Belief in God, as presented in the Bible, is fundamentally different from belief in satirical or parodic religions like Flying Spaghetti Monsterism in a few key ways: 1. Basis in historical events and people Christian belief is founded on actual historical events and people that are documented in ancient sources outside of the Bible. For example, we have non-biblical historical references to Jesus of Nazareth, his crucifixion under Pontius Pilate, the rise of the early Christian church, and persecution of Christians by Roman authorities. This gives the biblical narratives a factual grounding. In contrast, Flying Spaghetti Monsterism was invented in…
Author: Nicole Sands
The Bible has a lot to say about social action and how Christians should respond to injustice and oppression in society. At its core, the biblical view of social action is rooted in God’s compassion and concern for the poor, marginalized and vulnerable. Scripture repeatedly calls on God’s people to “do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with God” (Micah 6:8). Jesus himself ministered to the outcasts of society and called his followers to serve “the least of these” (Matthew 25:31-46). Here is an overview of some key biblical themes related to social action: 1. All people are created in…
Sexual immorality is engaging in any sexual activity outside of the covenant of marriage between one man and one woman. The Bible condemns all forms of sexual immorality and calls believers to live according to God’s perfect design for sexuality within marriage. Some specific examples of sexual immorality mentioned in Scripture include adultery, fornication, homosexuality, lust, incest, bestiality, and prostitution. Any intimate sexual activity engaged in outside of a heterosexual marriage relationship is considered sexually immoral. Adultery Adultery is one of the most frequently mentioned and condemned forms of sexual immorality in the Bible. Adultery is committed when a married…
Throughout the Bible, God used dreams and visions to communicate important messages to people. Dreams and visions were a common way for God to reveal His plans, give guidance, or announce future events in biblical times. Here is an overview of some of the major ways God utilized dreams and visions in the Bible: Giving Prophetic Dreams and Visions One of the most prominent ways God used dreams and visions in Scripture was to give prophecies, visions of the future, and revelations through the prophets. For example: God gave Abraham a vision of his descendants inheriting the Promised Land (Genesis…
The second commandment is found in Exodus 20:4-6 which states, “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my…
Hypocrisy is condemned throughout the Bible. Scripture makes it clear that God detests hypocrisy and hypocrites. The Bible warns believers to avoid being hypocritical and to guard against hypocrisy creeping into the church. The word “hypocrite” comes from the Greek word hypokrites, which means “stage actor, pretender, dissembler.” So a hypocrite is someone who pretends to be something he is not. A hypocrite is an actor playing a role, someone wearing a mask, a pretender presenting a false image to others. Hypocrisy is the practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one’s own behavior does not…
AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) and HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) are modern day plagues that have stricken fear in the hearts of many. AIDS is caused by HIV, which attacks and weakens the immune system over time until the body can no longer fight off infections and diseases. According to the World Health Organization, approximately 37.7 million people were living with HIV in 2020. Sadly, AIDS has claimed the lives of over 36 million people since it was first discovered in the early 1980s. The Bible does not specifically mention HIV or AIDS. However, the Bible has much to say…
The name Agag appears a few times in the Old Testament, referring to kings of the Amalekites. The Amalekites were enemies of the Israelites, descended from Amalek, the grandson of Esau (Genesis 36:12). God commanded Saul to completely destroy the Amalekites (1 Samuel 15:3), but Saul disobeyed and spared their king Agag (1 Samuel 15:8-9). Later, the prophet Samuel killed Agag as punishment for his crimes against Israel (1 Samuel 15:32-33). Centuries later, the book of Esther mentions Haman the Agagite, implying he was a descendant of Agag (Esther 3:1). So in summary: Agag was the title of kings of…
How do we decide which books belong in the Bible since the Bible does not say which books belong in the Bible? The Bible as we know it today consists of 66 books – 39 books in the Old Testament and 27 books in the New Testament. However, the Bible itself does not contain a definitive list of exactly which books should be included. So how did we end up with the collection of books that we have in our Bibles today? How was it decided which books “belong” in the Bible and which ones do not? This is a…
The concept of renewal is found throughout the Bible. God desires to renew and restore us through the transforming work of the Holy Spirit. Here is an overview of some of the key things the Bible teaches about renewal: Renewal through salvation in Christ When we place our faith in Jesus Christ for salvation, we experience renewal on a fundamental level. The old passes away and the new comes (2 Corinthians 5:17). We are made new creations in Christ, our sins are forgiven, and we receive eternal life. This spiritual renewal and regeneration is only possible through faith in Jesus…