Hi, ya!  What is your take on "soul victims"?  I am Southern Baptist, and from what I can find, it is a Catholic thing… something about a soul that God has chosen to go through more in life than most people (trials and things, like Job, I guess).  I’m just wondering because sometimes I wonder when God is going to give me a break LOL!

Sincerely,
Hard-Pressed

Dear Hard-Pressed,

The teaching of ‘soul victims’ is a Catholic theology, not a Bible one.  According to victim soul doctrine, certain people are chosen by God to suffer more than others and to specifically partake in Christ-like pains.  According to Catholic tradition, these people experience mental and physical anguish, even exhibiting visible wounds in their hands and feet (like Christ did).  It isn’t just that these soul victims suffer more than others; it is that their sufferings help to complete what Jesus’ sufferings didn’t.  These soul victims are chosen by Jesus to appease the anger of His Father.

Now, here’s the truth: the Bible does teach that some people suffer more than others (Job is a great example of this), but it NEVER teaches that certain people are chosen by Jesus to suffer or die to satisfy the Father’s anger – this is totally blasphemous.  The Father, just like the Son, finds no pleasure in our pain and suffering.  God may discipline us, but that is always for our long-term good, not harm (Heb 12:7-9).  Jesus’ blood atones for our sins (1 Jn 1:7); no one else’s blood can do that.  The idea that certain people are “victims” to help atone for others’ sins directly contradicts Bible teaching.

I was studying the Bible with my friend (she is a Mormon), and she showed me a verse that talks about baptizing dead people (1 Cor 15:29).  What is that all about?

Sincerely,
Coffin Dunker

Dear Coffin Dunker,

God does command baptism for the dead… but not how the Mormons teach it.  Baptism for the dead is a Mormon practice where they baptize a living family member on behalf of a dead relative.  The Mormons then profess that “proxy-baptism” saves the soul of the dead relative, turning them into a Mormon.  There is nothing in the Bible that teaches this doctrine, and they misuse 1 Cor 15:29 when they refer to it.

1 Cor 15:29 is in the middle of a discussion Paul is having with the Corinthian church about life after death.  Paul just got done explaining that Jesus died and lived again (1 Cor 15:15-18).  Paul will then later explain that he is willing to be persecuted even to death in order to preach the gospel (1 Cor 15:30-32).  The statement about baptism for the dead is smack-dab right in the middle of that context.  Therefore, whatever “baptism for the dead” is referring to must have something to do with life after death and the willingness to die for the gospel because you have such a hope.

Baptism removes our sin (Acts 2:38).  Baptism saves us (1 Pet 3:21, Mk 16:16).  When we are baptized, we move from a state of spiritual death to spiritual life (Eph 2:1-5).  That spiritual death (i.e. eternity in hell) is what Paul is referring to in 1 Cor 15:29.  People are baptized for death, to remove spiritual death, and live in the hope of eternal life (Tit 3:7).  Jesus came and preached to those living in the “shadow of death” (Lk 1:79).  When we obey the gospel, we have passed out of death and into life (Jhn 5:24).  Jesus even went so far as to say that we will never see death if we keep His word (Jhn 8:51).  In the context of first Corinthians chapter 15, Paul is talking about this eternal death.  When people are baptized, they are baptized to avoid the eternal death that awaits all who are outside of Christ.

We have several ministers at our church and, of course, our pastor.  Ministers in our church are people who have told Pastor that God has placed a call into ministry on their lives.  Then they gain the title from the pastor.  I am not a minister in the church, but, however, I married one of those ministers last November.  My question is... I'm not sure what is right for me to do as a minister’s wife.  The women of the church are always telling me that I need to be in all these groups; I need to be a part of this ministry and that ministry.  At this time, the pastor’s wife even put my name down to be a team member for our woman's conference, and I was never even asked if I wanted to be a part; then they put me in the food ministry, and I have worked in food since I was 12; I'm now 44 and told myself when I left the last job that pertained to food that I'd never do it again; I really dislike it.  My other problem is that I'm a people pleaser; God is working on me.  I also feel like I have to do what everyone expects me to do so I don't disappoint them or my husband.  I think my husband thinks like they do.  He’s been in that church for about 9 years, and I've only been there almost 2.  I believe in serving others, and I want to, but I'd really like to be able to do what I enjoy and not what everyone else thinks I need to do.  I've never been a minister’s wife, and I would just like some advice outside of our church from a godly perspective. Thank you, and may God bless you.

Sincerely,
The Minister’s Wife

Dear The Minister’s Wife,

Well, if you are a people pleaser, you are probably not going to be pleased with the advice we give.  Your problem is that you are part of a congregation that doesn’t do things God’s way.  You are dissatisfied and unhappy because what you are involved in is man’s religion, not God’s church.  Whenever we do things our way instead of God’s, we are bound for confusion and strife (1 Cor 14:33).  Several things to consider:

1. Your congregation’s leadership structure is wrong.  There is not a single example of a church in the New Testament that is led by a pastor… all of the congregations had multiple pastors (also known as ‘elders’) working together to shepherd the flock (Acts 14:23, Acts 20:17).  Your congregation’s future is directed by the attitudes and opinions of a single man.  Your direction is guided by him, instead of being tempered by the wisdom of multiple men guided by God’s Word (1 Pet 5:2).  Read our article “Elders” for further details on what a pastor should be.
2. You mentioned all of these different “ministries” of your church, including a food ministry.  It is our experience that the word ‘ministry’ has become a replacement for the term ‘social program’.  Social programs are designed to help the physical needs and desires of a community.  The church is the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Tim 3:15).  It is designed to uphold and further God’s Word, not every social program and community need.  Read our article “Blow Out The Candles” to understand why it is so important that we not stray from God’s work for His church.
3. Ministers are preachers.  They are men that have decided to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ (1 Thess 3:2).  It is not a title given to someone by a congregation’s pastor; it is a title earned by a lifestyle of teaching and preaching God’s Word to christians and unbelievers alike (1 Tim 4:6).  Paul was a minister because he served others and preached God’s Word to mankind (Col 1:23).  Being a minister’s wife is no different than being a plumber’s wife – no one expects a plumber’s wife to fix toilets.  These are manmade expectations being placed on you, not Biblical ones.

We recommend you start thinking about looking for a church that does things God’s way… a congregation without any attachment to manmade doctrines.  If you feel what we are saying is too harsh, we recommend that you ask your pastor about the things we have written and see how his answers match up.  You might also ask him some of the things mentioned in the article “Preacher Interrogation”.

Why do people in church try to make you tell others about when you catch the holy ghost, like you don’t know what happened and like they didn’t see what you caught when you get prayed for?

Sincerely,
Ghostbuster

Dear Ghostbuster,

To be honest with you, we are unclear exactly what you are asking, but it is clear that you don’t have a complete understanding of how the Holy Ghost works.  The Holy Ghost is not something that you catch.  The Holy Spirit is God (1 Cor 2:11).  He is a distinct being – as much as the Father and the Son.  He was there at the creation of the world (Gen 1:2) and the baptism of Jesus (Mk 1:10).  He has emotions, like sadness (Eph 4:30).  He can’t be caught, stolen, snatched, or captured.  The Holy Spirit is the one that gave the apostles knowledge of what to say and write (Jhn 14:26).  It is the Holy Spirit that guided the hands of the Bible writers (1 Cor 2:13).  The whole Bible is what the Spirit has written for us to know (Rev 2:7).

You have the Holy Spirit dwelling in you when you obey what the Scriptures say (Jas 4:5).  The Holy Spirit being “in” us is the same as us being “in” Christ (1 Cor 1:30).  It is relational, not physical.  The Holy Spirit dwells in us as far as we are one with Him and His wishes.  We are family through the faith found through the Spirit’s words.

     I know in Leviticus it talks about sexual relations; having read this, I'm wondering about lesbian relations and why God didn’t mention this.  Or did I miss something?

Sincerely,
Confused

Dear Confused,

Lev 18:22 and Lev 20:13 both talk about homosexual relations and state that they are forbidden.  In both cases, it talks about men not lying with men, but the implication is that the same would be wrong with women lying with women.  But, if there is any doubt how God feels about the issue, Rom 1:26-27 makes it clear that homosexual relations are wrong for both genders because both are mentioned.