10 of the Biggest Questions

[Deadworm]

[Note: The end of (4) apparently got erased and has now been corrected.]

(1) Why does God allow so many people to be born under atheistic Communism or in cultures in which they will never hear about Jesus? Can these people be saved apart from formal expression of faith in Christ? If not, how is that just?

(2) Why did God allow thousands of years of human history to elapse before He chose to incarnate and grow up in an obscure town, Nazareth?

(3) Why didn't God inspire Jesus to write His own Gospel? As it is, modern scholarship generally agrees that none of our 4 Gospels was written by a disciple or another eyewitness of Jesus life. If Jesus had written His own Gospel, such skepticism would be held in check.

(4) Why did God allow all the Gospels apparently written by eyewitnesses of Jesus long before our canonical Gospels (on this see Luke 1:1-4) to be lost.

(5) Why didn't God inspire Moses to write the story of his life, including the exodus, the Reed Sea Crossing, and the awesome giving of the Ten Commandments? As it is, modern scholars agree that the Pentateuch is based on various sources composed by unknown authors centuries after these events.

(6) Why does God permit so many people to be born with physical conditions (e. g. mental retardation and mental illness) that make it impossible for them to grasp the content and relevance of the Gospel?

(7) Why does God so routinely allow the elderly, including elderly Christians, to lose their cognitive functions due to dementia and Alzheimer's Disease so that they are no longer capable of grasping divine truth and they lose their potential for continuing spiritual growth is aborted.

(8) Why does the Holy Spirit so seldom seem to convict honest seekers of the truth of the Gospel? So many skeptics seem to honestly believe that the idea of a loving God is absurd wishful thinking.

(9) Why hasn't God intervened at strategic moments in history to prevent natural disasters (earthquakes, hurricanes, tidal waves, etc.) that cause a massive number of fatalities to innocent victims? For that matter, why didn't God answer one of the many prayers for Hitler's assassination, so that one of the assassination plots might have succeeded and saved millions of lives?

(10) Why is the divine revelation in Scripture so incomplete, forcing us to speculate about the answers to so many big questions with little help from Scripture? Can God inspire new Christian prophets to expand the canon of Scripture to address more of these questions?




(3) Why didn't God inspire Jesus to write His own Gospel? As it is, modern scholarship agrees that none of our 4 Gospels was written by a disciple or another eyewitness of Jesus life.

(4) Why did God allow all the Gospels apparently written by eyewitnesses of Jesus long before our canonical Gospels (on this see Luke 1:1-4).

(5) Why didn't God inspire Moses to write the story of his life, including the exodus, the Reed Sea Crossing, and the awesome giving of the Ten Commandments? As it is, modern scholars agree that the Pentateuch is based on various sources composed by unknown authors centuries after these events.

(6) Why does God permit so many people to be born with physical conditions (e. g. mental retardation and mental illness) that make it impossible for them to grasp the content and relevance of the Gospel?

(7) Why does God so routinely allow the elderly, including elderly Christians, to lose their cognitive functions due to dementia and Alzheimer's Disease so that they are no longer capable of grasping divine truth and they lose their potential for continuing spiritual growth is aborted.

(8) Why does the Holy Spirit so seldom seem to convict honest seekers of the truth of the Gospel? So many skeptics seem to honestly believe that the idea of a loving God is absurd wishful thinking.

(9) Why hasn't God intervened at strategic moments in history to prevent natural disasters (earthquakes, hurricanes, tidal waves, etc.) that cause a massive number of fatalities to innocent victims?

(10) Why is the divine revelation in Scripture so incomplete, forcing us to speculate about the answers to so many big questions with little help from Scripture? Can God inspire new Christian prophets to expand the canon of Scripture to address more of these questions?


​

 

[mindlight]

(1) Why does God allow so many people to be born under atheistic Communism or in cultures in which they will never hear about Jesus? Can these people be saved apart from formal expression of faith in Christ? If not, how is that just?​

Read Karl Rahner - Anonymous Christianity

(2) Why did God allow thousands of years of human history to elapse before He chose to incarnate and grow up in an obscure town, Nazareth?

Timing the perfect rescue

(3) Why didn't God inspire Jesus to write His own Gospel? As it is, modern scholarship generally agrees that none of our 4 Gospels was written by a disciple or another eyewitness of Jesus life. If Jesus had written His own Gospel, such skepticism would be held in check.

All of the gospels were written in the life time of the apostles who witnessed to the events. Luke and Mark drew heavily on these apostles and on Marys witness. Not sure what modern scholarship you are reading but it is nonsense.

(4) Why did God allow all the Gospels apparently written by eyewitnesses of Jesus long before our canonical Gospels (on this see Luke 1:1-4).

??? Can you rephrase.

(5) Why didn't God inspire Moses to write the story of his life, including the exodus, the Reed Sea Crossing, and the awesome giving of the Ten Commandments? As it is, modern scholars agree that the Pentateuch is based on various sources composed by unknown authors centuries after these events.

Moses wrote the Pentateuch. Your sources are the problem here.

(6) Why does God permit so many people to be born with physical conditions (e. g. mental retardation and mental illness) that make it impossible for them to grasp the content and relevance of the Gospel?

We live in a ruined world and some people are more clearly the victims of that ruin and brokenness than others. But life is short and is only a testing ground for eternity. For this life we play the cards we have been dealt.

(7) Why does God so routinely allow the elderly, including elderly Christians, to lose their cognitive functions due to dementia and Alzheimer's Disease so that they are no longer capable of grasping divine truth and they lose their potential for continuing spiritual growth is aborted.

Again this is evidence that the bible account is correct. The fall and flood have broken creation and people who were meant to live for ever decay and die.

(8) Why does the Holy Spirit so seldom seem to convict honest seekers of the truth of the Gospel? So many skeptics seem to honestly believe that the idea of a loving God is absurd wishful thinking.

God chooses whom he will and in His own time. But sin is usually the primary obstacle. It is the recognition that a thing is a sin and needs to be repented of that is often the real issue.

(9) Why hasn't God intervened at strategic moments in history to prevent natural disasters (earthquakes, hurricanes, tidal waves, etc.) that cause a massive number of fatalities to innocent victims? For that matter, why didn't God answer one of the many prayers for Hitler's assassination, so that one of the assassination plots might have succeeded and saved millions of lives?

How do you know that is true. Read Leibniz. We live in the best possible of all universes given the sin that is present here and Gods respect for our freewill.

10) Why is the divine revelation in Scripture so incomplete, forcing us to speculate about the answers to so many big questions with little help from Scripture? Can God inspire new Christian prophets to expand the canon of Scripture to address more of these questions?

The scriptures are sufficient for salvation. They are an invitation to the bigger conversation that will take eternity to run its course. You won't get answers if you do not turn up in heaven
​

 

[SkyWriting]

Why does God allow so many people to be born under atheistic Communism or in cultures in which they will never hear about Jesus? Can these people be saved apart from formal expression of faith in Christ?

2 Timothy 1:9
Who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,

Acts 2:21
And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’


Ephesians 2:8-9
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

1 John 4:8
Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

Acts 11:14
He will declare to you a message by which you will be saved, you and all your household.’

Matthew 7:21
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

Romans 3:23
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Why did God allow thousands of years of human history to elapse before He chose to incarnate and grow up in an obscure town, Nazareth?

Romans 1:19-20
For what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from His workmanship, so thatmen are without excuse.

 

[SkyWriting]

Why didn't God inspire Jesus to write His own Gospel? As it is, modern scholarship generally agrees that none of our 4 Gospels was written by a disciple or another eyewitness of Jesus life. If Jesus had written His own Gospel, such skepticism would be held in check.

A person who writes their own biography does not stop any skepticism,
especially compared to a handful of witnesses.

 

[SkyWriting]

Why didn't God inspire Moses to write the story of his life, including the exodus, the Reed Sea Crossing, and the awesome giving of the Ten Commandments? As it is, modern scholars agree that the Pentateuch is based on various sources composed by unknown authors centuries after these events.

The Talmud holds that the Torah was written by Moses, with the exception of the last eight verses of Deuteronomy, describing his death and burial, being written by Joshua. Alternatively, Rashi quotes from the Talmud that "God spoke them, and Moses wrote them with tears." Moses may have been an editor as well as writer.

 

[SkyWriting]

Why does God permit so many people to be born with physical conditions (e. g. mental retardation and mental illness) that make it impossible for them to grasp the content and relevance of the Gospel?

Why does God so routinely allow the elderly, including elderly Christians, to lose their cognitive functions due to dementia and Alzheimer's Disease so that they are no longer capable of grasping divine truth and they lose their potential for continuing spiritual growth is aborted.

The Holy Spirit speaks directly to each person's heart so that all are without excuses.

Why does the Holy Spirit so seldom seem to convict honest seekers of the truth of the Gospel? So many skeptics seem to honestly believe that the idea of a loving God is absurd wishful thinking.

Romans 1
19 For what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from His workmanship, so that men are without excuse.

 

[R. Hartono]

(1) Why does God allow so many people to be born under atheistic Communism or in cultures in which they will never hear about Jesus? Can these people be saved

Those who never heard of Christ will be judged according to their works.
Rev 20:12 and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

 

[R. Hartono]

(2) Why did God allow thousands of years of human history to elapse before He chose to incarnate and grow up in an obscure town, Nazareth?

God loves gentiles and welcome them to Israel be4 Jesus was birthed, it was Father Himself who rule people/same as Christ in the OT era.

Levi 19:34 You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt:

 

[SkyWriting]

Why hasn't God intervened at strategic moments in history to prevent natural disasters (earthquakes, hurricanes, tidal waves, etc.) that cause a massive number of fatalities to innocent victims? For that matter, why didn't God answer one of the many prayers for Hitler's assassination, so that one of the assassination plots might have succeeded and saved millions of lives?

So you are not an angel that does not die?
Try not to be the jealous type.
James 5:13
Is anyone among you suffering?
Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful?
Let him sing praise.

 

[R. Hartono]

(3) Why didn't God inspire Jesus to write His own Gospel? As it is, modern scholarship generally agrees that none of our 4 Gospels was written by a disciple or another eyewitness of Jesus life. If Jesus had written His own Gospel, such skepticism would be held in check.

The four gospels was written by Disciples, Even if the dead come back to life and tell people about God nobody will believe.
Luke 16:31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”

 

[SkyWriting]

13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

Why is the divine revelation in Scripture so incomplete, forcing us to speculate about the answers to so many big questions with little help from Scripture?

Mathew 7
In everything, then,
do to others as you would have them do to you.
For this is the essence of the Law and the prophets.

Enter through the narrow gate.
For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction,
and many enter through it.

 

[R. Hartono]

(4) Why did God allow all the Gospels apparently written by eyewitnesses of Jesus long before our canonical Gospels (on this see Luke 1:1-4).

If people do not believe these Gospels written by the Apostles,
They wont believe it anyway even if the dead come back to life and tell people about God.
Luke 16:31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”

 

[R. Hartono]

(5) Why didn't God inspire Moses to write the story
As it is, modern scholars agree that the Pentateuch is based on various sources

The Petateuch was written by Moses as confirmed by Jesus Himself in the story of poor Lazarus who died and neglected by the Rich men.

Luke 16:29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.

 

[R. Hartono]

(6) Why does God permit so many people to be born with physical conditions (e. g. mental retardation and mental illness)

God has given authority and ability for procreation of children to mankind.
Gen 1:28 Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion ....

However, mankind has polluted the earth with chemicals in the air, the water, the food and plantation, which cause defects of birth. Pregnant mothers with fetus can be affected seriously with drugs, medicine, food chemicals and preservatives, mercury in fish etc. Its all mankind fault and not God's intention.

 

[R. Hartono]

(7) Why does God so routinely allow the elderly, including elderly Christians, to lose their cognitive functions due to dementia and Alzheimer's Disease

Mankind has polluted the earth with carbon monoxide in the air from gas fuel (millions of cars), mercury and chemical waste in the water, entering plantation and our food which accumulate in our bodies and cause many sickness in the end, Its all mankind fault and not God's intention.

How would God fix this if people keep producing millions of cars every year ?
God has created this earth very fresh and healthy, people ruin it.

 

[R. Hartono]

(8) Why does the Holy Spirit so seldom seem to convict honest seekers of the truth of the Gospel?

Holy Spirit works thru the churh, apostles were martyred because they defend the truth for the sake of the real honest seekers.

If the church is lazy how could the Holy Spirit works ?

 

[R. Hartono]

(9) Why hasn't God intervened at strategic moments in history to prevent natural disasters (earthquakes, hurricanes, tidal waves, etc.) that cause a massive number of fatalities to innocent victims?

God has given mankind the power to subdue the earth
Gen 1:28 Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it:
However since the fall of Adam n Eve, mankind has lost his glory and must bear the terrible power of nature instead of subduing it, until the end of times.

God was able to split the Red Sea as to save the people.
Why are you afraid ? Your hairs are counted already and nothing will be allowed to happen unless by God's will as happened to test Job.

 

[R. Hartono]

(10) Why is the divine revelation in Scripture so incomplete, forcing us to speculate

Daniel prayed and fasted for 21 days for divine Revelation instead of speculating.
Psalm 53:2 God looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.
3 Every one of them has turned aside; together they have become corrupt; There is no one who does good, not even one.…

 

[Johnny4ChristJesus]

(1) Why does God allow so many people to be born under atheistic Communism or in cultures in which they will never hear about Jesus? Can these people be saved apart from formal expression of faith in Christ? If not, how is that just?

(2) Why did God allow thousands of years of human history to elapse before He chose to incarnate and grow up in an obscure town, Nazareth?

(3) Why didn't God inspire Jesus to write His own Gospel? As it is, modern scholarship generally agrees that none of our 4 Gospels was written by a disciple or another eyewitness of Jesus life. If Jesus had written His own Gospel, such skepticism would be held in check.

(4) Why did God allow all the Gospels apparently written by eyewitnesses of Jesus long before our canonical Gospels (on this see Luke 1:1-4).

(5) Why didn't God inspire Moses to write the story of his life, including the exodus, the Reed Sea Crossing, and the awesome giving of the Ten Commandments? As it is, modern scholars agree that the Pentateuch is based on various sources composed by unknown authors centuries after these events.

(6) Why does God permit so many people to be born with physical conditions (e. g. mental retardation and mental illness) that make it impossible for them to grasp the content and relevance of the Gospel?

(7) Why does God so routinely allow the elderly, including elderly Christians, to lose their cognitive functions due to dementia and Alzheimer's Disease so that they are no longer capable of grasping divine truth and they lose their potential for continuing spiritual growth is aborted.

(8) Why does the Holy Spirit so seldom seem to convict honest seekers of the truth of the Gospel? So many skeptics seem to honestly believe that the idea of a loving God is absurd wishful thinking.

(9) Why hasn't God intervened at strategic moments in history to prevent natural disasters (earthquakes, hurricanes, tidal waves, etc.) that cause a massive number of fatalities to innocent victims? For that matter, why didn't God answer one of the many prayers for Hitler's assassination, so that one of the assassination plots might have succeeded and saved millions of lives?

(10) Why is the divine revelation in Scripture so incomplete, forcing us to speculate about the answers to so many big questions with little help from Scripture? Can God inspire new Christian prophets to expand the canon of Scripture to address more of these questions?




(3) Why didn't God inspire Jesus to write His own Gospel? As it is, modern scholarship agrees that none of our 4 Gospels was written by a disciple or another eyewitness of Jesus life.

(4) Why did God allow all the Gospels apparently written by eyewitnesses of Jesus long before our canonical Gospels (on this see Luke 1:1-4).

(5) Why didn't God inspire Moses to write the story of his life, including the exodus, the Reed Sea Crossing, and the awesome giving of the Ten Commandments? As it is, modern scholars agree that the Pentateuch is based on various sources composed by unknown authors centuries after these events.

(6) Why does God permit so many people to be born with physical conditions (e. g. mental retardation and mental illness) that make it impossible for them to grasp the content and relevance of the Gospel?

(7) Why does God so routinely allow the elderly, including elderly Christians, to lose their cognitive functions due to dementia and Alzheimer's Disease so that they are no longer capable of grasping divine truth and they lose their potential for continuing spiritual growth is aborted.

(8) Why does the Holy Spirit so seldom seem to convict honest seekers of the truth of the Gospel? So many skeptics seem to honestly believe that the idea of a loving God is absurd wishful thinking.

(9) Why hasn't God intervened at strategic moments in history to prevent natural disasters (earthquakes, hurricanes, tidal waves, etc.) that cause a massive number of fatalities to innocent victims?

(10) Why is the divine revelation in Scripture so incomplete, forcing us to speculate about the answers to so many big questions with little help from Scripture? Can God inspire new Christian prophets to expand the canon of Scripture to address more of these questions?


​

Maybe the simple answer is that God believes that what He has given is enough for those who want to worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:23) and who want to know Him (John 17:3), because God feels that He showed man enough to judge man (Romans 1:18-23).

Even the reaction when Jesus was here--without Him writing His own Gospel (where you would have had today's unbelieving scholars still questioning whether he wrote it, etc)--the reaction He received was mixed: People accepted Him and people rejected Him. With all the healing and deliverance and sudden dropping of everything to follow Him that people saw and the amazing things He did that were never before seen, you would think everyone would have come to God. They didn't.

Then, Jesus said things that offended people. In John 6, He chased away virtually everyone who was following Him and didn't even get a re-assuring affirmation from his chosen 12--just a "where else would we go? We believe....", then says to them: "I chose you, yet one of you is a devil."(John 6:70)--clearly, Jesus and the Father didn't care about winning friends and influencing people, Dale Carnegie-style or modern church-style. After all, Jesus spoke in parables for a reason (Matt 13:10-17). God created vessels of wrath fitted for destruction for a reason (Romans 9, especially verse 21-23 and 17-18 for an example). At some point, God turns people who reject Him over to a darkened heart, uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, vile affections, and a reprobate mind (Romans 1:18-32). God sends a strong delusion so people will believe a lie, so they might be damned (2 Thes 2:10-12).

Certainly, the false scholars, the disease, the downright nasty people are a fall-out of Adam's choice to sin against God and the resultant consequences of that sin against God (The fallen world). You ask why God doesn't intervene. He did and still does. But, God's goal is to save as many as He wills for the new heaven and the new earth before He destroys this heaven and this earth, by fire, and makes a new one, according to Scripture. So, do you think a normal happy life where you get everything you want leads people closer to God or do you see more people coming to Him when terrorists attack or natural disaster strikes and people suddenly realize they aren't in control of their own destiny? I would argue that it happens more when disaster is near. If God's goal is to give us a beautiful eternity--a much longer time than we have here--why would He stabilize your time here, thus sentencing many to torment and destruction, because they never got to know Him?

Also, please keep in mind that not everyone who claims to be a Christian is a Christian, by Jesus' definition of what it means to follow Him. I will leave it at that. It is easy to say you are something and say you believe in something. But, if you don't act on what you claim to believe, do you really believe what you say you believe?

In the Biblical record, I look at the suffering that those following Jesus went through. Think about that.

 

[Wordkeeper]

The Holy Spirit speaks directly to each person's heart so that all are without excuses.


Romans 1
19 For what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from His workmanship, so that men are without excuse.

Isaiah 7:15
"He will eat curds and honey at the time He knows enough to refuse evil and choose good.

Even if you are stuck alone on a desert island, you still have this.

For those who don't have it, their angels always have their faces turned towards God.