Articles by BibleThinker

Today we deal with claim #2, “It’s not a sin to be gay.”
I hope I can help us to think a bit more deeply about this.

0:00 intro
0:18 to SKIP intro

I was recently interviewed by Alisa Childers and I’ve taken that interview and broke it down into topical videos dealing with the 23 different claims made by the “progressive Christian” Ragamuffin TV. You’ll see a new video EVERY DAY until the whole series is uploaded.

Here’s a link where you can see every video in this series (as they go up) https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZ3iRMLYFlHstu7p_vncGknpVhWp9uxc1

Here are the links to the long form interviews which are on Alisa’s channel
Part 1 https://youtu.be/wVLLuyN-Ezo
Part 2 https://youtu.be/CoBW3LY8xiw

I was recently interviewed by Alisa Childers and I’ve taken that interview and broken it down into topical videos dealing with the 23 different claims made by the “progressive Christian” Ragamuffin TV. You’ll see a new video EVERY DAY until the whole series is uploaded.

0:00 intro
0:18 to SKIP intro

Today’s meme is about whether it is a sin to cuss or not. But because this is the first video in the series we will take some time to explain what this is about. I’d like to add that I know there are plenty of believers who disagree with me on this issue. I consider them my brothers and sister and I’m open to changing my mind but I have yet to hear an intelligent and biblical case that cussing is generally permissible

Here’s a link where you can see EVERY video in this series (as they go up) https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZ3iRMLYFlHstu7p_vncGknpVhWp9uxc1

Here are the links to the long form interviews which are on Alisa’s channel
Part 1 https://youtu.be/wVLLuyN-Ezo
Part 2 https://youtu.be/CoBW3LY8xiw

I still remember when I first started to realize that we had completely misused the words of Jesus. It took a while to be able to confront the fact that the teachers I had been so blessed by had actually reversed the meaning Jesus intended when He spoke these words. I hope that I can encourage us today to have humility and greater accuracy when dealing with end times prophecy and how current events might play in to God’s end times plans. Humility itself can save us from a lot of errors and lessen the harm caused even when we do fall into error. In short, today’s study shows how many of the things people often appeal to as indicators that the second coming is soon are actually not indicators at all. Earthquakes, wars, famines and pandemics included.

This is part 52 of the Mark Series, going verse by verse through the Gospel of Mark. Today we are in chapter 13:1-13

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 – Allow me to deflate myself.
1. 5:16 What are your thoughts about Hillsong? Are they a progressive Christian church? Is their theology sound?
2. 13:48 Is it o.k. for Christians have icons in their home?
3. 19:06 Did the apostles speak a language everyone understood in Acts 2, or did each one speak one of the foreign languages? Any thoughts? Also, why exactly did some people mock them?
4. 25:06 Can you tell me your thoughts/insights about “missionary” Spencer Smith? He’s a fundamental Southern Baptist whose ministry seems more a witch hunt than the Gospel.
5. 26:48 Can a spiritual gift be taught? I am of the mind that no spiritual gift can be taught simply because a gift is, by definition, free to the recipient. The gift costs nothing.
6. 30:47 I am struggling to find a good response to Leviticus 25: 44-46 in terms of the Bible endorsing slavery. What are your thoughts on this passage?
7. 41:37 What does it mean for believers to be “one in us” (the Father and the Son) in the same way that they are in each other? John 17: 21 has me confused.
8. 46:26 I’ve heard my grandma say that sometimes she doesn’t pray out loud so that the devil can’t hear her, because “the devil can’t know our thoughts.” Is there biblical basis for this?
9. 48:32 If God is the potter and I’m the clay, am I responsible for my own life, or not? Is it up to me to make something of myself, or is it my job simply to trust and obey God (and His will for my life)?
10. 51:12 Which “form” does Jesus have in Heaven: a human one, or a shapeless one? I am having a hard time picturing Him in my prayers.
11. 53:24 How do we know that the long book of Jeremiah which we use today is the right one (instead of Jeremiah in the Septuagint which is much shorter)?
12. 55:14 Can you explain Matthew 25: 14? What are the “bags of silver”? Are they the same as in 1 Corinthians 3: 12 (gold, silver, etc.)?
13. 57:46 What’re your thoughts on Christian Rock/Metal? Is it difficult (or even impossible) to honor God and spread the Gospel using genres often expressing dangerous messages and imagery?
14. 1:00:18 How do you respond to someone who demands you give a chapter and verse from the Bible to support any claim you make regarding things that tend to be more nuanced or situation specific.
15. 1:01:36 Is it biblical to anoint your home with oil that you’ve prayed over to combat spiritual warfare?
16. 1:03:33 I was baptized as an infant in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, but got saved a little over a year ago. Should I get baptized again?
17. 1:05:06 Hosea 8:4 vs. Romans 13:1? My county hasn’t allowed more than 2 households together in months. I want to be subject, but I wouldn’t consider this a “godly” law as He taught hospitality. Thoughts?
18. 1:10:13 I’ve heard Mormons equate Paul’s conversion experience with Joseph Smith’s in order to justify Mormonism. From an apologetics standpoint, why is Paul’s conversion story credible?
19. 1:12:59 On the subject of divorce, can the offending spouse remarry after trying to reconcile? Or is remarriage only available for the offended? What if the offense is sexually immoral to some, but not to others?
20. 1:15:04 Is imputed righteousness biblical? I find Evangelical Christians will say “the blood covers my sins,” but the Bible says we have to turn from wickedness.
21. 1:18:01 (Bonus Q!) Can you please give your thoughts on the New Century Version, The Amplified Version, and the Contemporary English Version of the Bible? I heard your video on translations, but these were not mentioned. I use the ESV and NLT mainly, but I like to use others from time to time, too.

Here’s the video I did going through a variety of passages related to slavery https://youtu.be/l2q3fql-BlY

Every Friday at 1pm PT
Here’s how you get your questions answered in the Q&A
1) Please reread your question before you ask to ensure that it will make sense to me. Clarity is paramount.
2) Wait till we

Open description for time stamps. I’ve hired a number of scholars to review Brian Simmons’ seriously flawed Bible version. This is my “Passion Project”. Today’s video features Dr. Craig Blomberg and his thoughts after reviewing the book of 1 Corinthians in The Passion Translation. Scroll down for links to Dr. Blomberg’s paper. This same link will have ALL the reviews and papers as they are published. You should see a total of 5 uploaded by the beginning of January. After that I will need to wait a while for more scholars to finish their papers and do interviews. I hope to have it all done in the next few months. What’s was my goal with this? I want the people of Christ to know the truth about this “translation” so that they can love what God has said without Brian Simmons altering it in unjustified ways. However, in the course of researching for this project I’ve uncovered some other very concerning things about Brian Simmons’ teachings including false prophecy and various extreme claims regarding his own spiritual experiences. I’ll be sharing some of this in future videos as well since I have realized that he is not just styling himself as a Bible translator but as an inspired Bible interpreter who is going to release a last days transformation in the people of God so that “everything that can be said about Jesus can be said about you”. Yeah, it’s weird.

LINK to all interviews AND papers as they are uploaded. https://biblethinker.org/index.php/the-passion-translation

Dr. Blomberg’s book – Can We Trust The Bible? https://www.amazon.com/Can-Still-Believe-Bible-Contemporary/dp/1587433214

For even MORE content on TPT here is a playlist of my own research into this translation. I think it’s even worse than many of the scholars have said, but that’s not because of a failure on their part. They restricted themselves to reviewing the translation text of a single book each, and only glancing at the footnotes, whereas I looked at the work as a whole and found various other issues of concern including misleading statements from Brian about his own experience as a translator for the Paya Kuna Bible, his degree of education and even stunningly false prophecies he has given. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZ3iRMLYFlHvXha4rjCj1Po0WLQc_jGGW

My website https://BibleThinker.org

*These timestamps will work after the video has premiered.
0:00 Intro
0:17 Why this video is important: Brian Simmons wild claims.
1:55 What my Passion Project is.
2:35 Who is Dr. Blomberg and why is he reviewing TPT?
4:52 Dr. Blomberg’s attitude toward paraphrases.
6:41 Dr. Blomberg is not driven by bias against TPT but by credible concerns.
7:51 Is TPT misleading people when it calls itself a “translation”?
9:27 A great example of why TPT isn’t a translation.
10:07 The “glaring, recurring error” in TPT’s footnotes (the “Aramaic”).
12:38 This is REALLY bad. Brian Simmons is deceiving people about what “all the scholars” think.
17:37 Simmons’ knowingly misuses Mike Bird’s scholarship even after Dr. Bird rebuked the misuse.
19:42 Brian Simmons claims that his FOOTNOTES in TPT are the result of God’s inspiration.
23:50 Why we should reject Simmons’ claims.
24:53 Why the “lack of italics” in TPT is deceiving people.
27:29 1 Cor 1 vv. 11-12 that show TPT is inconsistent with italics.
30:38 How Simmons messes up the “gender role” passage in 1 Corinthians.
35:07 Simmons has an axe to grind on the topic of women which he seems to be wrongly forcing into his translation of the Bible.
38:48 The one place where Simmons translation seems complementarian.
43:26 What attracts people to The Passion Translation?
45:03 Examples of Simmons adding “passion” to the Bible where he shouldn’t.
46:08 TPT is named after and angel that Brian saw, according to Brian Simmons.
46:38 How Brian represents TPT as if it’s a quality work without bias.
47:42 But Brian sometimes admits his translation is very much a sectarian work.
52:03 Simmons “reverses Paul’s meaning” in 1 Cor 10 v. 13.
5

Fakery, false spirituality and money-grubbing is a multi-million dollar industry. But it’s not new. Jesus warned us about these issues in the first century and they just keep coming up again and again. But I don’t think we would be wise to limit this warning to an issue that we see in some leaders. We should take seriously the fact that humans seem to have a natural drift from authentic spirituality to impersonated spirituality. From genuine character and godliness to laboring at the appearance of character and godliness. This is something that leaders will probably be tempted with the most but any one of us can fall into. God give us wisdom!

This is part 51 of the Mark Series, going verse by verse through the Gospel of Mark. Today we are in chapter 12:38-44

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

Open for timestamps to each question (I did 25 of them today).

My teaching on the fate of those who die without ever hearing the gospel. https://youtu.be/IiyxpE5UBz4

Question Time Stamps for Quick Reference:
0:00 Introduction
1. 1:56 When reading and studying the Bible, when is a good time to refer to a second translation to clarify what I’m reading?
2. 5:22 How do we reach a fellow believer who is not only believing in the lies but siding with them in the MSM when it comes to politics (i.e. Trump) or about any conservative viewpoint?
3. 9:11 How can we look at Psalm 37: 4 without falling into a WOF trap?
4. 15:27 Can a Christian work in the CIA, NSA, etc. when lying and deception is part of the job? You lie to enemies, other times you lie to your family, ex: saying you work for State dept. to maintain cover.
5. 20:47 Over the past year, my wife has gained a lot of weight. She’s been wanting to have more intimacy, but lately I don’t feel any sexual desire or lust toward her. Is sexual deprivation toward a spouse a sin?
6. 27:28 Mike, any comments for Christians? US Congress convened in the name of the Hindu god Brahma, and all the other monotheistic Gods called by other names. Then they said, Amen, Awoman… Idolatry?
7. 30:50 How can my relationship with God grow even more? I have felt so many times that I am “not there yet” or as if the fire I used to have is gone and something is wrong between me and God.
8. 33:51 The Epistle of Jude cites Enoch and the Testament of Moses. How do we know this letter isn’t a fabrication of sorts like from Gnostic sects, and was snuck in during the council that established the NT?
9. 36:26 Please recommend reading for marriage counseling. Christian counselors say too submissive = codependent; biblical counselors say if you’re submissive enough your spouse will repent (about 1 peter 3:1).
10. 43:39 What happens to all of the people who lived and died before Jesus was born? How will they be judged and saved?
11. 46:00 I am an ex-Catholic still doing a daily Rosary. I understand the theological problems. Can you suggest a replacement daily devotional?
12. 51:46 Does Hebrews 2: 17 “like them in every respect” indicate that Jesus had the same human nature as we do in every way? If so, can we conclude that we, like him, are born with an innocent human nature?
13. 54:32 Christians are using John 16: 13 to qualify a wide variety of claims, believing that the Holy Spirit led them to particular beliefs or practices. To what extent does this apply to a Christian today?
14. 58:47 I watched the conscience video and Romans 14: 23 confuses me. My conscience is so weak at the moment that I doubt just about everything…basic things. Should I obey my anxious inklings every time?
15. 1:02:37 What are your thoughts about going to church during a pandemic?
16. 1:03:50 In Judges 20: 18, why did God appear to deceive Israel and Judah as they sought His help in bringing justice on the tribe of Benjamin? They lost 40,000 people before He actually helped them.
17. 1:10:53 If the man in the Gospel of Mark was born blind, how did he even know what trees look like? This troubles me a bit.
18. 1:12:32 Do we have extrabiblical evidence for the earthquake & darkness that took place at the time of the crucifixion?
19. 1:13:21 In the U.K., COVID-19 laws are getting stricter. As Christians, are we obligated to follow these rules even we think some of them are pointless and could put a strain on relationships?
20. 1:15:19 What are your thoughts on baptizing children? my 8-year-old has made a profession of faith that we feel is genuine. Should we wait until he is older, say 12 or 13?
21. 1:18:10 Have you reached out to Dr. Michael Brown to discuss TPT? I believe he endorsed it. I’ve been loving the passion project by the way!
22. 1:19:07 Are re-baptisms biblical?
23. 1:21:02 What do I do if I have to be around someone who is easily angered and I have to walk on eggshells?
24. 1:22:40 I recently started posting Christian Yo

Open description for time stamps. Welcome to my Passion Project! Where real scholars test the wild claims of Brian Simmons about his new Bible, The Passion Translation, so that YOU can know what’s really going on with this suddenly popular new Bible version.

Today’s video features Dr. Douglas Moo and his thoughts after reviewing the book of Romans. Dr. Moo has invested much of his scholarly life on the book of Romans and I am so excited to have such an expert weigh in on The Passion Translation. There’s a link below to where I will put ALL the reviews and papers as they are published. You should see a total of 5 uploaded by mid-January. After that I will need to wait a while for more scholars to finish their papers and do interviews. I hope to have it all done in the next few months. What’s was my goal with this? I want the people of Christ to know the truth about this “translation” so that they can love what God has said without Brian Simmons altering it in unjustified ways. However, in the course of researching for this project I’ve uncovered some other very concerning things about Brian Simmons’ teachings including false prophecy and various extreme claims regarding his own spiritual experiences. I’ll be sharing some of this in future videos as well since I have realized that he is not just styling himself as a Bible translator but as an inspired Bible interpreter who is going to release a last days transformation in the people of God so that “everything that can be said about Jesus can be said about you”. Yeah, it’s weird. Stay tuned to my channel for more info on this in the coming weeks.

LINK to all interviews AND papers as they are uploaded. https://biblethinker.org/index.php/the-passion-translation

If you are interested in Dr. Moo’s books and commentary they can be found here. He’s a brilliant and highly accomplished scholar and has a lot of interesting insights, especially on the letters of Paul. https://www.amazon.com/Douglas-J.-Moo/e/B000AQ6VXE%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share

My website https://BibleThinker.org

*These time stamps will begin working after the premiere has aired.
0:00 Brian Simmons says God “increased the capacity” of his brain.
0:26 Brian says God gave him secrets of Hebrew and Greek.
1:03 What is “My Passion Project”
1:16 What today’s video is about.
2:46 Brian says God gave him extra special help from an angel to do the book of Romans.
3:25 Who is Dr. Douglas Moo and why did he review Romans in TPT?
5:13 What positive things does Dr. Moo have to say about TPT’s rendering of Romans?
6:34 How TPT has a “confusing translation philosophy”.
9:39 TPT adds stuff to the Bible. Examples given.
12:12 Brian Simmons presents himself as a spiritual guru.
13:34 Shocking claims in TPT commercial from Sid Roth’s show.
14:29 The suspicious nature of a one-man translation.
16:00 Brian Simmons’ wild claims about inspiration from God.
17:44 A CENTRAL issue showing TPT can’t be trusted; “the Aramaic.”
20:10 Brain is making stuff up and pretending it is “scholarship”.
23:51 Simmons uses “false appeal to etymology” in TPT (a lot).
25:55 Testing one of Brian Simmons “secrets of Hebrew”, Homonyms.
29:56 Brian Simmons claims he is a linguist but makes basic linguistic errors.
30:44 Example of “questionable interpretations” in Romans in TPT.
32:38 Footnotes in the TPT that Brian claims are from God are sometimes “frankly nonsense.”
35:33 Does TPT look like it was reviewed by scholars as most translations are.
38:23 Dr. Moo views “translation” and “paraphrase” differently than others I have interviewed.
39:34 TPT says that it “reclaims lost Aramaic texts,” what does Dr. Moo think about that?
41:20 The TPT web site claims it is “an excellent translation you can use as your primary text to seriously study God’s word,” Dr. Moo responds.
41:59 Dr. Moo responds to the Bill Johnson quote.
43:27 Is TPT misleading people in it’s promotional material?
44:51 What would Dr. Moo say to someone who loves TPT?
45:43 Did God grow Bria

What’s super interesting to me about what Jesus says here is that, in one short passage He covers the nature of the inspiration and authorship of the Bible, how messianic hermeneutics functions, and the identity of the Messiah as greater than they had known. In a couple sentences he gives us so much clarity and tools for our own understanding and interpretation of the Bible. And also shows some clever behavior in asking His own question to finally trump the numerous trick questions of the opposition. Showing superior knowledge of God, Messiah and the Scripture. Jesus is awesome!

Here’s that video on Melchizedek and how he represents Christ. https://youtu.be/qP-m85M8HWk

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

Open video description for time stamps.

Here’s the video I mentioned which explains the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit https://youtu.be/KmCHX8-2Smo

Question Time Stamps for Quick Reference:

0:00 Introduction
1. 0:29 What are your upcoming plans and/or announcements for this coming year?
2. 12:04 You seemed to imply in a previous video that the dead can be aware of what happens on Earth. How do you reconcile that with Ecclesiastes 9:5, which says “the dead know nothing”?
3. 16:00 In Genesis 4, what is your take on why God was not pleased with Cain’s sacrifice? The text says he was a worker of the ground, and Abel was a cattle owner, so wouldn’t it make sense that Cain would give grain and Abel would give meat, since those were just their individual professions?
4. 21:02 If soul sleep isn’t a thing, people who have been resurrected are essentially being snatched out of Paradise or Hell and put back into a body. Why would that be?
5. 23:34 Scripture is clear that we are sinful, but do Christians sin every second, minute, and hour?
~(Bonus Q) 26:51 I was raised a Jehovah’s Witness and baptized as a kid, but not in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. How do I know what church to choose now, and who should baptize me? I’m afraid of being misled.
6. 30:57 In your video on Mark 11: 22-25 you talked about how important the Temple was for the Jews in regard to prayer. But didn’t God hear the prayers of believers like Daniel without a temple?
7. 33:35 The other day my friend/future roommate, a Christian, told me he has pursued a gay lifestyle since March. Any advice on points to hit when he and I are able to talk again?
8. 37:28 Is it sinful to not want to marry? How do I know if I’m called to stay single?
9. 39:22 A lot of people like “happy church” where everything is “positive.” Thus, positivity and negativity become moral categories. What are the dangers of this approach?
10. 43:20 Who was the most notable old testament leader in your mind, and why? I am doing a study on biblical leadership and would love your response.
11. 44:10 Do you have any suggestions for someone who procrastinates on deeply studying the scriptures in fear of messing up? I want to study theological topics like eschatology, but fear I’ll do it wrong.
12. 46:15 I have 100 Qs, but could you pray for me? I’m anxious about my salvation and fear often that I’ve blasphemed the Holy Spirit. Also, how can we be praying for you and your wife?
13. 49:15 If we can’t “lean on our own understanding” or trust in man or a group and there are many ways to interpret the Bible, how do we know whether we are following our heart or conscience?
14. 56:05 Does God actually love us unconditionally? Does He still love the people whose conscience He intentionally hardens, those who blaspheme the Holy Spirit, and those who go to Hell?
15. 59:05 Ehrman says the word for “born again” in Aramaic doesn’t have the double meaning it has in Greek, thus the conversation couldn’t have gone the way it is referred to in John 3. What is the solution?
16. 1:03:12 What practices in a party/wedding should be different for Christians vs. non-believers? Or what should one not practice as a Christian…drinking? Dancing?
17. 1:05:56 Do you think the apostles taught the doctrine of imminence? Could it have been possible for someone like Peter who knew he was going to die according to Jesus’ words? Can we believe it today?
18. 1:08:23 1 Corinthians 11: 10 states that the husband has authority over his wife, and Ephesians 5: 23 states the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the Church. Since Christ disciplines the Church, is there biblical grounds for wife discipline, and to what extend can a husband enforce his authority?
19. 1:13:20 How literally should we take what is said about Hell? Is it a literal place of fire, gnashing of teeth, etc., or is it metaphor? Is either interpretation wrong?
20. 1:14:37 My kids (2 & 4) received children’s books on evolution from a family