Gal 6:2-5 – Bear One Another’s Burdens, or Just Bear Your Own?

Gal 6:2-5 – Bear One Another’s Burdens, or Just Bear Your Own?

Problem: How do Galatians 6 verses two and five harmonize? According to the apostle Paul, Christians are to “[b]ear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). However, only three verses later, he writes: “For every man shall bear his own burden” (6:5). Skeptic Steve Wells, author of the popular Skeptic’s Annotated Bible, categorizes Galatians 6:2 and 6:5 as contradictory verses (see Wells, 2015). Bible critic Dennis McKinsey comments on these verses, saying, “Gal. 6:2 says that we should bear one another’s burdens to fulfill the law of Christ, while three verses later we are told that everyone should bear his own burden. So who is to bear our burdens?… One can’t help but ask why people would be obligated to aid the poor if every man is supposed to bear his own burden” (1995, pp. 86, 430). So are Christians to “bear one another’s burdens,” or is the child of God to “bear his own burden”?

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Posted by petra1000 in Bible Difficulty, Bible Study, Bible Teaching
100-Foot Ferns

100-Foot Ferns

Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species opened the modern era of evolutionary thinking. The very name of his book suggests that as we look back in time, we should see fewer kinds of animals. Darwin led many people to think that there should be a greater variety of plants and animals today than in the distant past. And, those plants and animals should be more sophisticated today.

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Posted by petra1000 in Apologetics, Evolution
Gal 4:24 – Are we allowed to interpret the OT allegorically?

Gal 4:24 – Are we allowed to interpret the OT allegorically?

Problem: In its root meaning, the word “allegory” means “to say something else.” This method of interpretation “seeks to discern a hidden meaning in a given story or text, a meaning that may be entirely divorced from the historical referent alluded to in the narrative itself.” For example of allegory, in John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress, we read about various characters and places that clearly refer to a deeper meaning (e.g. Pliable, Faithful, Hopeful, Giant Despair, Doubting-Castle, Hill Difficulty, City Beautiful, etc.).

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Posted by petra1000 in Bible Difficulty, Bible Study, Bible Teaching
Protecting the Churches From False Teachers

Protecting the Churches From False Teachers

Never has there been a time when New Testament churches are under greater deluge by false teaching. The internet has massively enlarged the ability of false teachers of every sort (not to speak of pure nuts) to broadcast their heresies.

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Posted by petra1000 in Apologetics, Bible Difficulty, Bible Study, Bible Teaching, Church
Gal 3:26 – Counting Offspring

Gal 3:26 – Counting Offspring

If Jesus is God’s “only begotten Son,” then how can angels and Christians also be God’s sons?

It is clear from verses such as the following that one title for Jesus is “Son of God.”

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Posted by petra1000 in Bible Difficulty, Bible Study, Bible Teaching
Gal 3:17 – Did the Israelites stay 400 years (Gen. 15:13, Acts 7:6), 430 years (Ex. 12:40-41, Gal. 3:17), or 450 years (Acts 13:20) in Egypt?

Gal 3:17 – Did the Israelites stay 400 years (Gen. 15:13, Acts 7:6), 430 years (Ex. 12:40-41, Gal. 3:17), or 450 years (Acts 13:20) in Egypt?

Problem: In Galatians 3:17 Paul takes the 430 years of Exodus 12:40-41 to refer to the period from the day God appears to Abraham and he leaves for/into Canaan to the day of the Exodus. This is the most logical interpretation because Genesis 15:13 says his descendants will be “sojourners in a foreign land” for 400 years; Abraham is 75 when he leaves Haran (Gen. 12:4), and Isaac is born to him when he’s 100 (Gen. 21:5). This leaves us with 405 years technically, which is why some older commentators supposed that the 400 years began when Ishmael teased a 5-year-old Isaac (Gen. 20:9 – Ishmael laughed, presumably at Isaac’s expense). This is neither possible nor necessary to prove – 405 years can easily be rounded to 400 to carry the same sense, much like other ages and numbers are.

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Posted by petra1000 in Bible Difficulty, Bible Study, Bible Teaching
A Sorrowful Love: Not All of Our Family Will Enter the Kingdom of Heaven?

A Sorrowful Love: Not All of Our Family Will Enter the Kingdom of Heaven?

Based on Romans 9:1-3

(By Rick McGrath )

The Apostle Paul’s words in Romans 9 reveal one of the most emotionally charged moments in all of Scripture. Speaking from the depths of his heart, Paul confesses his grief over those closest to him: his fellow Israelites, his family, and his friends, who have rejected Christ. “I speak the truth in Christ; I am not lying, my conscience confirms it through the Holy Spirit; I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race” (Romans 9:1-3, NIV).

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Posted by petra1000 in Bible Difficulty, Bible Study, Death
Gal 3:13 – Was Jesus crucified on a tree, cross or a stake?

Gal 3:13 – Was Jesus crucified on a tree, cross or a stake?

Problem: The word xylon denoted both a tree and a cross figuratively (being made out of wood). This is clearly the case here with Paul, who in Galatians 3:13 refers to the cross as a xylon, yet in other places obviously acknowledges a belief that Jesus was crucified on a cross (stauros) and not a physical tree (e.g. Galatians 5:11, 6:12, Philippians 2:8, 3:18, etc).

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Posted by petra1000 in Bible Difficulty, Bible Study, Bible Teaching
Galatians 3:1 – Did Jesus Contradict Himself by Calling People Fools?

Galatians 3:1 – Did Jesus Contradict Himself by Calling People Fools?

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?

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Posted by petra1000 in Bible Difficulty, Bible Study, Bible Teaching
Technical and Non-Technical Language in the Bible

Technical and Non-Technical Language in the Bible

One thing that is important to understand about the Bible is that it contains very human language. Of course, this set of books was inspired by God, so what it teaches is also divine. But nevertheless, it was written by human beings who used their own language to express things.
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Posted by petra1000 in Bible Difficulty, Bible Study, Bible Teaching, wisdom