1 Peter 3:15 (ESV) but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,
Sometimes when preparing to write this blog, I will search the web for things like “Questions Christians can’t answer” or “How to stump a Christian,” and I come up with some gems. This week, I found a site with 99+ Christianity Questions That Cannot Be Answered. Here are the first ten questions:
- Why did God punish the entire Egyptian soldiers for the refusal of their King? Some individuals over the years have wondered why God decided to do that. However, no one can provide a good answer.
- The men of Egypt had a choice to serve the pagan king or refuse to fight against the God of the Jews. They were destroyed for the same reason “good” people today will be eternally punished if they do not accept the gift of salvation offered by the God of the Bible.
- Why is God mean in the Old Testament?
- The God of the Old Testament is the same God as the God of the New Testament. The Old Testament (Old Agreement) is provided through the Law, and man is expected to obey the Law or be punished just as we are in civil matters today. The Jews were held accountable for their actions. God showed them they couldn’t live holy lives simply by their own efforts – by following the Law. In the New Testament, God now offers salvation by grace. The punishment due for sins committed were now laid upon Jesus’ sacrifice of Himself in our place.
- If God possesses two wills, why does the Bible condemn double-mindedness?
- Not sure where the idea of God having two wills comes from unless it is in the Garden where Jesus says “Not my will but yours be done.” In this case, while remaining divine, Jesus took on human form(Phil. 2:5-8) and with it a human mind. Jesus didn’t want to be separated from the Father on the cross (Matt. 27:46) but yielded to the Father’s will. As a man, Jesus had human fears and wants. He, as a man, did not want to die a painful death, but as God the Son, His will was to face the cross (Heb. 12:2).
- If God loves us, why is there a need for hellfire?
- Hellfire is not meant for man. It is where those who reject God will end up: Satan and his demons (Matt. 25:41). Men of like mind will suffer the same fate.
- Is God partial?
- No. God is not partial (Matt. 5:45; Romans 2:11)
- Who created God?
- This is what is called in logic a category error. This is when we mix categories of anything. Asking for the color of the number six, for instance, is a category error. Asking who made God is asking who created an uncreated being – another category error. God created us, though, and we are not answerable God’s creator, if there were one, but to ours.
- Can God end himself?
- God is by nature eternal, so no, God cannot end Himself. There are things God cannot do. I’m assuming this is where the question is coming from. God cannot learn because He is omniscient (all knowing). He cannot sin because He is holy by nature. He cannot do things which are illogical such as creating a rock He cannot move. So Christians will happily agree there are things God cannot do.
- Why can’t God show us Himself?
- God did show Himself 2,000 years ago in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, and they killed Him.
- Why do we suffer if we have God?
- Suffering is the result of sin, not God. The Christian will suffer for several reasons. The first, of course, is sin – yes Christians sin. Sinning doesn’t stop just because we have asked Jesus to take control of our lives. We still have free choice, and free choice allows us to sin. Sometimes God allows us to suffer as a learning process. Sometimes we suffer because God wants non-believers to see how Christians are different in how they handle suffering. If suffering stopped the moment we accepted Christ, all would ask Jesus to save them to end suffering not because they love Him. God loves us and seeks our genuine love in return.
- Is God a male or female?
- Jesus in His human nature is male. The Father and the Holy Spirit are neither. Neither has genitalia. God usually presents Himself as male, but there are passages where He uses female metaphors (Luke 13:34; Num. 11:12; Deut 32:18)
Why is this important?
God has commanded us to have an answer for everyone who asks of us a reason for our faith (1 Peter 3:15), so we should have ready answers. It’s also good to look at how non-Christians see us and be able to answer sincere questions like those above.
We may look at more of these “questions that cannot be answered” in the future of God doesn’t direct me elsewhere.
Believers Armed and Dangerous 