United Christian Church
Disciples of Christ
HomeCalendar of EventsChurch Location
The Question of the Week Archive




Questions & Answers
Week of 09/20/10
"Who said it is a foolish man who builds his house upon the sand?"
 Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."  When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

Week of 09/13/10
When Jesus hung upon the cross what was he offered to drink?
Wine vinegar
And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"—which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"  When some of those standing near heard this, they said, "Listen, he's calling Elijah."  One man ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. "Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to take him down," he said.
Mark 15:34-36

Week of 09/06/10
Happy Labor Day!

Week of 08/30/10
How many hours was Jesus on the cross?
Six

Week of 08/23/10
No question this week.


Week of 08/16/10
The very first day God created light and on the seventh day He rested ... what did He do on days two thru six?
And God said, "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water." So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so. God called the expanse "sky." And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.  
And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear." And it was so. God called the dry ground "land," and the gathered waters he called "seas." And God saw that it was good.  Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so.  The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.  
 And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years,  and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth." And it was so.  God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars.  God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good.  And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.
 And God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky."  So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.  God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth."  And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.  
 And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind." And it was so.  God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.   Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him;        male and female he created them.  God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."  Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food." And it was so.  God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

Week of 08/09/10
What is a different name for a biblical character called Hananiah?
 Shadrach ... Daniel 1:7
Week of 08/02/10
Which was smaller ... Noah's Ark or Solomon's Temple?
 Noah's Ark was larger at 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide and 30 cubits high (450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high) while Solomon's Temple was 60 cubits long, 20 wide, and 30 high (90 feet long, 30 feet long and 45 feet high) ... the ark could hold 12 1/2 times the stuff that the temple could.

Week of 07/26/10
Which book of the Bible begins with "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked  ..." 
Psalm NIV
Week of 07/19/10
Which book of the Bible begins with "Now these are the names of the children of Israel ..."
 Exodus in the New King James

Week of 07/12/10
What happened at the rock of Horeb?
 But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, "Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?"  Then Moses cried out to the LORD, "What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me."  The LORD answered Moses, "Walk on ahead of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go.  I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink." So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel.  And he called the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the LORD saying, "Is the LORD among us or not?" Exodus 17:3-7


Weeks of 06/28/10 and 07/05/2010
No question of the week.
Week of 06/21/10
What unusual event occurred while King Belshazzar was drinking?
 King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine with them. While Belshazzar was drinking his wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver goblets that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them.  So they brought in the gold goblets that had been taken from the temple of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them.  As they drank the wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone.  Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote ... Daniel 5:1-5
Week of 06/14/10
What color was the robe Jesus wore when the Roman soldiers mocked him?
 Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe 3and went up to him again and again, saying, "Hail, king of the Jews!" And they struck him in the face. John 19:1-2
Week of 06/07/10
Who in the Bible dreamt of clay feet?
 Nebuchadnezzar dreamt of a large statue with a head of gold, chest and arms of silver, belly and thighs of bronze, legs of iron and feet partly of iron and clay.  Daniel 2:32-33 This is interpreted by Daniel to represent kingdoms prophesied to exist in the future.


Week of 05/31/10
Who told us we are blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places (heavenly realm) in Christ?
 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ ... Ephesians 1:1-3 

Week of 05/24/10
No question this week.
Week of 05/17/10
When was the first Bible produced without use of inscription?
Inscription or handwritten Bibles were the norm for centuries until the first copy was printed using the Gutenberg printing press in 1455. 

Week of 05/10/10
Is there any undisputed circumstantial evidence of the resurrection of Jesus?  If so, what?
 Probably the best circumstantial evidence of the resurrection of Jesus is the change in the eleven remaining disciples.  The night Jesus was arrested the scattered out of fear convinced that something had gone very wrong.  Yet within weeks these same men were out in public proclaiming the resurrection of Jesus the Messiah.  They went from fear to public ministry risking everything in the process.  The only thing that can truly explain that type of conversion is a meeting with the risen Savior.  The apostles had nothing to gain and everything to lose ... think about it.  These were Jews who lost their occupations, their social standing, everything including their lives to spread the news about the Risen Lord.  Many of them died in a tortuous manner because of their proclamation of the resurrected Christ - crucified head down in the case of Peter, Phillip, and Bartholomew ... crucified without reference to the placement of the head in Andrew's case.  Stoned to death in the case of James.  Thrust with spears in the case of Thomas.  Beheaded in the case of Paul (as a Roman he couldn't be crucified).  These men died because they proclaimed something that they didn't just believe in ... they KNEW because they had SEEN & TOUCHED the risen Christ.  Humans will die for a something that they believe to be true.  No one will die for something they KNOW to be false when stating it was false would save the lives of them self and would not endanger their family.  The resurrection of Jesus is the only explanation for the death of these men when to live all they would have had to do was say they had been lying. They didn't do that / couldn't do that because what they proclaimed was the TRUTH.  Jesus is alive.


Week of 05/03/10
How long would it take to hear testimony from all the witnesses to Jesus being alive after the crucifixion if you gave them each 15 minutes?  According to one account it would take from breakfast Monday to dinner on Friday going non-stop around the clock and another calculation puts it at sunrise on Saturday morning. Regardless of how you calculate it there is more than 100 hours of eyewitness testimony ... in small & large groups, in settings were the observer physically touched Jesus - seeing the marks of the crucifixion on his body.  How any one could remain a skeptic after "listening" to a hundred plus hours is hard to explain.
Week of 04/26/10
No question.

Week of 04/19/10
What language was the Bible written in?
 The Old Testament was written in mainly Hebrew with a little in Aramaic.  The New Testament was written in Greek.
Week of 04/12/10
How much did Daniel pray before he was answered during the third year of Cyrus king of Persia?
Daniel 10:1 makes it clear that during the third year of the reign of King Cyrus of Persia Daniel received a message dealing with a big war ... this message had to be understood by a revelation.  Daniel went into mourning and ate only plain and simple food, no seasoning or meat or wine for three weeks.  Verse 12-14 explains how "a man dressed in linen, with a belt of the finest gold around his waist. His body was like chrysolite, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude." came to Daniel to explain that his answer to prayer were heard, but that the one coming from Heaven to response was delayed for twenty-one days until Michael came to intervene. How often do we pray for more than three days for something?  How many times have we given up on the twentieth day and never received an answer? 

Week of 04/05/10
How old was Isaac when Abraham took him to the mountain for sacrifice?
The historian Josephus records that Isaac was 25 years old when his father took him up the mountain.  He is reported to state that he would respect the will of God and his father and then he carried the wood up the mountain.

Week of 03/29/10
Where in the Bible is the behavior of the disciples during the arrest & trial of Jesus foretold?
 Then Jesus told them, "This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written:
   'I will strike the shepherd,
      and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'  Matthew 26:31  quoting part of Zechariah 13:7


Week of 03/22/10
What does the Bible say about a Christian's attitude regarding Satan?
 Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You're not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It's the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith. The suffering won't last forever. It won't be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ—eternal and glorious plans they are!—will have you put together and on your feet for good. He gets the last word; yes, he does.  1 Peter 5:8-11
Week of 03/15/10
Where does the name "Satan" first appear in the Bible?
 Job 1:6
 Satan translates to "The Adversary" or "Accuser" ... Revelation 12:10-12 states in the Message ...
War broke out in Heaven. Michael and his Angels fought the Dragon. The Dragon and his Angels fought back, but were no match for Michael. They were cleared out of Heaven, not a sign of them left. The great Dragon—ancient Serpent, the one called Devil and Satan, the one who led the whole earth astray—thrown out, and all his Angels thrown out with him, thrown down to earth. Then I heard a strong voice out of Heaven saying,

   Salvation and power are established!
      Kingdom of our God, authority of his Messiah!
 
  The Accuser of our brothers and sisters thrown out,
      who accused them day and night before God.

   They defeated him through the blood of the Lamb
      and the bold word of their witness.

   They weren't in love with themselves;
      they were willing to die for Christ.
   
So rejoice, O Heavens, and all who live there,
      but doom to earth and sea,
   
For the Devil's come down on you with both feet;
      he's had a great fall;

   He's wild and raging with anger;      
 he hasn't much time and he knows it.

Week of 03/08/10
Why did Satan attack Job?
 Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil."
"Does Job fear God for nothing?" Satan replied.  "Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land.  But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face." 
The LORD said to Satan, "Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger."
      Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.  Job 1:7-12
Commentaries upon commentaries have been written about the trials of Job - many Christians have worried or felt as if they were suffering attacks similar to Job.  The important thing to remember is I Corinthians 10:13 where is says ...
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

Week of 03/01/10
Who were Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar and what were they commanded to do by the Lord?
After the LORD had said these things to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. So now take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. You have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has." So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite did what the LORD told them; and the LORD accepted Job's prayer.  Job 42:7-9 
The Bible shows that Job raged and challenged God while his friends spoke correct and often beautiful phrases about God ... so why did God tell them they had not spoken what was right and called Job "My servant".  Job spoke to God honestly and came to a new understanding of God (Job 42:5) ... while his friends spoke about God apparently without a true understanding of whom they spoke.

Week of 02/22/10
When commanded to "Love the Lord you God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength" ... what else are we commanded to do?
"And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.  You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down and when you rise up."  Deuteronomy 6:5-7  The Lord is addressing Israel specifically, "Hear, O Israel:" Deuteronomy 6:4a yet the Christian should not go wrong by following the intent of this passage

Week of 02/15/10
Who is blessed according to scripture?
 Matthew 5:3-12
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
The Beatitudes

Week of 02/08/10
What happened to the question of the week?
SNOW!!
Week of 02/01/10
What should we be afraid of?
 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.  But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.  Matthew 10:28
God is not a genie in a bottle, nor a servant at our beck & call.  God is the Creator of Heaven and Earth, the Alpha & Omega, Almighty Father, Everlasting Lord, the Christ, the Messiah. 

Week of 01/25/10
Where did Jesus go to begin his public ministry?
 Matthew 4:12-17
When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he returned to Galilee. Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:  
"Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
      the way to the sea, along the Jordan,
      Galilee of the Gentiles—
the people living in darkness
      have seen a great light;
   on those living in the land of the shadow of death
      a light has dawned."
From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."
Week of 01/18/10
When did Jesus and John the Baptist first meet?
Given that Mary and Elizabeth were related with only months between the birth of their children, add the fact that Joseph did not flee to Egypt until Jesus was slightly older (two or younger) and it becomes possible that they played as children.  However, their first recorded meeting is when Jesus comes to John to be baptized and a "voice came from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.".  Matthew 3:17

Week of 01/11/10
How did Jesus come to be called a Nazarene?
 Later, when Herod died, God's angel appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt: "Up, take the child and his mother and return to Israel. All those out to murder the child are dead."  Joseph obeyed. He got up, took the child and his mother, and reentered Israel. When he heard, though, that Archelaus had succeeded his father, Herod, as king in Judea, he was afraid to go there. But then Joseph was directed in a dream to go to the hills of Galilee. On arrival, he settled in the village of Nazareth. This move was a fulfillment of the prophetic words, "He shall be called a Nazarene."

Week of 01/04/10
What did Joseph do after the Wise Men left?
 Matthew 2:13-15
After the scholars were gone, God's angel showed up again in Joseph's dream and commanded, "Get up. Take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt. Stay until further notice. Herod is on the hunt for this child, and wants to kill him."
Joseph obeyed. He got up, took the child and his mother under cover of darkness. They were out of town and well on their way by daylight. They lived in Egypt until Herod's death. This Egyptian exile fulfilled what Hosea had preached: "I called my son out of Egypt."

Week of 12/28/09
When did the Wise Men arrive to view the "one born King of the Jews"?
 Despite the popularity of the traditional manger scene the Wise Men or Magi arrive ... according to Matthew 2:11 ... at a "house" where they viewed "the child".  Not at the "manger" to view "the baby".  The Bible gives further insight in Matthew 2:16 when Herod gives orders to kill all boys two years of age or younger, in "accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi".  Put it together and you have the Magi arriving to worship an older baby or a toddler.  Speculation on the subject lends further tweaks to the traditional picture.  The Magi came from the court of the King of Persia, would have arrived with an entourage and most likely arrived on horseback rather than camels.  In addition the Magi of the east were considered to be king makers - which would explain why Herod was so concerned with their news of a new King of the Jews.  Finally, the Bible does not tell us that there were three in number - likely that comes from the count of the types of gifts - all we truly know is that there was more than one
Week of 12/21/09
What doctrine is both Matthew and Luke extraordinarily clear on surrounding the birth of Christ?
 Both take steps to record the virginity of Mary. 
Matthew 1:18 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. 
Matthew indicates her status as married, but having not joined with Joseph and is clear to indicate the source of the pregnancy.
Matthew 1:20 Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
Matthew states the source of the pregnancy again - perhaps to make sure we didn't miss it the first time - and then he states the reason he has been so particular.
Matthew 1:22  All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" - which means "God with us."
Matthew finalizes his comments by stating in verse 1:25 But he (Joseph) had no union with her until she gave birth to a son.  And he gave him the name Jesus.
Luke approaches it from Mary's point of view.
In the sixth month (of the pregnancy of Elizabeth), God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph.  Luke 1:26-27  Mary even questions Gabriel by asking, "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" Luke 1:34 Then Luke relates the answer Gabriel gave Mary, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you." Luke 1:35

Why is the virginity of Mary so important?  Without the virgin birth Jesus was just another guy and Calvary would be pointless if he had been just another guy.

Week of 12/14/09
What was the reaction of Joseph to the news of the pregnancy of Mary?
The initial reaction of Joseph was to move Mary into seclusion & divorce her quietly -- thus sparing her the public condemnation and stoning for her crime of apparent adultery as required in Deuteronomy 22:20-21 or of submitting to rape as required in Deuteronomy 22:24b.   Matthew 1:19  Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. 

Week of 12/07/09
Who told Mary she would conceive a child and bring forth a Son to be named Jesus?
 The angel Gabriel ... Luke 1:26-38
In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David.  Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”

 Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God!  You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David.  And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”

 Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”

 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she’s now in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.”

 Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.
Week of 11/30/09
What type of wood was the Ark of the Covenant made of?
 Exodus 25:10 "And they shall make an ark of acacia wood; two and a half cubits shall be its length, a cubit and a half its width, and a cubit and a half its height."
Week of 11/23/09
No question - Thanksgiving holiday week

Week of 11/16/09
Which Psalm is the shortest book in the Bible?
 Psalm 117 is the shortest in the Book of Psalm.  Psalm 119 is the longest in the Book of Psalm.

Week of 11/09/09
Who did the inhabitants of Malta think was a murder and then declared him a god?  Why?
 Paul, after being shipwrecked on Malta, gathered wood and ended up with a viper fastened to his hand.  The natives thought this a sign that justice was trying to kill him - i.e. he was a murder.  However, when he did not die or suffer any effects of the bite they determined that he was a god.  Acts 28:1-6
Week of 11/02/09
Where are we commanded to pray for those in authority?
 I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.  Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.  This is good and pleases God our Savior.  
 1 Timothy 2:1-3
Week of 10/26/09
How many ancient copies are there still existing today of the New Testament?
Multiple thousands of ancient or old copies exist today.  One of the oldest is a parchment containing a section of John 18 that dates from between 100 AD and 150 AD ... there are also a copy of Matthew and a copy containing around 70% of the New Testament writings from Paul.  Depending on which scholar you read will depend on the final numbers but generally there are 5,000+ copies written in Greek alone, plus 8,000+ in Latin Vulgate and 8,000+ in other languages.  This gives a total of 21,000+ copies of the New Testament dating from within the first few centuries and some from within decades of the original writing.

Weeks of 10/05/09 to 10/19/09
No question these weeks ... Webmaster's computer crashed :-o

Week of 09/28/09
What is a kid friendly way to define the Bible?
Basic
Instructions
Before
Leaving
Earth
What is the shortest book in the Bible?
 2 John ... only 13 verses in total.  Very few words telling us to love one another and beware being deceived by false teachers.

Week of 09/14/09
What is the difference in perspectives in the way the Old Testament ends and the way the New Testament ends?
 "Remember the Law of Moses, My servant, which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statues and judgments.  Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.  And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse." 
Malachi 4:4-6
 He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming quickly." Amen.  Even so, come, Lord Jesus!  The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.  Amen.
Revelation 22:20-21
 The Old Testament ends with a command to remember the Law - which none besides Jesus have been able to keep - and the threat of a curse.  The New Testament ends with the promise of Christ's quick return and a prayer that the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ would be with all. 
Curse vs. Grace ... Thank God for the grace or we would all indeed be cursed.

Week of 09/07/09
The Bible records elders casting crowns before the throne; where is this event recorded?
 Revelation 4:9-11 Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying:  "You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; For you created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created"

Week of 08/31/09
What are the seven churches of Revelation?
 Ephesus - characterized by Faith & Patience but loss of first love
Smyrna - characterized by persecution
Pergamos - characterized by holding fast to Christ's name amid Satan's throne yet compromised into holding to some false doctrine
Thyatira - characterized by corruption and sexual immorality, few remained true yet were encouraged to hold fast until Christ's return
Sardis - characterized as the dead church
Philadelphia - characterized as the faithful church
Laodicea - characterized as the lukewarm church, neither hot or cold ... blinded by their wealth to their apostasy.

Week of 08/24/09
What miracle marked the birth of Elizabeth's son?
Elizabeth's husband was struck mute when he doubted that he would be the father of a son who would "make ready a people prepared for the Lord."  After his son was born and he acknowledge his acceptance of the will of God by naming his son as the angel had instructed his "mouth was opened and his tongue was loosed, and he began to speak, praising God".  The son?  John the Baptist.  Luke 1:11-20, 57-66
Why are there differences in the genealogies of Christ?
 The genealogies are the same until King David, it is at this point that the lineage deviates.  The most widely accepted reason for this is they trace to different parents.  Matthew records the history of Joseph, the legal father of Jesus, going from Solomon thru to Jacob the father of Joseph in Matthew 1:2-16.  Luke records the history of Mary beginning with her husband - the "so it was thought" father of Jesus and back thru David and on to Adam "the son of God" in verses Luke 3:23-38.  A less accepted rational is that Matthew traces legal descendants to the throne of David while Luke records the complete lineage.  The fact that Luke includes the "so it was thought" in referencing Joseph as father and his explicit validation of the virgin birth in the record of Mary's conversation with an angel Luke 1:34-35 lend weight to the first rational.
Week of 08/10/09
What do the mothers in the genealogy of Jesus, as listed in Matthew, have in common?
 All have a shady past of one kind or another.  Tamar conceived her twin boys Perez and Zerah by dressing as a prostitute and having relations with her father-in-law (oddly enough she was more in the right than he was) Genesis 38.  Rahab didn't just dress like a prostitute, she was one!  Joshua 2 & Joshua refer to her as Rahab the Prostitute or Rahab the Harlot.  Yet, her faith is commended in Hebrews 11:31.  Next is Ruth - by all accounts a very good girl who stood by her mother-in-law even when that wise woman told her not to.  Yet, Ruth is a Moabite woman.  The tribe of Moabites began when the older daughter of Lot (of Sodom and Gomorrah fame) got her father drunk and slept with him to conceive a son she then named Moab.  Genesis  19:34-37.  Finally, Matthew lists a woman so infamous that the King James version does not give her a name ... rather calls identifies her as "her who had been the wife of Uriah."    So, a pretend prostitute, a real prostitute, a good girl from bad people and an adulteress.  The very genealogy of Christ screams out the fallen nature of man and our desperate need for a Savior. 

Week of 08/03/09
Why did Jesus tell Peter to go fishing in Capernaum?
To provide the simple yet profound miracle of a coin from the first fish Peter caught that would pay the temple tax being demanded by the collectors in Capernaum.  Only the power of God could direct a fish with a coin worth two years wages (one year per man) to land upon Peter's hook.  Recorded in Matthew 17:24-27
“Well, then,” Jesus said, ... go down to the lake and throw in a line. Open the mouth of the first fish you catch, and you will find a large silver coin. Take it and pay the tax for both of us.” Matthew 17:27

Week of 07/27/09
In the New Testament where were the disciples first called "Christians"?
 Acts 11:25-26 Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul.  And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch.  So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people.  And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

Week of 07/20/09
What is gray hair a sign of according to the Bible? 
Proverbs 16:31
A righteous life. 
Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life. (NRSV) 
Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous life. (NIV)
OR for the Silver Haired
 A crown of glory
The silver-haired head is a crown of glory; If it is found in the way of righteousness. NKJV

Week of 07/13/09
The Bible is full of prophecy ... what are the four basic thought patterns for prophetic fulfillment? 
Preterist (believes that the majority of prophecy has been fulfilled in the past). 
Historicist (believes that prophecy has been and will continue to be fulfilled with little left for future fulfillment)
Idealist (believes that the Bible isn't clear on the timeline and that humans cannot anticipate their fulfillment).
Futurists (believes that little prophecy is being fulfilled during the current age - the Church Age - and that all prophecy will be fulfilled in future events identified as "the Tribulation", "the Second Coming", The Millennium" and "the Eternity Rule". 

Week of 07/06/09
How many of the Gospels were written by disciples of Jesus? 
Two.  Matthew & John  were written by the apostles themselves.  Mark was written by John Mark, nephew of Barnabas, during a time that tradition holds John Mark spent with Peter in Rome.  Luke was written by Paul's physician "beloved physician"; Luke also wrote Acts.


Week of 06/29/09
No question this week.


Week of 06/22/09
Who was the first man to die a natural death as recorded in the Bible? 
Adam is the first recorded natural death in the Bible ... recorded in Genesis 5:5 ... Adam lived to be 930 and then he died. 


Week of 06/15/09
Can you name the only female judge of Israel? 
 Deborah, the wife of Lappidoth, was a prophet who was judging Israel at that time. She would sit under the Palm of Deborah, between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites would go to her for judgment.   Judges 4:4-5

Week of 06/08/09
Where does the Bible record God potentially limiting the normal life span of man? 
 Genesis 6:3  And the Lord said, "My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years."  It is notable that this occurs immediately prior to God telling Noah to build the ark in preparation for the flood and it is after the flood that the serious longevity of individuals of the Bible begins to decline. 

Week of 06/01/09
 Who slew the Philistines with the jawbone of a donkey?
  Samson - Judges 15:14-16 

Week of 05/25/09
 How many plagues were visited upon Egypt?
  Ten plagues fell on Egypt in total.  The plagues have given rise to speculation on what the "natural" cause of each one could have been, but this speculation misses the point that the time of each was preceded by the announcement that the plague was coming not claimed after the fact as the work of God, but claimed before the event so that none could doubt the authority and power of God.

Can you name them? 
First: Water becomes Blood Exodus 7:14-25
Second: Frogs Exodus 8:1-15
Third: Lice Exodus 8:15-19
Fourth: Flies Exodus 8:20-32
Fifth: Disease & Death to Livestock* Exodus 9:1-7
Sixth: Boils on Man & Beast* Exodus 9:8-12
Seventh: Hail Exodus 9:13-35
Eighth: Locust Exodus 10:1-20
Ninth: Darkness Exodus 10:21-29
Tenth (& Final): Death of the Firstborn Exodus 12:29-30
* The fifth plague was limited to cattle in the field (horses, donkeys, camels, oxen, goats and sheep) while the sixth plague was not limited among the beasts of the earth and included them all.

Week of 05/18/09
Who owned a coat of many colors? 
 Joseph son of Jacob.  Genesis 37:3 Now Israel (Jacob) loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colors

Week of 05/11/09
Who was Cain's wife? 
The Bible does not specify who Mrs. Cain was, but the only real candidate would be Cain's sister.  The Bible does not specify how many children Adam & Eve had or really when other than to say that Adam lived to be nine hundred and thirty years and that he had sons and daughters.  At this stage - the first generation of man - the DNA would have been incredibly close to the perfection God created so there would have been no worries about birth defects and it was not until the time of Moses that incest was ruled off limits by God (Leviticus 18:9).  What the Bible does state is that Cain left the presence of the Lord ... and knew his wife (Genesis 4:16-17) which does not mean - as many have declared - that Cain got his wife from the another group of people in the land of Nod.  Rather he took his wife/sister with him when he left and then in the land of Nod he "knew" his wife and she bore a child.

Week of 05/04/09
What is the name of the city Jonah did not want to go to?  Nineveh.
"Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me."   But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD.  Then the LORD sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up.  ...  Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm.  At this the men greatly feared the LORD, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows to him.   But the LORD provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights.   Jonah 1:1-4, 15-17

Week of 04/27/09
Who was chosen by the disciples to be the replacement for Judas ... was that the same person Jesus chose?
Acts 1:23-26  "So they proposed two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. Then they prayed, 'Lord, you know everyone's heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.' Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles."   
Romans 1:1-6  Paul, a servant of ... Jesus Christ our Lord. Through him and for his name's sake, we (Paul) received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.' 
A note of interest that the eleven remaining disciples proposed two men and then prayed ...

Week of 04/20/09
Where did Jesus cast the demon(s) "Legion" into a herd of pigs?
 Mark 5:1-13 Jesus came to the country of Gadarenes (Gerasenes) ... this miracle takes place on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee immediately following Jesus calming the wind & waves on the sea.

Week of 04/13/09
Who was Saul of Tarsus and why is he important?
 Saul of Tarsus persecuted Christians at every opportunity until he was struck blind by a visit from the resurrected Jesus on the road to Damascus.  After then he converted from Judaism to Christianity.  Paul, Saul's name among the Gentiles, went on to proclaim the glory of Jesus - writing thirteen (possibly fourteen) books of the New Testament. Paul's works are collected together in the middle of the New Testament beginning with Romans and ending with Philemon ... the fourteenth book attributed to Paul is Hebrews.  Paul records that we are "not justified by works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ." in Galatians 2:16. 

Week of 04/06/09
How many people were witness to the resurrected Christ prior to His ascension?
 The absolute count is unknown, but we do know that He was seen by more than 500 brethren at one time.  1 Corinthians 15:6

Week of 03/30/09
When did Jesus' sweat fall like great drops of blood?
  Luke 22:44 And being in agony, (Jesus) prayed more earnestly.  Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.  This scripture has a setting in the Garden of Gethsemane, just before the arrest of Jesus.  Jesus has retreated to the garden to prepare for the ordeal to come and was undoubtedly under the greatest strain of His life.  The stress of this situation was a perfect scenario for a rare medical condition.  This condition is called hematidrosis or hematohidrosis and is a rare condition in which intense stress causes the web of blood vessels around the sweat glands to dilate and rupture, pushing blood into the sweat glands and thus out to the skin.  This blood colored sweat would have fallen as great drops as Jesus prayed for mercy from the Father yet He concluded with submission to the Fathers will - a submission that led Him ultimately to the cross.

Week of 03/23/09
Who were the first four called to be disciples of Jesus?
 The brothers Simon (Peter) & Andrew plus the brothers James & John Matthew 5:18-21
Week of 03/16/09
What was Jesus' first miracle?
 While it is entirely possible that Jesus healed the scraped knees of playmates the first miracle recorded in the Bible is the one of turning water to wine.  Located in John 2:1-11 the verses indicate that six stone waterpots were filled with water upon Jesus' command and then delivered to the master of ceremonies who pronounced it to be the finest wine served at the feast.

Week of 03/09/09
What is the shortest verse in the Bible? Where is it? .... Jesus wept. John 11:35

Mailing Address: United Christian Church, P.0. Box 115, Englewood, Ohio 45322-0115
Physical Address:  8611 Hoke Road, Clayton, Ohio 45315
 Phone: 937-832-3516     
Fax: 937-836-3155

Webmaster:  Disciples@disciplesrock.org                                                                                    
 Service Hours:
   Sunday Service
      10:00 AM Traditional Service
      11:15 AM Contemporary Service
   Sunday School
      Classes for all ages at 10:00 & 11:15

09/14/2011 11:07:48 PM                                            Terms of Use