Questions & Response

PTM’s Question & Response feature addresses actual questions on various topics sent to us from all over the world. Greg Albrecht and Brad Jersak answer as many questions as possible. Here are some of the more interesting and relevant Q & Rs. Please feel free to share those you find particularly helpful with others. If you do share any of these we would appreciate if you include an attribution to our site. (www.ptm.org)

You may wish to check back to this feature as we continually add more questions.

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One God – Vengeful in the Old Testament, Loving and Forgiving in the New? – Albrecht

How does ‘All Jesus, All the Time’ relate to the Trinity? – Jersak

What are the limits to God’s mercy? – Jersak

Keys to the Kingdom? – Jersak

Eternal Punishment? – Jersak

Which Religion is Right? – Albrecht

Inspired, Infallible & Inerrant? – Albrecht

The End Times – Is Jesus coming back? – Albrecht

What do you make of “Soul Sleep”? – Jersak

What do you make of “Preterism”? – Jersak

Why did Jesus reject his family? – Jersak

Was Paul wrong about Esau & Pharaoh? – Jersak

Should Christians Celebrate Christmas? – Albrecht

How does the Bride of Christ make herself ready? – Albrecht

Is the Bible ‘the Word of God’? – Albrecht

Are the Gospel Narrators Reliable? – Jersak

Does Christ ‘deny us’? – Jersak

Let there be light? – Jersak

What is “transactional” or “retributive” salvation? – Jersak

Do I need to be rebaptized? – Albrecht

Religion Burnout? – Albrecht

Growing pains as we receive new insights – Albrecht

You yourselves cast out? (Luke 13:28) – Jersak

Were only WE ‘saints’ chosen from eternity? Ephesians 1:4 – Jersak

David’s Census – What was God up to? – Jersak

Is Noah’s flood story true? – Jersak

What about the Rapture? – Albrecht

What will happen to Christians during the Tribulation? – Albrecht

Is tithing a requirement? – Albrecht

Can we withhold God’s forgiveness? – Jersak

Will Jesus be ashamed of me? Luke 9:26 – Jersak

Why the Violent God of Joshua? – Jersak

Intellectually Honest Bible Reading – Jersak

Is there any significance to numbers used in the Bible? -Albrecht

Haunted by Cult Guilt – Albrecht

Can a 2000-year-old book apply to a 21st-century Indian? – Albrecht

If we’re already forgiven, why strive to be good? – Jersak

No longer counting our sins against us? – Jersak

Not counting our sins against us? Part 2 – Jersak

Matthew 11:12 – The violent take it by force? – Jersak

Do I need to learn ‘Christian-ese’? – Albrecht

What do you think about “Deliverance Ministries”? – Albrecht

Falling out of God’s will? – Albrecht

What are the Limits of Everlasting Mercy? – Jersak

Why would a Christlike God kill the firstborn of Egypt? – Jersak

Why the Prophetic Directives to Destroy? – Jersak

On Abraham’s Attempt to Sacrifice Isaac? – Jersak

Does God Forgive and Forget? – Albrecht

Can I work out my own salvation? – Albrecht

Do tattoos honor God? – Albrecht

What will become of the ungodly? – Jersak

Do you have moments of doubt? – Jersak

Christ in a Violent World? – Jersak

Eternal Life – now or later? – Jersak

How can God sit on his own right hand? – Albrecht

Should we boycott the wedding? – Albrecht

Are Christians commanded to “win souls”? – Albrecht

How should we understand God’s ‘Sovereignty’? – Jersak

Do ECT & PSA hold any theological merit for you? – Jersak

Bumping into unChristlike faith statements? – Jersak

Do only Christians Love with Agape? (1 John 4:16) – Jersak

Does God literally send blessings & curses? – Jersak

How does a pastor preach to “perfect” people? – Albrecht

Law or Grace? A Debate – Albrecht

Should Christians Boycott & Protest? – Albrecht

Why listen to abusive preachers? DON’T! – Jersak

The N.T. Mercy Seat & Sacrifice? – Jersak

Is 1 Corinthians 3 a judgment of believers? Or everyone? – Jersak

Blessings & Curses – Deut. 11:26-28? – Jersak

Are You “Christian”? – Jersak

Does God Bless Financial Vows? – Albrecht

Rethinking Church? – Albrecht

How does the gospel influence life and politics? – Albrecht

Did God the Father Forsake Jesus on Good Friday? – Jersak

If not penal substitution…? – Jersak

The Father of Love and OT genocide? – Jersak

The Lord’s Supper: if not penal substitution, what’s communion about? – Jersak

Sin? Missing What Mark? – Jersak

How can I show love and compassion without condoning specific behavior? – Albrecht

Is becoming a better person the goal of Christianity? – Albrecht

Does the Bible condemn cremation? – Albrecht

Salted with Fire — Hell, Mark 9 ? – Jersak

Who is Paul’s “antiChrist” in 2 Thessalonians? – Jersak

If hell is not eternal conscious torment, why share the gospel? – Jersak

Propitiation, Expiation or Mercy Seat? – Jersak

Go and sin no more? – Jersak

Those mean, nasty, hateful Christians . . . – Albrecht

Are Catholics Christians? – Albrecht

Is Christianity a Religion? – Albrecht

Reading Romans without courtroom lenses? – Jersak

What does “prepared for destruction” mean? (Romans 9:22) – Jersak

Should the “Woman Caught in Adultery” be in John’s Gospel? – Jersak

How can God be ‘jealous’? – Jersak

Progressive Revelation and the Unveiling of God? – Jersak

How do you define sin? – Albrecht

Does Satan exist? – Albrecht

Why does Jesus mention the Sabbath? – Albrecht

Q & R with Children – Jersak

Universal Salvation & Divine Vengeance? – Jersak

Galatians 5, morality and the kingdom of God? – Jersak

The Kingdom of God, Hell & Mark 9? – Jersak

What ‘Christ Died For Us’ Meant to the Fathers – Jersak

The Bible and the Gospel – Albrecht

Straight and Narrow – Will only a few be saved? – Albrecht

What’s So Bad About Cults? – Albrecht

Does the Bible demonstrate an evolving understanding of inclusion? – Jersak

Is the book of Enoch authentic? – Jersak

Handling politicized faith? – Jersak

What does “glorified” mean in John? – Jersak

Narrow Way, Narrow Gate? – Jersak

Do people go to heaven when they die? Where is it? – Albrecht

Would Jesus Attend a Gay Wedding? – Albrecht

Which Religion is Right? – Albrecht

Abba vs. Father? – Jersak

The wrath of Christ in Jude’s Epistle? – Jersak

Is death/hades a servant of God or an enemy? – Jersak

It is a dreadful thing… (Hebrews 10:31)? – Jersak

How is Christ a “sacrificial lamb”? – Jersak

What About 3 Days and 3 Nights? – Albrecht

Did Jesus’ Crucifixion Satisfy God’s Wrath? – Albrecht

Why did Jesus Die? – Albrecht

Isaiah 54:7-8 – Does God abandon us? – Jersak

Do you think the Bible is authoritative? – Jersak

Gritty Love or Syrupy Sentimentalism? – Jersak

What about “God’s wrath” in the NT? – Jersak

The Ethics of the Trinity? – Jersak

Who Is It You Are Looking For? – Albrecht

What Is the Gospel? Part 1 – Albrecht

What Is the Gospel? Part 2 – Albrecht

A Nonviolent God with Violent Prophets? – Jersak

What are the Roots of Belief that God is omnipresent, omnipotent & omniscient? – Jersak

What’s the Deal with Hosea’s Angry God? – Jersak

Is suffering “necessary”? -Jersak

God’s Mighty Sovereignty & Protection? – Jersak

Righteousness By Law or By Faith? – Albrecht

Eternal Torture – Divine or Human Vengeance? – Albrecht

What Is Our Eternal Reward? – Albrecht

Saving Grace Appeared to All People: Offer or Gift? – Jersak

Forgiveness: What it isn’t & what it is – Jersak

Eternal Destruction? in 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10 – Jersak

What happened to souls before Christ conquered death? – Jersak

Baptism and the fate of the ‘unprepared’? – Jersak

“We are not Under the Law, but Under Grace”? – Albrecht

10 Percent Grace and 90 Percent Law? – Albrecht

What Do You Mean – The Narrow Gate? – Albrecht

What is the worm that never dies? – Jersak

What if you’re wrong about hell? – Jersak

But why did Jesus NEED to die? – Jersak

If the Bible isn’t inerrant, can we trust what the Gospels say about Jesus? -Jersak

Why not be baptized? – Jersak

How Big Is God? – Albrecht

Is God Disappointed With You? – Albrecht

Who Am I – Who Are You? – Albrecht

Is the Bible our final authority? – Jersak

Does God Ever ‘Intervene’ in Natural Law? – Jersak

How do we harmonize the Bible’s judgment and redemption texts? – Jersak

Was the early church anti-Semitic? – Jersak

Is Christ IN all people or only IN Christians? – Jersak

Whose Side Is God On? – Albrecht

Can We Lose Our Salvation? – Albrecht

Getting or Being Saved? – Albrecht

Wasn’t there separation from God before the veil was torn? – Jersak

The church is the pillar and foundation of the truth” (seriously?) – Jersak

The essence of forgiveness? – Jersak

Does God “intervene”? – Jersak

Are all people God’s children or only Christians? – Jersak

Why did Jesus Call a Woman a Dog? – Albrecht

How Far Will God Go For Love? – Albrecht

Have You Forgiven God? – Albrecht

Pain, Belief & the Suffering of Children? – Jersak

Our Final Authority: Bible or Jesus? – Jersak

Were Adam & Even perfect people living in a perfect paradise? – Jersak

Be Perfect? – Matthew 5:48 – Jersak

In whom and when does the Holy Spirit “enter” us? – Jersak

But what About Rewards? – Albrecht

Does God Forgive and Forget? – Albrecht

How Free Is Free Will? – Albrecht

Beloved Children or Worthless Slaves? – Jersak

Christ or Crake? Mortality is the Fear of Death? – Jersak

A Question about “Ultimate Redemption” – Jersak

Are you saved? and other Cringe Questions – Jersak

Why pray for gifts God has already given? – Jersak

How Far Will God Go? – Albrecht

What Is True Fellowship? – Albrecht

The Trouble With Halloween? – Albrecht

How do we trust God when prayer for healing are denied? – Jersak

Christ revealed God as Abba. Doesn’t the OT also reveal God as Father? – Jersak

Under grace, are we still ‘sinners’? Is confessing sin a denial of grace? – Jersak

How can God both never give up & ‘give us up’? – Jersak

When did the ‘Finished Work’ start? – Jersak

Is My Church Legalistic? – Albrecht

Are You a Believer? – Albrecht

When Were You Saved, Does It Matter? – Albrecht

How do we comprehend the Son and Spirit without demoting them to less than the Father? – Jersak

If God consents to our freedom, what’s the point of the relationship? – Jersak

Is preaching Christ’s any-day return right? – Jersak

What does ‘the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world mean? – Jersak

How do we practice Matt. 18:15-18 discipline? – Jersak

How Can Jesus be 100% God and 100% Human? – Albrecht

Lottery – A Ticket To Hell? – Albrecht

Turning from or turning to? A question about evangelism – Jersak

C.S.I. Jerusalem: Who killed Ananias & Sapphira? – Jersak

Do people who die just sleep or are they in God’s presence? – Jersak

Condemnation in Mark 16? – Jersak

What if my spouse stops believing? – Jersak