Steve Hunter Bible Study

BACKGROUND TO UNDERSTAND CHAPTER 12 Genesis chapter 12 sharply contrasts with the previous chapter.  Chapter 11 was all about man's plans for rebellion at the Tower of Babel.  Chapter 12 is all about God's plans in the form of God's promise to Abraham.  God's covenant with Abraham is unique in that it is not contingent upon anything that Abraham does.  Fulfillment of most of God's other covenants with man are conditional with specific terms that man must fulfill.  These other covenants can be easily identified with words like "if" and "then".  If these terms are met then God is faithful and will do as he has promised 100% of the time.  The covenant God makes with Abraham has no terms and is also referred to as a promise.  The promise to Abraham will be fulfilled as God desires to do what he has promised to Abraham as part of His larger plan. THE PROMISE (verse 2-3)  "I will make make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will m

And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." - Matthew 3:17 UNDERSTANDING BAPTISM IN CHRIST'S DAY In Matthew 3, Jesus is being baptized by John the Baptist.  Baptism was first practiced in Hebrew culture as a ceremonial cleaning and was later adopted by Christians.  Baptism in the Hebrew customs signified a person's willingness to dedicate their lives to God in a public profession.  So it is a custom that has also become part of the Christian faith.  In Christianity, after accepting Christ as Lord and Savior, a Believer is baptized as a public profession of faith.  The word baptism in Hebrew MIKVEH means immersion.  There are some variations in how this is done in varying Christian denominations but it always symbolizes faith in Christ Jesus and immersion or filling of the Believer with the Holy Spirit.  To the Christian, God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are three distinct persons yet form the complete being of the triune

Genesis 6 is one of the most controversial chapters in the Bible.  There are so many theories attempting to arrive at the exact meaning.  Note that all theories are just that theories and cannot be conclusively proven.  I have my own theory that I believe I can strongly support with scripture, but we will never know for sure the exact meaning of this ancient verse from the Bible.  This does not mean that we should not ponder and attempt to understand it.  God inspired this text to be written in this way knowing that it would provoke deep thought.  I will attempt to compare and contrast two of the top theories showing evidence to support the theory that I believe has the strongest evidence.  Note that there is no true winner in this debate as we cannot determine to any certainty without more information, the exact theory that fits the correct meaning. THE FALLEN ANGEL THEORY According to the Fallen Angel Theory, the words "sons of God" is assumed to be a reference to Angels

Genesis 6:3 Then the Lord said, "My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal (meaning corrupt); his days will be a hundred and twenty years." AN INCORRECT ASSUMPTION BASED ON OBSERVATION Most people read this Bible verse and make a quick incorrect assumption.  Looking around and observing their current culture they assume that what God is referring to is a limitation on man's potential lifespan.  We observe that nobody in modern culture is living longer than 120 years.  So we rush to an incorrect assumption without any evidence supporting this interpretation of scripture.  Let's look deeper for evidence to find the real meaning of this verse. READING BASED ON CONTEXT To interprete this verse correctly we must look at the rest of Genesis to determine both the nature of God and how He has dealt with man in the Old Testament and in the New Testament.  We must know that the Bible states God is never changing and shows both judgement & grace

The way we share our faith today is different.  The days of just showing up at a stranger's house for a visit are almost completely past.  This can be both offensive and dangerous.  Public parks and venues are still ok.  So, what is the best way to share your faith today?  You need to decide for yourself as we are all different but relationship evangelism is one of the best ways.  With a relationship, you have a more receptive receiver and have earned the right to share.  It's very important that our relationship is one of mutual trust and authentic care for one another.  After awhile friendships move from surface to deeper things.  That is an ideal time to talk about spiritual matters.  It's weird just to launch into "I'm from the Army of God!" or "Do you know Jesus?"  Try something more subtle.  Asking questions of what they think first is better.  Ask with interest and reiterate their viewpoint to confirm understanding.  At this point, I would a

We know Jesus waited 4 days to raise Lazarus.  But why so long?  Of course, we know raising Lazarus showed Jesus's deity glorifying Jesus and glorifying God.  We also know it was good for strengthening the faith of the disciples but here is one thing many might not know... Jewish mysticism of the day was that the soul stayed near the body for 2 days after death.  The Bible contradicts that belief; however, that was a commonly held belief at that time.  In the same way, today many believe incorrectly that being a good person alone will allow them into heaven. We know this is also incorrect and contradicts scripture (John 14:6).  So, we can see some of the commonly held beliefs even of religious people of each era often have nothing to do with scripture. Jesus may very well have raised Lazarus well past that 2-day time frame so that ALL would realize that he had power over death and believe in Him.

Jesus often used examples from everyday life to show spiritual things to the disciples and others.  When Jesus washed the disciples' feet, Peter said, "You will never wash my feet."  The Hebrew word Peter used for wash meant to cleanse, usually referring to the hands or feet.  Jesus replied, "Unless I wash your feet, you have no part in me."  The Hebrew word Jesus used for wash was different and referred to cleansing the dead for burial.  Then Peter replied, "Then wash my feet and my hands and my head too."  We are cleansed of our sins through Jesus's death and resurrection.  We are washed in His blood as He is the lamb sacrificed for the world.  So, all who are already dead in our sins who accept the washing may live through Him.