Was it God's desire for Israel to worship Him in a temple in Jerusalem?
David was the first king to plan a temple to worship God in Jerusalem. His son Solomon later fulfilled this plan and oversaw construction of the temple. But...
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by
S. Michael Houdmann
, Got Questions Ministries
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Where do you go when you die?
The Bible is absolutely clear that, ultimately, there are only two options for where you go when you die: heaven or hell. The Bible also makes it abundantly...
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by
S. Michael Houdmann
, Got Questions Ministries
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Why didn't all the Jews want to return to Jerusalem (Ezra 1:5-6)?
The book of Ezra begins with King Cyrus of Persia offering Jews the freedom to return to Jerusalem. Ezra 1:5-6 records, "Then the family heads of Judah and...
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by
S. Michael Houdmann
, Got Questions Ministries
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What is the Christ consciousness?
The term Christ consciousness has gained popularity in recent years as celebrities and public figures claim that they have "found truth" in this form of...
Answer
by
S. Michael Houdmann
, Got Questions Ministries
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Why did the Israelites have to abandon their foreign wives and children?
After the Jews' return to Jerusalem at the end of the Babylonian Captivity, Ezra, one of the leaders of the people, was given some bad news: "The people of...
Answer
by
S. Michael Houdmann
, Got Questions Ministries
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What does it mean for a church or organization to be interdenominational?
The terms nondenominational and interdenominational are closely linked and are often used interchangeably. The subtle difference is that the...
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by
S. Michael Houdmann
, Got Questions Ministries
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What is the Westminster Confession of Faith?
The Westminster Confession of Faith, drawn up in the 1640s by an assembly of 151 theologians (mostly Presbyterians and Puritans) at Westminster Abbey, is the...
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by
S. Michael Houdmann
, Got Questions Ministries
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Should Christians give away all they possess except for basic necessities?
Luke 3:11 says, "Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same." This certainly seems to say...
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by
S. Michael Houdmann
, Got Questions Ministries
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What is an altar?
An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. It was usually a raised platform with a flat surface....
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by
S. Michael Houdmann
, Got Questions Ministries
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What is the shield of faith (Ephesians 6:16)?
The shield of faith is part of the armor of God described in Ephesians 6:10-17. After summarizing the gospel and giving the Ephesians various instructions,...
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by
S. Michael Houdmann
, Got Questions Ministries
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What is the story of David and Nathan?
David was a shepherd boy who became the second king of Israel, and Nathan served as a prophet in Israel during the reigns of David and Solomon. Scripture...
Answer
by
S. Michael Houdmann
, Got Questions Ministries
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Should a Christian be a member of a secret society?
As with any question of proper inclination and conduct, a Christian must first have laid down a solid foundation of principles based on God's wisdom through...
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by
S. Michael Houdmann
, Got Questions Ministries
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What are idle words (Matthew 12:36)?
For sure, words are powerful things. God's words were so powerful that they actually created everything (Genesis 1). But even the words of us humans can do...
Answer
by
S. Michael Houdmann
, Got Questions Ministries
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How many books of the Bible did Paul write?
The man known to us as the apostle Paul began life as Saul of Tarsus (Acts 9:11). The account of his radical conversion to Christ is found in several places...
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by
S. Michael Houdmann
, Got Questions Ministries
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What is a druid?
Druids are followers of druidism, an ancient religion prevalent among the Celts before the arrival of Christianity. Classical druids were priests of sorts...
Answer
by
S. Michael Houdmann
, Got Questions Ministries
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What is the breastplate of righteousness (Ephesians 6:14)?
Ephesians 6:11 exhorts believers to "put on the whole armor of God" in order to stand firm against the attacks of our enemy, Satan (2 Corinthians 10:4;...
Answer
by
S. Michael Houdmann
, Got Questions Ministries
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Who is the elect lady in 2 John?
John begins his second epistle with these words: "The elder to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth" (2 John 1:1, ESV). The apostle...
Answer
by
S. Michael Houdmann
, Got Questions Ministries
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What is the Plan B morning-after pill?
Women have used different methods of contraception for thousands of years. With the ease and effectiveness of modern contraception comes a culture that...
Answer
by
S. Michael Houdmann
, Got Questions Ministries
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What does the Bible say about raising children?
God created the family. His design was for a man and a woman to marry for life and raise children to know and honor Him (Mark 10:9; Malachi 2:15). Adoption...
Answer
by
S. Michael Houdmann
, Got Questions Ministries
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What is the book of remembrance (Malachi 3:16)?
Malachi 3:16-18 says, "Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD gave attention and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written...
Answer
by
S. Michael Houdmann
, Got Questions Ministries
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What does it mean that Jesus will come in the clouds (Revelation 1:7)?
Revelation 1:7 says, "'Look, he is coming with the clouds,' and 'every eye will see him, even those who pierced him'; and all peoples on earth 'will mourn...
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by
S. Michael Houdmann
, Got Questions Ministries
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Who was the King James that the King James Version of the Bible is named after?
The King James Version of the Bible is also called the Authorized Version, because the translation was authorized by King James I of England. The preface of...
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by
S. Michael Houdmann
, Got Questions Ministries
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What is the story of Solomon and the two prostitutes?
In 1 Kings 3:16-28 we find an account of King Solomon hearing a case involving two prostitutes. The two women had both recently given birth to sons, and they...
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by
S. Michael Houdmann
, Got Questions Ministries
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Why had the believers in Samaria not received the Holy Spirit (Acts 8)?
In Acts 8:12 we read of a group of Samaritans who "believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, [and]...
Answer
by
S. Michael Houdmann
, Got Questions Ministries
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What does the Bible say about verbal abuse?
The Bible does not use the term "verbal abuse," but it has much to say about the power of our words. Succinctly stated, "The tongue has the power of life and...
Answer
by
S. Michael Houdmann
, Got Questions Ministries
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What is the joy of the Lord?
The joy of the Lord is the gladness of heart that comes from knowing God, abiding in Christ, and being filled with the Holy Spirit. When Jesus was born, the...
Answer
by
S. Michael Houdmann
, Got Questions Ministries
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Who were the sons of Noah, and what happened to them and their descendants?
Noah had three sons born to him, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, before God sent a flood to destroy the world (Genesis 5:32). Whenever the names of Noah's three sons...
Answer
by
S. Michael Houdmann
, Got Questions Ministries
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What does it mean that the Bible should be our sole authority for faith and practice?
The statement "the Bible is our only rule for faith and practice" appears in many doctrinal statements. Sometimes, it takes a similar form, stating that the...
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by
S. Michael Houdmann
, Got Questions Ministries
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What are all the different judgments in the Bible?
There are several judgments mentioned in the Bible. Our God is a God of justice, as the psalmist says, "A scepter of justice will be the scepter of your...
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by
S. Michael Houdmann
, Got Questions Ministries
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What is the verse about casting our crowns before the feet of Jesus?
Revelation 4:10-11 is part of the vision Jesus gave John. In this scene of heaven, we see that "the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the...
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by
S. Michael Houdmann
, Got Questions Ministries
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Who were the Amalekites?
The Amalekites were a tribe first mentioned during the time of Abraham (Genesis 14:7). Though the Amalekites are not mentioned in the table of nations in...
Answer
by
S. Michael Houdmann
, Got Questions Ministries
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What is the definition of the term Gnostic?
The definition of the word Gnostic is about as easy to nail down as a flopping fish. It is derived from the Greek word gnosis, meaning "to know." In the case...
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by
S. Michael Houdmann
, Got Questions Ministries
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Who was King Jeroboam in the Bible?
Jeroboam was from the tribe of Ephraim, a servant of King Solomon's, and the son of a widow. He later became the first king of the divided northern kingdom...
Answer
by
S. Michael Houdmann
, Got Questions Ministries
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What is an apologist?
Apologists are people involved in apologetics, a branch of theology concerned with the defense of the faith. An apologist hones his ability to defend the...
Answer
by
S. Michael Houdmann
, Got Questions Ministries
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In what ways is becoming a Christian becoming an entirely new man/woman?
Jesus said that to become a Christian we must be "born again" (John 3:3). That phrase implies that we cannot simply remodel our current lives; we must start...
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by
S. Michael Houdmann
, Got Questions Ministries
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Is Christian rap music appropriate?
Rap is a genre of music defined by its rhythmic lyrics spoken or chanted over a (usually) syncopated and repetitive beat. Christian rap music follows the...
Answer
by
S. Michael Houdmann
, Got Questions Ministries
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Who was Seth in the Bible?
Seth, a son of Adam and Eve (and the third one named in Scripture), was born after the Cain murdered Abel (Genesis 4:8). Eve believed that God had appointed...
Answer
by
S. Michael Houdmann
, Got Questions Ministries
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What is Epicureanism? What did Epicurus teach?
Epicureanism was a Greek philosophy started by Epicurus (341-270 BC). It was still going strong in New Testament times when Paul visited Athens on his second...
Answer
by
S. Michael Houdmann
, Got Questions Ministries
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What is a church supposed to do with the offerings it receives?
Every church receives some type of tithes or offerings. Be it via "passing the plate" or setting a box in the back of the sanctuary or some other collection...
Answer
by
S. Michael Houdmann
, Got Questions Ministries
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Who was Judas Iscariot?
Judas Iscariot is typically remembered for one thing: his betrayal of Jesus. He was one of the twelve disciples who lived with and followed Jesus for three...
Answer
by
S. Michael Houdmann
, Got Questions Ministries
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What is the Muratorian Canon?
The Muratorian Canon (also called the Muratorian Fragment) is an ancient list of New Testament books-the oldest such list we have found. The original...
Answer
by
S. Michael Houdmann
, Got Questions Ministries
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What does it mean that God is not mocked?
To mock God is to disrespect, dishonor, or ignore Him. It is a serious offense committed by those who have no fear of God or who deny His existence. The most...
Answer
by
S. Michael Houdmann
, Got Questions Ministries
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What is the blessed hope?
Titus 2:12-13 says that the grace of God teaches us "to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed...
Answer
by
S. Michael Houdmann
, Got Questions Ministries
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What is continuationism? What is a continuationist?
Please note, as a ministry, GotQuestions.org is not in agreement with continuationism. The below article is written by someone who holds to continuationism....
Answer
by
S. Michael Houdmann
, Got Questions Ministries
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Is a multi-site church biblical?
A multi-site church is one church in several locations, often called "campuses." It's not uncommon to see signs for "Such-and-Such Church: North Campus" or...
Answer
by
S. Michael Houdmann
, Got Questions Ministries
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What is the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal?
The account of Elijah and the prophets of Baal is recorded in 1 Kings 18. After Israel had gone more than three years without rain as a judgment for their...
Answer
by
S. Michael Houdmann
, Got Questions Ministries
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What is traducianism?
Traducianism is the belief that at conception both the child's body and soul or spirit are passed on to the child from the parents. In other words, the child...
Answer
by
S. Michael Houdmann
, Got Questions Ministries
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What does the New Testament say about homosexuality?
The Bible is consistent through both Old and New Testaments in confirming that homosexuality is sin (Genesis 19:1-13; Leviticus 18:22; 20:13; Romans 1:26-27;...
Answer
by
S. Michael Houdmann
, Got Questions Ministries
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What was the true issue between Adonijah and Solomon over Abishag?
In King David's old age, he developed circulatory problems, and a beautiful young woman named Abishag was brought to the king to attend him and "keep him...
Answer
by
S. Michael Houdmann
, Got Questions Ministries
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How is the fear of the Lord the beginning of wisdom?
Proverbs 9:10 says, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." Basically, this verse teaches that the...