Misconceptions

25
Apr
2026

Was Rahab Really a Prostitute?

Rahab

Most Bible readers know the basic outline: two Israelite spies slip into Jericho, a woman named Rahab hides them, she hangs a scarlet cord from her window, and her household survives when the walls come down. Familiar story. But somewhere along the way, someone decided to clean it up and claimed that Rahab was not a prostitute at all, but an innkeeper.

Now, perhaps she did operate an inn out of her home. That would not be surprising given the historical association between the two professions. But an innkeeper is not what the biblical text calls her, and the story of how that label got attached to Rahab is worth examining.

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Posted by Eddie Lawrence in Misconceptions, Women
11
Apr
2026

Is “Paid in Full” (Tetelestai) Sermon Folklore?

Grenfell & Hunt II 50a1

On Easter Sunday, my daughter asked me a question. Leading up to Easter, she heard the same claim again and again in social media posts and sermon videos, all driving toward the same dramatic punchline. She wanted to know what was real and what was hype. Her specific question was about tetelestai2 which is the Greek word translated “It is finished” in John 19:30.

She had heard that ancient people wrote tetelestai on business receipts to indicate that a transaction was “paid in full.” Therefore, when Jesus said it from the cross He was declaring that He had paid the debt of sin in full.

It’s a compelling illustration. It’s also not true. Tracing how it started turns out to be an interesting story.

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Posted by Eddie Lawrence in Misconceptions, Word Studies
14
Mar
2026

What Really Makes Someone a Heretic?

Calvin burns a heretic

Have you ever heard someone call another Christian a heretic? Maybe it was a teacher who changed his mind about the end times. Perhaps it was a theologian who questioned a popular doctrine. Maybe it was someone in your own church who asked the wrong question out loud. Christians throw the label around a lot, and it lands hard. It can end ministries, split churches, and leave people wondering if they’re even saved.

But what does the word actually mean? And more importantly, who gets to decide?

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Posted by Eddie Lawrence in Church, Church History, Misconceptions
10
May
2025

What Is a Sacrament (and Are They Even Real)?

Sacrament

What is a sacrament? Most people have heard the word, but few can define it clearly. What counts as a sacrament, and why do churches call certain rites by that name? Where did the term come from—and is it even in the Bible?

While many Christians treat sacraments as essential to church life, the concept is a post-biblical invention that emerged centuries after the inspired authors completed the New Testament. Sacraments emerged centuries later as church leaders sought to codify certain church rituals. It wasn’t until the 12th century AD that the Catholic Church formalized the seven sacraments they now recognize.3

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Posted by Eddie Lawrence in Misconceptions, Word Studies
22
Feb
2025

Set Apart, Not Set Above: The Truth About Saints

Saints

When Paul opens his letter to the Ephesians, he addresses it “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 1:1 BEREAN). This greeting is not unique. Paul consistently refers to Christians as “saints” throughout his letters. But what does that mean? Today, many believers hesitate to call themselves saints, while others reserve the term for a select few. The Catholic Church even has an entire process for declaring certain individuals as saints. These differing views reveal a gap between how the Bible defines sainthood and how we often understand it today.

To clarify, we need to examine three key points: how the New Testament defines a saint, why many assume sainthood applies only to certain Christians, and how the Catholic Church developed its idea of canonized saints.

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Posted by Eddie Lawrence in Eschatology, Misconceptions