There are many varying cultures in the world having different reasons for their existence. When a group of people look at other cultures using their own culture as a blue print, things exotic to them appear strange. Every culture has its genesis. Proponent of cultural relativism judge their culture in its own term and therefore see themselves as better "judges" than those who use their culture to judge other cultures.

The point, however, must be strongly made that a Christian is neither an opponent or a proponent of cultural relativism. Christians measure every culture (irrespective of its popular acclamation) in the face of the Word of God. They are defenders and contenders of the faith and not of culture (Jude 1:3). Let us therefore resort to the Bible from which the Christian takes his or her authority.

For instance, there is a scriptural proof for the male to be circumcised when he is born. The Lord Jesus Christ was circumcised after the eight day of His birth (Luke 2:21). There is however no scriptural requirement for the female (or the male) to have their ears bored for the purpose of earrings.

The first time ears were bored was for identification of perpetual slavery (Exodus 21:1-6). In Genesis 35:1-5, when the household of Jacob were about to appear before God, they removed their earrings that were in their ears. In judges 8:24-26, the wearing of earrings is seen as an Ishmaelite sign, not a Nazarene sign. Know that Ishmaelites were not the chosen of the Lord but Nazerenes (Israelites) were the chosen of God.

There is a popular opinion that the earring differentiates the female from the male. There is no where in the Holy Bible that earring is supposed to differentiate a female from a male (Exodus 32:2-4). Those who pierce the ears of the female for the purpose of earrings when she is born are not able to tell the world why they do what they do. In the Bible, what differentiates a male from a female is their clothing (Deuteronomy 22:5) and the length of their hair (1st Corinthians 11:4-15). Earring has never been part of a Christian's dressing from time past. There are others who wear earrings for the vogue of it.

In all this, the Christian has the Word of God (not popular opinion or culture) as his absolute. That's why the Christian is an odd-ball while he sojourns here. It is worldly for the Christian (male or female) to put rings in their ears, nose, lips, eyebrow, navel or any part of the body.

There are those who say because the Lord Jesus has come to die for us, we should not bother ourselves about our dressing, etc. Though this statement sounds convincing, it is not the truth. The truth is that, because the Lord Jesus has already saved us, we should rather be mindful about how we dress, to show that we have been saved and that we are not of the world though we are in it. Our dressing does not save us but it must show forth that we have been saved and that we are not conformed to the world (Romans 12:2).

Thousands of years ago, tablets (coins) in the woman's hair was a sign that she was married. Today, that symbol has changed. Her unbroken circle of a ring around her ring finger symbolizes her unbroken love in marriage. The man wears the same. So it is alright for men and women who are married to wear wedding rings. It is alright also for a Christian woman who is married to put a little chain around her neck. She should however be guided by modesty (1st Timothy 2:9).

It is firmly established by the Bible (1Thess. 5:23) that we have a body, spirit and soul. We should, however, never try to pattern or liken our human spirit to the Holy Spirit. Our Spirit is of the Adamic nature. It is not good. The Holy Spirit, on the contrary, is God in a Spirit form. Before God gives us the Holy Spirit, He renews our Spirit to enable us receive His Spirit (Psalm 51:10, Ezekiel 36:26,27).

Whereas the body and spirit of man are not the real man (but the soul is), every aspect of God is God Himself. May we not dare to do any comparison of the spirit of the unconverted man to any aspect of God.

The Bible confirms that, to the human, the soul is the most important element.

In Hebrews 10:39, our salvation is of the soul, not of the spirit or body. Read also Psalm 34:22 and Psalm 49:8.

In 1st Peter 1:22, it is our soul that is purified when we receive truth of the Word. According to James 5:20 and James 1:21, he that converts a sinner saves his soul. When a man is saved by the Word (Jesus Christ), the Word controls his soul, his soul controls his spirit and his spirit controls his body.

There are five senses to the body: taste, feel, hear, smell and see. There are five senses to the spirit: conscience, reason, imagination, affection and memory. There is one sense to the soul: Faith. Without faith in the Word, the soul dies, though the body may be alive. The soul is only quickened by faith in the Word. That is why a person can show all manifestations of the spirit and yet be dead to the truth of the Word.

Note that when our Lord Jesus died, His body went to the grave (Matthew 27:58-60), His spirit went to the Father (Luke 23:46) and He (the Soul) went to preach to souls in prison (1st Peter 3:18-20). Because the soul is also a spirit (because it cannot be seen) the word "spirit" is sometimes used for the soul (1st Peter 3:19).

Dear John, you so often hear preachers mistakenly refer to the phrase 'sons of God' who fell for the daughters of men, as Angels. It must be noted that Angels as spirit-beings cannot have sexual affair with flesh and blood unless they use a body as Satan used the serpent. It must again be noted that Angels cannot be referred to as sons of God but messengers and servants of God. Hebrews 1:5 states, "For unto which of the Angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?" Sons have inheritance but Angels have no inheritance to the Redemptive work of Christ. The phrase 'daughters of men' also as recorded in Genesis 6:1,2 simply depicts worldly women, descendants of Cain, who had no God in them. The 'sons of God' in that scripture refer to the descendants of Seth and the 'daughters of men', the descendants of Cain. In the same way today, 'sons of God' refer to Christians (not Angels), as 'daughters of men refer to worldly women.

Hello John, there are only two marks in the world: the mark of the beast and the mark of God, which is the Holy Spirit Baptism. Both marks are not physical but spiritual. The mark God gave Cain was the mark of the beast to identify him as the seed of the serpent. Cain was not the seed of Adam but the seed of the serpent that is why in Genesis chapter 5, when Moses was giving the generations of Adam, he excluded Cain even though Cain married and gave birth to children. Cain could not have contributed to Adam's descendants because he was not of Adam. Cain was therefore the first person to receive the mark of the beast. For a full understanding of this mystery, read the article entitled THE ORIGINAL SIN on this website. God bless you.

That is so because the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost is Jesus Christ.

If you were a HUSBAND to your wife, a FATHER to your children and a SON to your parents, that will surely not make you three persons. That is why there is no scripture for " God in three persons blessed trinity". Though you are playing three roles (or three titles), you are not three persons. You are ONE PERSONALITY with A NAME. And if you were to send your friend to purchase a property in your name, he will surely not tell the seller " I purchase this property in the name of the HUSBAND, the FATHER and the SON", even though that is what you may be.

The Lord never commanded us to REPEAT His words in Matthew 28:19, in water baptism. He said we should baptise in the Name (not Names) of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost and that Name is Jesus Christ. Note that Father, Son and Holy Ghost are not Names but titles. We are not supposed to baptise in titles (i.e Father, Son, Holy Ghost) but in the Name to the titles, which is Jesus Christ. That is why all believers in the Bible baptised in the Name of Jesus Christ.

Remember also that, the Bible admonishes us to do all things in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ according to Colossians 3:17 because in Him dwells the fullness of the Godhead Bodily, according to Colossians 2:9.

Because it is absolutely necessary to baptise in the Name of Jesus Christ, the disciples ofJohn the baptist had to baptise again in the Name of Jesus Christ according to Acts 19:1-5.