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Why would Mary and Joseph offer "turtle doves" in Luke 2:24?
When Jesus was "presented" in Jerusalem by Mary and Joseph, the sacrifice made was "a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons":
Luke 2: 22 When the days of their purification according to the law of Moses were fulfilled, they brought him up to…
user3607
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Is there an English equivalent for Nephilim of Genesis 6:4?
Genesis 6:4 (NIV)Emphasis added
The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.
Is there an English…
Richard
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Was there precedent for John to link the satan and the serpent?
In Revelation 20:2, John links the satan and the serpent:
He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.
A couple preliminary questions: Is the reference to "that ancient serpent" an…
Soldarnal
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What was Eve's role in relation to Adam?
The role of Eve in relation to Adam is dramatically changed by the interpretation of the sections I have bolded below, from Genesis 2:18:
The verse as most people learned it:
And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I…
TJ Luoma
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What does "being salted with fire" mean in Mark 9:49?
For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be
salted with salt (Mark 9:49)
What does it mean to be salted with fire?! It looks from this verse like one can be salted in one of the two possible ways: either with fire or…
brilliant
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18
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Where does the extra information about Melchizedek come from in Hebrews 7?
The Genesis account of Abraham's encounter with Melchizedek leaves us with powerful few details about his life, yet later on the author of Hebrews clearly uses his priestly work as a type of Christ, going so far as to compare their origins and rolls…
Caleb
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Translation of "this generation will not pass away" in Matthew 24:34?
I'm curious specifically regarding the translation of the word "generation" here in Matthew 24:34, Mark 13:30, and Luke 21:32.
Matthew 24:34 (NIV)
Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have…
Richard
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18
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Revelation: Before or after AD70?
My question is about how the Book of Revelation is dated. Some say it was written before the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, and others say it was written later (maybe around AD 96.)
Obviously the proper dating of the book would have huge…
Jas 3.1
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David's sons served as priests?
2 Samuel 8:18 says: "...and David's sons were priests."
How could David's sons be priests if he was a Judahite and priests were Levites?
Emi Matro
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Should we put God to test or not?
Moses says "don't put God to test" (Deut. 6:16), but Malachi say "put God to test" (Mal. 3:10).
You shall not put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah." (Deut. 6:16 ESV)
Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there…
Ernest Abinokhauno
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18
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5 answers
In Exodus 20:7 what does it mean to "take the name of the Lord your God in vain"?
In Exodus 20:7 we read (what is commonly considered to be) the third Commandment:
You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.
I have heard that this means…
Jas 3.1
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In the Gospel of Mark, why does Jesus heal this blind man twice?
There’s this episode in Mark’s gospel which is particularly puzzling. Here it is in chapter 8:
22 They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and
begged Jesus to touch him. 23 He took the blind man by the hand and
led him…
Matthew Miller
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"which translated means..."
I am told that many scholars believe that the words of Jesus which we have presented to us in Greek were originally spoken in Aramaic. What confuses me then is why there are instances in the Greek where the author chose not to simply translate…
Jas 3.1
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Did King Hezekiah do something wrong in showing off his wealth to emissaries from Babylonia in II Kings 20?
The Hezekiah (Heb: Chizkiyahu) narrative in II Kings (chapters 17 – 20) and Isaiah (36 – 39) concludes on a dissonant and haunting confrontation between King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah. Hezekiah has just shown his kingdom's wealth to messengers…
Amichai
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To what extent is Psalm 51:4 poetic exaggeration?
The context of Psalm 51 is clear:
To the choirmaster. A psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.
These events are described in 2nd Samuel 11–12. In summary, David essentially murdered1 Uriah the…
Jon Ericson
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