Understanding the distinction between mainstream Christianity and groups often classified as cults is a task that requires both theological precision and an awareness of social dynamics. For many, the lines can seem blurred by similar terminology or shared historical roots, but the foundational differences are often profound.
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If Christians are to be kind and loving to everyone (Luke 10:29-37), some question why 2 John 10-11 teaches, “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine (‘the doctrine of Christ’—vs. 9), do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.”1 Also, why did Paul instruct Timothy to “shun profane and idle babblings” (2 Timothy 2:16; 1 Timothy 6:20-21)? Are Christians to shun those with whom we disagree, and even go so far as not to greet them or allow them into our homes?
We have previously reported on research that shows that human beings are born with a natural language ability. We are not only born with a hunger to learn language, we are also born with certain expectations about what language is. This fact can only serve as a witness to the Creator and His genius.
Problem: This verse tells us that our love isn’t perfect if we’ve had fear. Other verses clearly extoll fear as something near necessary (Rom. 3:18, 11:20; 2 Cor. 5:11, 7:1, 11, 15; Eph. 6:5; Heb. 11:7; Jude 1:12, 23; Rev. 19:5).
All the days of my service I would wait. (Job 14:14)
Problem: The word “fear” appears in the New King James Version of the Bible 367 times. In some of these occurrences, the text is expounding upon “the fear of the Lord” and its relationship to wisdom (cf. Job 28:28; Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 1:7). In numerous other passages of Scripture, one can read where God commands that His creation fear Him (Leviticus 25:17; Deuteronomy 6:13; Matthew 10:28; et al.). It is widely known that one of the repeated truths in the Bible is that God’s “mercy is on those who fear Him” (Luke 1:50). It also is well known, however, that in the New Testament Paul informed Timothy that “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). The apostle John went even further, saying, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment” (1 John 4:18).
In the same way as God gave us life, gave us food to eat, and gives us the daily needs to maintain our life, he has also given us eternal life. The state of that eternal life will be a reflection of our response to His given, while we are here on earth. You see, for those of us who recognize His Creatorship, His Godship, and worship Him as such, we will spend that eternal life with Him, in His presence. O, what a beautiful time that will be! Forever, with the Creator of the Universe!
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In the Kyle Butt/Dan Barker debate, Dan Barker alleged that He “knows” the God of the Bible cannot exist because “there are mutually incompatible properties/characteristics of the God that’s in this book [the Bible—EL] that rule out the possibility of His existence” (2009). One of the supposed contradictions that Barker mentioned was that God claims invisibility, yet has been seen. (His assertion is found 10 minutes and 55 seconds into his first speech.) Since biblical passages such as Exodus 33:20-23, John 1:18, and 1 John 4:12 teach that God cannot be seen, while other scriptures indicate that man has seen God and spoken to him “face to face” (Exodus 33:11; Genesis 32:30), allegedly “the God of the Bible does not exist.”
“And if someone overpowers one person, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not easily broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:12).
First the rain fell for 40 days (during this time the waters reached their great depth). See Genesis 7:4.
Problem: The argument goes something like this: (1) 1 John 4:8 indicates that “God is love;” (2) 1 Corinthians 13:4 says that “love is not jealous” (NAS); and yet (3) Exodus 20:5, along with several other passages, reveals that God is “a jealous God.” “How,” the skeptic asks, “can God be jealous when several verses say God is love and 1 Cor. says love is not jealous?” (McKinsey, 1992). Simply put, if love is not jealous, and God is love, then God logically cannot be called jealous. Or conversely, if love is not jealous, and God is jealous, then God cannot be considered loving. Right? How can these verses be anything but contradictory?
Did anyone ascend into heaven before Jesus or not? Several biblical passages mention people who were caught up into heaven. Yet, Jesus argues in John three that no one had ascended into heaven. So, which is it? Did anyone ascend into heaven before Jesus?
What color is the scarlet gilia? Well, that depends on where and when it’s blooming. Despite its name, the scarlet gilia can be red, pink, and even white.