#STRask with Greg Koukl

Questions about why, if we don't need to learn to hear God's voice, there's a command to earnestly desire the gift of prophecy, why we would need to learn how to use other spiritual gifts but not this one, and why there are men who don't perceive God's voice in Job 33:14.   You say we don't need to learn to hear the voice of God, but we're commanded to “earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy” (1 Cor. 14:1) and to “earnestly desire to prophesy” (1 Cor. 14:39), and passages like these seem to be prescriptive texts (1 Cor. 14:37; 1 Thess. 5:20; Rom. 12:6). Just as someone who has been given the gift of teaching by the Holy Spirit has to learn how to exegete a passage, so those with the gift of prophecy have to learn how to hear God's voice. If it's impossible to miss God's voice, why are there men who don't perceive his voice in Job 33:14?

Questions about how to showcase God's goodness when we're really struggling in our suffering, an explanation of God's response at the end of the book of Job, and whether we should conclude from Job that it's inappropriate to ask God why we're suffering.   How can we still glorify God and showcase his goodness when we're really struggling in our suffering—exhausted, depressed, etc.? I understand Satan attacking Job and why God allowed it, but I'm puzzled by God's response to Job at the end of the book. Should we conclude from Job that it's inappropriate to ask God why we're going through certain struggles and suffering?

Questions about how to pray for persecuted Christians in light of the fact that God wills that some will be martyrs, and how persecuted Christians who are being threatened and beaten know if they should stay and preach the gospel or leave and protect their family.   I have a hard time praying “Old Testament promises” for protection and deliverance for persecuted Christians since I know that, in some cases, God wills that there will be martyrs for Jesus. Any suggestions on how to pray? Why don't Christians who are being persecuted, threatened, beaten, etc. relocate if they are able, especially if they have a family? How do they know if they should stay and preach the gospel or leave and protect their family?

Questions about how to discern when it's time to walk away from a conversation, and how to cope with people charging you with being prideful and legalistic when you're doing your best to be humble, fair, and gentle while sharing the gospel and defending the faith.   How do you discern when it's time to walk away from a conversation? If the person is hard-hearted, is it worth it to keep trying to sow seeds? When does it become “throwing pearls before swine”? I do my best to be humble, fair, and gentle when I share the gospel and defend the faith, but I'm still frequently accused of being prideful and legalistic, which is painful because I actually care very much about people's souls. How do you cope with this when you have similar experiences?

Questions about how to engage someone wearing a button that reads, “Jesus had two dads, and he turned out just fine,” and how to be kind and loving without compromising truth with someone in a Bible study who says her adult child goes by “they/them.”   How would you engage someone wearing a button that reads, “Jesus had two dads, and he turned out just fine”? How can I be kind and loving without compromising biblical truth with a member of a Bible study group I lead who told me her adult child goes by “they/them”?

Questions about whether Christian business owners should provide a livable wage, whether doing a corporate sponsorship that promotes one's business contradicts Matthew 6:3, and whether the parable of the rich fool refutes America's approach to retirement.   Do Christian business owners have a moral responsibility to provide a livable wage? Would doing a corporate sponsorship with an organization we have been working with and financially supporting contradict Jesus' words in Matthew 6:3 about giving in secret since part of the motivation would be to promote our business? Is the parable of the rich fool in Luke 12:13–21 a direct refutation of America's approach to retirement?

Questions about leaving a church with biblical theology because they refuse to preach on divisive topics, whether it's okay to write an apologetics book under a pen name out of fear of repercussions, and how to reconcile Romans 13:1–5 with rulers who are unjust.   Should I leave a church that has solid biblical theology but refuses to preach on divisive topics (LGBTQ, abortion, anything political, homosexuality, immigration, etc.) because they want to introduce those topics once the person is “comfortable”? As someone who works in the public sector in Canada, where speech is heavily policed, am I wrong to write my apologetics book under a pen name to protect my identity and family out of fear of repercussions? How do you reconcile Romans 13:1–5, which tells us not to resist authority, with rulers who are unjust?

Questions about whether Jesus lied in Mark 5:39, proving that lying can't be a sin, when he said, “The child has not died, but is asleep,” and what Jesus meant when he said we need to be “born of water and the Spirit” in John 3:5.   Jesus never sinned. Jesus lied in Mark 5:39. Therefore, lying can't be a sin. What did Jesus mean by “born of water and the Spirit” in John 3:5?

Questions about whether the principle that a house divided against itself can't stand would apply not only to Satan casting out demons but also to God allowing evil, whether or not God is the author of everything he permits for a purpose, and the primary sin of Eve.   Wouldn't the principle in Mark 3:24–25 that a house divided against itself can't stand apply not only to Satan casting out demons but also to God allowing evil? If God is pleased, according to his wise and holy counsel, to permit something, having purposed it to his own glory, does that make him the author of that which he purposed? What was the primary sin of Eve? Was it coveting? Pride? Curiosity?

Questions about giving a biblical perspective to a single friend who is a relatively new Christian and is planning to use IVF to have a baby, and whether or not it's wrong to pray for a baby for a single Christian who wants to adopt.   A Christian friend who is relatively new to the faith confided that she isn't sure marriage is for her and is planning to use IVF to have a baby. How can I talk to her about this from a biblical perspective? Is it wrong to pray for a baby for my single, Christian friend who wants to adopt?

Questions about whether there's a gracious way to explain to manipulative and demanding patients that they're giving Christianity a negative reputation, and how to deal with friends who send a lot of end-time prophecy videos that take Bible verses out of context.   As a Christian nurse, is there a gracious way to explain to manipulative and demanding patients who claim to be Christians that they're giving Christianity a negative reputation in my workplace? How do we deal with well-meaning Christian friends who constantly send end-times prophecy videos that take Bible verses out of context and who respond to objections to their claims with, “It might happen—we can't put God in a box”?

Questions about how to handle objections from Christians who think we should all be harvesters and should not focus on gardening, and whether attending a service at a mosque would communicate approval of the religion (similar to attending a same-sex wedding).   How do you handle objections from Christians who think we should all be harvesters and should not focus on gardening? Should Christians attend a service at a mosque in order to reach the nations, or would this communicate approval of the religion (similar to attending a same-sex wedding)?

Questions about what qualifies as witchcraft, where the line is between witchcraft and science manipulating nature to accomplish things, whether the devil is omnipresent, and whether a demon can possess a location and affect the people at that location.   What specifically qualifies as witchcraft, and where's the line between witchcraft and science manipulating nature to accomplish things? Is the devil omnipresent? Can a demon possess a location and thereby affect the people who are at that location?  

Questions about favorite books that left a lasting impression on Greg and Amy, their response to Christians who warn that all fantasy novels (including C.S. Lewis's books) tap into demonic ideas, and where to draw the line when it comes to the fantasy genre.   Which books (fiction or non-fiction) are your favorites and left a lasting impression? How would you respond to Christians who warn against all sorts of fantasy novels (including C.S. Lewis's books), saying they're tapping into demonic ideas, and where would you draw the line for yourself and for your children?

Questions about whether matter and energy already existed before the Big Bang, how to respond to a Christian friend who believes Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 describe two separate creation events with two sets of humans, and the source of Moses' creation information.   What do you think of the argument that matter and energy already existed before the Big Bang—that it was compacted by gravity, then the Big Bang happened, then repeat? How would you respond to a Christian friend who believes Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 are two separate creation events with two sets of humans being created? From what source did Moses obtain his creation information?

Questions about why, if Adam and Eve were in perfect community with God, we would need to be in a fallen world to fully know God, and why God cursed nature after the fall.   If Adam and Eve were in perfect community with God, why would we need to be in a fallen world to fully know God, and did God create a set of circumstances that would bring about a fallen world solely to reveal his other qualities? Why did God curse nature after the fall?

Questions about how to handle a conversation with an atheist who claims to lack a worldview, and how to respond to someone who accuses you of being “stubborn and dogmatic” because you defend your views and don't capitulate to their arguments.   How would you handle a conversation with an atheist who claims to lack a worldview and denies holding every belief atheists usually hold? How would you respond to someone who accuses you of being “stubborn and dogmatic” simply because you defend your views with facts and reason and don't capitulate to their arguments?

Questions about how to respond to the concern that no one wrote about Jesus during his lifetime, why scholars say Jesus was born in AD 5–6 rather than AD 1, and what Paul meant when he said God sent his son “when the fullness of the time came.”   What should I say to someone who is hung up on the fact that no one wrote about Jesus during his lifetime? If Jesus' birth started AD 1, why do scholars say he was born in AD 5–6? Paul says in Galatians 4:4–5 that God sent his son “when the fullness of the time came.” What was “just right” about that point in history, and is God doing anything special in our day?

Questions about whether it's problematic for a DJ on a secular radio station to play songs with lyrics that are contrary to his Christian values, and what approach a musician should take toward royalties he's still receiving from music that had less-than-Christian lyrics.   As a DJ on a secular radio station that plays music from the '60s through the '90s, is it problematic for me to play music with lyrics that are contrary to my Christian values? What approach should I take toward the monetary royalties I still collect from music that had less-than-Christian imagery and lyrics?

Questions about whether or not inherently sinful humans could have accurately recorded the Word of God, whether the words about Moses in Acts 7:22 and Exodus 4:10 contradict each other, and why we're told to say, “If it is the Lord's will,” in James 4 but not James 5.   How should I respond to the objection that humans, who are inherently sinful, could not have accurately recorded the Word of God? How do we reconcile the seeming contradiction between Acts 7:22, which says Moses was mighty in word and deed, and Exodus 4:10, where Moses says he is slow of speech and tongue? James 4:13–16 instructs us to qualify our plans by saying, “If it is the Lord's will,” but his words in the next chapter about our prayers healing the sick include no qualifiers regarding God's will. How does James 5 fit with James 4?

Questions about the top five things to consider before joining a church when coming out of the NAR movement, and thoughts regarding a church putting on a production of Jesus Christ Superstar as a means to draw non-Christians into the church.   I'm coming out of the Word of Faith and New Apostolic Reformation movements. What are the top five things I need to consider before joining a church? What are your thoughts regarding a church putting on a production of Jesus Christ Superstar as a means to draw non-Christians into the church?

Questions about whether faith is the evidence or the energizer of faith, and biblical support for the idea that good works are inevitable and always demonstrated in the life of someone who has true faith.   Works appear to be the “engine oil” that keeps faith alive. Without them, faith is dead. Therefore, aren't works the energizer of faith, not the evidence? Can you please provide biblical support that “good works” are inevitable and always demonstrated in the life of someone who has true faith?

Questions about how to respond to someone who says morality is determined by society, whether our evolutionary biology causes us to think it's objectively wrong to torture babies for fun, and whether someone with multiple personality disorder could both trust and reject Christ.   How should I respond to someone who is unpersuaded by the moral argument for God, who insists people just do what makes them happy and doesn't offend people or the law, and who says morality is determined by social structures that have evolved? Can the idea that it's objectively wrong to torture babies for fun actually be explained by our evolutionary biology making us want to protect the babies in our group? Would it be possible for someone with multiple personality disorder to trust Christ with one personality and reject him with another? If so, how would we make sense of their eternal state?

Questions about how to respond to someone who's asking for evidence for objective morality, what to say to atheists who counter the moral argument for God by rejecting the necessity of objective morality, and the definition of intuition.   An atheist who's debating me about objective morality ignores what I say about our just knowing it deep inside and keeps pressing me for evidence. What should I do? What should I say to atheists who counter the moral argument for God by rejecting the necessity of objective morality? What is intuition?

Questions about how we can be guilty when we sin if sin is a disease we're born with, how it can be that we'll have free will in Heaven but not have the ability to choose to sin, and whether morality and logic are correct because God says so or he says so because they're correct.   If sin is a disease we're all born with, how can we be guilty when we sin? Can you explain how we will retain free will in Heaven but will not have the ability to choose to sin? Is morality correct because God says so, or does he say so because it is correct? Is logic correct because God says so, or does he say so because it is correct?

Question about whether or not people with dementia have free will and are morally responsible for the sins they commit.   Do people with dementia have free will? Are they morally responsible for the sins they commit, like their hurtful words and aggressive actions towards others?

Questions about why Jesus didn't know the day of his return if he truly is God, and why it's important for Jesus to be both fully God and fully man.   If Jesus is God, then why didn't he know the day of his return, and if the answer is that he limited himself, wasn't it a lie to say that he didn't know? Why is it important for Jesus Christ to be both fully God and fully man?

Questions about whether it's wrong to feel a sense of satisfaction at the thought of some atheists being humbled before Christ when their time comes, and practical methods of engagement that can be used when conversing with conspiracy theorists.   Is it wrong that I sometimes feel a sense of satisfaction at the thought of some atheists being humbled before Christ when their time comes? What are some practical methods of engagement that can be used when conversing with conspiracy theorists?

Questions about how to respond to a family member who believes Zodiac signs determine personality and what to say to a co-worker who believes aliens created humans and put them on Earth 250,000 years ago.   How would you respond to a family member who believes Zodiac signs determine personality? What should I say to a co-worker who believes aliens created humans and put them on Earth about 250,000 years ago?

Question about how to go about teaching students about worldviews, what a worldview is, how to identify one, how to show that the Christian worldview is better than others, and recommended resources on the topic of worldviews.   I'm at a loss as to how to go about teaching my students about worldviews. What is a worldview, how do you identify one, how do you show that the Christian worldview is better than others, and what are your recommended resources on this topic?

Questions about reasons to think human beings are the most valuable things in the universe, how terms like “identity in Christ” and “child of God” can help someone who feels like a failure, and how to “give it to God” when you're being consumed by worry.   Can you expand on your belief that human beings are the most valuable things in the universe? People use terms like “identity in Christ” and “child of God” to help me in my struggle with low self-esteem and feeling like a failure. Can you help me understand what those terms mean? How do you lay something at God's feet? When I'm being consumed by worry, how do I “give it to God”?

Questions about what to ask someone who believes merely in a “higher power,” how to make a case for the existence of the afterlife, and whether or not we can use Revelation 22:18 as evidence that the Book of Mormon isn't divinely inspired.   What questions should I ask someone I'm working with to help him think beyond a belief in a “higher power”? How would you make a case for the existence of the afterlife, and is it necessary to use the Bible in order to do so? How would you respond to Mormons who objected to my using Revelation 22:18 to explain why I don't think the Book of Mormon is divinely inspired?

Questions about the point of getting baptized after being a Christian for over 60 years, the difference between a short prayer and an eloquent one, and disciplining yourself to read the Bible whether you feel like it or not.   I've been a Christian for over 60 years, graduated from seminary, briefly pastored, and am currently an elder in my church, but I was never baptized. At this point in my life, what would be the point of getting baptized? What difference, if any, is there between a short and to-the-point prayer and a wordy, eloquent prayer if both truly come from the heart? I love studying apologetics, but when it comes to reading my Bible, I find it difficult to want to do so. Is there a way to increase my desire to read it, or is this something I just have to discipline myself to do anyway?

Questions about how to recognize prophecies about the Messiah in the Old Testament and whether or not Paul is just making Scripture say what he wants it to say when he appears to use Old Testament passages out of context.   I heard a pastor connect Psalm 69:21 with John 19:28–30, saying it was Old Testament prophecy being fulfilled, but it doesn't look like prophecy to me. How is prophecy about the Messiah recognized? How do we know Paul is not just making Scripture say what he wants it to say when he appears to use Old Testament passages out of context?

Questions about how God became so judgmental if he didn't do anything to become God, and how we can think the flood really happened if no definition of a god includes the idea that he can get so angry he drowns every dog on earth.   God didn't do anything to earn being God, did he? How did he become so judgmental? We don't think the flood really happened, do we? No definition of a god includes emotion, let alone getting so angry he drowns every dog on earth.

Questions about whether a deceased person's soul can live on in the recipient of his heart, whether 1 Corinthians 15:44 confirms that babies in the womb have a soul, why bodies are important, how to explain the soul to a child, and how the spirit relates to the soul.   Could the stories about recipients of donated hearts acting like the donors mean that if a person dies and his heart is donated to someone else, his soul lives on in the recipient? Does 1 Corinthians 15:44 confirm that babies in the womb have a soul when it says that if there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body? In light of your article “The Invisible Man,” why are bodies important? How would you explain the existence of a soul to a child or someone who has never heard of this idea? How does a person's spirit relate to his soul?

Questions about what to say to someone who believes in “healing frequencies” in fabrics and music, whether Christians should use Oriental medicine that's based on the concepts of qi, and how to respond to someone who says he's sending “good vibes” your way.   What would you say to someone who believes in “healing frequencies” in fabrics and music and claims there is biblical support for it? What are your thoughts on Christians using Oriental medicine specialists, who base their techniques on the concepts of qi, to diagnose and treat allergies? How would you respond to someone who sends “good vibes” your way when you ask for prayers?

Questions about why some churches say you need to keep the Mosaic Law and the gospel of Christ to be saved, and whether or not it's inappropriate for Christians to celebrate Passover since it's a celebration from Judaism and the Messiah has already come.   Why do some churches say you need to keep the Mosaic Law and the gospel of Christ to be saved? Is it inappropriate for a Christian to celebrate Passover since it's a celebration from Judaism and the Messiah has already come?

Questions about a resource for learning the vocabulary of apologetics, whether to pursue a PhD or another master's degree, whether to earn a degree in general apologetics or to pick a specific topic to study, and how tactics can be used in written communication.   I feel like I need a vocabulary lesson in Christian apologetics just to be able to keep up. Is there a reference guide you could suggest? I'm finishing up my MA in apologetics, and I'm not sure whether to pursue a PhD or another master's degree. Do you recommend earning an advanced degree in apologetics or choosing a specific lane (theology, philosophy, science, etc.)? How can tactics be used in written communication? Is it possible to use your tactics in a digital written age?

Questions about whether the fact that some people go through intense difficulties and suffering indicates that God hates some and favors others, and whether someone is being abused because God doesn't think she's worshiping him enough.   I constantly feel like God hates me because of a congenital defect that affects my career choices, my self-worth, and my bitterness towards God. Why does it seem like God hates some and favors others? If God lets Satan live to bring God glory and to test us, does that mean my friend is being abused by her mom's boyfriend because God doesn't think she's worshiping him enough?

Questions about asking God for the repentance of someone who has passed away, how to respond to a request to pray for a deceased person, reconciling Hebrews 9:27 with people who have died twice, and whether we'll be judged according to the revelation we received.   What are your thoughts on asking God for the repentance of someone who has passed away? When asked to pray for a friend's deceased mother's soul, what is a compassionate response that may lead to an opportunity to share the gospel? How do we reconcile Hebrews 9:27, which says it's appointed for each of us to die once, with people being raised from the dead by Jesus, Peter, and Paul and then dying a second time? Are people judged differently by God according to the revelation they received?

Questions about whether one can legitimately say evil is a privation of good, how the Bible can say sin and death entered the world at the fall if angels rebelled before man, and why God would judge Israel with a famine so great they would eat the flesh of their children.   Saying that evil is a “privation” is simply wordplay. How is the privation of a thing not creating the result of that privation? If one is denied oxygen, he will die, but you would blame the one denying the oxygen for that death. Scripture says sin and death entered the world at the fall, but didn't angels rebel before man? Wouldn't sin have been introduced then? Why would God judge the Israelites for sacrificing their children to idols by pronouncing upon them a famine so great that they would eat the flesh of their children?

Questions about how secular books assist our Christian walk and how Greg studies the Bible.   How do secular books like Atomic Habits assist our Christian walk? How do you personally study the Bible?

Questions about the Catholic Bible versus the Protestant Bible, whether or not the original New Testament manuscripts exist somewhere and how we would know if we found one, and the implications of not having the original manuscripts of the Bible.   How do you know you have the right version of Christianity? The Catholic Bible was assembled closer to the time of Jesus, and your church just took books out of that Bible. If an all-powerful God can't maintain the truth over time, he probably isn't real. Do you think the original New Testament manuscripts still exist somewhere, and if we ever found one, how would we know it was the original? What do we mean when we say we don't have an original copy of the Bible? Which parts aren't right, and how would we ever know?

Questions about disappointment that the sign gifts of the Spirit seem rare, non-existent, or fake, whether or not believers can squelch the Holy Spirit, and whether 2 Peter 1:21 points to the Holy Spirit “impressing” us during prophecy.   I came to faith because the gifts of the Spirit that seemed integral to church life in the Bible made God so real and personal, but now that I've found the gifts to be rare, non-existent, or fake, I have doubts I know anything about God. Can the squelching of the Holy Spirit be supported biblically, and can we, as believers, squelch the Holy Spirit? Does 2 Peter 1:21 point to the Holy Spirit “impressing” us during prophecy?

Questions about whether or not someone can impart the gifts of healing, prophecy, words of knowledge, etc. to others and whether being an apostle necessarily means one is part of the foundation of the church according to Ephesians 2:20.   Can someone impart the gifts of healing, prophecy, words of knowledge, etc. to others? Is being the foundation of the church (see Ephesians 2:20) a necessary or accidental property of being an apostle?

Questions about what discernment skills we should develop to make sure we're getting wise answers from AI, and how to overcome confirmation bias when evaluating claims related to theism and Christianity.   What discernment skills should we develop to make sure we're getting wise answers from AI when asking the question “What would Jesus have me do in this situation”? How do you overcome confirmation bias when evaluating claims related to theism and Christianity, and is it possible to have strong beliefs and still be objective?

Questions about how to respond when someone says, “Just follow the science,” and whether or not it's a good tactic to cite evolutionists' lack of a good biogenesis theory in support of the teleological argument.   How should I respond to the phrase “Just follow the science?” Is it a good tactic to cite evolutionists' lack of a good biogenesis theory in support of the teleological argument?

Questions about how to respond to someone who thinks we shouldn't say anything against Voodoo since it's “just their culture” and arguments to refute a proponent of the African traditional religion as a means of worshiping the almighty God.   When I expressed concern about a movie dealing with Voodoo magic, one of the students said that it's “just their culture,” as if we shouldn't say anything against voodoo since it's a cultural practice. How should I have responded? What arguments would you present as a polemic to refute a proponent of the African traditional religion as a means of worshiping the almighty God?

Questions about why it was necessary for Jesus to come if people could already be justified by faith apart from works, and what the point of the Old Covenant was if God was going to make the New Covenant.   Since Old Testament Jews and Gentiles could be justified by faith apart from works, it seems there was already a path for salvation in place, so why was it necessary for Jesus to come? What was the point of the Old Covenant if God was going to make the New Covenant?

Questions about whether or not pornography is really wrong and whether or not AI-generated pornography is a sin since AI women are not real women.   I'm a 13-year-old boy who has been struggling with pornography—and with my faith as a whole—for a while now, and I've been wondering: Is it really wrong? Jesus said that if you look at a woman in lust, you have already committed adultery with her in your heart, but AI women are not real women, so is AI-generated pornography a sin?