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The "Ten Commandments" constituted the core element of the law of Moses (see Ex. 19:16-20:17). They were written by God himself on the two tables of stone (Ex. 31:18; 32:15-16; 34:1, 28; Dt. 10:4). Moses shattered the first set when he learned of Israel's worship of the golden calf (Ex. 32:19). E...
Though this word is not found in most English translations of the New Testament, the thought is there in the Greek text. It is an anglicized form of the original term antitupos. The term is rendered "like-figure" (1 Pet. 3:21) and "figure" (Heb. 9:24). Literally, a tupos was a mark, or impression...
The term "truth" carries several connotations in the Bible. (a) Truth can convey the idea of loyalty. Those who abide in Jesus' teaching are "truly" his disciples (Jn. 8:31). (b) True may denote that which is genuine, in contrast to the counterfeit. God is "true" deity; idols are not (1 Thes. 1:9...
The Bible clearly teaches that at the time of Christ's return, all the dead will be raised from their graves. In the Patriarchal age, Job seems to allude to the hope of the resurrection (Job 19:25-26). Abraham believed that God could raise Isaac from the dead (Heb. 11:19). Moses, speaking on beha...
Retribution will be the dispensing of the "wrath of God," as an expression of divine justice, upon those who have persisted in wicked rebellion against their Maker. The expression "wrath of God" is found about twelve times in the English Bible. One term in the Greek N.T., that suggests the divine...
The term "heaven" is used in different ways in the Bible. The expression may refer to the atmospheric region just above the earth where the birds fly, the rain forms, and the wind blows (Gen. 1:10; 7:11; Dan. 8:8). The outer space region that houses the stars, the sun, and the planets is also des...
The doctrine of the virgin birth of Jesus is one of the lines of evidence establishing the Lord's identity as the Son of God. The angel Gabriel said to Mary, a "virgin" (Lk. 1:27): "The holy thing which is begotten shall be called the Son of God" (1:35). Proofs for the historicity of the virgin b...
References to "worship" are common in both the O.T. and the N.T. The Hebrew term shachah (about 100 times) refers to "bowing" before an object of religious devotion. Similarly, proskuneo (59 times) in the N.T. means to prostrate oneself, do obeisance. Worship can be offered to the true God (Gen. ...
Critics are fond of claiming that the Bible cannot be the word of God because, supposedly, it contains multiple contradictions. Such allegations reveal that these critics are oblivious to the nature of a real contradiction. The Law of Contradiction states: "That a thing should both be, and not be...
Purgatory is a state, fabricated by the Roman Catholic, which is supposed to be a depository for those who die, not wicked enough to enter hell, but not good enough to merit heaven. Accordingly, these "sanctified," but flawed, Christians must enter "purgatory" where they remain until their sins a...
"Good" in the Bible is expressed in various ways. It can refer to something perfect in design or flawless. Such was the state of the earth at the conclusion of the creation week (Gen. 1:30), which, incidentally, reveals that there was no destructive catastrophe in an alleged "gap period" between ...
The practice of baptism "for the dead" is mentioned once in the New Testament. "If the dead are not raised at all, why then are they baptized for them?" (1 Cor. 15:29). Though the passage is somewhat obscure, several things are evident: First, it gives no sanction to the modern practice (by Mormo...
This English term is a rendition of the Greek zoopoieo, "to make alive." It is found about a dozen times in the N.T. and is rendered by such expressions as "quicken," "give life," and "make alive." Consider these facts: (a) The power to "make alive" is always attributed either to God (Jn. 5:21; R...
The Greek word paradeisos derives from the Persian term pairidaeza, which meant an enclosure, a royal park, a garden with a wall. In the Greek Old Testament (LXX) the term is employed of the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:8; cf. Ezekiel 31:8). Paradise is found three times in the New Testament. 1. Whi...
The Flood, recorded in Genesis 6-8, was the most widespread disaster ever to affect this planet. Waters from the atmosphere above and from chasms beneath the earth inundated the entire globe (Gen. 7:19, 21; cf. 2 Pet. 3:6). More than 200 traditions of an ancient, universal flood, from which only ...
Before Jesus was born, the angel informed Mary: "the holy thing which is begotten shall be called the Son of God" (Lk. 1:35). The descriptive reveals something of the unique essence of Christ. The phrase "son of" is sometimes employed in the Scriptures to depict the nature of someone (cf. Mk. 3:1...
The Greek word krino means to render a verdict (Lk. 7:43; Acts 15:9). Prepositions may be attached as prefixes to provide some direction to the term. For example, diakrino suggests the idea of distinguishing between objects (1 Cor. 6:5; 11:31; 14:19); anakrino means to investigate or thoroughly s...
Several Hebrew words are rendered by the English "wine," the most common of which are yayin (134 times) and tirosh (33 times). The basic term for "wine" in the Greek New Testament is oinos (33 times). In both Hebrew and Greek, wine is a generic term for the liquid produced from squeezed grapes. S...
A "redeemer" is one who is qualified to effect "redemption" on behalf of one in need of the same. The term "redeem" means "to buy out of," (Grk. exagorazo -- ek "out of" and agorazo, "buy"), as in the case of a slave who is bought out of the state of bondage. When Jehovah delivered his people fro...
Justice may be viewed from two vantage points. Divine justice is that which is between God and man. Human justice exists between men. Divine Justice Divine justice has to do with the harmony between the absolutely holy nature of God, and his dealings with sinful creatures. God is a being of utter...