Why would Jesus, the Son of God, need to be baptized since He was without sin? Baptism Baptism has been debated as being necessary for salvation for a very long time and some even believe you can’t be saved without being baptized, but what does baptism really mean? There is no special property to water because it’s only by the precious blood of the Lamb of God that we’re really saved and our sins are cleansed from us, but a... Read more
The Apostle Peter’s letter has much to say to the church today, so here is a Bible study and commentary on the Book of 1st Peter. First Peter 1:1-12 It is clear that Peter is writing to the Jews who are dispersed (called the Dispersion) throughout the Roman Empire. He calls them the elect, meaning that God has elected to save those who trust in Christ because our election was “according to the foreknowledge of God the Father.” The word used... Read more
What was the 1st century church like? Are there churches still like this one? The First Century Church You don’t even have to go to the church historians or the writings of the early church fathers to know what the first century church was like. Of course, you are free to do that, but we can learn much about the church by reading the Book of Acts, more specifically, Acts 2:42-47 in this case. Three, you can see what the... Read more
What is the Cod of Hammurabi? Did Moses copy parts of it in the Mosaic Law? Who Was Hammurabi? Hammurabi was the sixth king in a dynasty of 11 kings of Babylon. At the beginning of the second millennium, a group of Amorites migrated into Mesopotamia integrating into the urban social and political culture of the region. Early in the 19th century BC, Sumu-abum rose to power in Babylon creating a new Babylonian dynasty of Amorite kings. Sumu-abum and his... Read more
Does the Bible say that Christians can be carnal? If so, what does that mean? Carnality The word “carnal” comes from the Greek word “sarkikos” which means “fleshly” or “carnal” and means “having the nature of flesh” or “being under control of the animal appetites.” You can picture a dog snarling while eating his meal. The dog only cares for himself and those who try to get in his way while he’s eating had better watch out! The ESV and... Read more
Why were some books left out of the Bible? What books were they? God-Breathed The Bible declares of itself that Scripture is God’s Word, uttered as it were, from the very breath of God. The Apostle Paul says “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2nd Tim 3:16), so “that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2nd Tim 3:17). The Apostle... Read more
Since Christians have received eternal life, should they feel compelled to share that good news with others? Words are Necessary Does it seem to you that churches are not as evangelistic as they were just a few years ago? Some believe it is not necessary to use words but just be an example and draw them to Christ by the way you live. Of course, it’s great to be salt and light, but salt needs to get of the shaker... Read more
What does the Bible mean when mentioning a “remnant?” Does this have to do with the church, Israel, or both? What is a Remnant? If you asked someone on the street what a remnant is, they might think of carpet remnants or whatever’s left after everything else is gone. We arrived at a garage sale late on a Saturday and all we found were “remnants” or leftovers, because everything else was gone after having been sold. That’s what we might... Read more
What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus Christ? Why are we to make disciples of others? What is a Disciple? Jesus warned those who were not willing to pay the price of following Him by saying, “any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33), so what is a disciple so that we may be sure that we are one of His disciples? The word disciple comes from... Read more
The Bible commands us to honor our father and mother, but what if they are anything but honorable? The Fifth Commandment When God gave Moses the Ten Commandments, the first four deal with our relationship with God, while the final six deal with our relationships with our fellow man and woman, but it seems interesting that God would place the command to honor our father and mother as the first order of importance. Why not put murder or adultery as... Read more
Christian Crier
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In