EXTRAORDINARY NEWS · OUR STUDY NOTES
The questions people ask about God, cultures, symbols, and everyday life deserve careful answers—not fear or automatic condemnation. These notes distinguish the words of Scripture, what interpreters have taught, and how we apply them today.
We are a Christ-centered movement. We study the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek writings with accessible English translation. Every person is welcome to ask questions and examine the passages.
The Bible calls Yahweh the God of Israel while also declaring him Lord of all the earth. His covenant with Israel carried a blessing intended for every family of the earth. God heard Hagar, blessed Ishmael, and made a covenant through Isaac. These truths invite us to reject contempt toward any people.
Read: Genesis 12:3 · Genesis 17:20–21 · Genesis 21:17–20 · Romans 3:29
A prayer may be spoken, sung, or accompanied by kneeling or dancing. Traditions differ across communities. What matters is whom people honor and what a practice means—not whether it looks unfamiliar to an outsider. Christians can hold firmly to Jesus’ teaching while listening respectfully to their neighbors.
Read: John 4:23–24 · Acts 10:34–35 · Revelation 7:9
The high priest’s breastplate included precious stones, and the Bible uses stones as memorials. A crystal can remind someone of affection, beauty, or gratitude without becoming an object of worship. Scripture warns about idolatry, not about finding stones beautiful. Claims that crystals literally store emotional energy or cure illness are not established by scientific evidence.
Read: Exodus 28:17–21 · Joshua 4:6–7 · 1 Samuel 7:12 · Romans 1:25
The Hebrew Scriptures describe incense as part of worship, and the psalmist compares prayer to incense. Burning a plant for fragrance is not automatically a religious ritual. A belief that a plant independently commands divine power is a different claim. Burning any material can release smoke that may irritate the lungs.
Read: Exodus 30:34–38 · Psalm 141:2
The Bible does not name marijuana in a rule about eternal condemnation. It does teach sober-mindedness, self-control, care for others, and obedience to lawful authority. Christians differ on how these principles apply to cannabis. Impairment, dependence, risks to health, driving, and legal obligations all matter. We should not pretend that every use is identical or that the Bible makes a medical safety guarantee.
Read: 1 Peter 5:8 · Galatians 5:22–23 · Romans 13:1
In the Hebrew Bible, the divine name YHWH is often rendered LORD in English. Most of the Hebrew Bible was written in Hebrew, some passages in Aramaic, and the New Testament in Greek. A translation and an interpretation are not the same thing. We print full Scripture passages with their source and invite readers to examine the older languages, without claiming that any surviving manuscript is the lost autograph.
Read: Exodus 3:15 · John 1:1 · 2 Timothy 3:16
In Christian confession, the death and resurrection of Jesus are central—not optional details. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam share important figures and narratives but do not teach the same account of Jesus. We state our faith in Christ while welcoming people of every background to read and ask questions without hostility.
Read: 1 Corinthians 15:3–4, 17 · John 14:6
Genesis portrays Hagar, an Egyptian woman, as seen and heard by God. Ishmael receives a promise of blessing and descendants; Isaac receives the covenant promise. Neither promise gives license to despise Jews, Arabs, Muslims, or anyone else. The Bible tells us the brothers buried Abraham together.
Read: Genesis 16:13 · Genesis 17:20–21 · Genesis 21:17–20 · Genesis 25:9
Muslim is an Arabic word meaning someone who submits to God. Jewish identity is connected to the people and history of Judah and Israel, and includes ancestry, culture, and religion. Christianity confesses Jesus as the Messiah and centers his death and resurrection. These traditions share figures and history, but their beliefs are not interchangeable.
Read: Deuteronomy 6:4 · Mark 12:29 · Romans 3:29 · 1 Corinthians 15:3–4
In the Hebrew Scriptures the four letters יהוה (YHWH) designate God’s name. Some English versions render those letters LORD, and others use Yahweh. This is an important translation choice, not evidence that every use of the word Lord is a deception. Readers should be able to see and understand the original words.
Read: Exodus 3:15 · Psalm 83:18
The ancient writings were copied and translated across centuries. Scripture, a translator’s wording, a commentator’s explanation, and a church’s tradition are different layers. We study the older languages and explain where a meaning is debated, rather than describing a modern English translation as an original manuscript.
Read: Nehemiah 8:8 · Acts 17:11 · 2 Timothy 3:16
WHY SCRIPTURE IS FREE HERE
Imagine Moses coming down from Mount Sinai and saying, “Before you share the Ten Commandments, please sign a licensing agreement.”
If we all followed a copyrighted Ten Commandments, where would we be?
The ancient biblical writings belong to the shared heritage of humanity. Modern translators deserve credit and fair compensation for their work, but nobody should need a paid subscription to read and study Scripture. Copyrighting a modern translation does not make the words inaccurate; it does create restrictions on reproducing that particular wording. Extraordinary News seeks open access through public-domain biblical texts and responsibly licensed original-language resources.
Matthew 10:8: “Freely you received, so freely give.”
Reference: Exodus 31:18 · Matthew 10:8 (World English Bible Classic)
Our individual question pages place the complete Scripture response above the brief explanation. The separate Bible reader is intended for uninterrupted reading of full chapters. Original-language research is identified as research, and a ministry interpretation is identified as interpretation.
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