Who's Who in the Bible
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The Great Deviation: The Virgin Birth Doctrine
Biblical Model for Conception In Genesis 4:1 we’re told, “Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and brought forth Cain and said, I have gained a man through God.” This provides a model for us: a man knows a woman, and with the help of God, she conceives and brings forth a child. MAN + WOMAN + GOD’s HELP = CHILD We see examples of this model being played out throughout the Bible in the young and old, or more specifically in the old and young.
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The Finished Work of Creation
When I began voicing my objections to the Virgin Birth doctrine, stating there was no precedent in the Old Testament for such an occurrence, I was met with the claim that the Creation of Adam is the needed precedent for the Creator to create again. Let’s evaluate what took place in the beginning and test that claim. In the Beginning… Genesis 1:1 establishes the notion of a Creator God when it records: In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth land. (Genesis 1:1 KJV, adaptation mine) For six days, the author lays out the creation or fashioning of the heaven and the land and seas with vegetation, seed-bearing…
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In the Beginning Was the Word – Part 2
This is the second installment of a two-part series on John 1:1-18. If you have not read part one yet, please do so now. 😉 Since we already explored the foundation laid for chapter 1 of John in Part 1 of In the Beginning Was the Word, let’s consider the structural base that is built upon it by delving into verses 6-18.
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Messiah: A Man Over Men
Throughout the New Testament, we read of Jesus/Yeshua being called “Christ”, which is a transliteration of the Greek word, “Christos”. In Hebrew, the word would be “Moshiach”, or in English, “Messiah”. This word in both languages means “Anointed”. In Christ: The Priesthood and The Kingship, I wrote about how YHVH made covenants with Aaron and David, declaring they and their seed after them were anointed to be Priest and King, respectively. I also pointed out that in the gospel accounts, Jesus/Yeshua “asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that I am?’ And they told him, ‘John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.’ And he…
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The Power to Lay It Down and Take It Again
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. This…
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In the Beginning was the Word – Part 1
Too often we either assume or take the words of others concerning various matters as truth without applying proper investigation for ourselves. In this series I’m calling, “In the Beginning was the Word”, I’m going to break down what I have come to understand concerning John 1:1-18. This first installment will focus on the first five verses, which I believe to be the foundation of not just the first chapter of John, but the entire book. The second installment will cover the remaining verses. It appears to me that this opening passage is laid out in a precept upon precept manner, one thing building upon another, therefore it seems logical that we study and receive it…
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The Alpha and Omega or Aleph Tav
Christianity identifies Jesus as being the “Alpha and Omega” (in Greek). And in much of the Messianic community, there’s the understanding that Yeshua is the “Aleph Tav” (in Hebrew). This is based on a few passages found in Revelation. But is it really Yeshua that is speaking there or someone else? Let’s take a closer look. The Book of Revelation The first reference to “the Alpha and Omega”, or likely “Aleph Tav” in Hebrew, is found early on in the book of Revelation. Let’s look at this reference starting from the beginning. I’ve color coded this passage identifying to whom I believe references are being made throughout. The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which…
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Is It a Sin to Worship a Man?
When I recently suggested that Jesus was a man, and not God, I was confronted with the question, Is it a sin to worship a man? My response to questions like these is to first define the terms. Oftentimes our understanding of words can cloud the issue. I like to first clarify the meaning of words. What Does “Worship” Mean? In our current culture the English word “worship” as a verb means to “show reverence and adoration for (a deity); honor with religious rites.” according to Google. However in the Bible, the Hebrew word that is most often translated as “worship” (“shachah” H7812) in the KJV of the Old Testament simply means “to…
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Memorializing Passover
Our family is going to be memorializing the Passover event of Exodus 12 tonight, April 3, 2016 after the sun goes down. We’ll be eating lamb and unleavened bread with bitterness, remembering what happened on the night before the great exodus from Egypt in Moses’ day, as well as recalling the event of Yeshua’s death as recorded in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. How to Memorialize Passover When we first rejected the idea of celebrating Good Friday and Easter Sunday six years ago, our desire was to simply learn about the Passover because we never paid that much attention to it in the past. But over time, as we met others…
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Looking at Luke From the Beginning
I had a bit of an “aha!” moment earlier this week when discussing the virgin birth doctrine with some friends on Facebook. I was explaining how the account given in the book of Luke where Mary is confronted by an angel of the Lord took place before she became pregnant, whereas the account given in the book of Matthew where Joseph is confronted by an angel of the Lord took place after Mary became pregnant. (I realized this two years ago when I began to challenge the Virgin Birth doctrine for myself.) In the case of the book of Matthew, I had explained the need to start reading from the…