Answer:
The practice of making New Year’s resolutions goes back over 3,000 years
to the ancient Babylonians. There is just something about the start of a
new year that gives us the feeling of a fresh start and a new
beginning. In reality, there is no difference between December 31 and
January 1. Nothing mystical occurs at midnight on December 31. The Bible
does not speak for or against the concept of New Year’s resolutions.
However, if a Christian determines to make a New Year’s resolution, what
kind of resolution should he or she make?
Common New Year’s resolutions are commitments to quit smoking, to stop
drinking, to manage money more wisely, and to spend more time with
family. By far, the most common New Year’s resolution is to lose weight,
in conjunction with exercising more and eating more healthily. These
are all good goals to set. However, 1 Timothy 4:8
instructs us to keep exercise in perspective: “For physical training is
of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise
for both the present life and the life to come.” The vast majority of
New Year’s resolutions, even among Christians, are in relation to
physical things. This should not be.
Many Christians make New Year’s resolutions to pray more, to read the
Bible every day, and to attend church more regularly. These are
fantastic goals. However, these New Year’s resolutions fail just as
often as the non-spiritual resolutions, because there is no power in a
New Year’s resolution. Resolving to start or stop doing a certain
activity has no value unless you have the proper motivation for stopping
or starting that activity. For example, why do you want to read the
Bible every day? Is it to honor God and grow spiritually, or is it
because you have just heard that it is a good thing to do? Why do you
want to lose weight? Is it to honor God with your body, or is it for
vanity, to honor yourself?
Philippians 4:13 tells us, “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” John 15:5
declares, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me
and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do
nothing.” If God is the center of your New Year’s resolution, it has
chance for success, depending on your commitment to it. If it is God’s
will for something to be fulfilled, He will enable you to fulfill it. If
a resolution is not God honoring and/or is not in agreement in God’s
Word, we will not receive God’s help in fulfilling the resolution.
So, what sort of New Year’s resolution should a Christian make? Here are some suggestions: (1) pray to the Lord for wisdom (James 1:5)
in regards to what resolutions, if any, He would have you make; (2)
pray for wisdom as to how to fulfill the goals God gives you; (3) rely
on God’s strength to help you; (4) find an accountability partner who
will help you and encourage you; (5) don’t become discouraged with
occasional failures; instead, allow them to motivate you further; (6)
don’t become proud or vain, but give God the glory. Psalm 37:5-6
says, “Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this:
He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your
cause like the noonday sun.”
Answer:
The Bible does not say anything about lawyers as we know them today.
Israel was under the legal jurisdiction of Rome during Jesus’ time, so
when the Bible mentions “teachers of the law” (Luke 5:17) or “lawyers” (Luke 14:3, ESV),
it is referring to the religious leaders who were experts in the Mosaic
Law. The modern-day court system, with prosecuting attorneys and
defense attorneys, did not exist at that time. In Jesus’ day the Roman
Senate that decided civil matters and executed justice, and throughout
the Old Testament there were monarchs who performed the same functions
for their people.
Lawyers as we know them today—professional public servants who know the
ins and outs of the legal process and can lend their knowledge to
resolve various conflicts with clarity and justice—did not appear until
after the Middle Ages. However, the concept of prosecuting and defense
attorneys, or advocates, is a biblical one. We have a spiritual Advocate
in Jesus Christ, the righteous (1 John 2:1). He defends our cause before the Judge, God the Father. There is a prosecuting attorney, too: the Accuser, Satan (Revelation 12:10).
The Bible mentions human accusers—those who bring a charge against
another in front of a court or magistrate—but they are wounded parties,
not lawyers for the prosecution (Luke 12:58; Matthew 5:25).
Satan is the only figure in the Bible who brings an accusation against
men as a matter of principle rather than to right a personal wrong.
Satan knows the
Mosaic Law very well; he knows the Law better than any modern lawyer
knows the laws of his land. He knows that man has broken the Law, and he
can therefore accuse us. Thankfully, we have an Advocate in Jesus
Christ. He is our defense attorney who comes before the Judge with a
solution: He has fulfilled the Law for us, so that our punishment can be
placed on His shoulders and we can have peace (see Isaiah 53:5).
Whether or not it was intentionally done, the legal system today is a
picture of this biblical model. The prosecuting lawyer looks into the
law and brings an accusation against the defendant, attempting to show
his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Then, the defense lawyer argues for
the innocence of his client or points to some extenuating circumstance.
In our case, the extenuating circumstance is Jesus’ sacrifice, which
paid our debt to the Judge and allowed us to go free, despite our guilt
according to the Law (Romans 8:1–5).
Answer:
The Queen James Bible (QJV), also called the “Gay Bible,” is an edit of
the biblical text done in the name of preventing “homophobic
interpretations.” To accomplish this goal, the publishers printed a
Bible in which all negative references to homosexuality have been removed. The Queen James Bible was published in 2012 and is based on the 1769 edition of the King James Bible.
The publishers of the Queen James Bible chose the name “Queen James” as
an obvious take-off on the “King James” Version, as the Authorized
Version of 1611 is commonly called. The publishers of the Gay Bible also
claim that King James was bisexual, so their choice of title
capitalizes on the slang meaning of the term queen.
The editors of the Queen James Bible, who chose to be anonymous, claim
that there was no reference to homosexuality in any Bible translation
prior to the 1946 Revised Standard Version. Then, they assert, “anti-LGBT Bible interpretations” arose, based on a faulty translation in the RSV of eight verses.
The unidentified “scholars”—their scholastic credentials are unknown—who
produced the Queen James Bible suggest that all Bible translations of
these eight verses are wrong and that they are the only ones who have
got it right. Below are the eight verses. The King James Version is
shown first, followed by the Queen James Version and some comments
concerning each change:
Genesis 19:5: “And they called unto Lot, and said unto him,
‘Where are the men which came in to thee this night? Bring them out unto
us, that we may know them’” (KJV). (The expression “to know” (in this
context) means to have sexual intercourse.)
“And they called out unto Lot, and said unto him, ‘Where are the men
which came in to thee this night? Bring them out unto us, that we may rape and humiliate them’” (QJV, emphasis added).
The change from “know them” to “rape and humiliate them” is based on the
idea that male-on-male rape is not really a sexual act but is an
expression of power and domination. It is clear that physical rape was
what the men of Sodom had in mind, but nowhere in the Hebrew text is the
word humiliate used.
Leviticus 18:22: “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination” (KJV). Leviticus 20:13:
“If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them
have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their
blood shall be upon them” (KJV).
The editors of the Queen James Version reckon that Leviticus is outdated
as a moral code. They say the Hebrew word translated “abomination” is
something that was “ritually unclean” or a “taboo.” From this they
assert that a biblical “abomination” would be understood by today’s
standards to be something “scandalous.” Because they do not consider
homosexual relations to be taboo (and because not all abominable
offenses were punishable by death), the publishers of the QJV conclude
that, at some point in time, there must have been an error in
translation. Whereas Leviticus 20:13
clearly says that men lying together is an “abomination,” punishable by
death, the editors of the Queen James Bible claim that, if having sex
with a man was punishable by death, it wouldn’t be called an
abomination. However, it is clear that to lie with a person does not
mean simply to be prone and go to sleep. The biblical expression “to lie
with” means to have sexual relations (see Genesis 39:12).
The editors of the Queen James Version want us to believe that Leviticus 18:12 and 20:13
are all about pagan worship of the god Molech. They have therefore
taken the liberty of adding to the Word of God. This is how they have
rendered these two passages:
“Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind in the temple of Molech; it is an abomination” (QJV, emphasis added).
“If a man also lie with mankind in the temple of Molech, as he
lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they
shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them” (QJV,
emphasis added).
So, according to the editors of the QJV, it is “abominable” for a man
have sex with a man if they’re in the temple of Molech, but it’s not
“abominable” for a man to have sex with a man if it has nothing to do
with Molech worship.
Romans 1:26–27: “For this cause God gave them up unto vile
affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that
which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural
use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men
working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that
recompense of their error which was meet” (KJV).
The plain reading of this passage indicates that lesbianism and
homosexuality are unnatural. The Greek words for “against nature” mean
“monstrous, abnormal and perverse; that which is contrary to nature’s
laws.”
But the editors of the Queen James Bible assert that verse 26 is not
talking about women engaging in lesbian sex. Neither do they accept that
lesbianism is “unnatural.” While acknowledging that they really have no
idea what is meant by women engaging in the “unnatural” use of their
bodies, they suggest it could mean pagan dancing. As for the men, we are
to believe the “unseemly” behavior is sexual activity linked to
idolatry. The Queen James Bible reads thus:
“Their women did change their natural use into that which is against
nature: And likewise also the men, left of the natural use of the woman,
burned in ritual lust, one toward another; Men with men working that which is pagan and unseemly. For this cause God gave the idolators
up unto vile affections, receiving in themselves that recompense of
their error which was meet” (QJV, emphasis added). Note how they have
again added to the Word of God to conform it to their thinking.
The editors of the Queen James Bible claim that most scholars believe the sin in Romans 1
isn’t being gay or lesbian or having gay sex. The sin, they say, is
pagan worship. Interestingly, there is no evidence to back up their
claim that “most scholars” agree with them.
1 Corinthians 6:9: “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not
inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived; neither fornicators, nor
idolators, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves
with mankind” (KJV).
The Greek word for “soft” is translated as “effeminate”; that is, a
“soft, womanly man.” But the Queen James Bible editors claim that the
word effeminate is unrelated to how the word is used today; rather, it means “morally weak.” The Greek word arsenokoites
translated here as “abusers of themselves with mankind,” refers to
sodomites, males engaging in same-gender sexual activity. However, the
QJV editors claim this means “the male who has many beds,” an expression
referring to men who are promiscuous. They say that, since no specific
Greek word for homosexuality was used, they are justified in
“translating” it as “promiscuous.” The phrase “abusers of themselves
with mankind” has simply been replaced in the QJV:
“Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?
Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolators, nor adulterers, nor
morally weak, nor promiscuous” (QJV, emphasis added).
1 Timothy 1:10: “For whoremongers, for them that defile
themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured
persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound
doctrine” (KJV).
The editors of the Queen James Bible objected to the expression “defile
themselves with mankind,” so they simply deleted “with mankind”:
“For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves, for
menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other
thing that is contrary to sound doctrine” (QJV, emphasis added).
Jude 1:7: “Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them
in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after
strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of
eternal fire” (KJV). “Strange flesh” here refers to illicit use of the
human body.
The editors of the Queen James Bible felt that this recount of the story of Sodom
needed clarification. So, the “strange flesh” the mob of Sodom was
seeking was “angelic flesh”; that is, it was only “strange” because it
was nonhuman. Thus, the sexual violence the men of Sodom wanted to
perform on Lot’s guests cannot be truly called a homosexual act:
“Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after nonhuman
flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal
fire” (QJV, emphasis added). However, the men of Sodom didn’t know
Lot’s guests were angels! For all they knew, the guests were men, just
like they. The implication is that Jude is denouncing men having sex
with men, not men lusting after angels.
Jesus warned against altering one jot or tittle from God’s Word (Matthew 5:18).
Yet the unidentified editors of the Queen James Bible have seen fit to
boldly remove anything they dislike and add words that have no right to
be there—all to try to make God say what they want said. They are trying
to hammer a square peg into a round hole, linguistically speaking, and
it will never work. What are their scholastic credentials? Where can
seekers of truth go to verify their claims? Are we to believe that all
other Bible translators succumbed to “interpretive ambiguity,” while
only the editors of the QJV have seen the truth of the text?
There is no textual support for the changes they have made to these
eight Scriptures. The only reason for making such changes is to
accomplish their stated goal of making “homophobic interpretations
impossible.” In other words, they are twisting the Word of God to suit
their agenda.
Answer:
Same-sex attraction is a physical attraction to a person of the same
gender. That is, when men are physically attracted to other men or when
women are attracted to other women, then they are experiencing same-sex
attraction. This is a homosexual attraction, and homosexual behavior is a topic the Bible is very clear about.
Homosexuality is often lumped in with other sexual immoralities such as adultery and lust (Genesis 19:1–13; Leviticus 18:22; 20:13; Romans 1:26–27; 1 Corinthians 6:9), so it is important to note that homosexuality is no worse (or better) than any other sin. God hates all sin—no matter what it is. Homosexuality is simply one of the many things listed in 1 Corinthians 6:9–10 that will keep a person from the kingdom of God.
The Bible says that people become homosexuals because of sin (Romans 1:24–27) and, in the end, being homosexual is their own choice. You can’t control being naturally attracted to a person, but you can control what you do with those feelings (1 Peter 1:5–8).
Whether a physical attraction is toward the opposite sex or the same sex, 1 Thessalonians 4:3–5
still applies: “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that
you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to
control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust
like the Gentiles who do not know God.” A same-sex attraction could lead
to the sin of lust or homosexuality. Likewise, a heterosexual
attraction could lead to the sin of lust or adultery. Having an
attraction and even being tempted is not a sin; yielding to that temptation is.
That said, God’s forgiveness is available to everyone who desires it (John 3:16–21).
The repentant homosexual, adulterer, idol worshipper, murderer, or
thief is welcome to come before God to receive His grace and mercy. God
also promises to provide strength for victory over sin, including
homosexuality, to all those who will believe in Jesus Christ for their
salvation (1 Corinthians 6:11; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Philippians 4:13).
The Bible is clear that children of God should think and act differently
from the world, especially when the world’s standards go against what
God has commanded in the Bible. Many in the world accept same-sex
attraction and homosexuality as a social norm, but a Christian’s
standards for life should come from the Bible, not conventional wisdom (2 Timothy 3:16–17). As Romans 12:2
tells us, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the
renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will
of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Answer:
Unfortunately, we all have to deal with mean people at one time or another. Romans 1:28–30
contains a long list of unrighteous behavior, which includes malice,
gossip, slander, insolence, heartlessness and ruthlessness. These are
all different facets of meanness, and it’s inevitable that we encounter
people driven by such behavior in this world. People are mean for a
variety of reasons, many of which have nothing to do with the person who
takes their abuse. Often, mean behavior is a reaction to a person’s
inner conflicts rather than a rational response to the people around
them. However, being the subject of mean behavior is hurtful and
demoralizing. What is the biblical response? What does the Bible say
about how we should react to mean people?
Dealing with mean people—Empathy
The first proper response to mean people is empathy, especially when it
is a first-time altercation or offense. A gentle attempt to understand
and relate to the pain behind the meanness is much more effective than
combativeness in dispelling a conflict. One of the most beautiful
examples of empathy in the Bible is Jesus’ response to those who
crucified Him and cast lots for His clothing. This is a dramatic
example, because what was being done to Jesus was way beyond meanness—it
was torture and injustice. Even so, instead of focusing on His own
pain, He thought of their spiritual condition. Instead of responding
with justified anger, He asked God to forgive them for their ignorant
actions (Luke 23:34). Stephen, the church’s first martyr, followed that example (Acts 7:59–60).
Dealing with mean people—Confrontation
We should be empathetic, and we should always respond with kindness.
Being mean to a mean person only escalates the situation; we are called
to be peaceful and “turn the other cheek” (Matthew 5:38–42; Romans 12:18).
But if the mean person is a Christian, the Bible recommends
confrontation. We all sin, of course. As James said, “We all stumble in
many ways” (James 3:2), but a pattern of meanness needs to be confronted, per the instructions in Matthew 18:15–17.
We are to confront our brothers and sisters when they sin against us in
the spirit of restoration. If they refuse to listen, we should take a
few other faithful Christians with us, again in the spirit of reminding
the offending Christian that they are not behaving according to their
profession of faith. If that does not work, the matter is taken before
the local church. If they do not listen to the whole group, they should
be treated as unbelievers—no enmity or retaliation is called for, but
the relationship has changed.
Dealing with mean people—Humility
Remember that sometimes you are the mean person. Do not be like the unforgiving servant in Jesus’ parable in Matthew 18:21–35.
A servant owed a huge debt to his master; it was an amount he could
never pay back. The master completely wiped out the debt. The servant,
however, went to another servant who owed him a small amount of money
and demanded that he pay up—and when the debtor could not pay, he threw
him in prison! The master heard about it and became angry. The master
reinstated the unforgiving servant’s original debt and threw him in
jail. We should always try to remember, when people are mean to us, that
we owed God a huge debt. He forgave us, and we can forgive others.
Answer:
A rumor is an unconfirmed, widely spread story or statement. Rumors may
or may not contain elements truth, but their veracity is anyone’s
guess—rumors carry no factual certainty. Rumors are also known as
gossip, and the Bible has a lot to say about that.
Scripture warns against spreading rumors and those who engage in gossip. Proverbs 20:19 says, “A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid anyone who talks too much.” Words are powerful. They can build up or destroy (Proverbs 18:21). James 3:2–12 instructs us to control our words,
stating in verse 5: “Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a
small spark.” Spreading “harmless” rumors, then, can cause great
destruction. God desires that we use our words to praise Him (Psalm 34:1), to speak wisdom (Proverbs 10:13), and to encourage and edify each other (1 Thessalonians 5:11; Ephesians 4:29).
The Bible often includes gossip in lists of specific evils (e.g., 2 Corinthians 12:20; Romans 1:29).
Spreading rumors is so repulsive in the Lord’s sight that He made a
prohibition against it in the Law He gave to the Israelites (Leviticus 19:16). First Timothy 5:13 sternly warns against using idle time to spread slander. And Proverbs 17:4 implies that those who eagerly listen to gossip have low character.
So why do we enjoy the rumor mill? Proverbs 26:22
gives one reason: “The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they
go down to the inmost parts.” There is a delicious thrill in hearing
scandalous information about someone we know or wish we knew. Jealousy
is often the root of spreading rumors. When we learn “the real reason”
someone did something, we can alter our opinion of him or her and make
ourselves feel better by comparison. We rarely hear rumors that exalt
someone’s reputation. We don’ t hear rumors that someone’s son worked
hard to make the honor roll again, a friend’s spouse is kind and
devoted, or that the Joneses saved for ten years to take that luxury
cruise. That kind of information is not a “choice morsel.” Instead, we
perk up when we hear that someone’s son cheated his way onto the honor
roll, that a friend’s spouse only pretends to be kind and devoted
because he is having an affair, or that the Joneses blew their
retirement to take that luxury cruise. Those kinds of tidbits let us
compare ourselves favorably with the ones gossiped about, and we feel
more satisfied with our own lives.
In Christian circles, spreading rumors has an ally in the guise of the
“prayer chain.” Prayer chains are ways that local churches inform other
members of prayer needs within that body. They can be useful if the
information shared is general knowledge and those informed will truly
pray. However, many times prayer chains become excuses for speculation
and rumor as the story grows with each telling. A prayer chain can
become a real-life example of the party game “Telephone,” with the last
person on the prayer chain receiving information that bears little
resemblance to the original request. When this happens, it is nothing
more than spreading rumors and can be destructive to individuals and
churches.
Proverbs 26:20
gives us the antidote for spreading rumors: “Without wood a fire goes
out; without a gossip a quarrel dies down.” We cannot stop all rumors,
but we can refuse to participate in them. We can break the “telephone”
chain and refuse to pass it on. When we hear slanderous news, we should
go to the source and check it out. If we are not part of the solution,
and the person we are telling is not part of the solution, then the news
is not ours to propagate. Our sinful natures enjoy possessing a juicy
morsel of information that would gain us attention in the telling. But
when we are willing to recognize the selfishness of that desire, we can
repent of it and dedicate our mouths to the glory of God (Psalm 19:14).
