Does the sword in Psalm 22 refer to the solder's spear that pierced Christ's side?

Does the reference to “the sword” in Psalm 22:20," TARGET="_blank">Psalm 22:20, find its fulfilment in John 19:34" TARGET="_blank">John 19:34 where one of the soldiers with a spear pierced His side? and to what does the expression “dogs” refer?

The words referred to in the Psalm are, “Deliver my soul from the sword!” I cannot think that there is any reference here to the soldier’s spear! For one thing, the Lord did not pray to be delivered from the spear-thrust, for He was already dead, nor could He be said to be delivered from it, seeing it pierced Him, and was necessary for the fulfilment of the prophecy of Zechariah 12:10," TARGET="_blank">Zechariah 12:10, “They shall look upon Me whom they have pierced.” No doubt, this was permitted for a secondary reason, as an ocular demonstration to all of the reality of His death in the outpouring of all His blood. The water coming out visibly after the blood would indicate that the fountain of that life-blood was entirely exhausted: “He poured out his soul unto death” (Isaiah 53:12)." TARGET="_blank">Isaiah 53:12). Then what could the sword be to which reference is made in verse zo, and from which the Lord prayed that His soul might be delivered? It was something terribly real, the pressure of which our Lord felt to His innermost soul. There was only one sword at Calvary, and that was the sword of which Zechariah spake----the sword of Jehovah—”Awake, 0 sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of Hosts” (Zechariah 13:7)." TARGET="_blank">Zechariah 13:7). This was the sword of Eden that turned every way (Genesis 3" TARGET="_blank">Genesis 3: ), “the sore and great and strong sword” of Isaiah 27:1," TARGET="_blank">Isaiah 27:1, with which “Leviathan, the piercing serpent” will one day be punished—the sword of divine justice meted out against sin, and with which the Holy Victim was smitten, “when He bore our sins in His own body on the tree,” and was treated as the sinner deserved.
As to the second part of the question, the expression “dog” refers, I think, to the Gentile element among those who crucified the Lord. It was they who administered the physical sufferings of the cross. “For dogs have compassed me, they pierced my hands and my feet”—clearly refers to the Roman soldiers, the crucifiers; and then follows v. 18: “They part my garments among them.” The moral sufferings of our Lord at the hand of Israel are depicted in vv. 6-8. But the sword of Jehovah surpassed them all, and it was being brought through that judgment unto the resurrection ground, which constituted the “deliverance from the sword” prayed for in Psalm 22:20." TARGET="_blank">Psalm 22:20.

W.H.

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I would rather be part of a different assembly farther away. What should I do?

How will I know God’s will in a choice between staying in the assembly where I am or moving to another assembly miles away whose people and activities are more appealing to me?

When Paul illustrates the unity of the assembly in its functions, he uses a human body (1 Corinthians 12:14-26)." TARGET="_blank">1 Corinthians 12:14-26). His statement that "God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased Him" (v 18) therefore indicates that God’s pleasure and wisdom are evident both in the placement of various functions in the human body and in placing various believers in an assembly. We are placed in an assembly, "according as He willed" (v 18, YLT). Therefore, the general conclusion is that a believer is in God’s will to remain in the assembly where He is.

An assembly’s wilful departure from God’s Word (not merely a difference of opinion) may (?) indicate God’s will to move to the fellowship of a different assembly. God may use circumstances such as employment to move a believer to another location and another assembly. Relocation causing a believer to leave assembly association is not God’s will.

But, making a move to another assembly based on one’s own preferences (its people and/or activities are more appealing) is like manufacturing your own light to guide your steps. Of such a choice, God states, "This shall ye have of Mine hand; ye shall lie down in sorrow" (Isaiah 50:11)." TARGET="_blank">Isaiah 50:11). In addition, it is wise not to become enamored by the "green grass" of a distant assembly. Each assembly has its own difficulties. Devote yourself to fostering in your own assembly the features you admire in a distant assembly.

David Oliver
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What makes a group of believers a church?

What practices are necessary for a group of believers to become an assembly, and what causes it to cease to be an assembly?

Those who study artist’s work recognize the work of famous painters. Even apart from his name on the painting, each artist’s work has his unique "signature" in its details. And so it is with God. If He has established an assembly, it will bear God’s "signature." This signature is the design which is always consistent with the pattern given in His word. God doesn’t need variety to somehow amuse Himself. He works consistently and follows the same pattern He gave nearly 2000 years ago. Here are some things we would expect: no other name but the Lord’s to identify the group; a plurality of overseers; separation from denominational associations; the display of head coverings as taught in 1 Corinthians 11;" TARGET="_blank">1 Corinthians 11; evidence of the priesthood of all believers; attention to the development of gift; supremacy of the Word of God; gatherings for at least the breaking of bread, prayer, ministry, and gospel; recognition of the different roles God has entrusted to males and females; the practice of both baptism for all believers and also biblical reception.

When the Lord removes a lampstand (Rev 2:5; 3:3, 16)," TARGET="_blank">Rev 2:5; 3:3, 16), of course that group ceases to be an assembly. When He does that, only He knows. The group may continue its activities - and perhaps do all the right things, as the church at Ephesus did - yet not be an assembly.

David Oliver
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Will science unlock the secret of aging and death?

Will Science one day enable us to live forever in our physical bodies? Will we unlock the secret of aging and death?

Today scientists are talking realistically about developing solutions to grow and replace aging organs artificially. Some even talk about digitizing all aspects of the human brain and literally downloading a person’s personality, memories and creativity into a CD that can be stored and transferred to other beings. They say that we'll be able to live forever if we want to (and have the money). Are there are people alive today who will never have to contemplate dying or going to heaven or hell? Will God allow this to happen?

Live Long Enough to Live Forever

We live in an exciting age when fiction becomes fact faster than we expect. Some said that God would never allow man to walk on the moon, that flying faster than sound would be deadly on the human body, that the world would starve to death in the 1970’s due to the inability to produce enough food. Now some scientists are saying we will eventually extend life indefinitely.

Dr. Ray Kurzweil's is one author who is planning to live long enough to see the dream of eternal life on earth become a reality. His book Fantastic Voyage: Live Long Enough to Live Forever. Dr. Kurtzweil says that we will soon discover secrets to aging and gain the capacity to repair and replace enough of our body to life indefinitely. Artificial intelligence technology will advance to the point where human consciousness, memory and emotions will be able to be transferred to machines and to other beings making it possible to restart life even after one’s body has aged. Although these concepts remain the subject of science fiction, he believes the future may be closer than we think. He estimates that 2045 is the approximate year in which sufficient advances will be made to achieve indefinite life. The curve of scientific discovery follows an exponential growth rate, not a linear rate. Scientific advancements are doubling every 10 years. He observes:

The 20th century was not 100 years of progress at today’s rate but, rather, was equivalent to about 20 years, because we’ve been speeding up to current rates of change. And we’ll make another 20 years of progress at today’s rate, equivalent to that of the entire 20th century, in the next 14 years. And then we’ll do it again in just 7 years. Because of this exponential growth, the 21st century will equal 20,000 years of progress at today’s rate of progress—1,000 times greater than what we witnessed in the 20th century, which itself was no slouch for change.

Kurzweil is trying his hardest to be alive long enough to be here whenever these breakthrough technologies are developed. By taking 180 to 210 pills each day – vitamin and mineral supplements – and receiving experimental treatments one day each week from Dr. Terry Grossman at the price of $6,000 per visit, he is buying time. His book is essentially a life-extension strategy to remain alive until 2045.

Skeptics

There are plenty of skeptics in the scientific community who see problems ahead in the quest to achieve indefinite life.
Technology may not ever solve the problem of artificial intelligence. To date, the limitation in artificial intelligence has not been with processing power of computers, but with the software of human intelligence. Our brains are very complex, but also very slow. A neuron can fire about once every 5 milliseconds, or about 200 times a second. A CPU cycle on a 1 Ghz clock speed is about 5 million times faster than any neuron. The CPU speed will continue to double in the future, but there is no doubling of artificial intelligence because we haven’t figured out how to make computers think like us.
All AI systems we have developed are classified as “weak AI” – these systems are very good at doing specific tasks like OCR (Optical Character Recognition), playing chess, juggling complex schedules for airlines or recognizing trends and patterns in vast amounts of customer purchase data. But “Strong AI” is the human elements of creativity, insight, self-awareness and wisdom. Online video game players immediately recognize the difference between human opponents and computer players. An AI opponent can have lightning-fast reaction times, but can be easily fooled. If all the information in our brain can be stored in a computer before we die and the computer can be programmed to imitate the actions and emotions of a real person, is that person really still alive or does it just a simulation? We may replace body parts, but can we replace the brain? There is no Moore’s law of Strong AI because Strong AI doesn't exist.

Evil humans may co-opt future inventions to destroy humanity in stead of preserve it. If a super-intelligent machine is ever invented, it could enslave or exterminate the human race. While there is Moore’s Law, the exponential growth in speed of CPU power, there also is Murphy’s Law, “What can go wrong, will go wrong”.

Ancient Patriarchs

At one time there was very long life on the earth. Before the flood of Noah’s day, the age of the Patriarchs, there people living to 900 years and longer. (Genesis 5:1-20)" TARGET="_blank">Genesis 5:1-20) The conditions on earth must have been very conducive to prevent diseases or aging. There are a number of speculations as to why this was so:
•    Perhaps there weren’t as many genetic disorders. The DNA of people was purer then and not corrupted compared with today. Man has degenerated genetically with time, not improved.
•    Perhaps the atmosphere was different being more dense and moist.
•    Perhaps there was not as much harmful radiation that today strikes the earth and of course, human beings as well.
•    Perhaps the level of Oxygen content in the atmosphere was higher giving longer life, faster healing and more energy.

Ages of the Patriarchs from Adam to Noah

	Name of Person	Age at Death	Bible Verse
1	Adam	930	Genesis 5:4" TARGET="_blank">Genesis 5:4
2	Seth	912	Genesis 5:8" TARGET="_blank">Genesis 5:8
3	Enosh	905	Genesis 5:11" TARGET="_blank">Genesis 5:11
4	Cainan	910	Genesis 5:14" TARGET="_blank">Genesis 5:14
5	Mahalalel	895	Genesis 5:17" TARGET="_blank">Genesis 5:17
6	Jared	962	Genesis 5:20" TARGET="_blank">Genesis 5:20
7	Enoch	365 (taken in mid-life)	Genesis 5:23" TARGET="_blank">Genesis 5:23
8	Methuselah	969	Genesis 5:27" TARGET="_blank">Genesis 5:27
9	Lamech	777	Genesis 5:31" TARGET="_blank">Genesis 5:31
10	Noah	950	Genesis 9:29" TARGET="_blank">Genesis 9:29

Something happened after the flood that caused life spans to dramatically contract. In the generations that followed Noah we see a rapid decline in life span approaching 100 years. Scientists generally believe that the upper limit for maximum life for the human body is about 125 years. The reasons mentioned above are mere speculation as to the cause for extended life.

What does the Bible say about sin and death?

God created Adam and Eve with the possibility of living forever. In the Garden of Eden, in addition to all of the normal types of trees, there were two special trees: the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and the Tree of Life. (Genesis 2:16-17;" TARGET="_blank">Genesis 2:16-17; Genesis 3:22-23)." TARGET="_blank">Genesis 3:22-23).

The results of sin include death.

Genesis 2:16-17" TARGET="_blank">Genesis 2:16-17 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, (17) but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."

Romans 5:12" TARGET="_blank">Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—

Hebrews 9:27" TARGET="_blank">Hebrews 9:27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,

Genesis 3:22-24" TARGET="_blank">Genesis 3:22-24 Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever--" (23) therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. (24) He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.

Bad Fruit?

There was nothing physical about the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Eveil that would cause death. “The tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise” (Genesis 3:6)." TARGET="_blank">Genesis 3:6). It is unlikely that the Tree of Life had any super-nutritional fruit that sustained life. It was a real physical tree, but it stood for the relationship of eternal life that God gave to Adam as long as he remained obedient. The source of life is God Himself.

The eternal life that Adam enjoyed as an innocent man was taken away. God drove the man from the garden and the Tree of Life as a physical reminder that Adam was no longer permitted to dwell in God’s presence. He died spiritually by being separated from God. He later died physically. Our efforts to obtain eternal existence are frustrated by the fact that we seek them without seeking the Source of Life.

By barring access to the tree of life, God prevented Adam from living eternally in his fallen state. Because of the curse of sin, life is filled with sorrow and toil and pain. An eternal existence in our sinful state would be a curse instead of a blessing. God limits the number of years we live here physically. By limiting our lifespan, God gives us enough time to come to know Him and His provision for eternal life through Christ, but spares us the misery of an endless existence in a sinful condition.

The End of the World

The Bible says clearly that we live on a condemned planet. There is a limit to the patience of God in regards to our behavior. Just as the judgment that fell on the earth in Noah’s day, God has reserved our world for judgment, not by water, but by fire.

2 Peter 3:10-13" TARGET="_blank">2 Peter 3:10-13 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. (11) Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, (12) waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! (13) But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

If science creates a pathway to indefinite life on earth, it will eventually be interrupted by the coming of Christ in glory. Those who are alive at his coming will either be received by him into glory or rejected into eternal fire (Revelation 19:14-21;" TARGET="_blank">Revelation 19:14-21; Matthew 24:37-51)." TARGET="_blank">Matthew 24:37-51).

Millennial Kingdom

Following the return of Christ to the earth, the world will once again experience life spans like those of the ancient Patriarchs. Revelation 20:1-6" TARGET="_blank">Revelation 20:1-6 tells us about the reign of Christ that lasts 1000 years in a future day. Isaiah 65" TARGET="_blank">Isaiah 65 tells us some details about the life spans of people and the reason for living so long.

Isaiah 65:20" TARGET="_blank">Isaiah 65:20 No more shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not fill out his days, for the young man shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed.

Long life will flourish in the millennium. Death will occur, but not as we know it. 100 years of age will be considered youthful. If someone does die at such a young age, it will be assumed that it is because of a direct judgment for some sin committed. The curse will be throttled and sin contained in the Millennium. Satan will be bound (Revelation 20:1)." TARGET="_blank">Revelation 20:1).

Following the age of the Millennium God will create an eternal state, much like the Millennium, but with the curse of sin completely eradicated. The bondage that creation is under will be removed.

Revelation 22:3" TARGET="_blank">Revelation 22:3 No longer will there be anythi ng accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him.

Romans 8:19-21" TARGET="_blank">Romans 8:19-21 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. (20) For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope (21) that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

Eternal vs. Everlasting

Eternal life is not the same as eternal existence. “Eternal life” is the quality life. “Everlasting life” is the duration of life. A popular image of heaven is a group of winged-like people floating on clouds for everlastingly boring years. However the view the Bible gives of heaven is always “new” that is “eternal” rather than simply “everlasting”.

There are seven verses in Revelation that tell us about “new things” - a new song, a new name, a new Jerusalem, a new heaven, a new earth. The difference between the “new songs” of popular music of today and the “new song” of heaven is that by tomorrow, the “new” music of today will be old music very soon. Not so with the songs of heaven. It is a song that never grows old. The new earth, New Jerusalem will never loose its splendor. The new name, representing our relationship as a child of God, will never loose its impact. We will never grow bored of being in God’s family. (Revelation 2:17;" TARGET="_blank">Revelation 2:17; Revelation 3:12;" TARGET="_blank">Revelation 3:12; Revelation 5:9;" TARGET="_blank">Revelation 5:9; Revelation 14:3;" TARGET="_blank">Revelation 14:3; Revelation 21:1-2)" TARGET="_blank">Revelation 21:1-2) .

The promises that God has in store for us are eternal. God, being infinite, will never cease to amaze and impress. This is seen in his promise to continually show us his riches in the ages to come.

Ephesians 2:7" TARGET="_blank">Ephesians 2:7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Conclusion

Science may be able to replace and repair body to live long beyond the 125 year threshold. It may even be able to simulate human behavior with machines. It might even give us the possibility of transferring thoughts and memories from one old brain to a younger one. The words indefinite life (barring accidents or unforeseen plague) may be the reality of coming generations. However, the prospect of an “eternal” life will be the stuff of knowing God and living with him and exploring the “riches of his grace” forever.

Shad Sluiter

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Do His stripes (Isaiah 53:5) refer to Christ

Do His stripes (Isaiah 53:5)" TARGET="_blank">Isaiah 53:5) refer to Christ’s scourging or to God’s stroke?

The context of the verse indicates that the stroke is from God. In the previous verse, the nation considered Him to be smitten by God because they counted it blasphemy that He claimed to be God’s Son (see Matthew 26:65, 66; 27:43)." TARGET="_blank">Matthew 26:65, 66; 27:43). Verse 5 is a contrast; it was indeed God’s hand that smote Him, but the reason was not in Him, but in us. God pierced ("wounded"), crushed ("bruised"), chastised, and bruised ("stripes") Him. The "healing" from transgressions and iniquity to wholeness ("peace") was not, could not be, by the shame and suffering inflicted by man.

D. Oliver

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What is the meaning of BC and AD?

What is the meaning of BC and AD?

The terms B.C. and A.D. are the abbreviations for the years before the birth of Christ and the years since. It is erroneously thought that “A.D.” means “After Death”.

B.C. stands for “Before Christ” which is commonly known.

A.D. stands for “anno domini” or “The year of our Lord” in English. “After Death” would make no sense since Christ died at the age of 33. He therefore died in the year 33 A.D.

Although your study Bible might contain footnotes and references to specific years, the BC / AD system was not implemented until centuries after the birth of Christ. Most of the dates in the Bible are references to the number of years that a king reigned or when he died.

The year 0 B.C. is not believed to be accurate. There were errors made in calculating the dates on our Gregorian calendar that we use today. Most experts believe that Christ was born sometime between 6 B.C. and 4 B.C.

The Bible does not stress the importance of the year, nor the date on the calendar of the birth of Christ. What does divide history and indeed the whole human race is the work that Christ accomplished on the cross.

Hebrews 10:12" TARGET="_blank">Hebrews 10:12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God,

In more recent times, the scientific community has tried to do away with naming the years after Christ. The newer secular abbreviations for dividing history have been renamed to CE and BCE. Although the new terminology does not change any numbers of the years, it changes the names of the time periods before and after Christ.

CE stands for "Common Era” “Common” means that convention states we use the Christian dates to measure years.
BCE stands for "Before the common era."

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My parents are interferring in my marriage. What should I do?

What should a married couple do if their parents interfere in their marriage?

"Honor thy father and thy mother" applies lifelong. Overbearing parents should be treated with respect and love. Adult children honor their parents, not by obeying them, but by upholding what they value.

If patience and prayer don’t resolve the issue, a first response could be a gentle, perhaps humorous, reminder by the wife or the husband, depending on whose parent is overbearing. If that makes no difference, a kind, but more direct plea could follow. If this is ineffective a different course is indicated. By continuing to cultivate a relationship of mutual respect between themselves and the overbearing parents, the younger couple will be better able to handle the problem effectively.

Marriage forms a new relationship. "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife" (Genesis 2:24)." TARGET="_blank">Genesis 2:24). The wife leaves her father’s headship for a new head. The man leaves his parents to establish a new home and headship. The husband is responsible for this new marriage relationship. He is responsible to lead in protecting this relationship and, therefore, in dealing with overbearing parents. Both partners should be open and caring in discussing the problem between themselves and should make every effort to extend understanding to the offending parents. This cannot be allowed to come between the husband and wife and they must remain united in arriving at a way to confront the issue. If his parents are the problem, it’s appropriate for him to speak to them both by himself. In this way, he protects his wife and confines the problem to the ones directly involved. When he expresses the problem and the proposed solution to his parents, he indicates that "we have this concern" (not "she has…"), and "we are asking you to…" (not "she wants you to…"). If the wife’s parents are the problem, the husband should speak with them in the same spirit, but should take his wife with him, so the parents know it is a united stance. While being direct and firm, it’s important to affirm the intention of keeping an enjoyable and loving relationship with these parents.

Postponing dealing with the problem only makes its impact worse and makes dealing with it more difficult.

D. Oliver
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When was Peter saved?

PETER’S CONVERSION AND CALL

When was Peter saved? Was it when Andrew brought him to the Lord Jesus, or was it when the Lord called him on the shores of the sea of Galilee to become a fisher of men?

The mission of John the Baptist was, amongst other things, to “make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (Luke 1:15)," TARGET="_blank">Luke 1:15), and, no doubt, Peter, Andrew and the rest of the apostles were all disciples of John, having been baptized by him with the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, waiting for the One that was to come. Accordingly, when these prepared ones came in contact with the Lord, they were ready to receive Him as Messiah. In John i, when Andrew brought Peter to the Lord, He did not call him to repentance or faith, for he did already in a manner believe on Him, but gave Him his new name, anticipating the moment when He would build him as a living stone into His Church. This was only the prelude to the scene on the sea of Galilee.

Thus Peter was called by John to repentance and faith in the one coming after him; then by the Lord to a place in His Church, and later to His service. We apply the word “saved” to everyone who has received Christ as personal Saviour, though the word carries with it more than forgiveness, namely, deliverance to and from. Peter could not receive Christ in above sense till the Lord was revealed to Israel, but no doubt all the true disciples of John, though they did not form part of the Church till Pentecost, were saved persons; they were of the people of God, His own, in a very real sense. In this sense Peter was a saved person before he was introduced to the Lord by Andrew, for he had been already introduced to Him by John the Baptist and had doubtless believed on Him as the One “who should come after him” (Acts 19:4)," TARGET="_blank">Acts 19:4), as indeed did the Old Testament saints in a minor degree. The Lord knew him by name and was now calling him out of the Jewish fold, to belong to His flock.

W.H.

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New Testament Bible Study

Resources on Gospel Hall.org for New Testament Bible Study include:

Online Bible Search in multiple versions.
Commentaries suited for reference in New Testament Bible Study.
Articles related to gospel themes found in New Testament Bible Study.
The online section General Bible Teaching includes articles on themes such as Jesus Tomb, What the Bible Teaches, the Training of the Twelve, Distinctions in Bible Doctrines and much more.

In your quest for New Testament Bible Study, your primary source of information should be the New Testament itself. Therefore, a heavily-used resource in Bible Study here is the online Bible which displays all books of the Bible, including the New Testament, in multiple versions, in parallel.

Instructions for using the Parallel Bible in your New Testament Bible Study...

1. Select the link gen 1:1-5" TARGET="_blank">gen 1:1-5&search=&ver1=kjv&ver2=bbe">Parallel Bible .

2. Type in a passage Bible reference such as John 3:1-5" TARGET="_blank">John 3:1-5 as pictured.

3. Choose the first Bible version to form the first version of the parallel (ASV -American Standard Version, BBE - Bible in Basic English, DBY - Darby "New Translation", GFR - God's Word for Readers, KJV - King James Version, WEB - World English Bible, YLT - Young's Literal Translation, or the ESV - English Standard Version)

4. Select the second Bible version to complete the parallel. The second, optional parallel, choice is not required to make a search.

5. Click Search to launch the parallel bible view.

If you enter a search word or phrase, the results of your parallel bible search will be different with each Bible version since the language in each Bible version is slightly different.

We hope you enjoy your New Testament Bible Study resources.

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At the transfiguration, did Moses and Elijah have physical bodies?

At the transfiguration, did Moses and Elijah have physical bodies?

In each of the gospel accounts of the transfiguration (Mat 17:1-8;" TARGET="_blank">Mat 17:1-8; Mark 9:2-8;" TARGET="_blank">Mark 9:2-8; Luk 9:28-36)," TARGET="_blank">Luk 9:28-36), the Spirit of God uses the word "appeared," meaning "made visible" (TDNT. Kittel).

On that occasion, the disciples saw a preview of the glorified Christ (2Pe 1:16-18)." TARGET="_blank">2Pe 1:16-18). He was "transformed," a strong word suggesting an inward change (WEV Expository Dictionary). However, Moses and Elijah would not have had glorified bodies. Believers will receive such bodies at their resurrection, which is still future. Because Christ is the Firstfruit of resurrection (1Co 15:23;" TARGET="_blank">1Co 15:23; Acts 26:23)," TARGET="_blank">Acts 26:23), it seems unlikely that Moses and Elijah received a glorified body - even temporarily – before Christ rose from the dead. It seems equally unlikely that God created a special body for each of them at that time. While God is able to do that, each person’s body is unique to and solely identified with that person. God’s ways in providing a body for each person, then raising and changing that body at the resurrection (1Co 15:35-38)" TARGET="_blank">1Co 15:35-38) appear to rule out this possibility.

We have little Biblical evidence to use in answering this question. The best evidence is that by employing the verb "appeared," the Spirit indicates that Moses and Elijah did not have tangible bodies at the transfiguration. By divine power, they became visible to Peter, James, and John.

D. Oliver
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