Who was Agabus in the Bible?
All that we know about the prophet Agabus comes from two short passages in the Bible. In Acts 11:27–30 Agabus is described as one of several prophets who came from Jerusalem to Syrian Antioch, where Paul was ministering. A prophet was one who received direct messages from God and communicated them to the people. In…
Was the Apostle Paul a Jew?
Paul was a Jew who took great pride in his Jewish heritage. He lays out his Jewish credentials in Philippians 3:5–6: “If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of…
Who was Rufus in the Bible?
The Bible mentions Rufus in two places, and we can assume they both speak of the same man (Mark 15:21; Romans 16:13). The first mention of Rufus is in the context of events on the day Jesus was crucified. Due to the horrific abuse Jesus had already undergone, He was unable to carry the heavy…
Who was Erastus in the Bible?
Erastus was a coworker of the apostle Paul, a civil servant in Corinth, and a believer in Jesus Christ. As the director of public works (Romans 16:23), Erastus would have been quite an influential man. His duties likely included the upkeep of civic buildings and city streets and the collection of public revenue; in some…
Who is Felix in the Bible?
Antonius Felix was formerly a slave but was promoted by Claudius Caesar to the office of governor. The Roman historian Tacitus described Felix as “cruel, licentious, and base.” While in Judea, Felix was attracted to Drusilla, a daughter of Herod Agrippa I. The fact that Drusilla was already married made no difference to Felix. He…
Who was Joseph, the father of Jesus?
Joseph was the earthly father of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Joseph was a descendant of King David, he lived in Nazareth in Galilee, and he was pledged to be married to Mary (Luke 1:27), the virgin who gave birth to Jesus. The Bible tells us that Mary became pregnant through the Holy Spirit…
Who was Salome in the Bible?
There are two women named Salome in the Bible, but only one is mentioned by that name. One Salome was righteous; the other unrighteous. The righteous Salome was the wife of Zebedee (Matthew 27:56), the mother of the disciples James and John, and a female follower of Jesus. This Salome was the one who came…
How did the name Jacob become James in the New Testament?
In the original Greek of the New Testament, the names Jacob and James are variants of the same root—both names stem from the same Hebrew name, Yaaqob (יַעֲקֹב), which is translated “Jacob” throughout the Old Testament (e.g., Genesis 25:29). In the Greek language, the Hebrew name Yaaqob becomes Iakób (Ἰακώβ) in a straight translation. That…
What is the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth?
Zechariah (also called Zacharias or Zachariah) was a priest from the tribe of Levi who served the Lord during the reign of Herod in Judea. Zechariah’s wife, Elizabeth, was also a descendant of Aaron, and the Bible says they were godly, devout people (Luke 1:5–6). When the Bible begins their story, they are both old…
Who was Annas in the Bible?
Annas in the Bible was a powerful high priest who played key roles in the execution of Jesus Christ and in the persecution of the early church. Annas was appointed high priest of the Jerusalem temple around AD 6 by Quirinius, the Roman governor of Syria. He officially served as high priest until AD 15,…