Are Christians Prohibited from Getting Tattoos? (Leviticus 19)
Sometimes people read a statement about tattoos in the Old Testament and wonder if it applies today. Leviticus 19:28 is an example of this.
Tough Passages
76 results found
Did Jesus Teach That Our Prayers Are Bothersome to God? (Luke 18)
In Luke 18 Jesus tells of a judge who does not fear God or respect human beings.—especially those who, like the widow, are poor and disadvantaged.
Did Paul Endorse Slavery? (1 Timothy 6)
Paul states that slaves should pursue their own freedom if at all possible, and he also forbids free Christians from becoming slaves.
Is the Story of Jonah and the Whale a Historical Account or a Parable? (Jonah 1 and 2)
Jesus often taught in parables and expected his hearers to learn and act on the truth the parables conveyed. But is “parable” the best approach to Jonah?
Why Did Jesus Tell People Not to Bury Their Father or Say Goodbye to Their Family? (Luke 9)
Disciples have a more important calling and responsibility: heralding the good news of the kingdom.
Is the Story of Job Historical? (Job 1)
Was there really a man named Job? Did he live in a land called Uz? Was he perfectly righteous with a perfectly blessed life? Put simply, did the author of Job create the whole drama?
Does the Book of Acts Teach Socialism? (Acts 2)
One of the greatest challenges in interpreting the book of Acts, one with which every reader must wrestle, is in determining whether the narrative portions of the book are descriptive or prescriptive.
Do Exodus and Numbers Justify Abortion? (Exodus 21 and Numbers 5)
Some abortion advocates appeal directly to Scripture to make their case for elective abortion. But this argument is flawed on several counts.
Why Is Love Called the Greatest of These? (1 Corinthians 13)
Love is not a spiritual gift. It is essential for using spiritual gifts, and it is more important than spiritual gifts.
Why Did Paul Publicly Rebuke Peter? (Galatians 2)
This passage clearly teaches that this subtle but very common problem in the church is a serious distortion of the gospel and needs the corrective rebuke of the apostle Paul.
Why Are Christians Told Not to Love the World? (1 John 2)
If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world— the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.
Why Was a Man Killed for Touching the Ark of the Covenant? (2 Samuel 6)
God provides solemn reminders of the need to avoid impious infractions of the requirement to “offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire” (Heb. 12:28–29).
Does Anyone Who Accepts Law and Circumcision Lose Their Salvation? (Galatians 5)
This passage reminds Christians to live in the knowledge that God loves them and has shown his love for them through the death of Christ on their behalf and through the transforming work of the Holy Spirit.
Is It Fair for God to Judge Those Whom He Predestined? (Romans 9)
What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”
Should Christians Sue Each Other? (1 Corinthians 6)
Paul’s main charge in this passage is that believers who have legal disputes with fellow believers should settle those disputes before believers and not take them to the law court before unbelievers.
Why Did Ruth Enter Boaz’s Tent in the Middle of the Night? (Ruth 3)
Naomi’s plan initiates this scene’s events. After Boaz has eaten and gone to bed, Ruth is to enter his tent, lift the blanket at his feet and lie down, and wait for him to wake. Why does she do this?
Why Did God Send Bears to Attack a Group of Boys? (2 Kings 2)
Is this a shocking incident? Yes it is. But this incident is also one that fits perfectly with the flow of 2 Kings 1–2, in which we see very clearly how God not only works in the darkness but will not be silenced.
Why Were Ananias and Sapphira Killed? (Acts 5)
The account of Ananias and Sapphira causes understandable trouble for readers who believe their punishment to be harsh, but we should read it in the context of the description of the believing community.
Did a Faithless Gideon Use a Fleece to Test God’s Will? (Judges 6)
It is always in the context of human weakness that the Lord achieves his greatest victories, even the weakness of his own Son’s death on the cross.
Why Did Jesus Curse a Fig Tree? (Matthew 21)
The cursing of the fig tree is symbolic. The prophets use the fig as a symbol of Israel in its fruitlessness.
What Is New about the New Covenant? (Jeremiah 31)
Since the old covenant could be broken by disobedience, the new covenant will impart a greater ability to obey. The result will be the kind of covenant relationship that Yahweh has always sought with his people.
Who Were the Nations in Nebuchadnezzar’s Prophetic Dream? (Daniel 2)
A great God has made known to the king what shall be after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.
Who Were the Magi, and Why Did They Worship Jesus? (Matthew 2)
Popular Christian images of the magi clash with Matthew’s account. The magi were counselors, not kings, and while they bore three gifts, their number (unstated) was large enough to cause a stir in Jerusalem.
Is It True That “All Is Vanity”? (Ecclesiastes 1)
In a culture that promotes immediate gratification, will we have the endurance to persevere in the hard work needed to understand the message of Ecclesiastes?
Did a Prophet Really Lay on His Side for More than a Year? (Ezekiel 4)
The signs of the prophets are not merely visual aids; they are designed to reach people’s wills and hearts, enabling people not just to see the truth but to feel it.
Is The Song of Solomon about God's Love or Human Love? (Song of Solomon 1)
Although we are fallen and our sexual desires can easily be distorted and debased, there is still something “very good” about the desire for physical intimacy.
Is It Okay to Pray a Curse on My Enemies? (Psalm 5)
Prayers of this sort generally carry the unstated assumption that the evildoers will not repent and seek forgiveness; should they turn, these prayers are reversed as well.
Why Does Paul Tell the Church to Deliver Someone to Satan? (1 Corinthians 5)
God’s church must be unleavened or pure. Tolerating unrepentant sexual immorality ruins the whole church’s purity.
Does Rahab Show Us That It's Sometimes Okay to Lie? (Joshua 2)
Although sparingly told—or perhaps because it is sparingly told—the tiny drama has exercised a fascination out of all proportion to its size.
Why Did Jesus Say, “On This Rock I Will Build My Church”? (Matthew 16)
When Peter forbids the cross, he is a stumbling stone. When he proclaims Jesus as the Christ, he is a rock.