175 results for tag: Q & R

Q&R with Brad Jersak: “What is the worm that never dies?”

Question: I have read a Q & A you have answered on Mark 9 and found it really thorough and very interesting. The one thing I do not see is what the worm represents in this passage in Mark 9. It says "the worm never dies." I have heard that it represents the eternal worm that basically torments you for eternity in hell. I haven't been able to find an explanation for was the "worm" means. Would you be able to explain the best interpretation you know? Thank you very much. I really appreciate you.  Response: In Mark 9, we see Christ is simply citing the imagery in the very last verse of Isaiah: 24 “And they will go out ...

Q&R with Brad Jersak: What if you’re wrong about hell?

Question: Recently, in response to my rejection of the hell of eternal torment, one of my readers offered a fairly common objection: “I hope you’re right about that. BUT if you’re wrong about hell, then a lot of people will go there … and it will be your fault. Wouldn’t it be better to play it safe just to be sure?” The following response was adapted from a much longer essay from Clarion Journal, titled, “Let's Talk about Hell BETTER or “If You’re Wrong, a Lot of People Will Go to Hell & It's Your Fault” by Brad Jersak. Response: The Wager This high stakes objection is worthy of a careful response. “Wrong about hell” ...

Q & R (x2) with Brad – “But why did Jesus NEED to die? Why not simply declare victory?

QUESTION: "If not to appease the wrath of an angry God, then WHY did Jesus NEED to die?  If to conquer Satan, sin and death, WHY did Jesus NEED to die? Couldn't he just declare it?"        Why did Jesus need to die? Okay, I can accept that it's not to placate God's wrath directed at humanity. But then why? I  believe that you have answered elsewhere, 'To defeat Sin, death, and the Destroyer.'        But the question is not so easily resolved. Why was his death necessary for Jesus to die to defeat Sin, death, and the Destroyer? If God chose to forgive without preconditions - as ...

Q&R with Brad Jersak – “Is the Bible our final authority?”

Question: Is the Bible our final authority? My church (and denomination) has a doctrinal statement (or statement of faith) in which it says that "The Bible is our final authority for faith and practice?" How would you respond to that? Response:      This is sort of question I run into frequently with pastors who've challenged my last two congregations. They object that we have not included a statement on Scripture in our doctrinal statement ... when our doctrinal statement was actually the Nicene Creed and Apostles Creeds. My counter challenge was to point out the irony of a 'conservative' creating his own statement of ...

Q&R with Brad Jersak – “Does God Ever ‘Intervene’ in Natural Law?

Question I’m reading A More Christlike God and it has been a very faith stretching experience in a good way. It is really challenging me. I have a question though from chapter 9 where it says “God willingly chose powerless love in the cosmic Cross of Creation. That is, when God through the Logos (John 1) created the universe, he relinquished control to natural law. From the beginning of time, God has voluntarily refrained (‘ chained’ himself) from violating the order of necessity.” How does Yahweh intervening supernaturally work into this such as the parting of the Red Sea? Does he sometimes violate natural law? Response That's a great ...

Q&R with Brad Jersak – “How do we harmonize the Bible’s judgment and redemption texts?”

Question How do we best harmonize the Bible's 'eschatological' texts? Some described unmitigated judgment and permanent destruction for the majority of the human race, while other passages seem to announce the redemption of everyone in the end. How do we hold both descriptions together? Can we? Or are these really contradictory? Response Yes, it's true: those who pay very close attention to the actual words of Scripture note how difficult it is to reconcile its unmitigated judgment texts with all-encompassing redemption passages. who pay very close attention to the actual words of Scripture note how difficult it is to reconcile its unmitigated ...

Q&R with Brad Jersak – “Was the early church anti-Semitic?”

Question Hi Brad, I’ve run into a few guys that are saying that the Church Fathers were anti-Semitic. Consequently, they at least think the writings of the Church Fathers should be disregarded in what they had to say. There certainly was some anti-Semitism embedded in Christianity but it seems ill-advised to me to disregard the Church Father's writings because of it. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic if you can spare the time. Response Before I say respond to your question, let me begin by directly and without qualification denouncing anti-Semitism in all its forms, including the ancient calls to expel or exterminate Jews, the modern ...

Q&R with Brad Jersak – “Wasn’t there separation from God before the veil was torn?”

Question: I just finished reading A More Christlike Way. Great book. Thanks for sharing your thoughts in book form. After reading, I feel that I know you better. I loved reading the parts where you shared your personal experiences as struggles. I could relate to some of those struggles. Susie and I have been discussing the idea of separation from God. We know that we are not separated but something that puzzles us is why was the veil in the temple rent upon Christ’s death? Denied access before the cross, open access after. That appears to suggest separation. Any thoughts? Response: Yes, the tearing of the veil on Good Friday does seem to suggest ...

Q&R with Brad Jersak – “The church is the pillar and foundation of the truth” (seriously?)

Question:  What do you think about the verse that says that "the Church is the pillar and ground of truth"? This has been giving me real hiccups ever since I discovered how the Church (especially in the West) has played fast and loose with the Scriptures, the interpretation of them, and even the ecumenical councils. Add to that the many doctrinal additions of the Roman Church and the denial of Apokatastasis by most Orthodox priests, and I feel disoriented and out of touch with everything. Response: I know! Tough one, right? Given the long history of corruption and waywardness within the Jesus movement and its institutions, Paul's assertion seems ...

Q&R The essence of forgiveness – Brad Jersak

Question What is the essence of forgiveness? If I don't forgive, will I 'lose my salvation'? Response The word 'forgive' literally means 'let go.' If someone has offended me or sinned against me in some way: 1. Forgiving is NOT saying, I'm okay – I might still be suffering.  2. Forgiving is NOT saying, you're okay – they might still need to change. 3. Forgiving is NOT saying, it's okay – the wrong was still wrong 4. Forgiving is NOT saying, we're okay – we might not yet have enough trust to reconcile Forgiveness is letting go. What does that look like?  For me, it means I picture taking those who’ve ...

Q&R with Brad Jersak – Does God “intervene”?

Question I have read and studied your book,  A More Christlike God.  And I have a question that is tormenting me. Part 1 of your book is very well done. It provides a strong and credible explanation for parts of the OT that don’t resonate with a Christlike image of God. But in Part 2, I got hung up on what I interpret as your “noninterventionist God” theory. I’m happy to bid farewell to Calvinist doctrines. But I want to better understand your thesis and the implications. Are you saying that you believe that we have unlimited, unharnessed free will; that while God is not responsible for evil (or bad things happening), neither is God ...

Q & R: Greg Albrecht – “Does Satan exist?”

Question I just listened to one of your sermons broadcast and after being with Plain Truth ministries for a LONG time, I was quite surprised when you said you didn't know if Satan exists? The Bible says that God created the devil as the most perfect beautiful angel he could make, but because of his beauty he turned against God and persuaded 1/3 of the angels to go with him, he was thrown down to Earth. I don't know why I'm writing this. You're more knowledgable than I am, or at least I thought you were. I've settled in my mind that Satan exists as an evil influence, and that as humans, we're capable of evil but Satan with his influence makes things ...

Q & R with Brad Jersak – Were Adam & Eve perfect people living in a perfect paradise?

Question      I have a question regarding the literality of Scripture, particularly concerning Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden story. Like most stories from Genesis, I have generally been open to a metaphorical or symbolic—rather than literal—reading of this account. However, one particular facet of non-literal readings does trouble me somewhat. Namely, whether or not creation originally existed in a state of perfection, until it was sullied. If the story is literal, then this is certainly the case. However, if this story is to be taken symbolically, does this still allow for room to say God made the world in a state of perfection until it ...

Q & R: Beloved Children or Worthless Slaves? Brad Jersak

Question I am discovering that God is a loving Father and I'm experiencing the joy of knowing I'm his dearly loved child. I am basking in his goodness and mercy, I'm rediscovering my true identity in Christ and I'm finding real belonging in his family and at his table. I'm also taking Jesus more seriously than ever. But some of his teachings are difficult. For example, how should we read Luke 7:7-10? Doesn't this completely undermine the way Jesus sees us? 7 “Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? 8 Won’t he ...

Q & R with Greg Albrecht – “Are Catholics Christians?”

QUESTION Is there a difference between a Christian and a Catholic? RESPONSE No, there isn’t necessarily any difference between a Christian and a Catholic, or a Christian and a Lutheran, or a Christian and a Baptist. On the other hand, not all Catholics, Lutherans or Baptists are Christians simply because of their membership in a specific denomination. Christianity is a personal relationship between God and humans, and no human organization has the exclusive right to represent God on earth. Some doubt that there are any Christians at all in certain churches, and some Protestants typically have this view toward Catholics. This issue goes back to the ...

Q & R: A Question about “Ultimate Redemption”

“Can’t everyone respond to God, even if it’s in the next life? QUESTION: Why can’t everyone come to know God’s grace and mercy, even if it means doing that in the next life? God is much more powerful, loving, understanding and his ways of making that happen are past our finding out. RESPONSE: I do share your hope that, in view of God’s infinite power and love, Christ might also ultimately redeem everyone, including those the world judges as irredeemable. As my friend Robin Parry has said, “God can save everyone (because he’s all-powerful) and God wants to save everyone (because he’s all-loving)—so he ...

Q & R with Brad Jersak – The Quran, Safi Kaskas & Jesus-following Muslims

Question: Brad, I'm a fan of your books. But I saw something on page 142-143 of A More Christlike Way that I'd like to caution you on. I need to advise you that Mr. Kaskas is not being truthful as far as Surah 5:28 is concerned. Verse 28 looks hunky-dory but in verse 29, Abel tells Cain to "Go to hell!" Literally! And the hell Islam represents is the ever-burning Augustinian type. I would also advise you to Google Taqiyya. Also Kitman. Without knowing about Taqiyya, non-Muslims are liable to believe lies told in the name of Allah. Also, you wrote as if Allah and the Christians' God were the same. This is not the case. Look ...

“Are you saved?” and other Cringe Questions – Brad Jersak

Over the years, a constellation of questions, common to some Christian traditions, increasingly makes me cringe. And to be honest, I used to ask them. Are you saved? Is he/she saved? When were you saved? I know what is intended. We were identifying ‘saved’ with the moment I ‘invited Christ into my heart’ through the faith confession expressed in ‘the Sinner’s Prayer.’ We would even write our names and the date of our conversion/salvation in the back cover of our Gideon New Testaments. If that is how and when I was saved, I suppose you could say I was ‘saved’ when I was six-years-old. That’s when I personally and consciously ...

Q&R with Brad Jersak – A Christlike God or no god at all?

Reader's Comment From E. Stanley Jones (1933), "Christ and human suffering" I was reading this today in the early morn. Thought of you.  E. Stanley Jones (1933), "Christ and human suffering" Response Fascinating! Despite the fact that our Trinitarian confession frequently slips badly into Tritheism (worship of three gods), Christians follow Jesus Christ's claim that we worship the one God of Abraham. In these, we share significant common ground with Judaism and Islam. But when it comes to the Incarnation of God in the flesh of Christ, that seems completely forbidden for them, especially a God who suffers and ...

Q&R with Brad Jersak – “Christ uniquely revealed God as Abba. Doesn’t the OT also reveal God as Father?”

Question Recently on a podcast, you emphasized how Jesus uniquely revealed God as Abba. I know the Old Testament has multiple references to God as Father so I was wondering made Jesus' revelation of Abba so special? Response Good question! With cudos to Mercy Aiken for alerting me to this (see her explanation below). While rare in the Hebrew Scriptures, the Jewish tradition was not entirely silent on the fatherhood of God. And I'm not claiming that God had not already actually been their Father.  In the Psalms, fatherhood is twice used as an analogy for God’s compassion (Ps. 68:5, 103:13). But it is mainly reserved for the prophe...