing. Paul asked God three times to be healed from this disease but God told him that in that particular case, God said HE wanted Paul to stay “weak” so that God’s strength could rule his life. Paul relates this in 2 Corinthians 12:7-9 as follows:

“And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.’”

A house divided against itself will not stand

This phrase can be found in Matthew 12:25 where Christ said: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.”

This quote is often attributed to Abraham Lincoln. But while he used the phrase in a famous speech, he didn’t invent it. Jesus used it when dealing with Pharisees, claiming wrongfully that He was casting out demons because He was allegedly possessed Himself. He asked the Pharisees with what power their sons cast out demons (a power He had given some of them at that time).

See eye to eye

This phrase signifies that people agree on something. It is taken from Isaiah 52:8 which says: “Your watchmen shall lift up their voices, With their voices they shall sing together; For they shall see eye to eye When the LORD brings back Zion.” They will see “eye to eye” or agree with God. 

There are many more examples which we could have given. 

The Bible is, and has been down through the last 2,000 years, respected by so many who appreciate its wisdom and the Truth it reveals.

On the digitalcommons.liberty.edu website, they list 60 famous people, 16 of whom were Presidents of the USA, who speak so highly about the Word of God.  Below are just 6 of these which are a small sample size of those to whom the Bible was precious:

Abraham Lincoln – “But for this Book we could not know right from wrong. I believe the Bible is the best gift God has ever given to man.”

Franklin D. Roosevelt – “It is a fountain of strength. I feel that a comprehensive study of the Bible is a liberal education for anyone.”

Winston Churchill – “We rest with assurance upon the impregnable rock of Holy Scripture.” 

Haile Selassie – “The Bible is not only a great book of historical reference, but it also is a guide for daily life, and for this reason I respect it and I love it.” 

Douglas MacArthur – “Believe me, sir, never a night goes by, be I ever so tired, but I read the Word of God before I go to bed.”

Charles Dickens – “It is the best Book that ever was or ever will be in the world.”

And from this Book of books we have only quoted a few examples in this Q&A of its influence on our everyday language and there are scores more which are worth reviewing when you take the time.

On the other hand, we do not want to conclude this Q&A without pointing out that there are “famous” phrases which are NOT in the Bible, even though some people may think that they are. 

 “God helps those who help themselves”

This phrase is not in Scripture. It actually has its origin in ancient Greek, even though it is most often attributed to Benjamin Franklin since it appeared in his book Poor Richard’s Almanac. One commentator wrote: “This runs contrary to biblical teaching, since man can do nothing to help himself apart from God’s grace”—or we might add, “apart from God’s Will.”

“Cleanliness is next to godliness”

This phrase was used by Charles Dickens in his book Great Expectations, but it does not appear in the Bible. 

“God works in mysterious ways”

This is a paraphrase of a 19th-century hymn by the English poet William Cowper (“God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform’). It does not appear in the Bible, but the Bible does say, of course, that there are certain mysteries which He has revealed only to His people. 

“Money is the root of all evil”

It’s close, but not totally accurate. Instead it says, “For the LOVE of money is a root of all kinds of evil” (1 Timothy 6:10). 

“The seven deadly sins”

This list of seven deadly sins (wrath, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy, gluttony) is not in the Bible. It was the Catholic Church that made up this phrase and its accompanying list. It is most certainly inaccurate to assume that these sins are “more deadly” than the violation of the Ten Commandments and its statutes and judgments. 

“Charity begins at home”

This phrase is credited to Terence, the Roman comic writer. But it is also sometimes attributed to Sir Thomas Browne. It is not found in the Bible. 

“The road to hell is paved with good intentions”

A common saying which is not found in Scripture. Another false quote would be: “All roads lead to Rome.”

“Once saved, always saved”

This phrase expresses a completely false concept of salvation. It is not found in the Bible.

God will never give you more than you can handle

This is another common phrase which, as quoted, is not in accordance with Scripture. It is not found in the Bible. One commentary stated astutely: 

“When someone is going through a difficult time in life, whether they are feeling overwhelmed, stricken with grief, or just generally burdened, they are often encouraged that though their challenges are considerable, God would never give them more than they could handle. But, despite what we might say, God will give us more than we can handle [or bear]. 

“Rather, God will never allow us to be tempted [or tested] beyond what we are able to [handle or bear]. He will always provide a way for us [to escape and] to be faithful to Him, even when the pull toward a different path is as strong as it has ever been.” 

Paul assures us in 1 Corinthians 10:13: 

“No temptation [or sore trial] has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

So, whatever we are being confronted with, GOD will help us. We need GOD… on our own, we can do and accomplish nothing. But with God, we can do and endure everything.

“Love the sinner, hate the sin” 

Even commonly used in religious circles, Christ did not say these words. 

St. Augustine’s Letter 211 (c. 424) contains the phrase Cum dilectione hominum et odio vitiorum, which translates roughly to “With love for mankind and hatred of sins.” The phrase has become more famous as “love the sinner but hate the sin” or “hate the sin and not the sinner” (the latter form appearing in Mohandas Gandhi’s 1929 autobiography).

Next time you hear yourself say something that sounds pretty familiar and you think that it might be from the Bible, it is a good reason to find out if it is or not, and if it is, from which book of the Bible it is from.

Lead Writers: Brian Gale (United Kingdom) and Norbert Link

It is interesting that there are so many phrases in everyday use that can be found in the Bible.   Many may use these phrases without even thinking about where they came from and many may be atheists or agnostics anyway.   Some who may never have even opened the pages of the Bible may be surprised how many phrases contained in the Word of God have become everyday phrases in our society.

In one internet forum, a contributor observed that “In general the bible is ignored by modern society. It is ignored largely because people think its moral standards and helpful counsel is hopelessly out of date. Most people want to live their lives without anyone telling them what to do, or what not to do. That has not changed since the Garden of Eden.”   These are just some of the reasons why some never read or consult the Word of God.

With the introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI), so much information has now become even more available at the touch of a button.   An AI overview acknowledges that there are, therefore, challenges and considerations as follows:

Accuracy and Verification: AI models can produce incorrect information (hallucinations), necessitating human verification, particularly when dealing with complex or niche topics.

Information Overload: Despite the ability to summarize, the sheer volume of information generated can become a “knowledge epidemic”.

Over-reliance: Increased reliance on AI for quick answers may hinder the development of in-depth critical thinking skills.

We have to be careful when looking at their overviews on everything, as they may just be quoting from one source or several sources, which might be incorrect or totally wrong.  However, in the case of phrases in the Bible that have become normal in society today, it can be simple to compare with or check with the Bible itself.

Therefore, in this new series, we will be giving just some of so many examples of phrases from the Bible that are part and parcel of our everyday language.   These are readily available on the internet but many may not even have thought about the connection between language from centuries ago, which was translated into English and which has become part and parcel of the way we speak today.

We will also give examples which are not found in the Bible per se, but which are close and express biblical principles, and we will quote examples which are not in the Bible and even contradict biblical teaching, even though some people think that they are in God’s Word.

The blind leading the blind

It describes a situation where a person ignorant of a given subject gets advice and help from someone just as ignorant (Wikipedia). If things are not going well or according to plan, criticising leadership in government, mainstream churches, large corporations and businesses can become the norm and a regular habit.

We could apply this saying to many leaders in the world today as they do not consult the Word of God in their decision making.   We only have to look at the sorry mess the world is in to see how bad decision making has been.   Jesus was talking about the spiritual leaders of His time which is so applicable to so many spiritual leaders today!

In Matthew 15:14, Christ warns us: “Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.”

Christ’s warning applies likewise, and perhaps even more so, to the many incompetent political leaders in this world.

Escaping by the skin of your teeth

When we have a narrow escape by just avoiding whatever danger there was and by the slimmest of margins, we can say that we escaped by the skin of our teeth. It may describe a situation where failure was expected or highly likely, and the success was extremely close, almost not happening, and it could happen in many situations in which we may find ourselves.

In Job 19:20, Job exclaims: “My bone clings to my skin and to my flesh; I have escaped by the skin of my teeth.”

A fly in the ointment 

Today, we use this expression in any situation that may cause a problem with someone’s plan(s). Solomon speaks of the stench of a fly in a perfumer’s oil,contrasting it to a small problem that spoils something valuable.  It can also be an expression for a hitch in a plan, especially one that was not at first apparent.

In Ecclesiastes 10:1, King Solomon writes: “Dead flies putrefy the perfumer’s ointment, And cause it to give off a foul odor; So does a little folly to one respected for wisdom and honor.”

A stumbling block

The first mention of stumbling blocks in the Bible is in Leviticus 19:14, where the admonition was not to put a stumbling block in front of the blind.   Wikipediaobserves: “…a stumbling stone or tripwire; anything that makes someone trip and fall. This figuratively means ‘something that causes someone to lose faith in Jesus’.  Of course, today, with the Bible being seen as outdated or irrelevant, many will just see a stumbling block in everyday terms in their own lives such as an obstacle, hindrance, or barrier that prevents progress, agreement, or action.   It is certainly a phrase commonly used by many.  But the Bible speaks about not putting stumbling blocks in front of those new to the faith.

In Romans 14:13, Paul cautions and encourages us: “Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way.”

A drop in the bucket

This is quite a common saying that implies that something is small or insignificant.   It is a tiny amount compared with what is needed or expected.  It is trivial, a pittance, that on its own is unlikely to make any difference.   An example would be where a government is sending tons of food to a poor country but, on its own, that would be just a drop in the bucket compared to what is needed.  Of course, if many nations did the same, it could start to become significant.

It refers to something very insignificant, without making a tremendous difference. This is how the nations are in the eyes of God. They can try to usurp God’s plan and reject Him; it will all come to nothing. Isaiah 40:15 reads: “Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket, And are counted as the small dust on the scales. Look, He lifts up the isles as a very little thing.”

The writing is on the wall

It is an idiom indicating that there are clear, inescapable signs of imminent failure, misfortune or downfall and that, unless some unforeseen circumstances arise, the inevitable will happen.

Certain events seem to lead inevitably to a specific outcome. When you see something that predicts an obvious conclusion, you might say the writing is on the wall.

The phrase ironically describes a situation that wasn’t so obvious at the time. No one knew what the writing on the wall in Daniel 5 meant, until God gave Daniel the interpretation that the kingdom would be taken away from the king (Daniel 5:25-28).

In Daniel 5:5, we read about Belshazzar’s Feast: “In the same hour the fingers of a man’s hand appeared and wrote opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace; and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.”

A leopard cannot change its spots

Of course, it is biologically impossible for a leopard to change its spots.   Ginger software observes that “the phrase ‘a leopard never changes its spots’ means that it’s impossible for one to change their character, even if they will try very hard. The expression may also be used to explain the idea that no one can change their innate nature.”

People can get stuck in their ways and cannot change, just like a leopard can’t change its spots. It’s something we can say that means a person’s character, especially if it is bad, will not change, even if they pretend that it will.   Of course, when someone is called by God to His Way of Life, they should change a great deal; nevertheless, they are still subject to the pulls of the flesh and the constant barrage of negative broadcasting from Satan and his demons. And, of course, only a tiny fraction of the world’s population are being called to God’s Way of Life today.

The famous saying can be found in Jeremiah 13:23: “Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or a leopard its spots?”

Salt of the earth

If someone is referred to as the “salt of the earth,” they are deemed to be a good person. You can count on them. They are dependable and honest. It describes humble, straightforward individuals who possess good values and are dependable. At least, that’s how the phrase is often used today.

Jesus said His followers were to be the salt of the earth. This means that they had to have high standards.

He tells us in Matthew 5:13: “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.”

Wolves in sheep’s clothing

This idiom today is, in the world, about those who appear harmless, kind, or trustworthy but are actually dangerous, deceitful, or malicious. With many scams that are rife in our current society, this is a particularly important saying to keep in mind.

In a religious situation, this can refer specifically to those who claim to be literal “prophets,” or leaders. It also applies, in general, to those who make false religious claims. A true Church of God member who “rightly divides the word of truth” (compare 2 Timothy 2:15) and carefully studies the Bible will be able to identify false prophets. 

In Matthew 7:15-16, Christ warns us: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.  You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?’

Oh you of little faith 

This is a phrase that many can use in a secular setting as a friendly or cordial good-natured approach to another who may doubt what has been promised, or an expected conclusion or consequence. Jesus used this phrase a number of times to His disciples as a means and expression of encouragement at a time when they may have been going through trials and problems that tested their faith. But He also reminded them that they had to allow their faith to grow to master tremendous challenges. Please see Matthew 6:30: “Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?”

Also note Matthew 8:26, 16:8 and Luke 12:28.

A man after my own heart

People say this all the time, referring to someone they admire. In 1 Samuel 13:14, God said this about David, as He recognized his willing heart to repent.

If you’re without sin, cast the first stone

Christ used this somewhat identical phrase when He told the self-righteous scribes and Pharisees who accused the woman caught in adultery and who wanted to trick Him. The direct saying was, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first” (John 8:7).

In the twinkling of an eye 

It describes a very brief moment. Paul uses it to show the tremendously fast change from mortal to immortal when Christ returns. “… we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52). Even science fiction writers like Brian Aldiss used this term as the title of one of His books.

The truth will set you free

In general terms, we should recognize that it is always safer to tell the Truth than to resort to a lie, because sin will find us out, and unrepentant liars will end up in the Lake of Fire. Christ used this phrase in John 8:32 for His disciples in this context: “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Free from error and deception.

He who lives by the sword, dies by the sword

Not an exact quote, but close. Christ told Peter to put his sword away when he was willing to defend Christ against those who wanted to arrest and kill Him. He said: “Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword” (Matthew 26:52). The warning is repeated in Revelation 13:10: … he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword.”

(To Be Continued)

Lead Writers: Brian Gale (United Kingdom) and Norbert Link

This is a very interesting question; particularly, when we think of the ages of some of the patriarchs, and we look at the ages of people at other times during the last 6,000 years.   We want to briefly explore the question of life-spans and why King David only lived to the age of 70 when he was considered to be very old, which is not very old by today’s standards.

From the Bible, many people will know that Methuselah was the oldest man who ever lived – he was 969 years old when he died (Genesis 5:27), Jared was 962 (Genesis 5:20) and Noah 950 years old (Genesis 9:29).   The next oldest were:

Adam – 930 (Genesis 5:5)

Seth – 912 (Genesis 5:6-7)

Canaan- 910 (Genesis 5:14

Enosh – (not to be confused with Enoch) 905 (Genesis 5:11)

Mahalalel 895 (Genesis 5:17)

Lamech 777 (Genesis 5:31)

Enoch 365 (Genesis 5:23)

These were all before the Flood around the year 1,656, but after the new beginning with Noah and his family, ages came down dramatically. Some have proposed that in Genesis 6:3, God reduced the life-span of man to 120 years. However, God’s reference to 120 years in Genesis 6:3 has nothing to do with the average life-span of man; rather, it is God’s expression that He would bring the Flood in about 120 years which would destroy all life. Noah was about 600 years old when the Flood came, and he lived many hundreds of years after the Flood along with Shem, Ham and Japheth. Even several generations later, men like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob lived much longer than just 120 years.

There are many theories as to why this should be the case but the Bible doesn’t specifically give us the full explanation. What we can say is that in Genesis 1:31 we read: “Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.”  Man would be formed in, and live in, a perfect world, whereas later man would soon go the wrong way.

One commentator wrote this: 

“The most straightforward explanation may be that as time has ticked on since the Flood, disease and other dangers of this world have simply taken their toll on us. Today, mutations of diseases mean that we have more things trying to kill us now than we did a decade ago. Decay and entropy have likewise broken things down more and more as the centuries go by… with the new world breeding various new diseases and other natural problems that took their toll on Moses and his descendants. A comparison would be how the quality of life in first-world countries dramatically affects lifespans compared to those in third-world countries. In this case, we may consider the living conditions before and after the Flood as so different that lifespans were naturally shortened.”

Others try to explain the shortened life-span of man after the Flood with the disappearance of a water canopy. It is suggested that the pre-Flood Earth was surrounded by a dense layer of water vapor or ice. The canopy was believed to have trapped heat uniformly, producing a mild, tropical climate worldwide, and shielding the Earth from harmful cosmic radiation. When the “windows of heaven” opened, the canopy condensed and collapsed, providing 40 days of rain.

We say the following in our free booklet, “The Theory of Evolution, A Fairy Tale for Adults?”

“… many theologians and scientists state that a vapor canopy once surrounded the earth. Theologians refer to Genesis 7:11 where it says that the ‘windows of heaven were opened.’ They feel this is probably a reference to the pre-flood vapor canopy. Another reference to this canopy can be seen in Genesis 1:6-7, where we read that God made a firmament and divided the waters under the firmament from the waters above the firmament, giving reference to a water vapor canopy. This canopy, scientists explain, would have created a greenhouse effect. This seems to be confirmed in Genesis 2:5 where we are told that the antediluvian world was watered by dew or mist, not by rain. This dew would have been dependent upon humidity, saturation, temperature, dew point and condensation—all made possible through the water vapor canopy.”

That could be an explanation for the shortening of the life-span of man after the Flood, or part of it, but we simply don’t have the direct answer from the Word of God.

Later we see that Abraham died at age 175 (Genesis 25:7) and his wife Sarah lived 127 years (Genesis 23:1).  Their son Isaac lived to age 180 (Genesis 35:28) and Jacob (Israel) lived to be 147 (Genesis 47:28), all long life-spans compared to today but many hundreds of years less than those quoted at the beginning of this Q&A.

Moses wrote the following words in Psalm 90:10: “The days of our lives are seventy years; And if by reason of strength they are eighty years, Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; For it is soon cut off, and we fly away.”

That would have been true at the time of Moses; it was not necessarily true for the centuries before or since then, nor would it have to be true for us today or for future generations to come.

King David was probably the oldest king except for King Saul who was 70 or 72 when he died. In 1 Chronicles 29:26-28 we read:

“Thus David the son of Jesse reigned over all Israel. And the period that he reigned over Israel was forty years; seven years he reigned in Hebron, and thirty-three years he reigned in Jerusalem. So he died in a good old age, full of days and riches and honor; and Solomon his son reigned in his place.”

We learn this from 2 Samuel 5:4: “David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years.” And so that would mean that he was 70 when he died.

It is interesting what many Bible Commentaries say about 1 Kings 1:1 which reads: “Now King David was old, advanced in years; and they put covers on him, but he could not get warm.” The margin of some of the New King James Bibles explains that “advanced in years” means “seventy years.” The Authorized Version states that he was “stricken in years.”

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers points out:

“Stricken in years—about seventy years old. Since ‘clothes’ mean ‘bed-clothes,’ the meaning is that the King was now too feeble to rise from his bed. His life began its responsibilities early; it had been hard and trying; and, as the history shows, not wholly free from self-indulgence. Hence, at no excessive age, its complete decrepitude.”

The Benson Commentary states:

“They covered him with clothes, but he got no heat — Which is not strange, considering he was a person who had been exercised with so many hardships in war, and with such tormenting cares, and fears, and sorrows for his own sins, (as divers of his psalms witness,) and for the sins and miseries of his children and people. Besides, this might be from the nature of his bodily distemper, which Dr. Lightfoot thinks was a dead palsy. (David now began to feel the effects of old age…).”

Barnes Notes on the Bible explains:

“…..the Jews at this time were not long-lived. No Jewish monarch after David, excepting Solomon and Manasseh, exceeded sixty years… The king was evidently bed-ridden (1 Kings 1:47).”

In passing, some disagree with the view that no Jewish monarch exceeded 60 years except for Solomon and Manasseh, as they say that Uzziah was 68 when he died.   Nevertheless, the ages of kings were not long-lived.

The Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary states:

“Now king David was old—He was in the seventieth year of his age (2 Samuel 5:4, 5). But the wear and tear of a military life, bodily fatigue, and mental care, had prematurely, if we may say it, exhausted the energies of David’s strong constitution (1 Samuel 16:12). In modern Palestine and Egypt the people, owing to the heat of the climate, sleep each in a ‘separate’ bed. They only depart from this practice for medical reasons (Ecclesiastes 4:11).”

We want to clarify that we do not necessarily agree with that assessment and especially with the quote of Ecclesiastes 4:11 as proof for sleeping in separate beds.

Gill’s Exposition of the Whole Bible points out:

“…there are many persons at the age he was, that are lively, healthful, and robust, comparatively speaking at least; but David’s strength was impaired, and his natural force abated by his many wars, fatigues by night and day in campaigns, and the many sorrows and afflictions he met with from his family and his friends, as well as enemies; which exhausted his natural moisture, weakened his nerves, and drank up his spirits, and brought upon him the infirmities of a decrepit old age very soon.”

The Pulpit Commentary states in general:

“David’s early hardships and later sorrows and anxieties appear to have aged him prematurely. Possibly he was also afflicted with disease.”

A number of other Bible Commentaries come to pretty much the same conclusions as stated in those already quoted and seem to feel that David’s lifestyle, toils, and hardships contributed to him being feeble, aged and very old. Even though he was “only” 70, he was considered very old in the Bible, based on his condition. In addition, when noting the following explanation, aged 70 could already be described as very old in general terms for people living at the time of David.

On the website “Longevity in the Ancient World,” we read:

“There is little firm information about the collective lives of those who lived in the first centuries BC and the first centuries AD, but the conjecture is that the average life span was about 35 years. The 35-40 average life span of people in the Western world held true through the Dark Ages, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance until the 19th and 20th centuries when modern medicine and its life-preserving discoveries began in earnest. For thousands of years, life was uncertain but it was pretty certain the normal person would not live past 40 years. Ambitious or talented young men, or young men like Herod the Great’s 19-year-old son Archelaus who inherited kingdoms, were forced to grow up quickly because by age 20 their life was already half over. Alexander the Great in the 3rd century BC reigned over his father’s kingdom and commanded the army that would conquer the known world when he was 20. Charlemagne ruled most of western Europe in the 700’s AD when he was 26. Genghis Khan in the 1100’s began building the army that would conquer Asia when he was 20. Chaucer the Father of English Literature wrote his first major work, the Book Of Duchess, in the 14th century when he was 25. Shakespeare wrote his first play when he was 26 in 1590…”

As an example of how life spans have increased in more modern times, we quote from the UK Office for National Statistics:

“In 1841 the average newborn girl was not expected to see her 43rd birthday. Thankfully times have changed and so have life expectancies in the 170 years since the first lifetable was constructed.  The information contained in the Decennial Life Tables release, produced every 10 years, provides a fascinating insight into those changes, spanning three centuries.  In 2011 life expectancy at birth is almost double what it was in 1841.”

And so, when we think about King David being very old at age 70, we may view this through the optics of what we see in life expectancy today or in previous times, and may also have in mind some of the extraordinary longevity of Old Testament examples at the dawn of civilisation and after the Flood.  How things have changed over the centuries!

And they might still change once again. We are told that Christ will rule mankind on earth for 1,000 years, during the Millennium. We do not know what age the people will reach then… how long they will live in the flesh. It is POSSIBLE that some, if not most, will live for close to 1,000 years to qualify before being changed into immortal Spirit beings. We know that people will live for 100 years in the flesh during the Great White Throne Judgment period. 

On June 12, 2013, the BBC website reported that “A Japanese man recognised as the world’s oldest living person, and the oldest man recorded in history, has died aged 116, local officials say. Jiroemon Kimura died of natural causes on Wednesday in a hospital in Kyotango, Kyoto, a government statement said.  In December, Guinness World Records recorded Mr Kimura as the oldest man ever verified to have lived.”

Of course, they are not taking into account biblical examples and the Guinness Book of Records has only been in operation since 1955. We are now more informed about how to prolong our lives through information about health, hygiene, better food supply, nutrition and exercise. Although this Q&A was about King David and his age, we finish by showing just a few examples as to how different it is today. 

In the Countries ranked by life expectancy (2025), we see the following results with the numbers showing the ranking average ages for 201 countries [compare https://www.worldometers.info/demographics/life-expectancy/]:

1. Hong Kong                      85.77

5. Switzerland                     84.23

6. Australia                          84.21

19. Canada                          82.88

20. Israel                              82.77

29. Austria                           82.29

36. Germany                        81.71

37. UK                                 81.60

48. USA                               79.61

201. Nigeria                         54.78

As a footnote to the life of David during his seventy years, we quote from gotquestions:

“God blessed King David with a long and prosperous life. He survived a battle with a giant, multiple attempts by King Saul to murder him, various wars, and a coup led by one of his own sons. In the end, he died of old age. Scripture leaves no doubt that David was of sound mind when he died. Knowing his death was imminent, David was able to give support and guidance to his heir and successor. Despite his many faults, David was admired and respected as a hero by the people of Israel. His dedication to God, loyalty in the face of ill-treatment, courage in war, benevolence in conquest, and faithfulness in friendship were so extraordinary that he would forever be viewed as an ideal king and a man after God’s own heart.”

We might add: David sinned, but his repentance was genuine and sincere. His heart was right, and so he WAS a man after God’s own heart.

Lead Writers: Brian Gale (United Kingdom) and Norbert Link

In other translations of the Bible, this word “repents” in the Authorized Version and in the New King James Bible can be read at times as: relented, regretted, was sorry, was very sad and had sorrow.

The first mention of this in the Word of God can be found in Genesis 6:6-7, in the Authorized Version, in regard to the people living before the Flood:

“And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.”

In the Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges, we read:

“And it repented the Lord … grieved him at his heart. This is a strong instance of what is called anthropomorphism, an expression descriptive of human emotion or action ascribed to Jehovah… Such expressions have often given rise to superficial criticisms, depreciatory of Holy Scripture, on the part both of those who are ignorant of Oriental literature, and of those who assume that the Books of Holy Scripture must be free from the literary characteristics of the writers’ age and nationality. In this verse Jehovah is represented as intensely grieved at the frustration of His purposes for the human race. The description is given in the childlike simplicity of the language of an early age…”

In Wordnik, we read that “anthropomorphism” is described as “The ascription of human attributes tosupernatural or divine beings; in theology, the conception or representation of God with human qualities and affections, or in a human shape.”

Continuing with the comments from the Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges:

“In other passages, e.g. Numbers 23:19, 1 Samuel 15:29, it is asserted that Jehovah is not, like man, capable of repentance. There are two representations in Holy Scripture of the Divine Nature: one, which, as here, makes the Divine Purpose fluctuate, in reflexion, as it were, of man’s changing experiences; the other, which depicts the Divine Purpose as uniform, changeless, and unvarying, cf. James 1:17.”

Before addressing the false interpretation of the Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges regarding God’s repentance, let us review the passages in Numbers and 1 Samuel, referred to above. (We will talk about the passage in James later).

In Numbers 23:19, it states (in the Authorized Version; the New King James Bible; and in the Luther Bibel 1984):

“God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good.”

1 Samuel 15:29 reads in the New King James Bible: “And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor relent. For He is not a man, that He should relent.” The Authorized Version says “repent,” and so does the Luther Bibel 1984.

We see the context: God has said something, and He will not repent or relent from doing so. But even then, as we will see, He may give a prophecy which He might not carry out, depending on human conduct.

The huge problem of the false perception of the Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges lies in a complete misunderstanding of God, in using the word“anthropomorphism” in describing God—as they put it, “the use of human “descriptions of the God being with ‘childlike simplicity,’” concluding that the description of God and His actions and emotions are not to be taken literally. For instance, anthropomorphism postulates that God cannot move from one place to another and that He has no form and shape—no hands, feet, a head, a mouth etc, thereby totally ignoring the biblical fact that man was created in God’s image and according to His likeness.

We state in our Q&A, “Does God travel?”:

“God HAS form and shape. God said that Moses saw the glorified ‘form’ of the LORD (compare Numbers 12:8). God, when creating man, said that man was to be made in accordance with the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26-27; 9:6). God is described as having a head, arms, a body, feet, eyes and hair, among other aspects. Man is made in the physical form of God–he is a physical reflection, if you please, of the Spirit Beings, God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son. Please also note that Christ is described as the [Spirit] image of God the Father (2 Corinthians 4:4). He looks like God the Father; that is why He could say, even when He was here on earth in human form, ‘He who has seen Me has seen the Father’ (John 14:9). In that same way–on a physical level–man is made in the image of God.

“… This is why we read that God came down from heaven to walk on earth; that Jesus Christ, after His resurrection to a Spirit Being, ascended to heaven; that He was brought before God the Father in heaven to receive kingship and power; and that He will return to this earth, in power and glory, to rule all nations. Of course, we must also understand that God CAN ‘travel’ from one place to another within a ‘split second’… [W]hen God is at a certain place, at that very same moment, He cannot be–as a Person–at a different place at the same time…

“David did not conclude that God’s miraculous omnipresence was due to God being everywhere like a form- and shapeless blob; he knew better than that… God the Father and Jesus Christ are both Spirit beings. They both have form and shape, composed of Spirit. But the Holy Spirit is NOT a being–rather, it is the power emanating from God (compare Micah 3:8; Luke 4:14). It is through the POWER of God’s Holy Spirit that things are created. And God’s Holy Spirit does not have form and shape–God’s Holy Spirit does not exist in a bodily form… God, a Spirit being, who has form and shape, is everywhere through His Spirit…

“Turning… to Genesis 3:8-11, we find that God–actually in the Person of Jesus Christ, as no man has ever seen the Father (John 1:18; 6:46)–‘walked’ in the Garden of Eden. That must be understood quite literally. At that moment in time, Christ appeared to Adam and Eve in a physical manifestation, but through His Spirit, He was still everywhere. [Later, we find that Christ appeared to Abraham and Sarah, together with two angels, manifesting themselves ‘as’ humans, to eat and to speak with them about their future son and to warn Abraham of the impending destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (compare Genesis 18:1-2, 13, 16-33; 19:1).]…

“We read Christ’s words to Abraham in Genesis 18:20-21: ‘Then the LORD said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.”’… Some commentaries tell us that this wording [of God coming down and seeing how bad it was] is ‘anthropomorphic’ (applying human characteristics, traits or attributes to God) or a figurative way of speaking, allegedly ‘proving God’s omniscience or all-embracing knowledge.’

“Of course, most commentaries do not believe that God has form and shape, and that man was made, in a physical way, after the spiritual likeness of God. Nor do they believe that God travels, going from one place to another.  But the Bible clearly teaches both…

“A similar conclusion can be gleaned from the account about the Tower of Babel. We read in Genesis 11:5-8: ‘But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. The LORD said, ‘If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.’ So the LORD scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city.’

“This passage implies that Christ came down, apparently in response to a report by His angels, to see what was really happening at Babel, and after having analyzed the situation, both the Father and Christ determined to go down to confuse the languages…”

The same false concept of anthropomorphism is being used when trying to deny that God can “repent,” saying this is just a human expression applied to God in figurative ways. For instance, we clearly read that God has wrath; that He can get angry. These are not just anthropomorphic expressions.

We state in our Q&A, “Does God know anger?”

“God’s wrath—both of the Father and of the Son—is also vividly described in the Book of Revelation…. 

“We read in Psalm 7:11 that ‘God is a just judge, And God is angry with the wicked every day.’… God judges and has to be ‘judgemental.’ There is nothing wrong with being angry as long as it is righteous anger – and with God that must always be the case as He is perfect.”

Addressing godly repentance, we always need to look at the context of the particular passage.

There are a number of instances where God repented or “relented, regretted, was sorry, was very sad and had sorrow.”  Let us review a few of these.

In the Authorized Version of 1 Samuel 15:11, we read: “It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night.” The Luther Bible1984 renders it the same: “I repent,” or “Es reut mich…” However, in the New King James Version, the word repenteth is translated as “greatly regret”.  God was not repenting of any sin He would have committed–that would be ludicrous, but He greatly repented of or regretted His action in setting up Saul as king over Israel (this is repeated in verse 35). God repented of setting up Saul due to Saul’s rebellious conduct. It shows how much our Creator was grieved at the actions of His people.

In Jeremiah 18:8-10, we read in the Authorized Version: “If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.  And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them.”   The same rendering is used in the Luther Bibel 1984. In the New King James Bible, the word used is relent.

Matthew Poole’s Commentaryobserves the above text as follows: “I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them; I will also turn from the methods of my severe providence which I had resolved in case of their impenitency to proceed in against them. There is a difference betwixt repentance in man, and repentance as it is attributed to God; repentance in man must be, not only a change in action, but a change of heart; repentance as attributed to God never signifieth a change of heart, or purpose, or counsels, but only a change in action, all alteration of the course of his providence.”

This distinction between man and God is clearly wrong. As man can and does change his heart or mind by thinking differently, so can and does God. And even though God’s overall purpose or master plan never changes, He is most certainly willing to make changes within His master plan, based on man’s conduct. When the Israelites built a golden calf, God repented that He had made them and He was willing to destroy all of them, while using Moses to makehim a great nation and leading them into the Promised Land. So, we could say that God changed His mind towards the Israelites.

The same can be attributed to Amos 7:3, 6 which states in the Authorized Versionthat “The Lord repented for this: It shall not be, saith the LORD.”   Also, the Luther Bibel 1984. In the New King James Version, the word is “relented,” as it is in Jonah 3:10 and 4:2.

We know from Malachi 3:6 that God does not change: “For I am the LORD, I do not change”. Another verse that shows the unchanging nature of God is found in Hebrews 13:8: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.” In James 1:17, we read: “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”

These Scriptures show that His nature and character do not change. They do NOT alter the fact that He cannot decide to change His conduct due to the behaviour of human beings. Neither do they show that God cannot repent or relent of what He had originally planned, and that He could not change His plan in that regard, but all are subject to the fulfilment of His master plan.

The confusion with regard to the word “repent,” when applied to God, might stem from the idea that repentance, when applied to humans, is normally, but not always, associated with sin, which needs to be “repented” of. God never sins—He cannot sin—so, as the argument goes, the word “repent” could not possibly be used to refer to God. But that is faulty human reasoning, as the word “repent” does not necessitate sinful conduct.

The Hebrew word for repent in Genesis 6:3, “nacham,” can have a variety of meanings. Strong’sdefines it as “to sigh; to be sorry; to avenge; repent.” It simply means, ‘to feel sorry for something you have done.” It can also include a change of mind or behavior.

In our booklet “God’s Teachings on Sexual Relationships,” we read the following on pages 6-8:

“God Can Change His Mind on Temporary Matters.

“There are a number of examples where God DID change His mind, so how do we explain that? Let us look at some of these examples…

“Genesis 18:26–32 relates Abraham’s negotiation with God over how many righteous in Sodom would be needed in order to save the city from destruction. First of all it was 50, then God agreed to 45, then 40, then 30, then 20 and finally 10. We note quite a few changes of mind there because of Abraham’s pleading.

“Numbers 14 tells the story of Israel refusing to enter Canaan, and instead of entering the land immediately, God changed this by deferring their entry for 40 years.

“In 2 Kings 20 we read that King Hezekiah was ‘sick and near death’ (verse 1), and the king prayed about this matter (verse 2–3) and God changed His mind and added another 15 years to his life (verses 5–6).

“Jonah was sent out on a mission to Nineveh but Jonah tried to opt out of this task. Eventually he did deliver the message that in ‘forty days… Nineveh shall be overthrown’ (Jonah 3:4). However, the Ninevites repented and ‘God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it (verse 10).’ Again, a change of mind by God.

“We can see from these examples that God did change, but none of these changes involved alterations to His unalterable spiritual Law. God does not change, nor does He compromise with regard to His plan for mankind, a plan which is revealed through the meaning of His Holy Days. (For more insight, please read our free booklets, The Meaning of God’s Spring Holy Days, and The Meaning of God’s Fall Holy Days, where His plan of salvation for ALL people is revealed, including those who, at this present time, are disobedient to the Truth and Way of Life that God has shown His called-out ones.)

“God does not change with regard to keeping His Law—the Ten Commandments. It is interesting that the Roman Catholic Church has defied God and ‘replaced’ His seventh-day-Sabbath with Sunday. They also observe the paganized holidays, such as Christmas and Easter (and other days), while ignoring and rejecting the Holy Days that God says are His. Leviticus 23:1–2 clearly states: ‘And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘The feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts.’”’ God then gives details about the Sabbath and all of His annual Holy Days.

“The Church of God has long understood that if one part or passage in the Bible is contradictory, then God’s Word could not be trusted. If God went back and forth about His spiritual Law for mankind, then how could we trust Him? How could we possibly build a relationship with Him?

“We know from God’s Word that He is perfect in all His ways, and we know that the Father and Jesus Christ are one (see John 10:30 and 17:11)—unified and with singleness of purpose.

“We are truly blessed that God is constant and that His integrity is intact so that we can fully trust the great Creator God of the universe. This is confirmed in Proverbs 3:5–6: ‘Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding.’

“God Does Not Change His Eternal Truths Nor His Character.

“God does NOT change when it comes to the eternal truths that He has made clear in His Word. God has perfect character, which cannot change. So then, we must have the spiritual insight and understanding to comprehend this principal and learn to apply it.”

Repentance is a word that we use when we have sinned and need forgiveness (compare for example Acts 2:38).  That is at the human level but when used in connection with God and, therefore, it most certainly is not to do with any failure or sin, rather that the master plan of God is not altered though the means and initial steps to achieve it may be modified, based on human conduct.

Lead Writers: Brian Gale (United Kingdom) and Norbert Link

In this final part of this series, we will conclude with a number of further false assumptions that can be made that, when reviewed correctly, will shine a different light on these matters.

FALSE ASSUMPTION No.13

Another false assumption is that the rejection of God’s rule and preferring a human king or ruler guarantees that things will get better.

It is interesting to read in 1 Samuel 8 that Israel demanded a king. In verses 5-8, we read:

“Now it came to pass when Samuel was old that he made his sons judges over Israel. The name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice. Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, and said to him, ‘Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.’”

Samuel was getting older and his sons did not walk in the ways of God.  Here, the Israelites mistakenly believed that having a king would make them stronger than relying on God.  This is also the prevailing view today.  Politicians are elected usually with great rejoicing, only to fail and their replacements go through the same cycle.  To rely on God and follow His ways does not enter their minds, nor does it enter the minds of those who vote for them. As is the case today, what the Israelites did was to reject God’s rule over them.

Samuel was told by God to heed the voice of the people (verse 7) but they were warned about what would happen by God’s servant in the rest of the chapter. They refused to obey his voice, and the rest, as they say, is history!

God chose Saul as king, but he did not remain faithful to God.  On the collector.com website, we read: 

“King Saul was the first king of Israel and, unfortunately, also the first to show that God’s warnings against a monarch in Israel were justified.

“King Saul was the first king of Israel, appointed by the prophet Samuel. Israel insisted on being like surrounding nations by having a monarch. Though he was physically strong and attractive, he was from the least of the tribes of Israel. Initially, he was a humble and spiritual man, but during his reign, he became jealous, arrogant, and progressively more disobedient to God. Many years passed between the time God informed Saul that he would lose his kingship and when he ended his own life.”

Many think today that in voting for a political leader, they are fulfilling God’s Will. Nothing could be further from the Truth. In fact, when they do this, they act like ancient Israel did, in rejecting God’s rule over them. 

The people made the false assumption that a king was the answer, mistakenly believing that having a king would make them stronger than relying on God. 

It did not!

FALSE ASSUMPTION No.14

Interestingly, the prophet Samuel was also guilty of making a false assumption.   Saul was rejected as king, as we read in 1 Samuel 15:22-23: “So Samuel said: ‘Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He also has rejected you from being king.’”

In the following chapter, Samuel was sent by God to Bethlehem, as we read in 1 Samuel 16:1:

“Now the LORD said to Samuel, ‘How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons.’” The elders of the town trembled at his coming and following God’s instruction, he said that he had come to sacrifice. This was true, but it was not the only or even the main reason. God had sent him to anoint the next king. But Samuel did not lie when he did not mention this. One does not have to say everything one knows, but what one does say must be true. 

We read further in verses 5-7:

^“And he said, ‘Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.’ Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons, and invited them to the sacrifice. So it was, when they came, that he looked at Eliab and said, ‘Surely the LORD’s anointed is before Him!’ But the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.’”  

Samuel looked at the outward appearance but God looked at the heart and Eliab, and the rest of the sons of Jesse were rejected, except for David, who was keeping the sheep. He was the chosen one, as we know, and even Samuel the prophet made a false assumption in thinking, initially, that Eliab might be the one.

As we read in Isaiah 55:8-9: “‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,’ says the LORD. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.’”

Again we see that even Samuel the prophet made a false assumption. One has to be careful not to judge a person or a matter according to the outward appearance. (John 7:24).

FALSE ASSUMPTION No.15

We can make false assumptions by thinking that socialism or communism (Marxism) is the solution to our problems. 

We recently covered Acts 2:44-45 in a Q&A asking if this was a biblical example of socialism.  https://www.eternalgod.org/isnt-acts-244-45-a-biblical-example-of-socialism/ There have been those who may have used this as an example of communism/socialism. However, this passage describes a temporary situation that arose after the extraordinary events on the day of Pentecost, and no other examples exist in the New Testament which might be used to suggest that socialism is a system which God upholds. In fact, no human system is righteous, but compared with all other existing systems, democracy has been described as the least of all evils. But it cannot solve our problems either. Only Christ’s righteous rule on this earth will bring lasting peace, prosperity and equality for all. 

But it is certainly one matter that can mislead those who carelessly read this account in Acts 2:44-45 and make false assumptions.

FURTHER FALSE ASSUMPTIONS

The Topical Encyclopedia states that “in the biblical narrative, assumptions often lead to misunderstandings, conflicts, and spiritual pitfalls. The Bible provides numerous examples and teachings that highlight the dangers of making assumptions without seeking divine guidance or understanding the full context.”

They also give further examples of making false assumptions which are very well worth reviewing.

Old Testament Examples

“1. Joshua and the Gibeonites: In Joshua 9, the Israelites are deceived by the Gibeonites, who pretend to be from a distant land. Joshua and the leaders of Israel assume their account is true and make a covenant with them without seeking the LORD’s counsel. ‘So the men examined their provisions and did not consult the LORD” (Joshua 9:14). This assumption leads to an alliance that was contrary to God’s command.

“2. Eli and Hannah: In 1 Samuel 1, Eli the priest sees Hannah praying silently and assumes she is drunk. ‘How long will you be drunk?’ he said. ‘Put away your wine!’ (1 Samuel 1:14). Eli’s assumption is incorrect, as Hannah is deeply distressed and praying earnestly to the LORD. This incident underscores the danger of judging based on appearances.

New Testament Examples

“1. Jesus and the Pharisees: The Pharisees often make assumptions about Jesus, questioning His authority and actions. In Matthew 12:24, they assume that Jesus casts out demons by the power of Beelzebub. Jesus refutes their assumption, explaining that a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand (Matthew 12:25-26).

“2. Peter and the Gentiles: In Acts 10, Peter initially assumes that associating with Gentiles is unlawful. However, God reveals to him through a vision that he should not call any person impure or unclean. ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean’ (Acts 10:15). This assumption is corrected by divine revelation, leading to the inclusion of Gentiles in the early Church.

“3. Paul and the Corinthians: In 1 Corinthians 4:5, Paul warns against making premature judgments. ‘Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes’  (1 Corinthians 4:5). Paul cautions the Corinthians against assuming they fully understand God’s purposes or the motives of others.”

The Topical Encyclopedia then goes on to give some theological insights and practical applications as follows:

“The Bible teaches that assumptions can lead to false judgments and hinder spiritual growth. Proverbs 3:5-6 advises believers to trust in the LORD and not lean on their own understanding. ‘Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight’… This passage encourages seeking God’s wisdom rather than relying on human assumptions.

“James 1:19-20 further instructs believers to be ‘quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger’…, emphasizing the importance of understanding before forming conclusions. Assumptions often arise from a lack of listening and a rush to judgment.

“Practical Applications:

“Believers are called to exercise discernment and humility, recognizing the limitations of human understanding. Prayer and seeking God’s guidance are essential in avoiding the pitfalls of assumptions. By relying on the Holy Spirit and the wisdom of Scripture, Christians can navigate complex situations with grace and truth.

“In relationships, assumptions can lead to conflict and division. Ephesians 4:2-3 encourages believers to ‘be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love’… This attitude fosters unity and understanding, counteracting the negative effects of assumptions.

“Ultimately, the dangers of assumptions remind believers of the need for reliance on God, careful listening, and a commitment to truth.”

We should also take note of the false assumption that the Bible contains “hate speech.” 

Dated January 31, 2024 and taken from the website “The Voice of the Martyrs,” we read:

“Lawsuits in the Western world have challenged the Bible as hate speech for decades. In 2013, a lawsuit attempted to show that Bible verses commonly understood to forbid homosexual relationships were, in fact, hate speech. The lawsuit failed as have most attempts to legally classify Scripture in hate speech in the West…”

However, we see that the movement towards attacking the Bible by demeaning and mischaracterizing its commands as “hate speech” is growing. 

It is interesting that the Bible, the written Word of God, is accused of hate speech because it condemns unnatural sexual behaviour. That behavioral condemnation has been there for thousands of years in the Word of God and then the particularly aggressive LGBT+ group expect the Truth to now be condemned because of their current lifestyle.  The Bible contains condemnation of ALL non-godly types of behavior and stands firm because it is the instruction from the One who created all things and who knows best.

One other area that we need to be keenly aware of is that, after receiving a prayer request and not hearing anything further, all must be well.   Perhaps it is, but perhaps it may not be.  We can often say that no news is good news.   But that is making an assumption which could be a false one.  It is much better to ask and ascertain the facts, than jumping to a conclusion.

CONCLUSION

We must be aware of false assumptions which can lead to further problems and difficulties including the law of unintended consequences.   This is particularly important when it comes to biblical understanding and spiritual matters.   One error can lead to another which can become a real problem.   It is best not to make false assumptions in the first place because the consequences can lead us off the path towards the Kingdom of God.

Also, making some false assumptions without really knowing the full facts can diminish what God has done and the mighty miracles that are beyond the understanding of man.

It has been remarked before that the word assume is made up of (humorously) ass, u/me – making asses of us if we assume any matter without being aware of the facts!   Humorous, but having a great deal of Truth in it.

If we are making an assumption, or assumptions about someone else, while ignoring our own condition and mistakes, we may be doing them and us a disservice! It could lead to judging others and justifying our own wrong behavior which we are told not to do in Matthew 7:3-5: 

“And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

This last scriptural reference above is a key to us removing any hypocrisy that we have been guilty of, and to avoid making false assumptions which are not helpful as we strive to be accounted worthy to be born-again members of the Family of God at the return of Jesus Christ.

Lead Writers: Brian Gale and Norbert Link

We continue our review of biblical assumptions that, upon proper understanding, may be different from that which may have been understood by some earlier in life as being true.

FALSE ASSUMPTION No.9

Whenever you see a painting of Jesus on the cross (better: stake), generally there seems to be very little blood on His face or body. You would have thought that after all the beatings and thrashings that He had had, it would be shown clearly in any such paintings, but not so, and the reality will come as a shock to many.

Wikipedia observes that the movie “‘The Passion of the Christ’ is a 2004 American epic biblical drama film co-produced and directed by Mel Gibson from a screenplay he wrote with Benedict Fitzgerald and primarily covers the final twelve hours before Jesus Christ’s death, known as ‘the Passion’. Pilate attempts to appease the crowd by ordering Jesus flogged, and [He] is brutally scourged by the Roman guards.”

This film, amongst all those that have been made about the life and death of Jesus, probably came closest to the horrendous and appalling action that took place on that fateful day. It seemed to shock so many in its gruesome portrayal, no doubt because of the “sanitised” versions that they may have been used to previously, due to a complete lack of reality and understanding by the artists’ portrayal of Jesus’ crucifixion over the course of the last 2,000 years. Of course, nobody knows how Jesus looked, and the portrayal of Him in the movie is most probably wrong; we are just commenting on the brutal nature of His suffering. When it comes to His appearance as a Man, we do not know Him as such any longer (2 Corinthians 5:16). His real appearance today, in His powerful glorified state, and not as the helpless suffering Messiah on the cross, is described in Revelation 1:12-16.

We read in Isaiah 52:13-14:

“Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently; He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high. Just as many were astonished at you, So His visage was marred more than any man, And His form more than the sons of men…”

Verse 13 shows that it must be about Jesus as the context shows. Likewise, in Psalm 22 where the sub-heading in some Bibles is “The Suffering, Praise and Posterity of the Messiah,” we read in verse 1 that Jesus cried out with the words that begin this Psalm: “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” In Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34, these very words are quoted. The Father forsook Him at this moment for a very short time as Jesus bore the sins of all humanity, and God is of purer eyes than to behold and to look on such great wickedness and iniquity (Habakuk 1:13). There are many more references in this Psalm which show how Jesus suffered for us all.

Countless people will have been misled by many artists’ impressions of the Saviour of mankind due to the fact that He was unrecognisable after a brutal beating and will have, therefore, made false assumptions through the actions of others!

What we need to recognize is the enormous degree of pain and suffering inflicted on Christ for our sakes, and every time we sin, we should remember the fact that each sin necessitated His suffering and death. It also shows that we, and we alone, are guilty and responsible for His Sacrifice.

FALSE ASSUMPTION No.10

One of God’s Commandments is not to tell lies, as we read in Exodus 20:16: “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”

It was interesting to read on the “LiveScience” website an article in 2015, entitled “Understanding the Most Destructive Human Behaviours.” It talked about why we do stupid stuff.  It stated that: “Compared with most animals, we humans engage in a host of behaviours that are destructive to our own kind and to ourselves.”

It showed that human beings lie which is not that surprising, and one survey showed that people lie frequently, with 60 percent lying at least once during a 10-minute conversation!   

In Acts 5, we read about Ananias and Sapphira lying when answering Peter after they sold a possession.   We read this account in Acts 5:1-11.   They kept back part of the price of the land for themselves while giving the impression that they had given all.   The outcome was that they both died for lying.   In verse 4, we read: “…You have not lied to men but to God.”

Their sin was not in holding back part of the proceeds. It was their land, and they did not have to give anything to the Church. Their sin was that they said they sold it all and gave everything to the Church. 

The Bible doesn’t give the reason for their behavior but maybe they fell into the trap of wanting to be seen as giving more than they actually were giving, thereby longing for the praise of men,  and they may have felt that a little lie never hurt anyone.

In Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary, we read about Acts 5:1-11:

“The sin of Ananias and Sapphira was, that they were ambitious of being thought eminentdisciples, when they were not true disciples… They thought to deceive the apostles… But whatever Satan might suggest, he could not have filled the heart of Ananias with this wickedness had he not been consenting. The falsehood was an attempt to deceive the Spirit of truth, which so manifestly spoke and acted by the apostles. The crime of Ananias was not his retaining part of the price of the land; he might have kept it all, had he pleased; but his endeavouring to impose upon the apostles with an awful lie, from a desire to make a vain show, joined with covetousness. But if we think to put a cheat upon God, we shall put a fatal cheat upon our own souls.”

Many feel today, that a little white lie doesn’t harm anyone, and it is true that anyone can make a mistake on the spur of the moment and give false information, but it can become a habit. Liars will not make it into the Kingdom of God and they are an abomination to God (see Proverbs 12:22; Colossians 3:9; Revelation 21:8 and Revelation 22:15).   Lying is part and parcel of everyday life and can rub off on us if we are not careful.

White lies are often described as being about rather small, insignificant, trivial or unimportant matters, and as being harmless to others.   They are harmful to others as they can break trust with people but, more importantly, they are forbidden by God.

The false assumption is that we can lie when we feel it necessary, maybe even to cover up for someone else, but that is not good enough for God.   We must always remember Galatians 6:7: “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.”

FALSE ASSUMPTION No.11

The Place of Safety is something that has long been discussed within the Church of God. In our Q&A “What are the biblical proofs for your teaching that members of the Church of God will be protected at a particular ‘place of safety,’ here on earth, during the Great Tribulation?”, we write the following:

“One of the key passages, promising God’s end-time Church protection on this earth, at a particular place, can be found in Revelation 12:13-17. The passage reads:

“(13) Now when the dragon (Satan the devil, Revelation 12:9) saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child (Jesus Christ). (14) But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness TO HER PLACE [New International Version: “to the place prepared for her in the desert”], where she is nourished [Living Bible: “cared for and protected”; Amplified Bible: “where she is to be kept safe and fed”] FOR A TIME AND TIMES AND HALF A TIME [Living Bible: “for three and a half years”], from the presence of the serpent. (15) So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. (16) But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon spewed out of his mouth. (17) And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”

The Place of Safety will be located here on earth, not in heaven. Some members of the true Church of God will be protected by God at that place. The Bible does not teach that they are taken up to heaven to be protected there during the time of the Great Tribulation. The concept of the “secret rapture” is wrong and of demonic origin. 

There was a time when many thought that Petra in Jordan might be the place, and perhaps there may still be some with that same persuasion today.   But the Bible doesn’t explicitly say so, and Mr. Armstrong made very clear that the Bible does NOT reveal the location. 

The Topical Encyclopedia states that “The concept of ‘The Place of Safety’ is a topic of interest and debate among biblical scholars and theologians, often associated with eschatological themes and God’s protection of His people during times of tribulation. 

“Throughout history, various Christian groups have identified specific locations as potential places of safety, often based on prophetic interpretations. These include Petra in Jordan and other remote or fortified areas believed to offer protection during times of persecution or tribulation.”

In addition to the fact that we do not know where the Place of Safety will be located, we do notknow either when members of God’s Church will be protected there. Jesus said in Matthew 24:36 about His return to earth: “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.”

No one knows the exact time of Jesus’ return to earth and the Bible shows that God’s people will be protected for 3½ years here on earth, prior to His return. However, whenever and wherever it will be, it will be revealed in God’s perfect timing, and God will also make sure that those whom He wants there will get there. We must beware of making any false assumptions on this matter.   

FALSE ASSUMPTION No.12

There is one Old Testament book that clearly shows that we have to be careful about making false assumptions. It is the book of Job where he and his three friends engage in a discussion about why his suffering was so intense. God allowed Job to be tempted by Satan who was “not allowed to lay a hand on his person” (see Job 1:12). Job lost his property and children in a series of calamitous events and while Satan was not allowed to kill him, he troubled him greatly, as we read in Job 2:7: “So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD, and struck Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.”

Job’s three friends Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar made an erroneous judgment in simplistically assuming all that Job was going through was due to very specific sinful conduct.  They accused him very harshly, but wrongly, because they were unable to see that Job’s sin was that of self-righteousness. Satan was unable to see that either, and Job was only able to recognize his sin at the very end of the book. To accuse someone wrongfully is easy to do; to come to a wrong conclusion which we will all have done at one time or another.

Job learned about the dangers of self-righteousness, of comparing himself with others. He even felt that he was more righteous than God. He will have learned other things, as we all do, as we grow in the grace and knowledge of our great God.  Job repented and lived after his afflictions one hundred and forty years, and then died old and full of days (Job 42:16-17).

We see that God used Satan to deal with Job to make him realize that even he was not without sin and that his self-righteousness was much inferior to God’s righteousness. 

This case is a classic one of making false assumptions, although, in the end, Job’s friends will have realised this.

(To be continued)

Lead Writers: Brian Gale and Norbert Link

We will continue to look at further false assumptions as we have done in the first two in this series of Q&A’s. 

FALSE ASSUMPTION No. 6

Apart from Christmas, the other major time for Christians is Easter, which again we will see that it is not quite what it may seem to be.  

Many believe that Jesus was crucified on Friday afternoon and resurrected on Sunday morning. But this cannot be true.

If we look at the Bible rather than man’s approach of “I think this, that or the other,” we get the correct answer.

We read in Matthew 12:39-40: “But He (Jesus) answered and said to them [some of the Scribes and the Pharisees], ‘An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth’” (Matthew 12:39-40).

It is as clear as day for those with eyes to see when we read that just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish or a whale or a sea monster (depending on the translation), so Christ would be three days and three nights in the earth (in the tomb or the grave; “hades” in Greek). This was reiterated in Matthew 16:4: “A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah…”

Christ spoke of 24-hour days. He said in John 11:9-10: “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” Christ divided the time between 12 hours of the day and 12 hours of the night. He said He would be in the grave three days and three nights—72 hours—as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea creature (Jonah 1:17). 

It is simply impossible to count 72 hours from Friday afternoon until Sunday morning. 

However, it seems that man would sooner go along with, in most cases, those man-made theories and errors as they are so ingrained in the false ways of the world with peer pressure and family situations, adding to the pressure of having to keep them.

In our free booklet: “Jesus Christ – A Great Mystery,” we read:

“Scripture tells us that Christ did indeed fulfill this sign. The angel of the Lord told the women, “‘He is risen, as He said’” (Matthew 28:6). God the Father resurrected His Son, Jesus Christ, exactly at the preordained time, as had been announced by Jesus. This means that Christ could not have been crucified on a Friday and resurrected on a Sunday, as this would not fulfill the sign of being in the grave for three days and three nights. Rather, Christ was killed on a Wednesday and placed in the grave on Wednesday afternoon, just before sunset. He was brought back to life three days and three nights later, leaving the grave on Saturday afternoon, just before sunset, as He said.”

How ridiculous can you get? A response to this question on Stack Exchange on the internet also gives a rather foolish explanation: “This issue is a bit difficult to solve. The message that God is trying to make, I believe, could be that as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three nights and days, so had Jesus an empty belly for three nights and days, between the last supper and the meal of fish and honey-comb, at the end of the third day. In other words, the belly thing started already in Gethsemane.”   How ridiculous, foolish and straight out of the mind of man!

We should realize, however, that according to Satan-inspired “legends,” pagan gods were crucified on a Friday (“black Friday”) and brought back to life on a Sunday. Since pagans believed in this nonsense, the Catholic Church adopted this false idea and just transferred it from pagan gods to Jesus. 

The whole idea of Easter celebrations is pagan and unchristian as well. The Bible commands the observance of Passover, not of Easter. And what do easter rabbits and coloured easter eggs have to do with Jesus Christ? These are all pagan traditions. 

On the bbc.co.uk/bitesize website we read that “an egg is a symbol of new life. For Christians, Easter eggs are used as a symbol for the resurrection of Jesus.”  

Again, how foolish and ridiculous can the human mind be when justifying what is clearly ungodly?

Easter is no exception to the fact that Christendom, in general, makes so many false assumptions about a number of issues that, when properly and correctly understood, give a completely different picture from what is the practice of so many.

ASSUMPTION No.7

Perhaps many of us have seen the “altar calls” for people to come forward and “give their hearts to the Lord.” An altar call is a tradition in some Christian churches in which those who wish to make a new spiritual commitment to Jesus Christ are invited to come forward publicly. However, this can give the impression that all you have to do to become a true Christian is to “give your heart to the Lord.”   The problem with that is that it may be a spur-of-the-moment action that either may be regretted later or not followed through with.

It can come under the heading of “once saved, always saved,” which is a false understanding of true Christianity.  This approach is a popular one and one that emotionally is very easy to accept! It conveys a message that little is required on our part beyond “accepting” the Sacrifice that Christ made for each one of us. However, such teachings are deceptive and misleading because they completely overlook clear and important biblical instructions regarding that which God holds us accountable for, in the process of salvation. 

First of all, we must repent and be baptised to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38) through the laying on of hands by an ordained minister of God. At that point, we are saved from the penalty of death from our past sins.   However, it doesn’t mean that we are finally saved and that we could not lose the salvation, as we must persevere to the end (compare Matthew 24:13). Matthew 7:13-14 reveals the Way:

“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

It is a Way of Life, a full-time career, a Way that demands that we keep God’s Commandments and endure to the very end of our lives or the return of Jesus Christ if that precedes our death.   During our life, we have to forsake the ways of the world and keep God’s Ways which include the keeping of the weekly and annual Sabbaths. 

It is a Way of Life that is joyous and productive and which leads to eternal life on earth as a member of God’s spiritual Family, at the return of Jesus Christ.  

It is yet another false assumption that through an altar call, just “giving your heart to the Lord” is all you have to do!

For further information, please read our Q&As: “Is it correct to say, “Once Saved, Always Saved?”, or can true Christians lose their salvation? Part 1” and “Part 2.” https://www.eternalgod.org/q-is-it-correct-to-say-once-saved-always-saved-or-can-true-christians-lose-their-salvation-part-1/

https://www.eternalgod.org/q-is-it-correct-to-say-once-saved-always-saved-or-can-true-christians-lose-their-salvation-part-2/

Closely connected with the false concept of an altar-call salvation is the idea that we only need to believe in Jesus to be saved. Believing in Jesus—who He was and is, and what He had done for us and is doing today—is most certainly necessary, but it is not all there is. A famous TV evangelist recently assured the President that if he believes in Jesus, he will go to heaven. Nothing could be further from the Truth. 

Just believing, without more, is dead faith… the demons believe to and tremble (compare James 2:19). When the Bible speaks of believing in the Son of God, it includes obeying Him. We have received God’s grace “for obedience to the faith” (Romans 1:5; compare Romans 16:26). Christ is only “the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him” (Hebrews 5:9). 

The altar-call salvation with its different components (“once saved, always saved”; “only believe in the Lord”) is a false assumption which will not lead to salvation at all. 

ASSUMPTION No.8

Another false assumption may be associated with the account of the wedding at Cana.  We can just read over this without realising what an incredible miracle it was!  It would be easy to think that this was just another wedding day and then move on without really thinking about what actually happened. In John 2:1-11, we read about this amazing miracle.   

“On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, ‘They have no wine.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.’ His mother said to the servants, ‘Whatever He says to you, do it.’ Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. Jesus said to them, ‘Fill the waterpots with water.’ And they filled them up to the brim. And He said to them, ‘Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.’ And they took it. When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. And he said to him, ‘Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!’ This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.”

Let us really think about this and let us review the logistics.

Verse 6 speaks about six waterpots at 20 or 30 gallons apiece. 

Let us take 20 gallons x 6 waterpots, and we reach 120 gallons. One US liquid gallon contains about 8 pints. 120 gallons amount to almost 1,000 pints. 

A standard pint of wine is equivalent to about 4.2 glasses of wine, assuming a typical glass size of 175ml. However, wine is usually served in smaller glasses, so the number of glasses can vary, based on the size of the glass used.

Let us assume 4.2 glasses to a pint, and we reach approximately 4,200 glasses of wine. If we calculate 30 gallons per waterpot, we reach possibly 6,300 glasses! Now, Christ’s miracle of changing water into wine occurred AFTER all the initial good wine had been drunk, as it says in verse 10.  So, could it be that a similar initial amount of wine was made available? 

Furthermore, marriage at the time of Christ could have gone on for several days. In Judges 14:17, we read about Samson’s wedding feast and it says: “Now she [his wife] had wept on him the seven days while their feast lasted.”

How many guests were there?  It just doesn’t say but if there were so many glasses of wine to drink, it’s fairly obvious that this was a “big event” with, probably, hundreds of people attending.

We can read right over this, but we can deduce the following:

• the amount of wine was enormous;
• the wedding feast could have gone on for several days;
• it was Christ’s first recorded miracle;
• we can overlook the magnitude of the miracle.

And, for those who think that only grape juice was produced, just look at verse 10.  If the wine had absolutely no effect, then why keep inferior wine until “the guests have well drunk,” meaning that they wouldn’t be able to tell the difference? 

There is so much more to this story, and many other stories in the Bible, that we shouldn’t just read them quickly without trying to understand the magnitude of such events.

This wasn’t your average wedding, as we normally conduct it today, with family and some friends, with a meal at a reception afterwards. It is one of those cases to read and think through and understand fully what was achieved at this wedding.   It would be so easy to make false assumptions about this truly amazing miracle.

We also might want to note that Jesus did not really intend to perform this miracle, but that He only did so because His mother pleaded with Him, showing His great love and respect for His mother. He did, of course, not go against God’s Will in doing so, but this story also shows us that when we pray earnestly to God, we can persuade Him to hear us and answer us, even if He might not have wanted to do so initially. Yes, we can “change” God’s intention if it is not against His overall purpose. 

Moses pleaded with God when He was about to destroy Israel, and God listened to him and changed His mind. God told Hezekiah that he would have to die, but because of his prayer and plea, 15 years were added to his life. Christ initially did not want to heal the daughter of a Gentile woman, but when she pleaded with Him, He listened and performed the healing. The idea that God cannot be intrigued to respond to our sincere and heartfelt prayers is another false assumption. 

(To be continued)

Lead Writers: Brian Gale and Norbert Link

In the first Q&A in this series, we looked at the malevolent nature and influence of Satan the devil and started to look at false assumptions that many may make about different situations and teachings in the Bible. We know that Satan’s influence is everywhere and in every sphere, and is recognised by those faithful believers in the one true God.

Let us continue with further false biblical assumptions.

FALSE ASSUMPTION  No. 3

Many think that Jesus didn’t own a home and that He was a vagabond – a person who had no home, without a job and who travelled from place to place.    

In Matthew 8:20, we read: “And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.’”  We read the following on page 49 in our booklet, “Do You Know the Jesus of the Bible?” 

“While Matthew 8:20 is not as specific as to the timing, the parallel passage in Luke 9:58 is given in the context of when He was on a journey with His disciples and the Samaritans refused to grant them shelter (compare Luke 9:51–56; note verse 57: ‘NOW it happened as they journeyed on the road…’). There were times when Christ and His disciples did not encounter hospitality while they were on their missionary journeys, and it was that fact which Jesus stressed when He spoke about the sacrifices one must be willing to make when he or she wants to follow Christ (compare verses 57–58).”

On page 48 of this same booklet mentioned above, under the heading “Jesus Built and Owned Houses,” we read:

“There are numerous passages indicating that Jesus owned His own house—or perhaps even more than one. He grew up in Nazareth, but He later lived or ‘dwelt’ in Capernaum (Matthew 4:13), ‘His own city’ (Matthew 9:1). Luke makes this possible distinction when referring to Nazareth as the city where Jesus ‘had been brought up’ (Luke 4:16). It appears that at some point in time, then, Jesus made His adult home in Capernaum. We read that when in Capernaum, Jesus would go into ‘THE’ house, and that people would visit Him there when they found out that He was in the house (compare Matthew 13:1, 36). 

“Many commentaries say that this is a reference to Peter’s house in Capernaum, but it would be strange that in a few passages, it is specifically said that He entered ‘Peter’s house’ (Matthew 8:14), while in most cases, it is only stated that He was in THE house. It was obviously a dwelling place that was well known to the people—they knew where to go when they heard that He was in THE house. The strong indication is that it was actually Christ’s house where He would live when He was dwelling in Capernaum and when He was not on a missionary journey. 

“For instance, in Mark 2:1, some commentaries feel that the phrase, ‘He was in the house,’ should be rendered, according to the original Greek, as ‘He was at home,’ which would strongly indicate that Christ either owned a house in Capernaum, or that He was renting one, still showing that this was ‘His home.’ 

“Later, when Jesus went up from Capernaum to Nazareth, we read His words in Matthew 13:57, which could refer to His relatives and/or to visitors in His own house: ‘A prophet is not without honor except in his own country [or: hometown, compare New American Standard Bible] and in his own house.’ And so, He did not do many works in His hometown where He had grown up, ‘because of their unbelief’ (verse 58).”

Therefore, the assumption that Jesus didn’t own a home and that He was homeless is false.

FALSE ASSUMPTION No. 4:

Another false assumption is about the so-called “Lord’s Prayer.” We read that Jesus, in Matthew 6:7-8, gave the following instructions:

^“And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.”

And then comes the prayer in verses 9-13:

^“In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”

In mainstream churches around the world, this outline prayer is mouthed every Sunday, word for word, in about 30 seconds, without any time made available to think about what all of those words truly mean. It can become meaningless. But as we will explain below, this is just an outline of subjects to consider, not a prayer to be repeated word for word. 

A former UK Prime Minister was reported to have said the “Lord’s Prayer” when a terrorist atrocity happened in the UK many years ago, which was the sign of a decent person but was somewhat misplaced. The prayer should have been about the immediate situation where people were killed, maimed and injured but there is this misplaced “understanding” that just mouthing the words of the “model prayer” is sufficient for all occasions. When you see prayers in a “Christian” movie, it is almost inevitable that it will be just the “model prayer”; in fact in one movie, the early Christians kept repeating the same words faster and faster; almost as if they were in a trance!

The prayer that Jesus gave His disciples then, and today, is an outline. We should pray to the Father, not to Mary or some saint, but to the greatest Being in the universe.  On page 3 of our booklet “Teach Us to Pray,” we read:

“There is absolutely no Biblical basis for praying to anyone but God. Even [the Apostle] John, on two occasions, was so overwhelmed and filled with awe by the visions revealed through one of God’s angels, he reacted by falling down to worship the angel, but the angel corrected him, saying: ‘Then he said to me, “See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God”’ (Revelation 22:9; compare Revelation 19:10).”

On page 14 of the same booklet, we read: “Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John [the Baptist] also taught his disciples.’” Christ then proceeded to give them an outline, which is recorded in Luke 11:2–4 and in Matthew 6:9–13.

“Note that this is just an outline—a guideline, if you will—on how to pray. It is not a prayer per se, to be repeated, word for word, over and over. Most professing Christian churches routinely require their members to recite the ‘Our Father’ prayer, verbatim, in their services. Priests may even instruct their parishioners to pray ten or twenty ‘Our Father’ prayers in order to become absolved of certain sins. This is NOT Biblical! Christ never intended such a custom! In fact, He specifically warned His disciples not to use “vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words” (Matthew 6:7). 

“We find, in John 17, the words of Christ’s prayer to the Father, just prior to His arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane. When reading that prayer, you will see that it does not at all contain the exact words that were recorded in Matthew 6, but it does contain some of the concepts listed in that prayer outline. 

“Christ gave His disciples this prayer as an outline, essentially setting forth the basic principles for prayer. We are to expand on those basics and go on to develop a meaningful conversation with God. We are not to present Him with an endless cycle of repetitive words. Think about it! When you converse with friends or family, or if you were to give a speech to a group of people, how long would they listen to you if all that came out of your mouth was a drone-like, repetitive cycle of repetitive words?”

The belief that this outline prayer just has to be continually repeated word for word each and every time is another false assumption. In passing, the “Hail Mary” (Ave Maria) prayer is totally wrong and must not be prayed by a true Christian. Mary is dead and in her grave, without consciousness. She was not resurrected and did not ascend to heaven. She is sometimes referred to as the “Queen of Heaven.” However, the idea that a “Queen of Heaven” is in heaven who has become our Mediator is an old pagan belief which is strongly condemned in Scripture (compare Jeremiah 7:18; 44:17-25). It is, in part, based on the apocryphal book of Enoch which contains many demonic concepts.

FALSE ASSUMPTION No. 5:

The many errors about Christmas are manifold but most people either don’t know or are not interested in them, as they enjoy many days off work to celebrate something that is not biblical; not that that worries many people today in this secular society.

In our Q&A: “Was Jesus really born on December 25?”, we clearly show from just two books in the Bible that it can be proved that Jesus was born around late September/early October, but if God had wanted us to celebrate Christ’s birthday, He would have given us the exact date.  

We’ve all seen the general nativity scene; mother and child, Joseph, with shepherds, angels and the wise men (the Magi). All of this is false as it never happened that way, although many churches and ministers know this, but go along with the false representation about the birth of Jesus.

In Halley’s Bible Handbook, we read: “Matthew 2:1–12 VISIT OF THE WISEMEN on page 418. This must have occurred in the period when Jesus was between 40 days and two years old (2:16; Luke 2:22, 39). It would have taken the Magi (or Wise Men) some time to get to Jerusalem after they first saw the star (verse 7), although probably quite a bit less than two years. And it took some time before Herod realized that the Magi weren’t coming back. So Herod, in order to be sure, took the outside limit. We know that the child was no longer in the manger, as is sometimes pictured, but in the house (verse 11; see on Luke 2:6–7)…”

Of course, Christ could have clearly been about two years old by that time, as Herod had carefully inquired as to His age. Continuing with the above-mentioned commentary:

“We may know the Christmas carol ‘We Three Kings’ which recounts the story of the three Magi or Wise Men. The false assumption is that there were only three wise men. They were men of high standing, for they had [been given] access to Herod. They are commonly spoken of as the ‘Three Wise Men.’  But Scripture does not say how many. There were probably more, or at least they were with an entourage of scores or hundreds, for it would not be safe for a small group to travel a thousand miles over desert wastes that were infested with bandits.” 

According to many traditions, there were actually twelve wise men visiting Jesus; each representing one of the twelve tribes of Israel. 

We state the following in our Q&A, “Who were the magi or wise men in Matthew 2? How many were there?”:

“Surprisingly to many, the ‘magi’ were neither ‘astrologers,’ nor did they visit Joseph, Mary and the Christ Child in the inn, nor is it biblically revealed how many there were. However, there are traditions which would support the idea that they were twelve, not three, as commonly assumed… The Bible describes at times angels as stars (compare Revelation 1:20; Isaiah 14:13; Job 38:7); so it appears certain that this ‘star,’ which was not always visible to the ‘magi,’ was an angel who showed them the way to the place where Christ dwelled. At that time, Christ was no longer in a manger or an inn. Rather, He was now in a house (compare Matthew 2:11)… 

“According to Matthew 2:16, Christ was at that time perhaps as old as two years, since King Herod had all children two and under killed, based on the information which he had received from the wise men…

“The P.M. magazine published an article some time ago, entitled, ‘What do we know about the Three Holy Kings?’ It pointed out:

“’That they… became kings, can be accredited to the theologian Tertullian (160 until 220). He wrote, “in the east, Magi were normally kings.”… According to Persian tradition, these Magi were descendants of the ancient Median priesthood… In the gospel, we are not told how many they were. The oriental churches speak of twelve Magi.

“’Jacob of Edessa (640-708), one of the most important ancient writers of the Church of the Jacobites, writes: “The Magi were from Persia, but they were not three, as portrayed by artists for the people, as derived from the threeness of the gifts of gold, myrrh and frankincense, but rather twelve, as can be seen in many traditions. Those who came were princes and well-respected persons from the country of Persia. Many people, more than a thousand men, accompanied them, so that Jerusalem became very excited when they arrived.”‘

“The article also speculates that the number of the Magi was reduced to ‘three,’ not because of the three types of gifts mentioned, but because another argument for the Trinity was searched for. Allegedly, the remains of the ‘three kings’ rest today in the dome of Cologne in Germany. However, P.M. notes that ‘the garments, in which the bones are wrapped, were made in the second or third century after Christ in Syria.’”

“… historical and biblical evidence reveals that the Magi of Matthew 2 were not astrologers whose observations of heavenly bodies led them to the Christ Child. Instead, they were representatives of the tribes of Israel in exile who were led to their King by an angel…

“Since the Jew Daniel was one of the righteous ‘magi,’ and he and many other Jewish exiles lived in Babylon as captives, after King Nebuchadnezzar had conquered the house of Judah, and since the Parthian Empire subsequently absorbed the Babylonian Empire, it stands to reason that Jews continued to live in the Parthian Empire, and that they still dwelled there at the time of the birth of Christ. The tradition that it was TWELVE magi who visited Christ would be quite interesting, in that the magi could have been representatives of ALL the twelve tribes of Israel AND Judah (being descendants of the TWELVE sons of Jacob or Israel), who were led by an angel to their King.”

Under the heading “Don’t Mix Pagan Customs With the Worship of God” in our booklet “Don’t Keep Christmas,” we read on page 20: “Do you know that you can be sincere in your worship of God and Christ, and still worship in vain? Christ clearly said in Matthew 15:7-9: ‘Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.”’ Who can doubt that the celebration of Christmas and the observance of its customs are pursuant to the commandments of men? Nowhere in the Bible are we told to do these things! And Christ said, this kind of religious worship which is based on men’s traditions is ‘in vain’ – it is useless. Rather, we are expressly told how to worship God.”

The additional Santa Claus myth is just another “add-on” to a time not sanctioned by the Bible.  There are so many false assumptions about the birth of Jesus, as well as the Christmas tree, Christmas carols, the exchange of gifts, etc.

For much more information, please see our booklet: “Don’t Keep Christmas”. 

(To be continued)

Lead Writers: Brian Gale and Norbert Link