Bible Questions Answered

Questions

Incarnate

Question 7: What does the word “incarnate” mean? Does it occur in the Bible?

A: The word “incarnate” means simply something which has, or takes on, flesh or bodily form, especially a human form. In Christian theology it refers especially to God the Son taking on human form and becoming the man Jesus, who was born, lived, and died in our human world.

The word does not occur in the Bible, nor does a full statement of the doctrine of the incarnation as such, but elements of the doctrine do occur.

The doctrine of the incarnation means simply that Jesus existed as divine (John 8:56-58, Philippians 2:5-7), left that divine state (John 6:38, Philippians 2:5-7, Hebrews 4:14), became human (John 1:14), lived as a human (Hebrews 4:15) and died as a human would. (Christian doctrine also affirms that he rose from the dead, but that is not part of the doctrine of incarnation as such.)

What is the lesson of the incarnation?

In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins

Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. . . . We love because he first loved us.

Those who say, ‘I love God,’ and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen.

The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.” -1 John 4:10-11; 19-21

The Sin of Sodom

Question 8: What was the sin of Sodom?

A: The Bible comments on the sin(s) of Sodom in several places. In modern times, we have tended to focus narrowly on what is called “sodomy,” but the very focus on that term tends to allow us to see the sins committed in Sodom as “somebody else’s sins”. Let’s focus on Biblical statements about Sodom, and how they might apply to us, our churches, and our ministries.

Biblical comments make it quite clear that the wickedness of Sodom and the other cities of the plain were very wicked (Genesis 13:13, 18:16, 19:26). It is interesting to note, however, that many times when Sodom is referenced in scripture it is to show how much more wicked the some of God’s people were than those of Sodom (Luke 10:12, Ezekiel 16:48). It was also referenced as an example of complete and final judgment (Isaiah1:9 [also quoted at Romans 9:29], 2 Peter 2:6, Jude 1:7).

Yet Sodom was not afflicted by one sin, as the modern use of its name might suggest, but rather by many. Ezekiel puts it this way:

“Consider this! The guilt of Sodom your sister was that she and her daughters had pride, abundance of food, and easy prosperity, but did not strengthen the poor and miserable. They were haughty [lifted up], and committed abominations before me; so I destroyed them when I saw it.” Ezekiel 16:49,50. Elsewhere it is specified that the sins involved sexual immorality (Jude 1;7), as does the story of Lot. After all, the citizens of Sodom were planning the homosexual rape of two men visiting the city. There was a total lack of hospitality followed by a brutal attack on those who were, as far as the citizens could tell, without protection.

Ezekiel focuses us in on those aspects of the sin of Sodom which touch rather close to home; pride, haughtiness or arrogance, greed, and a lack of caring.

Looked at this way, perhaps “sodomy” should have a slightly different definition.

Do we operate from a position of spiritual pride? We’re guilty of sodomy.

Do we have enough, are we prosperous and yet fail to care? We’re guilty of sodomy.

Are we haughty, lifting ourselves up above others? We’re guilt of sodomy.

Are we guilty of sexual immorality of any sort? We’re guilty of sodomy.

Do we act in violence against those who are helpless? We’re guilty of sodomy.

Sodom is forceful and clear example of our habit, as a church, of reading the Bible to find what it says about other peoples’ sins. I do not intend in any way to deny the Biblical standards of sexual morality. Rather I intend to focus this passage and any other on what it says about you and me.

Asking a new Bible Question

Email questions@biblepacesetter.org with your Bible question. Answers will be posted to our Bible Questions mailing list, and then added to our archive of questions here on the Pacesetters Bible School web site.

Subscribing to our Bible Questions List

Pacesetters Bible School Bible questions e-mail list: