Bible Study Articles

The sudden demise of the Assad regime in Syria is a reminder of how quickly and suddenly change can occur in the world. Since 1970, the al-Assad family has ruled Syria under Hafez al-Assad and then his son Bashir. In 2011, popular discontent with the al-Assad regime began leading to civil war. With the support of Russia, Iran, and Hizballah, the al-Assad regime held onto power in a fractured country over the past 13 years. Due to the recent issues being experienced by Russia (war with Ukraine), Iran (conflict with Israel), and Hizballah (conflict with Israel), the Syrian rebel groups struck at an opportune time and quickly wrested control of Syria from the Assad regime.

I recently had a discussion with some ministers in the Church of God, Seventh Day (COG7D). The meeting addressed why we keep the holy days and why they do not.

I would like to address a couple of their scriptural reasons for not keeping the holy days so we can better prepare ourselves for doctrines that are contrary to our own.

"Only great pain is the ultimate liberator of the spirit…. I doubt that such pain makes us 'better'; but I know that it makes us more profound."—Frederich Nietzsche.

"To live is to suffer, to survive is to find some meaning in the suffering."—Nietzsche

"That which does not kill us makes us stronger."—Nietzsche

I don't know if Nietzsche read his Bible, but he seemed to know a bit about pain and suffering.

One of the primary arguments non-believers make against Christianity is that if God is good and defined as love, why does He allow so much pain and suffering in the world?

Worship is defined as reverence and adoration of God. This can be done in numerous ways. When we attend Sabbath and holy-day services we are expressing reverence for God. Studying His words and praying to Him can be included in worship. Singing hymns to God and helping other brethren are also forms of worship for God. But let's not forget the idea of giving (tithes and offerings) as a form of worship too.

By providing tithes and offerings we can assist our fellow brethren who are in need of physical sustenance (food, clothing, and shelter). Local church groups and our national church headquarters do assist needy brethren from time to time. Without any support from our brethren, our needy brothers and sisters would have a more difficult time.

One of the arguments critics of the Bible make is that there are seeming contradictions in the Scriptures. I disagree with that assessment. Careful study of the Scriptures will reveal the seeming contradictions can be resolved.

One of these seeming discrepancies revolves around the person of King Abijah (Abijam) of Judah. In the book of Kings, this king's name is Abijam (1 Kings 15:1), while in Chronicles, he is called Abijah (2 Chronicles 11:21-22).

The variation in names, such as Abijam and Abijah, often occurs due to differences in transliteration and translation practices over time and across different biblical texts.

Over the past few years, we have written a few blogs on the rise of right-wing or nationalist political parties in Europe. We have seen evidence of this in Hungary, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, and other locations.

Most recently (September 2024), Germany has been added to this growing list. The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has placed first with about 32.8 percent of the vote in the state of Thuringia and a close second in the state of Saxony with 30.8 percent of the vote. In State elections in 2014, AfD was garnering about 10 percent of the vote in Thuringia and 9 percent in Saxony. Since other parties are refusing to cooperate with the AfD it is not likely to significantly alter the state of German politics, but it is proof of a sea change in the post-World War II generation.

In mid-August, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared mpox an international health emergency once again. You may remember a similar declaration two years ago.

The warning comes after Africa recorded over 15,000 cases and 537 deaths thus far this year. The Democratic Republic of Congo has suffered more than anywhere else, but other countries suffering for the first time include Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, and Uganda.

A survey conducted by the American Bible Society (ABS), "State of the Bible USA 2024," has indicated a continuing decline in American Bible reading. This decline seems to be much more pronounced in younger people. Generation Z (those born between 1997 and 2012) are the least engaged. This age range is also the least likely to view the Bible as important in their lives. Of course, this is the youngest age range we can survey, and many of us as teens were probably not too interested in the Bible.

The recent assassination attempt on Donald Trump has enhanced the belief among some of his supporters that he was selected by God to fix a troubled nation. I'm seeing a lot of chatter out there that this may have been divine intervention. No doubt a possibility, but what about the firefighter who lost his life in the incident protecting his family? Why did God not protect him? Can we prove God did protect Trump? We can only speculate on questions like these, so why worry about it?

I think everyone would agree that having debt is not a good idea. Obviously, with large ticket items like homes and cars most of us are going to have to go into debt to purchase these needed items. I think we would also agree that if we borrow, we should pay back what we owe.

The Bible has things to say about this topic and mostly from a personal point of view. Here are a couple scriptures to think about on this topic.

Exodus 22:14: "If anything is borrowed, it should be paid back. If what is borrowed is lost or injured, full restitution must be made."

One of the many issues I have with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) (Mormons) is their use of extrabiblical books they consider equal to the Bible. Mormons consider the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price to be equal to the Bible. Now, they do accept the Bible, too, but they believe parts of the Bible may have been lost or removed, so that is how they can resolve some contradictions between what the Bible says versus their other books of scripture. But I'm not going to get into that in this short blog. What I want to focus on here is the Mormon idea that their spirits existed prior to them being born on earth.

For a Christian, the most important goal that can be attained is entering the Kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33). But with any goal you need to set up a plan with specific practices to achieve the goal.

An old saying states, "A journey of 1,000 miles begins with one step." In other words, to accomplish your goals you must complete several smaller tasks in order to achieve the ultimate goal. Let's look at achieving the goal of getting into the Kingdom. As we look at this goal, we will see the major points we will need for achieving any goal.

In the history of the world, one thing that is inevitable is that all great powers will decline. Egypt, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, Spain, France, the United Kingdom, and, most recently, the Soviet Union. Is the United States next?

A new study by Rand (RAND Corporation is an American nonprofit global policy think tank), commissioned by the Pentagon's Office of Net Assessment and published in May 2024, makes some startling admissions. The Rand study, titled "The Sources of Renewed National Dynamism," looks at what has led to "the relative decline in U.S. standing."

The recent rash of protests against Israel's prosecution of the war in Gaza is evidence of a greater change that will have future implications. Previous Palestinian terror tactics against Israel and Israel's response have never elicited protests in the United States to the degree we are seeing on college campuses now. This could be in part due to the degree of slaughter Hamas perpetrated and now Israel's counter-response. The number of dead is much greater in the most recent actions.

The Bible refers to a change in predator behaviour. Lions start to act like sheep. What does this change mean? Why does God call his people sheep? Are sheep stupid? Does God think of you like a sheep?

Could sheep behaviour be Godly behaviour? Could sheep behaviour indicate how the Kingdom of Heaven will operate? How will the millennium operate? How should the church operate?

Tom, an Australian sheep farmer, will explore these questions and other points about sheep from the biblical perspective.

One area of supposed Bible discrepancies pertains to numbers. We will investigate one today.

Look at these two scriptures pertaining to the same event.

2 Samuel 8:4: "And David took from him a thousand chariots, and seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen: and David houghed all the chariot horses, but reserved of them for an hundred chariots" (KJV).

1 Chronicles 18:4: "And David took from him a thousand chariots, and seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen: David also houghed all the chariot horses, but reserved of them an hundred chariots" (KJV).

Both of these scriptures pertain to David defeating Hadarezer and then taking booty from him.

One of the great debates among Christians, philosophers, agnostics, atheists, and other believers in religion is the validity of the Bible. Many Christians would argue that the Bible is the inspired word of God. But even among Christians, there is disagreement. This is a deep subject, but I don't have time to fully develop it here. I just want to provide a little information to support the Church of God International's contention that the Bible is the inspired word of God.

In December 2023, two major Christian church groups began officially blessing same-sex couples.

The Church of England began their practice on December 17, 2023. In February the Church voted to allow clergy to bless the unions of same-sex couples who have had civil weddings or partnerships. The words used for the blessings, known as prayers of love and faith, were approved by the church's House of Bishops on December 12, 2023.

Not to be outdone, the Vatican announced on December 18, 2023, that Catholic priests may bless same-sex couples. The announcement states that the blessings in question must not be tied to any specific Catholic celebration or religious service and should not be done at the same time as a civil union ceremony.

Throughout my years in the Church of God, I have heard different ideas about the following scripture (Matthew 28:19):

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (KJV)

“Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: (ASV)

“having gone, then, disciple all the nations, (baptizing them -- to the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, (YLT)

The Greek word used here for “in,” “into,” and “to” is eis.  The word is a primary preposition and indicates the point reached or entered of place, time, or (figuratively) purpose.

As we enter another election cycle next year in the United States (US) European nations are taking note. There is some concern in Europe over a possible new Trump presidency. This is due to the fact unlike previous presidents, Trump has made statements about pulling out of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

“It would be extremely stressful if America pivoted away from Europe, and that’s the worry with Trump,” a top European diplomat stated. “Every foreign ministry is thinking about this.”

You have probably heard the famous refrain from the story The Tale of Two Cities, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times….” This phrase fits perfectly into the use of technology in our world today. Technology has done great good for society. One obvious example is more ways to communicate with people. Facebook is one example where people can keep track of their friends’ and relatives’ lives in a greater degree. But we could also argue that the time used to put up and read content on Facebook could be better utilized.

One of our primary concerns for having issues with worldly holidays like Halloween is the belief that these days are used to obfuscate and hide the true holy days of God. Halloween is a great example of this with its timing right after the time of the Feast of Tabernacles and Last Great Day.

Many argue about what is the harm in letting kids go out and gather candy from neighbors. On its face this does not seem like a problem since we are not worshipping God on this day and obviously most of those who celebrate are not worshipping any false gods consciously. But by putting so much money and energy into days like Halloween our culture makes it easy for people to miss God’s plan and holy days.

On the Last Great Day Palestinian Hamas forces struck Israel with a devastating terrorist attack. Over 1,300 Israelis lost their lives during this surprise attack. Indications are a wider war will now ensue between Israel and Hamas. Israel has pounded sites in Gaza over the past week killing even more Palestinians. As with any war, what this will lead to is anyone’s guess. But let us take a closer look at what we can learn from the latest significant flare up in the Middle East.

Was it God's idea to spy out the land of Canaan or the people's? This alleged discrepancy relates to the two scriptures provided below:

Numbers 13:1-2: And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel: of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, every one a ruler among them (KJV).

Deuteronomy 1:21-23: Behold, the Lord thy God hath set the land before thee: go up and possess it, as the Lord God of thy fathers hath said unto thee; fear not, neither be discouraged. And ye came near unto me every one of you, and said, We will send men before us, and they shall search us out the land, and bring us word again by what way we must go up, and into what cities we shall come. And the saying pleased me well: and I took twelve men of you, one of a tribe (KJV).

Did the Edomites refuse supplies to Israel when they passed through their land, or did they furnish them? This apparent discrepancy revolves around two scriptures provided below:

Numbers 20:19-20: "And the children of Israel said unto him, We will go by the high way: and if I and my cattle drink of thy water, then I will pay for it: I will only, without doing any thing else, go through on my feet. And he said, Thou shalt not go through. And Edom came out against him with much people, and with a strong hand" (KJV).

Deuteronomy 2:28-29: "You will sell me food for money so that I may eat, and give me water for money so that I may drink, only let me pass through on foot, just as the sons of Esau who live in Seir and the Moabites who live in Ar did for me, until I cross over the Jordan into the land which the Lord our God is giving to us" (KJV).

How many wives did Esau have? This is yet another seeming discrepancy in the Bible. A closer look and research will reveal the Bible is not creating a discrepancy.

First, let's look at the scriptures that address the various wives of Esau.

Genesis 26:34: And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith, the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemath, the daughter of Elon the Hittite (KJV).

Genesis 28:9: Then went Esau unto Ishmael, and took unto the wives which he had Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham's son, the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife (KJV).

Haa! Who would have ever imagined this is where the truth would be in the year 2023?! We no longer can, or should I say, refuse to say what the truth is. The facts used to matter if we disagreed. We would say let me show you the scientific or biblical facts. Not today! Our society says the truth is subjective; it is whatever my truth, your truth, their truth, or anybody else's truth is. Everyone has their own "truth" based on their personal feelings/experiences.

A recent news item caught my eye, and I want to bring it to your attention. It relates to a shoplifter who was beaten by two 7-11 clerks in Stockton, California, on July 29, 2023. The shoplifter has now been arrested and charged with other crimes. Apparently, he has done this before.

If you watch the video of this incident, you see the shoplifter going behind the counter of the store and dumping cigarettes into a lined trash container. It appears he is trying to fill up the trash container with cigarettes and then make his way out the door. Another customer is getting video of things as they happen.

In the past, I have written blogs pertaining to survey data about Christian belief in the United States (U.S.) and the world. Much of the data has shown a decline in belief over the years.

I recently learned of another survey with an interesting question. Rather than just addressing belief in general, this question dealt with the depth of belief The recent survey data pertains to research conducted by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago. NORC is one of the largest independent social research organizations in the U.S.

In a 2022 survey, NORC reported that not quite 50 percent of Americans say they have no doubt about the existence of God. In 2008, this same survey topped out at just over 60 percent, having no doubt in the existence of God. A 12 percent drop-off is quite significant in only twelve years.

I have recently been made aware of some vestiges of “Seed of Satan” theology within Church of God circles. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this thinking—adherents of this belief think the different races came to us through different original parents. “Seedline” believers think Cain was begotten by illicit sexual activities between Eve and Satan the devil. Cain then became the father of the Jewish people. Some also believe “colored people” were around prior to Adam and Eve. There are some other similar ideas out there.