Questions and Answers

The prophet Jeremiah was told by God, “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5). We are told here that God the Father and Jesus Christ knew Jeremiah BEFORE he was formed in his mother’s womb, though we are not told how long before his birth God knew him. Several questions need to be answered: HOW LONG before his birth did God know and sanctify Jeremiah, and what is meant with the phrase that God “formed” him in his mother’s womb?

To answer the first question, we say the following in our free booklet, “Are You Predestined to Be Saved?”, when we explain Revelation 17:8, stating, “[Those] who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are NOT written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world”:

“The Revised Standard Version says: ‘… every one whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb that was slain.’ The New American Bible translates: ‘… all whose names were not written from the foundation of the world in the book…

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Most people have encountered disappointments in their lives at one time or another; quite a few become discouraged; others begin to suffer from a mild or even deep depression; and then there are those who entertain the thoughts of suicide and might even go through with it. Great biblical heroes were not immune from falling into depression and even from entertaining suicidal ideas.

In our recent Q&A, we stated the following:

“What circumstances would give rise to such a thought? Perhaps someone has an incurable disease (by man’s reckoning) and is in such severe pain that it seems to be the only way out of a terrible situation? Or someone doesn’t think him- or herself worthy of God’s calling and cannot reconcile the fact that he or she is a sinner who doesn’t seem to be making any progress in his or her life, perhaps even going backwards? What about someone who experiences demonic activity in his or her life which presses that individual to take such action as a way out of this misery? Drug or alcohol addiction, mental illness, depression, family issues, bullying and marital and financial problems can also be reasons why suicide might seem to be the…

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We see many examples in this world of mankind using animals for heinous purposes, be it gambling on cockfighting or dogfighting or the culturally renowned bullfights in Spain.  Some animals are harvested for valuable parts used for show or pagan remedies.  Even in modern medicine, animals are used inhumanely in clinical drug trials.

Man was given dominion over the newly created world by God. “Then God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth’” (Genesis 1:28). And God expected man to take care of it, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it” (Genesis 2:15 NIV). God even fashioned clothing for Adam and Eve using animals, “Also for Adam and his wife the LORD God made tunics of skin, and clothed them” (Genesis 3:21)

The brutality mankind inflicts upon God’s creation is second only to the cruelty inflicted upon himself. God charged us to use animals for our needs and enjoyment but only in a…

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As presented in Exodus 20, verse 15, the commandment stipulates, “‘You shall not steal.’” The meaning of the word “steal” is “to take (the property of another or others) without permission or right, especially secretly or by force” (dictionary.com).

God instructed Moses how stealing should be dealt with among the people of Israel. Even though the detailed penalties of restoration, as described in that law, are no longer in force today, the principles most certainly apply.

“‘If a person sins and commits a trespass against the LORD by lying to his neighbor about what was delivered to him for safekeeping, or about a pledge, or about a robbery, or if he has extorted from his neighbor, or if he has found what was lost and lies concerning it, and swears falsely–in any one of these things that a man may do in which he sins:  then it shall be, because he has sinned and is guilty, that he shall restore what he has stolen, or the thing which he has extorted, or what was delivered to him for safekeeping, or the lost thing which he found, or all that about which he has sworn falsely. He shall restore its full value, add…

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Surprising as this may sound, the answer is no.

We find the genealogies of Jesus listed in Matthew 1 and Luke 3. But Matthew 1 and Luke 3 describe different lines. Matthew 1 describes Christ’s legal genealogy through Joseph. Luke sets forth Mary’s physical line.

Matthew 1:16 tells us that Matthew’s record covers Christ’s lineage through His stepfather Joseph. It says “Jacob begat Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.”

A correct rendering of Luke 3:23 shows that Luke is setting forth Christ’s blood descent. However, the translation of the New King James Bible is misleading. It gives the impression that Joseph was the father of Heli, and that therefore, Luke is also setting forth Christ’s physical descent of Joseph. This is incorrect, as Joseph was not the SON of Heli, but of Jacob, as Matthew 1:16 points out.

Luke sets forth Christ’s physical genealogy through His mother Mary, NOT through His stepfather Joseph. Accurately translated, Luke 3:23 should read:

“Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age (being, as was supposed the son of Joseph), which was of Heli.” The parenthesis should start with the words “being, as was supposed,” and it should close after “the son of Joseph.” The word “son” in “son…

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We should note that Saul, who later became known as the Apostle Paul, was at first a persecutor and murderer of true Christians (Galatians 1:13-14). He was a Pharisee and strongly believed the teachings of the Pharisees (Acts 23:6). At that time, he was very zealous in hunting down and killing the true disciples of Christ. He was consumed with envy, because their new teaching was contrary to the teachings of the Pharisees. It was the religion of the “new Way,“ the Way of Jesus Christ, who was repeatedly and unjustifiably accused of blasphemy, because He claimed to be the Son of God. But Christ WAS and IS the Son of God (John 17:5)!

In his wrath, Saul went angrily before the High Priest and asked for letters of authorization to arrest Christ’s disciples, whether they were men or women, and to take them bound to the court in Jerusalem (Acts 9:1). For this purpose, Saul went with his companions from Jerusalem to Damascus. Let us read in Acts 9:3-7 what happened on the way:

“And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard…

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The question as to the timing of ordinations can be quite confusing and puzzling. How does one know whether a person should be ordained to a particular office?

We have discussed this question, in general,  in numerous Q&As.

In “What is the basis or reason for ordination?”, we said the following:

“Ordination, as a practice, is clearly set forth in the Bible… In the New Testament, we note that Jesus Christ, who is the Head of the Church of God (Ephesians 1:22), has established ministerial positions: ‘And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers’ (Ephesians 4:11). Speaking of the Church, Paul writes: ‘Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues’ (1 Corinthians 12:27-28).

“From the outset, the process of choosing ministers and deacons for particular service in the Church has been the result of careful consideration… Paul and Barnabas were prophets and teachers. They were subsequently ordained to the rank and function of apostles (Acts 14:14) for the particular job they would then fulfill in the Church… Paul specifically…

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The first reference to God saying that He is a jealous God can be found in Exodus 20:5 where we read: “…you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me.” This is part of the second of God’s Ten Commandments.

Young’s Analytical Concordance shows that the word for jealousy in this verse is “qanna” which can mean zealous and jealous. The same word is used in the same context in other verses as follows:

Exodus 34:14: “…for you shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God…”

Deuteronomy 4:24: “For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.”

Deuteronomy 5:9: “… you shall not bow down to them [carved images] nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me…”

In passing, the meaning of this verse, and also the one in Exodus 20:5, quoted above, is explained in our Q&A,…

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The Tenth Commandment can be found in Exodus 20:17 and in Deuteronomy 5:21.  Exodus 20:17 reads: “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.” Deuteronomy 5:21 words it slightly differently, namely: “’You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife; and you shall not desire your neighbor’s house, his field, his male servant, his female servant, his ox, his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.”

We should note that the order of “wife” and “house” is reverse, and that Deuteronomy adds the word “desire” to the word “covet.” Also, the word “field” is added in Deuteronomy.

Commentaries are trying to explain the reverse order, but without convincing arguments. It appears that in God’s eyes, one is as bad as the other. In addition, the examples are given in Exodus and elaborated in Deuteronomy to make clear that nothing which belongs to our neighbor is to be coveted or desired by us.

The definition of “covet” is helpful. In Hebrew, it can mean “delight,” “lust after” and “desire,” and it is used in a wrong way in both passages…

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In the first part of this two-part series, we examined human “pride” which is opposed to God and which exalts oneself above God and His Law and other human beings. This kind of pride can also be described as a boasting and a wrong feeling of self-confidence and of being inflated with self-conceit. David brought it to the point when he remarked that such a proud person is not concerned about and does not seek God so that, consequently, he persecutes the poor.

We pointed out that in the Old Testament, the Hebrew words “gaon,” “gavah” and “geuth” are rendered with “pride” in English translations, when referring to wrong and ungodly human pride. At the end of part 1, we asked the question whether the concept of “pride” could also be applied in a right and godly way.

This might be a puzzling question, as we are used to thinking of pride in strictly human negative terms. But would it be beyond imagination that God might feel proud about His accomplishments, and that God’s disciples might feel proud about abilities which God gave them–not to glorify themselves, but to glorify God? Would it be wrong to have godly pride and satisfaction in…

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