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What does it mean to "Bless the LORD"?

Psalm 103:1-2 (KJV) Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits What does it mean to say "Bless the Lord"?. It is more logical that the superior one…
Mawia
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In Theistic Evolution when do the genealogies in Genesis become real?

In Genesis there is the genealogy of Adam to Noah, then the account of the flood. After that is the genealogy of Noah to Abraham. The accounts of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Jacob's sons then follow. After that is an unspecific number of persons to…
user3961
21
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What is the origin of the moral-civil-ceremonial distinction of the Old Testament law?

This distinction is often called tripartite division of the law. I ran across this series of blog posts, which considers the division of the law into "moral", "civil", and "ceremonial" parts: Introduction Historical Overview Analyzing Aquinas'…
Ray
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What is the scriptural basis for "Love God and do whatever you please"?

This quote has been attributed to St. Augustine, referring to what he said in a sermon on 1 John 4:4-12: See what we are insisting upon; that the deeds of men are only discerned by the root of charity. For many things may be done that have a good…
Christine Mitchell
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Did the Apostles' Creed originate with the Apostles?

The Apostles' Creed is perhaps the oldest statement of faith in the Christian tradition. Is there any evidence that it was used by Jesus' first followers? If not, when did it originate?
Bruce Alderman
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What is the Protestant argument against the doctrine of Purgatory?

The Roman Catholic Church teaches the idea of Purgatory, which is defined by Wikipedia as follows: Purgatory is, according to Catholic teaching, the state or place of purification or temporary punishment by which those who die in a state of…
Narnian
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What does "scripture" mean in NT writing?

This is slightly a take-off from: What does it mean that all scripture is God-Breathed? The Bible as we know it today wasn't canonized and compiled into a single volume until much later. In particular, I am concerned with the reference to all…
Matthew
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What is the purpose of a Rosary?

I am not Catholic and I am pretty sure the Rosary is mainly a Catholic artifact, and in modern times devout Catholics seem to always have a Rosary (as in, you know they're Catholic because of the Rosary). My question is what is the purpose of the…
Derek Downey
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Are there Old Testament Scriptures that mention salvation for the Gentiles?

I'm wondering if there are any passages/prophecies about salvation for the Gentile world in the Old Testament. If you know any, please share.
Nick Rolando
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Is "the ends justify the means" compatible with Christianity?

This cliche is usually quoted in the context of "the ends don't justify the means", but in practice most folks seem to live as if the ends did justify the means even if the means involved sin. However sometimes people cannot see clearly what is sin…
Caleb
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What is the Catholic Church's answer to Nancy Pelosi's argument of a double standard between abortion and the death penalty?

US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi was recently barred from receiving communion in her diocese by her bishop over her obdurate viewpoint with regard to abortion, in response she said: I wonder about the death penalty, which I am opposed to. So is…
Peter Turner
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What was the difference between the Pharisees and Sadducees?

Jesus often encountered "Pharisees" and "Sadducees". For example, 34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest…
Mike
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Why does Jesus value leap of faith more than those who rely on direct evidence?

As told in the gospel according to John, following the crucifixion, the resurrected Jesus appears in front of his disciples and greets them (John 20:19-21). The disciples then run off to tell the only disciple who was not present during Jesus'…
RandomUser
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Why does the (N)KJV put Jesus' name in all caps in Matthew 1:21 and Luke 1:31?

It's only in the King James and the New King James, but why is Jesus' name in all caps? And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.Matthew 1:21 And, behold, thou shalt…
dleyva3
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In what order should the books of the (Protestant) Bible be read?

The Bible is probably one of the most historically significant books for the Western civilization, so it should be a worthwhile read for many a literature geek. In which order should it be read, then? Cover-to-cover is hardly a good order, as the…
StackExchange saddens dancek
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