frequently asked questions – part 1 frequently asked ... · buying lottery tickets – it does...
TRANSCRIPT
1
We recently took a survey at First Baptist Raytown to ask “What are some of the questions you have about Scripture or what the Bible says about controversial modern day issues?” This message series is a response to the questions and “hot topics” that you have asked.
1. ____________________________________________________? Today, 40% of people in our country, between the ages of 26-‐40 years of age have a tattoo. Christians fall into one of three categories over this issues: 1.) “It’s not a big deal.” 2.) It’s a dangerous, cultic practice,” or 3.) It depends on the image of the tattoo.” There is only one verse in the Bible that speaks directly to tattoos. It’s found in Leviticus 19:28 when the Bible says, “Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD.” The Egyptians had pagan practices of putting images of their false gods on their bodies. Also, when an Egyptian would die, the relatives would often cut into their body to let out what was known as the “life blood.” God is saying, I don’t want you to adopt the pagan practices of the Egyptians. However, if you want to take Leviticus 19 literally, we need to be careful because this was the Old Testament law fulfilled by Christ in the New Testament. Leviticus 19 also says, “Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard.” (vs. 27). It also says, “Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material.” (vs. 19d). These are things that we do every day.
2. ____________________________________________________? Some people equate “casting lots” to gambling in the Bible but I don’t believe that to be true. Casting lots was more of a form of decision-‐making (like drawing straws or flipping a coin). Gambling really is a form of thievery and here’s why: Legitimate business is a win-‐win situation. If I sell you a widget for a dollar, you get the widget and I get the dollar. We both win. Nobody can win at gambling without another losing. Many of the losers are those least able to afford it. The person who gambles and wins has the motive of getting something from another for nothing: thievery. The Bible says "Woe to him who increases that which is not his" (Habakkuk 2:6). Whereas the Bible doesn’t say much of anything DIRECTLY about gambling or buying Lottery tickets – it does have a lot to say about our attitude toward money and our stewardship of money. “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” 1 Timothy 6:10.
3. ____________________________________________________? Marriage should be honored by all. Hebrews 13:4. “Marriage should be honored by ALL and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and the sexually immoral.” If, therefore, marriage should be honored by all, and I am not married, I am a single person, then, here’s the principle. “I will wait until marriage to share the intimate blessings of marriage.” The Bible calls having a sexual relationship before marriage fornication and that is a sin before God.
4. ____________________________________________________? The quick answer is “No, it does not.” I’ve heard people quote Deuteronomy 7 where God said, “Do not intermarry with them, do not give your daughters to their sons, or take their daughters for your sons.” People say that God was saying, “Don’t marry interracially.” But vs. 4 gives the key to the verse where it says: “For they will turn your sons away from following me to serve other gods.” God never prohibits marrying someone of a different race; but He does prohibit marrying someone of a different faith. (NOTE: Moses has an “interracial marriage.” His wife was from Ethiopia).
5. ____________________________________________________? God’s standard since the beginning of time (Adam and Eve) was for marriage to be between one man and one woman. The original marriage relationship reveals God’s intention for marriage. Just because some men in the Bible had multiple wives doesn’t make it right. At no time does God condone or place His "seal of approval" upon the polygamous practices of these men. The Bible is both ________________________ (it tells you what happened) and _______________________ (it tells you what you should do). In every case where men had multiple wives, the Bible describes the problems that resulted from those bad choices.
6. ____________________________________________________?
We recently took a survey at First Baptist Raytown to ask “What are some of the questions you
Frequently Asked Questions – Part 1
Dr. Brandon Park | July 27, 2014Frequently Asked Questions – Part 1
2
Many people ask this because when the future resurrection of the body happens, God raises the body from the dead. Some people don’t want to be cremated because they will no longer have a physical body in the ground to be raised from! However the Bible says in Genesis 3:19, “…for dust you are and to dust you will return.” Cremation just gets you there faster. There isn’t anything in Scripture that explicitly prohibits it. It’s really a matter of personal choice.
7. _____________________________________________________? Bibles come in two basic types. They are either translations or paraphrases. A translated version comes from translating the Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic manuscripts, of which more than 20,000 exist, into the targeted modern language. A paraphrased version is simply derived by rewriting a translation into simpler language. Some paraphrased versions are easily understood and enjoyable to read, but may fall short of translated versions in reflecting the original intent of the writers. So why are there so many different translations? The Bible is the number one best selling book in the world. And so Publishers want to take advantage of that market by creating their own translation. There are many good ones out there, but in my opinion, a few rise to the top: The New American Standard Version (NASB) and the English Standard Version (ESV) are my favorites.
8. _____________________________________________________? Reasons Why I Don’t Drink Alcohol
1. As a Christian, I choose not to participate in something that is _______________ other people’s lives.
Alcohol is a drug that claims more addicts than any other drug in America. Alcoholics outnumber drug addicts ten to one and alcoholic deaths outnumber drug overdoses three to one. Alcohol causes more deaths than AIDS, heroin, cocain, marijuana, and crack combined! Marvin Block, former chairman of the American Medical Association’s Committee on Alcoholism said, “Ours is a drug-‐oriented society, largely because of alcohol. Because of its social acceptance, alcohol is rarely thought of as a drug. But a drug it is, in scientific fact.”
2. The Bible says that drinking can lead you ____________________. Proverbs 20:1, “Win is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.” The word “led astray” means to reel in like a fish. By drinking, you give Satan an opportunity to reel you in to making poor choices and leaving the path of wisdom.
3. Because “wine” in the Bible is not always the same as the wine we have _____________. • Shay-‐kar = “Strong drink” – it refers to an intoxicating drink. Strong drink is always
universally condemned in the Bible. Priests were to avoid it (Lev. 10:8-‐9); kings were to avoid it (Proverbs 31:4-‐5); and Isaiah pronounced judgment on those who used it (Isaiah 5:11). In Bible times, there was no such thing as liquor so even this would be far beyond strong drink.
• Tirosh = “grape juice” – translated in the Bible “wine” or “new wine.” Isaiah 65:8 called new wine in the cluster (in the grape)
• Yah-‐yin = “wine” – this is the most common OT word for a drink (used 141 times). It is the generic term for drink – and was sometimes used for an intoxicating drink and sometimes for a non-‐intoxicating drink.
In Bible times, people used wine to purify their water. It would typically be an average of three to four parts water mixed with one part wine. In the ancient world, plain water was unsafe to drink. So the wine that was used as an acceptable beverage was light wine—not fortified with extra alcohol. That sheds light on Solomon’s admonition: “Do not look on the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup.” (Proverbs 23:31). Solomon is referring to UNMIXED wine with NO water. Dr. Geisler concluded: “Therefore, Christians ought not drink wine, beer, or other alcoholic beverages, for they are actually ‘strong drink’ and are forbidden in Scripture. Even ancient pagans did not drink what some Christians drink today.”
4. Because drinking leads to _________________________. Most people are not able to tell when they have “crossed the line” over into drunkenness. Why participate in something that has the potential to lead you to sin against God?
5. It may cause others to _______________________. See Romans 14:21. The number one reason why teenagers drink is because they’ve seen their parents drink. Parents must remember that whatever you do in moderation, your children are likely to do in excess.
6. It harms our _____________ which are the Lord’s. Aldehydes in alcohol destroy the brain, liver, and kidneys.
7. Alcohol is ____________________. 2 out of every 5 people who choose to drink will someday have a serious alcohol related problem.
1
We recently took a survey at First Baptist Raytown to ask “What are some of the questions you have about Scripture or what the Bible says about controversial modern day issues?” This message series is a response to the questions and “hot topics” that you have asked.
1. ____________________________________________________? Today, 40% of people in our country, between the ages of 26-‐40 years of age have a tattoo. Christians fall into one of three categories over this issues: 1.) “It’s not a big deal.” 2.) It’s a dangerous, cultic practice,” or 3.) It depends on the image of the tattoo.” There is only one verse in the Bible that speaks directly to tattoos. It’s found in Leviticus 19:28 when the Bible says, “Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD.” The Egyptians had pagan practices of putting images of their false gods on their bodies. Also, when an Egyptian would die, the relatives would often cut into their body to let out what was known as the “life blood.” God is saying, I don’t want you to adopt the pagan practices of the Egyptians. However, if you want to take Leviticus 19 literally, we need to be careful because this was the Old Testament law fulfilled by Christ in the New Testament. Leviticus 19 also says, “Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard.” (vs. 27). It also says, “Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material.” (vs. 19d). These are things that we do every day.
2. ____________________________________________________? Some people equate “casting lots” to gambling in the Bible but I don’t believe that to be true. Casting lots was more of a form of decision-‐making (like drawing straws or flipping a coin). Gambling really is a form of thievery and here’s why: Legitimate business is a win-‐win situation. If I sell you a widget for a dollar, you get the widget and I get the dollar. We both win. Nobody can win at gambling without another losing. Many of the losers are those least able to afford it. The person who gambles and wins has the motive of getting something from another for nothing: thievery. The Bible says "Woe to him who increases that which is not his" (Habakkuk 2:6). Whereas the Bible doesn’t say much of anything DIRECTLY about gambling or buying Lottery tickets – it does have a lot to say about our attitude toward money and our stewardship of money. “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” 1 Timothy 6:10.
3. ____________________________________________________? Marriage should be honored by all. Hebrews 13:4. “Marriage should be honored by ALL and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and the sexually immoral.” If, therefore, marriage should be honored by all, and I am not married, I am a single person, then, here’s the principle. “I will wait until marriage to share the intimate blessings of marriage.” The Bible calls having a sexual relationship before marriage fornication and that is a sin before God.
4. ____________________________________________________? The quick answer is “No, it does not.” I’ve heard people quote Deuteronomy 7 where God said, “Do not intermarry with them, do not give your daughters to their sons, or take their daughters for your sons.” People say that God was saying, “Don’t marry interracially.” But vs. 4 gives the key to the verse where it says: “For they will turn your sons away from following me to serve other gods.” God never prohibits marrying someone of a different race; but He does prohibit marrying someone of a different faith. (NOTE: Moses has an “interracial marriage.” His wife was from Ethiopia).
5. ____________________________________________________? God’s standard since the beginning of time (Adam and Eve) was for marriage to be between one man and one woman. The original marriage relationship reveals God’s intention for marriage. Just because some men in the Bible had multiple wives doesn’t make it right. At no time does God condone or place His "seal of approval" upon the polygamous practices of these men. The Bible is both ________________________ (it tells you what happened) and _______________________ (it tells you what you should do). In every case where men had multiple wives, the Bible describes the problems that resulted from those bad choices.
6. ____________________________________________________?
We recently took a survey at First Baptist Raytown to ask “What are some of the questions you
Frequently Asked Questions – Part 1
Dr. Brandon Park | July 27, 2014Frequently Asked Questions – Part 1
Should a Christi an have a tatt oo
Why is gambling a sin
What’s wrong with people living together before marriage
Does the Bible forbid interracial marriage
Why did God allow men in the Bible to have multi ple wives
Is it okay to be cremated
descripti ve prescripti ve
2
Many people ask this because when the future resurrection of the body happens, God raises the body from the dead. Some people don’t want to be cremated because they will no longer have a physical body in the ground to be raised from! However the Bible says in Genesis 3:19, “…for dust you are and to dust you will return.” Cremation just gets you there faster. There isn’t anything in Scripture that explicitly prohibits it. It’s really a matter of personal choice.
7. _____________________________________________________? Bibles come in two basic types. They are either translations or paraphrases. A translated version comes from translating the Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic manuscripts, of which more than 20,000 exist, into the targeted modern language. A paraphrased version is simply derived by rewriting a translation into simpler language. Some paraphrased versions are easily understood and enjoyable to read, but may fall short of translated versions in reflecting the original intent of the writers. So why are there so many different translations? The Bible is the number one best selling book in the world. And so Publishers want to take advantage of that market by creating their own translation. There are many good ones out there, but in my opinion, a few rise to the top: The New American Standard Version (NASB) and the English Standard Version (ESV) are my favorites.
8. _____________________________________________________? Reasons Why I Don’t Drink Alcohol
1. As a Christian, I choose not to participate in something that is _______________ other people’s lives.
Alcohol is a drug that claims more addicts than any other drug in America. Alcoholics outnumber drug addicts ten to one and alcoholic deaths outnumber drug overdoses three to one. Alcohol causes more deaths than AIDS, heroin, cocain, marijuana, and crack combined! Marvin Block, former chairman of the American Medical Association’s Committee on Alcoholism said, “Ours is a drug-‐oriented society, largely because of alcohol. Because of its social acceptance, alcohol is rarely thought of as a drug. But a drug it is, in scientific fact.”
2. The Bible says that drinking can lead you ____________________. Proverbs 20:1, “Win is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.” The word “led astray” means to reel in like a fish. By drinking, you give Satan an opportunity to reel you in to making poor choices and leaving the path of wisdom.
3. Because “wine” in the Bible is not always the same as the wine we have _____________. • Shay-‐kar = “Strong drink” – it refers to an intoxicating drink. Strong drink is always
universally condemned in the Bible. Priests were to avoid it (Lev. 10:8-‐9); kings were to avoid it (Proverbs 31:4-‐5); and Isaiah pronounced judgment on those who used it (Isaiah 5:11). In Bible times, there was no such thing as liquor so even this would be far beyond strong drink.
• Tirosh = “grape juice” – translated in the Bible “wine” or “new wine.” Isaiah 65:8 called new wine in the cluster (in the grape)
• Yah-‐yin = “wine” – this is the most common OT word for a drink (used 141 times). It is the generic term for drink – and was sometimes used for an intoxicating drink and sometimes for a non-‐intoxicating drink.
In Bible times, people used wine to purify their water. It would typically be an average of three to four parts water mixed with one part wine. In the ancient world, plain water was unsafe to drink. So the wine that was used as an acceptable beverage was light wine—not fortified with extra alcohol. That sheds light on Solomon’s admonition: “Do not look on the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup.” (Proverbs 23:31). Solomon is referring to UNMIXED wine with NO water. Dr. Geisler concluded: “Therefore, Christians ought not drink wine, beer, or other alcoholic beverages, for they are actually ‘strong drink’ and are forbidden in Scripture. Even ancient pagans did not drink what some Christians drink today.”
4. Because drinking leads to _________________________. Most people are not able to tell when they have “crossed the line” over into drunkenness. Why participate in something that has the potential to lead you to sin against God?
5. It may cause others to _______________________. See Romans 14:21. The number one reason why teenagers drink is because they’ve seen their parents drink. Parents must remember that whatever you do in moderation, your children are likely to do in excess.
6. It harms our _____________ which are the Lord’s. Aldehydes in alcohol destroy the brain, liver, and kidneys.
7. Alcohol is ____________________. 2 out of every 5 people who choose to drink will someday have a serious alcohol related problem.
Why are there so many Bible translati ons
Should Christi ans drink alcohol
devastati ng
astray
today
drunkenness
stumble
bodies
addicti ve