Many of the Psalms written by David describe his grief in facing conflict with his enemies. The context of many passages expresses his frustration, often facing dire circumstances, frequently with his life being threatened. In some of the Psalms, David prays for the demise of his enemies. For example, we read in Psalm 143:12: “In Your mercy cut off my enemies, And destroy all those who afflict my soul; For I am Your servant.” In this open prayer to God, it is apparent that David is asking for the death of people who cause him grief.

In Psalm 109 David records a plea for God’s retaliation against those who “have rewarded [him] evil for good, And hatred for [his] love” (Psalm 109:5). Within this chapter of the Bible, we read about several very specific requests. He requests for his accusers to be judged and found guilty (verses 6,7). He asks for the prayers of the one who afflicts him to become sin (verse 7). He prays that this man’s life may come to an untimely end (verse 8). David prays for the demise of his enemy’s family, to make his wife a widow and his children orphans and beggars, and remain unforgiven (verses 9,10, 13). He even prays that his accuser’s mother’s sins may not be forgiven by God (verse 14, 15). While the complete context of the situation is not revealed, it is clear that David was afflicted and troubled by those who betrayed him, and caused him to plea for vengeance.

Continue reading "How Are We to Understand Psalms that Plea for the Demise of Enemies in Light of Jesus’ Commandment to Love Our Enemies?"

These words can have a variety of meaning, depending on the context.

We addressed a related question in a Q&A, titled, “When the Bible uses the term ‘forever,’ does this always mean the same as ‘everlasting’ or ‘eternally’?

There, we pointed out the following:

“While ‘forever’ may indeed convey an absolute sense of being perpetual or interminable, ‘forever’ is also used metaphorically and in a conditional sense. The Hebrew word that is translated many times as ‘forever’, is ‘owlam.’ It can be found in Daniel 12:2. In this case, the English word ‘everlasting’ is used to translate the Hebrew word ‘owlam’: ‘And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to everlasting contempt.’ [The Revised English Bible says: “… some to everlasting life and some to the reproach of eternal abhorrence.”] This prophesied occurrence speaks of a future time when the fate of many humans will be decided on a perpetual and eternal basis.

Continue reading "What Does the Bible Mean When it Speaks of “Eternal” Concepts and “Eternity”?"

Most Christians do not really believe in the resurrection, nor do they understand that there are more than one resurrection. There is of course the first resurrection to eternal life for those who died in Christ. But only very few are called in this day and age to eternal life. Most who have died were never called. They will be called in the future… in a “second” resurrection (Revelation 20:11-12).

The “second” resurrection or the Great White Throne Judgment describes a resurrection to physical life of those who had not been called before. Ezekiel 37 pictures the resurrection of the entire house of Israel to PHYSICAL life. Other passages describe the physical resurrection of Gentiles (Matthew 12:38-42; Matthew 11:20-24).

Isaiah 65:20-25 indicates that there will be an allotted time span of 100 years during which those who are brought back to physical life can qualify for eternal life. If they do, they will be changed to immortality at the end of that judgment period (Hebrews 9:27; Ecclesiastes 12:14; Matthew 12:36).

Those who are called in this day and age are already being judged now (1 Peter 4:17); if they don’t fall away, they will become immortal at the time of Christ’s Return and will not come into the judgment of the second resurrection (John 5:24).

Continue reading "What Does the Bible Say About the Resurrection of the Dead (Hebrew 6:2)—Especially a “Second Resurrection”?"

Without comparing other Scriptures, some assume that Jesus will immediately judge all people at His return. But that is NOT what the Bible reveals!

These verses referenced in Matthew 25:31-46 encompass a PERIOD OF TIME in which Jesus will reign on the earth in the Kingdom of God. It is important to understand that judgment has been given to Him by the Father, as Jesus stated, “‘For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son…’” (John 5:22). Paul also taught this:

“‘Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead’” (Acts 17:30-31; compare Acts 10:42).

Continue reading "Will Jesus Judge Everyone AT His Return—as Matthew 25:31-46 Seems to Indicate?"

To answer this question, we need to distinguish between recreational and medical marijuana. Much controversy exists in the USA and around the world, especially when it comes to legalizing marijuana either for recreational or medical purposes.

The Bible does not specifically mention marijuana but it gives us some principles that we can apply for guidance on this subject. We will show why recreational marijuana is not to be consumed by Christians under any circumstances, but why a different perspective might have to be considered in certain circumstances regarding the use of medical marijuana.

We will begin our discussion with a general overview over marijuana’s history.

History.com states:

“Marijuana, also known as cannabis or pot [also known as hemp], has a long history of human use. Most ancient cultures didn’t grow the plant to get high, but as herbal medicine [as well as for clothing, paper, sails and rope, and its seeds were used as food]… likely starting in Asia around 500 BC.

Continue reading "Should a Christian Use Marijuana Under Any Circumstances?"

A: We discussed in a previous Q&A that Satan cannot influence us when we sleep, and we explained in a recent sermon that there are several areas of conduct, which Satan is unable to perform. Apart from his inability to influence us when we sleep, we showed that he cannot materialize in bodily form; that he cannot heal or create; and that he cannot do anything against God’s Will. We also explained that he has no power over us and that he must flee from us when we resist him and submit to God.

The question arises whether Satan and his demons are capable of reading our minds, and whether they can know what we think. Most Christian commentaries and articles take the position that they are unable to do so. However, when focusing on Christianity, as far as we can tell, an obscure sect in the Middle Ages, the “decretists,” seemed to have been the first ones to teach that demons cannot read our minds. It does not appear that this question was seriously addressed within Christianity prior to that time.

Continue reading "Does Satan Know Our Thoughts, and Can He Read Our Minds?"

The Bible has nothing to say specifically about smoking, as during biblical times it was unknown. Let us quote briefly (and selectively) from the website healthliteracy.worlded.org which has this to say about the history of tobacco:

“Tobacco has a long history in the Americas. The Mayan Indians of Mexico carved drawings in stone showing tobacco use. These drawings date back to somewhere between 600 to 900 A.D. Tobacco was grown by American Indians before the Europeans came from England, Spain, France, and Italy to North America.

“Tobacco was the first crop grown for money in North America.  In 1612 the settlers of the first American colony in Jamestown, Virginia grew tobacco as a cash crop. It was their main source of money. Other cash crops were corn, cotton, wheat, sugar, and soya beans.  By the 1800’s, many people had begun using small amounts of tobacco. Some chewed it. Others smoked it occasionally in a pipe, or they hand-rolled a cigarette or cigar. On the average, people smoked about 40 cigarettes a year. The first commercial cigarettes were made in 1865 by Washington Duke on his 300-acre farm in Raleigh, North Carolina. His hand-rolled cigarettes were sold to soldiers at the end of the Civil War.

Continue reading "Should a Christian Smoke?"

In a previous Q&A on wrath, we discussed the wrath of man which is actually the wrath of Satan. We also alluded to the fact that there is godly wrath or righteous indignation, but cautioned that even justified wrath ought to be short-lived as, due to Satan’s influence, even our righteous anger may become unrighteous.

In this Q&A, we will focus on godly wrath or righteous indignation and show the reason for such emotion.

God is slow to anger (Psalm 103:8). His anger only lasts for a moment (Psalm 30:5). Rather, He is merciful (same verse); ready to pardon and abundant in kindness (Nehemiah 9:17). He is full of compassion (Psalm 145:8) and He relents from doing harm (Joel 2:13; also compare Jonah 4:2 and Nahum 1:3).

At the same time, we do read about God’s wrath; and much can be found about it in the book of Revelation.

During the very last days, just prior to Christ’s return, people will say to the mountains and rocks: “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne [God the Father] and from the wrath of the Lamb (Jesus Christ)! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” (Revelation 6:16-17). Later, holy angels will say to God the Father, the Lord God Almighty: “The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come… [that You] should destroy those who destroy the earth” (Revelation 11:18).

Continue reading "Can You Explain What the Bible Says About Wrath? (Part 2)"

When God, through His Spirit, moved His servants to record their experiences into text, it wasn’t divided up into the form we use today. The original transcripts, as inspired by God, were written down and formed into books and subsequently divided into paragraphs by early Jews. The chapters and verses we are familiar with today came much later in the history of the Bible.

Chapters, as we have them now, didn’t appear in the biblical text until the beginning of the 13th century. Stephen Langton, an archbishop of Canterbury, was credited as first dividing the Bible into chapters. “The custom of referring to chapters when quoting from the Scriptures was rare before the twelfth century… Uniformity was introduced amid such chaotic conditions by the Paris scholars, notably, as it appears, by Stephen Langton… His system, which is substantially the one in use today, was adopted in the earliest printed editions of the Vulgate” (Metzgers, Early Versions of the New Testament). Others tried different means of dividing up the Bible this way, but his method stuck and is in use today.

Continue reading "Has the Bible Always Been Divided Into Chapters and Verses Like It Is Today?"

John 20:23 is the specific verse in question:

“‘If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’”

This statement by Jesus firmly establishes the fact that the Church of God is to be administered, but only in the context of God’s laws. Note in verse 21, Jesus states, “‘…As the Father has sent Me, I also send you’” (compare John 17:18). Of Himself, Jesus emphatically stated that His role was to fulfill the Father’s Will:

“‘I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me’” (John 5:30; compare John 5:19; 6:38; 8:28; 12:49; 14:10).

Likewise, the Church is to act in accordance with the Will of God. Jesus said that only he “‘who does the will of My Father in heaven’” would enter God’s Kingdom (Matthew 7:21). Paul emphasized that Christians must live “doing the will of God from the heart” (Ephesians 6:6). He prayed that the brethren might “be filled with the knowledge of His (God’s) will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding” (Colossians 1:9). Both Peter (1 Peter 4:2) and John (1 John 2:17) taught that we must do the Will of God.

Continue reading "I Am Having Trouble Understanding John 20:20-23: Did Jesus Give the Apostles and the Church the Power to Forgive Sin?"