*Here’s a link to the questions already answered

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A:  The Story of the Wisemen is found in Matthew 2:1-12. Notice that the Bible really doesn’t tell us how many there were, only that they brought three different gifts—gold, frankincense, and myrrh. It was an early Christian tradition that there were three.

Years ago, I remember seeing a TV story about a 4th wiseman who got lost and spent his whole life searching for the Christ child only to find him on the cross. That was a fictional story however.

Here is a link to a previous Q & A about the wisemen:  -Re: The Wisemen and the First Christmas

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He looks at the facts concerning the resurrection of Jesus–a timely pursuit for the Easter season:

"To answer the question of Jesus’ resurrection from a historical standpoint, we must first determine what facts concerning the fate of Jesus of Nazareth can be credibly established on the basis of the evidence and second consider what the best explanation of those facts is. At least four facts about the fate of the historical Jesus are widely accepted by New Testament historians today."

<Read the Whole Article>            *Top

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“You shall not make any cuts in your body for the dead nor make any tattoo marks on yourselves: I am the LORD.” Leviticus 19:28 — NASV

A:  First of all, the context of the whole passage of Leviticus 19:26-31 has to do with pagan and cultic religious practices. The cuts and marking of the body was related to mourning, remembering, and worshipping the dead and false gods– reflecting the cultic practices of the false religions that in the area at the time.

The passage also prohibited a number of other cultic practices including: eating bloody meat, fortune telling, cultic hair cuts, cultic prostitution, and consulting psychics.

When someone gets a tattoo today, they are mostly decorating their body and not following some false religious practice or ceremony involving some false gods. They are not really violating this Bible passage unless they are specifically getting tattoos which are satanic symbols or symbols of false religions and false gods.

Secondly, the Mosaic Law presented in Leviticus does not all apply to Christians. While there are important principles behind all the regulations to consider, New testament believers are free to eat pork, shellfish, and most Christians now meet on Sunday rather than Saturday.

Are there any relevant New Testament Scriptures which may apply? Yes, I believe so. First of all, one good passage to consider is 1 Corinthians 6:19-20:

"… know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s."

Many Christians feel convicted by this scripture not to get tattoos, while other Christians maintain that they are glorifying God by getting crosses or Christian symbols tattooed on their body. So this scripture seems to cut both ways.

I believe that Romans 14:1-12 is relevant to the tattoo situation. Christians should be careful not to judge other brothers and sisters in this matter, while each one should maintain their own convictions and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in their own life.            *Top

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A:  Mary named her son Y’shua (Joshua or Yehshua)–meaning: ‘Yahweh is Salvation’.  ‘Jesus’ is the English transliteration of the Greek form of the name.  Why did Mary name her son Jesus? Because the angel Gabriel told her too on orders from God himself (remember, angels only say and do what God specifically tells them too). Who better to know if the scriptures were fulfilled or not than God himself?

Many times, ancient Hebrews were given names that reflected and defined their character or purpose in life. Isaiah 7:14 seems to tell us that the Messiah would be called–Immanuel–meaning: ‘God with Us’. However, the same Prophet in Isaiah 9:6 tells us that his name shall be called: ‘Wonderful Counselor’, Mighty God’, ‘Everlasting Father’, and ‘Prince of Peace’.

Also, don’t forget that Jeremiah and Zechariah referred to the Messiah as: ‘The Branch’ and ‘The Root’ (Jer. 23:5, 33:15, Zech. 3:8). Then there are references to: ‘Lion of Judah’, ‘The Truth’, ‘The Word’, ‘I am", ‘Horn of Salvation’, ‘Alpha and Omega’, ‘The Good Shepherd’, ‘The Way’, ‘The Bread of Life’, ‘Chief Cornerstone’, ‘Light of the World’. ‘The Lamb of God’, ‘The Life’, ‘The Morning Star’, ‘The Sun of Righteousness’, ‘The Resurrection and the Life’, ‘The lord of All’, and many more.

Which is the right name? All of the above fulfill some scripture or another. They are functional nicknames for the Messiah. However, the correct proper name is the one that Mary used–the one that God chose and instructed his angel to give her—Jesus.            *Top

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A Good Question For The Christmas Season:

Q: Did the three Wisemen really visit baby Jesus in the stable on Christmas? Some say that they didn’t show up till later.

A: Matthew 2:1-12 contains the answers. First, it is clear from the text the ‘Magi’ were still in the east when they saw the Christmas star the night that Jesus was born. So all of those Christmas nativity scenes that display the three Wisemen are not completely accurate. Nevertheless, the Magi are part of the traditional events associated with the birth of Christ.

They probably showed up in Jerusalem some months later. Then they found their way to the house (*note- house not stable) where baby Jesus was living, by following some kind of supernatural light that reminded them of the star that they originally saw in the east.

Notice that the text does not really tell us how many magi there really were. It only mentions three different gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

*Top

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“But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag, and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one.”

Seems to contradict his other teaching about turning the cheek?

A: Is Jesus really a man of peace? Wait till he comes back! –he fights the Anti-christ and conquers the whole world. Also, he wasn’t so peaceful when he cleared the Temple that one day. Nevertheless, it is true when he was on the earth that he taught his disciples to ‘turn the cheek’. He never lead an army or even resisted his own arrest–but went willingly to his death. Yes, Jesus truly was ‘a man of peace’.

The statement of Jesus in Luke 22:36 has to be considered along with, and in contrast to, Luke 10:4-7, particularly verse 4:

“Do not take a purse or bag or sandals;…”

Now (LK 22:35-36) the situation has changed–take a purse, take a bag, not only take sandals, but also a sword! That is really the point that Jesus is making–the whole situation was changing.The disciples missed the point: “We have two, is that enough?” I can hear Jesus saying “oi vey” at that response, or in our current vernacular: “Yeah right, what ever!”–with a tone of resignation. Jesus many times used symbols, hyperbole, and ironic statements in his teaching. The disciples rarely seemed to understand, we even have difficulty with some of his statements today and this is surely one!

Later in the same chapter, when Jesus was arrested (LK 22:49-51), he stopped his disciples from using the swords and even heals the one who was struck. This really does confirm that the disciples mistook what Jesus was saying. By his own words and deeds, we see here that he was not advocating violence. In fact, he chastises the chief priests for coming after him in a violent manner–with swords and clubs like he was some common criminal. Yes, Jesus truly was a ‘man of peace’. What he was really saying in Luke 22:36–’the times they are a-changing!’ *Top

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A: The Crucifixion lasted for at least 6 hours–from the third hour till the ninth. Do the Gospels represent all the events and everything that happened and was said by everyone there? –of coarse not!

Here is the best explanation:

1. Both criminals joined in with the others mocking Jesus in the beginning (as Matt. and Mark records).

2. Then much later as death was immanent, one of the thieves changed his mind about Jesus and repented (as Luke records).

It is not difficult to imagine that one could change their mind after watching and hearing what Jesus said for nearly 6 hours from the cross. After all, Jesus was a remarkable person and more than that, the very Son of God.

How did Jesus respond to all the insults? He asked his Father to forgive everyone there, including the two thieves. Even a hardened criminal could well have been affected by such a statement of forgiveness, especially from one who was also facing death. *Top

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A: The scripture that you are probably referring to is Isaiah 25:8:

He will swallow up death forever.
The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears
from all faces;
he will remove the disgrace of his people
from all the earth.
The LORD has spoken.

The message of Isaiah 25:8 is also found in Revelation 21:4:

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.

Some Bible teachers have inferred from these scriptures that believers will no longer remember the sadness, sickness, pain, or death that they experienced in this life. Some believe that the reference to the ‘disgrace’ or reproach of God’s people being ‘removed’ means that all the mistakes and sins made in this life will be blotted out and remembered no more in Heaven.

There is no scripture which teaches that we will no longer remember our life on earth. I believe that the scriptures are teaching that we will be changed and that our understanding and feelings about our earthly life will also be changed. Memories which cause us to experience pain, sorrow, and remorse will no longer affect us. The sting and stigma of all our pain, sorrow, sickness, mistakes, and sin will no longer touch us in a negative way in the life to come. *Top

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A: A link to the original news article your are referring to and my initial response is posted on my main page. My answer is no, I do not believe that it is a good idea for Christians to use the name ‘Allah’ instead of God unless one speaks Arabic or lives in a country or culture dominated by Islam. I more fully address this issue in an article on my Apologetica page. Dr. Albert Mohler also addressed this issue has some good responses. *Top

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