Questions and Answers
This question has perplexed many people, and the attempts of theologians and other religious “experts” to answer it are even more perplexing and confusing. Here are some samples, taken from the Internet: “I see God as Ultimate Consciousness: an eternal, all-knowing, pure-loving reality that birthed and continues to sustain the universe… And so, our prayers… are already in God. They are part of the fabric of this awesome universe…” “God is timeless… A being as big as the universe would experience all time in history at the same moment.” “God is in us, and we are in God. That mutual indwelling means that our prayers are not even our prayers: They are God’s, and God is praying within us… there is no gap between the prayer and the hearing of that prayer.” “Almost certainly God is not in Time… If a million people are praying to Him at ten-thirty tonight, He need not listen to them all in that one little snippet which we call ten-thirty. Ten-thirty—and every other moment from the beginning of the world—is always the Present for Him.” If we hear such confusing and completely inaccurate “explanations” of so-called religious “authorities,” then there is no wonder that people following such “guidance” are… We find many Scriptures in the Bible encouraging us to pray for others. But why? Why should a Christian spend time in praying for others, especially for those in the faith? Is there a benefit for doing this? What is God’s purpose in having us pray for each other? One of the trademarks of a Christian is an attitude of outgoing concern for others. Putting others ahead of one’s self shows absolute love and kindness which is a key trait of one who calls him- or herself a Christian. Please note 1 Corinthians 13:4-7; Romans 12:10; Mark 12:31 and 1 Peter 3:8. All these Scriptures point out the fact that true love does not only think about oneself, but also about others. It is ALWAYS looking out for the betterment of others and their situations. Philippians 2:3-4 iterates: “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” When we start taking on this approach, we quickly see that one of the major ways to do this is through praying for others. Maybe they include prayers for strength,… That is an interesting question. Yes, a person can keep both the Sabbath and Sunday, but is it right in God’s eyes? That is the more important question to ask, and we hope to prove that the Sabbath is the only day in the week that God honors our worship of Him! (We are not addressing here in detail God’s annual Holy Days which also must be observed today, and which can fall on any day of the week). This question follows on some remarks made by an internet contributor who proves that Wednesday is the day of Christ’s crucifixion and not Friday. Most of his article seems to be in line with the Church of God’s historical teaching of a Wednesday crucifixion. However, there are some remarks towards the end of the article which we will quote in their entirety: “More important is the corollary, that this removes any basis for honoring Sunday. The sabbath is and has always been the 7th day. However, anyone can worship on Sunday and God our Father accepts them without reservation. Even the Roman Catholic church has written extensively that they created Sunday as the day of worship and that there is no scriptural basis… The Bible tells us that God can look into the future and knows what will happen. What are the methods He uses, and can we understand them? Actually, the Bible clearly states at least two methods that God uses to know the future—one that we can understand quite readily, and one that we, as humans, can only vaguely understand. In our lives, we often say what we intend to do at variable times in our future. Things like arranging an education for a preferred vocation. Financial planning for future events. Even preparing to attend God’s Feast days. Things like arranging accommodation and transport to get there. Of course, there are warnings about not being overly confident in our abilities to carry out what we say. James 4:13-16 is a warning for us: “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit’; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or… In the first two parts, we saw that Christ was called a stumbling block and that He indeed offended people, and He was still without fault or sin. We explained that giving offense has to be seen in the context of sinning. However, some teach or suggest that Paul told us to refrain from doing what we have learned to be right if someone with a weak conscience thinks it is wrong. In making this claim and support their idea, they are referring to several Scriptures. One of those passages is Romans 14:1-20: “Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him. Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand. “One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day,… In the first part, we saw that Christ was called a stumbling block and that He indeed offended people, and He was still without fault or sin. On the other hand, as we will show, the Bible tells us that we are not to cause offense. How is this to be understood in light of the fact that Jesus Himself did offend people? We read in Luke 17:1-2: “Then He said to the disciples, ‘It is impossible that no offenses (Greek skandalon, which means stumbling block) should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend (Greek skandalizo, which means, cause to stumble) one of these little ones.” The following words by Jesus are added in Matthew 18:6-7: “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin (Greek: skandalizo), it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of offenses (Greek: scandalon)! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!” The Authorized Version states: “But whoso shall offend one of these little ones…” The kind of offense Jesus is addressing here is in the context of committing sin. Note how Jesus… We need to carefully examine this misunderstood question. We will start with statements about Christ and His conduct; show what giving offense really means; and we will examine what Paul wanted to convey when talking about not offending our weak conscience or that of another person. Let us first notice that Jesus Christ was called a stumbling stone and a rock of offense. Isaiah 8:14 states this about Christ: “He will be as a sanctuary, But a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense To both the houses of Israel, As a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.” Romans 9:30-33 adds: “What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith; but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone [Greek: proskommatos]. As it is written: ‘Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone [Greek: proskommatos] and rock of offense [Greek: skandalon; literally, stumbling block], And whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.’” 1 Peter 2:6-8 confirms: “Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, ‘Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect,… You are referring to 2 Timothy 2:15 which reads: “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” In our Q&A “How Does the Church of the Eternal God and its International Affiliates Differ from Other Christian Churches? (Part 1) we state the following: “In charging Timothy with ‘rightly dividing the word of truth,’ Paul brings out the fact that God’s Word must be read and studied, ‘here a little and there a little’ (Isaiah 28:9-10). All Scriptures to a given concept must be consulted, to avoid reaching a wrong conclusion. The Word of Truth must be taught honestly, while nothing is to be added or deleted. In dividing or ‘cutting straight’ God’s Word, error and false interpretations are being cut off. As Paul admonished Timothy to preach God’s Word ‘in season and out of season’ (compare again 2 Timothy 4:2), and not to be ‘ashamed of the testimony of our Lord’ and the gospel (2 Timothy 1:8), so Paul also did not shun ‘to declare… the whole counsel of God’ (Acts 20:27).” The word “orthotomeō” (Strong’s Number: G3718) meaning “‘rightly dividing’ can be understood as follows: ‘To cut straight, to… The Bible teaches that the first resurrection is a resurrection to eternal, immortal life—to an existence in the spirit realm, when converted men and women become born-again members in the Kingdom and Family of God. We are told that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 15:50), and that in the first resurrection, we will have incorruptible spiritual bodies, when we are “raised in glory” (verses 42-44). We will be like Christ, bearing His very image (1 Corinthians 15:49), and Christ is the exact image of God the Father (2 Corinthians 4:4). We will be glorified God beings, as the Father and Jesus Christ are glorified. We will in that sense look like Christ. We can find a description of the resurrected Christ in His glorified state in numerous passages of the Bible, and none of them implies that He has a physical body. For instance, we read in Revelation 1:14-16: “His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice the sound of many waters… and His countenance was like the sun… When Christ returns to establish the Kingdom of God on this earth, will everyone experience immediately all the millennial blessings as described in the Bible? Surprising as it may sound, the answer is no. Part of the reason for this answer is that those who have survived the terrible times of the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord and who will still be alive, as human beings, when the Millennium begins, will have to be taught God’s Way of Life and they will have to accept it. Some, if not many, will not follow God’s Way of Life right away, and in refusing to do so, they will have to suffer the consequences. In addition, the world will be in a devastating condition, with destroyed cities and polluted landscapes, which will have to be restored and purified. All of this will take some time. It has been proposed that it may take up to two or three generations until mankind will experience the full effect of Christ’s rule on earth. We read in the Bible that wars will cease, and that man will not want to learn war anymore. He will exchange his weapons of war with useful instruments and tools for…How can God listen to billions of prayers at the same time? (Part 1)
Why are we told to pray for others?
Can a person keep both the Sabbath and Sunday?
How Does God Know the Future?
Would you please explain the concept of not giving offense to others? (Part 3)
Would you please explain the concept of not giving offense to others? (Part 2)
Would you please explain the concept of not giving offense to others? (Part 1)
Could you explain what “Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth” really means?
How will we look like in the First Resurrection?
When Will the Millennial Blessings Begin for All People?
