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Voiceover: Next on That's in the Bible!







Patrick (Michigan, USA): Why is Easter in March?







Nida (Phoenix, Arizona): What does Palm Sunday have to do with Easter?







Brother Bob Pellien: The Bible's response is simple and direct.







Julie (Sydney, Australia): Hi, my name is Julie, and I'm from Sydney, Australia. And my question is "Should Christians really be celebrating Easter?"







Brother Bob: How can we, in the true Church Of Christ participate in what comes from service to an ancient pagan goddess?







[Show Open]







Brother Bob: Hello, I'm Brother Bob Pellien. Thanks for joining us on this special episode of That's in the Bible, where today we'll answer people's questions about the Easter holiday. 







When is Easter weekend?







Our first question for today comes from Patrick McDonald in Michigan. Let's hear what Patrick asks about Easter.







[Video begins] 







Patrick: Why is Easter in March?







[Video ends]







Brother Bob: Thank you for your question, Patrick. You know, Easter is not always in the month of March. In fact, let's take a moment to quote an excerpt from a book entitled My Catholic Faith written by Louis LaRavoire Morrow, and he writes—on behalf of the Catholic Church—their explanation about the choosing of the date of Easter. Here's what's cited in that book on page 81:







[On-screen text graphics]







[Source: My Catholic Faith, pg. 81]







Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday following the first full moon of spring; the feast therefore is moveable, and can fall between March 22 and April 25. The Paschal season lasts till Trinity Sunday; till then joyous alleluia resounds.







Brother Bob: So here, Patrick, the Catholic Church writes not only about the moveable date of the Easter, here in this book My Catholic Faith, they also write about a season that they have created that begins with Ash Wednesday, which is also a moveable season.







But what is that season they call Lent? What's it all about? They answer that in another of their books entitled The Visible Church. On page 184, they write:







[On-screen text graphics]







[Source: The Visible Church, pg. 184]







Lent is a season of penance set apart by the Church in memory of the fast of our Lord in the desert,… The date of the beginning of Lent varies from year to year, according to the date of Easter. In Latin it is called Quadragesima (fortieth), from which are taken the Italian Quaresima and the French Carame. The English name is from Anglo-Saxon Lenten, which means Spring.







Brother Bob: So there they speak of the season beginning with Ash Wednesday, which they call Lent. It's a season of penance and that week [actually] leads up to Easter Sunday. They have Palm Sunday, the Sunday before Easter. And during that week they have what they call Holy Thursday. They have also Good Friday, they have Holy Saturday, which are special holidays inside the Catholic Church all pertaining to Easter.

[Show open]







Next on That’s in the Bible.







[Video starts]







Chuck: Is this God the only God,  or is everybody right with all of their own gods? 







[Video ends]







Brother Bob Pellien: We believe here in the Church Of Christ, to know and understand the true God, we must turn to the pages of the Holy Scriptures.







[Video starts]







Idris:  I don't understand the concept of God being three. The God [the] Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 







[Video ends]







Brother Bob: This is from Melissa Hatfield in Seattle, Washington. Why is Jesus Christ important?







[Show open]   







Brother Bob: Hello, I'm Brother Bob Pellien,  and thanks for joining us in this episode of That's in the Bible. Let's go directly to our first question, which comes today from Chuck Swift from San Diego, California. Let's hear what Chuck asks:







[Video starts]







Chuck Swift: Is this God the only God, or is everybody right with all of their own gods? 







[Video ends]







One God or many?







Brother Bob: Thank you for your question, Chuck. And you're very correct in such that there's a lot of people who are coming up with their own ideas and perceptions and understandings of God. We believe here in the Church Of Christ, to know and understand the true God, we must turn to the pages of the Holy Scriptures. So let's do that directly. In the book of Deuteronomy, chapter 4. Let's see if the Bible [mentions] many gods we can all just pick and choose whatever God we want or come up with our own understanding. How many true gods does the Bible discuss? Deuteronomy, chapter 4, verse 35, reads this way:







To you it was shown, that you might know that the Lord is God; there is no other besides him.







[Deuteronomy 4:35 English Standard Version]







Brother Bob: The Bible clearly [mentions] here that there is but one God and there is no other. There could be an innumerable number of people coming up with their own understanding of God and in fact, even preaching and teaching about different gods and perceptions of God and who God truly is. But the Bible is clear. There is one God. So dear friends, here in 1 Corinthians, chapter 8, verse 6, the Apostle Paul wrote the following which is a very important statement regarding this topic in verse 6, he said:







yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.







[I Corinthians 8:6 New King James Version]







Brother Bob: Here was the Apostle Paul addressing the first century Church, telling them for us. Who [is] “us”? The Church, the true servants of the Almighty God, that for us, there is only one God and then He told us who that one God is, and that is the Father. Chuck, in your question you clearly [mentioned] that there are so many others who have other perceptions of God and other gods.

Brother Bob Pellien: I’m Brother Bob Pellien. Thank you for joining us on this podcast episode of That’s In The Bible. 







Our next question comes from Sherwin Fowler from Buena Park, California. He asks via email the following, “Are all sins equal to God? Because [in] the Catholic Church, when you confess your sins, you have to pray longer to repent for your sins.”







Sherwin, your experience in the Catholic Church is not unique. Millions of members in the Catholic Church are being taught that there’s different levels of sin. There’s venial sin, there’s mortal sin, there’s original sin, different levels and different kinds of sin, each of which gets a different kind of punishment, which they call penance [wherein] the priest will issue various repetitive prayers. Say for example, ten “Hail Mary’s” and twenty “Our Father’s,” which are memorized prayers that they would be instructed to recite [as] a payment for their sins. It’s important to know, Sherwin, what a sin is. 







What is sin?







Does the Bible introduce sin in three different levels? 1 John 3:4 describes sin. In fact, it gives the definition of sin.







Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.







[1 John 3:4 King James Version]







Brother Bob: There’s no mention here of three different kinds of sins. There [isn’t] going to be a small sin, a medium sized sin, and a big sin, and each of them are going to have a different level of penance that one will have to perform with repetitive prayers. How else or what else does the Bible have to say about sin, Sherwin? In Romans 6:23 the Bible [mentions] the following: 







For the wages of sin is death,…







[Romans 6:23 New International Version]







Brother Bob: It did not say the wages of mortal sin or only the biggest most serious kind of sin. Sin is sin. Sin is a transgression of the law and it will be paid for by death. The Bible makes mention of a second death in the lake of fire. 







What is the improper way to pray for forgiveness of sins?







Are we instructed by the LORD to be reconciled by means of repetitious prayer? That we’re going to just repeat and repeat ten “Hail Mary’s,” twenty “Our Father’s,” three “Act of Contritions,” or whatever the priest will prescribe as our so-called penance and that’s going to remove that payment of sin? Jesus answers in Matthew chapter 6. It’s the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, Sherwin, that we should always embrace and follow. Here’s what He had to say about that in verse 7: 







And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.







[Matthew 6:7 New King James Version]







Brother Bob: Jesus gave this instruction, “when you pray, do not use vain repetitions.” In fact He made mention that those who do that are the heathens and they’re doing it because they think they’re going to be heard for the [repeated] prayers that they offer. Sherwin, sin is sin. There are no levels of sin and repetitive prayer is not the way to be forgiven [of] sins.

[Show open]







Brother Bob Pellien: Good day to everyone! Thank you very much for a nice warm welcome. We welcome everyone here in the studio audience as well as all those who are joining us on the internet—maybe watching it by means of incmedia.org on your smartphones, through the Facebook pages that we have, or also maybe on channel 49 INCTV in the Philippines. Thank you all so very much for joining us in this episode of…?







Audience: That’s in the Bible!







Brother Bob: You know, dear friends, anyone that's following the Iglesia Ni Cristo social media outlets, and we do have a few, you are by now very well aware of the intensified efforts of the Church Of Christ, led by the Church Administration, in eradicating poverty all over the world. There's been a lot of efforts that have been exerted by the Church Of Christ, most especially in the continent of Africa. In order to reach that goal of, well, like I said, eradicating poverty all over the world, Lord willing. The questions that we'll be addressing in our taping for today of this broadcast of the program That's in the Bible are questions that come from ordinary citizens that the That’s In The Bible team that went to Africa were able to meet. Some of the ordinary citizens of Africa. And they posed a lot of questions. Like I said, we're going to address a couple of them here in our broadcast for today. 







We were happy to receive some questions because as the continent of Africa learns about the Church Of Christ, it has begun to prompt some questions. We will continue to reach out to our fellow men there and everywhere. The That's in the Bible team, as I mentioned, recently visited and received the following specific questions to this program. And we'll be tackling them together, for today. Our first question comes from John, in Johannesburg, South Africa. Let's take a look at the question that John posed for today.







[Video begins]







John: And the question I have is, who is Jesus? Who is God?







[Video ends]







Are God and Jesus the Same Person? 







Brother Bob: “Who is Jesus? Who is God?” These are questions that usually stem from what some would call a confusing, nevertheless, a very common concept that in fact God and Jesus are one and the same. But how does the Bible respond to that? John has asked and the Bible, the Bible gives a response. First of all, we cite from the book of Matthew, chapter 3, verse 17:







And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”







[Matthew 3:17 New King James Version]







Brother Bob: Here, dear friends, God is the one who introduced Jesus. God introduced Jesus as His Son. That's according to the Father Himself. So John asked, “Well, who is Jesus?” God answers by saying, “That's My Son.” Never has any correct translation of the Bible ever said that Christ is, in fact, God the Son. What can be read very clearly from the Bible is the fact that Christ is the Son of God. God the Son and Son of God are two very, very, different things and they must not be interchang...

Brother Bob Pellien: I’m Brother Bob Pellien. Thank you for joining us on this podcast episode of That’s in the Bible.







Our next question came in via e-mail from Chris Panama in San Diego, California. He asks, “If there is a God, then why do humans suffer?” Well all who are suffering surely have asked that question and do ask that question, “Why? Why are we suffering?” Some [ask] the question like this, “Why does God allow suffering?”







Well, in fact, not only does God allow suffering, here in the writings of the prophet Isaiah, the Bible records this important truth. Verse 4, 5, and 6, states:







The earth mourns and fades away, the world languishes and fades away; the haughty people of the earth languish. The earth is also defiled under its inhabitants, because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore, the curse has devoured the earth, and those who dwell in it are desolate. Therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men are left.







[Isaiah 24:4-6 New King James Version]







All have sinned







Brother Bob: Yes, it’s true. There is much human suffering and the Bible makes clear the reasons why. Man has chosen to change the ordinances of God, defile His laws and His commandments, and no one can exempt themself, because Romans 5:12 makes very clear the all encompassing nature of human sin in these terms. 5:12 reads this way:







Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned--







[Romans 5:12 New King James Version]







Brother Bob: So, dear friends, all have committed sin and God made clear [that] because of man’s insistence upon sin, the world—He considered it defiled, cursed it, and thus human suffering continues to plague humanity. 







How to be forgiven of sins







Brother Bob: However, Apostle Paul also made very clear in Romans chapter 3. Let’s turn to the book of Romans 3:25. This important statement was made. There’s a chance for humanity, the Bible says:







God gave him as his sacrifice to pay for sins. So he forgives the sins of those who have faith in his blood. God did all of that to prove that he is fair.







[Romans 3:25 New International Reader’s Version]







Brother Bob: Yes it may be so, dear friends, that humanity is suffering and there’s a world filled with woes. But God is fair. God is love. God is compassionate and merciful, and to ensure that mankind had a chance to be forgiven for the sins, which brought the curse and the suffering upon this world, He gave His son to bring about the forgiveness of man’s sins, but that forgiveness had a direct connection to the blood to be shed by our Lord Jesus Christ. Why? Is there no other way for man to be forgiven for the sins and have the curse of suffering removed from their life? Is there another way? I’d like to read the book of Hebrews for the Bible’s answer to that in chapter 9, verse 22, wherein the following is stated.







In fact the law requires that nearly everything be made “clean” with blood. Without the spilling of blood, no one can be forgiven.







[Hebrews 9:22 New International Reader’s Version]

Announcer: Next, on That's in the Bible! 







Brother Bob Pellien: Jordan wrote to us this question: 







[On-screen text] If there is really one true church, then why are there so many different religions in the world?  (Jordan, San Diego, CA)Brother Bob: In fact, all of us are one race, the human race. 







[On-screen text] 







What's important is that we are all united and in Christ.







[Show open] 







[On-screen text] 







Brother Bob Pellien 







Minister of the Gospel







Brother Bob: Hello! I'm Brother Bob Pellien, and thanks for joining us on this episode of That’s in the Bible! Our first question today comes from Julyne in Los Angeles, California. She wrote down this question:







[On-screen text] If God loves all man, then why does He have chosen ones to serve Him? 







Julyne







Los Angeles, CA







Brother Bob: Julyne, thank you for your question. And you know, Julyne, you're right. God so loved the world. In fact, in this very famous quote of our Lord Jesus Christ in John 3:16. He described how He proved His love, which was by giving His only son as a sacrifice. 







[On-screen text graphics]







For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life.







[John 3:16 Good News Translation]







What does it mean to be set apart and chosen?







Brother Bob: And you're also right in saying that He has chosen ones. And as you also said, those chosen ones were chosen to serve Him. But you know, Julyne, there's another reason stated in the Bible, which is recorded by the writings of Apostle Peter in I Peter 2:9-10. It says:But you are a chosen people, royal priests, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession. You were chosen to tell about the wonderful acts of God, who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. At one time you were not a people, but now you are God’s people. In the past you had never received mercy, but now you have received God’s mercy.







[I Peter 2:9-10 New Century Version] 







Brother Bob: So, here, Julyne, God shows us yet another reason why He has His chosen, set-apart people. He's expecting us to lead others out of darkness, and into the light of truth. How are we to do that? By telling others about the wonderful acts of God. And you know, Julyne, here's how our Lord Jesus Christ described that responsibility—the responsibility of God's chosen—to be fruitful, to bear fruit. It was worded this way, and quoted in the Book of John, chapter 15. This is the description given there by none other than the Savior Himself: 







You did not choose me; I chose you and appointed you to go and bear much fruit, the kind of fruit that endures. And so the Father will give you whatever you ask of him in my name.







[John 15:16 Today’s English Version] 







Brother Bob: So here, Jesus described the reason—or one of the additional reasons—for God choosing, Jesus used the term “appointing”—and the purpose was to bear fruit. In fact, to use such terminology as bearing much fruit. And you know, Julyne, regarding that issue of God's choosing (or in the words of Jesus,