Dear friends, if you have any questions or objections which may be preventing you from believing in God, please give us an opportunity to attempt to answer them for you. This is not something that you should put off until "later" ... quite frankly, none of us are guaranteed that we will have a "later". As morbid as it may sound, the fact remains that we simply do not know when our life here on earth will end. A decision must be made in this lifetime!  Neglecting or refusing to make a decision  is the same as making a decision against God.

God loves you, cares deeply about you, and wants you to know Him personally. He wants to have a personal, intimate relationship with you, and we want to help you reach the point where you are ready to put your faith in Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord.

If you are a Christian looking for clarification on any Biblical or doctrinal issues, we would be happy to try to answer them for you. If you would like to offer an answer or a clarification to any question on these pages, we welcome your input to help keep these answers as clear and accurate as possible.

Send your questions, concerns, comments, or objections to Ruth and I at our email address and we will give each and every submission our prayerful attention, gladly sending our reply by either electronic or snail mail... your choice. As time permits we will add additional questions and answers to this page, so please check back periodically for the latest updates.

 Please click on the appropriate number if you wish to jump to a specific question, or scroll down through the document to read the questions and answers in order.

1. "How could a loving God allow bad things to happen to good people?"

2. "I believe that Jesus was a moral man and a great teacher, but I don't believe He was God."

3. "I have a friend ... and he's having a little trouble grasping that Jesus is God."

4. "Why do Christians say they believe that there is one God, but then they turn around and say that Jesus and the Holy Spirit are also God? Doesn't that mean Christians believe in three Gods?"

5. "How can you trust what the Bible says, it is thousands of years old and is full of inaccuracies and contradictions? For example, the genealogies in Matthew and Luke are completely different!"

6. "I believe that there are many roads to God. Why does Jesus have to be the only way? What about all the other religions?"

7. "What about babies and people who have never heard of Jesus, are they going to hell?"

8. "Show me some scientific evidence which proves that God exists."

9. "Will sinners burn in hell forever or will they be totally annihilated in the lake of fire?"

10. "I'm having trouble with finding evidence of the teaching that all believers go to Heaven immediately upon death."

11. "What is evangelic and what is non-evangelic?"

Recommendations for Further Reading

Question #1

A: The Bible says that God created every one of us, and He loves us all so much that He wants us to come to heaven and be with Him when we die. God tells us in the Bible: "my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways...As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:8-9). This means that God's priorities are different from ours and therefore we're not always going to understand why certain things happen. Our physical comfort is not His highest priority, His first priority is for us to be saved so that we will spend eternity with Him. If we have a bad car accident or have severe financial troubles or medical problems, it might turn out to be the catalyst which causes us to turn to God for help as our last resort. For example, in 2 Corinthians 1:8-9 the apostle Paul says: "We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God." Paul was already a believer, but he points out that sometimes when we are in a desperate crisis it is intended to cause us to rely on God.

The Bible also says that we develop perseverance and character through adversity. In Romans 5:3-5 the apostle Paul says: "we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." Jesus' half-brother James says: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything" (James 1:2-4). So we can see that another reason for suffering is to develop character and maturity in us. For example, parents who spoil their children are not doing them a favor because when the children grow up they will not have the character and maturity that they will need to succeed in life.

Another purpose for suffering is that someone who has gone through certain trials and tribulations is better equipped for counseling those who are going through similar trials. Someone who has broken an addiction to drugs or alcohol often makes a much better counselor for addicts than a person who has never experienced addiction. In 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 the apostle Paul says: "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God."

If we lose a job or if a relationship breaks up (for example) it may seem like suffering at the time, but God may be closing one door in order to open up a much better door for us, such as a higher-paying job or a much better relationship. Acts 16:6-8 tells us: "Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas." Although the apostle Paul and his companions did not suffer in this particular episode, this is still an example of God closing certain doors for reasons that only He knows.

There's another thing we need to understand, and that is that the Bible says in Mark 10:18: "No one is good--except God alone." The Bible also says: "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23), and: "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us" (1 John 1:8). In other words, all of us do things that God considers sinful and therefore none of us are truly "good." If you stop and consider the terrible ways that people sometimes treat each other and the sinful things that we all do, the question we should really be asking is: "Why does God allow any good things to happen to sinful, rebellious people like us?"!

Here's something to think about: If we want God to spare us from all pain and suffering, where should He draw the line? We would probably want Him to prevent all plane crashes, all natural disasters such as earthquakes and tornadoes, all murders, all car crashes, etc. But what about bee stings, colds and viruses, stubbed toes, hurt feelings and so on, would we want Him to spare us from those as well? If so, then He would constantly have to step in and maneuver us out of the path of danger in order to protect us from all possible forms of pain and suffering, in which case we would no longer have free will to do as we choose. However, God does not want us to be puppets that He manipulates, He has given us our own free will and He wants us to choose to obey Him, as Jesus says in John 7:17: "If anyone chooses to do God's will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own." Unfortunately, we are all sinful people living in a "fallen" world and therefore our lives will never be completely free from pain and suffering.

The Bible says that ultimately, "in all things God works for the good of those who love him" (Romans 8:28). Keep in mind that God never promised us freedom from pain in this lifetime. After all, He didn't even spare His only Son from suffering, because Jesus and all of the apostles experienced some of the greatest pain and suffering imaginable!

Return to the List of Questions

Question #2

A: Many non-Christians have no problem believing that Jesus actually existed and that He must have been a very moral person and a great teacher since He has had such an impact on the world even after 1900 years. But, as they correctly point out, being a very moral person and a great teacher does not prove that He is God.

However, when you read the accounts of Jesus' life in the Gospels (the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), you find an interesting thing: A great and moral teacher is the one thing that we cannot claim Him to be! Jesus did not leave this open for debate. He said over and over that He is God and He claimed to be able to do things that only God can do, such as forgive sins and raise the dead and grant people eternal life:

"Then he [Jesus] went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. He said, "Young man, I say to you, get up!" The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother." (Luke 7:14-15)

"Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." The other guests began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."" (Luke 7:48-50)

"The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us." Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am he."" (John 4:25-26)

"Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working." For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God." (John 5:17-18)

"[Jesus is speaking] For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son [Jesus] gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son" (John 5:21-22)

"[Jesus is speaking] You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life." (John 5:39)

"[Jesus is speaking] If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?" (John 5:46-47)

"But he [Jesus] continued, "You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins."" (John 8:23-24)

"[Jesus is speaking] I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one." (John 10:28-30)

"Then Jesus cried out, "When a man believes in me, he does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. When he looks at me, he sees the one who sent me."" (John 12:44-45)

"When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, "Why does this fellow talk like that? He's blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?"" (Mark 2:5-7)

"[At Jesus' trial] Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, "Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?" But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer. Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?" "I am," said Jesus. "And you will see the Son of Man [Jesus] sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven." The high priest tore his clothes. "Why do we need any more witnesses?" he asked. "You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?" They all condemned him as worthy of death." (Mark 14:60-64)

"Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, "I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?" "We are not stoning you for any of these," replied the Jews, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God."" (John 10:31-33)

 Jesus also accepted honor and worship that rightfully belong only to God:

"[Jesus is talking to the apostle Peter] "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven."" (Matthew 16:15-17)

"[After Jesus died and was resurrected] So the women hurried away from the tomb [of Jesus], afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."" (Matthew 28:8-10)

"[After Jesus died and was resurrected] Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me."" (Matthew 28:16-18)

"[After Jesus died and was resurrected] A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!" Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." (John 20:26-31)

 If Jesus were nothing more than a great moral man then He would have had to correct those who tried to worship Him, but instead He accepted their worship.

When you read the story of Jesus in the Gospels (the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) you will see that He led a morally pure life and that He taught everyone else to do the same. Since we agree that He was a very moral person (as you indicated in your question) then it is very unlikely that He was deliberately lying or trying to pull off a hoax. In fact, He willingly suffered one of the most painful forms of execution (being nailed to a cross) because of His moral character and because He had to fulfill His mission here on earth. Any normal human would have admitted his hoax rather than allow himself to be tortured and brutally executed! On the other hand, maybe He was crazy and only thought He was God. Again, the moral purity of His life and the sane, simple, and consistent messages that He taught show that He was not a raving madman. If He wasn't a liar or an insane madman then the only other option that exists is that He really is God! He did not leave us the option of being able to claim that He was just a moral man and a great teacher!

For more on this, please see:

• More Than a Carpenter by Josh McDowell, chapter 2 ("Lord, Liar, or Lunatic?")
• Who Is This Jesus? by Michael Green, chapter 6 ("What Did He Claim?")

Question #3

A: The Jehovah’s Witnesses are correct in claiming that there is only one God, as Jesus says in Mark 12:29 (quoting Deuteronomy 6:4): "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one." However, they deny that Jesus is the Jehovah God of the Old Testament. This is sad because Jesus is the only way for us to be saved and have eternal life, as we are told in Acts 4:12: "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." If a person does not believe that Jesus is God who became man to be executed in our place for our sins, then that person does not have salvation and eternal life, it's as simple as that.

Let's look at some Old Testament passages which refer to Jehovah and compare them to New Testament passages which refer to Jesus to prove that Jesus is Jehovah. In some translations, when you see the word "LORD" fully capitalized in the Old Testament it always indicates that the word is a translation of the Hebrew "YHWH," which means "God" and which is translated as "Jehovah" in other versions of the Bible.

Notice what Isaiah says about Jehovah:

"But now, this is what the LORD [Jehovah] says-- he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine."" (Isaiah 43:1)

"For I am the LORD [Jehovah], your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior" (Isaiah 43:3)

"[the LORD (Jehovah) is speaking] everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made." (Isaiah 43:7)

"I, even I, am the LORD [Jehovah], and apart from me there is no savior. I have revealed and saved and proclaimed-- I, and not some foreign god among you. You are my witnesses," declares the LORD [Jehovah], "that I am God."" (Isaiah 43:11-12)

"This is what the LORD [Jehovah] says-- your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel" (Isaiah 43:14)

"I am the LORD [Jehovah], your Holy One, Israel's Creator, your King." (Isaiah 43:15)

"In the beginning was the Word [Jesus, as the end of this quote proves], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him [the Word, Jesus] all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ... The Word [Jesus] became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:1-3, 14)

"He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him." (Colossians 1:15-16)

"Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2:11)

"From this man's descendants God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as he promised." (Acts 13:23)

"Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, "What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are-- the Holy One of God!"" (Mark 1:23-24)

""How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God."" (Luke 1:34-35)

"Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."" (John 6:68-69)

"The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, "Hosanna! " "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Blessed is the King of Israel!"" (John 12:12-13)

"Then the King [Jesus] will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.’" (Matthew 25:34)

 Now let's compare 1 Timothy 6:15 with Revelation 17:14:

"God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords" (1 Timothy 6:15)

"They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb [Jesus] will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings --and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers." (Revelation 17:14)

 Now let's compare Isaiah 44:6 with Revelation 22:12-13:

"This is what the LORD [Jehovah] says-- Israel's King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God." (Isaiah 44:6)

"Behold, I [Jesus] am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End." (Revelation 22:12-13)

 Now let's compare Isaiah 40:3 with Matthew 3:1-3:

"A voice of one calling: "In the desert prepare the way for the LORD [Jehovah]; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God."" (Isaiah 40:3)

"In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'"" (Matthew 3:1-3)

 There can be no doubt that Jesus is the Lord God (Jehovah). It may be a difficult concept for us to comprehend, but as God says: "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:9). The Bible makes it clear that Jesus is God, as the following passages prove:

"I [Jesus] and the Father are one." (John 10:30)

"[After Jesus died and was resurrected] Then he [Jesus] said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!"" (John 20:27-28)

"I [Jesus] have given them the glory that you [the Father] gave me, that they may be one as we are one" (John 17:22)

"Theirs [the people of Israel] are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen." (Romans 9:5)

"But about the Son [Jesus] he says, "Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom."" (Hebrews 1:8)

"Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours" (2 Peter 1:1)

"the Father, the Word [Jesus], and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one." (1 John 5:7) [New King James Version]

"We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true--even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life." (1 John 5:20)

 In Colossians 1:15 Jesus is called the "firstborn over all creation," but look at the next verse: "For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him" (Colossians 1:16). So Jesus is the firstborn over all creation, but He cannot be created Himself since He is the one who created all things! The New World Translation (which the Jehovah's Witnesses use) adds the word "other" six times in this passage to suggest that Jesus created all "other" things after He was created, but the word "other" does not appear at all in this passage in the Greek manuscripts and is therefore incorrect. You can prove this for yourself by going to any library and finding any Greek/English interlinear Bible, which shows the Greek and English translations side-by-side.

John 17:5 tells us that Jesus existed before the world began: "And now, Father, glorify me [Jesus] in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began." Therefore, calling Him the "Son of God" does not mean that He is a created human, because the first humans on earth were Adam and Eve and Jesus existed long before the earth did. Humans and angels are created, but Jesus was "begotten" (born) of God. He is unique because He is 100% God and 100% man. His human nature was born of Mary, but His divine nature has existed since before time.

When the Jehovah's Witnesses deny the deity of Jesus they are being led astray and do not have salvation and eternal life. Take a look at what the apostle John has to say about this:

"Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist--he denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also. See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is what he promised us --even eternal life. I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray." (1 John 2:22-26)

Question #4

A: What you are referring to is called the Trinity, which means that there is one God who exists in three Persons. It can be a difficult concept to understand, but it can be proven from the Bible.

We can demonstrate from both the Old and New Testaments that there is only one God:

"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one." (Deuteronomy 6:4)

"I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me, so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting men may know there is none besides me. I am the LORD, and there is no other." (Isaiah 45:5-6)

""The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one."" (Mark 12:29)

"So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world and that there is no God but one." (1 Corinthians 8:4)

"A mediator, however, does not represent just one party; but God is one." (Galatians 3:20)

"Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen." (1 Timothy 1:17)

"For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 2:5)

"I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in his own time-- God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen." (1 Timothy 6:13-16)

 In the preceding question (#3) we proved that Jesus Christ is God. The following passages prove that the Father is also God:

"Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 1:3)

"always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Ephesians 5:20)

"and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:11)

 The following passages prove that the Holy Spirit is also God. Notice that the Spirit was involved in the Creation of the world, the Spirit is in all places (only God is omnipresent), the Spirit searches all things (only God is omniscient, meaning that He searches and knows all things), and that the Spirit can be blasphemed (only God can be blasphemed). Also notice that when Ananias lied to the Holy Spirit he was actually lying to God:

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters." (Genesis 1:1-2)

"Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there." (Psalms 139:7-8)

"but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God." (1 Corinthians 2:10-11)

"And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come." (Matthew 12:31-32)

"Then Peter said, "Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn't it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God."" (Acts 5:3-4)

"But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor [the Holy Spirit] will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment ... But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come." (John 16:7-8, 13)

"but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God." (1 Corinthians 2:10-11)

"for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say." (Luke 12:12)

"Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit." (Mark 13:11)

"The Spirit told Philip, "Go to that chariot and stay near it."" (Acts 8:29)

"And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption." (Ephesians 4:30)

"May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all." (2 Corinthians 13:14)

"If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose." (Philippians 2:1-2)

"the Father, the Word [Jesus], and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one." (1 John 5:7) [New King James Version]

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19)

 Finally, notice that all three Persons of the Trinity are involved in the following passage: Jesus is being baptized, the Holy Spirit is descending like a dove onto Jesus, and the Father is speaking from heaven:

"As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."" (Matthew 3:16-17)

The doctrine of the Trinity is difficult for us to comprehend, but it would be presumptuous of us to expect to understand everything about the infinite God with our finite, limited minds. However, we can see that the Bible clearly says that there is one God Who eternally exists in three divine Persons.

Return to the List of Questions

Question #5

A: When people claim that there are errors or contradictions in the Bible, it is because they have not prayerfully studied the passages in question to honestly understand what is being said. Often they are looking for errors and contradictions and so they don’t dig very deep for the real truth! For example, the genealogies are different in Matthew 1 and Luke 3 for a very simple reason: according to Bible scholars, Matthew gives the genealogy of Joseph (Jesus' step-father) and Luke gives the genealogy of Mary (Jesus' mother). Matthew and Luke were trying to prove two different points, but it requires some knowledge of first-century Jewish culture to understand what the purposes of these genealogies were. Matthew wanted to show his Jewish readers that Jesus was a legal heir of King David through the rightful line of succession, because the long-awaited Messiah would "reign on David's throne and over his kingdom," according to Isaiah 9:7. The only way that Jesus could be the Messiah is if He were in the legal line of succession from King David. Since Joseph was Jesus' legal father, Matthew gives Joseph's genealogy to prove that Joseph was directly descended from David. Since the legal inheritance of King David’s throne flowed from father to son, and since Joseph was Jesus’ legal father, Jesus had a legal right to claim that He was descended from David. In fact, Jesus is called the Son of David many times in the Gospels in recognition of this fact. Luke on the other hand wanted to show his Gentile (non-Jewish) readers that Jesus actually was a descendent of King David by blood because Mary was directly descended from David. Jesus therefore was descended from King David by legal right and by blood.

When two Bible passages seem to contradict each other, it is important to study the context in which these passages appear and also to study them in light of all the other passages in the Bible that relate to the topic. There is an important principle of Bible interpretation which is summed up in the phrase: "Scripture interprets Scripture." This means that difficult or apparently contradictory passages must be interpreted in light of clearer passages elsewhere in the Bible. For example, when we encounter a passage which appears to be symbolic we must not assign to the symbols meanings which make sense to us, we must determine where those symbols are used and explained elsewhere in Scripture, if possible. When we study the entire teaching of the Bible on a particular subject in context and with a good understanding of the culture and the background involved, the alleged contradictions go away. I used to wish that God had written the Bible as more of a handbook or manual with all the rules and answers clearly spelled out, such as: "Step 1. Do this. Step 2. Do that. Step 3. Do the other. Step 4. Now you are saved!" But you see, God is infinitely wiser than that, and He doesn't want to simply hand us the answers and make us follow formulas and rituals and rules and regulations. He wants us to study the Bible, to seek to understand the Bible, to learn and memorize Scripture, and to "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom" (Colossians 3:16).

It is also important to understand that there are many different literary styles in the Bible. There are poems, songs, histories, letters, genealogies, parables, prophecies, symbols, types, foreshadowings, allegories, and so on, and these styles must be taken into account when seeking to understand Scripture. People sometimes accuse the Bible of being full of errors because it contradicts our modern scientific understanding of the physical universe. What has usually happened in such a case, however, is that the person has taken a passage of poetic imagery and tried to interpret it as a scientific statement. Phrases such as "the windows of heaven" are not intended to be scientific, they are poetic images. Even today we can hear scientists speak of "the vault (or dome) of the heavens," yet we don't accuse them of having a faulty understanding of the universe.

Can we trust what the Bible says? Let's look at some examples of other ancient books and compare them to the Bible. Thucydides wrote a book on history around 400 B.C. There are 8 manuscript (handwritten) copies of this book in existence, and the oldest copy was made around 900 A.D., 1300 years after the original was written. Aristotle wrote his poetics around 343 B.C. There are only 5 manuscript copies of this in existence, and the oldest copy was made around 110 A.D., 1400 years after the original was written. Caesar wrote a history of the Gallic wars around 50 B.C. There are about 10 manuscript copies of this book in existence, and the oldest copy was made over 1000 years after his death. Even though we only have a few manuscript copies of these and other classics, copies which were made over a thousand years after the originals were written, no classical scholar would dispute the authenticity and reliability of these documents. In contrast, there are over 22,000 copies of New Testament manuscripts in existence today, and the oldest ones were made only about 300 years or earlier after the originals. What this shows is that the New Testament has more manuscript authority than any piece of classical literature in existence! Homer's Iliad has 643 manuscript copies in existence, which puts it in a distant second-place. Discoveries of early papyrus manuscripts have continued to confirm the accuracy of the copies of the Old and New Testaments that we use today.

The science of archeology has also proven over and over that the people, places, and events in the Bible actually existed or happened the way the Bible says they did. There has never been an archeological discovery that has contradicted anything in the Bible!

Some people want to apply one set of tests to confirm the historical reliability and trustworthiness of ancient non-Christian literature and then apply different standards and tests to the Bible. However, if you apply all these same tests to the Bible, they confirm that the Bible is historically reliable and trustworthy.

For more on this, please see:

• He Walked Among Us: Evidence for the Historical Jesus by Josh McDowell and Bill Wilson, chapter 6
• Evidence That Demands A Verdict by Josh McDowell, chapter 4

Question #6

A: This is a common view among non-Christians. The thing to understand, though, is that God is not only loving but He is also holy, just, and righteous, and therefore He cannot and will not allow any sin into His presence. Since God is just (as in "justice") and fair, He has to punish all sin because if He were to punish only some sins and leave other sins unpunished then there would be no justice or fairness at all. However, the Bible says "he will judge the world with justice" (Acts 17:31). All of us have done and continue to do things that are sinful in the eyes of God, and these sinful things are so wicked to God (more than we can possibly imagine) that the Bible says we deserve eternal death for our sins. Therefore, God had to provide a means to allow us into His presence. The decision was made that Jesus would voluntarily "empty" Himself of His glory and would become a man in order to live a sinless life, as the Bible tells us in Philippians 2:7-8: "[Jesus] made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant,...he humbled himself and became obedient to death -- even death on a cross!" Because He lived a completely sinless life (He was not born with "original sin" and He did not sin during His lifetime on earth), He was in the unique position to take all of our sins onto Himself and to bear our punishment for us. He paid the death penalty for all of the sins of the world -- past, present, and future -- and so when we trust in Him for our salvation all of our sins are transferred into His bank account, so to speak, and His infinite righteousness is transferred into our bank account. We therefore become sinless and are able to stand before God spotless and holy. This is why Jesus is the only way we can be saved and be allowed into the presence of God.

By the way, it is not true that "All roads lead to God," as many non-Christians like to think. For example, if you want to come to our house and we tell you that we live at 1234 Maple Drive, then to get to our house you would obviously have to come down Maple Drive until you reach house number 1234. There are many other roads out there you could take, but don't expect to find our house on any of them!

In a similar way, to get to God's "house" (i.e. heaven) you have to follow the directions that He has given us in the Bible. The Bible says that the only way to get to heaven is through believing in or having faith in or trusting in Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross.

As far as other religions are concerned, all of those religious leaders are now dead and the gravesites where their bones lay are now shrines. Jesus is the only religious leader who died and then returned from the dead. His tomb is not a shrine because His bones are not there! Jesus said: "I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever!" (Revelation 1:18). For more proof of the death and Resurrection of Jesus, we invite you to read our Web page entitled:  "Jesus Is Alive!"

As someone once said: "Do you want to follow a dead leader or a living one?"

Return to the List of Questions

Question #7

A: The Bible is very clear that we can only be saved through trusting in Jesus Christ. Does this mean that if someone has never even heard of Jesus then he or she is automatically going to hell? Well, first of all God wants all people "to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:4), and He will "judge the world with justice" (Acts 17:31). If His judgment is righteous and just, then that means it will be fair and that no-one will be able to honestly accuse Him of being unfair. We really don't know exactly how God will deal with babies and those who died without ever hearing of Jesus (Christian scholars have differing views on this), but we can count on the fact that God will be completely fair.

While there is no clear teaching in Scripture on the fate of babies or young children who die, take a look at some of the things Jesus said about little children:

"At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children."" (Matthew 11:25)

"At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea."" (Matthew 18:1-6)

"See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven." (Matthew 18:10)

"Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them. Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."" (Matthew 19:13-14)

"But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they were indignant. "Do you hear what these children are saying?" they asked him. "Yes," replied Jesus, "have you never read, 'From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise'?"" (Matthew 21:15-16)

However, the issue of what will happen to those who have never heard about Jesus obviously does not apply to you because by asking this question it shows that you have heard of Jesus! Don't worry about "them," be concerned about your own salvation! This lifetime is the only chance you get, please don't blow it!

Return to the List of Questions

Question #8

A: Let me turn the question around and say, "Show me some scientific evidence which proves that God does not exist!"

The fact is, it is not possible to prove scientifically whether God exists or not. John 4:24 says: "God is spirit," and therefore He cannot be measured or poked or prodded with scientific instruments.

To understand the fallacy of demanding scientific proof for the existence of God, try this experiment: Get a light-colored balloon, inflate it, and draw some dots on it in black ink. The balloon represents the universe and the black dots represent galaxies and all the other matter in the universe. Scientists tell us that the universe is expanding like a balloon and that all of the matter in the universe exists on the surface of the balloon. Science is wonderful, I like science, but it has its limitations. Scientists can only poke and prod and analyze physical matter, and all physical matter exists on the surface of this balloon that we call the universe, just as all of the black ink on your balloon exists on the surface of the balloon. Scientists are able to indirectly infer that space can be curved by strong gravitational forces as if a ball bearing were sitting on an inflated balloon, but they can't directly examine the fabric of this balloon that we call the universe. Nor can they analyze what's inside this balloon. Nor can they see what's outside this balloon. Nor can they determine where this balloon came from. Nor can they determine where the physical matter on this balloon came from (in fact, scientists have an absolute, unbreakable law that says matter cannot be created). Nor can they determine what this balloon is expanding into (for example, when you inflate a balloon it expands into the air). Nor can they determine why this balloon started inflating in the first place. All that scientists can do is poke and prod and analyze the physical matter which exists on the tiny area which is the surface of this balloon we call the universe. Therefore, when you inflate a balloon and hold it at arm's length and consider that science can only analyze the black dots on the surface of the balloon, it visibly demonstrates that in the grand scheme of things science is incredibly limited. Since the Bible says that God created this balloon (the universe) and all the black dots (the stars, planets, and other physical matter), He obviously is not a physical entity and He obviously dwells somewhere outside of the balloon. Therefore He will never be discovered through scientific analysis. God is love (1 John 4:16), He is discovered through the human heart. He has made Himself known to His creations through His prophets, through His Son who physically walked the earth for a time in order to teach and to serve and to pay our debts, and also through the things which He wrote about Himself in a book for us to read.

Please, don't be an atheist! Atheists believe that there is no God, but they can't prove it scientifically or any other way. If you can't prove that God doesn't exist then you have to admit the possibility that He does exist. If it is possible that God does exist then believe me, you don't want to be on the losing side (so to speak) because the punishment for those who reject God and make themselves His enemies is too horrible to imagine.

Christians have 3500 years of Biblical history and fulfilled prophecy on their side, as well as the internal witness of the Holy Spirit within them and the confirmation of answered prayer to prove their beliefs. Atheists on the other hand are basing their beliefs on blind faith! They have no proof whatsoever to back up their claims, because it is impossible to prove that God does not exist.

Please, don't be an atheist! Be an honest, objective seeker of truth and investigate Christianity for yourself to determine if it is true. God wants all people "to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:4). He doesn't ask for blind faith, He wants you to have knowledge of the truth. Christianity is not mindless or based on blind faith as people will lead you to believe. Please don't listen to other people's opinions, not even our opinions. Check out the facts for yourself! We invite you to begin your quest by reading our  "Agnostic-Atheist?" page with our prayer that it will help you understand what God is really all about.

Return to the List of Questions

Q: "Will sinners burn in hell forever or will they be totally annihilated in the lake of fire?"

A: After studying both sides of this issue, it seems to me that the weight of evidence supports the view that sinners will spend
eternity in conscious torment in the lake of fire. Prayerfully read and reflect on what Scripture says in the following passages and
see if it leads you to the same conclusion.

First I will present five arguments that are sometimes used to show that sinners will not burn in hell forever, and I'll explain why
I personally don't find them very convincing.

Five Arguments for Total Annihilation in Hell

Total Annihilation Argument #1:
How could a merciful, loving God torment the vast majority of humanity eternally? Is this really justice?

My Response:
I struggle with this question as well, but Scripture tells us very clearly that God's ways are higher than our ways and His
thoughts are higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:9). God is perfect and His decisions are perfect. I don't like the thought of
people being tormented eternally in the lake of fire, but I believe that God is righteous, merciful, and just, and I am willing to let
Him execute justice in any way He sees fit. I can understand and empathize with the question of "Is this really justice?," but this
argument is not enough to convince me that sinners are totally annihilated in hell.

Total Annihilation Argument #2:
Eternal conscious torment seems to contradict the phrase, "the second death," which is used four times in Scripture to refer to
the lake of fire (hell):

     "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by
     the second death." (Revelation 2:11)

     "Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them,
     but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years." (Revelation 20:6)

     "Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death." (Revelation
     20:14)

     "But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts,
     the idolaters and all liars-- their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second
     death." (Revelation 21:8)

The idea is that death is the end of life. Physical death is the end of physical life so the "second death" must therefore be the end
of spiritual life.

My Response:
The problem I see with this argument is that the phrase, "the second death," does not automatically imply that a person's flesh,
soul, and spirit are annihilated forever. "Death" does not equal "annihilation." For example, at physical death our bodies die and
eventually decay, but they are not annihilated forever. The molecules that made up our bodies continue to exist, and in fact our
bodies will be re-formed when we are resurrected at the Rapture (see 1 Corinthians 15:51-53. Many scholars feel that this is
why Jesus says that the very hairs of our head are numbered (Matthew 10:30)).

Jesus' story of the rich man and Lazarus the beggar teaches us that both sinners and righteous people continue to have a
conscious existence after death:

     "The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and
     was buried. In hell [Hades], where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus
     by his side. So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger
     in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.' "But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in
     your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here
     and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those
     who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'" (Luke 16:22-26)

Jesus' story tells us that after the rich man died he went to a place where he was in conscious torment and agony in some type
of "fire." The apostle Peter echoes this same idea when he says that the Lord knows how to hold the unrighteous for the day of
judgment, while continuing their punishment" (2 Peter 2:9). This "holding place" for departed spirits is called Hades in the
New Testament. According to The Complete Word Study Dictionary (Spiros Zodhiates, p.81-82), Hades "expresses the
general concept of the invisible world or abode into which the spirits of men are ushered immediately after death. ... Hades
never denotes the physical grave nor is it the permanent region of the lost. It is the intermediate state between death and the
ultimate hell, Gehenna."

Notice that the rich man was in a state of conscious, fiery torment even though he had experienced the "first death." If sinners
experience this type of conscious agony at the "first death" then there is no reason for us to conclude that the "second death"
refers to total annihilation. In other words, if the "first death" is associated with a place of conscious fiery torment (Hades) then
the most reasonable view of the "second death" is that it is associated with a second place of conscious fiery torment (the lake
of fire).

Total Annihilation Argument #3:
Hell is described as a place of destruction, which implies annihilation and not eternal conscious torment:

     "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction [apoleia],
     and many enter through it." (Matthew 7:13)

     "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can
     destroy [apollumi] both soul and body in hell." (Matthew 10:28)

     "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish
     [apollumi] but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

     "They will be punished with everlasting destruction [olethros] and shut out from the presence of the Lord and
     from the majesty of his power" (2 Thessalonians 1:9)

Since hell is described as a place of "destruction," it implies that sinners will be totally annihilated.

My Response:
We must be careful not to make hasty assumptions about English words such as "destruction" until we examine how the Greek
words are used elsewhere in Scripture, so let's take a close look at apoleia, apollumi, and olethros in the New Testament.

The Greek word apoleia, which is translated as "destruction" in Matthew 7:13 above, is also used in Revelation 17:8 and
17:11:

     "The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and will come up out of the Abyss and go to his destruction
     [apoleia]." (Revelation 17:8)

     "The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his
     destruction [apoleia]." (Revelation 17:11)

Jesus says in Matthew 7:13 that sinners will go to "destruction" (apoleia), and Revelation says that the "beast" (the Antichrist)
will go to his "destruction" (apoleia) as well. In Revelation 20:10 the apostle John tells us exactly what the "destruction" of the
beast actually means:

     "And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false
     prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever." (Revelation 20:10)

The "destruction" (apoleia) of the beast is specifically described as being eternal conscious torment in the lake of fire!
Therefore it is likely that when sinners receive "destruction" (apoleia) it will also mean eternal conscious torment in the lake of
fire.

The Greek word apollumi, which is translated as "destroy" in Matthew 10:28 and as "perish" in John 3:16, is translated as
"lost" in the following parables:

     "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses [apollumi] one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine
     in the open country and go after the lost [apollumi] sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it
     on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I
     have found my lost [apollumi] sheep.' I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over
     one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent." (Luke 15:4-7)

     "Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses [apollumi] one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house
     and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says,
     'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost [apollumi] coin.'" (Luke 15:8-9)

     "[The Prodigal Son] For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost [apollumi] and is found.' So
     they began to celebrate. ... this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost [apollumi] and is
     found.'" (Luke 15:24,32)

Notice in the above passages that Jesus specifically says that sinners are "lost," which is the same Greek word translated as
"destroy" in Matthew 10:28 and as "perish" in John 3:16. This Greek word means "destroy, die, lose, mar, perish" (Strong's
Greek dictionary). The sheep was apollumi yet it continued to exist, and Jesus uses this as an analogy for sinners. The coin
was apollumi yet it continued to exist, and Jesus uses this as an analogy for sinners. The prodigal son was apollumi yet he
continued to exist, and Jesus uses this as an analogy for sinners. Scholars therefore conclude that sinners will be apollumi
("destroyed" or "lost") in the lake of fire, yet they will continue to exist. For example, The Complete Word Study Dictionary
(Spiros Zodhiates, p.246) says that the Greek words apoleia and apollumi "must never be construed as meaning extinction.
One dies physically when his spirit and his body separate. Neither the body becomes extinct, nor the spirit." Therefore the
evidence indicates that the lake of fire is a place of "lostness," not total annihilation.

Finally, the Greek word olethros, which is translated as "destruction" in 2 Thessalonians 1:9, is translated as "destroyed" in 1
Corinthians 5:5:

     "They will be punished with everlasting destruction [olethros] and shut out from the presence of the Lord and
     from the majesty of his power" (2 Thessalonians 1:9)

     "hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed [olethros] and his spirit saved on the day
     of the Lord." (1 Corinthians 5:5)

1 Corinthians 5:5 shows us that even though a person is "destroyed" (olethros), his spirit can still have conscious existence.
Therefore, "destruction" (olethros) in 2 Thessalonians 1:9 does not automatically imply total annihilation. In fact, 2
Thessalonians 1:9 specifically describes "everlasting destruction" as being eternally "shut out from the presence of the Lord and
from the majesty of his power." This agrees with the view that sinners spend eternity in the lake of fire, banished from the
glorious presence of the Lord.

As it turns out, when we have a better understanding of the Greek words for "destruction," the argument that hell is a place of
"destruction" actually strengthens the view that sinners will be tormented in hell forever.

Total Annihilation Argument #4:
People who believe that sinners will not spend eternity in hell sometimes argue that eternal punishment (Matthew 25:46) does
not necessarily mean eternal punishing, and that eternal judgment (Hebrews 6:2) does not necessarily mean eternal judging:

     "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." (Matthew 25:46)

     "instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment."
     (Hebrews 6:2)

In other words, eternal judgment can mean judgment that goes on eternally or it can mean a judgment with eternal
consequences (annihilation). Those who hold the view that it means a judgment with eternal consequences (total annihilation)
point out that Jesus secured eternal redemption for us, but it was a once and for all action, He does not continue the act of
redemption eternally:

     "He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by
     his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption." (Hebrews 9:12)

My Response:
I agree that the English phrase, "eternal punishment," is ambiguous because it might mean a punishment that goes on eternally
(i.e. eternal torment in hell) or it might mean a punishment with eternal consequences (i.e. total annihilation). The same ambiguity
applies to the phrase, "eternal judgment." How are we to know which way to interpret these phrases? In situations where
passages of Scripture are unclear or ambiguous, the rule of interpretation that must be applied is to let Scripture interpret
Scripture. In other words, God never contradicts Himself in the Bible, so the only way to understand an unclear or ambiguous
passage is to interpret it in light of other, clearer, passages. What it boils down to is that if the weight of evidence in the Bible
leads to the conclusion that hell is a place of eternal torment then that is how we must interpret "eternal punishment" and "eternal
judgment." If the weight of evidence agrees with the view that sinners are annihilated in hell then that is how we must interpret
"eternal punishment" and "eternal judgment." Therefore this particular argument does not contribute any evidence to our study of
the consequences of hell.

Total Annihilation Argument #5:
Another argument is that the phrase, "the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever" in Revelation 14:9-11 does not
necessarily mean that people are tormented forever:

     "A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: "If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his
     mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full
     strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels
     and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for
     those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name." (Revelation
     14:9-11)

Since this passage says that the "smoke" of their torment rises forever, it may be that somehow the smoke is eternal, not the
torment. Those who hold this view point out that a similar phrase is used in Isaiah 34:8-10:

     "For the LORD has a day of vengeance, a year of retribution, to uphold Zion's cause. Edom's streams will be
     turned into pitch, her dust into burning sulfur; her land will become blazing pitch! It will not be quenched night
     and day; its smoke will rise forever. From generation to generation it will lie desolate; no one will ever pass
     through it again." (Isaiah 34:8-10)

Those who believe that sinners are annihilated in hell say that if we visit Edom (in Southern Jordan) we will not see literal smoke
rising eternally from it. The idea is that the destruction of Edom had eternal consequences, but it is not burning eternally. This
indicates (to some people) that the smoke is symbolic and therefore the phrase, "the smoke of their torment rises for ever and
ever," is probably symbolic as well.

My Response:
Personally I do not buy the argument that since we don't see the smoke of Edom's destruction rising up today it means that the
smoke in Isaiah 34:8-10 is merely symbolic. This passage is prophetic and has not happened yet as you can easily see by
reading chapter 34 of Isaiah in its entirety. I am currently writing an article on the Second Coming which will describe where
this passage in Isaiah fits in with other events surrounding the Second Coming.

Why does Revelation 14:9-11 say that "the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever"? What is the description of smoke
meant tell us? One way to look at it is to imagine throwing a log onto a fire. It burns and produces smoke. When the log has
completely stopped burning then there is no longer any smoke. If the log could feel pain then we might say that the smoke of its
torment rises while it is burning. The only way for the smoke of its torment to rise for ever and ever is for the log to actually
burn for ever and ever. Likewise, the only way for the smoke of a sinner's torment to rise for ever and ever is if that sinner
burns for ever and ever.

Therefore, when Revelation 14:9-11 says that "the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever," the most reasonable
explanation is that the sinners are burning for ever and ever. In fact, the rest of verse 11 specifically says that "There is no rest
day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name." This echoes
Revelation 20:10 which says that the devil, the beast, and the false prophet will be "tormented day and night for ever and ever."
The implication is that throughout all eternity, sinners will have no rest from their torments.

Five Arguments in Favor of Eternal Conscious Torment in Hell

Eternal Torment Argument #1:
The Bible specifically describes certain people being tormented in the lake of fire for ever and ever:

     "And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the
     false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever." (Revelation
     20:10)

     "A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: "If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his
     mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full
     strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels
     and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for
     those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name."
     (Revelation 14:9-11)

These two passages describe the "beast" (the Antichrist), the "false prophet," and all those who receive the "mark of the beast"
being tormented day and night for ever and ever in the lake of burning sulfur. Therefore we know that there are sinners who will
be tormented for eternity in hell, which makes it much more plausible that all sinners will suffer eternal conscious agony in the
lake of fire.

In Revelation 14:9-11 and Revelation 20:10 (above), the apostle John shows us that the lake of fire is the place where certain
sinners will be tormented forever, and then just five verses later he tells us that all sinners will be cast into that same lake of fire:

     "If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." (Revelation
     20:15)

Since the lake of fire is the place where the beast, the false prophet, etc., will be tormented forever, and since all sinners will be
thrown into the same lake of burning sulfur, the most natural and reasonable conclusion is that all sinners will suffer conscious
agony in hell for all eternity.

Eternal Torment Argument #2:
Several Old Testament passages describe the eternal fire of hell in a way that clearly demonstrates the Jewish view that hell is a
place of everlasting burning, not a place of annihilation:

     "The mighty man will become tinder and his work a spark; both will burn together, with no one to quench
     the fire." (Isaiah 1:31)

     "The sinners in Zion are terrified; trembling grips the godless: "Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who
     of us can dwell with everlasting burning?"" (Isaiah 33:14)

     "And they will go out and look upon the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; their worm will not die,
     nor will their fire be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind." (Isaiah 66:24)

The first two passages describe sinners burning with no-one to quench the fire and dwelling with everlasting burning. The
imagery here is of eternal torment in fire, not total annihilation. The third passage says that a sinner's worm will not die, nor will
his fire be quenched. This passage is quoted by Jesus in the New Testament:

     "If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into
     hell, where the fire never goes out. ... And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to
     enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where "'their worm
     does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'" (Mark 9:43-48)

The Bible Knowledge Commentary (Walvoord and Zuck, p.147) explains this passage by saying that the Greek word geena
("Gehenna," often translated into English as "hell") refers to a site near Jerusalem that "became Jerusalem's refuse dump where
fires burned continually to consume regular deposits of worm-infested garbage. In Jewish thought the imagery of fire and worms
vividly portrayed the place of future eternal punishment for the wicked. ... The worm (internal torment) and the unquenchable
fire (external torment) ... vividly portray the unending, conscious punishment that awaits all who refuse God's salvation. The
essence of hell is unending torment and eternal exclusion from His presence." The reason the worm does not die and the fire
does not go out is because the sinner is never annihilated, he continues to exist forever and therefore the worm has "food" to
eat forever and the fire has fuel to consume forever.

Eternal Torment Argument #3:
Jesus describes hell as a fiery furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, but He also describes it as a place of
darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth:

     "They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
     (Matthew 13:42)

     "This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and
     throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Matthew
     13:49-50)

     "But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping
     and gnashing of teeth." (Matthew 8:12)

     "Then the king told the attendants, 'Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where
     there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'" (Matthew 22:13)

     "And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and
     gnashing of teeth.'" (Matthew 25:30)

Jude tells us that this "blackest darkness" has been reserved for sinners forever:

     "They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has
     been reserved forever." (Jude 1:13

Since this blackest darkness has been "reserved forever," it emphasizes the eternal nature of the punishment which sinners will
receive.

Eternal Torment Argument #4:
In the following passage, Jesus makes a direct comparison between the eternal nature of life (for Christians) and the eternal
nature of punishment (for sinners):

     "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal (aionios) fire
     prepared for the devil and his angels. ... Then they will go away to eternal (aionios) punishment, but the
     righteous to eternal (aionios) life." (Matthew 25:41,46)

Notice that in each case, the word "eternal" is translated from the same Greek word aionios. The fire is "eternal" (aionios), the
punishment is "eternal" (aionios), and the life is "eternal" (aionios). The implication is that a Christian's life will go on forever,
the fires of hell will go on forever, and a sinner's punishment will go on forever.

Eternal Torment Argument #5:
Hell (the lake of fire) is never described as being temporary. Instead, the eternal nature of hell is constantly stressed throughout
Scripture:

     "The mighty man will become tinder and his work a spark; both will burn together, with no one to quench
     the fire." (Isaiah 1:31)

     "The sinners in Zion are terrified; trembling grips the godless: "Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who
     of us can dwell with everlasting burning?"" (Isaiah 33:14)

     "And they will go out and look upon the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; their worm will not die,
     nor will their fire be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind." (Isaiah 66:24)

     "His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and
     burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire." (Matthew 3:12)

     "If your hand or your foot causes you to sin cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or
     crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire." (Matthew 18:8)

     "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the
     devil and his angels." (Matthew 25:41)

     "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." (Matthew 25:46)

     "If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into
     hell, where the fire never goes out. ... And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to
     enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where "'their worm
     does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'" (Mark 9:43-48)

     "His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will
     burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." (Luke 3:17)

     "They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the
     majesty of his power" (2 Thessalonians 1:9)

     "instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment."
     (Hebrews 6:2)

     "In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and
     perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire." (Jude 1:7)

     "They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has
     been reserved forever." (Jude 1:13)

     "He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of
     their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his
     image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name." (Revelation 14:10-11)

     "And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false
     prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever." (Revelation 20:10)

The eternal nature of hell is constantly stressed throughout the Bible. Why is hell eternal? Why will the fires of hell burn forever?
The purpose of hell is for the punishment of sinners, so if the fires of hell never go out then it must mean that the punishment of
sinners will never end. If sinners were all annihilated in hell then at some point the fire would no longer have any "fuel" and
would no longer be needed, so it would go out. However, hell is never described as being temporary. There is not a single
passage of Scripture that specifically describes any sinners being totally annihilated, but there are passages which specifically
describe sinners suffering agony for ever and ever, as we saw earlier.

Conclusion: Sinners Will Suffer Conscious Agony in the Lake of Fire Forever

For all of the above reasons I can only conclude that hell is a place of eternal, conscious, fiery agony where sinners will be shut
out from the presence of God forever. I would much prefer to believe that sinners will receive a temporary punishment in hell
(perhaps based on the extent and magnitude of their sins) before being put out of their misery by being annihilated. However, I
can't find any justification at all in Scripture for that view, and therefore I must discard it. I believe that God is infinitely and
perfectly fair, and therefore whatever punishment sinners receive will be perfectly fair and we will have no cause to accuse God
of being unfair in any way.

Return to the List of Questions
 

Question #10

Q: "I'm having trouble with finding evidence of the teaching that all believers go to Heaven immediately upon death. Dan 12:2,
John 3:13, and 1 Thess. 4:16 seem to contradict that. In 1 Thess., who are the dead people that Christ will arise? In Rev. 21:2,
will believers already be in the New Jerusalem?"

A: According to Bible commentaries, in the New Testament the Greek word Hades is used to describe the place where the
spirits of the dead initially go. The King James Version says that Jesus' soul was not left in "hell" after He died (Acts 2:31), but
the Greek word which is used is Hades, the place of departed spirits. This is not "hell," the lake of fire. The NIV translates that
passage as saying that Christ was not abandoned to "the grave," but this doesn't accurately describe what happened either. The
idea is that Hades is sort of a "holding place" for departed spirits, with one part being a place of torment for the unrighteous and
another part being a place of paradise for the righteous dead. This explains what Jesus meant when He told the thief on the
cross that the thief would be with Jesus in Paradise (Luke 23:43). Jesus did not say they would be in heaven, He said they
would go to "Paradise," which according to scholars was the "good" part of Hades, so to speak. The story of the rich man and
Lazarus the beggar in Luke 16:19-31 describes the rich man in torment in Hades after he died, but Lazarus the beggar was with
Abraham. If this is a parable, it is the only time Jesus used an actual name in a parable, so many people feel that it may be more
of an actual event which was told as a story. Either way, it indicates that the unrighteous go to a place of torment to await their
judgment, and the righteous (before Christ's death) went to a place called Paradise (not heaven).

The apostle Peter says that after Christ died He went and preached to the disobedient spirits in prison, and Peter also says that
God holds the unrighteous for the day of judgment while continuing their punishment. These passages seem to confirm the
idea of Hades being a holding place for departed spirits:

     "For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death
     in the body but made alive by the Spirit, through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison who
     disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built." (1 Peter
     3:18-20)

     "if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of
     judgment, while continuing their punishment." (2 Peter 2:9)

Bible scholars tend to say that 1 Peter 3:18-20 (above) probably means that Jesus proclaimed His victory to those spirits in
"prison" (Hades), and they speculate that He took the Paradise part of Hades up to heaven when He ascended. Until Jesus
died and was resurrected, no-one had ever gone into heaven, as you pointed out.

In 2 Corinthians 12:2-4 the apostle Paul says that he knew of a man who was caught up to the third heaven, which he called
"paradise":

     "I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the
     body or out of the body I do not know--God knows. And I know that this man--whether in the body or apart
     from the body I do not know, but God knows-- was caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible things,
     things that man is not permitted to tell." (2 Corinthians 12:2-4)

Most scholars believe that it was actually Paul himself who was caught up to heaven. The "third heaven" in ancient Jewish
thought was God's abode, because the first heaven was the atmosphere and the second heaven was where the stars are. So
Paul says that "paradise" is in heaven, which perhaps gives further evidence that Jesus took the "Paradise" part of Hades up to
heaven with Him.

In Philippians 1:22-24 and 2 Corinthians 5:6-8 Paul says that he desired to "depart and be with Christ," which indicates that
after a Christian dies he or she goes to heaven:

     "If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I
     am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more
     necessary for you that I remain in the body." (Philippians 1:22-24)

     "Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the
     Lord. We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and
     at home with the Lord." (2 Corinthians 5:6-8)

In Revelation, the apostle John saw several groups of martyrs who seem to be in heaven, which would seem to indicate that we
go to heaven after we die:

     "When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of
     God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and
     true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?"" (Revelation 6:9-10)

     "After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe,
     people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and
     were holding palm branches in their hands. ... These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they
     have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, "they are before the throne of
     God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.
     Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat.
     For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And
     God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."" (Revelation 7:9,14-17)

So the evidence is pretty strong that Christians go straight to heaven after we die.

The passages that you mentioned which refer to the dead in Christ being resurrected brings up a different matter. People's souls
are in heaven, but their bodies are not. The Bible says that we will receive immortal bodies, which means that our deceased
bodies must be resurrected and changed from mortal to immortal. When the Bible says that the dead in Christ will be raised, it
means that their actual physical bodies will be supernaturally re-formed (God can do that!) and their spirits which are in heaven
will be reunited with their bodies, then their flesh will be transformed into immortality:

     "For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and
     with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left
     will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord
     forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words." (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18)

     "I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit
     the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed --in a flash, in the
     twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and
     we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with
     immortality." (1 Corinthians 15:50-53)

The two passages above describe what will happen at the Rapture. For more information on the Rapture, please see our Web
page entitled The Rapture of the Church.

When it comes to the New Jerusalem, Revelation 21:2 says that John saw it coming down out of heaven:

     "I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully
     dressed for her husband." (Revelation 21:2)

Since John saw the New Jerusalem coming down towards the earth, this indicates that it was already in existence. Because of
this, some scholars believe that the New Jerusalem may be in existence during the Millenium, in which case it may be the
dwelling place of the Immortals (us). In other words, we will become immortal at the Rapture and will reign on earth during the
Millenium, and it is possible that the New Jerusalem is the place where we will live. If these concepts are new to you, please
see our Web page entitled The Rapture of the Church. Remember what Christ said in John 14:2-4:

     "In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a
     place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also
     may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going." (John 14:2-4)

Jesus is preparing a place for us to live after He resurrects and glorifies us, and it may be that the New Jerusalem is that place.
However, there will be a physical city of Jerusalem on earth during the Millenium just as there is now, so the New Jerusalem
can't physically sit where the Old Jerusalem is. Because of this, scholars speculate that the New Jerusalem may be suspended in
the air during the Millenium and that we will transport ourselves (Teleport ourselves? Fly at the speed of thought?) between
earth and the New Jerusalem, because after the Rapture our bodies will be like His body:

     "As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the man from heaven, so also are those who
     are of heaven. And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the
     man from heaven." (1 Corinthians 15:48-49)

     "Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that
     when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is." (1 John 3:2)

     "But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the
     power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they
     will be like his glorious body." (Philippians 3:20-21)

So why did the apostle John see the New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven after the Millenium if it will be suspended
over the earth during the Millenium? Notice that just before he sees the New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven he sees a
new heaven and earth (without any sea!) because the old heaven and earth were destroyed:

     "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there
     was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared
     as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband." (Revelation 21:1-2)

Scholars suggest that at the end of the Millenium the New Jerusalem may perhaps be withdrawn for some period of time while
the earth is being destroyed and re-formed.

All this stuff about the New Jerusalem is mostly speculation, but it seems to fit what little is said about it in Scripture. By the
way, the illustration of a bride or a wife is common in Scripture, so the fact that the New Jerusalem looks like "a bride
beautifully dressed for her husband" does not mean that it has any relation to "the bride of Christ" (meaning Christians, as our
Web page on the Rapture proves). The New Jerusalem is a city, not a group of people, so the description of it being like a
beautiful bride is simply meant to give the idea of great beauty and adornments, which is what John describes from Revelation
21:11 on.

Return to the List of Questions
 

Question #11

Q: "What is evangelic and what is non-evangelic?"

A: Thanks for asking this question, I have always found the term "evangelical" a little odd because aren't all Christians called to
be evangelical? However, I have never actually looked up its meaning and your question got me doing some research about it.

The dictionary defines "evangelical" in terms of those who believe in salvation by faith, such as Protestants, Baptists, and most
charismatics. It says that evangelicals reject the idea that salvation is based on sacraments and good works, which would imply
that Catholics are not evangelicals, and probably also the Church of Christ, since they both believe in baptism as being a
requirement for salvation.

The Christian Research Institute has an article at their Website called "What Think Ye of Rome?: An Evangelical Appraisal of
Contemporary Catholicism." In this article they say that the term "evangelical" is often vague and ambiguous, and they define it
as being a believer in and proclaimer of the Gospel. Since most Christians would say this definition applies to them, CRI adds
some more foundations of evangelical Christianity. There is a conviction that the Bible alone is God's objective and inerrant
Word, a belief in the Trinity, a belief in the Reformation doctrine of salvation by grace alone through faith in the atoning death
and resurrection of Jesus, a personal, living commitment to Christ including witnessing to the lost, and "a strong eschatological
perspective," which I guess means a belief in the future physical return of Christ to the earth (eschatology is the study of Bible
prophecy). It looks like CRI makes the same distinction that others do between evangelicals and Catholics, so I guess the
simplest way to look at it is that an evangelical is usually a Protestant, Baptist, charismatic, etc., as opposed to Catholics and
others who do not believe in salvation by faith alone.

 Probably the best place to start is by looking for books by Josh McDowell. He has written a number of good books which thoroughly examine various difficulties and objections that non-Christians often have.

Here's a short list of helpful books for investigating Jesus, Christianity, and the Bible:

• Answers To Tough Questions Skeptics Ask About The Christian Faith by Josh McDowell and Don Stewart
• More Than a Carpenter by Josh McDowell
• Evidence That Demands a Verdict, Vol. I by Josh McDowell
• He Walked Among Us: Evidence for the Historical Jesus by Josh McDowell and Bill Wilson
• Who Is This Jesus? by Michael Green
• Give Me An Answer by Cliffe Knechtle
• Know What You Believe by Paul Little
• Know Why You Believe by Paul Little
• When Skeptics Ask: a Handbook on Christian Evidences by Norman Geisler and Ron Brooks
• Reason to Believe by RC Sproul
• Why I Believe by D. James Kennedy

• More Than a Carpenter by Josh McDowell
• Who Moved the Stone? by Frank Morison
• Betrayed! by Stan Telchin
• The Agnostic Who Dared to Search by Viggo Olsen
• A Lawyer Examines the Bible by Irwin H. Linton

 We hope these answers have been helpful. God bless!

PLEASE NOTE:

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION (R). NIV (R). Copyright (C) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.
 

Because Of  Him;
Rev. Marshall and Ruth Lawson
Sussex, New Brunswick
Canada

This material is not copyrighted. Please feel free to copy and distribute it in its entirety for the greater glory of the Lord.

A special thanks to Dave and Gina Root of Houston, Tx. for their considerable work regarding this material.