Jesus was God’s son, because he came into existence by the power of God causing Mary to conceive him, thus making God his father. Jesus had no human father. Matthew 1:18-20 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together [...]
Answers about God
There are several cases where we are told a person had their name changed by God: Abram had his name changed to Abraham (Genesis 17:3 – 6). At the same time, his wife Sarai had her name changed to Sarah (Genesis 17:15 – 16). Jacob had his name changed to Israel (Genesis 32:26 – 30; [...]
Before attempting to answer this question, it is important to draw attention to some issues. Firstly, when asking questions like “why has God done this or that?” we must acknowledge our limitations; we do not know the full mind of God. Inasmuch as God has revealed his purposes to us through the Bible, we have [...]
The Hebrew word yhwh (Yahweh) is the name of God used in the Old Testament, and is often represented as “LORD” in English translations. The etymology of this word is disputed. For example, some scholars think that it might derive from a non-Israelite source, such as the place name yhw found in some ancient Egyptian [...]
Many people wonder how a loving God could have created a world in which natural disasters occur. What most people do not realize is that such disasters are typically the product of natural systems which most of the time operate for our benefit. To put it one way, natural disasters are the ‘cost’ we ‘pay’ [...]
The Bible describes God’s emotions in ways that are accessible and meaningful to us. In some cases this requires using language which does not describe exactly what God felt, but which is a close approximation to what we can understand, or what we would feel in such a situation. In Genesis 6:6, when it is [...]
We approach this question with awe and care because God is beyond our comprehension in countless ways. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your [...]
…without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. Hebrews 11:6 God is pleased when we trust him and believe what he has said. If we want to be close to God we have to acknowledge [...]
Before we look at other people seeing the face of God, let us consider what Adam and Eve saw. Genesis 3:8 says that Adam and Eve hid themselves from “the presence of the LORD God” (ESV). This verse also says that God “walked” in the garden. If we take these statements literally then they would [...]
There are things that God hates, as well as things that God loves (Deuteronomy 12:31; 16:22; Psalm 5:5; 11:5; Proverbs 6:16-19; Isaiah 61:8; Jeremiah 12:8; 44:4; Hosea 9:15; Amos 5:21; 6:8; Zechariah 8:17). Romans 9:13 is a quotation of Malachi 1:2-3, the last book in the Old Testament. By this time the twins Jacob and [...]
