Determining Mary’s age when she gave birth to Jesus is challenging because the Bible does not directly state her age. However, by examining relevant scriptural passages and historical context, we can develop an informed estimate. The Bible first mentions Mary in Luke 1, when the angel Gabriel visits her to announce that she will give birth to the Messiah. Luke 1:27 describes Mary as a “virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph.” In Jewish culture at that time, girls were typically betrothed around ages 12-14 and married shortly after. Based on this, Mary was likely a young teenager…
Author: Matt Primack
The Second Epistle of John, often referred to as Second John and often written 2 John or II John, is a book of the New Testament attributed to John the Evangelist, traditionally thought to be the author of the other two epistles of John, and the Gospel of John. This epistle is directed towards an unnamed “elect lady” and her children. The language demonstrates that this person was well-known to the community that the author of this epistle belonged to, and there have been speculations made as to her identity. Some scholars have proposed that she was a personification of…
The Thomas Jefferson Bible, also known as The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth, is a book constructed by Thomas Jefferson in the latter years of his life by cutting and pasting passages from the New Testament Gospels. Jefferson took a razor to the printed pages of a King James Version of the New Testament and carefully cut out verses and passages he found particularly meaningful, arranging them into a cohesive narrative of Jesus’s life and moral teachings. Jefferson created this highly edited and customized version of the Gospels over several years in the 1810s. He cut out large…
The firmament is mentioned several times in the Bible, especially in the creation account in Genesis 1. The Hebrew word translated as “firmament” is “raqiya” which means “expanse.” So what exactly is the firmament? According to Genesis 1:6-8, on the second day of creation God said “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” God called this expanse “Heaven.” So the firmament seems to be some sort of expansive space that separated the waters below (oceans) from the waters above (some sort of water in the sky). The…
Self-hatred is a painful and damaging emotion that many people struggle with. It involves feelings of intense dislike, disgust, anger, and rejection towards oneself. The Bible has much to say about this topic and offers hope and healing for those plagued by self-hatred. We are created in God’s image The Bible teaches that human beings are created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26-27). This bestows incredible value, worth, and dignity on all people. Even after the Fall, humans still bear God’s image (Genesis 9:6, James 3:9). Since we bear God’s precious image, we have no just cause…
The Bible contains many interesting stories about people who lived to an old age. When looking for the oldest man mentioned in the Bible, a few key figures stand out as contenders for this title. Methuselah One of the prime candidates for the oldest man in the Bible is Methuselah. According to Genesis 5:27, “Thus all the days of Methuselah were 969 years, and he died.” This verse clearly states that Methuselah lived to the remarkable age of 969, making him the oldest person whose age is explicitly recorded in the Bible. Methuselah was the son of Enoch and the…
The First Epistle to Timothy, usually referred to simply as First Timothy and often written 1 Timothy, is one of three letters in the New Testament of the Bible often grouped together as the Pastoral Epistles, along with Second Timothy and Titus. The letter, traditionally attributed to the Apostle Paul, consists mainly of counsels to his younger colleague and delegate Timothy regarding his ministry in Ephesus (1:3). These counsels include instructions on the organization of the Church and the responsibilities resting on certain groups of leaders therein as well as exhortations to faithfulness in maintaining the truth amid surrounding errors.…
How did the apostle Paul die? The apostle Paul was one of the most influential early Christian missionaries and leaders of the first century AD. Paul, originally known as Saul, persecuted the early Christians until his dramatic conversion experience on the road to Damascus. After his conversion, Paul went on to write a significant portion of the New Testament, traveling across the Roman Empire to spread the Christian message. Paul likely died as a martyr between AD 64-68 in Rome at the hands of Emperor Nero. However, the exact details around Paul’s death are not conclusively known. Paul’s Extensive Missionary…
Here are some common questions people have about 1 Thessalonians: Who wrote 1 Thessalonians? 1 Thessalonians was written by the apostle Paul. In 1 Thessalonians 1:1, Paul introduces himself as the author, along with Silas and Timothy. Paul founded the church in Thessalonica during his second missionary journey documented in Acts 17. After Paul left Thessalonica, he wanted to find out how the new Christians there were doing, so he sent Timothy back to check on them (1 Thessalonians 3:1-3). Timothy brought a good report back to Paul, but also shared some concerns the Thessalonians had. Paul wrote this letter…
Pastoral theology is the branch of theology that deals with the pastoral care and shepherding of individuals and congregations by ministers, pastors, priests, and other religious leaders. It encompasses the practical aspects of ministry, including preaching, counseling, visiting the sick, administering sacraments, and providing spiritual guidance and support. Biblical basis for pastoral theology The Bible provides the foundation for pastoral theology and establishes pastoral care as a central responsibility for church leaders. Several key biblical themes shape an understanding of pastoral ministry: Jesus as the Good Shepherd Jesus described himself as the “Good Shepherd” who cares deeply for his sheep…