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I just can’t seem to get enough of your website. I have learned more in the last few days than I have in the last few years! Blessings upon blessings to you for sharing your wisdom!!

One thing I am wondering is… Why is there 10 days between the ascension of Yeshua and His giving of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost? Numbers are always significant and so I am wondering what this means or is symbolic of? Why didn’t he send the Holy Spirit right away? Thanks!!

Please help me understand the Holy Ghost/Holy Spirit in the new testament. I have studied and am a bit confused over this. My pastor is determined to call him the Holy Spirit, and yet the “Spirit” like a dove descended on Jesus, and then there is the fruit of the “Spirit” yet the gift of the Holy Ghost … see what I mean? I have I believe some understanding but would encourage your input.

Could you please explain who decided what books would be in the bible? And when was this decided?

I think I understand the basis for the validity of the Bible, and why arguments against it don’t hold up. However, I did have an issue that I don’t feel comfortable answering yet.

How would you answer a person who asked why God wouldn’t also “inspire” the copyists of the original manuscripts since God is omniscient and therefore knew that these were the (very important) copies which would be referenced for billions of people in the future? We take it by faith that the original manuscripts are absolutely perfect and without error because we don’t have the originals with us now, because we believe God is able to inspire his writers (from OT to NT times.)

Re: Matt. 18:15-17. I read these verses in William Barclay’s commentary in which he essentially says these have been misapplied. He further states that the language indicates to him that Jesus could not have said this in that specific way, i.e., it sounds too legalistic for Jesus, and sounds more like an ecclesiastic committee’s work. Also, Jesus would not say to take the matter to the Church, since the Church was not yet existent. This throws me a bit on the basis of inerrancy, so it must be some kind of interpretation that stands. Your thoughts?

Re: Inspiration of Scripture. We often hear people claiming this confidently but is there really a verse that really claims that the entire Bible is the word of God? 2 Tim. 3: 16 speaks along those lines but to me it refers more to Old Testament scriptures rather than all other scriptures, because much lf the New Testament hadn’t been written yet. What are your views on this?

Wouldn’t it be more accurate to state that the Bible was written under either the “guidance” or “authority” of the Holy Spirit rather than the “inspiration”? I realize that at first blush this might seem like hair splitting; however, I think that using a word slightly stronger than “inspiration” would better convey the authority of the Gospels. People might question less and read more.

I wanted to see what your thoughts were on the 13 letters penned by Paul. I have read in some research that scholars only are sure that 7 were penned by Paul, maybe another 2 are 50-50, and the rest are likely not penned by Paul (the pastoral epistles). Personally, I think Paul did pen them but have no proof of this other than faith. Since early church fathers did not question Paul’s letters as part of the New Testament canon, I would believe we should not either.

A friend of mine wants to know ‘why can’t a prophecy today be considered scripture, if it is all inspired by the Holy Spirit?’

The Bible refers to Jesus as the Son of God and the Son of Man. Would you tell me why both terms are used, and is there a reason one term is used in a particular verse instead of the other?