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Biblical Languages, Texts and Translations XIV

[posted 5/10/25]

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Question #1: 

Hi Dr. Luginbill,

Hope you and yours are well and happy!

I came across the Apocrypha, Sea Scrolls and some others…. It’s a wonder a believer can stay strong when men tamper, change and pollute it!!

When saw this : In the Son, God made heaven and earth…. It brought it home for me… don’t know if it SHOULD be written that way, but to me it certainly makes much more sense…

Early Christians had talked about The Dispute of Jason and Papiscus. It had strange interpretations of the Old Testament books, which it said were “allegorical.” Verses were quoted—but they were different.

At Genesis 1:1, we’d expect “In the beginning, God made heaven and earth,” but Jason and Papiscus had this instead:

“In the son, God made heaven and earth.”

Just needed somebody to share that thought with…

In the name Yeshua

Response #1:

Good to hear from you! How are you getting on?

As to your question, well, even a broken clock is right twice a day. If you read enough apocryphal and pseudepigraphal material, you might just bump into something that makes sense (or is at least not totally wrong). Jerome said that reading the apocrypha was like "looking for gold nuggets in the mud". There are better places to look – like the actual Bible.

(1) God, from antiquity communicated to our fathers in the prophets at many times and in many ways, (2) [but now] in these last days He has communicated to us in a Son, [the One] whom He has appointed heir of all things, [the One] through whom He created the universe (i.e., time-space).
Hebrews 1:1-2

Yes, Jesus Christ created the world – but that is clearly stated in the New Testament (e.g., Jn.1:3; 1Cor.8:6; Col.1:16-17; Heb.1:2). So this quote is just an interpretation based upon what the Bible clearly states elsewhere.

However, as to "what it SHOULD say", that is where the bigger problem with this quote and the mindset it betrays lies. The Bible says what it says wherever it says it for a reason. Reason enough right there to give all apocrypha, pseudepigrapha, theosophy and anything new age a very wide berth.

To respond to the statement itself, in Old Testament times, people were not yet ready for a full-throated explanation of the Trinity – even though it is clearly there, even in Genesis (i.e., "Let US make man in our image"). But after the gift of the Spirit following our Lord's victory on the cross, it was possible to explain many things which had been only adumbrated in the past. That is all part of God's perfect plan of revelation.

Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.
1st Peter 1:10-12 NIV

Here are some links:

Is there any value to the Apocrypha?

The Bible and the Canon: The Inspired Word of God II

The Bible and the Canon: The Inspired Word of God IV

In Jesus,

Bob L.

Question #2:

On Sunday at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, our priest held a meeting after the service for those who are planning on continuing Bible study. She wants us to read the Gospel of St. Thomas. She had 4 versions of this gospel for us to take a look at. I was going to order The Gospel of St. Thomas: Wisdom of the Twin by Lynn Bauman. I found it on Amazon, but it was $499. That is not a typo. There were a fair number of texts of the Gospel of St. Thomas to choose from. But I am mystified as to what to pick.

Response #2:

On the so-called "Gospel of Thomas", I couldn't recommend spending any time on it. This is part of a genre of literature known as "pseudipigrapha"; this particular work was found at Nag Hammadi and is Gnostic in its approach. About the only thing we can say for certain about it is that it has nothing to do with Thomas – or the actual gospel (as is true of all such fictional creations). So I wouldn't spend 49 cents on it – let alone $499!

Here's something I wrote about this in the past:

There is a "gospel of Thomas", but it is not a canonical work (i.e., it is fiction, and most definitely not an inspired part of the Word of God). The only reference to an English translation I can give you is A. Guillaumont et al., "The Gospel according to Thomas" (1959), which is probably out of print, but there are no doubt more popular versions floating around. I would check a good reference library (you should do so "on-line" before running over somewhere out of the way only to find they don't have it or it's checked out).

It was very common in the ancient world to "make up" works by famous people who were otherwise without "corpus" (i.e., a "body" of material written by them). As one of the disciples, Thomas was a perfect candidate for a late work of fiction such as this "gospel" is. Good articles with bibliography can be found in the Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church and the Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible (both sub voce "Thomas"). Again, as interesting as this sort of material is (it's generally called "Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha", consisting mainly of apocalyptic and pseudepigraphical material), it is very important to remember that this sort of thing has nothing to do with Jesus or His Word.

In Jesus,

Bob L.

Question #3:

Hello Dr. Luginbill,

The Orthodox Study Bible: Is the above Bible a good Bible to study with or?

Thanks for your comments and observations of this study Bible, whether Excellent, good, not good, or bad?

Thanks for your opinion and remarks.

Blessings to you always,

Your friend,

Response #3:

I've not used it but from what I can see of the preview I couldn't recommend it. The "Orthodox" here is referring to the Greek Orthodox church. This particular Bible you ask about has liturgy from that church and quotations from the church fathers which accord with their teachings. I have known individuals from this church who were upstanding individuals (same goes from RCs), but the religion itself, similar to the RC church, is focused on the past and tradition (icons, rituals, and writings other than scripture), so any study Bible they produced would have to suffer from their assumptions.

Also, the Greek Orthodox church uses the Septuagint as their Old Testament, not the Hebrew Masoretic text, so there would be many places where the translation seems wrong or odd . . . because it is. The LXX has many places where it diverges from the Hebrew text significantly.

In Jesus,

Bob L.

Question #4:

Question about the CES version. I have so many books in my library but I noticed this one that I bought some time back, when I forget. But, the reason I am writing is to get your opinion of this Contemporary English Version. I finally opened this morning, why I don't know, but I read the first several verse in The Gospel of John, chapter 1.

1. John 1:1-5 CES version.
1In the beginning was the one
who is called the Word.
The Word was with God
and was truly God.
2From the very beginning
the Word was with God.
3And with this Word,
God created all things.
Nothing was made
without the Word.
Everything that was created
4received its life from him,
and his life gave light
to everyone.
5The light keeps shining
in the dark,
and darkness has never
put it out.+

I sure would like your opinion of this particular translation. It seems to be an easier translation to read, especially for a new believer??

Thanks so much for your opinion.

Please let me know if their are any things to look out for.

Blessings be with you on this special remembrance of the One who died for our sins, and gave us eternal life. This is Easter; it should be "Resurrection", not Easter. My opinion.

Your friend,

Response #4:

I've never used this version. From the passage you include here, it seems to be something along the lines of the NLT. That is to say, an interpretive translation. These are indeed easier to read, but instead of "studied ambiguity" for the which the KJV is notable, they "tell you what it means". That is great . . . if they are right. So in verse five, for example, they have "the darkness has never put it out". This could conceivably be what katalambano means here, but there is no "never". More likely, the KJV is correct with it's "the darkness comprehended it not".

I'm all for believers reading multiple versions. If they did, they would have questions about passages such as this they didn't know they had before . . . and perhaps be motivated to expose themselves to some good Bible teaching.

Happy Easter to you and yours too, my friend! I'm not much on holidays (since we've been liberated from all that: Gal.4:9-11; Col.2:16-17). I remember the Lord and the cross every day.

In Jesus,

Bob L.

Question #5:

Hello Dr. Luginbill,

I just wanted to share the happy news of me purchasing the 1984 NIV

Stewardship study Bible. Through numerous emails I read , you suggest this version and how rare it is. I was talking to the owner of the Lighthouse Book store about them being obsolete, and he was telling me what a mistake they made changing it. Then he said he was cleaning up inventory and ran across one. So I bought it. I can’t wait to gloss over it.

I spend most of my time reading and studying the Revelations series of yours. I love how you tie it all in with the books of the Old Testament. Your commentary of the Bible is so accurate. I thank God for the work and devotion you put into making sure we know the truth. Also for answering questions we have.

Again thank you and may God continue to bless you

Response #5:

Congratulations!

Yes, it's becoming an ever more difficult Bible to find, but there are still some out there. Kudos to you for putting in the effort and finding one. I do enjoy that version. It's not perfect (NKJV is more accurate in many places) but it is very readable.

And thank you so much for your kind and encouraging words!

Keeping you in my prayers, my friend.

In Jesus,

Bob L.

Question #6:

Hey Bob, what do you think about the Christian Standard Bible? We moved to Florida and are trying out new churches. The pastor of the most recent church we are looking into uses it for his sermons. The CSB website said it uses "optimal equivalence" which it says produces linguistic and readability. Is it a reliable translation? Have you met any of its translators personally? On a side note, this is our second visit here and he started his verse by verse on James today. I’ll be interested to see how his teaching matches up with your thoughts as well as mine from our last discussion a few weeks ago.

Response #6:

I have used the CSB from time to time, but I've never read through the whole thing. It would take many hours to do a fair evaluation. I can only say that I didn't find it "noticeably objectionable" when I have used it. All translations are, by their very nature, imperfect. I always tell believers to consult multiple translations whenever they find something "surprising" whether it encourages them or upsets them. Also, since it is very rare for one person to be qualified to translate the whole Bible (and since that would take decades at least), just as with the KJV, the standard practice is to farm out chapters and even parts of chapters to different translators. As a result, a version could be good in Galatians, mediocre in Ephesians, and poor in Philippians. Also, it is not uncommon for one verse/paragraph to be exceptionally well rendered but followed by another which is problematic. I consult directly the Greek and the Hebrew (and the Aramaic) when I do my own translating.

Re: "Have you met any of its translators personally?" As with the KJV, the standard practice is for the producers of the version NOT to let anyone know who has translated what. So unless one knows someone personally and has been told on the Q.T. that said person is part of the team, the team is usually anonymous (one of my seminary professors was involved with NASB but he didn't tell us which part[s]). All of the translations at Ichthys are done by me (see the link), but my objective in providing them is to communicate what they actually say and mean rather than to produce a "readable" Bible translation (as anyone accessing Ichthys finds out pretty quick, my translations do not "sing" – but I do hope they illuminate the truth).

Best wishes finding a church that teaches the truth sufficiently to grow. If you do, that will be an unusual blessing in this day and age.

In Jesus,

Bob L.

Question #7:

Thanks Bob. Glad to hear you haven’t seen anything glaringly wrong with it. I did see on the CSB website they named a team of 10 people involved, although it didn’t mention which parts they worked on. That's interesting that different translators work in different chapters. I didn’t realize that. Thanks for the wishes. We’re currently trying out our 4th church now and it’s our favorite so far. Take care.

Response #7:

That's a very small number of individuals to do the entire Bible. KJV had 47 scholars, I believe, and it still took them some time. Makes me wonder how much of CSB was originally translated from Greek and Hebrew vs. how much was just a "check and modification" on a synopsis of other English versions. Translators don't "start from nothing". That was true of the KJV as well which owes much to Wycliffe's version and of course to the Latin Vulgate, e.g.

In Jesus,

Bob L.

Question #8:

Ok. So the CSB is actually an update of the Holman Christian Standard Bible which had 100 translators. This is what it said about what manuscripts it used.

The textual base for the New Testament is the Nestle-Aland Novum Testamentum Graece, 28th edition, and the United Bible Societies’ Greek New Testament, 5th corrected edition. The text for the Old Testament is the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4th edition. Where there are significant differences among Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek manuscripts, the translators follow what they believe is the original reading and indicate the main alternative(s) in footnotes.

Response #8:

Interesting.

Re: "The textual base for the New Testament . . . etc." – they all say this sort of thing, but the proof is in the pudding, i.e., what the translators do with these critical editions we all use (for the most part; see the link).

If I were really bound to look into this question, I would try to find out the organizational affiliation of CSB and then compare the update to the original. Otherwise, the update has probably been done for economic reasons, i.e., having gotten blow-back for something or other and wanting to make their product less offensive. It would be interesting to have a list of changes and compare the two – that would be very revealing (but my guess is that such a list is hard to come by).

By way of comparison, the new NIV as opposed to the original 1984 NIV did just that. Here's an example:

"And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven."
Matthew 12:31 NIV 1984

"And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven"
Matthew 12:31 NIV (new)

In Jesus,

Bob L.

Question #9:

Re:  Paul's Epistle to the Hebrews by Dr. Robert D. Luginbill

In your introduction here you mention "a new translation of the book".

Is this available in book form?

Response #9:

Good to hear from you, my friend.

The "book" is the "book of Hebrews" which I'm translating as I produce each chapter (here's a link to the list of translations from Hebrews so far at Ichthys).

None of the materials posted to Ichthys are available for purchase, but I have no problem with readers printing these studies off or out for themselves. Pertinent links on that:

FAQ# 1. Books: Are these studies available in printed format?

FAQ# 18. Use Policy: How may I use the materials found at Ichthys?

In Jesus,

Bob L.

Question #10:

Hi Bob,

[omitted]

I wanted to ask you something, Bob. I have a pretty good NKJV study Bible but how useful would you say Bible handbooks and dictionaries are? Just something I was thinking about the last couple of days.

Thanks Bob and take care.

In Jesus

Response #10:

Happy to hear all this.

Bible dictionaries and Bible handbooks are similar; the former is usually organized alphabetically, the latter often thematically. They are as good as the person(s) who wrote them.

Generally speaking, if you want to know something like who Nebuchadnezzar was and when he reigned they are pretty good (the good ones, anyway). If you want to know about the doctrine of kenosis or anything doctrinal you won't get much help (and can get many a "bum steer"). Halley's handbook isn't too bad; Smith's Bible Dictionary and also Unger's are OK (but, for example, in the case of the latter, many of the articles are written not by him but by different individuals and some of them know what they are talking about more or less but others do not). Bible encyclopedias are "more of the same" only more extensive (i.e., longer with more entries); the ISBE is the best of the lot there though it suffers from all of the problems above (many authors).

Which NKJV SB do you have? I have a Ryrie's (not very valuable); the Kenneth Barker SB's of whatever version are better.

Keeping you and your family in my prayers daily – thanks for yours too, my friend.

In Jesus,

Bob L.

Question #11:

[omitted]

I really appreciate all the info on Bible handbooks etc. and the links you gave me are very helpful. The NKJV study Bible I have is one I bought when I first came back to the Lord. It's just one from Thomas Nelson - a full colour edition. Then I found Ichthys and I always took note when you mentioned people like Kenneth Barker. I'm sure something of his would be better than what I have.

You hear of so many resources out there but I'm not sure how useful a lot of it would be. As you say, I guess it depends what you're looking for. I wonder whether some Christians buy a lot of books but get bogged down with it all and end up wasting their time and money. I don't mean to sound negative - I just have a feeling that's a possibility. But it's great that there's free stuff online. I have no problems when it comes to things like kenosis. I have all the teaching I need on that at Ichthys! I'm very thankful to the Lord for Ichthys and Bible Academy too.

Thanks again, Bob!

In Jesus

Response #11:

[omitted]

Sorry to hear that you're a bit off, but I'm glad it wasn't enough to ruin things. Make sure you get some rest. Same plan here (food poisoning made for a rough night but I'm better today and looking forward to being done with the week tomorrow).

I did an exercise for my upper level Latin class (Martial's epigrams this spring). Got on ChatGPT and told it to "Write a poem in Latin elegaic couplets about the death of a charioteer in the style of the Roman poet, Martial." And what do you know? In thirty seconds it produced a five stanza, metrical poem in Latin which is not at all bad! It even has some interesting alliteration in the last two lines. It made a couple of mistakes trying to get too cute with the Latin, but this is pretty scary – all of the lines scanned metrically. The mistakes it made were the sort that an English speaker would make through thinking in English and using a Latin dictionary to come up with the text he/she wanted.

Re: "I wonder whether some Christians buy a lot of books but get bogged down with it all and end up wasting their time and money." No doubt! It took me a long time to figure out that there is nothing much of at useful in 99% of commentaries, e.g. The only ones that tend to be valuable at all are ones written in the last century when commentators had a workman-like knowledge of the language and before all these (false) pet theories of composition surfaced (link). If I could sell back most of my books at ten cents on the dollar I would jump at the chance! Some things ARE valuable: dictionaries, lexicons, some history books (but where the Bible is concerned even here there is a lot of chaff), some Bible dictionaries and encyclopedias along with other reference books, and there are a few commentaries which have a small amount of value (Keil and Delitzsch for the OT, e.g.). Today, of course, there is so much available online that most of the "good stuff" can be found on the computer without paying a fortune and weighing down the old shelves even more (as in the example given).

Thanks for the good words!

In Jesus,

Bob L.

Question #12:

Thank you, Bob! It's good to know you're feeling better now. Food poisoning is very nasty.

The ChatGPT poem sounds very impressive (and scary). I read that ChatGPT has ingested huge troves of written works to give its answers. Makes me think about how rapidly technology is advancing and that it's not always a good thing. I wonder what role it might play in the Tribulation. I'm not sure how I just switched from the Roman poet, Martial to the Tribulation! I guess the future events are always there in my mind. It did get me reading some of Martial's poetry this morning though. You got me researching! I'd never heard of him before.

I don't feel that I can trust most commentaries because I trust what you say about them. You've saved me a lot of time figuring that out first. I don't see the point of reading them if a lot of what they say is off. I do have Unger's OT commentary but that's only because you said it was an OK one. The little I have read from it has been helpful. Wouldn't it be so much easier if they all got it right? But I'm thankful to have you to help me along.

I think we're very privileged to have so many translations of the Bible and tools for Bible study. I do appreciate it but at the same time sometimes I can feel overwhelmed by it. It would be easy to go off on a tangent, so I think it's good to be focused on your own growth/study plan and not get too distracted by everything else that's out there. Am I making any sense there, Bob?

Anyway, I'm feeling better than I was yesterday too. And today has been a beautiful sunny day. And it's the weekend! Hope you have a great one!

In Jesus

Response #12:

When I showed this to my class, we saw that one of the mistakes was particularly interesting. It confused "blow" as noun (i.e., the "blows of whips") with the verb "blow" (which in Latin looks nothing like the noun; different roots). I.e., this is a mistake an English speaker would make. When I plugged this line into Google translate, it "understood it" just in the way ChatGPT did. That means that this AI, anyway, is really functioning in English. But, very scarily, . . . is also apparently "talking" to other AIs. And they are confirming each others mistakes. That sounds like end-times stuff to me too.

Unger is much better than most. I rarely find him completely wrong; although there are plenty of times he doesn't tell me what I'd like to know (understandable in a commentary trying to cover the entire OT).

I'm glad you're feeling better! So am I . . . especially now that it's Friday evening.

Have a great weekend.

In Jesus,

Bob L.

Question #13:

Hi Bob,

Just wanted to say how much I appreciate you and how much your ministry has helped, nourished and blessed me! I couldn't imagine going through all these steep learning curve years on the edge of Tribulation in the wilderness without it! I have also been very blessed all these years through your tireless support, friendship and fellowship!

I don't tell you as often as I should but I really do appreciate your fight for the truth and unwillingness to compromise in these late innings. I know this couldn't have been easy for you in these Laodicean times but we all have benefitted enormously from your dedication to serving us and the Lord in truth.

Look forward to cheering you on when you are given a great reward from the Lord Himself!

Marana-tha!
p.s., Just thought you would want to know: I know on your site you have a link to Scourby.com (audio files of Alexander Scourby reading the KJV version) which then links to the Scourby YouTube channel...the problem is that this channel promotes the Apocrypha and the Book of Enoch as well. I noticed before they also promoted in their videos iconography of Mary as the "Queen of heaven" and Eastern Orthodox iconography of Jesus too. It is becoming a bit of a mess that channel now. Don't know how you still feel about it? Don't know if you would still recommend it or with a disclaimer/warning? There is another website that has all the Scourby recordings from the Bible though not sure if they have the permission to host the recordings and it is a Baptist site so it will obviously have its own problems too (also linking to another ministry who I have not vetted).
https://earnestlycontendingforthefaith.com/ListenToTheKingJamesBible.html
I know now which books to listen to and what to avoid though I realise that other believers may be confused which texts are part of the canon. Thought you would appreciate the heads up!

Response #13:

Thanks awfully for the encouraging words, my friend! I'm gratified . . . but even more happy to see you recovering in all ways and being joyous yourself. Keeping up the prayer!

Thanks for the heads-up on Scourby. I did a universal replace of the .com link with the one you suggested. Much appreciated. We don't want to be a part of anyone being led astray in any way.

Got through the week! Thanks for the prayers.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend, my friend!

In Jesus,

Bob L.

Question #14:

Thanks Bob,

I got my joy back and my first love which is very important! There's a lot of juggling to do as a believer as we need to be moving forward and doing well on multiple fronts at the same time in this battle. I regrouped and now am moving forward again.

I needed to add that the link I sent you, although it isn't pushing the same huge errors as the Scourby one, it still has problems of its own. I guess this will be an increasing problem with linking to external material, there always seems to be compromises on the truth one way or another. There is no wild teachings on there (like promoting non-canonical/Gnostic texts) but it has all the usual errors that comes from the Laodicean church visible that are typical from a Baptist denomination.

Managed to have a more detailed read over the 'contending the faith' site I sent you and can summarise their declaration of faith and list where they clash with your own ministry...

• Believes in continuation of five fold ministry
• OSAS
• That our Lord shed His blood
• Hold to water baptism
• Hold to pre-trib rapture
• Reject the gap theory
• Believe life begins at conception
• Encourages tithing
• Emphasis on 'soul winning' to the exclusion of everything else
• Over emphasis on social debates such as abortion and LGBTQ
• King James only-ist

I will leave it to you to decide whether this is a good substitute for the Scourby.com link or not. It's hard to gauge which false teaching is worse. You might prefer to actually use this link now though instead. It is to the Internet Archive and has the Scourby files how they used to be without weird iconography or links to non-canonical books.
https://archive.org/details/19-psalms-in-audio-with-chapters-from-the-kjv-of-the-bible._202212/36+Zephaniah+in+audio+with+chapters+from+the+KJV+of+the+bible..mp4
Sorry to not research the other one fully first before recommending it. I only listened to the audio on there myself but realise how things have to be thoroughly vetted before passing them on in case they have snares or stumbling blocks which may trip up those young to faith. Sometimes vetting things can take considerable time and reading before they get the seal of approval! Such is these perilous Laodicean times!

In Jesus,

Response #14:

I'm very happy to hear that you are doing well spiritually again, my friend! That is a real answer to prayer. Praying also for your physical healing in all things.

On the new link, I looked at this newest one and it's pretty problematic as to actually finding and then using something (also a long load time).

It pretty much goes without saying that websites other than the one I'm in control of will have things we disagree with. The first link was over the top and I also didn't notice the problems with #2. But on the grounds that Ichthys users will tend to have some spiritual common sense on the one hand, and that the objective here is to be able to listen to S's recordings on the other, I'll keep the new link #2 as is – but thanks for all the digging! Anyone wondering about some ministry or site or book could do a lot worse than running it by you first! That definitely bodes very well for your own soon-to-be revealed ministry, my friend.

Keeping you and yours in my daily prayers.

In Jesus,

Bob L.

Question #15:

Hey Dr. Luginbill,

[omitted]

Glad to hear about the new semester! I don't know why I never asked this before but the Greek you teach; it is basically the same as biblical Greek correct (the type in which Scripture was written)? I understand there is koine and then another type(?) but never took the time to investigate as to the differences between those types (You'll have to enlighten me). My father knows about your career (I've told him a little about you over the years) and was interested to know what type you teach.

Sorry if it sounds like a silly question. I just never thought about it before.

In Christ,

Response #15:

Thanks for the info. Sounds like if you shadowed someone doing the job a few times you'd be good to go pretty quick.

As to Greek, no need to apologize as this is a very common misconception, deliberately perpetuated by seminaries et al. because of selfish reasons (if you ask me).

Greek is Greek, from 800 B.C. to 500 or so A.D., and even after that the language is essentially the same . . . Byzantine Greek . . . until the Turkish conquest. Academic Greek then had to go underground and so the "demotic" or people's language became divorced from reading and writing and so skidded into what today is "Modern Greek". However, even so, Modern Greek is much closer to ancient Greek than modern day English is to Old English – and it's a difference of 28 centuries or so instead of seven or eight. This remarkable staying power and consistency of the language has to do with the root-based nature of Greek which makes it much less susceptible to change in terms of individual words, but even so, losing reading and writing messed with the cases and verb system quite a bit.

Long story short, if you can read Plato, you can read the New Testament without any trouble. The reverse is not necessarily the case because the NT is much easier to read than the classics of the 4/5 cent. B.C. Loose analogy: reading the newspaper vs. reading Shakespeare. If you can read the latter, you can read the former, but if your English is minimal and you've never had a formal education, or if English is your second language, then reading Shakespeare can be a bit of a challenge – but it is the same language. "Koine" means "common" and this is a distinction biblical scholars fostered after WWII in order to give credence to false theories of NT interpretation (see the link); if it's a different language than classical Greek, then we can look at the NT in a whole new way (wrong).

Conservative seminaries picked up on this because it absolved them and their students from actually learning real Greek. This has contributed to the very sloppy scholarship that characterizes things today and also to the myopic and subjective treatment of the NT we find in evangelical circles – as if the Bible were created in a cultural vacuum. Sort of like being interested in Dickens as a non-English speaker and only ever reading Dickens – as if considering any other works in English were somehow unnecessary to understanding Dickens. But to say that Dickens is so special that all other English is essentially a different language and that those who learn English outside of Dickens can't really understand Dickens would be monumentally nuts. But that is what a lot of people say about Koine (by which really they mean the NT since that is the only thing they ever deal with – I would say "read" but most of these people can't really "read it" like we would read a work in English).

Anyway, I'd be happy to answer any specific questions about this that you and your dad may have. Here's one link which may prove helpful: Koine vs. Classical Greek

In Jesus,

Bob L.

Question #16:

Hey Dr. Luginbill,

Sorry to get back to you so late. I've just been really busy and occupied with other things (family, the holidays, etc.). Life is busy and distracting in general but I can't wait to get back to writing again (although I"m currently doing some editing on the site). It isn't always easy trying to balance work, family, ministry, and everything else in life and I continually go through periods where other things have to be addressed and prioritized more than normal so that I'm not always able to do as much of the "usual" that I typically do.

Regarding the Greek, I did visit the link and read through some of it but may go back at some point and read/reread more of it (I'll take a look at the other link as well in Bibliology). However, it might just be easier for me to ask you a few things directly (I'm getting confused over words here). Do you teach modern Greek or ancient (the word classical throws me off a bit)? Does koine refer to ancient Greek or modern? That said, the New Testament was written in ancient Greek?

"Conservative seminaries picked up on this because it absolved them and their students from actually learning real Greek. "

Just trying to understand, but what do you mean they aren't actually learning real Greek?

I'm only asking for myself here and probably won't relay this to my father because he will most likely disagree with a good bit of your answer.

In Christ,

Response #16:

Re: "It isn't always easy trying to balance work, family, ministry, and everything else in life" – Amen to that! But the Lord does help us (we have the Spirit), and it's those who persevere through this sort of opposition who are up for top rewards in the end.

On the questions, it's a little bit of a "blind men and the elephant" situation. If you spent a month or so studying Greek, this would all be crystal clear. But here goes:

1. "Do you teach modern Greek or ancient (the word classical throws me off a bit)?" I teach ancient Greek, AKA Classical Greek.

2. "Does koine refer to ancient Greek or modern?" Koine is a made up subcategory of ancient/Classical Greek. The Greek of the Bible is only marginally different from the Greek of Herodotus, Euripides, Plato, Aristotle (etc., etc.).

3. "That said, the New Testament was written in ancient Greek?" Yes indeed.

4. "What do you mean they aren't actually learning real Greek?" That's not exactly the way I put it, but in effect it's true. It's not that at seminary they aren't learning Greek – they just aren't learning it well or the right way. They are focusing in on a minuscule piece of a very large corpus and calling it by a new name ("koine") to justify not learning how to read Greek generally. As a result, they really don't teach enough Greek in seminary for the average person to ever be able to read it fluently or to understand it in a broader context, only to be familiar enough with it to talk about words, as in "This word means X in Greek" etc.

5. "He will most likely disagree with a good bit of your answer." Your dad knows Greek?

Keeping you in my prayers, my friend.

In Jesus,

Bob L.

Question #17:

Hey Dr. Luginbill,

Got much needed sleep last night (I was off work)! Yesterday was productive and the day I'm sending you this email has been thus far (I'm gonna be busy the rest of the day). Once I start training at work next month (6 months day shift and it's basically like trade school except you're getting paid well to do it) I will be having Saturdays and Sundays off for that time period which will be nice for the time it lasts. But my days off will still be the only days I will be able to do anything writing/ministry wise.

I wanted to ask you out of curiosity what your thoughts would be (even if I think I already know it) if you heard someone say (regarding careers and secular matters) "You have to have vision/or a vision in life of where you are going and what you'll be doing." I googled the word "vision" in our English language and the definition was "the ability to think about or plan the future with imagination or wisdom." Some people think that unless you do, you don't know where you are going and that you're lost (Arnold Schwarzenegger is a big promoter of this). This may be a simple issue to address, but this statement isn't entirely true or false (there is some truth and error in it). Like, yes, it is good to plan things out ahead of time and give them thought.

On the other hand, we have verses like James 4:13 and Proverbs 19:21 that warn about getting too proud and confident about this. Regarding spiritual matters, I know that our "vision" should be to grow, progress, and produce for the Lord as much as we can (whatever all the details (invisible to us for certain periods) look like along the way). There is going to be much we cannot see (we walk by faith and not by sight 2 Corinthians 5:7) just as Abraham didn't know where He was going when God called Him to travel to a distant land (Hebrews 11:8). Plus, following the Lord where He wants us to go may entail (in some cases) foregoing some (if not many) of our prior plans, goals, dreams, and aspirations (depending).

Here's what I'm getting at. Regarding secular matters (one example is what job to take, etc.)- I don't like when people say that if you don't have vision or a vision in life (generally speaking I suppose), you are lost and that is always a bad thing. That just seems to be worldly thinking to some extent. I didn't know what I wanted to do for years and couldn't thoroughly plan ahead because I ended up changing my mind many times about what I wanted to do in life later on (using myself as only one example here). [omitted] and so that is what I am pursuing for now whether it ends up working out in the end or not. I can't help but think of Jeremiah 29:11 and applying that in general.

Speaking generally here, what if the Lord is testing said person by helping them to walk by faith and not sight? Plus, plans can change (as they did in my case and this happens all the time)! What if what you wanted to do originally (what you formally "envisioned") doesn't work out? What if what you end up doing is something that God brings into your life suddenly and you begin only shortly after? I think there are times when we can't always have vision in life regarding these matters and that, sometimes, the Lord does that to test and grow our faith to place us where He wants us instead of where we wanted to go originally (something that wasn't in God's plan for us). In other words, God may want it to be that way for a purpose! Sure, some people have dreams as children of what they want to do (Billy wants to be a firefighter or a police officer, while Sally wants to be a nurse when she grows up). Good for all these people who ended up doing what they dreamed of when they were children; I was and am not one of those people. We all have different stories to tell.

With that said, do you think we should ever tell people (speaking of general life matters) "you have to have vision or a vision in life?" As in, "You've got to have a purpose" (true but also false and potentially misleading in some ways)? Plan ahead to some extent for certain things, sure. But I see a bit of harm wording things that way because of the damage it can cause. I'm not saying its bad to have vision but some people (especially regarding careers and what have you) don't have them (even if they previously envisioned some things that didn't end up working out). Sure, I guess once believers know what they want to do (assuming the Lord wants them doing it), that becomes their vision and they pursue it. So I guess we always end up having "vision" in the end. But in light of everything I've said above (perhaps I've already explained everything here to myself, so sorry about that), don't you think we should be careful wording things this way?

"and it's those who persevere through this sort of opposition who are up for top rewards in the end"

Although I already knew this, I thank you for reminding me (I needed the encouragement). I was encouraged to hear you say that you believe the Lord has a special purpose for me and the other young pastor teachers and that the Lord may very well have a special role for us to play during the Tribulation. I don't want to be proud or self-righteous, but it would be nice if more people were interested in what we had to say. It would be nice to see others growing in the truth and to be able to get to meet new people and make some new friends.

[omitted]

On the Greek...

"Koine is a made up subcategory of ancient/Classical Greek. The Greek of the Bible is only marginally different from the Greek of Herodotus, Euripides, Plato, Aristotle (etc., etc.)."

I'm still unraveling some of this in my mind (I've really had to think this through!). So despite biblical (or more modern) Greek being only marginally different from that of Plato and Herodotus, we would still categorize both as "ancient Greek" since they are virtually still the same language (just like old and new English- the examples you gave), correct?

And if koine Greek is a made up subcategory of Ancient and Classical, in what exact ways is it different and where did it come from? The word means "common" but what is that supposed to mean specifically? I really don't get how or why people can make up a subcategory like that. This is really arousing my interest and I'm gonna take a good look at those links you provided. I know these questions are simple for you but as someone who doesn't know Greek, well, obviously not so much for me just now looking into this.

"Your dad knows Greek?"

Thinking about it now, I was only speculating as to whether he would agree or not. I actually don't know (now that you've explained things more in detail), so you can disregard that. It was probably just because of some misunderstandings I had at first toward the beginning of our discussion. I mean, its possible he may not see the problems with the ways seminaries teach Greek as a big deal, unlike you and me, but I don't know that. The issues you addressed with the way seminaries teach Greek would not necessarily be issues to him, per se (but again, I don't know).

[omitted]

Its crazy to think Moses and Elijah will be here next year. Wow, assuming 2026 is the date, this will be the last full year we will experience before the Tribulation begins. I really want to make the most out of it!

In His grace and power,

Response #17:

Glad to hear that you are feeling better and also that you are going to be getting a bit of respite, even if it's only temporary.

As to "the vision thing", this was a big deal back about forty years ago or so, putatively having a biblical foundation based on the following verse:

Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
Proverbs 29:18 KJV

It was an issue in presidential campaigns ("What's your 'vision'?") and now my university, our college, and even our department have to have "vision statements". Of course the verse above actually means the following:

When there is no [respect for] divine communication (lit., "vision" [from God]), the people are unrestrained, but he who obeys the Law will be blessed.
Proverbs 29:18

The Law and the "vision" from God are referring to the same thing (as is typical in Hebrew poetry where the two halves of a verse balance and or contrast to each other). This is an easy one to figure out, but alas very few are really interested in figuring out what the Bible really means.

In any case, as you rightly discern, coming up with your OWN "vision" is self-centered instead of God-centered. Such a "vision" means "what do I want to do?" and not "what does God want me to do?" At best it's pure secularism and unbelief. At worst it's downright satanic.

What you are doing is exactly right. "I know what God wants me to do – so what is the best way to go about it?" That is fundamentally different from the attitudes you report. You are right. They are wrong – obviously, so I wouldn't worry about it.

Once more on the Greek. Old English is not understandable by us at all today absent special training. But Paul could easily read Homer and Plato – and he alludes to and even quotes classical authors all the time in the same way people today quote Shakespeare.

Attic, ancient, Classical, Koine – it's all the same Greek. Modern Greek, however, is much different for reasons explained before. Modern Greeks today get Classical Greek in school but they have to learn it as a separate language the way we today learn Latin (at least everyone SHOULD take Latin).

Homer is different because it's poetry – just like Byron and Longfellow and whomever else you prefer are different from English prose.

Let me put it this way, the difference between, e.g., Demosthenes (4th cent. B.C.) and Luke (1st cent. A.D.) is about the same as the difference between the language of the Declaration of Independence or the Federalist papers and today's newspaper – and actually the latter is probably more of a difference than the former. It's the same language in either case; it's just that ancient/classical is harder to read because it's complicated prose in the same way that the Federalist papers are, using slightly more elevated vocabulary. But it's NOT a difference in language.

Happy to have another go at this. Also, it's a long email and I may have missed addressing some of your concerns. Do feel free to write me back as always.

In Jesus,

Bob L.

Question #18:

Hey Dr. Luginbill,

Did you get any snow out your way? We got about 7 inches (1 inch or so expected tonight)? I can't wait till Spring so I can go out and do some hiking at ___ (my personal "playground" because I love that place so much).

On the Greek...

Thanks for your patience. Ok, I get and follow what you're saying in general. Just a couple details to clear up. What do you mean when you say koine is a "made up" subcategory? I've heard of Attic Greek before and you mentioned it's the same language as the others just like koine but what is it specifically and where does it get its name (or what does that word mean) and why? That should be all I got for that.

[omitted]

Your brother in Christ,

Response #18:

We got about 15 inches of snow and ice last weekend, and it's still coming down now! I got Wednesday off . . . well, actually it was more work than going in and teaching because I had to prepare videos and assignments for my classes to make up for it. Today, since the storm was picking up, they cancelled at 1PM which meant I didn't meet my first year Latin class (probably the one which will suffer least from a missed session in the long run, so no worries there).

On Greek, when Alexander conquered Persia, he did so with a polyglot army that was composed of Greeks from all over, not just Macedonians. So there was a need to communicate in a standardized way. That was even more so the case when the Diadochi, his successors, were receiving more Greeks immigrating from the west and also establishing the Greek language and Greek customs as the "glue" for their empires. Just as Xenophon and the 10,000 had done a generation before, that just meant using Attic Greek as a base and simplifying it somewhat (i.e., using simple as opposed to complex grammar and basic rather than elevated vocabulary) so that everyone could "get the gist".

Someone at some later time called this "Koine" which means "common" (i.e., basic Greek we all pretty much share in common whether we are Dorians, Ionians or Aeolians, educated or not, and so we can all understand each other 100%). As Greek became the lingua franca of the whole eastern Mediterranean world and the cultural language of the entire classical civilization, those who communicated in it did so not in their native dialects but in this common part of the language understandable to all.

So "koine" is essentially Attic Greek, the Greek of Sophocles, Aristophanes and Aristotle, just "dumbed down" so that anyone could understand it (any Greek speaker, that is). The Attic dialect is the base, because the majority of the great and popular literature most everyone was familiar with was written in that dialect. So, in essence, the only thing different between the Greek of Luke and the Greek of Plato is that Luke is easier to understand because he uses simpler grammar and vocabulary (in the same way that it's easier to read the newspaper than Emerson).

In Jesus,

Bob L.

Question #19:

Hi Bob,

I haven't been nearly as good keeping up in the original languages as I suppose I had initially envisioned I would be. It is what it is, I suppose.

Over the last few days, I've spent some time puttering around making a Hebrew keyboard layout to see if I can maybe get myself to do more by leaning more into the MH side of things. When I had my two semesters of Hebrew in college, everything was pointed (full niqqudot), and I never bothered much with caring about matres lectionis except as gee-whiz grammatical info.

So I guess my questions are sort of twofold: [omitted: technical questions about MH keyboard and transliteration]

2) Before I sink too much time into any MH endeavors, I want to make sure it really is close enough to be more or less transferable. I know the syntax is a bit different sometimes (SVO vs. VSO), and apparently MH uses the masculine for both genders in more cases (one thing I read says no feminine plural imperfect verb forms in MH). Of course, the vocab is different too (and I know the OT has proportionally a lot more hapax legomena or just very uncommon words, meaning that same language or no, vocab will always be a bit of a challenge when reading BH), but I'm more interested from a grammatical perspective. Are any tenses/binyanim used differently? This source seems to suggest it's mostly a matter of BH having a narrative style/tense usage centered around Vav forms, even though it still sounds quite similar to MH in actual quoted/recorded speech (i.e., someone from the narrative is talking). Does that sound accurate?

If you are wondering what brought all this on, I was somewhat inspired by the lengths ___ has been going to to preserve her Russian fluency since she graduated college. I always wanted that kind of fluency in a language, but since I only ever learned Latin, Greek, and BH (dead languages all), I never really experienced the same. I always meant to be better about always reading everything out loud and trying to "think in the language" more, but I'm afraid I never did it terribly well.

Your friend in Christ,

Response #19:

I had a quarter of Modern Hebrew at Illinois Chicago (we used the Ulpan text; I started about a week and a half late since I'd just gotten back from Okinawa); then a follow-on semester at Illinois in Champaign (proprietary text; missed about two weeks effectively on the front end because of quarter to semester change over).

It was all Biblical Hebrew from there on in (two years at Champaign and another two at Talbot). Since I stopped taking classes, I concentrated on reading, not writing. I tried to keep up skills for a while on the MH side of things but that's several decades in the rear view mirror now. In terms of the transcription issues you ask about, this was never something on my radar in any case, and especially not after switching entirely over to BH. Studying the modern version was helpful for pronunciation and general facility with the language, but not necessarily for studying the Bible. MH and BH are, roughly, just as dissimilar as Modern and Ancient Greek – with the major difference being that the last pair are pronounced so much differently that this is an additional barrier. But just like modern Athenians can't make much sense of ancient Greek, even though they had it in school, although MH and BH are closer than ancient and modern Greek, analogously most Israelis are confused by some of the unique features of BH: 1) vocabulary (since even though many MH words come from the Bible they've specialized the meanings often in MH); 2) suffixes on verbs and substantives which don't exist in MH; 3) the syntax is completely different. In MH, the imperfect is the future/subjunctive; the perfect is the past; and clauses work just like in English (or Spanish, French, German).

I guess the above is a long way of apologizing for not being much help on this issue. Learning MH would be helpful (it was for me), but it is no substitute for immersion into all the technical aspects of the Hebrew of the Bible. 

I will say that the Ulpan system is a very efficient and enjoyable way to get into learning MH (it's what Israel used for many years as the main way of teaching immigrant Jews Hebrew); I have the books around here somewhere and used to have the audio tapes too. They're probably available online somewhere now (here's the Amazon link for the first volume I used).

In Jesus,

Bob L.

Question #20:

[omitted]

Also real quick, so on the opisthograph....I think you said that the rougher side was harder to write on so they were rare. 1) Is the rougher side the hair side? 2) Did both sides have hair? 3) And why does Metzger say that it was easier to write on both sides in the codex form (I mean why would that make it easier, it is the same material just cut smaller, right?)? Not saying either of you are wrong of course.

Response #20:

No worries at all!

"'this doesn't even make sense in the English'" – that's Greek for you!

On the opisthograph, a scroll written on both the front and the back, that comment you read had to do with papyrus generally not being written on the back because on the good/front side the grains of the plant, the line of the stalk, are going left and right; the back side fibers are pressed into it on a perpendicular, so that writing on the back you bump into a new stalk every other letter or so and it's hard to keep a straight line; so they only reused old papyri writing on the back for notes and letters and tax documents, etc., not for important things.

In Jesus,

Bob L.

Question #21:

Yeah but Metzger also says that having it in the codex form was easier to write on both sides? Maybe it is just that it is more unwieldy in the scroll form or larger form (assuming it is larger).

[omitted]

Response #21:

When it comes to relationships, I may have mentioned before that generalizing has limited value. We can only marry one person. If that one person is the one meant for us in the plan of God, then all will be well . . . if we and he/she work very hard at it all the way to the end.

Yes, codices are more manageable because of the format. Codices were also written on parchment, not papyrus, a smooth surface equally serviceable on the back as well as on the front. 

Scrolling through the entire Bible on one piece of parchment would be impossible (which is why Torah scrolls in synagogues are multiple). But as mentioned, unlike papyrus, parchment or vellum is writable on both sides, like a piece of leather in a leather vest which has been cured on both sides. To be usable, however, the vellum has to be very thin (or you couldn't get very many leaves in a single codex), and that means that there can be bleed through (and show through) from the other side (that happens a lot in, e.g., Sinaiticus).

Keeping you in my prayers.

In Jesus,

Bob L.

Question #22:

Hello, long time no write!

I have a question about a bible verse. It is about Matthew 5:22. The KJV inserts "without a cause" but he NASB and other more modern translations leave that out, or footnote it. Can you explain it? I suppose it is the difference in the manuscript copy of the Greek NT. If I remember correctly, the KJV translators only had a few late Greek copies of the NT to work with. Whereas, the more modern translations like the NASB and ESV are based upon much older copies found centuries later, like in Alexandria Egypt. Usually the closer to the originals a writing is, the more accurate it should be.

A Mormon is using this verse as an excuse for Joseph Smith, Jr's execrable "translation" of the KJV--called the Joseph Smith "Inspired" version of John 1:1--"In the beginning was the gospel preached through the Son. And the gospel was the word, and the word was with the Son, and the Son was with God, and the Word Son was of God.”

Here is a link that shows some of his "revisions."

The Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible | Institute for Religious Research (irr.org)

Smith didn't know Biblical Greek and only a smattering of Hebrew.

Anyway what about the differences in Matt. 5:22? Was the "without a cause" a much later edition in the later copies, that isn't found in the much older Greek NT manuscript copies?

Thanks for your help. Have a great Labor Day! No hurry on this.

Response #22:

Re: "Was the "without a cause" a much later edition in the later copies, that isn't found in the much older Greek NT manuscript copies?" That's it exactly.

The adverb ekei translated by KJV "without cause" occurs in the TR (textus receptus), the manuscript tradition (essentially identical to Erasmus edition of the NT) and a few later mss., but it is not present in any of the best witnesses.

So, based on the evidence, the "without a cause" seems to be an obvious gloss meant to explain one of the "hard sayings" of our Lord. If placed in the margin as an explanation, one can see how a later copiest might have thought it was put there as an accidental omission and then reinserted it back into the text (this happens often in ancient copying).

On the other hand, it would be VERY difficult to explain how this adverb might have dropped out of the text accidentally if it were originally there.

Color me confused on how either way this would be support for J.S.'s transmogrification.

In Jesus,

Bob L.


P.S.:  If you haven't noticed or already done so, please check out the list of wonderful ministry offerings on the Special Topics page, including Jordan Bomberger's new Bible teaching website: Bible Driven, Mike Ceja's new YouTube channel, "Everything is Fine", John Jackson's Hub pages (anyone with questions about the "church-visible" will find this helpful), the Expanded Index to Old Testament translations at Ichthys, Foundational Principles, by Odii Ariwodo, "The Peter series", Video presentations by Steven Tammen based on the SR series, and Steven's group studies of BB 6A (see also Steven's new website: BibleDocs).


*Special Prayer Request

  • For Dagmar, for healing of an infection in her right eye [5/6/25].

  • For Olanna (2 and 1/2 years), for complete healing from pneumonia, possibly malaria.  She is in hospital and just received an NG tube for feeding [update 1/25/25: at last report Olanna was doing much better; thanks for your prayers!].

  • For our friend: for her family's salvation and for her husband to find a new job [update 3/5/25: he found one with no gap in employment! Praise God . . .  and please continue to pray for salvation].
  • For Brian, for help navigating a "bad boss" situation, and for finding a new, better job.
  • Please pray for Emma's family's health and for their salvation. Her mother has severe stomach problems that are affecting her eating and weight. Update: Praise here! Her mother has no signs of cancer after full scan but may have colitis/diverticulitis. Please pray for healing and salvation. [3/19/25] Update [5/4/25]: Continual prayer needed for Judith as now seeking private healthcare as stomach problems returning and diagnosis not yet found.
    Emma's father's diabetes has worsened and now has eye problems. Her sister now has severe peri-menopausal symptoms (thyroid problems were misdiagnosed). Please pray for their deliverance and their ultimate deliverance which is saving faith.
  • Please pray for Teresa and her two sons to be delivered from an violent ex-husband. Please also pray this leads to their salvation. [12/8/24]
  • For our friend John who will be undergoing surgery for aortic aneurysms soon. [12/1/24]
  • For Henry's wife, Diane, who recently had a stroke: "Her right arm/hand especially needs healing.  It is nearly completely disabled today, although there are signs of slow improvement" [9/22/24].
  • For Chris and Lisa, for health and healing and for deliverance [9/22/24]; also for Chris, for health concerns (memory and fatigue), and for blessing on his job.

  • *Please pray for Kaeli, who is experiencing serious numbness and heaviness in her arms and legs; please pray for a correct diagnosis and swift healing [7/27/24] Update 8/8/24: situation getting worse; doctors unable to diagnosis the problem(s); update: 10/22/24: Kaeli is doing much better! (but please continue to pray).
  • Please pray for the Bowman family: the husband Nakia is battling heart issues, his wife, Raquel, battling breast cancer, and her father a tumor in the brain [7/21/24].
  • Please pray for J.D., recently diagnosed with colon cancer and looking at chemo, radiation and surgery. Update [3/31/25]: "[J.D.] is, since the surgery, cancer free according to the doctors. He is scheduled to have his next operation in a few weeks to reverse the ileostomy so prayers for his recovery are appreciated; prayers for the traveling [four hours to the hospital] would be greatly appreciated"; please also pray for Lisa's health.] Update 4/11/25: "Jds surgery was this morning. It went well and they have successfully hooked him back up. The temporary bag is gone!"]

  • For our friend Yuhanna, just diagnosed with idiopathic optic neuritis and potentially chronic lymphocytic leukemia.  Our friend's eyesight is recovering.  Please pray for full recovery and for healing of his blood disease.  *[Update: two rounds of chemo have apparently stopped the deterioration; please pray that further therapy will remove the cancer that infiltrated his eye; 7/12/24; Please also pray for his son Jaden to find full time employment, for his daughter Kaiya to find an accounting internship, and for his son Jakai for success and advancement in his current position]

  • Please pray for our friend's newborn grandson who was born with two clubfeet.  If surgery is necessary (the family will find out soon), he will require a four to five year medical plan for correction. [Update:  he will need surgery on both feet the end of the month; continued prayer appreciated: 5/19/24]

  • For Gary, for recovery from bone marrow cancer and nerve damage from chemo and numerous blood and platelet transfusions [1/14/24].

  • For Belinda, for help and healing with memory issues [12/31/23].

  • For guidance and courage for Aleah, whose violent father is trying to gain custody of her siblings.

  • For Steve, who has grade 4 lung and pancreatic cancer; the disease has responded to chemo but please keep our brother in your prayers.

  • For Tricia, for comfort in bereavement and for help in overcoming her sense of loss and emptiness.

  • For Anna, for healing and victory in this health test [update 11/3/24: health is much better; thanks for the prayers!].

  • For Sawyer, a young teenager who professes to want to be saved but says "God hasn’t dealt with him yet". Please pray for him to get the victory and assurance.

  • For our friend Leigh's father, a veteran with serious lung problems, for a correct diagnosis and successful treatment.

  • [12/10/23] For Bob and Debbie, for healing / coping with ongoing health issues.  For more spiritual growth and insight to get through our several tests and trials, and if/when called, be able to help others to grow more in the faith of the truth.  For the salvation of unsaved family members and friends.  For recovery / healing for family members and friends who are suffering from mental and physical illnesses, and for victory in overcoming spiritual battles.  For deliverance of family members who are entrapped in legalism and cultic false teaching ministries. [praise here for Debbie's successful surgery and treatment].

  • For our friend's son who is struggling with severe OCD and crippling anxiety.

  • For Walter and for his son Joshua who is struggling with "gender dysphoria" and is considering transitioning; *please also pray for Walter himself: he just lost his job [update 5/24: success in landing a new job; please pray for all to go well].

  • For Michael, for his health and for his livelihood in providing for his family, and for his efforts in leading his family to the truth of the Word. [our friend is currently unemployed and his business is out of operation, so please pray for him for restoration of livelihood; *update 10/1/22 from Michael: "I have lost my livelihood. Please pray for me!"; update 2/2/24: situation improving: thanks for the prayers!]

  • *For Joe, for recovery from a stroke on the right side of the brain.  Joe is presently being tube-fed and also has a urinary tract infection *[Praise here! "[Joe is out of hospital and] is working on getting stronger, walking and writing; he drove their vehicle two times a short distance on the private road that they live on; the doctor told him that only 12% of people have a stroke on the right side, and most of the people don't survive.  God heard all our prayers."].

  • [12/25/24] Please pray for Angel who has basal cell carcinoma requiring many weeks of radiation therapy for her eyes.

  • Please pray for Curtis Omo's wife Amy. She went to the emergency a few weeks ago and now has learned she needs at least two operations. [update: Amy had her first operation; recovery was very difficult at first but change of meds helped; please keep them in prayer].

  • *For Femi whose legal issues are about to come to a head, for his deliverance and for his healing from diabetes and heart problems *[update 8/31/22: our friend is in distress due to insufficient funds to pay necessary legal bills; please pray for his encouragement and rescue from this terrible situation].

  • For Walter's wife Kim, for a good report on her recent biopsy [praise! benign report!].

  • Mark and René Perkins' efforts in evangelism in Tahiti ( Evanelia).

  • For Mike and his family, for encouragement and help under pressure, and that he not lose his Medecaid.

  • For Carol, for deliverance from debilitating physical and mental disability, for spiritual growth and progress.

  • For Angel's father, for quick recovery from a debilitating hip injury, and for his mental and emotional encouragement.

  • Please pray for Emma, for her spiritual growth and ministry and gaining employment for material provision to support it. [3/19/25] Update: Emma will need to apply for work after long-term unemployment, please pray she will be able to get part time office work asap. [5/4/25] Praise here! Emma's ultrasound came back normal but still waiting on biopsy and blood tests. Close friend Barry will need both a CT Coronary Angiogram and an Echo Cardiogram for his heart problems and is still struggling to breathe. Please pray for diagnosis, healing and salvation.

  • For Matthias, for the deliverance of his children abducted overseas by his estranged wife.

  • For my friend Carmen who suffered a broken left arm (both bones, compound fracture of the ulna) and a broken back (two vertebrae fractured) [Carmen is out of her cast and brace and making progress; thank you for the prayers!]; for her boy Josh's recovery from alcoholism and for encouragement for him to turn to the Lord for help [update 5/24: Josh has passed away; please pray for the family's comfort; and please pray for their son Jake's salvation].
  • For Leigh's sister, for protection in and swift deliverance from a very dangerous domestic situation. Please also pray for her friend Michelle's healing from cancer [update: Michelle, had a successful transplant in October and she's doing very well].

  • For Tony, for healing from aggressive glaucoma.

  • [1/7/24] For Dawn's comfort on the recent loss of her daughter Daphne from chronic Lyme disease.  Please also pray for her granddaughter Fiona's salvation.

  • For Jamie, for encouragement and support under pressure, and guidance in future ministry plans.

  • For Sylvia, for her strength and energy is supporting her grandchildren and great grandchild whose parents are unbelievers, and for her help in leading them all to the Lord.

  • For Carrie, recently diagnosed with cancer. She has three daughters. The family has already been through a lot, having lost their husband/father to cancer a few years ago. They are believers.

  • For Andrea's continuing progress in spiritual growth, for her daughter Juanita's salvation.

  • For Anna's brother who is in failing health, that he might be led to the Lord [update: Mark passed on 3/8/25: "I can do nothing but believe that God had the victory and that I will see him again"; thank you all for your prayers].

  • For Ashley, for recovery of her health from a difficult to diagnose and serious condition [worsening with shortness of breath and tremors]; and for the salvation of her mother and her brother.

  • For Gill's sister, "for her continued recovery, as well as to demonstrate to the family the power of prayer and faith in Christ".

  • For our brother Abishai, for the restoration of his livelihood and reconciliation with family.  Please also pray for our brother's efforts to prepare for ministry.

  • For our friend Gaurav, for encouragement, health, and material deliverance. [n.b., Gaurav was the first one on this list years ago; he writes that he is still "hanging in" and staying faithful to the Lord, but he and his family are in greater material need than ever; please remember them in your prayers]; *please also pray for his health and his mother's health (she recently became blind in one eye from an infection and diabetes complications, neither of which have resolved as yet).
  • For Abby for success and blessing in her new efforts in ministry, and for her cousin Danny's health. Please also pray for her health, strength and perseverance in stressful and challenging circumstances; please also pray for her mother's health.
  • For the empowerment of our friend Curt's ministry.

  • For our friend John's family's deliverance from cult influence [praise for some good news here: one saved, but some members are still entrapped; prayers for deliverance and salvation appreciated; 9/20/24]. Please also pray for John's health and that of his wife as well.

  • For our friend Steve for strength, protection, providence and deliverance - more needful now than ever.
  • For the healing from MS, blessing, encouragement and vindication of our brother, Nihal.  Please also protect him and his family and church family from the recent troubles in Sri Lanka [update: MS weakening nervous system but our brother stays strong in his faith; 9/5/24).
  • For our friend Mike's encouragement and God's blessing on his livelihood to provide for his family.
  • For Helen's healing from cancer and for her comfort in the loss of her family members.
  • For Clyde's encouragement and deliverance in severe testing.
  • For Judah, for healing from brain trauma and other consequence of serious auto accidents.

  • For the salvation of Tom and his family.

  • For deliverance for John's friend from the JW heresy.
  • For our friend Anna and her family's comfort in the loss of her daughter, and for the comfort, encouragement and salvation of her two grandchildren.
  • For our friend Sheila's healing from the effects of a chronic condition.
  • For Leigh, for protection and deliverance from a dangerous neighbor, and for help in restoring her home and home situation [update 3/23: delivered!  Thanks all for your prayers!].

  • [1/13/24] For Becca's mother, for healing from cancer, serious liver disease (requiring transplant which is not possible without recovery from the former), lung problems, and chronic pain (Update: she is on the list for transplant; please pray for a successful one ASAP); update: 5/12/24: transplant successful! Mom is recuperating.

  • For the salvation of John's two unbelieving sons.
  • For Charles' two granddaughters for their salvation and spiritual growth.
  • *For Cary, for deliverance in persecution on the job for sticking up for the Lord and for the truth (special harassment for a Christian teacher in a state school where Mormons are in charge).
  • For Amber's continued spiritual growth and encouragement, and for her healing.  Please also pray for the salvation of her grandmother.
  • For Kamil, a new believer, who has been unjustly accused because of his family's political activities.
  • For the spiritual growth and encouragement of Max and his family.
  • For Lucille, for complete recovery from "long Covid", along with lung and heart problems related thereto.

  • More E-mails:       Complete archive of previous emails:  Ichthys' Emails

    Eschatology Issues CXLII

    Old Testament Interpretation XXII

    Eschatology Issues CXLI

    Believers in the World XVII

    Sin, Guilt, and Salvation IX

    Culture and Christianity XXVII

    Eschatology Issues CXL

    The Battlefield Within IV

    Mutual Encouragement in Christ XXI

    Eschatology Issues CXXXIX

    Christology Questions XV

    Fighting the Fight XXIII

    Eschatology Issues CXXXVIII

    Believers in the World XVI

    Eschatology Issues CXXXVII

    Fighting the Fight XXII

    Eschatology Issues CXXXVI

    Believers in the World XV

    Christology Questions XIV

    Dispensations, Covenants, Israel and the Church III

    Sin, Guilt, and Salvation VIII

    Eschatology Issues CXXXV

    Eschatology Issues CXXXIV

    Payer Questions VII

    Confronting False Groups and False Teaching VII

    Confronting False Groups and False Teaching VI

    Eschatology Issues CXXXIII

    Salvation, the Gospel, and Unbelief X

    Eschatology Issues CXXXII

    Ministry and Preparation for Ministry XXI

    Sin, Guilt, and Salvation VII

    Mutual Encouragement in Christ XX

    Eschatology Issues CXXXI

    Fighting the Fight XXI

    Believers in the World XIV

    Eschatology Issues CXXX

    Eschatology Issues CXXIX

    Eschatology Issues CXXVIII

    New Testament Interpretation XI

    Finding a Church – or Something Better? III

    Eschatology Issues CXXVII

    Biblical Anthropology XI

    Ministry and Preparation for Ministry XX

    Eschatology Issues CXXVI

    New Testament Interpretation X

    Eschatology Issues CXXV

    Sin, Guilt, and Salvation VI

    Eschatology Issues CXXIV

    Church History IV

    Eschatology Issues CXXIII

    The Local Church and Personal Ministry VI

    Cults and Christianity XVI

    Believers in the World XIII

    Eschatology Issues CXXII

    Eschatology Issues CXXI

    The Holy Spirit: Pneumatology Questions VII

    Gospel Questions XVIII

    Baptism: Water and Spirit XII

    Culture and Christianity XXVI

    Eschatology Issues CXX

    Eschatology Issues CXIX

    Salvation, the Gospel, and Unbelief IX

    Eschatology Issues CXVIII

    Marriage and the Bible XIII

    Christology Questions XIII

    Eschatology Issues CXVII

    Mutual Encouragement in Christ XIX

    Eschatology Issues CXVI

    Old Testament Interpretation XXI

    Eschatology Issues CXV

    The Battlefield Within III

    The Battlefield Within: Fighting the inner spiritual Struggle II

    Eschatology Issues CXIV

    Salvation, the Gospel, and Unbelief VIII

    Eschatology Issues CXIII

    Eschatology Issues CXII

    Biblical Interpretation XVI

    Fighting the Fight XX

    Ministry and Preparation for Ministry XIX

    Believers in the World XII

    Mutual Encouragement in Christ XVIII

    Marriage and the Bible XII

    Eschatology Issues CXI

    Ministry and Preparation for Ministry XVIII

    Fighting the Fight XIX

    Culture and Christianity XXV

    Fighting the Fight XVIII

    Eschatology Issues CX

    Biblical Languages, Texts and Translations XIII

    Legalism, Past and Present VI

    Sin, Guilt and Salvation V

    Eschatology Issues CIX

    Eschatology Issues CVIII

    Sin, Faith and Suffering IV

    Fighting the Fight XVII

    Marriage and the Bible XI

    Legalism, Past and Present V

    Eschatology Issues CVII

    Sin, Guilt, and Salvation IV

    Culture and Christianity XXIV

    Faith, Forgiveness, Salvation VII

    Cults and Christianity XV

    Cults and Christianity XIV

    Eschatology Issues CVI

    Mutual encouragement in Christ XVI

    Prayer Questions VI

    Eschatology Issues CV

    Marriage and the Bible X

    Fighting the Fight XVI

    Eschatology Issues CIV

    Mutual Encouragement in Christ XV

    Ministry and Preparation for Ministry XVII

    Sin, Guilt, and Salvation III

    Eschatology Issues CIII

    Genesis Gap: Questions and Answers VII

    Church: The Biblical Ideal versus the Contemporary Reality IV

    Old Testament Interpretation XX

    Eschatology Issues CII

    Mutual Encouragement in Christ XIV

    Baptism: Water and Spirit XI

    Biblical Anthropology X

    Eschatology Issues CI

    The Local Church and Personal Ministry V

    Spiritual Warfare VIII

    Eschatology Issues C (100)

    Sin, Faith and Suffering III

    Ministry and Preparation for Ministry XVI

    Eschatology Issues XCIX

    Eschatology Issues XCVIII

    Eschatology Issues XCVII

    Eschatology Issues XCVI

    Old Testament Interpretation XIX

    Eschatology Issues XCV

    Eschatology Issues XCIV

    Old Testament Interpretation XVIII

    Mutual encouragement in Christ XIII

    Eschatology Issues XCIII

    Eschatology Issues XCII

    Christology Questions XII

    Faith, Forgiveness, Salvation VI

    Ministry and Preparation for Ministry XV

    Eschatology Issues XCI

    Christology Questions XI

    Biblical Languages, Texts and Translations XII

    Eschatology Issues XC

    Biblical Interpretation XV

    Eschatology Issues LXXXIX

    Eschatology Issues LXXXVIII

    Eschatology Issues LXXXVII

    Eschatology Issues LXXXVI

    Fighting the Fight XV

    Eschatology Issues LXXXV

    Fighting the Fight XIV

    Ministry and Preparation for Ministry XIV

    Eschatology Issues LXXXIV

    Biblical Anthropology IX

    Eschatology Issues LXXXIII

    Prayer Questions V

    Ministry and Preparation for Ministry XIII

    Cults and Christianity XIII

    Eschatology Issues LXXXII

    Culture and Christianity XXIII

    Bible Versions, Bible Translation, and Bible Reading VII

    Eschatology Issues LXXXI

    Church: The Biblical Ideal versus the Contemporary Reality III

    Angelic Issues X

    Biblical Interpretation XIV

    Mutual Encouragement in Christ XII

    Bible Versions, Bible Translation, and Bible Reading VI

    Eschatology Issues LXXX

    Bible Versions, Bible Translation, and Bible Reading V

    Eschatology Issues LXXIX

    Eschatology Issues LXXVIII

    Eschatology Issues LXXVII

    Eschatology Issues LXXVI

    Eschatology Issues LXXV

    Eschatology Issues LXXIV

    Eschatology Issues LXXIII

    Fighting the Fight XIII

    Marriage and the Bible IX

    Ministry and Preparation for Ministry XII

    Eschatology Issues LXXII

    Eschatology Issues LXXI

    Eschatology Issues LXX

    Eschatology Issues LXIX

    Church History III

    Gospel Questions XVII

    Eschatology Issues LXVIII

    Eschatology Issues LXVII

    Baptism: Water and Spirit X

    Eschatology Issues LXVI

    Eschatology Issues LXV

    Old Testament Interpretation XVII

    Eschatology Issues LXIV

    Eschatology Issues LXIII

    Gospel Questions XVI

    Eschatology Issues LXII

    Mutual Encouragement in Christ XI

    Eschatology Issues LXI

    Biblical Interpretation XIII

    Eschatology Issues LX

    Eschatology Issues LIX

    Eschatology Issues LVIII

    Mutual Encouragement in Christ X

    Eschatology Issues LVII

    Eschatology Issues LVI

    Eschatology Issues LV

    Confronting False Groups and False Teaching V

    Eschatology Issues LIV

    Eschatology Issues LIII

    Sin, Faith and Suffering II

    Eschatology Issues LII

    Eschatology Issues LI

    Ministry and Preparation for Ministry XI

    Eschatology Issues XXXXX

    Christian Perspectives on Disease and Death

    Mutual Encouragement in Christ IX

    Eschatology Issues XLIX

    Culture and Christianity XXII

    Eschatology Issues XLVIII

    Eschatology Issues XLVII

    Eschatology Issues XLVI

    Eschatology Issues XLV

    Culture and Christianity XXI

    Eschatology Issues XLIV

    Theology Questions IV

    Eschatology Issues XLIII

    Mutual Encouragement in Christ VIII

    Eschatology Issues XLII

    Isaiah Questions

    Eschatology Issues XLI

    Eschatology Issues XL

    Eschatology Issues XXXIX

    Eschatology Issues XXXVIII

    Eschatology Issues XXXVII

    Eschatology Issues XXXVI

    Confronting False Groups and False Teaching IV

    Eschatology Issues XXXV

    Eschatology Issues XXXIV

    Eschatology Issues XXXIII

    Eschatology Issues XXXII

    Eschatology Issues XXXI

    Ministry and Preparation for Ministry X

    Eschatology Issues XXX

    Eschatology Issues XXIX

    Old Testament Interpretation XVI

    Salvation, the Gospel, and Unbelief VII

    New Testament Interpretation IX

    Fighting the Fight XII

    Eschatology Issues XXVIII

    Spiritual Warfare VII

    Believers in the World XI

    Revelation Questions II

    Believers in the World X

    Faith, Forgiveness, Salvation V

    Biblical Interpretation XII

    Old Testament Interpretation XV

    Gospel Questions XV

    Fighting the Fight XI

    Apologetics and Legalism II

    Ministry and Preparation for Ministry IX

    Gospel Questions XIV

    The 'Rapture' and other Eschatological Issues

    Ministry and Preparation for Ministry VIII

    Marriage and the Bible VIII

    Believers in the World IX

    Biblical Interpretation XI

    Salvation, the Gospel, and Unbelief VI

    Cults and Christianity XII

    Eschatology Issues XXVII

    Theological Questions III

    New Testament Interpretation VIII

    Eschatology Issues XXVI

    Old Testament Interpretation XIV

    Politics versus Spiritual Growth IV

    Old Testament Interpretation XIII

    Salvation, the Gospel, and Unbelief V

    Biblical Interpretation X

    Fighting the Fight X

    Politics versus Spiritual Growth III

    Baptism: Water and Spirit IX

    Biblical Anthropology VIII

    Faith, Forgiveness, Salvation IV

    Genesis Questions IV

    Fighting the Fight IX

    Eschatology Issues XXV

    Angelic Issues IX

    Ministry and Preparation for Ministry VII

    Legalism, Past, Present and Future IV

    New Testament Interpretation VII

    Eschatology Issues XXIV: the 'Rapture' et al.

    Believers in the World VIII: Coping with Family

    Salvation, the Gospel, and Unbelief IV

    Believers in the World VII

    Culture and Christianity XX

    Biblical Languages, Texts and Translations XI

    Cults and Christianity XI

    Spiritual Gifts and False Teaching

    Angelic Issues VIII

    Christology Questions X

    Believers in the World VI

    Genesis Gap: Questions and Answers VI

    Atheism and Evangelism

    New Testament Interpretation VI

    Old Testament Interpretation XII

    Fighting the Fight VIII

    Spiritual Warfare VI

    Sin, Faith and Suffering

    Prayer, Vows and Confession

    Eschatology Issues XXIII

    Apologetics, Ministry and False Teaching

    Culture and Christianity XIX

    Ministry and Preparation for Ministry VI

    Church: The Biblical Ideal versus the Contemporary Reality II

    Salvation, the Gospel, and Unbelief III

    Fighting the Fight VII

    The Holy Spirit: Pneumatology Questions VI

    Interpretation, Application, Exegesis and Ministry

    Biblical Anthropology VII

    Baptism: Water and Spirit VIII

    Text and Canon

    New Testament Interpretation V

    Grace versus Law II

    Apathy, Atheism, Cults and False Teaching

    All about Ichthys III

    The Battlefield Within II: Combating anger, fear, blaming God, blaming others

    Salvation Questions III

    Faith, Forgiveness, Salvation III

    Eschatology Issues XXII

    Cults and Christianity X

    Cults and Christianity IX

    Ministry and Preparation for Ministry V

    Fighting the Fight VI

    Marriage and the Bible VII

    Culture and Christianity XVIII: Substance Use and Abuse, Tithing, Politics and Environmentalism, Friendship, Self-Defense, and Work

    Paul the Apostle: Aspects of his Life and Ministry II

    Old Testament Interpretation XI

    Mutual Encouragement in Christ VII

    The Transitional Era of the Book of Acts and its Unique Spiritual Gifts

    Old Testament Interpretation X

    Marriage and the Bible VI

    The pre-Trib 'Rapture': so called 'imminence' and other false proofs refuted

    Encouragement, Spiritual Testing and Spiritual Growth III

    Eschatology Issues XXI

    Eschatology Issues XX

    Biblical Languages, Texts and Translations X

    Legalism, Past and Present III: Sabbath observance, tithing, dietary regulations and other issues

    Believers in the World V: Ministering, Mutually Encouraging, and Coping with Family, Politics, and Health

    Salvation, the Gospel, and Unbelief II

    Old Testament Interpretation IX

    Christology Questions IX: Christ and His Church

    Mutual Encouragement in Christ VI: Perseverance

    Science and the Bible III

    Faith, Forgiveness, Salvation II

    Eschatology Issues XIX

    Ministry and Preparation for Ministry IV

    Bible Interpretation IX

    Marriage and the Bible V

    Gospel Questions XIII

    Biblical Anthropology VI

    Cults and Christianity VIII

    Fighting the Fight V: Dispatches from the Laodicean 'Front' II

    Old Testament Interpretation VIII

    Eschatology Issues XVIII

    Spiritual Growth III

    Ministry and Preparation for Ministry III

    Sin, Guilt, and Salvation II

    New Testament Interpretation IV

    Biblical Languages, Texts and Translations IX

    Peace, Reconciliation and Salvation

    Mutual Encouragement in Christ V: Soldiers of the Cross

    Baptism: Water and Spirit VII

    Faith, Forgiveness, Salvation

    Cults and Christianity VII

    Old Testament Interpretation VII

    Sin, Guilt, and Salvation

    Eschatology Issues XVII

    Dangers of the Pre-Trib Rapture False Teaching

    Biblical Languages, Texts and Translations VIII

    The Infinity, Magnitude, Glory, Providence and Plan of God

    Eschatology Issues XVI

    Gospel Questions XII

    The Bible and the Canon: The Inspired Word of God IV

    Nephilim, Antichrist, the False Prophet and the Mark of the Beast

    Angelic Issues VII

    Prayer Questions II

    The Trinity and Messianic Legalism II

    Annihilationism, Universalism, Hell and Judgment II

    Atheism and Apologetics II

    Politics versus Spiritual Growth II

    Culture and Christianity XVII: Humor, Self-Defense, Pacifism and War

    Culture and Christianity XVI: Alcohol, Money and Dietary Issues

    Dreams, Visions, Miracles, Exorcism, Tongues, and False Prophets

    Calvinism, Catholicism and Ichthys

    Apologetics, Legalism, Cults and Philosophy

    The Law, Legalism, and Rome

    Mutual Encouragement in Christ IV

    Genesis Gap: Questions and Answers V

    Faith and Free Will in Trial and Testing

    Free Will and God's WILL in Salvation

    Jobs, Money, Finances and Giving: What does the Bible say?

    Ministry and Preparation for Ministry II

    Eschatology Issues XV

    Dealing with Sin and Guilt

    Mutual Encouragement in Christ III

    Preparing for Tribulation II

    It is Better on the Other Side

    Family Matters

    Christology Questions VIII: The Deity, Humanity and Life of Christ

    The Lives of the Apostles and the Writing of the New Testament II

    Biblical People and Places: Eve, Cain, Noah, Abraham, Hagar, Esau, Joseph and more

    Biblical Anthropology V: Body, Spirit and 'Soul', Present and Future

    Satan, Antichrist, the False Prophet and the Mark of the Beast

    The Holy Spirit: Pneumatology Questions V

    Prophets, Prophecy, and False Prophets

    Christology Questions VII: The Life and Spiritual Death of Christ and Holy Communion

    The Bible and the Canon: The Inspired Word of God III

    Culture and Christianity XV: The Bible vs. some Sensitive Social and Political Issues

    Christology Questions VI: Christophany, Deity and the Spiritual Death of Christ

    Encouragement, Spiritual Testing and Spiritual Growth II

    Spiritual Warfare V

    Cults and Christianity VI

    Fighting the Fight IV: Dispatches from the Laodicean 'Front'

    Eschatology Issues XIV

    The Gift of Tongues: Part 3

    The Resurrection Body and our Eternal Future II

    Gospel Questions XI

    Blindness, Disease and Healing

    Ministry and Preparation for Ministry

    Should I go to seminary or not?

    Atheism and Apologetics

    Biblical Languages, Texts and Translations VII

    Church History II

    Salvation Questions II

    Culture and Christianity XIV

    Encouragement, Spiritual Testing and Spiritual Growth

    Judaism and Legalism in the church-visible

    Bible Interpretation VIII

    Apostasy, Sin and Salvation

    Confronting False Groups and False Teaching III

    Eschatology Issues XIII: Time of the Tribulation and the Resurrection, Antichrist and the Mark of the Beast

    Salvation Questions

    Theological Questions II

    The Holy Spirit: Pneumatology Questions IV

    Old Testament Interpretation VI

    More Questions on the Book of Hebrews: Melchizedek, Esau, and the 'Impossibility' of Being Restored

    Believers in the World IV: Making Godly Choices vs. Following Man-Made Rules

    Guilt, Sin and Victory through Spiritual Growth

    Confronting False Groups and False Teaching II

    Cults and Christianity V

    Politics versus Spiritual Growth

    Christian Struggle, Perseverance and Deliverance

    The Bible and the Natural World

    Sin, Fear and Forgiveness

    An Extended Conversation on the 'Unpardonable' Sin

    Eternal Realities: Real Heaven, Real Hell

    Eschatology Issues XII: Babylon, Armageddon, Israel, 2026

    Ministers, Ministry, and Preparation for Ministry

    Evangelism in Principle and Practice II

    Gospel Questions X: Glory, John the baptist, the hidden talent, the Kingdom of God

    Old Testament Interpretation V: The Flight to Egypt, the Virgin Birth, Jonathan's Choice, Tyre in Prophecy

    Matthew Questions, verse by verse

    Marriage and the Bible IV

    Politics and Political Action on the Eve of the Tribulation

    Bible Versions, Bible Translation, and Bible Reading IV

    Spiritual Growth II

    Mutual Encouragement in Christ II

    Baptism: Water and Spirit VI

    Science and the Bible II

    Genesis Gap: Questions and Answers IV

    Culture and Christianity XIII: College, Dating, Marriage and Friendship

    Eschatology Issues XI: Trumpets, the Millennium, the Time of the Tribulation and the Resurrection.

    Sin according to the Bible: Hamartiology II

    Bible Interpretation VII

    Salvation and Sin

    Bible Interpretation VI

    Eschatology Issues X: Strong delusion, blood moons, 2026, imminence, apostasy & the mark of the beast

    Angelic Issues VI: Cherubs, Guardians, Elders and 'gods'

    Sin according to the Bible: Hamartiology I

    Bible Chronology, Aramaic and Interpretation

    Christians and Mental Illness

    Culture and Christianity XII

    Prayer Questions

    The Trinity and Messianic Legalism

    Anger, Anthropopathism, Eternity and Divine Motives

    Unbelievers, Free Will, and the Plan of God II

    Christology Questions V: the Baptism, Temptation and Spiritual Death of Christ

    The Bible and the Canon: The Inspired Word of God II

    Believers in the World III: Prosperity Gospel, Tithing, Cults and Legalism

    Gospel Questions IX

    Faith, Hope and Love: Virtue in Spiritual Warfare

    Trinity Questions II

    Some Sensitive Topics IV

    Finding a Church - or Something Better? II

    New Testament Interpretation III

    Faith vs. History, Archaeology, Philosophy

    Believers in the World II: Confronting False Groups and False Teaching

    The 144,000 and the Two Witnesses of the Tribulation

    Biblical Anthropology IV: Soul and Spirit, Image and Likeness, Book of Life, Life at Birth, Accountability and Infant Salvation.

    Spiritual Growth

    Predestination, Free Will and False Teaching

    Christophany and the Trinity

    Love, Marriage, and Divorce: Marriage and the Bible III

    Interpreting Dreams and Analyzing Prophetic Claims

    Culture and Christianity XI: Lying, Suicide, Tattoos, Investing, Drugs, Music, Family, Dating, Politics

    Bible Versions, Bible Translation, and Bible Reading III

    Eschatology Issues IX: Amillennialism, Trumpets, and the Seven Days

    Spiritual Warfare IV: Demons, Demonic Influences and Satanic Methodology

    Satan's Fall from Grace

    Atheism and Gnosticism: Denying the Truth about God

    Sin, Salvation and Forgiveness: Claiming the Mental and Spiritual High-Ground

    Struggling with Salvation . . . and Relatives

    Legalism, Past and Present II

    Ministry and the Ichthys Ministry II

     All about Ichthys II: Mutual Encouragement in the Lord

    The Book of Job and Christian Suffering

    Genesis Gap: Questions and Answers III: Creationism, Neanderthals, Fossil Record

    Christology Questions IV: Jesus' Birth, Baptism, Early Life, and Kenosis

    Third Party Testimony III: Near Death Experiences, Revelations and Tongues

    Third Party Testimony II: Charismatic Claims of Visions, Dreams and Prophecy

    Third Party Testimony I: We Believe God and His Word - Not People

    God Heals - in His way (not our way)

    Sanctification, Separation and Restraint

    Finding a Church - or Something Better?

    Culture and Christianity X:  Military Service, College, Politics, and Race Relations

    Contemporary Churches and Women Preachers

    Culture and Christianity IX: Politics, Tithing, Music, Crucifixes, Alcohol, and Gambling

    Marriage and the Bible II

    Biblical Anthropology III: Soul versus Spirit, "Soul Sleep", and the Interim Body

    New Testament Interpretation II: Who is equal? Grace in vain. Unequally yoked.

    Aspects of the Crucifixion II: Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday?

    Aspects of the Crucifixion I: Carrying the cross, trials and rooster crow.

    Salvation Lost and Found

    The Canon: Content, Chronology, and Criticism

    Spiritual Warfare III: Peter's 'Angel', Saul's Death, and Strange Events

    Old Testament Interpretation IV: Gehazi's Leprosy, Tyre's Destruction, and Immanuel

    Nephilim, Fallen Angels, and Genesis 6

    Gospel Questions VIII

    Sin, Atonement and Forgiveness II

    Sin, Atonement and Forgiveness I

    Annihilationism, Universalism, Hell and Judgment

    When is the Rapture?

    Noah, the Flood, and the Nature of Animals

    The Tribulation: Timing of, Preparation for, and Conditions in

    Eschatology Issues VIII: Revelation, Tribulation and Judgment

    Antichrist: the Mark, the Number, and the Identification of the Beast

    Satan's Revolt and the Tribulation to Come

    Old Testament Interpretation III: The Name 'Jacob', the Mark of Cain, Jeshrun.

    Old Testament Interpretation II: Urim and Thummim, the Bronze Serpent, the Ark.

    Being Saved: Security, Apostasy, and the Sin unto Death

    Fighting the Fight III: False Teaching, Local Churches, and the Truth

    Fighting the Fight II: Struggling with Sin, Doubt, and Severe Testing

    Fighting the Fight I: Accountability, Faith, Sin, Forgiveness, and Reward

    Dispensations, Covenants, Israel and the Church II

    Dispensations, Covenants, Israel and the Church I

    Witnessing: Cults and Christianity II

    Witnessing: Cults and Christianity I

    Ministry and the Ichthys Ministry

    Biblical Interpretation V

    Baptism: Water and Spirit V

    Spiritual Growth, Church-Searching and "Discipling"

    Unbelievers, Free Will, and the Plan of God

    Biblical Languages, Texts and Translations VI

    Baptism: Water and Spirit IV

    Paganism, Idolatry, Mythology and the Occult

    The Lives of the Apostles and the Writing of the New Testament

    The Essence of God and Deity of Christ

    Parables and their Interpretation

    The Meaning and Purpose of True Christian Assembly

    Marriage and the Bible

    Spiritual 'ups' and 'downs'

    1st John: Text and Interpretation

    Eschatology Issues VII

    Perseverance in the latter days of Laodicea

    Babylon USA?

    Baptism: Water and Spirit III

    Prayer: the Persistence, Purpose and Power of.

    Paul the Apostle: Aspects of his Life and Ministry

    Gospel Questions VII: The Wedding at Cana et al.

    Israel, 'Lost Tribes' and the Star of David

    Israel and Antichrist in Eschatology

    Explaining and Defending the Trinity and the Person of Christ II

    The Holy Spirit: Pneumatology Questions III

    Culture and Christianity VIII

    The Geography of Heaven, Hades and 'Hell'.

    Eschatology Issues VI

    Bible Interpretation IV

    Legalism, Past and Present

    The Resurrection Body and our Eternal Future.

    Christ the First-Born, High Priest in the Order of Melchizedek.

    Bible Versions, Bible Translation, and Bible Reading II

    Bible Versions, Bible Translation, and Bible Reading

    Hermeneutics, Typology, Christophany, Theophany and Anthropopathism.

    No, Hebrews does not teach that you lost your salvation.

    Gospel Questions VI: the Long Ending of Mark et al.

    Judas and the Betrayal of Christ

    Doubting Salvation and Questions of Sin

    The 144,000: God's Seal vs. the Mark of the Beast

    Atheism: Putting Truth to Death

    War in Heaven II

    The Holy Spirit: Pneumatology Questions II

    War in Heaven

    The Holy Spirit: Pneumatology Questions I

    The Law, Love, Faith-Rest and Messianism

    Paul and the Law

    Genesis Questions III

    Sin and Salvation, Confession and Forgiveness

    Have I Lost My Salvation? (III)

    The Battlefield Within: Fighting the inner spiritual Struggle.

    Putting Christ in Christmas: Loving Jesus, the Star and the Magi, Wonderful Counselor.

    Old Testament Interpretation: Moses and Zipporah, David's disastrous Census, the Destruction of the Midianites, et al.

    Healing, Miracles, and Dreams: Sorting the Wheat from the Chaff by biblical Means

    153 Fish: Explaining some Difficult New Testament Passages

    Kenosis: Our Lord's Self-Limitation during the 1st Advent

    Biblical Anthropology II: 'Soul sleep', & dichotomy vs. trichotomy

    Biblical Anthropology I: The Nature of Human Beings and Human Life according to the Bible.

    Genesis Gap: Questions and Answers II.

    Culture and Christianity VII: Jury Duty, Witnessing, Biometry, Military Service et al.

    Culture and Christianity VI: Halloween, Holidays, Aliens, and Christian Applications.

    Angelic Issues V: Michael, the Angel of the Lord, Christophany, demons, cherubs, and Satan's revolt.

    Angelic Issues IV:  Satan's Revolt in the Plan of God.

    New Testament Interpretation: Melchizedek, 'Forsake not Assembly', 'Women Remain Silent', Water-Baptism, Tongues, Prophecy, Intervention of Departed Believers.

    Lost my salvation II?

    All about Ichthys: Mutual Encouragement in the Lord. 

    Genesis Questions.

    Fallen Angels, Demons, Nephilim, and the Devil's Methodology.

    End Times Interpretation II.

    Salvation, the Gospel, and Unbelief.

    The Bible and the Canon: The Inspired Word of God.

    End Times Interpretation.

    Grace versus Law.

    Communion and the Spiritual Death of Christ.

    Sinlessness and 1st John.

    Israelology, Anti-Semitism, the Remnant, Gentiles, Lost Tribes, Jewish Myths.

    "Soul Sleep" versus our true Heavenly State.

    Christology Questions III: The Angel of the Lord, the Lamb Slain, monogenes.

    Angelic Issues III: Demons, Satan, Elders, Female Angels and Guardians.

    Against Universalism III: Unbelievers in the Plan of God.

    Waters Above, the Firmament, and the Genesis Gap.

    Marriage "Matters".

    In Need of Guidance and Encouragement.

    Biblical Languages, Texts and Translations V.

    Servants, Slaves, Disciples, and Ministers.

    Baptism: Water and Spirit II.

    Bible Interpretation III: David's Anointing, Stephen versus Genesis, Triplets, This People, and more.

    Evangelism in Principle and Practice.

    Scripture versus Personal Experience.

    Calvinism, Covenants and Catholicism.

    Culture and Christianity V: Temporal Authority vs. Biblical Application.

    False Doctrine of Absolute Eternal Security III.

    The Dangers of Messianic Legalism IV: Unclean and Impure?

    Things to Come III: The Wrath of God and the Fate of the Beast's Army.

    God Works All Things Together for Good.

    The 7 Trumpets, the 7 Kings, Nephilim, Antichrist and Revived Rome.

    The Coming Tribulation and the Kingdom of God.

    Sin, Confession and Forgiveness.

    Mutual Encouragement in Christ.

    Biblical Languages, Texts and Translations IV.

    Culture and Christianity IV: Doing one's job as 'unto the Lord', the peril's of 'heroic medicine', Christian perspectives on legalizing marijuana, when lying is not a sin, and when life begins.

    Eschatology Issues V: "It is not for you to know the times or the seasons".

    Ichthys and Contemporary Christianity.

    Gospel Questions V: Help my Unbelief, Respecting our Enemies, etc.

    The Two Witnesses of the Tribulation: Moses and Elijah.

    The Apostles, the Jerusalem Council, and Legalism then and now.

    Aspects of the Christian Walk: Gambling, Lying, Christmas, Judging, Worrying, et al.

    No Rapture

    Believers in the World: Using our Free Will to Respond to the Lord

    Christology Questions II: The Serpent Lifted and the Cross, Jesus' Infallibility, Destroy this Temple, the Sign Spoken Against, His Glorification, the Spirit's Anointing, and the Necessity for His Humanity.

    Paul's Jerusalem Error, Worshiping Truly, the Priesthood of the Believer, and Peter's Vision of the Impure Food

    Christian Trials and Testing

    Gospel Questions IV: The Prophet, the rich man in Hades, Peter's wife, the 'eleven' and the 'twelve' apostles, 'the world could not contain' (Jn.21:25), and progressive revelation.

    Eschatology Issues IV: Israeli politics, 'This Generation', Signs of the Times, the Beast presently alive?, 'Flee Babylon', Preparing for the Tribulation, and 'was, is not, will be'.

    John's Water-Baptism versus the Baptism of the Holy Spirit

    Eschatology Issues III: Over-focusing on Revelation, the Seven Churches, Enoch versus Elijah, and the Symbolism of the Menorah

    The Purpose of Chronicles, Cyrus the Persian, the Chronology of the Exodus Plagues, Qumran and Isaiah, Nebuchadnezzar's Madness, and Jeremiah 31:22, "A Woman will Embrace a Man".

    Aaron and the Golden Calf, Mount Zion, Moses and Zipporah, the high priest's attire, and the ark of the covenant.

    Aspects of the Genesis Curse on Animals, the Tree of Knowing Good and Evil, Jacob Wrestling with the Angel of the Lord, and Kainam.

    The City of David, the Star of David, Solomon's Wisdom, and the Song of Solomon.

    The Israelites at Kadesh and 'not entering the Land of Promise'.

    Genesis Gap: Questions and Answers.

    Sin and Spiritual Transformation.

    Cults and Christianity IV

    Cults and Christianity III

    Cults and Christianity II

    Cults and Christianity.

    One Baptism: the True Meaning of Peter's Words at Acts 2:38.

    Apostasy and the Sin unto Death, the Conscience and Sanctification.

    The Plan of God and Individual Salvation (excerpt from BB 4B)

    In Your Anger, do not Sin:  Ephesians 4:26 and the Sin Nature

    Bible Interpretation II: Easter, Abiathar, the Hyssop-Blood Cross, Baal, the Scarlet Thread, Names of God, Adiaphoria, and Mezentius.

    Spiritual Warfare II

    Culture and Christianity III

    Have I Lost my Salvation?

    On the Firing Line: Encouragement in Christian Trials

    Eschatology and the Old Testament

    Prayer and our Walk with Jesus.

    Issues of Canonicity II: Aramaic, Enoch, KJV, and the Pastorals

    Bible Vocabulary and Bible Word Studies

    Satan, his Demons, and the Gnostics

    Antichrist: Alive and Well and Living on Planet Earth?

    The Nature of Angels

    Our Eternal Future: Life after Death for Believers in Jesus Christ

    Giants and Nephilim, Sumerian Myths, and Sea Monsters

    Dreams and Visions II

    The Golden Rule

    The Divinity of Jesus Christ

    Free-Will Faith and the Will of God

    Some Sensitive Topics III

    The Spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy: explaining James 4:5.

    Faith: What is it?

    The Seven-Fold Spirit of God.

    Free-Will Faith in the Plan of God.

    Putting the Word of God First.

    Free-Will Faith.

    The False Doctrine of "Soul Sleep" II.

    The False Doctrine of Absolute Eternal Security II.

    The Plan of God

    The Dangers of Messianic Legalism III

    The Dangers of Messianic Legalism II

    The Dangers of Messianic Legalism.

    The Gift of Tongues: Part 2

    The Gift of Tongues: Part 1

    Mega-Churches, Emergent Christianity, Spirituality and Materialism.

    Epignosis, Christian Epistemology, and Spiritual Growth.

    Jephthah's Daughter, Marriage, Divorce, and Remarriage.

    Christian Unity and Divisiveness.

    Death, Martyrdom and Resurrection.

    Blessing, Cursing, and Prayer.

    Freedom and Responsibility.

    Fighting the Good Fight of Faith.

    Only-Begotten, Mother-of-God, On-this-Rock: English-only Interpretation is Dangerous.

    The Greek Text of the New Testament and some Issues of Textual Criticism.

    What does the name 'Christian' mean?

    Some Jewish Issues.

    Christians Beware: Internet Frauds and the Need for Spiritual Discernment (part 2).

    Christians Beware: Internet Frauds and the Need for Spiritual Discernment.

    Sin and Forgiveness.

    Spring Special: The Millennial Regathering and Purging of Israel.

    Life Begins at Birth.

    Culture and Christianity II

    Culture and Christianity I

    The Saved and the Unsaved

    Last Things and Last Judgments

    The Local Church and Personal Ministry IV

    The Local Church and Personal Ministry III

    The Local Church and Personal Ministry II

    The Local Church and Personal Ministry I

    More on Antichrist and his Kingdom

    Antichrist and Babylon

    Prophecy Questions.

    Theological Questions

    Heavenly Things.

    Dysfunctional Churches.

    Some Sensitive Topics II.

    Christmas Special: The Judgment and Reward of the Church.

    What is God's Will?

    Apologetics

    Thanksgiving Leftovers.

    Combating Legalism VI

    Combating Legalism V

    Combating Legalism IV

    Combating Legalism III

    Combating Legalism II

    Combating Legalism I

    Aspects of the False Doctrine of Institutional Security

    Chronological Order of the Books of the Bible II

    Biblical Languages, Texts and Translations III

    Biblical Languages, Texts and Translations II

    Biblical Languages, Texts and Translations I

    Gospel Questions III: Least in the kingdom, Millstones, Pennies, Pebbles, Babes, Rhaka, Tallits, and the Crown of Thorns.

    Gospel Questions II: Jesus' Turning Water to Wine, Sweating Blood, Walking on Water, Washing the Disciples' Feet, and the Promise of Freedom."

    Things to Come II: Genesis Rapture, Daniel's Weeks, Seven Kings, Signs of the Apocalypse, Tribulational Suffering, Seven Seals, the Bride of Christ, and Mystery Babylon.

    Things to Come: The Half Hour, the 144,000, the Book of Life, Rewards, the Beast's Kingdom, the Great Apostasy, and the so-called 'Partial Rapture'.

    Satan and the Existence of Evil.

    The Holy Spirit: Blasphemy against, Restraining Ministry, and Gender.

    Spiritual Gifts and Spiritual Growth

    Christian Love, the Golden Rule, Christian Military Service and Self-Defense.

    Issues of Canonicity: Apocrypha, Enoch, and Inspiration.

    Church: The Biblical Ideal versus the Contemporary Reality.

    Numbers, Letters, and the Mark of the Beast.

    Gospel Questions I: Jesus' Life, the Gospels and Cherubs, and who Wrote Matthew.

    More Questions about Genesis.

    Naaman, Nero, Nineveh, and Senacharib.

    The False Doctrine of Absolute Eternal Security.

    Choosing Hell: Questions about Salvation and the Love of God.

    The Chronology of the End.

    The Route of the Israelites in Crossing the Red Sea.

    Some Issues of Transmission, Translation, and Transliteration: The Camel and the Needle, etc.

    Aspects of the Life of Christ: Jesus' siblings, the man born blind, et al.

    Jesus is God and man.

    Jesus is God.

    Redemption, the Blood of Christ, Christ our Passover, and The Passion of the Christ.

    Eschatology Issues II: Angelic bodies, heaven and hell, Satan and the Nephilim, etc.

    The Book of Job and Biblical Interpretation.

    Some Questions about Eternity.

    Who Controls our Thoughts and Emotions?

    The Day of the Lord.

    Sleep as a Euphemism for Death.

    Literal Hell.

    Christ's Preaching to the Spirits in Hell (1Pet.3:18-20), & Michael's Rebuke of Satan (2Pet.2:10-11 ).

    Recovering from Sin.

    The Timing of the Resurrection.

    Dispensations, the Church, the Rapture, and the Destruction of the Universe.

    Christianity versus Contemporary Kitsch.

    Purpose Driven Life, Oprah's New Age Religion, et al.

    Lot, Esau, and Cain: Learning through Negative Examples.

    Against Universalism II: Only Believers are Saved.

    Against Universalism I: Free Will and the Image of God.

    Courage in the Fight.

    Demon Influences.

    Sabbath Questions.

    The Seven Edens and the Eden of Adam and Eve.

    Opposition to the Genesis Gap from the Creation Research Institute et al.

    Mary 'Full of Grace'?

    Changing the Name of God?

    The Beast:  Some Questions about Antichrist.

    The Book of Revelation:  Some Questions.

    Red Hot or Lukewarm? Bible Teaching versus Sermonizing.

    The Last Judgment and the Great White Throne.

    Baptism:  Water and Spirit.

    Spiritual  Marathons.

    Christology:  Some Questions on the Life of Christ.

    Regarding Ichthys.

    Train up a Child in the Way he should Go.

    War, History, and Politics.

    Unbelief and its Consequences.

    Dreams and Visions.

    Explaining and Defending the Trinity and the Person of Christ.

    Free Will and Faith under Pressure.

    Angelic Issues II.

    Science and the Bible.

    Bible Interpretation I:  Academics, Versions et al.

    Faith in the Word of God: the Basis of all True Worship.

    Aspects of the Resurrection II.

    Faith and Encouragement in the midst of Fiery Trials.

    Some Sensitive Topics.

    Jethro, Amenhotep, Iraq, the Catacombs, and the KJV.

    Eschatology Issues: The Fig Tree, Ezekiel 38, Joel 3, and the Trumpets.

    Christ the Rock, the Rooster's Crow, and the Cross.

    Applying Faith II: Production, Forgiveness, Circumcision, Truth over People.

    Applying Faith: Eating, Drinking, and Vacation.

    The Tree of Life, Communion, and the Virgin Birth.

    Grammar Questions.

    Can Prayer Be Offered From Heaven? & Some Genesis Questions.

    Walking the Path of Faith through the Light of the Word of God.

    Salvation on the battlefield, truth revealed to infants, and damnation.

    Preparing for Tribulation.

    Divine Sovereignty and Divine Judgment.

    God's Free Gift of Salvation.

    Should Christians wear Jewelry?

    The Lord's Prayer.

    The Events Surrounding the Birth of Christ.

    Cremation or Burial?

    Zechariah, Demon Possession, Marriage, Spiritual Experiences, and Bible Prophecy.

    No Grounds for Divorce?

    The Shape of the Universe, Hominids, and the Genesis Gap.

    Taking Personal Responsibility: Interest, Bankruptcy, Gambling, and Employment.

    The Seven Churches, the Judgment Seat of Christ,  and other issues in Eschatology.

    The Canonicity of the book of Hebrews.

    Great White Throne, the Last Judgment, and the Outer Darkness.

    Political Action versus Biblical Christianity.

    Study Tools and Methodologies.

    Covenants.

    The Gospel and the Kingdom of God.

    Pursuing a Deeper Relationship with Jesus and Christian Epistemology.

    The Origin and the Danger of the Pre-Tribulational Rapture Theory.

    The Divinity of the Spirit and the Percentage of those who are Saved.

    Should Christians ever consider getting a lawyer?

    Pastoral Authority, Popes, Pat Robertson, and Pelagianism.

    Some Questions on Church Polity.

    Apostles and Evangelism

    Luther, Arminius, Calvin, Kant, Ironside, Tutu and Thieme.

    Angelic Issues.

    Transmutation, Resuscitation, and Resurrection.

    Is the Soul a tertium quid?

    More on the Documentary Hypothesis and More on the Rapture.

    Enoch's Walk with God and Some Questions in the Gospels.

    The Influence of the Renaissance and Rationalism on the Church and Cutting off Arms in Malachi 2:3.

    Sabbath Observance.

    1st John 5:20 & Romans 6:23.

    Eschatology Questions.

    Baptism and Following Jesus.

    Where is Armageddon?

    Assurance of Salvation.

    The Cross, Sin, and the Devil in God's Plan.

    More on: Spiritual Gifts; Hats & Hair; the Age of Accountability.

    Daniel 9:25 and Daniel 11:30.

    Who will populate earth during the Millennium?  and  Asking for Wisdom: James 1:5.

    Was Judas Saved?, The Gospel of Judas, and Issues of Canonicity.

    Is 'My Son' Israel or Jesus in Hosea 11:1?  &  How do you Prove Sin to Someone?

    Did Matthew Write his Gospel in Hebrew?

    Christian Crowns, Pagan Names, and the Time of the Cock-Crow.

    Child-like Faith, Mark vs. Matthew, the Mahdi, and 'Who was with God in the Beginning?

    True Orthodoxy and False Creeds.

    Foot-washing, Bitter Herbs, Baptism, and Borrowed Faith.

    All Things Charismatic.

    Friday versus Thursday Crucifixion.

    Jesus' Cursing of the Fig Tree, Apostasy, and 'Feng Shui'.

    The Genesis Serpent, Using "it" to refer to the baby Jesus, and more on Tattoos.

    Combating Gnosticism.

    Resisting the Devil.

    Why did Jesus choose John over James to take care of His mother Mary?

    Antichrist's 'desire of women' in Daniel 11:37 et al.

    Do recent catastrophes have a divine origin?

    Does God really want us to be sick and poor?  Revisiting the prosperity gospel.

    Why did our Lord Jesus arise from the tribe of Judah?

    What will our relationship be in heaven with children who died young?

    The baptism of the Holy Spirit as distinct from speaking in tongues.

    The Grammar behind the Genesis Gap.

    The Great White Throne Judgment.

    Moses and Zipporah.

    The Victory of Faith.

    Does God's choice of us eliminate our free will?

    Why does God allow bad things to happen?

    The Bible as "divine", roof prayer, and tattoos.

    Character in Hebrews 1:3, et al.

    Exorcism, et al.

    "Are the children of unbelievers lost if they die before receiving Christ?"

    How not to get "left behind".

    "Is baptism necessary for salvation?"

    "The nature of life after death."

    "The personality of the Holy Spirit."

    "The dragon of Revelation 12 and the talking idol of Revelation 13."

    "Bound by Satan in Luke 13:16, language and the Tower of Babel, Daniel's 70th week, and the number 12."

    "Infirmities and Diseases in Matthew 8:17"

    "The Leftover Baskets of Bread and Fish in John 6."

    "Waiting for the Ascension" and "Amos 4:11".

    Why was Canaan cursed?

    Should Christians have a competitive attitude?

    John "leapt for joy" in the womb - or did he?

    Satanic Influence in Video Games and Television.

    Moving Mountains:  Matthew 21:21

    Not a hair shall be lost? Luke 21:16 versus Luke 21:18.

    The reign of antichrist:  7 years or 3 and 1/2 years?

    The Trinity in Scripture.

    The Ark of the Covenant.

    "Doubts about the Nephilim in Genesis 6" and "Ezekiel 9:4 and the Mark of the Beast"

    "Word Counts in the Bible", "Him whom they Pierced (Rev.1:7)", and "Necromancy".

    "Waiting for a Savior" and "The Direction East in the Bible"

    Transubstantiation.

    Is there a purgatory according to the Bible?

    Your desire shall be for your husband: Genesis 3:16.

    Have I committed the unforgivable sin?

    Is the local church meant to be a patriarchy?

    Why doesn't the Bible mention all of the prophets of the children of Israel?

    The True "Victorious Life".

    Tohu in Genesis 1:2 and the Cause of the Darkness.

    Why Doesn't God Prevent All Children from Dying?

    Why were Christians being regarded as "evil-doers" in 1st Peter 2:12?

    The Scofield Reference Bible.

    Phylacteries and the Mark of the Beast, and "What about Joseph?"

    Feeling desperate and alone.

    Is Tithing net or gross?

    Assembly of the local church, and Jesus' use of "I AM" from Exodus 3:14 in John 8:58

    The "burden of the Lord" in Jeremiah 23:32-40, and judgment for idle words in Matthew 12:36-37.

    The importance of spiritual resiliency.

    Does God use disease to discipline us?

    Recovering from Cult Exposure.

    Variability in Christian Testing and Personal Tribulation.

    Is there any value to the Apocrypha?

    The Communion Ceremony outside of the local church.

    The Christian Walk, the End, and Tattoos.

    Should Christians honor Sunday as the new Sabbath?

    Chronological order of the books of the Bible.

    Doubt, light, missed opportunities et al.

    Addicted to Sin.

    Corporate prayer in Matthew 18:19:  "when two agree on earth".

    What does the Bible say about humor?

    The value of cumulative prayer.

    Our Heavenly, Pre-Resurrection, Interim State.

    How could a loving God order the destruction of the Canaanites?

    Should Christians observe the Torah?

    Church Polity and three other passages.

    Walking with Jesus.

    Tongues: does 'no man' understand?

    The few saved, the door in heaven, visions of heavenly realities, and Christmas.

    Spiritual Warfare.

    Christian suffering and spiritual maturity.

    Aliens, antichrist, and eschatology.

    Does exceptionally sinful behavior indicate that a Christian has lost salvation?

    Should Christians celebrate Jewish festivals?

    The Deaths of the 12 Disciples / Apostles of Christ.

    Categories of Sin in Psalm 19.

    Some brief answers on a variety of topics.

    Pastoral Support, Pastoral Preparation, and the Purpose of Assembly.

    Eternal Rewards.

    Encouragement, Isaiah 6:11-13, and the Hope of Repentance.

    Questioning the Genesis Gap.

    Dinosaurs, the Nephilim, Noah, et al.

    How much should we pay our pastor?

    More about Women Preachers.

    Is it wrong for me to celebrate Easter?

    The Remnant in Isaiah 6:13.

    The Big Distinction.

    The Day of the Lord in 2nd Peter 3:10.

    The Day of the Lord.

    Church History.

    The Sealing of the Holy Spirit.

    Visions of Angels: Colossians 2:18.

    Waiting on God's timing:  patience in testing.

    "Your Throne, O God":  Psalm 45:6.

    Moses striking the Rock.

    Procreation and Creation.

    What is meant by the phrase "the Lord's footstool"?

    1st Peter 3:3-5

    A conversation about divorce and remarriage.

    Faith in the midst of the fiery trial.

    Hebrews 10:26 again, and two other notes on Arthur Pink and the Greek word diakonos.

    What is the correct translation of Isaiah 59:19?

    Is the star of Acts 7:43 the star of David?

    Some questions about Nimrod and Christmas trees, Tongues, and Healing

    Is Jesus the only One ever to restore sight?

    What happens to people who were born and died prior to the birth of Christ?

    Which is better, the King James Version or the New King James Version?

    What is the minimum necessary to be saved?

    How can we know whose interpretation of the Bible is right (Part 2)?

    How can we know whose interpretation of the Bible is right (Part 1)?

    Psalm 22:1, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?"

    The "Mind of Christ" in 1st Corinthians 2:16

    Simeon and Simon, and the two crows of the rooster

    Ichthys, saints, and the Last Adam

    Does Hebrews 10:26 teach loss of salvation?

    Eternal security: where does one draw the line?

    Who are Gog and Magog in Ezekiel 38-39?

    How did John the baptist come to doubt Jesus?

    Is Jesus literally seated on the throne at God's right hand?

    Are the Celts the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel?

    Whatever happened to the "Genesis Gap"?

    "The baptism which now saves you":  1st Peter 3:21.

    Hebrew Language Study Tools.

    What type of healing is being discussed in Isaiah 53:5?

    The Origin of the Four Seasons

    2nd Peter 3:5: Doubting the Tribulation

    Tent-making and Galatians 6:6

    A Question about Ichthys books

    Biblical Metaphors and Symbolism

    Faith and the Pre-Tribulational "Rapture".

    Faith Healing.

    Bible translation and John 8:58.

    Melchizedek and the high priesthood of Christ:  two questions et alia.

    In need of encouragement.

    The centurion and the Syro-Phoenician woman.

    Who is the Meshiach?

    A Sadducean Question

    What is "heaven" like according to Christian teachings?

    Acts 20:28: Whose Blood?

    1st Corinthians 11:  Hats or Hair?

    Confession of Sin, Fellowship, and the Filling of the Holy Spirit.

    A Miscellany of Questions and Answers (Nineveh, the beast, tongues, demons, Sadam, etc.)

    Some Greek Questions in the Gospels (John 1:3; 2:19; 8:58; Luke 23:43)

    Is Man trichotomous, and does that mean that salvation is three-tiered?

    Questioning the Trinity

    The blood of Christ

    Christ knocking at the door in Revelation 3:20

    The futility of memory without God and eternal life.

    The meaning of Jesus' words, "I am" in John 8:58

    What does the Bible say about Heaven and Hell?

    Peace in 1st Corinthians 14:33

    Salvation and Church Affiliation.

    Several questions on the book of Hebrews.

    Does the Bible prohibit women from preaching or teaching in the Church?

    Should Christian leaders refrain from drinking in public?

    How to use the Bible translations at Ichthys.

    The Worship of Jesus:  a proof of His divinity?

    An Extended Conversation about the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

    Is water baptism required for Christians today?

    Are health and wealth a part of the gospel?

    Will those in Hades be able to see Christ's return?

    Feelings of Guilt about Remarriage.

    Who are the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel?

    What does "the Word was with God" mean in John 1:1-2?

    Three questions on three verses in Isaiah (Is.21:4; 28:10, & 66:24).

    How important is education for a pastor?

    Does Hebrews 10:26-35 ("deliberate sinning" etc.) mean that a believer can lose his or her salvation?

    Availability and use of Ichthys materials: several questions.

    Is there any difference between demons and fallen angels?

    Confronting atheism.

    Two questions about Judas Iscariot.

    Three Questions about Tattoos and Salvation.

    The Hebrew word for 'one' (`echadh) and the uniqueness of God.

    Did the witch of Endor really conjure up the spirit of Samuel?

    A Question about the "Waters Above".

    Why did God the Father wait so long to send Jesus into the world?

    How does being "slain in the Spirit" relate to being baptized in the Spirit?

    How do you prove the existence of God?

    Where does the Bible teach that Jesus is God?

    Is it ever Justifiable to Tell a Lie (part 2)?

    Seeing double in Matthew.

    Mary, Joseph, and Nazareth.

    Is the Westminster Catechism a Good Reference Tool?

    What does it mean "the spirit returns to God" in Ecclesiastes 12:7?

    Is there any Connection between biblical Gemstones and Moral Characteristics?

    Are Miraculous Gifts Operational Today?

    Jesus Christ in the Old Testament (Christophany: Gen.3:8).

    Can those in organizations which teach "salvation by works" be saved?

    Is "helpmeet" a wrong translation in Genesis 2:20?

    Our will and God's WILL.

    Cast thy Bread upon the Waters:  What do the seven and eight portions in Ecclesiastes 11:2 mean?

    Was Cain Satan's literal "seed"?

    The Demon Possessed Girl in Acts 16:16.

    The "Sin unto Death" in 1st John 5:16.

    Is death just a natural part of human life?

    Communion and the Blood of Christ.

    What does it mean in 1st Corinthians 7:14, "the unbelieving husband is sanctified"?

    The Re-institution of the Feast of Tabernacles in the Millennium.

    Secular Documentation for the Exodus.

    The false doctrine of "soul sleep".

    The Author of Hebrews and Jesus' Perfect Completion of His Mission.

    The Trinity in Isaiah 63:10-15.

    How old was Jesus at the time of His crucifixion and resurrection?

    Five Smooth Stones: 1st Samuel 17:40

    How can we know the Bible is true?

    The name "Jesus".

    Habakkuk's Prosperity Prayer: Habakkuk 3:17-19.

    Jeremiah 31:22: "A Woman shall Compass a Man".

    The New International Version of the Bible and some issues in Bible translation.

    Is "the Prophet" of Deuteronomy 18:18 Muhammad?

    The One True God and the Trinity in the Old Testament.

    Are those in Hebrews 6:4 who "crucify the Son of God afresh" lost?

    Are New Bible Translations Part of a Conspiracy?

    What exactly is the "red heifer prophecy", and how does it relate to the events of the end times?

    Where did the waters of Genesis 1 go?

    Interpreting Revelation

    Sin, Baptism, and the Book of Revelation

    Tithing and the Book of Life

    The Dangers of the Prosperity Gospel.

    English and the Tower of Babel.

    The "Seven Thunders" of Revelation 10:3-4

    The fate of the unrighteous dead in Isaiah 66:24

    Who are the "sons of the kingdom" in Matthew 18:11-12?

    Why does Judah get greater honor than Jerusalem in Zechariah 12:7?

    Are there Female Angels?

    Longevity in the Millennium.

    How is the date of Easter computed?

    What is the meaning of the 1290 days versus the 1335 days in Daniel 12?

    What Church era are we now in?

    The mark of the beast.

    Christophany in the Exodus.

    Can you explain "help my unbelief!" in Mark 9:24?

    What does it mean to "overcome" in Revelation chapters 2 and 3?

    Are women required to wear veils or hats in church?

    Is the world about to come to an end?

    Does the Bible ever describe the earth as being round?

    Pre-, mid-, or post-Tribulation rapture?

    Pearls before swine.

    Recognizing the Messiah.

    The gift of healing.

    The origin and fate of the "giants" in Genesis chapter six.

    Christian suffering - Christian encouragement.

    Is speaking in tongues biblical?

    Is speaking in tongues a sin?

    Can you recommend a good commentary on the book of Romans?

    Aspects of the resurrection.

    The recipients of Peter's epistles.

    Pre- or Post-Tribulation "rapture"?

    The lives of the prophets.

    The old prophet who lied.

    Animal sacrifice in the millennium.

    Is it ever justifiable to lie?

    Who wrote the King James version?

    The meaning of the divine name יהוה.

    The so-called "documentary hypothesis".

    The relationship between the books of Kings and Chronicles.

    David's disastrous census of Israel.

    Aspects of the Unseen Angelic Warfare and 666, the Mark of the Beast.

    The 200 million strong demon army of Revelation 9:13.

    Deliverance through Childbearing in 1st Timothy 2:15?

    Some questions about the Tribulation.

    More on divorce and remarriage.

    Divorce and remarriage.

    The antecedents of ICHTHYS.

    What does it mean to "remember the Sabbath and keep it holy"?

    The manner of the apostle Peter's death.

    Wasn't Matthias the thirteenth apostle?

    Forward progress necessary for salvation and spiritual growth.

    The "seven days" of human history.

    1st John 1:9 and confessing sin.

    ICHTHYS and the role of traditional Christianity.

    Can you recommend a good survey for the Old and New Testaments?

    Where can I find more information on the "Genesis gap"?

    Is Church membership an issue in salvation?

    Can you recommend a church?

    Are these materials available for purchase as books?

    A bit of autobiography.

    What is your opinion of the Abingdon one-volume Bible Commentary?

    What is the significance of the number "20" in the Bible?

    The 144,000 of Revelation chapters 7 and 14.

    What is your view on predestination?

    Who is "true Israel"?

    The chronology of the date 2026.

    Does baptism play a role in being born again?

    Why does the devil have access to God while man cannot stand in His presence?

    The structure of the book of Revelation.

    What is your view of the rapture?

    What is meant by the "10 days" of Revelation 2:10?

    Dragons in the Bible?

    Are there apostles in the Church today?

    What is the meaning of the word "chosen" in the Bible.

    The Passover.

    What are the most common Bible names?

    What is the biblical significance of the number forty?

    What does the Bible have to say about witchcraft?

    How can I protect myself from false teaching?

    Didn't the devil know he couldn't defeat God?

    Are the Masons wrong according to the Bible?

    Six Questions.

    Can the faith of "backsliders" be restored?

    Are there biblical origins to mythology?

    What does the phrase "sides of the pit" mean in Isaiah 14:15?

    Can prayer be offered in the name of the Son?

    Election and John 6:37?

    Is it valid to celebrate Christmas?

    Can you give me some information on divine names in the Bible?

    What is the significance of name changes in the Bible?

    Is faith a "gift of God"?

    Is there a "gospel of Thomas"?

    Is the nature of Man dichotomous or trichotomous?

    Will the temple be rebuilt in Jerusalem?

    Does the Bible teach a literal Millennium?

    What does the word "good" mean in Genesis?

    Who are "the dead" who "rise first" in 1st Thessalonians 4?

    Are the Greek tenses in John 7:34 correctly translated?

    Is the devil "mad" to oppose God?

    Does the Bible require supporting the pastor financially?

    How can Jesus be a man and God at the same time?

    How did people atone for intentional sin in Old Testament times?

    What is the symbolism of the Lamb of God in Revelation?

    Can you recommend some word study tools for Bible study?

    Can people who commit suicide be saved?

    Are tattoos biblical?

    Is it "ichthys" or "ichthus"?

    What is the difference between wisdom and discernment?

    Marriage of Believers and Unbelievers.

    Is hearing believing in John 6:35?

    How certain a date is 2026?

    Is Paul describing himself in Romans chapter seven?

    Is tithing required for salvation?

    What is the evidence for the "rapture"?

    Is there any validity to the "prosperity gospel"?

    Who are the "Nephilim" in Genesis chapter six?

    Church attendance.

    Is there a literal "devil"?

    What does the Bible have to say about reincarnation?

    What is the unpardonable sin?

    Believing the Bible for Spiritual Growth.

    Why was the New Testament written in Greek?

    What about those who have never heard of Christ?

    What about elders and deacons?

    Eternal Security and "sinless perfection".

    Eternal Security and "salvation by works".

    Does the Bible teach ex nihilo creation?

    When did Jesus first know He was God's Son?

    Are there prophets today?

    Despairing of life.

    How important is baptism?

    How could Christ have been three days and nights in the grave?

    Do Muslims worship the One true God?

    What can I do about spiritual fainting?

     


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