Questions and Answers
In a recent Q&A on human nature and the wrong concept of “original sin” of babies, we stated the following about Jesus Christ’s conception and birth as a human being: “… all are born with HUMAN NATURE or, as the Bible puts it, with SINFUL FLESH. Christ never sinned, but He came into sinful flesh (Romans 8:3). He had human nature passed on to Him through His mother Mary, and He needed God’s help to overcome sin in the flesh. He had the fullness of God’s Spirit within Him without measure, and that from conception (John 3:34, Authorized Version), which enabled Him to stay sinless… “Christ was not in any way guilty or sinful because of an ‘original sin’ which had been passed on genetically to Him when He was conceived in Mary’s womb, but Christ was conceived with human nature… Romans 8:3 tells us that Christ came ‘in the likeness of sinful flesh’ to overcome and condemn sin in the flesh.” We also said this: “A baby in his or her mother’s womb is not guilty because of ‘original sin,’ nor has he or she committed any sinful acts in the mother’s womb. When Jesus was conceived in Mary’s womb, He was… This is a hotly disputed issue with so many opinions on this subject. One of the reasons is that the word “hypnosis” or “hypnotism” is not mentioned once in the Word of God. However, for a Christian, the Bible is the yardstick by which any matter should be judged, and we should look for principles that apply in this case. The Free Dictionary online gives this definition of hypnosis: “The induction of a state of consciousness in which a person apparently loses the power of voluntary action and is highly responsive to suggestion or direction. Its use in therapy, typically to recover suppressed memories or to allow modification of behaviour, has been revived but is still controversial.” Another online definition, from http://www.compellingtruth.org/Christian-hypnosis.html, is as follows: “Hypnosis is a process by which critical thinking is diminished and internal visualization is greatly heightened. It has been used to decrease the sensation of pain and the desire for an addiction, as well as the subconscious reaction that leads to fear. It’s also been used in entertainment to temporarily convince people of things that aren’t true. There are different types. There has been talk among Christians that hypnosis may open the mind to demonic influence. We don’t know… Many believe that the Shroud of Turin pictures Jesus Christ at the time of His death and burial. Apart from the fact that John 19:40 shows that Christ was wound in linen CLOTHES and that John 11:44 describes the custom of Jewish burials in using several CLOTHES and binding them about the dead body, in addition to the dead person’s face being wrapped with or in a cloth (a head swath), there are numerous additional problems with the idea that the one-piece shroud may be an authentic depiction of Jesus Christ. On April 17, 2015, the Wall Street Journal reported: “When the Shroud of Turin goes on display Sunday [April 19, 2015] for the first time in five years [while being on display until June 24, 2015], it will revive a long-running debate as to whether it is a medieval fabrication or—as Catholic devotees have believed for centuries—the burial cloth of Jesus Christ… The 14½-foot-long piece of linen, which bears a front-and-back image of a dead man’s body, is owned by the pope but safeguarded by the archdiocese of Turin. “… the church does not take a stance as to whether it is authentic or not, leaving that question to scientists and historians.… In our previous Q&A, we pointed out that babies are conceived and born with human nature. We referred to David’s saying in Psalm 51:5: “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.” We explained that this was not a reference to any illicit acts of David in his mother’s womb, nor of his mother and his father; rather, that David described here HIS human nature with which he was conceived and born. We also stated, however, that this must not be “confused with the WRONG concept of the ‘original sin,’ which holds that Adam and Eve’s sin was ‘imputed’ to all of mankind, and that because of the sin of Adam and Eve, everybody is guilty. This negates personal and individual responsibility and accountability. But it IS true that due to Adam and Eve’s sin, access to the Tree of Life and God’s Holy Spirit was disallowed, leading to the kind of world under Satan’s influence which we experience today (Romans 5:12)—a world cut off from God and being held captive by Satan. The point is that even an unborn baby has human NATURE, which would have led to sinful CONDUCT following birth (compare Job 13:26;… This is an intriguing question. In a recent Q&A, we stated the following: “The Bible does NOT say that people will DIE in the Millennium TO BE RESURRECTED TO IMMORTALITY at a later time. It appears LIKELY that all will indeed live until the end of the Millennium, so that all will be exposed to Satan’s evil devices when he is released from prison. Most (except for those very few who survive the Great Tribulation and live on into the Millennium) had never had any experience with Satan who was bound in prison for all this time, while they were born in the Millennium and grew up; so God might want to test all of them to see where they really stand. This is not the case with those who will be in the Second Resurrection, because ALL of them had been tempted by Satan in their prior life. Therefore, there is no need for God to keep Satan around to allow him to tempt them once again.” A specific question was asked as to how this statement applies to unborn or aborted children. In what way were they tempted by Satan before their life ended prematurely? And how will they… (Español: ¿Cómo se puede creer en la Biblia?) We recently received the following question: “I have a very important question. Obviously there are many mistakes and things which contradict each other in the common Bible translations. So what is the true one without any mistakes? I mean there must be one. Otherwise, there would be no reason to believe in the whole thing. I hope you can answer my question.” First, and foremost, let’s understand that no one has in their possession the original manuscripts upon which the Bible is based. Everything is either a copy or a translation. Does that fact invalidate the Bible? Not at all! The Bible, itself, is its own greatest witness for the proof that God inspired men to write down and then to preserve words from Him. Let’s begin with some Bible basics. Among men, Jesus Christ, alone, has seen God. The Bible makes this point: “No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him” (John 1:18). Now consider what Jesus said of God—the One Who is called “the Father”: “‘And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither… Some claim that Satan will be deceiving those who will be resurrected at the time of the Great White Throne Judgement period. That resurrection is referred to as the Second Resurrection and described in Revelation 20:11-12 and in many other places in the Bible. Others dispute that Satan will still be active at that time. Who is correct? Does the Bible give us clear answers? God tells us that when Christ returns, Satan and his demons will be banished and thrown into a prison (the “bottomless pit” or the “abyss”), so that they will not be able to deceive the nations anymore. At that time, the Millennium of Christ’s rule over man will begin here on earth. We explain this in detail in chapter 5 of our free booklet, “Biblical Prophecy–From Now Until Forever“: “After Christ’s return and His battle with the hostile armies of this world, He will deal with the real author of destruction and deception—Satan the devil, along with his demons. We read in Revelation 20:1-3: ‘Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold on the dragon, that serpent of… In our free booklet, “The Meaning of God’s Spring Holy Days,” we explained the following: “The Church of God and the Orthodox Catholic and Protestant world may… at times observe Pentecost on the same Sunday. But this is merely coincidental. There are many years when the Church of God and the Orthodox Christian world celebrate Pentecost on different days. Why? Because the Church of God determines the correct date for Pentecost by counting 50 days from the Sunday [after the weekly Sabbath], which falls within the annual Holy Days of Unleavened Bread, as instructed in the Bible (Leviticus 23:11). “The wave sheaf was offered on the Sunday during the Days of Unleavened Bread. The wave sheaf pictures Jesus Christ, who ascended to heaven on a Sunday, even though He was resurrected on Saturday evening, just around sunset. Exactly 50 days later, He poured out the Holy Spirit from God the Father on His New Testament Church. This was the Day of Pentecost. “In other words, we are not to count 50 days from the weekly Sabbath that falls within the seven Days of Unleavened Bread, but from the SUNDAY on which the wave sheaf was offered—and it is that SUNDAY, that… Does this passage negate the biblical teaching that man does not have an immortal soul? The answer is that it does not contradict the rest of the Bible. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 reads: “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Before we discuss what this passage tells us, we need to focus on the basics. We explain in our free booklet, “Do We Have an Immortal Soul?” that man does not have a soul—mortal or immortal—but that man IS the soul. We point out the following: “… the word ‘soul,’ or the Hebrew word ‘nephesh,’ as well as the Greek word ‘psyche,’ applies to men and animals alike, and can refer to either a living or a dead person or animal. The soul is a ‘living being’ as long as the being is alive… man became a living soul when he was created, but… when he dies, he becomes a dead soul, and… a dead soul does not continue to live…” When focusing on the Old Testament and the Hebrew word “nephesh” for “soul,” we explain, by quoting many Scriptures, that… What does Paul mean in his letter to the Philippians when he instructs them to “beware of dogs”?” In Philippians 3:2, Paul writes the following to the Philippians: “Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation!” When understanding this admonition, it should be clear that the reference to dogs is not to be taken literally. In this passage, Paul is not warning people about animals, but rather this is a warning to the Church in Philippi about individuals who are compared to dogs in a symbolic sense. In order to correctly interpret the meaning of this passage, we need to begin by evaluating the context and learn about similar comparisons of people to dogs elsewhere in the Bible. By answering the following questions, we can learn more about the true and complete meaning of the warning to “beware of dogs.” What biblical evidence is there for describing people as dogs? What are the defining attributes and characteristics of people who are described as dogs? Finally, why does Paul pronounce a warning about these types of people? By investigating each of these facets, we can learn more about the instruction to the Philippians, but we will also learn enough…Did Jesus Christ Have A “Sinful Nature”?
Should a Christian Use Hypnosis?
Is the Shroud of Turin Authentic?
Are Babies Guilty Because of “Original Sin”?
Did, Does and Will Satan Tempt Everybody?
How Can You Believe the Bible?
Will Satan Deceive Man After the Millennium?
How to Count Pentecost?
What Is the Meaning of 1 Thessalonians 5:23?
Why to Beware of Dogs?
