The Cup in the Bible

In ancient times, the primary use of wine was for ancestral and divine offerings, with enjoyment being secondary. When people drank wine together as an act of worship, they often shared a single cup to signify a close relationship with God. The cup was a common vessel in the daily life and rituals of ancient […]

Cornelius of Caesarea

Caesarea was a coastal port city built by Herod the Great. It was the administrative center for Roman rule in Judea and the residence of the Roman governor, with a population that was mostly Greek. The Bible mentions Cornelius, a centurion of the Italian Cohort, who was stationed there. A “cohort” was a Roman military […]

The Kenites

The Kenites (or Kenite clan) are mentioned many times in the Bible. As early as the time of Abraham, the Kenites were living scattered throughout the region of Canaan, and they consistently maintained a friendly relationship with the Israelites. Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro, and his family were Kenites who lived in Midian. Jethro’s son, Moses’ brother-in-law, […]

The Last Apostle—Paul (Saul)

Saul, also known as Saul of Tarsus, later changed his name to Paul. Paul was born in a city called Tarsus, located in the southeastern part of modern-day Turkey, at the northeastern corner of the Mediterranean Sea. Tarsus was a university city, home to what was considered the third-most famous university of its time. Paul […]

The Veil

Based on the detailed account in Exodus 26, we know the veil of the Tabernacle was specially made according to God’s own instructions. It was woven from blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and fine linen, with cherubim skillfully embroidered on it. The veil hung on four gold-plated acacia wood pillars with gold hooks, which rested […]

Jael

Jael is a figure in the Hebrew Bible’s book of Judges. She was the wife of Heber the Kenite (Heber was a Midianite, a descendant of Hobab, Moses’s father-in-law) and the heroic woman who killed Sisera, the commander of King Jabin’s army. Although she was a foreign woman, she had a strong faith and knowledge […]

Simon Who Tried to Buy the Holy Spirit

In Acts chapter 8, because of a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, the disciples were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria, with the exception of the apostles. Philip (later called “Philip the evangelist”), one of the seven deacons of the Jerusalem church, was forced to go to a city in Samaria. There, he discovered […]

A Name of God in the Bible: Jehovah-Nissi

The name Jehovah-Nissi is first used in Exodus 17 to commemorate the Israelites’ victory over the Amalekites in the desert. Shortly after the Israelites left Egypt, crossed the Red Sea, ate manna, and drank water from the rock in Horeb (at Rephidim), they faced their first battle. The Amalekites came to Rephidim to fight against […]

Deborah

Men and women are equal in Christ. God can use men as judges, but He can also use women. However, equality does not mean sameness; men and women have different roles in God’s plan. God’s arrangement is for men to take the lead, and for women to be good helpers. When the men of Israel […]

The Cornerstone

[Acts 4:11-12] He is the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone. Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved. Acts 4:11 quotes Psalm 118:22. When Jewish people built a foundation for a house, they would first […]