It is probably true to say that most people have assumed that all of the apostles, elders and others mentioned in the gospel accounts were all men.   However, there are those who may not be sure about such a conclusion.

In Luke 10:1-12, we read about 70 disciples who were sent out, and this is the only place where this group is mentioned in the Bible.

In Wikipedia we read: “The seventy disciples known in the Eastern Christian traditions as the seventy apostles were early emissaries of Jesus mentioned in the Gospel of Luke. The number of those disciples varies between either 70 or 72 depending on the manuscript.”  There are those who feel that this may have been a copyist error.

We want to clarify that the Church of God has never taught, to our knowledge, that these 70 disciples were apostles. This is very unlikely as Christ chose 12 apostles [not 70 plus] out of the disciples who followed Him. 

Continue reading "Why were all the apostles men? (Part 1)"

While the term “spiritual fatigue” may seem odd, the idea that we can become stagnant in our faith and in our study of Scripture is quite real. As humans who lead busy and often complicated lives, with health issues, family conflicts, and work demands, it is possible to lose sight of the prize, so to speak, which is the gift of eternal life with God the Father and Jesus Christ. So, how does a true Christian deal with this? 

In the world of the written word, it is not uncommon for an author of a book, article, a business memorandum, or even a church message, to experience what is commonly referred to as writer’s block. Wikipedia describes this as finding oneself in the situation in which the person is unable to create, think of the next sentence in a story, or make the next brush stroke. Most of us have experienced this to some degree and understand that it can be frustrating. The Russian painter, Leonid Pasternak (father of the poet and author, Boris Pasternak), created a painting that captured the utter frustration of a writer clutching his forehead while holding his pen as the manuscript lay before him.

Continue reading "How does a true Christian deal with spiritual fatigue?"

Wars, crises, fear everywhere – can there even be true peace in such a world? And what distinguishes the peace this world promises from the peace that only God can grant?

When we look at the world around us, it’s sometimes hard to even talk about peace. Almost every day we hear about wars, conflicts, terrorism, economic hardship, political tensions, and societal crises. At the same time, many people are struggling with their own personal burdens, such as worries about their families, health problems, financial difficulties, or fear of an uncertain future. It appears the world is becoming increasingly turbulent.

Against this backdrop, many ask an important question: Can there even be true peace in such a world?

The Bible answers this question with a clear “yes”. However, we first need to understand what true peace actually is.

Many people picture peace as the absence of problems. To them, peace means that everything is going well, that no difficulties arise, and that the future seems secure.

Continue reading "Is genuine peace in this world possible – or is it an illusion?"

In part 1 of this two-part Q&A, we looked at how disobedience to God’s instructions was life-changing for Adam and Eve, Lot’s wife, King Uzziah, and Gehazi, Elisha’s servant.   Let’s continue with some more examples.

King Saul

In 1 Samuel 8, when Samuel the prophet was old, the elders made a request to him as we read in verses 4 and 5:

“Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, and said to him, ‘Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.’”

This did not go down well with Samuel as he realized that the request of the people was sinful, but God told him in verse 9:

^“Now therefore, heed their voice. However, you shall solemnly forewarn them, and show them the behavior of the king who will reign over them.”

Continue reading "Can disobeying God’s instructions be life-changing? – Part 2"

There are a number of stark reminders in the Bible of those who ignored God’s specific instructions when they were given to certain individuals and the consequences were very serious.  All of these should be handy lessons for those of us who have been called in this age that disobedience to God consistently results in serious consequences, ranging from immediate personal struggles and broken relationships to spiritual separation and ultimate judgment.

Obedience is often viewed today as a “bad” or outdated concept in modern society. It can often be equated with forced submission, authoritarianism, and a lack of free will. Obedience can be viewed negatively because it may limit freedom or be used manipulatively, plus the fact that so many don’t like any restrictions in their lives.

Continue reading "Can disobeying God’s instructions be life-changing? – Part 1"

When we read about the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22, one word stands out in particular: longsuffering. It has affected many within the Church of God, and it is something we must understand correctly. God has the power to fulfill all things, and long suffering requires ongoing patience. Patience and longsuffering go hand in hand.    

Longsuffering means having patience in spite of troubles. It requires ongoing patience to wait faithfully for Christ’s return, even though we do not know exactly when that will be. In the meantime, we face trials, live in a world filled with hate and violence, and struggle to live God’s Way of Life. In this day and age, we have been called out of this world for a reason—to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom and to prepare mankind for Christ’s Second Coming—and we have been given God’s knowledge and power to apply this in our lives. When we suffer from sickness, for example, we must pray continually for God’s healing and trust Him to answer in His time. We must believe that God will fulfill His promise to heal us and to continue to use us in His service, even though He might not intervene right away. 

Continue reading "What is longsuffering, and why does God allow His people to go through it?"

In our last Q&A, titled, “Are there phrases in the Bible that have become normal in society today? (Part 2),” we covered this question briefly, as follows:

“God will never give you more than you can handle

“This is another common phrase which, as quoted, is not in accordance with Scripture. It is not found in the Bible. One commentary stated astutely: ‘When someone is going through a difficult time in life, whether they are feeling overwhelmed, stricken with grief, or just generally burdened, they are often encouraged that though their challenges are considerable, God would never give them more than they could handle. But, despite what we might say, God will give us more than we can handle [or bear].  Rather, God will never allow us to be tempted [or tested] beyond what we are able to [handle or bear]. He will always provide a way for us [to escape and] to be faithful to Him, even when the pull toward a different path is as strong as it has ever been.’… So, whatever we are being confronted with, GOD will help us. We need GOD… on our own, we can do and accomplish nothing. But with God, we can do and endure everything.”

Continue reading "Does God give us more than we can handle?"

In this new series, we will continue to give examples of phrases from the Bible that are part and parcel of our everyday language.  We will also give examples which are not found in the Bible per se, but which are close and express biblical principles, and we will quote examples which are not in the Bible and even contradict biblical teaching, even though some people think that they are in God’s Word.

Pride goes before a fall 

This is a close quote, but not totally accurate. The passage in Proverbs 16:18 reads: “Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.” On Little House on the Prairie, Caroline Ingalls corrected Mrs. Oleson who had just chastened her with the misquote of pride goes before a fall. 

Continue reading "Are there phrases in the Bible that have become normal in society today? (Part 2)"

It is interesting that there are so many phrases in everyday use that can be found in the Bible.   Many may use these phrases without even thinking about where they came from and many may be atheists or agnostics anyway.   Some who may never have even opened the pages of the Bible may be surprised how many phrases contained in the Word of God have become everyday phrases in our society.

In one internet forum, a contributor observed that “In general the bible is ignored by modern society. It is ignored largely because people think its moral standards and helpful counsel is hopelessly out of date. Most people want to live their lives without anyone telling them what to do, or what not to do. That has not changed since the Garden of Eden.”   These are just some of the reasons why some never read or consult the Word of God.

Continue reading "Are there phrases in the Bible that have become normal in society today? (Part 1)"

This is a very interesting question; particularly, when we think of the ages of some of the patriarchs, and we look at the ages of people at other times during the last 6,000 years.   We want to briefly explore the question of life-spans and why King David only lived to the age of 70 when he was considered to be very old, which is not very old by today’s standards.

From the Bible, many people will know that Methuselah was the oldest man who ever lived – he was 969 years old when he died (Genesis 5:27), Jared was 962 (Genesis 5:20) and Noah 950 years old (Genesis 9:29).   The next oldest were:

Adam – 930 (Genesis 5:5)

Seth – 912 (Genesis 5:6-7)

Canaan- 910 (Genesis 5:14

Enosh – (not to be confused with Enoch) 905 (Genesis 5:11)

Mahalalel 895 (Genesis 5:17)

Continue reading "Why does the Bible say that when King David died at Age 70, he was very old?"