Did the book of Chronicles get Pi wrong?

Did the book of Chronicles get Pi wrong?

In the account of the Book of Chronicles, it says: “Also he made a molten sea of ten cubits from brim to brim, round in compass, and five cubits the height thereof; and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about.” (2 Chronicles 4:2) The mathematics in this verse seems to be incorrect at the first reading. The verse says, from brim to brim it measured ten cubits and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round. That means the diameter was 10 cubits while the circumference was 30 cubits. In mathematics, it is known that pi (π) is the circumference divided by the diameter. So, = Circumference / Diameter = 30 / 10 = 3 and ≠3,1415, which is the correct value of pi (π)…It is known that π = 3.1415… is. But 30 divided by 10 is 3 and not 3.1415…. So the…

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Is There Historical Evidence For The Crucifixion Of Christ Outside Of The New Testament? 

Is There Historical Evidence For The Crucifixion Of Christ Outside Of The New Testament? 

The short answer is yes. There are multiple historical accounts of the crucifixion of Christ, and below we’ve listed only 5 of these.  Famous Jewish Rabbi and historian Yohanan Ben Zakkai (1 CE)  In his book, Biography of Jesus the Nazarene, Rabbi Yohanan Ben Zakkai, a disciple of the famous Rabbi Hillel, wrote:  "The king and the Jewish rabbis had condemned Jesus to death because he blasphemed when he claimed that he was the Son of God... and God."  Then he added:  "When Christ was on his way to death the Jews shouted in front of him, 'May You destroy Your enemies, O Lord!'" (cited in Faris al-Qayrawani's Was Christ Really Crucified?)  Jewish historian Flavius Josephus (1 CE)  Famous Jewish historian Flavius Josephus recorded: “About this time there lived Jesus, a wise man, if indeed one ought to call him a man. For he was one who performed…

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Who killed Goliath? 

Who killed Goliath? 

If you have been attending Church from a young age, this question has only one answer for you, and the answer is that David is the one who killed Goliath. In fact, this is the correct answer and there is no other answer.  But someone might bring to you a verse taken out of context from the Bible, challenge your faith and tell you that your answer is wrong, that you do not know your Bible, and that the Bible has “obvious contradictions”.  For some bible translations like the ESV, 2 Samuel 21:19 reads “and there was again war with the Philistines at Gob, and Elhanan the son of Jaare-oregim, the Bethlehemite, struck down Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam”  And here the question arises: Who killed Goliath the Gittite? Is it David or Elhanan the son of Jaare-oregim?  What is…

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St. Athanasius on Old Testament Prophecies of Christ

St. Athanasius on Old Testament Prophecies of Christ

St. Athanasius dedicated three chapters of his book On the Incarnation to refute objections on the divinity of Christ by both Jews and Gentiles. He believes that the objections are fundamentally the same, as “in both cases the points at issue are the unfittingness or incongruity (as it seems to them) alike of the cross and of the Word becoming man at all.”   St. Athanasius tackles the objections of the Jews first. He argues from the prophecies in the Old Testament to reach three conclusions: that the Messiah is none other than God; that the Messiah came to die for our sins; and that the Messiah brought the knowledge of God to the world.  Prophecies establish that the Messiah is God  St. Athanasius references four prophecies that establish the divinity of Christ. He first points to the prophecy in Isaiah 7:14 about the miraculous birth of the…

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Is Baptism of Children Biblical? 

Is Baptism of Children Biblical? 

“And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on His name” (Acts 22:16)   Such a motivating verse right! As much as this verse is promising the washing away of sins, and encouraging all of us to get baptized, there is a claim that nowhere does the Bible command infant baptism, and nowhere does the Bible mention a particular baby being baptized. Another objection would be that Baptism requires the declaration of faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior. However, children have not reached the age to be fully responsible for their decisions, and therefore they should only be baptized when old enough to make a decision.  In this article, we will reply to these claims by explaining why the Christian Orthodox Church insists on baptism of children. But first, let’s define baptism according to the Christian Orthodox faith.   Baptism,…

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Are There Historical Accounts of Jesus Other Than the New Testament? 

Are There Historical Accounts of Jesus Other Than the New Testament? 

Numerous people are convinced that Christianity made up a part of the story of Christ, in order to back-up our faith. This raises the question whether history stands behind our claims on who Jesus really was, and more importantly what non-Christian historians say about Jesus?   Prior to digging deeper into literature, a few things should be noted. One aspect is the sources. There are primary, secondary and tertiary sources. Primary sources are direct sources, such as autobiographies. Secondary sources are indirect sources, such as citations and writings of others. Tertiary sources are more indirect sources, such as citing another citation. Therefore, one does not have to write about him/herself in order for us to know about his/her life. Multiple great historical figures, who are known throughout history, did not write about themselves, such as Alexander the Great and Socrates. Something that marks our faith in Jesus is the…

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Did Jesus Curse The Fig Tree Before Or After Cleansing The Temple?

Did Jesus Curse The Fig Tree Before Or After Cleansing The Temple?

In the Gospel according to Matthew an account is presented where Jesus, after cleansing the temple, finds a fig tree with no fruit; and curses it, causing it to wither  (Matthew 21:12-19). In the Gospel according to Mark, the events appear to happen in a different order. In Mark’s account, Jesus withers the fig tree while leaving Bethany before going to cleanse the Temple (Mark 11:12-15). Is there a reasonable explanation for this seeming contradiction?   This problem can be cleared up upon a closer examination of these two accounts.   In Mark’s account we are seeing the event from a chronological perspective. First,  Jesus and his disciples go into Jerusalem, where Jesus saw what was happening at the temple Mark (11:1-11). Then, because it was late; we see them go back to Bethany for the night (Mark 11:11). Then, on the next day, they went back to Jerusalem where…

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