Origin of the Universe

When are you Christians going to pull your heads out of the ground and believe the scientific evidence for the origin of the universe?

Thanks for your question. Obviously, the origin of the universe is a longstanding debate. Since I am not a scientist, I seldom think of the Creation in a scientific way, but I do try and see it logically. It seems to me if you remove a creator from the picture, you’re left with only a few logical explanations for the universe. I can think of these:

The universe is an illusion

The universe spontaneously came from nothing

The universe is eternal

I find no compelling reason to believe any of these, science notwithstanding.

If you’d like scientific evidence from a biblical perspective, I suggest, The Creator and the Cosmos, by Hugh Ross, PhD in astrophysics and founder of Reasons to Believe [reasons.org], or Understanding Intelligent Design: Everything you need to know in plain language, by William Dembski and Sean McDowell.

High Priests

Were the high priests Annas and Caiaphas Idumean?

No. Annas and Caiaphas were both Jewish high priests, and therefore from the tribe of Levi. Perhaps you are thinking of Herod the Great, who was an Idumean (aka Edomite). Because he was Idumean, he was not allowed in the temple he financed and restored, whereas Annas and Caiaphas were the leading officials in the temple.

By the way, Caiaphas was the son-in-law of Annas. Annas had five sons who also all served terms as high priests.

Small Church VS Mega-Church

Doesn’t Matthew 18:20 teach that God wants small churches, not mega-churches?

Here is the text you mentioned: “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

As unbeautiful as it might sound, the context of this verse is about the process of discipline within the church, not the size of a church. Let’s back up a little and read verses 16-20: 16 But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that “by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ 17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector. 18 “Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 19 “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

The ‘two or three’ mentioned in vs. 20 are the same ‘two or three’ mentioned in vs. 16. If someone who has sinned against you does not listen to you when you meet up with them to try to sort the issue out, then take one or two others with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.

In Matthew 18 Jesus simply gave his approval to the process, (‘I am there in the midst of them’), if it’s done in the right way.

Ghosts

Do you believe in ghosts?

If you are referring to ghosts in terms of the popular movie Ghosts [with Demi Moore, Whoopi Goldberg, and Patrick Swayze], my answer is no. I base my belief from Scripture that indicates that once a person dies, it ends their involvement on earth. The wise Solomon wrote:“For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. Their love and their hate and their envy have already perished, and for ever they have no more share in all that is done under the sun.” [Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6 - Please note what I have italicized for emphasis]

The hope of life after death is found in the resurrection. [See 1 Corinthians 15:20-23 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16]

Kosher

Why did the Old Testament make a distinction between certain meats (clean and unclean) but not plants even though some plants are poisonous?

The restriction on the eating of meat [kosher diet] was part of the covenant between the people of Israel and God. It wasn’t binding on other nations or people. And even with the people of God, eating meat was different in various times of their history. This is demonstrated in how God spoke about the eating of meat - both clean and unclean:

Before the flood - no meat  [Genesis 1:29]

After the flood - all meat [Genesis 9:2-3]

Kosher Diet - some meat [Leviticus 11]

New Testament outlook - all meat [Acts 10:10-15; 1st Corinthians 10:23-31; 1st Timothy 4:4]

Date of the Crucifixion

Do you know the date Jesus was crucified?

There are some significant facts in biblical and non-biblical literature to narrow the date of the crucifixion of Christ. Most of this information can be found in three sources: the Bible, the writings of Josephus, and the Jewish Encyclopedia. Here are some of the facts:

Caiaphas was the High Priest: That puts the crucifixion between 18-36 AD.

Pontius Pilate was the Governor: That narrows the date to between 26-36 AD.

The crucifixion occurred after the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar: John the Baptizer began his ministry in the fifteenth year of Tiberius’ reign, which was 29 AD.

The crucifixion happened on a Friday: that eliminates all other days of the week.

The crucifixion happened on a Friday in conjunction with the feast of Passover.

That lets us narrow down the range of possible dates. Here is a complete list of the days Passover began between 29-36 AD:

                       

Monday, April 18, A.D. 29

Friday, April 7, A.D. 30

Tuesday, March 27, A.D. 31

Monday, April 14, A.D. 32

Friday, April 3, A.D. 33

Wednesday, March 24, A.D. 34

Tuesday, April 12, A.D. 35

Saturday, March 31, A.D. 36

As you can see from the list above, there are two possible days that fit all five facts we know about the crucifixion. Allowing time for Jesus to have a few years of ministry after John the Baptizer, leaves us with the best option: Jesus was crucified at 3:00 PM on Friday, April 3, 33 AD.

Eyewitnesses of the Resurrection

Who were the eye witnesses [sic] to the resurrection of Jesus?

There were ZERO eyewitnesses to the resurrection! But hold that thought for a moment. The resurrection of Jesus happened in a tomb. No one was in the tomb with Jesus; therefore there were no eyewitnesses of the event itself. However, the Bible declares that many people, including some who witnessed the burial of Jesus and then came upon His empty tomb, had a personal encounter with Him. They simply told the amazing story that Jesus was alive. They talked with Him, and ate with Him on different occasions for a period of 40 days. That is the testimony of Scripture.

Among those who saw Him were: Mary Magdalene and other holy women [Mark 16:9; Matthew 28:9], Cleopas and another disciple near Emmaus [Luke 24:15-18], the disciples and a crowd of more than 500 [1st Corinthians 15:3-6].

Generational Curses

Does the Bible teach generational curses?

The Bible clearly communicates the idea that ‘consequences’ — not ‘curses’ — are passed down from generation to generation. One example is drunkenness. The children of drunkards frequently suffer neglect and abuse as a direct consequence of their parent’s sinful behavior. Then as they grow up, they sometimes make terrible life choices, which affect them and their families.

Secondly, the Bible clearly communicates that each person will be held responsible for their own guilt of sin. The classic Scripture on this is Ezekiel 18:20:

“The soul who sins is the one who will die. The son will not share the guilt of the father, nor will the father share the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous man will be credited to him, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against him.”

Holy Days

Are Christian holidays, like Christmas and Easter, are they really Biblical because I can't really find them in the Bible?

There is no command in the Bible to celebrate the birth of Jesus on December 25th or any other date for that matter. Likewise, you’ll not find a single word about celebrating the resurrection of Jesus [Easter], although it does fall during the time of the Jewish Passover. So while the holidays, themselves, are based on historical events, they are not biblical—that is, you won’t find Christian Holy Days in the Bible.

I think the question you’re asking is, Is it wrong to celebrate religious holidays? If that is the case, my answer is, NO! I think it would be wrong to ignore them. There is nothing morally wrong with celebrating Christmas, the Resurrection [Easter], or any other religious holiday, such as: Advent, Pentecost, Good Friday, et al.

Worship

What is worship?

Some people consider worship an activity; singing songs of praise, giving to the poor, volunteering for some service to humanity, taking care of the disadvantaged, etc. All of these kinds of things may be “expressions” of worship, but they fall short of defining it.

I particularly like Webster’s Dictionary, which says that worship is, “to honor with extravagant love and extreme submission.”

True worship, in other words, is defined by the priority we place on who God is in our lives and where God is on our list of priorities. True worship is a matter of the heart expressed through a lifestyle of an extravagant love for, and submission to, God.  

Blessed

What does it mean to be blessed?

To many, being blessed carries the idea of good fortune, contentment, and/or pleasure. Interestingly, the Greek word translated ‘blessed’ in the New Testament is makarios, and one of its primary meanings is “happy.” One of my favorite passages about this comes from Christ’s Sermon on the Mount when He gave what we know as the Beatitudes. [Matthew 5:1-12]

In the Beatitudes, we learn that happiness comes from being “poor in spirit,” “mourning,” being “meek,” “hungering” after righteousness, being “merciful,” having a “pure heart,” being a “peacemaker,” and being “persecuted for righteousness’ sake.” That’s hardly what we had in mind when we prayed, “God bless Mommy, Daddy, and Pastor Rick!” What the Beatitudes clearly teach is that one cannot be blessed/happy by living a self-centered life.

Of course, the ultimate blessing is to have a genuine relationship with the almighty God through Jesus Christ, His Son. As Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? [Matthew 16:24-26]

Be Holy

What does the Bible mean when is says to be holy like God?

I think the passage you are referring to is “Be holy, for I am holy.” [Found in both Leviticus 11:44; 1 Peter 1:16]

To be sure, biblical terms translated "holy" or "holiness" (Hebrew - qadosh, Greek - hagios) carries a strong secondary meaning of moral purity. But moral purity is not, first and foremost, what Scripture is talking about. Instead, the most basic meaning of the words is to be "set apart." God is separate from all that He created. God wants us to be separate for Him—dedicated to Him. It’s a matter of relationship. “I will be your God, and you will be my people," He said [Leviticus 26:12; Hebrews 8:10].

Unless we rightly understand and affirm the primacy of this relationship, we fall into the inevitable trap of reducing holiness to mere morality.

Better Manuscripts?

How can I reconcile my belief in the inerrancy of Scripture with comments in Bible translations that state that a particular verse is not in better manuscripts?

The New Testament manuscripts were hand copied until the invention of the printing press in the 15^th century. If you ever hand copied anything, you know how easy it is to drop some words or entire lines, or to repeat lines. That happened with the early copyists too. Likewise, a copyist may have made a marginal note to amplify a word, and the next copyist made it a part of the text, thinking that was where it belonged. Since the copying was done reverently, manuscripts vary little overall, except for the occasional “slippage” of this kind. So, manuscript comparison reveals passages that clearly need correcting at this level of detail. We believe the earlier manuscripts to be “better,” being nearer to the original.

That being said, Holy Scripture is, according to the view of Jesus and His apostles, God speaking, instructing, showing, and telling us things, and testifying to Himself through the human witness of prophets, poets, kings, and theological narrators of history. The Bible's inerrancy is not the inerrancy of the published text or version. Rather, scriptural inerrancy relates to the human writer's expressed meaning in each book, and to the Bible's whole body of revealed truth and wisdom.

Betrayal

How can I handle betrayal by a close friend?

You are not alone in this matter. When betrayed, we often respond in anger, which may lead to exacting revenge for our hurt. We want the betrayer to suffer intensely for how they have wronged us.

Jesus encountered betrayal by one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot. I’m sure He struggled with it, but He didn’t throw a fit over it. In fact, on the night of His betrayal, Jesus didn’t even try to stop it. He told Judas to do what was in his mind to do. Jesus was no pushover, yet He acted graciously and kindly.

When hurt by betrayal, I suggest you look to Jesus who loves you, pursues you. and intimately understands the hurt and reality of betrayal.

Sense of Humor

Does God have a sense of humor?

I’ve read many theology books and have never read that humor was one of God’s immutable characteristics, but I think He has a great sense of humor. I get a glimpse of it everyday when I look in the mirror!

Some of the statements in the Bible are a crack-up as well. Take Proverbs 11:22, for example. It says, “Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful face on an empty head.” I don’t know about you, but I find that extremely funny.

Not only does God have a sense of humor, He wants His people to have one as well. Again the author of Proverbs writes, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” [Proverbs 17.22]

Liberation Theology

What is liberation theology?

Liberation theology represents a movement, largely in Latin America and among Roman Catholics, that focuses on liberation from social oppression and injustice. Generally speaking, those who follow liberation theology insist the gospel must speak as to how social liberation can be brought about.

Among the many Scriptures they hold dear is a quote of Jesus, which states, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor, He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed” [Luke 4:18].

A classic work on the subject of liberation theology is, A Theology of Liberation [1971], by Gustavo Gutiérrez [born 1928 in Lima, Peru]. While many find it to be a vital approach to social action, some see liberation theology as Christianized Marxism.

Sola Scriptura

What is Sola Scriptura and where is it found in the Bible?

2 Timothy 3:16 states that “All Scripture is inspired by God…” The Greek literally reads, “God breathed…” Sola Scriptura comes from the conviction that Scripture alone—not tradition, human experience, or anything else—is the sole and final authority of divine revelation. Nothing else can hold that singular position.

Martin Luther

What did Martin Luther say in his 95 Theses paper that caused the Reformation?

First, it isn’t historically accurate to say that Luther’s 95 Theses “caused the Reformation.” When written, it was an invitation for a debate among academics about indulgences. The official title of his document was: “Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences.” The debate never took place because the document was translated from Latin to German, and when widely distributed, it caused an uproar.

I think the best we can say about his 95 Theses is that it questioned many practices in medieval Christianity and knocked down some of the pillars that supported them.

Abomination

What does the Bible mean by abomination?

The New Testament word for abomination is bdelugma (pronounced, bdel’ oog mah). It denotes an object of disgust, repulsion, and abhorrence. In Scripture it is used primarily to denote things associated with idolatry and gross ungodliness. The Hebrew equivalent was often used of rites and paraphernalia associated with the wicked conduct of pagan religions. You will be happy to know that when we get to heaven, there will be “nothing unclean and no one who practices abominations and lying” (Revelation 21:27).

Sealed by the Spirit

What does it mean to be sealed by the Holy Spirit?

In ancient days when something had a “seal” placed upon it, it signified four primary things: security, authenticity, ownership, and authority. Let me just address one of those things, security.

When Daniel was placed into the lion’s den, King Darius put a seal on the stone over the entrance to the den, “so that nothing might be changed in regard to Daniel” [see Daniel 6:17]. Any person but the king who disturbed that seal would likely have been put to death. In a similar way the tomb of Jesus was sealed. Fearing that Jesus’ disciples might steal His body and falsely claim His resurrection, the Jewish leaders obtained Pilate’s permission to place a seal on the stone and to guard it with soldiers [see Matthew 27:62–66].

In an infinitely greater way, the Holy Spirit seals/secures every Christ follower, marking him or her with His own inviolable seal.

Work to Eat

Does the Bible really mean if a person doesn’t work he shouldn’t eat?

You must be referring to Paul’s epistle to the Thessalonians when he wrote, “For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either.” (3:10)

There really is no way to sugar-coat Paul’s words. His point is simple: if people get hungry enough, they will work to get food. The wise Solomon wrote, “A worker’s appetite works for him, for his hunger urges him on” (Proverbs 16:26). Christ followers who have the opportunity and the ability to work for their own food are to do so. Those who do not are worse than unbelievers, according to the apostle Paul (1 Timothy 5:8).

But please take note! Paul addressed the issue of those not willing to work, not those unable to work. The reason Christ followers are to work and be compensated for it, is that both individual believers and the church as a whole have a responsibility to care for the poor (see Galatians 2:10; James 2:15–16; 1 John 3:17). But neither the world nor the church owes a living to those too lazy to work.

Immanuel

Is Jesus’ name also Immanuel?

The name of the Son born to a virgin would be Immanuel, which translated means, “God with us.” That name was used more as a title or description than as a proper name. In His incarnation Jesus was, in the most literal sense, God with us.

Spokesman

Pastor Rick, was Abraham a prophet and if he was what did he prophesy?

According to Genesis 20:7, Abraham was described as a prophet. However, that raises an interesting point. Your question shows that today, many people see prophets as “prophesiers,” like fortune-tellers, mystics, or mediums who see the future and reveal its secrets to us.

The Hebrew word translated into English as prophet, is nabi. Nabi simply means, “spokesman.” If we could think of the Hebrew understanding of nabi rather than our cultural understanding of prophet, we would be much better off.  

A prophet is merely a “mouthpiece” of God’s word and His will, and speaks by inspiration from God. I think the perfect example to give you is Moses and Aaron. When Moses complained to God that he didn’t feel qualified to speak to Pharaoh, God said to him, “Now you shall speak to [Aaron] and put the words in his mouth. And I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and I will teach you what you shall do. So he shall be your spokesman to the people. And he himself shall be as a mouth for you…” [Exodus 4:15-16].

December 25

Why do we celebrate Christmas on December 25^th?

December 25 is the traditional anniversary of the birth of Christ and there is no consensus among scholars about the true date for His birth.

The decision to celebrate Christmas on December 25 was made sometime during the fourth century by church bishops in Rome. The church leaders decided to celebrate Christ's birth during the winter solstice in an attempt to Christianize popular pagan celebrations. Today we find ourselves in a bizarre marriage of pagan and Christian elements that characterizes our modern celebration of Christmas.

Regardless of the pagan concepts, my goal is still to focus on the true Creator and Christ of Christmas. The Light of the world has come. And the Christmas season and celebration presents the church with a wonderful opportunity to preach the good news—that men can be made righteous and have peace with God through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.

Ashamed of the Gospel

How was Paul not ashamed of the Gospel?

You are referring to a passage in Romans, which says, I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. [Romans 1:16]

Paul’s supreme passion was to see men saved. He cared nothing for personal comfort, popularity, or reputation. He offered no compromise of the Gospel, because he believed it is the only power available that can change lives for eternity.

Thus, he was not ashamed of the Gospel message, redemption by the sacrificial death of Jesus. That is not always true of Christ followers today, as Geoffrey Wilson writes, “The unpopularity of a crucified Christ has prompted many to present a message which is more palatable to the unbeliever, but the removal of the offense of the cross always renders the message ineffective. An inoffensive gospel is also an inoperative gospel. Thus Christianity is wounded most in the house of its friends” (Romans: A Digest of Reformed Comment [Carlisle, Pa.: Banner of Truth, 1976], p. 24).

Sin

What is sin, really?

First, I must tell you that it has become politically incorrect to talk about sin. However, I take the Bible seriously, and it is crystal clear that, “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” [Romans 3:23].

Theologically, sin is a word describing anything that fails to meet God’s standards. Because of that, it becomes a barrier between God and man. And because sin is often a transgression against people, it becomes a barrier between man and man. In that sense, sin is the deprivation of good, characterized by a lack of something, rather than being something itself.

If you’d like to read more about the subject of sin, I highly recommend: Basic Christian Doctrines, by Carl F. H. Henry and Christian Beliefs, by Wayne Grudem.

Cult

What is a cult? And, do you consider Christianity a cult?

When it comes to defining a cult, context is everything.

Sociologically, a cult is a group of people controlled by a strong leader in virtually every dimension of their lives. This can be a religious or non-religious group that places supreme loyalty to its guru, and is galvanized through physical and/or psychological intimidation tactics.

Theologically, a cult is a pseudo-Christian organization that claims allegiance to Christianity, but compromises, confuses, or contradicts essential, historic Christian doctrine. Like a sociological cult, a theological cult is loyal to a guru, and may also be galvanized/brainwashed by various tactics.

Secularly, a cult is any group of people centered on a religious belief or structure. They get the idea from the Latin word for cult, which simply means to worship a deity.

There are more ideas about cults than what I have written here, but it goes to show that in dealing with cults, one must be diligent in defining terms. And to directly answer your question, I do not think Christianity is a cult!

Sickness

Is Satan the cause of sickness?

There are, in certain Christian circles, people who believe that Satan causes all sickness. That is difficult to prove from the biblical record, especially in light of the fact that God, at times, initiated sickness. See, for example: Exodus 4:11; 2 Kings 15:5; Luke 1:19-20.

As a result of  “The Fall” [see Genesis 3], we live in a cursed creation in which aging is the primary sickness of humanity. Living in a fallen world is, by far, the primary cause of sickness and death.

By the way, that is what makes heaven such a desirable place. John wrote, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” [Revelation 21:4].

Deity of Christ

How do you explain the deity of Jesus since Constantine re-wrote the Bible?

The re-writing of the New Testament is something that has been supported by liberal scholarship and non-believers for many years. There was a best-selling book, Holy Blood, Holy Grail, that suggested that very thing. The authors claimed that Diocletian destroyed all Christian literature in 303 AD. So later, Constantine allowed the “custodians of orthodoxy” to edit or revise their material as they saw fit. That’s when, they say, Jesus was made divine.

First of all, it would have been impossible for Diocletian to destroy ALL Christian literature. Sure, he destroyed some, but all, really? 

Secondly, as far as manuscripts are concerned, we have over four dozen [in Greek alone] that pre-date the 4th century. Those manuscripts include passages such as John 1:1, 18; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 1:8; 2 Peter 1:1 [and others], all of which affirm the deity of Christ.

Easter Sunday

Is Easter Sunday Biblical?

There is a lot of confusion regarding what Easter Sunday is all about. For some, Easter Sunday is about the Easter Bunny, colorfully decorated Easter eggs, and Easter egg hunts. Most people understand that Easter Sunday has something to do with the resurrection of Jesus, but are confused as to how the resurrection is related to the Easter eggs and the Easter bunny.

Biblically speaking, there is absolutely no connection between the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the common modern traditions related to Easter Sunday. But by all means, celebrate Christ's resurrection on Easter Sunday, but not just on Easter Sunday — celebrate Christ's resurrection every day! The resurrection is the Christian’s hope of eternal life in heaven.

Water Baptism

Does baptism have to be performed by a minister?

In His “Great Commission,” Jesus told the disciples to make other disciples throughout the nations, “baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you…” [See Matthew 28:18-20].

If those disciples were to make disciples, baptize them, and teach them to be disciples, it follows logically that one only need to be a disciple of Christ to baptize someone. When our church has a baptism event, I offer the privilege of baptism to the person who led the new believer to Christ. I’ve also asked Moms and Dads, who led their children to the Lord, to baptize them. What a great way to celebrate family!

INRI

I saw a picture of the crucifixion. There was a sign above Jesus’ head with the letters INRI on it. What do the letters mean? Where are they found in the Bible?  

You will not find the letters INRI in the Bible. However, you will find what they represent in Matthew’s Gospel - "And they put up over His head the accusation written against Him: THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS" [Matthew 27:27].

The letters INRI is a Latin abbreviation. Here is a breakdown of the letters:

“I” stands for Iesus, English - Jesus. Interestingly, Latin has a letter “J” in their alphabet, but they must have decided to use an “I” for Iesus, the Greek spelling of Jesus.

“N” stands for Nazarenus,  English – Nazareth or Nazarene, the place where Jesus grew up.

“R” stands for Rex, English – King

“I” stands for Iudaeorum, English - Jews

Thus, INRI means, Jesus Nazarene [or Nazareth] King [of the] Jews

Apocryphal Books

Do you read Apocrypha books?

I have read the traditional Apocrypha books as well as others not listed between the Testaments. I do not, however, read them with the same regard that I have for the Bible. Apocryphal books were available in Jesus’ day and yet He never once mentioned, alluded to, or quoted from any of them, all the while quoting from many Old Testament books.

Furthermore, many of the stories in the Apocrypha lend themselves to magic more than God. For example, here is a brief rundown of events in the book of Tobit, describing a story in which a Jewish father, blinded by the dung of a bird falling into his eyes, sent his son to collect a debt. On his journey, he got a heart, liver, and gall of a fish. He ran into a widow who had been married seven times, but had never consummated any of the marriages because an evil spirit had killed each husband on their respective wedding nights. Tobias, the son, married the widow, and by burning two of the fish parts, drove off the evil spirit called Asmodeus. He then used the gall from that fish to cure his father's blindness.

I will not hang my theological hat on the likes of that.

The Apostles' Creed

I have recently become aware of the Apostles’ Creed. Where did it come from? And, can you explain, “He descended into hell” and “the communion of saints?”

The Apostles’ Creed dates back to approximately 700 AD, although portions of it were found as early as the 2^nd century. The creed was not written by the apostles, but it is generally recognized as being faithful to their teaching.

The statement, “He descended into hell,” was added to the original Creed many years later and has never been universally accepted. That’s why you find the statement omitted in many versions of the Creed. At best, the statement expresses the full extent of Christ’s sacrificial death.

The “Communion of saints” in the Creed, refers to the fellowship of believers — not in heaven, but on earth, at all times, and in all places.

Faith to Believe

What can I say to a friend who says he doesn’t have the faith to believe in God?

I maintain that it doesn’t take a “lot of faith” to believe in God. I think it merely takes logic. When I see a car, I know there was a carmaker. When I see a work of art, I know there was an artist. When I see a universe, I know there was a creator – generally accepted as being God. All of those are logical conclusions based on reason. The only faith that it takes, in my opinion, is to believe that God is knowable and that He knows us. That is not such a great leap of faith.