A woman who had given birth to a son was ceremonially "unclean". This meant she was unable to enter the temple for worship for seven days or until the circumcision of the child. Then for 33 more days she was not allowed to come into the sanctuary. After 40 days she needed to come to the temple and be purified by offerings prescribed by Jewish law. And so, according to these commands, Mary and...

God is the eternal, all-powerful (omnipotent), all-knowing (omniscient), all-present (omnipresent), and perfectly good Creator of all things. He exists as one God in three Persons: the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit (The Trinity).

Theologically, the Bible is considered the inspired Word of God, and therefore infallible (trustworthy) and authoritative for faith and practice. Historically, there is strong manuscript evidence and archeological support for its general historical claims.

The Question: Is baptism merely a symbol, a requirement for salvation, or something else entirely? Key Verses & Explanation: Matthew 28:19 (The Command): "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." Explanation: Baptism is an explicit command from Jesus, making it a required act of obedience for...

Most Protestant Bibles contain 66 books (39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament). Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Bibles include additional books (known as the Apocrypha or Deuterocanonical Books).