Who was Samson?

Samson grew to become the strongest man of the Bible. In the tribe-land of Dan, which was next to the country of the Philistines, there lived a man named Manoah. One day an angel came to his wife and said:

"You shall have a son, and when he grows up he will begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines. But your son must never drink any wine or strong drink as long as he lives. And his hair must be allowed to grow long and must never be cut, for he shall be a Nazarite under a vow to the Lord.” (See Judges 13.)

Under the Nazarite vow, when a child or man was consecrated to serve God, he was forbidden to drink wine, and as an outward sign, his hair was left to grow long. In this manner, that person was sanctified or set apart for a holy service. Such a person was called a Nazarite – meaning "one who has a vow”.

The child was born and named Samson. He grew up to become the strongest man of the Bible. Samson was no general, like Gideon or Jephthah, to call out his people and lead them in war. He, even, did much to set his people free; but all that he did was by his own strength.

Can we say that Jesus is divine and yet not worship Him as deity?

The Logos is designated "The Only Begotten Son" of God. The thought conveyed by this expression is that the Logos, the Lord Jesus, is the only direct creation or begetting of the Heavenly Father, while all others of God's sons (angels as well as men), were His indirect creation through the Logos. 

Hence the propriety, the truthfulness, of the statement, that He is the Only Begotten Son of God. The Lord Jesus has ever been the agency or channel through whom the Divine purposes have been accomplished. As the direct agent of the Heavenly Father it is appropriate that He should be honored even as the Father is honored.

 And so it is written, "That all men should honor the Son even as they honor the Father." (`John 5:23`.) After the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus, He was highly exalted, receiving glory, honor, and immortality, the divine nature.

 In view of this high exaltation, and of His position of special favor at the right hand of the Majesty an high, it is no cause for surprise that we find it stated that all should bow the knee to Him: "Him hath God highly exalted, and given Him a name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow."–`Phil. 2:9`.

Please explain 1 Peter 1:3-5.

1 Peter 1:3-5 reads, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."

There are such beautiful promises in this passage. For whom are these wonderful things promised, and what do they mean?

WHO IS PROMISED THIS BLESSING?

The greetings of 1 Peter address Christians.1 Peter 1:1,2 read, "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who reside as aliens, … who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, that you may obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in fullest measure."

So, the "us" in verse 3 is referring to those who are chosen according to God's foreknowledge, and are sanctified by the Spirit of God. Romans 8:29, "For whom he foreknew, he also foreordained to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren:”

Sanctifying Work of the Spirit

The sanctifying work of the spirit is God's power to change our characters and our actions to become more Christlike. Galatians 5:22,23 say, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."

WHAT IS THE BLESSING PROMISED TO THESE?

God's great mercy has promised these:

**To be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.This promise is to be resurrected as Jesus was, with an incorruptible spirit body (see 1 Corinthians 15:44, "It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spirit body.”).

**To obtain a heavenly inheritance which is imperishable -reserved for the saints to be revealed in the last time.

This inheritance is God's Kingdom, where they will rule as kings and priests for 1000 years, as it says in Revelation 20:4,,"they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years."

Who are they ruling over?

As it says in Acts 15:17, "After these things I will return, and I will rebuild the tabernacle of David (the nation of Israel) which has fallen, and will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it (through God's favor), in order that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord, who makes these things known from old."

All the nations of the earth will be blessed, all who have ever lived will be resurrected, and this is the gospel…the good news!