Welcome to the 4Truth.net blog. This blog will discuss contemporary Interfaith Evangelism and Apologetics issues facing North America. The blog writers are Mike Licona, Tal Davis and Bill Gordon. These writers have more than 50 years combined experience working in the Interfaith Evangelism and Apologetics area. We welcome suggestions for future blog topics. You can email us at PeopleGroupInterfaith@namb.net.
We cannot promise to write a blog about every submitted topic but we do welcome your input. Feel free to comment on our blogs. Disagreement and criticism are fine, but please no profanity or personal attacks. Violation of these rules can result in the loss of posting privileges.
Did Jesus accommodate Himself to the false beliefs of His day?
Biblical critics often claim that Jesus accommodated Himself to the primitive beliefs and myths of the ancient world. Liberal scholars have a long tradition of advocating this accommodation theory. The scriptural evidence, however, indicates that Jesus did not accommodate Himself to the false views of His culture.
This issue is an important question for Christians. For how can Jesus be God if He made false statements? The Bible teaches in Hebrews 6:18 that God cannot tell an untruth. Also, Christian theology insists that error is contrary to the nature of God.
The question was recently asked, "Why does the Apostle Paul command Timothy to drink a little wine?"
This admonition is found in 1 Timothy 5:23. Paul writes to Timothy, No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.1
The cultural context of this passage helps us understand why Paul wrote this to Timothy. In ancient times, water safe to drink was difficult to find. Water was often contaminated with pathogens that would make people sick and sometimes result in death. Even today, tainted water kills many people each year. According to the World Health Organization, unsafe water "continues to pose a major threat to human health."2
Recently I was asked by an inquirer what Southern Baptists believe about salvation. Specifically she wanted to know what we believe the Bible teaches regarding the necessity of repentance for salvation.
Perhaps an illustration will help. A few years ago I was driving merrily down a remote interstate highway on my way to a speaking engagement. I suddenly realized I was heading in the wrong direction. Realizing my mistake, I felt a slight tightness in my stomach as I did not want to be late.
Someone recently wrote asking, “What is original sin?”
Definitions
The phrase original sin does not occur in the Bible. It was first used by Augustine, a theologian of the early Christian church. Augustine lived about A.D. 354 to A.D. 430. He defined original sin as “selfish desire.”
John Calvin described original sin as a“hereditary corruption and depravity of our nature, extending to all the parts of the soul, which first makes us obnoxious to the wrath of God, and then produces in us works which in Scripture are termed works of the flesh. Charles Ryrie defined original sin as “that sinful state into which all people are born.”
I was asked by a non-believer if God could kill Himself because we say He is immortal and He can do anything. How would you answer that? The simple answer is no, God cannot kill Himself. Let me explain why.
