This question is assuming that only two of the original tribes had settled in Palestine. Where is this information from? People from all twelve tribes settled in Palestine.

Matthew 7:6 does not discuss the matter of preaching to Gentiles; it simply states that precious things should not be given to those who will abuse them. Now concerning the question, this is difficult for many to understand. Jesus' main priority was to preach to the Jews. But as we see here, there were non-Jews that were among those who listened. Jesus' statement in Matt. 15:24 was a test of her faith. We see in the Old Testament that God purposed to make his character known to the world by a nation, the Jews, but he was always merciful to Gentiles who admitted their sin and chose to live under the system of sacrifice that he had given. Some examples of these are Rahab and Ruth.

If you read carefully, you will notice that the dispute was not over whether Gentiles could be saved but whether Gentiles needed to become Jews first, by means of circumcision. (Acts 15:1) Paul and Barnabas were stating that Gentiles did not have to become Jews first. Peter agreed with them by telling how God had put his Spirit within Gentiles in the same way as he did with the Jews. (see Acts 10) James also confirmed that what Paul and Peter were saying agreed with what the Prophets had said as well.(Acts 15:13-19)

You will notice that Matt 12:40 says, "as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." The "three days and three nights" is the common factor which explains how Jesus would be like Jonah.

(See the answers for questions 3 and 4.)

Jesus is fully justified in answering in this way because the Oneness of God does not conflict with the teaching about the plurality of the One God, which in theological circles is most often referred to as the Trinity. We as humans learn best by a combination of hearing and seeing. Jesus did not need to fully explain every doctrine every time the discussion came up. Sometimes he allowed people to observe and come to the unmistakable conclusion themselves. John chapter 10 is a good portion to read, specifically John 10:38. He didn't tell us why he did not refer to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. To insist that he should have, would be telling God what he should have told his prophet and therefore, is sin.

Matthew 5:22 suggests that we are not to call someone a fool. The meaning of "fool" here is not just a "silly" person, but one who has a "corrupt heart and character." We are not to call someone a fool because we do not know the full condition of that man's heart. We notice that in James 5:9 it says, "Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!" James 4:11 says, "Brothers, do not slander one another, Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you--who are you to judge your neighbour?"

If we simply take Jesus' reply in English without considering any of the context around the verse, it is possible to be in doubt concerning his answer. But if we look at the response of the Jewish leaders in the next verse there is no doubt to the meaning of Jesus' statement. If he didn't claim to be the Son of God, they would have no grounds upon which to put him to death. But since he did claim to be the Son of God, they thought he was guilty of blasphemy (claiming to be equal with God) and wanted to kill him.

In regard to Psalm 34:19, what we refer to as a trouble, may not be what God refers to as a trouble. Isaiah 53:10 supports clearly what the rest of the Bible teaches. Jesus suffered, died and was resurrected. Because he lives today he can fulfill the rest of this verse, even though he has suffered to point of death. God never promised that his Messiah would not be killed. Look at Isaiah 52:15. In the days of the prophets objects were made holy by being sprinkled by the blood of an acceptable sacrifice. What had to be done to a lamb before its blood could be used? The answer to this question will give the answer to whether or not Jesus died.

I don't know why Jesus allowed him to continue on as a disciple and I don't know of any indication in scripture to tell us either. However, I do know that it was not threatening to Jesus to have Judas in his close group. That shows me that Jesus was totally confident in the sovereign purposes of God. It also shows the extent of his love toward sinners. Knowing that Jesus asked us to love our enemies, what better example could we ask for than for Jesus to love a person who he knew would betray him.

The best answer to this question is that we note the words "you who have followed me . . . ." If we look at Acts 1:15-26, we see that the person that was chosen to replace Judas was Matthias. Notice the qualifications in verses 21 and 22 that had to be met in the one they chose. According to these qualifications, Matthias could be included as one of "you who have followed me."

His prayer was answered. In our prayers we are encouraged to express our human weaknesses to God. Jesus did this as well. But his prayer was that the will of his Father might be done. He had no earthly father, only a heavenly Father. Notice that he said, 'if it is possible' and 'yet not as I will, but as you will.' His prayer was answered. It was not possible any other way, and God's will was done!

(This question is answered in number 16)

(Again, his prayer was heard. See number 16 for the answer.)

John 21:25 says, "Jesus did many other things as well. If everyone of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written." None of the four gospels are a full account of all that Jesus did. Jesus truly asked that if possible the cup be taken from him. Having asked three times, that the will of his Father be done and being convinced of that will, he did as is written in Hebrews 12:2, ". . .who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

What all of these events show is that God is supreme. All events are under his control. Nothing can foil his plans. This gives us assurance that when we trust him for our forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ, nothing will hinder him from fulfilling his promises to us. The darker the night, the brighter the light.

It didn't matter to Pilate whether Jesus died on the cross or not. He wanted to please the Jews. The Jews were pressuring him to put Jesus to death. He feared that if he did not do so soon, he would have a riot in his city, and that would not make him look good. You will remember that the legs of the other two men who were crucified beside him, were broken. This was done to hasten their death. Jesus, however, was already dead. This was proved by the mixture of blood and water that came out of his side. The reason for this was the great suffering that he had already suffered.

He knew he would die on the cross. This was a prophecy for the benefit of the people who were gathered around as well as for you and me. If you look at Psalm 22, these are the words that begin this psalm. At that time the Psalms did not have numbers as they have today. The way that people referred to a psalm was to quote the beginning phrase. Then those who were listening would know what he was referring to. If you read this psalm carefully you will notice that it describes what was happening to him on the cross. Starting in verse 19, it also describes the victory that would result because of his death. When we understand that, it gives us a great assurance in this life as well as the next.

There are two answers that are sufficient to explain this question. First, all things are possible with God. Second, it is a proven medical fact that many times right before a person dies, he receives a burst of energy.

Jesus' statement here is a quote from the Old Testament scriptures. (The beginning of Psalm 22.) He was feeling the weight of the sins of mankind but he was not without hope. He was reminding the Jews of what the scriptures said. The last part of this Psalm actually speaks of the victory that he was about to experience. Since Jesus was quoting from the Jewish scriptures, he would have used the Aramaic because that was the language that the common Jewish person would be most familiar with.

The question suggests that the vinegar caused Jesus' death. John 19:29 says, "When he had received the drink, Jesus said, 'It is finished.' With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit." The word "when" refers to the time and not to the cause. He gave up his own spirit.

It is incorrect to state that blood does not flow at all from a dead body. The medical evidence cited in the above article published in one of the leading medical journals in the medical world disproves this.

There are a few reasons. First, he had the weight of the guilt of your and my sins as well as the whole world upon himself. Second, he had been kept awake all night without sleep, and subjected to questioning. Third, he had been physically struck, beaten and flogged. (Please read up on Roman style floggings.) Fourth, God was in control. When he gives his word, he fulfills it. It was prophesied in Psalm 34:20 and Zechariah 12:10.

Can we account for another person's unbelief? They would have had to humble themselves and admit that they were wrong, which a lot of people find hard to do. Concerning the people who came out of the tombs, there is no other teaching on that.

This account is an historical event. To say that it isn't is to discount the accuracy of the Bible. To say so without any proof is certainly to dishonour and blaspheme God.

Jesus here is saying that the teachers of the law and the Pharisees would be as guilty as those who killed the righteous prophets from Abel to Zechariah (all those recorded in the Jewish scriptures) because of what they would do to the prophets, wise men, and teachers that God was sending them. It says in Matthew 23:34, "Therefore I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town." Jesus was not saying that the killing of the prophets had ended, he was saying that there would be more like there had been in the past. Furthermore, in Matthew 11:9 Jesus refers to John the Baptist as a prophet. By this time John the Baptist had been put to death. It would have been foolish for Jesus to say that all the killing of the prophets had ended with Zechariah. He would have contradicted himself.

The reason why Jesus suffered an accursed death was because he took upon himself your sin and mine as well as the sins of the whole world. Have you put your faith in this?

Please read John 19:38-42 for the explanation.

There was no dispute among the eyewitnesses about whether Jesus died. The only dispute at the time was whether he was raised from the dead. When the Jews had to make up a story about the disappearance of Jesus' body, they did not say he didn't die, everyone knew he died. Instead they had to pay people to say that his disciples had come and stolen his body. (Matthew 28:11-15) Only since then, there have been disputes over who was responsible for his death and what his death accomplished.

There is no explanation except that this event fulfills the prophecy in Isaiah 53:9, which says, "He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth."

Pilate was sympathetic to Jesus. (Please read John 19:1-22.)

This question is an important one. It is answered in number 28.

The scriptures never say that Jesus was "expected to die in such a short time," but when we understand the situation he was in, it is easy to understand why he did die so quickly. Pilate was rightly surprised because he did not understand that Jesus had taken upon himself the sin of mankind.

The main concern was that the people didn't think he had done another miracle. It wasn't so important if they knew for sure what happened. If we look at the events from their viewpoint, it is easy to see that that was the most viable option. There is something about death that makes it seem final. After all, Jesus' close disciples didn't fully realize what had happened until after they saw for themselves the empty tomb, the angels and Jesus himself.

It is impossible for us to know why the Jews did everything they did. We must remember though, that this all happened during their special Passover feast. There were regulations about what they could and couldn't do on the Sabbath and it was a busy time.

With the Roman guard watching their "prisoner" and under the threat of possible death if their "prisoner" escaped, the Jews really had no need to worry if Jesus was simply an ordinary human being. It is here where they miscalculated.

As Jews they had responsibilities to their families to observe the Passover feast. If they believed he would rise from the dead as he said, then I'm sure they could trust God with the outcome.

The answers to the first two questions are found in Matthew 27:62-66. The Jewish leaders knew that Jesus rose from the dead. They didn't want the people to find out, so they had the rumors spread. Even if they had asked the disciples to produce the body of Jesus, Jesus would have revealled himself to whom he chose. Knowing Jesus had risen from the dead, why would the Jewish leaders want to ask for his body again and run the risk of being made to look foolish, again?

Should we question what God has decreed? From our human standpoint, if the stone is removed, wouldn't that make it easier for the people to see the evidence?

Again, should we question the actions of God? Having risen from the dead, it is a small matter to get the proper clothing.

Jesus wasn't dead. They were afraid, trembling, and bewildered concerning the fact that he was alive.

It is true that death had no more power over him. Where does it say that he feared seeing the Jews after the crucifixion? It doesn't say that anywhere.

It is true that this was a very important event. The questions seem to imply that he should have appeared to more men than he did. Have we taken the place of God, to suggest what he should have done? This is very wrong. (Please read Acts 1:1-11; John 20 and 21; Luke 24 and I Corinthians 15:1-11.) God gave plenty of evidence for Jesus' resurrection.

He met them where they were at; he does the same for us today. The occasion in John 20:19 was only one occasion. He met them other places as well. (See the references in question 48.)

An understanding of who Jesus--God come in the flesh--was will help us to understand these verses. Jesus was more than a human body and human spirit. He was the one who had been promised. He was unique in that there was a special union of the Spirit of God with a human body. After Jesus resurrection, he received a glorified body. This was a body of flesh and bones, but different than ours. Each believer will receive one of these one the day of resurrection. Luke 24:50-53 records the ascension of Jesus in his glorified body. (It may be helpful to read I Corinthians 15:35-58 as well.) Now, while his body was in the tomb, where was his spirit? He told the thief that he would be with him in paradise that day. This is referring to his spirit. When Jesus was talking with Mary Magdalene, he was referring to his bodily ascension. It is not right to say that Jesus must have ascended bodily into heaven between the times he met Mary Magdalene and Thomas. We don't know all the reasons why Jesus told Mary Magdalene not to touch him. He surely knew things about her that we don't. The reason why he asked Thomas to put his hand in his side and into the nail prints on his hands was to strengthen Thomas' faith.

When Jesus died, he said, "Father into your hands I commit my spirit." God the Father received his own spirit that had been in Jesus Christ. God could not be dead to do this. Without the spirit, Jesus was just a human body. Warning: If we fail to see that truth that God is ONE God that has plurality, yet in perfect unity, then we will be confused about many things God has revealled.

We do not have any written record that the disciples committed these events to memory or wrote them down. However to say that they didn't, is not right. We do know that Jesus made a promise to the disciples that he would sent his Holy Spirit to remind them of everything he said to them. (John 14:15-27)

a. Remember that two of the writers did hear the words directly from Jesus and two of the writers were close companions of disciples who heard the words of Jesus.

b. God had promised to protect his word. Is he not all-powerful and capable to fulfill his word?

c. Most likely Jesus knew three languages, Hebrew Aramaic and Greek. Hebrew was the language of the scriptures and was used in religious life. Aramaic was spoken in the homes and everyday life. Greek had been the official language of the region for about 100 years at the time of Jesus Christ. Even in the Greek New Testament there are words and phrases in Aramaic.

Why would a person expect Mark to be the longest gospel? As we have seen in John 14:15-27 the content of the gospels are not dependent on human memories but on the promise of God.

"Very early in the morning, the chief priest, with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, reached a decision. They bound Jesus, led him away and turned him over to Pilate." (Mark 15:1)

"It was the third hour when they crucified him." (Mark 15:25)

"At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice. . . With a loud voice Jesus breathed his last." (Mark 15:33,37)

"Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people came to the decision to put Jesus to death. They bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate, the governor." (Matthew 27:1-2)

"From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice. . . And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit."

"At daybreak the council of the elders of the people, both the chief priests and the teachers of the law, met together, and Jesus was led before them. Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate." (Luke 22:66, Luke 23:1)

"It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. . . ." (Luke 23:44)

"Then the Jews led Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor, By now it was early morning. . . . It was the day of Preparation of Passover Week, about the sixth hour. Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified." (John 18:28; 19:14,16)

It may appear that there is a lot of confusion. A skeptical mind will have much confusion. An honest mind will even have some until he looks closely at the accounts. Even then there may be some things a person might not understand because we do not have every last detail, of all that happened, to all the people involved, at every moment, during these events. (If you and I were to write down all that happened at the coronation of a king, for example. And we had to limit it between 500 to 1000 words, we would have different accounts although not contradictory. Also, we could not say that my account was more important in content than your account or visa versa.)

These are good questions using good logic. There are two verses in scripture that help provide an answer. 2 Peter 1:20-21 says, "Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." This is the Spirit that Jesus himself speaks of in John 14:26, "But the Counsellor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." This also agrees with 2 Timothy 3:16, "All Scripture is God-breached and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness," The answer is that the Holy Spirit who is referred to in all these verses was the one who told them about this event. The fact that this actually happened is testified by Stephen in Acts 7:56, " 'Look,' he said, 'I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.' "

I don't know why it was only Mark and Luke who recorded the ascension. Yet we do know that Luke received his information from eye-witnesses by what he states in Luke 1:1-4. The apostle Paul also speaks of this event. We know that he spent 3 years in the desert being taught by Jesus Christ himself.(Galatians 1)The following verses will provide further study: 1 Timothy 3:16, Mark 16:19, Luke 9:51, Luke 24:51, Acts 1:2, Acts 1:11, Ephesians 4:8, Ephesians 4:10, Acts 2:33-36, Romans 8:34, Colossians 3:1, and Hebrews 10:12.

The answer to this question is, "Is God held by the Laws of Nature or does he hold the Laws of Nature." If we disregard the testimony of all things that are contrary to the Laws of Nature, then we would have to disregard the creation of the world and the virgin birth of Jesus, the Messiah.

John 21:25 is not an exaggeration. It is meant to be a figure of speech. Figures of speech are not considered as exaggerations but as acceptable communication.

This is a very good question. If a scholar is a true scholar, he will check what is written about Jesus in the Gospels with what is prophesied of him in the Old Testament, meaning the books that God revealed first, namely the Taurat, Zabur and the Prophets. Once this is done thoroughly, many questions will be answered and much will come to light.

Jesus, being a true prophet of God, knew that God could dwell in a human body. The unity of God does not contradict the fact that Jesus was God; they are in perfect harmony. The point where most people stumble is that they cannot believe that Jesus was God and man. God always was, is and will be. At a point in time he chose to enter the body of a baby who was born, lived, died and was resurrected. While God was in Jesus Christ, he had full power and glory in the universe. However, in Jesus Christ the power and glory were limited for a time, for a special purpose. This is explained in the Bible in Philippians 2:5-11.

I take the statement, "This Messiah was never conceived as a divine figure." to mean "nobody ever believed that he was prophesied as a divine being." This is not true. The Messiah which was prophesied, was indeed considered as a divine figure. This Messiah was promised as coming through the line of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, Jesse, and David.(Genesis 12:2-3; 21:12; 26:3-5; 28:13,14; 49:10; Numbers 24:17,19; Psalm 89 and 132) Then in Isaiah 49:5-7 and in Jeremiah 23:5-6 it is clear that God Almighty would be formed in a womb by God Almighty, and will be called "The LORD our Righteousness." Note in Psalm 110 that the LORD (Jehovah)says to David's LORD, "Sit at my right hand. . . ." The statements that follow are statements made both in the Old Testament and New Testament about the Messiah.

Again the fact of the matter is that Jesus claimed both humanity and deity at the same time. Messiah means "anointed one." The Jews were expecting someone anointed by God, but to what extend he was to be anointed they didn't fully realise. As a man Jesus had the full anointing of God, yet it was limited in its demonstration.

Did he forbid the reference of divinity to himself? If we read closely we will see the situation.

A rich, self-righteous man has come to Jesus and asks Jesus what good thing he must do to have eternal life. He seems to be wanting to boast of his good deeds and to get Jesus' stamp of approval. Therefore, Jesus said things that would turn his thoughts toward God. We cannot be good in God's eyes without submitting to God. We cannot truly submit to God without recognising that God has sent Jesus Christ. If God sent him, he cannot be a true prophet unless all he speaks from God is true.

First we must look at the context. In Psalm 82:6 "gods" refers to earthly rulers. They are referred to as "gods" with a small "g." But it is clear that they were not "Gods" because they died like mere men. Second, we must look carefully at the meaning of the phrase "son of God." "Son of" can mean all or some of the following: a special relationship, common characteristics and origin. It can be used in the physical sense or a metaphorical and spiritual sense. The Bible uses the term "son of God" in a number of places and in a number of ways:

Adam -- Luke 3:38

Cyrus --Isaiah 45:1

Rulers --Psalm 82:6

Jesus Christ --Mark 1:11, Luke 1:35, Luke 22:70, John 3:16

Believers --John 1:12

First we must realise that Jesus was both God and man. But he was not on earth to bring glory to his humanity, but to God. Most people did not believe him to be God, because when they looked at him, they only saw a man, so he spoke to them in truth, but also in terms that related to life. He wanted to communicate to the people that he did not have a political, military or merely humanitarian mission, but that he had a spiritual mission. His authority as a man came from God!

The passage never says that he did not know who touched him. He asked who touched him. So why is this? The answer is not given here, but from other passages it is clear that a public confession is important. For the sake of the woman and the crowd, he asked this question.

This is probably on of the most difficult questions in all of scripture. The best thing to do is to read through John chapter 5 carefully. With this understanding of the relationship between God the Father and Jesus Christ, we realise that all of the fullness of God dwelt in him. However the will and knowledge of God was revealed to his humanity when needed. Since the Day of Judgment had not occurred yet, the knowledge was not needed. We may never fully understand in this life why God did it this way, but we do know God's care for us. He wants us to realise that Jesus Christ is not claiming to be a separate god apart from the One True God, but is in agreement with the One True God.

Again, this question has to do with his relationship with God the Father. He was God and man. God sent his Spirit to live fully in a human body. The body was completely powerless to fulfill the will of God without the Spirit of God which lived in it.

The reality was that the man Jesus relied totally on the Spirit of God within him to accomplish the will of God the Father. He was a man and he was here on earth as an example to man. Therefore he needed to pray. Even today he intercedes before God the Father on behalf of those who believe on him as the only mediator between God and man.

On this question I have chosen to refer to two sources which I will quote. The first is from Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties by Gleason L. Archer, p. 335. He states,

The second source is Strange Scriptures that Perplex the Western Mind, by Barbara M. Bowen, p. 25.

First of all, it was not Zebedee but the mother of Zebedee's sons who asked Jesus this question. Again, this question takes a careful reading of what God has revealed to us about the relationship of God the Father and Jesus Christ. The scripture does not say he didn't have the power to do it, but that it was not his to give. We must also understand that most people thought he was about to set an earthly kingdom to free them from the Romans. Again he turns their minds to a heavenly kingdom.

He definitely was a man and he definitely was God. In John 17:3 he is not separating himself from God. This is made clear in verse five.

He was betrayed but never tricked. He allowed himself to be betrayed because he came to earth to die for those who would put there trust in him as the payment for their sin, so that God could live in them. This is explained hundreds of years before in the prophecies in Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53.

Even though Jesus was God, we must remember that he had a human body. (See Philippians 2:5-13) We must also remember that he had been kept awake all night and subjected to whipping and other physical abuse before his crucifixion. Add to that the fact that he bore the sins of the world and we can see why he died quickly. His death was the process through which he could offer salvation to the world, but his resurrection gave redemption and showed victory over sin.

If we say that God couldn't have sent Jesus if Jesus was God, then we have chosen to limit God in opposition to what he has revealled about himself. He is One God yet not limited in space, except by his choosing.

We should not base our beliefs on "Christian tradition," but on the Word of God in the Bible. The verses that this "tradition" is built upon is taken from I Peter 3:18-22. It is evident that Jesus went to preach to those who rejected God and died, but it does not give a time frame when or how long he did this.

What is in view here is the faith of a little child. He is trusting and ready to imitate those around him. If a child was already in the kingdom of heaven when he was born, he would not need to receive it. Baptism by water is not what cleanses a person of sin. Only baptism of the Spirit of God will cleanse from sin.

Forgiveness is very important because it is in the character of God. Yet God has given to governments the right to govern justly. This means that people be treated fairly and also that fair punishments be given. (See Romans 13:1-7) The faith that Jesus taught trusts in God and not in governments. That faith is able to be lived out even under governments that are opposed to God because God is dwelling in his followers and causing right attitudes and actions toward those around, even to enemies. The Bible teaches that each government on this earth is allowed by God and that they are here to govern the people. The attitude of a servant toward his master is given in 1 Peter 2:18-25. This is the same attitude that a Christian needs to have toward government.

Jesus' first mission was to the "lost sheep of the house of Israel as mentioned in Matthew 10:5-6 and Matthew 15:24. Notice in Matthew 15:24 that after saying these very words Jesus proceeded to heal the Gentile woman. Also look up Matthew 4:15-16, Matthew 10:18, Luke 2:32 and John 3:16. These references clearly state that Jesus was sent to the Gentiles. So how do we reconcile these two? Jesus' first responsibility was to the Jews and then to the Gentiles. This is clear as one read the Gospels carefully.

Did Buddha predict his own death and resurrection and then die and rise from the dead?

Son of Man refers to Jesus' manhood. Son of God refers to Jesus' spiritual nature and origin. This is the core message of God to man. The Messiah was prophesied to be both. (Jeremiah 23:5-6, Isaiah 9:6-7, Isaiah 11:1-10) If Jesus was not both, he could never be our mediator. Without a mediator, we are still separated from God.

The unity of God does not contradict the plurality of God. No, the Jews were not misled. On a number of occasions God appeared to people in bodily form before Jesus Christ was born. See the following references: Genesis 16:7-14; Genesis 22:11-18; Genesis 31:11-13; Exodus 3:2 - 4:12; Exodus 14-19, 23:21, 32:34; Numbers 22:22-35; Judges 6:11-24; Judges 13:2-24; Zechariah 3:1ff. Other references to this person before Jesus Christ include Psalm 2:7; Genesis 19:24; Genesis 18:13ff, 17-20, 33; Hosea 1:7; Psalm 45:6; Genesis 1:26.

It was necessary for Jesus to die physically so that man could attain salvation because God declared it to be that way. Physical death is the punishment that God gave to Adam. "And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, 'Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."(Genesis 2:16-17) It is physical death that marks the final judgment. "And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,"(Hebrews 9:27) Physical death is a visible sign of a spiritual judgment.

1 Peter 2:24 says, "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed." This agrees with Isaiah 53:5-6, "But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all." Jesus was sinless, but on the cross, he took our sin upon himself. God was just because he was punishing our sin.

The Atonement justifies us. That means that we are declared righteous, even though we have sinned. However, we still continue to sin. God doesn't just ignore this. He says in Hebrews 12:4-11 that he disciplines and punishes those he loves, because in the end it produces righteousness and peace. These honour God because they show his nature in a wicked world.

The law (commandments) is God's standard for human beings. It has two purposes, to show us God's standard, and to show us our inability to keep God's standard. When we know the standard, we realize how far short we fall of it. James 2:10 says, "For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it." Why is this? Jesus himself answered this when he said that the greatest commandment is to love God with all your heart and the second greatest commandment is to love your neighbour as yourself. (Mark 12:28-31) So where does this leave us? It leaves us in a desperately hopeless situation. Having realised this, we must realise that we need a new spirit. To have this new spirit we must admit our inability to keep God's laws perfectly and trust in God's provision for sin--Jesus Christ. He has borne our sin and was declared acceptable by God. If we trust him, he will put a new spirit inside of us. This new spirit helps us to obey God. (Philippians 2:13)

The atonement in itself does not save us from sin. It must be united with faith. Faith comes from hearing God's word and admitting it is right about our sin and God's sacrifice for sin--Jesus Christ. The sin of blasphemy is to claim to be equal with or above God. When we fail to see our sin as God sees it, and when we fail to believe on God's provision for sin, we are claiming to be greater than God. No one can believe these things except by the Spirit of God. As long as we are alive we have the chance to believe. If we refuse to believe these things, when we die we will be judged for our unbelief and blasphemy.

When we have experienced forgiveness from God, we have experienced his love. When we have experienced his love, we are able to love him in return and love those around us. See the following references: 1 Thessalonians 1:3; 1 Thessalonians 4:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:8; 2 Thessalonians 1:3; 2 Timothy 1:7; 1 John 3:3; 1 John 4:7; 1 John 5:3.

Please check the references in the question. These do not address the questions asked. The Bible does say in Hebrews 9:15 and Romans 3:25 that Jesus Christ died for the sins of those who died under the old covenant. It does not say that he just died for those, though. It says that he died once, but continues to save because he continues to live. See the following references: Romans 6:10; Hebrews 7:27; Hebrews 9:12; Hebrews 10:10; 1 Peter 3:18.

The account of the sinful woman that Jesus forgave is found in Luke 7:36-50. When we look back into the Old Testament we see that man was saved by his faith in the promises of God. Genesis 15:6 says, "Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness." A careful study of righteousness that saves, shows us that it is accompanied with humility, regard for the majesty of the LORD, obedience and trust in God. The result of this righteousness is immortality and peace. This woman met these qualifications.

Let's ask another question. Since Jesus was perfect, without sin, why would he pray to God? The atonement not only cancels out the debt we owe to God (forgiveness), but it also allows those who admit their sin and trust in God to receive God's Holy Spirit. This Spirit is the power within that changes the heart so that we do not sin. Even though a person might have the Holy Spirit within him, he still has the ability to sin. So this person has the responsibility to yield to the urgings of God's Holy Spirit within him. The expression of need and the submission to God is expressed by prayer.

This is an important question. First we must recognize that the only two prophets who were prophesied in the Old Testament were John the Baptist and Jesus Christ. When John the Baptist was prophesied it was mentioned that he would be a forerunner of the Messiah. If we expect Paul to be prophesied by Christ, then why wasn't Moses prophesied by Abraham, or David by Moses, or Isaiah by Moses. These men had as much influence as Paul. So we must accept that God in his sovereignty did not choose to prophesy concerning Paul.

The teaching of Paul is in full agreement with the teachings of Jesus! To say otherwise is to express one's ignorance of the Bible. The reason why it may seem to be different is that Jesus was teaching people before his crucifixion and resurrection. Paul was teaching or writing to people after Jesus' ministry on earth.

Read Mark 7:1-23, especially verses 18 and 19,

The Sermon on the Mount and the Lord's prayer are not summaries of the Lord's teaching. The Sermon on the Mount is an address that he gave at one particular time. This was at the beginning of his earthly ministry and it was not time yet to speak of his death and resurrection. The Lord's prayer is a prayer that he taught his disciples at their request. Both of these focus on the attitude of one's heart and the relationship between God and man. Without a proper view of the seriousness of one's own sin and the shame he has caused God, along with a reverence for and submission to God, no one will be able to be saved. These are the important matters that need to be understood before a person can have salvation.

The reason why Jesus had to demonstrate all the numerous acts of kindness, compassion, forgiveness, healing, mercy, love of his enemies, the condemnation of empty ritual, etc. was for two reasons. First that people would realise what God's holy standard is, so they would not remain in their pride of their own good deeds, and second that they would recognize that Jesus was from God. Without understanding these two facts, no one will ever have salvation.

There is no historical or religious record of the same prophet returning to this world. However, we must realise that Jesus was more than a prophet. He remains alive today at the right hand of the Father. Jesus Christ himself will return. His return is prophesied so many times and no time is there any indication that someone else or even someone like him will return instead of him.

Matthew 7:15-20 does not mention true prophets, it only mentions false prophets. However the New Testament does refer to true prophets. These prophets reiterated the gospel of Jesus Christ, or explained by God's wisdom how it should be applied. These prophets were also referred to as apostles and teachers. Their message never disagreed with the message that Jesus brought. Some references of true prophets are as follows: Matthew 23:34; Acts 11:27;13:1;15:32;21:10; 1 Corinthians 12:28.

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