Articles by BibleThinker

Question Time Stamps for Quick Reference:

0:00 – Introduction
1. 0:20 {Should We Obey the Sabbath?} What exactly does Jesus mean in Matthew 12:1-8 when He says we must obey His commands? Do we receive special rewards for obeying the sabbath, and are we jeopardized for not obeying the sabbath?
2. 7:09 {Are Unwanted Bad Thoughts from the Enemy?} I struggle a lot with bad thoughts popping into my head out of nowhere. I’m kind of horrified and I don’t agree with them! Is it possible that they can come from the Enemy?
3. 12:19 {About the Local Church} What is a local church and how should one be started? Many teach that it should be a plant under the authority of an existing church, but is that a biblical mandate?
4. 16:09 {How to Rest in God’s Presence} How should we as Christians rest in the presence of the Lord? Is there anything you do to be connected to Him throughout the day?
5. 20:35 {How Could Judas Betray Jesus} Does Hebrews 6:4-6 apply to Judas Iscariot? How else could Judas betray Jesus even after he had “been enlightened” and “tasted of the heavenly gift” and had “partaken of the Holy Spirit”?
6. 28:00 {Refuting “Universal Salvation} How do you square Romans 5: 18 and 1 Corinthians 15: 22 (among others) with 2 Thessalonians 1:9 and Matthew 25: 46 (among others) regarding the issue of universal salvation?
7. 32:10 {Do Online Church Services Violate Hebrews 10?} How absolute is the instruction in Hebrews 10: 25 about “meeting together”? Are churches who go online-only due to COVID and/or government rules failing to live up to it?
8. 37:41 {Why did Command Killing Instead of Moving People?} In the Old Testament, I struggle with why God has Israel kill thousands of people to take the promised land, rather than just driving them out or trying to convert them.
9. 45:12 {Why was Zacharias Disciplined but Not Mary?] In Luke 1: 18 & 34, both Zacharias & Mary questioned Gabriel when he told them of their future offspring. So why was Zacharias disciplined for his question, but not Mary?
10. 49:16 {Does God Ever Stop Forgiving?} Can we anger God to the point where He never forgives?
11. 51:26 {Advice for Agnostics Seeking God} I am agnostic, trying to believe. How would you recommend someone should approach this? I am reading though the Bible – I started with John as some recommend, but my heart hasn’t changed yet. Any advice?
12. 55:28 {About “Total Depravity”} How do you read 1 Peter 1:3 in light of your rejection of the doctrine of Total Depravity?
13. 58:15 {About Justification, Sanctification, & sin} Can someone be justified without being sanctified? In other words, can someone live a lifestyle of habitual sin and still be saved?
14. 1:03:30 {About the “Mandela Effect”} This is purely hypothetical, but: How would you respond to the suggestion that the disciples’ confidence in the resurrection was produced by the Mandela Effect?
15. 1:06:08 {Do Non-Believers get Physical Bodies Back?} Do the non-believers who have died or will die get their physical bodies back at the final judgment? I know we will, but does Scripture mention this about those who reject Christ?
16. 1:09:55 {About Peter & Satan – Was Satan Divided?} Jesus says to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan!” when Peter tries to rebuke Him from dying in Jerusalem, but “Satan entered into [Judas]” leading him to betray Jesus. Was Satan “divided against himself”?
17. 1:11:44 {About Fear of Kids Rejecting Christ} A friend is afraid to have kids because she’s afraid they’ll reject Jesus. She would feel guilty for having them if they went to Hell and doesn’t want to take that chance. How should I respond?
18. 1:13:44 {About Old Testament Scholarship} What is your take on scholarship that attempts to alter our common understanding of the Old Testament by questioning the translations or our understanding of the culture?
19. 1:17:06 {Does Jesus Directly Say He is “Son of Man”?} In the Gospel of Mark, since Jesus talked about the Son of Man in the third person, that me

Since Brandan Robertson has accused me of editing his clips to take him out of context here is a link to the full teaching on “Truth” that I got the clips from. The teaching portion begins at about 37 minutes in. You can see for yourself that I haven’t done that. https://vimeo.com/257414376

Here’s the video where Brandan makes this rather odd and baseless claim. https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMeaj3R3H/

He also said that I don’t want people to ask questions. Which is a great time to remind you of my weekly Friday Q&A! See you there!

Sometimes it’s helpful to examine a theological car accident. Brandan, or any of those who share his views, I have no bitterness toward you and hope that one day we can look at the Bible together and see the same Jesus.

Most of the other video content I used can be found on Brandan Robertson’s web site. Just match the background of the video to find whichever one you are looking for. http://www.brandanrobertson.com/audio-video-1

I know, I said this was going to be a shorter video but after having looked at hours of misleading teaching from Brandan Robertson I decided to dig a bit deeper.
Here are some links that may interest you.

My original teaching on the passage in Mark where Jesus says “dogs” https://youtu.be/DJZ7zmL2eyc

My video on Critical Race Theory (I think this one is pretty important) https://youtu.be/yHvJx-rBYKo

Reverend Brandan Robertson’s original TikTok video saying Jesus repented of racism. https://www.tiktok.com/@revbrandanrobertson/video/6936268413010464005?lang=en&is_copy_url=0&is_from_webapp=v3&sender_device=pc&sender_web_id=6940438139509196294

Dr. Miguel De La Torre’s original teaching video where he offers his Latinx version of Jesus https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=1131187867072318&ref=watch_permalink

This next link is a tough one, it has Brandan and Miguel in conversation, trying to defend their views. I considered covering it all in detail but it is so chock full of misinformation (I really mean it, almost everything Miguel claims is not true and many of their answers are ignoring the real issues at hand) that I decided not to address all of it. You are welcome to watch it but please know that he is wrong on history, wrong on 1st century culture, wrong on Greek, wrong on Anselm and how the early Christians viewed Jesus, wrong on the nature of sin and complicity and almost never right at all. You all know me, I never use such strong words, I’m really not exaggerating here. https://youtu.be/s3DHktBCt1E

Why do I share links with such terrible content? Because I want to equip you to think biblically about things and not to try to control what you can and can’t listen to. You should be able to see that I have not misrepresented these guys but have honestly dealt with misinformation and spiritually dangerous teachings.

I have often heard this passage used in ways that I don’t think it was ever intended to be. In this study we are going through the anointing of Jesus by Mary, but unlike last time where we handled a rather complex set of questions about how this passage supposedly shows irreconcilable contradiction in the Gospels we are now looking at this passage to learn what we can from it in the way of answering a few questions. Why did Jesus say we would always have the poor with us? Does that mean we don’t need to give money to the poor? What about those who say that taking care of the poor is the job of the Church and not the government (a phrase I have heard on the lips of pastors many times)? Why was Jesus anointed with oil for burial? What symbolic meaning is in this (spoiler, it’s beautiful)? Why did Judas fall the way he did? Can we learn something from it to keep ourselves from slip sliding away like he did?

This is part 58 of the Mark Series, going verse by verse through the Gospel of Mark. Today we are in chapter 14:1-11.

Feel free to use my videos in your own gatherings as an aid to studying Scripture.

See the WHOLE Gospel of Mark playlist here. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZ3iRMLYFlHuGenHwUdeiQ5M-uj5XW4sF

Question Time Stamps for Quick Reference:
0:00 – Introduction
1. 1:29 [Is Salvation Applied to All Mankind?] Since Jesus died to save all of mankind, won’t everyone be saved regardless of whether or not they place their faith in Christ, just like how gravity still works on everyone whether they believe in it or not?
2. 6:47 [About Energy & the Kalam] Why couldn’t energy be infinite, considering that we (as Christians) believe in an infinite God? The reason I’m asking is because the biggest Atheist objection I get to the Kalam while evangelizing is that 1. Energy can create a universe (quantum fluctuations) and 2. Energy may be constant (infinite). Can you object to these claims thoughtfully?
3. 10:18 [How can Jesus “become” sin?] The Bible says that Jesus “became sin who knew no sin” (2 Corinthians 5:21). You also mentioned it at times in your videos. How can Jesus become sin?
4. 15:08 [About Jerome, Latin Vulgate, Changes] Around 400 A.D., what were the biggest changes in doctrine that Jerome introduced in his first Latin Vulgate translation of the Bible, and how did they differ from the original Gospel?
5. 18:55 [What does “impure” mean in Ephesians?] What does Paul mean, specifically, by “impure” in Ephesians 5:5? I can’t find anything at all that clearly defines this. I would love to know what Paul, as a Jew, meant exactly by this term.
6. 25:23 [Advice while “Waiting on the Lord”] I’m currently in a season of “waiting on the Lord” to know what He wants me to do with my life. Any advice for someone in this season?
7. 28:20 [Can Christians Serve in Government Roles?] Can a Christian be called to be a governing authority talked about in Romans 13:1 with all that such a role would demand? Does it conflict or contradict with Romans 12:17 onwards?
8. 32:07 [What does Idolatry Look Like Today?] What would you say is modern day idolatry? I spend way more time on Christian YouTube channels and my phone than I do reading the Bible or praying. Do you get concerned that people may idolize you?
9. 38:37 [About Unclean Food/Items] In Mark 7: 14-19, why does Jesus seem appalled that the Jews believe that touching or eating certain things could make them unclean, given Leviticus 5:2-6 and Leviticus 11? This concept came from God.
10. 44:21 [Why Would God Give Multiple Wives?] It’s often said that God does not affirm polygamy in the Old Testament, but 2 Samuel 12:8 seems to refute that. Why would God give multiple wives to David if he opposes polygamy?
11. 51:05 [When Were the Angels Created?] Were angels created on day 1 (with the heavens and all the hosts in them? (Nehemiah 9-6) Genesis 1 is not as clear. Are the hosts the angels?
12. 54:03 [How to Lovingly Correct Others] When discussing “correcting each other” in Bible studies (eg. Galatians 6:1, Matthew 18: 15), people mostly focus on when/why we shouldn’t admonish someone. What does loving and appropriate discipline look like?
13. 59:33 [How do we Biblically Love Ourselves?] How can I love myself biblically? Any advice or Scripture? I feel like I hate myself sometimes.
14. 1:04:54 [Help with Reaching Atheist Family Members] Most of my friends and family are atheists and don’t take any argument for God seriously. How can I reach them in a way that they will listen and start to take Christianity seriously?
15. 1:06:38 [Biblical Thoughts about Birth Control] What is a biblical perspective on married believers using birth control or permanent measures (e.g. a vasectomy)? Heard some say no based on Genesis 38 and Psalm 139.
16. 1:09:40 [Why did God Allow Satan into the Garden?] Why would a God who hates evil place evil incarnate (Satan) into the garden, when the world was still good and sinless, knowing it would lead to the corruption of humans?
17. 1:12:39 [Does Judas have a Throne?] In Matthew 19: 28, Jesus told His twelve disciples that they will have twelve thrones of judgment to judge the twelve tribes in the future. Does Judas still have a throne?
18. 1:16:17 [Why is Jesus C

To protect himself from possible retribution by the World Mission Society Church of God, “David Erdman” is using a fake name and his face is blurred out. This is because the WMSCOG is alleged to use law suits and family separation as ways of silencing those who openly come against them. Here are some resources that came up in my discussion with David. I thought you might find something here interesting… and hopefully it will strengthen your confidence that Christianity is true.

All of my videos on the WMSCOG (except for the one they had YT remove under a copyright complaint) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0LhGhJDXtA&list=PLZ3iRMLYFlHvwOzziMOk9ZIHKphdag47d

Misquoting Jesus appendix info. https://crossexamined.org/is-the-new-testament-reliable-erhman-refutes-ehrman/

A response to Bart Ehrman’s “How Jesus Became God” https://www.amazon.com/How-God-Became-Jesus-Nature/dp/0310519594

Dan Wallace and Bart Ehrman debate https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsVWFS9r9DY

William Lane Craig’s not-as-hard-to-understand “On Guard”. Evidence for God and for Christianity in particular. https://www.amazon.com/Guard-Defending-Faith-Reason-Precision-ebook/dp/B005SJ19VM/

Josh Rasmussen’s brilliant argument for God. https://www.amazon.com/How-Reason-Can-Lead-God-ebook/dp/B07TK5LCRN/

Watch me try to use fulfilled prophecy to prove that Christianity is true. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZ3iRMLYFlHvj5rdOI_3HtSrwvFK-96qH

I almost gave up trying to resolve this supposed “contradiction” between Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Was Jesus anointed with oil/perfume once, twice or three times? Is there error in the Gospels about this? This is a rather complicated set of problems that will take time to unpack. In my study this week I searched and searched and could not find a satisfactory answer; and I’m not really ok with half-answers, so I was about to give up on the issue when I set aside all my resources and just worked with the texts themselves. Now I think I understand a very plausible explanation for the differences and similarities in the four Gospels on this issue. Today is all about apologetics! I’ll be answering a lot of the following questions. If Luke is a separate account that happened at a different time and place how do we explain the similarities between his account and those in Mt, Mk and John? Like the other Gospels, Luke records a woman anointing Jesus, using fragrance from an alabaster flask and the name of the home owner being “Simon”. Even if Luke is a separate account we have questions about how John can be harmonized with Matt and Mark. Critics claim that John has this event happening 6 days before Passover while Mark and Matt have it happening 2 days before Passover. They say that John has this happening at the home of Lazarus while Mark and Matt have it happening at the home of Simon the Leper. Yet these three accounts seem too similar to say it happened twice in such a short period of time. This puzzle had me confused for a time, and when I looked up resources from other people who tried to figure out a good solution I found myself bothered even more. The solutions often disregarded obvious challenges! In the end, I think I’ve figured it out and decided to do a whole video on it to make sure a good resource was out there for those looking to answer the question. I also think we should talk a bit about the anxiety Christians often feel when trying to resolve a supposed contradiction. How do we process that, especially if we simply don’t know the answer yet?
This is part 57 of the Mark Series, going verse-by-verse through the Gospel of Mark. Today we are in chapter 14:1-12.
Feel free to use my videos in your own gatherings as an aid to studying Scripture.
See the WHOLE Gospel of Mark playlist here:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZ3iRMLYFlHuGenHwUdeiQ5M-uj5XW4sF

0:00 – Intro1. 1:20 When using the Kalam Cosmological Argument, how can I convince skeptics that this argument should lead to belief in the God of the Bible specifically, and not just “a creator” in general?2. 7:58 Is there any biblical support for the idea that Daniel 11:36-45 is talking about the antichrist instead of Antiochus IV?3. 16:08 How do you address the advanced ages found in the book of Genesis? My wife and I were discussing this last night. She takes them literally, while I view them more symbolically. How do you view it?4. 23:15 I was speaking with Orthodox Christian friends about tradition, and they said John 21:24-25 was the best example of the Bible mentioning oral tradition as being as authoritative as itself. Thoughts?5. 27:52 Are Mark 13:24-27 and Revelation 6:12-17 describing the same event?6. 31:37 How do we determine the difference between text in the Bible that only relates to the cultural context of the time vs. text that is trans-cultural and relevant for all time?7. 37:41 When the restrainer is removed, will non-believers lose their compassion and morals? (See 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7)8. 41:40 Are you ever shaken by why there are brilliant philosophers of religion, like Graham Oppy, who are atheists? I sometimes feel like I must be missing something.9. 45:30 I was wondering, what is a good alternative to the “sinners prayer”? How should we lead someone to salvation?10. 46:37 In Molinism (or your soteriology), is people’s choice to believe only dependent upon the circumstances God places them in? If so, why doesn’t God make circumstances that makes everyone believe?11. 50:35 A friend of mine points to the law on women and rape in Deuteronomy 22:23-24 as an example of “flawed teaching” in the Bible. How should we understand this verse?12. 56:10 Why is Esther in the Bible? I see no moral purpose, no mention of God anywhere, and the last two chapters have dangerous implications.13. 1:00:53 A friend who is a recent Christian hasn’t chosen to be baptized yet. He seems to not understand the importance of baptism. How can I explain the importance of baptism without being pushy? Ultimately, it’s his decision.14. 1:03:48 What does it mean to “wait on the Lord,” and how (in general) would you counsel someone who’s in that season?15. 1:05:44 Can you speak to how to tell the difference between the Spirit burdening your heart & just being obsessive about something? A friend broke contact with me during great pain a long time ago, and I still worry.16. 1:09:45 My unborn baby has a serious birth defect. Several friends are praying for a miracle. Is it o.k. if we don’t? I do believe God could heal that way, but I’m just trying to live with what’s real right now.17. 1:12:36 What is your perspective on the application of the “Do not even eat with them…” passage when it comes to family (1 Corinthians 5: 11)? Do you think this includes not going to family gatherings?18. 1:16:39 How do I talk to my wife, who believes in Jesus & prays “In Jesus Name, Amen,” but doesn’t read the Bible or know the true meaning & story behind Jesus Christ? Her lifestyle doesn’t add up with the script.19. 1:18:01 Do politics belong in the pulpit? I 100% disagree with politics being in the pulpit for various reasons, but I wanted your opinion also. 20. 1:23:03 I was saved last year, and my husband is still an atheist. He doesn’t want me sharing Jesus with our daughter because he thinks she’ll “think he’s going to hell.” How do I balance my faith and my respect for him?
Helping you learn to think biblically about everything, because the Bible is more brilliant, beautiful, and life-changing than most of us have realized. Every Friday at 1 p.m. PT.

Mario became convinced that Jesus bodily rose from the dead because of the historical evidence for it. He wrote a paper defending the resurrection for a school project, in Belgium, and asked me to do an interview on the topic as well as to answer several objections from his teacher. What excites me the most is just knowing his story and how those of us who have been doing online ministry have been able to play a role in it. To any skeptics who may be listening. I encourage you to take this evidence seriously and to dig on your own. Not just looking for reasons to reject Christianity but looking to discover what the truth is.

Here are some VERY helpful links.

My video explaining why, “Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence”, doesn’t help the skeptic deny the resurrection. https://youtu.be/3GRAI-us4es

A large video giving tons of evidence for the resurrection. https://youtu.be/0Rtmn5LLM-0

A short video for those who only have moment to hear the evidence. This is something to get the conversation started with a friend. https://youtu.be/4qhQRMhUK1o

My video on the evidence for the empty tomb. https://youtu.be/C8BU_R7QoYo

My playlist of live Q&A videos. Mario mentioned these have been helpful for him and I thought you might be interested as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gflBDcJV5wc&list=PLZ3iRMLYFlHsF2AppZDY7p1wGK0BwahuZ

Here is my verse by verse series going through the Gospel of Mark and covering various theology and apologetics issues. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7c7jWg60N_0&list=PLZ3iRMLYFlHuGenHwUdeiQ5M-uj5XW4sF

People have been using this verse of Scripture to deny the deity of Christ for a long time. in reality, it’s actually a beautiful way of teaching the deity and humanity of Christ. We will go through it in detail and answer objections while trying to make sure we don’t lose the simple and profound teaching of the passage. Jesus didn’t know the day or the hour. Why not? Does He know it now? Did the Holy Spirit know it? If Jesus didn’t know then how does that bear down on so many today who are trying to figure out the day and hour?

This is part 56 of the Mark Series, going verse by verse through the Gospel of Mark. Today we are in chapter 13:32-37.

Feel free to use my videos in your own gatherings as an aid to studying Scripture.

See the WHOLE Gospel of Mark playlist here. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZ3iRMLYFlHuGenHwUdeiQ5M-uj5XW4sF