DIFFICULT  QUESTIONS

 

          In most Bible study classes there is a tacit understanding that certain questions are taboo and never to be raised.  Especially is any question that begins with “why?” to be avoided.  An open, honest, candid, and profound search for truth is never attempted, and the deep ocean of Scripture lies unexplored, while church members must be content to wade along its shores.

          The following questions are given as examples of those that should be allowed and plainly expounded:

 

Does God cause evil? (Isa. 45:7, Deut. 32:39, Ex. 4:11)

Does God repent of evil intentions? (Ex. 32:14, 1 Sam. 15:10, 2 Sam. 24:16, Jonah 3:10)

Does God send evil spirits? (1 Sam. 16:14, 19:9, 1 Ki. 22:19-23, 2 Chron. 18:20)

Does God harden hearts in sin? (Ex. 10:1, 14:4, Rom. 9:17-18)  Did God harden Pharaoh’s heart and then drown him for being obstinate?

Does God punish children for their parents’ sins? (Ex. 20:5, 34:7, Num. 14:18)

Does God slaughter innocents? (Gen. 6:7, 22:2, Num. 31:17-18).  Would a great Flood that drowned innocent babies be the act of a good and benevolent Deity?

Does God approve of lying deception? (Ex. 5:1, 1 Sam. 16:2)

Does God favor the Jews over the rest of mankind?  If God never changes and is perfectly impartial in His judgments, would He ever select any ethnic group as a specially-favored “chosen race”?  Is the concept of a “chosen race,” a “super race,” or a “master race” not a racist concept?

Is genocide acceptable if done in the name of God? (Josh. 6:21, 1 Sam. 15:3, Eph. 2:13-16, Holocaust)

Are all heathen people doomed to hell? (Acts 4:12)

Did God unsuccessfully try to kill Moses? (Ex. 4:24)

Is it wrong to be too good? (Eccl. 7:16)

If incest is morally wrong, and if Adam and Eve were the first human beings, was it right for their sons and daughters to procreate offspring?

Were there any Orientals, Eskimos, Polynesians, Turks, Australians, or Dravidians on Noah’s Ark?

Should witches be killed? (Ex. 22:18)

Is slavery acceptable in human society?  (Ex. 21:2,7, Col. 3:22)

Should women speak in church? (Acts 21:9, 1 Cor. 11:5, 14:35)

Is a woman saved through childbearing? (1 Tim. 2:15)

Is sexual intercourse evil? (Lev. 15:16-24, Ps. 51:5-10, Rev. 14:1,4, Temple off limits to women)

Are Death and Hades persons as in classical mythology? (Rev. 6:8, 20:14)

Was Paul always sure of his inspiration when writing? (1 Cor. 7:6,25,40, 2 Cor. 11:17)

Is snake handling a valid test of faith? (Mark 16:18)

Is a bat a bird? (Lev. 11:13-19)

Can a third of the stars in the universe strike the earth without its total obliteration? (Rev. 6:13, 12:3-4)

Was the Creation ex nihilo, i.e., “out of nothing?”

 

 

 

 

 

ANSWERS  TO  DIFFICULT  QUESTIONS

 

Does God cause evil? (Isa. 45:7, Deut. 32:39, Ex. 4:11)  Theodicy: God is good; does not tempt (Jas.1:13) “Evil” means “calamity,” i.e., so-called “Acts of God.”  Evil comes from sin & natural calamities.

Does God repent of evil intentions? (Ex. 32:14, 1 Sam. 15:10, 2 Sam. 24:16, Jonah 3:10, Heb. 13:8, Jas. 1:17)

Does God send evil spirits? (1 Sam. 16:14, 19:9, 1 Ki. 22:19-23, 2 Chron. 18:20)  No.  Reject these passages.

Does God harden hearts in sin? (Ex. 10:1, 14:4, Rom. 9:17-18)  Did God harden Pharaoh’s heart and then drown him for being obstinate?  Christocentric interpretation says “No.”  Reject these passages as inferior ideas.

Does God punish children for their parents’ sins? (Ex. 20:5, 34:7, Num. 14:18, Jer. 31:29-30, Ezek. 18:19-20)

Does God slaughter innocents? (Gen. 6:7, 22:2, Num. 31:17-18).  Would a great Flood that drowned innocent babies be the act of a good and benevolent Deity?  Christocentric interpretation says “No.”  Reject this.

Does God approve of lying deception? (Ex. 5:1, 1 Sam. 16:2) Deception accepted in Jacob, Islamic bazaars.

Does God favor the Jews over the rest of mankind?  If God never changes and is perfectly impartial in His judgments, would He ever select any ethnic group as a specially-favored “chosen race”?  Is the concept of a “chosen race,” a “super race,” or a “master race” not a racist concept?  Yes.  Divine bias would be unjust.

Is genocide acceptable if done in the name of God? (Josh. 6:21, 1 Sam. 15:3, Eph. 2:13-16, Holocaust)

Are all heathen people doomed to hell? (Acts 4:12, Lk. 12:47-48, Rom. 2:14-16, 1 Cor. 15:22, Eph. 1:10, 1 Tim. 1:13-14.   Gen. 18:25b asks, “Shall not the Judge of the earth do right?  Leave it in His hands.  See “Fate of the Heathen” below.)

Did God unsuccessfully try to kill Moses? (Ex. 4:24, Ex. 3:12, 32:14, 33:19, a capricious deity was accepted by ancient people)

Is it wrong to be too good? (Eccl. 7:16, the Golden Mean philosophy, is not Christian.)

If incest is morally wrong, and if Adam and Eve were the first human beings, was it right for their sons and daughters to procreate offspring?  Marriage of siblings was common in Egypt & Persia, before the Mosaic Law.

Were there any Orientals, Eskimos, Polynesians, Turks, Australians, or Dravidians on Noah’s Ark?  No, only Mediterranean races.

Should witches be killed? (Ex. 22:18)  Endor witch not killed. Sibyls honored. Amish hexes. “Good witches.”

Is slavery acceptable in human society?  (Ex. 21:2,7, Col. 3:22, 1 Cor. 12:13, Gal. 3:28, Col. 3:11)  Ancient customs are obsolete.

Should women speak in church? (Acts 21:9, 1 Cor. 11:5, 14:35)  Ditto.  Ancient customs are obsolete.

Is a woman saved through childbearing? (1 Tim. 2:15, Gen. 3:16, Josh. 7:24-25, Jer. 31:30, corporate guilt)

Is sexual intercourse evil? (Lev. 15:16-24, Ps. 51:5-10, Rev. 14:1,4, Temple off limits to women, Heb. 13:4)

Are Death and Hades persons as in classical mythology? (Rev. 6:8, 20:14, Greek gods like the Death Angel; mythical beings were accepted)

Was Paul always sure of his inspiration when writing? (1 Cor. 7:6,25,40, 2 Cor. 11:17, his “opinion,” not like speaking “the word of the Lord” 1 Thess. 4:15)

Is snake handling a valid test of faith? (Mark 16:18 added by an unknown author)

Is a bat a bird? (Lev. 11:13-19, primitive zoology is not scientific.)

Can a third of the stars in the universe strike the earth without its total obliteration? (Rev. 6:13, 12:3-4) Stars were small lights the size of figs.

Was the Creation ex nihilo, i.e., “out of nothing?” (Gen. 1:2 has “the Deep” existing; Heb. 11:3 is ex nihilo)

 

       As difficult as these questions may seem, they can all be answered with sound and sensible reasoning.  Galileo said, “I do not feel obligated to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forego their use.”  All Bible passages must meet the following criteria or tests of orthodoxy to be acceptable.  If a Bible passage fails these tests, it should be deemed uninspired and rejected.

 

                      CRITERIA                       THEOLOGICAL CONCEPT

     God is good.                              Theodicy

     Truth is a gradually revealed.      Progressive Revelation

     The Bible is a record of revelation.     Human Inspiration

     The Bible can be understood.          Spiritual Gift of Gnosis

     The teachings of Jesus are the standard.     Christocentric Interpretation

 

                                                                  Richard L. Atkins

 

 

 

FATE OF THE HEATHEN

 

Doomed to hell without Christ (Acts 4:10)

Men of old justified by law (Gal. 3:23-24)

All to be judged by deeds (John 5:28-29)

Christ preached to spirits in Hades (1 Peter 3:19, 4:6)

Sin in ignorance may be forgiven or lightly punished (Num. 15:27-28, Luke 23:34, 1 Tim. 1:13-14, Luke 12:48)

Heathen can know God through consciences (Rom. 2:14-16, 5:13)

God, the Judge, will do right (Gen. 18:25)

All to live (1 Cor. 15:22, Col. 1:19-20)