Questions tagged [jesus]

Jesus of Nazareth is the central figure of the Christian New Testament.

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What language did Jesus commonly speak?

According to Mark 15:34 (ESV): And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Jesus spoke Aramaic in ...
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What does it mean that Jesus emptied Himself in Philippians 2:7?

When we read in Philippians 2:4-7 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, ...
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9 answers
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What does "made perfect" mean in Heb 5:9?

Hebrews 5:8-10 (ESV) Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, being designated by ...
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John 1:1 - How would Λόγος (Logos) be understood in Hellenistic philosophy?

In John 1:1 (NIV, KJV, ESV, NASB, RSV, ASV, NRSV), the text is often translated as something close to In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. "the Word" as ...
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What does it mean to be "equal with God" in John 5:18?

John 5:18 (ESV): 18 This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with ...
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8 votes
4 answers
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Did Jesus read the Tanakh in Aramaic?

The NT written in Greek masks to some extent details about the life of Jesus. But when the gospels go through the effort of quoting Jesus directly in his final moments, they are left translating His ...
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Is Jesus giving the Holy Spirit in John 20:22?

After the resurrection in John's gospel, Jesus appears to the disciples and in John 20:22 he breathes on them and says, "Receive the Holy Spirit." What is happening here? Is Jesus giving them the Holy ...
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“Very truly, I tell you, before Abraham was, I am.” - why did the Jews want to throw stones at Jesus for saying this?

John 8:53-59 (NRSV): 53 Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets also died. Who do you claim to be?” 54 Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my ...
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15 votes
2 answers
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Proper translation of John 1:1

Is there any particular reason why "kai Theós ēn ho Lógos" is translated "and the Word was God" and not "and God was the Word"?
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In the Gospel of John, did the Jews disbelieve or misunderstand the Lord Jesus Christ?

Several times during the narrative provided by the Gospel of John the Jews attempt to kill the Lord Jesus Christ. For example: John 5:17-18 17 But He answered them, “My Father is working until ...
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3 votes
4 answers
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Did Jesus believe in ghosts / disembodied spirits?

Luke 24:36-39 (NASB): 36 Now while they were telling these things, Jesus Himself suddenly stood in their midst and *said to them, “Peace be to you.” 37 But they were startled and frightened, and ...
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26 votes
12 answers
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Jesus' command to hate your father and mother in Luke 14:26

I've often heard that Luke 14:26 is meant to be interpreted as "Love me more than your family" or something along those lines (in fact, the CEV translates it as such). I'm interested in how scholars ...
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Is there any significance behind Jesus' use of the word "love" in "John 21:15-17"

In John 21:15-17 (ESV), we read: 15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that ...
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If Jesus is God, how can we make sense of Him calling the Father "my God" in John 20:17?

John 20:16-17 (NASB): 16 Jesus *said to her, “Mary!” She turned and *said to Him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means, Teacher). 17 Jesus *said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended ...
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15 votes
5 answers
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Does Peter suggest Jesus "descended into hell"?

1 Peter 3:18-22 (ESV): For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which ...
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Understanding Jesus' apparent lie in John 7:8

John 7:8: "...You go to the festival. I am not[a] going up to this festival, because my time has not yet fully come." The all important footnote: [a] John 7:8 Some manuscripts not yet It seems ...
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Jesus's genealogy: 28 generations or 41 since David?

These questions keep me wondering: Firstly, how is it possible that Matthew and Luke came up with completely different genealogies of Jesus ancestors, if they are both following the masculine line? ...
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In what way was Jesus' prayer heard (Hebrews 5:7)?

Hebrews 5:7 (ESV): During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of ...
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In Colossians 1:15, what does “firstborn of every creature” mean?

I was studying passages on the Bible about Jesus and its origin. One verse is, to me, somewhat hard to understand (Colossians 1:15, in King James version): Who is the image of the invisible God, ...
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Does John 1:3 identify Jesus Christ as the creator?

John 1:3 speaks of the logos. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart ...
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In the gospels, why does Jesus sometimes tell the people not to tell anyone after he has performed a miracle?

In the gospels, why does Jesus sometimes tell the people not to tell anyone after he has performed a miracle? Matthew 9:30 There are multiple examples of this throughout the gospels.
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What is the difference between "abolishing the law" and "fulfilling the law" in terms of meaning and implications, in light of Matthew 5:17-20?

Matthew 5:17-20 ESV: 17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass ...
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3 votes
7 answers
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Analyzing Matthew 16:28, Is the Kingdom of the Christ established?

How are we to understand Jesus'statement here? Has this event occurred as stated? Did Jesus err in his prediction about the establishment of the Messianic Kingdom? Matthew 16:28 ASV Verily I say unto ...
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How does Jesus' argument from David and the showbread work?

Jesus defended his disciples gleaning on the Sabbath by retelling a story about David. Mark 2:23-28 (ESV): One Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his ...
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"My son" in Hosea 11:1 quoted in Matt. 2:14-15

Matthew 2:14-15 (NASB) reads: 14So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt. 15He remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill ...
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Who are the morning stars in Job 38:7?

In Job 38:7 (ESV), Jehovah claims that the cornerstone of the earth was laid when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy implying that the morning stars were ...
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10 votes
7 answers
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Did the Jews expect the Messiah to be the Son of God? Matthew 26:63

Matthew 26:63b: And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. Christ is the Greek form of the word ...
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What does the word "world" mean in John 3:16, in the light of John 17:9?

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only ...
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"... where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched" - Is Jesus' description of Hell (Gehenna) literal or figurative?

Mark 9:47-49: 47 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, 48 ‘where their worm does not ...
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6 votes
6 answers
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Is the lamb accepted for the redemption of sin?

The Bible referred to Jesus as the lamb of God John 1:29. The lamb was only mentioned as a sacrificial animal at the Passover, and not mentioned for the redemption of sin. The Sin Offering (Leviticus ...
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6 answers
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What does it mean when God says that he desires mercy and not sacrifice according Hosea 6:6

Jesus was asked in Matthew 9:13 about why he was eating with sinners. His response to the Pharisees was to ask them to go and learn about the meaning of Hosea 6:6 ("I desire mercy and not sacrifice..."...
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Did Jesus practice eisegesis?

Eisegesis can be defined as the process of interpreting text in such a way as to introduce one's own presuppositions, agendas or biases. It is commonly referred to as reading into the text. It is ...
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10 answers
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*Two* miraculous catches of fish in John 21 and significance?

In John 21, Jesus tells the disciples to throw their nets on the "right side of the boat" (verse 6) which enables the second miraculous catch of fish in Jesus' ministry, the catching of 153 fish. ...
3 votes
5 answers
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Why is Jesus called the "Son of God" if he is God?

John 1:1 (KJV): In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. In view of the above verse John 1:1 many believe that Jesus is God. Why then is Jesus called the "...
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3 votes
6 answers
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How are the two references to 'firstborn' connected?

From Colossians 1:15-18 we read (BLB) He (Jesus) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, because in him were created all things in the heavens and upon the earth, the ...
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Is there room for interpreting John 17:5 as Jesus having notional/ideal pre-existence in light of 2 Timothy 1:9?

This question is inspired by a Biblical Unitarian article on Jesus' Pre-Existence. The thesis defended by the article is that Jesus had notional or ideal pre-existence in God's mind rather than a ...
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2 votes
8 answers
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In John 11:35 how and why did Jesus weep?

John 11:35 (the shortest verse in the Bible?) says simply: Jesus wept. How should we understand this? Tearful? Sobbing? What was the nature of his weeping? And what was the reason? Sadness at ...
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Does Jesus Judge or Not?

There are many passages that appear to directly contradict each other. Here is a sample on the subject of judgement. Jesus Judges no one: John 3:17, 18 - For God did not send the Son into the world ...
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What was meant by "paradise" when Jesus spoke to the thief on the cross?

As he was crucified, Jesus engaged in a conversation with one of the thieves hung along side him. At the end of that conversation is this pronouncement: Luke 23:43 (ESV) 43 And he said to him, "...
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What is the correct translation of ἁμαρτίαν in 2 Corinthians 5:21? What did God make Jesus?

The Greek text of 2 Cor. 5:21 has been translated in various ways: τὸν γὰρ μὴ γνόντα ἁμαρτίαν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἁμαρτίαν ἐποίησεν ἵνα ἡμεῖς γινώμεθα δικαιοσύνη θεοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ If the translation of ἁμαρτίαν ...
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According to Hebrews 9:12, did the Lord Jesus Christ offer his blood in heaven?

In Heb. 9:12, it is written, 12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. KJV, 1769 ΙΒʹ οὐδὲ δι᾽...
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12 votes
5 answers
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Did Jesus have the legal authority to cleanse the temple?

The narrative of Jesus' cleansing of the temple is present in all four gospels: Mark 11:15-17, Matthew 21:12-13, Luke 19:45-46, John 2:13-17. When He cleanses the temple, there does not seem to be any ...
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What is the difference in meaning between the phrases «Χριστός Ἰησοῦς» (“Christ Jesus”) and «Ἰησοῦς Χριστός» (“Jesus Christ”)?

In the New Testament, sometimes the authors use «Χριστός Ἰησοῦς» (“Christ Jesus”), where «Χριστός» precedes «Ἰησοῦς»,1 yet other times they use «Ἰησοῦς Χριστός» (“Jesus Christ”).2 What is the ...
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8 answers
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μονογενῆ, should John 3:16 be translated with "one-of-a-kind" or "only begotten"?

John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only (μονογενῆ) Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life." My question resides in the greek term ...
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What does it mean for Christ to be 'firstborn from the dead'?

Col 1:18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. We need to establish 2 things. ...
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What is the name God gave Jesus? John 17:11

Holy Father, protect them by Your name, the name You gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. BLB Is it actually, literally a name or just an authority to use to accomplish God's work? EDIT: ...
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2 answers
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In Revelation 19:16 was Jesus wearing pants?

While researching this question, I came across an article I'd rather not link to1 that asserted that Jesus wore pants. The particular bit of evidence they cited was: Then I saw heaven opened, and ...
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At what exact moments did Jesus start and finish emptying himself in Philippians 2:5-8?

Philippians 2:5-8 (YLT): 5 For, let this mind be in you that [is] also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, thought [it] not robbery to be equal to God, 7 but did empty himself, the form ...
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6 votes
4 answers
585 views

What does washing of the feet symbolize in John 13:10?

John 13:10 (NASB) Jesus said to him, He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all. What spiritual reality/truth is Jesus getting at by ...
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5 answers
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Did Jesus deny equality with God in John 5:19 in an attempt to clarify the Christological misunderstanding of the Jews who wanted to kill him?

John 5:18-19 (ESV) 18 This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with ...
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