Posts Tagged ‘apologetics’
Tactics for Defending Our Faith
Tactics For Defending Our Faith Part 1Tactics For Defending Our Faith Part 2 by Taylor Ladd Influence and Evangelism
Read MoreWhy Did God Have Children Killed?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/WhyDidGodHaveChildrenKilled.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Samuel 15:1-9 I. Some questions, by their very nature are difficult topics to take up. The things discussed make us queasy. A. Yet, you will find that those opposed to Christianity will often attack with these same topics for the very reason that they know it makes you uncomfortable.…
Read MoreThe Sacrifice of Isaac
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/SacrificeOfIssac.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Genesis 22:1-14 I. There are stories that cause some concern because they involve the concept of sacrificing a human being to God. A. They cause concern because the Bible is very clear about God’s opinion on human sacrifices. B. The slaying of humans invokes a death sentence – Genesis 9:5 C. False…
Read MoreWhy did God order the death of children?
Question: The Bible identifies, describes, and labels God in many ways. God is love, He is the redeemer, the savior, the beginning, the all-knowing, etc. God is also perfect and the Bible also says that God is a Judge, a righteous Judge above all. A righteous Judge administers the most fair and the most just methods…
Read MoreHow do you handle questions you can’t understand? Does it cause you to doubt that God exists?
Question: Have you ever doubted if God really exists? Have you ever been bothered about Eve coming from Adam’s rib or the apes theory? Or just anything science comes up with? Because I have. I don’t know how to get rid of it because I honestly don’t want to be an atheist. I think my Bible…
Read MoreWhy is Solomon hearing ants absurd, but Jesus turning water into wine or Moses parting the Red Sea not?
Question: The Qur’an said Solomon talked with ants and Christians claim this is absurd. But didn’t Jesus turn water into wine, and didn’t Moses divide the Dead Sea? Doesn’t all this fall into the same category as Solomon’s issue? Answer: The Qur’an claims that Solomon communicated with ants through the great wisdom that God gave…
Read MoreIs there any scientific evidence that Christianity is the true religion?
Question: I am not a Christian! But I have been thinking about that religion. I would like to know more about Christianity. Is there any scientific evidence that Christianity is the true religion? And didn’t the church oppose science some centuries back? Thanks. Answer: “Scientific evidence is the result of objective testing of a theory…
Read MoreThe Church of Oprah
by Dan Gatlin For decades, Oprah Winfrey has proclaimed faith in Jesus Christ. Yet, when one examines Oprah’s Jesus, he is not the same Jesus found in the New Testament. Oprah’s Jesus is not God in the flesh, but merely a “good man.” He is non-condemning and tolerant of “alternative lifestyles.” In short, her Jesus…
Read MoreDoesn’t the Bible say the earth is a circle as opposed to a sphere?
Question: Quick question or comment about the statement of the Earth being flat: You refute that claim with this: The real core of the argument is a claim that the Hebrew word tehom implies that something is flat. There is just one small problem. “Flat” isn’t in tehom’s definition. Tehom is “A noun meaning ‘the depths of the ocean'” But…
Read MoreWhy I Believe the Bible Is God’s Only Revelation
by Terry W. Benton There is something unique about the Bible that sets it apart from all other books that claim some kind of divine authority associated with them. Human Wisdom Alone Can Account For All Others When we examine each book there are features that lend credibility to the claim of inspiration in one…
Read MoreAnswering a Muslim Critic
by Larry Rouse Part 1 This week I received an e-mail from a Muslim, Mr. Husain, that was severely critical of those who believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God. He reasoned that because the Bible was so discredited that our only alternative was to believe in the “only 100% purely existing…
Read MoreThe Bible is not meant to be read literally!
Question: Jesus never once hit a child to teach his lessons about love. The absence of true love for your child is the reason you hit them! Open your eyes to the fact that most Christians don’t know how to read the Holy Bible correctly. The Bible is not meant to be read literally! The…
Read MoreHow do you answer someone who doesn’t believe the Bible?
Question: Greetings Brother. I pray the Lord continues to bless you and the works you have undertaken. A month or two ago I posed a biblical question on a forum that quickly turned into a small argument over the Bible’s validity with another individual. I have known him to be an extreme liberal and unbeliever.…
Read MoreDoes the Bible state the world is flat?
Question: [This is the first point in an overly long document that was sent, purporting to prove there are errors in the Bible. This first point claims that the Bible states the world is flat. I’m not going to give space for false teaching, but I want to illustrate with this first point the errors…
Read MoreIs the Condemnation of Homosexuality Universally Immoral?
by Doy Moyer I know. Sounds like an odd question, but it’s one posed to an atheist recently based on all the condemnation of those who believe homosexual practice is sinful. He was objecting to the idea of universal, objective morality. In the process of this, he asked what kind of “objective morality” condemns homosexual…
Read MoreHow could a just God put a man in a place where he is unable to hear about Jesus and then send him to hell?
Question: From your sermon “The Lost Who Never Heard the Gospel”: “If people could be saved without going through Christ, then why would God have sent him to die?” Then is it safe to say that this God you say is a just God of love would create a human being, place him in a location where…
Read MoreWhy do you believe in God? If God loves us all, why doesn’t He let us all in heaven?
Question: Why do you believe in God? If God loves us all, why doesn’t He let us all in heaven? Answer: Why do you believe there is a Sydney, Australia? Assuming you never been down under, what makes you believe that it exists? There are multiple interlocking reasons why believing in God makes sense. I have…
Read MoreWhy did God prove He existed before but not now?
Question: My son has come to me asking questions about the church. He is a member of the church but has fallen away. His asking questions is a crack in the door I don’t want to miss out on. He’s asking why did God allow proof that He existed then, but doesn’t now. He said…
Read MoreGod cannot be tempted, but Jesus was tempted; so, is Jesus not God?
Question: My friend, who is an Arian, gave me this puzzling logic: God can’t be tempted, but Jesus was tempted; therefore, Jesus is not God. Is this true? Answer: For a Christian, it would be easy to spot this line of reasoning as a falsehood because it ends with a statement that contradicts the Bible.…
Read MoreAre the trials of Jesus historically accurate?
Question: Are the trials of Jesus historically accurate? I ran across a web site that claims that some of the details of the trial were not historically accurate, but rather made up. The web site also claims that Pilate was not portrayed accurately and that the trial before the Sanhedrin (or I assume the questioning…
Read MoreHow do you answer a teacher who claims religion is not based on evidence?
Question: How would you answer a professor who claims that religion and faith are not based on evidence, but rather they are based on what people “want” in life, contrary to scientific evidence and that what is considered scientific has to be “peer-reviewed”? To me it seems that my professor is operating on the assumption…
Read MoreThe Sum of God’s Word
by Frank Himmel via Gospel Power, Vol. 15, No. 25, June 22, 2008. Do you remember math class? We were taught that in multiplication the answer is called the product; in division, it is called the quotient; in subtraction, it is the remainder; in addition, it is the sum. Psalm 119:160 says, “The sum of…
Read MoreHow can such a loving God condemn people who have never heard of Jesus or the Bible?
Question: I came across an old teacher of mine today and we started talking. She tells me I should join the service or go to college. So I started telling her my views of how I think that the Rockefellers and other rich families run this world and have influence in all the educational outlets and…
Read MoreDoesn’t God want us to follow parts of the Old Testament?
Question: I appreciate the information you have on your page regarding the Old Testament. However, I am going to bring a challenge to you. Primarily for the purpose of learning myself. So please do not take any offense. It occurs to me that following the Old Testament was never intended for atoning permanently for our sins.…
Read MoreIt’s your fault that people are biased against homosexuality
Question: I find your “explanation” of homosexuality intended for young viewers to be detestable. I am rather sickened at the notion that you would take advantage of the ignorance of children and plant the seeds of hate within them. A person’s sexual orientation is no business of anyone but the one in question, and God. It’s because…
Read MoreHow do I deal with skeptics?
Question: I’ve been looking at material from skeptics recently and I’ve noticed that I have a big problem with approaching their material. I find myself getting really anxious and worked up in my mind. For example, if I find myself reading an article claiming that Jesus was a myth, I find myself in a state…
Read MoreDoes Buddhism prove Jesus to be a myth?
Question: I recently stumbled onto a web site where the author talks about how Christianity borrowed from other religions and that Jesus was a mythical figure. She tries to make similarities between Jesus and Buddha, Horus, etc. One example from her web site claims that Buddha had 12 disciples just like Jesus, that Buddha was…
Read MoreWhy did God allow slavery or commit genocide?
Question: Why did God allow the Israelites to commit actions which are clearly wrong, by His command, such as allowing daughters to be sold into slavery (Exodus 21:7) or committing genocide upon the peoples of Canaan (Joshua)? If the Bible is infallible, is this the kind of moral code that God wants us to apply…
Read MoreHow Did They Know?
by Doy Moyer via Gospel Guide, Vol. 27, No. 7, July 1995. Fountains of the Deep Moses wrote, concerning the flood, that “all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened” (Genesis 7:11). Then later he said that “The fountains of the deep and the windows of…
Read MoreCould you explain this answer I got concerning Acts 2:38?
Question: I was writing the NIV translators, who are intermixed with IBS, about the “for the forgiveness of sins.” I got a regular response, but I am writing to him some more on certain verses. I also wrote the NASB guys but haven’t gotten a response yet. Anyway here is the letter I got. He…
Read MoreIsn’t it a contradiction when God changed His mind about the eating of animals?
Question: I read your article about contradictions in the Bible, and I agree most are silly ones and, unfortunately, usually malicious. However, I feel I have something rather genuine to present to you. (Yes, I am a vegan. This will clarify a few things about my perspective.) At the beginning of Genesis God said people can eat…
Read MoreWhy did God kill many people in the Old Testament?
Question: Why did God kill many people in the Old Testament, such as: “But God struck down some of the men of Beth Shemesh, putting seventy of them to death because they had looked into the ark of the LORD. The people mourned because of the heavy blow the LORD had dealt them” (I Samuel…
Read MoreWhat do you think about this Jesus tomb found in Jerusalem?
Question: What is your feeling about this Jesus tomb found in Jerusalem? They say the odds of a “Jesus son of Joseph” and Mary on the same tomb together is 1 out of 600. Does this mean Jesus had a son? Answer: When I saw the article in yesterday’s paper, I just knew someone would…
Read MoreWould you explain what apologetic writing is?
Question: Would you please explain what is ‘apologetic writing’? I have noticed this phrase before and do not understand it. Thank you. Answer: Apologetics comes from the Greek word apologia, which means to defend a position against an attack. It should not be confused with the English word “apology,” which means to plea for forgiveness. Therefore,…
Read MoreWhat About All Those Mistakes in the Bible?
by Jon Quinn It is quite amazing to me that a common complaint made about the Bible is that it has so many contradictions and mistakes. It is not surprising that such a charge would be made by some unbelieving scholar who will investigate the Bible’s pages and turn logic on its ear in order…
Read MoreDo Warring Factions Mean Christianity Is False?
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Corinthians 11:17-22 I. You hear all sorts of excuses when you attempt to talk to others about Christianity. A. “Well, I can’t take that Christian stuff seriously. You folk are all suppose to worship the same god, love your neighbor, and things like that, yet look at all the fighting…
Read MoreCan you prove God exists?
Question: I’ve been reading your website for days and now I decide I have to say something: You mentioned in one of your letter to a reader that “a drunken atheist living on the streets of New York.” Well, is that the impression from atheists to you? I can tell you that I’m not drunk,…
Read MoreCan you explain some apparent contradictions in the Gospel accounts?
Question: Matthew 8:28 records two men who were demon-possessed. Mark 5:1-2 and Luke 8:26-27 record one man. Why? And how do you defend this to someone? Also, Matthew records Jairus’ daughter was dead in Matthew 9:18, but Mark records it at the point of death in Mark 5:23. Why? Also, Mark records Jesus as saying take a staff for…
Read MoreJesus of Nazareth: The World’s Greatest Character
by N. B. Hardeman The Dallas Lectures for 1943, pages 122-125. Back in 1943, N. B. Hardeman and ten other men preached a series of sermons in Dallas, Texas—brother Hardeman was the featured speaker of the group. There were fifteen sermons with brother Hardeman preaching five of them. The sermons were recorded and printed in…
Read MoreIs There a God?
by Keith Sharp In 1986 a famous visitor made a brief tour of the inner solar system. A luminous body with a long, faint tail hurried on its journey around the sun and returned to the recesses of space. The British astronomer Edmond Halley observed this phenomenon in 1682 and, based on the times of…
Read More