The First Family & Other Bible Questions Answered
1) The real meaning of Genesis 4:15-16. Who were this people in the land of Nod? To me I think Adam and Eve were the first family.
They were the first family for sure. We see in Genesis 4:25-26 that Seth, who was next in the genealogical line from Adam to Noah, was born after Cain killed Abel. But we see in Genesis 5:3 that Adam lived one hundred thirty years before he begat Seth, so Cain and Abel could very well have been over one hundred years old each when Cain killed Abel (remember that Adam and Eve were created as full grown adults and probably conceived Cain very shortly after they were created and then quickly conceived Abel afterwards). It is reasonable to believe that there were multiple generations descended from Adam by the time Cain killed Abel. Just because the Bible mentions Cain begetting a son named Enoch after he was sent to the land of Nod doesn’t mean he didn’t have children or grandchildren, or even great grandchildren before this. And just because the Bible never mentions Abel having children, it does not mean that he did not have them, and he may very well have even had grandchildren or great grandchildren by the time Cain killed him. There could easily have been over one hundred people, or even considerably more, on earth by this point then- and they may have scattered considerably too by this point as well. News of Cain killing Abel would have traveled, though much slower than news travels now, and it seems likely someone would have sought to slay Cain without God putting that mark upon him to indicate that, given God’s perfect knowledge and His deep wisdom, did not want Cain killed for what he did to Abel, and that there’d be a seven-fold punishment for anyone who killed Cain.
2a) Who has spiritual authority to bless their children between a Father and Mother?
It does not have to be one or the other. Whoever has a life that God deems holy and a faith which He deems acceptable. Ideally, that would be both parents.
If you’re talking in the sense of blessing decisions which are important like if a young adult leaves home or gets married or something like that, then that would be the father if the father is present and his home is such that it is not unrighteous for his offspring to be there (if he is a seriously violent drunk, his wife and children should get away from him anyways or if He forbids Christian worship in his home or if he is bringing whores home or something severe such as these things). In such cases, the mother has a righteous reason to leave him and divorce him. She needs to take fatherly responsibilities as well as motherly responsibilities as long as she is a single mother with children who are dependent on her then.
2b) Keeping Sabbath holy…are there days Husband and Wife should keep before Lord’s day. (Sleeping together)
Not sure exactly what is meant here, but it seems to be a question about whether there is a day of the week or year in which a husband and wife ought to have marital relations or ought not to have marital relations. There are certainly no such days where marital relations are commanded or forbidden. The most specific the Bible gets about this is that the man should not go into his wife if she is obviously menstruating; and besides that, there is the following passage.
1 Corinthians 7:3-6: “Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband. The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife. Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency (lack of ability to restrain). But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment.”
2c) Is it biblical for church leaders to hang their pictures (large selfies) in the church as we see today in many fake churches (big banners with picture- husband and wife).
There was obviously no photography in Bible times, but in principle we read in Philippians 2:3: “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.”
It’s hard to think of a reason to hang a photo of just the church leader or just the church leader and his wife or just the church leader and his whole family even. That seems vainglorious. I wouldn’t do it, but I’d also hear someone’s reason for doing so before I concluded they were vainglorious or rebuked them for this. I think that such a thing will usually be part of a bigger pattern where there is a lot of other evidence of self-exaltation among the church’s leadership.
2d) What are the spiritual /prophetic things in the church today? And if there is, what’s their purpose? e.g. Bible- God’s word.
I answered a similar question last year. Here is that question and part of my answer to it.
Do we still have God’s prophets in today’s church (Luke 16:16)?
Not in the sense of writers of Scripture, like Luke 16:16 is speaking of in its context. But in the sense of those that speak so that they edify God’s church, yes. 1 Corinthians 14:3 “But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.” Having a Christian mindset involves having a focus on edifying the church. I’d stress the importance of this to the church and exhort everyone to study how to do this- and also to study when it is appropriate for them not to do this (example: it’s not for women to take it upon themselves to do this during the church meeting, as Paul would later make clear in 1 Corinthians chapter 14). I’d distrust anyone who goes around calling themselves a prophet, as if it were their title and they are some special person in comparison to other Christians.
I’ll add to this now that those in church leadership should seek to occasionally give messages speaking to specific situations and needs among the church instead of just doing a general teaching message; and they should be open to having trusted members of their fellowship share words of edification, exhortation, and/or comfort for the church if they should have them ready to share. I believe that if a church never really has a message which it is appropriate for its membership but isn’t really fitting to just share with the public in general, then it is probably very weak in prophecy in the sense of 1 Corinthians 14:3; the sense in which it is absolutely necessary to edify God’s people. A church on the other hand which only had messages attempting to speak to that particular church and at that particular time, and never had any messages which were fitting to share with the general public, I believe you could be sure that church is failing in terms of sound Bible teaching and probably off in being Biblically prophetic too.
The solution to these potential dilemmas has to be found in seeking to edify the church according to its true spiritual needs as God defines them.
Doing so surely would mean teaching the church general sound doctrine, general Bible principles, and tackling Scripture by expounding on its passages in an objective. straightforward manner.
It would also surely involve applying God’s Word to the specific problems among the church members, for training the church according to its specific ministry opportunities and complicated circumstances which church members are facing, and addressing emotional states in the church and dealing with the proper outlook regarding the things which have caused such emotional states.
This is all part of perfecting the saints and edifying the body of Christ. Church leaders who don’t understand, or who lose focus on the goals according to God’s Word and/or those who lose touch with the present understanding and spiritual states of the individual members of their church, are going to fail. Those who study the Bible and watch their flock wholeheartedly in faithfulness to the Lord are going to best know how the flock should be fed and trained. The balance of teaching the Bible in general and speaking the Word of God to minister to specific needs and situations in the church (and letting the church members minister to each other in these ways), will then be best discerned.
2e) Do we still have holy anointing oil /water in today’s church? If there is, what’s it purpose?
No, we do not. Holy water is an invention of man.
There was a special recipe for the holy oil used in the holy place of the Temple. It was to be used in the context of the holy place of the Temple and for anointing Israel’s priests. We have no permission to make it and/or use it now, and it was forbidden to be used in any other context ever. There was also a perfume which had a specific recipe which was to be put before the most holy place in the Temple. It was also not to be made nor used in any other context. This is proven from Exodus 30:22-38.
Anyone who claims to have special oil is a liar. Those who claim such are selling it or trying to dupe people into believing the one making the claim has authority which they do not have. They are probably doing both. When the Bible speaks of things like the elders of the church being called for to anoint the sick with oil in the name of the Lord in James 5:14, the Bible does not specify what type of oil should be used. It should definitely not be the recipe for the oil used in the Temple service, and anyone who claims to have a special oil otherwise is a liar. It seems like olive oil, or another oil used alone would demonstrate the appropriate symbolism in the context of James 5:14.
Aaron’s email is: [email protected]
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