Studies on the Fringe of Christianity
Can a man have more than one wife? Most Christians today would answer “no,” but there are a few that say the Bible isn’t clear on this subject. And some bring up the historical fact that many of the Bible’s male characters had more than one wife. Abraham, Moses, and King Solomon are just a …
The full story of Mary’s marriage, pregnancy, and birth of her son can be found in two books of the Bible: the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. For those who want to read (or reread) the story, the accounts are in Matthew 1:18–2:23 and Luke 2:1–40. This scripture is the wonderful Christmas story, concerning Mary’s …
Could Mary, mother of Jesus, really have been a pregnant virgin? Although a basic tenet of Christianity, many still find the virgin birth a stumbling block in their faith. We will take a scientific look at this extraordinary event. This is an article that has been in the making for twenty-five years. Well, not continually, …
Evidence of faithful people is infused within the Holy Bible — throughout both the Hebrew and the Christian scriptures. But how do we describe ‘faith’? What, exactly, is it? There are many definitions of what is ‘faith’. An online encyclopedia states it is simply a belief without evidence, such as a trust in a person, …
There is a situation in Genesis, when God’s selected righteous person appears to lie, which caused his wife to suffer a rather awkward dilemma. Abram (his name is later changed to Abraham) says to his wife, Sarai, “I know that you are a woman beautiful in appearance, and when the Egyptians see you, they will …
There have been more than just a handful of times when I received questions from women about that “monthly curse” of menstruation. Most questions revolved around the issues of being unclean or ‘dirty’, as pointed out in the Bible. For example, someone would ask, “How can I feel good about myself, if God tells me …
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 …
Most Christians believe in something called a human soul that survives death. The questions of when and how a person obtains that soul, whatever it is, have been discussed and debated throughout Christian history. It is no different today, especially for those who are trying to determine abortion law. Although atheists don’t believe in God, …
Chances are that most people have not read or heard about the story in Ezekiel, chapter 23. This is one of those “X-rated” chapters of the Bible, which may be occasionally referred to, but never read in church. It is a dire but foretelling story showing that God has a great deal of patience and …