The Samaritan Pentateuch, also known as the Samaritan Torah, is the sacred text of the Samaritan community. It is written in a version of the Hebrew script and contains the first five books of the Hebrew Bible – Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. The Samaritan Pentateuch is the oldest extant manuscript of the Torah, with the oldest surviving copies dating back to the 10th or 11th century CE. However, the text itself is much older, with scholars believing it preserves a textual tradition that branched off from the Jewish Masoretic tradition in the post-exilic period, around the 4th century…
Author: Richard Curi
The phrase “speaking the truth in love” comes from Ephesians 4:15, which says “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ.” This verse gives an important principle for how Christians should relate to one another within the body of Christ. Specifically, it teaches that we should speak the truth to each other, but do so in a loving way. Let’s break this down further: 1. Speaking the Truth To “speak the truth” means to be honest, genuine, and sincere in what we say. As Christians, we…
Jehovah’s Witnesses refuse blood transfusions because they believe the Bible prohibits consuming blood. This belief is based on several scriptures in the Bible that command people to abstain from blood. In the Old Testament, God prohibited the consumption of blood. After the flood, God told Noah: “Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything. But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood.” (Genesis 9:3-4 ESV) Here God made a clear distinction between the flesh of an animal as food and the…
The question “Could God create a rock so heavy He could not lift it?” is meant to present a logical contradiction or paradox about the nature of God’s power. At first glance, it seems to offer two options, both of which lead to a seeming contradiction: If God can create a rock so heavy He cannot lift it, then there is something God cannot do – He cannot lift the rock. This would mean God is not all-powerful. If God cannot create a rock so heavy He cannot lift it, then there is also something God cannot do – He…
Deification, or theosis, is a central doctrine in Eastern Orthodoxy that refers to the process of a believer becoming more like God through His grace and energy. The ultimate goal is union with God and sharing in His divine nature by grace, while still remaining distinct persons. This concept is rooted in 2 Peter 1:4 which states that through Christ, believers “may become partakers of the divine nature.” Biblical Basis In addition to 2 Peter 1:4, several other biblical passages point to the concept of deification: – John 17:21-23 – Jesus prays that believers may be one with Him and…
Theophilus is mentioned at the beginning of both the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts, which were both written by Luke. Here is what we know about Theophilus from Scripture: Theophilus was addressed directly by Luke In Luke 1:3 Luke says, “it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus.” And in Acts 1:1 Luke writes, “The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach.” So both books are directly addressed to…
This is an important question that many Christians grapple with. There are a few potential reasons why some pastors may profess not to believe: Losing faith due to life circumstances Being a pastor is incredibly demanding, both emotionally and spiritually. Dealing with people’s problems day in and day out can wear down even the most stalwart believer. Tragedies, illnesses, doubts and sin problems faced by a pastor’s congregation may cause the pastor to question God’s goodness and existence. This is especially true if the pastor themselves goes through a crisis of faith due to personal trials or the death of…
The Bible does not explicitly mention or prohibit oral sex. However, there are some principles and passages that can provide wisdom for Christians seeking guidance on this intimate act within marriage. Principles from Scripture on Sexual Ethics The Bible teaches that sex is a gift from God meant to be enjoyed within the covenant of marriage between one man and one woman (Genesis 2:24, Hebrews 13:4). Any sexual activity outside of this covenant is considered sexually immoral. Within marriage, God calls husbands and wives to prioritize mutual love, respect, and enjoying sexual intimacy as a means to strengthen their unique…
The phrase “there but for the grace of God go I” is a powerful and thought-provoking statement that has biblical origins. In essence, it conveys the sobering truth that anyone could find themselves in difficult, unfortunate, or even condemned circumstances if not for God’s grace and mercy. Origin and Meaning This expression comes from the words of British preacher and reformer John Bradford (1510-1555). As Bradford watched criminals being led to execution, he would remark “there but for the grace of God goes John Bradford”. This was an acknowledgement that he deserved the same fate as the condemned, but it…
The name “Amenadiel” does not appear directly in the Bible. However, there are references to angels with similar-sounding names, which has led to speculation about whether an angel named Amenadiel exists. The closest biblical reference is to an angel named Ammadiel mentioned in the Book of Enoch. The Book of Enoch is an ancient Jewish religious text that is not considered canon by most Christian denominations. It describes Ammadiel as an angel who was in charge of entrapping the Watcher angels who sinned by lusting after human women (Enoch 10:4-6). The Book of Enoch is the only ancient source referencing…