Question: I was reading some Wikipedia articles about early Israel and came across and interesting section regarding the origin of Yahweh http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_ancient_Israel_and_Judah#Religion Ill let you read it but I’m adding quotes from it that I was hoping you could respond to. "It is generally accepted among modern scholars that the narrative of […]
Question: I am currently working on an informative lesson for an adult Sunday school class regarding Jewish ideas about the Messiah prior to Jesus’ birth. I am curious if there are non-biblical writings or prophecies that give us an idea of what the Jews were expecting in the Messiah? Or perhaps you could explain why […]
Question: About your article on fasting: Jesus said WHEN, not IF you fast. He used the same word WHEN in Luke 14:12-14 WHEN thou givest a dinner or a supper (when you lay out a big feast). That can’t be construed as Jesus ordering people to throw feasts, Jesus was addressing the attitude of the […]
Question: 1. Should non-Christians who attend Church service be allowed to eat of the bread and drink of the wine served during observance of the Lord’s Supper? Any scripture to draw inference? 2. What is the message of John 6: 35 – 69? Some like Gordon Ferguson in his “Prepared to Answer” said it is not […]
Question: I wonder if I could have the privilege of picking your brain. I’ve been thinking a lot about Jesus as a real figure in history recently – and the fact that He is the head of the church, and it has led me to question what about Jesus’ ministry sets him apart from all other […]
Question: I have been taking a class on The History and Reliability of the Bible, where we recently discussed the subject of Noah and the Ark. I have gone back and forth before on whether the flood was a regional one, perhaps partly because of a statement made to me by a member of my biological family. My […]
Question: I was wondering if you could address and refute these claims made by Jews against Jesus being the Messiah: "The Messiah must be from the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10). Under Jewish law, tribal affiliation is conferred through the birth father only (Numbers 1:18-44,34:14,Leviticus 24:10) (Criterion for being the Messiah is not met – in […]
Question: There are some "Christian" churches that seem to promote a spiritual healing of physical ailments and diseases. How should one approach a spiritual healer or the practice of spiritual healing? Answer: From the tone of your question, I can see that you are quite skeptical of the claims of modern spiritual faith healers. I […]
Question: Do you know of an Old Testament scripture that alludes to us having the authority to use OT scripture as allegory for future events? I’m pondering, praying and studying with one of my best friends and former pastor John Wickes. He asked me what gives us the right or authority to use Old Testament […]
Question: Do you believe there is life on other planets? I have never even considered this idea until recently. I have been reading a lot of C.S. Lewis’s works and he seems to believe there is life on other planets. Also, after watching a video from the book CRAZY LOVE called "Awe Factor" I just […]
Comment: After reading your reply to the question regarding the geology of Hawaii could you explain to me why anyone should believe the Bible? 2 Timothy 3:16 states that "all scripture is given by inspiration of God" and Titus 1:2 says that God cannot lie. Now, the question arises, what does one believe? Is it […]
Question: Why do you think about the Song of Songs in the Bible which talks about adultery? Answer: The Song of Songs is not about adultury. It is about physical love between a man and a woman. There is no adultery here at all. I do not know who told you that there is adultery in this book, […]
Question: How would you respond to the late Henry Morris’s comments in his book The Genesis Record?: In the first place, the order of creative events narrated in Genesis 1 is very different from the accepted order of fossils in the rocks representing the geological ages…. Second, as already pointed out when discussing the gap theory, […]
Comments: In regard to your article about Genocide in the O.T., I would have to believe that the LYING PEN of the scribes have attributed to God, words and events that He is not responsible for. Not only did God NOT murder people in the Old Testament era, he NEVER asked Abraham to commit child sacrifice […]
Question: On the Discovery Channel I saw a show on the subject of Hawaii. The show touched on how the Hawaiian Islands were formed. According to the dominant view among geologists, the crust or plate on which the Hawaiian islands rest, is slowly moving north and each island was formed when the crust or plate below the future island […]
Question: And the Lord said unto me. They have well spoken that which they have spoken, I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to […]
Question: What do you think about the Gospel of Barnabas? It clearly states that prophet Muhammed is the messenger of God. Dont tell me that it was written by a Muslim or changed by a Muslim. I think no gospel was changed by Muslims. Only Christians change it as per the church. Answer: It is […]
Question: I’m am reading your book,"Reasons for Belief" and I had a question on p.38… Can we be sure about Babylonia Sandhedrin 43a in the Talmud is refering to Jesus of Nazareth? Do we have any Jewish sources confirming that it is Jesus of Nazareth? The Talmud certainly fits very well with what we know […]
Question: According to NIV & TNIV, Apollos was a Jew & an Egyptian (a native of Alexandria) (Acts 18:24) but GNB says he was a Jew but born in Alexandria. Is NIV & TNIV correct to say a Jew is also an Egyptian? Answer: Now, that is an easy one. In the first century Alexandria […]
Question: I’ve been doing some research on extra Biblical evidences as I continue studying the Bible with Chinese people. In my search I came across something about the moon turning to blood. Every time I study out that section in Acts 2, I’m not really sure whether that’s going to happen in the future, or […]
Question:A lot of anti-Christian biblical skeptics often use this objection to the Bible: “The Bible tells the story of Jesus being born when Herod was king (Matthew) and traveling to Bethlehem (Luke) for the census as if the two accounts were compatible but, they are actually ten years apart. Luke has Jesus born at the […]
Question: In your article on slavery you state "Therefore, for his own reasons, God chose to regulate the cruelty of slavery rather than to ban it outright for the Jews under the Law of Moses. He commanded that slaves be set free automatically after a certain amount of time But I read in Lev that […]
Question: Catholicsm is a tradition which has been passed for a long time. Where was its origin and the approximatly when did it begin? Answer: I will assume you are talking about the Roman Catholic Church. There is also the Eastern Orthodox Catholic Church and the Coptic Catholic Church. These names are in a sense […]
Question: Many non-Christians see the Bible as just another book rather than accepting that it is inspired. What do we say to the non- beliver about the Insipriation of Scriptures? Answer: To be honest with you, Randy, this is really too broad a question for me to frame a reasonable answer. My simple answer is send them […]
Pregunta: Quisiera entender un poco más aquello de que Dios nos elige, entonces que ocurre con los que no elige Dios??… Si Dios no los elige son culpables? Dios endureció el corazon del faraon, si? No se trata de que el hombre quiera y se esfuerce sino de que Dios enga compasión. Respuesta: Dios elige […]
Question: Most biblical scholars claim that the King James Version isn’t the best to use today because of the archaic terms and non-usage of the latest surviving documents. Are there any flaws within the New King James Version? Answer: You have the right scoop on the KJV, otherwise known as the Authorized Version. The principle […]
Question: In studying the Bible carefully, I noticed that the type of wine which is mentioned in the New Testament is actually the unfermented grape juice. Certainly this is evidence that the Bible forbids the consumption of wine. You seem to say in your book Reasons for Belief that moderate consumption of wine is not bad. on what basis […]
Question: In 2nd corinthians 8:5 at the end I don’t quite understand if it means to also give yourselves to the people or just to God. I was wondering if you could help since i am teaching a class on stewardship. Answer: In the passage in question, Paul describes how the Macedonian Christians had given […]
Question: How should one approach those who believe that Christians can achieve sinless perfection at some point in their lives? Answer: It is hard to know how to answer this question. My answer would depend on where the person who believes this is coming from. Is this someone who knows very little of the Bible? […]
Question: Is it true that a Christian must necessarily must marry a Christian? What about a member of a particular church marrying within their group? What the Bible says on this subject? Answer: The Bible clearly teaches that a Christian must marry a Christian if he or she is to be married. Many use 2 Corinthians 6:14 […]
Question: Why the Mark 11:26 in brackets? Answer: What an interesting coincidence. I got two questions on Mark 11:26 in the same week. I am copying my answer to the other question below. Actually, he was asking about a different aspect, so I will add a couple of thoughts on your question as well. Like […]
Question: Why did God place the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the garden? Answer: This is a good question. Of course, we do not have a direct answer to this question, either in Genesis or anywhere else in the Bible. Yet, I believe that from what we know of God elsewhere in […]
Question: We are about to begin homeschooling our 4th and 6th grade boys and are looking for a great science curriculum that honors God and is also scientifically sound. Do you have any suggestions? Answer: I get many requests for this. I would love to have the time to produce such materials, but have not […]
Question: I read your article on why there is no Mark 11:26, and it made me wonder, how than can we be sure that the Bible hasn’t been altered by other scribes somewhere else down the line. If scribes tryed to insert their own verses, han how can we be sure that the Bible is perfect […]
Question: What is the underlying issue that influenced the formation of the Essene religious group? Answer: It is hard for us to trace the roots of the Essene group. As far as I know, its history is not well known at all. We know quite a bit about the history of the Pharisees, a bit less […]
Question: Transubstantiation has been described on the website as a false doctrine of the Catholic Church (a doctrine I am not convinced of one way or another). Please, allow me a moment to play devil’s advocate… Several close Catholic friends of mine have explained that the doctrine for Transubstantiation was extrapolated from several biblical verses […]
Question: I just got back from a Bible camp I go to each summer. Every time I go I feel close to God and I almost accept Jesus as my savior. Then I drift away as the year goes on. I would like to know how to accept him as my savior. I’m almost there […]
Question: I recently saw an article in the telegraph stating that a scholar had claimed Jesus was not crucified on a cross but rather a stake like the Jehovas witnesses believe, explaining that "stauros" does dont mean cross but pole or stake. While I couldn’t care less on what shape the wood was that Jesus was […]
Question: Can we infer from Acts 18: 24-26 that Apollos did what was required to be saved? Did he undergo baptism in the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of his sins? Answer: If we take Acts 18:24-26 together with Acts 19:1-5 together, then we can reasonably infer that Apollos was baptized into Christ in […]
Question: Is it possible for a baptized saved Christian to lose the Holy Spirit after receiving it like in Saul’s case who was disobedient and it was taken away from him? Answer: Yes, it definitely is possible for a baptized/saved Christian to lose the gift of the Holy Spirit. I do not believe what happened […]
Question/Comment: You say, with regard to the Letters, that "my assumption…. is that these are inspired writings." I have to point out that whenever God-inspired Scripture is spoken of in the NT, that it is the Jewish Bible that is spoken of. There is in fact no Biblical warrant for the inspiration of the NT […]
Question: I am a Christian, but I am tempted to let go of my faith. My faith is based on fear (eternal damnation, hell, etc.). I just want to know any evidence of the authenticity of Christianity which is different from other religions. Others also have their divine scriptures and revelations. What makes Christianity different […]
Question: Out of curiosity, how do you address the problem of Israel’s population in Exodus? Supposedly I’ve heard that the increase in population from 70 to 600,000 isn’t realistic? Answer: I can see how one might wonder about this. Well, let us assume 430 years for the time in Egypt. I am not at all […]
Questions: 1. Moses was prevented from crossing the Jordan and entering the promised land by God, because of Numbers 20. If the promised land is a foreshadow of heaven, and Moses did not enter it, are we to infer that Moses did not make it to heaven? 2. We can see how God has protected […]
Question: I’m just curious; if there was nothing before Adam and Eve when did the dinosaurs exist? Answer: According to scientific evidence, based on fossils radioisotopic and other kinds of data, we know that dinosaurs lived from about 240 million years ago until 65 million years ago, at which time it appears that the last […]
Question: Looking at Mark 9:1 and 1 Cor. 15:51, it is clear that both Jesus and Paul were mistaken in expecting, the arrival of the Kingdom of God in the case of Jesus and in Paul’s case, the second coming, in the lives of some of those present in each situation. How do you cope […]
Question: When did Jesus become sin ? 1)When baptised by John the Baptist? 2)When he was tempted by Satan was he carrying our sin? 3)What does it mean to fulfill all righteousness? 4)When he was on the cross? Answer: Jesus "became sin for us" on the cross. This is why Jesus cried, "My God, My […]
Question: I have recently come across this website apparently relating toward prophecy in the Bible (http://www.pillar-of-enoch.com/index.html). In the website, there are articles of apparent prophecies in Ruth, Ester as well as other books of the Bible. How should we respond to anyone who may bring these viewpoints up? Answer: I spent some time at this […]
Question: Are there any specific arguments you can make that would make the possibility of an afterlife highly likely? For example, what about arguments for the soul, the resurrection of Jesus, or whatever? I keep running into people who say that when we die, we’re just dead. How would you respond to this? If we really […]
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