Question: I have a friend who is Seventh Day Adventist and we constantly debate whether hell is eternal. I show him passage after passage that demonstrates that the Bible teaches everlasting punishment, but he continues to bring up the fact that, for people in hell, their ultimate fate is to be thrown into the lake […]
Question: Were our founding fathers Christians? I tried to google this and I get secular answers and articles, saying that the founding fathers were Deists not Christians. Answer: I assume you are an American and are asking about the founders of the United States of America. I have already answered this question, so I am […]
Question: I need to bone up on battling a family member who is an agnostic. I want to refute his thinking, but at the same time to speak the truth in love. What do you recommend I read on this website? Thank you! Response: You can find a power point on the existence of God […]
Question: I’ve been listening the audios of the Evidence for Jesus classes. Thank you very much for them. But I have a doubt about the claims of Jesus in John 10. Verses 34 to 36 are rather confusing for me. It says: 34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, […]
Question: I have a study that focuses on the words “LORD” Hebrew Yahovah {yeh-ho-vaw’} H3068 from H1961. Jehovah = “the existing One” 1) the proper name of the one true God. “Lord” Hebrew Adonay (ad – o – noy) H136 from H113 1) my lord, lord a) of men b) of God. “Lord” Hebrew “adown” (adone) […]
Question: The book of Numbers says Balaam practiced divination and was certainly a wicked man, worshiping idols. How could a holy God talk through him and even made him bless Israel when Balak wanted them cursed? Doesn’t God detest things like sorcery, divination and witchcraft? Answer: God certainly hates witchcraft, divination and idolatry. However, […]
Question: About eating blood, I recently read an answer by you on whether it is wrong to eat blood (Acts 15:28-29). You said that it is not wrong, but I found some of your answer to be very confusing. You have said that “it is not sinful for a Christian to eat blood” From what […]
Question: I’m doing a paper on Isaiah. Do you believe it is written by one author, two, or more…? Answer: Many scholars claim that the prophet Isaiah wrote Isaiah 1-39 and that another author influenced by Isaiah wrote “deuteroisaiah” which would be Ch 40-66. They base this claim on supposed and sudden differences in subject, […]
[Editor’s Note: I recently answered a question about R. G. Price but, not knowing his middle name, thought the question was about a different critic of Christianity named Robert Price. Interestingly, the positions of the Robert Price and of R. G. Price are actually fairly similar. Nevertheless, I am a bit embarrassed and apologize […]
Question: How could Jacob defeat an angel of the lord in his wrestling match? Did God make the angel powerless? And why did the angel ask Jacob to leave him as sun was rising? Why did he even need permission? Answer: I am afraid that there are certain things in the scriptures for which […]
Question: In discussing creation with a friend, we focused our discussion on the fact that the oceans are salty. According to science, where did the salt come from? When earth was first created, was the water that originally covered the earth fresh? Could salty oceans be a result of “the fall” (making the largest source […]
Question: Is it possible that your standard Jewish citizen of Roman Judea would have had foreknowledge of the Old Testament Prophecies and planned to have fulfilled them with an intent. Would Jesus have done such a thing to manipulate the prophecies purposely in order to convince his followers and enemies that he was indeed the […]
Question: What proof is there that the Bible is true? Answer: To tell you the truth, this is a rather broad question. My first answer is please just start looking around the web site. We have more than 2500 articles, each of which is intended to answer your question! But you asked, so […]
Question: I am studying with someone who believes that we are saved by faith alone, and that baptism is just an outward sign to people but he does not see it as a saving act. What would be some scriptures that make clear that baptism is essential for salvation, and what do you think would […]
Question: Hello, can you respond to R.G. Price’s articles about the origins of Christianity, especially this one?http://www.rationalrevolution.net/articles/fictional_jesus.htm Response: We at ARS sponsored a debate with Robert Price, so we are extremely well aware of his position. I have spoken to him personally. Let me do this. You should get a hold of a copy of […]
Question: I have a question about Psalm 51:5. In this passage David says “Surely I was sinful at birth, from the time my mother conceived me.” This scripture was used by a friend as an argument for infant baptism. He claimed that babies do have sin because David said so in this passage. God says […]
Question: I read in a question at the web site concerning the prophecies of Daniel 11 in which you said that the Kingdom of the North which were the Seleucids become later identified as the Romans. Why is it that this change seems random as if to accommodate for the fact that Antiochus IV did […]
Question: I believe that a Christian can lose their salvation. However, I hit a metaphorical stone wall when I read Romans 11:29. “For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” Salvation is referred to as a gift in the New Testament, so where do I go from here? Answer: From the tone of […]
Question: What does the Bible say happens to Homosexuals? Answer: The exact same thing happens to homosexuals as heterosexuals. All are sinners, and all fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). All must put their faith in Jesus, repent and be baptized in order to be forgiven of their sins. Homosexuals are no […]
Claim: The story of Jesus is said to be taken from a man named Heru from Egypt, said to be African and born of a virgin. Heru is supposed to be a story before Jesus. Who is Heru? Response: The claim you heard falls into a category of claims that the story of Jesus is […]
Question: In your post from April 5th, you state “Biblically, the only way we receive the indwelling Holy Spirit is at baptism (Acts 2:38). ” From Acts 10 it appears that salvation (receiving the Holy Spirit) comes before baptism (Acts 10:47), What is you response to this event? In full disclosure, I hold to the […]
Question: The idea has been brought to my attention in a Bible study that sin does not only inflict spiritual death but physical death as well. Possible biblical support for this is that when God curses Adam and Eve for disobeying, He mentions that “from dust we came and to dust we will return.” However […]
Question: I have a question regarding the disputed texts in the Bible i.e. the Adultery Pericope, the extended ending of Mark 16 and the Comma Johanneum. I’ve encountered some Muslims who try using these disputed texts in the Bible to prove that the Bible has been corrupted. While I’m aware that there is overwhelming consensus […]
Question: I want to ask you a question in relations to this article –https://evidenceforchristianity.org/does-god-delight-in-evil-as-it-seems-to-say-in-deuteronomy-2863/ The section of your article that says this: God will discipline us and even bring harm on us for disobedience How would you explain that in relations to this verse: Jeremiah 29:11(NIV)- For I know the plans I have for you,” […]
Editor’s note: This is a series of about ten questions. For ease of following the arguments, I will intersperse my answers between the questions. Question: I stumbled upon a website known as “RationalWiki” which lists supposed unfulfilled prophecies of the Bible which deeply trouble me in my understanding of the Bible. The most difficult of […]
Question: How would you respond to someone claiming that marijuana or other drugs help some one become closer to God. While there is no example of anyone in the Bible needing to use drugs to get close to God, is there any scripture that explicitly says that this is incorrect or even sin? Answer: To […]
Question: I had a conversation with a friend who has been convinced by looking at scripture that baptism is not needed to receive the Holy Spirit and that we have NO part and our Salvation due to God choosing us and that Salvation cannot be lost. (Calvinism) I wanted to see where I could be […]
Questions: I hope you don’t mind but I have a couple questions that have served as mental stumbling blocks for me. 1. Are all Persons of the Triune God eternal? For instance, while Christ is the Alpha and the Omega and the Firstborn of all creation, does Scripture indicate what Christ’s existence (as the Second Person of the Triune […]
Questions: I have a couple questions that are generally vague concerning God. 1.) Why is it that when I pray it seems as if I am talking to no one? Usually during prayer in a private space there is just silence and no indication of any connection with some sort of immaterial creator being of the […]
Question: The Bible says that God is a jealous God; the Bible also says that God is love. Despite all this 1 Corinthians 13:4 says “love does not envy” (NKJV). So my question is: how can God be a jealous God and a God of love when the Bible says that love is not jealous? Answer: […]
Question: Do critics have a case for the allegation that since Jesus’ life and events were recorded way after his actual death that they cannot truly reflect his image and deeds during his life? Are there any other examples of historical texts that were recorded 20 to 40 years after the fact? Is the reason […]
Question: Is there a difference between a “servant” and a “bond-servant”? I’ve read many different explanations, some even contradicting other definitions. I’ve read mostly that a “servant” is synonymous for ‘slave’ (one taken as a slave) and a “bond-servant” is one who has chosen to stay with his/her master by choice. I see throughout the […]
Question: NASA says new observations from the Hubble Space Telescope confirm the presence of a subsurface salty ocean on Jupiter’s largest moon, Ganymede. Jim Green, NASA’s director of Planetary space even says that the “The solar system is now looking like a pretty soggy place”. My question is, does this discredit the Bible in any way?. Assuming […]
Editor’s note: The person making this inquiry included material found from a web site. This material is included, unedited, after my response. Question: I have some questions concerning archaeology and the Bible. 1.) Why is there such an absence of evidence concerning anyone mentioned in the Bible prior to Solomon or David, there is virtually […]
Question: Mark 16::17-18 describes divine abilities believers should possess but not observant to the contrary. You think the same principle of miracles apply today? Answer: Scholars are nearly unanimous that Mark 16:9-20 was not in the original Book of Mark, so I see relatively little need to explain this section in Mark. It is […]
Question: I am writing to ask you a quick question: a Christian friend of mine shared his conviction that Daniel was not truly written by Daniel, but was written some time in the second century BC. I would like to know what are the arguments for and against this view, and the same for the […]
Question: Mark 11:24 is a verse I find difficult to because the favors I ask of God in faith do not materialize more often. Could you kindly explain what it really means? Answer: Mark 11:24 is true, of course, but we should not forget that there are other passages on the topic which would help […]
Question: How could God bless all nations through Jacob after he deceitfully won Esau’s blessing in Genesis 27. I thought lying was a sin. Answer: The same way he could use Abraham, despite his lack of faith at first when he heard that he would have a child and despite his dishonesty about his wife […]
Question: Genesis 5 states that the patriarchs prior to the flood lived as long as 900 years. How exactly is anyone supposed to take this into consideration when during ancient times, life span was actually shorter than it is now? Only now are humans living longer, not shorter. So in the face of this how […]
Question: Can you please explain the parable of the unjust steward (Luke 16:1-13). It is confusing to me. Answer: This parable is about God’s desire that we use the things he has given him to advance the Kingdom of God. It is rather similar to the parable in Matthew 25:14-30. In this parable the master […]
Question: Genesis 5 states that the patriarchs prior to the flood lived as long as 900 years. How exactly is anyone supposed to take this into consideration when during ancient times, life span was actually shorter than it is now? Only now are humans living longer, not shorter. So in the face of this how […]
Question: I’ve been discussing different god and the bible with an atheist friend of mine and there were two points which I felt really unsure of. 1. The first was the problem of suffering; I explained the idea that creation was corrupted at the fall of man, but he pointed out that this in no […]
Question: I was just watching this video and would like to ask you (since I never really bothered to looked into this subject in depth) What does it matter if the earth is 6000 or 6.000.000 years? https://l.facebook.com/l/jAQHiGsOvAQGvEzRft5_viI9TFU7Vn-x6iPZ8utGizqWldQ/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DeAy-KTEzzaY Response: The speaker in this video implies that if we do not believe in the 6000 year […]
Question: Hello, I have a couple of questions concerning our souls. If consciousness can be determined to depend on the physical brain, does this mean our consciousness ceases to exist after death? Isn’t it obvious that if the brain is damaged in any way that it directly affects our consciousness immediately. Also, if we have […]
Question: Does 1 Corinthians 12:28 and Ephesians 4:11-12 imply that the church should be led by apostles only? What bearing do these scriptures have on the church today and it’s leadership? Answer: To be honest, I do not see where you could get the idea that the church should be led by apostles only from […]
Question: Are apostles and prophets supposed to be part of Christianity today? Answer: No, apostles and prophets are no longer a part of the New Testament Church. Apostles, by definition, had to be personal witnesses of Jesus Christ (Acts 1:21-24). Obviously, there are no candidates for this office today! As for prophets, these were men […]
Question: Was Paul married before he became a disciple?. My friend is telling me that he was married and it was because you had to be married in order to be in the Jewish ruling council? She is also saying that because Paul was married and his wife abandoned him, Paul is saying it’s better […]
Question: I am finding it difficult to accept the concept that one could actually have an intimate relationship with God. God in His most simplistic definition is invisible and an immaterial being, additionally why would the very creator of the universe speak a human language. Isn’t that a hint the mankind has formed and molded […]
Question: What are the “Powers of the Age to Come”? Answer: I assume that you are quoting from Hebrews 6:5. In context, he is talking about what happens to those who have become Christians but who later fall away. To describe those who have been saved, he talks about “those who have once been enlightened […]
Question: Can you speak on ancient Kemetic religion versus Christianity? Is there any connection between the two? Was one inspired by the other? Answer: I do not know very much about the Kemetic religion. Apparently, it is a modern phenomenon. There is no evidence of Kemetism before the 1970s. I already said that I do […]
Buy Now: MP3
Buy Now: MP3
Buy Now: DVD
Buy Now: MP3
