#STRask

Questions about whether Jesus proved he wasn’t sinless when he overturned the tables, whether Jesus’ response to the Pharisees in Mark 3:22–26 was a bad argument, why Jesus was known for associating with sinners, and to what extent we should follow his example.   How would you respond to someone who said Jesus lacked self-control, got angry, and had a violent temper tantrum when he overturned the tables in Matthew 21:12–13, proving he wasn’t sinless? Is Jesus’ response to the Pharisees in Mark 3:22–26 a bad argument? Why was Jesus known for associating with sinners, and to what extent should Christians follow his example?

Questions about what will happen to those who never heard of Jesus or were brought up in a different faith, whether there’s biblical warrant to think a humble, repentant attitude can save people who don’t know Jesus, and where the souls who lived before Jesus go.   We’re taught that the only way to Heaven is through belief in Jesus, but what about those living on this planet who never heard of him, those brought up in another faith, or those of a Jewish faith? Is there any biblical warrant for thinking that those who haven’t heard of Jesus will nevertheless be saved due to a humble, repentant attitude? Where do the souls who lived before Jesus go since they couldn’t be baptized or saved?

Questions about how one can justify calling Jesus the Messiah when he didn’t fulfill the Hebrew messianic prophecies, and whether the reason for the virgin birth was just to set Jesus apart as unique or there was a deeper meaning.   How do you justify calling Jesus the Messiah when he didn’t fulfill the Hebrew prophecies the Messiah was required to complete? Is the reason for the virgin birth just to set Jesus apart as unique, or is there a deeper meaning?

Questions about whether anyone who tithes is not a Christian and is accursed since Paul says that if you obey one part of the Mosaic Law you’re obligated to obey all of it, and the claim that tithing preceded the Law and therefore remains a principle for the church today.   Since Paul says that if you obey one part of the Law to please God you’re obligated to obey all of it, does that mean that anyone who tithes is not a Christian and is accursed? How would you respond to the claim that tithing preceded the Law of Moses, as evidenced by Abraham giving a tenth to Melchizedek in Genesis 14, and therefore remains a principle for the church today?

Questions about whether references to demon possessions and exorcisms in the New Testament are literal, how to talk to young children about ghosts, and whether it’s arrogant to think Satan knows your name when he’s a single entity with bigger fish to fry.   Are references to demon possessions and exorcisms in the New Testament literal, or are they cultural references to physical or psychological conditions that they didn’t understand? How do you talk to young children about ghosts? It’s tempting to say they aren’t real, but I don’t want to deny the reality of “spiritual forces of evil” (Eph. 6:12). Is it misguided or arrogant to think Satan even knows my name when he’s a single entity with bigger fish to fry than me and can only be in one place at a time?