Studies on the Fringe of Christianity
This was a rather difficult article to write, because there are so many Christians with opposing opinions. Serious debates covering this topic produce anxiety, and many lay people show signs of agitation discussing this subject. I know, because I’ve seen, heard, and been involved with it all. I’ve been called sacrilegious, profane, and anti-Christian in …
The Bible tells us of two opposing groups of spiritual emotions, desires, and acts. There is a good or nice group which we should strive to emulate and the other, a bad or evil one of which we should choose to reject. On the good side are the ‘fruits of the spirit’: “love, joy, peace, …
During his famous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; and if anyone wants to …
The Christian Bible is divided into two testaments containing many books: the Old Testament (Hebrew Scriptures) and the New Testament (Greek Scriptures concerning Jesus Christ). But not all Christian Bibles are the same. Of course, there are various versions and translations, but I’m talking about the books within the Bibles. In some denominations or sects, …
The Book of Acts, according to tradition, was written by the apostle Luke from his personal experiences and those of people he knew. There are, however, academics that believe another source of authorship should be considered, but that is not our focus at this time. Our study will concern chapter 16 of Acts, which includes …
I have written about Satan, his fallen angels, and have even mentioned the nephilim in past articles, now we will study the basics concerning demons and their creation. There is a lot of confusion about demonic creatures, which I believe is caused by the misuse of terms identifying these creatures in Christian churches, as well …
I have often said that my approach to God’s word has always been in trying to follow the logic behind his plan. That is the main reason I love the apostle Paul so much, because he presents the nature of God and Jesus in a logical and organized way. He focuses on salvation as a …
Samson was the 15th and most famous judge of Israel and reigned for two decades, some 3,000 years ago. Judges were people that served roles as military leaders in times of crisis, before an Israelite monarchy was established.1 He never did completely free his people from Philistine bondage, but did provide some relief. Samson gave …
During ancient times, many people, thought that a belief in Satan was only superstition, and even today many think of Satan only as a figure of speech or an imaginary figment of the imagination to blame when things go wrong or when we find ourselves involved in some unethical behavior. But Jesus Christ knew the …
The most famous murder in the Bible is the first one, when Cain killed his brother, Abel. Facts of the physical homicide are plainly stated, so this murder mystery is not an investigation to figure out who was the perpetrator, but what was his motive for committing the crime, and why God handled it the …