I'm really confused now, and I need some help.  Why does the Bible talk about the Pharisees when they are referring to something bad?  Did they do anything bad, or are they bad or anything?

Sincerely,
Not A Pharisee

Dear Not A Pharisee,

The Pharisees were a group of religious teachers that imposed their traditions and opinions upon people.  Jesus condemned the Pharisees for adding to God’s Word and following tradition instead of truth (Mk 7:10-13).  The Pharisees were constantly laying burdens on people that couldn’t be found in the Scriptures (Matt 23:4).  The Pharisees were hypocritical because they pretended to be very righteous people, but it was all a public show done out of pride (Matt 23:27).  The Pharisees are a great example of what is wrong with much of religion.  When we don’t follow the Scriptures, our religion just becomes an act that doesn’t please God.

Could you elaborate on 1 Timothy 2:8. What is meant by holy hands?

Sincerely,
Hand-ling The Verse

Dear Hand-ling The Verse,

It was not uncommon for those praying to raise their hands toward heaven as they prayed.  In 1 Tim 2:8, Paul is exhorting that we should have clean hands when we pray to God.  Our hands represent our lives and our actions.  If our lives are full of wrathful and doubting behavior, our prayers will be hindered.  The greatest example of this is in 1 Pet 3:7 where God warns husbands that their prayers will be hindered if they mistreat their wives.  Our hands need to be holy when we approach God; our lives need to be holy if we approach the Lord in prayer.

I have heard many interpretations and predictions on what it is thought the mark of the beast will be.  One of those thoughts is a microchip placed in your hand.  Would it be wrong to implant my dogs with microchips?  This seems to be the most effective way of keeping up with them and preventing them from getting lost, but is it wrong?

Sincerely,
Devoted Dog Breeder

Dear Devoted Dog Breeder,

The verse you are referring to is Rev 14:9.  However, take comfort – it isn’t referring to your pups.  The book of Revelation is dealing with the struggle between christians and the idolatrous nation of Rome; therefore, it can’t be referring to modern microchipping, no matter what the televangelists and pop-culture preachers say.

It is important to remember that the book of Revelation is a book written with symbolic and figurative language (Rev 1:1).  It is a vision the apostle John received on the island of Patmos that uses apocalyptic dream-like visions to teach on a real-life subject that was “soon to come to pass” and “at hand” (Rev 1:1 and Rev 1:3).  Considering John wrote the book somewhere between 65 A.D. and 100 A.D. – we are about two thousand years too late for the vision to specifically apply to us.  Today, you need to obey the Gospel in order to be in God’s light (1 Jn 1:5-6).  We recommend that you read “What Must I Do To Be Saved?”, so that you can feel confident about what will save your soul.  There is more to it than simply asking Jesus into your life, but it has nothing to do with unmarked hands or microchipping.

What is Jesus referring to in Matthew 11 when He says, "My yoke is easy; My burden is light"?

Sincerely,
Weight Lifter

Dear Weight Lifter,

A yoke is a type of harness that is placed on oxen, so they can pull a cart or plow.  In this circumstance, Jesus is using a yoke to explain that everyone has a burden to carry.  Whatever you let guide your life, it becomes your master (i.e. money, family, pride, lusts, etc.), and you have to work to feed its will (Matt 6:24).  Jesus says that if we will follow Him, learn from Him, and obey His commands, our burden will be much lighter than if we live worldly lives.  He is a kind and gentle Master that will give us rest for our souls. (Matt 11:28-30).

The fourth commandment clearly states to remember the Sabbath day and to keep it holy.  Why do so many churches not keep this command?

Sincerely,
For The Fourth

Dear For The Fourth,

The Sabbath was a holy day for the Jews, not for Christians.  The Old Testament has a myriad of laws that are no longer binding in the New Testament: animal sacrifice, clean and unclean foods, and various festivals… just to name a few.  2 Cor 3 is an entire chapter devoted to explaining how the Old Law has been surpassed by the New Law.  2 Cor 3:3 especially clarifies the issue when it states that our law is “not in tables of stone”, a direct reference to the Ten Commandments that were written on stone tablets.

Gal 3:24-25 makes it clear that the Old Law was a tutor to bring mankind to Christ, but now that Christ has come, we are no longer under that tutor.  The Sabbath is a part of that Old Law.  In the New Testament, christians meet on the first day of the week to worship, take the Lord’s Supper (Acts 20:7), and take up a collection (1 Cor 16:1-2).  In short: different covenants, different days.

The Old Testament law given by Moses was a covenant with the Jews (Deut 5:1-5).  The New Testament law given in Christ is for all of mankind (Acts 2:38-39).

Who changed the law?  God did.

When did it change?  When the church began.