I have heard from different websites that only a few people will be saved.  I know what it says in the Bible about the path being narrow that leads to heaven, but some people say that only a certain amount of people will be saved.  Is this true?  I have forgotten what passage they are talking about, but I think it says something about 144,000 people being saved… or something like that.  Please help me understand this because it scares me to think only very few will make it.  Thanks for your help!

Sincerely,
Rumor Has It

Dear Rumor Has It,

The religion most famous for saying that only 144,000 will go to heaven is the Jehovah Witnesses.  They get this from Rev 14:1-5… however, they use those verses completely out of context.  The Book of Revelation is a highly symbolic book full of figurative speech and metaphors.  It is rarely appropriate to take the language in that book as literal.

The rest of the Scriptures are very clear that anyone can be saved.  Jesus died for the sins of all the world (Jhn 3:16).  If only 144,000 are allowed to be saved, Jesus really didn’t die for everyone’s sins.  Furthermore, Peter said that the promise of salvation was to the Jews, their children, and all the rest of mankind (Acts 2:38-39).  Salvation is available to all who turn to God.

I love my church, and I know the Bible tells me I'm supposed to be really close with my church family, but for some reason, I don't get along well with the people my age.  I have other friends, but none of them are christians, and I want to have a good relationship with the people I'm supposed to.  When I try to hang out with some of the people I think I might get along with, I feel like an annoyance, or they have other things going on.  I feel like I've been praying about it for years, but I still don’t have close relationships with any of them.  Is there anything I can do to make good solid relationships with my church family?

Sincerely,
In The Out-Crowd

Dear In The Out-Crowd,

There is no single neat answer to the question you have asked.  However, there are some general principles that you might consider.

1. Your friends don’t have to be your age.  Paul and Timothy had an exceptionally close relationship even though Timothy was a young man (1 Tim 4:12), and Paul was much older.  Despite their age difference, Paul and Timothy were of the same mind, and that made them close (Php 2:19-20).  Age is only one factor when trying to make friends.
2. Someone has to start friendships.  Our tendency in life is to wait for others to befriend us for fear of rejection.  However, all friendships start because someone behaved friendly (Pr 27:9).  Jesus was so loved because He reached out to others and befriended them (Matt 11:19).
3. There will always be some people that you are closer to than others.  The church is a family (Eph 2:19), and just like a biological family, everyone has different bonds with everyone else.  Everyone loves each other, but each intra-family relationship is unique.  Don’t feel that you have to be close to every person in your congregation.  Just making an effort to be involved with the group as a whole is the goal.
4. Friendships are built when we work together.  When every christian supplies what strength they have to the Lord’s work, relationships naturally begin to form because we are helping each other (Eph 4:16).  Friendships often form naturally when we simply decided to be as involved as possible.

Having said all of that, it isn’t always easy to make friends – even in the Lord’s church.  Do not grow weary in doing good; eventually, you will reap the benefits (Gal 6:9-10).

What does "apt to teach" mean in regard to a qualification for an elder?

Sincerely,
Learning About Teaching

Dear Learning About Teaching,

The phrase “apt to teach” is used in 1 Tim 3:2 to describe a qualification for an elder.  That phrase is merely one word in Greek – ‘didaktikos’.  The Greek word ‘didaktikos’ means ‘qualified or able to teach’.  An elder must not only be willing to teach; he must also have proven himself a qualified and capable teacher with a proven ability to convey God’s Word accurately to others.

Since elders are in charge of shepherding a congregation (1 Pet 5:2), a man must be fully proven as a teacher before being appointed.

This post is a follow-up question to “Not Nice Nicene” – AYP)

Thank you so much for answering my question in a timely manner.  Every Sunday during our worship service at church, we recite the Apostles’ Creed, and I cannot see anything in it that goes against the Bible.  Am I missing something important?   When we recite, "I believe in the holy catholic church...", I am under the impression it means I believe in the universal church.  I am of the Methodist faith, and I really want to do what is right in keeping with the Bible.  Am I correct re: the Apostles’ Creed?  Thank you so much for helping me. Sincerely, Creed Control

Dear Creed Control, There are several things unscriptural about reciting the Apostles’ Creed.  First of all – it really isn’t the apostles’ creed at all.  Paul said that the only thing he preached was the message of Jesus Christ (1 Cor 2:1-2).  He also said that if anyone preached anything other than that message, they were wrong (Gal 1:6-8).  So a creed named the Apostles’ Creed is already hypocritical – the only creed the apostles had was the Word of God. Furthermore, there are several phrases within the Apostles’ Creed that are vague at best – and at least one sentence that directly contradicts the Scripture.  We have highlighted it below in bold:

THE APOSTLES’ CREED

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
 the Maker of heaven and earth,
 and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
 born of the virgin Mary,
 suffered under Pontius Pilate,
 was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell. The third day He arose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven,
 and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
 from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.  I believe in the Holy Ghost;
 the holy catholic church;
 the communion of saints;
 the forgiveness of sins;
 the resurrection of the body;
 and the life everlasting.  Amen.

When Jesus was dying on the cross, He told the thief next to Him, “Today you will be with Me in Paradise” (Lk 23:43).  Jesus clearly said that He was going to be in Paradise after dying on the cross… not in hell.  The Apostles’ Creed is a direct contradiction of Scripture. This just goes to highlight the problem with human creeds – at very best, they say the exact same thing as Scripture (in which case… they are redundant and unnecessary), and more likely, they say things that are wrong.  The best thing mankind can do is throw off all creeds and accept nothing but the Bible.

I am doing things right in my life, but I smoke.  I want to stop; I try.  I pray about it.  I try programs, but I cannot seem to stop.  Any ideas?

Sincerely,
Cigarette Cycle

Dear Cigarette Cycle,

Our primary focus at AYP is to address Bible questions, and therefore, we will try our best to give you direct Bible answers on how to quit smoking.  There are plenty of websites and resources that can give you more specific support as you quit smoking.  The truth is, we are probably not the best resource in this scenario.  We will stick directly to the best verses that apply.  God tells us several different things that we can do to quit a bad habit.

1. Don’t give up.  A righteous man falls, but he keeps getting back up (Pr 24:16).  A failure doesn’t become permanent until you let it.  Keep trying.
2. Admit your problem openly.  Confessing our sins to others has an immense impact upon us (Jas 5:16).
3. Get help from others.  Trying to do things alone, especially when we’ve failed before, is just too hard.  We are stronger when we enlist the help of friends and family (Eccl 4:9-12).
4. Replace the bad habit with a good habit.  It isn’t enough to simply stop something; that void must be filled with something else (Lk 11:24-26).
5. Make big and drastic choices if necessary.  Throw out all your cigarettes, give your spouse control of the finances, tell your kids to check your pockets when you come home, etc.  It may seem over the top – but sometimes, over the top is what needs to be done.  If it helps you remove the addiction, then it will be worth it (Matt 5:29).

Furthermore, continue to pray about it (as you said you have been doing); some bad habits take longer to break than others.  God says that any temptation can be overcome (1 Cor 10:13).  You can do it, but have peace while you are still trying.  We are all works in progress (1 Jn 1:9).