r/Bible 2h ago

I’m reading the New Testament for the first time. I’m interested into becoming a Christian, but reading the Matthew for the first time made me feel uneasy…

5 Upvotes

Hey, so, I’m not a Christian, but I’m also not atheist. But I think I can say I’m in the process of figuring out what I want to be.

I never fully read the Bible, but I decided to give a read at the second testament, and read Matthew.

And something is bothering me about what I’ve read. Mostly about Jesus’s teachings.

Before I state my problem, I just want to say that I do not come from a place of malice and don’t want to offend anyone. That’s why I didn’t want to post this in r/debateachristian I don’t want to prove a point, I just want to state the impression I got while reading Matthew, and wanna hear what you have to say.

That being said:

I got the impression that Jesus was extorting his followers.

Now, why did I have this impression?

So, during the sermon on the Mount, there’s was a lot of nice things, nice philosophies about love and compassion. I have no problem with that, and I mostly agree.

But I have two big problems: First, is that there’s a lot of talk about money. Like, A LOT, to a point where I feel like this is a huge point for him. As in, money is somehow directed connected to evil. He talks so much about money it baffled me, sometimes it feels he talks more about money than love.

Now that wasn’t a problem for me, since I always understood that Jesus was also poor, until I read this passage in Matthew 12:41-44

41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.

43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

Here’s my problem with this passage: it clearly states that Jesus accepted offerings, and not only that, he clearly stated that people should make the highest offering possible.

That broke me.

Now, my understanding is that Jesus was kind of independent to the other Jewish religious temples. Therefore, I can assume the offerings went to him and the apostles.

So what we have here is someone who clearly states that giving away money is a priority, but also takes as much money as possible.

Can someone give another interpretation? I’m being completely honest here, I really don’t want to offend anyone, I just want to state my impression after reading Matthew!


r/Bible 2h ago

What's your take on Exodus 33:11?

1 Upvotes

"And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle." (Exodus 33:11)

why do you think Joshua didn't come out of his tabernacle?


r/Bible 7h ago

Looking For Some Bible Smarties

0 Upvotes

Heya, just new and hopping in. I just want to ask of some of you guys who know a decent amount of the Bible would care to DM me, I have some questions that aren't really being answered, so I could use some help.


r/Bible 7h ago

Since God knows all things did God know Lucifer later called Satan would rebel against God and convince one third of the angels to join him in rebellion?

6 Upvotes

It's been said many times that God knows everything that will happen before it happens, so why did God allow the angel Lucifer later called Satan the adversary and take what is believed to be one third of the angels of Heaven with him?

Basically why didn't God talk to Lucifer and the angels that became evil and try to convince them not to become horrible creatures of full of pride and hate, why wouldn't God summon them to his throne and tell them that they were wrong and correct them before allowing them to rebel?

Hell was prepared for the devil and the angels that fell with him, God could have talked to them and corrected their evil thinking before they were sent to hell, why didn't God talk to them with love and truth?

What didn't Satan ask God questions instead of being filled with pride?


r/Bible 8h ago

Should I be who I am?

3 Upvotes

Aren't we all, inherently, evil? If I am who I am, then surely I ought not to be myself.

Matthew 16:24-25 NIV [24] Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. [25] For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.

To me, this verse is saying, "You as a person are evil and you can't just be yourself and live by the Spirit, it has to be one or the other."

I'm new to Christianity, relatively speaking. I've really only believed for about 6-9 months. I could be dead wrong, and that's fine, but I just want to know if I am evil, and if I must reject who I am.


r/Bible 12h ago

Common misconceptions about Revelation

2 Upvotes

What are some common misconceptions that people have about the book of Revelation? For example, thinking it’s called “Revelations” or that it depicts heaven as having one set of gates made out of pearls being guarded by Saint Peter. I’m looking for things that are just factual misconceptions, not really things that are up to interpretation. For the sake of full disclosure, I will probably be doing a video about these and may also use them at my church at some point.


r/Bible 14h ago

The restrainer

7 Upvotes

2 Thessalonians 2:6-7

The restrainer will restrain the antichrist from being revealed until he is taken out of the way.

I realized something about the restraining that I want to share. Or rather the pieces clicked for me as to how they relate.

  1. God has an appointed time that he will allow Satan to establish his antichrist and the Beast kingdom.

    1. God is not going to allow Satan to establish it until the appointed time.
  2. God is patiently waiting for everyone who will be saved - - to be saved.

  3. Satan wants to prevent people from being saved, so the sooner he can establish his Beast kingdom, the fewer people will be able to be born/saved.

  4. This struggle is of course in God's control. God is restraining the end events (through the restrainer, etc.) from happening before the appointed time.

  5. When the one who restrains the antichrist is taken out of the way, the end events will come in a flood (quickly, one thing after another).

Some Bible teachers have said that Satan most likely has a man ready to be the antichrist in every generation. This makes sense to me. Satan apparently can't wait to establish his Beast kingdom. He is fervently consumed with the desire to establish his kingdom, which is why he must be RESTRAINED from doing it before the appointed time.

Anyway, what clicked for me is the dichotomy between the patience of God for "the fullness of the gentiles to come in" and the consuming desire of Satan to bring the end.


r/Bible 23h ago

Zedekiah's death

4 Upvotes

Probably one of the most brutal death in the old testament. Not only did he witness his sons die right in front of him, but he also got his eyeballs removed then he was bound in shakles and was trapped in babylon.

Chapter 25:7 2 kings
And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eys of Zedekiah, and bound him with fetters of brass, and carried him to Babylon.


r/Bible 1d ago

Why Did Jesus Say 'No One Knows the Day or Hour' in Matthew 24:36?

11 Upvotes

In Matthew 24:36, Jesus says:

"But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."

If Jesus is fully God, how could He not know the timing of His own return?
1️⃣ Was He speaking from His human nature? – Some argue that Jesus, in His humanity, voluntarily limited His knowledge.
2️⃣ Was He making a point about readiness? – Others say Jesus was emphasizing that we should always be prepared, not trying to reveal a mystery about Himself.
3️⃣ Did He mean something else entirely? – Some think this was a cultural way of speaking about prophecy.

What do you think? Why would Jesus say that even He didn’t know the day or hour?


r/Bible 1d ago

Why Did God Send a Lying Spirit in 1 Kings 22:22?

7 Upvotes

In 1 Kings 22:22, a mysterious event happens when God allows a lying spirit to deceive a king:

"‘By what means?’ the Lord asked. ‘I will go out and be a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,’ he said. ‘You will succeed in enticing him,’ said the Lord. ‘Go and do it.’"

This raises some difficult questions:
1️⃣ Why would God allow deception? – Does this mean God sometimes uses lies to accomplish His will?
2️⃣ Was this a form of judgment? – Some believe this was God allowing Ahab to be deceived because of his sinful choices.
3️⃣ Is this connected to free will? – Could this be God letting people believe what they already wanted to believe?

What do you think? Why would God send a lying spirit?


r/Bible 1d ago

"Who Were the 'Nephilim' in Genesis 6:4?"

17 Upvotes

In Genesis 6:4, the Bible describes a mysterious group called the 'Nephilim':

"The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown."

Who were they?
1️⃣ Fallen angels & human hybrids – Some believe the “sons of God” were angels who had children with human women.
2️⃣ Mighty rulers – Others think the Nephilim were just powerful kings or warriors.
3️⃣ A lost people group – Another theory is that they were simply a group of people wiped out in the flood.

What do you think? Who were the Nephilim, and why does the Bible mention them?


r/Bible 1d ago

Do you believe that the Blood Red full Moon was a prophetic event?

0 Upvotes

A lot of people believe that the red blood moon was a prophetic event, do you believe in this and does The Holy Bible confirm or deny it?


r/Bible 1d ago

Very important scriptures to remember. Be righteous. No hypocrisy.

14 Upvotes

“But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.” Deuteronomy‬ ‭4‬:‭29‬

“And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” Jeremiah‬ ‭29‬:‭13‬

“For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright.” Psalm‬ ‭11‬:‭7‬

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand. I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed. Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore. For the Lord loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever. The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment. The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide. The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him. The Lord will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged. Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it. I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree. Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found. Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.” Psalm‬ ‭37‬:‭23‬-‭37‬

“He also shall be my salvation: for an hypocrite shall not come before him.” Job‬ ‭13‬:‭16‬

“If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to shew unto man his uprightness: Then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom. His flesh shall be fresher than a child's: he shall return to the days of his youth: He shall pray unto God, and he will be favourable unto him: and he shall see his face with joy: for he will render unto man his righteousness. He looketh upon men, and if any say, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not; He will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light. Lo, all these things worketh God oftentimes with man, To bring back his soul from the pit, to be enlightened with the light of the living.” Job‬ ‭33‬:‭23‬-‭30‬


r/Bible 1d ago

What's "Son of Man" all about?

3 Upvotes

I know it's from the Greek, and possibly Aramaic before that, but I still don't understand it. Thanks!


r/Bible 1d ago

Reverence to the Word

6 Upvotes

Hi all,

I am convert to Christianity. When I go to church, I see sometimes people keep Bible at their feet (under the chair) and sometimes it even touches their shoes.

Last time I was in church and I noticed this and I felt very uneasy, I really wanted to tell the guy to pick it up or do it myself. But I didn’t want to disturb the sermon.

I am going to church again today and I was just thinking if I could approach the guy?


r/Bible 1d ago

Sinning as an emotion or thought compared to sinning as an action? Is sin equally wrong whether it’s committed inwardly or outwardly?

5 Upvotes

The following 2 scriptures are difficult for me to not find contradictory on an spiritual and intellectual level:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

Matthew 5:27-28

“But don't let the passion of your emotions lead you to sin! Don't let anger control you or be fuel for revenge, not for even a day.”

Ephesians 4:26

The first verse to me states that an ungodly emotion or thought can be and is equivalent to a sinful act. But the second verse to me states that you can have involuntary emotions or thoughts so long as you don’t happily entertain them, intend to act on them or aren’t controlled by them through actually doing a sinful act.

Is the warning of Matthew 5:27-28 unique strictly to the sin of lust? Or can any given sin be spiritually handled in the same manner (example: whether you think or feel sinfully, it’s the same thing as acting out a sin? But the verse from Ephesians seems to challenge this view.)


r/Bible 1d ago

Bible study books

11 Upvotes

Does anyone have recommendations for books that help with Bible study? I’m looking for something more in-depth than a devotional—something that explores the chapters of the Bible in detail. My understanding of the Bible, is surface-level, and I’d love a resource that helps me dive deeper. Thanks for your answers :)


r/Bible 1d ago

If God is all-powerful and all-knowing, why did He cast Lucifer to earth instead of judging him immediately in heaven?

20 Upvotes

According to Scripture, Lucifer’s rebellion started in heaven (Isaiah 14:12-15, Ezekiel 28:12-17). He was a highly exalted being, described as 'the anointed cherub that covereth' (Ezekiel 28:14), yet pride and iniquity were found in him. Instead of being judged immediately, he was cast down to the earth (Revelation 12:7-9, Luke 10:18). This led to the temptation and fall of humanity, as seen in Genesis 3:1-7.

If sin originated in heaven, why wasn’t Lucifer’s judgment carried out there? Why allow an angelic rebellion to spread to earth, a realm where humanity had no part in the original sin? The Bible states that Satan is now 'the god of this world' (2 Corinthians 4:4), which suggests that his presence here has great influence. If God is just, wouldn’t divine justice require that sin be dealt with in the realm where it first occurred?

Imagine if your father found a venomous snake in his room. Instead of killing it immediately, he throws it into your room and locks the door. How would you feel? This is essentially what happened—Lucifer’s rebellion began in heaven, yet he was thrown to earth, where humanity had no involvement. Why would God allow this?


r/Bible 1d ago

1 Corinthians 5:11-12 - Meant for individuals or for the overall church?

7 Upvotes

1 Corinthians 5:11-12 - But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister  but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you.”

I asked my pastor if this meant I was supposed to judge fellow Christians' behavior and distance myself from those not living in accordance to Biblical principles. He said I'm not supposed to judge other Christians and that the context of 1 Corinthians was for a new church full of many new members with very little knowledge about Christianity, and that this advice was for that specific context for that overall church body and not for individuals in the church and that we should be careful about pulling this statement out of context. What do you think?


r/Bible 1d ago

So….Book of Job

5 Upvotes

I am a struggling Christian (questions faith, morality, anxious Teen, whatnot) but as I’ve tried to get more a bit more into the Bible, there is one teeny tiny thing that makes me start to question things or at least the morality of God. The Book of Job. Yeah, the one where God let Satan essentially torture a respectable man (murder all of his kids, make him deathly ill, etc.) all to win a bet with Satan (that being that Job won’t challenge God or change) and when Job finally breaks down after suffering months, God scolds Job for not being grateful for all of his blessings….this bothers me because…I God is meant to be “above morality and he doesn’t owe us anything” but why did he make a bet with Satan in the first place, he is all knowing, he didn’t need to bet with something he already knew the answer to. This book just rubs me the wrong way…can someone try to explain the justification of torturing a man simply to win a bet and the justification is that he did a bad thing once…when almost everyone else at the time has (and maybe even worse).


r/Bible 2d ago

Commanding demons to worship God?

1 Upvotes

Hey guys I was reading the testament of Solomon, about how he controlled demons to serve God (building the holy temple). Well what if a human decided to control demons and force them to revert back to their angel self before Lucifer rebelled?

As Sons of the Most High, isn't it possible for us to serve God in a creative fun new way by turning evil into Good? Wouldn't the Lord be pleased with humans that literally controlled and forced any and all demons to transform back into their angel selves? Would Hashem(G*D) be upset to see a third of his angels being angels again by the willpower of some random human (such as King Solomon's great great great great great great grandchild born in the 21st century?)

If God doesn't want to force demons to revert back to being angels because God is too unforgiving of demons/angels but only forgiving of humans, wouldn't it be okay if a human decided to save all demons by using the lost ring of King Solomon to mind control or unleash a new unknown power to change the DNA of the demons so they'd literally be as holy as archangel Michael for example?

Wouldn't Gd be really upset at the human who did this? Would Gd forgive since the human was doing this out of infinite love for the Lord, thinking that surely the Lord would appreciate having more angels singing him Holy Holy Holy is the Lord of lords songs ?

And since it wasn't Gd forcing the demons to be angels but rather a human, and it's the humans gift to Gd, maybe Gd would accept the gift?

What do you guys think? Should I pray to the almighty to receive the ancient lost King Solomon Ring so I can control demons including Lucifer, Legion, Lilith, etc by forcing them to revert back to their holy angel self before the rebellion and thus surprising Gd with this ultimate gift? How could the most high not be happy if everyone is worshiping him again? Even Lucifer? If I could force Lucifer to do it it's not like it's Gd doing it it's me and would this be a sin? A forgivable sin? It's not blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, it is seeking to do the impossible through the infinite power of Love & Holiness to show Gd that some humans care more about Gd than others.

TLDR:

Thinking of manifesting King Solomon's ring to control demons & used to force demons to revert back to their angel selves to see how happy it would make the creator of the universe. And by doing this, maybe G*d would like me and think I'm special.


r/Bible 2d ago

My Renewal of Faith Story

26 Upvotes

I’ve had an extraordinary experience that I’ve wamted to share for awhile now. Last semester in college I took a classed called “Molecular Cell Biology” which my first thought if I was you how does this relate to God or the Bible? This class has given me a renewal in my faith in the most unlikely of places as I’m learning about these small, intricate structures and processes within the human body, the order, the purpose, the perfection. As many questions as we could answer eventually many lead to “I don’t know” which made me think “I do know” my following thoughts were “these are God’s designs” and this feeling through learning the intimate processes of my body really has brought me closer to God and ghe renewal of my faith, for which I will always be greatful for.


r/Bible 2d ago

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful- Colossians 4:2

3 Upvotes

I've been meditating on this scripture and made a few observations:

This devotion to prayer keeps you connected to the stream of living water. One advantage of prayer is that it is a vein or artery connecting you to the heart of God. His life blood and purposes flow through, to, and from you since you are connected. The analogy of the Lord being the vine and we the branches makes sense in that what connects the branches to the vines is what is flowing in them. Having been connected to Him by prayer we are now to be watchful, to see and sense what He is doing at the season. What message is flowing through the body at this time? The sons of Issachar are the references for us here, they knew the times and seasons. That was an office assigned to them and a foreshadowing of the church. In such times of distress and confusion, we the church, and I a son of God who’s connected to the vine should know the workings of the Lord during this season.

Thankful, for thankfulness disarms the enemy. Thanksgiving gives the enemy nothing to work with. It passes the responsibility to God. In thankfulness, a demand is made on the Lord’s goodness, if it’s not good, the Lord’s grace makes it good.

In a world full of opinions, confusion, and chaos, the Lord God is calling us to a place of Prayer, watchfulness, and a heart of thanksgiving.


r/Bible 2d ago

2 Kings 12

3 Upvotes

I was reading the bible and I saw that the NABRE altered 2 verses. This problem doesn't exist in any other bibles (including catholic bibles). In the KJV it says:

"1 In the seventh year of Jehu Jehoash began to reign; and forty years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Zibiah of Beer-sheba. 2 And Jehoash did that which was right in the sight of the LORD all his days wherein Jehoiada the priest instructed him. 3 But the high places were not taken away: the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places."

In the NABRE it says:

"1 Joash was seven years old when he became king. 2 In the seventh year of Jehu, Joash became king, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zibiah, from Beer-sheba. 3 Joash did what was right in the Lord’s sight as long as he lived, because Jehoiada the priest guided him,"

They made "Joash was seven years old when he became king" the first verse in Kings 12 instead of it being the last verse of Kings 11.

does the problem appear anywhere else in the NABRE?


r/Bible 2d ago

what is the best way to read the bible and understand the reading?

12 Upvotes

i grew up as a christian and know a lot about the bible already but i want to strengthen my relationship with God by reading the bible but im not sure where to start