Board index ‹ Assorted Bible Questions

[Nic J]

I want to able to say I know what I believe and I think I do for some small part of it. I think I am/was looking for a reason to walk away from my faith and this conversation is making it hard to do. Plus, I have been looking up what you say and looking things up on my own. Not that I don't believe you. I do but I wanted to do my own finding out.

First off, what's evolutionary theism and theistic evolution? (I'm pretty sure they don't teach that in school!) All evolution is true, or just parts of it? Please tell me I didn't come from a monkey ... that would be weird. Where did that idea come from? (I know Charles Darwin had something to do with it.)

So God created evolution? How does that line up with the Bible? What do you mean by the word "guided"? What parts of evolution are true?

So just not evolution, but how much of other science am I suppose to believe? People who are gay are born that way? To be honest I don't believe that.

I know this is a touchy subject but since I put it out there: Being gay ... it's wrong ...alright, why? God didn't make us that way—I get it—but can you be gay and a Christian? How can you tell someone loving someone is wrong even if it's someone of the same gender? How do I love someone who is gay? How do I be their friend? (I don't support gay marriage because I know what the Bible says is true, and God, well, he knows what he is doing). I hope this is okay to ask if you don't feel comfortable answering this is i understand.

[jimwalton]

I’m glad you look up the verses and think about everything I’m saying. You should. You should check the truth of what I’m telling you, and you should think for yourself.

“What is evolutionary theism and theistic evolution?” They are similar concepts, both with the idea that evolution is true but also that God was the creator and that He used evolution as the process of creation. “Evolutionary theism” gives more emphasis to God’s role; “theistic evolution” gives more emphasis to evolution’s role. That’s why I prefer the idea of Evolutionary Theism, because it’s a perspective that gives more emphasis to the role God had in the way things are now. What I believe is that the Bible tells us that God is undoubtedly the Creator, but the Bible doesn’t specify HOW He created, what processes He used, or how long it took. (As I mentioned in a previous letter, the 7 days of creation is the framework of their temple dedication process, not the duration of the creation process.) But I think I also said that very educated and well-meaning Christians see the Creation story differently, and that’s OK. We’re all trying to find the truth, and there are disagreements. We shouldn’t judge each other, and I’m certainly not saying that my way of seeing things is the only way of seeing them.

“Is all evolution true?” No, I’m not convinced of that at all. There are major gaps in the evolutionary science perspective (the changes from species to species are totally lacking). Since I believe God was active in the whole process of creation through evolutionary change, the introduction of new species would have had to have been something He did. The geological record has no evidence of macro-evolutionary changes from specie to specie. There’s also a Christian scientist named Michael Behe who has put forth a theory called “irreducible complexity”. The idea behind it is that some things (like the human eye and a microscopic machine called the bacterial flagellum) have to be all there and all working properly to be of any use at all. In other words, they could not possibly have evolved. He presents his ideas very convincingly, and I agree with him. There are just ways that evolution doesn’t make sense. God had to have been sovereign over the whole process to accept evolution as the way He created the world. It makes a lot of sense to me, but, as I said, many Christians see it differently, and that’s OK.

“Did I come from a monkey?” I believe that humans and apes are on the same genetic “branch" of the “tree” of primates, and we have the same genetic roots. But I also believe that humans could not have come about without the strong creative hand of a sovereign God.

“How much of other science am I supposed to believe?” Much of it, or even most of it. Science is a strong and reliable truth system, and there’s a whole lot of good and true information there. Sure, scientists have biases and slants just like everyone else, but scientists keep checking each other’s work, and so the very large portion of it is true.

“Are people who are gay born that way?” There is no convincing research to prove that is true. The people who are gay claim it, but science has been unable to confirm it. We have to withhold judgment on a conclusion about this, but right now the science is saying that it hasn’t yet been proved that people are born gay. It’s more likely, at least for now, the people who are gay are that way because of experiences in their lives.

“Why is being gay wrong?” They Bible never tells us why; it just unequivocally says it’s sin. In our era many people consider it just another form of a legitimate relationship. Some Christians argue that the sin of homosexuality is that men and women’s bodies were made for each other. That is obviously true, but it’s not an argument the Bible makes. Other Christians argue that it’s just unnatural. Paul suggests that in Romans 1, but Paul also seems to align homosexuality with idolatry—a symptom of a spiritual problem, but that still doesn’t tell us why it’s wrong. Still other Christians argue that it’s because a homosexual couple can’t have children. That’s true, too, but it’s not an argument the Bible makes. When it comes right down to it, the Bible doesn’t make an argument. It doesn’t tell us why it’s wrong. But neither does the Bible tell us why lying, stealing, or adultery are wrong. While it’s not clear in the Bible why homosexuality is sin, it is exceedingly and uncompromisingly clear that it is. And while some people argue (quite convincingly) that the homosexuality of our culture is very different from what it was in the ancient world, the argument ultimately fails in that the Bible never wavers. In the Bible, it’s always and unavoidably considered sin, no matter what form it takes.The conclusion is necessary: the Bible regards homosexuality as a sin.

“Can you be gay and be a Christian?” I think you can, as you as you don’t act on it. Many people are proud and they are still Christians. We are expected not to act on the pride that is in us, but instead to imitate Christ. Moses was a murderer, but still a follower of God as long as he didn’t kill any more people. David was an adulterer, but still a follower of God as long as he didn’t go to bed with any more women. We all have sin in us; the point is that we are to turn away from it, repent of it, and live according to the ways of Christ. At core we are still sinners, but we’re sinners saved by grace. We learn to turn away from the sinful impulse in us and the sinful behavior it causes and to walk in the Spirit (Gal. 5.13-16). I don’t think it’s any different for gay Christians. Whether they’re gay by birth, because of some experience, or by choice, the Bible says that gay relationships are sinful and if you are a believer you need to not engage in any homosexual activity.

“How can you tell someone loving someone is wrong even if it’s someone of the same gender?” The point of following Christ is not just to be loving, but to be holy. Jesus didn’t die so we could love each other; Jesus died to make us holy.

“How do I love someone who is gay? How do I be their friend?” Love is considering someone’s welfare as more important than your own. We can love people we disagree with, we can love people we don’t like, we can love our enemies. Love is wanting what is best for them. Love is respecting them and treating them with kindness. It doesn’t mean we endorse the way they live, the choices they’ve made, or approve of their actions. Christ loved us when we were sinners (Romans 5.8). We’re expected to love everyone. Jesus never gave us permission to treat someone in an unloving way.

[Nic J]

What are some of the major gaps in evolution?

So, if the Bible doesn't say "we weren't made to be gay" or something along those lines, then how are we suppose to back up what we believe on that subject? How can I say it's wrong but I have no proof why? That's not fair.

Have you ever been bored with your faith? What if I am/get bored with my faith? How do I get through that? Is it just seeking God more?

[jimwalton]

“What are some of the major gaps in evolution?” Well, you must have been tired because I already explain two of them in the last email:

"There are major gaps in the evolutionary science perspective (the changes from species to species are totally lacking). Since I believe God was active in the whole process of creation through evolutionary change, the introduction of new species would have had to have been something He did. The geological record has no evidence of macro-evolutionary changes from specie to specie. There’s also a Christian scientist named Michael Behe who has put forth a theory called “irreducible complexity”. The idea behind it is that some things (like the human eye and a microscopic machine called the bacterial flagellum) have to be all there and all working properly to be of any use at all. In other words, they could not possibly have evolved. He presents his ideas very convincingly, and I agree with him. There are just ways that evolution doesn’t make sense. God had to have been sovereign over the whole process to accept evolution as the way He created the world. It makes a lot of sense to me, but, as I said, many Christians see it differently, and that’s OK."

But other than those two there are a few others.

1. There is no scientific evidence for a long chain of mutations that make things better or better organized (“Beneficial mutations”). The course of nature is deterioration, not improvement. Systems break down, information is lost, and quality decreases.

2. There is no scientific evidence that information data (like DNA) can come from anything other than already existing informational data or an intelligent source. Information only comes from other information. It never rises on its own.

3. Anything that happens by chance can’t have purpose. But since almost everything seems to have a purpose, there must have been a purposeful agent at work.

4. Reason itself can’t even come from unguided evolution. Our ability to think and reason are only worthwhile if things are true or false. But evolution says things just ARE, not that they’re true or false. What is is what is. True or false has nothing to do with anything. Natural processes just are; a star doesn’t think, and it certainly doesn’t think about what true and false. Even if something learned to think, evolution tells us all that matters is survival, not truth. In other words, if we are just the result of chance processes that developed accidentally over the course of time, all our thoughts are also just chance processes. So we can’t count on our thoughts ever being true; they might be, and they might not be. One can never tell.

5. No convincing evidence has ever been predicted to account for how non-living components could ever produce a living cell.

6. There is no conclusive evidence of a common origin of all life in the geological record. The missing links have never been found between the Pre-Cambrian record and the Cambrian explosion.

So those are the reasons that I believe evolution couldn’t have happened by itself. Though life may have come about as a process instead of in an instant, that process would have needed a lot of intelligent and powerful help.

“If the Bible doesn’t say ‘we weren’t made to be gay,’ how are we supposed to back up what we believe on the subject?” We back it up with that fact that the Bible says uncompromisingly that homosexuality is a sin. The Bible, as I mentioned, never tells us why most things are wrong. Right and wrong are based in the character of God, so we infer from that…

stealing is wrong because God never takes what doesn’t belong to Him
lying is wrong because God is truth
adultery is wrong because God is faithful
etc.

So why is being gay wrong? Genesis 1 says that when God made humans in his image, he made them male and female. That isn’t explained, but that’s what it says. Now, that’s not an argument, per se, but every time the Bible teaches on the subject of homosexuality, it says it’s wrong. That’s how we back it up.

“Have you ever been bored with your faith?” I think it’s fair to say that everyone goes through phases of mountains and valleys, excitement and routine, hard work and rest, confidence and doubt. The way to get through is to keep doing what you know to be right, hold on to what you know to be true, and to keep trying to learn and go deeper.

[Nic J]

So did God cause the big bang then? That couldn't have happened without God, right? Is there evidence for that?

Why must there be so many different differences Christians believe? Why didn't God make things more straight forward for us?

I don't know if this is a biblical question, but where I work there is a lot of gossip. I can't really get away from it. Now, I don't take part in it, but I do listen to it. Is that just as bad? The reason I am asking this is because the Bible does say thinking a negative thought about someone is just as bad as acting on it, right? Well, does my situation go along with it? Is listening to this gossip just as bad as gossiping? (believe me, I don't want to listen to it.)

[jimwalton]

You want to know if God caused the Big Bang. If the Big Bang is good science (and our current understanding is that it is), God would have had to have caused it. All science works by cause and effect. So the Big Bang would have had to have been caused by SOMETHING. The only thing is that science believes that before the Big Bang nothing existed—no physical forces, no physical laws, no matter. They believe everything came from “a singularity.” Well, then, something outside of science, matter, and the universe must have caused the Bang to go bang. God is the most reasonable explanation for that causative force.

“Why must there be so many different differences Christians believe?” You know, when you stop to think about it, that all communication is subject to interpretation. Even when another person just says “Hi,” sometimes you could go, “I wonder what she meant by that?” It could be friendly, nasty, snarky, fake, manipulative, innocent—you have to interpret. When a boy says “Hi” to you, you have to interpret whether he was being friendly or if he was flirting. All com munition has to be interpreted. And because God created us to be thinking people, even God’s communications to us have to be interpreted, and people see them differently. Christians have differences because we think about things. Only if we were conforming robots would we all see everything exactly the same, and then we’d think God took our brains away or atheists would think all Christians were morons. But if we think differently, we wonder that God communicated to us inadequately. Ah, God can’t win. Actually, diversity is a strength, and because Christians believe different things challenges us all to think through what we believe and why. Christianity is a very big tent; all kinds of opinions and perspectives are welcome as long as we believe a non-negotiable core of essentials.

“Gossip.” We are not responsible for what other people say. You yourself said, “I can’t really get away from it.” But we have to be responsible about what we hear. The choices for gossip are, (1) make sure we don’t believe everything we hear, (2) confront people about their gossip when it’s appropriate, (3) do our best to avoid situations where gossip is being spread (sometimes it’s possible to walk away from the conversation). Sometimes it’s appropriate to challenge people who are gossiping, and to let them know it’s wrong. But those people, knowing a lot of people, will probably just think you’re being a brat, and then they’ll gossip about you, too. It still might be appropriate to confront them, though. We can’t control what other people say. By the same token, Jesus didn’t confront every sin he came across. He didn’t walk down the street telling people what their sins were (though he could have). In conversation with people he rarely brought up the sins they were involved in. Just because someone is sinning doesn’t mean they need a word from us about it, but sometimes it’s the right thing to do. We have to be prayerful and discerning about such things, and it’s not easy to know what is the best thing to do.

[Nic J]

I have more questions for ya ...

Do faith and trust go hand in hand? Aren't they pretty much the same? What's the difference?

So, going a couple posts back—talking about communication and interpreting what God is telling us. How do we know if we are interpreting it the right way? Also, couldn't all these differences in the Christian world be a turn off to people who don't beileve?

What are the essentials? Just believing the gospel? If so, why do people care about the other things and make a big deal about them?

Hopefully this makes sense !

[jimwalton]

You are asking such good questions. It’s a pleasure talking to you.

“Faith and trust.” “Faith” can mean different things:

1. Faith is “complete trust or confidence in someone or something.” This is the normal use of the word, even outside of Christianity. In this sense, faith and trust are very similar to each other, such as when a person has faith in a chair to support his weight or has faith in his employee to do a job well.

2. Faith is “firm belief in something for which there is no proof.” This is the definition unbelievers often use to ridicule believers, insisting that they, unlike religious people, trust only in that which is demonstrable. In this sense, “faith” means I choose to believe it, or choose to place my hope there, even though there isn’t any evidence and it might not even make sense. This can be like trust, but it’s different than the one above (#1). Trust in #1 is when you have evidence or a reason to trust something. Trust in this one (#2) is when you don’t have any evidence.

3. Faith is “belief in and loyalty to God.” This is an explicitly religious definition, in many ways similar to the theological definition of faith as involving knowledge, assent, and trust. Faith here is pictured as going beyond belief in certain facts to include commitment to and dependence on God. In this case my faith is that I believe God exists and I choose to follow him with my life. In this sense trust would be a religious affirmation and has nothing to do with evidence or not.

4. Faith is “a system of religious beliefs.” This is what is meant when one speaks of “the Protestant faith” or “the Jewish faith.” What is largely in view here is a set of doctrines. The Bible uses the word in this way in passages such as Jude 3.

For instance, in Proverbs 3 when it says we should trust in the Lord, it means that you don’t trust your own resources and abilities, but you put your confidence in God’s power and wisdom. When we trust God, we are acknowledging before Him that we don’t know what the next minute will bring. Our ways, our thoughts, our intuitions, and preferences, have to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Rom. 12.2). We have enough knowledge about His character and His ways that we can trust in him rather than ourselves. We know who we are in Him and where we stand. And we know that He always treats his children with love.

But in Romans 4.5 when it talks about trust, it’s talking about the Christian religion, which is true, against false religions. We can’t become godly on our own, like other religions say, but have to look to God to save us.

In Titus 3.8, trust is belief in God.

So it means slightly different things in different places, but generally trust in God means that we acknowledge him as real, and he is the one we should look to for salvation, wisdom, and guidance.

“How do we know if we are interpreting the right way?” There are actually rules about such things, just like there are rules about grammar (“i” before “e” except after “c”, or when sounding like “a” as in “neighbor" or “weigh”.) Since the rules are generally agreed upon, we can figure out whether or not we are interpreting things correctly. We actually get pretty close about most things in the Bible. People who love God and who are trying their best to figure out the Bible come very close to each other in agreement.

“Couldn’t all these differences in the Christian world be a turn off to people who don’t believe?” They most definitely are. I talk with atheists all the time, and they say all the denominations and differences between Christians prove that Christianity is just a joke. But historians disagree with each other, and economists, educators, business strategists, financial investors, and even scientists. But people still think that if God were talking to each of us, we’d be in perfect agreement. Then again, if we were all always in perfect agreement, they’d accuse us of being simple-minded conformists, so we can’t win.

“What are the essentials?” When Jesus was asked questions like this, here are the answers he gave:

1. Love God with all that you are
2. Love your neighbor deeply and sincerely
3. Do God’s will by obeying his moral commands
4. Be willing, if he asks, to drop everything and leave it behind to follow him

Jesus never taught "easy-believism.” Just have faith, raise your hand, go up front, pray the prayer, and you’re set for eternity! Yes, of course people are supposed to believe, but he called people to abandon their own agenda, and their own lives, and trust him radically. Radical trust calls for both belief (in your emotions and thoughts) and action.

Yes—believe in Jesus: that’s the first step. Yes, invite Jesus into your heart as your personal savior. Then, empowered by God’s grace, embark on the journey of discipleship in which you seek to love God with every fiber of your being, to love your neighbor as yourself, to live out God’s moral will, and to follow Jesus where he leads you, whatever the cost. Those are the essentials.

So many Christians are just lazy, mediocre, hypocritical, and even disobedient. Anyone can, and most Americans do, “believe” in Jesus rather than some alternative savior. They say they’re Christians because they’re not Muslim or Hindu. But is it real? Anyone can, and many Americans sometimes do, say a prayer asking Jesus to save them. But not many embark on a life fully devoted to the love of God, the love of neighbor, the moral practice of God’s will, and radical, costly discipleship. Without those essentials, that person isn’t really saved.

“Why do people care about other things?” There are lots of things worth caring about, but only certain things that define us. People get distracted, people get filled with pride and sin, people get lazy, and they frankly stop trying to find God and just go through life on “default” mode or autopilot. And then they mess up, and don’t even know it or won’t admit it. We all need Jesus so badly, all the time.

[Nic J]

Ohhh, I am so glad you think my questions are good because sometimes I am, like, is this a dumb question and or is something I should know?

What is the jewish faith? Jesus was Jewish, but not of Jewish faith, right?

Are there different levels of faith and trust? What if I don't have enough?

Can God use us anywhere we are?

How do you know if you have real faith? I thought I did at one point, and now, look, I am questioning everything I knew. I don't think I even know my testimony like I thought I did.

[jimwalton]

None of your questions are dumb. Feel free to keep asking!

“What is the Jewish faith?” The Jewish faith is people who believe in YHWH (Yahweh, Jehovah, the real God) as their God. They are monotheists (there is only one God, Deut. 6.4), and what Christians call the Old Testament is their Scriptures. They believe that what atones for sin is good works: Our repentance is what atones, and our good works assure it. They don’t believe that Jesus is God, because God can’t have a Son (which, in their way of thinking would mean there was more than one God). They believe in very high morals (a strong sense of right and wrong).

“Jesus was Jewish but not of Jewish faith, right?” Sort of. Jesus was Jewish, to be sure, but since Jesus taught that he was the Messiah, that He was God’s son and the same as God, and that atonement came through His death on the cross, He departed from traditional Jewish teaching on many points. Jesus would argue, I’m sure, that He must assuredly was of Jewish faith, that the Jewish religion had missed the truth that was to be found in Him (Jesus), and that some had even strayed away from the true Jewish faith (Jesus repeatedly rebuked the Jewish religious leaders). So Jesus would probably say He was the most Jewish person possible; the Jews say Jesus was a false teacher.

“Are there different levels of faith and trust?” Like electricity, it’s not the size of the connection that matters, but the quality of it. Even the smallest connection, properly set, will make electricity flow with power, and a large one, corroded, will stop it cold. To use another comparison, it’s like hope. Even a tiny amount of hope is still hope, just like a large amount of hope is. Hope is hope. Jesus said that even faith the size of a mustard seed has the quality Jesus is looking for.

Having said that, though, there are two times Jesus praised people for their great faith: Matt. 8.10 (the centurion) and Matt. 15.28 (the Canaanite woman)—both people who would be very unexpected people to be identified with “great faith.” These two people had such outrageous confidence that Jesus was who He said He was and could do anything that Jesus gave them this great compliment. I think both stories are designed to teach an important lesson: it’s not being super-religious that defines what “great faith” is, but a settled knowledge of who God is and how He works in the world.

“What if I don’t have enough?” Quality is what you should be thinking about, not quantity.

“God can use us anywhere we are?” Yes, unless you are steeped in sin and grieving him with your rebellion against Him. But if you are walking with God, He can use you wherever you are.

“How do you know if you have real faith?” I think it comes down to three questions that you can answer for yourself: (1) Do you love Him?, (2) Do you trust Him?, (3) Do you obey Him? If you love Him, you care about what He thinks of your thoughts, values, and behavior, and you care about Him than you do about yourself. If you trust Him, you try to please Him with your thoughts and behavior because you know it will lead you in the right direction. If you obey Him, you do what the Bible tells you to do. If you can answer those 3 questions with “Yes,” and you actually live that way, then you have real faith.