Deeper studies into more controversial Bible topics

The Law is such an integral theme throughout the entire Bible that if you're under (m)any of these misconceptions, you'll struggle to understand the Bible. But once you get all of this straight, things start to make a lot more sense. So many apparent contradictions quickly disappear.

Knowing who’s who in the Bible sounds WAY too simple and not NEARLY sexy enough to actually study. But not only will this one surprise you, it also has profound prophetic implications as well. Never mind the fact that if you don’t have this piece clear, it is IMPOSSIBLE to understand a good portion of the Old Testament and nearly all of the New.

No, it was NOT a red apple, boys and girls! Do you know what it was? You will by the end of this (excellent revelation).

If you’ve EVER spent much time in a church, you’ve heard about how “the Law was nailed to the cross.” But… was it REALLY? Is that ACTUALLY what the Bible says… anywhere?

We talk about sin, and can name a few, but most people don’t know what actually DEFINES ‘sins’ and usually end up committing many unaware as a result.

Remember the “Good Samaritan?” There’s really SO MUCH MORE to that story than what you’ve been taught. And it gives us a completely different understanding of who our “neighbors” are that we’re supposed to be treating this way and that.

What is the actual role of the believer in the political process? Here’s my spin on that hot topic.

The Bible talks about TWO different Messiahs, namely a REAL one and a FALSE one. Is it really as hard as people make it out to be to differentiate between the two?

Many people come out from under one set of laws and traditions of man… only to fall back into more of the same a block down the street.

Christmas, Easter, Lent, Halloween, Thanksgiving, New Year’s Day (in January of all places!). Christianity has all these holidays, but none of them are Biblical.

What does it mean to ‘Repent?’ It means, “Come back!” But come back to what – and how?

Something that raises immediate skepticism in the New Testament is the single, solitary reference to a triune baptismal formula which was never practiced in the Bible or even within centuries of Messiah's life.

This curious prophecy from the Book of Revelation has been the victim of incessant conspiracy theories, piss-poor interpretations, Hollywood sensationalization, alarmist preaching and all the while… it’s really NOT that difficult to understand with nothing more than a Bible.

We’re told at different times in the Bible that ALL these things save us. So – which one is it? Or do they ALL have roles?

When Christian preachers want to encourage their people, they often tell them about how there is no more condemnation anymore. Is that accurate?

If you’re a Christian, I can all but promise you’ve NEVER been taught the differences (and similarities) between the covenants.

People crave answers. We hate not knowing or understanding anything in our theology. This hunger sometimes drives us to look for answers in dubious places.

We’ve heard the smartasses asking the questions. “Well if FAITH is what saves, then isn’t the Devil saved? Because he believes.” “So then as long as I have faith, it doesn’t really matter WHAT I do in life, right?” And – the smartasses are kind of right in this case! Based on how this quote is most often removed from context, the message taught in the churches really makes no sense at all. Here’s what’s REALLY up.

So you’re just starting to realize that maybe you’re not already quite where you should be in your spiritual life? Here’s a great place to start.

When we really think about the story of the golden calf, it doesn’t make a lot of sense. After seeing miracles and wonders and being delivered from Egypt… did the Hebrews REALLY start worshipping a strange cow-god idol? NO, not exactly. What actually happened is quite different, and it teaches us something critically important about worship.

We’ve been told that in Christianity, Islam and Judaism, we’re all worshipping the same god. But is that right?

You’ve been told you were lost. “I once was lost, but now, I’m found…” What does “lost” actually mean? Were we misplaced? Don’t you have to have something in the first place in order to go and lose it later on and eventually find it? Let’s take a few minutes to make sense of who was actually “lost” and how.

The god who was once ONE at some point became THREE in the minds of many. What does the Bible say about it?

Ever notice how people in churches seem to speak an entirely different language? They use words like grace, salvation, condemnation, faith, redemption, righteousness, holiness and so on. And when you ask any two of them what half these words mean, they can’t agree! When you see what they actually do mean, it’s going to help you understand the Bible. A lot!

Yom Kippur is almost universally considered to be a fast. That being the case, a close reading of the scriptures suggests otherwise bringing a beautiful symmetry to the holy days.

From a young age, many of us were taught the term commandments. Out of the ten, only one of them behind with the word “Remember.” It’s ironic that this would be the only one that most of us have forgotten, right? Well, here’s where we determine to take that one back!

It sounds like a simple enough question. So why then can nobody agree on the answer?

This is your basic who’s who of the Book of Revelation. It answers some of the bigger questions that hold people back when they’re trying to make sense of the history and prognostications found at the end of the Bible.

Is your whole doctrine based on verses written by Paul and always taught out of context? This will help you get to that next level.

We’ve all heard that pride is a sin, but does that really make sense (based on what we think of as ‘pride’ today)?

This is a very SHORT look at the pattern of worship in the Holy Land in the pre-exilic period over the course of several monarchs. This quick overview gives us a very useful insight into YHWH’s expectation of our own, personal worship.

Have you ever heard somebody called a ‘Judaizer?’ In most cases, this term is used incorrectly by people who don’t know their Bibles.

This explains very neatly the chronology of the letters, seals, trumpets and bowls in the Book of Revelation. It’s about the first thing you have to understand before trying to make sense of the prophecy.

What can we eat? What can’t we eat? The Bible actually has a bit to say about that, and here’s a great way to start finding out what YHWH said as opposed to all the things men have been saying ever since.

They told us that circumcision of the flesh is Old Testament and it was replaced with circumcision of the heart in the New Testament. But you’ll be surprised to find both circumcisions are actually mentioned in both the Old and New Testaments.

We start out as babies and then grow into teenagers and eventually adults. This pattern can be observed in our spiritual growth as well, and in this article, I give MY OWN explanation of what this process looks like.

As different religious pray for and even lobby to try to bring about the reign of Messiah on Earth, Biblical prophecies of that period being one of darkness and suffering (for most) go unheeded and unbeknownst to many.

They’re strings (fringes) worn on the clothing, but they’re more than just a sweet fashion statement! These are actually a specific and eternal commandment found in the Bible for the children of Israel to practice “throughout our generations.”

Torah is the thread which sews the entire Bible together. It’s central to our relationship with our god. If there’s anything more important for a believer to comprehend, I can’t imagine what it would be!

Whatever you’ve been taught about being born again, it’s most likely NOT the full story. Here’s a good place to really see the full picture of who, what, when, where and why!

Two questions are answered in this study. The first one is – why didn’t very many Jews accept Yahshua 2,000 years ago. The second question is – why do far, far fewer Jews even DREAM of accepting him today? (Hint: it’s not THEIR fault.)

Just a quick explanation of a somewhat strange passage of the Bible.

Supposedly, Messiah made the Law go away (one way or another). But once you read what he, himself actually taught about the law, you’ll probably call these presuppositions into question.

How many different “Plans of salvation” have you heard in your life? And how many of those do you think are actually Biblical? The most common and recognized formulae are actually less than 200 years old.

We have a great temptation to know the unknowable which can lure us toward lies. And our desire to keep learning and growing in truth can fuel that fire.

If Yahshua was to be believed, this is the most important part of your Bible. So that being the case, it stands to reason this is something worth your time to study a bit and learn inside and out.

Have you been coughing up 10% of your income to the church every week? You may be interested to know how this practice compares to the commandment in the Bible (and all the ways that this is actually something completely different).

Coming out of religion and getting into religion can be trickier than it sounds. In making this transition, it may help you to get a birdseye view of both paths to help make sure you’re actually where you’re trying to be.

When you come out of (modern) Christianity, but don’t fall into Judaism, that can put you in a bit of a spiritual identity crisis. Here’s a scriptural consideration of what we COULD call ourselves (when asked).

The words of a person in covenant with YHWH have POWER, and that power can build the kingdom when wielded properly, or it can blow up in our own faces when abused!

Many churches teach that it is a “sin” not to go to church because it is a “commandment” that we not forsake the practice of doing so. Well – is it? Are we commanded to congregate? And if so, WHEN and WITH WHOM?

There are a few sects of Christianity which condemn modern medicine and also a new doctrine making the rounds based on the ancient Greek word for the same. The word is in the Bible and is condemned, but what is the actual meaning in that context?

As a Torah keeper, you’re definitely on the OUTSIDE of conventional religion. You aren’t a Christian and you aren’t a Jew by modern connotations of either term. So – is that dangerous? Mainstreamers will accuse you of being in a cult just for being different, but according to the definition of what a cult actually is, does the accusation stick?

Learn what's what with regard to the Law before somebody comes along and leads you into a ditch.

The churches call this the "Dispensation of grace," which they say means that whereas in times of old, people used to be saved by the Law (this is completely wrong) today, we're saved by grace alone (also false) instead.

In the Old Testament, “An eye for an eye” was all about teaching love, but by the New Testament, the people had twisted it into a license to exact revenge against one another. Today, of course, Christianity uses this phrase out of context to sell the Law of Moses as something cold, wicked and unforgiving.