NIV, Our Heritage and Faith Holy Bible for African-American Teens

Our Heritage and Faith Holy Bible for African-American Teens

New International Version

The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by Permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Our Heritage and Faith Holy Bible for African-American Teens

Published by Zondervan Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530, USA

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eISBN: 9780310410898

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Table of Contents

Cover Page

Articles and Resources

OLD TESTAMENT

NEW TESTAMENT

Copyright

OLD TESTAMENT

NEW TESTAMENT

Genesis by Chapters

Exodus by Chapters

Leviticus by Chapters

Numbers by Chapters

Deuteronomy by Chapters

Joshua by Chapters

Judges by Chapters

Ruth by Chapters

1 Samuel by Chapters

2 Samuel by Chapters

1 Kings by Chapters

2 Kings by Chapters

1 Chronicles by Chapters

2 Chronicles by Chapters

Ezra by Chapters

Nehemiah by Chapters

Esther by Chapters

Job by Chapters

Psalms by Chapters

Proverbs by Chapters

Ecclesiastes by Chapters

Song of Songs by Chapters

Isaiah by Chapters

Jeremiah by Chapters

Lamentations by Chapters

Ezekiel by Chapters

Daniel by Chapters

Hosea by Chapters

Joel by Chapters

Amos by Chapters

Obadiah

Jonah by Chapters

Micah by Chapters

Nahum by Chapters

Habakkuk by Chapters

Zephaniah by Chapters

Haggai by Chapters

Zechariah by Chapters

Malachi by Chapters

Matthew by Chapters

Mark by Chapters

Luke by Chapters

John by Chapters

Acts by Chapters

Romans by Chapters

1 Corinthians by Chapters

2 Corinthians by Chapters

Galatians by Chapters

Ephesians by Chapters

Philippians by Chapters

Colossians by Chapters

1 Thessalonians by Chapters

2 Thessalonians by Chapters

1 Timothy by Chapters

2 Timothy by Chapters

Titus by Chapters

Philemon

Hebrews by Chapters

James by Chapters

1 Peter by Chapters

2 Peter by Chapters

1 John by Chapters

2 John

3 John

Jude

Revelation by Chapters

Articles and Resources

How to Use the Our Heritage and Faith Holy Bible for African-American Teens Bible, eBook Edition

Preface to the New International Version

Questions & Answers

Introduction

Faith

Heritage

Coping with Daily Challenges to My Faith

Understanding What I Believe

Alphabetical Order of the Books of the Bible

Table of Weights and Measures

Maps

Index to Color Maps

How to Use the Our Heritage and Faith Holy Bible for African-American Teens, eBook Edition

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Preface to the New International Version

THE NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION is a completely new translation of the Holy Bible made by over a hundred scholars working directly from the best available Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek texts. It had its beginning in 1965 when, after several years of exploratory study by committees from the Christian Reformed Church and the National Association of Evangelicals, a group of scholars met at Palos Heights, Illinois, and concurred in the need for a new translation of the Bible in contemporary English. This group, though not made up of official church representatives, was transdenominational. Its conclusion was endorsed by a large number of leaders from many denominations who met in Chicago in 1966.

Responsibility for the new version was delegated by the Palos Heights group to a self-governing body of fifteen, the Committee on Bible Translation, composed for the most part of biblical scholars from colleges, universities and seminaries. In 1967 the New York Bible Society (then the International Bible Society and now Biblica, Inc.©) generously undertook the financial sponsorship of the project—a sponsorship that made it possible to enlist the help of many distinguished scholars. The fact that participants from the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand worked together gave the project its international scope. That they were from many denominations—including Anglican, Assemblies of God, Baptist, Brethren, Christian Reformed, Church of Christ, Evangelical Free, Lutheran, Mennonite, Methodist, Nazarene, Presbyterian, Wesleyan and other churches—helped to safeguard the translation from sectarian bias.

How it was made helps to give the New International Version its distinctiveness. The translation of each book was assigned to a team of scholars. Next, one of the Intermediate Editorial Committees revised the initial translation, with constant reference to the Hebrew, Aramaic or Greek. Their work then went to one of the General Editorial Committees, which checked it in detail and made another thorough revision. This revision in turn was carefully reviewed by the Committee on Bible Translation, which made further changes and then released the final version for publication. In this way the entire Bible underwent three revisions, during each of which the translation was examined for its faithfulness to the original languages and for its English style.

All this involved many thousands of hours of research and discussion regarding the meaning of the texts and the precise way of putting them into English. It may well be that no other translation has been made by a more thorough process of review and revision from committee to committee than this one.

From the beginning of the project, the Committee on Bible Translation held to certain goals for the New International Version: that it would be an accurate translation and one that would have clarity and literary quality and so prove suitable for public and private reading, teaching, preaching, memorizing and liturgical use. The Committee also sought to preserve some measure of continuity with the long tradition of translating the Scriptures into English.

In working toward these goals, the translators were united in their commitment to the authority and infallibility of the Bible as God’s Word in written form. They believe that it contains the divine answer to the deepest needs of humanity, that it sheds unique light on our path in a dark world, and that it sets forth the way to our eternal well-being.

The first concern of the translators has been the accuracy of the translation and its fidelity to the thought of the biblical writers. They have weighed the significance of the lexical and grammatical details of the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek texts. At the same time, they have striven for more than a word-for-word translation. Because thought patterns and syntax differ from language to language, faithful communication of the meaning of the writers of the Bible demands frequent modifications in sentence structure and constant regard for the contextual meanings of words.

A sensitive feeling for style does not always accompany scholarship. Accordingly the Committee on Bible Translation submitted the developing version to a number of stylistic consultants. Two of them read every book of both Old and New Testaments twice—once before and once after the last major revision—and made invaluable suggestions. Samples of the translation were tested for clarity and ease of reading by various kinds of people—young and old, highly educated and less well-educated, ministers and laymen.

Concern for clear and natural English—that the New International Version should be idiomatic but not idiosyncratic, contemporary but not dated—motivated the translators and consultants. At the same time, they tried to reflect the differing styles of the biblical writers. In view of the international use of English, the translators sought to avoid obvious Americanisms on the one hand and obvious Anglicisms on the other. A British edition reflects the comparatively few differences of significant idiom and of spelling.

As for the traditional pronouns thou, thee and thine in reference to the Deity, the translators judged that to use these archaisms (along with the old verb forms such as doest, wouldest and hadst) would violate accuracy in translation. Neither Hebrew, Aramaic nor Greek uses special pronouns for the persons of the Godhead. A present-day translation is not enhanced by forms that in the time of the King James Version were used in everyday speech, whether referring to God or man.

For the Old Testament the standard Hebrew text, the Masoretic Text as published in the latest editions of Biblia Hebraica, was used throughout. The Dead Sea Scrolls contain material bearing on an earlier stage of the Hebrew text. They were consulted, as were the Samaritan Pentateuch and the ancient scribal traditions relating to textual changes. Sometimes a variant Hebrew reading in the margin of the Masoretic Text was followed instead of the text itself. Such instances, being variants within the Masoretic tradition, are not specified by footnotes. In rare cases, words in the consonantal text were divided differently from the way they appear in the Masoretic Text. Footnotes indicate this. The translators also consulted the more important early versions—the Septuagint; Aquila, Symmachus and Theodotion; the Vulgate; the Syriac Peshitta; the Targums; and for the Psalms the Juxta Hebraica of Jerome. Readings from these versions were occasionally followed where the Masoretic Text seemed doubtful and where accepted principles of textual criticism showed that one or more of these textual witnesses appeared to provide the correct reading. Such instances are footnoted. Sometimes vowel letters and vowel signs did not, in the judgment of the translators, represent the correct vowels for the original consonantal text. Accordingly some words were read with a different set of vowels. These instances are usually not indicated by footnotes.

The Greek text used in translating the New Testament was an eclectic one. No other piece of ancient literature has such an abundance of manuscript witnesses as does the New Testament. Where existing manuscripts differ, the translators made their choice of readings according to accepted principles of New Testament textual criticism. Footnotes call attention to places where there was uncertainty about what the original text was. The best current printed texts of the Greek New Testament were used.

There is a sense in which the work of translation is never wholly finished. This applies to all great literature and uniquely so to the Bible. In 1973 the New Testament in the New International Version was published. Since then, suggestions for corrections and revisions have been received from various sources. The Committee on Bible Translation carefully considered the suggestions and adopted a number of them. These were incorporated in the first printing of the entire Bible in 1978. Additional revisions were made by the Committee on Bible Translation in 1983 and appear in printings after that date.

As in other ancient documents, the precise meaning of the biblical texts is sometimes uncertain. This is more often the case with the Hebrew and Aramaic texts than with the Greek text. Although archaeological and linguistic discoveries in this century aid in understanding difficult passages, some uncertainties remain. The more significant of these have been called to the reader’s attention in the footnotes.

In regard to the divine name YHWH, commonly referred to as the Tetragrammaton, the translators adopted the device used in most English versions of rendering that name as LORD in capital letters to distinguish it from Adonai, another Hebrew word rendered Lord, for which small letters are used. Wherever the two names stand together in the Old Testament as a compound name of God, they are rendered Sovereign LORD.

Because for most readers today the phrases the LORD of hosts and God of hosts have little meaning, this version renders them the LORD Almighty and God Almighty. These renderings convey the sense of the Hebrew, namely, he who is sovereign over all the ‘hosts’ (powers) in heaven and on earth, especially over the ‘hosts’ (armies) of Israel. For readers unacquainted with Hebrew this does not make clear the distinction between Sabaoth (hosts or Almighty) and Shaddai (which can also be translated Almighty), but the latter occurs infrequently and is always footnoted. When Adonai and YHWH Sabaoth occur together, they are rendered the Lord, the LORD Almighty.

As for other proper nouns, the familiar spellings of the King James Version are generally retained. Names traditionally spelled with ch, except where it is final, are usually spelled in this translation with k or c, since the biblical languages do not have the sound that ch frequently indicates in English—for example, in chant. For well-known names such as Zechariah, however, the traditional spelling has been retained. Variation in the spelling of names in the original languages has usually not been indicated. Where a person or place has two or more different names in the Hebrew, Aramaic or Greek texts, the more familiar one has generally been used, with footnotes where needed.

To achieve clarity the translators sometimes supplied words not in the original texts but required by the context. If there was uncertainty about such material, it is enclosed in brackets. Also for the sake of clarity or style, nouns, including some proper nouns, are sometimes substituted for pronouns, and vice versa. And though the Hebrew writers often shifted back and forth between first, second and third personal pronouns without change of antecedent, this translation often makes them uniform, in accordance with English style and without the use of footnotes.

Poetical passages are printed as poetry, that is, with indentation of lines and with separate stanzas. These are generally designed to reflect the structure of Hebrew poetry. This poetry is normally characterized by parallelism in balanced lines. Most of the poetry in the Bible is in the Old Testament, and scholars differ regarding the scansion of Hebrew lines. The translators determined the stanza divisions for the most part by analysis of the subject matter. The stanzas therefore serve as poetic paragraphs.

As an aid to the reader, italicized sectional headings are inserted in most of the books. They are not to be regarded as part of the NIV text, are not for oral reading, and are not intended to dictate the interpretation of the sections they head.

The footnotes in this version are of several kinds, most of which need no explanation. Those giving alternative translations begin with Or and generally introduce the alternative with the last word preceding it in the text, except when it is a single-word alternative; in poetry quoted in a footnote a slant mark indicates a line division. Footnotes introduced by Or do not have uniform significance. In some cases two possible translations were considered to have about equal validity. In other cases, though the translators were convinced that the translation in the text was correct, they judged that another interpretation was possible and of sufficient importance to be represented in a footnote.

In the New Testament, footnotes that refer to uncertainty regarding the original text are introduced by Some manuscripts or similar expressions. In the Old Testament, evidence for the reading chosen is given first and evidence for the alternative is added after a semicolon (for example: Septuagint; Hebrew father). In such notes the term Hebrew refers to the Masoretic Text.

It should be noted that minerals, flora and fauna, architectural details, articles of clothing and jewelry, musical instruments and other articles cannot always be identified with precision. Also measures of capacity in the biblical period are particularly uncertain (see the table of weights and measures).

Like all translations of the Bible, made as they are by imperfect man, this one undoubtedly falls short of its goals. Yet we are grateful to God for the extent to which he has enabled us to realize these goals and for the strength he has given us and our colleagues to complete our task. We offer this version of the Bible to him in whose name and for whose glory it has been made. We pray that it will lead many into a better understanding of the Holy Scriptures and a fuller knowledge of Jesus Christ the incarnate Word, of whom the Scriptures so faithfully testify.

The Committee on Bible Translation

June 1978

(Revised August 1983)

Names of the translators and editors may be secured from Biblica, Inc.©, translation sponsors of the New International Version, 1820 Jet Stream Drive, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80921–3696 U.S.A.

Questions & Answers

Our Heritage and Faith Bible for African-American Teens, NIV

Copyright © 2010 by Zondervan

All rights reserved.

Project Concept/Managing Editors

Cheryl Willis Hudson

Wade Hudson

Contributors

Eleanor Henderson

Sharrata M. Hunt

Booker T. Mattison

Katara Washington Patton

Jamaine Robinson-Herbert

Kellie Tabron

Editor

Doris Rikkers

Design

Matthew P. Van Kirk

Introduction

The Bible says All Scripture is God-breathed … (2 Timothy 3:16, 991) and, Be warned … of anything in addition … (Ecclesiastes 12:12). We who wrote these additions to this Bible for teens are mindful that God’s words are perfect and that our words are not.

Our goal is to encourage you to read Scripture for yourself, to reflect on the passages you read and apply God’s Word to your life and to the world of your generation. Each Bible verse mentioned in this section is followed by the page number, so that you can click right to it and read it for yourself. For example, clicking on "Revelation 1:8" takes you to the Bible book of Revelation, the first chapter and the eighth verse. We encourage you to read the verses before and after the cited verse to get the full meaning.

The purpose of these questions is to help you, and also the adults in your life, grasp the revolutionary potential of Christian faith acquired before adulthood. When the adolescent tendency to question and even rebel is allowed in a Christian context, God triumphs and molds youth who powerfully advance the faith.

Many of the great men and women of the Bible were not yet of voting age when they stepped out of the comfort zone of their age and culture to take a stand for God. From Joseph the son of Jacob, to Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego and Daniel, to Esther, to David, to Samuel, to Mary, even to Jesus, these real people, who are documented in the Bible, faced the timeless issues that teens face today—peers, fears, parents, popularity, hopes, ambitions, self image, and more. Because the Bible is God-breathed, it offers unparalleled instruction on all topics.

Youthful questions and challenges are powerful agents for spiritual awakening. This resource lets your inquiries and even your reservations flourish. As you read and study the Bible, we hope you seek answers for yourself about God and ultimately the meaning of your own life.

While the questions and answers are written from the perspective of youth, the eternal integrity of Scriptural meaning is maintained. The gospel songs, quotes, essays, speeches and articles are intended to help God’s Word come alive and have clearer meaning for inquisitive young adults.

The Negro National Anthem

Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing

by James Weldon Johnson

Lift ev’ry voice and sing,

’Til earth and heaven ring,

Ring with the harmonies of liberty;

Let our rejoicing rise

High as the listening skies,

Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.

Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,

Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us;

Facing the rising sun of our new day begun,

Let us march on ’til victory is won.

Stony the road we trod,

Bitter the chast’ning rod,

Felt in the days when hope unborn had died;

Yet with a steady beat,

Have not our weary feet

Come to the place for which our fathers sighed?

We have come over a way that with tears has been watered,

We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered,

Out from the gloomy past,

’Til now we stand at last

Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.

God of our weary years,

God of our silent tears,

Thou who has brought us thus far on the way;

Thou who has by Thy might

Led us into the light,

Keep us forever in the path, we pray.

Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met Thee,

Lest, our hearts drunk with the wine of the world, we forget Thee;

Shadowed beneath Thy hand,

May we forever stand,

True to our God,

True to our native land.

Faith

Who, what is God, really?

(And what if somebody asks me to prove it?)

The Bible refers to God as the Creator. The very first verse of the first Bible book (Genesis 1:1), states that nothing existed (total darkness), until God created the world. And in the last Bible book, Revelation, we read in chapter 1 verse 8 that God is Alpha and Omega—eternal, without beginning or end. (Alpha means beginning and Omega means end.)

Those who trust the Bible read the Scripture passages cited above and other parts of God’s Word and believe that God is the maker of everything, the Creator.

The next logical question would be, Well, who made God? and the Bible’s answer is that God was not made. God is the beginning of everything. God just is. God is eternal.

Evidence of God’s existence is in what God created, and that can be found everywhere you look. Read Romans 1:19–20. Even people who did not have the Bible or know anything about Jesus knew from nature that there had to be a Creator. Despite great dissention on how (the process by which) the world began, even some scientists point to intelligent design—a Creator.

Christians think of God like water, which can be enjoyed in three forms: liquid, steam (gas) or ice (solid). Christians believe our Lord is knowable in three forms:

God, the Creator;

God, the Redeemer;

God, the Holy Spirit.

As already discussed, our creator God is knowable by the amazing world we live in, the universe that we can’t even reach and our own unique selves. Even someone who is not able to read or understand the Bible can know there is a God from experiencing the natural world, from just being part of the natural world created by God.

Christians believe God not only created us but desires to relate to us. For that reason God chose to reveal more than we could understand only from nature. That revelation of God is the Bible. In it we can receive literary glimpses of God. We are provided examples of the workings of God in human history. We can glean the fundamental reasons that we and the whole world are out of harmony with God. And we have the biography of Jesus, who is the Redeemer—the example of God in human form, God on our level—with whom we can identify.

God exists everywhere and in everything. In all things, in every situation, God always has our back. God is always with us. All we have to do is call on the Holy One to be there. That powerful presence of God is called the Holy Spirit.

This is how we understand God: Creator, Redeemer, Holy Spirit. Just like water. Not three, but one in three forms.

God is certainly more than humans know or can understand. The Lord’s reach is so huge, it is impossible for us as human beings to even imagine the scope of it or to grasp it in our minds. Think about it: would God be God if comprehensible to us mere humans? God is beyond us.

So, the raw truth is, you can’t prove to anyone that God exists. No one can prove God. The best anyone can do is provide evidence of God. We can provide four kinds of evidence: scientific evidence that the universe was created (therefore there must be a Creator); historical evidence of the life of Jesus and other fulfilled Bible prophesies; personal experiences with God; and God’s existence as revealed in the Bible. If you’re not a scientist or historian and not deeply spiritual or trained in the Bible, the best way to prove that God exists is by how you express God’s love to others.

If someone asks you to prove God exists, they’re offering you a chance to express God’s qualities, the first of which is love. YOU are all that your friends who do not believe readily see of God. How do you speak with and to them, and how do you share with them? Do you tell them the truth? Do you give God credit for creating the good that you see? And are you willing to do what Jesus would do, even if it’s not cool? People who want proof that God exists are watching you to see if what you say you believe is real.

If someone asks you, the best evidence is your own personal experience of God and your relationship with Jesus Christ. Much of our experience of God is about what we sense inside of us. It’s hard to explain to someone who or what God is. John 6:44, tells us that people only come to God if drawn in. Chances are, if someone is asking you to prove God exists, it is because something is already attracting them to the Lord or piquing their interest in God. Rather than take the challenge of proving God, which always leads to an argument, consider the person as a seeker. Be honest about what you know and don’t know. If you must share one Bible verse proving who God is, you might use 1 John 4:16. Lovingly, speak your truth with the person (Ephesians 4:25). Share your faith.

Share Scripture with the person asking you this question, if they will listen. Invite them to share what made you believe in God, whether it was a youth event, your Christian friends, a gospel gathering, or website. The most important thing you can do for someone who asks you to prove God is real is to pray for them.

The more you live your faith, the less you need to defend it. The more you follow Jesus, the more others see God in you.

God Is

God is the Creator (Genesis 1:1; Isaiah 44:24).

God is love (1 John 4:8).

God is a spirit (John 4:24).

God is holy (1 Peter 1:15).

God is omnipotent or all powerful (Psalm 115:3; Revelation 19:6).

God is personal (Exodus 3:14; Exodus 33:11).

God is omnipresent or present everywhere (Psalm 139:8–10; Jeremiah 23:23–24).

God is sovereign—the supreme ruler! (Zechariah 9:14; 1 Timothy 6:15–16).

God is just, fair and righteous (Psalm 19:9; Psalm 116:5; Psalm 145:17; Jeremiah 12:1).

God is true (Romans 3:4; John 14:6).

God is the only God (1 Timothy 1:17).

God is compassionate (Psalm 103:13; James 5:11).

God is patient (1 Timothy 1:16).

Jesus is God (John 1:1, 14; John 10:30; Colossians 1:15–20).

Who am I—what’s the basic me?

Questioning who you are is one of the most difficult challenges in the world. We play so many roles in life and many of those roles change over time. Yet one role in your life never changes—the important role of being a child of God.

The Bible says we were created to be God like. Genesis 5:1, says we are created in the likeness of God. 1 John 3:10, begins This is how we know who the children of God are … As a Christian, your relationship with the Lord is where who you are begins.

God asks us to call on the teachings of Jesus Christ and keep Christ’s words at the center—the core—of our lives. Learning the teachings, understanding Scripture, practicing ways to apply it in your life, is a lot like the training and practice it takes to build up your muscles.

When the core of your life, your understanding and relationship with the Lord, is strong, it is reflected in your life. Your relationships with friends and family are stronger and more satisfying. The challenges in life don’t upset you or mess with your head as much. Life is just more chill.

But knowing the teachings is only part of the training. To truly be a child of God you must choose to live as Jesus would. Read James 2:17–18. You can’t just talk Christ’s talk—you have to walk it, too. That means you have to live it.

To be a child of God is an ever evolving process. The more you study the Bible, participate in worship, associate with strong Christians, and pray, the stronger God gets in your life. You won’t always be perfect in your attempt to live a Christ-centered life. But that’s OK. God doesn’t expect you to be perfect or to never make mistakes. God is perfect and protects you if you go to your Lord when you make a mistake (Psalm 18:30).

God loves you, flaws and all. Read about God’s love in 1 Peter 1:4. Be who you are in God. It may take time to determine who you are in God. It may even take practice becoming the you who you want to be. As long as you strive to live your life with the teachings of Christ at your core, and to do your best to reflect Christ in your world, God will always be with you and continue to grow the core of who you are.

Who you are is who God says you are—a child of God!

This is what I think of when I think of God.

If these are the thoughts you have about God, see what the Bible says:

Here is what some celebrities think of when they think of God, and at the bottom is the Bible truth about their statements. Whatever you think of when you think of God, base your thoughts on what the Bible says about God.

I feel like I’ve had endless second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth chances. It’s by the grace of God I’m still here.

—Mariah Carey

Fear God

—Lil Wayne’s tattoo

My outlook on the church is that it’s a positive thing. I think it’s a place where you go to be reminded of your morals and realign yourself with how you’re supposed to live.

—50 Cent

Spiritually, God is first in my life, and the buck stops there.

—Mary J. Blige

I’m not afraid to climb any mountain, because I know that I’m protected. Even if I fall and die, I’m still protected. My faith is on that level.

—Halle Berry

And live for the moment, Lord knows I’m gon’ die. And when I get to hell, Lord knows I’m gon’ fry.

—Young Jeezy

Grace means unmerited favor. God’s grace is the direct result of the Lord’s love for us (Ephesians 2:8; & Lamentations 3:22). God’s gift of salvation is a gift that you don’t deserve.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge (Proverbs 1:7). That’s reason enough to give the Lord proper respect by doing what the Bible says (Ecclesiastes 12:13–14). The fear of God doesn’t make you cower in a corner because you’re afraid the Almighty is going to smash you. The fear of God comes from recognizing your Creator’s love for you and the Supreme One’s power. You respect the Almighty so much that you don’t want to disappoint your Lord.

Even Fitty recognizes the importance of church attendance and right living. But to know and not to do is worse than not to know (James 1:22).

It’s good to say that God is first in your life. The real challenge, though, is making your actions speak louder than your words (Matthew 6:33–34). Imagine your life is a pie graph with the size of each slice representing what you devote most of your attention and time to. God’s piece needs to be the biggest.

If your faith is in God, then your faith can move mountains (Matthew 21:21). The Lord rewards you when you believe that God exists (Hebrews 11:6) and protects you because you are your Lord’s favorite child (Psalm 91:11).

What are these body/mind/spirit parts that I supposedly have? What is the soul? What is chi? Are feelings mind or body? And do the soul and spirit die when my body dies?

Genesis 1:26–27, says God created us. You are made in God’s likeness.

God has a three-in-one nature: Father, Son and Holy Spirit (see here). Since humans are created like God, you also have a three-in-one nature: body/mind/spirit, or some say body/soul/spirit. The distinction between soul and spirit is often blurry. It is hard to say with absolute accuracy, the soul does this and the spirit does that. Everyone understands the body, but check out what the Bible say about the non-physical parts.

Soul

The Bible says you were created as a living soul (Genesis 2:7). Your soul is your reason, intellect, creativity and the power of choice. It is your feelings and emotions. Any time you take a test at school, paint a picture, or write a story you are showing your soul. When you feel happy or sad, you are proving that you have a God-given soul. Who you are inside is your soul. Who you are to the world is a reflection of your soul.

Spirit

The spirit exists within you separate from your physical body, and Christians believe your spirit continues on even after you die. Read Mark 12:18–27. While you can see physical manifestations of God’s existence through creation—the world around us, trees, birds and other animals, flowers—it is through your spirit that you truly and deeply connect with the Lord. Your spirit is the essence of who you are. It is where God’s spirit of love and forgiveness resides within you once you have chosen to relate to God.

You are in the likeness of God when you live and act with a sense of righteousness and holiness. Whenever you attempt to do the right thing, stick up for someone who is being picked on, help your mother with the dishes when she’s tired or offer to shovel the sidewalk for your elderly neighbor, you are showing yourself as a reflection of God. You are demonstrating the Lord’s Spirit in you.

Read Genesis 3:17. God gives us free will to make either good or bad choices in life. But God’s Spirit is also one of redemption, and you can renew your spirit by asking forgiveness and beginning again in Christ. You can be sure of this if you read 2 Corinthians 5:17.

Death

You will die at some point. We all do. Your physical body no longer functions and your soul—your mind and emotions—die too. Your soul lives on in the things you create, in the friendships you make, in the lives that you touch. If you’ve ever lost a loved one, they are no longer physically with you, but there are probably times when you sense their presence. Maybe you read or see something you know they would appreciate or enjoy, and it feels like they are right there with you. They are. The imprints of their souls never leave you.

When your body dies, and with it your soul (your mind and emotions), Christians believe your spirit remains. Your spirit continues forever.

First Thessalonians 5:23, says, May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

What is chi?

Chi is a term used in eastern philosophy to mean the circulating life energy that is thought to be inherent in all things. When it is loosely translated, however, it is sometimes confused with spirit.

Christians recognize the powerful energy that flows in our God-made bodies; however, the Bible lets us know that our spirits are much more than physical energy. Our spirit is the God part of us. Because the spirit continues forever, there is no reincarnation.

Can’t I have my own opinion about God?

Yes, you can. Now ask yourself this: Is your opinion about God right?

For your opinion about God to be right, God has to affirm it. It’s the same as if you were to say something and someone repeats what you said—a typical he said/she said situation. Others may have their opinion about what you said, but only you yourself can confirm what you said.

It is impossible for humans to fully comprehend God. But God wants a relationship with each of us. God wants to be known. God self reveals! We don’t have to form our own opinion about God. God has provided a way for us to know the Almighty God.

This is what God has done. One of the best gifts God makes available to you is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit (or what some people call the Holy Ghost) is the invisible power of God that enables you to know the truth about God. God’s Spirit will actually reveal to you what is true. The only requirement is that you be open to God.

Once you admit that you’re interested in receiving what God brings to you, that you’re not stuck on your own opinion, the Holy Spirit will help you understand the Bible and show you things that you couldn’t possibly know without God’s help. The Spirit becomes like a private tutor, teaching you what you need to know about God. Read John 16:13–15.

When you become open to God, you begin to ask, What is the Holy Spirit revealing to me right now? rather than Can’t I have my own opinion?

Jesus told his disciples that not even he relied on his own opinion. Instead, Jesus repeated what God the Father told him. He went on to say that God the Father was going to send the Holy Spirit to lead them into all truth. See John 14:24–26.

When you choose to be led by God’s Spirit, you become a child of God. See Romans 8:14.

What you think about God determines what you think about everything else. God determines what is right and what is wrong, true and false. That is why it is vitally important to allow God’s Spirit (and the Bible) to form your opinions. By the leading of the Holy Spirit, you’ll know if your opinion about God is right.

Since I have a relationship with God, why do I need religion?

You need religion so you know what you believe.

What you believe or think about a person influences the way you interact with them. The same goes for God. What you believe makes a difference in how you relate to God.

God is the Creator of the universe and made you in the image of God. God is holy and loving. In fact, God is love. See 1 Peter 1:5 and 1 John 4:8. And God is all powerful. Having created you, obviously God knows you, but also loves you and has a plan for your life. God promises never to leave you. Read Hebrews 13:5.

What is your relationship with God?

If you have