Was St. Paul (Saul) a Roman gentile and a Jew?  Was he a Gentile Jew?

Sincerely,
Paul Ponderer

Dear Paul Ponderer,

Paul was a Jew, not a Gentile.  Paul could trace his lineage through the tribe of Benjamin (Php 3:5).  The word ‘gentile’ means ‘nations’ because anyone that wasn’t of the nation of Israel was lumped together in the mind of the Jews.  Paul was sent by God to preach to the Gentiles for most of his christian life (Acts 22:21), but Paul was never a Gentile; he was always of Jewish descendant.

How and why is dwelling on the past a sin?  Is it okay to wish my destiny were different?  Is it okay to wish I could start over from the beginning?  Most important to me: is it okay to fantasize about having different lives, destinies?

Sincerely,
Regretful

Dear Regretful,

There is nothing wrong with dwelling on the past or pondering what your life would be like if it was different... as long as you are content and happy with what God has actually given you.  Godliness is a means of gain only if accompanied with contentment (1 Tim 6:6).  We are warned against always thinking about the grass being greener on the other side of the fence – be happy with what you have (Php 4:11).  It is very common for people to think about how much better life use to be... but we are warned against getting too wrapped up in that type of thinking (Eccl 7:10).  Let your heart abound with thanks (Col 2:7) and enjoy the day that the Lord has made (Ps 118:24).

5 minutes a day
5 days a week
1 New Testament in a year

There are 261 weekdays in a year, and there are 260 chapters in the New Testament. By reading one chapter, Monday through Friday, you will read the whole New Testament by the end of the year. The Daily Cup series is to help with that goal.

Happy Studying!

"The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup." -- Psalm 16:5

Click here for a pdf of the study schedule - CLICK HERE

Why did God state “I relent making man”… and then the Flood?

Sincerely,
Waterlogged

Dear Waterlogged,

Mankind broke God’s heart in the days preceding the Flood (Gen 6:6).  Every thought and intention of that generation was on violence and evil (Gen 6:11).  Everyone had become corrupt (except Noah), and God decided to destroy them and start over with Noah (Gen 6:12-13).  God repented (‘repent’ means ‘change your mind’) from blessing mankind because He saw that their wickedness was so great (Gen 6:7).  God promises us He will never destroy the world with water again (Gen 9:13-16).  The next time God destroys the world, it will be burned up in fire at the second coming of Christ (2 Pet 3:10).

Why did God say, “I am a jealous God” if jealousy is a sin?

Sincerely,
Green With Envy

Dear Green With Envy,

Not all jealousy is bad.  A husband has a right to be jealous for his wife and upset if someone else mistreats her.  God has the right to be jealous for us and upset if we worship other gods (Ex 34:14).  In this context, ‘jealous’ simply means ‘fiercely protective or vigilant of one’s rights’.  It is fair and appropriate that God expects us to worship Him and only Him (Matt 4:10).  Our world would have us believe that all religions and gods are equal… but the God of the Bible stands alone.  All other gods are idols.