175 results for tag: Q & R

Q&R with Greg Albrecht – What will happen to Christians during the Tribulation?

Question Where will Christians be during the coming tribulation? Can you please explain the pre-tribulation, mid-tribulation and post-tribulation ideas?   Response Christians are divided between a-millennial, post-millennial and pre-millennial (that is, how to interpret passages that speak of a millennial rule of Christ and the saints). Pre-millennial: Those who believe that the biblical events spoken of surrounding the Second Coming of Jesus are yet in the future. Post-millennial: These Christians believe that a one-thousand-year millennium which follows the Tribulation represents the spiritual victory of the ...

Q&R with Greg Albrecht – “Is tithing a requirement?”

Question My pastor holds a different view than I do on tithing. He teaches that the Bible says in Malachi 3:8-12 that if we don't tithe (which he stresses is a full ten percent) we are robbing God. He says if we do not tithe at least ten percent we are under a curse and not able to experience the full blessings that God wants to give us. I know from my study of the Scriptures that this teaching is false, for the following reasons: 1. This passage in Malachi was directed to the nation of Israel, which at the time was under the Old Covenant.2. If Christians are to tithe the way Israel was instructed, they would need to keep the entire Old ...

Q&R with Brad Jersak – Should the “Woman Caught in Adultery” be in John’s Gospel?

Question In my Bible (NIV), this story is in italics and a footnote says, "The earliest manuscripts and many other ancient witnesses do not have John 7:53—8:11. A few manuscripts include these verses, wholly or in part, after John 7:36, John 21:25, Luke 21:38 or Luke 24:53." If this story isn't in the earliest manuscripts, does that mean it shouldn't be in the Bible? Response Layers of Composition That’s a good and important question that requires us to think about how the Bible was composed, how it developed and what that means for its inspiration. Some have imagined that the Bible descended from heaven through the authors in complete and ...

Q&R with Greg Albrecht – “Is there any significance to numbers used in the Bible?”

Question  In my former church, I was taught a lot about the significance of certain numbers—seven, twelve and so on—and their importance in the unfolding of God’s ongoing work with man. Is there really any essential God-purposed meaning to the occurrence and recurrence of particular numbers in the Bible? Response I believe that there are times when specific numbers used in the Bible have special significance, and that obviously those numbers are used by God’s inspiration. Several factors to keep in mind to maintain a balanced perspective: 1. Not all numbers used in the Bible have a special significance.  The context ...

Q&R with Brad Jersak – “How can God be ‘jealous’?”

Question I have to say that the following verses about God's jealousy trouble me. Isn't jealousy a sin? How God describe himself as jealous, even Jealous as one of his names? "Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;"Exodus 20:5, KJV"For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:"Exodus 34:14, KJV"For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God."Deuteronomy 4:24, KJV"Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor ...

Haunted by Cult Guilt – Q&R with Greg Albrecht

Question  I spent 20 years as a Jehovah's Witness. My problem is that I still have dreams and feelings of guilt for robbing my ex-husband's parents (who are now deceased) of all the holidays my husband and I refused to celebrate because we followed Watchtower teachings. My ex was an only child. Ten years after I became a Witness, he also became one. After his parents died, for various reasons, I left the marriage and am now remarried and a member of a Christian church. My ex is still a JW. I can't get rid of the feeling that I have. His parents were very patriotic and my husband gave up that belief when he became a Witness. Now I am ...

Q&R with Greg Albrecht – “Can a 2000-year-old book apply to a 21st-century Indian?”

Question I am a third-year medical student writing from India. I have heard it said that the truth of the Bible is absolute – true for all people at all times at all places regardless of culture, ethnicity or nationality. But the Gospels and the Epistles were written to a specific group of people in a specific context addressing specific situations. How does that apply to me, an Indian, separated by 2,000 years from biblical events, by thousands of miles from biblical geography, and most of all by a vast cultural separation from those people to whom it was written? Response According to the Bible, God has revealed his plan to us ...

Q & R with Children – Brad Jersak

One of the great challenges for long-time Bible readers is to find ways to read Scripture with fresh eyes. When I open the text, I need to be mindful of the thick, old lenses I bring to the task, including a backlog of previous teachings, experiences and my own temperament and assumptions. My favourite approach is through Q & R times with children. Among the most fruitful was the grilling I got from a little boy (Mal) concerning Judas. Here's the link. Today it was from my little friend, Anna, one of the brightest young Bible scholars I know. Her questions are always a challenge, but they are especially helpful to me as they heal my eyes ...

Q&R with Brad Jersak – Universal Salvation & Divine Vengeance

Question  I want to believe in universal salvation but what about blaspheming the holy spirit, Hebrews 6 4-6 & Hebrews 10:26-31. The Lord says Vengeance is mine I shall repay. And in this passage, "vengeance" is from timoria (retribution) not kolasis (correction). What gives? Response Thanks for your questions. To begin with, I'm certainly glad that you want to believe in universal salvation. That is almost certainly because you share God's heart who "desires all people to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth" concerning Christ (1 Tim. 2:4) and in that same context, we're called to pray for everyone (1 Tim. 2:1-2) to ...

Q&R with Brad Jersak – Galatian 5, morality and the kingdom of God

Question #1 In one of your Breakfast with Brad videos you spoke about moralism and how we should not take rules of good living and elevate them to a faith concern, that they do not have the power to cause us to “flourish in a grand way.”   Response Right. Not that we would forsake morality. But what I’m saying is that the moral life is the fruit of a life transformed by the grace of God (the Holy Spirit). We are being saved by the indwelling energies of divine Grace from sin, from our attachments and addictions to death-dealing, others-harming ways. So when we see an abundance of poison fruit growing in our lives, we ...

Q&R with Brad Jersak – The Kingdom of God, Hell & Mark 9

Question The Kingdom of God is a running theme in the NT for Jesus and the Apostles, with a fair amount of “who is in” and “who is out” language. How do you understand what is meant by the “Kingdom of God,” its apparent exclusivity, and what is the significance of Mark 9:43-47? 43 If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off! It is better for you to enter into life crippled than to have two hands and go into hell, to the unquenchable fire. 45 If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off! It is better to enter life lame than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. 47 If your eye causes you to sin, tear it ...

Q&R with Greg Albrecht – “Do I need to learn ‘Christian-ese’?”

Q. I’m finding it hard to communicate with some of the Christians I have met.  No one I know talks the way people do in the church I am attending. Can you help? A. There are several schools of thought about in-house Christian vocabulary. On the one hand, there are technical terms, as with any discipline or endeavor, needed to accurately define Christian belief and practice. Using specific terminology enables us to be concise and accurate, and to avoid misunderstanding.  Here’s a few technical terms that are necessary to accurately explain some of the complexities of the Christian faith: AtonementEschatologyHerm...

Q&R with Brad Jersak – Does the Bible demonstrate an evolving understanding of inclusion?

Question The Bible seems to demonstrate an evolution of inclusion. The OT has a strong sense of who is in the nation of Israel and who is out.  In the NT it wasn’t immediately obvious to the early church that the good news was for those outside the nation of Israel.  It took until Acts 11 just to crack that pattern of thinking to include gentiles.  I think Paul evolves inclusion further with “neither Jew nor Greek, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” But throughout the NT the OT pattern of categorizing in terms of who is in and who is out seems to be retained, ...

Q&R with Brad Jersak – Is the book of Enoch authentic?

Question I have read the Book of Enoch. It makes for interesting reading, and I wanted to know what your thoughts are on this book.  My first question is whether it is authentic or not, or written later and attributed to Enoch.  Also, what are your opinions about the book? Response The Book of Enoch is a work of 3rd-4th century BC (at the earliest) apocalyptic pseudepigrapha (a work written under an assumed name). Like many other books written in that period (including, possibly, Daniel), the book of Enoch offers visions and prophecies using a famous Jewish figure (from Genesis) for credibility. I believe we can say with ...

Q & R with Greg Albrecht – What do you think about “Deliverance Ministries”?

Question  Our church has begun heavy use of “deliverance ministries” type materials. I am concerned at this and have begun an in-depth search to come to a better understanding of my own. The trouble is although there is a lot of biblically-based material in opposition to this ministry view, my church leaders condemn this opposition, saying it comes from people opposed to God’s will (whatever that really means!). My pastor says that I have to be careful reading opposing views because the devil can deceive me. How do I know the truth? Response As you report, it seems that those who follow some fad or fancy often become ...

Q&R with Brad Jersak – Handling politicized faith

Question I am experiencing friends, family and ministers who continually pressure me with their political platform and tell me I'm not even a Christian if I don't vote for their party. How shall I respond?  Response A difficult question. As I see it, you have three options: 1. You can ignore them. That is, you may value the connection with that person but perceive that your relationship is not strong enough to honestly confront what they are saying and doing. Perhaps ignoring their messages or posts is the best you can do for your mental and emotional health. And maybe your silent response will send enough of a message that if ...

Q&R with Brad Jersak – What does “glorified” mean in John?

Question Recently I’ve been “hanging out” in John 13-17 (for context, I’ve been starting 12:12 and reading through 18:14 or so). I’ve noticed that the theme seems to be Jesus/ Son of Man/the Father “being glorified”. In some places it reads “NOW is the Son of Man glorified”.   In Romans 8, Paul says “those God justified, he also glorified”.I’ve always heard glory defined as “the manifest presence of God” or “the goodness of God revealed”, but those don’t seem to fit here in John’s gospel (although the latter possibly could).  So, what does it mean for the Son of Man / The Father to be glorified...

Q&R with Greg Albrecht – “Falling out of God’s will”

Question I am in college. I think God may have called me to be a teacher. The problem is that I want to pursue other goals. I want to study what I am interested in. But when I stray completely away from education, something horrible always happens. The last time I was considering something other than teaching, my mom had a heart attack. I am afraid something worse is going to happen. I am afraid to have fun. I am afraid to have other interests because I am afraid of falling out of God’s will and then something really terrible happening. What do I do? Why is God punishing me?   Response Your question sounds more mystical and ...

Q&R with Brad Jersak: Is death/hades a servant of God or an enemy?

Hades abducting Persephone (350 BC) Question Hi Dr. Brad, I am reading your book: Her Gates Will Never Be Shut and I read there about the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. As I understand it, hades is a servant of God for pedagogical purposes, in order to "complete the course" of un-repentant people for causing thirst for the Water of Life and God's Banquet, leading them to humility and repentance. My question comes because I have read the Apostle Paul saying that death is the last enemy of God to be destroyed. So Death / Hades is considered somehow an enemy, meanwhile following the above logic, it looks like it is a servant for ...

Q&R with Brad Jersak: Abba vs. Father?

Question I have a question that is as much prompted by the timid and anxious heart of a recovering Evangelical as it is by the analytical rigor of a developing theologian. If I understand you right, In your books A More Christlike God, A More Christlike Way and IN: Incarnation & Inclusion, Abba & Lamb, you argue the uniqueness of Jesus is to reveal Abba — Daddy. I want to believe that. However, as you know better than me, the word Ἀββά only appears three times in the NT: twice where Paul is talking about adoption (Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6); and only once on the lips of Jesus, in Gethsemane (Mark 14:36). On the plus side, all ...