“He who keeps instruction is in the way of life, but he who refuses correction goes astray.” (Proverbs 10:17) I’ve often said that I learn as much from my readers as I teach. Last week’s column about degrees of sin, and the story in Exodus 1 of the Hebrew midwives’ decision to lie to the Pharaoh in order to save the lives of newborn Hebrew male children, reminded me again just how much I can learn from you. In case you missed the column, the point I made […]

“Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out.” (Acts 3:19) We have all been taught that any sin is a deadly sin, and but for repentance, it will send you to hell. The above verse certainly supports this spiritual truth. However, many of us have also been taught, wrongly I might add, that there are no degrees of sin. There certainly are degrees of sin and there are a number of verses in the Bible that point to why I would reach such a […]

“I am he who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.” (Revelation 1:18) This verse answers the question posed in my headline. The Bible clearly records that between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, Jesus went to hell and back for us. Pastors and Sunday School teachers have taught us over the years that Satan and all the evil that goes with him were conquered by Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection from the […]

“The governor answered and said to them, ‘Which of the two do you want me to release to you?’ They said, ‘Barabbas!’” (Matthew 27:21) In Jesus’ time, the Romans had a long-standing tradition at Passover of releasing one prisoner as a gesture to illustrate its respect for the Jewish holiday. Mark’s account of Pontius Pilate’s decision to release Barabbas covers the exchange between Pilate, the Jewish leaders and others as Pilate struggled with his decision: Now at the feast he was accustomed to releasing one prisoner to them, […]