#STRask

Questions about how we can know who is teaching the same gospel Paul taught, and whether or not Jeremiah 1:5 supports the idea that we pre-existed in a spiritual form.
 

With so many divergent traditions, how can we know who is teaching the same gospel Paul taught? If someone in our age has been taught by revelation, then we should forget traditions.

Does Jeremiah 1:5 support the idea that we pre-existed in a spiritual form?

Questions about Greg placing his faith in his personal assessment of which truth claims best match reality rather than in the revelation of God in Jesus and a personal encounter with the Spirit, and how to fight thoughts that God isn’t real when you know he is real.
 

Please respond to this critique of Greg Koukl: “Those who place their faith in their personal assessment of which truth claims best correspond to reality are placing their faith in something other than the revelation of God in Jesus Christ and a personal encounter with the Holy Spirit.”

I struggle with thoughts that God isn’t real even though I know he’s real. How do I fight this?

Questions about the claim that if Christians really want to be open-minded, they need to read and study other religions before committing to Christianity, and with so many paths claiming to be the sole path, what is to be said about those who choose incorrectly?
 

How would you respond to someone who says, “If Christians really want to be open-minded, they need to read and study other religions before committing to Christianity”?

With so many paths claiming to be the sole path, what is to be said about those who choose incorrectly?

Questions about whether it’s possible there’s a being that’s greater than God and that’s outside of God’s comprehension and omniscience, and how to explain to people who don’t believe in the spiritual realm or the existence of God that we have eternal souls.
 

Is it possible there’s a being that’s greater than God and that’s outside of God’s comprehension and omniscience?

How do I explain to relatives who don’t believe in the existence of God or the spiritual realm that we all have an eternal soul? They say that if they see God do a miracle, then they’ll believe, but isn’t that why it’s faith?

Questions about whether we should be praying for our souls rather than for material things, why we need to pray about decisions, whether the devil can hear our prayers and tempt us with “answers,” and whether it’s okay to pray for someone’s death rather than healing.
 

Shouldn’t I be praying for my soul rather than for material things such as a house or a new job—i.e., a diet version of the prosperity gospel?

If I’m faced with a decision to do something that’s a good thing and doesn’t violate anything in Scripture, why do I need to pray about it to see if it’s something God wants me to do?

Can the devil hear our prayers, and if so, will he tempt us with “answers” to those prayers?

Is it okay to pray for someone’s death—i.e., for God to release them from suffering rather than for his miraculous healing?