Articles by BibleThinker

Question Time Stamps for Quick Reference:0:00 – Introduction 1. 0:37 {Conscience before the New Covenant?} Based on Jeremiah 31: 33-34, did people before the New Covenant not have a conscience (innate knowledge of God and the ability to know right from wrong as we do now)? Based on the radical changes that Jesus and the Church brought to the world, and God seemingly needing to give people constant special revelation in the OT, could there be a case for this? Could the need for the cycle of sin-judgement-repentance/cry for help-deliverance be connected to this?2. 8:16 {Help for Maintaining a Godly Attitude} The Lord has blessed me tremendously in life. I love Him & want to please Him! But for some reason (& I have no excuse) I find it really hard to have a calm, grateful, God-honoring attitude. I’m easily irritated & find myself complaining about little things constantly, especially when I don’t get my way or experience a minor inconvenience. I’m ashamed of this & don’t want my attitude to be this way but I can’t seem to change.3. 12:31 {Covenant vs. Dispensational Theology} What’s your thought on the reformed perspective of Covenant Theology vs. the dispensational view?4. 15:46 {Jesus – “Forgive them, for they know not…”} Why did Jesus say “Forgive them, for they know not what they do” if Jesus knew they had to do it to save us at the cross?5. 17:59 {About the Vanishing & Glass Seas – Revelation} In Revelation 21:1, it describes the “sea vanishing.” Is this sea the same as the “sea of glass” in Revelation 4:6 where some have suggested it symbolizes the barrier that separated God from man?6. 20:51 {Discussing Theology Without Focusing on Death} My 14 y.o. does not like the subject of death (her father/my husband died suddenly 4 years ago). How can I talk about salvation and other biblical things in a way that doesn’t make her anxious?7. 23:37 {About the Paraclete} John 16:7 says Paraclete is the Holy Spirit, and 1 John 2:1 says it is Jesus Christ. I cannot believe this is a mistranslation, so what is 1 John 2:1 talking about?8. 28:16 {Did Moses Write the Pentateuch?} Do we have evidence that Moses wrote the first 5 books of the Bible? My atheist friend is questioning this.9. 31:14 {Does the Man Sin when an Abortion is Done?} Is it a sin for the man if a woman decides to get an abortion? With or without his consent (does that make a difference?) 10. 34:00 {Are We Obligated to Obey God’s Standards?} My friend asked me: If we didn’t choose to exist or come into existence, why do we have to follow what God says or His “standards”? Why does He have standards anyways? How do I respond?11. 37:45 {About the Covid Vaccine} How should Christians respond to the push to get the Covid vaccine (especially here in LA)? Is it our Christian duty to put others above ourselves, even if it betrays our own conscience?12. 40:41 {About the Doctrine of Preservation} Does Matthew 5: 18 teach the doctrine of preservation? What are your thoughts on this doctrine?13. 46:37 {About the Trinity & God’s Attributes} How can the three persons of the Trinity be distinct if they all have the same attributes (Omni-s) and their wills are the same?14. 50:22 {Is Depression Ever a Sin Issue?} Is there ever a point where depression can be a sin issue? How should I view it in light of what Scripture says about worrying, while being charitable toward those who are struggling?15. 54:23 {How to Evangelize at Work} What’s the best way to share the Gospel in the workplace? Is there a guide to sharing the Gospel that you keep to?16. 56:56 {About Exodus 4 & Zipporah} Please explain Exodus 4: 20-26, especially Zipporah’s part in it.17. 1:02:46 {When Married Couples Disagree on Theology} What is your view of a husband and wife having differing opinions on eschatology or

Is Leviticus just offering advice about medical health? Is it identifying homosexual acts as sinful, or just potentially unhealthy? Can we calmly and carefully try to understand the passage in context? I hope so.
I think that the overall context of the passage makes its application pretty clear, and even though our current culture tends to misunderstand this as condemning certain kinds of people instead of certain kinds of behavior, we simply cannot be biblically faithful without standing our ground on this topic.
This is just one question from a long interview I did for the moderators of the r/Bible subreddit. They asked their subreddit to send me a bunch of questions and I spent a lot of time preparing so that I would be able to offer the best answers I could. I’ll be posting these answers as individual videos so keep an eye out for the rest in the set. Here’s a playlist where I will add them as they come out:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZ3iRMLYFlHtc_kN13cgTRV1l3bl3wZiD
My website: https://BibleThinker.org

This passage is probably most well known because of its abuse by snake handling preachers in the United States. I will address that issue but it’s far from the only important thing to talk about in these verses! Though the snake comments in the passage get a lot of attention from normal people, scholars are mostly interested in the question of whether the passage belongs in the Gospel of Mark at all. But, today I’m not answering the question of whether the last 12 verses of Mark are authentic or not. I’m just answering the question of how I would interpret the passage as it stands. Next week I’ll deal with the complex issues related to whether the passage belongs in Mark in the first place.
This is part 68 of the Mark Series, going verse-by-verse through the Gospel of Mark. Today we are in Mark 16:9-20.
See the WHOLE Gospel of Mark playlist here:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZ3iRMLYFlHuGenHwUdeiQ5M-uj5XW4sF
I have live videos Mondays and Fridays at 1 p.m. Pacific Time. Monday is a Bible study and Friday is a Q&A.
Feel free to use my videos in your own gatherings as an aid to studying Scripture.
My website: https://BibleThinker.org

Here’s the video on dealing with depression, which I mentioned during the stream: https://youtu.be/KspwQ2wyuUU
Taking live questions from the YT live chat! Every Friday at 1 p.m. Pacific time. While I don’t pretend to know all the answers, I hope to offer some thoughts that will help you in the direction of thinking biblically about things.
The BibleThinker mugs can be found here. I don’t make any profit from these –  they are made by a third party and $5 per mug will go to support different ministries I choose.https://www.zockollpottery.com/product-page/new-bible-thinker-mug
My website: https://BibleThinker.org
1. 0:31 {Were Jesus’ Disciples Married?} Were Christ’s disciples married / did they have families? I believe there is a reference to Peter’s in-law, but I find it to be an interesting question. What would it be like for them? How would that fit with what the Lord tells us about the role of a husband/father? The love for God trumps all, so did that override their responsibilities as a husband/father?2. 9:55 {Should We Give to Beggars?} I’ve had multiple encounters where people directly approach me and my wife on the street or at a gas station asking for money, food, or a ride. I know most people would say don’t give anything because you’re feeding their bad habit, and I know there is also the risk that if you do help/give, they may try to push for even more favors. But it’s obvious that Jesus was compassionate toward beggars. What are some biblical principles for this in today’s age?3. 15:37 {What is a Miracle?} What is a miracle? If it can be explained, is it still a miracle?4. 20:54 {Should we be Worried about Gov’t Control?} Should Christians be worried about government control? I have friends not getting the Covid vaccine because “it’s a way to be controlled by the government.” I want to think biblically about this.5. 26:09 {About Walking by the Spirit} Does living in the Spirit mean fighting the flesh? How do you fight something that is already dead?6. 32:04 {About “Perfect Love Casting Out Fear”} What did John mean in 1 John by “perfect love casts out fear, and that whoever fears has not been made perfect…”?7. 34:43 {About Paul and a Time Gap in Scripture} Why didn’t Luke mention the time gap that took place during Acts 9: 20-26, that Paul mentioned in Galatians 1: 17-18?8. 40:20 {Prayer to Help with Deep Depression} Can you pray for me? I’ve battled depression my whole life, and the past 2 weeks I’ve gotten so low I need some prayer if you have the time.9. 43:13 {Why did Jesus need to be Led by the Spirit?} Why did Jesus (God) need to be filled, led, or anointed by the Spirit? Troubled by some saying that Jesus did everything as a man through the Spirit, so we should be able to do everything Jesus did.10. 48:10 {Forming a Healthy Work/Rest Balance} Since life is finite and Heaven is infinite, how do we justify spending any time not working to influence eternity? Where is the balance between relaxation & work? (Ephesians 5: 15-16 vs. 1 Thessalonians 4: 11)11. 53:10 {Refuting Catholic “Queenship” of Mary} How would you answer a Catholic who uses Revelation 12 to argue Mary’s queenship?12. 59:06 {Can we be Confident in God’s Existence?} How can one ever be sure that the arguments for God’s existence are truly sound? Is it because all current objections fail? Maybe there is an Achilles heel that has not come up yet.13. 1:02:44 {What is Prevenient Grace?} I just heard about prevenient grace. I have looked it up and it just don’t understand it. Can you explain it?14. 1:05:48 {Finding Hope in Difficult Situations} How do you interpret the hopelessness of Psalm 88? How can you comfort someone who feels what Psalm 88:18b (NIV) implies?15.

Taking live questions from the YT live chat! Every Friday at 1 p.m. Pacific time. While I don’t pretend to know all the answers, I hope to offer some thoughts that will help you in the direction of thinking biblically about things.
The BibleThinker mugs can be found here. $5 per mug will go toward supporting different ministries I choose. For the time being, it’s supporting refugees driven from their homes by ISIS.https://www.zockollpottery.com/product-page/new-bible-thinker-mug
Here is Restoring Faith, the ministry helping refugees in the name of Christ: https://www.restoringfaithinc.org/
My website: https://BibleThinker.org1. 0:17 {Did Jesus Consider the OT to be Scripture?} You said in a past Q&A session that Jude references Enoch, and your best explanation is that it’s just to make a point, not to say that Enoch is canon or inerrant. But that’s also my conclusion about when Jesus refers to the Old Testament. Isn’t it the same for when Jesus refers to the Old Testament?2. 5:18 {If I Don’t Read Scripture, am I Still Accountable?} Romans 1:8-2: 16…Responsibility? I’m afraid to read/not read the Scriptures. So I read/don’t read, sometimes feeling physically ill/deeply anxious/even empty. Is it normal to feel like this?3. 10:16 {Discussing a Confusing Verse} What are your thoughts about Matthew 26: 13? You taught earlier that this specific action is not even recorded in all the Gospels, so what does Jesus mean?4. 13:42 {How did OT Punishments Display God’s Love?} What was the point of capital punishment in OT, which was way too harsh to the point that it was not strictly followed back then? How does it display God’s love when people are killed for not obeying?5. 22:19 {Reconciling Two Verses} How does Ecclesiastes 9:4-6 reconcile with Paul’s statement that “to live is Christ and to die is gain”? Am I misreading it?6. 27:01 {Overcoming Condemnation/Embracing God’s Grace} I have a good understanding of God’s Love and forgiveness in my head, but I have trouble living as though I believe it in my heart, and I still feel condemned at times (1 John 4: 16-18). Any advice?7. 32:36 {About Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh} What is your opinion on Paul’s thorn in the flesh? I heard it was his eyes, maybe from his encounter on the road to Damascus? 1) He had Luke, a doctor, with him during his travels 2) He had others write his letters.8. 40:00 {How to “Walk in the Spirit”} From Galatians 5, what is does it mean to “walk in the Spirit”? And do you have any pastoral advice for a new disciple on this subject?9. 47:46 {Difference: Doubt vs. Unbelief} What is the difference biblically between doubt & unbelief? Are either of them a sin?10. 52:48 {How is the Holy Spirit Received?} How does receiving the Holy Spirit work? In Acts, there are two times the HS is poured out: Jews (Ch. 2) and then Gentiles (Ch. 10), but every other time is passed by laying on of hands (Acts 8: 14-18, 19:6, etc.).11. 56:27 {Advice for a Difficult College Situation} I have to read “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” for school, but Oprah did a movie on it. Since she denied that Jesus is the only way, I don’t know if I should drop the class. Thoughts?12. 58:24 {About the Timing of our Death} Are our deaths appointed to us in both time and manner? If a person dies being hit by a car on the corner of Times Square, was it always going to end that way?13. 1:02:20 {How to Handle Online-Only Congregants} How should churches handle their local online only congregants? This is a big dilemma in my church’s leadership right now. (Let’s assume that it is safe to return to in-person church.)14. 1:04:13 {About the “Day of the Lord”} What is the day of the Lord?15. 1:06:16 {Was Jesus Created? Answerin

I know you have questions about this. I hope this helps answer them.But if my short answer isn’t enough (and it’s probably not) THIS is the link to my FULL teaching on the issue, where I go through many specific verses of the Bible which give us help working out the answer to this very concerning issue. I hope you will give some thought to it. https://youtu.be/IiyxpE5UBz4
This is just one question from a long interview I did for the moderators of the r/Bible subreddit. They asked their subreddit to send me a bunch of questions and I spent a lot of time preparing so that I would be able to offer the best answers I could. I’ll be posting these answers as individual videos, so keep an eye out for the rest in the set. Here’s a playlist where I will add them as they come out. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZ3iRMLYFlHtc_kN13cgTRV1l3bl3wZiD
My website: https://BibleThinker.org

They tell me that the internet is where religion goes to die, but they also tell me the internet is full of poor research and unreasonable arguments.
We are going to get pretty technical today. Lots of different threads of evidence will be explained and drawn together to support the factuality of the burial of Jesus by Joseph of Arimathea. This may seem like it’s not a big deal if you haven’t recognized the evidential value of the burial and empty tomb for the historicity of the resurrection of Jesus. I’ll be drawing from the work of a number of different scholars (Craig Evans is particularly helpful) and responding to the work of Dr. Bart Ehrman, who has influenced countless people to reject the resurrection of Christ. This is part 67 of the Mark Series, going verse-by-verse through the Gospel of Mark. Today we are in Mark 15:42-46.
See the WHOLE Gospel of Mark playlist here:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZ3iRMLYFlHuGenHwUdeiQ5M-uj5XW4sF
Here are resources I’ll mention in the video:
How Jesus Became God, by Bart Ehrman – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DB39V2Q/
How God Became Jesus, a response to Ehrman by 5 scholars:https://www.amazon.com/How-God-Became-Jesus-Nature-ebook/dp/B00I2P2OVS/
Article on chemical analysis of nails from Caiaphas’ ossuary – “Petrochemistry of Sediment and Organic Materials Sampled from Ossuaries and Two Nails from the Tomb of the Family of the High Priest Caiaphas, Jerusalem”:https://doi.org/10.4236/ad.2020.83015
Jody Magness’ article on why the archaeological data supports the historicity of the burial of Jesus by Joseph of Arimathea. “Ossuaries and the Burials of Jesus and James”:https://ancient-world-project.nes.lsa.umich.edu/tltc/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/DEATH_OSSUARIES_Magness-2003_Ossuaries-and-the-Burials-of-Jesus-and-James.pdf
I have live videos Mondays and Fridays at 1 p.m. Pacific Time. Monday is a Bible study and Friday is a Q&A.
Feel free to use my videos in your own gatherings as an aid to studying Scripture.
My website: https://BibleThinker.org

1. 0:19 {Church Leader Living in Sin? Letter vs. Spirit} I am a young adult, still living in my parents’ home. My father is the pastor of our small church. One of my siblings has leadership roles, but is living in sin (cohabitation). My father has talked with him, but hasn’t taken any biblical action to remove him from leadership or from church. The elders don’t see a need to do anything either. What should I do? (I’m the youngest and a daughter.) I was told I was taking the letter of the law instead of the spirit of the law.2. 10:33 {About John the Baptist being Jesus’ Cousin} Is it a big deal that John the Baptist was Jesus’ cousin? I haven’t heard this talked about much; wouldn’t that mean that they knew each other when they were kids/before their ministries?3. 16:30 {About the Early Church & Socialism} Should Christians be living like the early Church in a sort of voluntary Socialism as found in Acts 2: 42-47 and Acts 4: 32-37?4. 27:03 {MW’s Personal Experience Witnessing} Could you share your most memorable experience in leading someone to the Lord?5. 30:08 {About Recent “Deconstruction” Stories} I find myself sympathizing with some who have deconstructed and walked away from the faith (though I don’t agree with their decision). How can I keep from deconstructing myself?6. 41:08 {Is Yahweh Only the Father’s Name?} Some people I know say Yahweh is the name of the whole Trinity combined. I thought Yahweh was only the name of the Father (like how Jesus is the name of the Son). What are your thoughts?7. 47:13 {About Artaxerxes in Ezra} Are there two Artaxerxes in Ezra, or could it be that there is an interlude in Ezra 4:5-23? Artaxerxes stopped the building, but later seems to endorse it.8. 48:10 {Are the Church and Israel the Same?} Are the church and Israel the same or different? Is the church the continuation of Israel and heirs of the promises of God to OT Israel?9. 50:53 {Can Christians Attend JW Weddings?} Is it ok to attend a wedding of a Jehovah’s Witness? My colleague is a JW and she is getting married in 3 weeks. I was wondering if it’s ok for me to attend because of the belief system.10. 52:35 {How to Have Godly Sorrow Over Sin} How do you have a godly sorrow over sin (2 Corinthians 7: 10)? When I sin, I repent, feel really bad, and ask for forgiveness, but eventually fall for the same sin again. Do you just pray for God to give godly sorrow?11. 59:44 {About Approving of/Watching Inappropriate Shows} How do you respond to another Christian who thinks that watching movies or shows with nudity/sexual content is a liberty they have in Christ because they do not struggle with lust?12. 1:06:35 {Interpreting a Difficult Verse} I’ve read two different views on 1 John 3: 20. 1: If our heart condemns us, how much more will God since He is greater than our heart? 2: Even though we feel guilty, God knows our heart. Thoughts?13. 1:11:04 {What does Ecumenical Mean?} I’d rather not identify myself with any particular denomination. What does it mean to be an ecumenical Christian?14. 1:13:46 {Some Great Wisdom for Us} What’s the greatest lesson of wisdom you’ve learned as you’ve matured in your faith?15. 1:16:06 {About Believer/Non-Believer Relationships} What should a new Christian do if he or she has been in a relationship for 7+ years with a non-Christian (not married), and the non-Christian doesn’t slow down the spiritual growth of the Christian?16. 1:19:36 {Is it Fair that Some People are Born in Unbelieving Areas?} How is it just that because a person is born in a specific region in the world, that they are more likely to follow the traditions and religion they are raised in and end up going to hell?17. 1:24:17 {Is the Fire Mentioned in 2 Peter Literal?} In 2 Peter 3: 10 it says that on the “Day of the Lord” God will destroy the world and “its elements” with

This matters. These lies are being absorbed by youth in our culture and they are breaking their ability to think rationally and biblically faithfully.
I HIGHLY recommend that parents check out Elizabeth’s foundation worldview curriculum. It’s a really good tool to train your kids (and yourself while you are at it) in how to think biblically about things. Since your kids are being exposed to worldly and unbiblical thinking all the time they are very likely to simply absorb it and assimilate it if they aren’t given the tools to reason through the issues well. This is where Elizabeth’s project comes in. You can have your kids do these classes once a week from home whenever it’s convenient for you. I’m not making ANYTHING for telling you this. I think this is just a really needful program for Christian families in modern times. I know life is crazy busy for parents but I think this is one of those things that’s worth your time and is really underpriced for the benefit it brings.
Here is where you can learn more and sign up: https://foundationworldview.com/
My website, with the NEW search features that help you find exactly what you’re looking for: https://BibleThinker.org

This is the second part of today’s stream. My internet dropped and then came back and I had to make a second video to finish things.
Link to my 3 videos explaining textual variants and stuff related to why I don’t think the story of the woman caught in adultery is originally part of John:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZ3iRMLYFlHuzJhPtmrgqpVoXhjvqiIjW
Question Time Stamps for Quick Reference:0:00 – Re-Introduction3. 0:50 {If our Sins are Forgiven, Why Ask for Forgiveness?} If Jesus paid for all of our sins once and for all, why are we still called throughout Scripture to continually ask for forgiveness (ex: The Lord’s Prayer)?4. 2:59 {About the Enneagram} What is your view on the Enneagram? I recently had a lot of problems within my church about this.5. 5:24 {About “Sin Leading/Not Leading to Death”} Can you shed some light on 1 John 5: 16-17?6. 8:36 {About Freedom from the Law} When Paul says we’re saved by grace apart from the works of the law, is he referring only to the Law of Moses, or the moral law, as well?7. 13:44 {About Gematria & Numerology} In light of today’s first question, how do you account for more subtle/compelling examples of Gematria such as JESUS (IESOUS in Greek) calculating to “888”? Contrast with “666.” 8=new life, etc.8. 15:28 {About “The Passion of the Christ”} As a Christian, is The Passion of The Christ film OK to watch, and is it biblical?9. 19:27 {About Ezekiel & OT Prophecies} What does Ezekiel 40-48 mean for us? What about OT prophecies about future sacrifices?10. 22:28 {About the Doxology in Scripture} How should we make sense of the Doxology at the end of The Lord’s Prayer in some English Bibles when it doesn’t occur in earlier manuscripts? Should we not use it?11. 25:01 {What does it Mean that God has a Plan?} I always hear “God has a plan for your life.” What does this mean? Is this about salvation, gifting/calling, or about God’s overall will for believers? Is this specific or general?12. 29:55 {About Graven Images & Biblical Actors} Could you explain Exodus 20:4? Is God stating we shouldn’t have any images at all, like the images we see of Jesus in churches? And what about the people who portray Jesus in biblical movies?13. 34:25 {How to Respond to Unbiblical Statements} I was wondering of a kind way to correct people who just say “God just wants me to be happy.”14. 37:00 {Can Disobedience Thwart God’s Promises?} If God gives us a promise, could His promise be dependent on our obedience, and could we veto a promise either by our actions or by our unwillingness to receive? Please elaborate on Romans 4:13-15.15. 40:00 {About the Perpetual Virginity of Mary} What are your thoughts on the Protoevangelium of James? Does it support the perpetual virginity of Mary?16. 43:39 {About the phrase “Son of Perdition”} What is the Greek meaning of “Son of Perdition”? Is it a specific person, or a general statement?17. 47:04 {Should Atheist Arguments Concern Us?} Should we be concerned about counterarguments that atheists and skeptics present to our faith? 18. 49:30 {Is “Praying the Gay Away” Biblical?} Is “praying the gay away” wrong? It seems biblical to me.19. 53:45 {Am I Rightly or Wrongly Judging?} How do I know if I have a judgmental attitude toward someone or an honest concern about their sin?20. 54:56 {About the Woman Caught in Adultery Passage} It’s said that the story from John 7: 53 to 8: 11 isn’t found in the earlier manuscripts. It’s one of my favorite pictures of God’s grace. What do you think about how we should deal with this?
My website https://BibleThinker.org