The question of whether God has emotions is an interesting one that the Bible addresses in various ways. On one hand, God is described as unchanging and not subject to human emotions. But on the other hand, the Bible uses emotional language and anthropomorphic descriptions of God’s feelings and reactions. While God is not a human being, Scripture uses analogies from human experience to help us understand His nature and character. In thinking about this question, an important place to start is understanding that God is spirit (John 4:24). As spirit, God is not limited by a physical body or…
Author: Emma Price
Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874-1936) was an influential English writer, philosopher, lay theologian, and literary and art critic. He wrote on a wide variety of topics, including religion, ethics, politics, philosophy, literature, art, social criticism, and Christian apologetics. Chesterton is known for his reasoned defense of the Christian faith, prolific output, immense wit and humor, and unconventional style. Some key facts about Chesterton: Born in London in 1874 Educated at St Paul’s School Didn’t go to university but self-educated, largely in the British Museum Library Married Frances Blogg in 1901 Involved in London literary and artistic circles early on Prolific writer…
Revelation 6:6 says, “And I heard what seemed to be a voice in the midst of the four living creatures, saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and do not harm the oil and the wine!”” This verse comes in the midst of the opening of the first four seals, which unleash the four horsemen of the apocalypse. The voice speaks of economic hardship – it will take a whole day’s wages just to buy some basic food staples. But the voice tells them not to harm the oil and wine.…
John 3:18 states, “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” This verse teaches an important truth about the consequences of unbelief and the importance of faith in Jesus Christ. In the broader context of John chapter 3, Jesus is having a conversation with Nicodemus, a Pharisee and member of the Jewish ruling council. Jesus tells Nicodemus that one must be “born again” spiritually in order to enter the kingdom of God (John 3:3). He further explains that this…
The Zion Christian Church (ZCC) is one of the largest African initiated churches in southern Africa. The church was founded by Engenas Lekganyane in 1910 in Thabakgone, South Africa. After being expelled from the Apostolic Faith Mission church, Engenas started ZCC, which soon spread across southern Africa, with over 4 million members today. The ZCC is characterized by its focus on faith healing and the use of holy water. Engenas Lekganyane was believed to have special powers of healing, and this drew many people to the church. Healing rituals involving the use of blessed water, candles, and ash are still…
What was the Feast of Firstfruits? The Feast of Firstfruits was one of the Lord’s appointed feasts for the Israelites that God commanded them to observe each year. It was part of the larger Passover celebration and took place on the Sunday after Passover. Here is an overview of the biblical background and significance of this important feast: The Feast of Firstfruits was instituted by God in Leviticus 23:9-14. It was to be celebrated each year on the day after the Sabbath following Passover. This meant it would always fall on a Sunday, the first day of the week. On…
The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins – not just the sins we committed in the past or are committing now, but even the sins we will commit in the future. Here are some key verses that show Jesus’ death on the cross was for all of our sins – past, present and future: Isaiah 53:5-6 says, “But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like…
The question of whether Mary is the Theotokos, or Mother of God, is an important theological issue in Christianity. The term Theotokos means “God-bearer” and refers to Mary’s role as the mother of Jesus Christ, who is believed to be both fully human and fully divine as the second person of the Trinity. Here is a 9000 word examination of what the Bible has to say on this topic: In Luke 1:26-38, we read about the annunciation, where the angel Gabriel announces to Mary that she will conceive and bear a son, Jesus. Gabriel tells Mary “The Holy Spirit will…
Restorative justice is an approach to justice that focuses on repairing the harm caused by crime and conflict. It aims to bring together all those affected by an offense to identify how people were hurt, who should be held accountable, and how amends can be made. Restorative justice seeks to heal victims, rehabilitate offenders, and restore peace to communities. Though the modern restorative justice movement emerged in the 1970s, the principles of restorative justice have deep biblical roots. The Bible emphasizes justice, repentance, forgiveness, and restoration throughout its pages. While retributive justice focuses on punishing offenders, restorative justice focuses on…
The Gideons International is an association of Christian business and professional men who are dedicated to distributing free copies of the Bible around the world. Here is a look at their history, beliefs, and practices: History of the Gideons International The Gideons International was founded in 1899 in Janesville, Wisconsin by three businessmen – John H. Nicholson, Samuel E. Hill, and William J. Knights. Nicholson and Hill were traveling salesmen and Knights was a secretary for the YMCA. The men were concerned about the spiritual well-being of the traveling businessmen they encountered and believed Bibles should be made available in…
