Is it just me, or is this (Best-Selling Bible May Get Gender Update – NYDailyNews) just plain ridiculous?  I hope I'm not the only one offended by people trying to inject political correctness into God's word.

Sincerely,
He, She, & It

Dear He, She, & It,

We have written before on the problems that can be found in the NIV version (read “New International Version” for more details).  Whenever translators begin to use their authority and position to alter God’s Word, there is a problem.  Changing the pronouns within the Scriptures to be more gender neutral is not a translation issue; it is a personal agenda.

We live in a world that is increasingly politically correct, even to the point of being ludicrous.  Unfortunately, this is another example of people using the translation of God’s Word as an opportunity to further their individual attitudes.  This is one more symptom that occurs when we are wise in our own eyes (Isa 5:21).

When Jesus began traveling with his disciples, how did they support themselves financially?  Did others contribute?

Sincerely,
Keeping The Books

Dear Keeping The Books,

There are three ways that Jesus and His disciples were supported during His ministry.

1. Jesus was a carpenter, just like his foster father Joseph (Matt 13:55), and had worked as such in Nazareth (Mk 6:3).  Jesus didn’t begin preaching until He was thirty-years-old (Lk 3:23).  Since Jesus would have been careful with money (Pr 6:6-8) as a faithful steward (1 Cor 4:2), it is likely that He had some money saved up to live off of.
2. Jesus and His disciples lived off the hospitality of those they preached to.  Jesus even commanded His disciples to take nothing with them when they preached (Mk 6:7-10).
3. Jesus and His disciples were supported by several very faithful women.  Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Susanna, and many others ministered to the physical needs of Jesus as He preached (Lk 8:1-3).

It just goes to show that God will always care for His people – even when it doesn’t make financial sense to serve Him (Ps 37:25-26).

The following is a follow up to the question “Almost Home Alone”:

 

Does it not also say, “Where one or two are gathered in My name, so shall I be there also”?  When you come together, you are assembled.  I do appreciate this site.  My friend (name omitted-AYP) showed it to me.  The first churches were small and met in homes.  In Alaska, sometimes there were only there or four people in our churches.

Sincerely,
Home Bound

Dear Home Bound,

Yes, it does say that where "two or three are gathered in My name, there shall I be" (Matt 18:20).  However, that is simply to point out that size doesn't matter for fellowship with Christ.  If you are saying that you and your mother are forming your own church in your home – that is one thing.  However, what you said was that you were unable to join the church on most Sundays but still considered yourself a member of that congregation.  Many congregations do meet in homes, and that is completely appropriate (Philemon 1:2).  However, your situation is not one of a congregation forming in a home… but of two un-well people who cannot attend and be with the church.  There is a distinction between those two situations.  Two sick and homebound individuals do not have the responsibility of taking the Lord’s Supper, but a church gathered together on the first day of the week does (1 Cor 11:20-21).

I was studying the Bible with my friend (she is a Mormon), and she showed me a verse that talks about baptizing dead people (1 Cor 15:29).  What is that all about?

 

Sincerely,
Coffin Dunker

Dear Coffin Dunker,

God does command baptism for the dead… but not how the Mormons teach it.  Baptism for the dead is a Mormon practice where they baptize a living family member on behalf of a dead relative.  The Mormons then profess that “proxy-baptism” saves the soul of the dead relative, turning them into a Mormon.  There is nothing in the Bible that teaches this doctrine, and they misuse 1 Cor 15:29 when they refer to it.

1 Cor 15:29 is in the middle of a discussion Paul is having with the Corinthian church about life after death.  Paul just got done explaining that Jesus died and lived again (1 Cor 15:15-18).  Paul will then later explain that he is willing to be persecuted even to death in order to preach the gospel (1 Cor 15:30-32).  The statement about baptism for the dead is smack-dab right in the middle of that context.  Therefore, whatever “baptism for the dead” is referring to must have something to do with life after death and the willingness to die for the gospel because you have such a hope.

Baptism removes our sin (Acts 2:38).  Baptism saves us (1 Pet 3:21, Mk 16:16).  When we are baptized, we move from a state of spiritual death to spiritual life (Eph 2:1-5).  That spiritual death (i.e. eternity in hell) is what Paul is referring to in 1 Cor 15:29.  People are baptized for death, to remove spiritual death, and live in the hope of eternal life (Tit 3:7).  Jesus came and preached to those living in the “shadow of death” (Lk 1:79).  When we obey the gospel, we have passed out of death and into life (Jhn 5:24).  Jesus even went so far as to say that we will never see death if we keep His word (Jhn 8:51).  In the context of first Corinthians chapter 15, Paul is talking about this eternal death.  When people are baptized, they are baptized to avoid the eternal death that awaits all who are outside of Christ.

In the book of Revelation, we are told not to hurt the earth.  But I have heard a lot of christians say that they won't recycle, drive a fuel-efficient car, or even pick up litter!  Isn't being "green" part of God's orders?  Thanks.

 

Sincerely,
Green Thumb

Dear Green Thumb,

The verses you are referring to are Rev 7:3 and Rev 9:4, but they are severely torn from their context.  In fact, the verse right before (Rev 7:2) points out that God had appointed angels for the specific purpose of hurting the earth.  The whole book of Revelation is dealing with figurative language and should not be taken literally because God says it is a symbolic book that uses figurative and picturesque language (Rev 1:1) to address a spiritual battle the first century church was fighting.  See our post “Left Behind” for further details.

As far as addressing the issue of being “green”, God did give mankind dominion over the earth to subdue it and use it (Gen 1:27-30).  As stewards of the earth, we have a responsibility to be faithful (1 Cor 4:2).  There is some debate over whether fuel-efficient cars, recycling, etc. are a necessary part of taking care of the earth though.  The specifics of environmental research are highly debatable, and we can’t be too dogmatic one way or the other.