5 common Christian beliefs not found in the Holy Bible

This article is intended to provide believers a tiny step in greater understanding of their faith and the Holy Bible, and hopefully to be of interest to theological scholars. In no way is this article intended as a criticism.

Rapture

The Rapture, the rising or disappearance of all Christians on Earth during the return of Jesus, is not specifically mentioned by name in the Holy Bible. The ideas behind the Rapture have been taken from Paul in 1 Thessalonians 16-17 where he states, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” The concept of a premillenial rapture first began to gather credence nearly three-hundred years ago, when Protestant and Puritan leaders, such as Cotton Mather, began to speak of it publicly. Most Christian faiths have a belief in the Rapture or something similar to it, though not all agree on a time line of events for the Rapture.

Holy Grail

The Holy Grail is an artifact that is supposed to be the cup Christ himself used at the Last Supper, and which was used to catch His blood while he was on the cross. The grail is never mentioned in the Bible. Today scholars believe the mythology behind the grail comes from a mixture of early Christian stories and Celtic myths. The earliest recorded use of the Holy Grail in literature can be found in “The Story of the Grail” by Chretian de Troyes, written between 1181 and 1191.

The snake as Satan, and the apple

Read the book of Genesis carefully. Nowhere is the snake that tempts Eve named as Satan, Lucifer or any other known name. Could the snake have just been a snake? Possibly given powers of speech by Satan or even God for the purposes of temptation? Also, the book of Genesis does not name the forbidden fruit of which Adam and Eve partake. Tradition knows the fruit as an apple, but there is no evidence of such. Some Biblical scholars believe much more likely candidates for the fruit would be the fig or the pomegranate.

Purgatory

Purgatory is a place or event where those who have died in God’s grace are finally, fully purified of their sins. It is often pictured as or thought of as a place between Heaven and Hell, where those who will eventually make their way to Heaven must be purified first. The idea is not to be found in the Holy Bible, at least not directly. The Catholic Church, and a handful of other churches, hold belief in one form or another of Purgatory, but most Protestant churches reject the idea. Dante’s The Divine Comedy from the 14th Century initially helped to spread a belief in Purgatory.

The word “Trinity”

Nowhere in the Holy Bible does the word “Trinity” appear. It’s true, and this often comes as a surprise to many Christians. But just because the word is not used does not mean the concept behind the Holy Trinity cannot be found within the Bible. The Bible obviously mentions the Son, the Father and the Holy Spirit. 2 Corinthians 13:14 reads, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.”