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Response
There are numerous questions in the Bible. It is challenging to provide an exact count because ancient Hebrew and Koine Greek did not utilize punctuation—we cannot simply examine the Dead Sea Scrolls and tally the question marks! Frequently, it is unclear if a statement is genuinely meant to be a question. However, Bible scholars estimate that there are around 3,300 questions in the Bible.
This compilation of inquiries in the Bible is by no means exhaustive. It serves as a compilation of some of the most renowned and significant questions in the Bible.
“Did God really say . . . ?” «Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, Yes, has God said, You shall not eat of every tree of the garden? », (Genesis 3:1)
This marks the initial question in the Bible and also the primary instance of someone questioning God’s Word. Satan entices Eve to doubt God’s Word. Eve reacts by adding to God’s Word: “And you must not touch it.” God instructed Adam and Eve not to eat from the tree. He did not mention avoiding contact with the tree or its fruit. Adam and Eve react to Satan’s question by disobeying God’s Word. Things went downhill from there, and it all commenced with a simple question.
“Where are you?” «And the LORD God called to Adam, and said to him, Where are you? », (Genesis 3:9)
This stands as the first question posed by God in the Bible. Naturally, God knew precisely where Adam and Eve were situated physically. The question was for their benefit. Essentially, God was inquiring, “You disobeyed me; how is that working out for you? Did things turn out as you desired or as I foretold?” The question also reveals the heart of God, which mirrors the heart of a shepherd seeking out the lost lambs.In order to bring them into the fold, Jesus would later come “to seek and to save the lost” «For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. », (Luke 19:10).
“Am I my brother’s keeper?” «And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper? », (Genesis 4:9)
This was Cain’s question in response to God’s inquiry about Abel’s whereabouts. Beyond the fact that Cain had just murdered his brother, he was expressing the reluctance we all feel when we are unwilling to care for or watch over others. Are we our brother’s keeper? Yes, we are. Does this mean we have to know where they are and what they are doing 24/7? No. However, we should be concerned enough about others to notice when something seems amiss. We should care enough to intervene, if necessary.
“Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?” «That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? », (Genesis 18:25)
Yes, the Judge of the earth always does right. Abraham posed this question in his plea to God to spare the righteous and shield them from judgment. If something God does appears unjust, then we are misinterpreting it. When we question God’s justice, it is because our sense of justice is distorted. When we say, “I do not understand how a good and just God can allow such-and-such a thing,” it is because we do not truly comprehend what it means to be a good and just God. Many people believe they have a better grasp of justice than God.
“Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!” «Then said hi
Job’s wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die.” (Job 2:9)
The book of Job echoes this question from Job’s wife. Throughout everything, Job indeed maintained his integrity. Job’s “friends” kept suggesting, “Job, you must have committed a grave sin for God to allow this to happen to you.” God rebuked Job’s friends for their accusations against Job and for assuming God’s sovereign will. Then God corrected Job by emphasizing that only He is flawless in all His ways. Within God’s demonstration of His greatness, He posed numerous questions: “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?” (Job 38:4).
“Can a man live again after he dies?” (Job 14:14, ESV)
Unless Christ returns during our lifetimes, we will all face death eventually. Is there existence after death? This question crosses everyone’s mind at some stage. Indeed, there is life after death, and everyone will encounter it. The crucial point is where we will spend eternity. Do all paths lead to God? In a sense, yes. Every individual will come before God post-mortem (Hebrews 9:27). Irrespective of the life choices made, every person will confront God after passing away. “Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt” … (text continues).
“How can a young person stay on the path of purity?” «Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word. », (Psalm 119:9)
The answer: by living according to God’s Word. When we “hide” God’s Word in our hearts, the Word keeps us from sin «Thy word have I hid in mine heart, That I might not sin against thee. », (Psalm 119:11). The Bible does not tell us everything. It does not contain the answer to every question. But the Bible does tell us everything we need to know to live the Christian life «according as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: », (2 Peter 1:3). God’s Word tells us our purpose and instructs us how to fulfill that purpose. The Bible gives us the means and the end. God’s Word is “useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
“Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” «Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. », (Isaiah 6:8)
The correct answer is spoken by Isaiah: “Here am I. Send me!” Far too often, our answer is, “Here am I—but send someone else.” Isaiah 6:8 is a popular verse to use in connection with international missions. But, in context, God was not asking for someone to travel to the other side of the world.Planet. God was asking for someone to deliver His message to the Israelites. God wanted Isaiah to declare the truth to the people he interacted with every day: his own people, his family, his neighbors, his friends.
“Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” «Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times? », (Matthew 18:21)
Forgiveness is challenging. Peter’s suggestion of forgiving seven times probably seemed, to him, to be remarkably generous. Jesus’ response revealed how inadequate our forgiveness usually is. We are called to forgive because God has forgiven us of much more «bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if any man has a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do you. », (Colossians 3:13). We forgive not because a person deserves it. “Deserve” is irrelevant to grace. We forgive because it is the right thing to do. That person may not deserve our forgiveness, but neither did we deserve God’s forgiveness, yet God forgave us nonetheless.
“What shall I do then with Jesus?” «Pilate said to them, What shall I do then with Jesus who is called Christ? They all said to him, Let him be crucified. », (Matthew 27:22)
This was Pilate’s inquiry to the crowd gathered at Jesus’ trial. Their response: “Crucify Him!” Their cry a few days earlier had been different: “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” «And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. », (Matthew 21:9). It is remarkable how unmet expectations and a bit of peer pressure can influence public opinion. In first-century Jerusalem, individuals with a mistaken view of Jesus and His mission rejected Him; similarly, today, individuals who embrace the Christian faith with a mistaken understanding of who Christ is will eventually turn away. It is crucial to accurately portray who Jesus is and the essence of Christianity when sharing our faith.
“Who do you say I am?” «He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? », (Matthew 16:15)
This question, posed by Jesus, stands as one of the most significant that an individual will ever respond to. To many, He is a good teacher. To some, He is a prophet. To others, He is a legend. Peter’s response, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God,” is the accurate reply «And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. », (Matthew 16:16). C. S. Lewis delves into the issue of the diverse perceptions of who Jesus is in his book Mere Christianity:
“I am trying here to prevent anyone from saying the truly foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m prepared to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and uttered the kind of things Jesus did would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on the level with the man who claims to be a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or he was a madman or something worse. You can dismiss him as a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon, or you can kneel at his feet and acknowledge him as Lord and God, but let us not approach with any condescending nonsense about him being a great human teacher.
He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”
“What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” «For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? », (Mark 8:36)
If the cost is one’s soul, then whatever is gained— even the whole world— is good for nothing. Sadly, “nothing” is what the vast majority of people strive after— the things of this world. To lose one’s soul has two meanings. First, the more obvious meaning is that one loses his soul for eternity, experiencing eternal death in hell. However, seeking to gain the whole world will also cause you to lose your soul in a different way, during this life. You will never experience the abundant life that is available through Jesus Christ «The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. », (John 10:10). Solomon gave himself over to pleasure and denied himself nothing, yet he said, “Everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained” (Ecclesiastes 2:10-11).
“Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” «And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? », (Luke 18:18) and “What must I do to be saved?” «and brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? », (Acts 16:30)
It is interesting to see the very different responses of Jesus and Paul to what was essentially the same question. Jesus, knowing the self-righteous mindset ofThe rich young ruler, told him to obey the commandments. The man only thought he was righteous; Jesus knew that materialism and greed were preventing the man from truly seeking salvation. The man first needed to understand that he was a sinner in need of a Savior. Paul, recognizing that the Philippian jailer was ready to be saved, declared, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.” The jailer believed, and his family followed him in accepting Jesus as Savior. So, recognizing where a person is at in his or her spiritual journey can impact how we answer someone’s questions and change the starting point in our presentation of the gospel.
“How can someone be born when they are old? Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” «Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? », (John 3:4)
This question came from Nicodemus when Jesus told him that he needed to be born again. People today still misunderstand what being born again means. Most everyone understands that being born again is not a reference to a second physical birth. However, most fail to understand the full implication of the term. Becoming a Christian—becoming born again—is beginning an entirely new life. It is moving from a state of spiritual death to a state of spiritual life «Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. », (John 5:24). It is becoming a new creation «Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. », (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Thians 5:17). Being born again is not adding something to your existing life; it is radically replacing your existing life.
“Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?” «What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? », (Romans 6:1)
We are saved by grace «For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: », (Ephesians 2:8). When we place our faith in Jesus Christ, all of our sins are forgiven, and we are guaranteed eternal life in heaven. Salvation is God’s gift of grace. Does this mean that a Christian can live however he or she wants and still be saved? Yes. But a true Christian will not live “however he or she wants.” A Christian has a new Master and does not serve himself anymore. A Christian will grow spiritually, progressively, in the new life God has given him. Grace is not a license to sin. Willful, unrepentant sin in a person’s life makes a mockery of grace and calls into question that person’s salvation «Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. », (1 John 3:6). Yes, there are times of failure and rebellion in a Christian’s life. And, no, sinless perfection is not possible this side of glory. But the Christian is to live out of gratitude for God’s grace, not take advantage of God’s grace. The balance is found in Jesus’ words to the woman taken in adultery. After refusing to condemn her, He said, “Go now and leave your life of sin” «She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more. », (John 8:11).
“If God is for us, who can be against us?” «What shallWe then ask, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31)., (Romans 8:31)
Children of God will encounter opposition in this world. “If the world hates you, you know that it hated me before it hated you.”, (John 15:18). The devil and his demons oppose us. Many people in the world oppose us. The philosophies, values, and priorities of the world stand against us. In terms of our earthly lives, we can be overcome, defeated, or even killed. But, in terms of eternity, God has promised that we will overcome. “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world, and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.”, (1 John 5:4). What is the worst thing that could happen to us in this world? Death. For those who are born of God, what happens after death? Eternity in the most glorious place imaginable.
There are many other profound questions in the Bible: questions from seekers, questions from scoffers, questions from discouraged believers, and questions from God. Do not be afraid to ask questions, but be prepared to accept God’s answer when it comes.
