Does the Bible Tell Us the Age of the Earth?

Plus: Our Protestant Bible scholar answers questions about the Second Coming, the Book of Mormon, and the thorn in Paul's flesh.

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What was the thorn in St. Paul's flesh?

The literal translation of 2 Corinthians 12.7 is "a stake in the flesh, a messenger of Satan." It seems clear from the context of that verse that this is a reference to some sort of physical malady that plagued Paul from time to time. It is possible that Paul had some sort of eye disease, as Galatians 4.13-15 may suggest.

How does the fact that nothing was recorded in Jesus' native language and the language of the people to whom he was speaking affect the canonical gospels? --Hillbros

This is an excellent question. Jesus' native tongue was Aramaic, and while certainly we have documents from antiquity written in Aramaic (including part of the book of Daniel), we do not have Jesus' teachings in this language. Rather, the New Testament is written in Greek. It is well to remember, however, that many early Jews were bilingual, including, no doubt, some of Jesus' original followers. The accounts in Acts of Peter preaching to all sorts of people, including Gentiles, suggests that he knew some Greek. This is also suggested by his probable authorship of 1 Peter. This being the case, probably not much is lost in translation if at an early juncture one of Jesus' first followers translated his words from Aramaic into Greek.

I would like more information on the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. What are the signs? How will it take place?

There are various prophecies about the Second Coming in the New Testament. I would encourage you to read Mark 13 (read it) in particular. What Mark 13.32 tells us is that not even Jesus himself knew the timing of this event, but he was certain that it would transpire. 1 Thessalonians 4-5 suggests that we will never be able to predict the timing of the Second Coming, for it will arrive without warning, like a thief in the night. Thus the message of the New Testament about this matter is that we must always be prepared, whether it comes sooner or later.

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