Rome has always pushed for ecumenical unity, but in recent years the effort has intensified. The Vatican—and even the White House—are speaking in ways that make many evangelicals say, “Maybe the Catholic Church isn’t so different after all.”
Problem: Jesus proclaimed that “whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire
” (Matthew 5:22). However, there are instances throughout Scripture where people are called fools. For example, David wrote, “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God’
” (Psalm 14:1). Paul told the Galatians they were foolish (Galatians 3:1). Jesus even said the Pharisees and scribes were fools in Matthew 23:17.
So does the Lord’s claim in Matthew 5:22 contradict these other passages where people are actually called fool?
Problem: God told Jeremiah: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; and ordained you a prophet to the nations.” But if God knew Jeremiah before he was formed in the womb, then He must have preexisted as a soul before he was incarnated into a body, which is what reincarnation teaches.
Thanks to the likes of decorative holiday manger scenes, Hollywood movies, and elementary school reenactments, the nativity story is now so ingrained in many of our minds that we could probably recite a fairly accurate version of it—including everything from the Three Wise Men to there being “no room at the inn.”
But given that this story now has a 2,000-year-old history behind it (and that it has been passed and translated from one language to another over the centuries, moreover), it’s only natural that some of the precise details of the birth of Jesus have become a little hazy, if not lost to the mists of time altogether. The truth behind five of these nativity myths and legends is explored here.
The Bible’s Teaching on Hell
“And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh” (Isaiah 66:24). “Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire” (Matthew 18:8).
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Mankind has a natural predisposition to sin. Since Adam and Eve, sinfulness has been a habitual part of human behavior. Who among us can say they have never fallen? To sin is to rebel against God. Sin alienates us from our creator. It takes many forms, and all of them are an offense to God. Sin is any thought or action that falls short of God’s standards.
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I almost stopped first at a larger church only a block from away from the little church I visited. The large brick church had a parking lot fairly full of cars and several people were going in as I drove by. I can?t say what made me keep driving but only a block away was a little white church with two people sitting on the front steps. As I slowed down to look at the church the two people waved to me and smiled. They beckoned for me to come in. I did.
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Clothes make the man, or so the saying goes. There’s a certain amount of truth to that– the clothes you wear do make a statement. They tell people a little about the way you think and feel, and it’s definitely part of the first impression you make when you meet someone. If you wear all black, that says one thing; if you only wear bright colors, that says something else. So what if there were a way to make a conscious statement, a way to signal your faith in a trendy, cool way.
Why is the death, burial, and subsequent resurrection of Jesus Christ such a big deal? Why didn?t Jesus just die like everyone else and go to Heaven and wait for us there? Why did it have to be so gruesome and public, His death, His burial, and His resurrection? Because it validates everything Jesus said while He was on earth, it validates everything he taught and shared for three years.
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Problem: Paul writes, “Therefore the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels” (1 Cor. 11:10). What does this difficult passage mean?
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If you don?t believe the Bible literally, does that mean you must conclude that Christianity is based on biblical myth ? literally fiction and stories passed down, generation to generation, from our ancient ancestors? That the only way to read the Bible is to read it metaphorically or metaphysically?
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New research shows a troubling trend in America’s churches: regular attendees are increasingly unsure what the Bible actually says. Issues once considered clear-cut —like sexuality, family, and morality— now leave many Christians confused. Even foundational truths seem to be losing their stronghold inside the very institutions meant to teach them.
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