Information Related to "Questions and Answers - Apr/Jun 2001"
| Audio/Video |
Question: The Bible didn't always have chapters and verses, did it?
Answer: You are correct in understanding that the books of the Bible, as originally written, were not divided as we find today with chapters and verses. Originally they were written as narratives, stories or letters. Hundreds of years before there were bound books as we have today, the texts of the Bible were preserved on scrolls that would be rolled up for storage.
Prior to the 12th century there were no divisions added to the text of Scripture. But in 1250, Cardinal Hugo divided each of the books of the Bible into chapters. About 300 years later, in the mid 1500s, verses were also added. The purpose is to aid in finding a particular passage, which indeed these divisions do. The drawback is that these divisions often interrupt the thought pattern of the author. So when we read and study the Bible, we need to keep this in mind and look for flow and context from one chapter or verse to the next.
Question: Did Adam have a navel since he was created not born? Did Adam have any sex organs before Eve? Did the animals also live forever before the sin, and if so why do they die since they have not sinned?
Answer: The Bible says very little about your first two questions. The Bible is primarily a book about relationships between God and mankind. In it we learn how God loves us and how He wants us to love Him in return. Through its pages we see how others strove to do this and we are encouraged to do the same. The Bible, as the Word of God, gives us instructions on how to live (Matthew 4:4) and does not include every scientific or historical detail.
Related Information on UCG Sites:
Table of Contents that includes "Questions and Answers - Apr/Jun 2001"
Anger: