The issue of gender identity has become a widely discussed and debated topic in recent years. Some people believe that a person can be born with the wrong gender – meaning the gender they were assigned at birth does not match their internal sense of gender identity. From a biblical perspective, this is a complex issue with various viewpoints among Christians. Here is an overview of 9000 words on what the Bible may offer to help us think through this sensitive topic. The Creation of Humanity in God’s Image The Bible teaches that human beings are created in the image…
Author: Kristal Wheatley
The Today’s New International Version (TNIV) is an English Bible translation that was published in segments from 1996 to 2005. The TNIV is a revision of the New International Version (NIV) Bible that aimed to use more gender-inclusive language. The NIV was first published in 1978 and quickly became one of the most popular modern English Bible translations. However, as time went on, some raised concerns about the NIV’s use of masculine language. For example, the NIV often used words like “man,” “he/him/his,” and “brothers” when referring to groups that included both men and women. In the 1990s, the Committee…
The idea that God can repent or change His mind is found several times in the Bible. This concept can be confusing or even troubling for some. How can an unchanging, sovereign God repent or change His mind? What does the Bible teach about God repenting? There are several key passages where the terminology of God “repenting” or “changing His mind” is used: Genesis 6:6 – “And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart.” Exodus 32:14 – “And the Lord relented from the disaster that he had spoken of…
The sons of Korah are mentioned several times in the Old Testament, beginning in Exodus 6. They were Levites, from the family of Kohath. The Kohathites were responsible for the care of the holy objects of the tabernacle during the wilderness wanderings of the Israelites. The genealogical records in Exodus 6:24 tell us, “The sons of Korah: Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph. These are the clans of the Korahites.” Numbers 26:58 also lists these three men as the sons of Korah. Later, in 1 Chronicles 6, we find additional information about these sons of Korah. 1 Chronicles 6:22 lists Assir, Elkanah,…
The New Century Version (NCV) is an English translation of the Bible first published in 1987. It was originally called the International Children’s Bible and was aimed at young readers, but was later renamed the New Century Version in 1991. The goal of the NCV was to create an easy-to-understand and readable translation of the Bible in contemporary English. The NCV was translated by a team of over 100 scholars from three countries and various denominations, led by Dr. Barbour, Dr. Taylor and Dr. Wooddale. They used the original Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek texts as the basis for their translation.…
The day-age theory is an interpretation of the creation account in Genesis that asserts that the six days of creation are symbolic of much longer periods of time. According to this view, the word “day” (Hebrew: yom) in Genesis 1 does not refer to a literal 24-hour day but is symbolic of a long age of time. Proponents of the day-age theory believe that this view harmonizes the biblical creation account with modern scientific theories about the age of the earth. The primary biblical basis for the day-age theory is the meaning of the Hebrew word for “day” (yom). While…
A nomad is someone who does not have a permanent home or residence but instead travels from place to place. The term originally referred to groups of people such as pastoral nomads who traveled with their livestock to find fresh pastures. In modern times, it has come to refer to individuals who adopt a nomadic lifestyle, moving frequently and not settling down in any one location. Nomadic People in the Bible The Bible contains many references to nomadic peoples and practices. In Old Testament times, many peoples like the Israelites, Midianites and Amalekites were semi-nomadic, moving with their herds to…
The Bible does not explicitly state whether or not Moses stuttered. However, there are a few passages that provide some insight into this question. In Exodus 4, when God first appeared to Moses in the burning bush and called him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, Moses gave several objections as to why he was not qualified for the task. One of his objections was that he was “slow of speech and tongue” (Exodus 4:10). This could potentially indicate some kind of speech impediment, like stuttering. However, it could also simply mean that Moses did not feel that he…
The Feast of Weeks, also known as the Festival of Weeks or Shavuot in Hebrew, is one of the three major pilgrimage festivals ordained in the Bible. Along with Passover and Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles), it was one the annual festivals that all Israelite men were commanded to celebrate in Jerusalem (Exodus 23:14-17). The Feast of Weeks is closely associated with the grain harvest in Israel. In fact, its Hebrew name Shavuot means “weeks,” referring to the seven weeks that were counted from the offering of the barley sheaf during Passover until the offering of the first fruits of…
The phrase “the kingdom of God suffers violence” comes from Matthew 11:12 which says, “From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.” This is an intriguing statement by Jesus that has been interpreted in different ways throughout church history. One common interpretation is that Jesus is saying the kingdom of God is vigorously opposed by evil spiritual forces. The kingdom represents the rule and reign of God, which encounters fierce resistance from the devil and his demons, as well as from people under demonic influence.…