Q&As

Ephesians 4:29 says “Don’t let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth…” Is the usage of slang words like “gosh” and “gee” unwholesome, or is it profanity (Exodus 20:7)?… Read More

In 1 John 5:16-17, the author writes that there are some sins that lead to death and others that do not. I have always believed that all sin – any… Read More

Were Adam and Eve the only humans God (personally directly) created? Cain went out a got a wife later he built a city etc. Where did these people come from?… Read More

Who were the Nephilim? The term literally means "the fallen ones." Some say they were a race of giants, the offspring of angels and women, to which Goliath and Lahmi… Read More

It would be great if Dr. Jacoby could recommend a book or commentary or two on each book in the Bible, plus some general dictionaries, etc. There are so many… Read More

We know from 1 Peter 2 that all Christians have come into the light from the darkness. At what point does a child enter into darkness? If it is at… Read More

Can you recommend a book of the history of the Bible? I mean how it was decided which books and letters were the Bible? How do I know which scriptures (like… Read More

One time I stopped and was talking to a girl taking some philosophy and religion courses at the University of Calgary. She’s studying the first century church and doubts the… Read More

What are the specific reasons (e.g. scriptural contradictions) that we can cite from Scripture or other sources, that show that the Apocrypha is not inspired by the Holy Spirit? Again,… Read More

What has always puzzled me is the salvation of the righteous under the old covenant. How were Moses Abraham David et al. forgiven? If through faith in Christ looking forward… Read More

How can I help my Hindu friend see the way Christianity builds on top of the foundational truths that most religions share? [Condensation of longer question] — Dave McKay (Bloomington,… Read More

Associate Professor Zeev Herzog (Tel-Aviv University, Department of Archaeology & Near Eastern Studies) wrote an article in the renowned Ha’aretz magazine on Oct 29, 1999. I would like to know… Read More

Can you suggest some good study material for events that happened in the first century that are not recorded in the Bible. i.e. Destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem, Paul’s… Read More

What is the truth behind the 4th Commandment on the Sabbath? If Saturday is the 7th day, and the Sabbath, why do we not worship on Saturday? If we observe… Read More

When the New Testament talks about what happens and explains people’s heart and motives is it because that a disciple was there with them or what? For example take Matthew… Read More

I have always been troubled by Acts 8:14-19. One explanation I have been told is that the Holy Spirit discussed here means only the miraculous gifts of the Spirit, and… Read More

In Acts 15:9, in referring to Cornelius, Peter said that God "purified their hearts by faith." No one has ever used that scripture with me to justify forgiveness of sins… Read More

You said on page 212 of The Spirit that Ananias laid his hands on Paul so that he would receive his sight, but Acts 9:17 also says "and be filled… Read More

Was Paul’s apostleship a special version? How did he get it? Paul was not one of the original 12 disciples of Christ, a fact his critics made much of. Yes,… Read More

Does the prophecy Joel spoke of indicate preaching, or an infallible doctrinal gift? The nature of the prophecy Joel spoke of (Joel 2:28-32) is neither. Certainly it seems to have… Read More

Is "they" in Acts 2:1 referring to the twelve apostles, or the hundred and twenty? I believe the group are the apostles — all are Galileans, after all, according to… Read More

Hi Doug, could you tell me, What is your understanding of metaphysics, and how would you study the Bible with someone who believes in it? — Vicente Lopez(Washington DC) Metaphysics,… Read More

What was Paul referring to about the baptism for the dead? What are your thoughts and what do you know about it?–Thomas, as well as Ben (Hilo, Hawaii), and John… Read More

He oído que predicó acerca del fruto de Juan 15 que se refiere a la Gran y de los frutos del espíritu, el fruto de Juan 15 se refiere al… Read More

On page 122 of [James, Peter, John, Jude], you said that angels are “never described as having wings,” and yet Isaiah 6:2 describes the seraphs as having six wings. Were… Read More

What is the explanation for Judas hanging himself (Matthew 27:5) to falling headfirst and his intestines falling out (Acts 1:18)? I suppose it might be decomposition for the guts part,… Read More

Matthew and Mark describe the calling of the first disciples in similar accounts. Would Luke be considered a more descriptive version of those accounts? Would John’s account be considered to… Read More

Who incited David to take the census? 2 Samuel says God incited David, and 1 Chronicles says Satan incited David. This question is related to 0022, as I read the… Read More

How are we to understand God’s hardening Pharaoh’s heart? I believe when you go back to Exodus you will see that in some passages it says God hardened his heart,… Read More

Deseo oír tu visión con respecto a lo que sucede cuando morimos. He estudiado algunos temas por mi propia cuenta y he concluido que entramos a un estado de sueño o… Read More

Who are the fundamentalists? What do they stand for? As far as I can judge, fundamentalists are Bible believers who: * Hold a high view of Christ and scripture, *… Read More

I would like to find out the explanation to the scripture in Peter where it mentions Jesus, after he was crucified, “preaching to the spirits in prison.” We understand that… Read More

Isn’t Psalm 137:9 a little harsh? This is the only verse in the bible that in my view, does not seem to describe God’s heart as I have known it…. Read More

How do you interpret John 1:48? My wife and I got a chance to see a fig tree in the Atlanta Botanical Gardens once. It is an interesting tree in… Read More

In Matthew 17:27, Jesus gives instructions to Peter to go fish for the temple tax, and give it so as “not to offend” the Pharisees. But Jesus was not one… Read More

Many theologians, from what I have heard, have gone as far to say that Melchizedek may have actually been Jesus. Can you shed any light on this subject for me?… Read More

Would you please explain what Jesus meant in Luke 7:28? Jesus says, “I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John, yet the one… Read More

In Matthew 17:10-12 Jesus alludes to the fact that John the Baptist was the Elijah to come, yet in John 1:21 John the Baptist denies it. Is this because in… Read More

Have you always been supportive of Christian women preaching? If you’re interested, here’s a paper I wrote in 1990. Yes, my views have shifted since that time. Today I see no problem with… Read More

How can we as Bible students tell the difference between characters in the Bible with the same first name? For example, James the brother of Jesus and James the brother… Read More

What was the Leviathan, and is it significant? (Some say crocodile, I’m not so sure.)—Ric (Boston) Right, Ric, croc it is! Or, better said, the crocodile is a sort of… Read More

May I offer all readers some general advice on finding answers to your Bible questions: * Try to figure out the difficulty or question yourself using whatever Bible tools you… Read More

In Daniel 12:11-12, it says: “From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. Blessed is… Read More

In Luke 24:46, Jesus tells the disciples that it is written that ‘The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day.’ The only OT scripture I… Read More

Can you recommend reading material about ‘Trinity’ theology? — Joel Hughes, Triangle, North Carolina Many works – thousands of pages! – have been written about the Trinity. Because this is… Read More

What evidence proves the falseness of the Muslim faith? — Mitchell, Boston, Massachusetts Rather than aim to demonstrate the error of other religions, denominations, or sects, Christians are called to… Read More

I have always had some questions about Acts 2:42. The question I have is whether “devoting themselves to the breaking of the bread” is referring to eating meals with each… Read More

On the one hand, the Bible urges Christians to be fully confident that we are saved, and on the other, to work out our salvation with “fear and trembling.” Yet… Read More

I was taught that in Luke 14:26 the Greek word for hate means “love less,” and that is what I have taught others. To my surprise, when I looked it… Read More

I am concerned with the question of veiling. Why are Christian sisters today not veiled per 1 Corinthians 11:6? — Troy Hannon (Philadelphia) and Stephanie Collins (Cincinnati) Most Christians interpret… Read More

Unos años atras, usted escribió en su serie del antiguo testamento en el nuevo testamento (“la Biblia bajo prueba”, en www.acesonline.org (un sitio antiguo) ” … recuerdo que a menudo… Read More

A few years ago, you wrote in your online series about the use of the OT in the NT (“The Bible on Trial,” at www.Acesonline.org [old website]) “… remember that… Read More