Posts Tagged ‘apologetics’
The Basics of Communication: Tell, Show, Imply
by Doy Moyer We need to get past the constant criticism of CENI (Command, Example, Necessary Inference). The problem with CENI is not that it is a failed hermeneutic. The problem is that we have clouded the terminology so much that we have forgotten what basic communication is all about. CENI is fancy talk for…
Read MoreIs there no proof who really wrote the four gospels?
Question: What evidence do we have that the four gospels were written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John? I hear a lot of people saying they were anonymous, and we have no proof they were written by the people whose names are given to them. Answer: To claim there is no evidence would require setting terms on…
Read MoreThe Silence Argument
by Wayne Jackson One of the strongest arguments against the use of instrumental music in Christian worship is the “silence” principle. This is the concept that when God is silent about a matter, man is not at liberty to “presume”, and so to act without divine authority. There is no New Testament authority for the…
Read MoreThe Law of Non-Contradiction
by Joshua Gurtler First published in Biblical Insights Magazine, May 2015 The Law of Non-Contradiction Argues for the God of the Bible and Against Atheism, Hinduism, and Buddhism There is an argument for God that I would like for you to consider. This argument says that without the Christian worldview (which is simply the comprehensive belief…
Read MoreMyth or History?
by Forrest D. Moyer The Bible is either the product of God or the product of men. Christians believe that the Bible is from the hand of God and that it is to be believed and obeyed in order to have a good life now and in Heaven in eternity. There have always been those…
Read MoreRahab
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Rahab.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Joshua 2:1-24 I. Rahab has given many Bible students difficulty over the years. A. James 2:14-26 – James tells us she was an example of a working faith when she took in the Israelite spies and sent them out secretly. B. Notice that her action was listed as an example similar…
Read MoreAren’t there inspired books that we’ve lost?
Question: Do you mean to tell me not one of these documents (below) did not exist or ever existed? I would like to read these ‘lost books & or documents.’ How could not one or two documents make it to existence today? Exodus 24:7 – Book of the Covenant Numbers 21:14 – Book of the…
Read MoreHow did God create Himself?
Question: I just always wondered, how God created Himself? Answer: God didn’t create Himself. Eternal means He always existed. “Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God” (Psalms 90:2). Even unbelievers understand that something has to always exist. In…
Read MoreGod and the Problem of Sin
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/GodAndTheProblemOfSin.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Titus 2:11-15 I. God’s Nature A. God is Holy – Isaiah 6:3 1. There is not even a hint of sin in God – I John 1:5 2. Evil is not a part of His nature, nor does He accept evil in others – Psalms 5:4 3. If we are to have fellowship…
Read MoreI have a hard time believing in God, but it might be because of my sins
Question: I find it difficult to believe in and trust God, I have heard all of the arguments for His existence, such as the kalam cosmological argument, and others like it, so I believe that there is a real possibility that God exists. Also, I am quite versed in Christian theology and believe that if…
Read MoreAre the Gospel Writers Credible?
by Wayne Jackson The writers of the Gospel accounts — Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John — quite definitely affirm that Jesus Christ claimed to be the Son of God and that he performed miracles to authenticate that affirmation. Further, they allege that even though Jesus was put to death on the cross, after three days…
Read MoreDoes a Camel Bone Disprove the Bible?
by Terry Partain Fox News, Yahoo News, Forbes, Duke University, and of course the New York Times have jumped on a story from Tel Aviv University that claims they have finally found evidence that the Bible made a mistake. Could be they think Bill Nye the Science Guy needs a little help. They have found camel bones…
Read MoreBiblical Depth and Beauty
by Doy Moyer via Mind Your Faith I have been a Bible student for the greater part of my life. I have been preaching the gospel for nearly 30 years now. I have been teaching courses at a collegiate level for over a dozen of those years. I don’t say any of this to brag, as…
Read MoreOn Using the Bible to Prove the Bible
by Doy Moyer via Mind Your Faith The charge is sometimes made against biblical apologists that they just use the Bible to prove the Bible. The implication, of course, is that this is circular reasoning and, therefore, erroneous. They want other sources outside the Bible that verify it, not the Bible itself. Once they set the…
Read MoreThe Problem of Hell
by Doy Moyer via Mind Your Faith The problem of hell is, in some ways, another facet of the problem of evil. Hell is eternal separation from God and all that is good and blessed. How can we believe in a loving, powerful God who would also cast people into an eternal destination of pain and…
Read MoreIf God made all animals equal, then why are some extinct?
Question: We had a neighborhood gathering at my house, I got into a heated debate with a college student. I was defending the Bible well, then he said that if God made all animals equal, how come there are extinct animals. Then everything got very quiet as they were about to cut a cake. I’m…
Read MoreHow can Jesus say no man ascended to heaven when Enoch and Elijah did?
Question: If John 3:13 states that no man ascended to heaven except Christ, then how come both Enoch in Genesis 5:24 and Elijah in II Kings 2:1 ascended? Answer: “No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven” (John 3:13). The…
Read MoreHow can God kill people and steal their stuff?
Question: As a new Christian, I’m now studying the Old Testament. I am struggling with all the killing and death that God either does himself or makes his people do. I find it extremely difficult to wrap my head around the fact that he sent Moses up the hill and gave him the 10 commandments…
Read MoreHow Long Was the Egyptian Bondage?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/HowLongWasTheEgyptianBondage.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Exodus 12:30-41 I. As Christians, we need to be prepared to make a defense – Jude 3; I Peter 3:15 A. People don’t want to follow God’s word, so they figure if they can cast doubt in one area, they can ignore the Bible in all areas. B. One way is…
Read MoreIf everything comes from God, doesn’t evil come from God?
Question: You said in a writing, that all good things come from God. I can understand this and agree with it. But what I don’t understand is if by that same logic don’t all things come from God directly or by proxy, including all the bad and evil in the world? I don’t understand this…
Read MoreHow do I prove that Jesus exists and the Bible is true?
Question: How do I prove to an atheist that Jesus exists and that every word in the Bible is true? He believes in “om” and the energy runs the world. That life is made of energy. Answer: This person is not an atheist. An atheist does not believe in any higher being or force. The…
Read MoreWhy Is Evil Allowed?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/WhyIsEvilAllowed.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Ecclesiastes 8:6-13 I. It has happened again. Incomprehensible horror has struck to kill innocent children. A. But we want to know why? Why did it happen? Why couldn’t it be stopped? B. I’ve seen guns blamed, drugs blamed, psychological problems blamed, schools blamed, and, yes, even God blamed – Psalms 10:1…
Read MoreCould you review this debate on whether God exists?
Question: Can you look at this is a video of a debate asking if the God of the Bible exists? Now it’s lengthy, but I imagine you will skim through the main points. My question is if you could address some of the statements that were made because I feel the Christian side did a…
Read MoreProphetic Proof
Prophetic Proof – Part 1Prophetic Proof Part 2 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Deuteronomy 18:18-22 I. Throughout history there have been people claiming to know what others do not A. They claim to know mind of God and the future B. If you hint at questioning the truth of their claim, they get upset. C. Yet, Moses told…
Read MoreIs there any non-biblical evidence that proves the prophecies in the Bible?
Question: A friend and I talked for a little while tonight regarding Bible evidence, and when we talked about prophecy, he raised the argument that prophecies from the Bible verified purely from within the Bible can’t be used to prove the Bible. Is that a fair argument? And are there non-biblical evidence of prophecies coming…
Read MoreHow do I answer the claim that the Scriptures have some truth but can’t be infallible because men were involved in its writing?
Question: I was talking about the inspiration of Scripture with a friend. He claimed that the Scriptures had some truth and were inspired by God, but were not infallible because men had to have messed it up in our fallibility. He also said that there was no way God forced men to have written the…
Read MoreWhy do Christians always try to justify the Bible’s error?
Question: Peace be with you, My dear friend, why do Christians always try to justify the Bible’s error? Answer: “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a…
Read MoreWhat if I say you can’t prove God is real?
Question: If religion (Catholicism) is the absolute truth, then how come when questions are asked about it no one can ever answer with facts, only faith and belief? Basically, if I say “you can’t prove God is real”, you can only prove it with faith and belief, no facts. Why is this? Where’s all the…
Read MoreCan you comment on the video “Real proof that Jesus is not real”?
Question: Can you just watch this video, “Real proof that Jesus is NOT real” and disprove it if you can? I’m a Christian but watching this tossed a curveball at me. I need your overview. Answer: It is so easy to forget that just because a claim is made, it doesn’t make it true. The…
Read MoreHow do you argue against abortion with a non-Christian? And how do you know when it is time to end a debate?
Question: I’ve found myself in a pretty heated abortion debate. I’ve had no problems finding inconsistencies in most of the arguments, but I’m seeing no progress made, and it’s taking quite a bit of time to answer the arguments, especially with things I’ve already said a number of times. I’m not seeing an end on…
Read MoreDidn’t You Already Say That?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/DidntYouAlreadySayThat.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalms 119:9-16 I. Readers’ Digest back in 1982 release a condensation of the Revised Standard Version. The goal was to produce a more readable, shorter Bible that might attract people to the full Bible. A. It was soundly and universally rejected because the result ended up distorting the biblical message.…
Read MoreDid God condone rape?
Question: Can you show me with any credible, moral, and compassionate justification how passages such as Numbers 31:18 and II Samuel 12:11-14 are not examples of divine-sanctioned rape? Answer: In Numbers 31, the Lord ordered punishment on the nation of Moab. “Take vengeance on the Midianites for the children of Israel. Afterward you shall be…
Read MoreTactics 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…
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