#STRask

What Would Be the Point of Getting Baptized After All This Time?

Questions about the point of getting baptized after being a Christian for over 60 years, the difference between a short prayer and an eloquent one, and disciplining yourself to read the Bible whether you feel like it or not.

 

• I’ve been a Christian for over 60 years, graduated from seminary, briefly pastored, and am currently an elder in my church, but I was never baptized. At this point in my life, what would be the point of getting baptized?
• What difference, if any, is there between a short and to-the-point prayer and a wordy, eloquent prayer if both truly come from the heart?
• I love studying apologetics, but when it comes to reading my Bible, I find it difficult to want to do so. Is there a way to increase my desire to read it, or is this something I just have to discipline myself to do anyway?

How Is Prophecy About the Messiah Recognized?

Questions about how to recognize prophecies about the Messiah in the Old Testament and whether or not Paul is just making Scripture say what he wants it to say when he appears to use Old Testament passages out of context.

 

• I heard a pastor connect Psalm 69:21 with John 19:28–30, saying it was Old Testament prophecy being fulfilled, but it doesn’t look like prophecy to me. How is prophecy about the Messiah recognized?
• How do we know Paul is not just making Scripture say what he wants it to say when he appears to use Old Testament passages out of context?

God Didn’t Do Anything to Earn Being God, So How Did He Become So Judgmental?

Questions about how God became so judgmental if he didn’t do anything to become God, and how we can think the flood really happened if no definition of a god includes the idea that he can get so angry he drowns every dog on earth.

 

• God didn’t do anything to earn being God, did he? How did he become so judgmental?
• We don’t think the flood really happened, do we? No definition of a god includes emotion, let alone getting so angry he drowns every dog on earth.

Can a Deceased Person’s Soul Live On in the Recipient of His Heart?

Questions about whether a deceased person’s soul can live on in the recipient of his heart, whether 1 Corinthians 15:44 confirms that babies in the womb have a soul, why bodies are important, how to explain the soul to a child, and how the spirit relates to the soul.

 

• Could the stories about recipients of donated hearts acting like the donors mean that if a person dies and his heart is donated to someone else, his soul lives on in the recipient?
• Does 1 Corinthians 15:44 confirm that babies in the womb have a soul when it says that if there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body?
• In light of your article “The Invisible Man,” why are bodies important?
• How would you explain the existence of a soul to a child or someone who has never heard of this idea?
• How does a person’s spirit relate to his soul?

What Would You Say to Someone Who Believes in “Healing Frequencies”?

Questions about what to say to someone who believes in “healing frequencies” in fabrics and music, whether Christians should use Oriental medicine that’s based on the concepts of qi, and how to respond to someone who says he’s sending “good vibes” your way.

 

• What would you say to someone who believes in “healing frequencies” in fabrics and music and claims there is biblical support for it?
• What are your thoughts on Christians using Oriental medicine specialists, who base their techniques on the concepts of qi, to diagnose and treat allergies?
• How would you respond to someone who sends “good vibes” your way when you ask for prayers?

Why Do Some Churches Say You Need to Keep the Mosaic Law?

Questions about why some churches say you need to keep the Mosaic Law and the gospel of Christ to be saved, and whether or not it’s inappropriate for Christians to celebrate Passover since it’s a celebration from Judaism and the Messiah has already come.

 

• Why do some churches say you need to keep the Mosaic Law and the gospel of Christ to be saved?
• Is it inappropriate for a Christian to celebrate Passover since it’s a celebration from Judaism and the Messiah has already come?

Is There a Reference Guide to Teach Me the Vocabulary of Apologetics?

Questions about a resource for learning the vocabulary of apologetics, whether to pursue a PhD or another master’s degree, whether to earn a degree in general apologetics or to pick a specific topic to study, and how tactics can be used in written communication.

 

• I feel like I need a vocabulary lesson in Christian apologetics just to be able to keep up. Is there a reference guide you could suggest?
• I’m finishing up my MA in apologetics, and I’m not sure whether to pursue a PhD or another master’s degree.
• Do you recommend earning an advanced degree in apologetics or choosing a specific lane (theology, philosophy, science, etc.)?
• How can tactics be used in written communication? Is it possible to use your tactics in a digital written age?

Why Does It Seem Like God Hates Some and Favors Others?

Questions about whether the fact that some people go through intense difficulties and suffering indicates that God hates some and favors others, and whether someone is being abused because God doesn’t think she’s worshiping him enough.

 

• I constantly feel like God hates me because of a congenital defect that affects my career choices, my self-worth, and my bitterness towards God. Why does it seem like God hates some and favors others?
• If God lets Satan live to bring God glory and to test us, does that mean my friend is being abused by her mom’s boyfriend because God doesn’t think she’s worshiping him enough?

Is It Okay to Ask God for the Repentance of Someone Who Has Passed Away?

Questions about asking God for the repentance of someone who has passed away, how to respond to a request to pray for a deceased person, reconciling Hebrews 9:27 with people who have died twice, and whether we’ll be judged according to the revelation we received.

 

• What are your thoughts on asking God for the repentance of someone who has passed away?
• When asked to pray for a friend’s deceased mother’s soul, what is a compassionate response that may lead to an opportunity to share the gospel?
• How do we reconcile Hebrews 9:27, which says it’s appointed for each of us to die once, with people being raised from the dead by Jesus, Peter, and Paul and then dying a second time?
• Are people judged differently by God according to the revelation they received?

Can You Really Say Evil Is Just a Privation of Good?

Questions about whether one can legitimately say evil is a privation of good, how the Bible can say sin and death entered the world at the fall if angels rebelled before man, and why God would judge Israel with a famine so great they would eat the flesh of their children.

 

• Saying that evil is a “privation” is simply wordplay. How is the privation of a thing not creating the result of that privation? If one is denied oxygen, he will die, but you would blame the one denying the oxygen for that death.
• Scripture says sin and death entered the world at the fall, but didn’t angels rebel before man? Wouldn’t sin have been introduced then?
• Why would God judge the Israelites for sacrificing their children to idols by pronouncing upon them a famine so great that they would eat the flesh of their children?