The phrase “corners of the earth” appears several times throughout the Bible, both in the Old and New Testaments. This imagery conveys the idea of the farthest reaches, edges, or boundaries of the world. When we read this term in Scripture, it’s important to understand it within the ancient biblical context, and not impose our modern understanding of the earth’s shape onto the text. In ancient times, the prevalent cosmic geography was that the earth was a flat disc floating on the primeval waters. The ancient Hebrews pictured the world as having four corners or ends, north, south, east and…
Author: Aaron Chin
The Bible warns Christians against engaging in coarse jesting, dirty jokes, foolish talk, and crude joking. Scripture calls believers to speech that is gracious, wise, and pleasing to God. Though humor itself is not condemned, Christians must be discerning regarding the content and aim of their jokes and laughter. Definitions of Coarse Jesting and Crude Joking Coarse jesting refers to vulgar humor and dirty jokes containing sexual innuendo, profanity, or offensive content. It includes joking about immoral acts or telling stories that evoke laughter through crass and crude subject matter. Crude joking similarly indicates lowbrow, offensive, and ribald humor focused…
Desires are a major theme throughout the Bible. Human desires can lead us astray into sin and destruction, or they can be sanctified and directed toward righteousness. God promises to satisfy our deepest desires if we seek Him first. Here is an overview of some key Bible passages about desires: Desires of the Flesh vs. Desires of the Spirit The Bible contrasts fleshly desires with spiritual desires. Fleshly desires originate from our sinful human nature and lead to sin and death. Spiritual desires come from God and lead to life and peace: “For those who live according to the flesh…
The term “Brahman” refers to the supreme, ultimate reality in Hinduism. Brahman is the divine ground of all being, the eternal and infinite source from which all of existence arises, exists, and returns. Brahman is formless, ineffable, and unknowable through sensory perception or intellectual knowledge. Brahman transcends time, space, and causality and is beyond all dualities such as male/female, good/evil, mortal/immortal. Some key points about Brahman: – Brahman is the single binding unity behind all that exists in the universe. Brahman is the cosmological concept of a single principle responsible for the origin, existence, and end of the universe (Genesis…
The Great White Throne Judgment is a future event described in Revelation 20:11-15 that will take place after the millennial kingdom and the final rebellion when God will judge all those who did not accept Christ as their Savior. Here is an overview of what the Bible teaches about this solemn event: Timing of the Great White Throne Judgment The Great White Throne Judgment will take place after the millennial reign of Christ on earth (Revelation 20:7-10) and after God destroys the enemies of Christ at the battle of Gog and Magog (Revelation 20:8-9). This follows the first resurrection of…
What are some Bible verses about treasure? The Bible has a lot to say about treasure, both earthly and heavenly. Here is an overview of some of the key Bible verses about treasure: Matthew 6:19-21 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” This famous passage warns against storing up temporary earthly treasures…
Ebionism was an early Christian sect that emphasized adherence to Jewish law and rejected the divinity of Jesus. The term “Ebionites” (from Hebrew ebionim, meaning “poor ones”) was used by early church fathers to describe Jewish Christians who believed Jesus was the promised Messiah but not divine. Here is an overview of Ebionism and what the Bible teaches about this movement: Origins and Beliefs Ebionism emerged in the first few centuries AD as a reaction to growing Gentile influence on Christianity. The Ebionites wished to keep Jewish practices and adhere strictly to the Mosaic Law. They rejected Paul’s teachings that…
Scholasticism was an influential intellectual movement in the medieval universities that sought to reconcile Christian theology with classical philosophy, especially that of Aristotle. It dominated teaching and philosophy in the Middle Ages from around 1100-1500 AD. Some of the key impacts of Scholasticism on church history include: 1. Integration of Faith and Reason One of the main goals of Scholastic thinkers, or Schoolmen, was to integrate faith and reason. They wanted to show that faith and theology could be approached systematically and rationally, like philosophy and science. This led to extensive use of logic, metaphysics, and natural philosophy to address…
The Bible has a lot to say about caring for orphans and other vulnerable children. Here is an overview of some of the key Bible verses about orphans: Exodus 22:22-24 “You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry, and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.” This passage in Exodus warns the Israelites against mistreating widows and orphans. God promises to hear their cries and bring judgment…
Charlemagne, also known as Charles the Great, was king of the Franks and later emperor of the Holy Roman Empire from 768-814 AD. He had a significant impact on the history of the Christian church in Western Europe through his military conquests, promotion of education and literacy, and relationships with the papacy. Military Conquests and Christianization Efforts As a military ruler, Charlemagne led campaigns to conquer and Christianize pagan Germanic tribes. In the late 8th century, he waged wars against the Saxons in northern Germany over several decades. The Saxons practiced Germanic paganism, which Charlemagne sought to supplant with Christianity.…