Answers | To Your Questions About the Bible, Theology and Christian Living

The concept of the Trinity enlarges the concept of God found in the Old Testament and makes certain Old Testament passages more understandable. For example, some 2,500 times the word for God is Elohim, plural, instead of El, singular. There are plural pronouns used to describe the one God: “Let us make man” (Genesis 1:26); “Man is become as one of us” (Genesis 3:22); “Remember Thy Creators” (Ecclesiastes 12:1, literal); “Rejoice in His Makers” (Psalm 149:2, literal).

And, in Matthew 28:19, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (NKJV), the word for “name” is singular, representing three persons.

The plural pronouns are an indicator of the trinity — Father, Son and Holy Spirit — the Three in One.

Ken Horn

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Jesus had four half-brothers as well as half-sisters:

Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” Matthew 13:54-56 (see Mark 6:3)

His brother James is the likely author of the book of James and the leader of the new church in the book of Acts (see chapter 15).

Ken Horn

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When was the first publication of red letters for the words of Jesus Christ? Why are the words of the Lord God, the Holy Spirit, or the Angel of the Lord in the O.T. not also given a special color?

In 1899, Louis Klopsch, editor of The Christian Herald read Luke 22:20 and was struck by the words “This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.” Because of the symbolism of the blood, Dr. Klopsch wondered if the words of the Lord might effectively be printed in red: “Why not a red-letter Bible with the red words to be those of our Lord?” He sought counsel from his pastor, T. DeWitt Talmage, of Brooklyn Temple. Talmage encouraged him and the first red-letter New Testaments were printed in 1901.

Red was applied to all the words of Jesus, including those quoted by others in the Bible, but not in the Old Testament theophanies (or appearances of Christ before He came to earth in flesh).

The first printing quickly sold out and red-letter Bibles have been immensely popular ever since.

Ken Horn

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Answers to some common questions about Easter.

Where did the name Easter come from?

An early Christian writer (Bede, c. A.D. 673-735) claims that it came from the name Eastre, a Germanic goddess of spring. The celebration of Christ’s resurrection apparently replaced the pagan festival.

Is the word Easter in the Bible?

Not really—in the original languages. But it does appear once in the King James Version in Acts 12:4. This was corrected in the New King James and other English translations. The word translated Easter in Acts is from the Greek tò páscha. It is translated Passover each of the other 28 times it appears in the King James, as well as in the other English versions.

What is a better name?

Resurrection Sunday is a far better representation of the true meaning of the day.

How early did the celebration of Christ’s resurrection begin?

The earliest historical reference of a formal celebration by the church appears in the middle of the second century. History records a debate then that took place over the correct date of celebration.

How is the date figured anyway?

We don’t have enough room to explain this one. The usual statement—Easter is the first Sunday after the full moon after the first day of spring—is not precisely correct, because there are certain “ecclesiastical rules” that can change the dates. (Read a comprehensive explanation here.)

It’s very early this year. The important thing to know about the date is this: Even though Christians celebrate the resurrection year-round, Easter draws multitudes of people who seldom ever darken the door of a church. It’s a wonderful yearly opportunity to proclaim the truths that lie at the core of our faith.

What is Lent?

A period of 40 days prior to Easter that begins with Ash Wednesday. It is primarily emphasized in liturgical churches. Christians from churches of this tradition are commonly expected to fast and/or give up other things during this period.

What does Mardi Gras have to do with Easter?

Mardi Gras is from the French meaning “fat Tuesday.” The day before the beginning of Lent became a time of feasting and raucous celebration. This celebration has become a longer festival of overindulgence that has become quite depraved and godless.

What is the true meaning of Easter?

The true meaning of Easter is clearly found in the suggested better name—Resurrection Sunday. It is a celebration of the historical fact that Christ rose from the dead, as well as the fact that we serve a living Savior today.

Ken Horn

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I am having a difficult time explaining to my children how Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit are one person. Can you help?

The Trinity is first-rate mystery.

Augustine said that anyone who denies the Trinity is in danger of losing his salvation, and anyone who tries to understand it is in danger of losing his mind. It is not fully explained in Scripture.

In fact, the word Trinity is not found in the Bible. But, by the late second century it was being used by the church to describe a biblical concept—literally, tri-unity, or “three in one.”

This does not mean three Gods … though Christians have been accused of being polytheists by other world religions. Instead Christians have a unique view of God, one that comes about because they believe both the Old and New Testaments.

There are six basic biblical steps to understanding the Trinity:

1. There is one God. (Deuteronomy 6:4)

Deuteronomy 6:4 is one of the most important verses to the Jews, who believe in one God. It is known as the Shema: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!”

Here is the Hebrew: Shema Yisrael: Yahweh Elochenu Yahweh Echad. The Hebrew language has two words that are translated “one”—Yachid and Echad. Yachid means an absolute one. Echad refers to a united one. Echad is the word used of God in the Old Testament—God is a united one.

2. The Father is God. (2 Peter 1:17)

3. The Son is God. (John 8:58)

4. The Holy Spirit is God. (Acts 5:3-4)

5. Father, Son and Holy Spirit are distinct individuals. (John 14:26)

6. Therefore, there are three Persons in the one Godhead.

A typical, accurate doctrinal statement is this, Assemblies of God Fundamental Truth no. 2: “WE BELIEVE … There is only One True God—revealed in three persons … Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (commonly known as the Trinity).” (See ag.org for all 16 Assemblies of God Fundamental Truths.)

Since the Trinity is completely unique, no analogy really fits. The Trinity is not really “like” anything.

But attempts have been made. The best analogies do not look at the Trinity as three parts that make up a whole, like these examples:

• Shamrock: Saint Patrick, who spread the Gospel in Ireland, used a three-leafed clover.
• Egg: Another common one—eggshell, egg white and yolk.
• H2O: The three phases of H2O—water, ice, steam—are better as an analogy but also fall short since any given temperature produces only one of these at a time. That picture leads to a false doctrine that says the Trinity is really only one person who takes on one of three modes at any given time. This belief is problematic for those who hold it: Just what was going on in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus was praying to the Father? Was He talking to himself?

The best illustration I have seen comes from C.S. Lewis:

• The three dimensions of space: Length, width and height. All coincide in the same place, yet are distinct.

Ken Horn

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With so many religions in the world, how can you say that Christianity is the only way? Isn’t Buddha as good as Christ? Isn’t it the height of arrogance to claim that the only way people can come into right relationship with God is through Jesus?

At first blush, the answer would seem to be yes. After all, there are sincere, moral, deity-fearing people in every religion of the world. Why must Christians think that their religion alone is right? Why not follow the teaching of traditional Judaism that the righteous of every nation — not just Israel — have a place in the world to come?

Actually, it’s no more arrogant for Christians to say that Jesus is the only way to God than it is for others to say that Jesus is just one way among many — thereby declaring the belief of more than one billion Christians to be wrong.

The real question is: On what basis can we claim that Christianity alone brings people into right relationship with God? The answer is simple: Only the gospel provides a true antidote to the problem of sin.

Generally speaking, all religions recognize that human beings have somehow fallen short and become alienated from the godhead (singular or plural). The problem is how to receive forgiveness of sin and become reconciled with an offended or distant godhead.

We must therefore ask on what basis the deity offers forgiveness. Muslims and Jews do their best and hope for mercy. Hindus patiently bear their lot, hoping for a better life next time around. Buddhists seek for an ultimate nirvana. But none of these faiths provides a definite and certain answer.

What separates Christianity from every other religion is not so much the moral teaching of Jesus, or even the moral example of Jesus, but rather the fact that Jesus, the divine Son, took our place. He paid the penalty for our sins, thereby satisfying the justice of God and securing eternal salvation for all who believe.

If there had been any other way for mankind to be forgiven, Jesus would not have died. It is this fact alone — the necessary sacrificial death of the Son of God on the cross — that separates Christianity from all other religions. None of these religions have at their foundation a divine act that is unique and comprehensive for all people.

That’s why Jesus gave us the mandate to go into the whole world and declare the good news of His death and resurrection. And good news it is. No other religion in the world has its equal.

Michael L. Brown

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