The following articles are related to the topic of IMMANUEL

Immanuel — God Is With Us

Names are of great importance in the Bible. Some names have historical significance. "Adam," for example, may derive from the Hebrew adama, "the red soil"-thus suggesting something of his physical origin (Gen. 2:7). And "Eve" ("living," "life") was so designated because "she was the mother of all living" humans (Gen. 3:20). Sometimes names were symbolically descriptive of character. During his ... read more »

Did Isaiah Prophesy the Virgin Birth of Christ?

"Does Isaiah 7:14 contain a prophecy of the virgin birth of Jesus Christ? Some suggest that Isaiah's statement refers to a 'young woman' (not necessarily a 'virgin') of his day, who would conceive and give birth to a child, and that this event would be a sign to Hezekiah. It is then further said that Matthew took that text and ... read more »

Isaiah 7:14 – Did Isaiah Prophesy the Virgin Birth of Christ?

"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel" (Isa. 7:14). Of whom speaketh the prophet?Some, of liberal persuasion, argue that the Hebrew term almah does not mean a virgin, and that this passage refers to some "young married woman known to Isaiah" (Willis, 161). ... read more »

Islam and the Deity of Jesus Christ

A Moslem recently made the following comment. "There are no Jewish writings that prophesied the appearing of 'God' on earth in the form of a man."He said this in a denial of the Christian claim that Jesus of Nazareth possessed the nature of "God" in the flesh.He further asserted that Christ never even claimed that he was the "Son of ... read more »

Matthew’s Account of the Virgin Birth

Just who was Jesus of Nazareth? Was he "the fruit of an adulterous union of Mary with a certain soldier whose name was Pantheras" as the pagan philosopher, Celsus charged? Was he the natural son of Joseph as German theologian, Adolf Harnack suggested? Or was he, in fact, precisely who he claimed to be, the divine Son of God? In ... read more »

Why Do You Refer to Israel as Palestine?

Why do you refer to Israel as Palestine (land of the Phillistines)? Should we not call the land by its biblical name, rather than by a name referencing its pagan dwellers? The fact is, there is no exclusive biblical name for that tiny territory (about the size of Massachusetts and Connecticut combined) that lies between the Jordan River and the ... read more »

The Miraculous and the Origin of Christianity

There are numerous contrasts between Christianity and the other leading religions of the world. One of these is the difference between the miraculous phenomena (either real or alleged) associated with the various systems. Let me illustrate what I mean. The "faith" that was to be known eventually as "Christian" was characterized by the "miraculous" from the beginning. The Old Testament ... read more »

Are Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit “God” in Nature?

"We have an elder in our congregation who teaches that long, long ago, God the Father created both Christ and the Holy Spirit.He further teaches that neither Jesus nor the Spirit is 'God.'What can you advise concerning this matter?" As a general rule, we refrain from commenting on specific problems congregations or individuals may be having. Regardless, I must say ... read more »

Mary’s First Communion

Some seven centuries before the birth of Christ, Isaiah prophesied that a certain "virgin" would conceive and bear a son whose name would be called "Immanuel," an expression which would suggest, "God is with us" (Isaiah 7:14). The name was symbolic, reflecting what the Person would be, not what his proper name would be called (Matthew 1:21). The inspired Matthew ... read more »

Was Jesus the Son of God Eternally?

Errors regarding Christ's nature have been around since the Savior was on earth. Some of the Jews contended he was demon possessed and mentally deranged (John 10:20). He was charged with blasphemy (Mk. 2:7) and making himself equal with God (Jn. 5:18). It even was hinted that he was born of fornication (Jn. 8:41). In the second century, the Docetists ... read more »