Whenever I get a question to research, I first look to the Gospels (the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) to see if Jesus said anything on the subject. Since christians believe that Jesus is God’s son and can speak directly for God, his words would be the ultimate guidance. If Jesus talks about it, my research stops there. If Jesus is silent on the subject, I then look elsewhere in the Bible for the answer. Luckily, for this topic, Jesus had plenty to say.

Loyalty means unswerving in allegiance. Jesus taught that your loyalty should be whole heartedly to God. Absolute loyalty to your family can tear you away from God.  Is Jesus saying turn away from your family? Not at all. He teaches though that if you had to decide between choosing your family and choosing God, your answer should be God. For example, God teaches in the Bible that lying is bad and can lead to destruction. And say you have a parent or sibling who is asking you to lie for them. It would be wrong for you to lie so you didn’t upset your family member rather than choose not to lie when you know it’s wrong. In that case, your loyalty is to your family member, not your relationship with God.

Will God love you less because you chose to lie for your family member? Absolutely not. Jesus says we cannot earn God’s love because he loves us already, as we are. But when you love God back, you want to be better not because you have to, but because you want to.  

With that said, let’s get into what Jesus had to say about loyalty and family.

He straight up says do not love your family more than me. “If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine.” (Matthew 10:37) He’s not saying, don’t love your family. He’s saying the relationship with God is more important than your relationship with your earthly family.

Like in the example above. If a christian is supposed to be an example of love and your lie hurts someone – that person could think “well christians suck, look at that liar”. They’re likely not going to give you a pass for being loyal to your family. They’ll think you’re a hypocrite for saying you’re a christian but you’re a liar.

You may have to even give up your earthly family to be a christian. That is, if your earthly family is pulling you away from God. Jesus says “…and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News...” (Mark 10:29) God knows the family you may have been born into could affect your relationship with him and how hard it is to choose God over them. “And in the world to come, that person will have eternal life.” (Mark 10:30)

“If you want to be my disciple, you must, by comparison, hate everyone else – your father and mother, wife, and children, brother and sisters – yes, even your own life. Otherwise you cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:26) Jesus isn’t saying to hate anyone, it’s an example of how it could appear to others and a measure of what your love for God should be. In the example above about lying for a family member, say your family member committed murder and asked you to lie for the alibi. If you refused to lie for the family member and they went to prison, I bet some people would think you didn’t like the family member or even hated them and that’s why you wouldn’t save them. But you don’t hate them, you just know it’s wrong to lie and you chose doing the right thing.

“If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way…” (Mark 8:34) Wanting acceptance from your family is natural. But Jesus is clear, if you say you love God, then God deserves your absolute loyalty.

Another example of loyalty to God is if God calls you to do something and your family could be holding you back from that calling, there’s no time to wait. One time Jesus even told a guy, you don’t have time to bury your father, I need you to come with me right now. (Matthew 8:21-22) Now that, in my opinion, would be hard. But, God comes first, not our earthly connections.

“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” (Matthew 6:33)

“Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart.” (Proverbs 3:3) God advises loyalty to him and kindness towards others.

I think people confuse the duty to love one another with a duty to be loyal to someone. You can love someone without having allegiance to them.

If you are struggling between following your family or following God, choose God.

Subscribe now

More Content Here!

Sources: (1) The Bible, New King James Version and New Living Translation. (2) The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of The Bible (The Strong's Exhaustive Concordance is the most complete, easy-to-use, and understandable concordance for studying the original languages (Hebrew and Greek) of the Bible and (3) Merriam Webster Dictionary.

Q: “How, if at all, do God’s promises to Israel apply to or affect the U.S. today?”

A: Blessings!

(asked via Instagram:@ConsiderWithChristina)

Let’s start by defining “Israel” as it is written throughout the Bible.

When you read the question, you may have thought about the Country, Israel as it exists today (I did too) but with my research, I go to the original languages of the Bible to define terms and not lean on what I may think.  

Anytime “Israel” is mentioned in the Old Testament (Hebrew), it means that “he will rule (as) God.” (Strongs 3478). When you read “Israel” in the New Testament (Greek), it means “Israel, the adopted name of Jacob, including his descendants.” (Strongs 2474)

Who is Jacob?

He is the father of the 12 tribes of Israel. He’s a good example too of how God will pick imperfect and not very God-like people to do big things for a greater purpose. Before he put his trust 100% in God, he deceived people, screwed over his brother, he was materialistic…to name a few. But, he grew as a person and in his self-discipline. God then changed his name from Jacob to Israel (defined above). No longer was he dependent on himself alone but rather secure in God’s plans (knowing God will protect him). If you want to read more about him, check out Genesis 25-50.

The first promise that comes to mind is about making a great nation. In Genesis, God appears to Jacob and says “do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make your family into a great nation…” (46:3).  

Another promise is about land, family, and blessings. God speaks to Jacob and promises “the ground you are lying on belongs to you. I am giving it to you and your descendants. Your descendants will be as numerous as the dust of the earth! They will spread out in all directions – to the west and the east, to the north and the south. And all the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants.” (Genesis 28:13-14) You notice that God says all people will be blessed through you and your descendants, not that only Jacob (Israel) and his descendants (Israelites) would be blessed? I love that.

I’m going to stop at those promises, otherwise I could keep going and going into the promises made to a number of Jacob’s descendants. This would be a book, not a blog.

Let’s look at the specific promises to Israel (Jacob),

1.       A great nation! Meaning Jacob’s descendants would be mighty and massive.

2.       Land would belong to him/his descendants. When Jacob wakes, he calls the place “Bethel” (meaning house of God). See Genesis 28:18-19.

3.       He would have many descendants (as numerous as the dust of the earth).

4.       His descendants would not be local; they would be everywhere!

5.       Through him and his descendants, God would give blessings to all people of the earth (not just Israelites).  

So, how do these promises apply to or affect the US today?

Promises are covenants. Legally speaking, a covenant is a contractual agreement (usually between two parties) to either do something or refrain from doing something. Here, the parties to this agreement are Jacob (Israel), Jacob’s descendants (Israelites), and God. Not the United States and God. But, promises could apply if any descendants of Jacob reside in the USA. And since God said his descendants would be as numerous as the dust of the earth, I bet money there are “Israelites” in America. God keeps their promises (this is evident throughout many stories in the Bible, Old and New Testament) so these promises should be no different even though we are far from the time when these promises were made. And with that, how it would affect the US today…Blessings!! We see in verse 14 that the Israelites are capable of blessing other people. Awesome! Who doesn’t like blessings?

As an American, I’ve met God-loving, kind people that no doubt have made me feel blessed in one way or another. Maybe they are descendants of Jacob and us, in America, though far from where the original promise was made to Israel, are being blessed today.

Subscribe now

More Content Here!

Sources: (1) The Holy Bible, King James Version and New Living Translation. (2) The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of The Bible (The Strong's Exhaustive Concordance is the most complete, easy-to-use, and understandable concordance for studying the original languages (Hebrew and Greek) of the Bible. 

Even though some people may act like attraction (not just sexual behavior) to the same sex is expressly forbidden by the Bible, the word “homosexuality” is not in the Bible. So, the end. Thanks for reading.  

Just kidding, sort of.

While we may read “homosexuality” in modern English translations of the Bible and think _____________ about it, the original English translation, the King James Version (written way before the word “homosexual” was created) has a different tone.

In this blog, I’ll cover what the Old Testament (OT) (originally written in Hebrew) and the New Testament (NT) (originally written in Greek) have to say about “homosexuality” in a very literal sense by defining the original Greek and Hebrew terms and I’ll cover some behavior examples from the Bible.

Who in the Bible talks about homosexuality? Moses (OT) and Paul (NT). I’m going to start with the New Testament because let’s face it, it’s more popular.  

New Testament

According to Paul, those who practice homosexuality do not go to Heaven (aka “inherit the Kingdom of God”) (See 1 Cor. 6:9 NLT. Paul also included greedy people, drunks, thieves, abusers, and cheaters (v.10))

But, like I mentioned above, “homosexuality” was not the original term. So, let’s look at the original English translation. Instead of “practice homosexuality”, the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible states “nor abusers of themselves with mankind” which translates in the original Greek language to arsenokoitēs which means a sodomite. What is sodomite? The word “sodomite” is used in the Old Testament by Moses. Sodomite in Hebrew is qāḏēš which means a (quasi) sacred person who is a male devotee (by prostitution) to licentious idolatry – basically a male temple prostitute (See Det. 24:17).

Paul also writes that the laws were made to make lawless people good. Among the lawless are those who practice homosexuality, liars, promise beakers, or who do anything else that contradicts the wholesome. (1 Tim. 1:10 NLT). Again, we see “practice homosexuality” but what did the KJV say?  “For them that defile themselves with mankind”. So, pretty similar to what he said in 1 Corinthians, and it has same meaning – defile/abuse doesn’t change it. Still referring to a sodomite.

An example of homosexuality in the NT is written by Paul in the Book of Romans. He describes people who do not worship/love God and gave into their lust and worshiped sex (served the creature more than the Creator (v.25)). God was not at the center of their hearts. Women were getting with women and men were getting with men. The text makes me think of an orgy or a swinger’s club. So, Paul did not use the same language as he used above meaning a sodomite but rather laid it out more clearly – they were idolizing sex and giving into lust, that was the sin.  (Rom. 1:24-28 KJV/NLT)

More importantly (in my opinion), what did Jesus (God in the flesh) say about the topic? Nothing. Jesus never explicitly condemns homosexual acts or same-sex relationships. His ministry does not include anything like what Moses or Paul commanded. Moses and Paul were very direct in their condemnation of same-sex acts, but Jesus never so clearly says these people are damned. Jesus does talk about keeping the 10 commandments but a heterosexual relationship is not one of the 10. (See Matthew 22:34-38)

Jesus boldly talked about sins like pride, hypocrisy, adultery, idolizing, and envy so it’s not that Jesus was shy to talking about what NOT to do. Jesus had the opportunities to say in a very literal sense like Moses and Paul, that homosexual acts deserve death as punishment and then eternal judgment in Hell, but he did not.

Jesus does mention “wicked Sodom”. (See Matthew 11:23-24) I’ll talk about a story from the Old Testament in a bit that has to do with this “wicked Sodom”. It’s about men who wanted to rape other men. But it is far from clear if he was talking about just the same-sex sex going on, especially since the reason God destroyed Sodom was because there was not one person there who loved him (See Gen. 18:32) – their hearts were far from God. They had made other idols to worship and did whatever they wanted, not just same-sex stuff. Jesus even said, “I tell you, even Sodom will be better off on judgment day than you [people of Korazin and Bethsaida]”. He said this as a comparison because the people of Korazin and Bethsaida were like those in Sodom, did not love God. But, the difference, he says - if the people of Sodom saw him in the flesh and he was able to work miracles in front of their eyes, then they would have turned to God. But, they didn’t have the opportunity to see Jesus because that was a really really really long time before Jesus was born. 

I know there will be a reader out there that says “but Jesus says that marriage should be between a woman and man only!”

Let’s look into that. That assumption comes from this story:

When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went down to the region of Judea east of the Jordan River. Large crowds followed him there, and he healed their sick.

Some Pharisees came and tried to trap him with this question: “Should a man be allowed to divorce his wife for just any reason?”

“Haven’t you read the Scriptures?” Jesus replied. “They record that from the beginning ‘God made them male and female.’” And he said, “‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.’ Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together.”

“Then why did Moses say in the law that a man could give his wife a written notice of divorce and send her away?” they asked.

Jesus replied, “Moses permitted divorce only as a concession to your hard hearts, but it was not what God had originally intended.  And I tell you this, whoever divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery—unless his wife has been unfaithful. (Matthew 19:1-9 NLT. See also Mark 10:1-12)

Jesus wasn’t giving a lecture on who should marry who. He was asked a narrowed question about Moses’ Law on divorce.  This passage isn’t about only men and women should marry. No. Jesus is making a statement here about how important a marriage commitment is. That you can’t just hand your partner a piece of paper and leave for someone else if you’re not feelin’ it anymore. He responds to their question about scripture with scripture (Genesis 2:24) and first points out that a marriage commitment is a union before God by quoting the creation story and then he gave meaning to the verse “this explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one” – let no one separate what God has joined.

The Pharisees pointed out that it can’t be both, let no one separate what God has joined and also, you can divorce for whatever reason. Jesus clearly laid out he (God) does not agree with Moses’ no-fault divorce law (Matthew 19:8. See also Deut. 24:1-3). But then says, I guess you can get a divorce if there is cheating but don’t remarry (See also Mark 10:11-12). Jesus is clearly trying to drive home how serious of a commitment marriage is.

Using this story of Jesus responding to the Pharisees’ question about the law on Divorce as Jesus is commanding that a marriage must be between only a man and woman is a gross misinterpretation in my opinion.  

There was another time Jesus radically went against religious law. The Pharisees (again) tried to trap Jesus with religious law before they stoned a woman to death for committing adultery against her husband. Moses also made a law on stoning people to death who commit adultery (See Leviticus 20:10) but Jesus stepped in to save the adulterous women from execution and famously said - let he who is without sin cast the first stone (See John 8:7). The only time Jesus really even talks about sex is when he’s condemning adultery (using straight people as an example) (7th commandment of the 10) (adultery = breaking your commitment to your partner and lusting after someone else) and he says (basically) that sex (and marriage) can be a distraction from your relationship with God (See Matthew 19:12). Not who you’re having sex with can distract you from God but that sex in general can be a distraction.

But, back to the topic…

You can say that – well he didn’t have to specifically say same-sex couples are okay because the fact that he points to a male and female only means it must be that is the only right way. But I don’t think that’s a strong enough argument. Again, Jesus wasn’t asked about marriage in general, but he was asked about the law on divorce (which was only legal between and woman and man at the time). Furthermore, Jesus was very direct throughout his ministry. He didn’t dance around or avoid hard or uncomfortable topics. And you may say - well same-sex marriage was illegal then, so of course he didn’t mention it. Again, I don’t think that is strong enough. Same-sex marriage may have been banned but that doesn’t stop same-sex relations. Homosexuality existed when Jesus was ministering on Earth, but he did not outright condemn it like Moses or Paul.

Jesus never said - if you’re attracted to the same-sex then you’re going to hell. And when it came to talking about who does and doesn’t go to hell, he said only he knows someone’s heart and God decides someone’s fate on judgement day. Jesus is our advocate on that day and a bridge between a mortal (not good enough for Heaven) and God (perfection). Jesus says the only way to Heaven is through him - believing him and having a relationship with him. “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him [God] who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.” (John 5:24 NLT) Not just acknowledging he’s the Son of God (even demons do that) but actual belief and worship of him. A Christian is supposed to follow Jesus’ teachings and live like he did. He never adds, oh yeah but if you’re gay, you’re excluded from my love.

Am I saying Jesus is pro-gay? No, because he doesn’t explicitly say that either or open the door for same-sex relations. But, like I said, Jesus wasn’t shy about telling people, even the religious leaders of the time, what God didn’t like and what behavior to stop. People were in same-sex relationships at the time and he didn’t say anything about who you are attracted to can keep you from a relationship with God…

Old Testament

Attraction towards the same sex has been around for a very long time. Moses talked about it way before Jesus was born.  Moses writes, “thou shall not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.” (Lev. 18:22) “Lie” here translates in Hebrew (šāḵaḇto) to sex and “abomination” in Hebrew (tôʿēḇâ) translates to morally disgusting, especially idolatry.

Then Moses takes it a step further and says people that engage in this behavior should be put to death, (See Lev. 20:13) “If a man lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.” In this same chapter he also says that anyone who speaks disrespectfully of their father or mother must be put to death. (v. 20:9).  

A couple examples of “homosexuality” from the Old Testament:

In Genesis Chapter 19 about Sodom and Gomorrah – “all the men of Sodom, young and old” surrounded Lot’s house and demanded his two guests, two men be brought outside so they could rape them. (v. 4-5) And since man-on-man sex was characterized as a morally disgusting sin, Lot said, don’t rape the men, instead, rape my two virgin daughters (v. 8) Crazy that he thought giving his daughters up to be raped wouldn’t be as bad in God’s eyes as raping the two male guests he had. Moses also wrote a law on raping unwed, virgin women but it wasn’t as bad as “morally disgusting”. (See Deut. 22:28-29. A man had to pay a fine to the virgin’s father and the virgin had to marry her rapist) Well, the two male guests at Lot’s home were actually angels. When the men outside tried to attack, the angels bolted the door (v.11) and then blinded all the men, and they eventually gave up trying to rape the two male visitors (v. 10).

So, not a great example of Moses’ law in practice.  And another example is in the book of Judges Chapter 19. A man and his concubine were traveling and had no place to stay. (v.14) A man took them in. (v.20) Some troublemakers in the town began beating down the door saying to “bring out the man so they could rape him.”  (v.22) The homeowner, in an effort to avoid the evildoing of lying with mankind, instead offered his virgin daughter and the man’s concubine to the troublemakers. (v.23-24) Sadly, the men took the concubine, and she was “abused all night” then killed by her husband when she was returned the next day. (v.29)

I don’t think it’s necessarily true that the men were gay – they all took turns raping the concubine (a woman) when they couldn’t get to the man. When I read this story, I read it as an example of unhinged lust and idolizing sex. They needed it so bad they would take it from anyone. Those actions are far from “loving your neighbor”. (See Matthew 22:34-39) How is a man raping a woman less morally disgusting than a man raping a man? But, I digress.

See what I mean now about taking everything you think about when you hear “homosexuality” and throwing it out the window? Bet you weren’t thinking about male temple prostitutes, idolatry, and male-on-male rape.

How often are you sexual with your partner? Reducing someone’s existence to only when and who they are intimate with is nowhere in the Bible. Jesus certainly didn’t talk that way. We see from the original Hebrew and Greek translations these same-sex acts were rooted in lust and idolatry. Even straight people are capable of lust and idolatry. Personally, after reading the gospels, I don’t think being in a committed and loving same-sex relationship would separate someone from Jesus having a relationship with them. Could you imagine Jesus saying – oh, you prefer the same-sex rather than the opposite sex, yeah, I didn’t die on the cross for you. Never! Jesus would NEVER! There are many examples in the Bible too where God blesses believers and nonbelievers. God’s love is not exclusively for Christians.

Looking at the examples in the OT and NT along with Jesus’ ministry, I think God would have been more upset about how those people chose to use others for their pleasure and give into their lust rather than what hole they were going to put it in (the visiting men’s hole or the concubine or virgin daughter). You’re so much more than who you are attracted to or sleep with. Jesus even said prostitutes can get in to Heaven. (See Matthew 21:31) People are so much more than just sexual beings. We create, explore, build, innovate, and the list goes on. Rahab was a prostitute but God saw her heart, not her profession. (See Joshua Chapter 2 and Hebrew 11:3)

Subscribe now

See More on Instagram

Sources: (1) The Holy Bible, King James Version and New Living Translation. (2) The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of The Bible (The Strong's Exhaustive Concordance is the most complete, easy-to-use, and understandable concordance for studying the original languages (Hebrew and Greek) of the Bible. 

Asked via Instagram @ConsiderWithChristina

A:  Yes, if you’re talking about baptism by water.

I love this question because my brain first went to “do you have to be baptized to get into Heaven?” All my initial research went towards that topic. THEN, the lawyer kicked in and I thought, wait a minute, where is the evidence that the criminal on the cross was NOT baptized prior to his conviction? I was told this story growing up and taught that even in your last moments, a nonbeliever can still come to Jesus and go to Heaven. But how do we know the criminal wasn’t a believer before he asked Jesus to remember him in Heaven?

So, for the purpose of this article, I will discuss my first thought (baptism and eternal life) later but first, I also want to look into more detail around the criminal and Jesus’ exchange while they were hanging out 😉(too soon?)

Let’s look at this man’s story, the criminal next to Jesus on the cross…In short, a guy who was being crucified next to Jesus started mocking him and another criminal positioned on the other side of Jesus (also being crucified) clapped back and took up for Jesus. He basically called the other criminal a fool and said that Jesus did not deserve any of this treatment. This criminal who defended Jesus then said to him, “remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” Jesus responded to the criminal, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (aka Heaven) (Luke 23:39-43). It doesn’t provide any context around this man’s life. You may assume that he did not believe in Jesus because he committed a crime but, we know Christians are capable of wrongdoing and there’s no context around his conviction or trial. Personally, I think there is a stronger argument that the criminal WAS a believer, prior to his crucifixion. The criminal defending Jesus was facing a horrible death, yet he never gave up on God and he stood up for Jesus. He did not blame God for his situation, he said it was his fault for his crime. (V41)

First, he acknowledged God. (V40) Then he stood up for Jesus against the other criminal. (V41) Then he asked Jesus to remember him in HIS kingdom, basically acknowledging he is the Son of God. (V42) I don’t know about you, but I think those would be some strong claims for a nonbeliever. In comparison, the other criminal, who was mocking Jesus saying “so you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself – and us, too, while you’re at it!” (V39) is clearly a nonbeliever (and super manipulative).

So, we do not know any of the criminal’s background about his faith or the crime committed, only this interaction. Was he possibly one of those people who was baptized by John the Baptist? Maybe this wasn’t his first time to see Jesus and he was in the crowd that day Jesus was baptized! There is no evidence that the criminal next to Jesus was not baptized prior to going to Heaven. Therefore, let’s shift our focus from “can I get into Heaven like he did” to “how can I have eternal life in Heaven?”

How can you have eternal life (aka get into Heaven) according to Jesus?

Well, someone (thousands of years ago) asked Jesus this very question directly and it is written out pretty clearly in the book of Mark:

As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’”

“Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”

Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”

The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”

Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!”

“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

(Mark 10:17-31. See also, Matthew 19:16-30 and Luke 18:18-30)

So Jesus says you must do two things, (1) keep the 10 commandments (V18-19) and (2) you have to give up your life for Jesus/God. In this example, the man’s possessions were his God. That’s where his heart was. Jesus said he could go to heaven if he gave up all his possessions, but the man walked away sad because he could not give them up. Jesus wants you to feel that way about him. If given the choice between your possessions or a life with God,  pick God. Choose Jesus.

This is very counterculture. Some people even preach that if God loves you he will provide you with material things. How confusing, I need to give up the material things (“blessings”) God has provided me to get into heaven? No. Don’t go sell your things because you think that will get you into heaven. It’s bigger than that. It is – do not be tied to this world. Be able to give up anything for God (John 12:25) even your family, your children, and your property. (V 29) Your comfort should be in God, not possessions or people.

We see from the story above that keeping part 1, the ten commandments but not part 2 will not get you into heaven. It is clear from Jesus that your actions alone cannot get you into Heaven. He says that “humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God…” (V27) and we see we cannot earn our way into Heaven because it is only through the sacrifice of Jesus and then him being raised from the dead, that humans are even welcome in Heaven. (John 3:13-15 Jesus says “no one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Man has come down from heaven. And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.”) By keeping the 10 commandments, your actions show God your love and respect. The commandments are also there for our protection. The commandments are definitely good advice on how to live with less conflict. But, your actions are important. Jesus said “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.” (Matthew 7:21)

BUT that’s not the only time Jesus talks about it. There are other times when Jesus talks about getting into Heaven:

Jesus also says “and this is the way to have eternal life – to know you [God], the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.” (John 17:3)

And “…I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Matthew 18:3-5)

And “God blesses those who are poor in spirit and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.” (Matthew 5:3)

And “For this is how God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

And “…I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” (John 3:3 Jesus trying to explain he is sent from God to the religious leader, Nicodemus)

Furthermore “…I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.” – you may think “water! He’s talking about baptism”. However, this is unclear. This statement by Jesus followed a question about physical birth and a mother’s womb and given the entirety of the conversation (John 3:1-21), Jesus could’ve been talking literally in that you come from water (oh no, my water broke). In that, you need to be human and receive the Holy Spirit to get into Heaven. Given the other passages about eternal life haven’t mentioned baptism like John the Baptist performed (and later we will see that you can be baptized by the Holy Spirit, no water necessary), I’m leaning on the literal side, that Jesus was saying you need to be a human and a believer to get into Heaven.

Are you confused? Jesus may have said a number of different statements regarding eternal life for humans, but they do not contradict one another – you can’t have faith in Jesus and believe his teachings then live your life accountable to yourself. If you really believe, as Jesus points out, you will be “born again”. As if you are a new person. Jesus shows us that the cost to get into Heaven wasn’t cheap. He had to come down from Heaven (paradise), be born a baby (poopy diapers and all), and then go THROUGH IT to make a way for us. Our actions are not enough to get in; no one is perfect and we all have secrets. (Mark 10:18) If you believe in him, then you believe everything he stands for and you will act accordingly (try to live out the 10 commandments like he mentioned) if your belief is genuine.  

So overall I see it boiling down to your heart. Your heart is the key to you having eternal life. The principles you live by (10 commandments) flow from your heart. Your belief and devotion to God will be evident from the love in your heart for him. The world does not have your heart but the creator of the world, God does.

Even though we’ve seen baptism by water is not necessary to receive eternal life, continue reading if you want to see my research on baptism.

Did you know that baptizing people is not even mentioned in the Old Testament? It appears first in the New Testament when John the Baptist is doing it all over the Jordan Valley after people confess their sins to God, he dunked them in water. The way the Greek word is used in the New Testament translates as a verb, “to overwhelm” and “i.e. cover wholly with a fluid” (Strong’s Concordance)

Baptism is an action and your actions will not get you into heaven (we went over that above). You can also be baptized (overwhelmed) by the Holy Spirit when you become a believer. And you can also have a baptism by water performed like John the Baptist did after you become a believer. This baptism by water shows others you are a believer.

The OG at baptisms, John the Baptist prophesied about Jesus’ coming and said this about baptism, “I baptize you in water; but someone is coming soon who is greater than I am – so much greater that I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandals. He will baptize you with the holy spirit and in fire.” (Matthew 3:11)

Even though Jesus lived without sin, so he had nothing to confess to God, no sins to wash away, even Jesus was baptized (Mark 1:9-11) by his cousin, John the Baptist. When Jesus asked John to baptize him, John was all, no, you should be baptizing me. Not the other way around! But Jesus insisted and said “it should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires.” (Matthew 3:14-15) Does this mean that God requires us to be baptized in a river like Jesus was?

Doesn’t look that way. Turns out the prophet Isaiah talked about this moment to come hundreds of years before Jesus was born and that when Jesus would be baptized “the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light…” (Isaiah 9:1-2) and that’s what happened. When Jesus was baptized, (as crowds of people were watching) the heavens opened and the Holy Spirit visibly descended on him, like a dove. (See Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; and Luke 3:22) When Jesus was baptized, this prophecy God gave Isaiah was fulfilled. 

Jesus talks about baptism again after he rose from the dead. He instructed the disciples to baptize new believers and teach the new believers to obey all the commands Jesus gave them. (Matthew 28:19) This same commission is talked about in the book of Mark (16:16), and Jesus tells the disciples that “Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”

But what did Jesus mean when he said “… and is baptized will be saved”. Baptized in the Jordan River like he was? No. Jesus makes himself clear by also saying “John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 1:5) – baptism is an action, and it happens after you believe in Jesus/God. Remember, even John himself prophesized about the time coming when people would be baptized by the Holy Spirit instead of water. (Matthew 3:11) Here is an example from the Book of Acts:

“Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you beleived? he asked them. ‘No.’ they replied, ‘we haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit. ‘Then what baptism did you experience?’ he asked. And they replied, ‘The baptism of John.’ Paul said, ‘John’s baptism called for repentance from sin. But John himself told the people to believe in the one who would come later, meaning Jesus.’ As soon as they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them…” (Acts 19:3-6)

These were new believers who were baptized the original way, by water. They had never heard of the Holy Spirit. But then Paul tells them it’s different now since Jesus and they received the Holy Spirit (were baptized) when it came over them (i.e. overwhelmed them).

So, is baptism by water required to get into Heaven? No. Jesus makes that clear. However, baptism by the Holy Spirit IS required. And receiving the Holy Spirit (aka being baptized by the Spirit) happens after you become a Christian. The Holy Spirit is what gives you that new heart. By the way, you can also receive the Holy Spirit naturally without someone laying hands on you like the example above. (Acts 11:15)

God gave us 10 rules to live by. Jesus showed us how to love and live out those rules. The Holy Spirit makes you new (born again) and guides you. All 3 are trying to help you get into Heaven.

Subscribe now

Check out more content on Instagram

Sources: (1) The Bible, New King James Version and New Living Translation. (2) The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of The Bible (The Strong's Exhaustive Concordance is the most complete, easy-to-use, and understandable concordance for studying the original languages (Hebrew and Greek) of the Bible. 

Question asked via Instagram @ConsiderWithChristina

A: For the reaction when it was happening (from the Egyptians and Israelites) and the effect it would have on future generations (look at us still talking about it).

I really enjoyed researching this question! There is so much I could say on this topic, but I am going to be as brief as possible.

If you are reading this and you’re wondering “who is Pharaoh?” or “what is this question about?”,  I’ll give a brief overview of the circumstances surrounding the question:

The Israelites (Hebrews) were enslaved by Egyptian rulers, Pharaoh for hundreds of years. The conditions of their enslavement were terrible and “without mercy.”  (See Ex. 1:11-14) Pharaoh at one point even gave an order to murder all the Hebrew baby boys by throwing them in the Nile River. (Ex. 1:22) A baby boy named Moses was born anyway (ever heard of the baby in the woven basket sent down a river story? That’s Moses). (Ex. 2:2) PLOT TWIST, the Hebrew baby Pharaoh wanted to drown in the Nile gets adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter. His daughter is actually the one who named him “Moses”. (Ex. 2:10) Moses grows up privileged, not enslaved like the other Hebrews. One day, grown Moses sees how the Hebrews are treated by the Egyptians and gets so mad, he murders an Egyptian. (Ex. 2:12) Then Pharaoh found out what he did and tried to have Moses killed. (Ex. 2:15) But Moses got away and started a different life in a different city after he escaped. (See Hebrews 11:24-26) He actually got married and they made some children. (Ex. 2:15-22) Then, a burning bush appears where God tells Moses “you must lead my people of Israel out of Egypt.” (Ex. 3:10) Moses is not all in with God’s plan, doesn’t feel like the right guy for the job, and tells God “No”. (Ex. 3:11, 4:1,13) But Moses eventually gave in and put his wife and sons on a donkey and headed to Egypt. (Ex. 4:20) God prepared Moses for what he would expect. “When you arrive back in Egypt, go to Pharaoh and perform all the miracles I have empowered you to do. But I will harden his heart so he will refuse to let the people [Israelites] go.” (Ex. 4:21) God was upfront with Moses and said his mission was not going to be easy. Moses needed to trust God’s plan and believe it was all going to work out in the end.

So why did God harden Pharaoh’s heart? God told Moses what to do, why not make the road easy for Moses and the enslaved Israelites and just make Pharaoh say “yes” when Moses asked for their freedom? Why didn’t God soften his heart instead of hardening it, making it easier?

It is rare when reading the Bible that we get the "why" to God's actions. Usually, it's just the action, no explanation following. Like the creation story for example. Why did God even create Earth? (Gen. 1:1) We don’t know why. And that makes total sense because we are just mere humans. How could we possibly understand why God does what he does on His level? However, when it comes to God hardening Pharaoh’s heart, the Bible DOES provide the “why”. How cool! God’s reasoning is mentioned 4 different times:  

Exodus 7:3 “But I will make Pharaoh’s heart stubborn so I can multiply my miraculous signs and wonders in the land of Egypt.”

Exodus 10:1-2 “…Return to Pharaoh and make your demands again. I have made his heart and his officials’ hearts heavy so I can display my miraculous signs among them. I’ve also done it so you can tell your children and grandchildren about how I made a mockery of the Egyptians and about the signs I displayed amount them – and so you will know that I am Lord”

Exodus 14:4 “I have planned this in order to display my glory through Pharaoh and his whole army. After this, the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord!"

Exodus 14:18 “When my glory is displayed through them [Pharaoh and his troops], all Egypt will see my glory and know that I am Lord!”

Pharaoh’s hard heart is mentioned 19 times throughout the story (Ex. 4:21; 7:3,13,14,22; 8:15,19,32; 9:7,12,34,35; 10:1,20,27; 11:10; 14:4,8,17).  

After every time Pharaoh said “no” to Moses freeing the slaves, God was able to show his power. I’m talking plagues of: blood running through the Nile River (Ex. 7:14-25), frogs (Ex. 8:1-15), gnats (Ex. 8:16-19), flies (Ex. 8:20-30), livestock dying (Ex. 9:1-7), boils that broke out on the people and animals (Ex. 9:8-12), hail (Ex. 9:13-35), locusts (Ex. 10:1-20), three days of complete darkness (Ex. 10:21-29), and then death to all firstborn male Egyptians including Pharaoh’s son (the Hebrews were spared because of an animal sacrifice/blood on the door thing (Ex. 12:1-13). His son died (in his sleep) by the angel of death (Ex. 12:28-30). Then Pharaoh gave up and told Moses he could take all the enslaved people and go (Ex. 12:31-36).

Just so you get the magnitude of how many people Pharaoh lost control over and what a big ask this was of Moses, about “600,000 men plus all the women and children” left Egypt when Pharaoh finally caved (Ex. 12:37) and they had been enslaved by Egyptian pharaohs for over 400 years (Ex. 12:40-42).

How much more powerful is the underdog story rather than the handout? If Pharaoh said “yes” when Moses asked the first time, this story would not have near the impact it had on the Egyptians, the Israelites, or on history. God gave the Egyptians multiple examples of his power and ultimately proved his reign is greater than Pharaoh’s. It’s important to point out that this hardening of Pharaoh’s heart, the repeated “no” I will not let your people go, was for the impact it would have on the Egyptians (or nonbelievers) and would be the encouragement the Israelites needed. Remember, God spared the Israelites from the plagues mentioned above. Only the Egyptians were weakened. However, even though the Israelites already believed in God, they were also moved by God’s power, and their faith was amplified (just like God said in 10:2 above). “When the people of Israel saw the mighty power that the Lord has unleashed against the Egyptians, they were filled with awe before him. They put their faith in the Lord and in his servant Moses.” (Ex.14:31, after the Israelites crossed through the parted Red Sea to freedom). The Israelites finally knew their God saw their suffering and gave them a way out.

God took down Pharaoh’s whole kingdom by hardening his heart. He took away the food supply (livestock and crops), workers (slaves), children, their appearance and health (river of blood, plagues of frogs, gnats, flies, boils, and locusts), and architecture (hailstorm Ex. 9:25). If he said “okay” the first time Moses asked to free the Israelites, Pharaoh would’ve still had his kingdom and his power and could’ve gone back to his old ways. But by the time Pharaoh finally said “yes”, his kingdom was destroyed, and his army was few.

God, through humans, will show his power.

Subscribe now

Check out Instagram for More

Sources: (1) The Bible, New King James Version and New Living Translation. (2) The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of The Bible (The Strong's Exhaustive Concordance is the most complete, easy-to-use, and understandable concordance for studying the original languages (Hebrew and Greek) of the Bible. 

Asked via Instagram @ConsiderWithChristina

A: Absolutely not. Jesus conquered death. Not hell, the devil, and its entirety. And humans are definitely still capable of sin.

I am not sure where this theory came from because if Jesus, God in the flesh (person who lived a sinless life) went to hell when he died then I sure (as hell) do not stand a chance of getting into Heaven. I’m guessing that when the Bible says Jesus conquered the grave, that is where this theory came from. And for that reason, we’re going to have to get into detail about which original Greek words were used around Jesus’ death and resurrection. Here we go…

But first, the short answer is we know that Jesus lived a sinless life (See 1 Peter 2:22 and Hebrews 4:15), that includes no lying. So, if Jesus did not lie, then by his own words, he never went to Hell after he died on the cross.

Luke 23:43 states “and Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise”” [Jesus speaking to the criminal being crucified next to him].

The Greek meaning for “paradise” here means “an Eden; a place of future happiness.” Jesus does not just say you will be in paradise but, he gives a definite time, “today”. 

Case closed. Jesus clearly said he would not be going to hell that day when he died.

But, I will keep going for those of you who need more proof. The only scripture in the New Testament that may support Jesus went to hell when he died is written in Acts 2:31. It states “…that his soul was not left in hell…” (“hell” in this verse, looking at the original Greek writing, is “hades”. We will get into that later). This is not Jesus speaking by the way. These words were written by a guy named Luke and should not override Jesus’ testimony preserved in the Gospels. Let’s see what Jesus himself says about the topic then…

One of the times Jesus talks about his upcoming death is in Matthew 17:9 – Jesus says to the disciples “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead”. Here, Jesus referring to himself as the “Son of Man”, uses the Greek word “nekrós” meaning a corpse, or dead. Jesus does not use the word “hades” which could also mean “grave” or “hell” (like in Acts 2:31 above). This is important because Jesus does not say “has been raised from hell” but rather his literal corpse would walk again (See John 20:20). This is very different than the word used in the book of Acts. Further, in the book of Revelation chapters 1:18 and 2:8, Jesus also refers to himself as a corpse then alive – he does not use the word for grave that can also mean hell (hades) and he does not use the Greek word “geenna” referring to everlasting punishment (also hell). Jesus clearly said he would die in the literal sense, becoming a corpse. And where did he go? According to his own testimony recorded in the Book of Luke, Jesus told the criminal next to him before he died that he would be in paradise today. Jesus went to Heaven when he died, not hell.

Again, how do we know Jesus wasn’t talking about hell when he said raised from the dead? Obviously hell has never been described as “paradise” but rather Heaven is (See Revelation 2:7) but let’s look at other times in the bible when Jesus talked about hell and what words he uses. In Luke 16:23 and Matthew 11:23, “hell”, the English translation or “hades”, the original Greek text is described as the place of the dead. The Greek word “hades” means the “unseen place of departed souls, grave, hell”. When Jesus is teaching about what you have to do to get into Heaven versus Hell, the Greek word, “geenna”, not “Hades” is used. Geenna means “the place of everlasting punishment”. (See Matthew 5:22; 29-30; 10:28; 18:9; 23:33; 25:46, Mark 9:45, and Luke 12:5).

Furthermore, if Jesus did go to hell when he died and conquered the devil and his minions, I am 99.99% sure that when he came back and was talking to his people, he would have mentioned that accomplishment. You’d think defeating the devil would be worth mentioning if you did that. However, none of Jesus’ recorded testimony after the resurrection mentions him going to hell. And again, that would mean that Jesus was lying to the criminal beside him when he said they would be in paradise that day.

Lastly, if Jesus did conquer hell and the devil and his minions during those 3 days, then the prophecy in the book of Revelation would be false. The book describes a final battle where Satan is defeated and the battle between good and evil will finally be done.

Evil is evident in this world. The Devil is very much still active and there is no biblical proof that Jesus defeated him thousands of years ago after he died on the cross. Jesus conquered death, not the devil.

That battle is for another day…

Subscribe now

Follow on Instagram

Sources: (1) The Bible, New King James Version and New Living Translation. (2) The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of The Bible (The Strong's Exhaustive Concordance is the most complete, easy-to-use, and understandable concordance for studying the original languages (Hebrew and Greek) of the Bible.

Asked via Instagram @ConsiderWithChristina

A: 1) Marriage is an Earthly relationship only. 2) It’s a tough and serious commitment and it can distract you from the Kingdom of Heaven. 3) Divorce should only be an option if your partner cheats on you.

I normally only like to take questions that are objective but, I also do not want to turn down an opportunity to share Jesus’ teachings. So, here is my take on Christianity and marriage. “Christianity” meaning the teachings of Christ instead of “what does the Bible say” about marriage -  I will only analyze and speak to Jesus Christ’s teaching about marriage.

First, it’s a limited time relationship. Jesus, in the book of Luke, straight up says “marriage is for people here on Earth” in response to the question - if a person gets married multiple times, who is their spouse in Heaven?” (Matthew 22:30/Mark 12:25/Luke 20:34).  Marriage is for Earth, not afterlife. Could you imagine how saucy Heaven would be if you took earthy memories about people with you? People that married on a whim or not for love or have been married multiple times then they get to heaven and it’s like “oh crap, they are here too”. Or “dang, they got into Heaven too? God, I don’t want to live near them. Can my mansion be somewhere else in Heaven”. We will be made new and like angels Jesus says (Mark 12:25). The earthly drama will be free from our minds (can’t wait 😊).

Second, you better not take the union and commitment lightly because it can also distract you from the kingdom of Heaven. We can fall into a trap of trying to please our spouse before trying to please God. Your relationship with God comes first (Luke 18:29). Jesus says in Matthew “not everyone can accept this statement...” [Jesus telling people the only time divorce is acceptable to God is if they cheat, not divorce for convenience]. There are many good reasons not to marry. Putting two independent people together and saying “make it work for the rest of your life” sounds almost impossible and a lot of work. Jesus even said marriage can distract you from God’s mission – essentially, it’s easier to serve God if you’re single (Matthew 19:12).  Jesus is not saying do not ever get married. But rather, he’s saying you need to take this commitment very serious.

Third, Moses made up divorce for convenience, not God. Moses made the law that if the woman doesn’t please the man, he can write her a document of divorce and send her away [Deuteronomy 24:1 and Mark 10:4]. Moses made divorce super easy and convenient for a man. Wow Moses, rude! Well, Jesus shuts that down when the religious leaders questioned him about divorce and the law of Moses. Jesus said “he [Moses] wrote this commandment only as a concession to your hard hearts. ” (Mark 10:5). And that God did not intend for divorce to be so easy (Matthew 19:8).  Jesus then sets the record straight of when God allows for divorce (cheating) and tells them what a serious commitment marriage is –  “Let no one split apart what God has joined together.”  He goes on to tell his disciples that if you do get wrongfully divorced and re-marry, you’re an adulterer (Mark 10:11-12/Matthew 19:9; 5:32/Luke 16:18). That is a huge statement by Jesus because “you must not commit adultery” is one of the 10 commandments (Exodus 20:14). If you divorce and remarry, then you’ve broken one of the 10 commandments according to Jesus.

So, if you’re a Christian, don’t get sucked up into the Disney and Hallmark message that marriage to your “soulmate” makes you whole/marriage is for everyone/marriage is great/marriage is necessary. Marriage is temporary – i.e. “till death do us part” and marriage is difficult - don’t think you can just bounce whenever your partner isn’t who you thought they were and find another “soulmate” to marry.

My favorite Christian books on marriage are: 1) The Meaning of Marriage by Tim Keller and 2) Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas. I read both of these books when I was engaged to be married. After reading them, I called off the wedding and broke up with my fiancé. I realized I wanted to be a Bride and wanted the white wedding - that’s why I said “yes”, not because he would be a good partner. He would have definitely been a distraction from me furthering God’s mission. I did not understand the commitment I was making until learning what the Bible says about marriage. I am still open to getting married, but it would have to be to a person who puts God first and honors commitment.

More Content Here

Sources: (1) The Bible, New Living Translation. (2) The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of The Bible (The Strong's Exhaustive Concordance is the most complete, easy-to-use, and understandable concordance for studying the original languages (Hebrew and Greek) of the Bible. 

Interestingly, the first time the word “apostle(s)” is mentioned in the Bible is in the New Testament when Jesus starts his ministry. The first time the word “Apostle(s)” is mentioned is Matthew 10:2, when Jesus chooses the twelve apostles. The verse reads:

“Here are the names of the twelve apostles:

First, Simon (also called Peter),

Then Andrew (Peter’s brother),

James (son of Zebedee),

John (James’ brother),

Philip,

Bartholomew,

Thomas,

Matthew (the tax collector),

James (son of Alphaeus),

Thaddaeus,

Simon (the Cananean), [a term for Jewish nationalists]

Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him).” [NLT]

The first time the term ever shows up, it’s distinguishing a group of individuals. But what separates these 12 from other people following Jesus’ ministry? Let’s look at the text (scripture)…

• They were chosen out of many followers (disciples) of Jesus. He separated the 12 people from his followers. Luke 6:13 states “At daybreak he called together all of his disciples and chose twelve of them to be apostles. Here are their names…” (proof that “apostle” is different than a “disciple”).

• They are in Jesus’ inner circle. (See Mark 6:30 for one example, the apostles return to Jesus from their ministry).

• The apostles learned from Jesus directly and intimately (See Luke 11:49, Luke 17:5, and Luke 22:14 to name a few).

• They were given a special responsibility personally by Jesus before he ascended into Heaven to spread his message (Acts 1:2).

• There are special criteria to be an apostle as evidenced by the remaining 11 apostles picking Judas’ replacement after he killed himself – get back to 12 chosen apostles (See Acts 1:26). When the apostles are choosing Judas’ replacement, the criteria are established for what qualifies as an “apostle”. In Acts 1:22 we see the person 1) had to be with Jesus throughout his ministry; from the beginning (baptism of John) up to the resurrection and 2) witness Jesus raised from the dead. The apostles appointed two men who met these criteria from the pool of disciples, Justus and Matthias (Acts 1:15). Then they prayed and asked God to choose who would be Judas’ replacement. By casting lots (a common method back then to determine God’s will), it was decided that God chose Matthias to be the 12th apostle, replacing Judas.  ((See Acts 1:25-26 (to take part of this “apostleship”)).

  • This number, 12 is significant because it’s mentioned in the Book of Revelation, the final book of the Bible. The twelve apostles are mentioned as named foundational stones in Heaven (Revelation 21:14).

• After Jesus ascended into Heaven, the Apostles were seen as wise counsel and deciding authority in some cases (Acts 15:2, 6, 23; 16:4).

• The apostles were given the power to work miracles after Jesus returned to Heaven (Acts 2:43, 5:12, 8:18).

• They spread the news of Jesus’ resurrection (Acts 1:2, 4:33).

Jesus is recorded saying “apostle(s)”only twice in the Bible. First, Jesus criticizes the religious leaders and tells them God would send prophets and apostles, but some would be killed and persecuted (See Luke 11:49). Here, Jesus references “apostles” along with “prophets” and says they are God-sent. They were indeed persecuted by the way (See Acts 5:18, 40). Second, in Revelation 2:2, the last book of the Bible, Jesus states “I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars.”  Again, Jesus points out that not everyone can be an “apostle”.

Now let’s analyze “Disciple(s)”…

Random facts: The word “Disciple(s)” is only mentioned in the Old Testament one time. In the New Testament, the word is only mentioned in the first 5 books: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Acts.

The first time the word “Disciples” is mentioned in the Bible is in the Old Testament in the book of Isaiah (8:16). It reads, “Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.” KJV. The New Living Translation reads, “preserve the teaching of God; entrust his instructions to those who follow me.”

The first time the word “Disciples” is mentioned in the New Testament is Matthew 5:1. “One day as he saw the crowds gathering, Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat down. His disciples gathered around him…” [NLT]

It is pretty clear from the Old and New Testament that “disciple” means a follower of God [Jesus] but let’s keep digging.

Jesus says “Disciple(s)” 20 times in the New Testament. So, we’ll start there. How and what setting did Jesus use “disciple(s)”?

Talking to a large crowd, Jesus tells them how any one of them can be His disciple (Luke 14:25-27), opening the invitation to the crowd to follow him and become His disciple.

Something really cool is some early disciples comingled with the apostles in intimate settings and learned from Jesus directly as well (See Mark 14:12-17 and Luke 12:22).

Jesus gives many examples how people will know you are a disciple by your actions, not by His appointment (See John 13:25, John 15:8, and Matthew 9:37 to name a few).

Jesus describes “people who believe in him” and remain faithful to his teachings are His true “disciples” (John 8:31). Here, we get a clear definition from Jesus what a disciple is; a person who 1) believes in Jesus (he is the Son of God) and 2) remains faithful to what Jesus taught (which basically boils down to love God and love others).

We see examples of how people, even after Jesus’ death, are referred to as “disciples”. As in, you didn’t have to meet Jesus in the flesh to be his disciple (See Acts 6:1,7; 9:26; 11:26; 21:4). To this point, a man named Joseph is described as Jesus’ disciple in Matthew 27:57 (See also John 19:38) and is recorded requesting the body of Jesus from Pilate to burry him after the crucifixion. Women are mentioned as “disciples” too (See Acts 9:36 for one example). Another time a person who is a believer is also described as a “disciple” is in Acts 9:10, a man named Ananias.

So, an “Apostle” is different than a “Disciple”. The apostles were separated (chosen) from many disciples to be in Jesus’ inner circle (Luke 6:13). The twelve apostles are also mentioned as named foundational stones in Heaven (oooooo special) (Rev. 21:14). A “Disciple”, straight from Jesus’ mouth, is anyone who believes in him and remains faithful to his teachings. You see, an Apostle can also be a disciple because they too believe that Jesus is the Son of God and faithfully practice Jesus’ teachings (See Luke 17:1,5 and John 13:35). But a Disciple, put simply, is a practicing believer. You and I can be disciples! However, we did not learn directly from Jesus or witness him conquer death (Acts 1:22), and we are not named as foundational stones in Heaven. Therefore, we cannot be apostles.

Subscribe now

Follow me on Instagram

Sources: (1) The Bible, King James Version and New Living Translation. (2) The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of The Bible (The Strong's Exhaustive Concordance is the most complete, easy-to-use, and understandable concordance for studying the original languages (Hebrew and Greek) of the Bible. 

Share

“What does Jesus mean in John 10:34 when he says “is it not written in your law, ‘I have said you are gods’?”

Submitted via Instagram @ConsiderWithChristina on 12.10.21.

Short Answer:

Jesus was politely saying “before you start throwing stones at me, you sure you have the right authority?”

For this analysis, I want to rephrase the question a little. Instead of “what did Jesus mean”, I think a better approach would be “Why would Jesus respond to the religious leaders in a way that seems to point to contradictory scripture?”

You see, Jesus had just said, “I am God” basically (see V30) and that really pissed the religious leaders off. They accused Jesus of the crime of Blasphemy which was punishable by death (See Leviticus 24:16). So, they instructed people to stone Jesus. But then Jesus, being the quick thinker and intellectual that he was, starts asking his accusers on what basis are you executing me? When they say, for calling yourself “God” and therefore the law allows us to stone you to death, Jesus refers them to Psalm 82:6 in his defense. Basically, you want to kill me based on scripture, watch this, I’m going to defend myself based on scripture.

Sidenote, if you do not know what “Blasphemy” means, here you go:

1) Claiming to be God [John 10:23-24, 30-33]

2) Claiming to have the power to forgive sin [Mark 2:4-7]

3) Insulting or cursing God [Psalm 74:10, 18; Revelation 16:11, 21] 

Now, let’s get into it…what does John 10:34 say first of all? “ Jesus replied, [to the religious leaders] “It is written in your own Scriptures that God said to certain leaders of the people, ‘I say, you are gods!”

Did I just read that right? Jesus said that there’s a scripture calling humans “gods”? I gotta do more research. Turns out, Jesus was quoting Psalm 82:6. That verse reads “I say, ‘you are gods; you are all children of the Most High.’”

With that in mind, let’s look at the story and review the facts (scripture)…

John 10:22-42 New Living Translation

“It was now winter, and Jesus was in Jerusalem at the time of Hanukkah, the Festival of Dedication. He was in the Temple, walking through the section known as Solomon’s Colonnade. The people surrounded him and asked, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”

Jesus replied, “I have already told you, and you don’t believe me. The proof is the work I do in my Father’s name. But you don’t believe me because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me,  for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand.  The Father and I are one.”

Once again the people picked up stones to kill him.  Jesus said, “At my Father’s direction I have done many good works. For which one are you going to stone me?”

They replied, “We’re stoning you not for any good work, but for blasphemy! You, a mere man, claim to be God.”

Jesus replied, “It is written in your own Scriptures that God said to certain leaders of the people, ‘I say, you are gods!’ And you know that the Scriptures cannot be altered. So if those people who received God’s message were called ‘gods,’ why do you call it blasphemy when I say, ‘I am the Son of God’? After all, the Father set me apart and sent me into the world. Don’t believe me unless I carry out my Father’s work.  But if I do his work, believe in the evidence of the miraculous works I have done, even if you don’t believe me. Then you will know and understand that the Father is in me, and I am in the Father.”

Once again they tried to arrest him, but he got away and left them.  He went beyond the Jordan River near the place where John was first baptizing and stayed there awhile. And many followed him. “John didn’t perform miraculous signs,” they remarked to one another, “but everything he said about this man has come true.” And many who were there believed in Jesus.

How was Jesus able to use scripture for his defense when the religious leaders were using scripture to convict him?

We see they were accusing him of blaspheming God which, under the law at that time, was punishable by execution (specifically, stoning you in public. Ouch!). You’d think the case was a slam dunk. The law was clear, and this guy clearly just claimed to be God in front of witnesses, grab your rocks people – case closed. However, Jesus quotes scripture right back to the religious leaders, something that they cannot argue is wrong because scripture is from God (V35).

Psalm 82 was written by a guy named Asaph to praise God and in it, he compares the earthly rulers (earthly judges) of doing work on Earth like what God does on a much more divine and larger scale “presiding over heaven’s court and pronouncing judgment on the heavenly beings” (see V82:1). Jesus 100% is not saying people can be a “god” but rather he’s pointing the religious leaders in another direction during their back and forth.

It is worth mentioning the way “gods” in verses 82:6 and 10:34 is written. It is a lowercase “g” and it is plural, “gods”. Every time in the Bible where it refers to God (the father, the big guy, the creator) it is with a capital “G” and never in plural form. When we see lowercase “g” god, it means someone who does not have divine authority, they are not on God’s level but rather people will look to them as if they are powerful like a god. So, “God” written in Leviticus is different than “gods” written in Psalm. Many will think they are god-like but there is only one true God.

Okay, back to the question, “what did Jesus mean when he says “is it not written in your law, ‘I have said you are gods’?” He clearly meant, y’all remember Psalm 82? But let’s look at why would Jesus respond in a way that seems to point to contradictory scripture? Your scripture says it is wrong to refer to yourself as “God” but your scriptures also say people can be “gods”. So, which is it?

I think Jesus was giving us an example that scripture can be used as a double-edged sword, and it can be taken out of context by people.

(see Vs 35-36)

Under Leviticus 24:16, you can stone me to death because I say “I am God” but hey, have you read Psalm 82:6 where Asaph says people can be gods?  Now, we know that lowercase “g” god is not the same as referring to capital “G” God. Referring to people as lowercase “g” gods is not meaning they have capital “G” power. And Jesus was clearly referring to himself as capital G, God (V30, 32). But, they didn’t have the Bible back then and this was another teachable moment for Jesus. Just because it is “the law”, that does not mean it is as cut and dried as you think; context matters.

Well, the religious leaders did not agree with Jesus’ rebuttal argument. Maybe his quoted scripture wasn’t persuasive enough to change their minds (their big “G” scripture outweighed his little “g” scripture) because they still tried to arrest him. But, he got away (yay!).

What an interesting use of scripture by Jesus. Thanks for the question!

Follow me on Instagram

Share

Sources: (1) The Bible, New King James Version, New International Version, and New Living Translation. (2) The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of The Bible (The Strong's Exhaustive Concordance is the most complete, easy-to-use, and understandable concordance for studying the original languages (Hebrew and Greek) of the Bible. 

“Is Genesis 1-3 to be interpreted literally? As in, is it crucial for Christians to believe that the Earth was literally created in 6, 24-hour days?”

Submitted via Instagram @ConsiderWithChristina on 12.2.21.

Short Answer:

No. It is not crucial (or essential) for Christians to believe the Earth was created in only 6 days.

Growing up going to church every Sunday, the creation story was a classic and repeated often. And up until about three years ago, I thought God making the Earth and all of creation on it and around it in 6 literal, 24 hour days and resting on the 7th was probably possible because he is God - so of course he can do things I would not understand. But, I had never read the story for myself until about three years ago when I read the Bible in totality for the first time. So, enough about me, let’s look at the facts (scripture)….

Genesis 1:1-13 NKJV :

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.

Then God said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.” Thus God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. So the evening and the morning were the second day.

Then God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas. And God saw that it was good.

Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth”; and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, the herb that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.  So the evening and the morning were the third day.”

For an easier read, check out the New Living Translation

So up to this point, the third “day”, God had created (1) Light, (2) Heaven, (3) Earth, (4) Firmament (that is the separation between the waters and Heaven, aka the sky: See Gen.1:7, Gen.1:14, Gen.1:17, Ps.19:1, Eze.1:22-26, Dan.12:3 for scriptures that define “firmament”), (5) God separated the land from the Sea, (6) Vegetation, and (7) Food. Let’s see what happens next…

Genesis 1:14 - 2:4 NKJV:

“Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so. Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also. God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. So the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

Then God said, “Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens.”  So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.”  So the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind”; and it was so.  And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food.  Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food”; and it was so. Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.”

Back to our checklist - On the fourth day, he created (8) Stars, (9) the Moon, and (10) the Sun. Fifth day, he creates (11) Creatures of the Sea and (12) Creatures of the Sky. Then, on the sixth day, (13) Creatures of the Land and (14) Humans. Last day, the seventh day, (15) He created the nap.

It is clear from the text that the use of the word “day” is simply meant to show a passing of time. “Day” cannot be literal because we see that God did not even create the way we define and measure time (night, day, seasons, years) until the 4th “day” (see V14 “Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years””). Until this 4th “day”, days 1 through 3 when he’s creating Heaven and Light, the Sky etc., God had been working on HIS time (whatever that is, but we definitely know it is not how humans define time because WE WEREN’T EVEN CREATED YET according to this story.) There wasn’t a clock or a calendar in God’s office.

So, is it crucial/critical/determining that to be a “Christian” you have to believe the Earth and all its glory was made in only 6, 24 hour days…that is a clear and convincing No. The strongest evidence for this is that Verses 1:14-18 (the fourth day) first introduces the key players in how we interpret time; stars, moon, and sun. It may have been only 6 days on God’s time, but we do not have to believe God created everything in only 6 days by the way we see time, 24 hours in a day.  

What IS crucial for Christians to believe from this story though, is that God IS our creator. Main point from the seven-day story is to see that God is THE CREATOR of everything. Not just that he is in control, but he also brought everything into existence. From the rock we live on, the sun giving us life, the moon giving us light in the dark, all creatures and living things are in existence because of God’s actions.

You know who I think would agree with me? Jesus. We see in Matthew 19:4 [Jesus speaking to the Pharisees about Genesis 1:27] “’Haven’t you read the Scriptures? Jesus replied. ‘They record that from the beginning ‘God made them male and female.’” Also,  in Mark 10:6 [same setting]  “But ‘God made them male and female’ from the beginning of creation. Jesus doesn’t talk about a timeline, he emphasized that God is The Creator. Jesus studied the book of Genesis, he knew the scripture, and when given the opportunity to talk about it, he didn’t distract from the message with beside-the-point details. He talked about God making things since the very beginning. And it is that simple…Believe God is the creator of it all.

Sources: (1) The Bible, New King James Version and New Living Translation. (2) The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of The Bible (The Strong's Exhaustive Concordance is the most complete, easy-to-use, and understandable concordance for studying the original languages (Hebrew and Greek) of the Bible. 

Share

Subscribe now

I’m Christina! I live in Houston, Texas. For work, I’m an attorney. I love writing and research. I hope to be a nonfiction author one day (first book is already in the works). According to the enneagram types, I am the Helper and the Reformer. I love to use my skills and character type to explore and analyze the Bible.

Click Here for more content

Thanks for visiting my page! Let’s consider Christianity together and other self-development topics.

Subscribe now