Table Of ContentQUESTIONS
ABOUT THE
BIBLE
THE 100 MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT
THE BIBLE
S. MICHAEL HOUDMANN
GENERAL EDITOR
Copyright © 2015 S. Michael Houdmann All rights reserved. No part of this
book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or
mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information
storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in
the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
WestBow Press
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Unless otherwise noted, Scriptures are taken from The Holy Bible, New
International Version®. niv®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.™
Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
(www.zondervan.com). The “niv” and “New International Version” are
trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by
Biblica, Inc.™ All rights reserved.
Scriptures marked kjv are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
Scriptures marked nkjv are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright
© 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights
reserved.
Scriptures marked nasb are taken from the New American Standard Bible®,
Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by
The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org) Because of
the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this
book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views
expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily
reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any
responsibility for them.
Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and
such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.
ISBN: 978-1-4908-7800-3 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-4908-7801-0 (e)
Library of Congress Control Number: 2015906509
WestBow Press rev. date: 6/3/2015
CONTENTS
Acknowledgements
Preface
Introduction—The Ultimate Question
1. Questions about the Bible’s Origin
2. Questions about the Parts of the Bible
3. Questions about the Biblical Canon
4. Questions about Translating the Bible
5. Questions about the Inspiration and Inerrancy of the Bible
6. Questions about Bible Translations
7. Questions about Studying the Bible
8. Questions about Applying the Bible
9. Questions about Extra-biblical Texts
10. Questions about Biblical Criticism
11. Miscellaneous Questions about the Bible
Appendix—Statement of Faith
Endnotes
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
T
HIS BOOK IS dedicated to the more than 500 individuals who have served
as volunteer writers for Got Questions Ministries in the past thirteen years. Their
hard work, commitment, and passion are what make this ministry possible.
Special thanks goes to Kevin Stone, Rebekah Largent, MeLissa Houdmann,
Kristi-Joy Matovich, and Gwen Sellers who contributed greatly to this volume in
writing, editing, organizing, and indexing.
All the glory goes to God, “For from him and through him and to him are all
things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.” (Romans 11:36)
PREFACE
E
VERY DAY, MORE and more people turn to the Internet to find answers to
their questions about spiritual matters. Topics related to spirituality are the
second-most searched subjects online. Sadly, websites that present false
teachings far outnumber those that proclaim the truth of God’s Word.
In February of 2002, www.gotquestions.org was launched to help fill this gap
and meet the needs of millions of spiritually-minded Web surfers. Since our
launch, we have personally answered over 420,000 questions that have been
submitted to us. Tens of millions of people have found answers to their questions
via our Frequently Asked Questions archives, giving us a unique understanding
of what questions are truly on people’s minds.
This volume is a collection of the most important and/or most frequently asked
questions about the Bible. Each question is answered directly from the Bible, if
the Bible specifically addresses the particular issue. Where the Bible is silent on
an issue, biblical principles are used to lead to a solid and correct understanding.
The Lord Jesus Christ is our passion, and declaring His Word is our mission.
Mission Statement of Got Questions Ministries: Got Questions Ministries
seeks to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ by providing biblical, applicable, and
timely answers to spiritually-related questions.
INTRODUCTION—THE ULTIMATE
QUESTION
Question: What does it mean to be a born-again Christian?
Answer: What does it mean to be a born-again Christian? The classic passage
from the Bible that answers this question is John 3:1–21. The Lord Jesus Christ
is talking to Nicodemus, a prominent Pharisee and member of the Sanhedrin (the
ruling body of the Jews). Nicodemus had come to Jesus at night with some
questions.
As Jesus talked with Nicodemus, He said, “‘I tell you the truth, no one can see
the kingdom of God unless he is born again.’ ‘How can a man be born when he
is old?’ Nicodemus asked. ‘Surely he cannot enter a second time into his
mother’s womb to be born!’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you the truth, no one can
enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives
birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at
my saying, “You must be born again”’” (John 3:3–7).
The phrase “born again” could be literally translated “born from above.”
Nicodemus had a real need. He needed a change of his heart—a spiritual
transformation. New birth—being born again—is an act of God whereby eternal
life is imparted to the person who believes (2 Corinthians 5:17; Titus 3:5; 1 Peter
1:3; 1 John 2:29; 3:9; 4:7; 5:1–4). John 1:12–13 indicates that being “born
again” also carries the idea of “becoming children of God” through trust in the
name of Jesus Christ.
The question logically comes, “Why does a person need to be born again?”
The apostle Paul in Ephesians 2:1 says, “And you He made alive, who were dead
in trespasses and sins” (NKJV). To the Romans he wrote, “For all have sinned
and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Sinners are spiritually “dead”;
when they receive spiritual life through faith in Christ, the Bible likens it to a
rebirth. Only those who are born again have their sins forgiven and have a
relationship with God.
How does that come to be? Ephesians 2:8–9 states, “For it is by grace you
have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of
God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” When one is saved, he/she has
been born again, spiritually renewed, and is now a child of God by right of new
birth. Trusting in Jesus Christ, the One who paid the penalty of sin when He died
on the cross, is the means to be “born again.” “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ,
he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
If you have never trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, will you
consider the prompting of the Holy Spirit as He speaks to your heart? You need
to be born again. Will you pray the prayer of repentance and become a new
creation in Christ today? “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in
his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of
natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God”
(John 1:12–13).
If you want to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and be born again, here is a
sample prayer. Remember, saying this prayer or any other prayer will not save
you. It is only trusting in Christ that can save you from sin. This prayer is simply
a way to express to God your faith in Him and thank Him for providing for your
salvation. “God, I know that I have sinned against you and am deserving of
punishment. But Jesus Christ took the punishment I deserve so that through faith
in Him I could be forgiven. I place my trust in You for salvation. Thank You for
Your wonderful grace and forgiveness—the gift of eternal life! Amen!”
Have you made a decision to receive Jesus Christ as your Savior because of
what you have read here? If so, please send us an email at
[email protected].
