ToraChrist

Author: WBergmann

  • 14. Are Disciples and Apostles the Same?

    The terms disciple and apostle are often used interchangeably.
    However, this is not accurate.
    Scripture makes a clear distinction between the two, and Bible dictionaries also differentiate between a disciple and an apostle.

    In the Gospel of Luke, we read:

    “And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples:
    and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles.”
    (Luke 6:13, Luther 1545)

    This shows very clearly that one must first be a disciple before becoming an apostle.

    In addition to the twelve well-known disciples, Jesus sent out many more:

    “After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also,
    and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.”
    (Luke 10:1, Luther 1545)

    So, what is the difference?

    The biblical context leads us to a unified understanding:
    An apostle is a disciple with a mission.

    In the verses above, the disciples are given the Great Commission.
    Anyone who listens to our Redeemer and follows Him is a disciple.
    Once that disciple grows in knowledge and receives a specific task and fulfills it,
    they become an apostle.

    From this understanding, it’s also clear that apostleship is not bound to gender.

    Junia and the female apostles

    There was no debate about a female apostle named Junia until the 13th century.
    It wasn’t until the Middle Ages that the name Junia was changed to Junias—
    thus turning a woman into a man.

    Even if one were to argue about Junia,
    there is no dispute regarding the first female apostle:
    Mary.

    We read in all four Gospels that Mary followed our Redeemer.
    That alone affirms her discipleship.

    In Mark, her commission from Jesus is only hinted at:

    “Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week,
    he appeared first to Mary Magdalene,
    out of whom he had cast seven devils.
    And she went and told them that had been with him,
    as they mourned and wept.”
    (Mark 16:9–10, Luther 1545)

    But in John, we learn explicitly about the commission given to Mary:

    “Jesus saith unto her, Mary.
    She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.
    Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not;
    for I am not yet ascended to my Father:
    but go to my brethren, and say unto them,
    I ascend unto my Father, and your Father;
    and to my God, and your God.
    Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord,
    and that he had spoken these things unto her.”
    (John 20:16–18, Luther 1545)

    If Mary received a direct assignment from Jesus Christ,
    then she is clearly a female apostle.

    All can be disciples and apostles—
    the difference lies in having a commission or not.

    Paul as confirmation of this principle

    This view is supported by the conversion of Paul the Apostle.

    For those who read the Bible superficially, this may seem surprising.
    At first, Paul persecuted and killed the followers of Jesus.

    But Paul believed he was doing a service to the LORD.
    As a devout Pharisee from the tribe of Benjamin,
    and someone who loved the LORD with all his soul,
    he was already a disciple—though one gone astray.

    Paul became an apostle only after his experience on the road to Damascus.

  • 13. Can We Eat Whatever We Want?

    The topic of food laws is also often used in pointless debates.
    It’s honestly baffling how much time gets wasted discussing it.
    The problem stems from our worldly way of thinking.

    This passage is often quoted in such discussions, where Jesus says:

    “And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them,
    Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand:
    There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him:
    but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.
    If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.
    And when he was entered into the house from the people,
    his disciples asked him concerning the parable.
    And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also?
    Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man,
    it cannot defile him;
    Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly,
    and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats? […]
    That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.
    For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
    All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.”
    (Mark 7:14–23, Luther 1545)

    Here Jesus makes it very clear:
    A person is made impure by their actions—not by the food they eat.

    But that raises the question:
    Why are there dietary instructions at all, then?

    Are food laws commandments?

    There is no explicit “commandment” concerning food.
    It has often been interpreted as law, but in essence, these were recommendations from the beginning.

    The dietary guidelines are found in Leviticus 11, which begins:

    “Speak unto the children of Israel, saying,
    These are the beasts which ye shall eat among all the beasts that are on the earth.”
    (Leviticus 11:2, Luther 1545)

    However, in the original Hebrew, the word “shall” does not appear in a prescriptive way.

    One of the concluding verses refers to it as a law, saying:

    “This is the law of the beasts, and of the fowl,
    and of every living creature that moveth in the waters,
    and of every creature that creepeth upon the earth.”
    (Leviticus 11:46, Luther 1545)

    Yet here too, context is often ignored.

    The purpose of these food instructions is clearly stated:

    “Ye shall not make your souls abominable with any creeping thing, neither shall ye make yourselves unclean with them, that ye should be defiled thereby.”
    (Leviticus 11:43, Luther 1545)

    The soul and the body are one

    Today, we often view the soul as something separate from the body.
    But in biblical understanding, the human being as a whole is a soul.

    So when the HErr asks us to be mindful of our food, in order not to defile our soul,
    He is simply saying:
    “Watch what you eat, so that you don’t become sick.”

    The HErr wants us to stay healthy.
    That’s why He tells us which animals are good for us—and which are not.
    This is the law.

    Looking around in our society, we see countless illnesses caused by poor nutrition:
    Diabetes, high blood pressure, heart attacks, cholesterol issues, and many more.

    This is part of the reason behind this verse:

    “If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God,
    and wilt do that which is right in his sight,
    and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes,
    I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians:
    for I am the LORD that healeth thee.”
    (Exodus 15:26, Luther 1545)

    It is up to each individual whether they take the food laws seriously in their own life.
    But sadly, many people eat all kinds of things—and then blame God when they become ill.

    They say it’s unfair that they suffer now—but many illnesses caused by unhealthy diets are not just physical.

    Memory problems, mental performance, and even our emotional stability are linked to nutrition.
    The brain accounts for only about 2% of body weight, but consumes roughly 20% of our metabolism.

    When we eat poorly, toxins get stored in body fat for years.
    As a result, health issues may appear much later—and we often don’t even realise where they come from.

    Food and character

    Especially with drugs or medications, many substances influence how we act.
    Of course, we can and should be grateful to God for medical advances.
    I would not want to go without anaesthesia during surgery.
    And medication to prevent blood clots after a broken leg is clearly a blessing.

    The issue begins when we harm our bodies continuously.

    There are patients who require long-term morphine (opioids).
    Even when these are necessary for pain relief, they still influence human perception.

    It’s not uncommon for chronic pain patients to become more distant and emotionally dulled.

    These are, of course, extreme examples—
    but even our everyday diet has an effect on our character.

    So the next time you’re in a discussion about dietary laws, just remember:

    They are, first and foremost, excellent dietary guidance.

    Yes, we can eat animals like crabs and pigs—but ask yourself:
    Is it good to eat them?

    These animals consume waste and toxins.
    By eating them, we take in the pollutants they processed.

    God created these animals with amazing resilience—
    but our bodies were not designed to handle continuous intake of toxins.

  • 12. “I Tell You, Today…” or “I Tell You Today…”?

    The verse in Luke is a perennial favourite in biblical debates.
    The root of the problem is that ancient Greek has no commas.
    When Luther translates:

    “And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee: Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.”
    (Luke 23:43, Luther 1545)

    it could just as well be rendered:

    “And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee today: Thou shalt be with me in paradise.”

    There was a time when I desperately wanted to know the one correct translation.
    The more I focused on that goal, the less I understood—and I neglected the rest of my Bible reading.
    Years later the topic resurfaced.
    Honestly, in the end it makes no difference:
    Whether the crucified man entered the Kingdom on the very day of his death, or whether he will enter later with us, it changes nothing for our salvation.
    For that reason I now regard this debate as rather fruitless.
    Still, because I know how burning such questions can be, I will briefly address it.
    I thank our LORD that He showed me this YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@schnauzer3815/videos); there I found help in understanding the passage.

    Death as Sleep

    Fundamentally, the Bible likens physical death to sleep.
    Only after the resurrection of the whole world is the final decision made—death or eternal life.

    Yet we must remember: in His earthly ministry Jesus Christ did restore some people to life early.
    Likewise, in the Old Testament, certain individuals were taken to heaven without experiencing physical death at all.
    Thus, as so often, the exception proves the rule:
    It is entirely possible that the crucified man reached the Kingdom that very day.

    Even if the alternative punctuation applies, it changes nothing for him experientially.
    Think of natural sleep: while sleeping we have no sense of time.
    Should we die physically and be raised at the Last Judgment, it will feel to us as though we had only just fallen asleep—
    whether a second ago or a thousand years past.

    Scripture is frequently event‑oriented.
    If we view falling asleep as one event and the resurrection as another, then, in our perception, those events occur immediately one after the other.
    In this way both punctuation options are entirely valid.
    Once I grasped this, it no longer mattered to me which translation is “right.”

  • 11. Is Sunday the Day of Resurrection?

    To answer this question, we must first understand the special context of the crucifixion.
    The Gospels give us a wealth of detail surrounding this time.
    It begins with the Passover meal:

    “And the day of unleavened bread came, on which the passover must be sacrificed.”
    (Luke 22:7, Elberfelder 1905)

    From this verse we gain two crucial insights:

    • (a) It concerns the Passover
    • (b) The lamb had to be slaughtered

    This shows us that it is about one of the festivals of the LORD, as described in Leviticus 23:

    “These are the feasts of the LORD, holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons:
    In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, is the LORD’s passover.
    And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD:
    seven days ye must eat unleavened bread.
    In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.
    But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD seven days:
    in the seventh day is an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.
    And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
    Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them,
    When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof,
    then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest:
    And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you:
    on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.”
    (Leviticus 23:4–11, Elberfelder 1905)

    The Passover lamb was to be sacrificed on the 14th of Abib, in the evening.
    From the context, we also learn that the firstfruits offering was to take place after the Sabbath, i.e., on the 16th of Abib.
    The entire period from the 15th to the 21st of Abib is the Feast of the LORD, later known as the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

    So, if our Redeemer ate the Passover with His disciples, then it was the 14th of Abib.
    The events described in the Bible—His interrogation by the Sanhedrin, sentencing by Pontius Pilate, and scourging—clearly point to the crucifixion taking place on a Friday.

    The Scripture states unequivocally that it was the Preparation Day:

    “The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day (for that sabbath day was an high day), besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.”
    (John 19:31, Elberfelder 1905)

    Now, to understand the biblical day reckoning: a new day begins at sunset—not at midnight.
    This may seem strange to us, since we count the new day by the clock (24:00 or 0:00).
    But in biblical terms, the event defines the beginning of the day:
    when the sun sets, the new day begins.

    Jesus had already foretold:

    “An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:
    For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly,
    so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”
    (Matthew 12:39–40, Elberfelder 1905)

    We also know from Scripture the precise time of death:

    “And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.
    And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying,
    Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?
    which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”
    (Mark 15:33–34, Elberfelder 1905)

    The ninth hour corresponds roughly to 3 p.m. in modern time.

    Even if we disregard the precise date, we know that God’s Son, Jesus Christ, died on a Friday around 3 p.m.,
    and was then laid in the tomb.
    At sunset, according to biblical reckoning, the first night in the grave had begun.

    In biblical thinking, it was not necessary for both day and night to be fully completed in order to count as fulfilled—
    it was sufficient that the night or day had begun.

    Reckoning the three days and three nights:

    • Friday evening (after sunset):
      → First night / no day
    • Saturday (evening included):
      → Two nights / one day
    • Sunday evening:
      → Three nights / two days
    • Monday morning (sunrise):
      → Three nights / three days

    According to the Scriptures, this shows very clearly:
    The resurrection could not have taken place on Sunday.

    So when modern Bible translations refer to the “first day of the week,”
    they mean the first day according to church tradition.
    Because the Church redefined Sunday as the last day,
    the first day of the week became Monday.

    Only the Luther 1545 translation gets it exactly right:

    “And they came unto the sepulchre very early in the morning on one of the sabbaths, as the sun was rising.”
    (Mark 16:2, Luther 1545)

    This translation is what first caught my attention and prompted me to look more closely at what actually happened.
    It is fully consistent with the Textus Receptus, the foundational Greek text—
    because it speaks of “sabbaton” (Greek: σαββάτων, Strong G4521).
    And because this was the festival week of the LORD,
    Scripture refers to it in the plural: Sabbaths.

  • 10. Is Sunday Equal to the Biblical Sabbath?

    10. Is Sunday Equal to the Biblical Sabbath?

    As we have already seen, every theological endorsement of Sunday observance is without biblical foundation. The historical development of Sunday as a rest day is a long story. The introduction of Sunday as a weekly rest day dates to the end of the 4th century AD.

    At that time, the Church wanted to unify the slowly emerging denominational differences around certain commonalities. In the course of this unification, Sunday was established as the weekly day of rest.

    The Church’s problem was simple: the true followers of Jesus were growing in number—especially with each biblically Christian martyrdom carried out by the Romans.
    The Church feared the loss of its own idol-worshiping adherents.

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    Rather than speculate further, we allow representatives of the Catholic Church to speak for themselves concerning Sunday observance (quotes taken from:
    https://www.jetzt-ist-sabbat.de/der-sabbat/sabbat-oder-sonntag/224-50-zitate-katholischer-und-evangelischer-theologen-zur-sabbat-sonntag-frage-teil-2, accessed 2023-03-15 at 18:37):

    “The Church has abolished the Sabbath, the last day of the week, as the Lord’s Day, and in its place has instituted the first day of the week, Sunday.”
    (Cardinal M. Faulhaber, Pastoral Letter for Lent, Feb. 26, 1950)

    Sunday was introduced by the Church we now call the Catholic Church.

    “The Church transferred Sabbath observance to Sunday by divine, infallible authority. […] The Protestant who claims the Bible as his only rule of faith has no justification for observing Sunday.”
    (“The Question Box,” The Catholic Univers Bulletin, Aug. 14, 1942, p. 4)

    Here we are told unmistakably: Anyone who upholds Sola Scriptura has no right to treat Sunday as a weekly day of rest.

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    “It was the Catholic Church that, based on the authority of Christ, transferred the rest to Sunday. Therefore, Sunday observance by Protestants is a tribute they pay—willingly or not—to the authority of the Catholic Church.”
    (Louis Gaston de Segur, Plain Talk About the Protestantism of Today, Boston, 1868, p. 223)

    So a Bible-believing Christian who keeps Sunday is, knowingly or not, honoring the authority of the Catholic Church.

    “Thus it happened that Sunday was legally and universally commanded by Church and State as a day of rest and sanctification. The Church herself changed the commandment of God: ‘Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy,’ to: ‘You shall keep Sunday holy,’ as found in our catechisms. So it was not Christ, but the Church, who transferred the Sabbath to Sunday—or formally abolished the Sabbath and replaced it with Sunday. The Roman Catechism also teaches this when it states, right at the beginning of Chapter III on the Sabbath: ‘It pleased the Church to transfer the observance and sanctification of the Sabbath to Sunday.’”
    (Joseph Winkler, Canon of Lucerne, in Der Sonntag, pp. 52–53)

    This is a clear admission of biblical unfaithfulness.
    The biblical Sabbath was formally abolished, and Sunday was installed in its place.

    Yet it is written:

    “Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, to do them, that ye may live and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers giveth you. Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.”
    (Deuteronomy 4:1–2, Luther 1545)

    This instruction not to change the commandments is repeated:

    “What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.”
    (Deuteronomy 12:32, Luther 1545)

    Even Jesus told us:

    “Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you: unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.”
    (Matthew 5:17–20, Elberfelder 1905)

    But what does the Law say concerning the Sabbath?

    “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work. But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it.”
    (Exodus 20:8–11, Luther 1545)

    And the Sabbath command is repeated:

    “Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee. Six days thou shalt labour and do all thy work. But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou. And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.”
    (Deuteronomy 5:12–15, Luther 1545)

    What is so special about this day?

    Isn’t it ultimately irrelevant which day we choose to rest—whether Sunday, Friday, or Saturday? From a purely human point of view, it might seem like it doesn’t matter.

    But for a follower of Christ, the correct weekly rest day is critically important:

    “Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you. Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death. For whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.”
    (Exodus 31:13–14, Luther 1545)

    Our LORD tells us that the Sabbath is an everlasting sign between Him and us.

    If we replace the Sabbath with Sunday, we are exchanging the eternal sign—and by doing so, we become unfaithful to the LORD once again.
    And such unfaithfulness leads to eternal death.

    Scripture also reveals the significance of the Sabbath in the future:

    “For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD.”
    (Isaiah 66:22–23, Luther 1545)

    Even after the new earth is created, the Sabbath will continue to be kept.

    Today, Sunday observance is merely a theological tradition—a tradition without biblical foundation.

    If we truly want to surrender our lives to the LORD and follow Him fully, then we cannot simply exchange or ignore the eternal sign He has given us.

  • 9. Have We Been Set Free from the Law?

    9. Have We Been Set Free from the Law?

    The greatest misunderstanding lies in the confusion between righteousness by works and doing good works. Unfortunately, many people treat these as the same thing.
    But once we understand the difference, the entire debate over whether we are “free from the Law” comes to an end.

    Many people read the letters of the Apostle Paul superficially and twist his statements—for example, in the letter to the Romans, where it is written:

    “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.”
    (Romans 8:2, Luther 1545)

    This verse, among others, is often used to claim that God’s laws no longer apply to followers of Christ.
    Tragically, many people are led astray by such false doctrines.

    Yet the Scriptures do not contradict themselves.
    In the Old Testament, we are clearly told to keep the Law.
    I am aware of the counterargument: that because Jesus died for us on the cross in the New Testament, the laws are now nullified. But this would create a contradiction.

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    Such an interpretation comes from a deceived mind—and sadly, it is readily adopted by many new believers.

    What these people forget are the words of Jesus in the Book of Revelation:

    “And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations.”
    (Revelation 2:26, Luther 1545)

    “And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk.”
    (Revelation 9:20, Luther 1545)

    “And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.”
    (Revelation 22:12, Luther 1545)

    So even in the very last book of the Bible, where our Redeemer reveals to us the end of days, our works are consistently addressed.

    Our works are the decisive factor when it comes to the judgment we will receive.

    The seven letters to the churches in Revelation alone speak repeatedly about our works.
    No matter how we twist or turn the interpretation—nothing changes the fact:

    Whoever interprets verses like Romans 8:2 to mean that the Law is no longer valid will be asked at the Final Judgment:
    “Why did you so violently distort these parts of Scripture?”

    Let’s simply look at what people often overlook in the letter to the Romans:

    “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
    (Romans 8:1, Luther 1545)

    “That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
    (Romans 8:4, Luther 1545)

    Paul is telling us clearly:
    Those who are faithful followers of Christ are free from the Law—but not because they are exempt.

    Rather, as sincere disciples, we naturally do the works that the Law requires.
    As it is written: the Law will be written on the hearts of the believers.

    When we do good works out of pure love for our Redeemer, we no longer need the Law.
    But we are also told to test all things.
    How could we examine ourselves if the Law no longer existed?

    It is absolutely true: Righteousness by works cannot save us.

    This mindset says:
    “No matter how wicked my heart may be, as long as I perform the right deeds, I will be saved.”

    But when we follow Christ, we do the very same works—but out of love for our neighbor.

    Because we know we are saved—as long as we continue to follow the Lord.

    Our works are our fruits.
    And it is by these fruits that we are to recognize one another.

  • 8. Did Jesus Die for All People?

    8. Did Jesus Die for All People?

    It is often claimed that God loves all people and, therefore, the crucifixion of our Redeemer applies universally to all mankind.
    But this interpretation is complete nonsense.
    If that were true, then there would be no Final Judgment at the end of days.

    Jesus died only for His people, and His people are the smallest on earth:

    “The LORD did not set his love upon you nor choose you, because you were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people.”
    (Deuteronomy 7:7, Luther 1545)

    So when we read today that there are over 2 billion Christians, it should give us serious pause.
    That would mean roughly one in four people on earth is a true follower of Christ.
    This clearly contradicts the Holy Scriptures.

    Our Redeemer Himself also said:

    “And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”
    (Matthew 7:23, Luther 1545)

    If our Redeemer did not die for all people, then how are we to understand His crucifixion and resurrection?

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    God’s people consist primarily of one single family:

    The descendants of Jacob, who was later renamed Israel.

    And just like with any earthly family, anyone can become a member—either through marriage or adoption.

    To become part of God’s people, one must accept God’s Son, Jesus Christ, as King and Redeemer.

    This was already demonstrated during the Exodus from Egypt.
    Back then, not only Israelites left Egypt—some Egyptians joined them as well.

    This is specifically noted in Scripture, and after that, there is no longer any distinction made between the Israelites and the Egyptians:

    “And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, beside children.
    And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle.”
    (Exodus 12:37–38, Luther 1545)

    Even the Ten Commandments emphasize that the laws also apply to the strangers living among the people.

    Likewise, the story of Ruth shows us that whoever accepts God, His Son, and His statutes becomes part of His people.

    Only after we confess Christ as our Redeemer and accept His commandments, does the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ become effective for us.

  • 7. Why Does God Allow Evil?

    7. Why Does God Allow Evil?

    People often ask: Why does God allow evil? Or even: Did God create evil?
    Unfortunately, many expect a short and simple answer to these deep questions. And when they receive one, they’re rarely satisfied.

    The short answer is:
    Because He loves us so much that He gave us free will.
    But most people don’t like that answer, and it’s not easy to grasp.

    Let’s first clarify what we mean by “evil.”

    Very often, we perceive something as evil simply because our expectations were not met.
    But that’s not truly evil—it’s often a form of correction or discipline for us.

    When we speak of war, violence, illness, and so on as evil, then we do agree on what “evil” is.
    One of the best-known examples in the Bible is Job. He was righteous, faithful—and not even a descendant of Jacob. Yet God allowed Satan to harm him.

    Why?
    Because God knew Job was strong enough to endure it.
    And God wanted to prove to Satan that the adversary was wrong.

    When something similar happens in our own lives, we don’t see the bigger picture.
    We only feel like everything is falling apart—even though we love God with all our hearts and follow our Lord.

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    God may also allow evil to purify us.

    In the Old Testament, this is called refining.
    In the New Testament, John the Baptist says:

    “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance:
    but he that cometh after me is mightier than I,
    whose shoes I am not worthy to bear:
    he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire.”
    (Matthew 3:11, Luther 1545)

    So our painful experiences may be part of this baptism by fire.

    Did God create evil? No.

    Evil is the result of our free will.
    Every choice we make carries the possibility of being the wrong one.

    After creation, God saw that everything was perfect—there was nothing evil.
    God didn’t want to create robots or machines. He created us out of love.
    And where there is love, there is no compulsion.

    Because He loves us, He gave us the freedom to choose.
    And with that freedom, we decide between good and evil.

    That’s why Moses dedicated an entire chapter to the consequences of our choices.
    In Deuteronomy 28, the point is not punishment or reward.
    The point is: we choose, and consequences follow.

    Much like parents telling their child not to touch a hot stove.
    They don’t want their child to get burned—but it’s a possible consequence.

    And parents know that forbidding something doesn’t always work.
    Sometimes, children have to learn through experience.

    What if we make a wrong choice without meaning to?

    If our decision was not intentional, God protects us from serious consequences.
    He only asks for an honest and upright life.

    If we trust Him, then He will make everything work out for our good.

    But if we refuse to trust Him, He respects that, too.
    He won’t force us to obey or believe.

    This is the root cause of most of the evil we see in the world:
    our own choices, made in freedom.

  • 6. Is God Bloodthirsty?

    6. Is God Bloodthirsty?

    I’ve honestly lost count of how many times I’ve heard and read statements like this.
    I always find such claims deeply disturbing. After all, it is written for good reason:

    “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.”
    (1 John 4:8, Luther 1545)

    So, if God is love, how can He be cruel? Since when does love have anything in common with cruelty?

    Scripture makes it absolutely clear: such statements only come from people who do not know God.
    Unfortunately, unbelievers or idolaters often confuse new believers with such accusations.
    Even believers who have walked with God for longer sometimes struggle to understand such matters.
    However, they usually admit that they do not understand—without accusing God of being cruel.

    In truth, this supposed cruelty is simply a misunderstood issue.
    The subject of blood in the Bible has several aspects:

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    1. The sacrificial system was a preparation for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

    Paul wrote in the New Testament that the sacrifices of the Old Covenant did not bring salvation:

    “For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things,
    can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.
    For then would they not have ceased to be offered?
    Because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.
    But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.
    For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
    Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith,
    Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:
    In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.
    Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.”
    (Hebrews 10:1–7, Luther 1545)

    2. The sacrificial system was also a form of discipline.

    When a person sinned, and as a result an animal had to die, it was meant to teach the sinner something:
    more compassion, and less ego.
    It was never intended to give people a licence to sin freely.
    But eventually, the people began using sacrifices as a kind of free pass for their disobedience.

    That’s why God eventually said He had no pleasure in their offerings:

    “For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.”
    (Hosea 6:6, Luther 1545)

    And further:

    “Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom;
    give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah.
    To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord:
    I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts;
    and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.
    When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts?
    Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me;
    the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot endure;
    it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.
    Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth:
    they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them.
    And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you:
    yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear:
    your hands are full of blood.
    Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;
    Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.”
    (Isaiah 1:10–17, Luther 1545)

    3. A further debate concerns the expulsion from the Garden of Eden.

    Before Adam and Eve were sent away, the Lord God made coats of skins for them:

    “Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them.”
    (Genesis 3:21, Luther 1545)

    This leads to the question:
    Were these skins still with the animals’ flesh attached?
    If so, then animals had already died because of sin.
    Or did God create the skins independently—even though creation was supposedly completed?
    Or were the “skins” simply wool shorn from animals?

    4. Now it gets a bit tricky. Let’s come at this from the other end.

    Jesus and His people are prophetically described as Bridegroom and Bride.

    The Law says: if a man divorces his wife, the wife may not marry another man—unless the first husband has died.
    Otherwise, it is considered adultery.

    Throughout the Bible, God’s people are accused of spiritual adultery,
    which symbolises ongoing idolatry—
    beginning with the golden calf in the wilderness, and continuing through Kings, Chronicles, the prophets, and all the way to Revelation.

    So, in order for the people to be released from the charge of harlotry,
    the first bridegroom had to die. That was the crucifixion.

    Now the bride (His people) may marry again.
    Through the blood, sins are forgiven,
    and through the resurrection, the first bridegroom becomes the bridegroom once more.

    Since the sacrificial system was a shadow of the crucifixion,
    blood had to flow even then.
    That is why there is so much blood and so many sacrifices in the Bible.

    In essence, what some call “cruel” is actually the most merciful act our Lord and Redeemer could have done for us.

  • 5. Is Jesus God?

    5. Is Jesus God?

    This topic is closely related to the doctrine of the Trinity.
    When we set aside the doctrine of the Trinity, this question alone can already seem provocative to some.
    To answer it properly, certain foundations must be understood.

    From God’s perspective, there is only one reasonable form of government:
    God is the measure of all things, because He is love.
    This form of government is called theocracy.
    When the ruling role is held by a human, we call it monarchy.
    This form of government was long practised and widespread on earth.

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    The structure is identical and therefore clearly comparable:
    If the king sent out an ambassador, this person was treated as if he were the king himself.
    Whoever insulted the ambassador had insulted the king. No distinction was made.

    An ambassador of the king had to either be officially introduced by the king, or possess something that would identify him.

    If God empowers someone and sends him to us, that person is to be treated as God Himself.

    Jesus was marked by His miracles, and as He Himself said, He was sent by God.
    Who else can give sight to the blind or raise the dead?
    Only someone who has been empowered by God.

    The prophet Elijah, similar to Jesus, also performed miracles.
    However, Elijah did not perform them on such a great scale as Jesus did.

    At the very latest, when Jesus was resurrected by God, it became clear with what authority He had been here.

    Let us now look at a few Bible passages:

    “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
    This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptising with water.
    And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.
    And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptise with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptiseth with the Holy Ghost.
    And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.”
    (John 1:29–34, Luther 1545)

    “But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—then he said to the paralytic: ‘Get up, take your mat and go home!’”
    (Matthew 9:6, NeÜ)

    “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son.”
    (John 5:22, Luther 1545)

    So we can see very clearly: Jesus was equipped with full authority and was therefore the only representative of God on earth.

    In the places in Scripture where we read LORD / HERR / Jehovah / Yahweh, the word used is YHWH (in the Old Testament) or kurios (in the New Testament).
    The terms in the New Testament are used with the meaning of the Old Testament.
    Thus, in these places, Jesus is shown to be our LORD, our King, and therefore our Ruler.

    When we read GOD / GOTT in the Bible, the underlying words are elohim (Old Testament) or theos (mainly), and chrematizo (less than ten times).
    Again, the understanding of the words is based on the Old Testament meanings.

    Now, elohim can mean either God or gods, depending on context.
    What is often overlooked is the original meaning of elohim: judge.

    That’s why we also find elohim referring to human beings:

    “I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.”
    (Psalm 82:6, Luther 1545)

    That this refers to people becomes clear in the context of Jesus quoting it later:

    “The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.
    Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?
    If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken…”
    (John 10:33–35, Luther 1545)

    Here we still find a final trace of the original meaning of the word.

    So, when we read that Jesus is our God, it means in the sense of our Judge.

    “Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.”
    (Revelation 11:17, Luther 1545)

    There is therefore not a single passage in which Jesus speaks of Himself as God in the actual sense.
    But as we can see, such a claim was already falsely attributed to Him at that time.

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