Jesus spoke of the kingdom of heaven, God’s rule, in many of his parables. In the parable of the workers in the vineyard he illustrates important principles of God’s kingdom, principles that the religious leaders of his time didn’t fully understand: God’s grace and mercy on the undeserving.
With so many more people reading the Bible today, understanding of Scripture has greatly increased all over the world. But people are fallible, so errors in Bible interpretation have also increased. Here are 11 of the most common interpretation errors people make while studying the Bible today.
Earthly life as a believer in Christ brings many blessings. But it also involves conflict, and our greatest conflicts are in the spiritual realm against the enemy of our souls. For these battles we need adequate weaponry, the spiritual armor of God.
In Romans chapter 12, the apostle Paul exhorts believers in Christ to offer their bodies as living sacrifices to God. What did he mean by this and how do we follow it?
Many people of ancient Israel believed that keeping the ceremonial laws of Moses was the highest expression of their love for God. But Jesus taught his disciples that to God there are more important things than ceremonies and temple sacrifices: to keep short accounts and “settle matters quickly” with both the people in our lives and with God.
Ritualistic religion and worldly religious philosophies were numerous in New Testament times. As the Christian church grew, these beliefs and practices started to infiltrate the church and misguide the believers. So, the apostle Paul wrote the churches to address this problem. What were these ideas, and do they exist today?
Before Jesus was arrested and executed, he spent his last evening teaching and encouraging his disciples. And on this night before he left them, he wanted them to learn an important lesson. So, he washes their feet. What was the lesson he was teaching by this?
Wisdom is so valuable. We all need it to succeed in life and to be healthy and safe. It guides us in our daily relationships and endeavors, our quest for truth, and our relationship with the Creator. But there are barriers to acquiring wisdom, and the greatest of these are human pride and arrogance.
Many Bible passages address believing in Jesus and the doctrinal truths about salvation and forgiveness. Others, especially in the gospels, emphasize following Jesus as a disciple and obeying his commands. What is the relationship between believing and following? Can we believe in him without following him, or vice versa?
Since the beginning of his earthly ministry, Jesus called people to follow him as his disciples. What did it mean to be a disciple of Jesus then? And what does it mean to be his disciple today? Is it the same today for us as with the original disciples?
