Q: What is a "dispensation"?

A: The word "dispensation" (noun) in English comes from the root word "dispense" (verb). So when referring to God's Word, a dispensation is an administration (or dispensing) of God's will over a certain period of time to a certain group of people. In other words, a dispensation is God's way of dealing with a group of people during a particular time period. To properly understand a Bible passage, it is important to know both the time period to which the passage refers, and the group of people to which it applies. This way, one can determine the dispensation to which each Biblical passage applies.

God has had different rules for different groups of people in different time periods. Not only may the rules be different, but the punishment for not keeping the rules may be different. The way God interacts with man may be different. Sometimes even the environment man lives in may be different.

The Greek word "oikonomia" [oy-kon-om-ee'-ah], from which the English word "dispensation" is translated in the Bible, refers to the management of a household. It is the management, oversight, administration, stewardship, or dispensation of a household or property. Our English word "economy" comes from this word "oikonomia". Oikonomia is translated "dispensation" four times and "stewardship" three times in the Bible.

In Luke 16, when Jesus Christ spoke of the rich man with the unjust steward, the rich man said, "give an account of thy stewardship" (Luke 16:2). "Stewardship" here is the Greek word "oikonomia". So the rich man is basically saying, "give an account of thy dispensation of my household and property". Some Bible students tend to think of a dispensation as "a period of time", but that is not completely correct. A dispensation is an administration which covers a period of time. In the Luke 16 example the steward's dispensation of the rich man's estate covered a particular period of time. Some dispensations can overlap one another in the time line.

In Colossians 1:25-26, Paul explains how God gave him a dispensation to dispense unto the Gentiles. "... I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God: Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations ...." In 1 Corinthians 9:17 Paul writes, "... a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me." He says it again in Ephesians 3:1-3, "... For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery ...."

So God committed the dispensation of His grace unto our apostle Paul to give to the Gentiles. This dispensation was a mystery that was not known before God gave it Paul. This dispensation still continues today, and is unlike the previous dispensation of the law which God first gave to Moses to give to the children of Israel. Exodus 24:12 says, "And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them (the children of Israel)."

There will also be future dispensations after this present dispensation of grace is over. In Ephesians 1:10 Paul says, "That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him ...." Here, Paul is talking about a future dispensation which has not yet begun. Below is a diagram showing all of the dispensations.

For a description of all of the dispensations shown in this diagram see the article, The Basics of Understanding the Bible.

Q: What is a "mystery"?

A: The word "mystery" in the Bible is translated from the Greek word "musterion". The word musterion is defined as a hidden thing, a secret thing, a mystery. A mystery is something which God has kept secret from mankind.

In Deuteronomy 29:29 God had Moses tell the children of Israel, "The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law." Even though this was spoken in the context of the law of Moses, we see the same process, of mysteries being revealed, in action throughout the scriptures. That is, God has many secrets that He reveals at different times. Up until He reveals the new information, it is a mystery, which God had previously kept hidden.

In Colossians 1:25-27, Paul tells how his ministry is to the Gentiles. "... I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory ...." In this passage, Paul also speaks of the dispensation of God which was a mystery hidden from previous generations of people, but has now been revealed.

Whenever we study God's Word, we must take care not to anticipate revelation. That means that when we read a passage, we must not assume that the future revelations from God were known at the time in which the events in the passage or the writing of the passage took place. We must realize that from the time God first spoke to Adam, until the last book of the Bible was written, God revealed His Word to men over a period of about four thousand years. He did not give it to man all at once. For example, as Adam stood there in the garden of Eden, he could not have known anything about the ten commandments which would be given by God to Moses about 2600 years later. Nor could Jacob have told you about the sermon on the mount that Jesus Christ would preach some 1700 years later. When we read a passage of scripture, we must understand and keep in mind what God had revealed to the people being addressed up until that time. The things which are not yet known are still secrets that are hid in God, mysteries which He has yet to reveal to anyone.

Sometimes God will even go so far as to say the words, but still not allow them to be understood. When God foretold that He would punish Judah with captivity by the Babylonians, He called forth the prophet Isaiah and told him in Isaiah 6:9-10, "Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed."

Similarly, we see that during Christ's earthly ministry, the twelve apostles did not know that Jesus Christ was going to die and rise again from the dead. Even though Christ had told them this plainly on several occasions, it was hidden from them by God. In Luke 18:33, Jesus Christ, referring to himself as the Son of man says, "And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again." But even though He told them plainly, "... they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things that were spoken" (Luke 18:34). When Jesus Christ was resurrected, none of His disciples were there to see it. Why weren't they all camped out down there in front of the tomb waiting to see His glorious resurrection? Even though Christ had told them that He would rise again on the third day, they could not understand. Peter and John only went to the tomb when Mary Magdalene told them that someone had stolen Jesus Christ's body. "For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead" (John 20:9).

Paul received the gospel of grace, not from any man, but by direct revelation from the Lord Jesus Christ (Galatians 1:12). He was appointed as the apostle of the Gentiles to reveal mysteries previously kept hidden. One of these is the mystery of the gospel. Paul writes in Ephesians 6:18-20, "Praying always ... for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel for which I am an ambassador in bonds ...." Paul's gospel had been a mystery, not known to anyone before God revealed it to Paul.

Keep in mind that Ephesians was written around 62 AD, about 30 years after Jesus Christ had ascended into heaven. Paul had already completed his first three missionary journeys. Now let us look at Ephesians chapter 3, beginning with verses 1-4. "For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery: (as I wrote afore in few words Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) ...." So we see that God by "revelation" showed Paul the "mystery" which no one knew before. This is why Paul calls it "my knowledge". "Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and the prophets by the Spirit ..." (Ephesians 3:5). Note the change in tense here. Compare "is now revealed" (to the apostles around 62 AD) with "he made known unto me" (Paul) by revelation at some earlier time. Then in Ephesians 3:9, "And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ ...."

In about 66 AD, Peter, near his death, acknowledged that God had revealed many mysteries to Paul. He wrote in 2 Peter 3:15-16, "And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him (not "unto us", but "unto him") hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things hard to be understood ...." Peter was writing this epistle to Jews, so it seems clear that the epistle of Paul that Peter was referring to was Hebrews.

From Romans 16:25, it is evident that the what Paul calls "my gospel", was a mystery until God showed it to him by revelation. "Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to "my gospel", and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began ...."

Why did God keep our gospel a secret for so long? "But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory" (1 Corinthians 2:7-8). So no one was allowed to know it, not Peter, the apostles, Judas, Pilate, the demons, or even Satan himself. If the Satan and his followers had understood that Christ's death would sacrificially pay for the sins of mankind, they would not have crucified Jesus Christ. So God kept the sacrificial nature of Christ's death a secret (a mystery) until after the fact.

Q: Where did Cain get his wife?

A: Since all people are descended from Adam and Eve, Cain's wife had to be a near relative, most likely his sister, or possibly a niece, the daughter of one of his siblings. We know from Genesis 5:4 that Adam and Eve had daughters too, not just sons, "And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters ...." We must also realize that Cain lived about 2500 years before God gave Israel the dispensation of the law of Moses, which prohibited the marrying of near relatives (Leviticus 18:6-16). So at that time, it was not a sin. For another such example, see Genesis 20:12, where Abraham explains that his wife Sarah was also his half sister.

Some Bible students may also become confused by incorrectly assuming that all scripture is written in chronological order. Generally, most of the events in the Bible are chronological, but sometimes God records events in a different order. For example, Genesis 35:27-29 records the death of Isaac, which happened when Jacob was 120 years old. Later in the text, Genesis 37:2 begins telling the beautiful story of Joseph. The story begins when Joseph is only 17. This was 12 years before Isaac died, when Jacob was 108. Why did God choose to record the death of Isaac earlier? Perhaps He did it to keep it from showing up in the middle of the story of Joseph, and being a distraction from the subject at hand. Whatever God's reasons were, the events in the Bible are not always recorded in the precise order in which they took place.

Some may incorrectly assume that all of the daughters of Adam were born (Genesis 5:4) after the time when Cain knew his wife (Genesis 4:17). So they mistakenly conclude that there were no women on earth for Cain to have married. But the Bible does not say when the daughters of Adam were born. It seems only logical that some them were old enough for Cain to have married, and the scriptures in no way indicate otherwise.

Q: Does the Bible say whether or not cremation is okay?

A: In the Bible, the examples that we see are of burial. The earliest reference to burial is when God told Abraham in Genesis 15:15, "And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age."

Before Joseph died in Egypt, he said to his brethren in Genesis 50:24-25, "... I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence." And long afterward, the children of Israel carried his bones from Egypt to Israel for burial (Exodus 13:19 and Joshua 24:32).

I am not aware of any Bible passage that expressly forbids cremation. I'm sure that depending on one's culture, some see it as the normal way to do things or as an economical option. To me, it seems rather distasteful, and I wonder if those who invented cremation long ago may have had defiance of God in mind, as though telling Him, "Try and resurrect this." Now we know that God will have no problem resurrecting anyone, whether they were cremated, drowned in the ocean, or whatever. When the time comes, God will even resurrect those space shuttle astronauts that perished in the skies over northeastern Texas. The Bible teaches of two resurrections, the resurrection of life and the resurrection of damnation (John 5:29 and Daniel 12:2). Those who believe the Bible know that the grave is just a temporary place for the body, until the resurrection. I suspect that most do not intend it to be an act of defiance, but cremation seems like a human effort to do something more permanent. None-the-less, God will resurrect every person in their due time.

Q: Does the Bible tell us whether gambling a sin or not?

A: The scriptures do not always address every issue of our lives specifically. But even when we are not given a specific answer, the Bible does give us a set of general guiding principles that we apply to almost every issue that we face in our lives. Gambling is one of those issues that is not addressed in the Bible specifically, but is addressed indirectly.

The tenth commandment, given to the nation of Israel in Exodus 20:17 is, "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's." Also, in Matthew 22:39 Jesus said, "... Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."

Now these were commandments given to the nation of Israel under the law. But we see these very same commandments repeated in Paul's epistles to the church for this grace dispensation. In Romans 13:9 Paul wrote, "For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."

When one gambles for money or things, whether it is in a lottery, poker, horse racing, betting on sports, roulette, or whatever, for one to win, someone has to lose. If we want to win a bet, then we are wanting someone else to lose. We are desiring to take that which belongs to our neighbor, while giving nothing in return. How is that "loving our neighbor"? How it that not "coveting that which belongs to our neighbor"? It is not loving, and it is coveting. The fact that they are wanting to do the same to us, does not make what we are doing alright. Two wrongs do not make it right.

Many states governments these days are promoting state lotteries. However, just because the state government facilitates the sin, does not make it alright.

Some might then wonder if that means that investing in the stock market, even in reputable companies, is a sin? No, it is not. Then reason is that if we invest in a stock of mutual fund, we are not trying to get someone else's money for nothing. Your investment helps that business to grow by adding stores or building factories or hiring more people, which in turn helps the economy. There is no attempt by the investor to take that which belongs to someone else. So it is not coveting that which belongs to your neighbor.

Q: What does the Bible tell us about fasting? Are we supposed to fast, and if so, how and under what circumstances?

A: The Bible gives us no commandment to fast. Most of the Bible is written to the nation of Israel, under the dispensation of the Law. But we are under the dispensation of grace (Romans 6:14) and our apostle is Paul (Romans 11:13). The only place in the Bible where the idea of Christians (under grace) fasting is suggested is where Paul, in 1 Corinthians 7:5, tells husbands and wives, "Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency."

Even here, fasting is not commanded, and no details are given as far as how long it may last or any other instructions. Due to the fact that mentions of Christians fasting so scarce in Paul's writings, and that there are no commandments for Christians regarding it, it does not seem that fasting is intended to be a key part of Christian life.

Christians do not have to fast to be acceptable to God. Christ died for all of our sins and rose from the dead. Through our faith in this gospel, God has saved us by His grace, and we are acceptable to Him.

In general, I do not recommend fasting to anyone, though it is permitted by scripture. Fasting may conflict with certain medications that are supposed to be taken with food. Anyone considering fasting should check with their doctor first.

Also, I do not think any of the ancient people abstained from water during fasting, but just food. Humans cannot survive more than just a few days without water. We know that Jesus fasted for 40 days, but I believe that was just abstaining from food, not water.

See also Acts 13:2-3 and Acts 14:23.

Q: Does Satan have the ability to read our thoughts?

A: I am not aware of any scripture passage which states definatively that Satan can read our thoughts, or that he cannot, for that matter. On two different occasions, the Bible tells how the Pharisees plotted against Jesus, but He, "knew their thoughts" (Matthew 12:25 and Luke 6:8). In Revelation 2:23, our Lord Jesus Christ said, "... I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts ...." Certainly, this means that the Lord reads our thoughts. This verse may also mean that the Lord is the only One who can read our thoughts. In any case, it is doubtful that Satan has any telepathic ability to read our thoughts.

That being said, Satan and the other evil spirits may be able to figure out a lot about our thoughts and tendencies by observing us.

Think of someone that you know very well. Having been around that person a lot, you may be able to predict in most cases, what that person would think about almost any topic or how that person would react in most situations. Now, are you reading their thoughts? No. You just know them well and have experience in human relationships. The more time you spend with someone, and the more experience you have in dealing with people, and the wiser you are, the better your are able to predict what that person will think and do.

Satan and the other evil spirits may be able to do that and much more. They may be able to observe a person all the time and listen to every word they say. Plus, they have the benefit of having had thousands of years to observe and learn about human behavior. Also, Satan is a very wise creature. So even though Satan may have no power of telepathy and may have no ability to directly read thoughts, it might be pretty difficult for someone to conceal any general thoughts from him, due to his tremendous knowledge and experience, and that of the other evil spirits.

In Ezekiel 28, God speaks of the King of Tyre, but as we read of the attributes of this king, particularly in verses 12-17, we see that God is really referring to Satan himself. And in verse 3, God said to him, "... thou art wiser than Daniel; there is no secret that they can hide from thee ...."

Q: Genesis 5:5-31 shows that most of the people before Noah's flood lived to be around 800 to 900 years old. How can that be possible, when in our time, very few people even live to be 100?

A: There are two major factors in play here, our biology and our environment. God created Adam as a perfect man, with no physical short comings. It took many generations for physical deficiencies to work their way into the gene pool of mankind.

But the larger reason for long life spans before the flood was probably because the environment on earth was totally different from the environment that we live in today. For one thing, it did not rain before the flood. Genesis 2:5-6 says, "... God had not caused it to rain upon the earth ... But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground." After the flood, in Genesis 9:9-17, God promised not to destroy all flesh with water again and gave the rainbow as a sign of His covenant. This is confirmation that it did not rain on earth before the flood. Otherwise, the rainbow would not have been a new thing.

Another major environmental difference was that the earth had a canopy of water above the atmosphere that may have helped shield out harmful radiation and made for a more tropical climate around the globe (Genesis 1:7). The existence of the canopy probably had many other major impacts on life on earth, but the flood changed all of that. At the flood, the waters of the canopy were allowed to fall to earth, and the water under great pressure beneath the earth was released (Genesis 7:11). So the pre-flood environment was totally different and would have impacted mankind in ways we would cannot even imagine. But great longevity was apparently the norm before the flood. The average life span of man right after the flood was reduced by about half, and declined further rapidly in the generations that followed (Genesis 11:10-32).

Q: Did Paul receive his doctrines from the other apostles or directly from the Lord?

A: In Galatians 1:11-12 Paul wrote, "But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ." Continuing in Galatians 1:15-17 he added, "But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen (the Gentiles); immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus." So here Paul makes it very clear that his gospel came to him through direct revelation from the ascended Lord Jesus Christ. It did not come from the other Apostles or any other person. I often hear people say, "I go by what Jesus said, not by what Paul said." The problem with that reasoning is that Paul's teachings did come from Jesus, after the Lord had ascended to heaven. So if they are not going by Paul's teaching, then they are not going by Jesus Christ's teaching.

Paul speaks more on the revelations that he received form the Lord in 2 Corinthians 12:1-7, "It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities. For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me. And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure." Here we see that there were a great many revelations from the Lord that Paul received over a long period of time.

Also in Ephesians 3:1-4 Paul wrote, "For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) ...."

Peter also recognized and wrote about the wisdom that God had revealed to Paul. In 2 Peter 3:15-16 he says, "And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood ...."

Our Apostle Paul's teachings come from the ascended Lord Jesus Christ in heaven, not from man.

Q: What responsibilities do Christians have to governmental authorities?

A: In Titus 3:1, Paul wrote instructing Timothy to teach the churches, "Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates ...."

Paul said the same thing in Romans 13:1-3, but going into much more detail, "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation (judgment, condemnation). For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same ...."

In Romans 13:4-5, Paul explains that the governmental authorities are empowered by God to execute punishment up to and including death for violating the laws of the nation that they rule over, "For he (the ruler) is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake."

As Paul continues in Romans 13:6-7, he addresses the subject of taxation, "For this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour."

This is as Jesus taught in Luke 20:22-25. The chief priests and scribes, wanting to catch Jesus in His own words, sent spies pretending to be ordinary men to ask Jesus, "Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Caesar, or no? But he (Jesus) perceived their craftiness, and said unto them, Why tempt ye me? Shew me a penny. Whose image and superscription hath it? They answered and said, Caesar's. And he said unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar's, and unto God the things which be God's." The money was made in the image of Caesar, but man was made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27 and Genesis 9:6).

But what do we do if our leaders command us to do something that is directly opposed to the Word of God? One example is in Acts 5:27-29, "... the high priest asked them (the apostles), Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name (Jesus)? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us. Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men." Peter and the other apostles would not stop preaching Jesus, despite the order from the high priest.

There are some similar examples elsewhere in scripture. In Daniel chapter 3, there is the account of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace. They refused to fall down and worship the golden image as King Nebuchadnezzar had commanded them. In Daniel chapter 6, there is the account of Daniel in the den of lions. Daniel would not abstain from praying to God three times a day, even though he knew that the King Darius had signed a commandment prohibiting it. So if governmental authorities command us to do that which directly opposed the Word of God, it is clear that we should obey God's Word, even though we may face the punishment to which the government may sentence us. As Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego told King Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 3:17-18, "If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, (if God does not save us from your furnace) be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up."

Therefore we should pray for our those in governmental authority over us. Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 2:1-2, "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty."

This is especially necessary because our leaders are under continual attack of the forces of evil. Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:11-12, "Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." One example of this spiritual warfare in action is in Daniel 10:20-21, where the angel Gabriel told Daniel the prophet, "... Knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee? and now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia: and when I am gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia shall come. But I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince."

Q: What does the Bible tell us about divorce and remarriage?

A: Perhaps the most detailed Biblical passage on divorce is 1 Corinthians 7:10-16 where Paul writes, "And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband: But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife. But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother (Christian) hath a wife that believeth not (a non-Christian wife), and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away. And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy. But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace. For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?"

Jesus said in Matthew 5:31-32, "It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery." He also says in Luke 16:18, "Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery." Matthew 19:3-9 expounds upon this further, "The Pharisees also came unto him (Jesus), tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery." Mark 10:2-12 also contains this teaching, plus includes in verse 12, "And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery."

From the 1 Corinthians passage, it is clear that Christians should not divorce one other. And, a Christian married to an unbeliever should not divorce the unbeliever, unless the unbeliever wants to go. Then the divorce would be okay, and the believer would be free to marry again.

But Christians should only marry other believers. We see this in 1 Corinthians 7:39, "The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord." The phrase "only in the Lord" means she is only to marry a man who is a member of the body of Christ. Similarly, Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 6:14, "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?" This applies not only to marriage, but to many aspects of relationships with others.

From the Matthew passages, it seems rather clear that divorce in the case of adultery was acceptable under dispensation of the law. It may be logical to assume that this would also be true in this present grace dispensation. But I am not aware of a passage in Paul's writings to the church that okays divorce in the case of adultery. I tend to think it would be acceptable. But for Christians to divorce for anything less than adultery would certainly be contrary to the Word of God.

Q: Why did Paul go to the synagogues first to share the gospel with the Jews, and then afterward go to the Gentiles?

A: It is true that in his journeys, Paul normally preached first to the Jews at the synagogue, and then went to the Gentiles second. We see this pattern in Acts 13:14-48, Acts 17:1-4, 17:15-18, Acts 18:4-8, and Acts 18:19. Paul's ministry was not to "Gentiles exclusively". He went to the Gentiles and the Jews that were scattered among the Gentiles. So it was to mostly Gentiles, but not exclusively, by any means.

Paul was being led by the Holy Spirit in his ministry, and probably was guided to present the gospel to the different groups in the order that he did. Not only that, but logically, it would make sense to preach to the Jews first. Try to consider the mindset of Jews in the first century. With the old testament as their backdrop, they saw themselves as God's covenant people and the Gentiles as unclean, pagan dogs. The Jews would not eat with Gentiles nor go into their homes. Once some Jews, in a particular Gentile city, came to believe Paul's gospel, Paul could then extend the ministry to the Gentiles. But if Paul were to convert hundreds of Gentiles in that city first, then the Jews in that city would begin to perceive Paul's message as a religion of the unclean pagan dogs, before the Jews had even been presented with the grace gospel. Thus, they would probably be more likely to reject Paul's message, than if Paul had gone to the Jews first. By going to the Jews first Paul was able to show them (and convince many) that his gospel message was from the same God that led Israel out of Egypt, gave Israel the Law of Moses, and established Israel as a nation.

Q: Can a person be truly saved and then lose their salvation?

A: No. Our salvation is a one-way process. Those who are true believers in the gospel of grace should understand our position in Christ and assured salvation. We have been crucified with Him, buried with Him, raised from the dead with Him, baptized into Him, seated in heaven with Him, sealed by the Holy Spirit, and chosen before the foundation of the world. Please see my article, What happened to us when we believed the Gospel?, which addresses this topic much more extensively.

Q: Will the rapture occur before the tribulation, in the middle of the tribulation, at the end, or when?

A: The rapture of the church will occur before the seven year tribulation begins. Please see my article Four views of End Times Prophecy which discusses these views from a Biblical perspective.

Q: Is euthanasia (so-called, mercy killing) okay?

A: Putting a person to death not only ends any earthly suffering, but the person goes to one of two places. While putting to death a lost person ends their earthly suffering, it does not end their suffering all together. It moves it to a whole new level of flaming torment as shown in the article, Hell Part 1: Assurance of Eternal Torment for the Lost. So if the person is lost, and unfortunately most people are, euthenasia fails miserably at acheiving its intended goal. In Matthew 7:13-14, Jesus said, "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." Very few people can bear the thought of their dying loved one perhaps being lost. However, this passage makes it clear that this is the case more often than not.

On the other hand, Christians who die, go to heaven where there is no more pain. However, our lives are not really ours to take. They belong to God, as Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." So this passage can be used as an argument agaist euthanasia. However, this passage may not be intended to mean that we are to use lots of modern, high-tech machines to artificially operate a dying person's organs for years on end.

One other comment is that death by depriving a person of food and water seems to be most unmerciful. We would not even deal out that sort of execution upon one who is guilty of murder or a bad dog in the pound. Some might claim that a particular person cannot feel the pain of food and water depravation. I'm sorry, but we do not know that. The brain and nervous system are quite complicated. Just because a person may not be able to express their anquish of the pain that they feel, that does not mean that they cannot feel the pain.

Q: Is baptism in water required for salvation?

A: No, absolutely not. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "For by grace ye are saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God,: Not of works, lest any man should boast." Baptism in water is an act of work. Salvation is a "free gift" (Romans 5:15), not something that we earn by good works.

Romans 3:22 says righteousness is given to, "all them that believe", not just to all who believe and are baptized in water. Romans 1:16 proclaims that the gospel "is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth ...", with no mention of water. Likewise, Romans 3:26 says God is "... the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." It is faith in the gospel throught which we are saved, not performance of any ritual. This is why Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1:17, "For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel ...." The gospel of grace is that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, freely gave His life as the perfect sacrifice for all our sins, was crucified, was buried, and rose from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).

Romans 6:23 says, "The wages (earned) of sin is death; but the gift (free) of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Eternal life is given to us, "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration (rebirth), and renewing (receiving) of the Holy Ghost ..." (Titus 3:5).

Paul wrote in Romans 6:3-6, "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized (immersed) into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted (buried) together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man (our old sin nature) is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed ...."

Paul is not talking about water baptism here. There is no mention of water at all in this passage. He is saying that when we become a believer, we are immersed into the body of Jesus Christ. Being in His body, we are considered by God to have died with Him on that cross, having been immersed into His death. Our old sin natures are accounted as dead in the eyes of God. We were buried with Him. If Jesus Christ had remained in the tomb, there would have been no hope for our resurrection, since we are in Him. But Jesus Christ did rise from the dead, and every believer rose with Him. Through His life, we have life. He is sinless, and since we are in Him, God sees us as sinless as well (even though we do still sin). So from the moment we believe, whenever God looks at us, He sees the righteousness of His Son Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:12-13 says, "For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body ...." Note once again that this passage does not speak of baptism into water by a preacher, but rather of baptism into the body of Christ by the Holy Spirit. "For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ" (Galatians 3:27). Ephesians 4:4-6 says, "There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all ...."

In Colossians 2:12-13 Paul says we are, "Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses ...." Thus we are made alive in Christ, and have been forgiven of all our sins.

Q: Is there any truth to the teachings of certain sects that say Jesus Christ is actually one of the angels?

A: No. Such teachings are a major errors. Jesus is not one of the angels. The angels worship Jesus, who created them.

Paul wrote in Ephesians 3:9, "And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ ...." Then in Colossians 1:14-17, Paul says of Jesus Christ, "In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist."

Perhaps the greatest repudiation of the false doctrines that Christ is one of the angels is Hebrews chapter 1 which says, "1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; 3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; 4 Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. 5 For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? 6 And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. 7 And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. 8 But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. 9 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. 10 And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: 11 They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; 12 And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail. 13 But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? 14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?"

So we see from this passage that Jesus Christ is the Creator, the Son of God, "so much better than the angels", and "the angels of God worship him". Also see the article Jesus Christ: Almighty God.

Q: Did God abolish the Law for Christians?

A: The Law of Moses was given to the nation of Israel, and not to the Gentiles. None-the-less, all people are shown by the law to be guilty. Romans 3:19 says, "Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God."

Christians are not under the law at all. Paul wrote in Romans 6:14, "For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace."

Colossians 2:10-17 says, "And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ." Here we see that the way we got out from under the law was by being spiritually in Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection.

For us in this age of grace, the Law of Moses (Torah) was nailed to the cross, blotted out, or "abolished" as the following passage states it. But also, we see from this passage that for all who are in Christ, the penalty of sin was paid, and we are forgiven. His sacrifice served as a substitute us. We were in Him, effectually crucified with Him, buried with Him, and risen from the dead with Him.

Lest there be any doubt that Paul is referring to the law, when he refers to "ordinances" in this passage, let's look at what Paul writes in Ephesians 2:13-16, "13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. 14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; 16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:" So Christ abolished the law, by His death on the cross.

This is not to say that Christ's death on the cross made the Law go away immediately for those among the nation as Israel who were not under the dispensation of grace that our Lord committed to Paul. Even 25 or so years after the cross, we see James tell Paul in Act 21:20, "Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law ...." These were those that were steeped in the teaching of the apostles of the circumcision. Also, Christ said in Matthew 5:17-18, "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." In the future tribulation and one thousand year kingdom on the earth, the Law of Moses will be reinstated, with a rebuilt temple. Although, it won't be quite the same as it was in the time before Christ, because so much of the law and prophets will have been fulfilled. It is only after the one thousand year kingdom on the earth (Revelation 20) that "heaven and earth pass" John wrote in Revelation 21:1, "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea."

Q: As believers in the gospel, have all of our sins been forgiven, or are we to frequently ask God for forgiveness?

A: For this question, it is helpful to recall these three easy to remember verse numbers: Colossians 1:13, 2:13, and 3:13.

Paul wrote in Colossians 1:13-14 that the Father "... hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins ...." So for Christians, forgiveness of sins is something that "we have".

Then in Colossians 2:12-13 Paul says that we are, "Buried with him (Jesus Christ) in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses ...." Thus we are made alive in Christ, and have been forgiven of all our sins.

The fact that we have been forgiven of all our sins is confirmed in other passages to encourage us to forgive others. For example, in Colossians 3:13, Paul writes that we should be, "Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye." Likewise, he writes in Ephesians 4:32, "And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." Being in Christ, we died with Him, were buried with Him, have risen from the dead with Him, and been forgiven of all our sins.

The fact that our sins have been forgiven stands in stark contrast with those who were under the Law of Moses:

At the time that the temple was built, around 1000 BC, God told Israel in 2 Chronicles 7:14, "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." So we see that their sins had not yet been forgiven.

Also in Christ's earthly ministry (still under the Law of Moses), He told the disciples in Matthew 6:14-15, "For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

So we have to realize we are under grace, not law, as Paul wrote in Romans 6:14, "For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace." If we believe the gospel as Paul preached (1 Corinthians 15:1-4), then all our sins have been forgiven.

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, freely gave His life as the perfect sacrifice to pay for all of our sins. He was crucified, buried, and rose from the dead on the third day.

Q: In what year was Jesus Christ crucified?

A: Luke 3:1 says John the baptist's ministry started in the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar. Secular history says his reign started in August of 14 AD. This would put John's ministry starting between August of 28 AD and August of 29 AD.

We know that John's ministry began a while before Christ's ministry began to announce His coming, but we do not have much information as to how long before. We know that John was born about 6 months before Jesus. Perhaps that is a clue as to how long before Christ's ministry that John's started. Six months would seem reasonable, but that would only be a rough estimate.

Also, the gospel of John records three different passovers during Christ's earthly ministry (John 2:13, 6:4, and 12:1), the last being when He was crucified. That means that His earthly ministry was at the very least, a little more than two years.

So given these things:
If John's ministry began very early in that 15th year of Tiberius, and
if the beginning of John's ministry did not preceed the beginning of Christs's earthly ministry by very long, and
if Christs's earthly ministry were not much more than two years, then
the very earliest date for Chirst's crucifixion would have been spring 31 AD.
That seems like a very unlikely, although possible, combination of ifs.

On the other hand:
If John's earthly ministry began somewhere near the middle of that 15th year of Tiberius (say February of 29 AD), and
if the beginning of John's ministry preceeded the beginning of Christs's earthly ministry by a few month's (say six), and
if Christs's earthly ministry were a few months longer than two years (say six to eight), then
that would put the date for Chirst's crucifixion in spring 32 AD.
Something along those lines seems much more likely.
The 32 AD date, would also allow for Christ's earthly ministry to be more like three years if John's ministry began early in that 15th year of Tiberius, and John's ministry did not preceed the beginning of Christ's earthly ministry by very long.

So the 32 AD date seems most likely. Although it is possible that the crucifixion could have been later, if John's ministry preceeded the beginning of Christs's earthly ministry by longer and/or Christ's earthly ministry were longer.

It is also worth noting that the 32 AD date seems to fit nicely with the Daniel 9 prophecy. This is detailed in the article, Fulfilled Prophecies and Other Evidence that the Bible is the Word of God.