Questions that refer to more than one Gospel are discussed in the first gospel where they appear or else are in the Gospel section.

Q: In Lk, what are some of the distinctive elements of this gospel?
A: Luke emphasizes the humanity of Jesus, the son of man, who brought salvation for all people. Jesus shines as a teacher of parables in Luke. Christ is the universal hope. Many see more of a Gentile emphasis than Matthew or Mark. Luke has more information on the infancy of Jesus in the time of Herod the Great. Eusebius says that Luke was a Gentile from Antioch, and Acts 13:1 says that Manaen, who had been brought up with Herod the Tetrarch was in Antioch. Luke seems to emphasize contrasts, such as the thankful vs. thankless lepers, the repentant and unrepentant thieves, the Samaritan and the Pharisees, and the rich man and Lazarus.
As for language, the books of Luke and Acts have the most complex Greek grammar in the Bible. Luke is also the longest gospel at about 19,581 Greek words, vs. 18,111 for Matthew, 11,051 for Mark, and 15,436 Greek words for John. Luke also wrote Acts soon after, which is about 18,460 Greek words.
As for cults, Jehovah’s Witnesses try to give Luke 16:19-31 an especially twisted interpretation.

Q: In Lk 1:1, were there many Gospel accounts written?
A: We know of the three other gospels. Afterwards, Tatian, an Assyrian Christian who later became a heretic, wrote the Diatessaron, a harmony of these four gospels, soon after 100 A.D. If other true accounts were written, we have no evidence that anybody in the early church ever heard of them. We also have faith that God preserved what He wished to preserve.
There were about 50 Gnostic and legendary accounts written, such as the Gospel of Thomas of the Gnostic heretics. Pictures and discussion of the Gospel of Thomas are in the Wycliffe Dictionary of Biblical Archaeology p.406, The New International Dictionary of the Bible p.1011-1012, and The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia vol.6 p384. See also the next question.

Q: In Lk 1:1, given that we only know of three other Gospel accounts, did any Christians write anything else that is not in our Bibles?
A: Yes, the early Christians wrote many things. We have good, extra-Biblical writing from three disciples of the apostle John (Ignatius, Polycarp, and fragments from Papias). We have a letter from Clement of Rome (97/98 A.D., before Revelation), which was possibly the same Clement mentioned by Paul in Philippians 4:3. We also have a great deal of apologetic writing from Irenaeus, as disciple of Polycarp, Justin Martyr, Athenagoras, and many, many others.

Q: In Lk 1:3, why did the author know more than the other gospel writers about the birth and early childhood of Jesus?
A: While Luke only says he carefully investigated what was told by eyewitnesses, here is a theory of a more specific reason.
Eusebius of Caesarea (c.325 A.D.) says that Luke was a Gentile from Antioch. Acts 13:1 says that among the prophets and teachers in the church at Antioch was Manaen, who had been brought up with Herod the Tetrarch. Luke obviously knew of Manaen since he wrote Acts. His discussions with Manaen of the times of his childhood might have been especially interesting.
Of course the church was small back then, and we cannot rule out Matthew, Mark, and John talking with Manaen too.

Q: In Lk 1:3, was Luke really divinely inspired or did it just seem good to him to write this?
A: Both can be true. We do not know how much was Luke’s initiative, but regardless, God can use and bless our initiative, as 2 Corinthians 8:17, (but really most of 8 and 9) show. See also the next question.

Q: In Lk 1:3, does this mean Luke was not inspired, since the Apocryphal book of 2 Maccabees 2:23-32 also shows initiative?
A: First some basic facts, then a comparison of the two, and finally some conclusions.
Basic Facts:
B1. If a writer of the Bible decided to write something, God could use his decision. In fact, every writer of every book of the Bible must have decided to write that book, or it would not have been written. See the previous question for more discussion on God using our initiative.
B2. The majority of Catholics and Orthodox believe 2 Maccabees is a part of God’s word. (It was in the original King James Version.) Almost all Protestants (many Anglicans and Episcopalians excepted) believe it is not. See the question on whether the Apocrypha is a part of God’s word for more info on the Apocrypha in general.
B3. Many early Christians believed the Apocrypha was a part of Scripture, especially early Christians that spoke Latin and Greek.
B4. Many early Christians believed the Apocrypha contained godly writings but that they were not Scripture, especially early Christians that spoke Hebrew.
B5. All can agree that at the least, 2 Maccabees was a condensation of a history of the Maccabean period written by God-fearing Jews. There is nothing wrong with believers writing histories and other books.
B6. Most genuine Christians agree that a person could have a wrong view of the Apocrypha and still be a genuine Christian.
Comparison:
Luke 1:1-4 (RSV Catholic version) "Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things which have been accomplished among us, just as they were delivered to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you,…"
2 Maccabees 2:23-32 (RSV Catholic version) "all this, which has been set forth by Jason of Cyrene in five volumes, we shall attempt to condense into a single book. For considering the flood of numbers involved and the difficulty there is for those who wish to enter upon the narratives of history because of the mass of material, we have aimed to please those who wish to read, to make it easy for those who are inclined to memorize, and to profit all readers. For us who have undertaken the toil of abbreviating, it is not light matter but calls for sweat and loss of sleep, just as it is not easy for one who prepares a banquet and seeks the benefit of others. However, to secure the gratitude of many we will gladly endure the uncomfortable toil, leaving the responsibility for exact details to the compiler, while devoting our effort to arriving at the outlines of the condensation. For as the master builder of a new house must be concerned with the whole construction, while the one who undertakes its painting and decoration has to consider only what is suitable for its adornment, such in my judgment is the case with us. It is the duty of the original historian to occupy the ground and to discuss matters from every side and to take trouble with details, but the one who recasts the narrative should be allowed to strive for brevity of expression and to forgo exhaustive treatment. At this point therefore let us begin our narrative, adding only so much to what has already been said; for it is foolish to lengthen the preface while cutting short the history itself."
Conclusions:
C1. 2 Maccabees never claimed to be the word of God. Luke claimed to contain the exact words of Jesus.
C2. Luke basically says that
a) Since others [Matthew and Mark?] have undertaken to write about Jesus’ life, and
b) Since he followed all things closely,
c) It seemed good to Luke to write his Gospel.
C3. The writer(s) of 2 Maccabees state their work is simply a condensation of the five volumes of Jason of Cyrene. The writer said there were many difficulties involved, and they explain how and why they produced what they did.
C4. While the writer of 2 Maccabees 1 goes into great detail how the book was produced, he fails to mention that God had anything to do with inspiring the work.

Q: In Lk 1:3 and Acts 1:1, who was Theophilus?
A: In Greek, the name "Theophilus" means "lover of God." Either the books were addressed to a particular individual named Theophilus, or more probably, it was addressed to lovers of God everywhere.
Theophilus, a bishop of Antioch from 168-181/188 A.D., lived later and it could not refer to him. Likewise it was also the name of a patriarch of Alexandria around 391 A.D.

Q: In Lk 1:5, what does the name Elizabeth mean?
A: Elizabeth (Elisabet in Greek) is equivalent to Elisheba in Hebrew. It means "God is my oath". Elisheba was a daughter of Amminadab of Judah and Aaron’s wife. In Exodus 6:23. The Wycliffe Bible Dictionary p.520,522, the New International Dictionary of the Bible p.308 and the skeptical Asimov’s Guide to the Bible p.918 all say similar.

Q: In Lk 1:5 (KJV), who is Abia?
A: The King James Version translated "Abia" when it should have been "Abijah". Zechariah was of the priestly division descended from Abijah. Of the 24, division, Abijah was the eighth division, according to 1 Chronicles 24:10.

Q: In Lk 1:13, why was it so important to name Elizabeth’s baby John?
A: Scripture does not say. Sometimes God has specific reasons for doing things, and the Lord is does not obligated to tell us. Normally in that culture the father had the right to name the child.

Q: In Lk 1:15, how was John the Baptist in the Spirit and power of Elijah? Was he Elijah reincarnated?
A: He came in the spirit and power of Elijah, but John was not Elijah reincarnated. See the discussion on Mark 9:11-13 for the answer.

Q: In Lk 1:15, what does it mean that John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Spirit from birth?
A: Since the Day of Pentecost, believers receive the Holy Spirit dwelling inside of them when they are born again. John the Baptist was a unique person with a unique mission. He was filled with the Holy Spirit from before birth.

Q: In Lk 1:17 (KJV), who is Elias?
A: Elias appears in the King James version; it is a synonym for Elijah, whom you can read about in 1 Kings 17 to 2 Kings 1.

Q: In Lk 1:28,42 how is Mary full of grace?
A: This is not referring to either chemical, physical, or spiritual composition of Mary. Rather, grace here means unmerited favor, and Mary was given great favor by the privilege of being the mother of our Lord. Remember, someone who did not have a sin nature, and never sinned would not need a Savior. In Luke 1:47, Mary shows that she needed a savior too. See When Critics Ask p.382-383 and When Cultists Ask p.142-144 for more info on why Mary was not immaculately conceived and did not live a sinless life, as the Catholic Church claims.

Q: In Lk 1:31, why was it important to name Mary’s baby Jesus?
A: Scripture does not explicitly say. However, the Hebrew word for Jesus "Yeshua" means Jehovah saves, and it seems the only appropriate name for Jesus, since it means "Yahweh saves". Furthermore, it might be relevant that Zechariah 3:1-5 mentions a high priest named Yeshua, who is apparently a type of the Savior.

Q: In Lk 1:34 and Mt 1:18-20, how can a virgin birth be possible?
A: By natural means, it is not possible. But since Almighty God can create man from the dust of the ground, by comparison a virgin birth would not be too difficult for Him.

Q: In Lk 1:37; Mt 19:26; Mk 10:27, how is nothing is impossible with God, since it is impossible for God to lie in Heb 6:18, disown Himself in 2 Timothy 2:13, swear by anything greater than Himself in Heb 6:13, or be tempted with evil in Jms 1:13.
A: No "thing" is impossible with God. Lying and logical contradictions are not "things", and God does not do those.

Q: In Lk 1:37, what about the theory that Mary had sex with a soldier named Parthenos?
A: The Greek word for "virgin" is parthenos. Some unbelievers once speculated that "Panthera" was a Roman soldier who had sex with Mary. However, parthenos in Greek means "virgin", we have no record of anyone ever named Parthenos, and it would be a very unlikely name for a Greek man. The early writer Origen was the first we know of to answer this charge in Origen Against Celsus book 1 chapter 32 p.410.

Q: In Lk 1:37, is God really Almighty?
A: Yes. Here is what the scriptures say about God’s power.
God is almighty. Luke 1:37; Jeremiah 32:27; Isaiah 1:9
All God decrees happens. Isaiah 14:24,27; 43:13; 55:11; John 10:26-28. God is sovereign over all. Isaiah 6:5; Psalm 103:14
God does as He pleases. Matthew 20:15; Psalm 115:3;135:6; Romans 9:20
Nothing is too hard for God. Genesis 18:14; Job 42:2; Jeremiah 32:17; Matthew 19:26
God cannot deny Himself. (2 Timothy 2:13), lie (Hebrews 6:18; 1 Samuel 15:29), or be tempted by evil. (James 1:13)
Nothing occurs besides what God allows. Job 1:12;2:6; James 4:15
Every "decision of the lot" is from the Lord. Proverbs 16:33
All things work together for His will. Romans 8:28; Ephesians1:11
None can thwart God’s decrees. Isaiah 43:13; Romans 11:29
Many succeed in resisting God’s commanded/desired will. Acts 7:39,51; 4:11; 13:46; 14:2; 2 Corinthians 6:1
People do some good things on their own initiative. 2 Corinthians 8:17
In summary, God’s power is bounded only by Himself. Everything happens that God commands. Nothing happens that God does not permit. God can choose for a time to delegate His sovereignty and to permit some things that break His heart, but ultimately everything is woven together in His plan.

Q: In Lk 1:38, if Mary had refused, would God be unable to redeem humankind?
A: No. God uses people as His instruments, but God is not restricted to using a particular person. Mordecai understood this well in Esther 4:14.
Hypothetically speaking, it would have been no problem for God to come up with an alternate plan. Perhaps He could have chosen another woman, and ensured that she developed the qualities to be a good mother for Jesus.
In reality, God knows all our days (Psalm 139), including every decision we make, and every decision Mary would make. Thus, God needed no alternate plan.

Q: Does Lk 1:48 show we are to venerate Mary above all women?
A: No. Mary was a recipient of God’s grace, not a source of her own grace. Four points to consider in the answer.
The Greek does not say we are to bless her above all women, but that she was the most blessed of women for being Jesus’ mother.
Jael was the most blessed woman in Judges 5:24 because she killed Sisera. If you think you should venerate Mary because of the phrasing of Luke 1:48, you should not forget to venerate Jael as most blessed of women prior to Mary, because of the phrasing of Judges 5:24.
When the wise men came the bowed and worshipped Jesus. It does not say they bowed or venerated Mary.
Remember, Mary worshipped her son too.
Finally, in Acts 1:13-14, when the disciples were together and Mary the mother of Jesus was there too, they were all praying to God, nobody was praying to or venerating Mary.
See When Cultists Ask p.145 and When Critics Ask p.381-382 for more info.

Q: In Lk 1:48, how is Mary the most blessed among women?
A: Mary was the most blessed to be the mother of the baby Jesus. Mary did not say "my soul rejoices", but rather "my soul rejoices in the Lord". Christians always will remember and honor her as the one who nurtured Jesus. Absent from the scripture is any hint that she was sinless, immaculately conceived herself, a virgin all of her life, that she has stores of merit, or that she ascended to Heaven. Scripture never calls her a co-mediator, co-redeemer, or that we are to venerate/worship her.
It is correct, but ambiguous to call Mary the "mother of God" as the Council of Ephesus did. Nestorius at first opposed saying Mary was the mother of God, but later he accepted the term, though with reluctance. Mary genuinely is the mother of God, because she is the mother of Jesus. However, Jesus existed in Heaven before Mary was created, and Mary is not the mother of God the Father of God the Spirit. Rather than saying Mary is the mother of God, it is preferable to say Mary is the mother of God the Son.

Q: In Lk 1:70 and Acts 3:21, do the speeches of Zechariah and Peter speech show the earth was young, because the prophets spoke from the beginning?
A: No, because "from the beginning" is an expression for from the first times. They spoke from the beginning of mankind, not from the beginning, six days before. Thus, Luke 1:70 does not establish how long a day was.
For examples of the use of "beginning" that does not refer to the beginning of creation, see Luke 1:2; John 8:25; 15:27; 16:4; Acts 26:5.

Q: In Lk 1:80; 2:52; 4:16, did Jesus travel to India and learn from Hindu teachers, and some New Agers claim?
A: No. When Cultists Ask p.146-148 mentions that the Russian author Nicolas Notovitch said this. It also mentions that Jesus quoted extensively from the Old Testament, and never from the Hindu Vedic "scriptures". There are five points to consider in the answer.
1. Luke 1:80 refers to John the Baptist, not Jesus. Zechariah was John’s father, and Zechariah’s song of praise to God in Luke 1:67-79 refers not to Jesus but to his child, "a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him" (Lk 1:76 NIV)
2. Luke 2:39-40 says that Jesus returned to Nazareth, not India.
3. Luke 2:41 says that every year Jesus parents, presumably with Jesus, went to Jerusalem.
4. In Luke 2:51-52, after he was twelve years old, Jesus grew up in Nazareth, too.
5. Finally, Luke 4:16 says that Jesus was brought up in Nazareth.
In summary, there is no evidence that Jesus went anywhere outside of Palestine and Egypt. There is as much evidence that Jesus as a boy went to India as that He went to the moon.

Q: In Lk 2, I had someone email this: "The reason for Christmas is traditionally rooted in the Roman Saturnalia which Christianity supplanted. There is no precedent in the bible for the Holiday.
A: Here is the short answer:
a) We do not know the month and year Jesus was born, so any time is as good as another.
b) Romans had a lot of holidays, so any day would be close to some Roman holiday or another.
c) Early Christians were willing to die rather than worship other gods, so Christmas had nothing to do with the worship of Saturn or any other idols at Saturnalia.
d) Many early Gentile Christians were slaves, and since the Romans had a custom of giving their slaves temporary freedom for a few days during the time of Saturnalia, that would be the only time they could leave to meet for Christmas without being pursued.
See the next question for the long answer.

Q: In Lk 2, is Christmas a pagan holiday, and why is it celebrated on December 25th?
A: No, Christmas is not a pagan holiday. We do not know the month and day when Jesus was born. It would not be reasonable for all the farmers to have to go somewhere to be taxed at either harvest time or planting time, though. There are two views as to why Christmas is just after Saturnalia: coincidence, and not a coincidence. Here is supporting evidence for both views.
Coincidence: Various cultures had holidays at various times. For example, the later Greeks had more holidays than non-holidays. The Romans had a minor holiday every Ides (13th or 15th) of the month to Jupiter. Every six days prior was a sacrifice to Juno and Janus. Here is a partial list of Roman holidays.
Jan. 1 Sacred day to Janus
Jan. 9 Agonia (for Janus)
February Sabine (not just Roman) festival of purification called Februa
Feb. 15 Lupercalia (not to any god)
Feb. 17 Quirinalia (for Mars)
Feb. 27 First Equirria (for Mars)
Mar. 1 Matronalia (for Juno)
Mar. 14 Second Equirra (for Mars)
Mar. 19 Quinquatrus (for Minerva)
Mar. 23 Tubilustrium (purification of trumpets)
April Festival for Venus
Apr. 25 Robigalia (ask mildew to spare the grain)
Spring? Bachannalia (drunken, sexual festival)
May 15 Festival to Mercury and Maia
May 26 Ambarvalia (for good crops)
Jun. 9 Vestalia (to Vesta)
Jun. 13-14 Lesser Quinquatrus (for Minerva)
The month of July was renamed for Emperor Julius Caesar, who was proclaimed a god.
Jul. 23 Neptunalia (when water was most wanted)
The month of August was renamed for Emperor Augustus, who was proclaimed a god.
Aug. 9 Vinalia rustica (for Venus)
Aug. 13 Festival to Diana (slaves freed for 1 day)
Aug. 23 Vulcania (for Vulcan)
Sep. 4 Ludi Magni in honor of Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva (Encyclopedia Britannica 1957 version)
Sep. 13 Feast of Jupiter (Roman State prominent)
Oct. 15 October Horse (sacrifice to Mars)
Nov. 1 Feast of Pomona, goddess of harvest
Dec. 17-24 Saturnalia (commemorate the golden age of Saturn. - Slaves freed for 8 days)
Tertullian (200-240 A.D.) in On Idolatry chapter 10 also mentions the Quintquatria, Minervalia, Saturnalia, Septimontium and the feast of Dear Kinmanship.
The point of listing the Roman holidays is that, whenever Christmas was celebrated, it would likely be close to some Roman holiday.
Not a Coincidence: Celebrating Christmas on December 25 was not a coincidence for three reasons.
N1. Not at these times: Some times were less appropriate than others for Christmas. Around March 9-24, there were many gladiatorial shows in honor of Minerva. The early Christians probably would not want to be out celebrating when Romans were looking for people to fight wild beasts. On September 13, worship of Mars, protector of the state, was prominent. Christians would not want to be conspicuous then, either.
N2. Competing with Saturnalia: Having Christmas just after Saturnalia might have been deliberate to "compete" with the Roman holiday. However, this view assumes Saturnalia was an extremely important holiday, which was not necessarily the case.
N3. Many Christians were slaves: Over half of the inhabitants of the Roman Empire were slaves, and probably even a greater percentage of Christians were slaves. The pagan holiday of Saturnalia gave Christian slaves more freedom than usual, since slaves were temporarily free during this time. Thus they had the free time to plan and gather for their holiday.
See Now That’s a Good Question p.362-364 for more info.

Q: In Lk 2, was Christmas just copied from the pagan Roman holiday Sol Invictus?
A: Sol Invictus (the invincible sun), was celebrated on December 23, not the 25th, when the days began to lengthen. Christmas could not be copied from Sol Invictus for two reasons:
It was only started in 270 A.D. under Emperor Aurelian.
Ephraem the Syriac Christian (wrote c.350-378 A.D.) records Christmas being celebrated. He lived on the western part of the Persian Sassanid Empire, where Roman Emperor-declared holidays would not mean much.

Q: In Lk 2:1, is it not good for Christians to abbreviate Christmas as "Xmas"?
A: It is fine. As R.C. Sproul points out in Now That’s a Good Question p.364-365, it is not an X but a cross that was the abbreviation, and no disrespect of Jesus is intended.

Q: In Lk 2:1-5, why would Caesar Augustus cause chaos by allegedly making everyone return to their hometown?
A: First what the skeptic Isaac Asimov claims, and then two different answers.
Asimov’s Guide to the Bible p.929 outright says, "The Romans couldn’t possibly have conducted so queer a census as that. Why should they want every person present in the town of his ancestors rather than in the town in which he actually dwelt? … No, it is hard to imagine a more complicated tissue of implausibilities and the Romans would certainly arrange no such census."
C. Vibius Maximus, prefect of Egypt in 104 A.D. apparently would disagree with Asimov. For the taxation edict of Maximus required everyone in the Egypt to return their hometown. This would not cause chaos if only the farmers and poorer people, who did not travel much anyway, had to return. See The Case for Christ p.135 and the Wycliffe Bible Dictionary p.414 for more info, and it says the decree is documented in Deiss LAE p.271.
Joseph’s own choice: Scripture never claimed that Caesar Augustus required everyone in the Empire return to their hometown. Perhaps Joseph had his own reasons, and Joseph either thought it important to register himself as a descendant of the royal line on his own accord, or else he was told to do so by an angel. However, Joseph was not the only one who felt the need to travel for the census, as the inns in Bethlehem were full.

Q: In Lk 2:1, why did Joseph leave his home and return to his hometown?
A: There are two concurrent answers.
Heavenly reason: God in His providence made things this way so that the prophecy would be fulfilled that Jesus would be born at Bethlehem.
Earthly reason: Either Joseph himself just wanted to return to his hometown, or else people had to return to their hometown, to ensure that no one was missed in the taxation. A similar requirement, that everyone must return to their hometown, was in the taxation edict of Egypt in 104 A.D. The prefect, C. Vibius Maximus, wrote, ‘The enrollment by household being at hand, it is necessary to notify all who for any cause whatsoever are away from their administrative divisions to return home in order to comply with the customary ordinance of enrollment, and to remain in their own agricultural land." See The New Testament Documents : Are They Reliable. by F.F. Bruce. IVP (p.86-87) for more info.

Q: In Lk 2:2, what do we know about Quirinius?
A: An inscription shows that Quirinius was governor of Syria starting in 6 A.D. (which is too late for Jesus’ birth). However, this was Quirinius’ second time as a governor. The first time was between 12 and 6 B.C., when he led a campaign against the Homanadensians in Anatolia. However, we do not know which province Quirinius was governor of the first time. There are two views:
Sir William Ramsay advocates that Quirinius was governor of Syria the first time. (Syria is adjacent to the mountains of Anatolia). While we have a complete record of the governors of Syria during this time and Quirinius is not mentioned until 6 A.D., Quirinius might have been a special, additional governor for this military campaign.
F.F. Bruce advocates that Quirinius was governor of probably Galatia. Galatia is in Anatolia. In his The New Testament Documents : Are They Reliable?, (IVP) p.86-87 F.F. Bruce mentions that many grammarians translate Luke 2:2 as "before" Quirinius was governor of Syria, not "while".
Tertullian (200-240 A.D.) in Against Marcion 4:19 says that the name "Quirinius" was substituted for "Saturninus". Historically, we know that Saturninus was governor of Syria from 8 to 6 B.C.
As a side note, there is much about the ancient world we cannot prove. For example, Damascus coins are silent about Roman occupation of Damascus between 34 to 62 A.D. Yet, we are certain that the Romans ruled Damascus then.
See The New Testament Documents : Are They Reliable? by F.F. Bruce (p.86-87) for a discussion of all these views, and Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties p.365-366 and When Critics Ask p.383-385 for more info.

Q: In Mt 2:1, was Jesus was born during the reign of Herod, who died in 4 B.C., or at the time of Quirinius governor of Syria in 6 A.D. in Lk 2:2?.
A: First two possible answers, and then the more probable answer.
Answer 1: F.F. Bruce mentions that many grammarians translate the Greek of Luke 2:2 as "before" Quirinius was governor, not "while" in The New Testament Documents : Are They Reliable (IVP) p.86-87. The Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics p.430-431 mentions this, but prefers the third explanation.
Answer 2: Tertullian (200-240 A.D.) in Against Marcion 4:19 says that the name "Quirinius" was substituted for "Saturninus". Historically, we know that Saturninus was governor of Syria from 8 to 6 B.C.
Most Probable answer: Quirinius was governor for the second time 6 A.D. The first time he was a governor was 12-6 B.C. when he led a campaign against the Homandensians in Anatolia. However, we do not know the province of where he was governor the first time. F.F. Bruce advocates the Quirinius was governor of probably Galatia in Anatolia. On the other hand, Sir William Ramsay thinks Quirinius might have been a special adjunct governor of Syria (next to Anatolia) for this military campaign.
Luke himself was apparently aware of the possibility of confusion about Quirinius, for verse 2 says "This was the first census…" implying there was more than one census under Quirinius.
According to Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties p.366, we know of a census at 7 B.C. Josephus mentions a census by "Cyrenius" about 6/7 A.D. (Antiquities of the Jews 17.13:5 written about 93-94 A.D.). According to the Wycliffe Bible Dictionary p.319,414, Papyrus Oxyrynchus 225 (in Milligan, Greek Papyri p.44-47) says that a census was taken every 14 years. Suetonius and Tacitus show that Augustus had three censuses for example, the second of which was 8-4 B.C.
As a side note, there is much about the ancient world we cannot prove. For example, Damascus coins are silent about Roman occupation of Damascus between 34 to 62 A.D. Yet, we are certain that the Romans ruled Damascus then.
See The New Testament Documents : Are They Reliable? by F.F. Bruce (p.86-87) for a discussion of all these views, and the Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties p.365-366 and When Critics Ask p.383-385 for more info.

Q: In Lk 2:14, what does "good will toward men" (KJV, NKJV) mean?
A: Better translations are:
among men of good will - Wuest’s Expanded Translation
to men on whom his favor rests – NIV
among men with whom He is pleased – NASB, uNASB
to men who please him – Williams Translation

Q: In Lk 2:40, since grace is undeserved favor, how was God’s grace on Jesus?
A: This expresses that Jesus had God’s grace, means that God the Father was pleased with how Jesus was growing, and that God the Father and Spirit were strengthening Jesus’ human growth. See also the discussion on Luke 2:52 for more info.

Q: In Lk 2:43-50, did Jesus disobey his parents, and perhaps sin, by not returning to them?
A: No. Jesus did not break any of his mother’s commands. Mary might have thought Jesus was disobedient based on Luke 2:48. However, sometimes parents are mistaken when they think their children are not doing the right thing. They never gave a command that Jesus disobeyed, and Jesus might not even have been aware they had already left. Furthermore, if God gives a command and our parents contradict it, we have to obey God and not our parents on that particular point.

Q: In Lk 2:49, did Jesus talk back to His mother?
A: No. Respectfully explaining why you were at a place is not talking back to your parents. Jesus talked with His mother, but He did not talk back to her.

Q: In Lk 2:52, since no one grows in favor with himself, and since Jesus is God, how did Jesus grow in favor with God?
A: In the Bible, the word "God", when not referring to an idol, sometimes means God the Father, sometimes God the Son, sometimes God the Spirit, and sometimes God in Trinity. It means God the Father and Spirit here.
In addition, God the Father has the role of God to God the Son, as Hebrews 1:9 clearly shows when it says, "Therefore God, your God…" (NIV). While on earth, even Jesus learned submission and obedience, according to Hebrews 5:7-8.

Q: In Lk 3:1, what extra-Biblical evidence is there of Lysanias, Tetrarch of Abilene in the fifteenth year of Tiberias (27-28 A.D.)?
A: A century ago there was none whatsoever. A Lysanias of Abilene who was executed in 34 B.C. lived too early to be relevant.
In the Twentieth century, the situation has changed. An inscription was found that said ‘for the salvation of the Lords Imperial and their whole household, by Nymphaeus, a freedman of Lysanias the tetrarch." The words "Lords Imperial" date this inscription between 14 A.D. and 29 A.D. See The New Testament Documents : Are They Reliable by F.F. Bruce (IVP) p.87-88 and The Case for Christ p.130 for more info.

Q: In Lk 3:9, what does the "axes laid to the root" mean?
A: John the Baptist is threatening that God’s judgment is near and will strike down the roots of a tree that does not produce the good fruit of accepting the Messiah. This is according to the NIV Study Bible p.1541, the New Geneva Study Bible p.1608, the New International Bible Commentary p.1192-1193, The Bible Knowledge Commentary : New Testament p.211, and the Evangelical Bible Commentary p.809.
The "axe laid to the root" does NOT mean we ourselves should cut down the bad roots we have. Rather, John the Baptist is making a threat about what God will do.
But there are two possibilities, and both may be true.
Individually: The Believer's Bible Commentary p.1378 says, "Christ's coming would test the reality of man's repentance. Those individuals who did not manifest the fruits of repentance would be condemned."
Corporately: if the Jewish nation rejected the Messiah, Christ would curse the fig tree (Mark 11:13-14,20-21) and cut out those branches, as Romans 11:17-20 says.

Q: In Lk 3:13, why did Jesus merely tell the Roman soldiers to be content with their pay?
A: This simple statement meant they were not to rob or extort others. The Roman political world was built on using power to amass wealth, and Jesus said they should not use illegitimate means to gain wealth.

Q: In Lk 3:23, who is the son of Heli?
A: The words "son of" are not present in the Greek, it only says "of Heli". It was Mary who was the daughter of Heli, and Heli was Jesus’ biological grandfather.

Q: In Lk 3:23-33, how could Mary be descended from Judah, since Elizabeth was from the daughters of Aaron in Lk 1:5, and Mary and Elizabeth were cousins in Lk 1:36?
A: The Bible does not specify the tribe of their mothers.
Therefore, Mary and Elizabeth could be cousins based on the following possibilities:
Two mothers were sisters: If their mothers being were from an unspecified tribe.
Mary mother and Elizabeth’s father siblings: If Mary’s mother was a sister of Elizabeth’s father, and thus Mary’s mother would be from Aaron and Levi.
Mary’s father and Elizabeth’s mother siblings: Mary’s father being a brother of Elizabeth’s mother, and thus Elizabeth’s mother would be from Judah.
A Muslim saw this as proving Mary was descended from Aaron. This is important to Muslims, because if Mary is not from Aaron, then the Qur’an is in error. Muslims generally believe that the Qur’an on earth is a word for word copy of the Qur’an written on tablets in Heaven (Sura 85:20-22).
See When Critics Ask p.381 for a similar answer.

Q: In Lk 4:19, why did Jesus only quote part of Isa 61:2, and not the last part of "And the day of vengeance of our God"?
A: Jesus represented Himself as reading out of the scroll of Isaiah and that is exactly what He did. Five points to consider in the answer.
1. The Hebrew Bible back then did not have the books broken into verses as ours did.
2. Jesus quoted Isaiah correctly, but Jesus did not quote the entire thought.
3. Today we often quote verses incompletely. Our convention is to use three dots, but they did not have that convention back then.
4. Jesus said that what he read was fulfilled in their hearing. If Jesus had quoted the last part, then this would no longer be true.
5. This part of Isaiah is like many other prophecies of Isaiah; they have a dual fulfillment. Another example of dual fulfillment is Isaiah 7:14-17.
See When Critics Ask p.387 for more info.

Q: In Lk 4:25 and Jms 5:17, in Elijah’s time was there no rain for 3 ½ years, or just 3 years as 1 Ki 18:1 allegedly implies?
A: 1 Kings 18:1 does not specify whether it is the third year from the drought, the third year of the famine, or the third year that Elijah stayed with the widow in Zarephath. In addition, the phrase "in the third year" could mean after the third anniversary.
See When Critics Ask p.530 for more info.

Q: In Lk 4:34-35,41, why did Jesus rebuke the demon who spoke the truth?
A: The demon was not trying to glorify Jesus, but might have been trying to make Jesus look bad. Jesus was not interested in using the demon’s witness, negotiating with the demon, or even conversing with the demon; neither should we have any interest in doing so.
For another situation where a demon who told the truth was rebuked, see Acts 16:16-18.

Q: In Lk 5:3 (KJV), how did Jesus pray to Simon?
A: The answer is found in Luke 5.4. This King James version expression means that Jesus asked Simon.

Q: In Lk 5:8, why did Jesus choose as an apostle Peter, a sinful man?
A: All people are sinful. When Peter was with Jesus, Peter realized how sinful he himself was. Isaiah had similar feelings in Isaiah 6:5.

Q: In Lk 5:16, why did Jesus withdraw into the wilderness to pray?
A: Even Jesus needed time alone to take with His Father. How much more do we need to talk with God. Spending time with our Father before making a major decision is wise to do, as Jesus did prior to choosing His twelve disciples.

Q: In Lk 5:20-21, why did the Pharisees consider forgiving sins to be blasphemy?
A: Sometimes flawlessly correct logic, and correct premises, combined with one incorrect premise, can lead to a false conclusion.
Just as a person wronged is the only one who can forgive the wrong done to her, they correctly saw that forgiving sins was only something God could do. For a mere man to presumptuously claim to forgive sins would be blasphemy, and trying to take God’s rightful place. Perhaps they did not even consider that Jesus might be something more than a mere man.

Q: In Lk 5:27 (KJV), what is receipt of custom?
A: This King James Version expression means they were collecting taxes.

Q: In Lk 5:36-38, what do the metaphors of the garments and wineskins mean?
A: A new piece of cloth would not "fit" being sown as a patch on an old garment. Likewise the Pharisees would not even be able to understand Jesus being the Messiah unless and until they accepted that the Messiah’s coming would be a new thing. It might seem obvious to us that the coming of the Messiah would be a very new thing, but it was not for those who had no room in their thinking for the Messiah. As Jesus said in John 8:37, the Pharisees had no room in their hearts for His word.
The metaphor of the wineskins is very similar, except that it goes even farther. The old cannot contain the new, and a person who will only remain with the old will either burst or not contain the new.

Q: In Lk 5:37-39, was "new wine" alcoholic?
A: The Hebrew word for wine is yayin. It is used of drunkards in Joel 1:5.
The Greek word for wine is oinos. Here is what O’Brien in Today’s Handbook for Solving Bible Difficulties p.366-369 says: Noah did not drink too much grape juice (Genesis 9:21), Paul did not warn against overindulgence of grape juice (Ephesians 5:18), and grape juice is not a mocker (Proverbs 20:1). O’Brien also points out that fermentation of grape juice at regular temperature takes less than two days.
On the other hand, wine in Biblical times was 10-11 % alcohol, which is less than today. Furthermore, they diluted wine with water.

Q: In Lk 5:39, how does old wine tasting better relate to the previous parable of the wineskins?
A: This is not saying that "old" is always better than "new". Rather, many here preferred the "old" teaching of the Old Testament mixed with their tradition so much that they rejected the "new" teaching of Jesus. One should not have expected all the Jews to like Jesus’ teaching. Just as some would like the taste of the older wine better, following Jesus’ words would not suite their taste.
See Hard Sayings of the Bible p.457-458 for more info.

Q: In Lk 6:2, what did the Pharisees think was wrong with picking heads of grain?
A: They viewed it as reaping, and reaping was work, which was forbidden on the Sabbath. Now harvesting quantities of grain is work, but it was ludicrous to consider collecting a few grains as work.

Q: In Lk 6:4, what did Jesus having the disciples eat the grain show?
A: When the Pharisees created human traditions and masqueraded them as God’s law, Jesus did not hesitate to break them to demonstrate that it was not God’s law. On the other hand, human law that did not masquerade as God’s Law, such as paying taxes to Caesar, Jesus kept.

Q: In Lk 6:9, what kind of good and evil was Jesus talking about?
A: The word "evil" is used similar to the English word for bad; it can mean morally wrong things, or it can mean harmful things. Jesus was using the metaphor of harmful things to make a point about both helpful and morally good things. You would not allow your animal to die of neglect on the Sabbath. Likewise, it is OK to miraculously heal a person any day of the week you want.

Q: In Lk 6:11 (KJV), how were the Pharisees filled with madness?
A: This colorful King James expression does not mean they were insane. Rather, they were very mad and filled with anger.

Q: In Lk 6:18 (KJV), what does "vexed" mean?
A: This word means troubled.

Q: In Lk 6:19, why did Jesus heal them all?
A: Two points to consider in the answer.
1. The primary point was not to provide medical care for the Israelites. Rather, the point was for these healings to be a sign to show the world that Jesus was the Messiah.
2. There is never an instance where Jesus went to a group of people and healed them all, whether they wanted to or not. In this case, all were healed who came to Jesus; Jesus turned none of them away. Likewise for salvation, all are saved who come to Jesus; He turns none away. However, all are not saved because all do not to choose to come to God with the knowledge that they possess.

Q: In Lk 6:20, does Jesus calling the poor blessed encourage the poor Proletariat to be content, since they should rise up against society’s rich people as Communism teaches?
A: It is true that Jesus teaches us to be content and joyful in Christ. It is also true that Communism has done much to teach people to be discontent, unhappy, and to dish our misery to others. Communism, as practiced in some countries, has simply replaced society’s upper class with a new elite class, the members of the Communist party.
This is similar to the situation hundreds of years ago on the Russian Steppe, when a tribe of Cossacks would always shout "Liberty" when charging into battle, including unprovoked offensive raids to capture and enslave others.

Q: In Lk 6:21,25, why was Jesus apparently against laughing here?
A: Jesus was not against laughing in general, as He told a number of humorous parables. Rather, Jesus was against people who were flippant, or happy with the way things were when they were not right with God, and they had no concern for others. To put it in terms of today’s attempts at psychology, Jesus saw people who thought "I’m OK you’re OK" when they were in fact not OK, and others were not OK and needed help.

Q: In Lk 6:22,26, what is wrong with people speaking well of you?
A: It is not always when a person speaks well of you, as Jesus spoke well of Nathanael in John 1:48, and a good name is a blessing in Ecclesiastes 7:1. However, beware when all men speak well of you. This is a strong sign that you are compromising your Christian witness.
See When Critics Ask p.389 for a different but complementary answer.

Q: In Lk 6:27, why should we love our enemies?
A: There are four reasons, from four perspectives.
Our obedience: God simply told us so.
Our happiness: We cannot be happy if we are full of hatred of other people. Even more serious, 1 John 3:10,15; 4:10 asks how can we really love God, whom we have not seen, if we do not love our brothers, whom we have seen.
God’s love: We should love each other because God loves the world in John 3:16. God loves even the ungodly, according to Romans 5:6.
Their need for our love: Others need our love, our prayers, and the message of the Gospel.

Q: In Lk 6:29, when should we turn the other cheek, and when should we not?
A: We should not repay evil for evil, and we should not take revenge. (Romans 12:17-19)
1. Do not let others look down on us (1 Timothy 4:11)
2. We should defend the poor and oppressed (Jeremiah 7:6;22:16) and the poor (Isaiah 1:17;58:610; Jeremiah 5:28;22:16; Galatians 2:10; Ps41:1; Proverbs 14:21;24:11-2;29:7;31 :9,20; Ephesians 4:28; 1 Timothy 6:18-9; James 1:27
3. We should not let others speak ill of what we consider is good. (Romans 14:16)
4. Specifically, we should have an answer for our faith. (1 Peter 3:15)

Q: In Lk 6:30, when should we let people take what belongs to us?
A: There are some general principles to observe.
1. Other peoples’ souls are worth more than all our possessions.
2. People or government wrongly confiscating property is evil, but our suffering is a testimony to the world and glorifies God.
3. We should not always give people everything. For example, 2 Thessalonians 3:10, we should not give food to someone who refuses to work. We should not give hospitality to people who teach false, soul-perishing doctrines (2 John 10-11).

Q: In Lk 6:35, how and why should we love our enemies while expecting nothing in return?
A: A book could be written on answering this question. We can see at least five reasons for God giving us this command to obey.
Love for others: We should take very seriously God’s command to us to love others, as 1 John 3:10,18; 4:19-21 show.
Testimony to the world: Loving our enemies is not a natural response for people. Obeying God in this area is a testimony to the world that there is a love in us that is not natural, but supernatural.
Some are future believers: Even some who are now enemies of the Gospel, as Saul of Tarsus was, will someday become Christians and go to Heaven.
Glorify God: Obeying God and loving our enemies is a way to glorify God, and we are created for God’s glory, as Isaiah 43:7 shows.
For our own benefit: Keeping hatred in our hearts hurts us as much as anyone else.

Q: In Lk 6:38 (KJV), what does "mete withal" mean?
A: This King James Version expression means "that you use". In other words, the measure that you use will be measured to you.

Q: In Lk 6:40, does this mean one must be perfectly taught before one is a disciple, as the Boston Church of Christ says?
A: No. When Cultists Ask p.148 says it well: "Perfect learning is not something one can attain during a three-year crash course, … It is a goal of a lifetime of learning from Christ." Learning from Christ is a state and a goal, and perfect learning is not a prerequisite to being a disciple. A friend I know studied the Bible very diligently, reading every single page as a young Christian. As the years went by, he still studied it, but less frequently. I am not sure he ever read entirely through the Bible a second time.
Sometimes Christians in many groups falsely can think learning and discipling is just a short-term thing for young Christians. However, like a boat in a flowing river, when you are not going forward, you are going backward.

Q: In Lk 6:41,42 (KJV), what is a "mote"?
A: A mote is a speck of dirt or other material that can be in someone’s eye.

Q: In Lk 6:43, since a good tree does not bring forth corrupt fruit and vice versa, are worldly but upright people going to Heaven?
A: All perfectly moral and upright people are going to Heaven, but this is irrelevant, since no human being, except for Jesus Christ, has met God’s standard for being morally upright.
Likewise, a child who hates his parents and refuses to honor them is not an obedient child, regardless of what else he or she refrains from doing.

Q: In Lk 6:46-49, what does the parable of the two houses mean?
A: One can look at the parable from two perspectives.
The builders: One builder made a house, which should last a long time, on top of a foundation that would not last. Thus both together would not last any longer than the foundation. Life is often like that. When you build something that ought to be permanent on top of something that shifts like sand, do not be surprised that apparently permanent structures can topple so quickly.
The houses: Both houses initially might have looked to be equally solid. A house that is built to last is constructed differently from a house that is not built to endure. God has built us to last forever, and we should be building in our lives accordingly.
Primary point: Combining both perspectives, Jesus’ main point is that building on obedience to Jesus is permanent, and anything else is like building on sand.

Q: In Lk 7:30, how could the Pharisees, or anyone else for that matter, fulfill God’s purpose, since we are sinful and imperfect?
A: This does not imply they were to be sinlessly perfect. Rather, were they in general pleasing God. For example, David served God’s purpose in his own generation in Acts 13:36.

Q: In Lk 7:30, Since God’s will is irresistible, how could the Pharisees reject God’s purpose for themselves?
A: Luke 17:31-33 can help explain this. Lot’s wife was saved from the destruction of Sodom by the intervention of the angels. However, she chose to remain and look back when she was told to keep on going, and so she perished anyway. Likewise, this is a solemn warning that God can deliver people from peril and he can work in their lives. Yet, they can still perish because of their own choosing.
A phrase of some Calvinists is "no lost causes". This phrase effectively communicates many key elements of their view. Since the Bible teaches that God is all-powerful, all-knowing, sovereign over all, and every single plan of God’s succeeds, it is easy to logically conclude that there are no "lost causes" with God.
Just like "once-saved-always saved" is truth, but not a balanced truth, "no lost causes" is truth but not a balanced truth either. Here are a number of examples in the Bible that would cause problems for a someone with an unbalanced view of no lost causes.
1. Angels helped save Lot’s wife from dead. Yet She died right afterwards, anyway.
2. Likewise, all the Israelites in the Exodus were spared from the wrath of Pharaoh, as well as the wrath of God through the Passover. Yet it is an example for us that they died anyway, under God’s wrath in the desert, as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10:1-10.
3. The Pharisees rejected God’s purpose for themselves in Luke 7:30.
4. In the parable of the sower, there was a lost cause of what was sown in a person’s heart in Matthew 11:19.
5. In Jesus’ parable of the banquet in Luke 14:23, God sincerely invites guests who refuse to come.
6. For believers, Paul warns us not to receive God’s grace "in vain" in 2 Corinthians 6:1. Paul did not give a warning for us to cavalierly brush aside by saying, "that can never happen to me". Paul was serious about his warning, and he intended for us to take it seriously.
7. God’s spirit was so genuinely in King Saul’s life that Saul became as though he were a different person, in 1 Samuel 10:5-7,9-11. This is about as dramatic a born-again experience as you can get in the Old Testament. Yet the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul in 1 Samuel 16:14.
8. In the time of Noah, the Exodus, and numerous other times it says that God "repented" of doing something. This does not mean God was sorry He did something, but rather that God was grieved. One might say none of these really were "lost causes" because God turned the situations around and they too worked as a part of God’s plan (Ephesians 1:11; Romans 8:28; Proverbs 16:4). Yet, saying God "turned the situations around" is inconsistent with the view of a placid God who always has every creature fully obeying God’s desired (though secret) will.
9. Terrible sins occurred in the name of religion that "did not enter God’s mind" in Jeremiah 5:29; 8:19; 12:8. This does not mean God was not all-knowing. Rather, God did not want them to think for a second that this was a desire of God or a part of his will.
10. Sometimes things occur that God expressly did not desire, such as the death of the wicked in Ezekiel 18:23,32, and really detestable things in Ezekiel 8:6.
11. God holds out His hands for people to come, and some do not come. (Romans 10:21; Isaiah 65:2; Matthew 23:37) God invites people to His feast, and some of the invited ones refuse. (Matthew 23:3-8)
12. Some things break God’s heart. (Jeremiah 4:19-22; 9:1; Luke 19:41-44; Matthew 23:37-39). Regardless of whether you agree these are "lost causes", they are certainly "heartbreaking causes". I have read of at least one extremist who taught that God took pleasure in creating certain people just so that He could send them to Hell and torment them forever. However, both non-Calvinists and many Calvinists agree that that is not what the Bible teaches. Specifically, 2 Peter 3:9 and Ezekiel 18:23,32 say that is wrong.
The balanced truth: "no lost causes" is part of a Biblical truth. All should be able to agree that God has no surprises, and no one who God the all-knowing knew would go to Heaven, will fail to get there. However, "no lost causes" becomes an error when it is interpreted as "no heartbreaking causes", it makes God take pleasure in evil and sin, or teaches us that prayer has no importance except as a soothing comfort for changing the heart of the person praying."
Conclusion: Evil has causes. Since all agree that God is neither the author nor direct cause of evil, there are causes that are not directly from God. Those causes are ultimately lost causes. God has not lost causes in the sense that everything is worked together as a part of His plan. Yet, God has lost causes in the heartbreaking way of an all-sufficient, almighty God holding out His hands to people who do not come, and God choosing to let them remain in their chosen lostness.

Q: In Lk 7:42 (KJV), why does it say "frankly" forgave?
A: This phrase means he freely forgave the man.

Q: In Lk 7:47, was Simon forgiven little because there was less to forgive, or was there much that was still unforgiven?
A: Simon probably thought the first, but Jesus knew otherwise. Two points to consider in the answer.
From Simon’s perspective, Simon probably thought he was a pretty good guy, and only had a little that needed forgiving.
From God’s perspective, there is a great deal to forgive in each of us.
Jesus was saying that Simon did not act grateful not because there was not much to forgive, but that Simon did not see much to forgive.

Q: In Lk 7:47, were the woman’s sins forgiven because she loved much, or are we saved through faith as Eph 2:8 says?
A: Two points to consider in the answer.
1. According to F.F. Bruce in Hard Sayings of the Bible p.461-463, the Greek word in Luke 7:47, hoti, can mean "because of" or "the result of". He says the NIV translates this the best [for she loved much], by leaving it where it could go either way. (‘for she loved’ is used in the NASB, NIV, NKJV, RSV, uNASB, and Williams translation) The NRSV says, "hence she has shown great love". Wuest’s Expanded Translation says "because she loved much."

2. Regardless, while it is God and not us who saves us, our love as well as our faith are involved in us receiving this salvation.

Q: In Lk 7:47-50, how did the woman’s faith save her?
A: Jesus was not saying that a faith that goes contrary to God’s will can somehow overrule God. Rather, her faith was involved in her being saved. In fact, faith is a reason (though not the ultimate reason) a person is saved, as Hebrews 4:2 shows.
The Catholic Church teaches that faith and works have a similar role in salvation, in that both somehow make us more deserving of salvation. Many Lutherans and Calvinists (such as Lorraine Boettner) also teach that faith and works not only do not give us merit, they have the same role in salvation, in that neither have any role in us getting saved, but both are a result of being saved.
The fact is, faith is not a work, or Paul never would have written Ephesians 2:8-9. If we were saved through works, then the merit of some of our work would be involved in salvation. While more faith is a result of salvation, that does not contradict Paul teaching the role of faith being what we are saved through. Since Paul says we are saved through faith, not works, he is not only making the point that faith is not a work, but there is no "merit" in realizing by faith who Christ is and throwing ourselves on God’s mercy.
Luke 7:50 and Hebrews 4:2 are among the verses that show that faith has a role, though it does not give us merit. God has graciously allowed our faith to have a role in coming to Christ. In addition Paul made a sharp distinction between works which do not save, and faith, through which we are saved.
For Calvinists and Lutherans, as well as for all Christians in general, a recommended book is one by a Calvinist: R.C. Sproul. His book, Faith Alone, does an excellent job Biblically delineating works versus being saved by grace through faith. It would seem inconsistent for a Calvinist to accept R.C. Sproul’s book if he or she thought faith was just another work.

Q: In Lk 8:2, were the women with evil spirits just suffering from a psychological disorder?
A: If you believe the Bible, you could not believe demons were just a psychological problem for the following reasons:
Demons are external: they can enter a person, leave, and leave to enter into pigs for example.
Demons have personality: They can think and act independently of a human’s will.

Q: In Lk 8:3-4, did Jesus marry one or more of the women who accompanied the disciples as polygamous Mormons and some other cults believe?
A: First, here are the women we know of who accompanied Jesus and the disciples. According to Luke 8:3-4, the women who traveled with Jesus were Mary Magdalene, Joanna wife of Cuza, Susanna, and others. Other passages mention Salome (Mark 15:40), Mary mother of James (Mark 15:40, Luke 24:10), and Martha, Mary Magdalene’s sister.
There is no basis to say that Jesus ever got married, or had any kids, or any kids were born without a sinful nature. While no verse actually says Jesus was never married, no verse ever says Jesus did not fly to Mars either. Here are all the other pre-resurrection passages about the women:
Joanna and Salome are mentioned no where else.
Martha (with Mary) were only mentioned in three pre-Resurrection passages, a dinner (Luke 10:38-41), healing of their brother Lazarus (John 11:1-45), and a second dinner with Lazarus (John 12:1-8).
Since there is no other mention, one could have almost no stronger argument that Jesus married Mary than he married her sister Martha. However, Jesus obeyed the Mosaic Law, and marriage of one man to two sisters, while both were living, was forbidden in Leviticus 18:18. Mormons who teach this probably are not aware they are teaching that Jesus allegedly broke the Old Testament marriage laws here.

Q: In Lk 8:16-17, what is the point of not hiding a lighted candle under a vessel?
A: The purpose of a lighted candle is to shine; putting it under a basket would be ridiculous. Likewise, the purpose of a Christian is to glorify God, and hiding his or her witness and glorifying God is equally strange.

Q: In Lk 8:18, why should people take heed of what they hear?
A: God is under no responsibility to give anybody unlimited opportunities to hear the Gospel. Do not take an opportunity to find the truth for granted, either for yourself or for someone else.
In addition, God judges people based on what they had the opportunity to know, as Romans 4:15 and 5:12 show. 2 Peter 2:20-22 says that it would have been better for some people not to have known the way of truth, then to know and turn their backs on it.

Q: In Lk 8:19-21, was Jesus honoring His mother here?
A: Jesus honored his parents, but He did go against what He knew His mother’s wishes where here. We should obey our parents, but when their wishes go against what we know God desires, we need to obey God first. It is difficult for a young child to know what God wants, especially if his parents say otherwise. However, Jesus was an adult here.

Q: In Lk 8:19-21, why wasn’t Jesus’ father Joseph here?
A: Scripture does not say. However, church tradition says that Joseph died before Jesus became a man.

Q: In Lk 8:23 and Mt 5:23-26, how could Jesus be asleep in a boat during a violent storm?
A: Either Jesus was naturally asleep, because He was very tired, or He was supernaturally put in a deep sleep to test the disciples. There are three types of natural sleep: deep sleep REM (rapid eye movement) sleep when people dream, and light sleep. People go through multiple cycles of these three kinds of sleep every night. Jesus might have been in deep sleep.
Under very different circumstances, Jonah was also asleep in a boat during a violent storm.

Q: In Lk 8:25 and Mt 8:26, Why did Jesus ask where their faith was?
A: In Luke 8:22, Jesus told the disciples they were going to the other side. Jesus was surprised at their fear. They doubted that
a) God the Father would keep Jesus safe from the weather, and/or
b) Jesus Himself wanted to keep them safe, and/or
c) Jesus was able to keep them safe.
Sometimes our doubts today come from the same reasons.

Q: In Lk 8:38, why did Jesus turn down the man’s request to come with Him?
A: It was probably because Jesus wanted the man to remain among those who knew him, as a testimony to them.

Q: Should Lk 8:41 be translated "and then" or "just then" (NRSV)?
A: While the Greek word kai by itself can mean either "and" or "just" the Greek words kai idou "in Luke 8:41 should not be rendered "Just then". … In fact kai idou in Luke very often either does not or cannot mean ‘just then’ (e.g. Luke 5:18; 7:37; 9:30, 39 et al.)" See The Expositor’s Bible Commentary vol.8 p.229 for a more detailed discussion on this.
"then" NIV
"and behold" NKJV, Wuest’s Expanded Translation
"and, behold" KJV, Green’s Literal Translation
"And there" RSV
"Just then" NRSV, Williams

Q: In Lk 8:46 (KJV), how did "virtue" come out of Jesus?
A: This King James version expression mean that healing power came forth from Jesus.

Q: In Lk 9:7, what is a Tetrarch?
A: The Greek word "tetra" means "four", and the ruler of Galilee was called a Tetrarch, because he ruled over one of the four regions.

Q: In Lk 9:7,9, is this the same Herod who reigned when Jesus was born?
A: No. The Herod who killed the baby boys of Bethlehem was called Herod the Great. This Herod, called Herod Antipas, was the younger son of Herod the Great and one of his ten wives, Malthace.

Q: In Lk 9:12 (KJV), what are victuals?
A: This King James Version word means food.

Q: In Lk 9:14, why did the people need to sit in groups of fifty?
A: Scripture does not say, but it could make for easier counting and distribution of the baskets.

Q: In Lk 9:21 and Mt 16:20, at this time, why were the disciples not to tell anyone Jesus was the Christ (Messiah)?
A: What good would it do to use that name, when they either did not know what the Messiah would do, or were fed false conceptions of the Messiah as a military conqueror. Soon enough, they would openly tell everyone Jesus was the Messiah, but first, people needed to see who Jesus was and the evidence of His claim.

Q: In Lk 9:20-21, did Jesus refuse to be known as the Son of God, since Jesus told the disciples not to tell anyone that He was the Christ of God in Lk 9:20-21, and in Lk 4:11 Jesus rebuked the demons for saying He was Christ, the Son of God?
A: This is a little difficult to answer because both scripture references are incorrect, so I have to assume which scriptures the questioner intended. Luke 9:20-21 does not say, "Son of God" but "Christ of God". The Qur’an even admits that Jesus was the Messiah (Christ), so even Muslims would have to agree that Jesus was the Christ of God. Luke 4:11 does not mention Son of God either.
The questioner might have been thinking of Matthew 8:29 where the demons asked, "What do you want with us, Son of God?" and then asked to be sent into the pigs. Jesus did not tell them not to tell anyone this, but He permitted them to go into the pigs. But the demons are merely acknowledging they knew who Jesus really was, perhaps hoping that things would go easier for them.
In Matthew 16:16-20 Jesus asked the disciples who He was, and Peter said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." But even here, at that time Jesus "warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ [Messiah]". There is no mention of the disciples being warned not to say that He was the Son of God.

Q: In Lk 9:27 and Mt 16:28, how did some not taste death before they saw the Kingdom of God?
A: Tasting death means experiencing death. Some here would not die before they saw the Kingdom of God coming with Jesus’ resurrection and Pentecost, 50 days later.

Q: In Lk 9:36 and Mt 17:9, why did the disciples not tell anyone about the transfiguration at this time?
A: There are at least three reasons.
1. It might cause envy among the other disciples.
2. For Jews who did not believe in Jesus, this miracle witnessed only by three disciples would not be believed.
3. For believers, this event soon would be overshadowed by the resurrection.

Q: In Lk 9:37-39 and Mt 17:15-17, why do demons often hurt the people they possess?
A: See the discussion on Matthew 17:14-16 for the answer.

Q: In Lk 9:45, why was the understanding of Jesus’ words about His betrayal kept from the disciples?
A: This probably was a colloquial expression meaning they did not understand. However, the root question still remains: why did they not understand this. While the reason could have been God, or Satan, supernaturally keeping them, the real explanation is probably much simpler. In general, people often do not understand that which they are unwilling to accept. The disciples had never heard this before, they were not desiring to hear it, and so it was probably the disciples themselves that kept themselves from understanding this the first time.
Jesus, knowing this, said it here and again later to give it time to sink in.

Q: In Lk 9:49, how could someone else be able to cast out devils?
A: One did not have to be one of the twelve disciples to cast out demons, some other followers could, too. God can give that power to whomever He wishes.

Q: In Lk 9:53, why did the Samaritans not receive Jesus, like they did before?
A: Three points to consider in the answer.
1. While they most likely were different Samaritans, that still leaves the question of why these Samaritans did not receive Jesus.
2. These Samaritans might already might have heard of Jesus’ claim to be the [Jewish] Messiah, and they rejected that.
3. Since Jesus was traveling to Jerusalem, for religious reasons, and the Samaritans believed their worship was better than the worship at Jerusalem, Jesus’ journey did not fit within their paradigm of what they thought was good.

Q: In Lk 9:54-55, why did the disciples want the Samaritans killed?
A: While Scripture does not say, we can surmise from the behavior of others. Sometimes a person can be so focused on the power, that they forget compassion for the people.
Perhaps the disciples were thinking of Elijah calling fire down on 102 men in 2 Kings 1:9-12. However, the situation was very different. Not only did Jesus come to show God’s love and usher in a new dispensation, the Samaritans merely rejected Him, and were not trying to take him into custody as the 102 men were trying to capture Elijah.

Q: In Lk 9:54-55, why did Jesus not want to see the Samaritans killed?
A: Jesus did not want to see people immediately judged for not following Him and rejecting Him, and we should be very thankful for that. In Luke 9:56, Jesus said that He came not to destroy people’s lives, but to save them. This was not just Jesus’ mission, but also His heart. We too should have the same heart.

Q: In Lk 9:57-62, why did Jesus turn down these three men from directly following Him?
A: While Scripture does not explicitly say, the circumstances seem very different here from the Gerasene demoniac. For the healed demoniac, there was not a hint of rebuke, and Jesus gave him another ministry, and an effective ministry it could be, staying around the people who know him when he was possessed by an evil spirit. With the three men, Jesus was critical of their lack of total commitment, and He did not mention any ministry for them.

Q: In Lk 9:59-60, was Jesus teaching people not to honor their parents, in contrast to what Ex 20:12 says?
A: No. We should honor our parents, but some things have priority over a family after our parents have passed on. It is more important to honor our parents while they are with us on earth, than to dishonor them on earth and then honor the empty shells of their bodies after they are gone.
Hard Sayings of the Bible p.463-464 says that a nineteenth century Scottish preacher, Job McNeill, found this verse very applicable to him. Once when he was scheduled to peach at a series of evangelistic meetings in England, he received word that his father died, and that the funeral would be the same day as one of the meetings. He said: "for this same Jesus stood by me, and seemed to say, ‘Now look, I have you. You go and preach the gospel to those people. Whether would you rather bury the dead or raise the dead?’" And McNeill went to preach.
See Haley’s Alleged Discrepancies of the Bible p.287 for more info.

Q: In Lk 9:61-62, why could the man not say goodbye to his family?
A: The man would not have even asked Jesus, if all he meant was a five-minute good-bye. Rather, the man was asking to first spend some days with his family, probably as Rebecca’s family wanted in Genesis 24:54-59.
This has a rough parallel to a job interview today. If your first question, and many of the subsequent questions have to do with vacations and sick days, then the interviewer might wonder how excited you are about doing the work.
When Elijah called Elisha, Elisha briefly said goodbye to his parents in 1 Kings 19:19-21, and that was fine.
See Hard Sayings of the Bible p.464-465 for more info.

Q: In Lk 10:2, why did Jesus say the laborers were few and to pray for more?
A: Of course there were only seventy laborers at this time, but that was not the point here.
Even later, the laborers would be few. More people become Christians than actively work for God. This is not God’s desired will, because Jesus says here to pray for more laborers.

Q: In Lk 10:3, how were the seventy disciples as lambs among wolves?
A: Lambs do not seek to destroy or kill one another. Wolves not only seek to kill and destroy, they love to eat lambs. Also, there are some people that even get a perverse pleasure from turning righteous people away from righteousness.

Q: In Lk 10:12, how will it be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah than for some towns in Palestine?
A: This along with 2 Peter 2:21, shows that there are differing degrees of punishment. While Sodom and Gomorrah rejected the angels directly, they did not hear as clear a presentation of the Gospel as the people in the Galilean towns who heard Jesus.

Q: In Lk 10:13, since Sodom and Gomorrah would have repented if Jesus had come to them, and God desires none to perish in Ezek 18:23,32 and 2 Pet 3:9, why did God not send someone to them?
A: God did send both men and angels. Lot was there, and 2 Peter 2:7 says Lot was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men. God also sent the angels, which the men of Sodom tried to abuse.

Q: In Lk 10:13,14, since Tyre and Sidon would repent if they had seen the miracles, why did Jesus not do any miracle in that region?
A: It is not that all would repent, but that some in even Tyre and Sidon would repent when they saw Jesus, while many in Galilean towns would not repent. Jesus actually visited the region of Tyre and Sidon in Mark 3:8 and again in Mark 7:24-31. People traveled from Tyre and Sidon to hear Jesus in Luke 6:17.

Q: In Lk 10:15, can a whole town be sent to Hell?
A: The streets, buildings, and other objects are not sent to Hell. When everyone in an entire town rejects Jesus, then the people of the town en masse will be in Hell.

Q: In Lk 10:18, how did Satan fall from Heaven at that time?
A: As this aspect of Jesus’ ministry was unfolding, He prophetically saw Satan, the accuser, fall from Heaven, for soon people would receive the word of forgiveness of their sins, and Satan would have no ground for accusation against them.
See Hard Sayings of the Bible p.465-466 for more info.

Q: In Lk 10:19, how could Jesus’ disciples trample on serpents and scorpions?
A: Jesus was not saying to be reckless or to test God here. Rather, God would protect them from serpents and scorpions, as Paul was protected in Acts 28:3-5.

Q: In Lk 10:21, what is the significance of revealing these truths to babes and not the learned and wise people?
A: As 1 Corinthians 1:19-30 shows, God did not make the learned and wise more likely to go to Heaven because of their learning and wisdom. If learning made one more godly and righteous, then what about the Nazis in World War II? The Germans were among the most educated people on earth, and their airplane, dive-bomber, missile, tank, and coal technology were the best in the world. Yet, they performed a great evil in killing over 6 million Jews.
The Gospel is amazing in that it is so profound that the wise can study it all their life and never stop learning more. Yet, the simple can understand it easily, too.

Q: In Lk 10:22, how did the Father deliver all things to Jesus?
A: In at least four ways:
Creation: All things were created by the Father through Jesus. (John 1:3; Colossians 1:16)
Sustenance: All things are held together through Jesus (Colossians 1:17)
Judgment: The Father has entrusted man’s judgment to Jesus, that all may honor the Son as they honor the Father. (John 5:22-23)
Salvation: There is no other name under Heaven by which we may be saved. (Acts 4:21)

Q: In Lk 10:24, how did godly people who died before Christ long to see what the disciples saw?
A: The Messianic prophecies in the Old Testament show that the people were looking forward to seeing the Messiah.

Q: In Lk 10:25, how was the lawyer’s question "tempting" Jesus?
A: This is better translated, "to put Jesus to the test". Like many lawyers today, this lawyer was asking a question to which he thought he already knew the answer. His purpose in asking was not really to learn the true answer, but to see what Jesus’ would say, and to test if Jesus were right, in his eyes.

Q: In Lk 10:27, did the lawyer say this first, or did Jesus?
A: Since we do not have a record of everything Jesus said, and everything in the gospels is not in chronological order anyway, we cannot say for sure who was the first to say this. Even if the lawyer said it first, based on his proper understanding of the Bible, Jesus words still have Jesus’ authority behind them.

Q: In Lk 10:29, who is our neighbor?
A: In Luke 10:36 Jesus deliberately chose not to answer that question. Instead, He gave a fairly lengthy parable, in order that when he put the question back to us, all who wanted to, could figure it out for themselves.

Q: In Lk 10:38-42, what can we learn from Mary and Martha?
A: Service to God and spending time with God are both good, but of the two, spending time with God is better.

Q: In Lk 11:1-4, why does this prayer differ from the modern form?
A: It is shortest in Luke, longer in Matthew, and the same as today in some later manuscripts of Matthew. Assuming the modern form came later, Matthew and Luke both wrote what they remembered from the Lord’s prayer. A lesson we can learn from this is that the Lord’s prayer is not a "magic incantation" we all must memorize and pray exactly. Rather, the variation in words shows that it is the constant intent and meaning that is important, and that is what God preserved, not any formula.

Q: In Lk 11:5-8, why do we need to persist with God?
A: Jesus only said we need to be able to be persistent; here He did not say why. However, we can see some reasons for persistence.
Daniel needed to be persistent because Daniel 9:23 shows that, unknown to him, there was demonic opposition to the angel that answered his prayer.
Waiting is often important because of God’s timing.
Sometimes persistent prayer is needed because what we are attacking is a stronghold of Satan.

Q: In Lk 11:5-8, what is the difference between persistence in prayer and vain repetition?
A: In both cases, somebody might say the exact same words multiple something multiple times, or a request is repeated in different ways.
If it has meaning every time and it is an expression of what is genuinely desired, it is persistence.
If the words are said without meaning behind them, they do not mean anything more to God than the person who vainly repeats them.
In a Christian liturgies, everyone says the same thing every time the liturgy is used. Whether this is persistence or vain repetition depends not on the words, but on the hearts of the people saying the liturgy. At a historical note, we have copies of liturgies from about the time of Clement of Alexandria (wrote 193-217/220 A.D.).

Q: In Lk 11:10 (NIV), should it be translated as door or not?
A: The Greek does not explicitly say "door", but rather "it". On the other hand, the Greek also says "knock" and "open" so the implicit meaning is a door or gate.

Q: In Lk 11:11-13, what was Jesus’ point about earthly fathers vs. our Heavenly Father?
A: Though earthly fathers are not good like God the Father, even earthly fathers generally give their own children good things for which they ask. They certainly do not go out of their way to give their children bad things when they ask for good things. So be bold in asking our Heavenly Father for good things.

Q: In Lk 11:13, how does the Father give the Holy Spirit to all who ask Him, since Simon Magus asked but did not receive the Holy Spirit in Acts 8:18-23?
A: While Simon was not asking the Father but the apostles, that is not the main point here.
Rather, Simon Magus never asked for himself to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Rather, Simon offered a bribe to receive the power to give this to others and use it. Sometimes today, people want to use God rather than to be used by God.

Q: In Lk 11:26, why can a wicked spirit return with 7 additional spirits and not 6 or 8?
A: Two parts to consider in the answer.
1. Jesus was not saying it was always 7 and never another number. He was just giving an example.
2. Seven was considered a generic number of completeness, and Jesus might have been saying that "a complete set" of demons would come back.

Q: In Lk 11:31, how will the Queen of the south rise up against that generation?
A: The Queen of the South was the Queen of Sheba, who visited King Solomon in 1 Kings 10:1-10. The Jews certainly had no excuse for being far from Galilee, because of the Queen of Sheba’s example, who came from afar to hear Solomon, and Jesus’ teaching was greater than that of Solomon.

Q: In Lk 11:32, how will the men of Nineveh condemn that generation?
A: The Jews could not say either that they were too wicked or that Jesus’ teaching was too foreign. The example of the people of Nineveh will show them that the wicked foreigners of Nineveh repented at the preaching of Jonah, and Jesus’ teaching is greater than that of Jonah.

Q: In Lk 11:34, what did Jesus mean that if the eye is dark, the whole body is full of darkness?
A: Jesus used a physical situation as an analogy of a spiritual truth. If your eyes are dark (unable to see), then all of you does not see any light. Likewise, if your only spiritual input is darkness, it is no surprise that what is inside of you is darkness.

Q: In Lk 11:38-41, why did Jesus not set a good hygienic example and wash his hands before eating?
A: Jesus was making a point here that was more important than personal hygiene. When men start inventing rules and saying you have to follow their rules to follow God, Jesus took issue with that.
Do not say that God said something, if God did not actually say it, as Proverbs 30:5-6 and 1 Corinthians 4:6 says.

Q: In Lk 11:42-54, why did Jesus rebuke the Pharisees so harshly?
A: Jesus expressed his deepest disappointment at these people. On one hand, they had a great knowledge of Scripture, and communicated that to others. On the other hand, they had no love for God, and Jesus was disappointed that they had rejected God’s purpose for themselves (Luke 7:30).

Q: In Lk 11:49, why would God send a prophet to a people, since God knew that the people would kill the prophet?
A: God is extremely patient at giving people opportunities to turn to Him. Even when people kill a godly prophet, sometimes the same people later repent and turn to God, as for example, the Auca Indians did in Ecuador after they killed the Christian missionaries.

Q: In Lk 11:51 and Mt 23:35, who was Zechariah?
A: This was either Zechariah the priest, whom Joash killed in 2 Chronicles 24:20-21, Zechariah the prophet, or both were the same person. See the discussion on Matthew 23:35 for the answer.

Q: In Lk 12:1, why did Jesus compare the teaching of the Pharisees to yeast?
A: Yeast is not seen, yet its growth and its effects profoundly alter the dough. The Pharisee’s teaching was similar.

Q: In Lk 12:14, how come Jesus never divided the inheritance between the man and his brother?
A: Four points to consider in the answer.
1. Only the man asked, not the brother. It does not work too well to arbitrate a dispute between two sides, when one side never asked for, wanted, or agreed to accept the arbitration.
2. It was not Jesus’ main purpose to come to earth to settle petty civil matters.
3. There were already courts of law where the man could go.
4. Money is no blessing when a person is more concerned about money than God, as Jesus mentioned in Luke 12:21.
It is amazingly sad to reflect that this man, living at that time, was fortunate enough to see Jesus, God in the flesh. Yet, instead of asking Jesus to teach him, or give him eternal life, he only wanted Jesus to settle a petty matter. Asking God about small things is fine. However, today, do we come before God in prayer frequently for the little things, and ignore the big things?

Q: In Lk 12:15-21, what exactly did the rich man do wrong?
A: The rich man had a serious problem, but it was not what he did wrong. Rather, it was what he did not do right. Considering the future, thinking about God, and generosity toward the poor, apparently were very far from his consciousness.

Q: In Lk 12:32, does the "little flock" refer to an anointed class of 144,000 people, as the Jehovah’s Witnesses teach?
A: The Jehovah’s Witnesses teach this, in among other places, in The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived, 1991 section 78. There is no mention, here or in Revelation, that Heaven is restricted to 144,000 people. In fact, Jesus is not teaching about any future little flock, rather He is currently addressing the little flock that is currently standing right in front of Him. The little flock here is Jesus’ disciples, including Judas.
See When Cultists Ask p.148-149 for more info.

Q: In Lk 12:42-48, what does the parable of the slaves awaiting the master’s return mean?
A: There are three distinct applications of this parable.
In Jesus’ time, the people might not all have been awaiting the Messiah, but they should have been.
Since Christ’s ascension to Heaven, we are told to be watchful for His return.
In all times, people ought to be seeking God and His salvation.

Q: In Lk 12:49-52, what baptism is this?
A: This refers to the reality of which our baptism is a symbol. This refers to Christ’s death and resurrection.
See Hard Sayings of the Bible p.471-472 for a more extensive answer.

Q: In Lk 12:50, how was Jesus constrained until this baptism was done?
A: This baptism referred to Jesus’ dying on the cross, and the consequences of that, including His resurrection and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Only then would the Holy Spirit dwell in all believers and do the work Jesus sent Him to do.
See Hard Sayings of the Bible p.472-475, the Believer’s Bible Commentary p.1421, and The Bible Knowledge Commentary : New Testament p.239 for more info.

Q: In Lk 12:51, how did Jesus, the prince of Peace, come to not bring peace on earth but division?
A: Following Jesus brought division, not necessarily war and violence. Even when nonbelievers use violence to persecute Christians, it is the non-believer, not the Christian who is using violence. In John 15:18-21, Jesus told us to not be surprised at this persecution.

Q: In Lk 12:52-53, how could Christians honor their parents and not exasperate their children, since the gospel will bring division in a household?
A: Christians are to honor their parents and obey them, unless their parents command them to do something that is against what God has said. In an analogous manner, people are to obey the ordinances of the town or city they live in, except for things that contradict the laws of the state or province. People are to obey the laws of their state or province except where it would be disobeying national laws.
Christians are to cherish their family and be peacemakers, while realizing that the gospel causes division. We should be careful not to divide from others, and all the more so because the gospel will sometimes cause others to divide from us.

Q: In Lk 12:56 (KJV) and (NKJV), what is the "face of the sky and of the earth"?
A: The NIV, NASB, uNASB, RSV, and NRSV translate this word as the "appearance" of the earth and sky. Williams translation says the "look" of the earth and the sky.

Q: In Lk 12:57-59, what is Jesus’ point of not getting out until the last penny is paid?
A: When one neither asks for nor receives mercy, justice can be tough.

Q: In Lk 12:59 and Lk 21:2, on the lighter side, why would particle physicists be interested in these verses?
A: In Luke 12:59, the Greek literally says they would not get out until you have paid the last "lepton". Luke 21:2 mentions two "lepta". In modern physics, leptons are a class of subatomic particles, so one could say they would not get out until they have paid the last lepton.

Q: In Lk 13:1, why did some people tell Jesus of the Galileans whose blood Pilate mixed with their sacrifices?
A: This would be abhorrent to the Jews. They either wanted from Jesus his reaction, his explanation for why God allowed this to occur, or confirmation that this was not to be tolerated. Perhaps they were Zealots who wanted verbal support for rebelling against Rome.
Whatever they wanted, Jesus’ reaction, answer, and what he confirmed was probably quite unexpected. Jesus passed over in silence the rebuke on what everyone already knew was evil, and instead Jesus focused on why this happened to them. There are three observation we can make of Jesus’ answer.
1. It happened because they were sinners.
2. However, it is false to assume that their punishment, in the short-term, was equitable relative to other Galileans. One cannot conclude that they were worse sinners than others.
3. While Jesus never justified this action or said it was good, there was one good lesson that could be learned from Pilate’s evil. Sooner or later, all will likewise perish, unless they repent.

Q: In Lk 13:6-9, what is the point of the parable of the fig tree?
A: There are two complementary meanings.
General application: While it was not the season for figs, one might think that a fig tree by the road, possibly sheltered from the worst of the winter, might have some figs already. Whenever Jesus comes we need to be ready. When God wants us to do something, we should be ready.
Specific application: the fig tree represented the Jewish nation. Jesus was given a sign of whether or not the Jewish nation as a whole would accept Him, and the answer was they would not.

Q: In Lk 13:14, why did the synagogue ruler believer it was wrong to heal on the Sabbath?
A: Because they interpreted any creative act or production effort as work, and healing someone would be considered both of those.

Q: In Lk 13:15-17, why did Jesus answer the synagogue rulers this way?
A: Jesus could have appealed to the Old Testament Law (of which this man had a different interpretation), or to Him being the Messiah (which this man probably did not accept). Instead, Jesus shamed the man’s own inconsistency and lack of compassion.
Many times in speaking with others, it is important to start with the "common ground" of what you both accept. After that, if you point out the other side’s inconsistencies, only then would they (possibly) see the need to consider a different point of view.

Q: In Lk 13:15-17, apart from the Bible how do we know synagogues were in Bible times and not a later development?
A: The Theodotus Inscription was found near the end of the nineteenth century commemorating a Hellenistic-Jew name Theodotus, son of Vettenos. Vettenos was a priest and head of the synagogue, the son and grandson of the head of the synagogue. This was very likely written before 70 A.D. See the Dictionary of New Testament Background p.534 for more info.

Q: In Lk 13:18-21, why is the Kingdom of God like a mustard seed or yeast (leaven)?
A: Both grow in and of themselves. Perhaps Jesus used both similes because a mustard seed grows on the outside, and leaven grows on the inside, producing a result that one can see as fluffy bread on the outside.
This passage is also important because it balances other passages where yeast is a metaphor for bad teaching of the Pharisees. This use of yeast shows that you cannot take a simile with a particular meaning, and assign that word the identical meaning throughout the Bible, without regard for context.

Q: In Lk 13:23-27, why are only a few saved?
A: While Scripture does not answer this question directly, we can make a number of observations and inferences.
1. Those who die after reaching the age of accountability have chosen their destiny, explicitly or implicitly.
2. God "hesitates" in judging because he wants to give people an opportunity to repent.
3. God is not required to give opportunities to repent forever, or even to continue to give opportunities while a person is still alive. Those who commit blasphemy against the Holy Spirit are not always killed instantly.
4. Ultimately, God has no remorse about sending people to the destination of the path they have chosen.

Q: In Lk 13:31, why did these Pharisees tell Jesus that Herod planned to kill him?
A: It could be for a couple of reasons.
1. Perhaps they were sympathetic to Jesus
2. Alternately, perhaps they wanted Jesus to leave, too. Perhaps these Pharisees were not so much concerned with having Jesus dead; they just wanted Jesus out of the way. See also the next question.

Q: Does Lk 13:31 prove Herod Antipas was planning to kill Jesus?
A: No, this verse neither proves nor disproves it. The Bible records the Pharisee’s words, but it does not say whether or not they were telling the truth. Many times today, people can hear of threats and have to react to them without knowing if they are true or not.

Q: In Lk 13:31-33, what did Jesus’ answer to this threat mean?
A: There are three observations we can make from this verse.
1. Jesus identified Herod Antipas as a fox, which is not a complimentary term.
2. Jesus was not afraid of him, and did not mind them repeating His answer to Herod.
3. Jesus knew He was going to die on the cross, but He also knew that everything would happen within the Father’s timing.

Q: In Lk 13:35, what is significant about saying "blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord"?
A: Jesus could have simply said "you must say, ‘blessed is Jesus the Messiah’, or something similar. However, since they did not accept that Jesus was the Messiah, Jesus was graciously putting this in terms they could accept. They would not get to Heaven unless and until they recognized the true Messiah, who was unnamed to them.
It is interesting to contrast how Jesus and Paul "bent over backwards" in their efforts to communicate the truth, with the fact that they were never bending with respect to the content of the Gospel.

Q: In Lk 14:2, what is dropsy?
A: This medical condition is an accumulation of fluid in the body.

Q: In Lk 14:3-6, why did Jesus question them?
A: They were trying to trap them by having someone there with dropsy. Jesus took the initiative and asked them to commit on whether it was lawful to do good on the Sabbath or not. If they said yes, then good things not prohibited in the Torah would be allowed. If they said no, that would show where their hearts really were: fixed on their rules instead of on doing good for God.

Q: In Lk 14:7-11, what was the point of Jesus’ teaching on taking the lowest seat?
A: First of all seats do not matter, and human honor does not matter, either. Rather, we should be humble and be concerned about pleasing God. God honoring us is far more significant than any human honor could be.
This is a good passage to share with children when they argue over who should sit in the front seat of a car.

Q: In Lk 14:7-11, why did Jesus give to the Pharisees the teaching on taking the lowest seat just after trying to correct them about healing on the Sabbath?
A: We can speculate on a couple of reasons.
1. Uniting the Pharisees’ teaching was the desire to be honored and gain honor. Did they really make up all these rules on the Sabbath because of their love for God? No, they wanted the religious honor. Jesus is implying one should not seek religious honor; rather let God do the honoring.
2. If the Pharisees could not prove Him wrong on healing with God’s power on the Sabbath, then be humble and stop opposing Jesus.

Q: In Lk 14:12-15, what was Jesus’ point about inviting the poor, maim, lame, and blind?
A: Their society did not consider these people ideally suited to come to a party. They were not ideally suited to work, and usually they were in no position to return a favor. Three lessons we can surmise:
1. One point is that God often chooses and uses those we would consider less than ideal.
2. These people often recognize they are not ideal and would be all the more likely to rely on God and give the glory to Him.
3. However, the truth of the matter is that all of us are not ideal. If God’s standard of righteousness were compared to physical health, all of us are maimed and blind and without wealth or any hope, apart from God.

Q: In Lk 14:16-24, what was the point of Jesus’ parable on the master’s great banquet?
A: Since Jesus’ listeners could relate well to banquets by men, Jesus told them a parable about God and His banquet. Just as the master of a banquet can invite people, and they either can reject or accept, God sincerely invites all to partake of His grace, and they can either accept or reject. It seems incredible that somebody would refuse an invitation to a fabulous earthly banquet, but it happens.
Likewise, it seems incredible that anyone would refuse God’s extremely generous offer to every single person, but it too happens.

Q: In Lk 14:23, since the master compels people to come in, does this prove people have no free agency to come to Christ?
A: It no more proves this than it proves those who were not invited had no responsibility to follow God.
Obviously, nobody in this parable would think the master was sending an army, putting people in chains, and taking these people as slaves to his banquet. Rather, in this parable, "compelling" implies strong persuasion.
If someone were to try to use this passage to prove people had no free will, their attempt would backfire. The original guests, were invited, yet did not come. Thus, the original invitation was a "lost cause". Furthermore, if someone in the world had any desire to come, but they were not invited, would that be wrong to have that desire? There are non-Christians who would like to go to Heaven, - at least on their own terms, though not on God’s terms.

Q: In Lk 14:24, how come none of the guests who were rejected got a second chance?
A: God often does give people multiple opportunities, but there is a limit. While the number of opportunities is not a point of this parable, God is under no obligation to give anyone multiple opportunities.

Q: In Lk 14:26, how are Jesus’ disciples supposed to "hate" their father, mother, wife, children, and brothers?
A: The context of both this passage and their culture, based on the Mosaic Law would interpret this to mean "love less". For example, in Deuteronomy 21:15, when it speaks of a man who loves one of his wives more than the other, the word here is "hate". Matthew 10:37 shows that Jesus’ point is that we are not to love our parents more than we love God.
See Hard Sayings of the Bible p.475-476 and the Complete Book of Bible Answers p.56-57 for more info.

Q: In Lk 14:26, how would Jesus’ teaching about parents relate to the law?
A: Three points to consider in the answer.
1. Jesus’ listeners were all familiar with the Mosaic Law concerning parents, and Jesus knew that.
2. Jesus’ point was one of balance. Loving God is the first commandment, and loving others is the second, not the other way around.
3. If your love or loyalty to parents, children, or anyone else, is greater than your love and loyalty to God, your priorities need to change. It is possible for even good things to become idols.

Q: In Lk 14:34-35, what did Jesus mean, that salt that has lost its taste is only good for the dunghill?
A: Salt in general is good for providing essentials for life, flavoring, and preserving food. Salt that has lost its taste, through dilution with dirt or other causes, is not good for much. The salt that is left, if put on a dunghill will cause it to decompose slower, which will mean less concentrated bad smell.

Q: In Lk 15, what do the three parables have in common?
A: All three parables have to do with lostness and the joy of being found. The parable of the 99 + 1 lost sheep shows God searches out the lost. The parable of the 9 + 1 lost coin shows that God rejoices over finding the lost. The parable of the prodigal son shows that God forgives and accepts back the lost and wayward. Of course, as we seek the heart of God, we want our love and attitude towards others to reflect God’s love and attitude, too.

Q: In Lk 15:2, when should believers eat or not eat with sinners today?
A: The Old Testament does not say they could not eat with unbelievers, but the Jews in Jesus’ time followed their own tradition of not eating with unbelievers, as Acts 10:28 and Galatians 2:12-14 show. But Galatians 2:12-14 show that we are to eat with all people, and the only exceptions are the following.
1. 2 Thessalonians 3:10 shows that if a person refuses to work, they should not eat.
2. 2 Thessalonians 3:14 says that we should have nothing to do with those who presumably claim to be believers, but choose to disobey what Paul wrote.
3. 2 John 7-11 says that one who is a deceiver should not be welcomed into our houses.
4. 1 Corinthians 5:9-13 says that while we can associate with the immoral, greedy, robbers, or idolators, we should not eat with one of these if they claim to be a Christian.

Q: In Lk 15:20-24, why did the father take back the prodigal son, and should he have done so?
A: The father took back the prodigal son simply because he loved him. The son did the father wrong, but the father freely forgave his son who returned.
The father was under no obligation to take the son back, so nothing says he "should" have done so. However, the father was in his rights to be generous, and he graciously took back his son.

Q: In Lk 15:25,29-30, did the elder brother have a valid point?
A: A person’s answer depends on if money and treasure are thought more important than people. The older brother gained back a brother, which he apparently did not value as much as one more fatted calf. The brother’s concern about fairness, down to one fatted calf betrayed a lack of love.
It has been said that some people use things and love people, while others love things and use people. When a genuine Christian even begins to love things more than people, then their perspective is far from what God wants it to be. Things can include material possessions, knowledge, rituals, and even religion. The only thing that we are told to love more than people is God.
See Hard Sayings of the Bible p.476-477 for more info.

Q: In Lk 16:1 (KJV), what is a steward?
A: This is a servant who is entrusted with a portion of the master’s possessions. In Scotland, descendants of stewards to the king became the Stewart (also spelled Stuart) clan. Much later, some of the Stewarts themselves became kings of Scotland and even England.

Q: In Lk 16:6-8, why was the dishonest steward commended?
A: One needs to know some cultural background to see the answer. While the Israelites were commanded not to charge each other interest on loans (Leviticus 25:35, Exodus 22:25), the reality at this time was that they commonly did so. In addition, charging interest to foreigners was OK (Deuteronomy 23:20).
The steward gave back 50 out of 100 jugs of olive oil, and 20 out of 100 containers of wheat. The Wycliffe Bible Dictionary p.1761 says that the going interest rate on grain was 25% to 33 1/3 %. 25% of 80 containers of wheat would be 100 containers. I have heard a teaching that the interest on olive oil was 100%, but I have not been able to corroborate this, though the New Geneva Study Bible p.1636 also offers this as a theory.
Thus, in giving these "discounts", perhaps the steward was not cheating the master, but rather taking off interest which he should not charge a fellow Israelite anyway.
Either the master knew of the discounts or he did not. The Believer’s Bible Commentary p.1430-1431 indicates that the master knew, and commended the steward for his foresight. The Bible Knowledge Commentary : New Testament p.246 also indicates the rich man knew and still commended the steward for his shrewdness.

Q: In Lk 16:9 (KJV), what is mammon?
A: Mammon was the god of money. Mammon is used here as both a synonym for money and the worship of money.

Q: In Lk 16:9, how are believers supposed to make friends using money?
A: The dishonest steward appeared generous at that time, not for unselfish altruism, but cold pragmatism. When believers realize the temporary worth of earthly riches, they should be all the more willing to give up riches for the sake of the Gospel. As one famous Christian said, "no man is a fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."
Hard Sayings of the Bible p.477-478 adds, "‘You see,’ said Jesus, ‘worldly people, with no thoughts beyond this present life, will sometimes behave more sensibly and providently than other-worldly people, ‘the children of light.’ They will use material wealth to prepare for their earthly future; why cannot the children of light use it to prepare for their eternal future?…"

Q: In Lk 15:14, why would the Pharisees, who loved money, sneer at Jesus?
A: The Bible Knowledge Commentary : New Testament p.246 puts this well, saying that Jesus was a poor man, followed by other poor men, trying to teach them about money.

Q: In Lk 16:16 and Mt 11:12, how do some enter forcibly into the Kingdom of Heaven?
A: Hard Sayings of the Bible p.479-480 says there is ambiguity in the Greek verb here. It can be active, such as "The kingdom of heaven is forcing itself on earth" or passive, such as "the Kingdom of heaven is suffering violence…" or "men are forcing themselves into the kingdom of heaven". The Bible Knowledge Commentary : New Testament p.247 has this view.
The Believer’s Bible Commentary p.1432 points out that the context around Luke 16:16 is the Pharisee’s greed and avaricious hypocrisy. Regardless of whether people were trying to enter into God’s kingdom, or destroy the kingdom preached by John the Baptist, the Believer’s Bible Commentary p.1244 points out that John the Baptist’s preaching set off a vigorous reaction.
It is important to understand what kingdom is meant here. This does not necessarily mean that all of those forcing themselves will receive salvation, but rather they are forcing for themselves a place in God’s visible expression of His kingdom on earth.
See Hard Sayings of the Bible p.479-480 for more info.

Q: In Lk 16:17, since it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than the least part of the law, why can Christians eat pork and camel meat, and why do they not do animal sacrifices anymore?
A: Jesus superseded the Old Testament Law here.
Food: Jesus said it was not what went into a man that made him unclean, but what came out of a man, in Matthew 15:10,17-20 and Mark 7:14-15.
Mark 7:19 adds that by this Jesus declared all foods clean.
An angel of God commanded Peter to kill and eat formerly unclean animals in Acts 10:12-16.
Muslims should be able to relate to this point, as Mohammed likewise did not obey the Old Testament Law when he ate camel meat.
Sacrifices: The Israelites were to practice sacrifices; unfortunately for many it became a ritual where the meaning was lost. Sacrifice is as important, or even more important, to Christians than to the Israelites, and Hebrews 7:23-10:26 show. We too need a sacrifice, and our sacrifice was performed once and for all by our high priest, Jesus Christ, who sacrificed Himself on the cross.

Q: In Lk 16:19-31, what is the Jehovah Witness interpretation of Lazarus and the rich man?
A: This was told to me verbally by a Jehovah’s Witness, and parts I have also seen in written form. Hold on to your hats, because this is rather strange.
The rich man is the Pharisee (or clergy / priest) class feeling shamed by the faithful servant class (who follow God). Dogs represent false teachers, breadcrumbs mean God’s teaching. "Lifetime" in Luke 16:24 means they lived under the system of the law. Death does not mean physical death, but a change of position. Lazarus being carried away by angels, while the rich man who was buried means they changed states, which happened either after Jesus’ spirit rose in a spiritual body, or else at Pentecost. (I am a little unclear on this.) Torment here does not include the meaning of physical discomfort and restriction like it does elsewhere. Rather, it means mental anguish at godly preachers saying bad things about them. Since [supposedly] people who are burned do not desire water, the fire is not literal fire. The great chasm is simply that the entire class cannot cross over, though individuals can.
As When Cultists Ask p.149 says, "Because this passage so obviously supports the idea of conscious existence after death - as well as conscious suffering for the wicked following death - the Jehovah’s Witnesses go to great lengths to reinterpret it."
See also the next question.

Q: In Lk 16:19-31, what is a response to the Jehovah Witness interpretation?
A: Four points to consider in the answer.
1. The early Christians, who spoke Greek, uniformly believed in conscious torment after death for the ungodly. Besides early Christian writings, one can simply read Matthew 13:40-42,50, Revelation 20:10, and Revelation 14:9-11
2. The Jews also believed the same. This is proved by 1 Enoch 22:1-4, the Assumption of Moses 10:10, 2 Esdras 7:36, Judith 16:17, and the Psalms of Solomon 3:13. See the discussion on Luke 23:43 if you wish to read the actual quotes.
3. Jesus did nothing to rebuke or correct these allegedly false beliefs. As a matter, of fact, Jesus endorsed them by using them without correcting them. Furthermore, the terms Jesus used: "bosom of Abraham", and "Paradise" actually are terms used in the Jewish Talmud.
4. Either Jesus was deceiving them, by endorsing the allegedly belief of conscious existence after death, or else Jesus was using as true something that was commonly understood.
An illustration I gave to two Jehovah’s Witnesses missionaries shows this point.
Suppose one day I picked up a copy of the Jehovah’s Witness Awake magazine, and it told the story of two boys. One grew up and followed God, and good things happened to him after he died. The second boy grew up rejecting God, and after he died he was reincarnated as an insect. Then, I asked them if they thought I would ever read anything like that in Awake magazine, and they said certainly not, because reincarnation was not Biblical. I agreed, but then I asked, wouldn’t they still try to use a false doctrine like reincarnation to prove a true point, that you should follow God? They strongly disagreed, saying that would be deceptive of them. I agreed, but said that if consciousness of the ungodly after death was a false doctrine, then weren’t they saying that Jesus did exactly that?

Q: In Lk 16:26, what is the great divide between torment and Paradise?
A: This is the chasm God made between Heaven (paradise) and Hell (prison). C.S. Lewis in his novel about Heaven and Hell, called The Great Divorce, speculates that people in Hell could travel to Heaven, but that few would ever choose to do so. However, Luke 16:26 contradicts this speculation of C.S. Lewis. Jude 7 and Matthew 25:46 also say their punishment is eternal.
See Hard Sayings of the Bible p.480-482 for more info.

Q: In Lk 16:31, what did Jesus mean that they still would not believe, even if someone rose from the dead?
A: This was both an observation of their present attitude and a prediction of their response to the resurrection of Jesus. Of course, a short time later, Jesus even proved this by raising the brother of Mary and Martha, Lazarus, in John 11:45-53; 12:10-11.)

Q: In Lk 17:1-2, why is it so serious to cause someone else to stumble?
A: The consequences are serious of eternally turning someone away from an eternal life of joy with God.

Q: In Lk 17:3-4, why is it so important for believers to forgive others?
A: Perhaps an analogy can help here. Why is it so important for our blood to carry oxygen and food to the cells in our body, and to carry carbon dioxide and waste away? Just as these physical things are a sign of life, so is love and forgiveness a sign of our spiritual life. Anything that blocks the blood’s function is a serious problem.
As our bodies need food and oxygen, so we continually need God’s grace and love. As our bodies need to be rid of carbon dioxide and waste, so we need God’s forgiveness and cleansing. We can forgive others easily, because of how much God has forgiven us who are in Christ. If someone cannot forgive, either they have been ineffective in realizing how much God has forgiven them, or perhaps they are not saved.

Q: In Lk 17:5-6, what is Jesus teaching here about faith?
A: Faith is not a substance you are given, and what you have is all you ever have. Rather, living faith is like a seed, it has life and grows. Even if you have just a small amount of living faith, it can still grow to be a great faith, as long as the weeds and bugs are kept away, and it is watered and cared for. If you are a genuine Christian, how are you nurturing your faith?

Q: In Lk 17:6, what do we know about mulberry trees?
A: While there are 12 species of mulberry trees, the kind grown in the Israel and the Mediterranean was generally the black mulberry tree. It was grown for its fruit, and was not used for silkworms in the west until much after the time of Jesus.
Mulberry trees have shallow root systems, and high winds can topple a tree over and blow it away. Metaphorically speaking, one can imagine a strong wind (the Holy Spirit), moving a mulberry tree to the sea, an impossible-looking outcome that undoubtedly has happened.

Q: In Lk 17:7-10, what is Jesus teaching about servanthood in speaking of the servant coming in from the field and preparing the meal?
A: Three points to consider in the answer.
Pride in our obedience is foolish. It is only our fitting duty. Our obedience should be an expression of our gratitude to God.
Boasting: We should not tell God how great and obedient we are. Jesus gave an example of this in the prayer of the Pharisee vs. the Publican (tax collector) in Luke 18:9-14.
Special treatment: We should not think we deserve special treatment because of our obedience. No amount of spirituality or past obedience exempts us from listening to God and obeying Him in the future.

Q: In Lk 17:9 (KJV), what does "trow" mean?
A: This King James Version word means to "think". The Wycliffe Bible Dictionary p.1750, adds that the word "I think/trow not" were not in the original Greek manuscripts.

Q: In Lk 17:19, why did Jesus often tell people "your faith has made you well"?
A: First, Jesus wanted to commend their faith, and we should do the same. Today, it is not sufficient for Christians just to tolerate and accept believers in other godly ministries. We should pray for them, praise God for them, and publicly commend them for their work for the Lord.

Q: In Lk 17:21, since the kingdom of God is within believers, does this mean that human kingdoms are unreal, the Christian Science cult teaches?
A: No. One would have to believe an unreal definition of reality to say this. Of course, everything on earth, not just kingdoms, is not as real as Heaven. However earthly kingdoms that "really" tortured and martyred Christians, and earthly kingdoms and philosophy that "really" turns people toward evil, are not to be trivialized as mere fantasy.
See When Cultists Ask p.150 for a different but complementary answer.

Q: In Lk 17:21, since the kingdom of God is within believers, does this mean people are divine, as the Christian Science cult teaches?
A: No. We can be confident that Paul the apostle knew the answer to that. In Acts 14:11-18, Paul and Barnabas were not willing to let the Lycaonian crowd worship them. Having the Kingdom of God within you shows you are a child of God, but it does not make you divine or God. See When Cultists Ask p.150-151 for more info.

Q: In Lk 17:31-33, what is Jesus saying about remembering Lot’s wife?
A: There are at least two lessons to learn.
Suddenly, Lot’s wife was destroyed just when she felt secure after the angels rescued her. God saved her life, yet afterwards she perished due to her own disobedience.
In general, Christians might wonder how many years it will be before they can relax their guard against temptation and sin, including materialism, lust, pride, and discouragement. When will they be so spiritually mature they can forget about resisting these evils? The answer is that, this side of H