Divine healing refers to the supernatural healing of physical and mental illnesses, injuries, and disabilities through the power of God. While medicine and science have made incredible advances, divine healing operates outside the bounds of human capability and natural law. The Bible contains many examples and promises of God’s ability to heal miraculously. Divine healing is often associated with the theological term “charism”, referring to gifts of grace bestowed by the Holy Spirit. The gift of healing is listed among the charisms in 1 Corinthians 12:9. Through this gift, Christians pray for God to intervene with supernatural healing. However, divine…
Author: Kerry Baysinger
The book of 2 Samuel in the Bible tells the story of King David’s reign over the united kingdom of Israel. Some key questions that arise from this book include: Why did God reject Saul as king of Israel? Saul was the first king of Israel, but he disobeyed God’s commands multiple times. For example, he offered sacrifices instead of waiting for Samuel to offer them (1 Samuel 13:8-14), and he spared King Agag and the best of the livestock from the Amalekites even though God had commanded everything to be destroyed (1 Samuel 15:1-23). Because of Saul’s disobedience, God…
The Bible offers guidance for Christians on the difficult issue of killing during wartime. Here is an overview of about 9,000 words of key biblical principles related to war and killing enemies: The Old Testament describes numerous wars and killings sanctioned by God. For example, in Deuteronomy 20:16-18 God commands the Israelites to completely destroy the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. The Israelites are told to “save alive nothing that breathes…as the Lord your God has commanded you.” This suggests God approved of the Israelites waging war against these groups and killing combatants. Exodus 15:3 describes the Lord…
Parapsychology is the study of psychic phenomena or abilities that appear to transcend the known physical laws of nature. The term comes from the Greek words para meaning “beside” or “beyond” and psychology meaning “study of the mind.” Some of the phenomena studied in parapsychology include: Telepathy Telepathy refers to the transfer of thoughts, feelings, or information from one person to another without using the normal senses. It is sometimes called “mind reading” or “mental telepathy.” There are different types of telepathy: – Precognitive telepathy involves receiving information about future events. – Clairvoyant telepathy is about perceiving distant events happening…
The phrase “fullness of time” refers to God’s perfect timing in sending Jesus Christ to earth to accomplish the work of salvation. It indicates that Christ’s coming was part of God’s complete plan from the beginning and happened at just the right moment in human history. The apostle Paul uses this phrase in Galatians 4:4-5, writing, “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” This indicates that Christ came at the precise…
The verse “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news” is found in Isaiah 52:7 in the Bible. This verse is part of a passage in Isaiah describing the return of the Jewish exiles from Babylon back to Jerusalem. In its original context, this verse refers to messengers running to announce the good news of the exiles’ impending return and freedom from captivity. However, this verse also has significance beyond its immediate context. In the broader context of Scripture, Isaiah 52:7 is a prophecy pointing to the coming of Christ and the gospel message.…
The Gospel of Peter is an ancient text that was discovered in the late 19th century. It is an account of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ that shows some similarities to the canonical gospels but also contains additional details and variations. The Gospel of Peter is considered a non-canonical gospel, meaning it was not included in the New Testament when the canon was formally established by the early church. While the authorship is attributed to the apostle Peter, most scholars believe it was written in the 2nd century, after Peter’s death. The text was likely compiled by…
Should Pastors Be Paid a Salary? The question of whether pastors should receive a salary for their ministry work is an important one for churches to consider carefully. There are good arguments on both sides of this issue, and Christians of good faith can reasonably disagree. Looking at relevant biblical passages can help provide wisdom and perspective. In favor of paying pastors a salary, there are several points to consider: 1. Pastors have a right to make a living from preaching the gospel. Paul argues this in 1 Corinthians 9:14, where he says, “In the same way, the Lord commanded…
The Bible speaks of the church in two interrelated ways: the universal church and the local church. The universal church refers to the worldwide community of all believers in Jesus Christ across time and space. The local church refers to individual congregations in specific locations. While distinct, the universal and local church work together to fulfill God’s redemptive purposes. The Universal Church The universal church encompasses all true believers in Christ from Pentecost to the present day (Matthew 16:18; Ephesians 5:25). This worldwide community of believers is also called the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27). All those who have…
When is it Right to Leave a Church? Deciding when to leave a church can be a difficult and emotional decision. As Christians, we are called to be part of a local body of believers (Hebrews 10:25), so leaving a church should not be done lightly. However, there are times when it may be necessary or right to leave a particular church. Here are some biblical principles to consider when discerning if and when it is time to leave: Doctrine and Theology One of the main reasons it may be right to leave a church is if the church’s doctrine…