Questions and Answers

Answer: Jesus Christ prophesied that there would be great religious diversity in those who claim to be Christian and represent Him. Matthew 24:4-5 says, "And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying [that] I am the Christ; and shall deceive many" (KJV).

As for the existence of the Church that Jesus founded in A.D. 31 on the Day of Pentecost, Jesus Himself promised that this church would always exist. Specifically, He said, "I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18). Therefore, God's Church does exist somewhere.

The Bible explains that this church will accurately reflect the teachings and message of Jesus Christ. It will be preaching His true gospel in the world (Matthew 28:19; 24:14). By comparing what the Bible says God's Church will be like with the churches we see around us, we can discover where God's Church is today. Because this is a foundational subject that deserves much time and attention, we suggest that you write for our free booklet, The Church Jesus Built, or read it online . This booklet addresses these important questions in much greater detail.

Answer: Generally, we recommend that young people who want to get to know each other better and spend time together socially do so in groups. If your friend and others (such as yourself) plan an activity (going to a movie, museum, etc.), why not invite this young man as a part of the group? In doing things as a group, there is less pressure on individuals. A previous edition of Youth United (www.churchofgodtwincities.org/lit/vt/ym05/contents.htm), has some excellent articles on dating and related subjects. We recommend those as well as the articles on dating in this issue.

Answer: While the Bible is basically a book that God gave to man to instruct him on why he was created and to explain man's incredible potential, we can deduce that there was much activity within the spirit realm before man.

The concept of eternity in the past is not one our physical minds can truly grasp. We do know that whatever God had been doing, it would have reflected His nature of love (1 John 4:8) and perfect teamwork between the Father and Son (also called the Word in John 1:1).

The Bible reveals God as a Planner and Creator. Of course there is our vast physical universe that He planned, created and sustained, apparently over billions of years. The Bible also reveals an unimaginably incredible angelic creation already in existence before the earth was created (Job 38:4-7). This angelic creation is described many places in the Bible, including Revelation 4.

The Bible also gives a small glimpse into a major negative event before the creation of man. Satan, whose former name was Lucifer, was given a throne and had the responsibility of managing part of God's creation. What this entailed or how Satan corrupted the government is not totally clear. Ezekiel 28 shows that a mortal prince of Tyre was compared to the king of Tyre, who was a being given great authority on the earth prior to man.

To learn more about Satan, request our free booklet, Is There Really a Devil?

Answer: The alleged sightings of vessels or portions of vessels on Mt. Ararat go back for decades. Of course, all of these accounts could not refer to the actual ark, as so many of them differ greatly in the location and elevation of the reported sightings. To date, while aerial photographs have even been taken of some objects, there has been no confirmed sighting or firsthand physical evidence of the ark of Noah.

It is our perspective that while some physical evidence of the ark may still exist in the "mountains of Ararat" (which the scriptures refer to—not just the mount), it is likely that God will not allow a full discovery or disclosure of such until it meets His purpose. Such a confirmed discovery would surely have a very strong impact on the acceptance of the biblical record—something many liberal scholars strive to discount.

Answer: Two scriptures indicating that we must believe on Christ are Acts 16:31 and Romans 10:9. The former says, "So they said, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household,'” and Romans 10:9 says, "If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."

To properly understand these scriptures, we must know what it means to believe. Some people minimize the word believe by defining it as simply knowing Christ exists when it really means trusting Him and living one's life to please Him. Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words explains that the Greek word pisteuo (the Greek word found in both passages) means "'to believe,' also 'to be persuaded of,' and hence, 'to place confidence in, to trust,' signifies, in this sense of the word, reliance upon, not mere credence."

There is obviously more to receiving salvation than simply knowing Christ lived. While we cannot earn our salvation through good works because salvation is a gift from God (Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9), God does expect those who come to Him to keep His commandments (John 14:15; Revelation 14:12) and do good works (Ephesians 2:10). Those who truly love God will do these things because they have dedicated their lives to Him (Galatians 2:20).

Answer: Some have interpreted 1 Corinthians 11:5 to mean that women should wear a hat (or similar covering) when praying. However, the following verse, by using the words "shaven" and "shorn" indicates that this covering is a woman's own hair. As we continue reading through verse 16, we see that it is God's expectation that men have short hair and women have long hair. Verse 15 also explains that long hair is this covering and a glory for women. For men, not being covered means having short hair.