Please explain Hebrews 4:12 (NKJV), "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (Nigeria)
Since the beginning of Christianity there have been misguided, sincere Christians who fall into the trap of confusing literal Bible verses with symbolic verses. For example consider Ephesians 6:11, “Put on the whole armor of God so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” This verse is obviously symbolic. [...]
Who was Abraham?
Abraham was one of the most important people in human history. James 2:22-24, summarizes: “You see that faith was working with his works…and Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness, and Abraham was called a friend of God.”Early in the book of Genesis, God called Abraham, then named Abram. Genesis 11:26, “Terah [...]
What did Jesus mean in Mark 10:18, “'Why do you call me good?’ Jesus answered. ‘No one is good—except God alone.'”? (South Africa)
Mark 10:18-19 (NIV), “‘Why do you call me good?’ Jesus answered. ‘No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’” The question in Mark 10:18 is partially [...]
Why did God choose Israel for His people? For what purpose did God choose them? (India)
God chose Israel because of their faithful ancestor, Abraham. Hebrews 11:8,11 recount the two most prominent examples of Abraham’s faith in God. God told Abraham in Genesis 12:2 that He would make a ‘great nation’ from his descendants. “And I will make you into a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your [...]
Please explain 1 Peter 4:6 (NKJV), "For this reason the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit." (Togo)
To understand verse 4:6, we need to recognize that all men are under the Adamic penalty of death. In other words, since Adam was under the death penalty, the entire human race is also under the death penalty. In a sense, we are all dead. (Matthew 8:22) But those of the “dead” who hear the gospel and [...]
Has Jesus always been with us since His resurrection? If not, what should we expect when our Lord returns? (India)
There is much confusion about the manner and purpose of His return. Many false predictions have been published. Some take the Lord’s words, “lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world,” to mean that Christ never left and ascended to the Father. They believe that Jesus has been personally present during the entire gospel age. Such reasoning would contradict, “for I go to prepare a place for you.? And [...]