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Bible Q&A

Questions that arise in your mind will be answered through the Bible.

Some people insist that there is no need to keep the laws such as the Sabbath and the Passover in New Testament times because they were abolished after Jesus. Are there any biblical grounds for their insistence?

When it comes to the Law, many people misunderstand that it only applies to the Israelites in Old Testament times. They say that there are no more laws to be observed in New Testament times when God's unconditional grace is given to all through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. However, it is different than what the Bible teaches. The law of Moses and the law of Christ There are two kinds of laws in the Bible: One is the law of Moses, which was given by God through Moses, and the other is the law of Christ—the law of the new covenant—which was established by Jesus. The law of Christ is the law made perfect by Jesus: In the New…

I’ve learned that God is described as “Elohim,” a plural noun, in the original text of the Hebrew Bible. Then, does it mean that there is not only one God?

Just as you said, God is described as Elohim (אֱלֹהִים) in many places in the Hebrew Bible. It is common knowledge that God is one, but the term "Elohim" completely defies this common sense, because Elohim has a plural meaning. Some people insist that the word "Elohim" is used in the Bible to express the fullness of God's divinity and power or to depict the Triune God, but it is a mere guess that comes from a misunderstanding of the Bible. Now, let's find out what the exact meaning of the word "Elohim" is and why the Bible describes God as "Elohim." "Elohim," the mystery of the Bible The term "Elohim" has caused a lot of controversy among the Biblicists…

What is the reason why every church erects the cross?

There was no cross in the early Church The reason why the churches today set up the cross is because they regard it as the symbol of Christ. Even those who do not believe in God take it for granted. However, the cross can never be a symbol of Christ. The cross, which was an object of shame and the"accursed tree" to the apostles in the early Church (Gal 3:13), was introduced into the church as Christianity became paganized. The leaders of the Church of Rome accepted pagan ideas and symbols under the pretext of evangelizing pagans, and one of them was the cross. Paying attention to the fact that Jesus was crucified on the cross, the Church of Rome…

I am taught that the history of the Israelites was written to teach us. Israel was destroyed by Rome in AD 70. The people of Israel were very proud of being God’s chosen people. Yet, why and how were they destroyed? And what lesson does this history give us today?

It was around AD 30. The religious leaders of Israel accused Jesus―God who came to this earth in human form for the salvation of mankind―and brought Him before Pilate, the governor of Judea. The Jews, who were gathered at the place of judgment, raised their voices and kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” Pilate found Jesus innocent of all charges, but he was afraid that the crowd might riot if he did not crucify Him. So he took some water, washed his hands in front of the crowd, and said, “I am innocent of this man's blood. It is your responsibility!” “Let his blood be on us and on our children!” (Mt 27:25). The shout of the Jews, who had…

The Bible calls Jesus the “High Priest in the Order of Melchizedek.” What does it mean?

The Meaning of Order The word order from the “Order of Melchizedek” refers to the order of performing priestly duty. In the earthly temple, many priests took turns performing the same priestly duty. And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his course . . . Lk 1:8, KJV The Order of Aaron and the Order of Melchizedek In the Bible there are two orders of priesthood: the Order of Aaron and the Order of Melchizedek. Aaron, the older brother of Moses, became the first high priest after the Law of Moses was established in the Old Testament times. The Order of Aaron is an expression that represents the priesthood…

What Is the Composition of the Bible? Some people insist that the Bible has more than 66 books. Is that true?

The Bible we have today is a collection of the 39 books of the Old Testament and the 27 books of the New Testament. This collection of 66 books is known as the “canon” of Scripture. The term “canon” is derived from the Hebrew word קָנֶה(kaneh) which means “reed.” Reeds were often used as measuring rods, so the word “reed” came to mean “a criterion or standard.” Later, the word “canon” was used to refer to the 66 books of the Bible, which is the standard of faith (R.K. Harrison, Introduction to the Old Testament, pp. 327-328). Other books excluded from the Canon are called the “Apocrypha,” which refers to the books that are not included in the Hebrew Bible.…

The gospel of Christ was preached to the Gentiles in the New Testament times (Ac 10:11). Then, what about in the Old Testament times? Was the gospel preached to the Gentiles in the Old Testament times, too?

When we read, “No foreigner is to eat of it. Any slave you have bought may eat of it after you have circumcised him” (Ex 12:43–45), we can understand that those who got circumcised could keep the Passover even though they were Gentiles. And as it is written, “An alien living among you who wants to celebrate the LORD’s Passover must have all the males in his household circumcised; then he may take part like one born in the land” (Ex 12:48), those who get circumcised with faith in God could become God’s people even though they were Gentiles. In the book of Isaiah, it is written that those who keep the Sabbath and hold fast to God’s covenant with…

The name “Samaria” appears often in the Bible. What kind of place is Samaria? Why did the Jews distinguish themselves especially from the Samaritans?

Division of the Kingdom of Israel In order to know about Samaria, let’s take a brief look at the history of the Kingdom of Israel first. The first king of Israel was Saul. However, as Saul disobeyed God, the throne was taken from him and given to David. At the age of 30, David became king of Israel and followed God wholeheartedly; he loved the law of God and observed it diligently. In addition, he tried to build the temple for the ark of the covenant, so that he would please God. Under the grace of God, he reigned over Israel for 40 years (1 Sa 15:22-23; 2 Sa 5:4; 2 Samuel 7). After the death of David, Solomon became…

I am told that the Old Testament can be interpreted as a shadow and the New Testament as its reality. What are the Biblical grounds for believing that?

The Bible testifies that the law of the Old Testament is only “a shadow of the good things that are coming” (Heb 10:1). It also says in the Bible that God made known from ancient times what was still to come (Isa 46:10), and that whatever is has already been and what will be has been before (Ecc 3:15). All these words show that God already made known what He would later fulfill, as a copy and shadow in the age of the Old Testament. Melchizedek in the Old Testament and Jesus in the New Testament Let’s examine the fact that the Old Testament is a shadow and the New Testament is its reality, through some cases. First, let’s see…

In Matthew 22, Jesus said that the first commandment is to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” But isn’t the commandment, “You shall have no other gods before God,” the first commandment?

When people hear the words "first commandment," they usually think of the first commandment of the Ten Commandments which says, "You shall have no other gods before me" (Ex 20:3). However, Jesus tells us that the first and greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our mind. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment." Mt 22:35-38 "Love God with all your heart and with all your…

How much is ten thousand talents and a hundred denarii in the parable of Matthew 18 worth according to today’s monetary standards?

The danarius and talent were units of currency in the New Testament times. A denarius was a Roman silver coin weighing about 4 grams, a day’s wages for a common laborer or soldier (Mt 20:1–2). A talent, a unit of weight for gold or silver, typically weighed about 33 ㎏ [73 lb] varying from 20 to 40 ㎏. When we compare the value of a hundred denarii with that of ten thousand talents, we can realize how tremendous the grace of God given to us is and how small the faults of our brothers and sisters are. Now, let’s take a look at the parable written in Matthew 18. Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times…

In the Bible, we often see a seal being put on people by God. What is the seal and what does it have to do with us?

A "seal" is a stamp inscribed with the name of an individual or organization as a tool to serve as proof of identity and authentication. The seal of God is the stamp of God. Throughout all ages, God has put His seal on those whom He approves. According to this will of God, there are the seal of apostleship and the seal of righteousness by faith. Receiving the Holy Spirit is also a deposit guaranteeing that we are sealed by God(1 Co 9:2, Ro 4:11, 2 Co 1:22). The sealing work of God occurs in this age, too. However, it is different than before. The seal of God which we must receive now is the sign of redemption by which…

Every religion has its own dietary restrictions. I’ve learned that there are some food restrictions in Christianity as well. However, the dietary regulations vary from church to church. Which of them are right? What are the Biblical dietary standards?

There are certain foods that God prohibits His people from eating. These food regulations existed from the Creation to the New Testament times. What we should pay attention to is that God gave His people different dietary laws in each age. Many churches today have their own rules concerning food and insist on keeping them. Most of them say that their food doctrines are based on the Bible, but the reason they insist like that is because they misunderstand the times. No matter what kind of dietary restrictions there were before, we just need to follow the teachings of the apostles who were taught by Jesus. In the New Testament times, God established certain regulations in regard to food through…

Why did Jesus liken false prophets to whitewashed tombs in Matthew 23?

Jesus taught many things in parables while preaching the good news of the kingdom of heaven. The reason He used parables was to make the truth known only to those who had been given the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven (Mt 13:10-15, 34). Many parables told by Jesus are teachings directly related to our salvation. The parable of the "whitewashed tombs" also contains the profound meaning of salvation. Whitewashing The term "whitewashing" usually refers to applying a coat of white paint. It is used metaphorically in the Bible to refer to a person or a group who attempts to make falsehood look like truth. Let's take a look at some Biblical records concerning this. In the…

What is the background of the Passover controversy at the Council of Nicaea and the situation after it?

The Eastern Church and the Western Church The Council of Nicaea was an international council of religious leaders from the Eastern and Western Churches, held at Nicaea in Asia Minor in 325 A.D. under the leadership of the Roman Emperor Constantine. The major issues on the agenda, discussed during the Council, were fixing the date of the Passover Communion and dealing with Arianism that denied the Trinity. Especially, the matter of determining the date of the Passover Communion had been disputed since the mid-second century, and it was brought to an end when the Passover was completely abolished at the Council of Nicaea. The Passover controversy started after all the apostles died and the Early Church was divided into the…

On the day when Jesus was born, there were shepherds out in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks. December is winter, but is it possible to graze sheep in Israel?

Israel, located between the Mediterranean Sea and the Arabian Desert, has a shorter spring and autumn, and longer summer and winter, and it is characterized by a huge daily temperature range. That is because it is situated in the region where the Mediterranean climate meets the subtropical climate. Winter is the rainy season in Israel, so it rains a lot and the temperature falls off. So people move their sheep into the sheep pen at least by October so that they can go through winter there. Therefore, it is hard to keep watching over the flock of sheep in the fields at night in midwinter, December. The birth of Jesus When we read the Bible, we can find out that…

It is said that Christmas, celebrated throughout the world on December 25, is not the birthday of Jesus. Is that true?

It is a widely accepted opinion that December 25 has nothing to do with the birth of Jesus. This is a fact that has already been known publicly through church history and mass media. Then, how come the day, which has nothing to do with Jesus, has been changed to the birthday of Jesus? Now, let's trace its origin. Origin of Christmas December 25 was originally the Roman winter solstice to celebrate the birth of the sun. At that time, sun worshipers—followers of Mithraism which was widespread in Rome—believed that the sun was born on the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. Since the solstice marks the turning point when the days begin to grow longer, they thought…

Nowadays, Christianity is the world’s largest religion in terms of the number of followers, but I am told that the Christian Church was severely persecuted in the time of the early Church. Why was it so persecuted? And how did the early Christians keep their faith in the midst of such severe persecution?

First of all, we must understand that persecution and hardship always accompany God''s people, who hope for heaven and live a sincere life of faith, regardless of era (Ro 8:17). 2,000 years ago, Satan persecuted the Christian Church that followed the truth, by using the power of the world, especially with the support of Judaism that held vested rights and of Rome which dominated Israel at that time. However, the early Christians began to boldly preach the gospel through the power of the Holy Spirit which Jesus had poured out upon them at Pentecost after His resurrection and ascension. The more they were persecuted, the faster the gospel spread even to the Gentile nations, giving off a stronger fragrance of…

Jesus definitely said on the cross, “It is finished.” If then, we don’t need to keep the regulations such as the Sabbath and the Passover any longer, do we?

Do the words, “It is finished” (Jn 19:30), which Jesus said before He died on the cross mean that we don’t need to do anything? Jesus’ words mean that what He had to do on the earth at His first coming was finished, not what we had to do was finished. If we study what Jesus fulfilled, we can understand that God’s people must keep His laws such as the Sabbath and the Passover more holy. Jesus was sacrificed as a ransom One of the important works, which Jesus had to do on the earth, was to give His life as a ransom for the sinners who were given the punishment of hell and were destined to die because of…

The Bible says, “Love God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind.” Is there any specific way to practice it?

The Pharisees tested Jesus with this question: “Which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “ ‘Love God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.” Saying, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” Jesus said that all the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments (Mt 22:35-41). Through this, Jesus meant that the most important core of the Law established by God is love, and that the ultimate goal why God established the Law of the Old Testament and that of the New Testament and commanded us to keep them is also love. We cannot keep the first commandment that Jesus taught us when…