Editorial Staff

Question: Many are confused about the manner of Jesus Christ’s return. How will we know when He returns to Earth?

Answer: Before His death, resurrection and ascension into heaven, Jesus Christ promised, "I will come again" (John 14:3). But many who call themselves Christians differ widely in their beliefs about the manner of Christ’s return. Some think that He will come secretly; others believe that He will return twice—secretly at first, then later visibly. A few think that He has already returned to Earth. What is the truth?

Question: Does Galatians 4:8–10 teach that Christians are not required to observe God’s Sabbath and Holy Days?

Answer: No, it does not. The Apostle Paul addressed his letter to the Christians of Galatia, who were a unique mixture of Jews, Romans, Greeks and Gauls, with a distinctive character shaped by centuries of Celtic influence (see J. B. Lightfoot’s Commentary on Paul’s Letter to the Galatians, 1999, pp. 12–17).

Question: Most professing Christians believe that the saved will go to heaven at death. But they have little or no idea about what they will do in heaven. What does the Bible teach is the reward of the saved?

Answer: The belief in "going to heaven" at death is not only held by most professing Christians. People all over the world, of many religions, cling to a belief in some kind of afterlife—some type of "reward" or blissful life after death.

Question: Exactly what does it mean to "overcome"? Is "overcoming" important in living the Christian life?

Answer: While Jesus was instructing His disciples, He told them: "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:48). Did Jesus mean that His followers would become absolutely perfect while still human beings?

Question: Various churches use water to perform a rite they call baptism. What is the purpose of water baptism? What method of baptism is correct according to the Bible?

Answer: Few in modern Christianity understand the real meaning of water baptism. There is also much confusion about how baptism should be done. Some churches sprinkle and some pour, while others practice complete immersion in water.