One of the most frequently asked questions on the Bible Answer Man broadcast is “What happens to those who have never heard of Jesus?” Will God condemn people to hell for not believing in someone they have never heard of? First, people are not condemned to hell for not believing in Jesus. Rather they are [...]

Before answering this question, a word of warning is in order: Anyone who answers in the negative may well be ostracized for being narrow-minded and intolerant. That being said, my answer is, “No, not all religions lead to God, and it is incorrect and illogical to maintain that they do.” First, when you begin to [...]

Christianity is unique among the religions of the world for several reasons. First, unlike other religions, Christianity is rooted in history and evidence. Jesus of Nazareth was born in Bethlehem in Judea during the reign of Caesar Augustus and was put to death by Pontius Pilate, a first-century Roman governor. The testimony of his life, [...]

In his letter to the Colossians, Paul calls Jesus Christ the “firstborn over all creation” (Colossians 1:15). How can Christ be both the eternal Creator of all things and yet himself be the firstborn? First, in referring to Christ as the firstborn, Paul has in mind preeminence. This usage is firmly established in the Old [...]

On the one hand Scripture tells us that “God cannot be tempted by evil” (James 1:13). On the other, it informs us that during his wilderness sojourn, Jesus was tempted by the evil one (Matthew 4:1–11). Could Jesus be tempted or couldn’t he? First, for sin to take place there must be a sinful inner [...]

Like the Trinity, the incarnation is often considered to be logically incoherent. While the incarnation may transcend our human understanding, it does not transgress the laws of logic. First, because God created humanity in his own image (Genesis 1:27), the essential properties of human nature (rationality, will, moral character, and the like) are not inconsistent [...]

The teaching that Jesus did not have any biological brothers or sisters is often championed in an attempt to support belief in the perpetual virginity of Mary. The most popular defense of this position holds that when the New Testament authors speak of Jesus’ brothers, the Greek word translated “brother” ought to be interpreted as [...]

In an age of historical and blblical illiteracy it has become increasingly popular to perpetuate the notion that Jesus was married. The role of “Mrs. Jesus” in these fanciful depictions is most often played by Mary Magdalene. Most recently Dan Brown’s bestselling novel The Da Vinci Code (Doubleday, 2003) has received much attention for its iteration [...]

Looking back at the Old Testament through the lens of the New, it is easy to assume that Isaiah understood the Messianic meaning of his prophecy. However, those who believe that the Bible is the infallible repository of redemptive revelation must be willing to test all things in light of Scripture and hold fast to [...]

In the fourth-century AD Emperor Leo III ordered the abolition of icons (revered images or sculptures) of Jesus, Mary, angels, and saints. This sparked the great Iconoclastic controversy, so called because those who supported the eradication of icons, often on the grounds that they violated the second commandment’s prohibition of “graven images,” were known as [...]