#STRask

Do These Verses Support the Idea That Everyone Will Be Saved?

Question about whether Romans 5:18, 1 Corinthians 15:22, and 1 John 2:2 support the idea that everyone will be saved (universalism) as a New York Times opinion piece by David Bentley Hart claims.

• Do Romans 5:18, 1 Corinthians 15:22, and 1 John 2:2 support universalism (i.e., the idea that everyone will be saved and the doctrine of Hell is incorrect) as a New York Times opinion piece by Dr. David Hart claims?

Is Consent to Sex Consent to Pregnancy?

Questions about how to respond to the claim that consent to sex is not consent to pregnancy and what to say to a Christian who argues that the law should give women a choice about abortion because God allows us to have free will and doesn’t force us to follow his commands.

• How would you respond to the claim that consent to sex is not consent to pregnancy?
• How should I respond to a Christian who argues that the law should give women a choice about abortion because God allows us to have free will as human beings and doesn’t force us to follow his commands?

Should I Stop Telling People That Attempting to Speak to Ancestors Is Demonic?

Questions about how to respond to someone who says we should stop saying that attempting to speak to ancestors is demonic, how to answer a Sikh who doesn’t understand why a Christian wouldn’t marry a non-Christian, and a response to the claim “God is not out there; he is in here.”

• How would you respond to someone who says from an African spirituality perspective we should stop saying that listening to or attempting to speak to ancestors is demonic?
• How would you answer a Sikh who is questioning why a Christian wouldn’t marry a non-Christian if all gods are the same?
• What would be a tactical way of responding to someone who says, “God is not out/up there; he/it is in here” (pointing to himself)?

Should I Provide My Preferred Pronouns When Asked by a Judge During Jury Duty?

Questions about whether we should provide our preferred pronouns during jury duty when a judge asks for them and how to respond to a Christian who says it’s kind to use a person’s preferred pronouns and that not using them is unkind, unloving, and judgmental.

• When a judge asks me to provide my preferred pronouns in a courtroom during jury duty, is that the wrong place to resist providing them?
• How should I respond to a Christian who says it’s kind to use a person’s preferred pronouns, that by not doing so I’m being a hypocrite, unkind, unloving, and judgmental, and that not all translations of the Bible say God made male and female?

Is Romans 14 Saying That Christians Can Just Make up Their Own Rules?

Questions about whether the Christian liberty described in Romans 14 is the same thing as making up our own rules, weaker and stronger Christians in Romans 14 and 1 Corinthians 8, and the claim that once a person accepts Jesus as Savior, he is redeemed and no longer a sinner.

• How can we explain the idea of Christian liberty as found in Romans 14 to someone who claims it’s just the same thing as making up our own rules?
• Regarding the “weaker” and “stronger” Christians Paul talks about in Romans 14 and 1 Corinthians 8, should weaker Christians eventually mature in their faith and understanding, and is it the stronger’s job to help correct the weaker’s theology?
• How should I respond to the claim that once a person accepts Jesus as Savior, he has been redeemed and is no longer a sinner?

Was Moses Wrong for Giving a Law That Regulated Something God Hates?

Questions about whether Jesus thought Moses was wrong for giving a law to accommodate the hard hearts of the people, whether our civil laws should reflect the ideal or take into account man’s brokenness, and how to counsel someone who has “lost his joy in the Lord” because of sin.

• In Mark 10:2–9, is Jesus reprimanding Moses or claiming Moses was wrong for giving a law regulating divorce to accommodate the hard hearts of the people? Should civil laws reflect God’s good will or take into account man’s brokenness?
• How would you counsel someone who made some poor choices recently and “lost his joy in the Lord”? He is repentant and is fervently seeking to restore his relationship with God, but he has not regained his joy.

Should Feelings Have Any Epistemological Weight in Our Decision Making?

Questions about whether feelings should have any epistemological weight in our decision making and how to interpret several verses in Acts in light of Greg’s views on being led by the Spirit.

• Should feelings have any epistemological weight in our decision making? For example, should a pastoral candidate who has a “check in his spirit” reject a church job even if there are no objective biblical or wisdom reasons to do so?
• In light of your views on being led by the Spirit in your decision making material, how would you interpret the following verses: Acts 8:29, 10:19–20, 11:12, 13:2, 13:4, 16:6, and 20:22? Are we to follow these by example, and what does that look like?

How Should I Respond to a Formerly Muslim Friend Who Is Unwilling to Pay the Price for Becoming a Christian?

Questions about how to respond to a formerly Muslim friend who is unwilling to pay the price for becoming a Christian and doesn’t want to respond to challenges or discuss differences and whether Acts 17:23 implies that people who never hear the gospel will be judged differently.

• How should I respond to a formerly Muslim friend who is unwilling to pay the price for becoming a Christian and doesn’t want to respond to challenges because his philosophy in life is to love and help, not discuss differences?
• Does Acts 17:23 imply that people who never hear the gospel will be judged differently?

What Questions Should I Ask Someone Who Claims He Only Believes in Things He Can See?

Questions about what to ask a strict empiricist who claims he only believes in things he can see, the purpose behind God making people with senses that can’t find him, and thoughts on whether a particular way of introducing the topic of objective truth is adequate.

• What questions should I ask someone who claims he only believes in things he can see?
• What is the purpose behind God making animals and people with senses that can’t find him?
• Does my way of introducing the topic of objective truth encompass the main idea enough?

Should I Call a Man’s Partner His Husband if They’re Legally Married?

Questions about whether we should call a man’s partner his husband if they’re legally married and whether it’s appropriate to remove kids from a middle school youth group where a male high schooler who has socially transitioned to female is serving.

• What are your thoughts on calling a man’s partner his husband or a woman’s partner her wife if they have had a same-sex wedding?
• A male high schooler who has socially transitioned to female is serving in our church’s middle school ministry. If I pull my kids from their youth group, am I punishing them for someone else’s error?