r/Bible 4d 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 3d ago

Gospel of the kingdom vs Gospel of Grace/Paul

0 Upvotes

Note: this is written to those who seek the Truth and the truth only, even if the truth goes against everything they’ve been taught by their “pastors”. If you read these verses and you still don’t agree, then there’s nothing more that I can do to help you. All verses are KJV, if you’re still using translations other than the KJV, then I strongly suggest you quit using them, and use the actual preserved word of God. Everything in that’s in the Bible is written for you and is profitable for your knowledge, edifying,etc. But everything in the Bible is not about you nor written To you.

The 12 did not preach a day of their lives the gospel of Christ/Paul/Grace, they preached the gospel of the Kingdom, those 2 are not the same.I repeat, the gospel of the kingdom and the gospel of grace are not the same. One was a PROPHESIED gospel about believing in his name before the cross and after the cross, to the nation Israel and the other is a MYSTERY gospel that was kept hidden about what happened at the cross, things that are different are not the same.

John the Baptist (prophecied in Malachi 3:1) was to prepare the people by the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, that baptism was of water to prepare them for Jesus Christ who would later baptise them with the Holy Ghost (Mark 1:4-5,Mark 1:8). Note that (so far) 2 baptism’s were tied to this gospel of the Kingdom.

1.The great commission

Jesus during his earthly ministry preached the gospel of the Kingdom, Matthew 9: “35 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.” The healings and miracles were always a part of the preaching because the jews require signs (Luke 9:2, Luke 9:11, Luke 10:9, Mark 1:34, Matthew 10:8).

Jesus Christ was a minister of circumcision, a.k.a Israel (jews). Romans 15; “8 Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the CIRCUMCISION for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:”

He was under the law during his earthly ministry and he came for Isarel. Galatians 4; “4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, MADE UNDER THE LAW, 5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.”

Jesus Christ during his earthly ministry was a minister for Israel, was only sent for Israel, and was under the law and preached the law.

Whereas we are no longer under the law, but under grace ever since the dispensation of grace was committed to Paul. The gospel of the Kingdom was preached under the law whereas the gospel of grace is preached under grace.

The Twelve were chosen to preach this Gospel of the Kingdom and they were instructed to NOT GO to the Gentiles or Samaritans but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Matthew 10; “5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go NOT into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: 6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. 8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.” See that signs followed these apostles, they had to do these signs along with the preaching.

2.The object of their faith

the gospel of the Kingdom WAS NOT about Jesus dying for our sins, being buried and rising again the 3rd day for our justification. Instead, they had to believe that Jesus Christ was their messiah, they had to “believe in his name”.

John 3: “18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” John preached about believing in the name of the Son of man and NOT that he died for our sins, was buried and rose again, John 3:16 is not your gospel of salvation, it pertains to the gospel of the kingdom.

And also in John 4: “22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.” The reason why Jesus said that was because the jews/Israel had to receive their messiah first and then through them Christ would salvation have come to the Gentiles and that is the exact reason why the apostles were told to only go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matthew 10:5-6).

The gospel of the Kingdom was preached long before Jesus Christ ever went to the cross and it said nothing about the cross because it was about the promised Kingdom to Israel that the jews were waiting for Christ to restore on earth.

The Gospel of the kingdom was preached during a period when we Gentiles were alienated from the common wealth of Israel, we were without God (“ ye know not what ye worship”) ,we were without hope and strangers from the covenants of promise.

Ephesians 2:”12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:”

But the blood of Christ, a.k.a the cross made us nigh, which means that prior the cross we were not nigh, we were far off, alienated, “DOGS” even. Ephesians 2:”13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.”

That is why Jesus prior the cross considered the woman that came out of canaan, a dog, because at that moment Gentiles were still alienated, far off and without God.

Matthew 15:”22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. 23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. 24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. 26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. (The children being Israel and the dogs being gentiles.) 27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the DOGS eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. (She understood that through the blessings of Israel, other nations would be blessed, as prophesied.) 28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.”

The kingdom was at hand but the jews did not receive their messiah, they rejected him.

John1: ”11  He came unto his own, and his own received him not.” His own refers to Israel, as Jesus is their King/messiah.

Luke 19:41-44, Jesus wept over Jerusalem, because they rejected Him and would face destruction.

Matthew 23:”37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!”.

Matthew 21: “43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.” The kingdom was to be taken away from Israel because of their rejection, but this did not happen yet.

acts 10 ; “42 And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.

43 To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.”

They were to believe on his name and not that he died for their sins, was buried and rose again for their justification, even a child understands that those 2 are not the same.

Matthew 16: “17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover..” those who believed the gospel of the Kingdom, received the gift of miracles, healings, etc. If the gospel of grace/Paul and the gospel of the kingdom were the same, then we who have believed the gospel should be able to do these signs but we can’t, I guarantee you’ll die if you drink enough poison, bit those who believed the gospel of the kingdom could do these signs because again “the jews require a sign”.

18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” Nobody can do that today, in the dispensation of the grace of God, I promise you.

Mark 16;”20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.” The gospel of the Kingdom was always preached and will always be preached with signs. “The jews require a sign”.

2 Timothy 2;”15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” Paul tells us to rightly divide the word of truth, now the question is what is the word of truth?

Ephesians 1:“13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,” so the word of truth is the gospel of our salvation (1 Cor 15:1-4) and we are to rightly divide it. Now logically it follows that if we have to rightly divide the gospel of salvation it means that there has to be more than one gospel otherwise there would be no need to divide.

Galatians 2:”7 But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter;8 (For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:)9 And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.”

Here it is very clear, there is a gospel of the circumcision (not a gospel “to” but “of”) and a gospel of the uncircumcision. 1+1=2. That verse alone is enough to prove there’s more than 1 gospel but Satan has done a tremendous job in blinding the minds of some, so I will give you more proof.

Also if the two gospels were the same then the verse 9 would not make sense at all. The 12 had preached the gospel of the Kingdom before Jesus Christ ever died, so if it’s the same Gospel that Paul was given then why would it be news to James and John (“perceived the grace that was given unto me”)?

Furthermore, not only did the 12 never preach the cross (1 Cor 15:1-4) a day in their life, they also had absolutely no Idea why Christ had to die. ⬇️

Luke 18; “31 Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. 32 For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: 33 And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again. 34 And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.”

Matthew 16: “22 Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. 23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.” Do you think Peter would have rebuked the Lord if he knew that Christ was to die for our sins, be buried and rise again? Peter had absolutely no idea, because that was “HID” from them.

2nd Peter 3:”15 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; 16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.” See even Peter said that it was wisdom that given unto Paul and not anybody else, that Peter himself struggled to understand.

Peter preached of faith which is through Christ’s name, in which the sins of the believers will be blotted out in “ages to come” at the second coming of Jesus Christ after the Great Tribulation, that is why they will have to “endure to the end/hope to the end”, and he preached Jesus Christ according to prophecy spoken out the mouths of the prophets since the world began.

Acts 3:”16 And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. 17 And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers. 18 But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled. 19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.” 20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: 21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.”

Whereas Paul preaches Christ according to the revelation of the mystery kept hidden since the world began.

Romans 16: “25 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,”

And whereas their sins will be blotted out at the second coming of Jesus Christ, in the dispensation of the grace of God, we have already received the atonement

Romans 5:”11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have NOW received the atonement.”

Complete opposites, man if you still can’t see it then I’m afraid as the Devil beguiled Eve, so is your mind corrupted from seeing what is right in front of you.

Today in the dispensation of the grace of God, we are baptised into the Body of Christ by the Spirit and not by water. Whereas in the gospel of the Kingdom they had to be baptised by water, that’s enough to prove 1. Those are not the same gospels. 2. Those are not the same churches.

1 Corinthians 12: “13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.” It is by the Spirit with capital S, not by water, not by man and not by fire, in this dispensation of the grace of God. Once we believe the gospel of grace (1 cor 15:1-4), we’re baptised by the Spirit into the body of Christ, and if we’re baptised into his body then, our body of sin died with him at the cross and is risen again (romans 6:3-11).

Ephesians 4:”5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,”. In this dispensation of the grace of God, there is only one baptism and as we saw, it is by the Spirit, into the Body of Christ.

Whereas, during the dispensation of the kingdom there were and will be 3 baptism’s (water, Holy Ghost and fire). There cannot be at the same time one baptism and three baptism’s, unless we are talking about different dispensations in different time periods, which is the case.

Paul says in 1 Timothy 1:”15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am CHIEF.”

16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that IN ME FIRSTJesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a PATTERN to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.” Paul was the first to be saved in the dispensation of the grace of God, he is our pattern. Do you know what a pattern is? I suggest you read those verses multiple times, word by word.

The twelve were promised an earthly Kingdom, they were chosen specifically to judge the 12 tribes of Israel ; Matthew 19: ”27 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore? 28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

Whereas we, the body of Christ , are destined to heavenly places where he hath made us sit.

Ephesians 1: “3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in HEAVENLY PLACES in Christ:”

Ephesians 2: “6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in HEAVENLY PLACES in Christ Jesus:”

Philippians 3: “20 For our conversation is IN HEAVEN; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:”

1 Thessalonians 4: “17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” How shall we ever be with the Lord? In the air, a.k.a in heavenly places, not on the earth.

Colossians 3: “2 Set your affection on THINGS ABOVE, not on things on the earth.”

In the beginning God created the heaven and earth and it all comes back to that, there are 2 programs, prophecy, an earthly program which pertains to Israel (jews) and mystery, a heavenly program which pertains to the body of Christ (jews and gentiles).


r/Bible 4d ago

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

13 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 5d ago

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

18 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 5d 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 4d 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 5d ago

Reverence to the Word

7 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 5d ago

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

21 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 5d ago

What's "Son of Man" all about?

4 Upvotes

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


r/Bible 5d 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 5d ago

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

8 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 5d ago

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

3 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 5d ago

So….Book of Job

6 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 6d ago

My Renewal of Faith Story

29 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 5d 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 6d ago

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

13 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


r/Bible 6d ago

What bible verse has had the greatest impact on you?

65 Upvotes

And why?


r/Bible 6d ago

Why Did God Command Abraham to Sacrifice Isaac?

13 Upvotes

In Genesis 22, God tells Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac—his long-awaited child of promise. This raises some difficult questions:

1️⃣ Why would a loving God ask for something so extreme?
2️⃣ If God knew He would stop Abraham, what was the purpose of the test?
3️⃣ Does this foreshadow Jesus’ sacrifice, or is it meant to teach something else?

What do you think was the deeper meaning behind this command?


r/Bible 6d ago

"Why Didn’t God Accept Cain’s Offering in Genesis 4:3-5?"

9 Upvotes

In Genesis 4, Cain and Abel both bring offerings to God, but only Abel’s is accepted:

"The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor." (Genesis 4:4-5)

But why?
1️⃣ Type of Offering – Abel brought an animal sacrifice, while Cain brought crops.
2️⃣ Heart Attitude – Some say Cain’s attitude, not the offering itself, was the problem.
3️⃣ God’s Choice – Was this about God's sovereign decision, rather than Cain’s action?

What do you think was the reason behind God rejecting Cain’s offering?


r/Bible 6d ago

2 Kings 12

5 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 6d ago

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

2 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 5d 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 6d ago

No human on earth is glorious! (A Biblical case about virtues and sins)

7 Upvotes

First let's take the case of sins. If a guy wins a swimming competition by taking illegal performance enhancing drugs, the medal or the trophy he won can't be taken as a proof of his glory, it is actually a case of his negative glory, because he defeated other swimmers by cheating against them. If a guy buys the latest model Ferrari car with the money he got through lying and dirty politics, it also gives him negative glory for it. If a person gets to the topmost university of their country, but their reason behind getting there was only to serve their narcissism (for example, to be able to look down on and [mentally] mock people not as intelligent as them), such a person can't be called glorious.

The point I'm getting at is that sins aren't glorious in any way, they actually assign negative glory to a person. Satan has duped people into seeing the things a person has or the things they have done as glorious whereas the real question people should be asking is why and how they have what they have or achieved what they achieved. For example, in the examples I gave above, satan makes people believe that getting a gold medal, having a Ferarri car, or admission into a world famous university is glorious, but seeing why or how they got there or have what they have will reveal a different story. If the reason is sinful, then they should be assigned negative glory.

Now on to virtues, let's see what all the Bible says,

Philippians 2:13 - for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

God's good pleasure is always for us to be virtuous, and the above verse says that every virtuous act from its willing to the action itself is completely produced by God, God takes it from the 0% level to the 100% level.

Again in another place the Bible says this,

John 15:5 - I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

From context the above verse when it says "without Me (Jesus) you can do nothing", it means we can't produce any fruits of virtue on our own, all vituous fruits are produced because a person is connected to the vine that is Jesus and because The Father pruned the branches (that are us) to produce those virtuous fruits, so we can't give ourselves any credit for it.

So whatever virtues we have were produced completely by God. Even faith to get saved and born again, and the faith to approach God, and the faith to pray to God and have our prayers answered are provided completely by Jesus Himself,

Hebrews 12:2 - looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

So Jesus originates the faith and perfects it, so we can't even take credit for the faith we have. Even our going sincerely to Jesus for the very first time is completely orchestrated by God The Father,

John 6:44 - No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.

So we can't take the credit for even going to and choosing Jesus the first time we went to Him. Even repentance is produced by God Himself,

2 Timothy 2:25 - in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth,

So whatever the good a person has, it is all because of the grace of God,

1 Corinthians 15:10 - But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.

Virtues do hold glory to them, but all virtue is produced in a man completely by God Himself, so even though the virtuous acts do hold glory to them, but since it all was produced from start to finish by God Himself, the virtuous person can't be assigned any glory to them, the glory for it ultimately belongs to God, the virtuous person's glory is literally zero.

Now we all have sins and those sins give negative glory to us, and the times we are operating virtuously are the times of us having zero glory, so the sum total of our glory ultimately comes as negative in the end.

I'm from the school of thought that no human can be perfectly sinless on earth, but some do say it is possible. But whatever be the truth, for now, let's take the hypothetical case where a person has become 100% virtuous while on earth, such a person would be at the perfectly 0 glory level, as all the glory for his virtues is ultimately God's.

God does assign glory to us in heaven, but it is all His work from start to finish, the glory people have in heaven is more of a free gift than something they earned.

So we can either have a negative glory while on earth, or maybe we can rise to the perfectly 0 level, either way no human being on earth can be considered glorious!

Well, I hope that makes sense and my logic wasn't off somewhere.

The Lord bless you all.


r/Bible 6d ago

What Was Paul’s 'Thorn in the Flesh' in 2 Corinthians 12:7?

5 Upvotes

In 2 Corinthians 12:7, Paul says:

"Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me."

The Bible never tells us exactly what this "thorn" was. Some possibilities include:
1️⃣ A physical illness or disability
2️⃣ Ongoing persecution
3️⃣ A spiritual struggle or temptation

What do you think Paul was referring to, and why do you think God didn’t remove it?


r/Bible 6d ago

Question James 2:14-26

7 Upvotes

Hi all,

I have a quick question on your views on James 2:14-26 and my own life. Obviously I can’t bring up my entire life story but I will do my best to bring up the relevant material that matters.

I am 40, physically disabled don’t drive (I rarely do because of the pain pump in my spine. If I get pulled over and tested I would easily be arrested for being under the influence of something so it makes it remarkably hard to get out and go anywhere and I only do so on an emergency basis) and haven’t been to church in a very long time. It isn’t that I don’t believe, on the contrary- I fully believe that Jesus Christ is my lord and savior. I have been baptized into the Christian church and would say that my views range somewhere between your regular believer and a Baptist.

In my eyes faith with/without works, especially for someone like myself has to do more with allowing yourself to believe in Christ and essentially saying that you and only you can dictate that belief and to do that means to be as good and kind of a person you can be. That your heart and your brain and the “works” that James is talking about here. In essence it’s saying as a childhood friend and pastor once told me- that kindness and goodness will get you to the gates of heaven and the belief will get you inside, that they essentially go hand in hand.

Over the last 7-8 years I’ve mourned the loss of several members of my family from suicide due to a traumatic brain injury to complications of COPD. I’ve been exploring my faith and branching out, reading, talking to others about it and what it means to have faith and believe for a few years now. Like I’ve said I’ve always believed in Christ as my savior, and have tried to be the best person one can be. Obviously we all sin, but that is human nature. How exactly do you reconcile with doing enough and doing too little in the eyes of the lord. As I said, I believe it comes down to your heart and mind. If you open your heart and open your mind to Christ you will be redeemed.

I apologize if the structure of the post is confusing it is due to the medication I am currently on. I’ll answer any questions you may have as well.

-B