Even though one's a christian, can he still have objections about the things God, Jesus, the apostles, the angels, and all the good guys have done and said in the Bible (like God allowing slavery and Moses’ "shall be put to death" laws)?

Sincerely,
Conscientous Objector

Dear Conscientous Objector,

We can object to human behavior as much as we want – but part of being a christian is agreeing that God knows better than us.  If we don’t submit our will to God’s, then we really don’t trust Him to be our Master (Matt 6:24).  If God says that something is wrong, we must have faith in His judgment.  And if God says something is right, we must listen and follow.

Having said that, we must differentiate between God’s ways and our ways (Isa 55:9).  God is responsible for all of the capital punishment laws that Moses gave (Ex 31:18), and therefore, we must accept that God deems capital punishment a good thing in certain circumstances.

However, slavery is an entirely different issue.  God does address slavery in the Bible.  He makes it clear that it is better when people are free; freedom is what God desires for all men (1 Cor 7:21).  However, God also deals with how people can live in a world where slavery does exist… hence, verses like Col 3:22.  The fact that God gives us practical laws for how to live in a world with slavery doesn’t mean He condones it.  Just because we don’t have slavery in America doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist elsewhere, and mankind must learn how to be faithful to God in whatever circumstances we are living.

I have a friend who believes he has been given a responsibility from God and a desire from God, but they conflict, and he doesn't know what to do.  I told him that one of them probably is not from God because God will not send us conflicting information.  Can you help me find some verses to help him?

Sincerely,
Wires Crossed

Dear Wires Crossed,

If we want to know God’s desire for our life, we must use the Bible to get our instructions.  Faith comes from the Word (Rom 10:17), and the Bible contains all the information we need for life and godliness (2 Pet 1:3).  If we want to understand what God wants for us, we can find the truth in the sum of His Word (Ps 119:160).  Prophecies and visions are no longer given to people directly (1 Cor 13:8).  Instead, God speaks to us through the teachings of His Son (Heb 1:1).  It is normal for our emotions and desires to send us conflicting messages; that is exactly why God tells us to not trust ourselves (Pr 3:5).  Tell your friend to trust God’s Word, and it will be a lamp to his feet (Ps 119:105).

Why did God give us free will if He knew we would sin?

Sincerely,
Free Thinker

Dear Free Thinker,

Free will goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden.  God warned Adam and Eve not to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, but then He gave them access to the tree and the freedom to choose for themselves.  If God hadn’t put the tree of the knowledge of good and evil into the garden (Gen 2:9), Adam and Eve wouldn’t really have had free will… which is an integral part of what makes mankind “in the image of God” (Gen 1:27).  If Adam hadn’t had the opportunity to choose to do the wrong thing, he really wouldn’t have had the opportunity to choose to do the right thing either.  It is that choice that sets us apart from the animals.  Free will comes with the risk that we will do the wrong thing, but it also gives us the ability to choose to love God.  Without free will, humans would just be glorified robots.  Furthermore, God prepared beforehand a way back to Him for those who rebelled (Eph 1:5-6).  God allows us to choose, and through the blood of Christ, He allows us to choose to return to Him (1 Pet 2:25).

Are we judging fallen angels?  Jesus said we will judge the angels.  Also, are we to be angels (I read we will be as angels)?

Sincerely,
Ready For Wings

Dear Ready For Wings,

Yes, christians will judge angels – the same way the Queen of the South judges spiritually lazy people.  The verse in question is 1 Cor 6:3.  We have to keep in mind that there are many ways to bring judgment on others.  In our case, we will bring judgment on others through our example.  God uses people’s examples to condemn others in similar circumstances.

1. The Queen of the South condemns those who won’t seek the truth (Matt 12:42).
2. The citizens of Nineveh will condemn those who won’t repent of their sins after hearing the gospel (Matt 12:42).
3. Christians will condemn those who have excuses for why they didn’t serve God (1 Cor 6:2).

Angels that denied God and went to serve Satan (Rev 12:9) will have no excuse for not having served God.  All christians will stand as a living example and condemnation against the angels that chose to deny God and turn to evil. I f we, having not seen God (Ex 33:20), can still serve Him… the angels who are ever before Him (Matt 18:10) are without excuse.

The Bible never says we will become angels when we get to heaven, but we will be like the angels in that we won’t marry (Matt 22:30).  That is the only similarity between the angels and us that the Bible ever gives us.  As far as we know, we will continue to be distinctly different creatures from them.

In Matthew 16:18, Jesus tells Peter He is going to build His church on him.  Why would Jesus build His church on a man?  I know, in a sense, it also had to do with Peter's confession in the previous verses, but Jesus specifically says He will build His church on the apostle Peter.  Why was Peter given a higher level of authority?

Sincerely,
Building Inspector

Dear Building Inspector,

Jesus didn’t build His church on Peter; He built it upon a much sturdier foundation – Peter’s confession.  This is one of those times where what Jesus said can be a little confusing to us English-speaking folks because there is a little bit of color that the Greek text gives that makes the text a little clearer.  In Matt 16:18, when Jesus tells Peter, “You are Peter”, He uses the word ‘petros’, which means ‘a small stone, boulder, a detached stone’.  Then Jesus says, “Upon this rock I will build my church”.  The word used for ‘rock’ is ‘petra’ in this case.  ‘Petra’ means ‘a rock ledge, cliff’; ‘petra’ is the word used for a massive and immovable rock that is attached to the earth.  Jesus is making a play on words in Matt 16:18.  In essence, He is saying that even though Peter is a rock, Peter’s confession that Jesus is the Son of God is an even sturdier foundation than Peter is.  Peter is a small rock, but faith in Jesus as God’s Son is a massive, living rock that you can build the church upon.