Understanding Biblical Interpretation and Tradition

Question Time Stamps for Quick Reference: **QUESTIONS FROM NON-CHRISTIANS** (thanks to Sarah Zimmerman for making these) 1. 3:37 How do you explain to non-Christians that Jesus indeed was a real person? 2. 8:30 Do you struggle to accept the teaching in 1 Timothy regarding women's roles in the Church? Do you ever find it hard to reconcile your human sense of justice with what the Bible says? 3. 11:32 If it's so obvious that Christianity is true, why do the overwhelming majority of scientists and people with high IQs not believe in God? (Not just 1 or 2, but the majority.) 4. 14:52 What do you say to what seems as sexism in 1 Corinthians 11 and 1 Timothy and the Old Testament, how women are treated as ''second class''? 5. 17:43 We have a will, but we cannot choose our will. If we can't be perfect on our own, why are we deserving of punishment for being imperfect? 6. 21:04 Why is theism a better view than atheism and agnosticism? 7. 26:52 What would you say to an Egyptology expert who comes to believe that Jesus existed, died, rose, and reigns but refuses to give Jesus allegiance because of His belief in the historical Exodus? 8. 30:14 In Genesis 3, the serpent tells Eve that the fruit would not kill her, but would open her eyes - and that's what the fruit did. So why do Christians call this interaction a deception or a lie? 9. 33:24 My brother doesn't believe the Bible, arguing that there are much older religions that Christianity copies (ex: the Virgin Birth and other aspects that are the same). How would you respond? 10. 36:10 How do you reconcile the disputed letters of Paul? Do you believe translations like the NLT, ESV, etc. are still infallible, compared to the original Greek manuscripts? 11. 38:34 Jesus says about false prophets, "By their fruit you will recognize them." (Matthew 7 :16). We can see "fruit" in the lives of many Mormons, Bahais, etc. How do you explain that? 12. 41:21 How does secular marriage between 2 people of the same gender affect Christianity? Why do Christians spend so much time advocating against something that isn't relevant to them? 13. 44:36 Why is the doctrine of inerrancy so important? Why believe it, if prophesies don't indicate inerrancy? 14. 46:14 What is your response to the claim that Ephesians is a forgery due to having longer sentences than Paul's other epistles? 15. 47:44 I sometimes call myself an "agnostic Calvinist". If God is real, He hasn't "selected" me. If He wants me to be saved and I desire to understand Him, but I am unconvinced by the Bible, where do I stand? 16. 51:13 What is your advice for someone who finds the arguments for Christianity someone persuasive, but always seems to fall short of having actual faith? (Still having severe doubts/reservations.) 17. 52:58 Don't the first 11 chapters of the Bible seem ridiculous? (Ex: Spiritual beings having sex with women and producing giants, and humans living nearly a thousand years old.) 18. 56:09 Is it forbidden for Christians to have more than 1 wife? In my country (South Africa), it is legal in some parts to have more than 1 wife, and this is a question I get from my people. 19. 58:36 There is good evidence that an all-powerful being exists. What is the evidence for the nature of this all-powerful being? An all-powerful being would have absolute power to deceive. **QUESTIONS FROM CHRISTIANS** 20. 1:01:25 If your pastor's total focus is on divine healing and wants to call his church a "healing center" for the purpose of bringing in the lost, should I stay, or find a different church? 21. 1:02:15 Do "once saved, always saved" people and "lordship salvation" people agree with one another, and only argue over semantics? 22. 1:03:24 Are you going to make any more worship songs? 23. 1:04:11 How would you explain to non-Christians that it's not unfair or inconsistent that we, as humans, are represented by Adam, thus inheriting Adam's sinful nature? 24. 1:06:18 How do I explain to deists the divinity of the Scriptures? Most reject the Scriptures because "men wrote them". How do I refute this? 25. 1:09:04 If certain cessationists believe that God doesn't speak anymore, is this blasphemy? Are they saved? How can one serve God and not hear from Him, when Scripture suggests that God does speak? 26. 1:10:52 Isn't it unfair to be born predisposed to Adam and Eve's sin? (The curse of being born sinners.) ~ CAT CAM ~ 1:11:37 27. 1:12:16 How do you read Romans 1: 16? Is it that the "power of God" is what saves those who believe, or that the Gospel IS the power of God AND what saves those who believe? Or both? 28. 1:13:52 If God is not the author of confusion, then why are there so many different interpretations of Scripture? My work in this ministry is fully supported by donations and I intend to keep it that way so that everything I produce can be offered for free. If you want to help make this possible here's the link. https://biblethinker.org/index.php/donate