I've always been told that there is a rapture and that Revelation is about the future... but the more I am trying to read, learn, and understand the Bible, the more I'm confused about the end!  I've heard from some of my friends in Christ that Revelation is about the past Roman Empire!!  Please help. I am so confused.

Sincerely,
Book Befuddled

Dear Book Befuddled,

Your friends are right.  The book of Revelation is about the past, and the "Rapture" isn't something you will find in the Bible.  If you want to understand the book of Revelation, we have a class series on the topic that can be found here.  The Rapture is an idea that comes from taking parts of the Bible out of context.  That class series should help you put it back in context.

     We have been without a preacher for sometime now.  One preacher who recently tried out at our church has gained the interest of our elders, but I have some concerns about his ability to lead.  He has six grown children, and only one is a faithful Christian.  The church he was at previously is losing members.  He is very knowledgeable about the Bible, but is that the only requirement?  I have voiced my concerns with the elders, but they say it's their duty to shepherd, and as long as he preaches the truth, I shouldn't be concerned.  What should I do?

Sincerely,
Concerned

Dear Concerned,

You’ve already done what you ought to do.  You had concerns about this man, and they sound like legitimate concerns, and you voiced them.  Choosing a preacher is both a doctrinal issue and a wisdom issue.  It sounds like the man is faithful and preaches the truth – that is the doctrinal element (2 Tim 4:1-5).  The wisdom part comes down to the other things that make up a preacher – personality, preaching style, experience, etc.

The elders of a congregation are specifically appointed to handle issues of wisdom.  They need to know how to manage people and assess these sorts of nuanced circumstances (1 Tim 3:4-5).  You did the right thing by giving them your thoughts on this matter, but now you need to trust their judgment – after all, that’s what they are there for (Heb 13:17).

     "She shall be saved in childbearing” – does this mean a woman needs to deliver every child God will give to her?

Sincerely,
Maternity Ward

Dear Maternity Ward,

The verse you are referring to is 1 Tim 2:15 and it has to do with the role of women in the home, not the amount of kids a family chooses to have.  Paul is addressing that women are not to be the leaders in the church (1 Tim 2:11), but the public teaching and leadership is to be done by faithful men (1 Tim 2:12).  The reason for this is the same reason that the husband is to lead in the home – it is how God designed us.  Eve was made to be Adam’s helper (Gen 2:18).  Eve’s glory was that she was the mother of all living (Gen 3:20).
A man’s glory is to lead and provide for his family – even to the point of sacrificing his life to protect them.  A woman’s glory is to raise godly children and transform a house into a home (Pr 14:1).  God designed women to be the glory and heart of the home (Tit 2:4-5).  When Paul talks about her being saved in childbearing, in this context, it is addressing all the things involved with rearing children and the domestic existence.

     Why is it that all the churches out there tend to believe that baptism is not needed for salvation?  I mean, all these mega-churches are preaching that if you accept Jesus as your personal Savior, you are saved.  Where is the biblical backing for this?

Sincerely,
Mega-Annoyed

Dear Mega-Annoyed,

Baptism is the clearest teaching in the entire New Testament.  The first converts were baptized for salvation (Acts 2:38-41).  Jesus taught that you need to be baptized to be saved (Mk 16:16), and Peter specifically said, “Baptism saves you” (1 Pet 3:21).  There are dozens of other verses that teach the exact same thing.  So why is there so much confusion in the religious world?  Where did all these churches miss the boat?  There are several reasons why there are so many different religions out there:

1. Paul condemned the Jews because they worshipped God without knowledge (Rom 10:2).  Many people follow whatever seems best to them, and when our feelings design our religious beliefs, confusion ensues.
2. Rom 1:18-23 says that when people suppress the truth about God, they exchange the truth for a myriad of false beliefs.
3. God warned that there would come a day when false teachers infiltrated Christ’s church and would start teaching things contrary to Scriptures (2 Tim 4:2-4).  Paul told the first century Christians to watch out for the “falling away” (2 Thess 2:3).  Division and false teaching in the name of Christ is a very common thing.  Wherever there is an opportunity for selfish gain, false teachers crop up and attempt to lead people astray.

There are tens of thousands of different religions in America that refer to themselves as “Christian” and even more religions when you add Islam, Buddhism, etc…. yet, God says there is only one true faith (Eph 4:4-6).

     Sometimes I feel God’s presence very strongly, and other times I feel very weak.  I even question my salvation at times.  Do you believe the teaching of “once saved, always saved”?

Sincerely,
Not Feeling It

Dear Not Feeling It,

“Once saved, always saved” isn’t true.  Heb 3:12 says that we must be wary and protect our hearts because an evil, unbelieving heart can fall away.  2 Pet 3:17 says that we can lose our salvation if we get caught up in false teaching (1 Tim 4:1 also states this).  If we return to a life of ungodliness, then we crucify Christ again (Heb 6:4-6).
However, it is also normal to sometimes feel spiritually strong and sometimes feel spiritually weak… what is God’s remedy for that?  Rom 10:17 says that we can measure our faith by our willingness to follow God’s Word.  Sometimes emotions can be deceiving.  It is our adherence to God’s Word that saves us (Rom 1:16).  If you are doing what God says you must do to be saved, then you can have confidence regardless of how you feel (see “Five Steps To Salvation” for further details).  Serving God is often an issue of doing what is right without regard to our emotions… showing bravery when we are afraid, working when we are tired, praying when we feel we aren’t heard, and persevering when we are discouraged.