#STRask

Are Homosexuals Harder to Reach with the Gospel?

Questions about how to respond to a friend who says she doesn’t like the God of the Old Testament and is glad she has Jesus who forgives and whether Romans 1:26–28 indicates homosexuals are harder to reach with the gospel.

• How would you respond to a friend who says she doesn’t like the God of the Old Testament (referring to the Levitical laws and God’s immediate discipline of those who break those laws) and is glad she has Jesus who forgives?
• Does the “reprobate mind” referred to in Romans 1:26–28 refer specifically to homosexual acts or to sins in general? Does this passage mean homosexuals are harder to reach with the gospel?

How Do I Show Someone That Not Every Spirit Being Is Good?

Questions about how to show someone who thinks any spirit being is good that only Jesus is good and whether inner healing prayer is biblical.

• How would you show someone who thinks any spirit being is good that only Jesus is good?
• Is inner healing prayer biblical?

Why Should We Try to Understand the Author’s Intent When Interpreting the Bible?

Questions about how to argue in favor of an “authorial intent” hermeneutic and why we don’t see more demon-possessed people today.

• How would you argue in favor of an “authorial intent” hermeneutic as opposed to others?
• Why don’t we see more demon-possessed people today?

Am I at Risk of Losing My Salvation?

Question about whether a person is at risk of losing her salvation if she repents daily from various eating disorders but still sins daily.

• Am I at risk of losing my salvation if I repent daily from my various eating disorders but still sin daily?

Is God More Likely to Answer Prayer if More People Pray?

Questions about whether God is more likely to answer prayer if more people pray, whether it’s biblical for a Christian to say he can “feel” someone’s prayers for him, and whether prayer is more effective if one prays at the particular time the event being prayed about is occurring.

• Is God more likely to answer prayer if more people pray?
• Is it biblical for a Christian to say he can “feel” someone’s prayers for him?
• Is prayer more effective if you pray at the particular time the event you’re praying about is occurring?

What if They Think Christianity Is True, but They’re Apathetic about Becoming Christians?

Questions about what to say to coworkers who are convinced Christianity is factually true but are apathetic about actually becoming Christians and arguments for those with a Reformed view who think apologetics isn’t necessary and is a waste of time.

• How do I do apologetics evangelistically, particularly for some coworkers who are convinced Christianity is factually true but are apathetic about actually becoming Christians?
• What are some good arguments for those who think apologetics isn’t necessary and is a waste of time, especially for those with a Reformed view?

How Does Adding an Adjective to the Word “Justice” Corrupt It?

Questions about why Greg says that adding any adjective to the word “justice” corrupts it, whether a Christian should consider accepting an invitation to join the DEI committee at their workplace, and how a Christian can best serve as a DEI committee member.

• What do you mean when you say, “Whenever you add any adjective to the word ‘justice,’ you corrupt it”? 
• Should a Christian consider accepting an invitation to join the DEI committee at their workplace, and how can a Christian best serve as a DEI committee member?

A God Who Told Me to Kill My Son Would Not Be the God for Me

Questions about how people can praise Abraham for being willing to kill Isaac when God told him to and whether that account of Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 22 contradicts the idea that God won’t tell you to do anything that goes against his commands in Scripture. 

• How can people praise Abraham for being willing to kill Isaac to prove his devotion? If God told me to kill my son, I’d think this wasn’t the God for me.
• Does the account of Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 22 contradict the idea that God won’t tell you to do anything that goes against his commands in Scripture?

Does Hebrews 1:5 Indicate Jesus Was Created?

Questions about whether Hebrews 1:5 indicates Jesus was created and the difference between the sinful way of testing God (e.g. Matthew 4:5–7) and the right way of testing him (e.g., Psalm 34:8 and John 7:17).

• How should I respond to a Jehovah’s Witness who points to Hebrews 1:5 (“I have become your father,” in the New World Translation) as evidence Jesus was created?
• Matthew 4 says it’s a sin to put God to the test, but isn’t there another sense in which we’re supposed to test him (e.g., Psalm 34:8 and John 7:17)? What’s the difference between the two?

When Atheists Say, “That’s Not Evidence”

Questions about how to reply when atheists respond to the evidence you offer by saying, “That’s not evidence,” and how Christians can say we have free will to choose God when we’re threatened with Hell if we don’t choose God.

• How should I reply to atheists who respond to any evidence I offer by saying, “That’s not evidence”?
• How can Christians say we have free will to choose God when we’re threatened with Hell if we don’t choose God?