The Doctrine of the Curse

The Doctrine of the Curse

Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI

Biblical Authority Ministries, December 17, 2025 (Donate)

With over 50 movies with “curse” in the title, like the popular The Curse of the Black Pearl (Pirates of Caribbean movie series) our culture is inundated and fascinated by the concept of a curse. And sadly, our culture is also addicted to “curse” words too! They fill media, books, and film, many workplaces, and public events.

Where did the idea of “a curse” come from? Do people really know the extent of God’s curse? Let’s take a few moments to explore the doctrine of the curse and its ramifications.

The Doctrine Of The Curse In Scripture

The doctrine of the curse refers to God’s righteous and judicial response to man's sin, first introduced in Genesis 3 after Adam’s disobedience. When God completed creation, He declared it “very good” (Genesis 1:31). The world was originally free from “The Seven D’s”:

·       Death

·       Despair

·       Discomfort

·       Distress

·       Decay

·       Disease

·       Disorder

Adam and Eve lived in direct fellowship with God, creation functioned perfectly and harmoniously, and there was no moral or physical corruption. God upheld all things in a perfect state.

Image requested by Bodie Hodge (ChatGPT)

This changed when Adam, acting as mankind’s federal head of the human race, rebelled against God’s clear command (Genesis 2:16–17; 3:6). As a result, God pronounced specific curses (collectively call the "curse". The serpent—which was party to Satan’s influence—was cursed above other animals (Genesis 3:14). The ground itself was cursed (Genesis 3:17–19)—which extended to all of creation according Romans 8.

As parallel to the curse, the woman (Eve) was given increased pain (from the new pain they were now already experiencing with their sin and shame) in childbirth and sorrows (e.g., relational conflict; Genesis 3:16). The man was condemned to painful toil, frustration, sweat, and both were to have eventual physical death by returning dust. Thus, death entered the world through sin (Romans 5:12).

The curse did not mean creation became evil in substance, but it became broken, frustrated, and subjected to decay. God now longer upheld everything in a perfect state, but the way He now upholds it gives us a taste of what life is like with His full blessing and perfection.

Scripture later explains that creation was “subjected to futility” and now groans under bondage to corruption (Romans 8:20–22). Thorns, thistles, disease, natural disasters, and predation are all consequences of this curse, not features of God’s original design.

The Curse And The Flood Of Noah’s Day

The Flood recorded in Genesis 6–9 is directly connected to the curse and humanity’s worsening sin. After the Fall, sin rapidly increased, culminating in a world described as filled with violence and corruption (Genesis 6:5, 11–12). The Flood was not a random global catastrophe but a world-covering judgment on those who had become unrepentant and ripe for judgment like twigs waiting to be thrown into a fire.

Image requested Bodie Hodge (ChatGPT)

The curse set the stage for the Flood by introducing death, corruption, and separation from God. Man’s hearts, already inclined toward sin since the Fall, became continually evil (Genesis 6:5). The Flood showed the curse’s effects in action against a sinful world. God used the Flood to judge wickedness. He also preserved life through Noah, a descendant of the tenth generation of Adam, by grace (Genesis 6:8).

After the Flood, God reaffirmed the curse was in effect. Though the world was cleansed of rampant violence, human sin remained. God said,  

And the LORD smelled a soothing aroma. Then the LORD said in His heart, “I will never again curse the ground for man’s sake, although the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done. (Genesis 8:21, NKJV)

The curse was not removed by the Flood; rather, the Flood was a severe judgment within a cursed system. The Seven D’s continued afterward, confirming that the curse remained in effect.

Living In A Sin-Cursed And Broken World Today

Scripture reveals that we are still living under the effects of the curse. Though, Christ has done the work through His death, burial and resurrection to solve the issue from an eternal perspective, we endure until the end at Judgment Day.

Physical death remains (e.g., Hebrews 9:27). The earth continues to produce natural disasters, disease, famine, and environmental decay. Human relationships are marked by conflict, injustice, and violence. Even believers experience The Seven D’s (e.g., 2 Corinthians 4:16–18).

The curse affects all of creation, not just humanity. Animals suffer and die, ecosystems collapse, natural disasters wreak havoc and the natural world resists man’s dominion. Romans 8 teaches that creation itself longs for redemption, awaiting the new heavens and new earth that will accompany Christ’s return. This explains why the world does not function as God originally declared it in Genesis, even though He remains sovereign and good.

The Curse In Our Daily Lives

Because man is a fallen creature, the curse of sin in this world affects us body and spirit. We suffer and we die (thus, the need for a Savior in Jesus Christ). But it also affects our minds in our fallen nature. When we hear curse words, cuss words, bad words and the Lord’s name in vain, it reflects the sin nature of man’s heart.

Scripture teaches that man should keep his tongue tame because words flow from the heart and reveal one’s broken spiritual condition. Jesus said,

“Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34, NKJV)

Speech is not morally neutral—there is no neutrality as one is either for Christ or against Him (e.g., Luke 11;23)! Speech often reflects whether the heart is governed by wisdom from God and His forgiveness or still in our sinful nature. Because man is made in the image of God, our words carry moral weight and are meant to honor God, edify others, and speak truth. Foul language goes against each of these like the stench of rotting flesh.

Image requested by Bodie Hodge (ChatGPT)

Idle speech is bad because it is wasteful before God. Jesus warned,

“But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.” (Matthew 12:36, NKJV)

Idle words include careless, frivolous, deceptive, or harmful speech that serves no righteous purpose. Scripture consistently calls believers to speak with good intention, wisdom, and restraint (e.g., Proverbs 10:19).

Unrighteous cursing, including corrupt or profane language, is forbidden in the Bible because it contradicts God’s righteous holiness. Man, being fallen beings, don’t do it righteously and thus, it defiles us when we use foul cursing language. God says,

Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. (Ephesians 4:29, NKJV)

Believers in Christ Jesus should have their speech be “with grace, seasoned with salt” (Colossians 4:6), reflecting God’s character rather than the world’s sinful corruption due to sin and the curse. Profanity cheapens speech and reverence for God. It often is associate with the sinful heart of anger and unrighteousness. Onlookers also lose respect for those who speak in such ways—whether the speaker realizes it or not.

Cursing others is especially evil because it misuses the tongue (and thus our sinful souls) against those made in God’s image. James rebukes this inconsistency, saying,

But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. (James 3:8–10, NKJV)

Scripture commands blessing instead of cursing, even toward enemies (Matthew 5:44; Romans 12:14). Ultimately, taming the tongue is an act of submission to God and is the fruit of sanctification (growing in holiness). A controlled tongue shows spiritual maturity, humility, growing in holiness (i.e., sanctification), and obedience (James 3:2). God is glorified when speech reflects godly material.

The Removal Of The Curse

While the curse is real and ongoing, it is not permanent. Scripture points forward to its ultimate removal. The infinitely-powerful Christ bore the curse on the cross, becoming “a curse for us” (Galatians 3:13), addressing the spiritual root of the problem: sin and more specifically, the infinite punishment our sin deserved from the infinite Father.

Image requested by Bodie Hodge (ChatGPT)

The final chapters of the Bible, Revelation 21–22, God promises the reversal of the curse. In the new heaven and new earth, “there shall be no more curse” (Revelation 22:3). Death, pain, sorrow, and decay will be eliminated (Revelation 21:4).

There will be a “new heavens and a new earth”, exceeding the former glory or the original creation. We will have direct fellowship with Christ eternally.

Conclusion

Cursing, if done properly in pure righteousness, would be acceptable. But with man in our fallen and sinful state, we fail to live up to proper righteous cursing—thus, that remains the prerogative of God and His provision only.

The doctrine of God’s curse in Genesis 3 explains why a world created “very good” now experiences The Seven D’s: Death, Despair, Discomfort, Distress, Decay, Disease, and Disorder.

Due to Adam’s sin, the curse affected all of creation. The taste of the curse was swallowed at the divine judgment such as the Flood. It also continues to shape life today until the final judgment.

Yet God, in His perfect wisdom, also promises that the curse is temporary by the grace of God through Jesus Christ His Son. Through Christ work, God will fully undo the curse (Revelation 22:3) and restore a new creation to its intended eternal glory.

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Bodie Hodge, Ken Ham's son in law, has been an apologist since 1998 helping out in various churches and running an apologetics website. He spent 21 years working at Answers in Genesis as a speaker, writer, and researcher as well as a founding news anchor for Answers News. He was also head of the Oversight Council.  

Bodie launched Biblical Authority Ministries in 2015 as a personal website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a 501(c)(3). He has spoken on multiple continents and hosts of US states in churches, colleges, and universities. He is married with four children. 

 

The Police And The Resurrection

The Police And The Resurrection

Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI

Biblical Authority Ministries, December 16, 2025 (Donate)

After an event where I spoke on the relevance of Genesis, a man stood first in a long line to talk to me. He loved what I said about Genesis, but as the conversation continued, I found that he denied the New Testament.

He kept saying he loved who Jesus was, and held Him as a great prophet, but he couldn’t get behind the books that followed the four Gospel accounts—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. He told me he didn’t believe Paul for instance. He tried to get me to deny the New Testament as well, which I didn’t—though I was exceptionally kind in the conversation.

Nevertheless, as the discussion progressed, he would make claims and I would cite Scripture—especially from the four Gospel accounts with which he claimed to agree. And then it happened. As we were talking about the nature of who Christ was and what He did for us, I realized that he didn’t believe the four Gospel accounts that he previously professed to believe.

When we got to the resurrection, he went ballistic—he aggressively got in my face, threatened me, and used an explicative. He flatly denied the resurrection of Christ. This obviously goes against the four Gospel accounts! Bear in mind there was a huge aghast crowd here listening intently while waiting in a long line.

I knew the event had a couple of police officers and I knew they were positioned up the steps behind me about 20-25 feet. I immediately said, “this conversation is over, I need security”. I immediately turned and rushed up the steps and darted over to the police.

When I got to the two officers mere seconds later, I turned around the man was right there—in my face again—he had charged after me. One officer stepped between us to restrain him and pull him aside.

They calmed him and then escorted him out the door where he finally left. My heart was beating! I went back to a huge line of people and met some great people that day. But that was the only time I’ve had to call for security with a guest.

Image requested by Bodie Hodge (ChatGPT)

The Resurrection

Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. (Acts 14:19, NKJV)

The resurrection is not just an important doctrine—it is vital for salvation (e.g., Romans 10:9). I had a brief taste of what the Apostles and prophets endured—many of them were sadly put to death for their defense of God’s Word and the resurrection. 

Paul, in Acts 14:19, was stoned, and they thought they killed him but he survived. This man that I had a lengthy conversation held with fervor the religion of Judaism—or a variation of it. So it is essentially the same religion the Apostles dealt with in first century Israel. Who would have thought that bringing the good news of Jesus Christ would be have such bitterness and hatred. Jesus said:

“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. “If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. (John 15:18, NKJV)

When it comes to the resurrection, it is pivotal. There are those who believe in Jesus Christ, who is the Creator and the Son of God, who took on flesh and became a man and died on the cross and subsequently resurrected. And there are those who deny the resurrection or the biblical nature of Christ. There are eternal consequences to these beliefs.  

Thus, a defense of the resurrection for any believer should be warranted—you never know who is going to be standing in line that needs to hear it. I laid the foundation for the Gospel with the man who came to my talk—and in the talk itself, he heard the Gospel—including Jesus' resurrection. But it was as though a veil was over his eyes so as to blind him from understanding it.

But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. (2 Corinthians 3:14-16, NKJV)

Even though he got heated, I hope our discussion about the resurrection prompted this man to study the Bible—particularly the Gospel accounts and the rest of the New Testament. I pray that the Holy Spirit open his eyes to the truth of what Jesus did (1 Corinthians 12:3).

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is essential and defensible.

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Bodie Hodge, Ken Ham's son in law, has been an apologist since 1998 helping out in various churches and running an apologetics website. He spent 21 years working at Answers in Genesis as a speaker, writer, and researcher as well as a founding news anchor for Answers News. He was also head of the Oversight Council.  

Bodie launched Biblical Authority Ministries in 2015 as a personal website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a 501(c)(3). He has spoken on multiple continents and hosts of US states in churches, colleges, and universities. He is married with four children. 

 

Fractured Bones In A Fractured World

Fractured Bones In A Fractured World

Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI

Biblical Authority Ministries, December 15, 2025 (Donate)

So…. my son fell on his left hand several weeks ago and it just hasn’t healed up. As a high-level baseball player, it affects his swing and so we decided to take him to a sports medical professional to get a medical examination. Sure enough, it was fractured.

Photo by Bodie Hodge

The good thing is that it is healing but it should take about another month and there are some things we can and need to do to help but really time is what heals this minor bone hiccup.

The Theology Of Fractured Bones

Though medical knowledge is great and God is the Great Physician, it’s nice to step back and look at things like this from a biblical worldview perspective.  

Starting in Genesis, death and suffering were not original parts of God’s perfect creation but are intrusions that entered the world as a result of man’s sin. The Bible teaches that when God finished creating the world (Genesis 1), He said that it was indeed “very good” (Genesis 1:31). This is what we expected from a perfect God (Deuteronomy 32:4).

Death, disease, or broken bones did not exist originally. Death entered the world through Adam’s disobedience (i.e., sin) when he rebelled and committed high treason against God. God commanded man not to eat from a particular fruit and they (Adam and Eve) ate in disobedience (Genesis 2:17; 3:6).

Romans 5:12 explains that “through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men.” Adam was the responsible party for his wife—where she was deceived (1 Timothy 2:14)—he willing ate. Those who had dominion fell and the whole dominion of man fell with them. God cursed the ground, the animals, and sentenced man die and return to dust (Genesis 3).

Suffering, like bone fractures, exists because the entire creation was subjected to the consequences of sin (Genesis 3:17–19; Romans 8:20–22). This is why we see pain, decay, disasters, disease, and death today. These things are not acts of cruelty from God but results of man’s rejection of His authority.

God warned Adam clearly, and He kept His word. God basically gave man a taste of what life was like without Him upholding everything in a perfect state. We now taste death and suffering in a very real way. We live daily in God’s fractured world.

However, God is not indifferent to suffering. From the before the moment sin entered the world, God revealed His plan of redemption (Genesis 3:15). Throughout Scripture, God, in His infinite power and wisdom, even uses suffering for His good purpose. Our brokenness from sin shows the seriousness of sin.

God uses suffering to humble man’s pride and slow the spread of sin. God also uses suffering and death to be an obvious reminded of how we need a Savior—Jesus Christ. Without death and suffering, the gospel itself would be meaningless, because Christ came to defeat death through His suffering, death and resurrection. His infinite and eternal sacrifice (which due to His eternality can be paid in just a moment) satisfied God’s eternal and infinite wrath on sin to make salvation possible.

Jesus Christ entered a fallen world and took on the likeness of sinful flesh (Romans 8:3) and suffered and died in our place, though He was without sin (1 John 3:5). Through His death and resurrection, He conquered death—that punishment we deserve—and made salvation possible (1 Corinthians 15:21–22, 54–57).

Christ’s work on the Cross dealt with both God’s justice against sin and His grace and mercy toward sinners who receive Jesus Christ. This is why believers in Christ are seen as spotless before God on Judgment Day—we have been given Christ’s pure righteousness (called “imputation”).

No More Fractured Bones

The Bible does not promise a suffering-free life while we tread in this sin-cursed and broken world—and my son knows that through many examples and this fractured bone is one more example. God, though, does promise a time when there will be no more death or suffering or broken bones in heaven (technically, “a new heaven and new earth” commonly denoted simply as “heaven”).

God will one day remove death, pain, and sorrow entirely (Revelation 21:3–5) and the curse will be removed (Revelation 22:3) for those who are saved. Until then, suffering reminds us that this world is broken and temporary, and that our hope rests in God, not in man-made ideals and solutions. Death and suffering exist because sin is real, God’s Word is true, but take heart, God has provided a way of salvation in Christ Jesus our Lord.  

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Bodie Hodge, Ken Ham's son in law, has been an apologist since 1998 helping out in various churches and running an apologetics website. He spent 21 years working at Answers in Genesis as a speaker, writer, and researcher as well as a founding news anchor for Answers News. He was also head of the Oversight Council.  

Bodie launched Biblical Authority Ministries in 2015 as a personal website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a 501(c)(3). He has spoken on multiple continents and hosts of US states in churches, colleges, and universities. He is married with four children. 

 

 

 

That Unique Christmas Star

That Unique Christmas Star

Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI

Biblical Authority Ministries, December 11, 2025 (Donate)

Introduction

It’s that time of year again when people start asking questions about the unique star that guided the wise men to Christ around 2000 years ago. The Star of Bethlehem was a real, historical, supernatural sign created by God and not an ordinary astronomical event. The star behaved in ways no natural celestial object can replicate, pointing to its miraculous uniqueness.

Real, but Not Natural

The Christmas Star described in Matthew 2 was a real phenomenon but not a normal astronomical object such as:

·        A conjunction or alignment of planets (such as Jupiter and Saturn)

·        A supernova or nova

·        A comet

·        A meteor

·        A regular star or wandering star

Natural celestial bodies cannot move in a purposeful way, guide travelers along a specific route, or stop directly over a single house as the text describes.

Image requested by Bodie Hodge (ChatGPT)

Matthew records that the star “went before” the Magi and then “stood over” the place where the young Child was, which means there was intentional movement and standing positions different from normal heavenly bodies that move as the earth rotates. The star first guided them from the East all the way to the Jerusalem area—and then shifted to a southern direction to lead the Magi from Jerusalem to Bethlehem. This cannot be explained by planetary motion.

Wise ancient astronomers and sky watchers, without today's light pollution and nightly distractions, were skilled enough to not have mistaken this for a routine planetary alignment. But they would see that something unique is definitely at hand. Natural objects follow predictable orbital paths and cannot behave in the uniquely directed manner that Matthew depicts of the Christmas Star.

Because of these factors, the star was a special, unique light or star provided by God. When looking back over the Scriptures, we read that God caused similar manifestations. Consider the pillar of fire and cloud that guided Israel in the wilderness (Exodus 13:21-22; Exodus 14:19-20) or other Old Testament instances where God’s glory appeared as a localized, brilliant light (1 Kings 8:10-11). Even in the New Testament Paul was surrounded by light at his conversion (Acts 22:6).

The star’s ability to guide the Magi step by step and pinpoint a specific home is like these earlier examples of the Shekinah glory (2 Chronicles 5:13-14). The use of the word “star” fits ancient terminology, which often referred to any bright light in the sky as a star, whether natural or supernatural (as well as meteors, comets, planets, etc.).

Night Sky Objects; Image requested by Bodie Hodge (ChatGPT)

Theological Knowledge

The Magi still needed divine revelation to understand its meaning though. God had to reveal that this sign announced the birth of the Messiah and that the Magi should travel to Judea to honor Him.

The Magi may have inherited knowledge of Messianic prophecy from Daniel’s earlier influence in Babylon since he was the legendary leader of them after he saved them from destruction. Recall that some of Daniel’s prophecies were sealed up. Were these Magi familiar with them as they were passed down? Possibly. Then there is the prophecy of the Star in the book of Numbers (Numbers 24:17; Matthew 2).

Conclusion

The Magi were truly wise men—even their gifts are of great significance—gold, frankincense and myrrh. God is a kingly gift, frankincense is a priestly gift (used in the Temple) and myrrh was medicinal and often used on bodies of the dead—which sadly, far too many prophets were put to death in Isreal. Thus, it was a fitting gift to representing the office of the prophets. Jesus fulfilled all three offices of Prophet, Priest, and King.

Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh; Image requested by Bodie Hodge (ChatGPT)

The Christmas Star was not a natural event like a planetary conjunction or comet. Instead, it was a supernatural, God-directed light—likely the Shekinah glory—that moved purposefully, guided the Magi tot eh exact place they needed to go—the Christ child.  

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Bodie Hodge, Ken Ham's son in law, has been an apologist since 1998 helping out in various churches and running an apologetics website. He spent 21 years working at Answers in Genesis as a speaker, writer, and researcher as well as a founding news anchor for Answers News. He was also head of the Oversight Council.  

Bodie launched Biblical Authority Ministries in 2015 as a personal website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a 501(c)(3). He has spoken on multiple continents and hosts of US states in churches, colleges, and universities. He is married with four children.