Random Christian "Truths" That Aren't Actually in the Bible (15 items)

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  (#8) The Term "Immaculate Conception" Refers to Jesus's Virgin Birth

  The two are actually separate things. The Virgin Birth refers to the fact that Jesus was conceived in Mary's womb without the presence of a human father. The Immaculate Conception refers to the idea that Mary was free of original sin when she was herself conceived.
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  (#7) Revelation Warns of an Evil End Times Figure Called the AntiChrist

  Believe it or not, the figure of the AntiChrist not only never appears in the book of Revelation but wasn't even widely associated with the End of Time or Apocalypse until the Middle Ages. As it turns out the term "AntiChrist" only appears a handful of times in the Bible (2 John 1:7, 1 John 2:18, 1 John 2:22, 1 John 4:3) and is exclusively used as a term for anyone who is literally "anti-Christ," in the same way that one might be "anti-establishment" or "anti-war."

  "The AntiChrist" is never actually presented as a single figure but is actually meant to be more of a description.
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  (#12) God Helps Those Who Help Themselves

  Though often widely mistaken for a Bible verse, this saying was actually popularized by Benjamin Franklin when he quoted it in Poor Richard's Almanac in 1757. The phrase apparently goes back even further, with its first known usage originating in a 1698 article called "Discourses Concerning Government" by Algernon Sydney.

  Not only does the phrase never appear in the Bible however, it's actually contradicted by quite a few verses in which God is said to help the helpless, such as the Beatitudes, Isaiah 25:4, and Romans 5:6.
  
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  (#1) Baby Jesus Was Visited by Three Kings from the East

  Although the gospel of Matthew records the story of baby Jesus being visited by wise men from the East, the Bible never says that they are kings, that they rode camels, or even that there were three of them. The number three is often assumed by scholars due to the fact that the wise men presented Jesus with three gifts, though there's no evidence that they weren't actually presented by more than three men.

  Some scholars believe that the wise men were actually Babylonian Magi who may have been familiar with the prophecies of Daniel, of the lion's den fame. You see, not only did Daniel have a way with big kitties of the ferocious variety, he went on to become the chief seer and head of all the Babylonian Magi during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar.

  His prophecies in Daniel 9:24-27 laid out a timeline for the coming Messiah which the visitors of baby Jesus may have used to help determine when to expect Him. They may have additionally been familiar with the prophecy of Balaam in Numbers 24:17 which specifically mentions "a star coming out of Jacob."
  
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  (#5) Jesus Was Born in a Stable

  Only two Biblical writers, Matthew and Luke, mention Jesus's birth and neither of them ever actually specify that he was born in a stable. All we really know is that when the time came for Mary to give birth, which for all we know could've been weeks after the couple actually arrived in Bethlehem, there was no room in "kataluma" - a word often translated to mean "inn," but which more likely means "guest room."
   
  We do know Mary laid the baby Jesus in a manger, but in 1st century Judea mangers were everywhere. They could be found on the street, in the courtyards of larger homes, and even inside the first floors of some houses - where animals were sometimes brought inside at night for warmth.
  
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  (#9) The Devil's Name Is Lucifer

  Though the name "Lucifer" is pretty universally attributed to the Devil, to the point that he now even has his own self-titled TV show (based on his own comic book character), the name only actually appears in the Bible once. It's mentioned solely in Isaiah 14:12, which reads, “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How are thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!”

  In the original text, the word "Lucifer" meant "the shining one" or "the morning star" and was often used to refer to the planet Venus, which was often the first celestial body to appear in the night sky around dawn. Here it was originally being used to refer to the King of Babylon and his ultimate fall and demise, despite having once outshone all the kings of the Earth.
  

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