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20 answers
In John 1:1c, should the Greek word θεὸς be translated into English as “a god” or “God”?
The New World Translation, the official Bible version of the Watchtower/Jehovah’s Witnesses, translates John 1:1 into English as follows:
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god. NWT, 2013
The Greek text…
Reinstate Monica - Goodbye SE
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In Psalm 22:21 is the Bible speaking of "unicorns"?
I was reading Psalm 22 (from this question) and I found this verse:
Psalms 22:21 (KJV)
Save me from the lion's mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.
When I switched translations I found "wild oxen" instead:
Psalms 22:21…
Richard
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What does it mean to be "born of water"?
In John 3:5, Jesus tells Nicodemus that to enter the kingdom one must be "born of water and the Spirit". How is this phrase understood? Is it a single construct (i.e. one birth of both water and Spirit)? Or are two births in view (one of water and…
Soldarnal
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57
votes
9 answers
What is the difference between exegesis and hermeneutics?
What is the difference between exegesis and hermeneutics? Are they the same, is there overlap, or does one pick up where the other leaves off?
Caleb
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54
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Does 1st Kings say that pi = 3?
The construction of Solomon's temple includes a piece of furnishing described in 1 Kings 7:23 (ESV):
Then he made the sea of cast metal. It was round, ten cubits from brim to brim, and five cubits high, and a line of thirty cubits measured its…
Jon Ericson
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51
votes
10 answers
In Judges 11:39-40 did Jephthah actually sacrifice his daughter?
It's clear that what Jephthah intended was to sacrifice the first animal that he met when he returned home:
Then the spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah. He marched through Gilead and Manasseh, passing Mizpeh of Gilead; and from Mizpeh of Gilead…
Jon Ericson
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49
votes
6 answers
What language did Jesus commonly speak?
According to Mark 15:34 (ESV):
And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Jesus spoke Aramaic in his final moments. Was this his usual language? …
Jon Ericson
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48
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2 answers
What were the historical reasons why the Book of Enoch was excluded from most Christian canons?
According to Wikipedia:
By the 4th century, the Book of Enoch was mostly excluded from Christian canons, and it is now regarded as scripture by only the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and the Eritrean Orthodox Church.
What were the historical reasons…
Jack Douglas
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Does Romans 9:5 assert the deity of Christ?
Also known by the more pedestrian title: *How should Romans 9:5 be punctuated?*
Romans 9:5, NA28 (punctuation omitted):
ὧν οἱ πατέρες καὶ ἐξ ὧν ὁ Χριστὸς τὸ κατὰ σάρκα ὁ ὢν ἐπὶ πάντων θεὸς εὐλογητὸς εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας ἀμήν
Two markedly different…
Susan
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What were the Corinthians doing when they "baptized on behalf of the dead"?
In the very center of an argument about the general resurrection, which the Corinthians questioned, Paul says:
Otherwise, what do people mean by being baptized on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on…
Jon Ericson
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45
votes
5 answers
Is "kill" a valid translation for Exodus 20:13 (Thou shalt not kill)?
Exodus 20:13 (KJV)
Thou shalt not kill.
Many political statements have been made about this verse. This translation has been used by many to support their pacifist desires. However, it seems that most translations have dropped "kill" in favor of…
Richard
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44
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What does "image" in Genesis 1:26-27 mean?
Genesis 1:26-27 (ESV)
26Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping…
GalacticCowboy
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How do Jewish scholars differ from Christian scholars in their approach to the Tanakh?
What are the characteristic differences between how Jewish scholarship approaches the text of the Tanakh (Old Testament) and that of Christian scholars? If their approach was the same I assume they would come to the same theological conclusions, so…
Caleb
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42
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13 answers
Are women really saved by childbearing according to 1 Timothy 2:15?
In 1 Timothy, Paul says:
1 Timothy 2:15 (ESV)
15 Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.
Does the "she" refer to Eve, or all women? And does the "they" refer to the same…
user474
40
votes
4 answers
Did John know about the Synoptics?
What evidence is there that John was aware of the Synoptics when he wrote the Fourth Gospel?
Soldarnal
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