Matthew 18:17. What church (ekklesia) was Jesus referring to at the time when he was preaching and was gathering his followers?
Conflicts between brethren are very personal matters to be handled as quietly as possible. The broad principle stated in Titus 3:2 should be honored, “Speak evil of no man”. If we are to “love our brother as ourselves,” Matthew 12:31, we surely want to be extremely careful in resolving any problems that should arise among [...]
If Father, Son and Holy Spirit and all equally one God, does this mean God died when Christ was crucified? Surely this contradicts the triune Godhead.
Yes, it does contradict the trinity. The man, Jesus, died on the cross. Our Father God is everlasting (Isaiah 40:28) and eternal (Deuteronomy 33:27). He cannot die. God and Jesus are two distinct beings. Jesus shows He is one in purpose and spirit with God by His prayer in John 17:2. “That they all may [...]
What do I do before I try to understand the Bible?
James 4:8 (NIV), "Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded." When we approach God, we should come with pure, sincere, humble hearts. If we are sinning, we need to "wash," - stop sinning and ask for forgiveness through Jesus. We are also not to come with [...]
What does the Bible have to say about transgender?
Biological Information:One's gender is determined by genes at conception. Females have XX genes, while males have XY genes. Surgery and hormones cannot transform the numerous differences between sexes. In fact, for those dear people who do undergo sex reassignment treatment, the emotional and social struggles are severe. We quote from the landmark, thirty-year longitudinal study [...]
How does the spirit make intercession for us? Romans 8:26 & 27.
What is the “spirit” referenced in the passage? “Spirit” in the Greek is “pneuma.” Strong’s Concordance defines it broadly: “a current of air, breath, mental disposition or an angel, demon.” Throughout Romans, the Apostle Paul also used “pneuma” in different contexts with a variety of meanings. Some verses in Romans do not refer to God’s [...]
What did Jesus look like?
Unfortunately, we have no photographs of Jesus, so we don’t really know. However, we can make some reasonable guesses based on what the Bible tells us about him and his life. Since Jesus was a carpenter, he probably had strong arms. In Matthew (21:12) he showed strength when he turned over the tables of [...]