Question: Is God Mad at Me? While studying about wrath, I came across a question: What does it mean when God has “wrath” towards them (John 3:36)? Basically, is God mad at me? I believe (as in Romans 1) that God’s wrath is against the actions (ungodliness). However, there are many verses like John 3:36 […]
God’s Wrath in the Bible Wrath and anger, as the Bible uses them, are especially important words to understand correctly. Note that this is an especially-long definition page but a very important one as God’s wrath in the Bible is so badly misunderstood. Traditional Legal Model – God’s outrage at the wrong done to Him; at […]
The Meaning of Names in the Bible In both gospel models, of course, names are recognized and used as identifying labels. Beyond that, there are variations in emphasis of different aspects. Traditional Legal Model – At times, great importance is put on use of the correct name and pronunciation especially of divine names and, some […]
Numbers 16 Korah’s Rebellion Korah’s rebellion and the destruction that followed can be better understood by looking at what the Bible says about murmuring. Paul, writing to the Corinthians, documents the experiences of Israel in the wilderness: “Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the […]
Exodus 4:24 Meaning – The Lord Sought to Kill Moses “And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him [Moses], and sought to kill him.” (Exodus 4:24) This verse occurs in the midst of the account of Moses traveling from Midian back to Egypt from which he had […]
To understand how hearts are hardened it might be helpful to understand what the opposite of hardening the heart is: “Because thine (King Josiah’s) heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the LORD, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation […]
Hardened Hearts in the Bible – Is God Responsible? Traditional Legal Model – To be hardened is understood to be an individual’s action of resisting or refusing truth. Biblical Healing Model – The meaning is the same but the word is included in the glossary to clearly distinguish who is responsible for the hardening. From […]
Smote in the New Testament The Greek word translated as smote is “patasso” (Strong’s G3960): G3960 patasso probably prolongation from 3817; TDNT-5:939,804; {See TDNT 607 } v AV-smite 9, strike 1; 10 1) to strike gently: as a part or a member of the body 2) to stroke, smite: with the sword, to afflict, to visit […]
Traditional Legal Model – Smote or to smite is used both as a physical blow and as the conscience being smitten. Biblical Healing Model – The word is used similarly except that this model recognizes that often when God is said to smite it is by withdrawing His protection. It is also understood in the […]
Question: First, this site is useful! Second, I have a few (philosophical/Biblical) questions: 1) Why did God create us with a sense of justice (not happy when others steal [our] own items)? Doesn’t that mean God’s laws are arbitrary? 2) Since only God existed for eternity, does that mean that God’s laws are arbitrary (as […]