Questions tagged [authorial-intent]

Questions investigating a text's meaning by discerning what its author intended it to mean.

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Luke 16:19-31 Lazarus and the rich man - literal, allegorical or a mixture of both?

Is this merely a parable or does it present a theological concept of the after life? It suggests that Jesus was saying people only get one chance. It further suggests that once a person dies, they ...
Serving God in az 's user avatar
10 votes
4 answers
4k views

How can the 3 Questions be resolved with the math still correct?

Analyzing Noah and the Great Flood story, there appear to be 3 math problems, each with its own set of factors and calculations, that aren’t easy to resolve. First is the “2 years after the flood” ...
John Martin's user avatar
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15 votes
8 answers
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Did Matthew intend “evil” or “the evil one” in the Lord’s Prayer?

I previously asked a question about how to understand these words in the language Jesus was originally speaking. However, the text we have is in Greek, and I realized I’m not as familiar with the ...
Susan's user avatar
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13 votes
5 answers
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Herod The Fox: Luke 13-32

In the book of Luke chapter 13 v 32, Jesus refers to Herod as "that Fox": 32And he said to them, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the ...
Bagpipes's user avatar
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What was the authorial intent of Genesis 1?

The first chapter of Genesis is one of the most hotly debated passages of Scripture -- even amongst Biblical scholars. It is often at the center of debates about the age of the earth, the accuracy of ...
Jas 3.1's user avatar
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9 answers
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What does Ecclesiastes 12:7 exactly mean by "the spirit returns to God"?

Ecclesiastes 12:7 (ESV): 7 and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. What does Ecclesiastes 12:7 exactly mean by "the spirit returns to God"? ...
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32 votes
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How can we ensure a given "chiasm" was intentional by the author, and is not merely fanciful eisegesis?

What is 'chiasm'? Chiasm is a literary technique by which the contents of a portion of text are structured in such a way that they could be laid out in a ">" shape... A) This is an example of a ...
Jas 3.1's user avatar
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What would Peter "bind" or "loose" on earth?

In Matthew 16 Jesus tells Peter that, as the rock on which his church will be built, he’d bind or loose things on earth. Matthew 16:18-19 (KJV) And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon ...
John Martin's user avatar
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7 votes
3 answers
983 views

Is Revelation 19:16 " A slip of the pen" , or worded this way for another reason?

When I was researching a question with reference to the book of Revelation,i came across a couple of scriptures that intrigue me.The first portion of scripture is taken from Revelation 17:14 ...
Bagpipes's user avatar
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Do the 'vessels of wrath' have libertarian free will? Romans 9:14-24

Romans 9:14-24 (ESV): 14 What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means! 15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I ...
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11 votes
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Does Luke's supposed profession matter when interpreting his work as an author?

Paul makes reference to a physician named Luke: Luke the beloved physician greets you, as does Demas.—Colossians 4:14 (ESV) Tradition also assigns Luke as author of the gospel that bears its ...
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4 answers
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Does Peter intend to identify the Pauline Epistles as canonical?

In 2 Peter 3:15-16, Peters states: And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his ...
Ray's user avatar
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6 answers
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What does Paul mean by "sound doctrine" in Titus 2:1

What does Paul mean by sound doctrine? e.g., in the following verse: Titus 2:1 (ESV) But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. Today, some people talk about doctrines, some of which ...
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What sort of phrasing is "the many" in Romans 5?

Most English translations have something in Romans that is an interesting turn of phrase—at least to my ears it instinctively makes sense but at the same time it in more at home in a carefully worded ...
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What is Luke's purpose for recording this narrative and ultimately Jesus' reason to express this account of the rich man and Lazarus to those present?

There are people who understand this text to express Jesus warning the hearers of the potential torment of the lost directly following their death. 1. Explain why that is, or isn't the intended ...
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Does the literary content of Genesis 1 compel the conclusion that it is a fictive construct for corrective polemics?

It typically is held among professional Christian scholars that Genesis 1 originated as a corrective polemic against pagan creation myths. Additionally, I presume that this theory as to origin of ...
Daniel Pech's user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
752 views

Did Abraham lose track of a visitor?

In Gen 18:1-2 the Lord appeared to Abraham, who then looked up and saw 3 visitors. When they began to leave, visitors turned and walked toward Sodom while the Lord remained to talk with Abraham. ...
John Martin's user avatar
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3 votes
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In 1 Corinthians 10:9 why does Paul say that the Israelites "tested Christ"?

1 Corinthians 10 (NIV): 1 For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. 2 They were all ...
Ruminator's user avatar
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Does Ecclesiastes 3:18-21 suggest that the spirits of animals and humans go to different places in the spiritual realm upon death?

Ecclesiastes 3:18-21 (ESV): 18 I said in my heart with regard to the children of man that God is testing them that they may see that they themselves are but beasts. 19 For what happens to the ...
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1 answer
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When does γραφή refer to the Tanakh vs additional holy writ vs writings in general?

The word γραφή ("scripture, writing") is used to refer to a variety of written documents - I'd like to understand the similarity or difference in meaning across 4 passages. It can refer to: ...
Hold To The Rod's user avatar
26 votes
4 answers
27k views

Why is Genesis careful to record the exact dates of the flood?

Genesis 7:11 (NIV, emphasis mine) In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, on the seventeenth day of the second month—on that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates ...
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18 votes
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"which translated means..."

I am told that many scholars believe that the words of Jesus which we have presented to us in Greek were originally spoken in Aramaic. What confuses me then is why there are instances in the Greek ...
Jas 3.1's user avatar
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16 votes
6 answers
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Did Mark intend to end his gospel at 16:8?

Mark's gospel may or may not end at 16:8. The earliest manuscripts do not contain 16:9-20. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and ...
Matthew Miller's user avatar
11 votes
1 answer
336 views

Are "Christ" and "Son of God" two things or one in John 20:31?

John 20:30-31 says the following: Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may ...
Jas 3.1's user avatar
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11 votes
2 answers
368 views

What does Song 1:1 tell us about Solomon's relationship to the book?

Song 1:1: שִׁ֥יר הַשִּׁירִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר לִשְׁלֹמֹֽה׃ (BHS) The Song of Songs, which is Solomon’s.(ESV) I have seen it postulated* that the final word here (a lamed preposition prefixed to the name ...
Susan's user avatar
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9 votes
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Is the "four hundred years" the equivalent of the "four generations" in the Gen. 15:13-16 prophecy?

Gen. 15:13 Then the Lord said to him, “Know for certain that for four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved and mistreated there. ...
bach's user avatar
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Greek question Philippians 3:9 is it "faith in Christ" or "faith of Christ"

I'm looking at Philippians 3:9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; (...
Todd's user avatar
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6 votes
2 answers
193 views

To whom does "the righteous" refer to in 1 Timothy 1:9?

1 Timothy 1:9 begins: We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful... Does "the righteous" refer to those perhaps justified/...
Soldarnal's user avatar
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6 votes
6 answers
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In Revelation 12:16, what does the phrase “the earth opened its mouth” mean?

In Revelation 12 the serpent opens its mouth to sweep away the woman, but the earth protects her by opening its mouth. Revelation 12:15-17 (NASB) 15 And the serpent poured water like a river out ...
John Martin's user avatar
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6 votes
6 answers
12k views

Did Mary actually leave Elizabeth before John was born?

When Mary heard from the angel Gabriel that Elizabeth was in her 6th month of pregnancy, Mary quickly left to join her. As the two greeted and the baby John leaped for joy in her womb, Elizabeth was ...
John Martin's user avatar
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5 votes
3 answers
10k views

Significance of the "naked man" who touches Jesus in Mark 14:51-52

My question is "what the association is regarding mention of the young man in Mark 14 with a "linen cloth" and also running away "naked"?" I feel there is something ...
revbennett's user avatar
5 votes
7 answers
9k views

What does Jesus mean by "hot", "cold" and "lukewarm" in Revelation 3:16?

Revelation 3:14-22 (ESV) 14 “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation. 15 “‘I know your works: you are ...
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5 votes
3 answers
451 views

What does "fear of the Lord" in 2 Chronicles 14:13-15 mean?

2 Chronicles 14:13-15 13 Asa and the people who were with him pursued them as far as Gerar, and the Ethiopians fell until none remained alive, for they were broken before the Lord and his army. ...
Siju George's user avatar
4 votes
5 answers
2k views

Can the elect in view in Matthew 24:24 be deceived or not?

For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: ...
Mike Borden's user avatar
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4 votes
2 answers
142 views

Could I Corinthians 2:15 carry a sense of "surprise"?

I was listening to an old sermon by David Jeremiah today in which he suggested that the original Greek of I Corinthians 2:15 would be read with a connotation of "surprise" which would be captured by a ...
ThaddeusB's user avatar
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4 votes
6 answers
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Does "they neither marry nor are given in marriage" refer to the act of getting married, or the state of being married?

All 3 Synoptic Gospels record similar a teaching from Jesus given in response to a question asked by the Sadducees (what happens to the woman who marries 7 brothers in this life). Matthew 22:30 For ...
Hold To The Rod's user avatar
4 votes
4 answers
353 views

Why does John say "he saw", instead of "heard", regarding the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ?

In the opening of Revelation we read (NIV) The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant ...
Bagpipes's user avatar
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4 votes
5 answers
416 views

What is the "Sabbath-rest for the people of God" in Hebrews 4:9-11 referring to

Hebrews 4:9-11 New International Version (NIV) 9 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; 10 for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works,[a] just as God did from ...
Siju George's user avatar
4 votes
4 answers
294 views

Is 2 Corinthians 12:12 binding for all true apostles throughout history?

2 Corinthians 12:11-12: 11 I have been a fool! You forced me to it, for I ought to have been commended by you. For I was not at all inferior to these super-apostles, even though I am nothing. 12 The ...
user avatar
3 votes
5 answers
2k views

What does "by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they" mean in Hebrews 1:4?

What does "by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they" mean in Hebrews 1:4 being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than ...
Siju George's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
1k views

Could Jesus actually have risen from the dead on the fourth day, instead on the third day?

I was reading Luke 24:7 just now. The verse is about an angel who tells the disciples that Jesus was going to rise the third day. I noticed that it didn’t say on the third day, or after the third day. ...
Constantthin's user avatar
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3 votes
4 answers
5k views

What words existed in Greek to express the concept "eternal"?

I have heard that the Greek word aiōnios is more literally translated "age-long", the adjective form of aiōn meaning "age". Aiōnios is translated as "eternal" in most bibles. I'm thinking ...
user3715's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
183 views

Does the Reward of Repentance in Jeremiah 18:8 refer to spiritual salvation (in Heaven) or homeland security (on Earth)?

The Word of YHVH דְבַר יְהֹוָ֖ה is spoken through the prophet Yirmiyahu יִרְמְיָ֔הוּ regarding the conditional reward for national repentance : [Yirmiyahu יִרְמְיָ֔הוּ “Jeremiah” 18:8, MT] “And when ...
חִידָה's user avatar
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3 votes
1 answer
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Blood as cause for ritual defilement in Lamentations 4:15?

Hebrew in Lamentations 4:14-16 reads: נָעוּ עִוְרִים בַּחוּצוֹת, נְגֹאֲלוּ בַּדָּם; בְּלֹא יוּכְלוּ, > יִגְּעוּ בִּלְבֻשֵׁיהֶם. {ס} טו סוּרוּ טָמֵא קָרְאוּ לָמוֹ, סוּרוּ > סוּרוּ אַל-...
bach's user avatar
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3 votes
3 answers
418 views

Does the use of past tense in Hebrews 2:4 indicate that signs, wonders, miracles and the gifts of the Holy Spirit had ceased?

Hebrews 2:1-4 (ESV): Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. 2 For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every ...
user avatar
3 votes
3 answers
174 views

Was there some other secret ingredient added to the testing formula in Numbers 5:11-31?

Num. 5 goes into great length to preserve an ancient Israelite test for the unfaithful wife. The test was in the form of a drinking formula. The formula basically consisted of water, soil and the ...
bach's user avatar
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3 votes
7 answers
1k views

Can 1 Corinthians 15:3-9, particularly verse 8, be used as a proof-text for the claim that there are no more apostles after Paul?

1 Corinthians 15:3-9 (ESV): 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was ...
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2 votes
2 answers
202 views

Is Paul's singling out of 3 specific spiritual gifts (prophecies, tongues, knowledge) in 1 Cor 13:8 intentional or rhetorical?

1 Cor 13:8-12 (ESV): 8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 ...
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2 votes
2 answers
834 views

Is Acts 1:8 a promise or command?

The render of the famous Acts 1:8: But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the ...
Luke Vo's user avatar
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1 vote
2 answers
379 views

Does Revelation 20:10,14-15 teach eternal conscious torment (ECT) of the wicked?

Revelation 20:10 (YLT) 10 and the Devil, who is leading them astray, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where [are] the beast and the false prophet, and they shall be tormented day and ...
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