#STRask

What Does the Old Testament Say about the Nature and Role of the Messiah?

Question about what the Old Testament says about the nature and role of the Messiah and whether it leaves open the option that Jesus is God and a man can die for our sins.

• In light of hearing a Jewish person say he isn’t a Christian because he doesn’t believe Jesus is God or that a man can die for our sins, what does the Old Testament say about the nature and role of the Messiah that the Jews are/were waiting for?

Did Jesus Ever Teach against Homosexuality?

Questions about how to respond to someone who claims Jesus never taught against homosexuality, who also doesn’t consider anything outside the Gospels to be authoritative, and advice for befriending a lesbian couple without appearing to condone their lifestyle.

• How should I respond to a friend who claims Jesus never taught against homosexuality and who also doesn’t consider anything outside the Gospels to be authoritative?
• Any advice for befriending a lesbian couple without appearing to condone their lifestyle?

Should I Pretend to Have a Greater Degree of Conviction Than I Actually Have?

Questions about whether we should pretend to have a greater degree of conviction than we actually have in order to make our arguments more persuasive and whether the uptick in violence is a purely spiritual problem or is also related to other ideologies and practices in our society.

• Should I pretend to have a strong degree of conviction I do not actually have on a matter in order to make my arguments more persuasive?
• Is the uptick in violence and brutality in our society a purely spiritual problem with purely spiritual solutions, or do psychology, sociology, criminology, etc. have something to contribute to the solution?

How Did Jews Attain Righteousness before Christ?

Questions about how Jews attained righteousness before Christ and what Romans 9:32 means when it says the Jews “did not pursue [righteousness] by faith, but as though it were by works.” 

• What does Romans 9:32 mean when it says the Jews “did not pursue [righteousness] by faith, but as though it were by works,” and how did Jews attain righteousness before Christ?

How Can I Reveal and Defend My Belief in the Trinity and Leave My Oneness Church?

Questions about how a teen can reveal and defend her belief in the Trinity and leave her Oneness church and whether church memberships that exclude people living a homosexual lifestyle create a two-class system contrary to Jesus’ strategy of hanging out with sinners.

• How do I, as a teen, reveal and defend my currently hidden Trinitarian belief to my Oneness parent and church friends and leave their church?
• Do church memberships that exclude people living a homosexual lifestyle create a two-class system contrary to Jesus’ strategy of hanging out with sinners? 

What Questions Should I Ask Pastors When Looking for a New Church?

Questions about what to ask pastors and other church leaders when looking for a new church.

• What questions would you ask pastors and other church leaders when looking for a new church?

Will Christ’s Second Coming Be Unexpected?

Questions about how to reconcile the unexpectedness of Christ’s second coming with passages that advise believers to pay attention to the signs of the times, why Christ hasn’t yet returned after 2,000 years, and whether a person who has died experiences time as a disembodied spirit.

• How can we reconcile the unexpectedness of Christ’s second coming spoken of in 1 Thessalonians 5:2 with other passages that advise believers to pay attention to the signs of the times?
• Though many early Christians thought Christ would return in their lifetimes, it’s been 2,000 years, so where is he?
• When a person dies, is that person experiencing time as a disembodied spirit?

What Would You Say to a Professing Christian Who Is Radically Pro-Choice?

Questions about what approach to take with a professing Christian who is radically pro-choice and has rejected pro-life arguments, considering it all to be a matter of opinion.

• What approach would you take with a professing Christian who is radically pro-choice and has rejected pro-life arguments, considering it all to be a matter of opinion? 

How Can I Help Young Men Who Accept Pornography Addiction as Normal?

Questions about the ideology behind pro-prostitution advocates’ argument that using your body to do work in other jobs is the same as selling your body in prostitution and how to get through to a small group of young men who are addicted to pornography and have largely accepted it as normal. 

• What’s the ideology behind pro-prostitution advocates’ argument that prostitution is just like any other kind of work one uses one’s body to do, and how do we refute this?
• What can I do to get through to my small group of young men who are addicted to pornography and have largely accepted it as normal? 

How Can I Handle Persistent Feelings of Guilt over Past Sins?

Questions about how one can handle persistent feelings of guilt over past sins that remain despite repentance and forgiveness in Christ and how to help someone overcome her doubt that God can love her.

• How can one handle persistent feelings of guilt over past sins that remain despite repentance and forgiveness in Christ?
• What can I do to help my partner overcome her doubt that God can love her?