Can Christians Know the Timing of Christ’s Second Coming? (1 Thessalonians 5)
Many wish to know when Jesus will return to establish his kingdom fully. Even the disciples asked this very question .
Tough Passages
64 results found
Can Christians Lose Their Salvation? (Hebrews 6)
We must respond to the terrifying possibility of irreversible apostasy and the comforting evidence of God’s heart-transforming, love-producing grace
Can Women Be Deacons? (1 Timothy 3)
Deacon's wives, whether or not they hold office, do hold responsibility for serving others. This is why they must bear character qualities fitted for a servant.
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.
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.
Did Jesus Come to Bring Peace or a Sword? (Luke 12)
Jesus came to bring peace, but peace is not the only consequence of his coming. Both peace and division, harmony and conflict, joy and strife will occur.
Did Jesus Descend to Hell? (Ephesians 4)
God is the Divine Warrior who ascends to his throne after defeating his enemies. Here, Christ is the victorious conqueror who ascends to his throne in heaven after defeating the spiritual forces.
Did Jesus Forbid Us from Taking Oaths? (Matthew 5)
Disciples must keep their word, especially when others depend on them, even if circumstances change or oath keeping brings real loss.
Did Jesus Really Mean That We Should Hate Our Families? (Luke 14)
He is to have absolute rule and sovereignty over one’s life; no family relationship can take precedence over one’s commitment to Jesus.
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.
Does Baptism Save? (1 Peter 3)
God uses the water of baptism to save us—only in that it links us to Christ and his victory and promises.
Does God Single Out the Sin of Homosexuality? (Romans 1)
While in recent years same-sex relations have been glamorized in some sectors of society, Jesus confirmed that God’s will for marriage has always been lifelong heterosexual monogamy.
Does God Want Everyone to Be Saved? (1 Timothy 2)
God’s people are not merely praying for God to give them a peaceful and quiet life. They are praying that all people might experience salvation through Christ.
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.
Does the Bible Condone Slavery? (Philemon 1)
Paul addresses a delicate matter in his epistle to the leader of a Colossian church.
How Does Jesus Respond When We Doubt? (John 20)
Do we think our doubts trouble Jesus? Do we think skepticism is a surprise to him? Our honest thinking will not offend him. He can handle any question we have.
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.”
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.
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?
Is There a Difference between Pastors and Elders? (1 Timothy 3)
Besides having good character, what qualifications must one meet in order to oversee others in the church?
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.
Must We Count All as Loss to Follow Christ? (Philippians 3)
Paul’s conversion came by embracing the righteousness of Jesus, not earned by works but received as a gift by faith. The righteousness a holy God demands of us, he gives to us in Christ.
Should Christians Always Submit to the Government? (Romans 13)
Paul’s counsel in Romans 13 assumes a government acting within its God-appointed parameters. When it does not, other measures may be in order.
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.
Should the Sick Be Anointed with Oil? (James 5)
James instructs the church elders to “anoint” the sick person with oil “in the name of the Lord.” Throughout the centuries, Christians have struggled to understand and apply this verse.
Was Christ’s Coming the End of the Law? (Romans 10)
Christ is the termination of the law in the sense that he ushers in a new age— both continuous with and different from the former age.
Was King Saul Possessed by Demons? (1 Samuel 19)
Was Saul a prophet or was he possessed by a demon? Learn more about 1 Samuel 19 with commentary from the ESV Expository Commentary Series.
What Are the Seventy Weeks of Daniel? (Daniel 9)
The events detailed in Daniel 9 are fulfilled in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. He is the coming king.
What Are the Tongues of Fire? (Acts 2)
Apostolic witness, signs and wonders, and regeneration—are all entirely the doing of the Spirit. How the Spirit is working and what he is bringing about depends on the context.
What Did John Mean When He Called Jesus the “Word”? (John 1)
John proclaims the Word as God, through whom the world was made, in whom is life, and who is unquenchable light.
What Does It Mean That All Israel Will Be Saved? (Romans 11)
There is a particular call to faith in Christ through the call of the gospel. Both God’s gifts and his calling of Jews to faith in Christ remain in force and will not be revoked.
What Does It Mean That an Elder Must Be the Husband of One Wife? (1 Timothy 3)
One’s gifting is certainly a consideration (“able to teach”), but it is not the whole, or even the main thing, that Paul is looking for in an overseer.
What Does It Mean That Christ Is the Firstborn of All Creation? (Colossians 1)
What does it mean for Christ to be preeminent, before all things, and holding all things together? Explore the commentary on five verses of Colossians 1.
What Does It Mean That God Chose Us before the Foundation of the World? (Ephesians 1)
God’s choice of his people is related to their being predestined to be a part of his family, but predestination is not an end in itself.
What Does It Mean that God Hated Esau? (Malachi 1)
Because God's love was unmerited, it is unchanging. From before their ancestor’s birth, God has loved Israel.
What Does It Mean That King David’s Son Would Build a House for God? (2 Samuel 7)
The Lord is undoubtedly favorably disposed to David, but this does not warrant a blanket endorsement of all that David proposes. It is the Lord’s right to decide when and by whom a temple for him should be built.
What Does It Mean that Samuel Was Brought Up from the Dead? (1 Samuel 28)
When Saul can no longer consult the prophet, Samuel, he uses a medium to communicate with him from the dead.
What Does It Mean that We’re “Justified By Works”? (James 2)
Faith without works is dead. Genuine faith always produces righteous deeds. But are we saved by them?
What Does It Mean that Women Are to Submit to Their Husbands? (Ephesians 5)
What does it mean that husbands are the head of their wives and that they should love them as Christ loved the church?
What Does It Mean That Women Should “Remain Quiet” in Church? (1 Timothy 2)
“Quietly” does not mean that women are never to utter a word when the church gathers for worship.
What Does It Mean that Women Will Be Saved through Childbearing? (1 Timothy 2)
The interpretation of 1 Timothy 2:15 has been an item of great debate among commentators.
What Does It Mean to Be Judged according to Your Works? (Revelation 20 and 21)
All the dead, whether powerful or poor, stand before God’s throne to be assessed by him.
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.
What Is the Great Gain of Godliness? (1 Timothy 6)
Believers should not act as if material possessions are the key to the good life, because they are not. The good life is in godly contentment.
What Is the Mark of the Beast? (Revelation 13)
We must be willing to suffer, to give our all for Christ, to persevere until the end in order to obtain the final reward.
What Is the Millennium? (Revelation 20)
Christians have disagreed over the details of this passage for nearly two thousand years.
What Is the Rapture? (1 Thessalonians 4)
What does it mean for living believers to be “caught up together with them in the clouds” and to “meet the Lord in the air?"
What Is the Sin that Leads to Death? (1 John 5)
What is the “sin that leads to death” and why does John not say we should pray for people committing such sin?
What Was Paul's Thorn in the Flesh? (2 Corinthians 12)
This passage gives every indication that the thorn in Paul's flesh is still a present reality and thus represents a prolonged, sustained pain. But what was the thorn?
Who Are the 144,000? (Revelation 7)
Who will escape the wrath of God at the final judgment? Only those who belong to God, those who are sealed by him, who are numbered by him.
Who Is the Man of Lawlessness? (2 Thessalonians 2)
The man of lawlessness seeks to make himself the central person of worship, beyond any other religious objects or personages in his day.
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.
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.
Why Did God Command Hosea to Marry a Prostitute? (Hosea 1 & 3)
What is God teaching us about his faithfulness in the story of Hosea and Gomer?
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 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.
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.
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 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.
Why Was Satan Allowed to Torment Job? (Job 1)
What is curious is that God is impressed not by Satan’s extraordinary abilities but rather by Job’s character.
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.
Will God’s Wrath Come upon the Sexually Immoral? (Ephesians 5)
Not everyone who commits these sins is excluded from God’s heavenly kingdom. Yet, those who persistently give themselves over to them demonstrate that they are indeed excluded from eternal life.
Will the Unsaved Suffer Eternal Judgment? (2 Thessalonians 1)
Salvation comes by grace through faith to believers, who consequently display their faith as they continue to trust in Jesus, heedless of suffering and persecution in this life.
Will Unbelievers Be Annihilated or Suffer Eternally? (Revelation 14)
The reality of a believer's faith will reveal itself in observable and concrete ways—those who endure follow God in obedience.