Tough Topics Explained

This TBS article has three parts to it as it further explains what the Targums were, the concept of the Memra, and verse by verse comparison of what the Targums say of the Memra alongside what John says of the Logos in the prologue to his Gospel account.

This article intends to answer the question of whether facts from science and reason support a belief that a super-intelligence (God) created the universe. The simple answer is that, upon inspection of all that humans have learned about our physical reality, it takes a lot more faith to believe in a material universe that created itself than to believe a super-intelligence created it.

A Short History of Celebrating the Birth of Jesus

The festivals of Passover, Hanukkah, and Tabernacles each tell their own story of redemption, light, and divine presence. At first glance, these stories may seem separate from the narrative of Jesus’s birth. But if we dig deeper, we see fascinating alignments with these three Jewish holidays surrounding the Son of God and the Messiah’s entrance into our world.

This article attempts to list these appearances with their scripture references in chronological order.

A harmony of Biblical events after the day He rose until He ascended into heaven

This article is the first of two Bible Says articles that attempts to harmonize the Bible’s resurrection accounts. 

The Christian faith is squarely based on a historical event. This event is Jesus’s physical resurrection from the dead. If this event occurred, then the Bible’s claims are true.

At first glance, these words may seem like a cry of defeat in the face of cruel death, but upon further consideration we see that it is the opposite of being vanquished. Christ’s last words are His embrace of the sweet fruits of victory.

The Greek term which John used to capture the meaning of Jesus’s expression was “tetelestai.” This expression was commonly used as a financial term in the ancient world to signify that a debt was “paid in full.”

In addition to the sharp and humiliating pains of being nailed naked to a cross, the body also suffered prolonged exposure to the elements. When we consider how Jesus suffered an extreme loss of blood from His Roman scourging and that He had been on the cross for six hours up to this point, Jesus’s dehydration would have been severe. It is small wonder then that He was thirsty.

This infers that Jesus, the Messiah, was in unimaginable turmoil when he shouted out these words. Taken in isolation, these words could seem to indicate a cry of defeat. But Jesus’s cry was not in isolation, and it was not a cry of defeat.

Shortly after the soldiers divided up Jesus’s garments (Matthew 27:35-36; John 19:23-25a), Jesus said His third recorded statement from the cross.

God’s love extends to the depraved thief, and to every sinner who entrusts their hope upon Jesus. There is no sin or level of depravity that a person can sink to that puts them beyond the reach of God’s love. Jesus came—and He was on that cross—to die for sinners such as this thief so that he may not perish but have everlasting life.

What is remarkable about this statement is who and what He was praying for. He was not praying for Himself. He was not asking God to rescue Him or alleviate His suffering. Jesus was praying on behalf of His enemies. And He was asking His Father to “forgive them.”

In addition to the seven final statements our Lord said on the cross, There is a prophetic warning that He gave to a group of women referred to as “Daughters of Jerusalem”.

The Bible records seven sayings of Jesus from the cross. They are the final things Jesus said before He died, was buried, and was resurrected. While Jesus later said many things after He came back to life, His sayings from the cross are widely referred to as “The Last Words of Christ.”

The Problem of Evil is a profound dilemma that has sparked intense debate from the earliest memories of our history. The issue is rooted in the inherent tension between the existence of an all-powerful, perfectly benevolent God and the presence of evil and suffering in the world.

The Gospel (“good news” “good message”) is that Jesus the Son of God has freed humans from sin and separation by His death on the cross and His resurrection from the grave, if we trust in Him alone to save us—and, if we are faithful, we can partner with Him in ruling His future kingdom.

Throughout the annals of human history, few forms of execution have captured the collective imagination and invoked horror as profoundly as crucifixion.

This article seeks to uncover the layers of symbolism between the Day of Atonement and Pilate’s offer to the Jewish priests of crucifying and releasing Jesus or Barabbas as described in Matthew’s Gospel account.

As sinful human beings we are all guilty of violating God’s commands and the good harmony He created for us to enjoy.  Romans 3:23 says: “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

As you read through the different Gospel accounts, you may notice a few common phrases Jesus uses when speaking and teaching. Perhaps the most memorable difference is “The Kingdom of Heaven” and “the Kingdom of God.” These phrases are very similar, yet not quite the same.

This is the final of five articles discussing the events and circumstances of Jesus’s religious trial before the Jewish authorities.

This is the fourth of five articles discussing the events and circumstances of Jesus’s religious trial before the Jewish authorities.

This is the third of five articles discussing the events and circumstances of Jesus’s religious trial before the Jewish authorities.

The purpose of these articles is to highlight the injustices done to Jesus during His religious trials, by demonstrating the various ways the religious establishment violated or loopholed God’s laws and their own rules in their efforts to execute Him.

The purpose of these articles is to highlight the injustices done to Jesus during His religious trials by demonstrating the various ways the religious establishment violated or loopholed God’s laws and their own rules in their efforts to execute Him.

Jesus’s final 24 hours is something that has been debated over the centuries as to when those events occurred in relation to Passover. Each gospel account gives a different perspective of those events. Our Timeline of Jesus’s Final 24 Hours attempts to harmonize the gospel accounts and display the events in relation to the Jewish and Roman dates on which they occurred

Over the course of their accounts, Matthew, Mark, and Luke all seem to depict this meal as a Passover Seder (Matthew 26:17, 26-30; Mark 14:17, 22-25; Luke 22:14-23). Though the Passover meal itself is hardly the focus of John’s gospel, it too provides a few clues that suggest that Jesus’s Passover meal with the disciples included elements associated with a Seder.

Incredibly, the roots of Passover Seders were celebrated as far back as the Exodus generation in obedience to God’s command to keep the Passover (Numbers 9:1-5). These services have evolved much over millennia.

There are many ways in which the original Passover events foreshadowed Jesus as the Messiah and God’s plan to redeem the world.

Broadly speaking, Passover evokes the entire story of Israel’s relocation to Egypt under the protection of Joseph, the flourishing of the Israelite people, the murderous decrees of Pharaoh, the birth Moses, his raising in Pharaoh’s palace, the burning bush, the ten plagues, Israel’s plundering of Egypt at their departure, and the miraculous parting of the Red Sea.

The Bible speaks often of "righteousness.” For instance, in the New American Standard Bible, the English word “Righteousness” appears 309 times in 296 verses; and the word “Righteous” appears 300 times in 282 verses. Thus, these words are of great importance. But what do these Biblical terms mean?

God’s covenant/treaty with Israel was set forth in a form common in the ancient Near East, a format known as a Suzerain-Vassal Treaty. In these treaties, the “suzerain,” or superior ruler, promised blessings for loyalty and obedience, and curses for rebellion. We can find archaeological evidence for these treaties in modern-day Turkey, which was once the home to the Hittite Empire.

Hades/Sheol is a temporary holding place of the dead until the final judgment. Within Hades are two separated regions: a place of coolness and comfort for the good people which is called, “Abraham’s Bosom”; and a place of agony for the wicked. This region of agony within Hades may be the same place as “Tartarus.”

Gehenna and the Outer Darkness are cultural illustrations that describe the shame-filled, bitter, sorrowful experience of a believer in Jesus at his judgment if he is unfaithful. The tragic situations Gehenna depicts are the worst thing a believer who has the Gift of Eternal Life  can experience. Gehenna is Hebrew, “Hinnom Valley,” transliterated to Greek, and refers to a valley adjoining Jerusalem that is used as an illustration.

The Lake of Fire is the final destination for the devil and his angels. It is also where humans whose names are not written in the Book of Life shall be cast (Revelation 20:15). The Eternal Punishment (which is likely the same place as the Lake of Fire) is where unbelievers in Jesus will be condemned to spend eternity. 

When God created men and women in His image, He created them to live in partnership forever with Him as they ruled over the earth. But when our first parents disobeyed God, they broke relationship with Him. The result of their sin was “death”—separation from God and the eternal destiny/purpose for which they were created.

The Gift of Eternal Life is living forever with God as a member of His eternal family.

Revelation promises an extra special blessing in the next life to the one who “overcomes.” The book of Revelation is written in order to exhort believers in Jesus, “His servants,” to understand that this blessing is available, and that it requires His servants to “read,” “hear” (understand), and “heed” (obey) the words Jesus conveys through His Revelation.

In Hebrew, the temple is called the “Beit Hamikdash” which means “the holy house.” It was intended to be God’s earthly dwelling place.

Jews of Jesus’s day were multilingual. To varying degrees they understood Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, and Latin.

One of the most powerful truths for Christians is summed up by Paul in Romans 8:14-16. He writes that all who are led by the spirit of God are sons of God.

Jesus often used the phrase Son of Man to reference Himself. In total, the four gospels will use the term Son of Man eighty-four times.

The Bible is neutral toward riches. It is our attitude toward riches and the way in which they are used that is celebrated or condemned.

Philosophical systems based on logic can never explain their founding paradox. An example is the relativist’s belief that “all things are relative”. The proposition that “all things are relative” is only true if it is true all the time.

A covenant is a contract, a treaty, a ritual agreement or alliance between two parties. It formally binds the two parties together in a relationship, on the basis of mutual personal commitment, with consequences for keeping or breaking the covenant.

“By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible” (Hebrews 11:3).

The Flesh and the Spirit are complete opposites. Our most fundamental choice as believers is choosing each day, each moment, which to obey.