Question of the Week: Was Jesus always both human and God, or did He only become that way in the incarnation?
Verses: John 1:14, Philippians 2:6-8, Revelation 1:10-18
The topic of the incarnation, or the kenosis, is a tricky one that can get you into trouble theologically if you don’t base everything about God becoming man from scripture and scripture alone. What do we know about Jesus from the Bible without any cultural interference to the topic? Jesus is the second member of the God-head, and eternally existed with the Father and Holy Spirit. Since from Jesus’ own mouth we know God is spirit, we understand that was the case with Jesus as well. What happened when He came to this Earth according to John 1 and Philippians 2 was a fusion of both humanity and divinity. Not a confusion of the two. One did not overwhelm the other, thus allowing Him to fully remain God but also adopt human limitations to interact with this world. This is how He allowed Himself the ability to experience human weaknesses including fatigue, pain, and even physical death upon the cross. Now upon His Resurrection, He remains as fully God as He was when He was physically born and eternally existed as a Spirit. The only difference is that body is now a glorified body like the ones we will be given in Heaven.

For more excerpts from A Reason For Hope, visit our page HERE.

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Question of the Week: Can you give an example Jesus’ divinity?

Verses: Isaiah 44:6, Revelation 1:17
The deity of Christ is an area of controversy among every major cult group and always tends to come up in conversations with those who are in opposition to the gospel. Muslims claim He was merely a prophet. Jehovah’s Witnesses claim Him to be the Archangel Michael. Mormons claim Him to be one of many gods. How do we respond to these claims on the basis of scripture? The easiest way is just to look at the kind of claims only God can make about Himself and see if Jesus ever made those claims about Himself. The first of many examples you can give is found in Isaiah where Yahweh claims to be the first and the last. This not only is a claim to being eternal, but the eternal nature exclusive to the being who is uncreated. Jesus makes the exact same claim about Himself in the book of Revelation where He comforts John after falling dead in His presence and tells him that He is not only the First and the Last, but was dead and is now alive forevermore. It is this claim among many others that Jesus makes about Himself, such as being one with the Father, the I AM of the Exodus, having the right to forgive sins, being the final judge of all Creation, and sharing the Father’s glory with Him before the world was created, that we believe He claimed to be God and proved it through His Resurrection.
For more excerpts from A Reason For Hope, visit our page HERE.

A Reason For Hope is a ministry of Calvary Christian Fellowship of Tucson

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Question of the Week: Are there contradictions in the Bible?
Verses: 2 Timothy 3:16-17
The definition of a contradiction is when two different statements cancel each other out. Making this kind of mistake is certainly one we see humans do, but not something we’d expect from God. Therefore, is God’s word free from contradictions or based on them do we conclude it is man’s word and not God’s? The answer is that there are no contradictions in scripture. The Bible is remarkably unique as the only collection of books in history that carry the same consistent message without contradiction despite having been written over several centuries by 40 different authors all giving the same revelation of the character of God. Why then do skeptics and pagans claim they exist? The reason is because they aren’t reading the scripture objectively. Their goal in reading the scripture is to discredit it, rather than hear what it has to say. As the saying goes, if your only tool is hammer, everything will look like a nail. Examples of these kinds of false claims to contradiction would be found throughout the Old and New Testament. One chapter in Genesis claims man was created on the sixth day of creation, yet the chapter that follows it describes man’s creation after the seventh day had already passed. This would be the conclusion unless you read it like you’d expect a 14th Century historical document to be read. History as they recorded it overviewed events as a whole, then focused on specific details within those events that would be relevant to know later. Another example is the account of Noah’s flood. One chapter claims it rained for 40 days and nights after Noah and his family entered the ark. Later in the chapter it said the flood lasted 150 days. This seems like an error until you actually read what it said. The rain lasted 40 days and nights. The flood as a whole didn’t start to recede until 150 days had passed after they first entered the Ark. And finally, the claim the gospels can’t be trusted since Matthew records two demon possessed men were healed and their tormentors were sent into a herd of swine, while Luke only mentions one. This seems like a discrepancy until you give it enough credit to just be focusing on the one who did all the talking for the sake of retelling the story as a whole. The story didn’t change. Only certain details were focused on over others. There are no contradictions in scripture, only biased readers that want them to be there.

For more excerpts from A Reason For Hope, visit our page HERE.

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Question of the Week: How do we know someone who claims to have a word from God isn’t lying?
Verses: Galatians 5:22-23, Deuteronomy 18:21-22

When a person claims to hear something from God, it’s going to be 100% right, 100% percent of the time. People often claim they are speaking from God or have a word of the Lord for someone, but how can this be tested? First, they need to be held to the same standard as their source. The source of all truth isn’t going to lie. Often times when people back up their statements by putting God’s name on it, it’s an attempt to get them to listen to how they feel. That’s the real issue. God isn’t the source of their statement. Their feelings are. That’s why the second standard isn’t just accuracy, but consistency. God isn’t going to contradict what we can confirm He has already spoken. When God legitimately speaks through someone, it will always line up with His written word. If it’s true, it’s not new. And if it’s new, it’s not true. Know God’s word and you’ll recognize His voice. Recognize God’s voice, and you’ll be able to spot a fraud.

For more excerpts from A Reason For Hope, visit our page HERE.

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Question of the Week: When Jesus said He did not come to bring peace, but a sword, was He insinuating that Christianity was to be violent?
Verses: Matthew 10:34-39
Jesus said He didn’t come to bring peace, but a sword. Does this mean Christianity is violent? Historically, no, since the one time Jesus’ disciples had the chance to defend the kingdom was stopped and scolded. Doctrinally, no, since every gospel account and the epistles that followed taught submission to authority and leaving judgment to God alone. And finally based on the example of Jesus Himself, no. He didn’t raise a sword against Rome or his Jewish enemies. So what was He talking about? Read the next verses. Christianity wouldn’t unite the world, but severe persecution would and has followed against those who follow and share His teachings.
For more excerpts from A Reason For Hope, visit our page HERE.

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