He didn’t. God established the standard for marriage on the day He created man. God made one man and one woman. He put them together in the garden as man and wife. The Bible tells us because of God’s created design, “A man shall leave his father and mother, and shall cleave unto his wife and they shall be one flesh.” (Genesis 2:25) The design of marriage, one man with one woman, has not changed since creation. The Bible also tells how man sinned and soon began to operate in opposition to God’s design for marriage. As a result, we find in the Bible men like Jacob, David and Solomon who had multiple wives and concubines. This fact is often brought up in arguments to show that Christians who insist marriage is a permanent union between one man and one woman are being foolish. According to this line of arguing, the Bible does not insist on one man-one woman marriage. Does the Bible allow for a different definition of marriage? Absolutely not. Certainly there were men in the Bible who did not marry according to God’s plan and design. Those men were not always condemned in the Bible for their disobedience. The lack of direct condemnation of a person’s example does not prove God did not view that action as sin. We can find in the Bible a number of examples of disobedience that are not directly condemned. For example, in the book of Judges a man killed a woman and cut her into pieces. The Bible does not explicitly condemn that specific act of murder, so are we to assume that the Bible actually approves of murder despite it’s clear commands to the contrary? Of course not. That would be foolish. Because people in the Bible do things that are forbidden elsewhere in the Bible does not mean the Bible has changed and now God approves of their actions. Second, those who make the case that God somehow approves of polygamy because he allowed it in the Old Testament make it sound like the Old Testament is filled with polygamists. The fact is, there are very few saints in the Old Testament who were polygamists. Two very common examples are David and Solomon. God did not approve of David’s sin, nor did He excuse it. God had commanded in Deuteronomy 17:17 that the kings of Israel were not to have multiple wives. David is called a man after God’s own heart, yet we know he had several wives. David and Solomon were in clear disobedience of that command and they paid an awful price for their disobedience. Because of David’s polygamy, his family was ripped apart and he had to deal with open rebellion by one son and covert rebellion by one of his generals. Solomon’s case was even worse. Solomon’s many wives led him away from the worship of God into idolatry. One other example is the patriarch Jacob. Jacob’s multiple wives are actually a part of his punishment for deceiving his father Isaac and result in great turmoil within his family. The Bible clearly defines marriages as one man permanently joined to one woman. The Bible never approves of polygamy and shows abundant examples of the dire consequences when we fail to follow God’s design.
Was Paul Married
No. Paul was not married. We know this from 1 Corinthians 7:7-8. In 1 Corinthians 7 Paul discusses several questions the church had about marriage and singleness. In that discussion he tells them, “I would that all men were even as I myself. I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I.” Paul is stating that he is single. Paul is not giving a command to never get married. Paul goes on in that chapter to teach that it is not wrong to get married, and if one is already married they should not leave their spouse. In other books Paul highly praises marriage and teaches some of the most wonderful truths about marriage. Paul is not giving a command that church leaders should remain single. In the book of 1 Timothy Paul teaches that pastors should be “the husband of one wife” and later Paul says teaching that forbids marriage is a “doctrine of devils”. Paul does not place any restriction against marriage for those who are church leaders. If anything, it seems preferable for the pastor to be married. Paul himself was single and recommended singleness as a great way to serve the Lord, but singleness is not required of anyone by the Bible.
Did Jesus have brothers and sisters?
Yes he did. All four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, mention Jesus’ siblings. For example, Matthew 13:54-56 says, “And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?” The people of Nazareth refused to believe that Jesus is God the Son sent to save men from sin. They said instead, “Is not this the carpenter’s son?” They knew Joseph and knew that Jesus had grown up as Joseph’s son. They also knew Jesus mother, Mary. And then they looked around the crowd and began to identify Jesus’ siblings. These names cannot be names of cousins and distant relatives, because the people are talking about Joseph and Mary and the children of Joseph and Mary. Te people said of Jesus, “His brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with us?” Jesus grew up in a family with at least seven children, himself, four brothers and at least two sisters. After Jesus birth, Mary and Joseph had children together, the half-brothers and half-sisters of Jesus.
With all the problems in churches today, should I still go to church?
Many people give many different reasons for not going to church. Some claim the building will collapse on them if they enter a church. Others consider themselves to be too good to associate with the hypocrites that attend. Others have had bad experiences while at church and some have been hurt by someone in authority. If you have accepted Christ as your Savior, you have an obligation to attend church. Hebrews 10 commands all Christians to “not forsake the assembling of ourselves together.” None of the reasons offered by people professing to be Christians justify disobedience to the commands of God.
Yes, there are many problems within churches. No minister is perfect, no church is without flaw. Every one who attends brings some evil habit, bad attitude or wrong desire with him into the church. Despite these problems (or maybe because of these problems) the Christian needs to be in church. However, the not every problem in a church should be overlooked, there are some churches you simply should not attend. You should not attend a church whose teachings disagree with the Bible, especially if they disagree with the major truths of the Bible about salvation, God, Jesus and Scriptures. You should not attend a church that knowingly allows its leaders to live in sin. While you should try to find the best church you can, you should not expect any church you attend to be free from problems, nor should it surprise you if the church goes through a time of intense troubles. The church is filled with people who are struggling with sins. They may be saved (just because someone attends church is absolutely no guarantee they are Christian), but they are still imperfect. Some of them may be all out hypocrites, who live one way on Sunday and completely different during the week. That’s still not a good reason to not go to church. Refusing to go to church because of the sinful people that attend is like refusing to go to the doctor’s office because there are always sick people there. If you are a Christian, you need the church. You need sound preaching and teaching from the Bible. You need a pastor to care for your soul. You need other Christians to interact with you and help you be more obedient to God’s Word. You cannot live the Christian life apart from church.
The church is far greater than the buildings, the ministers or the people who attend. The church is God’s only institution designed to strengthen believers and shape believers so that they look like Christ. Only in the church can we gather with other believers in common worship of God, lifting up together our praise and thanksgiving for His salvation, His Holy Spirit, His grace, His love and His strength which allows us to live lives pleasing to Him. Only in the church do we find the accountability of brothers and sisters who love us, who want to help us look like Christ and who are willing to invest themselves into us. Only in the church do you have the ability to create relationships under the authority of the Word of God, the protection of the church leadership, based on the common ground of salvation and brotherhood in the family of God. God has commanded Christians to attend church. When we obey that command, we find that God blesses our obedience, giving us a family that is built on the love of God. Some of the reasons folks give for not going to church are real issues that need to be fixed, but they do not mean you get to disobey God’s command to “forsake not the assembling of yourselves together.” Find a good church that you can attend, get under the regular preaching of the Bible and get involved with the lives of other Christians. Join yourself to a local church that believes, practices and teaches the Word of God.
What are the Differences Between the Old and New Testaments?
In simplest terms, the Old Testament is the part of the Bible that was written before the birth of Christ. It includes 39 books, between Genesis and Malachi. The New Testament is the part of the Bible written after the Jesus’ death, burial, resurrection and return to heaven. It is the 27 books starting from Matthew and ending with the book of Revelation.
More specifically, the Old Testament begins with the book of Genesis which tells about the creation of the world, the introduction of sin and God’s choosing of Abraham’s family to be a special people for Himself. The rest of the Old Testament (except the book of Job), tells about the Israelites, Abraham’s descendants, and God’s dealings with them. The New Testament begins with the four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, which tell of Christ’s birth, life, execution and resurrection. The rest of the New Testament (except the book of Revelation) is the history of the beginning of the church and letters written to some of the first churches and pastors. The book of Revelation tells of the end of the church age and of God’s final judgments on the world, Satan and all unbelievers.
Of course, with anything as important and influential as the Bible, there are some wrong ideas about the Old and New Testaments that many people think are true. For example, some people think the Old Testament shows a God that is all about wrath and judgment and the New Testament shows a God that is all about love and grace. This idea has gained such strength that some people actually believe the God of the Old Testament is different from the God of the New Testament. This is absolutely not true. The God of the Old Testament is a God of love and wrath, just as is the God of the New Testament. For example, the book of Song of Solomon is a beautiful picture of God’s love for his people. The book of Exodus is all about how God in his love rescued the Israelites from their slavery in Egypt. In the New Testament, an entire book, the book of Revelation, describes the coming pouring out of God’s wrath on mankind. The Bible, though it has two testaments and many individuals books, is one Book telling of the one God and His work to redeem a people to Himself for His glory.
Another wrong idea that people have is the belief that the Old Testament doesn’t really matter anymore. Some people write it off as if it’s nothing more than ancient history, or untrue stories that don’t have any real application for us today. God tells us, through the apostle Paul in Romans 15:3 that the things which are written in the Old Testament are for our learning, that through the Scriptures we will have comfort and hope. The Old Testament really does matter for us today showing us how God deals with His people, teaching us much about the character and work of God, and giving us many examples of how we should live today.
The Old and New Testaments are both equally the Word of God. They are written for our benefit and they teach us about God, His work to save people from their sin and His eternal plans for His glory. The Old and New Testaments are different primarily because of their relationship to Christ, the one before and the other after, and because of the different people being discussed, the Israelites in the Old and the church in the New. Though the testaments are different, they are part of the same story unfolding the great work of God “to the praise of the glory of His grace.”
Did People in the Bible have Last Names
For most of the time period covered by the Bible, people didn’t use last names. If there was a need to distinguish between two people with the same name, they were usually given descriptive titles. We see this in the New Testament with some of the disciples, like James the Less (Mark 15:40) and Simon the Zealot (Acts 1;13). In those days they would also identify someone based upon who his father was. So the other disciple James was known as James the son of Zebedee (Matthew 4:21). Or a person would be identified based upon their occupation. In the book of Acts we read about a man identified as Simon the tanner (Acts 9:43) Sometimes a person would be identified based upon where they were from, such as Mary Magdalene, which means Mary from Magdala. Last names didn’t become common within European families until sometime within the last 1,000 years. In the Bible, people were identified using descriptive, family or occupational references.
Why does God allow bad things to happen?
When tidal waves wipe out villages and kill thousands of people. When terrorists attack and kill thousands of innocent people. When a child is diagnosed with incurable cancer. When a loved son is suddenly and tragically killed. When tragedy strikes, we often ask why? This is not a new question, nor will it stop being asked whenever some new tragedy strikes. Why does God allow bad things to happen in this world and to us? The answers offered go from one extreme to the other. Some have suggested that God can’t do anything to stop these tragedies, He feels just as bad about it as we do when these things happen. Others have taught that God uses all these things as a direct judgement on the people involved. The tidal waves wiped out those people and villages because they were so sinful. What does the Bible say about this, though? My opinion is not important, what is important is what God has said in the Bible. First, God is in complete control. 1 Chronicles 29:11, “Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty. For all that is in the heaven and in the earth, thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all.” God is head of all things, all events, all circumstances. Nothing happens that God has not first given the green light for it to occur. Second, this world is under a curse. Romans 8:22, “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.” Because of the effects of sin, the earth is under the curse of God and experiences great pain. Bad things happen as part of the general curse on sin. Lastly, God has a good purpose. That is hard to understand, especially when so many that are innocent die, but the Bible is very plain– God is good, and everything He does is for a good purpsoe. 1 John 4:8 says very simply, “God is love.” Not just that God loves, but God is love. God will never do anything that is unloving or unkind. Psalm 145:9, “The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works.” Though we don’’t know all the mind of God, we can know that all things that happen, God allows for a good reason. For those who have put their trust in Christ for salvation the Bible gives some very clear reasons for bad things. God allows these bad things to happen so that we can help others that later go through the same troubles. He allows these things so that we can be purified and made to look more like Jesus. He allows these things for our benefit, to teach us and help us be more Godly.
The Bible never promises that we will know all the reasons why bad things happen. The general answer to this question can be boiled down to a simple, I don’t know, but I do know this, God is good, God is in total control and all things that happen occur for a good reason.
Does the Bible talk about gambling?
The Bible talks about casting lots, however, that is not the same thing as gambling. Casting lots was a means used, primarily in the Old Testament, in decision making. ItGambling is the transfer of wealth from one person to another through the means of chance. The two are not the same, since in the first there is no money or valuables being offered up by the players to put at stake. Let me start by giving you a definition of gambling. In this definition and my answer to follow, I am indebted to another pastor, Phil Johnson, for his thoughtful work on this topic. Gambling is a game of chance played to win a prize that is obtained at another gamblers expense. You know how it works, two or more people put up money towards the outcome of a game. The winner collects all the money, the losers forfeit their money that they gambled. Does the Bible say anything about gambling? Not directly. There is no specific prohibition against gambling, nor is there any specific commentary on any people gambling. In fact, the closest thing we find to gambling even being referred to in the Bible is during Jesus’ crucifixion when the soldiers cast lots to see who would get Jesus’ robe. However, the Bible does speak to some things that usually motivate the gambler to risk his money.
Before I talk about what the Bible says, let me answer a couple common arguments regarding gambling. First, assuming risk is not the same as gambling. Risk is inherent in our life. We cannot avoid it. The moral issues in gambling do not arise because of the risk involved. In a gambling contest, the winners prize comes from those who lose. His increase is as a direct result of their loss. Consequently, investing in the stock market is not the same as gambling. When a stocks value increases, its increase benefits all the stockholders. One stockholder does not gain at the expense of the others. Instead, real wealth is created and all are benefited. Similarly, a farmer who plants a crop takes a risk. He could lose his crop all the money he has invested into it. However, if the farmers crops are successful he has increased at his own expense and no one else’s, real wealth has been added into the economy. In gambling, all that occurs is the transfer of assets from one hand to another, without adding any real wealth. One’s gains are provided by another’s losses. So what does the Bible say about this?
First, the Bible speaks to covetousness. Covetousness is the desire for someone else’s possessions. Gambling is the attempt to win someone else’s things. Many say they gamble just for the entertainment. If that’s true, why don’t they play for points instead of money? Would you spend an afternoon sitting at a slot machine if it cost you nothing and there was no prize money when you won? I venture to say the vast majority of those who say they gamble only for entertainment wouldn’t play the games if there was no money involved. The excitement and fun of gambling comes from the possibility of winning that which the others have put at stake. Make no mistake about this, when a gambler wins, he is winning from the other players. Even in a casino or a state funded lottery, the prize money is always put up by the other players. The house and the state never lose. The prize always comes out of the pockets of the players. The willingness to enter a game for the specific purpose of winning that which is someone else’s comes from a heart of covetousness. Covetousness is explicitly and repeatedly forbidden in the Bible. One of the ten commandments forbids the coveting of your neighbors goods. Colossians 3 and Ephesians 5 tell us that covetousness is idolatry. To covet another’s possessions is to worship a god other than the God of the Bible. To engage in a game for the specific intent of taking from someone else is nothing less than to covetousness and is forbidden by God.
Secondly, and very closely related to the first, the Bible warns about the love of money. 2 Timothy 6:10 warns that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Is there any doubt that most gambling is driven by a love of money? Does not the gambler enter into the game with the express goal of getting an abundance of cash? Does not the promise of large winnings drive one to take risks they would not otherwise take? A gambler is motivated by his love for money. God declares the love of money to be the root of all evil. From the gamblers money loving heart springs a plethora of wickedness. Gambling has long been associated with many other major vices, the devaluation of the home, the loss of work ethic and a general weakening of the community. Gambling is rooted in a love of money and it fuels a greater love for money. It is an accomplice to all kinds of evil. Jesus warned His disciples that it is impossible to serve both God and money. You will serve one or the other. No one who desires to avoid sin and to please and serve God will participate in that which aids and abets all kinds of wickedness and which prevents genuine service to God.
Covetousness and a love of money inevitably produce in a life a desire for quick gain. The Bible warns that the desire for easy money results in troubles and sin. Proverbs 15:27 says, “He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house.” Proverbs 28:20 says, “He that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent. Proverbs 28:22 says, “He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye.” 1 Timothy 6:9 says, “But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.” The lust for riches, especially easy money, is the way of foolishness, bringing with it sin and troubles. Instead, the Bible teaches that men are to labor diligently, providing for the needs of life through responsible work.
As I stated already, every single time someone gambles and wins, the winnings come from other gamblers. The gambler does not win at the expense of the house or the state. His winnings always comes from the other gamblers. Think for a moment about those who participate in gambling. Studies have shown that those in the lower income brackets are the ones who gamble the most. My personal experience is that the ones who do the most gambling are the ones who can afford it the least. Every time someone wins, the majority of the money they win has been put up by those who can ill afford to lose. The gamblers desire for gain has blinded him to the fact that he is participating in the “redistribution” of wealth from the poor into his own pocket. Proverbs 22:16 says, “He that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches shall surely come to want.” Even though they are voluntarily risking their money, the mutual consent does not eliminate or lessen the moral evil. When one does hurt to another person, the others agreement does not lessen culpability. As an analogy, if two men decided to go out to onto the highway and ram their cars into each other, their mutual consent will not lessen their responsibility for injury inflected on the other. Instead, there is the possibility of increased responsibility because they conspired together Rather than justifying the sin, now all parties are responsible for promoting and participating in it. The mutual consent in gambling does not lessen its moral evil. Gambling is nothing more than sanitized thievery, in which parties have agreed to allow their possessions to be taken by another, that is immoral and despicable.
When you play poker, why don’t you keep score to see who wins the most hands? Or trade worthless chips back and forth? Why do you play for money, even small amounts? While the Bible does not specifically prohibit gambling, it is definitively forbids the attitudes and desires that fuel much of gambling.
Justifying gambling by professing to help fund education or by promising to give a portion of it to a church or charity does not lessen it’s evil. Gambling, though not forbidden by name in the Bible, is a sin that violates several clear commands of God. The Bible clearly forbids the attitudes and desires that fuel much of gambling.
The Bible talks about casting lots, however, that is not the same thing as gambling. Casting lots was a means used, primarily in the Old Testament, in decision making. ItGambling is the transfer of wealth from one person to another through the means of chance. The two are not the same, since in the first there is no money or valuables being offered up by the players to put at stake. Let me start by giving you a definition of gambling. In this definition and my answer to follow, I am indebted to another pastor, Phil Johnson, for his thoughtful work on this topic. Gambling is a game of chance played to win a prize that is obtained at another gamblers expense. You know how it works, two or more people put up money towards the outcome of a game. The winner collects all the money, the losers forfeit their money that they gambled. Does the Bible say anything about gambling? Not directly. There is no specific prohibition against gambling, nor is there any specific commentary on any people gambling. In fact, the closest thing we find to gambling even being referred to in the Bible is during Jesus’ crucifixion when the soldiers cast lots to see who would get Jesus’ robe. However, the Bible does speak to some things that usually motivate the gambler to risk his money.
Before I talk about what the Bible says, let me answer a couple common arguments regarding gambling. First, assuming risk is not the same as gambling. Risk is inherent in our life. We cannot avoid it. The moral issues in gambling do not arise because of the risk involved. In a gambling contest, the winners prize comes from those who lose. His increase is as a direct result of their loss. Consequently, investing in the stock market is not the same as gambling. When a stocks value increases, its increase benefits all the stockholders. One stockholder does not gain at the expense of the others. Instead, real wealth is created and all are benefited. Similarly, a farmer who plants a crop takes a risk. He could lose his crop all the money he has invested into it. However, if the farmers crops are successful he has increased at his own expense and no one else’s, real wealth has been added into the economy. In gambling, all that occurs is the transfer of assets from one hand to another, without adding any real wealth. One’s gains are provided by another’s losses. So what does the Bible say about this?
First, the Bible speaks to covetousness. Covetousness is the desire for someone else’s possessions. Gambling is the attempt to win someone else’s things. Many say they gamble just for the entertainment. If that’s true, why don’t they play for points instead of money? Would you spend an afternoon sitting at a slot machine if it cost you nothing and there was no prize money when you won? I venture to say the vast majority of those who say they gamble only for entertainment wouldn’t play the games if there was no money involved. The excitement and fun of gambling comes from the possibility of winning that which the others have put at stake. Make no mistake about this, when a gambler wins, he is winning from the other players. Even in a casino or a state funded lottery, the prize money is always put up by the other players. The house and the state never lose. The prize always comes out of the pockets of the players. The willingness to enter a game for the specific purpose of winning that which is someone else’s comes from a heart of covetousness. Covetousness is explicitly and repeatedly forbidden in the Bible. One of the ten commandments forbids the coveting of your neighbors goods. Colossians 3 and Ephesians 5 tell us that covetousness is idolatry. To covet another’s possessions is to worship a god other than the God of the Bible. To engage in a game for the specific intent of taking from someone else is nothing less than to covetousness and is forbidden by God.
Secondly, and very closely related to the first, the Bible warns about the love of money. 2 Timothy 6:10 warns that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Is there any doubt that most gambling is driven by a love of money? Does not the gambler enter into the game with the express goal of getting an abundance of cash? Does not the promise of large winnings drive one to take risks they would not otherwise take? A gambler is motivated by his love for money. God declares the love of money to be the root of all evil. From the gamblers money loving heart springs a plethora of wickedness. Gambling has long been associated with many other major vices, the devaluation of the home, the loss of work ethic and a general weakening of the community. Gambling is rooted in a love of money and it fuels a greater love for money. It is an accomplice to all kinds of evil. Jesus warned His disciples that it is impossible to serve both God and money. You will serve one or the other. No one who desires to avoid sin and to please and serve God will participate in that which aids and abets all kinds of wickedness and which prevents genuine service to God.
Covetousness and a love of money inevitably produce in a life a desire for quick gain. The Bible warns that the desire for easy money results in troubles and sin. Proverbs 15:27 says, “He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house.” Proverbs 28:20 says, “He that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent. Proverbs 28:22 says, “He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye.” 1 Timothy 6:9 says, “But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.” The lust for riches, especially easy money, is the way of foolishness, bringing with it sin and troubles. Instead, the Bible teaches that men are to labor diligently, providing for the needs of life through responsible work.
As I stated already, every single time someone gambles and wins, the winnings come from other gamblers. The gambler does not win at the expense of the house or the state. His winnings always comes from the other gamblers. Think for a moment about those who participate in gambling. Studies have shown that those in the lower income brackets are the ones who gamble the most. My personal experience is that the ones who do the most gambling are the ones who can afford it the least. Every time someone wins, the majority of the money they win has been put up by those who can ill afford to lose. The gamblers desire for gain has blinded him to the fact that he is participating in the “redistribution” of wealth from the poor into his own pocket. Proverbs 22:16 says, “He that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches shall surely come to want.” Even though they are voluntarily risking their money, the mutual consent does not eliminate or lessen the moral evil. When one does hurt to another person, the others agreement does not lessen culpability. As an analogy, if two men decided to go out to onto the highway and ram their cars into each other, their mutual consent will not lessen their responsibility for injury inflected on the other. Instead, there is the possibility of increased responsibility because they conspired together Rather than justifying the sin, now all parties are responsible for promoting and participating in it. The mutual consent in gambling does not lessen its moral evil. Gambling is nothing more than sanitized thievery, in which parties have agreed to allow their possessions to be taken by another, that is immoral and despicable.
When you play poker, why don’t you keep score to see who wins the most hands? Or trade worthless chips back and forth? Why do you play for money, even small amounts? While the Bible does not specifically prohibit gambling, it is definitively forbids the attitudes and desires that fuel much of gambling.
Justifying gambling by professing to help fund education or by promising to give a portion of it to a church or charity does not lessen it’s evil. Gambling, though not forbidden by name in the Bible, is a sin that violates several clear commands of God. The Bible clearly forbids the attitudes and desires that fuel much of gambling.
Everlasting Truths 