r/Bible

I understand that slavery was not quite the same in the Bible as we understand it in the western world and would like to understand this topic more.

I want to understand the relationship that slaveowners had to with their slaves and vice versa. Also how did someone become a slave?

Please add on to my questions if you are versed in this topic and if anyone has any articles that they suggest reading on this topic please let me know!

"And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come."

Why is it phrased as "who is to come" if by this moment John the Baptist HAD already arrived. Why is it not "who has come"?

I’ve been wondering how people here engage with the Bible day-to-day.

Do you find yourself using apps more often than a physical Bible? If so, what makes you prefer it — convenience, search features, reading plans, something else? Also if possible mention which app do you use and why.

Or do you still stick primarily to a physical copy? If yes, what keeps you coming back to it?

Personally curious about how this balance looks for different people today.

Here is a natural English translation of your question:

“‘The first man Adam became a living being,’ and ‘the last Adam became a life-giving spirit’ (1 Corinthians 15:45).

Also, in Romans 5:14, Adam is described as a pattern of the one to come.

Since Adam is the ancestor of all humanity, why is there no title such as ‘the God of Adam’ in the Bible?

thank you all so much in advance

Many good-meaning people use 2 Corinthians 4:4 and its reference to Satan as the “god of this world,” to argue that Satan can place individuals into public office or make someone a president or ruler over nations. However additional biblical truth found Daniel 2:21 teaches that God “controls the course of the world events; He removes kings and sets up other kings” (NLT).

Then we have Psalm 75:7, which explains that God is the one who “brings one down and exalts another” (NLT). I believe Daniel 4:17 summarizes it best, stating “The Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will” (NKJV). God is sovereign, and the devil is regulated by his decrees.

Some followers cling to the devils statement found in Luke 4:6 during the great temptation. Here the devil told Christ that he has authority over all the kingdoms of the world and gives them to whosoever he wants. Christ did not challenge this statement. Was the Lords silence due to knowing it was a complete lie by the father of lies or agreement with the devil’s statement.

I do not believe there’s a shared power agreement between God and the devil. Either the devil rules and controls the kingdoms of mankind or God does. We can’t have it both ways, and it really doesn’t work both ways.

I am reading Ezekiel right now for my Old Testament reading as well as Acts for my New Testament reading.

Acts 17:2-3 says:

> 2 As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, [3] explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,” he said.

So we can assume that Paul used a variety of Scriptures to make his point concerning the death and resurrection of Christ. And since he "reasoned" with the Jews from the Scriptures, I am assuming some of the passages he used weren't so cut and dry (or else maybe reasoning wouldn't need to be involved).

I happened to be reading Ezekiel at the same time and came across this verse.

Ezekiel 17:22-23:

> 22 “ ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will take a shoot from the very top of a cedar and plant it; I will break off a tender sprig from its topmost shoots and plant it on a high and lofty mountain. [23] On the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it; it will produce branches and bear fruit and become a splendid cedar..."

Maybe thus is already a popular interpretation (don't stone me if so!) But this, to me, was a verse that Paul very well could have used as a verse to "reason" with the Jews concerning Christ's death and resurrection.

Christ could be the "tender sprig" (consider Isaiah 53:2 and the "tender shoot") and Christ being from the "topmost shoots" (Isaiah 11:1, 10) i.e. the lineage of Jesse/Boaz/Judah ... pretty high status!

And then the "breaking off" or cutting off is a reference to Christ's death and the planting on a high mountain is a reference to Christ's resurrection.

It seemed like a pretty innocuous verse at first until I considered the Acts 17 story of Paul. Now it made me wonder what are some other obscure or uncommon verses that could be used to "reason from the Scriptures" about the death and resurrection of the Messiah? Y'all have any input?

What one word would you use to explain what the Bible is ABOUT (not just what the Bible is)? What is the Bible talking about?

Christianity has over 40,000 denominations, but the one thing that seems consistent between most of the ones I have come across they say the laws are done away with. This is a very dangerous doctrine, and it gives people the idea that they can sin willfully ask for forgiveness and do it all over again. There are plenty of verses that say the complete opposite of this doctrine in the New Testament alone. I say in the New Testament because some believe that everything in the Old Testament has been fulfilled, but there’s a lot about eschatology in the Old Testament. There are actual prophecies in the Old Testament that are happening right now in this moment. That’s another subject for another day. An often misinterpreted passage in the Bible is Matthew 5:17-19 17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

People always say that he fulfilled the law, and that’s false. There are plenty of verses after the Messiah is sacrificed that tells us to keep the laws, statutes and commandments.

Romans 7:22 (GNT) My inner being delights in the law of God.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 Surely you know that the wicked will not possess God's Kingdom. Do not fool yourselves; people who are immoral or who worship idols or are adulterers or homosexual perverts 10 or who steal or are greedy or are drunkards or who slander others or are thieves—none of these will possess God's Kingdom.

Revelation 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

All of these Bible verses in my opinion need no interpretation. I believe people just want to find a way to justify their actions. They often come to platforms like this looking for validation in the sinful life they lead. What’s even worse is so many people tell them that God loves them.

John 9:31 Now we know that God heareth not sinners, but if any man be a worshiper of God and doeth His will, him He heareth.

If God doesn’t hear the prayers of sinners what does that tell you? Repent and follow his son because he is the perfect example of how we should be. He isn’t blessing anyone who breaks his laws. They are there for a reason, and they will still be there when it’s heaven on earth.

With there being over 40,000 Christian denominations which one is the right one? None of them because we weren’t commanded to follow a particular denomination.

Matthew 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Do you really think that just because you go to church you’ll make it to the kingdom? Does the church you go to recognize the sabbath day? If not you should know that that place is not about the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Does your church ask for tithes? Well that’s a part of the Mosaic law they say is done away with. There is no Levitical priesthood so why are they collecting tithes? Tithes came from crops, and livestock not shekels. Tithing was for the priest to take care of the holy days we’re commanded to commemorate. Tithing was also to help take care of the widows, and orphans. Does your church commemorate Passover or Easter? Do you gather together every new moon? Does your church promote christmas? Too many of us like to go with the flow, and I must tell you the flow is going into the lake of fire.

Philippians 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Acts 5:29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

I encourage you all to grab the proverbial bull by the horns. Do not allow misleaders to deceive you into following them into eternal damnation because evil is so arrogant that it believes it will win even while knowing the end already. You all take care, have faith in the Messiah and keep the commandments.

John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

Today in my personal study I just stuck on this particular verse that I read in Bible and one thing I learned from this verse is that prayer is not just something we do when everything falls apart, but something we can do in every situation.

It reminds me that instead of carrying all my worries in these Mortal World, I can bring them to God. Prayer becomes a way of trusting Him, not just asking for things.

I know our Heavenly Father and even his Son Jesus Christ really listening our Prayer and they Love us uncondiotionally. May God Bless us All.

Hey everyone,

I’ve been thinking about how people engage with daily scripture, and had an idea I wanted to get your thoughts on.

Would you find it useful to have a random Bible verse show up directly on your iPhone home screen every day? Something simple you can see at a glance without opening an app.

I’ve been building a small widget around this idea for myself, and I’m curious if this is something others here would actually use or find meaningful.

Do you prefer structured readings, or do you like the idea of a random verse throughout the day?

I’m trying to figure out what would condemn a saved Christian to hell. If anyone here knows well about this please drop what your knowledge is about this in the comments!

Yes we should not be committing crimes or harming others, doing immoral acts, but as saved Christians we have the gift of forgiveness. BUT this does not mean we should just sin because God will forgive us. We need to be intentional and resist temptation to do wrong.

Is our salvation determined by how well we keep the Ten Commandments? When Christ died he fulfilled the law, Paul said we under grace and not the law. However he himself clarified this doesn’t mean that we can just sin because we have God’s grace upon us.

I grew up in a denomination that does not follow the Bible correctly, and we were taught that if we break even one of the Ten Commandments we won’t be in heaven. One of the most important ones was that if we don’t keep the 4th, we will be sent to hell at the end. I’m coming out for this “religion” and I’m trying to find the truth and essentially rediscover Christianity.

Would love if you guys can help me out!

The rich man neglected to comfort the suffering lazarus while alive, and lazarus did not receive comfort on earth. But when both died lazarus was comforted and the rich man felt tormented. The parable even gives that exact reason to the rich man as reason for his torment.

He neglected the commandment of love your neighbour by not caring about the poor beggar at his gate while he was feasting. The rich man even knew lazarus name in the afterlife which suggests he was quite familiar with him on earth already.

There is also the statement that Moses and the Prophets are enough warning to avoid such punishment which obviously and clearly refers to love your neighbour as yourself which is not so different from the popular concept "karma". Naturally karma is not a biblical teaching but it fits this parable quite well and even non-christians seem capable of making this connection.

I mean the parable is part of the gospel and not a standalone work so obviously the reason for the rich mans punishment is not simply being rich but neglecting the commandment love thy neighbour, care for the poor etc.

But unlike karma christianity is not about justification by works or good deeds but considers them natural expression of faith that lets us avoid the punishment for our sins. Jesus likewise spoke about storing up treasures in heaven and about being great in heaven depending on how one loves their neighbour and lives their faith.

It is quite fascinating how the bible can have similiar themes as other religions but has a distinct framework that is paralleled in the entire bible from OT to NT.

I have read the entire Bible more times than I can count and have studied it deeper than literally anyone I've ever met.

I am not ignorant that there are others out there likely more knowledgeable than me, I've just never met them IRL.

I believe God has opened my mind to be capable of understanding scripture. I do not believe it's possible to truly understand scripture unless you are granted permission from God.

I know I'll likely get more hate than genuine questions, because the Bible says the world will hate true believers, but that's ok. I just want to put this out there in case there is anyone who could actually benefit from my knowledge.

I'm part of no church or denomination. I believe a true gospel centered church is rare and almost impossible to find.

I do not align with "conservatives" or anyone from the left or the right.

I want to test my knowledge and I welcome the most difficult questions.

If you want a private discussion feel free to send me a DM and we can speak free of trolls.

So I have this friend who's been trying to get closer to God for a while now. Like genuinely trying. And every few months he'd tell me "okay this time I'm actually going to read the Bible front to back."

First attempt: made it through Genesis, tapped out somewhere in Exodus. Second attempt: got a bit further, died in Leviticus (as one does). Third attempt: Genesis again. Quit. Fourth attempt: didn't even make it out of Genesis.

At some point it became kind of a running joke between us. He'd buy a new Bible, or download a new app, or print out a reading plan, and two weeks later he'd sheepishly admit he'd fallen off again. And the thing is, he genuinely wanted to do it. It wasn't a motivation problem in the way people usually mean it. He wasn't lazy. He just kept hitting the same walls over and over again.

He'd start at Genesis because that's what you do, right? And by Leviticus he's reading about sacrificial laws and zoning out. Or he'd try to "just pick something" and end up decision-paralyzed every morning. Or he'd miss a day, then two, then a week, then feel too guilty to open it again. He'd ask people for advice and get 15 different answers — "start with John!" "read Proverbs!" "do a chronological plan!" — and freeze up.

Meanwhile this same guy has a 300+ day streak on Duolingo. He scrolls TikTok for hours. He finishes entire seasons of shows in a weekend. So clearly the habit machinery in his brain works fine — the problem was friction.

That's kind of when it clicked for me. The issue wasn't him. The issue was that every "solution" out there either dumped the whole Bible on him and said "good luck," or gave him a generic plan that didn't match where he actually was spiritually.

So I built him an app. I called it Olive.

The idea is stupid simple. You answer like 4 or 5 quick questions when you first open it — stuff like how familiar you are with the Bible, what you're hoping to get out of it, that kind of thing — and it builds you a reading plan based on your answers. If you're brand new, it might start you in the Gospels instead of throwing you into Genesis. If you're more seasoned, it'll give you something meatier. Then every day, you just open the app and read. One chapter. That's it. It's laid out in a scroll format (think TikTok but, you know, scripture) so you're not fumbling around trying to figure out what's next. Scroll, read, done. No decisions, no guilt trips, no 47-tab study interface. Just the chapter for today.

He's been using it for a while now and it's the longest he's ever stuck with it. Which honestly made me tear up a little the first time he told me.

Anyway, I figured if he struggled with this, other people probably do too. If you've ever tried to start reading the Bible and bounced off it, might be worth a look. It's called Olive and probably going to release it on the App Store soon.

📖 Hebrews 12:11 “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace…”

Devotion What you’re going through right now doesn’t feel good. It’s uncomfortable, stretching you, and forcing you to face things you’ve been avoiding. Part of you just wants it to stop. But not everything painful is meant to break you—some things are meant to refine you. God is using this season to shape your character and draw you closer to Him. Growth doesn’t happen in comfort, it happens in surrender.

Reflection What is God trying to change in you through this season? Are you resisting it or allowing Him to work in you?

🤍 Prayer Lord, this season has been difficult and I don’t always understand it, but I don’t want to resist what You’re doing in me. Change me where I need to change. Remove anything in me that is not aligned with You. Help me trust that You are shaping me for something greater. In Jesus’ name, Amen. ✝️

What are the best English Bible translations that you recommend? Also ones that you suggest to stay away from?

I’m (18M) kind of worrying about how God expects me to work even though I’m being faithful—or at least I think I am.

Basically, I made this work schedule that’s solely for working towards my dreams and goals:

Work on 2-3 goals six days a week for an hour and a half to 2 hours per activity depending on the day:

————————

Monday

Drawing

Screenwriting

Tuesday

Film Study

Drawing

Wednesday

Screenwriting

Screenplay Study

Thursday

Drawing

Film Study

Friday

Screenwriting

Creative Output

Saturday

Sabbath rest day with no required productivity. The focus is full rest from work-related effort. You may walk, reflect, pray, or do light, non-productive inspiration only if it feels restful rather than demanding.

Sunday

Light reset day. Optional gentle creative work or catching up on one missed block if needed. Otherwise use this day to plan the upcoming week and ease back into structure without pressure.

————————

My deepest concern is that I’m not doing enough and that I’m still being lazy.

Laziness is one of my biggest fears in regards to being viewed by God/Jesus. Every time I think I’m being a sluggard and I’ll eventually come to poverty bc of my lack of work.

I feel like I’m disciplining myself more, but then I compare myself to others—some, if not most people work multiple hours on their goals and passions—and that makes me feel inadequate or lazy.

Another big fear is burning myself out or working too much because I know scripture warns about “anxious toiling” and working too hard/much overall and I just don’t want that.

I’m trying to be faithful with the work God has given me and ultimately faithful to Him alone, I just fear I’m doing everything wrong and I need to work even harder and more…

I would really appreciate some insight and guidance through this (even just saying that feels like idolatry). I’m just very confused and worried because I want to serve God with all my heart, but I also don’t want to exceed my limits in an unhealthy way which He warns about.

Please, I would love some advice, insight, guidance, help, etc. I don’t currently go to a church, so I have no one truly other than here to express my concerns.

I’m praying for Jesus’ guidance and wisdom through this difficult time as well, hopefully something hopeful and good comes. Please, Lord help me.

Is this a legitimate response to what is commonly taught and believed. Due to Adam and Eve’s disobedience they automatically transferred their authority to Satan. Does Scripture teach that there was a legal or divine transfer of dominion?

This ideology is based on the devil being the god and ruler of this world which both Jesus and Paul confirm in scripture. But isn’t this a god without dominion, authority, or power over all the kingdoms of the world?

During the tempationin Luke 4:6 Satan offered Jesus all the kingdoms of world- claiming they were given to him therefore he could give them to who anyone he wants to.

However God said in Psalm 24:1: “the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it”(NIV).

There is no shared governance or rule with God and the devil. Someone is not telling the truth and we know Satan is the father of lies.

There is no clear biblical support for the idea that God, who retains ultimate sovereignty, permitted an automatic transfer of earthly authority from humanity to Satan because of the Fall. Yes, sin opened the door for Satan to exercise undue influence or persuasion over humanity’s actions. Yet, he does not have sovereign authority over this world to do as he pleases.