Does the Bible tell us where Jesus actually went while he was in the tomb? Did he go to be with the father directly or did he go into the bowels of the earth to collect the faithful ..my pastor says his spirit went directly to God, so I’m confused.

I understand from your studies that there is an age of accountability yet, there are many scriptures that seem to say otherwise. For instance, Paul recognizes that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23).

The problem I have with age of accountability is, we are born in a sinful condition due to Adam and Eve (Gen 3:6-7; Rom 5:12) David described it this way; “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me” (Psalm 51:5). This implies that even in the womb we are guilty. How do we reconcile this with Paul inferring an age of accountability?

You’re fond of saying that we’re saved because of what we believe, not because of how we behave. So then, is it my understanding that when we are judged for the things “good or bad” as it says, it’s more of a review of self conduct, obedience, learning to resist temptation, these kinds of things? Is it more like what “rewards” we will be given so to speak? Since we are sealed based on our belief only, then what we choose to do with our lives is what merits rewards but isn’t necessarily “required” of us?

In an email from a Christian lady, about the rapture, she said that her Pastor had once told her, “We need to be watching and waiting. Those are the ones that He is coming back to get.” Of course she couldn’t give me any “chapter and verse” Bible backup, but she certainly believes that many Christians will not be taken in the rapture for that reason. What can I tell her that won’t send her away crying? She has hope, but she needs “peace.”

Do you think that parents should FORCE their 18 year olds and older to go to church? I raised my kids going to Sunday School. They got saved and baptized at like 14/15. Now that they are 18 they just “don’t want to go”. They say they still believe, but don’t want to go to church. I hate fighting with them to go. When I finally get them there everyone is unhappy and mad. Is it better to force them or not? I can’t see which is the better way to go. I feel like a failure that they don’t want to go to church.

Re: What Did Jesus Look Like? I was reading your response about what Jesus looked like, and it reminded me of something I’d read elsewhere about Jesus and long hair. The person cited 1 Cor. 11:14-15. “Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him, but if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her? For her hair is given to her for a covering.”

If men wore their hair long in the 1st century (as I’ve always believed), then why would Paul say that long hair is dishonorable to a man?

Re: Hebrews 12: 5-6 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and SCOURGETH every son whom he receiveth.

What is the meaning of the word scourge in the verse and how does it apply? Recently I have read that the word scourge could be a translation issue…and since, God having scourged His son as spoken of in Isa. 53:4-5 why would He then scourge or whip us? I have been following your blog for awhile now and have learned a great deal from your teachings. Thank you!

Re: Why Have You Forsaken Me? So with the sun going dark at noon, that tells us that He said this at noon. The sun then stayed dark for three hours, meaning that He was both dying and apart from the Trinity. At 3:00pm He was dead. Was His reunion with the Trinity instantaneous upon his last breath? Also, when He left the grave did he leave in His physical body? I’m talking about like when He went to preach to the spirits (demons?) bound there.

What do you think Yeshua looked like? I know it really doesn’t matter. However, as a practicing and obedient (to the Law of Moses) Jew, would He have had long hair or, perhaps short hair with the long curls on each side? What would he have worn as clothing? In many Protestant churches, there are portraits depicting Him with long straight brown hair, beard and very frail looking. I personally believe there should be no likeness of our Lord displayed since we don’t really know what He looked like and it may be a violation of the 2nd Commandment.

My question is about Matthias, the apostle who replaced Judas. My SS teacher said that he believes that Paul should have been the replacement apostle rather than Matthias. His reasoning is that there is nothing more known about Matthias after his selection and he says, a careful reading shows that the Lord was not consulted about the selection. I know that Paul is sometimes called the 13th apostle, but is anything known about Matthias?