FAQs
FAQ section: This section is made of questions asked at CPC through the years. We have not named people, so if it was your question, be assured that many others ask the same questions. The answers are not totally indepth and do not cover every aspect of the topic. If you have questions to deal with feel free to contact . We hope these stimulate you to study the word.
Interpreting the Bible
- QUESTION: I just finished the final chapter of the Hill/Walton book and came to a question I would like to hear your thoughts on. It is on page 560 and is # 6. In case you don't have the book handy here is the question. "How do we account for those occasions when the N.T. writers take liberties in quoting the Old Testament text? What does this mean for the biblical doctrine of the inspiration of Scripture?" My initial thought would be that scripture has one interpretation and several applications. How would you respond? [Read Answer]
ANSWER: This is one of the questions that those that do not believe in inerrancy use. There have been many good books written on the topic. The easy answer is that they interpreted the OT as the Holy Spirit wanted them to so it is ok. However, there were some cultural aspects to their interpretation of the OT. Some of the ways they used the OT were, typological (Jer. 31:15 and Matt. 2:17). There were also times when the writers used the approach of taking the OT principle and applying it to the NT time. (Rom. 9:25-26 and Hos. 2:1). That is along the lines of your last sentence of the application of the text. Most often the NT writers took the "regular" meaning of the OT text for their usage. In all cases, I think it makes sense to accept the supernatural aspect of the NT and the work of the HS in the bringing together the Old and New Testaments.
- QUESTION: I have been reading through Exodus on my own lately and have been wondering how modern day Christians are to approach all the laws found in the Old Testament. I was hoping that you could give me some book recommendations for me to read through that would help me better understand how the Old and New Testament fit together in terms of the law. [Read Answer]
ANSWER: That is a great question. It has been a point of disagreement by many groups. I am not sure how much theology you have read, but there are a couple of major different positions concerning that question. One popular position is called dispensationalism. They believe the dispensation of the law is over and that there is no carry over unless it has been restated in the NT. Another perspective sees the NT as a fulfillment of the law and that there is a more seamless transition from the law to the NT as Christ fulfilled the law and the OT law actually anticipated the Messianic fulfillment of the law. There is a book edited by Wayne Strickland called Law the Gospel and the Modern Christian—5 views. It presents some differing views on how to deal with this topic. It is not a simple read, but is fairly thorough.
My perspective is probably a mixture of the views. Many Bible students see the OT law codes as having 3 aspects to them—Civil, Moral , and Ceremonial. The civil laws were the basis of the Jewish government. The ceremonial laws included temple forms, priestly activity etc. The moral laws were like the 10 commandments and told the people the overarching demands of a holy God. Though these categories are not specifically stated in Scripture they are helpful to me in reading the Bible. Jesus did say that he was building his church in the NT. Paul says there is neither Jew or Gentile but all are one in the church. This sounds like the church is not to be ruled like Israel—so the civil and even the ceremonial laws are not binding. Even in Acts 15 the early church struggled with ceremonial activities like circumcision and the church allowed for freedom on those items. The moral aspects of the law—do not murder, commit adultery etc.—are repeated in the NT and are universal laws of a holy God. The 4th commandment of Sabbath observance was not given in NT format. I think the principle is there with rest and worship, but the legalistic observance of the day is certainly removed by the activity of Jesus and the early church.
I think the law had as its goal to be a school master showing us our inability to meet up to the glory of God . It was good in fulfilling its purpose, but was limited in providing a final solution. Jesus did that as he perfectly fulfilled the law and provided his righteousness to free us from the condemnation of the law (good in itself, but very revealing in our sin). It is great to be on this side of the cross. I think the OT law anticipated a permanent “fix” to sin and violation of God’s holiness, but we can see that more clearly in the cross of Jesus. The author of Hebrews spends his whole book on that general topic.
Christian Living
- QUESTION: I was under the impression that a person who commits suicide was not forgiven. That suicide was an unforgivable act. My cousin recently attempted to kill herself. It was only by the Lord's grace that she was found in time. She is a pastor's wife which makes it even more heart breaking. I know that she was placed in a treatment center somewhere in Lafayette. She has kids too. What happens after a death from suicide? I mean, to that person if they succeed? You see I have lost an aunt, cousin, and nearly a sister to this terrible thing. I really would like to know.
[Read Answer]
ANSWER:Suicide is like other sins. When we are justified by Christ, we are sinners and he declares us righteous (Rom. 3:20ff). While we were sinners he died for us (Rom. 5:8). He has paid the price for our sins. We should strive to live in light of his great salvation, but will need to continually ask for forgiveness when we fall (I Jn. 1:9). Suicide may be a sign that one is not a true Christian (but I do not think that is always the case). A Christian can commit suicide (and any other sin). Obviously they do not have a chance to ask for forgiveness, but the blood of Jesus is still able to cover their sins. As I said before, that hope could cause one to say it is not a big deal in eternity if I commit suicide or not. I would encourage them to rethink that—not because they will lose their salvation if they are truly saved. They need to realize the hope in Christ for this life and trust in him. I am sorry to hear of your challenging experiences with suicide. It is one really hard issue to deal with because there is not chance to talk to the deceased. I am glad God is sovereign.
- QUESTION: Can you recommend two or three Biblical ways to fast? I fasted a month ago and we were wondering if there are some guidelines we should follow.
[Read Answer]
ANSWER: I know the Bible never mandates fasting, but it certainly speaks favorably as to its benefits. I am sure you know that the Bible speaks to not making fasting a public discipline like the Pharisees (Matt 6:18).
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In Acts fasting was connected with decisions that were important like getting missionaries and pastors (Acts 13:2-3, 14:23)--so fasting could be helpful when focusing and asking for God's will in making an important decision.
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In Mat. 4:2 Jesus fasted for 40 days to prepare for his public ministry. Fasting could be a good preparation for ministry God calls us into.
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In Jonah 3:5, they fasted as part of their repentance in Ninevah. We could be helped by fasting when we are repentant for our sin. In Nehemiah 9:1 the people also used fasting as a part of their repentance.
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In Ezra 8:21there was a fast for praying for safe journey.
There are other verses in the Bible on fasting and no real guidelines. Here are some that I think could be helpful for what they are worth:
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Have a specific purpose for you fast--seeking guidance, seeking intimacy with God, repentance, etc.
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Have a specific duration--one day, 1/2 half day etc.
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Try to set up some activities--pray when you feel hungry, read Scripture, meditate, reach out to others.
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Be sure it is medically advisable and make the duration appropriate.
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For your own benefit you may keep a journal to reflect on the experience and the thing you may have learned fromt the Lord.
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- QUESTION: I have been praying seriously about this area and my friend over the past 3 weeks. The issue of “feeling forgiven” or the belief that “we can forgive ourselves” is an issue that constantly comes up at conferences and leadership discussion groups. My prayer is to find clarity in the word for myself and my friend. She states she is open for change if it is made clear to her in the scriptures. Reminder: my belief is we can not forgive ourselves but we accept Christ’s forgiveness. If you come across any good books about this area please let me know. If you are a writer and God places it on your heart, maybe you could write something.? As a new member at CPC everyone says you are the “go to guy” for things like this. I believe it is really needed especially in our world today where “self__?__” is so emphasized. I am finding fellow brothers and sisters are misguided or confused concerning this topic.
[Read Answer]
ANSWER:
The nuance of forgiveness in the N.T. seems to be in the context of relationships with others (I have attached a list of the verses using the forgiveness words in the NT—the OT would be similar). It is a term that suggests that there is an offender and an offended party. The offended party does the act of forgiveness. Forgiveness has as it subject (the one doing the act of forgiveness) the one who is offended. The object of the forgiveness (one who receives the act of forgiveness) is the party who did the sinful act. The beauty of forgiveness is that the offended party can break down the barrier to fellowship by forgiving the offending party and open the door for a reconciled relationship. Forgiveness is never an act of the sinner—always an act of the one sinned against. God is the ultimate forgiver (I John 1:9). He has the power and desire to erase sin. His act of forgiveness does indeed do that such that our sin are removed and covered (Ps. 32, 51). As humans we cannot do that (remove sin) in our forgiveness, but we can remove the barrier that stands between us and our offenders as we forgive them and commit to removing that barrier of sin that hinders our relationship.The concept of forgiving ourselves is foreign to the Scripture. For all of us there is a need for forgiveness and at times we may question whether we are forgiven or not. The Biblical approach to that dilemma is not to forgive ourselves (we cannot do that). When we use verbiage such as forgive ourselves, it challenges the reality of the need for forgiveness from God and perhaps others. It really circumvents the Biblical pattern of confessing sins to the Lord and others and experiencing forgiveness. Forgiving ourselves, is more self-centered and self reliant. What we need to encourage ourselves and others who struggle with being forgiven is to spend their time reflecting on the Lord who forgives and to affirm our faith and trust in HIM to forgive us. He is faithful and just to forgive—we need to believe him—not try to do his job. It is a good opportunity to build our faith that God is really at work doing the impossible—forgiving undeserving sinners. Rather than trying to forgive ourselves, we should trust the real forgiver to do his work. Our job is to trust, his job is to forgive. In that way He is the one who is glorified.
Theology and Doctrine
QUESTION: Thank you very much for taking the time to answer the following questions concerning the Trinity in your ministry. It is my hope not to just bombard you with tough mind provoking questions, but hopefully for your benefit and the benefit of your ministry evaluate where you’re at on the topic of the Trinity. I would like to point out that this is a case study for my fulfill of credit in ST 102 – Trinitarianism at Dallas Theological Seminary. The answers that you give below are to generate classroom discussion and report on the difference of views throughout the Christian spectrum; none of them will be shared outside of the classroom setting and no names of staff members or organization will be given inside the classroom.
- What is your church’s doctrinal statement concerning the Trinity?
In our statement of faith we have a fairly conventional statement of the Father, Son and Spirit one in essence and 3 in persons. - Does the doctrine of the Trinity tangibly influence your ministry (or church)? If so, How?
We have 6 core values that we have articulated and one is the desire to see unity in the midst of diversity. This is founded in the reality of the triune God. We strive for that in relationships, in racial mixture, in doctrinal diversity. Our prayer is that the life of the trinue God will be lived out in all aspects of our ministry from the music to the preaching to the teaching and all community activities. - Have you taught this doctrine in your ministry (or church)?
I have taught often on the trinity. I taught an entire quarter in a lay institute on the topic. We also had a theology conference in winter 09 and the topic was what difference does the trinity make and invited Bruce Ware to speak. It was very helpful. I followed up with a sermon the next Sunday on the relevance of the trinune God to CPC.
Our worship leader also greets the congregation weekly in the name of the Father, Son and Spirit and often ties that into the singing worship. - Did you see an effect on the ministry (or congregation)? Please describe.
We have a long way to go, but I do think people are open to the reality of the trinue God in our midst not merely the abstract theory of the trinity. It takes time, but I am encouraged to see movement. It is not a foreign concept to hear the trinity related to marriage and marriage counseling. It also is seen in the diversity of gifts in the church but one Lord. We hear it in the baptism waters and eucharist services. - How has this doctrine directly affected your personal life?
Few realities have affected me like this in the last couple of years. I have read a lot and am known as the staff person obsessed with the trinity. It has affected my marriage and our view of the kids and ministry. It affects my view of creation and the Scripture. I hope to be forever a student of the beauty and fullness of God—Father, Son and Spirit.
- QUESTION:
I was approached by two women wanting to tell me about "God the Mother" and how GenesisANSWER:
That’s a great question, and I applaud your desire to clearly present the gospel to these women. I think I discern two parts to your question:
- How do you respond specifically to their claims about “God the Mother”?
- How do you refocus the discussion on the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
I’ll try to help you with both of these aspects. But first I want to say that you must begin in this time before you meet to pray for these women. In my experience with fringe sects, they are doggedly committed to their false teaching, so God must do a supernatural work to open their eyes to the truth.
1) I think it would be wise to graciously confront their claims about “God the Mother.” I think this is important because their false teaching is distorting their picture of God’s nature. There is one God who exists in three persons – Father, Son, and Spirit. If you merely try to skim over this and rush to communicating the Gospel, what they might hear you say about Jesus may not be at all what you intend to communicate. They may say that they believe that “eternal life comes through Jesus Christ,” but they could mean something very different from what you and I mean by that sentence!
I would begin by asking lots of questions about their interpretation. I have read over the 3 passages above along with their surrounding contexts, and I was left scratching my head as to where they got their interpretation from. What they are doing is called “eisegesis” as opposed to “exegesis.” Eisegesis is when a person reads their own ideas and beliefs into a text, whereas exegesis is when a person reads a text to get meaning out of it. If you ask some precise, pointed questions, you may be able to help them see that they are doing eisegesis (though you don’t need to use that word!). Repeatedly ask them to show you in the text where it says that the bride is some deity apart from the Trinity. Don’t let them offer explanations apart from what the Bible says – force them to put their finger on the text and show you where is says that there is such a thing as God the Mother. Of course, you want to engage with these women graciously while at the same time taking a stand for truth. To attempt to help them see the truth is a loving thing to do on your part!
Positively, you want to briefly attempt to show them that the bride mentioned in Revelation 21:2 and
The immediate context of Rev. 21:2 also helps us see that the bride is referring to the Church. The very next verse describes how God makes his dwelling place with his people. What do a man and wife do when they get married? They make a home together! In the same way, in Revelation 21 God comes and makes his home together with his people, the Church.
Regarding Genesis 1:26, there are a few possibilities as to why the plural pronoun “us” is used. It could be an implicit reference to the Trinity. It could mean that God deliberated with the angels before making mankind. Or it could simply be grammatical because of the fact that the Hebrew word which is translated as “God” is actually a plural word. Regardless of how we understand this, to assert that this is referring to “God the Mother” is reading something into the text that is not there, nor is it found anywhere else in the Bible. I personally think that God is here deliberating with the angelic host (see Is. 6:8 and context for a parallel).
To summarize, I wouldn’t spend too much time debating with them about their theology. Ask lots of questions, try to understand where they are coming from, ask them to point to the text and show you where they are getting their teaching on “God the Mother” from, and then briefly attempt to show them why the bride is not “God the Mother” but refers to the Church.
2) I think you are right to want to bring the focus around to the big picture – the gospel of Jesus. You might begin by asking them what they mean when they say that “eternal life comes through Jesus.” Ask them who they believe Jesus is. Ask them how they believe eternal life comes through Jesus. Is it through some kind of works, moral effort, or religious rite? As you listen to their answers, really listen to them and then look for bridges to explaining to them the biblical gospel. My guess is that if they have bizarre beliefs about the nature of God, then they probably have other bizarre beliefs.
One other approach you might take is trying to discern what is beneath their teaching on God the Mother. Why is it that two women would think it important enough to spend time on a college campus attempting to spread their beliefs? Ask them questions about how they came to believe what they believe. You could even ask them point blank why they are out sharing this with college students. You may be able to get under the surface and hear what’s really going on in their heart. Maybe they were hurt by a church who was sexist and discriminated against women, or some other story. Who knows?