bible

bible February 7, 2017

Why did Christ speak in parables?

Mark 4:11-12, Luke 8:10 & Matt. 13:11-15 says that Christ spoke in parables so that the multitude in ‘seeing they would not see’ and ‘hearing they would not hear’, etc.

ESV (Mark 4:11-12) 11And he said to them, “To you has been given
the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is
in parables, 12 so that “they may indeed see but not perceive, and may
indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be
forgiven.”

(Luke 8:10) he said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of
the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that
‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’

(Matt. 13:11-15) 11And he answered them, “To you it has been given
to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not
been given. 12 For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will
have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will
be taken away. 13This is why I speak to them in parables, because
seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they
understand. 14Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is
fulfilled that says: “‘“You will indeed hear but never understand, and
you will indeed see but never perceive.” 15For this people’s heart
has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their
eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear
with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would
heal them.’

What does this mean? Why do people say Christ used parables to help the people understand clearly, when these passages seem to say he did not want them to understand clearly? Are the parables meant to be concealing yet revealing the truth completely at the same time?

bible February 4, 2017

Abrahams resurection [on hold]

James 2:23,,
The fact that Abraham came to be “God’s friend” — and that before
the ransom sacrifice was offered and accepted , mean, that He went to “heavenly life” before the faithful Christian Apostles?

AS REQUESTED QUESTION CLARIFICATION

Another words,
Could anyone go to Heaven without the anointing with Holy Spirit Acts 2:33?

Could Abraham God’s friend, a non-Christian, expect to go to heaven when he died?

or
Could anyone go to Heaven before Jesus Christ?

bible February 3, 2017

What is the meaning of "water and blood" in 1 John 5:6?

In 1 John 5:6 John uses water and blood as symbolic short hand, clearly expecting his audience to know the meaning of these two liquids.

6 This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not
come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who
testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that
testify: 8 the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are
in agreement. 9 We accept human testimony, but God’s testimony is
greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about
his Son.

At its most basic 1 John 5:6 operates as a counter claim to those who hold that Jesus Christ came in water but not in blood. John holds that Jesus Christ came by both water and blood. A counter group appears to believe He came only in water. The structure of this verse as an implicit rebuttal begs the question of what does it refute. What is the meaning of water and blood?

bible February 3, 2017

In John 1:35, who were the two disciples of John the Baptist?

The Greek text of John 1:35 according to the Textus Receptus states,

ΛΕʹ Τῇ ἐπαύριον πάλιν εἱστήκει ὁ Ἰωάννης καὶ ἐκ τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ δύο TR, 1550

which is translated as,

35 On the day after, John, and two of his disciples, had been standing again,

Are these two disciples of John the Baptist ever identified?

bible February 3, 2017

In Ephesians 1:10 , to what or whom does «τὰ πάντα…τὰ…ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς» refer?

In Eph. 1:10, the Greek text according to the Textus Receptus states,

Ιʹ εἰς οἰκονομίαν τοῦ πληρώματος τῶν καιρῶν ἀνακεφαλαιώσασθαι τὰ πάντα ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ τὰ τε ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς TR, 1550

According to my understanding, the idea is that everything in heaven and upon earth is recapitulated (from the lemma ἀνακεφαλαιῶ), that is, brought under a single head, “in Christ.” Although it has a few meanings, I understand “in Christ” here to mean, “by being a Christian and being incorporated into the body of Christ.” That being said, I can understand what “everything that/everyone who is upon the earth” («τὰ πάντα…τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς») refers to, which would be Christians alive on earth (i.e., the Church militant).

However, to what or whom does the phrase “everything that/everyone who is in heaven” («τὰ πάντα…τὰ…ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς») refer? Do the other verses in the epistle shed any light on its meaning or referent?

bible February 2, 2017

Meaning of "equip" in Ephesians 4:12

4:11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the
shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of
ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain
to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to
mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of
Christ…

Is there support to interpret “equip” as both affecting the individual believer as well as the local church body? I’m considering the latter interpretation based on the following commentary on 2 Corinthians 13:11:

Katartizo conveys the sense here not of adding something that is
lacking, but of putting things in order, of adjusting things that are
out of adjustment as for example in describing fisherman mending their
nets. Paul was commanding the Corinthian saints to mend their ways, to
straighten themselves out, and restore harmony among themselves.
Spiritual wholeness comes when the church, both collectively and
individually, is in complete conformity to God’s Word. To equip the
saints to do so is the responsibility of the church’s leaders.

bible February 1, 2017

In what month did Jesus fast according to Matthew?

Matthew 4:1 ►

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil (NIV).

In what month did this happen?

For most other great (or maybe all) events in the life of Jesus, you can see a connection with a feast or a month. Does the text provide any clues as to when this event occurred?

bible January 27, 2017

When is the "last day" that is referred to in the book of John?

When is the “last day” that is referred to in the book of John?
The Rapture? The Second Coming? A series of “last days’?

John 6:39
And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day

John 6:40
For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.

John 6:44
“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day

John 6:54
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.

bible January 17, 2017

Who are "they" in Amos 9:2?

Who are they in Amos 9:2?

Though they dig into hell, thence shall mine hand take them; though
they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down: (KJV)

It looks like “they” refers to the posts in the previous vers…

bible January 15, 2017

When is the Second Coming?

When will the Second Coming occur? In Matthew, Jesus seems to allude that the Second Coming will occur within his generation.

Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away till all these things take place.Matthe…