Category: Bible
-
1 Kings 7:23: A Bible Contradiction Concerning Pi?
By pointing to the measurements for the circular bath taken from this passage (also see 2 Chr 4:2), many skeptics have claimed that the Bible lists an incorrect value for the mathematical constant pi (beginning with the numbers “3.14159265…”) used to measure the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. According to the numbers…
-
1 Samuel 28:5-20: Contacting the Dead
Some have said this passage gives approval to participate in activities that deal with spirits and the dead. Yet even if it is possible to communicate with the dead, the Bible very clearly says that attempting to do so is wrong (see Lev 19:31; 20:27; Dt 18:10-12; Is 8:19). The consequences for disobeying God were…
-
Numbers 23:19: Does God Change His Mind?
Does God ever change His mind? Some skeptics like to point to certain passages—including the book of Jonah—to show how God randomly changes His mind, thus producing a contradiction when this verse is considered. The Bible explains how God is omniscient (“all knowing”) and is surprised by nothing. From the human point of view, it…
-
Exodus 33:20: Is it possible to see God?
Many skeptics and cultists have compared this verse with verse 11, which says Moses saw God “face to face” (also see Gen 32:30; Deut. 5:4). It is, they say, a contradiction. However, some passages in the Bible are not meant to be taken literally, including the expression “face to face.” This figuratively means that God…
-
Genesis 2:17: Did the serpent tell the truth?
God promised Adam and Eve that they would surely die if they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Because they did not physically die right after they ate, some skeptics like to say this is a contradiction. Yet the majority of Jewish and Christian commentators agree that, while both Adam…
-
Why Are There So Many Translations of the Bible?
Why are there so many Translations of the Bible?By Eric Johnson
-
80+ Verses to Use in Apologetic Encounters
Have you ever tried to memorize scripture but it was just too hard to remember all the words in a verse? Or have you ever been in a witnessing situation and wanted to use a particular verse–it’s at the tip of your tongue–but you forgot where it was located? (“It’s in the Bible…somewhere.”) Consider learning…
-
The Inspired Version: Why Isn’t It Officially Used Today?
According to Mormonism history, Joseph Smith was commanded by God to make a new translation of the Bible. Then, a few years later, these compiled changes were finished in 1833. While Mormon leaders continually cite from Smith’s work, the Joseph Smith Translation (or Inspired Version) is not officially used by the church. Instead, the King…
-
Acts 1 and the issue of “12” apostles
Acts 1 and the issue of “12” apostles By Eric Johnson When faithful Latter-day Saints are asked about their church’s authority, they will very often point to Ephesians 2:20, which says, “And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone.” According to Mormonism, the “Great…
-
Romans 8:16-17: Are we heirs with God?
Romans 8:16-17 By Eric Johnson Romans 8:16-17 have been used by some Mormons to support the idea that there is such a thing as “preexistence” and “exaltation” as gods. It reads, “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and…
-
Acts 17:29: Are we the offspring of God?
In Acts 17:16-34, Paul addresses the philosophers and leaders of Greek gods and goddesses at Mars Hill in Athens. Instead of worshipping the “unknown God,” he explains in verse 23, his desire is to share the Lord of heaven and earth. In order to make his point, he uses no support from scriptural passages, only…
-
2 Peter 1:4: Can People Become Divine?
As with everything else, Bible verses taken out of their context. We must understand several things: 1) When a person becomes a Christian through faith in Christ, he/she becomes a child of God (John 1:12; Romans 8:9-21). This is called justification, which happens only through belief. 2) When a person is a believer, good works…
-
1 Corinthians 8:5: Are there other gods?
First Corinthians 8:5 says, “For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) But to us there is but one God.” Third President John Taylor explained, “…it may be well enough to say at the outset that Mormonism embraces a plurality of…
-
Isaiah 40:3: Does the Bible speak about Joseph Smith?
According to Isaiah 40:3, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the LORD; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God.” Tenth President Joseph Fielding Smith said, “You may apply this to John if you will, and this is true…But I will go further and maintain that Joseph Smith…
-
Does Malachi 3:1 Speak About Joseph Smith?
Malachi 3:1 states: “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts.” On page 23 of the January 1989 Ensign, it reads: Malachi prophesied of the…
-
Does 2 Thessalonians 2:3 Support The Great Apostasy?
2 Thessalonians 2:3 says, “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first . . .” This verse is sometimes used to support the idea of a Great Apostasy. However, the context is not explaining that there would be a complete apostasy. As…
-
"The Land of Jerusalem" and the Dead Sea Scrolls
By Bill McKeeverIn an article titled “Mounting Evidence for the Book of Mormon,” Dr. Daniel Peterson from BYU states, “Alma 7:10 predicts that Jesus ‘shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem which is the land of our forefathers.’ Is this a mistake? Everyone knows that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, not in Jerusalem.
-
The Dead Sea Scrolls Q&A
An exhibit containing 10 fragments along with other artifacts from the Dead Sea Scrolls will be coming to the Leonardo (www.leonardo.org) in Salt Lake City, UT beginning Nov. 22, 2013 and staying until April 2014. We encourage every Christian believer to see this exhibit. Bill and Eric will be discussing these scrolls on their Viewpoint…
-
Does Isaiah 29:4-12 predict the coming forth of the Book of Mormon?
By Bill McKeever and Eric JohnsonIn a 2007 general conference address, Apostle Russell M. Nelson insisted that the Bible predicted the coming forth of the Book of Mormon: