The book of Hebrews was written to encourage and exhort Jewish Christians who were facing persecution and were tempted to revert back to Judaism. The author opens the book by extolling the supremacy and sufficiency of Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of Old Testament hopes. In Hebrews 1:7, the author quotes from Psalm 104:4 which says “He makes his messengers winds, his ministers a flaming fire.” This poetic verse is referring to angels who are described as swift messengers and ministers who serve God’s purposes. The author of Hebrews applies this verse to Jesus to demonstrate His superiority over the…
Author: Erin Weitzman
The verse in Isaiah 9:6 that says “the government will be on His shoulders” is a prophecy about the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ. It describes several attributes of Christ, including that the responsibility and authority to rule will rest upon Him. To understand the meaning of this phrase, it’s important to look at some context. Isaiah 9:6 reads: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” This verse comes in the midst of…
The Garden of Eden is one of the most well-known stories in the Bible, found in Genesis chapters 2 and 3. At the center of the Garden were two significant trees: the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. These two trees played an important symbolic role in the Garden of Eden narrative. The tree of life represented immortality and life in perfect communion with God. Genesis 2:9 states, “Out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree…
Romans 8:1 says “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” This is an incredibly freeing verse that gives hope to all believers. But what exactly does it mean that there is “no condemnation” for those who are in Christ? We deserve condemnation because of sin To understand why there is no condemnation, we first have to understand why we deserve condemnation in the first place. The Bible teaches that all people are sinners (Romans 3:23) and that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Because of our sin and rebellion against God, we…
The Bible teaches us that if a fellow believer is caught in sin, those who are spiritual should seek to restore them gently. This act of gentleness and restoration reflects God’s heart of grace, forgiveness, and desire for reconciliation. Here are 9000 words on why we should gently restore a sinning brother according to Galatians 6:1: First, we must understand the context of Galatians 6:1. The book of Galatians was written by the apostle Paul to the churches in Galatia. In this letter, Paul was addressing the issue of legalism that was infiltrating the church. There were those who were…
The Hutterites are a communal branch of Anabaptists who, like the Amish and Mennonites, trace their roots back to the Radical Reformation of the 16th century. Their name comes from early leader Jakob Hutter. There are about 45,000 Hutterites living in several hundred colonies, called “Bruderhofs,” mostly on the North American plains. Hutterites practice a lifestyle of total community of goods – everything is shared and held in common, from food and housing to vehicles and labor. They strive for self-sufficiency through agriculture, raising crops and livestock. Most Hutterite colonies consist of about 15 to 20 families, with a population…
Having negative thoughts can be a struggle that many Christians face. The Bible provides wisdom and guidance on how to overcome negative thinking and renew our minds with God’s truth. Here are some biblical strategies to stop having negative thoughts: Recognize that negative thoughts don’t come from God The Bible tells us that every good and perfect gift comes from above, from the Father of the heavenly lights (James 1:17). Negative thoughts such as anxiety, bitterness, jealousy and pride do not come from God and are not part of His perfect will for our lives. We need to recognize that…
The question of whether Jesus is God in the flesh is central to the Christian faith. The Bible provides ample testimony that affirms Christ’s divinity and his oneness with God the Father. While also affirming Christ’s humanity as the Son of God, Scripture points to Jesus being much more than a man – he is the eternal God incarnate. As John 1:1 (ESV) declares, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Below we will examine key biblical evidence that demonstrates Jesus is God in the flesh: 1. Jesus claimed to…
Who was Dagon in the Bible? Dagon was a pagan god worshiped by the Philistines in the ancient Near East. The name “Dagon” appears multiple times in the Bible, exclusively in reference to the god worshiped by the Philistines. The Origins and History of Dagon Worship The worship of Dagon originated in ancient Mesopotamia, where he was an agricultural and fertility deity. He was known as Dagan in ancient Ugaritic texts. Over time, worship of Dagon spread to the Levant region and was adopted by the seafaring Philistines who settled along the coastal lands of Canaan. The Philistines brought their…
The question of whether temptation itself is a sin is an important one for Christians seeking to live holy lives. The Bible has much to say about temptation and provides wisdom for how to respond when we face it. First, it’s important to understand what temptation actually is. Temptation is not the same as sin – rather, it is the desire to commit a sin that arises when we are enticed or drawn towards something evil (James 1:14-15). Simply being tempted is not a sin in and of itself. Even Jesus was tempted, yet was without sin (Hebrews 4:15). However,…